One of the most quoted verses of the Bible might be Psalm 119:105 - "Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path". What's sad about his is it might be one of the most misunderstood verses as well. A typical explanation of this verse to people involves a flashlight, and the example is you're walking in the dark but you have a flashlight - so you can see where you're going.
While this is true of the Bible, it helps us see where we are going, this interpretation misses the larger scope that the author is attempting to portray. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, and the author organizes it in such a way that he is practically screaming how great God's Word is. Not only does he go from A to Z (or Aleph to Tav) but he organizes the entire psalm by the number 8 as well - 8 sections to each letter, 8 names for God's Word, 8 symbols for God's Word, and 8 responses to God's Word. In Hebrew letters are associated with various ideas, and the number 8 is associated with the idea of overabundance. God's Word is more than you need.
So knowing this structure the idea that God's Word is a flashlight just doesn't make sense anymore. The word that is used for light actually refers to something like the light of the sun. That God's Word is a light which makes everything visible. It is the greatest light that we know, and it is by it that we see everything else clearly.
Now many sermons have been written which portray how God's Word should be used as a guide, as a light is a guide to the path. Instead I want to talk about what happens when people are holding or using a light. If it is dark outside and someone has a flashlight people naturally will want to walk near them; does the person with the flashlight put away their flashlight for fear of people judging them? No, that's ridiculous. Does the person point out that they do not have a flashlight and use their own flashlight to point out all the places they failed? No, that would be moronic, because then they could not see where they were going.
How are you using God's Word? Like a flashlight or like the sun?
Are you using it in a way that draws people closer or makes people want to leave?
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Amber Waves of Grain, Purple Mountains Majesty, and All That Good Stuff
I write this from potentially one of the most beautiful
places on earth – Waterton, Alberta, Canada. I am living on a hill which is bordered
by a glacier made lake, and is surrounded by mountains. While I share this hill
with my other employees at the Prince of Wales Hotel - I also share this hill
with several ground hogs, a pack of deer, a herd of big horned sheep, and a
fox. Every day I climb a steep hill to reach the hotel, which is at the top, –
before I reach the hotel though I always turn and look to my right. I do this
because at 6:30am the lake is serene and almost glass-like, the base of the
mountains are peaking out of the misty fog which envelopes them like a blanket,
and because it is here that I can’t help but praise God.
It is here in this environment that the words of Psalm 19
come to life. You can hear the heavens declaring the glory of God, and as you
gaze at the sky which is proclaiming his handiwork you can’t help but lower
your gaze a little and as it comes to rest on the peaks of the mountains you
add your voice to theirs as they go out through all the earth. Here it’s easy
to do that – every day is different, and every day is awesome. A group of us
went for a hike up one of the shorter mountains, and as we get to the top my
roommate summed up what we were all thinking when he exclaimed in a reverent
whisper “this…is…breath-taking!”
It is true that this place is breath-taking but what do we do though if we live in the flat lands of the
Mid-West, where in some places the most exciting thing we see is a wind turbine
(I would know, I drove through South Dakota and left with at least 5 pictures
of various wind turbines!)? Or we live in the city where we struggle to even
find the brightest stars at night? Well for all of us we can read the second
half of Psalm 19.
As David is contemplating how the heat of the sun touches
everywhere on earth (it is interesting to note that he says the heat, and not
the light), he is drawn towards God’s Law and it’s similar all-encompassing nature.
As we begin to contemplate the God which nature is constantly imploring us to
worship, we begin to consider his acts and what he has done. For David God’s
greatest blessing was the giving of the law, because it was through the law
that he was able to follow God. For Christians, we look to the cross to see God’s
greatest blessing.
It is here before the cross that we all can join together in
singing the praises of God's acts. It is here that the mountains, the wildlife, and the lake begin
fade in comparison to the wonder and majesty of what God has done and continues
to do in people’s lives. The conversations that I have had with Christians here where we share what God has done in our life – whether money showing up in the bank
so we could continue education or a cool breeze on a hot day – are more awe
inspiring then standing on the peak of a mountain.
