Saturday, May 05, 2007
CHRISTUS VICTOR
I probably don’t have time to do this right now but it’s been a very interesting week … I need to record some of the things that have transpired this past week.
I started the week with this feeling that God was going to reveal some very interesting things to me this week … things that would shed light on the future in some way. I have really not been enjoying my career in recent months … okay, years … and I have struggled to find my way through that … I have tried to turn it over to God but ultimately I was still “in there” trying to slog my own way through the muck and the mire of the residential roofing industry.
As I received this feeling that God would reveal things to me this week, two thoughts brought me peace about the whole thing. One was that God takes us just one step at a time. Nothing cataclysmic or immediately life-changing was likely to happen this week but perhaps I would gain some snippets of God’s vision for the future. The second thing that occurred to me was that I needed to have a very open mind … that what God might show me might be far, far different from anything that my mind would ever come up with. God can be that way. It’s awesome, really.
Now that the week is about over, I look back and see several things.
First, some opportunities have indeed come up at work this week which could prove to be very interesting in the future. They are very much “on the horizon” sort of things but they are there nonetheless and, indeed, they could present a very different kind of future from what I would have ever imagined on my own. I believe that God is in those opportunities which have peaked their heads over the horizon this week.
Next, I spent sometime this week working with Todd R and discussing a revised Mission Statement for Evan’s school. Todd has been spending time in recent weeks with our board there facilitating a visioning process for us. God is leading that board in some very powerful ways I believe as we try to figure out where He wants us to be in the future. We may very likely be coming out with a Mission Statement that is far, far different from the mission statements of 99.9% of all Christian schools out there. If that is where God wants us to be, it is very, very exciting.
On Friday, then, I was in a church meeting where similar work is being done and we were discussing opportunities that may exist for the church’s future. It was huge to discuss the ways in which God may be leading us … ways to show His love to our community and the world in the future. Awesome. Exciting.
However, this morning is when, for me personally, a few things have really, really started to click. I have to think back a couple of weeks ago to the Virginia Tech tragedy as I process this. When all that happened, it’s a shame to say it, but I didn’t feel all that affected. My heart went out to the VT community but, to a large degree, I just felt like the whole story was yet one more in a long list of tragedies that bombard our news daily. Campus shootings, mall shootings, roadside bombers … it just goes on and on and on.
What this has all driven home to me this morning is something that isn’t new to me … I have written about it before … but I think it is being brought to me and placed on my heart in a deeper way now. We live in a very broken world … things are really really messed up. Increasingly, people are so lost, so distraught, they don’t know where to turn other than crazy acts. Whereas in the past, we have often sought our own methods of escapism (some very damaging to ourselves and our souls,) increasingly, the hurting of this world are turning to acting out violence on others as their way of escape. This is not good, people. Our world is losing hope and, when that happens, horrible, horrible actions ensue.
It shows, increasingly, just as Jesus said, that Satan is at the helm in this world … Satan has control of our lives until we make that purposeful decision, often at a time of complete brokenness, that we don’t want to live that way and longer. And then, based upon just how “messed up” we were, we start that long road of recovery, of healing, of allowing God to fully live through our lives. God provides the hope that brings meaning and dignity back to our lives.
But here’s the problem … in the meantime, how many people are being lost permanently to all sorts of things … and how much pain is being inflicted on others who are negatively impacted along the way by the actions of those who reach points of complete despair? This world is suffering greatly because of the control Satan has … because of the incredible hurt that so many are feeling ... because of the actions they are taking due to their despair and hopelessness.
Many churches and many people are doing great jobs of bringing God’s love to those who are hurting. Yes, some churches would still prefer to cut them out of society but, increasingly and finally, I think we’re realizing that, as Christ followers, we are really called to carry God’s love and peace, not condemnation and isolation. A lot of it does boil down to being nice … to loving others … to encouraging and supporting social services that help others … while gently also carrying the message of salvation. But how can we get ourselves back at least to a world where a Virginia Tech tragedy is shocking and earth-stopping rather than "just another bad news headline"?
I am thinking there is something bigger here that we’re being called to as well. It is a part of the message of love but somehow it needs to be kicked up a few notches. Okay, a lot of notches. But, how do we do that? What is it that we’re being called to? I don’t know and I don’t know. It is indeed one step at a time but we as God’s church need to look around and see the pain and suffering … we need to see that it is increasing daily despite our best efforts … there is something greater we’re being called to. Our current “best efforts” are not good enough -- our answer for that "next step" -- that ratcheting up -- will come from God. We must hear His voice, we must follow Him. He has the message of love and peace and salvation and He knows what our role is in delivering that message to a world that is falling apart.
This morning, as I was catching up on things at work, I listened to Greg Boyd’s recent sermon, “Christus Victor,” given at Mars Hill church. It was an amazing cap to the feelings God has been bringing me this week. I encourage you to listen to it.
I started the week with this feeling that God was going to reveal some very interesting things to me this week … things that would shed light on the future in some way. I have really not been enjoying my career in recent months … okay, years … and I have struggled to find my way through that … I have tried to turn it over to God but ultimately I was still “in there” trying to slog my own way through the muck and the mire of the residential roofing industry.
