A Thin Green Line

Thoughts on the Sabbath School lesson for 2.25.12

I am a Christian who believes that God created everything in six literal days and then literally rested on the seventh day. Having said that, I’m not sure that I’ve spent enough time thinking about how that should shape my interactions with the things that God created in, say, the first five days of Creation week.

That doesn’t mean that I’m in favor of strip-mining or mowing down the rain forest or anything like that, it’s just that I’ve never really thought about EVERYTHING coming from God’s own hand. 

Think about it for a minute.  God made it and then asked Adam and Eve to take care of it.  What was there to take care of?  Adam and Eve hadn’t sinned yet, so what was there to tend? 

Then there are verses like this one: 

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” Genesis 1:26-28 NKJV

People read the words “have dominion over” and “subdue it” and decide that we have the right to do absolutely anything at all to the planet and not worry about what the consequences might be.  I’m pretty sure though, that showing Creation who’s boss, is not what the Creator had in mind..

On a very small scale, it might be like when my aunt and uncle would go on their medical missionary trips every year.  They would ask me to “take care of things” while they were gone.  That meant water the indoor plants, feed the cat, and generally keep an eye on things.

What if, while they were gone, I decided that they didn’t need all those plants and pulled up half of them or that they needed a dog instead of a cat?  My aunt and uncle would not be pleased with my stewardship of their home, would they?

Does being stewards of Creation mean that we should value it above other humans or even God, Himself?  It seems kind of odd that, in general, the environmentalist movement is primarily made up of individuals who believe that life is governed by belief in the phrase, “survival of the fittest.”  While those of us who believe a loving Creator made the earth and everything in it for us, His children, really don’t get too worked up over saving the snail darter or whatever.

Shouldn’t we be the leading advocates for Creation and caring for the planet?  Is there a way to honor God by taking good of everything He made without putting His creation ahead of Him?

“The message reverberates through culture beckons us to ‘go green’ because we will look better and feel better and fit in …. [But as followers of Christ] we have deeper reasons to go green. We serve the Creator of the planet …. He created the earth and took the time to tell us his plan for it. The God of the universe has given us the great task of caring for our planet …. We have an operating manual for our planet right in front of us in the Bible, and we must allow that manual to change our thinking and behavior.” [1]Do we consider ourselves part of God’s plan for taking care of His Creation? Or are we here to get all we can out of it?  Did you know that God gave instructions that would have helped avoid the dustbowl of the early twentieth century?  It’s called (Are you ready for this?) the “Law of the Sabbaths.”

“Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove.” Exodus 23:10-11

Verse 12 goes on to remind folks to let their work animals rest on the weekly Sabbaths as well.  Interesting, the Sabbath is made for man, and man is then supposed to make sure that that little piece of creation stays healthy by sharing Sabbath rest with his animals and his land.

Imagine what might happen if one day out of seven, all unnecessary worked stopped.  What effect would that have on energy consumption and air pollution? Do you think it would be significant?  I don’t know, maybe?  I’m pretty sure it won’t happen, though.  Why? The same reason it quit happening in the first place.  Humans are selfish.

“Selfishness consists in dethroning reason from the seat of government and enthroning blind desire in opposition to it. Selfishness is always and by necessity unreasonable. It is a denial of that divine attribute that allies human beings to God and makes us capable of virtue. Selfishness dethrones reason and sinks human beings to the level of a brute. ...“It is a contempt for the voice of God within in him, and a deliberate trampling down of the sovereignty of his own intelligence. Shame on selfishness! It dethrones human reason, would dethrone the Divine mind and would place blind lust upon the throne of the universe.”[2]

Selfishness causes us to abuse the gifts God has given us, even the planet we live on.  Our selfishness has brought us to a place where we value ourselves, our wants and desires about anyone or anything else. We value our planet only for what we can get out of it. We don’t even value human life if it stands between us and something we want.  Our greed even causes us to injure our own bodies as we consume too much of the wrong things just because we want them, not because we need them.

As Christians we are in the unique position of protecting God’s Creation.  We know its true importance.  We aren’t caring for one random rock floating in random galaxy formed when a random star exploded.  We are stewards of an extravagant gift made especially for us by our God who loves us.  Every atom, every molecule was formed by His own hand and still bear His finger prints.

