What Started at Pentecost

Filled! Not once, but forever! 
He came to me to live in me, 
to stay, always. 

He is the one who gives me power 
to do the work God planned for me— 
each day, his way. 

It started out at Pentecost, 
a day that changed the world, when he 
filled the disciples 

so that they could explain his truth 
to everyone, from anywhere, 
his Word understood! 

And now I know that he will show 
where I should go, who needs to know 
essential truth. 

I may not speak their language yet, 
but he empowers his messenger 
to learn, to grow. 

And he will make a way. He is 
always seeking the lost, his love 
always reaching.

If you know me, you can hear my testimony in those words. The Lord sent me to the Nyarafolo people, whose language was not yet written down. The prospect of learning it, figuring it out, was truly daunting. In fact most of our advisors told us not to try—the people were resistant to the Good News, they said, and there were other jobs we could do. But the Master had made the calling clear, and we persisted. Looking back, I am amazed that we held on to this goal. It had to be a particular plan of the Lord, one he empowered us to do. My husband was given one year to learn it, then was needed at the hospital. I was able to continue.Through the years he sent the helpers I needed, and opportunities for more linguistic training. When a few Nyarafolos expressed their interest in knowing Jesus, it became clear that we needed access to God’s Word in their language in order to teach them. So many of the concepts that are key to the Good News were absolutely new to them. Yet the Lord had prepared the way, and now they have two-thirds of the Bible, the rest is in process, and churches are growing!

That was all his plan, not one any of us foresaw. That was his Spirit continuing what began at Pentecost: filling believers so that people of every language group in the world could someday know about him and his love for them!

This purpose is not just for “missionaries.” Maybe you have not been one he chose to send to another country, to another language group. But he does want each one of his loved ones to be ready to share the truth across cultural and ethnic boundaries. Who has he put in your path who is an immigrant, or from a different racial group or social strata than you? Each one of us needs to be awake, ready to reach out, because our Lord himself made this a priority.

Today Moise, my Nyarafolo coworker and I, just finished translating the book of Isaiah into Nyarafolo! (We are working long-distance, via the internet!) And in that last chapter I have noticed something that escaped my attention before. Lord Yahweh has explained that he is is aware that people are worshiping false gods. Nevertheless, he has a plan:

This is the LORD’s declaration. 18 “Knowing their works and their thoughts, I have come to gather all nations and languages; they will come and see My glory.  (Isa. 66:17b CSB)

At Pentecost, this plan was made clear when suddenly 3,000 people from many nations, who were visiting Jerusalem for the celebration of the Feast of Weeks, suddenly could understand each in their own language the truth being shared with them. Now it was being underlined for the disciples that God’s plan for the nations was taking off. Jesus had told them in his final words:

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 1 (Acts 1:7-9 NIV)

I am learning rich insights from a book I just ran across:  Unlocking the Secrets of the Feasts: The Prophecies in the Feasts of Leviticus, by Michael Norten. He explains the history and meaning of the feasts from Scripture and from his interviews with messianic rabbis as well as rabbis in Israel. Since we just finished the season during which the Jews celebrate the four spring feasts, let me just share his summary of some key connections between them and the way God was fulfilling their purposes.

The Feast of Passover was a time to remember the slaying of the Passover lamb as the Israelites were being freed from slavery in Egypt. The prophetic message that it held was fulfilled by the Son of God, Jesus, who gave his life to ransom anyone who would accept his gift of freedom (pp. 37,40). His death even occurred at the time of day that Passover lambs were being sacrificed at the Temple (p. 22).

The Feast of Unleavened Bread follows the Passover; the first day is a remembrance of the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai, laws that were given to make it clear that all of us break God’s laws—we are sinful. Leaven stood for sin. Therefore this feast teaches “the concept of being in fellowship with the Lord” (p.17), being purified. As Paul wrote to believers:

Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch– as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Cor. 5:7 NIV)

Then there is the Feast of Firstfruits, tied to the harvest of barley. It occurred during the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the day after the weekly Sabbath, and that is when the Father raised Jesus Christ from the dead (cf. Luke 24:1-3)! His resurrection is tied to the “firstfruits” (p. 28)in ways that I did not previously understand. This is how Paul explained it:

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. (1 Cor. 15:20–23 NIV)

Then there is the Feast of Weeks, that we know as Pentecost (fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits). This time the Jews were to bring to the Lord two loaves of bread, baked with leaven! Messianic rabbis told Norten that this bread now refers “to God’s people who receive the law and the Spirit,” (p. 36), both Gentiles and Jews. The Spirit purifies us, and we are now acceptable offerings to God. He descended visibly, with signs and wonders, at that Pentecost recounted in Acts 2, fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead at the Feast of Firstfruits! (pp. 40,41).

I love these connections that make clear God’s purpose to us as Gentile and Jewish believers today, in those historic feasts. We are now filled with the Spirit and empowered by him to do what God has planned for us, and to know his love that is so wide and deep that it reaches out to all people:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge– that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph. 3:16-21 NIV)

Yes, he can do more than all we ask or imagine! He has empowered me to participate in reaching the Nyarafolo, learning a language that is incredibly complex and challenging, working with his people there to bring the Word to them in their mother tongue. This is the God who is love, who loves all people, who gives us his Spirit to live in us and work through us. This gift is for each one of us who belongs to him. Amazing love! Amazing grace!

So, guided and empowered by the Spirit, let’s each do what he gives us to do!

Like Windsocks

Breath of God, 
caressing my soul 
with silk much  
lighter than air, fluid, 
warm from your mouth... 

Breeze of God, 
animating, 
stimulating growth 
and action, whipping 
up joy in the morning... 

Wind of God, 
blowing strongly 
out of Eden! 
Trees and humans bow 
before you, praising you... 

Gale-force winds, 
hurricanes, tornadoes, 
wrath of God?? 
His cleansing breath?? 
(Not for trifling with!) 

We study you, 
know reasons, 
consequences, but 
we cannot tell when, 
how you will come next... 

Like windsocks, 
we wait, are lifted 
by your Spirit, showing 
who you are to watchers, 
and where you are at work. 


“We are like windsocks”! We can only reveal the truth about who God is, who our Rescuer and Lord Jesus is, by being filled with his breath: his true Spirit. That breath pours life into bodies and brings empowerment to those who believe in Jesus.  Then, like windsocks, our lives can show how he is at work—the windsock cannot hang limp when the wind is blowing into it! It is easy to write these words, but they require much digging into.

In many churches all over the world, this past Sunday was celebrated as Pentecost, the day that the Holy Spirit was given to Christ-followers in a powerful new way that could not be missed. He had been present before, showing up in the Old Testament to work through various prophets and chosen servants., as well as active in the whole implementation of the incarnation and Jesus’ ministry. But now he was filling these believers with the ability to speak in other languages so that the Good News could be understood by all the people who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Weeks, also called Pentecost (from the Greek name, “fifty” weeks after Passover). The disciples that were gathered together received this awesome gift, all at the same time. The group included the eleven disciples, the women who had followed Jesus, Mary the mother of Jesus and his brothers, and other believers—about 120 in all! Then a crowd gathered to try to figure out what was going on; it was made up both of Jews and of converts to Judaism, and no matter what their native language was, they understood the Message. Peter explained it in detail and about 3,000 believed and were baptized (see Acts 1:12-2:41)! They all received the gift of the Spirit as well.

