Consider it all Joy - A Lesson on Life from a Dream

I had a dream this morning as I was waking up. I was the pastor of a small church that mushroomed in the midst of my dream. We started out in a small building, and as people were coming in, the building kept distorting and growing until there were hundreds participating there in that service. I was teaching on James chapter 1: "Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials." I was teaching that the war was fought in the mind, that joy was a thing to be considered even in the midst of the trials and the struggles of life. I was becoming demonstrative in my dream; the crowd was bringing it on. It was noisy, and they were nodding their heads in agreement. I had just reared to the top of my stature, and was pointing my finger in the air, and beginning to shout, "You are to consider it joy . . . ," when I woke up, and I became sleepily and entirely conscious.

And I said to the Lord, "That is what I desire, Lord, to be the pastor of a large congregation that has all sorts of life and vitality. That is what I desire, Lord . . ." -- and my conscience started to get to me, and I realize that I was coveting; and I confessed, "Yes, Lord, that is what I desire; that is what I actually covet."

And I immediately tried to justify my coveting, "Lord, it is good to desire a good thing -- I think there is even a verse about that, desire eagerly the good things . . ."

And suddenly the message and meaning of the dream began to change, as my thoughts turned into a different direction: "You are to consider it joy . . . when the church is not large, and when ministry is a struggle, and when you have to work at another job, and when the supplies are quite short. For the war is fought in the mind, and you are to consider it joy, even when life is hard, and there is no notoriety, and when it seems all is lost, and your ministry is not even successful."

And then suddenly, the dream, or the message, or the image shifted again. I was still the pastor of a small church, but there were suddenly many in my small congregation. The walls of the church expanded a bit, and I saw the many lives that I've touched, people who were observing my ministry, people who were examining my lifestyle, people who evaluating and scrutinizing Jesus through me -- they were not necessarily adherents to the faith, but they were my congregation, my hearers, my listeners, my examiners, at times, perhaps, even my actual accusers. I was to consider it joy despite the fact that my witness was so non-effective. I was to consider it joy even though the message fell on so many deaf ears.

I have to admit that the war is fought in the mind. I find it so hard to find joy for life so frequently feels like a struggle. I have so many aspirations that I can't seem to realize. Life feels like a failure; so often, I personally feel like a failure. Yet, I am to consider it joy in my heart; I am to orient my life and my mind and my soul to find joy even in the middle of failure.

And so I prayed, "O Lord, help me to reorient my mind to the meaning of joy, to the experience of joy, to the cultivation of joy, even in the midst of my struggle. Give me the outlook of joy even when there are only the sources of sorrow. Help me to find joy even in a life full of frustration and what perpetually looks like defeat. Help me to grasp a glimpse of your joyful perspective where even the futility of this mortal life is ultimately transformed into joy; and keep me living in that joy even in the midst of life's struggle."

The only source of joy in the life of the struggler is the joy that flows from the Spirit. The Spirit within us is a well-spring that springs up with joy unto eternal life. There was a little song I learned as a child, "I have the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart; down in my heart to stay." By the grace of God, we need to orient our lives to that joy. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Concerning Western Society's Headlong Rush to the Sewer

I have to remind myself today that this is not a political blog. I am, however, immensely troubled by the ruling that the Supreme Court issued on Friday barring states from refraining from allowing homosexual "marriages" within their jurisdictions. We speak often of marriage of two different entities; we speak of those who have some quite distinct differences as being somewhat uncomfortably joined together in a certain realm of activity. This, we say, is an unwieldy marriage; it is unwieldy because of the differences; it is a marriage because that which was different has been joined together -- a euphemism which speaks to the gender distinctions in a true marriage, a marriage between a woman and a man, whose constitutions at times, are fundamentally different.

