Month: May 2020

Have you ever heard a sermon on Paul’s Corinthian vision? I haven’t, though can’t imagine why – it’s such an encouraging passage. Found in Acts 18:9-10, certain words are even printed in red in some Bibles.  It is the tale of a discouraged church worker who is spurred on by our Lord himself. 

Highs and Lows

The adrenaline had worn off, it seems. Paul had pushed through isolation and danger and come to a place of companionship and care … after which he crashed. 

Isn’t it so often the way that we push through when the pressure is on, only to fall apart when the pressure is off? 

The vision comes partway through Paul’s second missionary journey. It had been a rough trip so far and yet exhilarating at times. In just over twelve months, his life was like a little boat on choppy seas, bouncing from highs to lows, peaks to troughs, in danger of being overwhelmed by it all.

LOW: It started badly because of a blow-up with his mentor and friend, Barnabas, before they’d even left Antioch (Acts 15:36-16:5). 

HIGH: Once Paul got moving with new travel companions, divine direction was SO clear. The Holy Spirit kept them from entering a province called Asia (Acts 16:6). The Spirit of Jesus kept them from entering an area called Mysia (Acts 16:7). Then there was the vision of Macedonian man which led Paul and his men to conclude that God was calling them to take the gospel to Europe. (If only discerning God’s direction were so obvious for many of us today…..)

HIGH: They arrived in Philippi, were warmly welcomed by a wealthy woman and accommodated very comfortably indeed.

LOW: What a shock to the system, then, to go from Lydia’s luxury to a Philippian prison. Thankfully, that ordeal ended well (Acts 16). 

LOW: In Thessalonica, jealous Jews rounded up a mob, forcing Paul and his pals to flee. So on to Berea they went, where the same thing happened.  This time, Paul left for Greece, where he waited. Alone. 

HIGH: Paul had the privilege of explaining who God is to the aristocratic council of ancient Athens. That was no small privilege! This invitation springboarded from his claim to know the identity of their ‘unknown God’. 

HIGH: After moving to Corinth and before his travel companions joined him, Paul developed a close friendship with Priscilla and Aquila. I wonder if he valued their hospitality as much as I have appreciated several families, at different points over the years, who have included me, the single aunty, in their family rhythms? 

LOW:  Paul had no patience for abusive members of the synagogue in Corinth. Formally and deliberately, he gave up on trying to share the gospel with them. “Your blood be on your own heads,” he protested as he shook out his clothes as a visible sign that he was done with them. What garments did he actually shake out? My mind boggled as I considered the options. After going to Biblehub.com, I understand it to have been a long, flowing outer garment that he shook out, and not quite everything.

He demonstrated his change in focus by shifting his teaching base from the synagogue to the home of a man with a good Latin name, Titius Justus. 

CRASH!

Perhaps Paul had been heading for a crash for some time. Much later, he would write to the church in Corinth, saying, “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3). Without thinking it through, I always assumed that Paul was just being humble about his abilities. But now I realise that this great missionary was actually struggling at that time.

Was Paul teetering on the edge of burnout by the time he got to Corinth? Or even in the thick of it? I don’t know anyone who has had as many intense highs and lows as Paul experienced in just a year or so. Could Paul sleep at night? Was he constantly wound up, fists clenched, shoulders hunched, forehead furrowed? 

Then came the vision (Acts 18:9-10). 

The Vision

At this point, I am rather frustrated with Dr Luke, who recorded the tale, because I want details! Was Paul awake or asleep? Or in some state in-between? What did he see? It was a ‘vision’ after all … there must have been something visual. Was it a brilliant light, similar to his Damascus Road experience? Or was there more?  Dr Luke says that ‘the Lord spoke to Paul’ (Acts 19:9). What did the voice sound like? Was ‘the Lord’ God or Jesus or does that question show my limited thinking? Did the Lord speak in classical Hebrew or Aramaic or Greek or in some other language?

Despite the lack of details, one thing is clear. The Lord’s words gave Paul the encouragement he needed to keep going. “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent,” said the Lord (Acts 18:9).  

“For I am with you and no one is going to attack and harm you,” he continued (Acts 18:10). Was Paul expecting to be harmed? He had already fled for his life several times over. Indeed, it could well have happened again.

Dr Luke goes on to relate the details of an attack by jealous Jews on Paul. Just as the Lord had promised in the vision, though, it came to nothing as far as Paul was concerned, thanks to a disinterested Roman ruler. (Acts 18:12-17). Mind you, the ruler of the synagogue, Sosthenes, copped a beating (Acts 18:17). Presumably, Sosthenes had chosen to follow Jesus, for he would later co-author 1 Corinthians with Paul (see 1 Corinthians 1:1). 

