I am sick of hearing about "leaders" that keep getting caught in extramarital affairs. Seriously, it's gotten to the point where it is just ridiculous. Regardless of political affiliation or profession, these individuals who find themselves in positions of leadership, prominence and popularity and proceed to make choices that disgrace, hurt and deceive the people they love and lead is shameful. We read of another example of this, a GOP Senator from Nevada admitted to having an extramarital affair with one of his staff members (who also happened to be married) for a number of months while she worked for him. Mr. Ensign is certainly not the first on this long list of "leaders" who have failed to actually lead.
Now, I may be coming across as harsh but to be honest, I am intending to be and here's why:
1. As someone who is studying leadership at the graduate level and is attempting to be an effective leader to those I lead...I am frustrated at how little respect these "leaders" have for the positions of leadership they find themselves in. The more I study leadership I realize it has more to do with the people being lead than the one doing the leading. In my opinion, the self-centeredness of these individuals excludes them as true leaders.
2. I completely understand that no one is perfect or without sin. I understand that we all face a variety of temptations on a daily basis, some of which we cave to. I also understand that a leader is called to higher expectations, that's what makes him or her a leader. If leaders lived and worked without these higher expectations than what would make them leaders? One of the reasons that you and I are willing to follow people who lead is because we expect more from them. I want to follow someone who is trying to do it better than me, not worse or really even the same. When you and I decide to take positions of leadership, we must understand that we are agreeing to live and work with a set of expectations that are higher than those we lead. That is part of the responsibility of being an effective leader.
3. I'm not naive enough to think that extramarital affairs don't happen everyday in this country. Sure, it might not be a new one that starts but I can guarantee there are plenty that keep going. That is NOT COOL! Regardless of whether you are in a position of leadership, prominence or popularity it is flat out wrong. What comes up HUGE in situations like that is the grace and forgiveness that is available through Jesus Christ, for both the leader and non-leader. However, in my humble opinion, when a "leader" decides to be involved in an extramarital affair they effectively stop leading. They have forfeited the privilege and responsibility of leading others. Grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ is equally available to them as well and I also believe that we as followers of Jesus are commanded to forgive them BUT that does not mean they should be allowed to continue in their position of "leadership". I have to forgive as Jesus forgives but I don't have to let you lead, possibly ever again.
My last point, I promise...
4. As I've read a little about this recent fallen "leader" and saw something about that Jon dude from the TV show Jon & Kate + 8 I came across this article by Wendy Atterberry entitled "Is cheating ever deserved?" and just had to comment. As someone who sits down with couples in the pre-marital process, I can't even fathom coming to the conclusion that our friend Ms. Atterberry does when she says, "Cheating isn't right, but neither is emotional abuse and neglect. The bottom line is: If you push someone enough, it shouldn't be any surprise when you push him into the arms of someone else." I'm sorry Ms. Atterberry but are you serious?!? Cheating is never, ever deserved, along with any kind of abuse or neglect so why then provide this kind of 'out' for people? The rationale of, "Well, you have been neglecting me so I guess I am going to have to fill my needs with someone else." is not only lame but a cop-out and garbage! I tell couples there is this crazy thing called communication that can really make a difference in their relationship if they are willing to try it with each other. Why would you have not suggested that as an option prior to or instead of cheating? Well, at least the commenters of your article thought of it...
June 17, 2009
Another One Bites the Dust
Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts Week 4
Our study during Week 4 brings us to focus on three figures in Scripture who, despite their weaknesses, are used by God. We will spend some time looking at Moses in Exodus 3:1-4:17, King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30, and Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. As you spend some time with these passages consider the following...
Moses
1. Notice the concerns Moses raises with God. Do you relate with any of them? Why?
2. When it comes to your own servanthood, what are you doing that you couldn't do without the power of the Holy Spirit?
3. How easy is it for you to "play it safe"?
4. What is holding you back from boldly following the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life?
King Jehoshaphat
1. How did you feel about Jehoshaphat honesty concerning his fears?
2. How honest are you when it comes to dealing with your fears in serving others?
3. What encourages you from this story?
Paul
1. How would you explain this seeming contradiction?
2. What does this look like in your life?
Question to ponder:
How has God allowing you to deal with your weaknesses and fears impacted your faith journey?
June 16, 2009
Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts Week 3
This past Sunday (6/14) was Week 3 of our ongoing study around the topic of spiritual gifts. Much of our discussion in class focused on how we might define a 'spiritual gift' while also listing the gifts listed in a few passages of Scripture (which you can checkout here). Bill Hybels describes spiritual gifts as, "...divine enablements -- special God-given abilities -- that he entrusts to each of his people in order to involve them in the task of advancing his purposes. Simply put, God has made you a specialist in some area of ministry."
Some thoughts from our discussion:
How would you describe a 'spiritual gift'?
-it comes easily or is easy to do for an individual
-it is a part of who you are
-it is for God's purposes
-it is the part of you that reflects Christ
What comes to mind when you hear the word priest (1 Peter 2:9-10)?
