You Know Me

Posted on July 5, 2015 by wamplerp
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Amazing Tree Carving at Aburi Garden in Ghana

You have searched me, Lord , and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord , know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you. – Psalm 139:1-18

There is so much I really like about this Psalm…it is a both scary and amazing that God knows and cares for me this deeply.  This Psalm is a very familiar one to many, but I will confess I have not read it carefully and prayerfully until now.  God knows me!  Despite knowing all of the things that I think are deep dark secrets in my soul He loves me anyway.  I am with the author of this Psalm “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me”.

He knows about both our outer lives that others can see “when I sit and when I rise” and the hidden inner life of our souls “my thoughts from afar”.  There does not appear to be any distinction between these two parts of what we call “ourselves” for God.  While we are on this earth we are mind, body, spirit.  We cannot escape God even if we wanted to get away from Him.  The interesting part of this spiritual dynamic is that God still allows us the free will to choose not to be with Him even though He is always with us and knows us.

Many people try to hide from God just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden after they had eaten from the Tree that God forbade them to eat.  We can run from God both in our outer lives and our inner lives.  Running from God in our inner lives can be invisible to those around us.  A person could be a regular church attender and even a leader in the church, but inside they are trying to hide part or all of their inner life from God.  This blog is in some ways an attempt to reconcile the inner and outer parts of my life — joining the daily life I lead as a scientist, husband, father, and professor to my spiritual pursuit of God (and his pursuit of me).

Running from God can lead to destructive patterns of addiction and broken relationships.  This Psalm assures us that no matter how far we try to move away from God He is still there waiting for us when we turn around and seek His face.  Even “if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast”.  God stands by our side ready to take our hand to help us even when we stubbornly stand with our hands firmly planted in our pockets unwilling to yield.

Prayer: God thank You for walking next to us and extending your hand so we can take it when we need You most.

SDG
Posted in Christian Community, Christian Leadership, Christianity, Covenant, Discipleship, Faith, Free Will, God's Love for Us, Heaven, Life Together, Love for the Lost, Miracles, Psalms, reconciliation, Redemption, religion, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm, Trusting God | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

By the Rivers of Babylon

Posted on July 4, 2015 by wamplerp

IMGP5824By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the Lord  while in a foreign land? If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy. – Psalm 137:1-6

This Psalm is a great remembering of the time of exile in Babylon. The scene described is vivid and moving. The Jews in exile are sitting beside the river, probably the Tigris or Euphrates, in what is now Iraq. They are weeping, shedding tears to God.  They are missing something or someone.

They have been asked by their captors to sing songs. I am not sure why but this scene reminds me of stories I have read, seen, or heard about the Nazis during WWII. The Nazis seemed to have no trouble enjoying the musical talent of the Jews they were exterminating like vermin. They saw neither the person blessed with the musical talent or the God who blessed them. Understandably, many Jews felt abandoned by God and had difficulty seeing Him in the midst of their persecution.  Both the Jews during WWII and the Jewish exiles in Babylon were asking themselves “where is our God?”

It is interesting that the Jews being persecuted in Babylon also feel distant and abandoned by God. They are weeping not to mourn their spiritual distance from God, but their physical distance from Zion and Jerusalem.  What they seem to be missing is a place rather than a person…”Jerusalem my highest joy”.  I think followers of Christ (the Church) sometimes have the same problem.  We replace the person of God with a place — the location we gather to worship God.

When we gather on Sunday to worship are we gathering because we miss God or because we miss our friends and the comfortable traditions we share?  There is great value in meeting together as a community of God followers, but it seems like our priority must remain meeting God — the One River that is always by our side.

Prayer: God thank You for meeting us when we gather together to seek after You.  Help us to make meeting You our highest priority.

SDG
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His Love Endures Forever

Posted on July 3, 2015 by wamplerp
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Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. who made the great lights— His love endures forever. the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever. to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever. and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever. with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever. to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever. and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever. but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever. to him who led his people through the wilderness; His love endures forever. – Psalm 136:1-16

This Psalm represents a great remembering and acknowledgement that God’s love endures forever. He was, He is, and He is to come and through all time God’s love endures. There are several insights into the nature of God here: He is good; He is God of gods and Lord of lords; He alone does great wonders; His understanding made the heavens; He spread the earth upon the waters; He made the great lights, the sun for day and the moon and stars for night; He struck down the firstborn of Egypt and brought Israel out of Egypt with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; He divided the Red Sea and brought Israel through it; He swept Pharaoh and his army into the red Sea; and He led His people through the wilderness.

