Garage Sales

So we are having our annual spring garage sale today. It has become a tradition to climb up in the attic and go through our closets to see what we have collected; to decide if someone else will actually pay me a dollar or a quarter for stuff I don't use or wear anymore.

It's sort of a cathartic exercise for us... and it usually takes us for a couple strolls down a memory lane or two! 'do you remember when Caitlin wore this?' or 'Can you believe Cara used to wear this to school?' or 'How did I ever fit into that?!?!??'

Anyhow, it reminded me that most of us need to 'clean out' our 'junk' once in a while...

yep, here comes the analogy...

What if we made a habit of going through all the emotional stuff in our own personal attics on a regular basis? How healthy would it be to clean all that out from time to time?

Old grudges - gone! Worn-out traditions - see ya! Bad feelings about your brother - out! Unhealthy habits - trashed!

We are packrats, though, aren't we? We typically fight change... we resist 'different'... we become enamored of our old, comfortable 'junk'... we even make excuses to keep our oldie goldie 'stuff', whether it is reasonable or healthy to hang on to it.

'I might need this again' we reason... 'what if I have to have this again?' we say...

Well, I'm convinced we are simply sojourners through this world... so, to plagiarize the title of Lucado's book, we had better learn to 'travel light'!

Let us endeavor not to hold on to stuff (whether it's an old sweater or an old hateful feeling). Let's clean it out!

God Bless you!

Newsboys concert - WOW!

OK, you don't have to like their music (I am a new fan!) ... but you gotta love their ministry! The Newsboys have been touring for almost 23 years spreading His Gospel in song throughout the world....

While I admit that I am probably 15 years past truly appreciating the VOLUME with which they delivered their message (we were 8th row right in front of the stage, right beside the runway Peter uses during the show), I gotta say their show was SUPERB!

The three opening acts (NEWORLDSON, Article One and Rush of Fools) were spectacular, then the Newsboys ROCKED THE HOUSE for about 90 minutes!!! It was awesome!

And now I have about 3 new favorite songs! But by far my mostest favoritest of them all is "Your Love is Better Than Life"... I was the only one in the van on the ride home who was playing that song at top volume, so I had the headphones on... here are some of the lyrics:

I dunno nothing that I haven't been taught,

I dunno why I was born into the family I’ve got,

I dunno if I ever had an original thought,

maybe not, maybe so, maybe later, I dunno

I dunno how I can end a prayer, then turn on a friend,

I dunno what I was thinking when I just pressed send,

I dunno why I still criticize the things I dunno

I dunno, I dunno, I dunno, but this one thing I know

YOUR LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE

(Without your love, I’m just a broken machine)

YOUR LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE

(Without your love, it’s all a mindless routine)

YOUR LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE

(Without your love, I’m in another free fall)

YOUR LOVE IS BETTER THAN LIFE

(Without your love, I’ve got nothing at all)

a really energetic song... I am addicted to it!


God Bless!

you gotta check out Joy and Lynn's blog!

OK - just a quick note: go check out Lynn and Joy's blog... it's a terrific journal of their Eurrail trip through Europe! How exciting!

http://www.riversideinpanama.blogspot.com/

The Oprafication of America - Oprahligion

OK, so I have never been the biggest Oprah fan... though most of my family has watched her show pretty religiously since she came on the talk show scene in the 80s...

I always believed she was just another purveyor of the tripe that passes for daytime TV... when she first started, she would have the same sort of guests as all the other hosts: the transvestite freak show mud wrestler who explained how he/she turned out the way he/she did because his/her momma spanked him/her...

But I have to admit... her show has changed a great deal since the early days... and she seems to have graduated to telling more 'real' and compelling stories as her popularity has grown. And I gotta admit, this very very wealthy woman is incredibly philanthropic.... she gives away more stuff and money in a week than most people can imagine earning in a lifetime! She has improved the lives of literally hundreds (if not thousands) of families across the world...

However... there is still a sort of frightening side to this wealthiest of wealthy women... she is incredibly powerful! And any whim or idea she cares to pose will be 'swallowed whole' by the vast majority of her vast audience....

