Category Archives: grace

September 28, 2012

glorious mundane

By arpology

In his intro to his defining work in an essay entitled Economy, Henry David Thoreau writes, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.” In the 1850s Thoreau felt the need to escape life and run away to the woods because he felt that everyday existence had become so desperate, so mundane, so meaningless that he had to find something more. Can you imagine what would happen if we stuck him in the middle of the civilized world today? A world of enslaving technology, over prescribed medications, processed meals, incoherent work schedules and loosely connected family lives. I imagine Walden pond would not be deep enough for him to escape into.

And yet for many of us it is these routines and crutches that not only define us, but give us some false sense of security. It is as if our routines, habits, and definable patterns make us feel normal. OPEN YOUR EYES! This is not normal. This is robbery! This is theft! You are being led away from who you were made to be. The writer of the book of John quotes Jesus with the following, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.They will come in and go out, and find pasture.The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:9-10. And the problem I have is with the way we read these verses. We read that those who come through Christ as the gate will be saved and we think it refers to an eventual reality and we stop there. We rob ourselves of the next verse! Jesus says that he has come to give us life…and life to the full. The Greek would be played out a bit like this; life that is more than, greater, exceeding, abundant, overflowing, passion filled, surpassing, uncommon, superior, more remarkable, more excellent, etc., etc. Are you getting the picture?

And yet we are content to go through our every day existence and simply survive. One of my favorite shows as of late has been the BBC’s Sherlock.* In the season 2 finale (don’t worry I don’t think I am spoiling anything) there is a scene where Sherlock comes upon Moriarty who is listening to the Bee Gee’s Staying Alive. Moriarty then launches into an odd soliloquy, but this is my favorite part, “”Staying Alive”. So boring, isn’t it? It’s just… staying.” Now granted this is a delusional maniac saying this, but he does have a point. Why are we ever content to just “stay”? And especially those of us who are people of The Way! We should be moving. We should be active. We should be transforming those areas of our lives that people could see as mundane into something that is truly glorious!

Think about the ares of your life you could transform today. Maybe it is time with  spouse or kids. Maybe it is n encounter with  co-worker or fellow student. Maybe it is a chance encounter with a clerk or a waiter or waitress in your daily routine. Maybe it is something as simple as walking with a smile and a skip in your step. There are multitudes of ways to take your life to the fullest! Why not allow Jesus to do that for you and go out and make His name great today!

* I would recommend this show wholeheartedly, but the episode A Scandal in Belgravia is more than a bit risque. Otherwise every other episode was brilliant.

1 comment   |  tags: , , | posted in grace, Jesus, walk

July 13, 2012

every new day

By arpology

I’m a morning person. I know for a lot of you that may not come as a surprise, but I am pretty sure I have always been a little wired that way (although my parents may contest that was not the case during my teenage years). There is something about the sun coming up and the quietness of the world waking up that renews my soul. This past week I have been the speaker at a Preteen camp in Howell, MI and needless to say there are a few hours in the morning where I am the only soul who has stirred. I am able to walk through the field hedged in by a couple of lakes (really ponds at best) and it is almost as if I am the only person in the world. I am able to find that time with God in solitude and quietness in His creation and I have come to the conclusion that I neeeeed this.

It’s funny because I usually try to take time to myself early in the morning in my normal routine as well. But you and I know that this is not the same. As our mornings begins in our day to day life the thoughts come rushing in of what the day before us holds. We can’t help it. We have check lists and chores, tasks lists and appointments, projects and meetings, and pretty soon our souls have been drained in just thinking about all that has to be accomplished. No wonder many of us want to go back to bed shortly after the day begins.Where is the space for God in all of this? Where is the freedom that He needs to envelop us in grace and work through us in love. In Lamentations 3:22-23 (albeit a book of sorrowful worship) we read, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

God’s compassions for us are new every day. Wow! I want to hear that again, God’s compassions for us are new every day. And yet, do we take advantage of that? Are we even aware it exists? I almost think God is singing over us as we wake with His imagination running wild for us for the coming day. He envisions the impacts we could have on others. He dreams about the opportunities for us to invest His love into the world around us. His heart is beating excitedly for the mercies he has shown us to be extended in wonder and amazement as we usher in the Kingdom.

