So we're driving toward Branson for the last of our family Christmas parties last Saturday... and this dude in a huge diesel-one-ton-duelly truck passes us between Flippin and Yellville like his bedliner's on fire!
And (naturally) 30 seconds later, he is stuck behind the same traffic we have all been following for the last 20 miles... and we're behind him...
As we came into Yellville, he swerved off the road suddenly into a parking lot. Seems he saw a pedestrian who looked like they might give him directions...
As we passed him, I took in the scene: He's leaning over, talking through his open passenger window, asking this stranger for directions...
and I thought: that is so typical of how so many of us go through life! Running 100 miles an hour, not even sure where we are going or how to get there!
How many times do I find myself staying busy or 'going fast', but not really making any progress? How often am I that guy? The guy who's full-speed-ahead-at-a-break-neck-pace... but not really fulfilled or happy or content or... at peace.
As we come out of one of the happiest and busiest (and, for many, most stressful or saddest) times of the year, let us resolve to move with a purpose. Let us allow our Father to guide our steps...
May we 'be still and know' that He is God... that He is in control... and that we are not.
I resolve to slow down a bit... at least long enough to hear His voice...
Blessings!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
reprint of Brian Mashburn's essay
I found this article republished on Terry Rush's blog. It is, quite simply, the most accurate word picture of the situation which exists in the Churches of Christ that I have ever read... and while I feel so blessed that my family has found the Riverside church - and I am fully convinced we are moving in the right direction - this article reminds me of the myriad congregations who are not. So I commend this to your reading:
My Secret Life of Discipleship
This article is long. Possibly too long for you to tackle it. I'll tempt you by telling you it has sat in my "drafts" box for at least 9 months now because I've been somewhat fearful of sending it out, which seems silly to me today for some reason. I've read it to some close friends, and in a couple of lectureship classes, and have had multiple requests for copies from some of those in attendance. It is affirming to have it's spirit resonate with a few, and it is refreshing to engage in lively but loving dialogue with those who may feel defensive. I'll remind all readers that I love the Church of Christ, and am living my life as a member of it, loving it with all that I have, and loving the world through it. Just start reading...those who are supposed to read this mess I'm confident won't be able to stop. I'd love your feedback...
I'd like to introduce you to a whole bunch of us who are members of the Church of Christ who live secret lives of discipleship totally separate and apart from our church practices.
We span the ranks of our churches...we are ministers and elders, deacons and "lay members", students and college professors, teenagers and senior citizens.
We live and move and act within Churches of Christ, and hold dear the idea of becoming more like Christ together, to become a church that is, in actuality, 'of Christ'.
We are not interested in change. We are interested in Christ, and whatever we must change in order love Him more truly, we are glad and anxious to do so.
We are immovably committed to the Bible. But only inasmuch as it teaches us about and moves us closer to Christ...and we believe it to be the perfect tool for doing so, a gift from God, the written Word that was preserved to lead us to the Living Word. We suffer from a growing intolerance for people who use the Bible merely to defend and maintain strict adherence to certain sets of worship practices, beliefs, or political positions. And most of us are long past satisfying our spiritual zeal by fighting with other attempting Bible-followers about who is right.
We are trying to find out how to pray, and our longing for prayer is intensifying. We are not motivated by duty, nor merely to "lay our requests before God". We pray because we long for actual God-contact. And in this area, in most of our churches, we feel impossibly alone and mentorless, and oftentimes even looked at as crazy or overly-emotional. We are looking to ancient monastics and mystics and their practices, and also to other denominations, to satisfy our need to be taught...we are not creative, we are desperate.
We are bright and honest and dedicated, but only some of us are educated. And those of us who are rarely point it out, and more often hide from talking about it. That's because we put very little stock in the educated merely because they are educated. We have met people who are much more devoted to the Divine Master than some who have a Masters of Divinity, and have found them more useful in our own becoming more like Christ. We are not anti-intellectual, mind you. We love smart people. But we have the innate ability to spot unspiritual smart people, and we would define them as those who run after smarts rather than Christ, and mistakenly confuse the two. We want and need smart, educated people. But educated people who expose a lack of self-awareness and humility by expecting deference from others because they know so much, we just leave them to their ivory kingdoms and sorrowfully attempt to pursue Christ's without them.
We are indignant sometimes, and defensive and rude on occasion, and every now and then, we are angry. For the younger among us, it's because we feel like we're being bargained with...asked to 'please stay in a movement that doesn't work' in exchange for job security, or hero status, or at the very least, tons and tons of gratitude and affirmation...and we sense that the strings attached are too costly. For those of us who are old enough, it stems from feeling duped in our younger years, agreeing with things that sapped us, our friends, our parents, our children, and those we tried to evangelize of the very life we said submission to our system offered. Some of us are the ones that faithfully did everything our churches asked of us, and if it asked for more we would've done that, but we ended up not looking like Jesus. Maybe it is too much to ask, but we must: Forgive us our inappropriate, un-Christlike reactions to our wounds...we don't mean to claim perfection of any sort, we only abhor those who seem to claim it themselves. And we are scared to death of becoming like that...and are angry at ourselves for ever being like that.
If you watch us closely, you'll see that we have stopped complaining about the Church of Christ that we see (for the most part), and have turned our energies to becoming the Church of Christ that we dream of. When we are at our best, we are ushering in a new world, not just yelling at the old one. We are envisioning a new society in the wake of the old, not one that puts a period on the end of the sentence and starts a brand new unrelated one, but puts a "dot, dot, dot", pausing long enough to look around at all of us, and wake up that it is already new, if we would just engage each other and the world we live in with true spiritual friendship.
That term, 'true spiritual friendship' really means something to us. It involves confession, transparency, and vulnerability. It involves mutual introspection for the purpose of personal and each others transformation. The word 'and' really means something to us, too. We distrust those who only want to transform us or others who lack the capacity to show that they too are in need of continued transformation. And mere intellectual agreement with the idea that "we all sin and fall short of the glory of God" doesn't show us anymore. We need to hear confession.
We give extravagantly to and through the Churches of Christ we attend, hoping desperately to play a role in redeeming them and ourselves. We figure that if the mission of Christ is to people, then bringing Christ to the Church of Christ people is as good a target as any. We constantly flirt with taking a few like-minded people and planting new churches, but keep faithful to our Churches of Christ either out of fear of new things, family love and loyalty, or a deep sense of calling, or all three.
We give much of our money to our Churches and to others in our life in attempts to not be bound by it, but by Christ alone. But when we get to give sacrificially, it acts almost as a drug, giving us a temporary high, proving to ourselves that are motives go beyond our own comfort. We hear Christ telling us that we can't be his disciples unless we give up all that we have, and we believe him, and want to do it, and respect anyone who does. We are tired of being richer than everyone else in the world, but are scared to do anything about it, because we think our churches will look at us as unrealistic, unwise, and bad stewards.
We give much of our time and energy, too. But we don't always give it to the church programs, because we see that as tending to the aquarium, which we agree needs to take place, but we long for our efforts to make a God-honest, actual, life-giving impact on those outside the church walls with no strings attached. We are honestly clueless as to how to do this, but we have our ideas and are trying and wish our churches would give us a legitimate seat at the table as we learn as a whole group...and even if our churches are clueless too, we wish we were all being clueless together out in the open, determined to keep trying stuff until it works.
We're taking full and total responsibility for our children, completely done with expecting from or blaming the church institution for their spiritual outcomes. We welcome anything it does to help, but we are picking and choosing and investing in relationships with the people that we want influencing our kids, and outright asking them to do so, thinking of anything positive that comes out of our churches children's and youth programs as only being supplemental, and hopefully useful. We are watching closely, however, for any residual teaching that resembles anything legalistic whatsoever and are preparing to help our kids unlearn it, explaining our love for the church that taught it, showing openly where that teaching comes from, but correcting them as to what discipleship really looks like. If a Church of Christ wants to run us off quickly, which it may want to do because our convictions can be hard to deal with, or hard to argue against, then all it must do is start teaching our kids to be legalistic rule followers instead of passionate Christ followers. We'll leave. We are already worried enough about what we are doing to them by trying to teach them discipleship at home while their church is trying to teach them why we don't have instruments in worship.
Our commitment to Churches of Christ remains as long as we can be totally honest (as opposed to being totally right) among them.
Indeed, we have much in common with the Churches we exist within, and yet co-exist with dramatic differences. We are both committed to the Bible, but our approaches to finding its riches stand at odds. We are both committed to the truth, but our definition of truth stands at odds. We are both in love with the church, but our view of who make it up and what it exists for are at odds. We both want to live in the Kingdom of Heaven, but our views of what that means and when that is to take place are at odds. We both want to see ourselves as primarily spiritual, but our comfort with embracing mystery are at odds. We both want to worship God, but our convictions on what the non-negotiables are, are at odds. We wonder if we can really co-exist.
We wonder if we are going to have to wait for some funerals to expose ourselves and our thoughts openly in the Church of Christ. We wonder, sometimes, if we can really co-exist at all, feeling sometimes like we are tolerated by our churches only because we walk on eggshells concerning how we talk about what is going on inside of us.
But we sense there is one means of hope that exalts what we have in common, and minimizes where we are different. A focus that allows us both, different as we are, to continue becoming Christians in a way that does not condemn our historical Church of Christ roots, nor restrain or condemn those of us who want to grow beyond it's limiting beliefs. The means of hope is for all of us to focus seriously on following Jesus.
The Bible's overarching call is to follow God. Jesus' overarching call is to discipleship. Our hope is in our mutual agreement to pursue the Restoration of Discipleship. Once again, and all over again, and in a brand new way...following Jesus can be our salvation.
What is our secret life made up of? The pursuit of becoming more and more like Christ in our hearts. We are striving to be prayerfully dependent, like him. We are striving to live lives of uncompromising integrity, like him. We are striving to define our lives by loving relationships, like him. We are trying to live daily lives of true and spiritual worship, like him. We are trying to become sacrificial stewards of everything we have and are, like him. We are trying to become what Scripture says we are, like him. And we are wanting to share this life-giving pursuit with every human being on the planet who doesn't know about Jesus, like him.
We will baptize our children with water, fully immersing them in it as one of the many Biblical steps of coming into the life of Christ, but we will not have an obsessive, myopic focus on it ever again. We will no longer claim to believe in the "priesthood of all believers" when we actually mean the "priesthood of all male believers". We will not ever again treat other Bible believing, Jesus following fellowships as lost people...and not because we don't disagree with them on certain significant points...but because we have been humbled by our own disagreement with our past selves, and we hope people who died thinking like we used to were saved by grace, too.
We will not write whole books explaining away the Greek word "psallos" to convince everyone instrumental music in unscriptural, we will not write articles and preach sermons focused on the churches down the street and what they are doing wrong, we will not draw lines of fellowship based on whether we should have Bible classes, kitchens, basketball goals, or multiple communion cups. The mere mention of such feuds embarrasses the fool out of us, and we swallow hard and remember our love when we have to be associated with those related to us who have or are.
We wonder if we'll get to stay in the Church of Christ. Our intolerance for our own personal past and our churches intolerance of us may foil what we feel inclined and called to do, but day by day we pursue Christ sincerely, with all of our hearts. The good news is that it doesn't take much to encourage us. Any step towards Jesus by any person at all fuels us to take our next one and we are anxious to use both as evidence that we are in the right place.
We want the Church of Christ to be a church that is actually "of Christ".
http://brianmashburn.blogspot.com/
My Secret Life of Discipleship
This article is long. Possibly too long for you to tackle it. I'll tempt you by telling you it has sat in my "drafts" box for at least 9 months now because I've been somewhat fearful of sending it out, which seems silly to me today for some reason. I've read it to some close friends, and in a couple of lectureship classes, and have had multiple requests for copies from some of those in attendance. It is affirming to have it's spirit resonate with a few, and it is refreshing to engage in lively but loving dialogue with those who may feel defensive. I'll remind all readers that I love the Church of Christ, and am living my life as a member of it, loving it with all that I have, and loving the world through it. Just start reading...those who are supposed to read this mess I'm confident won't be able to stop. I'd love your feedback...
I'd like to introduce you to a whole bunch of us who are members of the Church of Christ who live secret lives of discipleship totally separate and apart from our church practices.
We span the ranks of our churches...we are ministers and elders, deacons and "lay members", students and college professors, teenagers and senior citizens.
We live and move and act within Churches of Christ, and hold dear the idea of becoming more like Christ together, to become a church that is, in actuality, 'of Christ'.
We are not interested in change. We are interested in Christ, and whatever we must change in order love Him more truly, we are glad and anxious to do so.
We are immovably committed to the Bible. But only inasmuch as it teaches us about and moves us closer to Christ...and we believe it to be the perfect tool for doing so, a gift from God, the written Word that was preserved to lead us to the Living Word. We suffer from a growing intolerance for people who use the Bible merely to defend and maintain strict adherence to certain sets of worship practices, beliefs, or political positions. And most of us are long past satisfying our spiritual zeal by fighting with other attempting Bible-followers about who is right.
We are trying to find out how to pray, and our longing for prayer is intensifying. We are not motivated by duty, nor merely to "lay our requests before God". We pray because we long for actual God-contact. And in this area, in most of our churches, we feel impossibly alone and mentorless, and oftentimes even looked at as crazy or overly-emotional. We are looking to ancient monastics and mystics and their practices, and also to other denominations, to satisfy our need to be taught...we are not creative, we are desperate.
We are bright and honest and dedicated, but only some of us are educated. And those of us who are rarely point it out, and more often hide from talking about it. That's because we put very little stock in the educated merely because they are educated. We have met people who are much more devoted to the Divine Master than some who have a Masters of Divinity, and have found them more useful in our own becoming more like Christ. We are not anti-intellectual, mind you. We love smart people. But we have the innate ability to spot unspiritual smart people, and we would define them as those who run after smarts rather than Christ, and mistakenly confuse the two. We want and need smart, educated people. But educated people who expose a lack of self-awareness and humility by expecting deference from others because they know so much, we just leave them to their ivory kingdoms and sorrowfully attempt to pursue Christ's without them.
We are indignant sometimes, and defensive and rude on occasion, and every now and then, we are angry. For the younger among us, it's because we feel like we're being bargained with...asked to 'please stay in a movement that doesn't work' in exchange for job security, or hero status, or at the very least, tons and tons of gratitude and affirmation...and we sense that the strings attached are too costly. For those of us who are old enough, it stems from feeling duped in our younger years, agreeing with things that sapped us, our friends, our parents, our children, and those we tried to evangelize of the very life we said submission to our system offered. Some of us are the ones that faithfully did everything our churches asked of us, and if it asked for more we would've done that, but we ended up not looking like Jesus. Maybe it is too much to ask, but we must: Forgive us our inappropriate, un-Christlike reactions to our wounds...we don't mean to claim perfection of any sort, we only abhor those who seem to claim it themselves. And we are scared to death of becoming like that...and are angry at ourselves for ever being like that.
If you watch us closely, you'll see that we have stopped complaining about the Church of Christ that we see (for the most part), and have turned our energies to becoming the Church of Christ that we dream of. When we are at our best, we are ushering in a new world, not just yelling at the old one. We are envisioning a new society in the wake of the old, not one that puts a period on the end of the sentence and starts a brand new unrelated one, but puts a "dot, dot, dot", pausing long enough to look around at all of us, and wake up that it is already new, if we would just engage each other and the world we live in with true spiritual friendship.
