Voice Overload

(and the Call Waiting that changes everything)

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Lord, I’m a little confused. So many voices give instruction for my path. Obedience is the latest. Just obey—but don’t see His commands as burdensome.

T.M. Moore talks about the necessity of fearing God and delighting in His commandments, not seeing them as obsolete. I’m not there yet.

Voddie Baucham contends that striving to do more good than bad and hoping for the best outcome is what ‘religion’ is about. It doesn’t work since we’re by nature depraved. That’s why the spotless Lamb died on our behalf. ‘You are powerless—but that’s okay because you were purchased’ is how he sums it up.

John Piper has written a book considering all the imperatives of Jesus. He talks about his personal desolation in being exposed as a hopeless sinner, and the relief of the Gospel’s offer—”the Son of Man came to give his life a ransom for many,” (Mk.10:45) “not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Lk.5:32).** I need to grasp all this more fully.

A couple of our friends focus on ‘walking in love’ as the ultimate test of whether or not we know God. And they work hard at not gossiping so that they can count on their prayers being answered.

All these voices have good things to commend yet I sit here a little mystified…it’s not clear to me where I’m obeying and not obeying, or just what the next step is… I just feel deafened by the clamor.

I remember our long-ago neighbor Eugene—he, the lonely widower, fixing our whole family a wonderful homemade meal—fried chicken, potato salad and the fixin’s and even delivering it.. He took The Golden Rule quite literally: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (hint, hint) I asked him once if he was a Christian? His response, a little taken aback that it wasn’t obvious, was: ‘Well, I sure try to be one’.

Yet another friend is sure what I need to be doing is evangelizing everyone my life intersects with. It is after all a command, not a choice….

The advice goes on…

Use your gifts.

Mentor a younger woman.

Be mentored by an older one.

Encourage one another. Avoid discouraging words…

These too are voices I’ve heard this week.

Then there’s the forget-about-religion crowd. They write books and blog but tend to downplay the value of the written Word of God. Just get to know the ‘real’ Jesus. He’s great. You’ll love him. He’s playful. He’s with you in the moment. Cool coincidences will prove His nearness. Don’t worry about the ‘letter of the law’ just enjoy Jesus. What He said needs to be reinterpreted in terms of his tone of voice, His wink, His ‘just teasing’ nature. Don’t take life/Jesus/Scripture so seriously.

That’s me, serious. Let’s see, how shall I change that? Just do it. Right.

“Prophets” of a new stripe are a dime a dozen these days too and everyone’s got an ‘encouraging word’—a promise of good things to come, a ‘word’ for your future. Never mind repentance. Obedience? What’s that? Just go with the flow. Follow your impressions. Learn to hear the voice and follow. Throw caution to the wind. It’s a ‘new thing’; don’t expect to find it in Scripture….

The super-achiever bio I’m reading doesn’t help. A blind prodigy. A super mom. The message: Talent, Determination, Vision, and Confidence will take you places you’d never dreamed of going…Cambridge, Hollywood, TV, American Idol, maybe even a fat Bio all about your accomplishments… And as I read the sinking feeling grows that it’s too late for me and mine but just think what could have been… (Failing to consider, that I don’t desire these ends anyway!)

Amid all these voices, I am feeling tired and apathetic, longing only to hear from the One that knows my heart, and knows my inability to carry one more ‘should’ today…He knows too my self-satisfied pride and my Pharisaical hardness. He knows the fear that holds me back from taking radical responses to inner nudges.

“Call her up and see how she’s doing?”

–That might be awkward. I don’t know her that well…

And the indecision that leads me to conclude it wasn’t a divine nudge, just a ‘should’ I invented myself and can as easily let go… except I don’t. (I feel guilty, and still wonder how she’s doing…)

And He knows the actions I do take, because they’re all I know to do with this truth that burns in my bones. I am not always diplomatic, not always encouraging. Sometimes truth just jumps out. Offense is taken. I can’t remain a ‘pleaser’ and still a lover of truth. It isn’t working.

