Prayer

It is none of our concern how it works or why it works. We will tie our theological tails in knots if we worry to much about those questions. What we know is that God works. He works constantly and tirelessly for the sake of His glory. The bedrock truth of the Christian experience is that happiness, peace, holiness, and all of life, is written into the eternal saga of God's glory. Prayer is a channel through which we weave our stubborn will into God's perfect will, revealing His glorious workings in the affairs of men. We pour out our confused hearts before His throne and He fills us with holy passion for the revelation of His glory in our circumstance. This is why we qualify our requests with phrases like, "if it be your will." We are emptying ourselves of ourselves as we yearn for more of Himself.

This does not happen quickly. As I wrote in my last post, God is not in a hurry. Learning to pray well, to trust well, to be urgently patient, is a lifelong skill. God has surrounded me with a mighty army of prayer warriors in His church who have learned this far better than I have. I am grateful for their example, that I can learn from them, and that God' glory shines through their lives as they wait on Him in prayer.

God is doing something

“The assumption of spirituality is that always God is doing something before I even know it” (Eugene Peterson).

God is extravagant with His resources. Wyoming landscape proves it like nothing else I’ve seen. Our tendency is to cram as much as possible into as little space and time as we possibly can. God spreads His creation over the unplumbed depths of space. He has extended His plan of redeeming His beloved from our rebellion against Him from before the annals of history and will continue long after my bones return to dust. He is not in a hurry.

If I claim to be spiritual I must assume that I know that. He is already working, and this work comes at His speed, not mine, for His purpose, not mine, according to His agenda, not mine.

Even as I write this blog I am fighting the urge to cram everything on my mind today onto a single page. God senses no need to be so stingy with time and space.

Trust Him. He knows what He’s doing. He invites us to join Him, not visa-versa.

"So the task is not to get God to do something I think needs to be done, but to become aware of what God is doing so that I can respond to it and participate and take delight in it."

The gentle rain

At the close of Deuteronomy the nation of Israel is facing a huge transition. Moses is about to die, Joshua is about to take over, and the 40 year sojourn is ending. Finally, the conquest of the Promised Land is near enough to taste. Yet, with all the excitement that was surely in the air the sobering truth of man's depravity threatens to steal center stage. "And the Lord said to Moses, 'Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them.'" (Deu 31:16). With this gloomy reality as inspiration God gives Moses a song to teach to the people...

Last week we got a hail storm that almost covered the ground in icy white marbles. We were pelted with what felt like gravel as we scrambled to park our newest vehicle in the garage before the worst came. If music could be likened to rain I would expect this song to sound and feel a lot like last week's storm. But, from the Songwriter's pen who is the God of all surprises, listen to these lyrics:

"May my teaching drop as the rain / my speech distill as the dew / like gentle rain upon the tender grass / and like showers upon the herb."

Less poetic but just as surprising are Paul's words to Timothy, "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort..." Many times us preachers are tempted to stop reading right there. We snort and paw at the ground like a bull ready to charge and the sheep we are called to lead by the cool waters we instead BBQ on the spot - all under the banner of this charge: preach the word, reprove, rebuke, exhort. If we keep reading, however, we see that Paul doesn't end the sentence here. It ends, "with complete patience and teaching." This sounds a lot less like hail storms and more like gentle rain on tender grass. Before we forget, many people of Timothy's church, and even our own for that matter, are probably a lot like the Israelites in our constant forsaking of God. The solution God provides is the patient teaching of His Word.

Let us thank God with the deepest gratitude that He doesn't pour down the hailstorms we deserve. Let us keep at center stage the gentle rain of His Word, and receive it like new grass desperate for life-giving refreshment.

The adventure continues

Today a chapter closed, or a page turned, or a season changed... whatever metaphor you want to use, I said goodbye to a lot of good friends today. I have worked a total of seven years for one company and spent countless hours with many of the same people during that time. At these pivotal points in my life I can't help but evaluate things - conversations I should have had, arguments I should not have, ways I could have loved more like Christ, places where I should have done my job better. But, I am reminded that as long as I am human (which is hopefully a condition I will suffer for quite some time!) there will always be the "should haves." So tonight I am simply thankful. Thankful for the years God has given me to walk with these friends. Thankful for what I have learned and what, by God's grace, I have taught. Thankful for the provision of a job. Thankful for facebook, e-mail, and cell phones, and in the case of a few stubborn old-timers I am even thankful for postage stamps. Thankful for the pranksters who refused me the opportunity of taking myself too seriously, and thankful for the grouchy, retired drill-sergeant types who reminded me that sobriety of mind is sometimes an equally important character trait. I could go on, but that would be bordering on living in the past when God has given me so much in the present and future for which I am, with greatly anticipated excitement, equally thankful.

