Burn the Plows

The Danger of the Performance

These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link. [https://account.venmo.com/pay?recipients=WakeForestPresbyterian-Church] https://account.venmo.com/pay?recipients=WakeForestPresbyterian-Church Scripture: Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2023%3A1-15&version=NIV#fen-NIV-23924a]] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. 13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. 25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Consider: Do you remember trying out to make a team? Whether a sports team, or dance or theatre performance, or to get accepted into the school, or be part of a special project, event, elite group… you name it! Many of us are conditioned to work hard and be competitive and make that team because there are only a limited number of slots available. This puts us in the difficult situation of not just trying to be better at something, but to be better than the competition which could be a friend or a colleague. Then the results are published, and we may be disappointed not to make the team, or it can be a bit difficult not to get puffed up with pride when we do make it. Well, thank God that His kingdom is not like that! We need to shift out of the paradigm of competition and scarcity mentality. God’s kingdom is not out of anyone’s reach. When Jesus came, he dramatically changed the rules, in fact he turned the whole game upside down. Now, to be first you must be last, the exalted are humbled, the humbled are exalted, the greatest is the servant. Then He not only talked the talk, but He walked a walk that no one else would ever have to walk. He did it with the disciples when he wrapped a towel around his waist and washed their dirty, stinky feet, just like the lowest of servants. Then, He humbled Himself to be humiliated in the worst of ways by being crucified like the vilest of criminals. The problem for the Pharisees and the scribes, is that they had already invested and dedicated much of their lives to compete and make the team. They tried to elicit a standard which deep inside they knew they could not meet. But they were good at their game. They wore the uniform to be recognized. They thought they were on the team. They thought they had beat out the competition, and by setting the high bar they fended off the common who were not as good at their game. When we read a passage of scripture like this, it is easy to put ourselves in team Jesus, and “other” the Pharisees and the scribes. However, we need to understand the context and what they were doing and examine ourselves to identify where we may eliciting similar hypocritical behaviors. This is not an easy task, but we need to step off the soap box which only has room for One and consider how we may also be falling into this trap. The good news is that the kingdom of God is not a team with limited slots, and Jesus came so that the whole world might be saved through him (John 3:17). The warning to the scribes and Pharisees, and to us, is that we are not the dispensers of grace. We do not get to say who is or who isn’t worthy of receiving His grace. Just when we thought we had figured out this whole grace thing, Jesus turns around and pours it on the wrong guy (or so we think). But the one thing that really makes Jesus mad is when any of us “lock” anyone else out of His kingdom because they didn’t make the cut, they aren’t enough, because of how they vote, what they post, the hat or t-shirt they wear, the issue they support or oppose, who they love, or because their sin just happens to be more visible than ours. Jesus himself told us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light, so if we’re putting heavy burdens on people to make team Jesus, something is amuck. Respond: Where have we limited God’s grace? Have we excluded anyone out of God’s kingdom because they don’t meet a certain standard? Let’s examine ourselves and ask, who is Jesus calling me to love with his love? Pray: Father God, You are eternal and omniscient and your grace really is amazing and beyond comprehension. Give us a heart to love those who we find it hard to love. Help us to understand today, how we may be limiting your grace. Give us the humility to open our hearts to those who we misjudge as not enough or not worthy of your love. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com [https://wfpc.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Looking Past the Brokenness of Mistakes

