Tag: Christianity

a matter of faith

Yesterday, I stumbled on some unlikely (for me) reading about Tim Tebow. I have tried to stay away from all the noise, because I don’t want to feed a monster. But, this article does more than diagnose a media phenomenon – Chuck Klosterman looks at why people are so passionate about whatever side they’ve chosen to take in the Tebow Controversy of 2011, of which I claim neutral status.

Here’s how he sums up his rather lengthy article,

The crux here, the issue driving this whole “Tebow Thing,” is the matter of faith. It’s the ongoing choice between embracing a warm feeling that makes no sense or a cold pragmatism that’s probably true. And with Tebow, that illogical warm feeling keeps working out. It pays off. The upside to secular thinking is that — in theory — your skepticism will prove correct. Your rightness might be emotionally unsatisfying, but it confirms a stable understanding of the universe. Sports fans who love statistics fall into this camp. People who reject cognitive dissonance build this camp and find the firewood. But Tebow wrecks all that, because he makes blind faith a viable option. His faith in God, his followers’ faith in him — it all defies modernity. This is why people care so much. He is making people wonder if they should try to believe things they don’t actually believe.

(Read the rest here)

I think Klosterman hits the nail square on its head when he suggests the real root of anti-Tebow angst is not his presence in the media or his specific religious affiliation. The real root of all this angry noise is a universal discomfort of the other. Tebow, a sports anomaly, appears to truly believe that there is a power greater than his offensive line and a plan beyond that of the Super Bowl… and he hasn’t biffed any interview to reveal otherwise.

Again, not necessarily a Tebow fan or non-fan, but I think this informal social study points to an uncomfortable result from the impressive intellectual advances of modern and post-modern thought. Your average Joe would rather support other average Joe sports icons who trust in their abilities alone to get the job done. But this is more than sports (also as Klosterman points out). Though it limits possibilities, we are willing to ex-communicate a divine presence because we would rather believe outcomes are within our control (good or bad). Believing otherwise means we would have to do some serious soul searching.

If Tebow is really as transparent as he seems, if there is no gnarly skeleton in his locker, if he does believe all he claims, then sports fans might have to start thinking seriously about the forever post-game.

There are countless historical examples of this same universal discomfort that arises when someone of irrefutable character makes a bold statement by a life that points to something else. I think of Bonhoeffer.

This man had the pedigree for greatness – he had family ties, academic prowess, and a determination that would make (dare I say) Tebow seem like a nursery rhyme. He studied hard, gathered degrees, and decided to pursue the ministry (in his day, a respected career, but an unlikely one for a man so bright and gifted).

But he had something I can’t quite put my finger on, something that weaves life with theology in a way they can’t be separated.

I call it viviology because I can’t find a better word.

This viviology is not a gimmick. It’s not something you see on Sunday or at speaking engagements. When Bonhoeffer was working with adolescent ruffians in Wedding, very few people noticed. His life was not a show, it was just life. I imagine if I could ask Bonhoeffer why he worked so hard with that confirmation class or why he poured so much into the discipleship of young men, he would say, “What else is there to do?”

Being “radical” or a “standout” is really not something we should have to add to “Christian.” C.S. Lewis once described in Weight of Glory our duty as Christians to always operate with a mindset of war. We are always accountable to our commander, always looking to be useful, and never looking for praise for what comes naturally with the job description as soldier.

God shouldn’t have to qualify our calling by saying He wants us to be “radical” Christians. When Christ said, “Follow me,” the calling was filled to fullness. There is no room for lukewarm and no room for additional meaning. The only kind of calling to follow Christ is one that consumes every fiber and fills every motion. The Christian calling is one alive and breathing, with the air of gratitude filling our lungs. A life of faith is not one that can be neatly sliced and served up in reasonable portions.

A life of Christian faith is just life – all of it.
And that’s a big statement.

I certainly didn’t set out thinking I had this much to say, but we surprise ourselves sometimes!

let LOVE fly like cRaZy

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Posted on by Caroline 1

now is the season of our content

Now is the season of our content, made glorious by this Son of Man.

If you’re not up on 14th century Shakespearean references, let me put it this way: I’m overwhelmed by this season called content, made glorious by God who made Himself humble so we could be made whole.

Not “content” like the subject of an essay or the the topic of a seminar, but “content” like a peaceful state.

