Controversy, Bible Bullets, and Godly Conversations

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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Quick: what's your opinion on gender roles? The debt ceiling? Gay marriage? Michelle Bachmann? War? Predestination?

Before you blurt it out--stop.

Just stop.

Think for a moment about the words that are about to leave your mouth. Are they kind? Thoughtful? Honoring to God?

Think about the person who is asking you the question; their background, their needs, their hurts, their dreams. Will your words draw them closer to Christ, or push them further away?

Stop, and ask yourself if your answer makes you feel morally superior, self-congratulatory, or smug. Be honest. If it does, you should rethink your answer. Not because your answer is wrong, necessarily, but because you are probably in no position to speak godly, edifying words.

This morning, I witnessed a "Bible bullet" attack, and it's still bugging me. You know what "Bible bullets" are, right? Snippets of scripture (often used with disregard to their immediate or larger context) lobbed at a person as if that verse settles the matter for all time, as if that sentence proves that the Bible and God are on the shooter's side.

I've been trying to figure why this bugs me so much (besides the obvious, boorish behavior behind it), and I think I finally put my finger on it. It may look like the Scripture-quoting assailant is trying to get the victim to change their mind, but usually, they're not. Usually, they're just trying to get the victim to shut up.

God said it, I believe it, and that settles it for me. Interpretation: disagree with me, and you're disagreeing with God! Speak only at risk of damnation, thou spiritually-inferior Cretan!

There generally isn't much conversation about the meaning of the Bible verse being thrown around, about its context, scriptural or current, or what God might have meant by including it in the scope of the Bible. There isn't generally much discussion at all, because the whole point of shooting Bible bullets is to unleash your shock and awe spirituality on your "spiritually-inferior" enemies, to pound them into dust so your ideas can dominate.

All for the glory of God, of course.

Not.

I should know. I've resorted to it at times, and regretted it. Look at the Pharisees. Just because you do the right thing (if it even IS the right thing) doesn't mean you're doing it in the right way, with the right motives. And that makes all the difference.

What do you think? How can we get beyond shooting "Bible bullets" at each other, and foster God-honoring conversations in the Christian and secular community?

Famine, God's Glory, and a Bigger Prayer

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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"Why can we trust God, no matter what happens?"

I'm reading The God of Promise and the Life of Faith by Scott J. Hafemann for my biblical theology class, and that question is the title of one of his chapters. (The next couple chapters are "Why does God wait so long to make things right?" "Why is there so much pain and evil in the world?" and "Why do God's people suffer?" Nice, light reading there. I'll keep you posted.)

But the chapter on WHY we can trust God was really interesting, and impacted the way I've been praying about the famine in the Horn of Africa.

The famine in the Horn of Africa is the worst humanitarian crisis of our time. The lives and livelihood of over 12 million people are at stake, and it's estimated that there are well over half a million children on the brink of starvation right now. The stories coming out of Somalia, in particular, are harrowing.

I have no doubt that this situation is breaking God's heart. He knows when the sparrow falls, and he must shudder as the precious people he created suffer and die in circumstances created by creation gone rogue and human hearts gone awry. We also know that Jesus clearly identifies himself with the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick, and the suffering. Read Matthew 25:31-46 if you need a reminder of how serious Jesus is about people who call themselves his followers caring for the poor.

So what does this have to do with my biblical theology textbook?

Plenty.

See, I've been praying that God will have mercy on the people of East Africa--that he will rain down water and provision from heaven, that he will comfort them, that he will save them. (And when I say that I'm asking God to have mercy, it DOESN'T mean that I think he is punishing them and I am asking him to stop--it means that I am asking God for a miraculous intervention, because he IS merciful.) It's a good prayer, and I'm going to keep asking for it!

However, Hafemann points out that throughout the Bible, the people who seemed to most in tune with God always combined their plea for mercy with an appeal to God's glory. To have mercy for the sake of his name.


Hafemann says that there is "one guiding motive behind all God's activity in the Bible: his desire to portray and preserve the glory of his reputation as the God who is sovereign Creator, gracious Provider, merciful Redeemer, and just Ruler of the world." This doesn't mean that God is an egoist--looking at the life and humiliating death of Jesus should smash that misconception. No--to put it another way, the one thing that God wants from humanity, more than anything else, is for them to recognize him for who he is, their loving, gracious, and merciful father, and respond by trusting him and loving him back.

I thought about this in the context of the famine. If I lifted my eyes from the human suffering for just a moment, and thought about it from an eternal perspective, how would I pray? How could God's glory, magnificent love, and merciful character could be displayed in these horrible circumstances?

I found a bigger prayer.

There is no doubt that God cares about human suffering. There is no doubt that God aligns himself with the cause of the poor, the hungry, the sick, and the oppressed. There is also no doubt that God has called his followers to engage in working out his purposes here in this world, to strive toward "on earth as it is in heaven."

There aren't any babies starving in heaven. If there are babies starving here, it means the church has a job to do.

So, my prayer changed. I am still praying that God will miraculously intervene in the Horn of Africa, that he will send rain, that he will end the violence in Somalia, that he will put his hand on children who are dying and preserve them, that he will comfort those who mourn.

But my MAIN prayer has become that God will spur his people into action, and that God's name will be glorified in all the world because of the way Christians respond to the suffering. That we will be the body of Christ in a way that is faithful to how Christ actually lived--that Christ's body will be out there feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and giving itself sacrificially for the good of others.

What if the church really mobilized? What if every single one of us gave ourselves completely to God's call on our lives, not only spiritually but materially, too? What if we truly went "all-in?"

