lectio divina:: john 2/ the wedding at cana

I've mentioned this before, but my friend Mike has challenged me to memorize one chapter of the Bible a month. We have been working on this project for years. We did all of the New Testament letters, and we recently started the Gospel of John. I recently memorized the story of the wedding at Cana, and I come away with some new thoughts that I never discovered before:

verses 1-3 say, "On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."

This interaction between Jesus and His mother makes me smile. She doesn't ask Him to fix the wine situation, she tells him that the wine ran out. All of us ask Jesus for things all of the time- and when we do, we fast, or we get on our knees, or we hold a special meeting at 5am, but when Mary asks for a miracle, she doesn't even ask- she just tells Him that the wine ran out. She assumes that He knows what she's saying.

Also, she asks for a miracle, but not for her, for the people who are hosting the wedding.

All of this leads me to a question, "how did she know that He could do it?" Had He been doing little miracles around the house? Was this leftover from when the angel spoke to her before He was born? Either way, she knew that He was the guy to fix the problem.

Verse 4 says, "Dear woman, why do you involve me?"Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."

From the sound of things, Jesus wasn't interested in doing this miracle. But He does it anyway because of His relationship with the asker. Maybe He is one of the people that dislikes weddings. I also think its funny that He directly asks her a question and she does not answer Him. She assumes that He knows what she needs Him to do. 

Verse 5 says, " His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

She doesn't say, "Thanks Son! I know that you can do this!" She just looks over at the servants and says, "Do whatever he tells you."

To me, that is what the bible is talking about when it talks about faith. Zero doubt. Complete confidence.

Verses 6-7 says, "Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim."

From what I can tell, these are hand-washing jars. They were filled with gross water that was crawling with germs. I wouldn't drink out of that. But Jesus was able to redeem these hand-washing jars to hold gallons and gallons of the most choice wine. He takes what is common and dirty and uses it to hold the sacred.

verse 8-9 say, " Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew."

From what I know about wine, it takes a long time to make. Everything has to be perfect for the wine to turn out right: the weather, the soil, the vines, the roots, the barrels, the wine cellar, etc; but Jesus is able to make great wine in an instant. He didn't touch the water, or talk to the water or even wave His hand over the water. He just told them to draw some of the water out. Jesus can transform hand-washing water to the choicest of wines in a heartbeat.

Not only that- Jesus gave this wedding party 120-180 gallons of choice wine. How much would that cost? It cost Jesus nothing.

When did it become wine? My guess is when they acted in faith and drew it out. I'm sure that these servants thought that He was crazy by asking them to give hand-washing water to the master of the banquet and to call it wine. But they did- and they were included on His secret. That was always His style- to share the best with the least. To give honor to those who had none.

verses 9-10 say, " Then he (the master of the banquet) called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

What does the bridegroom do? Does he say, "I don't know where that wine came from!" Does he say, "I had nothing to do with that wine!" Nope- he just takes that compliment with pride. Maybe he was so drunk that he actually thought that it was his decision to bring out all of that wine.

This is my biggest take-away from this story: the master of the banquet when to the bridegroom and complimented him on the wine. The bridegroom accepted that compliment! Yet the bridegroom had absolutely nothing to do with the wine. He didn't even ask Jesus for help- Mary was the one who did that. If I were Jesus I might say, "hey now- let's give credit where credit is due..." But Jesus doesn't do that. He lets the bridegroom get credit for a miracle that He did. He didn't mind making the bridegroom look good.

I feel like I'm the bridegroom. I get a lot of credit for things that I didn't do, Jesus did them. He does a miracle, but its me that is the one who gets credited. Its me who gets the accolades. I need to remember that I had nothing to do with the miracles that He does. He has been doing amazing things in me and through me for years, and I have been content to take credit. All along it was Him.

As leaders in ministry, we are the bridegroom- we have been taking credit for the miracles that Jesus has done- and He has been happy to let us look good and to take the credit. We must always remember that its all Him. 

As ministry leaders, we are the hand washing basins- we are just vessels that bear the miraculous. Apart from Him, we aren't much. We are unclean. But with Him, we are sacred vessels.

