The Problem with Christianity

The problem with Christianity

There is such a challenge when it comes to being, living, teaching life as a Christian. In my youth, there was a time when I so wanted to know how to "do it right" so that my sins could be forgiven, curses broken and I could live life in something resembling a normal way. I wanted to have enough strength to be "good enough" to deserve that love I would hear about every so often. No matter how hard I tried, though, I just never could seem to get it right. Deep within my spirit, I could sense whenever I erred, even in thought, and would wait with fear as I expected God's hammer to be poised above my head waiting to fall. I expected that each time I stepped out of line, God would immediately strike me in retribution for my sins, for not being good enough for Him, and certainly not deserving of His love. These punishments would take on several different forms. I would have bad days in school, maybe get beat up, fail a test or exam, something of mine would break, I would get yelled out, chased and beaten up in school or whatever else might for my way.

Later in life, it drove me to the point of deciding that what I had been taught can't be all there is to it. I believed in God, or a god(s), but felt that it had to have something that goes well beyond "this". There had to be a truth out there someplace that I could cling to. I researched, experimented, tried out this or that. All of which never quite satisfied the hunger within. I found this uncomfortable freedom in not being bound to any rules or regulations. I no longer had to be good enough or get it right. I could make mistakes and they were my own issue to deal with rather than waiting on that hammer to fall.

Yet, I never felt all that comfortable. I used a variety of what some call coping mechanisms to try to make up for it. Ultimately, I asked for the truth regardless of what that truth may be or what it might entail. I was answered and stepped back into the Christian faith. Then the problems really began……….

I had to come to understand that there is a Father who loves me. There is a Son of that Father, who is a King, Lord, God, Heir, Judge, Redeemer, and, through the Holy Spirit, my brother. All of this He fulfills at the same time.

I am at once condemned, yet I am forgiven and I cannot do a sticking thing to earn it, justify it, or rationalize it. No matter the number or type of mistakes I make, I am not under condemnation.

Great!!! That means I can do whatever I feel like doing, right?

Wrong

Though I am forgiven and live under Grace (unearned, unmerited favor—I get what I don't deserve), I am also called to be holy, because the Lord, my God, is Holy—perfectly without sin.

So, here is where the problem lies; I live by grace and love my brothers and sisters using the same love given to me. I don't hold their sins against them. I am willing to meet them where they are at. Yet, we are not called to stay that we. We are not given license to sin based upon this grace. The grace is supposed to be able to draw us out of the sin and begin to be transformed as the Spirit bears fruit in us.

On the one hand, with the wrong emphasis, it could be taken as license to sin. On the other hand, with the wrong emphasis, it could be taken as condemnation/rules that you must conform to in order to be "good enough."

And in the middle resides Jesus. I can't help but see him shaking his head, quietly saying to his dad, "they still aren't getting it. I never, you never, we never said it was either or. We have always said it was both. Mercy and grace to draw you away from sin into relationship with us they you may be more like us ultimately leading to you pouring out more and more mercy and grace upon those around you drawing them into relationship with us who then reach out as they are transformed by being in relationship. Then they in turn doing the same and they doing the same and so on, until the time comes when there is no more time and I have to return and the world will reap what it has sown. And, I will reap what I have sown."

I guess therein lies the problem, we still don't get it.

True worship

I spent the morning at the convent with the nuns. Matins began at 6:30a followed by Eucharist at 7a. When living up in this area, it was a regular Saturday event to come down for Matins followed by Eucharist and then hit the local diner with my mentor for reflection, discussion and feedback.

This morning reminded me about how it is truly about having a genuine relationship with God, not about form and certainly not about formula. In John 4, when Jesus is speaking about worship and God seeking those who will worship in spirit and truth, I have little doubt if any that this falls into that category. As I have studied the scriptures in attempting to gain deeper understanding of worship from God's own perspective, I had been brought to a variety of different passages each one reflective of a certain expression of relationship with God in that particular moment which collectively are referred to as worship.

