SNAKES

SNAKES

                “Is that when they brought out the snakes…?” was asked at that point!  (do you remember the Wendy Bagwell [not Jerry Clower] story about the snake-handling church?!)  I was retelling my story, to work buddies, of our recent vacation to the Smokies.  These musings are not really about snakes, except maybe the ones in our heads!

                We were meeting family in the Smokies, for a wedding.  I planned a church visit along the route since we were traveling on Sunday.  I carefully planned our necessary ETD from my starting point, and ETA at church site, with Google maps and a survey of church websites data.  (sounds so careful and logical?!)  If we left at 0830 we could be at the chosen church before their 1100 start time.  Perfect!  As we drove into Chattanooga, I saw it – “Entering Eastern Time Zone”!  Agh!  (recollect “lean not on your own understanding, but trust in the Lord…”?) 

                “Melanie, get on the navigator; we’re going to plan-B; we just lost an hour!”  So, my wife took the navigator, typed in “church …” and then several options showed up.  I should have taken more seriously the lack of a phone number with the specs for the chosen church!  You really never know what you are going to get with “pot-luck” church!  I have tried several approaches, on vacation, for church selection – internet research, first-come-stop, nearest to campsite… none are fool-proof.  And you cannot trust the signs out front!  It can be like a grab-bag gift – God only knows what is inside!

                Once, we listened to a sister wail for over sixty minutes, anointed or possessed, or something.  Never really heard a word of the preacher’s sermon.  Another time, they insisted that we stay for refreshments before journeying on down the road.  We went to the home of a couple there, and they brought out a box of (no, not snakes!) sample bottles, you know, the kind at a drugstore so you can sample a cologne or perfume before you buy it!  (he was a pharmacist)  I picked out a bottle of English Leather, and Melanie chose Eau de Something! 

Once, at a family reunion, we watched as the church began a communion service. (they do not call this “Eucharist” in the hills) These believers take the Bible very seriously and very literally.  The verse says, “… and He took the cup …” (Mt.26:27)  They emphasize the SINGULAR and are called “one-cuppers” [I prefer Luke 22:17 “divide it among yourselves…”]  The (homemade) “loaf” came by.  But, you did not “break bread” because it was an unleavened, under-cooked disc of playdough!  I stretched off a piece and began to chew the gumball!  While I am still chewing, THE “Cup” (a flower vase?!) begain its arduous, long journey down each pew, row by row.  Yep.  We were in the back, on the second aisle of pews.  Still chewing on my gumball, I whispered (as reverently as possible) to Melanie, “… the volume is not going down?!  backwash?”  She answered, “I love Jesus; but, I am NOT doing that…”

                How do good folks, sincere believers, get to such positions?  It might be snakes;  or, it might be one-cuppers.  or, Mary veneration.  or, tongue-speaking. (not to be confused with languages) or, OSAS.  or, the Sabbath.  Or, KJV-only.  Or, …   Their “snakes” define and distinguish them.  And, you are a heretic or a “half-gospel” or a “whore of Babylon” or a “Bible-thumper” … if you do not understand, agree and do the same.  “IT” varies from group to group.  (kind of like the movie?! “IT”)  But, most have an “IT”.  And, like the horror movie, it is different for different folks.

                Here’s where the rub comes, the problem, the ungodliness.  When push comes to shove, THEY will marginalize, ridicule, shun, dis-fellowship, discipline, re-educate, even kill, THEM.  I speak from experience.  I have been fired, “put in a side room”, run off, ignored, …  I have no anger; maybe some hurt feelings.  Life-long friends have put me in the “uh-huh” category.  Even my  own mother is not sure what to do with me.

                My childhood fellowship (church) had several “IT’s” or “snakes”.  For one thing, snake-handling was taboo! (would have to agree on that one!)  Of course, they also were against pianos and …  It was more difficult to detect the FOR’s than the IT’s?!  Now that I am older, I find myself worshipping Jesus with OTHER’s.  I quietly listen for their “IT’s”  I have grown to understand that if you kill their pet snake, “woe unto you!”  I do begin to believe that THE Snake is behind our “snakes”?!  He loves our “contending” for IT.

