We read in Psalms 23 about the “valley of the shadow of death,” and what would be more terrifying and seem further from God than being plunged into the darkness of the “Valley of Death”. We have all walked there, and felt the despair of the shadow valley, and we have all tasted the fear that is the darkness.

Sometimes these valley trips are short, sometimes they feel like long seasons, and sometimes they last so long we are convinced that the valley and its shadows are all there is and the light was only a dream. Perhaps you’ve been there. Been in a place that is so dark that the pain and dread overwhelm you and you know that you will die in this valley. You are not alone there.

But in the darkness there is a curious truth about shadows. It is a truth the shadows would rather you not remember. Shadows are cast by light, and the darker the shadow the brighter and more intense the light must be. How true it is that when we see our darkest shadows it means the light is shining on us the brightest…we’re just looking the wrong way.

Even in the deepest darkness we are never absent from the light. Being in God’s light doesn’t mean there are no shadows and no pain; it means that God is shining on you with grace and love. And it is by God’s good grace and God’s love that we are given hope to walk this road, even through the valley. We all must visit the shadow valley, but it is not our home. God is home, we live in the far country.

Below is a prayer that was given to me by a wise man. I kept it with me during a trip through the valley. I hope it speaks truth to you. Also links to previous talks on this subject.

God is everywhere.

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in everything I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may do nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

~ Thomas Merton

Also see previous posts
The Bad Times Will Come & More on the Bad Times (video)

But I know you’re all wondering…why has there been such a long gap in blog posts? It would be easy to say things just got busy. It is amazing how busy we can be and still feel as though nothing is getting done. I have felt that way a lot recently. It is easy to fill the day. It is much harder to get the most out of a full day. We are busy. But business is never an excuse for anything. We can always make time for what is important.

It is our most important responsibility to protect the most important things. I set myself this goal of writing everyday not because my blog is the most important thing, nor do I consider it a “can’t live without” for others, but I want to be disciplined enough to do it.

So I hope you will come with me over the next few weeks and see what we find.

God is Everywhere

In Matthew 5 Jesus is giving his famous “Sermon on the Mount”. If you grew up in church, like I did, you’ve heard it many times. And perhaps, like me, you missed verse 20 as well. After a litany of whom shall be blessed in the Kingdom and an example of how to pray Jesus warns that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees’ you have no chance of entering the Kingdom of God. Jesus then goes into the very familiar revision to the law. Jesus tells the people the law says don’t kill but anger is the same as murder. The law says don’t commit adultery but to think it is the same thing. And then if the bar had not been set high enough he rounds out chapter 5 by saying it after all this just be perfect and you should be set to.  

Now I know I may be breaking news to some of you but I struggle with a lack of perfection. I know, its hard to believe. But what is Jesus playing at setting the standard so high as to equate a thought with adultery. He sounds like a parent who is tired of disciplining a child, “No, don’t touch your sister…don’t even look at her!!!” or “Don’t even think about taking one of those cookies!”

Jesus set the standard, the starting point, at perfection. And in addition to expanding the expectations of the law he also said that our righteousness had to exceed that of the Pharisees’. Now the Pharisees often get a bad rep, and perhaps deservedly so, but they were if nothing righteous in the eyes of the law. That was their whole deal. Their life was all about following the rules. They literally made a career out of following the rules and Jesus said their righteousness was insufficient. If they weren’t righteous enough I see little hope for the rest of us.

I read one commentator who said Jesus was condemning the Pharisees’ false righteousness and we had to be genuine in our faith. Maybe that’s it but I think its something more. I don’t believe Jesus was giving us more rules to follow. It wasn’t a matter of how well we could behave. Jesus was trying to totally shift our perspective.

You see, when we focus on our righteousness coming from the law it makes our righteousness about what we can do. The Pharisees considered themselves righteous because they followed all the rules. From that perspective we should be praised when we succeed (which I believe if we were keeping score would be rare).

When Jesus said our righteousness should exceed that of the Pharisees he wasn’t referring to our behavior, but rather the actual righteousness we relay should be different. The righteousness Jesus referred to was not a word used to describe us; instead the righteousness was itself the subject of the lesson.

