First, I freely admit that this is not an original title. I ran across this phrase earlier this evening as I perused my Facebook home page, trying to catch up on what is happening with my FB friends. There was the usual stuff: a new picture of my grand-nephew, P.H., a happy child of a fantastic mom; a rehashed obituary of the Pillsbury Dough Boy which still makes me laugh aloud [I refuse to use LOL -- oops -- I just did :( ]; an update from a musician acquaintance who writes often of sports (much better than getting it via television news) and church-related issues (sometimes funny, sometimes serious, generally thought-provoking); a couple of Friend Requests; more messages to which to respond than I really want to; you get the gist. Amidst those common tidbits was a post that dealt with one of the most controversial issues of the day with LIKES and COMMENTS that followed. Among those comments was a phrase regarding how we should define sin for a contemporary culture. That phrase has so haunted me that I have revisited that blurb several times now. It conjures up thoughts of recent discussions in my Sunday School class and Wednesday Bible studies at South Main Baptist Church (plug for SMBC).
Second, I also admit that this writing may offend others, including folks who may, loosely or sincerely, use the term friend in relation to me. My hope, however, is that as I respect their rights to believe as they wish, they will respect mine, and perhaps this is a point on which we may have to just agree to disagree.
Third, I freely admit that I am a sinner. I know guilt. And shame. Therefore, I judge no one; I condemn no one. Judgment and condemnation of others are simply not in my purview. It is enough for me that each morning and evening I can look in a mirror while brushing teeth and be grateful that God has given me another day for work on my own human failings. With that said, I freely admit, however, that some behaviors I simply hate: lying, stealing, killing -- you know -- the stuff of the Ten Commandments (which is also foundational stuff for our laws). Then there are also infractions like smoking, wearing fragrances ad nauseam, driving with a phone plastered to the side of one's face, and other behaviors that are a lot more than mere annoyances.
Okay, on their faces, the also infractions are not normally construed as sins; yet, they have the potential to cause irreparable harm to the body, and not just the body of the smoker, fragrance wearer, or telephone-talking driver, but others around them as well, and even death. For those who suffer with medical conditions caused through no fault of their own, to be subjected to the exacerbating effects of tobaccos and perfumes by people who put their rights to so engage themselves above all else is, to those who so suffer, a threat to their well-being. They think of terms like assault and attempted murder. Trust me; I know this to be true, and often have to work at stifling deep-seated anger and frustration, and the urge to kill them before they kill me. And statistics show that folks who drive while engaging in telephone conversations are more likely to be involved in vehicular crashes resulting in debilitating, life-change injuries, or death.
So much for the prefatory. The rest is pretty short, though not simple, and starts with a question. How does one define sin for a contemporary culture?
Short answer: I don't have a clue. I never gave a thought to sin evolving as mankind devolved.
Next question: Well, why not?
Well, how about this question in lieu of an answer: What makes one think that because the world has changed in technology, temperament and tolerance, that what was sin 4,000 or 3,000 or 2,000 years ago is different today?
Well, there are schools of thought that condone killing under certain circumstances.
Well, that may be true, and even while God gave the Word to the Israelites Thou shalt not kill, He also instructed them to kill all the people in the lands they were to occupy. It seems then, that there is killing, and then there is Killing.
And what about the scripture that says God "hardened" Pharaoh's heart?
Well, the Book does say that (Exodus 9:12). Does how the Creator uses His creation give the created license to act contrary to His instructions? I think not. This passage has often troubled me. Why would God harden Pharaoh's heart in such a way that ultimately led to Pharaoh's death? And on several occasions I have had to remind myself that God can use anyone or anything He wants to, in any way He wants to. In that regard I sometimes envision this scenario -- and while I cannot prove it was the way it happened, you cannot prove it did not:
After losing his son to the plague that befell all of the first-born in Egypt who were not protected, Pharaoh allowed the Israelites to leave, and in anger (and probably a lot of other negative emotions), pursued them until he, along with his followers, were consumed by the Red Sea. The aftermath: Pharaoh ascends to heaven and is welcomed by the Almighty for a job well done.*
As I said, I cannot prove it, but neither can you disprove it. Just admit it is something to consider (or not) and let's move along.*
And what is this DEVOLVING business?
