Monthly Archives: May 2018
“EVEN NOW”
Friday, May 18, 2018
I am not a particularly good server at Bob Evans. I recognize this fact, and acknowledge it. I’m old and slow and scattered, and I screw up—a lot.
However, I show up, work hard, and try to be kind and attentive to my customers. I genuinely like customers, and am glad that I can try to serve them.
Last night, I did such a poor job of serving a family of four that the manager comped their entire meal, worthy about $60.00. I told her she needed to fire me, but she didn’t agree. The family still left me a $5.00 tip. I felt as if I should tip them.
My last table, a three-top, were very gracious and patient. I thanked them, and told them that it had been a rough night. I had made every mistake that could be made, and even some mistakes that couldn’t be made.
One lady said, “I waited tables when I was about half your age. I couldn’t even imagine doing it now.” I have a difficult time imagining doing it myself.
Last night, I came home hurting badly in places I didn’t even know I had. After a pretty good 6 ½ hours of sleep or so, I feel much better. Tonight, I go back and try to do it again. Hopefully, I’ll do better tonight.
Of course, I tend to live my life in a regretful, self-pitying manner. If only I had done what I should have done as a pastor, if only I had avoided sin, if only I were still a pastor, I wouldn’t have to work so hard at a profession that is not helped by a Ph.D. in theology, if only . . ., if only . . .
But, of course, “if-onlys” are worse than useless. They are a kind of anti-confession that merely saps my strength and irritates others. “If only” is one of the ugliest, most futile expressions in the English/American language.
The Old Testament prophet Joel sets against such “if-onlys” an uncompromisingly direct “even-now.”
“Even now– this is the LORD’s declaration– turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” (Joel 2:12, Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Joel had portrayed the devastating judgment upon Judah with the words that suggest either a catastrophic invasion of locusts (if he is speaking literally), or a catastrophic invasion of an army (if he is speaking metaphorically). In any case, the portrait he paints is quite dark. The people of Judah are portrayed as starving.
However, Joel also holds out some hope. “Even now,” Joel writes in 2:12. It is never too late to repent. It is never too late to do the next right thing. It is never too late to hope. It is never too late to trust God. It is never too late to love and let myself be loved.
Even now!
In the midst of writing this blog, I just got word that a good twelve-step friend died. But even now, the living go on living. Even now, I must decided to live through and for and with God.
Even now.
(There is a wonderful sermon entitled “Even Now,” by C.H. Spurgeon, based on Martha and the raising of Lazarus from the dead, at https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2249.cfm.)
“PROPHETS WHO MESS UP”
[For the next month or so, most of my blog posts will be at least loosely related to the biblical prophets. There is a practical reason for this.
I was wondering this morning how on earth I would keep up with my goal of posting a musing every day while I will be teaching a course on the Old Testament Prophets. Then I said to myself, why not blog about the prophets? My self could find no reason why this was a bad idea, so here goes!
Don’t worry, however. The prophets are a very varied bunch. This shouldn’t be boring—unless, of course, I make it so.]
The First Prophet Who Messed Up
The first Old Testament prophet to mess up was the first prophet. (A transliteration of the Hebrew word for prophet would look something like this: näbî.) The name of this prophet was “Abraham.”
Thus, the first explicit mention of a prophet comes very near the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis 20:7. Here is the verse:
“Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.” (New Living Translation)
So, Abraham is a prophet. Yet, he does not come across as looking very good in this chapter of the Bible or in this chapter of Abraham’s life. The entire immediate context of this verse is the whole of chapter 20. Some of you may not have a Bible handy, so here is the whole chapter. Fear not! It is not a long chapter.
“Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar. While living there as a foreigner,
2 Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.
3 But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!”
4 But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?
5 Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘Yes, he is my brother.’ I acted in complete innocence! My hands are clean.”
6 In the dream God responded, “Yes, I know you are innocent. That’s why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her.
