Maturity is About Simplicity

"To be mature in understanding is not ultimately about knowing the definitions and nuances of complex theological concepts...

Ironically, maturity of understanding may well be remembering, and resting in, the simplest things."

 I've had these quotes about maturity typed into my blog for a while now, that I read in the middle of  a wonderful little book from the library called The Call to Wonder: Loving God Like a Child, 

by R.C. Sproul.

"Maturity  means, in part, holding to the great truths of Scripture carried down through the ages...As we cling to the truths of Scripture, we see that Word maturing in us and, in the end, bearing much fruit."

 "We do not engage in competition to demonstrate who of us is the smartest, because we remember that "smart" is not an attribute of the fruit of the Spirit.

"If ever a church struggled with both an unbecoming lack of maturity and a deep need to become more like children, it was the church at Corinth. This church was rocked with schism and scandal, all rooted in pride. Paul had to deal with the Apollos-ites, the Peter-ites, even the Paul-ites, groups of purported Christians who defined their identity not in terms of following Christ but in following a favorite teacher. In addition, the Corinthians thought themselves so mature, so committed to grace, that they countenanced [italics mine] a man having his father's wife--something...even the unbelievers would never do.

That same spirit showed itself in a prideful pursuit of spiritual gifts in that church. 

Too many people saw the gifts as signs of the spiritual superiority of those who had them.

Paul reminds...that none of the things they are scrambling for mean anything without love.."

Sprouls wrote that we need to be careful not to "confuse maturity of understanding

with a willingness and ability to bicker over fine points of theology."

"Because we live in an egalatarian age, we think our own speculations ought to be given the same weight as the wisdom of the centuries. We do not honor the fathers who have gone before us, and we think too highly of ourselves...

As one wise theologian once put it, if you have come up with an idea that has been rejected by the church as error for two thousand years, how likely is it that you are correct and the rest of the church throughout history is wrong?" p, 113

"How sinful I am, if I take this warning against pride and turn it into an opportunity for pride. If I take Paul's wisdom and divide the Kingdom of God into two camps: the poor, ignorant, immature, milk people; and the meat people, people like me.  Paul is not criticizing his audience for not becoming sufficiently skilled in talking about deep theology...The solid food we are called to here is related to our ability to discern between good and evil. 

Too often "we think that the good and evil we are called to discern is good theological precision and evil theological error."

"We demonstrate our spiritual maturity as we recognize that we ourselves are but babes."

These are some scattered thoughts that meant a lot to me, and I typed these quotes the one evening when I had sat down to open this book, and I could hardly lay it down. It was such a comfort. 

Because I fear God more than I fear man, and to read that maturity is more about accepting and believing the simple truths of Scripture rather than understanding all the theological nuances and concepts--

that made me hope that I could actually be on my way to maturity at the young age of 50

even if I am not highly esteemed by any around me as a great and wise person. 

I told Jonathan yesterday that I am just a dumb donkey,

like Balaam's, 

and I hurt when I feel beaten by what others may think of me,

but my deepest desire is to be obedient to God and fear Him more than anyone else.

There are more thoughts about maturity that I divided out to put in the next post.

Let's Do Family Together--A Few Hours with my Sister and Parents

On our way to Missouri and back, I read this book out loud to Jonathan, 

Let's Do Family Together, by Gary Smalley.

 He had some very good thoughts, especially about learning to honor one another in the family.

At my sister's place, I loved this blown up photo that she had made

for their anniversary,

of the covered bridge near the old homeplace where Joella lived before they got married.

It's the same covered bridge where Jonathan and I took walks just before we got married. 

I loved my sister's chore chart that she had on the wall for her children.

I noticed how at the very top left corner it said, "To Love,"

and underneath it the children's names.

Love was made a priority

even before the "To Do" part.

I noticed what a good example of loving Craig was to his little children.

That Monday morning it was such a joy to spend some time with my dear mother,

and here we were hanging laundry.

I've inherited her love of hanging laundry outside, although on days like today,

it was so cold I had to wear a winter coat,

and down south there was haze from the terrible fire burning in the Wet Mountains.

Here Mom is showing me the nightie she just finished for another of her granddaughters

(whom I will not name lest any of them read this).

