Thursday, July 22, 2010

Meet Jesus. He'll mess you up.

While many of the books I'm reading this summer are about Jesus, not very many of them agree. Well, not just books, but sermons too.

For instance, I've been re-reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan. We're reading it as a team with our summer youth apprentices at church (a group of 20 high school students who have committed 3 days of each week to learning, serving, and praying together). A major theme in Crazy Love is that God is relentless in His grace. Exorbitant, even. Every story ties back to love, grace, and mercy. Lots of mercy.

Then, today as I was packing for youth summer camp, a reading of one of Jonathan Edward's sermons came on. It was titled "Sinners in the hands of an angry God." The major theme was that every person is by nature a child of wrath and deserves to die. Every story ties back to justice, consequence, and wrath. Lots of wrath.

Now before I get too far, I realize the two extremes are not mutually exclusive. But still, how can God be so merciful that His grace is relentless? How can God be so pure that He cannot tolerate sin? How is Christ ALWAYS the third way? I can handle extremes when one is good and one is bad. Even if one is just "better". But Jesus has this messy way of being both extremes, without compromising either. My brain explodes in faith. Jesus is messing up my theology.

I've got some friends who always talk about Heaven. They talk about Heaven invading Earth. And not in the "whenever Jesus comes back" sort of time frame. They're confident that we can experience Heaven now. That the Kingdom of God is here. My theology hasn't been big enough for this idea, yet. Still reading what God's word has to say...

As I keep reading, keep listening, keep talking, keep learning, I pray for God's wisdom and discernment. Frankly, I'm not that smart. There are much smarter, more persuasive people out there. But a lot of them are wrong.

Like Paul wrote:
"Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.For the wisdom of this world is foolishness beforeGod. For it is written, "He is THE ONE WHO CATCHESTHE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS";and again, "THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS."--1 Corinthians 3:18-20


We don't get to decide who God is. No one gets to decide what His Word says...well, except for God. So I'll keep reading through the stylistic clashes of Holy Spirit encounters in California, reformission in Seattle, and nonviolence in Philadelphia. But, I'll fix my eyes on the Crucified One.

"The danger is that we can begin to read the Bible through the eyes of America rather than read America through the eyes of the Bible." --Shane Claiborne & Chris Haw, Jesus for President (2008)

1 comment:

  1. Pom PomJuly 23, 2010 at 7:29 AM

    I have to agree with you and Shane. We don't get to package it up in our own little zip lock bag. We seek Him. We read His word. We receive His great all knowing grace with humble hearts. Jesus loves children. I'm glad I'm a dumb kid.

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Ephesians 5

Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – and find out what pleases the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says:

“Awake, O sleeper!

Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you!”

Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is. And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the savior of the body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

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