The Blame Game

Exodus 32:4- And he (Aaron) received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf.

Exodus 32:24- So I (Aaron) said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf

While Moses was on the mountain with God, receiving His commandments, the people in the camp got impatient, and eventually figured he wasn't coming back. So, Aaron, whom Moses had left in charge, basically bends to the will of the crowd, and creates an idol, a golden calf, to worship as a representation of God.

God, knowing what's going on basically tells Moses he's going to wipe them out because of it (justifiably), and Moses intervenes on their behalf. God relents for the sake of Moses and sends him down to address the situation.

Moses arrives and asks Aaron what the deal is, and Aaron basically tells him that he threw gold into a fire and a calf magically appeared, so they worshipped it.

Really Aaron? 🙄

We just read prior in verse 4 of the same chapter, that Aaron had fashioned the calf, using tools, and molded it.

How often are we this same way? We sin, and know we've sinned. Yet, when confronted, we think of an excuse or try to defend the sin, or lessen its severity by explaining it away. Aaron creates this golden calf on purpose to appease the impatient people, knowing it's wrong, but bending  to the will of the crowd. Then he creates a pretty fanciful story to try to lessen his responsibility for the sin.

God forgives us when we repent, but to repent is to acknowledge, and confess our sin before God, and to show remorse for our actions. We should not be trying to justify it to God, or even to others. Passing the blame for doing wrong was nothing new in Aaron's day, though.

Adam, the first man, did the exact same thing shortly after he sinned by not only allowing Eve to eat the forbidden fruit without stopping her; but also, by blaming God for creating Eve after he knowingly takes and eats it when she offers some to him. When God confronts Adam, he says something along the lines of "the woman YOU gave me made me do it" (Gen 3:12).

Wow, Adam, really gonna blame God on that one? 🙄
God creates woman, woman eats forbidden fruit, man doesn't stop her, but participates, man blames God for creating woman because if she hadn't been created, he wouldn't have sinned.

Or, how about a modern example of that same goofy line of reasoning:

Apple manufactures a computer, and Cable One offers internet that I can use the Apple computer to access.  I use that internet to look up a webpage I shouldn't. I'm confronted, and argue that it's really Apple's fault for designing a machine which has capacity to use the internet, which  has the capacity to lead to a bad website. Surely, I wouldn't have looked at that site if Apple hadn't made the computer for me to use to get on the internet and accidentally stumble (per Aaron's method of explanation) into that bad site. Gosh Apple!
At least in my mind that's how ridiculous it sounds.

Yet, that's exactly what we do as Christians. We like to stay in a more toddler like state of maturity in Christ.

I have a toddler, and it would be just like Hannah (or any toddler), to try to invent some fanciful story to explain something they did wrong.

Scenario:
Dada: Hannah, did you hit Emery? 
Hannah: No, dada, I was standing here with my fist out, and Emery walked into it
Dada: ...
Hannah: ...that's what happened, Emery walked into my fist. 
(Imaginary scenario, Emery was not actually harmed in the writing of this blog) 

We are saved/justified in an instant when we come to Christ, but that is just the beginning of a life in which we continually seek to grow and mature in our relationship and knowledge of Christ.

Yes, it is true that if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive and cleanses us of unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). But, in the very next sentence, John writes, "If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (1 John 1:10). We cannot expect to be forgiven if we're simply denying our sin, instead of repenting of it.

In the first moment of confrontation about their sin, Aaron and Adam both essentially said they didn't sin. Or implied their sin wasn't actually their fault. Ultimately, both repented, and were renewed in fellowship with God. As we also will be. But, If we are to grow and mature as Christians, we need to take the adult reaction of taking responsibility, admitting guilt, and accepting whatever consequence that may entail. Then moving on, not seeking to sin, but if we do, confessing it and admitting our guilt, knowing that by His precious blood, we are forgiven and made whole again in our relationship with Christ. 

Baseball Cards and Banjos- A Trip Down Memory Lane

Baseball Cards
This month has been a month of nostalgia for me. I always taking a trip back in time through objects or stories from my childhood.

Since my dad and Kristen are moving from Ada to Norman at the end of April, they've been packing things up. When we were kids, he began collecting baseball cards for Andy and me as part of our legacy from him. After pulling things out of the attic to pack, he presented me with the first box, and I was excited looking back through all of the assorted baseball cards I remembered from childhood.
Then, he showed me the 7 other U-Haul boxes filled with cards ...

