Some days I feel on edge all day...everyone is annoying. I'm angry with Little Man because, well, he's three. And then I feel guilty for feeling angry, but not quite guilty enough to stop being angry. I'm agitated and on the verge of going nuts and not a single person says a single intelligent thing all day (or so it seems to me).
Yesterday was one of those days.
I have come to recognize that while I am genetically predisposed to annoyance, an all day anger affair--such as yesterday--usually means I've done too much extroverting.
But what do you do when you're extroverted-out and you have a full schedule and a three-year-old clinging to your leg saying, "Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama..."? Generally, I spend the day wanting to punch people. But, this is good for no one.
I have spent the last year trying to figure out healthier rhythms for my life. Some weeks I am successful at inserting time to recharge, others, not so much.
Summer time in our ministry is hectic and filled with people...usually the perfect storm for an Introvert to go crazy!! Yesterday launched my first summer schedule with a crazy little nut boy around the house and it's clear that I will have to be intentional with my time to not lose it! It's not easy to share the love of Christ with people when their very existence is causing me agitation.
It's not easy to push back the crowding tasks and people and give my soul the space it needs to breathe, but it is necessary. Here's to doing a better job at intentional recharging...and not wanting to punch people all day long :)!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
One Point for Mama
I'm not a warm and fuzzy mother. I don't worry about every little bump and bruise or if he will be unhealthy if he misses a meal. I don't endorse extensive crying, even upon injury. I encourage Little Nut Nut's wild adventures, which often include pushing his physical limits and testing his abilities. How will he know what he can do if he can't try?
Don't get me wrong, there are lots of hugs and words of affirmation. I know our son feels secure and loved. We also try to limit his dare devilish ways to jumping from no higher than 2 stairs and doing flips on softer surfaces.
I try to take the long view of parenting. Most things even out in the end if you love your child, draw boundaries for them and keep them fed and watered...also, it goes a long way for your kids if you are not insane, just sayin. Even though I don't worry about eating habits and whether or not he'll be dumb because I didn't do flash cards with him EVERY day this week, I do worry about behavior. Not that you'd always know that by looking at my kid. He is a sweet-spirited child but stubborn as heck. As an extroverted boy, he has no qualms with loud and embarrassing demonstrations of his disappointment and/or rage.
I think it's mainly my personality, but I LOVE to win. It's so easy to get sucked into a battle mentality with my stubborn little three year old, and once that happens...heck if I'm gonna lose. The problem is, in the world of constructive discipline that mentality doesn't get you very far. Instead I end up crazy stressed out, angry, and still dealing with an obstinate little boy. One day when I was at my wits end, my toddler drooling entirely-masticated "offending" food from his stubborn mouth, someone suggested I read Love and Logic for Early Childhood. I bought that sucker on my Kindle within five minutes.
It. Is. Awesome. We're still working on how exactly to implement it all and of course there are still those days, but it is designed to take a lot of the frustration and anger out of parenting. Can I hear an Amen! for that!! (There are some aspects of the book that I don't totally agree with because it's not written from a Christian perspective, and for us, I feel it is best pared with the principles presented in One Becoming Toddlerwise.) But, the basic premise of the Love and Logic technique is that as parents we are preparing our kids for the real world and should parent with techniques that teach them immediate cause and effect and guide them through their own problem solving. It requires accountability for actions, fixing things they've broken, paying with money, chores, or toys for time or items lost by their behaviour.
We started a Chore Box with age-appropriate chores to draw from when needed. Our downstairs neighbors have heard a LOT of vacuuming lately! He's been cleaning baseboards and dusting and sweeping. I haven't had clean baseboards in, well, I don't know, but they're clean now!! Of course, they are three-year-old-ability clean, but in a world where cleaning is not high on my list of priorities I'll take it.
So, while I realize it's not healthy to be in competition with my child over discipline issues...my house sure is clean :)...one point for Mama!
Don't get me wrong, there are lots of hugs and words of affirmation. I know our son feels secure and loved. We also try to limit his dare devilish ways to jumping from no higher than 2 stairs and doing flips on softer surfaces.
