Yet more on the incarnation of Christ Jesus:
"He deals with them as a good teacher with his pupils, coming down to their level and using simple means. St. Paul says as much: 'Because in the wisdom of God the world in its wisdom knew not God, God thought fit through the simplicity of the News proclaimed to save those who believe' (1 Corinthians 1:21). Men had turned from the contemplation of God above, and were looking for him in the opposite direction, down among created things and things of sense. The Saviour of us all, the Word of God, in his great love took to himself a body and moved as Man among men, meeting their sense, so to speak, half way. He became himself an object for the senses, so that those who were seeking God in sensible things might apprehend the Father through the works which he, the Word of God, did in the body. Human and human-minded as men were, therefore, to whichever side they looked in the sensible world they found themselves taught the truth. Were they awe-stricken by creation? They beheld it confessing Christ as Lord. Did their minds tend to regard men as Gods? The uniqueness of the Saviour's works marked him, alone of men, as Son of God. Were they drawn to evil spirits? They saw them driven out by the Lord and learned that the Word of God alone was God, and that the evil spirits were not gods at all. Were they inclined to hero-worship and the cult of the dead? Then the fact that the Saviour had risen from the dead showed them how false these other deities were, and that the Word of the Father is the one true Lord, the Lord even of death. For this reason was he both born and manifested as Man, for this he died and rose, in order that, eclipsing by his works all other human deeds, he might recall men from all the paths of error to know the Father. As he says himself, 'I came to seek and to save that which was lost' (Luke 19:10). --Athanasius On the Incarnation
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Friday, December 23, 2005
Athanasius on the Incarnation (Part 2)
More on the purpose of the incarnation from Athanasius:
"You know what happens when a portrait that has been painted on a panel becomes obliterated through external stains. The artist does not throw away the panel, but the subject of the portrait has to come and sit for it again, and then the likeness is re-drawn on the same material. Even so it was with the All-holy Son of God. He, the Image of the Father, came and dwelt in our midst, in order that he might renew mankind made after himself, and seek out his lost sheep, even as he says in the Gospel: 'I came to seek and to save that which was lost' (Luke 19:10). This explains his saying to the Jews: 'Except a man be born anew...' (John 3:3). He was not referring to a man's natural birth from his mother, as they thought, but to the re-birth and re-creation of the soul in the Image of God.
"Nor was this the only thing which only the Word could do. When the madness of idolatry and irreligion filled the world and the knowledge of God was hidden, whose part was it to teach the world about the Father? Man's, would you say? But men cannot run everywhere over the world, nor would their words carry sufficient weight if they did, nor would they be, unaided, a match for the evil spirits. Moreover, since even the best of men were confused and blinded by evil, how could they convert the souls and minds of others? You cannot put straight in others what is warped in yourself. Perhaps you will say, then, that creation was enough to teach men about the Father. But if that had been so, such great evils would never have occurred. Creation was there all the time, but it did not prevent men from wallowing in error. Once more, then, it was the Word of God, who sees all that is in man and moves all things in creation, who alone could meet the needs of the situation. It was his part and his alone, whose ordering of the universe reveals the Father, to renew the same teaching. But how was he to do it? By the same means as before, perhaps you will say, that is, through the works of creation. But this was proven insufficient. Men had neglected to consider the heavens before, and now they were looking in the opposite direction. Wherefore, in all naturalness and fitness, desiring to do good to men, as man he comes, taking to himself a body like the rest; and through his actions done in that body, as it were on their own level, he teaches those who would not learn by other means to know himself, the Word of God, and through him the Father."-- Athanasius On the Incarnation
"You know what happens when a portrait that has been painted on a panel becomes obliterated through external stains. The artist does not throw away the panel, but the subject of the portrait has to come and sit for it again, and then the likeness is re-drawn on the same material. Even so it was with the All-holy Son of God. He, the Image of the Father, came and dwelt in our midst, in order that he might renew mankind made after himself, and seek out his lost sheep, even as he says in the Gospel: 'I came to seek and to save that which was lost' (Luke 19:10). This explains his saying to the Jews: 'Except a man be born anew...' (John 3:3). He was not referring to a man's natural birth from his mother, as they thought, but to the re-birth and re-creation of the soul in the Image of God.