These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link. [https://account.venmo.com/pay?recipients=WakeForestPresbyterian-Church] https://account.venmo.com/pay?recipients=WakeForestPresbyterian-Church Scripture: Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab:“Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.” But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. Consider: Rahab could be called many things. Business owner. Mother. Entrepeneaur. Beloved Child of God. Resident of Jericho. That lady with the hair. There are many names the Bible could have used to explain her relationship to the story and her importance to the narrative of Joshua. Yet the word they chose was a perjorative one. Prostitute. And so Rahab, like Mary Magdalene, came forever to be known for their brokeness and not their vital role in the story of God. Though for Mary Magdalene there is no biblical proof she was anything like a prostitute or, as she is sometimes known, the woman with many husbands. All the Bible tells us is she was an apostle and the first witness to the resurrection. It’s her hands which are trusted with the first words of good news in the gospel. “Go and tell you brothers”, Jesus tells Mary Magdalene. And yet the historic church chose to lessen her by assigning her mortal sins for which there is no attribution except imagination. Rahab wins the story in the end. Of all the people who are named in Jesus’ pre-birth genealogy in Matthew, there are only two women. Rahab and Mary, Jesus’ mother. Matthew took the story of Rahab and turned the label on its end. No longer defined by the worst moments of her life, Rahab became a hero and essential part of the story of God. Without her, Jesus could not be. We all carry labels and stories which are attached to the worst moments of our lives or, like Mary Magdalene, completely made up by ourselves or others. Those labels could define our story if we chose to let them. Drug Addict. Mental Patient. Lazy Slob. Angry and Mean. Bossy. Ugly. You pick it, we all carry a label which is supposed to make us feel shame. But the Gospel story invites us to shed that sticker - peel it right off and throw it to the ground, leaving it in the dirt behind our feet as we walk away. We do not need to be defined by the worst thing or worst name of our lives. We are so much more than those words in God’s eyes. In the moments when we tell our story, we have the opportunity to name something different and tell a different story. Respond: What label do you carry which causes you shame? Name aloud or in your heart those words which others have used to try and confine or make you less than you are. Count them on your fingers as you go. Now, name an equal number of names and labels which are more true, remembering as you do those positive stories of really who you are. When you’ve counted down an equal number, add one more, remembering those words are more powerful than the labels others have given you. Pray: Lord, give us the humility to accept help when we need it and the courage to reach for the hand You provide. Thank You for the friends, family, mentors, and brothers and sisters in Christ who help us stand again when life knocks us down. Teach us to be that kind of presence for others too. Make us quick to encourage, ready to restore, and faithful to walk beside those who are struggling. Let our words bring hope, our actions bring healing, and our lives reflect the love of Christ. Strengthen our hearts today to keep walking forward together. Amen. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com [https://wfpc.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Empathy and Community

These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link. [https://account.venmo.com/pay?recipients=WakeForestPresbyterian-Church] https://account.venmo.com/pay?recipients=WakeForestPresbyterian-Church Scripture: As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Consider: I don’t know about you, but Paul’s letter, for me, laundry lists all the things I DON’T always want to put into practice in my life…especially when they are not practices being returned in kind to me by others. Paul speaks of bearing with one another in love, reaching full maturity in faith when unity and peace is achieved. In a world that feels more and more fractured and divided by the year, these plans of Paul’s seem so very unattainable that I could close the bible and walk away fully defeated. I could, but then I would be fulfilling the very thing Paul rebukes in this letter…I would be choosing to stay the course in what is current, what is earthly, what is not in and of and about God. I could do that, it would be pretty easy to fall into the well of negativity and jaded perspective. But as we’ve learned over and over and over again, we are not called by God to take the easy road. Paul describes true faithful community not as a gathering of perfect people, but as a family of redeemed people learning to live together under the grace of God. The chapter calls believers to humility, patience, gentleness, forgiveness, and love (all the qualities that sound great but are oh so much harder to live out). These qualities are not optional extras; they are the mandates of a life lived transformed and shaped by Christ. One of the greatest challenges in community is learning to see beyond the scorekeeping of injuries, move past our sinful desire to be right all the time and prove someone else wrong. People can be difficult, disappointing, and imperfect. Yet Paul reminds us that the standard for our treatment of others is not their behavior toward us but God’s grace toward us. We forgive because we have been forgiven. We show compassion because we have received compassion. It’s pretty simple math when you get right down to it. So, how do we go about being a true Christian community? We love one another, we show up for one another, and we stay at the table even when it gets hard. God stays, no matter what. Let’s try to stay as well. Respond: Think for a moment on a time when grace was truly extended to you, without any deserving on your end… how did that make you feel? How did it shape the action you took next? Now think on your response moving forward, how should God's grace toward you shape the way you respond to others' weaknesses? Pray: Loving Lord, give me eyes to see beyond faults and failures (my own and others) and recognize Your image in those around me as well as in myself. Teach me to build true community through kindness, compassion, patience, and forgiveness. May my relationships reflect the love You have poured out on me. Amen. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com [https://wfpc.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Rerouted for the Sake of Others

