Amos 4:13: You Didn't Come Back To Me

“Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God.”

He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord God Almighty is his name. - Amos 4:12-13

What is God like? This is a question which has dominated the thinking of people for most of recorded history. Maybe there was one god in their thinking, maybe there were many. Whichever, the question as to the nature of God (or gods) and what he/they require has skewed nearly every field of human endeavor in one direction or another-art, government, religion, music, architecture, and festivals. Only in recent years has the notion of God has receded from the popular imagination.

God is not silent. We are not listening. In the book written by the prophet Amos, God has tried nearly every possible means of communication to get through to the people he loves, to warn them about the direction they're headed, to save them from self-destructive behavior, to cry and weep the type of people they have become, to find a way of forgiveness and reconciliation. But the refrain from Amos, chapter 4-five times-is "yet you have not returned to me."

Let's not rush over that phrase. Some people look at the prophets and they see an angry God. Always "you did this, therefore I'm going to bop you on the head." Cosmic little bunny foo foo. But that misses the point. At the heart of the message of every prophet is a God who is heart-broken over men and women--his people--who have forgotten the special relationship they have with God.

You can't just put the God relationship on maintenance mode. You can't do that with your spouse. You can't do that with your kids. You can't do that with your close friends. And you certainly can't do it with God. He notices. He is hurt. He is not some spiritual force, a law of nature or a principle--he is a person. And because of who God is, neglect in that relationship hurts us, because our DNA was designed to thrive in an environment of loving interaction with God.

Someone once said that there are two types of people: those who believe in the power of words and those who don't. If God wants the relationship with you so bad, what language is he going to have to speak in order to communicate the urgency and necessity of fixing things up with him? Well, he has the prophets, like Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and all those other weird short books at the end of the first half of the Bible--the Old Testament.

Then, if words don't work for you--if actions speak louder than words--he will switch to a language you do understand: your bottom line, your health, your family, your business. Amos, in the 4th chapter, lists a scenario where, literally, one farmer is getting rain for his crops and just over the fence line, another farmer is experiencing drought. The whole thing is set up to remind the farmer of that story they used to learn back in Sabbath school about the plagues in Egypt.

God is not silent. We are not listening. He continues to "reveal his thoughts" by any means necessary because there is nothing more important for you-as a person-than to be restored to a life-fulfilling relationship with God.

Now this raises a whole boat-load of questions: Who does God think he is? What right does he have to do this kind of thing? How can God claim to be good and still allow all of the stuff that's listed in this chapter?

That's good. Keep those questions coming. Because it comes back to the fundamental question I asked at the beginning of this article: What is God like? Much of the Bible is written to give us a no-holds barred answer to this question: Is God good? That is the question, isn't it? From the serpent in the garden until the end of Revelation, the Bible records incident after incident of God's dealings with us. It doesn't try to sugar coat anything with an "life with God is gravy" message, but still the Bible's answer is a resounding, "Yes"

It is not enough for the Bible to say it. We must say it. God is good. We trust-that relationship word-a good God. God is a whatever-it-takes God. Amos calls him Lord God Almighty-the one who can and will do what he wants. And what he wants-more than his son's life-is for you to be close to him. It is a dangerous presumption for you to ask God to prove himself to you, and then do nothing when he reveals himself. Stripping away every excuse, our heart is revealed--either barren stubbornness or else brokenness.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. - Psalm 34:18 

Exodus 31: Novelty Is Revealing The Temporarily Hidden

But there's no such thing as the unknown-- only things temporarily hidden, temporarily not understood. - James T. Kirk, The Corbomite Maneuver

For my company, I regularly put on a half-day workshop on the topics of patents because of my experience. One of the key requirements for an invention is that it must be novel. It must not be obvious. Someone from my field (a "man of the art") must look at the existing materials or components and look at the resulting invention and agree that it is new.

Now, as an apprentice of Jesus, this seems a bit ironic because I am sure that God is not surprised by what I've invented. At no point did God look at my finished work and scratch his head and say, "Gee, I wish I'd thought of that." No, God is the engineer and he invites me to delight in discovering what he already knows. I am following after Him.

There are two aspects the creative work product where we are invited to enjoy beauty. I call these the craft and the art. These may not be the right technical terms, but I use them because they are broad enough to include many fields of endeavor which are not traditionally thought of in terms of beauty.

The first is craft. That is, there is a beauty that is found in a work crafted or put together. The brush stroke or well-honed line of prose or the arched span of a bridge or portal. Or even an elegant line of code, a well-arranged interior or beautifully integrated garden. One of my favorite books is Beautiful Code. Software may not be everyone's cup of tea, but there is a definite appreciation-programmer to programmer-for the way lines of code come together to implement an algorithm with no more lines and no fewer lines than necessary.

