"Biblical" Discipline

We have reached that age. You know the one: Where Miss is given a command she is capable of following and for whatever reason doesn’t do it. Where Miss knows what she wants but can’t have it, resulting in an epic melt down. And like many parents in this situation, I’m searching for tools to use to guide her through this stage.

I have to admit, even though I consider myself a strong Christian, I really hesitate to take the advice of Christian parenting experts touting a single “biblical” method of raising children. At first, I didn’t know why. I’ve spent a couple months now in the Scriptures themselves as well as outside sources, and I think I can explain my discomfort with that now. I’m writing this to anyone else who may feel the same way – especially if those who can’t put their finger on the “off” feeling. [Clarity: I am writing about those experts who have a one-size-fits-all method, or ritual, designed to be used after any infraction by the child. These books are poplar and wide-spread and frequently taught in churches.]

The main reason I distrust those who claim there is one biblical method of discipline? Because God himself doesn’t use one consistent method of correction. Nor does He lay one out within the Word itself.

First, a short reflection on the ways God interacted with His children who disobeyed him:

• When Moses hesitated, offering an abundance of excuses as to why he could not obey, he was given a helper in Aaron. (Exodus 3-4)
• When the Israelites stepped out of God’s protection, He allowed them to experience the natural consequences of being a small nation surrounded by larger, ruthless ones. (See most of Israel’s history, 1 and 2 Kings)
• When Jonah fled to Tarshish, he was stopped and then redirected on the Godly path. (Jonah)
• Peter, after denying Christ, was shown love and forgiveness and given an opportunity to make things right. (John 25:15-19)

If I had more time, I’m sure I could find more. Four problems, four situations defined as sin, four different solutions from our loving, involved God.

Second, there is no detailed method of disciplining children laid out anywhere in Scripture. God certainly could if He had wanted. Look at the detailed building plans given to Noah for the ark, and to Moses for the tabernacle (Genesis 6; Exodus 26-28). Every specific instruction of the required sacrifices was included (Leviticus). I also see that when there is one and only one way, God makes that very clear:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

But what do we see God tell us about children?

Jesus took a little child and had him stand among them. “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” (Mark 9:36-37)

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:10-12)

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them upon your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

If God will take the time to craft every perfect snowflake to be unique, and no flower of the field looks exactly like another, why do we presume that one method of discipline would be correct for every individual child created in God’s image?!

Lest anyone think I jumped off the crazy train, I want to make my point exceptionally clear: I DO believe there is a biblical command for disciplining our children and to “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). I just also believe that the specific METHOD of discipline falls to each believing parent’s freedom influenced by Godly wisdom (see 1 Corinthians 10:23-33) rather than a one-size-fits-all formula response. Clear as mud?

Oh, and don't be too surprised to see more of this topic. It's been the height of conversation around here lately.

Article: Blessed are the Un-Cool

I stumbled across this article today and it made me think. I just had to pass it along:

People sometimes assume that because I’m a progressive 30-year-old who enjoys Mumford and Sons and has no children, I must want a super-hip church—you know, the kind that’s called “Thrive” or “Be” and which boasts “an awesome worship experience,” a fair-trade coffee bar, its own iPhone app, and a pastor who looks like a Jonas Brother.
While none of these features are inherently wrong, (and can of course be used by good people to do good things), these days I find myself longing for a church with a cool factor of about 0. [Read the rest at Blessed are the Un-Cool]

We used to attend a "cool" church - big stage, big lights, big band. But there was also a big hole where Christ should be. It got to the point on our very last service there that the pastor never even touched a Bible, which is when we decided to cut ties and worship elsewhere. Now we're at a very "uncool" church, complete with the amateur music the article's autor desires.

Where do you attend? Would it be considered "cool"? I'd love some dialogue on this!

The Unity of Believers

I’ve been having a lot of long, deep talks with Christian friends lately. Time after time, I hear from people about divisiveness in the church. You know… those big issues that people can just get SO angry about. I’m sure you can think of some, but here’s a sample of what I’ve heard lately: stay-at-home vs working mom; breastfeeding vs formula; the definition of modesty; how we’re to respond to social activism causes; birth control; Santa Claus. The role of women in the church. The list goes on… and on… and on. People get SO angry about what are essentially little things. They aren’t salvation issues.

I’m sharing this with you in the hopes of pushing my friends to seek unity. There are some problems that are salvation issues, greatly worth fighting for. Others are more about sanctification – becoming more Christlike while we are still walking this earth. I believe in fighting for truth in salvation doctrine, while being much more forgiving in the issues of sanctification. Basically, it’s about being true to the Bible, while walking in grace. Need examples?

Salvation issue: Jesus tells us in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Anyone who speaks otherwise is telling a lie. It’s black and white, and very much worth standing up for the truth.

Sanctification issue: Modesty. Yes, it’s commanded in Scipture: “I want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety…” (1 Timothy 2:9). But Scripture doesn’t define modesty as only ankle length skirts… or knee length… or mid-back length hair… or never cut hair… or a specific amount of ease across the chest. Look all day, but I’ll tell you, it isn’t there. This is a gray area. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate grace to our sisters, encouraging and teaching them, but not something to beat over the head about. Where there is no clear Biblical teaching, we must rely on the Holy Spirit to guide. When in doubt, be truthful but loving.

