My last sermon…until the next one

Our last service was this morning, and by “our” I mean the rest of my team has already left to back to school and I had to do this one solo. Despite some pretty intense wind, the service went really well. Leading a couple songs acapella was interesting, but we got through it. It was fun to talk to the guests after the service, one of whom was a pastor. The conversation was very encouraging. Throughout the whole summer I’ve been struck by how Christians from all over the country, and world, can put aside their differences to worship the same God together. This gives me a lot of hope for the future of the church, despite all of the troubles it currently faces. It still hasn’t quite hit me that that was the last service, or that I only have a few days left here. I guess that’s because I feel like there is a lot to be done between now and then. I could definitely use some prayer for guidance in wrapping things up and leaving my new friends with encouraging words of wisdom for the journeys ahead of them.

The Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit

John 14:15-23

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever,

even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you.

"I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you.

Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also.

In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."

Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?"

Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

Since this is the last service here at Mount Rushmore for the summer, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect a bit. As I was thinking over and remembering what my team and I have seen, done and been a part of, one thing stuck out very clearly. That one thing was the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit a lot of this ministry wouldn’t have happened, it just wouldn’t have been possible. The text I read occurs during Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse.” This is given at the Last supper, and is Jesus’ final instructions to the disciples before being crucified. Jesus is teaching them how to follow him and continue his ministry when he is no longer with them in the flesh. He will soon be in Heaven, and accessible only through the Spirit.

That’s one of the key points here, that the Holy Spirit is our direct connection to Christ, who is our direct connection to God the Father. It is through the Spirit that we come to know and love Christ, that we experience his love today and discern his voice and calling. But what I want to focus on is that it is throuh the Spirit that we come to love Christ.

Jesus says three times in this section that those who love him keep his commands. This three-fold repetition means that this is Jesus’ main point, and this is a difficult calling. If we take a look at his ministry we can get a better sense of what those commands are. When someone asked Christ what the greatest commandment was, he said there were two. The first is to love God with all of our heart, soul and mind, and the second is to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:34-40). He then demonstrated this in several ways. He showed us that we serve him and love him by caring for the sinner, the prostitute, the sick, the dirty, the outcast, unpopular and those who don’t have the means to care for themselves.

These commands apply to all of us who are Christians. It is almost impossible to do. In fact, by ourselves, it is impossible. But Jesus promises to send us the Advocate, which can also be translated “Helper.” He did not leave us alone and orphaned. Through the Holy Spirit we hear and gain the power to undertake the specific calling Jesus has placed on us.

So how are you being called to carry out Jesus’ ministry today?

For me, for this summer it was this ministry. Before I got here I had no idea what to expect. I was pretty nervous about the Midwest, and South Dakota, because I love the West Coast. I didn’t really know what the ministry would look like, but at the same time I was excited. As I plan to be a pastor one day, I was excited about worshipping from this context, and getting experience delivering sermons. I also had a sense of peace, because I knew that those times when I have the least control is when God has the most control, so I knew big things would come.

And God had a lot bigger plans than just for Sunday morning. It all started when one of our coworkers from China wanted to learn more about Christianity and become a Christian. So we met regularly and he ended up becoming a Christian. Then his roommate did. Then they began shoring with their friends, and we had too many people interested in learning about Christianity to meet with them all individually. So we started organizing and holding meeting where we could all meet together to learn, study, ask and answer questions and pray.

These meetings posed two major problems for me. The first was I was very intimidated by the large amount of information to cover and the short amount of time to do it in. We were starting from very basics, like who God is, what sin is and why we need Christ. I was often at a loss for words for how to faithfully yet simply enough describe and demonstrate Christianity so that they could grasp what it really is. The other problem was our schedules. They often worked mornings, and I worked until 11pm, so we wouldn’t be able to meet until 11:30pm. By this time I was far too tired to be motivated and excited for the meeting. Don’t get me wrong, I loved those meetings, but it took a lot of work of the Spirit to get me there and prepared. But I knew I was commanded to be there and that God would provide me what I needed.

In verse 21 Jesus says that he will love and reveal himself to those who do his commands. During those meetings when I was most tired, most wanted to sleep and most at a loss for words, those were the best meetings. I got to see Christ work the most when I was the weakest and least ready. By relying on the Holy Spirit we can actually carry Jesus’ ministry on. Or rather, when we completely submit to the Holy Spirit, we can see Christ work directly through us.

So how are you being called to carry on Christ’s ministry? Yes, I’m going to be a pastor, but that doesn’t mean anyone else has a less significant ministry. A successful business person once told me that the difference between a pastor and the laity is just how they are funded. A professor of mine loves to say that if you’re a Christian you have a ministry. God wants to reconcile the whole world to Himself, so how does He want to through you, from where you are now, in the midst of the people around you? As we go out from here, I hope that you and I, and American Christianity in general can take the work of the Holy Spirit a bit more seriously.

Basics are groundbreaking

Well, summer at Mt. Rushmore may be winding down, but nothing else is. All my ministry team members have deserted me in order to go to school, so my last week will be interesting. I have one Sunday service to do on my own, as well as a few more meetings about the basics of Christianity. I’m starting to realize how little I’ve focused on what happens on Sundays, when that had been the majority of what I was looking forward to before I got here. But here, as in any ministry, so little of the actual ministry happens on Sunday morning. It is, and should be, a lot bigger than that. In our late night meetings about what Christianity is, I’m continually struck by how fundamental some of the questions that emerge can be, as well as how hard they can be to answer.

For example, “What is sin?” Think about it. How do you really answer that for someone who doesn’t know? We have to understand it in order to understand what we’re saved from, but where do you begin? If you get too specific and just list specific sins, you limit our faith to a list of do’s and don’ts. However, if you are too ambiguous, the entire concept is lost. After this topic had come up in a couple of meetings I finally arrived at an answer. Sin is literally falling short, or missing the mark of what were called to be and do. But what is it that we are called to? Jesus summed it up with two commands; to Love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and to love our neighbor as our self (Matt 22:37-39). So, sin is any action or thought or state that falls short of this, including a specific list of sins. It hit me right when I said it. If that’s what sin is, then we are all in serious trouble. I think if we all took seriously how great our debt was, and how much we fall short of meeting God on our own, we would live our lives and practice our faith a little differently. At least a little more passionately.

