Per Doug's e-mail:...I am planning to build a little on what we discussed last week (Fellowship, Koinonia, Covered Dishes, front porches, etc.) and talk a little about Bearing One Another's Burdens. Just so you can give it some thought ahead of time, we'll start in Galatians 6.
Why are we told to do it?
What does that mean?
What does it look like?
How do we do it?
What's up with verse 5?
Not sure exactly where this will end up but with our group it's bound to be somewhere interesting and unexpected. And just so you know, I don't have the answers either.
Galatians 6
Bear and Share the Burdens
1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load.
Be Generous and Do Good
6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Glory Only in the Cross
11 See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand! 12 As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. 13 For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.
Blessing and a Plea
16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. 17 From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. 18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
June 25th, Hope for Each Day
The June 25th entry from Billy Graham’s Hope for Each Day devotional:
Then the king…rejected the advice of the elders.
2 Chronicles 10:13
Tragically, many people are the victims of their own bad decisions. Faced with choices everyday, they turn their backs on what is right or what is best and decide instead on what is wrong or what will bring them harm. Only afterward do they realize that bad decisions always result in bad consequences.
King Rehoboam stubbornly rejected the wise advice of his nation’s elders and instead followed those who told him only what he wanted to hear. As a result, conflict broke out and the nation divided. The Bible warns, “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Gal. 6:7)
Life is filled with decisions – some minor, but some life changing. How will you make them? The most important thing I can tell you is this: Seek God’s will in every decision. Pray. Turn to the Scriptures. Seek the advice of godly friends. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. God loves you, and His way is always best.
Then the king…rejected the advice of the elders.
2 Chronicles 10:13
Tragically, many people are the victims of their own bad decisions. Faced with choices everyday, they turn their backs on what is right or what is best and decide instead on what is wrong or what will bring them harm. Only afterward do they realize that bad decisions always result in bad consequences.
King Rehoboam stubbornly rejected the wise advice of his nation’s elders and instead followed those who told him only what he wanted to hear. As a result, conflict broke out and the nation divided. The Bible warns, “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Gal. 6:7)
Life is filled with decisions – some minor, but some life changing. How will you make them? The most important thing I can tell you is this: Seek God’s will in every decision. Pray. Turn to the Scriptures. Seek the advice of godly friends. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. God loves you, and His way is always best.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Prayer Requests from the Pastor Search Committee
Pray that the pastor search period will be a time that our church will learn to seek God Himself more than just a new pastor.
Pray for a powerful move of congregational cleansing and renewal.
Pray for strong consistency and focus in the present ministry of the church.
Pray for a miraculous sense of love and unity among all members of the church.
Pray that we will patiently await God’s timing and settle for nothing less than His perfect will. Ask God for His mercy in giving us a true man of God and a great leader.
Pray that we will be prepared to make the necessary changes to embrace a new day of ministry.
Pray for great unity in calling the new pastor.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Annual Summer Reading List
This could be a fun challenge: Annual Summer Reading List
Dr. James Emery White Professor of Theology and Culture Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Senior Pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, North Carolina
Each year around this time, through the Update, I offer ten titles - in no particular order – from the previous twelve months for your summer reading consideration, usually with an emphasis on cultural understanding. Enjoy.
The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier by Tony Jones. The “emergent church movement”: whether you love it or hate it, feel attraction or fear, consider yourself “in the know” or feel bewildered – or all of the above – this may be the definitive work to date on all things “emergent” by one of its leading voices. Jones, the national coordinator of Emergent Village and a doctoral fellow in practical theology at Princeton Theological Seminary, offers an in-depth view of this new “third way” of faith that attempts to stand between religious conservatism and religious liberalism.
The Great Upheaval: America and the Birth of the Modern World, 1788-1800 by Jay Winik. As you can tell from this year’s list, I was taken by the number of excellent histories that give insight into our present day through the lens of the past. The author of April 1865, Winik’s accomplishment is his global analysis, linking a new United States, the imperial power of Russia, Islamic peoples preparing for war, and the French revolution. As Winik argues, their seemingly individual fates were actually a singular and deeply interconnected moment in time that changed the world and continues to shape the one in which we live.
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin. Few would argue that the judicial system is one of the great epicenters of American culture. Within the judicial system, the Supreme Court is the most important legal body in our country. The Nine, referring to the Court’s nine members, explores an institution in transition as it adjusts to its new conservative majority and what it might hold for such issues as abortion, civil rights, presidential power, and church-state relations.
The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. In what the New York Times called a “morbidly fascinating non-fiction eco-thriller,” Weisman explores humanity’s impact on the planet by asking us to envision our earth without us. As the flyleaf to the book details, “Weisman explains how our massive infrastructure would collapse and finally vanish without human presence…how, just days after humans disappear, floods in New York’s subways would start eroding the city’s foundations, and how, as the world’s cities crumble, asphalt jungles would give way to real ones. It describes the distinct ways that organic and chemically treated farms would revert to wild, how billions more birds would flourish, and how cockroaches in unheated cities would perish without us.” Beyond the sheer fascination Weisman’s exploration brings, the work raises profound issues related to humanity’s relationship with creation.