From that time on, being filled with the Spirit accompanied each new conversion and baptism that was done in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit. It was definitely a key moment in the building of Jesus’ Church, his Family. They obeyed Jesus’ command and took the Good News to Gentiles who did not yet know about him. He had said:

therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matt. 28:19 NIV)

So why does this historic event get ignored in some of our Bible-preaching, truly solid churches? I think one reason is a lack of appreciation for its importance. It was a key moment when the Spirit’s indwelling of true believers was made visible as well as God’s desire to reach across all language barriers. Another thing that seems to hold some back is a reaction to “Pentecostal” believers who have gone to extremes, preaching that a person only has the Spirit if they have spoken in tongues.

I wondered about this myself when I was a teenager, truly devoted to Jesus and longing to grow deeper spiritually. I was a missionary kid at a boarding school attended by kids from other missions as well, some of which were more charismatic than our Baptist one. My questioning reached a critical point when a guest speaker at our mission’s annual field conference was a pastor from one of those missions, filling in for the one originally invited who had had to cancel. One day he offered to pray specifically with anyone who came forward for prayer for healing, empowerment, whatever. I watched the line grow long. Then when it was finishing I turned to Dad, sitting beside me, and told him I wanted to go ask for prayer to be filled with the Spirit. He nodded and accompanied me. I knelt before the pastor and told him my desire. He laid his hands on my head and prayed aloud.

I waited, then felt a new kind of peace filling my heart, and there was an almost audible Voice that spoke to me: “Hon, you already have me!”  I knew it was true! I stood up, thanked the pastor, and went away happy.

What Jesus had said about the Father’s gift of his Spirit resonates:

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Lk. 11:11 NIV)

I had been asking, begging my Lord to help me to know him better. He had heard and had been at work. I just had not had that name for it: being “Spirit-filled”!

About 8 years later I was with a woman friend very dear to me, a sister in Christ whose faith was dynamic. She asked me if I had ever really experienced being filled with the Holy Spirit—I knew that she spoke in tongues, and suspected that she wanted to be sure I had as well. When I told her about that prayer event when I was fifteen, she just smiled and became silent.

It has been through study of the Word that I’ve learned that the Spirit comes to dwell in us when we truly believe, but we need to let him do his work in us—producing fruit that comes through his Presence:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.  (Gal. 5:22 NIV)

And there are other gifts that equip us to do the ministry our Lord has chosen for us. We form a body, with different parts having different responsibilities and capabilities. He makes sure that the body can be healthy, fully equipped:

But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?  (1 Cor. 12:1 24-30 NIV)

Not every believer speaks in tongues! It is up to the Spirit to determine the way gifts are distributed:

 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Heb. 2:1 NIV)

However, we are truly wrong to ignore or minimize the essential truth that God sends his Spirit to dwell in us. We need him!  That is why Jesus told his disciples that he would not be leaving them alone, ever—he would be sending them the Counselor or Advocate:

25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (Jn. 14:25-26 NIV)

And then later, he underlined the unity of God the Father, the Son and the Spirit.

13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”  (Jn. 16:1 NIV)

So to know the truth more and more deeply, we must be receiving instruction from the Spirit. And all three Persons of the Godhead are One, a perfect unity that we are all invited to portray. Jesus’ prayer tells us more than we can fully understand, but we need to believe it and open ourselves to it. He made sure that what he was saying was not just for those disciples present with him:

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one– 23 I in them and you in me— so that they may be brought to complete unity.  (Jn. 17:1 NIV)

He lives in us through his Spirit. And the unity of Father, Son and Spirit makes it possible for us to also “live in” them! I appreciate the NIV Study Bible’s explanation of how we can “live in” God: It is that organic connection that Jesus had just laid out for them, the image of the Vine and it fruitful branches. When we believers are firmly attached to God, we are strengthened to produce the fruit that he desires. A key part of that is demonstrating unity, attachment to each other through love.—we are all branches attached to the same Vine. And the Spirit produces love in us, an essential element (1 Corinthians 13).

We’ve dug up a lot of rich soil here! There is more to think through. But this week, let’s take Jesus’ instruction seriously and let his Spirit infuse us with what we need to accomplish his purposes, in unity with him. With the Breath of God in us, we can actually be like windsocks, blowing in the direction that he wills, revealing his work to others.

As Jesus said to Nicodemus, talking about a person who is born again:

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”  (Jn. 3:8 NIV)

Pentecost reminds us that this is for all who truly believe. As he breathes in us, bringing health and guidance, our lives should be indications of his indwelling work in us!

Shout the Joy!

I love you, Lord, my joy, 
not for all you give 
but who you are-- 
and yet your gifts 
drench me in kindness. 
Each one speaks 
the soundless words 
of a true lover 
delighting in the search 
for ways 
to slip his message to me. 
Joy wraps my moments, 
weaves into my days. 

Lights:   
candle flickers, lamp glow, 
liquid moonlight, firefly stars, 
sunbeams shafting into gold, 
fires in my husband's eyes 

Music:  my child's new song, 
mesmerizing balophones, 
rippling jazz, endless possibilities 
of tones and rhythms, harmonies 

Laughter: slapdash wordplays, 
comic kittens, shared delight, 
incredible good news 
spilling over into shouts 

Shouts of joy, indeed, 
the psalmist said, would be  
our true response to wonder. 
We mostly miss our cues, 
I know. 
The days grind on, 
our senses thickly cushioned 
against pain 
but also joy, 
for fear 
that it will prove 
capricious, 
all too transient, 
seducing suckers 
into silly passion. 
The world stays 
dressed in gray 
this safer way. 

But I am sight-starved 
for Reality. Wash 
the windows clean, Lord! 
Laser the lenses 
of my soul 
until I see truly 
all the love notes 
left for me 
in hidden places 
and right under 
my nose. 

May I hope in you, 
not in the sense 
of "maybe" 
but "I know," 
and freely gather joy 
until, heaping,  
these extravagant 
provisions overflow 
and bathe the hurts 
around me 
with healing balm. 

And so, Lord, may 
the inevitable gray 
be streaked with light 
in radiant jewel colors, 
swirled with melodies 
and pulsing rhythms, 
and always punctuated 
by clear laughter 
turning gladly into 
shouts of joy! 