I try to take the long view of parenting. Most things even out in the end if you love your child, draw boundaries for them and keep them fed and watered...also, it goes a long way for your kids if you are not insane, just sayin. Even though I don't worry about eating habits and whether or not he'll be dumb because I didn't do flash cards with him EVERY day this week, I do worry about behavior. Not that you'd always know that by looking at my kid. He is a sweet-spirited child but stubborn as heck. As an extroverted boy, he has no qualms with loud and embarrassing demonstrations of his disappointment and/or rage.
I think it's mainly my personality, but I LOVE to win. It's so easy to get sucked into a battle mentality with my stubborn little three year old, and once that happens...heck if I'm gonna lose. The problem is, in the world of constructive discipline that mentality doesn't get you very far. Instead I end up crazy stressed out, angry, and still dealing with an obstinate little boy. One day when I was at my wits end, my toddler drooling entirely-masticated "offending" food from his stubborn mouth, someone suggested I read Love and Logic for Early Childhood. I bought that sucker on my Kindle within five minutes.
It. Is. Awesome. We're still working on how exactly to implement it all and of course there are still those days, but it is designed to take a lot of the frustration and anger out of parenting. Can I hear an Amen! for that!! (There are some aspects of the book that I don't totally agree with because it's not written from a Christian perspective, and for us, I feel it is best pared with the principles presented in One Becoming Toddlerwise.) But, the basic premise of the Love and Logic technique is that as parents we are preparing our kids for the real world and should parent with techniques that teach them immediate cause and effect and guide them through their own problem solving. It requires accountability for actions, fixing things they've broken, paying with money, chores, or toys for time or items lost by their behaviour.
We started a Chore Box with age-appropriate chores to draw from when needed. Our downstairs neighbors have heard a LOT of vacuuming lately! He's been cleaning baseboards and dusting and sweeping. I haven't had clean baseboards in, well, I don't know, but they're clean now!! Of course, they are three-year-old-ability clean, but in a world where cleaning is not high on my list of priorities I'll take it.
So, while I realize it's not healthy to be in competition with my child over discipline issues...my house sure is clean :)...one point for Mama!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Confessions of a Control-aholic
It has been said, once or twice, that I like to control things. OK, maybe a few more times than once or twice. I could say it's a result of being an INTJ, because we have a knack for seeing things that need to be fixed and coming up with really ingenious ways to fix them! We have high standards and work hard to reach them, which makes us tough task-masters to ourselves and everyone else. It's true, but I can't blame it all on that. A lot of it is just good, old-fashioned, universal pride.
This has played out in a myriad of ways as I have navigated relationships in my life...which would take too long to discuss here (sorry, Husband). I have, however, been thinking a great deal about how this plays out in my relationship with the Lord. Some recent discussions with a young lady, who reminds me a great deal of myself at her age (and, yes, saying that does make me old), has me thinking through the ups and downs of the last ten years (again with the oldness) of making my faith my own.
In a recent conversation with this young woman I looked her in the eyes and said, "I wish I had better news for you, but if you really want to learn to trust the Lord, it's going to be a rough few years for you." My husband calls my habit of making these sorts of statements negative; I prefer realistic. For those of us who like to rely on our own competence, who want to know what our next step is before we take it, who don't do well with ambiguity and uncertainty, who just want the ANSWER dang it (usually that's not the word I'd use)...learning to trust the Lord is H.A.R.D.!
"The good news though," I told her, "is, if you put in the work, it gets easier with time." That is to say, sort of in the way that behavioral therapists work with Obsessive-Compulsive patients to help them learn to sit with their anxiety and desensitize themselves to it, us control-aholics have to sit with our anxiety and learn with time that God can be trusted more than ourselves.
I wish I could be the sort of person who could believe without seeing, but I've never had that kind of faith. It has taken many years of tears, anger, depression, anxiety, and confusion to begin to realize that God always comes through. Not necessarily in the way I would have hoped for, but He masterfully, and patiently, weaves His plans for my life into a testimony to His name. I don't have to have the dang answer. I don't have to know what tomorrow will bring. I don't have to be competent in everything. God has all those things and more.
