Rachel Weeping for Her Children: Lamentations during Yuletide

A time of weeping. Who would have thought that during the time of Jesus’ birth that Herod, the furious king who had been outwitted, would have all of the boys (2 years old and under) around the vicinity of Bethlehem killed?

                A time of weeping. Who would have thought in a Connecticut  elementary school a week before Christmas that a troubled and disturbed young man would kill 20 six and seven year olds in their classroom?

                Yes, a time of weeping. A time of weeping for the parents, for the relatives, for the friends, for the adults, for the teachers, for the community, for the state, for the nation.

                A time of weeping because evil is present. Sometimes evil is present in proportions that our human mind can hardly fathom. It is at those moments that it seems nothing can really console, nothing can really soothe the pain, there is no balm for the soul.

                A time of weeping, a time of lament. When Herod did the unthinkable, he also created the un-consolable. Listen to how Matthew in his gospel records this…

                “A voice is heard in Ramah,

                                Weeping and great mourning,

                Rachel weeping for her children

                                And refusing to be comforted,

                Because they are no more” (Matthew 2:18).

The human condition of unconscionable acts perpetrated upon innocent people could not have been painted any more poignantly. “Because they are no more.” A vacancy left. A hole in the heart. A vacuum of presence.

                Two huge things make a difference for the Christian in this painful moment: God suffers with the children and parents, and evil will not prevail. Only God can provide the kind of comfort that such a bruised heart needs. Since He is the God of all comfort, He alone can walk with us in the mourning of our lamentations and accept the meaning of our groans. Let us collectively pray for the “Rachels” who are weeping for their children and refuse to be comforted because they are no more.

In Christian love, Curtis

What is the Gospel? (1)

        First of all, it is an English word  which comes from Middle English, from the Old English word godspel. This compound word is made up of god which means “good,” and spel which means “tale.” It is used to translate the Late Latin word evangelium which means “good news.” This comes from the Greek word εύαγγελιον which means “good news.”

        So, what is the gospel, the good-tale, the good news all about? How is it portrayed in the New Testament?

First, we must look into the Old Testament and Greco-Roman usage to get the power of this word and why it was chosen to express a central concept of New Testament theology.

        The verb “to speak the good news” is first used in 1 Samuel 31:9. After a battle in which the Philistines fought with Israel, Saul and his sons die in battle. After the battle is over the Philistine army strips the armor off of Saul and sends it back home, “sending round glad tidings (good news) to their idols and to the people. “ A public display is made of Saul’s dead body, and they exhibit his battle armor in the temple of Astarte.

        This interesting use of the word “good news” comes out of the context of a victor in battle. The Philistines rejoice and sound out the good news that their arch enemy and leader has been vanquished in combat. Theologically and metaphorically this idea stays inherent within the word itself. Satan and his army has been vanquished by the resurrection of Jesus. The good news of victory is inherent in the New Testament usage of this word.

        In 2 Samuel 1:20 we find the next usage of this word. After the battle mentioned above, David laments over Saul and over Jonathan his son. David gives an order to share his lament with the sons of Judah, and even to have it written down for posterity in the book of Jasher. Part of this lament cautions, “Do not tell it in Geth, and do not tell it as glad tidings (“good news”) in the streets of Ascalon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice…”

        Another inherent concept within the gospel, “good news,” is that the good news is bad news for someone. In this case, it was Judah and David. In the case of the Christian, it is Satan and his world. The good news of Jesus is bad news for Satan and his kingdom. Satan has already lost the war. He is losing enlistments daily. He is losing battles daily.

        Continuing the story, in 2 Samuel 4:10 someone reports to David that Saul was dead, and assumes that David is going to take it as good news. David is so upset that he kills the messenger! This gives us another insight into “good news.” Often it is not appreciated and the herald or messenger is persecuted, punished or killed. Reminds us of Jesus, doesn’t it!

        The gospel, the good news…celebration of victory, the enemy has been overcome, but the message not always appreciated!

        What is the good news of Jesus in your life?

In Christian love, Curtis

NO LEFTOVER CAKE AFTER THANKSGIVING!

The first reference in the Bible to thankfulness is with reference to a thanksgiving cake! Both the recipe and when to eat it is mentioned! In my wife’s recipes for Thanksgiving Dinner, and even the recipes I remember seeing in my mother’s kitchen, none of them contained and expiration date or when to eat what was baked!

