paravanes:meditations

 This Lent, I am reading Eric Metaxas ' magnificent biography of one of my spiritual godfathers, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In the passage below, Metaxas quotes from one of Bonhoeffer's letters to his brother-in-law, Rudiger Schleicher. Bonhoeffer, a religious conservative, offers his position on the centrality of scripture to Schleicher, a religious liberal. "First of all,  I will confess quite simply--I believe that the Bible alone is the answer to all our questions, and that we need only to ask repeatedly and a little humbly, in order the receive this answer. One cannot simply read the Bible, like other books. One must be prepared really to enquire of it. Only thus will it reveal itself. Only if we expect from it the ultimate answer, shall we receive it. That is because in the Bible God speaks to us. And one cannot simply think about God in one's own strength, one has to enquire of Him. Only if we seek him, will he answer us. Of course it is possible to read the...

“Turn my striving into works of grace…” This line, from a song in one of the newer collections of hymns by Keith and Kristyn Getty, reminds me: sometimes trying too hard is not a sign of spiritual depth, but a sign of fear that something will not work out the way I want. Do I believe God will hear my prayer more closely if I stay up “too late” or get up much too early to pray? Will these choices make me feel more spiritual than someone who prays during their lunch hour? Am I struggling to tolerate someone I live or work with, forcing a smile when I’d rather strike out? Do I say “Praise the Lord!” fifty times per day because I need to block the more colorful words that might emerge when I consider some constantly irritating, seemingly un-solvable circumstance? Do I pray over and over for the same thing because I believe God won’t take me seriously unless I endlessly repeat a single request? How willing am I to say this to God: “I am not sure what should happen in this situation...

If you are a Star Trek fan (like me), you recognize this phrase. Spoken by Vulcans when a friend or well- regarded person has suffered a loss, this phrase (“I grieve with thee”) is a way of saying “I recognize your sadness and suffering. I accept it as real and painful. Because we are friends, I am willing to let you have your pain and I am willing to share your pain with you.” I wish more Christians would use this phrase or something like it when a friend or family member suffers a loss, especially a death or disabling accident or disability. If you have spent much time around “church people”, you have probably heard one or more of these phrases: “God knows best.” “We loved him, but God loved him more.” “You can have another baby.” “God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.” “Who are we to question God?” “She’s with the angels now.” Please. Why do so many of us feel the need to fill the empty space in a room by speaking words that crush the need of a wounded pers...

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own..." -- 1 Corinthians 6:19 This guiding wisdom is powerful and life-changing. I am a temple of the Holy Spirit; I am a temple of God. How does a temple of God think? How does a temple of God speak? How does a temple of God pray? How does a temple of God share? If you are a Christian, you are a temple of God. If you are not a Christian, you can become a temple of God. How does the temple of God encounter difficulty? With grace and a patient heart willing to learn. How does the temple of God encounter blessing and prosperity? With grace, gratitude, and sharing. How does the temple of God encounter daily life? With optimism, based on God's power and not on human willpower or luck. I am a temple of God. Because of this, I am able to progress fully toward my intended purpose. If  I fail, it is my choice to fail. If I begi...

Christmas is a reminder we are completely worthy of God's love, regardless of what we have done and may do in the future. This is difficult to accept at times, because we have been conditioned to believe only those who are "good" are worthy of love. Perhaps it would be more correct to say only those who are "good" are usually loved by other humans. Everyone is loved by God. This defies reason. Why would God love someone who commits horrible crimes, or someone who denies the existence of God? God loves because that is God's nature. God can do nothing but love. We know that no human person falls into this category.  In our fallen state, we are capable of love, and we are also capable of great hatred and emnity.  We are dual-natured, not single natured. We can't understand the holy-ness (whole-ness) of God, who has only one nature. That nature is to love. One Bible teacher describes the incarnation this way: "God contracted to a span....

Let's be honest here. There are too many ways for someone who does not need to have a gun to have a gun in America. Many people, who call themselves Christians ---and probably are -- continue to insist on the rights of anyone not a known felon to purchase and own a variety of firearms, including assault weapons and similar items designed for warfare and for killing large numbers of people in a short period of time. I live in the state of Michigan. The Michigan legislature, in a "lame duck' session, has just voted to expand the number of public places where someone can legally possess a firearm. This list includes churches and schools. Why does this happen in America? We have a lot of history here. We are a nation that expanded geographically by committing genocide against the native inhabitants of the continent. We are a nation that expanded financially by buying and selling people from another continent and keeping them in lifetime, perpetual slavery for hun...

This line from the classic Christmas hymn, "O Holy Night", tells us Jesus breaks chains and fixes broken and distorted relationships. How does He do this? The breaking of chains involves stress. I remember this from my elementary grade level science classes. In these classes, we studied the basic machines and principles related to machines. We learned how stress creates change when worked upon certain materials. Faced with enough stress,  the chain will break. Am I seeking the breaking of chains in my life without accepting the stress that may accompany that freedom? Have I declared myself "blessed and highly favored" without understanding how this designation may mean that I will endure pains beyond normal, so  I can faithfully and reliably and honestly testify to others how God can heal and overcome and restore anything that's broken in life? Am I willing to live these experiences so that I can lead and guide others who seek to know this truth? ...