Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?
- From Numbers 21
I am a musician, and have been in several rock bands in my life. They all worked hard, to get to the point where they were good. And it's always at the very instant that they realize they are on to something, some one or two members will start to complain, or quit, or just generally create friction that topples everything and those that remain have to start all over.
Just when they could have started making some money sharing their gift with their community.
It's the same way with marriage. Studies show that one divorce in your life will cost you a total of one million dollars, over the course of your life. Why do people do it, then? I have spoken to any number of people that affirm that, by the time their spouse announced a desire to divorce, they had reconciled themselves to the problems and had committed to making things better . . . for their spouse . . . from now on.
Political parties are basically borne out of someone complaining. If people generally were content . . or if they knew how to make themselves content (like the Apostle Paul) they would not be interested in the aggressive ire that goes with being political.
And of course, there's the problem of dissension in the Church. If it's going poorly, they stir themselves up against the pastor, until he or she is fired and they can start all over. If it's going well . . . then the pastor has to master a balancing act to keep a sect from forming that could split the church in two. People love a piece of success.
I often advise children: If you don't like your teacher, act as if she were your favorite teacher ever. How would you treat him or her?
Same with employees: Don't like your manager? Strive even more diligently, to make him or her successful. What if we all selflessly worked to make whatever team we're on (be it a family, community, business, or church) as successful as it can be, regardless of the personalities or feelings we bring to the table? I'll bet such a society would even prevent the rise of a Hitler.
Parties and factions start with a complaint. But most complaints need not be uttered. Parties can become quarreling factions, that can build up to regional blocs of political power. And from there things can escalate to civil war.
Churches that split over trivia (or egos) are a laughing stock . . . they make the grace of Christ a mockery. And if they split over secular politics, well . . . what a waste. What an evil waste.
Keep your brother's back, no matter what. Hold the line in the face of temporal political pressure. Make the Body of Christ unbreakable. And then watch magic happen to the concerns you had, that made politics appealing in the first place.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Friday, March 16, 2018
House Divided VIII
He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him.
- From John 7
Even the Son of God . . . whose fame was on the increase, had to be careful about going out and about. He was not "affiliated" with the mob of people that were out to get Him, which put Him at great risk.
And it puts us at great risk, too, today. If you're not in the right sect, or denomination, or party, or family . . . . it can actually be dangerous to go out on your own, exposed to the whims of the mob.
And really, that's what parties and denominations are. They're mobs. They're one group of people that have ganged up on all the others, in order to create leverage for its members. Yes, I know there are economies of scale that help larger groups cut costs and build up a greater pile of resources. I know that churches and non-profits and service clubs do a lot of good. I run a non-profit myself. I'm a member of a local church. But you're still either with us, or not. And if you're on the outside . . . well, you're just going to be different. Your effectiveness is limited, because you're divided. And does Christ really want our effectiveness limited?
Jesus, when He was back in his home town, found Himself in the wrong group. And His family, and friends, and acquaintances, that knew Him best, were not rallying around Him, as families and community members should.
This was the first expression of Christian denominationalism in history: the people from Christ's own orbit, that broke with him, in order to keep themselves in some good standing with . . . whoever.
Unity requires us to take care of each other. It's not happening today. True, we may not have torture . . . yet . . . but when a person is afraid to articulate a moral, theological, or political point because of what may happened to them . . . then what difference is it, really, whether or not they endure physical torture? The effect is the same.
Even the Master of Time and space avoided the partisan crowd.
But there shouldn't be a partisan crowd, to begin with.
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
House Divided VII
You open wide your hand and satisfy the needs of every living creature.
- From Psalm 145
God takes care of all of us, whether we want it, or not. Even people that do not believe in Him, get what they need.
But what about an atheist living in impoverished squalor?
Yes . . . even that person. All of your basic needs are fulfilled . . . but sometimes, humanity itself gets in the way.
How can a loving God permit hunger?
How do we permit hunger?
We have everything we need, to solve every problem: disease, hunger, poverty, environmental threats, loneliness, rage, hate. It's all right there.
God's hand is wide open. But we are so busy fighting off each other, that we never get to God's widening hand. We act like there's a limit to what God can supply We think that by dividing ourselves into cliques, denominations, parties, nations, etc., that we will be able to get what's ours.
Scripture says that God satisfies the needs of every living creature. If we really believed that, we would work together. We'd listen to each other. We'd do whatever it takes to ensure that everybody gets those needs fulfilled.
If every living creature is to be satisfied . . . then we need to start treating every living creature as though they mattered. It takes all of us.
- From Psalm 145
God takes care of all of us, whether we want it, or not. Even people that do not believe in Him, get what they need.
