Weird "Christian" Sayings - Part III

"I prayed the sinner's prayer someday and therefore I am Christian".

I know I am going to raise the hairs on the back of a few necks with this blog entry. I can't count the number of times salvation has been reduced to a formula, a series of words that someone is instructed to pray and BAM! They are now followers of Christ with the assurance of eternal life. Don't get me wrong, I know there can be sincere conversion and life change that occurs along with the utterance of that prayer but as my pastor pointed out during his sermon this past Sunday, the "sinner's prayer" is a modern human innovation. If you search for more information on the history of the sinner's prayer, you will find that 'receiving Christ' was a technique introduced around the time of the reformation and grew in popularity with our growing need for instant everything.

As a child and teenager, I have said the sinner's prayer many times, longing for that promised peace to flood my heart and to forever be transformed. Only to fall back into a lifestyle that so clearly did not show any signs of Christ living in my heart. I would wonder why I was still disrespectful, still slanderous, still a liar, still rude, still... still unable to walk in freedom. So what does the Bible say about being saved? I love the Message translation of Romans 10:9-11.

"Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!" "

The first part is the declaration that Jesus is now the Master of our lives. A declaration that our lives are now aligned with His words and lived in obedience to Him. We declare that God has set everything right between Him and us. We have the love of God in us and when we bump into people some of that rubs off on them. More than anything else, it becomes an everyday walk. A deep relationship with God, not a religion with a mandate that we fulfilled at some point. What freedom!

One person who loves to declare that Jesus is her Lord is Rifqa Bary. If becoming a follower of Christ was a one-time prayer and did not show some obvious changes in lifestyle, her life would not be in danger today. Please lift her up in prayer. The next court hearing is on September 3.

Weird "Christian" Sayings - Part II

Everything in moderation. I'm guilty of saying this one too until a friend quipped back "How about a little axe murder? Is that OK in moderation?" Whoa!!! So I decided to do a little research into the Biblical basis for this statement. And guess what? Even yahoo can answer this one. Nope, its not from the Bible. I have said this one so many times without giving it any thought. Some things may definitely be healthy and within our liberty to enjoy in moderation such as a little dessert or as Will would probably add - videogames! There are, however, many things that are not acceptable, even in small quantities. Murder, hatred, strife, debauchery, pornography, abuse, addictions... the list goes on. I had with my mouth condoned a list of activities that I really wouldn't endorse.

On the flip side, how about some positive things? Should I serve God in moderation? Should I love my husband in moderation? Should I manage my home in moderation? Work diligently in moderation? Be wise with money in moderation?

The statement just absolutely makes no sense anymore. Perhaps there are a few things to be enjoyed in moderation, some things never to be touched and some things to pour excellence into.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Weird "Christian" Sayings - Part I

Yes, this is such a pet peeve that I feel convinced I need to start a blog mini-series on this topic.

A few years ago I was stuck in a job without a future, homesick, deceived by 'friends' and too sick to keep food or water down after a doctor overdosed me on anti-fever pills when a well-meaning Christian friend said this to me in an effort to comfort me "God will never take you through more than you can handle". I can't count the number of times I have heard that statement or its close cousin "God will never give you more than you can bear". The saying is potentially a paraphrase of I Corinthians 10:13 (No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it).

My problems with this statement are:

- That verse does not really say that God is the giver of temptation. Indeed, the Bible also says that when we are tempted we are not to say that we are tempted by God because God does not tempt man (James 1:13).

- It paints the picture of a distant God who creates you with a suffering threshold and then increases your level of suffering until you reach that threshold. Then He sits back and watches you squirm until you have satisfactorily discovered that you do have a threshold and this suffering is bearable.

- If God only lets us go through what we can handle, we don't need to rely on Him at all. We can handle everything that comes our way, we don't ever have to ask Him for help or cling to Him when we feel like we cannot go any further.

After struggling through a few trials with my own strength, I decided to shake off this expectation that I need to prove to God that I can handle it, that I can tap into this strength reservoir that He has given me. Instead, I choose to believe something else. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philipians 4:13), trusting in the God who says 'Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you' (Hebrews 13:5).

