Scriptures That Bother Me — John 4:27

Posted by Jim Thornber on March 16, 2009
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“Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.” — Mark Twain

Surprised by Jesus

“Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman.”­ – John 4:27

John 4 is the familiar story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus was on a mission, for verse four says, “Now he had to go through Samaria.” What intrigues me about this passage is the way the disciples seemed bothered by the fact Jesus was talking to a Samaritan woman. This woman was the wrong sex and living in the wrong country for them to feel comfortable. In other words, she definitely was not one of them! Apparently, the disciples still did not understand the mission and the purpose of Jesus, so His actions surprised them.

This got me thinking: I wonder how often Jesus might surprise me. I don’t think I’d be surprised if Jesus had a face-to-face conversation with Billy Graham, or maybe Mother Teresa or even the head of my denomination. Those are all people who are acceptable in my sight. However, would I be surprised if I walked into a room and saw Jesus conversing with someone I’m not sure about? You’ll have to use your imagination for this, but what if I came across Jesus talking to President Obama. (I can hear it now: “Jesus had to go through Washington, D.C.”) Would I be surprised? What if Jesus was having a conversation with the Pope, or Angelina Jolie, or Charles Manson?  How about Fidel Castro, Indira Gahandi or President George W. Bush? Would Jesus surprise me with His actions?  Would He surprise you?

More interestingly, I wonder how many people would be surprised if they found out Jesus took the time to go out of His way to have a quiet, comfortable talk with me. Can you hear the whispers? “Jesus was talking with that rascal Jim. I know about him. I know some of the bonehead things he’s done and I’ve read some of the silly things he’s written. Why would Jesus be talking to Jim? He’s not one of us.”

I figure that if I’m like the disciples, surprised by who Jesus chooses to talk to, it’s a sure indication that I still don’t know His mission or His purpose. Yes, I’ve read that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, but its so easy to think Jesus really died for those people who are most like me; people I get along with, approve, admire, agree with and respect. But when Jesus steps outside the acceptable boundary lines and crosses over into “enemy” territory, then I begin to wonder what He’s up to. Why? Because if Jesus will go through Samaria (or Washington D.C.), then He just might call me to go there too, and then I’d have to face my own prejudices and that’s a bit too much confrontation for a Monday morning.

I’d like to say Jesus doesn’t surprise me anymore, but nobody would believe it. I’m still learning about the mission and purpose of Jesus.  I’m still challenged when He directs me to talk with certain people, go to specific places, listen to particular teachers, and face my own, personally chosen enemies.  On a lighter note, I think since Heaven is for an eternity and God is infinite, I can anticipate an eternity with God that is full of surprise and wonder. Therefore, it should not be surprising (pun intended) if His surprises start today.

Scriptures That Bother Me — Romans 12:1-2

Posted by Jim Thornber on March 9, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion, Service, Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments


Logical Worship

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

When I was in Bible College, one of the key phrases that flowed from the mouths of those studying for the ministry was, “I just want to know God’s will for my life.” This is a fair and noble goal, to be sure, an ambition worthy of both princes and paupers alike. But in the twenty something years since my graduation, I’ve come to see that finding God’s will is both simple and profound, and like most things about God, it comes at a price.

Paul told the Christians at Rome to take a wide-angle look at God’s mercy as seen throughout the history of Israel and conclude this panorama by offering themselves as living sacrifices. He tells them that as a sacrifice they have found the spiritual – from the Greek word logikos – or reasonable, rational, logical way to worship God. True spiritual, reasonable worship only happens through a life that is lived as a sacrifice. Part of this sacrifice comes by transforming and renewing our minds to take on the mind of Christ, and consciously choosing never to conform our minds to the unstable shape of a transitory world. Then, and only then, are we able to put God’s will to the test.

We all want to know God’s will, but we will only find it when we decide to become living sacrifices. However, too often we reverse this process. We first want to know what God’s will is for our life – and then we’ll decide if we’ll sacrifice our lives for it. But the Gospel tells us that we must first be raised up as a sacrifice before we can fulfill God’s purposes.