The Pharisees’ righteousness was insufficient because it was law focused and thus self focused. Where the law brings us back to the self, a righteousness based on grace points all the glory to the one who provided the grace. Jesus was showing us that our efforts were insufficient but that Jesus as God made flesh would provide an all sufficient righteousness based on a grace that all the glory to the Lord.

It is after all the difference between insisting on repairing your own car when you know nothing about cars and someone offering you a new car. Focusing on a law based righteousness makes us judgmental and worried about messing up. But when our righteousness is found on grace it makes us relive that we are no more worthy of grace than anyone else and we welcome in other to share in the grace we have found.

Where have you found your righteousness?

God is Everywhere.

Six days earlier Jesus is walking with his disciples and he asks them who they think he is. Before anyone else can get a word in Peter answers that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus tells him he’s right but warns them not to tell other’s yet. Jesus informs them that not only does his road lead him to death, but if anyone wants to follow Jesus they must be willing to lose everything for his sake.

Then we get to the phrase “six days later”. What do you suppose went on with the disciples over that six day period? What kind of questions must they have had? It is out of this place of confusion that three of the disciples witness a miraculous sight. On a high mountain they see Jesus in all his glory, and not only Jesus but Moose and Elijah (the Law and the Prophets) are there as well. And again Peter says, in true church leader fashion, if God’s at work we better build a building.

I think it was at this point the God ran out of patience with the disciples. After all this time with Jesus they’re still not getting it. God overwhelms them and for the second time (never good to have God repeat himself) tells them Jesus is the Beloved Son and they should listen to him. Not hear is words and apply them to their ministry, not think he’s a swell guy, but really listen to Jesus.

After that the disciples are scared and confused. They fall down to before God’s glory in fear. But Jesus didn’t leave them there. Jesus didn’t walk away from them. He went to them where they were, touched them, and picked them up.

It is hard to see where it is that God is leading us sometimes. It is hard when life doesn’t make sense.  To trust Jesus as your Lord doesn’t make life suddenly easier, in fact Jesus said that to follow Him would be the same as giving up your life. But when we are wore out, tired and confused…and we’ve done all we know to do and still come up short, that’s when we see the miraculous God is still at work. We are not left to our questions or uncertainties, but Jesus meets us where we are, and picks us up to walk with Him.

I am glad my Jesus loves a stumbling, bumbling fool like me even when I still don’t get it. Jesus is always there to say, “Get up and do not be afraid”

God is Everywhere

While we can draw numerous lessons from the story of Jonah, this week I have gotten a new perspective on this story. Jonah has a past before this story (George Lucas failed to obtain the rights to go back and make a stiffly acted trilogy about the younger Jonah) and Jonah has life after the short story we have in the Scripture, but he is defined by his actions here. Jonah was obviously a respected man of God. The people knew him and respected what he had to say. He built a reputation and was well known where he lived. But we don’t remember who he was, and there is no mention of what he went on to do after his trip to Nineveh.

In many ways Jonah has been reduced to an Old Testament punch line or a good flannel graph story, but that is a mistake. Jonah is not about a whale and the man that ran…it is another story of God’s grace. It is a continuation of God’s love story. It was because God loved the Ninevites that Jonah was sent to them. God could have simply judged them and been justified for it, but God loved. Jonah ran, but instead of giving up on him God brought Jonah back because God loved. And even when Jonah raged and challenged God’s judgment God still loved.

Jonah obeyed God (eventually) but he did not do it out of love. Jonah’s story reminds us that God loves all people. I once saw a demonstration against gay marriage where supposed Christ followers held up signs declaring that “God hates fags”. This was the outlook Jonah had, but its not God’s perspective. God opposes sin, but God loves without condition. God judges justly, but God is mericful in justice. To say that God hate any people for their actions, beliefs, or lifestyle is to place an inescapable judgment on all of us, “All have sinned and fallen short of God’s rightousness”.

