Peter Pan Was NOT a Christian

 

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Psalm 131:1-3

Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty.  I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.  Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.  Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.  O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—now and always.

The longer title of the story we usually shorten to Peter Pan includes:  The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up.[1]  If Peter were to walk into the room right now he would be the most teenage-looking 116 year-old you’ve ever seen; the story was written as a play in 1904.  I first saw it on TV in the 1950’s and, was so impressed, I wrote a letter to Walt Disney the next day, asking if he had any advice for me about becoming a cartoonist.  His studio sent me a very encouraging letter.

But what does any of that have to do with Psalm 131?  Well, everything, really.  In Disney’s animated movie production, Peter sings the song:  I won’t grow up!

I won't grow up, I don't want to go to school.
Just to learn to be a parrot,
And recite a silly rule.
If growing up means
It would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree,
I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up  Not me!
I won't grow up,

I don't want to wear a tie.
Or a serious expression
In the middle of July.
And if it means I must prepare
To shoulder burdens with a worried air,
I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up
Not me, Not I, Not me! So there!
Never gonna be a man, I won't!
Like to see somebody try And make me.  Anyone who wants to try
And make me turn into a man,
Catch me if you can.

I won't grow up.
I will never even try
I will do what Peter tells me
And I'll never ask him why

We won't grow up!
We will never grow a day
And if someone tries to make it
We will simply run away
I won't grow up!
No, I promise that I won't
I will stay a boy forever
And be banished if I don't!
And Never Land will always be
The home of youth and joy
And liberty
I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up
Not me!
I won’t!
No sir!
Not me!

Well, where do we start?  We don’t have to speak to the obvious flaw of wanting to remain a child, removed even from acknowledging that responsibilities do exist, especially if it means we might share in that burden.  The point is Scripture[2] not only calls us to leave our childish immaturity, but shows us how we can enter the process of doing what Peter Pan detested…growing up.

The Psalmist shows us Maturity-101, first page, first paragraph, lay down pride, hush all the noise…put aside your supposed deep thoughts, and trust in the LORD! 

Scripture declares that the very beginning of wisdom is to fear (reverence) God[3].

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.  All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.  Praise him forever!  Psalm 111:10

In the children’s story, Peter Pan turned his back on this; too many have followed him into Never Never Land.

Let’s Pray Together:

Father, help us today to become wise, putting down our pride, so we can begin to trust and lean on You.  Grow us strong, LORD…we are needed by others, and there is no real strength without Christian maturity.

For You Today

C. S. Lewis wrote that he didn’t think God was necessarily concerned with us being happy in our circumstances, but rather wanted us to grow up and learn to love.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!

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Title Image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For other posts on Christian Maturity see Life Off Track and The Confident Hope of All Saints

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[1] Written by J. M. Barrie

[2] See 9 references in the New Testament of maturity or being encouraged to grow up

[3]

Of Yokes, and Staying in Your Lane

 

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Jeremiah 28:10-17

Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it in pieces.  And Hananiah said again to the crowd that had gathered, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Just as this yoke has been broken, within two years I will break the yoke of oppression from all the nations now subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.’”  With that, Jeremiah left the Temple area.  Soon after this confrontation with Hananiah, the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah:  “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says:  You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron.  The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, forcing them into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.  I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.’”  Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah!  The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies.  Therefore, this is what the Lord says:  ‘You must die.  Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the Lord.’”  Two months later the prophet Hananiah died.

I was sharing a conversation with a friend of mine, who is an internist, about another friend, who is experiencing the multiple-doctor-mixed-diagnoses-syndrome.  One “specialist” doc prescribed a certain medication; the other doc, not in that specialty, said, no, you don’t have to take that.  I asked my internist friend, what’s a patient to do?  He said, I believe that other doc oughta stay in his lane.

Jeremiah had worn a common oxen yoke to show how Israel had gotten themselves into a serious rock and hard place situation with disobeying God.  Hananiah, a man who had a reputation as prophet, took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it to pieces.  That was a metaphorical slap at Jeremiah’s prophecy, telling all who would hear about it, that everything was going to be just fine in Jerusalem.  Israel was going to be great again, and the Babylonian invasion was just a minor blip on the screen of their national pride…not to worry. 

But, it didn’t turn out that way.  King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem, burned the city, destroyed the Temple and carried

off all the treasures, and drove the captives into his land as slaves for the next 60 years.  Jerusalem wasn’t great again, and Hananiah found out the hard way, when it comes to prophecy, you’d better stay in your own lane!