Do you sometimes wake up to a new day but find joy elusive? That happens to me. Sometimes I know what is heavy on my heart. Other times it is just a kind of overwhelming fatigue. Whatever it is, how can I obey this command:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Phil. 4:4 NIV)

A few days ago I realized that I needed to shift my focus from my worries to my Lord and his blessings. Finding this poem that I wrote 23 years ago reminded me of how that practice changed things for me during a very tough time. I needed to shift my thinking to what he had given me to enjoy, to notice his creative handiwork and the loving essence of his character.

So today I began that same process while on my morning walk. What did I see? Green grass. Flowering bushes. Sunlight gilding the artistically crafted gray clouds covering it until it found a crack to break through. Young squirrels chasing each other up a tree. A pheasant calling from a rooftop. Dark violet irises blossoming in my yard and down the street.

And indoors, a hot shower and my favorite breakfast of homemade granola, nuts, fruit and yogurt. Glenn busy at work on the first-floor extension, preparing to put in the insulation. My computer working well, waiting for me to come work on Nyarafolo Bible translation with my coworker over there in Ferkessédougou, the Internet making it possible. Digging into Isaiah’s rich poetry with him.

When I count my blessings like this, joy rises. The joy of the Lord is always available; he has given us his Spirit who gives joy even when times are hard:, when we listen to his message, first the Good News of rescue, then also the blessings of knowing him: 

You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. (1 Thess. 1:6 NIV)

Even Jesus was filled with joy by the Holy Spirit during his ministry when he took note of how God was at work:

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. (Lk. 10:21 NIV)

So let’s remember to wake up to his Presence, his goodness, his creativity, and find joy. I am constantly challenged by the many times in the Word it is mentioned that there are “shouts of joy.” Most of us don’t do that in our culture—some of us are learning! Why should we shout out our joy? 

The first reason that comes to mind is the focus of Psalm 65 on praise to the God who answers prayer, who fills his people with the good things of his house—this is the joy of connecting with him in worship. Then he also details wonders in creation like the mountains, dawn and sunset, rain, produce for food, water in streams and the glory of grasslands. Even the meadows “shout for joy” and sing (v.13). So shouldn’t we?

And there is that hidden treasure in Psalm 23:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (Ps. 23:5 NIV)

My cup overflows with his blessings! Included in those blessings is his provision of joy. We just need to be open to it and let the Spirit pour it in. When it overflows, that joy can bless others too. You can notice the gilded clouds of sunrise and share the wonder with a friend. You delight in the abundance of fruit from your tree and share it with a neighbor. You find out your hibiscus bush is blooming and shout out in wonder. You see the cross-stitched cross your daughter made for you, now a precious encouragement by your desk, and feel gratitude. Joy! Even if it is not “shouted” vocally, your heart can leap and express the message.

And when the news headlines make your spirits drop, these reminders can lift them up:

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the LORD. Let the sea roar and all it contains, the world and those who dwell in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with equity. (Ps. 98:4-9 NAU)

This also reminds me of songs that have strengthened me on my journey, like this one by Richard Blanchard:

Like the woman at the well, I was seeking
for things that could not satisfy.
And then I heard my Savior speaking—
“Draw from my well that never shall run dry!”
Fill my cup, Lord,
I lift it up Lord;
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.
Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more.
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.   

Living water, Spirit-inspired joy: this leads to shouts of joy in my heart and sometimes out loud, an overflow that can bless others!






































































































































































He Holds My Right Hand!

You hold my hand, Lord, always: 
King of this whole world, you lead me, 
making my right hand your chosen tool 
so that each act becomes 
a holy service 
in your master plan. 

You hold my hand, you love me: 
Lover of my soul, you treasure me 
and nurture every gifting given 
and make each weakness 
a new way 
to intervene with strength. 

You hold my hand, you hold me: 
Father-love that cares for me 
that clears the rubbish from the path 
that grasps me tight 
when gale-force winds 
would sweep me off my feet. 

You hold my hand, you fill me: 
Spirit-love that fills me up 
and squeezes out the selfishness 
so that instead your love and joy 
reach out with grace 
to spread your peace.

Have you ever been in such a tough spot that you were in despair? Were you ever totally discouraged by corruption and violence that was hurting people you cared about? Maybe it wasn’t even that serious, but you were caught between some choices and needed clear guidance about what you should do.

I felt that way when war broke out in Côte d’Ivoire back in 2002, and during the long years following that when rebels held control of the northern region where we lived. They were desperate to maintain power, and there was no rule of law. On the other hand, the government in the south had not been meeting the needs of those in the north for years. The people around us were in a desperate state.

On the other hand, we were seeing our Lord work in us and in his people, challenging us to keep on reaching out in love to each other and to the oppressed around us. I know I could not have managed that hard path unless my Master had given me confidence in his constant Presence, along with guidance every day. That is when it became truly meaningful to me that “he holds me by my right hand:”

Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. 26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. (Psalm 73:23-26 NLT)

I was translating the Pentateuch with my Nyarafolo coworker; when we finished those we moved on to the Psalms. All through those parts of the Old Testament the “right hand” kept coming up, which struck me with new meaning because in the Nyarafolo culture they completely understood its importance. For them, like the Israelites, the right hand is the “good” hand, the one you use for action and for courtesty; the left hand is your dirty hand, used for wiping your nose and other body parts. You only eat with your right hand, the clean hand, not your left hand. This was a challenge for my husband Glenn, who is left-handed, but he learned to comply!

So looking at the occurrences of “right hand” in the Scriptures, I was learning that this was the hand of blessing (Gen. 48:13-18). When it is God’s “right hand,” it is also his hand of power and action (Ex. 15:12,20; Deut. 33:2). Then came the Psalms!  These verses are particularly comforting and meaningful to me:

I constantly trust in the LORD; because he is at my right hand, I will not be upended. (Ps. 16:8 NET)

You give me your protective shield; your right hand supports me; your willingness to help enables me to prevail. (Ps. 18:35 NET)

My soul pursues you; your right hand upholds me. (Ps. 63:8 NET)

. . .because he stands at the right hand of the needy, to deliver him from those who threaten his life. (Ps. 109:31 NET)

The LORD is your protector; the LORD is the shade at your right hand. (Ps. 121:5 NET)

Even when I must walk in the midst of danger, you revive me. You oppose my angry enemies, and your right hand delivers me. (Ps. 138:7 NET)

If I were to fly away on the wings of the dawn, and settle down on the other side of the sea, 10 even there your hand would guide me, your right hand would grab hold of me. (Ps. 139:9-10 NET)

And then there is this verse in Psalm 73, that inspired the poem above:

But I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. (Ps. 73:23 NET)

I began contemplating what difference it means, that he constantly holds my right hand. That is my hand of action, the one I can use to bless others, meeting needs or giving encouragement. It is the hand symbolizing right action that corresponds with his commands. Of course if I do not follow my Master’s directions, I could use it to hurt others, to do what is wrong. But if I let him hold my right hand and I pay attention to the way he moves it, that will not happen.

