References:
• “Revenge of the Sith,” Anakin and Obi-Wan vs. Grievous
• Galatians 2:1-10 NAS
• Proverbs 3:1-8 NAS
• Importance of a Reputation article
I am sure that many of you out there have heard the phrase, “your reputation precedes you.” But, have you taken time to think about what it really means. And especially, have you thought about what it might mean for you?
A reputation is something you build with other people, and with society as a whole, throughout your life. It is something that is based on the decisions that you make, whether good or bad. As we all make choices in our lives, we develop habits. Over time, other people see our habits and come to expect certain things from us. Even though a person may change over the years, a reputation that someone has can hinder a person from seeing those changes.
Word of mouth can be a very powerful thing. For example, a restaurant or business can gain a good or bad reputation based solely on the opinions of a few people who are very vocal or influential. If a lot of people had a good experience someplace and talk excitedly about it with their friends and family, then other people will become interested and try it. But, if a number of people have a poor experience and freely share that, then many people may not even try the business.
As this ‘word of mouth’ spreads, a person or business’ reputation will ‘precede them.’ That is, people will hear more and more about the experiences that others have had. As they hear these differing opinions and experiences, they will develop their own opinion before ever meeting the person or visiting the business. It is here that the reputation of the person or place ‘precedes them.’
Let’s take a reputation of a public speaker as an example. Let’s say that ‘Author’ is an energetic, thoughtful, and funny public speaker on motivation. When this person speaks in public, other people report that they enjoyed the lectures, found them encouraging and thought provoking, and left with a different frame of references for how they do things. Let’s also say that this person also is very warm and friendly while talking with people during a one-on-one setting.
As the person prepares to do a lecture in a new place, many people will read about or talk with friends about their experiences. Because so many people had such a good experience in the past, people will be interested in hearing this person’s lecture for themselves. Even though they may have no person experience with this person themselves, they have already developed their own opinions and personal expectations based on the experiences of others.
This can also be a very negative thing. Let’s say that a has worked for years as county prosecutor for years. This person develops the reputation of cutting corners at times with how he/she does their work, is very difficult to work with, often comes across as very mean towards people that are being prosecuted, is extremely argumentative with everyone, etc. Over the years, he/she sets their eyes on working for a prestigious law firm in a major city. Though this prestigious law firm wants aggressive people working for them to protect their interests, thus law firm has developed a reputation for being stern but not rude or obnoxious. They want to win their court cases, but they want to maintain a positive image for themselves and their clients. Even if the small county prosecutor may have tempered how he/she did things over the years, his or her reputation will probably go before them and either hinder their application, or even prevent them from having a chance.
As those of you who have been following my blog for a while know, I work as Custody Staff for the Nebraska Department of Corrections. It is a job that I have had for over 8 years. During that time, I have developed quite a reputation with many of the Inmates and staff there. This reputation is that I take my job very seriously, will enforce the rules, seek to treat everyone the same, and genuinely care about others. This reputation has greatly helped me on many occasions. I want to share a few of those with you.
Since I am trained to work in the Special Management Unit (SMU) and do my job well, I work there a lot. One particular day, I was working the Upper E Gallery. Because the co-worker who worked on the Upper F Gallery was busy taking care of things someplace else for several hours, I was responsible for two galleries, each of which had at least 15 Inmates. This particular day had a lot going on, so I was very, very busy.
The Inmates on the Upper F Gallery were accepting of this, but many on my Gallery wanted their (felt needs) taken care of immediately. They could care less about the many responsibilities that I had. They wanted me to do what they wanted, when they wanted. Needless to say, this led to many of them being extremely angry.
After a few hours, not only were they yelling at me at the top of their lungs, kicking and hitting their metal doors, making threats to flood the Gallery, threatening physical harm to me, etc. And, with the concrete walls and confined space, the loud echoes intensified everything. During count, the Case Worker assigned to our side of SMU pulled me aside and let me know of his concern. I simply told him I was aware of their anger and threats, and that since I was the only Custody Staff up there taking care of two galleries, I was doing everything that I could.
Not long after that, I was on the Gallery. As earlier, that was a lot of yelling, banging, threats being made, etc. Out of nowhere, I heard one Inmate yell very loudly, “Hey, I know this guy from when I was on the Incentive Gallery! If you give him a chance, he will work with you! But, if you continuously piss him off, he will start ‘writing you up’ (write a Misconduct Report) for every little thing!!” I completed what I needed to do at that time and walked off the gallery. As I did, I remember thinking, “That was weird…”
A little while later, I walked back onto the Gallery and found it oddly quiet. No yelling and screaming, no banging, just quiet. As I walked by one cell door, the Inmate said, “Corporal Underwood, I know you are really busy, but could you….” and he named his request. I took some notes and continued on with my gallery check. It struck me as very odd that the particular Inmate had been extremely vocal in his displeasure with me not even 30 minutes earlier. Now, he was talking to me in a normal tone of voice. As I continued with my gallery check, two other Inmates very politely asked me for something. I took notes and then left the gallery.
