My smitten-ness with Andrew Murray is continuing, largely due to the fact that I am reading him daily. In his book, Waiting on God, he has gotten to the point of calling for corporate waiting. This affronts several of my sensibilities.
One is that in the American culture and mindset to spend time as a group waiting seems absurd, insane, and quite frankly a waste of time. Can you imagine going to a ministry meeting and being told "Today we are going to wait together on God"? Discomfort would reign; I can just imagine praying quietly for five or so minutes before someone said "Umm, we have work to do" and then hearing some shuffling and movement towards getting things done.
Can you imagine being at a chapel or church service and being told the same and expected to sit quietly or pray in groups waiting for God to move and speak? People would get antsy; I do not think people would even last five minutes before someone asked for a song to be played.
The fact that this is so obviously counter-cultural and a challenging concept as a group points to one important fact: as Christians and as leaders we must learn the value of waiting on God in our own lives. If we are to lead others, we must be willing to lead by demonstration and know the value of waiting in our own lives. It is not so much our concepts and ideas that will captivate and lead people; it is the very essence of our lives. If we believe we are too busy to wait on God, to pray, to read our Bibles, to learn, how can we expect to lead others to do the same?
While waiting is counter-cultural, time-consuming, and trust inducing it is essential in living a life pleasing to God. Though it may affront one's sensibilities, waiting for God to answer our prayers and direct our paths will produce joy and will give us the courage to lead others in waiting on God.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
An Ordinary Post
The past few days I have begun and then deleted more posts then I care to admit. I've gotten finicky with my writing and content. I think I'm looking for something profound, earth-shattering and frankly amazing and it's just not coming to me.
I am walking through ordinary days, going about my ordinary business, and at some point I feel like there is nothing exciting to say. Which is ok... if I don't blog about it. But at some point, with a blog, there is this simple need to write in one's blog.
In my ordinary days God has continued to work. He has convicted me of sin, reminded me of the preciousness of spending time with him and of the joy of friendship. What makes me smile in and through this is that no matter what state I am in, no matter how I feel or what's going on around me, he is still at work, and still at work in me. He could let my ordinary days pass me by. He could let me forget him, he could let me sink into myself, yet he chooses to work in my life. He chooses to dispense his love and grace.
Though I walk through some ordinary days, they are never truly ordinary for I serve an extraordinary God.
I am walking through ordinary days, going about my ordinary business, and at some point I feel like there is nothing exciting to say. Which is ok... if I don't blog about it. But at some point, with a blog, there is this simple need to write in one's blog.
In my ordinary days God has continued to work. He has convicted me of sin, reminded me of the preciousness of spending time with him and of the joy of friendship. What makes me smile in and through this is that no matter what state I am in, no matter how I feel or what's going on around me, he is still at work, and still at work in me. He could let my ordinary days pass me by. He could let me forget him, he could let me sink into myself, yet he chooses to work in my life. He chooses to dispense his love and grace.
Though I walk through some ordinary days, they are never truly ordinary for I serve an extraordinary God.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Eyes on God
I felt like so much of this week has been "blah" in so many ways. So many not-so-fun ways.
And God is calling me to look at the bigger picture. It's hard for me; likely it's my self-centeredness. I get stuck on myself - what's happening in my world now. I forget to look outside myself. Forget that God is on the move all around me.
Our God is bigger; he specializes in using broken, blah-feeling people. It often amazes and astounds me the types of people he's used throughout history. I mean, I wouldn't have picked a murderer to be a king, much less to be in my ancestry line. But God has the big picture in view. He knows the heart and he knows he can use the broken people.
So, once I can get my eyes off myself and back onto God I can remember that he's bigger then me, my life, my circumstances and he is working all around me (including within me). He can work in ways I never could dream and he is wise, loving and good.
And God is calling me to look at the bigger picture. It's hard for me; likely it's my self-centeredness. I get stuck on myself - what's happening in my world now. I forget to look outside myself. Forget that God is on the move all around me.