As ministry leaders, we are the servants who follow Him in obedience- who "do whatever He says," and then we get a front row seat to the miraculous. We are the ones who risk looking like a fool; but step out in faith and participate in the service of the Messiah.

God is love.
-rev-rob

adventures in candidating part 2

 I wrote a post a few years ago called adventures in candidating. you can read it here. candidating is a church word that means applying for a pastor job. Once again, I recently found myself candidating. I ended up at the most amazing church. I recently re-read my old post, and I completely agree with everything that I said before. This time, instead of lessons, I just have stories. here are a few that stood out- I'll label them by city:

The San Jose story- I talked with a church from San Jose for a long time. I sent them videos, I filled out their forms, I talked with the head of their search committee for hours. In the end, the head of the search committee told me, "our last youth pastor was a scientist- and he talked to the students about science. they were all really interested in what he had to say. that's really what we are looking for. as I review your talks, I don't see anything about science, so its going to be a no." 

The Cupertino story- I had a pastor reach out to me from Cupertino. He was thrilled to talk to me. He told me that we had so many friends in common and that I would make an excellent addition to their team. He told me that the discipleship pastor would reach out to me. The discipleship pastor reached out to me and had me give him my life story, my call to ministry, my philosophy of ministry and the basics of my theological beliefs. Then he told me that they weren't hiring right now, but maybe someday!

The Almaden story- There is a church in the Almaden neighborhood of San Jose. They called, and I was super-excited to meet with them. I have been following this church for years and have many friends who work there. I met with one of their pastors who told me that they had several campuses and several roles open. They seemed very interested in moving forward. Another one of their pastors called me a few days later and he was very excited to talk. He knew many of my former students and thought that I would be a great fit at the church. Then I got a call from their executive pastor who said, "we actually had people lined up for each of those open roles already. its not going to work out."

The Milpitas story- a head hunter contacted me and told me that he had a gut feeling that I was the right guy for a church in Milpitas. I did a video interview with them, and they kept asking me trick questions. They gave me scenarios that were trying to get to an answer to a question that they had. This church was really into NOT having women in leadership. They asked me, "if a middle school girl came up to you and told you that she felt called to be a leader in the church, what would you tell her?" I could tell that this was a trick question and that I was walking into a trap. I said, "I could pour water on that fire, or gasoline; and I'd find all the gasoline that I could and fan that flame." Their mind was instantly made up that I was the wrong guy for the job. The recruiter was furious.

There are more stories to share, but those are some of the more prominent ones in my mind. The entire experience was an emotional roller coaster. It was incredibly frustrating and heartbreaking at times. I found many of these churches to be very unprofessional in their processes. but then, there was:

The Castro Valley Story- I met the most amazing group of leaders, students, and volunteers

in Castro Valley. I fell in love with them and I hope to stay there forever.

God is love.
-rev-rob

 

reflections on 3 months of unemployment:

 

On April 26, I received a call that I had been laid off from my job at the church in Morgan Hill. Because of the Covid-19 virus, the church had lost income and had to make cuts. So- for the 2nd time in 3 years, I was looking for a job; only this time it was during a pandemic. Churches still aren't meeting, and none of them are hiring right now. The last time I looked for a job, I had several offers, and landed in Morgan Hill after 3 very long weeks of looking. I was hoping that I would find one even faster this time- not even close. It took almost 3 months. The church that I landed at is a dream church. I keep asking myself, "is this too good to be true?" This story had a happy ending, but getting there was quite an adventure. Here are some lessons that I learned in those 3 months:

:: I have come a long way, but I have a long way to go.

I consider myself to be spiritually mature- I'm a church leader, I have been following Christ for the majority of my life; but in those 3 months I discovered that I have work to do in the areas of trusting God with my security and my fears. There were moments when the anxiety of not having a job was overwhelming. I spent many, many hours out on a trail walking and praying. I did this partly to communicate with God, but mostly to get out of the house and to distract myself from my worries.

:: God is good, all the time.

We used to say that in the old days at church. I'm reminded of it in every season of life. Through those months, we never missed a meal, never missed a bill, never went without. God provided a new job and a new church for our family. He took care of us, just like He always has and always does.