At present, she is on a quest to spread her own 'oprahligion'.... she is hosting weekly webcasts touting the principles espoused by her latest 'book club' selection... Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth" is the follow up to his "the power of now", and "challenges us to dare to live in the present moment and thereby to transform our consciousness and live in the 'joy of Being.'" (Incidentally, this book has sold 3.5 million copies since Oprah announced it as one of her 'book club selections... 7 weeks ago!!!)

I am not finished with the book, so I will reserve my summary and review (as if anyone cares) until I am finished...

At first blush, however, it seems to involve a lot of 'new age' thinking... Tolle quotes the Bible (and other 'religious' texts) to make the point that people should let go of their ego and 'live at peace and harmony' with one another... all good things, to be sure...

It would seem, however, that the book is conveying that there are many 'paths' to this 'salvation'... I don't read any mention of Jesus as Savior or Lord or that He died for us to make this 'peace' possible... Jesus is treated as just another good prophet or preacher... and that's troublesome.

A couple scriptures come to mind:

"Salvation is found in no one else,

for there is no other name under heaven

given to men by which we must be saved"

- Luke, speaking about Jesus

and

I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me"

-Jesus, speaking about himself

All I'm saying is this: all the ideas in this book (and Oprah's resultant prattling on about them) seem to be very very good... and many of them come directly from the Bible (even crediting the Bible as the source)...

That (coupled with Oprah's incredible sway with the American public) makes this, on balance, a very positive effort, I think...

It's just that millions of people who will participate in this movement REALLY REALLY need to know that all this BEGINS with a relationship with the One who originally taught this, then died on the cross for them...

More later as I progress through the book...

God Bless!

In Wonder

Well, the Martin clan is heading to the Rock today to see Newsboys in concert! Dev tells me it is an incredible worship/ministry/concert experience, and I can't wait! I have a bunch of their material, and I've been listening to it all the time getting ready...

I can't wait to hear them sing 'In Wonder'... it may be my favorite song by the 'boys...

So much wonder - Carved in your coral seas

So much wonder - Shaded by ancient trees

I consider all that your hands have made

Every newborn’s eyes, every new sunrise

No power can tame your presence

No light can match your radiance

LET ALL CREATION SING IN WONDER

EVERY SEA, EVERY CREATURE, EVERY STAR

YOU OPENED UP MY EYES TO WONDER

WHAT A VISION, WHAT A WONDER YOU ARE!

I'll let you know how it went!

God Bless!

Non-Negotiables

OK, I've given it some thought (my main thought is that this MUST stand up to scriptural scrutiny)... it is still a work in progress, not because I am wavering or uncertain, only because I have never written it down... but here goes:

Here are my non-negotiable 'I Believe' statements:

1. I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God - period.
2. I believe the Bible is the true, complete and literal story of God creating everything (including mankind), and that its overarching theme - from Genesis to Revelation - is that of fallen man being reconciled to the God who created him.
3. I believe God sent His only Son Jesus (via a miraculous virgin birth) as the centerpiece of this story - to live among mankind and die on a cross to save him from his sins
4. I believe that, during His ministry, Christ set the 'template' for His followers. He helped people when He found them in need, miraculously healed people who were sick, and gave His followers the spiritual tools to tell His story to every person in the world after His death.
5. I believe Jesus was brutally tortured and executed by crucifixion, then was raised from the grave on the third day after He was killed.
6. I believe He left the Holy Spirit as comforter and helper for His followers.
7. I believe Jesus ascended into Heaven, where He sits on God's right hand beside the throne.
8. I believe that, during His absence, He wants us to try to imitate Him and tell His story to everybody.
9. I believe Jesus will return one day to gather His people and deliver them to heaven to live with Him forever.
   

OK, that's a start... I think I can say this: if you believe these things, I am your brother. If you don't, I still love you... I want to study with you.... but my goal will be to convince you of these truths...

Will we agree on everything else? Not likely... but these are 'hills to die on' for me... please feel free to comment back and challenge or add or subtract.... it may make for really good discussion!

May God Bless us as we always try to follow Him.

