Worship charades

Today: Isaiah 1-4

As much as yesterday's passage was the feel-good and lovey-dovey, today's is the back-to-reality, "tell it like it is" instruction. Isaiah was a prophet. Throughout Scripture, prophets tend to present God's Word in a way that's straight-up honest. It's not always easy or comfortable to read, but it can change us today like it transformed people in past generations.

This part of the passage--about what the Message version refers to as "worship charades" really struck a chord with me. Take a look:

"Quit your worship charades.

I can't stand your trivial religious games:

Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—

meetings, meetings, meetings—

I can't stand one more!

Meetings for this, meetings for that.

I hate them!

You've worn me out!

I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion,

while you go right on sinning.

When you put on your next prayer-performance,

I'll be looking the other way.

No matter how long or loud or often you pray,

I'll not be listening.

And do you know why?

Because you've been tearing people to pieces,

and your hands are bloody.

Go home and wash up.

Clean up your act.

Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings

so I don't have to look at them any longer.

Say no to wrong.

Learn to do good.

Work for justice.

Help the down-and-out.

Stand up for the homeless.

Go to bat for the defenseless..."

Wow--I don't think it's possible to get much more straightforward than that. God was calling His people out on their hypocritical actions. They were praising Him with their mouths and even doing some of the right things (going to church, praying, etc.). But it was absolutely disgusting to Him because their hearts were not in the right place.

When we read this passage, I think it's also important to note that "worship charades" can come in various forms--people put on shows of hypocrisy in settings that look humble in nature (e.g. small churches, stark decor, traditional-style worship, etc.) and they put on shows of hypocrisy at megachurches with lasers, bands and dry ice. On the flip side, I believe that genuine worship can also occur at a small, traditional church and at a megachurch service that resembles a rock concert. "Worship charades" are not created by external factors, but by messed-up hearts and motives.

In this passage, I think God was expressing His frustration at people who "just didn't get it." Loving and serving Him is not about putting on a facade of a picture-perfect life--it's about genuinely loving Him and loving others. Meetings, worship and prayer are absolutely meaningless if they are simply done for looks. It's worthless to check a box that virtually says, "I did my Christian duty for the day," while showing a total disregard for heart issues. Charades involve acting. Genuine worship is submitting to God, giving Him honor. It's serving Him and others by living a life of love.

Tomorrow: Isaiah 5-8

The showdown at Mt. Carmel (and the brave comedian)

Today: 1 Kings 18-20

I don't know about you, but I love a good showdown--especially the classic good guy versus bad guy. And I like it when the good guy wins.

Today's chapters depict one of the biggest showdowns in Scripture: The contest at Mt. Carmel.

In one corner, we've got 450 prophets of idol Baal. They're backed by the queen. They've got lots of power and resources at their disposal.

In the other corner, we've got Elijah. One guy. The good guy. God's guy.

Take a look at Elijah's contest set up:

"I'm the only prophet of God left in Israel;
and there are 450 prophets of Baal.
Let the Baal prophets bring up two oxen;
let them pick one, butcher it, and lay it out on an altar on firewood—but don't ignite it.
I'll take the other ox, cut it up, and lay it on the wood. But neither will I light the fire.
Then you pray to your gods and I'll pray to God.
The god who answers with fire will prove to be, in fact, God."

All right--we've set the stage. You know the rules. The 450 prophets of Baal won the coin toss and had the first opportunity to ask their god to ignite the fire. They prayed. They begged. They pleaded. They cut themselves (ewww...). And Baal didn't answer.

This part I'm including just for fun--because I think our friend Elijah the underdog enjoyed watching their silly rituals that yielded na da:

Desperate, they jumped and stomped on the altar they had made.
By noon, Elijah had started making fun of them, taunting,
"Call a little louder—he is a god, after all.
Maybe he's off meditating somewhere or other,
or maybe he's gotten involved in a project,
or maybe he's on vacation.
You don't suppose he's overslept, do you, and needs to be waked up?"

Oh, I love our brave comedian. :) He challenged the prophets of Baal, but he also challenged God, drenching his altar with water before asking God to set it on fire. Check it out:

The altar was drenched and the trench was filled with water.
When it was time for the sacrifice to be offered,
Elijah the prophet came up and prayed,
"O God, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
make it known right now that you are God in Israel,
that I am your servant,
and that I'm doing what I'm doing under your orders.
Answer me, God; O answer me and reveal to this people that you are God,
the true God, and that you are giving these people another chance at repentance."
Immediately the fire of God fell
and burned up the offering, the wood, the stones, the dirt, and even the water in the trench.

Wow. I love how God immediately showed up and showed He was real. Elijah didn't have to sing, dance, yell or cut himself--God answered his simple prayer in a miraculous way. Even though Elijah might have seemed like the underdog (1 guy versus 450), he knew he was on the winning team. He trusted God and took some brave steps to prove it. I would have liked to witness that showdown...it sounds pretty stinkin' awesome.

