Things Above

What will the future be like? Will it be good? What will happen to us at the end of lives? These are questions we all want an answer to. Deep down we desire a future for ourselves and others that is good. But how do we know that in the end it will be good? In this episode James Bryan Smith explores these questions and how we can find answers to them.

 

Smith begins with a passage from Isaiah 65:17-25. In the passage we learn that a day will come when God will create a new heaven and a new earth. It gives us a glimpse into a world where all is well and all manner of things shall be well. A place where we will rejoice and be full of joy, a place that is without tragedy.  This passage is so beloved because it describes a kind of world we all long for. This may be hard for many of us to accept, as the world we live in appears to be broken and, in many ways, is the complete opposite of the world described in the passage from Isaiah. 

 

However, Smith says that much of the despair and distress we feel comes from a failure to realize that the kind of life described in Isaiah truly lies before us. He uses two more examples from the Bible to help us understand this, Matthew (17:1-8) and Philippians (3:20). Both of these passages give us evidence that God is good, beautiful, and true. Smith goes on to explain that since God is the ultimate sustainer of the universe, then the future of the universe must also be good, beautiful and true.

 

James concludes by reminding us, “Jesus is altogether good. Can there be any other ultimate end than this same goodness? And if it is so, if all is well that ends well, how shall we then live? We live with hope.  Hope, as Smith has defined it, is certainty in a good future. Not wishful thinking. Hope is certainty. I know that Jesus is real.  He is with me every day and I know him to be all powerful and all good.  So I know—notice the word ‘know’—that it ends well.”  This point underscores a powerful quote by John D. Zizioulas, who said, “Christians have their roots in the future, and their branches in the present.”

In this "Things Above Conversation" James Bryan Smith chats with Casey Tygrett. Casey is the host of the “otherWISE” podcast, a place for gathering wise conversations about living well on the journey with Jesus. He holds both a Master of Divinity degree and a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Formation degree from Lincoln Christian Seminary. He is the author of two books, Becoming Curious: A Spiritual Practice of Asking Questions (2017) and As I Recall: Discovering the Place of Memories in the Spiritual Life (2019), both with InterVarsity Press. Casey has served both in rural churches of 25 and suburban megachurches of 10,000. He and his wife Holley and their daughter Bailey currently live in Chicago, IL where he is the Theologian in Residence at Parkview Christian Church.

In this episode James talks with Casey about his latest book, As I Recall: Discovering the Place of Memories in the Spiritual Life, as well as how our memories (long term and short) impact our relationship with God.

What if our memories are like shells we gather on a beach? According to pastor and spiritual director Casey Tygrett, "We—and all those who have come before us—pick up the experience and we sense it: we feel its edges, notice its color, we smell the distinctive character (for shells it is the sickly seafood salt smell) of the experience and we try to make sense of what it is. Is it beautiful? How would you describe the color—the tones, the shades, wrapped around the ridges and swirls? Has it been damaged? Does the hard edge scrape our hand, leaving a blemish or a mark?”

How we hold and carry these memories—good and bad—is a part of what forms us spiritually. In this way we have a common bond with the people of Scripture who also had a sensory life, gathering shells and trying to make sense of them.

The "Thought from Above" for this episode is: "No more silly superstitions." In a previous podcast James spoke about how worry is essentially superstition. We think by worrying we will actually have an effect on a situation we are concerned about. For example, when we worry about something and then that something does not happen, we think it did not happen because we worried about it. This then reinforces the idea that our worrying can give us control over the situation. We do this because it allows us to feel in control of the problem or situation we are dealing with. This however is a false sense of control because our worrying did nothing to prevent the problem from happening.

We see this same kind of superstition in sports. Many athletes have routines or rituals they do before their games that they feel will bring them success. While they may think this is impacting their performance, it is actually the training and hard work they have put in that brings about success.

In this episode James addresses another superstition that plagues many of us, and it is the false narrative that God punishes us for our sins. Smith explains that Jesus never affirmed this false narrative, and in fact Jesus' actions and teachings reverse this narrative. James gives three examples from the bible (Zacchaeus, the prodigal son, and the woman at the well) where a person had sinned but was not met with punishment by God. In all three of these stories there is no punishment and instead there is forgiveness. Jesus invites all of them into a relationship with God.

So the question James asks is, "Why do we believe this false narrative?" Smith explains that it is the same reason we buy the lie about worrying, we want control. We think that if our actions determine God's behavior then we are in control. But we don’t have this power over God and he is not interested in meeting out punishment for us on the basis of our sons. If so that would be all God would ever be doing.

This idea that God is meeting out a punishment for all of our sins all the time has been exposed by Jesus. Jesus never affirms this false narrative. He states in John 14:9 "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father" and we see through Jesus actions and teachings that he would never punish us for our sins. 

If God is not punishing us for our sins do the sins even matter? Smith argues, yes our sins do matter, they cause us pain by turning from God and ourselves. Our sins are acts of self punishment, every time we sin we are turning away from God. That turning from God is the major act that causes us harm.

We hold onto this false narrative because we want control. Smith closes by explaining that when we begin to understand that sin is destructive to ourselves and others we can start to turn back to God and enter into relationship with him.

The "Thought from Above" in this episode is: Include Jesus in all of your relationships.

The relationships we have in our lives are amazing but also challenging. There are times where we want the other person in the relationship to make a change in their life. Even if we are well meaning in our advice, it is rarely helpful and can sometimes drive a wedge in the relationship.

Anytime we offer advice or correction in whatever form, it is in fact a form of judgment. In Matthew 7:1 Jesus gives us the warning “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”

Think about a time when someone began a sentence “I think you need to (fill in the blank)” How did that make you feel? For most it never makes us feel good but Jesus offers us a better way to be helpful to others and that is to include him in our relationships.

