Faith, Hope and Charity

This week we break from our theme of Interruptible for an insight from Terry Sheldon...

As a child growing up I romanticized the Cascade mountains. Oregon's volcanic peaks were different than the Rockies’ smooth and sparkly granite, and they weren't clustered together en-masse. Each Cascade peak was a craggy sentinel, and although formed with ancient violence, now stood sleeping. And beckoning.

I looked to them for inspiration and dreamed of climbing their dizzying heights. I was most captivated by the ones closest to Eugene, the Three Sisters. Also known by our settlers as Faith, Hope, and Charity.

We believers know these three descriptors as signs of strong emotional and spiritual health, wonderfully described in the Bible’s love chapter, Corinthians 13. It all seemed to fit together for me as I took up backpacking and mountain climbing in my youth, and as I attempted to learn the lessons of faith, hope and charity in my Christian walk. Both parallel journeys have been rocky and challenging, but rewarding in their own ways.

Awhile back it occurred to me that Corinthians’ lovely three sisters were chronological in our spiritual lives. Faith (North Sister) is a formidable peak. I can compare it to my first realization of the magnitude of my sin. Accepting the Lord requires us to stand up to fear and take a giant leap (of faith). Although I never did attempt North, my spiritual climb has been arduous. A start yes, but with a Doubting Thomas heart. I really hoped for more - the perfecting of my faith.

I grew up admiring my father’s mountain climbing exploits and waited to go with him one day. My chance finally came as a teen, on Hope (Middle Sister). The climb was rough. We were on the wrong side of a ridge and got lost. We triggered a small rock slide, resulting in a smashed finger. Then clouds shrouded the mountain by mid-afternoon and we were forced to turn back. My summit hopes were unfulfilled, but they would remain.

I would eventually reach the summit of Hope in my early twenties. It was glorious, but not without hard lessons along the way. My climbing buddy and I overcame poor planning, running out of water, sunburns and having to navigate the forest by moonlight after our flashlights died. In life, our day-to-day hope is always out there in front of us, as it should be. Without it we would lack motivation for what’s ahead. And without going forth, we would not grow and learn. But hope is not the endgame.

The faith, hope and charity progression seems tougher as it goes along. Learning to love and to be loved WELL is an inevitable struggle, and one of life’s hardest lessons. A few years later, my Charity (South Sister) experience was equal in its struggle, and its payoff. What started out to be a misty and cold hike through Charity’s lower reaches became a wickedly windy and wet slog up its southern ridge. Four of our seven-person team had turned around earlier, my father included. He was not happy, but trusted my judgement. The three of us who remained continued on, not at all sure how it would end.

But a glimmer in my imagination urged me on, as I sensed a unique mountain-top experience ahead. My fellow climbers had a similar expectation. We were a band of brothers, and we bonded in our struggle. Then it happened. Blue sky finally peeked out between the swirling curtain of clouds. As we reached Charity’s top under clear cobalt blue skies, we gazed out in astonishment across a flat cloud floor below us. It was almost 360 degrees of brilliant white, with all the Cascade peaks jutting up and out, North to South. I was on top of the world, and it was a sight and experience I will never forget.

Learning to love God and people is similar. It starts with youthful naiveté, then comes struggles with people that challenge our self-esteem, and hard events that can shake us to the core. But if we hang together and press ahead, and stay open and committed and humble, our love is purified and enhanced. True love (God's love) is indeed breathtaking. Personally, I believe I've just scratched the surface.

Let’s continue the climb, with courageous faith, with constant hope and with relentless love.

Terry_Devo.png

About the Author

Terry is a man in constant motion to explore new horizons. He has a thirst for new places and faces, and a deep love for the natural world - with a weakness for waterfalls and sunsets. All of this venturing out helps to both ground and inspire him, because it opens him up to people, with their vast, collective array of experiences, outlooks and responses.

He finds all of this fascinating and sees that it has encouraged the growth of something crucial in his Christian development: empathy and compassion toward his brothers and sisters on this planet.

