Category: Brother Al (Page 3 of 68)

Ralph Martin is president of Renewal Ministries, a movement among conservative Catholics.  I have followed Ralph since the early days of the Charismatic Movement in the early 70’s.  I call Ralph a “prophetic straight shooter.”  He is a catholic theologian, who is a faithful orthodox author.  He dares to say things that many evangelical authors would not dare say and with conviction.  He wrote an article recently entitled “The Four Last Things.”  I want to summarize his article because of its blunt clarity.

He begins by quoting Pope John Paul II.  “The Church cannot omit, without serious mutilation of her essential message, a constant catechesis of man’s Four Last Things: death, judgment, hell and heaven.  Knowing what comes after this earthly life can guide us in it.  Beyond the mysterious gates of death and eternity, we will arrive at either joy and communion with God or separation from Him.  Only by understanding these Last Things can one realize the nature of sin and move toward penance and reconciliation.”

First, Death – Why do we die?  Death is the result of the fall in the Garden.  The fruit was forbidden because it was harmful; it meant death.  The lie told in the garden is being offered today. “You shall be like God.  Create yourself, choose your own identity, declare your independence from Him.”  But the gospel  invites people to be saved, forgiven and transformed.  This implies believing in the Word of God and turning from sin.  Martin declares, “Jesus is the antidote to death.  He paid a price for our sins. He perfectly obeyed and loved the Father as we never could.  By dying and rising again, He established freedom, immortality, and eternal life.  And he gives it freely to whoever wants it.

Second, Judgment.    Hebrews 9:27 declares, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”  Jesus will return in the fullness of his glory to judge the living and the dead.   Martin boldly points out, “We scarcely hear about God’s severity, holiness, justice, and judgment.  There should be a constant catechesis on these things.  Christianity isn’t a game; everyone doesn’t get a trophy.  Being a disciple is hard.”

Third, Hell.  Those who won’t be welcomed into God’s kingdom face “the second death.”  This is eternal separation from God. We are given what we’ve chosen, awful isolation, rebellion, anger, hatred, lust and greed.   Martin says “This is not a game, this is life and death.  The Son of God wants to save us, but we need to pay attention to what He is saying.”  Then, even more bluntly, “Do whatever you need to do to get free of serious sin, because it will kill you.  Serious sin will send you to hell unless you repent.”

Fourth , Heaven.  Those who have their names written in the book of life, will hear, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them. and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:2-4).  Relationships in heaven will far surpass our earthly relationships.  In heaven, there is perfect love and union 

I was struck by the candid manner of Martin, who I respect greatly.  It makes me ponder how candid my witness has been.  Reality for all who live here below, involve these last four things.  For me, I have been reluctant  to speak of hell.  Yet hell is a reality for all who have not been  saved by Jesus.    

Luke Simon had an interesting article about masculinity in Mere Orthodoxy.  He ponders the question, asked by Barb Weiss, “How do we bring back heroic masculinity without bringing back toxic masculinity?” Weiss was in discussion with Louise Perry, author of “The Case Against the Sexual Revolution,” in which Perry suggests, “the sexual revolution has largely benefited men while leaving women more vulnerable and unhappy.  She acknowledged that a return to a Christian sexual ethic offers women greater protection and security. “

But there is no need to reinvent masculinity.  “What we need”, suggests Simon, “is a return to cruciform masculinity – a strength that serves, a power that protects, and a leadership that sacrifices.” Today, our culture seems to offer two extreme versions of masculinities.  On one hand, a masculinity that is toxic, which needs to be softened or even erased.  On the other hand, a masculinity that is brutal, aggressive, and dominant, in which masculinity is weaponized.  Each extreme can leave men confused.    

Jesus’ example offers men a different vision.  Simon gives this description of Jesus: “He was neither passive nor oppressive.   He was fierce yet gentle, authoritative yet humble.  He protected the weak, challenged corruption and served the outcast.  His strength was not wielded for his own gain but for the good of others.  And he ultimately laid down his life – not out of weakness, but out of the greatest strength of all: the strength to love sacrificially.”  