Dallas Willard writes, “Among those who live as Jesus apprentices, there are no relationships that omit the presence and action of Jesus. We never go “one on one” all relationships are mediated through Him.”

Just as Jesus is the best person to help us, so also Jesus is the best person to help them. We may have the best intentions and be speaking out of love but it’s the wrong approach. Through prayer we can invite Jesus into our relationships with others.

Instead of harassing those near us with judgments we stand before them with our helpless requests. While simultaneously standing before the wise and mighty King with our request for them. The most direct way to love others is always through prayer to Christ.

In this episode, James Bryan Smith sits down with A.J. Swoboda for a Things Above Conversation. A.J. is the author of "Subversive Sabbath" which was Christianity Today's Spiritual formation book of the year. This book pioneers a creative path to an alternative way of existing. Combining creative storytelling, pastoral sensitivity, practical insight, and relevant academic research, Subversive Sabbath offers a unique invitation to personal Sabbath-keeping that leads to fuller and more joyful lives.

James and A.J. discuss how we live in a 24/7 culture of endless productivity, workaholism, distraction, burnout, and anxiety--a way of life to which we've sadly grown accustomed. This tired system of "life" ultimately destroys our souls, our bodies, our relationships, our society, and the rest of God's creation. The whole world grows exhausted because humanity has forgotten to enter into God's rest.

A.J. explains the importance of keeping the sabbath and how it allows us to co-labor with God. Sabbath is a 24 hour period where god invites all creation to stop and enjoy all of life and when we begin to enter into this we will see our relationship with God begin to flourish. We have not been content with the simple beautiful life that we have of living with God. We want just a little bit more. That is the ultimate temptation that humanity faces everyday. Do I live in contentment with what God has given to me, or do I need more. Saying I don’t need the sabbath is a to get another day to get more. To take a sabbath is to say to God, “okay God I will enjoy six days this week and work six days this week but then I will take one day and I am going to give it to you.

The thought from above for this episode is: Remember the Door.

In this episode, James Bryan Smith recites a poem by Samuel M. Shoemaker titled, "So I Stand By The Door" Smith uses the poem to help explain his thought from above and how we too can, stand by the door for others.

The poem is about being aware of those who have yet to enter into the Christian faith. When we stand by the door, we are not merely standing there and doing nothing. We are standing by the door to help those pass through the door. Smith explains that everyday we have a chance to help someone "pass through the door" and we need to be aware of these moments.

In this episode James Bryan Smith sits down for a Things Above Conversation with author Jan Johnson. James and Jan have known each other for many years and both were mentored by Dallas Willard.

Jan is a a writer, speaker and spiritual director who has degrees in biblical studies and Christian spirituality. She has written twenty-three books, including Enjoying the Presence of God, When the Soul Listens, and many magazine articles. She is also a teacher/spiritual director for The Apprentice Experience.

This week they discuss a variety of topics about prayer and how we can improve our prayer life. Jan takes us on a deep dive into her book “When the Soul Listens” which gives us practical ways to understand and enter into contemplative prayer.

In episode 51 titled "Adversity can be a Blessing" James Bryan Smith tells the story of his friend Tim's biking accident. Tim's story of healing is an amazing one but there is even more to this story. A few months after his accident, while Tim was driving home from church, he noticed a pair of eyes looking at him from the road. Unsure of what he saw, he turned around to go and see what it was. When he arrived he found a man lying on the ground in extreme pain next to a damaged bicycle. The man's name was Bernie and he had been riding at the Boulder Valley Velodrome in Erie when he was hit by a van, whose driver kept going instead of stopping to help. Tim immediately called an ambulance and stayed with Bernie until they arrived telling him, "I was in this same situation as you, if they can fix me they can fix you. Everything is going to be okay." Bernie made it to the hospital and was in critical condition, had it not been for Tim, Bernie says, he may not have lived.

Tim was a guardian angel for Bernie, he visited Bernie serval times in the hospital and they have formed a very strong friendship. Later on Tim's father asked him, "if you had not been in your own biking accident, would you have noticed Bernie in the ditch that night?" Time replied, "I am not sure, but I know this, my awareness of life and my appreciation of life, and my focus on letting God lead me, has made me a different person. Bernie and Tim have become good friends and Bernie is now on the road to recovery, he hopes to be out of the hospital by November.

This however is not the end of Tim's story. He reached out to the person who had hit him and wanted to let her know that he was doing well and that she did not need to feel guilty about what had happened. Tim set up a time to meet with her and he told her Bernie's story. She was overwhelmed and began to cry, but Tim let her know that had he not been through his accident he may have never saved Bernie's life. This story of healing is amazing on so many levels. May we all turn to God in our times of trial, and may we all live with eyes wide open so that God can use us to rescue those who are lost and hurting.

“When the clock of one’s own crisis strikes, the hour for believing in the benevolence of a greater mystery is near” (Adrian van Kaam) We all go through our lives and encounter times of adversity. In this Things Above episode, James Bryan Smith shares a story of a close friend who suffered a terrible injury but was able to find hope through his adversity.

When the clock of crisis strikes in our lives as Adrian van Kaam said, where do we turn? James friend Tim chose to turn to the benevolence of a greater mystery, namely The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When we face adversity we can either turn to God or turn away from God, which way we turn makes all the difference. But the story of our faith teaches us that it is in those times we need to take our eyes off of the pain and onto God, and to trust that God can overcome evil with good, that God can make all things work together for good. (Romans 8:28) In that sense adversity can be a blessing.