Consider It Pure Joy . . .

When you have a baby...now that’s pure joy. When church members bring you food so you don’t have to cook . . .ahh, pure joy. When my son steals a ball and makes a layup or when Samer Tohmy improves his jumpshot . . . pure joy. Basically, anything good that happens to ME or the PEOPLE I LIKE are things that fit my description of “pure joy.”

Yet James tells us, “consider it pure joy my brothers . . . when you face TRIALS and TEMPTATIONS of many kinds.” What’s that supposed to mean? When I get cut off in traffic . . . “Pure joy.” When my neighbor complains about my dog barking . . . “Pure joy.” When a raccoon bites me . . . “Pure joy.” (Sorry, Julie!) When something bad happens to my children . . . “Pure joy.”

Now that’s some pretty hard line advice. If we think of James’ advice as a haughty slap upside the head to all spiritual slackers, then it’s a little hard to swallow. James has been read for too long as a series of little pithy bumper stickers for macho Christians like . . . “when the going gets tough . . .” But when we think of James’ admonition as the wise words of a man who had faced his fair share of “trials and temptations of many kinds . . .” then we see that he is standing alongside us. He is saying, “I’m old and strong and mature now, and I got there by being tested. I got here by persevering . . . not necessarily by being perfect or by being excellent.”

I think it is encouraging to read James and not feel pressured or burdened to “feel pure joy” when the raccoon bites us (or whatever random crazy things come along), but rather to “consider it pure joy” to have persevered the encounter with faith not only intact, but enhanced. Otherwise we are caught in a trap where the only joy we can feel is when something really good happens to us or the people we like . . . which Jesus reminds us, isn’t any different than the rest of the world we are trying to reach.

Indescribable*

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea,
Creation’s revealing Your majesty.
From the colors of Fall to the fragrance of Spring,
Every creature unique in the song that it sings.
All exclaiming:

Indescribable, uncontainable
You placed the stars in the sky, and You know them by name.
You are amazing, God;
All powerful, untamable.
Awestruck, we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing, God.

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow?
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night?
None can fathom.

Indescribable, uncontainable;
You placed the stars in the sky, and You know them by name.
You are amazing, God;
Incomparable, unchangeable.
You see the depths of my heart, and You love me the same.
You are amazing, God.

*By Laura Story © 2004 Worshiptogether.com Songs

Psalm 65

O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.
When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.
Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.

You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas,
who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength,
who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
Those living far away fear your wonders;
where morning dawns and evening fades
you call forth songs of joy.

You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.

(2-13)

Anyway*

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies;
succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, they may cheat you;
be forthright anyway.
What you spent years building, they may destroy overnight;
build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous and scorn;
be joyous anyway.
The good you do today, they often will forget tomorrow;
do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it will never be enough;
give the world the best you have anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them, anyway.



*fr. Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Newsletter (winter 2005)

Resurrection*

I’m at a loss for words, there’s nothing to say
I sit in silence wondering what led me to this place
How did my heart become so lifeless and cold
Where did the passion go?

When all my efforts seem like chasing wind
I’ve used up all my strength and there’s nothing left to give
I’ve lost the feeling and I’m down to the core
I can’t fake it anymore

Here I am at the end I’m in need of resurrection
Only You can take this empty shell and raise it from the dead
What I’ve lost to the world what seems far beyond redemption
You can take the pieces inYour hand and make me whole again, again

You speak and all creation falls to its knees
You raise Your hand and calm the waves of the raging sea
You have a way of turning winter to spring
Make something beautiful out of all this suffering . . .

*Nicol Sponberg

Turkish Delight

We have not gone to see The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe yet, but we did finally manage to finish reading it as a family. Our boys loved it after we got over the formal, 1940’s British language of Lewis. Benjamin had read it earlier this year, so he suffered through a repeat reading; it was my third or fourth reading but I still loved it.

In this reading, Edmund stood out to me the most. Edmund, as most of you know, makes a deal with the White Witch to turn in his family, his brothers and sisters, for some Turkish Delight. During the visit, she lets him eat Turkish Delight until he has nearly had his fill. Then she sends him back to bring his family to her, with promises that he will get all the Turkish Delight he can eat.

After returning with his siblings, Edmund slips away to the White Witch’s castle. On the way, he justifies his betrayal by reminding himself how unfairly they treated him at times. He had been bickering with them and thought a lesson from the White Witch might do them good. More than anything he just wanted that Turkish Delight and was determined to get it.

When at the White Witch’s castle, he tells her his siblings are in Narnia at the beavers’ home. He asks for his pay—some Turkish Delight. The Witch calls for a dwarf who brings him stale bread on a tin plate instead. Edward turns up his nose at first, but the rage of the Witch causes him to sit and nibble on the horrible bread.

We don’t need our Christian parable glasses to see how Edmund’s short-sighted actions resemble things we do. He trades family for a few sweets . . . only to see he has actually bargained for something horrible. We can think of similar trades we have made over the years. Maybe for some it is a dramatic sin . . . but maybe for others it is the sweets of working too much, or playing too much golf, or sending e-mails instead of wrestling with our kids.

What is fantastic about the story, though, is Aslan’s reaction to Edmund when he meets him. He goes for a walk with him, and they talk quietly. Then Edmund comes back to the group, the family he has hurt, and says to Peter, “We talked. What’s done is done. The past is gone and should not be brought up again.”

Amazing to think that all of us who have made such horrible arrangements over the years with the Witch can speak with Aslan and be granted such peace.

Mark

SPIRIT OF ADOPTION

Most of you know I work during the week for a company that facilitates international adoptions. I have no personal experience or connections with this issue, but many in our congregation do. This week while reading Romans chapter eight, I noticed in the Bible version I was reading Paul says, "We do not have a spirit of fear but a spirit of adoption in which we cry Abba father." I had not heard that particular translation before, or if I had, I did not notice the word adoption. I think my NIV translates it as "a spirit of sonship." To me the term adoption is more inclusive and maybe a more accurate reflection of what He has done for us. Certainly when Paul penned those words, he was not thinking about the legal paperwork, the home studies, the dossiers that are compiled, etc.; yet, that imagery encapsulates well what has happened to us as children of God.

UNICEF estimates 140 million orphans in the world right now. This includes countries who consider children orphans if they have lost their father . . . the breadwinner of the family. In America we might not call them orphans, but we would certainly call them "the fatherless." If these numbers are accurate, then it is no exaggeration to say the world faces a crisis: a population of children equal to about half the population of the United States currently has no fathers!

In 1 John 3 it says, "See what love the Father has given us, that we might be called children of God!" It is striking to remember we too should be among the fatherless . . . yet God has bestowed upon us a "spirit of adoption." He took us in, not because we deserved it, but because he found us in need of a father and adopted us, chose us to be his children. I can't imagine a child growing up and boasting, "When my parents came to that orphanage they knew I was the best kid; I impressed them with my behavior and overall goodness; I really did it!" But rather the child would probably say, "Wow, my parents could have chosen any child, yet they chose me! What a miracle, what an amazing turn of events that my father (and mother) 'selected' me!"

Praise God for the spirit of adoption—in his eternal wisdom and goodness he chooses us and we cry, "Abba Father!"

Mark