Last Night was the State of the Union address.
I thought it was great. Trump did a good job. It was a good speech!
I’m annoyed at the bad job the media did, though. I watched it on channel 8, which is ABC in our area. George Stephanopoulos was the main news announcer. But there were others with him that also chimed in at the end. I’d like to know if there were other newscasters there representing other networks. Thankfully the announcers don’t interrupt during the speech to make commentary. But of course they swooped in as soon as it was finished to start their sniping. As usual they seemed unable to think of one positive thing to say. They focused on anything they could twist the wrong way. I wish I could have heard how more conservative announcers handled it. Were there other news organizations represented there?
One commentator, I missed his name, even made the false claim that none of the Democrats applauded for anything. That really flipped my lid! It was completely false. I saw some intrepid Democrats, at least they were sitting in that section, stand and clap at various times. And sometimes even most of them applauded, though not always very enthusiastically. I even noticed Nancy Pelosi clap once. That really surprised me. I wonder if she meant it? I think it was when faith was mentioned. I hope she did.
Of course if you didn’t watch you wouldn’t know the difference and would probably have believed it. Actually my husband who did watch it also believed it. I was shocked that he could have sat right there and watched with me and didn’t know the truth. He said he couldn’t tell which were the Democrats. I guess we need a bigger tv! Maybe I shouldn’t be too surprised, though, considering what a bad job the videographers did. The news announcers can’t interrupt and brain wash people during the speech like they probably want to, but the videographers can affect our impressions of things by what they show. I was frequently frustrated by how often they panned way out so it wasn’t easy to even see how the audience was responding. It looked to me like it happened a lot when there may have been a more bipartisan response from the crowd. It was hard to see but there did seem to be more evenly distributed movement throughout the auditorium at those times. (The times when none of the Democrats responded it was easier to spot them.) It was also bizarre how often the videographers seemed to focus more on the furniture and carpet in the isle ways, they must think the tv audience would really find that interesting. And frequently they didn’t show the audience at all. We could hear lots of cheering but couldn’t tell where it was coming from. They also gave us a lot of shots from behind and at odd angles so we couldn’t tell which side of the audience we were even looking at.
I wonder if the other networks gave the viewers a different view of things. I’ve watched several State of the Union speeches over the years, and I don’t remember ever seeing such a bad job by the camera/video people! Usually they seem to want everyone to see what is really happening in the chamber! Typical of the media since Trump was elected, they leave out everything they can that might make him look good and twist the rest. Of course I know he doesn’t help matters with his tweeting.
I don’t follow twitter. I just hear about it on the news the next day.
This morning when I watched the news while on my treadmill, I was glad that no one repeated the false claim about the Democrat’s lack of response. Of course they still managed to be negative about everything they could, even while admitting it was a successful State of the Union speech.
I usually watch channel 8 in the mornings. But this morning out of annoyance with the lefties on that channel I switched to channel 5. (I used to watch that channel more but it doesn’t always come in very well here.)
I was hoping for a more positive take on the State of the Union speech. Of course I was disappointed. Have you noticed that even positive things can be said in such a way that they come across as an insult. The news announcers seem to have that down to a fine art.
Not that they tried to say positive things. But even fairly neutral things came out as a slam. In comparing the length of the speech, for example, they said “it wasn’t the longest one ever.” "It was the third longest.” I can’t imitate their tone of voice here of course, but it was said in a way that seemed to imply it was very nearly the longest. And then the way they said "it was the third longest” does literally mean there were two that were longer but somehow they seemed to imply almost the opposite.
I just did a little research on-line. According to Wikipedia, until 1913 the regular report of the State of the Union, required by the Constitution, was usually given to Congress in writing. It would, of course, be difficult to compare the spoken length of Trump’s speech with any of those. In fact the only list that I found that compares the lengths of the state of the union speeches starts in 1966 with Lyndon Johnson. So as usual we are only given part of the story by the news media.
In comparing speech lengths since 1966, Clinton had the two longest State of the Union speeches: 1:28 in 2000, and 1:24 in 1995.
Last night Trump’s was 1:20. So yes it was nearly as long as Bill Clinton’s two longest speeches. Trump’s first speech last year, technically not a State of the Union, was one hour exactly.
