“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” — 2 Timothy 3:16-17
When something is address to us or directly impacts us, we typically give it our attention. We read through mail and emails addressed to us from people we know, whereas we are likely to trash that which is mass-marketed. This past week, we’ve closely followed weather predictions in our immediate area but probably are not aware of weather conditions in other areas. There is so much information to be processed that we often have to prioritize what we focus our attention on.
2 Timothy begins with an address, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear son” (2 Tim. 1:1-2a). At first glance, it may appear like we are not the ones being addressed and therefore we do not need to prioritize the message that follows. As Christians though, we affirm the canon of Scripture, the Old and New Testament together, as being the word of God. New Testament scholar N. T. Wright, commenting on 2 Timothy 3:16-17, describes what this meant for early Christians and still means today — “that the reason the scriptures were alive was because God had ‘breathed’ them in the first place, and the warmth and life of that creative breath was still present and powerful.”(1) In other words, the Holy Spirit, who empowered Paul to write those words to Timothy, is the SAME Holy Spirit who enlivens those words today in addressing us. Scripture is not just some ancient book; it’s God’s self-revelation addressed to us through the Holy Spirit.
Christian author and lawyer Justin Earely provides an application of what it might look like to see Scripture as God’s address to us. “Refusing to check the phone until after reading a passage of Scripture is a way of replacing the question ‘What do I need to do today?’ with a better one, ‘Who am I and who am I becoming?’ We have no stable identity outside of Jesus.”(2)
What identity do you cling to most? Do you see scripture as just an ancient guidebook or a living letter through which God still speaks to you? Has God spoken loudly to you, calling you into a relationship with Him? Did you say “yes?”
(1) N. T. Wright, Paul for Everyone: The Pastoral Letters, 119.
“The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’ They said, ‘Rabbi’ (which means ‘Teacher’), ‘where are you 28 staying?’ ‘Come,’ he replied, ‘and you will see.’ So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. John 1:35-39
Relationships are hard. It’s even harder with quarantines, Zoom meetings, and text-only encounters. To really get to know someone, we have to spend time with them physically and emotionally. While we may learn something about someone through listening to the stories others tell of them, to really get to know them we have to hear from them directly.
Two of John’s followers in today’s text understood this. They were learning about Jesus through John’s teaching, but when Jesus himself passes by, they are quick to follow him and spend time with him. They were eager to directly interact with the living Word of God. Consider what pastor Adele Calhoun says relating this concept to Scripture for us today, “There are always other books to read and speakers to listen to. Of course, God does use books and people to speak to us. But Scripture is a primary way that the Holy Spirit opens us up to the God who is beyond us.”
We often think that God does not speak to us but we couldn’t be further from the truth. He speaks loudly through the scriptures. When Jesus was in the desert, he relied solely upon God’s word to fully sustain him and protect him. It’s the same word we have in our possession today. Wow!!
Consider these suggestions within the three categories of time, space and content as ways of fostering the practice of being present with the written Word of God:
Time: a) Read Scripture every day this week at a set time (ex. when you first get up, over your lunch break, before bed, etc.). b) When you read Scripture, set a timer for 15 min. (or more) to avoid feeling like you have to keep an eye on the time if you only have limited time available.
Space: a) Pick a spot that is mostly free from distraction. b) As you prepare to spend time with the written Word of God, take a few deep breaths. c) Light a candle as a reminder of God’s presence there with you.
Content: It can be intimidating to sit down with Scripture if you don’t know what to read or how much to read. Try following a reading plan, something that works for you. One good place to start is in the gospels. Consider taking 21 days to read through the gospel of John, a chapter a day.
As you develop this holy time with God, open your heart to the words and to the transformation that comes from abiding in the Word.
It is impossible to respond unless there is something to respond to. For instance, you can’t hit “reply” to a message you never received. It’s the same thing when you enter into worship. You can’t respond to God’s Word if His Word is never given. When I was leading worship, I would say to the people after the scripture reading, “This is the Word of God for the people of God.” They would respond, “Thanks be to God.” But what are we really referring to by the Word of God?
Scripture? Yes. But it’s more than that. We are referring to the person of Jesus Christ. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:1-3).
This Word is how God reveals himself to the world. As John points out, it is how God created the world and, as the rest of the gospel goes on to describe, it is how God reconciles the world to himself. Notice though that the Word in these opening verses feels other-worldly. It does not belong to this world, but is outside of it.
And then John 1:14 is presented to us and it changes everything! “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The Word became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the Word of God, God’s perfect self- expression. Scripture proclaims and ultimately points to Jesus Christ, God’s personal Word to all. Jesus, as the incarnate Word of God, and Scripture, as the written Word of God pointing to the incarnate, reveal to us who God is and who he has created us to be. While we are not able to see Jesus physically today, we still may know him through the Word of God, our Scripture, as his Spirit speaks in our hearts.
