Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I have had occasion to think about forgiveness recently. I think we all have occasion, on most days, but I also think that most of us choose not to think about it.
It is much easier to hold a grudge.
I have plenty of my own history with grudges. I've held grudges for a decade or more: grudges against family, against friends that I've lost, even against God. I held on to all the anger, the bitterness, the blame, the hurt.
It made me powerless.
"Teacher," one of the disciples asked. "How many times should I forgive my brother who has sinned against me? Seven times?"
"Seventy times seven," Jesus said.
Anyone who can do math knows that, literally taken, Jesus told His disciples to forgive someone 490 times. But, it's not really a math problem.
I like to think that Jesus knew a little something about the nature of forgiveness, about the power of forgiveness. I like to think that He knew that people who see forgiveness as a mathematical exercise, as a legal exercise, will never know that power.
Those people will always be able to give up on someone because, "I've done my part."
"I've done enough."
"How much more can be expected of me?"
Seventy times seven is a repeating number.
It's a never-ending problem.
It's a lifestyle.
It's a daily choice.
Anger and bitterness take power away from the offended, and put the power into the hands of the offender.
Forgiveness surrenders the power to the Almighty.
Forgiveness acknowledges that we are the offender as often as we are the offended.
You cannot claim to love God and hate your brother.
You cannot claim to be forgiven, if you are not willing to forgive.
And I think that Jesus knew that when a person lives a life of forgiveness, they cannot stop forgiving.
Anger is about power, but forgiveness is about freedom.
Forgive the distant family member.
Forgive the unfaithful friend.
Forgive the ex-spouse or ex-partner.
Forgive the tyrannical employer.
Forgive the murderer.
The abuser.
The dictator.
The sex fiend.
The drug dealer.
The drug addict.
The alcoholic.
The cheat.
The fraud.
The terrorist.
Forgive.
Forget.
Let go.
Be free.
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Not Ashamed
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
At some point, you have to get off the fence. I've realized this in the past few months. I've tried to practice my faith in the most non-offensive way possible... and I'm certainly not intending to run around intentionally offending people now. This is not THAT blog post. :)
But, the past few days/weeks have taught me that I cannot have my cake and eat it too. It is a good thing to respect the beliefs and opinions of others, but if you focus so much on not "stepping on toes", you WILL end up tip-toeing around really essential parts of the Christian message. And, so, you have to decide whether your religion is about being a Disciple of Jesus, or being a Crowd-Pleaser.
Today's post is for me, but I hope that someone reading it will gain something from it.
Jesus was not afraid of offending folks. He was kind, He was gentle, He was compassionate... but He was also MIGHTILY pissed off at things that were wrong with the religion and society of the time.
Jesus never pulled any punches about what was right and what was wrong. Granted, there has been a lot of disagreement over the centuries about what He was actually talking ABOUT when He said certain things, but the fact that He acknowledged an Absolute Truth has never been in dispute.
He gave specific instructions to His disciples, a very particular way to live and to share the Good News. He commanded them to go to all the nations, preach and baptize. He commanded them to pray, and even gave specific instructions for prayer. He taught what He taught for a reason, and He taught the WAY that He taught for a reason.
He is quoted as saying, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father, except through me." That's uncomfortable, because I really want to believe that "I'm okay, you're okay, we're all okay." It's a great thing to acknowledge the goodness in other people, to appreciate the truth and beauty that exist in other religions, to respect the considered opinions of people who believe differently than I do.
But, no matter how kind the invitation to believe, no matter the compassion, respect and love that you approach the attempt to convince someone with, there are some who will always receive that message as judgement, condemnation, condescension.
You can change the tone of a message. You CANNOT change the message itself.
And I am not ashamed of this message.
I am not ashamed to say, with confidence, that the man who brought sight to the blind, life to the dead, and forgiveness for the sins of all mankind 2,000 years ago is the Savior who promises hope for the hopeless, comfort for those who mourn and love for the unlovable EVEN TODAY.
I am not ashamed to believe - and say with confidence - that, while other prophets of other religions may bring truth and beauty to their followers, only Jesus conquered Death. That singular act - the Divine sacrifice, to bring atonement - makes following Jesus different than any other faith.
I am not ashamed to believe that Jesus did not do this to appease an angry God, but as an act of love for a humanity that suffered (and suffers) greatly under the yoke of their sin, their selfishness, the oppression of unjust political and religious systems. He did it in a specific way, in a specific time, as a very specific and symbolic act. And while the symbolism of the act might be diminished in a time that has no context for the sacrificial atonement system, the POWER of the act, the sacrifice, can never be diminished. It still applies today.