Here is the quilt patch Mom is almost done with for the new great-grandbaby's quilt.

My Dad had brought home loads of cedar scrap wood for kindling wood for their woodstove,

and he let me go through the pile and pick out this pile of cedar scraps for my Timmy to turn into wall plaques.

 Joella's little children were willing helpers, helping unload that cedar to put into our truck as soon as Jonathan got back from picking up the shingle lift that morning.

I was talking to Joella this Sunday, having called to ask how the children were doing with their sickness, and she said since she had to stay home from church, she had listened to a Scottish preacher they like who talked about the verse about casting your cares upon Him.

He had said the Greek meaning is literally "Hurl" your cares upon Him.

"Hurl your cares."

That is one definite act.

A defining moment when it comes to that care.

 Yesterday I did that with a care that was too big for me to handle.

I hurled it with both hands--this unseen but real burden

onto the unseen but real shoulders of God.  

And at night in bed, the burden and pressure came again.

I was twisting and turning and I almost leaped out of bed and to run to the livingroom to battle it out. 

But God has been teaching me how to fight this battle of the mind--

and to recognize Satan's strategies.

Half the battle is recognizing the enemy.

The other half is resisting him.

And praise God, when we resist him effectively,  there is then rest as he flees.

He simply flees when he is recognized and resisted.

Last night, he wanted to take my sleep away from me, and I have been working at training my mind and body to obey the decisions of my will.

It takes discipline.

But last night it paid off.

Instead of flying out of bed in a torment and pacing the floors for hours--

I simply disciplined my thoughts to resist the torment,

put my trust in the Lord--

and before I knew it, I fell asleep.

I believe this is the first time this has ever happened so amazingly like that.

Thank You, Lord, for teaching my hands to war and my fingers to fight

in the battles we face.

"He giveth His beloved sleep."

"In Quietness and Confidence"--Cathedral in Kansas

A couple weeks ago on our way home from Missouri, Jonathan and I decided to take a brief rest stop and take in this historic cathedral that is in sight of the interstate in the middle of Kansas.

There is something about chapels, sanctuaries, and cathedrals, regardless of religious affiliation or denomination,

that intrigues me.

To me, they are a symbol of God's presence and worship.

And so as we and another couple walked quietly into this one, which is open I think every day of the year.
There was an obvious air of reverence, and I felt like I was walking on holy ground.

That is, until we got about halfway down the aisle and were struck with the number of statues of saints and apostles and Mother Mary, etc.

Cathedral or no, this was not exactly holy ground.

Quiet or no, we didn't feel like we belonged with all those statues and idols.

So, halfway down the aisle, Jonathan and I looked around us and then looked at each other.

"I've had enough," Jonathan declared, and so had I.

Together we turned our backs on this sanctuary and walked out. 

  I was struck with a profound sense of disappointment.
I had entered reverent and had my senses disillusioned.
I miss the quiet sense of reverence that I feel ought to be in our churches,
and that was there in that Catholic cathedral,
but it has to be coupled with Biblical truth, too.

I had hoped to walk in somewhere and just spend a few quiet moments alone with God in the middle of our hurried journey and the heavy hearts we were both carrying.

And instead, we had to turn our backs on even the quietness because there was too much wrong represented there in that cathedral.

I find God not so much in noise and clatter, in loud music, or praises and noisy expressions of faith

as in the stillness and quiet.

The other day, after spending many weeks without a blind for our sliding glass door in our living area, Jonathan was able to purchase a wooden curtain rod and we hung the curtains we'd gotten

I loved the sense of softness and quiet that was there when Jonathan brought me out to see what he had chosen for me and put up while I was out of the kitchen.

I did like it! I love the round dowel (rather than sharp corners)

and the wood, too, which goes with our wooden clock, rather than metal blind frames. 

And the soft fabric curtains. 

Just small details that left me feeling peaceful in my kitchen, and that seemed to slightly tame the noise.

 Perhaps it's because I spend most of my days in a busy household with all kinds of noise

(like the shop vac in the middle of putting up new backsplash for the counter)

and have been on call 24/7 that I long for quietness and even stillness when it comes to worship.