A desire for “heroic” masculinity can be seen as a longing for cruciform masculinity, “because true heroism has always been about sacrifice, and there is no greater sacrifice than the cross.”  If women in our culture are looking for a heroic masculinity, there is no need to look to self-proclaimed alpha males.  We need men who are shaped by Christ.  “Their strength is not for power, but for service.  Not for control, but for love.  Not for status, but for sacrifice.”  

So, the question of how to bring back heroic masculinity without bringing back toxic masculinity is for men being formed in the image of Christ.  Simon wonder, “maybe the problem isn’t that we have too much masculinity.  Maybe we don’t have enough of the right kind.  We need more men shaped by the sacrificial love of Christ, more men who know their power is for protecting, not exploiting.  More men called to a greater story than their own success.”  

Then as a younger male, Simon makes this statement that is a challenge to me as an “old guy.”  “Maybe that’s why Gen. Z men like me are staying in church.  In a culture that is confused about our purpose, the church tells us, we are responsible, needed, and called to something higher.  We are looking for purpose, direction and identity – and we are finding it in the example of Jesus.”  

As an “old guy” who has been blogging on “the wildman journey,” I sense a move of God among young men, who are seeking a “safe place” where they can “rub shoulders” with older seasoned men who have walked with the Lord through the “thick and thin” of modern life, and still have a confident, humble, winsome walk with the Lord.  I sense that the author of this article, Luke Simon is such an individual.  

Peter seemed to be addressing such a “safe place” among men when he said, “You who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another.” ( I Peter 5:5). Peter is speaking to a right order of mutual sharing among men expressed in humility.  Gen. Z hungers for such a space among men.

I have become, at my age, more unsteady on my feet.  My balance is off and I don’t walk as confidently as a senior man.  It is hard to admit.  It seemed therefore, appropriate for me to write a blog about spiritually stumbling.  Hebrews 12:12-3 give us this exhortation.  “So stop letting your hands go slack and get some energy into your sagging knees!  Make straight paths for your feet.  If you’re lame, make sure you get healed instead of being put out of joint” (Wright).   Wow, I sure get this message.

I take this both physically and spiritually.  I need to do the best with what I have physically.  “Al, keep at it; don’t give in the aging process.”  But these verses also can be seen as a spiritual exhortation for all ages.  Don’t get out of shape spiritually.  Cry out for spiritual energy; don’t begin to coast spiritually; Keep your focus on the straight path before you; If your wounded spiritually, allow the Lord to heal your soul.

The Psalmist expressed his gratitude for being able to stay on the path.  “My steps have held to your path; my feet have not slipped” (Ps 17:5). He also was thankful for the help he received on his journey.  “If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; through he stumbles, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand” (Ps. 37:23-24)

What I find especially encouraging is being able to walk in the presence of the Lord.  “He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling.  And so I walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth” (Ps 116:8-9 NLT).  He helps me to walk in the light. “For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping.  So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light” (Ps 56:13 NLT). 

The prophets continually warn us of stumbling in the dark.  “So there is no justice among us, and we know nothing about right living.  We look for light but find only darkness.  We look for bright skies but walk in gloom.  We grope like the blind along a wall, feeling our way like people without eyes.  Even at brightest noontime, we stumble as though it were dark.  Among the living, we are like the dead” (Is. 59:10 NLT). 

Long ago, the prophet Isaiah warned us to be careful not to pay attention to “misinformation.”  In his prophetic message, he called it “conspiracy.”  “Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them. Make the Lord of Heaven’s armies holy in your life.   He is the one you should fear.  He is the one who should make you tremble” (Is 8:12-13 NLT).  Otherwise, Isaiah warns about stumbling.  “He will be a stone that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall.  And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.  Many will stumble and fall, never to rise again.  They will be snared and captured” (Is. 8:14-15 NLT).   

