A Matter of Taste

My friend’s husband is a farmer-type person and a huge fan of auctions, antique farm machinery, and all things John Deere. His wife is part of the professional community, and her tastes happen to run along other lines. The man complained to his buddy, “I don’t know how to get my wife to like tractors.”

The short answer, my friend, is, “You can’t.” You may expose her to the countless green behemoths you love and she may admire them for your sake, but you cannot make her as fond of them as you are!

It’s that way with a lot of things. Personal tastes sometimes coexist uncomfortably—even in church. If you have been attending church for many years, and if your place of worship is anything like mine, you may have noticed some changes in the last few years. Maybe the music is different; it’s faster and louder. And you don’t even use the hymn books nowadays; the words are projected up on those big glaring screens. Perhaps some of the leaders are not the people (usually men) who held those positions earlier for ten, twenty, thirty years. There may not be a library any more, or a choir. The Sunday evening service may have disappeared, and the nursery has taken over what used to be classroom space. And let’s not talk about what people wear now! Where has my church gone anyway?

It has not gone far away. It is just wearing a different fashion. My church, and perhaps yours, has a younger congregation than it used to have or it would like to attract a younger crowd. That group probably doesn’t want to sing “Rock of Ages” with their noses in a book, and in many congregations those twenty- and thirty- and even forty-year-olds outnumber those who would be quite comfortable doing just that! They would rather hear guitars and drums than a choir and they don’t even own a Sunday suit.

And if you are one of that crowd, I personally am glad for younger and stronger folks to take on the responsibilities and sheer hard work of serving God through the church. What doesn’t make sense is for an older group to insist—even in their own minds—“but I want you to do it this way. Sing this music, emphasize these ministries, and use these leaders.”

Church people’s tastes are not the same, just like green tractors don’t hold appeal for everyone. That does not mean someone has to be wrong.

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

The Reasonable God

Sometimes in the Old Testament stories of God's dealings with His people there are little glimpses of His character tucked into the narrative. I have no idea how many times I've read the instructions for worship that God gave to the priests and the people, but re-reading again the other day I discovered one such revealing light.

The children of Israel had now been out of Egypt for a year, and God told Moses it was time to celebrate the Passover—the "passing-over" by the Angel of Death. One of the regulations was that touching a dead body made one ceremonially unclean and thus not able to participate in the worship celebration.

But there were some men among them who had touched a dead body; perhaps they had just buried a loved one, or attended someone whose illness resulted in death. There was not time for them to fulfill the proper procedure for cleansing. They came to Moses and Aaron with their dilemma. "We have become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead body. But why should we be prevented from presenting our Passover offerings at the proper time with all the rest of our people?"

Moses answered, "Wait here while I go ask the Lord about this."

And this was what God replied. "Any people now—or in future generations—who are ceremonially unclean because they have touched a dead body may still celebrate the Lord's Passover. Or if they are on a journey and cannot be present at the ceremony, they too may participate. Their celebration can be held one month later, on the same day and in the very same way. But those who are present and able must follow the normal regulations." (This story is in Numbers 9.) I was struck with how reasonable God was to make this arrangement for those who desired to keep His law, but were prevented from doing so by circumstances they couldn't help.

Considering God "reasonable" doesn't mean that I think we can understand Him. His ways are not our ways, and our thoughts are not like His. But He is compassionate towards us, providing ways for us to make right our shortcomings. "My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous." (I John 2:1)

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.

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

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/

Not How It Used to Be

Nearly four hundred years after King Solomon completed the construction of the glorious Temple of God, it was destroyed by the Babylonians (586 BC). The invading army carried most of the citizens away, leaving only the poorest to care for the land. Eventually, some of the exiled were permitted to return, and with the support of the Persian ruler Cyrus and later Darius, the Temple was rebuilt (515 BC). The dimensions of the Second Temple were likely the same as that of the first, perhaps even on the repaired foundations of the first, but there was no way to reproduce the splendor. Both David and Solomon had opened their vast treasuries for the building and extravagant furnishing of God's house. Even with the aid of sympathetic foreigners, the present means of people in this desolate country were small compared to the immense resources of the former kings during prosperous circumstances.

"When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the Lord, just as King David had prescribed. With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord: 'He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!' Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s Temple had been laid. But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy." (Ezra 3:10-12 NLT)

Those who knew the sadness of having no temple at all were overjoyed when they saw the foundation of the new one laid. To them, this was like food to a starving person. But for those who could remember the grandeur of the first temple, this new one would surely be far inferior. There was no likelihood at all of its being so richly decorated with precious materials. They wept aloud, their cries mingling with the cheers around them. Some translations say these were "ancient men," seventy or eight years old (uh oh!) They lamented, "This is not how it used to be."

I cannot help but think of this story when I hear some of my fellow church-goers speak slightingly of contemporary worship forms and church direction. Rather than bewail the loss of how things used to be, we must accept that many of those around us do not share the same memories. They, like the spiritually starved younger generation of Israelites, are overjoyed at the prospect and reality of worshipping in the presence of God together. We "ancient" folks are grown-ups now; we can feed ourselves, if need be. If you miss the old hymns, find a hymn book and sing yourself into grace! If you miss old-fashioned "cottage" prayer meetings, get some folks together! If you miss lively revival services, look around; they may not be in tents any more, but they still do exist in many places!

