Tag: holiness

The Red Meat of Lent

~ Chuck Griffin ~ 1 Comment

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

What does advanced, mature Christianity look like? Well, sort of like advanced eating.

That is Paul’s metaphor, not mine. In his first known letter to the church at Corinth, Paul drew a clear distinction between those who have advanced in their relationship with God via the Holy Spirit and those who have not. His critique of the church was harsh; despite having had plenty of time to grow in their Christian faith, they remained mewling babies, unable to handle anything except the most basic spiritual food.

The evidence underlying Paul’s accusation was straightforward. The church in Corinth suffered from disunity, breaking into factions and rallying around human leaders rather than Christ and the world-changing message of the cross.

It’s a brilliant metaphor, one that can be stretched far without breaking. Most of us have seen how children grow from milk to mashed food to an eventual desire for nourishment as complicated as red meat.

I’ll just go ahead and apologize to the vegetarians now; feel free to visualize raw kale and radicchio instead.

Many children even exhibit a strong desire to move from one type of food to the next, demanding what they’ve never had when they first see it. Mine certainly did.

We’re made to hunger in the same way spiritually, moving from the basic, comforting message of the cross to more challenging concepts. Just as it would be sad to see an adult unable to stomach anything except milk, it should sadden us to see people 10 or 20 years into their Christian lives who have not moved beyond a beginning Christian’s understanding of the cross.

C’mon, Try a Bite

With all that in mind, I want to put a spiritual sampler platter before you. It is, after all, the season of Lent, that time when we take on new spiritual disciplines. If you haven’t tried some of this, you should.

Advanced Bible Study. I’m not just talking about being able to distinguish Noah from Moses. Can you dive into God’s word and tease out the big, overarching messages of Scripture? For example, there are recurring themes like creation and holiness, the brokenness sin brings, God’s overwhelming love for us, and the tremendous gifts of grace granted us. Can you then use those concepts to keep the more complicated or troubling points of Scripture in context?

Do you know what it means to study the Bible inductively, to let the Holy Spirit work through Scripture to shape you and change you? It’s a much better approach than letting your human thoughts and emotions blind you to God’s revealed truths.

You do not have to go to seminary to learn all of this. Every good church offers you the opportunity to learn such things.

Advanced Prayer. It’s good to pray the Lord’s Prayer and to take time to pray for your family and others around you. But we can go so much further in prayer.

Ever heard of contemplative prayer? Everyone talks about meditation these days, usually from the perspective of yoga practice or Buddhist teachings. Christianity has its own form of meditative prayer, designed to help us better understand God’s will in our lives.

If you followed last September’s prayer series, or Advent’s prayer series, you’ve been exposed to some of these ideas already.

Ever tried praying Scripture? Using the Psalms as a basis for prayer is particularly helpful and enlightening.

Our goal should be to turn our lives into a walking prayer, to “pray without ceasing,” living in constant union with God. Are we there yet? I’m not, but I know I want more!

Living and Using Our Spiritual Gifts. God continues to pour out gifts on us, even after salvation. Do you know what your gifts are? I continue to be astonished by Christians who don’t know how they are gifted.

The gifts we are given tell us specifically how God is wanting to use us in this world now. Knowing these gifts lets us be more effective as we help God build his kingdom. There also is great satisfaction in developing these gifts.

Portrait of a Healthy Eater

If you’re not trying all the possibilities God has placed before you, maybe it will help if I give you a picture of what a mature spiritual eater looks like. We can become spiritually svelte, holy and attractive to God.

In particular, I look to another of Paul’s writings, the letter to the Galatians. In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul listed what he called the “fruits of the Spirit,” the result of deep engagement with God.

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Paul said.

Who would not want to be described by others as such a person? And as Paul knew, such people have little trouble understanding God’s will and how to live in unity.

As I say sometimes during communion, the table is set. Come, partake.

Contemplation

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

American culture does not seem to place much value on self-analysis. I’ve noticed that even Christian Americans tend to deride such activity as “navel gazing,” implicitly preferring action to introspection.

I intend, however, to defend the contemplation of the navel today. The Bible tells me to do as much.