Well, I'm glad you asked. A simple definition of devolve is to pass on or delegate to another. In the context of this little blog, mankind is ever devolving. The more knowledgeable and advanced we become, the more we shirk our responsibilities and commitments, passing them on into the ether where they become the responsibilities and commitments of some unknown force or entity as we continue to live in a foggy La-La Land, making excuses for our actions or lack thereof, buying into every frenzied trend of entertainment, including every gadget imaginable, 99.99999999% of which are made in other countries, providing jobs to others while 99.9999999% of corporate America embraces downsizing, rightsizing, cutbacks, layoffs and outsourcing, and any other gimmick one can envision, in the end making our country a slave to the rest of the world. (Sorry about the outburst; I'll have to save that for another time.)
So what does all that have to do with devolving -- and sin?
Such great questions you ask! Devolving and sin really go hand in glove. While in a state of devolution, one succumbs to any compulsion to say and do anything one chooses without regard to the rights of others or the Way of the Almighty. As Pastor Steve (www.smbc.org) might say, We live in God's world but not in God's Way. And when one chooses to live his own way, justifying whatever one says and does according to one's situation or circumstances, or the thorn in one's flesh,** one shuts the door on the Father's grace which is sufficient for those who believe.
Well, you really didn't answer the question and you definitely did not define sin for a contemporary culture.
True, and frankly, who can? Still, without judging or condemning any, loving all through Christ Jesus while hating the thoughts, words and deeds that are not of the Father's Way, I do commend all to Him, whose grace is sufficient for all, for His power is made perfect in weakness, even so-called contemporary ones.
The bottom line is this:
The advent of situational ethics did not rewrite the Bible; rather it just gave us something through which to ride our chariots when looking for a loophole. What the loophole does not account for, however, is the love that will make a parent suffer through disciplining, and even confinement in prison, of a child for the child's sake; or one not taking a life because one is not the giver of life.
Lying is still lying. Killing is still killing. Adultery is still adultery. Stealing is stealing, even though in our contemporary ilk stealing has all kinds of labels -- misappropriation and embezzlement, for instance. Covetousness -- well it's still that too, so if it's not yours, forget about it.
For this writer, who often drafts documents for others with revisions so numerous that they end with the year, month, day and time (for example, 2011 0325 2219 means the 25th day of March 2011, 10:19 p.m.), there are no revisions to sin. The 2000 AD version is the 2000 BC version.
So, dear ones, give yourself a break. All of that energy devoted to establishing some new benchmark for sin by today's standards might best be expended with the Father, Who is strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. I dare you to try Him, even in your contemporary situation. His faithfulness was great whenever the book of Lamentations (3:23) was written, and, trust me on this, it's pretty great today, 2011 0327 2252.
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy -- to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 24-25).
Praying that you lean and not stumble . . .
__________________
*A note to Bible scholars: This is my blog; these are my thoughts. Let's leave it at that.
**6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:6-9 NIV)
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
It is Well With My Soul: Looking on the Bright Side
A preemptive apology: Writing in first person is something from which I normally shy away. For this little piece, it simply cannot be helped. Another apology: Sorry about the large font; at this time of the day my eyes need a little more help than normal.
Have you ever had one of those days during which nothing seemed to go the way you planned it go? Wanted it go? Felt as if it should go? Well, I'm having one of those weeks -- months -- years . . . pick one. I would add decades, but 2011 is a newbie.
Too much time has passed since I posted a blog; e'en while I have felt several "coming on" I have resisted the urge to write. Do you ever get those urges? Your juices start to flow, and whether you write prose or music or poetry, do knitting, needlepoint or embroidery (I suppose folks still do that), work in your garden or paint or do puzzles or whatever, you feel the urge to do whatever serves as your outlet. For me, writing and music are my outlets -- my drugs of choice. While I'm middle-of-the-road mediocre at both, each serve as relief valves, de-stressers, natural highs, spiritual flights to the heavens, media of expressing all wonderful kinds of emotions, and a host of other wholly positive purposes. I've done a lot of music lately, singing with the Houston Ebony Opera Guild, preparing to sing with a group at Houston's Rothko chapel later this week, singing in worship with South Main Baptist Church, my family of God here on this earth, and preparing to sing at our noon Ash Wednesday service tomorrow. Considering recent events, I've decided to resort to writing, purely for therapeutic purposes, since I will do music for preparatory purposes later this evening.
