5:30 Coffee

Looking forward to the best days of my life!

2011-06-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

In 2006 I was in Budapest teaching a class in Apologetics when I took this picture. I was free most afternoons for a bit, and would routinely take the tram downtown to the Vaci' or to the Synagogue, or the Basilica. One of the most fascinating things to me about traveling is just seeing the people; thinking about how different their lives are from mine; thinking about what they've been through.

I noticed a man sitting across from me who was quite old, I am thinking late 80's or so. I noticed his old, but well cared for felt hat, the lines around his tired, but friendly eyes, the creases in his pleasant, wizened face, his unpretentious very worn clothing, his very old, well-built and well worn, leather shoes. I was suddenly captured by this man and I began - while not staring - to wonder what his life might have been like. Finally, I snapped a picture of his shoes... because I was suddenly struck by the dust on them... and the miles they'd traveled... and what they had travelled through. It's turned into a thing with me now... for some reason. I don't like to get rid of shoes that I've worn in my travels... my current pair of Doc Martens have dust on them from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, England, Romania, Croatia, Hungary, France, and the Philippines. It's a subtle reminder to me of the journey I've been on for these years of my adult life.

I thought about this aged man's journey... the joys and pleasures of his life, and the trials and struggles his shoes had taken him through. I realized that if he was in his late 80's he could have been born at the tail end of World War I... maybe just after. He could have served in the Red Army of Hungary by conscription, or with the Hungarian Second Army that was almost completely wiped out at the Battle of Stalingrad. He certainly walked the streets of Budapest under Nazi occupation witnessing the deportations of the Hungarian Jewish people. (834,000 Jews were deported from Budapest alone from 1941 to March of 1945. The fascist Arrow Cross Party executed 10 to 15,000 more on the banks of the Danube River between November 1944 and February 1945); He certainly walked the streets of Budapest during the Stalinist era and Soviet occupation. He would have been in his Mid-Thirties during the 1956 Revolution and perhaps late 60's or early 70's when the Soviet Union withdrew its last forces from Hungary between 1989 and 1991.

As I observed this old gentleman my mind was captivated in wonder about his story... where it had taken him, the adventures he'd lived, the sorrow he'd faced, and the wonderful celebrations of his life. He was living in the last quarter century of his life... nearing the end of his journey. I'm in the middle, or something like that, just under 50. I'm most likely halfway home, unless I live to a really ripe old age. This summer is my 30 year high school reunion, I've been in my career for 25 years, my first child is an adult, and the other two are on the way, and I just past 23 years being married. Once in a while it starts to hit me... what will the rest of life look like?

A couple summers ago I had a chance to take a class from Earl Palmer an author, scholar of C.S. Lewis, a great pastor at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, and an excellent professor. I was struggling a bit with my future and ministry... you know, what to do when I grow up. He and I were having lunch because I'd ask him if I could talk with him about that. He said something that I'll never forget. I was telling him that as I was getting older I just wondered if it was getting to late for me to do some of the things I'd dreamed of doing still.

Earl said, "How old do you think I am?" I didn't have a clue and I sure wasn't going to guess. He said, "I'm 83 years old... (or something like that I don't remember the exact age)... and do you know what I believe? My best days are yet to come. It stopped me because I realized that he'd already experienced more success than many people will ever reach, and yet he wasn't resting on the good ol' days... he was looking forward to the new adventures lying ahead, to embrace them with energy and vigor and excitement.

I don't want to get tired, cynical, or so beaten up by life that I stop looking forward to the adventures that lie ahead - to the new challenges and opportunities right in front of me to learn grow, and live. I am grateful for the realization that I haven't gotten tired, cynical, or too beaten up to look forward to the days ahead because as I enjoy some vacation days away... I am looking forward to getting home and back to work... looking forward to gathering some more dust on my old boots.

Make My Words Careful

2011-02-04T08:39:00.000-08:00

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

Remind Me of My Transience

2011-02-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

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

Lift Your Eyes!

2011-02-02T09:25:00.000-08:00

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

Salt and Light

2011-02-01T08:04:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-28T17:16:00.001-08:00

As we walk through this day that God has given us may our hands do the work of healing and touching the brokenness we encounter as the body of Christ - incarnate - in the world.

May our ears be the ears of Christ as he sat at the well listening to the woman who was empty and searching and SURPRISED that someone would listen.

May the words that roll off our tongues not be words of fire and destruction tearing down and adding to the chaos but words of peace and encouragement as a soothing oil in the midst of the noise and hurtful banter of the world.

May we find the peace of Christ today, bring the peace of Christ to others today, and be the peace of Christ as Children of the Prince of Peace in a hostile and violent world.

By His strength, In His strength, In His name, and for His Glory,
AMEN

Prayer for a difficult person today.

2011-01-25T23:35:00.000-08:00

Lord as we wander, run, hike, drive, stumble through this day stop us and remind us to thank you for three difficult people that we encounter. Three because it's a start and a goal we can reach... maybe.
Help us to thank you for them without their noticing, especially if they might have read this too. Three because it will be one for each of you... Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

Father, you have created this person before me and you love them with a depth beyond the love that I can feel for any human being... my children... my spouse... my best friend. You didn't make a mistake when you made this person; you made someone with whom you want to have fellowship and a friendship and who you hope will become an heir of your riches.

