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Category: Spirituality

The Second Garden

Published by mhelbert on February 28, 2012

The other morning I was meditating on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Much ink has been spilled on what took place that night as Jesus prayed and the disciples napped. Jesus asked the Father to let the cup pass. Why? What cup? Some think that it was the cup of God’s wrath that Jesus was asked to drink to the very dregs. These people say that Jesus was aware of what was coming that night and the next day. He would be tortured and killed. Some, if not most, believe that Jesus was also aware of the purpose for this. He was to be the sacrifice, the ἱλαστήριον;  the means and the place where forgiveness, or atonement was offered. I’m not convinced that he was aware of this. But, that’s a topic for another day.
One thing that I am sure of was that Jesus was convinced that he was being faithfully obedient to the Father. Paul made this clear in Philippians 2. It was the Father’s will that Jesus move forward to the cross. 
I think that there was something else happening that night that sometimes gets overlooked in the search for theological truth. That thing was the grief that Jesus felt about leaving this life. Although, he knew that something far better was coming, I think that he experienced a sense of loss, too. From what I can see in the gospels, Jesus enjoyed life. He was accused of hanging with drunkards and gluttons because he “came eating and drinking.” He was a prophet who enjoyed working with the outcast and marginalized. I’m sure he had joy in healing people and restoring lost family members. Children seemed to hold a special place in his heart. And, we must not forget his parting words to his most intimate associates. “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you” John 15:15 NASB. These were important relationships that had been forged over 3 years of living, eating, drinking…being together. He was leaving Peter, James, John and the rest. Did he know that they would respond favorably to his absence and the Spirit’s presence? He may have had his doubts, especially if we take Mark’s portrayal of the twelve. Jesus had experienced joy and laughter; testing and fulfillment; everything that life in Palestine at that time could offer a person. I think we should consider these things. Jesus was, after all, human. He can relate to our concerns about loss. And, we must learn to identify with his faithfulness in order to move forward in our own lives.

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The Kingdom Within

Published by mhelbert on February 23, 2012

As I was reflecting on God’s reign in our lives, I was struck by a couple things that we, in our fast-paced, immediate gratification culture may miss. We look for the so-called Kingdom of God in the world around us. Opportunities to serve and bring God’s dominion to bear with the poor, the beat-up and those others with needs that we can help to meet. These are all GREAT! As Christ followers our job description includes Luke 4:18-19.
But, there is another thing to consider. Jesus also that his disciples should love God with all of their heart, mind and strength. Then he said, “And your neighbor as yourself.” I wonder where that love will come from when all of our resources are to be directed toward loving God. I think part of key to this is that Jesus also taught that we should seek first the kingdom of God. In another place, he told a group of religious leaders that the kingdom of God was within them. Some translations have this as the kingdom is in the midst of you, indicating something external. But, for some contemplatives the idea of kingdom being within a person resonates. As we seek the reign of God within us, God can then love our neighbor through us. Rather than an external “doing the work” of the kingdom, it, (the kingdom), wells up from deep within us as living water to care for others and the cosmos. God is all and in all.

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Beloved

Published by mhelbert on February 22, 2012

I read an excerpt by Henri Nouwen yesterday in a book entitled, The Only Necessary Thing: Living a Prayerful Life. In it he wrote about Christ followers being “Beloved” by God. The text he used was Jesus being baptized and the voice of the Father stating that this was God’s beloved Son in whom God was very pleased. By extension, we who are adopted as God’s children, (John 1:12), are also “Beloved” by God. As I meditated on this I said, “Ok…so what?” In my mind’s eye I saw Abba taking me on His lap and embracing me. I imagined the Father and Son laughing and slapping me on the back to welcome me into the divine family. Yet, no joy. Granted, I have spent many years stuffing emotions. I promised myself that I would not allow myself to be hurt…again. But, this is Abba’s presence we’re talking about. Shouldn’t there be some emotional response?
One of Nouwen’s favorite pericopes is the story of the Prodigal from Luke 15. He likes to point out the unmerited favor that the father showered on his wayward son. Especially, since the son seemed to have rather self-serving motives for returning. In the story, however, I did not detect a great deal of joy and happiness from the son. Yes, one verse states that they began to celebrate. This could indicate that the son perked up. However, I’ve been to many celebrations and not felt especially festive.
So, considered what the reception and grace given to this wayward traveler could reveal about the others in the story, in particular the father. I saw that to the servants, the father was lavishly generous. Not only did the son get a huge welcome home party, but apparently, the servants were welcome, too. The father was conspicuously forgiving. This is one of the main themes of the story. The eldest son saw the father behaving ‘over-the-top,’ but could not see past his own concerns. The prodigal, himself, experienced acceptance in the face of expected rejection. In all of these, the father received some sort of ‘glory.’ Generous; forgiving; lavishly pouring out more than was warranted; accepting.
No, I don’t feel particularly warm and fuzzy about being “Beloved.” But, it’s really not about me, is it?

