Cooking

The first time I put my youngest daughter in charge of fixing supper, we had an odd blend of clam chowder and black olives. I think she figured two cans of food covered all the food groups.

Today, however, she cooks fancy tomato basil soup and an elegant chicken dish that draws crowds.

I thought about her skills as I considered feet. Feet, by the way, are a curious thing in the Bible. Feet, in biblical terms, indicated authority. A king had rights over land touched by his feet. Those defeated were considered to be under the feet of their conquerors.

A psalmist many centuries ago wrote:

You made him [man] ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet. (Psalms 8:6)

So when God put everything under our feet, he meant we had authority to rule. I'm amazed, first, that he'd turn over the works of his hand to us. Look at what mankind has done to God's creation over the centuries.

This isn't about our worthiness. Do we deserve to be handed authority over God's creation?

How would my daughter have grown in her culinary skills if I had insisted she do it right the first time? I had to believe that she would learn and grow given opportunity. (And it took a little imagination after that first meal!)

God is more gracious than I am. He looks at his children and sees not bumbling failures but princes and princesses who can grow into their rule. He crowns his children and raises them to a lofty place that they have not earned.

Our response isn't to call ourselves master chefs, but shout this:

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalms 8:9

Dark Night of the Soul

I'm not a serial reader and I'll bet some of you can relate. I'm reading three books right now: one in the mornings, one at bedtime, and one to fill in the gaps.

My morning book this month is Dark Night of the Soul by John of the Cross.

Sounds like a horror-thriller, doesn't it?

John tackles an amazing exposition of the imperfection of beginners - those who are just stepping onto their spiritual path - and holds out a picture of spiritual discipline that ought to challenge all of us.

He describes how to delight the soul in prayer and Divine things. But more fascinating to me is how he exposes the beginners.

Here's an example:

As these beginners feel themselves to be very fervent and diligent in spiritual things and devout exercises, from this prosperity (although it is true that holy things of their own nature cause humility) there often comes to them, through their imperfections, a certain kind of secret pride, whence they come to have some degree of satisfaction with their works and with themselves.

It's fascinating to me that those spiritual things that bring us joy can cause either humility or pride. That's the plight of the beginner, who might get sidetracked with this secret pride.

John has a lot more to say to beginners. And I'm wondering if most of us today are beginners, thinking we have a clue spiritually when we are actually indulging our own nature.

This is an insightful book that I'd encourage you to take a look at. You can read it online here.

Poured out

Apparently Jack has toppled the giant. Or maybe the giant only stumbled. We’re not yet sure but what’s clear is that Bill Hybels has apologized.

If you haven’t heard yet what the head of Willow Creek had to say, check out this article from Christianity Today.

But the essence is that this multi-million dollar facility, with enough staff to run a town, and lots of church programs didn’t produce spiritual growth. Willow Creek is one of the leading megachurches in this country with innovative programs and great energy for impacting the culture.

I don’t fault their motivation. Their church model drew thousands of people hungry for a Christianity relevant to their lives.

The only problem was that these people were not growing spiritually. They came to be fed but didn’t grow. Willow Creek discovered, to its chagrin, that the model grew numbers but not disciples.

It may be tempting, to those sitting on the outside, to withdraw into the good old church of our childhood, to walk away from innovation and church models.

Spiritual growth does happen the old-fashioned way, but that way is not the model of the 1950’s but of the first century. Growth happens with prayer, Bible reading, fellowship. It’s hard work and it’s not glamorous.

Jesus was the broken bread and the poured-out wine. His work was inconvenient and unattractive at times. How does a follower of Jesus grow? Willow Creek found out it wasn’t by racing after programs that pour in but by that which causes us to pour out.

Spiritual understanding

The golden rule for understanding spiritually is not intellect, but obedience.
—My Utmost For His Highest