Lament in Life

John Mark Hicks will be our guest speaker at McKnight Road in April for a Thursday, Friday and Sunday Easter morning series. I find his blog to be very revealing. I copied his latest post below.
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Nine years ago Jennifer delivered Leah stillborn. The next Sunday her congregation sang, “God is so good.” The words caught in Jennifer’s throat, and she could not sing. Instead she found a place to weep alone.“I’m dead inside,” Becky says. Her church, shepherds, family and friends had begged God for sixteen-year-old Joshua. But Jeff’s and Becky’s only son died as a result of surgical complications nearly a year ago. “How, God, can this be the reality of my life?” Becky asks.Though for six months Liesa had requested special prayers for her only son, 23-year-old Chad died in a car accident one year ago. Feeling the overwhelming shock and loss, Liesa, along with her husband Ted, struggles to find the heart to worship.Like Jeff and Becky, we also named our only son Joshua with the prayer that God would make him a leader among his people. He lived sixteen years before his weak body lost its long struggle with a genetic disorder two years ago.Since October Becky and Jeff, Liesa and Ted, and Jennifer and I have met twice a month to share our hearts and thoughts. We cry and pray together. We study Scripture and discuss the twists and turns that happen in our lives. We vent our feelings and hurts.Grief has not created intellectual doubt within our group. We believe God is there, but we do wonder why God is not here. We believe God exists, but we wonder why he permitted such horrendous loss in our lives. Like C. S. Lewis, after the death of his wife of three years, we are not “in much danger of ceasing to believe in God” as much as “coming to believe such dreadful things about Him” (Grief Observed, 5).Grief has not attacked the intellectual dimensions of our faith but did create an emotional distance between God and us. We do not doubt God’s reality, but he feels so distant. We feel angry. Did God not hear us? Did he forget us? We hurt. Did he decide to leave us in pain instead of continue our joy? We feel betrayed. Did God give us such wonderful gifts of life only to, as Job says, take them away? (Job 1:21). We even sometimes feel abandoned.The lament Psalms ask similar questions. “Why do you hide yourself, Lord, in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1b). “How long, O Lord…How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long?” (Psalm 13:1a, 2). “Lord, where is your steadfast love of old”? (Psalm 89:49). “Why do you hold back your hand; why do you keep your hand in your bosom?” (Psalm 74:11).We discovered that our relationships with God enabled total honesty with him. In grace we are free to be honest—-to pray what we authentically feel. Before God and with each other we are able to be who we are rather than pretend who we are “supposed” to be. We bonded as a group because we shared the same journey in our lives. Indeed, through the journey we have experienced God’s presence through confronting him with our hurt and anger.Most—-perhaps those who have not lost a child—-would be appalled at the words we speak. Many would not understand, and some might condemn. We do not expect everyone to understand. Perhaps without experiencing loss of this magnitude there is no genuine empathy or understanding. We feel safe in our little group because of our shared experience. We verbalize our feelings, confess our ignorance and wrestle with God together. It is our “safe place” to express our faith through doubts and questions. All grievers need a “safe place.”Can faith doubt and question? The doubts and questions are real, but it is faith nonetheless. Genuine faith perseveres and is sustained through faithful lament. Without lament emotional doubt would eat away faith like a cancer, but through lament faith speaks to the one who alone can heal that emotional pain and close the distance. God, we are confident, will hear us and comfort us through our lament. God will draw near even as we at times feel so distant from him. He will carry us when we cannot walk and he will be present even when we are angry.Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief. Originally published in New Wineskins (May-June 2003)

Jesus the Cornerstone

Throughout scripture the Messiah is portrayed as a stone. "Cornerstone" is a Messianic title. Isa. 8:14 and Rom 9:32-33 refer to the Messiah as a "stone of stumbling". He is not something that cannot be ignored. The Messiah is a "smitten stone" (Ex. 17:6; I Cor. 10:4) and will be revealed at his second coming (Dan. 2: 34-35). Lastly, he is the rejected stone that becomes the chief cornerstone ( Ps. 118:22-23; Matt. 21: 42). A cornerstone was the boulder laid at the corner where two walls met. It was the principal stone of a foundation giving structural stability and strength to a building. The apostle Paul identified the "chief cornerstone" as Jesus the Messiah (Eph. 2:20). We can rest assured that when Jesus comes again he will be revealed to all as the foundation upon whom we stand. A wise man builds his house upon the rock. May we all attend to our foundation and realize upon whom we stand. Our faith is not in a building, or a movement or a group of believers. It is not based upon a book. It is based upon a relationship with a God who is alive and desires that we trust in Him as a person. Jesus is the revelation of God.

