The Obi

 

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

—Ephesians 4:3

Usually, when we think of Japanese traditional attire for women, we think of the kimono. As early as the 5th century, these “robes” were worn by unmarried women. Traditionally, the T-shaped garment is tied together around the waist using a sash known as an obi. Obis can be formal or informal, wide or narrow, and of many various materials, depending on the usage.

Wikipedia.com describes the following:

There were two reasons for the obi: firstly, to maintain the aesthetic balance of the outfit, the longer sleeves needed a wider sash to accompany them; secondly, unlike today (where they are customary only for unmarried women) married ladies also wore long-sleeved kimono in the 1770s. The use of long sleeves without leaving the underarm open would have hindered movements greatly.

A woman's obi is worn in a fancy musubi knot. There are ten ways to tie an obi, and different knots are suited to different occasions and different kimono.

There are many different types of women's obi, and the usage of them is regulated by many unwritten rules not unlike those that concern the kimono itself. Certain types of obi are used with certain types of kimono; the obi of married and unmarried women are tied in different ways. Often the obi adjusts the formality and fanciness of the whole kimono outfit: the same kimono can be worn in very different situations depending on what kind of obi is worn with it.

So from this description, we can see that the obi ties everything together with consideration for balance, beauty, and the movement of the person wearing the kimono. What an elegant picture of the kind of unity we find within the body of Christ. Though we see many different manifestations of Christ’s Body—the Church—God blesses His people with the “sash of His peace” that holds everything together in balance and beauty.

In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ has called those of us in His body to peace. The Ephesians passage quoted at the beginning of this blog post goes on to state in Ephesians 4:4:

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.

Are we married to Christ? Indeed we are. Then our “garments of His righteousness” should be evident to all. Just as the obi of a Japanese woman speaks of her marital status, so should the peace that binds Christians together speak of the relationship we have with Jesus, our Savior, Lord, and King.

In this world of constant noise and strife, the unity that comes from the bond of peace must mark us as Christians. As Psalm 133:1 states:

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.

May this unity of God’s peace bind and beautify every member of the Body of Christ!

 

 

The Legacy

 

We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

—Psalm 78:4b-7

If we could just see backwards into history and observe the way in which God prepared to have us learn of Him and the gospel message, we would be astonished. Did a great-great-grandmother teach her children well? And, did one of them—the one who became your grandfather—so fall in love with Christ that children many generations later would proclaim God’s amazing grace? Yes! That’s exactly what happened in my family!

Or, did a long ago professor plant a seed of Truth that would resonate for many decades in the life of someone who later took steps to influence you? We just won’t know the beautiful strand of embroidery that God has used to bring us to Himself until some glorious day when we stand before Him.

On the other hand, do we give ourselves to God, so that He can plant the seed of the gospel in those in the next generations that will follow our generation? We may never see the full impact that our lives have had on the younger people whom we have only met for a brief period. Likewise, we may not yet clearly see the impact our lives have had on those we have raised in our own homes, children who will grow to adulthood and carry the message of God’s grace onward through generation after generation to come.

Television writer and author David C. McCasland tells about meeting a member of the Mexico City Philharmonic, Luis Antonio Rojas, who told him that:

“… the finest instruments are made of wood that has been allowed to age naturally to remove the moisture. You must age the wood for 80 years, then play the instrument for 80 years before it reaches its best sound … a craftsman must use wood cut and aged by someone else, and he will never see any instrument reach its peak during his own lifetime.” ¹

Perhaps we have poured ourselves into our children or other young people, but see little evidence to indicate that we have made any impact. We should remember this story about the violin. We must understand that God takes time to work His will into the lives of His children.

Be faithful! Continue to take every opportunity to live for Christ and share His story with those in the next generation, and the next. We will all be amazed when we meet in Heaven to see those who came before us who had been faithful, and those who will come after us who are there because of our faithful witness.

______________________

1 Quoted in Our Daily Bread: Devotional Journal, ©2010, RBC Ministries.

 

 

The Huddle

 

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

—Hebrews 10:23

I’ve never played on a sports team, but I’ve watched enough basketball games on television to ponder what players do in a time-out huddle during those few minutes of “down” time. Sometimes, just the five players on the floor gather to share strategy. Other times, I see them reconnect on the sidelines with all the other members of the team whether or not they participate in the game.

Sometimes I see the coach scribbling directions for the next play on a hand-held white board. Sometimes he or she gets in the face of a player who seems to have disappointed the coach by the way the particular player is handling the game. Sometimes I watch as assistant coaches offer their “two cents” by chewing out a player or patting a player on the back.

Most often, at the end of the time-out, I see the players offer encouragement by putting their arms around each other and cheering each other on for the next round of difficult play. They connect on a deep level and remind each other that they are all in this together.

