Foolish Obedience?

This morning I read Luke 5:1-ll in my morning devotions. It is a familiar story of Jesus and the fishermen, led by Simon (later to be called Peter). With incredulity and some embarrassment, Simon follows Jesus’ outlandish command to fish during the day, after working all night and catching nothing. But Simon had enough respect for Jesus to declare, “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” The result was a catch so heavy that it required other boats to help them. Simon’s eyes and heart were opened at the demonstration of Jesus power over even the depths of the sea. He fell to his knees in confession of being in the presence of God. Jesus’ response was, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” And immediately Simon and his partners, James and John, left everything and followed him. Ken Gire underscores this seemingly impulsive and foolish act, “Peter’s career as a fisherman is over. He leaves behind a business with a steady income, a business with assets, a business with a future. Without once looking back. Without once taking inventory of his losses.”

It was the cost of following “the call.”

This passage deeply resonated with me because thirty-four years ago we had done exactly the same thing. We had served the Lord in a vocational Christian ministry since our marriage twenty-one years previously. But, in the spring of 1986 we dropped everything to follow Christ into cross-cultural ministry. We had taken a short-term mission trip and were confronted with the needs of countries outside our own. God used two questions, from two very different sources to challenge me. The first was from a young Egyptian Christian man who, following an evening of testimonies about the cost of discipleship in this Muslim country, stared at me and said, “Do you really care?” I was cut to the deepest part of my being. Following that, it was God’s question in Isaiah 6:8, “ And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” It was made it clear I was called to surrender to this “new” thing God was doing in our lives.

We immediately—without adequate counsel or knowledge; with no financial support; and no cross-cultural training, resigned from our church where Glenn was pastoring, and set out to follow “the call.” It seems foolish in retrospect and we made many mistakes, but we have never regretted it. Later, I would become acquainted with the story of the British missionary, William Borden, who left his family business worth millions to follow “the call” and died in Egypt, never having reached his destination of China. In his journals he wrote about his experience with the declaration about, “No Reserves, No Retreats, No Regrets.”

I wonder what God is calling me to do today that I would require such abandonment? Do I “play it safe” too often? I do believe in being reasonable and well prepared—but what if God said, “Let down your nets” when it makes no sense to even be fishing—what would I do? Am I willing to follow God’s demands of Christian life (in spite of being out-of-sync with the American evangelical culture), as laid out in the Sermon on the Mount? I have become aware that I have grown “comfortable” in my service for God. Yet, the Scripture teaches that Kingdom life will be full of challenges, persecutions and, even sorrows.

I am unsure how to bring this to an end, as it is a lesson-in-process in my life. But, I want to share it with you that you might pray with me as I seek God’s “call'“ for my life—and perhaps you will also respond to God’s “call’ for your life. May God be glorified as we seek Him.

Come to the Table

On January 1, 2020, God clearly told me that my theme for the year was to “Celebrate the Goodness of God.” I undertook a study of what the Bible taught both about God’s goodness and what celebration meant in Scripture. It was fascinating! Clearly, God is a God of celebration—He instituted the abundant feasts and traditions of celebration for Israel in the Old(er) Testament. He commanded his people to celebrate—what he has done for them and who he is. The interesting thing is, the majority of the celebrations included a feast—a “coming to the table.”

No matter the purpose of our celebrations, they are 1) intentional; 2) requires preparation; and 3) are usually in the community of others. Celebration, for the Christ-follower, is actually an essential element in our spiritual formation and growth. According to Richard Foster, “Celebration is one of the lost disciplines of the Christian life; it is ignored. We are called to be people who celebrate!” Another view is expressed by Maurites Stevens, “Celebration is at the heart of the practice of all the spiritual disciplines.” Wow! I had never considered how celebration was actually part of my walk with Christ! Dallas Willard confirmed it for me by writing, “Celebration is the completion of worship for it dwells on the greatness of God as shown in his goodness to us. . . a healthy faith before God cannot be built and maintained, without heartfelt celebration of his greatness and goodness to us in the midst of our suffering and terror.”

So, we made plans to celebrate by scheduling a series of dinners, specifically to gather people to celebrate the goodness of God in their lives. We invited people who were somehow involved in our respective ministries. We had two glorious evenings. . . and then COVID-19 put a stop to our plans! But, my desire to celebration God’s goodness didn’t cease—I just had to find ways to do it “virtually” with friends and family.