To name a few, my wife of nine years who is charging down the trail West at my side. She is my best friend, trusted counselor, and the greatest joy and love of my life. My three sons, the oldest of whom I get to baptize this Sunday! Boulevard Baptist, that filled a needed gap while transitioning between ministries, and for their whole-hearted support as we move. And of course, the reason for all of this change, Grace Fellowship in Buffalo, Wyoming - my new home, my new family. I am not a gifted enough writer to explain my excitement for the years ahead. Our amazing God has blessed us in countless ways making His course for us clear. Without Him nothing in this post would be true or possible, but because of Him these words barely scratch the surface of what is praiseworthy in this life. To Him be the glory forever, amen.

The Adventure

And so it begins. Tomorrow will begin like a normal day, with a 0400 wake up call and a day of work. But, when I get home at 2:20ish, we throw the bags in the car and make like a tree. After a shower, of course. My good friends Dave and Beth in KC are kind enough to host us for the night and take us to airport in the morning, and then off to Grace Fellowship in Buffalo, WY. While in Buffalo I will have the opportunity to preach twice and our family will interact with the church members through several dinners and other events. We'll have time for some sight-seeing and recreation as well. But, the real reason for this post is to solicit prayer. What kind of prayer? I've found several key prayer requests (and praises) skimming through the openings of Paul's letters.

1. Thank God for His Word being preached in his absence
2. Pray for a blessed reunion (Or this case union since there can be no "re" to something that hasn't happened yet. But, you knew that already, didn't you?)
3. Spiritual strength for all parties involved
4. Thankfulness for the Spirit of God at work
5. Rest in God's faithfulness
6. A foundation of love
7. Wisdom
8. Purity and blamelessness
9. Discernment (perhaps the prayer conspicuously absent from Galatians?)

We could go on for sure, but for those of us involved I encourage a personal search through the prayers in Scripture to see what stands out to you. How are you praying? I would like to hear from you. I'll leave you with a couple personal prayer requests that will make our trip more comfortable, if not even more productive.

• Joel has a tendency to get car/plane sick
• The boys' sleeping patterns in leu of the time change.

P.S. I tried to get rid of the goofy looking flower bullets, but they seem to be stuck.

Scribbles on the Heart

Two days ago we celebrated Joel's seventh birthday. Today, we celebrate his new birth! At a little after 7:00 this evening Joel trusted Christ as His Savior! During supper, out on the patio, we were reviewing Ethan's memory verse for Sunday School - "The lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all He has made" (Psalm 145:13). So, does this mean we can trust God to give us a new bicycle tomorrow? Our kids apparently have a touch of the prosperity gospel in them because Joel and Ethan both answered in the affirmative. "But did God promise us a new bicycle?" Of course not, so what did He promise? "A new body when we die," Joel answered. Who will get this new body? "People who are saved." Are you one of them? "Ummm... no." And so, the real conversation began. For some time now Joel has been able to articulate saving faith very clearly for his age, and for some time he has known that saving faith is something he does not possess. We have been encouraging him to think about it, pray about it, ask questions about it, and when he is ready we will be thrilled to walk him through expressing this faith to God in repentance. So tonight I simply asked, "What is stopping you?" "Well, I just don't have the time." We all know what a seven-year-old's schedule is like, what, with all the car playing, Veggie-Tale watching and tree climbing. I told him that when he's ready we will make the time, no matter what. He said, "Then I guess we ought to do it tonight." Exactly what I was hoping for!

I encouraged him to talk to God about this while I get his brothers in bed, and then if he still thinks this is the right time we will stay up and talk some more. And so we did. I was walking him through some Scripture and came to Romans 10:9-10. "For with the heart one believes and is justified..." O boy. I forgot "justified" was in there. How do I explain "justified" to a seven-year-old? Only seconds into my explanation he said, "Wait, I know this. When we sin it's like scribbles on our heart. When we confess our sins Jesus' blood is like an eraser and then God doesn't see the scribbles anymore." Martin Luther himself couldn't have said it better!

His prayer was a beautiful seven-year-old prayer, "God, I hope you'll save me because I'm a sinner. Please forgive me, and I hope You'll help me to do what's right."

