by Elizabeth | Sep 16, 2013 | Learning Story
Today, a little preview from the forthcoming third in the Living Story series: Loving in God’s Story of Grace. Check out this narrative-based Bible study approach here.
“And they have played the harlot, departing from their God.” Hosea 4:13
We all have many ways of leaving our faithful bridegroom for lovers who seem to offer the satisfaction we crave. Look at the following list of false gods and add some of your own.
- Living for approval. Possible clues: your day is ruined if someone does not seem to like you or your idea. Your mood is affected by how many likes, re-tweets or re-pins you receive on social media.
- Playing savior. You take on other people’s problems and feel responsible for them.
- Work and money. You define yourself by the type of job and the amount of money you make.
- Consumerism. You always want the newest clothing, technology – fill in the blank. Perhaps you take on debt to acquire goods.
- Addiction. You turn to alcohol, shopping, video games (—- fill in the blank) for a sense of temporary relief.
- Name some others that apply to you.
Now, for each of the idols you listed, pray and ponder about the following questions:
- How did you begin to find relief, love, satisfaction in this idol? (What were or are the circumstances that led or lead you to this worship?) Ex. In absence of affection in the home, some teenagers turn to alcohol or drugs.
- What do you receive from this idol? What does it cost?
- What would you have to believe about God to turn away from this idol?
by Elizabeth | Sep 10, 2013 | Learning Story
This isn’t all there is to being a woman changed by God! (But it may be part of it:-).
If you are a woman, and you are a Christian, you have possibly heard the phrase “Titus 2 Woman.” When used as a title rather than a reference to several verses in the book of Titus, it often refers to a program or a concept. Sadly the “Titus 2 Woman” can become yet another unachievable ideal that ends up making ordinary human “godly women” feel shamed and small.
Please don’t hear what I’m not saying.
There is something for all women to hear and live into in Titus 2:3-5. The danger is when a crucial part of the text is ignored, or when one text of Scripture is used to sum up everything about the nature of a woman in Christ. Over several articles, I’d like to bring up some-things more, some things that have occasionally been left out of the discussion.
The first something I’ll mention today. I’ll try to write again soon about some other things we as women need to consider as we look at the gospel call to women.
We need, as always, to read the whole text, in context. No, really, read it:-). Here is a guide to help you:
Read Titus 2 and focus on verses 11-14. Read them over several times, perhaps aloud, and then ask yourself — what is the connection between these verses and verses 3-5? (Hint, hint: gospel, freedom, and hope should be part of your answer:-).
If you have a study Bible, find out the context of the story — what was the setting (time and place), who were the people (writer, recipient, characters in the story)?
Finally, re-read Titus 2:3. What do these instructions suggest about the women to whom Titus is written?
I hope you discovered that Titus 2 was not merely written for the super-godly women, but for women like you and me, women who can only become reverent and self-controlled, humble and kind, through the powerfully transforming work of the gospel. In my blog on some-things more, I’ll say more about the mentoring aspect of those verses. The “something more” in this case is that the gospel is what transforms us into godly women, not our own human effort.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. What experiences do you have with Titus 2, either as a phrase or a gospel imperative? What challenges do you find in this chapter? What hope?
by Elizabeth | Sep 4, 2013 | Learning Story
The empty nest
It was a Friday night, around 8ish. We had just pulled into the garage after leaving our youngest of four children at college. As I stepped out of the car, a small brown bird rushed past me, startling me and itself. A comic scene ensued as we attempted to show the frightened flying creature the way out.
The following morning, as I was getting in my car to go to the grocery store, I noticed a bird’s nest on the wire shelving above me.
Now, though my children tease me about saying “It’s a sign,” it is true that I see the world full of signifiers pointing to a greater reality beyond the ordinary – “the heavens are telling the glory of God.” (However, my kids are right, we can make too much of ‘signs’ and interpret them for our own purposesJ — there, I admitted it!).
So, since the phrase “empty nest” has been repeated probably over 500 times, either by me or others, in recent months, I took note. I actually climbed up on our riding lawn mower (please don’t tell my husband!), held my camera high above my head, and took a photo, because I wanted to see if the nest was “empty.” And sure enough, as you can see, it was.
You can imagine that I immediately saw the flashing sign of an empty nest right above my car as a sweet signifier of God’s kindness, and you’d be right. The unexpected message announced itself in the photograph. I had no idea, but you can see it – an empty nest is – well, a work of art. As delicately designed as a Faberge egg, twigs and pine straw and squiggly vines interlaced, remnants of nestlings’ down scattered with the memories of early days of snuggled safety. The empty nest swells with the signs of lives tended, nurtured, fed, loved, and sent to fly.
I thought of Naomi in the book of Ruth saying, “I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.” (Ruth 1:20). What if, I wonder, the things we think are empty may actually be full? Any thoughts?
by Elizabeth | Aug 28, 2013 | Learning Story
Over the last three weeks, I have helped deliver three children to various college campuses. Our elder daughter is a campus ministry intern, our younger daughter, a junior, and our youngest son, a freshman. Our eldest son graduated from college last year and has long ago left the nest.
On the first quiet day home, I decided to do some processing. Opening a creative writing book, I chose what to me is a challenging exercise: describe the “sound” of something. I hope my piece might help you process some of your feelings about a major change in your life. I also hope my rough efforts might inspire you to try your own. (And if you do so, I hope you’ll share them with us in the comments section!).
