I have been reflecting further on Paul’s exhortation for our ‘senses’ (Jubilee Bible 2000) or ‘souls’ to not be lead astray from ‘a sincere and pure devotion to Christ’ (2 Cor. 12:3) and would like to share a little from our own life experience. This week’s illustration is another “earthen vessel”……..
“Folk history says that sincere comes from the Latin words sine cera. Sine means “without” and Cera means “wax.” The story goes that deceitful workers would take a cracked pot and fill the cracks with wax. Honest merchants would hang a sign that shows Sine Cera or “Without Wax” on it so that customers knew they were getting an authentic piece.”
I mentioned a few weeks ago the four ways in which the Way of Jesus has ‘morphed’ over the centuries as it travelled west from initially being a spiritual family relationship to being a philosophy (Greece), then an institution (Rome), then a culture (Europe), and then an enterprise (America), and how these emphases present temptations for our ‘souls’ ‘to be lead astray’ from our primary purpose, which is to know and love Christ.
Reflecting on our journey we have found ourselves following him ‘outside the camp’ of these four expressions of the ‘establishment’ where our ‘souls’ can snag us and our journey toward intimacy with God become stalled.
We are not ‘joiners’ but when Father ‘joints’ us to a group of people we are not ‘leavers’ We have always sought to “preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph.4:3) and never initiate separation. However……
Our first experience of being ‘put out’ of communion was in our local Presbyterian church where we lead the ‘youth group.’ Hungry for more of God, the young people were not disappointed as He poured out his Spirit igniting hearts and miraculously uniting in love Protestant and Catholic youth…..even as the newspapers world wide were reporting the murderous hostility that was tearing the little community of Northern Ireland apart.
The leaders of the church felt threatened by the fervor and commitment of this group of young people who were eager to experience the book of “Acts” again in their day! We repeatedly sought to honor the authorities, however eventually their demands went beyond where we had ‘faith’ to submit, and we were – ‘put out’.
Our way of behaving (the culture) was not deemed to be Presbyterian. I remember one elder saying “…But there is nothing about praying for the sick in our Presbyterian Code Book!”
For us the Way of Jesus commanding us to ‘heal the sick‘ had to take precedence over the Presbyterian Code Book!
(A few years later the Presbyterian church in Ireland had a ‘Special Assembly’ purposefully to examine the ‘spiritual’ state of the church. They produced a list of markers of spiritual life they wanted to see developing in their churches. Interestingly this list corresponded to the list they had previously found fault with, in our fellowship! Such is the cost of being called as a ‘pioneer’)
The second occasion was when an overemphasis on rules and regulations lead us to question the direction of that group. I had given a talk on the importance of structure, but said how structure needs to serve the life (of the Spirit) and not the other way round. This time it was a way of structuring (the institution) that we believed was quenching the Spirit which lead to our again being – ‘put out.’
We believed we were being true to the Way of Jesus who was angry with the Pharisees for allowing their traditions to make void the (living) word of God. In St. Paul’s words, ‘…….the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.”
In a third setting, our way of thinking (the philosophy) was at odds with the leadership. Again we did not precipitate a separation and sought to submit to the degree that our conscience permitted, but could not deny the deeper revelatory understanding of the Way of Jesus in scripture that we had received. Once again it was the leadership who drew the line in the sand and we were once more – ‘put out’.
Our latest ‘run in’ has not been with a church or a para-church body but with the local City Council! The issue on this occasion has been a way of doing business (the enterprise)
Because our motivation in welcoming into our family those who the Lord has sent to offer shelter and healing has not been commercial (the love of money) but rather devotional (the love God and neighbor) the local authorities have been flummoxed. I believe they haven’t known what to do with what their Code calls ‘a single family unit’ where their definition of family differs from ours. Because of their primary concern about ‘the bottom line’ we are again, in effect being ‘put out’ by this authority as they have made it too uncomfortable for us to stay! (Having said this we are at peace, seeing God’s sovereign hand at work moving us on in this new season!)
Again, we could not deny the Way of Jesus who said, “Inasmuch as you did it unto one of the least of these little ones, you did it unto me.”(Matt.25:40)
None of these four experiences have been easy as we had become ‘jointed’ to other people involved. But it was as if Jesus was asking each time, “Do you love me more than these?”
So we have sought to follow Him, forgiving and blessing as we go, trusting that as scripture teaches, in Christ, sooner or later, all will one day be reconciled and restored.
In the book of Hebrews we read,
“Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.“ (Heb.13:12-14)
As we have gone ‘The Road Less Traveled’ journeying “outside the camp” of these various forms of the ‘establishment’, we are ‘bearing His reproach” as we simply follow Him, who is the Way the Truth and the Life, and who said,”Whoever would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” There is a price to pay for “a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”
Although the ‘experts’ would dismiss the etymology of ‘sincere’ as given above, I find it a useful illustration. The version I heard also described the potential purchaser or redeemer holding the vessel up to the light to check wither it was ‘without wax’ or not! I think this pictures God checking that all falsehood has been removed from us ….for he ‘gave himself for us TO REDEEM US from wickedness and TO PURIFY for himself a people eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:14)
My personality tends toward being a “Peace-maker” I marvel at how God matched me with someone who is more of a “Perfect-ionist” or “Reformer.” Had I not been partnered with Hilary I know without her repeated loving challenges I would have compromised and settled many times for a false ‘peace.’ God knew that only together with her would I fulfill my calling and that she only together with me would fulfill her’s, for we are indeed united in the one calling with which we have been called……to follow Him to that ‘lasting city…..with foundations, whose architect and builder is God…..the city which is to come.’ (Heb.11,13.)
The ‘Perfect’ Holy City governed by the Prince of ‘Peace’.
We know we have likely ‘missed the turn’ on many occasions, but thankfully God’s Positioning System can graciously recalibrate – and bring us, as a spiritual family relationship – back home at last!
After finishing this blog, our Father illuminated to me in a new light, this song by Ben about the Twin Cities, our current earthly home………
P.S. When I reread last week’s blog I realized I had ‘by mistake’ left out a very significant paragraph. I talked about an answer, but omitted the question! I have since inserted it……..See if you too can find what was lost and is now found :- )