Springtime

So I sit here. Waiting. Looking out the window at the barren earth. The leafless trees. The cloudy sky. The biting cold. Springtime is coming. I know. It’s never failed me yet.

But at this point, it’s not here. It never helps to just sit and wait. It won’t come faster just staring out this aged glass, longing. With the way time seems to move, lingering idly will cause it to arrive slower.

There are things that I need to do for spring to come.

So I do what I’m supposed to do now. Remembering that the world around me always flourishes into something beautiful, eventually. I seek the things that God wants me to accomplish. To change. Convinced by reflection that it is never fruitless to pursue the way of God, not just in the world around me but especially in my own heart.

The path to spring. Planting seeds of peace. Tilling up mercy to give out. Resting through the night by being humble and living meekly. Working to be pure in heart. Sweating. Effort. Prayer. Grace. Work. For a better world. For a better me.

I look out the wavy glass and know that springtime is coming for our souls. It doesn’t matter the way the world looks out there this moment. Springtime is coming. It always has. It always does.

A Conversation With Doubt

So I had this conversation recently. I just thought I would share because this isn't the first time these questions have been asked of me.

The Inquisitive Friend: I have been reading some books and I have been thinking about free will. Do we have free will?

Me: Well, I don't think we can prove that we have free will or not, but I think it is useful to live as if you have free will. Does that make sense? The Bible seems to imply that we have free will in multiple sections - where God responds to the actions of people.

The Inquisitive Friend: Yes, that makes sense. I guess it came to mind because of the omni traits of god. Which conflicts with that idea.

Me: Theologically, I'm a proponent of the idea of open theism. That God is going through time with us and that the future hasn't happened yet. You can see in Revelation that it talks about how God is blotting out names in the book of life. Why would they have to be blotted out if he already knew for sure? He's blotting them out based on our decision.

The Inquisitive Friend: That is an interesting thought. So he is confined by our time?

Me: God is not confined. He chooses to go through time with us. He is still all powerful. Take prophecy for instance. A prophecy isn't about having seen the future. Instead, it's about him knowing what he is going to do. He is all powerful and will bring about what he says will happen. He has the power to do that. It isn't like he has seen what he will do; he knows what he wants to happen.

I wrote this a while back: http://regansravings.blogspot.com/2011/01/god-does-not-know-future.html

The Inquisitive Friend: So then he isn't omniscient?

Me: Depends on how you unpack omniscience.I think God knows everything that is to be known. He knows every potential outcome for the future, but the future hasn't happened yet. So it isn't a concrete knowing, but he knows all the possibilities. He created us as free will creatures for some reason, and this was part of what he did.

The Inquisitive Friend (with some serious comic book knowledge): So it is kind of like in Civil War 2 for Marvel. The prediction is a percentage, but there is always a chance to change it.

Me: Right. God is a God of hope trying to always steer us to the better. He knows the possibilities. He is trying to steer us in the right direction. But our choices influence the outcome. The world is the way it is - not because God wants it this way - but because this is the world we wanted. He's prompting us and guiding us to a better world all the time. But we say no way too often. 

The Inquisitive Friend: So is god good? Like morally.

Me: I would say totally. He is the measuring stick of good. But how would we evaluate that? We would come to conversation with our own moral values. As a Christian, I have decided to surrender my moral values to God's moral values. 

The Inquisitive Friend: Why would he not directly intercede on our behalf? I have trouble in that regard. My brain doesn't work right to believe in god. 

Me: I believe he interacts with us much more than we recognize. And when we get in tune with god, it happens even more on a personal level. I totally understand doubting. I think we all have programmed in us certain ideas. Like good. Like beauty. 

The Inquisitive Friend: I can't remember the name of the guy. But one philosophy dude said that regardless of morality it is best to believe in god, tp hedge your bet. Even if it is hollow faith to start. I struggle with the idea of something I can't comprehend. As i got older i felt like praying was just talking to myself. 