The calling of the apostles is a perfect example of this. First Peter left his business and his father, and then he found out what God commissioned him to do. Our “Yes” to God must always precede the “What” that God wants us to do. Jesus told Matthew, “Follow me.” No explanations or promises; no contracts or guarantees. Simply, “Follow me.” Paul had to say “Yes, Lord” before he learned that God would show him how much he had to suffer for Him (Acts 16:9).

Paul makes the connection between being a living sacrifice and knowing the will of God by using the word “pleasing” in each instance. In the Greek, “pleasing” means well pleasing and acceptable, and translates the Hebrew word halak, meaning to walk (with God), like Enoch. Therefore, not only is living our life as a sacrifice well pleasing and acceptable in God’s sight, it also creates for us an environment to know His good, pleasing, and perfect will as we walk out that life in our daily living.

Our Sunday morning worship means nothing if our Monday through Saturday life has not been carried out as a living sacrifice. William Barclay said, “Real worship is the offering of everyday life to him, not something transacted in a church, but something which sees the whole world as the temple of the living God” (Barclay’s Daily Study Bible, Romans).

I see Sunday as the Church coming together primarily for learning about and worshiping God. Wednesday evening is the Church together for teaching and raising disciples. But Monday through Saturday finds the Church dispersed for witnessing to and attracting new disciples. All of these activities are reasonable, acceptable, and spiritual ways to live our life and please the will of God.

I still don’t know what God’s ultimate will for my life is, but I don’t give it as much thought as I used to. Every morning I wake up and look for ways to serve Him. And if, and at the end of the day, I can see where He has used me to touch a small corner of the world, I thank Him for using me. Isn’t that a logical, if not spiritual way, to worship God?

Scriptures That Bother Me — Matthew 14:28-30

Posted by Jim Thornber on March 4, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

Laughing at Peter

“‘Lord, if it is you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come,’ he said . . . But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!'” – Matthew 14:28-30

Last night a friend invited me to a men’s study at his church. I usually don’t go to men’s groups, but this man attends my Friday night group and I wanted to support him.

In the course of the evening, we began to talk about Peter. Someone labeled this preeminent Apostle of Christ “Peter the Water Walker,” and every time someone said it, it generated a laugh. The conversation then recounted all Peter’s failures: sinking in the waves; the desire to build shelters for Moses, Elijah and Jesus; denying Jesus during His trial; separating from the Gentiles and hanging out with the Jews. The consensus was unanimous – we don’t want to be like Peter.

The tone of this conversation began to bother me, for it is contemplating Peter’s failures that give me such comfort in my own walk with Christ. Yes, Peter did sink, but he also had the temerity to step out of the boat when his peers were too afraid to do so. True, Peter didn’t know what he was talking about when he suggested building shelters on the Mount of Transfiguration, but he was one of only three men invited to the event. Peter, like Judas, denied his Savior. But he also chose to hang out and take his lumps, only to find out that Jesus hadn’t given up on him. Yes, Peter made a mistake by separating from the Gentiles, but he listened to Paul and changed his ways.

Finally, at the end of his life, Peter’s dedication to Christ led to his own crucifixion by Emperor Nero. Before they crucified Peter, tradition tells us the Romans forced him to watch his wife crucified before him. His only words to his wife were, “Remember the Lord.” Peter’s last request was to be crucified upside down, feeling he was not worth to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord.

Knowing this about Peter gives me comfort because, in many ways, I’m like Peter. I, too, am prone to leap before I think, only to sink when I take my eyes off Jesus. I’m quite capable of getting my mouth in gear before my brain is engaged; of denying my Lord in so many ways by choosing my will over His; of making major social blunders. Jim, just like Peter, is still in the process of growing in the character of Christ. In the end, Peter finished his life well, and for all his initial mistakes, he lived in a manner that gave glory to God.

That’s why Peter gives me hope. For all my mistakes, blunders, stupid conversations, denials and social mishaps, I’m still capable of living and dying well. I told the men’s group that anyone who can delight in laughing at Peter simply has no comprehension of their own sin.