But, asking God for more faith is kind of like asking for more patience...you shouldn't do it unless you're prepared for life to kick the crap (pride) out of you. I've experienced some serious crap-kickings in the last few years. I've wrestled with God in ways that have left me, like Jacob, limping but blessed. I carry scars that speak of my stubbornness and a hopeful heart that speaks of a faithful God.
I still have days where I freak out, where ambiguity scares me, and where I want God to tell me what I want to hear, but they are fewer than they used to be. I've seen the power and precision of God bring me my son, carry me through ministry burn-out, and change people's lives miraculously. I've found that my comfort zone gets bigger and bigger each time God nudges me out of it. I pray (hesitantly and hopefully) that He continues to do so, because my journey of trust is far from over.
If it means there are days where all you can do is crumple in the corner and cry, but your mind repeats "I will trust God. I will trust God. I will trust God." that's a good place to start. I've been there. The Lord, in His goodness, will bring you through. There is no easy path to trust for a control-aholic but a life of faith in the Lord is far better than a life of faith in myself...I'll screw it up every time.
This has played out in a myriad of ways as I have navigated relationships in my life...which would take too long to discuss here (sorry, Husband). I have, however, been thinking a great deal about how this plays out in my relationship with the Lord. Some recent discussions with a young lady, who reminds me a great deal of myself at her age (and, yes, saying that does make me old), has me thinking through the ups and downs of the last ten years (again with the oldness) of making my faith my own.
In a recent conversation with this young woman I looked her in the eyes and said, "I wish I had better news for you, but if you really want to learn to trust the Lord, it's going to be a rough few years for you." My husband calls my habit of making these sorts of statements negative; I prefer realistic. For those of us who like to rely on our own competence, who want to know what our next step is before we take it, who don't do well with ambiguity and uncertainty, who just want the ANSWER dang it (usually that's not the word I'd use)...learning to trust the Lord is H.A.R.D.!
"The good news though," I told her, "is, if you put in the work, it gets easier with time." That is to say, sort of in the way that behavioral therapists work with Obsessive-Compulsive patients to help them learn to sit with their anxiety and desensitize themselves to it, us control-aholics have to sit with our anxiety and learn with time that God can be trusted more than ourselves.
I wish I could be the sort of person who could believe without seeing, but I've never had that kind of faith. It has taken many years of tears, anger, depression, anxiety, and confusion to begin to realize that God always comes through. Not necessarily in the way I would have hoped for, but He masterfully, and patiently, weaves His plans for my life into a testimony to His name. I don't have to have the dang answer. I don't have to know what tomorrow will bring. I don't have to be competent in everything. God has all those things and more.
But, asking God for more faith is kind of like asking for more patience...you shouldn't do it unless you're prepared for life to kick the crap (pride) out of you. I've experienced some serious crap-kickings in the last few years. I've wrestled with God in ways that have left me, like Jacob, limping but blessed. I carry scars that speak of my stubbornness and a hopeful heart that speaks of a faithful God.
I still have days where I freak out, where ambiguity scares me, and where I want God to tell me what I want to hear, but they are fewer than they used to be. I've seen the power and precision of God bring me my son, carry me through ministry burn-out, and change people's lives miraculously. I've found that my comfort zone gets bigger and bigger each time God nudges me out of it. I pray (hesitantly and hopefully) that He continues to do so, because my journey of trust is far from over.
If it means there are days where all you can do is crumple in the corner and cry, but your mind repeats "I will trust God. I will trust God. I will trust God." that's a good place to start. I've been there. The Lord, in His goodness, will bring you through. There is no easy path to trust for a control-aholic but a life of faith in the Lord is far better than a life of faith in myself...I'll screw it up every time.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
House of Feelings
My house is full of guys. The husband. The son. The (used to be male) dog. It's a noisy house erupting in continual sound effects like BONK, BOOM, and OOOO-YEAH, BABAY! But what makes my house full of guys just a little bit different is that it's also a house full of feelings. While I have a preference for Thinking (according to the Myers Briggs Theory), my husband, my son, and I could swear my dog (if dogs could be categorized), most definitely prefer Feeling. This makes for an interesting household.