My testimony –  I want to finish strong.  I don’t want to bend the knee, becoming lazy spiritually.  Lord, help me to fight the Good Fight to the end.  By your grace and mercy, give me the will, the strength and the  determination to walk  in the Light of the Lord’s Presence the rest of my days.  Above all, allow me to be a man of truth, who not only exposes  “misinformation” but also  has the courage and insight to represent the truth in word and deed. 

Anthony Bradley writes how pop music “cries out” regarding fatherlessness in our culture.  “For decades, popular music has served as a powerful medium for artists to grapple with personal trauma, none more resonant than the wounds inflicted by bad fathers.  From abandonment to emotional neglect, musicians have transformed their pain into melody, offering listeners both catharsis and a window into the lifelong consequences of paternal failure.  In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, a wave of songs emerged that directly confronted the heartbreak of absentee or neglectful fathers, spanning genres and generations in a cultural reckoning with broken families.” 

Bradley, who obviously knows the lyrics,  gives this warning, “The voices of these artists…… are cultural testimonies to the devastating impact of fatherlessness…..The depth of rage, sorrow and longing found in these lyrics makes one thing abundantly clear: the failure of fathers is not just a personal failing, but a social epidemic with generational consequences…..The pain of these artists is not theoretical…….The sociological research confirms what the music has been screaming for decades: children need their fathers…..These songs, then, are more than expressions of personal grief.  They are warnings….a father’s absence is never forgotten.  It lingers in the lyrics, in the broken relationships, in the struggles for self-worth, in the desperate search for love in all the wrong places.”   

And as Bradley reminds us if nothing changes, “these same songs will continue to be written, decade after decade, generation after generation, an eternal echo of a crisis we refuse to confront.”   

Bradley comments on the lyrics of various pop artists.  He mentions Eric Clapton’s “My Father’s Eyes” (1998) as a haunting lament about longing for a father he never met, filled with deep sorrow.  Kelly Clarkson in “Because of You” (2004) speaks to the deep scars of abandonment.  Everclear’s “Father of Mine” (1997) rages against a father’s absence.  The song express the brutal realities of growing up without a father.  

Hip-hop has been an unflinching genres when it comes to fatherlessness. 2Pac’s “Papa’z Song” (1993) expresses longing, rage, and self-reliance at a father’s absence.  Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel’s lyrics are like a verbal assault, demanding answers for years of neglect.  Earl Sweatshirt’s “Day” (2015) suggests that some wounds will never heal.   Kendrick Lamar laments the impact of a father’s presence as a generational and cultural wound.  In “U” (2015) Lamar shares to deep self-hatred resulting from family struggles and abandonment.  In J. Coles unreleased “Dear Father” (2011) is a song about abandonment and the internal war that rages in a son left to wonder why he wasn’t enough for his father to stay.   

Many of these artists have spent their lives struggling with the question:”Why wasn’t I worth staying for?” And even more hauntingly: “Am I doomed to repeat the sins of my father?”  “Every absent father, every abusive father, every neglected father leaves a wound and those wounds do not simply fade.  They fester, they metastasize, they are passed down.  Fatherlessness is not just a private heartbreak – it is a crisis that shapes our families, our communities, and our nation. It lingers in the lyrics, in the broken relationships, in the struggles  for self-worth, in the desperate search for love in all the wrong places.” 

This article spoke deeply to my heart as a father.  I raised three children and am grandfather to eight grandchildren.  Bradley’s remarks made me reflect my fathering and the wounds I have left.  I am thankful early in my marriage for knowing God’s order for the family  I was committed to doing my best as a Dad.  For the ways I was not a good father, I have asked my children for forgiveness.     

I ‘ve read Ch.9 of Isaiah often,  especially during the Advent season.  Recently I was struck with the sheer force of verses 4-5, when I consider the yoke and emotional burden our nation is under.   “For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.  You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.  The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will be burned.  They will be fuel for the fire” (Is. 9:4-5 NLT). This would be an unbelievable occurrence for people, “walking in darkness……living in the land of the shadow of death (Is. 9:2). 

