Hail to the Chief

This is President's Day in the U.S. Once observed on George Washington's birthday, during the Nixon administration it was designated by many states as Presidents Day to honor all the men who have served in that office

The President's arrival for many public appearances is announced with four ruffles (played by drums) and flourishes (by bugles) and the band playing "Hail to the Chief." The music was composed by James Sanderson around 1810 for verses from Sir Walter Scott's The Lady of the Lake: "Hail to the chief, who in triumph advances, Honored and bless'd be the evergreen pine!" It first became associated with American presidents in 1815 when it was played to honor George Washington and the end of the War of 1812. Later, more suitable lyrics were written by Albert Gamse, but they are rarely sung.

Hail to the Chief we have chosen for the nation,
Hail to the Chief! We salute him, one and all.
Hail to the Chief, as we pledge cooperation
In proud fulfillment of a great, noble call.

Yours is the aim to make this grand country grander,
This you will do, that's our strong, firm belief.
Hail to the one we selected as commander,
Hail to the President! Hail to the Chief!

I realize that not everyone who reads these lines actually believes we are headed toward being a grander nation. You may not have had a part in selecting our President as commander, and you are not ready to pledge cooperation in proud fulfillment. Nevertheless, the Scripture gives us a clear directive. "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. (I Timothy 2:1-4)

Some say, "Don't gripe if you didn't vote." Not that I'm in favor of griping, but I think that certainly one doesn't have a right to be griping if they're not praying!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

The Government on His Shoulders

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end." (Isaiah 9:6, 7)

If there are things about our government that trouble you, if you worry about our posture as a nation, if you fret about the world's "isms"—terrorism, humanism, socialism, and so on—remember that government finally rests and surely upon the shoulders of our God. For a time, He has given authority to the rulers of the world's nations, and eventually their rule will be over. His government will never end, but come to its full revelation when "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10, 11) Until then, don't be afraid!

Martin Luther wrote the great Reformation hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." One of the verses says, "That word [the name, Jesus] above all earthly powers—no thanks to them—abideth. The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also. The body they may kill; God's truth abideth still. His Kingdom is forever!"

Rejoice! The Savior, Redeemer, Governor has come!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Things Mama Taught Me: Why? "Because I Said So"

I'm not sure every parent or child advocate would agree that "Because I told you so," is a fitting answer when a child asks why. Surely they must recognize, though, that a whiny "why" because he/she does not want to cooperate is far different from "Why is the moon moving with us?" or "Why did Grandpa die?" These deserve the most thoughtful answers we can give. But breathes there a parent who has not replied to the seventeenth complaining "But why," with an exasperated, "Because I said so!"

My parents did not say this often, but when they did, I knew we had reached the end of the discussion. I would have to accept quietly the possibility that they knew what was good for me more clearly than I did. I might not agree, but I could not argue; the decision was not negotiable. This is one of the ways in which I learned that there existed authority to which I must defer, whether or not I understood or agreed.

There are rules that define our civic duty as well. One must stop at red lights, even if no one is approaching. You may not keep more than two dogs at your residence (in my city). Without my permission, other people must not take things out of my mailbox. Why? Because the authorities said so—and with good reason. We might not understand or agree, but we comply.

God has some rules too. Some of them He has explained clearly; others may not be so plain initially—although often we can see the wisdom of His commands when we are more mature as Christians. He does not bludgeon us with "Because I said so." Nevertheless, we sometimes have to accept what He has said without having discussion about it. "Thou shalt not kill." Thou shalt not commit adultery." "Thou shalt not steal." What is there not to understand?

"Rejoice in the Lord always." "Never stop praying." "Be kind to one another, forgiving each other." What difference does it make whether or not I keep these "rules"? Just why should I keep them?

Because He said so. He knows what is good for me more clearly than I do. I may not agree, but it doesn't help to argue. End of discussion.

MaryMartha

Perhaps you'll want to read or re-read, "It Doesn't Mean Me" [here]

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

God Is the Ruler Yet

I was about middle-school age when I learned that our national and state governments are comprised of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. I came eventually to understand that, although the men and women who served in these positions are worthy of respect, they are elected from among the citizens. They are, therefore, just like the rest of us, not always good, wise and fair. (A pity, that.)