                What did Jesus say?  “… by this, all men will know that you are my disciples…”  (Jn.11:35)  What was His sine qua non?  His indispensable, defining, designating, differentiating, delineating, distinguishing demarcation?  I fear we have failed, miserably, in this crucial matter?!  God have mercy on us; we do not know what we are doing!  Jesus looked at one seeker and commented, “… you are not far from the kingdom…” amazed at his answer!  (Mk.12:34)  But, how do we answer?  I want to be “not far from the kingdom”!  I want to be in the CENTER of the kingdom.  Having studied systematic theology, I have ruts and routes that meander in my head.  ST wants to order and systematize.  Maybe that is helpful. But, looking at Jesus, I see compassion and charity and caring and the Cross.  As far as ST goes, the starting point is not “King”, but rather, “Father” – it is NOT sovereignty, but rather love. (imho)  Starting in the wrong place leads to some dry corners.  John, “the disciple whom He loved…”, gave this starting point – “He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.”! (1Jn.4:8)

                So, what do we do?!  Kill snakes?  “…those that live by the sword, die by the sword…” might fit here?  We do not need another Inquisition.  Let’s leave the snake-head crushing to Jesus.  Do we lift up Nehushtan?!  Even that led to idolatry.  (Hezekiah had to break up that!)  But, Jesus did say, “…if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto myself…”!  Yes, we can repeat the mistake of the Corinthians’ “… I am of Christ” party.  But, Jesus is the way, the truth, the life!

There was an earlier “IT” movie, a silent romantic comedy,  about a shop-girl, Betty, who had “it, and the boss is smitten and enamored.    I have never seen this movie; but, I can tell you, Jesus has “it”!  I will try to lift up Jesus, instead of snakes.

ILL-FATED SEED

ILL-FATED SEED?!

To the bent, cursed tree it flies,

a raven, from the very pits of Hell.

Into his foul beak the seed he plies,

Later to the chosen ground it fell.

With it now, he rises into the night,

for the rank, hog-pen runoff a-spying.

The God-forsaken kernel fell from sight;

Into stench below; it was surely dying?

 

 

Into a tree, it slowly, but steadily grows.

But, with limbs all twisted and knotted,

good for nothing; for what who knows?

Its purpose? Its use? Felled and rotted?

Gathered there to roost, only vultures.

Taken to their nests, all manner of refuse.

All around, they added filth to the manure.

Never would this tree be of any good use?

Because of all this, it was ever left alone.

Never even fuel, and certainly not lumber.

Would its fate, or end, never be known?

Sapping the ground, its strength encumber.

Along came men, demanding posts, a pole.

Brutes, ill-tempered, brusque and cruel,

The hog pen tree, they chopped and stole.

Maybe for their campfire, they needed fuel.

Other trees, harvested from time to time.

Lumber for shelter, for a table, some planks.

In them, village children often would climb;

But, at it, they turned, sneering, “no thanks.”

Where was it going? What purpose to fulfill?

With axes, was chopped and then, roughly hewn.

Carried through the streets, then up a steep hill,

Nails driven in, a prisoner attached, now it is noon.

Who is this one? by all around, he is mocked!

And, all his friends turn away, even the Sun.

Darkness surrounded! what hour has clocked?

But some still look, and stammer, “He’s the One!”

How did I get here?  So, far from the forest green.

Nothing but a torture device, a cross for your Son!

How could this happen? Who could have forseen?

“God in heaven, do you know what you have done?”

Damned black bird, that planted me in the sewage,

Could you, did you have any idea of my ill-fated lot?

Was there an omen, or, some evil, dark-hearted sage,

That guided your selection and even my planted spot?

No!  that “ill-fated seed” grew into what He did foresee!

From such an ugly beginning, seemingly only an accident,

I was to become the Holy Cross on the Hill called Calvary.

He was in charge; never was I lost. Never was I forgotten!

What will become me?  What possibly, will next be?

From the hog pen?  What will be my next destination?

He says, “ornaments, decorations, and even jewelry!

But, really, it has been all about mankind’s salvation”?!

 

SHOW YOURSELF!

WHERE ARE YOU?

          I was sitting on a park bench, a troubled, worried searcher, and mused dejectedly to myself, “…God, where are you?”  Then, I defiantly dared, “Show yourself!”  Anger and confusion breed some ugly offspring.  Add some pride and dishonesty into the mix, and the spawn are hellish.

          A thunderclap startled me and I looked up to see a bus go by with a movie billboard on its side that read, “God’s Not Dead”?!  I cynically spouted, “Is that the best you can do?”  I mumbled, “… just look around – all the evidence points to an absentee slum-lord, at best!  The confusion.  The evil.  The darkness.”

          Then I heard a small voice whisper, “…if I were NOT here, it would be far worse….”  I was jerked to full attention.  I questioned,  “Where did that come from?!”  I stood up and looked all around.  “OK, where are the TV cams?!” was my suspicion!  “… maybe it was those goobers from school?”  But, I saw nobody, except for couples strolling by and families tossing Frisbees.

          “Who are you looking for?!” echoed in my head.  I thought,  “I must be losing my mind….”  “No, you wanted to talk; so here I am…”  “This is not happening…”  “Sure it is!  But, nobody ever believes it when they do hear me.”  Within, I screamed, “Show yourself!”

          Then, I heard the voice again, “have you see the Indiana Jones movies?  Do you remember the scene where the Nazis opened the Ark of the Covenant?  That is not so far-fetched!”

 

          “Sure… God watches movies!  Come on now!”  I cynicized.  But, before I got the words out of my mouth, I heard, “… who do you think gave Spielberg his wonderful imagination?!”  and, then, “… your God is too small… Ha!!!” was added.

          “…get out of my head!  Show yourself!  Why won’t you show yourself?” I silently screamed.  I looked around, but nobody was staring at me. 

          “I have shown myself!  The creation screams, ‘Creator!’  the heavens declare my glory!  What do you children want, an ‘accident’ or the ‘Almighty’?!  And, the Christ was my best memo!  As He said, ‘… if you have seen me, you have seen Him…’  But, my child, you don’t listen.  Then, there is the Collection, the Writings.  If I wrote on the clouds, you would trivialize that too.  So many of you do not listen.  Some of you do not WANT to hear.  But, you are beginning to listen!” were the words I heard next.   Also, “…who do you think envisioned, designed, manufactured, winds and tweaks this ‘clock’?!  I see that it is your time to jump to the next quantum change.  Get ready!”

          “… you are creeping me out…” I muttered.  “Exactly!  You cannot handle the truth.  One day you will see me, be like me; but, for now, you cannot.”  “Why not?!”

          “Do you remember the first two, Adam and Eve?  I walked in the garden with them.  But, then they ran and hid!  Fear replaced their child-like feelings of family and friendship.  Oh, and my great one, Moses, he wanted to see me face to face.  Just a glimpse as I departed left him glowing in the dark!  Any more and he would have gone up like that bush!  Israel anxiously trembled at the foot of Sinai in a near panic.  My great one, Isaiah, fainted before my altar in dread and guilt.  The guards in Gethsemane went limp and fell to the ground when the Christ simply answered their question!  Ha!!!  Now, how do you think this will go with you?”

          He added “For now, remember the challenge to Thomas, and your blessing, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’  Soon enough, you WILL see me and be like me!”

 

          “What about those NDE’s? ...”

 

          Then, I came to myself.  My very heart burned within me.

CONSUMERISM

CONSUMERISM

                 “Thank you, Lord, for this job, this well-paying job.  May I not use this money for my own selfish consumption.”  With that prayer I began my eye-wash station modification, adding a thermo-valve for freeze protection this winter.