We are invited to respond to the Word in many different ways. But in order to do so, each of us must choose to say, “Yes.” Yes to the Word of God. Yes to salvation. Yes to suffering for the sake of Christ. Yes. Throughout this Lent season I will be making consistent invitations to you to say “Yes” to the Word- maybe for the first time or perhaps a renewal. And when you do, let me know so that your new journey is not one you do alone.
REFLECTION When have you had a spiritual experience as a result of responding to the Word of God?
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! — 2 Corinthians 5:17
Lent. Many Christians recognize Lent as the mark of Easter’s beginning. But truly it is that season where we are invited to both mourn and hope. It is a season of mourning as we wrestle with the cost and pain of our sin and brokenness. We hope as we see Christ victorious in his suffering and death. We mourn as we think of Jesus on the cross, bearing the weight of our sentences. We hope as we recall the empty tomb and our freedom from death. In reflecting back on the cross and looking forward to resurrection, we recognize that abiding in Christ shapes our lives in all things. As the apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come.”
Faith, hope and love are the defining realities of this life as a new creation. That’s not to say that once we become followers of Christ, we live into the full expression of those virtues. Oh no. We fall short. We sin. But, those defining realities are given to us by the Holy Spirit. And it is through the Spirit that we grow as authentic disciples. As we look to Christ and seek to live in active response to him, we open ourselves up for the Spirit to work within us, nurturing our faith, hope and love.
In the midst of the pandemic and now this ice/snow storm, many may feel more mournful than hopeful. It’s easy to settle into those darker places, cocooning ourselves in the worldliness of despair. But Lent says, “No!” Lent says, “ hope is all around you because Christ has come and Christ is coming again!”
Spiritual practices can help to focus on the hope given to us through Jesus Christ. There is nothing magical about the spiritual practices themselves. On their own, they are powerless to provide meaningful transformation. But with God, He will use them to transform us into people of greater faith, hope and love. As we journey through Lent, reflecting on the cross and resurrection, let us be mindful of the hope found in the midst of the mourning.
Where are you? Your doors are locked. Your windows are dark. Your community rooms are empty. Your ministers are unavailable. Where are you?
Yesterday, we witnessed in our nation’s capitol a scene that we never expected in this country. A protest, legal in all rights, turned into a violent riot by a small group of angry citizens. After the dust settled, many were hurt and four were deceased. Blame began to go around and the anger… it festers still.
Looking back on our history, during times of trial, the Church has emerged as the one and only sustaining hope. Why? Because in times of peace and in times of war, the Church has offered the world Jesus Christ. So, I ask again, Church, where are you?
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:23-25
Over the past year, I recognize you had to make some difficult decisions. Decisions that you have never been faced with before. I get it. In March, we were all navigating each day without working instruments. We were told that Covid was going to wipe out a third of the world’s population. It was like an enemy we had to battle but could not see. It was scary. So, the world shut down. And along with the world, the Church shut down too.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16
The plague (a.k.a. “black death”) spread throughout Europe in the 1300s. Over 90% of those who contracted the plague died of it within a week, costing Europe 30-60% of its population in the fourteenth century. In that era, ministers, priests, monks, and nuns courageously cared for the sick and the dying, knowing that it might cost them their lives. Indeed, many did succumb to the black death because of their work. It wouldn’t be until the seventeenth century that the black death and various mutated forms of it would finally disappear.
Martin Luther was one of many ministers who was faced with a plague. And when this disease reached his city, Luther said:
I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person, but will go freely.
“If my neighbor needs me,” represents the attitude of a godly pastor in plagues, in wars, in times of fear.
Church, where are you?
Now, before I get a slew of angry messages, let me clarify. I recognize that during the first couple of weeks of covid, everything was in chaos and closing seemed like the right thing to do — for a couple of weeks. Some churches have developed an online ministry with viewers from around the country. This is a good thing. For some people, the idea of walking through church doors is too much but watching online is easy. There have been some out-of-the-box ministries that have emerged and for those things, God is glorified. But …
Many churches are still closed 11 months later. Eleven months! Why?? Your congregants are not without the ability to think. They can make decisions for themselves. These past 11 months, the Church has been needed more than ever. And we — the Church — have failed.
Open your doors to the sanctuaries the people need. Trust them to have the ability to decide if they can attend in person or not. Allow singing to return and … for the love of God Almighty, stop preventing hugs! Strip the stages of the sets and let the cross become the only focus.
