Devotions

These are devotionals about random thoughts related to life and theology.

I Can Only Imagine?

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Recently in our church, a trio of teenaged youth beautifully sang a Contemporary Christian song called, “I Can Only Imagine.” At first, I was simply taken by the fact that I didn’t realize that one of the youth could play the piano that well, and I didn’t realize that one of the other youth could sing at all! Their harmonies blended so well!

Then, I began to listen to the words of the song. I’ve heard the song many times, but I had never really listened to the words. As I listened, I realized that it epitomizes what has become the primary focus of too much of Christianity.

If you have never heard the song, the focus of the song is the singer trying to imagine what it will be like when he gets to heaven and finally gets to see Jesus. What will he do? What will his heart feel? Will he dance for Jesus? Will he be in awe of Jesus and be still? Will he sing, “Hallelujah?” Will he be able to speak at all? He can only imagine.

That was frustrating enough. Then, on this past Sunday, September 23, 2007, I stumbled across a show on MSNBC called, “To Hell and Back.” The story had to do with former Pentecostal, evangelical Bishop Carlton Pearson who has come to the conclusion that there is no hell except the hell that people experience on earth. This of course has caused quite an uproar in evangelical circles.

The MSNBC correspondent spoke to one of Pearson’s former friends and colleagues, who obviously thought Pearson was wrong (and going to a literal hell). In response to Carlton, who is still preaching, this fundamentalist preacher said something to the effect of, “Well, what’s he still preaching for if there’s no hell? What’s the point?”

Although they use different terminology, the song, “I Can Only Imagine,” and Pearson’s opponent are saying basically the same thing: “The whole point of Christianity is to get to heaven and staying out of a literal hell.”

Have none of these people read John 17:3: “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (NRSV) This text says NOTHING about “eternal life” being about “going to heaven.” It says NOTHING about it being something that happens ONLY when we die.  John 12:50 goes so far as to say that “eternal life” is a commandment of God; thus, it is something we DO, not just a place we can go when we die!

Look what John Wesley says in his sermon “The Scripture Way of Salvation,” based on Ephesians 2:8 (You are saved through faith):

  • And, first, let us inquire, What is salvation? The salvation which is here spoken of is not what is frequently understood by that word, the going to heaven, eternal happiness. It is not the soul’s going to paradise, termed by our Lord, “Abraham’s bosom.” It is not a blessing which lies on the other side of death; or, as we usually speak, in the other world. The very words of the text itself put this beyond all question: “You are saved.” It is not something at a distance: it is a present thing; a blessing which, through the free mercy of God, you are now in possession of.

What, then, is eternal life? What, then, is salvation? What is the point if the point isn’t “getting to heaven” or “staying out of a literal hell?” It is about RELATIONSHIP. Look at John 17:3 again. It says eternal life is not going to heaven but knowing God & Jesus HERE AND NOW! As Wesley notes, salvation is something that happens here, in this lifetime.

But, let us be very careful to not equate “Jesus” with just some spiritual entity “up in heaven” that we can only really “meet” in heaven. Let us look at Matthew 25:

  • 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ (NRSV, emphasis added)

Why does someone have to imagine what it would be like to meet Jesus? According to this, Jesus is all around us, in all the people we come in contact – even the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and imprisoned. Using the Apostle Paul’s terminology, we see Christ in church members – the body of Christ! Wanna see what Jesus looks like? Look around. Wanna know what you’ll do or feel? Look around and decide!

What’s the point of preaching if it’s not about going to heaven and not hell? Look around! People continue to not treat people well, causing hunger, thirst, people to remain strangers, nakedness, sickness, and imprisonment. The point of preaching is to help people to better care for others – even strangers. The point of preaching is ETERNAL LIFE HERE AND NOW – relationship with God and Jesus here and now through all the people we came in contact with.  It is a commandment!

My point is NOT to say there is or isn’t a heaven or a hell (who knows – anybody actually been to either?). My point is that life here and now is more important than just concern about an “afterlife.” People do experience hell here, and we CAN help get people out of it here and now so they can more fully share in relationship with God, Jesus, and each other – sharing in salvation and eternal life.

Can you imagine Jesus?

(Originally posted at http://theology-of-t-roy.blogspot.com/2007/09/i-can-only-imagine.html on September 25, 2007.
Minor additions pertaining to John 12:50 saying “eternal life” is a commandment have been added here.)

The Law and the Prophets?