Why was God determined to keep Paul there for a season? The Lord explained to Paul that it was “… because I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:10). I wonder whether he was referring to all those who would turn to him in the years ahead?

Encouraged

‘Do not be afraid for I am with you.’ This was essentially what the Lord said to Paul, and it is something that we can all take heed of, regardless of where and when we serve God. The other details – the promises of safety and the purpose of ushering God’s people in Corinth into his kingdom – were specific to Paul right there and then.

Why can I claim the admonition not to be afraid and the promise of God’s presence as being for us? The Bible is full of instances where God or his messengers told people, “Do not be afraid…” The command, ‘Do not be afraid’ was given to different characters in various settings in Scripture 365 times apparently (though I have not counted them myself). Yes, we are to fear God, but when God is with us, we need fear nothing and no-one else. Jesus himself promised to be with his followers and those who come after them until the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

God with us

The Trine God is with us just as he was with Paul. I sometimes wish he would guide us as clearly as he guided Paul, with the Holy Spirit stopping one plan, the Spirit of Jesus another and then a dream pointing in a third direction.  But then, as I look back at life, certain courses of action have been very clear. I just didn’t feel confident at the time to attribute the direction to God himself. Only in hindsight is it obvious.

Some of us have been and continue to go through rather stressful times just now – highs and lows – something like Paul experienced in the year prior to his Corinthian vision. (Personally, life is fairly smooth for me just now – something I am enjoying while it lasts.) None of what Paul endured took God by surprise, and in the same way, he knows what is ahead for us. He doesn’t promise immunity to suffering, but he does promise to always be with us. 

Although I am a little jealous of Paul and his visions, it isn’t like God is silent around me. Far from it. God has frequently communicated with me through nature, ‘divine coincidences’, hunches, timely words from other people, Scripture verses that seem ‘to jump off the page’ and music. Sometimes I have been prevented doing what I thought was best and other times the way ahead has been smooth. In hindsight, I can see that God was in it all and can be confident that he won’t leave me … ever!

Settled

Paul’s second missionary journey had been full of tumult, turmoil and constant movement … until the point that he received this vision. We sense his physical and mental exhaustion. But then something changed. 

After the vision, Paul stayed put. For the next year and a half, he taught the word of God to new believers in Corinth (Acts 18:11). Yes, those jealous Jews continued to harass him, but rather than unsettle him, their shenanigans seemed to be like water off a duck’s back as far as Paul was concerned. 

At the end of the 18 months, he  returned to his home base of Antioch, visiting a few other places on the way. Calm. Quiet. Settled.  

God was with Paul. God is with us. God already knows all is going on with life. When I remember that, my heart is settled too. I am able to get on with the job at hand – the tasks God has given me – in a quiet focused fashion. 

And that includes this blog post. 

So I finish with this reminder to myself: God is with us. God is doing his work. He chooses to use us in that. I can settle down and get on with the tasks he has for me, my heart calm and quiet, relishing the relationships he has given me.

Confucius was a wise man. His observations about the various stages of life are particularly astute, despite the massive differences between the world he inhabited in China 2,500 years ago and our globalised lives in the 21st century.

‘Study’ is a key part of my work, making up about 25% of my workload (ideally … though these are not ideal times). I wanted to share that fact with a prayer group the other day. “It’s important to be a ‘reflective practitioner,” I planned to tell them.

But then that overly critical inner voice started hounding me. “What is a middle-aged woman doing still studying? Surely you should have moved past that stage long before now?”

My inner critic has a point.

What would Confucius say?

Confucius

Confucius said, “At 15, one should throw himself into learning; at age 30 one is established in life; by age 40, one is free from doubts; at 50, one knows the ‘mandate of heaven’ (what your purpose is in life); at 60 one’s ear is attuned (to listen to good and not rubbish … I think), and at 70 years of age, one can do whatever one wants because rules don’t apply to him anymore.”

子曰：‘‘吾十有五而志于学，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳顺，七十而从心所欲，不逾矩。

Confucius lived approximately from 551BC to 479BC

Age appropriate

Those of us who have the privilege of living in different parts of the world for lengthy periods of life don’t always neatly fit the categories laid out by that wise old man. I look back on my own life.

“At 15, one should hard at learning” – yes, that I did. I learnt well in my first language.