Look around this country. The anger, hostility, lawlessness… it’s incredibly overwhelming. For the past year, we have been locked down. Riots have been unstopped throughout our country. Lines have been drawn. Jobs have been lost. Politicians have used our difficulties for their gains. And people are lost. Seriously lost. Every way you turn there is pain and it feels there are no places left to find solace.In the past, when people have encountered true pain, they have migrated to churches or sought out ministers. After tragedies such as school shootings, terrorism, natural disasters, people seek the Church as their source of hope. But for some reason during the most difficult season many of us have ever encountered, the Church has shuttered the doors. Ministers have become silent or snarky, dropping one-line zingers on social media. Social justice has taken the place of Jesus Christ as the one to worship. Zoom meetings, online worship, virtual communion …. these things are nice tools but they do not fulfill the role that we are meant to fulfill as found in Acts. People NEED people!
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15
People are hurting. They need human touch. They need to come into a sanctuary and worship alongside others. They need to be missed when they aren’t there and checked on. They need to be heard. They need to listen. They need a place where fear isn’t the focus. Rather, the focus is faith. Church, where are you?
You skipped Easter. You skipped Advent. You skipped Christmas. You skipped Epiphany. But even more important, you skipped fellowship and support. You skipped youth events and Bible studies. You skipped the opportunities to hold prayer vigils and healing services. You skipped opening your doors yesterday when the fears of your people were at the brink of explosion. Church, where are you?
Stop preaching a gospel lite. Instead, preach the Bible — all of it.
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” Hebrews 10: 26-27
Stop trying to skirt around sin and start naming it. Help people to understand the absolute need for repentance. It’s the only way to be free of the shame and guilt they carry around … and yes, they carry it around with them even if they refuse to acknowledge it. People need to know there is one place in this world where truth is still truth. They need to know that someone will actually have the courage to tell them that the gospel is not just love. It’s so much more. And quite honestly, Church, you have failed. You have failed to hold the people accountable to the Word of God. You have failed to be available to the hurting people. And you have failed to condemn the things that the world wants to celebrate.
But, praise God, there is grace. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matt. 7:13-14
The Church doesn’t have to keep following the wide road. We can choose the narrow path. Lord, have mercy, it’s a hard road; a lonely road. But it’s a road that Jesus himself instructed us to follow if we want to be with him in our eternal home. Church, stop living in fear. Stop affirming sin as okay. Stop remaining silent when the world begs to hear you roar.
Only a few hours left of 2020. Before we all start cheering, I think it’s important to reflect on what was so we can properly hope for what is to come.
So what did 2020 bring into our lives?
COVID-19 pandemic, quarantines and lockdowns, unemployment, murder hornets, Kobe Bryant’s death, impeachment hearings, stock market crash, Beirut explosion, Chadwick Boseman’s death, BLM, antifa, protests, riots, toilet paper shortage, masks, Zoom meetings, homeschooling, 6 feet rule, massive wildfires, Israeli peace agreement, RBG’s death, murder rates rise, church closings, no sport spectators, travel bans, Tennessee tornado, hurricanes, brexit, locust swarms, Olympics canceled, Haiti fire, earthquakes, national emergency, shootings, presidential election, national chaos, Trump tests positive for Covid, Alex Trebek’s death, UFO sightings, small businesses closing, reduced capacity, home shopping, no family gatherings, Covid vaccine, Nashville bombing.
Yes, this all happened in 2020 … and we survived! It can seem like there is nothing good to reflect upon but, with God, there is always good!
Each of us have to decide for ourselves what the good is. For me, it was a deeper relationship with my husband, a renewed appreciation for friends, a surrender of things I can’t control, and a full-time counseling job. All of these moments of “good” are the direct result of seeking God in all of the moments of each day.
God is always there with us, guiding us and loving us. But when we seek Him in the tough moments, we can see a side of the challenge that brings hope.
Over this year, I have wondered often about where the good is. Watching the news or reading the social media feeds, I have been left with a sense of doom. And I’m not alone. The clients I have met with this past year have brought profoundly deep pain. More than once, as I left my office at the end of the day I wondered, “God, am I doing any good at all?”
A couple of weeks ago, after a particularly challenging day at work, I made my way home thinking and praying about the souls I interacted with that day. Crisis after crisis and there seemed no end it sight. And then, I get a text message from a client I had seen the day before. This client is an artist and had given me a bowl they had made from wood. In the wood, there was a faint line where the wood had cracked in the creation process. This is what my client said: “I gave you that particular bowl because it was broken and I was able to put it back together and unless you look carefully you can’t tell it was broken. You do that for broken people, you counsel them and put them back together.”
That is hope. That is resilience. That is grace. That is God. And God never leaves us broken. We may be living in a broken world but, if you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, you are no longer broken! You have been made whole … even in a crazy year like 2020.
”The world seems to be in trouble, whether it’s the storms or the political problems we have in this country. The only hope for this world is God,” Rev. Franklin Graham said during an appearance on Newsmax TV’s ”Spicer & Co.”