This is not how it used to be? Of course not. Nothing is. I'm with the Apostle Paul who declared, "So how am I to respond? I've decided that I really don't care about their motives, whether mixed, bad, or indifferent. Every time one of them opens his mouth, Christ is proclaimed, so I just cheer them on!" (Philippians 1:17 MSG)

MaryMartha

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

A Huge Crowd

This year, 2009, is the fortieth anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, "3 Days of Peace & Music," familiar as simply Woodstock. It was a spectacular example of a Sixties event known as a "be-in," (in contrast with "sit-in" and the like) and remains culturally significant to this day. Over a three day period, August 15-18, a crowd of mostly young people listened to the top performers of rock, folk, and progressive popular music of that era. The site in the Catskill Mountains of New York had been selected because it had a natural bowl-shaped performance area, plus plenty of space for camping. The Festival organizers had anticipated a crowd of twenty or thirty thousand, possibly fifty thousand. As ticket sales advanced, they revised their estimate to 75,000, or maybe even 100,000. Wrong! Roughly half a million young people from all over the country descended on the area for what of necessity turned into a free event, creating critical shortages of food, drinking water and toilet facilities. Plus it rained off and on, making a tough situation even worse. Afterwards, the organizers and fans spent five days and $100,000 cleaning up the tons of trash.

When I was reminded of Woodstock this month, I began to compare it with other huge crowds. African American men conducted the Million Man March on Washington, D.C. in 1995, to draw attention to urban and minority issues. The number of attendees became a matter of bitter controversy, with estimates ranging from considerably under a million to just over that figure. Multiple sources conclude that the crowd for President Obama's inauguration this past January was the largest ever in Washington; the official estimate—contested, of course—being 1.8 million. (The trash was historic too.)

With no sound system like that at Woodstock or Jumbotrons such as were used at the inauguration, I can't imagine how all the people of Israel participated in the dedication ceremony for the magnificent temple Solomon had constructed! (I Kings 8) Some years earlier, King David had conducted a census of the kingdom, counting all the men eligible for military service, aged twenty and up. His captain, Joab, reported the figure as 1,570,000 but had excluded the Levites and the tribe of Benjamin. Subsequently, however, 70,000 men died in a plague, leaving a million and half (I Chronicles 21:5-6, 14), although the two uncounted tribes could add more hundreds of thousands to the total. Did they all come to the dedication? Or was it only the elders, heads of tribes, chief fathers, and priests? Did those younger than twenty come too? Or perhaps the women and children came as well, since the Scripture says "all the congregation of Israel." From the various descriptions, we just can't tell, but it was a huge crowd!

I think God doesn't need loudspeakers and enormous screens to make His people recognize His presence. When the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the temple, the singers and instrument players began praising the Lord—a good-sized worship team with 120 trumpeters alone! "He is good! His mercy endures forever!" Then a cloud of glory filled God's house, so heavy that the priests could not continue their service. Wouldn't the crowed, however large it was or how far away those on the edge were, see and feel that Presence? No disrespect to Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin or to President Obama, but they can't compare to God Himself showing up on the scene!

The dedication ceremony with sacrifices and worship went on for seven days, and the feasting and celebration continued for another seven. When the festivities ended, the king dismissed everyone to go back to their homes, they blessed him in return, and went on their way with gladness in their hearts for the goodness of God to His people. (No mention is made in Scripture of the trash, but certainly there were no sleeping bags or Styrofoam cups!)

Whether you think of Woodstock as something in your lifetime or know it only as a historical event, remember that for centuries, millions of God's people too have had peace and music on their minds.

MaryMartha

A Place to Honor a Name

Work continues to progress on the new arena being built in our city. Now it has a name. It cost a homegrown bank over seven million dollars to purchase the right to have its name connected to the building for the next twenty-five years or so. The bank's name, in its familiar colors and style, is now boldly displayed on the main entry side of the structure. It is not unattractive at all, but $7,500,000 is a lot of money! You really have to pay if you want a place named for you!

In contrast, King Solomon built the Temple specifically to honor God's name. "I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God, just as he had instructed my father, David. For the Lord told him, ‘Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.’ " (I Kings 5:5 NLT) Solomon did not design the beautiful and costly place of worship and then sell the naming rights. It was named for God, as it were, because it was built for the express purpose of honoring Him.

In a generation or two, the arena will likely be re-named to acknowledge someone else's civic contribution or financial underwriting. Another name will hang on the front of the building, the bank's millions long forgotten. Or maybe disgruntled tax-payers who have been the ones footing the bill will have their way and it will be named the People's Arena or something like that!

Not so for the house of the Lord. When the Temple was finished and dedicated, the Lord said, “I have heard your prayer and your petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy—this place you have built where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart." (I Kings 9:3 NLT) While Solomon's temple no longer exists, it was merely a "shadow" anyway, as was the tabernacle before it. "They [the priests] serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: 'Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.' ” (Hebrews 8:5 NLT) That is how it can be said that the Temple will honor the name of God forever. In the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John, the apostle writes, "The main street of the City was pure gold, translucent as glass. But there was no sign of a Temple, for the Lord God—the Sovereign-Strong—and the Lamb are the Temple. The City doesn't need sun or moon for light. God's Glory is its light, the Lamb its lamp!" (Revelation 21:22, 23 MSG)

What a glorious place will eternally honor the name of our God!

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

Run-In Sabbath

If you use an online dictionary and your cell phone's programmed directory, you miss the accidental combination of words or names used as guide words that sometimes is pretty funny and sometimes pretty meaningful. On my way to looking up something else today, I ran across "run-in Sabbath" at the top of a page. That sent an immediate message to the blog-creating part of my brain!

We say, "I'm going to drop by the post office on my way to work."
"Could you stop off and pick up the dry cleaning?"
"While you're up, please bring me some more popcorn."
"I'll look in on Grandma today and see if she's okay."

These all imply that, incidentally, while aiming at doing one thing, we will also take care of something else.

So, once or maybe twice a week, "Run in and say 'hi' to the pastor and God"? Let's hope we're more focused than that!

MaryMartha