A Secular Age by Charles Taylor. Emerging from the Gifford Lectures at Edinburgh, Taylor delivers an 874-page magnum opus on secularism and its meaning from a historical perspective. Central to his thesis is that secularism is not a single, continuous transformation but rather a series of departures. Further, that secularism is not marked by an absence of religion as much as the multiplication of options available which may be seized in order to make sense of our lives and give shape to our spiritual inclinations.
Unchristian by Steve Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. The findings of a study which revealed that those outside of the Christian faith think Christians no longer represent what Jesus had in mind. We’re seen as hyper-political, out of touch, pushy in our beliefs, and arrogant – and most of all, homophobic, hypocritical, and judgmental. (Disclosure: I was one of several “essay” contributors to the book, along with Chuck Colson, Andy Crouch, Louie Giglio, Dan Kimball, Brian McLaren, Chris Seay, Andy Stanley, John Stott, Jim Wallis, and Rick Warren).
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. In this remarkable and highly readable new translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, who brought equal skill to their translations of Anna Karenina and The Brothers Karamazov, one of the great works of world literature is brought to life for our day. Easily destined to become the definitive English edition.
The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century by Alex Ross. The music critic for The New Yorker explores modern music in all its forms, from Stravinsky to the Velvet Underground, and how it illumines the world in which we live. Beginning in Vienna before the First World War, Ross’ sweeping narrative carries us to Paris in the twenties, on to Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Russia, through to downtown New York in the sixties and seventies. As the flyleaf promises, “the end result is not so much a history of twentieth-century music as a history of the twentieth century through music.”
American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic by Joseph Ellis. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Founding Brothers and His Excellency examines the founding years of our country. Noting that both success and tragedy during the last quarter of the eighteenth century shaped our burgeoning nation, Ellis “guides us through the decisive issues of the nation’s founding, and illuminates the emerging philosophies, shifting alliances, and personal and political foibles of our now iconic leaders.” Much that shaped those early years continues to shape us – this book helps us understand how, and why.
Modernism by Peter Gay. The single best book for understanding the Enlightenment was penned by Peter Gay. It can now be said that he has written the single best book for understanding modernism. Originating in the middle of the nineteenth century, through such founding figures as Flaubert and Baudelaire, the history of modernism continued through such figures as Oscar Wilde, Pablo Picasso, James Joyce, Marcel Proust, Virginia Woolf, Igor Stavinsky, T.S. Eliot, Frank Lloyd Wright, Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles – down to our day, with the novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Through its “ability to integrate the history of art and literature with the Western society it changed forever, Modernism informs our present like no other recent work of cultural history.”
James Emery White 2007 List To view last year’s list, visit:http://www.serioustimes.com/Blog.asp?ID=37
Dr. James Emery White Professor of Theology and Culture Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Senior Pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, North Carolina
Each year around this time, through the Update, I offer ten titles - in no particular order – from the previous twelve months for your summer reading consideration, usually with an emphasis on cultural understanding. Enjoy.
The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier by Tony Jones. The “emergent church movement”: whether you love it or hate it, feel attraction or fear, consider yourself “in the know” or feel bewildered – or all of the above – this may be the definitive work to date on all things “emergent” by one of its leading voices. Jones, the national coordinator of Emergent Village and a doctoral fellow in practical theology at Princeton Theological Seminary, offers an in-depth view of this new “third way” of faith that attempts to stand between religious conservatism and religious liberalism.
The Great Upheaval: America and the Birth of the Modern World, 1788-1800 by Jay Winik. As you can tell from this year’s list, I was taken by the number of excellent histories that give insight into our present day through the lens of the past. The author of April 1865, Winik’s accomplishment is his global analysis, linking a new United States, the imperial power of Russia, Islamic peoples preparing for war, and the French revolution. As Winik argues, their seemingly individual fates were actually a singular and deeply interconnected moment in time that changed the world and continues to shape the one in which we live.
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin. Few would argue that the judicial system is one of the great epicenters of American culture. Within the judicial system, the Supreme Court is the most important legal body in our country. The Nine, referring to the Court’s nine members, explores an institution in transition as it adjusts to its new conservative majority and what it might hold for such issues as abortion, civil rights, presidential power, and church-state relations.
The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. In what the New York Times called a “morbidly fascinating non-fiction eco-thriller,” Weisman explores humanity’s impact on the planet by asking us to envision our earth without us. As the flyleaf to the book details, “Weisman explains how our massive infrastructure would collapse and finally vanish without human presence…how, just days after humans disappear, floods in New York’s subways would start eroding the city’s foundations, and how, as the world’s cities crumble, asphalt jungles would give way to real ones. It describes the distinct ways that organic and chemically treated farms would revert to wild, how billions more birds would flourish, and how cockroaches in unheated cities would perish without us.” Beyond the sheer fascination Weisman’s exploration brings, the work raises profound issues related to humanity’s relationship with creation.
A Secular Age by Charles Taylor. Emerging from the Gifford Lectures at Edinburgh, Taylor delivers an 874-page magnum opus on secularism and its meaning from a historical perspective. Central to his thesis is that secularism is not a single, continuous transformation but rather a series of departures. Further, that secularism is not marked by an absence of religion as much as the multiplication of options available which may be seized in order to make sense of our lives and give shape to our spiritual inclinations.
