No More Masks

"God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another." - William Shakespeare

Today is Halloween. This evening many young people will dress up as their favorite super-hero, pop star, princess, TV character, or scary zombie. For one evening they will get to put on a mask and be someone else.

For many of us, Halloween is a daily occurrence. We often wear a mask. It might be the: "I'm happy" mask, "I'm fine" mask, I'm a victim" mask, "I don't care" mask, "I'm the expert" mask, or any other mask to cover up who we really are. Sometimes we wear masks to please others. Is there anyone from whom you hide your "painful junk" so their image of you won't be shattered?

Masks are used to cover up and hide something. Maybe it is shame or guilt. That's what happened to Adam and Eve. Prior to their disobedience, they felt no shame and no need for masks. Genesis 2:25,  "Now, although Adam and his wife were both naked, neither of them felt any shame". Chapter 3 goes on to say that after they sinned, they felt shame, realized they were naked and hid from God.

Sin has a way of doing that to us. It makes us feel guilty, ashamed, and like running away from God. Two Sundays ago, I preached on Psalm 139:23. Here the psalmist asks God to search him, to know him, to test him to see if their is any "sin" in his life. Unresolved sin will cause us to wear a mask.

But thanks be to God, we have a savior who takes our sin and shame and clothes us with his true self. Part of our 12 Scriptures is Colossians 3:12-14, "As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience...Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony". With God's help we can take off our mask and put on Christ for He is the reality of who we are.

Get Away

Jesus often made a practice of getting away from the crowds in order to be with the Father. This was a way for him to be renewed and reminded of his purpose and mission. Crowds expected many things from Jesus. They wanted another miracle, another healing, more bread, more wine - you name it. Jesus had the perfect balance of being with the community and being alone with the Father. We should strive to imitate his example.

Jesus recognized that being in the presence of God is the only way we can find our worth and purpose in life.   Ruth Haley Barton in "Leading in Rhythm: Solitude and Community" says, Because we will attempt to get from other human beings what only God can provide; we will demand that the community meet our needs for love, approval, a sense of self and whatever else we may be missing. Then when the community disappoints us, is unable to meet our needs or refuses our demands, we become frustrated and might take out our frustration on those around us through gossip, manipulation, attempts at controlling others.  We may even start projecting our inner lacks onto others in the community—blaming them for not meeting needs that are not theirs to meet anyway.

Human community can never fully meet the needs that can only be met by a rich and satisfying relationship with God; it is a weight too heavy for any community to bear.

Oftentimes I place too much expectation on others to give me worth and approval. It's especially hard being in the role of a pastor, but we all get caught up in valuing ourselves based on what others think and say about us. Only the One who has given us life can meet our EVERY need. No human being can. That's too much to ask - too much to expect, and we will always be disappointed. Our needs can only be met in relationship with God. Set aside time and get away with God. Read Psalm 139 and allow Him to remind you of your worth and value to Him.

The Story of God and Us

I had the privilege of attending (for the second year), the Apprentice Institute Conference at Friends University in Wichita, KS with my friend and fellow pastor, Tim Springer. Guest speakers included Brian McLaren (Everything Must Change) and Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz). The theme was: "The Story of God and Us - the Importance of Narratives for Christian Spiritual Formation".

In Donald Miller's session he asked, "What makes a life meaningful?" He said that life is about finding meaning, not pleasure. Meaning is what will sustain us but if you can't find it, you'll pursue pleasure instead.

We have a true self that God created within us, but just like Adam and Eve, we often feel shame and allow it to cover up our true self. This creates a false identity that we end up living with for years. This shame is then covered up with our personality, which desperately searches for ways to be affirmed in an attempt to find meaning and worth.

He encouraged by saying, "We are not our failures". Do not listen or believe the old stories in your head. He also said, "We are not our successes". Don't try to live up to others' expectations. The key is to get in touch with your core self; who God created you to be. That is the only story we should be listening to. Don't be afraid to listen to it. Move into that fear and live who God made you to be.

The Core of Christianity

In Ephesians 4:3, Christians are called to "Make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace". With so many denominations that come under the umbrella of Christianity, how can we possibly do this? God has been so gracious to create each one of us with different gifts, passions, talents, abilities and experiences. He also has blessed us with free will and thought – likes, dislikes, opinions, and preferences. We are not all created exactly alike because it shows the vastness of God.  But sometimes our differences become a hindrance to us being the church. They get in the way of how we are to function as the body of Christ.  Let’s face it, just because God has called us and chosen us, doesn't mean that we have achieved perfection. We are still human and have to deal with the effects of the Fall. We still have a sinful, selfish nature part of us, yet God has invited us to live in relationship with Him and each other. How do we do this?

The answer is by understanding this diagram. It was recently shared with me by my good friend and fellow pastor, Dave Argue. It is taken from John 14:6 where Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life".

The core truth of Christianity is that Jesus is Lord. He was with God in the beginning. He was God, became flesh, lived and died - rose again the third day - now seated at the right hand of God. (John 1:1-2, 14, Colossians 1:15-20, Philippians 2:6-11,  Romans 10:9). Jesus was not just a teacher, but is Lord of the universe, the Savior of all people and Ruler of life. He is worth dying for.

The next circle is doctrine. This is a group of denominational formulations of faith. They are developed in the midst of Bible study and experience. Such things might include belief about water baptism, the Lord's Supper, Sabbath observance, original sin - to name a few. These are topics to debate.

The third circle is convictions. These are strongly held matters of private conscience, personal beliefs of what is a right lifestyle and behavior. These are for dialogue.

Dave Argue writes, "Hopefully as we understand truth in this way, we will die for what is central to our faith but not kill for what is not. We will debate heartily the formulations of doctrine, but not cease to love those whose doctrinal positions differ from ours. And we will remember that truth reaches to the outer circle too. How enriched we are by the dialogue that sharpens our convictions."

Spiritual Leadership

“Spiritual leadership springs forth in grace from our very desire for God’s presence. This does not take effort or striving. It takes courage, a kind of showing up, attentiveness.

—Gerald May

In God's hands

The future is in God’s hands, not yours.... Try only to make use of each day; each day brings its own good and evil, and sometimes what seems evil becomes good if we leave it to God... 

—François Fenelon (seventeenth-century cleric)

Prayer for Syria

God of Compassion,

Hear the cries of the people of Syria,
Bring healing to those suffering from the violence,
Bring comfort to those mourning the dead,
Strengthen Syria's neighbors in their care and welcome for refugees,
Convert the hearts of those who have taken up arms,
And protect those committed to peace.
God of Hope,
Inspire leaders to choose peace over violence and to seek reconciliation with enemies,
Inspire the Church around the world with compassion for the people of Syria,
And give us hope for a future of peace built on justice for all.
We ask this through Jesus Christ,
Prince of Peace and Light of the World,
Amen

Source: Catholic Relief Services (used with permission)