Facing winter is not necessarily a peaceful idea, after living in Honduras for three years. I have resigned to the fact that, for the amount of layers I must wear, winter will simply not be an attractive season. My bones feel brittle and only thaw out under multiple thick blankets about the time I have to climb out from under them in the morning. I will always, always drink a scorching hot cup of coffee at the expense of a burnt mouth if it means circulating a little warmth.

No, the cold winter months do not naturally bring contentment.

Thankfully, this season of content began with a joy safely hidden away in a deep place that made things like driving a tractor an adventure and a blessing.

Today is the second day at my job – the answer to many, many prayers and the conclusion to a humbling, cross-country, beautiful, and tiresome search.

The funny/wonderful thing is that I don’t have that “I didn’t realize I was holding my breath this whole time” sensation where if I hadn’t gasped for air I might not have made it. I’m pumped to work in ministry and live with open eyes for the ways God has called me to live intentionally, but not because I’ve been waiting with bated breath for an assignment.

The Lord provided, in His grace, so many reassurances of His sovereignty along the way  (jobs, community, fellowship, friends, laughter) that I couldn’t question His method (or timing).

My own broken record of advice to students (stolen from several places) was always, “Enjoy life. Pursue the Lord and you will pursue the greatest Treasure. Love God so much that you are ruined for anything else. The greatest joy you will ever find is hidden in the mystery of grace – the Son of Man.”

It is this advice that played over and over in my head in those solitary days farming the corn fields in a tractor and the hours spent staring at job listings on a computer screen.

It is this Truth that the Lord is gracious and sovereign that buoyed the deep joy of my soul above the rough waters of transition.

It is with Paul I strive to say that contentment is always possible – in every season and circumstance because there is not a day when He is not victorious.

let LOVE fly like cRazY,
my friends!

Posted on by Caroline 3

Grace > Gratitude > Joy

Spurred on by the thoughts of Ann Voskamp, I love exploring the connection in the words of gratitude and grace and joy.

I’ve reflected on the Latin connection of grace and thanks, when I discovered they are nearly the same word in Spanish (gracia and gracias). The added element of JOY could not make more sense in my personal experience of Christ ALIVE in my life.

Voskamp writes about the greek word eucharisteo,

It means thanksgiving in Greek. My life’s struggling to pronounce it, that word that’s set like the unexpected crown jewel in the center of Christianity, right there at the Last Supper before the apex of the Cross. When Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks for it, that’s the word for his giving thanks: eucharisteo. It’s like a language lesson: in that word for thanksgiving, eucharisteo, are the roots of charis, grace, and chara, joy. If you can take all as grace, give thanks for it, therein is always joy.  Eucharisteo –  grace, gratitude, joy – one word that God in flesh acted out when he took the cup.

It’s like sitting in the eye doctor’s chair and thinking there is intentional sabotage in play, until he hits your visionary sweet spot and everything becomes crystal clear. The fuzzy shapes and letters become distinct lines with distinct meaning.

In this case, eucharisteo allows us to really see Christ and His provision through grace, our response through gratitude, and His invitation to joy.

Christ is our provision of grace.

Our response is thanksgiving.

The result is joy in His presence.

Do you need another cause to be merry?

happy Saturday, my lovely friends!
let LOVE fly like cRaZy

Posted on by Caroline 3

singing with the angels

I love December.

I love everything about it (if I stay away from malls, television ads, and wear many layers).

I especially love how every year something that should never be in my periphery moves into full focus. I’m always a bit surprised that it hasn’t been there the whole time; always a bit ashamed that it has to move into a place of higher importance; always a bit sad when I realize what I’ve been missing.

Christ.

Christ comes into focus and I take it all in with big eyes like He might vanish. Though I know He won’t, I revel in the anticipation and wonder of this season because Christ as my focus means being living fully alive.

December reminds me I have an open invitation to sing with the angels and this song says it well,  Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

Have you unpacked these words, friends – these words that reclaim what we’ve been so cavalier about the rest of the year? These are the lines my heart is singing today. These are the melodies that come into focus and fill my December with gratitude, longing, and the most beautiful joy.

My favorite verses may not be what the carolers are singing at your door , but they are so deep and filled with wonder.

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Can you hear it? Can you hear the longing – Christ is the Desire of nations, the fulfillment to many, many years of longing, the salvation and only hope over evil? We are ruined by sin, but restored by His might and work on the cross. With Christ as my righteousness, I am now joined forever with my Savior!

