Not Sorry to be Set Apart

I knew there was a reason I have been hesitant to join in the Lent observances that have begun to be practiced every year at our church. (Beginning, if I remember correctly, when a former staff pastor who is decidedly on the side of traditional liturgical practices instituted it.) I have gone once or twice, did the "Stations of the Cross" that were set up around the auditorium, and even had ashes placed symbolically on my forehead. But, to be quite honest, it seemed like meaningless ritual to me. I "tried" to feel more spiritual through it all, but just could not drum it up.

Turns out, my Southern Baptist roots are probably at fault for this. I remember, when I was in high school, many of my friends asking, "What are you giving up for Lent?" Having not a clue, I asked my mother, who informed me, "We don't observe Lent. That's what the Catholics do." (In case you did not know, there never seemed to be any love lost between the Baptists and Catholics - at least the way I saw it.)

However, that did not deter me from wanting to fit in with my friends (ah, peer pressure!) so the first year I valiantly gave up French fries for lunch. (Believe me, that was a sacrifice.) Over the years I have given up chocolate, given up drinking anything but water - even these days, I have friends who go dark on Facebook for Lent. 

Today, in preparation for Lent observance, I decided to Google "is Lent Biblical?" and not to my surprise, a transcribed podcast from a Independent Baptist Church in Indianapolis jumped to the top of the list. I read their arguments with interest.

They went into great detail about the meaning and timing of Lent, and the significance of it as it is based on the worship of Babylonian fertility goddess "Ishtar" and her son Tammuz. (Sound familiar? I have known for years that the word "Easter" is derived from "Ishtar," but that is a different bunny trail.) This false god worship is mentioned in Scripture in Ezekiel 8: ...Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these... (Yes, you heard that right. God called their observance an "abomination.")

Just the simple fact that Lent was not celebrated by the apostles or the early Christian church until the early 4th century is reason enough to ignore the custom, in my opinion. But wait! There's more!

Some feel that by observing Lent, we are showing "solidarity" with the rest of the Christian church. (Presuming they mean the "denominations" that hold on to the Catholic traditions.) But is that really a legitimate reason? WDSS? (What does Scripture Say?) I don't know about your Bible, but mine calls me to "Come out from among them and be separate." In other words, just because every other denomination is doing something is not justification for doing something that is not only unscriptural, but counter to the tenets of our belief. Nothing that we can do, no ritual that we perform, no ashes on the forehead can replace the grace and forgiveness we have received freely from God by believing and trusting in His son, Yeshua (Jesus.) 

Another reason given by some is that "We need time each year to repent." Well - sort of. We actually need to take time EVERY.DAY to repent. Besides that, why would we align our Day of Repentance with a decidedly pagan observance when the Lord gave us a perfectly good commandment to observe the Day of Atonement (which - surprise - does not fall anywhere near Easter.) Nowhere in my Bible does it say this is for Jews only. If we have aligned ourselves with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and we want to claim the blessings God gave to them, why ever would we turn around and align ourselves with Babylonian sun god worship? That just makes no sense to me.

So, here I am, still faced with the fact that our assembly is inviting us to participate, and having to choose to stand on the truth that we are called to be separate from those who mix holy with common. Religious rituals and symbolism are a sorry substitute for Grace through Faith. 

I guess you can take the girl out of the Baptist church, but the Baptist church never really comes out of the girl. Sorry if that hurts anyone's feelings - but not sorry to be Set Apart.

45638 :: Seasoned with Salt

According to Ability Central, a website educating the public about disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) "affects the way people perceive, think about, and interact with the world." Listed among the "most common symptoms of autism" are:

• Often being misunderstood and appearing to be blunt or even rude
• Taking words and phrases too literally

So now, while I am not claiming to be autistic or even on the spectrum, I do have to wonder if even people who are generally perceived as being neurotypical commonly present one or more of the markers associated with autism. Because, believe it or not, I have frequently been accused of the two above-mentioned traits.

