Be Still

I've been reflecting a lot lately on the story of Jesus and the disciples in the boat in Mark 4 (and Mt. 8 and Lk 8). Our family has been going through a pretty significant storm lately, and this story speaks to me in so many ways.

A quick recap: As Jesus and the disciples are sailing across the lake, a pretty major storm comes up and the disciples are, understandably, pretty scared about it. They wake Jesus up (He was napping the back of the boat) and he rebukes them for their lack of faith. He says, 'Peace! Be still!' and the winds and the waters immediately calm.

There is a tremendous lesson here for us. There are three things this story can teach us (probably many more, but these three come to mind):

1. Jesus takes rest seriously. Think about it: a storm is raging on the waters of the sea, and he's taking a nap. Sweet! Jesus took naps. Jesus liked to rest. He was intentional about it...it tells us that he was "in the back of the boat". This means he likely went away from the other disciples to find a quiet (or quieter) place in which to rest. It would be easy for us to say that he could have spent that time more productively...teaching the disciples, praying, spending time with God, or any number of other things. And He does those things plenty. But in this case, he's just taking a snooze. Love it.
2. God is all-powerful. We forget that God has the ability...the power...to do anything. He can calm the raging seas, the roaring winds, the thunderous chaos in our lives. He can move mountains. He can use some wood and some nails to change the course of human history and bring salvation to a broken and dying world. God can do anything, and He promises that, through Him, we can too (Phil 4:13, " I can do all things through him who strengthens me.").
3. We need to trust God. He created the universe and all that is in it. He calls us to have faith that He will take care of us and to put ALL of our faith...ALL of our beings...into His hands. When the seas rage, He calms them with a word. And when the disciples feared, He rebuked them. His Word tells us not to worry...to trust Him. When He says, "Peace! Be still!", I don't believe He's just talking to the waves and the wind...I believe He's also talking to the disciples. He's telling them that, despite their (natural) reaction of fear and anxiety, they need to "Be still". His promise is not only to calm the storms raging in the world around them, but to calm their hearts and their anxieties as well. He offers a peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.").

Even though we've recently (the last year and a half) been through an unbelievable hell in our lives, this passage gives us strength and courage. We need to learn to rest (even in the midst of chaos), to trust God FULLY, and to 'Be still' and allow His peace to rule in our hearts. Easier said than done, of course, but practice makes perfect.

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This post is inspired by a similar post (identical in its concept) from the awesome Beth Shively's blog. I think it's a great idea, so I stole it.

Ten Things That Have Made Me Smile Lately

1. Holding my sweet, very sick baby girl until she fell asleep (finally!) after being miserable all day. Even with a 104 fever and some cranky pants, she's adorable!
2. Hearing Canaan tell me, about his "pet" rock (which he's been carrying around everywhere), that "There's no milk inside here. I don't know why anyone would put milk inside this rock. That doesn't make any sense."
3. That I've been relatively successful in increasing some areas of discipline and self-control that God's been challenging me about in recent months.
4. That we've had a few rainstorms lately. I love rain.   
5. Receiving word that a friend passed away. (This may sound twisted, but while I'm sad and he will be missed, he never feared death because he knew his eternal fate...and I know he's dancing with God now.)
6. Engaging in some great corporate worship at Grace Fellowship on Sunday.
7. That, as I've been preparing to share some of God's heart about the Sabbath, I've been able to take some Sabbath time myself as I recommit to this crucial but under-appreciated aspect of faith.
8. That I was actually able to play a video game today. It was only for about 20 minutes, but still. First time in a while.
9. Some fairly painful but awesome lessons God has been teaching me.
10. Watching my favorite episode of The Office, "Conflict Resolution". Love the nickel-phone prank! 

Musings on the Sabbath

The Sabbath tends to be something that Christians follow strictly (and, usually, legalistically), or by and large tend to ignore altogether. God intends the Sabbath to be something that we pursue and observe regularly, but never intended it to be a "rule" that we observe legalistically...and, in so doing, miss the point.