"Nor was this the only thing which only the Word could do. When the madness of idolatry and irreligion filled the world and the knowledge of God was hidden, whose part was it to teach the world about the Father? Man's, would you say? But men cannot run everywhere over the world, nor would their words carry sufficient weight if they did, nor would they be, unaided, a match for the evil spirits. Moreover, since even the best of men were confused and blinded by evil, how could they convert the souls and minds of others? You cannot put straight in others what is warped in yourself. Perhaps you will say, then, that creation was enough to teach men about the Father. But if that had been so, such great evils would never have occurred. Creation was there all the time, but it did not prevent men from wallowing in error. Once more, then, it was the Word of God, who sees all that is in man and moves all things in creation, who alone could meet the needs of the situation. It was his part and his alone, whose ordering of the universe reveals the Father, to renew the same teaching. But how was he to do it? By the same means as before, perhaps you will say, that is, through the works of creation. But this was proven insufficient. Men had neglected to consider the heavens before, and now they were looking in the opposite direction. Wherefore, in all naturalness and fitness, desiring to do good to men, as man he comes, taking to himself a body like the rest; and through his actions done in that body, as it were on their own level, he teaches those who would not learn by other means to know himself, the Word of God, and through him the Father."-- Athanasius On the Incarnation
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Athanasius on the Incarnation (Part 1)
As we draw closer to the day that is celebrated as Christmas, the birth of Christ, there is great value in looking at a few excerpts from probably the greatest book ever written on the incarnation of Christ. Athanasius wrote some time around 318, and his thoughts on Christ's coming to earth are still unequalled. May they stir our hearts and minds to consider the real reason of the incarnation, and the glory of the Christ who came.
"For this purpose, then, the incorporeal and incorruptible and immaterial Word of God entered our world. In one sense, indeed, he was not far from it before, for no part of creation had ever been without him who, while ever abiding in union with the Father, yet fills all things that are. But now he entered the world in a new way, stooping to our level in his love and Self-revealing to us. He saw the reasonable race, the race of men that, like himself, expressed the Father's mind, wasting out of existence, and death reigning over all in corruption. He saw that corruption held us all the closer, because it was the penalty for the Transgression; he saw, too, how unthinkable it would be for the law to be repealed before it was fulfilled. He saw how unseemly it was that the very thing of which he himself was the Artificer should be disappearing. He saw how the surpassing wickedness of man was mounting up against them; he saw also their universal liability to death. All this he saw and, pitying our race, moved with compassion for our limitation, unable to endure that death should have mastery, rather than that his creatures should perish and the work of his Father for us men come to nought, he took to himself a body, a human body even as our own. Nor did he will merely to become embodied or merely to appear; had that been so, he could have revealed his divine majesty in some other and better way. No, he took our body, and not only so, but he took it directly from a spotless, stainless virgin, without the agency of human father--a pure body, untainted by intercourse with man. He, the Mighty One, the Artificer of all, himself prepared this body in the virgin as a temple for himself, and took it for his very own, as the instrument through which he was known and in which he dwelt. Thus, taking a body like our own, because all our bodies were liable to the corruption of death, He surrendered his body to death in place of all, and offered it to the Father. This he did out of sheer love for us, so that in his death all might die, and the law of death thereby be abolished because when he had fulfilled in his body that for which it was appointed, it was thereafter void of its power for men. This he did that he might turn again to incorruption men who had turned back to corruption, and make themn alive through death by the appropriation of his body and by the grace of his resurrection. Thus he would make death to disappear from them as utterly as straw from fire." Athanasius -- On the Incarnation