“At age 30 one is established in life.” On my 30th birthday, I was a student AGAIN. I was stumbling through language textbooks that ten-year-old kids in my adopted country could have read more fluently than me. Though let it be known that I was reasonably competent in my first language.

Changing my country of residence at age 27 threw everything into confusion. Choosing to transplant myself into a place in which my strengths and abilities were stripped away was humiliating. Nevertheless, it was process which enriched and grew me in ways I could never have anticipated.

“By age 40, one is free from doubts.” Ha! During my forties, I returned to Australia ‘for good’ … twice … once when I was 40 and again when I was 47. Though I must say that being comfortable in my own skin was important for riding a few rough rapids of life that decade.

“At age 50, one knows the ‘mandate of heaven’ (your purpose is in life).” That’s where I am at now. (Well, I’m a couple of years into my 50s.) Do I know ‘the mandate of heaven’? Why am I still studying?

“At age 60 one’s ear is attuned.” I saw this just today when an older lady cut my fringe (‘bangs’ in North American English). She was complaining about how negative some people are. Then she added, “But I’m too old to be bothered listening to them. I just ignore them.” Yes, now in her 60s, her ear is attuned to good and not bad.

“At 70 years of age, one can do whatever one wants because rules don’t apply anymore.” If I make it to 70, I might wear the sort of sparkly outfits with bouncy skirts that little girls wear sometimes. And I might get a purple foil in my hair. We’ll see.

A personal ‘mandate of heaven’

Let’s get back to the question of this 52-year-old woman still engaged in academia. Could it be that study IS very much part of the ‘mandate of heaven’ for me right now?

I took a ‘Strengths Finders’ assessment a couple of years back as part of a short secular hobby writing course. (Look up ‘Clifton Gallup Strengths’ if you’re interested.) According to my responses to their questions, my particular strengths are: (1) learner, (2) developer, (3) input, (4) connectedness and (5) restorative. Official descriptions of these categories can be found on the Clifton Strengths website or their book, but in short, I like to learn and I like to see others do well.

I was reminded of another English teacher … a Westerner like me who also taught English overseas. He was also impacted through living amongst a people who were very different to himself. No doubt his ‘stages of life’ were a little mixed up too.

Like Confucius, this man was a keen observer of life. He later took his observations and opinions and put them through the rigours of academia. The result was a movement that has influenced a great many other workers, myself included.

I am speaking of the somewhat mysterious man who popularised the concept of ‘the 3D gospel’. He is best known for his observation that people interpret life through various lenses of ‘shame and honour’ or ‘guilt and innocence’ or ‘fear and power’. He chooses to remain relatively unknown because of regular visits to sensitive parts of the world. (I need to be wise for similar reasons too.) If you’re interested, check out his blog on www.honorshame.com

A dream

My dream is that this Australian English teacher cum eternal student can make a significant contribution to God’s work during this decade even as I spend time in the books.

God has given us different roles in his kingdom work. He has given me a love for learning. Unlike when I was a teenage girl, though, I am not preparing for the future. No, in many ways, I am taking what has shaped me in the past and honing it. I am observing things and delving into those matters much more deeply, with the hope that approaches and programmes can be improved upon.

THIS is ‘the mandate of heaven’ (as Confucius expressed it) for me.

And so, in answer to my inner critic which tries to discourage me, I say this: ‘Study remains a part of the work to which God has called me right now. So stop being negative and start working with me to study well.’ When I did my short little presentation to the prayer group later that day (online, of course), I outlined the reasons for focusing on the particular topic I’m immersed in these days and their responses were encouraging.

In being a ‘reflective practitioner’, I am, in fact, fulfilling the task to which God has called me. It feels good. Even my inner critic is satisfied.

“Please pray that we will make it through this tough time with our sanity intact,” emailed friends whose situation seems unsustainable.

“It’s really hard. Please pray for me,” messaged another friend.

“People are dying of starvation or lack of medications.” A friend described the effects of lockdown on his country, asking for prayer.

“Most of our church members have lost their jobs. We can’t go back to our villages. Please pray for us.” That message came from a beautiful part of the world where many people work in the tourist and hospitality industry.

I’m happy to pray. Of course. But where do I even start?

Praying Scripture

We often present a list to God of what we think would be wise courses of action for him to take. I do it myself, and also send out regular prayer notes asking people to pray for X, Y and Z. But perhaps there are better ways to pray.

Lifting people and situations before God as I turn Scripture into prayer is one way of praying I find helpful. How can I pray Scripture for these friends and the people amongst whom they live who are finding life so exceptionally difficult just now.