What I am speaking to today is the moralistic haze and/or fog that has infiltrated this nation. The State of North Dakota still has a law on the books that states that it is child neglect to leave your child in the care of an immoral person. But who, pray tell, is this actually speaking about? Historical morality has been replaced by the new morality making the one who continues to hold to the historical morality immoral in the sight of those who embrace what has come to be the "moral" position. Just in my lifetime, morality has literally been stood on its head. The Scripture speaks to this also, when it says, "Woe to those who call good evil and evil good." The question arises again, who is envisioned in this statement, "bigots" like me who have the audacity to consider homosexuality as evil? Or, is it those who have triumphed for the day, those who argue that homosexuality is good and positive, something worthy of full-flung and wide-ranking acceptance?

How far we have strayed from the righteous commandments of God! One of the things that is distinctive about the commandments are these prefixing words: "Thou shalt not!" In our society, these very words are anathema regardless of the commandments which follow. Our society cries out, "How dare you tell me that I should not!" There are to be no restrictions; personal freedom abhors them. Nobody dare tell me "no," as I have every civil liberty to do whatever I need to do so that I find some personal pleasure.

One more thing that causes me deep concern. The pedophiles are at the door, scoping at America's children. They are bringing their arguments, touting the same mantra as the homosexual agenda: "You cannot tell me who I can love." I have read the arguments already; pedophiles are born this way; they are attracted to children; there is nothing that they can do about it. And they are sick of being marginalized and deprived of their freedom to love who they love, and to engage in their pernicious and their repulsive unions. I had a discussion today with a friend on Canadian soil, who argued vehemently that there was no way that pedophilia would ever be legal. Yet, I argued the exact same way as little as 10 years ago about the homosexual issue. And look at where we are now; I would have never dreamed anytime "pre-Obama" that such a perversity as homosexuality would ever be legislated as legal.

This illustrates the problem with evil. It is both restless and relentless; it will be never satisfied; it will always be consumed with its perpetual desire for more. It will never stop until such a time as it burns itself into the ground. In an individuals life, this happens during the course of 70-90 years. In a society, it only grinds to a halt when confronted by a greater societal evil (namely, revolt, rebellion, revolution). This will be seen within Western society as this new morality establishes wickedness as the brave new world's moral imperative. The Scripture prophesies that this will be the case, as there will come a day when those who have embraced an alternative morality will kill the true believers believing that they are actually doing God a favor.

In closing, though the Bible tells me that evil men will progress from bad to worse, I did not think it would look quite like this as humanity progresses down into the sewer. I did not think that the Church would be so confused, that the moral decisions would become so deceptive, to where following the Lord and the Scripture would become characterized as immorality and injustice. I did not imagine that the justifications of immorality would become so plausible; neither could I have imagined the political pressure that manipulates the church of God into not only silence, but also acceptance. This is an immensely sad and sinister day. Come, Lord Jesus, and quickly, and please bring us back to our senses.

The Duggar's Fiasco, Woundedness, and Healing Prayer

So, this revelation in the life of Josh Duggar seems to have touched quite of a nerve with the American public. The polarization in the media is obvious; either Josh is a fine young man who made a mistake. and who has proved himself. and he deserves a second chance; or he is a child molester, a villain, despicable abuser, worthy of death, or at minimum, worthy of prison. I have heard that many fault the Duggars for not having their son arrested when he was 14, and having him sent to jail, to rot, or to at least have a criminal record for the rest of his life. Yet, some of these are also those who campaign for looser and looser restrictions upon sex; in many ways their arguments create a conundrum.

I wonder if what I am hearing is connected to our emotional trauma. The sexual revolution has left us with a society of victimization. Sex taken out of context cannot help but bring with it disaster. Yet it feels so good, and if feels so right, and it is so exhilarating in the now, that we do not really care in the moment if we will be lacerated by it in the future. That is, until we find out that our rampant immorality hurts. "If it feels good, do it," that is our mantra, "As long as it causes no physical pain." But what about the psychological and emotional trauma? What about the impact that the perversions may have on our identity, on our inner sense of security, and on our future orientation.

