Three Ways to Use God's Name

It doesn't take too many days before you hear someone speak the word "God."  If you look up the definition of capital G-o-d, I'm pretty sure you won't find a couple of the meaning though. 

• G-o-d:  an exclamation meaning "Wow" often preceded by the words "Oh my" I heard this over and over yesterday by our Para Transpo driver. "Wow, did you see that rain, Wow look at all the trees out here, it's like a jungle." (he was from Africa), "Wow, I'm not getting out with that dog there. Wow, what are those? Elk? Wow, is that a farm of them? Wow..."
• G-o-d: an exclamation of anger. Tone much differnt than above examples. Funny that lots of atheists use this one. My husband asked an atheist co-worker once why he used God's name so much if he didn't believe in God. That was puzzling! The co-worker said he'd have to think about that one.
•  G-o-d:  a proper noun - used in reverence referring to the Creator of the universe, the all wise, all knowing, all present, holy, eternal, judge and Savior.

 I have to admit, when someone uses G-o-d in either of the first two ways, it feels like a knife stabbing my heart. I expect it does to the Holy Spirit in me as well. Perhasps I am feeling the Holy Spirit cringe. It would be similar to someone using one of my daughter's names lightly, as if it, and thus they, had no value, no importance. In vain. An empty word.
Or, it would be like they blamed my girls for everything bad in life. even if they never talked to my girls or got to know them.

My predicament then is what do I do/say when this happens? I have been praying recently for wisdom regarding this.
I see it as an open door. After all they are the ones that have brought up God, not me. All I have to do is have my heart right, and my questions ready.

I expect I will not have too long to wait to get some practice.

A Surprisingly Good Time!

Docents, art matches, and gourmet grilled cheese.
These are just some of the experiences Anna-Lee and I have had over the last few weeks as we have traveled to the National Art Gallery.

1. Docents. I had never heard this word and for the first two weeks I had no idea what was being said when we purchased our entry tickets. These ladies,  however, made our experience at the Art Gallery worth going back again and again. They are experts in the field of art history. Each day they choose a painting to present. At 12:00 Anna-Lee and I ventured to whatever room the painting of the day was in, and prepared to LEARN. Now, it is not too difficult to learn something when you go in not knowing anything, but this  truly has been a very rich experience - and it was free! We learned what makes renaissance... renaissance, how they painted on boards not canvas, the classic face, the golden plate halo... We leaned that many artists had up to 12 associates that helped them with their painting, each in their area of expertise such as backgrounds, battles, clothing, hands... We learned about framing, and patrons, and mythology combined with religion often found in these paintings. We learned about contemporary art and how the historical time frame, wars, and political atmosphere affected their art. We learned that the painting "Fire,"  a huge vertical painting with one red stripe going down the middle of a blue background was done by a Jewish artist and represents Moses and the burning bush. What cost the Art Gallery 5 million dollars is now worth 20 million.

   

   A beautiful indoor courtyard with lovley music and art to enjoy

2. The Art Match. There is a lovely newly opened area just renovated focused on Canadian artists. Within this section is an area that is interactive. It's great. One such interaction is the "art match." All on computer, you are asked various questions, and depending on your answers, they match you with what they feel would be the art you would most appreciate. They show you the photo and some info on it, and then tell you where to go in the gallery to find it. Anna-Lee and I both did it. Fun, yes, accurate, hmmm.

   

   Anna-Lee's match - School Teacher meeting Trustees

   

   Linda's match -  Caughnawaga Women

3. Gourmet Grilled Cheese. Wow. It is always a little stressful going to a new and strangely set up cafeteria don't you think? This one is set up with mini stations around, but where do you start? Our first trial was to find where to get the trays! Of course the brunt of the job in getting around is Anna-Lee's as I can't see! She did a bang up job and we made it to both the salad station and the hot food station with trays in hand. I taught her my trick of watching others to find where to go to pay, and where they put the dirty trays  The gourmet grilled cheese though... I think it had apricots on it or something. I went for the Caesar wrap the next time.

 Next on the agenda is an audio self-guided tour with a fashion designer as our recorded guide!

A Dancer's Mom

It has been ten years now that I have been the Mom to someone in "showbiz." This year I think I have finally graduated into being a veteran.

