Orange Tree

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Today, I was talking to the preschoolers about the "fruit of the Spirit". For the past couple of weeks I have been asking them to tell me their favorite fruits. One little boy has been adamant that his favorite fruit is an orange. He will not waiver. It's orange. I'm kinda on the fence myself. Some days it's an apple. Some days I lean toward blueberries. So, I guess I don't have a true favorite.

Today, as I began to talk to the children about the fruit of the Spirit, I started with the first in the list: "Love". I would say that it is the favorite "fruit" in this list. It's not a surprise that most people think it's good to "grow love" in life. What is a little puzzling is that most people have a least favorite fruit. No doubt about it - I don't hear many people say how much they crave "longsuffering". How about you? Yet, it is listed right alongside of love, joy peace and the others. By the way, self-control is probably toward the bottom of the list as well. A quick survey in my life would not diminish my appreciation of the value of "love". But, if I'm honest, it will also require me to appreciate how the Spirit of God has helped me to develop a patient trust. My love of patience is a little like my love of broccoli. The older I get, the more I appreciate it. Now, communicating these lessons to preschoolers over the next few weeks will test my creativity...and my patience! Thank you Lord.

Digging Deep

He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.

Luke 6:48

Life is like a man building a house. So begins the teaching of Jesus. What’s the difference between those who hear the words of Jesus and “do them” and those who hear and “did nothing”? One is like a man who builds a house with a rock solid foundation and the other skips a step and builds a house without a foundation. It’s not difficult to predict what will happen when a storm gathers. Jesus confirms what you might expect. One house stands, the other falls.

The message of Jesus is hard to miss. If I want to build a life that is strong enough to withstand the storms of life, then I must listen and obey. However, I believe there are a number of subtle messages that are easily missed. Jesus began by saying that the man “dug deep” and laid the foundation. It’s a reminder that much of the work required to build strong character takes place beneath the surface. After a house is built, the foundation doesn’t show, much less the effort and investment required to prepare for the foundation. Few of us would argue against the fact that we live in a world that where veneer competes with substance. Far too often, charisma trumps character. The words of Jesus remind us that Christ-like character grows beneath the surface and then yields a fruitful life. “A good man out of the good treasures of his heart brings forth good fruit” (Luke 6:45). 

 So how do I respond to the pressure to build my house without digging deep? The Bible is filled with practical instruction about building strong character. Psalm 1:2 is one of my favorites. “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” It’s a great place to start. Meditation takes place beneath the surface of my life. No audience. It is the process of “digging deep” and treasuring long-term investment while living in an instant gratification world. “Delight” in God’s word is a cultivated delight. And, yes, some days the digging is more difficult than others. But, my love for God’s word has grown as I have spent more time meditating on God’s word.

Learning from a child

Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.

Mark 10:15

Teachable moments in my life have a certain unexpected quality. Suddenly, a lesson sneaks around the corner and grabs my heart. Some of those moments in my life have left a lasting imprint in my character. I wonder if that was the case on that day. It was a day when a group of parents brought their children to Jesus for a blessing. The disciples scolded the parents. I’m sure they thought that it was good to protect Jesus from the intrusion. But, they were wrong. To Jesus, it was not an intrusion. It was an opportunity to provide perspective. After rebuking the disciples, He lifted a child and proceeded to embrace the little one like a shepherd would gather a small lamb with His arms (Isaiah 40:3). And then it happened. It was a teachable moment that echoes into my life today. Jesus said, “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it”.

I’m so tempted to reach into my pocket and provide my ticket for entry into God’s kingdom. You know the ticket. It’s a ticket that is intended to impress God. It’s my list of stuff that I have assembled to impress God. It’s sounds absurd to me as I describe it – imagine how absurd it is to God when we pull the ticket out. The message of Jesus would be more difficult for me to grasp were it not for the picture I have in my mind. It’s time to exchange the ticket for a lesson from a child. It’s time to trade my list for an embrace and blessing from my Savior.

In the 17^th century, Fenelon wrote a number of spiritual letters. In one of his letters he cautioned that absolute trust is the shortest road to God. He went on to write, “Abandon yourself as absolutely possible to God, and continue to do so to your latest breath, and He will never depart you.” In my mind’s eye, I see a child folded up in the arms of the Savior held closely enough to be comforted by the beat of His heart. For the child, there is no desire to leave. There is no longing to be anywhere else. There is no searching for a ticket. Love has made a way.  Absolute trust is natural. Distance from the heart of the Savior is unthinkable. The kingdom of God is the ultimate place of belonging.

Thirsty for Friendship

How do you define friendship? I asked the preschoolers in chapel this morning to help me out with a definition. As usual, I received some great answers. They described some things that friends do. They share. They play together. They have fun. That's what friends do.