“… it was sin which marred God’s perfect work; …thorns and thistles, sorrow and pain and death, are all the result of disobedience to God. … see how the earth, though marred with the curse of sin, still reveals God’s goodness. The green fields, the lofty trees, the glad sunshine, the clouds, the dew, the solemn stillness of the night, the glory of the starry heavens, and the moon in its beauty all bear witness of the Creator. Not a drop of rain falls, not a ray of light is shed on our unthankful world, but it testifies to the forbearance and love of God.”[3]

Many of us would like to think that we don’t have to worry about the world around us because Jesus is coming soon.  But even before sin, Adam and Eve were to tend the Garden, what makes us think that we are any less responsible now?

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[1] Jonathon Merritt, Green Like God (FaithWords, 2010)

[2] Charles G. Finney in Principles of Love. Christianity Today, Vol. 36, no. 4.

[3] Ellen G. White, Testimonies of the Church, Volume 6, p 358

Holy Ground

Thoughts on the Sabbath School lesson for 2.18.12

How many hours of sleep do you get on an average night?  Do you get the full eight, or do you feel lucky to get five?  How many hours a week do you work (for pay)? How many more do you work at home? Do you ever feel really rested? I heard someone remembering being young and hating being told to go to bed … and wishing that someone would order him to bed now that he’s grown. 

Do you think our tiredness is really about lack of sleep, though? Yes, I know, people who live in “First World” countries tend to be sleep deprived, but is that really the issue? Maybe partly, but I believe we’re talking more about rest than about actual sleep.

Do you know that there’s a store in the Mall of America where you can buy a nap? (Well, there was one in 2005, anyway.  Don’t know if it’s still there.) Really, in this store, for a mere 70 cents a minute, patrons can, well nap, obviously, but they can also choose to 

“Escape the pressures of the real world into the pleasures of an ideal one.… listen to music, put their feet up, watch the water trickling in the beautiful stone waterfall, … and just take an enjoyable escape from the fast-paced lifestyle."[1]

I’m not sure that if I were paying 70 cents a minute, I could get real relaxed, but maybe that’s just me.  Anyway, I’m thinking just getting more rest is really the solution either.  I believe that our Creator knew what our minds and bodies needed and He provided for those needs when He created Adam and Eve.

Think about this for a second:  Adam and Eve were less than 24 hours old when God made the first Sabbath. 

“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” Genesis 2:1-3 NKJV

There was no stress in their lives, no sin, no weakness, absolutely no physical need for rest. God certainly didn’t need any rest. Could it be that even without sin, humans weren’t complete without time spent building a relationship with their Creator? Even in a perfect world where Adam and Eve could speak to God face to face anytime, they needed a day that was “set apart?”  I think so.

I believe that everything God does is for our good, and Sabbath is no different. God didn’t make any other day holy; He didn’t even name any of the other days. It’s interesting to me that so many people can blithely forget something that God, Himself told us to remember.

“‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. … For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.’” Exodus 20:8-11 NKJV

When God blessed and made holy the Sabbath, He made it different from the other days.  I believe that if we are obedient, God will fill the Sabbath hours with an extra measure of His presence.  The Ark of the Covenant held the Mercy Seat that held the Shekinah Glory, the presence of the Lord.  It was set apart in the Most Holy Place of the earthly sanctuary.  The Burning Bush is another example of God making something holy because of His presence.  Remember what God said to Moses? 

“So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!’“And he said, ‘Here I am.’“Then He said, ‘Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.’”  Exodus 3:4-5

I believe that the Sabbath is Holy Ground.  And just like Moses sensed the holiness of the area around the burning bush, and the Israelites understood the sanctity of the earthly sanctuary, we should feel the specialness of the Sabbath hours.

One author describes how special the Sabbath felt to him when he was a child:  

“When my mother lit the Sabbath candles, I would feel, almost physically, the Sabbath coming in, being welcomed, descending like a soft mantle over the earth. I imagined, too, that this occurred all over the universe—the Sabbath descending on far-off star systems and galaxies, enfolding them all in the peace of God.”[2]

Isn’t that a beautiful way to think of the Sabbath hours?

“But,” you say, “Saturday doesn’t feel any different than any other day of the week to me.”  Well, maybe that’s because we’ve forgotten what it feels like to stand on Holy Ground.