Would God be glorified?

Oh yeah.

So I am praying that God would empower us through the Holy Spirit to not only hear but heed God's call on our lives. To not only read about what Jesus did, but get out and do what Jesus did.

To follow him.

Jesus went out through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send you workers into his harvest field. -Matthew 9:35-38

Don Miller's New and Improved Love Story

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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Since I posted about Don Miller's "How to Write a Great Love Story" a couple days ago, I thought I should mention that he has taken the posts down. Here's his explanation of why he removed them, and an apology to anyone his words might have hurt.

THAT is a great love story--conversation and careful listening, humility, grace and forgiveness, played out in a (mostly) constructive way.

Very 1 Corinthians 13.

I look forward to hearing Don's revamped versions of the posts--after, as he said, he has had more time to think over what he is trying to say.

Don Miller, Love Stories, and Why I Married Aaron

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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About a week ago, Don Miller wrote two posts entitled "How to Live a Great Love Story." Part One is for the ladies, Part Two is for the guys. Some people loved them, some people hated them, and I think almost everyone was surprised to hear these startlingly traditional narratives coming out of Don Miller's mouth. 

I thought his posts were insightful, and shed a lot of light on what's happening in young people's relationships nowadays. I also thought his posts were troubling, and possibly indicative of WHY so many young people are struggling. 

Girls, by all means, respect yourselves! Boys, by all means, ditch the Xbox! Don's right on there. But please, PLEASE, don't do it because you want to have a love story that looks like (and these are Don Miller's examples) Romeo and Juliet, The Notebook, Twilight, or Jane Eyre.

Those are the WRONG STORIES. They're emotionally titillating, sure. But they're also extremely unhealthy (with the possible exception of The Notebook, which I thought was an amazingly boring book). 

I find it ironic that all the characters on Don's list ended up dead (or undead), with the exception of Jane Eyre, who's wedding dress was set on fire by her fiance's crazy wife who he locked up in the attic. (If I remember correctly, Wife #1 dies in the blaze, Mr. Rochester is blinded trying to save Wife #1, and then Jane marries blind Mr. Rochester, now that the crazy lady is out of the way. Romantic, huh? Somehow, we seem to think so.)

Memo to my girls: It's best to avoid emotionally-abusive men who lock their wives in the attic. It's probably best to stay away from vampires and virile teens with swords, too. Just sayin'.

But somehow, our society has confused THOSE STORIES with love stories. We've come to expect them, to demand them. 

That's REALLY unhealthy.

Personally, I hate those stories. I'm not into alpha heroes, particularly when they need to be mean, violent, brooding, or dramatic to show how "powerful" they are. I married a nice guy who I love and respect, and who loves and respects me. No need for drama. No need for immature, macho power-plays, or the "damsel in distress" act. No need to pretend or act out a particular role. 

Real love should be off-the-script (or at least off the Harlequin script). Authentic. Honest. Committed. Kind. Two people in search of a healthy, godly person to share their life with, not two types in search of romantic fulfillment or an idealized family life. 

Here's my concern. I see a lot of people waiting for a juicy stereotype to wander by. Someone who fits their definition of what a man/woman should be, whether that be a secular or spiritual definition. Sometimes they even set up elaborate tests to see whether another person fits their definition (I won't go into that!). 

But people don't marry definitions. People marry people. Plying your expectations on other human beings is not kind, reasonable, or loving, either before or after marriage. 

And fair warning: if you insist on marrying a Mr. Rochester, you're probably going to get burned.

Please think twice.

Of course you should have standards. But there's a drastic difference between godly standards and cultural stereotypes--even Christian stereotypes. 

But hey--as long as it's becoming popular to advise young Christian men and women about the type of person they should look for in a spouse, I'm going to jump on the bandwagon. I've been happily married for almost fifteen years (August 24!), and I think I did pretty darn well in the spouse department. :-) So I qualify, right?

Here's my (unisex) advice about what to look for in a husband/wife:

Love is patient. (Not pushy.)

Love is kind. (Not brash or abusive.)

It does not envy. (No brooding jealousy or pouting when you get something they don't.)

It does not boast. (No power-plays.)

It is not proud. (Not vain or unwilling to admit weaknesses.)

It is not rude. (Nuff said.)

It is not self-seeking. (Loving, mutual compromise for the other's good should be the norm.)

It is not easily angered. (You SO do not want to live with an angry human being!)

It keeps no record of wrongs. (No shaming, emotional games, or manipulation.)

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. (WHY, exactly, are we so obsessed with harmful, unhealthy relationships?)

It always protects.

Always trusts.

Always hopes.

Always perseveres.

(1 Corinthians 13: 4-7)

THAT sort of love never fails. 

The Proverbs 31 Woman, Theology, and Me: Part 1

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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I've had an ambiguous relationship with the Proverbs 31 Woman over the years.

When I was a baby, my Auntie Lynn gave me a plaque that hung in my room until I left for college. It was beautiful, with a puffy, padded frame covered in peach calico and rimmed with lace. Inside, my name and its meaning (fair lady) were written in elegant letters, and beneath that was a Bible verse: "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness." (Proverbs 31:26) It was one of the most treasured objects of my childhood--along with my Holly Hobbie mirror, my teddy bear, and a toss pillow my Auntie Lorrie made that had a place to hide books.

In the simple logic of a child, I thought that plaque described what I was supposed to be and do. I was named Jenny, therefore I was supposed to be a princess-ey girl who spoke with wisdom and taught people to be kind to each other. I am convinced that the plaque gave me a complex--albeit a good one, and probably exactly what my Auntie Lynn had in mind (princess-obsession aside).