Continuing the comparison, Clinton had the next two longest: one that was 1:18 in 1999 and one that was 1:16 in 1998. In fact all of his were each over an hour long! The next one down was all the way back in 1967 when Lyndon Johnson spoke for 1:11. His others were around 40-50 minutes. The next one down was Obama in 2010 for 1:09. Four of his were each over an hour long. Most of the other presidents on the list spoke for about 35-50 minutes.
If you’re interested in reading more of this stimulating topic ;-) here is a link to the sites referred to here:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/sou_minutes.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_the_Union
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Friday, January 26, 2018
Corrections, confusion and clarity!
I need to make a correction.
After further study it seems possible, likely even, that I was wrong about where Paul was when he set out to take the trip I wrote about in "Faith v. Works." No one really knows for sure, but it is possible that he started out from around Antioch. Google says that is 714 km (444 miles) from Jerusalem. Google maps said it could be done in 6 days 2 hrs. But that means he would have walked nearly 120 km per day. I don’t think that is at all realistic (I just checked and Google maps doesn’t allow for breaks or sleeping when they calculate days walking! So that would explain that!) According to Quora.com the average adult walks 5 km/hour. At that rate if he walked 8 hours per day then it may have taken him about 18 days to walk from Antioch to Jerusalem. Since he was not a coddled westerner, he may have done it faster. Of course he likely also took a couple of Sabbath days off to rest, so that brings it back up to 20 days. Bottom line it was a significant investment of time and energy!
He may have also taken a second trip later for the same reason. He really wanted to make sure that the Believers, both Jew and Gentile, understood the Gospel! This second trip was recorded in Acts 15. (Bible scholars disagree on whether it was the same trip or another one. But most that I read seem to think it a second trip.)
In the Acts 15 account Peter also made a strong case that salvation, for both Jews and Gentiles, is by grace alone through faith in Jesus—not by following the law!
He took them to preserve the purity of the Gospel message and to protect the freedom of the believers. That is clear! And all the scholars seem to agree on it! Thank you Lord!
After further study it seems possible, likely even, that I was wrong about where Paul was when he set out to take the trip I wrote about in "Faith v. Works." No one really knows for sure, but it is possible that he started out from around Antioch. Google says that is 714 km (444 miles) from Jerusalem. Google maps said it could be done in 6 days 2 hrs. But that means he would have walked nearly 120 km per day. I don’t think that is at all realistic (I just checked and Google maps doesn’t allow for breaks or sleeping when they calculate days walking! So that would explain that!) According to Quora.com the average adult walks 5 km/hour. At that rate if he walked 8 hours per day then it may have taken him about 18 days to walk from Antioch to Jerusalem. Since he was not a coddled westerner, he may have done it faster. Of course he likely also took a couple of Sabbath days off to rest, so that brings it back up to 20 days. Bottom line it was a significant investment of time and energy!
He may have also taken a second trip later for the same reason. He really wanted to make sure that the Believers, both Jew and Gentile, understood the Gospel! This second trip was recorded in Acts 15. (Bible scholars disagree on whether it was the same trip or another one. But most that I read seem to think it a second trip.)
In the Acts 15 account Peter also made a strong case that salvation, for both Jews and Gentiles, is by grace alone through faith in Jesus—not by following the law!
"God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them [that's us Gentiles] by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” Acts 15:8-11 (NIV)As I wrestled with trying to understand the Scriptural accounts and commentaries about the timing of Paul's trips and activities, on one hand I felt condemned that I may have been way off on something I posted (how long it took him and where he started from, etc.) I also felt frustrated that there wasn't more information to go on. And why do all the scholars manage to have so many different opinions. (and why don't they see it the way I do? ;-). It occurred to me that the important things are what got recorded. The timing of his trips are not nearly as important as the reason why he took them or what was accomplished by them!
He took them to preserve the purity of the Gospel message and to protect the freedom of the believers. That is clear! And all the scholars seem to agree on it! Thank you Lord!
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Surviving the cold
It was down to 15.8 degrees F this morning. That’s -9 Celsius (did you catch the minus sign before the 9?)
