God

Imagine my...surprise when I encountered God in the pages of the Old Testament.

What's that?  The Old Testament?!?  But it's so...so...old.  And bloody.  And people are so hairy.  And what's with Song of Songs?  Or is it Song of Solomon?

All valid points.

The thought had never occurred to me until recently that I might not be the main character in the Bible.  I was shocked.  I thought God wrote this book just for me, and guided it along so that I would have it so that I would know what to do with my life.  And in some ways, that isn't totally false.  However, that line of thinking assumes "me" at the center.  The Bible has a lot to say to me today, but only because God does.  The Bible offers a lot of really practical guidance for life and relationships and choices, etc., because God sets a great example for us to follow.  The best part about the Bible, it turns out, is what it teaches us about Him.  You know, the Author.

For example, a simple commandment like "Don't Murder," reveals to us a whole host of information about God: namely, that He doesn't want us to murder other people.  But seriously, though, it shows how much God values human life, and that goes way beyond the issue of whether or not we actually murder someone--it has implications for how we treat others.

For something a little more obscure: Exodus 26:35: "Place the table outside the curtain on the north side of the tabernacle and put the lampstand opposite it on the south side."  Now, I am sure this verse is all over your home, memorized, emblazoned on plaques, knit into pillows, and even on your vanity license plate.  No?  Just me then?  A couple things of note here: at the time the Tabernacle was built, there were lots of temples for idols in the nations surrounding the Israelites at the time.  God does several surprising things here: 1) The Tabernacle is seriously small compared to the average temple (like 15ft. as opposed to 1/2 a mile!) and looked much like the typical Israelite tent; 2) Most temples had the lampstand in the inner room so the idol wouldn't be afraid of the dark--God, though, keeps it on the other side of the curtain so the priests can see; and 3) The table referenced in the verse would ordinarily be to hold the food for the idol in your average temple, but God uses it outside the curtain to provide food for the priests.

The contrast reveals a lot about who God is.  God is humble.  God is not here to be served, but to serve.  God doesn't need food from us and isn't afraid of the dark--He isn't dependent on us to survive.  God demonstrates that He wants to be close to His people, to identify with them, as evidenced by the type of "dwelling" He chooses...even though He doesn't actually need a dwelling.

More on this to come, but for now, start reading the Bible to learn about God.  Then, model yourself after Him.  Then, repeat.

No Offense...

No offense, but you are terrible at reading blogs.  All these other people agree with me and they share my concerns regarding your web-based literacy--or lack thereof.  We have been discussing this in our homes and in the parking lot for months now.  We tried to drop subtle hints and glare at you and whisper loud enough to each other at home that you might here it at your own home.  (I bet you didn't even notice that I just used the wrong "here.")  They think you should take a class or read more blogs to help you improve your skills; I'm just telling you what they said, it's not necessarily my opinion.  I agree with them, though; I have never seen anyone as inept in blog-reading as you.  No offense.  I gotta go now, though, but you keep up the great work.  You are doing such a good job!

Have you ever been on the receiving end of one of these?  It's like a nice, refreshing kick in the shins.  Followed by a tiny envelope opener being inserted into your back.  Finished off by a baby spitting-up on you.  It's never fun.  What do you do when this happens?  What do you do when this happens and you work in a church?

One thing I've garnered from one of my professors over the past few years is this: some people want what God wants and some people do not.  Some people want to promote goodness, truth, right, honesty, and healthy interaction, while others seem to want negativity, cynicism, and passive aggression to abound.  If someone wants to come to me with an honest concern and present it in a way that is constructive, I'm all ears.  If, however, someone wants to come and bookend a statement with "No offense" as if it were some sort of magical spell ("Wait, you physically cannot get mad, it's impossible!  How dare you!  I said no offense!"), then I am not going to lose any sleep over it.  And neither should you.

If and when this does happen (actually, what am I saying, this sort of thing is so infrequent in our society, this blog post is probably totally irrelevant now), you and I are faced with Choices..  Remember that we are not accountable for other people's crimes against us, we are merely accountable for what we do in response.  If you need to confront them, do it in the right way.  If you need to distance yourself from them, do it quickly.  If you need to establish boundaries, go for it.  Resist the urge to lash back and find the strength and peace that come when we let things roll off of our backs that don't really matter.

And make sure you have people in your life who can be honest barometers for you of how you're living/working so you can seek their feedback in times like this.  Don't let your view of yourself be shaped by the "No-Offensers;" let your view of yourself--and of them--be shaped by God.  In life, and ministry, we need to lose less sleep over what "No-Offensers" say to us and wake up more to the things God wants us to do, the opinions He has about us, and the way He wants us to relate to others.

Just saying.  No offense or anything...