It wasn't until I was a young adult that my thoughts about Proverbs 31 started to sour. I married at 19, and had my first baby when I was not quite 21, so I was thrust into the adult world, and particularly the world of women's Bible studies, earlier than most. I was in for a surprise.

Now, I had been used to Bible studies being--well--times when we studied the Bible. At my high school and college, groups of students would get together to read and discuss the Bible, often with the help of a slim booklet from IV Press that helped them think through what they were reading.

But this was not what I experienced in women's Bible studies. Instead, we studied books by pastor's wives and small celebrities, quite often having to do with the Proverbs 31 woman, and almost always offering prescriptive suggestions on how Christian women were to live in light of the handful of biblical passages that speak specifically to women. I don't think I'm overstating it to say that many of these books were more about homemaking than holy living, more about being a wife and mother than about being a disciple of Christ. In fact, many of them didn't seem to see any distinction.

There was nothing intrinsically wrong with most of these books, but my soul began to shrivel under the steady diet of "Better Homes and Gardens" Bible studies. The Proverbs 31 Woman was transformed from the wise instructor I understood her to be in my childhood, to a measuring stick for my homemaking skills, an airbrushed ideal of Christian womanhood.

And I didn't measure up.

I tried. Oh, I tried. And I always failed miserably. I just wan't a good homemaker, and no amount of nagging or affirmation could make a dent in my messy, disorganized ways. I wince reading back through my prayer journals--page after page, for years and years, of me crying out to God to make me a better homemaker. Sure, I prayed for my family and friends, but the recurring theme was my failure as a housekeeper--which seemed to imply that I was a failure as a Christian woman, a failure as a disciple.

Crushing.

Looking back from my current vantage point, I'm miffed on behalf of my young self. I was in my early twenties, hundreds of miles from my family and support systems, trying to run a house and take care of an autistic toddler. (Were his crazy behaviors due to my failure as a mother as well??? It seemed likely.) I needed a heaping dose of grace and courage, and I was being given housekeeping tips, with a Bible verse thrown in here and there to remind me that I really SHOULD be doing things the author's way.

I didn't need people telling me to put on fresh lipstick and a squirt of perfume a couple minutes before my husband returned home from work.

I didn't need people equating Proverbs 31:14 ("she is like a merchant ship, bringing her food from afar") with the need to prepare interesting dinners for my family. (Little Caesars, anyone?)

I didn't need people telling me how I should be getting up before the rest of my family to cook breakfast, make coffee, and prepare for the day. I was up half the nights taking care of a special needs child. I needed SLEEP, for pete's sake!

I needed Jesus.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Jesus, in Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus seemed like such a better teacher, such a better model, than the Proverbs 31 Woman. And undoubtedly, he is.

But recently I discovered that the Proverbs 31 Woman has been falsely accused.

Which leads me to Part 2 of this discussion.

The Proverbs 31 Woman, Theology, and Me: Part 2

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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In Part 1 of this post, I talked about my early thoughts about the Proverbs 31 Woman: from my childhood perception of her as a wise, kind instructor that I should emulate, to the law-ridden measuring stick of Christian womanhood that I could never live up to (and was regularly hit over the head with). If the Proverbs 31 Woman and I were Facebook friends, our relationship would read "it's complicated."

A week or so ago, I was working on a paper about wisdom literature (Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes--perhaps Song of Songs and some of the Psalms) for my Biblical Theology class. As it turns out, there's a lot more to the Proverbs 31 Woman than we give her credit for.

What I want to do is say "I'm not going to go into the theology of it right now," go on with my story and make my point. But since that would be completely contrary to my point, I'm going to give a very brief overview of the theological implications of Proverbs 31. And since I'm terrified that the elementary grasp I have gained on wisdom literature from the two classes I've taken that dealt with the subject may only confuse the issue, you're going to have to bear with me, okay? If what I'm saying seems unclear just ask me about it, and I can try to clarify and point you to books by people who know a lot more about wisdom literature than me. ;-D Okay? Okay.

The overriding theme of all wisdom literature is "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." C.G. Bartholomew writes in the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology "If wisdom is about knowing how to live a successful life in God's world, the the fear of the Lord is an indispensable starting point. The route to true wisdom will not be found apart from the particularity of God's salvation of Israel...Yahweh is the redeemer and creator; those who start with him are led to a right understanding of how his world works."

Are we good so far? God created the world through his wisdom, God created the nation of Israel by saving them from slavery in Egypt, so if we want to understand how to live in this world, if we want to learn how to live as God's saved people, we need to begin, always, by acknowledging and following God. That's what the book of Proverbs is about. All of it.

Bartholomew continues "In Proverbs, underlying the metaphors of the two ways, the two houses and the two women, is an understanding of creation as ordered by God...The earth, according to Proverbs, was 'founded by wisdom' and Lady Wisdom was present throughout God's creation and delighted in it."

Whoa, hold up. Who is this lady? This is where things start to get confusing (but hang in here with me, okay ladies?).

Back to C.G. Bartholomew: "In Proverbs 8 (as elsewhere in Proverbs 1-9), wisdom is personified as Lady Wisdom, but it is unclear how this figure is to be understood. Some see her as a personification of Yahweh's own wisdom by which he created the world. However, the poem distinguishes her from Yahweh, just as elsewhere in the OT the angel of the Lord, the word of the Lord and the name of the Lord are associated with but distinguished from Yahweh."

