Read: Luke 2:1-20
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 1:8-12)
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) is widely considered to be a classic Christmas TV show, and it remains, for me, an all-time favourite. Centred around Charlie Brown’s disillusionment with the commercialization and secularization of Christmas, and his resulting quest for the true meaning of Christmas, this animated Christmas special continues to resonate with new generations of viewers.
On of my favourite moments in the show is when Charlie Brown, having been dispatched to get a “big, shiny, aluminum” Christmas tree for the Christmas play, ends up choosing a tiny dwarfish real tree, which loses more of its precious few needles every time it is touched. Charlie Brown justifies his choice to a sceptical Linus, saying, “I think it needs me.” But when Charlie Brown returns to the auditorium with the little tree, all the other kids make fun of the tree and deride him for choosing such a pathetic tree. Exasperated, Charlie Brown yells out, “Can’t anyone tell me what Christmas is all about???!!” Linus responds by reciting Luke 1:8-12, and concluding “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
Even for us who are Christ-followers, and thus know what Christmas is all about, it’s often far too easy to get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of shopping, and wrapping, and planning, and visiting that we lose sight of the Reason for the Season. May we all refuse to be satisfied with immersing ourselves in the external trappings of Christmas, and instead, like Charlie Brown, embark on a quest to re/discover what Christmas is all about.
Dear Lord Jesus, This Christmas, captivate our hearts and minds anew with the wonder of what you did for us that first Christmas by being born as baby to become our Saviour. In that sense, may this Christmas be, for each of us, a Charlie Brown Christmas. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Monday 23 December 2013
Saturday 21 December 2013
On Encountering Inaccessibility
Read: John 1:1-13
And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7, NKJV)
Most people with disabilities will, at some point in their lives, encounter barriers which prevent them from getting into certain places or taking part in certain events. These barriers can be physical; for example, the lack of ramps or elevators make it impossible for people in wheelchairs to get into a building. These barriers can also be attitudinal; for example, people may be very reluctant to strike up a conversation with someone who has a speech impairment or developmental disabilities because they are afraid that they may not be able to understand that person or make themselves understood by that other person. But whether inaccessibility is the result of physical or attitudinal barriers, it often leaves the person to whom access is denied feeling rejected and isolated. Consequently, it is common for someone with disabilities who finds themself excluded because of physical or attitudinal barriers to respond by withdrawing entirely from the place or situation in which they encountered inaccessibility.
The Bible tells us that when Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth as a helpless newborn baby, He, too, encountered inaccessibility–both physical and attitudinal. There was no physical room accessible to Mary and Joseph, so Jesus had to be born in a stable and cradled in a manger. Much more significant, and much sadder, though, were the attitudinal barriers that Jesus would encounter during his life on earth. John 1:11 tells us that, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” And yet, incredibly, Jesus did not respond to this inaccessibility and rejection by withdrawing from the human race that was rejecting him. Rather, as John goes on to tell us, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
Gracious Lord Jesus, Thank you so much for not letting either the physical barriers or the attitudinal barriers that you would encounter on earth deter you from coming to earth as a helpless baby to become our savior. Grant us courage and wisdom, so that when we are likewise facing physical and attitudinal barriers, we would not respond by becoming bitter and withdrawing into ourselves. But rather, show us ways to continue to seek to redeem those situations by continuing to look for those small inroads by which we can connect with people. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday 9 December 2013
Advent: It's All About Accessibility
Read: John 1:19-27
A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.” (Isaiah 40:3-4)
For generations, people with disabilities have sought–and often, by necessity, fought–for the right to have the same level of access to buildings, institutions, and opportunities that TAB members of society largely take for granted. Indeed, there is little that is as frustrating for a person with disabilities than to discover that your disability excludes you from, for example, going to a certain restaurant or attending an event because the venue isn't wheelchair accessible or because service dogs are not allowed. Experiencing this kind of exclusion, whether deliberate or not, can leave a person with disabilities feeling demoralized, devalued, and isolated.
The Scripture readings for today indicate that God is also very concerned with issues of accessibility. The accessibility issue that God is most concerned about is sin. Our human proclivity to sin and break God’s law creates a huge barrier between us and the holy God who created us and loves us. No feat of human engineering, no matter how skillful, could ever succeed in bridging that gap between us and God. However, Isaiah 40 is a prophecy about Christ coming to become the bridge that restores our access to God. Later, John would echo Isaiah’s words to announce that Jesus had come to fulfill this prophecy. Through His sacrificial death and resurrection, Jesus paved an accessible path back to God for all who acknowledge Him as the Way (John 14:6).
Lord Jesus, Thank you that you do care about accessibility issues. You demonstrated that during your earthly ministry by repeatedly making yourself accessible to people who found themselves shut out by their society. But thank you most of all for coming to bridge the chasm that our sins created between us and God. May we, in turn, as your followers, be bridge-builders who help make level paths for others to find reconciliation with their fellow human beings and with God. Amen.
A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.” (Isaiah 40:3-4)
For generations, people with disabilities have sought–and often, by necessity, fought–for the right to have the same level of access to buildings, institutions, and opportunities that TAB members of society largely take for granted. Indeed, there is little that is as frustrating for a person with disabilities than to discover that your disability excludes you from, for example, going to a certain restaurant or attending an event because the venue isn't wheelchair accessible or because service dogs are not allowed. Experiencing this kind of exclusion, whether deliberate or not, can leave a person with disabilities feeling demoralized, devalued, and isolated.
The Scripture readings for today indicate that God is also very concerned with issues of accessibility. The accessibility issue that God is most concerned about is sin. Our human proclivity to sin and break God’s law creates a huge barrier between us and the holy God who created us and loves us. No feat of human engineering, no matter how skillful, could ever succeed in bridging that gap between us and God. However, Isaiah 40 is a prophecy about Christ coming to become the bridge that restores our access to God. Later, John would echo Isaiah’s words to announce that Jesus had come to fulfill this prophecy. Through His sacrificial death and resurrection, Jesus paved an accessible path back to God for all who acknowledge Him as the Way (John 14:6).
Lord Jesus, Thank you that you do care about accessibility issues. You demonstrated that during your earthly ministry by repeatedly making yourself accessible to people who found themselves shut out by their society. But thank you most of all for coming to bridge the chasm that our sins created between us and God. May we, in turn, as your followers, be bridge-builders who help make level paths for others to find reconciliation with their fellow human beings and with God. Amen.
Friday 6 December 2013
Impossible Christmases
Read: Luke 1:26-38
Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”(Luke 1:38)
I think I’m pretty safe in assuming that none of you reading this blog have been faced with the kind of extreme, nature-defying impossibility that Mary faced when she was told that she, a young virgin, would become pregnant and give birth to the Son of God. But I think it’s more than likely that most, if not all of us, have, from time to time, found ourselves in situations which, from our own human perspective, seemed virtually as physically and/or emotionally impossible as the situation in which Mary suddenly found herself when the angel appeared to her.
So, let me tell you about an “impossible Christmas” I've lived through–the Christmas of 1999. At that time, I was still living at home with my parents, who were my primary caregivers, and getting ready to begin writing my PhD thesis, a rather daunting project which would take me the next four years to complete. My maternal grandmother (Oma) had been very ill for the past year, and was living in a nursing home. It had thus become my Mom’s daily routine to get me up and feed me in the morning, then Mom would make some “Gritze” (oatmeal) for Oma, and head for the nursing home. While Mom was gone, I would work on my research. She’d usually come home between two and three o’clock, feed me lunch, and then Dad and I would go visit Oma and Mom would catch a little rest before starting in on housework and supper. Gradually, this routine became, if not comfortable, at least comforting. And things were becoming stable enough so that, by the beginning of December, I was actually starting the outline for the first chapter of my thesis.
But this routine came to an abrupt end on December 6, 1999. About two o’clock that afternoon, Dad and I had heard the ambulance pass by our house and stop at the major intersection at the end of our block. There had been an accident of some kind. Mom was a little late coming home. But she did say that she wanted go to the bank after visiting Oma. So, Dad went off to get groceries, and I tried to settle down to work, despite a growing sense of uneasiness. Half an hour later, the hospital phoned: Mom was in Emergency with a broken femur and a fractured skull. She had been hit by a truck while crossing the intersection to come home. She wasn't expected to survive.
The next three weeks were, by far, the darkest of my life to that point. Had it not been for God’s sustaining faithfulness and the love and prayers of His people, I am convinced that Mom would not have survived her injuries, and I would not have been able to bear up under the emotional strain and uncertainty. Although, thankfully, Mom always recognized me when I went to visit her in the hospital, she had no notion of where “home” was, or what was going on there. Equally disturbing was the fact that she never asked about Oma. I don’t know how many times I prayed that Mom would ask about Oma. That was one year that I just wanted to fast-forward through Christmas. The thought of even trying to do any of the "normal" Christmas stuff seemed simply impossible, and I really just couldn't wait for Boxing Day, because it would mean that this impossible Christmas would finally be over. But, when Boxing Day finally came, I woke up with an extremely anxious feeling. As soon as the homecare worker finished helping me with my morning routine, I called the hospital to check on Mom. But the nurse said that there was not much change, and that Mom was doing relatively OK. Still, as I hung up the phone, the anxiety inside me was growing stronger and stronger. So I called the nursing home to check on Oma. Sure enough, the nurse there said that they were just about to call us because Oma had taken a turn for the worse. We got to the nursing home in time to spend a couple of hours with Oma, and to, literally see, the awesome peace and joy she had as God took her home to be with Him.
When I went to visit Mom a few hours later, the first thing she said when she saw me was, “How is Oma?” God had answered my prayers; Mom was finally coming around. And, while I must confess that I had a few questions about His sense of timing, I knew in my heart that he had carried me through my impossible Christmas, and He would continue to carry me through the impossible weeks and months ahead.
Let’s look again at the last few verses of our Scripture reading from Luke:
“For nothing will be impossible with God."
Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
Did you catch Mary’s reaction to her impossible situation here? “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Mary knew what I’m spending a lifetime learning and relearning: The only way to deal with an impossible situation is to put your total trust in the God of the impossible.
So, if you’re facing an impossible Christmas or an impossible year, I really want to encourage you to give those impossibilities over to God, and watch to see the possibilities that He will create out of those impossibilities. And, if you feel like even coming to God with the impossibilities of your life is an impossibility, let me remind you that, in Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Jesus was born as a human being, died on a cross, and rose again so that sinners like me and you could come into a relationship with a holy God. If we’re talking about impossibilities becoming possible, that’s got to be the ultimate.