                Israel’s first instructions regarding an offering or expression of thankfulness connected with their “fellowship offering.” Traditionally this was known as a “peace offering.” Perhaps it is not a coincidence that an offering of thankfulness came out of fellowship and peace!

                Though today we do not think of a  thanksgiving cake, I suppose our substitute would be the Thanksgiving turkey.   Just as recipe stipulations were made in the preparation of Israel’s offering of a thanksgiving cake, so too, we all have family special recipes that determine how we fix and prepare and cook the turkey. Also, it seems that a dinner is not complete without rolls! We have Thanksgiving rolls, and what an aroma out of the kitchen when they are ready to serve!

                Another odd stipulation was that all of the thanksgiving cake must be eaten of the day it was baked; a person “must leave none it until the morning”(Leviticus 7:15). This does away with the necessity of creative leftovers. I was thinking about this command, and I suppose it is rooted in the idea of thankfulness being experienced in the here and the now. After all, the more leftovers hang around the less thankful we become!

                No leftover cake. No leftover turkey. No leftover fixin’s.

                In Leviticus these regulations for the “fellowship offering of thanksgiving” are in a large section where more regulations are given for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, and the ordination offering. These guidelines were given Moses on Mt. Sinai by God, and taken into their practice of offerings when they sojourned in the Desert of Sinai.

                Bottom line:   Every offering is connected with the covenant care and love of God to remind His people of how much He cared for them.

                This year in our participation of the Thanksgiving Holiday, let us focus on God’s love and care. Let us offer thanksgiving to God out of fellowship and peace with others.  This helps us keep this holiday centered, grounded in relationships, and thankful for life itself. The material blessings are just a serendipity!

In Christian love, Curtis

Struggling in Prayer Together

            Every church I have ever been a part of has a prayer line or prayer request opportunity. So many misconceptions surround the practice of prayer. Additionally, many unknown dimensions of prayer remain unknown in actual practice. The one I want to focus on is what I call “Mutual Agonizing Prayer.”

            Sean was a young man who asked me to visit him. His world had caved in because of unsuccessful surgeries that left him virtually incapacitated and unable to eat normally. The pain, the misery and the depression were quite acute. On this particular day I entered his apartment and all he could do was listen and pet his dog. It was the first time in my life that I made the following statement: “Sean, I will help take on your painful struggle and pray in your presence right now, trying to say what you are feeling.” Taking on the pain of another introduces empathy into our own lives at a whole new level.

            The apostle Paul understood this mutually, deep experience of prayer. On one occasion he requests that his Christian brothers and sisters in Rome “agonize together with me in prayer” (Romans 15:30). He was asking to be delivered from mistreatment and other difficult obstacles in his life. He felt he could only face these trying circumstances by asking others on board his ship of life. No such thing as sailing solo for Paul during a storm!

            To the church at Colossae Paul reminds them of their friend, Epaphras, who also “agonized in prayer on their behalf”(Colossians 4:12). He specifically prayed for their spiritual maturity and an assurance that they were committing their lives properly to the will of God.

            Think with me, now, about this mutual, deep experience of prayer. Here is what we can struggle together about…

• ·         Health concerns that overwhelm
• ·         Proper way to respond to mistreatment
• ·         Spiritual maturity
• ·         Right decision-making
• ·         Support in the midst of emotional pain
• ·         Right direction in a person’s life

I know that we all can add to this list. When we go through the fires of pain, and life throws one obstacle after another in our path, we understand in the Christian world-view that we do not have to make that journey alone! “Struggling together in prayer” is a mutual blessing that is embraced by Christians who care for one another.

In Christian love, Curtis

BENT FIGURE OF A WOMAN: Meditation on Vincent Van Gogh’s Picture

            There seems to be an unspoken weariness expressed by her posture. It mimics and mirrors the weariness of our own souls. Perhaps the day’s chores have been completed, leaving an inner “depleted-ness.” Her head is resting on her left hand as if it has no energy of its own. Even the most simple of tasks, holding the head up, is unthinkable at this moment.

          The right hand is lifelessly drooped over her knee as if it too needs support and help. Having worked and fulfilled the day’s pressing demands, it now rests in exhaustion.