I was given to contemplating that conundrum this morning when confronted again with the manner in which I worded a simple request. Upon reflection (after getting over myself and my annoyance at, once again, being misunderstood,) it came to me that indeed I had phrased my request as telling the person what to do instead of telling them what I wanted to do and needed from them. 

(Honestly, it has gotten to the point where there are days when I feel like I might as well just keep the flap shut because I am going to be misunderstood no matter what. A friend of mine who has been officially diagnosed with Asperger's often complains that he has to constantly monitor what he says, and my answer to him has always been the same: "So does everyone else." Now I am beginning to wonder if I see it that way because I have to do likewise, and have just assumed that is the norm.)

Scripture tells believers in Colossians, "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt..." which, in context is referring to speaking with un-believers so that our speech correctly reflects the truth of the Gospel, but I think the principle can apply to our speech in general and how our words come across to others. 

As I have (frequently) mentioned, I am not a fan of putting labels on people or having them put on me. We are so much more than any label and we do ourselves and others an injustice by trying to relegate them into a neat little box. BUT - understanding that not all brains are wired the same is a helpful tool when interacting with others, and to that end I think a little monitoring of my speech habits could possibly be in order. If nothing else, to help foster better communication and lessen hurt feelings.

We'll just have to see how that plays out.

Marking a Sad Day in the NorthState

First thing when I woke up this morning, I was greeted with the news of the passing of our biggest local icon. Sometime in the early morning hours, our local landmark Bidwell Mansion caught fire and within a few short hours has been completely destroyed.

Built over 160 years ago by early pioneer John Bidwell, the mansion housed innumerable historically significant furnishings that are obviously irreplaceable, not the least being the beautiful rosewood piano purchased in New York City as a wedding gift in 1868 by General Bidwell for his bride Annie Ellicott Kennedy  which was kept in tune and played for visitors to the mansion.

While Annie and John Bidwell resided in the mansion, they were hosts to many prominent figures of their era, including: President Rutherford B. Hayes, General William T. Sherman, Susan B. Anthony, Frances Willard, Governor Leland Stanford, John Muir, and Asa Gray.

As a long-time resident, it brought to mind the loss of a different landmark, back in May, 1977, when the Hooker Oak (already famous before guest starring as the "Gallows Oak" in the Errol Flynn movie Robin Hood) fell during a windstorm.

ca. 1910 - postcard of the landmark Hooker Oak

I am just thankful that I had more than one opportunity to explore both while they were still here.

(And as if we need another reminder, nothing lasts forever... except the love of God. And thank goodness for that.)

God's Way ≠ My Way

 I was actually just dinking around under Google Images, looking for a graphic of a tree to illustrate the saying, "Obedience is not the root of our salvation - it is the fruit," often quoted or paraphrased from C.S. Lewis, Charles Spurgeon, A.W. Tozer, and the like.

 

I thought it might look kind of cool to have a rustic drawing of a tree, with roots and all, and show the relationship of Grace - Faith - Obedience - Fruit... Alas, I am not an artist, but I can see the pictures in my head. (Or find them online.)

So, in the middle of all this, I find a website with some interesting blogs - The Sisterhood Hub - in which I found an article I have bookmarked, titled 8 Reasons Why Obedience to God is Important. For the sake of not repeating what you can read for yourself on that site, I will distill it down to just the 8 main points.

1. John 14:15 - If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 
2. Romans 12:1 - Let (your bodies) be a living and holy sacrifice... this is truly the way to worship Him.
3. Luke 11:28 - Even more blessed are all who hear the word and put it into practice.
4. 1 John 5:3 - This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.
5. 1 John 2:3 - We can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 
6. 1 Samuel 15:22 - To obey is better than sacrifice.
7. Romans 5:15 - By Adam's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by Christ's obedience the many will be made righteous.
8. Psalm 119:1-3 - Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the instruction of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart— they do no wrong but follow his ways.