Gracious and Loving Lord Jesus, when I find myself confronted and overwhelmed by what seem to me to be impossible situations, please help me to always look to you to see me through. Thank you that, with you, nothing is impossible. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”(Luke 1:38)
I think I’m pretty safe in assuming that none of you reading this blog have been faced with the kind of extreme, nature-defying impossibility that Mary faced when she was told that she, a young virgin, would become pregnant and give birth to the Son of God. But I think it’s more than likely that most, if not all of us, have, from time to time, found ourselves in situations which, from our own human perspective, seemed virtually as physically and/or emotionally impossible as the situation in which Mary suddenly found herself when the angel appeared to her.
So, let me tell you about an “impossible Christmas” I've lived through–the Christmas of 1999. At that time, I was still living at home with my parents, who were my primary caregivers, and getting ready to begin writing my PhD thesis, a rather daunting project which would take me the next four years to complete. My maternal grandmother (Oma) had been very ill for the past year, and was living in a nursing home. It had thus become my Mom’s daily routine to get me up and feed me in the morning, then Mom would make some “Gritze” (oatmeal) for Oma, and head for the nursing home. While Mom was gone, I would work on my research. She’d usually come home between two and three o’clock, feed me lunch, and then Dad and I would go visit Oma and Mom would catch a little rest before starting in on housework and supper. Gradually, this routine became, if not comfortable, at least comforting. And things were becoming stable enough so that, by the beginning of December, I was actually starting the outline for the first chapter of my thesis.
But this routine came to an abrupt end on December 6, 1999. About two o’clock that afternoon, Dad and I had heard the ambulance pass by our house and stop at the major intersection at the end of our block. There had been an accident of some kind. Mom was a little late coming home. But she did say that she wanted go to the bank after visiting Oma. So, Dad went off to get groceries, and I tried to settle down to work, despite a growing sense of uneasiness. Half an hour later, the hospital phoned: Mom was in Emergency with a broken femur and a fractured skull. She had been hit by a truck while crossing the intersection to come home. She wasn't expected to survive.
The next three weeks were, by far, the darkest of my life to that point. Had it not been for God’s sustaining faithfulness and the love and prayers of His people, I am convinced that Mom would not have survived her injuries, and I would not have been able to bear up under the emotional strain and uncertainty. Although, thankfully, Mom always recognized me when I went to visit her in the hospital, she had no notion of where “home” was, or what was going on there. Equally disturbing was the fact that she never asked about Oma. I don’t know how many times I prayed that Mom would ask about Oma. That was one year that I just wanted to fast-forward through Christmas. The thought of even trying to do any of the "normal" Christmas stuff seemed simply impossible, and I really just couldn't wait for Boxing Day, because it would mean that this impossible Christmas would finally be over. But, when Boxing Day finally came, I woke up with an extremely anxious feeling. As soon as the homecare worker finished helping me with my morning routine, I called the hospital to check on Mom. But the nurse said that there was not much change, and that Mom was doing relatively OK. Still, as I hung up the phone, the anxiety inside me was growing stronger and stronger. So I called the nursing home to check on Oma. Sure enough, the nurse there said that they were just about to call us because Oma had taken a turn for the worse. We got to the nursing home in time to spend a couple of hours with Oma, and to, literally see, the awesome peace and joy she had as God took her home to be with Him.
When I went to visit Mom a few hours later, the first thing she said when she saw me was, “How is Oma?” God had answered my prayers; Mom was finally coming around. And, while I must confess that I had a few questions about His sense of timing, I knew in my heart that he had carried me through my impossible Christmas, and He would continue to carry me through the impossible weeks and months ahead.
Let’s look again at the last few verses of our Scripture reading from Luke:
“For nothing will be impossible with God."
Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
Did you catch Mary’s reaction to her impossible situation here? “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Mary knew what I’m spending a lifetime learning and relearning: The only way to deal with an impossible situation is to put your total trust in the God of the impossible.
So, if you’re facing an impossible Christmas or an impossible year, I really want to encourage you to give those impossibilities over to God, and watch to see the possibilities that He will create out of those impossibilities. And, if you feel like even coming to God with the impossibilities of your life is an impossibility, let me remind you that, in Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Jesus was born as a human being, died on a cross, and rose again so that sinners like me and you could come into a relationship with a holy God. If we’re talking about impossibilities becoming possible, that’s got to be the ultimate.
Gracious and Loving Lord Jesus, when I find myself confronted and overwhelmed by what seem to me to be impossible situations, please help me to always look to you to see me through. Thank you that, with you, nothing is impossible. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wednesday 4 December 2013
God's "Foolishness"
Read: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25)
One of the overarching themes in the narrative of Jesus’ birth that has always both moved and intrigued me is, frankly, how bizarre, by human standards, the way in which God chose to send His Son into the world to save humanity was. This aspect of the Christmas story is beautifully and powerfully expressed by the group 4Him in their song, “A Strange Way to Save the World” Written from Joseph’s perspective as he watches ‘his’ newborn baby sleeping and suddenly being overwhelmed with the certainty that he and Mary had indeed become the ‘parents’ of the Son of God, the song expresses Joseph’s natural human bewilderment at the incomprehensibly “strange” ways of God:
Why me? I'm just a simple man of trade.
Why Him? With all the rulers in the world.
Why here? Inside this stable filled with hay.
Why her? She's just an ordinary girl.
Now I'm not one to second guess what angels have to say
But this is such a strange way to save the world.
It seems to me that, in addition to expressing how “strange” (and “foolish”) God’s plan to save the world appears from a human perspective, the lyrics of this song also highlight God’s propensity to, as the Apostle Paul puts it, “[choose] the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, ... and the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). For those of whose disabilities can often push us to the margins of a society that seems to be inherently able-ist in its attitudes and actions, the “strangeness” of God’s delight in choosing the weak and foolish things of the world to shame the wise and the strong should come as both an encouragement and a call to be constantly ready to be used of God in surprising ways.
Father God, Thank you for Your creative “foolishness” in sending Your Son into the world to become our Saviour. When we are made to feel insignificant because of our physical, emotional, or spiritual weakness, please remind us that You specialize in using the week and the foolish to accomplish Your plans. Help us be ready to take on whatever mission You have for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25)
One of the overarching themes in the narrative of Jesus’ birth that has always both moved and intrigued me is, frankly, how bizarre, by human standards, the way in which God chose to send His Son into the world to save humanity was. This aspect of the Christmas story is beautifully and powerfully expressed by the group 4Him in their song, “A Strange Way to Save the World” Written from Joseph’s perspective as he watches ‘his’ newborn baby sleeping and suddenly being overwhelmed with the certainty that he and Mary had indeed become the ‘parents’ of the Son of God, the song expresses Joseph’s natural human bewilderment at the incomprehensibly “strange” ways of God:
Why me? I'm just a simple man of trade.
Why Him? With all the rulers in the world.
Why here? Inside this stable filled with hay.
Why her? She's just an ordinary girl.
Now I'm not one to second guess what angels have to say
But this is such a strange way to save the world.
It seems to me that, in addition to expressing how “strange” (and “foolish”) God’s plan to save the world appears from a human perspective, the lyrics of this song also highlight God’s propensity to, as the Apostle Paul puts it, “[choose] the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, ... and the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). For those of whose disabilities can often push us to the margins of a society that seems to be inherently able-ist in its attitudes and actions, the “strangeness” of God’s delight in choosing the weak and foolish things of the world to shame the wise and the strong should come as both an encouragement and a call to be constantly ready to be used of God in surprising ways.
Father God, Thank you for Your creative “foolishness” in sending Your Son into the world to become our Saviour. When we are made to feel insignificant because of our physical, emotional, or spiritual weakness, please remind us that You specialize in using the week and the foolish to accomplish Your plans. Help us be ready to take on whatever mission You have for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Tuesday 3 December 2013
What Are *You* Giving Up for Advent?
Read: Philippians 2:1-18
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
It is with a sad sense of irony that it is often been observed that the weeks leading up to Christmas are characterized by a more concentrated emphasis on materialism and consumerism than we see at any other time of year. In the United States, the day set aside for Thanksgiving is immediately followed, and increasingly overshadowed, by Black Friday, a day dedicated fully to consumerism, a day when people often go without sleep so that they can line up early to buy more stuff. The throngs of people we see lining up in stores on Friday, not to mention the violence that we sometimes see breaking out in those store line-ups, raise justifiable questions about just how thankful people were for the stuff they already had on Thursday.
What a different perspective we find in the mind of Jesus during the first Advent leading up to his birth! In today’s Scripture readings, the Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus:
It is impossible for us, with our finite and innately self-centered human minds, to truly and fully grasp the depth of utterly unselfish love that prompted Jesus, the Son of God, to give up his glorious home in heaven and his rightful place at the right hand of the Father in order to subject himself to the limitations and frailties of the body of a human infant. We can, however, gratefully acknowledge the unfathomableness of Jesus’ love for us, and allow our gratitude to inspire us to look for new opportunities to offer selfless acts of service to God and to our fellow human beings during this Advent season.
Loving and Compassionate Lord Jesus, during this Advent season, fill our hearts and minds with renewed wonder and gratitude for the love that compelled you to humble yourself to the point of taking on human form and ultimately dying to pay the penalty for our sins. Although we will never be able to fully grasp the depth of your love with our finite minds, may your love inspire and embolden us to greater acts of service, for Your glory and for the good of our fellow human beings. In Your Name. Amen.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
It is with a sad sense of irony that it is often been observed that the weeks leading up to Christmas are characterized by a more concentrated emphasis on materialism and consumerism than we see at any other time of year. In the United States, the day set aside for Thanksgiving is immediately followed, and increasingly overshadowed, by Black Friday, a day dedicated fully to consumerism, a day when people often go without sleep so that they can line up early to buy more stuff. The throngs of people we see lining up in stores on Friday, not to mention the violence that we sometimes see breaking out in those store line-ups, raise justifiable questions about just how thankful people were for the stuff they already had on Thursday.
What a different perspective we find in the mind of Jesus during the first Advent leading up to his birth! In today’s Scripture readings, the Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death–
even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8)
Loving and Compassionate Lord Jesus, during this Advent season, fill our hearts and minds with renewed wonder and gratitude for the love that compelled you to humble yourself to the point of taking on human form and ultimately dying to pay the penalty for our sins. Although we will never be able to fully grasp the depth of your love with our finite minds, may your love inspire and embolden us to greater acts of service, for Your glory and for the good of our fellow human beings. In Your Name. Amen.