Salvation issue: Christ is the sole sufficient sacrifice for sin; nothing else will do. “For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Also, “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of truth, no sacrifice for sins is left” (Hebrews 10:26). Once again, very clear truth that we must defend.

Sanctification issue: Birth control. There’s so many issues rolled up into this that I truly believe there is no one right answer for each family. First we have the “control” issue – who should control births, God or us? Or is there ever a time when a particular family is called by God to either give birth or prevent it? There are some clear distinctions here (specifically, not murdering an unborn child), but also a ton of gray. And this whole issue rolls right into my belief in seasons of life and faith (which I’m writing a post about right now!). But my current point is this: where there is no clear teaching, there must be room for grace.

I guess this is just a sweet holiday reminder, as much to myself as to anyone else. Where the Bible draws a firm line we are to “stand firm and let nothing move you” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Where there is gray, let us “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).

May God bless you and all your interactions with believers this season!

Humbling my Mother's Heart

Job 40 :3 Then Job answered the LORD and said,
4 “Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
5 “Once I have spoken, and I will not answer;
Even twice, and I will add nothing more.”

Today has been extremely humbling in my journey as a mother. For the past several days, Gracie's been cranky as can be. I chalked it up to teething; when the teeth didn't appear, I claimed she was tired, since she's been waking up more at night. Then, God forgive me, I credited it to her having a temper and a spirited personality like both her father and me. It wasn't any of those things.

My poor baby was hungry.

I've been seeing it for a few days and stubbornly refusing the truth. You see, through all my doubts and worries, I've been prideful in my heart about breast feeding. I'd never say it out loud, but I'd think in my heart, "Those women who suppliment gave up too easily." Or, "Formula-feeding moms are selfish, not wanting to give of themselves for their babies." And maybe, for some of them that is true. But not all. And maybe, not even most.

God's been gracious enough to chip away at the beam in my eye. One friend told me this morning of her heartbreak when, for some unknown reason, her milk never came in and they couldn't afford the expensive options offered by the lactation consultants. And then, I spent the morning together at the library with a new friend, watching our sweet daughters roll around on the carpet in the board book area. She's used formula pretty much since her baby was born, because she needed gall bladder surgery. It was possible to nurse, but she'd have to forgo pain medications before, during, and after this excruciatingly painful procedure. After a day of trying to "muscle through it" she realized she'd be a much better mother in less pain.

And now, you can add me. I don't know why, but at 4 1/2 months, my milk is drying up. I don't have an explaination or an excuse. But what I do know is that my darling has been suffering from my stubbornness. I gave her her first bottle at 3pm, after which she truly giggled for the first time in her life. At bedtime she received her 2nd, and went to sleep without a single tear for the first time in weeks. I'm heartbroken and happy at the same time: heartbroken for not being "enough" for her; happy because she's at peace.

I guess I would have had to learn this lesson sooner or later - no mother is "enough" for her children. Only God can provide everything even a very small human heart needs. I've got a constant chatter running through my head: "It isn't too late, you can try harder, pray harder, want it more..." But then, whose power am I leaning on? Who am I trying to trust? No matter what I do, I can't fix this myself. And it is more Godly to submit to him.

I'm still nursing. I'm feeding her bottles afterwards, though, and today at both times she took a full 4oz of formula. I hope to keep nursing for a very long time, at least in a small way, but we'll see what God plans. And while I'm definately praying my supply rebounds, doing some small things to encourage that (bring on the oatmeal!), I'm not going to make Grace sacrifice any longer for my prideful needs. That way, I know she'll be fed, and hopefully, someday, I'll be a better mother for her out of all this.

Never Boring

Things have been crazy-busy over here. I reach the end of the day and just pass out into bed from sheer exhaustion. And yet, it's been glorious too. God has been so active in our lives lately and I'm in awe of the connections He makes. Like, seriously? I couldn't make this up if I tried:

I am a leader in a large women's Bible study here in town that started for the year on Thursday. Great times, great girls, it was fun. Fast forward to Thursday afternoon. I'm surfing a sewing forum that I tend to lurk on - I think I've posted about 3 times in the past 6 months. Thursday makes post #4 on a conversation about a new line of fabric coming out at Joann's. I was lamenting because ours is in the process of becoming a super center so they aren't getting deliveries until they move. A couple hours later, I get a strange private message: "Do you live in my town, IL?" Hm... I was honestly at a loss because, weird right? I'm very careful on these boards. I don't put up any personal information. My location is set at "Illinois," which is quite a big state (with more than a few Joann's Super Centers). But after talking with my hubby, I decided to pursue the conversation. Turns out this girl is a new mom (her DD is a month younger than Grace) who lives just outside of town and hasn't met any other young moms in the area. She took a chance and messaged me. She wanted to know if I knew of any moms' groups.

Well, yes, I do :) And conveniently, it just got started...

So now I've not only made a new friend, I've met a new sister to study the word with. She'll be joining Bible study this coming Thursday. Our babes are the same age, we had losses at the same time, we both cloth diaper. I'm so excited.

