Working in the mountains changes your perspective on life. I work at a camp in the Rocky Mountains, just west of Denver, CO. I'm surrounded all the time by beautiful mountains. Summer camps take us on hikes up to a place we call the Lookout where you can see a 60 mile unobstructed view of the Continental Divide. And being an avid hiker, my friends and I have taken backpacking trips into the back country of Colorado, to trails where we see no one for days at a time, only mountains and animals. It inspires feelings that I don't normally welcome.
When you are out in wilderness like that, you get a view of how small you really are. Surrounded by millions upon millions of trees, rocks that tower hundreds of feet over your head and chasms that plunge deep into the earth, my insignificance in the grand scheme of life comes charging to the front of my mind. That's not exactly the ego boost I tend to enjoy.
Maybe you've experienced those feelings of insignificance. I've felt them all over the country--marveling at the towering waterfalls and granite faces of Yosemite, anticipating the predictable, yet unique blast of steam from Old Faithful geyser, edging carefully toward the edge of the unimaginable depths of the Grand Canyon, gazing across the endless expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. Even a calm evening at camp, away form the lights of the city, the dark velvet sky alive with ice-white stars, reminds me of my littleness.
And like I said, those feelings of insignificance are not our favorite feelings in the world. We don't like thinking that we might not actually be as influential as we think. we enjoy feeling like we matter, like we're significant.
But I'm not sure that those are feelings God really wants.
As I read the Bible, I'm impressed more and more by my insignificance in the face of God's awesomeness. It's one of the major themes of the Bible. God is bigger than kings and kingdoms; He's bigger than gods and idols; He's bigger than my own plans for myself.
Don't agree with me? Check out Isaiah 6, Psalm 2 and 139, Revelation 1, Job 38-41 and Isaiah 40 and tell me how you feel after that. Even something like the last part of the book Daniel, where we see God's total and complete mastery of world history and future makes me feel insignificant in the grand scheme of things. These chapters and more describe a God that is bigger than any object in the universe, wiser than any person in the universe, and stronger than any force in the universe. He and His purposes cannot and will not be changed or affected. If there is anyone significant in this world, it's God, not me.
"What about the cross?" you ask. "That proves I'm significant right?" In a way, yes. It shows us that God loves us immensely. But not because of us. He didn't die on the cross because of any intrinsic value that we hold in us. He died on the cross, He showed His love in that way because He choose to.
The cross is not merely a testament to the extent of God's love for us, it's a demonstration of how horrendously we've messed things up with our sin. Because our sin problem was so deep and so depraved, God had to go to the extreme lengths of killing His own Son to redeem us. The fact that my evilness caused that pain and suffering to the God of the universe makes me feel even smaller than all the wonders of the natural world.
We don't welcome feelings of insignificance. But they are important feelings that we ought to embrace and learn from. Isaiah 40 tells us why. After a lengthy description of our awesome God, Isaiah points out that everyone else will falter, even those who we tend to think are strongest and most energetic. But if we seek strength from our God (who is bigger and stronger) we will soar. Our insignificance drives us to dependence.
So the next time mountains seem to dwarf you, rejoice that though you are small, your God is big. The next time mountains soar far above, praise God He is higher than they are. We ought to embrace our insignificance in this universe. It emphasizes His significance and our need for dependence.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Why Pain?
I talked with a friend on the phone a few months ago about some lessons she has been learning. The lessons hurt in the learning and she was a little discouraged by the amount of pain she was experiencing. Since that time, for whatever reason, God has been bringing this concept of pain to my mind, again and again and again.
I'm not sure why. Frankly, it's not something I'm experiencing right now. Sure, I've been looking for a job for the last 3 months, but God has provided the money I need when I need it. Sure, I'm 24 and still living at home, but God has given me parents who are open to that so I can better accomplish the ministry God has placed me in right now. None of those things are really trials in my life right now. And this focus on how to respond correctly to pain scares me a bit.