Velvet Elvis - just my 2c

So, I finished Rob Bell's book entitled 'Velvet Elvis'... and I thought I'd share my 2 c:

After I finished 'Velvet', I admit I had this uneasy feeling... kinda like I'd just seen an unpleasant, private exchange between two people that I wasn't supposed to see... I don't know really how to explain it... OK, in terms I can relate with even better: kinda like watching a stranger pick his nose when he thought nobody was looking.... you sort of wish you hadn't seen it, but you couldn't look away...

I found the book to be challenging and a little irreverent (OK, a LOT irreverent)... but that didn't bother me much. The thing I have to fight against is taking this (or any book) as gospel... I would like to believe that Bell himself would expect all of us to examine any literary work under the microscope of scripture... but maybe not...

I guess THAT'S what gives me this nagging, uncomfortable feeling in my gut about this book... I get the distinct impression that Bell exhorts the reader to challenge EVERYTHING, including the veracity and integrity of scripture! As a matter of fact, now that I think about it, I feel certain that could be the book's subtitle - "Challenge Everything" - and I know that sounds cool and new age and all... but I just don't feel right about it. In fact, I feel kinda dirty...

Because Bell (in his 'challenge everything' zeal) seems to exhort the reader to challenge the inerrancy of scripture itself. i.e.: Were the stories in the Bible literal or just fairy tales for our entertainment or fables recorded to cause the reader to believe? Were the letters written by Paul and Peter and James, et al, ancillary and extra, or absolutely integral to the 'story'?

So while I really appreciate his mind-stretching exercises (believe me, I need that), I must draw the line... because God draws it:

"All Scripture is God-breathed

and is useful for teaching, rebuking,

correcting and training in righteousness,

so that the man of God may be

thoroughly equipped for every good work"

Simply stated, there are absolutes.

I am convicted that God's Holy Spirit inspired each word of the Bible, period! I know there are countless volumes (contemporary to the books and letters that make up our Bible) which were not included. I believe - with all my heart - that God's Hand caused that to happen.

I believe Paul's letter to the Philippians, for example, has more import than those written by Josephus.

I understand that the Maccabees may provide accurate historical data about 'Bible times'... but I believe (this is definitely a 'hill to die on' for me) that God and His Spirit excluded this (and many other volumes) and included only Genesis to Revelation for Their own reasons.

...so for me, to question that is tantamount to blasphemy.

Yes, I agree we have misused and abused scripture. I have been a part of that in my past.... I fully understand that there are those who twist scripture to 'proof out' their own tradition; I could list at least a dozen examples - from my own fellowship - where someone pulled a verse completely out of context to win a theological argument or set or support 'church policy'.... and while some do so out of ignorance, others do so with full awareness... and that is especially egregious, in my opinion.

I am all about reading and viewing and listening to ideas which help me stretch. The only caveat is this: I resolve to always view it through the lens of inspired scripture.... and to the degree that anyone blurs that line or suggests that scripture itself should be challenged... I'm out.

Because that is a bedrock belief! ....and, if scripture is questionable, my mooring is faulty.... my foundation is shaky... and I have no anchor...

As I write this, it reminds me of a friend who once wrote down his my own list of 'non-negotiables'... so maybe I'll give it a try.... perhaps that's another post...

for now, may God Bless us as we "lean not on our own understanding", but "trust in Him", so that He will "make our paths straight."

...wait for it...

I love to laugh.

as years go by, there are phrases which bring back a memory or just a funny scene from a movie, and it makes me laugh... sometimes really hard.

"what in the wide, wide world of sports is a goin' on here?"

"those aren't pillows!!!"

"that's what she said"

...OK, you get the drift... anyhow, I have a new favorite (well, it's relatively new...):

"...wait for it..."

I don't even know where that one came from... but my youngest says it quite a bit in an effort to get her older sisters to laugh... usually with great success.

I was listening to XM radio a couple weeks ago (is that not one of the coolest inventions in the last decade??!!!!?!), and heard a new song from Mandisa (American Idol contestant a few years ago...), and immediately fell in love with it...

In this world of competing voices and loudness and crowding out and our inability to 'be still and know', I find the words to this song incredibly powerful. And when this girl sings this song, it is a clarion call to all believers. It reminds us to pay attention, to be still, to listen... and....

to 'wait for it'.

