A Stumbler's Walk | HOW...?

How...? 

- Luke 1:18, 34

I have a lot of questions. I'm guessing you do too. 

For children the most asked question is, Why? As in... Parent: "It's time to go to bed." Child: "Why?" Followed by whys? to every ensuing answer. 

Why questions remain into our adulthood. They usually center around difficulties, tragedies. The problem with deep why questions is this, they are seldom answered. And too often pat answers are offered up that make little sense and provide even less comfort. (Religion's version of, "Because I'm the parent and I say so...")

Maybe we'll come back to Why? in another post. But it is another question that leapt from the pages of my Bible this morning.

HOW?

How? is a faith question. How? is a control question. And just like Why?, God is not obligated to answer. Though sometimes he does.

The first chapter of Luke is rich. In it the author explains his perspective and motive for the account to follow.* Luke is a man of medicine by trade and a disciple-historian by calling. Though he was not an original disciple (as in Jesus' twelve, not the rap group), he did walk among the disciples after Jesus' resurrection and ascension. He was a traveling companion to Paul in his journeys. His account(s) is chalked full of historical names, dates and references that make it easily refutable... if it weren't accurate and true.

Enough for the history lesson. Sorry... it's the preacher in me and like a gopher, pops its head out from time to time. Back to the question: HOW?

How? shows up twice in Luke's first chapter. Both Hows? spring up around birth announcements. These announcements were not mailed or sent via Facebook. They were hand-delivered by an angel named Gabriel.

One day a old priest named Zechariah was doing his duty in the temple. Zechariah was a faithful man. His wife Elizabeth, a faith-filled woman. And in their old age, they had no children. An angel, Gabriel, suddenly shows up. Luke writes, "...and Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him." The angel says, "Don't be afraid." (Angels always say that... they must be some frighteningly glorious beings.)

Gabriel goes on to tell Zechariah that, "...your prayer has been heard..." I'd like to think that if a 10-foot light being showed up and said that to me it would be enough. No more whys?. No more hows?. 

"Your prayer has been heard."

I'm good.

Not so with Zechariah.

Well, this post just became a two-parter; it could even be three. We have another how? to go. And then we can dive into what jumped out at me as I read the account. I realize I haven't gotten to THE point. I really haven't gotten to ANY point yet. Since this is a bit of a devotion I will make A point to leave you.

YOUR PRAYER HAS BEEN HEARD.

There may be no angelic announcement. Better - there is a Jesus-promise:

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find;

knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives,

and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened... 

how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

-- Matthew 7:7-11

God, I'm knocking.

For now...
D



*Actually Luke and Acts are two parts of the same narrative by Luke. In reading them together we get a feel for the consistency of faith and Spirit-driven desire that carried a ragged group of followers to become The Church; and The Church to become a force that changed the known world.

A Stumbler's Walk | THE POWER OF STORY (part 3)

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life -- the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us -- that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. -- 1 John 1-4

Our stories are individual. They are unique. They are OURS. But they are not isolated (even though we, at times, may feel we are). 

Each of our stories is interwoven into those of others. Ultimately we notice a common thread running throughout the tapestry. This thread ties our stories into THE story - into His story (HIStory). 

The Apostle John, in both his gospel and epistle, begins with, well... the beginning. He begins with a story that predates dates. It is the eternal story; the story of The Word. This forever-living Word is a person - in the personal sense; though for a short time in the flesh-and-blood sense also. 

There is deep theology in John's words about The Word (especially in John 1). But for now I will (try to) skip the theology. What has been whispering in my soul is this motif of story. And more to the point, the interweaving of our stories into this Word of Life made manifest story. 

I began this post (which grew into posts) after watching several I AM SECOND stories. Even at 30,000 feet breathing stale air, eating my three peanut allotment and elbow fighting with my neighbor over the armrest, I felt a connection. Though each story was unique, in a sense their stories were my story (and yours). 

They were stories of broken people meeting The Word of Life. Theirs were narratives being interwoven into the grand God story - and in a way, into mine (and mine into theirs, though we've never met). 

They were stories about seeing, hearing, looking upon, and touching The Word of Life. They were stories of impact. They were stories of the change that occurs when we realize His thread running through our lives - when we wake up and become aware of the work of the Great Weaver. 

(Well, I realize part 3 isn't going to get it done. I'm nowhere near finishing my thought, but I'm out of time... off to church and then the gym. I'll leave it here for now.)

God, write my story...

For now...

D

A Stumbler's Walk | THE POWER OF STORY Part 2(ish)

I have been caught up in two sentences.  The first is cumbersome and a tad difficult. The second, is easier to understand, but may be just as odd.

These two sentences make up the first four verses of the Epistle of First John. 

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life -- the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us -- that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. -- 1 John 1-4

THE POWER OF STORY part 2 will be coming soon. For now, let those versus resonate. There is something deep within them. They speak to HIStory and they speak to ours. They speak to light and life and transformation. 

(See, there I go... writing when I should be contemplating. More to come.)

For now...

D

A Stumbler's Walk | THE POWER OF STORY

There is power in a story.

I'm prompted to write about story because I'm watching stories. I am somewhere over Indiana or Illinois in a mach-0.6-claustrophobic-tin-can-winged-rocket watching I AM SECOND videos. (Think about explaining that to your great grandfather.)

There is power in a story. I'll get right to the heart of this post... there is power in your story. There is power in mine.

The power of our story doesn't come at the end. We might think that to be: When things are tidy and clear, when the dirt is washed away, when we can finally say, "Whew, it was tough but I've arrived." But that is not the power. Really, when I think about it, once we arrive the power of story fades.

No, the power of our story is in its living. It is - more than in the retelling - in its during-telling. What I mean is that Once Upon a Time... is nice. But telling our story from the middle is raw and authentically powerful.