The question that keeps circulating is why I am allowed to go through pain. It's a question we all ask, whether in the midst of the difficult time or removed from it. Both Job, who was experiencing pain, and his friends, who were not, asked the question and gave various reasons, both ignorant and well informed. Why would my friend have to experience intense pain, just to learn a lesson God had for her? Why would God give an assistant pastor and close in my church a child who needed to be in the ICU for 2 out of the last 8 months when he already had too much on his plate? What is the deal with all this pain?
The Bible deals pretty extensively with this problem of pain. Whole books are devoted to the subject of what to do when trials come. 1 Peter is written to a church in exile, hiding for their lives. James has a lot to say about how to respond to "divers temptations." Any one of Paul's letters has something to say about pain and one of the key passages on the issue is in 2 Corinthians 12. Why is this such a big topic? Job says that "man is born for trouble, as the sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7). Sparks are a natural result of a fire; trouble is a natural result of being born. Westley, in The Princess Bride, has it correct: "Life is pain...Anyone who tries to tell you differently is selling something."
So if it's a such a sure thing, as sure as death and taxes, what do I make of it? What do I do with it? God's answer is pretty clear. Embrace it.
Which isn't a happy prospect. I'm not talking about looking for it. I'm not even talking about enjoying it. Accept it. Bear it. Embrace it.
Think about it this way. James teaches that God is the "Father of Lights, with whom is not variableness neither shadow of turning." He is a good God who cannot change. He is so consistently good, it ought to bore us to tears. He gives only good things. Also, according to Isaiah, His thoughts are not our thoughts. What He sees as good is not always what we see as good. Whatever He puts in your life, whether you understand or not, He sees as a good gift. So embrace it as one.
God values very different things than we do. We value comfort, happiness, security, and wealth. God values His glory, His purposes, and His plan. In our lives, the things He values show up as one thing: Christ-likeness. That's what He's shooting for in those difficult times. He wants you "to be conformed to the image of His son" (Romans 8:29). He wants you to learn the lessons.
My friend, that assistant pastor I mentioned earlier, has said several times, that he wishes he could go back to the beginning of his son's medical problems, not to find a way around them, but to do them over again, better. God has used that situation in he and his wife's lives to teach them about their own shortcomings in Christ-likeness. Likewise, my friend who I talked to on the phone was confronted with pain because she was missing the mark of Christ-likeness as well. The trials I have experienced have largely resulted in a better understanding of my failures to measure up to the Christ-life. And those are areas that are crystal clear, top priority areas of change for me today.
The pain made the lessons memorable. My friends and I will never forget the lesson God taught us in the midst of pain. Another assistant pastor at my church mentioned a quote to me from a book he was reading: "Experience [pain] is the greatest teacher, for it gives the exam first and the lesson later." We learn better when pain is involved, because we first see our failure and then learn the lesson to correct it.
When pain comes, don't shy away, afraid of it. Embrace it. The lessons you learn will stick with you for life.
I'm not sure why. Frankly, it's not something I'm experiencing right now. Sure, I've been looking for a job for the last 3 months, but God has provided the money I need when I need it. Sure, I'm 24 and still living at home, but God has given me parents who are open to that so I can better accomplish the ministry God has placed me in right now. None of those things are really trials in my life right now. And this focus on how to respond correctly to pain scares me a bit.
The question that keeps circulating is why I am allowed to go through pain. It's a question we all ask, whether in the midst of the difficult time or removed from it. Both Job, who was experiencing pain, and his friends, who were not, asked the question and gave various reasons, both ignorant and well informed. Why would my friend have to experience intense pain, just to learn a lesson God had for her? Why would God give an assistant pastor and close in my church a child who needed to be in the ICU for 2 out of the last 8 months when he already had too much on his plate? What is the deal with all this pain?
The Bible deals pretty extensively with this problem of pain. Whole books are devoted to the subject of what to do when trials come. 1 Peter is written to a church in exile, hiding for their lives. James has a lot to say about how to respond to "divers temptations." Any one of Paul's letters has something to say about pain and one of the key passages on the issue is in 2 Corinthians 12. Why is this such a big topic? Job says that "man is born for trouble, as the sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7). Sparks are a natural result of a fire; trouble is a natural result of being born. Westley, in The Princess Bride, has it correct: "Life is pain...Anyone who tries to tell you differently is selling something."
