The Value of the Custom-Crafted Sermon

Last Sunday our sermon was covering Ephesians 2:17-22, and how we are fellow citizens with the saints, citizens of God's Kingdom; also how we belong to God's household; that earthly government and earthly family is not our salvation (and I would add, it's a good thing, too!). I was amazed, for one, on how it corresponded to the very thoughts of my last blog entry regarding a heavenly citizenship, though set in entirely different context and thought process...though because our church is studying Ephesians throughout, I've been reading and rereading Ephesians for quite a while now, and I suppose I would be gathering some of the same ideas from it whether consciously or otherwise. The pastor had also said how the wall of division goes up any time we have something that rises above Christ as important in our lives, whether job, gender, or anything.
The thing I noticed was how the sermon pertained to many timely needs, how it pertained to the very answer I was trying to articulate to a friend who doubted that Katie should be off at college but felt instead should be home with family. The matter of the dividing walls that we make for ourselves really struck Tina, our homeschool music teacher, as a very useful thought--she was going to be gathering with some of the mothers from our 200+ child music classes. These music families come from a variety of backgrounds and many of them are being dragged down in divisiveness over trivial issues to Tina's great grief and frustration. Who knows how many of the congregation were feeling that applicable nature of the sermon? I had barely scratched the surface to find so much!
The way that the sermon confronted so many timely issues is an illustration of how the Holy Spirit works in the pastor as he crafts the sermon for the purposes of his own congregation. No ready-made work from anywhere could reach the hearts of the people like one that was custom-designed with the Holy Spirit's fresh and creative breath upon it for those particular people at that particular time. It makes me anticipate the hearing of it all the more, and the pondering of it later all the more potentially fruitful. How great it is that after my wrestling with whether I could think of a refreshed start in building on the foundation of Christ in my faith and its application, that Sunday I should hear a sermon affirming...my citizenship is in heaven. And I eagerly await my Savior from there!

Getting back to foundational faith

We have been attending our present church for about seven months. During that time I have been brought to realize the need to reevaluate my thought processes and assumptions about my faith. I have been a Christian for 18 years, and yet, somehow I think I have been more American than Christian. I have to remind myself at times of the seemingly obvious truth that Christianity is not primarily American; in fact it is not this-worldly at all, it is not global, it is not multi-national; it doesn't place its trust in any mere human being or organization; it is heavenly, and it corresponds only to heavenly ideals. So many times I have presented a thought to our pastor and he responds with a question regarding why I believe that, and I am often stymied. I've seen it happen with others as well; I think it is a healthy thing to have these assumptions challenged, so that we can give a reason for the hope that is within us without coloring it with earthly influences.
How encumbered we are in the culture in which we live! And yet the Bible warns us to not be conformed to the pattern of this world and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds...this is a huge challenge, as I see it.
How can we not be conformed to the pattern of this world somewhat, when we live in it? We are to be in it but not of it. This is fairly easy to define when using extreme terms, such as that a Christian would not generally find himself comfortable with some worldly behaviors such as carousing and breaking the Ten Commandments in the more obvious ways; but what about balancing material concerns, stewardship, living out the fruit of the Spirit, being salt and light...there are Scriptures that address these kinds of things, but I think they may be more subject to interpretation than the Ten Commandments (though I realize Jesus showed the proper interpretation of those also to be more inward and complex than what the Jews saw in the Old Testament); I see how fine that line can be in my life these days.
I realize for example that I need to strive to maintain our home so that it is a haven and a good representation of stewardship in Christ; but at what point does that detract from my being a good neighbor who can serve another, who can not be distracted so much with my own needs that I ignore the spiritual or physical needs of my neighbor, my brother, my friend, even my enemy, all for whom Christ died? It is a hard balance and as we work to make our house attractive to sell, I realize we're improving its appeal to align with the more materialistic bent of today's buyer. Is this wrong, or is it right to make it as beautiful as possible, so that we get a good price, so that we are less likely to need to rely on others financially in the future, as we get older and our finances may become more strained? Is this not trusting God, or is it being a good steward? These are things I have to address in my own conscience, and I can only do it by praying and asking for God's help and guidance, because the Scriptures that come to my mind could be applied either way on it.
So far in this project, I do believe that God has helped and blessed us, as we have been guided to excellent workmen and the project has been as stressless as any I've heard of, and it's been as affordable as I could have imagined. I hope to think this is an indicator that God is not distressed by what could be viewed as materialism. I've prayed that He would close the doors to it if it weren't His will, and yet they've been wide open.
This seems to me to be a good example of wrestling with how much we conform to the pattern of this world. How the Scriptures are lived out, whether according to American values, or heavenly ones, that is the challenge. Even what church we choose to attend can influence, and be influenced by, our stand on the Scriptures. Are we consumers as we choose a church? Is the church we attend chosen because it is comfortable, because it is easy to agree with what is taught there, because it has a smorgasbord of programs that appeal to all the age groups of our family? Or do we attend because it in fact challenges our comfort and our assumptions regarding our faith?
I remember from long ago a family about whom I kept hearing sniping comments, who had undergone some financial challenges along with a career change, and I prayed that God would help me understand the truth about them. I'm not positive that a dream I had about them was God's answer to this prayer, but I dreamt that the huge brick house that they lived in had become a house with clear walls, with a layer of bricks only at the base, at the foundation. I saw that they had needed to start over again, rebuilding their lives from the foundation, brick by brick. They had huge challenges and the sniping comments were the last thing they needed. I relate that picture to my faith--I feel the need to bring it down to the foundational truths, and build it up brick by brick, contrary to the culture, and with God's help, to rebuild it in line with heavenly priorities and ideals. It seems so disheartening to start over, and yet I think that a clarified view of God's purposes will be the end reward; this is such a worthwhile incentive. How well I will continue on this rebuilding, keeping heavenly priorities in mind, persevering to the end I don't know, but I hope it will continue and that I will have a clearer understanding of how to live out my faith in such a way as to please God and love my neighbor.