Me: I wouldn't say it's about hedging a bet. That makes it all about eternity. I honestly think it is about living the fulfilled life now. It's better to live the life following Jesus. At least that is what I have decided. I would be a follower of Jesus even if there wasn't an eternity because I like the world his views tries to bring about. I like the life of true followers of Jesus. 

The Inquisitive Friend: Faith, as you are stating in your answers, seems more like an active decision rather than a compulsion. 

Me: Well, Jesus taught that the greatest commandment was to love God and love your neighbor. I'm sort of rejecting the experiential thing these days more and more. So it isn't about whether I experience God or whether I feel my prayer is being heard. It's about the good that Jesus wants us to bring into this world. Am I doing that? 

The Inquisitive Friend: I think so. I whole heartedly agree. 

Me: That's really what following Jesus is about. Literally following him in the path of bringing good into the world. Literally following him in helping the world became what it is intended to be. So whether you get an emotional experience or an inspirational high, I don't care.Let's get to following Jesus. 

The Inquisitive Friend: I wonder how that sets with the common good. Jesus said to be in the world but not of it.

Me: he idea that there is even a common good seems to be a philosophical tenet that there is a God who prompts us to what is good.

The Inquisitive Friend: Is man capable of that revelation on its own?

Me: I would say that no man is. But that is an irrelevant question. Because I believe in a God who is prompting every person all the time. We just don't notice it because we are living like zombies, aren't self-reflecting, and aren't examing our lives. 

But again, that prompting comes, not as some supernatural force. It is something that has been happening to us our whole lives. We may call it our conscience. It may be that or something slightly different. But the idea is that when facing a decision, we generally can tell the wrong and right action. We will often choose the wrong though because we want that which the wrong provides. To our detriment. 

The Inquisitive Friend: Does intent matter? Like if I give 1 million to charity but I do it for my public image. Does that negate the good?

Me: It doesn't negate the good it does for others. But it does negate the good it would do for you. I'm reminded of Karl Meninger who taught that the greatest way to get over depression is to love others. But if you are doing it for selfish reasons, then it won't probably provide the benefit to yourself. 

And that's it for now.   

Awake, O Sleeper

 

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)

Here am I. Send me.

Dangerous words.

Then the message was a discouraging one to share.

And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9-10 (ESV)

It was a message of judgment. They hear the message but refuse to understand. They see God at work but they don’t perceive His guiding hand. Their hearts are calloused. Their ears are deaf. It would be rather rude to say that about the people in my community, but is it true?

Our logic doesn’t work. It’s foolish in their sight. Our reason is befuddling and seems like gibberish. Our morals are viewed as hate. Our efforts seem to be wasted.

On the bad days, I feel that is my role in the ministry. Called to preach amongst a people who won’t listen and won’t commit to the kingdom. Among the ones who the world has labeled the “deplorables.” The ones who church planting organizations overlook as they make their plans to reach the wealthy through their demographic studies of population growth and income. The ones who are ignored by the same people who get psyched up with mission trips to the inner city. The ones who are mocked, denigrated, and despised. The ones who Jesus loves.

On the real bad days, I worry that I am the blind, deaf, obstinate one.

**

Paul gave a chunk of advice in his letter to the church in Ephesus.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:1-21 (ESV)

Awake, O sleeper.

Who wakes the sleeper? All I can figure out is that I’m not the one that does that. It may be the sleeper. It may be God. I’m guessing by it being a command, the responsibility of waking is on the sleepers themselves. Awake, O sleeper.

Those things are out of my hands. I can choose how to walk. I can strive to be awake. I can be an imitator of God to the best of my ability. I can walk in love that comes from a place overflowing from the love I receive from the Messiah. I can to refrain from sin. On and on, I can try. But for that to happen in others, I need a move of God. I need others to feel his presence and change.

A church cannot grow without sleepers waking. A church cannot grow without people choosing to be called. A church cannot grow without people responding to that call with total abandon.

Awake, O sleeper. What if I am sleeping?

**

If I don’t care about showing Jesus to the people around here, who will? If you don’t, who will?