We are now in what is supposed to be an extended period of reflection for Christians, leading up to the celebration of Easter April 9. As has been mentioned already, some denominations, including various kinds of Methodists, call this church season “Lent,” which should not be confused with the fuzzy threads you may notice while gazing at your navel.

In Romans 10:8-13, we see the actions necessary to accept salvation. The Apostle Paul writes that “if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.”

For most of us, however, it’s not possible to confess and believe, and keep on doing so, without a little self-analysis. We need such ongoing reflection to deepen our understanding of who we are as broken people and who God is as the pure and holy creator.

To accept and appreciate what has been done for us, we have to meditate on the chasm between humanity and God. Sin, our inability to obey God’s will, causes this separation, of course.

If you want a big-picture view of the break in the relationship, read the story of what we call “the fall” in Genesis 3. And if you want to see yourself in the story, meditate a while on the last time you did what you instinctively knew was wrong, behaving like a modern Adam or Eve.

Most of us who call ourselves Christians have been through this meditative process at least once. Understanding our separation from God is what brought us to our knees in the first place. But some post-conversion navel gazing is healthy, too.

None of us is made perfect by that first moment of confession and belief, and with God’s help we want to become more loving as time passes. That’s why Lent is so useful. Once a year, we are reminded of our need to reflect, and in that reflection we draw even closer to God, growing in our faith and our ability to do God’s work.

Yes, it can be a somber effort. But remember who lies at the end of it all. In our brokenness, we are met by Jesus Christ, the one who took ultimate action.

In dying on the cross for our sins and then overcoming death, he closed the chasm, and reunion with our creator is possible. Easter joy is just around the corner!

Expect Christ: Day 27

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Today is Friday, Dec. 23, our last day praying together in the Advent season. Tomorrow, we will celebrate Christmas Eve, entering a celebration of the incarnation!

Morning

Praise and Thanksgiving.

Our final psalm of anticipation as we pray, Psalm 110, is warlike and brutal, a sharp contrast to the baby in the manger we will celebrate tomorrow night. This is a psalm of power and conquest, a declaration of God’s sure triumph over evil. God comes among us in love to save us, but let’s never forget that the divine power and plan are absolute. Jesus will return with full authority one day.

Let’s also pray this together:

“Lord, your glory is eternal, existing before creation and beyond creation. As the created, we once again praise you and look forward to the day when we live in your eternal light. May our celebrations of the incarnation appropriately honor you and open us to a deeper understanding of your magnificence. Amen.”

What other words of thanks and praise might we lift up?

Confession. As we anticipate meeting the Christ child, let’s quietly search our hearts once again for what is opposed to God, recognizing our propensity to sin and trusting in God’s grace.

Petitions. As we move toward celebrating the great truth that changes the world, let’s once again pray from global concerns down to personal concerns, seeking how we might be the answer to some of the problems around us.

Scripture: Hebrews 1

Silence.

Noon

Let’s pray this prayer together one more time:

“Lord, we have passed through a season of expectation. We remember the Israelites’ past desire for a savior to arrive, and we mirror what they felt as we long now for the return of Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus, come! We pray this with some trepidation, knowing we never feel completely ready for such a day, and that loved ones around us may not be ready. And yet we continue to pray, Come Lord Jesus, come! We trust that your grace at your return will so overwhelm sin and death that all will be set right. As we pray for your full arrival, teach us how to make ourselves ready, living as watchful people. Amen.”

Night

At a minimum, let’s spend some significant time in a quiet, reflective state before retiring for the night. Embrace the day’s spiritual victories and release the failures.

Sleep well. Having lived and prayed in anticipation, may Christmas fill your hearts.

Expect Christ: Day 26

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Today is Thursday, Dec. 22, the twenty-sixth day in the Advent season.

Morning

Praise and Thanksgiving.

As we draw closer to Christmas, let’s pray with Mary, lifting up Luke 1:46-55 and expressing our belief that mercy is truly shown from one generation to the next, so long as we honor God.