:: my family is awesome.

I got to eat 3 meals a day with my family for months. We got to go to the coast several times. We shopped for plants at the plant nurseries, because they were some of the first business to re-open. We went on walks and drives. I was anxious and a little much to be with some days, but I'm grateful for that extended amount of time with them. Deanna supported me and cheered for me. She coached me and gave me her perspective. She listened to every detail of every interview. She is amazing.

:: restoration

I binge-watched a couple of shows about shops that restore broken cars, and in a lot of ways I was restored. I had been broken down by stress, anxiety and work. Over this time I ran at least a 10k every night for months. I dropped 30 pounds. I slept in, I napped. I slowed down. I'm ready to get back in the game and am feeling better than ever.

:: my call was confirmed.

I thought about doing all kinds of different work: kids ministry, working in the business world, even being a senior pastor, but I kept coming back to my call to work with students. I could never get away from it- and I never really even wanted to get away from it. That is the job that God made me for, and I have never been more convinced of it.

:: my former boss passed away

my former boss Galen went to heaven during that time. One night I was on a walk and I was thinking and praying and I began to remember his influence on me. He did so much for me- he was so patient with me. He was so kind to me. I remembered again how much I respected him and the way that he did ministry. For the last several years of my life, he was a real father-figure in my life. I remember praying on the night that he died, and thanking God for him; and wishing that I had spent more time with him in his last years. Not long before he died we had a special conversation over Facebook expressing our mutual admiration for each other.

:: team Rob

I have mentioned these friends before. They showed up in full force during my time of need.

Niki coached me on my interviewing. She gathered an army of former students to bombard my new boss with letters of recommendation on my behalf. She mobilized her family to pray for me.

Jonathan is an expert at underemployment insurance. His phone rings off the hook all day long. Many, many people call unemployment all day, every day to try and get their benefits, but Jonathan told me, "don't worry. I'm going to take care of all of this for you."

Chuck encouraged me with words that I hope to never forget: he said, "Rob, I want you to make a list of all of the students and a list of all of the parents and leaders that you have touched with your life. And when you do, please put my name and my son's name at the very top of that list." After I hung up the phone I just cried and cried at those thoughtful words.

Chris called me every single day. He listened to the ups and downs of every interview. He kept track of those details just as well as I did.

Trent was there to give me rare insight into the new people that I was meeting because of his vast network of friends.

Josh listened to me, cheered for me, and fought for me to get hired at his church. It didn't work out, but I'll never forget the efforts that he went to on my behalf.

Jeff advocated for me to get hired at his church. He took the decision-maker out to eat and campaigned on my behalf. He generously offered to send food to our home.

Many gave my family and I very generous and thoughtful monetary gifts. I am uncomfortable receiving any kind of gift, but they wouldn't take no for an answer. I was humbled and floored.

Mike, Grace, Tricia, John, Jim and Roxanne reached out nearly every day telling me that they were praying. They asked for updates and checking in after interviews.

Team Rob- I'm not worthy. They blow me away with their love and genuine concern. I want to be that for them and for so many more.

Millions of people are out of work right now, and my heart empathizes with them. I was reading in the book of Job the other day, and found a passage that spoke to my situation so clearly that I wrote every word of it in my journal:

Job 11:13: "“Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him,  if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent,  then, free of fault, you will lift up your face; you will stand firm and without fear.  You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.  Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning. You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid, and many will court your favor."

That's my story-
and that's my prayer for everyone searching for a job in this time of insecurity.

God is love.
-rev-rob

the alphabet of Rob:

This blog entry is basically me wasting a bit if time- this is the alphabet of your pal Rob:

A- Almaden lake park- this is the park in my neighborhood. It has a lake and running trails that I run on since the gym is closed.

B- blue Russian cats- we have 2 of these cats- Pete and Ralph. They are super cool, super-clean, and super devoted to their family.

C- Correspondence- I love to send mail and receive mail. If you know me, there is a good chance that you have received some mail from me. Its a lost art, and it has been the secret sauce of my ministry for years. 