‘All things work together for good’

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 NIV

Surely this is a good verse to pray for my friends who feel like they are at the ends of their tether. It’ll all work out well in the end, right? There is a song that I often hear on Christian radio right now, which draws on this verse and contains the catchy line, “Every little thing’s gonna be all right.”

But will it? I think of earnest prayers offered by early church members for Peter and James when they were imprisoned by King Herod. (The tale is recorded in Acts 12 … we studied this passage in Bible Study Fellowship last week. That’s why it’s fresh on my mind.)

Oh yes, God worked for good when the apostle Peter was miraculously freed from the clutches of that evil monarch. But did God also work for the good of the apostle James, brother of John, when he let him be executed?

I’m not questioning God … that would be foolish … but just want to say that these matters aren’t straightforward. God’s idea of ‘good’ doesn’t always equate to our ideas of ‘comfortable’.

‘We must go through many hardships….’

Acts 14:22 is not a verse I have ever memorised in my half-century of Christian life. It’s probably worth memorising though, because it summarises the parting message that Paul and Barnabas left with each of the new churches they had established during their first missionary journey. (This passage is fresh on my mind because we studied it just today in the Bible Study Fellowship class I attend online these days.)

Then they returned … strengthening the disciples and encouraging [the believers] to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.”

Acts 14:21b-23 NIV

To pray along these lines for my friends will require prayer and fasting if I am to follow the excellent example of Paul and Barnabas.

Ouch … fasting and praying … now the rubber hits the road, in a metaphorical sense, of course. Since we are all staying at home these days, ‘the rubber hitting the road’ is probably not the best analogy for having to put my words into action.

‘The Spirit helps us in our weaknesses’

As I consciously sit quietly in God’s presence and bring my friends to him, I sense a divine nudge to pray that verse about the Spirit helping us in our weaknesses.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27

Did you know that this verse comes immediately before the ‘All things work together for good…’ verse?

Hearts and minds

My friends are confused, frustrated and upset at the way things have turned out for them. Even those of us in comparative stability and comfort find ourselves perturbed by all that is going on around us.

It’s okay to be 忐忑不安 … a phrase without an exact English equivalent. It means ‘perturbed’, ‘disturbed’ or ‘upset’. If you look carefully, you can see that it is made up of a heart – 心 – flip-flopping around, sometimes facing up -上- and sometimes facing down -下. Regardless, our hearts are not – 不 – at peace – 安. The character for peace – 安 – incidentally, is a pictograph of a woman – 女- under a roof – 宀.

God searches our hearts (Romans 8:27). The ups, the downs, the confusion, the grief, the frustrations … he sees it all. I don’t understand even the complexities of my own heart, let alone those of my friends who are going through really hard times. But God does.

God not only knows our hearts but he also knows the mind of the Spirit (Romans 8:27). The Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God (Romans 8:27). God is getting the full picture – the state of the heart and the mind of his Spirit. And we have the privilege of praying along with the indwelling Spirit of God.

How do I pray?

Having sat with this verse for a while, I have changed the way I pray … some of the time, anyhow.

First, I come to the one who searches our hearts and I just present myself. “Here I am, Lord.” I don’t need to pretend to have it all together, or to work at coming in a sensible frame of mind. He searches my heart and understands it better than I know it myself.

Then I name my friends for whom I am praying. I name them in the presence of our all-seeing God. I don’t try and tell him what to do in their particular situations … not first up, anyhow. I just lift them in my prayers before the throne of Almighty God.

The Spirit is already interceding for them … and for me … in accordance with the will of God. I consciously commit them … commit us … to the care of El Roi, the God who Sees.

Conclusion

I wish that there would be ‘happy endings’ to the stories of my friends in terms of what the world sees as ‘happy endings’. I wish that God would intervene and made everything better.

Maybe God will do something miraculous for my friends. Whatever the outcome, the conclusion is actually going to be good … but not necessarily comfortable.

The Bible lays it out clearly in a passage in Romans 8 which comes just a few verses after the sections about how the Holy Spirit prays for us in our weaknesses and how all things work together for good . Paul, who warned new believers in the early church that there would be hardship, later sets out this powerful truth:

If God be for us, who can be against us? …. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:31b, 37-8

Right now it’s tough for many people – if not most people – in our world. But those of us who belong to God have a hope that keeps us going.

Hardships have come. God searches our hearts and knows the mind of the Holy Spirit who prays for God’s people. All things work together for good. Nothing – not a virus, not economic disaster, not racial discrimination, not travel bans, not relationship breakdowns, not even death – NOTHING can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ.

And so I lift my friends before the throne of the One who Sees.

Amen.