WARNING PREACHY - 01/03/2016

The Mystery…

One day I struggled with the concept of a creator of existence, the concept of a god.  I was at a point in my life when I realized that there were a lot of claims about this creator and creation but I really had no idea what was what.  I simply prayed out “God, if you exist, I really need to know what is real and I really want to know what the truth is.”  I was raised Christian but I really did not buy it; I actually despised church and was expecting that the “truth” lay closer to Hinduism or Buddhism.

There is a space between the world of men and the world of God; a chasm really.  This is a space where we humans understand the world with our five literal senses.  But the world of God is different and beyond our five senses, it is strictly spiritual.  This world of God requires a sixth-sense, which every human has, but it is only understood through faith.

The problem of faith is that there is much to choose from:  Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and New Age just to name a few.  Then to make things worse each religion is broken down into fractured denominations and sects.  In the early 2000’s I learned that there were over 115 types of Baptist denominations in the Christian religion in America.  And that is just the Baptists.  I wonder how many more denominations there are among the Romanists, the Orthodox, the Lutherans, the Presbyterians, the Episcopalians, the Congregationalists, the Methodists, and the Pentecostals.  It makes the head spin.  I believe this pool of muddy water is the reason that so many people have faith only in their own made up brand of whatever makes them feel best.  And really, who can blame them?

But back to the space between us and God:  No matter what we presently believe, what our faith is, there is still this spiritual space that exists and it is a mystery.  And somewhere in that mystery is the truth of creation, the truth about God.

When I prayed to the creator that day long ago I really had no faith.  No idea what was what and I was ready for some truth rather than the fictional reality that my hubris made-up and guided me through life.  All I wanted was truth, no matter what that truth was.

Within about four weeks of my prayer I was confronted with a bunch of claims of truth but one that stuck in my craw was the resurrection from the dead.  The concept that the Creator of the universe became a human who died on a Roman cross to pay some cosmic price for the sins of mankind, which included me and my sins, and then was brought back to life after three days dead sounded preposterous to me. 

But it nagged at me.

It nagged at me that the resurrection from the dead is a statistical impossibility.  I might as well have waited for the clothes dryer tumble drying my laundry to accidentally fold my clothes upon completion or the cosmos to come into existence by an atom of matter forming into existence by accident and then doing a Big Bang.  But nag at me as it did I was aware that the Cross of Christ and his resurrection were the mystery that no other religion proclaimed.  It felt true to me.  So in a leap of faith I asked Jesus that if it was true, if he was really alive in this mysterious spiritual reality that I wanted him to do something to me.  I would dedicate my life to Him if it really were true. 

So He did.

In the next year I changed drastically.  My interests changed, my desires changed, my philosophies of life changed, and my actions as well as my reactions changed.  My life’s focus became less about me and more about others.  Today I am still changing albeit more slowly.  I know I don’t know everything and yet I do know that connecting with God begins at the Cross of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead.  The resurrection is the mystery that can only be realized by faith.

² Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³ And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴ Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ⁵ Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.  (Colossians 4:2-6)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+4%3A2-6&version=NIV

WARNING PREACHY - 12/27/2015

Colossians 3:1 - 4:1 (Part 5)

Slaves & Masters…

The American mind most naturally understands the biblical word slave to possess the meaning of the 18^th and 19^th centuries’ western historical implication.  However, whatever the absolute 1^st century reality was, slaves were not that.  Of course forced labor existed and was certainly bad but the idea in Paul’s mind here was that of a bond-servant or an employee. 

I will admit, the idea that my work at work is something that God takes into account in my eternity is odd to me. But it makes sense too.  For the instruction to work well when the eye of the employer is not on me digs down to the core of my honor as an employee, and if I cannot be trusted in the employ of men then how can I be trusted in the employ of our Lord?

Before I became a Christian I was apt to assume the things of my employer.  While I was a very good employee and followed orders well I was also someone who considered it OK to make copies at the company expense, to make long distant phone calls on the company line, to stamp my posts with the company post machine, and or take home items from the company that belonged to the company that I desired.  Basically I was a thief and justified my thievery because I was a hard worker and they actually underpaid me as an employee.  All of this seemed naturally fine with me until I became a Christian and I learned this new ethic as an employee.

And then Masters are instructed to provide what is right and fair because they know that they too have a master in heaven.

When I read this I understand the distaste with Capitalism as expressed by the modern masters of the system.  When CEO’s and upper managers are making crazy stupid amounts of money and the person actually doing the grunt work is struggling week by week to makes ends meet.  I get it.  But with that said I also get the reality that Capitalism is the best financial system ever to be used by society.  It is the capitalistic system that allows all the protesters the privileged life of going to university and protesting the 1% on Wall Street.  (Sorry, I think I’m getting political here and Paul’s words are not meant politically.)  His words do not pass judgment on an economic system but rather encourage the participators of the system to act in accordance with a Christian ethic or code of conduct. 

And this is the thrust of his words to us today.  Like the system or not Paul’s instructions for Christians today is to behave in a way that honors our Lord.  Of course, the CEOs and the laborers, both, will contend that their positions are the positions that best honors God but Paul’s words are a little haunting as both sides must realize that their arguments will eventually be answered by the judge of all Christians.  So I wish everyone well as you argue your points.

