Prescription without Diagnosis = Malpractice

The wiring in my brain crosses in funny ways sometimes. Three different streams of thought flickered through my head at the same time today.

First, I was reading Jay Guin’s blog, and he quoted one of his fellow elders as saying, “Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice.” And then I thought of a recent episode in my sister-in-law’s life.

She had been having this really weird rash/skin outbreak on her face that looked for all the world like a chemical burn, but without any exposure to chemicals! She went to the doctor, got some stuff to treat it, and it went away for a little while. When it came back, she couldn’t get in to see the same doctor. Let me explain the scene for the encounter with the new guy. “No, wait. There is too much. Let me sum up.”

She sits in the exam room for about 10 minutes before anyone comes in. Then this “doctor” strolls in and sits down with his head in a file. Maybe it’s hers, maybe not. Doesn’t look up. Doesn’t make eye contact. Doesn’t introduce himself. DOESN’T EXAMINE THE SPOT IN QUESTION.

Keeping all that in mind now, here’s what he said: “Hi. You have contact dermititis. You need to stop using everything you currently use on your face – soap, face wash, makeup, everything – and wash with Dove soap for 2 weeks.”

Sister-in-law: “I’m allergic to Dove soap.”

“Doctor”: “No one’s allergic to Dove soap. Do it.”

Sister-in-law: “I had this outbreak a few weeks ago and the doctor then gave me (some medicine or other) and it went away. Can’t you give me another prescription for that?”

“Doctor”: “Ma’am, I’m not giving you anything. Go wash with Dove soap. Goodbye.”

Imagine how frustrated and angry and hurt you’d be by this encounter. Someone is getting paid to help you, to get to know what’s wrong with you so that they can do their best to help you take care of it, and instead they completely ignore you and say whatever seems best to them. I know I’d have been angry enough to lay my hands on this guy’s shoulders and say, “Stop. Look. At. Me. Right. Now. That’s better. Let’s start this conversation over. What’s your name?”

You see, when someone barges into your life, a total stranger, sits themselves down in front of you and tells you they know exactly what’s wrong with you and exactly what will fix it — it is really offensive, insulting, disrespectful, arrogant, and infuriating.

Are you waiting for the third thought I had? Here it is: see if you can find the connection to the other two.

“I really hate the bumper stickers that say, ‘Jesus Is The Answer!’”

in HIS love,
nick

Come Now To Find Us – Ted Loder

Come Now to Find Us

 

O God of such truth as sweeps away all lies,

of such grace as shrivels all excuses,

come now to find us

for we have lost our selves

in a shuffle of disguises

and the rattle of empty words.

 

Let your Spirit move mercifully

to recreate us from

the chaos of our lives.

 

We have been careless

of our days,

our loves,

our gifts,

our chances.

 

We withdraw in arrogance,

hide in timidity,

disappear in fear

rather than reaching out in hope,

engaging in humility,

risking in faith.

 

We are busy in self-seeking

lax in self-awareness.

 

We seek the comfort of belonging,

shun the cost of responsibility.

 

We are long on easy generalities,

short on hard specifics.

 

Our prayer is the change, O God,

not out of despair of self

but for love of you,

and for the selves we long to become

before we simply waste away.

 

Let your mercy move in and through us now,

freeing us to love honestly,

enabling us to trust bravely,

reuniting us to live joyfully,

and claiming us for the audacious revolution

of Christ and your kingdom.

Amen.

The Great Inversion – Bible Journey Day 17

Text for today: Proverbs 26:17 – 28:14

Better to be poor and walk in integrity
than to be crooked in one’s ways even though rich. Pro 28:6

Human society has been around a long time; several millennia at least. In all that time, we see very little growth in human wisdom. Sure, technology has exploded and knowledge has grown by leaps and bounds, but the practical ability to do what’s best at the toughest moments? No, we’re not much better at that in 2009 than we were when the author penned and gathered this collection of sayings we call the book of Proverbs. Why is that? “We see the world not as it is, but as we are,” Anais Nin says. We want the world to be simple, and we want to be able to see exactly where everyone stands — and we want to be able to see ourselves as better than somebody!

Philosophers and historians call it “retributive justice.” In the trenches, though, we say, “What goes around, comes around.” Good things happen to good people, bad things happen to bad people, and therefore you can look at a person and tell (especially from their level of wealth) how good they are or how much God loves them. And often, people use proof-texts on prosperity from Proverbs to “prove” their point.

