Speaking Their Language

As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?"
"Do you speak Greek?" he replied. Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?"
Paul answered, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people."
Having received the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic: "Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense."
Acts 21:37-22:1

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My Bible has the following notes for this passage:

By speaking Greek, Paul showed that he was a cultured, educated man and not just a common rebel starting riots in the streets. The language grabbed the commander's attention and gave Paul protection and the opportunity to give his defense.

and

Paul was probably speaking in Aramaic [for the second part of the above quoted material], the common language among Palestinian Jews. He used Aramaic not only to communicate in the language of his listeners, but also to show that he was a devout Jew and had respect for the Jewish laws and customs. Paul spoke Greek to the Roman officials and Aramaic to the Jews. To minister to people most effectively, use their language.

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How interesting. He used language to say something about himself. In speaking Greek, he was saying, "I am educated, I am a man of culture" as well as specifically showing that he wasn't the rebel leader who was Egyptian. In speaking Aramaic, he was saying, "I understand and respect your culture, I am a part of your people, I am not here to throw out everything you know." Those things, he didn't say with specific words, but just by choosing which language to speak. I haven't even read further to see what words he did say because I thought that was so interesting. Granted, I realize that Americans often only speak on language. But at the same time.... when you minister to a "lost soul", do you conjure up the biggest most religious words in your arsenal and emphasize your spiritual superiority? Or do you meet them where they are, speak in real life words about real life situations, put yourself on the same level and live with them there?

The passage makes me think of those who find their spiritual standing a matter of pride and status and use language to make sure everyone knows it. They tithe, they can list the sacraments, their sinful souls have been resurrected under the grace of the All Mighty, everything's about religion and the big words that come with it. Do people really hear you better when you use "church words", though? Do they feel the love of God when you swamp a simple kind deed with waves of religious jargon? Maybe, maybe not.

It's true on the other side, though. When you're addressing people of education and culture, trying to talk about the love of God, is your dialogue full of sloppy phrasing and vulgarity and the 'hip' things to say? Again, just meet people where they are. I'm not suggesting changing who you are or your personality based on who you're talking to. But think about who you're talking to, what language they speak, and how you can communicate most effectively. This is especially true with non-verbal languages. If someone is down on their luck and can't find a smiling face anywhere, is verbal even the language you need to be using, or do you need to find out how you can serve them or give out a few hugs or just spend some time with them? Love speaks all languages, yeah? So maybe we should take a clue from Paul and use that to our advantage. (-:

And just because it's in my head and I love to share songs, especially from Chris Rice, here's the part I can remember of one of his songs which I believe might be titled "Face of Christ".

He shares a room outside with a dozen other guys
And the only roof he knows is that sometimes starry sky
A tattered sleeping bag on a concrete slab is his bed
And it’s too cold to talk tonight
So I just sit with him instead and think

How did I find myself in a better place
I can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
‘Cause when I stoop down low, look him square in the eye
I get a funny feeling, I just might be dealing
With the face of Christ

After sixteen years in a cold, gray prison yard
Somehow his heart is soft, but keeping simple faith is hard
He lays his Bible open on the table next to me
And as I hear his humble prayer
I feel his longing to be free someday

How did I find myself in a better place
I can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
‘Cause when I stoop down low, look him square in the eye
I get a funny feeling, I just might be dealing
With the face of Christ

See you had no choice which day you would be born
Or the color of your skin, or what planet you’d be on
Would your mind be strong, would your eyes be blue or brown
Whether daddy would be rich, or if momma stuck around at all

So if you find yourself in a better place
You can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
You gotta stoop down low, look him square in the eye
And get a funny feeling, ‘cause you might be dealing ...

How did I find myself in a better place
I can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
‘Cause when I stoop down low, look him square in the eye
I get a funny feeling, I just might be dealing
With the face of Christ

Obstacle Courses

Things I've learned during this particular course of obstacles...

When you're in a relationship, you can't focus on God too much. The more you focus on Him, the more in line you will be with His plan. If the plan is for you to be in a forever and beautiful relationship with your sweetie, then guess what? Heading towards God will also steer you towards each other. If the plan is for you to have a not-forever but still beautiful relationship, guess what again? Focusing on God will arrange for that perfectly. Don't be afraid. It's scary to put something so valuable in someone else's hands, and to take your eyes off of it long enough to look at God. But it's okay. No matter what, everything will be okay.

