Friday, March 26, 2010
Amen – The Beginning of Prayer
Recently I received an email from a friend sharing her humorous thoughts on prayers while driving to work. She wrote, “When I say my prayers while driving to work in the morning, I can get a bit distracted so I might pray and then stop for a minute and then pick it back up again. Sometimes it does not end and I just get to work and go inside without saying ‘Amen.’ Is ending a prayer without ‘Amen,’ just like an email in the draft folder that never gets sent? Is saying ‘Amen’ just like pressing the send button?”
What does it mean to pray continually or without ceasing? If ‘Amen’ is the send button or the end of the prayer, what does that say about our attitude toward prayer?
The word ‘AMEN’ means “So let it be.” It is an affirmation, a hope filled desire for that which is lifted in prayer. It’s like saying “Yes!” If we affirm our hopes in prayer, then are we not commiting ourselves to be at God’s disposal for the very things we pray? Then our “Amen” becomes a pledge to God.
If we pray, “God I ask you to heal my friend and I trust You to do it. Amen,” then are we not obliged to be a healthy life-giving presence to our friend in continued fervent prayer, cards, calls and others acts of compassion? We are the hands and feet of Jesus. Might saying “Amen” recommit us to living as His hands and feet in our daily lives?
If we think of Amen as the end of prayer, then our attitude may be like this. “It’s in God’s corner now…I have no more responsibility.” In reality ‘Amen’ is the beginning of prayer. It is the beginning of living out the mission communicated in prayer where God has directed you and where God promises to be with you.
Quite often Jesus makes statements to His listeners in the gospels saying “Amen, I tell you.” Other translations say, “Truly I tell you” or “Verily I say unto thee” or “I am telling you the truth, I am not lying.” The original word is ‘amen.’ It carries the meaning of truthful speech. So if we pray ‘Amen’ at the end of our prayers we are saying to God the One to whom we speak, that we are speaking truthfully to Him.
Since we cannot hide from God who sees all things even the secret places in our hearts, prayer opens us to an honest and truthful relationship with our Father in heaven. When we practice such honesty before God, we find that we are more transparent and open with other people and more able to serve them in humility.
How do you feel about being honest and open before God? Before one another?
Where do you sense Jesus is leading you to be His hands and feet? Share with one another and pray together ending your prayer in ‘Amen.’
So let it be.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Between Breath and Dust
The Apostle Paul writes of the human condition in his letter to the church in Rome that through Adam’s transgression came sinfulness and death for all (Rom. 5:12). Referring to the story of Adam it is interesting to note that the man Adam was made by God from the dust of the ground. God formed Adam from the dust which is a play on the Hebrew word “adamah” for fertile cultivatable soil. There were none to till the soil or keep the garden, so God made Adam from “adamah.” He is by very nature a man of the earth.
But he has another aspect of his being just as significant. God breathed into him the breath of life and Adam became a living soul. Here breath is a translation of “ruach” which is also translated as spirit and wind. Adam became something more than dirt. Humans are dust formed by the Creator’s hand and animated by the breath (ruach or spirit) that God gives. We are always under the influence of these aspects of human quality. We are caught between our earthly lower nature and our divine higher nature.
At Lent we are reminded of our lower nature, dust. When God pronounced the consequences of Adam’s transgression, he said, you are dust and to dust shall you return. We are mortal and our mortal lives will end with our bodies returning to earthly elements. That is the result of Adam’s sin. We had a shot at a paradise-like relationship with God our creator, but the thought of not tasting the forbidden things was just too much. The serpent made the forbidden fruit seem so good.
The serpent is cursed to crawl on its belly and eat dust. Do you hear the symbolism? Our earthly nature is crawling with the serpent and his lies. He slithers about and feeds on us, on our lower nature.
But God has acted in Jesus Christ to save us from this curse. He has freed us from this condition by handing Jesus over to death for our trespasses and raising Him for our justification (Rom. 4:25). If we trust in God’s work to free us through Christ we are seen a righteous in God’s eyes, no longer as unrighteous trespassers. Through Christ we are made right again with God. The curse is broken.