"For this purpose, then, the incorporeal and incorruptible and immaterial Word of God entered our world. In one sense, indeed, he was not far from it before, for no part of creation had ever been without him who, while ever abiding in union with the Father, yet fills all things that are. But now he entered the world in a new way, stooping to our level in his love and Self-revealing to us. He saw the reasonable race, the race of men that, like himself, expressed the Father's mind, wasting out of existence, and death reigning over all in corruption. He saw that corruption held us all the closer, because it was the penalty for the Transgression; he saw, too, how unthinkable it would be for the law to be repealed before it was fulfilled. He saw how unseemly it was that the very thing of which he himself was the Artificer should be disappearing. He saw how the surpassing wickedness of man was mounting up against them; he saw also their universal liability to death. All this he saw and, pitying our race, moved with compassion for our limitation, unable to endure that death should have mastery, rather than that his creatures should perish and the work of his Father for us men come to nought, he took to himself a body, a human body even as our own. Nor did he will merely to become embodied or merely to appear; had that been so, he could have revealed his divine majesty in some other and better way. No, he took our body, and not only so, but he took it directly from a spotless, stainless virgin, without the agency of human father--a pure body, untainted by intercourse with man. He, the Mighty One, the Artificer of all, himself prepared this body in the virgin as a temple for himself, and took it for his very own, as the instrument through which he was known and in which he dwelt. Thus, taking a body like our own, because all our bodies were liable to the corruption of death, He surrendered his body to death in place of all, and offered it to the Father. This he did out of sheer love for us, so that in his death all might die, and the law of death thereby be abolished because when he had fulfilled in his body that for which it was appointed, it was thereafter void of its power for men. This he did that he might turn again to incorruption men who had turned back to corruption, and make themn alive through death by the appropriation of his body and by the grace of his resurrection. Thus he would make death to disappear from them as utterly as straw from fire." Athanasius -- On the Incarnation
Keeping a heavenly perspective
At the best of times our world and all its pressures, stresses, and conflicts can weigh us down. But it seems that at this time of year, when people are encouraged to attain new levels of self-indulgence all in the name of the baby Jesus, the hustle and bustle of life can become almost overbearing. Everything seems to focus on me, my wants, my pleasures, my satisfaction--in short, making me happy in this present life. Most of us have numerous things to do for work, family, church events, or other things, and if we don't take time to draw aside and focus our thoughts on who we are and what we are called to, we can easily be swept away by the spirit of this age.
I'm not talking only about the holiday season. This possibility is a great temptation at any time of year, but things seem to intensify during this time when the media is bombarding us with how desperately we need numerous items that will never once be used after they gain entrance to our homes. Everything seems to focus on this earthly realm.
The reality is we live in this world. As Jesus so clearly demonstrated to his disciples, we get dirt on our feet. It really can't be avoided; it is the nature of living in a fallen world. But while living in such a world, we are to keep our attention set on our heavenly calling. Lifting our eyes to the heavenly calling that is ours in Christ helps to give us a good heart-cleansing, removing the dust from the feet and keeping us fresh in our vision and eternal purpose.
In The Message, Eugene Peterson renders Colossians 3:1-4 like this: "So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ--that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.
"Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life--even though invisible to spectators--is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too--the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ."
I grew up in Indianapolis in the USA, but I've lived in England for 20 years. The accent is still pretty strong, and often people treat me like I just arrived from the USA heartland. Once a lady, who clearly had some definite opinions about the war in Iraq, came up to me and in a rather direct manner asked me what my president was up to. Having not lived in the USA for nearly 19 years at that time, I didn't feel qualified to give an opinion on George Bush's thought process. My inclination was to say to her, "Well, I'm not sure as to whom you are referring, but my present leader is currently seated at the right hand of the Father, and I would be delighted if he would return and establish his kingdom--the sooner, the better."
One thing the church of our time has largely forgotten is that we are called to a higher, glorified life. This realm is not our final destiny; we are only passing through. Instead of trying to fit our Christianity to this realm, we should be setting our thoughts and focus on the higher, heavenly realm. The life we are called to live today should be continuously leading us to that higher spiritual dimension.
"We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Saviour, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthly bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him" (Philippians 3:20-21).
