Author: Dave Burchett

Welcome to the experiment known as the iPod devotional series. Here is how it works. On the old iPod is a “shuffle songs” feature. You hit the button and the iPod randomly picks a song.  I am writing a blog about whatever song the device selects on that day from the 1,000 plus songs on my iPod. My music list will further confirm my status as a Christian who makes others feel superior. My music goes from Al Green to the Youngbloods. Beatles to U2. Old hymns to modern praise music. Toby Keith to Frank Sinatra. Oldies to the soundtrack from Monty Python’s Spamalot. This could be interesting.

Okay…this is weird. I mentioned Toby Keith in the intro paragraph and one of his song’s popped up yesterday. I noted The Youngbloods in the alphabetical range of my songlist and their one big hit is the shuffle target for today. I guess I should prepare for Monty Python tomorrow. The song “Get Together” was written in 1963 by a songwriter who went by the stage name of Dino Valente. “Get Together” was recorded by The Kingston Trio and also by We Five (of “You Were on My Mind” fame) in the mid-60’s. The Youngbloods recorded the song in 1967 and it became a minor hit. The song had a major breakthrough after the National Council of Christians and Jews used the song for radio commercials to promote unity. In 1969 the song became a top five hit and one of the quintessential peace songs of the era.

I remember listening to the static on my AM transister radio while singing along with The Youngbloods in 1969. I was in my junior year in high school and I was sure that my generation could make a difference. We would fix the mess that my parents and grandparents had made. Now my kids dream of repairing the mess my generation has left. We believed peace was possible…we just had to get together. This would be easy enough. Just love one another. Everybody sing now…

Love is but the song we sing,
And fear’s the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Know the dove is on the wing
And you need not know why
C’mon people now,
Smile on your brother
Ev’rybody get together
Try and love one another right now

Nice words. The problem was contained in the last line of lyric above. Try and love one another right now. How is that working out for our peace loving generation? Not so well. It is far easier to sing about loving one another than it is to actually love another. No matter how much I “try” I seem to fail miserably when I determine that I will, in my own strength, love others. It is easy to love some people. But loving the unlovable is the challenge. On that count we have not done so well. Jesus pointed out my hypocrisy on that count.

• If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. Matt 5  The Message

As an idealistic teen I believed that more education, communication, and edification would change the world. I believed that the problem was not sin. The problem was a lack of knowledge. I was wrong. The problem is sin. Education and communication certainly help. But real change comes from the inside out. And for me that came from the most amazing revolutionary in history, Jesus Christ. How we have marginalized the powerful teachings of Jesus. He bluntly said that peace was not going to be found in this life.

• “But the time is coming–in fact, it is already here–when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”   John 16 NLT

Jesus said the Holy Spirit would comfort us in times of trouble and that the peace the world advocates would fall short.

• “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  John 14 NLT

I watch the news and my heart aches. I wish we could have peace on earth but I have come to realize that is not possible through human institutions. I truly wish it were possible. The lyrics continue with an interesting twist.

Some will come and some will go
We shall surely pass
When the one that left us here
Returns for us at last

I am not sure if the writer of this song really believed that Jesus would return for us at last. Christians (present company included) maintain that Jesus will return as one of our articles of faith. But we don’t really live as if we believe that.

You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both

I believe there is one key to love and fear. But we do not hold the key. We do, however, have the opportunity to respond to the key to love and fear. His name is Jesus. Thirty-seven years ago with trembling hand I asked Him to unlock my heart and enter in. I began changing at that moment. And with each passing year I get a little better learning how to…
Love one another right now
Right now
Right now!

 

Welcome to the experiment known as the iPod devotional series. Here is how it works. On the old iPod is a “shuffle songs” feature. You hit the button and the iPod randomly picks a song.  I am writing a blog about whatever song the device selects on that day from the 1,000 plus songs on my iPod. My music list will further confirm my status as a Christian who makes others feel superior. My music goes from Al Green to the Youngbloods. Beatles to U2. Old hymns to modern praise music. Toby Keith to Frank Sinatra. Oldies to the soundtrack from Monty Python’s Spamalot. This could be interesting.

