Abandon

I remember my Uncle Chappy telling me a very poignant story from his service in Vietnam. He was a lieutenant in the Army and he explained to me that he committed to the men in his platoon that he would never ask them to do something that he wouldn’t do such as taking a forward position. In fact, he didn’t just talk about it; he once joined a team of his platoon at the point of a dangerous patrol in the jungle when he didn’t need to. Only after being ordered did he return back to the rest of the platoon. Afterwards, his brothers graciously asked him not to do that again but his point was clearly made. Uncle Chappy said that he did this because he understood that these men were putting their lives in his hands and there had to be indisputable trust.

Whether we like to admit it or not, our lives are in someone else’s hands too. And all the time we waste denying and fearing that, trying to control everything, and trying to jump out of His hands – it’s the source of much of our discontent in life.

The issue of trust in God and trust in others is central to faith. You know that the opposite of faith is not doubt…it’s fear. And you know that fear keeps us from trusting and depending vertically (faith) and horizontally (fellowship).

In the midst of anguish and the threats and attacks of enemies, the Psalmist boldly proclaimed, “Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth (Psalm 31:5).” To me, it is the recognition that the only thing the Psalmist (and we) had to rely on was the Lord. Unfortunately, we often don’t realize or appreciate this until desperate, dark times.

As you might remember God’s own son, Jesus, while on the cross, cried out the very same words, “Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit! (Luke 23:46).”

I have to ask you – is this the cry of defeat or victory (think of what happens after the cross on Easter morning)?

Now, the world can look at these cries of the Psalmist and Jesus as voices of defeat. And certainly there is a surrender. But with the eyes of faith, there is much more to understand here. Surrendering to the faithfulness and trustworthiness of God is no surrender at all; in fact it is a victory! It is a victory over the corrupt human nature, it is a victory over sin and Satan’s ways. After all, the goal of this journey is to become more like Christ, and that will never happen for any of us who cling to what we want and what we think is best, right? At some point, whether a lightning bolt or gradually there has to be an acquiescence, a surrender, a submission, a commitment over and above ourselves into God’s hands and ways. The world says trust yourself, believe in yourself – does that really work? Trust in God or trust in myself – is there really a choice?

In the dangerous and uncertain jungles of Vietnam, Uncle Chappy understood that he had to demonstrate his dependability to his men. They had to see it to believe it. And the trust was needed for the platoon to function effectively.

Most of us are not and never will be in such perilous situations, but we are and will again face very challenging times and crises in our lives. Where is that trust in God or others for that matter going to come from especially if we can’t always see it?

Again the Psalmist helps, “In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed (Psalm 22:4-5).” In large part, our trust comes from remembering God’s promises and how we have seen them fulfilled in the past. In a related way, with trusting others, we can focus on the times when people have let us down, or the times when people have remained steadfast.

This trust in God…Is it risky? Yes. Will you feel like a fool? Probably at times. Will it seem incomprehensible? A lot of the time. Do I wrestle with trusting in God and his plan? Yes, too often. Do I (wrongly) think that my plan would be better? So prideful. Do I actually know better? Completely not. Would I be better off just trusting in God’s plan? Yes! Has He ever really let me down or forsaken me? When I think about it, never; the only disappointments had to do with my expectations. Will trusting in God transform our lives in unimaginably amazing ways? Absolutely.

I promise you there is much more freedom (than the paralysis of fear) and security in trusting God. Freedom in the abandon of leaving ourselves, leaving it all to God. We’ve heard the phrase “Give it all to God” or some variation, but how often have we really followed through. Faithfully proclaiming, “Into your hands, I commit my spirit (Psalm 31:5) is not a passive Que cera, cera (What will be, will be); it is a bold statement of faith and a declaration of abandon – abandoning our wills, our desires, our dreams, our hopes, our fears – our whole selves to God’s hands and sovereignty. It’s essentially saying “God I want your way to be my way.” In contrast, we spend so much time and effort trying to get God to endorse our ways.

One of the children in the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe asks if Aslan the Lion is safe. In other words, could they trust him? And the almost incredulous response is, “Is he safe. No. But he’s good.”

In the life of faith, there is no promise or guarantee of safety. In fact, if we are truly living out our faith in this world, it is quite dangerous. And trusting is not like 2+2, it takes real, actualized faith.

But know this – God is good and faithful and true. And even in the midst of a dangerous, chaotic, uncertain world, with all the war, disease and despair, when family and friends disappoint and betray, when planes fly into towers, buildings and fields, and those towers, buildings and lives are destroyed – there is a place of freedom, there is a place free of fear, there is a place you can truly depend on, there is a place of victory and triumph, there is a place of salvation…

“Into your hands, I commit my spirit…”

Can we, will we, without conditions or disclaimers, trust God with this kind of abandon?

Amen.

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

www.christopherbwolf.com

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For Real

I get it. I really do. Maybe you do too.

It’s much easier and safer to follow rules or a checklist than it is to have a living, breathing relationship.

Take friendship for example. To be a good friend, one can call regularly, budget time to spend together, remember special days, say prayers, and so on. That would make for a good friendship, right? A safe, superficial, appearance of a friendship.

But think of your best friendships. You’ve fought and forgiven, you’ve loved and laughed when it didn’t make sense, you’ve cried and been silent together, you’ve prayed and wondered late at night, you’ve learned to trust beyond doubt and appearance, you’ve faced weathering storms together and shared the best of times. Now that’s friendship, right?

I know you see the difference. Yes, it might be easier to work off a checklist in anything. And things might be accomplished efficiently and effectively. If that were the goal.

How about the difference between religion and a relationship with God? See, loving God and people involves risk and pain, but also unspeakable wonder and joy. Checklists, well, one can get a great sense of accomplishment 😉

I thought the goal with this was to passionately follow Christ and to be Christ to one another – which takes Word and Spirit working through our confused, sinful, oft-misdirected lives. And yes, following rules and checklists might clean it up a bit and package it nicely, but will they come anywhere near what was intended? No.

Paul warned of this in his letter to the Galatians who like us, wanted to slip back to more comfortable ways shortly after learning about the new life in the Gospel. “Is it not clear that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could easily come by rule-keeping then Christ died unnecessarily, Galatians 2:21, The Message.”

Unfortunately, many churches and Christians today seem focused on the rule-keeping and peer-pleasing kind of religion. Little to no transformation, keep it safe, no risk, no loss (no real gain) but very assuring. Please hear me. The church is of God – it is Spirit-born and led and I love it. As much damage as we sinful human beings can do to it, it’s still holy and it’s the body of Christ. And assurance is a good thing too; it’s the foundation for transformation in a life of faith.

But you and I know when churches and Christians squeeze and box out the Holy Spirit and desire a religious club that provides mostly assurance – the emphasis and the fruit simply cannot be on what Paul called above, “a personal and free relationship with God (through Jesus).” Also, grace will be at a minimum. Because as Paul explained, “rule-keeping and peer-pleasing religion…repudiates God’s grace.” Rules and check-lists – if followed sufficiently produce self-righteousness or “perfection” rather than needing and thirsting for the grace of God – won at the cross – to flow down and wash away our sins.

I guess what I am saying is that it often seems like we are putting religion before or over and above a living, breathing relationship with God – and then at the same time, wondering why so many churches in America are declining or dying.

And I get it. I really do. Many think that in a seemingly unraveling world that grows more and more chaotic, can’t we keep one thing or one place that is sacred and safe? It’s a valid question and comes from a good place.

But the assumption or foundation is a misread. Religion, and more specifically the church, whether in the first century or twenty-first century, is to be both the magnet and vehicle – is the engine to draw, save and equip people for the life-altering, mystifying, exhilarating, always moving toward good roller coaster adventure of daily following Jesus and further revealing His Kingdom. It’s not supposed to be the brake nor the merry-go-round.

To paraphrase the song “The Heart of Worship” – “We’re sorry Lord, for the things we’ve made it; cause it’s all about you, all about you Jesus.” Well today, we’re sorry Lord, for making this more about personalities, ministries, styles, exclusivity, agendas, traditions, performance, programs, and budgets.

The question for you and I – and for churches is this – is it first about a relationship with Jesus or not? Is that the starting point?

It’s the difference between an attractive, safe, preserved, routine shell of a relationship, and the real thing – which is a flesh and blood, Spirit-ual, transforming, shared, saving, eternal union.

Amen.

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A Handful of Cloak

Jerry was desperate…

His daughter was deathly ill. He needed help fast. He needed a miracle.

Likewise, there was a woman who had suffered for years. But it wouldn’t go away. She had tried everything. She was alone. She was out of money and it wasn’t getting better. The doctors had no answers.

She was at the end of her rope.

But…

Jesus was within reach.

As you know, it is not as simple as that. Jesus is always within reach. But, it’s the reach, right?

A reach is leaving our comfort zones, it requires a choice, it requires effort, it requires risk, and it requires that something be left behind.

For both Jerry and the woman it was a risk to reach Jesus – it could have cost them everything.

For Jerry, a religious official, his turning to Jesus for help put his status and reputation at risk.

For the woman, she had virtually nothing left, but would be getting Jesus in trouble with the religious officials.

Maybe there was just something about Jesus.

Jerry, also known as Jairus, put it all on the line and humbly asked Jesus for help – and Jesus said he would come to see his daughter.

The woman, literally reached for Jesus, “if I but touch his cloak, I will be healed,” she thought to herself.

And…

Just as she grabbed his cloak, she knew it was over – she was healed! And then the words, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague (Mark 5:34 The Message).”

Speaking of daughters, by the time Jesus got to Jairus’ daughter, she was dead. They had heard the news along the way, but that didn’t stop Jesus. And when He got into her room of mourning, the Son brought the light! With just a “Wake up, little girl” she was alive again!

I guess Jerry and the woman could have played it safe. Jerry’s daughter would have died and stayed dead. We might say that they would have healed over time. The woman would have gone on alone and suffering. Not much of a life though.

Not much of a life though.

We play it safe – too safe. We are held hostage by our fears and doubts. We make compromises and deals and say, “We can live with it.” But deep down, the ache and the regret and the “what ifs” overflow in our souls.

That is why these two, Jerry and the woman have always meant so much to me – they challenge me and remind me. They remind me to always be thinking about my faith; the times I have reached and been blessed and convicting me for the times I haven’t. And they remind me of some special people I have known who have made that reach. And how they found faith and healing and yes, even miracles.

Because when we are reaching and risking for Jesus’ sake, our faith is real and alive. From the inside out, from behind the wall, out of the silence, out from the pew, beyond the doors, beyond our fears – that is where the healing is, that is where the miracles are, it is where we live – blessed – on the other side of the reach – in the handful of His cloak, in the humbled “ask” for help.

How much risk is in your faith today? In which parts of your life are you reaching out to Jesus? What needs to be left behind as you reach? In which parts of your life are you risking something, if not everything, in faith? If you belong to a church – where is your church risking and reaching?

How is your reach?

Amen.

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The Reach

Mark 5

The Reach

 

 

“Jerry” was desperate.

 

His daughter was deathly ill. He needed help fast. He needed a miracle.

 

Likewise, there was a woman who had suffered for years. But it wouldn’t go away. She had tried everything. She was alone. She was out of money and it wasn’t getting better. The doctors had no answers.

 

She was at the end of her rope.

 

But…

 

Jesus was within reach.

 

As you know, it is not as simple as that. Jesus is always within reach. But, it’s the reach, right?

 

A reach is leaving our comfort zones, it requires a choice, it requires effort, it requires risk, and it requires that something be left behind.

 

For both Jerry and the woman it was a risk to reach Jesus – it could have cost them everything.

 

For Jerry, a religious official, his turning to Jesus for help put his status and reputation at risk.

 

For the woman, she had virtually nothing left, but would be getting Jesus in trouble with the religious officials.

 

Maybe there was just something about Jesus.

 

Jerry, also known as Jairus, put it all on the line and humbly asked Jesus for help – and Jesus said he would come to see his daughter.

 

The woman, literally reached for Jesus, “if I but touch his cloak, I will be healed,” she thought to herself.

 

And…

 

Just as she grabbed his cloak, she knew it was over – she was healed! And then the words, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague (Mark 5:34 The Message).”

 

Speaking of daughters, by the time Jesus got to Jairus’ daughter, she was dead. They had heard the news along the way, but that didn’t stop Jesus. And when He got into her room of mourning, the Son brought the light! With just a “Wake up, little girl” she was alive again!  

 

I guess Jerry and the woman could have played it safe. Jerry’s daughter would have died and stayed dead. We might say that they would have healed over time. The woman would have gone on alone and suffering. Not much of a life though.

 

Not much of a life though.

 

We play it safe, too safe. We are held hostage by our fears and doubts. We make compromises and deals and say, “We can live with it.” But deep down, the ache and the regret and the “what ifs” overflow in our souls.  

 

That is why these two, Jerry and the woman have always meant so much to me – they challenge me and remind me. They remind me to always be thinking about my faith; the times I have reached and been blessed and convicting me for the times I haven’t. And they remind me of some special people I have known who have made that reach. And how they found faith and healing and yes, even miracles.

 

Because when we are reaching and risking for Jesus’ sake, our faith is real and alive. From the inside out, from behind the wall, out of the silence, out from the pew, beyond the doors, beyond our fears – that is where the healing is, that is where the miracles are, it is where we live – blessed – on the other side of the reach – in the handful of His cloak, in the humbled “ask” for help.

 

How much risk is in your faith today? In which parts of your life are you reaching out to Jesus? What needs to be left behind as you reach? In which parts of your life are you risking something, if not everything, in faith? If you belong to a church – where is your church risking and reaching?

 

How is your reach?

 

Amen.

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