 

Good Things Are Waiting for Us

I learned another life lesson after two built-in bookcases were recently installed in my living room. I needed to hire an electrician to add a spark guard to the two electrical outlets that the bookcases were built around. This was an important safety precaution that prevented the electrical current from arcing out beyond the electrical boxes.

I was anxious about choosing and hiring an electrician due to an expensive previous experience. Prayerfully, I asked God to please protect me from hiring the wrong electrician and guide me to the right one. I lost sleep and had a knot in my stomach for most of this process.

God’s faithful answer came to me while I was washing dishes. My kitchen sink is directly in front of my kitchen window which looks out over the parking lot of our condo complex. I looked up while rinsing a dish and saw a contractor’s van parked directly in front of my window. The name and phone number of an electrical company was prominently painted on the front of the van over the windshield. God’s answer literally stared me in the face. Our loving Heavenly Father is indeed merciful and can have a delightfully dry sense of humor. I laughed out loud as I dried my hands and quickly scribbled down this information.

An inspired thought, not of my own creation, suddenly dropped into my mind. I grabbed my smart phone and took photos of the electrical outlets that needed the spark guards. As I briskly walked outside, I heard the electrician thank one of my neighbors and say good bye. I thanked God for his perfect timing.

I met the electrician at the driver’s side of his van and introduced myself and my project needs. He looked at my photos and explained what was needed to be done. He also walked me to the other side of the van, opened the sliding door and showed me the parts that would be used. I thanked him for his time and walked back inside my home. I inhaled and exhaled a long and relaxing breath then broke into peals of laughter. And as I laughed I thanked God for his faithful and much appreciated provision!

Later, my neighbor confirmed this company had done a great job on his project. My experience was also very positive. The electrician was efficient and patiently answered my occasional questions. He worked for a half hour and the bill was reasonable. How wonderful life can be when we ask God for help, choose to trust Him completely, and remember we can wait for his faithful provision with joyful expectation!

Proverbs 4:18 NIV
“The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”

Jesus Calms the Storm | Mark 4:35-41

I have the absolute pleasure of leading the Kids’ Ministry here at CitySalt Church. And each week I am moved into extreme thankfulness and awe, just by being with our kids! I love seeing how they experience God, and getting to rehearse the Truths I have known my whole life with them, while seeing it through their eyes. I feel like it gives me a front row seat and such a fresh perspective, reminding me to “be like a child.” (Matt. 18:3)

And though teaching the kids isn’t all about me, God sure does meet me in the middle of it. Each week as I sit with Him and pray and get direction for the next Sunday lesson, He speaks to me and shows me more about Himself and the Word. It’s so fun.

Most recently, as we’ve been looking at Jesus’ life, He has been highlighting the relationship aspect to me. I have been struck anew by both Jesus’ relationship with the Father and the beautiful way they interact, as well as Jesus’ relationship with His friends.  

My latest example is the story when Jesus calms the storm (Mark 4:35-41). A few really key points jumped out and grabbed me, and I am excited to share them with you.

The first thing that hit me was the disciples. Lately, I have been really relating to those guys! As you read , and put yourself into their sandals, it helps to get a feel for what was going on. Jesus had just finished preaching all day, and then had stepped aside with the disciples and explained the parables to them. He was tired!  In verse 36 it says they took Him “just as He was” in the boat, and they headed across to the other side of the sea which was more remote. Jesus lay down in the back of the boat, with His head on a hard leather pillow, and slept.  

Next, of course, the storm hits! And the disciples are freaking out! They had been on this sea before, and I am sure had seen storms come and go. For them to be fearful for their lives, you know it was a big deal. This is where it’s really fun to put yourself right in the story – with the boat going up and down, the huge waves, and the storm crashing all around. I wonder who finally decided to wake Jesus up? I wonder if they had a discussion first? Maybe they were hesitant to wake Him, because they knew He needed sleep? You know they were scared and possibly frustrated. You can tell they are upset with Him when they do finally wake Him, saying, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  

How many times in my life have I looked at circumstances that I have been praying for, that are HARD, and my prayers have turned into rebukes? “Jesus, why aren’t You doing anything? Why isn’t this changing? Why aren’t they healed? Don’t you care?” Let’s just say, I can relate to the disciples! Can you?