Read this passage, though, and try to look at life from the author’s perspective. According to the author, neither power nor wealth, neither poverty nor popularity, not public piety, and certainly not self-justification; none of these are trustworthy signs of God’s favor. But from that day to this, you can read the “words of the prophets written on the subway walls” and find someone using precisely those markers as signs of someone’s worth or prestige or favor with God. How, then, can one know there they stand? Read through the passage again, and I think you will find at least three things that matter: Self-control (v.7), integrity (v.6), and compassion (vv.3, 8, also cf. James 1:26-27) The author believes these three attributes are essential to a life that both pleases God and shapes a healthy society. In short, a well-lived life of wisdom.

What More Shall I Say? – Bible Journey Day 17

Today’s Reading: Hebrews 10 – 11:31

I know, I know… today’s title is actually the first sentence of the *next* bloc — but I kept reading and reading today’s chapters and couldn’t think of anything more appropriate to say. What more shall *I* say? Randy Harris recounts preaching in an African-American congregation where one of the responses from the congregation was, “Now that’s gettin’ it said!” When you’ve laid it out on the table and there’s nothing more to say, you’ve gotten it said, and that’s what the Hebrew writer does here.

What does make me sad, though, is how little time we spend on these verses, because we use a few of them to hit a few pet topics. You know: forsaking the assembling; the blood of bulls and goats; abolished the first to establish the second; “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Today’s reading also reminds me of a Patrick Mead saying: Find Your Verb. A faith that doesn’t have some kind of positive action attached to it is a faith in peril. That’s why Jesus says his people are “salt and light” — no matter what, salt and light always change their surroundings.

But what struck me most today, I guess, is just the little lead-in/connecting sentence between the two chapters. “But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Heb 10:39-11:1) I wasn’t used to reading them that way. You know — together. I like the second sentence! I hope for a lot of things; I can’t see a lot of things.

But what about that first sentence? Is this letter even addressed to me? I shrink back an awful lot. “My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back,” says my Lord. I’ve got some praying and repenting to do.

An Unexpected Meditation – Bible Journey Day 17

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.

The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” A sign was fastened to the cross above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”

But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:34-43 NLT)

I know, I know. I’m a terrible blogger. I plan to step off for a couple of days, and next thing you know, it has been a month since my last blog and it took an electronic crowbar to pry me off my tail and put my feet back on the trail. Thank you, you-know-who!

Well, here I am! And, ironically, I used today’s text as the anchor for last Sunday’s communion meditation. I love offering the communion meditation more than just about anything else. It requires a kind of focus and prayer that I might otherwise never practice — to try and help the gathered people see the multitude of witnesses and the joy of heaven surrounding us as we share in the Supper. I had a little help from my friend Josh Graves to get this one started; you may judge whether I served our Lord well. So, without further ado, lock arms with me again (I might need dragging from time to time) as we embark once more on this Bible Journey.

Right now, I’m not sure where some of you are at in your spiritual walk. I know some of you are on fire with faith and God is closer to you than the breath in your lungs. And I know some of you have been walking the path for a long time, and God is your steady companion, trusted like the foundation of your life. And some of you, some of us, aren’t quite sure why we even got up this morning. Things have calmed down enough in our Sunday gathering right now that you might be asking yourself, “What in the world am I doing here?” You’ve been walking in the wilderness, and there’s just mess and wreckage and grief all around you, and what you’re really wondering is if God can take your life and the mess you’ve made or your complacency or your hard heart or your grief, and redeem it and make something new and good and holy. Does He care, and is He capable?

This bread reminds us of the body of Jesus Christ, the one who healed the hopeless, forgave the foolish, and put broken lives back together one piece and one day at a time. As you share this bread, remember the one who said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and loaded down, and you will find rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” The one who said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Is he capable? Oh yes, he’s capable. But does He care? Maybe he only cares about people who have it all together, who know their Bibles backwards and forwards, who haven’t missed church in recorded history. Maybe. But as you share this cup, this reminder of the blood of Jesus Christ, remember this: on the cross, whipped and nailed and crowned with thorns, watched by his mother, innocent of any crime, this Jesus said some things to his abusers. Think about it: what would you say to people who were killing you and making fun of you while it was happening?