Lord Jesus, this is a person for whom you stepped out of glory... this is someone for whom you were willing at every turn and temptation to choose good rather than evil... this is a person for whom you weep when they weep and with whom you rejoice when they rejoice... this is a life for whose healing you paid by the whipping and scourging; the piercing and nailing; and whose sin was taken care of in the moment of the war cry... "IT IS FINISHED!"

Holy Spirit you are the comforter and I ask that you comfort this person who is making my life difficult today. There is probably a deeper hurt in their life than this moment they're having with me, and it might be something only you know, they might not even know it... give them comfort. And you are my teacher and comfort too... give me a spirit that doesn't need to feel offended; give me a heart to hear some truth being told to me, even if it's not being told to me well... and remind me that 80% of what you're teaching me today you're teaching me through the encounters I am having with other people; you're teaching me equally through pats on the back, and slaps in the face.

Remind me that I might be a difficult person for whom someone stops and thanks you today...
Father, Son, Holy Spirit
AMEN

The Worth of Water... River Haus in the Pines

2011-01-24T20:10:00.000-08:00

"We never know the worth of water

till the well is dry."

-Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

Water is an amazing substance... and it changes things. Not just the drinking of water, though it's significant beyond argument. There's nothing like a long cold drink of water on a hot day to take one's dry and thirsty body and bring it alive with refreshment. We just need water... it's a necessity of life.

Thanks to the generosity and thoughtfulness of our friends at MLCC Sharlyn and I had a bit of time away this weekend at the River Haus in the Pines, in Leavenworth Washington. If you get a chance to get away... go to this delighful Bed and Breakfast. The food was fantastic, the room was splendid, Mike and Cindy are just charming individuals with a heart for people (if I was going to build a house in Leavenworth - and not do the work myself - I'd call Mike), and Cooper (the dog) was very friendly and unique.

But there's more to water than just the drinking. The sound of the water from our room, we left the window open the whole time we were there, was incredibly relaxing. There's nothing quite like the sound of water. The gentle and soothing sound of the water is medicine to the soul in the midst of the noise in which we all seem to live. To awaken at 3:00 AM and hear the water continuing on its way to wherever it's going... so refreshing... it's a necessity to the soul to stop and just listen ocassionally.

Beyond all that, watching the water flow, is a good reminder that it's the way of things. The water keeps running, moving, never stopping; there is a constant stream of water moving from up to down and it reminds me of the flow of history. The stream of the river is like the stream of history... it never stops. God is writing a grand story, and I'm part of that story... as small as I know I am. I am reminded of David in Psalm 8, "who is man that you are mindful of him."

There is nothing like a little time beside the water for reflection. We are so grateful to our church family, and to Mike and Cindy. It's good to have a new perspective once in a while; and good to just hear the water.

Quote of the Day

2011-01-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

The quote of the day is from Leavenworth Church of the Nazarene where Sharlyn and I engaged in corporate worship. Pastor John Vandel gave us this quote from Samuel Johnson,

"The person who waits to do a great deal of good at once will never do anything."

This is such a challenging idea to me because I have a tendency to want to "get it all done" no matter what it is that needs to be done. The context was stewardship and sharing our wealth and resources. His point was that if you're not giving God 10% now we won't give Him a 100% later. God is concerned with our faithfulness with what we have right now.

To do what's in front of me right now... faithfulness in the moment. It's a good challenge.

Today and Time

2011-01-21T23:00:00.000-08:00

Sitting in Gustav's in Leavenworth WA earlier today having dinner with Sharlyn. We've been there a bunch of times over the years, and a few times when our kids were younger. A young family came and sat at the table next to us... mom, dad, and three little ones under the age of four I'm sure. It was, as they say, deja vu all over again! They were a simply delightful young family, but there were just a few moments when you saw that... "Really... we're doing that?" face on mom and dad. Made me smile.

I remembered suddenly those moments when you're in a restaurant with your little ones trying to keep them quiet so you're not disturbing the old grumpy patrons, you've got the four restaurant color crayons and the kid's menus with the maze, the picture to color and the three kids choices. Cheeseburger, Chicken Fingers, Mac & Cheese... or if it's the expanded kid's menu there's a hot dog or corn dog on the menu! Woo hooo! One of the little ones is trying to climb out of the high chair... another is under the table... the third... eating the crayolas and then, there goes the water! It's all over the table, the napkins are wet, the coloring pages are coming apart... sop it up... sop it up... quick, get more napkins!

I watched this young family and remembered, and as happy as I am about watching the boys grow into adulthood... I miss those little ones, and the simplicity of those days. Ok, it's cliched... I know. Don't forget, and this is profound, cliche's can only become so if they're true so we shouldn't belittle their importance.

Also on the way to Leavenworth we stopped and saw a long-time friend and her little baby girl - priceless - beautiful little life. First time we've really been with them together, other than large gatherings... she's 6 months old already.

