I see a lot of movies. Not as many as some, but probably more than most. I saw my first movie in a movie theater with my 4th or 5th grade class. "The Sound of Music" was most likely responsible for my love of entertainment. This movie "had it all"--beauty, song, adventure, the heights of the Human spirit, and the evil of the Human heart, and the confused and timid Human souls caught between. A few years later, I saw my first movie alone... "Captain Nemo and the Underwater City" which was playing as a double feature with another movie I can't remember. The marriage of science and fiction also helped to expand my imagination and broaden my experience to include this new genre.
Now, please understand that I don't just go to see ANY movie, I do have SOME standards. The "Halloween", "Friday the 13th", and "Saw" franchises are right off my list and I wish some of that genre had never been made. But I have seen SOME monster/horror films. The second "Aliens" film (which I saw over at the youth pastor's house) remains one of my favorite films as does the 2nd in the "Terminator" series. My first "horror" film was "Jaws" which I saw back when I was in Bible College. My girlfriend's sister took us to go see it. It was scary and a little gory, but came with a message: the indomitable nature of the Human spirit. That movie opened my eyes to the possibility that "horror" wasn't in and of itself a bad movie genre.
And of course I also love comedies! I took my girlfriend to see "Blazing Saddles" also when we were in Bible College. It was the first R-rated movie she had ever seen. She was appalled. Not too appalled, however, 'cause a few years later she married me anyway. Now that I was married, I realized that I had to nurture a taste for romantic comedies as well. The Princess Bride, Music & Lyrics, and Hitch have also found their way onto my movie shelf. And let's not forget about the animated films that have meant so much to my family. Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Cars, Wall-E have all touched our lives & to some extent shaped the people we have become.
Anyone who has been around long enough to have seen movies released over the last 30 or more years ago will probably agree on a couple of things. The special effects for the King Kong released in 1933 doesn't hold a candle to the realism of the one released in 2005. And yet back in '33, people were fainting in the theater from fright watching the stop-action claymation Kong battle claymation dinosaurs. Another thing most will agree on is that we've lost (or at least are losing) something in movies today. The King Kong of 1933 was a story of Humanity and the depths to which it will sink in the name of exploitation for profit. It was a story of the heights to which Humanity will go-what horrors it will face-to protect the ones we love. The one from 2005 pretty much just shows how much damage a big, PO'd 50-foot ape could cause in a populated area.
I know some will debate the issue, but one can't deny the trend away from Story and towards Distraction. A story draws you in, makes you care, makes you think & consider, makes you vicariously decide what you would do in the same situation. Distraction just holds your attention to the exclusion of all else.
I saw the movie "Avatar" recently. Visually the most impressive movie I have ever seen. The realism of that alien world was amazing. The similarity of the alien culture to our own "primitive" tribal cultures is undeniable. Story? It was there. Simple, classic "Advanced-culture greed vs. primitive-culture naturalism" conflict one can find in many other movies such as "Dances With Wolves" and even "Star Wars: Episode VI-Return of the Jedi." And I must say, it was not badly told. Emotions played by the actors (translated by the animators) were believable and moving, and pretty obviously there just to give animators an excuse to create an unbelievably real, alien world.
I also saw "A Christmas Carol" put out by Disney a month earlier and starring the voice of Jim Carrey as Scrooge (as well as all three Christmas ghosts). Astounding graphics. Realism beyond anything to date, even considering the cartoonish shapes real actors faces were slapped on it had a feeling of real life. But here, we have a slightly different situation... an amazing story. A story written more than a hundred years ago by a master of story-telling: Charles Dickens.
Unfortunately, for the most part story seems to be disposable today. If your movie is visually impressive enough, a simple story will do to give the animators an excuse to blow our minds with scene after scene of realistic yet impossible vistas. Helicopter-like lizards, floating mountains, flying dragons, six-legged horses. Distractions.
It's not just movies either. "Online Environments" such as Second Life, and MMORPGs (Massively multiplayer online role-playing game) routinely allow 10's of 1000's of people from anywhere around the world to interact with one another in virtual environments "safely" exploring any and every aspect of the human condition.
So, here we are as Christians. Faced with multitudes of very effective distractions in this world, we must find a way to compete. Some churches have attempted to adopt the same strategies to get their message out. They maintain rigid time-schedules cutting back on worship songs and sermon content in favor of short videos depicting Sacred Truths in commercial-like time frames.