The truth of the matter is that we are in need of another form of sexual revolution. We need a revolution in the direction of wholesomeness, in the direction of dignity, in the direction of purity; we need some way to get away from our sense of worthlessness and shame. We need some way to recover from the ravages of our broken spirits. Rampant immorality has more than ravished our bodies, it has also ravished our souls. Deep, deep down within, our inner humanity has broken.

That is why the Duggar story draws out so much animosity and venom. It is the bitterness of our souls crying out; here was a person and a family that we thought might have offered us some sort of solution. Here is a family that seemed on the surface so unmarred from our sexual pain, so immune to our sense of sexual exploitation and victimization. Thus, this revelation is almost like a corporate betrayal; as the pure and pristine in our culture has turned out, it appears, to only be a painted-up vulture.

I am sticking to my understanding that Josh Duggar is a vulture no longer. Vulture once, I agree; but I believe that Josh Duggar has experienced a life transformation. You see, I believe in character change. I believe in a transformation of spirit. I believe that the healing of the spirit is real. I believe that one can be healed and recover from not only criminality, but also from deep emotional trauma.

And so I pray for all those who in their bitterness spew forth their hatred and dump it all on the Duggars. This bitterness, I believe, arises from a heart gone astray, a heart which is infected with a wounded and a broken spirit. These wounds have been real; they have penetrated to our national soul; and yet, even now, the Lord is in the business of healing the spirit. I have seen his healing take place, not only in my own soul, but in other souls who have let the Lord God carry their burdens. It is a healing that take place over time. It is a healing that comes through much struggle. Yet, it is also a healing that brings hope and comfort and joy Yes, it brings peace in the midst of despair and it brings restoration to the one who is wounded in spirit.

Recently, I have been reading about the reality of true healing prayer. Healing prayer brings about inner healing from God. It senses the heart of God in the midst of the times that one has been most seriously wounded. In healing prayer, God touches the heart in a dynamic way, in ways that could not be manufactured or brought about by human intervention. Healing prayer addresses the hidden wounds of the soul on a spiritual level rather than only effecting the emotional and psychological level.

After hearing the hate and the venom directed toward the Duggars it is clear that we stand in need of deep, inner healing. This is a fact that we realize, and it keeps our psychiatrists' benches full. What has it done to our prayer closets? Is healing prayer being utilized by our churches? The Great Physician is in, perhaps it is time that you sit down with a brother or sister and seek out His intervention.

Expressing Empathy for the Duggars

This is not a political blog. It is largely a blog for my own self-reflection. Today, I was informed about the situation that had occurred in the Duggar family back in 2003. A child molested his siblings; it must have been a shocking and horrific situation to handle. Many of the pundits are lacerating the family for its supposed secrecy, for its cover-up, for its ignorance, for its hypocrisy. I have to say I see things another way; and I think Michelle and Jim Bob handled the situation in the best way that they knew how to do so.

There are also some dreadful things being said about Josh Duggar as well, that he is a child molester, that he should be shot, or stoned, or what have you. In a certain sense this may be true. However, once again, I see things from a different perspective. Religion aside, I think if we evaluate the situation from a legal perspective, we will see that in truth Josh is neither a child molester -- as we typically understand this descriptive title -- neither is he a predator, or one who is at risk to molest his own children.

From a legal standpoint, there is a reason why we have juvenile court. We know, as a society, as humans, as people who have been there, that teenagers do asinine things. When these things involve criminal behavior, teenagers get remanded to juvenile courts. They can be remanded to superior courts, but there is an intense hesitancy to do this. Most of the time -- nearly all -- the juvenile records are sealed. What is this so? It is because we recognize that in juveniles, the character is not entrenched, and there is opportunity to change, and an implicit hope that they can leave their childish behavior behind -- even when it is criminal -- and move on to become productive and constructive citizens within our society.