When I went out to the living room this morning I noticed cold air was pouring from our fireplace into the room. Naturally, since cold air falls the chimney makes a great conduit for the arctic air to find refuge in our living room. The glass doors in the fireplace don’t provide much protection either. We used to have pieces of cardboard wedged into the opening behind the glass doors to keep the drafts out. I think they disappeared while we were away on our last furlough. The house-sitters must have removed them. I guess they thought fireplaces are for using.
We’ve tried using it other years. But it smokes too much. Even with the flue open all the way. It seems pointless to use the fireplace to heat the house if we have to keep a window open to prevent headaches.
There’s also no way to circulate any heat that is generated in the fireplace. And the rooms are mostly open plan so there is no way to trap the warm air in one area to really get it warm.
I don’t think the home builder in this area meant people to use fireplaces for serious heat. It’s just a marketing gimmick. Like how realtors suggest baking a pan of cookies before potential buyers come to look at a house for sale. A house seems more home-like and cozy with a fire-place. People expect it. So the builder added them.
I’m thankful they also added an electric forced air furnace system.
This morning when I discovered the cold air coming In I took quick action. I piled boxes and blankets and anything that looked like it would block the air and provide adequate insulation. It looks a little eccentric, I suppose, but it will no doubt save dollars on our heating bill and help our furnace not get too over worked during this cold snap.
I notice some of my neighbors have smoke coming out of their chimneys this morning. So I guess some people think it is worth while to burn things in their fire place. Maybe their's works better. Or they are less sensitive to smoke fumes.
Hopefully they are not like E, another neighbor, who doesn't have electricity and is using her fireplace to survive. John went to check on her last night and take her some wood. We were prepared, despite all the advice we've been given to the contrary, to offer her shelter here if she needed it. I was worried because the weather prognosticators said it would be the coldest it has been in over 20 years!
But when John checked on her she was doing fine. She had company for the night, or as John put it, a "self-heating water bottle."
Apart from the morality issue, it was a relief to know she would not be alone and would not likely freeze. As a Christian and missionary, I realize, some people might think I shouldn't feel that way. But her life is such a constant unending mess. We have wracked our brains and worn ourselves out in the past trying to help her. She has worn out everyone who tries to help her for all the years I've known her. She seems to bounce back while the rest of us are still reeling from whatever crisis she dragged us into.
She was away for several months last year. Now that she is back again I'm trying not to let myself get sucked into the vortex again. But yesterday I was doing it again, wearing myself out trying to get advice and help for her. Then I realized she would be ok. She is good at finding help and somehow managed to survive the last cold snap we had a few weeks ago. She is a survivor.
1/18/18 Note: John suggested that maybe the damper is still open. I did think of that but only after I had piled all the stuff up there. Since it is working to keep the cold air from coming in, I will wait until after the weather warms up again tomorrow and remove it all and then check the damper.
When I went out to the living room this morning I noticed cold air was pouring from our fireplace into the room. Naturally, since cold air falls the chimney makes a great conduit for the arctic air to find refuge in our living room. The glass doors in the fireplace don’t provide much protection either. We used to have pieces of cardboard wedged into the opening behind the glass doors to keep the drafts out. I think they disappeared while we were away on our last furlough. The house-sitters must have removed them. I guess they thought fireplaces are for using.
We’ve tried using it other years. But it smokes too much. Even with the flue open all the way. It seems pointless to use the fireplace to heat the house if we have to keep a window open to prevent headaches.
There’s also no way to circulate any heat that is generated in the fireplace. And the rooms are mostly open plan so there is no way to trap the warm air in one area to really get it warm.
I don’t think the home builder in this area meant people to use fireplaces for serious heat. It’s just a marketing gimmick. Like how realtors suggest baking a pan of cookies before potential buyers come to look at a house for sale. A house seems more home-like and cozy with a fire-place. People expect it. So the builder added them.
I’m thankful they also added an electric forced air furnace system.
This morning when I discovered the cold air coming In I took quick action. I piled boxes and blankets and anything that looked like it would block the air and provide adequate insulation. It looks a little eccentric, I suppose, but it will no doubt save dollars on our heating bill and help our furnace not get too over worked during this cold snap.
I notice some of my neighbors have smoke coming out of their chimneys this morning. So I guess some people think it is worth while to burn things in their fire place. Maybe their's works better. Or they are less sensitive to smoke fumes.