Okay, I'm REALLY not going to go into all that right now! But suffice it to say, there's some pretty hard-core female imagery and metaphors happening in the first third of Proverbs.

Bartholomew continues "The woman of Proverbs 31 is placed at the end of the book of Proverbs as a paradigm of a wise person."

Okay, so we begin Proverbs with Lady Wisdom preaching in the streets, imploring people to commit to following her ways instead of the way of her opposite, the Adulteress Folly, which leads to death. We end Proverbs with a woman teaching her son to commit to a wise woman who fears the Lord, instead of chasing the deceptive charms of outward beauty that will wither and fade.

Anyone sense a literary theme?

There's so much more that can and should be said, but this is already getting long, and I haven't made my point yet.

Which leads us to Part 3.

The Proverbs 31 Woman, Theology, and Me: Part 3

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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In Part 1, I talked about my early understandings (and misunderstandings) of the Proverbs 31 Woman. In Part 2, I shared some of the things I have learned about the theology underlying Proverbs 31. And in Part 3, I'm going to make my point (I promise).

First of all, to wrap up my previous posts, I think most of our modern studies on Proverbs 31 miss the point. The woman of Proverbs 31 is the capstone of the book of Proverbs, a literary device that pulls the whole teaching of Proverbs together. She is NOT a real person (we all know that, right?)--she is, as Bartholomew said, a paradigm of a wise person--a person who fears the Lord. As such, she is an example for everyone--women and men.

We've tended to break down Proverbs 31 and turn it into a to-do list for Christian women. But to do so not only takes the passage out of its context, it completely misses the point. The point is NOT that Godly women should rise before dawn, or purchase property, or run cottage industries, or make attractive clothes and furnishings for her family (though there is nothing inherently wrong with those things). The point is that those who live wisely, in the fear of the Lord, will enjoy a life of abundant peace (although that is never guaranteed, as other wisdom literature points out).

Now, MY point, but first, a question. Why didn't someone tell me this when I was a young mother crushed under expectations I couldn't attain?

The answer: the women who were teaching me DIDN'T KNOW.

Let's be honest for a minute. Most popular Christian books for women don't have a lot of theological meat on the bone. Most female Bible teachers don't have much, if any, theological education. Most of our Bible studies are topical, about issues we consider "relevant"; we study books ABOUT the Bible (again, usually by people with little to no theological training) instead of digging into the Bible to see what it says.

And that stinks.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not knocking topical studies (which I love) or under-educated Sunday School teachers (which I am!). I'm not saying that a person needs an MDiv to to present God's word faithfully--far from it!

What DOES bother me is all the passionate, gifted female teachers who have never had a chance to follow their God-given passions and go deeper in their study of the Word, so they can communicate it to others. Seminary is expensive, and the employment outlook for female grads is still pretty dismal.

What DOES bother me is how hard it is for these gifted women to find mentors who can help them learn on their own, because most people with a theological education are men. We women can teach each other how to be good housekeepers--but can we teach each other Hebrew?

What DOES bother me is that we're trying to feed ourselves off the theological crumbs of what the Bible has to say about women,  when there's a feast of sufficiency spread out on the table that we can't seem to locate.

What DOES bother me is that many of us are starving, trying to clothe ourselves in shards of scripture that we sense, but don't want to admit, are insufficient. Or at least our understanding of them is insufficient.

The new findings from Barna, that women, as a group, are leaving the church FASTER THAN MEN, bothers me too.

Do you think there's a correlation?

I do.

We could blame a (negative) cultural shift for why women--most of whom still self-identify as born again Christians--are giving up on church attendance. Or, we could take a good, hard look inward and ask ourselves what we're going to do about it.

Simple faith is a beautiful thing, but simple explanations just aren't washing anymore. Nor should they. God has more for Christian women than most of our books express. He expects more from Christian women than most of our churches teach. God is not holding a checklist of things Christian women should do, or a ten-point manifesto of what women should be and believe. No, God wants nothing less than for us to love him with all of our HEART, SOUL, MIND, and STRENGTH, to take up our cross and follow him daily, wherever he leads.

That might look different from our traditional, culturally-informed version of Christian womanhood.

And perhaps, if we want to reach our changing world with the good news Jesus Christ brought for both men AND women, it had better.

So what to do?

Excellent question.

What do you think?

What is Idolatry?

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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From one of my textbooks, "The God of Promise and the Life of Faith" by Scott J. Hafemann:

"...In other words, idolatry is the futile way of thinking that results from mankind's failure to honor the One who has revealed himself through creation 'as God.' To honor something 'as God' is to recognize it as sovreign over our lives and to depend upon it to provide for our needs, whether that be a need for food, fulfillment, security, or solace. Idolatry is the practice of seeking the source and provision of what we need either physically or emotionally in someone or something other than the one true God. It is a tragically pathetic attempt to squeeze life out of lifeless forms that cannot help us meet our real needs."

Prayer and the Discipline of Ignoring Hornets

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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I don't know about you, but I have a hard time focusing long enough to pray. Oh, I talk to God, but all too often my needs and concerns wind up tumbling all over each other like starving puppies scrambling for their mama, a machine-gun spray of frantic prayer requests peppering heaven. I sound more like an auctioneer than a woman having a conversation. It's not very soul-sustaining.

Last week it occurred to me that there was no way I was going to be able to slow down enough to spend quality time with God if I stayed in the house--there were just too many distractions, too many other things tugging at my mind and heart. So I dug my tennies out from under the bed, laced them up, and snuck out the back door so my kids wouldn't see me leave and want to come with (just for the record, my husband was home with them). It was a perfect plan--the beauty of creation would uplift my spirit, the walking would center my mind, and I would have a good twenty minutes to just soak in God's presence.