That term, 'true spiritual friendship' really means something to us. It involves confession, transparency, and vulnerability. It involves mutual introspection for the purpose of personal and each others transformation. The word 'and' really means something to us, too. We distrust those who only want to transform us or others who lack the capacity to show that they too are in need of continued transformation. And mere intellectual agreement with the idea that "we all sin and fall short of the glory of God" doesn't show us anymore. We need to hear confession.
We give extravagantly to and through the Churches of Christ we attend, hoping desperately to play a role in redeeming them and ourselves. We figure that if the mission of Christ is to people, then bringing Christ to the Church of Christ people is as good a target as any. We constantly flirt with taking a few like-minded people and planting new churches, but keep faithful to our Churches of Christ either out of fear of new things, family love and loyalty, or a deep sense of calling, or all three.
We give much of our money to our Churches and to others in our life in attempts to not be bound by it, but by Christ alone. But when we get to give sacrificially, it acts almost as a drug, giving us a temporary high, proving to ourselves that are motives go beyond our own comfort. We hear Christ telling us that we can't be his disciples unless we give up all that we have, and we believe him, and want to do it, and respect anyone who does. We are tired of being richer than everyone else in the world, but are scared to do anything about it, because we think our churches will look at us as unrealistic, unwise, and bad stewards.
We give much of our time and energy, too. But we don't always give it to the church programs, because we see that as tending to the aquarium, which we agree needs to take place, but we long for our efforts to make a God-honest, actual, life-giving impact on those outside the church walls with no strings attached. We are honestly clueless as to how to do this, but we have our ideas and are trying and wish our churches would give us a legitimate seat at the table as we learn as a whole group...and even if our churches are clueless too, we wish we were all being clueless together out in the open, determined to keep trying stuff until it works.
We're taking full and total responsibility for our children, completely done with expecting from or blaming the church institution for their spiritual outcomes. We welcome anything it does to help, but we are picking and choosing and investing in relationships with the people that we want influencing our kids, and outright asking them to do so, thinking of anything positive that comes out of our churches children's and youth programs as only being supplemental, and hopefully useful. We are watching closely, however, for any residual teaching that resembles anything legalistic whatsoever and are preparing to help our kids unlearn it, explaining our love for the church that taught it, showing openly where that teaching comes from, but correcting them as to what discipleship really looks like. If a Church of Christ wants to run us off quickly, which it may want to do because our convictions can be hard to deal with, or hard to argue against, then all it must do is start teaching our kids to be legalistic rule followers instead of passionate Christ followers. We'll leave. We are already worried enough about what we are doing to them by trying to teach them discipleship at home while their church is trying to teach them why we don't have instruments in worship.
Our commitment to Churches of Christ remains as long as we can be totally honest (as opposed to being totally right) among them.
Indeed, we have much in common with the Churches we exist within, and yet co-exist with dramatic differences. We are both committed to the Bible, but our approaches to finding its riches stand at odds. We are both committed to the truth, but our definition of truth stands at odds. We are both in love with the church, but our view of who make it up and what it exists for are at odds. We both want to live in the Kingdom of Heaven, but our views of what that means and when that is to take place are at odds. We both want to see ourselves as primarily spiritual, but our comfort with embracing mystery are at odds. We both want to worship God, but our convictions on what the non-negotiables are, are at odds. We wonder if we can really co-exist.
We wonder if we are going to have to wait for some funerals to expose ourselves and our thoughts openly in the Church of Christ. We wonder, sometimes, if we can really co-exist at all, feeling sometimes like we are tolerated by our churches only because we walk on eggshells concerning how we talk about what is going on inside of us.
But we sense there is one means of hope that exalts what we have in common, and minimizes where we are different. A focus that allows us both, different as we are, to continue becoming Christians in a way that does not condemn our historical Church of Christ roots, nor restrain or condemn those of us who want to grow beyond it's limiting beliefs. The means of hope is for all of us to focus seriously on following Jesus.
The Bible's overarching call is to follow God. Jesus' overarching call is to discipleship. Our hope is in our mutual agreement to pursue the Restoration of Discipleship. Once again, and all over again, and in a brand new way...following Jesus can be our salvation.
What is our secret life made up of? The pursuit of becoming more and more like Christ in our hearts. We are striving to be prayerfully dependent, like him. We are striving to live lives of uncompromising integrity, like him. We are striving to define our lives by loving relationships, like him. We are trying to live daily lives of true and spiritual worship, like him. We are trying to become sacrificial stewards of everything we have and are, like him. We are trying to become what Scripture says we are, like him. And we are wanting to share this life-giving pursuit with every human being on the planet who doesn't know about Jesus, like him.
We will baptize our children with water, fully immersing them in it as one of the many Biblical steps of coming into the life of Christ, but we will not have an obsessive, myopic focus on it ever again. We will no longer claim to believe in the "priesthood of all believers" when we actually mean the "priesthood of all male believers". We will not ever again treat other Bible believing, Jesus following fellowships as lost people...and not because we don't disagree with them on certain significant points...but because we have been humbled by our own disagreement with our past selves, and we hope people who died thinking like we used to were saved by grace, too.
We will not write whole books explaining away the Greek word "psallos" to convince everyone instrumental music in unscriptural, we will not write articles and preach sermons focused on the churches down the street and what they are doing wrong, we will not draw lines of fellowship based on whether we should have Bible classes, kitchens, basketball goals, or multiple communion cups. The mere mention of such feuds embarrasses the fool out of us, and we swallow hard and remember our love when we have to be associated with those related to us who have or are.
We wonder if we'll get to stay in the Church of Christ. Our intolerance for our own personal past and our churches intolerance of us may foil what we feel inclined and called to do, but day by day we pursue Christ sincerely, with all of our hearts. The good news is that it doesn't take much to encourage us. Any step towards Jesus by any person at all fuels us to take our next one and we are anxious to use both as evidence that we are in the right place.
We want the Church of Christ to be a church that is actually "of Christ".
http://brianmashburn.blogspot.com/
Sunday, December 23, 2007
the Good Samaritan - "who is my neighbor?"
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" He replied. "How do you read it?"
In response, the lawyer quoted the shema: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'... then he quoted from Leviticus: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
Then the man asked Jesus the burning question of the day...
As we read that question today, two thousand years after it was asked, we may miss the significance. Because, to me, it seems like a superfluous question... 'who is my neighbor?'...
But I have to keep two things in mind: this guy was 'trying to test Jesus'... and, his question was asked from the standpoint of 'have to'... in other words, he's asking Jesus whom he must love...
so, in typical Jesus fashion, He did not satisfy the guy with a tidy answer. I don't know what this dude was expecting Jesus to say, but I doubt it was what he got.... Jesus wasn't given to providing tidy 'one-liner-wrapped-up-in-a-nice-bow' theological snippets. He provided his audience with a real life application in the form of a parable.
He draws a stark contrast between the two men who were too busy and important and 'clean' to help... and one guy who took time to stop and provide aid. The characters Jesus used in His story were, not so coincidentally, people with whom His audience was very familiar: a priest - a person of considerable position and wealth (probably there were a couple in his audience), a Levite - a pure, blue-blooded priest (again, probably a couple within the sound of His voice), and a samaritan (the lowest-class half-breed kind of person anyone could think of).
I am not sure what this slick lawyer expected to hear. Usually I can see the 'angle' of these guys who tried to trap Jesus... but, to be frank, I have never really been able to figure out what this guy wanted to get out of Jesus in this case.
Maybe he wanted Jesus to specifically define what a 'neighbor' was.... perhaps he had his quill and vellum poised and ready, expecting to hear a profound list of characteristics of the prototypical neighbor.
Whatever his motive for the question, Jesus intentionally uses the lowest scumbag of an example to describe what a neighbor 'looks like'...
According to Jesus, a neighbor is not defined by nationality, or by skin color, or by political position or station in life... a neighbor is not from a particular family or geographical proximity.
Simply put, according to the Savior of the world, a neighbor is anyone who sees someone in need and fills that need.
Wonder what the lawyer thought of that definition?
What do we think?
May we never be too busy to see those who need help... and help them.
Blessings!
"What is written in the Law?" He replied. "How do you read it?"
In response, the lawyer quoted the shema: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'... then he quoted from Leviticus: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
Then the man asked Jesus the burning question of the day...
"who is my neighbor?"
As we read that question today, two thousand years after it was asked, we may miss the significance. Because, to me, it seems like a superfluous question... 'who is my neighbor?'...
But I have to keep two things in mind: this guy was 'trying to test Jesus'... and, his question was asked from the standpoint of 'have to'... in other words, he's asking Jesus whom he must love...
so, in typical Jesus fashion, He did not satisfy the guy with a tidy answer. I don't know what this dude was expecting Jesus to say, but I doubt it was what he got.... Jesus wasn't given to providing tidy 'one-liner-wrapped-up-in-a-nice-bow' theological snippets. He provided his audience with a real life application in the form of a parable.
He draws a stark contrast between the two men who were too busy and important and 'clean' to help... and one guy who took time to stop and provide aid. The characters Jesus used in His story were, not so coincidentally, people with whom His audience was very familiar: a priest - a person of considerable position and wealth (probably there were a couple in his audience), a Levite - a pure, blue-blooded priest (again, probably a couple within the sound of His voice), and a samaritan (the lowest-class half-breed kind of person anyone could think of).
I am not sure what this slick lawyer expected to hear. Usually I can see the 'angle' of these guys who tried to trap Jesus... but, to be frank, I have never really been able to figure out what this guy wanted to get out of Jesus in this case.
Maybe he wanted Jesus to specifically define what a 'neighbor' was.... perhaps he had his quill and vellum poised and ready, expecting to hear a profound list of characteristics of the prototypical neighbor.
Whatever his motive for the question, Jesus intentionally uses the lowest scumbag of an example to describe what a neighbor 'looks like'...
According to Jesus, a neighbor is not defined by nationality, or by skin color, or by political position or station in life... a neighbor is not from a particular family or geographical proximity.
Simply put, according to the Savior of the world, a neighbor is anyone who sees someone in need and fills that need.
Wonder what the lawyer thought of that definition?
What do we think?
May we never be too busy to see those who need help... and help them.
Blessings!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Matt 10:42 - something to lose
There are tons of great messages in the gospel accounts... I love so many of the stories and examples in Matthew.
At the end of the 10th chapter, the former tax collector records Jesus as saying:
I've read that passage many times, but something struck me this morning that I had not noticed (don't you just love the fact that His Word is ever new?).
That last phrase.... 'will certainly not lose his reward'... surprised me today.
For all the times I have railed against my own natural (and learned) habit of wanting to 'work to earn salvation', I find this innocuous little phrase - when I wasn't even looking for it - which serves as a reminder that salvation is a priceless gift from a gracious God.
One can infer that 'the reward' is heaven... and that it has been given freely...
But think of the ways Jesus could have spoken this truth... He could have said:
"those who don't care for these little ones will not be saved" or
"if you help someone, you will be rewarded"...
He said neither. The implication is obvious and profound.
We are saved. Christ delivered us. We have our reward. It has immense value. And we do not want to lose it.
May be a subtly different way to look at it... but it seems important somehow. We are not earning the reward... but because of the generosity of the gift, we cannot help but help others. It is our response to the gift, not a price we pay for the gift...
Because that gift was paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ.
At the end of the 10th chapter, the former tax collector records Jesus as saying:
"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones because he is my disciple,
I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
I've read that passage many times, but something struck me this morning that I had not noticed (don't you just love the fact that His Word is ever new?).
That last phrase.... 'will certainly not lose his reward'... surprised me today.
For all the times I have railed against my own natural (and learned) habit of wanting to 'work to earn salvation', I find this innocuous little phrase - when I wasn't even looking for it - which serves as a reminder that salvation is a priceless gift from a gracious God.
One can infer that 'the reward' is heaven... and that it has been given freely...
But think of the ways Jesus could have spoken this truth... He could have said:
"those who don't care for these little ones will not be saved" or
"if you help someone, you will be rewarded"...
He said neither. The implication is obvious and profound.
We are saved. Christ delivered us. We have our reward. It has immense value. And we do not want to lose it.
May be a subtly different way to look at it... but it seems important somehow. We are not earning the reward... but because of the generosity of the gift, we cannot help but help others. It is our response to the gift, not a price we pay for the gift...
Because that gift was paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
falling down
There is nothing quite like the feeling of falling. It is complete helplessness... people have recurring nightmares about falling... because it is a scary thing. Especially when you are not a kid anymore!
I don't like falling. The last significant fall I suffered was a dozen years ago...
I had built these steps from the cul-de-sac in front of our house up to our front door... the house is on a slope, so the front door sat approximately 60 feet above the cul-de-sac. I cut in 49 stairs along the contour of the slope - using railroad ties... and not the sanitized namby-pamby lumber that passes for RR ties today at most home improvement stores! These were collected (by me, with permission) from the side of a railroad... they were the ones which had been discarded when they had been replaced by newer ones...
49 of these 100-lb, creosote-soaked monsters! Cut into the side of the hill leading up to my front door... I am tired just thinking about it!
Anyhow, a couple years after me and Michael Lance built this railroad tie staircase, we had a big ice storm... then it snowed, then it iced again, then it turned reeeeaaaallly cold! (don't get ahead of me)
So the morning after all the ice and snow and cold hit, I stepped out the front door to walk down the 49 railroad tie steps to get to my pickup, which I had parked in the cul-de-sac (because I couldn't drive it to the top of the hill into the garage)...
When my right foot hit the top step, I fell.
I didn't fall right there... I hit the first step, and that's the last thing I remembered until I woke up at the bottom of the cul-de-sac, under the front right tire of my pickup!
Evidently my foot had slipped on that first step... I never really understood the phrase 'head over heels' until that day. That is a very accurate description of my trip down the 49 steps which, by the way, took considerably less time to traverse down than up.
My neighbor Mrs. Nelson was leaning out her door 200 feet away from my eventual stopping place yelling "are you ok? are you alright?"... and I finally opened my eyes and answered...
She had seen the entire scene, and later told me she thought I had hit every one of the 49 railroad ties with my head on the way down.
There were no cell phones (or at least I didn't own one), and I could not climb the steps back up to the house.... so I got in my pickup and drove to work... I called my wife from the office, and she was unaware of the drama and my near-death experience... though she recalled 4 year old Caitlin standing at the front window cackling uncontrollably and screaming (with glee) 'daddy funny! daddy funny!'
I called my brother to tell him, and when he finally stopped laughing, he said "man, if you'd let me get my video camera... would you do that again? We could make $10,000!!!"
Anyhow, I don't know if there is any application here... ok, there's probably a million... but I'm laughing too hard remembering that fall (once the soreness left me - about two weeks later) to think of any...
more later...
God Bless!
I don't like falling. The last significant fall I suffered was a dozen years ago...