Place in your mind the person or people you most dislike or distrust. Is it an image of the Taliban, of Obama, or some radical hate group? Whoever it is what if God called you to love them? Wait God did call you to love them. What would it look like if we did? What if our prejudices took a back seat to God’s unending grace? How would your life be different?

God is still writing a love story with each of us. We are the expression of God’s grace and love. God is everywhere.

 Our focus has been 2 Corinthians 5.14-15. Take a second and read it and you’ll see why it took a whole week to break down just a couple verses. Done reading? You didn’t read it did you? Come on, seriously? What do you mean you don’t have a Bible? You’re on the internet! Have you not heard of Google? Sorry, we had to wait on SOME people. Now that we’re ALL together…

Paul begins by saying it is Christ’s love that compels us. To be compelled, it gives the picture of being driven toward, pushed along a path, or motivated. It is the love Christ has shown us that motivates us into action. We are compelled because Christ’s demonstration of love has convinced us. We don’t have to except on blind faith Jesus’ claims, but rather we are given more than enough evidence to convince us of Christ’s unending love.

It is Christ’s love, which was demonstrated on the cross, that compels us. It compels us to give up our selfishness, and trust Christ with the whole of our lives. Once we have given our trust though we realize that Christ doesn’t weigh us down with more rules and judgement but instead Christ compels us to a life that is freeing. We are free from our sin, and free from our guilt. When we trust Christ fully (not for a couple hours on Sunday) we find freedom in his love.

That is what it means to be unhindered. To be free from all the distractions that draws our attention from God’s glory. It come when we see God as the prize to be treasured not the obligation to be filled. And it comes when we stop and find God’s grace and goodness everyday. God is Everywhere.

The Church as Jesus intended it was given a great and sacred responsibility. Isn’t it funny (meaning tragic) how we have traded that most glorious of commissions to be satisfied with being a social circle and a voting block. These days the Church, splintered into a thousand factions, has become more consumed with protecting what is seen as our bit of turf. It is more important to excommunicate anyone who thanks differently than to unite under the banner of Christ (unification through subtraction I supose).

Though at times things seem bleak, none of these are reasons to stay away from the church. Above are ills that, if anything, are why we need reasonable believer to help steer the church back to her true course. It is really very simple. The basis for our Church and reason we can’t give up on her is because the Church is our response to God.

The Church is where we share our experiences, where we worship, where we centralize our service, and where we focus on the Holiness of God. That is the reason why we go and the reason why not to go is like it. If you have made the conscious decision that there is no God then there is no reason for you to be at church. Am I missing an evangelical opportunity? I think not. If one can look on creation and not acknowledge that there is a creator (however undefined) as Romans 1 and Psalm 17 express then what good will this Sunday’s sermon do them.

The truth is I have a hard time believing anyone who says there is no God. Really? We just got here on our own? Millions of moving parts go into making the human body and if any one were not in its place we could not live. But no, I’m sure it all just came together.

And that brings us to a crossroads. If you have decided in your heart that God cannot be then this is where we part ways. I have little hope to offer you.

To the believers, the unsure and ambivalent we may press on. As I said it is almost impossible for me to accept someone who believes there is no God; however, it is quite understandable, almost reasonable, to question whether either we could ever know this God or if God would care about us in our sad state. These are the best questions. How could God? Why would God? These question let us begin to get know our God. It is where we begin to explore God’s character. Because there is a second great evidence we have to the existence of our God.

While the comprehensive beauty of creation should be enough to testify to God’s presence, it is often only the first step for most people. They see that there must be more and we are given a chance to share our great truth. We can know there is a God because of the way God has worked in our lives. Our personal customer reviews, if you will, have a huge impact on those who we share them with.

Jesus said we should be a light on a hill and we are to bring understanding to His people. God has been revealed to the world with creation, and let us bring understanding to the revelation with our stories, our worship and our service. Mostly, let our story be our love. That’s what church is.

God is Everywhere.

God is Everywhere

Here’s a news flash, bad things happen. The natural disasters Haiti, Chili, and Indonesia, the actions of 9/11 the shooting at Virginia Tech and seemly countless other schools, and we don’t have to go that far to find bad things. Is there anyone out there who would say they have never experienced loss? The bad times will come.