But what about an atheist living in impoverished squalor?
Yes . . . even that person. All of your basic needs are fulfilled . . . but sometimes, humanity itself gets in the way.
How can a loving God permit hunger?
How do we permit hunger?
We have everything we need, to solve every problem: disease, hunger, poverty, environmental threats, loneliness, rage, hate. It's all right there.
God's hand is wide open. But we are so busy fighting off each other, that we never get to God's widening hand. We act like there's a limit to what God can supply We think that by dividing ourselves into cliques, denominations, parties, nations, etc., that we will be able to get what's ours.
Scripture says that God satisfies the needs of every living creature. If we really believed that, we would work together. We'd listen to each other. We'd do whatever it takes to ensure that everybody gets those needs fulfilled.
If every living creature is to be satisfied . . . then we need to start treating every living creature as though they mattered. It takes all of us.
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
House Divided VI
... and everything will live where the river goes.
- From Ezekiel 47
My family has a tradition about living near water. But not the glamorous water; not a sunny beach and a lot of retired people. Our family waters are better water than undrinkable salt water. They have chosen flowing water as a centerpiece of their homes.
My brother's property is bordered by the Mill Creek near Dexter, Michigan. From there it flows into the Huron River, and then out to Lake Erie, ultimately emptying into the St Lawrence Seaway and to the Atlantic Ocean.
My sister lives adjacent to a marshy, swampy area - home to a variety of wildlife and lush woods. These wetlands drain into the Huron River system.
My other brother has a drainage pond on his family's shared land. Fresh water runoff from miles around, ends up finding it's way into an oasis in the hilly country of Oklahoma.
My parents settled on property that has a creek on its western boundary. The creek, which is rarely dry, flows into Dexter's Mill Creek.
My Dad's father lived in the Delhi Village of Michigan, which sets on the edge of the Huron River.
His father, Roscoe Darr, bought a home that overlooked the Mississippi River, in Illinois. Roscoe's mother, Elizabeth, grew up on a farm through which flows the Plum River. Roscoe's father, Henry, was raised in West Newton, Pennsylvania, within view of the Youghiogheny River.
Ezekiel was being shown an example of life-giving water. We are all familiar with the symbolism of water, in all cultures. It is the most essential requirement for life. The small portion of water that we receive in baptism, represents water that flows on, it joins other water and soon causes an entire region to be teeming with life.
A single raindrop is part of a system that emerges in vast oceans. The water cycle is a complex but sensitive system that gives harmony and energy to the planet.
Small, dry creek, no matter what . . . soon becomes an overwhelming deluge. The trend, for water, is to become more water, and to make life.
But humans have it backwards. Our trend is towards separation, enmity, and death. Daniel's image shows a man who starts out at the head . . . where the mind controls everything, with order and logic. But as you move away from the head, you separate into limbs, and then digits . . . the human process is confusion and decay.
If we would follow the example of water . . . and work ourselves together, as a small river flowing into a larger river, and the large river into the ocean; instead of so defiantly away from others, which means away from God . . . We would have unity, symbolized by the ocean.
And everything will live, where the river goes . . . .
- From Ezekiel 47
My family has a tradition about living near water. But not the glamorous water; not a sunny beach and a lot of retired people. Our family waters are better water than undrinkable salt water. They have chosen flowing water as a centerpiece of their homes.
My brother's property is bordered by the Mill Creek near Dexter, Michigan. From there it flows into the Huron River, and then out to Lake Erie, ultimately emptying into the St Lawrence Seaway and to the Atlantic Ocean.
My sister lives adjacent to a marshy, swampy area - home to a variety of wildlife and lush woods. These wetlands drain into the Huron River system.
My other brother has a drainage pond on his family's shared land. Fresh water runoff from miles around, ends up finding it's way into an oasis in the hilly country of Oklahoma.
My parents settled on property that has a creek on its western boundary. The creek, which is rarely dry, flows into Dexter's Mill Creek.
My Dad's father lived in the Delhi Village of Michigan, which sets on the edge of the Huron River.
His father, Roscoe Darr, bought a home that overlooked the Mississippi River, in Illinois. Roscoe's mother, Elizabeth, grew up on a farm through which flows the Plum River. Roscoe's father, Henry, was raised in West Newton, Pennsylvania, within view of the Youghiogheny River.
Ezekiel was being shown an example of life-giving water. We are all familiar with the symbolism of water, in all cultures. It is the most essential requirement for life. The small portion of water that we receive in baptism, represents water that flows on, it joins other water and soon causes an entire region to be teeming with life.