Lessons from the Dance Floor

Some of you know that I have been taking ballroom dancing lessons with my husband! For those of you who know him well, this might come as quite a shock. Yes, this is the same boy that would refuse to dance and said he hated dancing AND bought us a package of dance lessons. He really seems to enjoy it too! So far I have stepped on his toes twice and he has not returned the favor.

Our first lesson we were taught the "basic principles of leading and following". With subtle pressure applied to my palm and back, Will was taught to steer me around the room while I had my eyes closed. The lesson isn't called "magic" for nothing. I found myself responding without hesitation and dancing was suddenly so easy. A few minutes into it though I began to watch for patterns. We made two "boxes" moving backwards and one "box" moving right, I bet we're going to move right again. I began to guess and anticipate the next move resulting in fumbling feet and our instructor's intervention. I also struggled with trying to stop executing my own plans. "Let's go this way", I'd urge, trying to apply similar pressure on Will's palm. Or "Come on Will, I loosened my grip on your palm. You know what that means, spin me around!". Soon I learnt that was futile and had calamitous results. I have concluded that things work best when I have my eyes closed. Then we're moving around the room easily, there are some promenades and some spins and complete trust.

Isn't that the case with faith sometimes? I struggle often with trying to find out what God is doing, trying to find patterns, trying to steer Him and telling Him in prayer what I'd like Him to do next. And then there are times I give up and quiet myself and close my eyes and suddenly life's dance is so much smoother.

1 Timothy 4:8

I know I've been talking to some friends and family recently about the benefits of exercise and the importance of eating healthy. So I was out this morning practising what I preach (haha), on my regular run when God began to impress something upon my heart.

Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

I love how the Apostle Paul often writes in terms of running and training. Like this passage from 1 Corinthians, chapter 9:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

He speaks like one who knows what it is like to train the body. He knows the pain and the sweat. He knows the value of it. However, he knows that in spite of its great value, it is of so little value or significance in comparison to a godly life and running this race of life well, being careful not to be disqualified.

So, I could run and beat my body to run more, run faster, get stronger. But when I die, the truth is that without a right relationship with Jesus, everything I did will have no value. But all the time I invest in my spiritual fitness will serve me well both in this life and in the life to come. Now I'm not saying let's throw in the towel then and stop exercising and eating healthy because it has no eternal significance. No. The Bible also tells us not to be lazy or a glutton and that the body is the temple of God. We are responsible for nourishing it and maintaining its health. But my prayer today is that I would sow a little more in my spiritual fitness than in my physical fitness. That while I take care of the perishable, I will take greater care of the imperishable so that when I'm at the end of this race, He will say "well done, faithful servant".

August Reflections

The Summer of 2009 is slowly coming to an end. I realize that for the past couple of years, at the end of every summer I seem to go into a reflecting mode. Summer slows things down a little for me and forces me to process the overwhelming goodness of God. August of 2007 I was looking back on a whirlwind of a year. God had taken independent, business-clothes-wearing, power-lunches-eating me out of my comfort zone and planted me smack in the middle of hourly-wages-earning, bus-riding student life. The colors, sounds and bright lights of Bangalore city had been replaced with the quietness of Dayton, Ohio. Fast forward one year, I was a number-crunching, wedding-planning fiancee, wrapping up grad school and putting as much of India and Texas as possible into a Nashville wedding. This summer, I'm a kitchen-counter-sanitizing, home-decorating housewife. What a change in the life of 'free and single' Hannah! I used to love the single life and now I love being a wife. They are both fun and wonderful in entirely different ways.

At the end of every August reflection I come to the same conclusion: I'm living under the kiss of heaven! This Darlene Zschech song has been my life song ever since I became a Christian a few years ago.

I'm walking a new walk
I'll never be the same again
Dancing a new dance
In your Holy Spirit rain
Your breath of life has overwhelmed me
And set my spirit free

I'm living a new life
Underneath your morning star
Running a new race
In the shadow of your love
Your love is immeasurable
Too deep to comprehend

I'm singing a new song
In the presence of the King
Giving you my heart
That is all that I can bring
You lit a fire inside of me
That I thought would never burn again

My Jesus, dream maker
My Jesus, life giver
I'm living under the kiss of heaven
And I'll never, ever be the same again