I mentioned in the introductory paragraph that you might find some Toby Keith on my iPod. The shuffle confirmed that today as a tune from the Oklahoma country singer was the first one called up. Earlier I had expressed some concerns about this series. One of those fears was that the randomly selected song would:

• Offend more conservative readers of these humble ramblings
• Unite the cyber spiritual hall monitors into a self-righteous frenzy of condemnation (a really easy thing to do)
• Confirm and cement the title of this site…Confessions of a Bad Christian

I believe today’s song will accomplish all of the above. It is with great hesitation that I reveal that today’s song is “I Love This Bar” by Toby Keith.  There is a reason why “I Love This Song”. If you will hang with me to the end before launching the email barrage I think you will at least see my point. In my oddly constructed brain I listen to this song and dream of what church should be while realizing what it too often is not.

We got winners, we got losers
Chain smokers and boozers
And we got yuppies, we got bikers
We got thirsty hitchhikers
And the girls next door dress up like movie stars

Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this bar

We got cowboys, we got truckers
Broken-hearted fools and suckers
And we got hustlers, we got fighters
Early birds and all-nighters
And the veterans talk about their battle scars

Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this bar

When I listen to the dynamic of that song I can’t help but think of the description of the early church in Acts.

And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity– all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.  Acts 2  NLT

I see that body of believers in Jesus resembling the motley crew that Keith outlines in his lyrics. We were created to be in community. A community of believers that accept and embrace those different from us because of Christ. That is what makes church dynamic to a person who experiences grace and acceptance for the first time. And that is why church can be devastating when the congregation becomes selective, judgemental, and legalistic. When we become “professional Christians” something seems to happen. We lose touch with our former brokenness and sinfulness.  I wrote about my dream of the Sinner Sensitive Church to replace the seeker sensitive approach in When Bad Christians Happen to Good People.     Here is an excerpt from that book.

The sinner-sensitive church (SSC) is my proposal for a new church movement toward making everyone feel welcomed and loved. The SSC would model nonjudgmental attitudes. Issues like having tattoos, body piercings, weird hair, or ugly shoes would not necessarily denote demon possession. The SSC would pledge not to gossip because we would realize that it is only by the grace of God that we are not the current targets. The sinner-sensitive church would value every spiritual, physical, and financial gift, no matter how big or small. This church would appreciate but not elevate the person who built the new wing with the large financial endowment. The SSC would make it a practice to reach out, touch, and care for one another sacrificially because we know that we all fall down in life and in our Christian walk. At the SSC we would have executives holding hands in prayer with laborers and not thinking twice about it. Blacks and whites and Hispanics and others would break bread together because we are all sinners in the eyes of a color-blind God.

The sinner-sensitive church would give freely out of profound gratitude to a God who somehow saw fit to give us an undeserved chance. The sinner-sensitive church would practice the prodigal son ministry, running to welcome those returning from mistakes and bad decisions and sin. Our members would get involved in other people’s lives. We would hold our brothers and sisters accountable to godly standards. Marriage would be cherished. Families would have a community of support during problems and trials. The congregation of the SSC would not be so self-centered that we would demand the undivided attention of the pastor at every little crisis. Other believers would help meet many of those needs that we now prefer to leave to the “professional Christians” on staff. The people of this church would come with hearts ready to be fed but also realizing that God has provided resources beyond any available in history to meet our spiritual hunger. And should we walk out the church doors still needy, we would know we can draw from the marvelous resources of Christian books, music, radio, video, tapes, Internet, and studies to meet our needs. Any one of us could be filled to overflowing if that were our desire.

The sinner-sensitive church would also delight in the company of other spiritual travelers and make it a priority that no one ever felt alone. We would make each other feel valuable but, on occasion, a little uncomfortable. Being comfortable in church is not the primary goal. I am not always comfortable at the dentist’s office. I often arrive in pain because I have neglected to do what I should have done. The staff always makes me feel welcome and even cared for. Then the dentist confronts me with the truth: “You have let this go too long, and I must hurt you (a little) in order to heal you. You will have to pay a financial price and spend time recovering before you are completely well.” Those are the facts of my dental hygiene sin. The sinner-sensitive church would not back off the truth either. Decay in the enamel or soul must be addressed. We will tell one another the truth and explain that the process might be a little painful. We would participate in ongoing preventative maintenance and help one another deal with problems as soon as possible, before they become even more painful and expensive to fix.

