by RobertCummins | Sep 3, 2014 | 36. Ordinary
Acts 4:1-13
I often think about life in terms of stories. My daughter asked me, “Dad, why do you some stories turn out one way and some turn out another?” Today’s reflections are a continuation of my attempt to answer her question.
Two stories that intrigue me are the stories of the early church and the story of the contemporary church. They capture my attention because Jesus is the head of both yet these tow stories are radically different. We are told the early church turned the world upside down. To many it seems the world is turning christianity upside down.
That last sentence may seem harsh; you might be thinking,”Now hold on, our church is a good church; it has had the same pastor for “x” number of years; we support missions with a generous part of our budget; membership is growing; we have programs that are meeting people’s needs.”
When I use the word church, I’m not just speaking about the various groups that assemble weekly and the things they do. The Church I am referring to, strictly speaking, cannot be attended, because, from God’s perspective, it is not a place, an event or an organization. It is a body of people joined together in Christ.
We can attend “a” church but we cannot attend “the” Church. The Church I am refer to are those people, who from the first chapters in the story of Acts until now, have been forgiven of their sins, who have been filled with the Holy Spirit and now live in communion with God.
What provoked this lengthy introduction is the context of today’s passage which is captured well by Acts 4:16. The Council, comprised of the elders, priests, and scribes had assembled and were asking themselves this question,
What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
After hearing the account from Peter and John, and seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, the religious elite had nothing to say. This was usually not a problem for them.
Acts 4:33 says it was with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. To answer my daughter’s question and account for the very different experiences of the Church then and now, at least one major difference stands our. That is power.
The New Testament is a collection of noteworthy miracles. There is no question these supernatural events attracted people to the gospel and brought glory to God. (Acts 4:4, 21b). We may speak of abundant grace, but do we have power and is that power upon us all? Are we free enough to ask what has happened to power?
I think the freedom to ask questions when things do not measure up to biblical standards is a wise place to be unless of course you are a dispensationalist who presumes God’s will is currently being done on earth as it is in heaven. Since I do not think this would represent the earth’s condition well at all, I contend that honest questions are an important variable in how stories turn out. I think questions that are prayerfully asked of God will contribute to and shape how stories turn out.
While the elite stood by with nothing to say, they “observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began recognizing them as having been with Jesus. As cliche as it sounds, I believe stories will turn out differently because time has been spent in close proximity to Jesus Christ. Therefore, I will echo Paul’s prayer;
“And now Lord, take note of their threats and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant, Jesus“. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Sep 1, 2014 | 36. Ordinary
Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
It would be my ambition this morning to proclaim the excellencies of my God, with my words serving as the lyrics to a new and fresh song of praise.
Worship the Lord in holy attire; tremble before Him, all the earth.
This past week my holy attire consisted of layers of clothing designed to keep me warm and dry while motoring about a remote Canadian lake hunting the prized fish (and table fare) of those waters, the Walleye. This, for me, was worship of a high order.
Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; bring an offering and come into His courts.
I claim that all my activities, both work and play, are worship since there is no place that He is not. Everywhere my feet trod are His courts. Life lived unto Him is worship. But at the same time worship reaches a special place for me when His splendor and majesty are on display in the unspoiled wilds of remote forests and streams and His strength and beauty are being revealed in the mountains and the lakes.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord…..
As I would attempt to grasp the pristine nature of all that was touching my five senses another faculty in me was stirred; it was that part of me (I believe) that knows from whence it came. I believe man was created in the image of God and that in the wilderness (in a unique way) deep calls unto deep awakening this part of me that I call spirit. In wonder and awe it joins the song that was being sung in the unsullied majesty of the Canadian outback.
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
The earth might not be moved but in Ontario it has been shoved around considerably. The massive lake that we were bobbing around on was only one of thousands like it that were created by glaciers from an ancient and icy era. On our ride in and out on the Otter float plane we beheld this spectacle as far as the eye could see in every direction. It all spoke to me of my God who is the Ancient of Days. It all appeared as holy ground.
