Hearing the Music

The Gospel: Bad News Before Good News

Some of you may have heard that Fredrik Buechner passed away this week. Buechner was a pastor/writer/theologian who not only had a way with words, but who had a unique ability to see to the bottom of a thing and bring others along with him. The observations on the Gospel that follow should sound familiar if you have been around Christ Church for a while, as they capture the core of the truth that we seek to live into together:

The Gospel is bad news before it is good news. It is the news that man is a sinner, to use the old word, that he is evil in the imagination of his heart, that when he looks in the mirror all in a lather what he sees is at least eight parts chicken, phony, slob. That is the tragedy. But it is also the news that he is loved anyway, cherished, forgiven, bleeding to be sure, but also bled for. That is the comedy. And yet, so what? So what if even in his sin the slob is loved and forgiven when the very mark and substance of his sin and of his slobbery is that he keeps turning down the love and forgiveness because he either doesn’t believe them or doesn’t want them or just doesn’t give a damn? In answer, the news of the Gospel is that extraordinary things happen to him just as in fairy tales extraordinary things happen. ... Zaccheus climbs up a sycamore tree a crook and climbs down a saint. Paul sets out a hatchet man for the Pharisees and comes back a fool for Christ. It is impossible for anybody to leave behind the darkness of the world he carries on his back like a snail, but for God all things are possible. That is the fairy tale. All together they are the truth. (Originally published in Telling the Truth.)

As we look to Sunday we will bring our chicken, phony, slobbish, loved, cherished and bled for selves together to finish out what has become a three part series on communing with God. Two weeks ago we talked about resting. Last week our focus was on delighting in God. This week we will be looking at what it means to listen to God, to hear his voice. Over the years we lose women and men like Buechner who have and ability to speak into our lives, but the good news is our Father God will never stop speaking.

Photo by Vince Fleming on Unsplash

Warning: Intense Heat

Stepping back in to ministry has been interesting. As I said, both at the Wednesday night Welcome Fiesta and on Sunday morning, both Lisa and I were ready for reentry. Our sabbatical was good and necessary, but we still feel very much called to the work here and attached to you all as friends and we were ready to get back. But like with any transition from rest to work there are challenges. 

Some of you remember the 2003 tragedy that befell the space shuttle Columbia. Due to an accident that occurred during takeoff, the left wing of the shuttle sustained damage that ultimately compromised both the thermal suppression system and exposed the vehicle to the intense heat generated by reentering earth’s atmosphere resulting in the loss of all seven souls aboard. It was a tragedy in the moment as viewers watched on helplessly and doubly tragic in hindsight as there may have been steps to take in avoiding the disaster.

As indicated above, we face the heat of reentry in one degree or another throughout our lives as we transition from times of rest to work or more metaphorically, as we move from the mountaintop experiences of life back down into the valley. How do we navigate in such a way that we are not consumed by the intense heat? The prophet Jeremiah, in a teaching similar to Psalm 1 says:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
  whose trust is the LORD.
  He is like a tree planted by water,
  that sends out its roots by the stream,
  and does not fear when heat comes,
  for its leaves remain green,
  and is not anxious in the year of drought,
  for it does not cease to bear fruit.” 
                               (Jeremiah 17:7–8)

For the one who is deeply rooted in the Lord there is neither fear of the reentry heat nor of the opposite extreme, drought. In Psalm 1 the psalmist speaks of delighting in the law of the Lord and meditating on it day and night (Ps. 1:2). This is the route to rest that the psalmist this past Sunday was urging us toward with the invitation to return to our rest (Ps. 116:7). Seeking this life in the Lord is where I find myself as I return to my duties. I am glad to be in a community where we can do this corporately as well as individually. 

Photo by Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash

Praise the Lord

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord

~ Psalm 150:6

For the last three years I have been a part of an auditioned choir at NorthPointe Christian High School that sings in churches during the year in preparation for our spring break mission trip. This past spring break we had the privilege of traveling to the beautiful state of Alaska. Our mission is not like many others. Other groups may go to serve the people of an afflicted area by actions and rebuilding, but we serve by singing to those who need to hear the good news. Who needs to hear the good news? Everyone. We led worship in churches, nursing homes, drug and rehab centers, schools, and for families in times of need. As in Psalm 150, we praised the Lord with our voice and spread good news to all those we encountered.

The Psalm also says “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Nature breathes the praise of the Lord. God has created an intricate world with signs that point to his existence. This is natural revelation, and in Alaska, there is nature everywhere! It's hard to believe that there are those who look at the mountains and rivers and sky and think all of this happened by accident. As our choir traveled the gorgeous state, the same thought ran through our minds. How great is our Lord! The mighty mountains, the lowly valleys, and the vast heavens sang His praise. On our last night on the Kenai peninsula, we were fortunate to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern lights). It was as though God knew His creation sings His praise, so He made the skies dance too! 

Singing and music are not the only ways to praise God. In everything we do, we praise Him. That is doing everything according to His good will. As we go through our daily lives, with all the ups and downs, let’s remember that we are doing so with the breath He gave us, and that is praise worthy enough!

Photo by Vincent Ledvina on Unsplash