Blog with Matthew

Ecclesiastes and Counseling

I have been thinking of writing a blog on "4 reasons why I do not blog."  But, before I get to that, I wanted to share my article in Soul and Spirit:

Ecclesiastes and the Mess of Life: Good Therapy for the Fixer

Enjoy!

Thought you would enjoy this way-cool video review of Faithful Feelings.

Counting Atheists On African Puddle Jumpers

Spent the day in the airport yesterday.  I guess our plane took a bird in the engine on its descent into Kigali and was not able to make it back to Nairobi to pick us up.  So I was at the airport from about 7 AM to 4.  I met two groups who were on my plane, waiting with me.  And, by the way, hats off to Kenyan Airways; they fed and took care of us very well the entire day.  One family was visiting a daughter who has taken two years to serve at training center in the bush and the other was a church group from Washington state coming to do work and teaching in Rwanda.  Great people, and really nice to be surrounded by fellow believers when I am starting to miss Laura and my kids a bit more as the days go by.  Thinking of that, I was also on the plane next to a logistics manager from World Vision a week or so back.  She works to get donated goods to needy places around the world.

That got me to thinking.  I have met many, and I mean many, evangelical believers in Africa in airports and planes across Africa giving of themselves for this great continent.  Interesting aside -  the vast majority of these were Christians who believed in the absolute power and authority of the Word of God.

Have I ever met an atheist doing the same?  Even a single one?

Simple answer, “Nope!”

While stuck in the airport yesterday, I met a girl from US meeting her boyfriend to have fun.  I met a South African banker building his business in Ghana a few weeks back.  I met a man who sets up satellite communication systems for US Embassies around the world in the tiny airport in Sierra Leone last month – he was all about flying first class and what airlines had the best service. 

But these little planes, flying from one African country to another are full of Christians doing God’s work.  There are no atheists, there are no godless humanitarians giving like this to serve in a part of the world that is too far from them to matter enough to act.  OK, OK, there are some, there are many I am sure.  But I have not met one.  The numbers must be tiny compared with those motivated by the love of God – those people are the ones filling up the planes across Africa.

Our faith works.  “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died;” Paul writes to the Corinthians.  It is only the radical and amazing love of God giving us a love for others - the fact that Jesus died for others just as he died for us - that consistently motivates people to give up comfortable lives in nations of wealth to serve in the most needy parts of the world.  That is the power of the gospel.

Things I Never Needed

  When we bought our mini van almost 10 years ago - now approaching 140,000 miles - I thought it had a useless feature, this power door that opened and shut with a button.  It just came with a van that was a good deal.  We were tough enough to open our own doors!  Little did I know that it would become one of my favorite features.  Toddlers cannot handle heavy van doors, and letting the kids out would have meant endless trips around the car to open the door - this was all avoided with the power door...

When we bought our vacuum cleaner it had this light thing in the front.  I thought "That light is useless, why would I pay extra for that."  The guy said, lots of people like it.  That was not going to be me.  Now, 7 years later, I cannot tell you how many Lego pieces have been saved from being sucked into the void by that useless light on the vacuum.  Now, I would look for a light on a vacuum for my next purchase.

I have found God is like that too.  So often, he has not given what I prayed for, longed for, thought I needed.  Instead, God gave me what I actually needed before I even knew I needed it.  Oh the joys of being his child, it is good to trust him.

Feeling Your Faith

Had a good time writing a post for Scot McKnight at The Jesus Creed.  Thanks for the privilege Scot.  You can enjoy Scot's blog and join the conversation here: Feeling Your Faith.

A Prayer for Jos

We are watching with very heavy hearts the religious violence in Jos, Nigeria.  The latest genocide took place just four miles from Oasis' Africa Headquarters.  

For a good update, see the report from the BBC.

I was humbled and encouraged to receive this prayer, prayed at staff meeting the day after the killing.  Please pray this with me today for Jos, Nigeria where so many are suffering

Lord, where are you?
If you do not protect us, who can we turn to?
Our thoughts are unworthy of you. Your ways are not our ways.
But we do not understand why you have allowed this.

Ultimately, we know the source. It is the Prince of Darkness.
He desires death, destruction, despair, deception and bondage.
Fear is a potent weapon in his arsenal.
As we read, when he lies—and those abound—he is speaking his native language.
It matters not if you are a child of the light or of the darkness.
He will destroy both without regard to his victim’s loyalty.

We appeal to the creator of all, Lord of life, love, liberty and truth.
Perfect love overcomes fear.
Light overcomes the darkness. Truth overpowers lies.
Come and protect us.
Who do we have besides you in heaven and on earth?
Where else can we go to find life and strength?
By your power, honor and glorify your name in Jos and in our lives.

Sincerity and Feeling

Rich Asks:  What do you think about sincerity? If someone "acts on the truth despite a lack of feeling," are they really being sincere?

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts Rich!  You are asking a very good and, I think, deep question.  It merits thought and attention.  For now, what I would say is that you can be sincere in believing the truth even when not feeling the thing in your heart.  As we can believe the death of a loved-one is somehow related to Romans 8:28 when we have no possible understanding how, and do not understand the truth with and through our feelings.  Then we have sincerity by believing God AND admitting our struggle and questions.  To be insincere is to smile and say I totally feel Romans 8:28 in my heart in the midst of the grief when you do not.  So sincerity is about honesty, not about emotion matching perfectly what we believe to be true.  Over time, the degree of the match will improve as we dig and struggle and live out of the truth.  That is what we are striving for, and that striving is sincere.

Mind and Emotion

Jenessa writes:

Hi there...I agree that we need balance. I am a bit confused about the way that the Holy Spirit transforms us.  The Bible says, 'be transformed by the renewing of your minds." Is this in isolation of our emotions being transformed and balanced and put into right perspective?