Our God is bigger; he specializes in using broken, blah-feeling people. It often amazes and astounds me the types of people he's used throughout history. I mean, I wouldn't have picked a murderer to be a king, much less to be in my ancestry line. But God has the big picture in view. He knows the heart and he knows he can use the broken people.
So, once I can get my eyes off myself and back onto God I can remember that he's bigger then me, my life, my circumstances and he is working all around me (including within me). He can work in ways I never could dream and he is wise, loving and good.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
More then a Cold?
I came down with a bad cold/flu-ish thing yesterday leaving me holed up in my apartment except for classes. Not fun at all.
What this has made me start thinking of, though, is spiritual warfare. Really. Because right now I feel like there's a lot going on in terms of planning things for World Christian Week and the start of classes in general and I wonder at the timing. I know we in the West like to explain things by natural causes. It's really easy to look at a cold and say simply "duh, it's a cold." But could there also be an attempt here by the enemy?
I was introduced to the concept of the "forgotten middle" a few years ago - this concept that we in the West don't see things as having supernatural causes because we see things as explainable by nature or we simply jump to the concept of God, but those in other countries often will see supernatural cause/effect because between what is seeable and the divine in their worldview stands many angels, demons, etc. Spiritual warfare in other countries, then, is often much more profound where amulets and curses actually have power - not more power then the blood of Christ, though!
But what is spiritual warfare in the West? Are we aware of spiritual warfare or do we avoid the concept all together?
What this has made me start thinking of, though, is spiritual warfare. Really. Because right now I feel like there's a lot going on in terms of planning things for World Christian Week and the start of classes in general and I wonder at the timing. I know we in the West like to explain things by natural causes. It's really easy to look at a cold and say simply "duh, it's a cold." But could there also be an attempt here by the enemy?
I was introduced to the concept of the "forgotten middle" a few years ago - this concept that we in the West don't see things as having supernatural causes because we see things as explainable by nature or we simply jump to the concept of God, but those in other countries often will see supernatural cause/effect because between what is seeable and the divine in their worldview stands many angels, demons, etc. Spiritual warfare in other countries, then, is often much more profound where amulets and curses actually have power - not more power then the blood of Christ, though!
But what is spiritual warfare in the West? Are we aware of spiritual warfare or do we avoid the concept all together?
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Fight For Joy
John Piper often talks about the Christian life in warfare terms. That appeals to me, and not just because Paul speaks of the Christian life as such (1 Cor. 9:26, 1 Tim. 6:12, 2 Tim 4:7). I like this because it reminds me that I'm not defeated when I feel down, that I can fight for the joy of the Lord.
For the past month or so I had something weighing heavy on my heart. I would wake up thinking of the issue, frustrated and sad. I told some friends and asked for prayer. And waited.
I continued to pray, continued to search out scripture, continued to pour out my heart to God, continued to ask God to reveal any areas of sin within my life, continued to just seek Him and ask Him why. I got frustrated with the time it was taking for this to lift, but I had confidence that my God is faithful.
Sometime last week the weight began to lift. I don't know why, but am so thankful.
And this is part of the reason I like the concept of warfare - we are in a war. We are in a spiritual battle and we can have victory. But are we willing to put in the time and effort it takes to achieve the victory? Not that it's of our own working, truly only of God's. But God has provided us means by which he desires to pour grace into our lives - do we take advantage of them? Of prayer, of the Word, of intercession, fellowship, confession?
On another note - are we even aware of the battle that is going on around us? If we have no concept that we are in a war is that a reflection of our spiritual life or lack of involvement in it?
Whether joyful or sorrowful, continue to fight for your joy. And while you're at it, fight for other's joy as well.
"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." I Timothy 6:12
For the past month or so I had something weighing heavy on my heart. I would wake up thinking of the issue, frustrated and sad. I told some friends and asked for prayer. And waited.
