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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: psalm 40
I am in the process of memorizing this psalm, and every once in a while when I am repeating a phrase or verse to myself for the umpteenth time, it strikes me differently. I love memorizing because it is such a different approach to scripture than reading for information or interpretation. I am up to verse 11 and thought I would share some of the things that have struck me differently or stood out to me so far.
The first three verses tell a beautiful transformation from agony and insecurity to salvation. The psalmist (David) says "I waited patiently" but we immediately see that God heard his cry and responded. I wonder what patient waiting looks like in this context, whether the "cry" that God hears is a spiritual cry from suffering in silence, or if it is crying out yet accepting God's timing for his response.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Scripture
Romans 6:20-23 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul uses the metaphor of slavery to portray the spiritual change that occurs when we put their faith in God through Jesus. People might not like the dichotomy he presents, that you can only serve sin or God - many will protest, "I don't want to be God's slave, but I'm not a slave to sin either. I just make my own choices, so where is the middle ground?" For Paul, there honestly is no middle ground, and that is why he presents only two options, both of which involve a bond of obedience and corresponding freedom: serve God and you will be free from the power of sin; or serve sin and you will be free from the obligation to do right. You can certainly be free from God's rules, but it will get you a paycheck of death.
Paul's message is not about fire and brimstone so much as affirming that choices have consequences. He has already laid a foundation for this argument in 4:4-5 of the same letter:
When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.
This is the irony of the gospel, especially in a culture that is obsessed with fairness and earning. Jesus warns against this attitude in this parable of a landowner who pays his workers all the same wage even though some were hired later than others. I love how the NLT translates verse 15 (the landowner's response to complainers): "Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?"
Sin pays wages, but God kindly and generously gives grace. Accepting Jesus means much more than changing bosses or trading one wage for another; it means agreeing to a completely different framework for our lives.
What are you striving for? Where does it lead?
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Thoughts
I started reading The Monks of Tibhirine, the true story of French monks in Algeria during the civil war of the 1990s. It is the inspiration for the award-winning movie Of Gods and Men (Des Hommes et Des Dieux - I know, the French title is flipped around), which I saw a couple months ago and LOVED and want to own when it comes out in July. We'll see how the budget goes.
Anyways, I was struck as I began reading the book by some parallels to ideas I am trying to sort out and have been reflecting on the last few weeks. This quote in particular stood out, speaking about the impact political changes in the 1970s had for Christians in Algeria (when a socialist and Islamic constitution was adopted):
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Thoughts
I missed church yesterday to support Matt as he ran 5K.
By support, I mean I went to Tim Horton's with a friend after the run started, and we made sure we were back to cheer as Matt and Tom (her boyfriend) crossed the finish line. Not only did I cheer, but I yelled, "Beat that kid!" as Matt indeed sprinted past an eleven year old. Don't worry; I don't think either of them actually heard me!
Also, Matt and Tom started the run late, so Matt was way ahead of that kid time-wise anyways.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Prayer
This morning was our church's annual prayer breakfast. The food was SO good, and despite my very sleepy state I managed to be mostly sociable and enjoyed chatting with people.
Our speaker was a professor from Tyndale, and I greatly appreciated that he did not give a sermon but simply shared some strategies for prayer. He read Psalm 46 and focused on the verse that says Be still and know that I am God. This is a famous verse, but it loses a little bit in translation I think, since the word for "be still" can also be translated as "Stop striving." This speaks to me more - that we should not only be still but be trusting and submissive, and that this will enable us to know God better and recognize his work.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Scripture
Paul's letters to the Corinthians are full of wise advice, deep theology and loving encouragement. I was struck today by 2 Corinthians 2:10-11
Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
For Paul, I think forgiveness is so critical because it is foundational for love. Love is easy to talk about when everybody already gets along, but the only way for it to deepen and grow strong is through sharing experiences and working through struggles. Healthy conflict and resolution are part of this process, and forgiveness is key because people mess up.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Thoughts
Matt blogged this week about 1 Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) and how even though it is often read at weddings, it really relates to the love that must exist within the church. I have also been reading 1 Corinthians this week and was struck by the passage that precedes this huge description of love.
Paul is explaining to the church that different people have been given different spiritual gifts in order to work together as a unified body. There is no place for comparison or competition because they will simply become self-defeating. After all, what would happen if our internal organs stopped working together so they could prove how important they all are individually - the body would die!
Unfortunately the same thing happens in churches today: people get so caught up in the ways we are different (how we worship, how we serve each other, what our personal values are) that comparison begins to erode the unity we should have. We easily forget that immediately after Paul lists off a ranking of spiritual gifts, he launches into that famous chapter on love, saying that this is an even more excellent aim to strive for than the most elite spiritual gifts.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Thoughts
We had a church meeting yesterday, and I had been thinking about it coming up all week because the last church meeting was.. shall we say.... dramatic. Not everybody gets along at our church all the time, and a bunch of stuff went down, not everybody handled themselves well, and in the end I think it could have been a lot worse than it was and it was good to clear the air and work through conflict as a community. But it was still dramatic.
One day this week when I was reading my Bible, this verse stuck out to me: Romans 15:2 "Each of us should please our neighbours for their good, to build them up." Churches would be transformed, I believe, if instead of pointing fingers and grumbling, people could think to themselves not only "That person sure sucks." but then add, "What could I do to help them?"
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Life
I have been using the Oil Cleansing Method to wash my face pretty consistently for the last few weeks and am happy with the results! One of the girls at youth group was telling me she heard that it can be good for your skin if you rub ice on your face after you wash it to close up all your pores... Maybe now that we are finally having some hot weather I will try that! (Oh Esther, the fun we shall have when you come to visit!!!)
I have also been flirting with the idea of trying out No-Poo. I haven't used shampoo or conditioner since.. Sunday? So I just started, but so far it's going good.
Oh, the OTHER thing is using baking soda paste as deodorant - totally weird, but good enough for me! I put it to the test with a sweaty kickboxing class this afternoon and did not smell. I'm not swearing off deodorant for life, just exploring my options, and when I work out, part of what I want to do is sweat. So rather than find a separate deodorant that is not also an anti-perspirant, I can slap some baking soda up in mah pits and be good to go :) Probably TMI for many of you, but there you have it.
If you try any of these crazy things, let me know in the comments with what you think! Mom, you can count making kefir even though it's not hygiene-related.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Thoughts
Among different denominations and even different individual churches, the topic of spiritual gifts is dealt with in different ways. Sometimes it is front and centre, with even Sunday school children doing personal inventories to find out their own spiritual gifts, while other churches may never really delve into it and people can spend their whole life without ever feeling comfortable to say they have or don't have certain spiritual gifts.
I spent time with a friend of mine this weekend, and we were talking about some difficult things she is going through and struggling with, and she said "I'm so glad that God has given me the ability to do art because it seems like the only way to deal with these things that doesn't hurt me." She is a fantastic artist and certainly gifted, and the way that she put it reminded me that God's gifts to us are not just hobbies on a checklist or ways that we prefer to get involved at church - they are gifts. Presents. For us to enjoy and often times to share with others, but so often it seems to me that we skip the enjoyment, or we leave it out of the equation when we are trying to discern what exactly God has given us.