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Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
It May Take Time
Usually my devotionals push us toward the Saturday Night Sermon, but I thought today I would take a small diversion from that practice. I have been working a lot with Forgiveness. Each Wednesday Night I have been gathering with a great group of people and we have been wrestling with what forgiveness means in our daily lives. It is a question that isn't far from many of our hearts.
Today as I was reading through some scriptures, I encountered again the story of Joseph. Here is a guy that really got the raw end of the deal. He was betrayed by his brothers, cast into a well and alienated from relationships, taken into exile from his family and friends, framed by a "desperate housewife", and tossed into a bondage of someone else's doing. It wasn't his fault! If there was anyone that had the right to bitterness, it was Joseph.
I have no doubt that throughout those years many moments of anger, bitterness, hopelessness, anxiety, and even rage invaded his heart and mind. With every wasted day in exile, he grieved lost relationships and a place at his family's table. With every day he was in bondage he would have been reminded of the wicked actions of his brothers that put him in this predicament in the first place.
Unfortunately, one of the side effects of being wounded is what I call "Closed book syndrome." If our lives are stories--much of which are yet to be written, the sin of others on our lives has a way of slamming shut the book. We then live completely determined by what happened to us. We can't see any hope of this story turning out in a good way. We are imprisoned by the past events, pain, and betrayal of others.
What we forget is that God is not done in our stories. God is the eternal author that is ever-present, even in our exile and bondage. I am deeply challenged by the story of Joseph. Late in the story, Joseph encounters his brothers. After imprisonment, Joseph had come to a place of favor (even in exile) and then his brothers come seeking his favor. Remember, if there was anyone that had a right to bitterness and unforgiveness, it was Joseph. He could have said to his brothers, "Let me treat you like you have treated me."
But...Joseph had experienced a God that wasn't done writing his story. In fact, Joseph had so allowed God to continue writing his story, he was able to find the redemptive providence of God even in exile and bondage. Listen to what Joseph says to his brothers, 19 But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Now, remember this statement took time. There were moments when he would have wanted them dead. But there is an openness to Joseph. There was an openness to experience the ongoing providence of God in the midst of broken moments of life. There was the openness of the story...one that reminds that no moment is so completely determinative and enveloping that it cuts off any hope of a future.
I wonder what forgiveness might look like in our lives if we took the time to wait upon God to continue to write a redemptive and hopeful future out of the exilic and bound up moments of our past.
Today as I was reading through some scriptures, I encountered again the story of Joseph. Here is a guy that really got the raw end of the deal. He was betrayed by his brothers, cast into a well and alienated from relationships, taken into exile from his family and friends, framed by a "desperate housewife", and tossed into a bondage of someone else's doing. It wasn't his fault! If there was anyone that had the right to bitterness, it was Joseph.
I have no doubt that throughout those years many moments of anger, bitterness, hopelessness, anxiety, and even rage invaded his heart and mind. With every wasted day in exile, he grieved lost relationships and a place at his family's table. With every day he was in bondage he would have been reminded of the wicked actions of his brothers that put him in this predicament in the first place.
Unfortunately, one of the side effects of being wounded is what I call "Closed book syndrome." If our lives are stories--much of which are yet to be written, the sin of others on our lives has a way of slamming shut the book. We then live completely determined by what happened to us. We can't see any hope of this story turning out in a good way. We are imprisoned by the past events, pain, and betrayal of others.
What we forget is that God is not done in our stories. God is the eternal author that is ever-present, even in our exile and bondage. I am deeply challenged by the story of Joseph. Late in the story, Joseph encounters his brothers. After imprisonment, Joseph had come to a place of favor (even in exile) and then his brothers come seeking his favor. Remember, if there was anyone that had a right to bitterness and unforgiveness, it was Joseph. He could have said to his brothers, "Let me treat you like you have treated me."
But...Joseph had experienced a God that wasn't done writing his story. In fact, Joseph had so allowed God to continue writing his story, he was able to find the redemptive providence of God even in exile and bondage. Listen to what Joseph says to his brothers, 19 But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Now, remember this statement took time. There were moments when he would have wanted them dead. But there is an openness to Joseph. There was an openness to experience the ongoing providence of God in the midst of broken moments of life. There was the openness of the story...one that reminds that no moment is so completely determinative and enveloping that it cuts off any hope of a future.
I wonder what forgiveness might look like in our lives if we took the time to wait upon God to continue to write a redemptive and hopeful future out of the exilic and bound up moments of our past.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
What's Your God Look Like
One of the most convicting statements I have ever heard is this, "People believe about your God what they see in your life." Ouch! Have you ever stopped to consider the ramifications of that statement. Many people claim to have a belief in God. But, if this statement is true, then I see all sorts of God's around me.
The gods I see people believing in, if I were to look at their actions, are the gods of greedy consumption, the gods of unfair expectations, the gods of rash anger, the gods of hurtful words, the gods of jealousy and rumors, the gods of selfish ambitions, the gods of sexual objectification...and really the list goes on.
See, the bible says we were created in the image and likeness of God. Now, theologically that is a loaded statement. But whatever that means, it means that in our very lives we are to reflect God in this world. Sin becomes a problem not so much of bad action but of distorted image. In our sin, we present a god that is not really the God of Creation, Redemption, Love, and Salvation. We present a selfish, intolerant, impatient, self-righteous God. Oops.
What would it look like for the church to show the world the God it believes in. It might mean that we go out and hang out with the lowly and the downcast like Jesus did. It might mean that we seek justice for the oppressed like God does for the Israelites in Exodus. It might mean that we live patiently in a world full of sin, refusing to point the finger of condemnation and instead present the open arms of love.
So let me ask you...how would the people close to you describe the God you believe in?
The gods I see people believing in, if I were to look at their actions, are the gods of greedy consumption, the gods of unfair expectations, the gods of rash anger, the gods of hurtful words, the gods of jealousy and rumors, the gods of selfish ambitions, the gods of sexual objectification...and really the list goes on.
See, the bible says we were created in the image and likeness of God. Now, theologically that is a loaded statement. But whatever that means, it means that in our very lives we are to reflect God in this world. Sin becomes a problem not so much of bad action but of distorted image. In our sin, we present a god that is not really the God of Creation, Redemption, Love, and Salvation. We present a selfish, intolerant, impatient, self-righteous God. Oops.
What would it look like for the church to show the world the God it believes in. It might mean that we go out and hang out with the lowly and the downcast like Jesus did. It might mean that we seek justice for the oppressed like God does for the Israelites in Exodus. It might mean that we live patiently in a world full of sin, refusing to point the finger of condemnation and instead present the open arms of love.
So let me ask you...how would the people close to you describe the God you believe in?
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
A Difficult Thing
Recently I was speaking with a Christian Professor named Leonard Sweet. One of the pearls of wisdom that he mentioned to me has really stuck. He said, "Why is it we are so obsessed with imitating Jesus?" "If it was possible to imitate Jesus, then we wouldn't need Jesus." Wow...that's dead on. When I speak to people, I often hear, "I just need to act more like Jesus would act." For most of us, that means pulling up the bootstraps and giving it the best go possible. Unfortunately, too often our attempts fall short.