A daunting task, but for me, it has actually been a good thing. My organizational side kicked in, and I've been gradually sorting everything into brands and years all month. It's a slow process, even with a lot of it already organized from dad's venture into it. It occurred to me that he was around the same age as I am now, when he was also spending many nights with the TV on (music for me), and baseball cards laid out in front of him for sorting. The cards that were already in order when I received them, had likely been put that way 30 years prior during one of his baseball card sorting nights. Ideally, I'll get them all in sequential order, by brand and year and card #, and have a nice spreadsheet indicating what I have. The idea ultimately was to sell them, but as most are from the 1980s/1990s overproduced era, the main value is sentimental. I'd like to get them all into those long card boxes and maybe put them on a  book shelf in the meantime once sorted. The process continues, but it's fun thinking that 30 years ago, he was likely doing something similar in the evenings while Andy and I watched tv or did whatever we were doing.

Not pictured: More baseball cards

Banjo
On a more musical nostalgia note, I flash back to the year 2004. I was finishing up my freshman year of College, and maintaining a 4.0 GPA. My grandmother- "Mema" was entering her final days, having battled cancer for years after the initial "6 months to live" diagnosis. Probably due to needing to keep her "Sonshine Gospel Singing Barn" going as long as possible (See: Betty Jean Birthday Blog for the whole story)

Mema knew about 3 chords on guitar- just enough to sing her favorite tunes. From what I understand, when she knew she didn't have long to live, she went out and bought some things she had always wanted. Amongst these items was a Dean Banjo (Banjitar)- strung and played like a guitar, but with the sound of the Banjo she was so used to hearing from her favorite Gospel Music artists.

The Betty Jean Banjo

My guess is Jimmy bought it for her at some point, as it has a case from South Austin Music. When she passed away December 2004, she left the banjo to me. Along with a letter from her, which had more sentimental value, I received basically an unused banjo. And, sadly it remained unused for about 15 years.

I intended to use it a few times, but I never realized the even as a 6-string Banjo tuned like a guitar, it needed some TLC to get it sounding better. Since it always sounded out of tune to me, I just never used it. It traveled with me from apartment to apartment over the years. A nice memento from her, but essentially just gathering dust.

Over the years, to my shame, I even considered selling it when we went through lean times. It was essentially new, as she had never really had a chance to learn it prior to her passing. But, the market for Banjitars (thankfully in hindsight) is not all that prominent.

The Banjo traveled with us to Ada when we moved in 2017, and other than one brief attempt at gauging its value at a local shop, it remained unused in the closet. I had long ago taken out of her personal letter to me for safekeeping.

Fast forward to this year, either January or February. I'd begun playing with the worship team at Crosspointe Ada and was on the group message thread by this time. One day, the worship leader sent out what probably seemed to her an odd text, but which struck a chord (pun somewhat intended) with me.

They planned a song for Easter 2019 that would need a bit of Banjo, of all things, to help give it the feel of the original tune. "Does anyone have a banjo?" she had asked.

Well, what do you know, the new guy in the band just happened to own a 6-String Banjo

And so, Mema's banjo, 15 years after passing into my hands, finally has seen some use. I took it down to the local music shop, and had them change the 15-year old strings (one reason it never sounded right), and adjust the bridge a bit. Then, the worship team bought one of those things that can take an acoustic only instrument and make it electric. Can't think of the name, but it's a little circle that fits on the body of the Banjo, and goes out to a 1/4" jack (see pic above). Since it is tuned and played similar to a guitar, the learning curve was not tricky.

After its makeover, the "Betty Jean Banjo" as I have been affectionately calling it in my head (Mema's name was Betty Jean), will finally see its debut tomorrow at our Easter service.

It is a small part to be sure, the song is not a banjo led song, and whether or not it will be discernible in the mix remains to be seen. But, more than whether or not it can be heard, it will finally see the light of day, and I'll live a bit of Mema's banjo pickin' dreams for a moment.

Despite my love of cheesy banjo jokes all week at rehearsals, and generally making light of myself playing it, deep down, it turns out it does have sentimental value. It is still just a banjo, sure, but as silly as it seems, I think it traveled along with me all of those years, to get me to church tomorrow. If that's the only time it's played, then I'm sure Mema would still be happy knowing it's being used in an Easter service, as she was a believer through and through. But, I suspect, I'll find more good uses for it going forward.