Nobody thought that was funny, but a number of men nodded in agreement.

I stopped pointing fingers at Peter long ago, for I realized that every time I pointed out Peter’s mistakes, I’m really pointing out my own. In the end, my hope is to be like Peter. I want to live my life in such a way that my enemies can convict me for following Jesus.

Scriptures That Bother Me — Galatians 5:6

Posted by Jim Thornber on March 3, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion, Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

The Faith To Love

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Galatians 5:6

I’ve been around Christians and Christianity for thirty-five years now. I’ve been associated with Baptist, Pentecostal, Catholic and non-denominational organizations and churches. I’ve seen mysterious, authentic movements of God’s Spirit that have transformed people’s lives, and had conversations with pseudo-religious nuts who proclaimed they were the only ones who held true to “The One True Faith.” It’s been a wild ride.

Since I was saved in the 70’s, I’m quite familiar with the Faith movement. You know, those who liked to “name” their blessing and “claim” it in Jesus’ name. However, Galatians 5:6 sets that idea on its head, for Paul says that the ultimate expression of faith is not for the accumulation of things, but to express itself through love.

Scripture does not encourage us to have faith for prosperity, ministry, jobs, success, popularity, houses, the newest cell phone or a huge 401k. True, we are to have faith for our “daily bread,” but mostly we need to have a faith that expresses itself through love.

Jesus only gave us one “new” commandment: “Love one another” (John 13:34). Of course, this is not really a new commandment, but a remembrance of an old one (Lev. 19:18). After all the religious pomp and circumstances had been swept away, living in love was a new way of thinking for the first disciples of Christ. This was not a new commandment; it was simply new to the disciples. They were looking for a Messiah that would establish the Kingdom and annihilate their enemies, of which there were many. But Jesus reminded them, and us, to love one another; and not only those who already love us, but even our enemies and those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:14).

I’ll admit this is a hard thing to wrap my mind around. Is Paul telling me that if I ground my faith in anything but love then it doesn’t count?  I think so. I wonder if this is why some people’s faith regarding healing goes unanswered. If a person wouldn’t use their healing as an avenue to love other people, then perhaps God will continue to work on healing their spirit before He heals their body (Mark 2:1-11). The same goes for money. I think God keeps some people in financial limbo because if they had an abundance of money they’d spend it selfishly on themselves.

A former pastor of mine was fond of saying, “You are blessed to be a blessing.” Every aspect of my life is intended to be a blessing to others. If I am healthy, wealthy and wise, then God intends those blessings to be freely given to those who need it most. Perhaps Paul is reminding all of us that it is time to have the faith to love with all our resources – heart, soul, mind and strength – for in the end that will be the only type of love-faith that will count.

My Ideal Church

Posted by Jim Thornber on February 27, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 7 Comments

When people ask me what denomination I am, I tell them I’m a Bapticostalic. I came to know the Lord in a Baptist church when I was twelve, was baptized in a Foursquare church, attended an Assemblies of God Bible College and spent four years as a monk with the Brothers and Sisters of Charity while I had ministerial credentials with the Assemblies of God. That summation usually garnishes some interesting looks. So, I’m a Bapticostalic. And yes, it’s a word I made up.

Because of this diverse background, I’m finding it difficult to find a church home. I resigned my former church position a few months back, and though I’ve visited a number of congregations, I’ve not found one that I feel is the right fit.

Granted, I’m a hard sell when it comes to the local church. I’ve been around too long simply to “go to church” because it is what Christians are supposed to do. Besides, I’m beyond going to a church so it can “meet my needs.” If I don’t have a place to invest the gifts God has given me, then I don’t feel I have a place in that congregation.

Knowing my situation, a friend on Facebook said to me, “So, curiosity begs to know what it is you are looking for in a church. It’s tough to find a “fit” when you don’t match any of the standard molds. I’m just wondering what blend would be *your* chosen church?”

That got me thinking, so here is a partial list of what I would like to see in my “chosen church.” And before you think I’m dreaming, I know that everything I’ve listed is already taking place in some form in churches across America, except for number 6.