“It [the Sabbath] belongs to Christ.... Since He made all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial of the work of creation. It points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier. It declares that He who created all things in heaven and in earth, and by whom all things hold together, is the head of the church, and that by His power we are reconciled to God. For, speaking of Israel, He said, ‘I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them’—make them holy. Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ’s power to make us holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying power, the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the Israel of God....           And every object in nature repeats His invitation, “‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ Matthew 11:28.”[3]

“All heaven is keeping the Sabbath, … On this day every energy of the soul should be awake, for are we not to meet with God and with Christ our Saviour? We may behold Him by faith. He is longing to refresh and bless every soul. …“The Sabbath is God’s time. He sanctified and hallowed the seventh day. He set it apart for man to keep as a day of worship.“We need to cherish and cultivate a spirit of true worship, a spirit of devotion upon the Lord’s holy, sanctified day. We should assemble together believing that we shall receive comfort and hope, light and peace from Jesus Christ.”[4]

Let’s do an experiment. Friday, as the sun goes down, whether we’ve been observing the Seventh Day Sabbath your whole life, have never observed it before or somewhere in between, let’s bow our heads and ask God to give us a sample of what He created Sabbath to be.  Then, let’s take our everyday complacent shoes off of our spiritual feet and experience true Sabbath Rest.

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[1] www.powernapsleepcenters.com

[2] Oliver Sacks, "Brilliant Light," New Yorker (12-20-99), p. 60

[3] E.G. White, The Faith I Live By, p. 33

[4] Ibid. p. 35

Persecution, Anyone?

Have you ever been persecuted for something you stood for?  I mean really persecuted, not just teased or laughed at – beat up, put in jail, threatened with death?

I’d have to say no.  I don’t believe I’ve ever even lost a job because of the Sabbath.  I’d ask if it was going to be a problem, and if the boss wouldn’t compromise, I just didn’t take the job.

In high school I used to take some heat from my band director and fellow band members because I didn’t march in the Friday night football games.  They always wanted to know why I couldn’t just get a note from my pastor telling me it was okay to march.  I’m not sure how that would have worked, really.  Who would I give the note to?  God?

“Please excuse Lillianne for breaking the Sabbath when she marches at half-time at the football game.  She’s still a good person.”

The thing that made that situation a tiny bit tougher to deal with was that my brother DID march in those games…so people did have a hard time understanding why he could and I couldn’t.  They didn’t realize it wasn’t an issue of could or couldn’t; it was an issue of would or wouldn’t.  And my brother and I both made our own choices.  And I wasn’t kicked out of the band or beat up because I wouldn’t march on Sabbath.  I have to say, though, in my whole life that is the biggest conflict I’ve ever experienced. 

That’s why I can admit, that when I think about persecution, I really can’t even imagine it, much less the concept of martyrdom.  Those are things that are completely foreign to me.  But, it isn’t to everyone, and it won’t always be to me.  2 Timothy 3:12 says, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

Hang onto your seats!  That says ALL that follow Jesus SHALL be persecuted.  So, where does that leave you and me?  Have you ever seriously thought about what might be involved in standing up for what you believe in?  I don’t believe I have thought enough about it.

When I was in college at Keene, there was a boy there – I don’t even remember his name – who was probably the most intensely spiritual person I have ever met.  He thought a lot about “the time of trouble” and what that would mean to him personally.  What hardships he would have to experience.  And he wasn’t afraid; he spent every day getting ready for that time.

I have to say that the majority of us were not as spiritually minded as he was and we were kind of embarrassed by his intensity.  We weren’t particularly kind to him.  In retrospect, I wish I had gotten to know him.  He had the most recognizable “amen” on campus.  I’d be in assembly or church or prayer meeting, whatever, and from somewhere in the crowd I would hear his unmistakable “a-MON!”  And my friends and I would nudge each other and smile.  We were persecuting him, but the joke was on us.  He was always focused on Jesus…and we weren’t.  Who was the winner there?  Exactly.

When many of us think about persecuting we think of the early Christians being fed to the lions and then we jump to the time before Jesus comes, that thing we call, “the time of trouble”.  We don’t really think of persecution going on right now – it’s in the past and it’s in the future, but it doesn’t really have much to do with us, right now, right?