America hasn’t had to deal with that (so far) in its storied 244 years since our Independence.  We have been the richest, most powerful nation on earth for a long time.  I am certainly not Jeremiah, nor am I going to be a meddling Hananiah, but the parallels between Israel’s disobedience, and what we see destroying even a thin resemblance of godliness in this country, should give warning enough that we are headed for the same hand of judgment Israel experienced…and, perhaps worse.

Now, that’s as far as I go in prophesying, following Jesus’ admonition to see the signs of the times, the fields being white unto harvest.  But it still causes me to shudder for the sake of my children, and theirs; what in the world are we thinking in this day to do just what Israel did 2,600 years ago? 

·       They were arrogant about being God’s chosen (as we claim with our motto, One Nation Under God); they were, but that just meant, if they were disobedient children, their Father was going to meet them at the woodshed, and it wouldn’t be pretty.

·       They assumed (as we do) their wealth, powerful history, and determination would protect them from any other nation.

·       They sacrificed their children (as we do).

At the risk of being pronounced unpatriotic, I am saying you don’t have to be a prophet to make this connection – America is not great; we are sinful.  Only God is great, and we have no hope of being great unless we bow in His presence by changing our ways. 

Let’s Pray Together:

Father, help us to not lay the blame for our sins on anyone else.  Help us to acknowledge that, like sheep, we have ALL gone astray[1], and must not only plead for forgiveness, but receive that forgiveness by repenting of sinfulness.  Help us to put aside the notion of being great and turn towards becoming Godly.

For You Today

Which is more important to you, patriotism, or godliness?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!

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Title Image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For other posts on God’s Judgment see When God Measures and No More Tambourines

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[1] Isaiah 53:6

Arise!

 

Monday, July 6, 2020

Song of Solomon 2:8-13

Ah, I hear my lover coming!  He is leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills.  My lover is like a swift gazelle or a young stag.  Look, there he is behind the wall, looking through the window, peering into the room.  My lover said to me, “Rise up, my darling!  Come away with me, my fair one!  Look, the winter is past, and the rains are over and gone.  The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.  The fig trees are forming young fruit, and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming.  Rise up, my darling!  Come away with me, my fair one!”

Solomon writes this love sonnet about the heart of his lover beating ever faster as she contemplates the arrival of the one she has been waiting to see.  The hope is that they will be together, never again parted.  It is Spring, and visions of resurrection abound; winter is fading, giving way to young blossoms, singing birds, and the promise of fruit on the vines.  Hibernation is over, it is time to arise!

Even an old dog’s ears stand up when the scent of the hunt is near.  It’s proof that the eager call of youth never really leaves.  I have to confess this “young man” inside of me loves all the seasons.  I love the Spring and Fall particularly, but all the changes of life are interesting and blessing.  I love the awakening of things. 

What is true in the natural realm is often a mirror to understand spiritual matters.  Looking forward to the call of arise, my darling is at the very center of Christian thought.  It is the resurrection to which we aspire, our lives of death transformed to an eternity of abundant life with the One who loved us enough to die for us.  Who could deny this is the love story of all love stories?

And in love stories there is one certainty; it runs deep!  Lovers feel both pain and joy on no small scale.  What’s true in human love runs even deeper in the spiritual realm.  Consider the pathos of Jesus’ statement to Judas when the traitor led the palace guard to arrest him in Gethsemane:  with a KISS, Judas…really?  There’s no denying the pain of a love story that ends with heartbreak.

But the other side of that is the happily ever after variety of love.  Even that phrase evokes for an old dog proof that the hunt is worth it…not just for physical love, or the satisfaction of being with people you love, but the eternal thirst we all have for being loved, being wanted. 

And that is the truth of what is at the heart of God’s creation purpose.  He created us to love us.  Because…God is love.[1]  

Let’s Pray Together:

Father, we are aware that You designed our hearts to love You by loving each other.  We are also aware we are sometimes not very good at that.  Grant us power to change that this day.  Let us be what you are, love in word and deed.

For You Today

You may have read the words rise up, my darling as what a human lover says to his or her loved one…read them today as the words your God speaks to you! 

You are loved; you are wanted, and that, unconditionally…no strings!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!