The Beauty of Church, and Change

The other night as I was getting Tim off to bed, as he was lying there winding down for the night, he was reflecting on our church. He sighed (he does that when he's content) and said how much he loves our ugly old church building. He loves that it's old. He loves how worn out it is. I've been thinking the same thing.
The building is cinder block and covered in about 20 coats of yellow paint. It was built about 60 years ago when the original structure burned down. The front steps are of concrete covered in indoor-outdoor "grass" type carpeting...and it's worn through to the concrete...and the concrete is worn to a rounded edge.
When our pastor was visiting our house one night, we showed him a plate that was given to us as a momento of our wedding. We were married in a very traditional chapel-type church in Hillsboro, Oregon, the Old Scotch Church, and the plate had a drawing of the church on it. Pastor Ken looked at the plate and with a wry smile, he said, "We couldn't really do that with our church." I suggested that we could, with a doily over it.
Last night when we were describing our church building to some friends over dessert and dominoes, their grown son said regarding the worn front steps, "That's a good thing." And it is. Those steps show the impact of every footstep that has gone in and out of that church over the years, a testimony to a long continuity (if a small congregation) of faithful believers. The church has remained tiny, and I think it's because of the visual lack of initial appeal in the outside of the building; but the tiny congregation is as sweet as any I've seen. Some friends of ours seemed to be pretty put off by the outward appearance, and that's fine.
We have plans to build a new facility, and it promises good things--the property that the church was given overlooks a beautiful small lake that you see driving into Granite Falls. It's a very appealing site (aside from the mosquitos, which loved the taste of my blood last summer). I can't help but dread a little bit the changes that will undoubtedly occur on the occasion of its opening. There will be a whole population of people who will no longer be put off by the building's appearance. A new building seems like it will unavoidably change the character of the church in general. We've seen a couple of times what is called the "new paint syndrome" of opening a new church building for a church that has already existed beforehand elsewhere, and the growth of the congregations as a result.
Yet who can complain? It is a good thing. It's God's provision for His purpose. If a person is put off by appearance, and conversely attracted by appearance, I'm sure that accomplishes something in sifting people according to the time and place and purpose that God has in mind. If the appearance of a new building is the cultural appeal that brings more people in to hear the gospel presented, so be it. Just so long as the biblical message of the church isn't weakened as a result in hopes of growing the numbers rather than strengthening the spirits of those who attend, who can argue?
That wasn't all that our Tim had to discuss about the church. Last night, after having talked with our friends and telling them about our church, Tim was pondering with pleasure the idea of coming to church this morning. I told him, "I hope the main thing you're looking forward to is the fact that we go to worship God, not that your friends are there." He understood that, and claimed that was in fact his primary reason, but he also went on to say, "I bet Pastor Ken has never said a swear word." I was surprised, partly because I thought he'd bring up something about the friends his age, but he is strongly impressed by the fact that the pastor has befriended him personally. I said that chances were that the pastor had in fact sworn before, that he is only human, after all. He said, "Well, you think he's pretty good." Yes, I respect, admire and will try to imitate the way that he lives out Christ in his life; I haven't found fault with him. Still, I don't make him out to be beyond what humans are capable of. It's easy to put leaders on a pedestal, and I've seen it done with very bad results before. We have to realize the human limitations of everyone, holding them accountable to the perfect standard of faith in Christ, but realizing that all fall short; it's not fair to anyone to expect them to be perfect.
So we look forward to Sundays, if you haven't noticed. It's solid teaching, there's a very sweet fellowship, and I treasure each time we're there. I walk up those worn concrete steps and open the heavy, battered wooden door with great anticipation. The character of the church may change with time, but as long as God is at the center of what goes on there, it's the way it should be.
Well, I stand corrected. I told Kit, Pastor Ken's wife, about Tim's comment, and she said, "He's right. I can vouch for that. I've never heard him swear, and he's never sworn. It isn't that he holds it back, it just isn't there." Well, there you are. I guess Tim could tell, somehow, in Pastor's gentle demeanor. That pedestal...it can be pretty hard to kick out of place sometimes!