God’s invitation to “come to the table” never ceases. The ministry of Jesus was replete with times of joining others (sometimes outcasts!) for meals. His first miracle was at a wedding feast. He ate with his disciples before and after his death and resurrection. He was revealed as Jesus as he broke the bread with the despondent disciples on the Emmaus Road. Jesus used the metaphor of feasts and banquets for the kingdom of God more than any other. The Scriptures tell us that an amazing feast it being prepared for us when we enter into Glory. The call to “come to the table” is inclusive of all who follow Christ and no one seeking God will be denied.

The ultimate “come to the table” celebration for us now is the sacrament of the Eucharist. Initiated on the night before Jesus died, it is the “holy of holies” (Brian Zahnd) for the Christian. Zahnd continues, “No longer is the holiest of all a veiled chamber reserved for a solitary high priest, now it’s a shared table to which all are invited.” It was so important to the First Century followers of Jesus, that they celebrated the Eucharist as a part of their communal meals, often daily.

During this current time of forced isolation (I am on Day #60), we deeply miss partaking with the community of faith of God’s blessed table. This “mystery of grace” is deeply ingrained into each of us. I was so longing to partake in the blessed bread and wine. . . the “Lord’s Table,” that on Maundy Thursday (during Holy Week), I asked my husband if he would join me in a time of “coming to the table” of the Eucharist, for just the two of us. I prepared a beautiful table setting. I read a Lenten devotional for that day and Glenn read the Scriptures that declare that the words of Jesus, “this is my body and blood, do this in remembrance of Me.” We prayed and then we served each other of the elements. We closed in declaration and celebration of God’s goodness. It was my most precious “come to the table” experience for a very long time.

I invite you to look for ways to celebrate the goodness of God, even during this strange time of social distancing, isolation and “shelter in place” orders. God invites each of us to “come to his table” today.

Amen.

The Art of Surviving Isolation

It is difficult to know what to write about this unprecedented time of world-wide sickness and isolation. We’ve never shared in such events before. While there are slight differences in the responses by the leaders of different countries and states (even counties!), the reality is that we are all fighting this “unseen” virus called COVID-19. I’m currently in my Day #52 of my isolation. Of course, “isolation” isn’t complete because I do have my husband who comes home at night and is here for most of the weekend. But—I have been almost entirely within our four walls and cut off from family and friends for the duration of this time. Is that a tragedy? No. But, it is a challenge.

I realized on Day #50 that I was very tired of three distinct realities of this isolation:

1. I’m tired of my place. Staying within the four walls of our townhome should have been comforting, but it has become very confining.

2. I’m tired of keeping my own company. I do use the various social platforms and communication means to connect with others, but I’m spending far too much time in the company of only myself.

3. I’m tired of eating my own cooking. Of course, take-away is possible, but it seems foolish to spend the money on restaurant food when I’m home all the time anyway.

These sound like complaints or the agenda of a pity party, but they really aren’t. I’m just trying to be honest in my description of my feelings and connect with others in the same situation. What is the antidote to this depressing list? Gratitude. Yes, the rehearsing of the many blessings and gifts in my life changes my focus away from my situation onto the God who is always good.

Many years ago we had a friend who taught that what we usually do when praying is “gaze” at our problems and “glance” towards God. But the only possibility of altering our attitude is to “glance” at our problems and “gaze” upon God. That’s my goal for myself and challenge for you, the reader. Join me in this guaranteed solution to surviving our current situation.

Gratefully yours,

Dianne

Aging Gracefully

In just a few days, I will have a BIG birthday--celebrating seven decades of life. Many people have asked me, "How do you feel about this birthday?" My answer is usually two-part, 1) there is nothing I can do about it, and 2) disbelief. I do not think I ever really imagined myself at seventy. How can this be? I vividly remember when my mom turned this age--and I thought of her as an old woman. I definitely do not visualize myself in the same way! (You may laugh now.)

Many years ago, I asked the Lord to allow me to "grow old gracefully." I have to admit--that was much easier to say when I was younger, than it is to daily live it out. I have come to view the aging process with the image of "shrinking." Life seems to be contracting. Downsizing our home forced the elimination of many treasured items. A limited income restricts our freedom to travel or engage in many of our "normal" activities. The pain, stiffness and other physical issues bring limitations. Opportunities for work or service are often restricted because of the cultural assumption that advanced age means we have nothing to offer or cannot perform. All these realities caused me to wonder, how does one respond with grace when life seems to be characterized by loss?

