God's love, our response: rule of life

We have heard something like this: "As a rule I do not pick up hitchhikers" or "As a rule I eat my vegetables first." "As a rule..." A rule, in this sense, is a guiding set of principles and behaviors which keep us on the road. A rule of life keeps us "on The Way."

When I was young, there was a new emphasis in theology which has driven spirituality ever since. It can be summed up in the words, "God loves us, unconditionally." When I was a child, my mother used to tell me how lucky I was. "When I grew up, " she said, more than once, "God was a judge, now He loves us." The contrast between a loving father and a harsh judge is pretty severe. Depending upon your emphasis, one lives in a world guided by a Hand of understanding, kindness and mercy under the watchful Eye of a loving Father---OR--- one toils away in fear, terrorized that any misstep, no matter how slight, will invite divine visitation of wrath and punishment, with the threat of eternal damnation hanging over one's head. This is sometimes expressed as "the God of the New Testament" versus "the God of the Old Testament."

Obviously, the Scriptures make it crystal clear that God is both Loving Father and Just Judge. There is really no confilct between the New Testament God and the Old Testament God for Jesus. In the early church, those who contrasted the two were condemed as heretics. Their teaching rejected as false.

Too many in the contemporary church seem to advocate that God's love is so unconditional that it does not matter what we do, He will always love us. This is true, in a sense, but without further explanation it is also problematic. Such a premise logically leads to some dangerous results.

• If God does not care what I do, then what I do does not matter.
• If what I do does not matter, then there really is no difference between one act and another, except whether or not it pleases me.
• Therefore, I will do what I want.

A "rule of life" can  be a simple pattern of living based on "what pleases me." In fact, that is exactly what the rule of life will spontaneously be for most people, unless if their freedom is limited by some outside forces. (weather, health, government laws, etc.) For the person in relationship with Jesus, the deciding factor for making a rule of life should not be our natural inclinations.  (St. Paul says that we are by nature children of wrath.) Our rule of life is derived from our identity and mission as Christians. Because The Father loves us, what we do is vitally important.

As I review my life I remember a number of people whom I have loved with incredible passion. Most of those people have ended up moving on. I know what could have been between us. I know what remains, a deep and abiding love. I also know what was lost, years of shared experiences and the growth of a deeper, more committed love. Love remains even if the relationship is tangential. But there is a sense in which that love has been frustrated by separation. It is my belief that God views us the same way. He loves us with a passionate, life-giving love. But He also lets us walk away. He allows us to make decisions which undermine the relationship. Love and relationship are organic, they grow or die. That is a summary of the Old Testament. A loving God frustrated by rejection. The Father allows His children to wander away (in the NT it is the prodigal son). He desires relationship, but He does not force it upon them. 

The rule of life is our response to the invitation from the Father to each of us. It is a choice for discipleship in answer to Jesus' call, "Come follow Me!" It is life in the Holy Spirit, abundant life and disciplined/disciple life. So what does a "rule of life" look like for a Christian? What is a rule of life for someone who thinks that because God loves me so much, what I think, say and do are incredibly imporant to Him and directly impacts our relationship?

Rule of Life

Friday night and Saturday morning I led a retreat with the Vestry of our church. A vestry is the lay leadership group, in our case, nine men and women, who are responsible for guiding the church and decision making.

Friday night we reviewed the concept of "Rule of Life." The reason for a rule of life is that we want to live intentionally. It helps us to actually make choices and engage in behaviors in light of our purpose in life.

For some of us most of the time and most of us some of the time our lfe is a series of accidents. We do not really have a conscious goal. We are determined by circumstances and situations over which we have no control. And we make decisions in a haphazard way which are not connected to any sense of purpose.

We have wishes and dreams. We have hopes and desires. We just do not have a goal or a plan. Fortunately, in many cases, we are attuned to God enough that we still end up leading a life which makes some sense. We are aware of faith and morality and so we do trust God and try to "act right." But we end up praying, studying and doing in a haphazard way and it always depends on spare time and personal motivation overlapping. That is why in the past week the typical Christian has done very lttle praying, studying, service or evangelizing. We know that stuff is important. We just do not do it.

As our culture becomes more hostile to Christian life and faith, it will be less likely that any of us, struggling to believe and trying to be faithful, will engage in the disciplines of the Christian life, unless we are commited to a rule of life.

