Spoiler Alert

Nobody likes spoilers.  Forgive me for remembering the old days, but there was a time when you could only see something on TV or at the movie theater.  If you missed it on TV, then you deserved to have it spoiled for you.  If you had not seen the movie yet, you needed to get to the theater fast.  Of course with no social media, the opportunities for spoilage were more rare.

A plot is spoiled when we know what is going to happen.  Much of the Star Wars episodes 1-3 was spoiled before the movies were ever made.  We knew that Anakin would turn to the dark side.  We knew that he would father a couple of children.  Key elements of the plot held no suspense.

When the plot is spoiled, we know how the story ends.  We see the disasters coming, we expect the hero to arrive, we know who will still be standing.  So, for entertainment, all we have left is curiosity about the details.  We miss the suspense.  We find no surprise with the unexpected.  Our jaws never drop.  Many stories become old and trite. 

In American culture, the Bible has been spoiled.  We know how it ends.  We know all the twists and turns, the disasters and the deliverances.  We know that Moses leads the Hebrews out of Egypt.  We know that David kills Goliath.  We know that the big fish swallows Jonah and saves his life.  We know that Jesus turns the water to wine.  We know that the woman at the well comes to faith  We know that Peter walks on water.  We know that Judas betrays his master, who is executed for fictitious crimes.  We know that the tomb is empty. 

But those who hear these stories for the first time are astounded.  God parts the waters!  Jonah can't run away from God!  Jesus offends the religious people!  Jesus forgives those who murder him!  Love conquers hate!

We can tell these stories to children and watch their eyes light up.  But by the time we are adults, our eyes glaze over.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  Tell me something I don't know.  What's your point?

If we can read the stories as though we have never heard them, we see just what a radical Jesus is.  We marvel at the power and love of God.  We get a glimpse of the story of God.

Maybe that's what childlike faith is all about:  reveling in astonishment at the work of God.

The Hurry Curse

I recently read John Ortberg's book, Soul Keeping.  I had never read a book about how to keep my soul.  While Jesus makes a big deal about one's soul, we find very little about it in Christian literature.  Jesus did ask, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?  Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"

It seems like we have plenty of help in keeping our habits, keeping our money, and keeping our doctrine pure.  But none of these has any value if we don't keep our souls.

I have a habit of hurried thinking.  My dad was that way.  He died 13 years ago, but he always seemed to be in a hurry.  Even in his years of retirement, he kept himself and his family poised for the next thing.  I remember rushing through meals and walking fast. He was an industrial engineer, so he was always looking for efficiency.  But efficiency must have a higher purpose.  Why do we want to do things faster?  For what are we saving time?  What is the value of moving on to the next hurried task?

I have inherited that mindset.  I hate the agony of time to relax, when I feel like I should be doing something.  Being productive makes me feel worthy.  If I am being still, I am unworthy.  That feels worse than being hurried.

Ortberg, calling on the late Dallas Willard, notes the difference between being busy and being hurried.  We can be busy, keeping a full schedule, without being hurried.  One can keep a long list of appointments without being hurried.  It is a mindset.

Hurry says that I'm in control, and that means trouble.  I work harder, get frenzied, and work poorly.  Busy (ideally) recognizes that God is in control, and that means everything is all right.  I trust God to take care of all my oversights and shortcomings.  Hurry is walking by sight.  Busy is walking by faith.

Many times a day now, I catch myself with the hurry mindset.  It steals my peace and limits the depth of my thinking.  It wears me out, and leaves me feeling guilty that I have not accomplished more.

But Jesus bids me come to him and find rest for my soul.  His yoke is easy and his burden is light. I can choose joy and peace as I handle my responsibilities.  Then my mind and soul are free to work.  That is living apart from the hurry curse.  Only through Jesus can I find that power through freedom.

Hurry keeps my soul ruffled.  Jesus gives me rest for my soul.

The Face of God

This morning I was praying for God to let me hear his voice and see his face. I began to wonder:  What would I see, if I saw the face of God?  What would be his expression?

I might see his pleasure, his joy, his peace.  I might see his disappointment, his pain, his frustration (Does God ever get frustrated?).   I might see his excitement, his encouragement.  I might see him cheering me on.  I might see him cautioning me or daring me.

Most of us know what we would see in the face of God.  At least we think we do.  We might be surprised.  Where we expect judgment, we may find forgiveness.  Where we expect disappointment, we may find understanding.  Where we expect approval, we may find warning.

What do you expect to see in the face of God today.  Are you afraid to look?

High Water

Today God blew me away in our worship. His presence was obvious as we gathered to enjoy him. He filled every song, every testimony, every prayer. He touched our hearts as we prayed for a teenager's healing. When it was time for me to speak, it seemed like there was nothing to say. But God allowed me to speak, and it was exciting to share.

After our worship time, we considered our purchase of a building in Stokesdale. As we continue to grow, we are out-growing our current meeting space and need to find a new place to meet. Miraculously God provided a great opportunity to buy an existing building. Our spirit of excitement carried into our discussion about the building, and we voted unanimously to purchase the building.

It seems like God is taking us to new heights. His best moments for us just keep coming. After our Jamaica mission trip this spring, the report from the trip was a high point for us in ministry. Then we had our VBS in June/July. The energy and participation were off the chart. This was our biggest and best VBS ever. Another high water mark.

Then today, God shows his power. This worship time seemed like the culmination of many years of praying and watching. We had never thought that the Long House would be our permanent place to meet, so we always kept our eyes open for new meeting space. When our need to move out of the Long House became more urgent, we still had nowhere to go.

We have had to trust him, even when we could see no way for him to provide. Then he brings this building across our path, just when we could see no way forward. We expect soon to get the building under contract, and we have already begun the process of raising the needed cash.

Today seems like a culmination, but in some ways, it is just a beginning. Now we have to trust God to see us through the site plans, inspections, financing and local government approval. He has to keep doing it, because it is beyond our ability to get it done.

Today is a high water mark, but it points to greater things yet to be done in this city.