In Ecclesiastes 3 we read the famous “There is a time for everything” observation made by the writer. And unbelievably there is a time for good and a time for bad. But this shouldn’t shock us. There is fullness in all of God’s creation, and by giving us the potential to do great things that means there is also the potential for great lows as well. Perhaps God could have eliminated the path of pain but wouldn’t that have also eliminated our ability to choose our own way. As long as we are allowed to choose the bad times will come.

But God is not shocked off the throne by the things that happen to you. That’s my favorite part about God. God’s not up in heaven sniping numbs on MW2 (which is total unfair with that all knowing and all, plus I think God has like a T1 or something), and then Gabriel runs in saying did you hear what happened to Coder down there. God’s is never caught off guard. Did it ever occur to you that nothing ever occurs to God?

But knowing that God knows isn’t our answer. In fact it raises an even tougher question. We must ask, “If God is all-knowing and all-powerful how could God let these bad things happen?”

Now we are getting to the issue. The question is how could God. It is a question of God acting out of God’s character. But is it out of character? Let’s look at the life of Job, Jesus, Simon, James, Augustine, Martin Luther, and the heroes of the faith who have gone before. In five minutes Job lost everything. He went from riches and a large family to four servants. His first response was “God is good”. (Job 1.13-22)

Job’s faith was based on God’s character, not God’s blessings. One’s character is the collection of attributes and actions that distinguish a person. When we know someone’s character it changes the way we perceive their actions. If someone does something that we know to be out of character we would most likely seek some clarification before writing them off.

So to truly have a faith that can withstand bad things you must KNOW God and know God’s character. Job’s faith in God was genuine and sincere. It was based on God’s total goodness not God’s goodness to Job singularly.

When bad things happen our faith falls short if we aren’t convinced of God’s control. Everyone has wondered it at some point: How can a good God let bad things happen? I guess the main problem is that this question is a wrong idea about faith. For many people what’s happening now—what they’re feeling now—determines what they believe, now. That is circumstantial faith. But what is happening to us today does not define who the timeless God is. Our faith cannot survive if it does. God’s unchanging character must be the foundation of our faith.

Our faith is in the God who created and said it was good, the God who said I Am, the God who has delivered generation after generation of his people, and the God who still delivers all who will come through the sacrifice of our savior, Jesus. Our faith is in the truth that God is good. It is a truth the can withstand floods and earthquakes, evil, sadness, and even the silence that threatens to overwhelm us in our darkest hours.

The bad times will come because they are the natural product of our fallen potential, buy the truth of who God is overshadows the doubt that our circumstances might create. True faith, deep faith, enduring faith holds onto who God is—not what God does for us.

Of course, for the sake of full disclosure, I am not one to abstain from much of the Christmas gluttony, but I think its important to keep a little perspective. This week I read one of the most well known verses in the Christian tradition, and I think I may have put it in its true context for the first time. Thanks to Tim Tebow most everyone knows Philippians 4.13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” But when you pull back and read all of Phil 4 you see Paul is not describing the ability to perform superhuman works.

Paul was thanking the church for their help to him in troubled times, and he assured them that he had had times of great need and time of abundance, but in either Paul knew that Christ would carry him through. Likewise, we should be more reliant on Christ’s prevision and less on our own plans and schemes.

At Christmas, as I sit in the middle of a tower of wrapping paper and watch Cee play with more toys than she knows what to do with (secretly waiting for her to go to bed so I can play with my new toys), I am reminded that my family is richly blessed, and that in all things we will be preserved by the hand of Christ, and we will honor Him for that. God is everywhere.

PS. After writing this it came to pass that Aiden Hardeman was still born early Christmas morning. Daniel and Nikki, the Odd Kouple, have been in many of our prayer for months now. We all knew the prognosis, but as I read the message about Aiden I couldn’t help but break for my friends. While the pain had to be great they are the embodiment of this passage. Though their pain has been all too bitter they have glorified God through their struggle, and have been thankful for God’s mercies. They have live what it means to do all things through Christ. Please pray for my friends.