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Abiding

Published by mhelbert on February 19, 2012

I have recently been working through a small portion of Scripture in the Gospel according to John. Many of the ancient spiritual mystics and contemplatives wrote about union, or communion with God. In these writings one can get the idea that ‘abiding’ with, or in, Christ is foundational. I read John 15:1-7. In the 2011 NIV the verb, meno, has been rendered, “remain.” So, verse 4 reads, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you.” According to BDAG there are several ways to understand the language of ‘remaining.’ One of them is, of course, to remain in a certain place or position. It refers to location. In a sense, it can carry with it the flavor of dwelling or lodging. When I read ‘remain,’ however, I get the idea that it is something static that is left where it was found. ‘Remain in the house’ means to be static and stuck in a position or location. The NASB rendered this word “abide.” Again, BDAG, confirms this, also. Part of their definition is, “to denote an inward, enduring personal communion.” TDNT contains, “By the use of μένειν Jn. seeks to express the immutability and inviolability of the relation of immanence.”1God abides in the Son, believers abide in Christ, Christ abides in believers, believers abide in God, and God in believers. Kittel goes on to assert that, in this use of the present tense, “the eschatological promise of salvation becomes immediate possession [of believers].2
For me, the use of ‘abide’ rather than ‘remain’ is a more accurate understanding. Abide in English carries the color of relationships in active growth. It is a ‘green’ word. It is not a ‘steely gray’ word like “remain.”
The text in John is deserving of long, quiet meditation to allow the Holy Spirit to “abide” in us.
1&2Theological dictionary of the New Testament. 1964-c1976. Vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard Friedrich. Vol. 10 compiled by Ronald Pitkin. (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley & G. Friedrich, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (4:576). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
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It’s all about Grace

Published by mhelbert on February 16, 2012

When the word ‘grace’ is mentioned in most evangelical settings, one’s mind almost automatically turns to salvation, justification, and faith. After all, this has been the foundation stone of Protestant theology since Luther. There are other ways to understand this, however. Our Roman Catholic sisters and brothers have a pretty good handle on this. Let me share a bit of my story to make this a tad clearer. Over the many years that I have been a follower of Christ I have sought to build a vibrant devotional life. I’ve read the books, listened to the messages, and watched the videos. Time after time I have resolved to get up earlier and spend time with God. I have compiled my prayer lists to assist me. I have purchased the devotional books written by the so-called spiritual giants of history. This ‘great cloud of witnesses’ who seemed to have the answers to my dilemma. And, time after time…I failed miserably. When I was a student at Ashland Theological Seminary I chose a track that required my to take classes in Spiritual Formation. I know, yawn. I was up for the languages and the biblical studies. These were the important classes that I looked forward to. But, something began to happen. I had a class on spiritual disciplines led by a woman who was very unassuming. To look at her one would not think of her as a spiritual heavyweight. However, as is most times the case, looks are deceiving. She used Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth  as a text. I had read the book when it first came out way back when. I was not impressed by the choice. But, as the class met I found a refreshing that I had not experienced before. A thirst began to grow that impelled me onward and inward. I thank Dr. JoAnn Watson for her passion and wisdom. But, I did not realize that this was the beginning of God’s gracious work in my life. The following year I sat under Dr. Paul Chilcote in a class entitled “Person in Prayer”. During this quarter I came upon a web site, http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html, that I began to follow daily. I was able to read the selected passages of scripture in a relatively short amount of time. This enabled me to build a habit. Again, I did not recognize this as a blessed gift from a loving Father. For about 3 years I followed the practice of spending time in the morning using the Office as published at the above site. Of course, there were days that I missed. But, rather than beat myself up and admit that I was defeated, I would be back at it the next day. More grace from God. More recently, since my heart attack, I have found that I need to spend more time with God. This has grown into a desire and passion that causes me to look forward to spending substantial time in the morning. I have begun to remain silent and strain to listen for God’s voice; to look for God’s presence. The scripture has begun to speak to me about the condition of humanity and our responsibility to serve our fellow travelers on this 3rd rock from the sun. A few days ago I realized, or maybe God spoke, I don’t know, God does, that this is an example of Yahweh’s grace in my life. The journey from Dr. Watson, through Dr. Chilcote, through ‘missionstclare,’ through a heart attack, and through this present leg has all been God’s grace. None of it was through my own strength, ability or education. God is the author and trainer of these things. So, I thank God; Father, Son, Spirit for this outpouring of Grace. For Grace it is. And, if I should wake tomorrow and it’s gone, or changed, that will not alter the fact that God has given it.