"Be still and know that I am God."

"In quietness and confidence shall be your strength..."

And after the earthquake, fire, and wind, the "still, small voice."

 

The last few days I have been spending more time in quietness.

Up the trail, in my little nook, 

or on my knees or with bowed head, or searching the Scriptures

for guidance in this path of life.

 A few mornings ago last week on a frosty morning, Jonathan took this picture of a frost picture on our bedroom window.

To both of us, it looked incredibly like three crosses on a hill.

"Take up your cross and follow," said Jesus,

and sometimes that cross is to do or speak for Him and bear the suffering that follows.

And sometimes it is to be still and let Him work.

Sometimes you must do or speak and be still all at the same time.

God will not work for those too cowardly to take up their cross,

to do His will. 

But when we speak or do for His sake, we can then leave it in His hands to do with it as seems best to Him.

His peace is there, and even in the raging storm,

we can hear His, "Peace, be still."

Mouse Stuck in Drawer Results in Yardstick Drubbing of Operations Director

Penn View really needs to have a student-run weekly newspaper to hand out to all college students, staff and faculty, as well as to send out to supporters of the college.

It needs to include funny news clippings like this one.

Crystal was on the phone with me last evening 

sharing this story with gales of laughter.

I think it should be turned into a news clipping reading something like this:

"This week a mouse was found in the office drawer of office secretary, Mary Rine. 

Due diligence was taken to call in Operations Director Frank Heidler to remedy the situation with a mouse trap.

Frank Heidler duly set a mouse trap--
but not your regular kind.
.So the next morning, Penn View's students and teachers were on break from early morning classes at 8:00 when the secretaries were arriving in their office.

Suddenly the most blood-curdling scream ever heard on Penn View campus erupted from the office.

Mary Rine had opened her drawer and found the mouse all right--

still alive and kicking on the sticky trap that Heidler had mischievously set!

Outside the window stands the guilty culprit, Frank Heidler, laughing and laughing.

Before long, he makes the mistake of coming inside the door and showing up in the hall outside the office, where Penn View students who dared to peek round the corners

observe the unprecedented spectacle of Operations Director Frank Heidler receiving a well-deserved drubbing with a yard stick from Secretary Mary Rine."

***********

If bits of news like that would be sent out to all alumni and interested supporters,

Penn View's financial support would probably double in the space of one year.

"I Want a Principle Within"--but Please Permit Me to Be Human!

A few weeks ago Rev. Josh Davis spoke at our church for Friday night youth rally

and for both services on Sunday.

His wife and he sang as a duet together the beautiful old hymn by Charles Wesley,

"I Want a Principle Within."

I have not been this impressed with a young couple in a long time.

I loved this couple's sincerity, simplicity, honesty and uniqueness, and yes,

their delightful un-coolness. 

(Josh graduated ten years ago from Penn View--yay for Penn View!--after driving his teachers crazy before he really was transformed by the power of Christ).

They actually sang an old hymn for the special.

"I want a principle within of jealous, godly fear,

A sensibility of sin, a pain to feel it near.

Help me the first approach to feel of pride or wrong desire,

To catch the wandering of my will and quench the kindling fire."

"From Thee that I no more may stray, no more Thy goodness grieve,

Grant me the filial awe, I pray, the tender conscience give;

Quick as the apple of an eye, O God, my conscience make!

Awake my soul when sin is nigh, and keep it still awake."

"Almighty God of truth and love, To me Thy power impart;

The burden from my soul remove, the hardness from my heart.

O may the least omission pain my reawakened soul,

And drive me to that grace again, which makes the wounded whole."

****

Bro. Josh preached that Friday to the young people from the lives of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,

about our need to be willing to stand alone for right 

even if everyone around us is bowing.

 And so that was a very sobering and convicting message.

But then that Sunday evening he brought a different theme, and a fresh perspective on how Satan can trouble us about our humanity until we feel like we can't be witnesses for the Lord.

He was talking about Satan's tactics and how he will try to keep us from being fruitful Christians.

About the time we recognize an opportunity to share Christ with someone,

Satan will quickly remind us that we didn't read our Bible that morning,

or had to rush off without having our prayer time.