My Savior knows all these things. His voice is the one I need most to hear. Numbed by message overload. Dulled by physical weariness. Daunted by so much deception at work in the world. Discouraged by my own powerless posture. Today I have no words. But I am listening. I am indeed hopeful. The Way, the Truth, and the Life is not lost and has posted no ‘change of address’. He still lives here. In me, with me and for me. He died to redeem me for His Kingdom’s sake. He’s got the plan. All is well.

——————Those were my pre-breakfast rumblings———————

At breakfast Jim’s response was to remind me that the Holy Spirit is sovereign. He works in us to accomplish His good purposes in His good time. There’s no rushing ahead of His plan. We are dependents in need of His enabling always and we are ultimately not in control of our lives…

And there was a “call waiting” all the while, a “voice mail” running through the back of my mind that I needed to look up:

Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, [and] my feet from falling. I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. Ps.119:7-9

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you [me!] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Phil.1:6

As breakfast got cleared away and the day had officially begun this confession rose in my heart—I believe He is the Christ, Son of the living God—It’s a glorious refrain to a folksy tune by Andrew Peterson. Listen here and rejoice with me that really all is well when we hold onto what we know to be true while we wait for the ‘what next’ in our walk with Him…

Here’s an excerpt from his lyrics:

And every step of the way his grace is making me;
with every breath I breathe, he is saving me. And I believe.
So when my body’s weak and the day is long,
when I feel my faith is all but gone, I’ll remember when I sing this song that I believe.
I believe he is the Christ, Son of the living God, my Lord, my Savior. Oh, Hosanna, I believe.***

And yet another Scripture rose as a reminder of where to plant my feet and how to pace myself today in the numbness and confusion of too many voices…

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
Prov.3:5-8

And I am glad for the living God and his living Word that breathes life into my deadness and hope into my apathy. Aren’t you?

So I picked up the phone and called that friend-in-the-making. We’ve got plans to do lunch. All is well.

–LS

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Heb.10:23

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*Voddie Baucham, “Truth and the Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World” in The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World, p.65-67

**Interview in The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World, eds.John Piper and Justin Taylor, Crossway Publ.,2007, p.149-50 discussing the book: What Jesus Demands from the World.

***Andrew Peterson: “The Good Confession” from Resurrection Letters, Vol.II

****Original illustration is mine but entirely inspired by Olivier Dunrea’s Gossie & Gertie, Houghton Mifflin, 2002.

Dynamically Duped!

DEFEND IT!

A thrilling testimony. A dynamic presentation. A story worth retelling.

A book bought, and promoted…by me.

And then the quiet comment posted to my book review blog this week: “I think you should read this re: this book: 2Peter2.blogspot.com.” And everything came tumbling down. Once again the church is stung by the moral failure of one of its ministers. And the Christian community hushes the details to prevent the shame from being aired before the world. But the minister goes forward unrepentant, polishes his website, perpetuates his bigger-than-life testimony, tells his stories to unsuspecting audiences, covers up his shame leaving a glut of casualties in his wake, a sexualized cult in the stead of a church.

In disbelief I scan the details. Then in deep dismay…giving way to shades of outrage. Had I not asked for lies I have believed to be exposed? I have asked this for others’ sake. But first my turn comes round. I had been so impressed, so encouraged, so excited to hear this man’s conversion story in person, and then to read his book. Here was God at work in miraculous ways, His Spirit capturing a heart, revealing His Son, catapulting a former Muslim into Christian ministry. What a testimony. And what a sham, with an ‘e’!

There is no knowing now which parts of his testimony really happened and which are fabricated to make a more sensational story. His ghostwriter* doesn’t even know, and has rescinded his endorsement of the book as factual. Church leaders scramble to clean up the slime…the ex-pastor, unrepentant, scrambles to find an ‘umbrella’ that will allow him to travel, speak and garner support without accountability… His website really does look pristine. Its young designer has been sucked into his cult and can’t quite see right-side-up yet…

These are the grisly discoveries of my week and they bring to mind hard questions…and important reminders….

