Strength comes running

Iwork very hard at staying away from drama. I like simple things and I like things in working order. The trouble is that’s not real life.

This old, tired, too often too cynical pastor struggles in the brokenness of life. I hate the bigotry of our culture. I hate that we bully others who are different than us. I hate the dysfunction that surrounds us. Duh, it’s why I’m so cynical.

A friend of mine told me about a friend of his who said if they started a Sunday School class at his church and called it The Outraged and Offended that it would be the biggest Sunday school class in his church.

Being ticked off has become trendy and I am ready for the trend to be over. It’s really entitlement. We have become enamored with the sense that our opinion really matters. I think they also call this narcissism?

Another friend of mine recently reminded me of a quote by Lutheran theologian C. F. W Walther, “While it is indeed necessary to preach against gross vices … such preaching produces nothing but Pharisees (self-righteous, angry religious people).” It’s hard for me to say that because it is what I do but I think we have preached too much and loved too little.

Back to me, because after all it is all about me. About the time I’m done and ready to give up and go live in the monastery as a monk I hear the sound of soft-sandaled feet and the voice of the Rabbi. He reminds me that I’m broken too and that I’m way too self-righteous. I can be like Peter, “It’s not me Lord, it’s them, I’m better than them, Lord.” By the time I get done reminding God how great I am I hear the rooster crowing.

Proverbs 11:2 tells us, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace but with the humble is wisdom.” Pride is a weight, probably at the root of every sin and pride needs to be hauled out like trash and left at the curb. Hebrews 12:1 says, “let us also lay aside every weight (pride), and sin (pride) that clings so closely, let us run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus,” It might be hard but we can run this race together as we practice Scripture, lower our assessment of ourselves (humility) and look to Christ.

It’s through the brokenness, my own and yours, that we struggle. But it is also through the brokenness that God loves us into reality. The reality is we can’t do this on our own, we need Jesus.

The Apostle Paul captured the idea of who will be empowered and encouraged in the darker days. He wrote in 2nd Corinthians 12:11, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”

Do you ever find yourself clenching your teeth or realize your whole body is tensed up? They say a clenched fist can’t receive anything. It is through my weakness that I get to a place where I open up that clenched fist and say, “Help.” That’s when Strength comes running.

He told me to tell you that.