"And I said, "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of Hosts." (Isaiah 6:5)
The other day I watched the mockumentary "This Is Spinal Tap" for the umpteenth time. (Umpeenth by the way is the number one uses when we either don't wish to take the time to actually count, or are too embarrassed to admit how many times we have done something.)
If you aren't familiar with "This Is Spinal Tap," it is the supposed documentary of the downfall of a Rock group Spinal Tap. It's also a multi-layered commentary on the music industry and abiding friendship. Most of all, it's funny. No matter how many times (umpteen) I have seen it I always catch something new.
This time I was struck by something their manager/promoter says during an interview. He is asked: "The last time Spinal Tap toured, they filled 15,000 seat auditoriums. Now they are playing to crowds of 1,500. Is their popularity waning?" The manager replies, "Oh, no, not at all. Their audience is simply getting more selective." In other words, things aren't as bad as they seem.
If you watch the film you will see this becomes the manager's mantra or business strategy. Everything is fine. Nothing is as bad as it seems. Failed promotions, bad record covers, awful bookings. It's all good. It's going to be fine. The reality is that it's not fine. Everything isn't okay. And, until Spinal Tap realizes this, things probably aren't going to get any better.
Halfway through the film the manager gets fired and goes to work for the United Methodist Church. Not really, I just want to make sure you are paying attention. He doesn't, but he could have. Over the years, I've heard this same type of spin in our own denomination. Things really aren't as bad as they seem. We don't have fewer members we have more selective members.
What's interesting is how angrily we react to anything that challenges our version of reality. The growing UM church? Sell out, workaholic pastor, mega church wannabes. They don't do real ministry. They are in a growing area. And the list goes on and on. We would rather make excuses than admit things are bad, because, once we do that, we know we must change.
But let's not be too quick to smirk and point fingers at our denomination. We've all been guilty of this haven't we? Isn't the inability to see that things are as bad as they seem one of the major stumbling blocks to our spiritual growth? My sins really aren't that bad are they? I mean, you can see how anybody in my situation would have done the same thing. Well, yes, I did some things I'm not proud of. But if you compare them with some other people, I come out smelling like a rose, don't I? Hey, I did 10 bad things this week. But I did 12 good things. So I'm actually up 2 right?
And when we see someone truly living out a Christian life, displaying holiness, we sound suspiciously like those in the denomination denying reality. "They are probably hiding something. No one likes someone who goes around acting holier than thou. I bet they have skeletons in their closet. No one really lives this stuff out 24/7.
You see, it's easier to keep our heads in the sand than to see people who have changed. Because, if they have changed, then perhaps we can as well.
Admitting things are as bad as they seem is the first step in being transformed by the Holy Spirit. Look at our Scripture. Isaiah has a vision of God in the temple. It's no watered down vision of God. Its a vision taking in as much of God's holiness and majesty as a human being can bear. What is Isaiah's response? I am unclean. Isaiah sees his sinful nature for what it is. Sinful. Bad. Outside of God's plans. No excuses. No comparison with anyone else. No keeping score of good and bad. He simply admits the unclean nature of his spirit.
It's not about feeling guilty or brow beating oneself. If you continue to read the chapter, an amazing thing happens. God burns away the stain of sin. He makes Isaiah clean. It's not easy and it's a painful process. But it's also a reality.
I wonder how many of us approach God's throne as Isaiah does? I know I often come asking for forgiveness but with plenty of excuses as to why I did something, or some fairly empty promises how I won't mess up the next time. But how many of us simply come to God and say my sin is as bad as it seems. In the light of your holiness maybe even worse? I come with no excuses. I simply admit who I am in your presence. Would the one who is Holy from eternity to eternity not touch our lips with His Holy fire and make us clean? Would we not all be changed? Admitting that at times things are as bad as they seem is often the first step to things getting better.
In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Brian Jones <><
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