I am not ashamed to believe that my suffering has a purpose, that my suffering is a pathway to peace... but that does not mean that my God has ordained it or even allowed it. It simply means that I am called to embrace my sufferings, as my Savior embraced His, as a way to experience the suffering of the entire world, as a way to humble myself, and as a way to draw me closer to God by drawing me closer to others who suffer the same.
I am not ashamed to believe - and to boldly proclaim - that this is a message of LOVE. It is a message of forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and that my God has all of these things in abundance. He loves His creation - every single member of His creation - and I can serve Him best by sharing that love, forgiveness, mercy and compassion with everyone that I meet.
I am not ashamed of that agape Love, and I do not feel the need to "temper" it with a message of judgement or condemnation. Judgement is for God alone, and His mercy, His love and His compassion have been poured out IN PLACE of His judgement.
I am not ashamed to believe that it is ACCEPTANCE that characterizes my God, as shown through the Son and the Savior, and that REJECTION is the antithesis of my faith.
I am not ashamed to say that sin is present in the world, and that humankind suffers greatly under its yoke, but that it has been CONQUERED by the redeeming love of Jesus.
I am not ashamed to say that true freedom is available to all who want it.
I am not ashamed to believe that there is a battle for the souls of all men and women, and for the collective soul of the entire world. There is an Enemy, an Evil One, who accuses, who tempts, who deceives. His weapons are despair, hopelessness, hunger, poverty, oppression, and his "followers" are the ones who perpetrate these evils, these injustices.
But I believe, and will believe until my dying breath, that LOVE WINS.
Love wins.
Love has already won.
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Not Ashamed of the Gospel,
For it is the power of God
For salvation
To everyone that believes.
At some point, you have to get off the fence. I've realized this in the past few months. I've tried to practice my faith in the most non-offensive way possible... and I'm certainly not intending to run around intentionally offending people now. This is not THAT blog post. :)
But, the past few days/weeks have taught me that I cannot have my cake and eat it too. It is a good thing to respect the beliefs and opinions of others, but if you focus so much on not "stepping on toes", you WILL end up tip-toeing around really essential parts of the Christian message. And, so, you have to decide whether your religion is about being a Disciple of Jesus, or being a Crowd-Pleaser.
Today's post is for me, but I hope that someone reading it will gain something from it.
Jesus was not afraid of offending folks. He was kind, He was gentle, He was compassionate... but He was also MIGHTILY pissed off at things that were wrong with the religion and society of the time.
Jesus never pulled any punches about what was right and what was wrong. Granted, there has been a lot of disagreement over the centuries about what He was actually talking ABOUT when He said certain things, but the fact that He acknowledged an Absolute Truth has never been in dispute.
He gave specific instructions to His disciples, a very particular way to live and to share the Good News. He commanded them to go to all the nations, preach and baptize. He commanded them to pray, and even gave specific instructions for prayer. He taught what He taught for a reason, and He taught the WAY that He taught for a reason.
He is quoted as saying, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father, except through me." That's uncomfortable, because I really want to believe that "I'm okay, you're okay, we're all okay." It's a great thing to acknowledge the goodness in other people, to appreciate the truth and beauty that exist in other religions, to respect the considered opinions of people who believe differently than I do.
But, no matter how kind the invitation to believe, no matter the compassion, respect and love that you approach the attempt to convince someone with, there are some who will always receive that message as judgement, condemnation, condescension.
You can change the tone of a message. You CANNOT change the message itself.
And I am not ashamed of this message.
I am not ashamed to say, with confidence, that the man who brought sight to the blind, life to the dead, and forgiveness for the sins of all mankind 2,000 years ago is the Savior who promises hope for the hopeless, comfort for those who mourn and love for the unlovable EVEN TODAY.
I am not ashamed to believe - and say with confidence - that, while other prophets of other religions may bring truth and beauty to their followers, only Jesus conquered Death. That singular act - the Divine sacrifice, to bring atonement - makes following Jesus different than any other faith.
I am not ashamed to believe that Jesus did not do this to appease an angry God, but as an act of love for a humanity that suffered (and suffers) greatly under the yoke of their sin, their selfishness, the oppression of unjust political and religious systems. He did it in a specific way, in a specific time, as a very specific and symbolic act. And while the symbolism of the act might be diminished in a time that has no context for the sacrificial atonement system, the POWER of the act, the sacrifice, can never be diminished. It still applies today.
