Skip to content or main menu

News

We Are Moving! (Aren't We?)

October 5, 2010

I am walking through a little study called “Simple Faith” with a group of ladies and the topic we will be discussing today is out of the Sermon On The Mount. The study walks through each “Blessed are…” and really does a great job, with just a few words, of describing each of those attributes (you can read the Sermon in Matthew 5).

But what got me were the two little assignments at the end. The first was to evaluate yourself and the second was to take each of the attributes and think of a person in your life who really demonstrates one of those 8 qualities. You’d think this would be easy; but it wasn’t.

This has left me thinking…

  • What is known about me? I mean you can’t go out there braggin’ on how “poor in spirit” you are, but if you are poor in spirit, wouldn’t that be noticeable? Or would it be that quality (humility/contriteness) you can’t quite put your finger on but it is magnetic all the same? When I am drawn to a particular person, is it this that is grabbing me? Or is it just that they have a “cool” personality that is fun to be around? This makes me question myself and it makes me question what I admire in others. What am I looking for? Who am I?
    * Blessed are those who are broken over the broken world, over broken relationships, over lostness and sin. Who do I know like that, someone who is just torn up by all this? Most people I know aren’t. This is a hard one to put a finger on these days because a lot of people are really busy, everyone is “pursuing” something, there are so many items on the buffet table. Who among us are really broken and mourning for this limping world?
    * The gentle; blessed are the gentle. Who is humble and courteous and treats others with value and respect? Who is selfless like that? Who truly deserves that title, “gentleman” or “gentlewoman”? This one was a little easier to put names to because a person like this is quite obvious. Gentleness is something you do wear on your sleeve.
    * Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Are these the people who do a lot of reading? Who listen to sermon podcasts? Who can’t go to enough Bible studies? Who attend several churches for different reasons? Whose conversations are peppered with spiritual words? Who don’t ever have a bad day because God is good? I mean who has an honest, insatiable desire for fellowship with God? To be filled and spilling over with His goodness; to be changed and to affect change? Who is just an honest seeker, eating up what God has for him and her to the point that it rubs off on others?
    * Blessed are the merciful. This person enters into the world of another person’s pain and extends compassion (think Good Samaritan). Right away I think of the Gospel Mission and ministries like that but what about generally, what about that quality in general. Are we merciful in general, do we have an everyday mercy; who do I know that is constantly leaving merciful fingerprints wherever he/she goes.
    * Pure in heart. This is a person who lives transparently, free from hypocrisy. People who live transparently — think about what a guarded society we live in. Think about how long it takes to share your story truthfully. Think about how few people you actually let “in” to your inner and most vulnerable world. If we aren’t straight-up hypocritical, who isn’t somewhat reserved? Who doesn’t hold back? Who doesn’t value a little “privacy”? Who lives inside out these days?
    * Blessed are the peacemakers, yes and amen to that. Blessed are those who ease tension, seek solutions, generate light not heat. Wow, are those people valued in a contentious society like ours! These are the people that bring a little ointment with them when they meet with others. It isn’t that they never say what is true, it is just that the reason they say true things is for honesty’s sake, for true resolution, for a pure process. A few rare souls, these are.
    * Finally, blessed are those who are persecuted, insulted, dissed, lied about, gossiped about. Blessed are you when you take it, when you don’t retaliate, when you speak good instead of evil against those who are coming at you. When you move towards people and not away; when you stay at the table. Now think about how rare that person is!

I think, walking through this, I realized how hard it is to judge these qualities in others because we are, as we say, “all on a journey” working on and working through what it means to live God’s way. But that thought stopped me, we are all on a journey, aren’t we? I mean, we are going somewhere (growing in these 8 qualities) aren’t we? God help us if we are standing still and just the scenery is changing!

I am finding myself asking, are we just so crazy consumed with the “cares and concerns” of our worlds that, while these qualities may be present, they aren’t the first things that are known and seen? Maybe they aren’t even priorities? Is it possible to even move the mission of Christ forward if these things aren’t glaringly obvious about us who call ourselves Christ-followers?

The author suggests we write these qualities on our calendars and work through them week after week (Monday, mercy. Tuesday, pure in heart…). I am beginning to think this isn’t a bad idea, because if this is the most incredible sermon ever preached, it should have more of an impact on us and on our world. If these things aren’t easy to see, then maybe we need to study them harder and apply them more practically.

Anyway, I don’t have any brilliant ending this morning, I just feel really challenged. If Jesus said there is a blessing to being these things, maybe some days I just don’t feel blessed because there is nothing a blessing can attach itself to.

– Teresa Klassen (http://www.onebrownleaf.wordpress.com)

Read More

I Am A Carrier

July 16, 2010

Do you see anything different?

Look close…anything?

