Wednesday, September 21, 2022

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”   (James 1:19, New Living Translation)

 [I am going a brief hiatus for the next three weeks. The Unconventional Baptist will return on October 19^th.]

                 “Your wife has good ears.”

                This was said to me by a senior woman sitting next to me at Susan’s retirement party on Sunday at St. Luke’s Anglican Church. Susan is retiring this week as the church secretary after 16 years. It has been a job she loved and excelled at. Her many, many duties included being the church treasurer and book-keeper. She administered the day-to-day affairs of the church, its bookings and its logistics. Yes, she typed the bulletins and all that secretarial stuff.

                But where she really shone was in her ability to listen to the people with whom she came into daily contact, be they a regular parishioner or a complete stranger. I think my wife has nice ears, too, but what the woman meant was that Susan really listened to people. A goodly portion of her job was pastoral care as she was often the first on the front lines of pastoral care. Susan made time for people,  be it on the phone or if they had come into  her office in person and always listened attentively  to their stories and concerns. Even if she had a dozen other things to do. Before the need got passed on to one of the pastors, it was Susan who responded first.  Several people have mentioned that her gift of caring and compassionate listening will be most sorely missed. Her capacity to listen and listen well was truly her gracious ministry.

                Listening can be hard work when done well. It may even be a lost art. Our culture throbs with overly loud opinions, people shouting out their views and sentiments, the noisy clamour of protests and dissent. Everybody wants to have their voices heard but is anyone listening?

                I am reminded of the suffering Job. His three friends came to “console and comfort him.” (Job 2:11, NLT) When they first set eyes on their friend their hearts were broken. “Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.” (v.13) Silence was golden. Just their presence spoke volumes. The trouble started when they spoke up against Job’s complaining and lamenting and wouldn’t shut up, arguing with Job and blaming him and scolding him. All they really had to do was listen but they couldn’t and wouldn’t.    

“Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe.” (Psalm 31:2, NLT) Albeit, this is a prayer of trust in God’s ability to listen, but it reminds us  that listening provides a safe harbour for the one who is talking and sharing their lives. Listening should make the other person feel safe. “Don’t turn away from me in my time of distress. Bend down to listen, and answer me quickly when I call to you.”  (Psalm 102:2, NLT)

“Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.” (Proverbs 12:15, NLT) Listening is that ability to allow another person to be known, to be respected, to be understood, to feel included and affirmed. There may be a time when one needs to speak or offer a response but listening first leads us down the right path of being helpful and insightful with what we might have to say. “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.” (Proverbs 18: 13, NLT)

To borrow from Jesus - “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” (Matthew 11:15, NLT)

Dale

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

“Give the gift of wise rule to the king, O God, the gift of just rule to the crown prince. May he judge your people rightly,  be honorable to your meek and lowly. Let the mountains give exuberant witness; shape the hills with the contours of right living. Please stand up for the poor, help the children of the needy, come down hard on the cruel tyrants.” (Psalm 72: 1 -4. The Message Bible)

                The Queen is dead; long live the King.

                That seems to be  the traditional outcry after the death of a monarch – at least in the fantasy books I read. But with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, we now have a king after a very long while.

                A recent poll came out yesterday finding that the majority of Canadians are indifferent to the change in monarchs. Most of us said that it has no impact on the way we live. I would probably include myself in that majority, which isn’t to say that I don’t care or am not interested in this historic change. But King Charles III, God bless him, doesn’t make a whole lot of difference in my life, except in remembering to sing “God save the King” on the very rare occasion I might have to sing the anthem, which is hardly ever.

                Perhaps once upon a time, kingships mattered in ordinary people's lives. Take Psalm 72, for example, one the Royal Psalms. There are high and lofty expectations placed on the King’s shoulders. The King is probably King David, who, as we know, became the model or paradigmatic  king for all Jews of all time. Even the concept of Messiahship finds its roots in the kingship of David.

