Silence!

A close personal friend challenged a group of men this weekend with a simple exhortation when leading small group ministries: "do not fear the silence".
Upon reflection this is a real challenge. I've noticed often when we speak about our feelings, ideas, innermost thoughts we do so as if everyone were interested in them; and after bearing our souls how often do we really feel understood? We can speak tons about God, who God is and otherwise everything religious, but how often does it bring us or anyone else real insight? Have you ever noticed that words often leave you with a sense of inner defeat? So many words can create a sense of numbness and a feeling of being bogged down in a deep muddy hole, or wore out as after completing a marathon. There is wisdom in silence.

"When the door of the steam bath is continually left open, the heat inside rapidly escapes through it; likewise the soul, in its desire to say many things dissipates its remembrance of God through the door of speech, even though everything it says may be good. Thereafter, the intellect, though lacking appropriate ideas, pours out a welter of confused thoughts to anyone it meets, as it no longer has the Holy Spirit to keep its understanding free from fantasy. Ideas of value always shun verbosity, being foreign to confusion and fantasy. Timely silence, then, is precious, for it is nothing less than the mother of the wisest thoughts."
--Diadochus of Photiki

Train Up a Child

“ Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not turn away from it” Prov 22:6

Some friends and I were relating thoughts on people, the way we are all unique, and I mentioned the verse above. I believe this verse has been horribly misunderstood. The erroneous thinking or meaning from the verse is “ Mom, Dad you should saturate your kids lives with church, bible studies, and youth groups. If you want them to grow up right, keep them in fellowship, and worship services and they will never depart from the faith!!”
I admit this may not be a bad thing to do; we Dads & Moms could fair much worse. But, this is not the true meaning of the verse. “The way he should go” does not refer to a Christian path to be followed, but it speaks specifically to the child’s own way. Moreover, it is referencing the child’s innate leaning or his [or her] own natural bent.
It is interesting to read the Ryrie study bibles notes on Proverbs 22:6
“The way he should go” means according to the “child’s habits and interest. The instruction must take into account his own individuality and inclinations, his personality, the unique way God created him, and must be in keeping with his physical and mental development.”

To the Apostle Paul our individual uniqueness was part of God’s design. In 1 Cor 12 he explains that as members of the church we are the body of Christ, each with talents, and abilities that differ from one another in complementary ways.

An Old Commandment Understood In a New Way

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34

I was pondering over these verses and it wasn't until today that Jesus' words "New Commandment" created a problem for me. Loving one another is not a new commandment!!

We don't have to go back very far to find it; only two thousand years earlier we find the command "You Shall Love thy Neighbor as yourself". Lev 19:18. (see right there it is )
I was stumped until I read the next verse. Perhaps it is a "New Commandment" in the sense that what is new is we are now to stand out as Jesus' Disciples by the way we love one another. I could be wrong here, but what made the Jews stand out was in their practicing Jewish Festivals and sacrifices and they inherited the "Land". So what now characterizes the Christian as a, real disciple of Jesus, is not in how he practices his religion or what country he is affiliated with, but by how much he loves his brother(s). Possible?

That being said, I wonder if a problem we have with loving our brother is not that he commits evil acts. We all agree with these in the sense that we've either committed the same evil act or at least thought about it. I wonder is it for the good deeds that our brother commits that we tear him apart (metaphorically speaking). While considering that, ponder the reason behind the Death of Abel (Gen 4). Cain hated and killed his brother because of the good that he did and not due to some evil act.

"Fellowship is the sharing of the divine life and communion of the father and the Son"
R.W. Orr

Well said Mr. Orr. In my own words I would add ; Discipleship is modeling the divine life by sincerely loving the Father, the Son, and one another.

Passion Reborn?

When I consider how my life is spent
The most that I can do will be to prove 'Tis by his side, each day, I seek to move.
To higher, nobler things my mind is bent
Thus giving my strength, which God has lent, I strive some needy souls' unrest to soothe
Lest they the path of righteousness shall lose.
Through fault of mine, my Maker to present.
If I should fail to show them of their need
How could I hope to meet him, face to face, Or give a just account of all my ways
In thought of mind, in word, and in each deed
My life must prove the power of His Grace By every action through my living days
----Nelle Reagan (God and Ronald Reagan pg 48)

Nelle most likely re-wrote this from John Milton's poem as it seems to have a similar beginning.

She went on to say:
"You can be too big for God to use, but you cannot be too small"

Ronald Reagan's mother had a passion for God and "she planted that faith very deeply in me (her son)"

I too want my children to be passionate about the "things of God". This is a challenge for me today. Especially when my own relationship with God, at times, seems to have all the passion of yesterdays oatmeal. I would love to demonstrate to my children how not to be afraid to offend when standing firm against everything worldly, and to never cease from hungering and thirsting for righteousness. How can we hunger and thirst if we have ceased from these pursuits altogether?

