Archive for the ‘Safe Space’ Category

27 Jan

These fearful times

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Adversity, advice, christ, Christian, Christianity, control, depression, end times, Faith, Fear, Holy Week, Hope, Jesus, peace, Politics, Prayer, President of the United States, Religion, rest, Risk, Safe Space, simplicity, spiritual, Tornados, war, Weather. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Jesus calming the storm

On January 20th Donald Trump was sworn in (again) as President of the United States.  For some Americans it was a day of celebration, while for others it was a day of dread and fear. This is not uncommon when the political pendulum makes a big swing to the left or right in this country. The media circus on both left and right during the presidential campaign and since has been enough to depress just about anyone who listens or reads too much news.

Just in case the noise of partisan politics hasn’t depressed you, we’ve been bombarded lately with news of torrential rains, mudslides, hail storms, wildfires in LA, tornados and hurricanes in places they don’t belong, and snow on our Gulf coast beaches. Then there are wars and rumors of war around the globe, like in Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Somalia, Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh, and elsewhere.

These are indeed fear-provoking times. Sometimes it looks like no one is in charge. The good news is that there’s one great master plan in motion for all mankind, and neither Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping or any other man is in control. God is still in control of everything in creation and always will be. 

Not long before he died, the Rev. Dr. Charles Stanley, Pastor Emeritus of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta, recorded a homily titled, A Comforting Message in Fearful Times. Just as the Apostle Paul encourages believers to “put on the full armor of God” in Ephesians 6, Dr. Stanley’s message encourages us to “soak” our minds and hearts in the word of God, where believers can find peace, comfort, and courage in the midst of the spiritual warfare surrounding our daily lives. Dr. Stanley cites a treasure trove of scripture during the homily, which I have listed below. I encourage you to read through the entire list, then go back and look at each passage in the context of the full chapter it comes from.   

Philippians 4:6-7 — “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”.

Psalm 16:7-8 — “I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken”.

Psalm 4:8 — “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety”.

Psalm 27:1 — “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread”?

Psalm 139:23 — “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there’s any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way”.

Psalm 138:7 — “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me”.

Psalm 138:8 — “The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting”.

Psalm 138:3 — “On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul”.

Philippians 4:19 — “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”.

Isaiah 41:10 — “Do not fear for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you with my righteous right hand”.

John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life”.

1 John 1:9 — “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.

Psalm 121:1-8 — “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He will keep you and He will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper, the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever”.

Isaiah 54:17 — “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment, you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me”, declares the Lord.

Psalm 32:7 — “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble. You surround me with songs of deliverance”.

Psalm 94:19 — “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delights my soul”.

Psalm 23:4 — “Even though I walk through the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff they comfort me”.

Psalm 139:3 — “You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways”.

All in all, the difference between the believers and non-believers is this: in tough situations the believer accepts God’s wisdom and control. His prayer is for patience and to say as Jesus said, “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42b). On the other hand, the non-believer challenges God, neglecting to believe in Him unless he has proof. (Based on a sermon by Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour).

A comforting message in fearful times – by Dr. Charles Stanley. Safe Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2OKUg8NQY8

8 Jun

Messy Christianity

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Adversity, advice, Bible, Christian, Christianity, discipleship, Faith, Messy Christianity, Poor, Poverty, Religion, Risk, Safe Space, Salvation, Simple Living, simplicity, Uncategorized, Works. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

Soup Kitchen

Many Christians love their big, opulent church buildings. They can be quite impressive, especially older ones that are massive relics of past centuries. Standing inside a pristine, beautifully ornamented Gothic cathedral can certainly give one a sense of awe. They’re a wonderful place in which to worship God.

The entire world was recently shaken by images of the beloved Notre Dame Cathedral on fire in Paris. Notre Dame is now closed for who knows how long, as the French government and people begin the long process of rebuilding. The church building is a mess.

Christianity is a messy business—in many ways messier than the scorched interior of Notre Dame.  In John 14:12, Jesus tells us, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing.”  Acts 10:38 tells us Jesus “went around going good.” As Christ’s disciples, we are to follow his example of doing good. Good works are not a condition for salvation. Salvation is a free gift for those who put their faith in Christ. But as the Book of James tells us, works are a manifestation of Christ’s love that is in those who put their faith in Him. 

We are to follow Christ’s example.  Matthew 9:35-38 says:

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus is the Lord of the harvest. The harvest he is speaking about has many faces including the sick and suffering, people in trouble, those who don’t know Christ and many others. They all need caring, compassionate Christ-believers who care about the wandering sheep.