Unchristian by Steve Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. The findings of a study which revealed that those outside of the Christian faith think Christians no longer represent what Jesus had in mind. We’re seen as hyper-political, out of touch, pushy in our beliefs, and arrogant – and most of all, homophobic, hypocritical, and judgmental. (Disclosure: I was one of several “essay” contributors to the book, along with Chuck Colson, Andy Crouch, Louie Giglio, Dan Kimball, Brian McLaren, Chris Seay, Andy Stanley, John Stott, Jim Wallis, and Rick Warren).
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. In this remarkable and highly readable new translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, who brought equal skill to their translations of Anna Karenina and The Brothers Karamazov, one of the great works of world literature is brought to life for our day. Easily destined to become the definitive English edition.
The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century by Alex Ross. The music critic for The New Yorker explores modern music in all its forms, from Stravinsky to the Velvet Underground, and how it illumines the world in which we live. Beginning in Vienna before the First World War, Ross’ sweeping narrative carries us to Paris in the twenties, on to Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Russia, through to downtown New York in the sixties and seventies. As the flyleaf promises, “the end result is not so much a history of twentieth-century music as a history of the twentieth century through music.”
American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic by Joseph Ellis. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Founding Brothers and His Excellency examines the founding years of our country. Noting that both success and tragedy during the last quarter of the eighteenth century shaped our burgeoning nation, Ellis “guides us through the decisive issues of the nation’s founding, and illuminates the emerging philosophies, shifting alliances, and personal and political foibles of our now iconic leaders.” Much that shaped those early years continues to shape us – this book helps us understand how, and why.
Modernism by Peter Gay. The single best book for understanding the Enlightenment was penned by Peter Gay. It can now be said that he has written the single best book for understanding modernism. Originating in the middle of the nineteenth century, through such founding figures as Flaubert and Baudelaire, the history of modernism continued through such figures as Oscar Wilde, Pablo Picasso, James Joyce, Marcel Proust, Virginia Woolf, Igor Stavinsky, T.S. Eliot, Frank Lloyd Wright, Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles – down to our day, with the novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Through its “ability to integrate the history of art and literature with the Western society it changed forever, Modernism informs our present like no other recent work of cultural history.”
James Emery White 2007 List To view last year’s list, visit:http://www.serioustimes.com/Blog.asp?ID=37
The Frantic Pursuit of Rest
The Frantic Pursuit of Rest, by Bill Sherrill
A few years ago, a Hollywood "star type" was heard to say, "I think we are rushing headlong into oblivion." It may have been a more profound statement than it appeared. At the very least, we are rushing headlong toward something. And the key word is "rushing." We rush to work. We rush to dine. We even rush to relax. I think that last statement must be an oxymoron, but whatever we call it, we certainly are rushing into it. Peace and tranquility are seldom achieved in our pursuit of them.
Rather than peace, we are more likely to seek distraction. Noise, visual images, and frantic activity are our constant companions.
Many people have turned to Eastern religions as a means of slowing down the slide to eternity. Others have sought release through drugs. But none of the things men have pursued have brought the desired effect.
Everything we do demands an escalation to remain effective. Eventually it is out of control. For many, the only true peace appears to be to drop out. Why do you suppose man has such a difficult time assembling his life? It would appear that he follows the same reasoning in life that he does in those purchases which need assembly. Question: When does he read the instructions? Answer: When all else fails!
Most have never read it!
There is a Book of excellent instructions for a life of joy and peace, but most have never really read it. They continue to try to force the various parts together in a display of vain pride. The old saying, "Please, I'd rather do it myself," is still very much alive. While that sounds very independent, the truth is that we cannot!
I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not in himself; Nor is it in a
man who walks to direct his steps (Jeremiah 10:23 NASB).
The real answer is found in the Book. There, the master of Heaven and Earth beckons us:
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you
rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My
yoke is easy, and My load is light (Matthew 11:28-30)(Emphasis
added).
Soul rest is what we are really looking for. Everything else has failed, why not read the instructions?
---------
(c) 2008 Bill Sherrill's Thought for
the Week. Used by permission.
A few years ago, a Hollywood "star type" was heard to say, "I think we are rushing headlong into oblivion." It may have been a more profound statement than it appeared. At the very least, we are rushing headlong toward something. And the key word is "rushing." We rush to work. We rush to dine. We even rush to relax. I think that last statement must be an oxymoron, but whatever we call it, we certainly are rushing into it. Peace and tranquility are seldom achieved in our pursuit of them.
Rather than peace, we are more likely to seek distraction. Noise, visual images, and frantic activity are our constant companions.
Many people have turned to Eastern religions as a means of slowing down the slide to eternity. Others have sought release through drugs. But none of the things men have pursued have brought the desired effect.
Everything we do demands an escalation to remain effective. Eventually it is out of control. For many, the only true peace appears to be to drop out. Why do you suppose man has such a difficult time assembling his life? It would appear that he follows the same reasoning in life that he does in those purchases which need assembly. Question: When does he read the instructions? Answer: When all else fails!