But then the lists take over. Then the stress piles up. Where has the new day gone?

May we find a way to live into each new day as if we truly understand the faithfulness of God in extending us grace upon grace as children dearly loved by our Father in Heaven.

Leave a comment | posted in freedom, grace, mercy

May 23, 2012

grace and peace

By arpology

Undoubtedly if you have ever been a part of a Stuck in the Middle gathering, or any of our previous youth positions in other churches, you have heard the three words that make up this post. In fact, I recently had the joy of getting to hang with some former students and I asked them, “What three word phrase would you always hear whenever we got together?” And almost in unison they replied, “Grace and Peace”. You see, in every youth gathering/service we had together we would have a time of passing the peace. But instead of uttering the liturgical phrase “The Peace of Christ to You” we pound fists with our neighbor as we utter “Grace and Peace”. And I couldn’t be more excited to have any other words associated with our ministry. But for me the real joy is when the students begin to understand why those words are integral. The significance of this phrase isn’t even probably found where you think it might be.

For better or worse our theology and practices in the modern church in America are probably shaped more by the writings of Paul than by any other writings in scripture. In fact, sometimes I see the main difference between the Modern church vs the Postmodern church is that the former is more Pauline in it’s theological sway while the latter tends to be more Christological. And a lot of this shaping through Pauline doctrine has been amazing. We understand church discipline, organization and morality better through his eyes. We are able to wrestle with justification, atonement and sanctification because of the texts given to us from his letters. However sometimes Paul has been used to oppress and deride members of society; even inside the walls of the church. His writing to Philemon regarding the fair treatment of a slave may have been a crutch for slavery and fodder against the abolitionist movement. His writings in Timothy have led to the oppression and subjugation of women both inside and outside the church walls. And I think the problem isn’t necessarily just a cultural interpretive issue…I think the problem is that we don’t read Paul sequentially.

In every one of Paul’s letters, before he gets into any issues with the local churches or leaders, before he even begins to weigh any theological discussion, we find some variation of the following phrase, “Grace and Peace”*. It was so important for Paul to lay the proper foundation with these churches that it is mentioned in every epistle he wrote! Now think about this with me…before Paul uttered one word of correction, before he gave one jot or tittle of instruction he ushered in Grace and Peace into the lives of his listeners.

What a concept! What would the reputation of the Church in the world look like today if we simply followed that model? What would we look like if before we entered into political arenas or workplace discussions we simply offered Grace freely (for truly that is really the only display of Grace) to those with whom we are about to engage? How effective would we be if in every situation we encounter we were actively seeking to build/make peace (not keep it, there is a significant difference) in creative and non-violent methods? Maybe then we might be getting persecuted and ridiculed for the right reasons instead of  accusations of being judgmental and hypocritical. Maybe then people might scoff at us because we are trying to make a difference by offering Grace and Peace in a world that really understands neither…or maybe we will find ourselves on a cross. But isn’t that where this all begins anyway?

* Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians 1:2, Colossians 1:2, 1Thessalonians 1:1, 2Thessalonians 1:2, 1 Timothy 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:2, Titus 1:4, Philemon1:3

Leave a comment | posted in church, grace, Kingdom, peace, theology

December 9, 2011

something fun

By arpology

So recently I stumbled upon word clouds…well not exactly. I stumbled upon the fact that I can easily create word clouds. So here is something fun. This is a word cloud based upon the arpology blog. So whichever word has appeared the most throughout my blog posts over the past year is the largest. The larger the size, the more the word has been used. Enjoy.