So getting beyond all of our best political thinking Paul is calling both master and slave to act in honor in their own dealings with the other.  This is not conditioned upon the actions of the other but on our own relationship with our Lord.  Like I said, the concept is a bit odd to me.

As I ponder it though, I think we all would be very well served by a full day of instruction on the topic of honor; what it really means and how we display it in our lives.  Because the honor of Jesus is exactly what Paul is calling the faithful to with this passage.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+3%3A21-4%3A1&version=NIV

WARNING: PREACHY - 11/15/2015

Colossians 3:12-25 - 4:1 (Part 3)

There are people that ooze compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, and/or love in varying amounts and degrees.  I just don’t seem to be one of them.  As God’s people the Apostle Paul instructs Christians to “clothe yourselves with” (Colossians 3:17-25) all of these virtues. 

My friend and I were talking about the idea of “pressing in” on the Holy Spirit and spending more one-on-one time with Jesus in prayer and meditation.  I admit the difficulty in “putting to death” (v. 5) those things that are earthly in my actions as well as clothing myself with those things that are Godly, but I fully recognize that it is only by doing everything in the name of Jesus that allows me to even begin to see victory in my life.  And as though by accident, I occasionally do.

When I read that I am to “take off my old self with its practices” (v. 9) I am mindful that I did just that when I met Jesus at His Cross, and today I am ever so-slowing inching myself into a new set of spiritual clothes (ethically speaking).  Read through the chapter and see if you aren’t as well.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+3%3A22-4%3A1&version=NIV

WARNING: PREACHY - 11/8/2015

Colossians 3:12-25 - 4:1 (Part 2)

Before I get into the Christian ethic that Paul describes here, I think it necessary to first detail a concept:  The concept of the spiritual life (Col 3:1).

Life in the Spirit begins with self-denial and then is maintained by the Holy Spirit. 

First, self-denial comes at the point of us accepting ourselves as sinful beings that will die someday and meet God face to face.  When we recognize that only the death of Jesus on the Cross (Galatians 6:14) fixes this sinfulness we give our lives to Him with a relieved gratitude.  This self-denial is the basis of the Christian life.  Anyone who has submitted to God and asked the Lord Jesus Christ to save them understands that it is a most humbling experience which affects them deeply and for the rest of their lives.

Second, once we have gone through this self-denial our lives as we knew them (worldly) are considered dead and now we live our lives as Christians (spiritual).  This is the life of the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the connection between this physical world and the spiritual world of God’s Presence. 

The scriptures tell me that when I went through the process of becoming a Christian (self-denial) that I spiritually died and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26) was given me (think born again).  The Bible states that I have become (and am now) a new creation, that the old has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).  I learn that this life I live is not my own but it is Christ who lives through me (Galatians 2:20) by His Holy Spirit.  It is this Spirit that links my physical worldly life directly to the spiritual Presence of God.  This spiritual link is constant, every day, and for the rest of my life.  The Holy Spirit is quite literally the one and only sacramental grace that I need.

And so now, the Life of the Spirit is not a set of do’s and don’ts but about a very real and mysterious connection between the physical world in which I live and the spiritual world in which I will someday live with God.  When we Christians are instructed to live our earthly lives as spiritual beings it is because we have a new otherworldly spiritual outlook upon this physical world.  We have an outlook that is seen through the eyes of the Holy Spirit of God.

I know this is a bit of a rabbit-trail today but read the whole of chapter 2 paying special attention to verses 9-12.  And seriously, I cannot emphasize the part about self-denial enough.  If you have never had a time where you have submitted the very essence of your earthly life to Jesus Christ then you need to because the readings won’t make any spiritual sense otherwise.   

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+3%3A22-4%3A1&version=NIV

WARNING PREACHY – 11/1/2015

Colossians 3:12-25 - 4:1 (Part 1)

There is a lot in these 14 versus but it must be kept in context so I am leaving the verses together and plan to write about the pieces as I go along.

There are four topics addressed here:

1. Christian Ethical Attitudes (3:12-17)

2. A Family’s Christian Ethic (3:18-21)

3. An Employee’s Christian Ethic (3:22-25)

4. An Employer’s Christian Ethic (4:1)

These verses are to be understood in the context of the preceding verses.  The first part of this chapter tells us what it means to be a Christian by informing us what we need to shed from our Christian lives.  The Apostle Paul’s words direct us to put on certain attitudes of Christian living.  Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and putting on love: All these things are what it means to make up the Christian landscape of the church.  I in no way claim to be good at these things but it is certainly true that if adopted these sort of Christian conducts (ethics) would solve most problems in my life.

The point is that as Christ followers we are expected to live by a new set of guiding ethics:  Ethics which oppose the common self-focused actions of our culture.  As Christians we are different than what we were and as Paul states next, we live ethics that naturally bleed over into our daily lives as parents, children, spouses, employees, and employers.

However, these are topics for the next time.  For now, read through these first 25 verses of Colossians 3 and get acquainted with the Christian ethic, you may discover that there is a deviation between the normal Christianity that we often identify with and the Christianity that Paul is leading us to live.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+3%3A22-4%3A1&version=NIV