Being Still

My brothers invited me to join them and some other family in hiking the Grand Canyon this summer. They have invited me before, but I was never able to work out my schedule to go with them. I can't convey how excited I am at the opportunity. My family took a vacation out west when I was three. So, I have been to the Grand Canyon, but I don't remember it. I'm excited about the chance to do more than see the Grand Canyon; we are going to hike from one side to the other in a single day. On top of that, my youngest son, Nate, is hiking with me.

To hike down and out in a day requires training and preparation. I have been exercising and training with Nate for the past few weeks, but this last Saturday he was not able to join me when I went for a six-mile hike. Hiking with others is great, but sometimes it is nice just being alone. I seldom get chances to do things alone, and I am not complaining about that. I enjoy doing life with others. However, I wonder if I am so busy and with others so much that I neglect that part of my walk with Jesus. So, let's consider a few verses:

I often forget that being still is a command. Psalm 46:10 states, "Be still, and know that I am God." I am commanded to be still. Being still does not mean I am motionless. It is the idea of stilling my heart so I can recognize God's presence with me. This verse is quoted often, but it is important to remember all of Psalm 46. The psalm is filled with statements about trouble, the earth disappearing, mountains falling into the sea, waters roaring and foaming, earthquakes, war, governments falling, and desolation. That sounds quite familiar with what we see on the news. We hear stories of trouble, natural disasters, destruction, war, and nations striving against one another. We are reminded that it is in the chaos of life that we are to still our hearts and know God. How often do we get alone and still our hearts because we desire to know God?

Being still and alone with God are not new concepts. We observe this spiritual discipline in the lives of many prominent Old Testament saints:
"Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the 'tent of meeting.' Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp....The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend." (Exodus 33:7, 11).

Elijah finds himself alone and depressed when God speaks in a "gentle whisper." (1 Kings 19:12)

In David's most famous psalm, he hints at being alone and still before his Shepherd when he writes, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul." (Psalm 23:1-2)

Being still and alone are modeled by Jesus too:
"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mark 1:35)

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." (Luke 5:16)

What did Jesus do before He called the disciples? "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles." (Luke 6:12-13)

What did Jesus do when he mourned the loss of John the Baptist? "When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place." (Matthew 14:13)

What did Jesus do when the crowds wanted to make Him king? "Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself." (John 6:15)

We often picture Jesus with crowds around Him, and He did spend time with the masses. However, Jesus models for us the importance of getting away from the rat race of life to be alone and still before the Lord. Jesus often got alone to prepare Himself for what was next. When I was alone on my hike, I was once again reminded of how great and spectacular my God is. I was also reminded of how small I really am, and yet my God loves me and is concerned for me.

Being alone and still is a time to be rejuvenated, restored, and refreshed in our souls. It is a time to remember who God is and who I am. It is a time where I am reminded that He is with me and for me. It is a time to know Him and still my soul to clearly hear His voice. Will we have the discipline to be still and know He is God?

In Christ,
Mark Smith, Pastor of FBC Jacksonville, AR

Commands or Traditions

A couple of months ago a close friend recommended a book by Francis Chan titled, "Letters to the Church." I enjoy his writings because they are simple, direct, and challenge me (often in ways I don't want to be challenged). After reading Chapter Three, I put the book down because I knew our staff needed to read through the book together and discuss it. I want to share with you a few of the concepts mentioned in Chapter Three and give you a glimpse into what the staff discussed in response.

In order to set the stage, let me share with you a quote from that chapter, "He [Jesus] expects to find His Church taking His commands seriously. Yet far too often we are more concerned with how well the sermon was communicated, whether the youth group is relevant enough, or how to make the music better. Honestly, what is it that gets people in your church stirred up for change? Is it disobedience towards commands from God? Or is it falling short of expectations that we have made up? The answer to these questions might just show us whether our church exists to please God or please people--whether God is leading our church or we are."

Wow! You might want to read that a few more times. This is exactly what the religious leaders of Jesus' day had done. They supplanted the commands of God with their own traditions. They were more passionate with their own man-made rules than the commands of God. So, our staff took some time to create two lists. The first list are some of the commands (not optional) in Scripture. These are actual commands in Scripture. By the way, neither list is exhaustive, and we took about three to five minutes for each list. The second list are some traditions (not optional). These are things expected in church that are not commands in Scripture. This does not mean they are bad. They are simply optional because they are not commands. Here is our brief list, and I would encourage you to take time with some friends or your spouse to come up with your own list:

Commands (not optional)                                         Traditions (optional)
make disciples                                                          dressing up
love others                                                                time of day (schedule)
bear with one another                                               hymns/style of music
minister to orphans & widows                                   instrument types
forgive others                                                            Bible translations
carry each other's burdens                                       architecture/buildings
pray                                                                           pews
sing/worship in spirit & truth                                      age group ministries
study/read Scripture                                                  potlucks
take Lord's Supper                                                    Sunday night worship
baptism                                                                      Wednesday worship (prayer meeting)
tithe                                                                           Sunday School
evangelism                                                                order of service
go                                                                              bulletin
go extra mile                                                              programs
hospitality                                                                  entertainment
use spiritual gifts                                                       special events (egg hunt, fall festival, etc.)
obey 10 commandments                                           choir
show grace & mercy                                                  donuts & coffee
be a living sacrifice                                                     committees
be holy                                                                       majority voting
be an example                                                           steeples
                                                                                   paid staff
                                                                                   denominational hierarchy

Now, let's have some fun with these lists and ask some probing questions. In the leader's guide, Chan asks questions in response to these lists that I want you to think through personally and for our church. What do you give more time, money, and energy toward? Do you get more upset if we aren't taking things on the command side seriously or if we aren't taking things on the tradition side seriously? By the way, let's be honest in our response.

I don't want to share everything that was said in our staff meeting, but I want to highlight a couple of comments that were made and some of my personal thoughts. Also, remember that the traditions are not inherently bad. However, they are not commands either. First, we felt like our church spends more of its time, money, and energy towards the traditions. One person commented that maybe we do the traditional things in an attempt to fulfill the commands. I can buy that. For example, Sunday School was created as a tool for evangelism. Potlucks are an attempt at creating fellowship. But we need to remember that it is the command that is the most important; not the tradition.

This leads to the second thing I want to discuss. People get more upset with the traditions being messed with. Does it personally bother you that you haven't intentionally made a disciple? Are you convicted that you haven't shared the gospel with anyone lately? What about ministering to orphans and widows? How does your life model "going"? When was the last time we baptized someone? Does that really bother you and make you upset?

Now, let me ask how you would respond if we, the leadership in the church, announced that we were going to cancel your favorite program? Would you be upset? What if we said we were not going have a choir anymore? What if we said we were going to change our governmental structure and not allow members to vote anymore? (By the way, when they voted in Scripture they got it wrong.) What if we quit printing bulletins? Let's be honest. People are more passionate about traditions. Someone posted on social media a couple of weeks ago that it wasn't right that our church had Pancakes and PJs for kids on time change Sunday. Wow! I wonder if they are as upset with the fact that lost people are dying without Jesus?

In my years in ministry, I have had people get upset with me about changes. Keep in mind the changes are about tradition and not commands. I have even had individuals make attacking, harmful comments about me on social media. I always wonder why people are not upset with our disobedience to the direct commands of Jesus. Things like going, making disciples, forgiving, abiding in Christ, serving, and using my spiritual gifts. Maybe we are not growing because our traditions mean more to us than the commands of Jesus. What do you think?

Let me leave you with a question by Jesus in Matthew 15:3. "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?"

In Christ,
Mark Smith, Pastor of FBC Jacksonville, AR