Being citizens of heaven means we set our thoughts and hopes and desires on that coming kingdom. We live in this world, and we engage this world, but we are called to do so from a heavenly perspective, bringing a heavenly hope to those who are bogged down in the mire of sin and corruption. I believe it was A.W. Tozer who once said, "A person who is stuck down a well isn't looking for somebody to jump down the well and stand at the bottom with them; they are looking for somebody up at the top, who can pull them out."
Living with a heavenly perspective may sometimes mean being isolated; it will mean often being misunderstood, but it will also bring the reality of the heavenly life to those who thus far have seen nothing but the dirt and hopeless grime of this earthly realm. That's the story of the incarnation of Christ. He didn't remain a baby. He has ascended into the heavenlies, and his call to you and me is to live with him in that heavenly dimension, learning what it means to live in union with the Father, bringing the life of the Holy Spirit into every aspect of our existence. It's a tall order, but by cooperating with the triune God, it becomes a true and living possibility!
I'm not talking only about the holiday season. This possibility is a great temptation at any time of year, but things seem to intensify during this time when the media is bombarding us with how desperately we need numerous items that will never once be used after they gain entrance to our homes. Everything seems to focus on this earthly realm.
The reality is we live in this world. As Jesus so clearly demonstrated to his disciples, we get dirt on our feet. It really can't be avoided; it is the nature of living in a fallen world. But while living in such a world, we are to keep our attention set on our heavenly calling. Lifting our eyes to the heavenly calling that is ours in Christ helps to give us a good heart-cleansing, removing the dust from the feet and keeping us fresh in our vision and eternal purpose.
In The Message, Eugene Peterson renders Colossians 3:1-4 like this: "So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ--that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.
"Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life--even though invisible to spectators--is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too--the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ."
I grew up in Indianapolis in the USA, but I've lived in England for 20 years. The accent is still pretty strong, and often people treat me like I just arrived from the USA heartland. Once a lady, who clearly had some definite opinions about the war in Iraq, came up to me and in a rather direct manner asked me what my president was up to. Having not lived in the USA for nearly 19 years at that time, I didn't feel qualified to give an opinion on George Bush's thought process. My inclination was to say to her, "Well, I'm not sure as to whom you are referring, but my present leader is currently seated at the right hand of the Father, and I would be delighted if he would return and establish his kingdom--the sooner, the better."
One thing the church of our time has largely forgotten is that we are called to a higher, glorified life. This realm is not our final destiny; we are only passing through. Instead of trying to fit our Christianity to this realm, we should be setting our thoughts and focus on the higher, heavenly realm. The life we are called to live today should be continuously leading us to that higher spiritual dimension.
"We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Saviour, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthly bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him" (Philippians 3:20-21).
Being citizens of heaven means we set our thoughts and hopes and desires on that coming kingdom. We live in this world, and we engage this world, but we are called to do so from a heavenly perspective, bringing a heavenly hope to those who are bogged down in the mire of sin and corruption. I believe it was A.W. Tozer who once said, "A person who is stuck down a well isn't looking for somebody to jump down the well and stand at the bottom with them; they are looking for somebody up at the top, who can pull them out."
Living with a heavenly perspective may sometimes mean being isolated; it will mean often being misunderstood, but it will also bring the reality of the heavenly life to those who thus far have seen nothing but the dirt and hopeless grime of this earthly realm. That's the story of the incarnation of Christ. He didn't remain a baby. He has ascended into the heavenlies, and his call to you and me is to live with him in that heavenly dimension, learning what it means to live in union with the Father, bringing the life of the Holy Spirit into every aspect of our existence. It's a tall order, but by cooperating with the triune God, it becomes a true and living possibility!
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Keeping an earthly perspective
I live in a small village in the British midlands countryside. Each morning I take my two dogs for their walk. If I turn left out of my driveway, I am on a lane that leads out between fields upon fields. As I walk down the lane, I pass several flocks of sheep. The local shepherd's grandson is now getting interested in shepherding and recently bought a small flock of a rare Welsh breed of sheep. They are white all over, except for their heads, which are coal-black. I enjoy seeing them each morning; they are amazing to look at. On any given morning, I will see anywhere from 50-100 rabbits, along with occasional squirrels, foxes, weasels, stoats, pheasants, and a variety of birds that nest in the hedgerows that run along both sides of the lane.