          For some reason the word “resignation” seems appropriate to depict her entire demeanor. What is she resigned to? Has a loved one left her? Has her heart been broken? Are the pressing responsibilities more than she can bear? Does the future seem hopeless with no hint of change?

          The eyes looking downward and over to the side are telling indeed. They seem to ask the question, “Why are you bothering me with your empty promises? Things are not going to get better. Why should I care anymore?” These burning questions are responses to the false hopes uttered by one who has stepped out of her view. Those false hopes ring so hollow, echoes of emptiness reverberating in the chambers of her lonely heart.

          Purpose and motivation have been crushed by the weight of obligations never letting up. Something about her bent figure seated in a chair echoes the contours of our own inner life. Too often our own unspoken weariness comes from a loss of vision within. The boss had piled on another deadline. The children have been sick one too many times. My spouse has misunderstood me and hurt my feelings again. Another unexpected bill has arrived in the mail. Facebook has de-friended me from another friend.

          How can we go on in the face of such “depleted-ness?” Somehow the energy to go on can no longer be mustered. Her own fatigue has forced her heart to create space for God. This woman may very well be engaged in “weary prayer.” Such a prayer would be the inner groanings escaping from a wearied soul. These type of prayers know the fullness of empty words. They are prayed out of truthfulness in the heart when the mind is too numb to function any more.

          If I were to draw a graphic with my own bent figure in the chair, what would it look like? What clothes would I be wearing? How would my head be resting? Where would I be casting my gaze? What would my hands be doing, if anything?

          Often at the end of a long, exhausting day a couch or lounge chair provides the perfect respite for the depleted soul. How do I recoup and regroup from the day’s demands? Limitations of my personhood create caverns in the psyche where self-doubt, fear and rejection take up residence and spread quietly like a deadly cancer.

Do I allow God to embrace my soul and refresh me? My own “weary prayers” are the lifeline to a caring God. God sees the weariness and personal exhaustion. God accepts the failures, provides clarity of vision and defines purpose for my life.

My own “bent-ness” is noticed by a loving and compassionate God.

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV).

“Stay a Little While, O Wanderer”

                This past week I had the opportunity to visit an exact replica of the ancient catacombs found outside Rome. It was to scale, along with the type of rock excavated and the art and graphics on the rock walls. The frescoes are copies of the originals.

                There were a couple of authentic items, one being the actual body of an 8 year old boy martyred in Rome. His body was wrapped in fine clothes and a stately outfit, but you could see his mummified hands and feet with the bones showing. It was humbling and eerie to be actually looking at the body of young man from a Christian family almost 2,000 years old. He is known as St. Innocent.

                There were nearly 900 miles of underground passageways dug out by early Christians in the pumice-like rock. The purpose was to have a place to bury their dead, and to have special services in honor of their dead. This was all necessary because Roman authorities would not permit Christians to be buried in regular cemeteries.

                As I walked through the dimly lit, narrow passages, I could see various fading artwork and graffiti. The words that captured my attention the most were, “Sta, viator.” This can be roughly translated as, “Stay a little while, O Wanderer.” Or, another possible translation that our guide suggested was, “Pause, and consider your own fate.”

                Something deeply stirred within me as I witnessed what it must have been like for Christians in the early centuries to remember their dead. It was important for me to pause and stay a little while, giving  homage in my own heart to those who have gone before. History has not recorded for us all of those brave Christians who died and were buried in the Roman catacombs. They are a long forgotten witness of the faithful who have gone on before.

                The first three centuries of the church were difficult years. Depending on where one lived in the Roman Empire, different levels of persecution were experienced. Some stories of amazing faith in the face of cruel martyrdom have emerged from this time period.

                Yes, I want to stay a little while precisely because I am a wanderer! I am in exile, a foreigner, and a stranger that has a heritage of faith blazing the trail for my own witness in the world. May I always be true to Jesus who died for me.  May I always take time to remember the faithful who have gone before.

^“They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground (Hebrews 11:37-38).

In Christian love, Curtis

WHAT AM I HARBORING IN MY HEART?

“If you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth”(James 3:14).

            This is a question that begs for individual reflection. Part of the Christian life is self-awareness and an honest appraisal of what is in my heart. Both the Old Testament and New Testament have this in common: certain conditions of the heart are portrayed as detrimental or destructive to one’s covenant relationship to God. When the heart is not tended, one’s connection to God can be severed.