The second is art. Art is something that creates an environment in which others can thrive. Good paintings or photographs draw you in and view the world from a new, enriching perspective. Good books or theater or movies lead you to truth through the drama of the characters. Good software lets you interact with data seamlessly.

Let me give you an example from the Bible.

See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts - Exodus 31:2-5

God picked out Bezalel because he was an excellent craftsman. He was recognized as skilled and artistic. Other craftsmen saw what he did and could recognize the beauty of the designs in metal, precious stones and wood. This is craft.

Then the Bible continues:

Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent...and also the woven garments...and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. - Exodus 31:6b-11a.

Notice the environment that their craft was creating: an environment for worship-in the architecture, in accessories, in the clothing, and even in the smell. This is the art. It can also be found in a palace (1 Kings 7), in words of wisdom (Proverbs 1; Psalm 119), in the human body (Psalm 139) and the stars (Psalm 19), of which is put into place as an environment for thriving.

I still try to be novel and create new things--at least new to me. Often I ask God for help in the craft and art of computer programming, because I know he enjoys my delight in what I find after him, in both the art and the craft.

John 2:24: Full Disclosure?

Impressions are vitally important in the Church, it seems. We must make sure that people think we are spiritual, or at least desirous of being spiritual. We want them to believe our families are attaining all the right goals and ideals. We hope that people see us as if we have it together in our marriages, our jobs, and most of all in our walk with Christ.. - Pastor Craig Miller[1]

The acronym TMI tells me that I am sharing Too Much Information-details not appropriate for the situation or audience. Sometimes things come out of my mouth that members of my family wished were not a part of public discourse. Maybe it is about them. Or maybe it is about me that makes them question if their is (or should be) a familial connection.

Why? Because we want to control how other people perceive us and some "information" gives people the wrong impression. We (or, at least, I) want people to think that I am smart, compassionate, and in touch with modern culture. This is impression management - "a self-crafted means of getting others to believe what we want them to believe about us — but not necessarily believing what’s true."[2]

Not just for the insecure or precipitously famous, impression management is a skill that we all develop because we quickly learn that people react to you based on what they see rather than who you are.

We can see this in marriages. Vernon Edmonds used the term marriage conventionalization: "The extent to which a person distorts the appraisal of his marriage in the direction of social desirability."[3] That is, how hard does each spouse work to create the impression that you have the marriage that everyone else expects you have.

So there is this tension between, on one hand, wanting to be authentic with people and, on the other, knowing that not everyone can be trusted. One only has to remember what was repeated inadvertently by our kids in public. Church people can be a tough crowd because they have a whole other set of expectations. Even Jesus dealt with this tension:

But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. - John 2:24

Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said... - Luke 20:20a 

Ok. That makes me feel a little better. Why? Because they barely knew him. They weren't committed to him or, worse, were actively against him. Disclosure is tied to trust. Later, when he had spent three years with a group of twelve guys apprenticed to him, he finally said:

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. - John 15:15

Even then, it hurt, because one sold him out, one denied him and the rest abandoned him in fear. But Jesus established circles of disclosure: the three (Peter, James, John), the twelve, the seventy-two (Luke 10), and then the crowd. In each circle, Jesus is authentic but not exhaustively so. The transfiguration is for the three (Matthew 17); his high-priestly prayer (John 17) for the twelve, his commission (Luke 10) for the seventy-two; the parables for the crowd.

Why? Jesus spoke what was necessary for those who heard, at the time they were ready to hear it. 

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. - Matthew 7:6

Often Jesus would tell a story to one group, but only give the detailed explanation to his disciples. Again, authentic disclosure, but different levels of disclosure.

How does this work in life?

1. Speak with purpose. Your life story is meant to be used for God's glory. Not for yours.
2. Speak truth, but only as much as will make sense, given the listener's familiarity with your character and life situation.
3. Speak with compassion. Are you practicing hearing your words as if you were them?

I'm still working on how this works out and have that my modeling of another person's situation is often flawed so that what I intended for good is sometimes useless or even harmful. This is humbling and makes me grateful for the insight and words given by the Spirit of God to translate my good intentions into words that match.

