5:30 Coffee: February 2011

Friday, February 4, 2011

Make My Words Careful

I haven't heard the old childhood adage lately, but it still pops into my mind occasionally, you've heard it... "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me."

Nothing could be further from the truth... in fact bones heal, but the wounds made by words often never do. I have spoken with people who, in middle age, have never been able to let go of painful, hurtful words, spoken to them in childhood. It reminds me to be careful of my words, and to remember Paul's challenge in Ephesians.

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29 (NASB))

Remind me today that I have the opportunity with every conversation; to either build up or tear down...

Words are powerful to bring encouragement or despair... pain or healing... help or hurt...

Make me an instrument of truth and grace and peace through the words I speak...

Remind me often that I will be held accountable for every one that I speak...

Amen

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Remind Me of My Transience

How many days do I wake up in a rush! Rush through the shower, rush through a few short conversations with the boys... maybe grump at them about a few random things, and rush into work so that I can rush through my days thinking that tomorrow I'm going to take things a little slower?

Its cliched, but true that tomorrow never comes. So my days drive me, manage me, and exhaust me while I miss the things that I'd really like to, and ought to, do. I hope that I can change this pattern, because my time around here is not without limit... my days are numbered; so are yours, whoever you are...

"LORD, make me to know my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. "Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah.

-Psalm 39:4,5(NASB)

Remind me today that my days are numbered...

My life in this world is transient; I am simply passing through and my days are not limitless.
I have this lifetime to do what matters...

I have this new year to do what matters...
I have this week, which is almost over, reminding me that there is beginning and ending...

I have this today to do what matters, and I really don't even know about tomorrow...

Strengthen me to lean into this day to do the things that matter most.

Give me the courage today to say no to the urgent so that I may focus on the important.

Give me the wisdom today to weight what comes before me and put aside pettiness and the mundane and embrace the adventure that today can be, in good or bad circumstances.

I want live fully, love fully, and see the true, the good, and the beautiful... and add to it.

For your glory...

Amen

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Lift Your Eyes!

I was reminded over the past couple of days, reading Hebrews Ch.3, that if I insist on focusing on the obstacles before me I will likely come to despair; however, if I lift my eyes to God who has met me a million times before I can have victory!

The writer of Hebrews ushers us back to Numbers 13-14 and the story of the 12 spies of the Israelites who went in to scout out the land. Ten spies can back saying, "The people are giants, we're like grasshoppers before them, the cities are fortified, and there is no hope of victory!" But Joshua and Caleb said, "We should by all means go and take the land." The only difference between the ten and two was their focus. The focus of the ten was the obstacle before them. The focus of the two was their God whom they'd seen meet them time after time who would stand with them to overcome.

Where is my vision today... where is yours...

"But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called 'Today,' so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." (Hebrews 3:13)

Lord, remind me today to encourage those around me to keep pressing forward, leaning into YOU; allow me also to take encouragement from others.

Remind me today of one thing I've seen you do, specifically in my life, to meet me so that I may not grow faint and lose heart when I face the obstacles of the day.

Do not allow me to be drawn into sin, my own or that of others, believing that the sinful ways into which I'm drawn are actually the free and abundant life, thus turning my life and the gospel on its head.

Help me today to lift my eyes to You who has met me a million times by your grace and mercy, even when I haven't noticed it, and find encouragement, rather than to fix my eyes on the obstacles before me and fall into despair.

Thank you for calling me into victory and abundance in your Son.

AMEN

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Salt and Light

Lord, Remind us today as we move through the theatre of our lives that you have called us to be salt and life.

You tell us that we are the salt of the earth; but if the salt becomes tasteless it isn't good for anything.
You tell us that we are the light of the world and we need to shine like a city on a hill.

As we walk through our day, confronted by difficult, unique, joyous, or complicated circumstances, help us to be just the right amount of salt...
Too much makes the food bitter... too little doesn't change anything.
For too many around us the world has become bitter or bland, make us just the right seasoning to bring a delightful flavor back into the lives we touch today.

As we walk through our day, being confronted by difficult, unique, joyous, or complicated circumstances, help us to be just the right amount of light...
Too much light is blinding and causes stumbling... too little light doesn't make any difference in the darkness.
Do not allow us to add to the darkness around us, or to cloak our light and be hidden...
Use us, as your torch, to light the way for others around us to see the path clearly so they may walk it.

You have shown us the way... may we experience your seasoning influence in our spirit today...
May we see your light today... and reflect it in a dark world desperate to see the light.
AMEN

Life and Ministry

I've been alive for 46 years... I know that's not much compared to some people, but it's enough that I realize I'm on the downhill side, probably, unless I live past 92! That would be interesting I think. Otherwise, however, I'm at a point of deep reflection... how will the rest be spent. I've been in the same spot for 20 years now, doing pretty much the same work, so it's time for serious evaluation.

There are two things that have challenged my thinking... one old, one new. First, the 9th stage of Eric Erikson's psycho-social development; "Integrity vs. Despair." It struck me twenty some years ago. Erikson basically says that there will be a time when you will begin to reflect on your life and you will conclude that it's been a life full of good decisions and directions, and work done well - if that's the case you'll come away with a sense of integrity; your life has had meaning and purpose. If on the other hand you look back and see that it's been filled with missed chances and squandered opportunities you'll have a sense of despair. I want my reflection to lead me to integrity!