Others have rigidly "stuck to their guns" and pushed the effectiveness of story-telling eschewing advances in technology. And there are those that just ignore the entire issue and just keep preaching. But, which of these positions is "right" ? Which will prove most effective in doing what we are called to do: Tell EVERYONE the Good News that God has bridged the gap between us and Him? The answer is "All of the above"
The church has always been a repository and sactuary of the arts. The first plays were religious in nature, the art & culture of the Renaissance were infused with the religious imagery of the time. And so it should be. Not only should we support the arts, but as Christians we cannot afford to ignore the "tools of the trade" that are made available to us.
Websites such as SermonSpice.com and even Mastersimage.com are selling short, 2-5 minute videos and presentations that are direct and to the point. Use them, but don't neglect live storytelling. A live performance with a talented actor draws people in in ways short videos can't. A person not just reading the Bible out loud, but someone speaking the Word is sharing it the way it was meant to be shared: verbally.
Don't neglect what has worked in the past, but embrace new opportunities as well. And don't neglect the hidden gems in you own congregations! Find those you worship with that are the storytellers, find those that are technologically literate, find those that are artistically endowed. Find them... and put them to work.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
America's "Frankenstein" side...
Earlier this week a musical artist named Kanye West interrupted another musical artist Taylor Swift as she was accepting a VMA award for Best Female Video. He apologized and assured Ms. Swift he would let her finish then turned to the audience and announced that Beyonce had "one of the best videos of all time."
Of course the behavior was denounced by all but a few loyal West fans and comments came from all the way up to the White House. President Obama said the incident was "totally inappropriate" and said of Mr. West "He's a jackass."
And also of course the White racists started hollering about "ignorant Black rappers" and the Black racists yelled back about "rap getting no respect as a musical art form", Liberals started hollering about how it wouldn't have happened if African-Americans had been given equal opportunity and Conservatives yelled back about how Blacks should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and comedians are saying that Kanye West interrupted Patrick Swayze's death to say that Michael Jackson's was the best death of all time... etc. etc. etc.
As usual in this country, everyone's out trying to make political hay while the sun shines down on this sad event. Everyone has an axe to grind and a finger to point. What amazes me is that so few people are pointing their finger at the REAL culprits... us.
You see, in my opinion this is not a "race" issue. It's not an "opportunity" issue. It's not even "character" issue (well, not entirely). It's a "Frankenstein" issue: we've created yet another monster and let it loose to roam the countryside destroying villages & razing crops. We've all seen this happen with sports stars, child actors, musicians, singers, politicians... They do something well, become popular, then more popular and begin to surround themselves with "fans" not friends.
Sports figures ask for obscene amounts of money to play a game, and we give it to them. Singers ask for obscene amounts of money to do what they'd do for free in their own garages or churches, and we give it to them. Actors that used to wait tables or park cars while they acted in community theaters ask for obscene amounts of money so we can escape our troubles for an hour or three, and we give it to them. Politicians accept obscene amounts of money from corporations then ask us for obscene amounts of money to fund those same corporation's pet projects... and we give it to them.
Soon, where there used to be a human being striving to express themselves in their music, or achieve excellence in their sport, or make the world a better place stands a monster, driven by greed & need & the belief that the world loves them (or owes them) so much that they can do what they want and nothing will come of it. And we let them get away with it because we need their music, or the excitement of watching their sport, or the escape their movies bring us, or the influence they wield on our behalf.
As money & popularity & "power" & drugs & alcohol slam into their lives in ever-increasing doses it can completely overwhelm the "good human" behaviors we all use when we want to get along with others and reveal the "dark" nature we all try to hide. Then hubris takes over and they begin to feel that they got there on their own and they don't need anyone else which is the fatal lie. What these people really need are TRUE friends that are not afraid to look at them and say "You're an ass. Stop it."
We have lost something in this country. We no longer know what it means to be a success. We look at those who have achieved notoriety in their field and think they are successful because they have money or power, etc. Rich people get to buy or do what they want. Rich people suffer no consequences. Rich people are therefore successful. How sad.
I'm afraid that I tend to agree with Ralph Waldo Emerson on the subject. "Success: To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!"
The saddest thing of all is that it's very likely not going to change. The same Human nature that causes some of our celebrities to act like asses is the same Human nature that causes some of us to idolize them. Oh, we tolerate their dark side until it boils over and burns us. Then we rise up out of righteous indignation and depose the corrupt in power, boycott artists that exhibit crappy behavior, refuse to watch bloated sports celebrities. But eventually our ire will recede, we'll step off our soapboxes and in the end, all that will happen is that, at best a new human will rise to slip into the vacated position and at worst the same one will seem repentant and be forgiven and the cycle will repeat. As long as our nature remains the same, the cycle will remain the same and for some reason... that seems to be the way we want it.
