Wilderness Wanderings

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise." (Isaiah 43:19-21)

It's hot and dry.

And I'm not talking about the heat warning and lack of rain we currently face.

In our wilderness wanderings outside the shelter of the church building, we are starting to feel parched. It truly is a wilderness out there. We're lonely for want of community as we roam isolated haunts like the jackals. We're dried up for want of the refreshment of the water and juice of the sacraments administered and shared in person. We're heat-exhausted from long exposure in the elements without the cooling wind of the Word preached and lived through the Spirit in the place of communal Christian worship. How we long for an oasis!

It's hard for things, including Christians, to grow in lonely soil that's dry and scorched. Yet God's people lived in the wilderness for forty years. Not only lived: but thrived, flourished, and multiplied—because God was with them in the wilderness.

But here in Isaiah, where the message is coming to exiles after the fall of Jerusalem, that's not what God is talking about. God, through Isaiah, begins to mention how He saved Israel from Egypt only in the very next breath to tell them to "forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!" He says.

The exiles were not to look back to what they had, or even to the ways that God had saved before, because the God they served was a Sovereign God, who continued to do "new things."

So, can the God who does "new things" do a new thing even here in this COVID wilderness today? Can the God who makes a way through Jesus and provides water through the Spirit in the wilderness still refresh and sustain us as His people to praise and proclaim His name?

I think He can. And I think He does. Sometimes, in surprising new ways that look very little like the former ways we know.

It can be scary, but remember, we never journey alone.

Love must be sincere… Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:9a, 12).

Happy Canada Day, eh! I am aware that Canada Day was yesterday. As good residents of this country, your pastors took the day off; thus, there was no devotion. So, again, Happy Canada Day, eh! My apology to our listeners who are not Canadian. If you stay tuned, you'll discover that this is not a Canada Day devotion.

Of course, it may not have been a happy day. COVID-19 may have left the day feeling rather barren: the normal robust backyard BBQs were thinly attended; the darkened evening sky, bereft of the sound and sight of fireworks caused the day to end in a whimper.

Of course, there are darker reasons for the day to lack luster. The increasing national recognition that this country was founded on doctrines of racism that still linger today, rightly muffle our feelings of national pride. The current recognition that we live with significant inequalities, that many do not have access to homes or sufficient income, makes us wonder what elements of our history remain untold. The repeating threat of succession from one part of the country or another, makes us wonder if it's even possible to build a common vision for a land so large and diverse.

How should we Christians respond to the mixed history of this country, or any country for that matter? Let me suggest that we remember that we are citizens of two kingdoms. Whether we are Canadian or own a passport from a different country, we do well to remember who we are. By definition, Christians are committed to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, often referred to as the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God.

This kingdom is a kingdom of hope. Our text for today, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer", reminds us of this. When Jesus introduces his kingdom in Luke 4, he says, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free…" (18). And that is exactly what he set about doing: healing the sick and feeding the hungry. His is a kingdom of justice.

We believe that after Jesus rose from the dead, he ascended to heaven and is sitting at the right of God almighty. From there he will return to finish his work of redemption, establishing fully his kingdom. The three phrases of our text are rooted in that hope. It is the source of our abiding joy.

If you look closely, you'll see a progression that certainly appears deliberate. How do we remain patient through affliction? We continue to hope, waiting eagerly for Jesus' return. We continue to fulfill our obligation to love each other and our neighbours. We continue to enjoy our blessings even when we're discouraged and want to quit. And all the while, we devote ourselves to prayer. These qualities of love are indispensable. When people can hope together, remain relentlessly devoted to one another and to Christ, and talk to the Father on one another's behalf, nothing can tear their community apart.

And Jesus calls us to live as good citizens of whatever country we belong to. In this moment of history, we must acknowledge that the church has often been an accomplice in the injustices of history. But it also means that we renew our commitment to be led by the Spirit into the sincere love Paul writes about in Romans 12, a love infused with justice for all. Let our prayers also include this: that the multi-pronged crisis of our day may enable Canada, and other nations, to forge a more just future for all peoples.

As Jesus' followers, let us lead the way with hope and prayer!

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

Is the church building a bowl?

Maybe it's not a nice or fair question to ask, but it's a question that came to mind while speaking with the leaders of TrueCity churches last week.

It was interesting to hear what they were doing. 15 of the churches that responded have remained online. Only 5 have gone back into their building at this time. Among those who have remained online, about 8 have begun inviting their people to gather in backyards in smaller, socially distanced groups for worship.

That got me thinking about this text: a town built on a hill cannot be hidden; a lamp should be put on its stand.