1. Ephesians. 4:10-13 Leadership – After Jesus ascended He gave gifts to the Church, including Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher. I would like to be part of a church that has all five of these gifts working together in a leadership capacity “to prepare God’s people for works of service” (vs. 12). In this model, the “pastor” would only be one part of the leadership model. The pastor would pastor people, the teacher would be the primary speaker, and the evangelist wouldn’t even be in church on Sunday. He or she would be out evangelizing people who aren’t in church on Sunday. What a novel idea!

2. 80/20 Reversal – Most of us know that 80% of the work is usually done by 20% of the people. I would like to see that reversed. I know there will never be 100% of the people who will work for the Kingdom, but it is possible to see a higher percentage using their gifts for God’s glory.

3. Intentional Equipping of the Saints – And I mean INTENTIONAL. The vision statement for my first church was to see people caught, taught, increased and released. This means we actively look for ways to catch people by the love of God and see them saved, teach them the Word, increase their effectiveness as a person and minister by understanding their gifts and giftedness, and then release them to use those gifts for the Kingdom. This also means we must be creative in finding ways for those gifts to be used. Naturally, most of these gifts will be used outside the four walls of the church, and that is as it should be. Too often, leadership implies that if we are not working in the church, we’re not working for the Kingdom. Fortunately, that idea is starting to fade.

4. Staff Performance Based on Leaders Equipped Versus People Accumulated – Most often, churches evaluate a staff member on how well they do their job. The music minister is evaluated on how well he or she leads worship, and the youth pastor is evaluated on how many kids are in the youth group. I’d like to see performance evaluations based upon the people who are equipped to use their gifts for the Kingdom. Numbers are not as necessary as proper training and mentoring. Jesus only had a base of twelve, but they were properly and intentionally discipled to continue His work after the resurrection. This leads me to my next point.

5. Leaders Who Lead To Replace Themselves – Jesus knew He was training His replacements, and since that time, every Christian is working to see the original mandate of Christ fulfilled in their generation. Leading to replace yourself is obvious in every part of our lives. Parents raise children who will replace them on earth. Teachers teach students who will one day replace them as teachers. Electricians, plumbers, carpenters and roofers all take on apprentices to teach them the fine points of their trade. Why is this such a foreign concept in most churches? I recently read that the purpose of an apple tree is not to produce apples, but to produce more apple trees. I want to be part of a church where the leadership culture is intentional about training the next generation of leaders.

6. Musical Worship That Is God Centered, Not Performance Centered – I recently went to a church where the worship leader had great talent but little ability to lead people in worship. His was mostly a performance, and as such, it was very hard to follow. Even those songs I was familiar with were hard to follow because he sang them in his own unique style. Worship leaders have the responsibility to use their talents to bring people into the presence of God through music. They are not to use their time to show the world just how talented they are. I would like to see a church where only the musicians are on stage and the lead singers are standing in the audience with wireless microphones. My ultimate dream would be to have a church in the round. This would help eliminate the feeling that we are watching a performance on stage. Furthermore, everybody in the congregation would be able to see one another and not just that backs of people’s heads and the faces of the worship team.

These are just a few of my ideas for the ideal church. Naturally, many people will disagree with me or will have other ideas. If so, I’d be delighted to hear them.

Saying “Goodbye” To My Beautiful Title

Posted by Jim Thornber on February 23, 2009
Posted in: Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 11 Comments

One of the mistakes many leaders make is believing that when they obtain the “title” they’ve arrived.  The thinking goes something like this. “Now that I’ve graduated, I need to get a job. This job needs to be something I’m trained to do, and should also come with a job title, for without the title, how will I tell people what it is I do? Now that I’ve got that title, I must have arrived at what I’m supposed to do with my life, and the what I do is now a perfect description of the who that I am. Since I ‘pastor’ the church and people call me ‘Pastor’ then I must BE a pastor. Therefore, I’ve arrived. Who am I? I am Pastor.”

