“We have met the enemy and he is us!”

— Pogo, Walt Kelly’s cartoon character

Driving home after services I had to admit, “I just didn’t connect with the worship this morning.” We pulled up to a light and I continued. “The prayers seemed more like performances and the songs were so disjointed! On top of that, the sermon just didn’t seem relevant. I wonder why I even bothered to get up this morning.”

My sweet wife smiled that knowing-wife smile and chided me. “Maybe you were the problem. Did you take time to prepare for worship?” I sulked as I pulled away from the light and then had to admit, “You’re probably right. I hadn’t thought about that.”

So how do we prepare for the most important meeting of the week? Here are some suggestions that I have found helpful:

1. Shift Gears. Early on in driver’s training, you learn to shift into a different gear when you start to climb a hill. Before we can truly worship God, we must take a moment to “shift gears” and center our thoughts on Him.
2. Discover the Power of Gratitude. “Christians aren’t perfect – just forgiven.” As you are preparing for worship, take a moment to appreciate the gift of grace.
3. Drop Your Inhibitions. A lot of people are afraid of their own voice. They are too self-conscious to sing. We have so many wonderful singers at Canyon View it can be tempting just to sit back and listen but the Lord loves a “joyful noise” and who are you to argue with God?
4. Tap into the Fellowship. There is an energy in corporate worship. Have you felt it? It’s always there but sometimes our “receptors” are out of order. Reach out and tap into the power!
5. Confession is Good for the Soul. Sin and guilt make it hard to worship. Confess your sins by name and feel the power of forgiveness.
6. Be Filled with the Spirit. Paul told the Ephesians (and us) not to get drunk on wine “be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Ephesians 5:19, 20).
7. Finally, expect great things! What you receive from worship is equal to what you put into worship. If you expect the singing to be bad and the lesson to be boring, I suspect that’s what you’ll receive but if you come expecting great things I promise you’ll receive even more blessings that you anticipated.

After a night without sleep, countless beatings, a Roman flogging and now hanging from nails on a cross, Jesus was nearly dead. What we don’t think of though were the little pains: the hurt of the taunts, the sweat in his eyes, the raging thirst. The fifth of the Seven Last Sayings of Jesus is but a single word in Greek: “I thirst,” (John 19:28).

By this point, Jesus was approaching the end. The soldiers at the foot of the cross heard and saw it all. Jesus didn’t die like other men. The first thing he said from the cross was “Father forgive them,” and the second was a promise to the penitent thief, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Even the battle-hardened centurion would have been touched as Jesus entrusts his mother’s care to Jesus’ best friend. The cry of desperation in the language of his childhood, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” would have haunted them. Thus when Jesus said in a dry, course whisper, “I thirst,” one of the soldiers rushes to wet his lips with their own “sour wine.”

Why is this saying – actually only one word in Greek – recorded for us to meditate on? Jesus wasn’t play-acting on the cross. He didn’t just say this to fulfill prophecy and he wasn’t asking for pity. It reveals his humanity.

This word was a prayer, but not to God. It was addressed to his executioners. There is a kind of pride that says, “I will never ask you for anything!” But Jesus still had faith in humanity – even as they were taking his life. So what possessed an unnamed soldier to run to the aid of Jesus? Touched by Christ, the soldier shared what he had.

So what is “sour wine”? Were they sadistically giving a dying man vinegar? A quick search of the different English translations is revealing. Moffatt’s version and the Jerusalem Bible read “vinegar,” while Goodspeed, Phillips, and the New English Bible translate the word as “sour wine,” but I like the Today’s English Version and the New American Bible’s translation “common wine.”

Baker’s Encyclopedia of the Bible explains: “there were three pressings. The first was extracted by stomping on the grapes. This made the best wine. The second took the must, put it in a bag and squeezed out the juice. The last took the leavings and boiled them to extract the very last. This was ‘common wine.’” The United Bible Society’s Handbook on the Gospel of John, a help for translators, explains: “The Greek word refers to a diluted, vinegary wine. Since it was cheaper than regular wine, it was a favorite drink of laborers, soldiers, and other persons in moderate circumstances. The translations ‘sour wine,’ ‘bitter wine,’ and ‘vinegar’ suggest that offering this drink to Jesus was an act of cruelty, whereas in fact it had the humanitarian purpose of relieving his thirst.”

