Easter Tradition

I found Easter this year especially meaningful as I participated in the worship of a couple churches other than my own and encountered new ways to observe the season.

On Maundy Thursday, the night of the Last Supper, I attended a service reminding us of Jesus' humbly washing the disciples' feet. I grew up in a foot-washing church, but was really too young then to find it very significant. Since then I have taken part in only one such service. Many people now are uncomfortable with the custom and most churches no longer practice it. The church I attended Thursday washes one another's hands. The worship assistants poured water from a pitcher over each one's hands into a bowl, and then another person carefully and tenderly dried them with a white towel.

My first thought was “What? Washing hands is not the same as washing feet at all!” But of course, it is. We no longer wear sandals along dusty footpaths and need to wash our feet when we enter a home. Washing hands is probably as appropriate for today as washing feet was in Jesus' time. I found it a moving experience and a very fitting remembrance of Jesus' passion and death.

On Good Friday, I participated in another church's “Stations of the Cross.” A very large cross had been constructed of beams and rope. One of the men carried it as the little group moved from one place to another in the neighborhood. First a little park, then the school playground, then the corner  grocery store, then other places in the immediate vicinity—seven in all, with the last one in the sanctuary. At each station, someone from a specific church ministry (youth fellowship, evangelism committee, men's group, and so on) read a passage from the crucifixion story and an appropriate prayer, then another person led in prayer for that part of the community (the children, the businesses, etc.) This too was a different sort of reminder that the the truth of Jesus' sacrifice is for everyone, not just the Church.

Most of my life, I have observed Easter in the customary ways: a new dress, the Easter cantata, an egg hunt and candy for the kids, and ham dinner. This year was different, and very meaningful.

MaryMartha

Art from http://lavistachurchofchrist.org and http://www.sxc. hu/

Don't Take It Personally

I have often wondered why Moses was called the meekest or most humble man on earth. (See Numbers 12:3) I discovered the other day some things about him that I had never realized before. Moses was so incensed at the injustice meted out to his brethren by the Egyptian taskmasters, that he killed one of the overseers and buried him in the sand. Witness, judge, jury, executioner—Moses was all of those that day. He stepped in where only God had the right. Humble, was he? I don't think so.

Now, move ahead many years. Moses has been out in the wilderness as a sheepherder for forty years. He has met the great I AM. He has a call to lead God's people out of their bondage. He is no longer ready to take things into his own hands; in fact, he has so much personal reluctance that God is displeased by the lack of godly confidence he has. Moses has seen God display His power in the series of plagues that troubled Egypt; he has seen the Red Sea opened for the Israelites to pass through; he has seen water provided miraculously for the huge crowd of travelers.

But then, a month and a half into the journey, the supplies the crowd had brought with them are depleted. Perhaps only a few complained at first, but eventually there was a groundswell of discontent in the camp. "We were better off in Egypt," the people whined. "There we had meat and bread, but out here we are going to starve to death. Moses, do something."


"Your sin is not against me,
but against GOD.

And Moses, who had now learned something about letting God be God, replied, "Your complaints are not against Aaron and me and I am not taking them personally, because you are complaining against God." (Notice that the people had not bothered to complain to God, but only against Him to whoever would listen. Pretty typical.)



Part of Moses' reputation for meekness then, I believe, was coming to the understanding that he should stay out of God's business. It is very easy for us to involve ourselves in applying guilt to those whom we think should feel guilty, and in condemning those who deserve condemnation. We may even keep our distance from those who claim to be Christian but whose fellowship would embarrass, confuse, or "compromise" us. There are some things we just do not need to worry about, take offense over, and try to correct; they are God's business and not our concern.



Granted, if we are offended, we must forgive, but I have just discovered that some of the things I was struggling to forgive were not mine to handle at all. The sin was not, in the final analysis, against me but against God. Forgiveness was not required if I would just let go! That must be why the Apostle Paul wrote, "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord." (Romans 12:19)



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



Art from http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/Pictures

In the Middle

I am a middle child. Growing up, I was too little to do what the big kids do, too big to act like the little ones! "It ain't easy being me!"

It's good to be in the middle of some things. I'm in the middle of a project. I drive in the middle of country roads to avoid the hazards along the edge. I am in the middle of a great book I'm reading.

It's not so good to be in the middle of some other things. I was caught in the middle of this huge traffic jam. We're in the middle of allergy season. He or she likes to be in the middle of things.

Ah! It's that last "in the middle" that often gets us into difficulty!

4Not every conversation I hear is intended to include me. If I decide to "butt in," I'd better be certain what I have to say is going to be welcomed. Staying out of the middle is well-advised.

4Not every problem that I observe someone having requires my input. Really think about it before getting in the middle.

4Not every dramatic situation that is brought to me for pity actually needs a pitying response. Stay out of the middle.

