My Muse: June 2009

"It is our job, it is our responsibility, to help people make peace with God and then to help them make peace with each other. That is the commission that was given not to a government, but the church." - Rick Warren

P.E.A.C.E.

Promote Reconciliation
Equip Leaders
Assist the Poor
Care for the Sick
Educate the Next Generation

This plan is formed, by Pastor Rick Warren, to combat the Giants of spiritual emptiness, corrupt leadership, extreme poverty, pandemic diseases, illiteracy and lack of education. Of course you could interchange any semi-emergent leader in Warrens place and it'd still fit. Here are some names for you to try it with: Brian McLaren, Tony Campolo, Shane Clairborne, Donald Miller, Rob Bell, and even Robert Schuller.

Okay, so how is this biblical? Why is this the churches commission? What is the hang up with people thinking Christ becomes suddenly superficial when he teaches about peace? What is the deal with pulling out the social gospel so often anymore? When does God command us to fix the worlds messed up, superficial problems? When does God command the church to make every poor person not poor and command the church to make everyone literate?

I'll emphasize that I'm arguing at the superficial standing point, and I'm not arguing this is wrong but that is is not the command from Christ for us to do. Too often people are just seemingly lazy or looking for biblical justification for the things they do when there may not be. The command from Christ is to spread the word of Him and what He has done for us. A social gospel and desire for worldly peace are not the objectives of the savior of our souls. Christ even says he does not come for worldly peace:

"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matthew 10:34)

"Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division;" (Luke 12:51)

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." (John 14:27)

Just as when he tells us the beatitude of being a peacemaker, it is not superficial, worldly peace He is telling us about. It is spiritual peace, which will not be accomplished by fixing this faulty planet (which is impossible by the way). Jesus also talks about the poor, saying they will always be with us and that a sign of Him being the Son of God is the fact the poor are getting preached the Word of God. Nothing about the poor getting an easier life on this decomposing planet called earth.

Making someones earthly body healthy again so it can die a few years later, or making someone earthly body recognize earthly words will not save their souls. The ultimate commission from Christ is to tell people of His grace and glory, not make them feel better about their earthly body.

"Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18,19)

Christ is the reconciler, we are a way to let other know who the true Reconciler is. Our commission is to let it be know that one can only be reconciled to God through Christ Jesus, our commission is to let Christ's death for us on the cross be known, our commission is to let God grace through Jesus be known. Our peace should not be that of the world, superficial and with other men, but that of Christs, spiritual and with God alone.

Quick history, my grandfather took care of an acre of land until he died, about 8 years ago. Since then the care given to it has been extremely limited, mainly mowing weeds (that thing called grass, it's gone) and killing everything that could be. Everything else was let go, not taken care of. Over the past few months I've been working on it myself and trying to get it up to par with not only being a regular backyard, but a decent garden and general good looking place. Sometimes I look at it and can't believe I've been doing stuff with it for four or so months (since March), it looks like I've hardly done anything with most of it. I have worked one corner to be pretty good and I'm ever so slowly expanding. I didn't take any pictures when I first started, I'm just doing it now. First the little area I've been busting my butt on then I'll post the rest later, next week hopefully. I'll explain more later, next week too, about it when I have more time.

After all that, I'll be posting stuff periodically showing some progress and changes done. I'm hoping the change will be not only extremely noticeable, but fantastic looking. (Some picture you'll have to click on to see the whole thing)

Between the Mock Orange and the light were two stumps I took out, dug them, and I cleaned up all the weeds as the aera all along the fence was overflowing with them. I put down about an inch of manure mix all through the area and behind the tree slightly on the left and up.

The I took about four dying/overgrown flowers out of the little garden place surrounded by the railroad ties on the right. I put new soil down and added three Dahlias. The grass in the center was a bit of a project as I've been pulling weeds from it periodically. I reseeded the empty patches in it and the new grass is growing very well so far.

There was a stump between the tree and the Mock Orange bush (there's a few of these around this place) I dug out also. You can see where I placed the manure mix (along with some new top soil), the messy bricks and the dirt area will eventually be turned into a brick patio.