            As James defines for us what a wise and understanding life consists of, he also points out what must be avoided. Harboring bitter envy and self ambition cannot have any positive or constructive elements to add to any relationship.

            Bitter envy and selfish ambition show their ugly heads in surprising ways. They surface often where the most damage can be done. And that damage usually is slow, leaving behind “sawdust of the soul,” evidence that destructive termites of the heart have been voraciously at work.

            Bitter envy sees in others what the self wants and desires. It seethes and foams because self has not obtained what the other has. It may be recognition, praise, position, role, accomplishment, gifts, etc. The list is endless over what bitter envy feeds on. And ironically, it is the heart filled with bitter envy that ends up feeding on itself!

            Selfish ambition is the steam that drives the engine of desire.  It steam rolls others and situations so that self can be satisfied and inflated. It does not look out for others, nor does it care and sacrifice for others. Selfish ambition only uses others for its own stepping stones for the path of success. When it finally reaches its goal, if it has not self-destructed first, selfish ambition will be at the finish line standing all alone.

            James warns us not to boast about or deny the fact that both bitter envy and selfish ambition are being harbored in our hearts and driving us onward. If bitter envy and self ambition are our motivations in the body of Christ, we will become the source of a spiritual pathology which will threaten to destroy those relationships.

            What is the truth of my heart?

In Christian love, Curtis

DO NOT FRET!

I cannot imagine a more poignant and applicable command in Scripture for most of us! Three times in Psalm 37 the Psalmist says, “Do not fret.”



What does it mean to fret? The dictionary says, “to cause to suffer emotional strain: vex. To grate, wear away, corrode. To affect something by gnawing or biting. To chafe.”


Basically when we fret about something we are allowing that thing (whatever it is) to gnaw away at our insides. It chafes our soul raw. It grates against our nerves and makes us unhappy and agitated.


The specific situation that David is addressing is fretting because others succeed in their ways. Such success comes because of evil and manipulative scheming, and such “evil men” are not concerned about faithfulness before God and caring compassion toward others.


Do not be envious of those who do wrong—nothing could be more pertinent for us to hear today! God does not want us to look at what others have gotten and envy their treasure trove of possessions and positions that have become their idols.


It is easy to fret, though. Here is what we hear ourselves telling ourselves:


• Man, did he get a break! I wish I could have the same luck;


• It is not fair. He got away with murder, and got rich doing it!


• I wish I had her market savvy. She got rich quick. And no one knows how!


• Some things got passed under the table without notice. How did they get so lucky?


• That’s business. Too bad someone got hurt. I envy that unfeeling approach. I am not there yet.


• How in the world did she get so far ahead? I’ve worked twice as hard. I deserve that position.


• Keep God out of this. It is cut throat, and you just have to suck it up and be tough.


Each of us can keep on adding to this litany of “envious self-flagellation” that does not honor God. What is the answer to this? The Psalmist has a two-fold response: realize that “evil men” are going to soon wither away and die; and, trust in the Lord and do good.


Sounds almost too easy. But there is a high price to be paid for fretting. When one’s emotions are rubbed raw, when something gnaws at our insides, when our souls are chafed, and when something grates against our nerves, it is hard to love God and neighbor.


Read this Psalm for yourself. Fretting leads to evil! Such strong language and prohibition against it may catch us off guard. But think of all the ways in which David learned the hard way that fretting does not serve any good purpose! Do we need to remind ourselves today, “Do not fret?!”


In Christian love, Curtis

OUR VIEW OF GOD

In preparation for my fall sermons out of Colossians (Christ in Us, The Hope of Glory), I have been carefully reading through this letter of Paul. Paul’s view of God just from this letter is powerful and insightful for our Christian living today.



• The Will of God


• Father of our Lord Jesus Christ


• Receives prayers and asking


• He loves the Son


• He cares enough to rescue us from the dominion of darkness


• God is invisible


• God is relational and wants us to be reconciled to him


• God commissioned Paul to present the word of God in its fullness


• God has chosen to make known


• God has power to raise Jesus from the dead, and us from spiritual death.