A family with whom we're acquainted finalized the adoption today of their new son... just about 13 years old. Couldn't be there, but was told it was awesome. It's his first "full-time family" ever... is it ok to say that? Not sure how to talk about it, except what he says is, "I can't wait to know that I'm in a family I won't have to leave."

Ok! Enough already? Well it's just this... look them in the eye... take a good look at their bewildered, ketchup covered, water spilling, mac and cheese mess, crawling out of the high chair and under the table little made in the Image of God through and through faces and breathe a prayer of thanksgiving to Him for them. Then kiss their wet and sticky, snotty, drooling, cheese flavored, mischievous smiling made in the Image of God faces and remind them and yourselves how delighted you are to have them... because in a minute it all changes - and you can't get it back.

For us... the forward has been good... but there are moments when you miss those bygone days ALOT.

Presence is Incarnational

2011-01-19T23:14:00.000-08:00

I am challenged by the idea lately of seeing the face. Today when I went into Starbucks I came face to face with a person who wasn't having fun, and it was painfully obvious by the look of her face. I thought of making a joking comment to lighten the moment. It wasn't a person I knew, but you know the way it works when, suddenly, you're in relationship a little more intimate than just walking by someone, but not to the point of really knowing the person or anything that's going on... it can be uncomfortable... so it's easier to take a cumbersome moment and make it lighter.

But for this one moment it flashed into my mind... don't make light... even if it lightens the moment. Look into the eyes, slight knowing smile that says, "I can see by your face that it's not all ok" and then move off about your own business. How quickly we walk through the crush of humanity never really seeing the face of another human... really.

When scripture talks about "the face of God" it sometimes, not always... but sometimes, means "presence." "Because the face reflects the personality and character of person, the term is frequently translated person, or presence." (Holman Bible Dictionary). This moment made me think that when someone in scripture says, "Your face I seek Oh God" they are really saying, it's your presence.

Presence is incarnational - Christ chose to be present in our world. When I see, really see some one's face, then I am present with them in that moment. There is little in this world more profound than to be present with someone in the moment, and perhaps there is nothing more difficult.

Epic stories remind me of the EPIC STORY

2011-01-09T23:12:00.000-08:00

I've spent the past few days watching Epic stories. Two very different stories, and yet really quit the same when all is said and done. First I watched Lonesome Dove with Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall. I think by far the best western I've ever seen, with two of my favorite cowboy actors. Then tonight gathered with some friends watching the extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. I must admit I fell asleep during part of it... but I did stick out most of it. It's just Sunday night and I dozed off. I plan to watch the extended version trilogy of LOTR over the next couple weeks. It's been a while.

Those stories move me because they are filled with struggle, victory, loss, evil, overcoming, and friendship. Most of our stories are less dramatic, but every story seems to involve the same elements and so I'm reminded of the importance of perseverance in trial, the sweetness of overcoming, and the blessing of friendship along the way.

One of my favorite sequences in the Fellowship of the Ring is the dialogue between Gandalf and Frodo in the Mines of Moria when Frodo says, "I wish the ring had never come to me." Gandalf's response is profound on the one hand, and so simple on the other. No one wishes for these times, but in the end all we can do is what is before us. I am encouraged to be faithful for the moment with the task before me... whether is seems big or small, significant or not. All we have is this moment, and how we live it. It seems like we miss a lot either hoping for this moment to pass... or expecting the next one to come. I want to live present to the moment and faithful to the task at hand.

Faithful yet lacking...

2011-01-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

I am always astonished when I read Hebrews Chapter 11 of the faithfulness of the people of God as they awaited the Messiah. As anyone who has read the chapter knows it's called the faith chapter, but I want to remember what is really astonishing about the text. The writer details the lives of so many men and women who lived by faith... but then in the final two verses we're reminded... "They all lived by faith without receiving the promise."

They worked hard and well... and never got a paycheck...

They did the right thing... and it never paid off in any material, practical terms in the here and now of their lives...

They stayed the course... and never reached the destination...

Personality styles have been likened to the parts of a sailboat... keel, tiller, sail... ballast. In this picture my personality is a sail. It's a critical piece of the sailboat, without which the boat will never catch the wind and get anywhere... however... without a keel and rudder it will go whichever way the wind blows it. Though there is a sense in which I feel directed, and I have those around me who are the tillers, keels, and... should I say it, anchors, I still live by the vision of the moment at times. What is capturing my attention right now is what tends to give me energy and focus. It makes me appreciate the people who lived faithful lives for their whole lives thinking they might see the promised reward, but never did. The text says they were persecuted in horrible ways... but stayed the course. Give me that heart and spirit, and stamina!

It's such an interesting list of people... God is not squeamish about those who are faithful. I think my favorite in the text is Rahab... she shows up in Jesus genealogy too... amazing who He uses when they are focused on His purpose and plan, even when they never see the reward.

The destination is the journey!

For Chris...

2011-01-05T22:34:00.001-08:00

How about these Chris! Pictures of your co-teacher, partner in crime and his microwave "Loaded Potato Soup!" His life skills class is doing a section on cooking, which the boys love anyway!