That goes for singles too, afraid of what God might or might not have planned, or if He's even paying attention, or if you already messed things up. Just.... just watch Him. You can't catch all of His signals if you aren't focusing and paying attention. If you were trying to learn a new game you'd never learned before and an expert was giving you directions, would you be better off agonizing over whether or not you really approve of the paint color on the playing pieces, or listening to and watching the expert and following their advice? Keep your focus in the right place and the rest will fall into place.

This is a principle I learned a long time ago and it's so simple but still really hard sometimes. If you focus on God, everything will turn out. I'm not kidding, and I'm not naive. I like how Pastor Charlie illustrated this point. He was being trained on driving a bus for a youth trip once upon a time. The man who was giving him advice gave him this gem: If you start to go off the road for any reason, just keep your eyes on the road. If you look at the trees you'll head straight for them, because wherever you're looking, that's where you'll naturally steer. Beautiful! In life we get so distracted by the obstacles flying by us sometimes. But if we focus on them, we'll end up somewhere we don't need to be. Just let God figure it out. Focus on Him.


Amen?

Broken

I don't know if any of you have ever dealt with feeling broken in some way or not, but I'm guessing that a lot of you have. Why do I suppose that? Because we are all broken. We may associate it with different terms, which is fine of course. I say broken because I feel it in a physical sense and that word most captures my struggles. The topic is on my mind because it was talked about in chapel today [great speech by the way; very inspiring in many ways] and I cried about it for the first time in quite awhile.

I've never been a superbly healthy person. When I was little, my sister and I joked about how somehow I always ended up with the weird health problems. I had a blue mole (I still don't even know what that is, but I can show you where it is on my calf), warts on my feet, an ear infection so bad it punctured my ear drum, asthma, allergies, bronchitis, and an unidentified joint problem that caused me to quit my dream of becoming a ballerina. Obviously I didn't have all of these ailments at once! But I did become pretty familiar with the doctor's office. I don't remember those things bothering me much back then; kids get sick and hurt all the time, but their lives are still full of possibilities and adventure and everything will be okay once they grow up.

Many of those things have passed. However, my joint problem has been identified as ankylosing spondalitis, which is a somewhat rare form of arthritis. In my case, it comes and goes and at least so far has not been progressive. Right now, I don't even hurt all the time like I used to. However, I also have a mostly unidentified back problem that causes me to be unable to draw a full breath of air, when the issue is flaring. It too comes and goes and even when flaring isn't the end of the world; it's only been bad enough to be mildly scary two or three times. So both issues are pretty minor and I shrug them off as often as I can. But deep down, I still sort of feel broken. Defective. Damaged.

What about you feels broken? Something that isn't your fault, that you can't always control and sometimes can't even help, that makes your life harder. Maybe you had a rough childhood and can't seem to shake a constant feeling of inadequecy or lonliness. Maybe you were in a bad relationship and have trouble loving or trusting even a good man/woman. Maybe you feel surrounded by spiritual darkness and can't break through and just feel like something must be wrong with you. Or maybe you're an awful lot sicker than I am and maybe you can't walk, or hear, or speak, or maybe you've heard a prediction of your lifespan from a doctor's mouth. What's broken?

In chapel, the speaker told his amazing story of healing. He had scoliosis, and by the end of his freshman year of college he was 45 off in two separate areas of his back. By 21 degrees, they set you up with a back brace, and by 30 degrees they recommend surgery. The doctors told him it would only get worse and surgical procedures involving metal rods was the only answer. Rather than get surgery right away, he kept thinking about a passage in the Bible. "All things are possible". Hoping that could be true, he asked people to pray over him and his back several times. At first nothing happened, but one time, a miracle happened. The top several inches of his back were straight! This happened again and again over a period of (I believe) a couple years, where people would pray over his back and a little bit more would straighten out. Finally, his entire spine was straight and true, and now in his senior year of college he is able to tumble about the stage and sit or stand for long periods and every other wonderful thing we don't always remember is a blessing. What a miracle! It was great to hear about someone being healed, there is no doubt about that.