Hopefully they are not like E, another neighbor, who doesn't have electricity and is using her fireplace to survive. John went to check on her last night and take her some wood. We were prepared, despite all the advice we've been given to the contrary, to offer her shelter here if she needed it. I was worried because the weather prognosticators said it would be the coldest it has been in over 20 years!
But when John checked on her she was doing fine. She had company for the night, or as John put it, a "self-heating water bottle."
Apart from the morality issue, it was a relief to know she would not be alone and would not likely freeze. As a Christian and missionary, I realize, some people might think I shouldn't feel that way. But her life is such a constant unending mess. We have wracked our brains and worn ourselves out in the past trying to help her. She has worn out everyone who tries to help her for all the years I've known her. She seems to bounce back while the rest of us are still reeling from whatever crisis she dragged us into.
She was away for several months last year. Now that she is back again I'm trying not to let myself get sucked into the vortex again. But yesterday I was doing it again, wearing myself out trying to get advice and help for her. Then I realized she would be ok. She is good at finding help and somehow managed to survive the last cold snap we had a few weeks ago. She is a survivor.
1/18/18 Note: John suggested that maybe the damper is still open. I did think of that but only after I had piled all the stuff up there. Since it is working to keep the cold air from coming in, I will wait until after the weather warms up again tomorrow and remove it all and then check the damper.
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Celebrating Christmas part 2
I know Christmas is past. In fact you may have even packed up your Christmas decorations already. Good for you!
But I haven't and this is my blog. Besides some of my family would probably like to see these. And I'm practicing not following what I think everyone else expects!
If you're interested here is how I roasted the brussel sprouts. I got the recipe several years ago from "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook." I just looked on her website but did not find it there. Anyway here goes:
1 1/2 pounds Brussel sprouts (i only had one pound. I also added some baby carrots to roast at the same time this time. I don't usually do that. But it was good.)
3 tablespoons olive oil (I like the greenish kind that says it is good for dipping. It has more flavor.)
3/4 teaspoon salt (I use much, much, less than that. But I don't measure. Just sprinkle it on lightly)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I use much less than that, but again I don't really measure it.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Place the brussel sprouts in a colander. Rinse and drain. Turn them out onto cotton dish (tea) towel. Thoroughly pat dry.
2. Cut off the ends of the sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Turn them out onto a baking sheet. I use my Pampered Chef shallow rectangular stoneware baking pan. If you don't have a stoneware pan, I recommend lining your pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Shake the pan from time to time, to brown the sprouts evenly.
4. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp outside and tender inside. I usually do it longer than that. It's important that they become tender inside--poke them with a fork or a small sharp knife to test them. They will have a nice nutty taste if you roast them long enough. Otherwise they will be chewy and taste like ordinary brussel sprouts.
5. Sprinkle with a little more salt if you like and serve.
You don't have to wait for Christmas to come around again to make this. It's good all year long.
Enjoy :-)
But I haven't and this is my blog. Besides some of my family would probably like to see these. And I'm practicing not following what I think everyone else expects!
 |
| J and P at "Trains at North Park." Yes in case you are wondering, the scene on the right is meant to look like San Fransisco. There are scenes from different parts of the U.S. |
 |
| J and Mom. Christmas dinner. The round burnt looking things in the front are roasted brussel sprouts. If you don't like brussel sprouts you have to try them roasted! They are great! And yes they taste best when they are seriously browned like that. |
 | ||||
| Mom, P and me. This time I was determined to be sure to get some photos of our celebration! |
If you're interested here is how I roasted the brussel sprouts. I got the recipe several years ago from "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook." I just looked on her website but did not find it there. Anyway here goes:
1 1/2 pounds Brussel sprouts (i only had one pound. I also added some baby carrots to roast at the same time this time. I don't usually do that. But it was good.)
3 tablespoons olive oil (I like the greenish kind that says it is good for dipping. It has more flavor.)
3/4 teaspoon salt (I use much, much, less than that. But I don't measure. Just sprinkle it on lightly)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I use much less than that, but again I don't really measure it.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Place the brussel sprouts in a colander. Rinse and drain. Turn them out onto cotton dish (tea) towel. Thoroughly pat dry.