But, I am not writing a lament for all the losses of this aging process. Years ago, I was confronted with the quote by Victor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, who studied those who physically lived, but emotionally died during the time of internment, and those who experienced the same horrors, but went on to live fruitful lives. He concluded, "When everything else is stripped away, we are left with the last human freedom, the choice to decide how to respond to any given situation. The last human freedom is the ability to choose one's attitude." Yes, responding with grace is a choice. In spite of circumstances, God declares that I can choose to be "reverent, not a gossip, not given to addiction, sensible, kind, and a teacher of love and what is good" (excerpts from Titus 2). In other words, as an aging woman, I can be full of grace that overflows to others.

Many years ago, my husband and I claimed the promise in Psalm 92:12-14 that we would flourish in old age. Verse 14 declares, "They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green." God does not see the restrictions inherent in the aging process as limiting factors in serving Him. His calling to grow spiritually and to serve others comes with no age restriction or retirement date. He expects us to allow Him to use the many experiences of our lives to be a blessing to others. We are to continue to nurture the soul of our neighbors and our city. None of His commands have an expiration date. 

So--what am I doing on the eve of this major milestone? Just what I have been called to do all of my life: grow in love of God; share with others the incredible reality of a life lived as God's beloved child; submit my (aching) body and soul into His care; allow Him to demonstrate his faithfulness in my many years of life to speak hope to others; and to look forward to the ever-so-closer time that I enter into eternity with Him.

It is time to flourish. "Happy Birthday to Me!"

Art's Metaphors for God's Work

I am finding that writing blog posts while I am writing a book to be a daunting task. Either I do not have sufficient discipline--or emotional strength--to do both well. But, recently I was astounded by a revelation from God concerning the beautiful picture painted by certain artistic metaphors. I am still unpacking the full significance of these artistic treasures, but I'll share a couple of them for your consideration.

I have often referred to my deep grief experience following the murder of our eldest son as a time of "breaking" or even "being shattered." But, as I stood in the studio of my artist friend, Mako Fujimura, I saw that what I had actually experienced was a "crushing." Mako is a master artist in the 17th-Century art of Nihonga ("Japanese Painting"). This is not the place for me to detail how his artistic style replicates my experience, but it is sufficient to highlight the method for the metaphor will be clear. Mako takes precious minerals and carefully crushes then in a time-consuming effort with a mortar and pestle. Once the granules are exactly the right size, he mixes them with a very special glue, using his hands in a gentle, but consistent manner. Only once the pigments are deemed exactly right by the Master Craftsman, does he begin the laborious task of applying the color in a layer by layer fashion. Gold or silver leaf is then carefully applied. The result is a luminous, deep treasure of beauty. 

God's promise to me that He could take the "broken (crushed) pieces of my life and make something beautiful" came alive as I witnessed Mako's art-making. The Creator, the real Master Artist, is producing beauty in a life--not merely on a canvas of silk or hand-made paper. Repeatedly God's Word reminds of this promise. "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed" (Psalm 34:18) is merely one of the many Scriptures. God is producing an piece of art--unique, yet infinitely beautiful WITH the crushed pieces of our lives.

Two other metaphors from art involved the making of pottery. God, the Creator, is called "the one who forms"--an ancient name for a potter. In Jeremiah 18 and Isaiah 64 God is called the "potter" and we are the "clay." God, as the Sovereign Ruler, can form us as he wills and can "crush" us back into a moldable lump of clay for his refashioning. 

A special form of pottery is the Japanese "Kintsugi." The artisans, greatly respecting the materials and form of a piece of pottery, refuses to discard cracked or damage pieces. Instead, this method of "golden joinery" fills the cracks with precious gold, silver or platinum, mixed with lacquer. The end result is a piece of art worth so much more than before the damage occurred. Again, such is our God. 2 Corinthians 4:7 calls us "clay pots holding the spiritual treasure"--which shines through in the cracks and holes of our lives. Beauty and strength hides within us--waiting to be revealed in our brokenness. God doesn't reject us, nor does he hide our flaws--but reveals himself in all his glory.

These themes will be explored more deeply in my upcoming book, but I wanted to share my "ah-ha" moment with God so that you might be encouraged as well. Allow God to make something beautiful out of your brokenness today.