Conversations like these have helped me comprehend my role in ministry a little more clearly. When we talked about the shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to find 1, or the radical forgiveness of the parable of the prodigal son, a lot of things don’t make sense. That one sheep shouldn’t matter and the son might as well be dead. Even people who have never read the Bible catch this and point it out. Yet somehow we are forgiven and called to represent the grace we have been shown. I can only explain what Christianity is, not how it works. I don’t know why I’m saved or so convicted that God is real and loves me. I don’t know how I ended up at Mount Rushmore for a summer. And I really don’t know why I can push through fatigue and my introverted need to be alone after work to facilitate meetings like this. All I know is the God I’ve encountered and how my perspective and hope has shifted from this life to the next. I am using every bit of theology I have learned, and am convinced no amount of study will enable me to answer every basic question. I have to focus on making accessible the things I can, demonstrating Christianity far more than I talk about it, and just let God do the rest. He’s good at that.

The problem with short term ministry

I’m running out of ways to tell you God is working here. Last week was very busy. Aside all the usual work and weekly ministry stuff, I had scheduled a “class” type meeting for late Saturday night. I spent all week trying to develop what I could say to my Asian and Middle Eastern friends that would be there. How do you introduce Christianity to someone who has never interacted with it, or at least very little? They may have seen the joy or voluntary endurance of persecutions and trials by Christians in the past, but how do you explain why? How do I explain why my hope goes beyond the world I can see to one that I have faith in? How do you explain who God is? You get the point.

I ended up breaking it up into basic questions.

- What are Christians?

- Who is God?

- What is/why is sin?

- How do we get to know God?

- How do we develop this faith?

- What else do Christians do?

- How do we become Christians?

We then read some scripture together, and will meet again to read more.

This format actually went really well, because I could go pretty in depth with just these basic questions. Though they may not have much experience with Christianity, they ask a good range of tough questions. After I had talked a while I opened it up for questions, and they kept me on my toes. We would go from “Is God a real being or just a sentimentalized force?” to “If God is good and God’s creation was good and people were good as God created them, why is there evil in the world?” to “How do you pray?” It was quite a range.

Saturday had already been quite a day too. After several of us had planned on going to church together Saturday evening, only two of us ended up being able to go. This was only his third church service ever. I had been taking people to several different churches so they could get a feel for things that various churches do differently and what we all do the same. This time we were going to a Lutheran church. It was their contemporary service, meaning the pastor didn’t wear his suit jacket and Amazing Grace was added alongside the hymns. I found the service kind of dull and almost fell asleep. However, the sermon was quite good, and talked about true “vision”, and how our faith gives us vision for the things we hope for and trust in. Overall, it was an ok service. But on the way home my friend told me how much he loved it. I talked with him a bit about faith, and he said he now had it. He asked me how he could become a Christian and as soon as we got back we prayed together. Though I found it to be an average service, he found the Holy Spirit there. How much we could all use a little more “vision” for the Spirit’s presence. It was so wonderful to talk about this experience in that meeting we had later, I think some of our friends are close to being ready to pray that prayer too.

This is where I want more time. Most of them go back to China soon, and communication will be much more difficult. There are Christians and churches in China they can connect with, but not that I can. We have talked a little about how the church in China is different, and how it has to be since it is proclaiming Christ to very different people, but I have to hope and pray and trust that as they seek those churches out they prove to be fruitful land to grow in.

July 1st Update and Sermon

Well, things are moving ahead at full speed. There are now so many people interested in reading the Bible and learning about Christianity that I cannot keep up with them all individually. I’m going to have to start some type of meeting in order to be able to teach everyone the information they are seeking. What a wonderful problem to have! On Saturday night we went to another church service, this time with three of our international coworkers, and some of our American friends who have grown distant from the church too. There is quite the snowball effect going on! Thank you all for your prayers and support of this ministry. It is clear that a lot of prayer and a very big God are working here.

On another note, I preached today! It felt like it had been such a long time since I had preached, I really missed it. Lately I’ve been reading about the early Methodist movements, and I’m pretty sure my message was shaped by how evangelical they were. This struck me when I realized I was really stressing repentance. Anyways, despite clouds and intermittent rain showers the service went well. I cracked a couple jokes about Seattle to get started and finished just in time for it to really pour. Except for being cut a little short by the rain, the service went very well. Afterward our team took a road trip to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. I’ll post pictures of that later.

This message was another one of those texts that was laid on my heart for no particular reason. No matter how much I scoured the Bible I could not find another message that I was meant to give. As I prepared, I was wondering if God’s reasoning would be evident during the service. Little did I know that the concept of God continually welcoming us back would be a very important topic for the new and almost Christians in the days that have followed. The story of the prodigal son is one of the most beautiful and hopeful texts we have, and serves as an excellent example of how deliberate our sin is, as well as how God is waiting to embrace us.

The Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-40

Luke Ch 15, NIV

Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him.

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins [fn] and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.'In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons.

The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.

So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.

But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.

But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

Looking at this parable this morning, I want to talk about how God looks for us when we are lost, finds us when we repent and celebrates our return to Him. This parable is an excellent example of how deliberate our sin is, how deliberate God’s pursuit of us is and what our repentance is supposed to look like. I realize that most of us who make it to Mt. Rushmore at 8:30am for worship (during the rain!) are likely to already be Christians. But, this message is just as important for us as it is for those who haven’t yet heard it for the first time. As much as we sin, we should turn back to God. In fact, that’s what the literal meaning of the term “repentance” means. It means to turn around and change direction, back towards God. Even those of us who profess Christianity have sinned and turned away, and God is actively seeking us and waiting to celebrate our return.

This theme of God’s seeking us and celebrating our return is a very important one in the gospel, and we see this in the emphasis the two parables that directly precede this one add to it. In the beginning of chapter 15, Jesus tells us about the shepherd who lost one of his one hundred sheep. He secures the ninety-nine in an area and sets out to find the lost one. When he finds it, he lays it on his shoulders, carries it back, and celebrates its return with his friends. Directly after this is the parable of the woman who lost one of her ten silver coins, each representing a day’s worth of wages. This is heightened by the fact that as a woman, she wouldn’t have had access to the same economic resources or employment opportunities as a man would have. She was likely dependant on the generosity of her family. So she lights a lamp and sweeps the house until she finds it. She then calls on her neighbors and rejoices with them. Together, these parables show us that though we are one out of far more than a hundred, God seeks us out as if we’re the only one.

God’s joyful reception of us in the state we’re in is shown in detail in this parable. It starts with the point at which we all start, our sin. When the son asks for his inheritance, he is basically saying to his father, “I could care less whether or not you’re dead, give me my share on the inheritance so I can leave you.” This is a very deliberate turning away, and we do the same every time we sin. Every time we sin, when we know that that sin separates us from God, we are deliberately turning away from God.