Even in his death, Jesus won followers! “And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’” (Mark 15:35).

 

 

“When did things get to be so crazy?” she asked balancing a baby on her hip while she was chasing a two-year old. I raised an eyebrow and she laughed. “No, it’s not the kids,” she objected. “I’m talking about life in general. Everything seems to be getting more and more complicated.”

The Jerusalem Bible says, “God made man simple; man’s complex problems are of his own devising,” (Ecclesiastes 7:39).

Ben Huey, one of my former elders, told me, “Our lives are made complex by trying to hold on to two competing values.” It’s like Lot’s wife who wanted to be saved, but she wanted to live in Sodom at the same time. Many of us can’t decide what we want to be or what we want to get out of life. I think that’s reflected in our desire to collect possessions. Arthur Gish said, “We buy things we do not want to impress people we do not like.” We buy things because everyone else is buying it. Richard Foster added, “It’s time we awaken to the fact that conformity to a sick society is to be sick.”

So what happens when we try to live with duplicity? Worry! One of my favorite authors, Tim Hansel, wrote: “It is interesting to note that the word worry comes from the Greek word merimnao, which is a combination of the two words merizo, meaning ‘to divide,’ and nous, meaning ‘mind.’ Hence, worry means to ‘divide the mind,’ or to be ‘double minded.”

Another result of trying to live in two worlds is confusion. We have more and more difficulty saying, “No!” E. Stanley Jones reminds us, “Your capacity to say ‘No’ determines your capacity to say ‘Yes’ to greater things,” and of course the Apostle Paul told young Timothy, “No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer,” (1 Timothy 2:4). So who is your commanding officer?

Do you feel helpless? Again that might be a sign you are trying to live in two (or more) worlds. Like unfocused light, lives without a clearly defined purpose are powerless.

So how can I find the simple life? First, be careful no to reduce simplicity to a set of outward actions. Again Richard Foster reminds us, “The Christian Discipline of simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle.” James, the brother of Jesus, coined the word dipsuche, “double-minded” in James 1:2-8, but he also gives us the cure for that condition later in 4:8, “purify your hearts you double-minded!”

Jesus said we find the virtue of simplicity by becoming single-minded (Matthew 6:25-33):

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Here are some simple suggestions for living a simple life:

• Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status
• Reject anything that is producing an addiction (including Smartphones)
• Develop the habit of giving things away
• Learn to enjoy things without owning them (visit a museum)
• Develop a deeper appreciation of the creation (go for a walk)
• Beware of “buy now, pay later” (credit enslaves)
• Cultivate simplicity of dress and speech
• Strive to live in the present

The simple life begins when we find our center, our focal point. Have you decided what your center is?

 

“Bing.” It’s the middle of the night, but my Smartphone dings and the little blue-white screen lights up the bedroom… again. Do I check my messages or roll over and try to get back to sleep?

I’m at a restaurant enjoying a quiet dinner with my sweet wife. We’re in the middle of a wonderful conversation and the phone in my pocket begins to vibrate. It might be important, but what is more important than sharing time with my love?

The preacher makes a great point I hadn’t thought about. The Apostle Paul was in Troas and the preacher says Troas was once in the running against Constantinople to be the capital of the Roman Empire. Instinctively I reach for my Smartphone and Google …

Smartphones were invented to make our lives more efficient, but now it seems like they are sucking up more and more of our attention and time. I read an interesting study by a social scientist this week that warns – hold on a second, my iPhone just delivered a text message and my wife called at the same time. (I’m not making this up!) Any way, he warns of three specific dangers: Smartphones hurt relationships, keep us from focusing and being productive at work, and keep us from being fully present in life.[1]

All of this relates to their being a constant distraction. We become Information Junkies. The next time you are in a restaurant or coffee shop, notice how many people are texting or checking their phones instead of paying attention to the people they are with.

Now think about Jesus. Although he was the Son of God and had access to all of the knowledge in the universe, I believe when he was with people, he was wholly with them. He was moved by the widow’s tears, touched by the pain of the sick, focused on the lost.

