Finding Your Way

The book of Ecclesiastes seems to be very apropos for this season in our world. Several verses have stood out to me in my reading this week:

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die… a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance… a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing” (3:1-5 ESV).

 “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” (1:2-3).

“Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun” (2:11).

This is a time when many things are being stripped away. Perhaps we are learning what is vain and what really matters. Perhaps we are finding out what actually forms our identity. If we find our meaning in our careers, what happens when we can’t go to work? If our value is in our achievements in education or sports, who are we when we can’t do those things anymore? Even if we find our identity in our relationships, as valuable as those relationships are, where do we turn when we lose them?

It’s not surprising that people turn to drugs, alcohol, pornography, or other addictive behaviors to try to fill the holes or at least numb the sense of loss. We all like to avoid the difficulty of realigning our worldview when everything familiar and comfortable is taken away. It’s painful to discover that the things we placed so much value on can disappear without notice. And most of us have lost multiple things we valued. A video I watched described it as a kind of culture shock. We have to adapt to a new way of life while also mourning the old way.

While many people view religion as a crutch or a fantasy, those of us who do have faith understand it to be a different perspective on reality. While the world focuses on the here and now and each person is looking out for their own interests, we Christians remember that this world is not our permanent home. We look forward to the day when all things will be made new and we’ll no longer have to live in a world broken by sin. We still mourn the things we’ve lost here, but we do not mourn as those who have no hope for eternal life. If this world is indeed all there is then indeed “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (1 Corinthians 15:32). But if there is more to come, we should “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58).

Will we realign our priorities according to the world’s constantly changing standards or according to God’s standard? Will we find our identity in things that will eventually fall away or in the One who created us and gives us eternal life and value in Christ?

“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come… and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it… The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (12:1, 7, 13).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Fear or Faith

“Let the morrow be what it may, our God is the God of tomorrow. Whatever events may have happened, which to us are unknown, our Jehovah is God of the unknown as well as of the known. We are determined to trust the Lord, come what may. If the very worst should happen, our God is still the greatest and best. Therefore will we not fear…” -Charles Spurgeon

Several years ago I wrote a post (here) based on Exodus 2:25: “God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.” They’d been in Egypt about 400 years with conditions getting progressively worse. God didn’t suddenly remember that they were there. He’d known all along, but for whatever reason He allowed them to stay and suffer there until what He deemed to be the perfect time. Moses was in wilderness training in Midian for forty years while the Israelites suffered. Even through the ten plagues the people had to keep waiting. Curiously, for most of plagues the Bible does not specifically say that the Israelites living in the land of Goshen were protected from the effects of the plague. They probably wondered where God was and what He was doing. They certainly feared Pharaoh’s retribution, particularly when they were hemmed in by the Red Sea while Pharaoh’s army pursued them.

Even when they were safely across the sea and in the wilderness they couldn’t figure out why they were there or where they were going. They faced one doubt after another as they wandered, and they rebelled against God repeatedly because they didn’t trust His plan for them.

Our current trial with COVID-19 raises a lot of questions too. Why doesn’t God intervene with a miraculous cure? Why didn’t He stop it a long time ago? Is the Church going to suffer because of governmental restrictions? Are our religious freedoms in jeopardy? What good is going to come out of this? Although those are all valid questions, some of which we may never know the answer to, I think there are more important questions we need to ask ourselves: Are we going to feed our faith or our fear? Are we trusting that God knows every detail of what’s going on today and that He is still in control? Are we helping others to trust God through their doubts and fears?

I’ve been pleased with the way some churches, pastors, and leaders have stepped outside their comfort zones to use social media as a tool to share vital truths from Scripture. But I’ve also been frustrated by others who have a running negative commentary on society. At times like this, I think we need to be constantly looking for and sharing reasons for hope and peace and joy. That’s not to say we close our eyes to everything else, but there are already plenty of sources of negative news.

Going back to the Exodus story, think how different the ending would have been if it hadn’t been just Joshua and Caleb who encouraged the people to enter the Promised Land. What if the all of the spies had reported, “The land… is exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, He will bring us into the land and give it to us… Do not fear the people of the land… Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them” (Numbers 14:7-9). But the people chose fear over faith and paid the price of an entire generation dying in the wilderness before they could enter the Promised Land.

Jesus said,

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV).

Are we living as light in the world by sharing faith and hope, or are we contributing to its darkness by promoting fear and pessimism? Do unbelievers look at us and say “I want that kind of hope,” or do they say “They look just like everyone else now”? Do others see that we truly believe that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea” (Psalm 46:1-2)?

Let’s get busy sowing seeds of faith, not fear!

“For it is You who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness… He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him. For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?” (Psalm 18:28-31).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

For Jesus' Sake

This week I’ve been listening to the audio book of The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected, by Nik Ripken, about the stories of believers in other countries who are regularly persecuted for their faith. One person in particular urged, “Don’t give up in freedom what we have not given up under persecution” —the right to share our faith. Dr. Ripken goes on to say that sharing our faith is not a matter of religious freedoms, but the choice of whether we will be obedient to God’s commands. It doesn’t matter whether we will be thrown in jail, tortured, mocked, or just slightly embarrassed for what we believe, God has commanded every believer to be His witnesses wherever we go (see Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:18-20).