Unfortunately, many Christians are too comfortable in the places where they currently are in their faith journey; perhaps they attend church regularly, give money to the church; and participate in church social events. They enjoy this and aren’t eager for change. People in this condition can find it difficult to reach out to the sheep of Jesus’ flock. In his video series on the Good Samaritan, Christian author Rev. John Ortberg likens this to someone sitting on a comfortable bench in a beautiful park—a place one doesn’t want to move from.

Christians who find themselves in such a comfortable condition today but recognize the need for change can rise from their bench in small steps.  It might mean spending a weekend working on a church project with a group of volunteers, inviting a new family on the block over for dinner, visiting a church member in a hospital or nursing home, or leading a Bible study. Taking such baby steps isn’t very messy, but it helps prepare one for Christ’s messy work.

Messy Christianity requires getting one’s hands dirty in both the figurative and literal sense. It’s found in places like soup kitchens and homeless shelters, getting involved in helping someone  who is being physically or mentally abused, inviting someone on the down and out into your home for awhile, giving someone in need a loan with no expectation of being repaid, or traveling to distant places to perform mission work such as flood or hurricane relief. It often requires taking personal risks and/or experiencing considerable discomfort.

Early Christians in Rome were noted for fearlessly caring for the sick and diseased. Many non-Christian Romans admired the Christians’ selfless acts. The Western Emperor Constantine the Great decriminalized Christianity in 313 AD by issuing the Edict of Milan.  Ten years later Christianity became the official religion of Rome. This occurred through a different kind of revolution marked not by violence and warfare, but by countless acts of Christian love, charity and sacrifice.

The Rev. Ken R. Klaus, Pastor Emeritus of the Lutheran Hour said, “All too often the job of reaching others is left to others. That can be unfortunate. After all, there are times when you may be the best person to reach someone who is lost or wandering.” You don’t have to be an evangelist or great orator to succeed either.  All you need do is open the door for the Holy Spirit to begin His work in another person’s life. Share your joy!”

If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get out past the harbor into the great depths of God, and begin to know things for yourself. –Oswald Chambers

*Note: all Bible references are NIV.

29 Jun

Prepare the children, not the road

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Adversity, advice, Bible, Christianity, Controversy, Freedom of Speech, Safe Space, trigger, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , .

Bible

Adversity introduces a man to himself.  –Albert Einstein

 The Urban Dictionary describes “trigger” as a topic, phrase or word that emotionally sets someone off.   “Setting off” can refer to anger or reliving a traumatic experience. Some universities have gone so far as to establish so-called “safe spaces,” where those with delicate feelings can avoid triggering events. Some universities have resorted to publishing trigger warnings about certain campus events, so those who might feel uncomfortable hearing opinions differing from their own can avoid the events.

In some universities, even classrooms have been designated as safe spaces.  This has led to charges of censorship, where freedom of speech, and hence rigorous intellectual discourse, is prohibited on campus.

Recently, there was a Chick-fil-A flap on the campus of Duquesne University.  Some students oppose the planned opening on campus of a Christian-owned chicken restaurant whose owners espouse conservative values, for fear it will upset their “safe space.” This and a host of other triggering incidents, many associated with the harsh treatment of conservative speakers trying to make invited presentations on university campuses, got me thinking about how today’s children are not being equipped to deal with adversity.

Popular Christian author and apologist David C. McCasland has suggested, “Instead of trying to remove all obstacles and pave the way for the children in our life, we should instead equip them to deal with the difficulties they encounter on the road ahead.”  McCasland’s suggestion isn’t rocket science, yet many in our society today simply can’t grasp this wisdom.

Trigger warnings and safe spaces are natural consequences of a society where every child playing sports gets a trophy—both winners and losers—so as to avoid any hurt feelings. They are also consequences of a society where Christianity and Christian-based principles are on the decline. If the truth be told, life is naturally full of adversity and controversy.  What if we equipped our children to deal with these rather than avoiding them?

Most American children, age six and above, spend the better part of each weekday in school.  Today, younger and younger children find themselves in school programs as more mothers take on full-time jobs. Most schools do an inadequate job of teaching life skills–that’s where parents come in. What if parents spent 30 minutes a day teaching their children to deal with the real world, instead of spending a lifetime trying to protect them and solve all their problems?

In John 16:33 (ESV), Jesus tells us, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”   In John 17, Jesus’ prayer reminds us that his followers are not of this world, even as He is not of this world.  We will all suffer at times during our lives, but we need look no farther than the cross to find peace amid life’s tribulations.

The Bible is the best source of wisdom about dealing with adversity and controversy. Just consider what might happen if you spent a mere 30 minutes each day sharing the Bible with your children.  This amounts to one TV show you wouldn’t have to watch…a blessing in itself!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.                                   

–2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (ESV)