The life of a Christian is not about simply imitation. It is the life of participation! And boy is there a difference. Imitation is an act of the will. Participation is an act of Communion and Grace. The way of Jesus in this world is not something that comes naturally for us. If it were then we wouldn't have needed the rescuing and redemption that He brought to this world. Instead, what we are called to do is live "in Christ." We are called to enter into the very being of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Paul says, "it is not I that live but Christ that lives in me." Paul is saying, "Listen church, Jesus isn't some courageous moral example!" Jesus is the One through whom God's Divine Plan is manifest! Jesus is the one that institutes in this world what it means to be completely human! Jesus is instituting for us a new way!
This new way is not achieved through our action. It is experienced and lived out as our lives are surrendered to the wonder working power of God's Spirit that makes possible the impossible. When we ask the famous question, "What would Jesus do?" Our answer, in deep humility should be, "probably not what I would do, nor am I capable of doing, but! with God all things are possible."
My friends, be set free from the need to imitate. Instead, step into the divine space of God's grace that compels action in our world that shows Jesus and not our great, courageous, moral attempts.
The life of a Christian is not about simply imitation. It is the life of participation! And boy is there a difference. Imitation is an act of the will. Participation is an act of Communion and Grace. The way of Jesus in this world is not something that comes naturally for us. If it were then we wouldn't have needed the rescuing and redemption that He brought to this world. Instead, what we are called to do is live "in Christ." We are called to enter into the very being of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Paul says, "it is not I that live but Christ that lives in me." Paul is saying, "Listen church, Jesus isn't some courageous moral example!" Jesus is the One through whom God's Divine Plan is manifest! Jesus is the one that institutes in this world what it means to be completely human! Jesus is instituting for us a new way!
This new way is not achieved through our action. It is experienced and lived out as our lives are surrendered to the wonder working power of God's Spirit that makes possible the impossible. When we ask the famous question, "What would Jesus do?" Our answer, in deep humility should be, "probably not what I would do, nor am I capable of doing, but! with God all things are possible."
My friends, be set free from the need to imitate. Instead, step into the divine space of God's grace that compels action in our world that shows Jesus and not our great, courageous, moral attempts.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Wisdom of a Mother
One of my all time favorite quotes was from Mother Theresa. She was fond of saying, "I can do no great things, only little things with great love." Within that simple quote are three major components for a life well lived.
1.) Humility: The story of the Tower of Babel is a story of humankind attempting to "make a name for themselves." It is the ongoing endeavor of self-exaltation. We love to try to be something big, be something important, and do something that will change the world. We want to be remembered! So, we set out to conquer the world and leave our legacy. But, much of that is motivated by pride and ambition...more so than the good of the world. What this Mother's wisdom speaks to is the reality that we are nothing more than blades of grass that shoot up one day and wither the next. We weren't designed to conquer, save, or fix the world. We were designed to live in the world, surrendered to the design of the One on whom the world rests and has its being. We are called to take up our often small and humble tasks of fulfilling our particular role within the overall framework of God's saving plan for the world. In an orchestra when any of the instruments attempt to compete for recognition, the music ends up sounding funky and off. But when each instrument fulfills its small role...that's when beauty happens.
2.) Responsibility: Though we have suggested our role to be small and humble, we still have a role! This Mother's wisdom reminds us that though what we do might not be great or large, it is still something. In fact, the life of faithfulness is filled with those day to day, sometimes seemingly insignificant, acts of responsible living that make the biggest difference. We have the responsibility to care for the the lonely, sick, and outcast. We have the small responsibility to extend love, mercy, and compassion. We are given the humble task of forgiveness and servanthood. Though our role may never make us a name...it still requires action.
and finally,
3.) Faith: We engage the world through humble responsibility by learning to trust that God can do with that action what we never thought possible. When we live humble lives of loving action, God moves in those small moments and makes big differences. In the end...it is God's name that is exalted and not ours.
That is some pretty powerful Mother's wisdom.
1.) Humility: The story of the Tower of Babel is a story of humankind attempting to "make a name for themselves." It is the ongoing endeavor of self-exaltation. We love to try to be something big, be something important, and do something that will change the world. We want to be remembered! So, we set out to conquer the world and leave our legacy. But, much of that is motivated by pride and ambition...more so than the good of the world. What this Mother's wisdom speaks to is the reality that we are nothing more than blades of grass that shoot up one day and wither the next. We weren't designed to conquer, save, or fix the world. We were designed to live in the world, surrendered to the design of the One on whom the world rests and has its being. We are called to take up our often small and humble tasks of fulfilling our particular role within the overall framework of God's saving plan for the world. In an orchestra when any of the instruments attempt to compete for recognition, the music ends up sounding funky and off. But when each instrument fulfills its small role...that's when beauty happens.
2.) Responsibility: Though we have suggested our role to be small and humble, we still have a role! This Mother's wisdom reminds us that though what we do might not be great or large, it is still something. In fact, the life of faithfulness is filled with those day to day, sometimes seemingly insignificant, acts of responsible living that make the biggest difference. We have the responsibility to care for the the lonely, sick, and outcast. We have the small responsibility to extend love, mercy, and compassion. We are given the humble task of forgiveness and servanthood. Though our role may never make us a name...it still requires action.
and finally,
3.) Faith: We engage the world through humble responsibility by learning to trust that God can do with that action what we never thought possible. When we live humble lives of loving action, God moves in those small moments and makes big differences. In the end...it is God's name that is exalted and not ours.
That is some pretty powerful Mother's wisdom.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Gentlemen's Club
Kettle One Vodka and Cadillac. Sure, these are odd words to begin a spiritual devotional thought with, but they are relevant. As a young man in my thirties, these two companies have the most powerful advertising campaigns. Both of them show what it means to be a part of the Gentlemen's Club. Young good looking men, obviously financially successful, standing around in suits and sports coats-living the "good life." They carry around the air of significance and arrival. As a young man, their exterior forces an internal question in my life, "Have I arrived."
Isn't it amazing how apt the world is in marketing the exterior and appearance. If you own the right car, drink the right drink, and buy the right clothing, people will like you. You WILL have fun. You WILL be important. People WILL look to you.
We set out...many of us, on a journey for such external significance. If you think you are above it, check your credit card receipts. How often do you live above your means in order to maintain an air of success and arrival? We measure our lives by the outside. The one that looks like they are doing the best...gets the kudos. They are the blessed ones.
I guess that's why I love the verse in the Bible that says, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearence, but the Lord looks at the heart." For most of us, this is an encouraging word. Most of us haven't arrived. Most of us don't have the fancy toys. We live paycheck to paycheck. Any keeping up we do, places us further and further in debt, causing anxiety and stress as we work to figure out how to pay our bills. In the eyes of the world...the Kettle One/Cadillac world is a lofty dream most of us will never reach. But God does not look upon the outward appearance to find worth and significance.