• God forgives


• God makes us alive in Christ


• God causes the body of believers to grow


• God has a right hand of power where Jesus sits


• Our Christian life is hidden with Christ in God


• The wrath and anger of God is coming upon those who allow their “members that are upon the earth” not to be put to death; in other words, people who have allowed themselves to be guided by their unbridled passions, fulfilling any and every desire without any compunction of conscience.


• God is the recipient of all expressions of human gratitude


• God provides open doors for the gospel message


• God has a will that unfolds and comprises his kingdom on earth


The above major ideas come from the Colossian letter revealing some of the major concepts relative to God’s nature and will and ways on the earth. It is amazing to me that in such a short letter Paul can address and incorporate all these powerful ideas about God. It seems that for Paul, his practical theology for his readers was always built around the framework of a correct and adequate view of the nature of God.


Perhaps our greatest challenge today as Christians is starting with a view of God that comes from the basis of biblical revelation. If our knowledge, relationship and destiny related to God’s nature are pursued in the right direction, think of how many other things fall naturally into place!


In Christian love, Curtis

PRAYING TO GOD OR PRAISING GOD?

In Augustine’s confessional search for God, he asks God to grant him a special insight.



“Grant me, Lord, to know and understand whether a man is first to pray to you for help or praise you, and whether he must know you before he can call you to his aid.” (Confessions, I.1.2)


Perhaps in our own Christian life and daily walk with God we, too, have struggled with this same question. And, perhaps it comes out this way for us: When I get up in the morning, what is the first thing I should do—pray for God’s help for the day, or begin in praise?


Augustine answers in own question this way: “Those who look for the Lord will cry out in praise to him.”Perhaps, then, it is not an either or choice, rather, seeking God’s help and praising God can be intertwined together.


The notion of knowing God and seeking Him is a concern for writers of the New Testament for their first Christian readers. For example, listen to the writer of the book of Hebrews: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).


I think it is clear that faith in God and knowing God comes before praying and praising God. This makes sense because it means that earnest seeking after God and a personal knowing of God precedes some kind of faithful response to God because of the relationship.


Seeking earnestly after God and believing that He exists seems to be a hurdle for many. But our faithful life lived in covenant relationship with God is nurtured by prayer and praise only after we have earnestly sought after God and completed invested our destiny in believing that God exists.

Seeking earnestly after God sets the context for everything we do. "Seeking earnestly after" (ekzeteo in the Greek text) is important for the writer of Hebrews. It carries the idea of an agonized, intensive, ongoing search. It is used in 12:17, interestingly, to refer to Esau who sold his birthright, and then with an "earnest seeking after" he tried to seek the blessing again with tears but to no avail.

This lets me know that our intensive, ongoing search for God is a daily adventure. We put energy, initiative, devoted effort in our daily walk with God. The extent to which we invest in the search is the extent to which He makes himself known to us. There is no such thing as receving God by osmosis.


Think how each day is transformed from something mundane into an exciting spiritual journey when we are earnestly seeking God because we vigorously and exuberantly believe in Him! May our daily walk then be lived in the context of prayer and praise as we respond to God’s care and compassion.


In Christian love, Curtis

Concentric Core of the Church(3)

“God gave a person, then a proclamation, and then a people. This is the historical and theological order” (page xvii).



Ferguson, Everett. 1996. The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today. Grand Rapids, MI:Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.


The quote above from Ferguson’s book provides what I call “The Concentric Core of the Church.” His comment about the historical and theological order of what God gave is vital. Additionally, his reference to God being the Giver of them is significant as well. Last week’s article focused on God’s ultimate gift to humanity in the person of Jesus as the incarnation of His love. This week we continue the concentric core of the church with the following affirmation:


• God’s ultimate gift of proclamation to humanity is Jesus as the incarnation of His love.


The proclamation of the gospel actually begins in Acts chapter 2 and continues to the end of the book of Revelation. The four Gospel writers provide the content of Jesus’ ministry and teaching which later form the content of the proclamation. The good news is that Jesus has arisen from the dead, and is now seated on the right hand of God. This proclamation goes in two directions at once:


The good news of Jesus is proclaimed to those who otherwise would perish.


The good news of Jesus is proclaimed to those who need ongoing transformation into the likeness of his image.