7 Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”
8 Abimelech got up early the next morning and quickly called all his servants together. When he told them what had happened, his men were terrified.
9 Then Abimelech called for Abraham. “What have you done to us?” he demanded. “What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? No one should ever do what you have done!
10 Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?”
11 Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.’
12 And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers. And I married her.
13 When God called me to leave my father’s home and to travel from place to place, I told her, ‘Do me a favor. Wherever we go, tell the people that I am your brother.'”
14 Then Abimelech took some of his sheep and goats, cattle, and male and female servants, and he presented them to Abraham. He also returned his wife, Sarah, to him.
15 Then Abimelech said, “Look over my land and choose any place where you would like to live.”
16 And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your ‘brother’ 1,000 pieces of silver in the presence of all these witnesses. This is to compensate you for any wrong I may have done to you. This will settle any claim against me, and your reputation is cleared.”
17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could have children.
18 For the LORD had caused all the women to be infertile because of what happened with Abraham’s wife, Sarah.” (New Living Translation)
So, who is the hero here? As I read it, Abimelech is! He was king of the city of Gerar, which would later be classified as a Philistine city. Abimelech was, in short, not “one of us” in relation to the father of Israel, Abraham.
And yet, Abraham lied and Abimelech had acted innocently, with integrity. If there is one thing that the Bible shows us about human beings and institutions, it is this: It is impossible to say in advance who is in and who is out, who is righteous and who is not. Everyone and every institution is pretty badly messed up.
Still, Abraham is called by God “a prophet” (verse 20). Yes, he lied, but he is still a prophet.
But did you notice what Abraham was supposed to do as a prophet? He was supposed to pray for Abimelech. We don’t always think of prophets as people of prayer, but the Bible clearly indicates that they are. (See, for example, 1 Samuel 7:5; 12:23; 1 Kings 13:6; James 5:17-18.)
One of my favorite people in the world—the one who helped me fall even more in love with the Old Testament than I already was—Victor P. Hamilton, wrote concerning Genesis 20:7, “This is the first use of prophet in the Bible. The role of the prophet here is that of intercessor: he will pray for you. Abraham has already done that for Sodom, but he was not styled there as a näbî. Abraham’s duplicity apparently did not disqualify him from functioning as an interceding näbî.”[1]
Two things come to mind. The first is that one of the tasks for the Israelite prophet is to pray for healing, even (especially?) for outsiders. Prayer is one way in which the insider goes outside to bring the outsider inside.
The second thing that comes to mind is that even (especially?) flawed people, people who have blown it, people who have lied, people who have caused real harm and pain to others, can still be used by God to help others.
It’s a good thing. We’re all pretty flawed.
[1] Victor P. Hamilton, The Book of Genesis: Chapters 18-50, NICOT (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1995), 64.
“GOD HATES DISH WASHING MACHINES!”
God hates automatic dishwashing machines! The reason I know this is because I hate automatic dishwashing machines!
Yes, I am aware of the studies that “prove” that dishwashing machines use less water and energy and are better for the environment. However, my question about this (and all other studies that prove or disprove this or that) is, “Who financed the study?”
I have an exceedingly current reason for this rant. The sad tale goes as follows.
My wife loves to cook and bake. This is good, because she’s good at it and I love to eat. However, this creates a lot of dishes. I try to do most of them.
My wife had baked some cakes to take last night to some needy folks whom we feed on Monday nights at our church. When she came home, I rinsed off the cake pans (none too well), and put them into the dishwasher. I was tired, so I said to myself, “Let the dishwasher do the work this time!”
This morning, I got up early and started unloading the dishwasher. I got out a new drying towel and began drying the cake pans. Problem? Cake was still caked on the cake pans. (And yes, I did remember to run the dishwasher!)
I was ticked! I made a vow that I would wash all dishes by hand from here on out. We’ll see how long that vow will hold.
As I was rather angrily doing most of the dishes from the dishwasher by hand, it suddenly occurred to me that God hates dishwashers too. Or, at least, God doesn’t use them. God washes us by hand.
