The Weight of Glory

The Weight of Glory

(With sincere apologies to C.S. Lewis...)

As a Christian, I've spent most of my adult life attempting to understand what is meant by the word "glory." Now, there's a loaded sentence: "Christian" and "glory" mentioned in the same breath; two terms with which the most thoughtful struggle. Two words with a lot of cultural baggage. Today I won't try to tackle a definition of "Christian." Someday I might. A reading of my earlier thoughts will, I think, shed at least some light on the meaning I attach to the word. It is certainly more than something moral, legalistic, cultural, historical or pseudo-spiritual. Action follows belief... But I digress... Glory. I'll concentrate here on that singular and evasive word. And I'll start with scripture which should always be our primary source.

Just a few of the over 530 variations of the word "glory," used in most translations, are mentioned here:

Psalm 66:1-2 Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!

Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

And

Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

So, then...

Is it something we can create, as in, "We give glory to your name"?

Is it something that God has and we do not, as in, "You are glorious"?

Is it something that isn't really characteristic of God but follows Him, as in, "Your glory fills the room"?

I've gone round this mulberry bush a number of times trying to wrap my head around this word. It's important. Our theology informs our philosophy. Our philosophy informs our beliefs. And our beliefs inform our actions. We don't get our actions right when our understanding is wrong.

Glory.

We read about it in the Bible.

We sing about it in our gatherings.

We pray that we would show it in our lives.

And we ask that it would appear in our fellowship.

But, really, what is it and why should we want or look for it anyway?

"Glory," according to the whole of scripture, I believe, is the evidence of the weightiness of God. There is our definition. Look at the verses yourself and see if you come to another conclusion. As a whole, however, scripture points to this idea: the glory of God is the evidence of His weightiness, of His importance.

It is the manifestation of the gravitas of God. Gravitas is a derivation of the Latin word meaning heaviness, solemnity, and weight. It is the same word from which we get our English word "gravity." We use it here in this sense: "the gravity of the situation" or "the gravity of what the judge has just ordered."

It is, in fact, the fingerprint left by our Father to let us know that He has been at work and is now working. It is the evidence of His importance.

If we insert this definition in place of the actual word, glory, we read as follows:

Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the [evidence of the weightiness] of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high...

Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the [evidence of the weightiness] of God the Father.

And

Exodus 40:34-35 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the [evidence of the weightiness] of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the [evidence of the weightiness] of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

God chose to make His glory known among us: first through Israel, then through His Son, and now through the church. Theologians, when speaking of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, often use the term "manifest glory". He makes his glory known in us so that He may make His glory known through us. Failure to know God's glory leads to a failure to show His glory. This is Ichabod.

Ichabod: the glory has departed. The evidence and fingerprint of God's weightiness and worth is no longer present when Ichabod is written over the doors to our hearts and minds, families, churches or societies. As James MacDonald writes in Vertical Church, "When the people of God are not told the works of God, they lose the wonder of God, and everyone does that which is right in his or her own eyes.”

"When people are taught that their ultimate purpose is reaching the lost or building a church or extending their hands to the poor, they derail during difficult times. Horizontal purposes, even ones that express God’s heart for the lost, are not adequate to sustain a lifetime of devotion to the gospel through the valleys people inevitably face. The true Church teaches its people to judge every circumstance and opportunity in terms of its potential to reveal 'the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.'"

The Westminster shorter Catechism states it this way in the first question it poses: "What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever."

Let us know and show the weight of His glory. Let the word Ichabod never be written above the door to our heart or to His church.

Years ago on Saturday Night Live, Mike Meyers created a hilarious character named Linda Richman. You may remember her as the stereotypical Jewish middle-aged woman. She spoke with an exaggerated New York accent; sported long, painted fake nails and big hair; and wore gold jewelry, gaudy sweaters, and large dark glasses. In the skit, she hosted the local cable show, "Coffee Talk." When the topic of conversation became emotionally overwelming, Linda would become "verklempt" and would need a private moment to recover her composure. Before attempting to calm herself, she would instruct her guest and the audience to "discuss among yourselves" and would often suggest a topic ("the holy Roman Empire was neither holy nor Roman, discuss..."). If you've not seen this sketch, do yourself a favor and look it up. Right now, however, given our earlier discussion of glory, I'm going to play the part of Linda Richman. If our definition of glory impacts our beliefs and our beliefs impact our actions, how does sin disturb the glory of God?

