"What if God does not write you back?"

I had an encounter with a child about the age of seven. This young person wrote a letter to God which read:

Dear God, if you are real, please write yes or no on the back. If you need me to do anything please write it here. Please help me not be afurade (sic) of monsters. From your servant, (child's name)

There was a deep feeling in my bowls and to the point now that when I read this letter even now, I am moved with a mix of emotions. In the moments after reading this letter to God, I asked the child, "What if God does not write you back?" 

This child looked at me with innocent wide eyes and stated in a matter of fact voice, "I will just wait."

In all my years of training and ministry, in all my years of practicing patience and listening, I was humbled by the wisdom of this seven year old. 

"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" - Psalm 27:14

Something this pastor never needs to hear

I hear a great number of things that break my heart. I hear all the same things that life has to say with it's mix of joy and sorrow. Like everyone, there are things that I cannot avoid hearing. And like everyone, I am as inconsistent with my ability to respond to these things. However this is at least one thing that I never need to hear:

"I know you are busy but..."

Let me be clear it is not the "but" that is the problem. It is the assumption that I am too busy for a relationship. 

Here is the thing, I am not the only pastor that never needs to hear this. Many of us are called to be people who are available. It is the reason we engage in spiritual practices so that we can be available to God. We try to discipline our lives so that we can be available for anyone who comes by to talk. We trust that we will have enough time to do the things that are most important. We trust that God will perfect the work that we have left undone. 

Christian Cliches with Rev. Adam Hamilton

The other night I was humbled to be sitting in a fancy room with other United Methodists in Dallas in order to hear Rev. Adam Hamilton share a few words on his book set for release in the spring of 2016 entitled Half Truths. I don't think that I am giving anything away when I say that it is a book that is addresses five different cliches that Christians say that are half true (at best). The five half truths in the book are:

  • Everything happens for a reason
  • God helps those those who help themselves
  • God does not give you more than you can handle
  • God said it, I believe it, that settles it 
  • Love the sinner, hate the sin

The lecture he gave addressed the first and the last half truth listed above with most of the time going to "everything happens for a reason". It was a fine lecture mostly dedicated to the older debate between Calvin and Arminius. Since the room was full of United Methodists (of the Armenian influence) the lecture was an easy sell. 

While the lecture was fine and logical, it is clear to me that these half truths are here to stay, they are a part of the lexicon of many Christians and to logically talk them out of using them will be a difficult thing to do. It is in part because these cliches are so sticky that is what makes them difficult to remove from our vocabulary.

While I appreciate the contribution Rev. Adam Hamilton is making in helping us all see the theological limitations of these half truths, I do not believe that it will help remove these half truths from our culture. As Andy Crouch said in his book Culture Making you cannot eradicate culture you can only make new culture. We cannot eradicate the poor language, we have to make new language. 

For instance, instead of saying, "everything happens for a reason" what about "everything happens and sometimes there a reason." Or, as Rev. Hamilton stated, "I love the sinner despite I sin."