A single raindrop is part of a system that emerges in vast oceans. The water cycle is a complex but sensitive system that gives harmony and energy to the planet.
Small, dry creek, no matter what . . . soon becomes an overwhelming deluge. The trend, for water, is to become more water, and to make life.
But humans have it backwards. Our trend is towards separation, enmity, and death. Daniel's image shows a man who starts out at the head . . . where the mind controls everything, with order and logic. But as you move away from the head, you separate into limbs, and then digits . . . the human process is confusion and decay.
If we would follow the example of water . . . and work ourselves together, as a small river flowing into a larger river, and the large river into the ocean; instead of so defiantly away from others, which means away from God . . . We would have unity, symbolized by the ocean.
And everything will live, where the river goes . . . .
Monday, March 12, 2018
House Divided V
...for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in the prophet’s own country.
- From John 4
Jesus couldn't do much in his hometown. He was "too close." They knew Him too well . . . His family, and all of their dysfunctionalities and idiosyncrasies, were known by everybody.
In other words, the people that knew Jesus best, that were his blood relatives and neighbors, acted like children.
How might His ministry have changed; how might history have changed, if Jesus' own neighbors and kinsmen given Him a chance?
How might history have changed, if Cain weren't so jealous of Abel, to the point of hate?
What if Joseph's brothers gave him a chance?
What if antebellum Americans had realized that the slaves in their community were their kinspeople, their brothers and sisters, if not neighbors, and acted accordingly?
What if family and friends during Adolph Hitler's formative years, had affirmed and promoted his positive qualities, rather than rejected him?
Unity starts at home. It begins in our block; our school, our neighborhood. It is in our family trees and in our church membership rolls.
But we can't even promote the good ideas of people we know the best. We won't purchase their creative works; do our business with them, invest in them. It doesn't occur to us to contribute to the 501(c)3s launched by our own relatives.
And Jesus' own kinsmen and neighbors rejected him first, and decisively.
Elvis had to go to Memphis; and the Beatles had to go to Hamburg, before anyone would pay attention.
This is the beginning of the House Divided. You want the world to be a better place? You want peace, and freedom, and wealth?
Then start by putting family ahead of employer; Put your kin ahead of pride. Put the poor person ahead of the wealthy. Put your community ahead of your denomination. And put the Body of Christ ahead of your political party.
It works. Like magic.
- From John 4
Jesus couldn't do much in his hometown. He was "too close." They knew Him too well . . . His family, and all of their dysfunctionalities and idiosyncrasies, were known by everybody.
In other words, the people that knew Jesus best, that were his blood relatives and neighbors, acted like children.
How might His ministry have changed; how might history have changed, if Jesus' own neighbors and kinsmen given Him a chance?
How might history have changed, if Cain weren't so jealous of Abel, to the point of hate?
What if Joseph's brothers gave him a chance?
What if antebellum Americans had realized that the slaves in their community were their kinspeople, their brothers and sisters, if not neighbors, and acted accordingly?
What if family and friends during Adolph Hitler's formative years, had affirmed and promoted his positive qualities, rather than rejected him?
Unity starts at home. It begins in our block; our school, our neighborhood. It is in our family trees and in our church membership rolls.
But we can't even promote the good ideas of people we know the best. We won't purchase their creative works; do our business with them, invest in them. It doesn't occur to us to contribute to the 501(c)3s launched by our own relatives.
And Jesus' own kinsmen and neighbors rejected him first, and decisively.
Elvis had to go to Memphis; and the Beatles had to go to Hamburg, before anyone would pay attention.
This is the beginning of the House Divided. You want the world to be a better place? You want peace, and freedom, and wealth?
Then start by putting family ahead of employer; Put your kin ahead of pride. Put the poor person ahead of the wealthy. Put your community ahead of your denomination. And put the Body of Christ ahead of your political party.
It works. Like magic.
Sunday, March 11, 2018
House Divided IV
But God . . . made us alive together with Christ.
- From Ephesians 2
The whole point is that we're in this together. We started out together, and we are supposed to finish, together.
Don't you love the starting point of things? Everyone feels so unified and purposeful. I never felt closer to my cousins, than during the weeks following our Grandpa's death, and going through his funeral and the aftermath, together. In moments like this, vows are made, and commitments hardened.
Or the start of a marriage, or a new business venture . . . or the beginning of a new coach, or teacher, or career.
We're so resolved, at the beginning, to make it great.
But over the course of time, we drift. And the thing that seems to unravel the most, is our relationship to each other. Think about this: the great things, and the best moments, have us in unity. And everything is always going so well . . . until the relationship frays. And it's going to fray.