Do you want proof that this type of thinking takes place? The next time you go to any social gathering where there are people you don’t know, wait and see how long it takes before someone asks, “So, what do you do for a living?” I guarantee it won’t take very long. Conversely, watch how long before that same question enters your mind upon meeting someone new. We all want to know what people do, because we believe what they do determines who they are. Consequently, we tend to make personal judgments upon the lives of people based solely and completely upon their titles.

For example, do you really believe that you will give the same consideration and respect to the person who says, “I’m the custodian at the high school” that you will to one who says, “I’m the CFO for General Motors”? Furthermore, if you’ve ever been a custodian (I have), you’re much more likely (and proud) to tell people when you’re the pastor of a church (like I have) than when you’re the custodian. In fact, I have often steered conversations towards the “What do you do for a living?” topic because I was a pastor and I wanted people to know that and be impressed.

Today, that title is gone. Now I’m just a former pastor who works at a lumberyard, making less money than I did twenty years ago. The ego is bruised, but the hope remains. I’ve been stripped down to how God sees me, and God alone must be enough or I’ll stay here for a long time. Isolation strips you of what you do – and also of what people see you doing – so that who you are is all that remains.

Sometimes our ministry position becomes so caught up I administration, we don’t have time for ministration. I’m still learning that I don’t need a title to validate my existence by what I do (I never claimed to be a quick learner). My title does not determine who I am. Sure, I would rather be called, “Pastor Jim” than “Jim the Janitor.” However, this is more a reflection of my pride than my position as a son of God. We grow up in a society that is big on titles and job descriptions. Our doing determines our worth in America, unless you are fortunate enough to be born wealthy and good-looking. Then you can be famous for simply being famous. Can you imagine telling God He should allow you into heaven because you were more famous than anybody else; that your picture appeared in more magazines that any other living person because of your astonishing good looks?

Leo Tolstoy said, “It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.” I would like to take that one step farther and say, “It is amazing how complete is the delusion that titles equals significance.” My worth is based on Who’s I am, not what I do. And I’ll be the first to confess it is a lesson that I’m still learning.

This is another except from my hopefully soon-to-be released book, Taking Off My Comfortable Clothes. The book talks about the four years I was an Assemblies of God minister at a monk with the Brothers and Sisters of Charity. This excerpt is from the chapter Isolation.

Scriptures That Bother Me — Matt. 14:13-21; 15:32-38

Posted by Jim Thornber on February 19, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 6 Comments

Jesus Feeds 9,000

“‘We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they answered. Jesus replied, ‘Bring them here to me.'” Matthew 14:13-21; 15:32-38

Up until recently, I never had a need or an opportunity to apply these verses to my life. However, since I have been unemployed for a while, I am starting to read Scripture differently, because I am starting to doubt my own resources.

As I search, seek, and ask God about my next assignment, I cannot help but wonder about my skills and talents and why so many churches and businesses have no interest in employing me. I do not have an answer at this time, but it has driven me to look at Scripture in a different light lately.

Because my primary spiritual gift is teaching, I have spent years reading the Bible mostly for those things I could teach from the pulpit or in the Sunday school class. However, since those two forums have recently (and, I pray, temporarily) dried up, I have resorted to reading Scripture not so much for how I can apply it to your life, but for how I can apply it to mine! Yes, I should have been doing this all along, but I am a little slow on the uptake. Just like the disciples in these two passages. Perhaps this is why these stories bothered me as I read them this morning; they hit too close to home.

In the first passage, the disciples show their concern for the crowd, but in a selfish way. They know they need to eat, but the disciples do not want to take responsibility for this task and ask Jesus to send them away. Not missing a beat, Jesus says, “That isn’t necessary – you feed them” (14:16 NLT).

However, the disciples reply by saying they do not have adequate resources. “But we only have five loaves of bread and two fish!” they tell Jesus.

“Bring them here,” Jesus says.

At that point, I stopped reading.

I am feeling a bit like the disciples. I know I have some resources, but they seem so meager and inadequate for the task. It is all too overwhelming for me. People need to be fed and taught and discipled and trained to do the work of ministry, and all I have is a little Bible training and a passion to teach.