4Not everyone needs me to defend them. Stay out of the middle.

4Not every idea that floats through my head deserves to be spoken. "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool," Abraham Lincoln said, "than to speak out and remove all doubt." Stay out of the middle.

4Not every idea presented by someone else has to have my approval or veto. It's often wisest to stay out of the middle.

4Not every experience of mine makes me an expert on a seemingly similar experience of someone else. For sure, stay out of the middle!

4Not every issue—theological, political, or social—requires me to have a fully-formed, defendable opinion on the matter. Wait a good long while before getting in the middle of debate.

4Not every cause, regardless how good, has a claim to my resources. Be careful how many of those "middles" I get into.

It seems, doesn't it, that I am better off not being in the middle of a lot of business that is not strictly my own? This doesn't necessarily mean lack of caring. If you look back over the list, you will see that it mainly means not talking too much!

The Book of Proverbs has some good advice about talking. Here are a few verses, and there are many more:

• Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. (10:19)

• Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. (13:3)

• The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words. (15:28)

• A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. (17:27)

Remembering these Scriptures will help me stay out of the middle of things that are "none of my beeswax"—the softer way of saying "This is none of your business," used often by those bigger kids in my little life!

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/

"This Is a Test"

You've heard the radio announcers say it: "The following is a test of the emergency alert system. This is only a test." Had there been an actual emergency, we would have been given further instructions, but since it was only a test, we just waited for regular programming to be resumed.

Our daily lives are not equipped with such warnings about a test. We think we know testing when it comes—some difficult person, a distasteful task, a hard-to-solve problem. Testing is often presented in those ways, but sometimes it comes to us in a less recognizable form, and we find ourselves unprepared. "Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised. (Proverbs 27:21) How we react to our "fifteen minutes of fame" is very telling. It is a test.

If you read the newspaper, listen to the news, or even just look around, you can see examples of people who worked very hard to earn their prominent place in business, politics, or religion. Difficulty did not stop them, criticism did not faze them, sacrifice did not discourage them. But when they got to the top, praise and its companions felled them. Adulation, popularity, power, and the money that frequently accompany these, were more than they could handle.

Must we then avoid those things which might make us "important"? No, not necessarily. Just remember, "This is a test." It is, after all, not so much what we have done. Scripture tells us it is God "who brought us out of Egypt," God who "arms us with strength," God who "removes mountains," and God who "avenges us." It is God alone who judges, bringing down one and exalting another. It is God who justifies, God who shows mercy, God who enables us to stand firm. One has only to read the history of the Israelites to see what happened/happens to those who forget the source of their success—and fail the test.

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 www.wpclipart.com

The Gospel According to . . . Whom?

For a long time, we read Oswald Chambers and Dwight L. Moody and E. M. Bounds for inspiration and spiritual instruction. These were really, really serious servants of Jesus Christ! It's with some frequency now that we read or hear a new "take" on what it really means to participate in the Kingdom of God. In 2000, Bruce Wilkinson's book, "The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life," inspired a host of derivatives: three versions written for children and one for women, a journal, a book of devotions, a Bible study, a musical "worship experience," and a wide array of official merchandise including key chains, mugs, backpacks, Christmas ornaments, scented candles, mouse pads, and jewelry.

Then in 2002, the Christian book world was taken by storm with Rick Warren's "The Purpose-Driven Life." This is it! Read this book as a 40-day personal spiritual journey and find God's five purposes for human life on earth! Discover the blueprint for Christian living in the 21st Century! And this year, Joel Osteen with "Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential." It's not creating big waves, but I recently read, "Sin Bravely: A Joyful Alternative to a Purpose-Driven Life" by Mark Ellingsen, an open (though kindly) rebuttal—with some merit, I might add—of this decade's authors.

So who's right? Well, probably they all are.

What? Really? How could they all be right? Somebody has to be missing it, don't they, because they are all so different; Oswald Chambers and Rick Warren are just not in the same ballpark at all.

What we often fail to understand is that the truths of the Kingdom are like precious gems that catch the light in different ways as they are held one way and then another. Don't misunderstand me; there is but one way into the Kingdom of God. Jesus explained to Nicodemus that one must be born into it. But how Kingdom life is lived out is as varied as the people who make up the Kingdom. No one can claim that he/she understands God best because they worship with "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Merciful and Mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!" The Christian is no less spiritual who chooses to sing, "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. I want to see You." It is a different facet of wonderful truth.

Jesus Himself exemplified balance in the Gospel message. One time He said, "As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work." (John 9:4) Another time He invited, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Different people, or the same people at different times, need to hear specific emphases which are different aspects of the same message. For hundreds of years, the Church has found balance through those whose teachings hold up into the light one certain thing or another one.

What an illuminated understanding of the Gospel can be ours if we are open to as many different understandings as are consistent with the Scripture!

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.

