Providence in the Problems

There are some doctrines of the faith that become ever more sweet during certain seasons of our lives. Right now I seem to be experiencing the doctrine of Providence in a profound and fresh new way. Maybe it is because God is calling my family and I into something new.

I wonder if it's similar to a person who was in a coma learning to breathe on his or her own again? Something that you have taken for granted for so long that God has to bring to a place where you can't help but notice his care and concern.

This morning I was spending some time with the Lord and was reading in Acts. I read this...

34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while.35 And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men.36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered.38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail;39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!"

What strikes me is how Gamaliel was willing to trust a difficult situation to God. He knew that God would be exerting his providence. While the council feared this upstart movement, Gamaliel did not. He knew that if God was in it they couldn't stop it and really, didn't want to. This is in stark contrast to the story that immediately precedes, that of Ananias and Sapphira.

Gamaliel trusted.

Over the last few days I have been reminded that my plans are not my own. I am simply called to follow and obey, or as a friend says, "flex and obey"! I am learning that frustrations and angst comes from my lack of trust in the Providential King.

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Touch: A Parable of Providence

Over the last few years I have come to really enjoy smart, well written, dramatic television. I love the fact that the story is not capped in 120 minutes. It is able to be developed, often very intricately. Right now we are enjoying shows like Once Upon A Time, PanAM, The Firm, and Touch.

Touch is a fascinating storyline. This show is attempting to work out the theological idea of providence. Providence can be defined as, "divine guidance or care, God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny".

But, what if there was no God?

Touch seems to start there. The "universe" is personified. Numbers, sequences, patterns are the key to unlocking the mystery of pain and suffering. There are a few people who can understand the patterns and as a result can "feel the pain and suffering of the whole world."

Jake, a little boy who does not speak, is one of these people. His father, Martin, is learning to understand that Jake provides a road map for him to help set things right. Check out the trailer...

Our western world is in a state of confusion. We are not as prosperous as we once were. There is less hope than before.  Everyone is looking for answers.  Touch is providing an answer. There is purpose and order.  It comes from numbers, patterns, sequences, and formulas. Fate is driven by these things and if you pay attention you can see it. 

Fascinating. 

But it isn't true.

There is something better. 

Our world is being cared for by a gracious King. His providential rule keeps all things in order. There is pain and there is suffering. Not because he doesn't love or care for us but because it is in the midst of the pain and suffering that we learn our need to trust him. 

Check out what Jesus says about providence in Matthew 6, 

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?t 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 

34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

 He connects providence to our experience of anxiety which is born out of our lack of trust.

Our great King cares for us and will provide all we need because of his providence. He is ordering the world and overseeing it. The question is, will we seek first the kingdom of God?

What you seek is what you find.

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Charmed to Charred

A few weeks ago Ethan was living the dream. Everything was going his way. He was dominating at the sport he loves, nobody could hit him. He had won a national essay contest where he was able to meet Sharon Robinson. School was simple.

Life was good.

Over the last ten days his world has come crashing down. He didn't make it into TAG (talented and gifted), he struggled on a test at school, he has been struggling in the field in baseball.

Life has been hard.

The height of the mountain and the depth of the valley. They are experienced back to back. Soon enough he will be on the mountain top again.

In the meantime, he has to learn how to deal with the valley. As his Dad I want to ease the blow. As a man who wants him to mature I know he needs to feel the depth of this valley in his life. This is something that will prepare for him for the real valley that he will experience one day.

Often times I think of King David and his battle with Goliath. It was a low point in the history of the people of God. They were taunted and teased. They were being embarrassed on the field of battle by one man. That is, until a shepherd boy came along. He had experienced God's faithfulness in delivering to his hand bears, lions, and wolves. He courageously stepped out in faith knowing God would do it again.

David, had fully experienced small valleys. When it was time to experience a deep one he was ready. He had practiced.

I pray that I will let my son practice so that when the valley gets really deep he will be able to say:

1  The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.2  He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.t3  He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousnesst
for his name's sake.

4  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,t
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5  You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.6  Surelyt goodness and mercyt shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwellt in the house of the Lord
forever.t

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DNA of Fatherhood Failure

This weekend Ethan's baseball team was in a huge tournament. On Sunday morning he played terribly at 3B, the worst since t-ball.