I have found that a lot of times, people read into these verses what they have heard over the years, but not really taken the time to think about it, and if what they have heard actually lines up with Scripture. When Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments," the usual take-away is to think that Matthew 22:37-39 is saying that all you have to do is love God and love your neighbor. Well, yes. He does actually say that. But what is he really saying here? Verse 40: "All the law and prophets hang on these two commandments." 

I think he's saying that we have to know what the Foundational Scriptures are, and then we will see the correlation - it has often been taught that the 10 Commandments can be broken into two categories: Loving God and Loving Others. I believe that is a good and accurate picture. But if we have dismissed all of the Torah ahead of time without even reading it because some preacher has said "the Old Testament is not relevant to us," we can never know how God uses His commands to show us what it looks like to love Him and love our neighbor. The very things that Jesus came into this world to walk out in real time so we could get a handle on what it was supposed to look like.

Can I just paraphrase Jesus here and say, "You have heard it said..." and challenge some of the things we have all heard from (hopefully) well-meaning teachers and preachers. "But I say to you..." WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE SAY?

You owe it to yourself to find out for yourself. (Believe it or not, there is a website dedicated to helping you do just that.)

Just the way we are

 

As I was reading this morning, this observation caught my attention. Part of my journey has gotten me to the place of accepting that God created me and He didn't make a mistake. I have taken comfort in that thought over the years when I was tempted (or accused) of being too weird, too shy, too contemplative, too... whatever. All those things that made me feel like something was wrong with me. Those things that left me feeling like I needed to apologize for the way I thought, or the feelings I had.

Once I accepted that it was God who made me, and I could trust that He knew what He was doing, it eased much of the angst that I had over performance to meet the expectations of others.

But the commentary today - even though I have heard it and have known it - somehow spoke to me and helped me realize that, Yes... God made me and He doesn't make mistakes... but, as someone witty has said, "God cleans the fish He catches."

It never hurts to be contemplative or introspective when it comes to examining truth and what that should look like in our own lives. Are there thought patterns or habits that need to come into alignment with the goal of looking more like Jesus? It's not a matter of if God loves us or not. That is a given if you believe that His Word is true. And I do. Rather, it is a matter of taking every thought captive, seeing ourselves and our behavior from a different perspective. How do our actions, words and thoughts line up with the plumbline of God's Word?

He has taught us from the very Beginning what it looks like to follow Him, how to be a set-apart people who will faithfully reflect His light in a dark world. Am I taking the time and effort each day to spend time learning and understanding how to walk that out? Our journey to anywhere does not begin and end as soon as we have our ticket in hand. We take the steps to move forward toward our destination, and sometimes (often) that involves changing our mindset and perspective. Whether it be a journey to a new country or culture, or our journey of life and walking out our calling to be people after God's own heart.

Accepting God's design in my life does not mean I should remain static in my spiritual development. Or, as Paul in his letter to the assembly of believers in Philippi says: "Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and awe." (And lest we have been duped into thinking that WORKS = LEGALISM, we should also heed the words of James, the brother of Jesus when he says, "faith apart from works is worthless."

Pitiful Parenting

They say we are our own worst critic, and I am sure in many instances that is a valid observation. 

Take parenting, for example. As I look back on my childhood, I have only a few memories of feeling I was being treated unfairly, or misunderstood by one or both of my parents. As I have become more familiar with just how dysfunctional some families can be, I marvel that mine was (and still is) so functional and loving. Yes, I was spanked a few times for bad behavior, but never beaten. Yes, I was grounded on occasion for stepping out of bounds with rules or curfews. Yes, I got mad at one or another parent from time to time when I did not get my way. But honestly, that was so long ago it is barely a blip on my memory screen. Obviously it did not traumatize me.

However, when I came to be a parent myself (45+ years ago now,) those memories were a bit fresher, and I was determined to "do a better job" at parenting than my own parents had done. Sadly, no one gave me an instruction manual, and when I lamented my feelings of inadequacy and unpreparedness, my doctor told me, "Just love them." OK, I could do that.