As Jesus told the Pharisees who challenged Him about the Sabbath, "The Sabbath was created for mankind, not mankind for the Sabbath." In other words, we don't exist for the sake of observing the Sabbath; rather, the Sabbath exists for our benefit. The purpose of the Sabbath is to give us rest and balance from the busy-ness that consumes our lives, and (especially and specifically) so that we can deepen and strengthen our relationship with God. If the Sabbath doesn't serve that purpose, then it becomes pointless. That is, if we're not using the Sabbath to spend time growing in holiness and in our relationship with God, we can just ignore it altogether. The only reason the Sabbath exists...the only reason God makes a big deal about this idea of the Sabbath...is because it's good for us (beneficial for our sake) - not because it has some inherent value in and of itself.

Those that don't pay attention to the Sabbath should consider setting time aside, free from distraction, to grow your relationship with God. Those that legalistically follow the Sabbath as a rule or regulation, or because it's something you're "supposed" to do...and not in order to grow your relationship with God...should consider if you've missed the point.

Motivations

Why do we make assumptions about other people's motivations? We're always assuming what's behind people's actions, words, behaviors, attitudes. We think we know where they're coming from...but do we? Most of us have experienced times when other people made assumptions about our own motivations that were incorrect (sometimes slightly, sometimes blatantly). I wonder how often we do that to others? I wonder how often I do this myself? Maybe even recently. Hmm...

Truthfulness is Biblical

Why do people lie? There are many motivations for lying (self-preservation, greed, avoidance of hurting someone's feelings, etc), but are any of these sufficient justification for doing so? Especially for Christians, who should hold themselves to a higher moral/ethical standard. People often cite the 8th Commandment as "Thou Shalt Not Lie". In reality, though, that's not exactly what it says.

Exodus 20:16 (and Deuteronomy 5:20) say, "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." That's a bit more specific type of lie than a general "Thou Shalt Not Lie" (or, in modern wording, "You should not lie"). What this is saying is that making false claims against others is expressly condemned and forbidden by Scripture. Giving false testimony sounds like this refers to legal situations, but is it restricted to that context, or is it more broad?

Let's look at some other passages that address this issue:

• Ex. 23:1: "You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with the wicked to act as a malicious witness."
• Deut. 19:18-19: "If the witness is a false witness, having testified falsely against another, then you shall do to the false witness just as the false witness had meant to do to the other. So you shall purge the evil from your midst."
• Job 15:35: "They conceive mischief and bring forth evil and their heart prepares deceit."
• Psalm 10:2-3,7: "2 In arrogance...the wicked boast of the desires of their heart, those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord. Their mouths are filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under their tongues are mischief and iniquity."
• Psalm 34:13: "Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit."
• Psalm 36:1-4: "Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts; there is no fear of God before their eyes. For they flatter themselves in their own eyes that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated. The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit; they have ceased to act wisely and do good. They plot mischief while on their beds; they are set on a way that is not good; they do not reject evil."
• Prov. 12:17: "Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness speaks deceitfully."
• Prov. 14:5: "A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies."
• Prov. 17:4: "An evildoer listens to wicked lips; and a liar gives heed to a mischievous tongue."
• Prov. 19:5: "A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will not escape."
• Prov. 19:9: "A false witness will not go unpunished, and the liar will perish."
• Prov. 19:22: "What is desirable in a person is loyalty, and it is better to be poor than a liar."
• Prov. 21:28: "A false witness will perish, but a good listener will testify successfully."
• Prov. 25:18: "Like a war club, a sword, or a sharp arrow is one who bears false witness against a neighbor."
• Mt 15:19: "For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander."
• Jn 8:44: "You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

Most of these make clear that "false witness" is not just a legal issue; it is more broadly interpreted to mean anyone that spreads false information about another person. This includes gossip and all other forms of false statements about someone. Scripture makes it clear that there are severe penalties for doing such. This includes not only spreading lies yourself, but also "buying into" the lies that others tell (Ex. 23:1, Prov. 17:4).