Tomorrow: 1 Kings 21-22

When God takes trouble to heart

Today: Judges 10-12

Have you ever been around drama people? I'm not talking about people who have a love for Shakespeare or Andrew Lloyd Webber--but people who have rollercoaster emotions and relationships?

Thankfully, I haven't been closely tied to many of them. But if you've ever watched a few minutes of a daytime talkshow or "The Bachelor," you probably know what I'm talking about. As I've read the book of Judges, I feel like I'm watching some drama people--God's people. Throughout Judges and even today's passage, they go through a continuous cycle--disobeying and denying God, crying out in desperation and asking for forgiveness, and then returning to God...for awhile anyway. Take a look at this part of the passage:

Then the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to go to war

also against Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim.

Israel was in a bad way!
The People of Israel cried out to God for help:

"We've sinned against you! We left our God and worshiped the Baal gods!"
God answered the People of Israel:

"When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, Sidonians—

even Amalek and Midian!—oppressed you

and you cried out to me for help,

I saved you from them.

And now you've gone off and betrayed me,

worshiping other gods.

I'm not saving you anymore.

Go ahead! Cry out for help to the gods you've chosen—

let them get you out of the mess you're in!"
The People of Israel said to God: "We've sinned.

Do to us whatever you think best, but please, get us out of this!"
Then they cleaned house of the foreign gods and

worshiped only God.

And God took Israel's troubles to heart...

I love the last line of this, "And God took Israel's troubles to heart..." Wow. I think God's response to the people is so amazing. Time and time again, He forgave them and took them back after multiple betrayals.

It's exactly like He forgives me every single day when I mess up, when I put other things or other people first, when my motives and attitudes are bad, when I'm a jerk to the people around me....and so many other things. When I simply ask Him for forgiveness and try to turn in a better direction, He takes me back and loves me unconditionally--as if I never messed up in the first place. And when things in my life are messed up--even due to my own missteps--He takes my troubles to heart, just as He did with the Israelites. That kind of love is so amazing that I can't fully comprehend it. I wish that more people had a glimpse of that kind of love--the real kind.

Tomorrow: Judges 13-15

Get real...really

(Originally written Nov. 6)

Today: 1 John

“Real” is a favorite word of my generation—but does it really mean?

In today’s passage, the writer talks about “living in God’s reality”—the reality of love. Let’s read it here:

My dear children,
let’s not just talk about love;
let’s practice real love.
This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly,
living in God’s reality.
It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self criticism,
even when there is something to it.
For God is greater than our worried hearts
and knows more about us than we do ourselves.

I thought it was interesting to see love and fear discussed throughout this passage. God and His love “shut down” things like self criticism. However, that only happens when love is practiced, not just discussed. It’s good to know that real love is much greater than fear—and that a real God is greater than anything we might worry about.

So let’s get real: Let’s not just hear it or read it; let’s believe it and live it. Love God, love people—and allow God to love you. Really.

Tomorrow: 2 John - Jude

The real guy-God in the cupboards

Today: Luke 23-24

Most gods fit on peoples' shelves or in their shrines. They're statues. They're hollow. They're made of gold, silver, ceramic or cement.

There are other gods that seem highly spiritual. Some people worship...well, spirits, energies, the Earth, ghosts, you name it.

While God is definitely a spirit, I also love that He was also once a real guy-God. As I read the story of Jesus' death and resurrection today for the third time in about a month (yup, we just finished our third Gospel today!), this is what stood out to me:

Jesus appeared to them and said,

"Peace be with you."

They thought they were seeing a ghost

and were scared half to death.

He continued with them,

"Don't be upset,

and don't let all these doubting questions take over.

Look at my hands; look at my feet

—it's really me. Touch me.

Look me over from head to toe.

A ghost doesn't have muscle and bone like this."

If you read the passage with me today, do you remember what happened next?

I never noticed it before, but it actually made me smile and just think how real, how cool Jesus really is. Here's what it says:

He asked, "Do you have any food here?"

They gave him a piece of leftover fish they had cooked.

He took it and ate it right before their eyes.

I think it's actually kind of funny this little scene made it into the Bible. I mean, really? How important is it for us to know that Jesus ate some leftovers after His resurrection?

But as I read this, it struck me as one example of how real...how normal...He is. In the midst of one of the biggest supernatural events in history, He sounds like a typical guy hanging out with His friends saying, "Hey! Do you have anything I could eat?"

The disciples don't even think twice about offering Him leftovers--another fact I find interesting.

I don't know about you, but when most of my friends come to visit, I don't offer them leftovers. I make an extra effort for my guests...except for the friends who are truly like family. If those friends are visiting, I prepare some special meals for them or take them out to dinner. But I'll also show them around my refrigerator, pantry and cupboards and say, "Feel free to take anything you'd like. You know the ropes--this is your home."

When Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, they witnessed a major miracle. They believed that He was the Messiah and God in flesh...but they also saw Him as their close and trusted friend. He was the friend who didn't expect the fuss (even though He probably deserves it more than anyone!). He was real. He fit with them--and was close enough to know His way around their cupboards.

Tomorrow: John 1-2