So how can we find balance between our need for information and our need to truly be present in our surroundings and with the people we love? Recently I’ve started taking a regular “Techno-Sabbath.” That means turning off all my devices – computer, laptop, TV, Smartphone, iPad, DVD player – anything with buttons or batteries – for the day. Somehow the world continues to spin on without my input and I’m feeling much better. My stress levels go down. I’m more focused and my relationships are more meaningful without the constant interruptions and temptations to look something up. Try it! Instead of being mastered by technology, master life. Turn it off!

[1] http://www.artofmanliness.com/2016/02/22/break-smartphone-habit/

I hadn’t seen my old friend Epiphras in a long time. It could be because he is two thousand years old and doesn’t move as quickly as he used to, but still, I thought he looked pretty good for someone with that many miles on him.

“So how are things going John?” he asked.

“Pretty well Ep,” I replied. He was looking for a place to graze his donkey and I pointed out, “We’ve had a pretty bad drought this past year so we took out all the grass and we’re putting in a playground for the children.” He nodded his head as we led Eutychius, his old burro, over to the cell phone tower to munch on some weeds.

“That sounds like a good idea John. So where are all the people?” he asked looking around on a Sunday morning. “I thought there were more Christians at Canyon View than this.”

“Well today is the Super Bowl,” I explained. “A lot of people stayed home to watch the game.”

“Hmm,” he muttered stroking his beard. “When I was younger Christians generally tried to stay away from the games. It seemed like we were the main attraction – at least for the lions.”

“Oh, it’s not like that any more Ep,” I said.

“The contestants don’t wear armor and try to beat each other up?” he asked.

“Well, now we serve hot wings and have tailgate parties and watch commercials,” I explained.

“And people like that?” he asked cocking his eye at me.

“Oh yes! It’s a huge attraction.”

“Then perhaps you should try serving wings and running commercials during your sermon,” he suggested with a twinkle in his eye.

 

“Nice talking to you Epiphras. Let me know the next time you are coming for a visit so I can make sure the lions are hungry.”

Paul told the Ephesians: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil,” (Ephesians 6:11). The list of ways Satan tempts us is as varied as we are, but here are five key tricks he uses:

 

 

1. Satan is the Master of Disguises. Paul told the Corinthians “… even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light,” (2 Corinthians 11:14). In fact, once Satan used Peter to tempt Jesus (see Matthew 16:23)!
2. The Devil knows our weaknesses. He won’t waste time tempting us with cravings that don’t appeal. He knows our weakness and will focus his energy there. Be ready!
3. Satan will lull us into complacency. Jesus told the church in Sardis to “wake up!” (Revelation 3:3)
4. He makes it easy to rationalize sin. He’ll use every trick from renaming sins (sins become “indiscretions,” “peccadillos” and “faults”) to justifications of every sort (“everyone is doing it” and “no one is really getting hurt”).
5. The Devil encourages us to practice “selective hearing.” Kids are great at this (and not a few husbands too). Look at the different responses you get to “I need someone to take out garbage!” and “Who wants ice cream?” We practice selective seeing when all we see is the temptation and no alternative: “What could I do? I had no choice.” There is always a choice (See 1 Corinthians 10:13.) There is always the Lincoln Alternative. Abe once advised, “When forced to choose between the lesser of two evils – choose neither!”

I love watching magicians at work. They do such amazing tricks, but once we know their secrets, the fantastic becomes simply clever. Once we understand Satan’s tricks, we strip him of some of his power.

“The 2002 World Mental Health Survey found that Americans were nearly five times more likely than Nigerians to experience clinically significant levels of anxiety in any given year.”[1] According to the National Institute of Mental Health, America is now officially the most anxious nation on the planet. More than 18% of adults suffer from a full-blown anxiety disorder in any given year.

So what’s wrong with us? One writer called it “flurry and worry.” We are just too busy. Somewhere along the way we began believing “busyness is next to godliness,” but just because our calendars are full doesn’t mean we are living a full life!