“The sound of…moving children to college”
Bed and chest rattle and shake over every bump we hit in the 250-mile drive to my daughter’s new home. The rattling is quiet compared to my noisy emotions – hope, fear, uncertainty zinging around inside. Happy squeals reach us across the parking lot as roommates reunite after the long summer apart. The helpers pleasantly greet us and politely ask where to start. The trailer door clangs as they open it, and a whoosh of hot air rushes toward us. They lift heavy boxes with barely a whimper; I pull small ones out of the car with dramatic groans. My daughter calls out from her room, “Mom, where should we put the table?” I go inside, where we chat casually about furniture placement.
Silence echoes through the large empty house. Stillness calls to stillness. I wander by the darkened piano, its mouth shut up, waiting stoically for release. Our empty nest teddy bear dog sighs heavily in the hallway. My phone tweets from my pocket: “31DayFacelift is now following you.” “Really?!” I mock the message, staring at the non-person that delivered it. Drawn by the silent piano, I sit softly on the bench, tentatively striking notes unknown. A not-unpleasant noise sings forth, signaling the distant possibility of a graceful melody arising.
by Elizabeth | Jul 10, 2013 | Learning Story
I’ve been reading the excellent series The High Calling is running on #vocationfocus, and it made me think of this story:
“Hi-i-i, Meezes Turnage,
You are an author, no?”
Caught by surprise, first because I had expected him to say, “You are the Doctor’s wife,” and secondly, because I wasn’t sure how he knew I was an author, I hesitantly agreed, “Well, yes… I am.”
“And what is this Leeving Story,” he asked, his Panama accent strong.
“Oh, yes, that is my ministry.”
Quickly, he followed with, “And what type of books do you write?”
“Oh, um, Bible studies...to help people know how God’s grace is working out in their stories.”
“You are Christian?”
“Yes, I am!”
What a delightful welcome by Juan Diego, the concierge whose job was to assist us as we cruised through Alaska.And not just because his lively Latino persona and warm, wide smile lit the room with his joy. But because he “knew” me.
When people hear my last name, they regularly ask, “Are you Dr. Turnage’s wife?” and whenever that question comes, I prepare myself for the “spontaneous overflow” of high praise and deep gratitude for both his excellent skill and his widely-recognized compassion. And, having been “Mr.” Turnage’s wife for almost 31 years and “Dr.” Turnage’s wife for 27, I am proud and delighted to be so-named.
But sometimes, as self-focused as this may sound, I want people to know me for me. To know my passions, my work, my calling. My calling isn’t really about me, though. It’s about — dare I say it — the glory of God revealed in me? I am fearfully and wonderfully made –God has actually “crafted” me, the Bible says.
Like many women, I have a multitude of vocations, one of which is to support and encourage my husband in his work and ministry (he puts bones and joints back together, but truly his work is a healing ministry!) God has also named me as the mother of four crazy, amazing children. He has given me a strong passion for teaching and writing and working and cheering people on as they themselves discover and live their God-created calling.
The exchange with Juan Diego reminded me of a powerful threat to women. It is not, as so many in our culture might suggest, the danger of losing ourselves. It is, however, the danger of losing the knowledge of who God has created us to be. The Bible teaches that God created woman and man “in his image.” He endowed us with gifts and calling. Yes, we are born sinners, but in Christ, we are new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
In order to understand the magnificence of God’s redemptive story, we ought to spend some time asking, “What is my name, what is my calling, what is my purpose?” As we do, we will discover our names and live in love and curiosity about others’.
I am “the doctor’s wife,” “[four children’s] mother,” “a coach,” “an author,” and…most importantly, “beloved child of the King.” Each of these names tell something about the vocation God has given me, the place in the kingdom he has called me to serve.
Join the conversation: How have you been named, and what does it tell about your calling?
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by Elizabeth | Jun 21, 2013 | Learning Story
Just skimming around, searching for a new book and I discovered this interview with Elizabeth Scalia, who wrote Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Your Life. She made a fascinating point about how Facebook and Twitter can lead to labeling and un-loving. The following is from an interview with Tony Rossi and Ms. Scalia:
Elizabeth noted, “Kierkegaard said, ‘The minute you label me, you negate me.’…And I came to a decision through prayer, saying, ‘God, I want to love again.’ I don’t want to have all of this kneejerk disgust towards others who I don’t even know. Terry Pratchett wrote a book called ‘Carpe Jugulum.’ In it, one of the characters…says, ‘Sin is when you treat another person like a thing.’ It’s true, and we do that continually on social media…Everybody is breaking up into smaller and smaller cliques and making their mindset very exclusive, to the point where if you disagree with one point of it, you’re out. It’s got this strange effect of making this vast communication tool into something really small…We miss sight of the person in front of us. When we do that, we miss sight of Christ because – and this is St. Benedict – we are meant to find the Christ in each other. If we’re immediately discarding their personhood, there’s no way we can find Him.”
Part of the reason for that is our distorted modern definition of love. “Love is the constant turning and saying yes to something that is outside of yourself,” Elizabeth said. “That is really difficult, particularly for us today because we are turned inward and we’re celebrating ourselves, we’re fascinated by ourselves. When you’re doing that, you have a distorted sense of love because it’s all polluted by that inward self worship. And that takes us right back to Eden. That was the serpent’s thing: eat and you can be as gods. And we’re still there. All these millennia later, we’re still there.”
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christophers/2013/04/what-are-you-putting-between-yourself-and-god-unmasking-the-idols-in-your-life/
Today, a little preview from the forthcoming third in the Living Story series: Loving in God’s Story of Grace. Check out this narrative-based Bible study approach here.
