A Necessary Evil?
Ah…January 1….again. Here I sit, watching a little football contemplating what another will bring me (and us, assuming the Mayans aren’t correct and we will all go down in some crazy apocalyptic scenario before this year ends naturally). Our perspective in making such speculations is often built on what we consider to be the ‘constants’ in our lives, things that we perceive as solid, dependable, and generally non-variable. Yet, if 2011 taught me anything, is that this list of perceived constants is MUCH shorter than we would hope or or like.
In fact, in truth, there may be no such list, except in our own mind.
But that is really a topic for another day, much too deep for todays’ ponderings. Let’s face it, in one’s practical theology, there are certain things we tend to take as universal constants, at least in our corner of the world, even though when pressed for our theological and philosophical answers we know to be correct, we know we should say, “if the Lord wills”. So while I know God is perfectly within His sovereign right and will to take my life today, I get out of bed thinking/hoping/praying that this won’t be the case, and I’ll be serving Him in some fashion that doesn’t include a tragedy, humanly speaking. That’s not denial as much as just a way of living that keeps us doing what we’re called to within the revealed scope of His will; that stuff like, “doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God”.
Back to necessary evils. I know a good number of people who let January 1 come and go without any thought, much less anything resembling resolution. I myself have set and failed a great number of them myself, and as I think about what Christ may want for me this year my thoughts drift to setting my mind and will to certain things and goals once again. Some that I’ve made before, and fell short of. Some are newer goals. But as I was reading in a book given to me recently, “Grace Walk” by Steve McVey, I was reminded of an important truth that has much to offer me as well as anyone reading going into a new year.
“You can rededicate yourself again and again, but at the bottom of it all, you still have self trying to live for God. Self effort is the essence of legalism. It is pointless to pray for God to help you live for Him. That may by your goal, but it isn’t His. He wants to live His life through you.”
Maybe its the date on the calendar, maybe its my particular life station I find myself in. Either way, I am fighting the urge to try harder, do more, make another list, find a program. Rededicate myself.
This year, I just want to be with Him and let Him do what He wants with me. Much easier said (and typed) than done. But as I head into 2012 along with all of humanity looking for more I leave you with this goal from Phil.3:10-11…
that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
So I lift up my metaphorical toast glass and cheer you all to knowing Him more in 2012! Cheers!
coram deo – rob
Nov.5 – “Quality of Life Issues”
Im trying to remember the last time I was bored. Like legit bored, not just I don”t have something pressing to for the next ten minutes. It seems like life is pretty full, pretty fast, pretty crazy. I was thinking a little about the life Jesus said He came to give His followers, in Jn 10:10. He described it as abundant life. Now normally I think of abundant as “lots”. But as I dwell on it, Im more inclined to think its more than just quantity, but quality of life. By this I mean that its not tjust staying busy, just avoiding boredom, or even just being productive. It is about having a rich quality that may be brief or fleeting. Or just having the kind of day where you didnt check a bunch stuff off but yet in ways was a great day. Some days can just be wasted for the glory of God, if that makes any sense.
I say this because right now I feel super busy but not horribly abundant. Im running faster and longer, doing more, and it feels a little empty, not like it should. My guess is this means I need to not do more, but maybe do less, better? Or at least enjoy what Im involved in for the glory of God. Maybe thats it.
what dou YOU think?
coram deo – rob
Oct.28 – “Vine Living”
Soon and very soon, this blog will be finding itself on a new address, at my own website called, gratuitously, www.robertbaddeley.com, which will be your one stop online shopping place for all things “rob”. Like you care! 
But, what I wanted you to notice eventually was my catchy byline at the top of that page, which I agonized for MINUTES over! I decided on “life on the vine, living abundantly amidst the hoo-haa”. This awkward little phrase contains a lot of what I am and consider important, so I thought I’d blog it a bit and work it out with y’all.
I’ve always really been drawn to the passage in John 15:1-7 used by Rich Brown in church last week. It never fails to impress me when I read the words of Jesus that say, “I am the vine; you are the branches”. There is a very real, very necessary connection between us and Jesus if we are in any way to be fruitful, or good for anything, in this life. I say this having spent LONG periods in my trying to do very nice, very Christian things without much thought of Jesus at all. It honestly makes me wonder what He thought, actually. Was he smiling? Crying? Shaking his head? Or just waiting? Good questions I guess, but regardless, it was through the persistent efforts of a close friend and pastor of mine, James Downing who impressed upon me the absolute necessity and vitality of keeping Jesus and that relationship at the core of my experience and ministry. I know a lot of seminarians, a lot of people with a lot of initials behind their names, who for some reason forgot this.