Why?
When we are looking at the mountain we are only watching
praise rise to God, but when we join in the praising we are brought into the
universal voice - a voice which there is no nation or tongue which does not understand it. Are you ready to join in?
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
McDevotions
Fast food is something that has come to define our generation. This generation has been nicknamed "Generation Now" - if it involves waiting it probably is not worth it. We want things done as fast as possible whether it be internet , microwave dinners, or even our devotions. Not only do we want things done quickly, we want them done our way. While this desire of speed and personalization is best seen in fast food restaurants - it can also be seen in the way that we do our devotions.
"What Would You Like?"
This is often the first thing that a person hears when they walk into a fast food restaurant. The restaurant is your domain and you are it's "Burger King" or "Dairy Queen". Here, unlike at home, you can decide exactly what you would like to eat - after all, you as the customer are always right. You want fries with that? Done. You want to substitute fries for a salad? Done. You want lettuce, tomato, red onion, black olives, and jalapeno peppers on your sub? Done. It doesn't matter what the other people with you are getting, you are allowed to get what you want. You eat your meal, and the people you are with eat their meals - you might share some parts of it, but you are individuals eating different things.
This is something that we can see in how we do our devotions - we do them by ourselves. We keep our devotions to ourselves, and only share if we are prodded. Instead of using our devotions communally to build up the body, we keep our devotions private and secret. It is what God has to say to me, not to we. If asked about my devotional life, I will tell you that I did devotions, not what my devotions were about or what I learned. I might give you a more substantial answer here and there, but the majority of my spiritual walk is kept to myself. Just as fast food has caused a meal to no longer be a fully communal event, our devotions have gone from the realm of community to the realm of the private.
"Do You Want to Supersize That?"
Another "benefit" of fast food is that we are allowed to emphasize what we like best. You like fries? Supersize it! You want more Sprite? Supersize it! You like fries and Sprite? Make a combo...and then supersize it! This is about maximizing what you like, because your meal just wouldn't be the same without a larger mound of fries. Not only are we allowed to maximize what we enjoy, we view this as a right. I have the right to choose what and how much I want to eat.
This sense of entitlement is seen in how we do devotions as well. We can pick and choose what we want to do for our devotions - what do I want to emphasize? My devotions become more about what I want God to say to me, as opposed to what God wants to say to me. I buy a book or set up a program that emphasizes what I like - the Psalms, academic learning, "man" stories. This is not to belittle, make light of, or deny the benefit of doing devotional programs like this - I am only wanting to raise the question, does this help you grow? Are you stretched? Do your devotions challenge you to grow in your faith, or do they just give you what you want to hear?
"How Long is the Line?"
This is the ultimate question that a person asks when they pull into the parking lot. The answer to this question determines whether or not you eat inside, go through the drive-thru, or choose another restaurant. Afterall, if I have to wait for it then it isn't worth it.
This is the biggest way that fast food has impacted the way that we do devotions. If there is too long of a line of things to do, then we decide that it is better to not do them. I want instant gratification - and if my devotions will not provide this, then maybe I should wait until they will. If the devotional involves any hard work then it is not worth it. This devalues our devotions - instead of them being something that our day is build on, they become something that is an added feature that really makes no difference in our life. As if we can tell the God of the Universe, that we found something more important than spending time with Him!
We are told in the Bible (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2*, Psalm 119:97) to meditate on the Word of God - this is not something that just happens, but is something which involves effort. We do not want to put the effort that our spiritual lives require - devotions are like the exercise for our soul, so why are we lazy? Do we really think that having our "devotions-to-go" is the best option? If we view devotions as a part of our conversation with God, what does it say about us whenwe spend 30 minutes, at most, being aware of Him?