My son is now my brother, and the scribbles on his heart are forever erased. Thanks be to God!

The Human Side

John 2:1-5

While reading John, like the other Gospels, it is sometimes helpful to read it from the vantage point of the present (the time of the book’s writing) looking back. For example, John 1:11-13 leaps off the page when we consider what happens in Acts. The Gospel, scorned by the Jews, breaks free from national Israel and spreads like fire through the world of the Gentiles.

“He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” Yes, we figured that out when they killed Him. “But to all who did receive him… were born… not of the will of man, but of God.” Ah, that explains what happened on Pentecost. God is doing this!

This story, however, I want to understand from the past. Only I can’t. What was Jesus like prior to age 30? We know about his miraculous conception. We’ve studied Mary’s “magnificat.” We know that while some said “wow” and walked away, Mary “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk 2:19). We are familiar with the story of Jesus the boy genius who confounded the Rabbis and terrified His parents by hiding out in the Temple. We know that after this Jesus “increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Lk 2:52) and that after this chapter Joseph is conspicuously absent from the biblical narrative. What is so mysterious to me is that after the second chapter of Luke, 18 years pass before chapter 3. What was Jesus like?

John’s Gospel opens with Jesus as the Word who was God in eternity past and then thrusts Him into the earthly scene on the heels of John the Baptist. Other than calling a small band of disciples the first thing we see of this 30 year old mysterious Deity-in-flesh is Him prematurely (in His own words) revealing His God-ness in obedience to the wishes of His mother. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with His mom and the Word did what she told Him to do.”

I am not trying to be irreverent; I am merely trying to point out that there are some very human dynamics going on here. Mary knew that Jesus was far more than simply a man. From his conception she knew that Jesus was of God. At least by age 12 she knew that He had a special mission from His Heavenly Father. At His crucifixion it is clear that they were very close, and even into Acts we see her allegiance to her son/Savior (1:4). But, the first thing John tells us of her is that she was very comfortable playing the roll of His mother.

I can’t help but think of my relationship with my own mother, and how the Jesus/Mary relationship must have been very similar, and how it must have been very different. Several years ago when I told my mom I was considering becoming a military chaplain she said, “But those are rough people. Do you really want to be around people that rough?” What she really meant was (I think) “But you are my baby boy. I can’t imagine you hanging around with those roughnecks!” The beautiful irony of the situation was that she was on her way to Nicaragua, land of riots and kidnappings, following the journey Jesus laid out for her. What was it like for Mary when she saw the kind of company her perfect baby boy kept? Tax collectors. Lame. Prostitutes. Leprous. “But those are rough people…” And yet, unknowingly at the time, her journey would take her to the foot of her son’s cross – literally. What a roller coaster of emotions life must be for a mom.

Moms have an amazing knack for giving unsolicited advice to their sons in very inventive ways. One year while I was in Seminary, working full time, and trying to figure out how to be a dad to our first born, I got a very strange birthday present from my parents. A kite. Rebekah and I looked at each other and shrugged, and then it hit me. “I think my mom is telling me to relax,” I said. I was right, and so was she. It worked.

But surely Mary never needed to give Jesus any advice. Or is that what she is doing here? “Jesus, they have no wine (wink/nudge).” I’m not saying that Jesus needed the push. I’m just saying that maybe His mom thought He did. Several years have passed since my mom tried to talk me out of joining the military. She’s nothing but supportive now, and has been since before I made the final decision. Since then I’ve gotten her a tour of the B2 Stealth Bomber, which she loved. She saw me in my service dress for the first time recently and unable to come up with a more fitting adjective said I was “gorgeous.” I guess there was no other word capable of carrying the weight of motherly pride that was gushing out in tears and a huge smile. She’s in my corner, encouraging me, knowing that I can succeed far beyond what I am convinced is my own potential. But isn’t that what mom’s do, once they get over the initial shock of us growing up? How many men have gotten that motherly push to move out, get a job, ask the girl out… “They have no wine (wink/nudge).”

The point of all of this is that whatever conversations took place between Mary and Jesus between Luke 2 and John 2, they must have been very human. Jesus, born of a virgin, confounding the wise as a pre-teen, then shocking the human race by revealing His deity to save the face of an unnamed wedding host, was human. He had a mom just like you. They loved each other just like my mom and I do. And, just like I, at age 30, still listen to my Mom we may never have been able to tell the story of 30-year-old Jesus turning water into wine were it not for his mom saying, “Jesus, they have no wine (wink/nudge).”