“Bring them here,” Jesus tells me.

And I know what will happen when I do. He will take the little I have and bless it and make it adequate for the job He has assigned for me. Feeling better about myself –  if not a tad rebuked –  I continued reading.

Now I come to the second story, the feeding of the 4,000 (5,000 plus 4,000 equals 9,000, hence the title, if you were wondering).

In the second passage, Jesus has to tell the disciples of His compassion for the hungry people and guides the disciples into an understanding of the people’s need to eat. The disciples respond by wondering where they could find enough food to feed everybody. Jesus takes them a step further and asks them what they have on hand. “Seven loaves, and a few small fish,” they reply.

Once again, Jesus asks for their limited resources, blesses it, returns it to the disciples and has them distribute it to the people. Much to their amazement, the disciples discover that not only were 4,000 men fed, but like before, there were baskets full of leftovers.

I stopped reading again. This one not only hit home, but also destroyed it.

I have often prided myself on my ability to read Scripture, understand enough of it to apply it in a situation, and find a way to teach it. But this second story, coming so quickly after the first, reminds me how often I have to learn the same lesson numerous times. I used to shout at the disciples, “Why are you so dense? Didn’t you get it the first time?” Now I leave the disciples alone and ask myself the same questions.

So what are the lessons for me? (I don’t know about you. Go get your own lessons.).

1.      Jesus knows my limited resources.

2.      Jesus asks me to bring my resources to Him.

3.      Jesus blesses my resources beyond my comprehension.

4.      I may have to learn this lesson more than once.

Fortunately, there will come a day when Jesus will send me out to feed the hungry, heal the sick, teach new disciples and bring glory to His name. I only pray that I don’t have to learn this lesson too many times. I’m tired of being unemployed.

Scriptures That Bother Me — Deuteronomy 8:10

Posted by Jim Thornber on February 16, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion, Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 9 Comments

Giving Thanks

“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.” Deuteronomy 8:10

If you’ve been involved in Christianity for more that two weeks, you’ve probably sat around the dinner table with other Christians and prayed before you ate. This is a good practice, for reminds us that God is the source of all the good things in our life. However, I think our practice of praying before a meal can become nothing more than a religious habit, especially when we are in the presence of other Christians. To be honest, the only time I ever pray over a meal is when I’m with someone else. Otherwise, I just jump right in and eat.

Although I believe that gratitude for the gifts of God needs to be a 24/7 attitude, I find I’m usually grateful on a ½ /1 basis. That is, about a half hour one day a week. Then I go and stumble upon Deuteronomy 8:10 and I feel like a worm.

Deuteronomy is the farewell address of Moses to the Israelites. Deuteronomy means “repetition of the law,” since God gave all the commandments to Moses at Mt. Sinai in the first year of the Exodus. Since most parents get really serious when they repeat something to their children, I figure God was very intentional about helping us learn the lessons found in this book.

Deuteronomy 8 is God’s reminder that we are to remain in an attitude of gratitude, and He encourages us not to forget that He brought us out of our desperate situation and into a place of abundance. God commands us to give thanks after we have eaten, otherwise “your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God” (8:14). Moses goes on to warn, “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth” (8:17).

It’s the “after” part that I keep stumbling over. I’m usually grateful after a big ordeal, like just missing getting in a car accident or finding out I got an “A” on a big exam. However, I’m not so thankful after the little things, like a simple lunch, or a warm home, or a car that gets me to work. I worked hard for those things, so….so I just forgot that it is God who gives me the ability to produce wealth. How easily I slip into thinking my life is entirely of my making.

I also noticed that God doesn’t say to thank Him for the meal we just ate, but for the good land He has given us. The principle is to be grateful for the entire supply of God’s goodness, not just the meal we just consumed. Thanking Him for the land, and not just the meal, is to be grateful for all His provisions: job, house, family and nation. It is a remembrance of the fact He brought us out of a land of sin and slavery and into a place of milk (abundant livestock) and honey (plenteous and sweet fruit and orchards).

