Restoring God’s Renown

Habakkuk 3:1-18

The prophet Habakkuk offered these words to God in prayer. “O Lord, I have heard of your renown, and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work. In our own time revive it; in our own time make it known; in wrath may you remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2). What would it mean for God to revive the divine renown, the holy work in our day and age? What would it mean for God to remember mercy in the midst of wrath today? In other words, can these be our words as well? Is this an appropriate prayer for Lent 2012 and beyond?

In truth, God has been visibly at work in our world all along and has, “in our own time,” continued to show profound mercy and compassion. In Jesus Christ God entered our lives and suffered alongside us, going so far as to die for our sake, and to rise again with a promise of eternal life. On Pentecost the Holy Spirit performed spiritual CPR on a small band of terrified believers and emboldened them to share the good news. On the Damascus road Paul caught sight of our risen Savior and a new meaning for his own life. At every step of the way God has remained steadfast and merciful, leading God’s people to serve and to share with heart, mind, soul, and strength. When we have failed and faltered God has judged us and held us accountable but has never once ceased to love us or forgive us when we have confessed. Today the people of God–inspired by the Holy Spirit, guided by the will of Jesus Christ–are involved in countless forms of outreach and ministry, all to the glory of God.

So is Habakkuk’s prayer suitable for our own time? Is it even necessary? The answer is yes. I say this because we, the people of God, need constant reminding of whose we are and who we serve. To pray with the prophet is to reflect on the needs of the world and our own shortcomings. It is to lay claim once more to the charge that Jesus gave us saying, “go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19). It is to reflect on where we are and where we need to be. In short, to pray with Habakkuk is to use the season of Lent for repentance and renewal.

Prayer: O Lord, in our own time revive you renown and make your work known; and in wrath may you remember your mercy. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

NOTE: Beginning on February 25, I will be including blog posts each Saturday written by "guest bloggers" who will offer their insights on the readings for that particular day. I deeply appreciate the willingness of these folks to share their time and talents with us. Be sure to stop by on upcoming Saturdays to see what they have to say.

When Is Enough Enough?

Matthew 18:10-20

What in Matthew’s gospel may sound like a lost cause may not be all that final. Jesus is discussing conflict within the church when he says, “If the member refuses to listen to (two or three members), tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (Matthew 18:17). The key terms here are church, Gentile, and tax collector, and they deserve some careful attention.

First of all, we know that Jesus is really talking past the disciples to us because the church is a post-resurrection reality, birthed at Pentecost. How then are we to deal with the likes of Gentiles and tax collectors? Jesus can’t mean that we give up on them entirely. The mission of the church, as given by Jesus later in Matthew’s gospel, is to go and “make disciples of all nations (i.e. Gentiles)” (28:19). And Jesus himself has already expressed his concern for tax collectors in particular by calling a tax collector named Matthew to become a disciple. When Jesus’ choice of dinner companions (“sinners and tax collectors”) was questioned he answered, “I have come to call not the righteous, but sinners” (9:1-9).

When Jesus says that those who refuse to listen to the church should be treated as Gentiles and tax collectors he is not giving up on them, but singling them out for a renewed effort at reconciliation. So I would suggest that Jesus’ words in Matthew 18 are not a warning to those who disagree with the church, but a reminder to the church – as the body of Christ at work in the world – “to call not the righteous, but sinners,” and “to go and make disciples of all nations.” In other words enough is never enough.

Prayer: Lord, open our hearts to those who need the good news, and grant us the patience to live you word into reality. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Worship and Doubt in Galilee

Matthew 28:16-20

It seems like an odd remark to make under the circumstances. “When (the eleven disciples) saw (Jesus),” Matthew says, “they worshiped him; but some doubted” (Matthew 28:17). Some doubted? Really? How does a comment like that fit into such a pivotal passage in Matthew’s story, so close to the great commission, right at the very end of the book? Isn’t it a little late to be dealing with doubt? Maybe, but keep in mind that this is the first time that anyone except the women have seen the resurrected Jesus in Matthew’s account. The eleven did not share the experience at the empty tomb, they have only had the word of two women to go on. They was bound to be some skepticism. But of greater significance to me is the phrase that comes just before Matthew mentions doubt: “When they saw him, they worshiped him….” So there was praise that day in Galilee as well, mixed in with the feelings of uncertainty.

Now for a bold confession on my part: There are many days when, despite my best efforts at faith, I find myself doubting, questioning, wondering, being skeptical. I can’t help it. Doubt creeps in and infects my worship and praise of God in Jesus Christ. Maybe you have the same experience that I do. If so here is something I find helpful. Even in my greatest times of doubt and hesitation I find that worship and praise of God in Jesus Christ helps me to move ahead, to live beyond my doubt until my faith is renewed as it always is. Doubt my infect our worship, but worship sets back our doubt when we allow it to. And when that happens we stand with the man who cried, “I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24) and with generations of Christians ever since who have struggled just the way we struggle. Doubt is not unusual even in the most faithful. But the great tragedy comes when we allow doubt to cut us off from the worshiping community. It doesn’t have to. Doubt is an honest reaction to events or information that sometimes overwhelm us. Worship, though, is the exercise regimen that keeps our hearts and minds attuned to what God is doing and prepared to do our part when we can.

Prayer: Lord, may our worship and praise continue, even in those times of greatest doubt, so that our lives may remain centered on you and your work. In Jesus’ name. Amen.