Most have never read it!
There is a Book of excellent instructions for a life of joy and peace, but most have never really read it. They continue to try to force the various parts together in a display of vain pride. The old saying, "Please, I'd rather do it myself," is still very much alive. While that sounds very independent, the truth is that we cannot!
I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not in himself; Nor is it in a
man who walks to direct his steps (Jeremiah 10:23 NASB).
The real answer is found in the Book. There, the master of Heaven and Earth beckons us:
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you
rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My
yoke is easy, and My load is light (Matthew 11:28-30)(Emphasis
added).
Soul rest is what we are really looking for. Everything else has failed, why not read the instructions?
---------
(c) 2008 Bill Sherrill
the Week. Used by permission.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Perfect Storm
The Perfect Storm
Mary Southerland
Today's Truth
2 Corinthians 1: 4 He comforts us every time we have trouble.
Friend to Friend
The comfort of God is faithful and strong - even during the fiercest storms of life. I enjoy going to movies -- only if they have a happy ending. Daily life has enough reality in it that I don't want to pay to see more reality made bigger on a movie screen. However, when the movie, "The Perfect Storm" came out, my family was on vacation in North Carolina. The previews suggested a happy ending to the movie. I should have known better, but we love the water and particularly enjoy being on a boat, water skiing, tubing...you get the idea! We bought tickets, popcorn and drinks, found the best seats in the theatre and prepared to be entertained. Wrong! Every scene seemed to be submerged in water, with another monstrous wave on the way! By the end of the movie, I never wanted to set foot on a boat again! I was worn out and tempted to demand a refund on the tickets because of false advertising and an unhappy ending! I did, however, come away with a new fascination and deep respect for the sea.
I have a friend who does quite a bit of sailing, so I asked him if he had ever been caught in a bad storm. "Many times!" he said. Unbelievable! I had to ask, "Then why on earth do you keep sailing?" His answer was profound. "Mary, every sailor knows that there will be storms. The trick is to learn how to respond to the storm. In a fierce storm, there is only one thing to do and only one way to survive. You have to put the ship in a certain position and keep her there."
The same is true for the believer. When the storms of life overwhelm us, there is only one thing to do. We must place ourselves in the comfort of God and He will keep us there until the storm is past. Yes, God's comfort is faithful! What a great promise that every time we have trouble He will be there with comfort! The faithful and consistent comfort of God depends upon nothing but the character and heart of God.
I love my children with all of my heart. Naturally, there are times that they make me very angry. They disobey me and sometimes even disappoint me, but if they are hurt, sick or in trouble, the anger, disappointment and even the disobedience is overruled by my love for them and a driving need to comfort them! If my imperfect heart responds to my children that way think about the perfect heart of our heavenly Father! Richard Fuller writes:
"This, Christian, is what you must do. Sometimes, like Paul, you can see neither sun nor stars, and no small tempest lies on you. Reason cannot help you. Past experiences give you no light. Only a single course is left. You must stay upon the Lord; and come what may -- winds, waves, cross seas, thunder, lightening, frowning rocks, roaring breakers -- no matter what, you must lash yourself to the helm and hold fast your confidence in God's faithfulness and his everlasting love in Christ Jesus."
Few things in this unstable life are completely dependable, but God's comfort is one of them! When the hard times come, we can hold on to the promise that is found in Jeremiah 16:19, "Lord, you are my strength and my protection, my safe place in times of trouble."
Mary Southerland
Today's Truth
2 Corinthians 1: 4 He comforts us every time we have trouble.
Friend to Friend
The comfort of God is faithful and strong - even during the fiercest storms of life. I enjoy going to movies -- only if they have a happy ending. Daily life has enough reality in it that I don't want to pay to see more reality made bigger on a movie screen. However, when the movie, "The Perfect Storm" came out, my family was on vacation in North Carolina. The previews suggested a happy ending to the movie. I should have known better, but we love the water and particularly enjoy being on a boat, water skiing, tubing...you get the idea! We bought tickets, popcorn and drinks, found the best seats in the theatre and prepared to be entertained. Wrong! Every scene seemed to be submerged in water, with another monstrous wave on the way! By the end of the movie, I never wanted to set foot on a boat again! I was worn out and tempted to demand a refund on the tickets because of false advertising and an unhappy ending! I did, however, come away with a new fascination and deep respect for the sea.
I have a friend who does quite a bit of sailing, so I asked him if he had ever been caught in a bad storm. "Many times!" he said. Unbelievable! I had to ask, "Then why on earth do you keep sailing?" His answer was profound. "Mary, every sailor knows that there will be storms. The trick is to learn how to respond to the storm. In a fierce storm, there is only one thing to do and only one way to survive. You have to put the ship in a certain position and keep her there."
The same is true for the believer. When the storms of life overwhelm us, there is only one thing to do. We must place ourselves in the comfort of God and He will keep us there until the storm is past. Yes, God's comfort is faithful! What a great promise that every time we have trouble He will be there with comfort! The faithful and consistent comfort of God depends upon nothing but the character and heart of God.