Sure enough, one church reported that as congregation members have begun worshiping in their backyards, their neighbours have begun to notice. It's not every day that you see a group of people praying, singing, and listening together for something that isn't a party or a sports event. Especially when those people gather weekly, especially when those people are people you know: your neighbours.

All of a sudden a new light shines into the world: Christians visibly worshiping God. All of a sudden, conversations start with neighbours. Not because you were "trying to witness," but simply because you were living as a Christian where you are, visibly, and so have been asked what you're up to.

So back to the first question: is the church building a bowl? Does the church building hide us away from the world more than it should? Hiding our worship, our discipleship programs and ministries, our message safely away where no one else can see or hear?

I don't know the answer to that question. Maybe the church building is a bowl sometimes, hiding a light that should've been put on a stand. And, maybe sometimes the church building is more like the hidden reservoir of oil that feeds the lamp that burns outside where everyone can see.

Whatever the case, what I do know, is that this moment is the perfect time to be asking that question. Has the church building become a bowl for you? What do your neighbours see of your light when the building is removed from the equation for a time? What should they see?

Wednesday is Canada Day. We won't be putting out one of these devotions for Wednesday, July 1. But as you go through the festivities of the day, whatever they may be, maybe you can be pondering the same question asked here:

Is my light shining? Or have I hidden it under a bowl?

Love must be sincere… Stay excited about your faith as you serve the Lord (Romans 12:9a, 11).

Happy Monday!

Isn't that just annoying!? I know, some of you love saying that and you really mean it. The rest of us groan when we see you coming on Monday mornings. Granted, as a preacher I didn't really get the Monday thing until COVID-19. Now I, too, have two-day weekends. I feel very normal. But this Wilderness Wanderings isn't about Mondays, nor about people who are annoyingly happy on Monday mornings. Its about love. We're allowing Romans 12 to take us on a deep excursion into the Christian understandings of love. Today's text may seem a little unrelated, after all, what does 'excitement about our faith' have to do with love?

Well, quite a bit actually. But let's make sure that we understand what Paul means by this. Some Christians are like flashlights shining in your eyes. They seem to have their Christian throttle fully open all the time. At worship services, they are always mega-hyper and forever attempting to hype up the rest of the body. No matter where they are, they talk about Jesus, whether people want to hear or not. Such folk pray longer and read more scripture than most and always seem to hear directly from God.

Now, if you are or have been such a Christian, hang on for a minute. Here is the point I think Paul is trying to make. A flashlight shining in our eyes makes us close them and look away. Its not a beneficial way to be enthusiastic. Rather, Paul's image seems to be more like a pot of soup simmering on the stove. The aromas are slowly permeating the whole house. Soon, people's mouths are watering and stomachs are grumbling. See the difference? One form of enthusiasm closes the senses, the other opens them. One is off putting; the other is attractive. This second is the kind of excitement Paul is advocating.

In his short monologue on love, Paul thus includes this exhortation, "Stay excited about your faith as you serve the Lord." But what's it got to do with love? Well, loving is difficult work. Remember, it's a mind set, not always connected to our feelings. To love is an act of the will. We are called to love people who are difficult, people who offend us and, even our enemies.

How can we do this? There are various things that are helpful in keeping up our spiritual excitement. But here, Paul mentions just one, 'as you serve the Lord'. This is critical. We don't love people to get loved back or because they deserve it. No! We love people because we want to serve the Lord. If we are looking for people's response to our love, we will always be disappointed. But, if we love as an act of service to God, then as Jesus says, God our Father, we give us our reward.

Happy Monday! Staying excited about our faith doesn't mean we should be annoyingly happy all the time. In fact, being annoying can be a real put off, especially when it is only a façade. But it does mean that we are always eager to serve the Lord by loving other people. Our love should be like soup's aroma, causing people to want Jesus. You see, our love ought not to attract people to us, rather it ought to point them to Jesus. So, as we begin this new week, let's check out attitude. Where does it need adjustment? What do we need to do to keep excited about out faith? How will we serve the Lord?

May today be a Happy Monday for you and all those around you.

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (Matthew 8:18-20)

Jesus sure doesn't make it very easy to follow him sometimes.

Jesus sees the crowds coming and he gets out of there: he crosses the lake. Someone comes who wants to follow Jesus, Jesus tries to persuade him not to.

It doesn't feel so different today: we want to join together with others to worship and grow in knowing and loving and following Jesus, but the pandemic conditions that he's permitted in his world are making it really hard to do.