Geometry is a struggle to get done as homework... but he was fired up to do this homework. Maybe he has a career ahead of him!

It was quite good!

All the world's a stage?

2011-01-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

The question surging through my mind for the past few days has been, "If all the world's the a stage, and history, in contrast to a string of random events, is a play that God is writing and directing, then what role is He asking me to play?"

I've been enjoying the book by Robert Webber, Ancient-Future Worship, and he makes the following statement, "I once understood the gospel as God asking me to let him into my narrative, to find room for him in my heart and life. But now I realize that God bids me to find my place in his narrative." This is challenging me in at least two ways. First, this concept takes me out of my self-centered view of the world and gives me a theocentric world view. Second, it reminds me that God isn't asking me to be somebody else for Him... He's just asking me to be me for Him.

The first concept had been resonating with me before I picked up the book, and is repeated in other books that I've read, and seems to be on the hearts of others with whom I have community. Rick Warren says in his book, The Purpose Driven Church, that Saddleback (the church he founded) isn't the only thing that God is doing, but what God is doing at Saddleback, others shouldn't work to copy it. He likens it to surfing. You can teach someone to surf, and you can teach them to catch a wave, but you can't teach someone to make a wave, only God is in that business. Therefore we need to be watching for the waves he's making and then ride them. Henry Blackaby in Experiencing God suggests that we need to stop taking up great causes and then asking God to bless them, rather we need to see what God is doing and join Him! Both those ideas caught my attention five years ago or more. Webber is just reminding me again. It seems important to get hold of this idea because, frankly, if I view myself as the one directing the project then I get to take credit for it... I get the pats on the back. There is a significant degree of arrogance in Christianity, and I wonder if some of, or maybe a lot of, it isn't based in our own sense of the "great things we're doing for God" when we ought to be simply giving him glory for what he continues to do in and through us, frail and broken as we are - though made in His image and deeply valued by Him. Paul (the apostle that is) says, "And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NASB).

The second concept just affirms the He has made me for something and will use me for that purpose if I'm willing. Many of us live in the shadows of others - I think wishing we could be like them, and do what they're doing. I suspect any one of us has been there, and perhaps will be again. This however challenges me to get back again to Him. He's made me for Himself, I'm His and He's purposeful. If all the actors on the stage play the same part not only is the story not compelling or enjoyable to watch... it just doesn't work.

Though there are times when the world, and its story, look like a random string of unrelated events, there are too many things in my own life, and in history in general, that point to a plot - there is a writer and director who knows all the parts and all the actors and how the plot turns out. I'm hoping to be attentive to my role which is not to be in charge, or play someone else's part.

"All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances..."
-Shakespeare

"... remember your baptism, pray in the spirit, flee to the Eucharist."

2011-01-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

I've been reading a new book on Kindle of PC... Kindle for PC is an aside of course, but I have resisted the urge to get a Kindle. There's something about a book in your hands... touching it... smelling it... experiencing it with your physical senses as well as your mental faculties. In any case I thought to give it a try since I think it was free to download it from Amazon. I downloaded Ancient-Future Worship by Robert Webber. I'm nowhere near all the way through it, but so far it's been stimulating, challenging, and encouraging. It was the last book that Robert Webber penned before his death from pancreatic cancer. That alone, and the fact that he acknowledges that this will be "the last book before my death" make is worth the read. He died only a few weeks after the manuscript was finished.

I was struck by this ancient statement of worship in the book: "remember your baptism, pray in the Spirit, flee to the Eucharist." I cannot be sure why this trinity of thought so hit me in between the eyes like an ice pick to the brain, but it did, and it's been stirring me for a few days.

Remember your baptism... that moment at which by faith your old like passed away like so much chaff and the new life began. In the life of faith there are times when I forget that I've been made new; whether I feel like it or not. I think back to the fourth grade year, I guess I must have been 9 or 10. My grandma had been taking me to church - my parents didn't go to church in those days. When summer camp came up grandma encouraged me to go and so I did. It was a mixed bag at best - I loved it and hated it. Being away from home for a week for the first time I struggled with sleeping. Made a new friend, and got in trouble and got the privilege of cleaning the bathrooms. Tons of fun during the days, pretty girls, playing outside, swimming in the lake. When, inevitably, the end of the week came and the culmination of all the teaching and preaching and worshipping reached my soul I accepted the invitation to enter God's story... not that it was the first time my life intersected with its... but when I said I wanted to journey with Him. I knew so little of what that meant, and it seems at times I still remember little of it. And yet, it was for me an end and a beginning. The old had passed away - then new had come, and is still coming it seems sometimes in fits and jerks - but coming none the less. I have not taken much time to remember that time frankly, and Webber's words reminded me that at the right time and place I heard His invitation and took the fork in the road that has made all the difference. So whether life always works out in just the way I want - I can return to that moment in my mind and remember that God has made, and is making, me new. The job's not done... but it is well begun and he'll finish it!