It doesn’t take long for the son’s lifestyle, and living under his own means to prove destructive. He is so humiliated and desperate that he resorts to feeding pigs. This would have been an especially humiliating position, because as a Jew he would have considered pigs unclean. He is now at rock-bottom. He is completely alienated from his father, family and nation, and has disowned them. It is in this state where he is utterly ashamed and torn-down that he is confronted with remorse.

But, as much as the son’s turning away perfectly captures what we do when we sin, his remorse and repentance are a perfect example for us. He realizes how good he had it in his father’s house. He realizes that complete submission to his father is better than running his life in the way he has been. Let me read for you what he plans to say to his father. “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” Luke 15:18-19. This is a great example for us, that we will go into in a bit.

First let’s notice that he LEAVES the land of his sin and sets out toward his father’s house. The father sees him from a distance, has compassion for him, and runs to embrace his son. This indicates that the father wasn’t carrying on his normal business, he was waiting and watching for the return of his son, regardless of the state he returned in. Here he repeats his confession of guilt, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” Luke 15:21 This exact repetition does not occur by accident. It means that this is central to the meaning of the parable. This confession is to be what we focus on, because it is what we are to do.

Now let’s look at the father’s response to this complete submission. He responds with four very symbolical items. The first is the robe. This shows the father’s favor for the son. We can remember the story of Joseph and his eleven brothers, where their father showed how much he favored Joseph by giving him a similar robe. God favors us when we return to him. Next is the ring. This means he isn’t a hired man, or a slave, but he has responsibility and authority. When we come back to God we acknowledge that He has a plan for us. The sandals indicate that he is a member of the family. He isn’t just another manager, he is welcomed back as the father’s son. Last is the calf. The fatted calf was reserved only for the most special celebration and occasion, which God considers this to be.

We go on to see that the brother completely misses the point. None of us deserve to be in the presence of the father, so when a sinner is welcomed in, we should celebrate as much as the father does. The brother says he has never been given as much as a goat, but he has dined with the father for every meal and has everything that the father possesses (v. 31).

So why don’t we repent more often? God wants to favor us, show us the plan He has for us, welcome us as His child and celebrate our return. Repenting and confession should be a part of our lives daily. I have two reasons why we don’t. The first is that sin just is not preached enough anymore. We need to hear about the full weight and consequences of our sin. We hear a lot about grace, and what Christ did for us by dying on the cross, but we’re missing the first half of that. It was our sin that made that necessary in order to be reunited with God. We simply aren’t reminded enough.

At the opposite extreme, we are too ashamed by what we have done, the extent to which we have turned away, or the number of times we have turned away. If we look at the verse that goes immediately before these three parables, Luke 15:1, we see that it was the “tax collectors and sinners” that were gathering around Jesus, and who Jesus was speaking to. There was no more ashamed people than the tax collectors. They weren’t just working for the IRS, but they were taking advantage of their own people on behalf of an occupying government. It is those who are ashamed that God is seeking, because only by His power will we overcome our sin and grow closer to Him. To try and stop sinning first is to try and save ourselves. We can’t do it without God, so in our shame we must turn to Him and ask for that grace. It’s called grace because none of us deserve it.

So let’s look at the son’s example of repentance. He starts by admitting, “I have sinned”. We have to acknowledge and admit our sin to God. We say, “God, I knew what was wrong, and I did it. I knew it would separate me from you, so by doing it I deliberately turned away.” Because of this, we admit that, “I am not worthy.” Because we turned away from our father, we are not worthy to be called His child. We then go on and say to God that we completely submit to his will and plan for us.

God is waiting to forgive us, get closer to us and move past our sins. So, whether you’re Christian or not, please consider how God is seeking you, and start to seek Him. Confess and repent, and turn back to Him, whether it is for the first time or the hundredth time. Then, celebrate with Him and your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Wow…just wow

This ministry is causing me to lose a lot of sleep. Some nights I’m lucky just to get a couple of hours. God is just to doing too much here, and I am so excited that I simply cannot sleep. A couple nights ago I met with my friend who just became a Christian. He had had a rough week, and was feeling a greatly convicted and remorseful of his sin (something we could all use more of!). This gave us the wonderful opportunity to talk about these feelings, as well as about the grace that is always extended to us. He is so mature in already realizing that God’s grace is always there, but it is not to be taken advantage of, or used as an excuse to sin more. I talked to him about Dietrich Bonhoeffer (who is amazing) and how he distinguishes between free grace and cheap grace. God offers His grace to us for free, but it was far from cheap. Jesus paid a mighty high price in order to offer us grace, and so each time we accept it, we should remember and give thanks for it, as well as stop sinning. We also talked a lot about how hard it is to stop sinning altogether, despite how much we want to. I talked about aiming for progress instead of perfection, so it seems more possible. I also got to show him where James talks about endurance, and how enduring through these tough times develops maturity and wholeness in us.

This was a great conversation, but that was far from the best part. About halfway through our discussion, his roommate came in. I hadn’t met his roommate before, and I was wondering how this would change the depth of our conversation. Rather than hindering us, we just carried on. We kept talking, looking at different passages of scripture and listening to some music that we had heard at a free Christian music festival we had gone to last weekend. At first his roommate kind of stood around, just observing us but not really getting involved. Then, while we were reading another passage of scripture he pulled a chair up and really listened. As we began to talk about it, he began to ask questions of his own; about the Bible, God and Christianity in general. This was really exciting, and his face lit up when I offered to bring him his own Bible the next night.

This wasn’t even the best part yet. The next night I went to their room with a new Bible in hand, and was met by both of these guys, as well as by two of our female Chinese coworkers. When I handed the roommate his Bible, one of the girls ripped it out of his hands to read it herself. They were all waiting for me to talk about the Bible and Christianity, and were very excited that I had more Bibles for them too.

We talked for about two hours about what the Bible is, who God is and what we believe as Christians. As they had many many questions, it was awesome to see my friend that just became a Christian begin to answer them and relate his own, surprisingly mature reflections and experience. He was able to communicate what prayer is to them better than I could, and even talked about how we pray and trust in God regardless of whether we get what we want or not. He told them prayer is to help us be closer to God, not just to tell God what we need or are thankful for, since He already knows. At the end we all prayed together to thank God for all He has done for us and to ask God to reveal himself to everyone there so that they may have faith. You see, I just couldn’t sleep after that.