In a world where the majority of men are Thinkers and the majority of women are Feelers...we're a house of opposites, and, I can't help but wonder, also filled with a little touch of irony from a God who loves to help us face the things that challenge us.
Feelings challenge me. More accurately, other people's feelings (how to appropriately respond to and respect them) challenge me. Feeling words tend to trigger almost involuntary eye rolls and gag reflexes in me. And wouldn't God fix me up with some of the most feeling guys (and dog) around!
I'm having to learn to say, "I'm sorry you feel that way" and mean it, or at least fake it really, really well. Although my husband would claim that I'm not learning fast enough...and he's probably right. Oh, and there are lots and lots of cuddles. The dog will even crawl up in your lap and curl his paws around your leg if you'll let him. It's easy to cuddle little ones but outside of that? Not so much.
Being married to a Feeler has made me more open to feelings and a little more adept at dealing with them, but having a son who is most assuredly a Feeler too makes it imperative that I learn to navigate them well. I don't have the same preference, but I don't want my son to feel like he has to be different than God made him to be, or come out damaged and needy because he had an emotionally stifling mother. I've seen guys who never were able to feel at home in their Feeler-skin, who seek affirmation in women...lots of them. I want him to be confident in his feelings. I don't naturally know how to encourage him in that because I'm only recently learning to be confident in my own. But, God planned for me to be in a house of feelings. My Feelers have much to teach me, and I have things to teach them too.
Our family laughs alot...physical humor is just SO hilarious. You'll hear crashing and yelling and general male raucousness but you'll also hear a lot of feelings. I'm sad. Are you Happy? You OK? I'm angry. That hurt my feelings. And, my favorite, I love you. It's not always comfortable, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
In a world where the majority of men are Thinkers and the majority of women are Feelers...we're a house of opposites, and, I can't help but wonder, also filled with a little touch of irony from a God who loves to help us face the things that challenge us.
Feelings challenge me. More accurately, other people's feelings (how to appropriately respond to and respect them) challenge me. Feeling words tend to trigger almost involuntary eye rolls and gag reflexes in me. And wouldn't God fix me up with some of the most feeling guys (and dog) around!
I'm having to learn to say, "I'm sorry you feel that way" and mean it, or at least fake it really, really well. Although my husband would claim that I'm not learning fast enough...and he's probably right. Oh, and there are lots and lots of cuddles. The dog will even crawl up in your lap and curl his paws around your leg if you'll let him. It's easy to cuddle little ones but outside of that? Not so much.
Being married to a Feeler has made me more open to feelings and a little more adept at dealing with them, but having a son who is most assuredly a Feeler too makes it imperative that I learn to navigate them well. I don't have the same preference, but I don't want my son to feel like he has to be different than God made him to be, or come out damaged and needy because he had an emotionally stifling mother. I've seen guys who never were able to feel at home in their Feeler-skin, who seek affirmation in women...lots of them. I want him to be confident in his feelings. I don't naturally know how to encourage him in that because I'm only recently learning to be confident in my own. But, God planned for me to be in a house of feelings. My Feelers have much to teach me, and I have things to teach them too.
Our family laughs alot...physical humor is just SO hilarious. You'll hear crashing and yelling and general male raucousness but you'll also hear a lot of feelings. I'm sad. Are you Happy? You OK? I'm angry. That hurt my feelings. And, my favorite, I love you. It's not always comfortable, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Just Around the River Bend
As a child of the 90s, I have vivid memories of seeing Disney's Pocohantas in the theater. Who doesn't remember singing "Just Around the River Bend" (whether you were forced to remember the refrain because you were the parent of a 90s child or if you were the 90s child thinking you might actually be able to become Pocahontas becuase you could sing it SO well)?
