Whitney Houston, Lent, and the Difference Between Boys and Girls.

Whitney Houston


  I was so saddened and shocked to hear of Whitney Houston's tragic and young death.  I was further saddened and shocked by some of the responses I heard from Christians.  It broke my heart that it seemed to be a time to further bash Houston, her life choices, and weaknesses.  Casting stones at someone who's dead sure does make me uncomfortable.
  What I don't understand, is why?  Why would we respond this way?  Why would we decide that this tragic ending further demanded our criticism and judgment of Houston?  If her heartbreaking life wasn't enough to call for our pity and prayers, couldn't we let her death at least do so?
   I wish that we all could have instead been impacted by power if sin and Satan and humbled to remember that "But for the grace of God go I."


Lent


  I've blogged about Lent a few times before, so for more on that, please check those blogs out!:)  Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday which means the beginning of another Lent season.  It was hard to figure out what to do this year, as pregnancy really limits the choices- a lot of things I'm already giving up, and some other things I really can't give up.  So this Lent me and the hubby are giving up TV except on the weekends.  For us, this really is a big deal!  As I "put off" TV I'm planning on "putting on" a lot more reading of a stack of Christian living and theological books I've been needing to get to.  I'm very excited for how God will use this Lent in my life to bring me closer to Him and prepare me for Easter!


The Difference Between Boys and Girls


  John Piper recently came out with some interesting and controversial statements on Masculine Christianity.  He refers to Christianity as having a God-given "masculine feel" and the church as having an ordained "masculine ministry".  He lists reasons such as Jesus being a man; the disciples being men; God presenting Himself as King, not Queen; and the leaders of the home and pastor's of churches being designed to be men.

  To be fair, I don't totally understand Piper's point.  And, as a side note, please know I'm a huge Piper fan.  But being a Piper fan doesn't mean I have to nod and smile at everything he says.

  I think Piper's comments seem like a reaction to another argument, and I'm not sure what that is.  I feel like he is unclear about what exactly he means and how exactly this "masculine ministry" plays out.  But I do know this: I am 110% uncomfortable with assigning Christianity a gender either way.  I am also uncomfortable with the lower level that he seems to give women.  I don't mean this in a Feminist rights way, but in a common sense, normal way.  If ministry is to be always masculine and women are to merely "come alongside men with joyful support... helpfulness... and partnership", as Piper says, then I would like to see men taking over church's hospitality committees and nursery ministries.  You see, I think sometimes men want leadership and control when it fits their "manly" feel.  If men, as Piper seems to be saying, are to always lead ministries, then they need to step up more in the "womanly" areas of church service.  And quite frankly, I'd like to see how this plays out.  You see, church's need women and they need women to be leaders too.  Men couldn't do it all nor could they lead it all.  They were not meant to.

  I think Piper also ignores the points that the Church is referred to as the Bride of Christ and is given female pronoun referrals.  That Lydia had her own business selling purple linen.  That women were chosen to find and declare Christ's empty grave.  That there were female prophetesses.


  I think some have gotten stuck in the culture of the 1950's, and have since then claimed that era's lifestyle to somehow be equated with a biblical lifestyle.  We need to step back and keep God-given boundaries and roles where He placed them, and not spread them into areas He never intended.

Satan the Lent-hater

Let me tell you a couple things about Satan. #1 He HATES Lent. #2 He knows you.


Let me start with a week ago.  Tuesday about this time I put up my chipper little blog about Lent.  Filled with enthusiasm, I later headed to bed contemplating the great things that would happen between then and Easter.

Ok this brings me to the Satan hating Lent part.  You see, I RARELY dream. Yet that night was filled with dreams, er... nightmares.  Crazy, awful, vivid nightmares allllll night long. Now, if you read my blog comments from last week, you'll know that one of my Lent commitments is to get up earlier to spend time beginning the day with God. Well that certainly was made a lot more difficult after a restless night of bad dream torture.

As I sat down that first Ash Wednesday morning beginning my time with God, countless things wrestled for my attention.  Distraction after distraction came, from dog, hubby, phone, etc. Even my worship music kept crashing.

Grr... Satan!!!

Long story short, later that day got even better as someone I'd never met from my workplace decided to call the cops on me on a hit-and-run. Yes,bizarre and don't worry, FALSE.  She claimed I put damage on her car that... guess what... the cops knew had been there for a looong time.  Nice try chic.  But the ordeal was pretty long awful and so a big chunk of my day was spent crying and being attacked by people I work with.  Ah yes, my other Lent commitment... to not worry.