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

Reconciling

I ran across an interesting book the other day, entitled Lousy Rotten Stinkin' Grapes. This is a retelling of the famous Fox and Grapes fable especially for children, wherein the Fox mightily desires the delectable grapes hanging just out of his reach. He is full of convoluted plans for engaging the other animals in reaching the tantalizing prize. But since he considers himself sly, clever, and smart, he rejects their other more practical suggestions. When all his efforts fail, he goes off in a huff, declaring that he wouldn't dream of eating those lousy, rotten, stinkin' grapes which are probably sour anyway!

The Fox's grand expectations were blindsided by cold reality. His independent thinking was confronted by an inescapable new understanding. He had a choice to make: either change his usual cocky attitude and listen to advice, or rationalize why he no longer was going after the delicious-looking grapes.

People as well as fabled foxes sometimes come to a place in life where we find ourselves saying, "This doesn't make sense. This is not how it's supposed to be," or "I don't see why doesn't this work out for me," or even, "I can't believe this is happening. I thought if I lived for God, He would look out for me." We say this because we cannot "reconcile" two very different views. On one hand, we have our customary attitudes, beliefs, and awareness of our selves. On the other hand are the realities or realizations that make us uncomfortable by being inconsistent with our previously-held view! When we cannot fully give up one in preference to the other but try to hold the contradictory ideas simultaneously, we may feel anxious, guilty, embarrassed, or angry. Like the Fox.

I have learned that I am not going to figure everything out. I will not always get my own way—even when I know good and well it's the right way! Not every new idea—even when it has the ring of real truth—will cause me to say, "Oh, that's right. Now I see!" I will have to give up knowing the reason for some things. I cannot define every decision as a choice between black and white. I will not be able to reconcile every duo of opposing ideas, deciding this one is right and this one is not. So what to do?

I will find peace in knowing that life's inconsistencies are not a problem for God. "He [Christ] was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross." (Colossians 1:18-20)

If you can't figure it out, let it go. If it doesn't go your way, well, maybe next time. If you don't know for sure what you think about a certain situation or issue, maybe you don't need to know yet. If you can't see the reason for something, relax; either you'll see the reason after awhile—or you won't. If you think that all your issues will be clearly black or white, you're missing the shades of gray that add perspective to a picture. And if you try to reconcile everything to yourself, you're really going to be frustrated because you're trying to take over Jesus' job!

MaryMartha

You may want to read: "What Job Learned about Reasons" [here]

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

On Owning Stuff

A missionary to Sri Lanka spoke at my church a few days ago. At the close of the service, he gave us a Buddhist monk's bowl to add to the articles on display from the many nations represented in our congregation. A monk had given it to him, stating, "All that I own in the world could be placed in this bowl."

The speaker did not elaborate, but many Buddhist monks own only these few things: their robes, that begging or alms bowl, needle and thread, a razor, and a water strainer. Sometimes we read of people who escape fire or flood with "only the clothes on their backs," but to choose such poverty voluntarily is quite another thing. I'm not advocating that we all do that, but God has actually made us with pretty simple needs—that is, actual needs. The Apostle Paul advises young Timothy, "True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. (I Timothy 6:6-10) We have made things complicated for ourselves by our lust for stuff!

It's interesting to me that we spend most of our lives accumulating things—many of which we don't need and may find we don't even really want—only to realize as we get older that now we want to "downsize," and we must start de-accumulating! I am an inveterate "saver," having acquired that specific gene, I think, from my mother! I had way too much stuff because I was convinced that some day I might need it again, but if I had thrown it out or given it away, I might have difficulty replacing it. The Lord gently reproved me, "I gave it to you once. Don't you think if you need it again, I can give it to you again?" Of course, He can and He has!

I have a long way to go yet to dis-possess myself of so much stuff. The begging bowl was a pointed reminder.

MaryMartha

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.

Things Mama Taught Me: Say "I'm Sorry"

But what if I'm not sorry? Or what if I'm sorry only that my action was discovered? That made no difference to my mother. She knew that the humbling process of apologizing was a step toward genuine sorrow, especially if accompanied by corrective measures so that I didn't care to repeat it! Action often has to precede emotion; if I say "sorry" and act out "sorry," the chances are good that I will eventually feel sorry as well.

Wouldn't it have been nice if, as a child, I had had a PR person following me around, declaring, "She didn't really mean that. What she intended to say was . . ." On a regular basis, we hear leaders in politics, religion, and business offering their sort-of apologies: "I'm sorry you misunderstood . . . " "A lot of people were hurt . . . " "I did not intend to . . . " Do you ever get the feeling that given the same opportunity but with the assurance that this time they could avoid being caught, the offenders would probably repeat their action? Whatever happened to "I was wrong. I'm sorry. Please forgive me and I'll never do this again"? As documented by primatologists, even chimpanzees have reconciliation protocols, which sometimes look a lot like handshaking. Obviously, they had mothers who taught them to say, "I'm sorry."