1.  I no longer get upset when rehearsal times change - I expect it. Because I expect it, I don't even write the schedule down until I get the timing the week before. And even then, I just print it out and wait for yet another change. 
2. I have figured out that it will mean other normal things get cancelled. Rehearsals will be at unusual hours, unusual days. nothing will be the same as the "show" gets closer to production... and that's OK. I now just brush it off that she will be missing physiotherapy or some other important event in her week. She may even miss a church service or two.
3. I don't go to everything anymore. I used to go to every performance but a couple years ago I started to miss some of them. If she has a large role or has choreographed something like she did last year with the kids program, I'll go, but otherwise, I'm not as regular.
4.  I am relying on others rather than myself. I rely on others to be backstage for costumes and makeup and hair, and all organizational issues. Most importantly, I am relying on others to take the photos! I love photos. It's how I see the world due to my limited vision. But I now don't go to the dress rehearsals in order to get photos and videos. I may not get everything I want or have Monica at the centre of the photo, but it will do.
5. I have a new perspective. Instead of looking at her work with Propeller Dance as a child putting on a recital that parents attend, I see it strictly as her job - which it is of course. And yet, a job in which people can pay to go observe every now and then.

It should be interesting to see how the next ten years unfold!

Guilty

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Deuteronomy 6:4 

Yes, but He is also plural.

We see this first in Genesis chapter 1.
"Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness...

...so He is One, and He is more than one!

Impossible? Well, I see this as being similar to me being a mother, a daughter and a wife. I am all these, but I am one person. Unlike God I can only fully engage in each of these roles individually. This came to light when my parents were moving and I could not be there as daughter to help and be here caring for my kids as mother. So, the wife sent the husband and one daughter to help, while I stayed back as mother!

God is all and everywhere all the time. He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit and is all these fully at all times and always has been and always will be. So many Scriptures reveal this truth.

Using that understanding as my premise, where am I guilty?

I am guilty of separating these Three too much. I am guilty of not seeing Father, Son and Holy Sprit as One well enough. Here is what I mean.

Jesus - I perceive Him as being the compassionate One. The One who gave up majesty, came as a  human, lived life teaching and loving, and then died on a cross in agony for your sins and mine. 
God the Father? Well, He's the one who sent Jesus. He's holy and has  pure righteousness and has wrath. I don't identify with Him so much.

Read this. I know it's long and you'll be tempted to skip or skim, but try and read it please. It is from Isaiah 53 and is a prophesy about Jesus, and the thoughts of the Father.

Who has believed our report?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
² For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
³ He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

⁴ Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
⁹ And they^[a] made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
¹¹ He shall see the labor of His soul,^[b] and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.
¹² Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.

The first time I read the sentence in bold letters (verse 10),  I was taken aback. 
God the Father was pleased His Son was bruised?
The NIV version says it this way:
Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer...

Seriously? His will?

Is that like saying it would be my will and pleasure to send one of my daughters somewhere to suffer, be crushed and bruised for someone else?

What kind of Father is He? One I want looking after me? One I want looking after my daughters?! One I want to serve and love?

This is the problem when we separate Father and Son. 
God is One.
And so God was not sending a separate entity to die in agony for us. He sent Himself. 

It is also the problem when we think Jesus is so loving and kind and nice and forgiving that He will overlook sin. Jesus is just as holy and righteous as the Father. They are One.

Mark 12:28-30
 Now one of the scribes had come up and heard their debate. Noticing how well Jesus had answered them, he asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength..."

Disappointed with the "Heroes"

I have been challenged  in many ways as I have been working my way through 1 and 2 Samuel for our weekly Bible Study, One thing that has come to light for me is that just because people have made a particular person in history a hero or for the Roman Catholics even a saint (God would call anyone who believes in Christ a saint by the way), doesn't mean we are to be like them and it certainly doesn't mean we are to follow them.

Take David for example. I personally find him one of the most disappointing people to read about. I have been horrified as I have read big chunks of Scripture at a time to see all the character flaws and  sin in David's life.  And yet, people tend to immortalize David with commentary that he was a man after God's own heart,  he was brave and courageous and a mightily man of valour. He was a beautiful worshiper, and eased King Saul's suffering with his music. He had great self control and honour for the king who ended up turning on David due to jealousy. David could have killed him but chose to honour God's anointed one instead.We see "pictures" of him tending his sheep or as a little boy slaying the giant enemy Goliath.

All that is true, but this is also true...