The Lord realizes that most of the stuff we dress ourselves up with, most of the posturing for esteem, and most of the displays of "arrival" are nothing but cover-ups for deeper issues. The Lord's glance looks past the adornments of the world and right to the heart. It is the heart of man that God is most concerned with. It is the very core of human existence. It is the place in which God has hidden God's desires for each of us. It is the outflow of humility, righteousness, mercy, compassion, and love. It is in the heart that God peers for the possibility of fulfilling our divine calling.
Our worth and value is not wrapped up in our outward appearance but in the grand design of God for our lives. God doesn't only invite those that have arrived to take part in God's Kingdom of Grace, but those of us that are unimpressive, those that don't fit the World's vision of value. We are the "unlikely guests" called to take our places in dream of God for this world.
Isn't it amazing how apt the world is in marketing the exterior and appearance. If you own the right car, drink the right drink, and buy the right clothing, people will like you. You WILL have fun. You WILL be important. People WILL look to you.
We set out...many of us, on a journey for such external significance. If you think you are above it, check your credit card receipts. How often do you live above your means in order to maintain an air of success and arrival? We measure our lives by the outside. The one that looks like they are doing the best...gets the kudos. They are the blessed ones.
I guess that's why I love the verse in the Bible that says, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearence, but the Lord looks at the heart." For most of us, this is an encouraging word. Most of us haven't arrived. Most of us don't have the fancy toys. We live paycheck to paycheck. Any keeping up we do, places us further and further in debt, causing anxiety and stress as we work to figure out how to pay our bills. In the eyes of the world...the Kettle One/Cadillac world is a lofty dream most of us will never reach. But God does not look upon the outward appearance to find worth and significance.
The Lord realizes that most of the stuff we dress ourselves up with, most of the posturing for esteem, and most of the displays of "arrival" are nothing but cover-ups for deeper issues. The Lord's glance looks past the adornments of the world and right to the heart. It is the heart of man that God is most concerned with. It is the very core of human existence. It is the place in which God has hidden God's desires for each of us. It is the outflow of humility, righteousness, mercy, compassion, and love. It is in the heart that God peers for the possibility of fulfilling our divine calling.
Our worth and value is not wrapped up in our outward appearance but in the grand design of God for our lives. God doesn't only invite those that have arrived to take part in God's Kingdom of Grace, but those of us that are unimpressive, those that don't fit the World's vision of value. We are the "unlikely guests" called to take our places in dream of God for this world.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Special for Special Sake
The word "election" carries with it a lot of theological baggage. God has "elected" some to experience God's blessings. God has chosen. For Calvinists this means that God has chosen before the foundations of the earth-some for salvation and others for damnation. For other theological traditions, it simply means that God has looked down from Heaven and plucked those who He has determined to offer the gift of salvation. And still for others, election means that God has chosen all of humanity and it becomes our responsibility to choose if we will accept God's offer. So which one is right? Well...that's not the point of this devotional.
The point is that no theological tradition can escape the word "election." It is deeply rooted in the Scriptures and goes all the way back to Noah, the one God elected to save humanity. Then God "elects" Abraham, through whom all nations on earth shall be blessed. After that...God chooses Israel to be a chosen nation, a peculiar possession, a royal priesthood. God's election of Israel had with it the inherent mission of serving the rest of the world by being faithful to God. They were elected to be special...but their special calling was to serve as a blessing to the rest of the world.
The problem...the human tendency is to forget why we are special. Israel forgot that they had been chosen, elected, made special to serve others. Instead, they had often determined that they were special for special sake. They flaunted their election as though it was only for them and that it made them better than all other nations. They had forgotten the deep responsibility to steward their calling, their election to the glory of God.
This is not an uncommon reality. Too often the Christian church does this very same thing. We get saved, realize God has chosen us, spend a little time in awe...and then we allow our new special status to set us apart, to make us better than others. We flaunt our salvation. We are the saints...they are the sinners. We are the "us" and they are the "them." We are condescending in our conversations with non-believers and arrogant about our faith. We have forgotten that central to our choosing is the responsibility to go out and be a blessing to others. We have forgotten that our election is part of God's bigger plan for all the earth. God has elected us and given us a voice before the throne that we might speak up (intercede)on behalf of the voiceless. We have been chosen to experience abundance that we might pour out that gift in the lives of those with nothing. We are not special for special sake. We have been made special for Christ's sake. We have been elected for the sake of others.
Let us not handle our election as if God had placed it "Into the Wrong Hands."
The point is that no theological tradition can escape the word "election." It is deeply rooted in the Scriptures and goes all the way back to Noah, the one God elected to save humanity. Then God "elects" Abraham, through whom all nations on earth shall be blessed. After that...God chooses Israel to be a chosen nation, a peculiar possession, a royal priesthood. God's election of Israel had with it the inherent mission of serving the rest of the world by being faithful to God. They were elected to be special...but their special calling was to serve as a blessing to the rest of the world.
The problem...the human tendency is to forget why we are special. Israel forgot that they had been chosen, elected, made special to serve others. Instead, they had often determined that they were special for special sake. They flaunted their election as though it was only for them and that it made them better than all other nations. They had forgotten the deep responsibility to steward their calling, their election to the glory of God.
This is not an uncommon reality. Too often the Christian church does this very same thing. We get saved, realize God has chosen us, spend a little time in awe...and then we allow our new special status to set us apart, to make us better than others. We flaunt our salvation. We are the saints...they are the sinners. We are the "us" and they are the "them." We are condescending in our conversations with non-believers and arrogant about our faith. We have forgotten that central to our choosing is the responsibility to go out and be a blessing to others. We have forgotten that our election is part of God's bigger plan for all the earth. God has elected us and given us a voice before the throne that we might speak up (intercede)on behalf of the voiceless. We have been chosen to experience abundance that we might pour out that gift in the lives of those with nothing. We are not special for special sake. We have been made special for Christ's sake. We have been elected for the sake of others.
Let us not handle our election as if God had placed it "Into the Wrong Hands."
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Looking Out for #1
Read Genesis 4:9
The common question when my children get in the car after a long day at school is, "Did you get your clip moved?" Let me explain...a clip is the identifier of good behavior. If your clip is on green, all is well. If it is on yellow, things are quickly moving in a bad direction. If it is on red, well, you can figure that out. Generally my kids always have green clips. But one time, my youngest got in the car and told us that he had his clip pulled. We were shocked. After telling us the story and the teacher confirming it, it turned out that during class one of the kids had tried to get him to give them an answer to a test. His response (loudly I might add) was, "Leave me alone." What do you do? He didn't do anything "wrong." So my words of instruction to him, "Just ignore them. You are only responsible for yourself."
Ooohhh...see how quickly that mentality slips in. From a very early age we tell our children that they are only responsible for themselves. Be independent. Look out for your own interests. Most of it is innocent, an attempt to keep our children out of trouble. But it becomes so deeply rooted in their lives, that they begin to always think about themselves first.