I love my children with all of my heart. Naturally, there are times that they make me very angry. They disobey me and sometimes even disappoint me, but if they are hurt, sick or in trouble, the anger, disappointment and even the disobedience is overruled by my love for them and a driving need to comfort them! If my imperfect heart responds to my children that way think about the perfect heart of our heavenly Father! Richard Fuller writes:
"This, Christian, is what you must do. Sometimes, like Paul, you can see neither sun nor stars, and no small tempest lies on you. Reason cannot help you. Past experiences give you no light. Only a single course is left. You must stay upon the Lord; and come what may -- winds, waves, cross seas, thunder, lightening, frowning rocks, roaring breakers -- no matter what, you must lash yourself to the helm and hold fast your confidence in God's faithfulness and his everlasting love in Christ Jesus."
Few things in this unstable life are completely dependable, but God's comfort is one of them! When the hard times come, we can hold on to the promise that is found in Jeremiah 16:19, "Lord, you are my strength and my protection, my safe place in times of trouble."
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The Gain is Worth the Pain
The Gain is Worth the Pain, by Tim Archer
I was about 9 years old. I was taking Red Cross swimming lessons at our municipal pool. The day had arrived when I was to be tested to see if I could advance from the Advanced Beginners class to the Intermediate class. Approximately fifteen of us were to take turns swimming from one side of the pool to the other and back, doing various strokes and exercises along the way. I watched as my classmates one by one tried and failed to pass the test. Then it was my turn to fail, I mean, my turn to attempt to pass the test. I got about halfway across the pool when I felt that burning sensation you feel when chlorinated water enters your nose. I immediately stopped and grabbed the side of the pool, ending my test.
One of the instructors was standing above me, a scraggly-haired college student. "Why did you stop?" he yelled, in a less-than-compassionate voice. "I got water in my nose," I explained.
That's when this scruffy college student taught me one of life's great lessons, even if he probably never realized he was doing just that.
Bending down, he shouted, "So?"
So?
So? The question took me aback. It had just seemed logical to me that the answer to pain was to eliminate the thing causing the discomfort.
My 9-year-old brain had not latched onto the fact that a valuable goal is worth achieving even if we have to go through discomfort to get there. Recognizing that, I wasn't sure what would keep me from completing the test. In fact, I did it rather easily on my next attempt. Seeing me pass the test, almost all of the others did so as well.
At times I think Jesus lovingly says "So?" to so many of the things that seem important to me. The obstacles, the hardships, the barriers that appear along the way can't be compared to the goal that waits at the end. We have to focus on the final destination, not the bumps in the road. The apostle Paul wrote: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). God's plan for us is not to eliminate suffering in our lives, but to teach us to look past it. When Paul and his companion Barnabas were visiting churches they had started, they told them, "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). The night before the crucifixion, Jesus told his disciples: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world"
(John 16:33).
If you're not a Christian, it's only fair that we warn you that the road won't always be easy. But I can assure you that the goal is more than worth any difficulties we might face along the way. I'd like to tell you more about living above the hardships of life, with our eyes focused on the goal. You can write to me at tim@hopeforlife.org or leave a comment on our blog at www.hopeforlife.org/blog.
I was about 9 years old. I was taking Red Cross swimming lessons at our municipal pool. The day had arrived when I was to be tested to see if I could advance from the Advanced Beginners class to the Intermediate class. Approximately fifteen of us were to take turns swimming from one side of the pool to the other and back, doing various strokes and exercises along the way. I watched as my classmates one by one tried and failed to pass the test. Then it was my turn to fail, I mean, my turn to attempt to pass the test. I got about halfway across the pool when I felt that burning sensation you feel when chlorinated water enters your nose. I immediately stopped and grabbed the side of the pool, ending my test.
One of the instructors was standing above me, a scraggly-haired college student. "Why did you stop?" he yelled, in a less-than-compassionate voice. "I got water in my nose," I explained.
That's when this scruffy college student taught me one of life's great lessons, even if he probably never realized he was doing just that.
Bending down, he shouted, "So?"
So?
So? The question took me aback. It had just seemed logical to me that the answer to pain was to eliminate the thing causing the discomfort.
My 9-year-old brain had not latched onto the fact that a valuable goal is worth achieving even if we have to go through discomfort to get there. Recognizing that, I wasn't sure what would keep me from completing the test. In fact, I did it rather easily on my next attempt. Seeing me pass the test, almost all of the others did so as well.
At times I think Jesus lovingly says "So?" to so many of the things that seem important to me. The obstacles, the hardships, the barriers that appear along the way can't be compared to the goal that waits at the end. We have to focus on the final destination, not the bumps in the road. The apostle Paul wrote: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). God's plan for us is not to eliminate suffering in our lives, but to teach us to look past it. When Paul and his companion Barnabas were visiting churches they had started, they told them, "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). The night before the crucifixion, Jesus told his disciples: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world"
(John 16:33).