I thought it would be interesting to tell them about a time when Jesus was a friend. I told them about how He talked to a woman at a well in Samaria. There are a number of aspects in the story that fascinate me. For example, Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah to a Samaritan woman. But, before His self-revelation, Jesus took the first step. He surprised the woman with His first words. The fact that He initiated a conversation captures my attention.  If you know anything about the story (John 4) you know the conversation moved from the surface issues of physical thirst to a revelation about how spiritual thirst can be quenched. When's the last time you had a conversation like that? My preschool scholars offered some clues as to why it doesn't happen as often as it should. Being a friend means we have to be willing to "share". Sounds simple doesn't it. Second requirement? The kids said that friendship is a "together" thing. Friends are "present". As adults, we have all kinds of issues with being truly "present"in the God-given special momentary opportunities. Finally, friends have fun. OK it's a little naive to think that being a friend is always fun. But, Jesus modeled friendship that is incredibly rewarding. We need only to open our eyes to see people who may be thirsty for friendship. BTW, making a well out of Play Doh is not easy!

“Blessed are the poor in spirit”

Jesus

I had a good discussion this week about what it means to be “poor in spirit”. Why are the poor in spirit blessed? I found some help from one of my favorite authors. Philip Yancey has a gift when it comes to articulating the gospel. When reading through the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, Yancey reached the following conclusions:

“The Beatitudes express quite plainly that God views the world through a different set of lenses. The poor are blessed because with nowhere to else to turn, the desperate just may turn to Jesus, the only One who can offer the deliverance they long for. Jesus really believed that a person who is poor in spirit, or mourning, or persecuted, or hungry and thirsty for righteousness has a peculiar advantage over the rest. Maybe, the desperate person will cry out to God for help. If so, that person is truly blessed” (Yancey in The Jesus I Never Knew)

Yancey goes on to point out that the poor in spirit recognize not only their dependence on God, but also their interdependence on others. This points us toward a deeper understanding of the “blessedness” of the poor in spirit. In His sermon, Jesus attaches the blessedness of the poor in spirit with a particular reward. Their reward is “the kingdom of heaven”. It strikes me that the kingdom of heaven is not a lonely kingdom of independence and isolation from God and others. It is an eternal-relational kingdom. Poverty in spirit can yield an openness and longing for that kind of kingdom and the blessings enjoyed by those who belong there.

New Wineskins

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” 

Mark 2:22

When I read the Gospels I marvel at the way Jesus could deliver an eternal truth with the aid of a familiar object. How would you describe barriers to radical transformation to a group of 1^st century people hanging around asking questions? Google “self help books” or “personal change” and check back with me at the end of your life when you finish pouring over a billion or two responses. There are a lot of ideas about what is required in order to change. Some of the ideas are good and helpful. But, if Jesus was to write a book about change today it might be pretty short. The title could be: “New wine must be put into new wineskins”. Jesus addressed some pretty big change issues in His day. He was a bridge between the Law and the Gospel. He was confronted with self-righteous attempts to preserve a legalistic framework in the wake of His arrival. In the text of Mark 2 His words were few yet profound in implication. They held both a global and individual application. I’m leaving the global interpretation for another day. I am focusing on what it means in my life. Maybe you can benefit from my struggle.

Will I put new wine in old wineskins? Today, I may be tempted to add a little bit of Jesus into my life to make it better while stopping short of the type of transformation that takes place when I give Him my all. I may want to enjoy the new wine of His presence while still holding on to aspects of my self-righteous identity. I may want to maintain my old habitual ways of seeing things and treating people. I may pray the “Lord’s Prayer” this morning and then live as if I want to see how much of my will can survive while praying “Your will be done”. My “old wineskin” is like a comfortable pair of old shoes. Without thinking, I slip them on each morning. I walk around in them without thinking about the desperate need for renewal. Then Jesus speaks. If I want to preserve the precious nature of His presence I need to embrace Him in totality. I need Him to build my life according to His design. I need a new wineskin.

The Engine

Today in Preschool Chapel I asked the children to talk to me about the letter "A". Quickly, a child told me that "apple" begins with "A". Next, a child shouted out "airplane". So, I proceeded to make an airplane out of Play Doh. I thought I was finished, when a little girl informed me that my airplane needed engines. Pretty impressive for a preschooler. If my green (their suggestion) Play Doh airplane is going to fly it must have engines. What was I thinking? Quickly, I added two engines and all was well.

After a few songs with them, I began to tell them about one of Jesus' messages when He told His followers to be like two things: salt and light. Christianity minus the qualities that Jesus described is much like an airplane without an engine. It just doesn't fly. So, if we take seriously the words of Jesus, we need to know what is required. "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). How do we maintain our luminescence? Dallas Willard simplifies the process in his description of discipleship. I am with Him to learn from Him how to be like Him. (Divine Conspiracy, p. 276). His words remind me that I shouldn't try to be "salt and light" without learning from my Savior.