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Who’s the real enemy

Published by mhelbert on February 15, 2012

Last Sunday I listened to a message about becoming the people of God. It was delivered by a dear brother who I know loves the Lord and desires, above all, to serve God. The topic was about becoming the people of God with an emphasis on Acts 2 & 4. The whole community and sharing thing that many have talked about for the last, well, 2,000 years. In the message the speaker brought out the many perceived difficulties that the Church has in trying to embody these first century qualities. This is where I started to have issues.
The talk digressed into a demonization of western culture since the “good ol’ days” of the 1950s. You know, Ozzie and Harriet, Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, etc. The feeling among many like this pastor is that we were closer to, and more responsive to, God in those days. That the media, the government, technology, and other culture changing events have moved us closer to the brink of hell-fire and damnation. He stuck in the necessary “we’re at war” statement to intimate that the culture, and those who drive it, are our enemies. By the time he was done I was totally frustrated. My frustration derives from the fact that people in the church in the U.S. many times equate the “thing” with the “people.” The media becomes those people in the media. The government becomes this or that politician, big business becomes those people in business. The problem with that is we are NOT at war with these people. Our battle is with principalities and powers that are spiritual, not flesh and blood. But, our well-meaning leaders have targeted the flesh and blood and the spiritual enemy is ignored. I can’t tell you how tired I am hearing about the bad new days. These are the days we live in. We need to deal with them in a way that honors Yahweh and brings the love and healing of Christ to bear. There’s no use in whining and complaining. It’s easy to sit back and say what the problems are. It’s another thing to take action…any action…and do something constructive. If there’s one thing that the Emergent Church can teach us, is that we have a responsibility and the resources to actually make a difference in the world. We can take on the principalities and powers in the name of Christ.

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Martin, a Modern Prophetic Voice

Published by mhelbert on January 16, 2012

I just spent a few minutes checking out The King Center’s archive page. All I can say is “Wow”! They have presented over a million documents that reference Dr. King, his work and his life. The site is extremely well-done and very intuitive. I thank the folks at The King Center for their hard work. Really, I’m amazed! I believe that Dr. King was the foremost prophetic voice of the last century. We would do well to listen to and heed his words.
Thanks to Dr. Allan Bevere for post this link at his blog. Please, check it out. The trip will be well worth it.

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George Macdonald and a new kid on the block