In light of this passage, I’m developing a new prayer. “Lord, help me to thank You for all Your goodness before AND after I have enjoyed them. And if I forget to thank You, I’m asking You to remind me. It may take a while, but I want to make thankfulness a 24/7 habit. Amen.”

Scriptures That Bother Me — Genesis 17:23

Posted by Jim Thornber on February 9, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion, Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

On That Very Day

“On that very day Abraham took . . . his entire household, and circumcised them, as God told him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old.” Genesis 17:23

How many of you reading this are procrastinators? You know, someone who says, “Why put off until tomorrow something you can put off until the day after tomorrow?” I’m like that when it comes to certain chores around the house, like painting or raking leaves. But eventually, even the day after tomorrow comes and I have to do the chores.

My worst procrastination occurred the time I waited ten months before obeying God’s direction for my life. They were a miserable ten months, I’ll confess, and even when I did obey, I did it with an attitude. But God accepted my obedience nonetheless, and He still let me stay in the family.

However, this was not the attitude of Abraham. Genesis says after God visited with Abraham and established the covenant of circumcision, “On that very day,” Abraham circumcised every male in his entire household: Ishmael, all those born in his house or bought with money, and even himself. At ninety-nine years of age, Abraham believes that God will still bring him a family through Sarah and he has himself circumcised.

I’d have probably waited longer than ten months just to allow myself to imagine such a thing, much less obey it. Then I’d pray some more, ask God for a significant sign that it was really Him and not the devil, run it by my friends, my pastor, my wife and even the greeter at Wal-Mart. Anything to put off what I knew was, for me, my inevitable response: obedience.

Abraham challenges me in that his obedience is immediate. He didn’t put off obeying the painful and virtually unexplainable directives of God. Furthermore, I don’t know how he convinced his household to obey this dramatic change. Most pastors have difficulty getting everyone in the congregation to agree on changing the color of the carpet, much less something as radical as circumcision. I have no idea how Abraham convinced every male in his household to comply with God’s covenant, and to do so immediately.

If Abraham was ever caught up in the “What will people think?” syndrome, Scripture never says. Perhaps Abraham obeyed so quickly he never gave himself much time to think about it. He set his mind to obey the Lord and he never turned back. There’s a significant lesson in there for me. And for you.

There is a bright side to the story, however. Abraham was ninety-nine when he entered into this covenant with God. Now, most of the guys reading this might be thinking, “I don’t know if I could get circumcised, WITHOUT anesthesia, when I am ninety-nine!” But that’s not my point. The point is it is never too late, and one is never too old, to obey and serve the Lord. Age is not a factor in the grace of God’s calling. It gives me comfort to know I’m not too old to obey God and see His miracles take place in my household.

Kung-Fu Praying

Posted by Jim Thornber on February 7, 2009
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion, Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 18 Comments

For four years I was a monk with the Brothers and Sister of Charity AND and Assemblies of God minister. The following is a lesson I learned about prayer during my four monastic years.

Kung Fu Praying

Every Friday evening at the Little Portion, the community gathered in the chapel for a half hour of silent prayer and meditation. At the appointed time, we would enter the candle-lit chapel, find a place to sit, and silently talk with God. Yes, occasionally you would hear the sound of slow, heavy breathing in the chapel (that unmistakable indication that one of the saints is taking a short siesta), but for the most part, everyone was engaged in some type of prayer. It was during these times-when I desired nothing more than to bask in the presence of God and simply be with the One who loved me to death-that unsavory images from my past or arguments I’ve had with people would come screaming into my head. I know I’m not alone in this experience; I’ve talked to many people who have fought this same battle. Here I am trying to meditate upon God, and an image of girl I once dated (and shouldn’t have) explodes upon my imagination. Now, instead of hoping to catch a glimpse of God’s glory, I have Victoria’s Secret dancing in my head. What’s a monk to do?

Oswald Chambers said, “The battle of prayer is against two things in the earthlies: wandering thoughts and lack of intimacy with God’s character as revealed in His word. Neither can be cured at once, but they can be cured by discipline.”  I now share with you my discipline of overcoming wandering thoughts while praying, which I learned by studying martial arts is Bible college.

