Theology and Encounter

I really like words. Words convey thought. I like finding out exactly how and when a word came into existence and how culture adjusted it's meaning throughout the years. My favorite word website is etymonline.com. It gives me a better understanding of the full implications of a word as opposed to a simple dictionary.

Etymonline describes the word theology as thus:

theology (n.) Look up theology at Dictionary.com
mid-14c., "the science of religion, study of God and his relationship to humanity," from Old French theologie "philosophical study of Christian doctrine; Scripture" (14c.), from Latin theologia, from Greek theologia "an account of the gods," from theologos "one discoursing on the gods," from theos "god" (see theo-) + -logos "treating of" (see -logy). Meaning "a particular system of theology" is from 1660s.

Encounter is defined as:

ncounter (v.) Look up encounter at Dictionary.com
c.1300, "to meet as an adversary," from Old French encontrer "confront," from encontre (see encounter (n.). Weakened sense of "casually meet" first recorded in English early 16c. Related: Encountered; encountering.

I actually thought that encounter just meant 'to meet'. Isn't it interesting that the word originally meant more than a casual meeting?

I've been involved with worship music since I was seventeen. As part of a worship team, and also in the classes I attended in Bible college, I was privy to many views on the purpose of worship. You'd have to go back and study the history of church music to get a full understanding of how it has evolved; I don't want to get into it here. Suffice it to say, it's usually just an argument of old vs. new, hymns vs. choruses, etc. I think one side is always arguing that one kind is holier or more accessible to the congregation.

One of the observations that have been expressed is that many of the songs written today have little theological depth, or even worse, flawed theologically. This is true for many songs. Both hymns and new worship alike. But there are several factors we need to examine instead of deeming something theologically fluffy.

For example, have you read President George Washington's State of the Union address and compared it to President Barack Obama's? I haven't. I've only read excerpts. But the disparity of the language is immense. Today's second grade level verbiage hardly compares to yesteryear's intense, weighty and verbose rhetoric. Some of this is because we are all more stupid. Really. Some of it is because we have found simpler ways of conveying heavy topics. Just because something is more wordy doesn't mean it's saying more. Like this blog. ;)

Theology is just the study of God and His ways. Studying doesn't necessarily lead to KNOWING. I could read a biography about my husband but in no way can that be compared to being his wife and knowing him through close relationship.

I don't mean this to be offensive in the slightest, but for us academic types, studying is the easy way out. It is so easy to sit down with a book, take notes, think a bit and then write a paper. I have read and studied the Bible. I have read countless books written by Bible scholars from centuries before. At the end of the day, my mind has just been filled with words and opinions. I am as close to knowing Him as I would have been reading a biography of my husband.

What are people talking about when they refer to theology? For most, they are talking about an intellectual, cerebral grasp of the God and His ways. Theology doesn't have to be intellectual. I can learn about God through experience. When I experience His goodness, and then read about it in Scripture, it has been confirmed that Goodness is one of the attributes of God. I KNOW it.

I can't KNOW something intellectually. In the sense of belief. What convinces a person that something is true? Is it logic or reason? Or is it a feeling? I can argue for and against the existence of God and achieve a rational argument for both sides. But it is my EXPERIENCE  that convinces me that God is real. Feelings aren't supposed to be separated from thought. From a neurological standpoint, feelings are actually hormonal flags supporting other thoughts. We cannot separate them. You can tell me till you are blue in the face that God loves me, but if I have no frame of reference, if all I have known is hardship and abuse, this means nothing to me. Love is only an idea until it is felt. Once it has been experienced, one can start structuring reason on top of it. If it is not experienced, your mind can be changed be a better argument. The structure of truth on top of experience is crucial however, because once the experience has past, your present feelings can influence your mind.

From a worship leader's standpoint, should I lead the people in songs that are theologically accurate? Of course. Should I teach them about God through the songs? Of course. Should they have theological depth? Come on, what does that even mean? Does that mean we should get out our pens and paper and take notes and look into the Greek and perhaps delve into commentaries to see the different opinions of the (supposedly) more learned scholars?

One cannot convey depth academically. Words merely convey thought. Not heart. 

What they can do, is open a door. Words are an invitation; depth is a process of walking further in.

Not everyone learns academically or intellectually. In fact, spiritual depth can be communicated simply. In a sentence, spoken over and over. How is that?

Revelations 4:8   Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE Lord GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS, AND IS, AND IS TO COME."

For infinity past and infinity to come, they sing the same thing. Why? I personally think that every time they circle around the throne they are aware of a new aspect of His holiness. Now that's depth. Ever closer, further in, higher up.

