OT Prophecy: God rages in words
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Written: |
11/29/08 |
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Published: |
11/29/08 |
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Bibliography: |
Heschel, Abraham J. The Prophets. p. 5. 1962, New York, NY. |
The niggardliness of our moral comprehensions, the incapacity to sense the depth of misery caused by our own failures, is a fact which no subterfuge can elude. Our eyes are witness to the callousness and cruelty of man, but our heart tries to obliterate the memories, to calm the nerves, and to silence our conscience.
The prophet is a man who feels fiercely. God has thrust a burden upon his soul, and he is bowed and stunned at man’s fierce greed. Frightful is the agony of man; no human voice can convey its full terror. Prophecy is the voice that God has lent to the silent agony, a voice to the plundered poor, to the profaned riches of the world. It is a form of living, a crossing point of God and man. God is raging in the prophet’s words.
Men who felt fiercely. Burdens on their souls, bowed and stunned by greed. Heschel’s seminal work on the Old Testament prophets is a very great help to me, a 21st century follower of Jesus, in studying the OT prophets. Understanding that they were not simply ’strange’ men clad in sackcloth, marrying prostitutes and living in dry wells, constantly on the fringe of psychosis. They were chosen, burdened by God, expressing the anguish and love of God to a largely deaf audience. Heschel captures beautifully the tension of the prophet—being called by God to be obedient in speaking His words, while at the same time having no choice in the matter: being so burdened and weighed down with the anguish God feels towards injustice and his wayward creation that it must have been a relief just to cry out loud.
Man under authority
Written: 1/7/99
Published: 11/18/08
Bibliography: 1 Samuel 26:10-11
“As surely as the Lord lives, the Lord himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.”
I am struck by the utter humility in David’s words here as he sneaks up on Saul in a cave but refuses to kill him or to be goaded by his men into believing that God had delivered Saul into his hands.
Saul has pursued him, made him give up everything he loves and cherishes, and has made his life miserable, but David has so much faith and love in and for the Lord’s plan and so much respect for Saul as the Lord’s anointed that he refuses to harm Saul.
This quiets me.
I think of all of the times I have resisted or shown disrespect for those whom the Lord has placed in authority over me, and I am ashamed.
I will be commissioned as an officer in the US Navy tomorrow…tomorrow I stand before superior officers and swear my loyalty in service to my country. God, help me to be humble, to submit joyfully, as unto you, to the authority over me and to have respect for the people I serve under.
On daydreaming and loss of focus
Written: 2/1/98
Published: 11/16/08
Bibliography: The Fight: A Practical Handbook for Christian Living, by John White
White describes a useful exercise for dealing with daydreaming/loss of focus during meditation and prayer, and learning to remain ‘with’ God throughout the day:
As I daydream, I catch myself, and realize I have not been aware of God for a couple of hours. Or I lose concentration in prayer or meditation, and am suddenly reminded of God. It is at this point that I have two choices:
1. The one that appeals most to me is to sigh, ‘Will I never learn? Is it worth the effort?’
2. The other is to say, ‘Thank you for breaking through again. I’d do this all the time if it weren’t for you. I praise you that the Holy Spirit is still inside me. I open my mind as far as I know how to do my task for him, and in the way he wants it done.
Daydreaming and loss of awareness of God is not something to punish myself for—I would have to hire someone just to keep track of the punishment due me—but it is something that can be worked at with lightness of heart and intentional action.
Prayer of Examen
I have recently begun to intentionally experiment with including Jesus in my day-to-day activities. A tool I am finding helpful is Ignatius’ ‘Prayer of Examen’, which is proving so far to be a useful template for prayer at the end of a day to help me review, recap, and submit the entirety of my day to the Lord.
I am grateful to Mars Hill Bible Church (http://www.marshill.org/pdf/hc/practices/prayerOfExamen.pdf) for the following translation/iteration of Ignatius’ Prayer of Examen.