How did this happen? How can we be kept from the ‘deceitfulness of sin’ that always takes its prey farther than he/she intended to go? Is restoration possible? Who can we trust? What other deceptions am I living under? And what safeguards are there to keep the believer from falling into the abyss of delusion?

I am reminded of multiple warnings in Scripture regarding deception…

—“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teaching of demons…” (I Tim.4:1)

—‘There will come times of difficulty’ when men love themselves, their money, and their pleasure more than they love God, when others will be easily led astray by them because in their sin-laden, weak-willed passion for learning they are unable to come to the knowledge of the truth.
(II Tim.3:1-9)

—Paul warns Timothy that times are coming when people will wander off into myths, having no patience with truth–collecting teachers who will tell them instead just what they want to hear. (II Tim.4:3,4) Perhaps it is no coincidence that these ones who are doing the deceiving are themselves deceived (3:13).

–Peter predicts precisely the type of situation that has come to my attention this week: False teachers will arise among you “who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them…and many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed…they will exploit you with false words.” (II Peter 2:1-3)

—Jude says much the same thing in his short letter appealing to his readers to “contend for the faith”, the ‘once for all delivered’ faith. It’s not a new thing. Beware of the people creeping in unnoticed to ‘pervert the grace of our God into sensuality’, he says, the full description following
(Jude 3,4).

As I grapple with what I see and hear and reel with the tragedy of broken trust and the proliferation of loose ungrounded teaching in the Church of our day…I am reassured that God has not left his people without means of stability. He is after all the Head of the true church. He gives the Body the people and gifts that it needs to grow into maturity ‘so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.’ (Eph.4) I am planted in a local church for a reason. I need its gifts. It needs mine. This is the way God has designed it. And while the Internet is a potential purveyor of incredible amounts of falsehood, it also has given believers access to an unprecedented range of gifted people of God, present and past, as well as a worldwide ‘fellowship’ with other ‘contenders for the faith.’

But the bedrock of stability I am especially grateful for is the inspired and inerrant, unchanging and absolute Word of God. It has weathered the Enlightenment where men sought to water down its authority and relevance, and it will weather our postmodern times where truth is seen as a dispensable obstacle to personal fulfillment.

The Word of God is pre-eminently profitable for teaching, for reproving, for correcting, and for training in the right way. It is our most valuable piece of equipment as believers. (II Tim.3:16) No wonder it’s being so sidelined in our time. Have you noticed? Many modern day ‘prophets’ display a disturbing propensity to minimize the importance of the written Word of God in favor of more subjective messages from God via gifted persons or ‘aha’ moments. I listened incredulously this morning to a noted Christian ‘prophet’ actually scorn the concept of trying to read through the Bible in a year, or even pretend to get anything noteworthy from Leviticus–which is just ‘a camping memo’ with references to fruit thrown in! He mimicked God as saying: “I’ve never (even) done it!” (i.e. read through the Bible) The man had his audience in stitches. Granted, who can’t relate to the difficulty of reading through Leviticus? Does that mean it’s open to ridicule and not be read as part of the ‘All Scripture’ that is inspired by God for our benefit?! Are we really only reading to find those verses that jump off the page as ‘our inheritance’, to be swallowed hook, line and sinker as completely applying to us—irrespective of context or literal meaning? What has happened to ‘rightly dividing the Word of Truth’? (II Tim.2:15) No wonder the people of God are so ill prepared to recognize deception.

Some teach that the Bible is a ‘closed book’ that will kill you (spiritually) if you get too serious about it. Are we really in danger of stifling bondage and powerless intellectualism when we study the Bible for what it actually teaches?

