I have had a great couple of days. Not that other days have not been good, but the last two have been special because God has been working 0n my attitude.
Church work is not easy, to say the least (this is from a seasoned pastor's perspective). As a pastor I feel the weight of my church and its survival on my shoulders. Sometimes I allow that weight to dampen my spirit and make me discouraged when things do not go according to what seems to be my plan. God often uses these lessons to bring me back to the reality of His will.
This is not the first time I have become discouraged in ministry. I remember in my former church, over a period of nine years, this happened from time to time. Once when it happened I had a great epiphany: Try encouraging and empowering others. If I was discouraged I can only imagine how that must have been a downer for my congregation (both then and now). In essence I was permeating an attitude of discouragement upon those whom I was called to spur on to good works. I hate to admit it but I was failing in my leadership role as a pastor.
This was the lesson that teaches me to be an encourager and empowerer both then and this time as well (I guess I am not a great learner). You know the old saying, "You get more bees with honey than vinegar." Well, who wants to follow an old grump with a negative attitude? I don't even like myself when I'm that way. So to my church family I say: "Forgive me for my poor attitude over these last couple of months." (May God prove within me that He can turn my weakness into spiritual strength).
I am now committed to do what I have been called to do: To encourage and to empower. Here are a few theme verses that have come to mind over the last couple of days:
"Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16
"Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the [family of God]. (Acts 15:32) (I want to be like Judas and Silas).
"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." (Hebrews 3:13)
Today's prayer for my church and whoever reads this blog is:
"Heavenly Father,"
"Thank you for New Life Baptist Church in Hatchet Lake, Nova Scotia. Thank you for every person who has attended in the past, and who attends at present, and who will attend in the future. We are blessed to be your Holy Presence in the greater Prospect Road area. I pray on behalf of us all that you might pour out a fresh showering of empowerment and encouragement upon us. We need it Lord; I need it Lord. We want to serve you and please you in every way that we can. Thank you Jesus.
Amen.
Blessings and have a great weekend,
-Leo
Friday, October 21, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
We Live to Please God
An interesting question has been bouncing around in my head since last night's Vesper Service at my church. The question is: Does God have emotions? I am relatively new to the theological camps of this topic but I know that there is a lot of controversy around it. One camp believes that yes God does have emotions, while the other believes it to be impossible for Him to have them.
What I have discovered is that the nosayers stand behind a traditional belief that God is immuntable - which means, He has no physical or emotional form. He is completely, universally and eternally a spirit. They also feel that for God to have emotions would mean that He is changeable and His will could be changed by an appeal to His emotions. I certainly believe this part about God's immutability.
To explain why scripture might indicate that God might be emotional, such as: anger, grief, and disappointment, they use the word anthropopathism, which means "to attribute human emotions to a non-human thing." In other words, they believe that any emotional reaction or response from God in the Old and New Testaments is simply for human understanding and not true to God's divine nature. I know this seems to be bit heavy, technically, but I am not completely satisfied by the nosayers "big word answers".
This in-house brain discussion in my head started as a result of a question I asked during Vesper Service last night. My question was around the lament of Jesus in Luke 13:34-35:
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, "Blessed is he who comes in my name."
My question: Does God ever lament today? A variety of responses were put forth and a great discussion entailed.
A lament could involve one or several emotions, such as: anger, dissapointment and sorrow. The nosayers to God having emotions would say that the above account of Luke 13:34-35 is simply a case of the dual identity of Jesus as being both divine and human, and this is the human side of Jesus who is speaking this lament. However, Amos 5:1-3 has an even more extreme lament toward Israel (pre-Jesus era). Was this lament an emotional response through Amos from God? Was Amos the spokesperson of how God felt about how Israel had fallen from its virgin state into evil? What about the many times God became angry, and the times He grieved over Israel and the world? Doesn't Exodus 20:5 claim that Our God is a jealous God and through his jealousy will exhort punishment on evil? Is jealousy not an emotion?