I had built these steps from the cul-de-sac in front of our house up to our front door... the house is on a slope, so the front door sat approximately 60 feet above the cul-de-sac. I cut in 49 stairs along the contour of the slope - using railroad ties... and not the sanitized namby-pamby lumber that passes for RR ties today at most home improvement stores! These were collected (by me, with permission) from the side of a railroad... they were the ones which had been discarded when they had been replaced by newer ones...
49 of these 100-lb, creosote-soaked monsters! Cut into the side of the hill leading up to my front door... I am tired just thinking about it!
Anyhow, a couple years after me and Michael Lance built this railroad tie staircase, we had a big ice storm... then it snowed, then it iced again, then it turned reeeeaaaallly cold! (don't get ahead of me)
So the morning after all the ice and snow and cold hit, I stepped out the front door to walk down the 49 railroad tie steps to get to my pickup, which I had parked in the cul-de-sac (because I couldn't drive it to the top of the hill into the garage)...
When my right foot hit the top step, I fell.
I didn't fall right there... I hit the first step, and that's the last thing I remembered until I woke up at the bottom of the cul-de-sac, under the front right tire of my pickup!
Evidently my foot had slipped on that first step... I never really understood the phrase 'head over heels' until that day. That is a very accurate description of my trip down the 49 steps which, by the way, took considerably less time to traverse down than up.
My neighbor Mrs. Nelson was leaning out her door 200 feet away from my eventual stopping place yelling "are you ok? are you alright?"... and I finally opened my eyes and answered...
She had seen the entire scene, and later told me she thought I had hit every one of the 49 railroad ties with my head on the way down.
There were no cell phones (or at least I didn't own one), and I could not climb the steps back up to the house.... so I got in my pickup and drove to work... I called my wife from the office, and she was unaware of the drama and my near-death experience... though she recalled 4 year old Caitlin standing at the front window cackling uncontrollably and screaming (with glee) 'daddy funny! daddy funny!'
I called my brother to tell him, and when he finally stopped laughing, he said "man, if you'd let me get my video camera... would you do that again? We could make $10,000!!!"
Anyhow, I don't know if there is any application here... ok, there's probably a million... but I'm laughing too hard remembering that fall (once the soreness left me - about two weeks later) to think of any...
more later...
God Bless!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
fishing for trout and dodging tomcats
So it had to be sometime about early spring of 1989 or so... My friend and idol Stan Johnson called to see if I wanted to go to the White Buffalo resort the next morning to wet a hook in the river...
"they're not generating, so the water should be perfect", was his sales pitch...
"yeah, but Stan, it's gonna be about 40 degrees in the morning", was my weak objection...
So the next morning about 6, there we were waist deep in the beautiful (and very cold) White River, casting upstream and letting the current carry the salmon eggs across the smooth rocks of the riverbed... bumping along 'til the line would go taut... setting the hook and bringing in the trophy (OK, that's a bit of a stretch... but we did catch a few rainbows that morning...)
Those of you who have fished at the confluence of the White and Buffalo rivers know that the train tracks run along the river valley... so it's no surprise to hear the occasional locomotive come chugging down the tracks and rattle the ground...
But that morning, as we began to hear a low rumble, it was different. Stanley was standing about 20 yards downstream from me... we looked at each other for a moment, then returned to the work of reeling and watching our fishing line...
the rumble grew, and Stan said to me, "that's not a train..."
His words barely had a chance to echo across the water before the rumble became a deafening roar...
and suddenly two F-14 Tomcat fighter jets screamed down the river right above our heads...
SSSSSSWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSHHHHHHHHH! they roared by, slickly maneuvering between the bluffs of the riverbank...
the sound died as quickly as it had built... and the river was silent again...
Stan and I looked at each other, speechless... neither of us had ever been dive-bombed by fighter jets before... but we were both very glad that the water was above our waists, since we both had relieved ourselves!
Of course, these pilots were performing maneuvers in the hills and hollers of the Ozarks... I learned later that they used the White River valley often to simulate the topography of some 3rd world country on the other side of the planet...
but that day they scared two fisherman almost to death... and my friend Stan and I laugh about it everytime we talk...
When I think of that day, sometimes I think of our Savior returning... several Bible verses describe a pretty noisy affair: "the roar of a lion", "the roar of rushing waters" or "the roar of a great multitude"...
And while much language referring to the last days and heaven are likely symbolic and figurative, I somehow think that Jesus' return will be accompanied, literally, by a loud roar...
Combine that with the Biblical references to the 'unexpectedness' of His return, and I can imagine that day may be at least a little bit like that day on the White River... when, suddenly, the serenity and calm of a pristine moment is shattered by a very loud and surprising sound...
And, for my part, I simply can't wait!
blessings!
"they're not generating, so the water should be perfect", was his sales pitch...
"yeah, but Stan, it's gonna be about 40 degrees in the morning", was my weak objection...
So the next morning about 6, there we were waist deep in the beautiful (and very cold) White River, casting upstream and letting the current carry the salmon eggs across the smooth rocks of the riverbed... bumping along 'til the line would go taut... setting the hook and bringing in the trophy (OK, that's a bit of a stretch... but we did catch a few rainbows that morning...)
Those of you who have fished at the confluence of the White and Buffalo rivers know that the train tracks run along the river valley... so it's no surprise to hear the occasional locomotive come chugging down the tracks and rattle the ground...
But that morning, as we began to hear a low rumble, it was different. Stanley was standing about 20 yards downstream from me... we looked at each other for a moment, then returned to the work of reeling and watching our fishing line...
the rumble grew, and Stan said to me, "that's not a train..."
His words barely had a chance to echo across the water before the rumble became a deafening roar...
and suddenly two F-14 Tomcat fighter jets screamed down the river right above our heads...
SSSSSSWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSHHHHHHHHH! they roared by, slickly maneuvering between the bluffs of the riverbank...
the sound died as quickly as it had built... and the river was silent again...
Stan and I looked at each other, speechless... neither of us had ever been dive-bombed by fighter jets before... but we were both very glad that the water was above our waists, since we both had relieved ourselves!
Of course, these pilots were performing maneuvers in the hills and hollers of the Ozarks... I learned later that they used the White River valley often to simulate the topography of some 3rd world country on the other side of the planet...
but that day they scared two fisherman almost to death... and my friend Stan and I laugh about it everytime we talk...
When I think of that day, sometimes I think of our Savior returning... several Bible verses describe a pretty noisy affair: "the roar of a lion", "the roar of rushing waters" or "the roar of a great multitude"...
And while much language referring to the last days and heaven are likely symbolic and figurative, I somehow think that Jesus' return will be accompanied, literally, by a loud roar...
Combine that with the Biblical references to the 'unexpectedness' of His return, and I can imagine that day may be at least a little bit like that day on the White River... when, suddenly, the serenity and calm of a pristine moment is shattered by a very loud and surprising sound...
And, for my part, I simply can't wait!
blessings!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
throwing rocks
When I was about 10 years old, my older brother and I would have rock fights.
Many of you are nodding your head in realization.... "that explains a lot!", you're thinking...
I am telling you the truth. When we were boys we had rock fights... (evidently we weren't very accurate or someone may have gotten hurt)... but, truly, sometimes we would just line up about 20 yards from each other and start hurling small rocks at each other.
here's the kicker: we weren't really mad or trying to settle anything... we were just bored!
Sometimes adults do the same thing... we just line up and throw rocks. And, oddly enough, we aren't always trying to settle anything... and we aren't really mad at each other... and it's not that we really feel strongly or passionately about something. We, like my brother and me, are just...
I wonder why we act like that? Looking to pick up a rock and sling it? I am reminded of Paul's words in his letter to Rome:
That sounds like a plan...
May God bless us as we try to do just that...
Many of you are nodding your head in realization.... "that explains a lot!", you're thinking...
I am telling you the truth. When we were boys we had rock fights... (evidently we weren't very accurate or someone may have gotten hurt)... but, truly, sometimes we would just line up about 20 yards from each other and start hurling small rocks at each other.
here's the kicker: we weren't really mad or trying to settle anything... we were just bored!
Sometimes adults do the same thing... we just line up and throw rocks. And, oddly enough, we aren't always trying to settle anything... and we aren't really mad at each other... and it's not that we really feel strongly or passionately about something. We, like my brother and me, are just...
bored.
I wonder why we act like that? Looking to pick up a rock and sling it? I am reminded of Paul's words in his letter to Rome:
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you,
live at peace with everyone.
That sounds like a plan...
May God bless us as we try to do just that...
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Sin Management
Jesus died on the cross.
He paid a debt I was unable and unwilling to pay... and He did it before I was even a thought in anyone's mind... except His.
Why did He do it?
He didn't pay that price so we could quarrel over worship styles or so that we could create a religion... He didn't die so that we could build big church buildings and manage our church budgets.... and He did not endure unspeakable torture so we could develop programs and create 'church attenders'.
Simply put, He made that unbelievable sacrifice to solve a sin problem... And when He gave His life, that's exactly what He did... solved the problem of sin.
We are the ones who try to hang on to our guilt and pain... it is we who choose not to accept that... we cannot believe it's that simple, so we must attach our rules and complicate it. We weigh it down with our culture and our habit and our learned behavior...
So we get in the business of... 'managing' our sin... we create entire cottage industries designed specifically to deal with our sin... to manage it.
But the entire point of the cross is not to manage our sin... it is to live like Jesus took sin away...
thankfully... gratefully... mercifully... joyfully.
He paid a debt I was unable and unwilling to pay... and He did it before I was even a thought in anyone's mind... except His.
Why did He do it?
He didn't pay that price so we could quarrel over worship styles or so that we could create a religion... He didn't die so that we could build big church buildings and manage our church budgets.... and He did not endure unspeakable torture so we could develop programs and create 'church attenders'.
Simply put, He made that unbelievable sacrifice to solve a sin problem... And when He gave His life, that's exactly what He did... solved the problem of sin.
We are the ones who try to hang on to our guilt and pain... it is we who choose not to accept that... we cannot believe it's that simple, so we must attach our rules and complicate it. We weigh it down with our culture and our habit and our learned behavior...
So we get in the business of... 'managing' our sin... we create entire cottage industries designed specifically to deal with our sin... to manage it.
But the entire point of the cross is not to manage our sin... it is to live like Jesus took sin away...
thankfully... gratefully... mercifully... joyfully.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Savannah, Georgia
Well, Savannah is beautiful! I have a little business in the city, and it has been a great trip.
It was 81 degrees today, and I'm enjoying the warm temperatures... traveling back home tomorrow, where it is not 81!
A new blog entry by Saturday morning...
God Bless!
It was 81 degrees today, and I'm enjoying the warm temperatures... traveling back home tomorrow, where it is not 81!
A new blog entry by Saturday morning...
God Bless!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Earn This
Probably my favorite line in all of moviedom is one from Saving Private Ryan... Captain John Miller (played by Tom Hanks) is fatally wounded trying to blow up a bridge at Ramelle, and with his dying breath, he says two words to Private John Francis Ryan...
"Earn This"
The scene then flashes to Arlington National Cemetery current day, and the now 80-year old John Ryan is standing in front of the grave marker of Captain Miller, tears streaming down his face... he is remembering that day almost 60 years before when those words were burned into his memory forever.
It makes for a nice ending to a great story. And the analogy to what Christ did for us - gave himself for us so we could live - is striking...
But, much like Private Ryan, we can never 'earn' that gift... oh, we can try to live a life worthy of the unimaginable free offering at Calvary, and we should! Paul encourages us to do just that in his letter to Ephesians (and again in his Thessalonian letter):
... but there is absolutely nothing we could ever do in a million lifetimes to earn that gift. So, if that's your mindset... if you find yourself forever trying to go and do and be something that will finally pay back that debt...
Stop trying to earn salvation. You never will...
What you will do is miss the whole point of His sacrifice...
So, instead, do what any person would do when presented with a gift: accept it. Period.
and once you do that, your life will be a wellspring of serving and giving and doing and being just what God designed you to be:
God Bless!
"Earn This"
The scene then flashes to Arlington National Cemetery current day, and the now 80-year old John Ryan is standing in front of the grave marker of Captain Miller, tears streaming down his face... he is remembering that day almost 60 years before when those words were burned into his memory forever.
It makes for a nice ending to a great story. And the analogy to what Christ did for us - gave himself for us so we could live - is striking...
But, much like Private Ryan, we can never 'earn' that gift... oh, we can try to live a life worthy of the unimaginable free offering at Calvary, and we should! Paul encourages us to do just that in his letter to Ephesians (and again in his Thessalonian letter):
"...I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received..."
... but there is absolutely nothing we could ever do in a million lifetimes to earn that gift. So, if that's your mindset... if you find yourself forever trying to go and do and be something that will finally pay back that debt...
stop
Stop trying to earn salvation. You never will...
What you will do is miss the whole point of His sacrifice...
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
So, instead, do what any person would do when presented with a gift: accept it. Period.
and once you do that, your life will be a wellspring of serving and giving and doing and being just what God designed you to be:
His.
God Bless!
Monday, December 10, 2007
not Superstitious - just a little 'stitious'
I am a closet fan of the NBC show 'the Office' ... ok, not so much a closet fan... I think it's funny and well-written...
Anyhow, Michael Scott (played by Steve Carrell), the district manager of the fictitious Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, had a great line in a recent Office episode.
When asked if he was superstitious, he replied "...no, I don't consider myself superstitious... just a little stitious, maybe..."
oh, well...it struck me as humorous...
and it reminded me of how I sometimes feel this time of year... not overwhelmed, really... just a little 'whelmed', maybe.
I have heard pro baseball players interviewed during a hitting streak; and sometimes they will describe how they feel in the batter's box: "I am 'seeing the ball well'"... or the baseball seems "as big as a beach ball coming up there".... similarly, pro football players sometimes describe how it feels to play at their best: "it's like it's all happening in slow motion, but I am moving at hyper speed!"
Anyhow, I have been 'in that zone' in some parts of my life before... where I feel like I am superman and can handle anything... and I feel like Neo Anderson in 'the Matrix'. I see everything in high definition slow motion as life comes at me...
But this time of year, I occasionally feel the opposite. Just a bit 'whelmed'.
Have you ever felt like that? ...everything coming at you at double speed? ...time moving too fast... too many people needing too much of you...
And it's at times like this I have to force myself to slow down and relax and really really remember that God is in control... and that the things most folks value highly this time of year are not necessarily the things which should be important to me...
This time of year, above all, should be spent enjoying family and friends.
And it is when I overlay the hecticness of this time of year with that perspective that my life.... becomes... sort of...
slow motion high definition...
Blessings!
Anyhow, Michael Scott (played by Steve Carrell), the district manager of the fictitious Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, had a great line in a recent Office episode.
When asked if he was superstitious, he replied "...no, I don't consider myself superstitious... just a little stitious, maybe..."
oh, well...it struck me as humorous...
and it reminded me of how I sometimes feel this time of year... not overwhelmed, really... just a little 'whelmed', maybe.
I have heard pro baseball players interviewed during a hitting streak; and sometimes they will describe how they feel in the batter's box: "I am 'seeing the ball well'"... or the baseball seems "as big as a beach ball coming up there".... similarly, pro football players sometimes describe how it feels to play at their best: "it's like it's all happening in slow motion, but I am moving at hyper speed!"
Anyhow, I have been 'in that zone' in some parts of my life before... where I feel like I am superman and can handle anything... and I feel like Neo Anderson in 'the Matrix'. I see everything in high definition slow motion as life comes at me...