Don't treat your devotions like your do fast food. Instead, treat it like you would a home cooked meal - you are sharing everything in community, you are taking the time to prepare a meal and eat it, and you are eating a balanced meal which will help you grow. Don't quickly scarf down your devotions, but rather take your time to chew it, meditate on it, enjoy it, and grow from it.
*For a good blog on this Psalm check out http://michealfisk.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/worship-is-study/
"What Would You Like?"
This is often the first thing that a person hears when they walk into a fast food restaurant. The restaurant is your domain and you are it's "Burger King" or "Dairy Queen". Here, unlike at home, you can decide exactly what you would like to eat - after all, you as the customer are always right. You want fries with that? Done. You want to substitute fries for a salad? Done. You want lettuce, tomato, red onion, black olives, and jalapeno peppers on your sub? Done. It doesn't matter what the other people with you are getting, you are allowed to get what you want. You eat your meal, and the people you are with eat their meals - you might share some parts of it, but you are individuals eating different things.
This is something that we can see in how we do our devotions - we do them by ourselves. We keep our devotions to ourselves, and only share if we are prodded. Instead of using our devotions communally to build up the body, we keep our devotions private and secret. It is what God has to say to me, not to we. If asked about my devotional life, I will tell you that I did devotions, not what my devotions were about or what I learned. I might give you a more substantial answer here and there, but the majority of my spiritual walk is kept to myself. Just as fast food has caused a meal to no longer be a fully communal event, our devotions have gone from the realm of community to the realm of the private.
"Do You Want to Supersize That?"
Another "benefit" of fast food is that we are allowed to emphasize what we like best. You like fries? Supersize it! You want more Sprite? Supersize it! You like fries and Sprite? Make a combo...and then supersize it! This is about maximizing what you like, because your meal just wouldn't be the same without a larger mound of fries. Not only are we allowed to maximize what we enjoy, we view this as a right. I have the right to choose what and how much I want to eat.
This sense of entitlement is seen in how we do devotions as well. We can pick and choose what we want to do for our devotions - what do I want to emphasize? My devotions become more about what I want God to say to me, as opposed to what God wants to say to me. I buy a book or set up a program that emphasizes what I like - the Psalms, academic learning, "man" stories. This is not to belittle, make light of, or deny the benefit of doing devotional programs like this - I am only wanting to raise the question, does this help you grow? Are you stretched? Do your devotions challenge you to grow in your faith, or do they just give you what you want to hear?
"How Long is the Line?"
This is the ultimate question that a person asks when they pull into the parking lot. The answer to this question determines whether or not you eat inside, go through the drive-thru, or choose another restaurant. Afterall, if I have to wait for it then it isn't worth it.
This is the biggest way that fast food has impacted the way that we do devotions. If there is too long of a line of things to do, then we decide that it is better to not do them. I want instant gratification - and if my devotions will not provide this, then maybe I should wait until they will. If the devotional involves any hard work then it is not worth it. This devalues our devotions - instead of them being something that our day is build on, they become something that is an added feature that really makes no difference in our life. As if we can tell the God of the Universe, that we found something more important than spending time with Him!
We are told in the Bible (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2*, Psalm 119:97) to meditate on the Word of God - this is not something that just happens, but is something which involves effort. We do not want to put the effort that our spiritual lives require - devotions are like the exercise for our soul, so why are we lazy? Do we really think that having our "devotions-to-go" is the best option? If we view devotions as a part of our conversation with God, what does it say about us whenwe spend 30 minutes, at most, being aware of Him?
Don't treat your devotions like your do fast food. Instead, treat it like you would a home cooked meal - you are sharing everything in community, you are taking the time to prepare a meal and eat it, and you are eating a balanced meal which will help you grow. Don't quickly scarf down your devotions, but rather take your time to chew it, meditate on it, enjoy it, and grow from it.
*For a good blog on this Psalm check out http://michealfisk.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/worship-is-study/
Sunday, March 24, 2013
March Madness
Last night, while working in KidZone (my church's children's program), the kids were asked how they knew that it was Spring Time?