Pray in the spirit... I find myself wanting to understand this statement. What does it mean? How does it work? I have done a bit of reading in the NT since reading this statement but realize that I may not knew exactly what it means, other than, as His Spirit is in me and I cry out to God His Spirit is leading me in that praying and drawing me near to the Father with the ancient cry of Abba. I doubt very seriously if this is some type of "charismatic" statement - though I'm sure some would like to put that spin on it. It's not that I run from that teaching... it's just unlikely to me. I want to recall the simplicity of the reality that when I call out to Him His Spirit is involved... needs more study... needs more experience. I'd love to hear your comments on it.

Flee to the Eucharist... I do not think that we have clearly understood in the evangelical church the importance of this, or other, sacraments. Outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual graces. To be sure the evangelical church is short on sacrament... but if only Marriage (which we've completely missed as sacrament), Baptism, and Eucharist then perhaps we're at least on some track of understanding. If a sacrament is an outward and visible sign of a real, not pretend, inward and spiritual grace, then something at Eucharist, Baptism, and Marriage, is actually happening on the inside when the rite is taking place on the outside. When we come to the Eucharist we experience afresh God's grace and presence in taking away our sin. It has been resolved once for all in Christ, but there is a need to return week in and week out to this experience of God's love and grace, and the one thing that keeps us connected to our Father, without regard to our ability to "measure up." We fight a continual battle to "measure up" in our daily experience with others - who for the most part only accept us as we act according to their, sometimes twisted, sense of what we should be up to. In the Eucharist we come again to the unconditional acceptance of our Father who embraces us as our hearts come pure - at least as pure as we can keep them - the sacrifice that He made for us in the person of His Son Jesus Christ... I really need that refreshing presence.

I need this constant reminder that the point of my journey with Him, the one who made me, is not that I have invited him "into my life" as a compartment, but that he has invited me to into His story with all my life. He's the one recreating me in Baptism... He's the one praying through and for me in the Spirit... He's the one who has done the work of saving me in the death of His son, who chose it fully, which comes to me powerfully in the Eucharist.

In the bleak mid-winter... thinking about Jimmy Fraser

2010-11-23T08:17:00.001-08:00

Woke up this morning thinking about my friend Jimmy Fraser... I miss him. Not sure why the snow makes me think about him, except it came to mind how a couple times when we were building the Fraser house we couldn't get down the driveway because of the drifting snow. One time we got the "Ol' red ford pickup" so stuck we had to borrow a tractor and get it out and then spend three hours plowing snow so we could get material a quarter mile down the drive and into the house to work.

I also had to smile at Jimmy this morning because when I got to the church parking lot the City of ML... thank you so much... had plowed about a two foot high burm of snow into our driveway. I wasn't quite sure what to do... I thought about going home, but then I had another idea. I backed up across the street (four lanes) and just hit the gas and plowed through! Snow washed up over the hood and windshield of the car so that I couldn't see a thing! It was so much fun I did if two more times each way. It made me smile and think of Jimmy because he always laughed at me having a "Volvo". I love Volvo's. I started wanting a Volvo station wagon because I saw so many in Europe - and I have a distant relative in Sweden who works for Volvo. I don't think Jimmy would ever have owned a Volvo, but I know he enjoyed giving me a hard time about having one. When I got my second Volvo station wagon I think he considered me a bit of lost cause. He never saw me driving it without giving me a hard time about it. I actually half got the second one so Jimmy could give me a hard time about it! I think he would have loved me plowing through the burm into our parking lot with it. I could have bragged about it and he would have smiled and not said much... but he would have said something - of that I'm sure. The thing is, I'm just not sure you can really plow snow with a Ford Taurus... or a Buick La Sabre... but all day long in the Volvo!! I might just buy a plow for the front!

The thing is, Jimmy can't give me a hard time now... at least not that I can hear because he"s gone on into the hands of our Father... mine and his. Knowing that he's there and not somewhere else is helpful and a comfort... but it doesn't end how I miss seeing and talking to him here. My mom's there too... and Bill Stout... and Stella and Myrtle and Patrick Knesek... and many others. Sometime I'll be there too, unless the end of all things comes before this frail body gets ultimately tired and expires. I don't know if our presence with the Father between death and resurrection will be a waking presence or a restful sleep - and I don't really care either way. If it's a waking presence then I'm sure Jimmy is smiling now... if it's a restful sleep then he deserved it... he was a hard worker.

Whenever the first snow comes and blankets my world with a white covering I turn to the James Taylor version of "In the Bleak Midwinter." It's my favorite arrangement of that old hymn. I think winter is a perfect picture of death in so many ways. Everything is dormant and waiting for the Spring. Nothing is growing, blooming, or bearing fruit - but all creation is waiting during winter, preparing, gathering strength, and getting ready for a new season of growing - getting ready to Spring to new life when the warmth of the sun breaks out and thaws the winter, warms the ground, and the snow melts watering the dormant seeds in the ground causing them to burst forth into new life. I just can't help but think that God gives us winter so that we can look forward to Spring and remember that there will be a new day when the sun will shine and life will burst forth again.

The sun's coming... and the Son too... and someday, who knows how far away, the Son will burst forth and winter and death will be forever ended... in contrast to the days of Narnia when it was always winter and never Christmas we will live when and where it is always Christmas and never winter. If Christmas and Advent reminds us of nothing else I hope it reminds us that HE IS COMING!!