Also, this morning after our service, as we were putting our materials away, another girl came up to me and started asking questions. We’re meeting later to get her a Bible of her own too and see what questions she has! I’m getting a lot of practice putting my complex, second-nature faith into simple terms and concepts, and as I do I fall more and more in love with God. It is the greatest joy to be able to share with someone about the God I love and attempt to describe Him and His love to others.

I always get what I want…when I want the right things

I always seem to get what I want. Sometimes, if I don’t get exactly that which I want, I get something better. A couple of weeks ago, one of my bosses from our national office was here for a few days. One day we got the chance to go hiking together, and talk about a lot of things; including life, theology, existentialism, the future and the ministry here. On our way back he asked me a very involved question, “Raygan (I’m still getting used to that), what do you really want from this summer?” I said, “Yeah, that is an involved question.” That was why he asked it on the way back, he intended for it to take the whole trip. After an ample pregnant pause I said, “I just want to see God work in someone’s life. I want God to reveal Himself to someone, I want it to change their life and I want to witness it.” If you’ve read earlier posts, you know that I have been blessed enough to see this in one of my Chinese coworkers. What you may not know is that it happened about two days after I said this.

Meeting and working with him has been awesome. In one moment he’ll ask me what we believe about hell, and what we can pray for, and the next we will offer a beautiful prayer that gives thanks for God’s grace and requests peace. He now has a Bible in English and in Mandarin. He told me he reads them both at the same time to get a better sense of what the text means. He’s already better at studying the Bible than most Christians I know! He is learning a lot of basics, but I know God is working in him for a much larger purpose.

In the last couple of days, a lot of people have been asking me why I chose Mount Rushmore, and each time I think I get a puzzled look on my face. I still can’t really answer that question. I don’t think I had a reason of my own that made me include it in my list of potential park locations. It wasn’t what I was picturing, it wasn’t what I originally wanted, but it’s exactly what God had in mind. I originally wanted to be out in a national park, like most of ACMNP’s locations are. I wanted to be out and surrounded by nothing but God’s untouched, unperverted creation, so that I would know I was surrounded by God and His work. Mount Rushmore isn’t really that place, but I got so much more. Instead of being removed from society, I was put in a very touristy area. Far from isolated, I see thousands of different people every day. So I’m not in the middle of God’s untouched creation, but I am in the middle of God’s active work. I didn’t meet God on my terms, but I found that He would surround me wherever I was. Now I’m at a point where everything I could have hoped to expect has been surpassed, and I am again reliant on God for a vision for the rest of the summer. When my friend became a Christian and I needed a Bible to give to him, I received six (thanks North Shore!). Let’s hope and pray we need them.

Experience is Important

Christianity is a lot of things; a religion (yes it is), a relationship, the narrative of the human condition, an intellectual journey, an experience, and much much more. I think of all these things, a lot of us tend to devalue the experience part of it. Though it is so vital, I can see why we don't always emphasize it. It's completely out of our control. It's scary. Not only do we not control it, we can't predict it. But I think we still miss out. We don't control how God acts, but we can control how perceptive of it we are. A lot of times we don't see it because we're not looking for it.

Being a Christian is experiencing everything it is to be human in the context of our redeemed, whole, nature and in the presence of our loving Creator. It's not simply an emotional experience, but it is so deep that we are limited to expressing it through emotional language. Maybe that's another reason we devalue it. We know emotional language isn't significant enough to communicate it, but we have no other means.

Where is this coming from? As I continue to work with my friend who just became a Christian, I am seeing him experience God in very real ways, and experiencing it with him. He talks of the peace that he feels has overwhelmed him. I can feel God there as we meet, talk, read and pray. I think he gets this a lot better than a lot of people I know who have been Christians for a long time. He's not only determined to keep reading, asking and learning, but also keeps asking what he can do. We talk not only about the different spiritual disciplines, but also how we can encounter God throughout the day. We're also going to his first church service tonight, and we're both excited.

I just read "The Practice of the Presence of God" which is a bunch of letters from a monk that were complied a few centuries ago about how he encounters God in the tedious kitchen tasks he has been assigned. Folding hundreds of T-shirts while while hundreds of customers are unfolding them in front of and behind you in the Mt. Rushmore gift shop is a great place to practices this. I think we as Christians can make the choice of when and where to encounter God. This reminds me of every Gospel, where after Jesus has performed healings, fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, walked on water and described himself as the bread of life, the people ask him for a sign to prove he is who he says he is (read the first 6 chapters of John). Understandably, this frustrates Jesus. God is working all around us, yet we don't recognize it, we don't look for it. God created us, our five senses and everything that those five senses encounter. How can we not encounter God every day if our eyes are really open to it?

As much as we can choose to encounter God everyday as Christians, as nonchristians we can't control our initial experience with God.

I think this is what makes relating to non-christians very difficult. We choose to live our lives differently because of our physical, emotional and spiritual experiences with God, that they haven't had yet. Last night on a midnight food run after work, me and two non-christians got to talk about this. Some people have pretty much written them off as a lost cause because of some of their actions and language. This was pretty much just a defense mechanism, against Christians because of some of the hurt that has been caused them by Christians. I was astonished at how they opened up when they saw I wasn't putting them off just because they swore or are different than a lot of people here.

It was heartbreaking to talk to them, because their problems are with Christians, not with God. They haven't experienced God for themselves yet, but have been judged by those who claim they have. The Gospels make it pretty clear that it's not our place to judge, only God's, yet we do it anyway. I hope it planted a seed when I said I only live my life in the way that I do because of my experiences with God, and that I can't judge them for not having that experience. I don't see how some people think that telling nonchristians to follow Christian standards, telling someone who doesn't know Jesus that they need "more Jesus in their life", saying "just go to church" or just be a Christian helps them encounter God, or in some way will make them more open to being a Christian. We need to be with people, listen to their hurt, apologize if that hurt came from a Christian and explain how we all fall short of the standard we want to live by. We can't force Christianity on people or force them to experience God. Ultimately that is under God's control. It is our ministry to model the Christian life, demonstrate God's love for them and hope and pray they encounter it directly. Then, when God does work in someone's life, we need to show them how to be open to see God's work daily.

I'm sorry if that doesn't make sense, ask questions if you want. I'm finding that I'm learning a lot about how God works in people from new Christians and non-christians, and it's really hard to fit it all into a blog.