For example; David goes from dancing like a madman unashamed of his love for the Lord to fasting, prostrate and throwing all of his sorrow and shame at God's feet seeking forgiveness. Both, given their circumstances, are equal expressions of worship. What makes them worshipful is that they are an expression in truth and an outpouring of the spirit at that moment in David's life. Jesus himself sang, shared meals, and spent alone time with his Father. Again, all are equal expressions of worship in the moments they were occurring.

I believe that the point of the statement by Jesus in John 4 is to direct us away from following manmade rules in the moment and to instead engage in genuine relationship with God. The more genuine our relationship with Him, the more genuine our worship becomes because it flows out of that relationship. The word "worship" really means adoration, to look up with awe, to be overwhelmed by. Jesus said that the Father is seeking individuals who will allow their self to be awestruck in a genuine fashion through the spirit and then allow that to be expressed in the form that the worship takes.

This is not to exclude nor promote one style of worship over another. The Sisters of St. Mary that I spent the morning with have the most genuine relationship with our Lord. They truly love Him and express that love in the way they feel called to express it. The slow meter of their prayer of the psalms expresses an incredible beauty as you can spiritually savor each word. No movement is wasted, each moment is given to reflection in order to put all elements of chronological time in subjection to Christ. There is a softness that fills up with Holy Love in the midst of the sanctuary. It is a moment in which two lovers are resting in each other's arms on a hillside enjoying a warm yet crisp breeze savoring every butterfly, tweet of a bird and each cloud as it dances across the sky making a lunch time last a lifetime. It is worship in spirit and truth.

My spirit is one of intensity. I on a regular basis I express my worship with loud modern worship power anthems speaking out boldly about God's love and His desire to restore us into right relationship. I am not a fan of hymns. They often move too slowly for me and I have not wrestled with the flesh of my mind successfully enough yet to be able to focus my worship during most him singing. The slower the tempo the more time my mind has to begin to bring in extraneous thoughts. Does that make them un-worshipful? No, not necessarily. But it does require me to make more of an effort to dive deep into my relationship with Jesus to draw out and maintain the adoration without the flesh getting in the way. Mayhap in some ways that is a great thing as disciplining the body/mind is what we are called to do in order to bring them into the kingdom.

Whoa Frankie! Almost got caught in that slippery slope which begins to discuss worship as one type of music verses another……that is no place I really wish to go with this.

I am in a denomination that uses a Liturgy for much of its worship time. Liturgies, taken as a whole, are designed to be a structured form of worship in order to promote a focus in the direction of God. There are liturgies that have been written which reflect adoration of God's Majesty, others reflect His Love, others reflect His desire for intimacy with us, and others are designed to bring a centering solely on scripture as a means by which to begin to discipline the mind. There is beauty in each, especially when they are done in spirit and truth, absent of judgment for those who don't follow them and singularly focused on giving God the glory and drawing people's attention to Him.

Me? I am in favor of all of it. No, this is not a time when I am refusing to make a decision. It is actually quite the opposite. I am more and more convinced that God is blessed by all of it. To throw out one in favor of another based upon personal preference runs dangerously in the idolatry range. How? Simple, if you are focusing on what you prefer as worship and discounting any other of the types of worship as invalid because you don't care for them, who are you really using your worship to honor?

Please consider that for a moment.

I have been in worship services where each person was allowed to move in the spirit as they were led provided it didn't interfere with others being able to move as they were led. Upon first glance, it looks really messy. One person is over there on their knees rocking back and forth, another is up dancing like something out of the sixties, another is sitting with scripture open on their lap, another sketching, others in various positions singing. Some have their arms raised, others have their hands folded, others have their faces down and others have these super silly grins plastered across their face (which when you are in a miserable mood is very disconcerting and exceptionally uncomfortable to behold—which is actually Holy Spirit convicting the spirit of miserable on you). Yet, given a chance to see from heaven's perspective (John 3), one begins to see this incredible colorful patchwork quilt that in its complexity houses a beauty that goes beyond description.