D- DW- Deanna Walter- my high school sweetheart and favorite person.

E- Empire Strikes Back- my favorite Star Wars movie- I love all things Star Wars: every movie, every TV show.

F- Fred Rogers- I'm so inspired by Fred Rogers. He was an introvert who inspired millions by being thoughtful, caring and kind.

G- the Great Bear- my favorite coffee shop located in Los Gatos and home of the famous CCC- coffee/ chocolate/ cream milkshake.

H- Hume Lake- If I get to go this summer it will be year number 20. So many amazing ministry memories have been made there.

I- Icing on the Cake- my favorite bakery- also located in Los Gatos.

J- JW- Jane Walter. My favorite kid ever. Smartest girl in the world. puzzle genius. author and animal crossing expert.

K- Kruk and Kuip- Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper- the announcers for the San Francisco baseball games. My favorite thing to listen to. I miss them so much this summer. I love the Giants, Oracle Stadium, and Kruk and Kuip.

L- Los Gatos creek trail- this is my favorite place to walk, to pray, to have a phone call, to work on my Bible memory. I have walked this trail thousands of times.

M- Malibu grill- my favorite restaurant. If we have not shared a meal here, we may not actually be friends. I'm concerned that it may have closed for good.

N- Niners- the San Francisco 49ers. They have been awesome, they have been terrible, but I'll always love them.

O- Otters- Sea Otters. We are obsessed with them. Whenever they are introduced to an environment, they make that environment cleaner and healthier. That's my goal too.

P- Plants- I love plants. My mother loved plants. My daughter does too. I love to water my plants and explore plant nurseries. I love to watch their progress as the grow. They are good for my soul.

Q- Quicksilver- Almaden Quicksilver Park in San Jose. This was once the world's largest Mercury mine- now it is a vast system of trails and historic buildings. I have walked every mile of the quicksilver trails and have been fairly obsessed with them ever since I learned that they were once home to the very first churches in San Jose.

R- Run the Year- seven years ago, I challenged myself to run the year, or run as many miles as the year number. this year I'm aiming at 2020 miles in 2020. that works out to about 6 miles a day. I usually run for 45 minutes to an hour at the gym, but since the gyms are closed, I have been running outdoors. This has been a great way to exercise, lower my blood pressure, lower my stress, and get some alone time to restore my soul. its also a good way to get really sweaty and sore on a daily basis.

S- salt water taffy- my favorite snack. My favorite brand is Taffy Town. I love to load up on taffy and walk the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, Old Sacramento, or Cannery Row in Monterey.

T- team rob- this is my core group of friends who check in on me almost every day. I tell them everything. They cheer for me, pray for me and are my biggest support.

U- U2- my favorite band. I have seen them dozens of times. I have every song they have ever recorded. They have the best lyrics, best music, and best concerts.

V- Vibram 5 fingers- this are the shoes I run in every night. I have run thousands and thousands of miles in these.

W- Warriors- The Golden State Warriors basketball team. I love them so much. Not just because they are my local team, but because of how they conduct themselves, the way they play the game and the way that they have revolutionized the game of basketball.

X- X-men- I love Marvel comic books and movies and tv shows. I love talking about them and thinking about them. As a teenager, I loved the comic book shop and all of my friends loved to sit and read comic books together.

Y- Youth Ministry- this is my job, my calling, my roots.

Z- Zoos- I love to visit any place in the Bay Area that has animals. We love the SF Zoo, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Academy of Science and Happy Hollow in San Jose. I love bears and otters and snow leopards. I love any place that sells souvenirs.

now I know my ABCs, next time won't you sing with me?

God is love.
-rev-rob

remembering my mom on 4/22/20

While I was driving into work, I was remembering the time when Deanna and I left Modesto for a new life in San Jose. I had been working at First Baptist Church as a full time high school intern for several years. I was 24 years old. I started attending the church when I was a teenager; and the church had watched me go from being a new kid, to a regular, to a leader, to an employee, to a full time pastor that they were sending off to San Jose. It was my last Sunday, and I was to go in front of the church, say a few words and have the pastor pray for me.