As we reflect on the true state of our soul and the actual lived-out relationship with have with God, it should be clear that all of us need to improve. In the days ahead I want to provide some models for a rule of life.

Healing: How to 2

Yesterday I wanted to make clearer what I mean by a healing ministry. Suddenly, an experience from long ago just popped in my head. I hope this clarifies it.

Around 1987, I was a high school chaplain and the Diocesan Youth Minister. The school day started early and ended in mid-afternoon. Other priestly duties kicked in then. Many week ends were taken up with retreats. I loved my work but there were times when the long days just wore me down.

At this time my mom, who was never truly well, was hospitalized. Unfortunately, her illness coincided with an especially busy week. I went to see her at the hospital at the end of a draining day. It was very late. I was tired. She was sick. I was sad. I remember standing there, wanting to pray, but literally having no words.

Suddenly, in walks a nurses' aid. I am not sure the role she had even exists any more in hospitals. She was an older black woman. I only recall snip its, but she clearly saw through me. I remember her "reading my soul." It wasn't anything supernatural though. She simply said things like, "You are tired. Sometimes life is too much. You can't pray? Sometimes God provides someone else to help." (That is not verbatim, but something to this effect.) At one point she reached out and touched my arm. She prayed and then she left.

I recall a sense of relief. I was aware that I cannot do it all on my own. I was aware that God works in subtle ways. I "felt" Him near. My spirit was touched.

That was a healing experience and that is something anyone who cares can do. When I counsel folks I am struck by the depth of their hurt and pain. Most of us (in my middle class world) have learned to cover over it. We appear pretty self secure and look pretty effective. But many of us are worn out and worn down. We need a healing of our heart and soul but just can not admit it.  And who really offers God's grace to us in our current environment?

Simple acts of compassionate listening and sincere praying are a huge component of the healing ministry. What would the church look like if we regulalry interacted with one another like that woman did with me? A moment of support. A word of prayer. No one expected to "do it all alone."

Church is a place to praise God, learn and serve the needy. It is also a place to cry and take down our defenses and let God have His way with us. I dream of a congregation where we tend to each other through compassionate listening and prayers of faith. I think there would be less struggle with doubt if we were more active with healing. So I am not advocating some sort of "fireworks and marching bands" approach to healing. I am just saying we all need His touch. We all carry His touch. I have shared with you a brief encounter between two strangers from over twenty years ago. There is great power in the simple, quiet and ordinary acts of healing ministry! Anyone who cares can do it. Especially, YOU!

Healing: How to 1

Yesterday was an overview of the general attitude and some of the activities which would occur in a local church which took healing seriously. What about within the parish? What about people who want to do this ministry when the congregation is not "on board"?

First of all, I think it is clear that some people are born with certain gifts. A healing touch or healing presence is such a gift. However, we can enhance and improve on whatever baseline we are born with. So, on an active level one can pray for the gift. Asking God to pour out His Life Breath (Holy Spirit) and to heal through us is the first step. Obviously, one must continue also to seek God's will and to listen!

A personal rule of life which includes regular prayer time, a moral lifestyle, reading Scripture, interaction with other Christians (public worship and membership), and reading credible books by those in the ministry is a foundation. Probably fasting is also recommended.

When possible, partnering with other like minded Christians is important. God likes teams. There are numerous advantges to working side by side, not the least of which is a restraint on our own ego!

If you do not have some sort of obvious charism (gift) then I would include as much normal conversation and listening as possible. Healing is for the whole person. The physical manifestation which leads people to ask for healing is often times connected to mental, emotional and spiritual issues. Remeber God does the healing. Our task to is help people be open to Him.

One big question: What does the woundedness symbolize to the person? Ovewhelming emotions can produce backaches and headaches. Relational issues can be seen in the body. Let the person talk. Bring the issues to the Lord. Ask Jesus to be there with them. Often times this is true of memories. Take time to listen to them relate the story. Then ask them to return to "the scene of the crime" but this time to be aware of the Lord's presence. Lead them in opening up to Jesus's love and power.

There is power in talking and there is healing in being with people who care. If you have a heart for others and an ear to listen, then you can make an impact that helps heal. If you invite God into this and pray then you are being obedient.