If you're not a Christian, it's only fair that we warn you that the road won't always be easy. But I can assure you that the goal is more than worth any difficulties we might face along the way. I'd like to tell you more about living above the hardships of life, with our eyes focused on the goal. You can write to me at tim@hopeforlife.org or leave a comment on our blog at www.hopeforlife.org/blog.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Stop Signs
Stop Signs, by Ann Voskamp
I think it was because my window was rolled down a few inches that he bothered to yell at me.
Otherwise, he might have just left it at that disgusted frown and shake of his head. But his driver's window was cranked down, too. We both were looking for the relief of breezes from that sun blazing down. So when we turned north off the 4th line, down at Knapp's corner, our dusty van barely paused there at the intersection. He didn't even have to lean over when he hollered at me. "There's a stop sign there, you know!"
Color, shame, floods my cheeks. But before I can nod, mumble an apology, he and his diesel pick-up rumble off. "That wasn't very nice of him. You had stopped, Mom." Joshua's passenger seat defense tries to soothe. "Why did that man yell that?" Hope turns back after the truck's dust cloud, looking for answers.
Flustered, I carefully scan to the west, then east, then west again, before creeping forward through the intersection. And then manage a feeble explanation. "He was concerned I wasn't going to brake in time.
That I hadn't seen the stop sign. It scared him. And that's fair."
The wind blows through our open windows, our hair. In the rush of spring, I wonder if each of us replays his words again, the scene, reading his anger as fear. But maybe they don't, their young faces silently watching the meadow slip close to the road with its petticoat of white trilliums. Maybe it's just me thinking about stop signs nearly missed.
I'm like that. Always rushing, hardly braking in time, off again. In a hurry. So much to be done. Or so I think.
What hard stops in my life have I been driving through -- or hardly pausing for?
How often am I mindfully slowing to intersect my time with God? Early, throughout, and late. Or do I barely make meaningful time at anytime in my day to commune in lingering, unhurried ways with God? Some days, yes. Some days, no. There are too many rolling stops.
So I'll stop and linger long.
The meadow retreats and waving fields of greening wheat lap up along the roadside. The children, hands pointing and voices sure, debate whether that farmer is planting corn way off in a field on the horizon, or if he's drilling in beans. And it's just me thinking about stop signs nearly missed and slowing to meet with God.
I'm listening to the prophet in a pick-up: There are stop signs here, you know. So I'll stop and linger long in prayer.
To avoid life crashes.
Lord, if life is crashing ... have I been running stop signs?
Today, it's all speeding by so fast, I simply have to stop and pray.
I think it was because my window was rolled down a few inches that he bothered to yell at me.
Otherwise, he might have just left it at that disgusted frown and shake of his head. But his driver's window was cranked down, too. We both were looking for the relief of breezes from that sun blazing down. So when we turned north off the 4th line, down at Knapp's corner, our dusty van barely paused there at the intersection. He didn't even have to lean over when he hollered at me. "There's a stop sign there, you know!"
Color, shame, floods my cheeks. But before I can nod, mumble an apology, he and his diesel pick-up rumble off. "That wasn't very nice of him. You had stopped, Mom." Joshua's passenger seat defense tries to soothe. "Why did that man yell that?" Hope turns back after the truck's dust cloud, looking for answers.
Flustered, I carefully scan to the west, then east, then west again, before creeping forward through the intersection. And then manage a feeble explanation. "He was concerned I wasn't going to brake in time.
That I hadn't seen the stop sign. It scared him. And that's fair."
The wind blows through our open windows, our hair. In the rush of spring, I wonder if each of us replays his words again, the scene, reading his anger as fear. But maybe they don't, their young faces silently watching the meadow slip close to the road with its petticoat of white trilliums. Maybe it's just me thinking about stop signs nearly missed.
I'm like that. Always rushing, hardly braking in time, off again. In a hurry. So much to be done. Or so I think.
What hard stops in my life have I been driving through -- or hardly pausing for?
How often am I mindfully slowing to intersect my time with God? Early, throughout, and late. Or do I barely make meaningful time at anytime in my day to commune in lingering, unhurried ways with God? Some days, yes. Some days, no. There are too many rolling stops.
So I'll stop and linger long.
The meadow retreats and waving fields of greening wheat lap up along the roadside. The children, hands pointing and voices sure, debate whether that farmer is planting corn way off in a field on the horizon, or if he's drilling in beans. And it's just me thinking about stop signs nearly missed and slowing to meet with God.
I'm listening to the prophet in a pick-up: There are stop signs here, you know. So I'll stop and linger long in prayer.
To avoid life crashes.
Lord, if life is crashing ... have I been running stop signs?
Today, it's all speeding by so fast, I simply have to stop and pray.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Christ Briefs His Men for Their Mission
Christ Briefs His Men for Their Mission
Kenny Luck
Every Man Ministries
This whole time the disciples traveled with Jesus they were learning the art of war, how to advance the Kingdom amidst hostile men of all persuasions—religious, political, cultural, and Satanic. He was showing them how a compassionate God-man fights during his time on earth: teaching, preaching, healing, feeling compassion, and boldly liberating those who were held captive and controlled by the god of this world and sin. But now their residency was coming to an end. The season of selection, association, and demonstration was giving way to the next phase: delegation and supervision. He looked at them and said, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out more workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:37 NIV
Their "mission briefing" called by the Master Instructor went exactly like this: He called his disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. "As you go preach this message: 'The Kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Now that is what I call a green light! With the full endorsement of the Supreme Commander, God's men were given:
a sanction to fight (gave authority)
a message to forward (preach this)
targets to find (sick, dead, leper, demon possessed)
power to free (to heal, raise, cleanse, and drive out)
a charge to feel (freely you have received, freely give)
a metaphor to familiarize (sending you as sheep among wolves)
two commands to fulfill (be shrewd and be innocent)
Imagine you are there. Which of these would send your neurons into high gear? A certain metaphor maybe?