Rev. Graham was right. Our only hope is God! I have no idea why 2020 has been so difficult. But I know God has not grown silent. He has not forgotten us. Instead, His hope abounds! But make no mistake, the only way to grasp this hope and experience its fullness is to be fully immersed in the word of God.
“Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus” (Matt. 14:29).
With each new headline this year, we watched a storm brewing. And, if you were like me, there were times when you were genuinely frightened at the sheer size of the waves heading your way.
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”(Matt. 14:30)
When Peter stepped out of the boat before the storm was still, he walked on the words Jesus said to him. But the moment he decided to focus on storm… the junk in our lives… he began to sink. We must choose to walk on Jesus’ words during life’s storms, even if they don’t make sense. And let’s be honest, what about 2020 has made sense? Well, God has! God not only speaks to us through the storms of life, but he also meets with us and speaks to us in the heart of the storm, when we’re at the end of ourselves and all hope is gone. Friends, it’s in those dark nights of the soul that God is found. It’s also in the bright sunny days that God is found.
As you wipe the dust of 2020 off your feet, give God thanks for what was because, friends, hope still exists. Miracles still happen. And Jesus Christ still reigns!
Lord, have mercy! We’ve made it to the end of 2020!! There were definitely times throughout this year that I wondered if the end would ever arrive. But with every difficult day, God’s promises were sustained. The sun continued to rise and set, the world continued to revolve, and we continued to put one foot in front of the other each day.
With a new year comes a new One Word. For those of you not familiar with One Word, it’s based on the book One Word That Will Change Your Life by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page. The idea is that we don’t need endless lists of goals and resolutions. Instead, if we spend time with God in prayer and meditation, He will lead us to our One Word, the word that will help define our year, our goals, and our attitude. I’ve been doing this for several years and have found that the only year it did not truly impact me was the year I chose my word instead of allowing God to choose it for me. Last year around this time, God gave me my One Word for 2020. It was uncharted. When He placed that word on my heart, he also placed Hebrews 11:8 alongside my word. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
For a little background, in December 2019 I was serving as pastor of a church, preparing for ordination, working part-time as a mental health therapist, and serving as spiritual director for an ecumenical community. I had no idea that BIG changes were on the way. So uncharted seemed very odd to me. What do you mean, God, when you say “uncharted?” What does this verse mean for my life? Quite frankly, it was a bit scary to have such a word and verse given so boldly to me. But, alas, there it was and I knew I had to be obedient to Him.
Clearly 2020 has been uncharted for all of us in some way or another. Living through a pandemic is something I would dare say none of us had on our top ten list of things to do. We have experienced a wide variety of things we never expected: shut-downs, quarantines, protests, riots, political unrest, election uncertainties… this list can go on and on. Add to that my own challenges. I never anticipated losing my church, being canceled by my denomination, and having my ordination stripped simply because I chose Jesus over the world. I certainly never expected the loneliness, depression, anger, resentment, and isolation that would follow. Yes, it was certainly a year that could best be described as uncharted.
I received this bracelet early spring and have worn it every day. On those days when I would question God as to why, I would catch a glimpse of this bracelet with my word and be reminded as to why – uncharted. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
So now 2021 is knocking on the door and I for one am anxious to get that door open. As difficult as 2020 has been for us all, I do have a great amount of hope in 2021. I have always believed a new year is a special thing because it’s a new opportunity to change, grow, and surrender to God.
For the past 4-6 weeks, I have been actively reflecting over my 2020 One Word while eagerly listening for my new One Word. Remember, it’s not a word you pick. It’s a word and verse given to you by God. My word for this year is revelation. Lord, have mercy! Trust me when I say that God and I have tussled over this one. Clearly, the first thing I thought when I received the word was the Book of Revelation. But praise God that is NOT what He means. How do I know? My verse was revealed a couple of weeks later.
I see what you’ve done. Now see what I’ve done. I’ve opened a door before you that no one can slam shut. You don’t have much strength, I know that; you used what you had to keep my Word. You didn’t deny me when times were rough.
Revelation 3:8
Y’all, I am not sure what it all means but I do know that God is going to be doing something quite amazing. It reminds me of Isaiah 43:18-19 — “Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it?” Think about that for a moment. God is never changing. He was, is, and forever will be. His word is as steadfast today as it was when first spoken to the prophets of old. And yet, when we are true to God, true to who He is, He creates within us something new. I find that amazing.
God is fully aware of my failing strength throughout 2020. He is fully aware of my obedience. And now He is promising me a revelation, an awakening, a revealing of something that will altar my life. I feel like I know what is about to happen but God’s plans and my thoughts are not always (seldom actually) in sync.
Clearly, 2021 is going to be a year of revelation in my life. It’s going to be a year of obedience so that I don’t miss those things He reveals to me. It’s going to be another tough year. I have no doubt about that. When you experience revelation in your life, it almost always requires a purging of things … and sometimes people … from your sphere because you realize that they are holding you back. And that is okay.