The Prayer of Examen is a daily spiritual exercise developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola. This practice seeks to grow followers of Jesus in their capacity to discern God’s will, find God in all things, and enhance their understanding of God’s good creation. The prayer may take between ten and twenty minutes. The majority of that time will be spent reviewing your day. Try not to dwell too long on thoughts. Instead, allow yourself to become aware and move on.
Begin by finding a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.
Then sit comfortably, with good posture and both feet on the floor. Allow yourself to relax and close your eyes if you like.
1. Recall you are in the presence of God
As you sit in silence, focus on God’s deep and abiding love for you. We are always in the presence of God. Try to become aware of God’s presence in an attentive way. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you recall your day with love.
2. Recall your day with gratitude
After a few moments, remember the small pleasures of your day; things like a good night’s sleep, a good conversation, or a beautiful sunset. These are all gifts from God. As you remember these small gifts from God, take a moment to reflect on the gifts that you gave today, whether to God or to others. How did you bring your strengths, your sense of humor, your abilities, your encouragement, your patience to others today? When you have finished, pause briefly and thank God for these things.
3. Ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit
In a moment you will begin to retrace the steps of your day. Before you do, ask the Holy Spirit to guide and direct your mind. The Spirit will lead and guide you into the truth and mystery of your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit for the capacity to recall your day with clarity and an understanding of your limitations.
4. Review your day
This is the central and longest step of the prayer. Go back to the start of your day and allow it to play like a short movie in your mind. Pay attention to the details. What were your feelings? What motivated you to respond to certain situations in the way that you did? The purpose of this is to draw out the positive and the negative aspects of your day.
As you are reviewing your day, ask the question, “Where did I fail today?” Was there a moment when you lived out of anger or bitterness? Were there things that you avoided? Don’t allow yourself to dwell on these things or seek to resolve them. Simply allow yourself to identify them and move on.
Next, ask the question, “When did I love?” Was there a moment, or several moments, in which you made the choice to live out of love. Perhaps it was a kind act like holding the door or spending intentional time with your family. Remember the ways that you chose to love this day.
Next, search for any patterns or habits during the course of the day. Do you make coffee at the same time? Do you chat for a few minutes with a co-worker? Are you always staying late at work? As you detect these patterns, what emotions do you sense coming to the surface for each habit? Do these habits help you face your day with love? Do they hinder you from facing your day with love?
5. Reconcile and Resolve
Finally, picture yourself seated next to Jesus, talking as you would with a friend. Maybe there was something in your day that you don’t feel good about. Tell Jesus about this and express your disappointment and ask him to be with you when you face that moment again. Allow yourself to feel the sorrow in your heart as you share this, but also remember and give thanks for Christ’s continual restoration of your heart. Remember all of the good moments of your day and thank Jesus for His presence with you in those moments.
6. End with the Lord’s Prayer
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Amen
Words have power
Bill Hybels’ book on leadership, Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs, is one of the best books on leadership I have read. The book is deep.
Some thoughts on why the way in which a leader (or manager) articulates an idea is as important as the idea itself, from the chapter “Language Matters”:
The truth is, leaders rise and fall by the language they use. Sometimes whole visions live or die on the basis of the words the leader chooses for articulating that vision.
The very best leaders I know wrestle with words until they are able to communicate their big ideas in a way that captures the imagination, catalyses action, and lifts spirits.
Strange as it seems, I often take long walks around our campus in search of one key word for a leadership talk I’m working on.
In a one on one conversation, I exercise this same discipline. If I need to have a significant conversation with a colleague, I write down my thoughts in a journal before I ever step foot in a meeting room.
It is not enough to know the right thing to do, and go do it—if we are to bring others along with us, the words we use are critically important to motivate, to clarify, and to say what needs to be said, and no more. I think this is particularly applicable to the weekly conversations I have with my direct reports in which we go over the week’s past performance and set goals for the future.