There are two references to water in this resume of God’s nature. The first is an interesting description of the formation of earth….God ” spread out the earth upon the waters”. This seems a bit reversed from the genesis account of the waters emerging from below to create the seas. Perhaps the “waters” here are meant to refer to the “spacious place” where God dwells and from which creation ultimately emanated. The implication is that there is a reality which God is part of that is distinct from earth, heaven if you will.

The second water reference is more straightforward. God rescued Israel by parting the Red Sea. God led them through the sea and the subsequent wilderness. This is an interesting metaphor for the parting of the “waters” accomplished when God came to earth as a man from Nazareth. Jesus opened us a pathway to lead us through the great expanse that seems to separate us from God. Those who choose to follow “the way” of Jesus are led daily through the spiritual wilderness that we must navigate.

There are two other characteristics of God listed that I find interesting…”God is good” and “His understanding made the heavens”. The statement that God is good is both comforting and confusing. If God is good why is there evil in this world? I think this comes down to free will and the desire God has to love us as His children rather than automatons. The very enduring love that grants us free will allows us to be free of God if we choose. Untethered from God and His Spirit humans are capable of great evil.

The Gospel of John begins with “In the beginning was the word”. The Greek word translated as “the word” is “logos”. Logos loosely translated means reason, or the ability to reason. It is the root of the English word logic. God’s “understanding” or logos is what created order out of disorder. His logos is the reason we have the ability to reason. It is ironic that some use the ability to “reason” away the very existence of God. This is a bit like a math problem arguing against the existence of numbers. One cannot exist without the other.

Prayer: God Your love does endure forever. Thank You for sharing that love with us.

SDG

Posted in Covenant, Deuteronomy, Following God, Free Will, Heaven, Love for the Lost, Miracles, Obedience, Psalms, reconciliation, Redemption, religion, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm | Leave a comment

His Treasured Possession

Posted on July 1, 2015 by wamplerp

Praise the Lord .  Praise the name of the Lord ; praise him, you servants of the Lord , you who minister in the house of the Lord , in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the Lord , for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession. I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses – Psalm 135:1-7

It is reassuring to be anyone’s treasured possession, and even more amazing to be God’s treasured possession.  In this Psalm Israel is God’s treasured possession.  What does it mean to be God’s treasured possession?  Why would God need any possessions at all let alone Israel, or later all those who choose to follow Him?

I do not have any answers to these metaphysical questions, but what is clear from my journey on the water so far is that God loves us, He believes in us, He has our backs, and He wants to carry us like a son or daughter through good times and bad…sounds like a treasured possession to me.

The Psalm continues “The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths”. It pleases God to love and care for us as his children. That is an amazing truth…the Lord is indeed “greater than all gods”.

The last part of the Psalm contains some classic water word pictures. God is the “Father of the rain” and He has dominion over clouds, rain, and wind. God has dominion over us too, but He has given us the freedom to be free of Him if we choose….but whatever we choose we remain His treasured possession.

Prayer: God thank You for treasuring and loving us as Your children.

SDG
Posted in Christianity, Following God, Free Will, God's Love for Us, Love for the Lost, Psalms, reconciliation, Redemption, The Nature of God, Trusting God | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Live Together in Unity

Posted on June 30, 2015 by wamplerp

IMGP4561How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. – Psalm 133:1-3

Akwaaba! This word means welcome in Ghana…but there is so much more meaning than can be translated into one English word. Almost every person you meet for in Ghana will say “you are welcome’, and they clearly mean it. I hope this is a habit I can adopt when I return to the U.S.

Ghana has 46 languages, but apparently the word for welcome – akwaaba – is the same for all of them. There is a unity in Ghana which has grown out of disunity and conflict between tribes. The ability to maintain this unity amid diverse tribes, religions, and cultural practices is something followers of Christ could learn from Ghana.