This all reminds me of the apostle Paul’s declaration about the place of proclamation in the spreading of the gospel: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:14). The proclamation of Jesus leads to belief and calling on the name of Jesus. Such expression by Paul can be taken to mean a totality of life where heart, mind and soul are given over to the Risen One. No wonder the good news needs proclaiming! This is a message that is hard to take, and it certainly bears repeating over and over to all who need and want to hear it. It is a joyous thing to think of the proclamation of the gospel as a gift from God!


In Christian love, Curtis

Concentric Core of the Church

“God gave a person, then a proclamation, and then a people. This is the historical and theological order” (page xvii).



Ferguson, Everett. 1996. The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.


The quote above from Ferguson’s book provides what I call “The Concentric Core of the Church.” His comment about the historical and theological order of what God gave is vital. Additionally, his reference to God being the Giver of them is significant as well.


• God’s ultimate gift to humanity is the person of Jesus as the incarnation of his love.


According to the Gospel of John, this gift of Jesus is offered because God so loved the world. The


little adverb “so” demonstrates the depth and breadth of that love. All four Gospel writers attempt to look at the gift from various angles, thus providing a rich and textured masterpiece of Jesus.






• God’s ultimate gift of proclamation to humanity is Jesus as the incarnation of his love.


The proclamation of the gospel actually begins in Acts chapter 2 and continues to the end of the book of Revelation. The four Gospel writers provide the content of Jesus’ ministry and teaching which later form the content of the proclamation. The good news is that Jesus has arisen from the dead, and is now seated on the right hand of God.


• God’s ultimate give of His people is the gift of community as Jesus incarnate to the world as a demonstration of His love.


Do you think it would make a difference if we saw the church as a gift of God for the world? Would it make a difference if the world saw the church as gift to itself? Are we living out our daily Christian life with a strong sense of this “giftedness?” I need to share this gift with others. My good news is shared with any and all who are deprived from enjoying this gift.


When the church emerges from the core of the person of Jesus, with a proclamation of the love of God in the risen Jesus, and demonstrates the power of that risen Lord in the presence of its people—no greater witness in the world can be found! May we realize such giftedness!


In Christian love, Curtis

GOD’S POSTURE OF HUMILIATION

Bruce L. Shelley begins his book Church History in Plain Language (Updated 2nd Edition) with this observation:



“Christianity is the only major religion to have as its central event the humiliation of its God.” (1995, page 3)


What an insightful statement to begin a work on church history! It was the “event of humiliation” that actually changed the course of history, and became the foundation of the Christian religion. This central event shaped and formed the Christian movement as it made its way from the cradle of Palestine and became a Diaspora into the known Greco-Roman world.


You may remember the story that Luke records in the book Acts. The treasurer from Ethiopia, employed by the queen, was reading from an Isaiah scroll. This is the passage of Scripture the he was reading:


“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,


and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,


so he did not open his mouth.


33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.


Who can speak of his descendants?


For his life was taken from the earth.” (Isaiah 53:7,8)


Philipp joined this treasurer in his chariot, and from this very passage told him the good news about Jesus. As the church began to spread into different parts of the Hellenistic world, the message of Jesus was central to that movement. But what caused problems was that having a Messiah who was “humiliated” was humiliating to the Jews, and the Greeks wanted nothing to do with a weak and powerless God.


This may be why today the Christian message is still hard to take. That is why the fundamental Christian message is deceptively replaced with messages about health, wealth, fun, self-fulfillment, etc. with a veneer of Christian decorum. It is easier to sell that way!


But Jesus is fundamentally presented time and again in the New Testament as a humble servant. Again, in the Carmen Christi “Christ Hymn” of Philippians 2:5-11, we find that Jesus’ humiliation was the cross event. This cursed way of dying forever destroyed the Messianic expectation of military might and prowess. The resurrection vindicated his humiliation. As Jesus emptied himself, God took the posture of humiliation.


It is only out of the stance of brokenness and humiliation that we, too, can participate in the radical work of God. So much of Jesus’ life exemplified that posture of humiliation. Our life must be no less!

 In Christian love, Curtis

Increase our Faith!

Who among us does not believe that our depth and breadth of faith does not need increased?! But the strange thing is, I wonder if we have actually turned this request by the apostles (Luke 17:5) into our own prayer?



“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’”


What shocks me even more is the context in Luke 17 in which the request occurs. Jesus had just said to his disciples that if one’s brother had sinned against them 7 times in a day, and seven times had returned to say, “I repent,” then they are to forgive him.