“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.” So says David in Psalm 51:2. Throughout the Old and New Testament, we are told repeatedly that, even when his people sin, God doesn’t give up on them. Punish, yes. Give up, no. God’s desire is that we repent of our sin. Repent is an old-fashioned word that likely embraces the ideas of being sorry for our wrong-doing, confessing them, and turning to God and away from those wrong-doings. When we repent, God begins the cleansing process. God washes us by hand, and no one has hands that are as thorough as God’s. God is careful not to break any of his dishes, but he sure scrubs hard, and unlike dishes, we humans have feelings and free will. We don’t like to be washed thoroughly.
Like virtually all little boys (and some girls), we would rather take a beating than a bath. God scrubs us like my grandma scrubbed me when I was little. When I protested during a bath that she was hurting poor little me, my grandma said, “If you aren’t pink, you aren’t clean,” and kept right on scrubbing.
God uses abrasive scouring pads, strong soap, hot water, and lots of elbow grease. He scrubs us again, if we are not clean enough to suit him.
I’d like to do the dishes once, and be done with them. Unfortunately, they seem to get dirty again. We get dirty again too. Old preachers used to talk about “keeping short accounts with God.” We need to do the same with God. Dishes are much easier to wash if the grime hasn’t set up.
We need to confess our mess-ups to God. We need to ‘fess up if we want God to clean our mess up.
DTEB, “HOLY COVERUPS”
My pastor is encouraging us to meditate on the Scriptures, to chew it up thoroughly, like a cow chewing the cud. That is a good reminder for me. I used to be better at doing this consistently than I have been of late.
So, this morning I awoke determined to thoroughly chew and digest some Scripture. Unfortunately (or was it?), my eyes fell on a verse from Proverbs, and I got no further. Here is the verse:
“He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” (Proverbs 17:9, New International Version)
The Bible says two things about covering up sin.
- Don’t do it! In the long run it is neither healthy nor possible. (Proverbs 28:13; James 5:16)
- Do it! It is essential. (Proverbs 28:13; 1 Peter 4:8)
Psalm 32:1-5 points out the proper order of covering and uncovering. Verses 1 and 5 use the same Hebrew word for “to cover” that is used in Proverbs 17:9. (I have used red font for the translation and have transliterated the Hebrew word in these verses.)
1 “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight (caseh)!
2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude
5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide (caseh) my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude” (New Living Translation)
The psalmist confesses that he had tried in the past to hide his sin, and that only when he confessed it, did he have a sense of blessed forgiveness. Hiding our own sin is not a good idea, to put it mildly.
However, Proverbs 17:9 is not about hiding my sin. Rather, it is about hiding the wrongdoing of the other.
Now, this can certainly be abused. There is a type of cover-up that is not at all helpful. Denying that someone has harmed you will make you sick. Furthermore, such a cover-up will not help the wrongdoer. The Bible has a great deal to say about confronting your brother or sister about serious wrongdoing (Matthew 18:15; 1 Timothy 5:20; James 5:19-20)
However, as I meditated (and masticated) on Proverbs 17:9, I realized (with the help of some good commentaries) that this Proverb is suggesting that we not “repeat” a person’s offense. Literally, the Hebrew word that is translated “repeat” in many translations of this verse means “to do something again.” This verse does not suggest that we ought not to talk with a person who has offended us. But it is does suggest two possible things to avoid.
- Don’t repeat the matter to others. That is why some translations use the word “gossip.”
- Don’t bring up the matter again with the person who has wronged you.
Both of these things are very difficult. However, how do you feel when someone gossips about you? Furthermore, if you are like me, when you indulge in gossip, it leaves a bad taste in your own mouth as well.
And, of course, bringing up past wrong-doings again and again is neither wise nor helpful. It doesn’t help the other person at all, and it doesn’t help you either—unless, of course, you need some help in being bitter and unforgiving. Most of us don’t need any help at all with those things.