The Jewish Canon: From Genesis to Chronicles

The Jewish canon (Tanach) is not arranged in the same order as our Old Testament. Divided into three sections, Law (Torah), Prophets (Neviyim) and Writings (Kituvim) it begins with Genesis and concludes with 2 Chronicles.

This order explains Jesus' comment to the sinful religious leaders in Matthew 22:34-35:

"Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechari'ah the son [descendant] of Barachi'ah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar."

Jesus was saying the righteous have been killed from the first book of Scripture to the last. Abel's murder was recorded in Genesis 4:8; Zechariah's, in 2 Chronicles 24:20, where King Joash of Judah showed contempt for the love shown him by the late high priest, Jehoiada, and murdered Jehoiada's grandson, Zechariah, at the Temple of the Lord.

The Jewish Bible flows as follows:

Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. This is also known as the Pentateuch. However, the term "Torah" which means "teaching" or "instruction" is also used to refer to all the laws on a certain subject, the Bible as a whole, the oral and written laws, and as the Encyclopedia Judaica states "the whole corpus of Jewish traditional law from the Bible to the latest development".

Neviyim: Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings. Later Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Exekiel, The Twelve (minor prophets).

Kituvim: Poetical books: Psalms, Proverbs, Job. The Five Megilloth (Scrolls): Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther. Historical Books: Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, 1 and 2 Chronicles.

Doing the will of the Father

"What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he repented and went. And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him. Matt. 21:28-32

Are you working in the vineyard today? We have all been invited. Many of us have refused in the past to do the Father's will. However, there is still time to repent and to "go". In the end, only those who do the will of the Father and believe in him will celebrate in heaven. Jesus came to seek and save those who were lost. God's grace extends to the tax collectors and harlots who will turn to him and they will go ahead of those who, in their self-righteousness, say they will do what God wants; but, whom "do not go". If you want to measure one's faith, look to the fruits of a person's life. They are self-evident. It does not matter how bad or messed up a person's life has been in the past. If we seek to do his will, we pile up treasures in heaven. This is good news!

Confessions of an Elder

1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed. 2 Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, 3 not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock.

1 Peter 5: 1-2

One of the characteristics of a great church is the quality of its leadership. God’s design for his church is for it to be shepherded by Elders. The advice set forth above by Peter to the church’s elders rings in my ears. In the kingdom of God, authority is stood on its head. If you want to be “great” in the kingdom, then you become the servant to many. It is antithetical to the way of the world, where people climb over one another to achieve the top position of the pinnacle of power. Even the apostles argued over “Who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom?” Jesus told them in Mark 10: 42-45:
"You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

In his church, Jesus says “it shall not be so among you”. Whenever I hear of churches that are struggling, it is almost always because of a lack of spiritual oversight. When an eldership cannot work together, Satan has a field day with the body of believers. Most who serve in this capacity have no formal training or experience in pastoral care. I can attest to the fact that there are times when the demands of believers can be overwhelming. If an elder tries to solve all the problems using only one’s talents and abilities, burnout rapidly occurs. It is only by looking to the resources of the Great Shepherd and allowing his Holy Spirit to intervene in the lives of members that an elder can ever hope to shepherd a flock. Unfortunately, when burnout occurs cynicism follows. I have to constantly remind myself that Jesus never treated anyone with cynicism. Instead, even with those who did not comprehend his message, the Lord’s response was always truth wrapped in love and compassion. Nothing is more repugnant than an elder who believes that his office imbues him with authority. The only authority an elder can possess is to follow Jesus and to try to respond as he would. It is calling that is worthy of honor, but it can never be sought for shameful gain.

A common trait among all the men with whom I serve as an Elder, is that none of us feel worthy to serve in this capacity. It is an awesome responsibility that weighs heavy at times. No matter how much you do, there are never enough hours in the day. Leading by example can be difficult when you allow the struggles of your own life to interfere with one's spiritual life. This battle can only be overcome by prayer and a focus upon the revealed word of God. Over the years we have been very blessed at the McKnight Road Church of Christ to have elders who have truly been spiritually minded leaders. I give thanks for each and everyone of my fellow elders and solicit your prayers on our behalf and for those whom we serve. I am also praying that God will raise up additonal elders throughout his kingdom who will be like those whom Peter describes in 1 Peter 5.

The Right Answer

"But what about you?", he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

Peter answered, "You are the Christ." Mark 8:29

Peter got the correct answer to the question. But, he would later go on to be rebuked by Jesus as someone whom Satan was using to thwart the message of the kingdom. Later, at the time of Jesus's arrest, Peter would even deny knowing Jesus on three different occasions eventually abandoning Jesus at the cross. After the resurrection, Jesus asks Peter three times "Do you love me?" I can only imagine that each time Jesus asked the question, Peter could feel the wounds of his betrayal. Yet, the answer to each inquiry was an instruction to "feed my sheep".