In other words, we know that critical intervention offered at the right time can be opportunely and extremely corrective. This is the purpose of our juvenile courts, to offer critical intervention, and to offer it in time so that these behaviors will not follow a child into adulthood. This is precisely where I admire the Duggars. They chose to intervene in the life of their child, in progressively more instructive and constructive ways, in order to excise criminality from the heart of their child, and yet also to rescue him, so that he would be productive and constructive in his adulthood.

I spent part of the afternoon today going through the records of the police investigation. It was clear to me that the Duggars followed a sensible path in addressing their son's misbehavior. They first tried to solve the behavior within the family unit. One must always address behavior within the family first. There are two reasons for this: one, it is the responsible thing that a parent must do, and two, there is no need to burden the overworked justice system with issues that really need to be worked out by the parents.

When it was clear that the behavior was not going to subside, the Duggars looked outside of the home for help and support and assistance. They went to their church  and to their elders for what was clearly a more public confrontation. They sought help from a friend, an officer of the law, clearly without knowing that he was also a vulture. (Had they known about the officer's criminal activities, I am certain that they would have exposed them.)

Finally, they went to the law. They sent their child away from the house to seek outside intervention. I am guessing that they would have went even further that this if they had felt like there had been the need. But they did not believe that there was a need, for they truly believed that they had now addressed not only the issue, but that they had achieved the change of behavior that they had so desired.

Here is a critical thing. One should never take a situation further than it is necessary to take it. Since the discipline was finally corrective, they chose to leave it at that. It is senseless and stupid to ruin a child's reputation and productivity forever. If a child can be rescued, even from criminality itself, then it is imperative that we do so, but also that we do so in such a way so that it does not permanently cripple one's children.

Josh has shown himself to be worthy of respect. He has lived his life responsibly as an adult and has contributed to the society in which he has lived. Now that his past sins have been exposed, he has taken responsibility. He has resigned from his prominent position. He had not deferred blame to those who were the victims of his impositions. And he has accepted the shame, without lashing out; for I think that he realizes that this is one of the inevitable consequences of his actions.

Thus, I am empathetic of the Duggars position. It is a horribly painful and shameful situation, a personal trauma, a horrible nightmare, a radical calling into account. And yet, I think they will come through it all with high marks; for I believe that we will see them handle it responsibly and respectfully, and with the grace and mercy which will mark them out as being honest and true followers of Jesus.

The Scripture as Cognitive and Spiritual Therapy

A couple of weeks ago, I took part in a workshop dealing with anxiety in children. The workshop discussed signs and symptoms of anxiety in children and suggested ways this anxiety could be managed within an educational setting. One of the techniques centered around cognitive thinking and developing the frontal cortex of the brain to manage the fear and anxiety responses of the children. The more I listened and thought about what I was hearing, the more it dawned on me that the Scripture has much to say about cognitive formation, especially in response to anxiety. There are constant admonitions that we are not to fear, that we are to cultivate the disposition of faith and of trust, and that we are to constantly devoted to prayer, and to seeking God's interventions in daily living.

I discussed this briefly with the school's superintendent, a lady who has been schooled in both behavioral and psychological interventions. The verse I referenced specifically was Philippians 4:6, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." Verse 7 follows with the temporal result -- though this did not come to me at the time -- "and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Here is God's solution to fear and to worry and to anxiety. Pray. Pray, with every kind of prayer, and pour out your heart's concerns to the Lord. But we are not only to pray, we are also to give thanks. Consider your blessings, focus on the positives, give thanks for the benefits that God has already given, as well as those for which he is currently providing.

It is most helpful to also take note of what God has done in the past. Here is a great portion of the Scripture as well, the recitation of all that God has done in the past. Sometimes it is hard to understand how an given story of the past applies to the present; but it applies in at least this one way, it is a recitation of God's faithfulness throughout all of humanity's generations.