Friday 29 November 2013
Glory: How Can We Give God What He Already Has?
Read: Revelation 4
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
(1 Corinthians 10:31)
The Bible tells us repeatedly that one of our main functions as human beings who have been created in the image of God is to give glory to God (Psalm 3:3-4; Colossians 1:15-18). The Bible also tells us that heaven and earth are filled with the glory of God (Numbers 14:21; Isaiah 6:3). At first glance, there appears to be something of a contradiction, or at least a paradox, here: How can we give God something He already has?
It seems to me that a key to resolving this conundrum can be found in the psalmist’s exhortation: “Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, / ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. / Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; / bring an offering and come into his courts” (Psalm 96:7-8). To “ascribe” something to someone means to “give credit” to someone as “being the cause” of something. In other words, we give glory to God when we give Him the credit for who we are and what we have. When we do this, we are actually reflecting God’s glory back to Him.
But, for those of us who have disabilities which are the result of malfunctioning bodies and/or minds, there is sometimes a tendency to think that our disabilities somehow disqualify us from bringing glory to God because we’ve bought into the able-ist worldview of our society. According to this able-ist worldview, the presence of disability may well be a cause for ascribing blame, but certainly not for ascribing glory.
Jesus, however, demonstrated a very different view of disability during his earthly ministry. Upon encountering a man who had been born blind, Jesus’ disciples asked him, "Teacher, whose sin caused this man to be born blind-his own sin or his parents' sin?" Jesus answered, "It is not this man's sin or his parents' sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God's power could be shown in him” (John 9:2-3, New Century Version). In this encounter, Jesus teaches us that, rather than being disqualified from bringing glory to God, people with disabilities can be uniquely positioned to bring glory to God in ways that will have maximum impact. (And you don’t necessarily need to be healed from your disability for this to happen! But that’s a subject for a future post... :-)
Loving Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving all human beings the capacity to reflect Your glory, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. Grant me the perceptiveness to catch glimpses of Your glory in those around me. May I daily become more and more conformed to the life of Jesus, so that I may reflect His glory with increasing clarity. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
(1 Corinthians 10:31)
The Bible tells us repeatedly that one of our main functions as human beings who have been created in the image of God is to give glory to God (Psalm 3:3-4; Colossians 1:15-18). The Bible also tells us that heaven and earth are filled with the glory of God (Numbers 14:21; Isaiah 6:3). At first glance, there appears to be something of a contradiction, or at least a paradox, here: How can we give God something He already has?
It seems to me that a key to resolving this conundrum can be found in the psalmist’s exhortation: “Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, / ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. / Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; / bring an offering and come into his courts” (Psalm 96:7-8). To “ascribe” something to someone means to “give credit” to someone as “being the cause” of something. In other words, we give glory to God when we give Him the credit for who we are and what we have. When we do this, we are actually reflecting God’s glory back to Him.
But, for those of us who have disabilities which are the result of malfunctioning bodies and/or minds, there is sometimes a tendency to think that our disabilities somehow disqualify us from bringing glory to God because we’ve bought into the able-ist worldview of our society. According to this able-ist worldview, the presence of disability may well be a cause for ascribing blame, but certainly not for ascribing glory.
Jesus, however, demonstrated a very different view of disability during his earthly ministry. Upon encountering a man who had been born blind, Jesus’ disciples asked him, "Teacher, whose sin caused this man to be born blind-his own sin or his parents' sin?" Jesus answered, "It is not this man's sin or his parents' sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God's power could be shown in him” (John 9:2-3, New Century Version). In this encounter, Jesus teaches us that, rather than being disqualified from bringing glory to God, people with disabilities can be uniquely positioned to bring glory to God in ways that will have maximum impact. (And you don’t necessarily need to be healed from your disability for this to happen! But that’s a subject for a future post... :-)
Loving Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving all human beings the capacity to reflect Your glory, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. Grant me the perceptiveness to catch glimpses of Your glory in those around me. May I daily become more and more conformed to the life of Jesus, so that I may reflect His glory with increasing clarity. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Wednesday 27 November 2013
Honest Thanksgiving
Read: Psalm 71
Though you have made me see troubles,
many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
You will increase my honor
and comfort me once more.
I will praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, my God... (Psalm 71:20-22)
I don’t know about you, but there have certainly been seasons of my life when thanking God for anything felt like an impossibility, at best, or an outright lie, at worst. For me, 2008 was one of those years. (Yes, I said “years!”) In January of that year, I was the victim of a violent home invasion which almost cost me my life. And by late August, I was in hospital fighting for my life again–this time, because of aspiration pneumonia.
On the infrequent occasions when I was “with it” enough to pray at all during my first week in the hospital, my prayers were more like that of an exhausted and depressed Elijah in 1 Kings 19:4 than anything resembling thanksgiving. It was toward the end of this week that one of my “email carrier pigeons” (i.e., friends who had volunteered to check my email, and print off emails that they thought I’d like to hear) brought me an email from a close friend of mine who lives in another city. In this email, my friend first assured me that I was being prayed for–A LOT. And then, he referred me to today’s Scripture reading from Psalm 71, suggesting that this might be a prayer that I could pray for myself.
During the months of slow and arduous recovery that followed, I did periodically endeavour to pray Psalm 71 for myself. But because I was stuck in a lamenting frame of mind, I would invariably omit the first word, “though,” and stop at the end of the first sentence. My “prayer” thus amounted to, “You have made me see troubles, many and bitter. The End.” (I’m pretty sure this wasn't what my friend had in mind when he pointed me to this Psalm!) One day though, I sensed God saying to me “But this is NOT “The End”–of the psalm, or of you! You need to KEEP GOING!” So this time, I made myself pray on through the rest of the Psalm. As I did, I was struck with the realization that God doesn't expect, or even want, thanksgiving that glosses over our trials and discouragement. Rather, what God wants is “honest thanksgiving” – thanksgiving in which we acknowledge the existence and severity of our struggles, and yet affirm our trust in a Wise and Loving Heavenly Father who will sustain us in and through all of our struggles.
Loving and Wise Heavenly Father, Thank you that you are a God who is big enough to handle honest thanksgiving. Please help me to learn and practice this art more and more, as I encounter seasons of trouble and discouragement. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Though you have made me see troubles,
many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
You will increase my honor
and comfort me once more.
I will praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, my God... (Psalm 71:20-22)
I don’t know about you, but there have certainly been seasons of my life when thanking God for anything felt like an impossibility, at best, or an outright lie, at worst. For me, 2008 was one of those years. (Yes, I said “years!”) In January of that year, I was the victim of a violent home invasion which almost cost me my life. And by late August, I was in hospital fighting for my life again–this time, because of aspiration pneumonia.
On the infrequent occasions when I was “with it” enough to pray at all during my first week in the hospital, my prayers were more like that of an exhausted and depressed Elijah in 1 Kings 19:4 than anything resembling thanksgiving. It was toward the end of this week that one of my “email carrier pigeons” (i.e., friends who had volunteered to check my email, and print off emails that they thought I’d like to hear) brought me an email from a close friend of mine who lives in another city. In this email, my friend first assured me that I was being prayed for–A LOT. And then, he referred me to today’s Scripture reading from Psalm 71, suggesting that this might be a prayer that I could pray for myself.
During the months of slow and arduous recovery that followed, I did periodically endeavour to pray Psalm 71 for myself. But because I was stuck in a lamenting frame of mind, I would invariably omit the first word, “though,” and stop at the end of the first sentence. My “prayer” thus amounted to, “You have made me see troubles, many and bitter. The End.” (I’m pretty sure this wasn't what my friend had in mind when he pointed me to this Psalm!) One day though, I sensed God saying to me “But this is NOT “The End”–of the psalm, or of you! You need to KEEP GOING!” So this time, I made myself pray on through the rest of the Psalm. As I did, I was struck with the realization that God doesn't expect, or even want, thanksgiving that glosses over our trials and discouragement. Rather, what God wants is “honest thanksgiving” – thanksgiving in which we acknowledge the existence and severity of our struggles, and yet affirm our trust in a Wise and Loving Heavenly Father who will sustain us in and through all of our struggles.
Loving and Wise Heavenly Father, Thank you that you are a God who is big enough to handle honest thanksgiving. Please help me to learn and practice this art more and more, as I encounter seasons of trouble and discouragement. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Wednesday 13 November 2013
The Mission of Being Out-of-Commission
/Read: Psalm 119:65-71
"He has alienated my family from me;
my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
My relatives have gone away;
my closest friends have forgotten me.
My guests and my female servants count me a foreigner;
they look on me as on a stranger.” (Job 19:13-15)
Most people who have experienced a long-term bout with illness and/or depression can
probably relate very closely to the isolation and loneliness that Job talks about in these verses. There is often something inherently isolating about suffering of any kind. Perhaps one of the reasons for this is a common, subconscious fear that, if people get too close to suffering, they will somehow ‘catch it’ and end up as sufferers themselves.
The writer of Psalm 119, however, seems to have a very different attitude toward suffering: he declares, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees” (Ps 119:71). Like many of us, it seems that the psalmist discovered that God brought affliction and suffering into his life in order to, first of all, get his attention, and thereby to bring him into a place where God could reveal Himself to the psalmist and begin to teach the psalmist His ways. This suggests that God can often use the isolation we experience as a result of our suffering to quiet our hearts and minds to a point where we are at last able to hear Him speaking to us. Evidently, there is something about suffering, and the isolation which often accompanies it, that gets us into a physical, emotional, and spiritual space where we are able to hear God speak to us in ways that we often miss or ignore when we are caught up in our “regular” lives.
Gracious Heavenly Father, I confess that, when I find myself in seasons of suffering, my first response is usually to lament–and resent–the inactivity and isolation that come with the suffering. In the midst of my physical and/or emotional pain, please grant me the patience and discernment to be able to quiet my heart and listen for Your voice, and learn the lessons that You desire to teach me in and through my suffering. By Your grace, may I emerge from my seasons of suffering saying with the Psalmist, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” In Jesus’ name. Amen.
"He has alienated my family from me;
my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
My relatives have gone away;
my closest friends have forgotten me.
