Magnitude

Now that Christmas is over and the giving season is at a close (well except for birthdays, anniversaries and other special events) people are probably quickly forgetting who gave them what for Christmas. I would dare say that thank you notes have not even been written for said gifts. Every once in a while, people will be more thankful for other types of favors that they may receive. I am reminded of a story about a two veterans on a train. One has an epileptic seizure during the trip. The other promptly puts his arms around the first vet and holds him tight until the seizure passes. Another passenger remarks about the kind gesture. The second vet responds that the first man saved his life during the war. He goes on to tell about selling all he owned after his friend discovered he had this condition so he could be there for him. The passenger was impressed. The vet stated, “After what he did for me, there is not anything I would not do for him.” This veteran remembered who gave him a gift and spent the rest of his life repaying the gift.
 

There are times when the gift received is so enormous that, no matter what we do, it can never be repaid. If you look at the current US government borrowing, the debt accumulated is so large that it may never be repaid. My head hurts when they start mentioning trillions and actually how large of a number that is. The number is overwhelming and it is hard to wrap your mind around it. Forgiving that size debt would also be overwhelming. Having a debt of that magnitude wiped away is just what God is all about. This was the original intent of the Jubilee Year in the Old Testament. Every fifty years, the Israelites were to cancel all their debts and include the property to their original owners. Also, freeing all slaves was included. The justification for this is stated by God himself, “Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God.” (Leviticus 25:17) It does not matter the reason you had to incur the debt or sell the property, it was forgiven with no penalty and no adverse effect to their reputation.

 

Many people today have accrued large amounts of debt. The economy is not as brisk as it once was and people are receiving the burden of their lifestyle choices in a down economy. The stress from this circumstance adds to the situation in a negative way. Many will never climb out of this mountain of debt. If someone came along and paid that debt, wiped the slate clean and gave them a fresh start, how much gratitude should or would they be expected to show. Lottsa! I was told that is an Italian word for "a whole bunch." How indebted would they feel to the person who paid that debt for them? Again, lottsa. In fact, people would view any expression that borders on anything less as insincerity. Jesus tells a similar story in Matthew 18. It is entitled, “The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.” In this story, a king forgives a servant a vast debt because the servant begged him. Upon receiving this forgiveness, the servant goes out and demands another servant repay him a very miniscule amount in comparison. When the king hears about these shenanigans, he canceled his deal with the first servant and had him “tortured” until he repaid the whole debt. I guess there are many people today who are thankful that mortgage and credit card companies cannot do the same thing to deadbeats. There are times when I am thankful they aren’t able to do it either.
 

Each of us has accumulated an enormous debt that we can never cancel or repay. I am not speaking of the US federal debt here (although Americans for generations do have a rather large sum to repay). I am speaking of the results of our sin in God’s economy. From God’s perspective, sin is sin. He does not have misdemeanors and felonies where sin is concerned. It is all the same in his eyes. You do not get a lesser sentence for one and a larger sentence for another. Imagine a perfect white piece of paper. Draw a huge black circle and a microscopic circle on it. From God's point of view, both are the same. Both circles offend his sense of holiness. All sin deserves punishment, which as God set out, is death. This death is not physical but spiritual. It is eternal separation from God forever. There is no time off for good behavior in hell. If you are not sure what this will look like, read Luke 16, “The Rich Man and Lazarus.” This story gives an accurate picture of how eternity will be for those who go to heaven and those who don’t. It is not a pretty story and there is a way to avoid the fate of the rich man. Being saved is more than just eternal fire insurance. While that is one result of having a relationship with Jesus Christ, it is not the main motivation. As with the story of the two vets, “After all he did for me there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him.”

 

The enormous debt, the enormous mercy, the enormous forgiveness I have received because of the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ just “blows my mind.” Much like trying to think about the actual value of a trillion, my heads hurts at the magnitude of the gift I have received from Jesus. I am driven to my knees in thanksgiving for something I could never accomplish on my own. The problem I have with myself is that I diminish the magnitude by forgetting. I go about my business with no concern of the forgiveness I have received. I take it for granted and do not do “anything for him.” As the song says, “Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.” The best analogy for this is a Kool-Aid stain in the carpet. As a parent, I have seen my share of these. There is nothing you can do to get it out. Our sins are Kool-Aid stains on our lives and hearts. They are so deep and destructive they keep us from having a right relationship with God. Thank God that the blood of Jesus removes the Kool-Aid stain of sin from our lives. I don’t know about you, but Jesus paid a whole lot to cover my misdeeds. And that is only the ones I have done or will do today. I would hate to think about adding in what the rest of my life will bring!
 