That’s not true.  A man named Thomas Hall states in an article that “More Christians died for their faith in the twentieth century than at any other time in history, says Christian Solidarity International. Global reports indicate that over 150,000 Christians were martyred last year,…”

Excuse me?  150,000 martyred Christians?  How can this be?  Why isn’t this on every news program all the time?  Where are these people?  Here are just a few of today’s headlines from a website called, oddly enough, The Persecution Times: 

•          Violence Against Christians on the Increase in Turkey

•          Breaking News: Pastors beaten up in Devgoan, Maharashtra

•          Christian Attorney’s Arrested and Tortured

•          Church Meeting Disrupted by Hindu Radicals

•          Compass Direct News : SUDAN - SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS YOUTHS IN CHURCH

•          New Cartoon Riots Kill Christians in Nigeria

•          Pastors beaten and arrested on charges of conversion

•          Church Ransacked and Desecrated in Karnataka state in India

•          Nine Christians killed following accusations of blasphemy in Nigeria

Now, maybe it’s just me, but did you know this much persecution was taking place?  Do you have as much trouble as I do imagining myself in these types of situations?

“To human wisdom, all this now seems impossible; but as the restraining Spirit of God shall be withdrawn from men, and they shall be under the control of Satan, . . . “ E.G. White, The Faith I Live By, page 330.

As we go through our every day lives, here in the United States, being imprisoned, harassed, beaten or even killed because we say were Christians seems totally impossible, doesn’t it?  But I’m worried that that is going to be a big part of our problem when we are challenged.  We have become so comfortable being quietly Christian that being openly Christian will be too hard for us.

Think about it.  How often do we just keep quiet when the subject of what church we belong to comes up?  Or when someone asks where we stand on a particular Christian topic?  Have we learned the lesson of compromise so well that we don’t know how to stand firm anymore?

“In the absence of the persecution there have drifted into our ranks men who appear sound and their Christianity unquestionable, but who, if persecution should arise, would go out from us”.--Ev 360 (1890).

Will we be among those who will “go out” when persecution begins?  I have to say that four years of explaining every single week during football season why I was not going to be marching in the half-time show led me to a rock solid understanding of why I keep the Sabbath.  But, nobody was slapping me or carrying me off to jail because of it.  Mostly folks just shrugged and said something along the lines of, “Bummer, see ya Monday.”  Not exactly painful on any level.

So, where does that leave me?  Am I willing to stand for Jesus even if it means that I will die?  Or will I compromise and walk away.  Am I more afraid of pain and death than I am of losing forever with Jesus?  If you’re like me, all this talk of persecution is really frightening, but read what Paul wrote in Romans 8:15-39.  It gives me a lot of hope for what is on the horizon.

“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.  Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The Bible tells us that the time is coming when it will be a crime to believe the way we do.  When we have to make the choice to follow man and live, or follow Jesus and die, what will you and I decide?  Maybe we need to start making those decisions today.

Greed

How much of your life is motivated by greed?  Do you think there are people out there who are completely motivated by greed?  Bill Gates?  Donald Trump?  They seem like nice enough guys.  They give a bunch of money to charities.  It doesn’t look like they’re taking advantage of anybody to get more money.  Maybe they’re just really good at what they do.

Do you know anyone who you’d describe as greedy?  How would you define greed?   Somebody who wants more and more money, no matter how he (or she) gets it?  Or is that too narrow a definition?  Is it the driver who won’t merge at the end of a line of cars, but goes all the way to the front of the line and noses his way in there? (One of my pet peeves, obviously)  Can we always tell a greedy person just by looking?  Maybe not.  I’m thinking that probably all of us are greedy, otherwise, why would it bother me that that driver got in line in front of me?  Have you ever seen kids at a party with a piñata?  YIKES!  Never mind that we give kids a big stick and tell them to break something that someone made, but when it does break, we encourage our kids to get in there and grab as much candy as they can…hmmm. 

OK, so we’re all selfish, envious, and greedy, does that mean that anything we do to make money or make ourselves a better life is wrong?  Maybe…maybe not.  We’ve all heard about those folks who become so consumed by making “a better life” for their families that they completely lose touch with their spouses and children.  Their families feel cheated because all they really wanted was their mom or dad to spend some time with them.  Solomon found out that money and things weren’t what he really wanted at the end of his life.  God built us for relationships…with Him and with other people.