My guests and my female servants count me a foreigner;
they look on me as on a stranger.” (Job 19:13-15)
Most people who have experienced a long-term bout with illness and/or depression can
probably relate very closely to the isolation and loneliness that Job talks about in these verses. There is often something inherently isolating about suffering of any kind. Perhaps one of the reasons for this is a common, subconscious fear that, if people get too close to suffering, they will somehow ‘catch it’ and end up as sufferers themselves.
The writer of Psalm 119, however, seems to have a very different attitude toward suffering: he declares, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees” (Ps 119:71). Like many of us, it seems that the psalmist discovered that God brought affliction and suffering into his life in order to, first of all, get his attention, and thereby to bring him into a place where God could reveal Himself to the psalmist and begin to teach the psalmist His ways. This suggests that God can often use the isolation we experience as a result of our suffering to quiet our hearts and minds to a point where we are at last able to hear Him speaking to us. Evidently, there is something about suffering, and the isolation which often accompanies it, that gets us into a physical, emotional, and spiritual space where we are able to hear God speak to us in ways that we often miss or ignore when we are caught up in our “regular” lives.
Gracious Heavenly Father, I confess that, when I find myself in seasons of suffering, my first response is usually to lament–and resent–the inactivity and isolation that come with the suffering. In the midst of my physical and/or emotional pain, please grant me the patience and discernment to be able to quiet my heart and listen for Your voice, and learn the lessons that You desire to teach me in and through my suffering. By Your grace, may I emerge from my seasons of suffering saying with the Psalmist, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday 14 October 2013
Remembering to Give Thanks
Read: Psalm 103; Luke 17:11-17
Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits— (Ps. 103:1-2)
One of the greatest, and most detrimental, drawbacks to living in this current technology-driven age of ‘instant everything’ is, it seems to me, the radical shortening of our attention-span, and, with it, our memory. We have become so obsessed with taking in as much information, and having as many different experiences, as quickly as possible that we are losing our ability to step out of the moment in order to analyse the information that we take in, or reflect on the significance of the experiences we’ve had. When we don’t take time to reflect on our experiences, we are less likely to learn from them, and much less likely to be grateful for them.
Today’s Bible readings indicate that the propensity for people to forget about the blessings that God pours into their lives is not just a present-day phenomenon. The psalm-writer had to remind himself, “forget not all [God’s] benefits.” And, of the ten people with leprosy who Jesus heals in Luke, Chapter 17, only one remembered to come back and say “Thank you.” These passages thus convey a clear link between a lack of reflection caused by a short attention span and a lack of gratitude for the multitude of blessings, small and huge, that God pours into our lives on a daily basis.
Gracious Heavenly Father, Please forgive me for my propensity to let my busyness and my consequently minuscule attention span prevent me from recognizing the multitude of blessings that You lavish on me day by day. Sharpen my perception and expand my memory that I may develop an attitude of gratitude for the life that You have given me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Saturday 12 October 2013
Thanksgiving: Our Not-So-Secret Weapon
Read: Joshua 6:1-20
On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in." (Joshua 6:4-5)
I grew up in church listening to various pastors and speakers encourage their listeners to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, because thankfulness is a key characteristic that ought to distinguish Christ-followers from the majority of people around them. And, in fact, I discovered early on in my life that people who are genuinely thankful for what God has given them are a whole lot more likely to have positive outlook on life, which, in turn, equips them to deal with future difficulties and challenges. Not only are habitually thankful people better equipped to deal with difficulties that come into their own lives, they are often uniquely positioned to come alongside others who are also dealing with challenges. Conversely, people who constantly dwell on their difficulties tend to isolate themselves, thus greatly impeding their capacity to either receive support and encouragement from others, or be a source of support and encouragement to others.
Something else that I learned about thankfulness early on in my life is that genuine, God-centered thankfulness is not dependent on favourable external circumstances, such as good health, financial security, thriving relationships, etc. Rather, it flows out of a faith in, and experience of, a Gracious and Loving Heavenly Father, who is able to pour abundant blessings of love and peace into our lives, even in the midst of great adversity and turmoil. When I look back over the past year in my own life, I see once again that, although this was a year of many deep losses and unprecedented DRAMA (read: stress and distress), it was also a year in which I witnessed God’s miraculous provision in ways that I had never before experienced.
In re-reading the Old Testament story of Israel’s capture of Jericho, I find myself intrigued by the question of what, exactly, it was that the Israelite army shouted that caused the wall of the city to crumble before them? The text does not provide this detail, but, from reading stories of other Israelite conquests in the Old Testament, I am led to strongly suspect that it was a shout of thanksgiving that sent the great wall of Jericho a tumblin’ down!
Gracious Heavenly Father – I confess that, when I am faced with seasons of adversity and turmoil, thankfulness is usually the furthest thing from my mind and heart. But during those times, may I remember all the ways that You have graciously and miraculously provided for me in the past. And may I thus find the courage to move forward with a triumphal shout of thanksgiving. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in." (Joshua 6:4-5)
I grew up in church listening to various pastors and speakers encourage their listeners to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, because thankfulness is a key characteristic that ought to distinguish Christ-followers from the majority of people around them. And, in fact, I discovered early on in my life that people who are genuinely thankful for what God has given them are a whole lot more likely to have positive outlook on life, which, in turn, equips them to deal with future difficulties and challenges. Not only are habitually thankful people better equipped to deal with difficulties that come into their own lives, they are often uniquely positioned to come alongside others who are also dealing with challenges. Conversely, people who constantly dwell on their difficulties tend to isolate themselves, thus greatly impeding their capacity to either receive support and encouragement from others, or be a source of support and encouragement to others.
Something else that I learned about thankfulness early on in my life is that genuine, God-centered thankfulness is not dependent on favourable external circumstances, such as good health, financial security, thriving relationships, etc. Rather, it flows out of a faith in, and experience of, a Gracious and Loving Heavenly Father, who is able to pour abundant blessings of love and peace into our lives, even in the midst of great adversity and turmoil. When I look back over the past year in my own life, I see once again that, although this was a year of many deep losses and unprecedented DRAMA (read: stress and distress), it was also a year in which I witnessed God’s miraculous provision in ways that I had never before experienced.
In re-reading the Old Testament story of Israel’s capture of Jericho, I find myself intrigued by the question of what, exactly, it was that the Israelite army shouted that caused the wall of the city to crumble before them? The text does not provide this detail, but, from reading stories of other Israelite conquests in the Old Testament, I am led to strongly suspect that it was a shout of thanksgiving that sent the great wall of Jericho a tumblin’ down!
Gracious Heavenly Father – I confess that, when I am faced with seasons of adversity and turmoil, thankfulness is usually the furthest thing from my mind and heart. But during those times, may I remember all the ways that You have graciously and miraculously provided for me in the past. And may I thus find the courage to move forward with a triumphal shout of thanksgiving. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Tuesday 1 October 2013
Created Crip, or Created TAB, You Were Created to Serve
Read: Ephesians 2:1-10
For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
For many of us who have disabilities or chronic illnesses, there is often a strong temptation to become so preoccupied with our own day-to-day challenges that we begin to feel like we’re destined to perpetually be on the receiving end of acts of service, rather than being capable of offering meaningful acts of service to others. When this kind of thinking becomes ingrained, it can lead to bouts of depression, as we begin to internalize the messages that we receive from the society and culture around us–messages which tell us that our lives can only be a burden, both to us and to those around us. People with disabilities who internalize these kinds of negative messages can often become convinced that our limitations render us incapable of helping or being of service to others in any kind of meaningful way. When we begin to think this way, it becomes very easy to sink into depression over our perceived uselessness.
The Bible reading for today offers, I think, a very effective encouragement to Christian crips–of all types–who struggle with feelings of uselessness and consequent depression. In this passage, the Apostle Paul makes it clear that all Christians, crip and TAB alike, are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” As far as God is concerned, having disabilities does not disqualify anyone from being of service to others. In fact, it’s been my experience, and the experience of many other Christians with disabilities, that God will actually use both our positive and our negative experiences of living with disabilities to minister in unique ways to other people, those who have disabilities themselves, and those who don’t–yet.
Gracious Lord Jesus, I confess that, too often, I let myself be too influenced by a society which tells me that my disabilities and limitations make it impossible for me to be anything other than a burden to others, and even to myself. When this happens, Lord, please remind me that this is not the way You see me, for You not only created me to do good works, but even prepared in advance the good works that You would have me do. Please help me to recognize those good works that You’ve prepared for me, and to engage in them wholeheartedly, for others’ good and for Your glory. Amen.
Monday 30 September 2013
The Soggy Bread Principle
Read: Ecclesiastes 11
Cast your bread upon the water, for you will find it after many days. (Eccl. 11:1 NKJV)
This first verse of Chapter 11 of the Book of Ecclesiastes has always rather intrigued me. I remember first encountering this verse as a young teenager, and thinking, “What good is soggy bread??!!”
The intervening years, in which I've worked to build a career as a writer/playwright have, I believe, taught me more about the actual meaning and significance of this verse. When I first set out to write something as short as an article for an academic journal, or as long as a 90-minute play, I usually have no idea whether or not a journal will actually accept the article for publication, or if my new play will find its way to production. I must first invest the time and effort of writing, and then submitting, a piece in order to even have a hope of seeing that work in print or on the stage. I lightheartedly refer to this as the “Soggy Bread Principle,” acknowledging that those of us who have swallowing difficulties find it much easier to eat bread when it’s soggy than when it’s dry!
For those of us who have acknowledged and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, there is another dimension to the Soggy Bread Principle: Jesus invites us to entrust Him with the ultimate results of our efforts, trusting that He alone knows how and when to bring the bread we have cast out upon the water back to us in just the right way, in just the right time, and with just the right level of sogginess to make it of the most benefit to us and to others.
Gracious and faithful Lord Jesus, Thank you for the abilities and opportunities that you give me to figuratively cast bread upon the water. Please help me not to squander these opportunities, but rather to diligently make the most out of them, trusting You to bring the best results for my good and Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Cast your bread upon the water, for you will find it after many days. (Eccl. 11:1 NKJV)
This first verse of Chapter 11 of the Book of Ecclesiastes has always rather intrigued me. I remember first encountering this verse as a young teenager, and thinking, “What good is soggy bread??!!”