The SSC would worship with enthusiasm, whether singing hymns or praise choruses, because God is worthy of that praise. The sinner-sensitive fellowship would have a sense of profound reverence because we have received God’s grace, the most amazing gift ever offered. The sinner-sensitive church would be so excited about this grace that the incredible news of the gospel would be as much a part of who we are as our jobs and our families.

Sinner sensitive was the ministry style of our Lord. He was always available to people who realized their need. Merely being a seeker did not necessarily merit His time. The wealthy young man came to Jesus seeking what he lacked to receive eternal life (Matthew 19:16-22). However, the jarring truth of Christ’s answer to sell his possessions and give to the poor revealed to him that he was not ready to follow Christ. But when sinners came with a humble confession of need and a willingness obey God, Jesus never turned them away. The church of Acts was sinner-sensitive and functioned much in the way I have described above. (I’m not sure about the praise choruses, though.)

Frankly, sometimes we try a little too hard to “attract” the unchurched. A church that functioned like the one described above would be such a societal miracle that you couldn’t keep people away if you barred the doors. And while the majority of my idealism has been beaten out of me, I still believe that such a church will be possible when we finally reach the point of actually wanting it. That will not come until we decide we are willing to pay the price for such a church. The harsh reality is that most of us are afraid to commit to this radical type of fellowship because we aren’t sure what it would require of us. My own natural reaction is “Praise the Lord but keep the Lexus!” I’ll hazard a guess that you are the same.

That is my dream of what church should look like. And that is why Toby Keith’s song resonates with me.

[Chorus:]
I love this bar
It’s my kind of place
Just walkin’ through the front door
Puts a big smile on my face
It ain’t too far, come as you are
Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this bar

Does walking through the front door of your church put a big smile on your face? If not, what is wrong? Is your church come as you are or come cleaned up and acceptable? Why was the TV show Cheers such a big hit? Because all of us want a place where “everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came”. That is the appeal of the local bar or the local overpriced coffee house. We are made for community. The church needs to realize that it is not only a place of teaching and reproach but also a place of refuge. A walk-in clinic for messy Christians and messy seekers.

No cover charge, come as you are
Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this bar

That is another message that we have communicated poorly. There is no cover charge to join the body of Christ. Admission has been paid by the Lord Jesus. Come as you are. Really.

With the amazing availability of teaching materials, books, podcasts, and other resources the American Christian doesn’t lack for instruction. What we seem to be missing is the fellowship that Toby Keith describes. A place where you can put a big smile on your face and proclaim that I love this church. And especially a place where you can come as you are. That was the dynamic of the early church. Even though a large portion of my idealism has been beaten out of me by life and experiences…I still believe that is possible. If we are willing to make the radical commitment to such an assembly.

Welcome to the experiment known as the iPod devotional series. Here is how it works. On the old iPod is a “shuffle songs” feature. You hit the button and the iPod randomly picks a song.  I am writing a blog about whatever song the device selects on that day from the 1,000 plus songs on my iPod. My music list will further confirm my status as a Christian who makes others feel superior. My music goes from Al Green to the Youngbloods. Beatles to U2. Old hymns to modern praise music. Toby Keith to Frank Sinatra. Oldies to the soundtrack from Monty Python’s Spamalot. This could be interesting.

Today’s spin of the shuffle wheel pulled up a little tune from Willie Nelson. The song is titled “Funny How Time Slips Away” and it is one of his signature songs. I realize that Willie is, for some, an acquired taste. I do not endorse Willie’s recreational choices but I do like his ability to make lyrics real. In this song he laments the loss of a love.

Well hello there my it’s been a long long time
How am I doin’ oh I guess that I’m doin’ fine
It’s been so long now but it seems now it was only yesterday
Gee ain’t it funny how time slips away

It is not really funny how time slips away. It is scary. I am now past the halfway mark toward becoming a centenarian although I have a much better shot at being a contrarian. It seems like yesterday that I was playing sandlot baseball as a kid. Moments ago I was in high school being ADD before ADD was cool. Just yesterday I met the stunning Joni Banks and somehow conned her into dating me. Couldn’t have been too long ago that I donned the hideous baby blue tux to wed my beloved. Wasn’t it just weeks ago that three adorable baby boys came into our lives? How is it possible that I am now directing the baseball exploits of athletes that were not even born when I started this gig?