Or, to put it more positively (as Proverbs 17:9a does), properly covering over someone’s sin “promotes love.” And, most certainly, love needs to be promoted.
“R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”
“R.E.S.P.C.T. Find out what it means to me.” (Aretha Franklin, lyrics from the song “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”)
“Respect—not adoration—is what I would like to receive.” (Overheard at a 12-step meeting)
“He felt like he was being disrespected.” (A co-worker, explaining to me why two of the guys who work in the kitchen almost came to blows last night.)
“Simple respect! I want nothing more, and I’ll accept nothing less.” (Loretta Swit as Major Margaret Houlihan. She was responding to Hawkeye’s question about what she expected from him. Hawkeye pointed out that this might be a good thing to say to her mother-in-law, who was not treating Margaret with respect.)
Two guys who work in the kitchen at the restaurant where I work as a server nearly got into a fistfight last night. Fortunately, an alert server (not me) told the manager before it came to that. Apparently, one of the men felt like the other was disrespecting him. Respect matters.
Both of the men were African American. I think that respect is important to everyone. However, it may be even more important to African Americans. I don’t know that for sure, and it may just be another racist stereotype. However, if it is true, I think that I may understand some of the underlying dynamics of it. As a society, those of us who are in the majority have tended to treat minorities without respect (in other words, with positive disrespect). When a commodity becomes rare for an individual or any group of people, people tend to value it greatly, and fights tend to break out more frequently over that commodity. A dearth of respect breeds conflict.
Women also come to mind as people who, although not a minority, are often treated with radical disrespect. When I was young, I worked at a factory. One of the other young men who worked on the assembly line with me, was always talking about his ‘old lady.’ This did not sound very respectful to me. Finally, one day, I had had enough, and said (rather disrespectfully, I acknowledge), “You’re always talking about your ‘old lady.’ Do you realize that makes you either an old man or a gigilo?” I would like to tell you that I myself have always treated women with respect, but I like to tell the truth occasionally.
Be that as it may (or may not be), respect is important for all people. Here is the problem. We all want to be respected, but we are not quite so intent on being respectful.
However, I’ve known some people who seemed to have recognized the importance of being respectful. My wife is generally a very respectful person. It is one of many wonderful qualities that she possesses. Strangely enough (or is it really so strange?), her respectfulness often frees me up to recognize when I am in the wrong.
One of my professors at Hebrew Union College, Dr. David Weisberg, was another person who was very respectful. He genuinely liked and thought the best of his students, even when some were not altogether respectful of him or of his assignments. (One that I know only too well was not always so respectable, but Dr. Weisberg gave me another chance. He was prone to do that.)
So, what is respect anyway? Aretha wanted someone to find out what it meant to her. That points out something crucial: Respect does not necessarily mean the same thing to everyone. However, I think that perhaps some broad statements might be helpful. They can always be customized for individuals and particular situations. Here is the state of my present thinking on the matter. Feel free to e mail me or comment on this blog site with your own thoughts.
- Respect means thinking the best of people, as much as you can bring yourself to do so. Some people have let you down. No doubt. But even those people could stand some good thoughts sent their way. I’m not saying that you should marry them, or that you should cosign a loan with them. But at least don’t think that their motivation or intent is always horrible. After all, you might have made some mistakes along the way yourself.
- Respect means hoping the best for people. You may not approve of the way they have lived their lives in the past, or how they are living their lives in the present. However, I’ve known a few people who have made dramatic turnarounds. My own self comes to mind. My brother pretty much knew all about my wrong-doings. I thanked him one time for keeping in touch and for not always throwing my failures in my face. His thoughtful (but honest) reply was, “Well, I figure that just because a person has made a fool of himself, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the person has done a permanent job of it.” Ironic side note: My brother wasn’t too sure there was even a God. However, his words reflect a very godly attitude!