Lent gives us the opportunity to remember that we are also breath. The breath of God filled Jesus and He paid the price of our transgressions and defeated death itself in His resurrection. So Paul tells us that we have to make a choice between the old condition where we were basically serpent food (dust) and the new condition filled with the Holy Spirit (breath). Paul writes in Rom. 6:19 “Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.”
Discuss together with your mate:
How much of our time is dedicated to intentional acts of righteousness and the pursuit of holiness?
How much is an automatic giving of ourselves over to dust?
We are caught in the midst between dust and breath, but thanks be to God who gives us victory in this tension through the victorious presence of Christ Jesus. May His Spirit enable you to share in God’s holiness.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Grieving
"Come and see, Lord," they replied.
Jesus wept.
Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" ~ John 11:33-36
At some point in your married life together you will experience grief. It may be the loss of a grandparent or parent, a dear friend or colleague. It might be a job loss or an injury to one of your children. Some grief is momentary, but some grief takes years and in some cases there is no complete healing from the pain this side of heaven. May you be spared from that grief. Still grief is a natural response to loss and change. Our Lord took on human flesh and experienced grief.
You can search the internet and buy books and pamphlets on grief to discover the process. Grieving persons go through disbelief, bargaining, anger, depression, acceptance and finally the healthy integration of the loss or change into living out a new reality. It is so important for married couples to understand this process for grieving. Sometimes we come from backgrounds that make it difficult for us to express our feelings or face the feelings in our spouse. Our understanding of grief process helps us to compassioinately support one another as we go through it.
Michele’s aunt and my brother died on Christmas Day 2009. We were in shock all day. We tried to go on with holiday celebrations, but for me everything felt so surreal, as if it wasn’t really happening. My memory of the gift exchange is scant and blurred. For weeks following I felt like I was on autopilot. I worked, I went through the funeral service, I went back to work. I talked about our loss, but I felt little.
Weeks later I was working on editing a video of my daughter Erika’s first birthday only to discover the VHS tape had demagnetized and the images ruined. I suddenly felt a deep sadness come over me. I was paralyzed by it. The only thing that helped was Michele’s hug and her understanding. The loss of maturing children moving away from home, the loss of my brother, and my wife’s family’s loss all came crashing in on me.
Talking about it didn’t help at first, but after about 3-4 conversations over the next few days the deep sadness left me. I was reminded that I still had adult children to love. While I suffered the loss of a video record of their childhood, I hadn’t lost them. And while I had lost my brother, I had gained a sweeter understanding of who he was through the many people who spent time with him in recent years. I was renewed by a new perspective.
Talk about a time you have faced grief. How did you get through it? If you have never really faced grief, talk about how you feel about the idea of facing loss and significant changes. Know that Jesus, our Lord, knows your grief. Take comfort in knowing that Jesus is with you both as you hold on to Him and one another.
Consider The Cost
Too often marriages begin without a real consideration of what it takes to see it through to the finish. Young romance blinds couples to the harsh realities of life together. It requires surrender to Christ and His covenant with us as married couples. Recently I read that the chief purpose of marriage is to reflect Christ in our love for one another. This transformed love shapes godly children and blesses other family and friends. Are you surrendering everything for Christ to change you?
Jesus comes from a Hebrew prophetic tradition that often uses harsh rhetoric in order to grab attention. Such comments demand a response. The faint of heart and disinterested will fall away, but those who truly love God with their whole heart, mind, soul, and strength will want to come closer to understand Jesus. They will come to discover there are greater things requiring their attention than wealth making or even daily needs like food, drink and clothing. Jesus promises that God takes care of His own (Mat. 6:25-34). Those who walk by faith are moved by God’s promises and not by the current customs of the world. They gain a greater appreciation for the riches that God gives to every soul that places His right ways and His community above all things. Jesus promised that those who leave family, jobs and houses for kingdom work will gain 100 times the family and homes in this life and in the new age (Mark 10:28-30).
All this rhetoric should not be literalized. When we offer a tithe, we don’t wait with a ledger for the 10,000% return. The point is that when our attentions and passions are occupied by money-making, family building, career advancement or pleasure seeking, we will not be free to give God unfettered allegiance. Our hearts will belong elsewhere and God will get the leftovers. And we cannot serve more than one master (Mat. 6:24). His challenge serves to help us sift through all that grabs our attention. We learn to separate the wheat from the chaff. Jesus’ challenge sifted the crowd and those left were on the way to a sincere following of Jesus Christ.