***

So yeah, my life is never boring. Besides strange adventures in internet relationships, my darling is now officially 4 months old! She's rolling both ways, sitting on her own (if I put her there, she can't get there herself yet), and making her way across the floor (but only if no one is watching). She might be a little bit spoiled :)

For those of you who were interested about her weight, she has dropped off her growth curve pretty dramatically. She was at the 97th at 2mo and fell to the 83rd by 4mo. Our doctor isn't too worried but we're watching it. She did suggest we suppliment with either formula or solids, based upon some of the behavior signs I mentioned (Gracie's been quite discontent once we finish nursing, like she's still hungry). Since I have a personal vendetta against formula, solids it is! We started with oatmeal... and I can never make enough. Sweet Babe loves the stuff. It cracks me up to watch her eat. I know some people will disagree, but it's working well for us. And she's back to only waking up once at night, instead of every hour or two! It's a huge blessing.

More coming soon. Thanks friends for sticking around, even though I've been so sporadic in my posting!

Creation. Literally.

A few weeks ago, Shaune, Gracie, and I were travelling away from home over the weekend. As is our custom, we visited a local congregation for worship. This is a congregation we’ve had the pleasure of visiting several times over the years. Although it isn’t a church where we would consider attending full time (if we were local), it has always been pleasant and never theologically questionable.

Until this trip.

I’ve hesitated to write this post, as I don’t want to come across to harshly. We truly love many of the people in the congregation. I do believe the pastor means well, but the particular teaching we heard raised so many red-flags... so many I’ve also heard from other sources, that I feel the need to address it.

The sermon was on taking the Bible literally. The pastor’s claim was that overall, no, we should not – the Bible is a collection of stories and teachings, many of which were for a particular season in history. He specifically pointed to the creation story in Genesis 1. He began his teaching with this (my paraphrase, as I was too in shock to write it precisely): “Now, many of us have issues with certain aspects of the Bible. Look at creation – most of us accept that the Bible can’t be literal here. Scientists have proven evolution.”

Wow. Really?

I’m not a scientist. I don’t read science journals. (However, this used to be an issue of doubt for my husband, so he has spent many hours researching both sides of the evolution-vs-creation debate. I’ve asked him to write a little post summarizing some of his findings – look for that next week ) What I do read, however, is the Bible. And what I’ve discovered is that when the Bible describes creation, it means it literally.

Creation is the starting point of the whole story. Without it, nothing else makes sense. Follow me along this train of thought:
• Without creation, humans evolved from monkeys
• If we evolved from monkeys, there is no Eden, nor is there an Adam or Eve… just a more “human” monkey somewhere along the way
• With no Eden, Adam, or Eve, there is no original perfection, no one to be tempted, no command to be obeyed or disobeyed, and therefore no original sin
• With no original sin, there is no need for a savior
• And if there’s no need for a savior, it’s an easy jump to Christ being nothing more than a good man and a moral teacher
Without Creation, there can be no purpose to the Cross. Are you with me?

Clearly the Gospel writers believed in salvation. They also believe in the original sin of Adam and Christ’s redemptive death. Here’s a sampling:
• “Sovereign Lord, you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them…” (Acts 4:24)
• “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay.” (Romans 8:20-21)
• “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22)
• “Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:12)
• The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

I believe in a literal, final-form creation as prescribed in the Bible. Was it 6 24-hour days? I’m not sure, I wasn’t there (lol), but I do know that when God created, He created species as they are today. Humans were humans from the beginning. Fish were fish, cats were cats. (Variation has clearly occurred over the years, but that’s a different topic for a different day.) I also believe that if you don’t accept the reality of creation, you will forever struggle with the rest of Christianity. We need saved because we aren't what we were created to be. This is a line in the sand… literally.

Soul Gardening

Where you tend a rose, a thistle can not grow (The Secret Garden)

I just love springtime. It's my favorite time of the year. It gets warm, the green things start growing, random flowers errupt everywhere. It's a blessed time -- especially after a long winter. I spent the past week pouring over The Secret Garden once again (what a delightful book!). I guess spring's gotten into my heart, because even my Bible studies have taken me to gardens.

Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,

and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the Lord's renown,

for an everlasting sign which will not be destroyed.

Isaiah 55:13

He replaces the ugly with the beautiful; the thorny with the useful. Why? To show God's renown -- his fame, celebrity, eminence, good reputation, and glory. It's his sign of redemption, to remove our ugly bits and leave the good. Christ talks about this in the Gospel of John as well:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

John 15:1-2

We have to have the dead bits removed so that the Christlike parts of us can flourish. We can't be successful servants of God if we're still clinging to our bitterness and selfishness. He has to remove those thorns and replace them with forgiveness and selflessness for us to truly make a difference in the kingdom. And the same concept applies to every other thorny bit of our souls as well.

So my question is, are you willing to let God muck around in your personality? Gardening isn't easy... breaking ground can break your back, and a freshly-pruned bush can look just awful. Removing the dead bits can be downright painful. But you have to remember what happens after: fresh seeds spring up from the turned soil, and the bush regrows healthier, stronger, and more fruitful than ever before. It's worth it. Will you let God garden in your soul?

The Scope of the Project

My husband and I are hard-core do-it-yourselfers. We bought an 80 year old house with 80 year old house issues. We're too poor and/or too cheap to hire anyone to do work for us, so every project turns into quite the adventure. Our bathroom sink has been leaking, so since Shaune was off on Friday for Lincoln's Birthday, he decided to take care of it. Half an hour, hour tops, to turn off the water and put some plumber's tape in the valve.