 Janessa,

Thanks so much for your thoughtful question.  I would argue that the renewing of the mind includes the emotions, as emotions are part of the mind.  The Hebraic mindset really saw the mind as referring more to a holistic you rather than the western idea of just reason and logic.  The word does speak to the intellect in my view, but this is not intellect separate from emotion as we often see it in our modern world.  So the renewal is very much connected to the emotions.  Further, as emotions are linked with thinking, as we renew the way we think, the emotions will also naturally be renewed – although it may take some time to sink down deep.  When are emotions are transforming is when we can know that the truth is making its way deep into us.

Having an Interlude? Thoughts on Psalm 44.

Mostly I wanted to share this Psalm and let is speak for itself, but I will add a few thoughts here and there.  The Psalmist seems to start out so positive, so pumped about God and all he does for us.  There are no illusions of power; we do not accomplish anything in our strength.  God must be the one that fights for us.  The author knows who God is and the history of His work among the people.  Read on for the Interlude that changes everything…

 

O God, we have heard it with our own ears—

                         our ancestors have told us

             of all you did in their day,

                         in days long ago:

              You drove out the pagan nations by your power

                         and gave all the land to our ancestors.

             You crushed their enemies

                         and set our ancestors free.

             They did not conquer the land with their swords;

                         it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory.

             It was your right hand and strong arm

                         and the blinding light from your face that helped them,

                         for you loved them.

             You are my King and my God.

                         You command victories for Israel.

             Only by your power can we push back our enemies;

                         only in your name can we trample our foes.

             I do not trust in my bow;

                         I do not count on my sword to save me.

             You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies;

                         you disgrace those who hate us.

             O God, we give glory to you all day long

                         and constantly praise your name.

 

                                                 Interlude

 

How quickly things can change with some tough times.  We face an interlude of devastation and the questions start, Eight verses of praise turn into fifteen of groaning and questions.  A dear friends of ours lost their daughter to a drunk driver this summer, a single mom we love has just lost her job and does not know what is next for her and her five kids, my colleague in Nigeria died a month ago of a heart attack that shocked everyone.  How is that for some Interludes?  Hear the hurt and frustration get poured out to God.  Can you feel the heart bursting out in pain and sorrow?

 

             But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor.

                         You no longer lead our armies to battle.

              You make us retreat from our enemies

                         and allow those who hate us to plunder our land.

             You have butchered us like sheep

                         and scattered us among the nations.

             You sold your precious people for a pittance,

                         making nothing on the sale.

             You let our neighbors mock us.

                         We are an object of scorn and derision to those around us.

             You have made us the butt of their jokes;

                         they shake their heads at us in scorn.

             We can’t escape the constant humiliation;

                         shame is written across our faces.

             All we hear are the taunts of our mockers.

                         All we see are our vengeful enemies.

             All this has happened though we have not forgotten you.

                         We have not violated your covenant.

             Our hearts have not deserted you.

                         We have not strayed from your path.

             Yet you have crushed us in the jackal’s desert home.

                         You have covered us with darkness and death.

             If we had forgotten the name of our God

                         or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods,

             God would surely have known it,

                         for he knows the secrets of every heart.

             But for your sake we are killed every day;

                         we are being slaughtered like sheep.

             Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep?

                         Get up! Do not reject us forever.

             Why do you look the other way?

                         Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression?

             We collapse in the dust,

                         lying face down in the dirt.

             Rise up! Help us!

                         Ransom us because of your unfailing love.

 

Interludes are not always about mistakes we have made, sins we have committed – we may very well be able to argue our case from the standpoint of the righteous.  And sometimes God waits beyond what we think we are able to bare.  If you have not hit an Interlude like this, chances are you will because life can be really hard.  Or perhaps you are in one right now.  Pour out your questions, express your hurt.  Do it.  But do it in the context of God, put it in the frame of who God is, how He has acted in the past, and your expectations of His deliverance in the future.  Challenge God to act out of who you know He is as savior and deliverer, your only hope.  He will be faithful, even after an Interlude.

Walk the Dog

I have noticed something interesting about our dog, Buddy.  Very simply, the less he walks, the less he wants to walk.  A typical day for buddy involves six to ten hours of resting, napping, lying up-side-down legs outstretched - mostly on the couch he is allowed to lay on.  He gets up just to change resting

positions.  This is especially true now, with our kids back in school.

 

When I am home, I do my best to take him on one fast and vigorous walk of at least a mile, often two.  Here is the catch, when he misses a day or two he gets even more lazy.  When we force him to be active, he gets even more active.  He can go through a whole day, only occasionally getting up to bark at a chipmunk, without showing any interest in being playful and energetic.  But take Buddy for a walk, and as soon as were done, he wants to play ball, tug-of-war or “chaise my tail.”

 

Energy breeds energy, laziness breeds laziness.

 

Now I know where you think I am going with this.  It has been so long since I have written a blog…  but I hope that is due to maximum activity in other areas not laziness – but your thought would be more than justified. 

 

I have been thinking about Buddy and walks and I guess my point is just this, when we do the things we were created to do, when we get the spiritual, emotional and relational exercise we need it makes us crave more.  Doing what is good for us gives fulfillment and energy and makes us realize our need to get out and live.  Doing nothing breeds doing nothing.

 

So when I think of taking a day off from working out my body, feeding my mind, or meditating for my soul I need to consider Buddy.  Is this getting needed rest – if so great; or will I be gaining energy and momentum by doing the thing that seems to require more of me?  More often than not, if I get moving it creates the energy to keep on moving.  And for those all-important spiritual disciplines, this lesson from Buddy gives me a good reason to continue to set the alarm to get up in time to read and pray.