-leadership
-out of reach, select, special, separation
-exclusiveness
-connection to God
-dedicated life
From the passages we spent time studying and talking about we came up with this list of gifts mentioned and instructions given:
Gifts: serving // teaching // encouraging // prophesying (here Paul is speaking in regards to the ability to speak prophetically about upcoming events) // generosity // leadership // serving // showing mercy // evangelism // administration // healing // wisdom // knowledge // miracles // speaking in tongues // interpreting tongues // distinguishing between spirits // faith
Instructions: use them to serve God and others // God supplies the power // everyone has at least one spiritual gift // each of us are unique in the combination of spiritual gifts we have // we must be patient // we must be unified // we must use them cheerfully // we have a common purpose
Take some time to go through this list of Spiritual Gifts (this list is not exhaustive) and make a note about the ones you know you have and the ones you think you might have. Feel free to ask questions or leave a comment to generate discussion. Here are a couple things to think about when considering your spiritual gifts...
1. Have there been times while serving God that felt like you were using the gift(s) He had given you exactly as they needed to be used?
2. It is possible to overlook a gift you may have or to think you have a gift you don't. One of the best ways to help figure this out is by listening to the feedback of others. Another way is by putting those gifts to practice to see how it goes. Would a trial-and-error approach to ministry be beneficial for you?
*this study has been adapted from the book Gifts: the joy of serving God by John Ortberg, Laurie Pederson & Judson Poling*
Spiritual Gifts List
This is not an exhaustive list of the Spiritual Gifts but instead will serve as a place to start in order to get an idea of the gift(s) God has given each of us to further His kingdom.
____Administration: You have the gift of understanding clearly the immediate and long-range goals of a committee, working group, or the church as a whole. You are also able to create and carry out effective plans to accomplish these goals.
____Arts and Crafts: You have the gift of using your hands, imagination and mind in the area of construction, maintenance and upkeep for the benefit and beautification of the
____Building & Maintenance: You have the gift of using your hands, imagination, and mind in the areas of construction, maintenance, and upkeep for the benefit and beautification of the
____Proclaiming the Faith: You have the gift of sharing the Good News with others in such a way that these people want to become disciplined Christians.
____Exhortation: You have the gift of providing words of comfort, consolation, encouragement and counsel to others.
____Faith: You have the gift of seeing with certain and special confidence what work God wants a person, a committee, a working group or the church as a whole to undertake. You are also able to move forward with the belief that anything is possible through God.
____Giving: You have the gift of contributing your material resources to the work of the Lord with great joy, eagerness and generosity.
____Helps: You have the gift of doing those small, but important behind-the-scenes activities, which are essential to the success of the work of the church.
____Hospitality: You have the gift of providing a warm welcome to others with food, lodging, or personal attention.
____Intercession: You have the gift of having a disciplined prayer life, which sees frequent and specific answers to your prayers.
____Knowledge: You have been blessed with the gift of discovering, accumulating, analyzing, and clarifying information and ideas.
____Leadership: You have the gift of getting people to work together to accomplish worthwhile goals.
____Mercy: You have the gift of showing compassion for those who suffer distressing physical, psychological, or financial problems.
____Music-Vocal: You have the gift of using your voice in the singing of praises and joy to the Lord.
____Music-Instrumental: You have the gift of playing a musical instrument in praise of God.
____Serving: You have the gift of identifying the unmet needs of people and doing something to meet those needs.
____Shepherding: You have the gift of being responsible for the spiritual well-being of an individual or a small group of people.
____Teaching: You have the gift of helping children or adults grow spiritually.
____Wisdom: You have the gift of having insight into and understanding of life situations. You also know what to do about them and how to do it.
____Writing: You have the gift of putting your thoughts or feelings into words in such a way that people receive courage, guidance, knowledge, or inspiration.
*adapted from Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow by C. Peter Wagner
June 15, 2009
Church History I
I find myself again at the beginning of a summer of classes. For those of you that a) don't know b) don't remember or c) don't care I am and have been (for half of my life it seems like) working on my Masters of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY. I will be taking a total of 3 week-long intensive classes this summer, one in June, July (Technology in Ministry) and August (Church History II) with my first one starting today. I have finished my first day of Church History I and have to admit that I kind of like it up to this point. I think the combination of what seems like a good professor and my overall nerdiness makes liking a class about church history a possibility for me. So if you see me blogging or tweeting about random church history facts, you know why.
Anyways, as I was sitting in class today diligently taking notes I found myself thinking about something our prof said, "we are writing church history." This statement blew me away and humbled me all at once. The thought that what we are doing and not doing right now in the life of the Church is making history is kind of scary as well as exciting. I couldn't help but think how sweet it could be to be involved in some sort of great new chapter in the life and history of the Christian Church. What a huge responsibility and privilage. Thankfully we're not left to do this on our own, the Holy Spirit has been actively involved in the story of the Church throughout the centuries and I have no reason to think that is going to stop any time soon. Good thing because if it were left up to us, I have no doubt we would find a way to destroy it pretty quick.
June 11, 2009
"It'll All Work Out"
This has been my catch line for about as long as I can remember. I honestly believe that things will work out and the only thing I can attribute this to is the impact Christ has had on my life. I know, you read that and might say to yourself things like "How cheesy!", "That's way too Christian for me.", or "That sounds nice but is just not practical for my life or situation.". I can completely understand why you might have those thoughts because every once-in-awhile I have them too but when it comes down to it, I really do believe that things will work out.
Now, when I say "work out" I seldom know what that means or looks like exactly but trust that Christ does. It is that fact that helps me deal with situations that catch me off-guard and don't seem to make any sense. Have you ever had times when it feels like the weight of the world is trying to squeeze you into an abnormally small box? Or the odds are not in your favor and you don't see any way out of a particular situation? It's then when faith in Christ comes up HUGE! Sure worry, anxiety and stress might creep in but overall there is a peace that I am able to have that makes about as much sense as the situation itself.