I am not ashamed to believe that my suffering has a purpose, that my suffering is a pathway to peace... but that does not mean that my God has ordained it or even allowed it. It simply means that I am called to embrace my sufferings, as my Savior embraced His, as a way to experience the suffering of the entire world, as a way to humble myself, and as a way to draw me closer to God by drawing me closer to others who suffer the same.
I am not ashamed to believe - and to boldly proclaim - that this is a message of LOVE. It is a message of forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and that my God has all of these things in abundance. He loves His creation - every single member of His creation - and I can serve Him best by sharing that love, forgiveness, mercy and compassion with everyone that I meet.
I am not ashamed of that agape Love, and I do not feel the need to "temper" it with a message of judgement or condemnation. Judgement is for God alone, and His mercy, His love and His compassion have been poured out IN PLACE of His judgement.
I am not ashamed to believe that it is ACCEPTANCE that characterizes my God, as shown through the Son and the Savior, and that REJECTION is the antithesis of my faith.
I am not ashamed to say that sin is present in the world, and that humankind suffers greatly under its yoke, but that it has been CONQUERED by the redeeming love of Jesus.
I am not ashamed to say that true freedom is available to all who want it.
I am not ashamed to believe that there is a battle for the souls of all men and women, and for the collective soul of the entire world. There is an Enemy, an Evil One, who accuses, who tempts, who deceives. His weapons are despair, hopelessness, hunger, poverty, oppression, and his "followers" are the ones who perpetrate these evils, these injustices.
But I believe, and will believe until my dying breath, that LOVE WINS.
Love wins.
Love has already won.
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Not Ashamed of the Gospel,
For it is the power of God
For salvation
To everyone that believes.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Crouching at the Door
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I need to write about Sin today, and it's unpleasant. I don't like talking about Sin, because it seems like we sometimes talk about it in the Church to the exclusion of everything else.
And I feel like we talk about the wrong things when we talk about sin.... not that the things that we list as sin aren't sins. I feel that we more often miss the mark when we talk about sin (see what I did there, Biblical scholars?)
It's important to recognize that we have sin in our lives, that sin is a huge and inextricable part of the individual human condition. It's important that we realize that immoral sexual practices, hateful language, interpersonal violence - all the things that we struggle with in our own lives - are a product of sin.
But the point that we miss when we talk about sin is how BIG it is, how it infects every facet of our lives, every level of our society. It is the lion crouching at the door, waiting to devour us whole - all of us.
I don't want to overstate this, but I also don't think I can understate it. This is a big deal. I don't get down with a lot of traditional "sin doctrine" - I don't think we all suck because the first man and woman ate from the wrong tree. I think we have a much bigger problem, a problem that is much harder to deal with.
We have a problem with Sin, because we have a problem with self.
We are absolutely addicted to ourselves. We will do anything to advance ourselves. We will do anything to defend our rights, our privileges, what we want, what we need. We will do this to the detriment of anyone else, without regard to the feelings, wants, needs, wants, rights and privileges even of those closest to us.
Need evidence for this premise? Turn on the news. Take a cursory glance at history.
This is where it gets real for me, because this is where the self and the society meet. Every single instance of large and small scale tragedy can be traced to an individual - or a group of individuals - exercising this addiction to self, advancing their own interests ahead of the interests of anyone else. Advancing their interests to the detriment of anyone else.
Poverty exists because people are addicted to making themselves wealthier.
Violence exists because people are addicted to making themselves more powerful.
Sexual exploitation exists because people are addicted to giving themselves more pleasure.
We are messed up, because our world is messed up. And our world is messed up, because we are messed up.
We cannot extricate this curse from ourselves, because the cause of the problem is also the solution.
We need less of ourselves and more of other-selves.
But, we can't do this alone. The Good News is, there is Someone who has shown us how.
"Whoever would come after me must take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would keep his own life will lose it. But whosoever will lose his life, for my sake, will find it."
We need to turn away from our sin, and turn towards the One who has promised to free us. We need to give up our addiction to Self, and rely on the One who has promised both an end to Self and the gift of a greater Self - a Self that is part of a whole, a Self that can never be extricated from the Other. In Jesus, ourself becomes otherself.
In Jesus, Self gets nailed to a cross. Other-self rises again.
The Sin of Self can only beget more selfishness, more Sin. The Other-Self that comes in Christ can only beget more Christ.
And I believe that we need more Christ and less Self in the world today.