On the other side of the weekend, the bathroom sink has been replumbed entirely. New valves, new pipes, even a new vanity and new sink -- and new power tools! What started so small turned into an epic project when the valve handle snapped off in Shaune's hand as he went to turn the water off. It spiraled from there.

It's just the way my brain works, but in this chaos I saw something so comforting I just had to share with you. Isn't it wonderful -- God already knows the scope of the project before he begins. He knows everything it will take to sanctify us before we're even born! He isn't surprised when he reaches the corroded valve in our hearts that won't let us turn off the flow of sin. He isn't shocked when our perfect-looking facade cracks down the middle, revealing our spiritual ugliness. He doesn't complain when the project that was supposed to be minutes turns into days -- he already had an accurate timeline. And nothing he finds in us will cause him to step back, gasp, and comment, "Maybe I got in over my head on this one!"

I'm glad to be God's project. I'm glad he's the master, who can evaluate my heart for what it REALLY is, and not just what I'd like it to be. I don't have to understand because I'm not in control. He is... and He is more than capable.

In the spirit of Christmas, and remembering why that baby boy came after all...

Jesus Paid it All (lyrics, copyright, etc)

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Just a friendly reminder that true Christmas only makes sense in light of Easter. May God bless the rest of your holiday season and start you off to a Happy New Year!

I received a fascinating email first thing this morning from the president of my alma matter. Although I am not Catholic, I am a proud graduate of a local Catholic university. I wanted to share this with you because it provided some fascinating food for thought.

Here's the situation:

The director of the Teacher's Education Program is a lesbian. It wasn't a surprise; she was director before Benedictine took over the local college (although the local college was Catholic as well -- Ursuline in fact). The university has a policy similar to the military's don't-ask-don't-tell: she was expected to endorse 1) General teaching best practices and 2) Catholic worldview while at work.

The dilemma arose when she and her partner went to Iowa over the summer and get married. Then, they came home and put a wedding announcement in several of the local papers. In the announcement, she stated her place of employment -- this Catholic university -- by name. As a result, this woman lost her job at the university, not for her sexual orientation but for defaming the university's religious reputation and not withholding her employment contract. She is currently procuring a lawyer to sue on discrimination charges.

All I know about the situation is from the newspapers and the President's letter. It appears that both parties did some things incorrectly; I don't want to discuss that. I also don't want to discuss whether homosexuality is right or wrong. What I do want to present to you is a few quotes from the President's letter about the concept of discrimination.

The following quotes are from the President's letter (link to the whole):

When an individual steps outside this teaching (about traditional marriage) and publicly announces that he/she is living a lifestyle in total opposition to what the Catholic Church and one of its universities hold dear, that decision represents a lifestyle choice that he/she is free to make. But if the person holds a position that represents the Catholic Church, there is conflict… For instance, if you wanted to be an officer of an environmental group that premised its mission on the reality of global warming, you would expect that your fellow members would hold you to advocating that doctrine and not give speeches claiming that the phenomenon is a chimera. If you came to believe differently, the responsible thing would be to leave the organization.

[When interviewing] I make a simple statement to the candidate, something to the effect: “XYZ is a Catholic and Benedictine university with a set of beliefs and traditions. No matter your religious background or affiliation, you are expected to respect and honor this tradition and set of beliefs. Can you accept that?”

If a person does not ascribe to the belief system held by the Church, a Catholic institution may not the be appropriate place for that individual to work. The blessing of America provides a patchwork of many kinds of institutions of higher learning. Where one’s belief system may put them outside the orbit of one institution, there is surely another to find a better fit.

So, what do you think? Did she face discrimination when she was fired? Or is it something else? Is the fault with her, either by misunderstanding or willfully breaking the assumptions of her employment? What are the rights of private -- especially private and religious -- institutions when it comes to social causes? What should they be?

PS: This is a complex situation -- just a loving reminder to choose your words carefully and politely! However, I would LOVE to hear views on all sides of this dilemma (Erika, this means you!)

When your (church) home doesn't feel like home

We're really struggling with something here in Central Illinois. It's been building for a couple months, but it's really come to a head over the past two weeks: Our church has crossed a couple of lines and we're not ok with that. But the biggest question now is, what comes next?

We attend a large (huge? We're over 3,000 members) mainline denominational church led by two exremely faithful men of God. If it were just the pastors, we'd be thrilled and have no concerns. The problem comes from the board, and the way the board is driving the church. (The way our church is structured, the pastors only have so much control. They lead the preaching and the teaching, but other boards and committees deal with everything going on outside the sanctuary.) The biggest concerns are with the direction of the children's and youth programs -- something we've ignored until now, but no longer have that luxury with Blueberry joining us in May. This is the metaphorical "straw that broke the camel's back." We will not be long for this congregation.

This whole thing is tearing me to pieces. It's a constant radio station running in the background of my brain. What do we do? When do we do it? And how on earth do we go about finding another congregation? And overriding many of these other thoughts, how do I both support and submit to my husband as he leads us in this?