In situations where we have lost all control (or what we perceived as control) what is more practical than having a "peace that transcends all understanding"(Philippians 4:7) believing "It'll All Work Out" because of Christ in your life?
It Keeps Going and Going and...
UPDATE: Well, since these pics last week I have fired the painters we hired to scrape, prep, prime and paint our house because they effectively did none of those things. After not scraping and still deciding to prime the house I told them thanks but no thanks. Two steps forward, three steps back. As a result we have had to pretty much scrape the entire house "again" and look to get some help from the place I should have gotten it from in the first place, a handful of college guys from my youth group. All of which are great guys and hard workers so I'm not really sure what I was thinking by going in another direction. Here is my chance to say 'thanks' to them for spending a few hours yesterday helping me scrape in hopes of being able to paint this weekend and show off a couple pics of our work.
June 8, 2009
Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts Week 2
This past Sunday (6/7) was the 2nd week in our Sunday morning study entitled "Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts" and provided some great discussion in class. We spent time discussing how easy it is to compare ourselves to others spiritually and be left feeling inadequate or frustrated. The point was also made that the comparison can take place even within ourselves as we remember other times in our life when we were more or less spiritual. It made it interesting to think about how people might view the Church when people start playing the comparison game.
We also spent time talking about the scripture passage from last week and so I thought I would share a few thoughts that were mentioned:
- Transformation is a choice. We must choose to allow the Spirit of Christ to transform us.
- "renewing of your mind" is a kind of rebirth; a new way of looking at things, a new attitude.
- "living sacrifice" is a continual surrender, not just a one time event.
- one quote from class discussion, "People need to be reminded more than taught."
Follow-up questions we were left with were:
- Is there a sin in your life that is keeping you from fully living for God?
- In what ways do you tend to disconnect your "spiritual life" from your "real life"?
This Sunday (6/14) will be the 3rd week in our Sunday morning study and will focus on: 1 Peter 2:9-10, 1 Peter 4:10-11, Romans 12:3-8, Ephesians 4:1-13, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. I encourage you to spend some time with these passages throughout the week and consider these questions...
1. What comes to mind when you hear the word priest?
2. Spend some time looking at the gifts mentioned in the last 4 passages listed. These lists are not exhaustive but can give you an idea of some of the gifts that God may have given you. Do you feel like God has given you any of those listed in these verses?
3. Have there been times when you were serving God that felt like you were using the gift(s) He had given you exactly as they needed to be used? What did that feel like?
4. If you are not sure yet what your gifts might look like or how to use them, how beneficial might a trial-and-error approach be for you?
Feel free to comment and interact here during the week and join us on Sunday mornings as we continue our study and discussion. Don't hesitate to contact me at matt@castletonumc.org with any questions, thoughts or comments if you would rather not post here.
A Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
-Saint Francis of Assisi
June 7, 2009
Whitewater River
I had the opportunity to go on an overnight kayaking/camping trip with 4 guys who were in my youth group back in the day and are now college students. We drove to Brookville, IN and put in on the Whitewater River with 2 canoes, 1 kayak and all our gear split between the 2 canoes. We left around noon and paddled for about 14 miles and about 4hrs before we finally found the perfect campsite on an island around the bend in the river. The weather was perfect for paddling and sleeping, if you brought a sleeping bag, which 2 of the guys didn't for some reason...unfortunate since it dropped into the 40's. After a decent night's sleep, we paddled for another 5 miles or so and got picked up around 11 the next morning. Here are some pics I took with my iPhone.
Overall it was a great trip. A couple highlights were:
- Seeing a bald eagle both days and having it fly with us along the river for the majority of the morning.
- Watching one of the guys make multiple attempts at putting in his contacts in the morning. I have never seen someone use so much solution, to the point where he kept knocking it off his finger into the dirt and would then start the process all over again.
- The weather. I'm really not exagerating when I say it was absolutely perfect. Warm during the day but not hot, a nice breeze and not a cloud in the sky.
- The chance to hang out with some pretty cool guys and share some youth group memories.
June 3, 2009
Remember the Holy Spirit?
I don't know about you but I find myself not giving the Holy Spirit enough credit. More often than not I don't even think about it, let alone give it credit for stuff. It seems like we are missing out on the power and presence that is promised to those who follow Jesus through his Spirit. This is a Spirit that promises power and to empower, peace, courage, guidance, and direction. If we believe in the Triune God then we must recognize that the Holy Spirit that dwells within us is the very same Spirit that was and is God, that has been and will be for all eternity. We, I, have to start paying attention to the leading and moving of God's Spirit because it is the source of boldness, love and self-discipline (2 Tim. 1:7) that has the ability to transform people's lives. It is not only time to remember the Holy Spirit but live a life that responds to its leading.
The Spirit is God himself, a merciful power establishing his reign over man's heart, over the whole of man, inwardly present to man and apparent in his workings to man's human spirit.~The Church by Hans Kung
June 1, 2009
Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts
The class that I am teaching on Sunday mornings has just started an 8 week series I've entitled "Use Me God: Finding Your Spiritual Gifts" (I have adapted most of this from Gifts: the joy of serving God) which is going to focus on spiritual gifts: what they are, how to find yours and how to put them to use. I will be posting thoughts, readings and questions over the next couple weeks here on my blog and invite you to follow along.