The Fun of Scrabble

Katie and Tim and I played Scrabble tonight. It was a sweet thing--we all had a great time trying to fit the words in the most advantageous spot possible. We're all a bit competitive and control freaks to boot. The greatest thing about it was that we all enjoyed each other's company; the next best thing was that they're becoming serious contenders. I'm having to get used to a new depth of competition. It's the first time I've lost that I remember...not that I have that great a memory. Katie won. Tim got almost as many points as I did.
I used to allow Tim to take twice the tiles I did in order to give him an advantage. It didn't take him long to refuse to take the extras. Then for a long time I had to help him create the words. That's becoming less frequent, too. I occasionally have to correct his spelling, but not that often any more. He's becoming more and more canny at the positioning of the words. I think Scrabble is a great game for evaluating a child's progress in word use and strategy. His progress is encouraging to me, too, since his vision has only recently been corrected to the point that reading comes more readily to him. I don't know how he came to do as well as he is, except by God's grace. His average score per turn was a bit over 13.
Katie's skills are a bit more developed. She looked in the dictionary and found a word, "kina," from Papua New Guinea. In our house, if it's in our dictionary and not an acronym, abbreviation, or proper name, you can use it. She also had more instances than the rest of us for using a letter to make two words simultaneously. She got an average score per turn of almost 17 points.
So I think we have a family trait of loving Scrabble, and we will use it for a family fun time as well as for honing our competitive skills. It's a good time. If you enjoy Scrabble, call us and come by, we'd love to have you come over to play it with us!

Goals rather than Resolutions; Sinkless and Mindless

Well, it's 2008 and I haven't made any New Year's Resolutions. I don't really intend to, either. Goals are easier for me to comprehend, to stick with. This year my personal goal is to add 20 pounds--no, not add 20, but add them to the 18 pounds that came off last year as a result of not eating wheat! They came off so slowly that they'll probably stay off, and eating wheat hurts so much that there's no incentive to return to my old ways. That's a realization that's been refreshed by accidentally thinking a new cereal we had was wheat-free. Ouch! Takes a number of days to get it out of my system, and meanwhile I go around with an annoying limp.
Our family goal will be to get our house fixed up and sold. We're on our way, getting new cupboards and counters in. They will be really nice, but the meaning is a bit emptier in that while they're aesthetically pleasant, they're not intended as ours. The significance of the improvements is different when it's primarily to get the house sold.
After a couple of days of tearing out the old cabinets and disconnecting sinks... (I tried anyway--Dave the cupboard guy came to my rescue and helped me finish, bless his soul), my brain was gone and my muscles were sore for a couple of days. I'm beginning to speak in full sentences again, though--more or less.
All this is on the heels of Christmas. I'd barely gotten most of the Christmas mess put away before they started--there are still some ornaments and decorations to go, but I have to wait to do these until afterward, now. It's not the ideal scenario, but we wanted to get going with a bang after the holidays were done. Boy, did we!
So what was messed up before has more messes on top and we really have a lot to clean up once this remodel is done. Now we're sitting here with one sink in the house that's operational, downstairs where most of us hardly ever normally go. It's rather primitive, something like camping out except dryer and warmer. If you thought I was messy before, you should see the house these days! Uh, scratch that. Stay away for just a little while!
I'm not feeling very well-motivated yet--we will also have floors to be done, all the more since the edges of our old, cheap and worn linoleum are now exposed by differently shaped cupboards. You can see the subflooring underneath. This first stage of remodel will require us to rid the garage and basement of all those boxes of stuff and pieces of furniture that we've been intending to jettison, so that clearing the floors won't be such an enormous stress when that time comes. I guess it's a good thing, it will make for a much easier move.
Meanwhile we have a neighbor two doors down who has put her house on the market, and priced it quite lower than we thought would be the market rate. I knew the market wasn't doing well, but the house is vacant and they're in a hurry at this slow time of year to get it sold. They refaced the kitchen cabinets and added granite counters, and refloored the place--and it cost her much more, because while we have great Christian friends in the business, our neighbor went through a local warehouse store which subcontracted the work to various businesses that made many mistakes, went way past schedule, and blamed each other for everything that went wrong. We do feel very blessed. The men who are doing our work are just fantastic!
The friend doing our counters also came in one morning and told us that a previous customer of his had called to say he had a whole kitchen full of top-of-the-line appliances and a sink that he was willing to sell for the cost I'd seen for just a cheap range and fridge. (Most of our existing appliances are either broken or very worn, about 15 years old.) I think we've made some new friends. They are incredibly sweet. We looked at the appliances (they look almost showroom-new), and then they had us sit down and we talked for about an hour and a half. Their house overlooked the Puget Sound looking east, scanning a view from Mt. Rainier to Mt. Baker. They later called us at home with about three different offers of help to get the appliances to our house, at least a 45-minute drive.
God is good, life is sweet. I can't find anything around the house, but knowing God's goodness, I know we can get through it eating microwaved food with plastic and paper for the next week or so, and washing our hands in the shower.
2 Samuel 22:32-33 For who is God besides the LORD ? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.