Let’s also pray this together:

“Lord, your grace and mercy are evident in the story we move toward celebrating, the birth of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your overwhelming, powerful love. Continue to sustain us with the Holy Spirit until such time as we we see the fiery, wooly-haired Christ before us, injecting truth into a false world in need of remaking. Amen.”

What other words of thanks and praise might we lift up?

Confession. Let’s quietly search our hearts once again for what is within us that is not of God.

Petitions. As we move toward celebrating the great truth that changes the world, let’s once again pray from global concerns down to personal concerns, seeking how we might be the answer to some of the problems around us.

Scripture: Revelation 22:6-20.

Silence.

Noon

Let’s continue to pray this prayer together daily:

“Lord, we are in a season of expectation. We remember the Israelites’ past desire for a savior to arrive, and we mirror what they felt as we long now for the return of Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus, come! We pray this with some trepidation, knowing we never feel completely ready for such a day, and that loved ones around us may not be ready. And yet we continue to pray, Come Lord Jesus, come! We trust that your grace at your return will so overwhelm sin and death that all will be set right. As we pray for your full arrival, teach us how to make ourselves ready, living as watchful people. Amen.”

Night

At a minimum, let’s spend some significant time in a quiet, reflective state before retiring for the night. Embrace the day’s spiritual victories and release the failures.

Sleep well. May visions of Christ in the manger and Christ to come pervade your dreams.

Expect Christ: Day 25

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 21, the twenty-fifth day in the Advent season.

Morning

Praise and Thanksgiving.

Let’s begin our prayers today with Psalm 109. It is another psalm closely associated with the Messiah, and along with other truths it predicts Jesus Christ’s betrayer.

Let’s also pray this together:

“Savior God, your presence among us was no easy task for you. You experienced the worst humanity has to offer, yet you demonstrated the best possibilities in your sacrificial life and death. Praise be to the one who gave so much so that we might gain eternal life! May we learn to live in similarly sacrificial ways. Amen.”

What other words of thanks and praise might we lift up?

Confession. When we pray regularly, we have little difficulty identifying sin. Let’s dig to the roots of sin in our lives, uprooting it and freeing ourselves for the joyous Christmas celebration to come.

Petitions. Again, as we move close to the Christmas season, let’s pray in particular for those needing to know the truth that God has intervened in this world through Jesus Christ. There also are so many who are sick right now. A hospital visit yesterday astonished me. I witnessed full rooms in the emergency department, with additional beds lined up in the halls outside those rooms, each holding a suffering soul. Pray for the sick; pray for the medical professionals who tend to them.

Scripture: Matthew 1:1-17. At first glance, this looks like a boring old genealogy, but there’s much going on here. Do you recognize the brokenness in Jesus’ lineage? Look for deception, prostitution, adultery and murder in the stories behind some of these people. Trust me, there’s a whole sermon here. Christ arrived in the midst of a mess to make salvation possible, and we pray he returns in the midst of our mess to set creation fully and completely right.

Silence.

Noon

Let’s continue to pray this prayer together daily:

“Lord, we are in a season of expectation. We remember the Israelites’ past desire for a savior to arrive, and we mirror what they felt as we long now for the return of Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus, come! We pray this with some trepidation, knowing we never feel completely ready for such a day, and that loved ones around us may not be ready. And yet we continue to pray, Come Lord Jesus, come! We trust that your grace at your return will so overwhelm sin and death that all will be set right. As we pray for your full arrival, teach us how to make ourselves ready, living as watchful people. Amen.”

Night

At a minimum, let’s spend some significant time in a quiet, reflective state before retiring for the night. Embrace the day’s spiritual victories and release the failures.

Sleep well, knowing the story of the Christ child to come begins the story of our salvation.

Expect Christ: Day 24

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 20, the twenty-fourth day in the Advent season.

Morning

Praise and Thanksgiving.

Let’s return to Psalm 22 as we begin our prayers today. It is a psalm closely associated with the Messiah; also, pay attention to the birth imagery. And of course, Jesus quoted it while on the cross. Try praying these words while reflecting on the “mind of Christ,” understanding that we are called to exhibit similar humility.