The intervening years, in which I've worked to build a career as a writer/playwright have, I believe, taught me more about the actual meaning and significance of this verse. When I first set out to write something as short as an article for an academic journal, or as long as a 90-minute play, I usually have no idea whether or not a journal will actually accept the article for publication, or if my new play will find its way to production. I must first invest the time and effort of writing, and then submitting, a piece in order to even have a hope of seeing that work in print or on the stage. I lightheartedly refer to this as the “Soggy Bread Principle,” acknowledging that those of us who have swallowing difficulties find it much easier to eat bread when it’s soggy than when it’s dry!
For those of us who have acknowledged and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, there is another dimension to the Soggy Bread Principle: Jesus invites us to entrust Him with the ultimate results of our efforts, trusting that He alone knows how and when to bring the bread we have cast out upon the water back to us in just the right way, in just the right time, and with just the right level of sogginess to make it of the most benefit to us and to others.
Gracious and faithful Lord Jesus, Thank you for the abilities and opportunities that you give me to figuratively cast bread upon the water. Please help me not to squander these opportunities, but rather to diligently make the most out of them, trusting You to bring the best results for my good and Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Saturday 28 September 2013
Finding the Will to Wait
Read: Lamentations 3:25-58
It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:26)
I spend a lot of my time waiting–mostly for DATS (Paratransit) busses. It’s accurate to say that on any given day when I’m not working from home all day, I can spend anywhere from 30 minutes to two-and-a-half hours waiting to get from Point A to Point B. Upon learning this fact, people often make remarks about how patient I am. I usually respond by saying something to the effect that it’s not so much that I’m patient, it’s that I realize that, if I got really uptight and upset every time the bus was late, or every time I had to take a wonky, time-consuming detour in order to pick up or drop off someone else en route to my destination, I would probably have had a stroke or a heart attack a long time ago.
I usually don’t have too much difficulty waiting for DATS, or waiting for other things/people, when I know that there is some kind of set time-frame in which I’ll have to wait–however prolonged that time-frame ends up being. But I have a much harder time waiting in times of major change and/or uncertainty in my life, times when I have absolutely no idea how long I’ll be waiting, or sometimes even what, exactly, I’m waiting for! It’s during these times that I often get very anxious and agitated, as I wonder what’s taking God so long to intervene and put an end to my time of waiting.
The Book of Lamentations was written during a time when the people of Israel were waiting, with great anxiousness, to be delivered from the Babylonians, who had captured and destroyed Jerusalem. Recognizing that the Babylonian invasion was God’s punishment on the people of Israel for their unfaithfulness, the prophet-writer of Lamentations (probably Jeremiah) encourages his people: “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.”
Gracious Lord, In times of adversity or uncertainty when I find myself unable to move forward, please help me not to be overwhelmed by anxiety or self-pity. Help me instead to wait quietly for you to reveal yourself in and through my circumstances. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:26)
I spend a lot of my time waiting–mostly for DATS (Paratransit) busses. It’s accurate to say that on any given day when I’m not working from home all day, I can spend anywhere from 30 minutes to two-and-a-half hours waiting to get from Point A to Point B. Upon learning this fact, people often make remarks about how patient I am. I usually respond by saying something to the effect that it’s not so much that I’m patient, it’s that I realize that, if I got really uptight and upset every time the bus was late, or every time I had to take a wonky, time-consuming detour in order to pick up or drop off someone else en route to my destination, I would probably have had a stroke or a heart attack a long time ago.
I usually don’t have too much difficulty waiting for DATS, or waiting for other things/people, when I know that there is some kind of set time-frame in which I’ll have to wait–however prolonged that time-frame ends up being. But I have a much harder time waiting in times of major change and/or uncertainty in my life, times when I have absolutely no idea how long I’ll be waiting, or sometimes even what, exactly, I’m waiting for! It’s during these times that I often get very anxious and agitated, as I wonder what’s taking God so long to intervene and put an end to my time of waiting.
The Book of Lamentations was written during a time when the people of Israel were waiting, with great anxiousness, to be delivered from the Babylonians, who had captured and destroyed Jerusalem. Recognizing that the Babylonian invasion was God’s punishment on the people of Israel for their unfaithfulness, the prophet-writer of Lamentations (probably Jeremiah) encourages his people: “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.”
Gracious Lord, In times of adversity or uncertainty when I find myself unable to move forward, please help me not to be overwhelmed by anxiety or self-pity. Help me instead to wait quietly for you to reveal yourself in and through my circumstances. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Friday 6 September 2013
Visual Impairments: The Importance of What We Can’t See
Read: 2 Corinthians 4:14-18
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)
One of the challenges that I seem to face on an ongoing basis when it comes to my life as a Christ-follower is a vision impairment: spiritual short-sightedness. I tend to become so engrossed in, or overwhelmed by, my present circumstances that I lose my perspective. As I age, I seem to be accumulating more and more “secondary conditions” related to my primary condition, Cerebral Palsy. For example, shortly after I turned 30, I was diagnosed with a swallowing disorder, and had to start eating only pureed food. (Pureed turkey at Thanksgiving – YUM!...NOT!!!) Some twelve years after that, I had my first bout of aspiration pneumonia, which was nearly fatal, and had to have feeding-tube inserted into my stomach. Although, thankfully, I have subsequently regained the ability to eat some pureed foods by mouth, odds are high that, as I age, my swallowing muscles will weaken further, resulting in an increased risk of recurrent pneumonia and eventual death, even with the feeding-tube.
More often than not, this spiritual visual impairment of mine causes me to magnify my present challenges and troubles rather than viewing them as “light and momentary”! Yet, in today’s Scripture reading, this is exactly how the Apostle Paul views the life-threatening hardships which he repeatedly faces in the course of his ministry. What enabled Paul to view such hardships in this way? Paul purposely views his present hardships from an eternal perspective, recognizing that God is using his troubles in often indiscernible ways to perfect and prepare him for the glory that awaits him in heaven.
All-knowing Heavenly Father, I confess that there are many times when I become so overwhelmed by the limitations, challenges, and troubles I face here and now that I lose sight of Your ultimate claim and watch-care over my life. During those times, God, please correct my vision so that I am able to look beyond my immediate circumstances, and recognize that the troubles I face in this life are indeed “light and momentary” compared to the Glorious eternity with You in Heaven. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)
One of the challenges that I seem to face on an ongoing basis when it comes to my life as a Christ-follower is a vision impairment: spiritual short-sightedness. I tend to become so engrossed in, or overwhelmed by, my present circumstances that I lose my perspective. As I age, I seem to be accumulating more and more “secondary conditions” related to my primary condition, Cerebral Palsy. For example, shortly after I turned 30, I was diagnosed with a swallowing disorder, and had to start eating only pureed food. (Pureed turkey at Thanksgiving – YUM!...NOT!!!) Some twelve years after that, I had my first bout of aspiration pneumonia, which was nearly fatal, and had to have feeding-tube inserted into my stomach. Although, thankfully, I have subsequently regained the ability to eat some pureed foods by mouth, odds are high that, as I age, my swallowing muscles will weaken further, resulting in an increased risk of recurrent pneumonia and eventual death, even with the feeding-tube.
More often than not, this spiritual visual impairment of mine causes me to magnify my present challenges and troubles rather than viewing them as “light and momentary”! Yet, in today’s Scripture reading, this is exactly how the Apostle Paul views the life-threatening hardships which he repeatedly faces in the course of his ministry. What enabled Paul to view such hardships in this way? Paul purposely views his present hardships from an eternal perspective, recognizing that God is using his troubles in often indiscernible ways to perfect and prepare him for the glory that awaits him in heaven.
All-knowing Heavenly Father, I confess that there are many times when I become so overwhelmed by the limitations, challenges, and troubles I face here and now that I lose sight of Your ultimate claim and watch-care over my life. During those times, God, please correct my vision so that I am able to look beyond my immediate circumstances, and recognize that the troubles I face in this life are indeed “light and momentary” compared to the Glorious eternity with You in Heaven. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Saturday 27 July 2013
When God Says "No" to a Noble Dream
Read: 1 Chronicles 22:7-16 & Acts 16:6-10
One of the biggest–and often, most frustrating–tests of faith for people who are seeking to follow God’s will for their lives are those times when God seems to put a dream in our heart, and lead us toward the realization of that dream for a time, but then stops us short before our dream becomes a reality.
I, for one, have had this scenario play out more than once in my own life, and can therefore attest to the fact that it’s not a pleasant or fun experience. For illustration purposes, let me just sketch out one of my most life-altering experiences of this scenario. Although, strictly speaking, my PhD is in English, I had managed to integrate my growing interest in the emerging fields of Disability Studies and Disability Ethics into my doctoral work. The scholarly work that I did in these fields during my doctorate led to my being invited to apply for the position of Postdoctoral Fellow on a research team examining end-of-life issues affecting people with disabilities. The position was two provinces away from my home, and people with my severity of disability don’t usually pull up stakes and move halfway across the country for work! But God wanted me there, so He provided, not only the job, but also accessible housing with attendant care, plus an agreement that I could return home after a year, and complete the second half of the contract from there, so that I could help care for my mother, who was suffering from dementia. When that first postdoc ended, God provided a second postdoc, specifically in Disability Ethics, at my home university. At the end of my second postdoc, I was hired by my home university to develop and implement a Certificate Program in Disability Ethics. It seemed obvious that God had equipped, led, and positioned me to develop and run this program. Yet, within the next eighteen months, Faculty administrations changed, there was a university-wide budget cut-back, and both the would-be Certificate Program and my job were terminated.
Did I get it wrong? Did I somehow misjudge the way that God was leading me? These are natural questions in these circumstances. Yet, in reading the Bible, I find that I’m not the first person to find ostensible dead-ends and unexpected U-turns along the path that God leads me. On the contrary, it turns out that I’m in pretty good company! King David, for example, had it in his heart to build a temple for the Lord. He even receives initial encouragement from the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 7:2-3). But God abruptly nixes David’s noble plan, announcing that it is not David, but rather David’s son whom He has chosen to build a temple (2 Samuel 7:12-13). Similarly, Luke reports in Acts 16:6-7 that “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” Here again, we see God saying a firm “No!” to the noble plan of His servants, despite the fact that circumstances would indicate that He was the one who had led them towards the conception and completion of that plan. Thus faced with God’s seemingly inexplicable negation of a noble plan, His servants are challenged to accept the ultimate wisdom and graciousness of His leading, and, in faith, continue to follow.