Transformation from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly is definable. It is quick and seemingly painless. (I've never heard differently from a Monarch.) Human transformations are none of these. Our stories are messy. Sometimes chapter five looks out of place and chapter nine seems completely unnecessary. We write and often rewrite (or even contradict) our own paragraphs. There are gaps, tangent-chapters and awkward pauses.

That is OK. More, it is beautiful. No one can write or tell our story like we can. No one knows the joys and dark wrestling matches that accompany our transformation. Human is messy. The combination of flesh and God-image can be chaotic. (May I invent a compound term? Chaotically-peaceful. Or, peacefully-chaotic. You pick.)

I've always wondered what happens after, "And they lived happily ever after." Is the adventure over? Transformation done? What comes next? The truth is our lives are a series of, Once upon a times...* 

(Well, I'm going to stop here for now. More to come. This hurtling tube of flying stale air just touched down. I guess I've arrived. But only in this part of my story...)

For now...
D


*Read the Apostle Paul's words on transformation in 2 Corinthians 3:18.

A Stumbler's Walk | MOUNTAINS

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. - Romans 13:12

Now is the time to live our faith. Today. We cannot live it tomorrow. Today is what we have. 

The successes and failures of yesterday(s) are past. They cannot carry us today. They cannot paralyze us today (unless we give them that unearned power.

The Christian life is often referred to as a "walk." That is appropriate. As I write, I am 35,000 feet above mountains, traveling at 500 miles per hour. I began in one time zone, one climate, and will touch down in completely different ones; all within the space of a couple hours.

We are miles above mountains. And though the view passing the small window is beautiful, I am not experiencing the mountains. I am not climbing on a trail with near burning lungs, exhilarated. Instead, I am breathing stale air eating peanuts; waiting to reach a destination.

Mountains are to be experienced. They are to be walked (skied, boarded, hiked, fished…). They are not to be overflown. In the same way our lives are not about reaching a destination. God created us for the walk… with him, and others. A journey. And just like on a mountain hike, there will be falls. Bumps, bruises and worse will be suffered. But there is also exhilaration.

Yesterday, with it's good and bad, is gone. Tomorrow is a destination we may or may not reach. Odds are we will. But we cannot live in either place today.

"The day is at hand." Today is the day of faith. Today is the day to…
- Forgive yourself
- To begin again
- To reconcile
- To stop what should not be
- To start what should be
- To live our faith

God, neither yesterday nor tomorrow can control me, you are the Lord of my "right now".

For now...

D

A Stumbler's Walk | SPOTLIGHT

Outdo one another in showing honor. 

- Romans 12:10 

It is natural to compare and compete. It is natural. And it is very often unhealthy.

I am not referring to athletic competition or sales incentives at the workplace, etc. Nor am I talking about going for the throat in Monopoly on family game night. Obviously there is healthy and fun competition. So let's move on from there.

I am talking about competition that arises from comparison. Jesus said, "The thief comes to kill, to steal, and to destroy…" (John 10:10). And we set ourselves up to have our joy stolen when we choose to compare ourselves to others. 

Comparison creates a false measure that causes us to fall into either self-righteousness or despair. (We can always find those with whom we feel we measure up favorably and those with whom we cannot.)

That said, Paul does challenge us into competition in one area - showing honor. As a matter of fact, he exhorts us to "outdo one another." This is not comparison. It is humility in action.

Showing honor should not be false, and can only be faked for so long. Here is the rub; to truly show honor to another, we must be comfortable with our own identity. When we know who we are in Christ, when we are solid in our identity as beloved children who are being transformed into his image; we are no longer threatened when others shine. As a matter of fact, we are most like Christ when we help others shine - when we take the spotlight and point it toward them.

We never shine so brightly as when we humbly illuminate others.

Shine the light of Christ.

God, shine your light through me to illuminate others.

For now...
D

A Stumbler's Walk | PROMISE?

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. - Romans 9:8 

How we face difficulty speaks deeply of our faith life. Difficult people, hard circumstances, seemingly unfulfilled promises; each of these are character testers… character revealers… character builders.

Our tendency is often to whine and complain. Ultimately these responses arise out of our insecurity, self-centeredness and fear. In other words, our lack of faith.

Hope you are uplifted, and happy Sunday! Kidding, I wouldn't leave it there.

In difficult times, our focus makes all the difference. And it is our choice. Will we focus on ourselves? Our circumstances? Or will we choose to focus on the One who is at work in the midst of every circumstance to produce in us what he desires? The writer of Hebrews puts it this way, "…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus…" (Hebrews 12:1-2).

We need to know a few things: (And not just know with our heads; but unshakably hold in our hearts also.)

1) God is at work in our lives: 

Paul writes "…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…" (Philippians 1:6). God does not grow tired. His patience is incredible. He is invested in us. (Just look at a cross - that invested).

2) God always fulfills his promises: 

"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him…" (Deuteronomy 7:9). Not sometimes. Not when he remembers. But not in our timing either. (We'll come to that.)

3) God's word is alive and powerful: 

"For the word of God is alive and active…" (Hebrews 4:12). Isaiah writes, "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth... so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it," (Isaiah 55:10-11).

4) God's timing and our timing are based on different perspectives:

In short, he sees all. He knows all. We don't. He is infinite. We are not. Through the prophet Isaiah God says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts," (Isaiah 55:8-9).

In the midst of trial, God is at work.

When the promise seems so long ago and so hopeless, God hasn't forgotten.

When the circumstances are overwhelming, the One who calmed the storm can do the same IN you.

God has not forgotten us. His word has never failed. He is intimately at work, forming our hearts to be more like Jesus.

Easy? No. Comfortable? Nope.

But good!

God, you have never failed me (and I know you never will)!

For now...

D