So, let's talk about sin. Not corporate sin or Wall Street sin. Not even the sins of the church as a whole. Let's talk about our very own, individual, you-and-I-commit-them sins and how the glory of God is disrupted in our own lives.

Discuss.


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Penultimately, It Is A Matter Of Prayer

Penultimately, it is a matter of prayer.

“Fear is legitimate for the vulnerable, and pain is a natural consequence of being mortal. But worry is a choice made in distrust.” Matt Chandler & Jared C. Wilson. “To Live Is Christ and To Die is Gain.“

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Phil. 4:4-9

An anxious Christian is bad advertisement for the God of peace.

The question I last posed was this: if I know that the ultimate belongs to the Father, how do I, in thought and action, keep my place, put down my God badge, and care for the penultimate only?

The answer is found in the introductory verses. As with most every question, the answer is found within the written revelation of the Word. While the Father often speaks to my heart, nothing I hear is contradictory to what was earlier revealed in the Bible. Each of the following points could be developed at length. However, in summary Paul's admonishment to the Philippians states and concludes:

Because God is near to us, it is reasonable to rejoice always (4-5);

Worry and anxiety are combatted by the discipline of supplication prayers ("God, help me” prayers) (6);

Supplication prayers born from an awareness of God's nearness result in a peace that keeps our emotions and our intellect (7);

A peaceful keeping of our hearts and minds is evidenced by a shift from self-centered to God-centered thinking (8); and

When we have taken the information and moved through imitation to innovation, we abide in Him, the God of peace.

Prayer, specific “help me” prayers, made by a heart thankful for a Father who hears and is not silent, combat the practiced unbelief of a worried mind. It is here, in consistent prayer, that I am able to care for only penultimate matters as I realize in belief that ultimate actions belong to the Lord. When I am able to say “help me” there is a finality to my discovery that I cannot be responsible for the real outcome. If I am unable to perfectly exercise my responsibilities, obedience or preparations without assistance, how would I rationalize that I could somehow be the man in charge of the determination?

“When we live with a lack of anxiety about the future, even in those tightrope kind of times, we communicate the truth that our God is indeed worthy of our trust. We don’t fret over the future because He holds it in His hands. We don’t wring our hands in worry because we know He’s charting the course. That sort of confidence invites others into it, those longing for something different from life without a net.“ Michael Kelley, Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal.

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Ultimately, It Is Not Up To Me...

Ultimately, it is not up to me.

“You want to kill me
And I want to die
We're a perfect match
You and I.” Mercy - U2

If anyone were ever to leaf through the pages of my journal, he would not soon misunderstand my love for and equal hatred of my profession. It is a roller coaster ride; a ship on alternately stormy and calm waters; life and death together under the same roof. Nonetheless, I am thankful and humbled that while I counsel others, the Lord continues to instruct me. I continue to learn that I do not in or of myself possess the skills, resources or prowess necessary to guard the light and keep the darkness at bay. I don't have it in me; it was only self delusion to think that I ever did. In order to attain any measure of real success as defined by scripture and not the world, I must, as John declares, decrease so that He may increase. More than a few verses immediately flood the basement of my brain:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…” Phil 2:5

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Phil 4:13

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Col 3:2

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Cor. 2:14-16

I know, as the Lord has spoken, that the end of me is the true beginning of Jesus Christ in me. Not only do I not have the skill or ability to sustain my responsibilities, I do not have the authority to own what results from them. It is simply not up to me and it is foolhardy to act as though it does.

“The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, [so] shall it stand…” Isaiah 14:24

And

“For I am the LORD; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed…” Ezekiel 12:25a

The preparation, not the result, belongs to me. Obedience is mine; the outcome belongs to the Father.

As Bonhoeffer wrote, “[W]hen we speak of the things before the last, we must not speak of them as having any value of their own, but we must bring to light their relationship to the ultimate”. The things before the last, he declares, are the “penultimate,” those matters immediately prior to the happening itself. The penultimate belongs to us, to me, and we tend the soil of the garden in which the ultimate grows. The ultimate, however, belongs exclusively to the Father and He has not shared this jurisdiction with any other.

And, so, it is ultimately not up to me. "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” I Cor. 3:6. To think otherwise is to burden myself with crippling actions and thoughts and perfections that are not only beyond my abilities to fulfill but also a usurpation of that which belongs only to the Lord.