We castrate the gelding and bid him be fruitful
--CS Lewis

THE CALL

"Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. "
Mark 2:13-14

It is enlightening to see Levi's response to this call. Notice, when called, Levi didn't make a confession of faith in Jesus, instead Levi responded with immediate obedience--he followed.

Some commentaries I've skimmed over on this section suggest Levi had a prior knowledge of Jesus. The biblical text is silent on this important point as it is also silent on the psychological reasons for this man's or any man's decision to follow Christ. All I know from the text is there was a call by Jesus which was met by immediate obedience on the part of Levi. Whether, Levi had an understanding of who Jesus was prior to the call is simply not known. To this point, Bonhoeffer, with inspired wisdom, makes the statement; "the simple reason behind Levi's immediate following in obedience is Jesus Christ Himself. It is Jesus who called, and because it is Jesus Levi follows at once."

I noted also that Levi was not told where he was going, what he would be doing, or what to bring with him. There was no mention of how long he would be gone. Jesus did not offer how he should follow or in what manner to come after Him. He wasn't told to crawl, walk or run; he simply followed. There was no billboard or neon sign explaining what to do or how to do it. No instructions on the pattern of life he should live while he followed. He simply must follow Jesus.

What a model for us today! Instead of looking for our personal & specific miraculous message from God telling us what to do next, we with immediate obedience blindly follow our Risen Savior.

Growing up, I struggled with pulpit preachers and college professors making such statements without explaining the application. So, here is my "unlicensed" understanding of what it means to follow Christ. It means leaving everything behind you become contented in Christ alone to the point of absolute adherence to God's Son.

"There is an absolute, direct, and unaccountable authority of Jesus. No need of preliminaries and no other consequence but obedience to The Call."

-Dietrich Bonehoeffer "Cost of Discipleship"

(Painting by Casper David Friedrich)

She is 2ft High and I call her Bells

She has curly blond hair that is grouped in misshapen clusters. It is like dozens of tiny bells hanging from her head. I try pushing them up out of her eyes. However, I can't resist ruffling her mess of curls back and forth with the palm of my hand. I love the way her fine silk like hair feels between my fingers. Her pale skin augments her dirty blond hair and her brown eyes are set like jewels in a marble statue.

I see her standing with those tiny lips agape and I ask; "Little girl what wonder has caught you by the toes this time?"

It is her; simply being her.

She reminds me of a person on an expedition; fully equipped and fully funded. In one hand she drags her mother's pocket book to the door saying "bye...see you later....bye" In the other hand my car keys. It is remarkable that she makes it to the door, at all, wearing her mother's shoes and pearls draped over her head.

She loves to climb into small enclosed places in our home. I often find her under a bed, behind a couch, or inside a cabinet drawer. She has a daring and adventurous spirit. She attempts to stand in places a child shouldn't stand and walk were children aren't suppose to walk. She will grab "things" little children are not suppose to grab and run when running is unwarranted, dangerous, or forbidden. I simply love her for those traits. Through my relationship with her I will encourage her to develop her adventourous spirit. Like me, she leaps and then looks.

Sweetheart, if you do not live a dangerous life then why do you need a captain?
Become a person that blindly follows God.

You have shown me the path to life, and you make me glad by being near to me. Sitting at your right side, I will always be joyful
Psa 16:11

Name that Historical Female

My daughter, Kit, loves to read about historical figures; especially female historical figures. At a loss for whom she should research next, she did a wise and profound thing. She asked me for some ideas.

“Dad, who would be a good historical female for me to study next?”

Of course she would ask me! I am full of such trivia; just wait and see.

“Kit, I’ve got it! I know the perfect person for you to study. I bet you’ve never heard of this historical female!”

(Rule one for Dads (Study of Historical Females):The study must be about a female who is brand new, and has never been studied before. It's even better if she has never been heard of .)

Kit with lots of anticipation replied “Great dad! Who?”

“Well, Kit how about Amelia Earhart”

I said this with an air of haughtiness thinking she wouldn’t have a clue.

Kit, rather anticlimatic, replied “Ok, dad isn’t she the first women to fly across the Atlantic and then

die in an airplane crash?”

(Rule Two for Dads (study of Historical Females): Have a back-up plan!)

“Oh, Ok so you’ve heard of her. Well how about the women who started the Red Cross? hmmm..... I can’t think of her name right now”

To this Kit replied

“Dad, don’t you mean Clara Barton?”

(Rule Number Three for Dads (study of Historical Females): Names are definitely important! Right up there with birthdays and anniversaries)