The disunity among followers of Christ has resulted in wars, division into denominations, and distraction from the important tasks God has set before us while we dwell here on earth. Perhaps followers of Christ can come up with a unifying word of welcome for all to share when we gather, or better yet we can stand in unity with Ghana and use the word “akwaaba”.

Water in this passage arrives in the form of dew, which in other passages has symbolized the Holy Spirit. The dew from heaven brings “life forevermore”…a life beyond the confines of this earth in the “undiscovered country“.

Prayer: God help us to welcome one another when we gather in your name.

Posted in Christian Community, Christian Leadership, Christianity, Ghana, Heaven, Life Together, Psalms, religion, The Earthly Realm, The Spiritual Realm | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Those who Dreamed

Posted on June 28, 2015 by wamplerp

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When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed.  Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes,  Lord , like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. – Psalm 126:1-6

“Those who dreamed…”. For some reason this phrase caught my attention and imagination. What distinguishes a dreamer from a destroyer….one who builds and one who breaks down?

Some of the people that exemplify the term “dreamer” to me are: Martin Luther who dreamed of a different way to follow God; Mohandas Ghandi who dreamed of Indian independence and a powerful path of nonviolent protest; and Martin Luther King who adapted Ghandi’s nonviolent methods to dream of a time when all people would be judged not by the color of their skin but the content of their character.

This Psalm challenges us to be dreamers about what God can do if we give Him space in our lives and our communities. God can “restore our streams” both corporately and individually. God assures us here that even “Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them”

Followers of the way of Jesus (Christians) should be the biggest dreamers of all. We follow a God who dreamed of a way to get through to a very stubborn bunch of lost sheep.

Prayer: Thank You God for loving us and showing us how to dream big.

SDG
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Eddying Out – Cape Coast Castles

Posted on June 27, 2015 by wamplerp

I will be on the road today with my students to walk in a forest canopy, lunch with crocodiles (tame ones), explore the town of Cape Coast, and visit the historic but heart wrenching Elmina Slave Castle.  I will be back on the water when I return on Sunday with some experiences to share.

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The Snare has Been Broken

Posted on June 26, 2015 by wamplerp

download (1)If the Lord had not been on our side— let Israel say— if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the Lord , who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth. – Psalm 124:1-8

This psalm is both a great remembering of the way God has saved Israel and a foreshadowing of a savior to come (reflections of him).  The “flood”, “torrent“, and “raging waters” harken back to a time described in 2 Samuel.

David was fleeing Saul with his band of warriors. They were chasing and being chased, hiding in caves, and generally were in “enemy territory”.  In a sense, we are also in “enemy territory” here on earth. It is not the native habitat for our souls. Our souls were designed to dwell in the kingdom not of this world…the undiscovered country.

The real “hidden well” comes toward the end of the passage, admittedly it is not a water-related portion of the passage, but it is such an interesting word picture that it seems worthy of reflection….”We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.”  In this one passage lies the kernel of the Gospel that Jesus came to share.

Jesus came to set the captives free (break the snare).  I like this imagery for a couple of reasons: 1) the snare seems a good metaphor for the way our souls can become bound to the earthly realm at the expense of their true home (heaven); 2) Jesus has broken the snare, but we can choose to remain…it is us who must move toward Him.

There are so many things that can ensnare our souls here on earth.  The interesting thing about the snares is that they seem to be customized to the individual — the hunter (the deceiver) is clever.  For one person the snare may look like a pile of money and another it could be an addiction.  The snares come in all shapes and sizes but Jesus has assured us that He has broken them once and for all.  But we must move away from the snares to be near Him.

If I were a rabbit who had been caught in a snare and someone came along and cut it for me I do not think I would stick around.  So why do we humans sometimes choose to remain near our “snares” rather moving toward God?  I am not sure I have a good answer to this.  Perhaps there is a comfort in familiar chains which outweighs the uncertainty and risk of setting out for the “undiscovered country”?  God has made it clear we can choose to remain…our call.

Prayer: God thank You for breaking the snare that binds us to this earth so we can move toward You.

