Loose Lips…

You may have heard the phrase, “Loose lips sink ships.”  It originates from World War II and it’s original form was “Loose lips might sink ships.” The idea was that inadvertent words may give information to the enemy and cause harm to our men and women in uniform.

The writer of Proverbs says something similar, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent (10:19 ESV).”

It seems that the idea behind this verse is basic, the more one talks the more likely it is that they will cause harm or speak hurtful words. Restraint in speech and conversation is more instructive and shows prudence and wisdom. 

GUILTY!!!!  That’s what God was saying to me when I read this verse. Indeed, I have a tendency to say more than the situation requires and sometimes with words that have been dipped in the well of sarcasm or the vial called “poison.”  Given the opportunity, or if the situation seems to require it, I can kick the slats out from under anyone. Which I confess is wrong, hurtful and indeed sin.

I recall a bumper sticker that was popular a few years ago; “Be patient, God isn’t finished with me yet.”  Reading this verse in Proverbs has struck me in just that way.  God is exposing and wanting to chip away those areas of my life that are hurtful, not only to others, but to me and my ability to be a follower of Christ.

Words can be benign or they can be cancerous. They can carry meaning or malice, healing or hurt. Sometimes I just need to know when to shut up!

Loose lips can sink relationships. They can drive a wedge between me and the other person in such a way it may never be undone. That indeed is transgression of the greatest form.

…But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.   (James 3:8-9)

Father, thank you for your Word and how it speaks to my needs. May I be wise enough to heed its instruction and strong enough to yield my life to your shaping.

Haunting Thoughts

As I move along this continuum of faith, my mind is often agitated and swirling with questions, ideas, and thoughts. I often write about them as they come, other times, I simply ponder them and wonder what their significance might be, if any.

One that has puzzled me for some time is the idea of “invitations” at the end of a worship service. I must admit, when I was a pastor, many years ago in Southern Baptist Churches, the invitation is what you lived for. It was the time of decision and commitment. It was a time when perhaps God would offer “proof” that His word would not return void and that the preaching had touched the hearts of many.

I will also confess, there were times when I made the invitation so broad – “If you love your mother – come”, that it would be impossible for anyone to pass up the opportunity to come forward. I smirk at the idea now, but then it was no laughing matter.

Over the past year especially, my wife and I have been exposed to a variety of worship settings. Some would offer an open invitation, inviting those to come either for membership or “salvation.” Some would issue an invitation that merely asked for follow-up after the service or at some later time.

The one’s that intrigue me now are the ones where people are asked to bow their heads and close their eyes – then – those who are making a decision for Christ or some other significant decision to raise their hands or to “look up” so that decision can be acknowledged.  Why is that?

Is there a fear of asking people to PUBLICLY acknowledge their decision to faith in Christ?  Not merely to raise their hand, look up, or wink three times, but to step out boldly and by doing so say, “Yes, I am making a decision to follow Christ.”

The Christian faith is not a secret society with some sort of secret hand shake. The life is all about public acknowledgement of one’s relationship and commitment to be a follower of the Christ (Mark 8:38, Luke 9:26).

John gives us a clear example of this in the closing pages of his Gospel. “Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him (Christ), but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God (12:42-43).”

Uhm…”the glory that comes from man” – fleeting at best, trivial at worse. The “glory that comes from God?” – satisfying and eternal.

My conclusion – should I come to one – is this. If God ever granted me an opportunity to pastor again, invitations would be selective and public – openly, brazenly and without fear – public. The other times, I would simply challenge people to make whatever decision it is and flesh it out in the way you follow the Christ.

Father Spirit, this forum is about as public as one can get. At times it serves simply as an environment for putting forth ideas. Other times it is an expression of my own angst regarding my walk with Christ. Through it all, let me seek your glory.

Tradition

“Tradition” is the opening number for the acclaimed Broadway musical, Fiddler on the Roof. In the song, the main character, Tevye, explains the roles of each social class (fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters) in the village of Anatevka, and how the traditional roles of people like the matchmaker and the rabbi contribute to the village. The song also sets the major theme of the show: the villagers trying to continue their traditions and keep their society running as the world around them changes.  (From Wikipedia  4/08)

Much of what Jesus faced, with regard to opposition toward him, was that of tradition. What Jesus taught confronted the Jewish tradition head on. It was the ultimate game of “chicken” – who was going to flinch first? Certainly not the Messiah, so the Jews, steeped in tradition, dug their heels in at every opportunity and continued to put themselves – their eternal destiny – in jeopardy.

In the US, people do not cling to tradition or traditional beliefs as much as they do in other societies. Consequently, we often think that “making disciples” is a matter of leading people to a saving knowledge of Christ and then turning them over to some type of Sunday morning “educational” structure that is somehow going to equip them as followers of Christ.  We give them a set of rules and modicum study of the Word and hope for the best.

Naturally, as men like Barna, Hull, and Hybel** can testify, that type of disciple-making is akin to no disciple-making at all. Nevertheless, if growth in church attendance is up and Sunday School attendance is up, what is being done must be working – Right?  The old “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mentality.

The “tradition” of the Church can be just as stifling as the Pharisees tradition toward the Law, the LDS tradition toward their “book”, the natural man’s tradition toward his favorite activities.

