The Rock in the Storm

The Book of Psalms has been the topic of our Men’s Bible Study this month. The Psalms were the worship songs of the ancient Israelites and they reflect both the tremendous joy and extreme sorrow the people experienced in their relationship with God and their neighbors. One frequent theme is that in life’s struggles, God is our rock and refuge. The rock image has been a favorite of mine throughout my life.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge. Psalm 18:2

You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake lead me and guide me Psalm 31:3

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2

Among the ancient Israelites, the sea was a symbol of chaos and catastrophe. The rock was the opposite symbol, a sign of continuity and steadfast devotion. The picture above captures some of the energy and wildness of the sea as it crashes against the rock. In that moment, the sea seems victorious, but the wave recedes and the rock remains.

In our life, we are often hit with waves of wild chaotic energy that threatens to destroy us. It can be moments of grief when we remember a loved one who has died. It can be the sudden change in the marketplace when our job or career takes a beating. Or the wave might be a diagnosis of some health issue that causes our life to spin. Or it can be a relationship that suddenly shifts in a difficult, unexpected way.

Or sometime it is the chaos we created within ourselves by the bad choices we made.

In the moment we seem overwhelmed; but we need to remember that God remains our rock, our fortress in the midst of the challenges. God is steadfast.

For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Psalm 62:5-7

God remains the ultimate source of peace, calm and hope.

Lord Jesus, be my rock and fortress today and always.

Spiritual Emotions?

I am reading Spiritual Emotions: A Psychology of Christian Virtues by Robert C. Roberts, preparing for a preaching series this summer. Twenty years ago I read his book, The Strengths of a Christian, which continues to shape how I look at the virtues of self-control, patience and perseverance. I posted on Strengths previously.

In Spiritual Emotions, Roberts asks the questions, can Christians shape or tend to our emotions? Or are they simply electro-chemical reactions in our brains that we have no control over? Can emotions be something that we cultivate and link to our Spiritual lives?

Roberts proposes that emotions are concern-based construals, a framework for interpreting a situation and responding  to it. I am reminded of an example of this in Stephen Covey’s classic, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. In the book, Covey described riding on a subway car and becoming very irritated with a father whose young children were acting out. The children’s behavior was loud and disruptive and Covey became more and more irritated, even angry, with the father for not intervening. Finally Covey confronted the father about the obnoxious behavior of his children. The father, who seemed preoccupied, looked over at his children and then responded, “Yes, I guess they are being unruly. You see, we just came from the hospital where their mother, my wife, died today.”

Suddenly Stephen Covey’s understanding (construal) changed from one of anger to one of compassionate understanding. At first he interpreted the situation one way, “an inattentive father,” that fostered anger within him. But his interpretation or construal changed when he realized that the father was inattentive due to grief, fostering compassion.

Now, according to Roberts, Stephen Covey had some choice in how to respond to the new information. He might have stayed angry, thinking that his subway ride was still being interrupted by these disruptive children and that it did not matter what the reason was. Most of us would see such a construal or interpretative framework as being selfish and un-Christian. Or Covey might have become embarrassed and upset, again focusing more on his own needs. Instead Covey made a choice (perhaps out of habit) to respond with compassion and offer assistance.

Emotions are not just feeling that arbitrarily hit us and we have no control over them. Neither can we automatically dictate what emotions we will have. They are fruit of the Holy Spirit, which we help cultivate and grow over time, practice and attentiveness.  I believe Robert’s book will help me in this practice.

Lord Jesus, shape my heart to be a harbor of love and not fear.

The Fun in Run For Others

Last Saturday, I joined other runners from Resurrection LC to run in the Cemstone Run for Others 5K/10K race. We had a blast benefiting Habitat for Humanity. Though I ran most of the 10K race by myself, the challenge and the course volunteers kept me motivated. I even got a prize for taking second in my age group!

Running is often thought of as a solitary sport. You don’t need any teammates to have a good run. Like many other runners, I enjoy the solitude of a run as a time of reflection and prayer.

Yet the camaraderie of a race is special. In a race setting, one feels the urge to do one’s best. I think the competition pushes me to test my limits, to learn how to persevere in a difficult task. I don’t have to win or even set a personal best to benefit from being part of a race.  Running in a race gives me the affirmation, “I am a runner.”

The joy and excitement of Saturday was contagious. I stand next to my friend and pastoral colleague, Mike Carlson, who was running his first race in several years. We are flanked by two great race directors, Scott Folgelson and Tim Torgerson. It was a wonderful morning for run and fun fellowship.

Also, I am so thankful for all the volunteers who gave of their time and energy to make the day special and safe. They worked hard so that the runners could focus on the race. I have volunteered at road races and the tasks can be tedious or boring. Yet without the volunteers, the race could not happen. Tim Torgerson has directed the Cemstone Run For Others race for over a decade and his efforts are to lifted up.

St. Paul writes that the church is one body, but made up of many members (I Cor. 12). Each person and part is needed for the Body of Christ to function well. We all have a part to play in our church, community and world. God has gifted each of us to participate. So whether you race, volunteer or cheer, get involved and have some fun.

Lord Jesus, continue to call me into active service in your name.

Pilgrims, Property and Piety

During my daily commute I have been listening to Nathaniel Philbrick’s Mayflower, a history of the Pilgrim’s first decades in New England . One episode caught my ear.

