Meeting the Cross on the way {journey to the Well} #11

Good Friday is coming.

The Cross is looming large in my heart. Its shadows fall long and it seems I am in a perpetual Arctic winter where the days are always dark. Yet it is a good, even glorious darkness. This kind of darkness is meant for us to stop trying to 'make hay while the sun shines'; to stop our busy efforts at making life work. It is the dark of being shielded so a secret work can take place.

Often God does his work very quietly and if we do not come under the shadow of the Almighty, we will miss it. The lights, sounds, dazzles and demands of daily city life often distract and detract us from God's most precious work.

Can I urge you dear friend to come and stand under the shadow of the Cross too?

And would you share with us what begins to stir in your heart as you do?

As I stand under the shadow of the Cross, my mind remembers how Love decided to act. But more, my heart wrestles with whether my love is large enough to act like His Love did. I know full well the areas I want Life to fill and brim over; those areas I am pretty sick of being so pale and lacklustre; missing the Life and abundance.

What was it dear Jesus, that makes you go to that wicked Cross? Why did you face and fight death?

Then the Spirit whispers this ~

"...for the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame.." ~ Hebrews 12v2

You know why we struggle so to let go, to give in, to give up, to be wrong, to forgive ... ? 

We have no clue the joy that can come. We are stuck with the nails and hammer. Our eyes are fixed on the pain. Our minds are rehearsing our regrets. Our hearts are clinging on to small delights. 

Jesus was confident of his joy. 

This enabled him to endure the cross. 

This enabled him to look at his ignoble, humiliating, undignified death and loss as something to despise. 

Jesus knew the enemy would do his worst; throw the whole shebang; but he wasn't going to let the horror, the agony, the loss of face.. - the shame - wrap him up into subservience.  He despised it all. They were not worth his focus.

If Jesus felt grief and loss on the Cross; it was clear it happened at three points: the ignorance of the evildoers, the turning away of God, the inability to continue to care for his mother. 

But the Cross and its shame? He despised it.

It was as if Jesus was having this conversation with shame:

"Listen to me, Shame, do you fee that joy in front of me? Compared to that, you are less than nothing. you not not worth comparing to that! I despise you. You think you have power. Compared to the joy before me, you have none. Joy. Joy. Joy. That is my power! Not you, Shame. You are worthless. You are powerless.

You think you can distract me? I won't even look at you. I have a joy set before me. Why would I look at you? You are ugly and despicable, and you are almost finished. You cover me now as with a shroud. Before you can say, 'So there!', I will throw you off like a filthy rag. I will put on my royal robe.

You think you are great, because even last night you made my disciples run away. You are a fool, Shame. You are a despicable fool. That abandonment, that loneliness, this Cross - these tools of yours - they are all my sacred suffering, and will save my disciples, not destroy them. You are are fool. Your filthy hands fulfil holy prophecy. Farewell, Shame, It is finished."

{with thanks to Ps John Piper}.

Death must -come- before Resurrection, and we take the death because we so want the Resurrection unto new Life. Because we are confident of New Life promised to us. Things are not what they seem yet; but they will not remain the same if we are willing to die, to despise the shame that may come with it ... so that Life breaks in.

How high have you set your sights for your life? Is it for Life, or is it just to live?

You can die to this one... {our Journey to the Never-dried-up Well resumes}

7 days to Resurrection.

I have always preferred Resurrection to Easter. Besides the fact that Easter have been the subject of speculation {isn't it the name of some goddess? Check it up here: easter origins }, Resurrection is simply easier for us.

Resurrection is the promise made possible by the prototype. Because Christ rose from the dead, death is no longer final for us. We can expect to live on. Heaven is real. Eternity continues when your watch dies on you and your lungs and heart are placed to rest.

But Resurrection comes only after death. So we won't die; but we must die first.

Honestly, no one talks this crazy way but us CHRISTians. See the word 'Christian'? It ends with -ian. It is an acronym for
I
Am
Nothing.

That's right. Remove the CHRIST and all you get is nothing. Zero.
A Christian without Christ is pure oxymoron. Not possible, doesn't exist.