You won't see me leaning forward in my canoe, wind whipping my hair. I will likely have my hair sensibly pulled back, I might have a map, and I will be proceeding with due caution around the next bend, with a mental escape plan ready if anything goes wrong. I'm the kid that, while learning to drive, pressed on the gas and yelped, "Too fast!" as we hit 10 mph (unfortunately I grew a lead foot after that). It's not that I'm not having fun, I just like to be prepared.
Both approaches have their positives and negatives. I mean, when your free-spirited self crashes on a rock around the bend, I'll have aleady imagined a plan that will save your life. And, sometimes, my kind of people need to enjoy the ride a little bit more because we're going around that river bend whether we want to or not.
Life the last few years has felt like smashing into unseen rocks around the corner...it's made me tired of change. But, it has also taught me that all the planning in the world doesn't stop change from coming, and sometimes the blow is lessened when I go with the flow. Isn't it true that a loose body sustains less damage than a rigid one in an accident? I thought I heard that one time. If not, it should be. It's absolutely true emotionally.
I'm entering a new season in ministry. I'm taking on a role as Church Plant Coordinator and I'm thrilled and scared to death. I love a challenge, but mostly I love it when I know what the challenge is and feel it is highly likely that I can be victorious. I'm nervous to jump into this particular canoe, because it's heading for river bends that I have never explored before. I have no back up plan. I have a very rudimentary map. Part of my nature (the "N" Intuitive side) is thrilled by all of the possibilities, but this is in constant tension with the part of me that sits white-knuckled, screaming (in my head and, on occaision, aloud) WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING???!!!!!!
I don't know what's around the next river bend and that thrills and terrifies me. I'm mentally and emotionally working to loosen my expectations of perfection and fear of failure. I'm trying to put into practice the years of lessons that God has been teaching me about trusting in Him. I pray that God uses me, and our church plant team, to bring glory to His name in North St. Louis, and it will bring Him so much more glory if He is in complete controll! I want to get by on my own competence, but that won't cut it this time. It has to be the Lord.
Just around the river bend are possibilities, challenges, victories, failures and it will be God's grace alone that makes it possible to navigate any of those things. God's grace brings victory. God's grace brings beauty out of failures.
Knowing God's grace is just around the river bend makes it easier to smile as the current pulls me toward the unknown (don't worry I won't break into song, no one wants to hear that!).
"What I love most about rivers is:/You can't step in the same river twice/The water's always changing, always flowing/But people, I guess, can't live like that/We all must pay a price/To be safe, we lose our/chance of ever knowing/What's around the riverbend/Waiting just around the riverbend."I'm pretty sure I could hear you singing that. Don't deny it. It's a classic free-spirit anthem! I won't get on a soapbox here, but in Myers Briggs terms she is very "P" (Percieving) and since she is the spiritual heroine of the film it rather leads you to think that her outlook on life is the best, but it's hard to swallow as a "J" (Judging). It's true that you can't step in the same river twice (if you're refering to the specific river content), but as a "J" that's a little disconcerting. People like me give that song its mournful edge.
You won't see me leaning forward in my canoe, wind whipping my hair. I will likely have my hair sensibly pulled back, I might have a map, and I will be proceeding with due caution around the next bend, with a mental escape plan ready if anything goes wrong. I'm the kid that, while learning to drive, pressed on the gas and yelped, "Too fast!" as we hit 10 mph (unfortunately I grew a lead foot after that). It's not that I'm not having fun, I just like to be prepared.
Both approaches have their positives and negatives. I mean, when your free-spirited self crashes on a rock around the bend, I'll have aleady imagined a plan that will save your life. And, sometimes, my kind of people need to enjoy the ride a little bit more because we're going around that river bend whether we want to or not.
Life the last few years has felt like smashing into unseen rocks around the corner...it's made me tired of change. But, it has also taught me that all the planning in the world doesn't stop change from coming, and sometimes the blow is lessened when I go with the flow. Isn't it true that a loose body sustains less damage than a rigid one in an accident? I thought I heard that one time. If not, it should be. It's absolutely true emotionally.
