Follow up

As a quick follow-up to yesterday's post, I'd like to share a link from Patrick Mead's Q&A Blog, Tentpegs, that deals with the issues I talked about yesterday. He does a much better job of verbalizing on this subject than I could.

http://tentpegs.patrickmead.net/?p=1469

Tough Questions

Hello again from Central Arkansas. Despite this surprisingly aggressive storm season, we are all still here and doing well. Things are rolling along routinely, I suppose. Tiffany and I are counting the days until our summer vacation to St. Lucia. In preparation, I have been exercising, running, and pumping iron like never before.  I'm in the best physical condition of my life at just south of 30 years old. Special thanks to Joey, Matt, and Chris for being reliable workout partners. I met a man at our monthly Wednesday night meetings with the Christians at Emeritus Retirement Center who told me that he'd made it to 97 years old recently.  I could tell this wasn't a medically assisted number. He stood before me looking fit and healthy, with good posture and strong shoulders.  He told me that he attributed his longevity to regular exercise in his younger years.  As I shook his hand, I marveled at how he still had a firm grip.  I guess there is something to all this sweating after all.

I was going to pen an easy read today. It was going to be a quick update, followed by some thoughts on grilling for the holiday weekend. There's a problem, though. All these storms, along with the death, destruction, and pain they have brought along, have troubled me. I decided to try to verbalize the thoughts I've had and the conflict that has come with them. I apologize in advance if they come off as shocking, heretical, or otherwise faithless in any way, as I don't intend them to be. Here goes....

We pray to God for protection. We ask Him to be our shield, our shelter from the storm, and we mean it literally. "Don't let this tornado blow me away."  Then, when the storm passes, we thank and praise God for His protection. And then.....we ask His comfort on those who were killed, hurt, or uprooted.  Joplin, MO was nearly wiped off the map this week. Were there not saints there? Did they pray for protection?  What happened? And if God is doing what we like to think He's doing (answering our prayers for safety) then what did the saints in Joplin (or Tuscaloosa, Vilonia, or elsewhere) do that brought such a fate on them? Are we just special? Is it all a part of some plan, some grand design?

Consider a quote from famed Christian thinker and writer R.C. Sproul. These thoughts probably lie at the root of the questions I have. 

"If there is one single molecule in this universe running around loose, totally free of God's sovereignty, then we have no guarantee that a single promise of God will ever be fulfilled. Perhaps that one maverick molecule will lay waste all the grand and glorious plans that God has made and promised to us... Maybe that one molecule will be the thing that prevents Christ from returning."

Sproul is verbalizing what most of us have grown up believing without question. We believe, and rightfully so, that God's promises are true and that Christ will return. Therefore, God must be in total control of everything, because if He wasn't then He wouldn't be God and couldn't make such promises.  Right? Right?

I have weak moments, and maybe this is one of them. I'll admit to that. I'm just being 100% truthful with you when I say that this doesn't add up for me.  Do we conclude that God brought the storms?  Do we try to give Him a pass by saying he "allowed" them? I suppose these matters are far too complicated to be resolved by a quick answer or a couple of hastily selected scriptures. This is a mean, cruel, and unforgiving world that is occupied by an even more cruel enemy who, according to I John 5:19, has control here. Is this enemy, Satan, nothing more than "God's dog on God's leash," as some have said? If so, why is he constantly described as an enemy, foe, and general opponent of God's will? Alternatively, why are we told to stand guard, to "watch and pray," putting complete faith and trust in the Father if He is the one orchestrating all the calamity and trouble we face to begin with? Does that make any sense?

Some of you might be troubled by all this. To some, it might appear that I am questioning the sovereignty of the Father. Trust me, that is not the case. I believe with every fiber of my being that God is who He claims to be, and He is sovereign. However, I don't think belief in a sovereign God requires belief in an all-controlling God. I don't think I have to try to find a "purpose" in every tragic event. Sometimes tragedies just happen. Sometimes, they might be caused by the enemy. And sometimes, we bring them on ourselves. I have to ask these questions, difficult as they are to consider. You see, I interact with people who do not believe in our God on a regular basis. They believe in man, science, and reason. If I tell them the storms were "God's will" or "part of a plan," they are going to call me on it and make me explain myself. And I can't do that without making God appear to be the culprit or an accessory.  I can, however, describe a God who is at war. I can speak to them of a God who fights with me through this battle of life, a God who is there with incredible comfort and strength when the difficult times come.  I can tell them that we are living on a battlefield, and I stand with the strongest warrior in the fight. Battles go back and forth, and casualties are almost a certainty. In the end, however, I know that the strong warrior I stand with will win conclusively and permanently. I can't justify or reason my way through every tragedy.  I can stand by the constant, unmoving God who will be there after the storms have passed.

A Weekend of Food

Another weekend has come and gone, and it's back to the grind here in Little Rock. Hopefully everyone got a chance to show love and respect to the mothers/mother figures in their lives. I see the imprint my mom has had on my life more and more as I grow older. She continues to be a source of inspiration and wisdom for me today. Thanks, mom. I love you.

I spent a whole lot of time manning the stove (and grill) this weekend. We celebrated Mother's Day with the Parris family at Casa Summitt, and I had the honor of making dinner. The menu featured jalapeno poppers (jalapenos were on sale), corn casserole, fried okra, potato salad, rolls, slaw, and BBQed chicken breast.  Everything was made from scratch.  I came away with a vastly increased level of respect for the meals my granny used to throw down for the family.  We'd do Sunday dinners at her house, and she would have an unbelievable spread prepared.  I now understand the amount of work that went into those meals  Everything came out great and we all had a great time. Also, chicken breasts should be cooked with smoked wood. Always. 