I say all this for a couple reasons. I know lots of teens who think being a Christian is about joining a club or getting the manual. It’s neither. It’s more like getting married. You enter into a very REAL and very close relationship, that being Jesus. Now, it may be said that with this marriage, you enter into His extended family, the body of Christ, his church. I guess that may be the ‘club’ feel some think of. You also become attached to the communication that Jesus gives us through His word. I guess this may be the ‘manual for living’ that some think of. But do you see the difference? Without the relationship, the club is boring and the manual irrelevant. You just won’t appreciate or get those things without Him at the center. Believe me, its been tried. It’s being tried by many teens I know and love right now.
He is the vine – You are the branches. Apart from Him, YOU CAN DO NOTHING.
A little eery sounding, but the opposite is also true. With Him, what can’t you do? I mean, he did create the whole known universe.
So, I make it my goal to live by the vine. Not like Tarzan, swing around, although it feels like that a bit. But just making sure that my connection to the fine stays strong. Basically, I’m all about the fruit!
more later, but sound off – I’d like to hear it
coram deo
rob
Oct.24 – “Living Beyond our Circumstance”
How many times have you heard or been told to “act, not react!” What does that mean, exactly? So much of our life is spent in reaction. We touch a hot stove – we pull back. Someone cuts us off in traffic, we get mad. Someone tells a joke, we laugh! Obviously not all ‘reaction’ is bad. Its just a real observable phenomenon that we tend to be…well…reactors.
Today’s readings take us to the book of Job, one of the more famous biblical figures. In Job 1-2, we see the setting of the stage for one of the great tests of all time. It almost seems like a cosmic game of chess, except the players are God and Satan, and the pieces are people. I often wonder what it would have been like to have been in the room when that conversation took place, with the angels in attendance. At least we have part of the transcript. God asks Satan, “where have YOU been?” and gets in response, “roaming around”. Of course, I’m editing a little. God asks him if he’s seen his servant, Job. He asks Satan to ‘consider’ him. To really think about him and how he is. Blameless, God tells us! A solid guy! Of course, he is, Satan says. He’s got all the blessings! He’s living the life! He’s just righteous because he has no reason to complain!
Which brings me to the “reaction” point. In ch.1 and 2 we see God remove blessing from Job; first his family, his stuff and even his good health. All he has is his life, which given he’s sick and covered in boils, probably isn’t TOO fun. How does he react? Read Job 1:20-22.
Perspective is hard. Seeing the big picture requires us to know what is true sometimes DESPITE what seems go be happening around us. How many times has our love for God or others been directed by what we feel or how we unthinkingly react based on our initial reading of a situation? I have to think that Job and his rock solid character delivered his response based not on his situation, but despite it. Based on what He knew of God to be true.
This week, you could make a list of things that happen, good and bad, and decide based on that list if God is worthy of praise and worth following. Or you can determine beforehand who God is, and act that way, instead of reacting.
So, are you a list maker or not? (If you find you’re a list maker, then your response will look a lot like Job 2:7-9!)
coram deo
rob
Oct.22 – “a word on…earbuds”
OK, I’m going off the chart a little here. I guess I’ll find out who really reads this thing. I feel like last night’s youth group chat was a bit of a mulligan. For those of you who are not golf-savvy, that’s a nice way of saying I’d like a do-over. The fellowship was good, lots of people, no one died, but I wish my talk would have gone a different way.
So, today I am blogging on prayer a bit. I’m currently sitting at a Woods coffee shop, the bakerview station, if you must know. I’m people watching. It’s funny how many different kinds of people there are in such a crowded little place. I’ve got two college girls chatting about life and a little bible study on the table next to me, while another guy does his homework on the other side. Across the room sit a group of older asian people, looking pretty animated about something. On the far wall, two guys in uniform, by the looks it looks like armored truck drivers, are on a bit of a coffee break. In the other corner, the ‘coveted work corner’ I try to get but rarely do is some business looking types maybe doing an interview or setting up their next golf tee time.
Here I sit, with my earbuds in. The music’s off, but I leave them in. It gives people the appearance I’m not listening to them, but I am. Intently. Is that dishonest? Wearing earbuds without music?
Yet, earbuds usually serve a worthwhile purpose. Good earbuds filter out the noise from outside and give me clarity of sound o whatever I have on my itunes.
My prayer life tends go wander when I get distracted. I think God’s word acts a little like earbuds – filtering out the outer noise of life so I can more clearly hear His voice. I can pray without them – but its hard. I just read a medical article exposing multi-tasking as a myth; we never do more than one thing at once really, we just move back and forth quickly, and usually, not very efficiently, so it says. So, whenever I can actually concentrate – something gets done! Yeah!
So, my challenge today is to put on your earbuds, and see if it focuses your prayer life a bit. Because lets face it, those kids slurping hot chocolate and bouncing on the couch next to me certainly aren’t making it any easier….those little devils!
coram deo
rob