In the discussion guide from the One Word book, a question is posed that think is a powerful one to sum it all up. “As you begin with the end in mind, think of ways that this year’s One Word might become part of your legacy…part of your life’s story. What are three things you hope others will say about you when this year’s One Word journey is over?” I know what I hope for… it’s the same thing I have hoped for since accepting Jesus Christ. I hope that people see Jesus within me. I hope that as 2021 reveals it’s new promises to me, that I am obedient only to God. And I hope that others experience a holy revelation in their own lives because they were able to see me walk through the door God opened, glorifying Him in every single step along the way.
I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old familiar carols play And mild and sweet their songs repeat Of peace on earth good will to men
And the bells are ringing (peace on earth) Like a choir they’re singing (peace on earth) In my heart I hear them (peace on earth) Peace on earth, good will to men
Friday night my husband and I had the privilege of attending a Casting Crowns concert at the historic Ryman in Nashville. It was a night of Casting Crowns classics and Christmas songs. I cannot begin to tell you how good it felt to be in this beautiful venue listening to live music. Although we were socially distanced and masked up, there was a wonderful sense of normalcy about the evening.
In the midst of The First Noel and Silent Night was I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day. Let’s be honest, when you are decking the halls, you are probably not singing that particular song. It’s not the song that comes to mind for most people when singing Christmas tunes, although it may be familiar to you. I have always liked the song but often put it out of my mind until I happen upon it mid-December.
So, Friday night, I’m sitting alongside my husband, enjoying these joyous sounds of the season when the band began the first haunting notes of …Christmas Day.
For those of you who have not had the opportunity to attend a show at the Ryman, the atmosphere is quite unlike any place else. Known as the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman was built in the 1800s. It originally opened as the Union Gospel Tabernacle by Thomas Ryman, a Nashville businessman who owned several saloons and riverboats. Ryman conceived the idea of the auditorium as a tabernacle for the influential revivalist Samuel Porter Jones. He had attended one of Jones’ revivals with the intent to heckle, but was instead converted into a devout Christian. Church pews, stained glass windows, and an intimate 2,300 seats give the audience a chance to experience the music in a spectacular way.
The first few notes seemed to bring a slight hush over the auditorium. As Mark Hall (lead singer) began to sing, something changed. I don’t know quite how to explain it but there was a definite change in the air.
I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old familiar carols play And mild and sweet their songs repeat Of peace on earth good will to men
Have you ever really listened to the words of this song? I’m not sure I ever really had, even though I could sing along with the best of them on this song.
And the bells are ringing (peace on earth) Like a choir they’re singing (peace on earth) In my heart I hear them (peace on earth) Peace on earth, good will to men
Originally written by Henry Longfellow in 1863, the song began as a poem. Longfellow had experienced some significant pain in his life. A father of 6 children, his wife had died after her dress had caught fire. Longfellow tried to save her, sustaining significant burns himself which caused dramatic scars and considerable longterm grief. His oldest son was injured in the Civil War, causing paralysis. On Christmas day, 1863, Longfellow could hear the church bells across the village as well as the singing of “peace on earth”. The bells and songs seemed to compete profoundly with his observation in the world of injustice and violence. How could there be peace on earth when all around him there was such despair?
And in despair I bowed my head There is no peace on earth I said For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to men
Oh how those same words can be applied today! As Mark sang out that verse, the very presence of God seemed to overcome the Church. Before I could scarcely take a breath, emotion only available from the Holy Spirit took over and a river of tears began to fall that would not be contained. The tears fell for the disappointments of the past year. They fell for the pain caused by people I loved. They fell for the loss of church. They fell for closings and cancelations. They fell for destructions of our cities and loss of life around the world. They fell for the anger in my own heart and the hearts of all those around us. And with that, I too bowed my head in despair.
But the bells are ringing (peace on earth) Like a choir singing (peace on earth) Does anybody hear them? (peace on earth) Peace on earth, good will to men
It’s difficult to describe the complete submersion into the music. I know there were several instruments playing but all I could really hear were the bells and the angelic voices as they continued to proclaim “peace on earth.” I wanted it to stop and I wanted to stay in that moment forever all at the same time. I just could not seem to contain the sobs.
Then rang the bells more loud and deep God is not dead, nor does he sleep (peace on earth, peace on earth) The wrong shall fail, the right prevail With peace on earth, good will to men
And with that, hope emerged. Yes, hope has always been there but I have spent so long burying it I suppose I had failed to see how right could ever prevail again in my lifetime. I know it sounds dramatic but that has been my heart. But you see, God refuses to be silenced. He refuses to let go once you take hold of his grace. He refuses to let dark prevail even when darkness can seem quite inviting. The truth is that it has felt like the wrong would win…. or rather that the wrong DID win. I simply do not know how to heal from this year. I do not know how to trust my heart again with those around me. I do not know how to serve God with reckless abandon anymore. Then rang the bells more loud and deep. Those bells are not the ones found on church steeples. Those are the bells of the holy choir and when they invade the silence they will not be ignored. Every closed off part of your soul will vibrate from them, awakening you to something more profound than words can describe.
