Do not be quick with your mouth or hasty in your heart to utter anything before God.  God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so SHUT UP.

For some reason, that verse has always meant a lot to me.  In the context, this is what Solomon writes:

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.  Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.  As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words.  When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.  It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.  Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?  Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God.  (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7)

Ecclesiastes has a special place in my heart, because it was the first book of the Bible that I ever read completely through.  I was a senior in high school, not yet a follower of Jesus, and was writing my senior English thesis on the meaning of life (really, why analyze the relationship between mortality and aesthetics in The Picture of Dorian Gray when you can figure out the meaning of life?).  I had read a bunch of books and short stories that portrayed life as having meaning, and others that portrayed the world as a chaotic, meaningless place.  One of the books I read was The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway.  As I began to read, I found that the title came from a verse in Ecclesiastes:

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever. The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it arose. (Ecclesiastes 1:2-5, New King James Version)

I decided to check out Ecclesiastes for the first time that year, and have found myself drawn to that intriguing book ever since. 

As I’ve grown in my faith, I’ve seen more and more wisdom in Ecclesiastes 5:2 – God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so let your words be few.  Ironic advice for someone who gets paid in large part for his ability to communicate, but think about it:  How much better a place would this world be if more people would remember that God is in heaven, and we are on earth, and therefore we should let our words be few?  How much more Christlike could Christians be if we thought carefully and with humility before opening our mouth?  How much more impact could we have as a church if we stopped arguing and debating and started to love and live out our faith with good deeds?  It’s like what St. Francis of Assissi said: “Preach the gospel at all times.  Use words if necessary.”  Or like the early church, which had a practice known as the discipline of the secret, where they avoided mentioning the death and resurrection of Christ in the presence of the unbaptized, believing that the most persuasive witness was the way one lived, not the words one spoke.  Or perhaps Solomon said it best in verse 3 of chapter 5: “As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words.”  God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so let your words be few. 

Or, think of it this way:

God is the judge in heaven, and you are not all-knowing here on earth,
so be careful how you judge.

God is sovereign in heaven, and you are not in control down here,
so stop complaining and trust in him

God is good in heaven, and you are full of evil down here,
so be careful what you say and how you say it

God is holy, and you are flawed,
so listen before you speak

God is truth, and we only know part of the truth here on earth,
so stop acting like a know-it-all

God is infinite, and our minds and senses are finite,
so learn to be content with mystery

Solomon ends this section in verse 7 by exhorting his listeners to stand in awe of God.  One of the most powerful experiences I ever had in worship was during a time where the worship team was playing the song “I Stand in Awe”.  As they sang the song, I tried to sing along, but my heart was so overcome by the presence of God that I could not speak.  I was opening my mouth, but nothing was coming out.  And as I sat there in silence, tears spilling out of my eyes, I heard the people singing these words:

“You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard.”

I couldn’t help but smile through the tears, as the words of that song were coming true for me… the beauty of God was so overwhelming me in that place that no words could have ever done Him justice.  It was as if God was stopping my voice and forcing me to listen and recognize that there was nothing I could ever say that would adequately explain how incredible it is to know Him.  God is in heaven, and I am on earth, and sometimes the wisest, most worshipful thing I can do is to stop talking.

For all who have contributed to the discussions on this blog over the past couple of months, thank you.  I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to seek the truth together. I will be back blogging next week, but for this week I wanted to take a moment to remember my place in the universe. And now, in honor of the one whom words can not explain and language can not contain, I will gladly close my mouth.  God is in heaven, and I am on earth, so I will let my words be few.

While we’re at it, there are a few other changes I would make to the greatest book of all time.  How about this rule – if 95% of churchgoers couldn’t tell you what a certain book of the Bible is about or quote any verses from it, then it’s gone.  With that rule, let’s cut out Nahum, Obadiah, Amos, and Zephaniah.  In their place, I’ve got two big but tremendously important books – “Proof that I Exist” and “Answers to all your Theological Questions.”

Okay, so I’m obviously joking, but do you see my point?  The Bible can be a very difficult book to read and apply to today’s world.  It can often feel like a few more practical chapters could have gone a long way.  Last week, I raised the question of how to know which verses should be taken literally and which ones were only meant for the cultural context in which they were written.  This is a hugely important, extremely practical question that, if answered incorrectly, can lead to everything from silent women with head coverings filling the pews to homeless, penniless Christians who have sold all of their possessions and given the proceeds to the poor.  Should we still “greet one another with a holy kiss?” (1 Corinthians 16:20)  Is it still detestable for a man to lie with a man as with a woman?  (Leviticus 18:22)  Is it wrong for a man to have long hair (1 Corinthians 11:14) and get a tattoo (Leviticus 19:28)?  And what makes us answer yes or no to those questions?

All of which leads me to ask of God, “Couldn’t you have been a little more clear?”

Think about it – why didn’t God just take one verse of the New Testament to outline the correct view on baptism (“And God said, don’t baptize infants”)?  Why didn’t he answer once and for all the manner in which Jesus was to return (“Whenever I feel like it, so quit your guessing”)?  Why did he leave so much open to interpretation, knowing that the resulting ambiguity, left in the hands of proud, stubborn, know-it-all men, would be centuries of division and discord in the church?