                As I work, I think of my oldest grandchild, Jonathan, who is seven.  We are soon to spend some time together on our annual family gathering vacation.  (I want to establish a tradition of at least once a year, besides the holidays, of getting us all under one roof.)  He reminds me so much of myself as a child – pensive, maybe a little socially awkward, intensely intelligent (wink), and importantly, introspective.  He has a temper that flares sometimes, also!  I am curious about what he would add to the conversation going on inside my head?!  Given the chance, I will ask him!  I pray the Lord gets more good out of him (and all of them!) than he has me.  May Jonathan (and the others, too) give his life in selfless service.  Pass it on.

                I know his mother, Sarah, my oldest, has learned the lesson her grandfather passed on to his oldest.  She has embodied this gift in a plaque she made, quoting Elizabeth Seton, “Live simply, so that all may simply live.”  As Paul wrote, we’re to work to provide for our families AND to help those in need. (Eph.4:28; 1Tim.5:8)

                Last night in Bible class we studied James 4-5.  Sometimes theologians struggle with the (perceived) Paul vs. James faith/works issue.  But, they see NO struggle in this matter!  Scripture, all of its writers, in a united voice speaks of social justice, compassion for the poor, helping the needy …  whatever you want to call it.  James says pure and undefiled religion is “…to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” – holiness and helping! (Jas.1:27)  Similarly, Paul exclaims, in agreement with the directive of the Jerusalem Council, “we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised; ¹⁰ only they would have us remember the poor, which very thing I was eager to do.” (Gal.2:9-10)  Besides the evangelism of the world, the Jerusalem Church leaders emphasized the need to “remember the poor”!

                James spoke of God’s “jealousy” and our “adultery”!  (Jas.4:3-5)  All of this in the context of asking and not receiving because “you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”  Consumerism!  Adultery is an ugly betrayal of human love and a violation of a sacred vow.  It is not “hooking up” or some other cute euphemism.  It is a violation of so much that is good and holy.  For this reason, alone, Jesus allows a rightful dissolution of a heavenly bond.  And, this is what James chooses to call what we call consumerism.

                Paul does not call it “adultery” but rather “idolatry”.  Bible students catch the strong meaning!  Wanting “stuff” is as bad as worshipping idols.  (that’s Rule #2!!)  Idolatry is the very thing that took God’s chosen people into Exile.  God put up with a lot.  But, idolatry was the limit.  He is a jealous God.  Rule #1 is “no gods beside me”!  We do not worship Baal and Moloch; but, we do sacrifice to “BMW” and “Mercedes”!  We have forgotten what “no” means.  “Enough” is not in our vocabulary.

                But, do not miss the point – we are not talking about statues and sex.  The point of this is CONSUMERISM!  Big money is spent creating these desires, these cravings, these passions.  We want bigger, better, newer, shinier, …  Let’s go back to the words of the Savior, in his great Sermon on the Mount – “¹⁹Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. … ²⁴ “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Mt.6)  Paul, wrote, “For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs.” (1Tim.6:10)

                We sit back, relaxing, admiring our new and bigger barns full of shiny, expensive toys; and, we smile, “a-h-h”.  God is NOT smiling!  We settle into our nest and whisper, to the needy, under our breath, “…go, be warmed and filled” – but we DO nothing, except dream about our next toy.

                I think on a story of Jesus about a rich man, some call “Dives”, and a homeless man named “Lazarus”.  Look at the context of that story.  WHY did Jesus tell that story?  He had just challenged the money-loving Pharisees about their value system! (Lk.16:13-15)  Jesus said that what the world values is despised by God.  And, then, Jesus goes on to reinforce his point about loving money by telling this story.  Some use the story to see into the after-live.  The point that Jesus is making is about THIS life!  RM feasted and just outside his door, Lazarus was waiting on the maid to fill the garbage can with his next meal.  A fat man stuffing his face ignoring the homeless outside the restaurant – this is an UGLY picture!  And, Jesus does mention the table being turned and a great chasm, uncrossable.

                Run to the Cross, now.  Ask for mercy for selfishness and greed and blindness.  Store up treasures, in Heaven.  Follow the Man who had no place to lay his head. (Mt.8:19-20)