One of the questions that I might ask a student that I’m working with is, “Do you feel lonely even when there are other people around?”  And, kids being kids, he (or she) will usually look at me like I’m nuts and say, “No.”  But, sometimes, I’ll get a yes response and then I know that there are bigger issues to talk about.  So what do you do when you wake up some morning and realize that you are alone, even in a life full of people – wives, husbands, kids, friends, acquaintances, people you work with – alone.  How does that happen?

Sometimes, I think we are so busy just staying on schedule that we don’t have time to let other people in.  You meet folks in the hallway at work, and you nod and ask how it’s going, but neither of you expect or want any real kind of answer.  At home, you get up early, come home late, and with the kids’ homework, making/eating supper and the other evening type chores you may have in your life, you fall into bed without really talking to anyone again – and before you know it, you’re pretty much alone. 

Isn’t it wonderful to know that there is one day each week when we can pull away from deadlines, timelines and all the worldly things that clutter our lives?  What an incredible gift God has given us!  We have 24 hours to fill our loneliness with Him, with fellowship at church, and time with our families.  Saturday night the whirlwind starts up again, but for a little while, we have time. 

When my brother was just starting out as a pastor, he had a sermon in which he asked everyone in the congregation to take his shoes off, like God asked Moses to do at the burning bush.  His point was that any place where God had been was holy ground, and, if you think it through, then the Sabbath is the holy ground of time.  I liked that image so much that I wrote this “Psalm for the Sabbath”:

In the day of God’s Love, there is peacefulness.  Unlike all others is the day of the Lord.  In it He sings of His love for me.  I will not miss the Glory of the Sabbath; I will celebrate the majesty of God.Speak of the Sabbath with reverence; it is the Holy Ground of time… the most sacred room in the house of the King.  In that room you may whisper your praise to the Father and His ear will hear.And in that room, the voice of God will answer and say, “Welcome to my sacred place…my holiest of times.  Here we will speak together of love.  And, because you have elected to come, you are blessed above all others.“Then, when My holiest of rooms has passed, you will have, within yourself, a sacred room of your own that I have filled with strength and hope enough to last until my castle of solitude returns.”“Be at peace, My love will always stay in that room.And, my heart will answer, “Most blessed and joyous of days, hasten.  To be praised is the solitude of the King.”

I know it seems so obvious, and we look at Solomon and think that he’s such a dummy for loosing sight of what’s important – the only important thing – but don’t we forget almost everyday?  And we don’t have nearly the excuses that Solomon could claim!

I really believe that loving the Sabbath as a gift from a God who loves each of us and wants the very best for us, is the keystone of so many other things that we search for and long for.  And we can definitely break the bonds of oppression, greed, loneliness, and succession that Solomon is talking about in Ecclesiastes 4.  Sabbath is a day that brings everything back into perspective after Satan has done his best to skew them during the week.

I’m sure that it’s possible to go through the motions of keeping the Sabbath and not let yourself become engaged in the blessings and fellowship, but I would think that that would be really torturous.  I remember when I was a kid and only came to church because my mom made me and I could hardly stand to sit through church.  Sometimes I thought I would go crazy!  But as I grew older, I started to find reasons to enjoy Sabbath…one of them was, I didn’t have to do any homework on that day!  That was enough for me for quite a while!  In college (in Keene), I knew kids who were so driven that they would study right through Sabbath.  Well, firstly, I was never that driven to get a good grade, just ask my mom, and secondly, I think they were missing the point of going to an Adventist institution!  Also, they came out of the Sabbath more exhausted than when they started.  They may have gotten better grades that I did, but I learned to love the Sabbath and the blessings that come with it.  I learned to treasure that special time with God that I don’t always have time for during the week (I know; I’m working on it)

I think keeping Sabbath as though it is “the holy ground of time” is a big part of fixing what’s broken in me.  Sometimes, I get frustrated thinking that the stuff I need to get done this week can’t wait till sundown, but I’ve got to remind myself that Sabbath is a lot like tithe.  Earthly mathematics would tell us that it’s impossible to have more after you give something away.  But with God’s mathematics, when we give back our tithe, we don’t have 10% less; we have all we need.  When we spend our Sabbath’s learning to love God more, we don’t have 1/7^th less time to get all the other stuff done…  “The things of earth will grow strangely dim, by the light of his glory and grace.”

We won’t be oppressed because the Truth has set us free.  We won’t be greedy because God has filled our hearts with His contentment.  We won’t be lonely because He promised to be with us and in us always.  And we don’t have to worry about who will succeed us because we are God’s children, and He will make that decision.  Isn’t God good?