The horror of many a crime or tragic accident is mitigated by the genuine remorse the offender demonstrates. Even judges are not immune to the presence—or absence—of authentic regret. For those who have suffered loss, sometimes the closure afforded by seeing the sorrow of the one who caused their grief is as important as the sentence handed down by the court. Too often they are denied that relief by someone who is not even sorry for the pain they have created.

"For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death." (II Corinthians 7:10) Saying "I'm sorry" when we're wrong is good for us.

MaryMartha

You may want to read the post Never Saying "Sorry." Click on the title.

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.

"Don't Confuse Me with the Facts"

I don't know who said it first. The old saw has been around for a long time: "My mind is made up—don't confuse me with the facts."

I was pointedly reminded of that again a few days ago. Every year for ten years or so, family members and I searched unsuccessfully for the River Festival medallion. This is a blue and gold disk—plastic, I think—which was hidden somewhere in a public place in our city, usually a park. During the annual River Festival in May, clues to its whereabouts were published daily in the newspaper until it was located by someone who had figured out the meaning of the obscure references to historical events, literature and art, contemporary entertainment, and local trivia, both past and present. The clues might be straightforward, or they might be nonsense unless arranged as an anagram or an acrostic, or read backwards, or interpreted by the letters on the telephone dial. You just never knew!

Always the clues have been ambiguous. Once—only once—we were actually in the right park, although we didn't locate the medallion. We usually decided fairly early where we should look, and after that we related the clues to that place, "squeezing" them into meaning something significant. Finally, as the end of the hunt neared, we would have to conclude that we just couldn't make sense of them, and that we were not at the right place after all.

After a hiatus of several years, the Medallion Hunt was returned this year as part of the Festival, a "virtual" hunt this time, and once again I joined the search. Since there was not an actual object to find, I didn't know until the contest ended that I was mistaken once again. I was so sure I knew where it was! When the hiding place was announced, I was truly amazed! Why, this time every clue definitely pointed to the place I had chosen! Yes, I could see how the real place was described by the clues, but my choice was actually better! In other words, "My mind is made up—don't confuse me with the facts."

This is a small and perhaps foolish example of a closed mind! It made clear to me once again how easy it is to determine how things are—or how they should be—and simply not consider any other possibilities. Social issues, politics, interpretation of others' words and actions, even religion—all of these tend to get trapped by an opinion beyond which we simply cannot see any alternative. The closed mind is especially dangerous when it insists on that view only and cannot allow others to think differently.

Jesus did not scold question-askers unless they had ulterior motives; He Himself was a questioner by the time He was twelve years old. It doesn't hurt to admit that we just don't have all the answers! Even though we can rightly claim to have "renewed minds" through Christ, none of us have all the facts all the time. "Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good." (I Thessalonians 5:21)

MaryMartha

Scripture is from the New American Standard Bible, used by permission of The Lockman Foundation, www.lockman.org

The Great Reversal

The world is upside down! And hardly anyone knows it.

A great many people equate success with power. They suppose that the way to become powerful—in the home or school, in the business world, or even in the church milieu—is to fight one's way up.

"Get a good education," they say, "whatever you do. Nothing beats the proper training."

"Work hard," others say, "and you'll be successful. Nothing beats good old 'sweat of your brow.' "

"Be prepared to start at the bottom," some counsel. "Nothing beats experience."

And though they would never dare say it aloud, others believe, "Step on a few folks on your way up, if necessary. Nothing beats opportunity."

Jesus had a completely different formula for success. In fact, His definition of success was very different too—not "up" but "down."

-- “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else." (Mark 10:42-44 NLT)

-- "Anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first." (Matthew 19:29, 30 MSG)

-- “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep . . . No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily . . ." On the cross, "He said, 'It is finished!' Then he bowed his head and released his spirit." (John 10:11, 18; 19:30 NLT)

The Apostle Paul, the all-time great among Christians, also understood the upside-downness of the world's commonly-held view. In the press of a difficult circumstance, he asked God three times for relief. Each time, the Lord answered, " 'My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.' Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become." (II Corinthians 12:9, 10 MSG)

But what about ordinary people like us? The power of which Jesus and Paul spoke works for us too! "The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor satisfaction to the wise, nor riches to the smart, nor grace to the learned." (Ecclesiastes 9:11 MSG) Although the Teacher who made this observation concluded pessimistically that sooner or later bad luck comes to all, the truth is this: Everyone has to endure hard things, but only those who know the secret of The Great Reversal can make those difficulties generate power!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations marked NLT 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. Scriptures marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

It's Hard to Be Humble

A co-worker of mine arrived today with a cross-shaped smear of ashes on her forehead. I knew immediately that early this morning she had appeared at her place of worship for “the imposition of ashes.” This is Ash Wednesday which is the beginning of Lent, the forty days (excluding Sundays) which precede Easter. The pouring of ashes on one’s body is an ancient practice symbolizing mourning or repentance. It is this latter idea that is represented by the modern practice.