But it is also awfully hard not to ask, "So why am I still broken?" I've prayed, I've had others pray, I've believed, I've done everything I know how to. But I still take a painkiller before school dances so I don't hurt the next morning, and I still have to have my choir buddy or boyfriend rub my back before choir concerts so I don't feel like I'll pass out in the middle of a song, and I still just have all these troublesome issues. Why are some healed, and others not?

Furthermore, how can people sing about God being the One that holds their future and their one and only healer and the one that loves them so much and can do anything, when we are still broken? Yay, God is our only hope... is that supposed to be some sort of comfort, when this is also the one that left me broken for so many years?

Honestly, I don't have answers. That's why I cried right in the middle of chapel and couldn't stop for a long time. Because I don't understand why I can't even draw a full breath of air, when God can obviously do much bigger things than that. Because I don't get it; I don't get the logic behind giving me arthritis and allergies when I love the outdoors and nature and dancing. Why give me a passion and then hinder me from experiencing it? Not fair, friends. Not fair at all.

But do you know what? It's okay that I don't get it. It doesn't make me a bad Christian to be mad at God. Did you know you can be angry at God and get away with it? It's true. Because Christianity is about a relationship not about doing the right thing to earn God's favor. I wish I knew more answers to my difficult questions, but I'm glad that I can admit them to myself and admit to both myself and God that I'm kind of upset at the way things have turned out in the arthritis and breathing departments. It's okay for me to make a motion that I get miraculously healed forever of all physical complaints. Relationships are about working through problems, not pretending they don't exist. I'm on a journey with God. Maybe it will end with an elimination of health problems. Maybe it will end with an elimination of self-pity problems instead! But I do believe it will be a journey of healing in any case.

Yours will be too. I don't know what's broken, how it got broken, how the brokenness affects your life, or what to do about the broken pieces. I know you're broken. And I know that if you choose to journey with God, He will take you on a journey of healing, and it will all be worth it in the end. Trust in that much, if nothing else.

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope."' Jeremiah 29:11

Stop Sending Me Roses

"Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations -
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them."

The very first chapter of Isaiah addresses the issue of rebellion. It's important to notice that in this passage, God is not talking to pagans who sacrifice virgins and dance around their golden idols. He's talking to His own people. The ones who do all the right religious rituals, who know Him and His word, who should more than anyone know the importance of following Him.

We all have acts of rebellion in our lives. Pastor Andy talked about how rebellion is opposed to submission. Rebellion,he said, comes out of a fear of losing control. I definitely identify with that; although I'm not a control freak as a rule, I think twice before giving up my life plan and submit to God. Even if I know what He wants, I think my way is slightly superior in a few details and rebel in my heart. This rebellion damages our relationship with God. No matter what the issue is, no matter how small it seems to you, it's really a big deal and it causes problems in our lives.

"Stop bringing meaningless offerings!"

The solution to this broken relationship with God isn't to be more religious, go to church more often, read your Bible more often, or pray a few extra times a day. It's hard for me to write that reading the Bible and praying isn't the correct solution; aren't those how we connect with God? Well yes, but that alone won't fix a broken relationship. When you are in a marriage relationship and something's broken, there's an issue of infidelity or violence or apathy, is the solution just to spend more time together? If you're married, you're probably already spending a good deal of time together! When the relationship is broken, when there's a problem that interferes with how things are supposed to work, you have to be serious and just fix the problem itself. As Pastor Andy put it, "Stop sending me roses and lets fix the relationship". Roses are nice. Outward acts of devotion are nice. But neither are going to fix a broken relationship, yes? Let prayer, reading the Bible, going to church, and worshiping God be outward evidence of your healthy relationship with Him, don't try to use them to cover up your rebelliousness that you still harbor in your life.

