Lent - Pt 1

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.” (Matthew 26:26-29 ESV).

In just a few days there will be both celebrations and solemn worship to begin what is commonly known in Christianity as “Lent.” If you have traveled to some of the locations on the Tuesday before lent you know some of the celebrations I reference. My hometown of Galveston, Texas has a week of celebration each year to initiate the Lenten season! In fact, if you go to the website you find this simple explanation: At Mardi Gras! Galveston, the extravagance found in Texas’ largest Mardi Gras celebration starts with the beads! More than 3 million beads will be thrown at Mardi Gras! Galveston and that’s just the beginning of the elaborate parades, headliner performances, family events, feasting and other festivities that come with hosting Mardi Gras island style. Of course, best known for such celebrations is found in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. Regardless of the place you may choose to begin your “celebration” of this season, it is important that you not lose the significance of its impact in helping you focus on the most important religious day of the year for Christians. That day is Easter. So, let me begin today with you in a journey taking us to that day. First, a little history and background are is in order. The word “Lent” comes from the Old English word “lengten,” which simply means “spring.” It calls to mind that time of the year when the days lengthen and new life springs forth. It is a time in which we anticipate the victory of the light and life of Christ over the darkness of sin and death. It is, to borrow a phrase from C.S. Lewis, a season of a kind of “happiness and wonder that makes you serious.” Whatever you may do to begin the season it is my prayer that as we take this journey together from Ash Wednesday to Easter, you would be reminded of the reality of our broken humanity; and, as days grow brighter, you would experience with greater abundance the reality of God’s redeeming grace. And so, just as we carefully prepare for big events in our personal lives, such as a wedding or commencement, Lent invites us to make our hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ death and resurrection. That is the message that brings the greatest reason for celebration!

Trauma - Pt 5

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV).

Yesterday I ended the thought with a quote from the Apostle Paul; today, I begin with one from the same letter. Our reading is the apostle’s personal testimony about his physical trauma. This “thorn in the flesh” he references in verses 7-8 is much more than a mere splinter. He is talking about a “tent peg” sized pain. We don’t know exactly what it was, however, we know it was much more than a momentary inconvenience. God gives us himself, even in the midst of triggers. A “trigger” is when the past interrupts the present without apology, and often without warning. We may not even know we are being triggered until much later on. It may appear as an unexplained surge of anxiety or anger; it could be that feeling consistently experienced with one person or in a particular place. These things then point our minds back to previous pain. Triggers are neither good nor evil. They are adaptive tools our body gives us to protect us from future harm, but they are often overactive in telling us that there is danger where there is none. The Scripture gives us powerful words in defense. However, begin with an examination of your anxiety. Find the foundation of you particular triggers. Anxiety is often a prophet of doom from a future of half-truths. The traumatized must feel their ways through spiritual warfare like everyone else, but with a peculiar handicap. Recognize that God does not remove our memories of the painful experience. He does use it for our future good. They become clear billboard-sized warning signs for us while pointing us to the means of comfort and victory in every circumstance. So, trust, and beware. Step out, and watch your step. Don’t submit to the prison of your fear, but accept the advantage it gives you. Know that it wasn’t your fault, and don’t start blaming everyone else for everything else. The gospel really can provide the impossible feelings of joy, hope, and love for those willing to bravely embrace the impossibility with faith. Truth can feel like a heavy burden for the hurting, but it is ultimately the only relief for the oppressed. The truth is that Jesus became a human with all the weaknesses we face so that he could really be there with us every step of our own journey. You may not feel yourself running into glory, but limping; you may even feel crippled and carried. But take heart, Christ himself refuses to forget the scars of his earthly pain, even in glory: “I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6). Trust Him!

Trauma - Pt 4

My companion stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant. His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:20-22 ESV).

