The Sun and I do not get along!!!
Well, we're back from an exciting trip to SoCal to go surfing. It was awesome. I enjoyed surfing alot, however I would like more practice next time to get better at it. It is alot harder than it looks. Unfortunately, for me, my water experience was cut short by my fair skin. The first full day, I forgot to re-apply sunscreen after being in the water. I was absolutely baked! It was hard to walk afterwards and my stomach felt like someone hit me as hard as they could with a crowbar. Aside from that, everything went great. The time spent with my brothers in Christ was, as always, a treat. It is times like these spent with friends that truly make life special. We were all very tired after 2 1/2 days that we decided to come home early. It was a smart idea because that gave us all an extra day to re-cooperate from the weekend. One thing I wanted to write about though was something I overheard today. I was shopping at a local Christian bookstore near my house looking for a birthday card for my brother. While I was browsing, I overheard a lady ask the clerk if they could help her find a church that spoke the Word the way she was used to. She went on to talk about how she thought it was wrong for Christians to just pray for people who are sick, but that we should tap into the Spirit and heal them through Jesus Christ. She mentioned some famous pastor in Georgia that influenced her. The clerk she was talking to was just nodding his head in aggreement with her saying he would do everything in his power to find a church to fit her needs. But another clerk, who was questioned by her, told her he didn't aggree with what she was saying. She was, of course, offended and started to argue with this guy. The other clerk tried to shut his partner up and help the lady and that's what really irritated me. It was so obvious to me that this guy didn't care about the lady who was obviously way off in her thinking. He just wanted her business, her money, to make her superficially comfortable enough to come back and spend more money in the stupid store. I didn't say anything, I felt it wasn't my place because I wasn't in the discussion. I try to watch what I say, but the first thing that came to my mind was how fucked up is this situation? Here is a guy who has the opportunity to love a professing believer and correct her where she is off and instead he uses her for profit. Not only that, but he tries to stop his fellow employee from doing the right thing in correcting her. It left me in disgust as I walked out, feeling like no one desires to be different anymore. To step out, in faith, against the culture of this world and be set apart as followers of Christ united in his love. I do not feel united with these people who call themselves Christians, but their actions speak otherwise. Like it or not, I believe that we are renegades for the truth in this present age. We are fighting against a Christian culture that is not set apart but is compelled by the same motive as the world, Greed! I pray that we can continue to encourage one another and hold one another accountable in love so that we will not fall to this deception. I am so thankful that God has given me eyes to see this. It gives me confidence that where he has me now is the right path.
posted by Brent Hitman at 2:18 PM
5 Comments:
hey Brent I'm glad that surfing went well, I'm sorry about the sun burn.
I really agree with what you said about the Christian bookstore conversation. Christ is calling us to be set apart. He is calling us to radical faith. And we are in a culture that rejects Christ. But not a culture that would say they reject Christ. This makes it difficult, there are a lot of lies around, lies in the name of Jesus, we must seek Him in His word and know where are thinking for life comes from. I would love to fight the fight with you! Later,
Sun Burn and Christian Cultural Soup
I agree with your observations. I believe the Word is clear that we are to seek to love, edify, encourage, and admonish each other to test all things and hold fast to that which rests on the Word of Truth. Anything less is a tacit acceptance of that which we know to be a lie. I also understand why you didn’t feel the need to force your way into the discussion in order to confront what you saw as obvious error. I think that gets at the heart of the tension between the two conflicting worldviews: you see the world as the creation and project of a God who is sovereign over all his handiwork, and others see a god who is just one more ingredient that can be used to create a universal soup to their own liking. God may or may not have purposed to use this particular situation to bring the customer or clerk to the truth. That’s entirely up to God and we’d have no way of knowing that unless he has revealed that in his Word. But what we can know is that he purposed to use the situation to bring us back to the truth because he has told us that he works all things to the good of those whom he has called for HIS own purpose. We are to love those whom God brings to us, and we do this by believing, relying upon, and pointing to the truth. If we believe that we can do that solely by our words, then we are treating God like just one more ingredient to pick off the shelf to make a soup that appeals to us. Instead, we should look at everything as God’s soup which he is masterfully preparing for the enjoyment of those whom he loves. The error is obvious since God has revealed his truth. The knowledge of why God uses certain ingredients and quantities will be forever beyond our reach. We are called to rest in the knowledge that God is applying the heat while stirring the pot, and that the end result will be great. An explanation of this requires more than a quick rebuke or snippet of biblical verbiage. It also requires a life that visibly demonstrates our reliance on the master chef. The gospel has to be lived, not just shouted. The situations of our lives that God uses to reach others are entirely up to him, and he has everything under control. Is it soup yet?
By the way, did the woman feel the need to tap into the spirit and heal your sunburn? Or does she feel that you just need to adjust your own recipe and use less chili powder?
Next time I see you I'd like to hear the story from your own lips, as I feel I would be able to more fully understand it. And I just wanted to say that this is another one of your 3 exclamation point posts which I thoroughly enjoy.
What a blessing to have you on the trip Bro.
It is sad when we fail to love by failing to correct others. So by the grace of God I will endeavor, in love, to correct you brother. While that profanity may have been the first thing to cross your mind, it is out of place there or in print or anywhere for a dearly loved child of God.
Consider Eph 5:1-4
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.¶ But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving"
In HIM,
Carl
Hey Brent, maybe you can post on V for Vendetta after you watch it. I'm looking forward to hearing your perspective.
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