Caution: Contents under Pressure

“You can have it all. You can work harder, play harder, and multitask your way to squeezing 31 hours of activity into a 24-hour day. That's the finding of a study conducted by the American Management Association.

“The study concluded that people can add almost 50 percent more activity to a typical day of 16 waking hours. Similarly, according to U.S. Labor Department figures, the average yearly increase in U.S. workers' productivity has doubled from 1.5 percent during the period from 1987–1996 to 3 percent from 1997–2006.

“But at what price? Through technology, people are accomplishing more in less time, but they are feeling overwhelmed by the multiplicity of their lives, according to Ed Reilly, CEO of the AMA. ‘There's a sense of fatigue that comes from multitasking,’ he says. ‘You can force yourself to keep doing things, but you may not be as effective.’”[1]

Do you find yourself multitasking more and more often?  Are you finding that you keep adding activities to your day?  Are those activities that you want to do?  Or that you feel like you have to do? Do you find yourself saying things like, “I am so stressed out!”?  Then you can count yourself among most of the people in the world (well the United States anyway).  Most of us feel overwhelmed by all we have to accomplish every day. Even in the shower, we apparently stop: 

“In 2009, the Ketchum Global Research Network asked 1,000 U.S. adults (ages 25–54) what they think about the most while they shower. Here were the top four responses:  To-do lists, Problems [and/or] worries, Daydreams, Work

“What an interesting glimpse into what we obsess over as we wake up in the morning or wind down in the evening—the two times most of us take a shower. While we clean ourselves to start the day, we sully ourselves with stress and disappointment. When we try our best to clear the clutter from our minds with a nice long shower or bath in the evening, we fill our minds to overflowing with thoughts about places to go, people to see, dreams to fulfill. We are a people who can barely go one minute without pondering the many things we feel we need to do, must do, should be doing but are not.”[2]

That’s kind of sad, isn’t it?  We don’t even let ourselves relax in the shower!  Even when our bodies aren’t “working”, our brain is flying around making plans.  We’ve forgotten what it means to really rest.

Part of the problem is our electronic side-kicks – our cell phones, i-whatevers, and our computers, we keep ourselves “on call” pretty much all of the time.  That becomes a problem for every part of our being.

“In December of 2005, a team of Australian researchers scientifically confirmed a long-suspected link between emotional stress and illness. The group from Sydney's Garvan Institute discovered that a hormone called neuropeptide Y (NPY) is released into the body during times of emotional stress. This hormone undermines the body's immune system and literally makes you sick.

“According to the Institute's Fabienne Mackay: ‘During periods of stress, nerves release a lot of NPY, and it gets into the bloodstream where it inhibits the cells in the immune system that look out for and destroy pathogens in the body.’ She added, ‘That stress makes you sick is no longer a myth; it is a reality and we need to take it seriously.’”[3]

And that article doesn’t even go into more directly stress related illnesses like high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic pain and a bunch of others.  But what can we do about it?  How can we get rid of the stress that dominates our lives?

“How Americans manage stress: Listen to music: 52 percent, Exercise or walk: 47 percent, Read: 44 percent, Spend time with friends or family: 41 percent, Watch TV or movies two or more hours a day: 41 percen, Nap: 38 percent, Play video games or surf the Internet: 37 percent

Pray: 37 percent, Eat: 34 percent, Hobby: 30 percent, Church or religious services: 21 percent, Drink alcohol: 18 percent, Shop: 18 percent, Smoke: 16 percent

*Results based on an APA survey by Harris Interactive of 1,791 adults (June–August, 2008)”[4]

Wow!  Did you notice where prayer and going to church fell on that list?  Pretty low, huh!  How should we manage our stress?  What did Jesus do?  Well several times, the Bible tells us that He and His disciples went out into the country and away from people to have some quiet time:  “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’”  Mark 6:31   Sometimes, he spent quiet time with his trusted friends, Lazarus, Mary and Martha.  And, of course, there were times that Jesus went off by Himself to talk to His Father.