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

There is a rumbling in my soul that bursts out in song and celebration proclaiming these truths! Everything that Adam failed to do as the first man, Christ accomplished with perfection. We are reinstated to a place where we have no right to stand. With a holy cry, I pray today that Christ’s image is stamped in place of my flesh – that all may hear and see and wonder at the mighty work of the Lord!

Sing, friends! Sing, today with the angels this song of praise and glorious joy!

let LOVE fly like cRaZy

Posted on by Caroline 2

Advent Reflections

As I jump from couch to couch, my spirit is unsettled in this season. I am not anxious or worried or tired because of my circumstance (I actually thrive in surprises and unknowns). No, my spirit is longing for Jesus.

As He is singing over me, my songs respond in earnest with a yearning to be closer, held in the sovereign and sufficient hands of my Savior.

Here are some beautiful advent reflections, if you’re in the mood for thinking further…

Advent Prayer Requests by Brett McCracken show a beautiful plea for the Lord’s returning.

If you want to read something that seems spun in wonder instead of penned, check out Ann Voskamp’s reflection What if We Renamed Christmas.

The Advent Book is a resource that has me at “an experience that brings anticipation to every day of advent.”

Here’s an advent devotional guide from Desiring God and Noel Piper.

I’m reflecting a bit tonight (this morning) on the nomadic life of Christ and how His home was Himself. He brought home around in His presence and then invited people in. He made His face a shining welcome and never turned anyone away. Christ invites us to understand what it means to abide in Him – to live in His presence, experience His joy, and be overwhelmed by gratitude because we do not deserve His company.

Advent is about Christ making Himself nothing so we can be made perfect in Him. And through Him, we stand before God with crazy thanksgiving and unashamed freedom.

Come, Lord Jesus. Come.

let LOVE fly like cRaZy

Posted on by Caroline 1

this & that

How was your thanksgiving?

I could barely catch my breath, I was so thankful. Every time I turned around, there was a new reason.

Whew. Now, I’m back in the swing (if you call couch hopping and random working and disorganized packing for a move a “swing”) and I wanted to give you a few things to read.

  • C.S. Lewis was born yesterday. One of the most amazing people I never knew… well, except in a literary sense. I imagine I’ll hang out with him one day in heaven, though. Here’s a little article about the man over at Desiring God.
  • I’m sure I’ve talked about Ann Voskamp before, no? Well, now you are officially introduced. She has a book “a thousand gifts” that I’ve started and it is beautiful! She also has a blog and this showed up a couple days ago – like words I might pen about Losing our Language. Check it out (and also her book)!
  • I don’t ever feel the need to make to make the topics of “Christians” and “Alcohol” the center of debate, but if it finds its way there on its own – I’ll bite. This article, “Christians and Alcohol” by Challies is an interesting take.
  • This last one isn’t a link as much as an idea that I can’t wait to see develop. It’s not a new idea, just one I shared with my good friend Alejandra over Thanksgiving and she is equally excited about it. We had some of the most amazing conversations about how we can encourage men to be real men – those who pursue after God with their whole heart. Since we parted, we’ve been updating on new ways that have opened for us to do just that. I’m pumped to see how God will send us opportunities for encouragement!

I know this isn’t extensive, but I had to get SOMETHING up before the piles in my mind didn’t make any sense.

let LOVE fly like cRaZy

Posted on by Caroline 0

living in a miracle

I’m taking a crash course in living right now from one of the loveliest ladies I know. I’m following my textbook around as she lives and a more riveting account of a life you will not find.

I’ve always been told the best classroom is life itself, but I’ve never learned quite like this. This living autobiography dabbles in comedy and tragedy, philosophy and religion, history and modern culture. I’m flipping through pages like crazy in these days and overwhelmed that what follows is always just as genuine as what came before.

As we’re climbing over rocks or talking with protestors on the street, she’s not satisfied to accept an expected explanation. She’s a digger and she doesn’t stop until she hits gold, whether the topic is parties or pleasures or philosophies. And she doesn’t make things up, either, to make the digging easier. She does her research until arriving at a conclusion that fits the weight of the question and then she holds that conclusion humbly.

This girl’s life is not full of roses and robust resolution, but it is authentic (in the innocent sense we lost when “authentic” became fashionable) and it is teaching me great Truths.

Life is full of miracles.
Currently I’m living in a miracle called, “God transforms a life.”

let LOVE fly like cRaZy

Who are some of your favorite teachers of life? 