Because of the dramatic turn of events, I went through my lists of requests, got what I needed, and then returned to the Gallery. Once again, it was extremely quiet (compared to how it had been). As I talked with each of the different Inmates, they thanked me for their time and addressing what they needed, and let me continue with my work. The rest of my shift, over five hours, was like that.
My shift started with me working two galleries because my co-worker had other responsibilities at the time. For the last hour or so of my shift, he was offered the chance to go home early (something we could do at the time due to good staffing). Because of how quiet and cooperative my Gallery was now, I told him to take the time off, I could handle both galleries without problem. And it was a very relaxing night for me. Because of the reputation I had with one Inmate, who chose to share his experience, things were defused and we all had a better night.
Not long ago, I was working in visiting. As per procedure, I had to strip search each of the Inmates before they went in. This particular night, there was at least 10 Inmates waiting to go into visiting and I was the only one there to do the strip searches. As I was getting ready to start, they were getting very vocal about this displeasure that I was the only one doing the searches, that they were not going to get ‘all of our time’ with their friends and family, etc. Then, one Inmate said, “Hey, I know Underwood. He’s cool… He has a job to do, we need to let him do it. He will get us through as fast as he can.” I could literately feel the tension of the room drop. I opened the door to the room where I did the strip search and this Inmate volunteered to go first. Again, my reputation preceded me, in a way, because of the rapport I had with one or two individuals.
On many other occasions, this has worked to my advantage. Because of the rapport that I had with one or two individuals, or because of my reputation in general, I am often able to get the cooperation of other Inmates. They may not want to obey, and they may even vocally refuse what I instruct them to do, but they still do it.
As a Body of Christ, we as a local church and as individual members create a reputation with other people and with the community that we live in. As Christians, we are Christ’s ambassadors to the world around us. How we choose to interact with others within the Christian community, and with those outside of the local church, can make or break our witness. Because of choices that we make and how we act, people will either be willing to listen to our testimony about our relationship with Christ, or disregard it.
Have you ever stopped to consider what your reputation is? Have you thought about how it is preceding you? Although I know I had thought about it from time-to-time, I never appreciated its importance until I started working with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. In the 8+ years working at the same prison, I have seen how one’s reputation can escalate or deescalate a situation. I have seen situations where no force had to be used because of one or two individuals with good rapport were involved. But, I have seen situations quickly escalate from bad to worse because of a person’s reputation.
A reputation can be very helpful or very harmful. It can also be changed, though changing a bad reputation can take a lot of energy and a lot of time. It is very much easier to destroy a good reputation with one or a few bad decisions. But, what we say and what we do are important. People are listening and they are watching. And these people are forming their opinions. Not only that, but they are sharing their opinions, experiences, and observations with others. This word of mouth can travel very fast and very far. We can easily walk into a situation tomorrow, or even years from now, and things will either go well or poorly solely on the reputation the precedes us now. Something to think and pray about…
Showing posts with label trust. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trust. Show all posts
Monday, April 25, 2016
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Dangers and Protection
References:
• Matthew 10:16-23 NAS
• Psalm 91 NAS
• Psalm 23 NAS
• שּׂבּﬨ (shay'-bet)
• משענה (mish-ay-naw')
• Our Daily Bread: Refuge
This past week has seen two assaults upon staff by inmates in two different state prisons. This is not the first time that such an assault has taken place within one of the several Nebraska Department of Corrections prisons. In fact, almost a year ago, there was a major riot on Mother’s Day in 2015. Our work is an inherently dangerous one because of the people that we work with. Every day, we go to work with a cautious and alert attitude, knowing that anything can happen.
Over my 40+ years, I have worked many different jobs. Ranging from camp counselor at a Church Camp, to being a student pastor at a church, to doing ministry to children at an inpatient treatment center (while in seminary), to being an Airborne paratrooper, to being a MP with the Nebraska national Guard. With each of these different jobs, I faced rewards and challenges unique to each environment. Between my almost 15 years with the US Army, between Active Duty and time with the Nebraska National Guard, I have been deployed four times. Three times to Iraq and once to Qatar. Of course, there were significant dangers with each of these deployments. Facing danger definitely isn’t new with me.
To be honest, each of us face dangers of one sort or another. Whenever we wake up each day and go to school or work, walk around town, go to church, go shopping, etc., there are always risks involved. There is always the chance that a we could get into an accident, slip one something, large branch could fall from a tree upon our head, be bitten by some dangerous insect or animal, have a severe allergic reaction to something, etc. We live in a fallen world, plagued with decay and death. But, some jobs seem to have more risks and dangers than others.
When I joined the military or joined NDCS, I went through training to prepare my physically and mentally for the challenges and dangers that I might face. Though all of the training is helpful and absolutely necessary, things always seem different when you are faced with a dangerous situation in real life.
While I drive to work each morning, I prayerfully put on God’s spiritual armor (Ephesians 6) and ask God watch over and protect myself and all of my co-workers. Along with that, I ask God to help us to be aware of things around us. Being alert is paramount!
