:: Lent & Giving Things Up, 2 ::

(a collection of thoughts on the purpose and motives behind the season of "Lent" - part 1 here)

First, what is “Lent”? Basic, general answer: Lent is a 40-day period before Easter every year, during which some folks (traditionally Catholic and some Protestant traditions) undergo an extended fast. It was established in the 4^th century, and since then, participants will eat sparingly, give up a certain food, favorite activity, etc. The basis for this is the idea of repentance (complete with sackcloth, ashes, and fasting, found in places like Esther 4, Jeremiah 6, Daniel 9, and Mathew 11), for the sake of turning from sin and seeking forgiveness, and to display devotion and focus on Christ.

On a personal level then, in preparing our hearts we realize the depth of our sin, and thus appreciate God’s sacrifice and love; we reflect upon the selflessness and necessity of the crucifixion; we celebrate the amazing redemption accomplished in the Resurrection; we rest in God as sole provider of all our needs. As Advent is meant to prepare our hearts to reflect upon and rejoice in the incarnation of God the Son at the beginning of His life, so is Lent meant to prepare our hearts to reflect upon and rejoice in His resurrection and the hope of our eternal life.

Coming Monday: why do people give things up, & examining the motives behind that...

:: Who isn't allowed in St. Peter's? ::

This was a sign posted outside St. Peter's Basicila, signifying who cannot enter. Since there are no words, let me explain.

Starting top left, moving clockwise, you may not enter this most sacred space if...

• Your leg has fallen off
• Your hat has crushed your head
• You're wearing overalls (or possibly if you're a farmer, and have suffered a catastrophic grounding of your shoulder)
• You're a dude and you're wearing only teeny teeny teeny tiny shorts.

The Vatican apologizes for the inconvenience, but if any of these cases fit your situation, you must immediately leave.

:: Lent & Giving Things Up, 1 ::

As of this Wednesday, Feb 25, 2009, we’re in the season that the church’s liturgical calendar calls Lent. As a personal note, Jess and I were at the Vatican on Ash Wednesday (the annual, official start of Lent - check out the awesome sun rays in the pic Jess took!), and it was the only Wednesday in February this year that the Pope did not make his weekly 10:30am address. Bummer. But St. Peter’s, the Vatican Museums, etc. were astonishing beyond words nonetheless!

Anyway, several of us grew up in traditional & liturgical traditions of “church,” where seasons like Lent were part of the norm; others have never heard of it before; still others are confused or apathetic to such historical liturgy; while a final group might have friends who participate (and even walked around on Wednesday with an ashen cross on their foreheads), and are curious. So over the next couple days, I’ll be posting a few thoughts on Lent: what it is and why people give things up (or add things, as the case may be). Tomorrow: what is Lent; Monday-Tuesday: why people do, and concurrently why people should NOT, give things up.

:: Developing a redeemed view, 3 ::

[part 3 of 3 - today focuses on the active pursuit of this redeemed view]

Then what does it mean to “actively pursue” that view? Simply, it means to simply realize that there’s a lot within us that would default to the non-biblical, non-beneficial carrying out of these things. And so we have to actively, every day, be working and striving and yearning more and more for Christ-likeness, and then be actively working to kill sin. There’s a puritan writer called John Owen, who has this great phrase, “kill sin or sin will kill you.”[1] That phrase resonates with me, because we all have this passive propensity to lean toward sin. And if we’re not actively pursuing the death of sin, then sin will reign over us. So actively pursuing a redeemed view of all things is daily, and minute-by-minute, working to get the non-biblical, non-beneficial, more sinful view and carrying out of whatever it is out of your mind. As you do this, you are actively pursuing what is biblical; what is beneficial; working to kill the sin; working to mortify the temptation and remove these things from your life as you actively pursue a redeemed view of these things.