We want to stand for truth in the place that we are; we want to honor our membership commitment; we want to honor the relationships we've spent the past 2.5 years building. But we also want authentic worship and the right, Biblical, truth-filled home for us to raise our family in. I don't know where to find that.

So, I have a couple questions for you lovely ladies who are infinately wiser and more experienced in these things than I am: Have you experienced a situation like this? Did it turn out ok in the end? And, how did you learn the balancing act between supporting your husband and being helpful, and submitting to his leadership? I'm really in the dark and would appreciate any insight you've gathered along the way.

The Promised Children

I haven't talked much yet about my intensive bible study since it started up in early September. This year we're studying Isaiah. I have always been confused and afraid by Isaiah -- my common response when flipping it open and reading a passage has been, "What IS he talking about?" It's such a blessing to open the Word with other people to sort through the maze together.

We're 6 weeks in and only up to Isaiah 9 so far. But oh my! How filled those 9 chapters are! Woes and punishment, an angry God and a mission that would bear no fruit... and hidden amongst the negativity, 4 very special promised children.

Most people know that Christ was prophesied about in Isaiah, but they've only heard the selected passages read during Advent. It's absolutely amazing to see, even in just these nine small chapters, how much actually points to Christ. It's so much more than what you've heard. But first, the other 3:

The first promised child was actually already born when we meet him in Isaiah 7. He's Isaiah's son, Shear-Jashub. His special name means "A remant will return." His name was a promise and a prophetic message to the people of Judah.

The second is one that many people miss. In Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah prophesies a sign from God: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." This is one of those Christmas verses most people have heard once or twice (a year... every year). What most people DON'T realize is the context: This is one of those common (and I'd never noticed before) Now-And-Later prophesies in the old testiment. You can tell the "now" from v. 16 -- "But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste." This was fulfilled when the King of Assyria swept in a few years later. The "later" (Christ) is actually a little hidden, even though it's the one we're more familiar with. And, actually, I have a hard time seeing it myself, so feel free to refute me! I'm drawing this from several respected theologians and the study notes. According to them, the reference to Christ is in v. 13 when Isaiah addresses not King Ahaz (who he was previously speaking to), but the whole house of David. I never knew about the earlier child before, who was also called Immanuel, meaning God with us. I have some more research to do!

The third promised child was another of Isaiah's sons. This son was born in 8:1-4 and was named Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. That's a mouthful, isn't it! I must say, that one didn't make the list for our Little Somebody. His name means "Quick to plunder, swift to spoil." Verse 4 tells us what this means: "Before the boy knows how to say 'My father' or 'My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria." Destruction against Judah's enemies will come quickly, even though in chapter 7 (and child #2) we find out that Judah will be overrun (But! According to child #1, a remnant will remain!).

Oh! And the long-awaited fourth child! I bet you can guess who this is!

6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

Four promised children. Four prophetic names, rich with meaning and understanding. And four reasons to hope, even in the midst of Isaiah's messyness. I just had to share!

God bless you on this Wednesday!

What is this world coming to?

Just a quick note to post something that I wish you would join me in prayer over:

Evangelical Lutheran Church ordains 3 openly homosexual women

Whatever your opinion on homosexuality is in terms of people, just people, living lives out in the world, this is different. This is a church proclaiming to be evangelical... proclaiming to stand for and teach the word of God... disregarding it. Cherrypicking the love and grace, while ignoring the sin and justice. The Bible is a whole package and can't be broken down.

Just to shed a little light on my own beliefs, I believe that humans should be treated fairly under the governmental law, regardless of their religion or sexual orientation. No one, under the American constitution, should be in fear of bodily or economic harm based upon their beliefs. But that's the government. This is the church... as a private institution, their first call is to the Lord. The church has voluntary membership, voluntary leadership. The church has the right and responsibility to stand firm to their values -- the Bible, the Word of God. Or, stop pretending you value them.

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear

Doing Hard Things

Last spring, I was approached by the leader of the large Bible study class that I attend. Over 200 of us meet together every week for worship, small group study, and teaching. For small group time, those 200 ladies are broken down into groups of 10-12 lead by a leader who is also responsible for shepherding them during the week. And as of... now... one of those leaders is me.

I got my group assignment last week and it took my breath away. Although I met with, and prayed with, the assignment team several times last spring, and have continued to pray/worry about it over the summer, I wasn't prepared once the envelope actually arrived. God's definately pushed me out of my comfort zone on this one.

You see, I've always been aware that I'm young for the groups I'm involved in. I married young (by today's standards at least), gave up on teen ministry and joined the adults when I was young, have friends with kids my age. I teach at my evening Bible study regularly, despite being years younger than the other members. But I've never been *responsible* for leading them before. In the group I've been assigned, the next youngest person is 16 years older than me. The oldest is literally 3 times my age.

God's good at stuff like this. He has a better grasp on the situation than I ever could. One thing I've learned very firmly this year is that I have NO real control. I may PRETEND I do sometimes... but it's an illusion. So while this isn't the group I would have chosen for myself (I was hoping for the young marrieds/moms group), this is exactly the group He wants me to have.

This is a big "hard thing" for me. I hate phone calls anyway. I hate calling strangers even more. Strangers many times my age, who I want to respect me? I'm shuddering.