I know that everyone prays to a god of whatever religious persuasion they follow for help, guidance, protection, etc. Whenever I do, I always remind myself that God always answers prayers, but not always the way that I expect.
Many Soldiers over the decades have found Psalm 91 to be exceedingly comforting. It is sometimes referred to as “The Soldier’s Psalm.” I have found comfort and encouragement in this particular Psalm on several occasions. But, Psalm 23 comes to my mind more often.
Almost 20 years ago, I was in seminary and took a Hebrew reading class. It was one of the few classes that I did extremely well in. Throughout the short semester, we would take various passages from the Old Testament and carefully research the Hebrew text. Afterwards, we would then translate the passage. As long as we could justify the word choice, the professor would accept it. While I was working on Psalm 23, something very interesting stood out to me. The words that are typically translated as ‘rod’ and ‘staff’ very interesting meanings. The first word, שּׂבּﬨ (shay'-bet), can mean ‘staff’ or ‘club.’ The other word, משענה (mish-ay-naw'), does mean ‘staff.’
Since I have a very vivid imagination (one of the strengths of being an INFJ), I pictured in my mind how this might look. In my mind, I saw a flock of sheep with a shepherd or two mingling amongst them. The shepherds watched the sheep, guiding them from place to place. They showed them where to graze on healthy grass and drink from clean water. Then I pictured a wild animal, let’s say a wolf, approach the flock. At first the shepherd would ‘reach out’ to the wolf with the sling and stone if they could. If they missed or there wasn’t time to get a stone ready, they would attack the wolf with the long staff. If that missed, or if the wolf was too close, the shepherd still had the rod (or club) to defend themselves and the sheep with.
That got me thinking just how God might protect me and others, from dangers that may be far away or those that may be right next to us. Just like any protective armor or weapon used for self-defense, they do not always work. Some people, though very highly protected, still get injured or killed. Though a person goes through years of training and become very skilled in protecting themselves and others, it doesn’t always work that way.
In both Psalm 23 and Psalm 91, we see that God is there to protect us, strengthen us, guide us. But, in real life, we also experience pain and death in spite of all the draining and safety precautions that we take. Sometimes we are in awe with how God miraculously saved us or someone else from harm when they should have been hurt or killed. But yet, not always.
It is a struggle when we so earnestly plead with God for safety for ourselves and others, but they are injured or killed. It is painful to see someone train hard for years, do everything right, purposely are careful, and still get hurt or die. We often wonder, “Why?”
What is comforting to me is, that no matter what the outcome will be, God will be there with me. I have been in several situations where I could have been seriously hurt or killed, but yet God miraculously protected me. But though God has done incredible things for me, He has also allowed pain and suffering to happen to myself or those around me. In 2006, a very good friend of mine died in Afghanistan from a IED (improvised explosive device). Several friends of mine within the Nebraska Department of Corrections have been injured while at work.
We all face danger each and every day. We all have a responsibility to think carefully, get the education and training that we need to be safer, to be aware of what is happening around us, etc. But in spite of all we do right, there is no guarantee that the outcome will be what we want. God never promised that. He only promised that He would be there with us, guiding us as we let Him. Just knowing that God will be with me, no matter what I go through, is great encouragement. I do not know what God will allow me to experience in the future. But, I know that God will be there with me, no matter what.
With whatever you are experiencing today, I encourage you to seek God’s help, His blessings, and His protection. Trust that He will answer your prayer. Just understand that His answer may not be what we are hoping or wanting. Let us remember that God loves us more than we can understand. He sees the ‘big picture.’ And, no matter what happens in our lives, let us radically trust God to use our obedience to accomplish His will. Though we may never fully understand the ‘why,’ let us walk in faith that He does. And may God give us the knowledge we need to make decisions we need to make, may He give us wisdom with how to do them, and the strength and courage to do them. And, if necessary, the strength and courage to do it alone, or to lay down our lives.
• Matthew 10:16-23 NAS
• Psalm 91 NAS
• Psalm 23 NAS
• שּׂבּﬨ (shay'-bet)
• משענה (mish-ay-naw')
• Our Daily Bread: Refuge
This past week has seen two assaults upon staff by inmates in two different state prisons. This is not the first time that such an assault has taken place within one of the several Nebraska Department of Corrections prisons. In fact, almost a year ago, there was a major riot on Mother’s Day in 2015. Our work is an inherently dangerous one because of the people that we work with. Every day, we go to work with a cautious and alert attitude, knowing that anything can happen.
Over my 40+ years, I have worked many different jobs. Ranging from camp counselor at a Church Camp, to being a student pastor at a church, to doing ministry to children at an inpatient treatment center (while in seminary), to being an Airborne paratrooper, to being a MP with the Nebraska national Guard. With each of these different jobs, I faced rewards and challenges unique to each environment. Between my almost 15 years with the US Army, between Active Duty and time with the Nebraska National Guard, I have been deployed four times. Three times to Iraq and once to Qatar. Of course, there were significant dangers with each of these deployments. Facing danger definitely isn’t new with me.
