On Oatmeal

I begin writing this blog as I sit at home eating a bowl of oatmeal. Truth be told, I can’t believe I have been doing this so often. No, not writing this blog (obviously), but eating oatmeal. I remember growing up, I couldn’t stand eating oatmeal. I thought it was disgusting. It’s texture was lifeless, it’s coloring dull, and it had no cool slogan (Theeeyyyyyyy’re Great – NOT). Even the packaging was bland – oatmeal came in a cardboard cylinder, there were no games on the container, no prizes inside, just oats. Yuck. Can I please have some Honey Nut Cheerios?

Lately though, I find myself eating oatmeal regularly. I have found it to be fulfilling and warm. I’ve learned that it has valuable nutrients and is quite good. It’s not hard to make and I’m not nearly as into doing cereal box puzzles anymore as I am interested in the value of a good meal.

God just revealed to me that my growing appreciation for oatmeal is very similar to my experience with Christianity. I was always skeptical of the traditional practices of Christianity, from hymns and drawn-out services, to hierarchies and unified thinking, it just felt “blaaahhh”. I needed a faith that is fun, inspiring, exciting. Because of that, I stayed pretty distant from the traditions as much as possible.

This seminary experience, however, is providing a new lens from which to view our faith. Here, I am learning the significance of the traditions we have today; where they came from, why they’re important, and how they are good. This is giving me a better outlook on what God intended when He commissioned the apostles to write scripture, when He allowed prophets to share stories, and when He ordained men and women to lead the church.

Like oatmeal, traditions have valuable nutrients for growth; they are proven, they are modest, and they just feel good sometimes. As the church today, we are not called to re-create our entire faith tradition, only to enrich it. By learning the tradition’s value, we can better share that with others and strengthen their faith with the tools God has provided for believers for generations. (I Timothy 4:14-16 below)

Now, I still believe God infuses newness into the church today (nothing like some cinnamon to liven your bowl!), but He also uses the ordinary great oats. Like Cheerios, post-modern, individualized thinking of God can have holes in it. Unlike Cheerios, there are far fewer holes in oatmeal. Try revisiting the tradition of your faith and appreciating the value it has had in shaping you and your faith community. Take a good spoonful, consume it’s warmth, and share it with someone else. It has been given to bless you – enjoy!

Lord, thank You for our mothers and fathers in the faith. Thank You that they were faithful to You and passed down practices for us. Remind us that we don’t have to redo our faith to make it relevant, but that it was just as relevant the day Jesus rose from the grave as it is today. You are from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2). Give us the wisdom to remember that and forgive us for times we may have forgotten. We love You and await the day You make Yourself fully known to us. Thank You Lord…

-j.a.g.

----------------------------------

I Timothy 4:14-16 ^{- 14}Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. ¹⁵Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. ¹⁶Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

II Peter 2:1-2 ^{- 1}Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. ²I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

Psalm 90:2 - Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.

On How MLK Paid for Graduate School

Please forgive me. I have not blogged in over 3 months. Ashley, Jocelyn, and I have been extremely busy this summer, as we moved from Bloomington, Indiana to Durham, North Carolina. We moved in order for me to attend Duke Divinity School. Check out Ashley’s blog for more details on the developments in the last few months. We’ve since arrived safely and are adjusting to a new life in a new state. Please pray for us. That said though, I can now post monthly life updates again. Below is the most recent "God moment".

----------------------

Yesterday afternoon, I received a call from the Director of Admissions at the Duke Divinity School. He called to inform me that some scholarship money became available and I would be getting the Martin Luther King Scholarship for my first year in the program. Wow, I thought to myself. Thank You God! The news completely blew me away. It also confirmed some valuable lessons about faith.


God doesn’t show His hand. I received my award information from Duke in the spring (March/April). I had to accept my admission into the school even earlier than that. It would have been easier to make the decision, financially, if I saw it back then. But that would not have been faith. It’s funny because even if I knew I was a candidate for the award, I would’ve felt better. It would have helped to think, “there’s the possibility that this scholarship could come through”. But none of that would have been faith. If you can figure it out beforehand, it’s likely not faith. God is mysterious - His ways are “past finding out” (Romans 11:33 below).

Let’s put it this way, if God played poker, He’d likely bluff a lot. Not lie, but act as if His hand was worse than it was. Then, when it was time to show, He’d always outdo you and everyone at the table – He’d always win.


Faith requires action. If we would have never taken the chance and enrolled in school, we would have never received the award. In other words, I had to make a move for my faith to be rewarded. In other other words, FAITH TRAVELS (hmmm...). It acts, it decides, it steps out without having all the facts.

At first, this sounds elementary. Of course faith requires action. Even the Bible teaches “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26 below). But it’s much more than this. You can’t even experience faith unless you test it. You can’t trust something has happened by faith until you act on it and wait for God to move. If you’re unwilling to act without having all the answers and trusting God, you are not exercising faith. Maybe a humble hypothesizing, but not faith. Faith is not knowing the solution, but living as if you do.



That’s it. That’s how MLK paid for graduate school. He lived a life worthy of creating a scholarship and that scholarship is helping to pay for my graduate education (btw, it’s not a major scholarship, but it’s definitely helpful). However, none of this would have been possible had it not been for a God whose interest is better than a Stafford Loan and who is more forgiving than any bursar. He’s shown His hand again and it is so much better than I thought. I believe that as I travel in faith, it will only get better.





Lord, thank You for your provisions. Thank You for showing us that You still reward acts of faith. And teaching us that those are the only acts You reward. I love You and am grateful for the opportunity to chronicle this journey. Please give us all the strength to live lives of faith. Encourage us to take steps out into the unknown and live as if You are waiting to catch us if (and sometimes when) we fall. We need You everyday.




Thanking God,
j.a.g.







---------------------------------------------------
Romans 11:33
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

James 2:20-26²⁰You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless^d]">?
²¹Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
²²You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
²³And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"and he was called God's friend.
²⁴You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
²⁵In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
²⁶As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.