2. Cut off the ends of the sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Turn them out onto a baking sheet. I use my Pampered Chef shallow rectangular stoneware baking pan. If you don't have a stoneware pan, I recommend lining your pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Shake the pan from time to time, to brown the sprouts evenly.
4. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp outside and tender inside. I usually do it longer than that. It's important that they become tender inside--poke them with a fork or a small sharp knife to test them. They will have a nice nutty taste if you roast them long enough. Otherwise they will be chewy and taste like ordinary brussel sprouts.
5. Sprinkle with a little more salt if you like and serve.
You don't have to wait for Christmas to come around again to make this. It's good all year long.
Enjoy :-)
Monday, January 8, 2018
The Lord will make me stand
Last night I read a blog I follow. She described a recurring "anxiety dream" she has. It was so similar to one I have periodically, that I had to laugh.
In my recurring dream, or I should say, nightmare, I was a student approaching finals week. I suddenly realized, in the dream, that I was completely unprepared. Unlike my real life student self (when I was one that is) I had apparently spent the term focusing on only one subject and completely blowing off my other classes. I didn't even know where or when they were being held. These dream classes had mysteriously changed location so I couldn't simply look at the original class schedule to find their location and time. Since I had not gone to class I didn't know what to study and it was so late in the term there was no hope of catching up in time. I woke up in such a stew of fear, failure and condemnation that it sometimes took me a while to figure out that it wasn't real. That it was just a dream and I had nothing to worry about. The feelings of failure and dread sometimes hung over me for hours afterward. I knew I wasn't a student any longer but I had so many real life ways I felt like a failure that I felt like I deserved a bad grade in life. I even found myself trying to sort out how I could have done better in the dream--I should have at least cancelled those classes before it was too late!
But the last time was different. It started the same but this time just as I was starting to get into the usual stew I suddenly realized the truth and told my dream self, "but it's not true! You aren't a student anymore! You are done with all that. And what's more, you are not a failure! It's just a bad dream!"
I woke with such a feeling of relief and joy, it felt like when I graduated from Uni back in 1991! I did a few happy dances in my head and high-fived myself several times. The feelings of joy and relief were so strong I felt them all day. Now when I think of it I still want to shout "woo hoo!" and throw my graduation cap up in the air.
I haven't had that anxiety dream since and I think I may have seen the last of it. It's like my subconcious dreamland self finally caught up with reality and walked out of the prison, er, school gates for the last time.
This morning I thought about it again and realized I needed the reminder last night. In addition to reading the blog post I mentioned above, I also read a Christmas letter from a friend. Although I do enjoy hearing from her, she is such a high energy person that her Christmas letters usually make my life seem pathetically dull by comparison. In fact many of my friends' Christmas letters affect me that way.
But like I said I do enjoy their letters. This year we haven't gotten as many. I started to worry that maybe they think we are too dull and dropped us off their list. Then it occurred to me that maybe they are just too tired. None of us is getting younger. They also may think that since their kids are mostly grown they don't have anything worth writing about.
Most people seem to wear busy-ness as a badge of honor. I think our unthinking compulsion toward busy-ness is a sign of anxiety and maybe even a type of mental illness. If we are too busy we are stressed out. But if we aren't as busy as we used to be we are embarrassed. People who aren't busy, or aren't seen to be by others--which is worse--are told they need to "get a life." Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am." Now he might say, "I'm busy, therefore I am."
Comparing my life with someone else's is not wise (the Apostle Paul said that somewhere). It's true of course. When I compare myself I usually either become discouraged or complacent and proud, maybe even a little judgemental.
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. Romans 14:4 (Berean Study Bible)
I love this verse. I remembered the first part. But just now when I looked it up, I really noticed the second part, "And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand!!" (exclamation points added :-)
Thank you God!
In my recurring dream, or I should say, nightmare, I was a student approaching finals week. I suddenly realized, in the dream, that I was completely unprepared. Unlike my real life student self (when I was one that is) I had apparently spent the term focusing on only one subject and completely blowing off my other classes. I didn't even know where or when they were being held. These dream classes had mysteriously changed location so I couldn't simply look at the original class schedule to find their location and time. Since I had not gone to class I didn't know what to study and it was so late in the term there was no hope of catching up in time. I woke up in such a stew of fear, failure and condemnation that it sometimes took me a while to figure out that it wasn't real. That it was just a dream and I had nothing to worry about. The feelings of failure and dread sometimes hung over me for hours afterward. I knew I wasn't a student any longer but I had so many real life ways I felt like a failure that I felt like I deserved a bad grade in life. I even found myself trying to sort out how I could have done better in the dream--I should have at least cancelled those classes before it was too late!