This is no cause for despair, however, because "there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." (Romans 13:1) We can be sure that He is still in charge! In fact, our great God Himself holds all these offices: "For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us." (Isaiah 33:22)

As judge, God is taking care of His people. Yes, sometimes correction or even punishment is involved, but His purpose is to produce good in us. "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." (Ephesians 5:25-27) And you know how we get rid of stains and wrinkles, of course. Washing and ironing. Heat and pressure, right? That explains some of the difficult things we experience, doesn't it!

As lawgiver, He has established one on which all the others depend. Jesus said, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12) We have His very clear teaching about what constitutes the law: loving God with all our being is first and greatest commandment, "And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:27-40) We might suppose that all of this was new with Jesus, but that is not the case. It is as old as the commandments from Mt. Sinai, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." (Leviticus 19:18)

As king, He rules with unmixed love. What more is there to say? Even the most benevolent dictator is apt to favor some parts of society, while other leaders would spread (mis)information about their goodness in order to secure a following. Not God. Love is embedded in His very nature, and He cannot behave in any other way.

"This is my Father's world.
O let me ne'er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet."
     Maltbie D. Babcock, 1858-1901

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

But He Never Hit Me

Because of its relevance to women in particular, I have moved this post to my blog, "Claiming Our Selves," written especially for women. I invite you to read it here.

Eve and Consequences

Adam and Eve had the perfect marriage union before they disobeyed the direct command of God. While Adam was busy naming all of the animals, he kept looking for a helper, but there wasn’t one “just right for him.” So God made a woman out of a rib taken from Adam and brought her to the man. “At last!” Adam exclaimed. He recognized in Eve someone just like himself, yet different in ways that would make her the perfect complement and companion.

When blessing became curse because the couple ate forbidden fruit, God punished all of the participants. The serpent (Satan in disguise) became a despised creature, had to slither along on the ground, and would ultimately be conquered by woman’s Offspring (Jesus). The man’s efforts to make the earth--his work, in general--productive became much more difficult and sometimes even futile; eventually, he would die and return to the earth from which he came. (This would be true of all the human race, women as well as men.) The woman would endure pain in bearing children, and then God said to her, “And though you will have desire for your husband, he will rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16 margin)

This cannot, I am sure, be the beginning of human desire for one another. God had already written procreation into His plan, and He had already had “the talk” with the human beings telling them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.” So what is different now that sin has entered the picture? She will always want more than her husband is able to give. I do not see at all that this verse delegates Adam to take authority over Eve or for her to be subject to him in the sense of being controlled. She simply would have to accept the fact that she couldn’t make Adam be something that he was not able to be on his own. Now that they were out of touch with the Creator, what she wanted was going to be “overruled” by the sinful person she had to live with.

Although cultural norms in ancient days—and as recently as the last century in our own country—put women under the control of men, I do not believe this is taught in Scripture. (See my posts on authority and submission.) But just as Eve’s desires were overruled by Adam, there is no husband today who can ever be enough to satisfy the deepest yearnings of the woman to whom he is married. No matter how perfect the marriage, no matter how full of love and respect the relationship is, there is a need in them both that the other cannot fill. It was true for Adam and Eve; they needed God. They needed to walk with Him in the garden when the cool evening breezes blew. They needed to talk with Him, share their plans, and share His plans. If Adam and Eve in their perfect world found they needed more than just each other, how much more we in our troubled society need more than human intimacy!

But what if one sincerely believes that this “rule” over the woman does indeed mean she is to be obedient and submissive? Then consider the fact that this stipulation was the result of wrongdoing. It was not the original Divine intention. Wouldn’t it seem then that the more fully we give ourselves to following Jesus, the closer we could approach the ideal—harmony in our marriages and unbroken fellowship with God?

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com

Another Bad Word: Submission

This entry is now posted at http://claiming-our-selves.blogspot.com/2009/09/another-bad-word-submission/html

MaryMartha

Having Authority

Authority, the dictionary tells me, means several things: for one, the power to enforce obedience. In practical affairs, we often think of it as the right to tell others what to do. Wouldn’t you think that if anyone has that right, it would be those who know the law best? One would suppose that interpreters of the law would have, above all others, the understanding of what is expected of those under them. In Jesus’ day, that would be the scribes and/or the Pharisees. And yet, when Jesus taught, people were amazed, not only at what He said, but how He said it: with real authority.

Twice the Gospel writers tell us what happened. “When Jesus had finished saying these things [what we call The Sermon on the Mount], the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” (Matthew 7:28, 29 NIV) In the synagogue at Capernaum, “The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.” (Mark 1:22 NIV)

Those who listened were used to authority, even religious authority. But Jesus spoke with real authority, some versions emphasize, not like the other teachers. What made everyone so amazed at Jesus’ teaching? What’s the difference between real authority and not-real? Jesus did not enforce obedience; he invited obedience by His love and wisdom and hope.

