Sola Fide - Reformation Day (observed)

"At first I clearly saw that the free grace of God is absolutely necessary to attain to light and eternal life; and I anxiously and busily worked to understand the word of Paul in Romans 1:17: The righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel. I questioned this passage for a long time and labored over it, for the expression 'righteousness of God' barred my way. This phrase was customarily explained to mean that the righteousness of God is a virtue by which He is Himself righteous and condemns sinners. In this way all teachers of the church except Augustine had interpreted the passage. They had said: The righteousness of God, that is, the wrath of God. But as often as I read this passage, I wished that God had never revealed the Gospel; for who could love a God who was angry, who judged and condemned people? This misunderstanding continued until, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, I finally examined more carefully the word of Habakkuk: 'The just shall live by his faith' (2:4). From this passage I concluded that life must be derived from faith...Then the entire Holy Scripture became clear to me, and heaven itself was opened to me. Now we see this brilliant light very clearly, and we are privileged to enjoy it abundantly."

-Dr. Martin Luther

Ministering Cross-Culturally

The title of the post is also the title of a book by Sherwood Lingenfelter and Marvin K. Mayers. As if, to me anyway, the title wasn't cool enough the subtitle is even cooler: An Incarnational Model for Personal Relationships.

Too obvious? We were required to read this book for Pastoral Ministry 101 and, coupled with The Poisonwood Bible, write a short reaction to it. I found this book very refreshing. It speaks plain truths about mission work that we're either unaware of or purposely deaf to. The authors of this book argue for a ministry that is deeply personal. The book talks about common errors that western minded missionaries will make when they go to non western places to minister. Some go in there with a western mindset, because that is where they came from, and wind up mostly unintentionally offending the people they are trying to reach. Using the model of the Incarnate One, Lingenfelter and Mayers argue passionately for ministry to be done in a manner that makes the missionary a part of the very fabric of that society. Things like learning the language and customs of the people although seeming obvious are apparently distant in our minds with missionary work.

There is this overwhelming feeling among many, some, whatever that when it comes to ministry there is a one size fits all. What we learn at American seminaries will not always translate to what is going on in the field in America, let alone other countries (especially non western ones!). Now obviously the Gospel is universal and preaching it and administering the sacraments cuts through cultures, but unfortunately we are still sinful people and we do take with us our pre conceived notions and biases to other places. "This worked in Iowa, so this will work here, it is the Gospel." OR "This worked in NYC so this will work in Tennessee." Both attitudes are wrong. What it means to be incarnational in ministry is to embody the Gospel but bringing it directly to where the people are.

One of the biggest examples the book gave was the difference between "time-oriented people" and "event-oriented people." What I loved about this chapter was that it spoke directly at me in a lot of ways. I assume it speaks directly at a lot of people in the west. If things don't start on time we become unbelievably impatient and see it as a failed cause at the worst, or a complete annoyance at the least. In other countries, again specifically non western ones, this is simply the norm. Church cannot and does not start right at 9am. People will trickle in a different times and it will start at some point and the people will come away with it valuing the experience they had, and not that the service ran late and they didn't get home in time for kickoff. Many services will last for a few hours at the minimum in these contexts!

This summer when I was in Brooklyn I remember having a conversation with Pr. Priest about the structure of his 11am service. After the first one he asked me to point out things that seemed different to me. The first thing I noticed was that confession/absolution was placed right before Communion instead of at the beginning of the service. He said this was because many people would walk in late, sometimes right before or during the sermon and would miss confession/absolution so he simply met the people where they were at and placed it right before the Liturgy of The Eucharist.

Another thing I remember is sitting outside the church for our first youth night which we said would begin at six and by 6:10 I was already getting antsy that nobody was there. Pr. Priest sensed this and told me something to the akin of "This is how it is in the city, people don't show up on time, but they do show up and they enjoy the overall experience." We always said youth nights would begin at 6, most of them didn't start until 7 or later. But the youth came, and they had an experience.

Being incarnational is about doing just that, meeting the people where they are at. Sometimes people may not show up but you remain or you go anyway. Because what people need to see is that you're consistent. And in your consistency they will know you care. Especially for those in settings where they don't know who or what cares for them the simple act of being there goes a long way. It speaks volumes and they will begin to inquire about why you act the way you do. For many in other cultures I would imagine a new comer to the culture would be met with some sort of uncertainty and distrust. But once the relationship begins to develop and the incarnational ministry take hold the people will see that you are serious, and that you do care. That ministry isn't about you it's about something greater than you. They will ask just what that is, and then the excitement really begins to happen.