In my opinion, the local church should consider operating with a mindset similar to the mindset of sports team. As they meet for worship, members “huddle” every week. Some come to church needing exhortation or warning. Others need encouragement through the felt love of the Body of Christ. As a key part of Christ’s Body, they recognize that they all wear the garments of salvation and belong to the same family. Though each one may have different gifts, it is the same Spirit by which they live out their Christian faith.

The “coach” and other leaders must try to study the needs of the individuals within this local Body and provide for ways to exhort, encourage, and inspire a sense of belonging. In this way, all the “players” go away prepared to “play the game”—as Ambassadors for Christ and His Kingdom—with new vigor and with a clear understanding of their roles.

The harder the game, the more intense and important the huddle seems to be. As the days of our lives become more difficult, and as the time draws closer to Christ’s return, we should heed the words of the author of Hebrews, as recorded in Hebrews 10:23-25:

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

 

 

The God Who Acts "Suddenly"

 

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.”

—Acts 2:1-2

For most of us, waiting on God to answer whatever we ask in our prayers, or waiting on God to show us the direction He wants us to go in any matter, far too often seems like a never-ending period of time. When we first started to wait on God’s response, we often wait far longer than we had ever anticipated waiting.

The first Disciples must have felt that way, too. They had seen Jesus ascend back to Heaven and had already stayed together in an upper room for most of the 40 days between His death and His ascension. Now they had continued to wait for His promise—the Holy Spirit—for ten more days.

I wonder what they expected would happen when the Holy Spirit came. This sudden wind and the tongues of fire that landed on each of them must have shocked even these devoted followers of Jesus. I imagine that once they realized what was happening, they experienced a flood of incredible joy! After a time of waiting, God suddenly responded in an overwhelming way.

When we think of “sudden happenings” in Scripture, we must remember the words recorded in Luke 2:13:

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”

Certainly these shepherds shook in their homespun clothing to see such a sight: the coming of this new-born Messiah—the One for whom watchers had prayed and had anticipated for so long a time.

The apostle Paul took a routine “business trip” to Damascus and we read this account in Acts 9:3:

As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Later, after Paul had begun working for his new “Boss,” Paul shared a missionary adventure with his friend Silas. We read of these two adventurers in Acts 16:25-26. They had been imprisoned for speaking about Jesus. The Scripture tells us:

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.

We should allow these accounts of the sudden action of God to give us confidence and renewed faith that God will always answer our prayers, even though we may have waited for a very long time. When God decides to act, nothing will stop Him from suddenly fulfilling His will. When His sovereign plan comes together, circumstances that ordinarily just wouldn’t work out can suddenly fall into place.

As we think back over our lifetimes of knowing God through Jesus, we must have at least one account when we have seen this character trait of God acting suddenly. Let this personal memory and the recorded accounts in the Scriptures encourage us today. When God wills it, it will happen! And often, it will happen suddenly.

 

 

They Called Her: Much-Afraid

 

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.”

—Psalm 56:3-4

In Hannah Hurnard’s classic allegory, Hinds’ Feet On High Places, the main character, little Much-Afraid, lives among her relatives, the Fearings, in the Valley of Humiliation. Even so, she knows the Good Shepherd and desires His fellowship. She learns that He wants her to leave this awful place and follow Him, rather than live forever with those who would have her marry Craven Fear, the fiercest of the Fearings.

Much-Afraid learns from the Shepherd how to climb to the High Places, the Kingdom of Love. This is the place where His love casts out all her fears, including all those fears of the kin who have plagued her throughout all of her life. Through the struggles of a very long and circuitous journey, she becomes a new person—Acceptance-With-Joy—in the Kingdom of Love.

This journey from fear to acceptance, love, and peace does not happen quickly. In our own lives, we seem to have to learn this lesson over and over. Some of us have a greater struggle than others because we, too, live among Fearing relatives who constantly whisper in our ears their evil plans for us.

I am intrigued that throughout Scripture, God speaks the words “Be not afraid” more often than just about any other admonition. He knows our weaknesses and He knows the trials we come up against in this fallen world. After all, Jesus Himself lived with the terrors of sickness, storms, plots of hatred, sleepless nights, suffering, and even death. He most certainly understands our fears.

Unfortunately, this life does not afford us a quick fix to take away our fears. But, I believe that God wants us who know Him, to learn to trust Him, to look in His face, to arm ourselves with His promises through His written Word, and to seek His hope and encouragement. The path away from fear takes us through obstacles, sharp precipices, loneliness, and often dangers on every side.

If we are dogged by this constant companion Fear, we must hear our Savior say to us in the words of Isaiah 41:9-10:

“You are my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”