I'm entering a new season in ministry. I'm taking on a role as Church Plant Coordinator and I'm thrilled and scared to death. I love a challenge, but mostly I love it when I know what the challenge is and feel it is highly likely that I can be victorious. I'm nervous to jump into this particular canoe, because it's heading for river bends that I have never explored before. I have no back up plan. I have a very rudimentary map. Part of my nature (the "N" Intuitive side) is thrilled by all of the possibilities, but this is in constant tension with the part of me that sits white-knuckled, screaming (in my head and, on occaision, aloud) WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING???!!!!!!
I don't know what's around the next river bend and that thrills and terrifies me. I'm mentally and emotionally working to loosen my expectations of perfection and fear of failure. I'm trying to put into practice the years of lessons that God has been teaching me about trusting in Him. I pray that God uses me, and our church plant team, to bring glory to His name in North St. Louis, and it will bring Him so much more glory if He is in complete controll! I want to get by on my own competence, but that won't cut it this time. It has to be the Lord.
Just around the river bend are possibilities, challenges, victories, failures and it will be God's grace alone that makes it possible to navigate any of those things. God's grace brings victory. God's grace brings beauty out of failures.
Knowing God's grace is just around the river bend makes it easier to smile as the current pulls me toward the unknown (don't worry I won't break into song, no one wants to hear that!).
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The Origin of Things
Too many Christians don't understand the nature of their faith. We think we have "arrived" because of things we do or don't do. Our prayers are that of the Pharisee in Luke 18:11 "God, I thank you I am not like other people...."
Have we forgotten that we are all spiritual prostitutes, bought back with the blood of Christ? The origin of our hearts is a place of death and bondage and sin.
So, it rather surprises me when I see a fellow ex-soul-prostitute cast stones at the origin of things. I've been ruminating on this as a result of celebrating Easter. Rather, how some Christians refuse to celebrate the "pagan" holiday of Easter. As a Christian who follows the rhythms of the the Church Year, the season of Easter is the Pièce de résistance of the entire year. Without Easter we are still dead in our sins. But, we have been made alive with Christ! Easter carries the full weight of our faith.
This is why some Christians have decided to stop the "pagan" madness and only refer to Easter as Resurrection Sunday. That's OK. It's true. But, usually this includes a baning of Easter eggs and the Easter bunny and, well, the word Easter (I mean, even if your ailing grandmother wants to give your children a few Easter eggs to bring moments of joy to her waning life...get behind me, Satan!). I'm all for people practicing their faith based off of conviction from the Holy Spirit, however, these kinds of banings can be a slippery slope into a pit of hypocrisy and legalism.
If you read about the history of Easter you will, indeed, read about a pagan heritage. This will be true of Christmas as well. (It's true of you too...I'm just sayin'). Everyone should be free to make decisions that help them honor Christ with their lives. If they feel they will be led to think less of Christ on Easter (Ehem, Resurrection Sunday) because they held an Easter egg in their hand then...that's between them and the Lord. Those people may want to note that the Christmas tree also has pagan origins, oh, and eating ham on Easter, and also, sunrise services, um, also, the wedding ring. You'd be surprised how many things we Christians have usurped from others for the celebration and glory of God and His people!
Usually, decisions to ban "unclean things" are held (and brandished) with little grace and no chance for redemption. And, in my experience, they are accompanied by judgements that condemn other people, places, and things with "dirty" origins. They result in alienating people by way of pride, which is antithetical to the humble inclusion of Christ's resurrection.
Truthfully, it's easier to crusade for a purer Easter than it is to stare into the face of our own hypocrisy and sin. It's easier to show our "devotion" to Christ by abstaining from Easter eggs or secular music or movies than it is to examine how we treat our children or talk to our spouses or judge others in pride.
We serve a God who specializes in redeeming things. God took a murdering fugitive and used him to rescue His people. God accepted a prostitute into the very lineage of Jesus for her faithfulness. God took the idea of the city (which was created by the first murderer in the Bible as a direct rebellion against God's command to wander, and, which has a long history of rebellion) and has plans to ultimately redeem it as the eternal residence of His people. The entire Bible declares stories such as these.
