by Elizabeth | Oct 25, 2010 | Learning Story
Got a text from my son last night:
Auburn #1
I thought that was great news. I called him mostly because I wanted to hear how his weekend was and to rejoice with him, to enjoy the moment. (Read Saturday’s post if you want the lead-in story.)
When I said, “That’s great about Auburn,” he sounded dubious. “I don’t know, Mom…Now we’ve got a target on our backs. I mean, we’re on the road against Ol’ Miss (I think he said) next week and they’re going to want to take us down.”
My mom, who like me, has become an Auburn fan on behalf of her eldest grandson, emailed me earlier and said, “I just hope they can keep it up.” Earlier in the season, another Auburn fan told me, “We don’t have a good record historically of doing well when we’re highly ranked.”
Now don’t hear me ragging on Auburn fans or on those who get worried when their team’s on top. I’d probably say my son had heard me say many sentences like the one he spoke about various situations.
I’m bringing this up because recently we’ve been talking about “Considering it joy when you encounter various sufferings…” and other encouragements to rejoice in sufferings. I think it’s a good time to mention that we may struggle more with REJOICING IN SWEET MOMENTS than rejoicing in suffering. Or at least as much.
The chief end of woman (and man) according to the Westminster Catechism is to “Worship God and enjoy Him forever.” And yes, it is true that means more than rejoicing when your team’s #1 or you have a date with a wonderful woman or get to go hear your favorite band. But it certainly doesn’t mean less.
Here’s my question for the day:
Why do we have such a hard time “rejoicing” in the “good and simple gifts God sends from above”?
by Elizabeth | Oct 22, 2010 | Learning Story
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
“Blessed or Happy is more a declaration of a state than an expression of a feeling.” Scotty Smith.
I’ve been listening to Scotty’s teaching of James to the Women’s Bible Study at Christ Community Church these last weeks, and I’m learning more than I ever forgot about the book! I heard him say this yesterday, and I thought it important to mention this here.
Being the recovering Stoic that I am, I want to make sure that no one hears what I’m not saying. When we talk about joy in our tribulations, it doesn’t mean, “Just buck up and plow through” (which may not be what you hear but is what I heard for many years as a young Christian.) It refers to the great gospel paradox that God is up to something different in our lives through the difficulties. We have come to expect that trial, tribulation, sorrow, hard seasons, harm can be understood only negatively. The Cross of Christ turns all that on its head.
More on this another time, but I also wanted to post the song that’s been stuck in my head the last 24 hours.
“All Must Be Well” by Matthew Smith (which is really different than “All Is Well” when you think about it.)
Through the love of God our Savior, all will be well
Free and changeless is His favor, all is well
Precious is the blood that healed us
Perfect is the grace that sealed us
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us
All must be well
Though we pass through tribulation, all will be well
Ours is such a full salvation, all is well
Happy still in God confiding
Fruitful if in Christ abiding
Steadfast through the Spirit’s guiding
All must be well
We expect a bright tomorrow; all will be well
Faith can sing through days of sorrow, all is well
On our Father’s love relying
Jesus every need supplying
Yes in living or in dying
All must be well
by Elizabeth | Oct 20, 2010 | Learning Story
If you’ve been reading the blog lately, you know I’ve been in a [relatively] still state these last couple of weeks. (Except for the thousands of arm circles and broomstick moves I perform every day:)
This still state has given me lots of opportunity to reflect on the theme of “doing.” This morning I came upon an index card lying under a stack of papers on my desk. Occasionally a verse or passage hits me in a new way and I write it down (because it seems my ability to memorize left me in my 40’s along with eyesight and other losses).
Listen to this:
Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.
Sounds vaguely familiar, right? It is the last verse in one of our well-worn Christmas passages that foretells the Savior. As much as I love the preceding passages that tell of a kingdom of peace and beauty and righteousness, I really love the very last words of this verse, and NOT just because I can remember them. Watch out, I’m going to write it LARGE!
THE ZEAL OF THE LORD ALMIGHTY WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS! [Exclamation point implied:]
One translation says, “The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will DO it!” When I worry and fret, I need re-orientation. I need to remember what I pray many mornings, “Thy will be done.” And then I need to remember that His will really will be done. And how will it be DONE? Not by my doing. Yes, by my active participation, whether through prayer or other means. But not by my doing. By his passion, might, mercy and strength. Say it with me now. Aloud. Right there in Panera.
THE ZEAL OF THE LORD ALMIGHTY WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS.