Jesus, of course, wakes up and rebukes the storm, saying, “Quiet! Be still!” (v. 39) and the wind died down and the storm was completely calm. What would that have been like to see? Again, the disciples were familiar with the water, and had most likely seen lots of storms come and go. Never had they seen one immediately calm down at a command! Wow!

The last part of this story is Jesus’ response to His friends. He does not talk about the storm. He instead asks them questions. See, they had been with Him through a lot, had walked miles and miles by His side, had heard Him teach and had seen Him perform many miracles already. So He used questions to help them see what they were believing…Jesus asked, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (v. 40)

This is the point of the story that I love.  As I put myself in the story, I realized Jesus did not mention the storm or talk about the circumstances at all. He was reminding them what it’s really all about – having our eyes on Him, having faith, and believing Truth despite what is happening around us. You see, they had expectations. They expected His love to look a certain way, they expected Him to do certain things, and they judged His heart based on what they perceived as the outcome. His questions were reminding them who He was, and allowing them experience that Truth in the midst of the storm.

Again, I can relate! When I am praying with someone who is hurting or a circumstance that is complicated, I can focus on the storm. I can come up with the perfect plan or solution and then look for Jesus to accomplish it. I expect His love and actions to line up with my expectations. And when it doesn’t look like that’s happening, what do I do? I can get frustrated, I can doubt, I can start to partner with fear and question Jesus’ love. “Don’t you care?” I know I have certainly done all of these things.

What I take away from this story, though, is that Jesus didn’t say, “I will calm every storm in your life.” He instead directed the disciples’ focus back to Himself, and what they knew about Him. This highlights the real storm, which is not the circumstances but what is going on inside of us. The battle between fear and faith, between believing God is good and judging Him by the circumstances. The battle between knowing His heart for us and letting our fear be the lens to how we see Him.  

There is a never-ending supply of storms.  Jesus said, “In this world there will be trouble,” (John 16:33) but He doesn’t leave it there. He goes on to say, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” This is where we can place our hope and our trust. His love will never fail us. In the midst of the storm, we can turn our eyes to Him and we can rehearse the truth: He is good. His love never fails. With Him all things are possible.

Thank You, Jesus, that You are with us in the storms of our lives. Thank You that we don’t have to rely on circumstances and we can let go of our expectations, and instead put our eyes on You. Thank You for the reminder of who You are, that “even the wind and waves obey You.” (v. 41) I bless each of us with the ability to tuck into You in the midst of the storms, as you help us live in the reality of Your love.

Matthew 18:3 (NIV)
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Mark 4:35-41 (NIV)
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

John 16:33 (NIV)
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

 

Holding on to God’s Promises

Have you ever heard the saying “In the Old Testament the New Testament is concealed; in the New Testament the Old Testament is revealed”? I like that saying and often think of it when reading the Bible. Right now I am reading through Deuteronomy and I came across a scripture that seems to validate that saying.

Deuteronomy 9:4-6
After the Lord your God has driven them (the various nations in the Promised Land) out before you, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Understand then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.

There are some interesting questions brought up in this Scripture, aren’t there? For one, the Lord is taking someone else’s land and giving it to people who are far from perfect. In other words, they didn’t deserve it. Why would He do that? For two, how wicked were these pagan nations anyway? They must have been pretty bad (historians and archaeologists confirm that this was true; we know that they regularly burned children alive to appease their gods and made prostitution of men and women a requirement at their temples, as a form of worship to Baal and Asherah). Another question is why are God’s chosen people “stiff-necked” (ie. stubborn). What might He be saying about us, His people, then today? Aiyaiyai!