You know, it's a good and healthy desire to want to follow Jesus and worship him. We've been blessed to have been able to do both easily in freedom for so long. And we would still want to! So why does Jesus make it so hard sometimes?

It's a question many have scratched their heads about when they come to texts like these in the Gospels. Willing followers come to Jesus, and he makes it hard for them, saying things like: "let the dead bury their own dead," and "if you want to follow, you have to take up your cross to do it," and "sure, you can follow, but you better know that if you do—you'll be a vagabond. A wanderer like me with no place to lay your head."

So, why is Jesus making it hard on us now? Well, given Jesus' words in the Gospels: maybe the opposite question is the better one: why has it been so easy to follow and worship Jesus for so long?

Iron doesn't sharpen iron without a bit of friction. A crucible doesn't refine metal without burning heat. The way to the promised land is through the wilderness. The Bible is full of these pictures, including this one: that new life doesn't come unless we die to ourselves.

Following Jesus has never been easy. So, what if the difficulty we're experiencing right now is actually closer to "normal" in the life of discipleship than the easy ways some of us have had up to now?

Following Jesus implies that Jesus is always on the move. Will you continue to follow him into unfamiliar places? Will you continue to follow him even when the path gets hard?

Love must be sincere… Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves (Romans 12:9a, 10).

In our reflections on Romans 12, we are taking a deep dive into 'love'. We've discovered that love is not primarily a feeling but an attitude of the Christian mind, which has been made new through Christ's redeeming work. Love is a mind set, a commitment to behave and think in a certain way. We have made note that this is counter cultural, which means that a loving mind-set is something that sets Christians apart from other people. As such, it is important that we come to know what sincere love looks like. Thus, the deep dive Romans 12:9-16 offers us.

Today's text, "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves," brings us deeper. The Greek language, in which most of the New Testament was written, has at least four different words which, in English, all get translated as love. The words 'be devoted' and 'love' are translated from the Greek word which refer to love in the family. The first is often used to describe the love of a parent towards a child, that natural, protective, fierce love that parents often feel when they first hold their newborn child. Our second word for love refers to affection between siblings. Granted, family relationships are often tainted and even ruined by sin. However, Paul is inviting us to think about the relationships within the church in the best ways in which families relate to each other. Now understand, he is not writing to someone else, he is writing to you and I. We are being called to behave in the best possible loving manner towards fellow Christians.

How can we be devoted to one another? By honouring others above ourselves. Other English translations render this as "outdo one another in showing honor". It's an invitation to a friendly sort of competition. We are exhorted to put other believers first as an expression of genuine love. Without this attitude all manner of evil attitudes and tensions will inevitably arise. More often than not, trouble erupts because we feel offended when we perceive, rightly or wrongly, that our positions have been usurped or we have been slighted.

The insistence on my position and my rights rather than putting others first is the seedbed in which a whole crop of evil flourishes. But where love is expressed in glad acknowledgement of the achievement of others and where we genuinely appreciate our own deficiencies, it is hard for evil to triumph. As someone once wrote, "Concentrate on her good points and my bad points rather than on my good points and her bad points." A marriage counsellor probably wrote that, but it is exactly how Paul is advocating all Christians to behave in the church.

As a spiritual family, the church is to exhibit the intimacy and tenderness toward one another that mark the best earthly families. Paul's terms are drenched with tenderness and kindness. Our love is to be characterized by the warm affection shared between members of a family. It's true that family members can be especially difficult to love! Nevertheless, we must make every effort simply because we have a family bond formed in Jesus' blood that cannot be broken.

We are to listen when someone speaks and give his or her words careful consideration. We must allow others to differ from us, respecting their opinions even though we disagree. We are to treat another person's feelings with care and respect, demonstrating gratitude for one another. Christian are called to this sort of sincere love, when face to face, when at church meetings, and even on Facebook and Twitter.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

"I'm just tired of it."

That's probably the most consistent comment I've heard these past few weeks. "I'm just tired of this whole COVID thing."

Now for the most part, we've "survived" so far. We've figured out new ways of doing work, of doing school (thanks be to God that it's over though!), of doing church, of doing shopping, even new ways of cutting our hair. Some of those things we've gotten used to now and they're going fine. Some things we may have surprisingly found to be better (no commute!). Some still leave much to be desired (e.g. the haircuts).

But here's the thing: it has all come at a cost.

Some of us have really absorbed the fear of this virus instilled in us from the health authorities from the onset. And, the churning anxieties that result have wounded and crippled us, leaving us clouded by worry and fearful to step out our door. It's no wonder mental health incidence rates have increased.