At the time of Isaiah’s prophecy, the Assyrians had invaded Zebulun and Naphtali, the two northern tribes of Israel. The invasion brought darkness and despair, but the Isaiah was giving the people reason for hope.  “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress” (Is. 9:1).  These words are given in the “prophetic perfect.” “Though the events were in the future, they were described as if they had already happened” (CSB Study Bible). Matthew quotes this passage in Matt. 4:15-16,  referring to the ministry of Jesus, who as the light of the world has come to  removing the darkness and lifting the despair 

When a nation feels like they are living in the shadow of death, it give the impression of little hope of a brighter future. “The oppressed nation is compared to an ox weighed down by a heavy yoke and an animal that is prodded and beaten.” (NET)  I have been pondering the yoke as a symbol of our nation’s despair and anxiety. In scripture the yoke is the image of subjection.  We read in Deut. 28:47-8, “Because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you.  He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you” (Deut 28:46- 47).  The burden of carrying a yoke, can be the consequence of a nation having turned their backs on the Lord.

But God in His mercy will also release a nation from the yoke that they carry.  “They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them” (Ezk. 34:27).  Isaiah prophesied Israel being freed from the Assyrian yoke. “I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountain I will trample him down.  His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders” (Is 14:25). 

Isaiah points to David’s victory at Midan, when he was victorious with only 300 men.  It was unbelievable victory against a great army.  Isaiah promises a similar future victory for the people of God.  It will be a decisive battle, even though it will be bloody.  “The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned.  They will be fuel for the fire” (Is. 9:5).  “The burning of the boots and the bloody clothes of the enemy soldiers….signify a victory in holy war where spoils were dedicated to God and military equipment was se on fire” (CSB Study Bible).

As a nation we are under a cloud of darkness, causing much despair.  There may be some hope and relief as light beginning to shine.  But ultimately, the burden and the rod of despair can only be lifted by the Lord. Only he can “break the oppressor’s rod.” Is. 9:5 reminds us that it will be messy before it gets better.  

Carl Trueman, wrote an enlightening article about Phillip Rieff’s distinction between first, second and third worlds.  Rieff is know for his emphasis on the therapeutic self; a concept of happiness resulting from an inner, psychological happiness.  “Everything else,” notes Trueman, “must conform to my inward desires and pander to my personal needs.  There’s no need for me to fit into larger society and learn to behave in accordance with society norms.”   

Rieff is not interested in either geographics nor economics.  He rather is interested in the type of culture that societies embody.  Trueman believes Reiff’s paradigm helps us understand why the world seems so unstable and chaotic at this time. 

The first-world cultures, “are those in the past that build their moral orders on the basis of notions of fate or the gods.”  In this culture, fate is the controlling idea.  “It is not God as some transcendent being who is in charge, but it is still a force prior to the natural order and beyond the control of mere men and women, that make the rules.” 

The second-world cultures, “are those where the law has authority because it reflects the character of God.”  Second-world societies include Christendom and the world of Old Testament Judaism.  According to Rieff, “both first and second worlds justify their morality by appeal to something transcendent, beyond the material world.  But the second-world cultures appeal not only to supernatural power but to divine integrity.”  Our concepts of justice and mercy have been shaped by a biblical worldview.  “Rieff would say that in second-world cultures, the law has authority because it points beyond the culture and beyond fate to something sacred that grounds it.”

By the term third world, Rieff, “means that a society has moved into a completely secular mode.”  “In a secular society, law codes can only be justified and grounded in society itself.  There’s nothing beyond this society, and that makes law codes inherently unstable.”  When the sacred order is abandoned, cultures are left without any foundation at all.  A culture without a sacred order is left, “justifying itself only by reference to itself.”  This is what we see in our culture today.

As a result, society becomes incredibly unstable and in constant change.  We all sense this instability in our daily lives.  It is hard to live with second-world assumptions, while attempting to ground morality and ethics in higher divine authority in a third world setting.  The third world does not see the Bible as having any authority.  Trueman notes, “I think that’s where a lot of the communication breakdown” happens today. Living in the third world,  we are plagued by what Flannery O’Connor called “Christ-hauntedness.”