 There were two morning services that day. The first service was the older service, and when they called me to the stage I went up there and said in effect, "Thank you for being my church and for helping me to get where I am, now my only goal is to make you proud of me." The pastor prayed for me, and the people clapped for me, and then I took my seat again.

The second service was the service that the students attended. Back then the church had a massive high school ministry, and all of the students would crowd into the front rows of the church. The pastor called me onto the stage, and I could hear the students cheering for me. Then I looked back at them and they were on their feet cheering for me. That moment, the entire auditorium that held thousands of people joined in with them for a long and extended time of cheering for me. I went to say my prepared speech but I was overwhelmed with emotion. So many emotions. The pastor prayed for me and then I took my seat.

That afternoon I went over to my mom's house to say goodbye before my U-Haul drove off for San Jose. I started telling her this story, but I broke down when I got to the part about the standing ovation. She broke down too. We just stood in her doorway and hugged and had a long ugly cry.

As I was driving in today, I was thinking about my mom and how she empathized with me on that occasion and on so many others. There have been many times in recent months that I wished that I could stand in her doorway and tell her a story and get a hug from her. I don't think I ever really understood how important that was for me. I think that now I am more grateful for those moments than ever.

And I'm grateful for First Baptist and the leaders who invested in me back then. And its still my goal to make them proud of me and the work that I do each day.

Hugs are hard to come by these days, but if you have someone to hug, or listen to, or empathize with, don't let that moment pass. They are gone before you know it.

God is love.
-rev-rob

keystone species pt. 1

Keystone Species Week 1 from rob walter on Vimeo.

keystone species pt. 2

Keystone Species Week 2 from rob walter on Vimeo.

keystone species pt. 3

Keystone Species Week 3 from rob walter on Vimeo.

keystone species pt. 4

Keystone Species Week 4 from rob walter on Vimeo.

forged in fire: the drawing

here is a set of illustrations that I have been thinking about for a while:

I love this show on the history channel- forged in fire. I have seen every episode. it has everything that I love in a show: competition, action, and making things.

the show begins with 4 blacksmiths- they are given 3 hours to forge a blade. sometimes they choose they metal that they use, sometimes its assigned to them. sometimes they make a blade in their signature style, sometimes they are told what kind of blade to make. sometimes they are given special parameters to meet in their blade. they are then told how the blade will be tested. it will be tested for strength, sharpness and durability. the blade may be tested by chopping ice, or stabbing into metal; how it is used will determine what kind of blade the blacksmiths will forge.

form follows function.

after that, the bladesmiths are given a 10 minute window to make a shop drawing of their blade. they will determine the length, the type of handle and the edge geometry. after that, they will go to work forging their blades- but as they do, they will continue to compare what they are making to their shop drawing. if their blade is too short, they will draw out the metal until it matches the drawing. if it is too short, they will cut their blade until it matches the shop drawing. failure to meet parameters of cause for immediate removal from the competition.

we are forged in fire. we are like those blades. there is a shop drawing that we must conform to- and that is to the image of Christ. God heats us, and bends us, and cuts us, and hammers us until we are a perfect match.

the bible says that, "we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God is the blacksmith, and we are the iron in His hands. He has a special purpose for us to fulfill; and He has shaped us according to the job that He has reserved for us. a chopping blade is designed one way, a slicing one another, and a stabbing blade has another design. the design tells the user what it should be used for. form follows function. the same is true for us: some of us are artists, some are counselors, some are revolutionaries; and each of us has been made according to the function He has created us for.

chopping blades should not be jealous of slicing blades. they are not made to slice- they are made to chop. piercing blades should not be jealous of cooking knives. they were not made for that- they were made to pierce. each of us has been hand-made for a special purpose that God has assigned to us- and we do that role better than anyone else.

God is the blacksmith and we are the steel. He has a shop drawing for us- a plan for what we will become. Jeremiah 29:11 says: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” He is making something out of us: something useful, strong and sharp. The process of making a blade is uncomfortable for the steel, but in the end, it is stronger and more useful than ever. The process that God uses to make us is often uncomfortable, but He is creating something strong, useful and sharp. It is uncomfortable, but we can trust Him as He works.