Failure; a good thing

Okay, now I’m over it. I didn’t do as well in the delivery of my sermon on Sunday, but now that I have discovered why I failed (which took a while for how blaringly obvious it was), I have come to a peace with it. I was so proud of the words I had written and the illustration my insight had given birth to, and because of that I felt a great pressure to speak those proud words, exactly as I had written them. Depending on how well you know me, you may know that even though I have spoken to crowds many times, it is often pretty evident that I am nervous. Often, speaking about my faith and God’s word has been an exception, mostly because of my conviction and the focus of my attention on God. Last Sunday my attention was focused on the proud words I had written instead of the giving of voice to God’s Word as passed down through history and spoken through the Holy Spirit today.

God taught me a lot through that sermon on Sunday, and I regret that it may have come at the expense of what He may have been able teach others if I had been humbled into a malleable tool for God. This was a major lesson in my preparation for this calling; a lesson I hope never to have to relearn. At first I thought my error was a lack of preparation. It turns out that was exactly the wrong direction I needed to proceed. What I needed was to be less and less dependent on myself instead of even more. I was so happy with my sermon, and I really wanted to deliver it as I had created it. I failed, thank God. These weren’t my words. I’m in no contest to see who can write the best sermon. These were supposed to be God’s words.

I know that this likely sounds overly dramatic, and like I’m making a small issue to significant or being too hard on myself. It’s not true. I did what none of us should ever do, especially those who preach the word. I put my confidence, trust, and therefore faith, in myself rather than in the perfect Word of God. Throughout the Bible God uses imperfect people to be leaders to show that it is God who is working. Moses was a bad speaker, Abraham was very old, Paul persecuted Christians…but the poor speaker led a nation, the elderly man founded that nation and that persecutor wrote most of the New Testament. God uses imperfect people. I’m not the best speaker on my own, I’ve tried and failed. But God is calling me to this life and when my conviction, trust and reliance are in God, God speaks well through me. I took the Scripture too lightly; I was far more worried about my own words than God’s word being given through me. I want to call people to be fully reliant on God, not their wealth, status or talent, but God through them. If I am going to call people to this, I must first do this in order for God to work this message out through me.

Over the past few years I have learned to find great peace in situations that are out of my control, because I know that God is. I’ve also learned that when God has completely removed my control from a situation, it always seems to work out for the best. When I can speak from that orientation, it is God who is in complete control of what I say, how well it is delivered and how it is received. I must never forget to give complete control to God, and never put more focus on my own words than on God’s Word. And now, whenever I speak in that context I will find much peace and comfort in how little control I have over my own actions, because of the greatness of God’s control. When I am preaching, it must not be my words, but God’s. I am but a means and carrier.

Fourth of July Sermon

As you can imagine, thing get a little crazy around here leading up to the fourth. There has been a lot going on, and I will post about it soon, but I wanted to share my sermon from yesterday. The actually delivery went okay, I think I was really nervous to give the sermon and felt extra pressure because I was really proud of writing it. Given my frustrations with people who tie Christianity too close to America (instead of the world), I was really happy to find a relevant, significant and yet appropriately patriotic topic and tie-in. Let's face it, I probably wouldn't survive if I got through the whole message without mentioning the Fourth of July at Mount Rushmore. A little over halfway through it my notes blew away, and I actually did better without them. I forgot one part but other than that it went a lot smoother without them. More updates on how God is working here soon.

Salves of Righteousness

Good morning! Happy Fourth of July! Aren’t we extremely blessed to enjoy the freedom we do as Americans? What a great opportunity we have to reflect on and celebrate this freedom today. This morning I want to talk about this freedom, and relate it to the freedom we enjoy as Christians. These great freedoms also bring us great responsibility, and this morning I want to use our national freedoms to illustrate our freedom from sin. I also want to take the opportunity to explain how this great freedom we enjoy binds us as slaves to righteousness. I know slavery might be a dangerous topic for today, but it is the second half of freedom as Christians.

Up to this point in Romans, Paul has been explaining that we are all called to righteousness, but all fall short of this on our own. However, through our faith (belief + trust) in Christ we can attain this righteousness. In fact, we are expected to. In the beginning of this chapter, Paul explains that through our faith in Christ, we participate with Christ in his death and resurrection. “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” (Rm. 6:6-8) Through our relationship with Christ we die, releasing sin’s grip from us, and are born again in the freedom of God’s righteousness.

Now, we’ve used the term “righteousness” a lot here, and I think it’s important to clarify its meaning. Throughout the entire Bible, the terms that are translated as “righteousness” refer to actions that align with God’s Will. That is, to be righteous is to do God’s will. So, when we become “slaves of righteousness”, we become slaves to God’s will. Simply put, being righteous means just doing what God wants and what God has planned for you. Paul explains that Abraham was righteous because he picked up everything and moved to a strange land when God commanded him to. (Rom 4:3)

(Rom 6:17-18) “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

The New Testament really takes this metaphor or servant hood seriously, and I think we should too. It is used several times throughout the Gospels, and is no coincidence that in the many parables that use slavery as an illustration, we are referred to as the servants and God is the master. In his introduction to Romans, verse 1:1, Paul refers to himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 3:7, Paul says, “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.” In Phillipians 2:7 Jesus taking on the human form and humbling himself is said to be an act of servant hood. Many of Paul’s examples of faithful Christians are referred to as servants of Christ. In James 1:1, James also refers to himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. This is more than a useful metaphor for us, it is a model that we are to follow.

We only have two options. We’re either for God or against God. We can either serve God, which is righteousness, or serve anyone or anything that is not God, including ourselves, which is sin. By following God, being in relationship with Him and serving Him, we chose to die to sin. By choosing to be released from the oppression of our slavery to sin, there is no other choice but to willingly submit ourselves as servants of God’s will. It is God’s will to lead you to eternal life, and any other will or plan leads to death, so cast them aside.

Don’t misunderstand this as a list of rules to follow. There is not a list of rules to follow now in order to be saved. In fact, reducing this call to do God’s will to a list of rules would be to greatly devalue it. Paul asks in verse 21, “What benefit does your sin bring you?” The answer is that it is a path of destruction that ultimately leads to death. Because of our faith in Christ, we have been freed not only from the debt of our sin, but through our faith in Christ we have been freed from having to do sin at all, and empowered to not sin. This is God’s will for us, to rely on our faith in Christ and pursue righteousness. That is God’s will for us, God’s plan for us, and we know that it is God’s plan for us that ensures our salvation. “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” (v. 22).