That is the Bride.

So, take a chance. Attend a matins, noontime, vespers, evensong or compline at a convent, monastery or cathedral, especially if that is not "for you". Please don't get caught up in being fearful of getting trapped by a spirit of religion. If you are there in truth, you have nothing to fear. Then, maybe even later in the same week, find the messiest praise service you can.

And always, whatever you do in worship, do so in Spirit and Truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him.

A Study in Psalm 91

By Reverend Frank Lockwood

For Christ Church Coxsackie begun on the 8^th of September 2010

1: He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Where your heart is, there is your treasure, making your dwelling with God, recognizing that we may have our bodies on earth, but we are actually residing in heaven

Shadow: a glimpse of the source, able to contour to whatever it passes over, shadows are often larger than that which they are coming from

2: I will say of the LORD, [He is] my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

My: indicates ownership, defensiveness. Implies that we are laying claim to, My God, which would then say, I am His creation

Refuge: place of safety, place of refreshing, where I go to when I need to feel relief from the pressures of the world around, safety from storms, and quietude

Fortress: place of safety from enemies, protection, built in a location that provides a strategic advantage often limiting access to so that an enemy is easily spotted during the approach and able to be pushed back, within the fort is where supplies are kept—Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want—shall not be in want can/should be read as "in the Lord I have been provided everything I already need". The "shall not want" means there is no room for desire because to want would imply a lack of….therefore, within our fortress of the Lord, we are already supplied with everything we could ever/will ever need.

3: Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, [and] from the noisome pestilence.

Deliver you:

Fowler's snare: symbolic of a hunter, lays trap for the one who is walking unsuspecting of what might befall them.

Pestilence: killing plague that attacks indiscriminately

4: He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

It is next to the body, tucked up under the inner most portions of the wings that provide the greatest protection to small birds when nesting.

The word presented here as truth, is equally translated at faithfulness. So it could read that we are trusting then in the faithfulness of God. It means then, that it is His faithfulness which flows out of His nature that provides the protection for us, therefore, it is not even dependent upon us as it is directly from God…….we can't earn it, therefore, we can't lose it

And it becomes this faithfulness of God, His truth, which then stands between us and harm, thus the shield and buckler.

5: You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

6: Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

Terror by night: that which lurks in the dark trying to frighten us

Arrow that flies by day: the assault thrown at us from a distance that we may not even see coming

Pestilence that walks in darkness: the plague that doesn't even specifically target, but attacks and feeds on anything in its path

Destruction that lays waste at noonday: that which attempts to topple foundations even in broad daylight, like the foundation of family or faith or home or whatever

7: A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.

Shall not come near: in other words, not come close enough to do any harm, it may look close, even close enough that it is going to affect deeply, but, that is only an illusion, the truth is that it is not near enough to harm you as you remain entrusting in God as shield and buckler(v:4)

8: Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.

As we look with confidence in God, we are able to get a new perspective and see what the "wicked" are "rewarded" with.

9: Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

Here begins the promise to outline what happens to those who make God their refuge, which means that those who don't (i.e. the wicked from v8, would then receive the opposite as their reward)

10: No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

Evil can't get at you, uncontrolled sickness can't even come near your home, let alone harm you

11: For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.

