Douglas Young

My friend, Bobby Cohoon, has Unity Month going on at his blog. Bobby asked me to be a guest writer for him. My post has been up since last evening.

Bobby, thanks for the invitation to be a guest writer at Here in the Real World!

Doug

I have a week off in my MACR program and for us here at the NMCC, summer is officially coming to an end. School for some, here, begins tomorrow. The county fair is next week, so that will add some serious spice to our lives. Nevertheless, there has been considerable inquiry into what life is like working with a children’s home. I plan on taking some time and letting you know what the summer has been like for us here.

I am also going to pick up where I left off with a post entitled, AGAPE. On the 19th, I am offering a guest post for my friend, Bobby Cohoon, on his blog, Here in the Real World.

So now that I am settling in here, I hope to resurrect this blog a bit!

Read my guest post for Chris Gallagher at The Preacher’s Pen.

Chris is a gifted minister for whom I have great appreciation. Thanks for the invitation, my friend!

I frequently use the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) in my study and preaching. It is strikingly similar to the English Standard Version (ESV), a version that has become a favorite of many, myself included. There are few things about the HCSB I don’t care for, but the pros substantially outweigh the cons.

My favorite feature of the HCSB is how it emboldens New Testament texts that are direct quotations from the Old Testament. It may be a single line, like “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8), which is a quotation from Proverbs 10:12. In the case of 1 Peter 3:10-12, Psalm 34:12-16 is clearly quoted.

In 1 Peter 3:10-12, Peter gives no indication whatsoever that he is quoting from the Hebrew Scriptures. He makes no reference to Psalms or says nothing like, “It is written…” Paul was prone to doing this, but not Peter. He simply includes it in his epistle and if you didn’t know any better you’d think it was original to the New Testament text. But it isn’t.

What’s my point? The Hebrew Scriptures may be more germane to us than we’d ever imagined.  I love studying the Old Testament, but I’m not certain I’ve always given it a fair treatment as it relates to me. When you begin to see how much of it is weaved into the New Testament text, though, as the HCSB so ably does, it sure makes you think about what you might be missing. Moreover, it most certainly makes you contemplate what the New Testament penman might be suggesting by quoting it. It most certainly has caused me to reflect on these things.

I hope you all have a great Spring Break, whenever it is for you. We are going to spend a few days camping and wandering through caves in Carlsbad, NM. It will be a great getaway. Unfortunately, I will be having to make runs to town to find free Wi-Fi connections so that I can do classwork.

Hopefully, I will have some creepy stories to tell from our experiences in the darkness of the deep. I also am looking forward to continue developing my thoughts about the book of Acts.

Hope you have a great one!

Getting lost in Jesus, I’m learning, means I’ve got to let go of some things. One of the things I have had to let go of is the sense that I need to write about things so regularly. I want to but just can’t. I would love to chronicle this whole thing as it develops, and I plan on doing some of that, but now isn’t the time. The rigors are too much.

I will say this…Jesus has an incredible way of working with us. I think I now understand why Malachi projected the Messiah as a “refiner” (Malachi 3:1-3). I’m no blacksmith, but I know a little bit about metals. I know the refining process requires heat, time and patience. It’s a messy process. I don’t know why I thought the transformation from one image of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18) or losing my life in his (Colossians 3:3) would be easy. Just goes to show how out of touch some of us can be.

I think the hardest thing to accept is that Jesus meant what he said when he declared, “My yoke is easy, my burden is light (Matthew 11:30). The struggles of getting lost in Jesus are experienced in the pains of accepting his ways over man’s. It doesn’t feel right, and I’m fighting it hardcore. But then why did he say it if he didn’t mean it?

A while back, a friend of mine sent me an email that has stuck with me since. It was something penned by the late Henry Drummond. It’s about the word yoke. Take it in.

Did you ever stop to ask what a yoke is really for? Is it to be a burden to the animal which wears it? It is just the opposite: it is to make its burden light. Attached to the oxen in any other way than by a yoke, the plow would be intolerable; worked by means of a yoke, it is light. A yoke is not an instrument of torture; it is an instrument of mercy. It is not a malicious contrivance for making work hard; it is a gentle device to make hard labor light.

[Christ] knew the difference between a smooth yoke and a rough one, a bad fit and a good one… The rough yoke galled, and the burden was heavy; the smooth yoke caused no pain, and the load was lightly drawn. The badly fitted harness was a misery; the well-fitted collar was “easy”. And what was the “burden”? It was not some special burden laid upon the Christian, some unique infliction that they alone must bear. It was what all men bear: it was simply life, human life itself, the general burden of life which all must carry with them from the cradle to the grave.

Christ saw that men took life painfully. To some it was a weariness, to others failure, to many a tragedy, to all a struggle and a pain. How to carry this burden of life had been the whole world’s problem. And here is Christ’s solution: “Carry it as I do. Take life as I take it. Look at it from my point of view. Interpret it upon my principles. Take my yoke and learn of me, and you will find it easy. For my yoke is easy, sits right upon the shoulders, and therefore my burden is light.”