It is not up to me and, as a result of this revelation, it is incumbent that I act on what I believe. And so, the question then becomes: if I know that the ultimate belongs to the Father, how do I, in thought and action, keep my place, put down my God badge, and care for the penultimate only?

Film at eleven…

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Save me. I love your law.

Psa. 119:94 I am yours; save me,
for I have sought your precepts.

The 119th psalm, the longest chapter in scripture, is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Moreover, the eight verses of each stanza begin with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It's construction is elaborate and its authorship is annonymous.

The book of Psalms contains 49 such anonymously written songs. Tradition often ascribes authorship of many of these unnamed works to Ezra. While many commentators presume the present psalm is a Davidic Psalm, it is also possible that Ezra was its author. It is easy to see why David's authorship is presumed in that God used him to write one half of the collected songs. Additionally, the content of this psalm finds parallel with David’s life.

Nonetheless, an argument can be made for its possible writing by Ezra.
After the Persians overthrew the Babylonians, Ezra was a priest and a scribe during the time of the Israelites' exile from and return to Jerusalem. He wrote the book of Ezra and possibly contributed to parts of Nehemiah.
In Nehemiah 8 we see Ezra reading from the Law, or Torah, challenging Israel to follow the Lord’s teachings. During the return from exile, it was his responsibility as a priest to reestablish God’s Word as the basis for living.

“Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law” (Nehemiah 8:3, NKJV).

In verse 9 we read:

“And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law” (Nehemiah 8:9, NKJV).

We see in these verses that the word of the Lord has an immediate and visceral impact on the attitudes of those who hear it read. It caused them to openly weep. The tears, most likely, were those of conviction. The result of this repentance is detailed in Nehemiah 9:1-3:

“Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. 2Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshipped the LORD their God” (Nehemiah 9:1-3, NKJV).
So why do I think Ezra wrote Psalm 119?

Psalm 119 is filled with praise to God for the work and the impact His Word occasions in our lives. This spiritual collision is detailed well in Nehemiah. The environment in which Ezra is rooted also parallels that of the Psalmist. Additionally, in the foregoing, we see that it requires a high degree of literacy to write in the style of this particular Psalm. As Ezra was a scribe, he would have been well suited for God to use in this manner. It is certainly possible that he is the anonymous author of the 119th psalm.

Nonetheless, the psalm's authorship is not nearly as important as its content. The question of ascription serves only as an introduction to the heart of the matter: a love for the law of the Lord.

Psa. 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law.

The beauty of this song (or perhaps more appropriately, one of the beauties of this magnificent psalm) is in the author's outpouring of affection for the instruction of the Lord. He employs a number of synonyms in his praise: law, instruction, precepts, rules, testimony, word, statutes, commandments and more! Yet his objective is singular; the word of God is life. In this affirmation of life in the law of the Lord, the psalm explodes with worship.

An internal and an external significance is declared of the Word. Praise is provided for not only its ability to guard our hearts but also to establish our way. The precepts of the Lord, it is shouted, keep us from enemies within and without.

The precepts and the instruction of the Father protect against the way that would seem right to us but rather leads to death. The psalmist sings:

Psa. 119:10 With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
Psa. 119:11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.

and

Psa. 119:35 Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for I delight in it.
Psa. 119:36 Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!
Psa. 119:37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways.

The law and the testimonies of the Father protect against those that would come against us. Regarding our cultural and spiritual assailants, the Spirit instructs:

Psa. 119:98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.
Psa. 119:99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your testimonies are my meditation.
Psa. 119:100 I understand more than the aged,
for I keep your precepts.

And

Psa. 119:110 The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but I do not stray from your precepts.
Psa. 119:114 You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in your word.

What, then, does our anonymous author conclude? He rejoices that though he himself is insignificant, he loves the Word of the Lord. This heartfelt appreciation keeps him steady in times of oppression. In all matters, the instruction of the Father is a light to our path providing the illumination necessary to see the way clearly through obstacles constructed by our own hands and by those of our adversary.

In one verse, the whole testimony is contained and summarized:

Psa. 119:94 I am yours; save me,
for I have sought your precepts.

We recognize and rejoice (I am yours).

Psa. 119:141 I am small and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.

Because the Word is hid in our hearts (Save me).

Psa. 119:121 I have done what is just and right;
do not leave me to my oppressors.

We will never be left in darkness (I have sought your precepts).

Psa. 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.

Selah and Amen.