To be honest, each of us face dangers of one sort or another. Whenever we wake up each day and go to school or work, walk around town, go to church, go shopping, etc., there are always risks involved. There is always the chance that a we could get into an accident, slip one something, large branch could fall from a tree upon our head, be bitten by some dangerous insect or animal, have a severe allergic reaction to something, etc. We live in a fallen world, plagued with decay and death. But, some jobs seem to have more risks and dangers than others.
When I joined the military or joined NDCS, I went through training to prepare my physically and mentally for the challenges and dangers that I might face. Though all of the training is helpful and absolutely necessary, things always seem different when you are faced with a dangerous situation in real life.
While I drive to work each morning, I prayerfully put on God’s spiritual armor (Ephesians 6) and ask God watch over and protect myself and all of my co-workers. Along with that, I ask God to help us to be aware of things around us. Being alert is paramount!
I know that everyone prays to a god of whatever religious persuasion they follow for help, guidance, protection, etc. Whenever I do, I always remind myself that God always answers prayers, but not always the way that I expect.
Many Soldiers over the decades have found Psalm 91 to be exceedingly comforting. It is sometimes referred to as “The Soldier’s Psalm.” I have found comfort and encouragement in this particular Psalm on several occasions. But, Psalm 23 comes to my mind more often.
Almost 20 years ago, I was in seminary and took a Hebrew reading class. It was one of the few classes that I did extremely well in. Throughout the short semester, we would take various passages from the Old Testament and carefully research the Hebrew text. Afterwards, we would then translate the passage. As long as we could justify the word choice, the professor would accept it. While I was working on Psalm 23, something very interesting stood out to me. The words that are typically translated as ‘rod’ and ‘staff’ very interesting meanings. The first word, שּׂבּﬨ (shay'-bet), can mean ‘staff’ or ‘club.’ The other word, משענה (mish-ay-naw'), does mean ‘staff.’
Since I have a very vivid imagination (one of the strengths of being an INFJ), I pictured in my mind how this might look. In my mind, I saw a flock of sheep with a shepherd or two mingling amongst them. The shepherds watched the sheep, guiding them from place to place. They showed them where to graze on healthy grass and drink from clean water. Then I pictured a wild animal, let’s say a wolf, approach the flock. At first the shepherd would ‘reach out’ to the wolf with the sling and stone if they could. If they missed or there wasn’t time to get a stone ready, they would attack the wolf with the long staff. If that missed, or if the wolf was too close, the shepherd still had the rod (or club) to defend themselves and the sheep with.
That got me thinking just how God might protect me and others, from dangers that may be far away or those that may be right next to us. Just like any protective armor or weapon used for self-defense, they do not always work. Some people, though very highly protected, still get injured or killed. Though a person goes through years of training and become very skilled in protecting themselves and others, it doesn’t always work that way.
In both Psalm 23 and Psalm 91, we see that God is there to protect us, strengthen us, guide us. But, in real life, we also experience pain and death in spite of all the draining and safety precautions that we take. Sometimes we are in awe with how God miraculously saved us or someone else from harm when they should have been hurt or killed. But yet, not always.
It is a struggle when we so earnestly plead with God for safety for ourselves and others, but they are injured or killed. It is painful to see someone train hard for years, do everything right, purposely are careful, and still get hurt or die. We often wonder, “Why?”
What is comforting to me is, that no matter what the outcome will be, God will be there with me. I have been in several situations where I could have been seriously hurt or killed, but yet God miraculously protected me. But though God has done incredible things for me, He has also allowed pain and suffering to happen to myself or those around me. In 2006, a very good friend of mine died in Afghanistan from a IED (improvised explosive device). Several friends of mine within the Nebraska Department of Corrections have been injured while at work.
We all face danger each and every day. We all have a responsibility to think carefully, get the education and training that we need to be safer, to be aware of what is happening around us, etc. But in spite of all we do right, there is no guarantee that the outcome will be what we want. God never promised that. He only promised that He would be there with us, guiding us as we let Him. Just knowing that God will be with me, no matter what I go through, is great encouragement. I do not know what God will allow me to experience in the future. But, I know that God will be there with me, no matter what.
With whatever you are experiencing today, I encourage you to seek God’s help, His blessings, and His protection. Trust that He will answer your prayer. Just understand that His answer may not be what we are hoping or wanting. Let us remember that God loves us more than we can understand. He sees the ‘big picture.’ And, no matter what happens in our lives, let us radically trust God to use our obedience to accomplish His will. Though we may never fully understand the ‘why,’ let us walk in faith that He does. And may God give us the knowledge we need to make decisions we need to make, may He give us wisdom with how to do them, and the strength and courage to do them. And, if necessary, the strength and courage to do it alone, or to lay down our lives.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Why "Law and Grace"?
