Are You Striving for Normal?

A few short years into my illustrious management career, I had an employee call out of work. He wasn't sick, he just wasn't going to be at work because he had to go to prayer meeting. I remember being incensed. "That's what's wrong with most 'Christians.' They want to use the name of God to excuse bad behavior. His shift starts in thirty minutes, and no one has prayer meeting at 7 AM! Who calls in praying?!" My rant that morning has remained with me; my previous opinions have not.

As his supervisor, I had an obligation to address this man's attendance and review proper procedures, if necessary. But judge his Christianity? Nope. If he lied, if he used poor judgement, that's between him and his Master. (And I don't mean as Christian brothers and sisters we ignore the sins or risky behavior of others; but we do lovingly address them if we have opportunity.) The way he exercised his faith was not my call. What if he had just received word of a special gathering to pray for an urgent need, and felt it necessary to be there? Would he have been a "better Christian" if he had said he was sick instead? His call stood out that morning -- it was almost thirty years ago, and I remember it as though it were yesterday -- and perhaps, as Christians we are meant to stand out.

I read somewhere that Christians shouldn't be "weird." We should let our light shine in a relevant and natural way. That, if we wish to be effective in ministry, people should have trouble distinguishing us from "regular" people. Wear yoga pants and get tattoos. Serve mixed drinks at Bible study. Throw in the occasional Top 40 song during morning worship.  Be cool so people will want to be like you. But is that really what Scripture says?

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." -- Romans 12:2 

"Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish, in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world," -- Philippians 2:14-15 

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." -- 1 Peter 2:9 

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world -- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride in possessions -- is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." -- 1 John 2:15-17

What about John the Baptist? Surely people recognized him wherever he went. Even Jesus' own behavior was extraordinary -- loving when He, by the world's standards, had every right to hate; remaining quiet when He could have not only defended Himself, but called heavenly hosts to slay His accusers. We are to be different. We are to be unique -- not for our own glory, but that others might see our devotion, our courage, our calm, our integrity, our perseverance, and want to be like the One who has transformed us. It's great to want to be relevant, but so much more important to be obedient.

Francis Chan, in his book, Crazy Love, speaks of a missionary who had his teeth pulled after a series of absences from the mission field to resolve dental issues. Who does that? Someone who is not afraid to be thought of as different or a little fanatical for the sake of the gospel.

I once saw a man who shaved only half his face. He was faithful in ministry, and God used this man's unique appearance to draw people to him. He had at first thought it strange himself, but received several indications from the Lord, this was what he was being called to do. He complied with no further consideration toward what people thought of him.

The truth is, we can be hip, freaky, or perfectly unremarkable, but without God's anointing, all we do, all we say, all we are won't guarantee a harvest. Without the blessing and direction of God's Holy Spirit, all our "relevancy" is nothing but our own effort to be what we think the world wants and needs. Shouldn't we be seeking that direction from the One who knows the hearts of all men? Shouldn't we strive to be obedient, even if it means being a little less conventional?

How to Host a Dinner Party

I've done things of which I am not proud. Not at all. One of those things is a dinner party. Crazy, right? Well, a friend of mine had begun dating a young woman who, in my not so humble, completely unsolicited opinion, was a terrible choice. My friend had been a bachelor so long, and had done well for himself; I feared he was an easy target for the gold-digging, pretentious, label hog I'd judged her to be. I decided to scare her off or, at the least, set her straight. I invited my friend and his new sweetheart to a dinner party. I also invited my friend's ex-girlfriend. I bought expensive wine and trotted out the latest gourmet recipes. The ex-girlfriend and I talked at length about her shore house and all the "expensive" things we had in our closets. We were obnoxious, catty and treated this poor girl dreadfully. But, the same wonderful, gracious nature that caused my friend to see the good in a young, magniloquent woman, saw the good intent in what I had done. He still spoke to me despite my antics.

How different from the dinner party we see recorded in John 12:1-8. It occurred in Lazarus' home six days before Jesus' last Passover on earth. Did Jesus know what would happen in less than a week? Well, maybe not, but His knowledge of Scripture and prophecy, and His close relationship with the Father had to have given Him some sort of inkling His time was near. If I am able to see signs and feel excitement without knowing exactly what God is about to do, surely the man Jesus could.

"They made Him a supper." They, being Lazarus, Martha and Mary, tended to the human needs of their dear friend. They sought to nourish His body, and have the type of closeness people find sitting around a table, laughing and talking over a good meal. Such a simple, common, human event, arranged with care for the Creator and Savior of the world.

"Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil." 