Nothing But the Water

One of my favorite music artists out there right now is Grace Potter. I absolutely love everything about this young woman. She can sing, she can play guitar, she can rock the Hammond Organ, she can dance, and she is beautiful. I would be a liar if I said the last thing I mentioned didn't help, because it does. I'm a sinner, I'm working on it...

A lot of her songs deal with real life in story telling fashion. You may be thinking, what the heck is so creative about that? Well nothing on the surface, but in the way she tells the story you are captivated and engaged. There are a lot of sin/grace elements in her songs. Since the Law of God, natural Law, is written upon the hearts of all it is the case that many times maybe even most of the time humans do the Law out of created instinct. Now, is this doing of the Law salvific? No, it is not. But nevertheless there is still a doing of the Law that ensues even from those who do not believe, like Ms. Potter.

All of that is for another post. What I want to deal with specifically is her song, Nothing But the Water. It may be one of the strongest non Christian songs I have ever heard about Baptism, check out the lyrics:

I have seen what man can do
When the evil lives inside of you
Many are the weak
And the strong are few
But with the water
We’ll start anew

Well, won’t you take me down to the levy, take me down to the stream, take me down to the water, we’re gonna wash our souls clean, take me down to the river, take me down to the lake, Yes, we’ll all go together, we’re gonna do it for the good lord’s sake

I have fallen so many times
For the devil’s sweet, cunning rhymes
And this old world
Has brought me pain
But there’s hope
For me again

Well, won’t you take me down to the levy, take me down to the stream, take my down to the water, we’re gonna wash our souls clean, take me down to the river, take me down to the lake, Yes, we’ll all go together, we’re gonna do it for the good lord’s sake

Tried my hand at the bible, tried my hand at prayer, but now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare, but now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare

These lyrics scream Baptism at you. This is a two part song, with this first part being sung slowly and to little or no instrumentation, just her powerful voice. I have seen what man can do when the evil lives inside of you. Evil lives inside of man, of humanity, and we are capable of some pretty destructive things. The only reason we do not outright destroy each other is because the Law keeps us in check (again a further exposition on the Law is for another post sometime). Many are weak and the strong are few, but with the water we'll start anew.

Where is it that we start anew? At the waters of baptism. Take me down to the water, we're gonna wash our souls clean. We go down to the waters of baptism because it is God's promise to us. God claims us and gives us our names at Baptism. This is of no doing on our own, it is a means of grace. "Well wait a minute, what about when I came to faith and believed on my own, I made the choice to then get baptized, when was I justified?" Good question. One could make the point that they were "saved" or justified at the moment of their believing, but then the whole process of that and subsequent education all culminates in Baptism which is entirely God's work. Our coming to faith and being baptized is 100% God's work and no part of our own.

Grace is invoking rich spiritual imagery with baptism here. Whether or not she is specifically speaking to baptism I would think it is safe to say she had the Christian concept of baptism in mind when writing this song. I have fallen so many times for the devils sweet cunning lies, And this old world has brought me pain, But there's hope for me again. It is undoubtedly the case that we fall so many times in this world for the devil and his sweet cunning lies. This world does bring us pain, but because of THE WATER there is hope for humanity again. We go to the water because it is not just water but water and GOD'S WORD. God's Word together with the water is what frees us and makes us a child of God.

I also love the last line, Tried my hand at the bible tried my hand at prayer, but now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare. This is not at all to dismiss the importance of God's Word or prayer, both are embodied in scripture, the very Word of God. But I like the twist one can make off of her words here. It doesn't matter the biblical scholar you were in life, or that you followed the book perfectly, or tried to anyway because that is what Grace means when she says, "tried my hand at the bible," she sees it completely as law. She tried living up to the standards of the bible, and even in her prayer she could not live up to the standards. So what at the end of our life is there left to bring our soul to bare? The water and Word of God which washes us clean in baptism is what gives us our comfort and our hope. It is nothing we do, it is everything God has done and will do. He attaches us to that promise in the water, in Baptism.

I have tried to find my way, to make it through to a better day
I have cried a mighty song, but in the morning everything was gone
So come on water sweet water, wash me down
So come on water sweet water, wash me down

I have tried so many times to put out the devils fire
But every time I sit down to pray, the devils charm pulls me away
So come on water sweet water, wash me down
So come on water sweet water, wash me down
Up in heaven, they know the rule, you’ve got to get down to the bathing pool
Everybody, you’ve got to get in line
Down at the river, we’re doing fine with the water sweet water, wash me down
Come on water sweet water, wash me down

Now I’m ready and it’s my time and if I give a nickel, I might get a dime
Only the water can help me now
I’ll find glory somewhere, somehow with the water sweet water, wash me down
Come on water sweet water, wash me down

Grace shows us she was dealing with "what she tried to do" by the opening lyrics of Nothing But the Water part II. She has tried everything, so come on sweet water, wash me down. We cannot put out the devil's fire, every time we try to sit down and praise God whether before during or after, the devil is there to charm us away. Up in heaven, they know the rule, you got to get down to the bathing pool. To get into God's Kingdom one is to be baptized and in that baptism united with Christ's death and resurrection. This is entirely the work of God (Mark 16:6, Romans 6).