Then ringing singing on its way The world revolved from night to day A voice, a chime, a chant sublime Of peace on earth, good will to men
And the bells they’re ringing (Peace on Earth) Like a choir they’re singing (Peace on Earth) And with our hearts we’ll hear them Peace on earth, good will to men
Do you hear the bells they’re ringing? (Peace on Earth) The life the angels singing (Peace on Earth) Open up your heart and hear them (Peace on Earth) Peace on earth, good will to men Peace on earth, Peace on earth Peace on earth, Good will to men
It’s Advent. It’s an anticipation of the coming. But in that moment in the Mother Church on a Friday night the Holy Spirit came. My dear friends, don’t miss it like I almost did. Don’t miss the light of day for the dark night of the soul. 2020 is not our identity. The disappointments, the challenges, or even the loses are not the finale. Do you hear the bells they’re ringing? Peace on earth.Peace on earth.
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Do you feel like you’re not quite in sync with the world? Perhaps it’s just me but I feel like I’m marching to a different beat then the rest of the world. Things just aren’t quite right. Maybe it’s Covid-19 that’s causing us to feel like we are walking on a fine line. Maybe it’s the division within the country. It could be any number of things but the truth of the matter is that the world feels a bit more tilted than ever before and it’s throwing everything off balance.
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know I am a minister as well as a therapist. In February of this year, I left the local church and went full-time into private practice. Of course, at that time I had no idea what 2020 would bring to our lives. Due to the isolation, uncertainty, fear, and seeming hopelessness all around us, I have a very busy practice. I enjoy what I do and believe that for the most part I am helping people. For that, I am so very grateful to God for making the doors open for First Step Counseling.
Unfortunately, even with the success of the business and the love I have for each of my clients, I feel very empty inside.
Well, maybe empty isn’t the right word. Empty implies nothing. In actuality, I feel so much that it’s overwhelming. I fluctuate between sadness, anger, frustration, determination, loneliness, isolation. If it’s a feeling, I’ve likely felt it in the past nine months. Regardless of which emotion I’m experiencing there is always one constant — lost.
Some may ask, “How can you be lost if you have true faith?” It’s a fair question. I used to believe the same thing. But I have discovered that God doesn’t shy away from doubt or confusion. In fact, the Bible is full of people with doubts. Look at the disciples. They spent three years following Jesus, being taught by him, sharing meals with him, and being challenged by him. And still, he washed their feet even when they questioned. John the Baptist encountered the Holy Spirit in his mother’s womb. He heard the very voice of God Almighty proclaim Jesus as His son upon his baptism. And still, he asked, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
I am not asking if Jesus is the one. I know he is. My feelings of being lost, of doubt, of uncertainty stem from not knowing where I’m supposed to be.
“The Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel.” If this is true (and I believe it is), all of the money in the world isn’t an earned living if I haven’t been earning my living by the very gospel itself. Now, I am using all I can within my therapy sessions with clients to point people to Jesus Christ and share the Kingdom of God. But it’s not enough. Jesus died for me. My part is quite simple. Serve as I’ve been called to serve.
“For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast! For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am compelled to preach—and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Cor 9:15-16)
Did you happen to catch what Paul said here? He says that he had a need to preach the gospel. He is saying, “I’ve got to preach this. And if I don’t, I’d just as well give up.” His believed that his responsibility to preach the gospel was so great that his next breath depended upon it.
You see, a true minister of God feels a compulsion to preach the gospel. On the flipside, he or she feels a certain doom if they do not. He or she feels as though, if they tried anything else, it would be useless. And that is where the emptiness comes from that is not being filled because the ministry of Jesus Christ is a calling. To a true minister of God, it is not just a job, but a vocation that compels you forward because the truth must be preached. Quite frankly, the knowledge of the scriptures simply cannot be kept to one’s self. Withholding the Truth of God’s way is absolutely useless to anybody else; it cannot help anybody take even one step along the road to the Kingdom of God. This is why God gives ministers mouths to speak and passion to go forth.
Paul calls it “the foolishness of preaching”, but God accomplishes a great deal through it. The serious, devoted servant of Jesus Christ must do it. They just must! That’s how you know when a person walks away from ministry of their own doing, it is likely they were never really called by God. Unless God has released them from their calling, their compulsion never ends. And if the servant has not preached the truth in a long while, a “pressure” builds up after a time, and if it is not released, it explodes. The truth must be passed on because a compulsion from God Himself drives a true minister to speak the truth.