Then there’s Ellen White’s remedy for stress:

“Let us turn from the dusty, heated thoroughfares of life to rest in the shadow of Christ’s love. Here we gain strength for conflict. Here we learn how to lessen toil and worry and how to speak and sing to the praise of God. Let the weary and the heavy-laden learn from Christ the lesson of quiet trust. They must sit under His shadow if they would be possessors of His peace and rest.”[5]

Oh, wait, God built our biggest stress reliever into our every week!  Sabbath – a day when we can turn off, shut down, put away everything that pulls us away from Jesus and just feel Jesus’ presence.  The Sabbath didn’t show up on our list of stress-busters, but I’m thinking that it is the only true way of managing the stress that we experience in our crazy end-time lives.  My brother preached a sermon once about Sabbath being the holy ground of time, where we, like Moses, need to take off our earthly shoes and come close to God.

“O soul, are you weary and troubled?/No light in the darkness you see?/There’s light for a look at the Savior,/And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,/Look full in His wonderful face,/And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,/In the light of His glory and grace.”[6]

---

[1] Hugh Poland, Kingwood, Texas; source: Houston Chronicle (6-21-06)

[2] Van Morris, Mount Washington, Kentucky, and Brian Lowery, managing editor, PreachingToday.com; source: Anne Carey and Sam Ward, "Snapshots: What Do You Think About in the Shower?" USA Today (6-5-09) 

[3] Sam O'Neal, St. Charles, Illinois; source: "Australian Scientists Find Proof That Stress Makes You Sick," Breitbart.com (12-4-05)

[4] Van Morris, Mount Washington, Kentucky; source: Adrienne Lewis, "How Americans Manage Stress," USA Today (10-7-08)

[5] E.G. White, Testimonies for the Church 7:69, 70 (1902)

[6] Helen H. Lemmel, Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus, 1922

Swimming Upstream

I feel like I’ve been swimming upstream for most of my life.  Some times have been less strenuous than others, but there has always been some “unpopular position” between me and the rest of my world.  The first, and probably the most important, one was the Sabbath.  The Sabbath has always been something to explain to new people... bosses, teachers, even friends.  Then there was the no jewelry thing and the no pork or seafood thing.  As I grew up I ran into the no alcoholic beverages thing...that’s a really hard concept for folks to understand!  And then the biblical morality  that people think are just silly and old fashioned.  I’ve also run into the evolution vs. creationism wall, the state of the dead and Christ’s second coming.  And now I read about this Antiochus guy is supposed to fulfill the little horn prophecy.  I had no idea!

Is it at all odd, then, that I feel like I don’t fit in most places?  What about you?  Do you ever feel like a misfit, even among people you know very well, maybe even your own family?

Abraham did.  In Genesis, God told him,

“...Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, …” Genesis 15:13  

I know in the context of the verse, God was talking about Canaan, but I think it applies to us as well.  We are strangers here.  A lot of people don’t get us at all.  We’re out of step not with just non-Christians, but often with other Christians as well.

Why do you think that is?  I’ve thought about it quite a bit, trying to figure out why it seems so much easier to believe a lie that to believe the truth.   I think, as humans, we try to pick the path of least resistance; we want to go with the crowd as much as possible.  The problem is, going along with the crowd, in any circumstance, doesn’t take any thought on our part.  We fall into the “herd mentality” and just follow along.  No thinking, just following, right over the edge of the cliff, just like lemmings.

I believe that God doesn’t want a herd following Him.  He wants thoughtful, thinking people who come to Him not because they don’t know any better, not because it’s easy, and not because it’s what everybody else is doing; but because we have weighed all the other options and looked at all the proof and made a careful, educated, logical decision. 

Romans 12:2 says, 

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  

Hmmmm…  Does that mean that we’re to be non-conformists? 

As far as the sinful world is concerned, I think so.  If you look at Jesus’ life here on earth, he didn’t really fit in, did He?  Not with the church leaders, not with the political leaders, not even with His own brothers.  He spent everyday fighting the battle, walking against the crowd.  That took courage, strength, energy and amazing love.

So, when you feel like you can’t keep swimming against the current, remember that Jesus is right there swimming with you.  He’ll give you His courage, His strength, His energy, and His amazing love — His paddle.

Why Are We Here?

The big question is, “Why are we here?”  Hmmmm…That IS a good question.   Ya know, philosophers, and others, have devoted reams of paper and oceans of ink to answering that question, but is all that really necessary?  I mean, if we’re here because of some cosmic mutation then the answer is easy, “No reason at all, we’re all just accidents.”  Or if, as I believe, we were thoughtfully and lovingly created, then we don’t need to waste paper and ink to figure it out, because God tells us why we’re here.