Of course the behavior was denounced by all but a few loyal West fans and comments came from all the way up to the White House. President Obama said the incident was "totally inappropriate" and said of Mr. West "He's a jackass."
And also of course the White racists started hollering about "ignorant Black rappers" and the Black racists yelled back about "rap getting no respect as a musical art form", Liberals started hollering about how it wouldn't have happened if African-Americans had been given equal opportunity and Conservatives yelled back about how Blacks should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and comedians are saying that Kanye West interrupted Patrick Swayze's death to say that Michael Jackson's was the best death of all time... etc. etc. etc.
As usual in this country, everyone's out trying to make political hay while the sun shines down on this sad event. Everyone has an axe to grind and a finger to point. What amazes me is that so few people are pointing their finger at the REAL culprits... us.
You see, in my opinion this is not a "race" issue. It's not an "opportunity" issue. It's not even "character" issue (well, not entirely). It's a "Frankenstein" issue: we've created yet another monster and let it loose to roam the countryside destroying villages & razing crops. We've all seen this happen with sports stars, child actors, musicians, singers, politicians... They do something well, become popular, then more popular and begin to surround themselves with "fans" not friends.
Sports figures ask for obscene amounts of money to play a game, and we give it to them. Singers ask for obscene amounts of money to do what they'd do for free in their own garages or churches, and we give it to them. Actors that used to wait tables or park cars while they acted in community theaters ask for obscene amounts of money so we can escape our troubles for an hour or three, and we give it to them. Politicians accept obscene amounts of money from corporations then ask us for obscene amounts of money to fund those same corporation's pet projects... and we give it to them.
Soon, where there used to be a human being striving to express themselves in their music, or achieve excellence in their sport, or make the world a better place stands a monster, driven by greed & need & the belief that the world loves them (or owes them) so much that they can do what they want and nothing will come of it. And we let them get away with it because we need their music, or the excitement of watching their sport, or the escape their movies bring us, or the influence they wield on our behalf.
As money & popularity & "power" & drugs & alcohol slam into their lives in ever-increasing doses it can completely overwhelm the "good human" behaviors we all use when we want to get along with others and reveal the "dark" nature we all try to hide. Then hubris takes over and they begin to feel that they got there on their own and they don't need anyone else which is the fatal lie. What these people really need are TRUE friends that are not afraid to look at them and say "You're an ass. Stop it."
We have lost something in this country. We no longer know what it means to be a success. We look at those who have achieved notoriety in their field and think they are successful because they have money or power, etc. Rich people get to buy or do what they want. Rich people suffer no consequences. Rich people are therefore successful. How sad.
I'm afraid that I tend to agree with Ralph Waldo Emerson on the subject. "Success: To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!"
The saddest thing of all is that it's very likely not going to change. The same Human nature that causes some of our celebrities to act like asses is the same Human nature that causes some of us to idolize them. Oh, we tolerate their dark side until it boils over and burns us. Then we rise up out of righteous indignation and depose the corrupt in power, boycott artists that exhibit crappy behavior, refuse to watch bloated sports celebrities. But eventually our ire will recede, we'll step off our soapboxes and in the end, all that will happen is that, at best a new human will rise to slip into the vacated position and at worst the same one will seem repentant and be forgiven and the cycle will repeat. As long as our nature remains the same, the cycle will remain the same and for some reason... that seems to be the way we want it.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Parental Expectations
When the parent-birds gently coax their baby-birds out of the nest, they hope they will begin flying before they hit the ground, but I'm sure that some part of them expects to have to swoop in through the trees and rescue them. So, when my youngest daughter, Caryn moved out a few months ago, it was with great relief to my wife and I to see her wings stretch out, catch the wind and lift her into the sky. We did not however expect to see 2 little jets pop out of her shoes or the pilot's goggles that she lowered over her eyes as she came to hover like a harrier jet before us, salute & blast off to face the world. She has been kind enough to stay close to our little tree and we see a Caryn-shaped blur swoop past our field of vision every once in so often and smile.
Caryn has taught us many things over the last 21 years. Apparently important lessons like: Food coloring turns black when more than 3 colors are mixed together and is difficult to remove from floors and walls even when NOT in the shape of tiny hands & feet. One can make music with one's belly-button. That between herbivores and carnivores betrayal is as sudden as it is inevitable. That a child doesn't have to be 1/8th alien to do amazing things. And no matter how motivated they may be, hamsters cannot fly. As a parent I have been constantly amazed by the things my children have thought I needed to know, and Caryn has been teaching me these things since she began finishing my sentences for me at the age of 6.