"I saw a Robin" shouted one kid.
"Snow is melting" yelled another.
"I like bacon" said another (there's one in everycrowd)
"It's almost Spring Break" a first grader eagerly exclaimed.
"It's March Madness" I confidently thought.
March Madness. That is a good way to describe it; not the craziness that happens in the actual tournament - buzzer beaters, upsets, cinderella teams - but the craziness that seems to infect the general public. For the next few weeks weekends will be taken up with basketball games, people's emotions will be manipulated by a bracket they filled out using the scientific methods of gut feeling and coin flips, and work will take a back seat to the ability to watch games live online. We truly have gone mad.
Now I'm not condemning this, in fact I love this time of year.
I am just wondering what would happen if we gave this much attention to other areas of our life - especially our spiritual life.
What if we poured the same devotion that we give to our bracket to our Bible?
What if we dedicated ourselves to watching our spiritual walk like we watch a Cinderella teams?
What if our Bible studies were filled with as much life as our watch parties?
As great as a buzzer-beater to upset a top seed is, or as amazing a perfect bracket is (especially this year) they fade in comparison to the wonder that is the Gospel. For in the Gospel we find an underdog being given the greatest gift of all - life; while this gift is offered freely, it did come at a price - the death of the Son of God. Jesus, God's Son, took the sin of the world upon himself, was killed in the most brutal fashion the world has ever seen, and three days later rose from the dead. This is a lot more inspiring, awesome, and wonderful than any basketball play we have seen or ever will see. This should be what infects our speech and orders our lives...
...or maybe I'm just crazy.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
If Video Killed the Radio Star...
...did social media kill the everyday star?
I was recently talking to someone about how there are no real "superheros" anymore. Now before you point out that there are a plethora of superhero movies that have come out - Batman, Spiderman, Superman, Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers...to name only a few. This is not the type of hero that we are lamenting the death of.
We initially started by discussing the loss of sports stars - gone are the days when you are allowed to cheer for a person based on their play on the field. Instead we must weigh their play on the court with their personal lives. While I am a Lakers fan, I will use a more recent example -- Ray Lewis. On the field Ray Lewis is a beast, quite possibly one of the greatest linebackers of all time. Yet most people when they heard that I was cheering for the Ravens in the Super Bowl would say "Yeah...but wasn't Ray Lewis convicted of murder?" (Which the correct response is 'no').
Now don't get me wrong I'm not saying that we should not look into their personal lives - not like that of a creepy stalker, which sports networks at times can be accused of doing. While we can aspire to be like a sports star on the field, sometimes their off field lives should not be followed or emulated; but, a part of me also wants to ask, who are we aspiring to be like then? If we are no longer to be inspired by real people, and try to follow their "example" (in a superhero like sense, this would involve only the good aspects that we could see - hard work, determination, sportsmanship, selflessness, etc.) who are we inspired by and told to mirror?
Fictional Characters.
Characters whose lives are so perfect that only Hollywood could (and did) write that script. Now there is nothing wrong with wanting to emulate characteristics found within these characters; but when a person begins to try and emulate the character him/herself that is where the problems begin. Yet, we are constantly bombarded with these perfect stories, to the point where we begin to wish that our life were different or more exciting or more...anything. We live in this double standard - we are not allowed to be fans of people just for their good qualities, yet there are people that we are fans of who only seem to have good qualities or lives (where bad things are very few and far between but in the end are better for them in the short run, and even then they aren't so bad)
What if we compare these stories to the stories of people we see in the Bible?
We see messed up people. We see a man who was king who (in one chapter) committed adultery, murdered someone, lied, stole, and cheated - yet he was used as the measurement for holy kings. We see a man who was a chronic lier and swindler, who pulled con after con - and God used him to father the nation of Israel. We see women with shady pasts in the lineage of Jesus. We see a man who is quick to make rash decisions being told the church will be built on him. We also see the person who these people were trying to mirror - Jesus.