Hearing those words today built on the Good Friday message from our pastor on 2 Corinthians 5:11-15 that the logical response to the cross is to live for Jesus instead of ourselves. It also goes along with the meditations on Romans 12:1-8 that we were urged to dwell on today. Are we really willing to be living sacrifices? Is Jesus worth living for, worth dying for, worth giving up our freedom and family for? Missionary Charles T. Studd said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” I think many of us want to believe those words, but when it comes down to our daily choices we can’t quite justify giving up our comfort, our habits, our pride, our self-sufficiency.

This morning I was trying to find a Christian song lyric that was running through my mind. The first CD I looked at was one produced by a person who later embraced a sinful lifestyle. Whenever I think of him I pray that God will convict him and bring him to repentance. He reminds me of 1 Corinthians 3:15 (ESV), “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” There will be many at the judgment who see all their “good” works burned up. There will be many more who will be told, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matt. 7:23). The question is, will you or I be in one of those groups or will we be among those who hear “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 26:21)?

As it turns out, the song stuck in my mind was from Chonda Pierce’s A Mother’s Prayer: “If I die before they wake, they’ll know I’ve lived for Jesus’ sake.” I hope that is the clear message of my life, and it’s one of the reasons I write my blogs. I may not be good at sharing my faith in conversations with people, but I have to share it in some way. It is not just obedience to a command (though it is that), but the love of Christ compels me to do so (2 Cor. 5:14). I wasn’t planning to write anything today, but my thoughts needed an outlet. It is not always easy, and I’m certain there are people who immediately turn away because they don’t want to read what I have to say. But I believe that in Christ I am a new creation and that He has entrusted me with this particular ministry (2 Cor. 5:17, 19). Therefore I will offer myself as a living sacrifice to God, using the gifts He has given me to serve His body for as long as He enables me to do so. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2).

Will you join me in living for Jesus’ sake?

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

You Alone Are Able

Most people don’t know that I dabble in arranging music for piano or euphonium. Usually that takes the form of taking SATB choral arrangements and boiling them down to a piano score (probably the opposite of what most arrangers do!) mostly because I’m too cheap to buy the piano music for myself. All that aside, I have actually written one song of my own. The words and melody were written during one of Pastor Matt’s first sermons in October 2008, though I promise I did listen to him. This week I’ve been revising the accompaniment and may make still more changes. You can listen to the audio file of the current version here. (No, that’s not me playing piano.) Here are the words:

You Alone Are Able

You are holy
And worthy of praise.
I fall before You
In awe of all Your ways.
You are worthy.
How I need Your love and grace.
Show me who You are today.

You alone are able
To take away my sin.
You alone are able
To cleanse me deep within.
You alone are worthy
Of all my praise.
I will give You glory
All my days.

Some day I may actually record the vocals, but for now I’ve been singing it to myself as a reminder of the One “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20 NIV).

Words and music © 2020 Dawn Rutan. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Mediated Presence

Much of the world is practicing social isolation as we await the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s probably easier for those of us who are introverts to begin with, but it is detrimental to all of our relationships. Until about a decade ago I practiced social isolation as a way of life. Over the past several years I’ve learned that I not only need relationships, but I want them too. So when the country started shutting down, I felt the loss like everyone else. But now that we’re a few weeks in, I find myself reverting to the old habits—don’t talk to anyone, don’t make any effort to connect with people, accept the fact that relationships cause pain and just avoid them altogether. Why wish for a real conversation with a real person when that is so difficult to do right now?

But I don’t want to go back down that path. I’m discouraged and frustrated with isolation. The longer the church goes without meeting in person, the harder it will be to convince people that this is not supposed to be the “new normal.” It may be a good time for trying new things, but we can’t assume that new is necessarily better.

Think about all the forms of communication that pastors need to monitor if they want to connect with all their church members. Recently I was listening to a podcast about technology for church leaders and one of the speakers made the comment that “email is dead.” That may be true for younger generations, but not for everyone. I choose email to communicate 95% of the time. Generational differences in communication are well documented. That can add to the feeling of disconnection and isolation for many of us. (Sometimes I wonder if all my emails are vanishing in cyberspace.)

Although we may be reaching a different niche of people with livestreaming services on various social media, there are a significant number of church members who are completely disconnected. The tech gurus hopefully will tell you that you need to show people how to use new methods, but they ignore the fact that some people don’t even turn their computers on for days or weeks at a time, if they even have computers. My fear is that the church will become further fragmented if stay-at-home orders remain in effect much longer. It’s easy to “do church” if all it requires is opening your internet browser. Some churches will continue to livestream even when regular services resume, and a percentage of Christians will think that means that the assembly of the church doesn’t really matter. Some churches have already alienated older members by the way they’ve pushed technology “solutions,” and those members will find churches that feel more traditional and accepting of their preferences. Generational divides may become even stronger.

I was in the midst of writing this when I read Colossians 4:6 (ESV): “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” It hit me that “how you ought to answer” nowadays is not just the words you use but the technology you use. We’ve gotten creative out of necessity, but are we too quick to adopt the “easy” way? Have we weighed the costs of the potential collateral damage?