This past Sunday (5/31) we spent some time discussing a couple of these questions (feel free to share your thoughts as well):
1. Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? If yes, what does that mean or look like? If no, why not?
Some thoughts that were shared in response:
-depends on the environment
-Do you think community is needed for spirituality?
-"No" because of distractions
-"Yes" when it involves reaching out to people, relationships but doesn't have to be tied to evangelism
2. Do you think being spiritual is hard or takes a lot of work?
Some thoughts that were shared in response:
-it takes dedication and discipline
3. Do you have a clear picture of the kind of life you'd live if you were to be more spiritual?
Some thoughts that were shared in response:
-be more disciplined
-more of what God wants and less of what we want
-live more by faith
Spend some time with Romans 12:1-2 throughout this week and think about these questions...
1. Why is it so critical for you to know and trust the goodness of God in order to fearlessly offer up a "use me" prayer?
2. Paul urges us to "present" or "offer" our bodies, what do you think about this?
3. What does it mean for you to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind"?
4. What struck you as you read the words "living sacrifice"?
5. In what ways do you tend to disconnect your "spiritual life" from your "real life"?
6. What is keeping you from being fully used by God?
A Little Bit Closer
So the painters came out today and somehow, some way, were able to scrape and prime our house in about 4hrs. Needless to say I'm a little anxious to see how this is going to look when it's done. The blue we are going with is much darker so don't freak out, we had the primer tinted as you can clearly see.
Before we got to this point, I was finishing up getting the house ready for the painters to come out and finally decided I had to evict the freeloaders that have been living with us for 2yrs now. Little did I know there were 2 "teenagers" that were home when I came knocking and almost hit me in the face as they flew away. As you can see, they had a pretty nice pad and apparently their mom gave up on one of their siblings. But hey, at least I uncovered some detail of the house.
May 28, 2009
"Is God Dead? Or Just Not Riding The Bus?"
Time.com posted an article today entitled "Is God Dead? Or Just Not Riding The Bus?". I was intrigued at first but as I read the article I noticed that it ended up being about how atheists want the freedom to spend thousands of dollars to advertise they are atheists. I have absolutely no issue with people who want to share their opinions and views, or even those who want to spend a lot of money to do so because that is one of the foundational freedoms of our country.
I guess the part I'm confused about is why would they spend all of that time, energy and resources to convey a message of the even harder work involved in disbelieving. The article says, "The ads are designed to show lonely atheists that they do not walk alone — and they can go on disbelieving." Can you imagine how difficult it must be to convince yourself day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute that you don't believe in the Creator? That most, if not everything you see is a result of randomness? Man, and some people think having faith is hard work...
I have to give credit to Steven Gray because the title of his article certainly got my attention and even caused me to click on his link but come on...God...dead...really? The whole idea that somehow someone or something can kill God is really just funny to me. What are we going to kill God with, our magic opinion bullets?
May 26, 2009
It's Getting There
A few pics I took today w/my phone to show our progress in the rip-off-the-aluminum-siding-and-redo-the-wood-siding-underneath project. We are trying to get as much ready as possible so the scrapping, priming and painting can start later this week. We decided to rip down the soffit to expose the cool looking wood underneath and built custom attic vents of our own. Looks much better but needless to say it's been quite the project.
And here are a couple pics of "The Green Monster"...at least that's what we call it.
May 25, 2009
Memorial Day
The first thing I noticed when I got up this morning, other than it had been raining, was the United States flag that my neighbor put out on the front of her house. It seems extremely appropriate on this day when we remember and recognize all of the men and women who have been willing to give up so much, in a system that gives them very little in return, in order for the rest of us to have so much. Whether they are family, friends or complete strangers we remember your commitment and willingness to serve and say 'Thanks'!
May 24, 2009
LeftRightLeftRightLeft
So I downloaded the free Coldplay album from their website (you can get it here) entitled "LeftRightLeftRightLeft" and have been listening to it for the past couple days and must say that I'm impressed, especially for a free album. I have never seen Coldplay live though they are coming to Noblesville this summer and am toying with the possibility.
Now I know there are a lot of people that criticize Coldplay or people that like them but regardless of whether you like them or not, I think it would be hard to argue how musically talented they are. I find the 9 songs on this album flow quite nicely together, sound great and are over before I know it. I especially like this live version of "Glass Of Water". The album is only about 40mins long but not bad for a free live album. I would highly recommend checking this out if you haven't already.
May 23, 2009
"Living A Legacy"
A sermon I gave at our Saturday evening Memorial Day Weekend service (it also happens to be my 200th post!)
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“Living A Legacy”
I hope you are and have been enjoying your Memorial Day Weekend. Certainly can’t complain about the weather. Two things I want to say about the weekend before we jump in…
First of all I want to start by thanking all of our service men and women who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms that you and I experience on a daily basis. This weekend is about honoring their memory, commitment, sacrifice and dedication.
The other thing this weekend has come to be known for, especially here in
It is important to remember. We remember people, places, and events. We learn by remembering how or why something did or didn’t happen. I’d be interested to hear what comes to mind when you hear the word ‘legacy’? Webster defines ‘legacy’ as: a gift by will especially of money or other personal property: like a bequest or as: something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past. We all want to be remembered, to leave some sort of legacy. Do you remember as President Bush was preparing to leave office hearing all of the talk about “his legacy”?