Consider Jesus’ warning to the crowds and evaluate the cost of discipleship. It means everything changes. His mission of redemption in the world becomes your mission above all other concerns. Discuss with your spouse how you feel about this. How might you move your attentions from family building, career building or wealth building to a wholehearted mission of kingdom building through witness in word and deed?
To give up everything is to lay all things at your disposal at the Master’s feet and ask His direction on how to use it for His glory and the building of His community of faith. As we plan the New Year, how might we make the appropriate dedication of all things to Christ’s disposal as an act of discipleship? Will we fall away or draw closer and discover the fulfillment of His promises for eternal riches?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Overjoyed
“‘Tis to the season to be jolly!” Have you noticed in recent years the cynicism in films about the holidays? There’s a long list that grows as each jolly season comes around. Rather than themes that celebrate the joy of the season of love, the focus is primarily on dysfunctional families and broken relationships, greed and grimacing. While the cynical approach may name what is the reality for many, it subverts the joyous message. The message is “Love is real.”
Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love divine;
Love was born at Christmas;
star and angels gave the sign.
Astrologers (Magi) from Persian courts came to pay homage to the Messiah born not only for Israel, but for all people. These men had learned the messianic prophecies of from Judah’s captivity in Babylon. They were knowledgeable about the hope that one day God would restore His people with a son of King David and His kingdom would be marked by justice, righteousness, peace and the blessing of all the kingdoms of the earth. Kings and rulers would flock to Jerusalem to learn of God and share in this outpouring of wisdom, truth and majesty. Our best hope for human community is summed up in this messianic kingdom.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Mission Critical
Do you ever get the feeling that everybody wants a piece of you? Mark tells us that Jesus had the habit of prayer early in the morning. While he was away renewing himself and hearing from His heavenly father, others were searching for him. They tell him that “everyone is looking for him.” Jesus knows what if feels like to have people tugging on you for your time and energy.
Jesus’ response seems sort of unkind. Instead of him responding to the needs of those in front of him, his focus is on his mission with those he had not yet encountered. Far from being unkind, Jesus is dedicated to his mission which will bless the whole world. Jesus’ example is helpful for us in marriage in a couple ways.
The first point is this: Keep your mission as the priority.
Jesus could have allowed the needs of the moment distract him from the greater mission, that for which he came into the world. What would our lives be like if Jesus had chosen just to stick to Capernaum of Galilee? We would not know the life saving good news of God’s love.
The second point is this: Stay grounded in your relationship with God.
Jesus took the time to pray first thing in the morning. Before event the sun got to work, Jesus went to a quiet place to be alone with God. Here he could renew and be reminded of his purpose in life, his mission, that for which God had sent him into the world. Remember that Jesus taught his disciples, “apart from me, you can do nothing.” Grapes can never ripen apart from the sustaining vine. God is your vine, your very life’s source and strength.
Your mission as a married couple is simple: love one another and allow God to knit your hearts together as one. But God does not give you one to the other for your own sakes. God gives you this partnership to provide Him a witness of divine love in the world. Your children are blessed when you share in this love. Your friends, extended family and everyone who knows you are blessed because of your love for one another.
The next time you feel others tugging at you, causing you to drift from this most critical mission, feel free to be clear with them about what is your mission. Resist the temptation to give into everyone else; the children, the job, the extended family, the church or community. You are called to love your spouse and from that wonderful life-giving relationship, witness to the love of God.
What is your mission as a couple? As a disciple of Jesus Christ? Discuss with one another how you keep grounded in your relationship with Christ
Monday, September 7, 2009
Priorities
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Do you ever get to feeling like you have no control over your life? Day in and day out you are working someone else’s agenda. You daydream about what you wish you had time to do, but you never seem to get the chance. Join the hundreds of millions of westerners who have chosen this life. This is the game we bought into. It’s what I often refer to as the “hamster wheel the world has gotten us onto.”
Your marriage is a gift from God. How are you making your relationship a major priority? Discuss what small stuff is getting in the way of you both working toward intimacy and affectionate care?