[1] Pastor Craig Miller, The Road to Wholeness Is Blocked By Good Impressions, The Village Pastor (blog), https://gbcvillagepastor.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-road-to-wholeness-is-blocked-by.html, retrieved on May 7, 2017
[2] John Ortberg, The Life You've Always Wanted, Zondervan (2002)
[3]Vernon H Edmonds, Marital Conventionalization: Definition and Measurement, Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Nov., 1967), pp. 681-688

James 1:19: "Yes, And" Attitude

One of the famous axioms of improvisational comedy is the use of the phrase "Yes, and" at the start of your response to what another person says. As Scott McDowell describes it, "No matter what your fellow actors present to you, instead of negating it, belittling it, or disagreeing with it, your job is to say, “Yes, and…”  Accept the scenario as it’s presented to you (regardless of where you wanted it to go), and then to add to it. "[1]

I first heard this phrase in a valedictorian speech for my daughter's graduation. But, while some business thinkers have grabbed on to this as a tool for brainstorming[2], it has become my new proverb for listening well.

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry - James 1:19b

How does "Yes, and" help with that?

1. It reminds me to reaffirm what I just heard and indicate that I agree. I don't always agree, but I find that 90% of the time, I actually do agree, but was too impatient to say so in my hurry to move on to the following implications. Being an engineer, I like to optimize my conversations with other people and build on what they have just said, taking their previous statement as a given. Fewer words. But it doesn't always work. Many times I have found that my partner in conversation doesn't take that for granted. They are often left trying to parse my words to discover whether I am agreeing or disagreeing with them. A simple word "Yes" tells them I heard them, I have understood what they said and that we are substantially on the same page. Then the word "and" lets them know I am building on that thought.
2. Thinking about "Yes, and" as my default response allows me to try another person's perspective. In my job, there was a plan that management was considering that I thought was foolish; putting our company in a vulnerable position. The objection was a roadblock from my considering the other issues related to our course of action. My boss called me into is office and said, in effect, "So, if we do this, how do we give the company the best chance at success?" I said, "It is so dumb..." He said, "Yes, yes, but assuming that this is what we're going to do, what can we do to give us the shot?" Defaulting to Yes, and" forces me to consider seriously what it would mean to agree with the assumptions that someone else is putting forward and what it would mean for me to build on top of that. Considering that slows me down and gives me a better view.
3. It lessens the chance of getting angry. Why is it that my default responses start with "No" or "Yes, but..."? In the midst of a discussion my focus can switch from finding a solution to winning the argument. How often has my need to be right has led me to say "No" for no other reason than to set myself apart from another person? Because I didn't like them or my feelings had been hurt, I was determined to not be "Yes, and" with them. It also avoids Hanlon's Razor, "Never attribute to malice that which is better explained by stupidity" (and, I would add) ", even my own."

Of course, I don't always agree. I don't want to mislead. I want my "yes" to be yes (Matt. 5:37) But starting from "Yes, and" and then deciding if I want to change it leads to better listening, more careful consideration of other possibilities and fewer angry situations.

[1]Scott McDowell, The “Yes, And…” Approach: Less Ego, More Openness, More Possibility, http://99u.com/articles/7183/the-yes-and-approach-less-ego-more-openness-more-possibility, retrieved on May 5, 2017
[2]"Yes, and...", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes,_and..., retrieved on May 5, 2017

Hebrews 13:2: Treat People As Permanent Features Of My New Life

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. - Hebrews 13:2

It is easy to write off (or tell off) people on the road. After all, you may never see them again. You don't know them and they don't know you. Cashiers, attendants, ushers, ticket takers, pedestrians, fellow elevator travelers--so many people flow past us, their roles and our interactions prescribed by job, geography, time and cultural convention. The way we treat these people--they are people, not just roles or functions--shows what we think of God.

This is obvious in the way we treat strangers. The Bible reminds us that the "stranger" can be the messenger of God. Strangers might be angels (Heb. 13:2), or Jesus himself (Luke 24:13ff) or a fellow traveler. Jesus said, "...I was a stranger and you invited me in...whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matt. 25:35)

How does this work in real life? My friend and colleague, Kevin Davis, taught me one way in my job: "Treat the people with whom I interact as permanent features of my new life."[1] We both travel a lot for work, and there are tons of interactions with customers, potential customers, overseas co-workers, hotel staff and restaurant workers. We may see them again in a few months, or maybe never again.

But Kevin uses each visit as a chance to start a relationship or build on one. "...[T]reat everyone as a permanent friend. Learn as much about them as possible. Keep a little spot in your heart just for them. Your heart will grow to make room for all of them," he said. Why? "At one point I realized that every person can teach me something new if I let them."

So, make the effort to reserve space--to learn, to care. It can be frustrating, because I want to, but it is not my natural tendency. I am too often friendly, but not interested in being a friend.

Lord, prompt me to build relationships with those passing through until it is my habit and then my character; not to gain me anything except what you would teach me through them.

[1]More about this by Kevin at The Day (https://medium.com/happy-trails-yall/the-day-c232dc59b540), retrieved on April 30, 2017.