And there were other lessons, too. A young girl's fascination with swords can turn out to be prophetic of future Spiritual Warfare. That the character attributes of compassion and strength can develop in response to Life's hardship and handicap. That no matter how many mistakes a parent can make... kids can still grow up to be mighty warriors.
We are proud of Caryn. Proud of all our children. They are all growing into their gifts, learning, exploring and taking ground for the Kingdom in their own unique ways. That's also something, as a parent I hadn't "expected"... that may not be the right word... You see, in the middle of raising my children, it was as much as I could hope for that they would just survive. That they'd get through grade school, middle school, puberty, junior high and high school without getting into a fatal accident, hooked on drugs or prematurely making my wife a grandmother. I became focused on just getting them through the next grade, the next phase intact & relatively healthy. Then one day, I turned around... and they were all gone. They weren't hard to find, they all stayed close. We see them quite a bit, marvel at what happens in their lives. Sometimes my wife & I smile and wink at each other 'cause we know what comes next; sometimes we cry for the same reason.
And now, Caryn-our baby-is an adult. Out in the world, standing on her own, sword in hand scanning the horizon for "new targets." Like The Lord of the Rings' Eowyn, standing between the forces of darkness and the people she loves... and watching the darkness tremble.
Caryn has taught us many things over the last 21 years. Apparently important lessons like: Food coloring turns black when more than 3 colors are mixed together and is difficult to remove from floors and walls even when NOT in the shape of tiny hands & feet. One can make music with one's belly-button. That between herbivores and carnivores betrayal is as sudden as it is inevitable. That a child doesn't have to be 1/8th alien to do amazing things. And no matter how motivated they may be, hamsters cannot fly. As a parent I have been constantly amazed by the things my children have thought I needed to know, and Caryn has been teaching me these things since she began finishing my sentences for me at the age of 6.
And there were other lessons, too. A young girl's fascination with swords can turn out to be prophetic of future Spiritual Warfare. That the character attributes of compassion and strength can develop in response to Life's hardship and handicap. That no matter how many mistakes a parent can make... kids can still grow up to be mighty warriors.
We are proud of Caryn. Proud of all our children. They are all growing into their gifts, learning, exploring and taking ground for the Kingdom in their own unique ways. That's also something, as a parent I hadn't "expected"... that may not be the right word... You see, in the middle of raising my children, it was as much as I could hope for that they would just survive. That they'd get through grade school, middle school, puberty, junior high and high school without getting into a fatal accident, hooked on drugs or prematurely making my wife a grandmother. I became focused on just getting them through the next grade, the next phase intact & relatively healthy. Then one day, I turned around... and they were all gone. They weren't hard to find, they all stayed close. We see them quite a bit, marvel at what happens in their lives. Sometimes my wife & I smile and wink at each other 'cause we know what comes next; sometimes we cry for the same reason.
And now, Caryn-our baby-is an adult. Out in the world, standing on her own, sword in hand scanning the horizon for "new targets." Like The Lord of the Rings' Eowyn, standing between the forces of darkness and the people she loves... and watching the darkness tremble.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The Path
The Path
by R. Scott Bettis
I was walking along a wide Avenue. A magnificent road, paved with beautiful stones and lined with impressive columns and bubbling fountains. The sound of bubbling water echoed in my ears. I wanted to stop for a drink but did not... but couldn't remember why I didn't.
My eyes wandered once again to the warm glow on the horizon. There was my goal, my hope, my reward. My determination renewed, I trudged along step by step, inch by inch. I came to an intersection; a small path angled off to the right. Small and insignificant It had not the size & grandeur of the Avenue. No columns or fountains adorned it's length. No bright stones paved the way. With a snort of contempt I began to turn away from the unimportant path.
On a rock by the path there sat a man. "You look thirsty" the man said. "turn aside from this dry, dusty road."
"Are you kidding?" I laughed, "Leave my Avenue? Hey, I'm going somewhere. I have a goal. See that glow?" I pointed to the horizon, "That's my reward. Everything I've ever wanted lies at the end of that road" Looking at the tiny path I said "your path is small. What good could come from THAT path?"
The man shrugged, "Life." he said simply. "Would you like to see your 'Avenue' more clearly?"
"What do you mean?" I said
"I have a Book... through it all things are revealed for what they truly are." He took a book out of his bag, opened it and held it out to me.
Hesitantly, I took it, held it up and peered through it down the grandiose lane. The pages were clear and I could see the avenue through them. What I saw made me gasp. A desolate road, cracked & burnt, columns fallen, fountains dry, and fire sparking up through the gaps in the paving stones.