Gracious All-Knowing Father, in those times when you say no to a noble dream of mine, help me remember that, if you were small enough for my finite mind to be able to understand all of your ways, you would cease to be God. May I learn to trust your unfailing goodness and love for me so that I can continue to follow you wholeheartedly–even through the apparent dead-ends and U-turns. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
One of the biggest–and often, most frustrating–tests of faith for people who are seeking to follow God’s will for their lives are those times when God seems to put a dream in our heart, and lead us toward the realization of that dream for a time, but then stops us short before our dream becomes a reality.
I, for one, have had this scenario play out more than once in my own life, and can therefore attest to the fact that it’s not a pleasant or fun experience. For illustration purposes, let me just sketch out one of my most life-altering experiences of this scenario. Although, strictly speaking, my PhD is in English, I had managed to integrate my growing interest in the emerging fields of Disability Studies and Disability Ethics into my doctoral work. The scholarly work that I did in these fields during my doctorate led to my being invited to apply for the position of Postdoctoral Fellow on a research team examining end-of-life issues affecting people with disabilities. The position was two provinces away from my home, and people with my severity of disability don’t usually pull up stakes and move halfway across the country for work! But God wanted me there, so He provided, not only the job, but also accessible housing with attendant care, plus an agreement that I could return home after a year, and complete the second half of the contract from there, so that I could help care for my mother, who was suffering from dementia. When that first postdoc ended, God provided a second postdoc, specifically in Disability Ethics, at my home university. At the end of my second postdoc, I was hired by my home university to develop and implement a Certificate Program in Disability Ethics. It seemed obvious that God had equipped, led, and positioned me to develop and run this program. Yet, within the next eighteen months, Faculty administrations changed, there was a university-wide budget cut-back, and both the would-be Certificate Program and my job were terminated.
Did I get it wrong? Did I somehow misjudge the way that God was leading me? These are natural questions in these circumstances. Yet, in reading the Bible, I find that I’m not the first person to find ostensible dead-ends and unexpected U-turns along the path that God leads me. On the contrary, it turns out that I’m in pretty good company! King David, for example, had it in his heart to build a temple for the Lord. He even receives initial encouragement from the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 7:2-3). But God abruptly nixes David’s noble plan, announcing that it is not David, but rather David’s son whom He has chosen to build a temple (2 Samuel 7:12-13). Similarly, Luke reports in Acts 16:6-7 that “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” Here again, we see God saying a firm “No!” to the noble plan of His servants, despite the fact that circumstances would indicate that He was the one who had led them towards the conception and completion of that plan. Thus faced with God’s seemingly inexplicable negation of a noble plan, His servants are challenged to accept the ultimate wisdom and graciousness of His leading, and, in faith, continue to follow.
Gracious All-Knowing Father, in those times when you say no to a noble dream of mine, help me remember that, if you were small enough for my finite mind to be able to understand all of your ways, you would cease to be God. May I learn to trust your unfailing goodness and love for me so that I can continue to follow you wholeheartedly–even through the apparent dead-ends and U-turns. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wednesday 24 July 2013
Life in a Clay Jar: When Cracking Up is a Good Thing
Read: 2 Corinthians 4:1-12
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Cor. 4:7)
In the usual scheme of things, we tend to put things of value in safe and secure places, most of which are kept out of plain sight: safe deposit boxes, locked drawers, etc. We generally do this because we fear that leaving something of value out in the open will significantly increase the risk that it will get damaged, or lost, or stolen. We think that, the more hidden away something of value is, the better the chances of preserving it for our future use.
In today’s Bible reading, the Apostle Paul tells us that God takes a very different attitude. God entrusts the most valuable thing in the universe–the good news that God sent His son Jesus to make it possible for humans to find forgiveness for their sins and come into a right relationship with Himself–to the very same weak and sinful humans that Jesus came into the world to save. To be sure, this is something of an oxymoron! But, even a cursory overview of Biblical history shows that it’s God’s M.O. to choose people who are both morally and physically weak to carry His message and accomplish His purposes on earth. Paul himself is a prime example of this; not only did he refer to himself as the worst of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), he was also constantly plagued by a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7), which kept him ever mindful of his own physical and spiritual weakness and insufficiency.
To put in another way, Paul was only too well aware that he was a “cracked pot”! Yet, at the same time, Paul was also very aware of God’s ability to make those very cracks in his physical and spiritual strength into channels through which God’s grace and mercy become clearly evident.
Gracious Heavenly Father, When I become discouraged by my persistent physical and/or spiritual weakness, remind me of your intent and ability to use these cracks in my physical and spiritual strength as showcase windows through which your grace and mercy can be seen by all. Grant me the grace and wisdom not to let my own pride and desire for self-sufficiency obscure the view. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Cor. 4:7)
In the usual scheme of things, we tend to put things of value in safe and secure places, most of which are kept out of plain sight: safe deposit boxes, locked drawers, etc. We generally do this because we fear that leaving something of value out in the open will significantly increase the risk that it will get damaged, or lost, or stolen. We think that, the more hidden away something of value is, the better the chances of preserving it for our future use.
In today’s Bible reading, the Apostle Paul tells us that God takes a very different attitude. God entrusts the most valuable thing in the universe–the good news that God sent His son Jesus to make it possible for humans to find forgiveness for their sins and come into a right relationship with Himself–to the very same weak and sinful humans that Jesus came into the world to save. To be sure, this is something of an oxymoron! But, even a cursory overview of Biblical history shows that it’s God’s M.O. to choose people who are both morally and physically weak to carry His message and accomplish His purposes on earth. Paul himself is a prime example of this; not only did he refer to himself as the worst of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), he was also constantly plagued by a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7), which kept him ever mindful of his own physical and spiritual weakness and insufficiency.
To put in another way, Paul was only too well aware that he was a “cracked pot”! Yet, at the same time, Paul was also very aware of God’s ability to make those very cracks in his physical and spiritual strength into channels through which God’s grace and mercy become clearly evident.
Gracious Heavenly Father, When I become discouraged by my persistent physical and/or spiritual weakness, remind me of your intent and ability to use these cracks in my physical and spiritual strength as showcase windows through which your grace and mercy can be seen by all. Grant me the grace and wisdom not to let my own pride and desire for self-sufficiency obscure the view. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thursday 18 July 2013
"Very Well" Versus "Well, Fine!"
Read: 2 Samuel 10:1-14
“....The LORD will do what is good in his sight." (2 Samuel 10:12)
A friend of mine was telling me about her adventures in babysitting her three-year-old nephew. The little one seemed irresistibly attracted to virtually every potentially dangerous object in her apartment–sharp knives, pots cooking on the stove, even the stapler on her desk. For the balance of two solid days, my friend was kept busy running after her nephew, snatching these potentially dangerous objects from out of his reach to prevent him from hurting himself. Invariably, the little guy’s response to these loving acts of protection by his aunt was to stomp his feet and let out an exasperated “Well, fine!”
It occurs to me that, when it comes to my relationship with God, I quite often act very much like my friend’s little nephew. Many times, I will set my mind and heart on some plan or goal that seems to promise the best of all possible outcomes for my life–at least the most desirable outcome that I can envision at that point in time. But then, when God, who knows “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10 ), comes along and, in a loving act of protection, snatches that treasured plan or goal from out of my reach, my first response is not one of trust and gratitude, but rather, it’s to stomp my feet and let out an exasperated “Well, fine!”
It’s during these times that I need to consciously remind myself that God has explicitly told us in His Word that His intentions toward us are ALWAYS good. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” If I really believe this to be true, then my response to God’s snatching my own plans from out of my reach needs to be one of trusting submission, “Very well,” rather than one of grudging acquiescence, “Well, fine!”
Gracious Heavenly Father, Thank You that You know infinitely more about what’s really best for me than I do. Forgive me for those times when I lose sight of that fact and respond to Your loving acts of protection with an angry and exasperated “Well, fine!” Please help me to recognize Your perfect will for my life and respond with a trusting and thankful “Very well.”
“....The LORD will do what is good in his sight." (2 Samuel 10:12)
A friend of mine was telling me about her adventures in babysitting her three-year-old nephew. The little one seemed irresistibly attracted to virtually every potentially dangerous object in her apartment–sharp knives, pots cooking on the stove, even the stapler on her desk. For the balance of two solid days, my friend was kept busy running after her nephew, snatching these potentially dangerous objects from out of his reach to prevent him from hurting himself. Invariably, the little guy’s response to these loving acts of protection by his aunt was to stomp his feet and let out an exasperated “Well, fine!”
It occurs to me that, when it comes to my relationship with God, I quite often act very much like my friend’s little nephew. Many times, I will set my mind and heart on some plan or goal that seems to promise the best of all possible outcomes for my life–at least the most desirable outcome that I can envision at that point in time. But then, when God, who knows “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10 ), comes along and, in a loving act of protection, snatches that treasured plan or goal from out of my reach, my first response is not one of trust and gratitude, but rather, it’s to stomp my feet and let out an exasperated “Well, fine!”
It’s during these times that I need to consciously remind myself that God has explicitly told us in His Word that His intentions toward us are ALWAYS good. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” If I really believe this to be true, then my response to God’s snatching my own plans from out of my reach needs to be one of trusting submission, “Very well,” rather than one of grudging acquiescence, “Well, fine!”
Gracious Heavenly Father, Thank You that You know infinitely more about what’s really best for me than I do. Forgive me for those times when I lose sight of that fact and respond to Your loving acts of protection with an angry and exasperated “Well, fine!” Please help me to recognize Your perfect will for my life and respond with a trusting and thankful “Very well.”
Tuesday 9 July 2013
From Dust, to Clay, to a Master-Piece
by Heidi Janz
Read: Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:7; Jeremiah 18:1-6
Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)
It seems to me that the task of maintaining a proper view of ourselves as human beings can often be a pretty tricky business for Crips and TABs alike. For those of us who are crips, there seems to be a virtually constant temptation, coming from both within ourselves and the society around us, to focus on our disabilities and consequent dependence on others as factors which somehow diminish our value, if not our status, as human beings. TABs, on the other hand, seem to face an equally constant temptation to link their ultimate value as human beings to their capacity to function as self-reliant and productive members of society.
Today’s Scripture readings point to a fundamental error in both of these mindsets. The verses from Genesis and Jeremiah make it clear that, rather than being derived from anything we can or cannot do in our own strength, our ultimate value as humans comes from the fact that, Crip or TAB, God made us in His own image. As a being created in the image of God, every human has an innate value and dignity that is totally independent of any abilities or disabilities that he or she may have or acquire. At the same time, these Scriptures also make it clear that, because God created us, He has the absolute right to shape and mould us just as He sees fit–just as a potter has the absolute right to shape and mould the clay in his hands according to his own design.
