Friday, December 31, 2010

There is joy in serving Jesus

It's a song we love to sing.  

"There is joy in serving Jesus as we travel on life's way..."  Then we get to church where suddenly, we are restricted in our service.

In some churches, you cannot serve if you don't tithe.  In some churches, you cannot serve if you don't go to church-wide visitation/soulwinning programs.  In some churches, you can't serve if your hair isn't the prescribed style or your skirts only go to mid-knee.  Maybe you sing like a hick and slide some notes.

Our service, which we give to a Monarch who is ultimately worthy, gets squashed and boxed until it is no longer a joy to serve.  We begin to mundanely go through the prescribed notions and then our service becomes just as mundane because we have been lawed and regulated to death.

As well, our service is often restricted to church approved programs.  If my pastor hasn't given his consent to my ministry, then it is not ministry.  It cannot be service.

I cannot tell where this idea came from.  I do know that if we limit our compassion to church approved avenues, then we may miss out on great blessings that come from visiting the fatherless and the widows.  There are great blessings that come from those who will never be able to return the favor. 





Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The attitude of fear

As I look back on those years of Christianity, I see a common thread very clearly.  I see that most of what I did was based on trying to stay on God's good side.  I was frequently told and made to feel that if I was not doing (fill in the blank) then God would be angry at me and chastise me.  I did those things because I was afraid not to do those things.

How many preachers came through and told me how many hours they spent in devotion every morning beginning at 3 or 4 am and made me think that if I didn't do the same, then I was not much of a Christian?  How many preachers came through and told me that the most important mark of a Christian was his hours spent soulwinning?  (Never mind that I could never find that in the list of the fruits of the Spirit.)  Dutifully, I spent my hours every Saturday or making them up on Tuesday if I had to work.

Always, I went away from preaching services feeling as though *I* had to complete these things to please God.  I spent many years feeling I was a failure because I could never measure up to those standards of devotion laid out for me.  I wish I could count the times I sat weeping, saying, "God, I'll be good! Please don't let your Holy Spirit leave me!"

Once again, I have begun to learn that I cannot begin this Christian journey in the Spirit and finish it on my own.  Just because I falter and fail and stumble about with doubts, God doesn't wait to beat me down.  He gently calls me and leads me back.  He speaks to correct my way, not loudly and painfully, but quietly.  

He was quick to make sure that the ladies at the tomb understood that the disciples they were to tell included Peter. (Mark 16:11)  Look how compassionate He was to John the Baptist when John sent his disciples to make sure Christ was whom he believed He was.  

God's mercy and compassion do not fail.  They are new every morning.  I cannot complete this Christian life hoping in my own goodness and good deeds.  If that were so, I'd never be accepted into heaven for I will never measure up to Christ.  It boils down, once again, to the fact that I am accepted in the Beloved (Christ.)

Soulwinning has taken on new meaning.  It means that I may have to be more paitient than just a quick explanation of the Gospel...do you want to pray.  I may have to put hours of true physical labor behind the message.  That is okay.  God is the one who gives the increase.  

I can shake off the fear of failing now because I know that no matter what, in my own works, I will always fail.  It is Christ in me that matters.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Wine

this blog post is coming to you from the IPad, so be generous with typing issues. It tends to make unauthorized corrections that may or may not make sense.

In the past almost thirty years, I have been taught that wine in the Bible refers to two separate things--alcoholic beverage and fruit juice. Now, the story of Jesus at the wedding was always explained so that the beverage He made was fruit juice. honestly, that never made sense in context of the story, but like a good girl, I took it as I was told. Proverbs 20:1 was always an admonition not to use alcoholic beverages. I Timothy 3:8 was translated no drink. Why?

Proverbs doesn't say not to drink alcoholic beverages. It says not to be deceived into thinking that they are harmless. I Timothy doesn't say that a deacon should not drink, but that he shouldn't be given to "much" drink. The story at the wedding only makes sense if Jesus made an alcoholic beverage.