Have you ever heard a love song

That set your spirit free

Have you ever watched a sunrise

And felt you could not breathe

What if it's Him

What if it's God speaking

Who knows how He'll get a hold of us

Get our attention to prove He is enough

He'll do and He'll use whatever He wants to

To tell us I love you

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/mandisa/god_speaking.html

click on the link above and listen to this incredible song and watch this moving video.... I insist.

May God Bless us as we listen for Him.

continuing in the right direction

the older I get, the more I realize a timeless truth: there is no such thing as 'staying the same'.

Nothing stays the same. Life is change... so, we are either moving forward or moving back. The real hope, then, is that we are heading in the right direction...

So, what do we do to ensure we are moving forward? What is your barometer?

I would suggest that we fight the urge to 'arrive'... that we resist the temptation to 'settle' or 'settle in'... mainly because there is no such thing! We tend to go backward when we stop moving forward.

For many of us (in our personal, professional or 'church' lives), routine is a welcome friend... a comfortable place where we can set up residence and just....

be.

But that is not how it works. The Bible is rife with warnings against complacency. Nature is full of daily examples of this truth - THINGS NEVER STAY THE SAME! Instead, when we stop progressing and settle in to our happy routine, we almost always become complacent and go backwards. We digress. We get lazy. Then we set up our own 'rules' and 'dig in' to protect our comfortable routine...

I know this from experience. I am there right now. I am stagnant and I feel like I am not moving forward... and that is a miserable feeling.... I know I (we) need to keep moving....



Don't misunderstand... and don't feel sorry for me... I am not despondent, and I am not miserable. But I am growing increasingly... I don't know.... agitated. The Spirit is moving in me, and I seem to be trying to resist, and I am not at peace... (have you ever felt like that? Is it possible that's the Spirit making you 'not at peace'?)

As a faith community, I am challenging us (me) at Riverside to continue to move forward... in our service, in our faith journey, in our outflow, in our worship experience, in our teaching, in our spiritual and numerical growth.... in every way.

I have said it before, and I will say it as long as God gives me breath:

(As a church AND individually)

It is not a grand enough vision

for us to know what we DON'T want to be...

We MUST (with the Spirit's guidance) develop

HIS vision for who and what we are!

May we allow the Spirit to continue moving us forward, without fear and without fight and without drawing our own 'comfortable routine' lines in the sand...

and may Almighty God defeat us if we 'dig in our heels' and resist the Spirit's leading.

quiet worker

Those of you who know me realize I am usually not a quiet person.

Last night about 300 people gathered to celebrate the spirit of community which has been on display since the February 5 tornado devastated the town of Gassville... The Cotter High School Band performed, then Roger Smith shared a couple very moving stories of loss and help and triumph... then a terrific video (produced by Robert Hoffmann) was shown while we passed the baskets for a love offering... First Day sang about a dozen songs as people truly celebrated the 'overcomer' spirit which is very much alive and well in our little community.

Because of the incredible generosity of the people here, $3,457 was raised... every penny of which will go directly to those who were affected by the storm. It was a loud, happy event... my favorite kind! It was a wonderful night!

But there is a person whom I must mention. She is not a performer. She is not loud. You may not notice her if you pass her in the grocery store, and you may not remember her if you visit Riverside for worship, though she's always there... because she is quiet.

Quiet is something, regrettably, I know very little about. But this most Christ-like person does... because day after day, week after week, and year after year, Bertha Benton does something many of us can't grasp: she quietly goes about doing good.

I know she does not want any attention, and I realize she would be mortified if she knew I had written this about her.... she doesn't want any acclaim or credit. That's her beauty. She truly just desires to do good. For my part, I like to do good, but (let's be honest) I kinda like it when people notice... don't you?

Well, for the last several weeks since the tornado, there have been literally hundreds of folks who have worked incredibly hard doing good to their neighbors... but Bertha stands out to me. She has been at the Riverside building every day, quietly preparing food and coffee, cooking and cleaning and serving and... just doing good. She always wears a genuine smile, and has a kind, quiet word of encouragement for every person she sees.

and that makes me smile. I am in awe of this woman... truly.

Blessings