No wonder the apostles then responded, “Increase our faith.”


This immediate request revolves around several issues. I think the apostles realized how hard it would be to forgive someone who had sinned against them seven times in one day. They also realized how much faith it would take to do that, and that they obviously did not possess that kind of faith.


What does it mean to ask Jesus to add or increase our faith? I think it means at least the following:


1. Asking Jesus to give us the strength of faith and the resolve of Christian character to forgive others beyond the human tendency to want to stop.


2. Realizing with Jesus’ metaphor of the mustard seed that the latent power within faith is as astounding as saying to a mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and go dive into the sea,” and watching it happen!


3. Praying this simple prayer “Increase our faith” and simply believing that God, Jesus and the Spirit are actually capable of doing that!


4. Finally realizing that it takes “increased faith” in order to forgive others when they have wronged us because we know that our relationship with the brother or sister is more important than the sin!


When I read this episode in Jesus’ ministry, my head spins with incredulity! How far I am from this kind of faith! How much I need Jesus’ help to even think about getting there! And, how significant my willingness to forgive is related to God’s central concern about his children!


Lord, increase our faith!


In Christian love, Curtis

THE ONLY WAY WE CAN BE AT REST (3)

You may remember last week that we reflected again on the famous opening quote of Augustine’s timeless classic, Confessions. In Book I, chapter 1, paragraph 1 there is the following famous insight about human beings:“The thought of You (O God) stirs man so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because you made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you” (Saint Augustine’s Confessions, translated by R.S. Pine-Coffin. 1961; 1983 reprint; New York, NY: Penguin Book Classics; page 21).



The phrase we want to focus on this week is: “because you made us for yourself.” In one short phrase Augustine has encapsulated rather succinctly the purpose for human beings. God made us for Himself. This implies at the following: covenant, calling, partakers of the divine nature, and love.


We are in covenant relationship with God through Christ. God made us for his own glory, and we participate in that glory when we surrender to Jesus Christ. This is why conversion is so powerful. It is relinquishing self to God.


We are called and chosen by God. This gives us our identity. God initiated this calling, and when we respond we are only returning to Him who made us.


We are partakers of the divine nature. Because God made us for himself, we are not surprised that New Testament writers remind us that we participate and partake of the divine nature. Our very soul yearns for the God who made us.


We are loved and beloved. The first reminds us that we are the object of God’s love, and the second reminds us that we stand every moment in the state of being beloved. That is who we are.


“Because you made us for yourself”: This has been the great failing of historic Christianity—religious movements and activities tend be self-centered and not God-centered. If we take Augustine’s statement seriously, then everything changes for the glory of God! In Christian love, Curtis

THE ONLY WAY WE CAN BE AT REST (2)

You may remember last week that we reflected on the famous opening quote of Augustine’s timeless classic, Confessions. In Book I, chapter 1, paragraph 1 there is the following famous insight about human beings:“The thought of You (O God) stirs man so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because you made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you” (Saint Augustine’s Confessions, translated by R.S. Pine-Coffin. 1961; 1983 reprint; New York, NY: Penguin Book Classics; page 21).



In addition to the thought of God stirring us deeply, the second thing that Augustine raises in this insight about human beings is what makes us content. What does it mean to be “content,” and how does this idea fit into the Christian life? “Content” means a deep, inner feeling of satisfaction. It carries the idea of one’s being free from turmoil, anxiety and angst because of fulfillment.


Augustine hits the nail on the head when he maintains that contentment is based on and expressed by human beings praising God. This is because the words we use to praise God have a two-fold effect: honoring God and shaping the one who utters those words of praise. In short, words of praise shape a contented heart!


We cannot be content unless we praise God. The implications of this reality are enormous. Perhaps this is why we find so many people today discontented: praise is not a part of their life, either personally or communally. This praise can take the form of hymns/songs, prayers, doxology, and quiet contemplation in the presence of God. Do we intentionally make praise a part of life, and are we thereby contented people?

Also, contentment has a very practical application in day to day living. When John the Baptist began his preaching in the wilderness, some soldiers wanted to know how John's message could be lived out in their circumstances. Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” (Luke 3:14) This response by John is as un-American as it gets! Who in their right mind is going to be content with their pay?!