As Amy and I processed through we came to the conclusion that he was not ready. He has been a pitching more than he has in the past. In his league most kids can't hit his team's pitching and when they do they're late. That means most balls go to the right side of the infield. Prior to Sunday he had one fielding opportunity in the previous 16 games. On Sunday he got two hot shots back to back.

He was not ready.

At first I thought, "This is why the team needs more practice." Then it hit me. I was projecting.

I realized that Ethan had asked me a number of times to hit him grounders. I said no.

I was too tired.

I was too distracted.

I was too busy.

There was too much going on and I needed to decompress.

My son was not ready because I said, "no".

This won't happen again. The DNA of a fatherhood failure has been discovered, it is the all consuming, "I". It is engaged when our own comforts are placed ahead of our children. This is not to say that our children are to be the center around which we revolve our lives. We are however to engage them and enter into their joys and loves.

From here on out, my son won't have a dad that says he's too tired, distracted, or busy. Life is busy. God is calling our family to launch a movement. My son and my daughter cannot be sacrificed on that altar though. This is a wake up call that had minimum consequences.

I pray that I don't need another one of these.

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Faith My Eyes

Our family is getting very close to entering into the world of movement launching in Ypsilanti, MI. This is scary, exciting, and generates great opportunities to trust him. Right now is a time when I get to cast vision for the vision that, I think, God has laid out in his scriptures to us.

As we cast this vision we get many questions and many of them I can't really answer. I have come to the conclusion that is OK. I don't have to be able to answer every question. 

Why? That's a great question. 

I think it's OK because at some point in this process we have to yield to faith and trust. We have to believe that God is serious when he makes promises in his scriptures. He means it when he says that he will care for us. It seems to me that we have to come to the place where we can rest on the reality of his promises. 

Contrary to my boy Stuart Smalley: 

I am not good enough (just ask my kids and bride).  I am not smart enough (just ask anyone that hangs out with me). And, if I am really honest with myself "people" don't necessarily like me. 

No, the truth of the matter is that if any of this is to come to pass it will be because the Creator God will have lavished his grace on the community that he is sending us too. This means that faith must be our eyes. 

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A Christmas Sermon from 2011

What happens when you have a bunch of kids tell the Christmas story?

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Why a College Town?

Today we received a newsletter from some friends who serve Cru at Duke University. It got me thinking again about one of the reasons why we are launching The Antioch Movement in Ypsilanti.

Very simply: laborers.

There is no better place to raise up laborers for the kingdom of God than the university. Eastern Michigan University is a campus of more than 20,000. These are people who will have an influence beyond the average. Anywhere you go in Southeastern Michigan you find people who are directly or indirectly connected to Eastern Michigan University. Southeastern Michigan is the place that drives, quite literally, the state of Michigan.

We cannot underestimate the influence of the students from EMU.

College students are flexible. They are available. They are making decisions that will set the trajectory for the rest of their lives. They are not tied down and can go anywhere. Imagine hundreds, if not thousands of college students choosing to launch movements everywhere. That is  what we are after, a global movement beginning in Ypsilanti.

It has been said, if you want to change the world tomorrow, change the college campus today.

The Antioch Movement is a movement that will be launching movements beyond Ypsilanti to the ends of the earth. To do this we need laborers for the harvest.  There is no better place to find them than the university campus.

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The Power of Together

I am sitting in a gathering of Teaching Elders and Ruling Elders of the Midwest Presbytery. When we gather I am astounded by the humility, kindness, and respect of the people around me. What a joy to be a part of a connectional system where we press into relationship.

There are difficult issues that have to be dealt with. We examine candidates for minister of the gospel. We argue. We pray. We worship.  We celebrate.

We are a community together pursuing the King and his kingdom.

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The End

As I enter into this new stage of life I am realizing that I am about to embark on something unique. For the first time in my life I am the one who has to slow down and listen to God to determine what the ‘end’ is and how he intends to get us there.

I think that he is saying that the ‘end’ is ‘now’. 

As our family steps out into this adventure of launching a movement we will begin with the end in mind. What do we want this movement to be? Do we want a large worship gathering to be our end? 

No.

We want a movement that is engaged in their spheres of influence as representatives of Jesus. We want a community of people who are multiplying their lives and launching new movements in places we have not yet dreamed of going. 

Everything we do will towards this end. 

Everything. 

More on that some other time…

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