This is all God's promise, we find our glory in the glory of what Jesus Christ has done for us, and the sweet water and Word of God wash us down and cleanse us from our sin, uniting us in that victory. So when we realize we haven't done enough (even though we are called to do), and that we are not good enough, we can and will rest assured in the promise God gave to us in our Baptism by the water.

Identity Crisis

Ever feel like you just have no clue who you are or what on earth you are doing? If you're a human you probably have felt this way at some point. In fact, you may even feel this way right now. For some it comes along like Batman here. You get a sense of needing to grow up or wondering how you ended up where you did.

Evidently Batman went to school to be an accountant. And now he is, as he puts it, running around in a bat costume as a grown man. This is definitely something we will do however. We get to a point, or many points, in life where we're wondering just what it is we are doing with ourselves. "Why am I here? What are my responsibilities to others? Does anybody care?" It can be quite the traumatic time. The trouble is when we have identity crises or feel like you are having them we usually will look introspectively to fix the manner. "I get help myself, I can get myself out of this, I don't need anyone else."

What is remarkable about this approach is that it takes us to a place that yes is selfish and introspective but when we begin to identify what the problem may be or others begin to identify it for us, all of the sudden we're not so introspective. All of the sudden we become the best goaltenders you have ever seen. "Well, no not me, not my fault. This was this persons fault, or this persons fault. You just don't know what it's really like." It's the classic approach to deflect criticism from others to the external because even though internally I am trying to fix a problem it is not because of me. How confusing!

So what is an identity crisis? The psychology theorist Erik Erikson coined the term identity crisis. He defined it as being a coming of age struggle of sorts that especially a lot of young people go through. Sometimes when we think of an identity crisis we typically think of the middle aged man who goes out and buys a brand new sports car or gets divorced to date younger women to find some source of self identity. In is definitely the case however that most young people deal head on with an identity crisis. Erikson defined identity as, "

a subjective sense as well as an observable quality of personal sameness and continuity, paired with some belief in the sameness and continuity of some shared world image. As a quality of

unself-conscious living, this can be gloriously obvious in a young person who has found himself as he has found his communality. In him we see emerge a unique unification of what is irreversibly given--that is, body type and temperament, giftedness and

vulnerability, infantile models and acquired ideals--with the open choices provided in available roles, occupational

possibilities, values offered, mentors met, friendships made, and first sexual encounters." (Erikson, 1970.)

So what do we do? Well we

usually look for acceptance in areas that are probably not the best areas to be looking. Maybe we even turn to destructive behavioral patterns/habits as a way to find out who we are. Sometimes we push back those we love and who love us in an attempt to fill whatever we feel needs to be filled.

Everybody wants an identity. And everyone should want an identity. But what type of an identity are we looking for? Are we looking for acceptance and an identity that is wrapped up in the world? That is a place where only heartbreak can ensue. We are sinful human beings. The plight of humanity to plunge itself into despair over some identity crisis puts an exclamation point on our depravity. We deflect all responsibility away from ourselves and neglect those around us to selfishly look inside to solve this problem. It's a one way street, and it is one that leads nowhere, because looking inside yourself leads nowhere.

It's like the addict. The addict is not capable of bringing him/herself up from the pit. The addict needs to admit first and foremost that they are helpless and need external help to get healthy. For the sinner, so mired in self and a self of ones own identity, the sinner loses sight of what his/her identity really is: A creature created in God's image.

But it goes even further than that. For those who are baptized, they already have their identity. Their identity is Christ's identity and flowing from that the identity of a body, a family, which supports it in any and all circumstances. Searching intrinsically will only lead you to stay within your own self. When you search inside of self you dig and dig and dig to "get to the bottom" of who you are. Those on the outside your family, the body of Christ, know who you are. You will never find satisfaction in who you are by looking intrinsically. The joy and satisfaction of life come from knowing you are a child of God and no identity crisis can take that away. God claimed you at the font and that is where you belong. The rest of the world may tell you different, but the Word of God is what remains.

And resting in that identity allows us to serve others. The identity of being a baptized believer a part of the priesthood is what gives purpose to life. Finding out this, our baptized identity, leads us outward as justified people serving and living for those around us. The creature does what the Creator asks, and in this baptized state the creature lives for it.