But alas, God has proven himself, once again, to be good. I've reached half my group and most of them seem very excited to get started. The rest? They'll come around. Or leave. Or whatever it is that God wants to teach both of us.

The best thing I've found about doing hard things is that I can't do them. I can't -- it's beyond me. But God can -- and He will. This is another opportunity to revel in my own weakness because it is here, when I keep trying even without hope of success, that He can take over for me. Hard things teach me no my own abilities, but to rely on His strength.

What hard things do you have to do this week? I encourage you to give up early -- not to quit, but to quit trying to do it alone. It's a freeing experience.

Waiting with Grace

My Dearly Beloved and I have been married for 2 years -- today! These have been two of the best years of my life, growing closer to each other and to God together. Every day is a new adventure. We've had so much joy, as well as sharing so much pain.

You see, we thought we'd have a child long before now. God willing, we'd be working on #2. But alas, that wasn't our Lord's plan -- I'm still not sure what his plan is. We're waiting.

Waiting hasn't been good for my heart. I'm an impatient person by nature, wanting things now, now, now! I tend to waste my time, because "what if!" this month is the lucky one. I hesitate to commit to anything, because "what if!" After a lot of prayer and conversation, we've decided that I should pursue a part-time job so that I can use our waiting time productively.

It's not a decision come to lightly, but it is the right one -- for our family, and for my heart. See, I've been beating myself up that what we wanted hasn't happened yet. Obviously, I'm doing something wrong (says that naggy little voice inside my head). I don't believe that is the case -- rather, for whatever reason, God has called us to wait. So wait we shall.

But in the mean time, I'll be busy paying down our debts, meeting new people, perhaps even pointing them towards faith. I'll be out in the world where I can make an impact, until my most important job of raising a family comes along (at which point I'll be making an impact with them!). Life is a journey that we can't control. Thankfully there is a God who does!


I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Takeing every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

John Waller, While I'm Waiting, from the Fireproof soundtract, has been a constant comfort to me over the past weeks. I play this song on repeat because it reminds me of the Who who knows.

First M.E. Church

There's a beautiful new stained glass window installed at our church. It used to be in the old building downtown -- they moved it into a frame and stored it when that building was sold. They've just now pulled it out and hung it.

The stained glass was made back when our church was the First Methodist Episcopal Church -- a denomination that no longer exists on its own but is a part of the United Methodist Church. "Methodist Episcopal" has too many letters for a stained glass worker... they shortened it to M.E.

First M.E. Church. Every time I see the window, I get a knot in the pit of my stomach. It's beautiful, yes, and the intended meaning is innocent enough. But every time my critical eyes view it... I see a commentary on the culture of our church... and the vast majority of other churches I've visited.

First, me. I'll pray, but first me. I'll worship, but first me. I'll serve, but first... me. My needs, my wants, my preferences take higher priority than serving the Lord. I'll join the Bible School committee, but only if we do it my way. Does this ring true for your churches? Not everyone, all the time... but some of the people at least some of the time. First, me.

Lest we be too harsh on the modern church, the "me first" mindset has been a problem since the very beginning:

Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give
to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When
the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Matthew
19:21-22

The young man was focused on his wealth, his comfort, his earthly security blanket. He was saying, "First me."

He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family."
Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Luke 9:59-62

These situations seem good -- caring for family -- but Jesus declares them both to be unfit. These men, too, said "First me." I'll follow you after I do the things that I want to do. Even good things can be bad if we lift them to a higher position than following Christ.

Jesus never said that following him would be easy. In fact, he said the exact opposite: "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." John 16:19. We are to be hated, despised, persecuted. Even if that person hating you is your own family (Luke 8:19-21).

So who's first in your heart? Yourself? Or Christ? Although I still struggle with this every single day, I'm glad there's a window at my church reminding me that I don't want to be a part of the "First Me" church culture.

Draw Me Nearer

I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice,
and it told thy love to me;
but I long to rise in the arms of faith
and be closer drawn to thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to the cross where thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to thy precious, bleeding side.

Consecrate me now to thy service, Lord,
by the power of grace divine;
let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
and my will be lost in thine.

O the pure delight of a single hour
that before thy throne I spend,
when I kneel in prayer, and with thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!

Hymns have a way of touching my heart in a way that words can not. They take what I'm feeling and express it much more eloquently than I can pull off. We sang "Draw me Nearer" this morning and the refrain just keeps playing through my head, a constant background to my day. It makes me think.

This song has it right in one ever so important way: God draws US nearer. He is constant; He is unchanging and unmoving. I'm the one that drifts away on the current of distractions. He stands there, a Rock for me to cling to if only I remember to do so.

He's a fisherman, too... casting out his line to draw us in. Or a lover, drawing the beloved in for a hug. He's where he's always been... I'm the one that walks away.

Draw me nearer, Blessed Lord, this day and every!

Cultural Relevance, pt. 2

This week I'm exploring the idea of how Christians should relate to the rest of culture. Should we try and fit in? How relevant are we to be? In the first post, I discussed how Christians are to be different from the world. Now comes the other, harder part. I believe that we are not supposed to attempt to make the rest of the world look like us.

What exactly do I mean by that?

