Wednesday, October 24, 2007

No sex please, we're married.

His name is Bill.
Her name is Betty.

He's a high school English teacher.
She's a homemaker by choice.

He pays the bills, mows the lawn and takes out the trash.
She cooks and cleans and does the laundry.

He volunteers at the soup kitchen every fortnight.
She teaches Sunday School every 3rd sunday of the month.

His teenage students feel he's too cute for the classroom.
She can still turn some heads whenever she goes for her evening jog.

When he's not tinkering with his bike, he likes to have a beer with the guys. When she's not baking , she loves to shop or catch a movie with her girl friends.

At dinner, they sit down to a healthy balanced meal which she prepares.He makes sure she knows how much he appreciates her good cooking and she listens attentively while he shares the highlights of his day. And when its time to do the dishes, she rinses while he dries.

He unwinds with Larry King Live while she reads a chapter of Sophie Kinsella. An unspoken ritual that has remained unchanged with the passing years.

As the evening draws to a close and its time to turn in, the couple retire to their beautiful 4 poster bed complete with matching drapes and lush satin covers. When the lights go out, they lie side by side in the darkness with only the sound of their even breathing to break the silence.

That's a page out of the life of a happily married couple.

Except for one tiny detail.


Neither Bill nor Betty have ever had to make their bed the next morning.


Okay I made them up. Bill and Betty are cardboard cutouts. They are not real. But their sham of a marriage reminds me of the cardboard Christianity we practice in our churches today. All of the responsibility and none of the intimacy.

[I extracted these lines from the most passionate book in the bible - Song of Songs (NIV)]

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
for your love is more delightful than wine.
Take me away with you—let us hurry!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.

His left arm is under my head,
and his right arm embraces me.
My lover spoke and said to me,
"Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, and come with me.

My lover is mine and I am his;
Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee,

His mouth is sweetness itself;
he is altogether lovely.
This is my lover, this my friend,
May the wine go straight to my lover,
flowing gently over lips and teeth
I belong to my lover,
and his desire is for me.

Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.

Do you wonder why church today feels sterile, cold, contained and controlled? Could it be we're so busy being committed, communal, relational, relevant, kingdomic, missional, evangelistic, mentoring, authentic _________ (fill in the blank with the latest christian fad/buzzword that's overtaken your church) etc.

All of Martha and none of Mary.

Do you wonder why you feel hollow and empty inspite of all the good and right things you do? Do you feel disoriented, lost even though everyone looks to you for guidance and inspiration? Do you envy those who talk to God on a first name basis? Does it puzzle you that they know Him so intimately even though they don't belong to a cell group? Worse, do they remind you of who you used to be at one time?


Its not too late, you know.

He's still smitten by you.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Prescription for fruitfulness

1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.


The Bible, Psalm 1 (New International version)

Thursday, October 11, 2007

A match NOT made in heaven

Abigail and Nabal.

A totally mismatched couple! How they ended up together in the first place is not told to us but there are different ways to tell a story and the bible chooses to begin where David makes his appearance.

David has been on the run for a while now and he makes a stop at the Desert of Maon. Fugitives, David and his men seek temporary shelter on Nabal's property. Nabal is an extremely wealthy man. David sends an appeal for food and other necessities but Nabal's response is typical of the arrogant man that he is. In his own words...

"Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. 11 Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?" - I Sam 25: 10 (NIV)

Interesting.

[Having shaken off the shackles of serving the institutional church, i find i am one of those without valid membership to any recognised fellowship. Which means i am dangerously independent having no accountability to those appointed its leaders. Since i have no spiritual covering, spiritual malfunction is imminent. Its nothing personal. That's how it works. If you don't subscribe to the system, it can't support you. Church membership does have its privileges.]

Back to the story. Nabal sends David's men packing but the servants quickly alert Nabal's wife to the possible consequences of his rash decision. Abigail wastes no time. She packs the necessary rations and saddles her donkey. She manages to intercept David's party on their way to massacre the entire household of Nabal.

She falls to the ground and begs David's forgiveness.

Her words betray a wisdom her husband does not possess.

[Allow me to paraphrase]
"Please don't pay any attention to my husband. Nabal means 'a fool' and the man has certainly lived up to his name. May God avenge you from all your enemies so you need never fight the battle to vindicate yourself. Your willingness to fight God's battles has earned you His eternal favour and granted your family lasting posterity. It doesn't matter that your life hangs in the balance because God is watching your back. Your enemies have already been served the death warrant. It's just a matter of time before you become king. But if you choose to take matters into your own hands now, you risk jeopardizing your excellent track record. While you will be fully justified in your actions, it will continue to weigh heavily on your conscience long after this trial has passed."


The woman's as smart as she's beautiful.

Abigail averts a tragedy and in the process saves David's reputation too.