Angels are given assignments to guard you and keep you safe (guardian angels)

12: In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

The words the enemy used to tempt Jesus with, yet it is also a promise to keep us safe, though, keep in mind Jesus' own response: you shall not put the Lord your God to the test

13: You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

My own interpretation on this is much more in the spiritual then the natural realm. Peter describes the enemy as a roaring lion…

Trample underfoot: a true sign of being a slave was to have your master put his foot on the back of your neck. This verse implies that we, in God's care, will then see the enemy under our own foot, the restoration of authority over the enemy

14: Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

God explains to the psalmist, why this is taking place: R E L A T I O N S H I P. Loving God and especially knowing His name are indications of intimate relationship with God. God lets the psalmist know that He is acting out of this relationship. Recall this, that the ancient Israelite was not allowed to speak God's name. Names are believed to contain power in that when you know the true name, you now have power within that person's life. By this, God lets us know that he expects us to have a close enough relationship with Him to know Him by name.

15: He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.

God gives us permission to call upon Him. Recall from the New Testament the words of Jesus: "seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you."

God then lets us know that in the midst of whatever is going on, He is directly there with us and not only is He with us, he is going to deliver us and not only deliver us, but is going to go so far as to provide us with honor…..the Creator of all things plans on honoring those who love him, and pester Him in times of trouble……that is a sign of a loving father—not only wants to be loved, known by name, but to be troubled and called upon when issues arise so that he can stand with us, deliver us and then give us honor.

16: With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation."

And that honoring will include the blessing of a long life (such as the eternal life promised through Jesus) and to see the salvation that He is going to bring (such as that through His son).

 

Spiritual wiring

So, I'm on my way to work and having a conversation with someone which then prompts me into meditating on some things that have been spoken of before. I pastor a church as well as work a job as an addictions counselor with brain injury survivors. I have worked with the disabled for over 19 years year (March 7^th marks my 20^th anniversary of the day I started trainings). I love seeing people move ahead in life, get through trauma, healed, restored relationships, etc. Each time I describe my work to people, they look a bit cross-eyed at me and make some comment to the effect of "better you than me." So, Why?

Seriously, that was a question, Why is it better me than someone else? Why doesn't everyone do this? Why don't more people go on mission trips? Shouldn't that be part of the qualifier to prove you are born again, that you have spent time in another country (or at least another neighborhood) bringing the love of Jesus?

Yet, if I believe we are called to a purpose, which I do, then it makes only perfect sense as to why me and not someone else. Sit down, before you continue your rant, I am by no means saying that I am better than. I am simply different than. As you are different than me and that other person over there as they are different than both of us. We are each wired a little differently according to the purposes we are called to. This actually makes total and perfect sense. If we were all wired the same, then there would be a lot of something that couldn't get done. Paul uses the 'body' when speaking about the church. That the hands aren't part of the body because they aren't the feet and the eye isn't part of the body because it is not an ear……the ear serves the purpose of hearing, the eye of sight, the hand of work and the foot of going, etc.

The next time you are having a conversation with someone, especially a non-follower of Jesus Christ, think about it. The fact that they don't have patience for dealing with the "little brat in the back row screaming his head off" makes perfect sense if you keep in mind that first we are all wired for our purpose/destiny and secondly that the great equalizer in wiring, the fruit of the spirit (Galatians chapter 5), only comes as a fruit of the Holy Spirit whom comes at the point of being born again. If someone is not born again and they weren't called to a purpose that would require, let's say six or seven extra helpings of patience, tolerance and long suffering, it makes all the sense in the world for them to respond with a short fuse and a not so friendly opinion. They are merely doing what they are wired to do. (I used a less flattering comparison earlier to a dog peeing on the rug—it's their nature, not like you can really get mad at them given a lack of doggie DNA which directs them to use a toilet.)

If we could get this, imagine the difference it would bring in being able to meet out mercy, grace, forgiveness and love? As you look at the face of the man who gets mad at his teenage son for continuously returning to the addiction, you, the born again baptized in the Holy Spirit follower of Jesus Christ who has the fruit of the spirit within you can step in, forgive the man, forgive the son, love on them both and pray for them both. What a blessing! You being able to see where they aren't wired right now, where the wires have crossed, shorted out or been corroded, you working hand in hand with Holy Spirit can become the spiritual electrician that would be able to offer them peace in the situation.