I think this passage in Deuteronomy gives us an amazing insight into God’s character that we can see so clearly in Jesus and what He has done for us. We, Christ-followers don’t enter our “Promised Land” (the Kingdom of God) by our righteousness any more than the Israelites entered Canaan because of theirs. Are we “stiff-necked”? I would answer with a resounding “YES”! Are we hard of hearing? YES! Are we often blind to the things of God? YES! Are we often more self-centered than God-centered? YES! So are we perfect or righteous? NO! Why do we get to enter the Kingdom of Heaven then?

Well, in the Deuteronomy passage, I believe the wickedness of the nations who lived in the land was a secondary reason for God giving the land to the Israelites. The primary reason was that God had sworn years before to give this land to Abraham. And God does not break His promises. God was able to “see” His beloved Abraham when He looked upon Abraham’s offspring. Abraham was a man whose righteousness was simply made up of his strong faith and trust in God. When God looks at us today, He “sees” Jesus in whom we have put our faith and trust. Because of Jesus, even we who are broken and imperfect, may enter into God’s presence because of the promises He has made.

What God DOES is often unpredictable, but who God IS never changes. He is faithful and just and does not forget His promises. He never has and He never will. What are the promises He has made to you? Hold on to them.

Dt 9:4-6 (see above)

Ps 111:7-8 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.
They are established for ever and ever, enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.

"Tensions in Our Faith" by John Rice

We hear a lot at City Salt Church about the tensions within our faith. Whereas two things sometimes come across as contradictions, most often it seems we are to somehow hold those two things in tension at the same time, both of them expressing something of God’s truth. There is the tension between being predestined to be chosen by God on one hand and then the significance and power of our free will to choose or not choose God on the other hand. There is the tension between truth and grace, between judgment and forgiveness, between justice and mercy, between giving and receiving, between being like a child and being mature.

This week I came across a Scripture in Hebrews, chapter 10 verse 14, which caught my attention as another of these tensions and truths. Paul says:

By one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Wait. What?

By Jesus’ sacrifice, He has made us perfect FOREVER. In grammar terms, the tense used here indicates something which has been done in the past and continues up to the present time and beyond. The word forever indicates that pretty clearly as well. We have been made perfect, and we are perfect now and will continue to be forever. Wow. That certainly raises some questions, doesn’t it? I don’t feel very perfect. In fact, I feel like I’m a long ways off from being perfect! But look what Paul says next. Who exactly has been made perfect forever?

….those who are being made holy….

Wait. What?

If we have been made perfect forever, how can we still be being made holy? Why do we still need to be made holy? This verb tense indicates we are being worked on in a continual manner, possibly, but not necessarily, with some end in the future. Maybe this “holy-making” goes on into eternity? Who knows?

So how do we deal with these two different concepts? How about this for a stab at an answer? When Paul is talking about us being made perfect forever, he is following an argument that Jesus’ sacrifice was exponentially different from the sacrifices of animals made at the temple year after year. Those sacrifices only had the spiritual power of covering sin for a definite period of time, one year. Jesus, though, having sacrificed not animals but His very self, and He, being the Son of the living God, had the power to cover sins forever. So spiritually speaking, those who believe in Him and accept His gift of atonement, truly are viewed by God as perfect, as the Son is perfect. And this is both now and forever. Scripture tells us that God remembers our sin no more. It has been removed, as far as the east is from the west. It’s kind of like God looks at Jesus and sees all His people through that lens. We truly are made perfect in Jesus.

But, on the other hand…..

We still struggle with sin, weakness, brokenness, addictions, sickness, bad thoughts, bad motives, etc, etc every day of our lives! Using some biblical language, we are told “to pick up our cross” or that we might have a “thorn in the flesh” or that there is a “sin that easily entangles us”. We are obviously not perfect yet! So how do these ideas work together? Here’s a thought….