Memory lane is a fun place to visit, and between my Baseball cards and Banjo this month, I've certainly been traveling it frequently. I hope I can have memories and things to pass on to Hannah someday as well. The nostalgia perspective now that I'm a father, takes on a whole new level of possibility, and even if Hannah doesn't have interest in baseball cards, banjos, or any other random thing I collect thinking she'll like it, we'll still have some stories to tell, and memories to share.

And so, the Byers Baseball Banjo saga moves forward into whatever the future may hold. Perhaps more card sorting and the occasional Banjo picking. Or, perhaps sorting cards while listening to banjo music. Or playing banjo while a baseball program plays on the radio in the background. Or any other combo. Unlike the banjo prior to changing strings, stay tuned! (musical pun somewhat intended again).

Preview footage of me tomorrow...

Conform to Christ’s Standard Not the World’s for Growth

All are welcome, yet not all are called to serve in church leadership

James 3:1

All are welcome, yet growth and maturing in our salvation is expected- not fighting to remain in our sin 

Eph 4: 11-16

All are welcome, but fighting through our own pride to get our way, regardless of whom it hurts is hurtful to the body 

James 4:10

Phil 2:3-4

All are welcome, yet we are not to conform to the culture, or give in to its demands over the commands of God. 

If the world loves us, though Christ said it would hate us, we must check ourselves to ensure we are following the commands of God and Biblical authority 

Rom 12:2

James 4:4

John 17:14

Is it possible that the growth seen in many congregations who have more leaning toward Biblical authority over church authority, or a more Biblical stance than a desire to conform to the cultural standard, are in fact in a state of blessing from God? 

While the rest argue and fight to be more like the world, to dodge Biblical authority in favor of what feels right to them, and to debate and argue for their right to stay within their sin, longing more for their old ways than to become a new creation in Christ, those who adhere to scriptural authority and seek to be set apart from this world, appear to be experiencing growth and blessing. 

Is stagnation and complacency within denominations a product of them spending more time in committees and meetings than in teaching the people to work out their salvation, and to understand why they believe what they believe, in order to propel them to diligently ensure they are not in a Matthew 7:20 position on that day we will all face? “Not all who say to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of Heaven”

Social justice, good works, loving others certainly is important, but not more important than our own salvation, and our own justification through faith in the Gospel. Good works pour out from this justification, but it is not good works which save us from our sin and our separation from God.

There are many false gospels, but each at its face has some value. They become false as they are taken to extremes.

The prosperity gospel encourages trusting God with our tithes and believing for increase. 

The patriotic Gospel at its heart simply sees a desire for their country to follow Christ. 

The social gospel seeks equality and to help those in need.

Yet the prosperity gospel on the dark end promotes greed and God as a genie ready to grant wishes. 

The patriotic gospel sees legitimate believers blindly following unGodly politicians simply because they state a position that aligns with the believers’ view. 

And, though the adherents would like more to point fingers at these other gospels and not their own, the social gospel places so much emphasis on conforming to cultural standards, whether Biblical or not, so they are not seen as “old fashioned” or “bigoted” that they throw out proper theology and training their congregations to work out their salvation - or to be saved at all. As the other tendency of this gospel is to emphasize good works so much that one may expect that being “a good person” is a substitute for legitimate Biblical salvation and adherence, to God’s commands. 

So, we must look at what we are torn about, is it our own pride pushing to legislate our own sins to legitimize them? Or if we humbly seek God’s true will, rather than our own, could unity still be Achieved? 

I don’t know, but just as it isn’t God telling a man to divorce his spouse or to abuse their position of power for personal gain, so also it is not God arguing on the side of leaders who stubbornly resist correction or adherence to Biblical authority and hierarchy within the body of Christ.

Those called to shepherd the flock, are called to live an example to others. By allowing sin to permeate the pastoral ministries, we allow it to permeate the body. As Paul says, A little leaven makes a change in all the mass.

Yes, Christ loves everyone, but Christ must also judge everyone someday, based on their response to His Gospel.

If the denominational churches want growth, they must turn back to Christ and the Bible. They must stop allowing known sin to go without rebuke. They must stop trying to please man, and seek to please God