Let’s also pray this way:

“Dear Lord, you are unimaginably powerful and glorious, and yet you were willing to set aside obvious evidence of your magnificence so as to live among us, diapered and dependent on mere humans for your care. In this truth, we see that love is at the core of divine glory. As we move toward the story of the baby in the manger, help us to remember the full story of salvation. Amen.”

What other words of thanks and praise might we lift up?

Confession. Release all that is not of God to God for divine destruction, knowing the Holy Spirit will fill any void we may experience.

Petitions. Again, as we move close to the Christmas season, let’s pray in particular for those needing to know the truth that God has intervened in this world through Jesus Christ.

Scripture: Galatians 4:21-5:1.

Silence.

Noon

Let’s continue to pray this prayer together daily:

“Lord, we are in a season of expectation. We remember the Israelites’ past desire for a savior to arrive, and we mirror what they felt as we long now for the return of Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus, come! We pray this with some trepidation, knowing we never feel completely ready for such a day, and that loved ones around us may not be ready. And yet we continue to pray, Come Lord Jesus, come! We trust that your grace at your return will so overwhelm sin and death that all will be set right. As we pray for your full arrival, teach us how to make ourselves ready, living as watchful people. Amen.”

Night

At a minimum, let’s spend some significant time in a quiet, reflective state before retiring for the night. Embrace the day’s spiritual victories and release the failures.

Perhaps tonight we can dream of holy Christmases past and celebrations to come.

Expect Christ: Day 23

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Today is Monday, Dec. 19, the twenty-third day in the Advent season.

Morning

Praise and Thanksgiving.

Today, rather than beginning our time of guided prayer with a psalm, we are going to begin with Hannah’s Prayer, found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10.

Let’s also pray these words:

“Dear Lord, like Hannah we seek signs and make promises, but we know the great promises have already been made by you, ensuring us a path out of sin and death. Glory be to our God, who gave up so much to give us eternal life! Continue to guard the feet of your faithful ones. Continue to drive back evil. Amen.”

What other words of thanks and praise might we lift up?

Confession. Sin always blocks our ability to grow in Christlike love. Let’s think not only of what we lose when we repent, but what we gain.

Petitions. As we move close to the Christmas season, let’s pray in particular for those needing to know the truth that God has intervened in this world through Jesus Christ.

Scripture: Galatians 4:8-20. It’s not hard to discern Paul’s concern for the people of Galatia. Would he have similar concerns for us today?

Silence.

Noon

Let’s continue to pray this prayer together daily:

“Lord, we have entered a season of expectation. We remember the Israelites’ past desire for a savior to arrive, and we mirror what they felt as we long now for the return of Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus, come! We pray this with some trepidation, knowing we never feel completely ready for such a day, and that loved ones around us may not be ready. And yet we continue to pray, Come Lord Jesus, come! We trust that your grace at your return will so overwhelm sin and death that all will be set right. As we pray for your full arrival, teach us how to make ourselves ready, living as watchful people. Amen.”

Night

At a minimum, let’s spend some significant time in a quiet, reflective state before retiring for the night. Embrace the day’s spiritual victories and release the failures.

Remember how important controlled breathing can be as we settle ourselves into our relationship with God. He breathed into us the breath of life; the Spirit came as wind and a life-altering fire.

May a good night’s rest prepare us for a holy and inspired day tomorrow.

Expect Christ: Day 22

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the fourth Sunday of Advent. Next Sunday is Christmas Day! As part of your Sabbath, I pray you are able to attend or participate in group worship in some way. Proper formal worship will incorporate all the aspects of our daily prayers. As I’ve said before, the prayer patterns established over six days of the week lead us to a Sabbath of constant spiritual communion with God.

Here’s a text for today, one you may hear in worship:

Luke 1:46-55

Mary said,

“With all my heart I glorify the Lord!
    In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.
He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.
    Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored
        because the mighty one has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.
    He shows mercy to everyone,
        from one generation to the next,
        who honors him as God.
He has shown strength with his arm.
    He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.
    He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones
        and lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things
    and sent the rich away empty-handed.
He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
        remembering his mercy,
    just as he promised to our ancestors,
        to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.”