It also makes clear that Satan is "the Father of Lies"...which implies that all such lying is "of Satan" (evil!).

So, is there any kind of lying that is morally/ethically acceptable for Christians? For example, is it acceptable to tell "white lies", if the intent is to save someone's feelings from being hurt unnecessarily? This is a difficult question. As you can see, the "types" of lying that Scripture addresses are, far and away, related to spreading false information about others. However, many passages also warn against general deceit, though again in those cases, there is almost always an "evil motivation" attached. What happens if the motivation is good (not hurting someone)?

Then we get into discussion of ethics. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor in Germany at the time of Hitler's Third Reich. Bonhoeffer had an opportunity to participate in a plot to assassinate Hitler. He struggled greatly with the decision to participate or not. In the process, he outlined three main questions that must be asked when identifying the ethical dynamics of a given decision/situation/etc:

1. Is the motivation good or evil?
2. Is the act itself good or evil?
3. Is the outcome good or evil?

 In Bonhoeffer's case, he asked these three questions of himself, related to the assassination plot:

1. Is the motivation good or evil? Good - he wanted to save the lives of thousands (tens of thousands) of Jews.
2. Is the act itself good or evil? Evil - murder is expressly prohibited in Scripture, and it violates the sanctity of life.
3. Is the outcome good or evil? Both. It's evil in that Hitler will be dead (murdered), and good in that many lives will be saved.

This raises the question of whether a decision must require all three questions to be answered "Good" in order to be considered "ethical"; or whether 2 out of 3 are acceptable, or what. Bonhoeffer's view was that, even though his decision violated at least one of the above questions (thus making it unethical, in his estimation), the larger good outweighed the challenge to his own character/ethics. He chose to participate in the assassination plot (which failed).

So, applying these questions to the issue of lying, we have to consider the motivation, the act, and the outcome. Scripture seems to say more about the motivation and the outcome than the act itself. The question is whether the act of lying is always "evil" itself. While there is no clear indication of such in Scripture, many passages seem to point to this possibility. I won't attempt to answer this, as I believe that each person must decide for him/herself, with prayer and in light of Scripture.

What is clear is that spreading falsehoods about another person is always condemned and forbidden by Scripture. Doing so violates all three of Bonhoeffer's ethical questions: the motive is evil (to spread lies about someone), the act is evil (lying about someone), and the outcome is evil (lies are spread about someone). And Scripture outlines the penalty for doing such, and it is clear and it is severe: "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Rev. 21:8). Be warned!

Complex Simplicity

Why is it that we sometimes take things that are very simple and make them overly complicated? I was talking with someone from church earlier today, and they were saying that they aren't sure how to go about (or, at least, where to start) loving people the way Jesus commands us. I replied that, more often than not, we just need to do it. We have to examine our attitudes, motives, and the way we interact with people, and ask ourselves if we are showing them love in those things. We need to keep our "eyes open" (so to speak) and see if there are any major needs, hurts, or issues they have in their lives that we might be able to help with. We need to view them as God views them. It isn't rocket science...it's a very simple thing, really. But we make it so complicated.

I think it's fear, to some extent...fear of putting ourselves out there, fear of rejection, fear of being vulnerable ourselves (because loving others, by definition, means being able/willing to be loved ourselves...and understanding what it means that we are so loved by our God). I also think it's making excuses. Loving others forces us to move outside of our comfort zone(s) and it requires effort. We don't particularly like either of those. So we make excuses for not doing what God calls us to do, and make simple issues overly complicated.

I wonder if there are areas in my life where I do this. Probably.