I had some spare time Saturday, so I made up a quick bread for our Sunday church class. Quick breads are fun because they are fairly versatile, which allows the cook to try different combinations of ingredients. I made a chocolate quick bread with coffee (from Guillermo's - www.g3coffee.com) left over from that morning. It came out so moist, complex, and flavorful that Sandra Oliver told me it was the best she'd had and that I should blog it. So, here it is. Enjoy!

Coffee-Chocolate Quick Bread 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups AP Flour (I use King Arthur)
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup strong coffee
• 2 tbsp coffee grounds (I used leftover grounds from that morning)
• 1 cup chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a bowl and set aside.

Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream butter and sugar together until the mixture resembles mashed potatoes. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly. Add coffee grounds and allow to mix thoroughly. Combine coffee and buttermilk in a glass or measuring cup. With the mixer on low, alternatively add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the bowl, making sure to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl periodically. Once all the flour and buttermilk are combined, stir in chocolate chunks.

Pour into a greased 8x5 bread pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until internal temperature is at 200 degrees. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving. This bread is best when made the night before and wrapped in plastic overnight.

My Life Group, A Helpful Article

I really love my Life group. We gather each Wednesday night at Guillermo's Gourmet Grounds, a fantastic little coffee shop in West Little Rock (you can order online and they'll ship). A typical evening begins with snacks and conversation, followed by a group discussion, then prayer. These discussions, which are generally facilitated by the wise and insightful Dr. Bill Oliver, have covered an array of subjects too wide to list here. We are not afraid of any topic of discussion or of any opinion...all viewpoints and beliefs are welcome and encouraged.  Participants have included Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and even an atheist or two.  We are mature enough to objectively listen to each other and agree to disagree when necessary.  Friends remain friends, even when opinions differ sharply. I've been attending this group for around five years and I have watched as souls have grown, matured, and developed together. It is truly amazing what God's Spirit has done to us. We have progressed from simpler discussions about everyday life to the deeper topics of God and spiritual warfare.  We have examined and challenged the very basic tenants of faith and have been unafraid to do so, knowing that God would prove Himself.  Recently, we discussed the Holy Spirit. We studied scripture and asked ourselves how the Spirit manifested itself in us, and if we were holding it back from doing more. I was so proud to be a part of that discussion. As we spoke of the promised gifts that came with the Spirit, I saw minds open.  As we talked about how much power the Spirit holds, I sensed excitement.  And as we discussed the reasons we don't possess the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Gal. 5:22-23, I felt hearts breaking.  Each of us began to see how much we get in the way of the Father's desire to fill us with His Spirit.  We are held back by so many things - fear, selfishness, ignorance, empathy.  Our group is still growing.  We'll continue to objectively study, discuss, and pray over these things in an attempt to improve ourselves and reflect the nature of the Father just a little bit better than before. I don't know what I'd do or where I'd be without this wonderful group.  That's something I really don't want to think about. 

I came across an archived post on Patrick Mead's Tentpegs blog which really left an impression on me. I hope he's okay with my reprinting it here, because I'd like to share it. We can't do a stinking thing about the negative interactions and challenging hurdles we run into, but we can certainly decide how we're going to deal with them before they hit. Take it away, Patrick. 

Act or React? 

In every circumstance today you will get a choice: will you act or react? Most people never give it any thought. They go through life as if they were a ball in a pinball machine, reacting to this and that all day, every day, never in control of their path. Others make a decision about who they are, what they will do, what they will not do, and how they will honor their belief system regardless of any “action” in their way. They are faith heroes. And you can be one.

Look at Hebrews chapter 11. It is considered the faith chapter, the honor roll of faith. You might know the chapter very well but I would like for you to check something out: look for the verbs. When you do, you discover that the chapter is a primer on HOW to live by faith. Real faith has a verb attached to it; a purposeful, decisive action.

11:4 — by faith Abel offered…
11:5 — by faith Enoch pleased God…
11:7 — by faith Noah prepared…
11:8 — by faith Abraham obeyed…
11:9 — by faith he dwelt…
11:11 – by faith Sara conceived…
11:17 – by faith Abraham offered…
11:20 – by faith Isaac blessed…
11:21 – by faith Jacob blessed…
11:24 – by faith Moses chose to be known as a son of Israel… forsook Egypt… kept Passover…
11:29 – by faith the Israelites passed through the sea…
11:30 – by faith the walls of Jericho fell…
11:31 – by faith Rahab received the spies…
11:33 – subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of
lions, quenched violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, went from the
weakness to strength, became valiant in battle, drove away the invaders, the dead
walked again…

These people did not merely believe (as some weak form of intellectual assent), but they matched that faith to a verb and so became great heroes. The scripture tells us that God honored their choice to act by:

1. God Himself witnessing that they were righteous.
2. They became heirs of righteousness.
3. They did not see death.
4. They received the inheritance.

You have a choice today and every day. You can either act or you can waste your life in reacting. Once I was partnered with three non-believers during a golf match. My opponent took every opportunity to curse, make noise while I putted or teed off, and never gave me a putt regardless of how close it was to the hole. In response, I helped him look for his errant tee shots, gave him putts well outside the normal range, and gave him every compliment on his good shots. The other two players in our foursome watched this almost the whole match before finally coming over to me. “Why are you still giving him putts and treating him so nice? He’s cheating! He’s rude!” and so on. I responded, “I decided before I left my house this morning what kind of person I was going to be. He doesn’t get to change that decision.”

I learned that from Hebrews 11. Faith means nothing without a verb. Choose your verb. Don’t let the world choose it for you.