Posted on by Caroline 1

Occupy Life: Ale

I’m doing this series called Occupy Life where I focus on sometimes small and sometimes giant moments that make up the days of our lives. We are all occupying physical time and space (whether you are passionate about it or not) every single day the sun rises and every night when it sets. So, what if we started thinking about our every moment as a statement – as our purpose with a proverbial picket line? Here’s number three.

I’m not sleeping.

No, really. I woke up this morning and I said, “I think little animals could hide in the bags under my eyes.”

Ale (pronounced AH-LEH, by the way) told me on our way out the door today, “I do think the no sleep is catching up with me… but I don’t care – we just have too much to talk about is the problem!”

I agree. Not a moment wasted.

Yesterday (and early into the morning), Alejandra and I occupied life with questions like, “What drives you?” and “Is it possible to love Chemistry and ministry at the same time?” and then processing conversations about the ways Christians can close doors in conversations instead of open them. We occupied life like a waterfall occupies a cliff – with words tripping over words and questions following answers.

Even with ten days full of almost non-stop, catching up conversation, we both talk like this minute is the last one we could analyze things together. When a good idea or a solution to a question or a realization or a dream happens, our eyes get real big and we purse our lips like what we just said is almost too good to bring down to the level of words. It’s like finding a treasure and then being physically unable to do anything but gesture wildly and squeal silently in excitement.

This morning, as we were getting ready, she said, “I have an idea – we can do a devotion after my class,” because on the first night (as we talked nearly in to our sleep), she told me, “This is very weird… usually I do two devotions every night – I promise! It’s just that I don’t know where to find the time because of our talks!”

The problem is legitimate, but as she said it this morning, I started to form a philosophy about how our time is woven together with the Lord. Yesterday, we hit up the life of Job, Paul’s letter to the church at Thessalonica, and our calling as children of God – all in between and around our adventures and mixed in with a lot of laughter and serious pondering. So, I was forming this idea of “doing devotions” as we occupy the steps of life – carrying around the Word like it’s written right on our hearts and hidden in a treasure chest in our minds. I was forming this idea and Ale says,

“Miss, I have an idea. I think we don’t make a time for devotions because we are the devotions… like we do a devotion all day long.”

Not only was I excited that we both arrived at the same conclusion, but my heart lept with joy that we both believe a relationship with the Lord is alive and active and occupies our souls 24/7. The words from Scripture jump into our conversations and mix in with our laughter and inform our philosophies about how the world turns.

The process is always as beautiful as the conclusion – like the thrill of preparing a delicious cupcake and then serving it to someone to enjoy. Both the preparation and the presentation are equally satisfying (as the chef).

This is an example of an occupied life where every moment is oh-so-delicious!

Posted on by Caroline 10

“The only Christian work is good work, well done”

My days seem to only get more random. I know that sounds strange, coming from someone who most recently drove a tractor for work, but it’s true. I have a high tolerance for random schedules, but this ordeal is making even me a little fidgety.

So, I’m starting this day simple, with this reminder from Dorothy Sayers,

“The only Christian work is good work, well done.”

If I’m ever confused or disheartened or worried about what exactly is work, I just remember this. I must do whatever is before me and I must do it well, because doing it any other way would be, well, not Christian work at all.

There’s really no other option. We’re made in the image of a Creator who was only capable of good work, well done. And we are redeemed (after royally messing up) by a Savior who accomplished the greatest work perfectly on the cross so that we can set out to do good work well for the glory of our Father and with the greatest joy.

(sigh)

Wednesday, hit me with your best shot.

let LOVE fly like cRaZy

Posted on by Caroline 0

this & that

Another lovely list for a bunch of lovely folks.

  • This is just plain, good sense from Paul David Tripp about how Anger is Essential.
  • I referred to David Schrock yesterday, but if you didn’t jet over to see his series on Gospel Logic, then you should DEFINITELY check it out!
  • I keep loving the excerpts I am reading from Jared Wilson’s new book “Gospel Wakefulness,” so I keep sending you to check it out for yourself. Here’s another snapshot from DesiringGod.org and Crossway that seems to connect to my recent thoughts on Occupying Life!
  • Do you like music? Do you think about music a lot? Do you analyze why you like certain music and not other certain music? There is a great article (Zombies, Wine, and Christian Music) written at the gungor (that’s a band, by the way) website that I hope will prompt a lot of discussion about music… specifically Christian music. They just put out a new album, by the way, “Ghosts Upon the Earth.”
Hm. Well, that’s about it for now.
Oh, and I’m still listening to this:
Posted on by Caroline 0