But this time of year, I occasionally feel the opposite. Just a bit 'whelmed'.
Have you ever felt like that? ...everything coming at you at double speed? ...time moving too fast... too many people needing too much of you...
And it's at times like this I have to force myself to slow down and relax and really really remember that God is in control... and that the things most folks value highly this time of year are not necessarily the things which should be important to me...
This time of year, above all, should be spent enjoying family and friends.
And it is when I overlay the hecticness of this time of year with that perspective that my life.... becomes... sort of...
slow motion high definition...
Blessings!
Saturday, December 8, 2007
the prodigal son in Russia
At L' Hermitage museum in St Petersburg, Russia, there hangs a beautiful Rembrandt oil on canvas... it is called 'the return of the Prodigal son'.
I have never seen it in person, but my friend Paul Wilbur has, and told me about it... he has a reproduction of this painting on the wall of his office at the Mountain Home Christian Clinic. I strongly suggest you take a look at it:
http://picasaweb.google.com/timlmartin1222/Blog/photo#5141635612224546354
Paul told me there were a few things which struck him about the original...
It is a life size painting! Over 6 feet tall... and the lighting is spectacular... and its location in the museum means that you see it as you round a corner... and it is so breathtaking, most people literally stop dead in their tracks when it catches their eye.
The most spectacular thing Paul remembers about standing there seeing 'the prodigal son' is that all the 'light' in the painting emanates from the father's face...
I have never seen it in person, but my friend Paul Wilbur has, and told me about it... he has a reproduction of this painting on the wall of his office at the Mountain Home Christian Clinic. I strongly suggest you take a look at it:
http://picasaweb.google.com/timlmartin1222/Blog/photo#5141635612224546354
Paul told me there were a few things which struck him about the original...
It is a life size painting! Over 6 feet tall... and the lighting is spectacular... and its location in the museum means that you see it as you round a corner... and it is so breathtaking, most people literally stop dead in their tracks when it catches their eye.
The most spectacular thing Paul remembers about standing there seeing 'the prodigal son' is that all the 'light' in the painting emanates from the father's face...
It left him speechless for several minutes... he told me he simply stood there a wept.
The overwhelming feeling of viewing an original Rembrandt was singularly moving. But he told me that feeling paled by comparison to the painting's subject... the artist captured, in alarming detail, the story of the prodigal son's return.
I know the photograph I referenced above does not nearly do justice to the original... but I think you can see a couple things which are worth noting:
the prodigal son - his head is shaved, which is the mark of a slave (contrast this with the head and facial hair of the father and brother). His clothing is tattered, his shoes are worn out (one shoe has even fallen off)... he is on his knees, bowing, submissive. He appears... thoroughly defeated.
the father - open armed, welcoming, relieved... at peace. It seems the artist understood the Bible story pretty well, and the metaphor it represents... His head is cocked to one side and he has opened his cloak and totally enveloped his son. Notice that the left hand of the father is masculine, pressing and protecting... while his right hand is feminine, touching, holding, caressing...
the older brother - standing slightly above 'the scene', pious and holy. Hands folded, wearing the matching red cloak of his father... (some have written that he is holding a knife, plotting the murder of his treacherous baby brother, but I cannot see it in the photo).
the servant - standing ready to do the father's bidding (fatted calf, ring, new shoes, etc)
the 'court' member - seated beside the father, legs crossed casually, fairly noncommittal.
the mother - hard to see, barely visible in the top left corner of the painting, waiting to see how her husband reacts to her son's return...
I printed out the photo and hung it on my office wall. So that every time I look up, I am reminded of my Father who has an intentionally pitiful memory and welcomes me back and treats me like His own... because I am. And though I fall (which I do often), I know I am His. Mark Hall from Casting Crowns sings:
.
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.
I am Yours.
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.
I am Yours.
God will not forget us or abandon us or disown us. He is not a quitter or a leaver. He waits for us, watching for us, ready to celebrate our return.
Perhaps the reason this touches us so deeply is because this is our story. This is the synopsis of the Bible in one story, captured in one painting... it's the story of God, reconciling fallen man to Himself.
Wow.
Friday, December 7, 2007
"God Mirror"
In His Word, there are many references to how God 'sees' us. My favorite picture is painted by Paul in his letter to the Galatian churches:
How dare me to believe my 'vision' is 20/20 with regard to my self-image. How arrogant of me to think MY view of me (sinner, broken, fallen) is more accurate than the One who created me.
I believe I will be healthy enough to truly help others only when I finally see me like He does...
So how about it? Are you ready to replace your mirror with God's? Or will you hold on to the guilt and pain and sin and insist on seeing yourself as Satan wants you to?
The choice is yours... I am choosing His Mirror.
Because anything less simply wastes the Supreme Sacrifice of the only Sinless One.
Blessings!
"...for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."
Did you get it? We are clothed in Christ... we 'put Him on'... I know it's sort of a hard concept to grasp. But it is vitally important that we 'get it'.
You see, for most of my life, I have seen myself primarily as a sinner... I am fallen... I am broken... I am... bad.
It's as if I have plastered Romans 3:23 on my refrigerator and my bathroom mirror and on my steering wheel and on my computer monitor at work... because I constantly remind myself that I am - first and foremost - a SINNER!!!!
So I suggest we need a God Mirror. To have any chance of spiritual health, I MUST develop the ability to see me as God sees me...
when God sees me, He doesn't see bad or fallen or sin or terribleness...
He sees Jesus...
How dare me to believe my 'vision' is 20/20 with regard to my self-image. How arrogant of me to think MY view of me (sinner, broken, fallen) is more accurate than the One who created me.
I believe I will be healthy enough to truly help others only when I finally see me like He does...
I...
AM....
Like Jesus...
Pure, White, Blameless, Holy, Sanctified...
FORGIVEN!
AM....
Like Jesus...
Pure, White, Blameless, Holy, Sanctified...
FORGIVEN!
So how about it? Are you ready to replace your mirror with God's? Or will you hold on to the guilt and pain and sin and insist on seeing yourself as Satan wants you to?
The choice is yours... I am choosing His Mirror.
Because anything less simply wastes the Supreme Sacrifice of the only Sinless One.
Blessings!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
the gift of destination
I opened my email this morning to find I had a message from my friends at Southwest (they must be friends... I get an email from them almost every day!). It seems I have earned a 'rapid reward'. I have flown enough with them in the last 24 months to warrant a free trip! Woo hoo!
Anyhow, the subject line of the email is "Give the gift of Destination". I thought that was pretty clever... 'you have earned a free flight... give it to someone you love'... etc etc etc....
...then it occurred to me that 'the gift of destination' is precisely what God gives you and me.
My dad is somewhat famous (in our small circle) for saying "Christians have the best life here on earth and the best of the life to come"... and I know what he's getting at. But, really, God's promise to us has little to do with happiness in this life.... His servant Job summed it up pretty well: "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble" (Job really knows how to bring down a room... if you don't believe me, just read the rest of Job 14... arrrgghhh!)
Anyhow, my point is that our life here is not even in the same zip code as heaven (even our feeble understanding of it)... and God's promise has very little to do with rewards or pleasure in this life, and everything to do with the splendor of our destination.
That's the true gift God gives... the gift of destination. We were made to look forward.... and upward...
and I cannot help but imagine, in my feeble little brain, that God is like a parent on Christmas eve who cannot wait to see his child's reaction to the awesome gift he has put under the tree.
For my part (though I can't begin to grasp the awesomeness of it), I am very very excited about the gift God has prepared.
The gift of Destination.
Anyhow, the subject line of the email is "Give the gift of Destination". I thought that was pretty clever... 'you have earned a free flight... give it to someone you love'... etc etc etc....
...then it occurred to me that 'the gift of destination' is precisely what God gives you and me.
My dad is somewhat famous (in our small circle) for saying "Christians have the best life here on earth and the best of the life to come"... and I know what he's getting at. But, really, God's promise to us has little to do with happiness in this life.... His servant Job summed it up pretty well: "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble" (Job really knows how to bring down a room... if you don't believe me, just read the rest of Job 14... arrrgghhh!)
Anyhow, my point is that our life here is not even in the same zip code as heaven (even our feeble understanding of it)... and God's promise has very little to do with rewards or pleasure in this life, and everything to do with the splendor of our destination.
That's the true gift God gives... the gift of destination. We were made to look forward.... and upward...
and I cannot help but imagine, in my feeble little brain, that God is like a parent on Christmas eve who cannot wait to see his child's reaction to the awesome gift he has put under the tree.
For my part (though I can't begin to grasp the awesomeness of it), I am very very excited about the gift God has prepared.
The gift of Destination.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
the ongoing work of the cross
I have talked a lot about the work of salvation, and I have talked about it in the past tense. I have said (and written) things like "Jesus did the work of salvation once and for all on the cross".
I repent of that. Because the Spirit revealed to me something I was missing. It is a small thing, really... but so important.
Oh, I understand that the Christ died on the cross once and for all... I know it is an historical fact that a man named Jesus walked on the earth with us and was murdered on a Roman cross. Furthermore, I understand there is really nothing I can do to earn or gain salvation... I suppose (in that sense) the 'work' is done...
But the reason I will never again refer to the work of the cross in the past tense is this:
Not only in the sense that new people come to Jesus every day... that is wonderful and amazing and terrific... but that His redeeming work on the cross continually changes me... it doesn't just save me (though that is awesome enough by itself)... it transforms me... heals me... tempers me.... every day!
Think of the way Peter describes Christ's blood sacrifice:
and here's the 'small thing': note the last verb in the passage.... the one which assigns the 'action' to Jesus' blood...
"purifies"
The New American Standard version interprets the word for 'purifies' as 'cleanses'... the Message uses 'purges'... the KJV, 'cleanseth'... the Amplified Bible = 'removes'... and though our english language does not lend itself perfectly to translating the idea conveyed in the original greek writing of this text, the words above get pretty close...
So, do you notice what I noticed? My daughter's english teacher Mrs Brantly would call this kind of verb one of "progressive tense". And that's what really hit me between the eyes:
Don't you love that? It keeps on cleaning and purifying, continues to purge and wash and remove...
Christ's crosswork is ongoing!
Praise God! HE saved me.... and continues to rescue and cleanse, to purge and purify!
Wow.
I repent of that. Because the Spirit revealed to me something I was missing. It is a small thing, really... but so important.
Oh, I understand that the Christ died on the cross once and for all... I know it is an historical fact that a man named Jesus walked on the earth with us and was murdered on a Roman cross. Furthermore, I understand there is really nothing I can do to earn or gain salvation... I suppose (in that sense) the 'work' is done...
But the reason I will never again refer to the work of the cross in the past tense is this:
the 'work' of the cross continues day to day!
Not only in the sense that new people come to Jesus every day... that is wonderful and amazing and terrific... but that His redeeming work on the cross continually changes me... it doesn't just save me (though that is awesome enough by itself)... it transforms me... heals me... tempers me.... every day!
Think of the way Peter describes Christ's blood sacrifice:
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
and here's the 'small thing': note the last verb in the passage.... the one which assigns the 'action' to Jesus' blood...
"purifies"
The New American Standard version interprets the word for 'purifies' as 'cleanses'... the Message uses 'purges'... the KJV, 'cleanseth'... the Amplified Bible = 'removes'... and though our english language does not lend itself perfectly to translating the idea conveyed in the original greek writing of this text, the words above get pretty close...
So, do you notice what I noticed? My daughter's english teacher Mrs Brantly would call this kind of verb one of "progressive tense". And that's what really hit me between the eyes:
The Blood of Christ works progressively!
Don't you love that? It keeps on cleaning and purifying, continues to purge and wash and remove...
Christ's crosswork is ongoing!
Praise God! HE saved me.... and continues to rescue and cleanse, to purge and purify!
Wow.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Be consistent
I have a friend who is one cool customer. He just doesn't get riled. Nothing seems to bother him.... he is very passionate about God and his family and his work... but he is so...
level.
I admire that about him. Because of all the Christian virtues we should possess, 'levelness' may be at the top of the list. At least it is the one which is most difficult for me to attain....
I mean this guy got cut off in traffic once when I was riding with him, and he didn't react... at all... he swerved and braked and avoided a collision, but he didn't scream or curse or fly the single finger salute or tailgate or anything! He just continued our conversation as if nothing had happened...
amazing.
That is so different from me. And it's not for lack of trying... I try very hard to be level.... and usually fail miserably.
One time this same guy got a call from his daughter that she had been in an accident... he calmly asked if she was OK, then we climbed in his truck and went to the intersection where she had accidentally hit another vehicle. I bet his blood pressure never got above 110 over 75...
I know Jesus got angry... I know He was passionate... but, perhaps more than anything, He was 'level'.
Think of all the times Jesus could have reacted with vitriol or hatred or sarcasm or ugliness... (yeah, about every one of His encounters we read about would qualify). Yet he reacted... well.
So that is my prayer for me... and us. That we react properly... because that may be the most 'Christ-like' attribute which most of us miss altogether.
Blessings!
level.
I admire that about him. Because of all the Christian virtues we should possess, 'levelness' may be at the top of the list. At least it is the one which is most difficult for me to attain....
I mean this guy got cut off in traffic once when I was riding with him, and he didn't react... at all... he swerved and braked and avoided a collision, but he didn't scream or curse or fly the single finger salute or tailgate or anything! He just continued our conversation as if nothing had happened...
amazing.
That is so different from me. And it's not for lack of trying... I try very hard to be level.... and usually fail miserably.
One time this same guy got a call from his daughter that she had been in an accident... he calmly asked if she was OK, then we climbed in his truck and went to the intersection where she had accidentally hit another vehicle. I bet his blood pressure never got above 110 over 75...
I know Jesus got angry... I know He was passionate... but, perhaps more than anything, He was 'level'.
Think of all the times Jesus could have reacted with vitriol or hatred or sarcasm or ugliness... (yeah, about every one of His encounters we read about would qualify). Yet he reacted... well.
So that is my prayer for me... and us. That we react properly... because that may be the most 'Christ-like' attribute which most of us miss altogether.
Blessings!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
How does God respond to our petitions?
In a great scene from "Evan Almighty", God (played by Morgan Freeman) asks the following questions of Evan's wife, who has sort of given up on her husband since finding out that he believes he has been called by God to build an ark...
It just reminded me of something we all know... God does not necessarily answer our prayers like we expect Him to.
But I need that reminder often. And as we watched that movie last night with our friends in Searcy, I smiled after this scene... 'cause there are so many times when I have my very specific idea of how God should answer me when I pray...
and this scene readjusts my vision...
God Bless!
"Let me ask you something.
If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience?
Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient?
If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage,
or does he give him opportunities to be courageous?
If someone prayed for the family to be closer,
do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings,
or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"
It just reminded me of something we all know... God does not necessarily answer our prayers like we expect Him to.
But I need that reminder often. And as we watched that movie last night with our friends in Searcy, I smiled after this scene... 'cause there are so many times when I have my very specific idea of how God should answer me when I pray...
and this scene readjusts my vision...
God Bless!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
is the Bible alive? (the sequel)
OK, how bout a little game of word association?