I remember the days my dad used to walk with me, holding my hand and keeping me from stumbling, showing me the beauty of nature or cities wherever we were. I remember holding my kids’ hands, keeping them safe so that they would not run out into a street or stumble. That is what God does for us when we are securely attached to him, and therefore we let his love fill us and give us guidance and strength.

That is what Paul was reminding his “son” Timothy about when he wrote to him, urging him to hold tightly to his faith and to courageously share the Good News with others:

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (2 Tim. 1:7 NIV)

When we remain attached to God, letting his Spirit fill us and direct us, we then have the power and strength that we need to accomplish whatever he wants us to do. It may be learning a brand new skill, like installing electricity (as in the photo above). It may be passing on what we’ve learned to others through words or by example. And Paul underlines that the Spirit fills us with his love, love that “reaches out with grace” to spread his peace to others. When we are filled with that divine brand of love it does not stay cooped up inside us. It promotes action and overflows for the benefit of others. We are no longer timid, but can push away fear or pride, exercising self-discipline to follow his directions and do just what he wants! The self-discipline part often means that we resolve to follow his lead, not just our own desires.

Thinking back through the truths brought out in the Psalms the imagery of the right hand, when we let God’s right hand take the lead, he keeps us from being upended, he empowers us to “prevail” when faced with challenges beyond our normal strength to deal with. When situations heat up, he is our “shade,” our protection, our safe place. Because he loves his own people, he actually grabs hold of us, wherever we are.

In Psalm 73, the psalmist admits that he was so overwhelmed by the evil around him that he forgot that God was his protection. It wasn’t until he spent time with the Lord that he remembered the truth:

“. . .at the time he was deeply troubled by the prosperity of the wicked and the struggles of the innocent. But a turnaround came when he entered the sanctuary. The sanctuary of God could refer to the tabernacle or the temple, where God made his holy presence known among his people. In other words, the psalmist’s experience of the presence of God recalibrated his perspective. He now realized that present realities are not ultimate realities.”[1]

So then the psalmist wrote:

21Yes, my spirit was bitter, and my insides felt sharp pain. 22 I was ignorant and lacked insight; I was as senseless as an animal before you. 23 But I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me by your wise advice, and then you will lead me to a position of honor. 25 Whom do I have in heaven but you? I desire no one but you on earth. 26 My flesh and my heart may grow weak, but God always protects my heart and gives me stability. (Ps. 73:21-26 NET)

We each need to remember: he is always with us. He holds us! He directs our actions! He fills us with strength and with his love so that we can fulfill his purposes!

[1] Tremper Longman III, Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary, ed. David G. Firth, vol. 15–16, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 2014), 276.

Yearning to be Filled

Yearning to be filled, 
filled up to capacity 
to the full measure 
of God's own fullness— 
possible? 
--to be filled like the ocean, 
deep, with its waters 
reaching always heavenward, 
splashing to the shore— 
possible? 
--to be filled like the skies, 
air and clouds all rising higher 
with the glory of the sunlight 
reflecting everywhere— 
possible? 
It's more than what I pictured, 
thinking of a cup 
filled up to the brim. 
For he fills everything— 
so is it possible 
for me to be filled 
to the full measure of God, 
the Creator, Maintainer,  
the King of Everything, 
him filling it all, totally? 
I'm yearning. Fill me! 
(cf. Ephesians 1.23)

When I woke up this morning and sat in my quiet space, looking east out the window of our “skyhouse” (repurposed attic), I was stunned by the colors in the predawn sky. Instantly I thought of the verse that captured my attention last week and has become a theme:

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days (Ps. 90:14 NIV)

In Nyarafolo the translation says: “fill us up in the morning with your unending love. . .” The Hebrew word rendered “satisfy” or “fill us” in English translations actually means to “be satiated, have had enough.”[1]

In Psalm 90, Moses begins with meditation on how brief life is, like grass that springs up green then withers by evening—the heat has taken its life. He then thinks about all the sufferings he and his people have been through, and how time is passing. “How long will this last?” he begs Yahweh. And then he asks for the one thing that can refresh them, God’s compassionate love:

[Satiate] us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days (Ps. 90:14 NIV)

We cannot know how many days we will have on the earth, but as time passes we can either wither in soul as well as body, or be so nourished by Yahweh’s endless love that we are “full,” needing no other food in our souls.

Once again I think of the imagery of the Vine and its branches, and what it means to be fully attached to the main trunk of the Vine: our Lord and Savior. It makes me grin to think about being one of those “sappy” branches, constantly drenched with sap from the trunk. But that is exactly the nourishment I need for daily strength to run to the finish line, and the love I need in order to be fruitful. This brings the whole picture back to what it means to be “filled with the Spirit.” Jesus promised us that through his Spirit living in those who love him, he and his Father would come to them and make their home in them—live there! (John 14:23). He will teach us what we need to know, and give us peace (John 14:26,27). Next he went on to the imagery of our need to be attached to him: the Vine and branches.

Then comes an explicit application: if we stay attached to him, doing what he says, then we actually live in his love—as though it is our home. That is what the word “remain” means in this English translation of the Greek word μένω (meno): to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):—abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand.[2]

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (Jn. 15:10 NIV)

There is a prerequisite here: to constantly live in Jesus’ love, firmly attached with no breaking off, we have to do what he says! And his first command is to love the others in our community. We all know how hard that is. Some are easy to love; others require a kind of love we don’t normally have available. They may just annoy us; they may be truly opposed to us. How can we do what Jesus says, then, and love them?

The answer is to be filled with his love! Then we can live it out, letting it overflow to others. Like the lovely colors of sunrise that promise light that will soon be filling our world, like my teapot filled with my favorite hot drink that I can also share with someone near me (filling their cup too!), being filled with God’s love is our source of strength to do what he says and pass it on.

This is what Paul wrote to his beloved Timothy:

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.  (2 Tim. 1:7 NIV)

That is how we can do what he has commanded us to do: he gives us the power and self-discipline, as well as the love.

Back to Psalm 90: First of all, we have God as our dwelling place, just as his chosen people did:

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. (Ps. 90:1 NIV)

This is permanent, ongoing. We live in him—firmly attached. When he fills us with his love in the morning (present moment) of our lives, it goes on all our days:

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.  (Ps. 90:14 NIV)

His love fills us and lasts into the evening of our lives—“all our days.” Not only that, it gives us joy and gladness!

I count the blessings of remaining firmly attached to this God who is love, and I am filled with gratitude. The incredible truth is that the God who made the universe, filled the oceans with water and the sky with light and space with so much that discovery is ongoing forever, this same God loves you and me and wants to live in us!  He gives us his Spirit, who supplies all that we need (he fills us up) to actually do what he says and to love doing it!

Now this hymn is humming in my heart:

Verse 1

There is joy in serving Jesus

As I journey on my way

Joy that fills my heart with praises

Every hour and every day

Chorus

There is joy, joy

Joy in serving Jesus

Joy that throbs within my heart

Every moment every hour

As I draw upon His power

There is Joy, joy

Joy that never shall depart

(Oswald J. Smith)

[1] Holladay, Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the OT, in BibleWorks, שָׂבַע

[2] James Strong, A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 47.