As I listened to multiple podcasts this week on technology options, it became increasingly clear to me that if church leaders invest all their time in utilizing all the “must-have” technologies, there won’t be any time left to actually minister to the people they are called to shepherd. “If we speak eloquently to the webcam, but have not love, we are noisy gongs or clanging cymbals. If our website is polished to perfection and has every possible tool, but have not love, we are nothing. If we enable text-to-give and meet our budget every week, but have not love, we gain nothing.”

Are the things we’re doing actually contributing to loving one another or are they just filling the web with an overabundance of words? We all need wisdom in these strange and unsettling times.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

One Thing

It’s curious how times of testing impact individuals differently. Although I’m not thrilled to be working at home for three weeks or more, I feel like I’ll be able to handle it okay. (Of course, this is just the first day, so that may change before it’s over.) Thinking back a couple decades or more, I recall that my habit whenever I was home alone was to have the TV on in the background all the time for company. It didn’t really matter to me what I was seeing or hearing, and I didn’t care how that input was changing the way I thought about things. It took me a long time to realize the negative impact it had on my spiritual life, and even longer to be convicted enough to pray for change. If I’d been stuck at home for a few weeks back then, I shudder to think what I would have done with my time. As God has graciously enabled me to change and to mature as a Christian, my thoughts, desires, and temptations are not what they once were. That’s not to say that I never seek distractions from trials or make sinful choices, but I’m much more likely to seek God instead.

In this time of stress and anxiety, I’m sure that many people are tempted to “self-medicate” with the old patterns of sin they once enjoyed. I keep returning to Ephesians 4:

“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds… They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (17-24 ESV).

As this enforced isolation has come during the season of Lent, it’s a good time for all of us to dive deeper into Scripture and prayer and to truly seek God. My prayer for my fellow church members is that this would be a time of purification rather than returning to sin, that God would guard us from temptation, and that He would help us find ways to uphold one another in prayer and with encouraging words. None of us are strong enough to overcome sin by our own power. We can’t sanctify ourselves. We need God’s help.

In the words of Rich Mullins’ song “My One Thing”:

Save me from those things that might distract me
Please take them away and purify my heart
I don’t want to lose the eternal for the things that are passing
‘Cause what will I have when the world is gone
If it isn’t for the love that goes on and on…

May we each find ourselves drawing closer to God during this time. And though we are physically distant from one another, may we be reminded frequently that we are still one body under one Lord.

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will lift me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:4-5).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Where's Your Hope?

“But you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day” (Joshua 23:8 ESV).

In this age of uncertainty and anxiety due to the coronavirus, what you are clinging to? News coverage? Cleaning supplies? Family members? Or to the Lord your God, the maker of heaven and earth? He’s not wringing His hands and saying, “Oh, I didn’t see that coming!” He knew it from the beginning, and it hasn’t changed the number of days any of us have written in His book (Psalm 139:16).

Statistics in 2019 showed about 41% of people are at least “somewhat” afraid of death. I suspect that figure is significantly higher when there’s a pandemic spreading. Christians need not fear death, though admittedly we might fear the process of dying as well as the impact that death has on loved ones. If we are in Christ, we know our eternal destiny is secure. We should pray that those who are not believers will give serious thought to what happens after death. The current proliferation of online church services should enable some to hear the gospel and respond if they have not yet done so.

After writing those two paragraphs I learned that someone I know died Sunday. Suddenly the pandemic had a face and a name. It was no longer just “something” out there. It ceased to be an inconvenient social experiment and became real people really dying. My prayers had been “Lord, give wisdom to the leaders and doctors and scientists to stop the spread of this disease.” Now they are more like the psalms of lament (see Psalm 13):

How long, O Lord?
Will You forget us forever?
How long will You hide Your face from us?
How long must we have sorrow in our hearts all the day?
How many people must suffer and die?
How many will be mourning loved ones?
How many will be lacking basic necessities of life?
Lord, please intervene quickly!
We are helpless without You!

I’m sure many are asking why God is allowing this to continue. The theological arguments for the effects of the Fall on the world are good, but they don’t really touch the broken hearts of those who have lost family members. We know that God can and will bring some good out of this evil, and I hope that many will turn to faith in Him in these desperate times. But that doesn’t necessarily lessen the pain of the suffering today. Walter Kaiser wrote, “Let us also bow before our Maker and recognize His infinite wisdom in His distinctive and numerous reasons for suffering. And when [no explanation] seems to fit our own moment of crisis, then let us return to the lodestone and central affirmation of the book of Lamentations: ‘Great is Thy faithfulness.’”

“Remember my affliction and my wanderings…
My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’
says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in Him.’
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord”
(Lamentations 3:19-26 ESV).

The song “In Christ Alone” is a good reminder of our source of hope as well as the gospel message. May we place our trust in the One who has overcome sin and death for us, and therefore we may truly find our hope in Christ alone and have no fear in death, because Jesus commands our destiny. “Till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I stand.”

“For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead… But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:22, 57-58).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.