Each of us stands in Peter's shoes at one time or another. We might get the right answer to the question as to the identity of whom Jesus is; but, the real issue is do we truly believe the confession with our lives? If so, then one's life is changed and there is evidence of a calling to wash the feet of others, perform good deeds and to feed the family of God in all sorts of ways.

The Ultimate Valentine

This week happy couples throughout our nation will exchange tokens of love and affection in celebration of Valentine's Day. If this week has put you in the mood for a little romance, we recommend you take a look at what has to be the most charming little book in the Bible. The book of Ruth is often studied (even in secular colleges) as a masterpiece in miniature for its romantic elegance and literary value - and its charming glimpse into life in ancient Israel. It is a classic love story of loyalty and devotion, and yet it also contains some surprising insights that go far beyond the historical narrative itself. One of the principal characters is Naomi, a Bethlehemite, who, because of a famine, migrates with her husband and her two sons to distant Moab. The two sons take Moabite women for wives. During the ten years that follow, Naomi's husband and both her two sons pass away, leaving her destitute. Upon hearing that things have turned for the better in her native Bethlehem, Naomi decides to return home. She encourages the two young girls to make new lives for themselves among their own people. However, Ruth refuses, insists upon remaining with Naomi. Her declaration of loyalty to Naomi is one of the most elegant and well-known passages in the Holy Scriptures: "Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me (Ruth 1:16, 17)." Ruth's story yields an incredible overview of God's plan of redemption. Her persistent and devoted commitment to her mother-in-law leads to a dramatic romance, a prophecy of the coming King, and her being included in the family tree of the Messiah. Ruth is one of the most significant books in the Old Testament for the Church. And it's interesting that the book traditionally is read by rabbis on the Feast of Pentecost, when the Church was born. It explains, like no other book in the Scripture, the role and mission of the Kinsman Redeemer. This book is an essential prerequisite to understanding the book of Revelation. Before you study Revelation 5, you need to understand the book of Ruth. This little book is more than a love story between Ruth and Boaz, it is a foreshadowing of another love story, the greatest story ever told. The ultimate "valentine" was written in blood on a wooden cross, erected in Judea two thousand years ago.

Just As I Am

Yet, O LORD, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou art our potter; we are all the work of thy hand. Isaiah 64:8

This single verse sets forth a paradigm of vast understanding. It states simply the relationship of God to man. He is our Father. Jesus would later teach his disciples to pray "Our Father who art in heaven". Paul states in Romans 8 that the Holy Spirit interceeds in our hearts crying out to "Abba, Father" which is the Aramaic equivalent of "Daddy". The familiar form of address would almost seem out of place in most church services today..."Dear Daddy", but that is exactly the sort of intimacy that the Bible suggests that God wants with his created.

Secondly, it tells us what we are.....dirt. Genesis proclaims that man was made from the dust of the earth. The name given to the first created human, Adam, means "red man" which is symbolic of man's origin. We are clay that gets molded during our lifetime. We don't get to choose how we are molded. That is the role of the potter. The potter is God. Sometimes, pain and suffering are the tools he uses to shape and mold us into what we need to become. Lament and joy are both present in the molding process. We don't get the answers to all of our questions as to "why" because God is still in control.

Which brings me to the third point. We are "all" the work of thy hand. Pharoh had a part to play in molding the Hebrew nation. Four hundred years of slavery is not my cup of tea; but, it worked for God. The prophet Jeremiah wrote in 27:6:

"Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnez'zar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him."

I have always wondered how a faithful Jew felt who had watched the temple being sacked in Jerusalem by an uncircumsized foreign king named Nebuchadnez'zar (think Saddam Hussein). Then later his own prophets would state that God refers to Nebuchadnez'zar as "my servant". In much the same way, how is it that an obscure corporal in a defeated German army later becomes the Furher of one of the strongest military nations of the world (Germany) whose aim is to wipe out the Jewish religion from the face of the earth? Without the holocaust, there would not be a nation today known as Israel. Israel was voted into existence by the United Nations because of the world's collective guilt in allowing 6 million people to die in concentration camps during World War II. Did God use the holocaust for his purpose? If the scripture declares "we are all the work of thy hand", I think the answer has to be "yes". It is a difficult concept to understand how bad things that happen to good people fit into the God's soverign will. Ultimately, we can only accept such a point of view by faith.