Time does slip away. The best line on parenting I have heard is that the days are long but the years are short. Amen. I now am the father of an almost 28 year old, a 25 year old, and a 20 year old. When did that happen? Married 30 years. Are you kidding me?

I have had, if I may borrow the franchise of Frank Capra, a wonderful life. Not devoid of tragedy and trouble to be sure. I have lost a very dear nephew to leukemia, a daughter to terminal birth defects, my father, and many other family members and friends. My bride is battling cancer even now. But we are blessed beyond comprehension. And I believe that is because we have found our reason for being here. Rick Warren summed it up nicely in a recent interview.

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond, In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body – but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillion of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act, the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn’t going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you’re just coming out of one or you’re getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that’s not the goal of life: The goal is to grow in character, In Christ-likeness.

If this is the warm-up act for my eternity gig on the main stage then all of this is merely preparation. Football players hate the two-a-day practices in the brutal heat. But they love the exhilaration of victory that the difficult preparation allows for later in the season. Sometimes the two-a-days of life seem cruel and without purpose. But my understanding of the God who made me and His purpose for me allows me to believe there is purpose and design. I don’t always see it. I love being happy and carefree. But if my purpose is preparation for my real gig then I had better be a little more interested in being holy. Paul wrote this in the book of Colossians.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. Col 3 NLT

The song continues…

I gotta go now I guess I’ll see you around
Don’t know when though never know when I’ll be back in town
But remember what I tell you in time you’re gonna pay
And it’s surprising how time slips away

The songwriter is correct. In time you’re gonna pay. But not in the sense that the lyric implies. And not in the heavy handed way that too many Christians threaten eternal damnation to those who oppose them. We are created to be in fellowship with our Creator and you will pay a price if you ignore that truth. You will pay a price of less fulfillment, purpose, and joy during this life. Time is slipping away for all of us. Set your sights on eternity and enjoy the journey of preparation.  

 

Welcome to the experiment known as the iPod devotional series. Here is how it works. On the old iPod is a “shuffle songs” feature. You hit the button and the iPod randomly picks a song.  I am writing a blog about whatever song the device selects on that day from the 1,000 plus songs on my iPod. My music list will further confirm my status as a Christian who makes others feel superior. My music goes from Al Green to the Youngbloods. Beatles to U2. Old hymns to modern praise music. Toby Keith to Frank Sinatra. Oldies to the soundtrack from Monty Python’s Spamalot. This could be interesting.

Regular readers of this site know that I am a huge fan of the group Casting Crowns. So it is no surprise that a song from the Atlanta based group would come up in this series. The song is called If We Are The Body and the lyrics are convicting.

It’s crowded in worship today
As she slips in
Trying to fade into the faces
The girls’ teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

But if we are the Body
Why aren’t His arms reaching
Why aren’t His hands healing
Why aren’t His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren’t His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
There is a way

We are the Body of Christ. So why aren’t His arms reaching? Why aren’t His hands healing? I am afraid the answer is a hard truth. We don’t care enough for the lost. We don’t ache for the hurting. We don’t sacrifice enough for the poor. If that offends you then I will make it more personal.

This week I have been absorbed with the Ohio State/Texas college football game. I grew up about 45 minutes from the Horseshoe (football stadium) at the Ohio State University. I love the Buckeyes. Last year’s loss to Texas wrecked Ohio State’s title hopes. I am not proud to admit that the Buckeye’s loss wrecked my mood for a couple of days.

This week I have read internet newspaper reports from Columbus, Ohio and Austin, Texas. I have thought about the game and how it might turn out. Yesterday I had a disturbing revelation. As I walked down the streets of Seattle and saw dozens of homeless and hopeless people it occured to me that I care far more about the game this Saturday than I do about these lonely people. Yeah, I know it sometimes feels overwhelming when you see the vast needs and incredible suffering. But I can do something. Helen Keller once said,  “I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; I will not refuse to do something I can do.”