Of course, processing and settling into changes on this scale takes a lot of energy and mental capacity all on its own. And the changes just keep coming, as do upheavals in society along fault lines of systemic injustice that ask even more from our already scattered and taxed brains.

And, all change involves a loss of some sort. A loss of something good, or at least of something familiar. And every loss needs to be grieved. Which means processing our way through change, also means that our hearts are processing through the grief of loss. Constantly. And that too, takes its toll.

And then there's the loneliness to compound it all: no visits or interactions with people for long stretches; no hugs; social distancing protocols that make us avoid and perhaps even become suspicious of one another; no family get togethers or celebrations; no hang outs with friends; no gathering in prayer and song to accompany our saints who have died in Christ to their earthly resting place. We do get to see faces in boxes on screens, but only a narrow slice of our humanity is communicated through such means. It's disembodied (literally--we don't see people's bodies on Zoom, just their heads), and so it's just not the same.

And we are tired of it. Three months now. And despite easing restrictions, who knows how much longer this journey will last.

But then Jesus says: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ...rest for your souls."

That sounds like the kind of deep rest my bones and heart and mind are longing for right now. A rest that gives peace through whatever troubles we've faced or have yet to face. It's a rest we long for and that only Jesus can give. "Come to me," He says, "and you will find rest for your souls."

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good (Romans 12:9).

Love must be sincere is the theme that begins here in Romans 12:9 and is fleshed out in the rest of this chapter and even beyond. The problem with love is that it can be a vague term. People fill it with almost any meaning they want. We believe that a person can "fall" in and out of it. And so, the biblical meaning and significance of love needs our careful attention. Let's remember that godly love is not an emotion. It is an attitude, a mind-set; an aspect of the renewed mind. We are commanded to love; it is therefore a choice we make, a matter of the will.

Without the enabling grace of God, none of us can love in the way the Bible asks us to. Such love is never the product of our human wills. But our wills are involved. The Holy Spirit fosters it within us. It is our job to cooperate with the Spirit in developing a consistent mind-set of love toward others. We must also work actively to put love into effect in our relationships. The Christian who nurtures an attitude of love will act in the ways that Paul describes here. Because we define love on God's terms, it acts in accordance with God's good and perfect will (12:2).

The first aspect of this kind of love is discernment: hate what is evil; cling to what is good (9b). Ironic, isn't it, that the exhortation to love is followed immediately by a command to hate. But we should not be surprised. For love is not the blind sentiment it is often portrayed as. Rather, love passionately seeks the best for the one loved. Thus, it must hate everything evil that is incompatible with the loved one's highest welfare. Paul's word for 'hate' suggests a very strong aversion, an abhorrence, a loathing, a vomiting out. Whereas his word for cling, suggests supper glue, a bonding like two pieces of steel welded together.

Love must be sincere is the positive version of the biblical command, "do not kill." The Heidelberg Catechism offers us this explanation of that commandment, "I am not to belittle, insult, hate, or kill my neighbor--not by my thoughts, my words, my look or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds--and I am not to be party to this in others; rather, I am to put away all desire for revenge. I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself either…By forbidding murder God teaches us that he hates the root of murder: envy, hatred, anger, vindictiveness. In God's sight all such are murder" (Q 105 & 106).

When love encounters what is evil, it refuses to participate. Love doesn't embrace evil, nor does it merely look the other way. Love dares to confront someone doing evil, not to judge or browbeat, but to inspire righteousness. On the other hand, love "clings to what is good." In order to repel evil and cling to good, love must know the difference. The Christian desiring to love sincerely must be able to discern the difference between good and evil.

How can we train ourselves in the ways of love? Anyone who has tried knows its not easy. Like all Christian virtues, prayer and scripture are the beginning. How else will we know God's version of love? We can also get our minds engaged in other ways. How about watching an episode of a favourite Netflix show or a chapter of a favourite novel? Then discern the ways in which the characters practice love or the lack there of. It won't do to shut down our minds when being entertained. Rather, we may find some brilliant nuances of love right among our favourite characters.

"A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:32-33)

This is a devotion for all the graduates of 2020. (Pass the podcast on to a graduate you know!)

These are the words of Jesus, spoken just before his arrest, trial, and crucifixion. We've actually touched on this text before in this series, but I thought it was worth coming back to again. Because Jesus was right.

I mean, not in some Sunday School way whereby Jesus is always right and is always the right answer. That gets you off the hook too easy. And I don't mean to say that Jesus was predicting how you'd be scattered to your homes to finish the semester during COVID-19. He was talking to His disciples about His imminent arrest, not one of many pandemics that would come thousands of years later.

