Pat Robertson and The Benefit of Pondering

Last week Pat Robertson said some really dumb things.  (I responded.  But if you only read one article in response to Robertson, read Dr. Moore’s).  Robertson has sense (as I predicted) clarified his position and  let us know what he really mean to say. 

Aaron Armstrong has also made an excellent point in response to Robertson’s clarification.  As he notes, “Robertson should never have had to clarify his position in the first place”.  Had he heeded the numerous biblical warnings about the tongue then he would have not “given an off-the-cuff response to anything”. 

As I was reading through Proverbs this morning and thinking about how it relates to blogging I began thinking about Aaron’s article and the whole Robertson fiasco.  This Proverb especially struck me:

    The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
        but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
(Proverbs 15:28 ESV)

Think with me for a second about the “Ask Pat” segment of the 700 Club.  According to his retraction he, “on live television” simply “misstated” and “misspoke”.  What he was trying to say was that “adoption is not for everyone”.  Fair enough.  But here is the problem.  Those questions don’t just come in on the fly.  (And even if they did that would only prove my point more).  He has a chance to look over those questions before broadcast.  He either did and thoughtfully butchered his intentions or he decided that there was virtue in saying things off-the-cuff. 

I would put my money on the latter option.  It is common for those in the more charismatic and prosperity gospel leaning circles to put a great amount of stock in “on the fly” type of answers.  Apparently it’s better evidence that the Spirit is working and that the flesh isn’t present.  Something about preparation and thought always interferes with the Holy Spirit. 

Problem is that’s not what Scripture says.  According to numerous Proverbs we ought to give thought before we respond.  Fools and wicked people just let things fly off-the-cuff.  The wise and the righteous ponder how to answer questions. 

Lessons for Bloggers

In the world of Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and comments it can be very easy to type out quick responses to either sincere questions or asinine comments and articles.  The wise blogger refuses to respond too quickly. 

It would be far better to tell an inquisitor that you want to think on his/her question for a few days than to just simply respond off-the-cuff.  Of course there are times when we can respond quickly.  You ask me a question about Royals baseball and I probably don’t need to think on it for days.  But I want to be careful not to be so prideful as to think that I’m wise enough to host my own "Ask Pastor Mike” session where I don’t have time to give thought to my responses. 

Slow down in your responses.  I’d rather “ponder how to answer” than be the wicked fool that just pours out error. 

Waiting on the Spirit?

One of the books I’m reading through right now is Robert’s Rules of Writing.  In this book Robert Masello gives 101 unconventional lessons on writing.  Number 9 is “Lose the Muse”.

The Muse in case you are unaware is

“the embodiment of inspiration, usually portrayed as a comely woman loosely draped in a diaphanous gown—is what every writer longs for.  Once she appears, you’re supposed to be able to write effortlessly, at the height of your powers, with an unequaled command and energy and zest.”  (18)

Some writers will sit and wait for inspiration before they begin writing.  To this silly notion Masello encourages writers to “stop worrying about where she [the muse] is, and focus instead on doing the work at hand, she is most likely to put in a surprise appearance.” 

I wonder how many times Christian writers (or even those pursuing evangelistic efforts or anything else which puts us in desperate dependence on the Spirit) sit around wait for the Christian version of “The Muse”; namely, the Holy Spirit. 

One verse that can give credence to this notion of “waiting on the muse to show up” is Acts 1:4-5. 

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4-5 ESV)

In other words, don’t do anything until you’ve received empowerment from the Spirit.  I have heard--and sadly been guilty of--using this verse to not engage in a ministry endeavor until we have received a thumbs up from the Lord and empowerment from the Spirit.  Which, of course, is true in that “apart from me you can do nothing” and ministry apart from the Spirit doesn’t deserve to be called ministry. 

Yet, it is also true that the promise of the Spirit that the disciples were to wait for has already been given.  We can’t recreate Acts 1:4-5 nor should we.  After the day of Pentecost we aren’t called to sit around and wait on an indwelling of the Spirit.  No, once you become a believer that indwelling happens.

What happens after Pentecost is that the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:19 are fulfilled.  “Do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour”.  How does that happen?  It happens through the Spirit empowering common ordinary men like Peter and John and making them bold before a Sanhedrin.  It happens through a group of believers gathering together, reciting Scripture, praying for boldness and then going out opening their mouths believing that the Lord answered their prayer. 

Pray? Yes, of course.  But don’t pray and then sit there and wait for the muse to show up.  Pray and then get to work doing the obvious.  As a writer, one way that I apply this is that I pray for the Lord’s work in my writing, I also plead for sanity and holy affections, and then I get after it.  I go to work.  I “open my mouth” and trust the Spirit’s work. 

It’s not spiritual to sit in your attic waiting to hear from the Lord when He’s already spoken and He’s already empowered.  That’s not spiritual.  That’s lazy and unbelieving. 