During the first years of the settlement at Plymouth, the colony struggled to produce enough food for the harsh winters. They were a pious refugees who were seeking a more perfect Christian community.  They decided at first to have a communal farm and share both the labor and the harvest equally. However their harvests were so meager that the Governor Bradford decided in 1623 to stop communal farming and allowed each family to grow and keep their own corn crop. After this decision the colony rarely struggled for food.

The failure of the communal farm reminded me of a short passage in the book of Acts. (Resurrection LC has been reading the book of Acts in worship as part of the Narrative Lectionary.)

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. (Acts 4:32)

This early vision of communal living seemed to be short-lived in the church as well. Paul does not refer to it in any of his letters directly. Rather he practiced his own tent-making vocation and funded his own missionary journeys (Acts 18:3, 2 Cor. 11:7-9). The early church met in people’s houses, which means that someone must have owned the homes. Private property was never abolished by the church.

There have been some successful versions of communal living in church history, the monastic communities being the best example. Yet the vast majority of Christians continue to own private property and prosper from a free market society.

The Acts 4:32 experiment still has a purpose for all Christians: the call to be good and generous stewards of our possessions. Like the early pilgrims, we may be more industrious when we directly benefit from our labor. Still Christ calls us to be compassionate neighbors, one to another. Our new relationship with God calls us into compassionate service towards others.  Generosity will always be part of a mature Christian piety.

Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous as you are generous towards me.

River Makes Glad

Water has such a fascination with many of us, especially waterfalls. I have hiked to many spectacular waterfalls in my life; one of my favorites is the Sol Duc Falls in Olympic National Park. It is not particularly large or high, but its setting in a dark green rain forest is impressive.

One of the reasons I admire it is that I have hiked various portions of the river. I have been up on the High Divide where the Sol Duc River starts as a large snow field on the divide between the Sol Duc and Hoh Rivers. Mt. Olympus dominates the horizon.

As a long child, I camped with my family near the river as it meandered through a large forested valley. The rocks and surrounding trees were mesmerizing.  I sat by the river for hours, watching the rocks turn and the tree branches swept downstream.

I have also camped near La Push, WA, where the Sol Duc River joins the Bogacheil River to form the Quillayute River, shortly before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. Huge drift wood logs are stacked along the beach, gifts of the river from the surrounding forest. The Sol Duc is less than 100 miles in length, but it has its own vital story that I continue to learn.

My fascination with the Sol Duc River reminds me of how wonderful it is to be a part of a congregation as its pastor. There are twists and turn, highs and lows, unique paths to every congregation. There are some occasional waterfalls, but mostly the ongoing flow of life. I am so thankful to be a part of Resurrection Lutheran Church as it flows with God’s Spirit.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. Psalm 46:4

Lord Jesus, let me flow with you among the people of God.

Acting Out

Yesterday I was excited as I taught the children to “leap” with praise.  In worship we read Acts 3, the story in which Peter and John healed a crippled beggar outside the temple gate and the man entered the temple with them, “walking and leaping and praising God.” The children and I enjoyed leaping up to give God’s praise. Their energy got me ready to preach.

The original healing and leaping gave Peter the opportunity to preach as well. The miracle caused such a commotion that Peter had to address the crowd to direct the crowd’s attention away from John and himself and back to Jesus Christ. He called the crowd to repent and turn to God (Acts 3:19).

This is Peter’s second sermon in the book of Acts. After the first, on the day of Pentecost, the crowd asked what they needed to do. Peter respond, “Repent and be baptized;” three thousand were baptized that day (Acts 2:38,41). Marvelous fruit for one sermon.

Peter’s second sermon had a different effect: the priest and officials of the temple arrestted them because they were proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead (Acts 4:1-2). Peter and John were “acting out” against the norms of their temple religion and had to be quieted in some way. So the leaders questioned Peter and John by whose authority they were teaching and healing. Peter, by the Holy Spirit declared to these religious officials,

Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead (Acts 2:10).

Nothing is keeping Peter from proclaiming Jesus with all boldness, even to the gang that had Jesus executed.

May we each have such boldness to proclaim Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus, give me courage to speak your name, even to act out when needed.

Through A Mirror Dimly

Drew Jonell’s recent photograph ignited some deeper reflections for me on Jesus’ resurrection and my faith.

First, we see our risen Lord in “a mirror dimly, but then we will see face-to-face” (I Corinthians 13:12). We can never fully comprehend the wonder and reality of Jesus’ resurrection; he moves beyond our limited understanding of the universe. I once thought that if one had a video camera set up outside the tomb on Easter morning, one could “record” the resurrection and place it on you-tube for all to see. But with today’s CGI special effects one could not trust such a video. People still need to make a faith step.

Second, the dark window frame is in focus, just like I tend to focus on my immediate needs, situation and experiences. I can become self-absorbed. Even this blog can become an exercise in seeking attention for myself. Yet I must confess that I am called to be a frame that holds the glass through which the sun shines. God can use me, in spite of myself. The resurrection calls me to see life beyond my closed “tomb” like world, out in the glorious light of Jesus’ ever living presence.

Third, the morning sun shines bright, even though it is partially blocked by the frame. Jesus is alive, and though my witness may be streaked and pitted, his light will shine through. Peter, James and John were all flawed witnesses, yet the good news of the crucified and risen Lord shone through their testimony. Even the skeptic Thomas came to faith.

What do you see with the eyes of faith?

Lord Jesus, open my eyes that I might see you today.

Drew Jonell is a member of Resurrection Lutheran Church and you can see more of his creative photography here.