There is an odd feature to Psalm 96 (at least it seemed so in the early part of my meditation). It’s composer has woven the theme of judgement into his song.
…. for He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness…. He will judge the peoples with equity.
But I think I understand why judgement is also on this singer’s mind; its our heart’s disorientation to God also know as idolatry.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols
Yes, this ancient expanse of wilderness seemed to sing its song with some advantage over me. Being innocent of the idolatry I and my race have trafficked in, having not in itself conspired in rebellion against God it sang beautifully. And even though nature is not culpable in man’s rebellion it is paying a price.
For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for ouradoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. Romans 8:19-25
The lake itself with its depths hidden from our view, teaming with aquatic life, hinted of the existing and ever-expanding kingdom of God that is abundantly rich in Life. I can’t always see it as clear as I would like to but the spirit in me celebrates and eagerly awaits it nevertheless. The wilderness, freer from corruption than I, reminds me of what I was originally in un-fallen Adam and what I am (and will one day ultimately be) in Christ.
For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
Oh Lord, to have an unsullied heart. Oh to be finally unimpaired by selfish motives! Thank you that the steady and powerful glacial action of Your Spirit has made (and is making) us into reservoirs of living waters. Establish in us perseverance that we might experience and eagerly await this glorious and inevitable outcome. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Sep 7, 2013 | 36. Ordinary
Luke 5:1-25
After reading this passage you might define “ordinary” as what life looked like before Jesus shows up. Or perhaps you may conclude that Jesus, as the first born of a new race and as our example was introducing to us what His new definition of “ordinary” is and what the initial response will be when we see it;
“…they were all seized with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
In the previous chapter, we see the likely origin of all the excitement. Jesus stood up in the congregation and said,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
You have to admit, the action in this passage is more than most of us are accustomed to. Our contrasting experiences, at least for me, begs for explanation. When I read the scriptures I look for possible explanations. As I surveyed the passage, I looked for things that stood out as unique and worthy of consideration.
1) None of these awe-inspiring events took place in a synagogue.
2) At Jesus’ bidding a business owner complied and experienced a radical and unexpected return on his investment; so much so it caused him to acknowledge his own sinfulness (which Jesus seemed to ignore)
3) There were changed vocations (kind of). His followers will still be fisherman, but going forward, “men” will be their catch instead of fish.
4) We find Jesus favorably disposed to heal. He was willing. It was the favorable year (season) for this.
5) The abundant outflow of Life expressed in; a) His teaching and; b) “the miraculous” were the only Church growth strategy in play.
6) a structure (roof) was dismantled to get to Jesus.
7) He heals as easy as He forgives.
If, one day, you were to give a group of born again believers the task of going out and just start “being” the Church and none of them had the knowledge or benefit of how we do church, they would be left only with accounts such as the miracle-laden passage we are reading today as a reference point for what is “ordinary” and how to calibrate their expectations. So, I speculate; one possible explanation for the contrast between then and now is that we have not yet become, (in our current traditions, customs and paradigms), the Church that Jesus died for; rather we are more like the frog in the kettle who is being slowly and incrementally desensitized to his circumstances (having lost track of temperature a ways back somewhere). There is a built-in danger to the status quo in assuming the water temperature (our existing paradigms) are actually safe. This is one possible explanation of why so many of us live in this season so contentedly un-astonished with the unremarkable.
In this account, there were two groups converging upon Jesus; 1) the poor, downtrodden captives and; 2) the scribes and teachers who were reasoning incorrectly in their hearts. (Major problem! These were the ones who controlled the water temperature!) But; there was a Kingdom representative present. He was the first-born a of a new race of Kingdom persons whose duty it was to redefine and exemplify “normal”. It says that “the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. Note: In the previous verse we learn that “He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness to pray”. So, I speculate that another possible explanation for the power differential between the “first-born” and us “later born” ones is the shortage of those who “slip away” – those who continually respond to Jesus invitation “to come to Him”, who in their “coming and staying” in His presence, learn to enjoy the intimate terms between themselves and the Father that are established “in Christ” , enabling them in maintaining the focus on this “favorable season of the Lord”.