Could it be that John is offering a way of life, lived from the inside out, that escapes most of us? If we are constantly discontented with everything, one wonders how praise could ever come forth from such a heart! This challenges me to go forward with vigor and vitality in my Christian life, with its laudable goals, but at the same time do so from a contented heart that daily expresses itself in praise!



In Christian love, Curtis

THE ONLY WAY WE CAN BE AT REST (1)

Augustine’s Confessions is a journey into a Christian leader’s journal of struggle, openness and brokenness. This timeless classic is the first example of a Christian leader (after the Apostle Paul) of opening up his heart to his readers. It is a profound example of humility and a genuine search for God. In Book I, chapter 1, paragraph 1 there is the following famous insight about human beings:“The thought of You (O God) stirs man so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because you made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you” (Saint Augustine’s Confessions, translated by R.S. Pine-Coffin. 1961; 1983 reprint; New York, NY: Penguin Book Classics; page 21).



I am struck by Augustine’s initial phrase…”The thought of You (O God)…” It makes me want to ask, “What kind of thoughts about God stir us deeply?” Over the years, without really being aware of it, my own experience, study and relationship with God has been slowly but surely answering that question intuitively. Right now, here are some of the thoughts about God that stir me so deeply. What about you?


1. The awesome creative power of God.


2. The unfailing love of God.


3. God’s covenant commitment to me no matter what.


4. The absolute trust I can place in His care for me.


5. His comfort as a loving Heavenly Father.


6. His image planted within me (Imago Dei).


7. His utter forgetfulness when he forgives my sins!


8. His being as the very source of truth and reality


9. Everything beautiful (tob, Hebrew) and good as part of his original design on the earth


10. His desire to be sought after and found


11. His absolute opposition to anything evil


12. His sovereign rule and power over the universe


13. The relinquishing of his son for sinful humanity


14. The incarnation


15. Three beings in one (Godhead/Trinity)


16. Mystery of God’s plan unveiled in Jesus


17. His eternal presence in heaven


No doubt you can add to this list. But each one of these areas raises the hair on the back of my neck as I contemplate the very existence of God. I pray that I will never get to the point in my life where these cease to stir my heart deeply!

In Christian love, Curtis

HOMECOMING

One of my favorite Christian authors is Henri J. M. Nouwen. One of the most gripping books he ever wrote was called, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming. He chanced to come across a reproduction of Rembrandt’s Prodigal Son painting. Sometime later he had the opportunity to actually go to St. Petersburg, and see the painting in person there in a museum. Through a friend of his, he was able to sit and meditate on the painting for over four hours. His book contains his thoughts on this experience.



What is unique about this book is that Nouwen weaves together parts of the biblical narrative, parts of Rembrandt’s own story, and his own reflections inspired by the painting itself. This tri-fold weaving of resources makes for a memorable and remarkable writing that forces one to think of deep issues of the heart.


When his friend introduced Henri to the Hermitage museum, he was afraid that, with all of the time and trouble it took to arrange a personal encounter with the painting, he would disappointed with the actual picture itself. He maintains the exact opposite. He says, “Its grandeur and splendor made everything recede into the background and held me completely captivated. Coming here was indeed a coming home”(p.8).


“Homecoming” is the dominant metaphor for Nouwen as he views the painting and reflects on the biblical story and how it touches the deep recesses of his own needy heart. This metaphor never grows old or out-dated. In the beauty of coming home, Nouwen maintains that reconciliation, forgiveness and love are felt and extended. This is what makes home so beautiful.


Viewing the painting itself, one sees the son kneeling in front of the father who gathers the son’s head into his bosom, placing both hands on the back of his shoulders. Brokenness embraced is a beautiful thing. Throughout this entire book Nouwen is slowly but surely building a strong case for brokenness being the ground of our Christian being. Only through our own poverty can we expect to feel the rich embrace of the Father’s love.

In our own life's calling, God is the Father who seeks to embrace us in our own brokenness. Such is the case in the midst of our own loneliness, angst of soul, anguish of heart and deep despair. Even in the pursuit of our own goals and agendas we find out how empty we truly are. Being a "wounded healer" ourselves, we continue down the path of chosen preparation to use our gifts to love and serve others. We can do no less!


In Christian love, Curtis