(here are some words that popped into my head:)
inspired. historical. accurate. toolbox. instruction guide. user's manual. story book. non-fiction novel. the Word. letters. poetry. context.
What words come to your mind?
I was raised in an environment which encouraged believers to affirm that the Holy Spirit's REAL job was to inspire the writers of the Bible... that the complete and total revealed word of God, then, is the only way the Spirit moved... that His job was completed in the late 1st Century.
And, that there was no such thing as 'biblical interpretation' or 'hermeneutic'. I believe an honest appraisal of our treatment of scripture will reveal that we do interpret (think about a cappella singing, holy kiss, women covering their heads and remaining silent, etc... the examples are endless)... After all, if we took the Bible literally (no interpretation), we would live diametrically differently than we do today... and once you cross that 'belief-line', you must ask the question: whose interpretation is correct?
If your background is anything like mine, the words you would come up with in our little 'word association' would look a lot like mine... and one word which would likely be missing is...
Is the Bible a living, breathing document? Does context matter? Are there cultural and traditional shadings which must be considered to truly understand it? Or are the truths found within its pages truly 'timeless' and 'eternal'?
Again, like Pavlov's dog, we are conditioned to want to be really careful right here... because it doesn't take much imagination to see "where this kind of thinking might lead..."
For all my life, I have been steeped in a tradition where WE are supposed to be in control...think about it: we say that ours is the only interpretation of Scripture because it gives us the illusion of being in control.. and, at 45, I am making a concerted effort to truly live like I am not.
God has, time and time again, reminded me that He is at the helm and I am not. So I pray everyday that God will continue to lead and prune me into truly believing (and living like) He is the boss... and that I have NO CONTROL!
And here's the truth: God wants us to be wide-eyed and awed. He wants His children to be adventurous and discovering... The Bible is at once simple and rich and multi-layered... begging to be discovered.
and that does not describe a dead book or a lazy spirit or a sleeping god....
Blessings!
Bible
(here are some words that popped into my head:)
inspired. historical. accurate. toolbox. instruction guide. user's manual. story book. non-fiction novel. the Word. letters. poetry. context.
What words come to your mind?
I was raised in an environment which encouraged believers to affirm that the Holy Spirit's REAL job was to inspire the writers of the Bible... that the complete and total revealed word of God, then, is the only way the Spirit moved... that His job was completed in the late 1st Century.
And, that there was no such thing as 'biblical interpretation' or 'hermeneutic'. I believe an honest appraisal of our treatment of scripture will reveal that we do interpret (think about a cappella singing, holy kiss, women covering their heads and remaining silent, etc... the examples are endless)... After all, if we took the Bible literally (no interpretation), we would live diametrically differently than we do today... and once you cross that 'belief-line', you must ask the question: whose interpretation is correct?
If your background is anything like mine, the words you would come up with in our little 'word association' would look a lot like mine... and one word which would likely be missing is...
ALIVE
Is the Bible a living, breathing document? Does context matter? Are there cultural and traditional shadings which must be considered to truly understand it? Or are the truths found within its pages truly 'timeless' and 'eternal'?
Again, like Pavlov's dog, we are conditioned to want to be really careful right here... because it doesn't take much imagination to see "where this kind of thinking might lead..."
For all my life, I have been steeped in a tradition where WE are supposed to be in control...think about it: we say that ours is the only interpretation of Scripture because it gives us the illusion of being in control.. and, at 45, I am making a concerted effort to truly live like I am not.
God has, time and time again, reminded me that He is at the helm and I am not. So I pray everyday that God will continue to lead and prune me into truly believing (and living like) He is the boss... and that I have NO CONTROL!
And here's the truth: God wants us to be wide-eyed and awed. He wants His children to be adventurous and discovering... The Bible is at once simple and rich and multi-layered... begging to be discovered.
and that does not describe a dead book or a lazy spirit or a sleeping god....
Blessings!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
The work of Salvation - our motivation
Why do you do what you do? What drives you to behave the way you behave? I suppose there are many sources of motivation for the actions of people...
Guilt. Fear. Love. Duty. Ought. Money. Praise. Instinct. Habit.
I could list hundreds... but the one driving force behind anything I do that is good should be gratitude.
When I was saved at age 9, I knew what needed to happen in order for me to be saved. As I was baptized that night, I understood 'what I needed to do' to be 'added to the Kingdom'. I had read the Acts account of Pentecost... I recited the 'hear, believe, repent, confess and be baptized' for my daddy... But as a 9 year old, I had no way of truly understanding the 'work' of salvation...
I don't know if any 9 year old child can grasp the fact that the work of salvation was accomplished once and for all on a rough Roman cross almost 20 centuries before my birth. Why did I walk down the aisle that night? I don't remember what Mid McKnight said during his sermon... I don't remember what our preacher Bill Richardson said to me as he dunked me... I remember eating a hot dog for supper and telling my daddy I wanted to be baptized.
I knew I didn't want to go to hell... not then and not ever!
And I know that's ok... I realize now that most people don't fully realize the enormity of accepting the gift of salvation until many years after they accept it...
I just want to encourage us all to check our motivation... when I attend worship... when I extend a kind deed or speak an encouraging word... when I volunteer... when I help someone... may my motivation never be guilt or ought or habit...
May my reason for doing everything be because I am beginning to understand the real work of salvation that Jesus performed for me... and the work He continues to do in and through me...
Blessings!
Guilt. Fear. Love. Duty. Ought. Money. Praise. Instinct. Habit.
I could list hundreds... but the one driving force behind anything I do that is good should be gratitude.
When I was saved at age 9, I knew what needed to happen in order for me to be saved. As I was baptized that night, I understood 'what I needed to do' to be 'added to the Kingdom'. I had read the Acts account of Pentecost... I recited the 'hear, believe, repent, confess and be baptized' for my daddy... But as a 9 year old, I had no way of truly understanding the 'work' of salvation...
I don't know if any 9 year old child can grasp the fact that the work of salvation was accomplished once and for all on a rough Roman cross almost 20 centuries before my birth. Why did I walk down the aisle that night? I don't remember what Mid McKnight said during his sermon... I don't remember what our preacher Bill Richardson said to me as he dunked me... I remember eating a hot dog for supper and telling my daddy I wanted to be baptized.
I knew I didn't want to go to hell... not then and not ever!
And I know that's ok... I realize now that most people don't fully realize the enormity of accepting the gift of salvation until many years after they accept it...
I just want to encourage us all to check our motivation... when I attend worship... when I extend a kind deed or speak an encouraging word... when I volunteer... when I help someone... may my motivation never be guilt or ought or habit...
May my reason for doing everything be because I am beginning to understand the real work of salvation that Jesus performed for me... and the work He continues to do in and through me...
Blessings!
Monday, November 26, 2007
is the Bible alive?
So a friend of mine gave me a book to read. I like books that open me up. I like books that reveal me and stretch me and make me draw closer to God...
So far, 'Velvet Elvis' is that kind of book. It is really entertaining and well-written and thought-provoking. And I believe it is all these things on purpose. I don't think the author purports to have all the answers.... early in the first chapter, he candidly admits that he has more questions than answers, and that every answer seems to beg 2 questions.
The book's premise seems to be that the Bible is a living, breathing body of work which must be taken in context; several inspired letters and other writings tied together by a common theme and intended for its original audience as well as every breathing human who has lived since.
It is very challenging on several levels. The most challenging idea so far (I am only in the 5th chapter) is that the Bible is not a volume of 'timeless truths', but more a collection of inspired stories which are intended to reveal to us the heart of our God and the nature of Jesus...in a way, that's a hard one to swallow... especially for a person who has been taught from his earliest recollection that the Bible is indeed chock full of timeless truths which transcend culture and tradition and...well... time.
Viewed more as the latter and less as the former, the Bible will have to be understood as a living, breathing thing. According to Velvet Elvis, it is folly to believe that Biblical interpretation does NOT go on... furthermore, we should embrace the fact that everyone 'interprets' the Book. And, that everyone brings their own historical, cultural and traditional baggage to their own personal hermeneutic. Again, for someone who was raised very conservatively, that can be a difficult concept.
Being honest, however, even I must admit that the author is dead on with his point. Everyone DOES interpret the Bible. And, yes, even the most honest seeker will see the scriptures through his own lens.
So, where does that leave us? I am not sure... I would suspect it kinda 'rocks the world' of a lot of people who were raised like me...
Stan Little was our guest speaker at Riverside yesterday morning... he had some really good thoughts, and one line from his lesson jumped out at me... I wonder if his point doesn't speak to this issue of timeless truths and our own interpretation and doctrines...
Oh, well... may God bless us as we continue to try to show Jesus to those around us today.... and as we try to understand His will for us...
more on the subject next time...
So far, 'Velvet Elvis' is that kind of book. It is really entertaining and well-written and thought-provoking. And I believe it is all these things on purpose. I don't think the author purports to have all the answers.... early in the first chapter, he candidly admits that he has more questions than answers, and that every answer seems to beg 2 questions.
The book's premise seems to be that the Bible is a living, breathing body of work which must be taken in context; several inspired letters and other writings tied together by a common theme and intended for its original audience as well as every breathing human who has lived since.
It is very challenging on several levels. The most challenging idea so far (I am only in the 5th chapter) is that the Bible is not a volume of 'timeless truths', but more a collection of inspired stories which are intended to reveal to us the heart of our God and the nature of Jesus...in a way, that's a hard one to swallow... especially for a person who has been taught from his earliest recollection that the Bible is indeed chock full of timeless truths which transcend culture and tradition and...well... time.
Viewed more as the latter and less as the former, the Bible will have to be understood as a living, breathing thing. According to Velvet Elvis, it is folly to believe that Biblical interpretation does NOT go on... furthermore, we should embrace the fact that everyone 'interprets' the Book. And, that everyone brings their own historical, cultural and traditional baggage to their own personal hermeneutic. Again, for someone who was raised very conservatively, that can be a difficult concept.
Being honest, however, even I must admit that the author is dead on with his point. Everyone DOES interpret the Bible. And, yes, even the most honest seeker will see the scriptures through his own lens.
So, where does that leave us? I am not sure... I would suspect it kinda 'rocks the world' of a lot of people who were raised like me...
Stan Little was our guest speaker at Riverside yesterday morning... he had some really good thoughts, and one line from his lesson jumped out at me... I wonder if his point doesn't speak to this issue of timeless truths and our own interpretation and doctrines...
The smaller your theology, the larger your fellowship;
the larger your theology, the smaller your fellowship.
Oh, well... may God bless us as we continue to try to show Jesus to those around us today.... and as we try to understand His will for us...
more on the subject next time...
Sunday, November 25, 2007
time for a revolution
In a scene from one of my favorite movies, Benjamin Gates (played by Nicolas Cage) says:
"A toast? Yeah. To high treason. That's what these men were committing when they signed the Declaration. Had we lost the war, they would have been hanged, beheaded, drawn and quartered, and-Oh! Oh, my personal favorite: and had their entrails cut out and burned... So... Here's to the men who did what was considered wrong, in order to do what they knew was right... "
Gates' quote from this scene in National Treasure is spot-on-accurate... the signers of the declaration were, indeed, committing high treason. They risked everything to do what was considered wrong in order to do what they knew was right.
And, without getting too deep into the historical and political perspective of the events surrounding the American Revolution, it is fair to say that ever since these founding fathers were dead and gone, our government has systematically set about to defend itself against the very thing on which this Republic was founded: freedom...
if you don't believe that, then tell me this: can you envision a group of rebels like the ones whose names appear at the bottom of the Declaration doing what they did.... today? It seems to me it would be nearly impossible to do today what those brave men did over two centuries ago... it's at least a bit ironic, right? ...that our government has intentionally made it so that nobody else could ever 'do' what these guys 'did'... Anyhow, perhaps a discussion for another blog....
But there are parallels between that revolution and the one which Jesus and his band of 'rebels' incited over 2o centuries ago... and the resultant wall-building which we 'religious people' have done to prevent another such revolution is eerily reminiscent of the barriers our politicians have erected over the last 230 years.
I mean, let's face it: anytime anyone has suggested it's time to overhaul our American government (again, a subject for another time), he is branded as unpatriotic and marginalized as a trouble-maker. As a result, most people are relegated to sitting on the sidelines, complaining about the wasteful spending and freedom-sucking legislation which has become the norm from our government... well, that's not the way those 56 courageous declaration-signers behaved...
Similarly, anytime anyone suggests it is time we overhaul our 'religion', they are looked upon as divisive and branded as heretics... as a result, most of us are relegated to sitting on the sidelines and complaining about the leadership of our church... we even change our language: we say 'they' and 'them', instead of 'we' and 'us'... yet that's not the way Jesus and his ragtag band of followers behaved.
Incidentally, anytime we change our language to 'they' and 'them', we are lazily abdicating our responsibility to engage and forge necessary change... you see, 'religion' (like government) was never intended to be a spectator sport. I implore us all to maintain the healthy language of 'we' and 'us'...
So we must take an example from Thomas Jefferson and his 55 friends... we have to imitate Jesus and his followers! We cannot allow 'them' (whoever 'they' are) to steal the freedom God gave us and Jesus died for....
It will take courage. We will be vilified. But we cannot, must not be bullied into submission by anyone who endeavors to build their own walls around 'their' kingdom...
Another Ben Gates quote from 'National Treasure' goes something like this:
Think about that: does that sound like the description of a spectator sport to you? I would submit that our Christianity is much the same... and if we sit idly by and watch as our Freedom is stolen, we probably deserve the result....
May God Bless us as we always defend the freedom for which He sacrificed His Son!
"A toast? Yeah. To high treason. That's what these men were committing when they signed the Declaration. Had we lost the war, they would have been hanged, beheaded, drawn and quartered, and-Oh! Oh, my personal favorite: and had their entrails cut out and burned... So... Here's to the men who did what was considered wrong, in order to do what they knew was right... "
Gates' quote from this scene in National Treasure is spot-on-accurate... the signers of the declaration were, indeed, committing high treason. They risked everything to do what was considered wrong in order to do what they knew was right.
And, without getting too deep into the historical and political perspective of the events surrounding the American Revolution, it is fair to say that ever since these founding fathers were dead and gone, our government has systematically set about to defend itself against the very thing on which this Republic was founded: freedom...
if you don't believe that, then tell me this: can you envision a group of rebels like the ones whose names appear at the bottom of the Declaration doing what they did.... today? It seems to me it would be nearly impossible to do today what those brave men did over two centuries ago... it's at least a bit ironic, right? ...that our government has intentionally made it so that nobody else could ever 'do' what these guys 'did'... Anyhow, perhaps a discussion for another blog....
But there are parallels between that revolution and the one which Jesus and his band of 'rebels' incited over 2o centuries ago... and the resultant wall-building which we 'religious people' have done to prevent another such revolution is eerily reminiscent of the barriers our politicians have erected over the last 230 years.
I mean, let's face it: anytime anyone has suggested it's time to overhaul our American government (again, a subject for another time), he is branded as unpatriotic and marginalized as a trouble-maker. As a result, most people are relegated to sitting on the sidelines, complaining about the wasteful spending and freedom-sucking legislation which has become the norm from our government... well, that's not the way those 56 courageous declaration-signers behaved...