Second, I had a class on 2 Timothy this summer at Regent College with Earl Palmer. He and I had lunch one day and it was just a great encouragement. He said to me, "Never think of yourself as old... I'm nearing 80 and I don't think of myself as old! You have lots of life ahead of you... your most productive years! Realize that you are young and God has alot of stuff for you to do!"

Looking forward!
John

Book Reviews

Are Women Human (Dorothy Sayers): This little book (about 80 pages at most) is a lot of fun, but also profound. It's actually a compilation of two essays - I think both lectures - which Sayers gave around 1938 to a women's group in London. They wanted her to talk about the importance of feminism – which she didn’t want to talk about specifically. She's very fun to read... very British... very to the point... very intelligent and articulate. I read it as preparation for the sermon series in 2 Timothy because I'm trying to think of Paul's treatment of women and this book was suggested to me by Earl Palmer (University Presbyterian - Seattle) at a class I recently took from him. Here, in my estimation, is the essence of Sayer's view, "Women should be doing everything they're gifted to do... but not in order to prove that they can do what men can do. There are fundamental differences between men and women; they're made for different things. If you have to choose between a woman or a man to do a certain task you should choose the one who is best at that task. It gives our lives meaning to do what we're good at... it honors God to do what we're made for. A woman shouldn't become a mechanic to prove that women can be mechanics... nor should she be kept from mechanics because she is a woman. Great treatment of the subject I thought. My view of Paul and women, incidentally, is that he thought very highly of them. He speaks specifically in a coupe places about them being silent, but then talks all over the place about their roles as prophets, teachers, deacons, and "outstanding among the apostles." I take his specific instructions about women and silence to be a specific address to a specific problem. Barth says, "There are no NT letters apart from the troubles of the NT church." He's right about that.
Searching for God Knows What (Donald Miller): Miller is great... his writing style is interesting and very conversational. A little too conversational at times for me. But I love to be challenged by what he's saying, both in this book, and "Blue like Jazz" which is also enjoyable, and challenges some ideas that we have about life, faith, and church. Miller makes me laugh at one moment, and then get very serious the next. Honestly, I howled with laughter during the first chapter, "Fine Wine: The Failure of Formulas." He gave me cause to think anew about Shakespeare’s Play, "Romeo and Juliet." I have to go back and reread it... it's been way too long. Here's a bit of a summary statement for the book, from chapter one: "I realized the gospel of Jesus, I mean the essence of God's message to mankind, wasn't a bunch of hoops we needed to jump through to get saved, and it wasn't a series of ideas we had to agree with either; rather, it was an invitation, an invitation to know God."
Before I Go: Letters to Our Children About What Really Matters (Peter Kreeft):Before I Go: Letters to Our Children about What Really Matters (Peter Kreeft): This is simply a delightful little book. I don't mean "little" in a way to demean it... rather it reads like a little book. There are 161 short letters, from a couple sentences to a couple pages of advice that Kreeft is leaving mostly for his children. Here is a quote from #23, Sacred Time: "Visit a church at least once a week and just spend five minutes in the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, just adoring Him. He came a long way for this meeting: all the way from heaven. And He brought you a long way for this meeting: all the way from nothingness, out of which he created you. He thinks this meeting is that important. And you don't? Which one of the two of you do you think has it right?" I love the sacredness of Kreeft's Catholicism. I like his writing. This book is full of good stuff. It's been especially meaningful to me since I'm preaching through 2 Timothy which is Paul's "Last Words" -- literally.
Playing for Pizza (John Grisham): Nothing profound here, but it's an enjoyable read. Maybe I'd classify this as a "feel good" novel. It's not going to change the world, but it's a story with some redemption, victory, set mostly in Parma, Italy. There is some interesting information here about various parts of Italy. Story is an NFL Quarterback, Rick Dockery, who can't seem to make it in the NFL, and ends up playing in the Italian NFL, for the Parma Panthers. They're putting all their hopes on him to win the Italian Superbowl! In the end... Easy read about 260 pages.
Fish!: This is a great little book,sort of expensive for the size of the book, less than a hundred pages. This book is really helpful for getting refocused on how to be a positive influence in a "toxic energy dump."
Real Sex (Lauren Winner): I really like Winner's writing. Heard her speak at the National Pastor's Conference in '07... she's fun. I read another of her books, Mudhouse Sabbath, which I loved. I think you should read this very articulate and frank discussion of Sex within the faith framework. Read it.
Velvet Elvis (Rob Bell): Thought provoking look at the church, faith, and the journey. I'm not crazy about Bell's writing style, but readable, and challenging ideas. I'd recommend it. If the church doesn't stay relevant it will end up the like the "Velvet Elvis" painting Bell found in the basement of his house... obsolete.
His Dark Materials (Philip Pullman): I read the trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass) as well as Lyra's Oxford. As advertised the books are hard on "the Church" but that's to be expected from Pullman's atheism. The books were a fun read, we're reading them to our boys now. Good opportunity for dialogue about important ideas. Lyra's Oxford was disappointing, and very short. Few observations: (1) "The Church" is probably a little too exercised about this series. (2) I think "killing God" is a little too strong a description of what happens. (3) I think it's very interesting, given Pullman's atheism, that there is so much metaphysical stuff in this series. (4) If you haven't read the books or seen the movie... see the movie first... they foul up everything in the movie which makes it difficult to enjoy if you've read the books. Trilogy books are around 250 pages. Fun, but definitely not The Lord of the Rings, or The Chronicles of Narnia... not close.
Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck): This is a classic that I'd never read until recently. It's a very interesting portrayal of friendship, caring, and loyalty. It's accessible, and about 90 pages. Glad I read it.

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