So what's this all about? Gee, I like it when you ask the right question. Let me just tell you a little -- just a little -- about my day.
As a freelancer/contractor -- however the heck you want to label me, I have found it helpful to plan my days, whether with billable work or other work (you know, all that stuff that has to be done). In planning my days I have found certain patterns. Normally if I have an appointment away from my home office, eventually there is at least one other appointment scheduled that day or other things to do while I'm out. Many times I can see that I will be out all day and will plan accordingly, making sure there is an ample supply of bottled water, Melaleuca cinnamon gum, my own concocted trail mix, contingency clothing (you just never know what'll happen), and my laptop and tablet PC (again, you just never know . . .).
Today was supposed to be an out all day day, and I prepared accordingly, making sure that I had everything I needed, even stuff for a 5:30 p.m. meeting. I left home at 8:15 for a 9:00 appointment with a lawyer. After fighting my way to I10 West, jockeying for position to stay on I10 and take an inside-the-loop exit, just as I drove up the exit ramp, my phone rang. It was someone at the lawyer's office telling me he had an emergency and has left. Wow. My next appointment is 2 hours later! First adjustment to the schedule -- not too much of a big deal, just extra miles in the wrong direction (I promise not to discuss rising gas prices), then on to my 11:00 appointment.
Okay, this one is different for me. A headhunter had actually called me (this is simply not done; I am at the top of every headhunter's DO NOT CALL list, and have been since November 1990), raved about my background and credentials, said that she had the perfect position for me, and asked me to visit with her. After a good hour of discussion she announced that I am really an entrepreneur and I should just get my business going again, that I would not be happy with a job. Based on our conversation it was appropriate for me to respond with that passage from Philippians 4:11-12, and from one of my favorite hymns, the line Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say it is well with my soul. Our visit ended with my host saying, Can we talk again? I really need to pray about this. And can we pray right now? And pray, she did. My head was reeling; I felt the urge to go home and so put myself on auto-pilot. There went the afternoon.
I have no explanation for the loss of time, but at some point I found myself in the kitchen, preparing a staging area for a smoothie-making session. First slap-stick moment: tipping over a full bottle of apple juice on the kitchen counter -- not good -- followed by six batches of fruit & veggie smoothies yielding 2.25 gallons of nutrition. Good. And just in time to clean up the kitchen and myself and get ready for a 5:30 appointment.
Returning home, I made a salad for dinner and poured a little red wine. My doctor has instructed me to drink red wine. I don't like red wine. I'm a Riesling, Gewurztraminer or White Zinfadel kind of woman, and I rarely imbibe. But, I'm following instructions. And now, here is slap-stick moment number two, with a multiple-choice question:
Q. When you topple over the glass of wine on your desk (and, of course, that is not the place for the glass in the first place), is it better for the spill to land:
a. on top of the desk
b. on the bottom shelf of the desk just a few inches from the floor
c. on the chair mat which the desk sits and on the rug on which the chair mat that sits
d. on the nearly-white Pergo flooring on which the rug lays
e. on the little table that holds four filled pencil/pen cups, inside the cups and on the try on which the cups sit
f. on the number pad section of the ergonomic keyboard which is no longer popular and doggoned hard to find
g. none of the above
h. all of the above.
While the desired answer is g, the factual answer is h.
As I blotted and mopped up the foul-tasting stuff that will definitely leave its mark on several surfaces, there was lots of time to plow through the maybes and what-ifs of the day, the week, last week, last month, this year, last year, or whatever. And this, I told myself, is what's important:
Giving up is not an option. A little spilled juice, wine, or whatever is not a big deal when you look at the big picture. Where did you spill the juice? In your kitchen. In your home. Where did you spill the wine? On your desk. In your pencil cups. On your rug. On your floor. In your office. In your home. Did you have enough juice to make your smoothies? Yes, and there's plenty left. Did you refill your glass with wine? Yes, and there's plenty left, even if I don't like it. Your first appointment didn't happen. The guy did not call you back to reschedule and you're seeking his services. What does that tell you? Find another lawyer. Your 11 o'clock was most unusual. Did she tell you the usual "you're overqualified" animal dung? No. Did she ask to see you again? Yes. So you've cleaned up your mess, finished your dinner -- now what? I'm gonna vent via my blog, go upstairs, and thank my God for the good, bad, ugly and indifference of this day, sing one of my favorite songs -- It is Well With My Soul, practice for worship tomorrow, and ask Him to give me peace and rest tonight, and a new day to try again tomorrow.
