THE FATHER HEART OF GOD AND FATHER'S DAY

Mother’s Day is always a big hit. We spend billions of dollars on flowers, candy, and cards to tell Moms how wonderful and important they are. Father’s Day on the other hand gets little notice and tends to belittle men rather than value them. So many men view Father’s Day at church with suspicion, believing that they will be lectured in contrast to Mom’s praises. So that is why I always try to make Father’s day upbeat and positive. Yesterday, we gave out Beef Jerky to all the men, and we told the men of our church that they are awesome. Let me tell you why the church today needs to know the Father Heart of God.

One of the most important images in the Bible is the Father image. You cannot read the Bible and not see the importance of the Father Heart of God to understanding the story of the Bible. When I became a Christian I became acutely aware of the imagery of God in the Bible as Father, and of his unconditional love. I read clearly in the Bible that while we were yet enemies, Christ died for us. I also read that God so loved the World that he sent his Son. Together those two passages told me that God loved me, and there was nothing he would not do for me, so while there was a lot about the Bible and Christianity I did not understand I was at least certain of that. One of the things that made this easiest to grasp was my own earthly dad. While my Dad was not a perfect man, I knew for certain he loved me, and he would do anything for me, this helped me to grasp the idea that regardless of my behavior God that loved me. So I easily attached myself to the Father Heart of God. I know that many people did not have a loving dad when they were growing up, but I know that as human beings, deep-down inside, we know it is supposed to be that way, that they should have had unconditional love from their dad’s.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying my dad was a pushover. I not saying my dad never expressed disappointment in me, or frustration over my behavior. My dad and I had some pretty serious fights, especially in my teen years. What my dad did so well was to convey unconditional love for me. He constantly told me he loved me, he never avoided showing me manly affection of hugs, kissing my head, and swatting me on the butt as I ran onto the football field or into the ring. My dad called me pet names, like Tiger and Champ. He also told me what I was good at, and praised me for the things I did well. My Dad showed me his heart for me. He also busted my chops, and my butt, depending on which he thought I needed. I learned about leadership from him. I learned about not running away from my problems (or he would give my ball back to the kids I ran away from). My dad also taught me to face my fears, and he taught me to shake off my failures and get back in the game. He put me behind the wheel within minutes of my first accident and made me drive home so I would not let my fears overcome me. By his love for me my dad taught me more about God than anyone else in the whole world.

Listen, the stats are overwhelmingly in favor of growing up with a dad, even a not so great dad. Children raised with a father in the house are far less likely to be abused or live in poverty. Moreover, dad is the number one determiner of faith. The likelihood of a child being an authentic disciple of Christ is directly proportionate to dad’s faithfulness. Dad matters!

If you did not have that in your life I am so sorry. I know our Father in Heaven can make it right, and heal the broken place in your heart to reveal God’s great love for you. But if you did grow-up in a home with a loving Dad, make sure and tell him how much his love means to you!

BEAUTIFUL THINGS

Since my youth I have always heard that you should give your best to God. In my early church years it was an argument for dressing up in a suite & tie but then I always wondered why those same persons had formal attire they only wore to weddings and balls.  I guess giving their best to God had limits . . . ?

Nonetheless, there is some actual truth behind giving God our best that exceeds church cultural hang-up. It is that we should not give God our leftovers, or our half-hearted efforts, or sloppy craftsmanship, but to give and do our best to the glory of God. In the medieval period 90% of art, music, and theater in Western society was considered to have a Christian worldview. Now less than 10% of the arts are Christian in worldview and often times those are substandard in quality. Many Christian recording artist settled on a Christian music label because of a lack of quality rather than a conviction to make Christian music. Today most Christian art falls into the "Jesus Junk" category of bumper sticker religion.

