Beginning in January, I served as the worship leader at our local Presbyterian church. The commitment consisted of leading worship (that is, the entire service, including preaching) every Sunday and providing pastoral care for acute needs. This past Sunday was my final Sunday in that position. I loved it. It was a blessing. But it was entirely too much for us to add on to our schedule under our current circumstances.
So, this is my first week since January–minus three Sunday’s of vacation/study leave–that I don’t have to write a sermon. I almost said “that I don’t have a sermon to write,” but I’m not sure that’s true. I may very well have a sermon to write. I sermon floating around in my brain. I’m going to miss the discipline of having a passage of Scripture to reflect on for the week, swimming in my head all week, insights coming and going. So, I’d like to still do that. And I’m hoping–though not making any promises–that I’ll have more spare thoughts to spill here on my blog.
I’d like to still use the lectionary as my starting point–as I’ve been doing. Not because I think there’s anything sacred about the lectionary, and often it annoys me by omitted some more difficult verses, but because it’s just a good place to start. A ready place to start. So, I won’t have to “waste” time trying to find where to start. But, the nice part about not having to preach on Sunday is I won’t have passages written down in the bulletin at the beginning of the week and then spend the rest of the week feeling compelled to stick to it. I get to follow rabbit trails to my heart’s content.
Now, before anyone gets excited, know this about me: I’m great at coming up with ideas, I’m not so good at follow-through. So, I’ve set a goal for myself, but I might not actually fulfill it. In theory, this sounds great. We’ll see.
I had some thoughts this morning, and thought I’d just throw them out into the abyss of cyberspace. They may not lead anywhere. I was reading a blog where the prayer requested was that the children of this particular ministry would give their hearts to Jesus. A common phrase, a common plea. But this morning, what came immediately to my mind is the verse from Psalms (24:1). “The earth is the Lord’s and all it contains.”
So, the earth and everything in it is God’s, but still we have to give him our hearts. How does that work? Isn’t my heart his to take? Don’t my children–hearts and all–belong to God? Why is my heart, their heart, your heart off limits to God to the extent that you have to give it to him? This confuses me. It stumps me. Because, to me, it’s all Gods. The earth and all that is in it.
And the thought that I have to count on my kids’ own sense, wisdom, humility, what-ev-er, to give their hearts to the Lord in order that they won’t spend an eternity separated from God scares me to death. Especially since I suck at this parenting thing and my ability to parent them will–to some extent–determine how well or ill equipped they are to give God anything.
I can’t handle the pressure. I’m going to hide my head back in my Calvinist sandbox and trust that when Scripture says “the earth is the Lord’s and all that it contains,” it includes my kids’ and their hearts and their lives and their souls.
And I’m going to trust that when Scripture says the Promise is for me and for my children, that Scripture really means it. And I’m going to cling to that promise and live in my hope and I’m going to tell my kids who they are. Children of God, redeemed by the blood of Christ, and called to a life of glorifying God and enjoying him forever.
And I’m going to pray that they never know a minute of a day when they don’t feel and know the love of God in Christ Jesus. Never know a minute when they are not convinced–assured and convicted–that nothing will separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Not death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, including their own stupidity, pride, stubbornness, or even apathy.
I might be crazy. I might be under a delusion. But it’s the only way I can sleep at night. To God alone be the Glory.
“So, the earth and everything in it is God’s, but still we have to give him our hearts. How does that work?”
I guess it’s the difference between being a slave and choosing love! You don’t want your little ones to grow up without free will, do you?
Bless!
Becky
Not that I’m in the mood for a debate over something that’s been debated for centuries . . .
But to answer your question . . . Nah. With regard to their salvation or their survival? I don’t need them to have free will. With what clothes to wear today? Sure. Where to go to college? Yup. A zillion billion trillion other things: they can have all the free will they want. But survival? If I could follow them around all the time and make sure they don’t kill themselves, I would. And I suspect they’d thank me for saving their lives, but if they don’t. Don’t care. I’d know that I’d done all I could for their survival and their survival is of utmost importance to me. And it has nothing to do with whether or not they love me. It has to with whether or not they live.
And, it’s interesting, the use of the word slave. . . . because that’s very Biblical. That is precisely what we are described as being. Slaves of Christ. There is no better Master. It won’t work out with a one-to-one parallel, cuz we’re talking about God here, not power-hungry humans. But that’s the language of the Bible. Slaves.
And I think God’s ego is big enough to handle the fact that his children are in relationship with him because it’s the best thing for them, so he established it, and it brings him great pleasure simply to *be* in relationship with them, regardless of how they got there.
Really. Not debating. Not looking to convince anyone. Really it’s just that your question and comment fueled more thought for me and these are the thoughts I had today. It’s been fun accompaniment to washing dishes, putting chickens in ovens (well. One chicken. One oven.
), and mediating screaming children.
Thanks for reply and explaining your thoughts, that was real nice of you!
I guess to me its just that slavery has such a bad feel as a word in our day, you know? Living to serve someone else without choice is fine for God in the Bible but bad on Earth for the rest of us, its kind of strange. I dunno. I always figured that what God meant by giving us free will is about the joy of making the decision to turn to God and go to Him with open hearts full of love!
I found your explanation real interesting and you’ve given me lots to thinkk about.
Thanks and God Bless!
Hello – I have been looking for a place to comment on a blog listed on another blog, linked to another, etc. I shared it with my readers today and wanted to say thank you for your heart felt words poured out. Laptop, Quiet and Wine? Great Post. http://wp.me/ptPtq-1Zs
Thank you! For the compliment and the link.