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Title Image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For other posts on Romans 7 see Hidden Brides and Little Foxes

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[1] 1 John 4:8

Ephesians 4:1-16 The Mask

 

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.  Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.  Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.  For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.  There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.  Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.  This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.  Then we will no longer be immature like children.  We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching.  We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.  Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.  He makes the whole body fit together perfectly.  As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

I read a textbook for a sociology class many years ago which was entitled The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.  The idea is that when we humans encounter each other publicly we adopt a persona, or affect, that we think others need to see so they will accept us…because we know, or suspect they are watching us closely to see our flaws.  To rephrase that in English, we tend to wear emotional masks in public so we can hide stuff from others, because we have trouble trusting people.

Today we wear physical masks, not necessarily to protect our fragile self-images, but rather for the sake of protecting others.  We wear a mask to love our neighbor as ourselves. 

Isn’t it a pity that it takes a pandemic to bring out the Jesus-follower in us?

In the last three months I’ve heard a lot of talk about what people think is going to happen to the church, considering  the virus, and our new normal of thinking about social interaction.  One such thinker said it flat-out – the church is history.  Now, those are (what we’d call in my family) fightin’ words! 

But, what if it’s true? 

·       What if some people just don’t think the church helped enough during this pandemic?  And so the church is irrelevant, and they’re not going back.

·       What if some people think all the mask-wearing, sanitizing, and distancing is just too much bother, so they’re not going back?

·       What if some have been so easily distracted by the monuments being torn down, and the anger-filled rioting, marching, and name-calling, that they’re sure it’s the end, and so they’re going to sit back like some of the first century Christians and just wait on a hill for Jesus to come back?

·       What if some people decide with all that’s going on, and no answers in sight, that God either doesn’t care, or doesn’t exist?

·       Well, what if, what if, what if…?

Well, what does history have to say about all this?

There have been 7 major plagues in modern history[1]

1.     Smallpox killed an estimated 300 million worldwide, including 60 million in the 18^th century

2.     Spanish flu took 50-100 million in 1918-19

3.     Malaria still accounts for over 2 million deaths per year.

4.     AIDS has taken nearly 25 million since first recognized in 1981

5.     Cholera has had 8 pandemic outbreaks from 1817 accounting for hundreds of thousands dead

6.     Typhus, first recognized in 430 BC took nearly all of Napoleon’s army, and has accounted for millions of deaths, 3 million alone in 1918-22 in Russia.

7.     Black Death - in the middle of the 14^th century the pandemic of the Black Plague death spread across Europe like wildfire.  It is a bacterial blood infection that leads to septecemia, and a very painful death.  In the four years of that plague, the Black Death killed nearly half of the population of Europe, and nearly ¼ of the world’s population.  (Estimates are 75 – 200 million). 

What is one thing that can be said about the result of every one of the pandemics? The church survived

IF you go ALL the way back in history, the first pandemic was at the forbidden tree.  Adam and Eve rebelled against God and were removed from the garden, where life had been perfect and peaceful.  For the first parents the first pandemic of sin made their lives much more difficult and more toilsome than when they had it easy in God’s garden, but it did not stop them from worshipping, anymore than it will stop believers from worshipping now. 

In just my lifetime I think of the rebellion of the 1960’s with the God is Dead movement, and a strong social sweep that took millions of young people away from churches.

The church survived

And there is still a remnant of the music and worship wars where the fuss between contemporary vs. traditional worship, city vs. country, racial tensions, economic arrogance, geographical posturing, old and young, theologically rigid or flimsy…there have been challenges to church unity, doctrine, ministry, and yet…

(say it with me)

The church survived

Unbelievers will always be in rebellion against God; believers will always seek Him.

And…

The church WILL survive

So, what do we do about what we know?

There are two dimensions that need to be said:

Physical Battle Masks

We need to keep our masks on and wash our hands often, not complaining like immature children.  Now that’s not a Ten Commandments kind of list.  It is a flag over our attitudes about protecting the physical health of anyone with whom we come in contact.  It’s our way of loving our neighbor as we love our own lives.

Armed with that knowledge, that the risks of this virus are real, we need to stay alert to physically do the loving thing – be healing to our community.

Spiritual Battle Masks

We need to make decisions to take off our spiritual and emotional masks of pride and selfishness.  This means being vulnerable and available to each other.  As Paul wrote in our text for today, we need to speak truth, so the whole body heals. 

That goes for more than just the people around you here today, but even those who are without faith, and do not care.  If the church doesn’t care during a time like we are experiencing now, it will make no difference after the crisis is over.