Our God doesn't care much about the origin of things. If He did we'd all be screwed. What He cares about is how His mercy and grace can bring strength from weakness, holiness from paganism, life from death. And we are to follow our Savior, rushing grace and mercy to those in need, not through alienating legalism, but by waking up each morning and thanking God that the face you see in the mirror is no longer the face of a treacherous, pagan, soul-prostitute, but the redeemed child of God.
Let's instead be about redemption work! Let us as Christians (as Christians have already historically done) redeem Easter for Christ...Easter eggs, ham and sunrise services in celebration of the Lord and the family He has given us! We can include people in our family memories around Christmas trees, knowing our hearts are fully the Lord's. We can embrace stories like the Lord of the Rings (which for some holds taboo use of mysticism) for the aspects of the story that speak Biblical truth...devotion, sacrifice, loyal friendship, the triumph of good over evil. We can look into the eyes of someone the world has written off--thieves and murderers and drug dealers--and see future men and women of God!
When we really understand God's grace in our lives, everything we do begins to soften in light of it. Legalism lessens as the love of Christ flows out. True conviction (and the real Resurrection spirit) starts always with humility and ends in redemption!
Have we forgotten that we are all spiritual prostitutes, bought back with the blood of Christ? The origin of our hearts is a place of death and bondage and sin.
So, it rather surprises me when I see a fellow ex-soul-prostitute cast stones at the origin of things. I've been ruminating on this as a result of celebrating Easter. Rather, how some Christians refuse to celebrate the "pagan" holiday of Easter. As a Christian who follows the rhythms of the the Church Year, the season of Easter is the Pièce de résistance of the entire year. Without Easter we are still dead in our sins. But, we have been made alive with Christ! Easter carries the full weight of our faith.
This is why some Christians have decided to stop the "pagan" madness and only refer to Easter as Resurrection Sunday. That's OK. It's true. But, usually this includes a baning of Easter eggs and the Easter bunny and, well, the word Easter (I mean, even if your ailing grandmother wants to give your children a few Easter eggs to bring moments of joy to her waning life...get behind me, Satan!). I'm all for people practicing their faith based off of conviction from the Holy Spirit, however, these kinds of banings can be a slippery slope into a pit of hypocrisy and legalism.
If you read about the history of Easter you will, indeed, read about a pagan heritage. This will be true of Christmas as well. (It's true of you too...I'm just sayin'). Everyone should be free to make decisions that help them honor Christ with their lives. If they feel they will be led to think less of Christ on Easter (Ehem, Resurrection Sunday) because they held an Easter egg in their hand then...that's between them and the Lord. Those people may want to note that the Christmas tree also has pagan origins, oh, and eating ham on Easter, and also, sunrise services, um, also, the wedding ring. You'd be surprised how many things we Christians have usurped from others for the celebration and glory of God and His people!
Usually, decisions to ban "unclean things" are held (and brandished) with little grace and no chance for redemption. And, in my experience, they are accompanied by judgements that condemn other people, places, and things with "dirty" origins. They result in alienating people by way of pride, which is antithetical to the humble inclusion of Christ's resurrection.
Truthfully, it's easier to crusade for a purer Easter than it is to stare into the face of our own hypocrisy and sin. It's easier to show our "devotion" to Christ by abstaining from Easter eggs or secular music or movies than it is to examine how we treat our children or talk to our spouses or judge others in pride.
We serve a God who specializes in redeeming things. God took a murdering fugitive and used him to rescue His people. God accepted a prostitute into the very lineage of Jesus for her faithfulness. God took the idea of the city (which was created by the first murderer in the Bible as a direct rebellion against God's command to wander, and, which has a long history of rebellion) and has plans to ultimately redeem it as the eternal residence of His people. The entire Bible declares stories such as these.
Our God doesn't care much about the origin of things. If He did we'd all be screwed. What He cares about is how His mercy and grace can bring strength from weakness, holiness from paganism, life from death. And we are to follow our Savior, rushing grace and mercy to those in need, not through alienating legalism, but by waking up each morning and thanking God that the face you see in the mirror is no longer the face of a treacherous, pagan, soul-prostitute, but the redeemed child of God.