Similarly, anytime anyone suggests it is time we overhaul our 'religion', they are looked upon as divisive and branded as heretics... as a result, most of us are relegated to sitting on the sidelines and complaining about the leadership of our church... we even change our language: we say 'they' and 'them', instead of 'we' and 'us'... yet that's not the way Jesus and his ragtag band of followers behaved.
Incidentally, anytime we change our language to 'they' and 'them', we are lazily abdicating our responsibility to engage and forge necessary change... you see, 'religion' (like government) was never intended to be a spectator sport. I implore us all to maintain the healthy language of 'we' and 'us'...
So we must take an example from Thomas Jefferson and his 55 friends... we have to imitate Jesus and his followers! We cannot allow 'them' (whoever 'they' are) to steal the freedom God gave us and Jesus died for....
It will take courage. We will be vilified. But we cannot, must not be bullied into submission by anyone who endeavors to build their own walls around 'their' kingdom...
Another Ben Gates quote from 'National Treasure' goes something like this:
"Of all the ideas that became the United States, there's a line here that's at the heart of all the others. 'But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and provide new Guards for their future security.' That means that those who have the ability to defend freedom have the responsibility to defend freedom..."
Think about that: does that sound like the description of a spectator sport to you? I would submit that our Christianity is much the same... and if we sit idly by and watch as our Freedom is stolen, we probably deserve the result....
May God Bless us as we always defend the freedom for which He sacrificed His Son!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Thanksgiving
Well, one of my very favorite days of the year has passed... I love being with family and eating June's turkey and dressing and watching football.
And I'm thankful... very thankful. I have a beautiful, healthy wife and three adorable and healthy daughters... we had a terrific day!
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and a wonderful weekend!
God Bless!
And I'm thankful... very thankful. I have a beautiful, healthy wife and three adorable and healthy daughters... we had a terrific day!
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and a wonderful weekend!
God Bless!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
blustery day in Nebraska - simply beautiful
I woke up this morning to a pretty dismal weather day in Nebraska... it is cold and rainy, well sort of misty... kinda miserable... until I look up and see how the conditions are just right so that the droplets of water hang on the branch just a minute longer than usual before they fall to the wet grass... there's a sort of serene beauty in that...
anyhow, in a few minutes I will have the privilege of joining the students at Chapel, the daily praise and devotional time every student attends here at York... as I think about that, it occurs to me that this one feature of the Christian College environment may be the most compelling reason for wanting my girls to attend Harding or York or ACU or OCC...
I mean, think about it: every day of the school year, each student devotes a half hour or so to upward thinking. Each day these young adults spend a little time in devotion to and recognition of the Creator of the universe... that's pretty awesome!
And to my friends who say they prefer state education for their kiddos to a Christian institution, I say 'you've got to be kidding me!' OK, go ahead and extol to me the virtues of attending a more prominent college or university... the better instructors, the higher level of instruction, the more valuable sheet of onion skin, yada yada yada... hogwash!
And to my young friends who bemoan the mandatory-ness of attending chapel every day, get over yourselves! Your moms and dads (if they have any sense at all) would give their eye teeth to 'have to' spend a half hour a day in devotion to our God. Most of us parents rarely if ever even give a passing thought to things spiritual, much less devote 30 whole minutes to concentrated praise and worship every day!
So I need to take a cue off of my beloved Christian colleges and universities and set aside (intentionally and every day) a period of time which I count as 'mandatory'... inviolable... during which I will do nothing other than commune with the one I profess to love and follow...
Simply put, it will make me a better person... it will cause me to cause others to want to follow Him.
Blessings!
P.S. - I also get the blessing of watching the Lady Panthers play their last game before Thanksgiving tonight! Go Caitlin! Go Panthers!!!
anyhow, in a few minutes I will have the privilege of joining the students at Chapel, the daily praise and devotional time every student attends here at York... as I think about that, it occurs to me that this one feature of the Christian College environment may be the most compelling reason for wanting my girls to attend Harding or York or ACU or OCC...
I mean, think about it: every day of the school year, each student devotes a half hour or so to upward thinking. Each day these young adults spend a little time in devotion to and recognition of the Creator of the universe... that's pretty awesome!
And to my friends who say they prefer state education for their kiddos to a Christian institution, I say 'you've got to be kidding me!' OK, go ahead and extol to me the virtues of attending a more prominent college or university... the better instructors, the higher level of instruction, the more valuable sheet of onion skin, yada yada yada... hogwash!
And to my young friends who bemoan the mandatory-ness of attending chapel every day, get over yourselves! Your moms and dads (if they have any sense at all) would give their eye teeth to 'have to' spend a half hour a day in devotion to our God. Most of us parents rarely if ever even give a passing thought to things spiritual, much less devote 30 whole minutes to concentrated praise and worship every day!
So I need to take a cue off of my beloved Christian colleges and universities and set aside (intentionally and every day) a period of time which I count as 'mandatory'... inviolable... during which I will do nothing other than commune with the one I profess to love and follow...
Simply put, it will make me a better person... it will cause me to cause others to want to follow Him.
Blessings!
P.S. - I also get the blessing of watching the Lady Panthers play their last game before Thanksgiving tonight! Go Caitlin! Go Panthers!!!
Monday, November 19, 2007
waiting in line
OK, I am not the frequentest of flyers.... but I do fly commercially about 15 times a year... and I have to admit that I love Southwest Airlines' business model and its ingenuity; they practically invented user-friendly flying! They are easy to fly and they make you want to fly with them again... and the reason this intrigues me is they did this very very intentionally. But enough about my admiration for an airline...
Here's the deal: while I love the company and its business model, I am not a big fan of the 'arena' seating they offer. I yearn for the old days when you got your seat assignment and absolutely KNEW where you were going to sit. As far as I know, every other airline still assigns seats when you check in; Southwest, however, gives you a letter... you are either an 'A', a 'B' or a 'C'.
So instead of boarding when your 'section' is called, then going directly to your assigned seat, with Southwest you board in the order of when you 'checked in' (and most folks do that online), then proceed to the aircraft where you choose whatever seat is open. Sort of a first-come-first-served situation (more reminiscent of a bus ride than an airline).
It's OK if you don't mind standing in line for 30-45 minutes, but it is completely different than how it used to be....
So right now, at 6:00 am, I am sitting (but about to be standing) at Gate 9 in the Little Rock airport, waiting for that first person to start forming the line. Then, like cattle, everyone will stand up and jockey for position in line...
And it makes me think (which is really dangerous); have you ever thought of the entrance to heaven as a gate with St Peter as its sentry... with a long line waiting to 'get in'? I know we can't imagine heaven, and I understand God used language we could understand when He inspired men to write about it. And even in my wildest imagination, I will not come close to 'getting' it... even when I finally see it, I suspect I will spend the first million years simply gawking at its sheer splendor...
Having said that, I can't get past the picture of some long line leading up to the pearly gates... and it makes me think of the line which is now forming at the 'A' sign by the gate leading to the jetway.
Since I absolutely hate lines (and any other form of waiting), I truly believe there will not be a long line getting into heaven....
Maybe heaven's entrance will more closely resemble the boarding process at, say, American Airlines... maybe, since 'salvation's work' was finished at Calvary, my 'seat assignment' has already been confirmed.... perhaps my 'boarding pass' is guaranteed, so I don't have to wonder 'where' or even 'if' I am to be 'seated'... OK, if I'm getting weary of the metaphor, you've got to be sick of it!
But that's what I'm thinking at 6 am as I wait for the line to start forming.... maybe when I actually wake up, I'll re-read this diatribe and delete it... or maybe not...
Blessings! Good Morning...
Here's the deal: while I love the company and its business model, I am not a big fan of the 'arena' seating they offer. I yearn for the old days when you got your seat assignment and absolutely KNEW where you were going to sit. As far as I know, every other airline still assigns seats when you check in; Southwest, however, gives you a letter... you are either an 'A', a 'B' or a 'C'.
So instead of boarding when your 'section' is called, then going directly to your assigned seat, with Southwest you board in the order of when you 'checked in' (and most folks do that online), then proceed to the aircraft where you choose whatever seat is open. Sort of a first-come-first-served situation (more reminiscent of a bus ride than an airline).
It's OK if you don't mind standing in line for 30-45 minutes, but it is completely different than how it used to be....
So right now, at 6:00 am, I am sitting (but about to be standing) at Gate 9 in the Little Rock airport, waiting for that first person to start forming the line. Then, like cattle, everyone will stand up and jockey for position in line...
And it makes me think (which is really dangerous); have you ever thought of the entrance to heaven as a gate with St Peter as its sentry... with a long line waiting to 'get in'? I know we can't imagine heaven, and I understand God used language we could understand when He inspired men to write about it. And even in my wildest imagination, I will not come close to 'getting' it... even when I finally see it, I suspect I will spend the first million years simply gawking at its sheer splendor...
Having said that, I can't get past the picture of some long line leading up to the pearly gates... and it makes me think of the line which is now forming at the 'A' sign by the gate leading to the jetway.
Since I absolutely hate lines (and any other form of waiting), I truly believe there will not be a long line getting into heaven....
Maybe heaven's entrance will more closely resemble the boarding process at, say, American Airlines... maybe, since 'salvation's work' was finished at Calvary, my 'seat assignment' has already been confirmed.... perhaps my 'boarding pass' is guaranteed, so I don't have to wonder 'where' or even 'if' I am to be 'seated'... OK, if I'm getting weary of the metaphor, you've got to be sick of it!
But that's what I'm thinking at 6 am as I wait for the line to start forming.... maybe when I actually wake up, I'll re-read this diatribe and delete it... or maybe not...
Blessings! Good Morning...
Sunday, November 18, 2007
bringing good news to prisoners
I don't know what it's like to not be free. I was born into a free family within a free society in a free country, and I have never known anything else... I have traveled to many places where freedom has a different definition, and I have been inside maximum security penitentiaries and minimum security jailhouses... but I have never had my God-born freedom taken from me.
This afternoon a few of us will begin what I hope will be a very long-lasting and meaningful ministry in our local jail. We hope to touch some lives and help a few people understand what Jesus did for them; I pray we can show each of these men that God's love is unconditional, and that He loves us all no matter what we do.
Mainly I want them to know that someone cares enough about them to spend a little time with them talking and listening. I know God will bless our time with these precious souls, and I hope we can say and do the right things to convey His love...
Please pray for the hearts of these men and for the hearts of those who are going to spend an hour with them today.
God Bless!
This afternoon a few of us will begin what I hope will be a very long-lasting and meaningful ministry in our local jail. We hope to touch some lives and help a few people understand what Jesus did for them; I pray we can show each of these men that God's love is unconditional, and that He loves us all no matter what we do.
Mainly I want them to know that someone cares enough about them to spend a little time with them talking and listening. I know God will bless our time with these precious souls, and I hope we can say and do the right things to convey His love...
Please pray for the hearts of these men and for the hearts of those who are going to spend an hour with them today.
God Bless!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
it goes by very very fast
So tonight my youngest daughter has her fourth grade program... and it makes me remember our very first fourth grade program, 9 years ago this month.
Caitlin was our first child, and her fourth grade program was precious! I have no doubt that Cassie's will be equally wonderful... there are some differences, however....
I think back 9 years, and I recall that we were very nervous... we all got there before the doors opened, packing all manner of photographic and videographic devices: Camcorders, digital cameras, tape recorders, our old 35 mm camera (as a backup) and tripods for each... we tried to sit down front and fought to get the best seat... we were angered by the guy who walked in front of our gear during the show... we were just a bit uptight...
Tonight, we will eat dinner and mosey over to Dunbar Auditorium a few minutes before showtime... I plan to carry no photographic or videographic devices... I will buy the DVD from the school...
my, how times change... or is it the people (me) who do the changing?
oh, well, I can't wait to see her program tonight... (I am just as excited about this one as I was about the one 9 years ago... just in a calmer way)
I just keep thinking... man, time marches on.... and it sure goes by fast!
Blessings!
Caitlin was our first child, and her fourth grade program was precious! I have no doubt that Cassie's will be equally wonderful... there are some differences, however....
I think back 9 years, and I recall that we were very nervous... we all got there before the doors opened, packing all manner of photographic and videographic devices: Camcorders, digital cameras, tape recorders, our old 35 mm camera (as a backup) and tripods for each... we tried to sit down front and fought to get the best seat... we were angered by the guy who walked in front of our gear during the show... we were just a bit uptight...
Tonight, we will eat dinner and mosey over to Dunbar Auditorium a few minutes before showtime... I plan to carry no photographic or videographic devices... I will buy the DVD from the school...
my, how times change... or is it the people (me) who do the changing?
oh, well, I can't wait to see her program tonight... (I am just as excited about this one as I was about the one 9 years ago... just in a calmer way)
I just keep thinking... man, time marches on.... and it sure goes by fast!
Blessings!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
He Stood Up
(I know I have made this observation before, but I cannot remember if I have made it here - on my blog... I shared this with the patients at the Christian Clinic last night, and I thought I'd share it here... so, if you've heard this before, please read it again!)
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is recorded in the 7th chapter of Acts. Yep, I know, that's the story of Stephen's sermon to and subsequent stoning by the San Hedrin... and I know it may seem really odd that, of all the stories in the Bible, the martyrdom of Stephen would rank as one of my favorites... so let me explain:
After being brought before the San Hedrin (jewish rulers; the equivalent of today's supreme court), Stephen engaged these self-righteous religious leaders in a conversation which quickly turned into a very harsh indictment of their historically poor treatment of the prophets... the impromptu sermonette then convicted them of murdering Jesus, culminating in his calling this austere group a 'stiff-necked and uncircumcised' bunch who, like their forefathers, were guilty of 'resisting the Holy Spirit'.
Then the meeting got really ugly... the Bible says the members of the San Hedrin 'gnashed their teeth' at Stephen. It is this next part of the story which makes this one of my favorites:
Just before they rushed him and dragged him outside the city gates and stoned him to death, Stephen looks up into heaven and, thank God, reports to the San Hedrin (and to us) exactly what he sees...
Did you catch it? Did you notice the 'posture' of Jesus? I have read and re-read and studied this passage for my entire life, and I just now got it...
You see, Jesus is described 12 times in your New Testament as being at the right hand of God... but in EVERY CASE, He is SEATED!!!
Now do you have chills? Stephen looked up into heaven and saw Jesus STANDING at God's right hand! It's as if Jesus, who in every other description is seated beside the throne of God, saw what Stephen did...
and stood up.
May I suggest that Jesus gave Stephen a standing ovation? May I further submit that Jesus 'stands up' for you and me as well?
It reminds me of the description we read about in Hebrews 12... how the heroes of the faith who have gone before us are 'cheering us on' as we run our Race. I picture this 'great cloud of witnesses' giving us a standing ovation of encouragement... how cool is that?