The goal of the second world was to help pagans see how Jesus was better than their dead idols.  But Trueman maintains, “While there’s still a place for exposing heart-idols in our own times, our goal in the third world must be to help our more secular friends see that their worldview lacks any firm foundation.”  While present day culture keeps shifting in its beliefs and values, Trueman challenges us to “model community life in the church that’s rooted in the Rock.”

All men who are followers of Jesus in our day, need the reminder that there are no “Lone Rangers.”  We witness to our secular culture  as a believing community.  Jesus who is the truth reminds us of the impact community has when He instructs us, “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34-35) 

I have quoted Aaron Renn often in my blogs.  He has written some very thoughtful insights regarding masculinity.  He recently posted the following, about 10 healthy pillars for masculinity.  Renn describes these pillars as, “things on which life is built.”  He believes “America needs a new vision of a healthy masculinity fit for the 21st century.”  The 10 pillars are foundational pillars of the masculine life that a man needs to have as “part of is manhood repertoire.”  

See what you think of these pillars?  Are they part of your understanding as a man?  Do they fit into the lifestyle you have chosen for yourself?  What would you add or subtract from the list?  How are you challenged by this list?  Does it help clarify what are your foundational pillars in the present stage of your masculine journey?  Remember, there are a lot of voices telling men that we are toxic and have little relevance in our day.  Aaron Renn is a man to be respect as a spokesman for Christian men in our day. 

Here is his list.  I will make some personal observations from my life as one who has been on the journey for many years. 

1. Identity.  “If you don’t know who you are, you don’t know what to do.  ‘Who you are?’ is the most fundamental question of life.” – (One of my greatest insights has been simply this, “I  have a Father in heaven who delights in me.”  This has removed much of  my shame and guilt.)

2. Mission.  Each man should have a mission. – (I am thankful for receiving my “marching orders” at 18 to be a servant of the Lord Jesus.  It  still applies in my retirement years.  I simply want to be a humble, loving follower of Jesus.  It is more about being than doing.)

3. Agency.  “You have to believe that it is possible to take action to change you circumstances to the better, to take positive steps toward progress in your mission.” – (I thank God for his grace  and mercy enabling me to go through the dark times, where I grown the most as a man.)

4. Virtue.  This implies, “cultivating excellences across multiple dimensions of virtue” such as theological and cardinal virtues. – (I desire to continue in my character formation as a “godly man” in an unfriendly toxic culture.)

5. Knowledge.  “You need to know how the world works… not just how people tell you it works…. but how it actually does work.”- (I work daily at cultivating a “Christian worldview” that speaks to a negative culture.”)

6. Wisdom.  “You have to constantly grow in how to apply your virtue and knowledge in the right way in each situation.” – (With all my heart I want to be a faithful witness for the Lord no matter what the cost.  Darker days are coming for believers.)

7. Fraternity.  “Every man needs a band of brothers.” – (As of now I have two brother who I can absolutely trust. I need the voices of other men in my life.)

8. Family.  “Getting married and having kids is the normative path for men in life.”  – ( I am so thankful for prioritizing my family as being first in the earlier years of marriage and having three children.) 

9. Suffering   “Boxer Mike Tyson said, ‘Everybody’s got a plan till they get punched in the face.'”  – (I believe that the way to a man’s heart is through his pain. My humiliations have taught me the most.)

10.  Legacy.  “What are you going to leave behind when you are gone?  How will you have an impact in the world that extends beyond the span of your own life.”  – (I sincerely pray that my death will be a gift to my family.)

Having grown up near Lake Superior, I am familiar with the sound and fury of the waves breaking on the shores of the great lake.  Ps. 93 reminds us that God is “robed in majesty and is armed with strength.  The world stands firm and cannot be shaken” (v.1).  The Psalmist seems to describe his experience, “The floods have risen up, O Lord.  The floods have roared like thunder; the floods have lifted their pounding waves” v.2).  But he can confidently declares, “But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore – the Lord above is mightier than these!” (v. 4).