"Lies!" I screamed. I threw the book down. Once again I was surrounded by tall columns & bubbling fountains... but the sound of water was a hollow echo now.
"You know its true." the man said, looking at me with gentle eyes of compassion. "But you didn't look at you goal." he said quietly.
I looked at the book lying at my feet. Then up at the warm glow on the horizon. I felt the comfort flowing from it, warming me, reassuring me... but now something else too... Menace? Falsehood? I had to know. Slowly I bent to pick up the book, faced the horizon of my dreams, and slowly, raised the pages to eye level, and opened my eyes.
For a moment nothing changed. My heart leaped in exultation for there was the glow the way I'd always seen it; the way I'd always remembered it. But then in a moment's time the scene changed, rushing forward as if I were flying down the road at a hundred miles an hour. Broken pillars and cracked fountains whizzing past. Then it stopped. There was the glow, the same as it always had been. I felt smugness rising up in me... until I looked closer.
I could see people walking along the avenue towards the glow, some with arms outstretched in longing , some running with anticipation. But then horribly, the scene became clearer. My viewpoint raised and pointed downward. I could see down into a great fit of fire. That's what caused the glow!
People were walking up to the edge, hesitating a moment as if coming to the realization that they had made a choice and could not go back. With looks of resignation, they stepped off the edge and, tumbling in slow motion, passed into their "goal," their "reward."
I closed the book, devastated by what I had seen. I turned to the man sitting there, smiling gently at me from the rock.
"So," he said, "you've seen the truth of your Avenue, your goal, your reward. What will you do now?"
"What can I do?" I said, "Can I return to that way having seen what I've seen?"
"Some do." the main said as he rose, laying both hands on my shoulders. "... but not all." He smiled, "Some turn aside down this path." He waved down the small winding path leading off in a completely different direction.
Looking over his shoulder I asked, "What is down there?"
The man laughed. The sound was like water tumbling over rocks or of a thousand birds exploding into flight. "Life!" he said simply.
...
I walked briskly along a narrow pathway. Reaching up, I grabbed a fruit off an over-hanging branch, hopped over a small babbling brook and stopped for a quick drink. I stood up and looked up to the horizon, marveling at the bright sparkling light that was my new goal. I pulled out my own copy of the Book, held it up, and looked to the horizon. Again, my vision went flying down the path as the sight swooped into view. There, bright as the sun, surrounded by multitudes praising & worshiping was the One on the throne.
As I put the book away, my eye caught another path. I turned aside and followed the path. As I walked along, the surroundings changed to a burnt, blasted landscape. Soon I came to a stone near an intersection with a wide, broken avenue lined with fallen columns and dry fountains. I sat for a moment and waited as a woman walked by.
"You look thirsty" I said...
Copyright © 2009, R. Scott Bettis
"The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."
--C. S. Lewis
Monday, August 17, 2009
What Kind of People Does God Use, Anyways?
I perform a 1-man play entitled "Traveling Light" written by Larry (Max) Enscoe. I've been doing this play for around 2 years and have gotten pretty familiar with the "characters" in it. Probably the thing I like best about it is that it puts "faces" on the names in the stories. Which helps us to remember that these were real people that went about their real lives. They probably smelled bad sometimes, and had bad breath. They burped and farted. They said stupid things. In short, they were just like you and me.
Traveling Light has even inspired me to write a new play of my own about the kind of people God uses to do his work. As I began looking over candidates for my own play, I tried to see these people in a new light and what I saw was somewhat of a shock. The phrase "God is no respecter of persons" used in Acts 10:34 is WAY more true than I had realized. I began to see that it was not just the Philips ("in whom is no guile") and Stephens ("full of faith and power") whom God used but all manner of failures, misfits, and worse.
Just off the top of my head the kinds of people that God has used to propagate His great and holy will on this world are murderers, a coward, a forgotten boy, prostitutes, a drunkard, a lying cheater, a bully, a narcissistic womanizer, self-righteous bigot, loud mouthed know-it-all, a miser, lousy parents, and a homeless social outcast. Those are just the ones that come to mind AND that we KNOW about.
God certainly has NO TASTE in friends whatsoever. "God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you're from. If you want God and are ready to do as He says, the door is open. The Message He sent to the children of Israel-that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together agan-well, He's doing it everywhere among everyone." Acts 10:34-36. If you notice, it was Simon Peter (the "loud-mouthed know-it-all" mentioned above) that said that.
So, now seeing this you have no excuse. Why have you not used the gift that God has given you? It certainly ISN'T because you're not "good enough" that's for sure. :) Think about it...