This idea that it is God, rather than we ourselves, who both gives us our value and determines our destiny stands in direct opposition to our contemporary society’s worship of self-determination and self-actualization. Nevertheless, those who are willing to find their sense of worth in their relationship to the God who created them, and acknowledge God’s claim on their lives, are those who will ultimately be able to achieve and maintain a proper view of who they are and what they were created for. They understand that, while they may only be lumps of clay, if they entrust themselves into the hands of the Master Potter, they will ultimately come forth as masterpieces.
Almighty Creator God, thank you for giving me life, and for giving my life innate worth by creating me in your image. Please help me to fully entrust myself into your hands, as clay in the hands of the Master Potter, believing that you will use both my strengths and weaknesses to mould me into the masterpiece that you’ve created me to be. Grant me the wisdom, patience, and perseverance to submit to the moulding process, even when it is painful, for I know that, little by little, you are making me more like Jesus. Thank you, Father, for how patient and determined you are in moulding me into a masterpiece. Amen.
Read: Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:7; Jeremiah 18:1-6
Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)
It seems to me that the task of maintaining a proper view of ourselves as human beings can often be a pretty tricky business for Crips and TABs alike. For those of us who are crips, there seems to be a virtually constant temptation, coming from both within ourselves and the society around us, to focus on our disabilities and consequent dependence on others as factors which somehow diminish our value, if not our status, as human beings. TABs, on the other hand, seem to face an equally constant temptation to link their ultimate value as human beings to their capacity to function as self-reliant and productive members of society.
Today’s Scripture readings point to a fundamental error in both of these mindsets. The verses from Genesis and Jeremiah make it clear that, rather than being derived from anything we can or cannot do in our own strength, our ultimate value as humans comes from the fact that, Crip or TAB, God made us in His own image. As a being created in the image of God, every human has an innate value and dignity that is totally independent of any abilities or disabilities that he or she may have or acquire. At the same time, these Scriptures also make it clear that, because God created us, He has the absolute right to shape and mould us just as He sees fit–just as a potter has the absolute right to shape and mould the clay in his hands according to his own design.
This idea that it is God, rather than we ourselves, who both gives us our value and determines our destiny stands in direct opposition to our contemporary society’s worship of self-determination and self-actualization. Nevertheless, those who are willing to find their sense of worth in their relationship to the God who created them, and acknowledge God’s claim on their lives, are those who will ultimately be able to achieve and maintain a proper view of who they are and what they were created for. They understand that, while they may only be lumps of clay, if they entrust themselves into the hands of the Master Potter, they will ultimately come forth as masterpieces.
Almighty Creator God, thank you for giving me life, and for giving my life innate worth by creating me in your image. Please help me to fully entrust myself into your hands, as clay in the hands of the Master Potter, believing that you will use both my strengths and weaknesses to mould me into the masterpiece that you’ve created me to be. Grant me the wisdom, patience, and perseverance to submit to the moulding process, even when it is painful, for I know that, little by little, you are making me more like Jesus. Thank you, Father, for how patient and determined you are in moulding me into a masterpiece. Amen.
Friday 5 July 2013
Marginalia #2: Thoughts scribbled in the margin of my Bible
by Shafer Parker
Mat. 1:19-20 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
What I scribbled: “Joseph was a man who ‘considered’ things. This is huge. God make me a man who considers things.”
I sometimes think Joseph might have been the only man in the world who would “consider” things when faced with his situation. His wife-to-be was pregnant and he knew he was not the father. Most men would have said, “What’s to consider?” and then rejected Mary in whatever way would hurt her most.
But Joseph was not most men. He was the man God selected to be surrogate father to His only begotten Son. So it’s worth noting that when faced with the worst possible crisis in any man’s life, he thought twice, and then decided to behave in the most gracious way possible.
When I scribbled in the margin a prayer that God would help me “consider things,” I was thinking of how often I react to situations with pure emotion, often with anger or a dangerous level of self-righteousness. I want God to help me consider how to react like a Christian, assuming the best, not the worst, thinking of how to help others, not hinder them, how to accord them honour, not take the lead in disrespecting them and tearing them down.
Mat. 1:19-20 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
What I scribbled: “Joseph was a man who ‘considered’ things. This is huge. God make me a man who considers things.”
I sometimes think Joseph might have been the only man in the world who would “consider” things when faced with his situation. His wife-to-be was pregnant and he knew he was not the father. Most men would have said, “What’s to consider?” and then rejected Mary in whatever way would hurt her most.
But Joseph was not most men. He was the man God selected to be surrogate father to His only begotten Son. So it’s worth noting that when faced with the worst possible crisis in any man’s life, he thought twice, and then decided to behave in the most gracious way possible.
When I scribbled in the margin a prayer that God would help me “consider things,” I was thinking of how often I react to situations with pure emotion, often with anger or a dangerous level of self-righteousness. I want God to help me consider how to react like a Christian, assuming the best, not the worst, thinking of how to help others, not hinder them, how to accord them honour, not take the lead in disrespecting them and tearing them down.
Eternity in Our Hearts
by Heidi Janz
Read: Eccl. 3:1-14
"... He has also set eternity in the human heart..." (Eccl. 3:11)
There are some people who thrive on change–people who find themselves stagnating and growing restless if they are left in the same situation for too long. Then, there are people who generally dread change, and usually do whatever is possible to avoid it. This is often because, in one way or another, they have come to equate change with loss.
I’m someone who definitely belongs to the second group of people; I’ve always had a hard time dealing with change. Even positive changes, like graduating from the “special” school for students with disabilities that I had attended from Kindergarten through Grade Twelve and starting university, or getting my first Post-Doctoral Fellowship and having to move to a different province, were very stressful and scary for me because they involved leaving a place of familiarity and security to go to a place shrouded by a countless number of huge and overwhelming unknowns. In both instances, although I was excited by the new possibilities that these major changes would bring into my life, at the same time I grieved for the loss of relationships and security that these changes would inevitably mean for me.
During times of major change in our lives, we may long a sense of permanence and security which transcends the upheaval that often accompanies change. King Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, tells us that God “has set eternity in the human heart.” While there is some debate among Biblical scholars about the exact meaning of this phrase, there is general consensus that Solomon was, at least in part, talking about a basic, God-given human longing for a time and a place of ultimate completeness. Such a longing can and will never be completely fulfilled in our earthly lifetime. It is part of what seventeenth-century French philosopher Blaise Pascal described in the following terms: “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”
(Blaise Pascal, Pensees)
Gracious Heavenly Father, Thank you that even the biggest and scariest changes in my life never come as a surprise to you. Please help me remember that ultimate security is only found in you. During times of change and upheaval in my life, may you be my refuge and my solid Rock. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Read: Eccl. 3:1-14
"... He has also set eternity in the human heart..." (Eccl. 3:11)
There are some people who thrive on change–people who find themselves stagnating and growing restless if they are left in the same situation for too long. Then, there are people who generally dread change, and usually do whatever is possible to avoid it. This is often because, in one way or another, they have come to equate change with loss.
I’m someone who definitely belongs to the second group of people; I’ve always had a hard time dealing with change. Even positive changes, like graduating from the “special” school for students with disabilities that I had attended from Kindergarten through Grade Twelve and starting university, or getting my first Post-Doctoral Fellowship and having to move to a different province, were very stressful and scary for me because they involved leaving a place of familiarity and security to go to a place shrouded by a countless number of huge and overwhelming unknowns. In both instances, although I was excited by the new possibilities that these major changes would bring into my life, at the same time I grieved for the loss of relationships and security that these changes would inevitably mean for me.
During times of major change in our lives, we may long a sense of permanence and security which transcends the upheaval that often accompanies change. King Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, tells us that God “has set eternity in the human heart.” While there is some debate among Biblical scholars about the exact meaning of this phrase, there is general consensus that Solomon was, at least in part, talking about a basic, God-given human longing for a time and a place of ultimate completeness. Such a longing can and will never be completely fulfilled in our earthly lifetime. It is part of what seventeenth-century French philosopher Blaise Pascal described in the following terms: “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”
(Blaise Pascal, Pensees)
Gracious Heavenly Father, Thank you that even the biggest and scariest changes in my life never come as a surprise to you. Please help me remember that ultimate security is only found in you. During times of change and upheaval in my life, may you be my refuge and my solid Rock. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thursday 4 July 2013
Marginalia #1: Thoughts scribbled in the margins of my Bible
by Shafer Parker
Matthew 1:5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth.
What I scribbled in the margin of my Bible: “If your mother is a Canaanite prostitute, it’s likely that you will have fewer scruples re your wife’s Moabite background.”
Many commentators have noted that all four of the women mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus have a moral stain on their lives. Tamar (v.3) pretended to be a prostitute in order to entice her father-in-law Judah to have sex with her. Rahab was the prostitute (harlot) who hid the Israelite spies in her house of ill repute. Ruth was a Moabitess, and although the Bible makes no suggestion that she was anything but pure, just being from Moab was a moral stain in the eyes of Jacob’s descendants. They were, after all, children of incest (Gen. 19:30-38). The last mentioned is Bathsheba, wife of Uriah and an adulteress who left no record that she ever once considered resisting David’s advances.
But what interests me just now is Boaz’s willingness to marry Ruth, the Moabitess. Whatever could have prompted him to marry so far beneath his station? Well, consider his mother, the aforementioned Rahab, she whose first career was carved out in what is sometimes called the world’s oldest profession. But that was not the Rahab Boaz knew. His mother had become a believer in the God of Israel. Her life had been transformed by God’s grace, and the mother he knew was a woman of character and an example of faith for all the world.
Maybe Boaz could get past Ruth’s heritage because he knew very well what God had done in his mother’s life. Maybe all of us could get past a lot of things in other people if we could just keep in mind how much God has forgiven in us.
Matthew 1:5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth.
What I scribbled in the margin of my Bible: “If your mother is a Canaanite prostitute, it’s likely that you will have fewer scruples re your wife’s Moabite background.”
Many commentators have noted that all four of the women mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus have a moral stain on their lives. Tamar (v.3) pretended to be a prostitute in order to entice her father-in-law Judah to have sex with her. Rahab was the prostitute (harlot) who hid the Israelite spies in her house of ill repute. Ruth was a Moabitess, and although the Bible makes no suggestion that she was anything but pure, just being from Moab was a moral stain in the eyes of Jacob’s descendants. They were, after all, children of incest (Gen. 19:30-38). The last mentioned is Bathsheba, wife of Uriah and an adulteress who left no record that she ever once considered resisting David’s advances.