Throughout the Bible we are shown that God is in the business of working with and using broken people. We are told mimic Christ's attitude (Phil 2), and this mimicking does not have to be perfect - because it never will be, this side of heaven.
So instead of condemning people because they are broken, and do not live up to the idealized standards that society has set for us (which we believe and follow) we should embrace this as our identity. We are broken people and that's OK. Should we accept our brokenness and not work towards 'fixing' it? No. Should we accept it as the starting place from which our journey begins? Yes.
Hi, my name is Philip VanderWindt and I am a broken person.
I was recently talking to someone about how there are no real "superheros" anymore. Now before you point out that there are a plethora of superhero movies that have come out - Batman, Spiderman, Superman, Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers...to name only a few. This is not the type of hero that we are lamenting the death of.
We initially started by discussing the loss of sports stars - gone are the days when you are allowed to cheer for a person based on their play on the field. Instead we must weigh their play on the court with their personal lives. While I am a Lakers fan, I will use a more recent example -- Ray Lewis. On the field Ray Lewis is a beast, quite possibly one of the greatest linebackers of all time. Yet most people when they heard that I was cheering for the Ravens in the Super Bowl would say "Yeah...but wasn't Ray Lewis convicted of murder?" (Which the correct response is 'no').
Now don't get me wrong I'm not saying that we should not look into their personal lives - not like that of a creepy stalker, which sports networks at times can be accused of doing. While we can aspire to be like a sports star on the field, sometimes their off field lives should not be followed or emulated; but, a part of me also wants to ask, who are we aspiring to be like then? If we are no longer to be inspired by real people, and try to follow their "example" (in a superhero like sense, this would involve only the good aspects that we could see - hard work, determination, sportsmanship, selflessness, etc.) who are we inspired by and told to mirror?
Fictional Characters.
Characters whose lives are so perfect that only Hollywood could (and did) write that script. Now there is nothing wrong with wanting to emulate characteristics found within these characters; but when a person begins to try and emulate the character him/herself that is where the problems begin. Yet, we are constantly bombarded with these perfect stories, to the point where we begin to wish that our life were different or more exciting or more...anything. We live in this double standard - we are not allowed to be fans of people just for their good qualities, yet there are people that we are fans of who only seem to have good qualities or lives (where bad things are very few and far between but in the end are better for them in the short run, and even then they aren't so bad)
What if we compare these stories to the stories of people we see in the Bible?
We see messed up people. We see a man who was king who (in one chapter) committed adultery, murdered someone, lied, stole, and cheated - yet he was used as the measurement for holy kings. We see a man who was a chronic lier and swindler, who pulled con after con - and God used him to father the nation of Israel. We see women with shady pasts in the lineage of Jesus. We see a man who is quick to make rash decisions being told the church will be built on him. We also see the person who these people were trying to mirror - Jesus.
Throughout the Bible we are shown that God is in the business of working with and using broken people. We are told mimic Christ's attitude (Phil 2), and this mimicking does not have to be perfect - because it never will be, this side of heaven.
So instead of condemning people because they are broken, and do not live up to the idealized standards that society has set for us (which we believe and follow) we should embrace this as our identity. We are broken people and that's OK. Should we accept our brokenness and not work towards 'fixing' it? No. Should we accept it as the starting place from which our journey begins? Yes.
Hi, my name is Philip VanderWindt and I am a broken person.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Is It Just Black Friday?
I recently took part in Black Friday for the first time - it was an experience. As soon as the excitement of 50-60% off wore off (about after an hour of standing in line), it became a lot of cranky soccer moms, thrifty college students, and early Christmas shoppers all trying to navigate the early morning hours.