So, through Christ we are freed from our slavery to sin, which we could not get out of on our own, and since we are freed from every sinful act, the only thing left is God’s will.

In a similar yet smaller way, our freedom as Americans compels us to do certain things. We enjoy the freedoms of religion, speech, press, the freedom to vote, to a fair trial, and the list goes on. And we are compelled to use them. What a waste it would be, how useless it would be not to use them! These freedoms also compel us to serve, honor and defend our freedoms, because that’s how we’ve kept them for over 200 years. Let us take a minute to thank those who have defended our freedoms in one of the most significant ways possible, through service in our armed forces (ask to stand and be recognized). Now, just as it would be pointless and idiotic to have these freedoms available to us, at the expense of the service of others, and therefore self-impose restrictions, limitations and slavery on ourselves, we actually do this to a much greater extent when we bypass our own call to righteousness in order to go back to being servants of sin. Jesus freed us so we don’t have to do that.

Being patriotic is a quite necessary reaction to the freedoms we enjoy in this country. But realize also that the freedom we have as a gift from God sets us free from our worst form of slavery, sin, and leads us to eternal life. So, our necessary reaction to that freedom requires so much more from us, our entire selves. Don’t limit and confine yourself to sin anymore, but accept the call to be bound by righteousness and wholeness.

Servant hood is a popular example for us in the New Testament. In Luke 12, Jesus explains that we are to be servants that are watchful for the master’s arrival. That is, they act like their master is watching and are responsible with the resources given to them. This is where the phrase comes from that says, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.” We have been given great freedoms, and we should be using these to pursue righteousness.

Servant hood is a very powerful example and model that, given our past, carries significant, negative connotations. But slavery to God and God’s will is significantly different than slavery to any human, which no one was ever intended to be subject to. Serving God means coming back into relationship with Him. It means participating in His plan to rescue the world. At a practical level, Jesus tells us that by serving the least, the last, the oppressed and the widowed we are serving him. It is giving food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, being welcoming and hospitable to the stranger, clothing the needy, caring for the sick and being with those who are imprisoned (Matt. 25:34-40). It is not hard to hear God’s call, but it is impossible to accept it and do it without also being dependant on God to do it through you.

So, as Christians in America, considering what today signifies; recognize, enjoy and give thanks for your freedom, and consider what this freedom means you are called to do. Consider what this slavery you are saved from and called to means, and bind yourself to it.

And, if you’re not yet a Christian, consider this an honest look at the Christian life. It’s a call to be freed from your slavery to sin, and to be subject to the loving God that rescued us from that sin. God wants to be with you for eternity, and the joy of this salvation compels us to want to do His will. That alignment with God’s will is how we are simultaneously free and slaves.

God is working here!

Well, I am writing this at 3:00am, though probably not posting this until my coffee shop is open. I don’t know if I’m going to sleep tonight…I don’t know if I can sleep tonight. I am just too excited, and too full of God’s Spirit and goodness to sleep. Maybe later His Spirit will work in me enough to get a couple hours.

Where to start, where to start. Yesterday, or I guess two days ago, our worship service went really well. We had about 35 people, the singing went well, the message about Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus went well, it was just a really good service. One of the coolest parts was the prayer following the message. Besides getting to thank God for His work in our salvation, I took prayer requests from the audience, encouraging them to open up and let the diverse yet unified church support them. It was really cool to see people open up to their brothers and sisters in Christ and pray for each other even though they hadn’t necessarily met before. God bless the Church.

So, the service went well, but that wasn’t the best part. As two of us were in a back room of the dining facility at Mt. Rushmore packing our materials into the storage tub, one of our coworkers approached us and asked, “Are you guys Christians?” He is one of our coworkers from China, and was on shift in the main kitchen.

We kind of looked at each other, then down at our worship booklets, then at our five foot tall wooden cross, and I finally back at him and said “yes...?” in a questioning tone.

He got really excited and said, “I want to be a Christian!”

We didn’t even know what to say. We were pretty shocked but managed to tell him that we would love to meet with him and talk with him. He said, “Good, I really want to learn more about how to be Christian.” Then he went back to work with a huge smile on his face. Emily and I couldn’t believe it.

He and I finally got to meet tonight. After I got off work at 11, I went to his room and we talked for a couple of hours. He knew a little bit about Christianity from talking to some people when he visited other parts of the country, but was mostly interested in the peace they showed and the hope they had. I got to explain to him how we have that peace and hope in the midst of difficult times because of who our God is. I found myself falling more and more in love with God as I tried to convey who God is to him. I got to explain the basic story that stretches through the Bible of our Creation, Fall, failure to redeem ourselves, salvation through Christ and now our call to be like Christ and live by faith. He loves reading the Bible and had a lot of questions about how to be Christian.

My heart leaped as he asked, “So how do I become a Christian?” Before leading him in prayer I had to explain to him how to pray, and what praying meant. It was a very surreal experience to hear him repeat a prayer after me putting his faith in God and Christ as his Savior, and asking to be forgiven and for Christ to come into his life.

I was almost a little nervous that he didn’t quite know exactly what this act meant, but when we were done praying he was smiling so big and said, “I’ve never felt this peaceful before.” Then all my doubts were gone, I knew God was working in him and surrounding us in that moment.

We’re going to keep meeting regularly, he even said he wants to meet and read the Bible together daily if possible. He also said that someone else from China that he’s become good friends with here is also really interested in being a Christian. I was actually starting to get tired (it’s now 4:15am), but just got really excited again as I wrote that paragraph.

I hope you could follow this. I probably couldn’t even include half of what happened and what we talked about if I did stay up all night. As far as I’m concerned, this summer has been worth it. The time commitment, the difficulties here, the low minimum wage in South Dakota and the helpless feeling that comes with trying to reach some people completely pales in comparison to seeing God work in someone’s life, and watching them reach out for God. I don’t need anything else to happen, but I’m pretty sure God has a lot more in mind. I just love Him so much.

God is so wonderful, loving and at work right now. I challenge you to think of how you would explain God’s love to someone else; how He has acted throughout the Bible and through Jesus to save us, and how you have seen Him act in your own life. It’s powerful to reflect on. Thank you all for the continued support and prayer, it is obviously working! Thank God for His continued work here!