What a joy for Mary, full of the Spirit that has conceived the divine child inside her. She is able to glimpse the effects Jesus will have on the world. Some of these effects we still anticipate today.

Where has God met us in our lowliness and meekness?

Expect Christ: Day 21

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Today is Saturday, Dec. 17, the twenty-first day in the Advent season.

Morning

Praise and Thanksgiving.

Let’s begin our prayers with Psalm 102. In our weakness, God’s strength becomes most evident to us.

Let’s also pray these words:

“Dear Lord, may our living generations and generations to come always exalt your name, with praises going up until the day when all generations are brought together before you. Some generations may seem more blessed in worldly ways than others, but we all are offered the gift of eternal life, putting us on equal footing as we humble ourselves and follow you. Grow us together in grace and love until eras, styles and tastes have passed, and all that remains is your holy light. Amen.”

What other words of thanks and praise might we lift up?

Confession. Let’s continue to think of God as a listening friend, one who is holy and wise.

Petitions. Let’s focus on family needs today, including our own individual needs.

Scripture: John 3:31-36. Is what we see immediately in front of us always better than what is unseen?

Silence.

Noon

Let’s continue to pray this prayer together daily:

“Lord, we have entered a season of expectation. We remember the Israelites’ past desire for a savior to arrive, and we mirror what they felt as we long now for the return of Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus, come! We pray this with some trepidation, knowing we never feel completely ready for such a day, and that loved ones around us may not be ready. And yet we continue to pray, Come Lord Jesus, come! We trust that your grace at your return will so overwhelm sin and death that all will be set right. As we pray for your full arrival, teach us how to make ourselves ready, living as watchful people. Amen.”

Night

At a minimum, let’s spend some significant time in a quiet, reflective state before retiring for the night. Embrace the day’s spiritual victories and release the failures.

Remember how important controlled breathing can be as we settle ourselves into our relationship with God. He breathed into us the breath of life; the Spirit came as wind and a life-altering fire.

Sleep well. May visions from God reveal something not previously seen.

Expect Christ: Day 20

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Today is Friday, Dec. 16, the twentieth day in the Advent season.

Morning

Praise and Thanksgiving.

Let’s begin our prayers with Psalm 80.

Let’s also pray these words:

“Savior Like a Shepherd lead us! We give thanks for the gift of eternal life through the cross. We long for the promised life to come, a life we could experience even before our own deaths, if only we see you coming on the clouds. Lead us through the Holy Spirit now. Lead us visibly once again, ruling over all nations and peoples. Amen.”

What other words of thanks and praise might we lift up? When did we last count our blessings?

Confession. Let’s think about confession a little differently today. Imagine the perfect friend, the one you can tell anything without fearing rejection or reprisal. At worst, as you disclose your sins, your friend would say, “Don’t hurt yourself in such ways anymore.” Now go to God seeking such a relationship, trusting that understanding, forgiveness and healing will be offered.

Petitions. Using our “outside in” pattern, let’s ask God to intervene in global matters, in national needs, in our communities, schools and workplaces, in our churches and homes, and in our personal lives. Who are the specific people needing prayer?

Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:18-22. Again, we might want to take a little time to read before and after today’s verses, gaining some context as we prayerfully consider what God promised King David.

Silence.

Noon

Let’s continue to pray this prayer together daily:

“Lord, we have entered a season of expectation. We remember the Israelites’ past desire for a savior to arrive, and we mirror what they felt as we long now for the return of Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus, come! We pray this with some trepidation, knowing we never feel completely ready for such a day, and that loved ones around us may not be ready. And yet we continue to pray, Come Lord Jesus, come! We trust that your grace at your return will so overwhelm sin and death that all will be set right. As we pray for your full arrival, teach us how to make ourselves ready, living as watchful people. Amen.”

Night

At a minimum, let’s spend some significant time in a quiet, reflective state before retiring for the night. Embrace the day’s spiritual victories and release the failures.

Remember how important controlled breathing can be as we settle ourselves into our relationship with God. He breathed into us the breath of life; the Spirit came as wind and a life-altering fire.

Sleep well, knowing the promises made to David are fulfilled for us, too.