Few of us have really come to understand the depth of community for which we have been created. We have been replicating the statement of Cain ever since he made it..."Am I my Brother's Keeper." We have grown up looking out for #1, taking care of personal interests, establishing private agendas, and making the decisions that best affect "me."
Prisons fill up with men and women, locked away from society to keep them from getting into our way. Poor people are shuffled off to the slums so they don't mess up the beauty of our suburban neighborhoods and gated communities. The elderly and disabled are left to figure out the government support system..."I mean really, its their responsibility." Instead of celebrating one another's successes, we are riddled with envy and jealousy because it takes us out of the spotlight.
Few of us have really come to understand the depth of community for which we have been created. Few of us have really taken the risky step of deeply entering into someone's life and sharing the space of joy and sorrow, of hope and brokenness. Few of us have really been willing to do as Paul says and, "Consider others better than yourselves" or "Don't always think about your own priorities but the priorities of others." Instead...we have neglected the stewardship of our relationships and echo with Cain, "Am I my brother's keeper?"
God...you might have placed relationships, "Into the wrong hands."
The common question when my children get in the car after a long day at school is, "Did you get your clip moved?" Let me explain...a clip is the identifier of good behavior. If your clip is on green, all is well. If it is on yellow, things are quickly moving in a bad direction. If it is on red, well, you can figure that out. Generally my kids always have green clips. But one time, my youngest got in the car and told us that he had his clip pulled. We were shocked. After telling us the story and the teacher confirming it, it turned out that during class one of the kids had tried to get him to give them an answer to a test. His response (loudly I might add) was, "Leave me alone." What do you do? He didn't do anything "wrong." So my words of instruction to him, "Just ignore them. You are only responsible for yourself."
Ooohhh...see how quickly that mentality slips in. From a very early age we tell our children that they are only responsible for themselves. Be independent. Look out for your own interests. Most of it is innocent, an attempt to keep our children out of trouble. But it becomes so deeply rooted in their lives, that they begin to always think about themselves first.
Few of us have really come to understand the depth of community for which we have been created. We have been replicating the statement of Cain ever since he made it..."Am I my Brother's Keeper." We have grown up looking out for #1, taking care of personal interests, establishing private agendas, and making the decisions that best affect "me."
Prisons fill up with men and women, locked away from society to keep them from getting into our way. Poor people are shuffled off to the slums so they don't mess up the beauty of our suburban neighborhoods and gated communities. The elderly and disabled are left to figure out the government support system..."I mean really, its their responsibility." Instead of celebrating one another's successes, we are riddled with envy and jealousy because it takes us out of the spotlight.
Few of us have really come to understand the depth of community for which we have been created. Few of us have really taken the risky step of deeply entering into someone's life and sharing the space of joy and sorrow, of hope and brokenness. Few of us have really been willing to do as Paul says and, "Consider others better than yourselves" or "Don't always think about your own priorities but the priorities of others." Instead...we have neglected the stewardship of our relationships and echo with Cain, "Am I my brother's keeper?"
God...you might have placed relationships, "Into the wrong hands."
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
A Sacred Task
Read Genesis 2:15 (For this Saturday's Sermon Into the Wrong Hands)
So get this...we were placed in the Garden, right in the heart of God’s good creation with a task, “work it and care for it.” From the very outset we were tied to the earth, tied to the physical creation that God had spoken into being and had declared it as good. God had placed into our hands the beauty, splendor, and abundance of the earth.
But the problem is...when we sinned, we ruined it. See, we have this weird belief that sin only really affects our relationship with God. However, that’s not true. Sin affects everything, our relationship with God, with others, and with the earth. Part of the punishment found in Genesis 3 is “toiling in a land filled with thorns and thistles.” That new enmity has blurred our vision. Now we no longer care for the earth. We make a commodity of it. We use it only for our pleasure and our profit. We have very little regard for sacred stewardship of the earth...a task—that remember—we have been created for.
Now we can split an atom and make a bomb that threatens all of what God once declared good. Now we can fill up our landfills with man made products that can take centuries to degrade. Now we can make fun of anyone that is environmentally aware and call them “tree huggers.” Now we can continue to treat the earth as an object to be used, exploited and manipulated with little regard for what God might think about such use. Now we can forget God’s intention for our lives...an intention that included “working” and “caring for” what God had created. But that’s because we know better. In fact, Genesis tells us that we took a bite from a tree that gave us a knowledge we should have never had. Ever since then...we have pretty much determined that we know better than God what needs to happen.
Well God...Could it be that you placed your earth “Into the Wrong Hands?”
So get this...we were placed in the Garden, right in the heart of God’s good creation with a task, “work it and care for it.” From the very outset we were tied to the earth, tied to the physical creation that God had spoken into being and had declared it as good. God had placed into our hands the beauty, splendor, and abundance of the earth.
But the problem is...when we sinned, we ruined it. See, we have this weird belief that sin only really affects our relationship with God. However, that’s not true. Sin affects everything, our relationship with God, with others, and with the earth. Part of the punishment found in Genesis 3 is “toiling in a land filled with thorns and thistles.” That new enmity has blurred our vision. Now we no longer care for the earth. We make a commodity of it. We use it only for our pleasure and our profit. We have very little regard for sacred stewardship of the earth...a task—that remember—we have been created for.
Now we can split an atom and make a bomb that threatens all of what God once declared good. Now we can fill up our landfills with man made products that can take centuries to degrade. Now we can make fun of anyone that is environmentally aware and call them “tree huggers.” Now we can continue to treat the earth as an object to be used, exploited and manipulated with little regard for what God might think about such use. Now we can forget God’s intention for our lives...an intention that included “working” and “caring for” what God had created. But that’s because we know better. In fact, Genesis tells us that we took a bite from a tree that gave us a knowledge we should have never had. Ever since then...we have pretty much determined that we know better than God what needs to happen.
Well God...Could it be that you placed your earth “Into the Wrong Hands?”
Sunday, June 7, 2009
This Coming Week
On Saturday we began our brand new series called Tossed Aside. It was a great beginning to a ten week series. For the next 9 weeks, we will specifically be dealing with 9 parables of Jesus. It is my hope that each day I will provide a scripture and a thought that will begin preparing us for the next Saturday Night.
This coming Saturday the sermon is entitled "Into the Wrong Hands." The question we are going to deal with is... "God, what were you thinking when you left creation, relationships, and your Kingdom in our hands? Haven't we proven that we are ill-qualified to do with these as you would have us do?"
Just a thought, "Have you ever driven a rent-a-car?" Most of us just aren't as careful with someone else's car as we are our own. Why is it that we steward what God has entrusted us with more like a rent-a-car than something to be valued above all else? What might God have us do with what God places in our hands?
More on that...later this week.
This coming Saturday the sermon is entitled "Into the Wrong Hands." The question we are going to deal with is... "God, what were you thinking when you left creation, relationships, and your Kingdom in our hands? Haven't we proven that we are ill-qualified to do with these as you would have us do?"