So next time you think of the story of the stoning of Stephen... I want you to remember that Jesus' reaction is unique and remarkable and, well.... so..... 'Jesus':
He stood up.
wow
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is recorded in the 7th chapter of Acts. Yep, I know, that's the story of Stephen's sermon to and subsequent stoning by the San Hedrin... and I know it may seem really odd that, of all the stories in the Bible, the martyrdom of Stephen would rank as one of my favorites... so let me explain:
After being brought before the San Hedrin (jewish rulers; the equivalent of today's supreme court), Stephen engaged these self-righteous religious leaders in a conversation which quickly turned into a very harsh indictment of their historically poor treatment of the prophets... the impromptu sermonette then convicted them of murdering Jesus, culminating in his calling this austere group a 'stiff-necked and uncircumcised' bunch who, like their forefathers, were guilty of 'resisting the Holy Spirit'.
Then the meeting got really ugly... the Bible says the members of the San Hedrin 'gnashed their teeth' at Stephen. It is this next part of the story which makes this one of my favorites:
Just before they rushed him and dragged him outside the city gates and stoned him to death, Stephen looks up into heaven and, thank God, reports to the San Hedrin (and to us) exactly what he sees...
"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the
Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
Did you catch it? Did you notice the 'posture' of Jesus? I have read and re-read and studied this passage for my entire life, and I just now got it...
You see, Jesus is described 12 times in your New Testament as being at the right hand of God... but in EVERY CASE, He is SEATED!!!
Now do you have chills? Stephen looked up into heaven and saw Jesus STANDING at God's right hand! It's as if Jesus, who in every other description is seated beside the throne of God, saw what Stephen did...
and stood up.
May I suggest that Jesus gave Stephen a standing ovation? May I further submit that Jesus 'stands up' for you and me as well?
It reminds me of the description we read about in Hebrews 12... how the heroes of the faith who have gone before us are 'cheering us on' as we run our Race. I picture this 'great cloud of witnesses' giving us a standing ovation of encouragement... how cool is that?
So next time you think of the story of the stoning of Stephen... I want you to remember that Jesus' reaction is unique and remarkable and, well.... so..... 'Jesus':
He stood up.
wow
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
today's a special day
My lovely wife celebrates her birthday today! She will not be happy that I mentioned it here, but, oh well...
I could type from now til the end of time and not adequately describe what a blessing she is to everyone around her. To say that God has blessed me (which I do often) with her presence in my world would indeed be a vast understatement. The best mom and wife and prayer warrior and servant I have ever known... I am happy to share my life with her.
And as I consider another milestone, it occurs to me that time just keeps marching... and since I like routine and order, that usually does not sit well with me. I do look forward to what God has in store for me every day, and I am learning (very slowly) to embrace whatever new challenges He presents to me...
But, on balance, I am pretty OK with the now... the problem with people like me is we get so thoroughly addicted to the now that when it becomes the then, it freaks us out a little... or a lot...
So I pray that God will help me to continue to learn to live in the now and not dwell on the past... but that He will prepare and prune me to be ready for every next challenge, and be watchful for every opportunity to show Him to others...
I know this: I am much better equipped to face whatever comes with my wonderful wife by my side... and that makes me smile.... a lot.
Happy Birthday, Sweetheart.
I could type from now til the end of time and not adequately describe what a blessing she is to everyone around her. To say that God has blessed me (which I do often) with her presence in my world would indeed be a vast understatement. The best mom and wife and prayer warrior and servant I have ever known... I am happy to share my life with her.
And as I consider another milestone, it occurs to me that time just keeps marching... and since I like routine and order, that usually does not sit well with me. I do look forward to what God has in store for me every day, and I am learning (very slowly) to embrace whatever new challenges He presents to me...
But, on balance, I am pretty OK with the now... the problem with people like me is we get so thoroughly addicted to the now that when it becomes the then, it freaks us out a little... or a lot...
So I pray that God will help me to continue to learn to live in the now and not dwell on the past... but that He will prepare and prune me to be ready for every next challenge, and be watchful for every opportunity to show Him to others...
I know this: I am much better equipped to face whatever comes with my wonderful wife by my side... and that makes me smile.... a lot.
Happy Birthday, Sweetheart.
Monday, November 12, 2007
does it make any difference?
I know this particular can of worms is highly charged (forgive the metaphor-mixing), but here goes anyhow:
Does it matter where I worship? The very fact that there are 127 church listings covering almost 3 full yellow pages in my local phone book would suggest that most folks believe that it matters where (and probably how) we worship...
I am assuming, of course, that the differences between these 127 churches lie in what they 'do' in their sanctuaries during their 'church service'... for the moment, let's make that assumption. (I happen to believe, sadly, that that's exactly where most of the differences lie...)
For instance, if I polled the 127 churches on their beliefs, I feel confident that the vast majority would respond in the affirmative to the following questions:
Does it matter where I worship? The very fact that there are 127 church listings covering almost 3 full yellow pages in my local phone book would suggest that most folks believe that it matters where (and probably how) we worship...
I am assuming, of course, that the differences between these 127 churches lie in what they 'do' in their sanctuaries during their 'church service'... for the moment, let's make that assumption. (I happen to believe, sadly, that that's exactly where most of the differences lie...)
For instance, if I polled the 127 churches on their beliefs, I feel confident that the vast majority would respond in the affirmative to the following questions:
- do you believe in God?
- do you believe Jesus is His only Son?
- do you believe in the miraculous virgin birth?
- do you believe Jesus actually lived on earth and died on the cross for your sins?
- do you believe He rose on the third day and now sits at God's right hand in Heaven?
So, what is it then that divides us? our various stances on Baptism? I gotta say, speaking honestly, that the same vast majority who answered the previous 5 questions in the affirmative would also say they believe in baptism... some will quibble over the reasons for and immediacy of the baptism act, but I would say most believe that baptism plays a central role in the salvation experience...
so, what divides us? I would say that 99% of what divides us surrounds our "building-centered" activities... do we interact with each other in our worship, or do we sit and digest what one man has to say? do we have two services, or do we add a balcony? do we use instruments or sing a capella (in the chapel style)? is 'high worship' more acceptable than a more casual approach? what songs should we sing? how should we dress? who is the pastor? who leads the youth program?
If you don't believe these are reasons why there are literally 127 different church buildings in my town of 11,000, please enlighten me!
OK, here is where I am going. I know there are many reasons why I choose to worship where I worship... I realize you have strong feelings about worshipping where you worship... some would count it a blessing that we have so many choices...
(incidentally, I am not sure it is such a blessing to have 127 choices in my little town to choose from. And I'm quite certain that our allergy to cooperating with each other does not jive with all the "Unity" language Jesus employed in His 3-year preaching-and-teaching-and-living-and-loving tour...)
Every time I consider this subject, I keep hearing the words of Jesus when He responds to the Samaritan woman at the well...
"Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem... a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."
So, if I were to 'shop' for a church, what criterion might I consider? Here are some I have heard:
- a strong youth program
- a vibrant outreach program
- a great preacher/pastor
- good facilities: gym, daycare, etc
- a good number of young married couples
According to Jesus' words in John 4, I might do well to find a church whose worshippers worship in spirit and in truth... THAT'S where I want to be! THAT'S the group I want to gather with!
So, in answer to my own question.... yeah, I'd say it matters where I worship!
May I encourage you to try using Jesus' measuring stick to judge whether you are worshipping 'at the right place'? Look around next time you are worshipping on Sunday... do you feel His Presence? Are you (and those around you) worshipping The Spirit-God in the way He prescribes: in spirit and in truth?
At the end of the day (to put Jesus' words in today's terms):
"the day is coming and is now here when it does not matter where you worship.... you can worship in a cathedral or in a canyon; you can worship on a beach or in a synagogue; you can gather on a mountain or in a sanctuary; with hands raised or stuffed in pockets, with faces upturned or heads bowed... the 'where' will not matter! The 'in spirit and truth' part matters..."
I suspect if we concentrated on that one 'feature' of our worship, we would have less time and energy to worry about all the differences...
oh, well, I can dream...
God Bless!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Four Roaring Lambs
When Bob Briner wrote his 'Roaring Lambs' books, he caused tens of thousands of Christians to rethink their idea of 'mission work'... I was one of them.
Having been on the mission field in 6 countries on 4 continents over the last decade and a half, I always figured that these 1-week-to-10-day-stints constituted great mission efforts.... that I was satisfying my 'great commission quota' and truly doing God's work spreading His gospel. And I still believe that sort of effort is very vital Kingdom-building work.
As a matter of fact, I believe anyone who ever aspires to have a more well-adjusted Christian world view MUST get out of the Bible Belt and travel to a place where evangelical Christians are in the minority (one church in Atlanta requires that anyone wishing to serve on staff or as an elder or deacon MUST have foreign mission experience).
I am a firm believer in the statement Eddie Cloer coined (or at least made famous in my mind) when speaking to our congregation 20 years ago:
That said, I have to say that the more 'daily' missionary effort we must undertake is not what most people used to think of as missionary efforts... yeah, the great commission certainly speaks to the need for foreign missions, but the work we are all (each) called to is simply living Christ in front of those with whom we daily interact... I know, not very exciting-sounding, is it?
Cotter Schools is quadruply blessed to have Doyne Byrd, Rocky Dodson, Holly Smith and Airl Cheek employed in their school district. Doyne coaches the girls basketball teams; Rocky coaches the boys basketball teams; Holly teaches special needs kiddos, and Airl is the elementary principal.... while I am certain there are others in that district (and our other local schools as well) living Jesus in front of those students, I know first hand what these four roaring lambs do...
None of these four are superstars (sorry Doyne)... each has different ways of communicating to their charges... I know at least two have been on foreign mission trips... but it's the mission work they each do each day which has a lasting kingdom effect on those around them. Are they perfect? they would laugh at that notion. Do they make mistakes? daily. But are they making a positive impact on those precious souls they touch? undoubtedly!
I doubt any of them carry a Bible every where they go (though I bet their sword is not far away at anytime), but each of them lives it out in front of their students... I daresay none lead their students in prayer every morning before school or before practice or before meals, but each of them have prayed silently for God's guidance as they minister to these souls.... and each of them will pray with any of their students who ask... and they do ask...
I am no greek scholar, but I know a couple... and they tell me that, in the original greek, the first few words of the great commission are more accurately translated "as we go" instead of "therefore, go..."
Sheds a little different light on the command, doesn't it? God Bless all the roaring lambs who just live Christ in full view of their co-workers and families and employees and, yes, students....
What a mission!
Having been on the mission field in 6 countries on 4 continents over the last decade and a half, I always figured that these 1-week-to-10-day-stints constituted great mission efforts.... that I was satisfying my 'great commission quota' and truly doing God's work spreading His gospel. And I still believe that sort of effort is very vital Kingdom-building work.
As a matter of fact, I believe anyone who ever aspires to have a more well-adjusted Christian world view MUST get out of the Bible Belt and travel to a place where evangelical Christians are in the minority (one church in Atlanta requires that anyone wishing to serve on staff or as an elder or deacon MUST have foreign mission experience).
I am a firm believer in the statement Eddie Cloer coined (or at least made famous in my mind) when speaking to our congregation 20 years ago:
"Everyone deserves to hear the gospel once
before anyone deserves to hear it twice"
That said, I have to say that the more 'daily' missionary effort we must undertake is not what most people used to think of as missionary efforts... yeah, the great commission certainly speaks to the need for foreign missions, but the work we are all (each) called to is simply living Christ in front of those with whom we daily interact... I know, not very exciting-sounding, is it?
Cotter Schools is quadruply blessed to have Doyne Byrd, Rocky Dodson, Holly Smith and Airl Cheek employed in their school district. Doyne coaches the girls basketball teams; Rocky coaches the boys basketball teams; Holly teaches special needs kiddos, and Airl is the elementary principal.... while I am certain there are others in that district (and our other local schools as well) living Jesus in front of those students, I know first hand what these four roaring lambs do...
None of these four are superstars (sorry Doyne)... each has different ways of communicating to their charges... I know at least two have been on foreign mission trips... but it's the mission work they each do each day which has a lasting kingdom effect on those around them. Are they perfect? they would laugh at that notion. Do they make mistakes? daily. But are they making a positive impact on those precious souls they touch? undoubtedly!
I doubt any of them carry a Bible every where they go (though I bet their sword is not far away at anytime), but each of them lives it out in front of their students... I daresay none lead their students in prayer every morning before school or before practice or before meals, but each of them have prayed silently for God's guidance as they minister to these souls.... and each of them will pray with any of their students who ask... and they do ask...
I am no greek scholar, but I know a couple... and they tell me that, in the original greek, the first few words of the great commission are more accurately translated "as we go" instead of "therefore, go..."
"As we go, let us make disciples of all nations..."
Sheds a little different light on the command, doesn't it? God Bless all the roaring lambs who just live Christ in full view of their co-workers and families and employees and, yes, students....
What a mission!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
"Move That Bus!!!"
Ty Pennington's "Extreme Home Makeover" show has achieved an almost 'household word' sort of fame since it began a few years ago... the show's premise (for the 17 people who have never seen it) is simple:
They find a very needy family and send them off on a couple week vacation while the team renovates (or, more usually, razes and replaces) the family's house into a new dream home. One of the show's trademarks is the 'unveiling' of the new home to the family... they actually park the show's 'tour bus' in front of the house and place the family on the opposite side, obscuring their view of their new home... then, on the count of 3, everyone screams "Move that Bus!!!"
Invariably the family is completely blown away by the new home. They are swept up in the gracious gift these strangers have provided... last week, the single mom whose family was the beneficiary of this kindness actually collapsed when the bus was moved... her knees literally buckled at the sight of her new home...
Extreme Home Makeover truly is a picture of serving 'the least of these'...
As I watched that episode the other night, I thought of a couple things:
First, how cool would it be if, at the moment we accept Christ as Lord, we could see in one glance our spiritual bankruptcy contrasted with how glorious our 'saved selves' appear! As the chorus of "Move that Bus!" echoes and our bus-ful of sins disappears behind the cross, we would see the glory of God and the power of His saving mercy.
How 'knee-bucklingly' grateful we are when we grasp the immensity of the gift.
Second, I wonder if, when we arrive in heaven, God Himself will be giddy with excitement and filled with anticipation as He prepares to show us our new digs... as we take in the incredible sights, is it too corny to imagine that we might say, "God, Move That Bus!"..... then, as we shed this earthly vessel and begin to enjoy the glory of heaven, would we ever, in a million eternities, be able to absorb all that our new home is?
They find a very needy family and send them off on a couple week vacation while the team renovates (or, more usually, razes and replaces) the family's house into a new dream home. One of the show's trademarks is the 'unveiling' of the new home to the family... they actually park the show's 'tour bus' in front of the house and place the family on the opposite side, obscuring their view of their new home... then, on the count of 3, everyone screams "Move that Bus!!!"
Invariably the family is completely blown away by the new home. They are swept up in the gracious gift these strangers have provided... last week, the single mom whose family was the beneficiary of this kindness actually collapsed when the bus was moved... her knees literally buckled at the sight of her new home...
Extreme Home Makeover truly is a picture of serving 'the least of these'...
As I watched that episode the other night, I thought of a couple things:
First, how cool would it be if, at the moment we accept Christ as Lord, we could see in one glance our spiritual bankruptcy contrasted with how glorious our 'saved selves' appear! As the chorus of "Move that Bus!" echoes and our bus-ful of sins disappears behind the cross, we would see the glory of God and the power of His saving mercy.
How 'knee-bucklingly' grateful we are when we grasp the immensity of the gift.