• "Then": During dinner? After dinner? I think of the times I hosted parties. The sounds of utensils scraping across dishes. Laughter. The chaos of dishes being passed around or cleared from the table. Drinks being refreshed. At no time do I recall pausing to hear the voice of the Spirit that I might humbly bow before a single guest and lovingly serve them. What a sweet spirit Mary must have had to, amidst the ruckus and clamor of a house filled with hungry men, be able to hear the voice of God.
• "Mary took": She obeyed what she heard. How bold she must have been to quietly, steadfastly obey in the presence of all these onlookers. Did she even realize the room had become quiet? Did she feel the eyes upon her? Or was she so enrapt with the One she sought to adore?
• "Very costly": This was the real deal; oil typically used to anoint the heads of kings, a sacrifice of the most extravagant kind. Mary's personal net worth notwithstanding, no one in a temperate, socially-minded culture would liberally pour out an entire pound of such a rich substance. Whether Mary had money to burn or not, this act cost Mary a place in the "judgment free zone."
• "Wiped His feet": Mary went the distance. She didn't pour a bit in the palm of her hand, rubbing it in, the dry skin on His feet absorbing the oil. She lavishly poured out her entire sacrifice and wiped it from in between His toes, massaging it into cracked heels, and kneading His aching arches, all the while, allowing the fresh air to revive softened flesh.
• "With her hair": What humility. I'm sure Mary did not awaken that morning thinking, "How can I abase myself today?" What a deep desire for intimate communion with her Lord. She applied the remnants of His anointing to her hair, satisfied even to take upon herself all that remained (Matthew 15:27). That which blessed Jesus was a blessing to her as well, a byproduct of her obedience and worship -- the fragrance and conditioning of the finest oil upon her hair.

"And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil." How this one act must have caused all those present to pause, to see Jesus as One adored. How the fragrance remained in their nostrils even upon leaving the house. How the memory of what had transpired remained with them for years to come. Mary listened. Mary obeyed. Mary risked. Mary worshiped. Mary humbled herself. And blessing came into that home. Now that's a dinner party one can be proud of.

There Are No Substitutes

Have you ever tried a product that just turned your life around? Maybe you've had a dentist or hair stylist that made your heart sing. Well, facial cleanser made me a believer!

A friend of mine is sold out to essential oils. Her family calls it her Voodoo Mama Juju. She convinced me to try some products, and I liked them. But more importantly, I began paying attention to all the chemicals I put in and on my body each day. That awareness become a quest to, one by one, eliminate as many chemicals from my life as possible. Pain meds. Laundry detergent. Deodorant. But then came the facial cleanser. I was beginning to run out of my regular, so... The first recipe I tried was a win! I was sold! It was oils for life for me! Okay, it was probably not that dramatic, but it got me searching my Bible for information on oil.

The passage I am meditating on this morning is The Parable of the Ten Virgins. Five wise virgins took extra oil for their lamps as they went to meet the bridegroom; five foolish took only their lamps. As the warning went out the bridegroom was on his way, the foolish virgins realized they were running out of oil. They ducked out to go buy more, but in their absence, missed the bridegroom's arrival and forfeited their wedding invitation.

Now, I know this parable is about preparedness, and not necessarily about oil; but in their culture, those hearing Jesus' words would have immediately understood the importance of having oil. Oil was essential to their lifestyle. Ceremonies and burials, personal care, fuel, trade and income, diet, healing. They used oil for everything, and would not have carelessly left the house in the middle of the night to wait for what could possibly be hours, without it. As the foolish virgins found, there was no substitute for pure oil.

We have plenty of substitutes. Humanity, in its quest for ease and "progress" has developed products and methods to expedite healing or make lighting our homes so much more effortless. The chemical-based products I mentioned are substitutes for some of the oils previously used to care for ourselves and our families. Products laced with chemicals that are, in some cases, highly toxic or, at the least, questionable. And that's what brings me to my takeaway for today...

What am I using as a substitute for Jesus in my life? What toxic or questionable things am I doing that compromise my spiritual health? What thoughts have I allowed that are really my attempt to make things easier or more palatable? What habits are my Default Setting when things in my walk are not what I am accustomed to? Is reading a paragraph in the latest devotional a "good enough" substitute for Scripture when I'm short on time? It's okay to miss church if I've got a lot to catch up on, right? Does singing along to worship music count as praying, 'cause I just can't seem to focus today?

There is no substitute for pure oil.

Resurrecting Hope

Her son was dead. Maybe not in body, but the sweet towheaded boy who held her hand on long car rides was gone. The vibrant ten year-old who loved to skateboard, and fished with his uncle was no more. The teenager who boldly kissed her cheek -- even in front of his friends -- remained little more than a sanitized memory she resurrected each time she recounted the sparse and flimsy details of his passing. She wasn't even sure the man she saw before her was any more than a stranger. But God.

For weeks, the song had topped her playlist:

"His love is like lightning
Cracking through the sky, and
Burnin' through the rage
Burnin' through the pain of a billion scars.
"Get ready, get ready,
Get ready, get ready,
All the stories are true." -- "Ghost," Crowder

A sadness would fall on her as she listened to the winsome melody. Rage, pain, scars. She knew exactly what they were all about. A lifetime of bad choices and abuse. But God.

Years before a friend had given her a word of hope. Her son would grow to love and serve the Lord. That was long before this. Before he had spent more years away, before he had said and done so many things to make his situation as bad as it was, before he hated as he did. But God.

A little girl's prayer every chance she was given. "God, please heal my family." What could that mean? What would that look like? It would take the biggest miracle ever. A twenty-first century resurrection. But God.

And then, this day. A stranger's gentle hand on hers, leaving behind the scent of flowers. "Whatever your son is today has no bearing on who he will be. Handle all things through prayer and supplication." As she left that place, she raised her hand to her face, and allowed her heart to be softened by the scent of hope -- a hope she'd extinguished long ago. She soaked in the confirmation. She dared to embrace the encouragement she wanted to disavow, the belief in the possibility of a resurrection. And she challenged herself to obey the call to prayer and faith. Faith in One who calls things that are not as though they are.

"Burning through the things
That need to be erased
To liberate my soul." -- "Ghost," Crowder

Get ready. This is God.