And today, through the day, when you need a rescue, remember that the rescuer has already come. The doing of redemption has been done. The ongoing process of renewal is being done. I think I’ll go back to my recliner and ponder that for a while:)!
by Elizabeth | Oct 19, 2010 | Learning Story
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
I went to get more coffee and returned to find our dog Abbey like this. I wondered if she was pondering the problem of being a dog and wondering why she doesn’t get to eat breakfast at the table!
It made me think of what I read in Alec Motyer’s commentary on James yesterday:
“Many people have pondered the ‘problem of pain.’ Few pause to ponder the problem of happiness. Why should a holy God give me restful days, a happy home, healthy and dear children to a sinner like me? How I should love him for these blessings!
Likewise it is true that the Lord visits with with hardships and sorrow so that he may draw near to us and ask, ‘Do you love me still?
An elderly man, bereaved of his wife, said: ‘It must be that the Lord still has something for me to do, else why has he left me here?’ And someone replied, ‘He has not left you to do anything except to love him still.’
Following up on yesterday’s post, I ask myself:
What do I have to do today? (What do you have to do today?)
And the answer, “He has not left you to do anything except to love him still.”
What do you think?
by Elizabeth | Oct 17, 2010 | Learning Story
I’m tired of sitting, sleeping, feeling too drowsy to do anything except sitting and sleeping (and occasional standing), and the fact that about the only thing I “do” these days is try to make a broomstick move approximately 8 inches back and forth and up and down. Oh, well, that’s not all. I do arm circles. Lots of them. Clockwise. Counterclockwise. Back and forth. Side to side.
Thus goes my rant for day 12 post-op rotator cuff repair. I will spare you some of the other complaints my family has heard.
It seems God has laid me out. Again. Despite taking the prescribed painkillers only at night to numb pain enough to sleep, I am struggling with powerful drowsiness and middling pain during the days. My frustration with not feeling like “doing” anything came to a head this morning when I heard the chapel choir my son is in sing one of my favorite hymns, “Take My Life and Let It Be.”
It occurred to me that I like the hymn because in my super-performance-oriented approach to life, I thought it was about active doing. Take my lips, my voice, my feet…and let them give praise. But this morning I heard it again for the very first time. It occurred to me that God doesn’t need my lips to move at all for me to give Him praise. He doesn’t demand that my feet be swift or beautiful, though it makes a lovely picture. I’ve always known my voice doesn’t sing very well. Thank God He doesn’t require what I have often imagined!
He just wants my life to be. That’s all the praise He wants from me.
The End. (Two-handed typing time is limited:)
May I learn as well as Paul did to be content in all circumstances and to let My Potter further refine this sun-baked lump of clay!:)
- Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
*Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.
- Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
- Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
- Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
- Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
- Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.
by Elizabeth | Oct 16, 2010 | Learning Story
Thinking we are being unkind, we do not speak. Fearing we are being judgmental, we remain silent. Back to the question of several days ago, “How do we love a fellow sinner well when we see them on a path of destruction,” we should ask ourselves why we would remain silent. Today, the last in a series on community from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together.
It is a good time to ask ourselves and to bring before God this matter of Christian community. Where am I? Longing for community. Graced with rich community but on the outer fringes? Enjoying giving and receiving love of all kinds?
If we cannot bring ourselves to say the necessary word, we will have to ask ourselves whether we are not still seeing other Christians clothed in a human dignity that we think we dare not touch, and thus whether we are not forgetting the most important thing—that they, too, no matter how old or high ranking or distinguished they may be, are still persons like us, sinners crying out for God’s grace.
They have the same great troubles that we have, and need help, comfort, and forgiveness as we do. The basis on which Christians can speak to one another is that each knows the other as a sinner who, even given all one’s human renown, is forlorn and lost if not given help. This does not mean that the others are being disparaged or dishonored. Rather, we are paying them the only real honor a human being has, namely, that as sinners they share in God’s grace and glory, that they are children of God.
This realization gives our mutual speech the freedom and openness it needs. We talk to one another about the help we both need. We admonish one another to go the way Christ bids us to go. We warn one another against the disobedience that is our undoing. We are gentle and we are firm with one another, for we know both God’s kindness and God’s firmness.
Why should we be afraid of one another since both of us have only God to fear? Why should we think that another Christian would not understand us when we understood very well what was meant when somebody spoke God’s comfort or God’s admonition to us, even in words that were inept and awkward? Or do we really believe there is a single person in this world who does not need either comfort or admonition? If so, then why has God given us the gift of Christian community?