I feel that leading the Body in worship should be a combination of three things;

1. Know your flock. Understand where they are spiritually. Neither discount the immature or the mature.

2. Create an atmosphere that blesses God. God inhabits the praises of His people, and He shows His presence in the place where people are hungry for Him. Make God and His agenda foremost.

3. Choose songs that invite. You can't lead people into a place you haven't been. Seek His face. Spend time in private worship. The songs don't have to be theologically complex to teach. Simple is best.

Last but not least, we cannot separate theology from encounter. If encounter is first, it needs to be followed with knowledge. If knowledge is first, it must be followed by encounter. Being a friend of God doesn't mean being a bookworm. ;)

Lies and Desire

I was taught that desire was evil. Unless it was something of God or of some practical use. Like, if I desired to be kind. Or if I desired to wash the dishes. All good. Any other desires might be fueled by pride, a need for attention, or just a mistaken view of the harshness of the world. Don't hope for anything, because disappointment is crushing.

Growing up I always wanted to sing. I'd run through the pasture singing The Hills Are Alive, or America the Beautiful. I was sheltered from pop music so I didn't sing Like a Virgin. I guess that's a blessing. I was so hungry to sing, but I questioned that desire with every ounce of my being. Here's my check list:

1. I want attention
2. If I'm meant to sing, I'd have a great voice.
3. I don't have a great voice
4. If I'm meant to sing, I'd do it anywhere at any time and all the time. I'd wait till I was in private.
5. Anything I want can't be from God.

Eventually I shut all that down in order to pursue voice in college. But I developed acid reflux from stress and entirely lost my voice. So, I took that as a sign from God; He doesn't want me singing.

After years of pain during singing, I came to a moment in worship that required a decision. Basically, I said, "Screw this, God! I'm going to sing and worship you! Even if it hurts! At least I'd give my last little bit to you instead of reserving my voice for me." And for the first time in my life, I felt God touch me.

That started a long process of faith. My voice often hurt, but not nearly as bad. I began practicing, took vocal lessons, and set my feet towards Him. The funniest part was that I still hated my voice. I had a friend tell me I sounded like Julie Andrews. That cut me to the quick. I didn't want to sound like Julie Andrews. I wanted to sound like Adele. :)

I started singing in a worship team at church. That was trippy. Here I didn't like my voice and I had to hear it magnified by the mic, through the monitor and into the mains. Happy happy joy joy. (make sure you enter sarcasm there)

I was scared every time. It sucked. But do you know what? After a long period of time, only one of my two major truths remained. I wanted to sing and I hated my voice. Which one do you think was allowed to stick around? :)

I'm still not particularly brave. I'm working on it. I still don't think my voice is fantastic, but I don't hate it. Know why? Because I've got the only one. God made only one of me. There is only one voice fully mine, and if that's how I'm going to express myself to my Jesus then so be it. If He is happy with my voice, then I will be too.

Desire is not bad. Finding out where the desire will lead you can be a bit tricky, but if you hand it fully to Him, the path is fulfilling and brilliant.

May your every moment be filled with desire and passion. May you set your feet towards the Author and Perfecter of your faith. :)

Sunbeams and Unicorn farts

24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

Jesus was very countercultural. He was Jewish. Israel was under Roman occupation. Talk about a lot of rules!!

We have a lot of rules today too. Government rules, cultural rules, society rules. Not to mention Christian behavior rules! Trying to understand what Jesus came to do is like teaching a toddler how to talk quietly in public. :)

The Jewish faith was about behavior and obedience. If they did what God told them to do, He would bless them. If they didn't, He allowed surrounding nations to subdue them. On one hand it was a reward culture, on the other hand a punishment culture.

Life with Jesus is totally different, but we can't assume that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are disparate Gods. He is the same. God wanted us to see that we can't do things our way to get to Him because no one can be holy in themselves.

Before Jesus, life was about rules and obedience. With Jesus, life is about relationship and growth. We can't please God by following rules; we please Him by going after His heart. When we follow His heart, the right fruit grows automatically.

The Church has a really hard time with this. We struggle with weakness, with sin and failure. As if the blood of Jesus is supposed to make us magically better, and afterwards its just sunbeams and unicorn farts. ;) The blood of Jesus satisfies the tragedy of Adam's sin and makes it possible to have relationship with God as He originally intended. But it doesn't make you think perfectly or act perfectly.