One way to describe the state of our nation is that of flood waters breaking in all upon us.  It can be typified by the chaos and confusion that is felt due to the completing voices speaking loudly for our attention and allegiance.  The sheer noise of conflicting opinions will only increase. It seems that the storm of discontent, misfortune, and misinformation has suddenly crashed in upon our shores.  The storm has been a long time in coming. It causes fear, anger and resignation in the hearts of many.  It almost seems like there is a spiritual component orchestrating the chaos and confusion.  I am afraid that social media will only keep creating even more of a storm.  

What are followers of Jesus to do?  We certainly cannot go and hide from the sounds of “bad news.”  We must keep engaged by announcing in both word and deed the “good news” of Jesus and his kingdom.  While staying engaged we also have a hiding place from the storm. We read in Psalm 32:6 -7, “Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.  For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble.  You surround me with songs of victory.”

Men, the floodwaters of judgment could very well be ever increasing amidst the continual negative rhetoric being voiced by opposing voices.  Where in the chaos can one possibly hear “good news? Could it be in our present cultural condition, we are drifting further from the Lord, while worshiping the gods of our own making?  The confusion and uncertainty could be God’s warning,  allowing us to experience our own rebellion.  The Psalmist encourages us to “pray while there is still time.”  In other words, turn our hearts to the Lord and cry out for mercy.  The focus on the noise should not be our first concern.

In the midst of the present storm bearing down on our nation, the Psalmist offers us a lifeline.  The Lord is a “hiding place” able to protect us from trouble.  Not only a safe place, but also the assurance that we are surrounded with “songs of victory.”  The NET puts it this way:  “You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance.”  The Message is rather blunt.  “When all hell breaks loose and the dam burst, we’ll be on high ground, untouched.”  Men, we need to run for higher ground to be with others celebrating God’s victory in spite of the raising waters.

Later in the Psalm, the Message puts the advice of the Psalmist in blunt words. “Let me give you some good advice; I’m looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight: Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule that needs bit and bridle to stay on the track” (vs. 8-9).  Our loving Father is heaven looks us straight in the eye, warning us not to respond like an ornery horse or mule.  

“America and the West stand at a civilizational inflection point.”  These are the opening words in a guest article by Dr. John Seel at Aaron Renn’s blog.  “We are amid a 500-year historical geo-political inflection point,” observes Seel, “in which a Negative World is becoming an outright hostile world.”  

There are four primary shifts believers face;   Shift One: Christian to Post-Christian.  Our world is divorced from any reference to the sacred.  “We have shifted from societies based on fate and faith to one based on fiction.” What is distinctive today “is that it is a negation against all sacred orders and the verticals in authority that mediate the sacred to society….[this means] we cannot simply return to older approaches as they are no longer relevant to our cultural situation.”

Shift Two: Classical Liberalism to Nietzschean Nihilism ( Individual Rights to State Power).  “Social solidarity requires shared social beliefs.  When these are abandoned….. then politics naturally defaults and devolves to the will-to-power in a world where the leadership class believes in nothing…..This is the experiential definition of nihilism.”

Shift Three: Global West to Global East.  “The combined reality of these first two shifts is the growing global awareness of the spiritual and political demise of the West….The West is no longer seen as a desired model for the rest of the world.” The West has become the spiritual problem not the spiritual solution. “We are amid a global realignment that is lost on the State Department because it is blinded by our own Western spiritual corruption.

Shift Four. Enlightenment Rationalism to Post-Enlightenment Enchantment.  “We are rejecting forms of Enlightenment rationalism in favor of a more enchanted form of spirituality.”  There has been a rebirth of older and new forms of enchantment, such as neo-paganism and the occult.  Seel warns, “If we react to the rise of the occult with more rationalism, more courses of apologetics and worldview, more abstract dogmatism, we will miss an opportunity and be further marginalized culturally.”   