Traveling Light has even inspired me to write a new play of my own about the kind of people God uses to do his work. As I began looking over candidates for my own play, I tried to see these people in a new light and what I saw was somewhat of a shock. The phrase "God is no respecter of persons" used in Acts 10:34 is WAY more true than I had realized. I began to see that it was not just the Philips ("in whom is no guile") and Stephens ("full of faith and power") whom God used but all manner of failures, misfits, and worse.
Just off the top of my head the kinds of people that God has used to propagate His great and holy will on this world are murderers, a coward, a forgotten boy, prostitutes, a drunkard, a lying cheater, a bully, a narcissistic womanizer, self-righteous bigot, loud mouthed know-it-all, a miser, lousy parents, and a homeless social outcast. Those are just the ones that come to mind AND that we KNOW about.
God certainly has NO TASTE in friends whatsoever. "God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you're from. If you want God and are ready to do as He says, the door is open. The Message He sent to the children of Israel-that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together agan-well, He's doing it everywhere among everyone." Acts 10:34-36. If you notice, it was Simon Peter (the "loud-mouthed know-it-all" mentioned above) that said that.
So, now seeing this you have no excuse. Why have you not used the gift that God has given you? It certainly ISN'T because you're not "good enough" that's for sure. :) Think about it...
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The Sun and the Storm
Ok, I guess I should give some small explanation for why "The Sun and the Storm." The name of my ministry is SunStorm Productions. The name came to me like this...
One day many years ago when my children were very young, I was driving with my daughter Caryn; at that time she was about 5-6 years old. It was heavily raining and I commented "Wow! Some rainstorm, huh?" Being in Oregon the old adage "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes" does actually hold true and after a few minutes of thunder & rain & dark clouds the thunder quieted, the rain dribbled off, and the dark clouds parted to reveal a bright blue sky with a brighter yellow sun blazing down on us. I reached up and pulled down my sun-visor then looked at my daughter, who was squirming under the solar onslaught and still too small to reach the visor on her side. I reached over and pulled down her visor but alas, she was also too small to realize any benefit from its sun-shading properties and hid, squinting, behind her up-held hands. After just a few seconds she said "Dad? Is this a Sun Storm?"
Of course at the time I laughed at the innocence and child-like perspective of the comment but for some reason, that phrase, "SunStorm" sort of stuck with me. I thought about it often over the next few days about how different the words were. The Sun and the Storm. Light & Dark. The Good times and the Hard times. Times of Blessing, Times of Want. Times of Clarity, Times of Confusion. The cycles of life, ups & downs, good & bad, yin & yang.
Think about the oppositeness of their natures. The Sun, with it's life-giving warmth & brilliance always speaks to me of summer days out-of-doors, laughter of children playing in sprinklers and chasing one another. Of picnic tables spread with picnic food, friends and family gathered around, telling stories, laughing. It also speaks to me in other terms. It speaks to me of spiritual and financial blessing, times of rest & ease. Times of confidence, in knowing you are where you belong, doing what you should be doing. Times of Peace.
It also brings back memories from my own childhood. Memories of a young lad, flying along on his golden Schwinn butterfly handle-barred, banana-seated bicycle; resplendent in the exultation of his youth, his power, his freedom. Aahhh... give me a moment if you will ...
Ok, I'm back.
And of course the Storm also has it's personal connotations. When I was very young, I was scared quite badly by a thunder storm and absolutely terrified by a flash of lightning that I can, to this day, close my eyes and still see fracturing the dark sky with its awesome, irresistible power and like a impossibly huge invisible beast, shredding the clouds with it's explosion of thunderous, concussive roars.
To me the Storm speaks of the "hard times," the scary times when things aren't going so well and you feel small, alone and abandoned. When finances and relationships are both strained. When the path that was sooo clear in the Summer Sunlight becomes grey-smudged and vague in the darkness & gloom of the Winter Storm. When one is no longer totally assured that one is traveling the path; doing the work.
We've all had "hard times" but does that mean we were all wandering off the path during the storm? I don't think so. Even as your heart pumps, cycling blood through you body, Life also pumps, cycling good times & bad through your soul. C. S. Lewis' wife, Joy Gresham put it this way: "The pain now is part of the happiness then-that's the deal." The Good and the Bad weave together to create the fabric of your life and we all influence how that fabric is made by the choices we make. Lewis said that as we mature and come to understand this cycle, this balance it alters our choices. "The boy chooses safety. The man chooses suffering." We need to embrace the Storm as well as the Sun. The Storm can be a time of testing... not to show God what we're made of but to show US.