I continued to pray, continued to search out scripture, continued to pour out my heart to God, continued to ask God to reveal any areas of sin within my life, continued to just seek Him and ask Him why. I got frustrated with the time it was taking for this to lift, but I had confidence that my God is faithful.
Sometime last week the weight began to lift. I don't know why, but am so thankful.
And this is part of the reason I like the concept of warfare - we are in a war. We are in a spiritual battle and we can have victory. But are we willing to put in the time and effort it takes to achieve the victory? Not that it's of our own working, truly only of God's. But God has provided us means by which he desires to pour grace into our lives - do we take advantage of them? Of prayer, of the Word, of intercession, fellowship, confession?
On another note - are we even aware of the battle that is going on around us? If we have no concept that we are in a war is that a reflection of our spiritual life or lack of involvement in it?
Whether joyful or sorrowful, continue to fight for your joy. And while you're at it, fight for other's joy as well.
"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." I Timothy 6:12
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Single - a Challenge to Family?
For my member care class I had to read a book called Single Women: Challenge to the church? by Kristin Aune. While I found most of the book so-so, there were a few points that really stuck out to me. One of which was Aune's comment that "singleness challenges the Christian definition of 'family.'" She went on to quote Ben Witherington as saying "What is desperately needed and seldom found in the church is an adequate theology of the family and faith... blood should not be thicker than the baptismal waters in the church. His [Paul's] idea of family 'church' is actualized where God's people treat each other as their primary family, not just as some secondary social gathering that happens once a week and that promotes the agenda of the nuclear family."
I often find myself forgetting that the church is to be my primary family. I am easily swept up in the notion that being married and having a family would somehow be better for the church or society - not that these things are bad, but they are not the most important. Jesus, when called by his nuclear, biological family to come be with them as opposed to staying with his followers declared that whoever does God's will is his family (Matthew 12:48-50).
It is sometimes amazing to believe that total "strangers" could stick with you through thick and thin, but that is the call of the church. As single people we have the opportunity to make clear that family is not of the first importance (not to dismiss the importance of honoring one's parenting and loving them well), but the church is to be primary. That is our call to be the church, to be family to those within it (and love on those outside it).
I often find myself forgetting that the church is to be my primary family. I am easily swept up in the notion that being married and having a family would somehow be better for the church or society - not that these things are bad, but they are not the most important. Jesus, when called by his nuclear, biological family to come be with them as opposed to staying with his followers declared that whoever does God's will is his family (Matthew 12:48-50).
It is sometimes amazing to believe that total "strangers" could stick with you through thick and thin, but that is the call of the church. As single people we have the opportunity to make clear that family is not of the first importance (not to dismiss the importance of honoring one's parenting and loving them well), but the church is to be primary. That is our call to be the church, to be family to those within it (and love on those outside it).
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
With all My Heart
Waiting on God is a process that involves the heart, not just the mind. It is so easy, especially at seminary, to fall into the trap and believe that the more I learn and the more I know, the easier it will be to follow God and know where He is leading me. There is something that so easily stirs within myself to believe that some effort of my own can bring me to a place of rest. If I just learn this one more thing, if I just say these right words, if I just do this one more thing... but it is not about my effort at all. My striving attempts will utterly fail me; they leave me a mess.
So I content myself with trusting and believing God. I must remember that all I learn, all I do, will not really result in anything great or noteworthy. It is God working in and through me, it is my heart trusting in God, that He will work in His timing and in His way.
"The Christian always needs, when he has studied or heard God's Word, to cease from his thoughts, to put no trust in them, to awaken his heart to open itself before God, and seek the living fellowship with Him." (Andrew Murray, Waiting on God).
So I content myself with trusting and believing God. I must remember that all I learn, all I do, will not really result in anything great or noteworthy. It is God working in and through me, it is my heart trusting in God, that He will work in His timing and in His way.
"The Christian always needs, when he has studied or heard God's Word, to cease from his thoughts, to put no trust in them, to awaken his heart to open itself before God, and seek the living fellowship with Him." (Andrew Murray, Waiting on God).
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