I hope this is a next step, or a little more practical than we were able to be yesterday, idea of what it means to develop and actively pursue a redeemed view of all things. I’ll close by saying that I hope we’ll all join together in realizing the goodness, beauty, and worshipful nature of so many things that God has given us. And that we’ll move from a place where they’re “gods,” and that we’ll move from a place where they’re “gross,” and that we’ll have a “holy enjoyment,” as we develop a redeemed view; as we actively pursue God’s intentions of all the good things he has given us.

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[1] John Owen, from “Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers”

:: Developing a redeemed view, 2 ::

[Part 2 of 3, on renewing a biblical view of all God's good gifts]

We can do this by asking two basic questions, in any situations:

The first question is “is it biblical?” In any situation, we have different ways of responding, and we must ask ourselves, “Is this biblical? Is this God’s view of this, as recorded in his own word?” 90% of the time, you can find something in the Bible about these different situations: about sex, there are biblical commands and situations where sex is good, so if the answer’s “yes,” then go for it! But if the answer’s “no” – if there are prohibitions and commands against whatever the situation is, in the Bible – then avoid it; try to turn away from it. That’s one way we can develop a redeemed view of God’s good gifts; by asking “is it biblical?.”

A second question – and this applies only to the stuff that isn’t specifically addressed in the Bible – is to ask yourself “is this beneficial?” Not “beneficial” in the sense of “making me feel good” or “making me popular” or “helping me escape reality,” but beneficial in that “does this point me more toward Christ? Does this reflect God’s character?” As a practical example, the internet is obviously not mentioned in scripture, and so you can’t look at the Bible and ask, “Is wasting time on the internet biblical?” It’s not specifically mentioned in the Bible, but you can definitely ask, “Is this beneficial? Does this point me more toward Christ? Does it work sanctification in me?” and you can definitely say “no,” because the character of God is not lazy, or wasteful with one’s time. And the character of God definitely wouldn’t point you to sites you should avoid on the web!

Again, by asking if it’s beneficial, if the answer’s “yes,” then go for it. Does a good beer at a bar with a non-Christian open a door to a conversation that might not otherwise be there? Sometimes – so go enjoy that beer and enjoy that good conversation (only, as we mentioned yesterday, if you’re of age). But if it’s not going to be beneficial; if it’s going to be hindering to your witness or to your relationship with Christ; if it’s going to pull you away from Christ-likeness, than avoid it. That’s what I would say it means to develop a redeemed view of things, is to ask yourself, “Is this biblical? Is this beneficial?” and then to act accordingly.

:: Developing a redeemed view, 1 ::

[WHAT DO YOU MEAN 38 DAYS IS TOO LONG BETWEEN POSTS?! - whatever.]

In an effort to post shorter posts, here's part 1 of 3, of an answer to a question following a fun, fine-line topic in our college ministry this week, called "Don't Waste Your Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n Roll"[1]...

This Sunday at TCBCcollege (02.08.2009) we said that God gives us good things, but that we distort them either by making them “gods” or by considering them “gross,” and our call is “to develop and actively pursue a redeemed view of them,” and to repent when we don’t have that view. I was asked afterward, “What does it mean to have a redeemed view of all of God’s gifts?” This is a very valid question, and it’s worth giving a few practical pointers on what this means.

First, to develop a redeemed view of them, means to get yourself back to God’s intended use of these good things he gives us (to follow yesterday’s examples, sex or beer or music or the internet) – to ask “how did God intend these things to be used when he gifted them to us?” Like the scene in The Little Mermaid, where the mermaid is using a fork to comb her hair, that’s a gift that has been given, that’s not being used as intended; that’s not being used to its full benefit. So to develop a redeemed view of God’s gifts is to learn how to use these things he’s given us, as he intended. Practically, for sex, that’s within marriage; for alcohol and tobacco, it’s for the sake of community and celebration; and learning how to push aside these other ways we can distort and use them – that’s what it means to develop a redeemed view.

How do we do this? Check back tomorrow for part 2...

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[1] Audio podcast of this talk - click here