So if it's a such a sure thing, as sure as death and taxes, what do I make of it? What do I do with it? God's answer is pretty clear. Embrace it.
Which isn't a happy prospect. I'm not talking about looking for it. I'm not even talking about enjoying it. Accept it. Bear it. Embrace it.
Think about it this way. James teaches that God is the "Father of Lights, with whom is not variableness neither shadow of turning." He is a good God who cannot change. He is so consistently good, it ought to bore us to tears. He gives only good things. Also, according to Isaiah, His thoughts are not our thoughts. What He sees as good is not always what we see as good. Whatever He puts in your life, whether you understand or not, He sees as a good gift. So embrace it as one.
God values very different things than we do. We value comfort, happiness, security, and wealth. God values His glory, His purposes, and His plan. In our lives, the things He values show up as one thing: Christ-likeness. That's what He's shooting for in those difficult times. He wants you "to be conformed to the image of His son" (Romans 8:29). He wants you to learn the lessons.
My friend, that assistant pastor I mentioned earlier, has said several times, that he wishes he could go back to the beginning of his son's medical problems, not to find a way around them, but to do them over again, better. God has used that situation in he and his wife's lives to teach them about their own shortcomings in Christ-likeness. Likewise, my friend who I talked to on the phone was confronted with pain because she was missing the mark of Christ-likeness as well. The trials I have experienced have largely resulted in a better understanding of my failures to measure up to the Christ-life. And those are areas that are crystal clear, top priority areas of change for me today.
The pain made the lessons memorable. My friends and I will never forget the lesson God taught us in the midst of pain. Another assistant pastor at my church mentioned a quote to me from a book he was reading: "Experience [pain] is the greatest teacher, for it gives the exam first and the lesson later." We learn better when pain is involved, because we first see our failure and then learn the lesson to correct it.
When pain comes, don't shy away, afraid of it. Embrace it. The lessons you learn will stick with you for life.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas Light
Darkness covered Bethlehem
Blanketing the shepherd men
in crisp, cool air of night.
Fires crackled in the dark,
Breaking night with naught but sparks
That dance up, out of sight.
Nighttime strangled heather-hills,
Sheep slept sound near dusky rills,
Into that world broke light.
Darkness covered Bethlehem,
Invading house and shed and inn,
And all was shuttered tight.
Unlit stable, shelter warm
Two travelers rest there, tired and worn
No help in fearful plight.
No midwife, no sterile rags
No fire's gleam, just dirty scraps.
Into that world came light.
Darkness covered human hearts,
Like inky clouds in every part,
Tainting every life.
Death and sin had conquered all,
And promises from God seemed small
And not to be made right.
Trusting beasts which could not save
No glimpse of hope, no rescue gave.
Into that world came light.
Blanketing the shepherd men
in crisp, cool air of night.
Fires crackled in the dark,
Breaking night with naught but sparks
That dance up, out of sight.
Nighttime strangled heather-hills,
Sheep slept sound near dusky rills,
Into that world broke light.
Darkness covered Bethlehem,
Invading house and shed and inn,
And all was shuttered tight.
Unlit stable, shelter warm
Two travelers rest there, tired and worn
No help in fearful plight.
No midwife, no sterile rags
No fire's gleam, just dirty scraps.
Into that world came light.
Darkness covered human hearts,
Like inky clouds in every part,
Tainting every life.
Death and sin had conquered all,
And promises from God seemed small
And not to be made right.
Trusting beasts which could not save
No glimpse of hope, no rescue gave.
Into that world came light.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
"The Master Story"
“Borrowed convictions will not sustain you in this life of faith over the long haul.”
- Dr. Tom Varney
Today was the last lecture in my Bible class entitled “The History and Literature of Ancient Israel.” It was a class that I found to be very profound and motivating as we launch out from the class and continue applying the concepts we’d learned. I’ve compiled my notes and added some of my own thoughts and interpretations for this posting. The bulleted points and raw outline are from Dr. Tom Varney, the professor of the class. I sincerely hope that these thoughts will encourage you as they did me!