Second, I wonder if, when we arrive in heaven, God Himself will be giddy with excitement and filled with anticipation as He prepares to show us our new digs... as we take in the incredible sights, is it too corny to imagine that we might say, "God, Move That Bus!"..... then, as we shed this earthly vessel and begin to enjoy the glory of heaven, would we ever, in a million eternities, be able to absorb all that our new home is?
What will that 'unveiling' moment be like? Will we collapse with the overwhelming sense that we have received a gift which we could not possibly deserve or afford?
Bart Millard (Mercy Me) imagined what it might be like, and shared it with the world in his powerful anthem-ballad "I Can Only Imagine":
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
When He welcomes us to eternal kinship and friendship and fellowship with Him, what will that be like? I can only imagine...
Forgive me if, somewhere in my imagination, I see a big bus and a giddy gift giver...
Blessings!
warning: closed for snow
So I was in southern California last January on business, driving in 6-lane-one-way-traffic between LA and Bakersfield on 'the 5' (I'm still trying to figure out why people from the west coast insist on putting the word 'the' in front of their highway names - the 5, the 405, the 101, the 280, etc), when I noticed a flashing sign on the roadside warning of a road closure ahead...
I didn't pay much attention to it and kept on trucking up the interstate as the sun disappeared into the ocean behind me... all the while, I continued to notice the occasional 18 wheeler parked on the side of 'the 5' (ok, I'm warming to the habit now).
Then another sign telling about a road closure ahead... wait, did that say 'because of snow'??? This is Southern California! Surely I am seeing things... it's 60 degrees! So, I continued headlong toward the 6,000 foot-high Grapevine Pass (well, yeah, in hindsight I probably should have put 2 and 2 together... but you have the benefit of hearing the story told after the fact!)...
The further along I traveled, the more big rigs I noticed parked along the side of the highway... then I noticed that the 6-lane-one-way-traffic had trickled down to one car - me!
Finally (as I passed literally hundreds of 18-wheelers parked along the roadside) I came upon an exit which I was forced to take because police officers had blocked off the interstate... So I pulled off and asked one of them what was the deal... he explained there was a snow storm which dumped two feet of snow on the Grapevine 20 miles ahead, and they had closed 'the 5'.
I stopped at a hotel by the exit and planned to make the rest of my trek the next day... turns out the road was closed when I got up at 5 the next morning, so I had to take quite a detour to get to my appointment in Bakersfield...
I wonder how many times I ignore warning signs? Everyone else can clearly see the danger, but I continue along my 'planned route' headlong into a situation I should avoid... Aren't we like that sometimes? People we should trust and rely upon are trying to tell us about the 'snow', and we rationalize our stubbornness til, hopefully, someone in a position of authority forces us to change our plan...
Many times I have ignored warnings, and God has not stopped me from experiencing the consequences.... so I rush headlong into one of life's 'snowdrifts'. However I am confident that, many times, God has redirected my path so I more closely follow His will and miss the drift...
May God's Spirit continue to guide us daily... and may we all pay attention to the road signs!
Blessings!
I didn't pay much attention to it and kept on trucking up the interstate as the sun disappeared into the ocean behind me... all the while, I continued to notice the occasional 18 wheeler parked on the side of 'the 5' (ok, I'm warming to the habit now).
Then another sign telling about a road closure ahead... wait, did that say 'because of snow'??? This is Southern California! Surely I am seeing things... it's 60 degrees! So, I continued headlong toward the 6,000 foot-high Grapevine Pass (well, yeah, in hindsight I probably should have put 2 and 2 together... but you have the benefit of hearing the story told after the fact!)...
The further along I traveled, the more big rigs I noticed parked along the side of the highway... then I noticed that the 6-lane-one-way-traffic had trickled down to one car - me!
Finally (as I passed literally hundreds of 18-wheelers parked along the roadside) I came upon an exit which I was forced to take because police officers had blocked off the interstate... So I pulled off and asked one of them what was the deal... he explained there was a snow storm which dumped two feet of snow on the Grapevine 20 miles ahead, and they had closed 'the 5'.
I stopped at a hotel by the exit and planned to make the rest of my trek the next day... turns out the road was closed when I got up at 5 the next morning, so I had to take quite a detour to get to my appointment in Bakersfield...
I wonder how many times I ignore warning signs? Everyone else can clearly see the danger, but I continue along my 'planned route' headlong into a situation I should avoid... Aren't we like that sometimes? People we should trust and rely upon are trying to tell us about the 'snow', and we rationalize our stubbornness til, hopefully, someone in a position of authority forces us to change our plan...
Many times I have ignored warnings, and God has not stopped me from experiencing the consequences.... so I rush headlong into one of life's 'snowdrifts'. However I am confident that, many times, God has redirected my path so I more closely follow His will and miss the drift...
May God's Spirit continue to guide us daily... and may we all pay attention to the road signs!
Blessings!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
The sect of Pharisees
I am reading a very intriguing book called 'beware the leaven of the Pharisees' by David Chatwell... My friend Dallas gave it to me, and I am fascinated by the historical perspective which Chatwell brings to the subject matter...
I believe it is incredibly well-researched and well written, and it chronicles the story and 'evolution' of the Jewish sect known as the Pharisees.
One particularly interesting passage from Chatwell's book lists several attitudes/activities which caused Jesus to speak harshly to and about their hypocrisy:
I believe it is incredibly well-researched and well written, and it chronicles the story and 'evolution' of the Jewish sect known as the Pharisees.
One particularly interesting passage from Chatwell's book lists several attitudes/activities which caused Jesus to speak harshly to and about their hypocrisy:
- They bound burdens on others which they themselves refused to accept
- Their controlling motivation was a hunger for praise and honor
- They deliberately prohibited people from entering the Kingdom
- They made artificial, meaningless religious distinctions
- Their concern for minutia obscured matters of grave importance
- They were concerned about the appearance of purity, not about being pure
As I read these descriptions of the Pharisees (which are, incidentally, supported by scripture), I get a chill... because so much of my religious upbringing was shaped by men whose attitudes were similar if not identical to the ones attributed to this sect. My own attitudes and actions have, in the past, been very Pharisaical!
you know, when they came into existence as a group, the Pharisees did not set out to be hypocritical or pious or self-righteous... according to extrabiblical history, they began with pure motives... they sought to return God and His word to prominence in the Hebrew culture and society. They were the restorationists of their day!
But, much as we sometimes forget purpose in favor of man-made structure, they (as a group) forgot WHY they were restoring... they forgot WHAT they were restoring...
and for their trouble, they were roundly blasted by the Son of God. He did not give them credit for the effort; He didn't say 'well, their intentions were good'... He called them hypocrites, blind guides, sons of hell, self-indulgent, blind fools, greedy, snakes, vipers, and my favorite: whitewashed tombs!
This is indeed a cautionary tale! Whatever these people were, we should try our best NOT to be.
May we aspire to live so that the opposite would be said of us:
- They bound nothing on others which was not bound by God
- Their controlling motivation was a hunger to know the risen Christ
- They deliberately, purposefully invited people into the Kingdom
- They dropped artificial, meaningless religious distinctions; instead they lifted up Christ
- They gave weight to weighty matters and left room for disagreement on unimportant matters
- They were concerned about keeping themselves pure and helping others be pure by showing them a pure life
God bless! (from one recovering Pharisee to another...)
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Carried to the Table
One of my very favorite stories in the Bible is that of Mephibosheth. It is a beautiful picture of reconciliation and mercy, as David literally seeks out the offspring of his deadly (and dead) rival, the late King Saul. When David finds the lone surviving heir to Saul, he does an incredible thing: he saves him!
Though David would likely have been expected to kill off any remnant of his mortal enemy (and possibly be justified in doing so), instead he found the grandson of Saul - the son of his best friend Jonathon - and had him carried to his table. The reason Mephibosheth was carried to the table was because he was crippled in both feet...
Think about that for a minute. This crippled, broken, poor man was shown unfathomable mercy by the very one who had the power to extinguish his life. Sound Familiar?
While we serve a star-breathing God who could speak our little speck of stardust called earth out of existence just as easily as He spoke it into existence, He chose instead to sacrifice His only son to reconcile us to Him... he saved us.
Wow... wow.
Leeland wrote a song which we heard them sing a few weeks ago as they 'opened' for Casting Crowns... it is entitled "carried to the table". The chorus goes like this:
It is the story of Mephibosheth... but the reason it brings tears to my eyes is that I recognize it as the story of Tim.
It's the story of you...
Blessings...
Though David would likely have been expected to kill off any remnant of his mortal enemy (and possibly be justified in doing so), instead he found the grandson of Saul - the son of his best friend Jonathon - and had him carried to his table. The reason Mephibosheth was carried to the table was because he was crippled in both feet...
Think about that for a minute. This crippled, broken, poor man was shown unfathomable mercy by the very one who had the power to extinguish his life. Sound Familiar?
While we serve a star-breathing God who could speak our little speck of stardust called earth out of existence just as easily as He spoke it into existence, He chose instead to sacrifice His only son to reconcile us to Him... he saved us.
Wow... wow.
Leeland wrote a song which we heard them sing a few weeks ago as they 'opened' for Casting Crowns... it is entitled "carried to the table". The chorus goes like this:
I was carried to the table - Seated where I don’t belong
Carried to the table - Swept away by His love
And I don’t see my brokenness anymore
When I’m seated at the table of the Lord
I’m carried to the table - The table of the Lord
It is the story of Mephibosheth... but the reason it brings tears to my eyes is that I recognize it as the story of Tim.
It's the story of you...
Blessings...
Monday, November 5, 2007
York and back in 38 hours
OK, I know I have said this a lot lately... but I am too old for this!
Saturday morning at 4 am, Kelly and I headed 9 hours north to York, Nebraska to watch our oldest daughter play basketball... It was her first home game as a college player (they played at Blair, Nebraska a few days ago and she tallied a double double during her first official college game - woo hoo!), and we had committed to being on hand...
She played pretty well, though not as well as she did last Tuesday... but we were really glad to see her play! Very exciting stuff!
We had time for dinner, then retired to the hotel for some much-needed rest. We worshipped with Cait at East Hill Sunday morning before grabbing a bite and heading back home... one saving grace was the time change...
Now that is a whirlwind trip!
Blessings!
Saturday morning at 4 am, Kelly and I headed 9 hours north to York, Nebraska to watch our oldest daughter play basketball... It was her first home game as a college player (they played at Blair, Nebraska a few days ago and she tallied a double double during her first official college game - woo hoo!), and we had committed to being on hand...
She played pretty well, though not as well as she did last Tuesday... but we were really glad to see her play! Very exciting stuff!
We had time for dinner, then retired to the hotel for some much-needed rest. We worshipped with Cait at East Hill Sunday morning before grabbing a bite and heading back home... one saving grace was the time change...
Now that is a whirlwind trip!
Blessings!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Diverse City
OK, if you know me at all, you know I love music... all kinds... I love a great jazz piece, I am very moved by most classical music (one of my most treasured 'musical' memories was when Kelly and I sat in a hall in Vienna, Austria and listened to the Vienna Boys Choir - I still get chills when I think about it...), popular music, country music, metal (some of it), classic rock... I like it all!
I have recently been exposed to the music of Toby Mac... the song I have fallen in love with has, like, a "70's funk meets rap" sort of groove... (I know... but I really like it!)
the song is Diverse City, a song which talks about the differences between brothers and sisters in Christ... and how they all can praise and worship God together, as the body of Christ... here's the chorus:
The deeper meaning, of course, is that God does not see us the way we see each other... "God does not judge by external appearance" is how Paul said it in his letter to the Galatian churches...
My favorite line in the song describes, I believe, God's plan for us:
"...put your hand in the hand of mine,
we'll spread this love like dandelions"
As I think of our Riverside experiment, it occurs to me that one of the most challenging things God will do with us is to erase our idea of what a 'christian' looks like... and one reason I really love this song is it stretches me... and, hopefully, makes me desire to see people as God sees them.
When He changes my vision to see people the way He does, then I will begin to share His Son like I should...
God Bless!
I have recently been exposed to the music of Toby Mac... the song I have fallen in love with has, like, a "70's funk meets rap" sort of groove... (I know... but I really like it!)
the song is Diverse City, a song which talks about the differences between brothers and sisters in Christ... and how they all can praise and worship God together, as the body of Christ... here's the chorus:
They call us Diverse City
we're colored for good
It's like a freak show in your neighborhood
So, if you wanna praise you can come on down
'cause this freak show is leaving the ground
The deeper meaning, of course, is that God does not see us the way we see each other... "God does not judge by external appearance" is how Paul said it in his letter to the Galatian churches...
My favorite line in the song describes, I believe, God's plan for us:
"...put your hand in the hand of mine,
we'll spread this love like dandelions"
As I think of our Riverside experiment, it occurs to me that one of the most challenging things God will do with us is to erase our idea of what a 'christian' looks like... and one reason I really love this song is it stretches me... and, hopefully, makes me desire to see people as God sees them.
When He changes my vision to see people the way He does, then I will begin to share His Son like I should...
God Bless!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
the impact of words
Words mean things... and they should be used with care. They should be used on purpose, and we should always try to think about what we say before we say it.
Those of you who know me are laughing your heads off right now thinking, "That's rich coming from him!!!"
and you're right. it is. I am the world's worst at thinking through something before it tumbles out of my mouth... Though I am better than I used to be, I still say things from time to time which were not very well-considered...
At my house, we refer to something called a blither filter. It is that mechanism through which our thoughts are supposedly strained before they hit our vocal cords and become words. We all know people who possess no such filter, or whose filter is broken... which makes them prone to blither on and on... and, finally, to be labeled 'a blithering idiot'.
Nobody really enjoys being around a blithering idiot. Conversations with them are usually very self-absorbed, and very much one-sided. And, on occasion, this b.i. (blithering idiot sounds so harsh!) will say something hurtful.
The point (and I do have one, I promise) is this: words mean things. A harsh word can ruin a person's whole day or week. And a kind word of encouragement can completely turn a person's day around!
So don't blither. And don't say the first thing that pops into your head (yes, I'm trying to listen to my own advice here).
Speak intentionally... Say things on purpose. And say things to people which will make their day!
God Bless!
Those of you who know me are laughing your heads off right now thinking, "That's rich coming from him!!!"
and you're right. it is. I am the world's worst at thinking through something before it tumbles out of my mouth... Though I am better than I used to be, I still say things from time to time which were not very well-considered...
At my house, we refer to something called a blither filter. It is that mechanism through which our thoughts are supposedly strained before they hit our vocal cords and become words. We all know people who possess no such filter, or whose filter is broken... which makes them prone to blither on and on... and, finally, to be labeled 'a blithering idiot'.
Nobody really enjoys being around a blithering idiot. Conversations with them are usually very self-absorbed, and very much one-sided. And, on occasion, this b.i. (blithering idiot sounds so harsh!) will say something hurtful.
The point (and I do have one, I promise) is this: words mean things. A harsh word can ruin a person's whole day or week. And a kind word of encouragement can completely turn a person's day around!
So don't blither. And don't say the first thing that pops into your head (yes, I'm trying to listen to my own advice here).
Speak intentionally... Say things on purpose. And say things to people which will make their day!
God Bless!
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