Is ‘Sola Scriptura’ no longer a relevant rallying cry for the people of God? Are we really willing to trade it for: ‘sola experientia’ to feel sure we have the real deal?! There is a disturbing anti-scholastic bias in much teaching in the church of our time. The Bible has been associated with dead religion and marginalized in favor of experiential ‘truth’. But Paul seemed to think the Scriptures were quite adequate when he instructed Timothy:

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed” knowing that “from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (II Tim.3:14)

A false dichotomy has been drawn between the ‘lifeless’ Word and the powerful Spirit. Between ‘dead words’ and living revelation. God’s Word is powerful. And it is true with or without further revelation, and where it lacks ‘power’ in our lives we would do well to see if it’s our lack of believing that renders it so, not its lack of speaking. In fact the Word of God speaks of itself as: “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb.4:12)

Is this beginning to sound like a ‘rant’? I love the Word of God. I hate to see deception creeping into the Church. I’m distressed to see whole assemblies being hijacked by ‘prophets’ such as the one I referenced at the start of this post simply because they claim authority that supersedes what is written in the Word of God, and because their constituents are inexperienced in handling the Word of God and eager to believe. I read a quote this week regarding the deceptive tragedy referenced earlier. The writer, an eye-witness, evaluating the progression of deception in this incident concluded:

“I used to think only a half-wit could fall into a cult. Now I know that any passionate person with a deep desire for growth, if they end up in the wrong place, can be a spiritual victim.”** (Dan Holmes)

He went on to underline that the ‘kids’ who ‘fell for’ this leader’s vice were “passionate, dedicated good Christians. They were loving, kind and generous kids. Generally, they could only be blamed for their naivety and their failure to compare what was taught against scripture.”**

We cannot afford to let the written Word of God be deemed second-rate revelation or boring and dry religious jargon… It is our ultimate source of truth, our protection from deception, our compass in a world of relative thought where so much ‘seems’ good. Prophets and teachers will come and go. The words of men will rise and fall, all our ‘heroes’ in the faith likewise. They are human and flawed. ‘But the Word of the Lord endures forever.’ (I Peter 1:25)

On a bit of a side note, this man’s observations of what it takes to get a cult-following are instructive. They include…

Exclusivity—we are the privileged few with ‘real faith’, the ‘real church’

Isolation—we don’t need ‘outside’ relationships

Prophetic leader—authority based on a superior experience: “I saw Jesus…”

Obedience—submit to me out of obedience to God

Shunning and shaming—to question the leader is to lose fellowship with group and God!

Compromise—wearing down one’s ‘religious spirit’ led to dramatic personal compromises

Great Worship and prayer sessions—inexplicably God seemed still to ‘show up’**

…Interesting indicators to be aware of.

I am so grateful to have the Word of God. II Peter has been on my plate this week. What a treasure trove of practical instruction and ‘heads-up’ warnings on how not to fall and how to spot false teachers. Peter knows he will be heading to Heaven himself shortly and he pens these words to remind the believers of their calling and the qualities that will keep them from falling and guarantee their rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of their Lord and Savior (II Peter 1). Then he reminds them of his own authority as an eyewitness of the Transfiguration of Jesus. If anyone had a claim to cult-producing authority it was Peter. He had seen the Savior in His glory. He had heard God’s voice from Heaven affirming His pleasure in His Son. He had been with Him on the mountain! But what does he say next?

“We have something MORE SURE, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place…” And he proceeds to describe the process by which Scripture was inspired by God (II Pet.1:20,21) as our stability in the face of “the error of lawless people” (3:17). He well knows the ignorant and unstable will twist the difficult to understand parts ‘to their own destruction’, but is confident that this advance warning will hold these believers in good stead!

Ahhh, I like that. And as he closes, so will I… “But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” II Pet. 3:18

–LS

P.S. There’s one question I haven’t addressed. “Is restoration possible?” That one hangs in the balance. I will be praying. Will you join me?

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As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
Ps.18:30

“But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” Is.66:2

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[And what should I find in my Inbox this morning but an excellent article on the value of the Word in a believer’s life—If you’re not all ‘read out’ consider Diane Singer’s well written: “A Bright and Certain Light” at ColsonCenter.org]

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**Quotations and notes taken from Dan Holmes website at 2Peter2.blogspot.com

Behold, your King!