… Henry Drummond (1851-1897), Pax Vobiscum

To say, “It’s easy to get sidetracked.” is a major understatement. My ability to get sidetracked is probably one of my worst flaws. I know it has hindered me from improving my blogging. Journaling is tough when there is little continuity to a schedule. Today, my next module in my Conflict Resolution & Reconciliation program begins. That is going to add another measure of difficulty to my project of getting lost in Jesus. Which reminds me, there is a comical section in Ed Dobson’s, The Year of Living Like Jesus, where he tells of getting together with a youth minister with whom he was friends who had committed to living like Jesus as Ed was. Ed writes,

In January he started growing his beard, eating kosher, and reading through the Gospels too. But he only lasted a few weeks. He told me, “I can’t keep this up. I work at a church full-time– so I can’t live like Jesus.”

When I first read this, I was sitting on an airplane in flight to Houston’s Hobby airport for the holidays. I laughed out loud so loudly that I drew significant attention to myself. I just smiled and said, “Funny story.”

You can probably understand why it was so funny. How could it be that a guy in full-time ministry would struggle to live like Jesus. You have to be familiar with The Year of Living Like Jesus to understand the degree to which Dobson sought to live like Jesus. He went all out. He ate kosher. He kept the Sabbath. He studied Torah. He sought to live out the very teachings of Jesus as Jesus did himself. Understandably, it was no easy task. Dobson’s a retired minister, but he suffers from ALS. His challenges were unique nonetheless.

So when the young man said, “I can’t keep this up. I work at a church full-time– I can’t live like Jesus,” he was suggesting one thing, but I read it to imply something he didn’t intend to convey. It sure sounded funny as I read it though. But was he really off the mark?

Full-time ministry, as it is played out in 2010, does make it difficult to live like Jesus. The pace moves too quickly. The calendar has so many things listed on it. Then, throw in a wife and three kids. Maybe this is why men like Jesus and Paul weren’t married? There just seems to be an enormous gap between the life Jesus lived, even if  you look at it solely in principle, and the lives that those who profess to follow him today live. Am I off the mark?

Suffice to say, it feels as if I’ve watered down what it means to live like Jesus. This bothers me. Sure, I know that over 2000 years of history and changing cultures that we aren’t expected to do everything as Jesus did it. But the barriers to living out the way of Christ are obvious: fame, fortune, status, and etc. All of these are hindrances that we all know affect our era. But I shall continue to pursue Him in the way.

“Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands He blessed them. And while He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven. After worshiping Him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they were continually in the temple complex blessing God.”

Luke 24:50-53

Blessing begets blessing. As Jesus departs from his disciples to ascend to the throne of David upon which he now sits (Acts 2:30-31), he pronounces a blessing upon them. The act of blessing is born of the Greek eulogeo. To us, a “eulogy” is a message uttered at a funeral, but to Jesus it was much more. His “eulogy” was a praiseworthy commendation of those he dearly loved. They had spent three intimate years with Jesus. Now he was leaving things in their hands. So how does he send them off? He lifts his hands and blesses them. It must have been a blessing like none other.

Blessing begets blessing. What Jesus did shortly before his ascension triggered something special. Their immediate response was worship, homage to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This brought them unspeakable joy. In turn, the blessing they received manifested itself in blessing back to God, as well as blessing towards others. The blessed with grace, the gospel, and the benevolent goodness of their hearts.

Blessing begets blessing. Let us remember this all of our days!

Early this morning, I received a comment from a not-so-anonymous reader that was critical of the quality of my friendship. Apparently, there have been some phone calls and texts to which I haven’t responded. I think the criticism both is and isn’t warranted.

First, I admit…I’ve been playing phone tag with a lot of people lately. This morning I spoke with a friend from the last couple of years who’s now living in Missouri. We’ve been playing tag for at least two months now. I don’t always carry my phone with me. I don’t always respond to texts, especially, when I’m not certain who they are coming from. Maybe that’s bad of me, but that’s how it is. For that, I’m sorry. I will do better.

Second, I’m no longer with ATT. They dropped us when we moved to NM. They don’t service Eastern NM. Ironically, the service of the companies that do function here isn’t the best. No offense to them, but it is true. I’ve called my cell phone, as it sat on my desk,  from my home land line and have gotten nothing. There aren’t as many towers around here as there are in Texas. The result…not great service.

Third, I am probably busier than I’ve ever been. I am trying to minister in new environment, be an engaged husband and father, and work on a Master’s degree all at once. This has not been easy, especially, given my new surroundings. I miss a lot that is going on around me as a result. For that I’m sorry too.

Finally, I’m absent minded. Most of you who know me know this. That doesn’t make it right, but it’s the truth. I’m willing to own it.

I’ve got a lot of work to do personally, professionally and socially. I’m sorry if I’ve hurt or offended you. This is my mea culpa.