Typically, those who wish to participate approach the altar or communion rail where the pastor or priest applies ashes on the forehead of each person, then repeats the words God spoke to our first parents after they had sinned, “Dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” While not commanded by God, many Christians choose on this day to wear the symbol that reminds all of us of our mortality and sinfulness. Not one of us is sufficient on our own, but all need the redemption offered by the Savior represented by the cross.

So, since seeing that ashy cross this morning, I have been thinking about humility. I had to smile, remembering the family gathering last summer where one of my nieces gave a truly funny rendition of the old Mac Davis song: “Oh Lord it's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way. . .” The trouble is, there are many people whose attitude is nearly that arrogant. Oh, they probably wouldn’t be so bold as to state it in those words, but they insist, “I’m as good as anybody.” “Religion is for the soft and weak.” “I don’t need God.”

Yes, it’s hard to be humble. It is hard to admit, “I am just like Adam, a sinner.” Dying and returning to dust is something we would rather not think about too much. But whether we wear the symbolic ashes or not, whether we even acknowledge the Lenten season or not, our need for repentance and the fact of our mortality are real.

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com

Watching the Symphony

A few evenings ago I attended a concert presented by our area symphony and their guest performers. I often listen to orchestral music, but I don't very often get to watch it being made! Arriving early, I saw the members of the orchestra come in a few at a time and take their places. They began to warm up their instruments and their fingers (and also their lips for those playing wind instruments). Some played scales, some went over parts of the musical score—every man or woman for him/her self. As the stage filled with musicians, there was a cacophony of sound, not really unpleasant but not very melodious either.

Just before the hour when the concert was to begin, the concertmaster made his entrance. The audience applauded him, and he acknowledged us with a bow. Turning to the orchestra, he signaled to the first player in the oboe section, and the oboist sounded a clear, beautiful note (an A, in case you're interested, and it's the oboe because it has the most reliable pitch). Then every player sounded the note and tuned any off-key instrument. The oboe sounded the note again, and then a third time while all the instrumentalists checked their pitch carefully. I noted that although the conductor had yet to appear and begin the performance, the orchestra was creating harmonious sound under the leadership of that one person.

The program of music which followed was simply wonderful, and the guest performers dazzling! I kept watching as well as listening. All those violinists make their bows go back and forth at the same time, and the other stringed instruments are handled that way too. How do they do that? I have since learned that the concertmaster, who is the principal player in the first violin section, is the one mainly responsible for establishing the appropriate bowings for the string section, which affects their musical technique as well as the "look" of the ensemble.

The concertmaster sits in the "first chair" next to the conductor's podium and customarily plays the violin solos that occur within the orchestral pieces. Glenn Dicterow is concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, one of the world's premiere symphony orchestras. In an interview several years ago, he stated that perhaps the hardest aspect of being a concertmaster is to be part of a sea of sound—and then come out as a soloist for ten seconds, and then again be part of the complex sound. "It's a challenge," he said. "You have to learn how to be not just a stellar player, but how to play with other people—how to meld in and not stand out, how to be part of the team and help that team along." When Dicterow goes on tour as a soloist with other orchestras, and if he performs early in the program, he sometimes sits with the second violins in the back after the intermission. It is harder to play in the back of a section than in the front, and he empathizes with the people who sit back there, twenty or thirty feet from the conductor and the concertmaster's cues and near the brass and percussion. So why am I telling you all this?

• Christians can't do their own thing. We need a Leader, and we need those who are commissioned by Him to help us give consistent evidence of His grace.
• We need to tune to the "A" note that Jesus sounded. We won't be exactly alike, just as violins and trumpets have different voices. But we all need to find the pitch that resonates with His.
• We have some written instructions, the Word of God, just as the string sections in the orchestra have a score with notes to play and technique to follow.
• Leaders who have a highly visible ministry must never forget how hard it is to be "just" an usher, the snack-preparer for children's church, or the parking lot attendant.

Keeping these things in mind, we can make beautiful music together!

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com

Never Saying "Sorry"

"Love means never having to say you're sorry," is a popular line from the 1970 romance novel/film by Erich Segal. Love Story became the top selling work of fiction for all of 1970 in the United States, and was translated into more than 20 languages. The quotation above is perhaps even more enduring than the book itself. In 2005, the American Film Institute compiled a list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema. The "never saying sorry” line was #13.

The quote is often parodied. For example, a character on Rugrats says, “Being bad means never having to say you’re sorry,” and John Lennon is supposed to have said, “Love means having to say you're sorry every fifteen minutes.” Segal’s original meaning of the quote in his novel, “Love is not ever having to say you’re sorry,” is all but forgotten: not being sorry that we (the young couple) had loved and “lost,” not having regrets or blame. In the film, the line is used another time as the husband is about to apologize for his anger. His wife then responds with the famous words about never saying “sorry.”