Who's coming? The Messiah - coming for His people; What's His Name? Jesus, Messiah, Emmanuel, God with us, Prince of Peace! What'll he be like? Shining, love, grace, mercy, peace, judgment, King! What's he coming to do? Save his people, rescue, give life, take away pain, suffering, death, weeping, and sorrow.

In the bleak midwinter? What a delightful reminder of the coming Spring.

Jesus is____________.

2010-11-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

Study break in Kirkland... sitting in a Starbucks alone surrounded by people. I sometimes think I can be most alone when surrounded by people, I like it. The sights, sounds, smells, uniqueness of people - God is so creative that sometimes it just catches me off guard. In the misdst of all this I look out the window and notice a bumper sticker on the back of a Kia sitting across the lot. Not sure why it intrigued me, except perhaps the simplicity of it. Solid black bumper sticker with these few stark white words...

Jesus is ___________.

It might also have caught my attention because I was just reading in my Solo NT the words of Jesus as Eugene Peterson paraphrases them...

Matthew 11:28-30, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Tired? (Yep)
Worn out? (I don't know for sure... maybe)
Burned out on religion? (not very religious I'm afraid so I'm avoiding that one!)
Come to me... (so cool that he came to me so that I could come to him)
Get away with me and you'll recover your life... (why don't I do that more?)
I'll show you how to take a real rest... (this might be more important than prayer... not sure)
Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it... (he was best at it)
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace... (I think I've lost time & rhythm lately)
I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you... (thank you... that is grace in essence perhaps!)
Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly... (deep breathing and deep laughter -why do we take ourselves so seriously)

Jesus is____________. Life, grace, rest, irreligious to the point of being hated by the religious, the way, shepherd, friend... I think he would like me even in the times when I am most unlikable... knowing that at this moment is even better than this cup of coffee.

Anybody out there?

2010-09-30T06:24:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted in a million years. Wonder if anyone would notice if I did. I'd like to get back to it... seems like life has pushed me away from it and I need to get back at it! I always enjoy blogging when I do.

Word of God Speak.

2010-02-08T03:50:00.000-08:00

I've been challenged over the past month as I've been reading again A.W. Tozer's, The Pursuit of God . I was awakened a bit by the chapter "The Speaking Voice" in which Tozer reminds us that God is speaking. This is a helpful insight as I've been going through the "Seven Realities of Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. 1)God is at Work. 2)God is interested in a loving relationship with me that is real and personal. 3)God is inviting me to join Him in His work. 4)God will tell me, by the Holy Spirit, through church, scripture, others, and experiences what work he has for me to do. 5)Hearing His word and call will lead to a crisis of belief that will require a step of faith. 6)Following hard after Him in what He's called me to do will require an adjustment to the way I'm currently living - i.e. I am already using up all my resources on other things... time, money, energy, gifts, and creativity. 7)When I obey and engage God will show Himself to me in a way that I will experience His presence.

It seems like Tozer hits me well on the head when he reminds me what I may believe - though I may not articulate it - but my belief system is exposed in my daily behavior, when he writes, "I believe that much of our religious unbelief is due to a wrong conception of and a wrong feeling for the scriptures of Truth. A silent God began to speak in a book and when the book was finished lapsed back into silence again forever. Now we read the book as the record of what God said when He was for a brief time in a speaking mood." Do I believe God is still speaking... not talking about continuing revelation from the sense of Him continuing to inspire scripture... but does He desire an interactive relationship with me that involves hearing and speaking... real communication. If I see the Bible as a book for devotionals, or read a bit here and there to boost me along for the day, then I may not be immersed enough in the word for the Spirit of God to communicate clearly to me. It's not his ability to speak that's the problem, but the set of ears which I've chosen to use in the work of listening.

I wonder how often we open the scripture and say to ourselves if no one else... "Word of God speak for your servant is listening!" Tozer goes on to say, "If you would follow on to know the Lord, come at once to the open Bible expecting it to speak to you. Do not come with the notion that it is a thing which you may push around at your convenience. It is more than a thing, it is a voice, a word, the very Word of the living God." It seems to me that we have been trained to read the Bible a certain way, and perhaps not a very good way. It is to open to "find something" and perhaps in many cases something we're "looking for." That is to say, we've gone looking to find something specific, and I suspect that in many cases we find just that. But in going looking for something specific we cut off from our sight the thing that He might be saying. You've had conversations like that haven't you? I have. The conversation that, while the other person is speaking you've already got in mind what you're going to say next... so you're not really listening as much as waiting for you turn to talk next. No communication really happens... just talking and talking - not talking and listening. Would I like to "find God" that is to say in the context, hear His voice in a real and tangible way? Take a look at another snippet from Tozer, "Why do some persons "find" God in a way that others do not? Why does God manifest His Presence to some and let multitudes of others struggle along in the half-light of imperfect Christian experience? Of course the Will of God is the same for all. He has no favorites within His household. All He has ever done for any of His children He will do for all of His children. The difference lies not with God but with us. He's speaking, wanting us to hear, WANTING us to hear, and we, with the noise and clamor miss His voice. Dallas Willard in his book, Hearing God says, "The primary subjective way that God still speaks to us is in the quiet, still, voice. I/we should pray and then be silent in order for Him to speak.