Firmly Attached

8687429 © Schakal79 | Dreamstime.com

What do people think they see 
when they take a look at me? 
A pious, clean exterior 
or a holy, pure interior? 

Am I set aside for God 
or content to merely plod 
along at my own pace, 
even stumbling in the race 

to confirm my own high call? 
No! I’ve given him my all! 
Attached to him, I grow 
more like this Lord I know!

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Pet. 1:3 NIV)

I had never realized the treasure of teaching that Peter put in his letters until I was faced with the challenge of translating them into Nyarafolo. As often happened in that work, it was hard to find easy equivalents for some of the vocabulary. Here, it was “godly” that stumped us for a bit. What does that word mean, anyway? I realized that I had always pictured “godly” to refer to someone pious, perhaps an older person who was a devoted church attendee, known as a strong Christian, who always dressed appropriately and did not indulge in bad habits.

It turns out that this is a common American English understanding of the term! Here is the definition given in Collins Dictionary: “A godly person is someone who is deeply religious and shows obedience to the rules of their religion. Synonyms: devout, religious, holy, righteous.”[1] And “godliness” is “a word which has sadly disappeared from the vocabulary of many Christians.”[2]

The common understanding does not adequately match the meanings of the Hebrew and Greek words that are usually translated as “godly” in our Bible versions. So there are translations that are trying other solutions, for example:

Love the LORD, all you faithful followers44 of his! The LORD protects those who have integrity, but he pays back in full the one who acts arrogantly. (Psalm 31.23   NET)

Here is the translation note for “faithful followers” in the New English Translation (“godly” or “saints” in other versions):44 tn A “faithful follower” חָסִיד), khasid( is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God.

Yes, a faithful follower is someone who stays committed to Jesus. That does apply! In the New Testament, the word translated “godly” (εὐσεβής ) is explained this way in the Gingrich Greek New Testament Lexicon:  devout, godly, pious, reverent. These words round out the meaning, but they did not help us find an equivalent in Nyarafolo!

Then, when we got to 2 Peter 2:9, we ran across another way to express it. In the Bible en Français Courant, there is a rendition that made sense in Nyarafolo and also to my seeking heart! If you know French, you will understand how they did it:

Ainsi, le Seigneur sait comment délivrer de l’épreuve ceux qui lui sont attachés, (2 Pet. 2:9 BFC)

. . .  then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials, (2 Pet. 2:9 NET)

The “godly” are those “attached to the Lord”! It made so much sense to us! Think of what Jesus said:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remainsin me – and I in him – bears  much fruit,  because apart from me you can accomplishnothing. (Jn. 15:5 NET)

When a branch is actually living in (remaining or abiding in) the vine, it must stay firmly attached to the trunk. Otherwise it sags, breaks off, withers and dies.

So if I am attached to Jesus, I am fed by him (like sap to a branch) and am able to become increasingly like him! Peter really digs into this as he continues his introduction. He himself had experienced huge transformation in his faith-walk, changing from a fearful denier to a truly faithful follower and emissary of his Lord. In the following Scripture passage I have substituted “to live firmly attached to him” in place of “for godliness”:

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: 2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need [to live firmly attached to him] through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through [these promises] you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  (2 Pet. 1:1b-4 NIV)

What could that mean, to “participate in the divine nature”? The NIV Study Bible has a good explanation: “Share God’s holy character, especially qualities that help Christians resist sin.”[3]

He has promised to listen to his faithful ones, to protect them, and in the Old Testament he also tells them not to sin by being unfaithful to their spouse or by straying off the right path:

But know that the LORD has set apart  the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him. (Ps. 4:3 ESV)

Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you  may be found; surely in the rush of  great waters, they shall not reach him. (Ps. 32:6 ESV)

Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?  And what was the one God  seeking?Godly offspring. So guard yourselves  in your spirit, and let none of you be  faithless to the wife of your youth. (Mal. 2:15 ESV)

You shall be careful therefore to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. (Deut. 5:32 ESV)

When I contemplate what it means to stay firmly attached to Jesus, I realize that I am dependent on his nourishment, like sap flowing from the vine’s trunk into the branches which then can produce fruit. And it is clear from Peter’s words that this growth comes from knowing him, repeated three times in 2 Peter 1:2,3, and 5. This does not mean just knowing about him, but truly becoming intimate with him—firmly attached, living in him. Then we get what is needed to become like him. We develop the qualities increasingly, joining in the process by “making every effort” to focus our maturing process on what matters to him:

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. (2 Pet. 1:5-9 NIV)

So becoming “godly” is not just a matter of appearance and outwardly devout church attendance or legalistic rule-keeping. It is knowing Jesus, walking with him constantly, making every effort to know what matters to him and then to pursue that. It is like the process of getting to know a spouse: you learn who they are, day in and day out, what truly touches them, what they care about, and you build unity in purpose. Without that a marriage gets weak and dissipates.

Think about the sequence of characteristics that matter to our Lord Jesus, starting with goodness and knowing him, moving through perseverance to that secure attachment (“godliness”), and ending with those two kinds of love. Wouldn’t the community of brothers and sisters in Christ be truly delightful if we each would determine to put our all into this transformation? It is up to each and every branch to be firmly attached, producing fruit through that relationship with the source of strength, the trunk!

[1] https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/godly

[2][2][2][2] Prior, Kenneth. The Way of Holiness: A Study in Christian Growth. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1982), 16.

[3] Douglas J. Moo, “The Letters and Revelation,” in NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible, ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 2250.

One Sure Thing

In this slippery tilting world 
your heart is one sure thing. 
You love me always, whether 
I am striding in the right direction 
or fallen in a patch of thorns, 
listening raptly to your voice 
or indulging my addictions, 
desperately trying to feel good. 

Unfailing love:  hesed, the Hebrews said. 
This is what we long for all our lives, 
and this is Who you are! 

We cannot shatter, disillusion, 
wear away your tenderness. 
You are true love with no beginning 
and no ending, always potent, 
always steady, always ready to receive 
the bullheaded son or daughter 
who returns to you, and finds at last 
where the source of meaning is. 

Your heartbeat never falters, 
never skips a beat, won’t race 
or turn erratic.  You are love, 
and I can crawl into your lap 
or batter you with angry fists 
or crucify you, tearing at your heart. 
I've done it all, and more, 
unfaithful to the core. 

Yet you keep right on loving, 
though I know you’re disappointed 
with this inner instability 
and all the hurt it means for me;  
though you would be sad 
if I would turn away from all that's good 
and choose instead what turns to rot 
and spreads infection through my soul. 

The perfect Parent, you forgive your child 
when I run to you for pardon, 
acknowledging my fault. 
And finally I am ready to accept 
your loving smile when I succeed, 
your loving hand-up when I fail, 
your totally consistent love. 
I cannot make you love me more. 