- The Bible is a trustworthy witness to God’s character and purposes in history
- The Bible is a dynamic Word that naturally and forcefully addresses real life
- The Bible is a “customs agent” that requires us to disclose our personal baggage
- The Bible is an ancient library that demands steady practice in skillful reading
Three ways of Reading Scripture
1. As simply an ancient text – just like Plato’s writing the Bible has a good moral story, but no authority.
2. As a “modern manual” – the Bible contains the answers for all the questions in life and formulas to fix life’s problems
a. Dogmatic Approach – These people have a strong passion to be “right.” This approach will eventually lead to strict legalism and traditionalism. Proponents of this view are typically quick to fight, and afraid to take an honest, open look at other opinions.
b.Pragmatic Approach – These people have a strong passion to be “relevant.” This approach will water down the power and fullness of the Bible. Proponents of this view are typically quick to adjust the Scriptures to meet society today and are very reluctant to embrace “offensive” tenants of the faith.
3.
a. Creation
b. Chaos – Sin, flood, etc.
c. Calling – Israel becomes God’s people
d. Christ – the Gospels
e. Church – We have some information and guidance regarding this timeframe from the Bible, but only the first 100 years of church history are indicated in the Bible. This leaves approximately a 1900 year gap where there is no inspired guidance for specific issues relative to various cultures.
f. Culmination – Part of this is covered in Revelation, this is our future.
Because “Act 5 – the Church” has so little divinely recorded history (the latest book written was in about 95 AD), we as disciples of Christ are forced to “improve” the Master Story. This brings up the question of how do we improv such an Inspired Story, which really is the question of “how do I live as a participating Christian today?” Since it is clear we are improvising the living of our Christian journey, we must become skilled in the art of improvisation. In order to be a skillful improviser, one must have prior knowledge of the story he/she is improvising in, he/she must understand the ebb and flow – the motions – of the story, he/she must understand his/her character in order to stay within the bounds the Author intended, he/she must be experienced/gain experience in improvisation, and finally he/she must understand the context (both prior and future) of his/her improvised “act.”
We followers of Christ must learn not just the facts and details, but the literary nature of the Bible and understand that we are not merely referring back to It, but rather continuing its message and Story. We must immerse ourselves in the community of Journeyers, which extends back to Adam and forward until Christ’s return and beyond. In order to live successfully as disciples of Christ, we must lose ourselves and become our characters in this Grand Adventure. The goal of our lives should not be to see “the lesson” in every trial, or “the reason” in all of life’s situations; rather, our sole goal should be learning how to relate to the God, fellow Journeyers, and the lost sheep we find ourselves “acting” alongside. So to that end, let us embrace our mysterious roles in this dynamic play anticipating wonders because of the Mighty Playwright who directs us.
Grace and Peace,
Andrew Powell
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Welcome!
Welcome to Journey832! Thanks for stopping by; in this first post, I would like to share with you the purpose and vision of Journey832. Our name is based on two ideas. First, that the Christian life is a journey - a dynamic experience in which we learn and grow closer in our relationship with God and our imitation of Him. John 8:32 says "and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." This Journey832 blog is dedicated to the experience of discovering and applying God's truth to our lives. Throughout this site, you will find blog posts from several Christians of varying backgrounds and varying places in their journeys. Jesus calls the church the body of Christ, and I believe that growing together as a Community is a vital part of the spiritual journey. This site is not intended to be a platform to promote ourselves individually or to fight about the Christian life. Jesus calls us to unity, and while unity is not 100% agreement, it is 100% commitment. Therefore, in the case of a disagreement, objections may be raised and thoughts may be challenged, but there must always be present a spirit of humility that does not judge another nor presumes to know the end-all of truth. Remember, it is our love for our Christian brothers and sisters that shows the world that we belong to Christ. Let us not take ourselves or our particular tradition of faith so seriously that we damage the testimony of the Body. With that admonishion, I encourage you to pick up your backpack and hiking stick and continue your spiritual journey in community with those of us here are Journey832!
Grace and Peace,
Andrew Powell
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