When I first heard the words used that way, I knew instinctively that they were not true. Are we really so sure of ourselves that we think we are never going to make a mistake, even in a close relationship? (Maybe especially in a close relationship) I am with Lisa of The Simpsons. When the family was watching “Love Story,” and heard Jennifer say that love means never saying “sorry,” Lisa said “No, it doesn’t!” And I’m with the bag-of-rocks music professor (Ryan O’Neal) in “What’s Up, Doc?” who responded with “That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard.”

Part of being mature is being able to recognize when offense has been taken, even if unintended, and being willing to take responsibility for it. Perhaps a simple, humble explanation will help, or perhaps not. Perhaps something can be done to make amends; perhaps not. But at the very least, one should have the respect and courtesy to say, and to mean it, “I am sorry.”

(And by the way, don’t add, “But you . . .”)

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com

Don't Be Surprised

There are many surprises in the Christian life, for God is infinitely creative in His relationship with us! There are some things, however, that take us by surprise that really shouldn’t if we are careful readers of the Word.

— Don’t be surprised on the insistence that one must be “born again.” A co-worker of mine has a new baby daughter. He is not at all reluctant to tell us that Bridget was born yesterday morning because that’s how she arrived here to participate in human life—she was born. Jesus tried to explain to Nicodemus, a respected Jewish teacher, that if he wanted to participate in the Kingdom of God, he needed to be born a second time. Both kingdoms, the earthly one and the heavenly one, are entered by birth. Jesus told him, “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ “ (John 3:6, 7 NLT)

We were meant for the heavenly Kingdom; that was God’s plan all along, so don’t be surprised! Believing that to be true is as natural an expectation as telling an airliner sitting on the runway, “Don’t be surprised that I am expecting you to take off and fly. You were made to fly!”

— Don’t be surprised that Jesus is both Savior and Judge. The Jewish rulers were in an uproar because the Lord had healed a crippled man on the Sabbath. He took this opportunity to declare very openly His connection to the Father. He explained that in “an hour that is coming—and now is—” those who are dead in their sins receive life by hearing (believing) Him. He could give life because He was the Son of God; He was one with God. He also claimed that authority to judge had been given to Him. He could judge because he was the Son of Man; He was one of us. “Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.” (John 5:25-29 NLT)

— Don’t be surprised at God’s interventions. One afternoon Peter and John went up to the temple to the three o’clock prayer meeting. They were stopped by a crippled beggar who wanted alms, and the disciples gave Him what they had—the life of Jesus Christ! The man got up and went into the temple with them, leaping and praising God. When all the people saw the man whom they knew had been lame from his birth, they were amazed. Peter, seeing that he now had an audience, addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness? For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this.” (Acts 3:12, 13 NLT)

— Don’t be surprised at your difficulties. “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.” (I Peter 4:12, 13) Sometimes it is very difficult to wait for the glory, whether at the end of the particular trial or the end of life itself. “Hold on, my child, joy comes in the morning; weeping only lasts for the night. Hold on, my child, joy comes in the morning; the darkest hour means dawn is just in sight.” (Reader, do you know the author?)

— Don’t be surprised when not everyone accepts you. I often hear people lament the restraint or ridicule that Christians face in their workplaces, schools, or communities. Such mild opposition does not even merit the label “persecution” when every day Christians in some parts of the world are losing their lives for the faith. As the writer to the Hebrews cautioned, “In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves.” (Hebrews 12:4 MSG) Some Christians are angry at those who oppose them, even murderous in their hearts, but “we must not be like Cain, who joined the Evil One and then killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because he was deep in the practice of evil, while the acts of his brother were righteous. So don't be surprised, friends, when the world hates you. This has been going on a long time.” (I John 3:12, 13 MSG)

So . . . Don’t be too surprised. You’ve been warned!

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Scripture quotations marked NLT 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. Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com

Sarah and Her Daughters

Sarah is another woman of the Bible in whom I have a great interest. She is the prototype for women of faith, standing almost alone in the Scripture’s “Hall of Faith” (chapter 11 of Hebrews). She is a held up as stellar example of another characteristic as well: submission. The Apostle Peter writes that the holy women of the past put their hope in God and were submissive to their husbands, “like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.” (I Peter 3:6 NIV, emphasis mine)

Sarah, in her submission to her husband, was reflecting the culture surrounding her, both religious and secular: Women, even several wives, were part of a man’s possessions. Sarah was submissive to the point of risking her own integrity, cooperating twice with her husband’s deceit in calling her his “sister” (technically, his half-sister, so a half-truth) rather than acknowledging that she was his wife. There is no record of her objections. She was submissive because she was owned by him.