Lord, teach me to listen. The times in which I live are noisy and my ears are full of the noise and exhausted with the million raucous sounds which continually pound into my head from a thousand different directions. Help me to have the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to You, "Speak for they servant is listening and hearing." Let me get used to the sound of Your Voice, so that its tones may be familiar when the sounds of earth die away and the only sound will be the beautiful music of Your speaking Voice. AMEN.

I'd love to hear the ways that you sense God is speaking to you... moving you... through word, church, song, others, or circumstances. Just post a comment. JJR

Remember... remember... remember... why we're here.

2010-01-28T16:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's been a while since I blogged. I have good intentions, but it's seems I just don't make the time. There's never enough time, so it has to be made! In any case, at least as I'm going to Croatia and back... and while I'm there... there will be enough alone time to put down some thoughts.

Got to Spokane early for my flight, I was happy about that, I don't like to be rushed. They asked me if I wanted to go standby on an earlier flight. I said yes, if they were sure I could get on. They said there were 90 free seats... "you're gonna get on!" I got on, had a row to myself... beautiful!!!... then the plane started to fill up. I was hoping for a quiet time to Seattle so I could read. Then... then... then.... a guy moves up from the back and takes a seat in MY ROW... you know what I'm saying... MY ROW! Had to put my feet down. Still had room... then he started talking. The thing is, I'm a friendly guy, but I wanted quiet... rest... peace. He never stopped. He even waited when everyone was disembarking. It wasn't a big problem, I was an hour early, no hurry... it's just that I wanted quiet... peace - you've been there I'm sure.

I was a little annoyed for a bit... then I started to remember that Jesus talked at times about entertaining unique guests. So I settled into listening, nodding my head. Put my book down... ate my pretzels... listened.

Turned out that he and his wife were up in my neighborhood because they were checking out private boarding schools for their son who has gone a fair distance off the path it seems. He got a little choked up at one point... told me that it was expensive, and after all, if his kid had cancer he'd pay whatever he had to in order to help him.

Well, it humbled me, and it was a good reminder to begin this trip. We're here for others... it's called community even when the neighbors are from someplace far away... and my time here isn't my own. It was good to remember why I'm here.

"God is my King from old who works deeds!"

2009-10-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

Psalm 74 was a great reminder today of how to walk through trials and difficulties trusting God when we can't see the end of our road. The whole book of Psalms serves to remind us that when God's people were facing difficulties, and were not sure, even of Him, they returned to rehearse the truths about Him, and about His working in their history. The question is, "O God, why have You rejected us forever?" Then there is a pleading... "Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old..."

It seems like an eternal dilemma... "Where are You?" "Please don't forget us." What happens in the text, and often does in the Psalms, is the shift from questioning and pleading to remembering the truth about how God has behaved in the past and trusting that, even in the midst... or more - particularly - in the midst of our distress. There is a recitation of God's faithful and mighty works in times gone by.

...You divided the sea by your strength, (they remembered the Red Sea story)
...You gave food to your children in the wilderness, (they remembered the manna)
...You broke open the springs in the desert, (they remembered water from a rock)
...You dried up ever flowing streams, (they remembered crossing the Jordan at flood stage)
...Your is the day and the night, You have prepared the light and the sun, (they remembered his creation of the world)
...You have established the boundaries of the earth, (they remembered the majesty of universe and the magnitude of God's creation).

Each of the points of God's working in history is an unfathomable and miraculous event in which God stepped into time brought about something amazing out of darkness. He gave them a way of escape from the armies of Pharaoh when it appeared that all was lost. He gave them food and water is a desert when it appeared they die of thirst and hunger. He gave them a way across the river and into the promised land after all those years of waiting and wandering. He brought light into darkness and established a magnificent creation from darkness and void.

Paul reminds us in Romans that we have been given an account of God's working throughout history so that we might have HOPE! I wish I could remember, more frequently, when walking a road that is dark and seems to have no hopeful outcome that God has not forgotten - even when it seems to me that He has - and that He will be faithful in the future. My hope cannot be secure if my hope is in getting my desired outcome from a given situation... but my hope can be secure if it is in HIM, because he never changes and I can look back and see how He has moved in the lives of His people in amazing ways they could have never imagined for their good.

Stonehenge - What's the big deal?

2009-07-09T10:47:00.001-07:00

So the question that is going through my mind as I look at a National Geographic issue devoted, in part, to Stonehenge is "What's all the fuss about anyway?" The article said, essentially, that people have been thinking about this pile of rocks for more than a thousand years in order to figure out where it came from, who made it, and what it's for.

