christianophobic?

It's not quite 6 AM. I woke half-refreshed at 4 AM. It was worth it. Early morning lends a luxurious kind of silence, a garden for the soul. I've been reading Deuteronomy... blessings for all who walk in the Lord's ways. Curses to all who depart from him. And as hearts return to God, He returns to them. So does the joy of living.


Later today, I will visit a place where Muslims meet regularly for worship. I can prayer walk too. Our speaker will talk about Islamophobia in America. I wonder as I hear so much about violence in Syria: do Muslims ever suffer from Islamophobia? Nobody says too much about "Christianophobia." I know there's that whole characterization of backwoods people clinging to their Bibles and guns. There's militant atheism out there too. But I myself get a little Christianophobic. I love how church can be a place of healing. I don't love when it's a place people get burnt. 


Not long ago I visited a large church's blog. It had "Grace" prominent in their title. A minute's reading was all I could take. The tone was certainly not "grace", if anything it was an orgy of criticism. Then I fear the merchandising of the missional, people who want to bottle God's anointing and sell it to you for $ 19.95. The endless stream of seminars and media and what's next to make lukewarmness more spectacular. Afraid I've been there. I pray I never go back. In that sense, let me be Christianophobic.


Maybe fearing God requires a tinge of Christianophobia. To fear any lack of sincerity in myself or the Church of God. To despise any delusion that causes us to embrace something less than what His Ransom intended. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 


Grace makes room. Grace makes real. Grace secures. Grace graciously sets us straight. Fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears, to paraphrase, still has a lot to learn about love. Starting where?   "We love because He first loved us." ~ Breathe easier. 

Catching Hold of The Rail

It's nice that the snow has almost melted here, at least for a few days. But stepping outdoors yesterday, into the sunshine of mid-day, the walkway where snow was a day before was glazed and slick. Mea culpa, y'all. I didn't shovel out like I should have this time. This was the path I had to take to get where I needed to go. One shifts his weight very carefully as not to slip. Didn't feel like visiting an orthopedic surgeon, y'know? Now others, in a situation like this will reach out and catch hold of a rail. 

Tonight at prayer meeting we turn again to Psalm 119: 49-56. We'll focus on these verses too. Remember your word to your servant in which you have made me hope.  This is my comfort in my affliction that your promise gives me life. Or as the King James translators rendered it, ...thy word hath quickened me. New International Version? ... your promise preserves my life. The New American Standard Bible says, ... your word has revived me.


Seekers and servants of God will identify with all those wonderful acknowledgements. Like this psalmist, we sometimes feel our footing is tentative. Yet we are allowed to see that he counts on God to make His word personal, and fulfill what it was intended to produce, faith, courage, following the path God would choose for him.  When we have to step out and walk a distance and something about the situation makes us think we could take a fall, make this prayer your prayer. "Remember your word to your servant on which you have made me to hope."  Catch hold of the rail, and breathe a little easier.