Or does He?  Rick Warren has written his book, The Purpose Driven Life, and he tells us all that God put us here with a purpose, and he’s sold bunches and bunches of books telling folks how to find out what God’s purpose is.  I know lots of people who have read it; I’ve read parts of it; my kids have read parts of it.  I think we have three copies at home right now.  But does Warren’s book tell us anything we didn’t already know? 

Didn’t God pretty much tell us, through Adam and Eve in Genesis 2, our purpose? 

Have you read Genesis 2 lately?  I had always read it as just an adjunct to chapter 1 and hadn’t thought too much about it on its own.  But I’m not sure, that in many ways it isn’t even more important than the basic creation story.  Chapter 2 tells us, not just who we are, but who we are in relationship to God.

From here it should be easy, right?  Well, maybe I’m slow, but it hasn’t been for me.  I still struggled with finding my purpose.  I think sometime I get confused.  I want God to tell me how to use my talents for Him (specifically and exactly, no guesswork).  But I think “our purpose” is something God wants us to discover for ourselves, with His help.  What He does tell us very clearly, is humanity’s reason for being here.  Genesis 2 tells us that our first reason for living is to worship our Creator by keeping the Sabbath.

Can you imagine that first Sabbath on earth?  Adam and Eve hadn’t even been in the Garden for 24 hours yet; everything is brand new, and God comes to them to spend the Sabbath with them…in person.  I’m not sure I can imagine what that would be like.  How many Sabbaths do you think Adam and Eve and God had together like that before the Fall?  Can you imagine the Sabbaths after the Fall?  I’ll bet they were heartbreaking.  I mean for us, mostly, Sabbath is a nice time to rest after a tough week, socialize with our church friends, and maybe squeeze in a nap before jumping back into the rat-race.  But for Adam and Eve, think of it, they spent a whole day walking and talking and learning from the God of the Universe!  Would anybody want to go home for a nap? I’m looking forward to Sabbath in Heaven, but how will I know how to act if I haven’t practiced here first?

Worshiping isn’t our only purpose though.  God told Adam and Eve to take care of the Garden and the animals.  Did they really need taking care of?  The world was perfect.  There weren’t weeds or plant destroying bugs.  There weren’t going to be any leaves to clean up or branches that fell down, so why did God tell them to work?  Ellen White has this excellent explanation:   “The Lord knew that Adam could not be happy without labor, therefore he gave him the pleasant employment of dressing the garden. And, as he tended the things of beauty and usefulness around him, he could behold the goodness and glory of God in his created works. Adam had themes for contemplation in the works of God in Eden, which was Heaven in miniature. God did not form man merely to contemplate his glorious works, therefore he gave him hands for labor, as well as a mind and heart for contemplation. If the happiness of man consisted in doing nothing, the Creator would not have given Adam his appointed work. In labor, man was to find happiness as well as in meditation. Adam could reflect that he was created in the image of God, to be like him in righteousness and holiness. His mind was capable of continual cultivation, expansion, refinement and noble elevation; for God was his teacher, and angels were his companions.” {RH, February 24, 1874 par. 8}

 God gave us work to be a blessing.  That’s not how we normally think of our jobs is it? Come on, how long would you be happy doing absolutely nothing all day, every day.  Not long for me.  Work makes us happy.  Even in Heaven we will have work to do.

Another of our reasons for being here is to obey the laws of God.  God gave Adam and Eve a rule and Satan tried to get them to break it.  It’s the same for us.  God has given us some rules, and our job is not to break them.  Unfortunately, Satan has other plans.  The universe is watching, and Satan wants God to look like the bad guy, making Him seem arbitrary and vindictive.  When we follow God’s rules out of the love in our hearts, we prove Satan wrong and show the universe the truth about God.

And, finally, God has told us to be involved with other people, in marriage, at work, and in worship.  We aren’t meant to be solitary beings.  Satan can get to us best when we don’t interact with and rely on others.  That’s how Satan got to Eve; he waited to catch her alone and then started in on her.  God is a social God; He put the need for social interaction within us as well.  Otherwise, we wouldn’t be looking forward to spending time with Him in Heaven.  It’s our job to be social.

To worship Him, to work for Him, to obey Him, and to be a part of society – God has given us this purpose.  Is He asking too much?