Monthly Archives: March 2012

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.” Rev. 21:1

John did not live to see the literal fulfillment of this great promise, but he did seem possessed of a vision that sustained him even on a rocky island of exile called Patmos. The other prisoners on that island saw misery and isolation. The aging disciple saw an unconquerable God who would make all things right. Faith gave him new sight.

I like Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s line: “Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every bush afire with God.” The daily challenge for every Christian is to see what other people miss. We must cultivate our gift to see something every day that is grace-filled. The evidence of God’s grace surrounds us.

Helen Keller was blind and deaf from a very early age, but overcame those barriers and learned to communicate. She learned about the world around her and helped us to see things that we often overlook.

In an article entitled “Three Days to See,” she begins “I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken blind and deaf for a few days at some time during his early adult life. Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight, silence would teach him the joy of sounds.”

She was prompted to write this article when a friend returned from a walk in the woods. “What did you observe?” Keller asked. “Nothing in particular.” Her friend responded. “How is it possible, she wondered, to walk in the woods and see nothing worthy of note? She went on to imagine what the budding trees of spring would look like and the appearance of different kinds of bark. She goes on to imagine what she would do if she were given three days to see.

She would spend the first day seeing the people whose companionship and kindness had made her life worth living. Keller was accustomed to sensing a person’s mood and qualities through the tips of her fingers. What an advantage she imagined she would have if she could see all the subtleties of expression.

On the second day she would rise with the dawn to see the thrilling miracle by which night is transformed into day. She would see as much of the world on that one day as possible. Art and nature and plays would be on her agenda.

On the third day she would get out into the city and see the faces of people as they went to work. She would un-focus her eyes for a while to see the kaleidoscope of color from the women’s dresses as they moved in the throng. She was certain that it must be a gorgeous spectacle.

She admits that her three day agenda may be different from yours, but she is quite sure that if we knew we would lose our sight tomorrow, then we would cherish every sight in those last few hours.

She concludes by encouraging us to use our eyes as if tomorrow we would be stricken blind. And the same method can be applied to other senses. Hear and smell and feel and taste as well as see the wonders of the world around you.

Use your faith the same way. Faith is a way to see the world and look at life. I am amazed by how often Christians, who should know better, miss this truth. We can get caught up in trifles and lose focus on the encompassing glory of God.

Joan Chittister, a modern Benedictine, wrote, “We are part of a holy universe, not its creators and not its rulers. God has done the creating, God does the judging, and God waits for us to realize that. . . . Finding God is a matter of living every minute of life to its ultimate.” (Rumors, p. 56-57) Ray Charles put it a bit more simply, “Live every day like it’s your last, ‘cause one day you’re gonna be right.”

Seeing the world faithfully does not require that level of intensity. Frankly, I doubt I can live each moment to the ultimate or live each day as if it is my last. I am content to live today, try to be faithful to God and kind to people around me. And if I live with that constant awareness of His presence, then I will see something each day that is grace-filled. At that point God will use you to share His grace with others.

Grace,

Dr. Terry Ellis

March 25, 2012

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26

One day when I was a student in New Orleans, I went to my seminar on early Christian preaching led by one of my favorite professors, Dr. Gene Hall. The seminars usually consisted of someone’s presenting a paper or book review and the rest of us discussing the subject, but that day Dr. Hall began by asking us to take out a half sheet of paper.

It sounded as if he were about to give us a quiz. That was not supposed to happen. We were more sophisticated than that! You don’t have quizzes in doctoral work!! I became increasingly alarmed when I realized that at that stage in my studies there were very few questions I could answer. But Dr. Hall didn’t ask any questions, however. Instead he told us to list all that we had done in the previous week to prepare for this meeting.

This was even worse. I was stunned. The room became noticeably warmer. Dr. Hall later told me the blood drained from my face. I think he enjoyed it, at least a little bit. Most professors are like that. I wrote down a few meager things that might in some creative way be considered “preparation” for the seminar. He asked us to sign the paper. I did, all the while feeling a little nauseated and seeing my ministerial career flash before my eyes. He then asked us to look at what we had done. I stared at my little list. He then told us to fold it and put the paper into our notebooks. My spirits lifted. We didn’t have to hand it in! He would never know!

