Still Reflection

I have undertaken the effort to be very intentional about my time spent in the word these past three weeks. Now, I readily acknowledge the inerrant power of the Word and its ability to help us hear the voice of God. But recently I heard a testimony from a friend about when he first decided to believe in Christ. He didn’t know much about God, but he had access to a Bible and he dove in, head first. He took it for face value. He took God at his Word—literally. Though he didn’t understand it, he knew the very act of reading and trying to retain even the smallest bit of these scriptures would be a life altering act. Thinking this way is what lead to my friend’s believing the Bible when it says “…In Christ you are new creation.” He decided it could only mean that he was an innocent man behind bars. His testimony now includes the miraculous way that God restored his life after time in prison. Taking the Word for what it says, like the fact that it doesn’t return to God without accomplishing its purpose, can take a lot of determination. This is a task that at times can be hard for a kid like me to do, seeming I grew up seeing the white haired Daniel who pet the kittens in the den and the ginormous Goliath mocking the scrawny Jr. higher David all against the backdrop of a green felt board. Some Biblical texts can become monotonous if you’re not careful. In light of my friend’s testimony and the focused prayer season that the I had the opportunity to take part in, I decided to go at my time in the Word with fresh eyes.

What better scripture to dive into then the all familiar Psalm 23. Here the felt board would’ve displayed a nice winding blue stream that trickled out of a nearby rock, a few white cotton ball lambs dreamily gazing up at the ruddy young David (somehow looking just like the one that threw a pebble at the giant—though this song of his was very likely written years apart from that). I found it so easy to just skim over the words, mentally completing the familiar phrases. I caught myself and read the passage again, trying to see how I could apply the specific verses in a personal way. That’s when verse 2 stuck out in a new way. Humor me will you? Take a deep breath before you read the familiar words…no presupposed ideas floating around without supervision please. ..

+Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

He leads me besides still waters…we often take this as refreshment, which is a fine interpretation. God does refresh us. But as I closed my eyes and let myself envision this strong, protective and loving Shepherd as we took a walk in my meadow I saw a wide river. The water was still, motionless; not to the point of stagnation, but to the point of reflection. Here, at this place where He makes me take time to rest, breathe and think, here we pause at the side of the river. And here I can see my reflection in the light of the glory that comes from the one with whom I walk.

With a still river residing in this meadow one would be able to hear the voice of the one who was with you. Is it possible that God leads us to the quiet places of rest so that we can reflect on the state of our lives? Maybe we are brought to such a place so that we are able to examine our relationship with God? As we look down at a reflection of ourselves, and we can clearly hear the voice that wants to guide us, maybe this is how our soul is restored. This is the place where we can be honest, stop hiding our faults as if God doesn’t already know, and let him lead us in the paths of righteousness that he has for us. After all, the Word says that he leads us there, not that we desperately search for the righteous paths. After reflection at the still waters, he simply leads as we submit.

Sounds like a nice concept, right? I think it is. But here is the catch (I never claimed there wasn’t one so stop rolling your eyes), we need to stop seeing the truths of the Word as pretty concepts. The messages that we hear from on the weekends or through the ear buds of an Ipod need to be more than a check on our To Do List. It’s time to take the Word for what it says. Take the time to listen to God. We can spend all our prayers crying out to him about how much we need direction, or how we need to hear from him, but if we don’t pause to listen and reflect, well we could be missing it. Take the decisive time to step away from the raging waters of your daily life and let this God who leads you in paths of righteousness take you to the still waters to reflect.

Preaching To the Choir

Every once and awhile a song will come along that I can only explain as an encounter. The artists involved in its creation probably heard its faint whispers from their vantage point whilst they were soaking before the Throne of the Grand Composer. Well recently I heard the song “All the Poor and Powerless” by Sons & Daughters. The lyrics, harmony and instruments tug on your heart. It has recently become the central soundtrack to where ever God is leading me right now.

The other day as this song’s lyrics were resonating in my thoughts I found myself reading the below scripture in which the ancient Prophet Ezekiel was reprimanding the spiritual leaders…

+Ezekiel 34: 4-6 You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty. ⁵ So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal. ⁶ They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them.

My heart quite literally breaks at passages like this. What a tragedy that God would ever have to speak out against the leaders of the Church. These very people who are supposed to be a picture of God to those around them—they are not even seeking out the lost. But can I say that today, here and now, we are really even beyond that? I am sure that you are able to come up with one or two ‘christians’ that could fall into the category of this scripture. Would someone else name you? Maybe I should instead ask whether you would name me?

I recently read a poem by a class mate that recounted her experience growing up in a ‘christian school.’ After lines about the rigidness of the program she writes, “God I am willing to acknowledge you/ But after twelve years of being forced to do so,/ I am not willing to step back into your house.” The saddest part about the conclusion of her poem is I can’t really blame her. Too often it seems many Christians, well meaning or not, have driven people away from the Church rather than welcoming them in. When I read this poem written by a friend I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and beg her to remember, the church is not GOD. GOD doesn’t disown you when you do wrong. He doesn’t disqualify the broken, and He doesn’t abandon the needy. But as I had this thought-- I felt my heart sink. No, the hurt people who dwell with in the walls of the church—they are not God himself. But should I really be pleading with someone to not view the church as God? The Church is supposed to put flesh to the Words and Actions of Christ.

One Sunday morning as I was singing in worship at my home church, the room was erupting and passionately singing out the lyrics “Shout it out, go on and tell it to the mountains, go on and scream it to the masses, that He is God.” I had to stop and think, are there those of us that actually go out and truly proclaim his goodness like we so comfortably sing from inside the walls of church? How many of us are really living lives that declare who the LORD of our life is? Are they walking out of these doors after singing these songs and screaming to the masses about our God? Am I?

I don’t have some super solution to the sickness I see in many parts of the Body of Christ, I know that many a church is being used in amazing ways. Not supposed to despise small beginnings right? Start small, start here. Live what you believe, let word and deed go together. I know there are genuine leaders and people in churches world-wide, I guess I am writing simply to ask you to allow your words and actions to not be contradictions. Help the word Christian deviate from being a synonym for judgment and hypocrites. Maybe we’ll reach a day where the cry won’t ever have to be uttered, “Jesus—save us from your followers.”