Back to the dying.

We can, and must die.
We can die because Life has come and we know this Life cannot be snuffed out. So whatever we need to die to, we can for we are now unafraid.
We must die because Life doesn't co-exist with death. So whatever within and around us that drains life must be dealt a decisive blow.

Struggling with forgiveness?
Agonizing over an unanswered longing?
Feeling covered in shame and pain?

Die to all of that. Must, and can-be-done.

After nearly half a century on earth and enough battles to write a mini-drama, I know it is hard stuff, this dying. We feel the desperate sense of loss more than we can whiff the promise of triumph. The good we need just doesn't show up quick enough and our soul is frightened that is will suffer even more to go through a dying.
Honestly, it feels plain impossible.

Jesus beckons you to come sit with him.

He may say very little. As you sit there, the turmoil within begins to stir less. Your racing heart finds a new, slower rhythm. The prospect of death is not as overwhelming and frightening as it was before.

Jesus is he who knows all about dying, and can say,

"I am the Resurrection and the Life" ~ John 11v25

Sitting with Life overcomes death.

And just perhaps, that thing you want so much, fought so hard for, cried so many nights over... you suddenly realise that it isn't what you are really thirsting for at all. 

What you really need is right here, by the Well, with the One. 

Complete this sentence then, "What I really need right now is..."

We are now defined and empowered by Christ cannot find it outside from Him. No one and nothing compares with Christ.

He was willing to die for us, to carry the guilt and penalty of our sin.
He is working in us so that we can face ourselves and the assault of death.
He is waiting for us to come sit with Him and let Life enter our beings so that death will no longer sting.

I married a non-believer. Is God mad at me?

We all think - quietly - that God is mad at us, at some point.

Perfection just doesn't jive with us.
We know we are not perfect, so how can we ever measure up to a Perfect God - who must by his perfection be irked by our many constant imperfections.
This is after all, how we feel towards others who do not measure up to our expectations.

So deep in the echoing chambers of our soul is a tremor that just perhaps -- God is mad at us - especially when we are struggling and don't feel 'blessed'.

Nothing betrays us like our questions.
Nothing reveals our hearts like our anxieties.

A new friendship I have with a young mom pointed me in this direction. Her preoccupation is how to get her child interested in spiritual matters when her husband is lackadaisical about it. She is not alone. Across the years, I have met many women who struggle with this. How do they raise children in the faith when their spouses are not interested? This disinterest spans a wide range: spouses who will let you go to church but will not go themselves - to spouses who mock, stop and oppose.

I call such women spiritually single.

If as a pastor married to another, I struggle with a common vision for faith in our homes and the hearts of our children; the spiritually single must have it so- much- harder.

And you know what? When things are rough, we sometimes think God is somewhat angry with us. And once, an honest soul asked me the question; "I am supposed to marry a fellow Christian.....Is God angry/disappointed.."?

Fourteen years as a parent, twenty years as a pastor and forty years as a Christian tells me that is the wrong question.

I understand the feeling; I get the question. But consider this --

Since Jesus is the exact representation of God (Colossians 1v15); then what we see is forgiveness, compassion and Grace. Jesus never once rubs our sins into our faces, makes us feel bad, muzzle us with guilt. He does berate and judge - and it has always been reserved for the proud religious leaders of his day; for their stubborn refusal to ponder the truth.

God is not smouldering with anger. He is saddened by our choices but, He is sovereign-ly able to bring change.

Marrying a non-believer is a blatant act of disobedience because the command is clear. But obedience - for we are creatures - is not rule-keeping. It is response-making out of being touched by God's mercy and grace. So it is possible, that for Christians, our longing for human affection at some point was a greater thirst and we did not know that God alone can satisfy that thirst, for we have not learnt to drink from the never-dried up Well that is God himself. We have all done. So the right question is, "God, show me how you see me and let me live the way you call me to, even now".

We will tend to hide when we sense anger. So I am urging you to take a good look at Jesus and know that though God is righteous and holy, He has one massive desire: to save you and I back to a vital relationship with Him. Did he not say,

I did not send my son into the world to condemn the world, 

but that the world through him might be saved ~ John 3v17

The verses that follow speaks of what God truly judges: a refusal to turn to him, to believe, to go to the Light.