And that is where I find myself, full of pressure of the Truth that I know and cannot share. I feel as if I’m getting ready to explode. I am attending a great church full of God-fearing people and Biblically sound teachings. And yet, I can’t call it home. And I WANT to! I just know it’s not where I’m supposed to be and I am a bit angry about that. Why can’t I just serve there? Why can’t I find rest in the seats within the sanctuary? Why? Because God didn’t call me to sit on the sidelines, keeping the Truth to myself.
Unfortunately, Satan really did a number on me. I have lost some of my courage and have lost most of my friends. After the UMC cancelled me this year, I shook my fist at God several times. It wasn’t fair. I was doing what He called me to do. I was standing up to the lies within the world. I was ensuring that the words I shared from the pulpit were God’s words. And lives were being changed because of the Holy Spirit’s presence.
Y’all, I have genuinely tried to let go of the pain that the UMC has caused me and my family. It’s very hard, though. I see the way Satan is garnering more and more hold within the American churches. I see sins being glorified while Truth is erased. I grieve for the ones in the pews blindly following the false prophets. My heart breaks for the church folks who think Jesus’s entire reason for coming was to love … but without consequences. And I cry for those who genuinely feel led to serve but are pushed into serving the social justice agenda rather than the growing the Kingdom of God.
A couple of Sundays ago when we left church, I fought back tears. It was such a great sermon and the worship was deeply moving. But I felt like I was on the outside looking in, pushing God further away. Shame, guilt, sadness, and… anger just came over me. “I have failed you, God, because I have not used the spiritual gifts you have given me.” And the response… silence.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.” (John 15:16)
So, here I am, asking God what is next. Where am I supposed to go? Is it across town or around the world? Where is my courage, God? How do I garner the strength I found in you when I feel so weak? How do I erase the memories of the past year so that I can trust your people with my heart once again?
I have no idea what I’m supposed to do but I am certain that doing nothing is not the answer. I pray that this profound sense of emptiness … of feeling lost … will be replaced with the fruit of the spirit. For only then will I know that I am all God wants me to be and that the fruit he produces through me will truly be born again.
I hate being wrong. Admit it, you do, too. Being wrong just feels like an injury somehow. And the worst part of being wrong is having to admit being wrong. Ugh! As hard as it is, I can admit it. I was wrong.
Many of you are familiar with the enneagram. I have even written about it in my blogs. I have used it for clients in counseling as they struggled to find their identity. I have read many books about it and have listened to a number of podcasts on the subject. I really believed in the process. And then God opened my eyes this week to just how wrong I have been about this spiritually dangerous idea.
Before I get into they “why”, let me explain how I came to be an enneagram proponent. Four years ago, I began my ordination residency program in the United Methodist Church. As residents, we were required to read a number of different books. One was Richard Rohr’s Enneagram: A Christian Perspective. I had never heard of the enneagram at that time so I didn’t think too much of it until I started reading it. In all transparency, I remember thinking how something didn’t feel right about the enneagram. But I chalked that up to the fact that I despise labels. I thought it was just another label for people to place upon themselves that would take the place of their true identity in Christ. But the more I read, the more intrigued I became. In the residency program, we used our enneagram number to develop our relationships and understand who we were. Between that and the Myers-Briggs personality test we also had to undergo, I was nothing more than four letters and a number.
At that time, it didn’t occur to me that the church could be pushing something that was dangerous. At least not in this case. The history that Rohr gave was innocent. It’s just a personality test. And besides, it was Richard Rohr (I later came to understand that Rohr does not believe in basic Christian principles, therefore, he cannot give a Christian perspective). As time went on, more and more people began talking about the enneagram – people that I know are deeply devoted to God. I became completely at ease with it and even recommended it. About three weeks ago, while conversing with another apologist, the seeds of doubt were once again planted within my soul. This person was adamantly condemning the enneagram. She was so forceful and so convincing that the conversation left me convicted to research it in depth. Lord, have mercy, I just didn’t know!
The history of the enneagram is not based on Christian principles at all. It actually comes from the occult despite what Rohr and others have to say. Pioneered by mystic George Gurdjieff, he claimed the original enneagram was given to him by secret groups. His belief was that human beings are unable to see a true reality without “an awakening of consciousness.” (Montenegro, 2011)
Gurdjieff also taught that everyone has an essence, which is the “material of which the universe is made. Essence is divine– the particle of god in our subconscious called Conscience.” (Mitch Pacwa, online) This doctrine of essence, which has continued as a primary part of the enneagram, is clearly pantheism (the belief that everything is god). Remember, as Christians we believe we are creations of God, not divine beings equal to God.