Yet, it would be wrong to reduce the Bible to simply a manual of cognitive therapy solutions. For the truth about humanity that is so often displayed in the Scripture is the fact that goes contrary to human nature to implement these solutions apart from a complete transformation of the human spirit. In other words, this is not simply mind over matter. It is not simply a matter of cognitive self-deception, or a method of learning to rethink and/or reframe the realities of the human condition. Faith in God cannot be feigned. Biblical faith is not merely rethinking, it is total dependence upon a true and living God who not only reorients our thinking, but also rescues us from situations where there is not human solution.

Scripture states that we walk by faith not by sight. What we see and understand from our human perspective will often be incongruous with faith. Often times, in fact, what we see and understand will be far more congruous with fear and uncertainty. There will be many situations in life where anxiety is actually the most cognitively rational reaction. Yet, these are the times we faith gives us the certainty that we can have confidence in God even in the face of outright disaster. Faith teaches us that God will come through in the end, as he is the only one who is faithful.

This kind of faith requires an intellectual overhaul which is a result of a spiritual transformation. The Scripture refers to this as renewing your mind, allowing your understanding to be overhauled by the Scripture. This is the heart and the essence of the spiritual battle; for it is then and only then will you gain any true victory over fear and anxiety. And while our human fears may not melt away, they will be overshadowed by God's promises of joy and of faithfulness and of peace. And, as the Scripture has already spoken, the peace of God will come in and act as our guard; and our minds will be shielded, and we will cease to give into panic.

So, I would propose, that this is the ultimate solution to the problem of anxiety in children. We should teach them to hope in the Lord, and to constantly rethink both their rational and irrational fears in light of God and his faithfulness. This is the solution not only for anxiety in children, but also to both anxiety and depressive disorders.

Becoming like a LIttle Child

For the past several months, I have spent significant time with my one year old grandson -- he just turned one year old this past April. I have found this a fascinating experience, one that takes me back in time to the when I was raising the six of my own. But this time around, what has come to mind most frequently is how I must be as a little child to God. How much I fret and fuss and fume with God and his plan for me and with me, and how little I understand about the mission that he is fulfilling.

Let me give you an example. The little guy is hungry. I get up to make him a bottle. He sees that I am preparing it, he knows that it is coming, and it will only take one or two minutes to prepare. But that one or two minutes must seem to this child like an eternity, especially given the passion of his desire. Occasionally, I have tried to make the bottle while he is in my arms. This makes a mess; and so I often put him down which I am adding the formula to the water. If he is really hungry, oh does he howl! But then when I plug him in, he chomps down on his food, and his cries desist instantaneously into satisfied silence.

How often am I like this with God? I have seen him take care of me. I know he provides. I have seen him prepare for me bottle upon bottle upon bottle. And yet, I squall squall whenever I feel some sense of disquiet. When my soul is uncertain, it feels at times as if I have lost all my faith. I cry out to God in distress: where are you, why are you doing this to me, why is it that now you have decided to desert me?

Recently, the little guy has been wrapping his arms around my legs when I am standing at the kitchen sink preparing his bottle. It makes it difficult to move, to step over and grab the formula can, or to get the milk out the refrigerator, etc. This is a new thing; there was a time when I could get the bottle fixings entirely impeded. In this another analogy lies. Early in my Christian life I had faith that God would provide and I allowed him to do so unimpeded. As I have grown older, and supposedly wiser, I now feel that I must help God a bit. So, I wrap my arms around problems and situations and circumstances; am I hampering or impeding God in the process?

Probably not. Jayson does not really hinder me from accomplishing the mission. He simply adds to the work with the "help" he is intending to offer. God has multitudinous ways to keep me from impeding his missions. And I am thankful for this, for in spite of myself, God is the only one who is perpetually faithful.

Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 18, unless you become as little children, you will never enter into the kingdom of God. Implied in this statement is the realization that we are like children. I would suggest that we often find ourselves dealing with God in the same way an hungry child deals with his or her parent. Perhaps becoming like a child includes the realization that this is exactly how we are acting, that we are off fussing and squalling again, when God is simply doing all that is necessary to ensure that each one of our needs is provided.