I am here today to say, that is easy enough... but it is not enough. I love my daughters with all my heart. I have tried the "best I could with what I knew" to love them, teach them, and guide them. But, I have learned that these things do not happen by osmosis. In retrospect, it probably would have worked out better if I had been a little more intentional, a little less bound by my own insecurities and failures, and a lot less dependent on the concept that they would learn what they needed to know from church. Don't get me wrong, I am not blaming any of their excellent teachers for failing to accomplish the task set before them, but I am accepting that I fell short in fulfilling my own responsibility to fulfill the Deuteronomy 6:7 mandate: And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

I don't really have many memories of either parents or grandparents sitting down with me and sharing their faith journey, or even really praying with me beyond teaching me "Now I lay me down to sleep..." I basically mirrored their model of relying on Sunday school teachers to accomplish what is essentially our own responsibility to our children.

One doesn't need a theological degree to share the basic, foundational truths of what Scripture teaches in how we should live. Heaven sakes, to make matters easier, Jesus boiled it down to just two simple tests: Love God and Love Others. Everything taught in the first covenant falls into one of those categories.

Could I have done a better job? Absolutely! Would everything have turned out perfect? There are never any guarantees. (And don't bother throwing Proverbs 22:6 back at me: Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. That is a premise, not a promise.)

But here is the thing: I AM STILL A PARENT, so instead of beating myself up about shoulda-woulda-coulda, the point is to start every interaction with the right mindset. How can I speak TRUTH by my everyday words and deeds? Yes, loving them is a great place to start, but speaking the Truth in Love has to fit in there somewhere, and that is the part I am working at now. Respecting that they have their own free will and their own "testimony" to work out is also part of it, and that is something that is the biggest challenge for me. Because, in the end, I still love them, no matter what.

Hype, Hypocrisy, and Hysteria Hot Topics

I don't generally make a habit of listening to the news, unless something historically monumental is happening. Even with that, I can only stand so many hours of saturation. Sometimes events catch me by surprise, but usually I am better off for not being "in the know" about everything that MSM wants to throw at me.

One of the reasons I got off of Facebook this year also has to do with the negativity that seems to be rampant with everyone voicing their opinion about the economy, politics, racism, religion, gun control, abortion... ad nauseum. 

Not so long ago, yet another mass shooting hit the headlines. Don't get me wrong, I am 100% opposed to murder in any form, and mass shootings are particularly heinous in that usually innocents are the targeted victims, as compared to a premeditated, targeted murder victim. A common response when any kind of mass tragedy occurs is to see social media flooded with postings of prayers for the victims and their loved ones. Following that is the typical knee-jerk rant response, something along the lines of "F* your prayers! Stop Gun violence... Ban guns..." etc.

This post is not about gun control or gun violence per se, but more an effort to bring some perspective when it comes to the hype, hypocrisy, and hysteria that is promulgated by politicians and media regarding those hot topics. California's governor Gruesome Newsom has lately jumped on that hysteria bandwagon with his recently signed AB 1594, which allows the state, local governments and Californians to sue "irresponsible gunmakers" for the harm caused by their products. 

My question is this: Where do we draw the line? Take a look at these statistics on cause of deaths in the U.S. for the year 2020. (Most of this information was gathered from the CDC and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety websites.) 

Of the estimated 3,383,729 U.S. deaths in 2020...

Compare those numbers with Gun Related Death statistics:

(I have highlighted Homicides and Accidental as those seem to the ones that get most people up in arms.)

Here is the point I wish to make: The misuse of cars and the misuse of drugs kill around as many people as the misuse of guns. When are the politicians going to stop their hypocrisy? Why are they not signing bills allowing people to sue car manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, doctors, and liquor companies for all of the deaths that are caused by the products they manufacture or prescribe?

Wake up folks. Guns, drugs, and cars do not kill. Angry, sad, frustrated, vengeful people kill. If they don't have a gun, they will use whatever tool they can put their hands on: knives, baseball bats, machetes, battery acid... and yes, cars. 

What are we doing to fix the real problem?