But then he added, “Before you put it away, ask yourself if your efforts this past week truly reflect what you want to accomplish in your studies.” I will never forget that lesson. He challenged me that day to take seriously my decision to pursue that degree. His demonstration reminded me that if I wanted to accomplish anything worthwhile, I had to have a consistent commitment.

Jesus often did things that very few ministers would do. One such occasion came right after He noticed the large crowds that were following Him. He turned and spoke of some of the most startling words we find anywhere in His teaching. Three times in the section from Luke 14:25-33 Jesus said “you cannot be my disciple.”

The words are jolting. Not only did He appear to exclude people, He actually repeatedly used the word “hate” to describe family relations in comparison to our commitment to Him.

Normally we picture Jesus throwing open His arms and the gates of heaven. “Whosoever” is the reigning invitation, and so it should be. There are times, however, when we need to count the cost, and that is what Jesus meant.

The harsh words are hyperbole, or extreme figurative language designed to make a point. Of course Jesus does not want us to hate anyone, but before we think that lets us off the hook we have to think carefully about the point He was trying to make. Our focus on Him must be crystal clear. Our commitment to Him must be unwavering. Being a Christian can never be an after-thought, or an occasional addendum.

Look at it this way, we love the idea of the ever-present Christ. Union with Christ, being “in Christ” and “Christ in us” are some of the most comforting ideas in our faith. But Jesus was trying also to teach us that faith is a challenge. Faith always becomes a challenge when it is inconvenient. Anytime we refuse to think and act as Jesus would have in our situation, then we have refused the challenge. We have taken the easy way. We have let self, instead of Christ, rule.

Lent must be a time when you not only think about the cross, but take up that cross more in your life. As you turn from self-interest, you become more like Christ, and then you become the person God created you to be. This process can be tremendously challenging and uncomfortable, but that is why Jesus spoke as He did in this passage. You have to honestly look at your effort and decide if this represents the high calling to which Christ has called you. What are you doing in response to His call?

So are you ready? All right. Take out a half sheet of paper…

Grace,

Dr. Terry Ellis

March 19, 2012

“Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back for his deeds.” 2 Timothy 4:14

One of last month’s GraceWaves was “Dealing with Difficult People.” The main points of that effort were that you cannot be surprised when people act according to their lower natures, and you don’t need to give up on anyone. I want to revisit the topic this week because I sense people struggle mightily in this area and need some practical support. Let’s use Paul and his experience with Alexander the coppersmith as an example.

First, remember that all people are like an Olympic diving competition: they come with a degree of difficulty. Some people have a very high degree of difficulty and a well-established track record of broken relationships. A part of dealing with difficult people is coming to the point where you accept that this is their nature. You must accept the fact that people sometimes come with terrible flaws. They do things that are boorish, thoughtless, even vicious. They can disappoint and even hurt you. It is their degree of difficulty.

When you accept this it frees you to move on. It also relieves you from the fiction that you must change, alter, or improve them in some way. That is what we love to do. We harbor the notion that we can fix people. Don’t waste your time trying to fix a highly difficult person. Besides, the scripture never calls on you to fix anyone. It does tell us to love and forgive, and that is hard enough. Leave the fixing to God.

Second, Paul truly did leave the matter with the Lord, and that is precisely what you need to do with some high degree of difficulty people. I never get the impression from anything Paul wrote that he spent time moaning about what he could have done differently, or wondering why Alexander didn’t like him. He had reached a point, and then moved on. That’s a good strategy.

Sensitive people (not always female, but often) exert a great deal of time in repeatedly going over and over the incident, or series of incidents, that led to the broken relationship. They seem almost to feed on the anger. (“I hate him so much it gives me energy!”). This cycle of prosecution is exhausting and fruitless.

Often, these same people have been told repeatedly to leave it alone and move on. Sound familiar? Let me be the person this week who exhorts you to stop talking about the problem person and move on. We all need people to regularly remind us of the right way to go. Your hurt is real and your feelings are valid, but regularly reading over the transcript traps you in the past and harnesses you to the person that hurt you originally.

A third strategy involves the cardinal graces of the Christian faith. Paul probably never had to be around Alexander again. You may not have that option with your very difficult person. For example, we seldom have the option of completely removing ourselves from the ill-mannered family member or ex-spouse. Every time you see that person, you feel a rush of anger. What do you do?

