Dealing with Disappointment

When Jesus went about doing his public ministry, he disappointed a lot of people. Those that were closest to him were the most disappointed in him. In the most crucial hour they all deserted him or denied him or betrayed him. Jesus went from crowds in the thousands to parades in the hundreds to the isolation of the cross and entombment in a borrowed grave. His path was littered with the disappointment of those who believed he was the answer to their plight under Rome. When he died, Jesus may have been one of the most disappointing characters in human history. Another failed messianic hope.
We don't tend to think of Jesus in these terms - nor do we preach about it. The televangelists continue to spew their health, wealth, and prosperity ramblings, ignoring the poverty of Jesus, the message to the poor against wealth, and the disappointment that Jesus left in his wake. It is a sad truth that, in a time of economic crisis and financial hardship the church has left itself with a gospel of success rather than a gospel based on how to deal with disappointment. We could have prepared the world for the times in which we live. Instead, we threw away the message of the gospel for the gospel of the American Dream. Now, we have nothing to say that people will hear because our gospel of success has left too shallow a message. Woe is us, woe is us.
I just applied for my first position as a full-time professor at a seminary. One of my professors advised me of the position; the job description fit me to a "T"; my references were impeccable. I doubt I got any real consideration. In a pile of PhD's with years of teaching experience, my resume probably looked a little thin, to say the least. Nevertheless, I am disappointed. I thought this might be the answer. Get a position even before I graduate; have some financial security rather than piling up debt; be a success. I told family and friends about it. Now I have to tell them I'm not even going to be considered. I feel like I've disappointed my wife and family. It has been a depressing day. (Can you hear the pity party in my words?)
I have come to believe that helping people deal with disappointment may be the most important skill we help our congregations and leaders to develop. Nothing in this life will ultimately succeed. If it could, there would be no need for a new heaven and a new earth. The flowers fade and everyone dies. Dealing with disappointment would seem to be crucial. It is only in eternity that we find complete fulfillment and utter wealth. Not streets of gold but perfect fellowship and peace. Until then, however, we must learn to deal with disappointment. Especially if we want to live with Jesus as our example.
There will be better days ahead. Not every day is a disappointment. Not every loss is a loss (just like every win is not necessarily a win). God is still on the throne. He is still leading my life. He hasn't brought me this far to abandon me. The cross is not the end of the story and neither is the borrowed grave. No, the resurrection is the foundation of hope. It helps us all deal with disappointments.

Losing

Our attitudes toward winning and losing in our society are quite interesting. We love winners. Who won the World Series last year? The Phillies, of course. Who did they defeat to get to the World Series? Well, now, let me see. I remember the beat the Rays for the Series, but who in the world did they beat to get to the Series? Hmmm. We love our winners but we quickly forget the losers. John McCain was on the news everyday until he lost. Then he fell off the cliff. There's an episode of the West Wing in their final season after the election. Arnie Vinnick (played by Alan Alda) is shown after losing. Nobody even notices him at a coffee shop. A few weeks earlier, he lost the election for President of the U.S. by about 40,000 votes. Millions voted for him - and then forgot him. When is the last time you heard from Michael Dukakis, Bob Dole, or Walter Mondale? We love winners. We forget the ones who lose.
I have lost some wieght recently. The loss is getting noticeable. I have had to change belts and I am wearing clothes I haven't worn since before I got to Pasadena. But my loss has become the stuff of celebration. People are excited about my loss. Instead of forgetting what I have done they have become cheerleaders for losing more. It's an odd paradox. Some losses are quite acceptable and others are forgettable.
When we seek the Lord and ask for his forgiveness we suffer a loss. We lose sin and the effects of the sins that we have committed in our lives. Most of the time we express this in winners terms. Forgiveness is a gain. But, a gain and loss of what? Oddly enough, it is a gain of righteousness. At the same time it is a loss of the nature with which we were born. We lose sin and gain holiness. Maybe that's why we don't express it in those terms. We are far more comfortable with just talking about the loss of sin in the gaining of forgiveness. Why? Because everyone wants to forget sin and sin is what we lose.
However, I'm not sure we should lose everything about sin. Don't misunderstand, I am glad that God "loses" our sins, at least as far as the East is from the West. I ma just not sure we should lose all the things related to sin. I don't think we should lose the feeling we experience when we are wallowing in our sins. I don't' think we should lose our sense of elation when sin was taken away. I don't think we should lose the remembrance of the things we lost when we were in sin. I don't want to wallow in sin any more, but I don't ever want to forget the testimony I have that is based on sin and the forgiveness I received. I don't ever want to forget that Paul said, "When I am weak, then I am strong." My weakness is based on my complete trust in Christ. My strength is that I know am strong only as I recognize what I have lost and on whom I am dependent. Thank God I lost. To be a winner in this "game" is to be the ultimate loser. Amen.