The Church (big “C”) tends to forget this aspect of our faith. Too many preachers talk about the victory we have in Jesus and how to live that out. I am afraid that living in victory is very different than living in gratitude. While we live in both, victory tends to make us arrogant and proud. Gratitude makes us humble and thankful. It is a fine line between the two and we need to portray both to the world. Yet, if we waver to one side or the other, we need to waver to the gratitude side. Why? Because “Jesus paid it all for me.” And, after what he did for me, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him. My prayer for the Church is that everyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ will live this out daily and make an impact on this hurting world. After what he did for me, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him.

 

Not Just a Passing Paragraph

Sometimes things hit you like a ton of bricks. The little light of insight burns dimly even when you finally get it. The wattage of my light seems lucky to get to 25 even at its brightest. It happened while I was watching one of my favorite movies of all time, “The Patriot.” If Mel Gibson had played Rhett Butler he would have starred in all of my favorite movies as “Gone With The Wind” ranks ahead of “Braveheart” and “The Patriot” as my top flicks. “The Passion of the Christ” is a close fourth and Mel did have something to do with that one also. But in “The Patriot” Mel plays the part of a patriot militia colonel who hassles the British army of General Lord Cornwallis throughout South Carolina. The movie ends with the American victory at Yorktown and sealing the future fate of the United States as a country. Watching the movie I realized how few Americans today could tell you anything about this portion of the founding of our country. It is sad and our country is paying a rather high price currently for our ignorance. I realize that as a history buff with a Bachelor’s degree in history, as someone who would rather watch The Military History Channel over ESPN, who could watch “The Patriot” for the umpteenth time and still be interested (except for the part where the cannon ball blows the guy’s head off), I am sort of a geek (or nerd or whatever the current lingo would label me) in this respect. I am well aware of this. But it so discouraging to know that history is a forgotten subject and not studied or known. I find it rather absurd for people to call themselves Americans and not know the true story (not manipulated rewritten version that passes for history nowadays) of how this great country came to be. The blood of all of those who have paid the ultimate price cries out as a testimony against this current misinformed generation.

As I sat watching Mel tomahawk several British soldiers to death, it occurred to me the same thing is happening to Anglicanism worldwide. No, not the tomahawking but the ignorance! We have no sense of our history or our place in it as a church. My son showed me his world history book the other day. The paragraph on Henry VIII spoke of his seeking a divorce from his wife, Catherine of Aragon, as the impetus for forming the Anglican Church (Church of England). This is such a simplistic view but it is probably all that high school students need to know. Unfortunately, it seems to be all that Anglicans need to know or want to know. There is so much more to the story that goes untold. So, people inside and outside the Anglican Church believe this branch of the church was formed to secure the king a divorce. And since then nothing much has happened until the recent unseemly decline (or advance depending on your point of view) the church has suffered for being “inclusive.”

 

 

One of my problems with many churches today that claim to be “non-denominational” is that they have no collective history but for that of the founding pastor and congregation to this point. They are rarely part of the wider Church (big “C” universal or “catholic” church) except in the use of the name “church.” While they may be making in rather large impression on their locales their history could be written in a few short pages. I am not against these churches per se because I know that the main line denominations have squandered their inheritance in this aspect and lost the respect they once held. Since my crystal ball is black and has an “8” on it, I am sure not the one to predict the impact these churches may have in the future or how many histories will be written about them at a later date. But one thing is for sure, they have a long way to go to catch up to the volumes about Anglicanism and Anglicans.

