Godsplaining

You’ve heard of mansplaining, right?

Mansplaining is the phenomenon where a man overhears someone, usually a woman, explaining something and, upon detecting something that doesn’t seem quite right, feels compelled to say, “Actually…” followed by an impromptu lecture intended to straighten said woman out.

It’s like the passive aggressive version of explaining, but with an undertone of misogyny, and usually accompanied by an eye roll or a pat on the head. And it always comes unbidden and unfettered by anything as pedestrian as context or empathy. Heaven forbid it be preceded by inquiry. 

No, the mansplain must fly directly and immediately to its target, because it’s an arrow of “truth” in a world full of half-truths and willful ignorance. 

That’s mansplaining. And, while it may seem arrogant or narcissistic, it is our right - nay, our moral obligation - as men, to impart our wisdom, willy-nilly, like Johnny Appleseed, whether or not said wisdom is wanted or needed. Huzzah!

Or not.

Mansplaining is a curse, but unlike most curses, it’s real. If you’re a man, you’ve done it. If you’re a woman, you’ve suffered through it. And right now, I want to officially apologize to everyone I’ve ever mansplained to, and everyone that I will, undoubtedly, mansplain to in the future. I’m sorry. No, really. I am.

But there is another thing that is similar, but not exactly the same, and does not, therefore, fall under the same curse. And that is something I call Godsplaining.

Godsplaining might sound like mansplaining, but it’s not the same. Because Peter told us we have to Godsplain. Remember he said…

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone…(1 Peter 3:15)

So, we have a biblical mandate to Godsplain. If we hear God-talk that sounds a little off, it’s our right - nay, our moral obligation - to impart our wisdom - especially on the internet.

Right?

No need for context or empathy. We MUST give an answer. Peter said so.

Or did he?

Actually…(Oh, no, there I go, Godsplaining. Bear with me.)
Actually, the verse says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

You’re supposed to give an answer IF they ask. You don't give an answer when there's been no question. And then it says…

“But do this with gentleness and respect.”

Keep your eye rolls to yourself. Seriously. And perhaps consider that you might not be as smart as you think. At least that's what Solomon would have suggested. He said, "The way of fools seems right to the fools, but the wise listen to advice." (Proverbs 12:15)

If your first inclination is to start Godsplaining, maybe take a cue from the wisest guy who ever lived, and try listening more than you talk?

"But it's for their own good," you say. "It would be worse to leave them in their error."

Writing that just made me a little ill. Sure, I like to think I've got a handle on some stuff. But, as soon as I start thinking I've got it all figured out, and that my mission is to straighten out those who don't, I start becoming useless to the purposes of God. Because, speaking for God is not about imparting knowledge; it's about expressing His extravagant love through my own love for others.

And if you ever lose sight of this, just remember the words of Paul, who said, "knowledge puffs up, while love builds up." (1 Corintians 8:1b)

He doesn't say that it's bad to collect knowledge. Learning and growing in our knowledge of God and the world should be our lifelong pursuit. But letting that knowledge define us - holding it over others - allowing it to make us feel superior - is the polar opposite of love.

Quit Godsplaining, and start Godlistening. Start hearing others and, when they ask you why you seem so loving, so open, so humble, then you can tell them the reason for the hope that you have.

Because if you've actually managed to shut up long enough to become the person who can listen to others before imparting your fool's wisdom, if you can be humble enough to admit that you might be wrong, if you can make room for differences of opinion, then maybe, just maybe, someone might want to hear your explanation.

That's what Peter was talking about. Go ahead. Do it. Peter said so.

What in the world...?

HAS EVERYONE GONE CRAZY?

It might seem like that. People seem more tense than ever. It seems like everything's a battle, and there's blood everywhere. The world seems pretty broken, and the future looks mighty dim, and we're all shaking our heads, wondering how we got to this crazy place. But here's the thing...

This is nothing new. The world's crazy. Always has been.

There is, however, a path that helps us make sense of it and navigate it and maybe even make a dent in it. And that path is called The Way of Jesus.

But The Way of Jesus is all about steps. 

So this is your formal invitation to Step One.