As I pass a couple more fields, I encounter a large chestnut horse and a small Shetland pony of the same colour. A little farther on is a small fishing lake. There are usually at least three or four different varieties of ducks or geese there, or maybe a heron, and sometimes there will be a pair of swans. One of the most amazing sights to see is a pair of swans flying across the sky. During migration season, I will often see entire flocks of geese, in their spectacular "V" formation, flying along the River Trent, which is just a few hundred yards away. This time of year, with the sunrise occurring so late in the morning (around 8.15), I will often have the moon on my left, surrounded by deep blues and purples; and the rising sun on my right, with pinks, yellows, peaches, and red colours that even Monet could never have conceived. Every morning is full of an incredible variety of the beauties of God's creation.
The scene sounds absolutely idyllic, and indeed in many ways it is. I don't let a day go by without thanking God for his wonderful works and for giving me the chance to see it in such an up-close and personal way. There are numerous times when I would prefer to just stay out there for the entire day and kind of forget about everything else.
However, there is another part of this scene that I have neglected to describe. You see, about 400 yards away is a major motorway (4-lane interstate) that runs from London in the south to Edinburgh in the north. And every morning when I'm out in the fields with God and his handiwork, I hear the constant sound of cars and trucks going by. Day by day they bring their pollution, aggression, haste, and noise into that idyllic scene.
In one sense I wish it wasn't there; quiet tranquility would just about complete the ideal setting for my morning walks. But at the same time, I realise that the constant drone of the passing cars serves as a constant reminder that there is a world going by out there, and that I am to engage that world by the grace of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit, and try to bring a little redemption in some small way. The quiet moments with God in his beautiful countryside mean very little if I am unable to bring something of eternal value to the world that is passing me by day after day after day.
I am reminded of the three disciples who were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. I can relate to Peter's desire to just stay there, build a few tents, and enjoy the revelation of the glory of Christ. But staying there was not God's plan for them. In fact, the moment they came down from the Mount, they encountered a demon-possessed man. The spiritual revelations and glorious experiences of God's presence don't last forever. They often are sent to prepare us for the face-to-face encounters with this fallen, spiritually corrupt world.
I believe that the incarnation of Jesus himself is the best example of this. If anybody was in a place of total satisfaction and glory, it was Christ. Yet, he willingly entered our fallen, polluted, corrupt world to bring redemption and all that it includes. Paul says it like this:
"Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death--and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion" (Philippians 2:5-8, The Message).
Keeping an earthly perspective means that we don't seek the glory of God simply for what we can get out it, and out of him; rather we seek to bring his glory into the dark corners of our world, into the broken lives and wounded hearts that we encounter in normal, daily lives. I agree: it's easier to go for the idyllic country walk (I would actually prefer a beachside home on the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa). But the nature of the redemptive gospel means that we are here to engage our fallen, hurting world. That probably won't mean great and dramatic scenes for most of us. It will probably occur in the quiet, often mundane realities of life.
Francis of Assisi said of himself, "When I was living in sin, I could scarcely bear even to look at lepers; but the Lord led me among them, and I took pity on them." Francis' first biographer, Thomas of Celano, tells us that Francis admitted that the mere sight of lepers had at one time been so disgusting to him that before he was converted if he saw one of their houses even a couple of miles away, he had to pinch his nostrils. Then one day by the grace and power of the Most High, Francis of Assisi one day encountered a leper and, possessed of a strength greater than his own, he went up to him and kissed him. This event caused Francis to learn humility and to centre his heart on heavenly things.
As we approach another Christmas, chances are that the world out there will not be dramatically changed by looking at another nativity scene or two. However, if we can keep an earthly perspective and bring the effects of our heavenly moments into this fallen world, by the grace of God people may see something of his redemptive love. And the power of the glorified Christ who was willing to become a slave for the redemption of mankind will reach out and touch another life.