There are those times when I am chided for using the promise of good (cf. Romans 8:28) so often. I know it does not bring immediate relief from the pain and struggle in the face of trauma; however, it does not ring false either. It is not merely a general promise that sometime, somehow God will do something good to balance the bad. The truth is that God knows specifically the pain of trauma and from that position speaks specifically to the depths of it. God does not leave us alone in our suffering either. God gives us words for the pain and trauma. Massive portions of the Bible were written in poetry, because mere prose cannot communicate the pain and struggle and emotion that poetry can. Not every prayer must end with the glorious shout of victory, despite what many simplistic blogs and books and sermons may suggest. The book of Lamentations (Book of Sorrows) ends in a whimper, in God’s arms, yet still fragile and vulnerable, still anxiously awaiting the victory. After trust seems to have been betrayed, whether it was trust in a God who could have prevented the pain, trust in a friend who was supposed to protect, trust in a system that was supposed to defend us the pain and trauma run much deeper. This is what David is saying in our reading today. We should look to words like these. They are more accurate, honest words. Truth can feel like a heavy burden for the hurting, but it is ultimately the only relief for the oppressed. Truthful and beautiful words cut through deceitful uses of Scripture and their accompanying half-truths. If trauma has brought you to a feeling of isolation, recognize God beside you in the midst of the assault on your worth and value. The Scripture is full of the words “meant for the foxhole.” They are words we never could have fully understood anywhere else. Let me direct you to one such passage written by the Apostle Paul: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV).

Trauma - Pt 3

Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. (Psalm 118:5-7 ESV).

The Scripture offers ample proof that God does not simply forget those things that are easier to do so. He tells stories of trauma that would have been much easier to ignore and forget. Glossing over the darkness for the sake of a redemptive story only perpetuates trauma. Calling the smallest signs of functionality “healing” and “progress” can actually undercut real healing and progress by minimizing pain and loss. The process of recovery is not typically immediate. Accurate self-assessment and self-honesty, as much as it is possible, is what places us within God’s true story about us, not trying to contrive redemptive emotions and improvement before they truly come. God speaks about our trauma with precision. No ambiguous talk of “darkness,” “shame,” or “chains” will accurately describe the transgression of abuse, or the self-harming cycles into which it throws its victims. Not crassness. Not oversharing. Not shouting it from the rooftops or bulldozing every conversation with its weight. But God does encourage and embrace truth in grace. The narratives in the Old Testament are awkwardly full of details. Like peering at surveillance footage, God inspired the authors to exposit the events with brutal accuracy. We see them in Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38); a Levite and his concubine (Judges 19); and, Amnon and Tamar (2 Samuel 13) to name a few. These are ugly, awful stories about traumatic experiences among God’s faithful ones. God didn’t intervene to prevent the abuse. God didn’t micromanage the suffering, or give the victims a clean and quick “recovery story.” And yet he still put them on stage in his redemptive story. Judah and Tamar interrupt the Joseph narrative. The Levite and his concubine interrupt the final cycle of Judges. Judah and Tamar interrupt David’s saga with Bathsheba and Absalom. God interrupts the stories of redemption with short stories of lives interrupted by trauma, some that are never resolved this side of heaven. What we can know with certainty is that they each are worked for our individual good. That is an absolute promise of God (cf. Romans 8:28).Therefore we can find comfort and healing in our story. There is glory awaiting!

Trauma - Pt 2

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. (Psalm 103:8-9 ESV).

Yesterday I wrote that we would look at five specific principles that describe the gifts God gives to the traumatized. We must be honest about the evil that exists in our world. Then we can be honest with how we can speak of Christ without overpromising with well-wishes that may not come true in this life. Then we are able to understand trauma without excusing someone entirely for awful patterns of sinful and destructive behavior. It is only then that we can faithfully and lovingly speak theological truth about trauma. So, the first of these gifts is that God remembers evil. God remembers the evil that caused our traumas. He will not forget the life of our lost loved one, the transgression of our abuser, the brutal pain of violence, the shock and awe of loss, the aching regret over wounds for which we’re responsible. One day, he will bring all of it into the light with crystal clarity and perfect justice. Genuine trauma is done a disservice when the wound is hidden. Satan wants you to hide and deceive. God wants you to come to him with every honest, painful detail. Trauma is mitigated first of all by calling that which is evil “evil,” and that which is devastating “trauma.” Its effects are only able to be survived and minimized when the whole tragedy has first come into view. The past will not be whitewashed for the sake of protecting the privileged. The men or women, the kings, the powerful, the institutional leaders, all those who abused power for their own personal gain, all evil acts will be properly labeled as evil, and remembered as the perpetuation of trauma. In being honest about our pain we are able to draw from the strength and purpose of God. While it often appears that God has merely wound this world and all the people in it allowing them to wander through life with all of its pain and trauma, this is simply not true, God has been very intentional in the ordination of our individual journey. Every pleasure, every painful experience, all of those things that a simply “in-between” have been designed to produce good (cf. Romans 8:28). He does not forget about the evil done to us nor experienced by us. He uses all of it for our good. And, further, if action is necessary to exact justice on our behalf that too will be done. Read the end of the book. We know how this story ends! God has not forgotten one tear!