We’re going to spend some time this evening talking about how people will remember us. To ask ourselves the question, “What is the memory I am creating of myself and will it last?” Living a legacy is not about hoping people will remember you after you’re gone, it’s about changing the way you live NOW in order to make a difference in the PRESENT and the FUTURE. This idea is what makes this so important regardless of our age, profession or background. I think often times we think of the word ‘legacy’ as a word signifying that the end is near; the end of a career, the end of a life, the end of a term in office, etc. but in reality, I think the memory people will have of us starts right now.
Which leads to a couple thoughts I had…
a. Deut. 5:15
b. Countless times in the OT we read, “Remember that you were slaves in
c. The psalmist notes, “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (139:12-14)
d. God says in Jeremiah, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (29:10-12)
e. Remember that you are not your own. Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 6:19-20 that we have been bought at a price.
2. To be a lasting legacy we need to recognize that a lot of things won’t last
a. Eccl. 1:11; 2:16
b. Deut. 8:17-19
c. Remember when Jesus tells us not to store up treasures on earth but rather to store up treasures in heaven? (Matthew 6:19-21)
3. To be a lasting legacy we need to be about things that will last
a. Rev. 1:8; 21:6; 22:13
b. Ezek. 18:21-24
c. James 5:19-20
d. Heb. 10:32-39
e. Rev. 3:1-3a
May 21, 2009
This & That
My semester is officially completed! I turned in my last paper for 1 of my 2 classes last night and must admit it feels pretty good. It was certainly not the best paper I have ever written but it completed my semester nonetheless. Now I've got about 3 weeks before I head down to the HUGE metropolis of Wilmore, KY for my next class. A week long intensive of Church History I. Should be good times.
So I did something I've never done before, I subscribed to a magazine with the intent of actually reading it. My first Newsweek arrived earlier this week. I've worked my way about half-way through it so far and am glad I decided to pick up a subscription. Should provide plenty of things to think and blog about. For example, there is a short piece commenting on the book Going to Extremes: How Like Minds Unite and Divide by Cass Sunstein. One of those comments reads, "The Web unites - and it polarizes. Online, it's possible to filter news into what Sunstein calls the "Daily Me": a flow of information that only reinforces one's previously held opinions" (pg. 17).
This really makes sense to me and even scares me a little because we do the exact same thing with the Bible. How often have we run into people (or been those 'people' ourselves) that use bits and pieces of the Bible to "reinforce [our] previously held opinions" about God, the Church, right and wrong, morality, etc. We have the opportunity to bring people together, to display unity, to serve the Body of Christ by understanding what the Bible is actually saying in the context of God's story or we could keep trying to shove our opinions in people's faces and see what happens.
May 18, 2009
Frustration
Frustration is annoying. Have you ever gotten frustrated with something that someone caught the brunt of it? You know those times when you are working with this or that, maybe it's a car or a computer or wood siding on your house, and it isn't going like it should and you can feel the frustration level begin to rise?? I'm not sure if the "wood siding" gave it away but I've been running into this the last couple days as Tai and I continue to work on refinishing our house.
It really doesn't make any sense for me to get so frustrated about the fact that the wood siding cracks or splits when I try to replace it. And it makes even less sense in situations like these to allow someone else to be impacted by our frustrations. It is not their fault and they have done nothing to deserve the dumb things we say or do as a result of our frustrations, whatever the cause. The ones we love the most are typically the ones that see us at our most frustrated and as a result experience some collateral damage. Weird how that works. Not cool or fair but certainly weird...or maybe unfortunate is a better word to use.
I don't get frustrated like this often but whenever it does happen an apology is not far behind. The majority of the time those apologies are headed in Tai's direction because of her willingness to put up with me. This made me wonder...how often, if ever, do you think God gets frustrated with us? Do apologies follow close behind?
May 14, 2009
1 = 1
I had the chance to grab some coffee with a friend of mine that I have not talked to in at least 4yrs. In that time he has finished 2 tours of duty in Kandahar, Afghanistan and nearly squeezed in a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communications with a double minor of History and Christian Mission in between. Needless to say it was great to see him, let alone get a chance to hear stories of what his faith looked like while serving in a foreign land. He talked of his genuine concern for the Afghan people and desire to see them live in peace yet contrasted that with the attitude some have that American lives were somehow more important than those of the locals. It was evident from hearing him talk that this caused him a certain amount of stress as someone that is trying to follow Jesus.
Immediately things come to mind like, "For God does not show favoritism." (Rom. 2:11) or "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matt. 5:44) and "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant to all." (Mark 9:35). It seems as though the message we should be getting from Scripture is one of equality. We have all equally sinned, all of which Christ was willing to die for equally. It is not as though Jesus was picking and choosing who He deemed "worthy" of His sacrifice and redemption because if that were the case then none of us would make the cut. So then it would seem, at least to me, that there is an innate equality amongst all of humanity regardless of culture, language, or skin color that would say 1 life is = to another life.
So, as followers of Jesus, the question we must ask ourselves is if we actually live this way? Do you and I walk around day after day seeing each and every person we come in contact with (or our "neighbor" as Jesus would say) as equal to ourselves? Can we honestly say they have worth that is equal to or even greater than the worth we see in ourselves? I believe that until we are able to start living this the Church will continue its struggle for relevancy in today's culture.