The goal of all this is to bring someone into deeper relationship with the Creator and Redeemer of the Universe. In the loving presence of God, mediated through the care and concern of human ministers, healing occurs at many levels.  So, if a congregation has 75% of its members actively doing this sort of thing, people will be healthier, holier and happier. Needy people (what Jesus calls "the least, last and lost") will be drawn into such churches. The church will look more like the Kingdom and will make an impact in the world. It begins with all of us doing what Jesus tells us to do. Healing is part of it. When the church does this it will be better.

A Healing Church

What if we took Jesus seriously and focused on His fourfold ministry of preaching the kingdom, teaching, healing and exorcising?

1. Our ministry would be cross and resurrection shaped. It would be self-emptying and death. It would be giving first, not getting. It would be God focused first, instead of self-centered. It would be about worship first, not entertainment. It would be about death, but also New Life. It would be transformative! It would believe that what the Father did with Jesus is open to us as well!
2. A ministry focused church would have a hunger for wholeness and health. It would be concerned with body and soul, mind, heart and spirit. It would see human being as a social and relational reality. It would embrace God's Law: to love God and to love our neighbor.
3. It would not be one dimensional. It would not be satisfied with "praying for the sick" (although it would do that). So let me lay out at least one model. It is what we are trying to do at St. Andrew's here in Collierville.

Preaching and teaching would include regular reference to the Biblical concepts of the Kingdom. People in the church would have a mental model which emphasizes salvation as an already (and not yet ) process which touches every aspect of a human being. There would be a hunger to bring people to salvation. This would not be limited to asking them "to accept Jesus is Lord so you can go to heaven."

It would include financial support (serious money) for some types of medical/emotional/psychological care. We support The Church Health Center here in Memphis. Look them up on line for an idea of why!  We have also given to Methodist Hospice (death is the final healing for most of us). We have supported a counseling center in the past.

The parish would have a prayer ministry for the sick (lists of names read during Sunday service, as well as prayer teams). We pray regularly for healing in public gatherings. We also have a Daughters Of the King who pray every day.

There would be care teams which bring meals to those in need due to "bad health." There would be hospital visitation teams. There would be a healing opportunity which is present at some (or all) of the worship services for prayer afterward. On Saturday night we have a healing eucharist. Once a month we also have a prayer team available in the evening. After our early Sunday service a small team prays with anyone with a special need.

There would be special healing retreats/workshops. The parish brings in men and women (from outside) who have a healing ministry. Usually there will be extended times of prayer coupled with teaching. The speakers are folks who  have had amazing success in this ministry. It is uplifting to hear their stories. There are also times of intense prayer which actually demonstrates what is being talked about.

I cannot over-emphasize the importance of a church which is hungry to help others. If we love and care for those who suffer then I think God can use us as instruments. I think that too many times we prefer to criticize God (and doubt Him) because of the suffering in the world, when we need to be saying, "Here I am, send me, Lord, to be your servant and set folks free."

Salvation is a total healing. Look at Jesus. Look at what He did. He is our model. That is what church needs to look like. I hope this is beginning to answer the question. More later!

Healing 4: Different angle on "Why not everyone?"

My last post focused on the fact that Jesus did not heal everyone He met. Today I want to reflect on the fact that not everyone has been given the gift of healing.

One reason why I am so gung-ho about the church is because it is the body of Christ. I believe that it is the body of believers which receives the Holy Spirit. God is in covenant with us. In America we tend to focus on "me." This spills into our faith models as well. We look first to the individual and speak about 'fair and unfair' in light of individual rights. In the world of Jesus, the world of the Bible, many of our ideas are quite foreign. We do well to hear them.

1 Corinthians 12 concerns spiritual gifts. Paul explains to the people in Corinth that there are various gifts, but the same Holy Spirit is the Giver. There is a single source for the diversity of gifts. He also says that each person receives gifts for the benefit of all. The expression "common good" conveys the meaning of the Greek word (sumphero). This is an important point. What God has given "me" is meant to benefit "us."

Next Paul uses the popular analogy of the body. Each individual is a unique part of the body. He illustrates the variety of gifts by remarking on the different roles of body parts: foot, hand, eye, and ear all have different functions but certainly none is unneeded. Likewise, we should use our gifts for the work of the church and the benefit of others. We should not think of our gifts as a reason for competition.