Trauma - Pt 1

Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. (Psalm 56:1-4 ESV).

I am often asked how to deal with the trauma in someone’s past. Today I want to begin a short series that I hope will help us understand and cope with the suffering of life. Trauma is a certain kind of suffering, the kind that overwhelms one’s ability to cope. It describes a whole class of wounds that cripple. These are those wounds that bury themselves deep in our consciousness; they become tragedies that are simply too heavy for us. It happens in the past, but asserts itself over and over in the present. It may have been sex, too early; death, sudden and unwelcome; repetitive and familiar violence; prolonged neglect; excused abuse; or pervasive pain. It is not the same as the trauma of combat though they have similarities. I want us to focus on the trauma that is so often close to home. These experiences may be long removed from our present lives, yet they continue to affect us terribly. We must understand how we may faithfully navigate the overwhelming wounds and unpredictable triggers returning us to the pain in a wash of memories and wounds. Some Christians have been trained to think that faithful believers will not continue to experience traumatic symptoms for the rest of their lives because of Christ’s liberating work. On the other hand, hope and freedom are withheld by other well-meaning Christian counselors who insist on our “need to process,” the need to focus exclusively on our trauma, the need to speak at length about the pain, the need to obsess over it, the need to become preoccupied with our wounds. It is a false notion that only in giving ourselves over to our trauma can we be free from it. The first of these means of healing is no more than cruel optimism; the other is an incurable diagnosis. The church seems to walk precariously in these situations between these two serious errors. There are countless stories of churches blanching traumatic experiences and ongoing distress with reductionistic redemptive strategies, undercutting and offending the legitimacy and necessity of true lament. There are countless other stories of parents’ relationships with their children utterly destroyed, not to mention seeming relationships with God, because a counselor was overly fixated on the trauma. For these reasons, the term trauma is heard both too little and too often in our day, too little in addressing the profound wreckage of abuse, and too often as the controlling, decisive narrative in our story. This is where we begin. Trauma is real. God cares enormously. There are five specific things the Bible has to say to those who are hurting. We’ll look at each in the coming days. Today, put your trust in Him (v. 3-4).

Dirt Roads

But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. (1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 ESV).

The Christian life is not complicated. But when we allow fearful thoughts to invade our lives, we suddenly find that they have turned into struggles. God’s wisdom is sure, uncomplicated, and unwavering. He never meant for the Thessalonians to be captured by doubt or the frantic pace of their society. Instead, the Lord wanted them to learn to live simply; He wanted them to be content. So the apostle writes to the Thessalonians to “make it their ambition to lead a quiet life” (v. 11). The picture of the dirt road through the farmland I’ve chosen today reminds me of that need of a simpler life. Living with godly simplicity does not equal inactivity. It is not an encouragement for mental or physical laziness. Simplicity, when it is handled properly, removes the noise and clutter that threaten to steal our sense of peace and intimacy with Christ. Here’s what Tozer writes: “Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity, which is in Christ, is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations, and a world of nervous activities, which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all.” The apostle tells them to remember what he taught them. I wish we had a manuscript of that lesson! In the absence of that, here are two principles that I have found both Scriptural and practical: First, be clear about the fact that our lives are more complex than they need to be. I am not advocating a monastic life; however, I’m sure with some intentional reevaluation we all could find some things that we could eliminate from our schedules. Be intentional about both your time and resources. Second, make decisions based on the context of genuine need. Sometimes that is more difficult than it might appear. I’ve found it easier when I put everything in the context of “need.” The next time you go to buy a second of anything, be serious and ask yourself, “Do I really need another one like the one I have?” This is the heart of real simplicity, which will lead you to contentment. This is the stroll down the dirt road, instead of speeding down the interstate. Give it a try!