For our mental equilibrium it would be far easier to adopt the idea that this is now and that was then and all is as it should be. This is one of the paradoxes that face thinking Christians; carrying the burden of reconciling that God is sovereign; that things are on track (which I believe) and yet things are not yet as they can be (which I also believe). There is an apparent contradiction between these two propositions. If left to just pure reasoning, we would be driven toward one or the other of these options and forced to discard one of the positions (which we had previously found valid). Living with paradoxes can be troublesome. Then I see Jesus making an interesting statement;
“But Jesus, aware of their reasoning (perhaps similar to mine above), answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?”
Perhaps it would not be far off to paraphrase Jesus question as, “Why are you limiting Me to Your human reasoning, allowing apparent contradictions to push you into one position or the other?”. Has it ever dawned on us how obscenely arrogant it is for us to assume that God would be confined by our definitions of “normal” or “ordinary” which we have derived through mere human reasoning?
A third possible reason I think we are deficient in “the remarkable” is that most of us have done much “reasoning in our hearts” in the context of the invalid reference points of “our own experience” which is unfortunately the benchmark most of use for “ordinary” or “normal”. Using our own contemporary experience as “normal” would be like recalibrating our thermometers – replacing 198.6 for 98.6 degrees. The outcome of the false reference point would be tragic.
This line of thinking has challenged my understanding of certain prayers I have prayed, such as; “Search me Oh God and know my heart and see if there be any hurtful way (an inferior benchmark) in me and lead me in the everlasting way (His new benchmarks). It has challenged my understanding of certain verses I have held dear; “And do not be conformed to this world (heeding false bench marks) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (heeding His new benchmarks), that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good acceptable and perfect. It has truly jolted my understanding of how Jesus taught us to pray….that, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven“.
The roof of my understanding is being removed and it is not all that comfortable. In my adjusting I have experienced some intellectual and emotional loss of equilibrium. I have experienced some tensions between my brothers and sisters in Christ as our benchmarks are shifting. The changes however have more than justified the modest expense. It has given more room in my expectations for God to be and to do exceedingly and abundantly and beyond my expectations – a very biblical proposition.
Lord, lead us into Your life. Awaken our hunger and thirst. Give us endurance to live in the midst of Truth. Teach us to be completely content with You, our sufficiency and delight forevermore. Truly You are our all in all. Amen,
by RobertCummins | Sep 6, 2013 | 36. Ordinary
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
In the early part of 2 Corinthians, the “we” and the “our” he uses refers to himself and his apostolic team. By chapter 5, those same words refer to “all” believers. The shift takes place within our passage in verse 16. But, since the theme of “glory in earthen vessels” carries through from verse 7 through 18, I do not think Paul would object if we acknowledge the process and rich content described in verses 7-11 as applicable to ourselves. However, after you read it, you may prefer to pass.
“For God who said, “light shall shine out of darkness”, is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2 Cor 4:6
The next verse reveals a core truth about God’s sovereign plan of revealing the light of His glory in the context of a dark world. I believe it is also a truth that distinguishes Christianity as unique among the world’s religions.