As I received this feeling that God would reveal things to me this week, two thoughts brought me peace about the whole thing. One was that God takes us just one step at a time. Nothing cataclysmic or immediately life-changing was likely to happen this week but perhaps I would gain some snippets of God’s vision for the future. The second thing that occurred to me was that I needed to have a very open mind … that what God might show me might be far, far different from anything that my mind would ever come up with. God can be that way. It’s awesome, really.
Now that the week is about over, I look back and see several things.
First, some opportunities have indeed come up at work this week which could prove to be very interesting in the future. They are very much “on the horizon” sort of things but they are there nonetheless and, indeed, they could present a very different kind of future from what I would have ever imagined on my own. I believe that God is in those opportunities which have peaked their heads over the horizon this week.
Next, I spent sometime this week working with Todd R and discussing a revised Mission Statement for Evan’s school. Todd has been spending time in recent weeks with our board there facilitating a visioning process for us. God is leading that board in some very powerful ways I believe as we try to figure out where He wants us to be in the future. We may very likely be coming out with a Mission Statement that is far, far different from the mission statements of 99.9% of all Christian schools out there. If that is where God wants us to be, it is very, very exciting.
On Friday, then, I was in a church meeting where similar work is being done and we were discussing opportunities that may exist for the church’s future. It was huge to discuss the ways in which God may be leading us … ways to show His love to our community and the world in the future. Awesome. Exciting.
However, this morning is when, for me personally, a few things have really, really started to click. I have to think back a couple of weeks ago to the Virginia Tech tragedy as I process this. When all that happened, it’s a shame to say it, but I didn’t feel all that affected. My heart went out to the VT community but, to a large degree, I just felt like the whole story was yet one more in a long list of tragedies that bombard our news daily. Campus shootings, mall shootings, roadside bombers … it just goes on and on and on.
What this has all driven home to me this morning is something that isn’t new to me … I have written about it before … but I think it is being brought to me and placed on my heart in a deeper way now. We live in a very broken world … things are really really messed up. Increasingly, people are so lost, so distraught, they don’t know where to turn other than crazy acts. Whereas in the past, we have often sought our own methods of escapism (some very damaging to ourselves and our souls,) increasingly, the hurting of this world are turning to acting out violence on others as their way of escape. This is not good, people. Our world is losing hope and, when that happens, horrible, horrible actions ensue.
It shows, increasingly, just as Jesus said, that Satan is at the helm in this world … Satan has control of our lives until we make that purposeful decision, often at a time of complete brokenness, that we don’t want to live that way and longer. And then, based upon just how “messed up” we were, we start that long road of recovery, of healing, of allowing God to fully live through our lives. God provides the hope that brings meaning and dignity back to our lives.
But here’s the problem … in the meantime, how many people are being lost permanently to all sorts of things … and how much pain is being inflicted on others who are negatively impacted along the way by the actions of those who reach points of complete despair? This world is suffering greatly because of the control Satan has … because of the incredible hurt that so many are feeling ... because of the actions they are taking due to their despair and hopelessness.
Many churches and many people are doing great jobs of bringing God’s love to those who are hurting. Yes, some churches would still prefer to cut them out of society but, increasingly and finally, I think we’re realizing that, as Christ followers, we are really called to carry God’s love and peace, not condemnation and isolation. A lot of it does boil down to being nice … to loving others … to encouraging and supporting social services that help others … while gently also carrying the message of salvation. But how can we get ourselves back at least to a world where a Virginia Tech tragedy is shocking and earth-stopping rather than "just another bad news headline"?
I am thinking there is something bigger here that we’re being called to as well. It is a part of the message of love but somehow it needs to be kicked up a few notches. Okay, a lot of notches. But, how do we do that? What is it that we’re being called to? I don’t know and I don’t know. It is indeed one step at a time but we as God’s church need to look around and see the pain and suffering … we need to see that it is increasing daily despite our best efforts … there is something greater we’re being called to. Our current “best efforts” are not good enough -- our answer for that "next step" -- that ratcheting up -- will come from God. We must hear His voice, we must follow Him. He has the message of love and peace and salvation and He knows what our role is in delivering that message to a world that is falling apart.
This morning, as I was catching up on things at work, I listened to Greg Boyd’s recent sermon, “Christus Victor,” given at Mars Hill church. It was an amazing cap to the feelings God has been bringing me this week. I encourage you to listen to it.
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2 Comments:
Right now I'm reading Henri Nouwen's Wounded Healer. I think it gives voice to some of what you are writing and reflecting about. It recognizes the hurt of the world, but before we are prepared to reach out to "them", we have to do the difficult work of facing our own hurts. It is out of our own healing that we give voice to the hurts of the world. When we see ourselves as broken or hurting, we validate and welcome the world to process their hurts. It can't be seen as an "us" (i.e. Christians) vs. "them" (i.e. the world, or pagans). We are all but flesh and dust. Our power in ministry won't come in jumping ahead to minister to the needs and hurts of others while we deny or ignore our own heart. Nouwen has some great "meat and potatoes" about this. Just some thoughts to consider. It is a good read if you want to check it out. Blessings, Todd!
I have read some Nouwen but not that book ... I will have to add that to my list of things to read. I very much agree that ministry is not an "us" or "them" thing; sometimes it is hard to not see it in that context though. The book sounds very helpful to that end. Thanks Julie.
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