On the other hand, Jesus too seemed to be overwhelmed at times. Mark described an occasion when Jesus “went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, ‘He is out of his mind.’” (Mark 3:20, 21) Of course he wasn’t either out of his mind or worried. Jesus was busy without being anxious. He often talked about this:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

So what was Jesus’ secret for dealing with stress and anxiety? First, Jesus reminds us that God knows what we need (v.32). Don’t doubt your Father’s love! Second, make sure your priorities are in order (v. 33). Think about it: when chaos is swirling around us prompting fear, anxiety, and stress, your moral compass – putting God first – will guide you through the maelstrom. Finally, don’t make it worse than it is by allowing the “if only” or the “what if” cloud your calm. Remember, Jesus said:

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (v. 34).

 

 

 

 

[1] Taylor Clark, Nerve: Poise Under Pressure, Serenity Under Stress, and the Brave New Science of Fear and Cool (2011)

 

Bible Questions

“Was Jesus really born on December 25^th?” — Ebenezer Scrooge

 

Although both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke both describe the birth of Jesus, the Bible doesn’t tell us exactly when Jesus was born. In fact, for the first three hundred years, Christians didn’t celebrate his birth so how did people settle on December 25^th as the date? There are two theories, one well known and the other not so known.

First, many people believe Christians simply adopted the Winter Solstice for the date of the holiday. This popular theory suggests that since the pagans already celebrated this holiday, the Christians simply took it over. “The Romans had their mid-winter Saturnalia festival in late December; barbarian peoples of northern and western Europe kept holidays at similar times. To top it off, in 274 C.E., the Roman emperor Aurelian established a feast of the birth of Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun), on December 25th. Christmas, the argument goes, is really a spin-off from these pagan solar festivals …” (Biblical Archaeology Society, August 12, 2014, http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org).

The trouble with that theory is, it isn’t found in any ancient Christian writings. It wasn’t until the 12^th century that anyone suggested that connection! A more interesting, but lesser known, solution involves the better-established date of Jesus’ death at the Passover (Easter).

Around 200 C.E. Tertullian of Carthage reported the calculation that the 14^th of Nisan (the day of the crucifixion according to the Gospel of John) in the year Jesus died was equivalent to March 25^th in the Roman (Solar) calendar. March 25^th is, of course, nine months before December 25^th; it was later recognized as the Feast of the Annunciation – the commemoration of Jesus’ conception. Thus, Jesus was believed to have been conceived and crucified on the same day of the year. Exactly nine months later, Jesus was born on December 25^th. (Biblical Archaeology Society, August 12, 2014).

So when was Jesus born? We really don’t know. What we do know is that he was born – the Son of God Incarnate – who “will save his people from their sins.” That’s something worth celebrating! Merry Christmas indeed!

Thanksgiving makes my mouth water! It’s no secret – I love to eat. Turkey (I’ll have a thigh please), mashed potatoes (with garlic!), stuffing (an appropriate suggestion), a spoonful of cranberry salad (as a garnish) and the appropriate slices of pie (pumpkin, apple, and pecan) make this a great holiday. But even better still are the faces of those around the table. Uncle Gary pushes back and launches into one of his great stories that will make milk come out your nose. The kids anoint themselves with gravy and green beans. Meemaw is there looking like an ancient angel. We also shed a tear for those who aren’t in their places this year.

Yes, thanksgiving is a great holiday, but these days it seems to be falling on hard times. Retailers are pushing Thanksgiving out of the way to make room for more profitable holidays like Halloween and Christmas. Families aren’t what they once were and those that are seem scattered across the country and around the world. From my cynical seat I might remark people who are focused on their rights and entitlements have little room in their hearts for an attitude of gratitude.

That’s one of the reasons worship is so important because worship, by its very definition, is focused on someone else, someone greater than ourselves. We kneel in the shadow of the cross and gratefully express our thanksgiving for someone who wasn’t selfish. We lift our hands in praise of our Father who loves us so much in spite of ourselves. We are filled with the Spirit as we make a joyful noise.

This is going to be a month of transformation. Paul told the Romans:

^{Romans 12:1} I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

We are transformed by worship, the renewing of our minds – and here is the special blessing brought on by the attitude of gratitude. Our life becomes more positive, more hopeful, more fun!