There are probably a number of you out there who are wondering, "Where on earth did you get the idea of 'law and grace' for theme of your blog?" That is a good question. It is actually a reflection of who I am as a person and the kind of training that I have gone through over the years. Yes, it is quite a paradox. But, then again, when you read Scripture, God seems to be quite a paradox, too. That is, He is Holy and Righteous and cannot look upon sin. However, God is also loving and forgiving and became a Man, Jesus, the Christ, and took our place on the cross.
Some people train for one kind of job and continue doing that as their career. I am not talking about summer jobs as a kid or one's first job as a teenager. I am talking more towards that of adults. While in college, people will train with a particular field in mind, like accounting, business management, languages, etc. After graduation, they will typically pursue that as their career. Though their work may vary over the years, their particular career field does not vary much. However, that is becoming less and less the case it seems. A lot of people may train to become an elementary school teacher but then they find work on an assembly line and that becomes their career. Or, they may major in business management but then, because of the job market, find work as a cook and that becomes their career. Others might join the military right out of high school and have one profession there. But, after retiring from the military, they get a college or masters degree in something very different and work that for the rest of their lives.
While in college, I gave my life to Christ and, about 6 months later, I felt God calling me to go to seminary and pursue a career in ministry. Although I initially resisted that idea, God won the argument and I began the process of searching for a seminary to attend. I graduated from Centre College in 1996 with a BA in German Studies and started my ministry training at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (LPTS) that following summer.
During my time there, one of the things that was emphasized to me was the importance of ministering to a person's felt needs. At least, that is where you start ministering. For example, lets say I am ministering to a family whose pregnancy had ended in a stillborn. Due to their understanding of church and faith, they wanted their child baptized prior to being buried. As a Presbyterian, we do not believe in baptizing the dead. However, do I just outright refuse, saying that my faith forbids it, do I go against my conscience, or do I seek another way to minister to their needs? The answer would be the latter… I could either seek out a pastor who does believe in baptizing the dead, or I could sit down with them, explain my theological perspective, and talk with them about ministry and funeral options that would help them gain closure and not violate my theological convictions. This was something that was highly emphasized, the meeting the people where they were at, and then to help them in the direction that they need to go.
Well, after graduating from seminary, my first wife and I ended up moving to Colorado. We lived with her family due do many different factors. While there, I worked for a Christian radio ministry organization in the shipping and receiving department. I have to admit, I was not happy there. I was greatly frustrated that I was working a job that would not enable us to live on our own. I was very frustrated with working a job that felt like a dead-end-job. Even though I knew that I was supporting and enabling a major Christian ministry, I felt under used and totally out of place. I also felt very frustrated with having spent years training to do ministry in a church kind of setting, and not doing anything remotely like that.
So, after about a year, I joined the Army and started my Basic Training in May of 2001. It would be along and difficult journey for me. Partly because my wife, at the time, and I got a divorce. Another part was because I was entering a totally different lifestyle then what I had grown up experiencing. Instead of having lots of freedoms to come and go as I pleased, my life was suddenly very regimented. It was very different for me and took quite a while to get used to. But, adjust I did.
A few years later, after much prayer and considering my options, I felt God directing me to leave Active Duty and pursue a job in Nebraska and live near my parents. For about 6 months, I searched for a job, preferring a ministry job, but considering other options. Finally, though, I applied for a job with the Nebraska Department of Corrections for Custody Staff/Corrections Officer. Although it was a job that I had seen on many occasions, it was one that I had no interest in applying for. Since my unemployment insurance was running out, I did not see much other choice and I applied. Even though the testing and interview process seemed to go poorly (I came down with some sort of 24 hour cold on my way down to the test and interview and it went away as I returned home… Hmmmm….), I was offered a job and I accepted.
My training for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services seemed to be a lot like that of the Army, of strict rule enforcement. Not the total picture, as I would find out later, but that was my initial impression. At least it was something familiar. But, again I found myself becoming frustrated and angry with God that I was doing anything but ministry. But, this attitude gradually changed as I worked more with other staff and inmates. Although enforcing the rules was necessary, I started finding that ministering to staff and inmates enabled me to better do my job. To minister to their felt needs, I would listen to what their needs or concerns were and find a way to address them that the rules that I worked by would allow. I now incorporate this approach to working with others as much as possible. Over the 8 years that I have worked with the Nebraska Department of Corrections (I had a break in service for over a year, but that is another conversation), I found that many of my co-workers and inmates needed someone to listen to their concerns, to be reminded that God had not forgotten them, that they were still valued as a human being, etc.
I picked 'Law and Grace' because it is a theme that most accurately describes who I am. As I go through life, after my years of training in ministry, Military Law Enforcement, Nebraska Department of Corrections, etc., it has become second nature to deal with issues that I face from both perspectives. Most of the time, my personal preference is a ministerial one. That is, I seek to understand what the problem is and how can I best address it, given the rules that I have to work within. But, there are times where that is not appropriate. When dealing with an out-of-control inmate or suspect, the chances of me being able to minister to them are very slim and I am more likely to rely on my Law Enforcement training. Sometimes, to prevent myself or someone else from being injured or killed, force has to be used to stop someone else. Unfortunately, that is totally natural in a fallen world. But, there are times where, even when I have to enforce laws and regulations, I still strive to show some grace. For example, while I might have to do some corrective counseling or write a misconduct report, I still try to help the person that I am correcting to see both the inappropriate actions as well as what they have done right. It's a challenge, and easier said then done on many occasions.