Posted in Christian Community, Christianity, Covenant, Death and Dying, Discernment, Discipleship, Faith, Following God, Forgiveness, Free Will, God's Love for Us, Heaven, Love for the Lost, Obedience, Psalms, reconciliation, Redemption, religion, Satan, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Fleeing Seas and Repentant Rivers

Posted on June 25, 2015 by wamplerp

DSCN1332When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; the mountains leaped like rams, the hills like lambs. Why was it, sea, that you fled? Why, Jordan, did you turn back? Why, mountains, did you leap like rams, you hills, like lambs? Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water. – Psalm 114:1

I have been “off the water” for a few days now. I have been careening through a series of rapids and whitewater. In the last week we have 1) moved 15 students 5 leaders and 38 pieces of luggage; 2) settled into new accommodations in Winneba, Ghana; 3) toured a remote village and school; 4) participated in a traditional ceremony with the chief of a village; 5) learned about human trafficking in the Lake Volta region; 6) toured seven hospitals, and 7) made arrangements for students to engage in service learning at five of the hospitals. It has been quite a week….God has faithfully carried me like a son or daughter many times this week. I am spiritually thirsty. So today I am back on the water to see where God leads.

This short passage is both a circling back to remember and a standing stone to commemorate God’s love and care for Israel. It a reminder that God has dominion over seas, rivers, Israel, and all things of this earth…including all of us strong-willed rebellious sheep.

It is a recounting of the parting of the Red Sea, the crossing of the Jordan, and God providing water from rock.  The last reference where God provides pools of water from rock is an interesting metaphor to understand God’s role here on earth.  In a way God is providing “water from rock” when he intervenes on our behalf (the living water) here on earth (rock).

Prayer: God thank You for being the living water that quenches our thirst and for carry me the last week.

 

 

Posted in Covenant, Discernment, Faith, Following God, Ghana, Obedience, Psalms, The Spiritual Realm, Trusting God | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rabbit Trail#12 – Anno Domini

Posted on June 22, 2015 by wamplerp

DCIM100SPORTWell it is hard to believe but this post marks the one year anniversary of beginning this blog. Rabbit trail time!  I started this blog because I felt God calling me to do so. I have not posted every day but I feel like I have faithfully followed God’s lead and God has met me each day with love and understanding.

What has God been teaching me over the last year “on the water”? 1) God Loves me and wants to carry me like a son or daughter; 2) It is not necessary that I understand every part of the bible; 3) regular bible reading, reflection, and prayer can become part of my spiritual DNA; 4) God believes in me.

Many times over the last year God has carried me with His love and Grace. He has carried me through trips to Haiti, Africa, Canada, and throughout the United States over the last year. I did not really set out to be a world traveller, but it seems that is where God has led me. God knows where the next year will lead. I am content to do my best to faithfully follow.

Numerous times during my journey I have come to perplexing passages and people. Sometimes God has provided new insights that have left me feeling like I was drenched by a large wave, and other times understanding has descended like a morning dew. Other times a veil of confusion remains, but paradoxically these passages have strengthened rather than eroded my faith. Perhaps it is like the paradox of pursuing while by being pursued by God. In the game of hide and seek it is always more fun to have good hiding places.

I have not been able to be “on the water” every day, but I have remained near the One River. My spiritual roots have sunk more deeply into the “spacious place” where God can be found. I guess in some ways God has been creating space in me in which He can dwell. Daily reflection has improved my ability to quell the noise of this world so that I can hear God when He whispers. The reliance on God for understanding and insights has altered my spiritual DNA.

One of the most amazing and compelling things God has taught me is that He believes in me. I always thought that believing in God was the most important part of our relationship with Him. I am increasingly convinced that accepting that God believes in us is almost as important. Knowing this deep in our souls allows us to overcome our earthly limitations and find our way to the “undiscovered country“. We are all flawed followers, but we can be confident that God loves us anyway.

I am very excited to see what the next year will bring and where God will lead.  I made it as far as the psalms this year, perhaps I will arrive at the New Testament by next June.

Prayer: God thank You for blessing me and carrying me over the last year as I have attempted to “walk on water”.

SDG
Posted in Christianity, Discernment, Discipleship, Faith, Following God, God's Love for Us, Obedience, Trusting God, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment