BENT FIGURE OF A WOMAN: Meditation on Vincent Van Gogh’s Picture

There seems to be an unspoken weariness expressed by her posture. It mimics and mirrors the weariness of our own souls. Perhaps the day’s chores have been completed, leaving an inner “depleted-ness.” Her head is resting on her left hand as if it has no energy of its own. Even the most simple of tasks, holding the head up, is unthinkable at this moment.

          The right hand is lifelessly drooped over her knee as if it too needs support and help. Having worked and fulfilled the day’s pressing demands, it now rests in exhaustion.

          For some reason the word “resignation” seems appropriate to depict her entire demeanor. What is she resigned to? Has a loved one left her? Has her heart been broken? Are the pressing responsibilities more than she can bear? Does the future seem hopeless with no hint of change?

          The eyes looking downward and over to the side are telling indeed. They seem to ask the question, “Why are you bothering me with your empty promises? Things are not going to get better. Why should I care anymore?” These burning questions are responses to the false hopes uttered by one who has stepped out of her view. Those false hopes ring so hollow, echoes of emptiness reverberating in the chambers of her lonely heart.

          Purpose and motivation have been crushed by the weight of obligations never letting up. Something about her bent figure seated in a chair echoes the contours of our own inner life. Too often our own unspoken weariness comes from a loss of vision within. The boss had piled on another deadline. The children have been sick one too many times. My spouse has misunderstood me and hurt my feelings again. Another unexpected bill has arrived in the mail. Facebook has de-friended me from another friend.

          How can we go on in the face of such “depleted-ness?” Somehow the energy to go on can no longer be mustered. Her own fatigue has forced her heart to create space for God. This woman may very well be engaged in “weary prayer.” Such a prayer would be the inner groanings escaping from a wearied soul. These type of prayers know the fullness of empty words. They are prayed out of truthfulness in the heart when the mind is too numb to function any more.

          If I were to draw a graphic with my own bent figure in the chair, what would it look like? What clothes would I be wearing? How would my head be resting? Where would I be casting my gaze? What would my hands be doing, if anything?

          Often at the end of a long, exhausting day a couch or lounge chair provides the perfect respite for the depleted soul. How do I recoup and regroup from the day’s demands? Limitations of my personhood create caverns in the psyche where self-doubt, fear and rejection take up residence and spread quietly like a deadly cancer.

Do I allow God to embrace my soul and refresh me? My own “weary prayers” are the lifeline to a caring God. God sees the weariness and personal exhaustion. God accepts the failures, provides clarity of vision and defines purpose for my life.

My own “bent-ness” is noticed by a loving and compassionate God.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV).

“Stay a Little While, O Wanderer”

                 This past week I had the opportunity to visit an exact replica of the ancient catacombs found outside Rome. It was to scale, along with the type of rock excavated and the art and graphics on the rock walls. The frescoes are copies of the originals.

                There were a couple of authentic items, one being the actual body of an 8 year old boy martyred in Rome. His body was wrapped in fine clothes and a stately outfit, but you could see his mummified hands and feet with the bones showing. It was humbling and eerie to be actually looking at the body of young man from a Christian family almost 2,000 years old. He is known as St. Innocent.

                There were nearly 900 miles of underground passageways dug out by early Christians in the pumice-like rock. The purpose was to have a place to bury their dead, and to have special services in honor of their dead. This was all necessary because Roman authorities would not permit Christians to be buried in regular cemeteries.

                As I walked through the dimly lit, narrow passages, I could see various fading artwork and graffiti. The words that captured my attention the most were, “Sta, viator.” This can be roughly translated as, “Stay a little while, O Wanderer.” Or, another possible translation that our guide suggested was, “Pause, and consider your own fate.”

                Something deeply stirred within me as I witnessed what it must have been like for Christians in the early centuries to remember their dead. It was important for me to pause and stay a little while, giving  homage in my own heart to those who have gone before. History has not recorded for us all of those brave Christians who died and were buried in the Roman catacombs. They are a long forgotten witness of the faithful who have gone on before.

                The first three centuries of the church were difficult years. Depending on where one lived in the Roman Empire, different levels of persecution were experienced. Some stories of amazing faith in the face of cruel martyrdom have emerged from this time period.

                Yes, I want to stay a little while precisely because I am a wanderer! I am in exile, a foreigner, and a stranger that has a heritage of faith blazing the trail for my own witness in the world. May I always be true to Jesus who died for me.  May I always take time to remember the faithful who have gone before.

^“They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground "(Hebrews 11:37-38).

In Christian love, Curtis

What does it mean to be “religious?”

James 1:26-27

The word that James uses for “religious” (threskos) comes from the idea of religion being ritualistic worship activities or even a religious system that one embraces.

There is a reference in Jewish practice centuries before James was on the scene of the idea of “religious” being tied to the skill of a craftsman.  This person  made images of children and kings that provided avenues of reverence but also added to a whole world of superstition and misguided reverence that should have been directed toward God (Wisdom of Solomon XIV.18).

                So, for centuries people have attached wrong ideas to the notion of being religious. Questions abound: is it performing certain rituals correctly? Is it living a perfect life? Is it proving that I am morally better than others? Is it a type of moral purity I achieve because I do more things for the poor and needy? Does it mean that I am living a cramped lifestyle, and I cannot do the other “fun” things that my friends at work get to do over the weekend? Just what does it mean to be “religious?”

                In an astounding move, James takes the idea of “religious/religion” and,  instead of emphasizing ritualistic perfection and moral perfection, he points out that it is a matter of the heart.

                Because religion is a matter of the heart, three things will be evident:

1.       I will be able to bridle my tongue and bless others instead of cursing them.

2.       To care for orphans and widows need, troubles and pressures.

3.       Embrace a different set of values that focuses on God’s will, and not run rampant after values of the world that destroy one’s character and reputation.

Of course, this short list was never intended by James to be the entire picture. But notice that it covers three important things: my words, my reaching out to others, and my value system. If this is religion, then it covers a lot in my life!

Throughout the Bible God demonstrates concern that his covenant people control their tongues. Who would have thought that religions is concerned with what I say to you!

Throughout the Bible God demonstrates His care for the widows and orphans through his covenant people. Who would have thought that religion is concerned with that!

Throughout the Bible God demonstrates concern that His covenant people embrace the right values. Who would have thought that religion is concerned about the values I embrace down deep in my heart, and guide what I do every day!

Even though “religious” and “religion” have received a bad rap for a long time, perhaps the only answer is to live the Christian life in such a way that my tongue, my care, and my values give these two words a whole new meaning from the context of my faithful life to my loving Heavenly Father!

In Christian love, Curtis

QUICK TO LISTEN & SLOW TO SPEAK

Have you ever spouted off something without thinking and it got you into trouble? We instantly realize in two seconds the trouble we are in, and we wish we could take the words back. It may be the hurt look on another’s face, it may be the heavy silence in the room, or it may be our conscience giving us a swift kick—these all speak in a voice that reminds us we should have kept quiet!

                In James 1:19-21 the writer makes a connection between our listening skills and our speaking skills. He starts off with the emphatic phrase…”Understand this…”

                James begins by saying, “Here is something crucial I want you to understand in your Christian life. You need to listen more often than you speak.”

                Notice that James connects quick speaking with anger. We are to be “slow to speak, and slow to anger.” Why is this so? The reason is much more important that keeping me out of trouble.  He connects it with God. Thoughtless speaking and angry words do not bring about or work out the “righteousness of God.”

                This righteousness can be understood in one of two ways (maybe both at the same time!):         1) My listening and speaking should represent the very nature and character of God in my life;       and/or 2) The very will of God can be carried out by how I listen and control my tongue.

                You see, we need to understand that James connects something as practical as my listening and speaking to the very will and nature of God in the world. He is not just concerned with helping us stay out of trouble. He is not just interested in helping us develop relationships skills. He is not just concerned with giving us tips for better living.

                James wants us to know that thoughtless speech and a quick temper do not come from God nor represent the will of God. In this paragraph, he closes with a conclusion about how we are to live in such a way as to save our souls. It is the implanted word that we receive in humility that transforms our speech and lives. This kind of attitude and power from the implanted word enables us to put away everything that is filthy in our lives, along with rampant or abundant wickedness.

                Practically, this means that every day and with every spoken word I must pass the “God-test.”

Am I listening with the compassion of the heart of God? Are the words I am about to speak represent God and His will in the world? Do I realize that unchecked words and anger do not bring about God’s righteousness in the world? What keeps me from being a compassionate and caring listener? Is there anything filthy in my speech or wicked in my thinking and behavior that needs to go?

“Understand this…” May God give us the grace to really understand this!

In Christian love, Curtis

Do Not Fret!

I cannot imagine a more poignant and applicable command in Scripture for most of us! Three times in Psalm 37 the Psalmist says, “Do not fret.”

What does it mean to fret? The dictionary says, “to cause to suffer emotional strain: vex. To grate, wear away, corrode. To affect something by gnawing or biting. To chafe.”

Basically when we fret about something we are allowing that thing (whatever it is) to gnaw away at our insides. It chafes our soul raw. It grates against our nerves and makes us unhappy and agitated.

The specific situation that David is addressing is fretting because others succeed in their ways. Such success comes because of evil and manipulative scheming, and such “evil men” are not concerned about faithfulness before God and caring compassion toward others.

Do not be envious of those who do wrong—nothing could be more pertinent for us to hear today! God does not want us to look at what others have gotten and envy their treasure trove of possessions and positions that have become their idols.

It is easy to fret, though. Here is what we hear ourselves telling ourselves:

·         Man, did he get a break! I wish I could have the same luck;

·         It is not fair. He got away with murder, and got rich doing it!

·         I wish I had her market savvy. She got rich quick. And no one knows how!

·         Some things got passed under the table without notice. How did they get so lucky?

·         That’s business. Too bad someone got hurt. I envy that unfeeling approach. I am not there yet.

·         How in the world did she get so far ahead? I’ve worked twice as hard. I deserve that position.

·         Keep God out of this. It is cut throat, and you just have to suck it up and be tough.

Each of us can keep on adding to this litany of “envious self-flagellation” that does not honor God.  What is the answer to this? The Psalmist has a two-fold response: realize that “evil men” are going to soon wither away and die; and, trust in the Lord and do good.

Sounds almost too easy. But there is a high price to be paid for fretting. When one’s emotions are rubbed raw, when something gnaws at our insides, when our souls are chafed, and when something grates against our nerves, it is hard to love God and neighbor.

Read this Psalm for yourself. Fretting leads to evil! Such strong language and prohibition against it may catch us off guard. But think of all the ways in which David learned the hard way that fretting does not serve any good purpose!  Do we need to remind ourselves today, “Do not fret?!”

In Christian love, Curtis

Our View of God

In preparation for my fall sermons out of Colossians (Christ in Us, The Hope of Glory), I have been carefully reading through this letter of Paul. Paul’s view of God just from this letter is powerful and insightful for our Christian living today.

·         The Will of God

·         Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

·         Receives prayers and asking

·         He loves the Son

·         He cares enough to rescue us from the dominion of darkness

·         God is invisible

·         God is relational and wants us to be reconciled to him

·         God commissioned Paul to present the word of God in its fullness

·         God has chosen to make known

·         God has power to raise Jesus from the dead, and us from spiritual death.

·         God forgives

·         God makes us alive in Christ

·         God causes the body of believers to grow

·         God has a right hand of power where Jesus sits

·         Our Christian life is hidden with Christ in God

·         The wrath and anger of God is coming upon those who allow their “members that are upon the earth” not to be put to death; in other words, people who have allowed themselves to be guided by their unbridled passions, fulfilling any and every desire without any compunction of conscience.

·         God is the recipient of all expressions of human gratitude

·         God provides open doors for the gospel message

·         God has a will that unfolds and comprises his kingdom on earth

The above major ideas come from the Colossian letter revealing some of the major concepts relative to God’s nature and will and ways on the earth.  It is amazing to me that in such a short letter Paul can address and incorporate all these powerful ideas about God. It seems that for Paul, his practical theology for his readers was always built around the framework of a correct and adequate view of the nature of God.

Perhaps our greatest challenge today as Christians is starting with a view of God that comes from the basis of biblical revelation. If our knowledge, relationship and destiny related to God’s nature are pursued in the right direction, think of how many other things fall naturally into place!

In Christian love, Curtis

PRAYING TO GOD OR PRAISING GOD?

In Augustine’s confessional search for God, he asks God to grant him a special insight.

“Grant me, Lord, to know and understand whether a man is first to pray to you for help or praise you, and whether he must know you before he can call you to his aid.” (Confessions, I.1.2)

Perhaps in our own Christian life and daily walk with God we, too, have struggled with this same question. And, perhaps it comes out this way for us: When I get up in the morning, what is the first thing I should do—pray for God’s help for the day, or begin in praise?

Augustine answers in own question this way: “Those who look for the Lord will cry out in praise to him.”Perhaps, then, it is not an either or choice, rather, seeking God’s help and praising God can be intertwined together.

The notion of knowing God and seeking Him is a concern for writers of the New Testament for their first Christian readers. For example, listen to the writer of the book of Hebrews:  “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

I think it is clear that faith in God and knowing God comes before praying and praising God. This makes sense because it means that earnest seeking after God and  a personal knowing of God precedes some kind of faithful response to God because of the relationship.

Seeking earnestly after God and believing that He  exists seems to be a hurdle for many. But our faithful life lived in covenant relationship with God is nurtured by prayer and praise only after we have earnestly sought after God and completed invested our destiny in believing that God exists.

Think how each day is transformed from something mundane into an exciting spiritual journey when we are earnestly seeking God because we vigorously and exuberantly believe in Him! May our daily walk then be lived in the context of prayer and praise as we respond to God’s care and compassion.

In Christian love, Curtis