I am not trying to shovel guilt on you or myself. There is a place for sports and entertainment. But the fact that I have spent more time (by far) reading about the game than I have reading God’s Word is revealing. I will still watch the game this week with a lot of passion. But I am determined to remember it is only a game. And I hope that I remember that I need to pray for at least a portion of that passion to be reserved for the poor and hurting and spiritually seeking.

I don’t intend to quit being an Ohio State fan. That is not a sin (except in Texas this week). I do believe I need to seek a balance in my life. I do desire to be a more passionate and willing participant in the Body of Christ. Because if I am not then His arms aren’t reaching as far as they could.

Why is His love not showing them there is a way
There is a way

I know by the grace of God that there is a way. His love is the way. What if His people really cared? What if I really cared? Wouldn’t it make a difference? There is one way to find out. That way is for us to take seriously that we are the Body of Christ. And then act accordingly. Straight talking James writes in the Book of James that “to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

 I cannot argue that I do not know the right thing to do. My response will reveal my heart.

At every milestone post I like to see which articles have resonated with readers. Today was post number 200 of these humble ramblings. Sometimes I post a blog that I think is brilliant and it is met with a deafening yawn and the sounds of cyber crickets. At other times I have written an article that I thought was average and that piece has resonated with readers. So it it with considerable interest and overall confusion that I count down your Top 10 Bad Christian posts…

Number 10: What Would Jesus Say?

Number 9: It’s not easy being green and evangelical

Number 8: How to be a good buddy for cancer patients

Number 7: You have been warned!

Number 6: Is manliness endangered?

Number 5: Won the battle. Losing the war?

Number 4: Enroll now in the Canine School of Evangelism

Number 3: A Gentle Proposal to deal with Chad Allen, End of the Spear, Every Tribe Entertainment and One Another

Number 2: Sentences that change your life

And the very surprising (to me) top rated post.

Number 1: Time to post and run

 

 

Welcome to the experiment known as the iPod devotional series. Here is how it works. On the old iPod is a “shuffle songs” feature. You hit the button and the iPod randomly picks a song.  I am writing a blog about whatever song the device selects on that day from the 1,000 plus songs on my iPod. My music list will further confirm my status as a Christian who makes others feel superior. My music goes from Al Green to the Youngbloods. Beatles to U2. Old hymns to modern praise music. Toby Keith to Frank Sinatra. Oldies to the soundtrack from Monty Python’s Spamalot. This could be interesting.

Before we hit the shuffle button I have to share a series of questions from regular and no doubt beleaguered reader Steve. I had posed that the iPod Devotional series was a dual risk from Apple attorneys and…what? I never really explained the other risk. Since reader Steve has an inquiring mind he wrote the following…

The Apple lawyers I get, but what is the other risk?
A) That the random song the iPod picks is something you can’t use?
B) That the the resulting blog will be so sappy/ boring/ insipid/ etc. that no one will read it? (as if)
C) That the resulting blog will be so controversial/ inflammatory/ offensive/ etc. that you’ll get kicked off of Crosswalk.com?
D) That the artist/ composer/ record company will take issue with what you say and file suit?
E) That the iPod will fail to serve up a song at random?
F) That you will wake up and realize that you have been grooving to that random song for so long that there’s no time left to write?

So in a bonus edition of Ask a Bad Christian the answer is (G), all of the above. In reality my biggest fear is probably the first one…that a song will come up and I will be holding a large bag of nothing in response to that selection. I probably should be worried about (B) but I am not sure you can recognize your own insipidity.

Now that you realize the risks let us shuffle and pray.

Okay that was stupid. Note to self…next time pray and then shuffle.

Today’s song continues our God has a sense of humor theme. The iPod landed on Alison Krause and Union Station. Alison Krause has a voice like an angel. She is an artist that I can listen to no matter what my mood might be. But the sense of humor part comes in when the shuffle feature selected the song Crazy as Me.

The lyrics are talking about a series of failed relationships but the lyric that Alison Krause sings that relates to me are these words.

