Songs and Fruits

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head for more than a day?  It can be a blessing or a disturbance, depending on the song.  The type of songs we listen too often tell the mood we are in.  If we are in a joyful mood, it is often an upbeat song, or if we are angry, the song is often heart pounding and talks about revenge.  Here is the other cool thing about songs and especially catchy tunes, they can help us remember things.  For me it was a song from kids camp many moons ago that helps me remember the Fruits of The Spirit.  They put the Fruit of the Spirit to the song  “Na Na Na, Hey, Hey, Hey, Kiss Them Good Bye.”  To this day, they only way I can remember the fruits of the Spirit is by singing the Fruits to that tune

In Galatians 5, Paul talks about how we are to have Fruits of the Spirit and we should cloth ourselves in them.  These things are love, joy, peace, patience, self control, forebearance, kindness, gentleness and self control.  We have to make a commitment on a daily basis to cloth ourselves in these things.  When we make a commitment to cloth ourselves in these things, God comes down and meets us there and He provides the grace and endurance for us to be clothed with these things.  These characteristics our not in our natural instincts if we are left to ourselves.  We tend to be impatient, not that loving, self centered, and losing our cool at the most inopportune times.  Clothing ourselves with these things doesn’t mean so much that we give up something, but it is what are we gaining.  If Christianity was truly about giving something up, I don’t think it would be worth it.  Could true Christianity be what we are gaining?  Instead of giving up vindication, retaliation, bitterness, which are all things that lead down a spiral and eventually to death, because we can not just stop and throwing one person under the bus, but its an addictive habit.   When we cloth ourselves with the fruit of the Spirit we are clothing ourselves with very nature of God.  The Fruits of the Spirit doesn’t save us, but they not only show who we belong too, but is also a sign of maturity.  Not only do these things bring us into right relationship with God, but it helps bring us into right relationship with others.  It helps us not only ask for forgiveness, but forgiving others when they have wronged us.  The goal of growing is not to still struggle with the same issues, but when we cloth ourselves with the character of God, we actually but away childish behaviors and move forward.  We are called to grow and to mature and not to be that slob that is so easy to be. 

There are two big theological terms here that we should discuss and they are imputing and imparting.  Imputing is what God does to us and He does to us what we can not do ourselves.  Imputing brings us back into right relationship with God through Christ work.  God imputes the Fruit of the Spirit to us, because it is something we can not do ourselves.  The other term is imparting, which is what God does through us.  In essence, it is the Fruits of the Spirit lived out in our daily lives.  It could be showing and having joy while balancing the checkbook, or having patience when a child is having a tempertantrum.  In essence, God is not only giving us grace, but we are being clothed in His righteousness and His character is becoming our own.  So in closing, are we letting God’s character become our character, and how are we letting it play out in our daily lives.  What is the point if we have God’s character and we do not let affect every part of our daily lives.  To finish up from last months newsletter, God did become one of us, not to be like us, but so we can be like Him and have our character changed. 

What if God was one of Us

            For those of you who are fans of 90’s grundge rock, you would probably recognize the name Alanis Morrissette and her song What if God Was One of Us.  The song ponders just as the title proclaims, what if God really was one of us, what would that be like and would He really be a slob like one of us.  In essence I really think Alanis was down playing the Deity of Christ and is essentially saying that He is not the Son of God.  There is a whole sermon or two of God becoming one of us in the form of Jesus, but as I wanted to share with Alanis and everyone who has ever listened and liked the song, God did not become one of us so that He could be a slob.  God became like us so that we could be like Him.  Its so that we don’t have to continue in our mess that we are in.  What really plays into this God changing us is due to His very nature of righteousness and holiness.

            There is something that we need to remember about God’s righteousness and holiness.  Even though God came and became one of us, He is still the Creator of the Universe and we are the created.  One of the essence of being a Christian and the Christian community is believing and embracing the idea that Jesus is fully God and fully man all at the same time.  One of these heresies is that Christ didn’t become God’s son until He was baptized by John the Baptist.  It is a complete lie because we can read throughout Scripture that Jesus was, is, and will be apart of the Trinity and apart of God’s plan.  Jesus is neither created, but He is of the same substance and is on equal relationship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

