Archives For Humility

Be a Humble Apologist!

April 7, 2013 — Leave a comment

The New Testament letter of 1 Peter provides a wonderful paradigm for the “Defense of the Faith.”  (Christian Apologetics) This is vital to understand if we are going to welcome tough questions – either our own or those that others want to discuss or argue.

“…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy,
always being prepared to make a defense to anyone
who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;
yet do it with gentleness and respect…”
1 Peter 3:15, ESV

Let me suggest three qualities of a Humble Apologist that spring from this very rich passage:
[You can listen to the audio sermon here.]

1. Have CONVICTIONS that honor Christ as Lord – keep going deeper in your relationship. It will help you be secure in times of your own questioning and secure as you speak with others who ask you questions.

2. Have REASONS that engage and are clear – in language that others outside the faith can understand.  Jesus and Peter do not expect us to withdrawal from discussion and debate, but rather to proclaim and embody Jesus as the hope of the world!

3. Have CIVILITY – humility and respect for the persons you converse with. In the words of Richard Mouw, the word “tolerance” has lost its effectiveness. We need convictions with civility that show respect to all!  (see this previous post)

As I promised in this morning’s sermon, here is a poem by C.S. Lewis, on the humble part of being an apologist for the faith.

The Apologists Evening Prayer

From all my lame defeats and oh! much more
From all the victories that I seemed to score;
From cleverness shot forth on Thy behalf
At which, while angels weep, the audience laugh;
From all my proofs of Thy divinity,
Thou, who wouldst give no sign, deliver me.

Thoughts are but coins. Let me not trust, instead
of Thee, their thin-worn image of Thy head.
From all my thoughts,
even from my thoughts of Thee,
O thou fair Silence, fall, and set me free.

Lord of the narrow gate and the needle’s eye,
Take from me all my trumpery lest I die.

C.S. Lewis, “The Apologist’s Evening Prayer,” in Poems, ed. Walter Hooper (London: Geoffrey Bles, 1964), p. 129.

StackFor those who want to go deeper, John Stackhouse has written a fine book with the same title of “Humble Apologetics.”

In Apologetics, C.S. Lewis, Civility, Current Issues, faith and doubt, Fully Human, Humility
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Poetry Monday – Yes, Lewis wrote poetry!

October 16, 2012 — Leave a comment

C. S. Lewis aspired to write great poetry. And though he was not known for his poetry, his long time friend and editor, Walter Hooper, compiled a book of verse – some gathered from loose papers and flyleaves of books.  It speaks to his humility that Lewis, though he had a photographic memory for all he read, wouldn’t remember his own poetry when Hooper quoted it to him!

Speaking of humility, here is Lewis’ poem called The Apologist’s Evening Prayer:

From all my lame defeats and oh! much more
From all the victories that I seemed to score;
From cleverness shot forth on Thy behalf
At which, while angels weep, the audience laugh;
From all my proofs of Thy divinity,
Thou, who wouldst give no sign, deliver me.

Thoughts are but coins. Let me not trust, instead
of Thee, their thin-worn image of Thy head.
From all my thoughts, even from my thoughts of Thee,
O thou fair Silence, fall, and set me free.
Lord of the narrow gate and needle’s eye,
Take from me all my trumpery lest I die.

From “The Apologist’s Evening Prayer” in Poems by C. S. Lewis (Orlando: Harcourt, 1964), 129.
In C.S. Lewis, Humility, Poetry
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How ‘Secure’ am I?

May 7, 2011 — Leave a comment

At Christ Church this month we’re exploring Matthew 18 around the theme of “Life Together: Jesus and Relationships.”  Healthy relationships begin with childlikeness.  (Not that children are our models for selflessness and humility, but taking the humble place of a child in how we see ourselves.) Being secure in the arms of God’s love energizes us to love without manipulation or other selfish motives. (see here for the sermon)

Donald Miller says it well:  even our doing good can be twisted:

 ”When we meditate on how much God loves us instead of on how loving we are, we tend to love others selflessly out of a feeling of completion, while if we meditate on how much we love others in order to get them to love us back, we love others out of a sense of compulsion or need. The same is true for our righteousness. When we think about how good we are, we may no longer be good. Instead, we can think about how good God is, and how much we are loved by Him, and then just live in the overflow of those truths. It’s tricky, but one is a prison and the other is freedom.”
(read his whole blogpost) 

Ask: How does growing more secure in my relationship with Christ impact all my other relationships?

In Humility, Relationships
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