Mending The Meaning

I once heard the term “mending the meaning” and it intrigued me.

And now, as I look back at the year that was, I guess that’s exactly what I’m trying to do – mend the meaning. Piece together the fragmented events and knit one story that illustrates this past year – my first year with the CS Lewis Institute, my fifth and final year at Freedom High School, and everything in between. Mending the meaning means looking at what was and now examining what is and all the steps in between.

I knew starting the Fellows Program with the CS Lewis Institute would be a challenging yet rewarding faith experience. I expected to grow, I expected to see God more, and I expected to have a better understanding of who God is. I knew it would require discipline, obedience, and sacrifice. And now, on the other side of this first year with many pages read, papers written, and thoughts opined I find myself at the end of one adventure and prepared to move onto the next.

There was a night in November that was just like any other night. And by that I mean, I came home from work and began the required texts for the Fellows Program (If you’re a Fellow, you know what I mean). While reading, I felt a tug and a whisper… A prompting that being in my current job allowed me one thing – the opportunity to make rich people richer. I know there is a place for every teacher in every school and in the life of every young person, but for me, the call was distinct and clear and that’s the night I knew I’d leave South Riding forever and follow God in obedience wherever He led.

The months that followed went from inquiry and prayer, to application and audition, to interview and waiting, to offerings and acceptance; each step requiring a little more obedience than the last and surrendering answers for questions as I progressed through the process. Timing was everything. And, while some parts took me to the point of my current faith, others took me far beyond.

In the midst of all this, I was encouraged by this comment from our pastor who said, “God is never late. And, God is never early. But, God is always on time.”

In the end, I walked to out to the alter of choice and let God decide where to send me next. For a long time I felt certain that it would be the inner city and at other times I thought not. In the end, I’ll head to Falls Church High School in the fall and because of that I walk forward with a new calling placed upon me for the year to come. I may not know exactly what to expect, but I do know to expect God to move in this new place. I expect Him to mend the meaning of the phases that He walked me through this spring and I expect to be pushed beyond my current point of faith as well.

In letting go we find ourselves being held. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “None are so safe as those whom God keeps; none so much in danger as the self-secure.”

Farewell To Freedom

So, I'm leaving my school this year... Kind of exciting. Kind of terrifying.

Here are a few reflections and words of gratitude that I've left behind on my school webpage:

http://cmsweb1.lcps.org/52220818151039853/site/default.asp

Fellows Reflection: June 2011

Post-modernism. It took me a long time to come to an understanding of exactly what this term means. I understand it through illustration. I understand that I see it in action pretty much every day. But, having a solid definition in my mind was a little more difficult to attain. Perhaps the very nature of post-modernism lends itself to ambiguity. Any way of thinking/living that is as confined and defined by human experience seems sometimes personal and often nebulous. In its personal way, it is appealing and seems much like Jesus. In its ambiguous way, it feels less like gospel and more like feeling. And, if there is one truth I’ve learned as a believer it’s not to always trust your feelings.

In reading many texts about the topic, I have come to see the benefits of this line of thinking. It appeals to the average person who wants Jesus to be both accepting and kind. Jesus feels good and; thus, can be trusted. Jesus is our friend and wants to answer our prayers. He guides us, but does not force us. He is love and, as is often quoted, love wins. For some, Jesus ends there. But, Mark Driscoll indicates that a grasp of the incarnate Christ needs to be accompanied by an equal grasp of the authority of the exalted Christ.

It is essential to not receive Jesus in parts. For as we accept his love and grace, so must we accept his truth and costly discipleship. Difficulty should not be a deterrent from Christ or evidence that He is not as powerful as He purports, but rather evidence that heaven is not earth and; as such, an indication that we still have a ways to go. Trial is the evidence that God loves us… Just ask James. Further, in its application through personal experience, postmodernism lacks a consistency that often gives us enough faith to press on. Finding an identity through an evolutionary perspective of God proves personally difficult as it seems somewhat subjective and prone to outside influence. Tim Keller describes the life of the postmodern (not necessarily Christian) like this: “their identities constantly shape-shift as they move through a series of life episodes that are not tightly connected to each other. They are always ready to change direction and abandon commitments and loyalties without qualms and to pursue, on a personal cost-benefit basis, the best opportunity available to them.” In theory, one would assume that this would allow postmodern Christians to be relevant, but where is the line between relevancy and flippancy? And, given that postmodernism is subject to a waxing toward the positive, it is acceptable to also wonder how post-moderns understand the concept of Hell.

Keller describes it this way: “In contrast to the traditionalist, the postmodern person is hostile to the very idea of hell. People with more secular and postmodern mindsets tend to have (a) only a vague belief in the divine, if at all, and (b) little sense of moral absolutes, but rather a sense they need to be true to their dreams.” From what I understand to be biblical truth, the bible does not seem to be unclear about these issues. So then, how can any believer afford to be? It is more than necessary to “be correct” in this area as a matter of doctrinal correctness, but because it is truly a matter of eternal life or eternal damnation.

All of that said, how does a growing understanding of a postmodern view that is symbolic of much human perspective operate in light of this month memory verse from Romans 12:2? In it we are mandated to “… not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” It seems as if it lends to being relevant through renewal, not at the sake of the gospel, but in light of it. Movement is not symptomatic of straying from that which is godly, but our movement falls and is guided under the authority of Christ, who is our ultimate approver apart from any of our dreams, experiences, or feelings. As we experience the fullness of Christ more and more, we understand that God is both experiential and relational. In this, we find Him both personal and loving, yet unyielding and uncompromising. True faith may waver in its strength from time to time, but it shall not waver in its foundation which is the rock that is Christ.

Some things are just ALWAYS funny...

Like pictures of animals driving cars...

Or, even better, videos of animals driving cars...



Seriously, this always makes my day better. I know. A little awkward.