So the next day... guess what?  I was sick... I mean I felt AWFUL.  Kinda hard to follow up on my Lent commitment to make the bed every day when I'm stuck IN it for 3 days.  Ended up finally going to the doc and found out I had strep.

SATAN!!!!

You know, it's so awesome and cool to know that God knows us so well.  But it's important to remember that, while he doesn't know us NEARLY as well as God does, Satan does know us.  He knows are weaknesses, strengths, and everything in between and he WILL use it to take us down.

Not only did Satan specifically attack each area of my Lent, but He also knows this about me:  I am a black and white person. Hardcore. It's all or nothing to me.  And it was hard after the Penicillin wore off to not give up already on Lent. Thoughts of "Well I already missed some days... so much for hitting every day during Lent... what's the point now?"  Thankfully, God's voice was louder than the Devil's and I got back on the horse.

Maybe you've already faced some attacks during Lent, or whatever attacks from Satan you are facing, remember this:

  "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm."  -Ephesians6:10-13

It's not too late to Lent!

Last year I blogged an explanation of why I participate in Lent.  In case you missed it, please read it here!

Tomorrow begins this years Lent.  I am so utterly excited for all that God is going to teach me and do in my life!  I am more than looking forward to the end of Lent, not because I can go back to my normal habits, but because Lent takes us at its end right into Easter, which is the most beautiful day of the year to me!!!  And by that day, God will have revealed so much to me through my Lent.

I want to encourage you tonight to consider participating in Lent this year.  Maybe you never have, or maybe you have but were thinking of skipping this year.  If you never have before, I suggest to you to try something new with God.  Give Him yet more access to you.  Be amazed with me over the next 40 days of what all He will show you!  If you have done it before, and are thinking of skipping this year, then I encourage you to pause and remember with me what great things come from Lent.  The sweetness in sacrifice.  The challenge in change.  The lessons in Lent.

Maybe you need to stop and do some research before you jump into Lent.  Then please do; but don't use ignorance as an excuse.  If you have not yet committed to Lent this year, then put a little effort out there tonight to make that decision.  It's not too late to Lent this year.  Why not? 

No, I'm not Catholic, but...

...I am practicing Lent this year. Usually when people have found out about this they look at me pretty confused thinking something along the lines of, "I thought you were a Baptist chick??" Yes, I go to a Baptist church. But, it's not a box that I am in.

And while Lent is often associated only with Catholicism, Lutherans, Methodists, and Anglicans recognize Lent just as strongly. And previous to the Protestant Reformation, all Christian groups practiced Lent just as strongly. Lent is still currently viewed as a general Christian practice.

Christian... what a marvelous term. One that does not depend on where you go to church or what denomination you claim. Now, hear me correctly here: I am not Catholic, and it is because of some very strong differences in belief. Hear me correctly again: I think a lot of Baptists will go to hell and a lot of Catholics will go to heaven.

Basically, where you go after you die doesn't depend on where you went to church when you were alive. But more on that later.

Yes, I am practicing Lent. Here are some reasons:

~ It gives me an early focus and preparation for the Easter celebration. Easter is by far my favorite time of year. What a beautiful, amazing day full of opportunity to celebrate Jesus' resurrection! As it leads up to that precious day, I find a period of self-denial to be more than appropriate. I mean one thought of self-pity at what I gave up just gives God more opportunity to remind me of how much His Son gave up for me.

~ I find that self-denial is crystal clear in the Bible as being much more than a good thing. Often, it's a must. Too often we get used to getting what we want, when we want it, how we want it. So it takes some extra effort on our part to experience self-denial. In the Bible we see examples of many including Jesus Himself who go through periods of fasting, wilderness experiences, and other practices similar in heart to Lent.

~ Not getting what we want often leaves a vacuum. At Lent, it's a great way to give up something to create that vacuum for the sole purpose of God filling it. So with the self-control comes a greater need to pray and depend on God. Through the sacrifice comes praise and realization at just how much we do have. And through the self-denial we get to put into action our beliefs on self-discipline.

I am not Catholic. I believe very strongly with Baptists' doctrines. But that doesn't mean that I can't look at another denomination and learn from them and find value in some of their practices.

I am a Baptist, but not in a box.

And I am practicing Lent.