In other words, a glass of wine with dinner is not prohibited in Scripture. We are afraid of the power of wine and have responded in fear. If your church chooses to use only men who abstain, that's fine, but we cannot deny that the word "much" means something. Do not try to twist it into what it is not.

Does this mean I am going to begin drinking wine? In no way. That would be uncharitable of me since my husband is a recovering alcoholic. He has been sober since before I met him, but why would I be so unkind and bring that thing I which he may be weaker than we think into our home? Not to mention that I cannot take half a dose of Nyquil without feeling the effects of the alcohol; and perhaps I should mention that I hate the smell of the stuff.

So preach then of the dangers of alcohol, but do not preach that it is a sin. That is a dishonest handling of the Word of God.

Friday, December 17, 2010

More thoughts on tithing

Most of my life I have been taught that if a Christian is not tithing in the prescribed way (10% of gross income, directly to the church, with "joy", and appropriate offerings), then he is a candidate for "God is going to get that money in one way or another."  In other words, the non-tither is going to have emergency home repairs, car repairs, sick children until the tithe has been properly paid, with interest.

If that is true, then the logical corollary is that the Christian who is tithing in the above manner should be free from these afflictions.  (But we scornfully call people who preach the logical conclusion "wealth and prosperity preachers" or "name it and claim it.")

Instead, we find that that reality brings affliction upon tithers and non-tithers alike.  So, when the non-tither is suffering affliction, God is getting His due; when the tither is suffering said affliction, God is testing his faith and will certainly provide for those needs.

Though, I have also heard that if you, a faithful tither, are suffering greatly, your life has got sin in it somewhere.  


So, that we do not preach that curse comes to non-thithers and blessing to tithers is a bit of disconnect.  That is the logical corollary.  (Corollary is a great mathematical word, isn't it?  Dictionary.com gives three definitions:
1.
Mathematics . a proposition that is incidentally proved in proving another proposition.
2.
an immediate consequence or easily drawn conclusion.
3.
a natural consequence or result.)
 
God never asked us to chuck logic.  If you want to see logic, read Romans.  
 
I can no longer do this "tithing" thing the way it has been prescribed.  I think God has a better way intended.  You can put here your tithing stories; I've heard millions.  I believe that the good things that come from the "tithing" are actually the blessings of putting God foremost in your thoughts.  Isn't that what the first commandment is all about?  

Do we think that

Isaiah 64:6

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthyrags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away 
 
stops with salvation?  Nothing we do in our own power and wisdom merits God's favor. Not before salvation, not after.
 
Ephesians 1:6 tells us that our only reason for being acceptable at all is our position in Christ.   Why does that change just because we are no longer children of hell?  We begin the race in God's power and wisdom and finish in our own?
 
Does all this mean I'm no longer tithing? No.  It means I am no longer going to allow myself to be bound by tradition (and the fear it has always been associated with) in the area.   
  

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

The Thanksgiving challenge

While I didn't manage to post my thanks every day, I do have much to be thankful for.  The illness I'm fighting just keeps lingering, and the exhaustion has been mounting along with it.  Today, I do believe I will be able to rest a bit.  

As I have mentioned before (before I migrated to blogspot), we have been having relatively small Christmases here.  This has created a lot less tension and post-gift grumping.  This year we have a nice gift for the family and then a couple of small gifts for each child.  It is Becca's turn to buy gifts for her siblings and we are going to do this tomorrow.  I also will be getting Tabitha's last gift.  

The purpose of Christmas is to remember the beginning of Christ's sacrifice for us.  We give gifts to celebrate the greatest gift, God's love and forgiveness of our sins through His Son, Jesus Christ.  The purpose is not to try to outdo our friends or neighbors in giving the best gift.  It is not a competition.  The purpose is not to get the best bargains on extravagance on Black Friday.

I wish you all the joy that is in Christ alone through this Christmas season.