A Journey With the Family

Psalm 34
My father-in-law's health has been less than stellar of late, so naturally I have spent time thinking about him recently, about the impact he has had on many lives as a minister and as a friend. Those lives include mine. The Christian faith really is a family in so many ways; not one of birth or marriage, but one of covenant and community. My father-in-law has done much over the years to help me feel at home in the family of faith and I think of people like him when I read words like those found in Psalm 34. "O magnify the Lord with me," says the psalmist, "and let us exalt his name together" (Psalm 34:3). These are words of invitation meant to make us feel at home in the family of faith. These are words that say "come and share in a life of purpose and joy that can only be found in serving God." They say "come and be a part of God's people, the community of the covenant. Come and belong." These are words my father-in-law has embodied through decades of ministry and discipleship.

Each of us who considers him- or herself a Christian has a different story as to how we came to have faith in Jesus Christ. Like Paul on the road to Damascus, you may have experienced conversion from a life that was leading you in one direction when you experienced a change of heart that led you in another. Or perhaps like Timothy, you may have simply grown up in the faith,  never realizing it was possible not to believe. In any case, there were others who played a part in getting us to where we are today in our journey with God, whether it was friends, co-workers, family members, neighbors, fellow church members, even strangers. Any of these may have touched us at an appropriate time and helped guide us on our way. The end result is that we stand in community, in covenant with one another and with God. We now have the opportunity to reach out to others the way that others have reached out to us, to say with the psalmist, "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together."

Obviously, we are not the source of the message; it is Jesus Christ who calls us into relationship with God. But we have a vital role to play nonetheless. The community of faith as we know it is always in flux. It is not a rigid, fixed group of people, in lockstep, marching along the road of faith. It is, instead, a changing, dynamic collection of saints at various stages of their respective faith journeys. The joyous call to discipleship, then, is not an invitation to a sit-down, black-tie dinner. It is a "come as you are" affair, a ramble along the road that leads to the coming kingdom. It is a trip that changes us from what we were into what we can be. It is a trip without much in the way of a fixed starting point, but it has a goal: full, self-giving service to God through Jesus Christ. Our words of invitation, addressed to the world, can be the starting point for someone else's trip along the road to the kingdom, and it may be the only invitation that some people ever receive. So let us magnify the Lord, and let us exalt his name together.

Prayer: Lord, on our journey of faith help us to remain open to what you are doing in and through us and to what we may do through you for others. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Growing Up

1 Corinthians 14:20-33a, 39-40

Paul offers sensible advice to his readers in Corinth. “Brothers and sisters,” he writes, “do not be children in your thinking; rather, be infants in evil, but in thinking be adults” (1 Corinthians 14:20). This verse resonates strongly with me. Part of thinking as an adult means to expect difficulties and challenges to arise, to know that events will not always flow smoothly, to accept that at times life will seem to “jump the tracks.” Under these circumstances it would be childish to lash out in anger, to point fingers, to sulk or pout. But it would be equally childish to lose all hope. The “adult” thing to do in such cases is to turn to God for direction and for strength. How is God working through me at this time? What is God calling me to do? Where is God leading me to go? These questions require mature consideration and prayer, not childish responses based on pride or guilt or selfishness.

Paul’s words were directed to a community of faith that was torn by dissent. He challenged them to come together in the faith and to seek the will of God as a family. This sort of unity cannot be approached childishly. It takes hard work and patience and it requires us to grow up in our relationship with God and with one another. But hope abounds.

Prayer: Lord give us the guidance we need to face life and all of its challenges. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Not So Fast, Paul!

1 Corinthians 7:32-40

As a happily married man I find Paul’s words to the church in Corinth to be interesting. “The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided” (1 Corinthians 7:32b-34a). Now I will admit that I am concerned about a number of things, among them living up to the expectations of my family. But I can not in all honesty claim that were I single my concerns would all be focused on God. I know myself better than that; there would always be something for me to worry about.

It is not that I believe Paul is wrong necessarily. Relationships--and especially marriages--do lead us to new levels of concern and even anxiety. There are a whole host of things that I deal with now that I did not face when I was single. Add children to the mix and the list grows even longer. But committed relationships based on mutual love and regard are among the most profound blessings one may receive in life. When taken seriously and nurtured with care close friendships, marriages, and families each offer their own benefits and help us to carry much of the pain and sorrow of life.

Were I unmarried I am sure that my anxiety would still be split between the Lord and any number of other matters. So, all things being equal, I will count myself richly blessed to be in a loving relationship, one that helps me to make sense of my life and to be a better person, one that also helps me to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live our lives in mutual love and support so that together we may deal with the pain of life and give glory to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.