Wait on the Lord

Psalm 37:34-40
Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

Those whose hope and faith are in the Lord are supposed to be able to keep their heads, not panic, forge through difficult and stressful situations with patience, perseverance and at least a modicum of wisdom - but always with grace. So why is it that we (yeah, i guess i'm including myself as one of "those") tend to panic, jump in, and force our assumptions or perhaps procrastinate, hide and evade (or maybe some combination of all those) when we see something that is incongruous to what we believe should be? I believe the problem that we aren't paying attention to that first injunction in the passage i quoted above. We tend not to "wait on the Lord."

I'm probably projecting too much. I am the way i am. Perhaps i'm assuming way too much - that most people are like me in this. But i do see an awful lot of it. I see it in those who assume they know what the Lord's mind is... or just want what they want to be the Lord's mind. We all operate out of some set of assumptions, but we need to first realize that living based solely on assumptions is dangerous and that we have got to be ready to change our assumptions when "reality" contradicts them.

Part of the problem we face is that we get it set in our minds of how things ought to be. Then we encounter something that contradicts that paradigm. Very often we - even Christians - will then jump in to make "it" fit our paradigm. It doesn't matter too much if it's a situation, a relationship or a person for whom we take some responsibility (like our kids). Then, when we can't make it fit into what we think it ought to be, we get frustrated, angry and discouraged. Sometimes we get exasperated and give up. Sometimes we just decide we have to do more and/or work harder. Most of the time, however, where we fail is in following the first injunction in this passage of Psalm 37 quotes above... "Wait for the Lord."

James tells us that our anger and frustration do nothing to accomplish God's purpose. Sometimes we think that our anger is the right response in order to get someone to act as we think they ought to act. But James is clear. Our anger may accomplish something of what we want (maybe) but it does not accomplish what God wants.

We need to 'wait for the Lord.' What does that mean? It means we must give ourselves to endless prayer (1 Thess 5:17). That means two things. First we must give ourselves to far more intentional prayer. We must stop to pray. We must join with other believers in prayer. We must call others to pray with us. We must be intentional about prayer. Second, it means that we must rethink how we make our decisions in the course of a day. Pray while driving. Pray while washing dishes. Pray while dialing the phone. Pray while riding the elevator. We must be in constant prayer. Prayer is making ourselves available to God. Prayer is turing our hearts over to God. Prayer is saying, "Here i am, Lord. Lead me. Use me. Guide me. " Prayer is the determination that i will do only that which honors God. Prayer is the determination to make everything i do an act of worship.

It also means we must give ourselves to the study and meditation of the scriptures. Praying the scriptures is one thing to do. Reading what the ancient Church Fathers have to say about the scriptures is another. Memorizing scripture (both verses as well as large passages and even entire books of the Bible) is another. Thinking on parts we don't understand and asking God what they mean... meditating on them... is another. Discussing the scriptures and exploring their meaning with other believers is another.

There is also worship - corporately with songs, prayer, reading of scripture, etc. - and work. Our work is a reflection of Christ within us. It demonstrates that we are willing to die to self and live to God.

And so, Father, may all that i am simply be all about you. Jesus, make my heart like yours. Spirit, illumine my heart and mind. O God, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart... and all that i am and do... be acceptable to you. In Christ.

Christmas, Faith & Family

As much as I love being with various members of my family at Christmas (we were in Richmond with my oldest sister's family, my other sister and my mom over the weekend and today we'll be with my wife's sister and her family and mom), i find some of it somewhat stressful. Now, i realize that lots of people find any time with any extended family stressful, but my stress comes from our differing views of our faith (faiths?) and what that means at Christmas.

For the past several years we have been traveling down to my sister's place in Richmond on Christmas day. We spend a couple of days there (the three of us sleep at a hotel nearby) then come home the third day. For whatever reason, my sister decided that they weren't going to go to church (the day after Christmas) this year. I didn't say anything, but i was rather puzzled by it. Although i think some of it has to do with my sister already feeling stressed with hosting 5 or 6 additional people, i find worship around Christmas-time to particularly valuable to me... worshipping with other believers and connecting with the larger Church reminds me that I/we are part of something much, much bigger than ourselves. Worshipping with other believers is a powerful reminder to me that there is more to come than what i am experiencing in my puny little life at this moment. It points me to the eschatological conclusion of why our worship experience is so vital... that God is up to something and that something seems to be defined by Christ and the Church.

So instead of worshipping with a larger group of believers, i used the Liturgy of the Hours and put something together that we read that Sunday morning. My sense was that many of us pretty much felt like they were doing it because Jim wants us to do this. And i admit to it feeling pretty dry - but i do believe that, regardless of how we felt, we did honor God. At least, that was my aim regardless of anyone's feelings. (My family, at least those of us who are followers of Christ, are not geared towards much liturgy at all. My mom is... well... something else. But i love her.)

Today we'll be celebrating with Wendy's sister family. "Celebrating" isn't probably the best word - but we'll enjoy the day. I'm actually much more comfortable with them (they are RC) and talking about Christ and Christmas and the Church than i am with my side of the family. We probably won't do anything other than prayer before the meal - but i still feel more comfortable with that even thought it's "small" than with my family.

Wierd? I don't know. It just seems to me that Christmas needs to be centered more around Christ and the Church, if we're believers, than we're often wont to do in this country.

That's what i think. But i tend to do more like the rest.

Advent & the Church

Just read a good article on Advent (Advent - Close Encounters of a Liturgical Kind). The liturgical celebration of Advent should be more a part of what we do at home. We (so-called evangelicals) need a stronger connection to the Church in general and that comes, at least in part, through a stronger identification with the historical Church.

Flat Out

The man said, "The woman you put here with me— she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Genesis 1:12

Far, far too often I have presumed that my lack of faithfulness to the Lord is someone else's fault. How foolish!! Not only foolish, but a game of deception i play with myself. What would it look like if i simply pushed the pedal all the way down with no excuses? Today. It simply must begin today. There can be no more waiting. Is it my heart? My mind? Something else?

And it's not just me. Why do we play these games? I see it all around me. Christians offering every excuse for not living "flat out" for the honor and glory of God. The early Christians literally gave their lives. The Christians in China today literally give their lives. Today, regardless of whatever the consequences may be, must be the day to begin... again. Nothing to stand in the way as far as it is within my power.

Grace. GRACE!

Inspired or Not

After reading someone else's blog, i thought i might get serious (whatever that might mean) about doing mine. I got rid of the old one and have started this one.

What is it i wish for more than anything else? Perfection? Nah. Not so much. Just that God would be wholly honored and glorified in my life... in choices i make, in attitudes towards people and life, in my most secret desires, in my relationship with my wife and son, with the people God has given me to shepherd. There is so much within me... and so much without that seeks to pull me away and, with varying degrees of success, seem to prevail much of the time. To die in order to live. To become a servant in order to be blessed. To hold and own nothing in order to possess all. The dichotomies and contradictions are overwhelming. If it were limited to a few, perhaps i could manage. But a work of the Spirit... How else can i be what i ought, what i long to be.

Perfection... not flawless or error-less but mature. Lord, i believe. Help my unbelief.