I recently acquired a nail at a church service. I plan put this nail on a necklace. But perhaps I should provide some background.
On August 28 in Atmore, Alabama, at Grace Community Fellowship, I listened to a sermon preached by Glenn Weber. The sermon was on Jonah 3, in which Jonah, having recently been vomited from the belly of a large fish, preaches God's judgment on Ninevah. The Ninevites genuinely repent of their sin in the hope that God will spare them the coming judgment, and God does. Jonah is disgruntled, and probably enjoyed delivering a message of judgment while failing to mention anything about mercy or repentance.
Pastor Glenn transitioned into an exposition of judgment and mercy as evidenced by the events of Jesus' crucifixion. His pulpit (or I should say stage, since he didn't really use a pulpit) presence was captivating, providing a glimpse of what Billy Sunday might have been like. I do not remember all of the details of his sermon (after all, it was two days ago). However, the message remains.
We are fond in Christian circles of explaining how the cross demonstrated to the world the ultimate righteous mercy of God towards sinful humans and the incredible lengths to which He goes to restore them to Himself. Jesus, being God, voluntarily took on the form of a servant, a lowly human being. He lived a perfect life, and then took his place on the cross as the substitution for us, taking our penalty upon himself that we might be saved through faith in him. This aspect of the cross is so important, for without it, our faith would be useless.
However, there is another aspect to the cross that we tend to gloss over, and in some ways this has caused us to lose something in our relationship with God. God hates sin. He abhors it. He cannot be in its presence, for sin is directly opposed to his character. Sin is the object of his wrath, and his wrath is dreadful indeed. Thus, when Jesus Christ hung on the cross and allowed all the sins of humanity to be laid on his back, God poured his wrath out on him. In the end, God turned his face away, abandoning his own Son. This is perhaps the greatest consequence of sin, to be removed from the presence of God and experience complete and utter separation and loneliness. The cross demonstrated to the world the ultimate righteous wrath of God towards sin and the dreadful penalty which it incurs.
As Christians, we have accepted the righteousness of Christ and the forgiveness of God made available through Christ's sacrifice. However, we still have not been set free from this sinful world, and we still sometimes fall into sin. When that happens, we would do well to remember the wrath of God. Don't get me wrong; one sin does not place us back under God's wrath, because we have been freed from that. However, the effects of sin are still separation from God, even if it is no longer an eternal separation. When we sin, we must remember how intensely God deals with it, and we must do whatever we can to rid ourselves (with his power) from the sin and repent. Repentance is not just admitting wrongdoing. It is complete contrition, a 180-degree turn, a rejection of the sin and a commitment to make it right. God cannot stand sin, and we should not either.
Having a nail on a necklace will serve as a reminder to me of the wrath of God towards sin. When I am tempted, perhaps it will help remind me to flee. When I fall into sin, perhaps it will remind me to reject the sin and repent. And perhaps it can serve as a conversation starter with others.
"What is that on your neck?"
"It is a nail."
"Why are you wearing a nail?"
"This nail reminds me of the seriousness of sin and the mercy of God."
The possibilities are endless.
What will you do to remind you of the seriousness of sin and the mercy of God? And how will you tell others?
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Thunderstorms and Optimism
Today if you are anywhere near the Mid-Atlantic East Coast you may be aware that there is a rather large storm system hanging around the area. If you were anywhere near Conestoga Nursery around 4:30, you also know that I loaded up a truck and trailer with trees, shrubs, and mulch for a delivery to Chester Springs, about 40 minutes down the line towards Philly. If you had knowledge of both of those situations, you can guess where this post is going (of course you could just read the title).
About 5:30 I arrived at my destination; the storm decided to arrive at that time as well. I hurriedly unloaded the four trees off the back of my trailer and proceeded to dump half of the mulch from the trailer into a flower bed. Unfortunately, the trailer battery is not always reliable, and of course this was a situation in which it got the trailer only about a quarter of the way up. Fortunately there were jumper cables handy for just such a situation (in fact, that is almost their sole purpose; I have used them many a time. My boss needs to get that battery fixed.). It is quite an exhilarating experience to jump a battery in driving rain, though I would not necessarily recommend it to anyone.
At that point, the lightning was close enough and the rain coming hard enough, that my "customer" (for lack of a better word) insisted that we head into his garage to wait it out. I obliged, and we watched it rain. His wife offered me a Coke. I drank it. We watched it rain. He explained where he wanted the rest of the plants. We watched it rain. We discussed the spacing of plants. We watched it rain.
At this point, the rain began to lessen slightly, but the lightning was still close. I noticed a spot of blue sky in the distance and pointed it out. "We should be good in about 15 minutes," I said.
"You're an optimist, I suppose," the customer replied (he was most definitely not based on our previous conversation).
"It keeps the blood pressure lower," I joked in response.
Sure enough, in about fifteen minutes the rain stopped almost completely although the sky was still overcast. I hurriedly placed the rest of his plants, dumped the rest of his mulch, and vamoosed for home.
On my way home, I pondered our little exchange and the entire experience. Quite often I am indeed an optimist about such situations, but sometimes I am in a mood and grumble and complain (too often, probably). I considered this particular situation, and several things came to mind. Had I arrived at the nursery any earlier, I would have most likely been back on the turnpike when the storm hit. Anyone who knows anything about driving on a highway during a thunderstorm understands that is a dangerous situation. Thus, since I could do nothing about the timing or occurrence of the rain, the circumstances of my arrival were actually quite ideal. Also, had I been pessimistic about the disappearance of the rain, the forty-five minutes spent in the customer's garage would have been much less pleasant. Thus, by keeping a positive attitude, I decreased my consternation and increased my perspective on the entire situation. And I kept my blood pressure lower.