In reality, we all live in a world where we can deal with things from a 'law' standpoint or from a 'grace' standpoint. Although, if you ask me, it is usually a combination of both, with more of an emphasis on one or the other. Very rarely do I see people dealing with a situation from a purely grace or law perspective. In seeking to address situations from either a 'law' or from a 'grace' perspective at the same time, I find myself better able to deal with most situations effectively. It isn't easy, and sometimes it is more draining to seek to approach situations from both perspectives instead of either one or another. However, I have personally found that, when seek to find a balance between dealing with something with both 'law' and 'grace,' I have more options to choose from. And, many times the person that I am dealing with is more open to what I have to say when I use such an approach. Though it takes a lot more mental energy and time to consider my options, it becomes more of a win-win situation for everyone.
As I continue on my journey looking at life from these two different lenses, I hope to help others learn to do so. Perhaps, when more people can better look at life from these two lenses, there can be more reconciliation and, by God's Grace, a better world around us.
Some people train for one kind of job and continue doing that as their career. I am not talking about summer jobs as a kid or one's first job as a teenager. I am talking more towards that of adults. While in college, people will train with a particular field in mind, like accounting, business management, languages, etc. After graduation, they will typically pursue that as their career. Though their work may vary over the years, their particular career field does not vary much. However, that is becoming less and less the case it seems. A lot of people may train to become an elementary school teacher but then they find work on an assembly line and that becomes their career. Or, they may major in business management but then, because of the job market, find work as a cook and that becomes their career. Others might join the military right out of high school and have one profession there. But, after retiring from the military, they get a college or masters degree in something very different and work that for the rest of their lives.
While in college, I gave my life to Christ and, about 6 months later, I felt God calling me to go to seminary and pursue a career in ministry. Although I initially resisted that idea, God won the argument and I began the process of searching for a seminary to attend. I graduated from Centre College in 1996 with a BA in German Studies and started my ministry training at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (LPTS) that following summer.
During my time there, one of the things that was emphasized to me was the importance of ministering to a person's felt needs. At least, that is where you start ministering. For example, lets say I am ministering to a family whose pregnancy had ended in a stillborn. Due to their understanding of church and faith, they wanted their child baptized prior to being buried. As a Presbyterian, we do not believe in baptizing the dead. However, do I just outright refuse, saying that my faith forbids it, do I go against my conscience, or do I seek another way to minister to their needs? The answer would be the latter… I could either seek out a pastor who does believe in baptizing the dead, or I could sit down with them, explain my theological perspective, and talk with them about ministry and funeral options that would help them gain closure and not violate my theological convictions. This was something that was highly emphasized, the meeting the people where they were at, and then to help them in the direction that they need to go.
Well, after graduating from seminary, my first wife and I ended up moving to Colorado. We lived with her family due do many different factors. While there, I worked for a Christian radio ministry organization in the shipping and receiving department. I have to admit, I was not happy there. I was greatly frustrated that I was working a job that would not enable us to live on our own. I was very frustrated with working a job that felt like a dead-end-job. Even though I knew that I was supporting and enabling a major Christian ministry, I felt under used and totally out of place. I also felt very frustrated with having spent years training to do ministry in a church kind of setting, and not doing anything remotely like that.
So, after about a year, I joined the Army and started my Basic Training in May of 2001. It would be along and difficult journey for me. Partly because my wife, at the time, and I got a divorce. Another part was because I was entering a totally different lifestyle then what I had grown up experiencing. Instead of having lots of freedoms to come and go as I pleased, my life was suddenly very regimented. It was very different for me and took quite a while to get used to. But, adjust I did.
A few years later, after much prayer and considering my options, I felt God directing me to leave Active Duty and pursue a job in Nebraska and live near my parents. For about 6 months, I searched for a job, preferring a ministry job, but considering other options. Finally, though, I applied for a job with the Nebraska Department of Corrections for Custody Staff/Corrections Officer. Although it was a job that I had seen on many occasions, it was one that I had no interest in applying for. Since my unemployment insurance was running out, I did not see much other choice and I applied. Even though the testing and interview process seemed to go poorly (I came down with some sort of 24 hour cold on my way down to the test and interview and it went away as I returned home… Hmmmm….), I was offered a job and I accepted.
My training for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services seemed to be a lot like that of the Army, of strict rule enforcement. Not the total picture, as I would find out later, but that was my initial impression. At least it was something familiar. But, again I found myself becoming frustrated and angry with God that I was doing anything but ministry. But, this attitude gradually changed as I worked more with other staff and inmates. Although enforcing the rules was necessary, I started finding that ministering to staff and inmates enabled me to better do my job. To minister to their felt needs, I would listen to what their needs or concerns were and find a way to address them that the rules that I worked by would allow. I now incorporate this approach to working with others as much as possible. Over the 8 years that I have worked with the Nebraska Department of Corrections (I had a break in service for over a year, but that is another conversation), I found that many of my co-workers and inmates needed someone to listen to their concerns, to be reminded that God had not forgotten them, that they were still valued as a human being, etc.