Remember, most of the times Israel was in trouble in Scripture, it was because they failed to honor God who wanted them to be His voice to a lost world.  God took his kids to the woodshed time and again for that.  If we fail at this point, what makes us think it will be any different for us?

So, church…engage, care…BE the church…especially now because God has given us this special opportunity to cast aside our cares and go to the lost, the hurting, and the least of these our brethren!

We close with a few paraphrases from Scripture:

Be of good courage…Be strong in the Lord…Do not fear that, or they, which can kill the body…reverence and serve HE who has power over death, life, and eternity.

Our Prayer

Father God, we have gathered here to worship You, and we have looked into Your holy Word for truth.  And we have had the Truth examine us.  Where we have been found wanting, Lord help us to commit our lives and liberty to the health that the truth brings.  Where we have been found worthy, let us grow into fully mature believers who lead the way for those who need to see what being the church is about in this time of crisis.

For the glory, honor, and praise to which You alone are worthy, o Lord, we pray in the Name of the Son, cooperating with the Spirit, to honor and lift up the Majesty of the Father. 

Let it be so in each of our lives…Amen!

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Title Image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation  Matthew 10:24-39©

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[1] 7 Worst Killer Plagues in History

The Problem with Knowing

 

Friday, July 3, 2020

Romans 7:7-20

Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful?  Of course not!  In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin.  I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”  But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me!  If there were no law, sin would not have that power.  At one time I lived without understanding the law.  But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, and I died.  So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead.  Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me.  But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.  But how can that be?  Did the law, which is good, cause my death?  Of course not!  Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death.  So we can see how terrible sin really is.  It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.  So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good.  The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.  I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it.  Instead, I do what I hate.  But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.  So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.  And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  I want to do what is right, but I can’t.  I want to do what is good, but I don’t.  I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.  But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

There’s a story that rolls around in my head about the campaign to end the second world war.  Secrecy about the place and time of the invasion was of utmost importance, so the Commanding General called in all the reporters travelling with the Allied Forces and told them the exact details of the plan…where, when, how many, and where the plan was vulnerable.  He ended his talk with:  Now you know everything…and if this plan fails, I will know one of you leaked it, and I will have every one of you shot for treason.

History assures us the reporters kept their mouths shut!  But what rolls around is Paul’s common sense portion of Romans 7 – when you know, it is then a natural response to want to do.  And that’s the rub.  Each of those reporters had the scoop of the century, and had to sit on it.  After all, what good is playing Bernstein and Woodward[1]if you’re lying in an unmarked grave? 

And this is the problem of sin.  Scripture tells us that sin is enjoyable…for a season.  Reason tells us this is true; why would any of us get involved in sin if there wasn’t something attractive about it?  But the wages of sin is still death, and therein lies the rub of why we do what we do, when doing so causes such pain.  Paul answered that question:  I really don’t understand myself. 

Past that self-confessing riddle of “why” we do what we abhor, Paul arrives at the only possible conclusion – it is not our nature to do good; we are prone towards rebellion and destruction.  If you have doubt about that, 20 minutes with the morning news cast will open your eyes.

And all of this shouts volumes about trying to legislate the hearts of people.  If that worked at all there would not have been a cross.  God laid out law upon law, written on tablets of stone for His children.  They sinned anyway.  He sent prophets to reinforce how wrong that was; they sinned anyway.  He sent more prophets, rulers, and priests; they stoned them, drowned them, hacked some to death, and set others on fire…and sinned, anyway.  The problem with knowing what’s wrong is it entices us to do wrong.  And if you doubt that, just tell a child he can’t have something.  Or tell a teenager to be home at a certain time.  Or lay down the rules for social distancing, handwashing, or mask wearing.  You’ll be convinced of the shortcoming of rules. 

The only answer is the heart; and to get to that you need a Savior, a cross, and blood.

Let’s Pray Together:

Father, our hearts are the real place for Your law and Your love.  We don’t accept rules; our nature sees to it, and is only challenged to break rules.  Help us to see love with our hearts; Your love – the kind that went to the cross for us, and willingly took our punishment.

For You Today

I’m thankful for every officer of the court, sworn police, and the system of justice we have.  But if you’re counting on any of them to make a difference in the hearts of violent people with laws, enforcement tactics, and threats, you’ll have a long wait.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!

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Title Image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For other posts on Romans 7 see Free Will and Somebody Stop Me

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[1] The reporters who broke the scandal of Watergate, June 8, 1972