David is full of praise for her and assures her that he will take her advice. Abigail then returns home to find a very drunken Nabal hosting a huge party. So she says nothing. The next morning, when he's sobered up, she tells him what she's done. His heart turns to stone and ten days later God strikes him dead.

David hears the news and asks Abigail to be his wife. She says yes (clever woman!) to David and marries him.


What is the moral of this story?
There are 3 conspicuous characters in this tale.

Nabal means 'fool', although I'm sure he didn't realise how well his name suited him. I Cor. 1:20 says, God counts the wisdom of this world as foolishness. Sadly, it has crept into the church (disguised as good governance) and much teaching has been influenced by renowned management gurus and leadership coaches. To the point it is hard to discern what is God’s and what is not.

Abigail (whose name means 'cause of joy') had learnt to rise above her adverse circumstances. Although she was married to Nabal, she was his wife only by name. Indeed, she was his 'better half' and refused to be a party to his unscrupulous dealings. She knew God and recognized that David was His true servant. She did not blindly defend her husband but acknowledged that David and his men had been unjustly treated. She used her influence to right the wrong to the end that David and his men received due honor.

My disillusionment with the religious institution is understandable but there are thousands who, while they serve the system do not identify with it. Their faith and conduct are exemplary and often their timely intercession has averted God's judgement on the 'Nabals' of the religious system giving them space to repent. I salute them.

I pray that Abigail has the courage to boldly confess Christ before those who would rather die defending the religion of legalism and works. Her confession will break its power to dominate and enslave her so that she is free to be joined to the One who is full of grace and truth.

For those who identify with David - once the king's favourite but now his sworn enemy; perhaps you too have been rejected by the system you served so well, but do not despair. Jesus too was regarded as an outcast by the religious order of his day. Be patient. God will exonerate you in time. He is faithful and will allow no sin to go unpunished. If you act according to the dictates of the flesh, it will hinder the working of the Holy Spirit who is cultivating Christ' character in you.

David represents the Christ. The failure of the system will make many widows but Christ will make honest women of them because Jesus is our true bridegroom! And just like Abigail, our new found freedom in Christ will release us to run with God's holy purpose. God's kingdom will be firmly established in justicec and righteousness and Christ will be the Head of His Church once more.

Monday, October 01, 2007

A Love Story

Hidden within her frail and worn frame, throbbed the bloody pulp of a pulverized heart. Too many times to remember. But experience had only hardened her resolve to give it "one more try" and try she must, if she was to be whole again.

This stranger intrigued her with his story. He seemed sincere enough except for some audacious claim of being the only one for her. Ever the cynic, she compared him to past suitors who wooed her with tricks and trinkets. Until he showed her the holes in his hands and the scars on his back.

How could she be sure he wasn’t going to be another heart-ache on her list? Another hurt to handle? But what if he was THE ONE? Dare she risk losing salvation? Rest for her oh so weary heart! Healing for the wounds time had forgotten to mend? Her face fixed a smile while her heart weighed the possibilities. She forced the fears out of her head and willed herself to think of sunrise and butterflies.

Timidly, she listened to his assuring voice. Weakly, she let him draw her into his arms. "Has my search for true love ended? Or is this just another game to survive? Where winners take all and losers live to die another day?" The fears returned but she caught the scream before it escaped her.

Gently he brushed the strand of hair from her face. Such tenderness! The gesture filled her with both pleasure and pain. Clumsily, she returned his caress, mustering all the trust of a little child to make it real. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers. His breath tasted warm and sweet and she closed her eyes to savor the moment. Anticipation was ripe and hope did not disappoint. His lips met hers and he breathed his life into her. The moment was like no other.

For the longest time, she searched his face. His eyes were bottomless pools of mystery inviting her to dive into a abyss of endless secrets to be discovered. She had been afraid to acknowledge it before but now she felt the desire stir within her. A restlessness, an unsettling in her spirit. A holy discontent. She felt the last of her defenses crumble and faith march bravely to the fore..

She took the plunge. Determinedly, she shook her hair free from the cruel grip of domineering guilt and shame. His approving laughter rang out loud and clear. It was music to her soul! She kicked off her shoes of past regrets, skipping and spinning like a carefree child. She wanted to dance until she was lost in his love. The melody was irresistable, calling her to abandon the familiarity of the beaten path to share an unknown destiny with this stranger.

All fear was gone because perfect love had come.

Her conscience washed clean and her innocence reborn. The lightness in her heart testified to the change. Wait. There was something else. Imperceptible at first but slowly growing in clarity and strength until it was staring her full in the face. An intuition supernaturally birthed in her spirit.

“Who I used to be will never matter again. The future has changed because I am no longer the same. I have a new name. His."

A child loved by the Heavenly Father. A bride burning in passion for her King.
Created for His eternal pleasure.

Eager and ready for adventure, she turned to the Son of God and welcomed Him into her world.