All Sorts

How did Palm Sunday give way to Good Friday? How do we get so quickly from a boisterous crowd of ardent admirers shouting Hosannas and Blessings to an angry mob chanting “Crucify Him”?!

They had hoped He came to deliver them from all their perceived ills– hopeless bodily infirmities as well as their Roman tyrants. They treated Jesus that day as royalty come to bring back the Kingdom of David (Mk.11:10). He had come to save them, but their view of salvation was so limited, so ‘of this world’. Only Jesus knew the extent of their deepest need. He alone fully realized the bondage that they lived under and had come to deliver them from their greatest tyrant, to destroy ‘the one who has the power of death, and deliver those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.’ (Heb.2: 14,15). Their concept of the Kingdom to come wasn’t big enough. Their vision of life was too small. And little did they know of the cost required to set them free to really live.

I’m challenged by this picture of Palm Sunday’s worshipers degenerating so quickly into murderers. It challenges my concept of whose Kingdom I’m really living for? And whose will I want done? Jesus knows our tendencies to be short-sighted, small-minded and tempted by short-term solutions. Is that why He taught us to pray: “Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done….” (Mt.6:9-13) ? If I find my heart disappointed in the short-term, disillusioned by life’s surprises, hurt by unexpected outcomes could it be I’ve had the wrong Kingdom in view or at least the wrong timetable? Jesus said, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Mt.11:6) in response to a disappointed follower who found himself in jail and about to be beheaded just because he’d been a faithful follower. We’re in a Kingdom where the long-haul matters. The HOSANNAS* of today have to be held onto in faith when the salvation we’d envisioned isn’t yet visible.

Jesus modeled the prayer he taught. He came into our world submitted to the Father’s will, to take on the body prepared for him and to do with it exactly what the Father directed, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. (Heb.10:7) He was obedient right to death, for this was the cost of bringing us life. He who knew no sin, was made sin for us, “that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (II Cor.5:21). He took our taint, carried our shame, so He could share the life He had with the Father with us. He endured for the joy set before Him, (Heb.12:2) the joy of bringing many sons into the family, (Heb.2:13) the joy of US joining Him in fellowship with the Father!

But how few recognized what He was up to that ‘Easter week’. I’ve been looking this week at the ‘in betweens’ of that week– the ‘stuff’ that Jesus did between Palm Sunday and Good Friday. What were his priorities? He spent a lot of time teaching, talking, and warning of things to come. He was ready. But were his followers? He had shown the crowds who He was but ‘though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in Him’. So now He focuses on last conversations. He indicts and silences both Pharisees and Sadducees with parables depicting them as wicked tenant farmers and dishonorable wedding feast guests. He pronounces woes upon them and warns the crowds to listen to what they have to say, but not to copy them! (Mt.23:3)

He explains to his followers the times that will precede His return, so they (and ultimately we who believe) will be eagerly waiting and not offended when called to suffer for His sake. And he has one last meal with His disciples, an intimate Passover meal during which he washes their feet and invites them into a new covenant relationship with Him based on his shed blood for them. “This cup… is the new covenant in my blood…” (Lk.22:20)

I’ve just been reading the Jewish background for this moment and how it closely parallels the process of taking a bride–precious parallels to the Church as the Bride of Christ…would the disciples have understood this better than we do?

Ray VanderLaan describes it this way:

“In the first century, when a young Jewish man reached marrying age and his family selected an appropriate wife for him, the young man and his father would meet the young woman and her father to negotiate the “bride price,” the figurative cost of replacing a daughter. The price was usually very high.

With negotiations complete, the custom was for the young man’s father to pour a cup of wine and hand it to his son. His son would turn to the young woman, lift the cup and hold it out to her, saying, “This cup is a new covenant in my blood, which I offer to you.” In other words, “I love you, and I’ll give you my life. Will you marry me?”