Your love just IS, and I will dive into 
the wonder of it all and live inside 
unfailing love.

During my last year in seminary my husband and I took out a loan to buy tickets and joined the group of students traveling to Israel to fulfill a course requirement. I learned a lot as we visited sites where key biblical events took place long ago.

One afternoon we were sitting at an outdoor table when a craftsman came around to see who might want to order a silver ring with a name or name abbreviation carved into it, whatever you might choose. He was speaking English, obviously used to working with tourists. When he came to me I told him that yes, I would order a ring. On it, would he please carve this: חֶסֶד !

“Hesed!” he exclaimed. “How do you know that word?”

“Well, we are seminary students,” I answered. “We study Hebrew!”

He was startled but obviously delighted. And so was I. That ring is still on my hand, 19 years later. It is a constant reminder of a precious truth that comforts me.

When our Hebrew professor had introduced that word hesed to us, I had been stunned. It was the word used for God’s love, a word so full of meaning in Hebrew that no one word by itself in English could match it. Suddenly many biblical texts had new meaning for me.

Of course the context of a word matters. Think about this:  do you love coffee? Do you love going to concerts? Do you love your spouse? Do you love that best friend who is your safe place? Do you love the difficult neighbor next door?

That key Hebrew word hesed can have a slightly different connotation depending on the context, too. But even in the same context our great English translations have chosen different ways to communicate its meaning. Compare these:

ESV Psalm 36:7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

NAS Psalm 36:7 How precious is Thy lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Thy wings.

NET Psalm 36:7 How preciousis your loyal love, O God! The human race finds shelter under your wings.

NIV Psalm 36:7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

NJB Psalm 36:7 how precious, God, is your faithful love. So the children of Adam take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

We struggled to find a way to translate this into Nyarafolo! The one that worked best was  bànguɔ dɛnigɛ,  “love without end”. The word for love, dɛnigɛ, had been created by new Nyarafolo believers, adding a noun suffix to the verb that means “to please or delight, to like”. This concept of a love that never ends, never changes when its object does wrong—is always ready to forgive when repentance is there—was astonishing to them. And working through this made it deeply astounding to me.

I realized that I had not grappled with the depth and breadth of God’s love. Just referencing the various translations noted above, it is steadfast, lovingly kind, loyal, unfailing and faithful. When you look up hesed in the Holladay lexicon, this is a summary of what you get as a definition: a) obligation to the community—loyalty, faithfulness, b) kindness, grace. The word “love” does not even appear! Others add these qualities to their definition: goodness, mercies, fidelity, lovingkindness.

You can see the challenge that it is for us to try to understand and express the incredible goodness and multiple facets of God’s love. Human love (between husband and wife, family members, friends) is expressed by a different word, even when it refers to loving God—there, it is אהב  (ahab/ahav) which can mean: like, love, feel affection for (depending on the context). It is the one that tells us, humans, to love God:

You must love the LORD your God and do what he requires . . . (NET Deuteronomy 11:1a)

As the ISBE Bible Dictionary says of these terms for love:

“Love, whether used of God or man, is an earnest and anxious desire for and an active and beneficent interest in the well-being of the one loved.  Different degrees and manifestations of this affection are recognized in the Scriptures according to the circumstances and relations of life.”

Now let’s think about the boundless mercy and grace that is included in hesed, the love that God has for us humans. Why should we trust it? Because it is the reason why he pays attention to us, earnestly desiring our well-being—even to the point of becoming human to rescue us by paying the penalty for our wrong-doing. And his love is trustworthy, with no end or beginning, completely good, and loyal to those who belong him to him.

So how are we to “love” God? As I said in the poem above, one way is to respond to him by living inside his love. We open ourselves up to all that he wants to pour into us. We do what he wants us to do, as Deuteronomy 11:1 and many other verses remind us. Living that way shows that we appreciate his goodness and love, that we trust his infinite wisdom. It shows that we care about him and his plans for us. We do not want to disappoint him.

It’s like when, as children, we looked up to someone who truly showed love for us and then did what we could to make them know that they were appreciated. My dad was delighted in my avid reading when I was only seven, and gave me a notebook; I was supposed to make a list in it of every book I read. I knew that I was missing putting quite a few into the notebook, just racing to the next story I could find. The list didn’t matter much to me personally, but I wanted to make him happy. So when we evacuated from Congo a year later, sneaking out of our area at night, and I was only allowed to take a small backpack stuffed with a change of clothing and one precious object I wouldn’t want to lose, I chose that notebook! Why? Because I loved Dad and wanted him to know it, to be pleased.  When we love Abba God, we obey him like that—not just to escape punishment but to delight him.

God’s unending lovingkindness, his firm concern shown in loving attention, this is a treasure beyond words. So we show it by our commitment to him and our respect for his wishes that we love him in return. We live in a way so attached to him that it impacts everything we do and say. And we rest inside that constant goodness, like a child that crawls onto his parent’s lap, knowing he is welcome there—in fact, invited to be close to them always. That is what it means to belong to our Heavenly Father and live inside his love.

So turn to him now, thank him for his hesed, and rest in the best peace ever!

Share that Light!

I live in darkness, 
a world that snuffs out 
lamps and candles 
wherever it can. 
But your Light dawns 
on those who wait, 
who keep looking up 
not down. And then 

you reveal your plans 
in the network of sky 
and clouds, tree limbs 
reaching and touching,  
your soft light glowing 
on water as well as  
on busy streets and 
through my windows. 

I am commissioned 
to share that light 
while my life melts away  
like a candle, still bright, 
glowing in its designated 
sphere, right here— 
loving you, Yahweh, 
and those around me.

I was setting the table for Easter dinner, trying to put together a centerpiece that would speak a theme vibrating in my heart: sharing the Light. I love candles, so of course I grabbed some. But this time they were unique, two candles in glass mugs made for me by my daughter years ago, saved for some special occasion. I added other candles in holders that had been revamped. And to evoke what Easter is about, I added a cross-stitched cross (empty, of course) that she had also made—it had accompanied me at my desk in Ferkessédougou where I worked in Bible translation. The cross and candles were set on a cutting board engraved with a heart. The messages were merging in my heart: Jesus died for us all because he loves us, and he is the Light of the world who shines in the darkness. Unaccepted by many, he still became the revered Rescuer of millions of humans, and he expects them to be lights in their dark world too. That includes me. I need to be sharing that light!

Do you dread the turmoil already beginning to boil around us as this year moves forward? Are you still dealing with hurts that have come from people you thought were your brothers and sisters? Are you able to shine like pure light?

Becoming a light that neither flickers nor burns your neighbor is a process of growing in intimacy with Jesus, with the Trinity, and allowing God to refine you so that you can fulfill his purpose for you. This is what Paul wrote to believers in Philippi:

. . . for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the  midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (Phil. 2:13-15 ESV)

We just witnessed the solar eclipse, and here in Detroit we were in the path that observed 99.2% totality. When the moon gradually came between earth and the sun there was growing darkness all around, then potent darkness at the moment of full eclipse. But as the moon moved on and the crescent of the sun began to increase in size, the power of sunlight began changing everything around us. It lit up the Detroit River (we were sitting on rocks on its shoreline) as well as the sky. Just a tiny sliver of more sun made a huge difference!