When you study the Old Testament the commitment to craftsmanship in the building of the temple was impeccable. Likewise if you look at some of the grand old cathedrals of times long past, the artwork is incredible. While I am not an advocate of ornate church buildings, preferring the more minimalist architecture of modern church buildings, I still believe in giving our best to God. The words I am looking for are quality and excellence but often times we do not associate that also with beauty. Somehow beauty is all too often thought of as frivolous or as shallow. In contrast we have the creative God who made the mountains, the sea, the valley, and everything in them, along with everything in the heavens all the way to the stars; these things are beautiful.

I imagine that in the midst of all of our failures that God's view of these things that bring us such joy when we gaze upon them must also touch the heart of God who made them, and bring continual pleasure to him. In reflection of this we added to our values statement something I once read 17 years ago: God is beautiful and his creation reflects his beauty: God created man and woman in his image and likeness who also create works of beauty. For this reason we value the arts, expression, and creativity. Often times we neglect the value of beauty or make light of it as an extra expense or as unnecessary but as we seek to imitate God we remember that he is the author of all things beautiful, so part of imitating him comes in this expression also.

In very practical terms it means that I do all that I do with this value when I paint a wall, or I create a business report, or make a presentation for school, or suture a wound, or cut the grass, or make a website, or any other job I do, that I bring glory to God by doing beautiful work or creating a sculpture, or writing beautiful songs. These all glorify God and go against the tide of "good enough" or worse yet, cutting corners because it's cheap or more convenient.

The Bible says, Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

When I read that passage I feel compelled to give God my very best, and when I say that, I don't mean that it must be expensive, or ornate, or that I should compare my work with others. I simply mean that I would not slop my way through it or only give God my leftovers. And furthermore, that when others go the extra mile to make something truly beautiful we would not disregard it as frivolous or shallow, but see their  craftsmanship and give glory to God because of it.

God makes beautiful things and you are one of them. So when you give God your best you make beautiful things because you are created in his image.

JUST LIKE JESUS

I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be like Jesus. All too often I think we limit "being like Jesus" to acts of kindness, to praying for people, and doing "church stuff." We might even think of it as being good. This year during lent I was re-reading Dallas Willard's amazing book, The Divine Conspiracy, when something stuck in my head. I grabbed my Bible and opened it up to Hebrews 5.8: Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. Suddenly it hit me hard that being like Jesus meant learning obedience. It wasn’t like I had never thought of that before, or that I had never read that text before, but in that moment it hit me that learning to be Christlike meant learning to be obedient.  

For you this may seem overly simple, or maybe in your thinking this should be obvious, but the idea that obedience is more than a great suggestion in how to become Christlike, that it is more than just good for spiritual formation but rather it is essential to being Christlike grabbed my heart. It means that becoming Christlike is more than being helpful, kind, and thoughtful. It means that being Christlike includes a costly decision to obey. When Jesus was in the garden he did not want to suffer the agony of the cross but rather he was pursuing the joy that would result from his obedience (Hebrews 12.2). The Bible never says Jesus wanted to hurt, that he wanted to leave his beloved disciples, or feel the weight of the world’s sin. But he did! Jesus obeyed, even to the point of death on the cross (Philippians 2.8).     Then it occurred to me that the model of Jesus obedience was even when you don't feel like it, and even when the price is high, even to the point of death. It is better to obey, than to offer another sacrifice. It is better to obey than go to church, it is better to obey than offer a song of love or to confess my faithfulness, because obedience is the ultimate expression of love for Jesus and the Father.

Read Jesus' words in John 14.23-24: Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. When everyone is preaching about how God is love, and pontificating about what love is or isn't. When the world shouts down the church for obedience to God, it is not our obedience that is out of step but rather the common misuse of the word love. Love does not do whatever it wants, demanding its own way, it is not self-seeking, it is not rude when it defends the truth or when it finds people falling short of God's standard but neither is it disobedient. No matter what the price, Jesus loved the Father enough to obey. So if we are choosing to be students of Jesus, followers of the Way, then we are also choosing obedience; not just convenient obedience but the costly kind.