Lastly, Paul makes clear that not everyone has everything. In verses 29-30 he asks rhetorically, "Are all apostles? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess the gifts of healing?..." Herein lies one of the issues which some overlook. Some people imply that every Christian should be able to manifest the gift of healing. I believe we are all called to pray but I am not sure all of us will experience great success in the healing ministry. This should not lead us to quit praying for healing, but it should temper our frustration when we do not see an awesome manifestation of the gift in our lives.

I know I can preach and teach. I have done it for years with success. It is a natural gift which has been used by God. I also know that not everyone is able to stand before a group and do this. Not every Christian is an effective preacher (even if all Christians are still expected to proclaim the Kingdom). So it should not be a shock to discover not every Christian is a healer (in the signs and wonders sense). But every local church, parish, or congregation needs to be involved in preaching, teaching and healing. That is fundamental. It is also why unity among Christians is so vital. Together we are the body of Christ. Together more of the gifts are manifest. I need to connect with you so that our gifts are working in unison. Also, when we come together the individual gifts are enhanced. It is a spiritual version of a chemical reaction. My gifts + your gifts = something amazing. We need to hunger for God and hunger to be His people. We also need to hunger for a church where we are serving Him by utilizing all the gifts He has given us. Together!

Next post will be my answer to the question: "how can we do this?"

Healing 3: Why not everyone?

Yesterday I wrote about reasons why people doubt. I want to make it clear, doubt is not an unusual response. I have been part of a healing team here at our church for almost ten years. We struggle mightily with all sorts of questions. One of the biggest is why isn't everyone healed?

In my prayer time two days ago I read John 5. It begins with a healing story. Now John tends to write longer narratives so there is more information available. John is not writing to explain healing to us, but we can learn some things about healing when we read it.

The setting is a pool in Jerusalem where a number of diabled people are lying around. We are told that they are blind, crippled and unable to move. [We might also see these as metaphors for spiritual maladies] Apparently, they believed that an angel came periodically to stir up the water and the first one in would be healed. Jesus saw all those people yet picked out only one, a man who has been crippled for thirty-eight years. That is a long time. When Jesus asks him if he would like to be healed, the sick man says that he has no one to carry him to the water when it has been stirred by the angel. Jesus makes no explanation, He simply says, "Stand up, take your mat and walk." Healing!!!!

But what of the others who are watching. Did Jesus look at any of them, shrug His shoulders and say, "Sorry, that is all for today"? Did the group cry out to Him, "What about me??? Help!!" Why did Jesus not heal them all? Why does He not heal them all today?

Well, I learned long ago that the question "Why?" is not always answered. But it is important to be aware that Jesus did not heal everyone. One clue may be from Luke 8:43-48. As Jesus is walking a woman with a bleeding disorder touches Him to be healed. He whirls around looking into the crowd asking, "Who touched Me?" He then said, "I felt power leave me." What was that power which He felt drained off? Is it possible that His healing touch came at a personal cost? Did it hurt Him to heal? Isaiah 53:5 has long been applied to the ministry of Jesus. Here may be an insight into the secrets of His ministry: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, by his wounds we were healed." Maybe the reason there is a CROSS is because it is the nature of creation. Maybe there is great cost to set right what we have made wrong. Maybe the healing of our world and its inhabitants does not occur magically. Maybe the world costs God, greatly.

God can do anything, I suppose, but it seems that once He chooses there are limits on Him. The world He creates has rules and He seems to be affected. I know that God heals. I also know He does not heal everyone all the time. But this was true in the ministry of Jesus. Jesus healed many people. The healing took something out of Him (power). We also know that the crowds took something out of Him. We read that He could not enter villages because of  the crush of the crowds. At times He went off to hide and pray. But most importantly, He knew there was more than just physical healing.

Returning to John 5, Jesus warns the man, "stop sinning or something worse will happen to you." Sometimes God's acts of mercy and kindness become a distraction. He calls us to holiness and we view Him as a dispenser of miracles. He calls us to love and obedience and we call Him to do what we want. Healing is always a proclamation. It is preaching in word and deed. When we lose sight of that then we misunderstand healing. Maybe God does not heal everyone right now because once that starts this world ends. Maybe we have to watch and wait. In the meantime, the healing ministry of the church, in the time of waitnig, is an important ministry of proclamation and hope.