Just a thought, "Have you ever driven a rent-a-car?" Most of us just aren't as careful with someone else's car as we are our own. Why is it that we steward what God has entrusted us with more like a rent-a-car than something to be valued above all else? What might God have us do with what God places in our hands?
More on that...later this week.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
...Like Kids Playing Basketball Badly
Over the course of the next several months we will be discussing the Parables of Jesus. Parables are those real life occasions in which we can "discover" the reality of the Kingdom of God in our every day experience.
Let me explain. Just a few months ago, I remember standing court side at a basketball game for 5 and 6 year olds. They were adorable...but terrible at basketball. They would pick up the ball and run with it...(there was no point at even calling a traveling penalty). They would all smother the person with the ball...(position? What position?). The more aggressive children would grab hold of the ball and rip it out of the other children's arms and run down the court to throw up a prayer shot...(at that age every shot is a prayer shot).
But that wasn't what caught my attention. There on the court were several kids from all different backgrounds. Here is how I explained it in a sermon I preached shortly after that, "Some were black, some white, some Latino, some rich, some poor, some in traditional families, some with single parents, some on food stamps, some with silver spoons, some from here, some from other places, some whose parents went to church, some whose parents went to the bar, some really good athletes, some not so much..." All that diversity gathered on one court on a Saturday afternoon. And yet they played; they laughed, they tossed the ball back and forth, and they all slapped hands at the end of the game. None of those distinctions seemed to matter. They couldn't care less about skin color or socio-economic class. On the court they were all the same, just kids playing ball.
There standing on the side of the court that day I remember thinking, "Maybe the Kingdom of God is like a bunch of 5 and 6 year old kids playing basketball badly."
Let me explain. Just a few months ago, I remember standing court side at a basketball game for 5 and 6 year olds. They were adorable...but terrible at basketball. They would pick up the ball and run with it...(there was no point at even calling a traveling penalty). They would all smother the person with the ball...(position? What position?). The more aggressive children would grab hold of the ball and rip it out of the other children's arms and run down the court to throw up a prayer shot...(at that age every shot is a prayer shot).
But that wasn't what caught my attention. There on the court were several kids from all different backgrounds. Here is how I explained it in a sermon I preached shortly after that, "Some were black, some white, some Latino, some rich, some poor, some in traditional families, some with single parents, some on food stamps, some with silver spoons, some from here, some from other places, some whose parents went to church, some whose parents went to the bar, some really good athletes, some not so much..." All that diversity gathered on one court on a Saturday afternoon. And yet they played; they laughed, they tossed the ball back and forth, and they all slapped hands at the end of the game. None of those distinctions seemed to matter. They couldn't care less about skin color or socio-economic class. On the court they were all the same, just kids playing ball.
There standing on the side of the court that day I remember thinking, "Maybe the Kingdom of God is like a bunch of 5 and 6 year old kids playing basketball badly."
Friday, May 22, 2009
This is Who YOU Are...
As we move toward our new series on the parables of Jesus, I want you to take a look at this video about the power of God's Word in our lives.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zokdG4TtYwU&feature=related
You may have to cut and paste it to your web bar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zokdG4TtYwU&feature=related
You may have to cut and paste it to your web bar.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Rock Stacking
I keep a journal. I never did growing up. I always thought that journaling and diaries was something girls did, well...and Doogie Howser (those old enough will remember that show). But when I became a Christian, I found myself constantly writing stuff down. I would write down how I felt about a particular passage in the bible, my prayer concerns, my struggles, and the ways that I felt God has used me that particular day. When I get overwhelmed, I often find myself flipping through the pages of my journals, reading over passages, drawing encouragement from the past faithfulness of God. Inside of me something says, "Hey look what God did back then...Remember, God will do it again."
There is no novelty in this of course. In fact I was inspired to really be serious about journal keeping by reading through the journal entries of others like John Wesley and Mother Theresa. I heard of a Pastor's wife that had an entire closet full of journals that she has used to trace her journey with God.
But even beyond these inspiring folks...it goes back even further, back to the people of Ancient Israel. See, they had a different way of journaling. When God would breathe forth the power of His Spirit into their lives and bring deliverance, liberation, victory, or provision, the people in the camp would stack up some rocks and build an altar to the Lord. Often it will say in the Scriptures, "And those rocks still stand there today." Granted it is a bit more industrious way of keeping a journal than the 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of paper I use, but what a testimony of the need to remember the works God has accomplished in their lives. When they would pass by those places, the elders could point to the rocks and say to the youth of the camp, "Those rocks stand there as a witness to the way God breathed into our lives and showed his faithfulness." In fact the story of the Hebrew Bible is filled with stories of rock stacking.
Rock stacking is a necessary practice in the life of a Christian. It is nothing less than the consistent practice of reflecting on the goodness of God and God's faithfulness in the stories of our lives. It is the encouragement of knowing that the God at work back then is the same God that is at work now. It is the memory that proclaims, "I know things seem big and out of control now...but remember God has always been involved in those overwhelming situations." Whether you keep a journal or not, the question is the same...
What do the pages of your story declare about the faithfulness of God's breath in your life?
There is no novelty in this of course. In fact I was inspired to really be serious about journal keeping by reading through the journal entries of others like John Wesley and Mother Theresa. I heard of a Pastor's wife that had an entire closet full of journals that she has used to trace her journey with God.
But even beyond these inspiring folks...it goes back even further, back to the people of Ancient Israel. See, they had a different way of journaling. When God would breathe forth the power of His Spirit into their lives and bring deliverance, liberation, victory, or provision, the people in the camp would stack up some rocks and build an altar to the Lord. Often it will say in the Scriptures, "And those rocks still stand there today." Granted it is a bit more industrious way of keeping a journal than the 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of paper I use, but what a testimony of the need to remember the works God has accomplished in their lives. When they would pass by those places, the elders could point to the rocks and say to the youth of the camp, "Those rocks stand there as a witness to the way God breathed into our lives and showed his faithfulness." In fact the story of the Hebrew Bible is filled with stories of rock stacking.
Rock stacking is a necessary practice in the life of a Christian. It is nothing less than the consistent practice of reflecting on the goodness of God and God's faithfulness in the stories of our lives. It is the encouragement of knowing that the God at work back then is the same God that is at work now. It is the memory that proclaims, "I know things seem big and out of control now...but remember God has always been involved in those overwhelming situations." Whether you keep a journal or not, the question is the same...
What do the pages of your story declare about the faithfulness of God's breath in your life?
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
We are nearing the end of our Sermon Series "God Still Breathes." As we prepare for our summer at the Well, I thought I would give you a little preview to where we are headed. Starting on the 6th of June, we are going to begin a 10-week series through the Parables of Jesus. The series is called "Tossed Aside." The word parable literally means, thrown alongside. For the sake of this sermon, our title has two meanings. Parables are stories tossed aside life to provoke a challenge, to get a person thinking, to teach and evoke an imaginative response. However, I also think that for the most part the church tosses the parables aside like yesterday's newspaper. They have lost their disturbing effect in our lives. During this series we are going to work to recover the power of parable.