These changes in our world will soon change our lives.  Seel give three reasons.  Reason One: These realities are going to be  the context of discipleship for our children.   “We may be dead before the full weight of these shifts are felt culturally, but they will be the lived reality for our children and grandchildren.”

Reason Two: Our entire approach toward missions is going to have to change.  “The West represents the most strident global unreached people group……..Almost every ministry organization is going to have to learn to reframe, explore, and network their missional strategy.”  

Reason Three: These changes will greatly challenge our collective sense of identity.  We are going to experience tension between our political geographic citizenship and our spiritual citizenship in heaven.  “We’re going to have to develop a greater sensitivity to our Western and Enlightenment accomodation to the gospel.”  We need to have the orientation of being missionaries. 

Dr. Seel give this challenge: “We are as a Western Christian church at an historic inflection point.  We are at a point of decision.  To meet our moment, we will need the courage to face these realities, the humility to see God’s leading, and the discernment to balance innovation with historic orthodoxy.

Personally, I believe Dr. Seel is “spot on.”  Here is my challenge to men.  Reset your perspective on our nation.  Biblical beliefs are irrelevant,  in a culture where the last word is with the elites.  The West is the spiritual problem.  Yet there is a deep hunger for God.  Therefore, we must be motivated for the sake of our families.  Our nation is a mission field and we are now missionaries in a foreign land.  

The journey through my 80’s in retirement, I have found my main spiritual work has become the formation of my  own soul, that is, giving attention to the formation of my life in Christ.  I have become more comfortable resting in the mystery of my inner life, not depending on my understanding or experience.  The words of Paul in Colossians 3:3 have taken on new meaning for me.  “For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”  As an evangelical protestant I have found both “soul food and spiritual nourishment” in the Christian spirituality of the Catholic Church, which is part of the “Great Tradition” going back to the earliest centuries of the Christian story.  I have discovered and tasted this rich spiritual vineyard, having been nourished by its rich spiritual fruit.  I thank God for this discovery. 

In these days of spiritual awareness and growth, Carmelite nun, Ruth Burrows has been a spiritual guide on my journey.  Some years ago I read her book, “Essence of Prayer.” Chapter four, “Prayer that is Jesus” made an impression in my spiritual awareness.  I found in Burrows, someone who was totally focused on Jesus.  This spoke to my Lutheran pietistic roots, with its focus on a warm hearted experience of Jesus.  She stated, “Only One has attained the Father and we can attain him only insofar as we allow ourselves to be caught up in Jesus, carried along by him.”  

She went on to say, “….we must die with Jesus: not of ourselves, or by ourselves, but ‘in him.’ I must enter into his death.  This death is a death to my self-centeredness and self-possession.  It is an ecstasy: a going right out of myself to belong to God.  This is the essence of faith.  I cannot achieve it myself; it is wrought by God and is the effect of mystical contact.  God reveals himself to the inmost depths of the self, but ‘no one can see God and live.'” Speaking of contemplation she plainly explains, “Ultimately, to be a contemplative means to  be holy, to be transformed into Jesus…..This profound communication of God cannot be known by our natural  faculties.”  Further she notes, “God’s direct communication and his transforming action must remain secret.  Only by their fruits will they be known: by a quality of life.”

One of the images from Burrows’ writing, that has been most helpful for me has been Paul’s words in Philippians 2:6-11, where the “Kenosis,” the emptying of Jesus, is described. “Who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave” (Phil 2:6-7).  Burrows encourages us to enter into Jesus’ experience as Jesus expresses his “yes” to the Father’s outpouring of love in and through his frail humanity.    

By faith, I find myself taking my place with Jesus on the cross.  I  continually release into Jesus all of my old nature.  As I enter into his death, I find my life being enfolded into Jesus, as He takes me to the Father.  I stand empty handed before the Father’s love.  Burrows has helped me see that I my identification with Jesus on the cross in the presence of the Father allows me to release unto him all my nothingness, poverty and emptiness.  I can experience God loving me, so that I might be able to love him, with the love I have received.    In Burrows words, “We come to Jesus with empty hands so we are able to let ourselves be loved.”