Our primary responsibility is to love God and love each other. Most of us have no idea what that looks like. We think it's about doing the right things, serving, saying kind things, and confronting sin. It really isn't. It's about learning to lean close to Him, and then do what we see Him doing and say what we see Him saying. Like Jesus.

I grew up in a family and a church culture that was hyper afraid of encouragement. Don't praise too much…you don't want so and so to get a big head! As if the automatic fruit of encouragement was pride.

I believe that pride is our solution for not knowing who and Whose we are. We are desperate for identity, desperate for praise, desperate to find out we are special. Encouragement, or prophecy, is pulling out the gold in each person. We are all made in His image. None of us are alike. What voice do we want each other to be hearing, the one that tells them they are amazing because of who and Whose they are, or the Enemy's voice?

The Enemy communicates two lies. You are not good enough no matter how much you try, or, if you try hard enough you can be good enough. Neither is what God says about us.

It's time for the lovers of Jesus to start loving. Speak the good you see in others. Throw a party! Be God's cheerleader! People are desperate to hear His voice.

I posted the parable of the wheat and the tares because this is what Jesus is talking about. Criticism and rules before being rooted in His love will just stunt growth or uproot a person entirely. The Holy Spirit really is the best Teacher, and we can't be afraid that encouragement will excuse sin. Just love, and He will begin pruning when the heart is established in Him. :D

The Little Tree

Once there was a little tree in a garden.  It had been planted years ago by the Gardener Himself, Who then gave the responsibility of care taking to  His apprentice gardeners.

The little tree was rarely without attention. The apprentices had great ideas about gardening, and as soon as it had branches the size of your pinky, stretched the little tree's branches upwards and out and tied them to stakes for stability. The little tree continued to grow, but it's branches twisted and writhed around the stakes, and the fruit it bore was bitter.

One day the Gardener visited the little tree. What He saw made His heart very sad. It was very small and sickly, it's leaves yellowed and withered, and it's fruit diseased. "What happened to you, little tree?" He asked. Two great, sparkling tears fell from His cheeks and splashed onto its leaves.

The little tree shuddered from agony and joy. It had been so concerned with it's pain it barely heard the Gardener's voice, but oh, it felt His tears. They burned, hot and deep.

The Gardener began to dig. All around the base of the tree He dug. Until finally, the little tree's roots were exposed. "I see the problem." He said. He clipped and pulled; stretching the root bound tree apart. He found little grubs and killed them. Then He began to replace the earth around it; gave it fertilizer and water. All the while, He spoke.

"I know the plans I have for you, little tree. Plans to grow you. Plans to challenge you. I have a beautiful future in mind; I love you. Life has been hard, so just rest. Rest."

The little tree ached and wept. It's roots had been exposed. They had been cut and pulled and stretched. Everything had been brought to light, and the pain was dreadful. But the little tree also felt something else.

Hope.

Time passed and the tree was obedient. It rested. Then something happened; something altogether amazing. What had looked like death not long before now had signs of life. New roots dug deeper, new branches stretched higher. The leaves grew big and green. And then the most splendid thing happened; it flowered.

The care takers were amazed. "What happened to you, little tree?" They began to study the tree. As the little tree began to bear fruit, the care takers examined the fruit. Some they recognized. "This is marvelous!", they rejoiced. "Well done, little tree!" But some they did not recognize. "What is it?", They asked. "Is it good for food?" So they tasted it and then spit it out. "How awful!", they cried. The little tree shuddered. The caretakers began to prune again; selecting branches that bore sweet fruit to live, and cutting the branches that bore the offensive fruit. The little tree burned with shame.

The next day the Gardener approached and was aghast. "Little tree, what has happened?" The little tree quavered and cried, but soon the Gardener had heard it all. He quietly began to untie the stakes that still bound the branches and gently place His hand on it's trunk.

"Little tree, I designed your seed. In it I placed all my plans for you. My caretakers love me, but they have never seen you before. There is no other tree like you. My caretakers are amazing, but sometimes they only love the familiar."

As He removed the last stake, the little tree felt very strange. "Don't I need those?" It asked. The Gardener laughed softly. "No. Trust your roots; I have planted them in good soil. They will remind you Whose you are."

In time it grew into a mighty, sheltering tree. The Gardener guided his caretakers and gave them new wisdom. The mighty tree grew both sweet and bitter fruit; but when used together, would both cauterize and heal the most grievous wounds. Many found rest under its branches and on a quiet day, some would hear a song reverberating from deep within.

A song of rest, of hope. Of majesty.


Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Revelation 22:2 On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Jeremiah 17:8 For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.