June 6: Not So Fast
June 13: Into the Wrong Hands
June 20: Unlikely Guests
June 27: God of the Grass Roots
July 4: Do As I Do
July 11: Where is Jesus When We Are At Church?
July 18: Justice Retold
July 25: Just Say No
August 1: Not in these Market Conditions
August 8: With Gas Prices Like These?
Others Minded
I have a good friend that took a church in Nashville a little over a year ago. When he took the church it was running 30 on an average (a little better than average) Sunday. Today, he runs about 150 on a Sunday, in just over a year!
How did he do it? Well it wasn't expertise. This is the first church he's pastored. It wasn't by education. He has just started the process of learning theology. It wasn't through numerous programs he grabbed from all the mega-churches. I'm not sure he could name 10 mega-churches. How did he do it?
2 Things...and these are revolutionary!
1.) The Holy Spirit
2.) Loving Others...
I know profound isn't it. When we went to that church, he went committed to the message of Jesus' redeeming, heart-transforming love. Consequently, he was committed to letting the Holy Spirit have the Spirit's way with his life and church. And what he found was that the Holy Spirit was pushing he and his church outward toward others. The Spirit gave him the vision of being a missional "others minded" community. They just committed to love on people, to be there for them, and to meet them in their needs. They go out! That's how their whole church thinks. They have two Sunday School Classes that don't meet in the church but instead go out into the community and do service, clean up trash and cigarrette butts and they don't even advertise by wearing T-shirts...saying "Hey look at us!" They just trust God that the love they show through the Spirit will bear fruit.
Who would have thought that by letting the Spirit loose and loving on people like Jesus would, by making others first, that such fruit could grow. When the Spirit moves...the church becomes "others minded." I am thankful for Hendersonville Church of the Nazarene for that reminder.
God still breathes...
How did he do it? Well it wasn't expertise. This is the first church he's pastored. It wasn't by education. He has just started the process of learning theology. It wasn't through numerous programs he grabbed from all the mega-churches. I'm not sure he could name 10 mega-churches. How did he do it?
2 Things...and these are revolutionary!
1.) The Holy Spirit
2.) Loving Others...
I know profound isn't it. When we went to that church, he went committed to the message of Jesus' redeeming, heart-transforming love. Consequently, he was committed to letting the Holy Spirit have the Spirit's way with his life and church. And what he found was that the Holy Spirit was pushing he and his church outward toward others. The Spirit gave him the vision of being a missional "others minded" community. They just committed to love on people, to be there for them, and to meet them in their needs. They go out! That's how their whole church thinks. They have two Sunday School Classes that don't meet in the church but instead go out into the community and do service, clean up trash and cigarrette butts and they don't even advertise by wearing T-shirts...saying "Hey look at us!" They just trust God that the love they show through the Spirit will bear fruit.
Who would have thought that by letting the Spirit loose and loving on people like Jesus would, by making others first, that such fruit could grow. When the Spirit moves...the church becomes "others minded." I am thankful for Hendersonville Church of the Nazarene for that reminder.
God still breathes...
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Everyone Needs a George Whitfield
Recently I have been reading a Biography of John Wesley. His story is pretty amazing (though like us, he definitely had his issues). It was in 1738 that John Wesley had a pretty powerful "God moment." Something happened in him that set him free to experience a transformative faith, a faith that in Jesus Christ we are justified before the Father as an act of God's grace, through faith. That moment has come to be called the "Aldersgate Experience." Throughout his journals, he would refer back to that moment often.
But like all of us, once a "God moment" is had, the question is then asked, "What do I do with this?" Couple that with his general unpopularity with the established Church of England, and Wesley really didn't know how he was going to get the "good news" of justification by grace through faith out to the public. He was banned from preaching in many Church of England pulpits. Well, what do you do? Throw up your hands and say..."Well God, it would have been a good thing." Or...do you get "carried away?"
Enter stage right...George Whitfield. Ten years Wesley's junior, Whitfield had already established a reputation for being a fiery preacher whose methods were a bit non-traditional. In fact, Whitfield told Wesley that if they won't let you preach in the church, then preach in the fields. "Field Preaching?" At first Wesley thought that this might be a bit out-of-bounds, even a bit "carried away." But through Whitfield's tenacity and the Spirit's movement in Wesley's life, Wesley decided that he needed to let go and be carried away by God's Spirit. So he did! He began to preach! In fact, Wesley preached an amazingly powerful sermon standing on top of his father's tombstone because the church wouldn't let him inside.
All of us need a George Whitfield in our lives. We need the kind of person to remind us that the "Good News" of the gospel is too good to just bury in the ground. We need someone to remind us that sometimes the "organized church" isn't willing to get carried away. Sometimes we need to be moved by God's Spirit in non-traditional manners to be effective in reaching those that God cares about.
By the way...if you don't know the rest of the story, John Wesley, his brother Charles, and George Whitfield sparked a revival in England that changed the fabric of the English culture during their time. Thousands were saved, the poor were looked after, prisons and schools were reformed. Praise be to God for getting "carried away."
But like all of us, once a "God moment" is had, the question is then asked, "What do I do with this?" Couple that with his general unpopularity with the established Church of England, and Wesley really didn't know how he was going to get the "good news" of justification by grace through faith out to the public. He was banned from preaching in many Church of England pulpits. Well, what do you do? Throw up your hands and say..."Well God, it would have been a good thing." Or...do you get "carried away?"
Enter stage right...George Whitfield. Ten years Wesley's junior, Whitfield had already established a reputation for being a fiery preacher whose methods were a bit non-traditional. In fact, Whitfield told Wesley that if they won't let you preach in the church, then preach in the fields. "Field Preaching?" At first Wesley thought that this might be a bit out-of-bounds, even a bit "carried away." But through Whitfield's tenacity and the Spirit's movement in Wesley's life, Wesley decided that he needed to let go and be carried away by God's Spirit. So he did! He began to preach! In fact, Wesley preached an amazingly powerful sermon standing on top of his father's tombstone because the church wouldn't let him inside.
All of us need a George Whitfield in our lives. We need the kind of person to remind us that the "Good News" of the gospel is too good to just bury in the ground. We need someone to remind us that sometimes the "organized church" isn't willing to get carried away. Sometimes we need to be moved by God's Spirit in non-traditional manners to be effective in reaching those that God cares about.
By the way...if you don't know the rest of the story, John Wesley, his brother Charles, and George Whitfield sparked a revival in England that changed the fabric of the English culture during their time. Thousands were saved, the poor were looked after, prisons and schools were reformed. Praise be to God for getting "carried away."
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
This Time its OK...
Did you ever hear the words from your parents, "Now don't get carried away..." What that meant for most of us was, "Go ahead and have your fun, but be sure you know when enough is enough." There were always consequences for getting "carried away," right? As we grow up, that little bit of wisdom sticks with us.
