I can't get it out of my mind, this "context" thing... Even while we travelled up from Texas to Nebraska to celebrate my husband's parents' 50th wedding anniversary, amidst the golden decorations and reunions with family and friends, the theme kept running through me like an undercurrent.
I've been thinking of the Joseph of amazing technicolor dreamcoat fame. If ever a man dreamed beyond the confines of his current "context", it was Joseph the Hebrew. His brothers had absoltely no grid in which to cast his dreams--dreams which, to their mind, violated cultural sensibilities and identified Joseph as a selfish aggrandizer. Joseph's faher, Jacob, had the heart to provide his favored son a context, but couldn't wrap his head around the dream's implication that he would bow down to his own son! Amazingly, Joseph, the man given dreams by God, found NO context in God's earthly expression, the nation of Israel, the offspring of Abraham. Abraham had looked for a city that was not of this earth, but Jacob and his sons couldn't see past their own camels.
So, Joseph, through no choice of his own, was forced to find context in a foreign land! He was forced outside the covenant of promise into Egypt, a land large enough to accommodate a vision from eternity and a gifted heart. In Egypt, the reaction to Joseph's abilities (and yes, Joseph may have been more hesitant to show them off after his pit experience), was not a threatened one, but rather one of appreciation. First in Potiphar's house, then in prison and ultimately in the palace of Pharaoh, Joseph found context for his visionary giftedness. In fact, it was the pharaoh himself who provided Joseph with the ultimate context for the fulfillment of his youthful dreams! Look at Pharaoh's reaction when he sees the gift in the Hebrew slave whose vision exceeds all his own magicians'. He does not react with intimidation, as did the brothers and even the father. Rather, he is secure enough in his position (as pharaoh's generally were) to follow a John Maxwell leadership principle and put the guy with influence in his cabinet!!!!
It amazes me that the "world" provided more context for Joseph than the "church" of his day, but then again it is vaguely familiar (I refer you back to the previous blog entry where U2 was discussed...). What is more amazing is the reason that this was the case. Was it that Pharaoh--all-powerful in government--feared no challenge to his authority, or was it instead that the Egyptian culture had more appreciation for the value of the supernatural and the prophetic than the nation of Israel? Either way, we should feel challenged.
Someone once said that while the release of the prophetic in the church presents a challenge to religion, the apostolic presents a challenge to politics! In other words, a true apostolic church is one who understands how to create context, that is, to release and make room for ministry, rather than nervously hold on to title and position (And believe me, I know what fear that strikes into even the purest of hearts...making room can be messy!) But, if a pagan pharaoh can believe it is his destiny to rule a land, how much more can Christian leaders relax in the notion that their own place is secure!! Pharaoh had no real connection to God, only a sense of the eternal! We have the confidence of relationship with the living God--the administrator of the whole big picture! We do not have to fear his misplacing our resume!
Old Testament Egypt has always been an allegory for the world and rightly so. But more than ever we live in a world that is open to the supernatural. We live in a world that is more ready to accept dreamers and seers than perhaps ever before. We live in a world that is open to the art and expression that comes from the furnaces of true spirituality. Wouldn't it be sad--no tragic--if only Egypt celebrated the Christian art we criticized? Wouldn't it be sad if the word "grace" became more understood in Pharaoh's palace than at the altar??? It doesn't have to be this way.
I mentioned the 50th anniversary reunion for my husbands' parents. Because Peg and Eldon Brownback are rare individuals who have spent a lifetime creating a haven for the hurting while asking nothing in return, all kinds of relatives turned out to honor them. Many of them had not been to a family event of this kind in years and there was a real sense of joy about getting together. One nephew cooked a huge celebratory meal complete with french names for the hors d'oeuvres and everything. A true artist, Charlie was in the kitchen all day, entertaining us with humor and educating us to the joys of food properly prepared--demonstrating all the while that, like food, life itself should be savored! At the end of the day, someone started a conversation about church and Charlie explained the reasons why he did not attend, even though he believed in God quite strongly. I couldn't help myself--I went there! "Charlie," I said, "What if there were a church that allowed you to be you--wild man that you are? What if there were a place that did it without the pretense and the rank and formality and what if you could experience church as true fellowship--heart-to-heart--as you have here with us?" I went on to say, "You are the kind of person who gives their whole heart to everything--I can tell that easily--and you are the first kind of person who gets hurt in many churches who don't know how to handle your zeal and candor. But, I believe God is doing a new thing and helping the church become truly a place where you no longer have to pretend and where you can be youself and know a God who only wants to pour out his life upon you, rather than conform you to a mold of religiosity!"
Poor Charlie--he had pushed my context button! He was ready to exit my presence after my little preaching stint (and who could blame him), but as he turned to go, he said, "You show me a place like that and I'll be there!" As he walked away, I said, partly to him and partly to the heavens, "That's what we're all about, Charlie...that's what we're all about..."
Please God, let the Jacobs and the brothers take a lesson from Pharaoh and value the dreamers among us. Let the church rise to the challenge and let the apostolic--God's wisdom for heavenly government--replace competition and political heirarchies. Let it be what all of us are all about...
Read again the story of Joseph in Genesis, chapters 37-45.