May 10, 2009
Get Real
Dr. Jackie Chandler spoke this morning in service and entitled it "Get Real" and used a passage from the book of James as her text. James happens to be one of my favorite books because he just brings it, lays it on the line and tells it like it is. I love that. Things like, "If you know the good you should do and don't do it, you sin." BAM!! You know what you're suppose to do but decide not to...BAM...sin. There is no room for questions, no room for me to squirm some sort of lame justification as to why I did or didn't do something. Nope. I did or didn't do what I knew should or shouldn't be done and that is flat out, nasty, ugly, hurtful sin. Nothing like calling a spade a spade.
So as I was sitting there in service listening to her speak, I found myself jotting down some thoughts in response to some of the points she was making. One of the things she said had to do with the idea that real actions are not scripted, they are simply a part of who we are. The more I thought about this, the more it made sense to me.
If something is scripted, it seems much less real to me. You know those times when you call a customer support line and the voice on the other end (if you're lucky enough to talk to a human being) has a scripted conversation in front of him or her they simply read to you? It's just like that, you and I both know that we are not actually having a real conversation with this person but rather we are talking and they are simply reading to us. Or when Mormons knock at your door and you try to have an open and honest converstaion with them and start asking questions that don't fit into their scripted answers, they don't know what to do. It makes me wonder if it is real for them.
When we pretend to be something we're not we are following a script (written by someone or something else; signficant other, culture, etc.) that results in our conversations, relationships and goals being anything but real because we're not being real ourselves.
Mother's Day
Not a single person on this planet hasn't been impacted one way or another by a mother. You either are one, were one and most definitely have/had one. I think it's good we have a specific day set aside to recognize mothers because chances are they don't get the 'props' they deserve, so here's to you moms...Happy Mother's Day!! Without you none of us would be here, so thanks.
Be sure to honor your mom one way or another.
May 8, 2009
Debit or Credit
I can vaguely remember from my Accounting I & II classes in high school seeing two columns, one associated with 'credit' and the other associated with 'debit'. I was always a little confused by the relationship between these two because (please correct me if I'm wrong because I certainly could be) 'debit' = good because it was money coming in and 'credit' = bad because money was going out. So what's the deal with being asked the question, "Is that debit or credit?" when making a purchase? As far as I know they both take my money, hence the confusion but that's neither here nor there...
In preparing to wrap-up our study of Philippians this Sunday I came across an interesting thought, well at least to me. Paul uses a couple interesting words in the closing passages of his letter to the Philippians that stood out to me for one reason or another: giving and receiving (4:15), credited (4:17), account (4:17), received full payment (4:18). So in this passage (4:14-19) Paul uses a few "commercial" or "business" kinds of words and that made me curious to see what these words looked like in the Greek, so I started to check them out. The words that I found most intriguing weren't any of the words I highlighted above but instead in verse 19 the words meet and needs (reading from the NIV).
meet: the idea of filling or making full, to supply
needs: a necessity; duty, business or a debt
All of this Accountant lingo got me thinking...maybe "all the needs" Paul was talking about in verse 19 are the debts we owe as a result of our sins and that God has filled that debt through the glory of Christ Jesus. If nothing else it proved to be a great reminder to me that the debt I could never repay has been covered in full.
May 6, 2009
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
I had the chance to grab a matinee showing on opening day of the latest film in the X-Men series entitled "X-Men Origins: Wolverine". Overall I found it to be entertaining but must admit that I was a little disappointed. I really enjoyed the previous X-Men movies (especially 1 & 2, 3 was ok) and had high expectations coming into this movie, which maybe was unfair on my part but, fair or unfair, I didn't feel like this movie was nearly as good.
The movie focuses on the character of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and his journey of self discovery and realization. There is plenty of action and special effects, arguably too much in an attempt to make up for a story line that might not be strong enough to carry a 106min long movie. I was interested by the story and would have traded seeing it developed a little more for some of the different action sequences, which I think would have allowed Wolverine's sarcastic wit (that I enjoyed so much in the previous movies) to show up.
I found this movie to be entertaining but was hoping for more. There is a lot of action and most, if not all, is fairly violent so please take that into consideration if you plan on seeing it or allowing children to see it. For what it's worth, I would give it a B/B-.
May 5, 2009
Rethink Church
The United Methodist Church is launching a new marketing campaign entitled "Rethink Church" as of tomorrow, May 6th. The premise behind the change from "Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors." to the new slogan, according to the official United Methodist Communications website, is:
This campaign is specifically targeting young adults aged 18-35 by challenging them "to think of church, not as a static institution, but as a movement of people empowered to transform the world" (site link). This is what the Church has been from the very beginning. I think the need to "Rethink Church" must first be for those of us already in the pews by challenging how comfortable we have made the Church for ourselves. We have to stop treating it like some sort of country club and remember we have been commanded to serve, rather than looking to be served.
Personally, I like the new campaign slogan...a lot. I like it much more than the current one and believe it is a solid place to start in order to get a better grasp of what it means to truly be the Body of Christ. I'm anxious to see what this will look like as it plays out.
April 30, 2009
Welcome Back
I thought I would share this from an email I received earlier this week. (I have permission from the sender to post this.)
"My question/concern is regarding "coming back" to the faith, if that's the way you would word it. I've had my skepticism about Christianity, and I've definitely been living in a way that does not exemplify a "Christian life," AND I know I need to change a lot of things, but I don't really understand the whole thing about not being able to come back. Is that just if you completely reject a belief in God? And maybe I'm not doing the right things to "come back." I don't know."