It’s just that Proverbs 13:9 says that the, “light of the righteous shines brightly.” And I wondered…

This Proverb seems so simple but I have really wrestled with it. I think it is these two words “righteous” and “the light” that have me sitting here thinking.

The Bible says, that no one is righteous, not even one person (Romans 3:10), so what is the point of this Proverb? No-one’s righteous.

Any earning if righteousness we think we are capable of, well, we should just know right now we can stop trying; that would be one less thing on our to-do list. If I was good today, “Way to go,” I can tell myself, but should quickly add, “just so you know, you are about to screw up.” You and I just can’t get it right. For every person who declares themselves, “good,” there are two others snickering in the background because they know just how bad we can be.

We should sigh deeply at this point because it is a distressing truth. The “world” will say, “You’re fine. Why all the angst?” It is because we aren’t fooled by the “eat, drink and be merry” message; it’s not that merry. We know something is broken and can’t be mended. No one is righteous. Not even one. “Woe is me,” the prophet Isaiah said as he thought about this, “I am a man of unclean lips, living among people of unclean lips.” (Isaiah 6:5)

Thank God, the Bible goes on to say, “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins” (Romans 3:24)!

This idea of being “freed” is something known as “redemption.” Redemption, in case you were wondering, is my favorite word.

  • Redemption, the idea that something otherwise discardable can be made new and usable, when applied to people, is a magnetic message.
    * Redemption, the idea that something can be changed for the better means that I have something to live for.
    * Redemption, the idea that something is gained because something else was cashed in, both crushes me and motivates me when I realize what I gained because Jesus cashed His own life in for me.

This whole thing, by the way, is called the “Good News.” What else would you call it?

I just had to start with that, because understanding who is righteous and why is really important. We shouldn’t be all high on ourselves thinking we are better than anyone else. We can put all our self-righteousness away now, because our righteousness is the Good News of Jesus declaring, “got you covered.”

So, Jesus gave us the ability to be called righteous, which is awesome, and because it is truly “awesome” we don’t just go on as if nothing happened. As the saying goes, “to those who have been given much, much is required” (Luke 12:47–49). I have been given something (that’s the Good News) and that makes me a carrier.

So I am a carrier of a light and must move into all the dark shadows and bless the world because of how I have been blessed: “May your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven…” (Matthew 6:10)

I think we need to ask some questions about that. People who don’t follow Christ can “shine.” Good deeds stand out in a mostly selfish world no matter who does them; letting “your light” shine is not a concept reserved for Christ followers. There are lots of people who do nice things, altruistic things! So, do Christians just have to be nicer still? Kind of a one-up idea?

I think being clear about “the light of the righteous” is pretty crucial:

  • ”...the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.” (Matthew 4:16)
    * “So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (Luke 2:28–32)
    * Jesus said, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark .”(Luke 12:46)

The thing that is shining brightly is not “shiny-us.” It isn’t our goody-goodness. The light is Jesus and He saved our necks. Jesus’ Good News isn’t a “good perspective” message; it is upsetting! It means I have to acknowledge my sin; it means I have to follow a wildly upside-down message that will throw my whole life in another direction. But this light is fiercely loving, unafraid and undaunted, sacred, supernatural, unquenchable, unstoppable. That kind of light has heat.

I am writing those words as I am sitting near a mirror, looking at myself and thinking about what big ideas those are for such a little person as I to carry; I am not really the Olympic Torch Bearer type. How can I do justice to a Light like that?

Bright is attractive, which means I better not be unapproachable or unrelatable or untranslatable. I better not be prudish or judgmental or spout off about stuff. I better not be driven by an agenda or abuse my relationships as if I am some network-marketer-for Jesus.

What had I better be?

I better be living in the light, for heaven’s sake. Sometimes I am just so catatonic and that is pretty lame, considering.

The only thing I carry, the only thing I have to offer anyone that is of any value is Jesus. But I can’t go out and just go on and on about Him; I have to go out and be a living example of Him living in me.

A pretty good description of “how-to” is found in Galatians 5:22 (another book and verse in the Bible):

“The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another (5:22)

It can’t be faked.We can’t treat Galatians with a checklist and good acting. Notice how the verse says, “The Holy Spirit produces in us…” Similar to Jesus declaring us righteous. It is mostly Him and mostly not us. Our part is one word: submission.

What ought to shine in me is my continual surrender to the Holy Spirit’s leading in my life (and in case you think I have this “continual surrender” thing down, I don’t). None of us are “shiny” in and of ourselves. It is what the Holy Spirit produces that shines and sometimes it is just astounding the tiny little things that end up being the brightest, because He makes it so.

I love this definition of light: that which makes seeing possible.

Hm. Someone else’s light helped me see The Light. Now I am a carrier and must do the same. See how that works?

—Teresa Klassen (http://onebrownleaf.wordpress.com)

Read More