Some folks seem to think I only got one problem
I can’t find nobody as crazy as me

There are some drive-by readers that are pretty sure I have more than one problem but let’s put them aside for awhile. I laughed when this song came up because I often feel that way in my journey with Jesus. Am I missing something here? Does my messy walk with Jesus make me a bad Christian? Or does my willingness to be honest about my weakness give me a chance not to be a bad Christian? I have found a handful of committed followers of Jesus who are as crazy as me. But the bottom line is a bit disturbing. Shouldn’t we all be crazy if we are really following the teachings of Jesus?

I don’t mean drooling crazy. I am talking about doing things that make no sense to the world.

• The world says to look out for number one. Jesus says to look out for the least of these.


• The world says to spend time with those who can help you advance. Jesus says to spend time with the poor who can do nothing to make you more successful or reach your goals.


• The world says that the one with the most toys wins. Jesus says the one with most treasures stored in heaven wins.


• The world says get even and exact revenge. Jesus says to love your enemies and (I hate this one) pray for those who persecute.


• The world is fearful of disease, the future, the economy. Jesus says to not worry about tomorrow.


• The world says to build your financial security and you will be happy. Jesus says to build on the solid rock or your happiness won’t sustain the storms of life.


• The world evaluates us by our title, power, and stuff. Jesus evaluates us by our fruit.

So I guess if we actually live this counter-cultural lifestyle the world will think we are crazy.  Paul acknowledged that to the church at Corinth.

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. I Cor 2 NIV

Foolishness. I used to think exactly that about the crazy Jesus people. Now I am as crazy as them. Who knew? And here is the exciting news. Everyday I am finding more followers of Jesus who want to be authentic and full of grace. That is the way I desire to represent Jesus to my world. And there is nothing crazy about that.

Welcome to the experiment known as the iPod devotional series. Here is how it works. On the old iPod is a “shuffle songs” feature. You hit the button and the iPod randomly picks a song.  I am writing a blog about whatever song the device selects on that day from the 1,000 plus songs on my iPod. My music list will further confirm my status as a Christian who makes others feel superior. My music goes from Al Green to the Youngbloods. Beatles to U2. Old hymns to modern praise music. Toby Keith to Frank Sinatra. Oldies to the soundtrack from Monty Python’s Spamalot. This could be interesting.

The tune is called Clumsy and it is written and performed by one of my favorites, Chris Rice . You can find the song on the CD Deep Enough to Dream. How interesting that the third song in the shuffle series is my anthem for my Christian journey. ESPN’s Chris Berman signature line for a football blooper is “rumbling, stumbling, fumbling”. That would have been how I described my Christian walk until I found this song. Here are the lyrics from Chris Rice that I could have written if I had any musical talent or ability to write lyrics. Those are the only two obstacles that kept me from writing this song. 

You think I’d have it down by now
Been practicin’ for thirty years
I should have walked a thousand miles
So what am I still doin’ here
Reachin’ out for that same old piece of forbidden fruit
I slip and fall and I knock my halo loose
Somebody tell me what’s a boy supposed to do?

I have been practicin’ for 37 years. So I should be a couple of hundred miles farther than Chris Rice. And I have the exact same frustrations. What am I still doing here? Why do I keep reachin’ out for that same old piece of forbidden fruit? The lyrics continue…

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless

To quote Bill Murray in Stripes…”and then depression set in”. This is not a new issue. Paul wrestled with the same problem as he addressed the church in Rome.

• It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.  Romans 7  NLT

But there is good news to be mined in our stumbling, bumbling, clumsy journey. Somehow God’s amazing grace patiently moves in our lives through all of this clumsiness.

But You’re sayin’ You love me
And You’re still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You’re makin’ me holy
You’re still makin’ me holy, yeah

As I look back over three decades I see frustrating missteps. But I also see subtle and real growth in many areas of my life. I am better than I used to be and not nearly as holy as I desire to be. Chris Rice unveils the key to stumbling your way into His presence someday.

From where I stand
Your holiness is up so high I can never reach it
My only hope is to fall on Jesus

That is so simple and yet so difficult for us to live. Paul had some real encouragement immediately following the bleak picture he painted above.

• So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power[a] of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

No matter how clumsy or foolish or stupid I might be in my attempts to follow Jesus there is exceedingly good news. If I fall on Jesus and follow the Spirit there is no condemnation. And I no longer feel so useless.