But the last time was different. It started the same but this time just as I was starting to get into the usual stew I suddenly realized the truth and told my dream self, "but it's not true! You aren't a student anymore! You are done with all that. And what's more, you are not a failure! It's just a bad dream!"
I woke with such a feeling of relief and joy, it felt like when I graduated from Uni back in 1991! I did a few happy dances in my head and high-fived myself several times. The feelings of joy and relief were so strong I felt them all day. Now when I think of it I still want to shout "woo hoo!" and throw my graduation cap up in the air.
I haven't had that anxiety dream since and I think I may have seen the last of it. It's like my subconcious dreamland self finally caught up with reality and walked out of the prison, er, school gates for the last time.
This morning I thought about it again and realized I needed the reminder last night. In addition to reading the blog post I mentioned above, I also read a Christmas letter from a friend. Although I do enjoy hearing from her, she is such a high energy person that her Christmas letters usually make my life seem pathetically dull by comparison. In fact many of my friends' Christmas letters affect me that way.
But like I said I do enjoy their letters. This year we haven't gotten as many. I started to worry that maybe they think we are too dull and dropped us off their list. Then it occurred to me that maybe they are just too tired. None of us is getting younger. They also may think that since their kids are mostly grown they don't have anything worth writing about.
Most people seem to wear busy-ness as a badge of honor. I think our unthinking compulsion toward busy-ness is a sign of anxiety and maybe even a type of mental illness. If we are too busy we are stressed out. But if we aren't as busy as we used to be we are embarrassed. People who aren't busy, or aren't seen to be by others--which is worse--are told they need to "get a life." Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am." Now he might say, "I'm busy, therefore I am."
Comparing my life with someone else's is not wise (the Apostle Paul said that somewhere). It's true of course. When I compare myself I usually either become discouraged or complacent and proud, maybe even a little judgemental.
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. Romans 14:4 (Berean Study Bible)
I love this verse. I remembered the first part. But just now when I looked it up, I really noticed the second part, "And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand!!" (exclamation points added :-)
Thank you God!
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Faith v. Works
I’m on a quest! I’m seeking to understanding God’s grace. When a friend told me about a Bible study on Galatians that had “changed her life,” I recommended it to my ladies small group. I knew that Grace is the main focus of Paul’s letter to the Galatians.
I was raised in churches that seemed to focus a lot on fear: fear of God’s wrath, fear of backsliding, fear of not measuring up, fear of not performing enough to meet “God’s” expectations (or was it really just other peoples’ expectations?). Bottom line: fear of being rejected by God. We were taught, at least what I absorbed, was that we had to work really hard to hang on to our salvation. Maybe I heard it more because I was a highly sensitive kid.
Faith was taught but it was mainly in the context of believing God for physical healing –not as much about simply trusting in Jesus for salvation. Oh we had to do that too, but it didn’t seem to be the main thing and it didn’t seem to be quite enough.
Somehow, despite all that, I really did love God. I even wanted to become a missionary. But I always felt like I never measured up, that God was displeased with me, that he was always about to reject me.
It wasn’t until I was at University and living with Christians from other denominations that I started hearing more about God’s grace. It intrigued me. I wondered if I was missing something. I longed to understand God’s grace more. Now I realize from my own study of Scripture that salvation by Faith in Jesus Christ alone is THE Main Thing! And it is enough!!
But even though I believe that, I still find myself tending toward fear and legalism. I guess I absorbed it so much for so long it is hard not to default to that. I'm afraid of being too "grace-y."
In fact, it seems like most Christian teachers I’ve met seem to lean that direction too. No one wants to give the impression they are easy on sin. So even if they teach a little about grace they quickly ladle on a generous dose of legalism. They don’t want people to get the “wrong” idea. It seems most Christian teachers don’t really trust God’s Spirit to lead believers. Freedom seems to worry them. Guarding their flocks’ behavior is more important than guarding their freedom.