We noticed that because of its effect on the darkness. Which makes me wonder: how can I shine as light that shines in the darkness?

Those verses in Philippians make a strong point: “do all things without grumbling or disputing” so “that you may be” pure, like God wants—then “you shine as lights in the world!” The following verses amplify the positive ways that we should be acting when it is God’s Spirit that is accomplishing the Lord’s purposes through us:

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Gal. 5:22 NLT)

When we have allowed the Spirit to produce this fruit in us, we can then do all things without grumbling or arguing.  Gentleness, self-control, peace, patience, kindness—these all moderate our behavior. The point is not that we should never speak out against injustice; no, that is necessary. We are not to be passive, retreating from all interaction in the world. The point is that we should speak and act in a way that reflects the true Light, with loving self-control for instance! Then we “shine as lights in the world.”

A little artifact that I added to the centerpiece was a tree with multi-colored stones as its fruit. This reminds me of the different ways our actions can have impact for good. Our light in this world will be temporary, since our lives here on earth will not go on forever. But it can have effects we don’t even know about. I just read a story about how the kindness of a little boy to another kid who had been bullied prevented him from committing suicide. I know of a case where sharing life with a loving Christian family convinced a university student that relationship with Jesus was possible, something she then wanted to choose. The fruit has all kinds of colors!

And last of all, there is a little clay pot sitting by the candles on the board. What is inside it? I have always related to the imagery of believers being like clay pots being formed by the Potter, each one useful in the way chosen for it. The pot may look empty. But if a person is filled with the Spirit, who cannot be seen, they can be empowered to fulfill the purpose they were made for.

I just finished reading The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was and Is,” by N.T. Wright. Many sections impacted me powerfully. I love key notes in his summary near the end of the book:

“The way of Christian witness is neither the way of quietist withdrawal, nor the way of Herodian compromise, nor the way of angry militant zeal. It is the way of being in Christ, in the Spirit, at the place where the world is in pain, so that the healing love of God may be brought to bear at that point.”[1]

Yes, we are each in a place where “the world is in pain.” We may be groaning. What to do?

 “The Christian vocation is to be in prayer, in the Spirit, at the place where the world is in pain, and as we embrace that vocation, we discover it to be the way of following Christ, shaped according to his messianic vocation to the cross, with arms outstretched, holding on simultaneously to the pain of the world and to the love of God.”[2]

When we live like that, in communication with and submission to the Spirit, we can grow in our ability to shine Light in the very spot where we have been placed, impacting the darkness. I am a candle in my “designated sphere, right here—loving you, Yahweh, and those around me.”

[1][1][1] Wright, N.T. The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was and Is. (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 189.

[2] Ibid., 189-190.

Hope Rises

Hope rises in your Presence 
like the misty vapors 
gently swirling off lake waters 
as dawn glows golden in the east. 
It is the warm light streaming 
from the essence of You 
that deletes the hopelessness 
of darkness, and reminds us that 
a new day is coming, 
one overseen by your loving care 
and faithfulness. 

I wrote this poem at Piatt Lake in the Upper Peninsula, exulting in the soft cloud of mist rising before me. I sat in darkness, in the shade of pines. There was no wind, but the white essence of slow movement upward was fascinating.

Today I was walking in the city of Detroit, the streets quiet before the rush of daytime. The sky was covered with thick clouds—except on the eastern horizon, where gold as rich as pure butter was shining through a crack.

Both of these scenes are pictures of hope, confident hope. The glimmer of dawn signals that soon the sun will be shining brightly. The warm air over lake water hits the colder air left by night and condenses. The steam hovers there, waiting for full sunlight to appear and warm the world. In the city, you know that even though there is complete cloud cover, the sun will indeed move higher than that gold lining and light up the streets.

The sun is not yet visible, but we know it will rise. That is a confident expectation, and to me it defines the kind of hope that we Jesus-followers have. It is not a “maybe-it-will-happen” or “I hope so.” It is recognition of truth that has not yet been fully revealed to our sight (like the sun behind clouds).

At Easter I was impacted by how many times contemplation of the resurrection led to discussion of what is next in the line-up: Jesus’ Second Coming and the New World. I see this springing from the “living hope” in this verse:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3 NIV)

Because the Father loves us, he has caused us to be born into a new life, a life that does not stay stagnant but that keeps on growing. The reason that we have access to this life is the fact that Jesus is alive. Yes, he was nailed to a tree and he died there in agony. He was buried in a tomb. But death could not hold him! He is alive forever, and he brings us into that same new kind of life when we accept his merciful offer of access to it. We do not yet experience the full reality; our bodies are temporary. Death comes. But our person, our essence, is made new spiritually. And although we are not yet fully “resurrected” like Jesus, it is coming! As surely as the sun rises, that New Day will come and all the darkness around us will be gone.

Yes, this world is dark. I have been to funerals lately and keep hearing of other ones. You read today’s headlines and there are always too many that refer to war, murder, famine, tyranny, epidemics, destruction. If you do not know that there is a perfect world coming, a place where true goodness rules and evil is completely eradicated, then there is only temporary hope in some political figure’s promises or some new invention. None of it is sure.

In the verse above, when Peter says that this hope is “living” what does he mean? For one thing, it does not shrivel up and die. Once planted, it keeps getting stronger. As Wayne Grudem says: ”it grows and increases in strength year by year. If such a growing hope is the expected result of being born again, then perhaps the degree to which believers have an intense, confident expectation of the life to come is one useful measure of progress toward spiritual maturity.[1]”

How can my hope keep growing? What Peter said in his second letter gives the answer:

17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. (2 Peter 3:17-18 NIV)

It is easy to get distracted by voices in the darkness around us. It is easy to get led in the wrong direction when they do not follow our Father’s principles. It is easy to fix our heart’s gaze on the temporary world around us and put all our efforts into success or pleasure according to its standards.

But if we keep our heart tuned in to what our Master says and get to know him better and better through increasing intimacy with him, he continues to graciously work in us to produce greater spiritual maturity. He has promised us that he lives in us through his Spirit, who counsels and encourages us. We do need to listen. We do need to keep our inner person focused on Jesus, just like so many others have done before us. It is deeply encouraging to read biographies of Jesus’ servants who went through tough times and yet stood firm and made impact on the community where they lived and on us. When we study certain characters in the Bible we can be encouraged this same way. We can even see their imperfections and failures, but also God’s grace in forgiving them and helping them move ahead. The writer to the Hebrews makes it clear that this can help us to push forward in our lives towards that joy that is waiting for us. This is our living hope, that gets stronger as we run—as long as we are feasting on the nourishment of God’s Word and the Living Water that gives us the energy we need to reach our goal!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:1 NIV)

The sun rises. The Son rose. Someday we will live surrounded by his pure, lasting light!