The young woman had a choice. She could take the cup and return it and say no. Or she could answer without saying a word—by drinking the cup, her way of saying, “I accept your offer, and I give you my life in response.”**

The disciples didn’t get the whole picture right away. They would run and hide and even deny knowing Him. The fickle crowds would opt to crucify their King. He had come to them humbly, riding on a donkey’s colt as prophesied (Zech.9:9) — but not quite all they had anticipated. But his would prove to be an ‘indestructible life’ (Heb.7:16) even as His Kingship will prove to be unrivalled… And to each of us the invitation comes to ‘take up your cross and follow me…’, and to ‘present our bodies a living sacrifice’ as we wait eagerly for this coming King (Heb.9:28) who will at last fulfill His best intentions towards us and take us Home to be His forever Bride.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful!” (Heb.10:23) “…he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”
I Tim.6:15,16

And amen!

–LS

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32

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* Ironically, “Hosanna” comes from a Hebrew word meaning “please save or save now” as used in: Ps.118:25,26: “We beseech Thee, O LORD, save now! We beseech Thee, O LORD, make us now to prosper! Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD…” while also being used in praise and adoration of the Saviour. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosanna

**excerpted from ‘His Body, His Blood’ by Ray Vander Laan in Focus on the Family magazine–Apr.’99

Creative Joy

All Sorts, BOOKS

I am seldom happier than when I have creative projects on the go, at least once they are taking shape and I can see the end in view. The joy of creating is only rivaled by the joy of beholding the finished product and realizing, “It is good”. Do you suppose this is a way we share God’s likeness? When we create, whether it be a quilt or a sketch, a clean window or a tasty meal… we are exhibiting that which sets us apart from all other creatures; we are displaying the image of God, the ultimate Creator and designer of every good thing. We are fulfilling our design, and it is good!

“And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” Gen.1:31

I finished a long-standing project last night. The process was not fun, but it was needful. I had to pin myself down to a deadline to get it accomplished. I guess you could say it was a creative project, but the grist I had to work with was not of my own choosing. It was a tangle that needed sorting, defining, straightening—a messy mental project. Critiques are like that. Not only must you sort another’s thoughts and words, and weigh them against your perception of God’s thoughts, but you must capture your own voice in words and then order them in such a way as to present an honest but not caustic perspective—one that will bring clarity (and hopefully the mind of the Lord) to benefit the hearer, not merely generate dissension! It is a relief to have it finished. This was a creative task I’ve felt compelled to take on for months now, but have squirmed out from under till now. For creativity, even a critical book review, [“Face to Face with Bill Johnson”], makes one vulnerable to criticism and disapproval too. It reveals something of what’s inside its creator, for better or for worse. The fear of man can stifle it. A word aptly spoken is not always a welcome word. And yet there is this calling to create…and this deep satisfaction when it is finished….

So I woke this morning to my quiet interlude with joy. The robins were singing before the sun had fully risen. I reflected on the joy of creating and remembered God’s words to Job, hinting at the creative joy He knew as the foundations of the world were laid:

“…when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:7

I read on down through Job 38 listening to the marvel of God reciting the glory of all His creative genius. Take a minute today to do the same. What an incredible chapter, a set of chapters actually…”things too wonderful for me, which I did not know”…awesome! And Job’s heart is transformed in the hearing and the yielding to His awesome Creator’s right to do what He wills…Glorious passage!

I was tugged away from my solitude to put the Red River cereal on to boil, and found rare sunshine streaming in my big kitchen windows. Residue from my last cleaning attempts was all too obvious. Can’t have that! Vinegar to the rescue! And then the outsides showed their dust and next thing you know I’d whisked outside to the fresh, song-filled air and hit them with Car Wash solution and a good hose down, while the Red River simmered on the stove. Water streaming, making rainbows. A perplexed but patient husband looking out through all the water on his happy wife creating beauty for the joy of it…

Back inside I put on my happy Saturday song (even though it’s only Friday!)—Fernando Ortega singing ‘This Good Day’:

”This good day
It is a gift from You.
The world is turning in its place
because You made it to.
I lift my voice
To sing a song of praise
On this good day.”