I hadn't gone five steps from my house before a hornet started circling my head. Now, this was not surprising in and of itself--I live in the woods, and wasps enjoy the natural foliage as much as I do. What was surprising is that the hornet trailed me a mile down the road, resisting every attempt I made to shake it. Now that's commitment.

I did my best to ignore it, and had a wonderful, refreshing time with God (except when the stupid thing got tangled up in my hair--THAT was hard to ignore!). Still, I pondered the situation when I got home. I wasn't wearing perfume, didn't have any product in my hair, and was pre-shower, so there was no chance the bug was attracted to the scent of my shampoo. I decided that the red shirt I was wearing must be the culprit, and decided to wear drab colors on my next walk so the hornet wouldn't mistake me for breakfast.

But the next morning, the hornet joined me again, following me for my entire walk. And the next. And the next. In fact, I have yet to go for my prayer walk without a hornet circling my head like an unholy halo, buzzing threats from every side.

This morning, I was getting irritated, and asked God what was up with the hornet. After all, the whole road is lined with wildflowers--why didn't the hornet just go sip some honeysuckle and fly home with a full belly, leaving me alone?

God didn't answer, but I figured the hornet was a good analogy of all the anxieties that distract us from our walk with God, demanding our attention with their angry threats, and ordering us to give their presence precedence over God's. But really, it's just a stupid, noisy bug, and one swat from God's hand (and probably ours) would wipe it out completely. Sure, it's capable of creating a little short-term pain. But it's not a true threat, not in the grand scheme of things.

There. Now that I've blogged about it, maybe the hornet will leave me alone.

But I'm not counting on it. Perhaps God is trying to cultivate the "discipline of ignoring hornets" in my life. Goodness knows I need it.

Watch Your Mouth!

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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I'm angry. And I'm going to spout off. But I'm going to do it gently, with humility, I hope. 

The day began normally. I Googled a well-respected Christian author and scholar I was recently introduced to, only to find a blog by two puffed-up pastors denouncing her "sotto voice feminism" (puh-leese) and moaning about the fact that they had to refer so many readers to Catholic sites (which, when I followed the link, seemed to be about family planning). Annoying, but relatively innocuous.


Later, I Googled another author, whose book I just finished reading. You guessed it, right there on the front page of Google, a fellow Christian with a different opinion had a site dedicated to defaming "False Prophet: person-whose-book-Jenny-read." (And I promise, it's not like these were off-the-wall books or anything. I do read those on occasion, to try to understand where people are coming from. And these were not them.) Again, annoying, but hardly surprising


THEN, hopping over to Facebook to see what my friends have been up to, I was introduced to the beginning stages of outcry against a very inappropriate comment posted by a very influential Christian leader (who has an unfortunate history of making Very Inappropriate Statements).


Just for the sake of clarification, I'm not complaining about the outcry (although there are certainly people who will take it too far, and THAT is wrong, too)--I'm complaining about the flippant statement that was, truly, demeaning, rude, and inappropriate. When a person or organization has such a broad influence, I believe they need to hold themselves to a higher standard, for the sake of the body of Christ. Yes, they're only human, and yes, they're going to mess up, but they need to acknowledge their influence and use it responsibly. It's one thing for small fish to set up a blogs dedicated to propagating their opinions and tearing down anyone who disagrees (as inappropriate as those "exposes" can be). It's another thing for people or organizations that millions of people look up to to use their influence in a way that is not centered on glorifying Christ, through flippant comments, sloppy scholarship, or political manipulation.


Perhaps people in those situations need to assemble a team of wise, godly people who are not "yes-men" to read things before they are posted, published, or otherwise propagated. And perhaps put some Tabasco on their tongue, to remind them to think twice before they let it loose.


But the "small fry" bug me too. I am horrified by how easily we Christians indulge in self-righteous, condemning speech, even (and perhaps especially) about our brothers and sisters in Christ. We act like we can judge others hearts and motivations--and not only can, but have the right and responsibility to! We fling the word "heresy" around willy-nilly, which might be appropriate if heresy WERE being propagated, but usually the accusers just disagree with some lifestyle choice or fringe doctrine. We gather in our little theological, political, socio-economic or racial huddles, and smugly congratulate each other about how righteous we are, how sound our understanding, while defaming those outside our clique--even those who are bringing glory to Christ and offering hope and healing to the world. 


And if I may be so honest, that's pathetic. 


Harsh, perhaps, But I truly do not mean to demean anyone by saying that. This is a huge, huge sin area that the Christian community needs to work on, if we are going to be an effective witness. To often, we're only witnessing to hatred, judgmentalism, and fear (of society, change, government, etc.).


I think fear has more to do with this phenomenon than most of us acknowledge. Most of us don't hate people who are different from us--who think differently, act differently, live differently. But we do fear them, and the impact they may have on our lives. The "Traditions of the Elders" the Pharisees wrote was based on fear--fear of not following the law perfectly, fear of God's wrath, fear of being sent into exile again. Fear of losing the temple. Fear of the Romans. 


I think a lot of the opinionated spouting-off that happens online is based on fear, too. Fear of how our kids will turn out. Fear of the government doing something we don't want them to do. Fear of someone holding a belief we don't agree with, and "infecting" others. And fear leads us to try to control, often by verbal, emotional, or spiritual manipulation or abuse.


Christians are not called to live in fear. In fact, we're commanded not to. We're called to live by faith, in peace with everyone, as much as it is possible. 


So, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4: 29-32


I think that about sums it up.

A Broken Trust, and the reason I write.

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Literary Leanings of a Blissed-Out Bibliophile, Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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"A Broken Trust," an article I wrote about domestic violence in the church, is being featured in the April 2011 issue of The Covenant Companion. You can read it online here: http://www.covchurch.org/resources/files/2010/12/4.2011.A-Broken-Trust.pdf

Writing this article was a little bit like giving birth--long, hard, and emotionally (and even physically!) draining. But the end result was so, so worth it!!!

This is why I write. Hopefully it will be a blessing.

It's a scandal, it's an outrage...

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

1 comments

Wow, it's been a LOOOONG time since I blogged! But today I felt compelled to blog about a common, debilitating condition among Christians (and non-Christians, too): outrage.

Now, outrage is not always a bad thing. There are plenty of things in this world to be outraged about, and a healthy dose of righteous indignation is often needed to propel people out of their pews and into the world, to effect positive change. But outrage can be addictive, too. Anger is exciting, exhilarating. It gives us a sense of purpose, a renewed vigor and zeal, a sense of community with others who feel the way we do--and all too often, a sense of enmity with people we disagree with. Outrage makes us feel important. It makes us feel like we're better than people who think differently than us, smarter, better, more deserving, more American, more Christian, more fill-in-the-blank.

Americans are addicted to outrage. We feed off discord and dissent, practically gorge ourselves on the stuff. Don't believe me? Turn on the news, or tune into a political talk show. And I'm going to stick my neck out and say that it's probably worse among Christians than it is among the general population. We can be downright mean to people who don't agree with us.

The problem is that all too often when we go on a crusade, people get wounded. We forget that the people on the other side of the issue are in fact people, incredibly precious to God, and start treating them like problems instead. We forget to be kind. We forget to be gracious. We forget to be Christ-like. Instead of loving our "enemies," we attack them. Instead of praying for those who persecute us, we turn into bullies anxious to hit our enemies hard with the Bible-stick (or whatever else we can lay our hands on, because really, the Bible rarely supports such behavior).

There's been a lot of outrage going around lately, in political circles, in religious circles, in community circles. I'll admit it: I've been as guilty as anyone of succumbing to outrage at times, just because it made me feel important and powerful and justified. And quite honestly, I can't think of one time when it has done anyone a lick of good. I can, however, name several people I have hurt with my rash words and untempered emotions, some of them quite badly. That was wrong of me, even if I was right about whatever issue I was all riled up about. I regret those instances now, and wish that I could take them back.

So, this is my way to try to make up for those instances, a gentle reminder to think before you speak, pray before you post, and really, just to be kind.

One of the things that continually amazes me about Jesus is that he never seemed to be shocked, outraged, or angry when confronted with people's sin, with oppressive Roman politics or unjust cultural practices. He knew the world was broken, and responded by offering mercy and healing, fueled by compassion, not outrage. In fact, the only people Jesus ever seemed to get outraged with were the Pharisees and the money changers in the temple, people who set up hoops that made it difficult for others to come to God.

^{James 3:5, 9-11, 17-18} 

⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a  great forest is set on fire by a small spark... ⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹ Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?... ¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

If you're feeling outraged about something, perhaps God is urging you to take action, to roll up your sleeves and start working to make the world a better place. But that is probably not going to be accomplished by nurturing anger, or by railing against people who hold a different position--people who God loves. Instead, let's be peacemakers who sow in peace and reap a harvest of righteousness!

Equilibrium

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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I think I figured something out tonight.

I've been struggling a lot with balance lately, trying to figure out what to do, how to do it, how much of it to do, and when. Something is going on inside me, stirring the waters in my soul, and I can't touch bottom or figure out which way to swim. It reminds me of the time I got swept out over the drop-off at ELWA beach, the current dragging me one way, the waves pounding me the other. I was at the mercy of a power greater than myself, not strong enough to swim out or even make progress in any direction. All I could do was dive under the waves as they came to avoid their crushing force.

Sometimes life is counter-intuitive. Sometimes you have to dive deep in order to stay afloat.

Anyway. I've also been struggling with physical balance issues this week, and my eyesight has been blurred. I've blamed exhaustion, I've told myself I must have a cold that is clogging my ears, but I think my body is simply manifesting what is going on inside of me right now. I feel off-kilter, and I can't see where I'm going. What I described to a friend as "mental whiplash" has produced a very physical vertigo.

So what to do? Or is there anything to do?

When I got swept out over my head at the beach, my mom swam out to rescue me. I could see her coming, which made it easier to stay calm, even in my desperate circumstances. I have absolute faith that God will work things out in the end--I can hear him calling to me, assuring me--but right now I have too much saltwater in my eyes to see salvation coming, and I wonder if it is breeding a sort of panic in me? If I have bought into the fallacy that swimming as hard and as long as is humanly possible is the only reasonable thing to do when you're swept out over your head? Like the little frog that fell into a bucket of milk and kept swimming and swimming, then woke up on a pat of butter?

Except no frog ever woke up on a pat of butter. And anyone with proper respect for the ocean knows that when you're caught in the current, you're supposed to stay calm and float to conserve your strength.

I don't mean to paint a gloomy picture--a lot of the stuff that is going on with me is very, very good! I just don't know what to do with it yet, what direction to turn, whether I should swim hard or take a deep, calming breath and float.

Or both.

But when do I swim? And for how long? And in what direction? Side-stroke or doggy paddle?

AARGH!