Like Job, losing everything except his faith in God, sometimes the Storm shows us that we CAN stand through the tempest.
Like Peter, walking across the pitching water and distracted by his circumstances, losing sight of his goal, sometimes the Storm reveals to us not what is truly important, but what is truly important to us.
Like Joseph, having been repeatedly thrown into slavery & captivity and yet coming out the other side with forgiveness & compassion for his brothers, sometimes the Storms we survive give us a unique compassion for those that are currently IN Storms of their own.
So, what is it that carries one through the storm? What is it that helps one to stand firm in the face of adversity? What gives one the power to lean into the storm and say "I will NOT be moved" ?
It is not my MIND. Logically "The Blessing" should follow those who are called. "God's will, God's bill" right? I mean if finances fail, one MUST be doing something wrong or going in the wrong direction. What other reason could there be? Either this man sinned or his parents did...
I don't believe it is my WILL either. That brute strength, stand up and take it like a man, come hell or high water determination will only carry us so far. After that the weariness sinks in; seeps into our bones. Turns them to water. One can only stand up against the pressure for so long.
It is certainly not my emotions. I don't know about you, but MY feelings begin whining in times of trouble. "But I haven't done anything WRONG! Why is this happening TO ME, Lord? Why are YOU doing this TO ME?"
So what is it keeps us in the air when we should fall?
Faith.
The kind of Faith that can reconcile the existence of a loving God with the suffering that abounds in the world He created. The kind of Faith that can give breath to the facts that the mind knows: that God is love and everything He does is motivated by love and is for our good... regardless of how it may appear. The kind of Faith that can take our will by the lapels, point it in the right direction, and shove it up against what our mind knows to be true forming a shield against the Storm. The kind of Faith that gently guides our emotions into that place of shelter and shows us how much He must love us to put us through the Storm for our good.
I've heard it said that Christianity is just a crutch. You lean on it when you don't understand. To those people I've said "Yeah... you're right. So, when your leg is broken and you cannot move on your own what do YOU lean on? When you come up against a contradiction that you cannot understand, what do YOU turn to?" They make it sound like it's a bad thing, as though crutches are never needed, as though no one presupposed anything and I'm afraid that's just silly.
Decide what is true. Find your own set of core beliefs. Cling to them when you can't stand on your own. Make them simple enough that they can't be argued. Don't select silly things like "God is NOT an old black woman!" or "Only saying the name J-E-S-U-S will save you." Choose things that are simple, that cannot be argued. Things like "God is." "God is Love." "God loves ME." "Everything God does is motivated by Love for me." Then when you FEEL unloved tell you feelings that's not possible 'cause God Loves ME. When your circumstances lead you to believe that God is angry with you and punishing you, explain to your mind that Everything God does is motivated by LOVE for me.
Will we, as the Casting Crowns song says "Praise You in this storm" ? Get together with your Mind, Will, and Emotions and have a nice loooong chat. You might pick up a nice mocha or latte... you're gonna need it. :)
Scott Bettis
scottbettis.blogspot.com
www.scottbettis.com
One day many years ago when my children were very young, I was driving with my daughter Caryn; at that time she was about 5-6 years old. It was heavily raining and I commented "Wow! Some rainstorm, huh?" Being in Oregon the old adage "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes" does actually hold true and after a few minutes of thunder & rain & dark clouds the thunder quieted, the rain dribbled off, and the dark clouds parted to reveal a bright blue sky with a brighter yellow sun blazing down on us. I reached up and pulled down my sun-visor then looked at my daughter, who was squirming under the solar onslaught and still too small to reach the visor on her side. I reached over and pulled down her visor but alas, she was also too small to realize any benefit from its sun-shading properties and hid, squinting, behind her up-held hands. After just a few seconds she said "Dad? Is this a Sun Storm?"
Of course at the time I laughed at the innocence and child-like perspective of the comment but for some reason, that phrase, "SunStorm" sort of stuck with me. I thought about it often over the next few days about how different the words were. The Sun and the Storm. Light & Dark. The Good times and the Hard times. Times of Blessing, Times of Want. Times of Clarity, Times of Confusion. The cycles of life, ups & downs, good & bad, yin & yang.
Think about the oppositeness of their natures. The Sun, with it's life-giving warmth & brilliance always speaks to me of summer days out-of-doors, laughter of children playing in sprinklers and chasing one another. Of picnic tables spread with picnic food, friends and family gathered around, telling stories, laughing. It also speaks to me in other terms. It speaks to me of spiritual and financial blessing, times of rest & ease. Times of confidence, in knowing you are where you belong, doing what you should be doing. Times of Peace.