So please, don't stay away. Come. Come for -

Forgiveness: God will forgive.
Compassion: God will journey with you.
Vision: ask God what to do now; he always has a way forward.
Courage: the way forward may require sacrifice, a lot of waiting, praying in ways you never knew before.

Come and see what God has in store for you:
A sense of freedom because you are forgiven.
A sense of acceptance as you lean into God's compassion.
A sense of hope as you perceive possibilities and act as the Spirit prompts and guides.

Once again, God brings good out of our messes.

God is not mad.  

Tell you what, if you run to him, he is, in fact, glad.

{ I felt a leading to write this. We will resume Journey to the Never Dried-up Well }

Journey's...end..in view..

Today, someone asked if my son's Christian school does anything special for Easter. 

Anything special? My initial response was to remind her to live Easter each day. But then, it made me think.

I have certainly seen some Easter specials in my life -
as a growing child, i had collected Easter eggs home to add to the family meal...and try to tell my mom about the good news of new life...
as a rookie pastor, i had my little church put out lilies, serve out eggs and pancakes..sing and tell             stories... while i preached a fiery message of new possibilities..
as a visitor to one of America's largest churches, I have seen a pageant complete with an angel suspended by high wire, real horses and a camel...


What is the big deal about Easter? Why am I even talking about it?

Because when we began, our goal was to drink in order to get to this: Resurrection ! {click for reminder}

That's right, we were not drinking to get by. We are drinking to get somewhere. We are headed towards a vision God himself has etched within our souls, and we won't turn back until we reach it. Friends, we have found in this journey how great our thirst is! Thankfully, we have also found that the Well has not run dry.

Yet as I ponder her question: 'are you doing anything special for Easter?', I must say that for most of us, Easter is a time for the church to do something for us - remind us of great glorious truths, roll out some higher-than-usual octane programs.. pretti-fy the church with larger than usual blooms... and this only goes to prove on thing: Christians are in danger of no longer knowing the big deal that is Easter.
After all -

We skim meaning while we store up material goods.
We seek relief rather than learn the rhythms of rest.
We settle for vague improvements instead of hunger for sorting-our-life-out according to God's Word.
We strain for spiritual 'highs' and remain blind to sibling, parent, neighbour needing a clear picture of God's love.

These patterns of life does not predispose us to obey this simple word:

Remember Jesus Christ, risen form the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel *

~ 2 Timothy 2v8

How much, how often, how well, do -- we -- Remember?

And what are to remember? Jesus rose from the dead. In case we forget in our busy 365 days, the church has an entire season called Lent that culminates in Easter to help us remember. 

And, all of our lives are but a living out of what we remember.

What is it you remember? 

What is it you store in your heart and mind?

The next few days, ask the God of memories to show you what you remember, and perhaps what you need to forget.

And this --- what is it that you pour into the hearts and minds of others?

Drink today dear friend, the journey continues. 

As we remember Jesus, know that his journey took him through a valley, and to a Cross; and then it was quiet in a tomb -- before --  the Resurrection. 

*my gratitude to Ps John Piper for reminding me of this verse.

Journey to the never dried-up Well #9

I have begun reading Isaiah to re-encounter Jesus who shall soon suffer, die and rise triumphant.

In my younger days, I dreaded to touch the pages of prophetic writ; all that fire, fierce anger, judgment... But now, I have lived longer and I see how accurate the words are.

The contrast in  -
judgment and mercy
anger and longing
desolation and life
destruction and perfection

Soul, it is easy to feel lost in our world of contrasts. It is easy to feel wedged between the hard places of our many burdens and our need for rest. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the sights, sounds and suggestions. It is easy to lose our way, to become alarmed, to be fearful.

Today, may this song - true to the Word, filled with images true to our world, and yet carried by a peaceable, anointed melody wash you over and may these closing words of the prophet bring you strength ~

"I will extend peace to her like a river..." {66v12} 

Be not afraid {click here for song}