Harney Peak Hike

A lot of good has been going here, I promise an update is coming soon. For now just check out these pictures from my hike to Harney Peak. I guess its the highest point in the U.S. east of the Rockies. More pics at: http://s805.photobucket.com/albums/yy338/rayganbaker/Harney%20Peak/

"Little" Devil's Tower Hike

This was an amazing hike! A little under a 7,000 foot change in elevation from Seattle and little asthma made breathing a little difficult at times, but once I wasn't dizzy anymore the view was totally worth it! These are the kinds of places you go to show people the earth has a beautiful Creator. See more pics at http://s805.photobucket.com/albums/yy338/rayganbaker/Little%20Devils%20Tower/

My Mission: To be a Christian

Hey everyone! Sorry for the very long previous post, I’ll try to keep this one concise.

Cast far outside my SPU bubble, I’m really starting to realize my particular vision and version of Christianity is very different than those of the rest of the country and world. This has left me with many questions, including; is one version more correct than another? Is my ministry as much among other Christians as it is nonchristians? What would that ministry look like? I am putting too much importance on small details?

Let me explain. I’ve never thought of myself as particularly conservative or liberal, politically or theologically (and shutter at the integration of the two); but politically, this area is probably redder than a fire truck. Though I consider myself pretty dang moderate, I think if some of my opinions were expressed, I may as well be Obama. For example, one of my main interests in theology is ethics, or the morals and practices of Christianity, and I strongly believe that Christians are called to voluntarily “take up their cross daily and follow Christ” (Luke 9:23). While I really believe this disciplined lifestyle is intended for all Christians, I think it loses its value when it is mandated, especially at a governmental level. I don’t think forcing Christian ethics onto nonchristians makes them Christian, or even open to the idea. In fact, it often drives them away. I think this call to follow Christ comes directly from Christ, not from other Christians in the form of “do’s and don’t’s”.

In the first ten minutes of meeting one particular Christian here, he straight-up asked me if I was liberal or conservative in both politics and theology. It was that important to discuss, even more so than the ministry opportunities here. Being from Kansas, he was pretty far to the right. I tried to explain my position about five times before I gave up. I couldn’t get through to him that though I appreciated his personal opinions are based on Christian ethics, that wouldn’t necessarily be why I vote a particular way. We can’t just force nonchristians to understand and conform to Christian ethics, and just because a particular Christian “rule” isn’t a national law, doesn’t mean we can’t practice it voluntarily.

I think many of the nonchristians that I interact with on a daily basis have been ostracized by what they thought they had to be to be Christians. This morning I spoke with a woman who expressed these frustrations, and I told her much of what I vented above. Basically, I heard her out, and sympathized that Christianity isn’t meant to be expressed primarily politically. DISCLAIMER: I love America and the freedoms I enjoy. But, America is not the Kingdom of God. They are two separate entities with different goals, aspirations and influences; and I tend to think that Christianity is stronger and more free to envelope our lives when not constrained to politics.

“At the age of 42,” she told me, “you’re the first intelligent Christian I’ve met.”
That broke my heart. She had grown up Lutheran and recently converted to Buddhism. I told her two things.

1. What appears to be intelligence is really a refusal to judge and take a position on matters reserved for God’s judgment. When we “hate the sin and love the sinner,” the hate still overpowers the love, and obstructs the loving of one’s enemies. We aren’t called to hate (or judge) at all. All I really need to focus on is loving the sinner, and being humbled by the grace I have received for my own sins.

2. I really want to show people that Christianity isn’t necessarily what’s been forced on them in the past. Yes, it’s a call to a different way of living life, but that happens after someone has been personally called into relationship with God. The Christian life isn’t a strict lifestyle change, it’s a loving relationship first, and that prompts us to seek a disciplined life to cultivate this relationship.
She said, “Good luck with that, I hope you can”.

That was when I realized why I’m here this summer. Not to confront people who fall somewhere in particular on the political or theological spectrums, but to really listen to them, love them and demonstrate the Christian life I have been called to. I must, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words” (Thomas Aquinas).
Thank you all for your comments, emails and, in particular, prayer support. I could really use prayer for strength and perseverance in living this mission out.

I preach again on the Fourth of July! It should be interesting, especially with the particular message that looks like is coming.

Getting settled in…or thrown in

I feel like the constant thunderstorms here, like the one going on now, are a good representation of where I’m at right now. Though things are a bit “stormy”, there are many positives. For example, the constant rain here has made the park much more green than it usually is this time of year, plus it reminds me of Seattle. Though things have been a little difficult, it is clear that something (or someone) bigger than me is working here.

My job with the concessionaire at the gift shop is turning out to be a lot better than I thought it would. I thought I would be bored, but with about 5,000 visitors a day there is plenty to do. Also, since I haven’t had any official training yet, I’m definitely more lost than bored. Maybe that’s a better way to describe my current state; lost. Everything’s unfamiliar. I’m referring customers to activities and events that I don’t know how to get to, trying to speak to people from very different parts of the country and world than me and trying to lead a ministry team that is somewhat lost, yet still knows more than me. I feel like they need really strong leadership, but I still don’t even know what’s really going on here.

Don’t get me wrong, many things are going very well. My coworkers are great. I’ve met people from all over the country, as well as people from Columbia, Russia, Armenia, Moldova and other countries. I am very excited to get to know them better, serve them and reach out to them. The location is great, too. The Black Hills area of South Dakota is beautiful and I can’t wait to explore it. While things are a little tough right now, I know they will get better with time and God’s provision.

I guess I just feel disoriented and like I’m waiting for direction. This made my sermon writing this week very ironic. God’s call of Moses through the burning bush, and the example that is of God’s care for His people and plan for our lives was heavily laid on my heart. I don’t know why, but I really didn’t want to talk about it. However, I could not come up with anything else to save my life. From Moses’ story and my own experiences I concluded that God often calls us to unexpected things that are a perfect fit for who He created us to be. I guess I have to accept that God knows me better than I know myself. At this point, I’m positive that this message was laid on my heart because I really needed to hear it.

The service itself went really well. We got to the amphitheater about half an hour early, and as time wore on I started to get nervous that no one would show up. Then a lot of people started showing up and that started to make me nervous. I was supposed to preach to these people? For our opening song the four of us led “Be Thou My Vision”. At first I was nervous to lead a song but in a cheesy way I realized if God was my vision, and did lead me there, then he would continue to be with me and work through me. I’m usually anxious when I’m in front of people and my heart starts pounding really fast and my mouth dries out. However, as we began singing I actually felt a sense of calm and joy come over me. I KNEW God was with me!