And why not lay out the prescription for knowing His will, or achieving success in work or in family or in life?  Wouldn’t that have given Him a lot more followers, and made those followers a lot more impressive and Christlike?

Well, I’m sure that God knew what He was doing, so let’s ask the question again a little more respectfully – Why did God give us a book that is made up of 66 books of prose, poetry, history, stories, apocalyptic visions, and the like, written by many different authors over many different years in many different locations?  Why didn’t he answer all the questions we ask, or outline more clearly what it means to know and follow Him?  What can we learn from the way He decided to do it?

Among other things, here are a few suggestions of what we learn from the way God organized the Bible (thank you to Brian McLaren’s Finding Faith for helping me think about this):

1) The Bible is not meant to be read like a college textbook, or like a novel – No one can ever say “The Bible?  Oh yeah – I’ve read that.  I’ve understood that.”  The smartest person in the world will never be able to fully wrap his or her mind around God’s truth.  We will never master God the way we might be able to master geometry.  The Bible is not just about logic and linear thinking.  It is story and prophecy, challenge and mystery, all meant to bring us into a deep and dependant personal relationship with God.

2) Relationships with God are situational – God is not an abstract thing defined by abstract words and principles, no matter how hard we try to capture him in theological boxes.  Rather, God can only be known through specific times and places.  The Bible is the record of God’s dealings with many people over many different centuries, and some of the truths are timeless, while others were meant for that specific time and place.  And, to answer my previous boasts about being able to create a better Bible with chapters on God’s will and proofs for his existence, who would I be writing for?  College-educated, suburban Americans?  Aboriginal hunter-gatherers?  Asian housewives??  South African chicken farmers???  The Bible stories are situational, and God deals with people situationally, because that’s where we live.

3) What you find when you read will depend on why you’re reading – The Bible is difficult enough that those who are not really interested will find nothing of value, those who are prejudiced will find what they are looking for, while those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty will find God and life to the full in the very pages of the Bible.

4) Focus on the parts that are clear – Mark Twain once said “It isn’t the parts of the Bible that I don’t understand that bother me; it’s the parts that I do.”  Since the Bible is so deep and full of mystery, let’s major in the majors and give the most attention to what is most clear – love God, love your neighbor, do unto others…that sort of thing.

Next week I will continue to deal with the question of hermeneutics – how we know which passages are meant to be interpreted literally today and which are bound to the culture in which they were given.  Until then, I encourage you that if there are Bible commands that you have wondered whether or not we are meant to interpret literally, post your specific questions in the comments so that we can do our best to deal with them.

I must confess – I fell for another Seven Steps book.

“Come on, Eric,” my head said, as I saw the book in the CBD catalog.  “You know it’s not that simple.”  But my heart had already been captured by the promise of mastering the complex world of ministry in only Seven Steps.  Seven Steps was nothing.  It’s my bed to the bathtub.  The kitchen table to the fridge.  The garage to the front door.  Anybody could walk seven steps.  But before my head could object, my hands were reaching for the phone, impulsively dialing 1-800-CHRISTIAN, ready to catapult myself into the realm of the super-pastor.
 “Yes, hello.  I’d like to order The Seven Practices of Effective Ministry, by Andy Stanley, Rick Joiner, and Lane Jones.”
 “The Seven Practices of Effective Ministry – that will be $13.99, sir.”
 “Excellent.”
 “Yes it is, sir.  Would you like to hear our specials today?”
 “Sure… why not.”
 “Okay… we have The Seven Steps for Turning Dreams into Reality by Tommy Barnett for $11.99… The Six Steps to Emotional Freedom by David Clarke for $7.99… we also have The Five Steps to Financial Freedom by James Wise for $14.99 and Five Steps to Knowing God’s Will by Bill Bright for $3.99.”
“I’ll take them all.”
“Excellent, sir.  Are you married?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Well, then, we also have a special today on The Three Steps to a Healthy Family by Linda & Richard Eyre for $12.99.”
“Stick it in my bag, ma’am.”
“Is there anything else I can do for you today sir?”
“Let’s see – I’ve been struggling with how much food I eat lately.  Do you have anything for that?”
“Yes sir – we have Seven Steps to Healthy Eating by Paul Reisser for $4.99.”
 “Awesome.  By the time I make it to the fridge, my cravings should be gone.”
 “Excuse me, sir?”
 “Never mind… thanks – this is great.”
 “We just need to take one more step together, sir – can I have your credit card info?”

It may take a month or two to make it through these books, but I’m telling you – by the time I finish them, I should be invincible.  Not only will I be an effective pastor who knows God’s will and is seeing his dreams realizing, but I’ll be emotionally healthy, financially secure, leading a healthy family, and eating  broccoli for breakfast.  By that time I should be ready to start my next book – Seven Steps to World Domination.