During my first year at Bethany, I met a classmate who was an excellent martial artist, and I asked him if he would teach me Kung Fu. Naturally, I didn’t do it because I was worried that I might get mugged on a Christian campus. I did it for the exercise and the fun. My teacher and I would often workout with Mike, another student and 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

I began to notice that if I threw a punch at Mike, he would often respond with a piercing scream and a brutal block of my arm so that I just might come away with a bruise. In Kung Fu, I would meet a punch with a circular motion of my hands that gently guided the oncoming punch away from my body. Or, I could simply sidestep the oncoming projectile, be it a hand, a foot, or a club. In Tae Kwon Do, the attitude is, “You are really going to regret coming at me and I’m going to hurt you REALLY BAD so you will NEVER even THINK about doing that again!!” In Kung Fu the attitude is, “You don’t really intend to hurt me, so I’m going to gently and almost imperceptibly redirect your negative energy so that neither one of us gets hurt and you have a chance to repent of your anger and we can be friends.”  Okay, those were exaggerations, but you get the picture. Now, how does this relate to prayer?

When those unsolicited images come into my mind while I’m praying, my Kung Fu technique taught me to sidestep the offending thoughts and gently let them go by. Too often, I’ve used the Tae Kwon Do technique, which is to bash them into submission, but with little success. It seemed the harder I tried to get them out of my mind, the more forceful they returned. By imagining those images coming at me and gently sidestepping them in my mind, I didn’t give them the energy to continue haunting me and I could calmly go back to my conversation with God.

The other thing I learned to do was to thank God for what I was seeing. Okay, let’s say that scantily clad ex-girlfriend comes into my mind while I’m praying. Instead of trying to fight the image, run away in horror, and repent of my impure, unmonk-like thoughts, I’d say something like, “Lord, I want to thank You that You love her and died for her sins, too. I also want to thank You for the beautiful human body You created, and the pleasure it gives You when we are thankful for your gifts. You are good and Your works are too wonderful for me to comprehend. Be with her now as you are with me in this chapel. Amen.” I wasn’t upset, angry or over-energized by the image, but thanked God for an opportunity to ask His blessings to descend upon a sister’s life. If the devil thought he’d get me distracted from my prayer life, he simply gave me a few more things I could praise God for by praying that He release His goodness and His blessings into people’s lives. When I learned to fight the enemy’s visions with Godly praises, the images occurred less frequently.

Here’s another battle I’ve fought. How many of you have spent a majority of your prayer time replaying an argument you’ve had with a family member or co-worker, raise your hand? I thought so. How many of you have rehearsed an argument you were sure you were going to have in the future, using your prayer time to justify yourself before God, telling Him why you are right and the other person is wrong? Yeah, me too. What a waste of time.

Soren Kierkegaard said, “The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” When I’m rehearsing an imaginary argument before God in the name of prayer, I’m simply trying to influence God to see things my way. It doesn’t work. The primary purpose of prayer is to change me, not others. As time went on, I found it very difficult to stand at the Throne of God and accuse my brother or sister. There is already an accuser, and I don’t really want his job. Finally, after wasting many hours in prayer, I began to thank God for the people I was at odds with, whether real or imagined.

Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” If I’m not at peace with people when I’m praying, I certainly won’t be at peace with them when I’m in their presence. Once again, I began to thank God for the people that popped into my mind while in prayer. Was I ever justified for being angry at what they had done to me? Sometimes, but that really wasn’t the point. They were people that God loved and I decided I was going to pray God’s love into their lives. I began asking God to let me see my “enemies” as He saw them, and when He did, He never showed me His anger, but only His loving compassion.

Successful prayer centers upon praying the heart of God. Martin Luther said, “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness.” If God was willing to love these people enough to die for them, then I would to. I’d die to my desires for justice and recompense, and use my time in prayer as an opportunity to bring the worst of sinners into the loving presence of God’s Throne. Naturally, the worst of those sinners started with me. When I began to think about all that God had done for me, it wasn’t difficult to pray those same blessings into the lives of others.