I have had days far worse than today -- days filled with abandonment, betrayal, grief, deception, physical impairment and more. Even now I look back over the last few years in wonder and amazement and lots and lots of thanksgiving, realizing that there is no way I could have made it to this day, the 8th of March 2011, without Him. This day was a cakewalk. And there is a bright side. There is an old song that says "There's a bright side somewhere, don't you stop until you find it." I don't agree with that, and I've got news for the brothers who sang that song: The bright side is right here, right now. Even if you don't have your best life now, your bright side is right here, right now. Let the day take care of itself; just seize the moment. Whether the moment is one in which you are at rest, are still and at peace, or are poised, ready to spring into action, make the most of the moment. I lost a couple of hours today. Had they been intentionally devoted to rest, they would not have been lost. I literally cannot account for them.
A moment is a pivotal point in time. THERE IS NO ADJUSTMENT BUREAU! You are your adjustment bureau. It's how you handle this moment that will shape the next. In the legal world in one moment -- suddenly and without warning as they say -- lives are often changed forever. The Bible says the Lord Jesus will come in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52).
So, I leave you first, with this question: How will you spend your next moment? And, secondly, with more words from one of my favorite hymns, It Is Well With My Soul:
Have you ever had one of those days during which nothing seemed to go the way you planned it go? Wanted it go? Felt as if it should go? Well, I'm having one of those weeks -- months -- years . . . pick one. I would add decades, but 2011 is a newbie.
Too much time has passed since I posted a blog; e'en while I have felt several "coming on" I have resisted the urge to write. Do you ever get those urges? Your juices start to flow, and whether you write prose or music or poetry, do knitting, needlepoint or embroidery (I suppose folks still do that), work in your garden or paint or do puzzles or whatever, you feel the urge to do whatever serves as your outlet. For me, writing and music are my outlets -- my drugs of choice. While I'm middle-of-the-road mediocre at both, each serve as relief valves, de-stressers, natural highs, spiritual flights to the heavens, media of expressing all wonderful kinds of emotions, and a host of other wholly positive purposes. I've done a lot of music lately, singing with the Houston Ebony Opera Guild, preparing to sing with a group at Houston's Rothko chapel later this week, singing in worship with South Main Baptist Church, my family of God here on this earth, and preparing to sing at our noon Ash Wednesday service tomorrow. Considering recent events, I've decided to resort to writing, purely for therapeutic purposes, since I will do music for preparatory purposes later this evening.
So what's this all about? Gee, I like it when you ask the right question. Let me just tell you a little -- just a little -- about my day.
As a freelancer/contractor -- however the heck you want to label me, I have found it helpful to plan my days, whether with billable work or other work (you know, all that stuff that has to be done). In planning my days I have found certain patterns. Normally if I have an appointment away from my home office, eventually there is at least one other appointment scheduled that day or other things to do while I'm out. Many times I can see that I will be out all day and will plan accordingly, making sure there is an ample supply of bottled water, Melaleuca cinnamon gum, my own concocted trail mix, contingency clothing (you just never know what'll happen), and my laptop and tablet PC (again, you just never know . . .).
Today was supposed to be an out all day day, and I prepared accordingly, making sure that I had everything I needed, even stuff for a 5:30 p.m. meeting. I left home at 8:15 for a 9:00 appointment with a lawyer. After fighting my way to I10 West, jockeying for position to stay on I10 and take an inside-the-loop exit, just as I drove up the exit ramp, my phone rang. It was someone at the lawyer's office telling me he had an emergency and has left. Wow. My next appointment is 2 hours later! First adjustment to the schedule -- not too much of a big deal, just extra miles in the wrong direction (I promise not to discuss rising gas prices), then on to my 11:00 appointment.