Be of Good Cheer

I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33

I attended a dinner with over 60 of my law partners in Kansas City, MO last Thursday night. In visiting with my partners, I heard of so many struggles with health, relationships, and concerns. It seems that all around me, and in even in my own family, we have struggled with so many injuries and a couple of near death experiences for two my own children this past year. It is so tempting to cry out "Woe is Me!" as if the world cares?

Into this chaotic world, God interjected himself in human flesh in the man Jesus Christ. And, what does he say? In spite of the tribulation [read NORMAL] , we are to "be of good cheer". Our joy is not that we are spared from the ravages of disease or death, but that God has overcome the world. This was proven by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I get comments from folks from time to time who don't comment on the blog. One of those comments I received was from Helen Totty. I asked her if I could share her thoughts and she gave me her permission. She says it better than I:


"I haven't had much time lately to be on the computer -- but I did get caught
up on your blog last week. The subject of joy touches a cord with me
because, as Christians, we seem to spend so much time thinking about our own
joy or happiness (and that of our families) rather than putting our Father's
joy in us first. When I read Heb. 12:1-2 I see our example of perfect
joy -- running the race marked out for us, just as Christ did when He
endured the cross. How could I ever think that my life's work should afford
me more pleasure or happiness than my Lord had here on earth? His joy was
to do the will of His Father; His great joy was to make his disciples' joy
complete. There is a joy that is beyond description that comes from walking
in our Father's will and knowing that I am surrendered to do that will.
Nothing else comes close. He has marked out a race for us, complete with
disappointments, failures, pain, and suffering, but the joy that will be
ours from enduring to the end and winning the crown of life transcends
anything this world can offer. That joy stays in my heart even when
everything else is hurting - I would follow my Shepherd even to the cross.
Somehow, I believe His crucifixion was much more painful than my crucifixion
of self and also the only reason I can follow in His steps of dying. What a
glorious inheritance is waiting for us!"

All I can add is "Amen".

Witnesses to the Crucifixion

There were also many women there, looking on from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him; among whom were Mary Mag'dalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zeb'edee. When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathe'a, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. Matt. 27:55-57.

Matthew recounts that at the time of Jesus' death on the cross that they were disciples who were present and who were used to attend to his body. What is interesting is the fact that none of the eleven surviving apostles are mentioned as being there? Instead, there were "many women" and a certain "rich man" who was a stealth disciple. Perhaps it is not so surprising that today much of the work of the kingdom is often done by the women and a few men. What was it about Jesus' ministry that attracted the poor, the disenfranchised, the outcasts and a few disciples with wealth? Probably the same events that caused the Roman centurion to confess that "Truly, this was the son of God!" (v. 55)

The Kingdom of God

This coming Easter weekend we will be hosting a special series at the McKnight Road Church of Christ with John Mark Hicks. Please check out his blog post from last Saturday. It is a wonderful read: See http://professingprofessor.blogspot.com/

Life Together

Today we got in the mail the brochure for the 63rd Annual Pepperdine University Bible Lectureship which will be held at Pepperdine May 2-5, 2006. The theme is "Life Together - The Heart of Love & Fellowship in 1 John". The text quoted is I John 3:16 [not John 3:16 - another good verse] which reads:

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."

I was thinking about how God has answered so many prayers for Klint and Rachel this past year. Rachel is still recovering from surgery. She can't wait to start her special driver's rehabilitation course to see if she can qualify for a limited driving privileges license. Her inability to drive and get out has been hard on her and the family. She is still adjusting to her loss of peripheral vision and some of her diminished memory issues. But, she manages to care for Abbey and do all the day-to-day things necessary to care for her child and husband. If someone had said to me when she was in the Henry Ford Hospital ICU last August that Klint and Rachel would be participants in a major university lecturship speaking on the topic "When your wife has 30 minutes to live (Searching for a God we cannot see)" in May 2006, I would have said "Impossible!" Me of little faith! Seeing Klint and Rachel's pictures in this brochure humbled and reminded me of God's faithfulness and power.

I don't comprehend how God uses tragedy and loss to shape and mold our lives, but I believe it is so. Klint and Rachel have a testimony to share that will inspire and lift others up. I would have never wanted Rachel to suffer what she has been through; but, I thank the Lord for answering our prayers and restoring Rachel's health to the point where she can be a wife, mother and servant in the kingdom of God. Life really is all about laying our lives down for others. Our conduct and the way we act do have consequences far beyond what we can see in one lifetime. God is good all the time. We just have trouble seeing it when the world comes crashing in on us at times. When one actually begins to grasp that concept through faith, it leads to great joy even in the midst of sorrow. I can attest to that!