Authority is a bad word to many people, a bad nine-letter word. They have no particular problem with submitting to governmental authority; they pay taxes, they obey traffic laws, they don’t participate in illegal activities. They deal successfully with authority in school or the workplace too. But when confronted with the idea of authority in the home or in the Church, they become confused, afraid, or stubborn. Why is this?

Authority in the places where the heart is drawn in—the home and the Church—where one’s most intimate self is exposed, can be a frightening concept. This is because many misunderstand what authority in these circumstances means. And who is it that most misunderstands? The authority figures themselves. It is perfectly clear to the person—most often a woman or a child in the home but anyone in the Church—who has been wounded by experiences of misuse or abuse what “authority” means. It means to be wary of those who can hurt them again. If the person(s) in authority cannot be trusted to act in one’s best interests, then it makes absolute sense to be watchful, perhaps even fearful of them.

There are indeed some willful women or naughty children and selfish, cranky church members. But far too often, those who say, “My wife won’t submit,” or “My kids better obey or else,” or “That church member is not conforming,” are requiring those who follow them to give up something of their personhood. They are asking that they themselves be lifted up as makers, interpreters, and enforcers of the law—and there is no one more dangerous to others in these situations than the person who presumes to know what is “good” or “right” for everyone and has the power to make them do it.

Jesus drew people, not with fear or threats, but with the force of love. Tax collectors and prostitutes knew He wouldn’t beat them into observing the law. Cowards and big-talkers alike knew there was grace for them. Children knew they would be welcome and they gravitated to Him. The sick and the mentally ill and even a dying thief somehow knew they could ask loving favor from this Man. And this brings us to another definition of authority: the power to influence thought and behavior.

Authority, to a lot of people, is a bad nine-letter word. It can be reduced, though, to a couple of four-letter words: l-o-v-e or f-e-a-r. Only the first carries authority that is real. And that is Jesus’ style.

A note: Do you know who made the statement about “the most dangerous person”? If so, help me give credit.)

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Scripture taken from The New International Bible, used by permission.

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com

The Shack (Book)

I recently finished reading, “The Shack,” a controversial but wildly popular new book of Christian fiction. (A few days ago, #2 on the USA Today bestseller list of trade paperbacks; yesterday #1 on the NY Times list of the same!) It has big-name recommendations printed right on the cover, and can a million or so people be wrong? (Yes, of course.) Even so, I found it less than engaging as a novel, not having the captivating beauty or staggering clarity I was told to expect. It does have, however, many very long passages of didactics by God the Father who appears to the main character as a large, outspoken black woman who loves to cook. Aided by an Asian-woman Holy Spirit who gardens in blue jeans, and by Jesus—a Jewish carpenter, naturally—God (called Papa) proceeds to teach Mack about the Trinity, and the suffering in life, and the ultimate plan of God.

Some readers can’t get past the “heresy” these characterizations represent to them. I’ll admit it wasn’t easy. Nevertheless, I came away from the reading with a new insight of significance. It is this: We will never quite understand the Trinity, because we cannot understand the Trinity. Mack marvels at the simple, beautiful, easy way the Three relate to each other. He can’t figure out who’s in charge; he’s always thought of God as being the Boss, but then that doesn’t seem to fit in this situation. So he asks about the chain of command.

God explains that there is no hierarchy because they are in a circle of relationship. Among themselves, they do not recognize the concept of a final authority. That is a problem only humans have; they are so damaged in their relationships that they cannot imagine—let alone function in—a situation where there is not someone in charge. He (She) goes on to say that once hierarchy has been established, rules have to be made to protect and administer it, hence laws and enforcers of law. People then end up with a system that destroys relationships rather than building them, and seldom experience any relationships without some expression of power. That is the human paradigm.

Mack objects that after all we’ve adapted pretty well to that system, and the Holy Spirit girl is quick to point out that he must not confuse adaptation with intention. Made in God’s image, humans were meant to be unencumbered by artificial structure, free to just “be” in their relationship with God and one another. That intention was spoiled by man’s choice to act independently of God. The first step to restoring God’s intention then, as much as we can on earth, is to find the unity with God that the Three have in themselves. Is this possible? Yes. Jesus prayed, “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us . . .” (John 17:21)

Get the book. Read it if you can.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)