The passage I think you are referring to in talking about "not being able to come back" is found in Hebrews 6:4-6 which reads:
"4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace." (NIV)
The writer of Hebrews is talking about someone that has completely rejected God, like you mentioned. This would be someone who knows what it means to walk with and toward Jesus and has made a deliberate decision to turn and head in the opposite direction. The impossibility comes in on our part, not God's. He will not force Himself upon me so it becomes impossible for me to come back to repentance (which literally means to do a 180 and head in the opposite direction) if my heart is not willing.
This also brings to mind the story of the Prodigal Son. It would have been impossible for him to come back if he had not had a change of heart and decided to repent, or travel in the opposite direction he was heading, which brought him back home. I would guess that you are more like the Prodigal Son, as that is the case for the majority of us at times in our relationship with Christ.
I'm not sure if there is a list of the "right" things to do to come back but I can say it requires a change of heart, which it sounds like you are experiencing simply because you were willing to send this email. Confess. Repent. Find a church community and get plugged-in, find a small group to get connected to, make it a priority in your day to spend time in the Word, set aside your desires/wants/needs and love other people and I'm guessing that as you begin to do these things you will find that you haven't strayed as far as you think. Continue to pursue this change in direction and allow Christ to welcome you back!
April 29, 2009
A Litany of Humility
This litany composed by Rafael Cardinal Merry de Val (1865-1930) was shared in our staff devotions yesterday and I found it to be pretty powerful.
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus. (repeat after each line)
From the desire of being loved,
From the desire of being extolled,
From the desire of being honored,
From the desire of being praised,
From the desire of being preferred to others,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,
From the fear of being humiliated,
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the fear of being wronged,
From the fear of being suspected,
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. (repeat after each line)
That others may be esteemed more than I,
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease,
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should,
April 28, 2009
Just Say 'NO'
At what point does it become too much? Even if they are "good" things? It seems as though it is becoming more obvious that so many of us are doing way too much. We have become so over committed that we have forgotten what we're actually committed to. Going non-stop has caused us to get stressed out, exhausted, and even cranky. We are doing so many things that we have a hard time focusing on one thing which makes it really hard to do anything really well. So many of us have fallen into the trap of thinking that our doing defines our being.
Do you ever just rest? I mean really rest. Is your schedule dictating your priorities when in reality it should be the other way around? It would be impossible to read about the ministry of Jesus and not see the point He made to rest. Even Jesus scheduled time for rest.
Follow this line of logic with me and let's see where we end up...
...God created everything in 6 days, took a Sabbath rest on the 7th...
...God created you and I in His image...
...God created the Sabbath for man, not the other way around...
...Jesus is God and was intentional about finding rest...
...you and I need to practice Sabbath rest.
Maybe you need to start saying 'NO' to things, I know I do. Maybe even to good things that might help other people? If I get so caught up in serving for Christ that I forget about Christ, I'm missing the point. If the noise of my busyness drowns out the voice of the One I am busy for, I'm missing the point.
Many persons, ordained or not, live in a fairly constant state of noise, with their unresolved past and the uncertain present breaking in on them. They lack a still center and it is only for such a quiet point that we can listen attentively.-From Spirituality for Ministry by Urban T. Holmes III
April 26, 2009
Do Something About It
I wonder how many of us have things we say we are going to change about ourselves. This could be anything...a relationship, a habit, a phrase you are trying to quit saying (like "your mom"), a diet, the way you treat people, the way you treat yourself, the way you treat God, etc. I also wonder how long you have been talking about a particular change but find it very unchanged.
If you are lucky, more than likely you have people in your life that are telling you this change needs to happen in order for you to be happy and healthy or maybe the situation is so dire that you need to change in order to stay alive. And still you are finding yourself not changing.
My question to you is, "What are you waiting for?" At some point you will have to do something to bring about the change you talk so much about. Change is not static, it requires action and yet so often we come across people that are frustrated with the lack of desired change in their particular situation and they can't seem to figure out why. When I ask them what they are doing to bring about this change they give some sort of excuse as to why they are waiting for it to happen or there isn't anything they can do about it. The person in that unhealthy relationship with you is not going to tell you to leave him/her for your own good. God is not going to force Himself on you to make you pay attention to Him or love Him. There comes a point when you have to do something about it. Regardless of how many times a friend, pastor, coach, neighbor, co-worker, stranger tells you that you need to change but if you don't do something about it, they are simply wasting their breath. Their words become pointless.
The time is now to make the change happen you have been talking about for so long. Surround yourself with people that recognize the change that needs to be made in your life and empower them to help you do something about it. If you really want to see change take place in your life, then you must be ready and willing to act.
April 23, 2009
A New Mission Statement
After months of discussion, conversations, reading and study our church officially adopted a new mission statement earlier this week. I like it because it's simple, easy to remember and to the point but I guess you can be the judge of that...
April 21, 2009
The People In Your Neighborhood
Remember that song? Definitely one of my favorites from back in the day. Remember when Jesus told us to love our neighbors? Definitely hard to do. A couple reasons why I think this is so hard...