Okay, I confess… I didn’t really order any of the aforementioned books.  Yet.  But as I peruse the books on the shelves in my office, I can see that I have more than my share of books that have promised to change my life, usually in Seven Steps.  Just for fun, I went on the Christian Book Distributors website and looked up all books with Seven Steps in their title.  It’s pretty uncanny how many things can be accomplished in only seven steps.  Just look at the list some time – you can turn around your life, turn your dreams into reality, achieve outer and inner beauty, live at your full potential, avoid a financial crisis, cultivate a healthy marriage, receive the Holy Spirit (who knew it took that many steps?), eat healthy, improve your pitching technique (what is this doing in here???), judge prophecy, revitalize the small town church, find a job, preach biblically, unclutter your life, and stop a heart attack – all in Seven Steps.

I’m telling you, Seven Steps to World Domination is just around the corner.

There’s a problem with the Seven Step Movement, however.  It’s not that the content is untrue, or that it hasn’t succeeded in changing people’s lives.  It’s not that the authors are lying or that the publishers are playing on your weaknesses.

The problem with the Seven Step Movement is the Six Step Movement.

Because if you keep looking through the CBD website, you’re going to find that in only Six Steps, you can do things like master being a Mom, rekindle your romance after the baby comes, find emotional freedom, clarify your calling, and unleash God’s revival power in your life.

It’s like the scene in There’s Something about Mary where Ben Stiller’s character picks up a hitchhiker played by the amazing Harlan Williams.  In case you haven’t seen the scene, I’m reproducing the dialogue for you in its entirety:

HITCHHIKER: A salesman — that’s what I am. I mean, I’m gonna be anyway. I’m starting my own company — video sales — just as soon as I get enough seed money.
TED: ‘That right? Good for you.
HITCHHIKER: Yeah, you wouldn’t believe my idea — it’s a home run. You ever hear of Eight-Minute Abs?
TED: The exercise tape? Sure, I’ve seen it on TV.
HITCHHIKER: Two million copies it sold last year. Two million, man. But not next year–my idea’s gonna blow them outta the water. Get this: (dramatic pause) Seven-Minute Abs.
TED: (pauses) I see where you’re going.
HITCHHIKER: (big smile) Think about it. You walk into a video store and you see Eight-Minute Abs and right next to it you see Seven-Minute Abs–which one you gonna spring for?
TED: I’d go with the seven.
HITCHHIKER: Bingo. Especially since we guarantee you’ll get every bit as good a work-out.
TED: How do you guarantee that?
HITCHHIKER: Well it’s the company motto: ‘If you ain’t happy we’ll send you the extra minute.’
TED: Huh. That sounds great. (pause) Unless someone else comes out with Six-Minute Abs.

Life is complicated.  Marriage is complicated.  So is ministry, raising kids, achieving your financial goals, and finding emotional freedom.  Following God and knowing His will is certainly more complicated than improving your pitching technique.  So maybe you can empathize with my addiction.  There is something so commanding, so inspiring, about the title The Seven Practices of Effective Ministry.  It communicates “I have gone through the struggles and have figured out how to be an effective pastor, and you will be spared the trouble if you only pay $13.99 for the pleasure of reading my book.”

But what I’ve found after years of reading books like these is that while there are always wonderful insights to be found, it is never a quick fix.  Life is complicated, and ministry in Atlanta, where Andy Stanley ministers, is certainly different than ministry in Glastonbury.  And I’m sure the Eyre’s family, healthy as it may be after only Three Steps (very impressive) is certainly different than mine. 
 Certainly I understand that the reason for these book titles is more marketing than anything else.  Seven Steps books sell because, like I said, it’s like walking from my garage to the front door – anyone can do it.  But the danger of these books is that it has the potential to rob God of His mystery.  Think about Joseph writing his Five Steps to Realizing your Full Potential:

1. Wear a fancy coat
2. Get sold to nomads by your brothers
3. Become a servant in a foreign land
4. Get thrown into prison for a crime you didn’t commit
5. Interpret dreams for important people in said foreign land   

Or what about Moses’ Three Steps to Encountering God?

1. Tend some sheep
2. Look for bushes that are on fire
3. Take off your sandals

There’s a mystery to how God works, to why some amazing families have kids who make disastrous decisions while some completely dysfunctional families produce the godliest men and women.  There’s a mystery to why some people’s wildest dreams come true while others, who have dedicated their whole lives to God, don’t realize theirs (Moses and the Promised Land, anyone?).  And there’s certainly a mystery to why God has continued to use me in ministry, despite numerous reasons He had to give up on me.  And I wouldn’t dare cheapen it or insult anyone else’s intelligence by trying to condense such a rich mystery into seven steps.

Some day, perhaps, I’ll write a book.  If I do, I’ve already decided what I’m going to name it, no matter what the publishers say.  It may not be as catchy as Seven Steps to becoming a SuperPastor, but I think it will accurately sum up what I have to offer this world.  And maybe by the time my book comes out the cynicism over how-to Christianity and packaged spiritual growth will have peaked, so that my title will have a ring of honesty and humility to it.

I think I’m going to call it Thoughts about Stuff, by Eric Stillman.  Catchy, isn’t it?