Published by mhelbert on January 14, 2012

It’s saturday morning. This week, as I’ve written in my journal, has been full of stuff that has made my brain hurt. So many thoughts and musings have been doing the macarana inside my head. It’s been exhilarating and a bit frustrating at the same time.
One of the exhilarating moments came as I read a small piece by 19th century Scottish author and minister George Macdonald. He is one who C. S. Lewis stated had a great influence on his own conversion and literary direction. In the piece Macdonald commented on Mark 8;1-21. The encounter described was after Jesus had fed 4,000 and had a run-in with some Pharisees. On a boat ride, Jesus made a comment about the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. The disciples, ever on top of things, assumed that Jesus was upset because they had not brought bread on the trip. Jesus responded with a rather heated reminder of the feeding of the multitudes, not once, but twice. He finished with, “Do you still not understand?”
While many folks look at this and think that Jesus was upset because they didn’t realize that if he could multiply food for thousands, he was capable of taking care of the needs of 13 people. But, Macdonald took a slightly different angle on this. He wrote that the miracles of the feeding revealed God’s own compassion. The stories were not to reveal Jesus’ power, nor to confirm his role as a great prophet. It wasn’t even to confirm Jesus as the Son of God. It was to show that “God cared for His children, and could, did, and would provide for their necessities.” The miracles were an experiential lesson that the disciples needed to study and learn from.
One thing that I noted was that, if Macdonald’s take is viable, and I think it is, then what should the response of Christ’s followers be today? If Jesus chose to feed people to reveal God’s care and provision that is driven by God’s own character and compassion, should we not, in God’s name, do likewise? Feed the poor and hungry; clothe the naked; support the widows and orphans; comfort the sick and down & out…yeah, I think so.
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Also, today I’d like to encourage anyone who may stop by here to check out a new blog at http://morvensblog.wordpress.com/
Morven Baker is a counselor in Ashland, Oh. She is also married to one of my professors from ATS. I checked it out, and she is not blogging because she is the wife of an Old Testament scholar. She is doing this to help give voice to, well, let’s hear her words:
“I am a counselor who works with women.  For a long while now I have wanted to have a safe place to post well researched articles or educational links, as well as my own personal thoughts, that I felt might be helpful for my clients, the brave women who have survived abuse as children and/or adults, the real heroines of the stories.   Perhaps this place might be helpful for my friends, family and colleagues who really care about what I do and are my constant cheerleaders.  I also wanted a  place where readers, if there ever are any, can share their responses and know that their thoughts and feelings are respected and valued.”
 Welcome, Morven!

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Just a couple thoughts….

Published by mhelbert on January 10, 2012

One of my favorite professors from seminary, Dr. John Byron, had an interesting reaction to what seemed to be a rather innocuous blog post. He remarked at the reaction many had to Tim Tebow’s day against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The fact that Tebow through for a reported 316 yds. at 31.6 yards per play aroused the imagination of many people. The coincidental relationship between Tebow’s stats and John 3:16 seemed to be irresistible fodder for media and religious folks alike. I followed the thread as it unfolded during the day. The amount of vitriol poured out toward Dr. Byron for his position on Tebow’s accomplishment was remarkable. Dr. John shared his position and supported it intelligently. I can almost see him smiling and shaking his head. He has said many times that he doesn’t understand why some blog posts receive such responses. What impressed me most was that he remained calm and allowed his detractors to rant without responding in kind. Cudos Dr. John.
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The other thing I wanted to mention today is another look at the Devil Made Me Do It. In a short excerpt from a piece by John Henry Newman, (1801-1890), there is a brief insight into the devil’s tactics. He wrote, “While we are found in Christ, we are partakers of His security. He has broken the power of Satan: He has gone ‘upon the lion and adder, the young lion and the dragon hath He trod under His feet’; and henceforth evil spirits, instead of having power over us, tremble and are afftighted at every true Christian. They know he has that in him which makes him their master, that he may, if he will, laugh them to scorn, and put them to flight. They know this well, and bear it in mind, in all their assaults upon him; sin alone give them power over him; and their great object is, to make him sin, and therefore to surprise him into sin, knowing they have no other way of overcoming him. They try to scare him by the appearance of danger, and so to surprise him; or they approach stealthily and covertly to seduce him, and so to surprise him. But except by taking him at unawares, they can do nothing.
Therefore let us be, my brethren, ‘not ignorant of their devices’; and as knowing them, let us watch, fast, and pray, let us keep close under the wings of the Almighty, that He may be our shield and buckler. Let us pray Him to make known to us His will-to teach us our faults-to take from us whatever may offend Him-and to lead us in the way everlasting.”
The excerpt, from Spiritual Classics: Selected Readings on the Twelve Spiritual Disciplines, is somewhat archaic in its language, but it is spot-on with its insights. We who are Christ followers may be confident that the One who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world. We do have responsibility to, as Newman wrote, “watch, fast, and pray, let us keep close under the wings of the Almighty, that He may be our shield and buckler.” Our enemy is crafty and subtle. We must be aware, but not obsessed. Watchful but not focused on the enemy. Our focus must be on Jesus alone. The enemy can assault us, but not overcome us.

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