Okay, this one is different for me. A headhunter had actually called me (this is simply not done; I am at the top of every headhunter's DO NOT CALL list, and have been since November 1990), raved about my background and credentials, said that she had the perfect position for me, and asked me to visit with her. After a good hour of discussion she announced that I am really an entrepreneur and I should just get my business going again, that I would not be happy with a job. Based on our conversation it was appropriate for me to respond with that passage from Philippians 4:11-12, and from one of my favorite hymns, the line Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say it is well with my soul. Our visit ended with my host saying, Can we talk again? I really need to pray about this. And can we pray right now? And pray, she did. My head was reeling; I felt the urge to go home and so put myself on auto-pilot. There went the afternoon.
I have no explanation for the loss of time, but at some point I found myself in the kitchen, preparing a staging area for a smoothie-making session. First slap-stick moment: tipping over a full bottle of apple juice on the kitchen counter -- not good -- followed by six batches of fruit & veggie smoothies yielding 2.25 gallons of nutrition. Good. And just in time to clean up the kitchen and myself and get ready for a 5:30 appointment.
Returning home, I made a salad for dinner and poured a little red wine. My doctor has instructed me to drink red wine. I don't like red wine. I'm a Riesling, Gewurztraminer or White Zinfadel kind of woman, and I rarely imbibe. But, I'm following instructions. And now, here is slap-stick moment number two, with a multiple-choice question:
Q. When you topple over the glass of wine on your desk (and, of course, that is not the place for the glass in the first place), is it better for the spill to land:
a. on top of the desk
b. on the bottom shelf of the desk just a few inches from the floor
c. on the chair mat which the desk sits and on the rug on which the chair mat that sits
d. on the nearly-white Pergo flooring on which the rug lays
e. on the little table that holds four filled pencil/pen cups, inside the cups and on the try on which the cups sit
f. on the number pad section of the ergonomic keyboard which is no longer popular and doggoned hard to find
g. none of the above
h. all of the above.
While the desired answer is g, the factual answer is h.
As I blotted and mopped up the foul-tasting stuff that will definitely leave its mark on several surfaces, there was lots of time to plow through the maybes and what-ifs of the day, the week, last week, last month, this year, last year, or whatever. And this, I told myself, is what's important:
Giving up is not an option. A little spilled juice, wine, or whatever is not a big deal when you look at the big picture. Where did you spill the juice? In your kitchen. In your home. Where did you spill the wine? On your desk. In your pencil cups. On your rug. On your floor. In your office. In your home. Did you have enough juice to make your smoothies? Yes, and there's plenty left. Did you refill your glass with wine? Yes, and there's plenty left, even if I don't like it. Your first appointment didn't happen. The guy did not call you back to reschedule and you're seeking his services. What does that tell you? Find another lawyer. Your 11 o'clock was most unusual. Did she tell you the usual "you're overqualified" animal dung? No. Did she ask to see you again? Yes. So you've cleaned up your mess, finished your dinner -- now what? I'm gonna vent via my blog, go upstairs, and thank my God for the good, bad, ugly and indifference of this day, sing one of my favorite songs -- It is Well With My Soul, practice for worship tomorrow, and ask Him to give me peace and rest tonight, and a new day to try again tomorrow.
I have had days far worse than today -- days filled with abandonment, betrayal, grief, deception, physical impairment and more. Even now I look back over the last few years in wonder and amazement and lots and lots of thanksgiving, realizing that there is no way I could have made it to this day, the 8th of March 2011, without Him. This day was a cakewalk. And there is a bright side. There is an old song that says "There's a bright side somewhere, don't you stop until you find it." I don't agree with that, and I've got news for the brothers who sang that song: The bright side is right here, right now. Even if you don't have your best life now, your bright side is right here, right now. Let the day take care of itself; just seize the moment. Whether the moment is one in which you are at rest, are still and at peace, or are poised, ready to spring into action, make the most of the moment. I lost a couple of hours today. Had they been intentionally devoted to rest, they would not have been lost. I literally cannot account for them.
A moment is a pivotal point in time. THERE IS NO ADJUSTMENT BUREAU! You are your adjustment bureau. It's how you handle this moment that will shape the next. In the legal world in one moment -- suddenly and without warning as they say -- lives are often changed forever. The Bible says the Lord Jesus will come in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52).
So, I leave you first, with this question: How will you spend your next moment? And, secondly, with more words from one of my favorite hymns, It Is Well With My Soul:
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul
-- Horatio G. Spafford*
*Mr. Spafford wrote this shortly after losing his family in a shipwreck.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)