Having been made perfect by Jesus’ sacrifice, spiritually speaking, the bridge between us and God has been restored. With the bridge restored, we can be confident to move back and forth, talking to God, learning from Him, establishing a stronger and stronger relationship with Him, experiencing His goodness, mercy, grace and love in new ways. He welcomes us freely and generously. And in doing so, we find that we WANT to be more like Him, we WANT to please Him, we WANT to learn His ways and we trust Him more. Living like this, we are truly in the process of being made more holy. We still will struggle with sin and brokenness in this life, but with our eyes turned toward the Lord, we will experience the formation of our souls as we are made more like Jesus.

Because of this tension, I take great hope in the following verse:

He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus!
Phil 1:6

"Faith & Reason" by Joseph Scheyer

When my career as a science teacher took me to a Christian High School, I faced a crossroads when I found that our Biology text stated that, (pardon my paraphrase) “…based upon genealogical evidence tracing the lineage of mankind back to everyone’s ultimate ancestors: Adam and Eve, the earth was created approximately 11,000 years ago.  My reason (backed by tons of geological data) tells me that the earth is billions of years old.  I mean… I have rocks in my house that are much older than that.  Why would God create the earth only appear to be billions of years old? I simply could not teach this to the students and so must confess that we found a way to skip over that chapter (at the risk of leaving a gap in their High School Biology education). Does this mean I lack faith? Did I let my sense of reason blind me to the truth of the creation?  When the students asked, I explained that this was one view of creation and that as their science teacher, it is best to examine all of the viewpoints before advancing any conclusions.  I also let them know I did not share this interpretation and invited discussion with the understanding that having faith does not mean that you abandon reason. 

In the science department of the university, I found the disdain for Christian faith almost palpable at times …  and then I’ve run across a few in my Christian journey who think that science and reason somehow threaten our faith. Each side sees science and God as oppositional. In my experience, faith is not the absence of reason but enhances reason just as reason can edify faith.
With reason, we can think about the marvels of God’s creation and we can begin to sense the depth of His infinite presence. Reason also helps us understand that our human knowledge is limited and see how much is beyond our abilities.  Knowing that you cannot know God --- while in His presence --- provides opportunity for the inner statement of trust and humility that is faith. Faith then becomes the instrument we can use to tap into the truth beyond what we know.  Reason edifies Faith.

Faith in God compels us to use our intellect and logic to appreciate and integrate our faith... there is no doubt that God wants us to Know Him. God wants us to use our finite tools of logic to seek to perceive Him with our mind so that we can expand our scope of, and our ability to, use reason to understand God. Faith enhances reason. 

It is through Faith that we experience the essence of God and it is through Reason that we experience the expression of God. 
~Simon Jacobsen

Faith and reason together can be powerful but We must take care to not allow our reason to quiet the inner voice that tells us what we know, in our hearts, to be true. On the other hand, a healthy mind recognizes its innate limitations, acknowledging the many experiences and understandings beyond the scope of our own logic. When I hold a baby in my arms… or a bird or a leaf -- and see the miracle and wonder of their creation-- it is clear that their existence is an extension of Gods remarkable love, just as I am, and you are.  

Because we weren’t there at the time of creation, I guess we will never know if the earth was created at the time our textbook stated or if Gods creation plan was to form the earth over four billion years ago. In any case, I’m grateful that God gave us the ability to use our sense of reason to fortify our faith as well as to use our faith to bring power to our reasoning. 

"Smooring the Fire" by John Rice

I’ve just read of a very interesting practice in old Ireland and Scotland that I wanted to share. As
you probably know, Ireland and Scotland are very damp and often cold countries. The terrain is
mostly rocky and the weather is harsh much of the year, especially on the islands of the Atlantic
Ocean where storms often drench the land. Before electricity was available to light and heat the
houses there, the Celtic people had a special practice to keep their houses as warm and dry as
possible. It was called “smooring the fire”. Wood was very scarce on these islands and peat
very precious, so if you wanted to stay warm, smooring the fire well was a very essential skill to
develop.

