Saturday, January 27, 2007
Jesus is Coming So...
I'm preaching tomorrow.
I ought to be working on the sermon instead of posting this blog, but I'll take a minute and share with you a bit. If you were here at the Phare with the North Way team last week, forgive me for repeating myself!
I was reading and thinking about the book of James last week and the week before. I've moved on to I Peter since, but the things that struck me then continue to stay in my thoughts. So, I take that to mean the Lord wants me to share them in Ouakam. I've also been reading "Being Human: The Nature of Spiritual Experience" by Macaulay and Barrs. It's an old IVP book from our college days that sat on the shelf way too long. I've been digesting it slowly, or rather, I've been reading it in courses. Their thoughts on what it means to be "spiritual" gave certain verses in James new flavor.
Take James 5:7-9. Verse 8 says: "You, too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near." Jesus is coming back. He'll come in glory to judge the world! What should we do? Sell the house? Pray all night? Dedicate our lives to tell others about Him? Well, James aims a little closer to home. "Dont grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door." In other words, Jesus will be back soon. You all can put up with each other until then, can't you?
It's almost prosaic. Shouldn't we be aiming for a certain other-worldliness? Shouldn't James be exhorting us to deep religious feeling and activity? Well, no. James has it right. He warns that being judgmental toward your fellow "sinner saved by grace" will bring Jesus' judgment.
James' understanding of "spiritual" is not mystical or religious. The godly person is not aiming for some higher-state of consciousness. The righteousness - the goodness - that God desires is being a good listener who doesn't get angry (1:19-20). A truly religious man has control of his tongue and cares for the downtrodden(1:26-27) . A man with real wisdom - a deeply insightful guy in touch with heaven - will be known for purity, for a love for peace, for being considerate of others, for having mercy and being impartial and sincere (3:13-18). A man who actually believes that Jesus is coming back soon will be forgiving and gracious toward his brothers.
Doesn't that just make your head spin? It does mine.
So, lately I've been more keenly aware about how serious the stuff of daily life is: how I'm treating Jane and Jonathan; how much I'm turning to God in my mundane work duties; how I'm thinking about other drivers on the roads the Dakar; how well I'm actually listening to others in a meeting. I'm seeking to live in God's grace with grace to others. I'm trying hard to keep short accounts, to forgive quickly and to let go of anger before I'm even asked to. I want to be "spiritual" in this deep biblical way. I want to have more of this God-life, this goodness that comes only from Him.
How about you?
I was reading and thinking about the book of James last week and the week before. I've moved on to I Peter since, but the things that struck me then continue to stay in my thoughts. So, I take that to mean the Lord wants me to share them in Ouakam. I've also been reading "Being Human: The Nature of Spiritual Experience" by Macaulay and Barrs. It's an old IVP book from our college days that sat on the shelf way too long. I've been digesting it slowly, or rather, I've been reading it in courses. Their thoughts on what it means to be "spiritual" gave certain verses in James new flavor.
Take James 5:7-9. Verse 8 says: "You, too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near." Jesus is coming back. He'll come in glory to judge the world! What should we do? Sell the house? Pray all night? Dedicate our lives to tell others about Him? Well, James aims a little closer to home. "Dont grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door." In other words, Jesus will be back soon. You all can put up with each other until then, can't you?
It's almost prosaic. Shouldn't we be aiming for a certain other-worldliness? Shouldn't James be exhorting us to deep religious feeling and activity? Well, no. James has it right. He warns that being judgmental toward your fellow "sinner saved by grace" will bring Jesus' judgment.
James' understanding of "spiritual" is not mystical or religious. The godly person is not aiming for some higher-state of consciousness. The righteousness - the goodness - that God desires is being a good listener who doesn't get angry (1:19-20). A truly religious man has control of his tongue and cares for the downtrodden(1:26-27) . A man with real wisdom - a deeply insightful guy in touch with heaven - will be known for purity, for a love for peace, for being considerate of others, for having mercy and being impartial and sincere (3:13-18). A man who actually believes that Jesus is coming back soon will be forgiving and gracious toward his brothers.
Doesn't that just make your head spin? It does mine.
So, lately I've been more keenly aware about how serious the stuff of daily life is: how I'm treating Jane and Jonathan; how much I'm turning to God in my mundane work duties; how I'm thinking about other drivers on the roads the Dakar; how well I'm actually listening to others in a meeting. I'm seeking to live in God's grace with grace to others. I'm trying hard to keep short accounts, to forgive quickly and to let go of anger before I'm even asked to. I want to be "spiritual" in this deep biblical way. I want to have more of this God-life, this goodness that comes only from Him.
How about you?