1. when Jesus said "neighbor" He meant anyone and everyone we come in contact with
2. the love that Jesus is telling us to show is a love that puts the receiver of this love ahead of or above the giver
3. Jesus is telling us to do this, He's not so much giving us an option or choice in the matter because He knows that if you and I really want to follow, then we'll obey
4. people can be hard to love because they can be rude, cold, annoying, ignorant, selfish, etc which makes neighbors hard to love because they are people
5. I am a person, which means sometimes I am rude, cold, annoying, ignorant, selfish, etc and not good at loving my neighbors as a result
My challenge to you and I is to really try to "love your neighbor as yourself" for 1 entire day. From morning until night, striving to put everyone else before ourselves and then to post on this blog your experiences. Leave your name or don't, whatever, just share the stories of our little experiment so we can see how it goes. The good, the bad and the ugly. Try to live a whole day being completely selfless and let's see what happens. Could be pretty interesting.
April 16, 2009
Everything Happens for a Reason?
We had a pastors' meeting yesterday morning and the phrase "Everything happens for a reason." was discussed because we are hearing it more and more. Usually it is preceded or followed by a form of, "Well, I guess everything..." or "...for a reason I guess." The discussion that followed amongst ourselves was interesting. We talked about reason vs. plan/purpose. We talked about how this statement relates to events like 9/11, natural disasters or the loss of a loved one. We also talked about how often this phrase comes in the form of a question.
My take on it is this: God provides the reason.
Things happen that don't make sense and we don't understand and God brings reason out of them. Does He desire for things like 9/11 to happen, of course not, but He can, and does fit them into His plan. A plan that includes purpose, hope and reason. Sure everything happens for a reason because there is something known as cause and effect. Things happen as the consequence of other things happening or not happening, that's the reason they happen. If we are looking or searching for a deeper meaning when we say "Everything happens for a reason" then we must go beyond the cause and effect relationship and look to another relationship, the one between God and His creation.
April 15, 2009
As I'm sure you've noticed, I've started Twitter-ing and was wondering what you thought of Twitter in general.
What do you think of it?
Do you like it? Why or why not?
Do you Twitter?
April 14, 2009
On the Road to Emmaus
Lent has come and gone, Easter is passed and now what?!? It started with the mountaintop experience of the Triumphant Entry Jesus had coming into Jerusalem and was followed by the ups and downs of clearing the temple courts, public teachings and miracles, only to be plunged into the valley of despair as Jesus is taken away and eventually nailed to a tree. The ride doesn't stop there because 3 days later the disciples find an empty tomb but no Jesus in sight. Try to imagine their confusion along with trying to contain themselves and their imaginations as to what might have happened or be happening. What a rollercoaster ride of emotion that week must have been.
I can't help but think about the two disciples that were walking on their way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) talking about the events of the past week trying to make sense of it all when along comes a stranger that seems utterly clueless. You can almost hear them asking him if he lives under a rock because that might have been the only way not to have heard about the events that had taken place in the city just days earlier. They went on to explain to him what had taken place concerning the guy named Jesus and still couldn't figure out that it was Jesus himself they were talking to. It wasn't until later, as they were having dinner together, that they realized it was him that had been with them on the road the whole time.
Two things I find really interesting about this story:
1. Initally we are told that the two disciples "were kept from recognizing him" (vs. 16). I started thinking about this and wondered if it wasn't so much that God was keeping them from seeing Jesus but rather that they had gotten so caught-up in everything else they failed to recognize Jesus walking right beside them. I wonder how often we do the same thing; our heads down focusing on something that has happened to us or something we did and fail to see Jesus in our situation or circumstance? It's not Christ that keeps us from recognizing him but rather ourselves.
2. The two disciples didn't actually realize it was Jesus until they witnessed him do something they had seen him do before, break bread with them (vs. 30-31). I started thinking about all of the times when I have failed to recognize Jesus because he was doing something I would have never expected him to do. It almost seems like these two disciples had pigeon holed Jesus into certain words or actions and because they would have never expected him to show up on the road with them, they never even gave it a second thought that maybe it was him all along. It wasn't until later that they realized what had happened. Seriously, isn't that you and me almost on a daily basis? We would never expect Jesus to show up at work, school, home...and don't realize that he had been there the whole time until after the fact. I hope that we haven't come to expect to see Jesus on Sunday mornings (or whenever you go to church) and nowhere else. Just think about how different the conversation, attitudes and emotions could have been had those two disciples realized it was Jesus much sooner in their journey.
April 12, 2009
Easter Sunday
The Resurrection of Jesus is the event on which the doors of eternity are hinged. It is the one thing that makes Christianity different than any other faith and the reason for Jesus' power and authority today.
If you call yourself a Christian, have you ever taken a second to think about what would have happened if Christ had not risen from the dead? Christianity would be pointless and we would all be really, really lame. Paul even says as much in I Corinthians 15:14, "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." and again in verse 17, "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile." He goes on to say that if our hope in Christ is only for this life, then we are to be pitied more than anyone else (vs 19).
Today is the day in which we celebrate Christ's victory over death and if you are found in Him, then that victory is yours as well. This is our hope for new and better things to come. If the Resurrection didn't happen, then Jesus is nothing more than a crazy guy who was martyred for nothing (and happened to be really nice and say some nice things) and the people who claim to follow Him are equally as crazy. But if it did happen, then it would be wise for us to start living as if now really does matter in the scope of eternity. Later in the same chapter Paul says, "Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God - I say this to your shame."
If you are not living as a Christian with an eternal perspective and hope, what's the point? Do not miss the event that has radically changed the course of eternity and has the power to change your life.