If you see me banging into doorways or tripping over chairs at church tomorrow, you'll know why. :-) I'm being knocked around by the cosmic waves of an invisible sea.

But I'm pretty sure I'll survive. :-)

Living Intentionally

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to live intentionally, to be a good steward of all the things we've been blessed with. It's just so easy to drift through life reacting to circumstances, responding to emotions, and wearing deeper and deeper ruts down the path of least resistance.

But God has really been convicting me about this laissez-faire approach to life. And I'm glad. Because deep down inside, we all want our lives to matter for something greater than our own comfort. No one has the goal of being mediocre, of attaining the very lowest level of self-actualization that they need to get on in this world.


So what would it look like to be really, really intentional about the different aspects of our lives?

What are we doing to develop the gifts and talents God has given us, to nurture and inspire the unique people we were created to be? Are we setting aside time to develop the skills that support our giftings?

What are we doing to stimulate our intellect? Are we reading books? Taking classes? Participating in discussion groups?

How are we caring for the body we were born into? Are we exercising, consuming healthy foods? Or are we mindlessly stuffing ourselves with whatever is close at hand?

What are we doing to intentionally develop and strengthen our relationships? Are we setting aside time to play with our children? Have conversations with our spouse? Visit our relatives? Have coffee with friends?

Are we being intentional about our finances? (Ouch!) Are we paying attention to where our money goes, and to whom, or is this another area of mindless consumption?

Are we doing ANYTHING that contributes to the greater good? Will we leave this planet a better place than we found it?

How about our spiritual lives? Are we nurturing our relationship with God, or ignoring it, since God seldom screams for our attention like a hungry child or angry bill collector?

I'll admit, I have a long way to go in these areas. But I am going to try--and if you're game, consider this your invitation to come along for the ride!

Carpe diem, adeste fideles, and all that other Latin stuff. :-)

Curses and Cries

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

3 comments

Over the last several weeks, my church has been going through the book of Revelations. (Nice light subject matter, right? :-P) A couple weeks ago, we were studying Revelations 16, where angels are pouring out "the bowls of God's wrath" upon mankind. Now, we don't necessarily like to think of God's judgement, or the suffering of the people it is poured out upon. But here's what struck me.

God's pouring out all these curses, right? Seven of them, to be exact. And the response of the cursed is always the same:

Revelation 16: 8,9 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify Him.

Again, in verses 10 and 11:

The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

And down in verse 21:

From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

I couldn't help but think of Job, of how his wife urged him to curse God and die. But even in his suffering, in his pain and confusion, Job refused to curse God.

Job 19 records one of the most honest, crushing looks at human suffering recorded in the Bible, as Job recounts the miseries that have been so mercilessly piled on him, by the hand of God, it would seem. But look at how it ends:

Job 19:25-27 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh will I see God. I myself will see Him--I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

How many of us curse God for our troubles, for the pain that we see in this world, instead of waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for our salvation, yearning for the one who will, in the end, make it all right?

The cursed curse God, refuse to repent, to turn toward him. The redeemed cry out to God for salvation, and look forward to their deliverance.

In the end, both get what they want.

Which do you want?

Katie Davis Throws Down the Gauntlet

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

1 comments

Well, I was going to write a blog post today, but I stumbled across one that was FAR better than anything I was going to write, and decided to share that with you instead. It has nothing to do with what I was going to blog about, but these challenging words from a twenty-something American girl living in Uganda need to be heard.

God bless Katie, and God help us all! Over and out.

The "F" Word

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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The word "feminist" seems to have fallen out of favor, in even the most egalitarian circles. If I had a quarter for every time I heard the phrase "Oh, I wouldn't call myself a feminist, but..." I could probably subsidize some pretty cool charities.

But the term "feminist" is still good with me. I wrote a lot in the early days of this blog about the roots of my convictions--watching African women struggle to feed their families and care for their children in abusive, oppressive circumstances. These were not women who had the option of staying home dusting their perfectly decorated houses--these were women engaged in a day-to-day battle for their children's survival, their circumstances made worse by their lack of economic or political clout, their lack of legal recourse for the many crimes committed against them.

The long and short of it is this: when women suffer, children suffer. When children suffer, the world suffers. Speaking out against the injustices women face, particularly in developing nations, and empowering women to improve their economic and political circumstances will make the world a better place for everyone, male and female.

That's why I'm excited about the ONE campaign's new Women ONE2ONE initiative. From their website: "The concept is simple. Join one million women to raise our voices and demand things we know will make a difference: putting kids in schools, enabling women entrepreneurs, allowing women to run for office."

Here's a video about the ONE2ONE initiative. Watch the video, then hop on over to ONE's website to pledge your voice in support of legislation that supports and empowers women in developing nations--whether you call yourself a feminist or not. :-)

Fools rush in, where angels fear to tread...

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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Today, I read the story of a young American whose body had been recovered from Haiti, a seminary student who had been helping at the St. Joseph's Home for Boys when the earthquake hit. A cried a little bit, overwhelmed not just by the tragedy, but by the beauty of what he had been doing over there in the first place.

The Christian community can be a very small world, and since the earthquake, not a day has gone by without me hearing of someone, somewhere, praying for a miracle or grieving a loss. It takes my breath away to realize how connected we are, how many people have poured their time, love, energy, and lives into Haiti. These are not people who went there for a tropical vacation, or to advance their careers--these are people who had already made significant sacrifices to bring peace, help, and healing to a hurting nation, for no reason other than that it's what Jesus would do.