Even given these facts, I cannot imagine that Sarah sounded very submissive when she learned that Abraham was taking Isaac, the long-awaited promised son, off to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him. Perhaps something like this:

“You’re going to do what? Are you out of your mind?”

“Not Isaac! Ishmael maybe. But not my baby!”

“Well, you’re not taking him. It’ll be over my dead body!”

And finally, “You will not be coming into my tent again for the rest of your life!”

Abraham was not to be deterred. He insisted. Loudly.

I can imagine that at last, weary with weeping and pleading, Sarah gave in. What else could she do? She couldn’t very well bite and claw until she got her way. And what if her husband had indeed heard from God? She did not want to rebel against the Almighty. She was more afraid of offending God than she was of her husband’s actions. That is why the Scripture says, “You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do. (1 Peter 3:6 NLT, emphasis mine). The MaryMartha version is “Do what is right, regardless.”

Things may not have gone smoothly for Abraham when he returned home either, even though Isaac came back safely with him. There must have been some pretty vigorous discussion! Still, most couples go through times of disagreement and have to negotiate a solution, even sometimes with a mediator. Unfortunately, some women that you and I know, and many that we do not, are in terrible, nonnegotiable circumstances. What can they do?

I personally believe there are some absolutes:

(1) Submission is not an imperative for women only. The Apostle Paul is often quoted on the subject, but before he addresses husbands and wives separately, he says to all his readers, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21 NLT) Not even learned Bible scholars agree on how far wifely submission should go when there is not the mutual submission clearly taught by the Scripture. It would be very difficult for those outside the situation to determine exactly what the answer is for someone else. We are Sarah’s daughters. We will “do what is right without giving way to fear.”

(2) The key feature of submission, as I understand it, is humility. One contemporary writer cautioned that an outwardly meek and dutiful wife could nonetheless be harboring a bitter and rebellious spirit. While that is true, I offer the counter suggestion that an inwardly gentle and submissive wife might very well speak unequivocal words and take decisive action. We are Sarah’s daughters. We will “do what is right without giving way to fear.”

(3) God’s original intention for marriage was companionship. All the while Adam was naming the animals, he must have seen that they were in pairs, yet he himself had no one. God saw this, and He said, “It's not good for the Man to be alone; I'll make him a helper, a companion." (Genesis 2:18 The Message) Taking one of Adam’s ribs, He made woman and presented her to the Man. Adam saw immediately, “This beautiful creature is like me! But different too. What a great idea!” And this, the Scripture explains, is why “a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” God really did have a great plan! It is we who have managed to make, in many cases, a mockery of His intention with our marriage hierarchies of master-servant or parent-child or advisor-learner or controller-subordinate. We are Sarah’s daughters. We will “do what is right without giving way to fear.”

(4) We love and serve the God of hope. He is absolutely aware of the situation; He is in it with the sufferers. He will certainly make a way, although it is not the same for everyone. Most women will need wise counsel; some will need legal advice or intervention by the law; some will need a safe place for awhile. God will give hope to some in their situation; He will give hope to others out of theirs. But we are Sarah’s daughters, and we will do what is right without giving way to fear.”

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Scripture quotation marked NIV is 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. Scripture quotations marked NLT 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. Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com

Things Mama Taught Me: Wash Before You Come to the Table

On Celebrating the “Lord’s Supper”

My mother was not unique among mothers in requiring us, her children, to wash our hands before we sat down to eat. There must be some special insight that mothers have in order to know, even without examination, that hands need to be washed! And mothers were not alone. The teachers in our rural school also insisted on hand-washing. One of the older students labored arduously (and proudly) to produce water from the creaky outdoor pump or in freezing weather presided over a water bucket and dipper. Washing before we came to the table was just a given.

When we come to the Lord’s Table—or differing faith communities may say, “observe the Eucharist,” or “receive Communion”—there are aspects of getting ready. Sufficient spiritual preparation is expected of Roman Catholic and Orthodox believers prior to receiving Holy Communion, sacramentally confessing any grave, deliberate sin. In Anglican and Episcopalian practice, it is “required that we should examine our lives, repent of our sins, and be in love and charity with all people.” Lutherans are taught to prepare to receive this sacrament through prayerful reflection upon their sinful nature, their need for a Savior, and the promise that their sins are forgiven for the sake of Jesus' death on the Cross. In Methodism, the table is “open,” that is, made available to all people, reflected in the general invitation, "Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another." Presbyterian and other Reform Protestant churches urge “ . . . examining themselves of their being in Christ, of their sins and wants; of the truth and measure of their knowledge, faith, repentance; love to God and the brethren, charity to all men, forgiving those that have done them wrong; of their desires after Christ, and of their new obedience; and by renewing the exercise of these graces, by serious meditation, and fervent prayer.” There are many other beliefs too, including that of the Quakers who do not use any physical elements at all, their silence indicating communion with the Lord and fellowship with one another.