Leave a comment | posted in grace, Jesus

October 11, 2011

the s word

By arpology

One of the Arp family’s recent acquisitions has been the addition of streaming Net Flix on our family television. This was coupled with the cutting of our cable, but it has proven to be a fun addition. Aside from my kids getting to watch cartoons I grew up with it has also been fun for Crystal and I by getting access to documentaries and other educational movies any time we want. One of the things that Net Flix also does for you is set-up a recommendation category based upon your viewing habits. One of the movies it has brought to my attention is “Sin Nombre“, a Spanish language film about a young girl attempting to make it from Honduras to the United States. To tell you the truth I really haven’t had much interest in watching the movie (I might eventually), but it really is the title that jumps off the page at me every time. I realize that the word “sin” in Spanish is not the same as the word “sin” in English, but it got me thinking a bit.

From my three years of Spanish in high school I do remember that the word sin means “without” in English. Pretty profound if you ask me. We know that Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”, but I think it could be put even more simply. Sin leaves us without. It leaves us without freedom, without health, without sustainable relationships and ultimately without God. If we choose to lead a life of sin, we are ultimately choosing to live without God…apart from love itself.

Now I am one of those who always grew up in the church. I never really had a huge rebellious stage or anything like that. But sometimes, having grown up learning from those around me, I was able to lead a life of hypocrisy with the best of them. I was putting on a righteous exterior while ignoring the inside. “Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean (Matthew 23:26).” In these moments, although everything may have liked fine from the outside perspective, I was very much leading my life without God.

And that is what sin does to us. For some reason it has the ability to convince us that we can do it on our own. That we are the masters of our fate and the commanders of our destiny and that we ultimately know better than anyone else. Life can be lived without…but it is meant to be redeemed from within. God has given us so much. He has surrounded us with loving family or friends, supportive brothers and sisters in Christs and he even gave His own life for us. And yet we let sin replace all of that and we choose to live without.

The s word is a dangerous subject. But brushing up on my Spanish a bit helped me see it in an entirely new light. I choose to live within the divine gift and without sin.

1 comment | posted in grace, sin

February 3, 2011

moral equates mean?

By arpology

I apologize if it seems as if I haven’t stepped down from my soap box in a while, but sometimes you can’t help it. And after all, the premise of this blog is based on “the rants” of a young pastor.

But intro aside, there is something I have noticed in the church all my life that really irks me. Why is it that we think we are given the excuse to be mean simply because we have morality? It is almost that we think that there are varying degrees of sin and as long as my hands are cleaner than yours then I don’t have to treat you with common decency. Or if I can’t immediately spot the chinks in your armor, I can use my morally superior microscope to inspect your life until I find something I can lord over you. Do we really think it is all about a virtue score card that ultimately decides our fate and the fate of others? I certainly hope not. Not to say that virtue isn’t something to aspire too, but it is most definitely not a weapon to be wielded.

Let’s take the example of Jesus just for a moment (I know it sounds crazy). Who did Jesus snub because of their lower moral status? Think really hard…NO ONE! Jesus seemed to surround himself with ragamuffins, with the morally bankrupt. And if anyone ever had the right to draw a dividing line in the sand of morality it was Jesus. And yet the line did not exist. This is the scandal of Grace.

And what’s more, our righteousness is like filthy rags (do some research on this if you want to know the full revulsion of this remark) and yet we sometimes wear it like a badge of honor. So my plea is to drop the badge…throw down your arms…Stop being mean! Instead, may we learn to love like Jesus loved. By this, and only by this will people know that we are His disciples.

Leave a comment | posted in grace, judgment, mortality

January 22, 2011

lot in life

By arpology

Recently I finished a book that was set in the Middle ages in Southern England. It immediately drew me in, because frankly, I am a nerd who loves historical fiction. But the degree of separation of characters was something that was truly fascinating. The main characters ranged from a pious and holy monk, to a base inhumane earl. There were knights, bishops, queens…this is starting to sound like a chess match. But one of the things I couldn’t get my mind away from revolved around each character’s placement in life and their resulting morality. It seemed like the upbringing of the characters set their course for virtue or vice without their choice. As the writer was not a Christian writer, I further pondered as to whether or not this is how the world thinks of virtue and vice in general. If you are born to good people, you will be good people…Or along the same line of thought, If you are born to Christians, then Christian; Muslims, then Muslim; Jews, then Jews…I could go on for a while.

