Hammer on Anvil '

"I leaned against a wall to take it all in: bodies on the floor in spatters of urine and vomit ... demons manifesting eerily ... a woman's crippling pain disappearing, fevers breaking, hearts changing -- the weeping, the singing, the stretched faces of poverty and the shocking messiness of God's presence with humans. And somewhere in the midst of the grit and the glory, the wonder and the wretchedness, I managed to have one crystal thought: This is what miracles are like." -- Jordan Seng

The above quote describes what the author witnessed at the end of a church service. He and his team began to pray for people, and powerful things started to happen. A man delivered from addiction promptly threw up all over the shoes of the person praying for him. When a woman fainted under the power of the Holy Spirit, two young women knelt and prayed for her. As they did, a curious bump surfaced under the skin of her belly, and began moving around. They knew it was a demon, and when they cast it out, the woman woke up.

I love that Seng calls this "the shocking messiness of God's presence with humans." We miss our mission as Christ followers if our faith is confined to attending Sunday morning worship services. Jesus was always on the move, gravitating not toward church people but to the downtrodden and disenfranchised. He didn't shun crowds of dirty, smelly people -- He walked in their midst, preached to them, fed them, healed their bodies, and delivered them from evil spirits. So zealous was He to complete His earthly mission that He often lacked time to eat or sleep.

Somewhere along the line, it seems we have forgotten that we are supposed to look like Jesus. We prefer to have things neat and tidy, and tend to be attracted to those who look, act and perhaps even smell like us. Addicts and the demon-possessed can get help elsewhere, thank you very much.

I have been involved in an abortion recovery ministry for several years. When I first started, my husband and I had to move on from two different churches because the pastor would not support what God was calling me to do. The subject of abortion, I was told, is "too shameful and embarrassing" to discuss in church.

Yes, abortion recovery is messy. So is addiction to pornography or drugs or alcohol or gambling. But do we not serve a God who gives hope? God wants us to run toward these people, not away from them! I'm sure the woman with the issue of blood in Luke 8 felt messy. She had been bleeding for 12 years. She was desperate. What if Jesus, when she strained to touch the hem of His garment, would have recoiled in disgust and said, "Ewww! Get away from Me!" I am ashamed to confess that I have reacted that way. And God is gracious to continue to show me my own ugliness in order to teach me more compassion.

Jesus, though He was the very Son of God, did not lord it over people (no pun intended). He didn't behave as a prima donna who exuded a "touch Me not" aura. People came to Him in droves because they sensed His love and compassion and the power of God to change their lives.

Which of these are you more like? If you find you are more of a prima donna, ask God this week to reveal the ugliness in your own heart -- the things that people at church may not see on Sundays, but that God sees. Hebrews 4:13 says nothing in all creation is hidden from His sight, and He is the One to whom we must ultimately give account. When it comes time to give that accounting, I pray we may all be able to say that we were not afraid to get messy.

Twice in the past week, I have listened to sermons
in which the pastor referred to DNA. Not the DNA that forensic scientists and the FBI use to identify bodies or chase criminals or determine parenthood, but spiritual DNA.

We all have scientific DNA; we are born with it. But sometimes we forget we also have a spiritual DNA. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, anyone who belongs to Christ has become a whole new person.

In an age where many people use the term "genetically predispositioned" to excuse a multitude of less than stellar behaviors and attitudes, the Christ follower must stand head-and-shoulders above the crowd. We must remember, according to a sermon I heard at a gathering of Chi Alpha students, "We are not genetically predispositioned to live a life less than what the Lord meant for us to live."

Ouch. Does that mean I can't blame my parents or my upbringing or sexual abuse or (fill in the blank) for my behavior? Yes, my friend, that's exactly what it means. Being a new creature in Christ means not allowing anything from your past to control your present and future.

Last week our pastor preached about our pilgrimage as Christians, and how often there is a disconnect between how we do life on Sundays and how we do life the rest of the week. That's when I heard the second reference to DNA:

He's implanted a DNA in us that's being ignored.

How right he is. Have you ever felt miserable and out of sorts and couldn't put your finger on just why you felt that way? I have, countless times. And ultimately, when I work through it all and allow God to speak to me, it comes down to this: I am ignoring my DNA. The inner turmoil is because God has created me to be one way, and I persist in being another.

Friends, I am not saying that our past doesn't matter. I am not suggesting that horrific childhood memories be simply "forgotten" (as if we could do such a thing). It is important to work through these things, especially as it relates to understanding our present behavior. But once we have worked through it and forgiven whomever we need to forgive, we need to lay it at God's feet and leave it there. As Oswald Chambers says, "Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ."

Are you stuck in the past, reliving memories? Have you given things to God, only to take them back again because you think He can't handle it correctly? If so, repent of your lack of faith and trust in God, and begin living up to your DNA. Then and only then can you begin to pursue the life your heavenly Father has planned out for you.