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So many of us have been “taught” since childhood in the church that Jesus’ statement:

  • “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17, NRSV)

means that Jesus was “foretold” in the Hebrew Scriptures, and Jesus has finally coming fulfilling all the “prophecies” found in the Hebrew Scriptures. Others have said that Jesus “fulfilled” the law and the prophets because Jesus was the “final sacrifice.” I’ve come to the conclusion that these interpretations are NOT what this passage means. Why?

Later in the sermon on the mount, from which the above Scripture passage comes, we get this statement:

  • “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12, NRSV, emphasis mine)

Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets, not because he was foretold in the Law and the Prophets and finally “came.” Jesus did not fulfill the law and the prophets because he was the “final sacrifice.” Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets because he actually lived out the law and the prophets – doing to others as you would have them do to you!!

All too often, we have been taught because of Matthew 5:17 that we (human beings) no longer have to “fulfill the law” because Jesus already “fulfilled it.” Yet, it certainly seems in Matthew 7:12 that we, too, should fulfill the law and the prophets! It isn’t just something for Jesus to do!

This and other “revelations” I have been experiencing lately continually remind me that we must be careful not to interpret Scripture by the creeds, theology, and ideas we have heard all of our lives. We must be careful to let the Scriptures say what they say and not force our “preconceived notions, thoughts, ideas, and theology” on Scripture texts that do not say “what we’ve always heard.”

(Originally posted at http://theology-of-t-roy.blogspot.com/2006/09/law-and-prophets.html on September 18, 2006)

Dependence or Independence

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Yesterday, I started co-teaching a 10-week Disciple Bible Study on the book of Genesis. As one might expect, we spent some time discussing one of the foundational texts of all of Scripture: the story of “the fall” in Genesis 3.

One member of the class, Jay Cantrell, noted that this passage made more sense to him now that he had kids and grandkids. He said it reminded him of what has happened with his kids as they left the “age of innocence” and went out on their own. They had to realize that being on their own meant having to have a job to pay the bills, similar to Adam being told “. . . in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground . . .” (Genesis 3:17-19, NRSV). Daddy isn’t going to do everything for you now!

This made me realize something. As much as we equate this passage with “sin,” it is really a passage about our desire for independence as human beings. Our “problem” is that we want to be independent of God and other people. We want to show or to prove that we can do it on our own without the help of others. Don’t we all go through this to some extent as we “leave home?” We want to survive, even thrive, without the help of our parents. This is the story of Adam and Eve. They want to be independent like God, having wisdom.

The next interesting point is that Jesus taught just the opposite of this:

  • He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:17, NRSV)

Jesus, in essence, is teaching that independence is not the goal. The goal is to learn to (and accept to) be dependent on God and other people! We cannot do it alone! May we have the strength to be dependent on God and other people – and allow others to be dependent on us and EVEN allow God to be dependent on us! When God calls us into serving others, God is, in a sense depending on us. It is a mutual relationship!

(Originally posted at http://theology-of-t-roy.blogspot.com/2006/09/dependence-or-independence.html on September 18, 2006)

Don’t Tell Me How to Pray. . .

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For quite a few years, there has been much ink, e-mails, and hot air spread about the issue of prayer in schools. Many people are all in an uproar that, “The government won’t let my child pray in school.” This, however, is actually NOT the case.

There is NOTHING, according to the law, that prevents a child from praying in school – so long as it does not disturb the necessary goings on at a school. How do I know this? Have you ever attended a “Meet You at the Pole” rally at a public school? You see, prayer DOES happen at school!

You see, the issue is that a public school employee, which is ultimately a government employee that represents the government (even teachers fall into this category), cannot lead a prayer for the students of the school. Why? It is quite simple. By doing so, the employee is implying that the government promotes a certain “type” or “brand” of religion, which goes against the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution that reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. . . .”

Now, I find it interesting that the majority of the people that I know who get all in an uproar about this issue (all of which are Christians) would “have a cow” if their child’s teacher was a Muslim and led a Muslim prayer in class! Yet, without the current laws, this could happen!

Frankly, there are many “Christians” that I would not want to model prayer for my child. In fact, I’d prefer many Jews or Muslims to some Christians! But here’s the deal: I believe it is MY job to teach my child to pray with the help of my local church – not the public school system!