Vision

I've been writing a lot about the idea of creativity in preaching. One of the last sources I used is an older book by Arthur Koestler. It is called, The Act of Creation. In it, he tells the following story: In 1960 they conducted some experiments at McGill University and discovered, much to their surprise, some interesting things about the movement of the eye. Here's the quote:

"… the unconscious movements of the eye are not merely aids to clearer vision, but a sine qua non of vision. When the subject’s gaze remained really fixed on a stationary object (by means of a mechanical device), his vision went haywire, the image of the object disintegrated – then reappeared after a while but in distorted shape or in fragments. Static vision does not exist; there is no seeing without exploring."

Static vision does not exist. In other words, you cannot really stare at something. At least, not for very long. If you are forced to stare, your vision will go "haywire." I was reminded that the eyes are not static during sleep, either. Everyone experiences what is called REM sleep, which stands for Rapid Eye Movement. If you ever watch someone who is in a deep state of sleep you can catch their eyes moving all over the place even though their eyelids are closed and they are deeply sleeping. Static vision does not exist.

I wish we could all understand this principle. We get so stuck in our ways and in our choices. We become static in our lives, our jobs, our routines, our marriages, our worship, our faith. Part of the reason we seek to remain static is tied to our need for security and the ability to count on things. Yet, there is no such thing as static vision. If you want to grow or be productive or be successful or do something important, you can't remain static. The Bible says, "Without a vision the people perish." We should add to that the idea that there is no seeing without exploring. So, break out of your doldrums and live. Throw off the gloom of winter and go exploring. Stop one routine and do something fresh and new. Open your Bible and explore it rather than just read the words. There is no such thing as static vision. Believe me, I've tried.

New Post - Finally

After much searching and digging, I have finally recovered my password. I am so sorry about the long delay. Hopefully, this will not happen again.
I have just finished writing the first chapter of my dissertation. It is about 65 pages long and will comprise one of four chapters in my dissertation. This dissertation is about the concept of Creativity in Preaching. This first chapter traces the work of Erasmus (he was a contemporary of Martin Luther in the early 1500's) and sets up the idea that creativity is not a function of human effort but a reflection of the creative nature of Christ, the Word of God. Since the Word is how God creates, when we preach the Word of God we are preaching creatively.
The second chapter will concentrate on the differences between creativity and imagination. It will trace the biblical meanings of those words and end up with the idea that God is creative, therefore our preaching about God is creative.
The third chapter will concentrate on neuroscience and how the brain functions in creativity. Since God speaks to our brains when he reveals himself, the creative function of the brain reflects the influence of the Holy Spirit on our minds. Therefore, when we preach creatively, we do so by the action of the Holy Spirit on our minds.
My final chapter will be my ideas concerning creativity in preaching. I have been studying an old Jewish series of commentaries on the scriptures called midrash. It is a creative take on scriptural texts. I hope it will form a strong foundation for what I mean when I talk about narrative preaching in a creative form.
Anyway, that's where I am. I hope to keep more contact now that I have recovered my Google password. Thanks for being patient.