Peter answered Jesus, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on
the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started
walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the
strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out,
"Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught
him...
--Matthew 14:22-31
Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me
your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of
my salvation...
--Psalm 25:4-5
How can God direct our steps if we're not taking any? --Sarah Leah Grafstein
***
Dear Friends,
It has been a loooong time since I have posted on my "Tenacious Grace" blog. I find that my muse for this ebbs and flows over time. Hopefully it is starting to flow again! If you have a topic you'd like me to pray over and ponder, and then write about, feel free to send it along!
This summer I've been teaching Miriam (my 6 1/2 year old) to ride a
bike. It's slow going, mostly because she only has the patience to stick
with each session for 10 minutes or so. Even so, it is exciting to see
her gradually gain confidence as well as her sense of balance.
As I've been working with her, I find that there are three
instructions that I have to remind her of every time. First, sit in the
middle of the seat--don't lean to the side. Second, hold the handle bars
tight and keep them straight. And third, look out ahead of your bike at
where you want it to go and not down at your feet on the pedals.
It's that third instruction that has a deeper meaning to it that
goes beyond riding a bike. It's so true that sometimes in my life I do a
lot of "looking down at my feet." I get so caught up in the daily tasks
of my personal life and ministry at the church that I don't always
remember to look up and fix my gaze on the horizon of where I wish to
go. It takes a certain amount of spiritual intentionality to "look up"
and orient ourselves to our hoped for future so that we don't end up
going in circles or crashing off to the side in the bramble bushes!
It's a little scary for Miriam to look up when she rides because she
feels like she needs to keep track (with her eyes) of what her hands
and feet are doing. But when she trusts that they are doing what they
need to be doing (without her watching!) then she rides beautifully and
confidently along the path. If she happens to look down, and falters and
is about to tip over, I'm right there to grab the seat and steady her.
As a person of faith, I trust that I can look up and out and cast my
gaze toward my hoped for future horizon. But even more, I trust that it
is God who will direct my feet, who will lead me in the way that is
true and righteous. When Peter steps out of the boat, with his eyes up
and fixed on Jesus, he can walk on water! But when his fear creeps in,
when he gets distracted by the wind and the waves, and he looks down (so
to speak), then he starts to sink. But of course, Jesus is right there
and immediately reaches out with a steadying hand.
In the midst of your daily life, I pray that God gives you the grace
to boldly "look up" at where your heart most desires to go. And then I
pray that you will trust God to lead you that direction.
If you happen to look down or lose your balance, know that God is there, ready to catch you in God's never-failing grace.
Blessings on you,
Jeremy
PS I must give credit to my
friend and colleague John Tucker who spurred this reflection in
devotional I heard him give in early June.
12 July 2011
16 February 2011
Meditation: "Super Bowl Ads and Right Relationship"
"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells
in all of you?" --from Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth
"A relationship with God is the true identity. After all, we are modeled after him, and he's our Creator." --John Maurer of Social Distortion
***
Dear Friends,
I watched most of the Super Bowl this year which is not something I typically do. But given that Pittsburgh was playing in the big game and I am originally from the 'Burgh (and grew up in Pittsburgh in the 70's when the Steelers were rackin' up the Super Bowls), I just had to watch the game.
Except, at the end of it all, I kind of wished I hadn't. And not only because the Steelers lost this time around.
It wasn't the game that depressed me as much as the advertising. Okay, yes, a few of the commercials made me laugh. But with my two children in the room (one is 2 1/2 and the other is 6), I found myself repeatedly asking them to look away from the screen while guns blasted or explosions roared or inappropriate sexual situations ran rampant--all trying to sell a product. And then there were the commercials that reinforced tired and infuriating gender and racial stereotypes as well as twisted ideas of what "relationships" look like (this last comment was prompted by this blog by Michel Martin). If my kids saw these ads over and over again--and I never talked to them about what they have seen--what on earth would they learn?
Okay, I will admit that we rarely watch commercial TV in our home. We don't have cable. We get our TV from an old-fashioned antenna on the roof. We are tuned into PBS 95% of the time. They rarely see scary images of violence or steamy sexual situations. When it comes to TV, it's all "Cat in the Hat" and "Super Why!" at our house. I know the day will come when we can no longer shelter our kids from the sex and violence of TV, but we aim to hold it off as long as we can.
In the midst of all this, I've been pondering something called "right relationship". For me, "right relationships" are characterized by respect, mutuality, patience, generosity, love--and never violence. They are relationships where there is authenticity, honesty and, when needed, forgiveness. I believe that these are the kinds of relationships that God desires for us and that Jesus affirmed in his life and teaching. These are the kinds of relationships that I hear Jesus encouraging us to pursue in, say, the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 5 of the Gospel of Matthew.