“But we have this treasure in earthen (ordinary) vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves.” What “treasure” is Paul referring to? I believe 1 Corinthians 3:16 answers this question. “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” God’s plan of revealing Himself to the world after His ascension involved you and I. The Light of the World (His Spirit) resides in us. So, what is it that releases this light? What is it that is going to “produce for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison“? Here is the rough news, it may require some “momentary light affliction“. You may be asking, “How light?”. Paul’s response,
“We are afflicted, perplexed, persecuted and struck down and our outer man is decaying.” It would be natural to ask, “How could these circumstances (which are clearly negative) possibly produce any light? Where is the victory in this negative testimony?” If Paul has any credibility with you, listen to his answer; “(Even though), we are afflicted in every way, we are not crushed. Even though we are perplexed, we aren’t despairing about it. Even though we are persecuted, we are not forsaken. Even though we are struck down we are not destroyed. And, even though our bodies are deteriorating, our spirits are being renewed every day“.
Paul goes on to explain some of the mystery of suffering that may have even been part of what perplexed him; We “are always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life (light) of Jesus also may be manifested in our body, for we are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life (light) of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal bodies“. It is as though Paul knows this is going to be tough to understand, so he goes on to explain; “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal“.
As best as I can understand Paul, it is our responses to life’s challenging circumstances that are (at least in part) going to produce the light that shines out of darkness and gives God glory. While it may not be in keeping with modern western culture’s personal success oriented gospel, scripture makes a case that God is glorified as much (if not more) through endurance as He is through deliverance.
Knowing now what will likely be involved in glorifying the Lord and becoming the light of the world, do you prefer to pass or are you (like myself) still attracted to that eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison?
Father, each of us has circumstances that are less than ideal. Some of them are heartbreaking and filled with pain. As to the “why” behind our circumstances, we are perplexed and even knocked down. Help us to see, like Paul, with an eternal perspective, so that we may reckon our afflictions (whatever they are) as light and momentary in view of the reward. Help us to focus on those eternal things that cannot be seen. Regardless of how ordinary we may appear, help us to shine in the midst of our particular darkness. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Sep 5, 2013 | 36. Ordinary
Earth’s crammed with heaven, from….
And every common bush afire with God; Elizabeth Barrett Browning,
And only he who sees takes off his shoes; Aurora Leigh (1856), Book VII.
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.
Exodus 3:1-14
This is the story of the burning bush that was not consumed. It served to distract Moses from the task at hand so that God could reveal to Him that He was standing on holy ground. The larger context of this encounter is that Egypt, from which Moses has fled as a fugitive, had enslaved God’s chosen ones and they were groaning beneath their yoke of slavery. Their cry had arisen to God and He had taken account. Moses will be God’s instrument to liberate and lead God’s chosen ones to a land of promise.
Is the ground that you and I are standing on holy? Perhaps you are saying, “Of course not. I haven’t seen any burning bushes; I haven’t been drawn away from my responsibilities and heard any commissioning words from the great I AM”. So, was it the heat or the light radiating from the fire that made that ancient ground holy or was it simply the presence of God? I believe it was God’s presence that made Moses aware that the ordinary ground he was standing on was holy. If we have eyes to see and ears to hear, I believe we will discover it is God’s presence that makes the ground we stand on (or the circumstances of our lives) holy.
Where is God the Father right now? Where is Jesus Christ? Where is the Holy Spirit right now in relationship to us? If space permitted it, a strong case could be made that the circumstances of our lives are even now holy – bursting with potential because God is present. You might be saying, “I would still prefer a burning bush experience, an external stimulus to inspire and direct me; then I would be elevated above the common and the ordinary. Then I would have purpose”.
Since the birth of the Church, we Gentiles are being invited into the kingdom of God through a new and different covenant than the one ancient Israel had. We are living by faith in God’s administration of grace. In this season, authentic born again saints have the Holy Spirit in them as an internal stimulus enabling them to embrace a kingdom that is not yet fully visible.
Isn’t the context really the same between this old testament story and the one we are living in right now? Isn’t God still listening to the cries His chosen ones (His Church) along with the whole of creation for the liberation of the Sons of God? I have a dream of seeing the Church embrace by faith the Holy ground she walks on, where we discover that in-Christ our circumstances (however messy) are always optimum for us to grow progressively free and alive and become agents of deliverance (as was Moses) to those around us who we are called to love and invest in.