The young man who does not seem to possess the stomach to visit his elderly grandparent in a nursing home….what if he is simply responding out of the way he has been wired? Wouldn't now be the time to set aside judgment and condemnation for him not "loving his father/mother/grandma or whomever enough to visit them? Wouldn't now be the time to be the blessing to, yes, I said you be the blessings to him?

We are called to love people where they are at. That is what Jesus does. He meets us where we are at. (Like him, however, I am sticking to my guns that we are expected to stay there.)

Just imagine the difference it can make in the lives of our churches(families) if we were able to come to this understanding. Imagine sitting there and rather than judging the "jerk" who is bad mouthing ________, you instead accept that right now they are wired differently and merely acting out of their own wiring, which may be very "fleshly," as some of my Pentecostal brothers would put it. In that moment, you begin to pray for them. You begin to allow God to flow into the situation. You turn the cursing into blessing, the condemnation into mercy and allow God's grace to flow.

Sounds to me like it would move a lot of hearts and souls and would certainly show forth exactly what the love of Christ looks like.

Blessings and peace brothers and sisters.

Bible Study: Repentance

A Study on Repentance

By the Rev. Frank Lockwood II

God made a decision to select a king after he allowed Israel to select their own. He chose "a man after his own heart" (1 Sam 13:13). That man was David.

Characteristics of David:

• Naïve (the way he first approaches war)
  
• Violent (his ability in war)
  
• Indecisive (see his parenting techniques)
  
• Unfaithful (Bathsheba)
  
• Murderer (Uzzia)
  
• Repentant (Nathan, Psalm 51)
  

-Vines definition of 'repentant' as; change of mind especially born out of a dislike of current/past mindset or ways

Direct use of the word:

• Isaiah 30:15
  
• Ezekiel 18:32
  
• Matthew 3:8
  
• Matthew 4:17 (by Jesus himself)
  
• Luke 13:3 and following
  
• Acts 2:38
  
• Acts 3:19
  

-we are commanded to repent, but what motivates one or causes one to repent?

• Encounter with (conviction by) God's presence
  
  • Through Prophets: 2 Samuel 12:1-7
    
    • David's response: v13 + Psalm 51
      
  • Person of Jesus: Luke 19:1-5
    
    • Zaccheus---v7 by others sin is mentioned yet Jesus continues to ask for dinner
      
    • V8---Z over hears
      
    • V9---Z responds
      
    • V10---Jesus accepts the response---affirmation
      
  • Holy Spirit directly: Acts 2
    
    • Mighty wind, calling attention
      
  • Holy Spirit working through others: Acts 16:24ff
    
    • The jailor, knowing his fate as a result of the loss of the prisoners, is ready to respond
      
    • Sees that they did not take advantage of the opportunity instead honoring the jailor
      
    • Jailor falls under conviction through the witness
      
  • Each encounter has in common:
    
    • Presence of God
      
    • Presence penetrates the heart
      
    • Person(s) responds to that presence
      
• Acts 2:37 "When they heard this they were cut to the heart"
  
  • Heart (Strong's 2840): heart, mind (seat of thought and emotion)
    
  • Cut (Strong's 2920): to be pierced, stabbed
    
    • It is God who convicts, He calls for the change
      
• Our role?
  
  • To usher in the presence:
    
    • "Praise until the worship comes, worship until the presence comes, soak until revelation comes"
      
    • Filled with the Holy Spirit—how do you know it's full? When it runs over the sides.
      
    • Seeking, knocking, soaking and responding
      
  • Presentation of a Living Gospel
    
    • "Preach the Gospel at all times, when necessary, use words" St. Francis of Assisi
      
    • Agape: Love—that perfect love that presents God's love
      
      • Sacrificial but not foolish
        
      • Calculating the risk, willingness to pay the price
        
      • 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 "love is….."
        

John 13:34: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."