 

 

As the aforementioned history buff, this subject may only interest me. In our modern times, hero worship seems to involve more of knocking people off their pedestals than remembering their great feats. A recent show about Abraham Lincoln made a point of talking about how he slept with men when Mrs. Lincoln was not around. It was as if this was more important that the role he played during the Civil War. However, there are many heroes whose names and faces we do not recognize or even know about. Just watch any History Channel story about some battle that was instrumental in the victory and the cause they are reporting on. In a country with such a storied background, this is so true. The same is true for Anglicanism. Many of the names and stories are not recognized for their contribution to history. When speaking of Anglicans and their contributions the list is extensive. The likes of Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Francis Bacon, Marconi, John Locke, Charles Darwin and many others all had some connection to the Anglican Church. In the literary field the likes of John Donne, George Herbert, Dorothy Sayers and C.S. Lewis all had Anglican roots. The influence of this church reaches far and wide. There are just too many people to name.

 

 

As an ordained priest in the Anglican Church, I have a special affinity for those who were ordained and championed the faith. Included in this list are Charles and John Wesley, George Whitefield and even Desmond Tutu. Many died for their stance but their influence has lasted through the centuries. The father of the Book of Common Prayer, Thomas Cranmer, is one of the foremost in this category. He was a tireless warrior during the Reformation in England and was burned at the stake for his participation in it. The Book of Common Prayer (BCP), no matter what version or edition you choose, is the glue that holds the Anglican Church together. The idea of the people being able to worship and participate in worship is a uniquely Anglican innovation. The BCP is based on Scripture and reformed in theology. Cranmer authored prayers in the early versions that are still be used today. The inspiration of the Holy Spirit is not bound by time or location. Those prayers still evoke the same experience and sense of awe in our God and his Son as they 450 years ago. Unfortunately, Cranmer was burned at the stake on March 21, 1556. He was placed there by Queen Mary, otherwise known as “Bloody Mary” for her burning of over 300 Protestant “heretics.” This date has been claimed as the day that Roman Catholicism died in England. As the flames grew hotter and higher, Cranmer stuck his hand into the flames first. He wanted the hand that signed several of the recantations of the Protestant doctrine to suffer the first loss. In his death, he recanted his recantations and died solidly convinced that his life accomplishments were well worth the effort. Two other victims of Queen Mary were bishops Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer. They were placed on trial along with Cranmer and they were burned at the stake on October 16, 1555. Bishop Latimer is reported as saying to Bishop Ridley, just as the flames were rising, “Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.” He never realized how true his words would be.

 

 

I am not saying the being an Anglican is the best choice for everyone. I am a little prejudiced in this regard. Although, I am convinced that entrance into heaven will be alphabetical by denomination. Thus, Anglicans will get in ahead of the Assemblies of God and the Baptists! My friends in those branches of the church hate it when I say this and I know (and hope they do too) that it is not really true. Like America, the Anglican Church has a rich history and tradition. Too many people fail to remember or understand how we got where we are today. I love being connected to the past. I am thankful for all those people who paved the way for me. I am especially thankful for all of those who paid the ultimate price for everything I enjoy today, be it my denomination or my country. Our history is not just a passing paragraph but a living expression that carries us into the future. As Edmund Burke wrote, “Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.” History is our friend. We learn from it and we are encouraged by it. Take some time to learn about the people who forged the faith you practice and the country where you practice it. It will be worth your time and effort because it was worth theirs.

New Year’s Resolutions Anytime!

You have to admit that around January 1^st, hope springs eternal. People make resolutions and attempt to make a commitment to change certain things in their life for the better (usually). They look forward to the new year being better than the one that has just past. Very rarely do you hear someone say that they want the New Year to be the same as, or worse than, last year. Almost everyone has high aspirations and wants to achieve more this year than they did previously. Many set goals with the optimism of achieving them. Some will, some will not. Most give up or forget about their resolutions before the month of January closes. But that does not deter us from making new resolutions next year. We try to convince ourselves we will do better and try harder because the change we seek will benefit us and those around us. As I said, hope springs eternal.