Jeremiah 10:23-24: Lord, Change Me Gently

I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die. - Jeremiah 10:23-24 (NLT)

Since I was a younger man, I have remembered one request I that made to God: Lord, change me gently; don't break me. I wondered whether this was the coward's path to spiritual transformation; or a purgatory without epiphanies; or what God had intended when he set up the whole sanctification business in the first place for sinners like us.

Now I see that Jeremiah was wondering the same thing. He wants correction, but he wants to survive the process. The gentleness he refers to isn't ignoring or diminishing the core character issues, but emphasizes God's actions towards his children, as opposed to those who prey upon his children (see verses 25-26)[1] As the traditional Jewish definition of justice has it, "To each person what he deserves; to each one what is appropriate."[2]

Nearly 30 years later, I can say that I am both happy and frustrated by my prayer. Many of the same issues are still there. They don't go away; I combat them daily. But many are gone, replaced by the fruit of God's spirit. Would I change my prayer? I don't think so. I'm too afraid to try it the other way, but I'm also too afraid to stay the way I am. Thank God that he plans my course.

The one who calls, calls as to his son. I trust in that.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:14

[1] The phrase "please be gentle" is the NLT's way of dealing with the interpretive question of the difference between "justice" that Jeremiah wants for himself (cf. "in justice", ESV, NASB) and the "anger" he wants for his enemies. "Gentle" tries to express this contrast in terms of control. Where as "gentleness" is "strength under control", the nations receive the "pouring out of wrath" in the following verses. But I think that the NIV's rendering "in due measure" captures the sense better. In this sense, Jeremiah is saying, in effect, my sins deserve fair punishment (as someone who loves God, but has failed him). This is in contrast with the nations (who do not know God and devour Israel), who deserve so much more.
[2] As cited in Joy At Work, Dennis W Bakke (2005)

Jeremiah 7:24: My Retrograde Heart

But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. - Jeremiah 7:24

One of the dangers to the calling of any follower of Jesus is the retrograde heart. My heart tends to fall back and not fall forward. My heart is (as the dictionary says) "tending toward or resulting in a worse or previous state." That influence--my heart's influence--just puts me in a spiritual spin cycle.

Rich Mullins captured it well in his song, The Maker of Noses, when he said:

And everyone I know wants to go there too
But when I ask them how to do it they seem so confused
Do I turn to the left?
Do I turn to the right?
When I turn to the world they gave me this advice 

They said boy you just follow your heart,
But my heart just led me into my chest
They said follow your nose
But the direction changed every time I went and turned my head
And they said boy you just follow your dreams
But my dreams were only misty notions
But the Father of hearts and the Maker of noses
And the Giver of dreams He's the one I have chosen
And I will follow Him

At the same time, the Spirit is renewing us day by day (2 Cor. 4:14), fulfilling God's promise that our heart of stone would be displaced by a heart of flesh (Eze. 34:36). So the spiritual discipline of solitude is designed to remove distractions so that we can hear the quiet voice of God that we are so unaccustomed to hearing. For me this most readily happens on long business flights or long drives with the radio turned off.

Now, the cynical among us might dismiss this searching for a "still, small voice" as wish fulfillment or self-talk, not really the voice of God. While I believe that God can and does speak, that skeptical voice does raise a good point: how do we know the difference? Frankly, "listening to my heart" and "listening to the Spirit of God" can sound the same. To make it worse: The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jer. 17:19) Our unchanged heart masquerades as the voice of God!

I have been there, thinking I was hearing God when, in fact, I was listening to a script prepared by heart that sounded holy and godly, but in fact was false. I wish I could hear it clearly, like Peter in the early church. He is walking to the temple and he hears a poor and crippled man asking him for money, stops, makes a brief speech and then heals the man (Acts 3). So here is the question that bothers me: How did he know? How did he know to stop that time and heal that man? I mean, he didn't stop for every one of the beggars or sick. How did he know that when he reached out his hand to pull the man to his feet that he would be able to stand that time? Who told Peter? God, obviously. But that require a level of intimacy with God and a level of awareness of God's voice that I don't have. I wish I did, but I don't.

So I have to rely on some guidelines I've developed, to help me keep out of trouble. They are not gospel, they are just guidelines based on the Bible, my experience with myself and observations from others who I trust.

1. Whether something is difficult or easy is not an indicator as to whether it should be done or not.
2. My heart is more concerned about the way something looks that what it really is. Personal descent is sometimes the path of wisdom.
3. If my thoughts center around a person, rather than the goal, I'm probably not on the right track.
4. I should expect that God will pull me in directions that I wouldn't normally consider, because He is God and I am not. Some rebukes are painful, others are refreshing. All can be learned from.
5. I don't like confrontation, so I have to watch my heart most carefully when I might anger or disappoint someone by my decisions.