Sheep among wolves you say? This means it's hostile now. Every instruction up to that point had to feel good to the disciples and then came the harsh reality of a Hot L.Z. (as in a Hot landing Zone). This condition of hostility would not change for these men until eleven were martyred and John died in exile. Jesus didn't provide false hope or codependent comfort. He gave them the straight poop about this campaign to rid the world of Satan's grip through Kingdom advance whenever and wherever possible. He didn’t say, "sheep among wolves for a while and then sheep among rabbits for a while." So since this is our present reality I want you to think "wolves" for a second.
predatory carnivores that hunt in packs
aggressive, greedy and cruel when they find their prey
beautiful to look at but extremely dangerous
wicked sense of smell
extremely smart
never want to be caught alone amongst a pack
Take this in, God's Man: you are a sheep among wolves right now and you will remain among them going forward here on earth until you get called back to the office of the Supreme Commander for debriefing. One of the main reasons we are getting massacred is that we are sheep among wolves but we act like sheep among squirrels. We get along in this world as if there is no hostility in a war zone! What bombs? What enemy? What destruction? What blood? Bondage? Affairs? Divorce? Fatherlessness? Shattered lives? Oh, that. What a pity. It's awful. Anyways, did you say you wanted a Diet Coke with your chips? That is the definition of spiritual dysfunction! Sane men who call attention to these evil-sponsored campaigns are considered goofy, while the goofy men playing with the rabbits are considered sane. That kind of dysfunctional view of spiritual warfare makes those who are fighting it with wisdom and integrity upset at those who should be fighting but aren't. "Today," says Bono (front man for mega-band U2), "it's a load of sissies running around with their 'bless me' clubs and there’s a war going on between good and evil. Millions of children and millions of lives are being lost to greed, bureaucracy, and to a church that’s been asleep. And it sends me out of my mind with anger" (The God Factor, Cathleen Falsani Sarah Crichton Books, New York, NY 2006 , p.12).
You can just feel the frustration and, at the same time, Satan's elation. "Lovely," he sighs. "My wolves have been accepted as rabbits and squirrels." Even now I can see Satan saying to you: "Why is this Luck guy all jacked up about this? Bono? Who are you kidding? He's no theologian. Relax. Tranquilo. Chill. Get back to the game, put the book down, grab some chips, and pour yourself that Diet Coke."
He’s not just really smooth, he wants you to let him remain hidden or docile or both. Don't let him lie to you. Listen to Jesus: it's WOLVES, not rabbits! Suit up in you’re your armor and don't let your guard down today.
Kenny Luck is the Men's Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. He is also the Founder and President of Every Man Ministries which helps churches worldwide develop and grow healthy men's communities. Please visit http://www.everymanministries.com/ for more information.
Find this article at: http://www.crosswalk.comhttp://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/men/11576133/
Monday, June 2, 2008
Coming Down in the Wrong Place
Coming Down in the Wrong Place, by Phil Ware
Did you hear about the pilot who landed his 737 jet on an abandoned World War II era landing strip? The correct runway was nearly five miles away! "It was essentially pilot error ..." the airline official said.
Yeah, no joke!
As horrible as this sounds, haven't you done the same thing? Oh sure, it wasn't with an airliner, but haven't you come down in the wrong place before? Maybe you said something inappropriate, falsely judged someone's motives, did something embarrassing at the wrong moment, made a gigantic boo-boo at a public occasion, or ruined the mood of a tender moment. We come down in the wrong place a whole lot. It's just part of being human! None of us is perfect ... and most of us are far from it!
A number of years ago, I attended the funeral of the brother of a dear friend. He was born with Down Syndrome. The service was wonderful and sweet. But it was based on an assumption that struck me as tremendously
flawed: "When this sweet man gets to heaven, he will be made whole and perfect like we are."
But didn't Jesus say that in his Kingdom the greatest person is a servant, that love is the cardinal virtue, that the last will be first, that the least will be greatest, and that unless we become like little children we won't get into the Kingdom of Heaven! What Jesus' words tell me is that we have it wrong. In the areas of life which matter most, instead of this sweet man being more like us, in heaven we'll be more like him.
So much of what we value comes down in the wrong place -- how we look, the titles we hold, the money we make, our physical and our mental capabilities. Yet the things that matter most, things like unrestrained joy, unfeigned kindness, expressive love, unmitigated wonder, unreserved forgiveness, and un-coerced service are often found most in those our world regards as broken, deformed, handicapped, or retarded.
What should we do?