Father, I think if we were to see aright and we were to grasp that it is in-You, that we live and move and have our being, we would conclude that the word “ordinary” must be redefined -insuring that Your presence is included in it. Kindle our imagination and vision; awaken our faith; grant us intentionality and endurance so that we might discover our new identities as saints; as brothers and sisters of Jesus; as students of the Holy Spirit; as kings and priests; as sons and friends of God. You Lord are our burning bush. Burn brightly from within. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Sep 4, 2013 | 36. Ordinary
Acts 4:1-13
In recent years I have found myself thinking about life in terms of stories. Yesterday, my daughter asked me, “Dad, why do you think some stories turn out one way and some turn out another?”. (I am so grateful that all three of my kids feel the freedom to ask questions regarding spiritual matters.) Today’s reflections are a continuation of my attempt to answer her question.
I think about the experiences of institutions, families, individuals and nations that make up their stories and I ask, “how did they get to this or that particular place?” Two stories that have intrigued me the most is the story of the early Church and the story of the modern western Church, of which I am a part. They capture my attention because the Head of this Body, Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, is Lord over both, yet for some reasons, with radically different outcomes. We are told that the early church turned the world upside down. It seems though that today (at least in the west) the world may be turning the church upside down.
That last sentence may seem harsh to some of you. You might be thinking,”now hold on, our church is a good church; it has had the same pastor for X number of years; we are supporting missions with a growing percentage of our budget; our membership is growing; we have programs that are meeting the needs of most of the believers who attend”. If this was your response, please let me qualify my statement.
When I use the word Church, I am not just speaking about the various groups that assemble weekly and the things that happen beneath the roofs of those institutions. The Church I am referring to, strictly speaking, cannot be attended because, from God’s perspective, it is not a place, an event or an organization. It is a Body of people joined together in Christ.
We cannot attend Church. We are the Church. Granted, many but not all, may be found beneath those roofs on Sunday, giving and involved in programs, but the Church I am referring to are those people, from the first chapter to the one being written now, who have been forgiven of their sins, who have been filled with the Holy Spirit and who live in communion with God the Father as His children.
What provoked this lengthy introduction is the context of today’s passage which is captured well by Acts 4:16. The Council, comprised of the elders, priests, and scribes had assembled and were asking themselves this question, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it”. After hearing the story just given boldly by Peter and John, “and seeing the man who had been healed standing with them” they (the educated and elite rulers) had nothing to say”. Wow! This was usually not a problem for them.
Let me share a few more verses and then I will try and make my point. Acts 4:33 says, that it was “with great “power” the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. In my effort to answer Kelli’s question and account for the very different experience of the Church then and now, I have to say that at least one major difference I see is “power”.
Really, the whole of the New Testament is a collection of “noteworthy miracles”. There is no question that these supernatural events attracted people to the gospel and brought glory to God. (Acts 4:4, 21b). The modern western church can speak of abundant grace, but really, do we have power and is it upon us all? And, are we free enough to ask, “what has happened to that power and its broad distribution?”. How do you answer this question? Do you think it is an important question? How would your pastor answer this question?
I think the freedom and encouragement to ask questions when things do not measure up to biblical standards is a healthy place to be. I contend that honest questions are an important variable in how stories turn out. I think questions that are asked of God, in the right spirit, in particular by men and women who spend time with Him, contribute to how stories turn out.
While the elite stood by with nothing to say, they “observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began recognizing them as having been with Jesus. As cliche as it sounds, I believe stories turn out differently in large part because time has been spent in close proximity to Jesus Christ. Therefore, I will echo a prayer Paul’s prayer;
“And now Lord, take note of their threats and grant that Thy bond-servants may speak Thy word with all confidence, while Thou dost extend Thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Thy holy servant, Jesus“. Amen.