                Psalm 72 is impressive in the scope of the King’s responsibilities towards his people. King Charles should take note, although he has set a tone of promising “selfless service”. The proof will be in his actions. The Psalm points to the necessity of “right living” for the King. It exhorts the King to “stand up for the poor, help the children of the needy and come down hard on cruel tyrants.”  Kingly power is to be  used for justice, compassion, generosity and hope. “In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more.” (v.7, New Revised Standard Version)

                We need to note verses  12 to 14: “He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them. He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him.” (New Living Translation)

                Selfless service indeed!

                Words like these remind us why Jesus carries the mantle of kingship. He embodies these words in his own life, ministry and vision for the world around him. We hear the Psalm echoed in Jesus’ words: “God’s Spirit is on me; he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the burdened and battered free,    to announce, ‘This is God’s time to shine!’” (Luke 4: 18 – 19, The Message Bible)

                Good kings love their people beyond measure and prove it by their actions and words and deeds.

                Such a king is worth following, being obedient to and accepting his authority in our lives. Many of us could use a good change of ruling values in our personal lives, needing a new style of kingship from those things that have taken over and have gained sovereignty in harmful and negative ways. One cannot be or should not be indifferent to the kingship of Jesus. He makes a difference and has a lasting impact upon us when we allow him to have authority on our lives.

                “Jesus had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.” (Philippians 2: 6 11, The Message Bible)

                Long live the King!

Dale

 Wednesday, September 7, 2022

“Point your kids in the right direction— when they’re old they won’t be lost.” (Proverbs 22:6, The Message Bible)

                “School days. Schools Days. Dear old golden rule days. Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic…”

                Bright and shiny faces. Parents posted the annual first-day-of -school pictures of most of our grandchildren on our family Messenger board. Pre-school Naomi claimed she wanted to be a friend. Beckett, still in day care, wanted to follow his two big brothers into their school. It was Declan’s first day in JK. As the old commercial went, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…”

                Back in the day, I was okay with attending elementary school. But I didn’t enjoy a lot of my high school education. The peer pressure was intense and the requisite curriculum didn’t always hold my interest. Phys Ed periods were full of things I couldn’t do very well, like rope climbing or running a mile. I took three years of Latin, for goodness’ sake.

                It wasn’t until university and seminary that I truly discovered a hunger for learning. A whole new world of topics opened up for me. I took religion courses and philosophy courses, sociology, political science. I thrived and did very well at these levels of “higher learning”.

                Learning helps build character as well as develop one’s mind. We should never stop learning. Keeping our minds open and informed leads to better choices and decisions, helping us to have a better appreciation of others and the world around us.

                When we think we know it all, we probably know very little. A lack of learning leads to superficiality, small mindedness, shallow thinking, e.g. conspiracy theories. When we stop being curious and inquiring we risk becoming stuck in old attitudes, prejudices and thin assumptions.

                “If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will turn your back on knowledge.” (Proverbs 19:27, New Living Translation)

                Knowledge is, of course, more than just book learning. Our education comes from many sources and life experiences. It comes from the good examples of other people like parents, grandparents, teachers, etc. We learn from our mistakes. We learn by listening to words of advice and counsel. We learn by trying and doing. We learn from developing our skills, talents and giftedness.

                “Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?” (Proverbs 5:13, NLT)

                The book of Proverbs is all about gaining wisdom that comes from paying attention to sources of knowledge and thoughtfulness. Much of it seems to address a younger generation – words from an older and perhaps wiser generation:

                A manual for living, for learning what’s right and just and fair;
                To teach the inexperienced the ropes
                and give our young people a grasp on reality.
                There’s something here also for seasoned men and women,
                still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—
                Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,
                the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women. (Proverbs 1: 1 -6, The Message Bible)

                So, please keep an open mind. Always have a questing spirit especially for the good. Think about what you do and say and how it affects others. Set a good example. Find meaning in the world around you. Pay attention to what is  truthful, authentic,  trustworthy and enriching.

                “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.” (Psalm 86:11, NLT)

Dale