But what interests me just now is Boaz’s willingness to marry Ruth, the Moabitess. Whatever could have prompted him to marry so far beneath his station? Well, consider his mother, the aforementioned Rahab, she whose first career was carved out in what is sometimes called the world’s oldest profession. But that was not the Rahab Boaz knew. His mother had become a believer in the God of Israel. Her life had been transformed by God’s grace, and the mother he knew was a woman of character and an example of faith for all the world.
Maybe Boaz could get past Ruth’s heritage because he knew very well what God had done in his mother’s life. Maybe all of us could get past a lot of things in other people if we could just keep in mind how much God has forgiven in us.
Tuesday 2 July 2013
Remembering What We're Made Of
Read: Psalm 103
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
(Ps. 103:13-14)
As humans, we generally don’t like to think about, or be reminded of, our own weakness, vulnerability, and ultimate mortality. When I teach university classes on Disability Studies and Disability Ethics, I introduce the term TAB—that is, Temporarily Able-Bodied—in order to make students consciously think about the fact that, if they live long enough, they, too, will acquire some sort of disability in the course of their lifetime. From time to time, I've had one or another of my twenty-something-year-old students express resentment at my assumption that they will acquire some kind of disability at some point in their life. It has often seemed to me that such objections say less about the tendency of young people to believe that they're indestructible, than they reveal about our basic human aversion to dealing with the reality of our vulnerability and our inevitable physical death.
The Psalmist tells us that God has a very different attitude towards our physical weakness and mortality: “he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” It is because God is mindful of both our physical frailty and our spiritual weakness, which leads us into sin, that He sent His son, Jesus, to be our great high priest. To thus fulfill his role as our great high priest, Jesus “had to be made like [us] fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17-18).
This is why those who have put their trust in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour need not fear either their physical or spiritual weakness. God remembers that we are dust, and has made the ultimate provision for our spiritual and physical weakness by sending Jesus to be our great high priest, who sacrificed Himself for our sin so that we can be forgiven and have eternal life.
Gracious Heavenly Father, Thank you for remembering our physical and spiritual weakness, and for sending your son, Jesus, to be our great high priest. Grant us an ever-deepening knowledge of the completeness of the salvation we’ve received by trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, so that we need no longer fear times of either physical or spiritual weakness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
(Ps. 103:13-14)
As humans, we generally don’t like to think about, or be reminded of, our own weakness, vulnerability, and ultimate mortality. When I teach university classes on Disability Studies and Disability Ethics, I introduce the term TAB—that is, Temporarily Able-Bodied—in order to make students consciously think about the fact that, if they live long enough, they, too, will acquire some sort of disability in the course of their lifetime. From time to time, I've had one or another of my twenty-something-year-old students express resentment at my assumption that they will acquire some kind of disability at some point in their life. It has often seemed to me that such objections say less about the tendency of young people to believe that they're indestructible, than they reveal about our basic human aversion to dealing with the reality of our vulnerability and our inevitable physical death.
The Psalmist tells us that God has a very different attitude towards our physical weakness and mortality: “he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” It is because God is mindful of both our physical frailty and our spiritual weakness, which leads us into sin, that He sent His son, Jesus, to be our great high priest. To thus fulfill his role as our great high priest, Jesus “had to be made like [us] fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17-18).
This is why those who have put their trust in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour need not fear either their physical or spiritual weakness. God remembers that we are dust, and has made the ultimate provision for our spiritual and physical weakness by sending Jesus to be our great high priest, who sacrificed Himself for our sin so that we can be forgiven and have eternal life.
Gracious Heavenly Father, Thank you for remembering our physical and spiritual weakness, and for sending your son, Jesus, to be our great high priest. Grant us an ever-deepening knowledge of the completeness of the salvation we’ve received by trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, so that we need no longer fear times of either physical or spiritual weakness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Monday 1 July 2013
Here by Divine Assignment
Read: Acts 17:24-31
From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. (Acts 17:26)
As someone living with severe and multiple disabilities, there are many times when I become acutely aware of my “Otherness”–my difference from those around me. In a society that places supreme value on independence and autonomy, the severity of my physical disabilities render me totally dependent on others to meet even the most basic of my physical needs. At a time where communication is expected to be instant, it often takes me half an hour or more to type a single email. (Don’t even get me started on texting! :-)) At a time when the value of a life usually gets conflated with what Temporarily Able-Bodied people assume to be a quality of life, and when that quality of life is presumed to be automatically and drastically lowered by just the presence of disability, I insist that my life is still worthwhile, even if I sometimes have to eat through a feeding-tube.
Given the general tendency of our society to devalue our lives and discount our ability to contribute meaningfully to our communities, there is, I think, a strong temptation for those of us with significant disabilities to remain withdrawn and not even try to engage with a society that seems, more and more, to devalue and discount our very presence, let alone our participation. I am becoming more and more convinced, however, that, particularly for Christ-followers who have disabilities, withdrawal and disengagement from society are not viable options, especially at a time when there are so many disability-related ethical issues being debated in this country–issues which have the potential to impact the lives of hundreds and thousands of people with disabilities. The Bible tells us that none of us live where we live by accident; we are where we are by God’s assignment. To me, this means that those of us who live in North America, and have disabilities, and who have been blessed with the capacity to communicate in ways that society at large is able to understand, have a God-given duty to speak out, to ensure that the perspective of people with disabilities is heard in the public forum.
Loving Heavenly Father, Thank you that, in your wisdom, you have strategically placed me in a country, a province, a city where I can make a difference. Please open my eyes to the opportunities you give me to speak out in the interests of those devalued by society. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Saturday 29 June 2013
The Temporariness of Earthly Abilities and Disabilities
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. (2 Cor. 5:1-3)
It has been observed that change is the only thing that’s constant in life. For those who get bored easily, this may be a comforting thought. For others, however, the thought that the abilities and activities that we currently enjoy are ultimately temporary creates fear and discouragement. And for those who, because of aging, illness or injury, are actually in the process of losing abilities that they had once had, the prospect of further losses of independence and dignity may seem utterly unbearable.
But, in today’s Scripture reading, we see the Apostle Paul, not lamenting change, but rather longing for it. Paul is not oblivious to the fact that he, like all human beings, must face the inevitable deterioration of his physical body. Thus, he writes: “we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.” Like the rest of us, Paul knows what it is to groan under relentless physical deterioration. Yet, Paul maintains an eternal perspective which gives him hope in the midst of his groaning: “so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” (v. 4).
Loving Heavenly Father,
In the midst of my groaning over my loss of abilities and the deterioration of my body, do not let me despair. Rather, grant me the grace to look forward to your promise that, as Your child, there’s coming a day when my very mortality will be swallowed up by life. May I start groaning expectantly.
Amen.
Introduction: Devotional Thoughts for WHO and WHAT???
The Concept Behind This Blog
This is a blog devoted to Christian devotional thoughts on disability and disability-related themes and issues. I had originally envisioned such a collection of disability-related devotionals as taking the form of a book–and that may yet happen one day. But the more I thought about it, the more the flexibility of the blog as a medium for a foray into this subject matter. In this blog, I, along with a co-blogger or two (STAY TUNED) will reflect on the way in which a Biblical Christian worldview impacts (or should impact) the way in which we view, and react to, our own disabilities and/or the disabilities of others.
Some readers (especially those who don’t know me :-)) may be somewhat quizzical and/or apprehensive about my use of the words "Crips" and "TABs" in the title. I would therefore like take the opportunity at the outset of this book to address the questions head-on. People with disabilities sometimes use the word "crip" to refer to themselves. For many people in the disability community, the word "crip" is a pro-active reclaiming of the word "cripple," a word which has accumulated many negative connotations over time. There is undeniably a certain edginess inherent in the word "crip," an edginess which may cause some to question the appropriateness of using the word "crip" as a central concept in a blog containing Christian devotions. In response to such objections, I would simply point out that Jesus himself exhibited a similar edginess throughout his earthly ministry, in terms of telling things the way they were. This kind of edginess is also inherent in the use of the acronym TAB, which stands for Temporarily Able-Bodied. Thus, to refer to oneself, or someone else, as a TAB is to highlight the temporariness of able bodies (and minds). If TABs live long enough, they, too, will become crips. This is an uncomfortable concept for some people in that to use the term TAB is to acknowledge the temporariness, not only of abilities, but also of human life itself. As the Apostle Paul wrote: "We know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life" (2 Cor. 5:1-4 NIV). This business of "tenting" is oftentimes arduous for crip and tab alike. My prayer is that the scriptures and reflections in the posts that follow may be an encouragement, no matter what kind of condition your present tent happens to be in.
Heidi Janz, CP (living with Cerebral Palsy) & PhD (stubborn enough to go to university for 18 years :-))
A Word About Word-Choice
Some readers (especially those who don’t know me :-)) may be somewhat quizzical and/or apprehensive about my use of the words "Crips" and "TABs" in the title. I would therefore like take the opportunity at the outset of this book to address the questions head-on. People with disabilities sometimes use the word "crip" to refer to themselves. For many people in the disability community, the word "crip" is a pro-active reclaiming of the word "cripple," a word which has accumulated many negative connotations over time. There is undeniably a certain edginess inherent in the word "crip," an edginess which may cause some to question the appropriateness of using the word "crip" as a central concept in a blog containing Christian devotions. In response to such objections, I would simply point out that Jesus himself exhibited a similar edginess throughout his earthly ministry, in terms of telling things the way they were. This kind of edginess is also inherent in the use of the acronym TAB, which stands for Temporarily Able-Bodied. Thus, to refer to oneself, or someone else, as a TAB is to highlight the temporariness of able bodies (and minds). If TABs live long enough, they, too, will become crips. This is an uncomfortable concept for some people in that to use the term TAB is to acknowledge the temporariness, not only of abilities, but also of human life itself. As the Apostle Paul wrote: "We know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life" (2 Cor. 5:1-4 NIV). This business of "tenting" is oftentimes arduous for crip and tab alike. My prayer is that the scriptures and reflections in the posts that follow may be an encouragement, no matter what kind of condition your present tent happens to be in.
Heidi Janz, CP (living with Cerebral Palsy) & PhD (stubborn enough to go to university for 18 years :-))
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