The day is just beginning. A quilt top lies wildly beautiful on the living room carpet, awaiting just its borders—hopefully today?! A piece of watercolor paper is at the ready in my new creative space—Joshua’s old room– begging for the pale yellows and pinks to flow to orange on its face…This new day with all its creative possibilities lies before me. What joy!

“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad. Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” Ps.126:2-6

For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. Ps.92:4

Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven!

–LS

“May the Lord rejoice in His works.” Ps. 104:31

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From the archives…for more thoughts on joy, see: Fresh Joy

Sing!

LIVE IT!

…it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. Ps.147:1

Morning. And with my feet landing on the floor came a nudge to remember to SING, to bless the Lord, to keep my focus there…I needed the reminder.

I find it easy to obsess over issues that need ‘fixing’ or problems big and small, ranging from family to church to my unruly sinus! And when problems loom big God begins to seem small. I may at first feel indispensable (as though I were God!) but soon the troubles become insurmountable beyond anything I’m capable of throwing at them…and I find my focus is way off track. So it was a fitting reminder to remember to sing. God hasn’t moved away, hasn’t lost track of local affairs, hasn’t turned a blind eye. He still reigns. And is still more than worthy of my praise. He is still building His church. He is still accomplishing His purposes. He is still working for the good of those who love Him and are called for His purposes…can’t really do much singing without these realities overtaking the troubles!

OK, this is going to sound like I’m preaching what I don’t practice but since it was still early morning and the household was asleep, (and I could add other excuses…), I went to my quiet spot with a hymnbook and read hymns…

There’s within my heart a melody, Jesus whispers sweet and low,
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still, In all of life’s ebb and flow.

Feasting on the riches of His grace, Resting ‘neath his sheltering wing,
Always looking on His smiling face, That is why I shout and sing.
[Admittedly, my style is a bit more subtle than this]

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest name I know,
Fills my every longing, Keeps me singing as I go.

And I opened to the Psalms and was reminded again of what singing attests to: “Sing to the Lord, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory…his marvelous works…For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.” (Ps.96)

Just reading psalms puts life in perspective pretty quickly… “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.” (Ps.96:10) Not much room left for dismay that things are spiraling out of control, maybe out of mine, but not out of His! I may not see what He’s doing, but I can rest assured He is at work.

But why sing. Isn’t reading good enough? I read an interesting article today by worship leader/songwriter, Bob Kauflin in which he discusses ‘What Happens When We Sing?’* One practical benefit of singing is that it helps us remember words! And then he pointed to Deuteronomy 31,32 in which God instructs Moses to write a song and teach it to the children of Israel. Why? Because in the days to come when they rebel against God and troubles come upon them the song will confront them as a witness to all God has done for them in the past, including this warning not to rebel! The song “will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring”. (31:21) Can you picture it? Like some oldies hit or catchy commercial, God’s words will come back to them when they need most to hear them. Wow. And these are no empty words, God says, ‘but your very life.”(32:47)

Kauflin goes on to make the point that we should sing words that God wants us to remember. It matters what we sing. He suggests that the words we sing impact us far more than we may realize. Another scholar has said, “Show me a church’s songs and I’ll show you their theology.”** Interesting. The importance of music as an expression of our faith is borne out in passages like Colossians 3:16. Singing becomes a spiritual overflow of the Word of Christ that we are imbibing: ‘singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God’. When I was a lot younger, I would strum chords on my guitar and invent songs with Scripture. My mother did the same at the piano and we were often ‘called’ to breakfast with her catchy tunes. Maybe it’s time to revive this practice? I’m thankful for all the talented songwriters who are doing this.

Consider Psalm 84: “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!…” A quick You-Tube search brings up a wide variety of musical expressions of this psalm. There’s a smooth meditative soloist version with choral backup here, a mellow rendition of the whole psalm by a young male group, the “Sons of Korah”, here, and perhaps the most familiar—Matt Redmans, “Better is One Day in Your Courts”, here.