[1] Wayne A. Grudem, 1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 17, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 60.

Man of Sorrows

And this is comfort: 
that when the children cry 
the Man of Sorrows 
suffers too. 
Eternity encircled 
and enclosed 
the crossbar 
of his suffering 
with the pain of ages, 
all our griefs 
and every 
ruination 
choking out 
the Breath of Life. 

Heart broken 
under awful weight 
of every horror, 
crime and burden, 
he was crushed. 
His throbbing lifeblood 
spurted down 
a tree he sculpted, 
soaked into 
the soil he made, 
soil filled again 
with loathing at 
the brother’s blood 
poured down its gullet. 

And so the curse 
was nullified, 
the gaping break repaired, 
innocence and love 
the capital 
that freed us. 
He knows our tears 
from inside out; 
he cried them all. 
And now he holds 
the hurting world 
in his embrace 
and waits for us 
to hug him back.

Have you seen “The Passion of the Christ”? That film details the suffering of Jesus in a way that chokes me up. Hearing that “he died on a cross” is easier to take lightly; seeing the agony that those crucified endured is nauseating. It was intensely cruel.

Jesus knew what was going to happen to him—he even tried to prepare his disciples (Matthew 16:21). He knew that his body would be broken, torn like a loaf of bread. He knew he would bleed to death. The Passover Feast that featured a sacrificial lamb was given new meaning as he added these metaphors concerning his role as that sacrifice. His disciples did not understand it at the time. But he did.

Yet he entered Jerusalem willingly, humbly, knowing that the crowd welcoming him would be replaced by crowds booing him. He was being lauded as the one come to save them from colonial rule, their hero and rescuer. They didn’t know that he had in mind a much deeper purpose: saving them and everyone from the rule of sin and death. They thought the main enemy was Rome, and it’s true that Rome did not accept this champion’s challenge to their goals. The true Enemy thought he was going to erase this supposed savior, using Rome’s desire to maintain their power as his weapon, not understanding that he himself was fulfilling God’s purpose by making sure that the Lamb was killed.

Jesus understood. Nevertheless he moved forward. After feasting with his disciples and trying to prepare them, he downloaded his grief and foreboding to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew that what awaited him was going to be even worse than physical suffering; he was going to take on himself the blame for all the sins of the world. I think about the violence we see even now, the killing sprees done by nations and by individuals, the oppression of those with no hope or resources, the wounds made by verbal vitriol. And those are only now. He would bear the weight of those future horrors and also all the ones of the past centuries.

Yet he gave himself up, the Messiah whose power came not from resistance or attack but from passively allowing the opposition to insult him, whip him, and nail him to a cross. He was the Word that breathed creation into existence. He was Life. But he had willingly taken on human form in order to take my place, your place, and break the Curse, conquering death and the plans of the Enemy. (For more background on his suffering, see Isaiah 53.)

The title “man of sorrows” paints a picture of that other side of the crucifixion. He suffered incredible physical pain, yes, but the worst part was the weight of our sin. But he obeyed, he did what had to be done. He seemed weak to those tormenting him. His passivity seems beyond belief to those who don’t understand the beauty of his purpose. It was actually not feeble “giving in.” Instead, it was inner strength; he was moving forward to do what needed to be done out of love for the world. So to those who have opened themselves up to receive God’s gift of cleansing love, it is powerful!

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor. 1:18 NET)

And that power not only opened up the Most Holy Place to us so that we have freedom to approach the King of the universe, it also works in us to empower us to be like him.  What? Be like him? I cannot picture myself walking willingly toward suffering the way that he did. I have been through wars; I did not accept the possibility of attack with any kind of peace. Interpersonal conflict is scary enough for me—I dread being misunderstood or being insulted. Jesus knew his self-sacrifice would include all of that: the Almighty would be treated like scum.

So how is it possible that I am supposed to “take up my cross and follow him”? Jesus warned his disciples even before he went to Jerusalem to be crucified that this kind of self-denial would be essential for anyone who wanted to join his cohort!

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross,  and follow me.  (Matt. 16:24 NET)

Here is the context to that warning:

20 Then he instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. 21 From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law,and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him:29 “God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you!” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross,and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.  (Matt. 16:20-25 NET)

This happened, of course, before he entered Jerusalem and went toward the agony of Friday. He had his heart and mind set on God’s purpose: rescue for every person who would accept his outstretched hand of love.

Losing my life for Jesus’ sake means to let go of control of my plans and let him be the Master. I need to set my mind “on God’s interests.” That is the only way to be a true follower, a disciple on the Way that leads to unending life and perfect peace. The Way is full of challenges, even suffering. But the goal is worth it all. And along the Way there is this amazing privilege of companionship with the one who pulled me out of the dung heap of meaninglessness.

When I was in college I attended Urbana ’70, the InterVarsity conference that cemented this for me. I realized that I was afraid to trust God to direct my life path. I could say he was “good” but I didn’t trust his goals for me to be what I wanted. Then I released my clinging grip and said, “What you want, may it happen!” And I began to learn what it meant to “lose” my life (my own priorities) and rest in God’s wisdom and purpose. I began to learn because it has been a lifelong journey, one I have increasingly realized means to live life resting in his loving arms, letting him choose the path ahead as he directs each step.

Jesus prayed conderning that self-denial in the Garden, knowing the suffering that was ahead of him. He said, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.”  (Lk. 22:42 NET)

Not my will, but yours! That is what it means to follow Jesus. It means letting go of my sensitive fears and letting the Good Shepherd direct my path. There are so many ways to illustrate it! That is what the apostle Paul learned, too. Let’s take Paul’s words to heart, let our Lord embrace us—and hug him back!

More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things – indeed, I regard them as dung!– that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness– a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s  faithfulness.

            My aim is to know him,to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.(Phil. 3:8-12 NET)

“I have not already been perfected”! Amen! What is essential is pursuing what Christ has in mind. I need to put my energy into it—that is what is called “devotion.” It is becoming mature in my faith, learning obedience to the One who suffered to give me unending life, a secure hope. If he himself “learned obedience” through what he suffered, then I know that what comes my way is teaching me that as well. He has an excellent purpose! And he understands my struggle, because he struggled too:

During his earthly life  Christ  offered  both requests and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his devotion. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through the things he suffered. 9 And by being perfected in this way, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 and he was designated by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek.11 On this topic we have much to say  and it is difficult to explain, since you have become sluggish in hearing. (Heb. 5:7-11 NET)

And so we must each pray: “Dissolve my sluggishness! Make me like you, Christ, willing to take up my cross and accomplish what my Master wants: his will not mine!”

Like a child running in trust to his father, settling into his loving embrace, we can then show our love by embracing him and his priorities in return. After all:

We love because he loved us first. (1 Jn. 4:19 NET)