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Beginning With The Conclusion

June 23, 2011 by Fritz

Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered … We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But by what means he now seeth, we know not … These words spake his parents, because … the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. – John 9:19-22

Jesus healed a man born blind and the crowd couldn’t believe it, or benefit from it, for one simple reason — they had already concluded they would not accept Jesus as the Christ.

Whether in religion, science, or business if you begin, having already decided the conclusion, you will never succeed.

God is not afraid of truth — neither are his people, they will follow Him where ever He leads. As the original Martin Luther wrote in 1529-1531

Let goods and kindred go;
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God’s truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.

Sound Bite: Truth is not always politically correct.

– fritz@langgang.com
1 – A Mighty Fortress Is Our God by Martin Luther

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Wait!

June 22, 2011 by Fritz

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there … and the cloud covered [the mount] six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses …” – Exodus 24:12-16

One thing noticed about God’s call to Moses – it involved a lot of waiting in the dark (cloud).

Our culture hates to wait — everything must be now and we don’t even consider maybe we have it wrong. God does things in his time and his own way (I think that is part of being God).

When you have prayed all you can about something and don’t know what else to do then it is time to quietly wait and expect God to get back to you when He determines the time is right.

— fritz@langgang.com

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Responsibility for Spiritual Direction

June 21, 2011 by Fritz

Eugene Peterson

For every man shall bear his own burden. – Galatians 6:5

Eugene Peterson, Pastor and Author of The Message Bible tells of a realization discovered early in his ministry.

His denomination required probationary monthly reports outlining ministerial activities, congregation health, and personal spiritual growth.

But the young Rev. Peterson began to feel his superiors weren’t paying attention so he tried an experiment — on his report he indicated he was having serious doubts about his faith and needed help. After no response he increased the fictionalized problems, eventually reporting illicit affairs then experimental drug use during the eucharist, each month getting wilder — still nothing.

At the end of his probationary period he was asked to evaluate the supervision he received. When he mentioned his reports weren’t read he was assured otherwise — that is until he pointed out the details. There was then “a splendid vaudeville slapstick of buck-passing and excuse-making”.1

He uses that illustration to point out who is, really, responsible for our spiritual growth — we are!

“I was quite mistaken to look for spiritual nurture and expect vocational counsel from the institution.”1

Each of us is responsible and accountable for our own lives — vocationally and spiritually.

— fritz@langgang.com
1. Under the Unpredictable Plant An Exploration in Vocational Holiness by Eugene H. Peterson, page 80

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