Yeah, me too, but not this Jesus. He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And when he saw his helpless mother, about to be hopeless and voiceless, a widow without a firstborn in a patriarchal society, he called on one of his friends to care for her. And when a nearby criminal heard how this Jesus spoke, gave Him glory, and asked for hope, Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Is he capable? Does he care? Oh yes… remember that as we pray.

Don’t Fence Me In!

Just poking my head in to remind you RSS folks that I exist — not that I’ve got much to say these days! I’m looking forward to getting back to writing, though!

While I’m off treading the boards, check out these two great blogs!

Tim Archer wrestling with a fence

My babyluv venting about arrogant people

 

keep your feet on the path and your eyes on the horizon!

nick

“We Will Miss You” – Doug Young

In lieu of my own writing, allow me once again to pass along a recommendation.

Check out my friend Doug Young’s blog on Christian leadership and holding to essentials. It is entitled, “We Will Miss You!“

have a great week, and I’ll be back and better than ever on November 1.

in HIS love,
nick

Journey on Short Hiatus

Good morning, and I’m sorry!

I just realized this morning that I forgot to tell my three avid, passionate readers that the telling of my Bible Journey would be on a short hiatus until November. Between Holly Hill’s Men’s Retreat (our congregation retreats more than the French army, but that’s a whole different issue), stage managing and acting in the local production of Jekyll and Hyde, and various and sundry other obligations, my writing time has been severely curtailed.

In the meantime, drop by my friend Jennifer Gerhardt’s blog and read Submission is Empowering — it will bless your day!

Thank you for your patience, and look for Bible Journey Day 17 on November 1st!

in HIS love,
nick

If We Said We Were Blind…? Bible Journey Day 16

Bible Journey – Day 16

If We Said We Were Blind…?

Isaiah 34-43

I will lead the blind along an unfamiliar way;

I will guide them down paths they have never traveled.

I will turn the darkness in front of them into light,

and level out the rough ground.

This is what I will do for them.

I will not abandon them.

(Isa 42:16 NET.)

In Isaiah 42, we meet perhaps the most intriguing character in the Hebrew Scriptures: the mysterious servant of YHWH. Somewhere around my trainwreck of an office is a printed copy of this essay by NT Wright on Jesus and the Servant of YHWH – maybe I should have read it before writing this? Maybe not; I’m not doing commentary here, but more trying to share the story of this year-long journey. (I hope my Constant Readers don’t mind my weird little asides!)

I don’t know what’s going on in my head right now, but I have figured this much out: I am bloody clueless when it comes to being holy. I might talk a good game, but I’m a wreck inside. Patrick’s helping me learn to live out loud, but it is pretty embarrassing when you’re as blind as I am.

Then a grace note rings out: in the midst of this glorious, perplexing introduction of the Servant of YHWH, and the dramatic depiction of what the Servant and YHWH will be doing together, is this tender description of what they will do for the blind.

I don’t want to be blind. I’m not proud of it. I fight it! But He will not abandon me, and that is enough.

in HIS love,

nick

The Foolishness of Prodigality – Bible Journey Day 15

Bible Journey – Day 15

The Foolishness of Prodigality

Proverbs 24:23-26:16

Like a city breached, without walls, is one who lacks self-control

(Pro 25:28 NRSV)

I think more hiring committees and human resource (wow, how I hate that phrase) managers would succeed in their endeavors if they’d read Proverbs – especially this section! Listen to some of these!

Like tying a stone in a sling,

so is giving honor to a fool.

Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard,

so is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

Like an archer who wounds at random,

so is the one who hires a fool or hires any passer-by.

Like a dog that returns to its vomit,

so a fool repeats his folly.

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!

A lion in the streets!”

Like a door that turns on its hinges,

so a sluggard turns on his bed.

(Pro 26:8-14 NET.)

But my favorite from this section has to be the one quoted at the beginning. What a vivid image – talk to any mental health professional or substance abuse counselor, and they could go on for hours telling stories of how people have destroyed their lives just like a population tearing down its own walls and letting itself be pillaged by roving enemies. One such professional has told me that he wished it was legal to make pre-teens and teenagers sit in on therapy sessions, so that they could see and hear first-hand the wreckage and disaster created by what began as “the cool thing to do.”

in HIS love,

nick