God is love.
-rev-rob

forged in fire: moving metal

on forged in fire, after the bladesmiths have made a shop drawing, they begin to move the metal. metal, of course, is a hard, durable material, and only moves under great pressure.

the bladesmiths fire up up red-hot forges and let the metal sit in them until they are not just red-hot, but yellow. then they pull the metal out and quickly put it on an anvil, and they hammer it into shape until it begins to cool; then they put it back in the forge and repeat that process. with a hammer and an anvil, the bladesmiths can make the metal longer, thinner, and they can form it into the shape of a blade.

we are forged in fire. we are like those blades, and God is the bladesmith, the Maker. this process of moving metal reminds me of a couple of spiritual principles- number one is the idea that God shapes us through pressure. we all know this verse from james 1: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." when a bladesmith heats metal, and hammers it and smashes it, he is not doing it to punish it, he is doing it to shape it and make it strong. God often shapes us through pressure and pain and hardships- it feels like punishment; but God is like the bladesmith- He doesn't just see things in the moment, He sees things how they will eventually be. maybe the reason that God uses pressure to shape us is that we ourselves are like metal: stubborn, rigid and set in our ways.

this reminds me of another principle- iron sharpens iron. proverbs 27:17 says, "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." I have taught this verse for years- and when I do, I often say that God uses other people to shape and sharpen us. I also like think about a butcher sharpening his knife with a file or a whetstone. on forged in fire, they use grinders and sanders to sharpen their blades. when I have taught this verse I talk about one person coming alongside another person and gently rubbing off the rough surfaces- like a friendly mentor. That may have been the writer of proverbs intended meaning, but when I think about proverbs, and the writer, and the time that it was written, they didn't have grinders or sand paper. The verse doesn't say, "as sandpaper sharpens iron..." it says, "as iron sharpens iron..." and on forged in fire, iron sharpens iron when a hammer bashes into a piece of steel and shapes it. so maybe the writer of proverbs wasn't saying that we are gently sharpened by a friendly mentor- maybe they are saying that we are sharpened when a friend gives us tough love; when they are brave enough to confront us with the truth, as painful as that feels sometimes. in the same chapter of proverbs the writer says in proverbs 27:6, "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." when a friend is brave enough to hammer us with the truth, it sharpens us and shapes us.

here is a third insight about the process of moving metal that I am reminded of- the bladesmith believes in the metal. when I teach these thing to students, I like to see the process of knife making from the steel's point of view. the steel was happy- then it was picked up by the bladesmith and put under intense heat. then it was smashed repeatedly. then it was grinded and filed. from the steel's perspective, it is being punished and beaten, and put through a long season of suffering. from the steel's point of view, it may be asking, "what did I do wrong?! why am I being treated like this?! does this bladesmith hate me?!" but in reality, the bladesmith doesn't hate the steel, they believe in the steel. they believe that it can be strong, and sharp and useful; and because the bladesmith believes in the steel, they shape it. maybe when we are going through a trial and difficult times, it's not because we are being punished, or because God hates us; it's because God believes in us; He has a special job for us. He believes that we can be strong and sharp and useful; so He is shaping us for a special role in the future.

God is the blacksmith and we are the steel. The world may see scrap, but God sees a sword.

God is love.
-rev-rob

forged in fire: the quench

on forged in fire, when the bladesmiths have shaped their blade, they do this thing called a heat-treat. this is where they take their blade and heat it up in their forge to an even temperature. I am not an expert in what they are doing at this point, but I know that this step is critically important. they often say that the heat treat will either make (or literally) break their blade. so they pull this blade in and out of their forge over and over until it has an even glow to it, and then they quickly dunk the blade in a big drum of oil. this is one of the best parts of the show- they call it the quench. sometimes fire will jump out of the oil drum.

after the blade has cooled, the bladesmiths immediately check their blade. all kinds of things can happen during the quench: it can crack, it can warp, or their heat treatment may have not worked. sometimes when it warps, they quickly put pressure on it to get the blade to warp back. the bladesmiths will then do a file test. this is where they take a metal file and rub it against their blade. if the heat treatment worked, the file will skate along the surface of the blade; if it didn't it will dig into the blade.