In the Gospel of John chapters 7 & 8, Jesus has an on-going exchange with the Pharisees and religious leaders. For a full week, or more, during the Feast of Booths, he dialogues with them and yet, they cannot, will not, come to an understanding. An understanding of who he is and what his mission is. Some are said to “believe in him” (John 8:30), however Jesus knows that their tradition is interfering with true belief, saving belief. This becomes evident with the exchange that follows from verses 31-59.

I often think that I do not have many traditions. But I do. My biggest one is my daily routine and lifestyle. Disrupt it, or schedule something that conflicts with it and I find it hard to justify abandoning my routine.  I can do it, but I feel tremendous guilt when I do. Trivial perhaps, nevertheless, it is built in to my being and I find it hard to be flexible with regard to it. It handicaps me in many ways.

“Tradition” – the world changes and traditions find it difficult to keep up. Yet, in order to be a follower of Christ we are called to deny ourselves (and our traditions), take up our cross daily, and follow him. Both the “denying” and the “taking up” call for discipline and total commitment to the Christ that calls us.

Father, may I be found faithful in my following.

 

** Barna’s Book “Growing True Disciples”, Hull’s books “The Disciple-Making Church” and “The Complete Book of Discipleship” and Hybel’s “Reveal” study and book.

Wisdom for Living

My father in-law is most likely one of the wisest men I know. At least to the extent that I know him. Often his life is a mystery kept wrapped deep within his heart. However, when he does unwrap a portion he exposes a life of deep contentment.

As my wife was growing up, and still to this day, my father in-law had a tendency to communicate truth to his nine children through “message boards.” He would paint a saying or axiom on a piece of wood and post it on the hillside, in direct view, out the dining room widow. When the family was eating or playing games around the table, those words were always visible.

Naturally, as kids are prone to do, they would scoff at some of his witticisms, however most of the children and grandchildren can quote several of them to this day and comment on how they have affected their life.

One that my wife and I reflect on often is “Do Not Criticize, Condemn or Complain.” It may go without saying, that my wife can practice that with ease. On the other hand, I jump in to those three practices with both feet!

That particular saying is like a double-edged sword. It can be applied to the words of the wisdom writer who said, “Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.” (Prov. 10:17 ESV)

My rationale can be laid out in this manner. Heeding the “three Cs” is like instruction that keeps one on the path of disciplined living. Bitterness is often the fruit of criticizing, condemning, and complaining. No one wins when bitterness is in the game.

The second edge is “reproof.” If there is not a measure of critical analysis, condemnation for wrong living, behavior, or speech – and criticism that brings positive reflection, then a variety of things may run amuck.

Of course, balance is the key. And having a valid role that allows the exercise of those “C” characteristics is important.

Many of us do not have that valid role. We simply enjoy criticizing, condemning and complaining. Somehow it puts us in a superior position to those, or that which we are assaulting. Oh my.

Father, I confess my penchant for the three Cs. My desire to find in them fodder for fulfilling my own weaknesses. Forgive me and teach me to hold a quiet tongue or silent keys if words cannot be laid down that glorify You and build up the body of Christ.

Fasting

I suppose it is rather contradictory to talk about fasting after having just finished by Pop-Tart! Nevertheless, I will.

Sometime in my journey of faith, I know I have fasted. But that memory is distant and almost non-existent. That spiritual exercise has never been a part of my growing in Christ. Therefore, I expect that I have missed something.

In the lengthy discourse given by Jesus to his disciples, as Matthew records it, Jesus focuses on three spiritual disciplines; giving, prayer, and fasting. His introductory remarks to each of these is not “if” you do them, but “when” you do them. They are not new to any of his intimate hearers, they are expected practices.

Frankly, I am gung-ho for the first two, but that third one scares the daylights out of me.

As a part of my examining Matthew 6:16-18, I did some supplemental reading on fasting. The practice of that discipline as it sets in the Old Testament, New Testament, and practices in the Church today. Most of it was what I knew already, fasting was a regular practice, often done two times a week or associated with special occasions or needs.  For the ancients up to and including NT times, fasting was usually done on what we call Monday and Thursday. For the believers, it moved to Friday and Sunday. Practices today vary but are seldom seen in Protestant churches, usually in Anglican or Catholic assemblies.

The intent of fasting is a redirection of focus – off self and onto God. I suspect that for those new to the practice, like myself, the focus would initially be off self and onto food. Then I might progress to off self onto how good I’m doing (oops that is “self” isn’t it?). Then, if I am disciplined enough to continue the practice, off self onto God.

I have a least one friend who I know fasts. For my others I am not certain. Which I suspect is appropriate.

In preaching a sermon series through the Sermon on the mount, talking about the Lord’s Prayer, my pastor has said “You are not a Christian if you do not pray.” I’ll be interested if he says the same thing about fasting.  I suspect he won’t.

Of course, just like the Pharisees, if you read different selections by churches or groups, you will find “fasting” includes everything form restraining from just certain foods, to restraining from looking out the window for the day.     In other words, fast, but do not make it totally inconvenient.

We are even told by nutritionists that going long periods without food is not good. Uhm….somebody should have told Moses or Jesus that.

I’m not going to say what my intent is toward this discipline. However I do think it is a valid part of Christian discipline. So I suspect I better practice my “oh, I’m not fasting” face.