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Dead in Sin
Alive in Christ
I need to write about Sin today, and it's unpleasant. I don't like talking about Sin, because it seems like we sometimes talk about it in the Church to the exclusion of everything else.
And I feel like we talk about the wrong things when we talk about sin.... not that the things that we list as sin aren't sins. I feel that we more often miss the mark when we talk about sin (see what I did there, Biblical scholars?)
It's important to recognize that we have sin in our lives, that sin is a huge and inextricable part of the individual human condition. It's important that we realize that immoral sexual practices, hateful language, interpersonal violence - all the things that we struggle with in our own lives - are a product of sin.
But the point that we miss when we talk about sin is how BIG it is, how it infects every facet of our lives, every level of our society. It is the lion crouching at the door, waiting to devour us whole - all of us.
I don't want to overstate this, but I also don't think I can understate it. This is a big deal. I don't get down with a lot of traditional "sin doctrine" - I don't think we all suck because the first man and woman ate from the wrong tree. I think we have a much bigger problem, a problem that is much harder to deal with.
We have a problem with Sin, because we have a problem with self.
We are absolutely addicted to ourselves. We will do anything to advance ourselves. We will do anything to defend our rights, our privileges, what we want, what we need. We will do this to the detriment of anyone else, without regard to the feelings, wants, needs, wants, rights and privileges even of those closest to us.
Need evidence for this premise? Turn on the news. Take a cursory glance at history.
This is where it gets real for me, because this is where the self and the society meet. Every single instance of large and small scale tragedy can be traced to an individual - or a group of individuals - exercising this addiction to self, advancing their own interests ahead of the interests of anyone else. Advancing their interests to the detriment of anyone else.
Poverty exists because people are addicted to making themselves wealthier.
Violence exists because people are addicted to making themselves more powerful.
Sexual exploitation exists because people are addicted to giving themselves more pleasure.
We are messed up, because our world is messed up. And our world is messed up, because we are messed up.
We cannot extricate this curse from ourselves, because the cause of the problem is also the solution.
We need less of ourselves and more of other-selves.
But, we can't do this alone. The Good News is, there is Someone who has shown us how.
"Whoever would come after me must take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would keep his own life will lose it. But whosoever will lose his life, for my sake, will find it."
We need to turn away from our sin, and turn towards the One who has promised to free us. We need to give up our addiction to Self, and rely on the One who has promised both an end to Self and the gift of a greater Self - a Self that is part of a whole, a Self that can never be extricated from the Other. In Jesus, ourself becomes otherself.
In Jesus, Self gets nailed to a cross. Other-self rises again.
The Sin of Self can only beget more selfishness, more Sin. The Other-Self that comes in Christ can only beget more Christ.
And I believe that we need more Christ and less Self in the world today.
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Dead in Sin
Alive in Christ
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Our Persecution Complex
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I read an article recently about a young woman who, while working at a college event, was asked to remove a very conspicuous cross necklace. She was representing the school, it was explained, and the supervisor was concerned that such a blatant religious symbol would "turn people off" from the school.
Lawyers were immediately called. The fact that this story has happened in the same week as the Supreme Court's ruling on DOMA and California's Prop. 8 has only heightened the cries of "Persecution!" from certain segments of the Church.
My views on this are mixed, and I'm determined to not become overly-political with this blog. Jesus is the point, and I don't want to obscure Him by causing unnecessary argument. With that said, this is a conversation that needs to be had within our faith - and Jesus Himself promised that He brought division.
Are we being persecuted in America?
Not nearly as much as we should be.
I don't have any television channels in my home, but every time I log onto the Internet, I see a new story of how the Church is trying to become the majority voice in our country. But, it's only a certain section of the church, and the voice always says the same thing: DON'T.
Don't allow homosexuals to marry.
Don't allow women to have abortions.
Don't allow atheists to hold public office.
Don't allow high school students to be taught safe sexual practices.
Don't allow underprivileged women access to low-cost birth control.
Don't allow any other voices in the conversation.
I'm not denying the importance of some of these issues. I certainly see the value of protecting the unborn... but where are the majority of Christians demanding better access to birth control? Where are the Christians speaking in support of adoption programs, government - or church - assistance for low-income women who find themselves pregnant with no way to support their child?
The "Christian majority" has a great deal of concern with the goings-on of homosexuals in our country... but where are the voices speaking out against real sexual deviance in our nation? Where are the voices raised in outrage against sex trafficking, pederasty in the Church, unchecked promiscuity in our youth due to a culture of despair and low self-esteem?
