look away from the train wreck

Watching the news lately feels like watching a train wreck happen in slow motion. I can’t do anything about it. And yet I can’t seem to look away.

In his sermon yesterday, pastor talked about the sensationalism and bloodlust that drew people to the Colosseum. The pull of watching violence, death, and evil from a safe distance, the strength of that pull, and how staring into the darkness tempts us, and distorts our view of the entire world. 

Staring into the darkness for long periods of time distorts our view of the entire world.

Well, of course it does.

But I need to be informed, I argue. And I stare at the train wreck on my newsfeed a little longer.

Do you need to be informed? Why? How much? When does the desire to be informed morph into something that harms you personally, that distracts you from the good work God has placed before you, that causes you to forget that you are in the hands of your Loving and Merciful Father?

These are the questions I carry today.

We do need to be informed. We need to be informed about our current, local world (a little,) but we also need to be informed about the bigger picture, the eternal picture, the work God has done and is doing through Christ in the world. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to just escape from all of this, to simply retreat, and be surrounded by the good, true, and beautiful, to remember God and to hide in Him from the crumbling world around us?

It would be nice. Healing, refreshing, restful. 

And why can’t we do just that, today? 

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. 

Psalm 34:8

-----

It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Dear Sin-Sick Soul

Dear sin-sick soul,

soul afraid,

soul staring wide-eyed at death, 
at sin exposed:

You there, with the knees sore and hands dirty from weeding, weeding, always weeding... are you discouraged, when the weeds keep coming back?

but I'm such a big helper!

Do you fear because of the strong ones, the ones that will not give up their roots? You pluck off the top and cover the rest, you smooth down the surface, but you know what is underneath. The roots, growing stronger, too strong for your hands or even your shovel. You fear the day when it breaks through the surface again, where everyone can see.

Stop it.

Just... stop.

You are not the gardener.

You are in the Gardener's care.

It is God who will finish this thing.

Those weeds that seek your destruction, that sin-sickness that threatens to devour you-- it is too much for you. But it is not too much for Him.

Safe in His grace, let His Word diagnose that ugliness, and fear it, fear it so that it will drive you to Him, to help and healing.

Lay down your tools and your crutches, and see the powerlessness of your own two hands.

Be still.

Wait on the Lord with open hands and infested heart.

Wait- and remember who you are.

Who- by grace- you are.

You are a child of God, weak and loved.

You are covered in the perfect forgiveness of Jesus.

Your sins have been answered for with His own blood,

blood that gets down to the deepest roots, destroying evil and growing new life.

Your sin-sickness, your terminal illness is no match for Him.

Jesus came precisely for this: to seek and save the lost-

to seek and save YOU.

It is God who will finish this thing.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you 

will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Phillipians 1:6

---
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

(1 Peter 5)

originally published 5/2014

Come in out of the wind.

"Sit with these words until they become the truest thing about you."
-- Brennan Manning

II. The Creed

As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household.

The First Article.

Of Creation.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

What does this mean?--Answer.
I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my limbs, my reason, and all my senses, and still preserves them; in addition thereto, clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and homestead, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods; that He provides me richly and daily with all that I need to support this body and life, protects me from all danger, and guards me and preserves me from all evil; and all this out of pure, fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all which I owe it to Him to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him. This is most certainly true.

The Second Article.

Of Redemption.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

What does this mean?--Answer.
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won [delivered] me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, in order that I may be [wholly] His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.

The Third Article.

Of Sanctification.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; one holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

What does this mean?--Answer.

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.

from the Small Catechism
https://www.bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php
Also recommended: Sing the Faith
https://www.cph.org/p-3422-Sing-the-Faith-CD.aspx

It’s been hard over here, a whole new kind of hard. My brain feels taxed, like I’m not even sure what to do with myself. Sometimes I just wander the house looking for something to eat or clean or …. control, I guess. Sometimes I pick up my phone determined to spend time in Scripture, but I end up scrolling headlines instead, ramping up my emotions rather than settling them.

Settle me down, Lord.

Here’s one thing I fear, and I want to share it with you: I fear the division that’s happening. I fear the consequences of fear.  Everything is so emotionally charged, it seems dangerous to talk about anything that matters, and I hate it.

We can’t let this trial divide God’s people.  

We need to remember what we have in common. We are redeemed children of God living in a corrupt, contaminated, disgusting, broken world. We will not leave this world unscathed.  But also, we are safe, ultimately, ONLY because of Jesus and His sacrifice, safe COMPLETELY because of His grace. That safety is not a mere physical safety- physical safety is not promised. Neither health nor economic safety is promised to us. 

God himself is our Only Solid Thing.

Let us keep taking refuge, under Him and in Him, together, while we ride out this storm.

He is (still) making all things new.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust.”

(Ps 91:1-2)