The Way of Jesus, like any path to a place where you've never been, is better walked with someone who knows the way, or at least someone who's a few steps ahead of you. So, Step One on The Way of Jesus is to find some running partners, some navigators, some guides.

We're inviting you to join us. We Questers are asking the very same questions you're asking, but we think we've found a path through the crazy. We're feeling our own way down this path, and we're inviting you to get on it with us.

It may be bumpy and dangerous, but what way isn't? And at least on this Way, you don't have to go it alone, and it's headed toward someplace we think you'll like.

Take the first step by joining us at our Sunday Gathering.

Courage is...

When we think of courage, we tend to think about people throwing themselves on top of an exploding hand grenade or battling a terrible illness or taking great risks to aid disaster victims. But courage comes in all shapes and sizes.

Sometimes it takes a surprising degree of courage just to get out of bed in the morning.

And while we may not be called to fight off wild dingos in order to save a newborn or jump onto a moving train in order to rescue the President, many of the things we ARE called to may require almost as much courage.

In fact, sometimes it requires enormous amounts of courage just to continue doing what you've been doing. 

We've been talking on Sundays about the value of waiting. We've been discussing how waiting on God is all about trust, but how sometimes it's really hard, because we don't see results. 

But here's the thing:

Sometimes the value is not in the receiving but in the trusting. Sometimes it's not about input/output or give/receive or cost/benefit. Sometimes it's all about persevering. 

This is why Paul tells us that "suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:4-5) These things are listed in succession on purpose. Sometimes we must suffer to build strength and integrity, and only then can we experience hope. 

But notice that nowhere in that list do we find "quitting" as an option. It doesn't say, "suffering produces misery; misery, complaining; complaining, quitting." Whatever mission we're called to, there is intrinsic value in seeing it through to completion.

And this progression is absolutely critical if we expect to stay on mission. Perseverance is pleasing to God. He loves it when we respond to his call and hang on for dear life. This is why Jesus tells us that the one who takes risks and stays on mission will be considered faithful and will ultimately reap the rewards of their perseverance, which includes high praise and increased responsibility. 

"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!" (Matthew 25:21&23).

If we play it safe, if we avoid risk, or worse yet, if we quit, the rest of that parable doesn't favor us. 

We know the passage that says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" but shouldn't that lead to the logical conclusion that, if we know we're on mission, if we know God has called us to something, what could be better than that? Even if we aren't seeing the outcomes that we'd like or expect, why would we want to be anywhere else?

Most of the time, being bold and courageous is just about hanging on. It's about waiting well. It's about trusting God. 

Be bold and courageous. 

Why adventure?

You might ask why we're calling our Christmas message series Adventure, or more accurately, ADVENT|URE. But, you might do well to back up a bit and ask the more basic question, why do we call our church "Quest?"

What's so adventure-y about Christmas? And what's so Quest-y about church?

Good questions.

We call this time leading up to Christmas "Advent" because advent literally means "to arrive" or "to come." But it also carries with it the idea of anticipation. So advent means anxiously awaiting the arrival of something or someone.

Which is certainly what we do as we consider the arrival of the Christ child.

But "adventure" takes advent a step further. Advent means to arrive, but the suffix -ure means "to go." So, adventure literally means, "go, so that you can arrive." But it also carries with it the idea of anticipation from the root "advent," as well as a new idea of undertaking unknown risks in order to get there.

So "going on an adventure" means undertaking a journey, eagerly anticipated in spite of risk, because arriving at your destination will be worth whatever danger you encounter on the way.

And this journey is at the center of all that we do. It's the central concept of the gospel. We're like Bilbo Baggins with his backpack, running out of the Shire, hollering to anyone who will listen, "I'm going on an adventure!"

Is this how you see your walk with Jesus and his people?

Is your spiritual life more like Frodo's long walk to Mordor, with his Fellowship of the Ring, or is it more like playing basketball once a week at the YMCA with a couple acquaintances?

I would argue that the gospel is either an adventure or nothing. It's either a journey to someplace that's so great it's worth the risk, or it's a waste of time.

And what's another word for that journey? A quest, perhaps?

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Join us at Quest in December to learn how the birth of this baby in Bethlehem fits into this Advent adventure.

www.quest-church.com