As I pass a couple more fields, I encounter a large chestnut horse and a small Shetland pony of the same colour. A little farther on is a small fishing lake. There are usually at least three or four different varieties of ducks or geese there, or maybe a heron, and sometimes there will be a pair of swans. One of the most amazing sights to see is a pair of swans flying across the sky. During migration season, I will often see entire flocks of geese, in their spectacular "V" formation, flying along the River Trent, which is just a few hundred yards away. This time of year, with the sunrise occurring so late in the morning (around 8.15), I will often have the moon on my left, surrounded by deep blues and purples; and the rising sun on my right, with pinks, yellows, peaches, and red colours that even Monet could never have conceived. Every morning is full of an incredible variety of the beauties of God's creation.
The scene sounds absolutely idyllic, and indeed in many ways it is. I don't let a day go by without thanking God for his wonderful works and for giving me the chance to see it in such an up-close and personal way. There are numerous times when I would prefer to just stay out there for the entire day and kind of forget about everything else.
However, there is another part of this scene that I have neglected to describe. You see, about 400 yards away is a major motorway (4-lane interstate) that runs from London in the south to Edinburgh in the north. And every morning when I'm out in the fields with God and his handiwork, I hear the constant sound of cars and trucks going by. Day by day they bring their pollution, aggression, haste, and noise into that idyllic scene.
In one sense I wish it wasn't there; quiet tranquility would just about complete the ideal setting for my morning walks. But at the same time, I realise that the constant drone of the passing cars serves as a constant reminder that there is a world going by out there, and that I am to engage that world by the grace of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit, and try to bring a little redemption in some small way. The quiet moments with God in his beautiful countryside mean very little if I am unable to bring something of eternal value to the world that is passing me by day after day after day.
I am reminded of the three disciples who were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. I can relate to Peter's desire to just stay there, build a few tents, and enjoy the revelation of the glory of Christ. But staying there was not God's plan for them. In fact, the moment they came down from the Mount, they encountered a demon-possessed man. The spiritual revelations and glorious experiences of God's presence don't last forever. They often are sent to prepare us for the face-to-face encounters with this fallen, spiritually corrupt world.
I believe that the incarnation of Jesus himself is the best example of this. If anybody was in a place of total satisfaction and glory, it was Christ. Yet, he willingly entered our fallen, polluted, corrupt world to bring redemption and all that it includes. Paul says it like this:
"Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death--and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion" (Philippians 2:5-8, The Message).
Keeping an earthly perspective means that we don't seek the glory of God simply for what we can get out it, and out of him; rather we seek to bring his glory into the dark corners of our world, into the broken lives and wounded hearts that we encounter in normal, daily lives. I agree: it's easier to go for the idyllic country walk (I would actually prefer a beachside home on the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa). But the nature of the redemptive gospel means that we are here to engage our fallen, hurting world. That probably won't mean great and dramatic scenes for most of us. It will probably occur in the quiet, often mundane realities of life.
Francis of Assisi said of himself, "When I was living in sin, I could scarcely bear even to look at lepers; but the Lord led me among them, and I took pity on them." Francis' first biographer, Thomas of Celano, tells us that Francis admitted that the mere sight of lepers had at one time been so disgusting to him that before he was converted if he saw one of their houses even a couple of miles away, he had to pinch his nostrils. Then one day by the grace and power of the Most High, Francis of Assisi one day encountered a leper and, possessed of a strength greater than his own, he went up to him and kissed him. This event caused Francis to learn humility and to centre his heart on heavenly things.
As we approach another Christmas, chances are that the world out there will not be dramatically changed by looking at another nativity scene or two. However, if we can keep an earthly perspective and bring the effects of our heavenly moments into this fallen world, by the grace of God people may see something of his redemptive love. And the power of the glorified Christ who was willing to become a slave for the redemption of mankind will reach out and touch another life.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
How shall we find time to pray?
While reading Richard Foster's superb book, Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, I came across the name George Buttrick and his own book entitled simply, Prayer. I began to look for this book, and it took quite a while, but I finally found an old paperback edition. This morning I was reading it, and Buttrick had this to say about our time and our prayer life. It is the kind of thing we need to be reminded of about once a week.
"How shall we find time to pray? The very question shows the disproportion of our life. 'First things' are not 'first.' Three hundredth things, the make of an automobile, the fashion of a coiffure, are now first; and 'first things' have dropped out of sight.
"St. Ignatius required of initiates in his order an initial thirty days of silence. Luther habitually prayed for three hours each day. Jesus often prayed all night, and said that 'men ought always to pray, and not to grow weary in praying'(Luke 18:1).
"If prayer is friendship with God, that friendship should rule all our time. Work or play should wait on prayer, not prayer on work or play. But since our age is frenzied, since with all the time gained from time-saving devices we have ever less time to live, this fact is worth stress: prayer saves time, and the saving is genuine.
"When a man prays, his thought is proportioned and clear: evil memories are purged to save him from distraction, and he can meet responsibility with confidence. Another man may lack concentration, fill time with lost motion, and delay or blunder in decisions; but the praying man is in tune with life.
"It is no accident that Paul could be prodigious and versatile in labour, as tent-maker, friend, traveler, administrator, preacher, writer, theologian: he was much in prayer. His nature was like a cathedral: many an arch and aisle, many a carving and picture, many a chapel, many a peal of bells, but all brought to focus and purpose in an altar.
"Prayer saves time. We should not offer God the shreds and tatters of our day. But, if events crowd and responsibilities summon, prayer's brevity can be atoned in prayer's sincerity. Five minutes in the morning, arrow flights of prayer during the day, and fifteen minutes at night do not seem too large a demand for life's highest Friendship. That time spent in prayer can conquer time." -- George Buttrick (1942)
In our high-stressed, fast-paced world, there is a gentle continual reminder to make time for the Eternal, to allow Him to invade this space-time realm, and to enter and transform our hearts.
"How shall we find time to pray? The very question shows the disproportion of our life. 'First things' are not 'first.' Three hundredth things, the make of an automobile, the fashion of a coiffure, are now first; and 'first things' have dropped out of sight.
"St. Ignatius required of initiates in his order an initial thirty days of silence. Luther habitually prayed for three hours each day. Jesus often prayed all night, and said that 'men ought always to pray, and not to grow weary in praying'(Luke 18:1).
"If prayer is friendship with God, that friendship should rule all our time. Work or play should wait on prayer, not prayer on work or play. But since our age is frenzied, since with all the time gained from time-saving devices we have ever less time to live, this fact is worth stress: prayer saves time, and the saving is genuine.
"When a man prays, his thought is proportioned and clear: evil memories are purged to save him from distraction, and he can meet responsibility with confidence. Another man may lack concentration, fill time with lost motion, and delay or blunder in decisions; but the praying man is in tune with life.
"It is no accident that Paul could be prodigious and versatile in labour, as tent-maker, friend, traveler, administrator, preacher, writer, theologian: he was much in prayer. His nature was like a cathedral: many an arch and aisle, many a carving and picture, many a chapel, many a peal of bells, but all brought to focus and purpose in an altar.
"Prayer saves time. We should not offer God the shreds and tatters of our day. But, if events crowd and responsibilities summon, prayer's brevity can be atoned in prayer's sincerity. Five minutes in the morning, arrow flights of prayer during the day, and fifteen minutes at night do not seem too large a demand for life's highest Friendship. That time spent in prayer can conquer time." -- George Buttrick (1942)
In our high-stressed, fast-paced world, there is a gentle continual reminder to make time for the Eternal, to allow Him to invade this space-time realm, and to enter and transform our hearts.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
My people will fax your people?
Synergy--What is it? Today it has become a common business buzz word. "Let's get our companies together and create some synergy. My people will fax your people. We'll do lunch." The word has come to represent the cooperation necessary to create bigger and better business and profits. The truth is, however, that synergy is not a product of multinational capitalism. The idea has been around for centuries, and synergy was originally used by some of the ancient Christian writers to describe the cooperation that must go on between a person and almighty God if that person is ever to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.
The amazing message of the Christian gospel continues to be that all people are called to perfect union with God which is accomplished in synergy, the cooperation of our created will with the perfect will of God. It seems rather simple: the more we learn to cooperate with God, the closer we get to him. We actually are able to come into union with the triune creator of the universe.