- Respect means that, no matter what someone has done or is doing to you, that person is still needing respect. Sometimes we speak of “earning respect.” I think that is an unhelpful way of speaking and thinking. Respect, in my judgment, is emphatically not earned. Respect is graciously given. Hopefully, the person whom we respect is capable of receiving the respect we give. If so, they may begin living a better, more respectable life. But even if they don’t, we have shown respect for someone, and have really lost nothing. Who knows? Giving respect to others may even help us to have more self-respect.
“ACCEPTING GOD’S ACCEPTANCE”
I recently read these words from the theologian Paul Tillich:
“You are accepted! … accepted by that which is greater than you and the name of which you do not know. Do not ask the name now, perhaps you will know it later. Do not try to do anything; perhaps later you will do much. Do not seek for anything, do not perform anything, and do not intend anything. Simply accept the fact you are accepted.”
But accepting acceptance isn’t simple to do, is it? At least, accepting acceptance is not simple for the vast majority of us. Most of us tend to put an “if” or a “when” in our acceptance. And, for most of us, the if never is fulfilled and the when never comes. Even if the if is fulfilled and even when the when does come, we are pounced on by another if or when. No, accepting acceptance is not simple.
Maybe my basic problem is what has been called “the performance trap.” I think that I have to perform at a certain level (and a very high level at that) in order to be acceptable. Maybe I need to learn a lesson from very small children or my dog. They don’t seem to worry a lot about performance or acceptance. Or, at least, they don’t worry about these things until they are taught to do so.
Perhaps my basic problem is that I don’t so much need to learn any new truth. Rather, I need to unlearn some old untruths. The untruths that I am not accepted, that I am not acceptable, that I have to do something in order to be acceptable—all these and more—need to be kicked (or carried) to the curb.
It is definitely spring now. It is time for spring cleaning. A mental and spiritual spring cleaning is in order. I need to set out my mental and spiritual trash. That is what is called by the old-fashioned term “confession.” The God of the universe is humble enough to haul it all away. That is what is called by the old-fashioned name “forgiveness.”
“AM I BEING FAIR TO MYSELF?”
“The LORD demands accurate scales and balances; he sets the standards for fairness.” (Proverbs 16:11, New Living Translation)
“Not fair!!” (My youngest daughter whenever her older sister and brother beat her in a footrace)
I was thinking about fairness this morning, and it suddenly occurred to me that fairness is very important, but very rare.
The words for “fair” in the Bible are often translated with words like “just, justice,” and “judgment.” However, justice seems to me to be a word that is too narrow to really convey what the Hebrew and Greek words mean. “Fair” and “fairness” seem to be a fairer translation.
Throughout the Old and New Testaments, we are told that God is fair. It may not seem so to us. In fact, to tell the truth, God very often appears to be anything but fair. However, I need to distinguish between who God is and who God may appear to be to me.
Furthermore, both the Old and New Testaments tell me that I also need to be fair. Now, the Scriptures are getting plumb meddlesome!
Being fair to others is very hard work. If I let a person into my lane on the highway, I may be trying to be fair. But what about the people behind me? Am I being fair to them?
It occurred to me this morning that there is one person that I am particularly unfair to: myself. I frequently talk badly about myself. I am demanding. I want to be the perfect everything. I try to hold myself to a higher standard than I would anyone else—including God. Seriously! I would more readily allow for some sort of weakness in God than in myself.
Not FAIR!
But how can I truly believe in the fairness of God, unless I am at least trying to be fair to myself? If I don’t practice fairness, I tend to make God over into my own image. That is called idolatry. It is also called stupidity.
And if I am not fair to myself, how can I be fair to others? I can only act, based on who I am. If I am not practicing the fine art of fairness toward myself, how can I make a serious attempt at being fair to others.
So, today I am going to be fair to myself. To practice and to make progress in the spiritual realm, I need to practice all the virtues—fairness included—toward myself, as well as toward everyone else.
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
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