It seems that every group of people with a specific area of interest develop their own sort of language.  They seem to be using words we know but not in a way we understand.  We’ve all been to the doctor and had him toss out a term like “diet”… Explaining we aren’t “on a diet” just muddies the water more.  He’s really just wanting to know what we’ve been eating.  So why doesn’t he say so? 

Churches are a great place for this to occur.  We talk about freewill, saving souls, lifting people up, gifts and calling.  It can be pretty bewildering and a bit scary.  We aren’t putting souls in a jar, we don’t have any weight-lifting contests, we aren’t handing out presents with pretty bows and we frown at people using their phones. 

Here’s what we are trying to say, in plain English (I hope).   When we say “save” or “saved” we are talking about accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior; about recognizing Him as God’s Son; about admitting that we are spiritually broken and need Him to straighten us out.

The simple definition of “freewill” is choice.  God created us so that we can think and choose for ourselves.  We can make good choices and obtain good consequences.  If we make bad choices in our life, we get to live with those consequences too.  Either way, God lets us decide what we want in our lives.

When we say “lifting people up” we mean that we are asking God to help those folks in their situation.  This might mean we are praying for healing, but could also mean that we are asking for endurance and patience.  We may be asking for wisdom and insight, but the bottom line is that we are asking God to focus His attention on that person or family.

God’s “gifts” to us are discussed in 1 Corinthians 12.  We believe that the Holy Spirit gives every person gifts that we can nurture and use to help others.  In the world, people talk about their potential or talent.  There are people who are gifted in every area of life so that humankind can thrive and support one another.  People who are “saved” use these “gifts” to help others in such a way that God receives the glory, credit and praise for every result. Finally, we talk “calling” or “being called.”  In some churches this only applies to the pastor, as in “being called by God to preach.”  We believe that God “calls” each of us to fulfill His will.  We believe that He has given us our “gifts” so that when He calls us we will have all the tools we need to serve in whatever way He asks.  This might mean we do something as humble as emptying the trash and sweeping the floor.  It might mean we cook meals for those who can’t.  Sometimes it means being a taxi.  For others it means teaching.  I hope you’re getting the idea.

In ancient times names held great meaning.  A child would be named to commemorate an event, to encourage a direction for his life or possibly to acknowledge a patriarch.  The old Hebrew families often incorporated God into their names.

Thus, Judah was blessed by his mother, Leah.  She chose his name to praise God.  Later his name became the name of the southern portion of what we now think of as Israel.  Jerusalem lies within the territory of Judah. 

So why does that name stuff matter today?  It matters because God chose the Hebrew people to be His people.  It matters because He chose Judah as the family line that Jesus would descend from.  It matters because one woman chose to praise God through the name of her child.  And God chose to honor that by placing His Kingdom throne in Judah, thus becoming enthroned by His people’s praise.

Why does it matter to us?  It matters because it guides us in how to think about our approach to God.  If we are truly seeking a relationship with Him, praise encompasses a big portion of that time we spend with Him.  We all know that in human relationships praise creates harmony and open communication.  So it is with God. 

Next time you reach for God, praise Him for all that he has done for you; praise Him for all that He is doing for you; praise Him for all that He will do for you.  He designed us for relationship with Him.  He designed and created us in the love and joy that is Him.  Let us celebrate and rejoice in that design every time we think of Him.

Who Do You Know?

 Posted in: COFFEE BREAK

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” —2 Tim. 3:14-15

When I was five, my dad decided that having a family was not for him, which left my mom as a single parent of two boys. I used to look forward to Saturday mornings because I got to spend many Friday nights at my grandpa’s house. These Friday nights and Saturday mornings with grandpa allowed him to step into the role that my dad didn’t fill. Each Saturday in the summer, we would get up just before dawn and go to the golf course. We would tee off right after dawn with the grass still wet from the dew.

Even as a boy, I could hit the ball pretty far—at least a lot farther than my grandpa could hit it. He would take his diminished swing and hit the ball a short distance, only to have to hit it again several times to reach the green. I felt sorry for my grandpa. He could not hit the ball nearly as far as I could, and I was only 10 years old. But somehow, every time we reached the green, I found that my grandpa had beat me by one or two strokes. How could he beat me every time?

One day, the answer became clear. I could see my footsteps across the grass, and I noticed that they crisscrossed all the way to the hole. My grandpa’s steps were different. You could see his steps perfectly follow the straight lines left by the little cart he wheeled behind him. His steps went straight down the middle. My grandpa beat me because he played golf like he lived his life—right down the middle.

My grandpa was a wonderful man. He was a model in life and faith.

Somewhere along the way, I decided I wanted to live my life like he did.

I wanted to follow in his steps because I saw how he lived and experienced firsthand how he loved. Paul did not ask the early believers to just believe. He told them to trust in those they had seen and heard. The way we live our lives is important because the only model of faith some people will ever see is what they see in our lives. Christianity is not just Jesus and me; it involves the people I work, live, and worship with as well. Seeing my grandpa’s steps changed me. What do our steps say to others? 

Prayer for the week: Heavenly Father, at the start of this new day, or in the middle of this ordinary week, I thank you for the routine moments of life. Help me not to seek one mountain top after another, but to see Your presence in each moment. You have sanctified each moment because You came and forever joined heaven and Earth, even the routine moments. Amen.

Doug Ward is the senior pastor of Mundelein Church of the Nazarene in Mundelein, Illinois, USA, and teaches at Olivet Nazarene University.

Written for Coffee Break.