Or you can access an Anglican chant, a choir in the Canterbury Cathedral, or a Jewish reading/singing of the Psalm… there’s no want of opportunities to sing God’s Word. You can even create you own song. My selection of Psalm 84 as an example is not random. An article in a series on “Good Grief” came to my Inbox this week and seemed so appropriate in light of last week’s blog featuring a counter-cultural view of death. In this article by T.M.Moore, Psalm 84 was described as:

“… a song for the journey of life. Its purpose is to provide focus and bolstering for taking on the daily travails of our earthly existence. It teaches us how to turn all our sorrows to strength and joy by helping us keep our eyes on the Lord….

We are bound for an eternal dwelling place of glory, light, beauty, holiness, rejoicing, and wonder. That unseen destination is even now being prepared for us by our victorious Savior and King, and He will surely come again to receive us into His eternal glory. We must train our souls to long for that glory– to hope in the glory of God, then and there, so that we may live in it here and now as well (v. 2). The way to do this is to present ourselves each day as living sacrifices to God, like birds offered up on the altar for His pleasure (v. 3; cf. Rom. 12:1, 2). If we fill our journey with praise and thanksgiving, whatever we encounter along the way, we will be able to bear it up, because our true focus and joy lie beyond our temporal circumstances in the presence of the unchanging Lord of glory (vv. 4,5).In the midst of our trials, sufferings, disappointments, and losses, we do not compound our grief by separating from the Lord; instead, we seek Him earnestly in prayer and hide within Him as our Shield and Comfort (vv. 8, 9).” –T.M. Moore

This writer also talked about the value of putting good words to music so they can become companions on our life’s journey, to remind us of truth when we need it most. He in fact offered a version of Psalm 84 arranged to fit standard hymn meter and singable to tunes we already may know, such as “Brethren We have Met to Worship” (Tune: HOLY MANNA) or the one I prefer: Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken (Tune: AUSTRIA)

I reprint his singable version of Psalm 84 here:

Psalm 84

vv. 1-4
Lord of hosts, how sweet Your dwelling;
How my soul longs for Your courts!
Let my soul with joy keep telling
Of Your grace forever more.
Like a bird upon the altar
Let my life to You belong.
Blest are they who never falter
As they praise Your grace with song!
vv. 5-7
Blest are they whose strength is founded
In Your strength, O Lord above.
All whose hearts in You are grounded
Journey in Your strength and love.
Though they weep with tears of sadness,
Grace shall all their way sustain.
In Your presence, filled with gladness,
They shall conquer all their pain.
vv. 8-12
Lord of hosts, my prayer receiving,
Hear me, help me by Your grace!
In Your courts I stand believing;
Turn to me Your glorious face!
Lord, our sun, our shield, our glory,
No good thing will You deny
To those who proclaim Your story,
And who on Your grace rely.
–T.M.Moore

Just call up the tune and try it!

In the beginning of the world there was song—“When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7)
And in the end there will be the song of the redeemed: “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth”. (Rev.5:9,10)

What will fill these in-between years?

Today I heard the robins. They’re returning to these climes with familiar songs, reminding us that spring has indeed arrived despite the somber weather most days. They sing because they’re made to sing. What does a little rain matter? Perhaps I ought to take their cue.

–LS

P.S. I’ve been enjoying Laura Story’s music lately. She sings from a life story of hard things but a good God. This one echoes what I’m trying to say:

Bless the Lord, O my soul
All that’s in me bless Your name
Forget not Your power un-told
Not Your glory or Your fame

Have a listen here: “Bless the Lord” by Laura Story

From the archives… This is not the first time I’ve been prompted to sing…looking in the archives I smiled to recall this one, where I was forced to sing to keep the bears at bay: “Alive and Well”

———————————-
*Piper, John and Justin Taylor, gen.ed. The Power of Words and the Wonder of God, Crossway,2009. pp.121-135.
**Gordon Fee, quoted p.126

…on loving and living the Word of Life!