 

The problem with these resolutions is that we think that just because there was a change in the digits on a calendar, it will change the outlook and disposition of our life. I will not say this is foolhardy but it does seem to be inconsistent. What makes us think that a vow in January is going to have more impact than a change in July? There are not too many heart transplant patients – or other vital organs for that matter – who would say that they would wait for their transplant until next year because they are going to make a resolution to live healthier in the up-coming year. This past year we heard much about the Mayan calendar and the end of the world as we know it. While the loss of Twinkie and Ho-Ho production is a major setback to humanity, the world is still here and plugging along much as it has for centuries. In our arrogance we seem to believe that our calendar is the correct one. So, when it changes the numerals of the year, we think it is a brand new start. Yet, even our calendar in not in sync with the motions of the galaxy. We have to have a leap year every four years to compensate for the variance in accurate time measurement. While this little adjustment solves our problem it still is not perfect.

 

New Year’s Resolutions have their place and many people need them to focus and commit to needed changes. Becoming proactive to correct a lingering problem may take time but the effort will be worth it. Unlike the Lenten practice of giving up something for the duration of Lent (40 days prior to Easter), New Year’s resolution changes are sought to be permanent. I met an Anglican priest once who gave up smoking cigarettes for Lent every year. It was a laudable and noble endeavor. However, when Easter arrived and Lent was over, he could be seen lighting up just before the Easter services. He made it through Lent but his sacrifice was not life changing and he returned to his old unhealthy habits. This too occurs with New Year’s Resolutions. We quit before we are transformed, before the changes have a chance to make a positive impact on our lives. If we do follow through, we are blessed and thankful that we tried and succeeded. In and of themselves, these resolutions are not bad or ungodly. It does give us hope that we can change and change for the better. But, what does God have to say about this subject?

 

Nowhere in Scripture are New Year’s Resolutions mentioned. Basically I believe that since God is eternal and outside of time as we know it, calendars have no influence on him at all. Time was invented by God for our sake to keep everything from happening at once. Linear time is a creation of God for the benefit of man. I think of time like a piece of string. It has a definite beginning and a definite end. God holds both ends in his hands. He can see the beginning and the end at the same moment. So, from his perspective, the years all run together and there is really no clear delineation from one year to the next. Just because our calendars end and numbers change, time rolls on and on and on until Jesus comes back. It does not matter when you make a choice to do anything. God sees when you do it and he sees the results of that choice in the same instant.

The Bible is clear that God’s mercies are new every day. (Lamentations 3:23) Every day is a new start and a chance to have a different kind of life, a different quality to life. We don’t have to wait until the first of the year. God doesn’t wait and we don’t have to either. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2) Our resolution should be to daily carry our cross and follow Jesus. (Luke 9:23) When that resolution is entered into, things come into proper perspective. I have quoted the saying many times about “loving Jesus and doing what you want.” I don’t know who to attribute it to but it is worth repeating. When you love Jesus to the fullest extent, with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30), your wants and desired get rewired. You no longer desire to do the things you used to do because you love Jesus. We do not have to wait for the New Year to come to change this in our lives. You never know what may happen in the intervening period. Do you really have time to wait?

Even though New Year’s for 2013 has officially passed it is not too late to make a resolution. According to some study somewhere, it only takes 21 days to make something a habit. If you started today (January 2^nd), whatever you endeavor to do could become a habit before the next Super Bowl game (February 13^th). But even if you don’t do it before the Super Bowl, that does not make it too late. Resolutions can and should change your life. They should change it for the better. That is what God wants for you. It is what God wants from you. If you do not know Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life, today is the day to accept him. January first only comes around once a year and after it passes you will have to wait 364 days (365 in leap years) for it to come around again. Can you afford to wait? Make that resolution right now. If you do know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, is there some issue that is blocking, delaying, or stunting your spiritual growth and maturity? Make that resolution here and now to change that issue. Three hundred and sixty four days is way too long to wait. As Nike used to say: “Just do it!” Resolutions are hard to keep. We may achieve them and feel good about ourselves. But the true life transforming resolutions, the ones that have eternal consequences, have Jesus at the center of them. Do not let the change in numerals on a calendar restrict you from making decisions, modifications and transformations that will bring you eternal security. The best year of your life can start at any point. It can start today. The great thing about Jesus is that he is not bound by a calendar or a falling lighted ball in Times Square. He will take your resolution for him anytime, anywhere. In Christ, every day is a new day, every year a new year. He is a resolution you will never regret making or keeping because hope in him really does spring eternal. Start today and see what happens because Jesus is the Lord of Life.