But God, like any parent, wants us all there, together. In the end, parents really don't care who'e right, who'r wrong, who started it, who touched whom . . . . they just want their kids to get along. It is such a joy to a parent, to see their kids laughing and enjoying one another.
God did it all for us . . . together.
And so, earlier on in Ephesians 10, there's a list of qualities of people that don't seem to be in it, with the rest of us. Let me extend the thought just a little bit, and make this a list of what is happening in the hearts of people that break our unity:
- From Ephesians 2
The whole point is that we're in this together. We started out together, and we are supposed to finish, together.
Don't you love the starting point of things? Everyone feels so unified and purposeful. I never felt closer to my cousins, than during the weeks following our Grandpa's death, and going through his funeral and the aftermath, together. In moments like this, vows are made, and commitments hardened.
Or the start of a marriage, or a new business venture . . . or the beginning of a new coach, or teacher, or career.
We're so resolved, at the beginning, to make it great.
But over the course of time, we drift. And the thing that seems to unravel the most, is our relationship to each other. Think about this: the great things, and the best moments, have us in unity. And everything is always going so well . . . until the relationship frays. And it's going to fray.
But God, like any parent, wants us all there, together. In the end, parents really don't care who'e right, who'r wrong, who started it, who touched whom . . . . they just want their kids to get along. It is such a joy to a parent, to see their kids laughing and enjoying one another.
God did it all for us . . . together.
And so, earlier on in Ephesians 10, there's a list of qualities of people that don't seem to be in it, with the rest of us. Let me extend the thought just a little bit, and make this a list of what is happening in the hearts of people that break our unity:
- Dead
- Sinful
- Trespasser
- Worldly
- Fleshly
- Driven by "what feels good"
And to wrap it all up - people that are out of control. They are the ones that end up breaking our bonds of unity.
Let's get together now, and not wait for God to force it upon us at the last day.
Saturday, March 10, 2018
House Divided III
... and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
- From Psalm 51
Abraham Lincoln nice famously projected that the US could not be defeated by an outside invader. When and if we fall, it will be from the inside; because we could not hold our unity. He was willing to send hundreds of thousands of lives to certain death, in order to keep American united.
Benjamin Franklin said, to the Continental Congress, when deliberating our separation from England: "We have to hang together . . . or we will certainly hang separately."
Israel's twelve tribes could not hold it together, and piece by piece they fell. Gods chosen was easy prey . . . with no physical wall, and no spiritual wall based on unity, any aggressor could just waltz right in and take whatever he wanted.
But the United States do not need walls. We don't even need national unity. The two parties can carp and bicker all they want; a unified Church of Christ is sufficient to hold together the fabric of any culture.
It's almost like . . . the Christian Left wouldn't have to worry about President Trump's wall, if they took seriously Christ's plea that His Church stay united.
How many Christians does it take to keep a society safe, prosperous, just, merciful, and virtuous? Probably not many; like, maybe only about ten percent of the Church.
But we can't manage that. Believers, all the time, today, proudly proclaim their separation from other believers in the name of politics and party. No wonder God doesn't care about our "thoughts and prayers."
Unity is essential.
And then maybe families would get the point that you don't turn your back on brethren. And then we will be well on our way to solving our most troubling threats.
- From Psalm 51
Abraham Lincoln nice famously projected that the US could not be defeated by an outside invader. When and if we fall, it will be from the inside; because we could not hold our unity. He was willing to send hundreds of thousands of lives to certain death, in order to keep American united.
Benjamin Franklin said, to the Continental Congress, when deliberating our separation from England: "We have to hang together . . . or we will certainly hang separately."
Israel's twelve tribes could not hold it together, and piece by piece they fell. Gods chosen was easy prey . . . with no physical wall, and no spiritual wall based on unity, any aggressor could just waltz right in and take whatever he wanted.
But the United States do not need walls. We don't even need national unity. The two parties can carp and bicker all they want; a unified Church of Christ is sufficient to hold together the fabric of any culture.
It's almost like . . . the Christian Left wouldn't have to worry about President Trump's wall, if they took seriously Christ's plea that His Church stay united.
How many Christians does it take to keep a society safe, prosperous, just, merciful, and virtuous? Probably not many; like, maybe only about ten percent of the Church.
But we can't manage that. Believers, all the time, today, proudly proclaim their separation from other believers in the name of politics and party. No wonder God doesn't care about our "thoughts and prayers."
Unity is essential.
And then maybe families would get the point that you don't turn your back on brethren. And then we will be well on our way to solving our most troubling threats.
Jerusalem needed a wall. We need a wall. And unity builds it.
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