I picked 'Law and Grace' because it is a theme that most accurately describes who I am. As I go through life, after my years of training in ministry, Military Law Enforcement, Nebraska Department of Corrections, etc., it has become second nature to deal with issues that I face from both perspectives. Most of the time, my personal preference is a ministerial one. That is, I seek to understand what the problem is and how can I best address it, given the rules that I have to work within. But, there are times where that is not appropriate. When dealing with an out-of-control inmate or suspect, the chances of me being able to minister to them are very slim and I am more likely to rely on my Law Enforcement training. Sometimes, to prevent myself or someone else from being injured or killed, force has to be used to stop someone else. Unfortunately, that is totally natural in a fallen world. But, there are times where, even when I have to enforce laws and regulations, I still strive to show some grace. For example, while I might have to do some corrective counseling or write a misconduct report, I still try to help the person that I am correcting to see both the inappropriate actions as well as what they have done right. It's a challenge, and easier said then done on many occasions.
In reality, we all live in a world where we can deal with things from a 'law' standpoint or from a 'grace' standpoint. Although, if you ask me, it is usually a combination of both, with more of an emphasis on one or the other. Very rarely do I see people dealing with a situation from a purely grace or law perspective. In seeking to address situations from either a 'law' or from a 'grace' perspective at the same time, I find myself better able to deal with most situations effectively. It isn't easy, and sometimes it is more draining to seek to approach situations from both perspectives instead of either one or another. However, I have personally found that, when seek to find a balance between dealing with something with both 'law' and 'grace,' I have more options to choose from. And, many times the person that I am dealing with is more open to what I have to say when I use such an approach. Though it takes a lot more mental energy and time to consider my options, it becomes more of a win-win situation for everyone.
As I continue on my journey looking at life from these two different lenses, I hope to help others learn to do so. Perhaps, when more people can better look at life from these two lenses, there can be more reconciliation and, by God's Grace, a better world around us.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Blood Oaths and Grace
Scripture:
Genesis 15
Ephesians 2:1-10
The other evening (17May2015), I was sitting in Chapel and the text of the sermon was based on Ephesians 2:1-10. The sermon was focused on God's Grace and that we don't deserve it and cannot earn it. I did enjoy the sermon, but I was distracted for a while.
I don't know about those of you out there reading this blog, but there are times where I am listening to a really good sermon, speech, TV show, etc., and my mind suddenly starts wandering on to something else. Sometimes this is because my mind tries to translate what I am hearing from English to German. And, since my vocabulary isn't the greatest (use it or loose it), I sometimes miss a lot because my mind is searching for the right German word or phrase for something that I just heard. Sometimes my mind wonders because of things going on in my life at that time. With either of these two situations, I usually have to consciously reign my mind in and refocus on the situation at hand so that I can continue to glean from what is being said.
Then, there are times like this evening where I am listening to something and then a Scripture passage comes to my mind. It has been my experience that, when this happens, it is because God desires me to do something with it. Sometimes, it is to share with a friend because the Scripture passage addresses something in their life. Other times it is something for me. Sometimes the connection is obvious. But, there are other times where the connection is not so obvious. In this particular situation, it took me a few moments to see the connection.
The passage that the Chaplain was using was Ephesians 2:1-10, talking about God's unmerited grace. That is, grace that we do not deserve and cannot afford to purchase. It is a free Gift from God and given to us, in spite of what we've done. This unmerited Grace puts us all on the same, level playing field. That is, we all stand before God in the same fashion, not deserving what we get. No matter what any of us have done (how 'good' or how 'bad'), all of us have sinned and are in need of God's grace. At the end of the day, none of us is any better than anyone else. All of us have sinned against God, each and every day, in though, word, and in deed. We all should receive His justice. Instead, He offers us His Grace.
It is interesting to me that God would bring to my mind the blood oath that took place in Genesis 15 during this sermon. Here is a good discussion of what a "blood oath” is and how it relates to Abram (later renamed by God to Abraham). In this context, it was a covenant that God made with Abram, promising him an heir from his own body. Remember, Abram was approximately 75 years old (Genesis 12:4) when he left Haran for Egypt. Because Abram and Sarai were childless, Abram assumed that his inheritance would go to one of his servants (Genesis 15:2-4). But, God again told Abram that would have a child born to him and Sarai. And, God made a covenant with Abram, a blood oath.
In Abram's time, two people would sometimes make a blood oath to seal an important purchase, treaty, or other important event. The large animals were cut in half and all of the blood and gore would be collected within an area, and perhaps birds of some sort, also. Then, both people would walk through the gore, between the dead animals. As each person did this, they were essentially declaring “may the rendering of the animals be done to myself if I do not uphold my part of the deal.” But yet, God does something different with Abram.