We Americans remember those who have fallen in war, but we tend to gloss over people who have given their lives for peace. And make no mistake, most people go into missionary work knowing the risk. Normal people don't charge into famine, social chaos, and political instability without a really good reason. But missionaries have a really good Reason.

I am so thankful for the sacrifices people have made to bring food, medicine, and education to the hurting people in the world. I am so thankful for people who have had the courage to leave their comfortable lives behind, to alleviate the suffering of others while sharing in it at the same time. Giving money to a cause is a wonderful thing--giving your life to it is beautifully, wonderfully, recklessly foolish. Proof-positive that you have fallen head-over-heels in love, that Divine Love has totally overpowered your senses. And it's a good thing, because it's Love, not money, that will change the world.

One Dollar a Week...

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

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I'm adding a "red cup" to my sidebar so my wonderful readers (and myself) can donate to the UN's World Food Programme directly from my blog. If I understand correctly, one euro a week (about $1.50) from every person in the developed world would be enough to wipe out hunger on this planet.

If you'd like to take it a step further, consider sponsoring a child through an organization like World Vision or Compassion Intl., or help a family become self-sustaining by donating an animal through Heifer Intl. (Heifer donations make great gifts for friends and family, BTW!)

A dollar fifty a week, folks. Seven bucks a month, to live in a world where children don't have to go to bed hungry. Anyone wanna take the challenge?

Who Took the "Christ" out of "Christian"?

Posted by Jenny Rae Armstrong in Mystical Meanderings of a Love-Struck Soul

6 comments

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it really means to be a Christian, and about the challenges of being or calling oneself a Christian in American society. As a missionary kid in Liberia, I had friends from many different nations, cultures, and faiths, and was faced early with the fact that many good, devout people believed very differently than I did. The sincerity and devotion of my Muslim, Buddhist, and Jain friends challenged me. They held tight to the doctrines they were taught from infancy, lived out their faith in the ways prescribed by their sacred books and cultures.

I couldn't help but wonder, was I any different? I had been born to Christian parents in the backwoods of Wisconsin, and I believed in Jesus with all my heart. But if I had been born in Taiwan, like my friend Yu-San, would I be a Buddhist? If I had been born in the Cameroon, like my friend Mohammed, would I be a Muslim?

The answer made me uncomfortable. I figured that if I was going to ask Yu-San or Mohammed to reconsider their beliefs, to be willing to chuck everything they had been taught by the people they loved the most out the window, I had better be willing to do the same. To ask questions. To regard my culture with a critical eye. To be willing to temper my "worldview" with as much logical and emotional distance as I could muster.

That was a very good thing, a refining and refocusing of my faith. And honestly, I think this is an are where "third culture kids," children who are raised in a culture that is not their own, have an advantage. They are the perpetual outsiders, savvy anthropologists who don't fit into their home or host cultures (whichever is which). Everyone sees the world through their own pair of glasses, the lenses focused by education, experience, and cultural expectations--it's just that third culture kids tend to have several pairs lying around, and find it easier to change them at will.

Anyhow. Fast forward twenty years, to a sleepy little county in Northern Wisconsin. Churches abound, their libraries stocked with books on developing a "Christian worldview" (invariably written by evangelical Protestant males of European descent). Christian novels, Christian newspapers, Christian music, Christian tee-shirts, Christian dietary supplements (?!) are everywhere. Politicians on both sides of the aisle season their speeches with oblique allusions to their Christian faith, in the hopes that if they can just brush the hem of Jesus' garment, some of his glory will rub off on their agendas. And while not everyone in Douglas County, Wisconsin would claim to be a Christian, there are precious few of them who would claim to be anything else, a Muslim, or a Hindu, or a Buddhist.

My question is, how is it possible to be a Christian in a place like this? How is it possible to tell the difference between your faith and your culture when they are, for all intensive purposes, one and the same? I'm overstating the point, obviously, but our preconceptions of what it means to be a Christian are HUGE. Do we assume Christians talk a certain way? Vote a certain way? Dress a certain way? Drink (or not drink!) a certain way? If we're honest, most of us would question the salvation of a man seen swigging alcohol at a party with prostitutes. Good thing Jesus didn't need to be saved.

If we strip away the preconceptions, take off our glasses and try our hardest to step outside our carefully crafted worldview, what are we left with? Is it enough? Is your faith built on the shifting sand of cultural Christianity, on what you've heard at church, from loved ones, on Christian media or from the latest Beth Moore Bible study? If those same sources told you something different, would you believe differently?

Or is your faith built on something that doesn't change, on the salvation of God through the person of Jesus, as revealed through scripture?

It's not an easy question to answer, and it can be hard to see Jesus through the religion that sprung up around him. I struggle with this constantly--I even struggle to remember to struggle, to keep searching for more and more of God instead of settling into the warm, familiar comfort of American "churchianity." But I am afraid that the American church has been lulled to sleep by a false sense of security, that instead of running the race with perseverance, we're playing the hare and hunkering down for a theological snooze, certain of our innate superiority and inevitable victory.

I guess what I'm really asking is have we put our faith in Jesus, or have we put our faith in Christianity? And which would we choose if (and when) the two are at odds?

If you're not sure you can tell the difference between the two, a good place to start would be by reading the Gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John--in long, uninterrupted hunks, so you can get a sense of the big picture unfolding in each book, instead of little snatches of verses read out of order and out of context. Study Jesus--viewing the church through the lens of the Gospels, instead of vice-versa, can be very enlightening. I'm going to be kicking off my 2010 Bible reading with another pass through the Gospels, to refresh my focus on the person of Jesus. It's just so, so easy to lose sight of him...