It also brings back memories from my own childhood. Memories of a young lad, flying along on his golden Schwinn butterfly handle-barred, banana-seated bicycle; resplendent in the exultation of his youth, his power, his freedom. Aahhh... give me a moment if you will ...
Ok, I'm back.
And of course the Storm also has it's personal connotations. When I was very young, I was scared quite badly by a thunder storm and absolutely terrified by a flash of lightning that I can, to this day, close my eyes and still see fracturing the dark sky with its awesome, irresistible power and like a impossibly huge invisible beast, shredding the clouds with it's explosion of thunderous, concussive roars.
To me the Storm speaks of the "hard times," the scary times when things aren't going so well and you feel small, alone and abandoned. When finances and relationships are both strained. When the path that was sooo clear in the Summer Sunlight becomes grey-smudged and vague in the darkness & gloom of the Winter Storm. When one is no longer totally assured that one is traveling the path; doing the work.
We've all had "hard times" but does that mean we were all wandering off the path during the storm? I don't think so. Even as your heart pumps, cycling blood through you body, Life also pumps, cycling good times & bad through your soul. C. S. Lewis' wife, Joy Gresham put it this way: "The pain now is part of the happiness then-that's the deal." The Good and the Bad weave together to create the fabric of your life and we all influence how that fabric is made by the choices we make. Lewis said that as we mature and come to understand this cycle, this balance it alters our choices. "The boy chooses safety. The man chooses suffering." We need to embrace the Storm as well as the Sun. The Storm can be a time of testing... not to show God what we're made of but to show US.
Like Job, losing everything except his faith in God, sometimes the Storm shows us that we CAN stand through the tempest.
Like Peter, walking across the pitching water and distracted by his circumstances, losing sight of his goal, sometimes the Storm reveals to us not what is truly important, but what is truly important to us.
Like Joseph, having been repeatedly thrown into slavery & captivity and yet coming out the other side with forgiveness & compassion for his brothers, sometimes the Storms we survive give us a unique compassion for those that are currently IN Storms of their own.
So, what is it that carries one through the storm? What is it that helps one to stand firm in the face of adversity? What gives one the power to lean into the storm and say "I will NOT be moved" ?
It is not my MIND. Logically "The Blessing" should follow those who are called. "God's will, God's bill" right? I mean if finances fail, one MUST be doing something wrong or going in the wrong direction. What other reason could there be? Either this man sinned or his parents did...
I don't believe it is my WILL either. That brute strength, stand up and take it like a man, come hell or high water determination will only carry us so far. After that the weariness sinks in; seeps into our bones. Turns them to water. One can only stand up against the pressure for so long.
It is certainly not my emotions. I don't know about you, but MY feelings begin whining in times of trouble. "But I haven't done anything WRONG! Why is this happening TO ME, Lord? Why are YOU doing this TO ME?"
So what is it keeps us in the air when we should fall?
Faith.
The kind of Faith that can reconcile the existence of a loving God with the suffering that abounds in the world He created. The kind of Faith that can give breath to the facts that the mind knows: that God is love and everything He does is motivated by love and is for our good... regardless of how it may appear. The kind of Faith that can take our will by the lapels, point it in the right direction, and shove it up against what our mind knows to be true forming a shield against the Storm. The kind of Faith that gently guides our emotions into that place of shelter and shows us how much He must love us to put us through the Storm for our good.
I've heard it said that Christianity is just a crutch. You lean on it when you don't understand. To those people I've said "Yeah... you're right. So, when your leg is broken and you cannot move on your own what do YOU lean on? When you come up against a contradiction that you cannot understand, what do YOU turn to?" They make it sound like it's a bad thing, as though crutches are never needed, as though no one presupposed anything and I'm afraid that's just silly.
Decide what is true. Find your own set of core beliefs. Cling to them when you can't stand on your own. Make them simple enough that they can't be argued. Don't select silly things like "God is NOT an old black woman!" or "Only saying the name J-E-S-U-S will save you." Choose things that are simple, that cannot be argued. Things like "God is." "God is Love." "God loves ME." "Everything God does is motivated by Love for me." Then when you FEEL unloved tell you feelings that's not possible 'cause God Loves ME. When your circumstances lead you to believe that God is angry with you and punishing you, explain to your mind that Everything God does is motivated by LOVE for me.
Will we, as the Casting Crowns song says "Praise You in this storm" ? Get together with your Mind, Will, and Emotions and have a nice loooong chat. You might pick up a nice mocha or latte... you're gonna need it. :)
Scott Bettis
scottbettis.blogspot.com
www.scottbettis.com
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