My final example is when Jayson needs to go down to bed. He must have his sleep or his world doesn't work as it should. Little things become big things; the little bumps and tumbles which generally cause him no bother become big things, prompting unsettled crying whenever the baby is tired. Yet, if all is not perfect, when I put Jayson down, he tries to tell me that I have just made a horrendous mistake. Perhaps he feels abandoned; perhaps he feels left all alone. And yet, I've really gone nowhere; I have simply left him to get the sleep that he needs so that his world becomes right again, so that he will once again feel that everything is settled.

How many times do I feel as if God has abandoned me when in actuality I have simply been laid down to rest? Those who know me well know that resting does not come naturally to me. I would rather be restless and miserable than to sit down in silence and simply lay down for my nap. And yet in those times of restlessness, when I so often feel so lost and abandoned, perhaps God is simply saying, "Lay down, my child, you need to learn how to rest. Take a little nap now; rest in me, and in the end you will truly feel better."

To wrap this all up, through watching this grandson, I am learning more and more about how fickle and infantile I am. How I truly need to rest in my Savior and trust in him that he truly knows what he is doing. After all, my God is my Father; He is the perfect parent, the one who does all things to perfection.

***I need to add a note here in case Jayson stumbles onto this blog later on down the road. Jayson is not a problem child at all. he is a happy-go-lucky child who, when he is awake and well-fed, is smiley and happy and bubbly. He is truly a joy to be around. And likely God has the same idea of us, in spite of the times when are hungry and tired. He thoroughly loves his own children, and he happily provides for each and every one of their needs, just like I do with the little boy whenever it is my turn to take care of him.

Learning to Sign and to Understand Sign

This past year I have spent working as a Dorm Counselor at the North Dakota State School for the Deaf. It have been an interesting position. It has also been fraught with some challenges. Take ASL (American Sign Language) and communication with the deaf. I came into this job knowing nothing, knowing not a thing about ASL. I have learned on the job. I have made many mistakes. I have, apparently, make several profane mistakes. Imagine, the pastor with the profanity hands. That is what I have been at times. The difference between "Thank You," and F%^& You" is only a mere inch or two; it is the same hand motion, the sign for the profanity originates only one inch lower. It was my first profane mistake; since then I have made several.

This morning I was venting to my wife about my frustrations with God's direction, that it so often is non-verbal, that he does not speak to me, and that if he was speaking, that I must certainly be deaf, for I was not able to hear him. Instantaneously, it flashed through my mind that this must explain the Pharisees' desire for signs. They were deaf to the God that they worshiped; they did not hear his word, and when they did, they did not understand it. Jesus said so himself, their eyes were blinded, and their ears were shut. They were spiritually deaf, so they needed to be spoken to in signs and wonders.

Problem was, they were like I am, without any ability to understand all the signs. I have found that it is one thing to learn to communicate (that is to speak things) in sign; it is an entirely different process to learn to understand the signs that you are seeing. So it was for the Pharisees as well -- and occasionally, also for the disciples. I can see the signs of the deaf, but about the time that I understand the first sign signed, the deaf person has signed five to ten other signs, as I am lost, wondering what the significance of the first sign was in comparison with the sign that I am presently seeing.

So, I started another ancient discipline today in order to try to train myself to discern the God I love and his signs, or his communication to me. I have started today to undertake an hour of silence -- assuming that my life becomes uncluttered enough so that I can free up one hour. I find that with the deaf person I am interacting with, I have to stop him or her frequently, and ask them to repeat themselves, to sign the same thing over and over again. I am doing that with God also; "God, what are you saying? Why do I not get it? What is the context? And is it possible for me to pay attention long enough so that I can get your full sentence?"

We shall see where it takes me. Today I came up with a list of activities that I should do. One was to return to the discipline of blogging from time to time. I have been told by several people recently that my gifting is writing and speaking -- yes, verbally, as I find that I really struggle to sign and to understand sign.