And so all of these advertisements that I encountered--with their glorification of violence and objectification of bodies and twisted messages about relationships and sexuality--collided with this idea of "right relationship" that's been circling around my heart and head lately. And I felt very sad that for so many people what they see on TV has become the norm, instead of that more sacred norm of the blessing and beauty of "right relationship."
As I think about my girls growing and learning, one of the things I most desire for them is that they absorb at a deep level what a healthy, mutually respectful, loving relationship looks like. I want them to understand that violence is not something to glorify. I want them to know, deep, deep down, that they are beautiful in every way.
I want them to know the blessing of "right relationship" because that is God's desire for them, and you, and me.
And we all know that they won't get that from watching anything on TV--especially the commercials.
Blessings on you,
Jeremy
PS By the way, I am not an overly puritanical person. I am not categorically against more mature themed content on TV. I just wish it wasn't broadcast when children are likely to see it. I think we can only criticize to a point those who produce the trashy stuff on TV because, let's face it, if people didn't watch it, they wouldn't produce it. Most criticism of Hollywood points the finger right back at us (the "us" being the American public).
"A relationship with God is the true identity. After all, we are modeled after him, and he's our Creator." --John Maurer of Social Distortion
***
Dear Friends,
I watched most of the Super Bowl this year which is not something I typically do. But given that Pittsburgh was playing in the big game and I am originally from the 'Burgh (and grew up in Pittsburgh in the 70's when the Steelers were rackin' up the Super Bowls), I just had to watch the game.
Except, at the end of it all, I kind of wished I hadn't. And not only because the Steelers lost this time around.
It wasn't the game that depressed me as much as the advertising. Okay, yes, a few of the commercials made me laugh. But with my two children in the room (one is 2 1/2 and the other is 6), I found myself repeatedly asking them to look away from the screen while guns blasted or explosions roared or inappropriate sexual situations ran rampant--all trying to sell a product. And then there were the commercials that reinforced tired and infuriating gender and racial stereotypes as well as twisted ideas of what "relationships" look like (this last comment was prompted by this blog by Michel Martin). If my kids saw these ads over and over again--and I never talked to them about what they have seen--what on earth would they learn?
Okay, I will admit that we rarely watch commercial TV in our home. We don't have cable. We get our TV from an old-fashioned antenna on the roof. We are tuned into PBS 95% of the time. They rarely see scary images of violence or steamy sexual situations. When it comes to TV, it's all "Cat in the Hat" and "Super Why!" at our house. I know the day will come when we can no longer shelter our kids from the sex and violence of TV, but we aim to hold it off as long as we can.
In the midst of all this, I've been pondering something called "right relationship". For me, "right relationships" are characterized by respect, mutuality, patience, generosity, love--and never violence. They are relationships where there is authenticity, honesty and, when needed, forgiveness. I believe that these are the kinds of relationships that God desires for us and that Jesus affirmed in his life and teaching. These are the kinds of relationships that I hear Jesus encouraging us to pursue in, say, the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 5 of the Gospel of Matthew.
And so all of these advertisements that I encountered--with their glorification of violence and objectification of bodies and twisted messages about relationships and sexuality--collided with this idea of "right relationship" that's been circling around my heart and head lately. And I felt very sad that for so many people what they see on TV has become the norm, instead of that more sacred norm of the blessing and beauty of "right relationship."
As I think about my girls growing and learning, one of the things I most desire for them is that they absorb at a deep level what a healthy, mutually respectful, loving relationship looks like. I want them to understand that violence is not something to glorify. I want them to know, deep, deep down, that they are beautiful in every way.
I want them to know the blessing of "right relationship" because that is God's desire for them, and you, and me.
And we all know that they won't get that from watching anything on TV--especially the commercials.
Blessings on you,
Jeremy
PS By the way, I am not an overly puritanical person. I am not categorically against more mature themed content on TV. I just wish it wasn't broadcast when children are likely to see it. I think we can only criticize to a point those who produce the trashy stuff on TV because, let's face it, if people didn't watch it, they wouldn't produce it. Most criticism of Hollywood points the finger right back at us (the "us" being the American public).
