I’ve written recently about repentance. It’s not that I want to – it just keeps coming up in my readings. Back on October 1, we focused on the fact that Jesus preaches repentance to his people, us, not the people “out there.” Then on October 21, we considered that repentance is the only appropriate response to preaching. Today, it’s more of the same:

Some of those present informed Jesus that Pilate had slaughtered some Galilean Jews while they were offering sacrifices at the temple, mixing their blood with the sacrifices they were offering. Jesus turned and asked the crowd, “Do you believe that the slaughtered Galileans were the worst sinners of all the Galileans? No, they weren’t! So listen to me. Unless you all repent, you will perish as they did. Or what about the eighteen who perished when the tower of Siloam fell upon them? Do you really think that they were more guilty than all of the others in Jerusalem? No, they weren’t. But unless you repent, you will all eternally perish, just as they did.” (Luke 13.1 – 5, The Passion Translation)

The first thing that struck me is that Jesus did not condemn Pilate for a particularly heinous and gruesome act. Neither did he condemn the construction industry for the collapse of the tower of Siloam.

Instead, he focused on everyone’s need to repent, which The Passion Translation footnote defines nicely as:

Change your mind and amend your ways.

Amend your ways to do what? Bear fruit! Look at the very next paragraph:

Then Jesus told them this parable: “There was a man who planted a fig tree in his orchard. But when he came to gather fruit from his tree he found none, for it was barren and had no fruit. So he said to his gardener, ‘For the last three years I’ve come to gather figs from my tree but it remains fruitless. What a waste! Go ahead and cut it down!’ “But the gardener said, ‘Sir, we should leave it one more year. Let me fertilize and cultivate it, then let’s see if it will produce fruit. If it doesn’t bear fruit by next year, we’ll cut it down.’” (Luke 13.6 – 9, The Passion Translation)

It’s about fruit, and I’ll have more to say about that tomorrow.

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples…You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit… (John 15.8, 16, ESV)

This is the last of our meditations on my friend Randy Raysbrook’s informal psalm of hope. Thanks Randy.

I say nothing.
Lord, you say, “That is a good start.”

Scriptures are clear that often we would do better being silent than jabbering away.

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! (Psalm 46.10, ESV)

And now, finally, GOD answered Job from the eye of a violent storm. He said: “Why do you confuse the issue? Why do you talk without knowing what you’re talking about?” (Job 38.1, 2, MSG)

Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. (Ecclesiastes 5.2, ESV)

Continuing our meditations on my friend Randy Raysbrook’s “psalm:”

I say, “If I am strong enough, I can achieve great things.”
Lord, you say, “Really?”

Line 1 sounds good. We’re supposed to be strong.

”Be strong in the Lord…” (Ephesians 6.10)
“Train yourself for godliness.” (1 Timothy 4.7)

But it’s not my strength, it’s his:

”Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might.” (Ephesians 6.10)
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4.13)

And even when I’m strong, I don’t achieve great things. We achieve great things together: I, the Lord, with the community. Football is a good metaphor here. Americans like their heroes, the individual stars, which, in football, is usually the quarterback. But the quarterback, no matter how good he is, by himself, is useless. He doesn’t block for himself. He doesn’t throw the passes to himself. He has to have a very good team around him to succeed, including the coaches who make everything work well together.

Clemson University won its game yesterday without Heisman Trophy candidate Trevor Lawrence who was diagnosed with COVID last week. Clemson won not only because the backup quarterback is talented in his own right but also because of the whole team. The rest of the offense. The defense. Trevor doesn’t achieve great things. The team does.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us… (Ephesians 3.20, ESV)

Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 4.6, ESV)

He told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness… (2 Corinthians 12.9, MSG)

We’ve been meditating on selected phrases from my friend Randy Raysbrook’s Psalm of Hope:

I love this one:

I say, “Lord, I can’t always see you.”
You say, “Where have you been looking.”

Ignatius of Loyola, among many others, taught the importance of experiencing God’s presence “in all things.” The concept is summarized nicely by the Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions (speaking of experiencing God’s presence in all things!):

Ignatius of Loyola taught others to experience life attuned to God’s activity in everyday circumstances. Finding God in all things is an invitation to encounter God’s presence in each moment, to become aware of God’s beauty in everything and to notice God’s action in all the events of our lives through an ongoing process of personal discernment. 

As Randy writes, “Where have you been looking?”

⁷  Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight?
⁸  If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go underground, you’re there!
⁹  If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon,
¹⁰  You’d find me in a minute— you’re already there waiting!
¹¹  Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I’m immersed in the light!” (Psalm 139.7 – 11, MSG)

In him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17.28, ESV)

Yesterday, I shared my friend Randy Raysbrook’s “Psalm of Hope:”

Today, I want to meditate on these phrases:

I say, “If I am disciplined, things will get better.”

Lord, you say, “Who told you that?”

I’m all for discipline: after all, self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5.22, 23), and “God has given us a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1.7) But discipline is not all there is. Love precedes it on both lists, and love often mitigates against discipline.

For example, on Monday I talked with one of my mentors about my lack of discipline in the mornings. I like to have my prayer time and exercise early, but often I piddle away the time allotted for prayer reading news, checking email, etc. I need discipline, right? So Tuesday, I shut off the WiFi on my iPad so I wouldn’t be distracted and had a good prayer time.