Gurdjieff’s students took the enneagram and ran with it. Oscar Ichazo altered the enneagram a bit claiming that he had “received instructions from a higher entity called Metatron” and was guided by an interior master. The enneagram was embraced by the occult and new age movements because it’s original teachers believed and taught that this was a gnostic path to one’s own self.
In the early 1990s, Richard Rohr wrote his book about the enneagram. Ironically, when the book first came out it was called Discovering the Enneagram: An Ancient Tool for a New Spiritual Journey. Rohr actually stated in the preface of his original version that the enneagram “was not originally Christian”. But Rohr changed his title to lull unsuspecting Christians into believing that this New Age, occult practice would bring people into a deeper presence with God. Rohr’s popularity catapulted the enneagram into the progressive church and, unfortunately, unsuspecting orthodox churches as well. And although Rohr claims his book is written from a Christian perspective, he teaches doctrines that directly oppose Jesus Christ and the scriptures. “One needs to know that Rohr denies the biblical doctrines on man, sin, creation, salvation, and God. Richard Rohr also teaches a false Jesus/Christ. Rohr makes a distinction between Jesus and Christ by saying Jesus was not the ‘Universal Christ,’ who is ‘bigger’ than Jesus.” (Veinot, et al., p. 26)
You may be thinking, “I still don’t see why the enneagram is so bad.” I thought that too when I first began hearing about the dark beginnings of the practice. You must understand the true nature of its purpose – to have a spiritual awakening of oneself. And not just in the broad sense of the word. The purpose is to see oneself and Self (with a capital S). In other words, the enneagram attempts to open your mind to the idea that you are divine. You are holy. You are the center of your world. The creators of the enneagram believed that most people are “asleep” and need to be “awakened” to a greater sense of self which enables them to find the real person in the midst of the various egos they have.
“This ‘Fourth Way,’ as it is called, is the path of self-transformation. Seekers are encouraged to begin each morning concentrating on putting the ‘self’ into each part of their bodies. … The purpose of such exercises is to shatter the illusion that reactions and intentions are a choice of free will. The next goal is obtaining ‘objective consciousness,’ by which a person finally discovers their true self. Human effort thus enables us to ‘save’ his own soul.” (Veinot, et al., p. 62)
That should be enough to stop any true Christian from ever approaching the enneagram again. The very idea that we can save our own soul is beyond frightening. It removes Jesus Christ and the sacrifice he made on our behalf for our eternal redemption. It also removes the Holy Spirit as our only counsel. And that is a grave sin because they are discrediting the very nature of our triune God. “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” (Mark 3:29)
You may still be saying you don’t think it’s that bad. Well, let me offer you this illustration. In Genesis, we are introduced to the world in the form of a perfect man or perfect woman. They live in a perfect garden with all they could ever want. Joy surrounds them and God is pleased. Unfortunately for Adam and Eve, the serpent is not pleased at all. He seeks to destroy their relationship with one another and ultimately with God. And he does so by one simple way — he tells them, “You should be as God.” (Genesis 3:5) Y’all, herein lies this problem. When we seek any way other than through God to have fulfillment, we are breaking the first Commandment. We are denying God implicitly without doing so explicitly.
“Employing the cunning of the serpent in the garden, {the false teacher} may subtly suggest a slight alteration to ‘what God said’ that doesn’t unduly upset his or her target audience … until they have separated from God … and they don’t even realize it. But little by little, brick-by-brick, the false teacher turns the truth of God upside down.” (Veinot, et al., p. 33)
Friends, the enneagram and teachers like Richard Rohr encourage you to put yourself above all else — including God Almighty. You are encouraged to find meaning within yourself, putting yourself as the center of your sphere. And equally alarming, you are then taught that any sin in your life is merely the result of your true Self and therefore entirely out of your control. Rohr said, “Christ is another word for everything.” (Rohr, online) Christ is NOT another word for everything. We are not holy. We are sinners. And the only hope we have is found, not within our self but in God. Our salvation came the moment Jesus Christ, fully human and fully divine, defeated death.
So, for every person I have previously influenced regarding the use of the enneagram, I am deeply sorry. I seek your forgiveness and, through His unfailing grace, I am grateful for God’s forgiveness, as well. As a therapist, I do believe it’s important to know what makes a person tick. I do believe we have unique personality traits that drive our thoughts and actions. But I also believe that Jesus Christ is our hope. While diagrams, charts, stars, and cards might seem like an easy avenue to answers, there is a price to be paid when doing so. Thank God, for second chances and unfailing grace!
Rohr, Richard and Andreas Ebert (trans. Peter Heinegg). Discovering the Enneagram: An Ancient Tool for a New Spiritual Journey (New York, NY: Crossroad Publishing) 1992.
Veinot, Don; Joy Veinot; and Marcia Montenegro. Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret. (Wonder Lake, IL: MCOI Publishing LLC) 2020.
Lord, have mercy… 