the Spirit and the waters

up in the north country, you don't go to a cabin or a cottage, you go to camp. so that's where i was for a few days with pastor prohl and our new vicar scott. we went to dream dreams; to see where God is leading us. the vista is really amazing . . . pine trees suround this pristine glacier-lake in the middle of wisconsin. the wildlife walks through the back patio with an unusual concentration of hummingbirds. but for me it's all about the water.

what is it about water that so calms the soul? is it the purity? is it it's life-giving necessity? is it the stillness that beckons you to be still and know that He is God and you're not. nevertheless, God's Spirit seems to still hover over the waters (see gen. 1:2).

whether it was the water or not, God's Spirit was alive and active in our hearts and minds, and we have a clearer idea where He is leading us. if you have the chance before summer's out. find some water. take a moment to be still. and give God's Spirit a chance to speak.

wrestling with sex

i've been wrestling with sex for weeks now. this weekend at north, and two sundays from now at sanctuary, i'm preaching on the sixth commandment: thou shall not commit adultery. how salacious! how titillating! how fun!

it hasn't been so fun. my heart has been in serious turmoil as i've looked at the omnipresence of sex in our culture. the world tells us that our sexuality defines who we are. the world tells us that freedom of sexual expression is a right that is virtually guaranteed in the constitution (somewhere in the back). the world tells us that limitations on sexuality are archaic, completely disconnected from the real world, and will result in a wholly dysfunctional 40-year-old virgin.

the very idea of saying no to sex is like trying to swim against the riptide, or spitting into a hurricane-force wind. the cultural tsunami has knocked us down and is now dragging us all out to sea. is there any standing against this terrible force?

absolutely yes! for greater is He who is in me that he who is in the world! and not only that, He's done it before. we think things are bad now, but in the greco-roman world in which the church was born, it was a thousand times worse! sexual expression was indulged in without limitation. in this environment, paul writes to the corinthians, "flee from sexual immorality." they didn't always get it right; but they believed they could. they took a stand against their culture. and used this stand for sex to say, "we're Christians. we're different. we love Jesus. and He blesses us with an even better way to live and love in this world."

it's good to wrestle with sex.

if you're dating, be different (and stay away from the corners of the couch, only bad things happen there). wait for marriage, it's SOOOO worth it. and if you've fallen, Jesus will dust you off to start all over again.

if you're married, be different. protect your marriage vigorously. love your spouse unashamedly! don't just follow "the guys" or "the gals" (it's such a lame excuse for doing stuff that doesn't honor spouse or God). and never give up.

if you've children or grandchildren, be different. model patient, kind, giving love (they ARE watching).

this isn't a one-shot deal. it's about the struggle. we all will wrestle with sex (you can't watch a movie without being subjected to this garbage). there's no mr. or ms. perfect out there. rather, it's about being made perfect in Christ. and if you're not struggling to keep God's standard before you're married, you won't wrestle after you're married either where the stakes are even higher.

that's where i'm at i guess. a little scattered. a lot troubled. and a little more hopeful because our "rose again on the third day" Jesus can do the impossible.