These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link. [https://account.venmo.com/pay?recipients=WakeForestPresbyterian-Church] https://account.venmo.com/pay?recipients=WakeForestPresbyterian-Church Scripture: An angel from the Lord spoke to Philip, “At noon, take the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) So he did. Meanwhile, an Ethiopian man was on his way home from Jerusalem, where he had come to worship. He was a eunuch and an official responsible for the entire treasury of Candace. (Candace is the title given to the Ethiopian queen.) He was reading the prophet Isaiah while sitting in his carriage. The Spirit told Philip, “Approach this carriage and stay with it.” Running up to the carriage, Philip heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you really understand what you are reading?” The man replied, “Without someone to guide me, how could I?” Then he invited Philip to climb up and sit with him. Consider: We tend to measure the success of our lives by the crowd and the momentum. When our careers are flourishing, our ministries are growing, and our daily schedules are clicking along without a hitch, we assume we are exactly where God wants us. We love the main highway of success because it feels productive. But sometimes, right in the middle of our most fruitful seasons, God introduces with an abrupt, inconvenient detour. Our immediate human reaction to a detour is to ask, “What did I do wrong?” or “Why is God disrupting my progress?” We assume every shift in direction must be a lesson, a punishment, or a refining fire meant for our personal growth. But Scripture reveals a beautiful, alternative truth: God often detours us not for our own benefit, but because there is someone on a lonely side road who needs a miracle only we can carry to them. We see this clearly in the book of Acts. Philip was in the middle of a massive, wildly successful ministry revival in Samaria. The crowds were listening, miracles were happening, and the city was filled with joy. By all human metrics, Philip was on the fast track of his preferred path. Then, an angel of the Lord shattered the momentum with a jarring instruction: “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” To leave a thriving city revival for a barren desert road made absolutely no strategic sense. The trip was isolated, hot, and seemingly counterproductive. Yet, Philip obeyed. And on that dusty side road, he encountered an Ethiopian official sitting in a chariot, struggling to understand the scriptures. That entire, exhausting detour wasn’t about Philip’s growth, Philip’s comfort, or Philip’s platform. It was solely for the sake of one single soul who needed the Gospel. When we are forced off our main highway and onto a “desert road,” we must change the questions we ask. Instead of looking inward and asking, “Why is this happening to me?” we need to look outward and ask, “Who is here that needs what I carry?” You might currently be on a detour you didn’t ask for. Perhaps a sudden shift in your career has placed you in a less prestigious environment. Maybe a family crisis has pulled you away from your regular routines, or a financial constraint has restricted your options. It feels like a step backward. But God does not waste steps. You have been sent to that specific side road because there is someone there—a cynical coworker, a grieving neighbor, a desperate stranger—who is praying for an answer that God has placed inside of you. You are the carrier of the miracle they need. It might be a word of encouragement, a tangible act of kindness, or the sharing of the Gospel itself. The main highway was good, but the detour is holy. Trust the redirection of the Holy Spirit. Your current disruption is actually a divine appointment, orchestrating a miracle for someone who is waiting just around the bend. Respond: How could you learn to see “detours” as purposeful redirection? The next time you find yourself somewhere unexpected, try looking for three ways you could find possibilities in the unexpected. Pray: God, when life takes me through valleys I do not understand, help me trust that You are still working. Teach me to surrender the illusion of control and depend fully on You. Help me trust that even painful detours will be used to shape my character and deepen my faith. Amen. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com [https://wfpc.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Illusion of the Outward Appearance

These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link. [https://account.venmo.com/pay?recipients=WakeForestPresbyterian-Church] https://account.venmo.com/pay?recipients=WakeForestPresbyterian-Church Scripture: Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?” Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have? Consider: We had an extended discussion this morning at the breakfast table about the merits of the phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’ We told one of our children that it matters what clothes they wear to school and that, while we will allow clean sweatpants, pajama pants were a step to far in the casual department for our family. It matters, we said, how you present yourself to the world because the clothes you wear and the way you present yourself affects your own attitude and how other people treat you. So you show up to school ready to learn. To which they responded, “I thought you weren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover.” Touche. There is a difference between using the outward signs of a person’s physical appearance - dirty clothes and unkempt hair do give you information about a person’s current state of mind - and using those markers as ways to define a person’s inward value. While they may be pristene and neat on the outside with a perfectly matching outfit and luxury brand clothes, the inside may not match the cleanliness of the outside. Our outward signalling to the world does offer information, but it doesn’t define who we are at the root. God sees past those sign posts to see what is in our hearts. While we can and do present ourselves to the world and we can and should use those clues from others to keep ourselves safe and informed, God asks us to look deeper and see the intrisic value of the human made in God’s image behind and underneath those signs. While book covers help you decide which books to choose, the books inside are not the sum total of the cover. The same goes for you. You are not your cover. Respond: When was the last time you found yourself using someone’s outside appearance and physical bearins to judge their value as a human? How about yourself? Do you look in the mirror and see a body which doesn’t live up to your (possibly impossible) standards and think less of yourself? The next time you find yourself equating appearance and value, take 30 seconds to name other attributes you have which can’t be seen from the outside. Pray: God, Our perception of others often gets mixed up in the jumble of information we can percieve about them from the outside. Help us to have the wisdom to see past the cover to the value contents inside, and the wisdom to use the information the cover provides. Amen. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com [https://wfpc.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]