"Have your fun, but don't get carried away."
"Spend some money, but don't get carried away."
"Get religion, but don't get carried away."
Moderation, reserve, holding back...that's what adults do, right? From leisure, to finances...even our faith. "Don't get carried away." But I'm not so sure that works with the last of these. I kinda think that maybe Jesus would have us go ahead and get "carried away." In fact, I think that our Christian journeys are strengthened and we make a difference the more carried away we get. As God breathes the Spirit into our lives, we are to fully and completely submit to the Spirit's movement. We aren't to hold back and only go so far. We are to let go and get swept up in the redemptive movement of God. We are to allow God to carry us into the places wrecked with suffering, brokenness, darkness, and hopelessness. We are to get carried away into situations that desperately need the healing grace of Jesus Christ. For the faithful Christian...there is no holding back, no reserve. Getting carried away is what we do best. The Disciples of Jesus got carried away after Pentecost and lives were changed, the broken were healed, and the good news was proclaimed. If that's getting carried away...I'm in. How bout you?
This weekend we are going to discuss where God leads us when we are "carried away" by God's Spirit.
"Have your fun, but don't get carried away."
"Spend some money, but don't get carried away."
"Get religion, but don't get carried away."
Moderation, reserve, holding back...that's what adults do, right? From leisure, to finances...even our faith. "Don't get carried away." But I'm not so sure that works with the last of these. I kinda think that maybe Jesus would have us go ahead and get "carried away." In fact, I think that our Christian journeys are strengthened and we make a difference the more carried away we get. As God breathes the Spirit into our lives, we are to fully and completely submit to the Spirit's movement. We aren't to hold back and only go so far. We are to let go and get swept up in the redemptive movement of God. We are to allow God to carry us into the places wrecked with suffering, brokenness, darkness, and hopelessness. We are to get carried away into situations that desperately need the healing grace of Jesus Christ. For the faithful Christian...there is no holding back, no reserve. Getting carried away is what we do best. The Disciples of Jesus got carried away after Pentecost and lives were changed, the broken were healed, and the good news was proclaimed. If that's getting carried away...I'm in. How bout you?
This weekend we are going to discuss where God leads us when we are "carried away" by God's Spirit.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
To Full to be Full
Last night at Starbucks, just kind of rehearsing our lives with one another, I shared a story with a group of folks that I thought might be relevant with where we are going on Saturday Night.
When I entered into the military I had an identity crisis. In college I was a "known" person. I was known for my personality and for my accomplishments. When I entered into the military that was shattered. I was thrust into a group of people; no one knew anything of who I was or what I had done. And guess what, no one cared. I was just a lowly newbie...just like everyone else. Well, to be honest that didn't set well with my overinflated sense of self-importance.
So, in my first house (OK-this is really embarrasing), I had an office in which I placed on the wall every award and accolade that I had from college. Every time I walked in my office I was able to remind myself, "You're good enough, you're smart enough and doggoneit people like you." I told you this was embarrassing. My life was filled with pride and self-importance.
Can I just tell you, there is no room for the Holy Spirit in a life filled with all that self-centeredness? Eventually I realized that the stuff had to come off the wall. I had to empty my walls and my life of my own insecurity. Now that stuff is packed up in a box underneath our house in a cubby hole. Only a life emptied of self can be filled with the Holy Spirit.
To live a Spirit-filled, Spirit empowered life begins as we divest ourselves of our pride, ambition, self-loathing, bitterness, pain, and all other forms of "self-worship." God cannot breathe the Spirit into us if our spiritual lungs are already full. So going into this weekend I ask you...
What's still hanging on your walls?
When I entered into the military I had an identity crisis. In college I was a "known" person. I was known for my personality and for my accomplishments. When I entered into the military that was shattered. I was thrust into a group of people; no one knew anything of who I was or what I had done. And guess what, no one cared. I was just a lowly newbie...just like everyone else. Well, to be honest that didn't set well with my overinflated sense of self-importance.
So, in my first house (OK-this is really embarrasing), I had an office in which I placed on the wall every award and accolade that I had from college. Every time I walked in my office I was able to remind myself, "You're good enough, you're smart enough and doggoneit people like you." I told you this was embarrassing. My life was filled with pride and self-importance.
Can I just tell you, there is no room for the Holy Spirit in a life filled with all that self-centeredness? Eventually I realized that the stuff had to come off the wall. I had to empty my walls and my life of my own insecurity. Now that stuff is packed up in a box underneath our house in a cubby hole. Only a life emptied of self can be filled with the Holy Spirit.
To live a Spirit-filled, Spirit empowered life begins as we divest ourselves of our pride, ambition, self-loathing, bitterness, pain, and all other forms of "self-worship." God cannot breathe the Spirit into us if our spiritual lungs are already full. So going into this weekend I ask you...
What's still hanging on your walls?
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Our Scriptures from Saturday Night
Like I promised, I am going to give you the various scriptures that I used to talk about the Evidence of God's Breath. I invite you to read them and think about the context in which they are found.
Genesis 1: From Order to Chaos
Exodus 14: A Way where there was no Way
Isaiah 61: Good News Proclaimed to the Poor and Broken
Ezra 1: God using the Unusable
Acts 1: Power for Faithfulness
Acts 4/5: Power for Boldness
Acts 10: Spirit of Reconciliation
Galatians: Freedom and Fruit
Romans 8: Life from Death
This is just a taste of the evidence of God's Spirit moving in this world. Read the Scriptures and look into the realities in which we live and look for other evidence.
Genesis 1: From Order to Chaos
Exodus 14: A Way where there was no Way
Isaiah 61: Good News Proclaimed to the Poor and Broken
Ezra 1: God using the Unusable
Acts 1: Power for Faithfulness
Acts 4/5: Power for Boldness
Acts 10: Spirit of Reconciliation
Galatians: Freedom and Fruit
Romans 8: Life from Death
This is just a taste of the evidence of God's Spirit moving in this world. Read the Scriptures and look into the realities in which we live and look for other evidence.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Surveying the Path
Over the last few weeks, the news has shown images of the devastation left by the Tornado in Murfreesboro. It is an awesome reminder of the power of nature. When winds blow at the force of an F-4 tornado (upwards of 170mph)it isn't difficult to see where those winds have been. There is sufficient evidence, reminders of the path of power and in this case tragic destruction.
Reading through the Psalms, it is the metaphoric language of these poets that also grab hold of my attention. The Psalmists will say, "The mountains melt like wax before the Lord." "The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightening with the rain and brings out the wind from the storehouses." Such powerful imagery, one that announces, "When God shows up...you can't help but notice."
I believe that! I believe that when God shows up we must take notice. When God breathes...when the breath of His Spirit is sent into this world, it becomes obvious. It becomes our task as Christians to survey the path of God's breath and to name it for the world. When life emerges from brokenness and despair, we say, "God has been through here." When marriages are healed from deceit and broken trust, we announce, "Look at the path of God's breath." When the hungry are fed, when justice is maintained, when peace flows like a river, we declare, "Look what the breath of God has accomplished in this place." Unlike the path left by the tornado, a path of destruction and sorrow. The Path of God's breath is one of life and celebration.