20 December 2010
Meditation: "WalMart, Bodies, and Rainbows"
"And the Word became flesh and lived among us..." --The Gospel of John 1:14
"...and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, 'God is with us.'" --The Gospel of Matthew 1:23
"...gather us in all peoples together, fire of love in our flesh and our bone." --From the song "Gather Us In" by Marty Haugen
***
Dear Friends,
A few days ago I spent an hour ringing a bell for the Salvation Army kettle drive. This is the red kettle seen outside of stores in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I was out in front of our local WalMart, ringing the bell, wishing passersby Merry Christmas--especially the children who shyly came up to drop coins in the bucket. A confession: I really do not enjoy standing for an hour and ringing the bell. It isn't hard or anything like that--it's just downright boring. This year was no different, but as I watched people come and go from WalMart, I began to marvel at something. I noticed all kinds of people going by--some old, some young. Everyone was dressed differently--some in clothes that were fashionable, some in mud-spattered work clothes, others in clothing that verged on being downright shabby. A man who was missing a leg went by in a wheel chair. I saw large bodies and thin bodies, tall bodies and short bodies. On faces, I saw strain and weariness and--in some cases--smiles. I saw tattoos and piercings and wild hair.
And then I began to "look" deeper, pondering what each person passing by must have done and experienced and felt in their life--joy, grief, anger, anxiety, love, desperation, triumph, abuse, failure, success, goodness, honesty, fear...and on and on.
As this river of humanity kept passing me by, all while ringing the little bell in my hand, I began to feel overwhelmed, but in a good way. In an awe-inspiring way. I was being moved to marvel at that incredible goodness of God. I was simply overwhelmed by the fact that at Christmas we celebrate God's embrace of all humanity in its infinite diversity and difference (and this after just one hour outside WalMart in little Dallas, Oregon!). The birth of Jesus is God's YES to humanity, God's "Yes, I DO choose to come to you--right where you are. And my promise is that in Jesus I will lead you out of the wilderness and back onto the path that is abundant life."
A couple of days later, I saw one of the most spectacular rainbows I have ever seen. It was blazing in the northwest sky, the colors almost shining brighter than the sun. And as I thought of all the ways human beings have gone so terribly astray over the eons, it occurred to me that this rainbow was an incredibly appropriate Christmas symbol. (Perhaps we should hang them as Christmas tree ornaments!) The rainbow is a sign of God's promise never to destroy the earth again (go back and read the Noah story in Genesis). Instead, what we celebrate at Christmas is that God comes not to destroy this muddled, messy, mixed-up world, but to enter into it and renew it through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Who is coming soon and very soon. Praise God!
Merry Christmas to you all,
Pastor Jeremy
"...and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, 'God is with us.'" --The Gospel of Matthew 1:23
"...gather us in all peoples together, fire of love in our flesh and our bone." --From the song "Gather Us In" by Marty Haugen
***
Dear Friends,
A few days ago I spent an hour ringing a bell for the Salvation Army kettle drive. This is the red kettle seen outside of stores in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I was out in front of our local WalMart, ringing the bell, wishing passersby Merry Christmas--especially the children who shyly came up to drop coins in the bucket. A confession: I really do not enjoy standing for an hour and ringing the bell. It isn't hard or anything like that--it's just downright boring. This year was no different, but as I watched people come and go from WalMart, I began to marvel at something. I noticed all kinds of people going by--some old, some young. Everyone was dressed differently--some in clothes that were fashionable, some in mud-spattered work clothes, others in clothing that verged on being downright shabby. A man who was missing a leg went by in a wheel chair. I saw large bodies and thin bodies, tall bodies and short bodies. On faces, I saw strain and weariness and--in some cases--smiles. I saw tattoos and piercings and wild hair.
And then I began to "look" deeper, pondering what each person passing by must have done and experienced and felt in their life--joy, grief, anger, anxiety, love, desperation, triumph, abuse, failure, success, goodness, honesty, fear...and on and on.
As this river of humanity kept passing me by, all while ringing the little bell in my hand, I began to feel overwhelmed, but in a good way. In an awe-inspiring way. I was being moved to marvel at that incredible goodness of God. I was simply overwhelmed by the fact that at Christmas we celebrate God's embrace of all humanity in its infinite diversity and difference (and this after just one hour outside WalMart in little Dallas, Oregon!). The birth of Jesus is God's YES to humanity, God's "Yes, I DO choose to come to you--right where you are. And my promise is that in Jesus I will lead you out of the wilderness and back onto the path that is abundant life."
A couple of days later, I saw one of the most spectacular rainbows I have ever seen. It was blazing in the northwest sky, the colors almost shining brighter than the sun. And as I thought of all the ways human beings have gone so terribly astray over the eons, it occurred to me that this rainbow was an incredibly appropriate Christmas symbol. (Perhaps we should hang them as Christmas tree ornaments!) The rainbow is a sign of God's promise never to destroy the earth again (go back and read the Noah story in Genesis). Instead, what we celebrate at Christmas is that God comes not to destroy this muddled, messy, mixed-up world, but to enter into it and renew it through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Who is coming soon and very soon. Praise God!
Merry Christmas to you all,
Pastor Jeremy
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