Clearly, the various traditions differ widely in defining what happens at the Table, who may participate, and what happens afterwards. The common thread in these instructions, however, is something like my mother’s admonition: “Wash before you come to the Table.” The prayer of King David is appropriate at this time, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 KJV) Preparation to receive this remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for us is not only about our relationship with Him, although that is supremely important. In many of the practices outlined above, those who participate are also to examine their relationship with others. The greatest commandment, the Scripture tells us, is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. “The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:31 NLT) Jesus Himself demonstrated the right attitude for us, humbly taking a servant’s place and washing each disciple’s feet—even the feet of Judas whom He knew would betray Him only a few hours later. “What I have done, you should do for each other,” He explained. Although a few groups follow Jesus’ example literally and conduct a ceremony of actually washing each other’s feet, we all, at the very least, are to have the same quality of loving and serving others.

If you are in a faith community that observes this sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, think the next time of the meaning of participation. And what if, on examination, one finds he/she is lacking readiness? Although the centuries-old wording sounds strange in these times, I love what one tradition expresses in their catechism.

“One who doubts of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, may have true interest in Christ, though he be not yet assured thereof; and in God's account has it, if he be duly affected with the apprehension of the want of it, and unfeignedly desires to be found in Christ, and to depart from iniquity: in which case (because promises are made, and this sacrament is appointed, for the relief even of weak and doubting Christians) he is to bewail his unbelief, and labor to have his doubts resolved; and, so doing, he may and ought to come to the Lord's Supper, that he may be further strengthened." (Answer, question 172, “The Westminster Larger Catechism,” 1648, emphasis mine)

The message of inclusion is clear: Come to the Table. Wash your hands on the way.

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Scripture marked KJV is from the Holy Bible, King James Version. Scripture quotation marked NLT 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

Not Just for Show

“Ma’am!” the young man working in the back yard called. “Your sundial is in the shade! You can’t use it to tell time if it’s in the shade!”

“Oh, I don’t expect it to tell time,” I explained. “I only wanted something to decorate that old stump. It’s just there for show.”

“Just for show,” I mused. I wonder how much of my Christian demeanor is genuine, Spirit-directed, and useful for pointing to Jesus, the Light of the world—and how much is just for show?

Just for show. Can it be that some of the criticism directed toward Christian believers is justified? “You act superior,” someone says. “You act like no one has quite as good a connection to God as you have. You act as though some spiritual experience or accomplishment demonstrates your excellence in the Kingdom of God.”

Can this be true? Do we ever attempt to use the power and presence of God to prove somehow our own significance or superiority? This is so wrong! “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (II Corinthians 4:7 NIV)

It is true that God chooses a certain kind of person to be of value in the Kingdom, but it is not the “superior” kind that one might suppose! This is what the Apostle Paul says. “God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose those who are low born [margin], things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. (I Corinthians 1:27-29 NLT)

It’s plain in the Scripture that nothing in God’s eternal plan is just for show. No manifestation of power, spiritual wisdom, gifts or graces is just for show. We are His workmanship, “created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” We were not designed to pose prettily, but to function effectively in sharing the Good News. Are we content to be part of the décor like my non-functional sundial, or will we give ourselves to purposeful ministry in the place God has put us?

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Scripture quotation marked NIV is 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. Scripture quotation marked NLT 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

How We Got Here

It was going to be a wonderful evening with an elegant dinner and a special Christmas concert. A group of us had elected, just this once, to celebrate in style, and we had arrived in a long white limousine with uniformed driver! In our holiday finery, we stood waiting in the hall for our names to be called. But when almost everyone had already been conducted to their seats, we began to worry a bit. It was obvious, wasn’t it, that we too were here for the party? Should we ask the hostess if there was going to be a place for all of us? Should we tell one of the escorts that we did indeed have tickets? Were we going to be snubbed? No, we decided, we would just wait and see what happened, and one party-goer expressed it for everyone, “Never mind, we know how we got here.”

Sometimes we look with almost-envy at individuals who have acquired something we would like to have too, who have the home or the marriage or the job that is our own ideal. We see those who have achieved something we have longed for ourselves and have been denied. But we don’t know how they got there! We see those who have capacities and personal traits we wish we had, influence and abilities—and even faith. But we don’t know how they got there! A young woman once told a prominent Christian leader, “Oh, I’d give everything to be like you,” and he replied, “My dear, that’s just what it will cost you.” She didn’t realize how he got there.

In all likelihood, someone is watching you and me, wishing they could have what we have or be what we are. We may have worked hard and prayed hard, but the truth is, we’re not really self-made. The old hymn, Amazing Grace, says it well: “Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; ‘tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” Never mind honor or personal acclaim. We know how we got here.

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com