Reading through the Psalms, it is the metaphoric language of these poets that also grab hold of my attention. The Psalmists will say, "The mountains melt like wax before the Lord." "The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightening with the rain and brings out the wind from the storehouses." Such powerful imagery, one that announces, "When God shows up...you can't help but notice."
I believe that! I believe that when God shows up we must take notice. When God breathes...when the breath of His Spirit is sent into this world, it becomes obvious. It becomes our task as Christians to survey the path of God's breath and to name it for the world. When life emerges from brokenness and despair, we say, "God has been through here." When marriages are healed from deceit and broken trust, we announce, "Look at the path of God's breath." When the hungry are fed, when justice is maintained, when peace flows like a river, we declare, "Look what the breath of God has accomplished in this place." Unlike the path left by the tornado, a path of destruction and sorrow. The Path of God's breath is one of life and celebration.
Monday, April 20, 2009
No Monopoly
I have been giving much thought to the nature of how God's Spirit is at work in our lives. One of the issues that keeps presenting itself to my heart and mind is that we must be careful never to suggest that perhaps we have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit (by us--I mean individually or as a church). We don't possess the Spirit, the Spirit of God takes hold of us. We don't own it...we are gifted by it, as God continues to breathe faithfully into our lives.
But remember...God is free. God is free to send forth God's Spirit in whatever way God desires. The challenge as Christians is to be open to the possibility that God is breathing into lives and situations that we thought were once "godless." We pray for eyes to see the faithful movement of God's breath in this world. It is a breath that isn't contained in the church, but brings life to the church. We are to pray for the sensitivity to God's movement, that the breath of God's Spirit would carry us forth into those places and to those people that God is moving towards. To live by the Spirit is to surrender to the Spirit's freedom to be for the world as "gift" just as the Spirit is to the church as "gift."
Oh yeah...and to be thankful that God is free to breathe whereever and however God chooses to breathe.
But remember...God is free. God is free to send forth God's Spirit in whatever way God desires. The challenge as Christians is to be open to the possibility that God is breathing into lives and situations that we thought were once "godless." We pray for eyes to see the faithful movement of God's breath in this world. It is a breath that isn't contained in the church, but brings life to the church. We are to pray for the sensitivity to God's movement, that the breath of God's Spirit would carry us forth into those places and to those people that God is moving towards. To live by the Spirit is to surrender to the Spirit's freedom to be for the world as "gift" just as the Spirit is to the church as "gift."
Oh yeah...and to be thankful that God is free to breathe whereever and however God chooses to breathe.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
God Breathes...
This Saturday Night we begin a new Sermon Series called God Still Breathes. If we trace throughout the Old Testament, we find that the word for wind, breath, and Spirit are the same. In Hebrew the word is ruah. It is the breath of God over the earth that brings order in Genesis 1. It is the breath of God over the earth that causes the waters to recede in Genesis 8. It is the breath of God into the dry bones in the valley that brought life from death in Ezekiel 37. But it is the same word that is spoken when God sends his Spirit upon the prophets, upon Moses and David. This word literally has the connotation of bringing vitality, of moving, of sustaining life.
Now fast forward into the New Testament. Jesus says that unless someone is born of water and Spirit, they will not have life. As a thorough-going Jewish Rabbi, Jesus would have had in mind the word ruah. It is the breath/Spirit that proceeds from God, that traverses the earth bringing order from chaos and invades the life of humanity, bringing life from death. It is the gift of God to creation that makes possible God's intention for life as we should know it. Jesus promises throughout the Gospels that there would come a time when the Spirit would come upon those that follow Him. In Acts chapter 2 we see that promised fulfilled as the breath blows and the followers of Jesus are filled with God's Spirit. It is as they are caught up by God's Spirit...moved by God's breath that amazing things begin to take place.
Over the course of the next 6 weeks we will talk about how God is still breathing. His Spirit is as available to us today as it was in the time of the Early Disciples. We will discuss how this faithful breathing God draws us closer to God and sends us into the world. We will learn to be able to recognize that movement of God as he breathes faithfully into places that we might have otherwise missed. We will gather to celebrate, as we move toward Pentecost, the awesome gift of God's Spirit to both the church and in the world.
Now fast forward into the New Testament. Jesus says that unless someone is born of water and Spirit, they will not have life. As a thorough-going Jewish Rabbi, Jesus would have had in mind the word ruah. It is the breath/Spirit that proceeds from God, that traverses the earth bringing order from chaos and invades the life of humanity, bringing life from death. It is the gift of God to creation that makes possible God's intention for life as we should know it. Jesus promises throughout the Gospels that there would come a time when the Spirit would come upon those that follow Him. In Acts chapter 2 we see that promised fulfilled as the breath blows and the followers of Jesus are filled with God's Spirit. It is as they are caught up by God's Spirit...moved by God's breath that amazing things begin to take place.
Over the course of the next 6 weeks we will talk about how God is still breathing. His Spirit is as available to us today as it was in the time of the Early Disciples. We will discuss how this faithful breathing God draws us closer to God and sends us into the world. We will learn to be able to recognize that movement of God as he breathes faithfully into places that we might have otherwise missed. We will gather to celebrate, as we move toward Pentecost, the awesome gift of God's Spirit to both the church and in the world.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A Prayer for our Season to Pentecost
O Lord, who else or what else can I desire but you? You are my Lord, Lord of my heart, mind, and soul. You know me through and through. In and through you everything that is finds its origin and its goal. You embrace all that exists and care for it with divine love and compassion. Why then, do I keep expecting happiness and satisfaction outside of you? Why do I keep relating to you as one of my many relationships, instead of my only relationship, in which all others ones are grounded? Why do I keep looking for popularity, respect from others, success, acclaim, and sensual pleasures? Why, Lord, is it so hard for me to make you the only one? Why do I keep hesitating to surrender myself totally to you?
Help me, O Lord, to let my old self die, to let die the thousand big and small ways in which I am still building up my false self and trying to cling to my false desires. Let me be reborn in you and see through you the world in the right way, so that all my actions, words, and thought can become a hymn of praise to you.
I need your loving grace to travel this hard road that leads to death of my old self and to a new life in and for you. I know and trust that this is the road to freedom.
Lord, dispel my mistrust and help me become a trusting friend. Amen.
--From A Cry for Mercy by Henri J. M. Nouwen
Help me, O Lord, to let my old self die, to let die the thousand big and small ways in which I am still building up my false self and trying to cling to my false desires. Let me be reborn in you and see through you the world in the right way, so that all my actions, words, and thought can become a hymn of praise to you.
I need your loving grace to travel this hard road that leads to death of my old self and to a new life in and for you. I know and trust that this is the road to freedom.
Lord, dispel my mistrust and help me become a trusting friend. Amen.
--From A Cry for Mercy by Henri J. M. Nouwen
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