Paul regularly wrote about forgiveness, and that certainly has a role here. What you might not have thought about is how long forgiveness sometimes takes. It is seldom instantaneous. Even when you have a row with someone close, you can forgive but it takes a few hours for the grace to really take hold! The length of time is proportional to the size of the offense.

You have probably been surprised by how angry you are about events that took place years or even decades ago. You may have thought you were done with it, but it rises up again. You want to forgive, but feel that you have failed and you’re probably tired of trying.

Let me suggest that instead of focusing on the person, you instead pray the following, “Lord, please replace my anger with your grace.” That’s it. This prayer gives God free reign in your life. You admit the unhealthy presence of the anger, but also plead for more grace to grow. I’m sure God loves that kind of openness. By the way, you probably have realized that the higher graces take a lifetime to establish. Don’t be in a rush, and don’t be discouraged if you still struggle to share your grace.

One final quick closing piece of advice about turning someone over to the Lord: resist the urge to tell the person (or every other person who will listen) you have done this. You will sound hopelessly smug. Just keep it between yourself and God.

Grace,

Dr. Terry Ellis

March 11, 2012

“And hope does not disappoint us because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” Romans 5:5

Christians are people of hope, and this hope is not just an insurance policy you cash in at the end of life. Hope is the spiritual oxygen enabling us moment by moment to bring a positive witness to a hopeless, hurting world. You must let hope take hold of you.

This soaring, tenacious hope is the direct result of God’s love that has been poured into your heart through the very personal work of the Holy Spirit. Because of its source, this hope can never be less than you expect or need. It will not and cannot disappointment because it is grounded in God, His nature and consistency. You possess a resource of truly limitless power and potential.

As a good Hebrew, Paul was convinced history had a purpose and destination. He believed God was working to restore creation, and that one day we will see all things new again. So hope both sustains you today and assures you of a wondrous eternity. You are, in fact, already in eternity.

Now I have spent some time emphasizing the reality of your hope in God because I see such a desperate need for it today. Culturally we seem to have adopted more of the Greek view of cyclic history, where we simply spin on a wheel, at the whim of fate.

A few weeks ago I watched a marvelous presentation of Carmina Burana at Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge. You have heard the signature opening piece, O Fortuna, in countless movies and commercials. Every presentation I have seen has a very serious-looking choir belting out the opening words, buttressed by a full orchestra and two pianos. It’s a powerful production.

I enjoy looking for meaning in words, so I studied the translation carefully. Carmina is full of excess, but one of the main themes is despair. O Fortuna speaks of a monstrous and empty fate. It is a whirling, malevolent, grinding wheel that renders any fleeting good fortune to nothing. In overall tone, it reminds me of Ecclesiastes, “vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (1:2).

As I listened and read along, I realized we have a choice to make. We either give in to fate and eventually give up. Or we embrace a vibrant hope that we are part of something very good in the world. I choose hope. What do you choose? Your decision is critical.

Hope has an important personal dimension. Make no mistake, hope takes energy and perseverance, but it produces more than it takes. Fate, along with its constellation of anxiety, fear, frustration and despair only drains energy. On a personal level, if you embrace your God-given hope then you have a completely different attitude to life. Frankly, hope is less stressful than any alternative. You were created to be hopeful.

Hope has an important social dimension. You will encounter many people today who appear to have given in to fate. They will adopt what I call a “hell-in-a-hand-basket” attitude. They’re dissatisfied with work, politics, their church, their favorite sports team, etc. Mention most any subject, and you are liable to get the impression that we are all going down! Those people need you and the hope you have in Christ. Do not lose your voice, and do not give in to the reigning disappointment around you. Keep hoping and keep working to make a difference. Someone today, in your sphere of influence, needs the hope you can bring.

Hope has an important spiritual dimension. If you are hopeful then you are consistently aware of your relationship to God (Greeks did not typically think of a personal, caring relationship with Zeus!). This awareness has a powerful effect on how we view suffering. In Christ, all troubles cannot be avoided or minimized, but through the presence of God you work through sufferings which lead to endurance, which leads to character, and then back to hope (Rom. 5:4).

We are often forget our power to choose. Do not forget today. Choose hope. You need it, and so do the people around you.

Grace,

Dr. Terry Ellis

March 5, 2012