again, I have seen every single episode of this show- I have seen hundreds of episodes, and I'm still a little unsure of what happens in this moment, but here is what I understand- the heat treatment makes the blade hard. it makes it so hard that you can't even drill a drill bit through it. the heat treatment makes the blades so hard that they can be bashed into metal, ice or concrete and they will not bend even a little. the process of heating the blade and then cooling it in oil transforms the metal from a workable metal into immovable steel. on a molecular level, the metal is changed. it immediately goes from pliable to strong and solid. a file won't dig into it, and drill can't drill through it, it has become bullet-proof.

we are forged in fire. transformation is a concept that is found all over the bible- one of my favorite verses in 2 corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" the moment that anyone trusts Christ, they are transformed into something different and new. we're not bullet-proof, we don't even feel strong sometimes, but we are different than what we were before. The bible describes it as moving from darkness to light, from death to life, from blindness to having sight.

God is the blacksmith and we are the steel. His process of creating something new and special is different for everyone; but for each of us, He takes us on a journey from what we were, to something new, onto a special destiny of what we will become. we are all somewhere on the process of that journey- we are all becoming strong and sharp, and useful in His hands.

God is love.
-rev-rob

forged in fire: the test

the last step on forged in fire is testing the blade. the bladesmiths have known about this step the entire time; they have been preparing for it. at the beginning of the competition they are told that their blades will be tested for sharpness, strength and durability. they are told if their blades will be using to chop, slice, stab, or all three. since the bladesmiths know this, they spend the entire time preparing their knife for this moment. what they are trying to avoid the most is a critical failure, or essentially having a knife break in half during the testing. to prevent this, the bladesmiths are very, very careful at every step. any misstep can cause a critical failure in their blade.

sometimes the bladesmiths are told to combine multiple types of metals to create their blade. they take extra care to make sure that each piece of metal combines perfectly with the other, because if they don't, the blade will break. each piece of metal must be cleaned carefully, or the blade could break. when they hammer the metal, it has to be done with a watchful eye, or the blade could break. when they heat-treat the blade, it must be done perfectly, or the blade will break. if they see any kind of fracture in their blade at any step in the process, they work to fix it immediately or it will cause a failure. oftentimes, a bladesmith will find a crack in their blade and completely start over, because they don't want to have any compromise in the integrity of their metal.

the bladesmiths finally get to the point where their blades can be tested. they have moved their metal into a blade shape, they have hardened the blade with their heat-treatment, they have attached a handle, and they have made the edge razor-sharp. first, the judges test the blade for strength and durability- they do this by hacking the blade into something it was never meant to chop- something like metal, ice, concrete or animal antlers. most of the time the blades survive with minimal damage, but sometimes the break in half. it is a sinking moment for the bladesmith, the judges and the viewer.

in this moment, the judge will pick the blade up off of the floor and inspect it. they look carefully at the metal on the inside of the blade, and oftentimes, they can pinpoint what went wrong. every time, it was a small imperfection that caused the blade to fail when it was put under stress. one metal didn't combine quite right with another. a microscopic crack grew and cause the knife to fail. the metal didn't get to the right temperature during the heat treatment. something about the integrity of the blade went wrong, and the blade failed. sometimes that failure can cause harm to the judge and can even leave them bleeding.

a small imperfection led to a big failure. 

we are forged in fire. these are things that we all need to be thinking about as Christians- we need to be careful about imperfections in our character and our own personal integrity. a small compromise can lead to a big failure and can hurt others. like those judges, we need to be searching for imperfections in our character and address them as quickly as possible. we need to remember that just like a bladesmith, there are no shortcuts to character or maturity and that it is important to examine our hearts regularly. when we find something that isn't right, we should address it and not ignore it- the longer we ignore it, the more damage it will cause.

God is the blacksmith and we are the metal. psalm 139 says, "Search me, God, and know my heart;  test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." we are wise when we invite Him to look us over for flaws and ask Him to address them before they hurt us, our loved ones or our future.

God is love.
-rev-rob