While the politically correct police have sought to reform our terminology, our bias and bigotry have only deepened as more and more of these who are more like heaven are never given the opportunity to grace our earth. That sort of makes an airplane coming down on the wrong landing strip seem pretty insignificant.
None of us should underestimate the difficulties of raising a child with "special challenges," but we must also learn to value those who are "precious in his sight." Otherwise I'm afraid we will find our "more perfect" children crash landing in many wrong places because the compass we give them is false and the place we land is in the wrong place.
Did you hear about the pilot who landed his 737 jet on an abandoned World War II era landing strip? The correct runway was nearly five miles away! "It was essentially pilot error ..." the airline official said.
Yeah, no joke!
As horrible as this sounds, haven't you done the same thing? Oh sure, it wasn't with an airliner, but haven't you come down in the wrong place before? Maybe you said something inappropriate, falsely judged someone's motives, did something embarrassing at the wrong moment, made a gigantic boo-boo at a public occasion, or ruined the mood of a tender moment. We come down in the wrong place a whole lot. It's just part of being human! None of us is perfect ... and most of us are far from it!
A number of years ago, I attended the funeral of the brother of a dear friend. He was born with Down Syndrome. The service was wonderful and sweet. But it was based on an assumption that struck me as tremendously
flawed: "When this sweet man gets to heaven, he will be made whole and perfect like we are."
But didn't Jesus say that in his Kingdom the greatest person is a servant, that love is the cardinal virtue, that the last will be first, that the least will be greatest, and that unless we become like little children we won't get into the Kingdom of Heaven! What Jesus' words tell me is that we have it wrong. In the areas of life which matter most, instead of this sweet man being more like us, in heaven we'll be more like him.
So much of what we value comes down in the wrong place -- how we look, the titles we hold, the money we make, our physical and our mental capabilities. Yet the things that matter most, things like unrestrained joy, unfeigned kindness, expressive love, unmitigated wonder, unreserved forgiveness, and un-coerced service are often found most in those our world regards as broken, deformed, handicapped, or retarded.
What should we do?
While the politically correct police have sought to reform our terminology, our bias and bigotry have only deepened as more and more of these who are more like heaven are never given the opportunity to grace our earth. That sort of makes an airplane coming down on the wrong landing strip seem pretty insignificant.
None of us should underestimate the difficulties of raising a child with "special challenges," but we must also learn to value those who are "precious in his sight." Otherwise I'm afraid we will find our "more perfect" children crash landing in many wrong places because the compass we give them is false and the place we land is in the wrong place.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Hymn Styles - Tennessean letter to the editor
Where have I heard this before? :) Kent
Churches can't afford a rift over hymn styles
To the Editor:
Republicans vs. Democrats. Pro-choice vs. pro-life. It seems to always be "us vs. them." And now, it's in our churches. Contemporary music vs. traditional hymns. Has anyone noticed it besides me?
Many churches seem to be battling it out. One part of the congregation enjoys the drum-driven, loud-guitar music. The other part seems bewildered by the disappearance of the old familiar hymns. You're either "with it and progressive," or you're "stale, close-minded and grumpy." Why? Whatever happened to diversity and acceptance, especially in worship?
In April, I attended the Community Hymn Sing at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. We experienced every kind of music — the old, sweet songs, soul, majestic anthems, full orchestration, a cappella and even what some would call rock. It was wonderful! Why? Because every song was presented the way it should be experienced. Every song has its own emotion and character. All contemporary music doesn't have to be wild. A traditional hymn, sung properly, should never be dull.
It largely depends on the music leadership. He/she should first understand the music, then pass that knowledge on to the other participants. A tall order in this day of controversy and opinions. But the music in a religious setting is of great importance. The musicians owe it to their people to be creative and sensitive in their planning. Some songs need drums and guitars. Other songs beg for an organ.
Churches can't afford the time and energy to argue over music!
Joyce Bell
Joelton 37080
Churches can't afford a rift over hymn styles
To the Editor:
Republicans vs. Democrats. Pro-choice vs. pro-life. It seems to always be "us vs. them." And now, it's in our churches. Contemporary music vs. traditional hymns. Has anyone noticed it besides me?
Many churches seem to be battling it out. One part of the congregation enjoys the drum-driven, loud-guitar music. The other part seems bewildered by the disappearance of the old familiar hymns. You're either "with it and progressive," or you're "stale, close-minded and grumpy." Why? Whatever happened to diversity and acceptance, especially in worship?
In April, I attended the Community Hymn Sing at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. We experienced every kind of music — the old, sweet songs, soul, majestic anthems, full orchestration, a cappella and even what some would call rock. It was wonderful! Why? Because every song was presented the way it should be experienced. Every song has its own emotion and character. All contemporary music doesn't have to be wild. A traditional hymn, sung properly, should never be dull.
It largely depends on the music leadership. He/she should first understand the music, then pass that knowledge on to the other participants. A tall order in this day of controversy and opinions. But the music in a religious setting is of great importance. The musicians owe it to their people to be creative and sensitive in their planning. Some songs need drums and guitars. Other songs beg for an organ.
Churches can't afford the time and energy to argue over music!
Joyce Bell
Joelton 37080
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