This is the first preacher I have ever heard who was honest about the fact that as a father of three young children and a pastor who worked a full time construction job,

he just simply isn't able to always without fail read his Bible and pray every single day.

He said, "Our goal should be to read our Bible and pray every day," but if in the reality of life, 

we miss a Bible reading here or a prayer time there,

and have times when we only do it three or four days a week instead of seven,

that is no reason to tuck our tails between our legs and let the devil tell us we can't be a faithful witness and a fruitful Christian!

 Or, Bro. Josh said,  Satan will use another tactic.

Just when we feel we should share Christ or be involved in some kind of witness for Him,

Satan will quickly remind us how we got aggravated with our spouse or with our kids that morning!

 This is the first preacher I have ever heard who admitted from the pulpit 

that if you don't get aggravated at your kids,

you aren't even human!

May his tribe increase.

I gasped, "Thank you!" right out loud in the middle of all these people listening.

So, yeah, now everyone knew I am this horrible mom that isn't sanctified well enough to not get aggravated with my kids.

 I have heard people testify who apparently never got aggravated with their kids again

after they were saved, not to mention sanctified.

An egg could get squashed on the carpet, and they would not be troubled.

Well, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year Year, and Hallelujah!
God's plan is not that we be justified, sanctified, petrified, and wimpified. 

 Perhaps if you are retired and have all day to pray, read and play at your hobbies,
or if you only have two or three kids and they are in school all day, you could clean up three dozen eggs off the carpet and not be troubled.

 Try raising the chickens and eggs, too,

and butchering your own beef...

and your own pork,

 and home school ornery kids all morning,

and then take them up to the nearby lake to go fishing,

 and help your hubby with his office work

and still try to fit in a Sunday morning and afternoon where you take your kids to a little inner-city mission church in Denver

where the new young pastor and his wife (also from Penn View) are working single-handedly
 with 26 children and a few adults,

and you come home half dead,

and the hay falls off the four-wheeler 

or egg falls out of the fridge or your kids start squabbling,

well, if you aren't aggravated, I just say Merry Christmas!

May your Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Columbus Days be multiplied. 

I'm more human than that, and live my days during the rest of the year.

 It was incredibly refreshing to hear a holiness pastor say so, too.

He clarified that we cannot get out of control and still think we are in the power of the Spirit,

but there is a point where we are just human and respond to difficult situations

in less than angelic feelings

and in maybe a less than sweetsy way. 

He told of a time when during a game at Bible College another young man apparently got mad at him and slugged him in the back.

Josh whipped around and laid that young man on the ground.

That night he agonized and wept over it. 

But the Holy Spirit let him know that he had not been out of control when he dealt with that slug.

He was a young husband and father who was responsible for taking care of a wife and family

and could not permit another person to wreck his back and put him out of commission.

I have never in my life heard this kind of truth

and this kind of honest, fearless admission that left me feeling so incredibly strengthened. 

I go home from that feeling like a huge burden is off my back.

I'm less frustrated, less burdened,

less weak and less worn,

and I feel like I can actually work on the patience thing and the perseverance

and the faithfulness and the learning to rejoice in tribulation--

 

because if I am human,

I'm just that!

HUMAN!

Thanks, Bro. Josh, for permitting us to be human and humane,
and for giving us a picture of a Christ Who is not just lifeless, listless, and lovey-dovey.
This truth needs to be lifted up about Jesus Christ, the real Christ with a heart of love for the repentant but with blazing eyes for the rebellious and unbelieving,
the One who "looked with anger" at the hypocritical, unmerciful Pharisees when they were more interested in keeping their own laws rather than God's,
Who called them out to their faces
and drove money changers and racketeers out of the temple so that it could again be a house of prayer.

Thanks to our pastor for giving Josh the pulpit for truth that is real rather than surreal.
And thanks to Penn View for being patient with a once-rebellious young student
who was transformed at that Bible College through the power of God's grace,
and turned out a balanced young preacher with actually a head on his shoulders,
someone that Miss Frances Stetler, who nearly banned him from her class due to (in his own words) "infectiously" bad attitude, but at the last minute kept, by the providence of God,
 would now be proud of.