I know God is here and working; and I’m excited to be a part of it and see what it looks like. Below is my sermon from this morning.
Exodus 3:1-15, 4:10-12 God’s Rescue and Call
6/20/2010

Intro:
Good Morning!
Who here wishes they could be more organized? Isn’t it comforting when we can have detailed plans set out? But then the problem that arises is how often those plans get changed. We could be talking about anything from what I’m going to do after college, to what kind of work you’ll end up in and where you plan to live, to something as small as getting here. How many people that came from out of state didn’t have any glitches in their travel plans? This morning I want to talk about what happens when it’s God who changes these plans for us; often to something completely unexpected, yet also what we were intentionally created for. Sometimes this is a call to extraordinary leadership and a major revolution, as it was for Moses (and a few of the people whose faces are staring down on me right now). And other times we just need to look around from where we already are to see what God is calling us to.

Biblical Context:
Moses’ first direct encounter with God occurs at a crucial point in Israel’s and Christianity’s history. God is setting apart the Israelite people to be a “nation of priests” through which to bring salvation to all humanity. However, first God must rescue Israel from the oppression of Egypt. At this point they have been enslaved to and oppressed by Egypt for 400 years, and have only heard rumors about the God of their ancestors. Now, God is going to take them out of Egypt in a frightening demonstration of power and will give them a land of their own to prosper from. Here they are to become that “nation of priests” through which the world is saved. Later, through Christ, that rescue from sin and call to God’s work is expanded to all of us.

At this point, Moses has already had quite a journey of his own. Due to the oppression of Egypt, he was supposed to be killed as an infant; but instead was rescued and raised by Pharaoh’s daughter and enjoyed a life of privilege. Recently, we can see Moses’ own passion for his people when he defends and Israelite in a fight and ends up killing an Egyptian. Moses was scared and fled to the desert, and it in this state of fear and hiding that God confronts Moses to the task h was designed for.

After the powerful display of the burning bush and God describing Himself as the God of Moses’ ancestors, the first thing God reveals is His concern for His suffering and oppressed people. God has heard them “crying out” and “Knows their suffering” (3:7). His action and plan is driven by His care and concern for His people. God intends to use Moses in a significant way to bring this plan about.

Moses responds to God’s call by asking, “Who am I?” (3:11). I can completely sympathize with Moses here. I asked that same question as I discerned God’s call for me to ministry, and even to speak today. I love studying and preaching God’s word, and am being prepared by God to do it, but I can’t help but ask, “Who am I?” to do so. God’s response is to promise to be with Moses, and in truth He already has been. Though Moses doesn’t feel prepared, his upbringing in Pharaoh’s house will undoubtedly serve him later.

Next, God reveals the divine name to Moses. The “I am” in the perfect tense emphasizes God’s eternal nature. And God’s actions here demonstrate God’s power, compassion and detailed plan for eternity. God then gives Moses signs to show the people that he is sent by God, but Moses again protests by saying he is a poor speaker. I love God’s response. “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (4:11-12)

Basically God is asking who knows Moses better, Moses or God? We can see that Moses’ resistance is ridiculous, futile and childish, but our initial reaction is often the same. Who knows us and what we were created for better? Us or God?

God is using Moses to rescue Israel and lead them to God’s call for them. In Christ, God rescued all of us from sin and death, and is leading us to hear his call, too.

There are two different people you can identify with here.

If you are a Christian, then you can identify with Moses. God had specific plans for Moses and Israel, and still does for all of us. If you’re a Christian you have a ministry. This doesn’t mean we’re all pastors, but it does mean God created all of us for a specific purpose. I pray that you ask what God is calling you to and that you actively seek it out.

I can personally identify with Moses a little bit. The entire direction of his life shifted at this point, as mine has done recently. When I entered college, I just wanted to be a business student, and a business owner. I really thought that was what I was meant for, and I couldn’t see myself adding majors or changing career paths. The last thing from my mind was preaching and full time ministry. Now I’m here. I’m studying theology too, and discerning that the gifts, interests and experiences I had thought were leading me toward business were really leading me to ministry. If you consider yourself a Christian I really urge you to pray and just ask God what His plan for you is. Ask God to use you for the purpose you were designed for, and prepare for the unexpected call that perfectly fits who you are.

If you’re not a Christian, or you have fallen away you can identify with the Israelites. God has a plan for you too, and it involves your rescue and salvation. God is calling you to the eternal life for later, as well as the perfect relationship and Christian hope for now. We don’t even see the Israelites act or speak in this passage, and that’s the point. They didn’t know God was working toward saving them, and you don’t yet either. Even before the Israelites knew who God was, God was concerned about their suffering and working to rescue them. God is preparing a way to reach you, and I ask that you be watching for it and seek it out. Even if you don’t believe in God, I ask you to ask Him to reveal Himself to you and to rescue you.

Overall: God has a beautiful plan to rescue the world, and He’s calling you to be a part of it.

Here we go...

Well, I'm sitting on a hotel bed in Billings, Montana after about 700 miles and over 16 hours of driving. It's definitely too late to turn back now, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to. Side note: Montana's beautiful. I'll arrive at Mount Rushmore tomorrow, begin unpacking, meet my staff, meet my ministry support committee and meet my coworkers. If I can be perfectly honest (and I think I can), about a week ago I was getting very nervous for this. However, so much has happened in this last week (finals, wrapping up being a PA at SPU, breaking a toe, not handling the pain medication well, moving home, repacking and leaving home after a 16 hour visit) that I'm just drained. Well, I was drained. About 48 hours ago I was physically and mentally exhausted from everything that had been wrapping up in my life that the prospect of beginning this journey really scared me.

As I began driving home and I got into the Cascade Mountains I was reminded of the power of my creator. This odd sense of peace swept over me. Even as I lamented the loss of my floor of 37 outrageous and wonderful guys, who are pretty much my own children, I could feel myself being refilled. I've come to appreciate these times when I feel like I have no control, where I'm totally subject to God's will. My faith is being tested. I'm being drawn to a strange land (seriously, it's South Dakota!), I don't know anyone out there yet there are many unknowns about what my experience will look like until it happens. I have no choice but to be completely reliant on God for my strength, calm and direction. I strongly recommend putting yourself in one of these situations when you have the chance. There are so many unknowns but I feel so calm because I've rarely felt closer to God. This isn't about me and my experience, it's about how God's going to use me this me Summer, and I can't wait. I honestly don't even care if anyone reads this now, because I just processed that and realized it for myself. If you do read this, I promise other posts will be more coherent and substantial. I just wanted to get one out before I got there. This weekend I'll be preaching, so look for a post with my sermon in it next week.

Love,
Bubba