Undoubtedly, it is the grace of God that sends his Spirit and begins to stir our hearts toward belief, or repentance, or newness of thought and attitude, but we must be willing to walk in the Spirit, to cooperate with--and not insult--the Spirit of Grace. That synergy begins to manifest a greater sense of the presence and power of God in our lives.
Jesus said it like this: "On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. ... If anybody love me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (John 14:20-23). Cooperation leads to obedience, and obedience leads to union -- "I am in my Father, you are in me, I am in you." Awesome! As we learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, we are actually called to participate in a life with the trinity. That's much bigger than just "getting saved to avoid eternal damnation."
Paul writes to the Philippians and says it this way: "...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." That's synergy: work out ... because God is working in. Learn to cooperate with him and watch him do marvelous things in and through you.
Much of the teaching in modern Christianity is very individualistic. We set out what we want to do, then ask God to bless it, or try to walk in his favour, so that things always turn out well for us. Jesus' example seems to be much more dependent on learning to move as the Father moved: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son does also" (John 5:19).
This sounds a lot like the way that God led the people of Israel when they were in the wilderness. "On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the Lord's command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord's order and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord's command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the Lord's command they encamped, and at the Lord's command they set out. They obeyed the Lord's order, in accordance with his command through Moses" (Numbers 9:15-23).
Sometimes a day, sometimes a month -- the secret was staying in step with what God was doing. Not always the same way twice, not a sense of "this is the way we've always done it here". Learning that lesson doesn't happen in a few days, or through "seven easy steps". The life of spiritual synergy is the pursuit of a lifetime. It's an ever-deepening hunger for union with God and transformation into the image of Christ. I'm only just beginning to understand what it really means to cooperate with God in every aspect of life. But, like the apostle Paul, I am "forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead" (Philippians 3:13). Such a life surely must be worth the strain!
The amazing message of the Christian gospel continues to be that all people are called to perfect union with God which is accomplished in synergy, the cooperation of our created will with the perfect will of God. It seems rather simple: the more we learn to cooperate with God, the closer we get to him. We actually are able to come into union with the triune creator of the universe.
Undoubtedly, it is the grace of God that sends his Spirit and begins to stir our hearts toward belief, or repentance, or newness of thought and attitude, but we must be willing to walk in the Spirit, to cooperate with--and not insult--the Spirit of Grace. That synergy begins to manifest a greater sense of the presence and power of God in our lives.
Jesus said it like this: "On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. ... If anybody love me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (John 14:20-23). Cooperation leads to obedience, and obedience leads to union -- "I am in my Father, you are in me, I am in you." Awesome! As we learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, we are actually called to participate in a life with the trinity. That's much bigger than just "getting saved to avoid eternal damnation."
Paul writes to the Philippians and says it this way: "...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." That's synergy: work out ... because God is working in. Learn to cooperate with him and watch him do marvelous things in and through you.
Much of the teaching in modern Christianity is very individualistic. We set out what we want to do, then ask God to bless it, or try to walk in his favour, so that things always turn out well for us. Jesus' example seems to be much more dependent on learning to move as the Father moved: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son does also" (John 5:19).
This sounds a lot like the way that God led the people of Israel when they were in the wilderness. "On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the Lord's command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord's order and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord's command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the Lord's command they encamped, and at the Lord's command they set out. They obeyed the Lord's order, in accordance with his command through Moses" (Numbers 9:15-23).
Sometimes a day, sometimes a month -- the secret was staying in step with what God was doing. Not always the same way twice, not a sense of "this is the way we've always done it here". Learning that lesson doesn't happen in a few days, or through "seven easy steps". The life of spiritual synergy is the pursuit of a lifetime. It's an ever-deepening hunger for union with God and transformation into the image of Christ. I'm only just beginning to understand what it really means to cooperate with God in every aspect of life. But, like the apostle Paul, I am "forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead" (Philippians 3:13). Such a life surely must be worth the strain!
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