I personally hold a strong view that God is immutable (unchanging in His thought and purpose). But He is also a God of perfect emotions and exemplifies how to be emotional, yet without sin. He commands us to be slow to anger, which says that the emotion of anger itself is not a sin. If we are slow to anger and become angry only from a righteous and holy perspective then we too display the holy character of God (and the many accounts when he became angry). One of the attributes of God that we have living within us is self-control (Galatians 5:22). The implication is that God can be expressive emotionally yet perfectly self-controlled so that it does not interfere with His immutability (unchanging nature). He also empowers us with self-control so that we too can remain changeless in a righteous manner, without sin.
Let me finish with this: we are also commanded to live a life that is holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12:1). If God is without emotions how is it possible to please Him? Can someone without emotions be spurred to pleasure toward those whom He loves? Are our efforts futile if God cannot be pleased (assuming that the act of pleasing stirs some sort of emotion within God). Why would anyone want to appeal to a God that cannot be appealed to? ......and the inhouse brain discussion continues. Don't be surprised if you see me arguing with myself over this one - lol.
Thanks to my Vesper Service group for spurring on my thinking and searching for truth. However, I am still thinking this one through.
Blessings,
-Leo
What I have discovered is that the nosayers stand behind a traditional belief that God is immuntable - which means, He has no physical or emotional form. He is completely, universally and eternally a spirit. They also feel that for God to have emotions would mean that He is changeable and His will could be changed by an appeal to His emotions. I certainly believe this part about God's immutability.
To explain why scripture might indicate that God might be emotional, such as: anger, grief, and disappointment, they use the word anthropopathism, which means "to attribute human emotions to a non-human thing." In other words, they believe that any emotional reaction or response from God in the Old and New Testaments is simply for human understanding and not true to God's divine nature. I know this seems to be bit heavy, technically, but I am not completely satisfied by the nosayers "big word answers".
This in-house brain discussion in my head started as a result of a question I asked during Vesper Service last night. My question was around the lament of Jesus in Luke 13:34-35:
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, "Blessed is he who comes in my name."
My question: Does God ever lament today? A variety of responses were put forth and a great discussion entailed.
A lament could involve one or several emotions, such as: anger, dissapointment and sorrow. The nosayers to God having emotions would say that the above account of Luke 13:34-35 is simply a case of the dual identity of Jesus as being both divine and human, and this is the human side of Jesus who is speaking this lament. However, Amos 5:1-3 has an even more extreme lament toward Israel (pre-Jesus era). Was this lament an emotional response through Amos from God? Was Amos the spokesperson of how God felt about how Israel had fallen from its virgin state into evil? What about the many times God became angry, and the times He grieved over Israel and the world? Doesn't Exodus 20:5 claim that Our God is a jealous God and through his jealousy will exhort punishment on evil? Is jealousy not an emotion?
I personally hold a strong view that God is immutable (unchanging in His thought and purpose). But He is also a God of perfect emotions and exemplifies how to be emotional, yet without sin. He commands us to be slow to anger, which says that the emotion of anger itself is not a sin. If we are slow to anger and become angry only from a righteous and holy perspective then we too display the holy character of God (and the many accounts when he became angry). One of the attributes of God that we have living within us is self-control (Galatians 5:22). The implication is that God can be expressive emotionally yet perfectly self-controlled so that it does not interfere with His immutability (unchanging nature). He also empowers us with self-control so that we too can remain changeless in a righteous manner, without sin.
Let me finish with this: we are also commanded to live a life that is holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12:1). If God is without emotions how is it possible to please Him? Can someone without emotions be spurred to pleasure toward those whom He loves? Are our efforts futile if God cannot be pleased (assuming that the act of pleasing stirs some sort of emotion within God). Why would anyone want to appeal to a God that cannot be appealed to? ......and the inhouse brain discussion continues. Don't be surprised if you see me arguing with myself over this one - lol.
Thanks to my Vesper Service group for spurring on my thinking and searching for truth. However, I am still thinking this one through.
Blessings,
-Leo
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