Instead of both God and Abram walking through the gore and each having to uphold their part of the deal, God prevented Abram from walking between the animals. In the form of a torch, God passed between the animal carcasses, but Abram did not. That is because God caused Abram to fall into a deep sleep and was unable to move. God and God alone would be responsible for all parts of His promise to Abram. There was nothing Abram could do to earn this blessing, and nothing that he could do that would take it away from him. God was granting Abram this blessing without any requirements. All Abram had to do was trust God to fulfill it, in His good timing.
That is what God gives to each of us. His Grace, that is very costly to Him, is something that we cannot ever earn. It is His free Grace that we have to accept on faith (to trust in, to receive). The Bible is full of God extending His Grace to us, in spite of our many, many failings. We are not to treat this Grace lightly. Because of how costly this Grace was for us, we should not just receive it, but respond with a thankful heart and live a life of worship, a living sacrifice to God. Not to 'repay it,' for there is no way that we could ever earn or pay back the Grace the God has given us. All we can do is receive it, trust in it, and live a life of thankfulness in response to all that God has done for us.
Genesis 15
Ephesians 2:1-10
The other evening (17May2015), I was sitting in Chapel and the text of the sermon was based on Ephesians 2:1-10. The sermon was focused on God's Grace and that we don't deserve it and cannot earn it. I did enjoy the sermon, but I was distracted for a while.
I don't know about those of you out there reading this blog, but there are times where I am listening to a really good sermon, speech, TV show, etc., and my mind suddenly starts wandering on to something else. Sometimes this is because my mind tries to translate what I am hearing from English to German. And, since my vocabulary isn't the greatest (use it or loose it), I sometimes miss a lot because my mind is searching for the right German word or phrase for something that I just heard. Sometimes my mind wonders because of things going on in my life at that time. With either of these two situations, I usually have to consciously reign my mind in and refocus on the situation at hand so that I can continue to glean from what is being said.
Then, there are times like this evening where I am listening to something and then a Scripture passage comes to my mind. It has been my experience that, when this happens, it is because God desires me to do something with it. Sometimes, it is to share with a friend because the Scripture passage addresses something in their life. Other times it is something for me. Sometimes the connection is obvious. But, there are other times where the connection is not so obvious. In this particular situation, it took me a few moments to see the connection.
The passage that the Chaplain was using was Ephesians 2:1-10, talking about God's unmerited grace. That is, grace that we do not deserve and cannot afford to purchase. It is a free Gift from God and given to us, in spite of what we've done. This unmerited Grace puts us all on the same, level playing field. That is, we all stand before God in the same fashion, not deserving what we get. No matter what any of us have done (how 'good' or how 'bad'), all of us have sinned and are in need of God's grace. At the end of the day, none of us is any better than anyone else. All of us have sinned against God, each and every day, in though, word, and in deed. We all should receive His justice. Instead, He offers us His Grace.
It is interesting to me that God would bring to my mind the blood oath that took place in Genesis 15 during this sermon. Here is a good discussion of what a "blood oath” is and how it relates to Abram (later renamed by God to Abraham). In this context, it was a covenant that God made with Abram, promising him an heir from his own body. Remember, Abram was approximately 75 years old (Genesis 12:4) when he left Haran for Egypt. Because Abram and Sarai were childless, Abram assumed that his inheritance would go to one of his servants (Genesis 15:2-4). But, God again told Abram that would have a child born to him and Sarai. And, God made a covenant with Abram, a blood oath.
In Abram's time, two people would sometimes make a blood oath to seal an important purchase, treaty, or other important event. The large animals were cut in half and all of the blood and gore would be collected within an area, and perhaps birds of some sort, also. Then, both people would walk through the gore, between the dead animals. As each person did this, they were essentially declaring “may the rendering of the animals be done to myself if I do not uphold my part of the deal.” But yet, God does something different with Abram.
Instead of both God and Abram walking through the gore and each having to uphold their part of the deal, God prevented Abram from walking between the animals. In the form of a torch, God passed between the animal carcasses, but Abram did not. That is because God caused Abram to fall into a deep sleep and was unable to move. God and God alone would be responsible for all parts of His promise to Abram. There was nothing Abram could do to earn this blessing, and nothing that he could do that would take it away from him. God was granting Abram this blessing without any requirements. All Abram had to do was trust God to fulfill it, in His good timing.
That is what God gives to each of us. His Grace, that is very costly to Him, is something that we cannot ever earn. It is His free Grace that we have to accept on faith (to trust in, to receive). The Bible is full of God extending His Grace to us, in spite of our many, many failings. We are not to treat this Grace lightly. Because of how costly this Grace was for us, we should not just receive it, but respond with a thankful heart and live a life of worship, a living sacrifice to God. Not to 'repay it,' for there is no way that we could ever earn or pay back the Grace the God has given us. All we can do is receive it, trust in it, and live a life of thankfulness in response to all that God has done for us.
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