Let's instead be about redemption work! Let us as Christians (as Christians have already historically done) redeem Easter for Christ...Easter eggs, ham and sunrise services in celebration of the Lord and the family He has given us! We can include people in our family memories around Christmas trees, knowing our hearts are fully the Lord's. We can embrace stories like the Lord of the Rings (which for some holds taboo use of mysticism) for the aspects of the story that speak Biblical truth...devotion, sacrifice, loyal friendship, the triumph of good over evil. We can look into the eyes of someone the world has written off--thieves and murderers and drug dealers--and see future men and women of God!
When we really understand God's grace in our lives, everything we do begins to soften in light of it. Legalism lessens as the love of Christ flows out. True conviction (and the real Resurrection spirit) starts always with humility and ends in redemption!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Rant of a Book Worm
I'm appalled. I just read a blog that quoted these stats:
Words have the power to unleash new things in our minds, and if in our minds, then in the world. Think about it...God could have chosen any way to communicate with His people, but He chose the written word of the Bible. Jesus is described as The Word in the book of John. Spoken word is powerful...the world was created by the words formed by God's mouth. But for words to be eternal, they get printed on a page.
Printed letters, combined into words, grouped into sentences, have perpetual impact. Please tell me I'm not the only nerd who dwells on these things! The Bible is often referred to as the Living Word because the power of the Holy Spirit makes it purposeful in all lives for all time. Other literature does not have the force of the Holy Spirit behind it, but, in its own way, is alive too. Good literature tells a specific story that we may or may not relate to, but it also reveals pieces of humanity, like fear or friendship or jealousy or courage or love, and we can all relate to those. These messages can mean different things to different people and answer questions that cross generations.
There are so many of life's issues for which reading is the answer...
Do you want to know about the world? Read.
Do you want to learn about yourself? Read.
Do you want to be a better writer? Read.
Do you want to understand others? Read.
Do you want to have something intelligent to say at parties? Read.
Do you want a slower pace of life? Read.
Do you want to tap into the eternity of humanity...what was, what is, what will be? Read.
Do you want to know how a mere Hobbit can change the world? Read.
For heaven's sake people, buy a book! Borrow a book if you're broke. Own a library card. Encourage your kids to read. Read books you love. Read books that make you uncomfortable. You will find the boundaries of your mind and your life stretched in this endeavor. The world needs a more literate you.
- 33% of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives.
- 42% of college graduates never read another book after college.
- 80% of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.
- 70% of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.
- 57% of new books are not read to completion.
Words have the power to unleash new things in our minds, and if in our minds, then in the world. Think about it...God could have chosen any way to communicate with His people, but He chose the written word of the Bible. Jesus is described as The Word in the book of John. Spoken word is powerful...the world was created by the words formed by God's mouth. But for words to be eternal, they get printed on a page.
Printed letters, combined into words, grouped into sentences, have perpetual impact. Please tell me I'm not the only nerd who dwells on these things! The Bible is often referred to as the Living Word because the power of the Holy Spirit makes it purposeful in all lives for all time. Other literature does not have the force of the Holy Spirit behind it, but, in its own way, is alive too. Good literature tells a specific story that we may or may not relate to, but it also reveals pieces of humanity, like fear or friendship or jealousy or courage or love, and we can all relate to those. These messages can mean different things to different people and answer questions that cross generations.
There are so many of life's issues for which reading is the answer...
Do you want to know about the world? Read.
Do you want to learn about yourself? Read.
Do you want to be a better writer? Read.
Do you want to understand others? Read.
Do you want to have something intelligent to say at parties? Read.
Do you want a slower pace of life? Read.
Do you want to tap into the eternity of humanity...what was, what is, what will be? Read.
Do you want to know how a mere Hobbit can change the world? Read.
For heaven's sake people, buy a book! Borrow a book if you're broke. Own a library card. Encourage your kids to read. Read books you love. Read books that make you uncomfortable. You will find the boundaries of your mind and your life stretched in this endeavor. The world needs a more literate you.
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