Stanley Cup 2011 Predictions

My predictions for the 2010-2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals (Round 1)
Washington (1) vs. NY Rangers (8) = Washington in 5 -- RESULT: WASHINGTON in 5
Philadelphia (2) vs. Buffalo (7) = Philadelphia in 6 -- RESULT: PHILADELPHIA in 7
Boston (3) vs. Montreal (6) = Montreal in 6 -- RESULT: BOSTON in 7
Pittsburgh (4) vs. Tampa Bay (5) = Tampa Bay in 6 -- RESULT: TAMPA BAY in 7

Eastern Conference Semifinals (Round 2)

Washington vs. Tampa Bay = Washington in 5 -- RESULT: TAMPA BAY in 4
Philadelphia vs. Boston = Philadelphia in 5 -- RESULT: Boston in 4

Conference Finals (Round 3)
Boston vs. Tampa Bay = Boston in 6 -- RESULT: BOSTON in 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Western Conference Quarterfinals (Round 1)
Vancouver (1) vs. Chicago (8) = Vancouver in 5 -- RESULT: VANCOUVER in 7
San Jose (2) vs. Los Angeles (7) = San Jose in 7 -- RESULT: SAN JOSE in 6
Detroit (3) vs. Phoenix (6) = Detroit in 4 -- RESULT: DETROIT in 4
Anaheim (4) vs. Nashville (5) = Anaheim in 7 -- RESULT: NASHVILLE in 6

Western Conference Semifinals (Round 2)
Vancouver vs. Nashville = Vancouver in 5 -- RESULT: VANCOUVER in 6
San Jose vs. Detroit = Detroit in 7 -- RESULT: SAN JOSE in 7

Western Conference Finals (Round 3)
Vancouver vs. San Jose = Vancouver in 6 -- RESULT: VANCOUVER in 5

LORD STANLEY'S CUP
Stanley Cup Finals
Boston vs. Vancouver = Vancouver in 6 -- RESULT: BOSTON in 7

Wow, didn't see this one coming. Vancouver was clearly the more skilled team. Boston has a bit more grit, and a stronger defense, but not nearly the offense. Thomas became the difference. A couple of bad games by Luongo, and a consistently solid performance from Thomas, and the Cup is Boston's. Congratulations Bruins!

Hockey Thoughts

We've had some time to live with the changes in hockey over the last few years, and I have some thoughts.

Rule Changes
I was very much in favor of the new rule changes in hockey after the lockout. Trapping schemes were a drag, and there was way too much clutching and grabbing going on. I thought the officials had been doing a good job of clamping down on this kind of stuff, but sadly I think they're back to allowing it again...and, what's worse is that it's very inconsistent. I still think they need to take the instigator rule out, or at least only enforce it in cases where a player goes WAY out of his way to instigate a fight AND it's not sticking up for one of his fellow players.

The change I'm really not sold on is the shootout. I agree that ending a game in a tie is not a real satisfying outcome. However, a shootout has very little to do with which team played a better game. It has to do with which players are good at breakaways and which goalies are good at stopping them. To me, this is even less satisfying than a tie. Having said that, I'm not sure there is a better solution. The best solution for fans would be to have them keep playing until one team wins. But that's not very realistic for these guys who are playing 82 games a year, often two nights in a row. Still, there has to be a better solution than the shootout.

Fighting
Please, oh please, don't ever take fighting out of hockey. Call it a brutish sport, call it a sad commentary on society, call it whatever you want. The sad fact is, fighting makes hockey better. Yes, there are fans who like fighting more than the rest of what happens on the ice. But more than that, it plays into a team's strategy. Any real hockey fan can cite myriad times that a good fight, won or lost, has changed the momentum - and often the outcome - of a game. We need to finally get rid of this ridiculous instigator rule once and for all, and let the players decide the game...with their fists, or with their goals. It's all part of the sport, and we shouldn't dumb it down for "possible new hockey fans" that don't "get it" in the first place. LET THEM FIGHT!