I don't always know whether I'm holding on to a sinful pattern or if there's something God wants me to work on at the moment, but I still want to do something as a deliberate act of submission and obedience to Him. It reminds me that every part of my life is for Him and not for me, and it builds spiritual discipline for times when I am struggling with something and need it. To that end, I am going to join people all across campus who are fasting for the next twelve days. We had a speaker at convocation a few days ago who challenged us to fast from six things for twelve days. The fast was supposed to start last night but I hadn't yet decided whether I was going to do it. Today I decided that as a deliberate stand against my own rebelliousness and act of obedience, I am going to fast from three things and engage in three daily things. The things I'm fasting from are either involving other people or just insignificant for you as a reader to know, but in case you're interested the three other things are that I will write in my prayer journal daily, set aside time to be quiet and think/relax/pray every day, and work on memorization so that by the end of the fast I will have memorized Jeremiah 29:10-14, John 15:1-15, and possibly parts of Isaiah 1.

I would encourage you to examine your own life. Are there ways in which you are rebelling, straying from God's way of life? If you are "working on" those areas, be honest with yourself and with God: Are you sending Him flowers or fixing the relationship?

If you'd like to participate in the same fast, the dates are from yesterday (Saturday, Feb. 21) to Thursday (March 5). For a week and a half, show yourself and God that you are willing to submit to Him. If you are struggling with an issue of rebellion in your life, this is a great time to give it up! Even if you're not, or you are but don't know it yet (I feel like this is me a lot of times...), sometimes just focusing on your spiritual life for a time is helpful in a lot of different ways.

May God bless all of your pursuits.






Parts of this post are based off of a sermon by Pastor Andy Addis. You can find his blog, along with his sermon series, at www.crosseyedlife.com.

Jesus, Lover of my Soul

As I woke up this Valentine's Day, I had the phrase "Jesus, Lover of my Soul" on my mind. I thought it was particularly appropriate on a day celebrating love to remember what it's like to be loved by Jesus. Recently, my favorite way of describing the way He feels about us is that phrase, "Jesus, Lover of my soul." What a beautiful concept, when you think about it.

You see, I was talking to a friend on Tuesday about how much I stress doing the right thing the right way. Especially with God, I feel like I MUST follow His will to the letter and never make a mistake. She, my friend, that wonderful snuggle of wisdom, gently reminded me that we are called to run with perseverance the race set before us. With perseverance, not with perfection. Why is this distinction important? Because Jesus is the lover of my /soul/, not of my perfect track record (no pun intended), not of what I do for Him, not of my good decisions. He loves me, the very essence of me. The impact of that is that I try to do right because I love Him, not so that He will love me. What a big different in outlook and stress levels!

Of course, having someone be the lover of your soul contrasts some human relationships too. It's so refreshing to not have to wonder for a moment whether Jesus loves you for what you can do for Him, or for your body, or for your happy personality, or for the help you give Him. In human relationships, what happens when any of those things change? What if you are too tired and can't do something, or when you gain weight or get old, or when you're sad and grumpy, or when you have other things to do and can't help out? If you're like me, you sometimes fear that one or more of those things could be cause for lost friendships or relationships. But what if people loved your soul, loved you for the essence of you, and because they loved YOU they also loved those other things, unconditionally? What if someone thought you were beautiful even though you had bed head and were wearing sweats and maybe even had some mascara smears from crying? What if someone still wanted to help you even if you right at that moment didn't have the strength to help them? Jesus shows us that kind of love.

This Valentine's Day, remember the Lover of your soul. Thank Him for his unconditional love of the essence of you. And as you go through life, experiencing different shades of love through friendships and romantic relationships, remember that you have an example to live up to and to evaluate with.

Love and be loved.

Welcome to DoveRocks

Song of Solomon 2:14

"My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely."

We are all a dove in the clefts of the rock, hiding our faces and voices. Our Heavenly Father, Lover, Savior is calling out to us to show Him our faces and let Him hear our voices. He delights in our interaction with Him, and in our expressions of ourselves in any medium. As He teaches me and guides me, as I grow in His love, I hope to use this blog as a place to share His message with others. You will find here things that He has taught me, ways that I have grown, unanswered questions I have, and praises I want to share.

Feel welcome to disagree, agree, supplement with your own thoughts, or in any other way interact with blog including not commenting at all. It is for your benefit as well as mine. I hope you will be blessed in some way by reading it.