Then came Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday started with a last-second, out-of-my-control change to a project I had already sent to a mailing service on the east coast, two hours ahead of me. No choice but to attack that first thing. Thursday, my son David in Atlanta had to close the pre-school he manages because of widespread weather damage and power outages. So we were on the phone with him and his boys first thing. June reminds me, “People are a good use of time.”

So in both cases, the “discipline” I had decided to do in advance had to give way to serving people in real life. Randy’s observation is correct: there are no guarantees that “If I am disciplined, things will get better.” As I’ve observed before, Jesus did not seem to operate on a disciplined schedule. He always had time for interruptions.

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging…Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him… (Luke 18.35, 40, NIV)

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (Luke 19.5, NIV)

My friend and Navigator shepherd, Randy Raysbrook, wrote what he called an “informal Psalm.” It’s too good not to share. I reproduce it here with his permission and reserve the right to meditate on parts of it over the next few days.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46.10, NKJV

Here’s a follow-up to the story of William Carey that we started yesterday, and it falls under the heading of a definition of insanity often wrongly attributed to Einstein:   

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

But no matter who said it, we all fall prey to it. I recently failed to solve a puzzle because I kept using the same approach, the wrong one! When one approach doesn’t work, we should be open to trying something else or at least looking for something else. 

Some people who act like they have only one tool are pastors. One of our pastors used to say, “You preach yourself out of problems.” Maybe. William Carey tried that. He was desperate to involve people in missions, and he was captivated (as am I) by Isaiah 54.2, 3 (I review it every day):

Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. (Isaiah 54.2, 3, NIV)

A biography on William Carey captures this story: 

In a sermon called the “Deathless Sermon” in 1792, Carey preached from Isaiah 54:2-3, where he sounded for a divine call to action, which formed his famous quote:

Expect great things from God! Attempt great things for God! -William Carey

He was convinced that God was saying to the Church, therefore to every individual Christian: “Rouse up from your complacency. Find larger canvas, stouter and taller tent poles, stronger tent pegs. Catch wider visions. Dare bolder programs. Rouse up and go forth to conquer for Christ even the uttermost parts and the isles of the sea.”

However, none of his congregation was moved by his sermon. They did not even pause to pray for those who did not have any access to a Bible in their own language. To them, it was just another nice sermon to listen to but not to be taken too seriously. –William Carey: Pioneer to India & Father of Modern Missions, emphasis mine

I’m reminded of God’s word to Ezekiel:

As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, “Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.” My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. (Ezekiel 33.30 – 32, NIV, emphasis mine)

The solution, it turned out, was not more preaching. Carey himself responded to his own challenge. He and a few like-hearted men founded a mission support society, and Carey became its first missionary, arriving in India within a year. He served in Asia until his death in 1834, more than 40 years later.

Here are my takeaways from today’s blog:

• Don’t get stuck with one approach.
• With respect to God’s mission, I am the solution!
• A few people fully committed are always better than a whole congregation of people who listen only.

He climbed a mountain and invited those he wanted with him… He settled on twelve and designated them apostles. The plan was that they would be with him, and he would send them out to proclaim the Word. (Mark 3.13, 14, MSG)

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20.21, ESV)

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2.1, 2, NIV)

We are closing out our meditation on the churches’ sometimes failure to equip and release people to be “Minutemen,” a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that enabled the colonies to respond immediately to war threats, helping believers implement Jesus’ command in Luke 12.35, 40:

Prepared for action at a moment’s notice, alert and ready at all times. (The Passion Translation)

I close with the story of William Carey, now known as the father of modern missions, pioneering mission work into India. Here is an excellent synopsis of his life which, of course, includes this infamous story:

At a minister’s meeting, Carey stood up and proposed that the local church should partner with other local churches in the region to send missionaries to Africa and India. Another man by the name of J. C. Ryland exclaimed:

“Sit down, young man, sit down and be still. When God wants to convert the heathen, He will do it without consulting either you or me.”

Actually, God does want to convert the heathen, and he does it precisely through ordinary people like you and me. Let’s just start where we are. As Lorne Sanney, the second president of The Navigators said back in 2003:

Luke 24.46, 47 says, “He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.'” Why did he say, “…beginning at Jerusalem”? Because that’s where they were! You certainly cannot reach the world starting from where you are not! -Lorne Sanney, to the quadrennial gathering of Navigator staff, via video, November 2003

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.“ (Mark 16.15, NKJV)

We are continuing to think about the church equipping people to be “Minutemen:”

A highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that enabled the colonies to respond immediately to war threats.

Such a force would be in keeping with Jesus’ command in Luke 12.35, 40:

Prepared for action at a moment’s notice, alert and ready at all times. (The Passion Translation)

Here’s a story, perhaps typical, about a church acting more like a roadblock than a highway. I was teaching this principle that churches ought to be in the business of releasing people for ministry in a church in Wisconsin a number of years ago. A lady told a story that went something like this:

We are German Lutherans, and many of our older members speak German as their first language. I thought it would be nice to read to these older members in German so I asked the church leadership for a list of our members in nursing homes. Three months later they still hadn’t decided whether or not they could give me such a list so I just went to the nursing homes and read to anyone who was interested!

The story has a good ending in that the lady was able to expand her ministry beyond the walls of the church. But it remains a mystery why church leadership likes to function as ministry stoppers rather than ministry enablers.

And it will be said: “Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.” (Isaiah 57.14, NIV)

Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. (Isaiah 62.10, NIV)