I’m reminded that many of the “Christians” that I indicted above for being sticklers for this issue often want to take Scripture very literally. I say to these people to read this passage of Scripture:

1 “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

5 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6, NRSV)

The above words are, according to Matthew, from the mouth of Jesus. Jesus says that we should pray in secret – not in front of everybody. Yet, some people have temper tantrums saying they want their child to do EXACTLY what Jesus as explicitly said not to do. It seems even literalists / fundamentalists pick and choose what they want out of Scripture, too!

Looking at Matthew 6, I am reminded that most of the time that I pray, I do so silently – often with others present, but they never know it. Nobody, then, can prevent me from praying – especially if I do it silently! Therefore, if there is not prayer in schools, it is ONLY because WE (parents and church leaders) have not taught our children how to pray. Are we expecting the public school and government to do it?

(Originally posted at http://theology-of-t-roy.blogspot.com/2005/07/dont-tell-me-how-to-pray.html on July 2, 2005)

God Bless America?

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I’ll probably never forget a few years ago when members of the U.S. Congress stood outside and sang together the song “God Bless America.” At the time I was filled with a great sense of patriotism for our country. However, as I have thought about this over the past few years, I have come to believe that this was a bit narrow-minded.

I recall the passage from Acts 3:25 in which Peter, speaking to an assembly of Israelites, recalls the covenant that God made with Abraham:

You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, “And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ (NRSV)

“Families” in this context means “nations.” Therefore, Peter is reminding his hearers and us that God promises to bless not only Israel or America but ALL nations of the earth.

Some would say that some nations of this world do not “deserve” God’s blessings, and I couldn’t disagree more. These nations that we deem to not “deserve” God’s blessings need God’s blessings as much or more than we do in order to help them become the people God would have them (and us) to be. That is the wonderful story of grace – getting what we DON’T deserve. Plus, if we say that WE, as citizens of the United States, DO deserve God’s blessings, aren’t we being a bit prideful? Aren’t we tooting our own horns? Aren’t we being like the Pharisees who felt that WHAT we do determines whether or not we receive God’s blessings?

How powerful it would be for our nation to stand together and sing a song to the world that has the line GOD BLESS THE WORLD! Let us all join together to sing and pray for God’s blessings on all the nations of the earth. If need be, maybe we can strive to be channels of God’s grace, taking God’s blessings to the world!

(Originally posted at http://theology-of-t-roy.blogspot.com/2005/07/god-bless-america.html on July 2, 2005)

What’s In a Name?

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I am of the belief (as are others) that God is so big and unimaginable that there is absolutely NO way in which we are able to fully define or describe God. We do not have the knowledge of God OR the vocabulary to do so. Of course, we are human beings, so we try. In fact, we need to in order to:

  • Speak to others about God;
  • Learn more about God;
  • Think about God; and
  • Even talk to God.

Try as we may, however, we cannot fully describe God.

Many people want to confine God to only the image of “Father,” forgetting the many images of God in Scripture that compare God to a mother or a woman. In addition, we disregard the fact that the Hebrew word(s) that we see translated as “compassion” or “compassionate” actually mean that God is “womb-like.”

Often, we get hung up on limiting God to the words that we TRY to describe God with. We, therefore, limit our understanding of God and how God works. I find that very limiting on us as humans as well. We are, according to Scripture, created in God’s image. To limit our understanding of God is also to limit our understanding of who WE can be as well.

Often, well meaning Christians will agree with the statement of the first paragraph of this post. Then, in the next breath, they will say that people who call God, “Allah” don’t worship the “same” God that we do. More often than not, these people don’t realize that even Christians who speak the Arabic language ALSO call God, “Allah.” That’s just the Arabic word for God.

Some people will concede that Muslims do worship the same God, but those “Buddhists” and other religions who don’t explicitly worship a personified God do not worship God. I find this troubling. Often, these religions refuse to personify God. Yet, they talk about a “sacred more” – something that is beyond us that is sacred. For these religions, the goal is for us to live more purposefully and wholly in this sacred “more” or “other.” I see a great sense of awe and “worshipfullness” in these people. They understand that God cannot fully be described and to try to describe God can be limiting. This can create a false sense of who and how God is.

The issue and difference is ultimately a difference in how we define God. If you think about it, one’s name is really just a “metaphor” or a way to “define” the person. Similarly, the word, “God,” is just a “metaphor” or a way we try to “define” God. Let us be careful not to limit God with our mere words.

(Originally posted at http://theology-of-t-roy.blogspot.com/2005/06/whats-in-name.html on June 20, 2005)