Why are we even talking about cross necklaces, public Nativity scenes, Ten Commandment displays - when there are children all around the world who are naked, and are not clothed; who are hungry, and are not fed?
Why are we not speaking and praying about the hundreds of thousands of dead innocents as a result of our nation's wars?
Why are we not concerned with the thousands dead by gun violence every year?
Why do we not speak in support of nuclear disarmament?
Why are we not visiting the thousands of prisoners who are held captive each year?
Why are we appealing to Caesar to legitimize our faith, when we should be calling on God to heal the broken world - and being His hands and feet, doing His work?
Our litmus test for persecution is broken. When we begin to speak with authority against the Powers of the Earth, against the unjust social systems that have made hunger, poverty and despair a way of life in our world, then we will start to see the persecution. And it will be the kind of persecution that we can rejoice in.
I can't rejoice in someone taking away my nativity scene or my cross necklace. But I can and will rejoice when I speak the Truth to Power, when I demand the release of the captives of oppressive governments and social systems, and I am put in prison, or beaten, or arrested, or killed. Because I'm speaking about something that matters. I'm speaking about something that has the power to change hearts and lives, not laws or public opinion. And, whether there is an eternal reward or not, I can rejoice in my persecution - because I have spent my life advancing the Kingdom into darkness.
"I say it truly, whatever you did to the least of these, you did to Me."
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Saved by Grace
Walking in Faith
I read an article recently about a young woman who, while working at a college event, was asked to remove a very conspicuous cross necklace. She was representing the school, it was explained, and the supervisor was concerned that such a blatant religious symbol would "turn people off" from the school.
Lawyers were immediately called. The fact that this story has happened in the same week as the Supreme Court's ruling on DOMA and California's Prop. 8 has only heightened the cries of "Persecution!" from certain segments of the Church.
My views on this are mixed, and I'm determined to not become overly-political with this blog. Jesus is the point, and I don't want to obscure Him by causing unnecessary argument. With that said, this is a conversation that needs to be had within our faith - and Jesus Himself promised that He brought division.
Are we being persecuted in America?
Not nearly as much as we should be.
I don't have any television channels in my home, but every time I log onto the Internet, I see a new story of how the Church is trying to become the majority voice in our country. But, it's only a certain section of the church, and the voice always says the same thing: DON'T.
Don't allow homosexuals to marry.
Don't allow women to have abortions.
Don't allow atheists to hold public office.
Don't allow high school students to be taught safe sexual practices.
Don't allow underprivileged women access to low-cost birth control.
Don't allow any other voices in the conversation.
I'm not denying the importance of some of these issues. I certainly see the value of protecting the unborn... but where are the majority of Christians demanding better access to birth control? Where are the Christians speaking in support of adoption programs, government - or church - assistance for low-income women who find themselves pregnant with no way to support their child?
The "Christian majority" has a great deal of concern with the goings-on of homosexuals in our country... but where are the voices speaking out against real sexual deviance in our nation? Where are the voices raised in outrage against sex trafficking, pederasty in the Church, unchecked promiscuity in our youth due to a culture of despair and low self-esteem?
Why are we even talking about cross necklaces, public Nativity scenes, Ten Commandment displays - when there are children all around the world who are naked, and are not clothed; who are hungry, and are not fed?
Why are we not speaking and praying about the hundreds of thousands of dead innocents as a result of our nation's wars?
Why are we not concerned with the thousands dead by gun violence every year?
Why do we not speak in support of nuclear disarmament?
Why are we not visiting the thousands of prisoners who are held captive each year?
Why are we appealing to Caesar to legitimize our faith, when we should be calling on God to heal the broken world - and being His hands and feet, doing His work?
Our litmus test for persecution is broken. When we begin to speak with authority against the Powers of the Earth, against the unjust social systems that have made hunger, poverty and despair a way of life in our world, then we will start to see the persecution. And it will be the kind of persecution that we can rejoice in.
I can't rejoice in someone taking away my nativity scene or my cross necklace. But I can and will rejoice when I speak the Truth to Power, when I demand the release of the captives of oppressive governments and social systems, and I am put in prison, or beaten, or arrested, or killed. Because I'm speaking about something that matters. I'm speaking about something that has the power to change hearts and lives, not laws or public opinion. And, whether there is an eternal reward or not, I can rejoice in my persecution - because I have spent my life advancing the Kingdom into darkness.
"I say it truly, whatever you did to the least of these, you did to Me."
My love to you, wherever you are,
Michael Brian Woywood
Saved by Grace
Walking in Faith
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