But when Jesus said: "In this world you will have trouble," he was right. Because we do have troubles, and unlike any North American generation in a few decades, you have all experienced that fact first hand. Because COVID-19 did happen. It did scatter you, each to your own homes. It did hurt your friendships, increase your screen time, and raise your worries. And it has impacted the way that you mark this major transition in your lives, too. Much of the personal goodness of celebrating and saying goodbye to friends and teachers with hugs and laughs and food and conversations and ceremonies was lost. You probably didn't get to finish like you wanted to.

Some of us feel this loss like a sadness. Others of us get a nervous energy. Others get angry. Others ignore it and press on. God's people have used prayers of lament to bring these feelings of sadness, anger, energy, and the desire to get away to God in prayer. Asking Him the hard questions: Why did you have to let this thing happen? Why now? Why us? When will it end and what will my future look like? Sometimes those questions come out sidewise in tears or shouts. That's ok. God is one of the few in your life always there to listen.

And, I think He cares too. That is, in fact, why Jesus came. Because God cares enough to look the trouble of this world in the eye—not just COVID-19, but also things like structural racism, climate change, and family hardship. Jesus cares enough to sit with us in the middle of it all. And, the Spirit cares enough to continue to sink Jesus' peace into the fabric of our hearts and weave Jesus' victory slowly through the fabric of our world. Jesus' kingdom where all troubles are made well and are set right is coming. But it's not here yet.

For now, Jesus' words of John 16 remain true: "in this world you will have trouble. But take heart! Because I have overcome the world."

Wherever the journey takes you in this wide world: to high school, to work, to a gap year, to further training or studies—remember that all the world and the paths that lie before you belong to Jesus, the one who has overcome. No matter what happens along the road, He remains with you always, offering you His peace. Take the time today to talk to Him and wrestle with Him and seek that peace for yourself and for this world.

Love must be sincere (Romans 12:9a).

One might argue that this little phrase, "Love must be sincere", is the heart of Romans 12. Everything that has come before--the stuff about personal transformation: "…in view of God's mercy…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice to God…be transformed by the renewing of your mind…discerning God's good, pleasing and perfect will…" and the stuff about the relationships within the church, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment…in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others…we have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us…"--all of this leads into the command, "Love must be sincere."

Yes, it is written as a command. Actually, the phrase has no verb. Its as if the apostle is saying, "Love that is sincere will…" and then he spends the rest of the chapter telling us what sincere love is all about. In upcoming 'Wilderness Wanderings' we will take a deep dive into 'love', 'sincere love'.

There is good reason to do this. In our culture, the word love has become rather vague. It's lost its crispness. We love sweaters and the weather and we love each other. It's a feeling that comes and goes like a wave in the bay. We also claim to make love. So, what is love and what makes it sincere?

The word used for love here is agape. So far in Romans all references to agape have been to the 'love of God'—as demonstrated on the cross (5:8), as poured into our hearts (5:5) and as doggedly refusing to let us go (8:35, 39). This is a pursuing, wooing, winning back kind of love. The lover is willing to sacrifice himself unto death to express his love. So that is our reference point, our example. But it is also our source. This love has been poured into us. Now it must flow out. Here the focus shifts to agape, that is, love, as the essence of Christian discipleship. Romans 12-15 are a sustained encouragement to let love govern and shape all our relationships. At the end of the chapter, Paul will write about love for our enemies (17-21), but first he portrays it as pervading the Christian community (9-16).

The word 'sincere' means 'without hypocrisy'. In the ancient world, hypocrite was the word for actor. Thus, Paul starts by saying that acts and words of love must not be pretend. We should not tell someone we love them, when we really don't. Neither should we act in love, when in reality, we despise or even hate someone. For early Christians, the primary example of non-sincere love was Judas, betraying Jesus with a kiss. This was hypocritical love in its vilest form.

It is in this matter of sincere love that Christian discipleship is counter-cultural. Feelings are paramount among us. "If I don't feel like it, I don't have to do it." But for Christians love is the law (13:8-10). When Paul says that love must be sincere, what he means is that if we don't feel loving, we need to change our attitude; our hearts need to change. We need to love like God loves us. How does that happen? The cure for a non-loving heart is not to try harder. It is to look to God, to see his love for me. For Christians, confession is not primarily about feeling bad, it's the road to experiencing God's mercy again. Love begins with a view to God's mercy. Only with our eyes fixed on Jesus, can our love become sincere. So, let us fix our eyes on him.