In what can only be described as an ironic twist, these people who hours earlier had sat down at a table and told everyone (truthfully) that they were thankful for the little things in life - sunshine on a cloudy day, the smell of fresh baked bread, spending time with family and friends - are now putting all of that satisfaction behind them and placing it in material objects and are no longer satisfied by sunshine. This irony has been identified on the internet by meme makers.
Now before you, like a high schooler looking to pick a fight after an intro class, declare me to be a hypocrite since I too went Black Friday shopping I want to state that this is not what my post is about and that I am including myself in this observation.
As ironic as it is, I find it even more interesting that we believe that it only lasts on Friday (or the weekend, as most store now have their sales lasting that long). This "me-centric" ideology continues for the next month - Black Friday is like the pep rally to the big game of Christmas. We spend one day (Thanksgiving) being thankful for the many blessings that we have been given, then a month thinking about material things that would make us happy until on Christmas we are once again shown that it isn't the things that come wrapped in string but the people who gave them to us that matter most.
So here is my challenge, during this next month that leads up to Christmas don't lose sight of what truly matters. There is nothing wrong with wanting to enjoy that latest design, or toy, or gadget - but don't let that distract you from the things that you should truly be thankful for. It will be difficult - if you need proof just look at the people who fought outside the local mall until being pepper sprayed just hours after telling their family that if they had nothing it would be ok because they had each other - but don't let that discourage you.
As a Christian, I believe that "Jesus is the reason for the season" so let's not commit treason this season by giving glory to someone other than the one who came to earth as a man and died so that we might have life. That is the greatest gift of all, and you are not going to find that in a brochure or advertisement. It's not going to go on sale at midnight (b/c it's free!) nor is it going to be in a buy one get one sale (b/c it is all you need!). Let's not forget this amidst the snow and lights and festive music, but let us enjoy these things through Jesus for it is by doing this that we shall truly be thankful.
In what can only be described as an ironic twist, these people who hours earlier had sat down at a table and told everyone (truthfully) that they were thankful for the little things in life - sunshine on a cloudy day, the smell of fresh baked bread, spending time with family and friends - are now putting all of that satisfaction behind them and placing it in material objects and are no longer satisfied by sunshine. This irony has been identified on the internet by meme makers.
Now before you, like a high schooler looking to pick a fight after an intro class, declare me to be a hypocrite since I too went Black Friday shopping I want to state that this is not what my post is about and that I am including myself in this observation.
As ironic as it is, I find it even more interesting that we believe that it only lasts on Friday (or the weekend, as most store now have their sales lasting that long). This "me-centric" ideology continues for the next month - Black Friday is like the pep rally to the big game of Christmas. We spend one day (Thanksgiving) being thankful for the many blessings that we have been given, then a month thinking about material things that would make us happy until on Christmas we are once again shown that it isn't the things that come wrapped in string but the people who gave them to us that matter most.
So here is my challenge, during this next month that leads up to Christmas don't lose sight of what truly matters. There is nothing wrong with wanting to enjoy that latest design, or toy, or gadget - but don't let that distract you from the things that you should truly be thankful for. It will be difficult - if you need proof just look at the people who fought outside the local mall until being pepper sprayed just hours after telling their family that if they had nothing it would be ok because they had each other - but don't let that discourage you.
As a Christian, I believe that "Jesus is the reason for the season" so let's not commit treason this season by giving glory to someone other than the one who came to earth as a man and died so that we might have life. That is the greatest gift of all, and you are not going to find that in a brochure or advertisement. It's not going to go on sale at midnight (b/c it's free!) nor is it going to be in a buy one get one sale (b/c it is all you need!). Let's not forget this amidst the snow and lights and festive music, but let us enjoy these things through Jesus for it is by doing this that we shall truly be thankful.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
The Election
Unless you are living under a rock (in which case I ask, how did you get reception down there? b/c I go into a basement of a building and I get nothing) you know that there was an election in the US recently. Also, unless you were living under a rock you probably were on social media at least once, and have seen the way that they exploded in response to Obama being reelected. Tweets/Status updates like the following appeared like a red light when you're late for work:
"I'm moving to Canada"
"America is going down the drain"
"What have we done?!"
then about a half hour later a new breed of "Christian" updates arrived:
"America needs Jesus. My hope is in him!"