Paul seemed to have the opposite priority. Protecting the freedom of the believers was a big deal to him. He wrote the letter to the Galatian believers because he heard they were becoming legalistic and were losing their freedom in Christ. False teachers had convinced them that they had to keep certain rules and regulations in addition to believing in Christ in order to be saved. But Paul said that is no gospel at all! He urged them to get back onto the right path: the path of trusting in Christ alone for their salvation.
This wasn’t the first time their freedom in Christ had been in danger. In Galatians chapter two he relates that during the time he had lived and ministered among them the same thing started happening. But Paul stood against it. He would not give in for a moment. He was so determined that nothing would steal away the truth of the gospel that he was teaching to them that he even took a trip to consult with the apostles in Jerusalem about the problem.
Trips in those days were no small undertaking! It wasn’t just a weekend away. He didn’t have airplanes or smooth super highways to travel on. Google says it would take 230 hours to walk from Turkey (what was Galatia) to Jerusalem. That would take 28 days if you walked 8 hours per day. He may have sailed but I don’t imagine that would be too pleasant or safe either. The point is he went to an enormous amount of effort and risk to protect the believers’ freedom in Christ.
No wonder he was so upset when he wrote the book of Galatians. He had poured out his life to teach them the truth and did everything he could to protect their freedom but they were throwing it away.
I don't want to do that!
I was raised in churches that seemed to focus a lot on fear: fear of God’s wrath, fear of backsliding, fear of not measuring up, fear of not performing enough to meet “God’s” expectations (or was it really just other peoples’ expectations?). Bottom line: fear of being rejected by God. We were taught, at least what I absorbed, was that we had to work really hard to hang on to our salvation. Maybe I heard it more because I was a highly sensitive kid.
Faith was taught but it was mainly in the context of believing God for physical healing –not as much about simply trusting in Jesus for salvation. Oh we had to do that too, but it didn’t seem to be the main thing and it didn’t seem to be quite enough.
Somehow, despite all that, I really did love God. I even wanted to become a missionary. But I always felt like I never measured up, that God was displeased with me, that he was always about to reject me.
It wasn’t until I was at University and living with Christians from other denominations that I started hearing more about God’s grace. It intrigued me. I wondered if I was missing something. I longed to understand God’s grace more. Now I realize from my own study of Scripture that salvation by Faith in Jesus Christ alone is THE Main Thing! And it is enough!!
But even though I believe that, I still find myself tending toward fear and legalism. I guess I absorbed it so much for so long it is hard not to default to that. I'm afraid of being too "grace-y."
In fact, it seems like most Christian teachers I’ve met seem to lean that direction too. No one wants to give the impression they are easy on sin. So even if they teach a little about grace they quickly ladle on a generous dose of legalism. They don’t want people to get the “wrong” idea. It seems most Christian teachers don’t really trust God’s Spirit to lead believers. Freedom seems to worry them. Guarding their flocks’ behavior is more important than guarding their freedom.
Paul seemed to have the opposite priority. Protecting the freedom of the believers was a big deal to him. He wrote the letter to the Galatian believers because he heard they were becoming legalistic and were losing their freedom in Christ. False teachers had convinced them that they had to keep certain rules and regulations in addition to believing in Christ in order to be saved. But Paul said that is no gospel at all! He urged them to get back onto the right path: the path of trusting in Christ alone for their salvation.
This wasn’t the first time their freedom in Christ had been in danger. In Galatians chapter two he relates that during the time he had lived and ministered among them the same thing started happening. But Paul stood against it. He would not give in for a moment. He was so determined that nothing would steal away the truth of the gospel that he was teaching to them that he even took a trip to consult with the apostles in Jerusalem about the problem.
Trips in those days were no small undertaking! It wasn’t just a weekend away. He didn’t have airplanes or smooth super highways to travel on. Google says it would take 230 hours to walk from Turkey (what was Galatia) to Jerusalem. That would take 28 days if you walked 8 hours per day. He may have sailed but I don’t imagine that would be too pleasant or safe either. The point is he went to an enormous amount of effort and risk to protect the believers’ freedom in Christ.
No wonder he was so upset when he wrote the book of Galatians. He had poured out his life to teach them the truth and did everything he could to protect their freedom but they were throwing it away.
I don't want to do that!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)