David was a  murdering, adulterous, war mongering, enslaving, plundering liar. Without Christ he'd be in hell for eternity. He is not to be followed. He is not to be put on a pedestal. he is just a man whom God used for His purposes. God created him, loved him, and could see him the way He would have been if the fall in Genesis chapter 3 had never happened.
It's kind of like what the masterpiece painting would have been if someone hadn't spilt coffee all over it then tried to clean it up with bleach.

David's good points don't outweigh his bad ones. God does not approve of David in all these areas. He loved David, used David, listened to David, and saw David's potential, but he also sent David to hell... until Christ.

We just cannot judge God by what God's people do. There is no one that reflects the pure image of God that we were created with ... except Christ. 

The Bible is such an amazing history book. The mere fact that it unloads all this sin in the history of these "heroes," is one of many proofs that the Bible is true! No other culture's history does this. As I read through Samuel, I see with new eyes the people of old, and am grateful God chose to include their weaknesses as well as their strengths giving an honest account of history. And I shall be more grateful again for Christ.  No following heroes, no following saints -  only Christ - who never disappoints.

Identifying with the Bad Guys

As I read through Scripture, I often identify with, or at least feel sorry for the "wrong" person - the person or nation that God is angry with.
Here are some examples from just  1 and 2 Samuel

1. King Saul (1 Samuel 16 :14) The people wanted a king, but Saul surely did not want to be the one to be king. He was insecure and on his coronation day, he hid! Nevertheless, it was God's choice that Saul be king over Israel and so he was. Well, Saul made a couple of not perfect decisions. He kind of did what God told him to do, but not completely, and he tried to inquire of the Lord and honour Him, but not the right way. Here's the kicker though, not only did Saul have the Spirit of the Lord removed from him, he also had a distressing spirit put on him by the Lord.  I think it is hard enough to do what is right with the power of the Holy Spirit helping us, but to have that removed and an evil spirit nagging at you, would be pure torture. And it was.  I feel for Saul - especially seeing as David made multiple horrible choices and was considered a man after God's own heart!
2. Michal (2 Samuel 6:20) Michal was Saul's daughter and given to David in marriage. However, she was then sent to another man for a few years to be his wife while David was running for his life from King Saul. Finally, David became king and got Michal back, but it wasn't all roses for sure. King David was so excited that he was bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem that he joined the common folk dancing. twirling, spinning all while wearing a linen ephod rather than his Kingly garments. Let's just say Michal was not impressed at David's lack of decorum and dignity. She was ashamed. As an introvert, I can honestly say I may have reacted in a similar way. "Stop making yourself the centre of attention! You can be joyful, but don't go all extreme! And for goodness sake, put your robe back on!" Michal however, was punished by God. She could never have kids. 
3. Hanun (2 Samuel 10) This is kind of an obscure guy. Hamun was the son of the King of the Ammonites. David was King of Israel at the time and Hamun's dad (the king) died. Well, King David thought he would like to show some kindness and send some comforters to Hamun to show his support. Unfortunately, Hamun's counselors convinced Hamun that David actually was using this as an excuse and these "comforters" were actually spies. Hamun chose to believe his advisors, and sent the comforters packing in humiliation.  Anger aroused, war began and by the end of it, 40,700 men were killed. Wow. Now, that's a misunderstanding. All because David wanted to do an act of random kindness. I got thinking about this though, and I started to feel for Hamun. After all, David had started wars, plundered, enslaved, deceived, and killed nations upon nations over the last while. Why would poor Hamun think David all of a sudden wanted to be "nice." David had a reputation so this misunderstanding was not surprising. Unfortunately, again, it was Hamun who paid the price.

So, what did I learn from all of this other than the fact that I am not a very good judge of character!

1. God's ways are higher than our ways.He is God after all..
2. God does not treat everyone the same. Then again, I don't even treat my two daughters the same; they are different people. As my younger would say, suck it up buttercup.
3. I do not see the underlying heart of man, but God does. He sees the heart of everyone. No hiding.
4. Even though I can feel for people, and understand why they may have chosen what they did, they are still in the wrong. All sin is repulsive to God. No excuse makes it OK.
5. Reputation matters.
6. It's just best to do what God says the first time.
7. It is easy to identify with some of these not so perfect humans recorded in history because we all get it. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  
8. Wow, I am grateful for Jesus!

If you have some thoughts on the matter,  please leave a comment. I'd love to hear your ideas.