Celebrating Jesus

 

The Cost of Digging Deeply

                As a pastor I spend a lot of time reading the Bible, studying, thinking, and praying. I interact with as many viewpoints as I can, on the chance that there is something that I have missed. This means that I spend a good deal of time reading people with whom I have fundamental disagreements, and those disagreements can yield a great deal of passion and emotion. This is not entertainment, this is the truth of the living God. It concerns salvation of souls and living in a way that pleases God. The stakes are high. It is serious and it can make us very serious people.  What is the other alternative? The admonitions for Christians in general, and pastors specifically are serious warnings indeed. Not to be taken lightly. Yes, it is no wonder the scripture exhorts us to approach the decision to teach the Bible with gravity.

    Yet it is so easy to become angry, grumpy, even curmudgeonly. Some seem to move into this place with a kind of self-deprecating humor. Others commit so deeply that they become unpleasant to be around. We may often find ourselves praying with David, "Restore unto me, the joy of Thy salvation." We defend the gospel, we defend the word of God. Yet this can become too much. In the end we are all just one small voice, one part of a stream of Church History that continues to flow down through the ages, anticipating the return of Christ.

The Need to Celebrate

    There is a daily need to celebrate. That same Lord who healed the blind, cured the lepers, and called Peter out to walk upon the sea is with us, in us. That salvation is ours to enjoy and experience. We have eternal, abundant life now, not later. The love of God, given through the person of Jesus Christ is ours to enjoy. But how, precisely, do we do that? I know of a few ways, but I am looking to learn more.

    First, listening. It is easy for me to view the Bible as a data source. A thing to be studied, understood, and rightly divided. This is a good thing. Yet it is also the word of life. Pure and simple. there must be a place in my life to simply hear the word of God and see the love and the life that have been given so abundantly to us. I grew up around pop-Christianity; hearing tropes like "The Bible is God's love letter." Such expressions are charming, but shallow, and they almost discourage the exact attitude that they hope to cultivate. The desire to read the word of God to encounter God's love afresh. The statement the Bible is a love letter is simplistic, and kind of weird when you think about it. I can't remember the last time I wrote about fiery judgement in a valentine’s day card to my wife. Nevertheless, whether reading in Isaiah 53, the Gospels, or in the Epistles - the Cross is a message of love (Romans 5:8). It may not be the case for everyone, but I know that I need daily exposure to the word of God seeking only to see His love on a personal level. I always find this message as I read through Psalms every month. It has been a daily reminder for the past 15 years, and I recommend it for all.

    Second, praise through song. I have long ago shed most of my concerns about musical style or instrumentation. The hymnal is filled with as much heresy as modern Christian music ever was. I am encouraged by a Bach chorale every bit as much as I am by some of the great contemporary Christian music that comes out today. Admittedly, however, my favorite way to praise through song is when I can get off by myself with my favorite old hymnal and sing songs of faith at the top of my voice. Good Christian music should be defined by good theology, and there is plenty of that great music available to us in the Church. And there are more wonderful songs yet to be written!

    A third practice that is always productive is prayer. I pray on my knees, pray out loud, and pray through writing. Taking the time to pray through the problems and challenges, fears and confusion of life bring my eyes of faith back to the Lord Jesus Christ. It puts me back in the right place and helps re-prioritize and order things correctly.

The Love and Grace of God

    The best part comes next - when celebrating the love and grace of God I am ready to return to study with the right motivation. Understanding God's word has been a 2000-year church project. It has involved quite a bit of difficulty. Even violence at times. We are all working on a little part of this project. Seeking to know God more, and to bring Him glory in every way. The arguments are meaningful, and important. Yet our motivation and attitude within that is equally important. It is so easy to fight to prove that I am right, but that falls short. The word of God is not a reality tv show - attempting to see who is doing the best job. The Word of God is His revelation of Himself to us. There will always be a need to correct false teaching, but the purpose of that exercise is also so that we can bring him glory. 

    I cannot pretend that I have found the perfect balance. I have spent a great deal of time in arguments that create more heat than light. Yet it is part of my goal to learn to do so with greater grace and strength. I have, in my decades of ministry, corrected people too harshly, and I have failed to correct people when my desire to be liked overwhelmed my love for someone caught in terrible errors. Jesus spoke harshly against false teachers, as did Paul, Peter, James, Jude, and John. There is a place for no-nonsense declarations of truth. But the motivation, I believe was always the same - motivation of God's kind of love. I hope and pray that His love will be the motivation of all our thoughts, words, and actions.