I feel that over the past several years (rather, centuries... pretty much since we got too big to be led by 11 men who physically knew Jesus), Christians have been making themselves a thorn in other's sides. We make a point of forcing others to live like us, using various methods, including but not limited to murder (the Inquisition), laws, and heckling (such as occurs outside of abortion clinics). By doing so, we are turning people further away from God and burning any bridges we may have had to reach them.

I have listened carefully over the years to the reasoning behind these actions. I have listened to pastors and laypeople, read articles and watched news clips. The justification I have repeatedly heard for this behavior boils down to one thing: sin. Homosexuality is a sin; abortion is a sin; being a (fill in the blank with whatever political party is opposite your own beliefs) is a sin. Since it is a sin, I must speak out against it.

I have an inquisitive mind and love an intellectual challenge, so I decided to do some research into this logic. I wanted to know: what does the Bible say about all this?

Here's what I saw by looking at Jesus' example:

1. Jesus is not easy on sin. When people were gathered inside the temple to do business, Christ "made a whip out of cords and drove them all from the temple area" (John 2:15). He is not afraid to speak out against the Pharisees and teachers of the law, rightly accusing them of sin (John 9:41). Jesus identifies sin for what it is.
2. Jesus is, however, forgiving. Look at the story in Luke 5:17-26, where he heals the man whose friends lowered him through the roof. "When Jesus saw their faith, he said, 'Friend, your sins are forgiven.'" Then he healed the man. Christ responds this way many times. "Your sins are forgiven." "Go and sin no more." Even on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).

The lesson? Jesus knew what sin was and was bold enough to call it such. He was also quick to forgive that sin when people turned to Him. I think we can all agree on this much.

There's more to this story, however. Paul throws this doozy of a verse at us:

What business of mine is it to judge those outside the church? Are you not to
judge those inside? God will judge those outside. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13

Christ makes a distinction between those inside and outside of faith, too. His comment is a response to the disciples' questions about parables:

The secret of the kingdom of god has been given to you. But to those on the
outside everything is said in parables. Mark 4:11

Time for a culturally unacceptable word: double standard. In this case, it's a correct description of what Christ is perscribing. There is one moral standard for those inside the church and another for those outside. There is Christ and life for those inside, and death for those outside. God's always done this -- called a people out of the nations for himself. There have always been those who were called to a higher life and those left behind. First it was the Israelites. Now, it is the Christians.

Out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole
earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Exodus
19:5-6

Like I voiced in my last post, Christians are supposed to be different. We are called to live a sinless life through Christ.

My biggest issue with the protestors, legislators, and other "thorny" people is that I believe they have too narrow a view of sin. Sin is doing things your way instead of God's way. "Everything that does not come from faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). Sure, homosexuality is a sin. So is pride... envy... lack of trust... and anger (which Christ likens to murder, Matt 5:21-22). And even though we are called to live a sinless life (Romans 6:2), not a one of us can (Romans 7:7-25).

Christ warns us against such behavior:

Do not judge, or you to will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own? Matt 7:1-3

Although I believe in confronting sin and calling it what it is, we have to follow Christ's model. Christ confronted those within the church with their sins. As to the rest of the world? Christ ministered to them when they came to Him, but he didn't go out and abuse them. That would be counter productive. Instead he acted with love and mercy, attracting others to Himself in a non-threatening way. When the opportunity arose, He spoke truth and allowed them to respond. Some followed, some didn't. Since Christ is our model, I firmly believe that we are to act the same way.

We know the Key to eternal life, and He wants us to tell others about Him. We aren't to abuse others about their sins... we need Christ. And until Christ comes and does what He's going to do, we cannot make the rest of the world look like us.

Cultural Relevance, pt. 1

I've been looking a lot lately at how Christians interact with the world, and I think overall, we've got it wrong. This is a hard realization for me, since I've grown up in a "normal" family, attending "normal" school and a "normal" church. It goes against what I've come to expect. The more I open my Bible, though, the more clearly I see these two facts, two sides of the same coin:

1. We aren't supposed to look like the rest of culture
2. We aren't supposed to make the rest of culture look like us

I'm going to break this up into 2 posts, one thinking about each truth.

I've seen so many churches in my local community lately trying to be "culturally relevant." They're using gimmicky catch phrases and entertainment value to get attention and theoretically, people through their doors on Sunday morning. I get the idea. "Let's be non-threatening and appealing to seekers." But is that really the point of church? Is that what Jesus did?

Here's some examples I've come across just this week:

• One church bought a closed-down movie theater to turn into their new "campus." Included will be a snack bar, a "worship auditorium," a children's movie theater, and laser tag.
• The street sign from a conservative church: "Harry isn't the original Potter -- God is."
• A sermon series called "We've Got an App for That," comparing the attributes of God to iPhone applications
• A sermon series called "God in HD (High Definition)," comparing God to TiVo, DVD players, 24 hour cable, and big screen TVs

Here's the problem: my God isn't like 24 hour cable. And I don't know about other families in other programing areas, but I don't particularly want Him to be. We canceled our cable.