The old hymn writer Johnson Oatman caught it in his song:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

So, amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

 

 

In the Old Testament, children either ask or are told about the Exodus from Egypt in four places: Deut. 6:20; Exodus 12:26, 13:8, 14. Based on this, the Rabbis created a method of teaching the story of the Exodus that was individualized:

The haggadah speaks of four children: wise, wicked, simple, and one who does not know how to ask. It stresses that by paying close attention to the manner way in which a person asks a question, one can gain an insight into the individual’s character and prepare a suitable reply. (Of course, this mandate to teach one’s children according to their ability applies equally to girls.)^[1]

The Wise Child asks insightful questions and should be answered with precise and explicit information that satisfies his quest for knowledge. On the other hand, the Wicked Child requires a sharp answer to “set his teeth on edge.” “We celebrate the Passover because of what God for us when we went out of Egypt.” In other words, if you would have been there, you would have been left behind to labor as a slave making mud bricks because you do not consider yourself one of us.

There is some debate about the character of the Simple Child. The Hebrew word “tam,” is “usually translated as the slightly derogatory ‘simple,’ it more probably is meant as a praiseworthy characteristic, as in the verse commanding the Jew to be tam (wholehearted) with the Lord your God (Deut. 18:13).”[2] Jesus said nearly the same thing: “²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, ²³ but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:22, 23) The word “healthy” literally means “being motivated by singleness of purpose so as to be open and aboveboard, single, without guile, sincere, straightforward.”[3]

The final child, the one who does not even know how to ask because he doesn’t even realize there are questions he should ask, is taught with care. “The haggadah begins its discussion of this child with the words ‘at p’tach lo’ (you should begin for him). … This suggests that this child should be approached with the gentle understanding and warmth generally associated with the mother. It is necessary to patiently encourage the child to formulate questions and then provide answers at a level that the child can comprehend.”

Shlomo Riskin cites a profound interpretation ascribed to Joseph Isaac Schneerson, a former Lubavitcher rebbe:

The Four Children represent the four generations of the American experience. The Wise Child represents the European roots, the generation of the grandparents who came to America with beard and earlocks, dressed in shtreimel and kapote, steeped in piety, with a love for learning and profound knowledge of the Jewish tradition. Their progeny (the Wicked Child), brought up within the American “melting pot,” rejected his parent’s customs and ways of thought … Turning his back on the glories of the Jewish tradition, this child often became successful in business but was cynical in his outlook. The third generation, the Simple Child, is confused. He watched his grandfather making Kiddush on Friday night and his father standing by silently, perhaps resentfully, impatient to prepare for business on Saturday morning … The fourth generation, the Child Who Does Not Know How to Ask, offspring of the Simple Child, is the greatest tragedy of all. He was born after his great-grandparents had died. He knows only his totally assimilated grandfather (Wicked Child) and his religiously confused father … This is our mute American generation, the generation who thought it was someone’s birthday when she saw her great-grandmother lighting the festival candles.

Riskin adds that there is also a fifth generation, so far removed from Judaism that it is unaware that it is Passover. At least the wicked child is attending the seder, though he cannot fathom how it relates to his life, as is the one who does not know how to ask, despite the fact that he finds it beyond his understanding. Tragically, an increasing number of American Jews are not even present at the seder. When opening the door for Elijah the Prophet, we should also keep it open for those masses of assimilated Jews who have not yet entered. In this way, Elijah can fulfill the promise “to reconcile parents with children and children with their parents” (Mal. 3:24). These fifth-generation children must be made aware of their lost heritage before we can dare expect the redemption of the Messianic Age.^[4]

 

Perhaps the same can be said of the Restoration Movement. Those of the first generation were excited about their faith. They searched the Bible diligently and practiced their faith radically. The second generation understood the faith of their fathers, but they began codifying their parents discoveries rather than searching on their own. The third generation was steeped in tradition and nostalgia, while to the fourth generation it all seemed rather old-fashioned and hardly relevant. Is it no wonder the fifth generation seems confused and seeks something their great-great-grandparents knew?

^[1] Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., p. 279). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 104). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

^[4] Eisenberg.