The moral of the story to all (and to me as well) is that an optimistic perspective in the face of unforeseen or otherwise annoying circumstances greatly decreases the amount of misery stemming from the situation. I hope I remember my own words the next time I face a similar situation. It would certainly help my blood pressure.
~ Socrates
About 5:30 I arrived at my destination; the storm decided to arrive at that time as well. I hurriedly unloaded the four trees off the back of my trailer and proceeded to dump half of the mulch from the trailer into a flower bed. Unfortunately, the trailer battery is not always reliable, and of course this was a situation in which it got the trailer only about a quarter of the way up. Fortunately there were jumper cables handy for just such a situation (in fact, that is almost their sole purpose; I have used them many a time. My boss needs to get that battery fixed.). It is quite an exhilarating experience to jump a battery in driving rain, though I would not necessarily recommend it to anyone.
At that point, the lightning was close enough and the rain coming hard enough, that my "customer" (for lack of a better word) insisted that we head into his garage to wait it out. I obliged, and we watched it rain. His wife offered me a Coke. I drank it. We watched it rain. He explained where he wanted the rest of the plants. We watched it rain. We discussed the spacing of plants. We watched it rain.
At this point, the rain began to lessen slightly, but the lightning was still close. I noticed a spot of blue sky in the distance and pointed it out. "We should be good in about 15 minutes," I said.
"You're an optimist, I suppose," the customer replied (he was most definitely not based on our previous conversation).
"It keeps the blood pressure lower," I joked in response.
Sure enough, in about fifteen minutes the rain stopped almost completely although the sky was still overcast. I hurriedly placed the rest of his plants, dumped the rest of his mulch, and vamoosed for home.
On my way home, I pondered our little exchange and the entire experience. Quite often I am indeed an optimist about such situations, but sometimes I am in a mood and grumble and complain (too often, probably). I considered this particular situation, and several things came to mind. Had I arrived at the nursery any earlier, I would have most likely been back on the turnpike when the storm hit. Anyone who knows anything about driving on a highway during a thunderstorm understands that is a dangerous situation. Thus, since I could do nothing about the timing or occurrence of the rain, the circumstances of my arrival were actually quite ideal. Also, had I been pessimistic about the disappearance of the rain, the forty-five minutes spent in the customer's garage would have been much less pleasant. Thus, by keeping a positive attitude, I decreased my consternation and increased my perspective on the entire situation. And I kept my blood pressure lower.
The moral of the story to all (and to me as well) is that an optimistic perspective in the face of unforeseen or otherwise annoying circumstances greatly decreases the amount of misery stemming from the situation. I hope I remember my own words the next time I face a similar situation. It would certainly help my blood pressure.
~ Socrates
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Grass
Grass is a remarkable creation. It can go for weeks without water, wither to brown prickles, and be overcome by weeds, yet with a little bit of rain, it returns with a vengeance in all it's green glory. For example, I mowed our yard sometime in the third week of July. Due to lack of rain, it did not need to be mowed the following week. The green color was gone, and even the usually virulent weeds seemed a bit stagnant. My commercial mowing jobs were suffering similar fate, resulting in decreased work hours and thus income. Not until the 2nd of August did I cut my grass again, after a rain shower the previous weekend. Six days later (on August the 8th for those keeping score at home) following several more rains, I cut my grass again. Today, August the 11th, marked the first mowing day in nearly three months when every single stop on our mowing route received a haircut and trim. And at the rate my lawn is growing, it should probably be mowed again on Saturday.
All this factual information may be boring you, so let me get to the point. The Bible mentions in Psalm 103:15 that man is like grass which withers so easily, the point in that context being the comparison between the frailty of man and the strength of God. However, in Isaiah 66:14, in the context of the comfort of the Lord, the prophet says "Your bones shall flourish like the tender grass, and the hand of Jehovah shall be known toward his servants." Although we frail humans can wither easily like the grass, so too when we receive the power of the Lord through his Holy Spirit and the comfort and joy that comes with it, we rise again to flourish and give a testimony to the faithfulness of our God. Such is our purpose. May we not soon forget it.
~ Socrates
All this factual information may be boring you, so let me get to the point. The Bible mentions in Psalm 103:15 that man is like grass which withers so easily, the point in that context being the comparison between the frailty of man and the strength of God. However, in Isaiah 66:14, in the context of the comfort of the Lord, the prophet says "Your bones shall flourish like the tender grass, and the hand of Jehovah shall be known toward his servants." Although we frail humans can wither easily like the grass, so too when we receive the power of the Lord through his Holy Spirit and the comfort and joy that comes with it, we rise again to flourish and give a testimony to the faithfulness of our God. Such is our purpose. May we not soon forget it.
~ Socrates
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
The Musings of Socrates
Upon considering my life and its experiences thus far, I have decided to begin this blog as an outlet for my thoughts, rants, and musings. Whether this blog proves to be entertaining, instructional, or otherwise interesting for the Internet-browsing public remains to be seen. I would not be so arrogant as to assume it to be so, for the more I learn, the more I learn I do not know. Such is the cost -- and benefit -- of education. I do not seek to instruct others or even to entertain for the sake of those actions themselves; I merely communicate my thoughts, perspectives, and opinions in order to better understand them myself. If through my ramblings others find benefit, then my time is well-spent; if not, it is still well-spent, for I will be wiser about myself. Such is the desire of a philosopher.
~Socrates
~Socrates
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