"Let's pray for the president"
"Good thing my citizenship isn't of this world!"
Now while these last updates can be Christian and are good things to remember - that we need to pray for those in authority, we need to be missional, and we need to not be of the world - this is not how they were presented. It was only after our human attempts to "save" America (because was all know that Jesus was a Republican...) were thwarted, that we turned to God. We did not turn to God because we were seeking his will, and desiring his will to be done - we were turning to God because we had not gotten our way. (Before I continue, I want to give props to those people who put status' which stated that they voted, and that they were now praying for the process and whoever might win)
Now this isn't meant to be a political rant, nor is it supposed to be something that makes you angry. We complain about how all of a sudden politicians are religious every time they need to be elected - yet we only remember that God has calls us to remember those in authority and pray for them after our candidate does not make it. When we do this our prayers are not true prayers, but are prayers laced with toxins. We do not pray that God might be with our leaders and that he give them wisdom to lead our country in a wise and honorable way - we pray that God might be with our leader (because he really needs help) and that he be given wisdom (because my candidate would have been better) to lead our country in a wise and honorable way (because we all know that he intends to do none of these things, but is secretly a <insert favorite villain here> whose only goal is to ruin everything).
Let's pray for those who are in authority, regardless of their political affiliation. Let's show them a true respect, not one dripping with sarcasm. What sets us apart if we don't honor those in authority?
Do we need God in America again? Yes.
Is God a Democrat? No.
Is God a Republican? No.
Are we called to honor those in authority over us whether they are Republican or Democrat or a tyrannical ruler who is using the bodies of Christians to light his garden (yep...Obama doesn't look so bad now does he...)? Yes.
So let's pray for those who we have elected, not because "they" need God but because we all need God and we are called to do it.
"I'm moving to Canada"
"America is going down the drain"
"What have we done?!"
then about a half hour later a new breed of "Christian" updates arrived:
"America needs Jesus. My hope is in him!"
"Let's pray for the president"
"Good thing my citizenship isn't of this world!"
Now while these last updates can be Christian and are good things to remember - that we need to pray for those in authority, we need to be missional, and we need to not be of the world - this is not how they were presented. It was only after our human attempts to "save" America (because was all know that Jesus was a Republican...) were thwarted, that we turned to God. We did not turn to God because we were seeking his will, and desiring his will to be done - we were turning to God because we had not gotten our way. (Before I continue, I want to give props to those people who put status' which stated that they voted, and that they were now praying for the process and whoever might win)
Now this isn't meant to be a political rant, nor is it supposed to be something that makes you angry. We complain about how all of a sudden politicians are religious every time they need to be elected - yet we only remember that God has calls us to remember those in authority and pray for them after our candidate does not make it. When we do this our prayers are not true prayers, but are prayers laced with toxins. We do not pray that God might be with our leaders and that he give them wisdom to lead our country in a wise and honorable way - we pray that God might be with our leader (because he really needs help) and that he be given wisdom (because my candidate would have been better) to lead our country in a wise and honorable way (because we all know that he intends to do none of these things, but is secretly a <insert favorite villain here> whose only goal is to ruin everything).
Let's pray for those who are in authority, regardless of their political affiliation. Let's show them a true respect, not one dripping with sarcasm. What sets us apart if we don't honor those in authority?
Do we need God in America again? Yes.
Is God a Democrat? No.
Is God a Republican? No.
Are we called to honor those in authority over us whether they are Republican or Democrat or a tyrannical ruler who is using the bodies of Christians to light his garden (yep...Obama doesn't look so bad now does he...)? Yes.
So let's pray for those who we have elected, not because "they" need God but because we all need God and we are called to do it.
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