            Ok, I am done with my rant, and lets get back to Jesus becoming human.  He didn’t become human so that He could be a slob like one of us, it was so that we can take on the very nature and character of God.  This does not mean we will become God, but God will bestow His image of purity, righteousness and maturity on us as long as we reach out in faith.  In essence, Jesus death and resurrection is a calling for all of us to grow up and to be who God intended for us to be.  So what does this look like?  There are several places throughout Scripture where we are challenged to grow up and to put on the likeness of Christ.  Back when Tiger Woods was at the top of the golf world and winning majors, he would always wear a red polo on Sundays to finish up a golf tournament.  That polo was more than just a polo, when Tiger put on that polo, he was not putting on just another polo, but that polo signified confidence and a killer instinct that he was going to win that day.  When everyone saw Tiger on the golf course with that red polo, they new he was going to win the golf tournament.  Just as Tiger puts that polo on, we need to cloth ourselves with God’s righteousness.

            In Colossians 3, Paul talks about how we are not to be clothed, in which some of these things are; lustful thoughts and actions, rage, anger, impatience, bitterness and gossip.  These things lead us down a road of self destruction and separation from God.  These things often make us bitter and hateful people, and in Alanis song, I really think that she was claiming that God became one of us so that He could embody these things.  If He really did embrace these ideals, it wouldn’t make Him God’s Son and why would He come to save us to slobness when we had already perfected it.  So if we are to put away these things, what are we to cloth ourselves with then? Keep tuned in for the answer.

Actions and Consequences

  Here is a random thought and its something that I have been thinking about this week and these thoughts were engrained into my head by president of the college I attended.  One of his major platforms is that ideas do matter and that actions and words have consequences.  We often learn of these truths early, but need reminding of them on a daily basis. I read an article today from a recent Sports Illustrated about a college student who was a walk on football player for the University of Virginia. (even to be a walk on at a Division 1 program means you are a very talented athlete).  But Joseph Williams has a bigger cause on his plate, not only does he volunteer at several places and mentors a number of people there is one thing that is near and dear to his heart.  He and several students at the University of Virginia went on an eight day hunger strike to bring up awareness about the pay of the service employees at the university were receiving.  A lot of the service employees were receiving minimum or just above minimum wages which resulted in them just scrapping by.  Williams saw it as an injustice because the university was spending millions on athletics and yet they could not afford to give their employees a pay raise.   This news story not only caught the attention of the administration, but also garnished national media attention.  Williams was forced to make a decision to fall in line and give up the protest and remain on the team, or keep on with the protest and not be a member of the football team.  He chose that the latter and thought it was to big of a cause to give up.

  This gives light to issues of social justice and what is worth fighting for and what is important.  It is often standing in the gap for someone else and giving them a voice.  I also know that a lot of us are not willing to go on an eight day hunger strike, but two things still remain.  Who or what are we willing to stand up for and are we wiling to face the consequences of them.  Everything that we do/say or not do/say has consequences either for good or bad.  Our actions, thoughts and words often shows us where we are at with God and the condition of our heart.  Whether it is not getting up and going for that walk in the morning, makes it that much easier not to do it tomorrow morning (not that missing a morning walk will make us lose our salvation).  Or failing to communicate with family members or the tone of communication can have bad consequences and shows how selfish and self centered.  So often we just focus in on the bad consequences and trying our hardest not to do them, that we often forget that there are good consequences.  We teach ourselves and others (especially children) don't do stuff because something bad will happen.  Whether it is drugs, alcohol, or premarital intercourse, we often preach on the evilness of these things and they will lead to bad things.  Instead of always preaching don't do(there is a time and place for this), maybe its preaching on doing good things and reap the good benefits.  Whether it is some more time in the Bible,leaving the cell phone at home, or saying no to that late night ice cream, they do have positive consequences.
  
  In closing are actions and words, both that are said/done and the ones that are not said/done have consequences and they are usually either positive or negative consequences.  The Christian faith is not one of works that will get us into heaven but our works are a response to who we belong to and the grace that has been given.  I think there are very few decisions that are amoral (neither good or bad) because these things often lead to another decision.  So be mindful of what is said and done and that as a Christian, we do have the power of the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to make those decisions that will have a positive impact. But here is the kicker, we have to be open and listening for Him.  The Holy Spirit usually that still small voice in our ear or that deep gut feeling telling us what to do or say, or from time to time hits us on the back of the head to get our attention.