I also believe that Jesus was terribly counter cultural. Look at how often he upset the Pharasees and teachers of the law! Jesus made a point of making culture uncomfortable:

Again the Jews picked up stones to stone hom, but Jesus said to them, "I have
shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone
me? John 10:31-32

The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. Luke 20:19

So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?" Jesus replied... Mark 7:5

Jesus pointed out the flaws in culture. He didn't embrace them. I do fully believe he was a happy man who had a lot of fun with his friends, but he didn't try to look like "the world" (those away from God). In fact, he said:

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to
the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. John 15:18-19

Yes, Christ met people where they were and told parables relating to things his listeners would already understand (like seeds and shepherding). Here's where I see the difference tho: at that time, Christ was speaking to people outside the church. Evangelism needs to be culturally relevant. Churches are for worship and for training the believers in how to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). See that word "go"? It's a command. Jesus didn't say, "Make yourselves attractive so that others will come." He said "go."

I see this pattern in Acts, too. The believers come together to worship Christ, having "everything in common" (Acts 2:44). When Luke wrote the book of Acts, he made a clear distinction between the gathering of believers and the work of the Apostles, who spoke out in the name of Christ in public places to bring people into faith. Unbelivers were not the target audience of the church gatherings.

I think a church should be the most counter-cultural place you find in our modern world. It should be a place marked with selflessness and sharing, with praise and joy. The church should be:

• Peaceful (Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled. John 14:28-29)
• Loving (By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35)
• Carefully choosing to avoid sin (Be very careful, then, in how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16)
• Persecuted (Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. Luke 6:22)

It all boils down to this: We know the Key to eternal life, and He wants us to tell others about Him. We don't need gimmicks and tricks to entertain people... we need Christ. We need to look different than the world around us!

A Broader Sense of Freedom

I recently re-read a book I was first introduced to my senior year of high school in College Level English. I've read it three times already and probably will read it again. The book? The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

Caveat: I'm not certain I like this book. It portrays the nation that once was America after a hostile takeover by a frighteningly conservative (but not religious) government. The birth rate has dropped so dramatically due to chemicals and stuff that now, intercourse is highly regulated by the government in the hopes of producing more children. This is definately not a book for young eyes, but I read it as a senior with guidance. I continue to read it not because I necessarily enjoy the plot. I read it because it makes me think.

[Caveat #2: The book has nothing to do with the movie that came out in '90. Don't watch it. It's horrid]

One of the primary themes in the book is the idea of freedom. Atwood crafts a world where freedom is celebrated -- but it isn't the freedom we're used to. In this new nation (called Gilead), citizens are gaurenteed the freedom FROM. (In contrast, Americans desire freedom TO) These two concepts exist on a metaphorical seesaw: If I want a freedom FROM, I have to give up a freedom TO. One of the examples in the book has to do with clothing choice. The women of Gilead are granted the freedom FROM ogling, sexual looks by giving up the freedom TO dress how they want. All the women wear blouses and long skirts. The Handmaids (one social class in the novel) even wear those big white nuns wimples from ages ago that have the wings on them so they have the freedom FROM awkward social interactions. They have the freedom FROM advertising and filth frequently in magazines... but they've given up their freedom TO read.

What an interesting concept. It really does make me look at this nation that we live in today. We focus on our freedoms TO do certain things: dress as we want, act as we want, worship as we want, live how we want. To keep everything in balance, we've given up one important thing: Our freedom FROM instructing others how to live their lives.

I may step on some toes here, and if I do, I apologize in advance. I've put a lot of thought into this over the past several years. I'd love to hear your thoughts, but please truly think them out and comment respectfully (not that I'd ever have to remind you lovely ladies of that!).

Here I go: If we want to maintain our freedoms to live, worship, and educate the way that we desire, we have to defend other's rights to do so as well, up to the point that it crosses Biblical lines. Take gun control. I may not like guns, and I may not want one in my own home, but I'm not going to tell you that you can't. There was an issue on my college campus attempting to get a particular club that supported a subculture kicked off campus. I stood up with the members of my religious organization to protect that club's right to be there even though I disagree with their message. We can't reach out to people we've chased away, and, on a deeper note... our group could have been the next to go. After all, a lot of time authentic Christianity spreads a message that is at least as controversial.

We don't have the right to litigate lifestyle. The government has their hands in so many social aspects far beyond the original "We the people" : to form a union of states, establish justice, ensure domestic safety, provide for the common defense, support general welfare (I believe the Founders meant this in a MUCH more compact manner than currently applies), and ensure the blessings of LIBERTY for following generations. I have no right to tell anyone that they must go to church, and they have no right to tell me I can't. I can't stop anyone from marching with PETA anymore than they can stop marchers with Right to Life. That's what liberty means.

In a world that treasures freedoms TO, groups promoting freedom FROM are going to have a struggle. Up to this point in my life and the entire foreseeable future, I have avoided this type of group. It isn't effective. I would much rather meet with someone of a different philosophy than my own and truly listen to what they have to say... then earn the right to peacefully and politely share my own thoughts. A back-and-forth, give-and-take, respect-based conversation rather than an argument of catchphrases thrown back and forth. It's a skill I have yet to perfect, but by the grace of God, in time, it's a skill I hope to grown in further.

I have so many other thoughts about this, but they're a horrid jumble right now. Perhaps some day... but in the mean time I leave you with one tidbit of food for thought:

"In the days of evil and anarchy you had freedom to, now you are granted freedom from. Don't underrate it." (Aunt Lydia, in the Handmaid's Retraining Center)