To smoor the fire, the woman of the family would prepare the coals in the hearth for the night by
spreading them out in a circle in three parts and then sprinkling some ashes on top of them to
slow their burning. A little peat was put in the spaces between the three sections. and then a
prayer was said. This was the smooring prayer:

The sacred Three,
to save,
to shield,
to surround
the hearth,
the house,
the household,
this eve,
this night,
Oh! this eve,
this night,
and every night,
each single night.
Amen.

The next morning the woman would add fresh peat and get the fire going full bore for the meals
and for heating the house. Performing this night after night, day after day, week after week,
month after month and even year after year, there were some family fires that were kept
continuously alive for generations. And not only that, but a common practice was that when the
girl of the family got married, her mother would give her as a wedding gift some of the coals
from her fire so that the girl’s family would start their family fire with the same fire that had
burned in her family for generations.

This smooring of the fire in some way reminds me of our faith. The fire that burns in our hearts
as the Spirit of God dwells within us must be tended carefully if we want it to continue burning
brightly. Through difficult circumstances or neglect or distraction our fires can go dim, barely
burning, which dims our light and can’t keep us very warm. The gifts God has given us can also
burn brightly or dimly according to our awareness and attention to them. Paul encourages
Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6 to “fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on
of my hands.”

So how do we keep our fires burning? Well, it seems to me that God gives us the fire freely as a
gift of grace and then our job is to recognize it as a precious gift, a treasure, an inheritance, and
to keep it burning by practicing the presence of God every day. This is our “smooring”: turning to
God, talking with God, listening for God’s voice, worshipping Him, thanking Him, opening up to
Him, obeying Him, loving Him. And if we pass these practices on to our children, the spiritual
fires God has given us may not go out for generations.

2 Timothy 1:6
Acts 11:23
2 Corinthians 4:6

This information in this devo came from the writings of Deborah Cronin in her book Holy
Ground, 1999, Upper Room Books.

"Christian Geography" by Terry Sheldon

I've been looking at a lot of maps lately. It's always been an interest of mine. My inner nerd comes out when the topic of exploration comes up in conversation, especially here in our beautiful Oregon playground. Yes I really do know where Wagontire Oregon is. Want to stump the master? Go ahead and try. Really.

My fixation lately has been on the Wallowas - 350,000 acres of glaciated valleys, granite peaks and sublime high lakes in Northeastern Oregon. As you read this, I should be pushing my fifty-something body and a backpack up relentless dusty inclines, and for what? The payoff is incredible, or so Google Images show.

For me, part of the fun is just the imagining, the planning - to a point, of course. Maps are a 2-D counterfeit of a 3-D reality. Good for figuring out where you want to go, or where you are once you're there. But they certainly don't capture the aesthetic romance, the emotion of the evening sun peaking over the ridge before it retires for the day, or the dainty loveliness of Indian Paintbrush.

And technical notes like shown distances and topographic lines cannot capture how hard a trail really is, or how your tired body will respond. Or the mood you'll be in at that moment when you've "hit the wall", exhausted and spent like the wadded up Cliff Bar wrapper in your pocket.

I find the same similarities to the Bible, and our assumptions about things we think we know "on paper", versus the times we actually go there. Something in our life pushes us from "volunteer" to "professional", to being forced to practice what has been preached.

Usually they are changes, or challenges anyway that come up. We are forced onto the path. It's our time to learn, to experience, to PROVE something. We want to go back to the security of "the map", where it feels good to just dream. But instead there's no turning back, and we have a job to do.

I am greatly anticipating my trip. But a small part of me is apprehensive. I am not a young man anymore, and the uncertainty of how I will do is a nagging thought. But I am sure God will be speaking to me along the way. For me, He typically speaks best to me, or rather, I LISTEN best, when I am in motion. Hiking is a metaphor for a number of things, and I'm sure we will have many great conversations.

So let's not just think about God and learn about Him. Let's walk with him. Everyday.