It’s kind of scary to think about, but most people really believe that someone’s lot in life is set by the tradition and values they are born into. Is everyone really fated to follow in the footsteps set before them? I guess my real concern is that so often the path left before a large number of the people of this planet would lead them away from God instead of towards him. But that is what is so revolutionary about Christ breaking onto the scene…He calls us emphatically to break away from our lot in life and follow him. It doesn’t even make a difference if the path set before you is good or bad, because He has a new path for you. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26).

Jesus has greater things in store for you than the legacy you think you are bound to. And he can overcome any legacy whether it is vile or virtuous in order to make you into His disciple wholly. So maybe your lot in life only determines what happens until you stumble into the path of the Savior. Life after that will never be the same.

May we continue to direct people into His path that their lot in life might be redeemed.

4 comments | posted in grace, journey

December 8, 2010

a lot easier…or a lot more difficult

By arpology

We are extremely formulaic people. I don’t think we can really help it though. From the start we are kind of wired that way. As a baby, if we cry we get food. As a toddler, sometimes if we pitch a fit we get our way. If we get the right answer in school, then we get good marks. It even leaks it’s way into adulthood. If we do a good job at work, then we get paid and maybe even a raise. But sometimes it is quizzical to me how we apply these same standards to God and his workings with humanity. We apply our formulas to Him and expect Him to work by our standards when clearly He is not a man. I once heard a quote that unfortunately kind of rings true in the church, ‘God made man in His image, and man returned the favor.’ Now often this quote is used in an attempt to damage the theology of the church, but I rather think it can be used for healthy criticism.

We will never fully understand God. His very giving of His name hinted at that, “I will be what I will be.” – Exodus 3:14. And so I think we should be careful of breaking everything with God down to a formula and simply trust in his goodness. That is not always easy. What if I pray and it doesn’t get answered? What if I am faithful, but I am never blessed? I always loved C.S. Lewis take on this in reference to Aslan (the God-figure in his Chronicles of Narnia), ” ‘Then he isn’t safe?’ asked Lucy. ‘Safe?’ said Mr. Beaver. ‘Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you’.” You see, this faith journey isn’t safe and there are never any guarantees. I always tell my students that when we get there, I even think that heaven will be a lot easier…or a lot more difficult to get into than we thought. See Matthew 25: 31-46 for that deduction. And the hard part is that it isn’t a formula. But that’s the scandal of grace, and the not-so-safe adventure of following a God who is not like a man.

Leave a comment | posted in grace, journey

November 23, 2010

…to forgive Divine

By arpology

Roughly 300 years ago these famous words were penned by Alexander Pope, “To err is human, to forgive Divine.” But I don’t think we truly grasp the gravity of the truth behind these words. Forgiveness is probably one of the most complex processes that we as humans engage in and yet we speak about it all the time with such nonchalance. One of the phrases that ultimately troubles me the most is, “to forgive and forget”. It’s just not possible! We say things like, ‘It’s water under the bridge’, ‘I forgot that long ago’, etc., but if we were truly honest with ourselves… I am not even sure that forgetting is a quality of God. I think the beauty of grace is not that he forgets, but that he chooses not to count our sins against us. I think that speaks more to forgiveness than anything else.

The problem though lies with our memory and our inability to exercise grace for ourselves. Who are we to ultimately not forgive ourselves when God himself has not only forgiven but chooses not to hold these sins against us? Maybe we need more grace in our own lives extended from God through us, to us. Maybe we need to be willing to not only forgive ourselves but realize the past is the past, and although we learn from it, we are not burdened by it. Maybe this is why forgiveness is divine. Maybe it is only through the working of the Holy Spirit that we truly learn to forgive ourselves and live the life worthy of the forgiveness God has extended to us. May you find that forgiveness at work within you today.

Leave a comment | posted in forgiveness, grace

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