Monday’s Ministry Musing: Don’t Pull a Roscoe

This happened about a year ago and I laughed then.  I saw it again the other day and found myself laughing all over again.  Roscoe Smith—and it’s fitting that someone with the name Roscoe would do this—is the culprit.  He later explained his reasoning for his 80 foot heave:

"When I saw the clock, I thought there were two or three seconds left," Smith told the Hartford Courant. "My team -- man, they got on me in the locker room. I glanced at [the clock] and threw it up there. I just saw the clock going real fast."

As I am laughing through this video I’m struck by something that is not so laughable—the reality that I’ve thrown up 80 foot prayers with 11 seconds left in counseling sessions.  Unlike Roscoe, I’ve done this more than once.  Some troubled soul has came to my office and poured out their heart, and rather than remaining calm and really listening (taking the time to dribble up the court) I chuck up a full-court prayer.  

It’s understandable to do this.  After all the clock is moving really fast.  It seems that this persons pain needs to be resolved this very second.  We don’t have time to get into our offense or get the ball across half-court and call time-out.  Time is running out.  That clock is ticking.  I better lob some sort of advice or wisdom that gets this person’s level of pain down and comfort up. 

The problem is that what was needed in this situation was not an 80 foot toss into the stands.  There may be time for those full court throws—like when there really is 1 second left instead of 11 seconds.  But most of the time what feels like 1 second is really closer to eleven and what is needed is a patient walk up the court (digging for the real issue) and then working for a high percentage shot. 

Most of our counseling will be of the 11 second-enough time to run it up the court-variety.  Very seldom is it 1 second.  The wise counselor will realize this and not treat 11 second counseling like 1 second left full court tosses.  To do so puts you in danger of pulling a Roscoe.  So, counselors trust the sovereignty of God, learn from his patience, and don’t pull a Roscoe.  

My thoughts on the SBC Annual Meeting that I did not attend

I was happy to be able to watch the SBC Annual Convention online.  Occasionally my feed went out got a little rough but it was great to be able to watch most of it.  Of course it would be nothing like actually being there; so I cannot share my experience as one that was actually there.  However, I thought I would share something that the Lord showed me through this. 

First, let me say that I am a young pastor (youth pastor even, which I’m told is not a real pastor).  I am coming to understand that I only know about 1/5 of what I think I know and that in a few years that will end up being about 1/20.  So I am very happy to soak up wisdom from older men (or even younger ones that have more wisdom than I).  Of course, my pride sometimes makes it seem like I already know all of the answers.

Second, because of my youthful vigor combined with ignorance I want to move faster than wisdom will allow.  I also am not wise enough yet to know when I should “fight” and when I should shut my mouth.

At the Annual Convention (I still think that sounds cultish) there were quite a few motions that were, in my opinion, a tad silly.  They detracted from the gospel and were brought in a form which appeared to me to be ill-spirited.  I have seen this in the Missouri Baptist Convention for awhile now.  My heart breaks that the applause for missions and the gospel pales in comparison to the woot-woots for motions against alcohol consumption.  (Even if you are a teetotaler you have to admit something is wrong with that). 

As these motions were brought to the floor, especially the one about taking Driscoll books out of Lifeway, I could not help but want people to stand up and expose the ridiculousness of these motions.  But my spirit was tempered by a dear pastor friend that explained how these things work, and then by the twitter updates by Dr. Mohler.  Dr. Mohler encouraged us not to be frustrated, to love them, to see their heart, etc.  What amazing wisdom. 

Then it hit me; Proverbs 24:6.  “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will also be like him.”  All of these godly men (like Dr. Mohler and Dr. Akin) were sitting by and let these men make these motions without combating it.  Then I thought about the patient and biblically faithful testimony of folks like the Founders and 9Marks.  They have jam-packed breakout sessions full of hungry young people soaking up the truth.  It is best to just let these motions continue coming, present truth when you can, but ultimately just shut up and let it play out. 

I guess I really learned through experience what I read months ago in The Deliberate Church: “The best way to lose your place of influence as a pastor is to be in a hurry, forcing radical (even if biblical) change before people are ready to follow you and own it.  It would be wise for many of us to lower our expectations and extend our time horizons”.

So what did I learn?  I learned that I have a lot left to learn. 

The Inconvenience of Availability

"And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him..."

Isn't it astonishing that a hole in the roof does not move Jesus to anger but rather compassion?

Seriously, imagine yourself in this situation. You have been on a business trip (or preaching tour) for weeks on end. Now you are finally at home. (By the way it's probably not Jesus' actual house--more than likely it is Simon Peter's). But the crowd wants more. You know what that feels like; being totally spent with nothing to give--but people still need more. Not only would the crowd be a little draining (and dare I say annoying) but add to all of this some guys climbing on your roof and tearing a whole through the ceiling. (Again, let's not lose the context--this would have been far more "fixable" in Jesus' day, but nonetheless still potentially annoying).
Would you have been annoyed by someone tearing a hole in your roof or would you have been moved with compassion? I would have probably been at least a little annoyed. But then again maybe not, with such an extreme case.

The point is this--being available (as believers should be) is not always convenient. However, if we are to be like Jesus then we cannot afford to be ticked off by large crowds or holes in our roof. The glory of God and the souls of people have to be more important and be our heart's greater affection, or else we will miss opportunities because of the inconvenience of availability.