Stonehenge is, relatively speaking, a grouping of rocks... one might say a pile of rocks. Arguably they're pretty big rocks strewn about in a unique way within a large circle of earth. Oh yeah, there is a graveyard nearby... and some really old houses not too far away also. One interesting point is that they found a guy with a wrecked leg (probably walked with a really bad limp they said) in one of the tombs who was definitely from Germany - and he was rich. They could tell he was rich because he was buried with cool and expensive stuff. Didn't cross their mind I guess that he might have been a thief who stumbled and broke his leg running from the guys he stole from, fell into a hole that was subsequently covered with blowing debris. I mean, that's also a plausible explanation.

Well, I jest, to some degree. To be honest, Stonehenge is incredibly fascinating. I rarely read National Geographic. Not because I find it uninteresting, but rather because of my A.D.D. I just have difficulty staying focused in the long articles. But this one really interested me. My family has visited the replica in the Columbia Gorge. There's just something cool and appealing about it... enough so that someone thought it would be worthwhile to build a replica of it 6000 miles away from the original so that some of us, who haven't made it to England, could have the experience of it in some small way.

So what's the point of taking up space on the blog to think about it a little. It's just this that suddenly struck me as funny. How many of the people who have spent more than a thousand years studying the thing have denied the existence of God, out of hand. That is to say, many people who suggest that God doesn't exist and that all we see happened by chance have spent a good bit of their livers trying to find out WHO erected the stones at Stonehenge, and WHY they erected them. Is there anyone who has ever posited the theory that "Stonehenge was an accident... just happened... though it sure looks designed for a purpose." I'd like to know if anyone knows of one serious archaeologist or philosopher has ever made that case. I'd almost bet there isn't one.

Truth is, intuitively, we look at something as simple as Stonehenge and its surrounding, and know that there was a designer who designed it for some purpose, even if we don't completely see and understand what that purpose was. However, on the order of complexity Stonehenge is less complex than a single strand of DNA - yet there are those running all over the place suggesting that there isn't a designer. Doesn't it make sense that if we routinely, and intuitively apply design, and subsequently a designer, to a pile of cool rocks that something like the human eye might have also had a designer? Just sayin'.

Stonehenge - What'

2009-07-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

What't he

The goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

2009-06-14T22:44:00.000-07:00

When it seems like our circumstances are going down the toilet how do we keep our hearts encouraged? It seems to me that one key can be found in Psalm 27:13, 14.

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:13-14 (NASB95)

Two simple bits of wisdom here. First, the Psalmist says that he would have despaired if he hadn't "believed that he would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." He isn't saying that he SAW the goodness of God, but that he WOULD SEE... in the land of the living. I think he's saying, I'm going to see God's goodness in this life. Secondly he says, "Wait for the Lord." The word wait can be translated as hope... and hope is an amazing word. When we say, "I'm hoping for this or that..." in our way of talking it's really wishful thinking. We're going to the park tomorrow so we say, "I hope it doesn't rain." It's wishing for something that you have no idea about. Hope, however, in the biblical language isn't wishful thinking, rather, it's expectant waiting. So if we look at the passage again, a bit differently I think the Psalmist is saying... "I am waiting expectantly to see God's goodness in this life, and if I didn't believe I would see it I'd give up!"

This is not to say, in my view, that he completely expected rescuing from the current set of circumstances, but that God would meet him in the difficult place, in some way. We can't order God around as though somehow he is required to do our bidding. However, he is faithful to work and move in some way... we just have to watch. He still works in amazing ways!

Barak Obama - The speech writer or the makeup man?

2009-05-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

It's been said that we live in a time when the "makeup artist is more important than the speech writer." The comment speaks to the fact that we're looking much more for image than policy from politicians - and everyone else I suppose. President Barak Obama certainly communicates a positive image to many Americans at least (the margin of victory for the race wasn't incredible so he doesn't appeal to everyone) but he also appeals to people around the world.

I had an interesting experience in Vienna, on the train from the airport into the city. I got into a very pleasant conversation with a late 20's something guy who is studying philosophy at the University in Vienna. He asked where we were from, and the conversation went on from there. It led in some interesting directions... one of which was his curiosity about President Obama. He wanted to know, "How do Americans feel about Obama?" It's a good question, and he framed it well I think, "How do Americans feel about Obama?" My answer was, "lots of Americans feel good about Obama, but very few people know much about Obama. On many fronts he's a relative unknown in my view. The young man went on to say that Europeans loved Obama. My response to him was, "That's my sense of it... my impression is that Europeans love Obama." I asked what they loved about him. I think it's interesting that he had no answer whatever. Truthfully, he couldn't list one thing he really knew about Obama. Then he said something really interesting... "Maybe we should make Obama the President of the world!" To this of course I inwardly smiled and thought... WOW... if you wanted you could make some prophetic hay with that... but I don't want to... I don't think Barak Obama is the anti-Christ or anything close really... I just thought it was an interesting statement.

As a Christian it's my role to support our leaders and pray for them. I am hopeful for the future and hopeful that President Obama will make good decisions for America. I'm skeptical about some areas certainly. I don't think his economic policy will help our economic situation because I don't think you can borrow your way out of debt. (I do understand that Bush wasn't able to stop this economic situation either). I don't think President Obama will get us out of our conflicts around the world any faster than anyone else would have... and I think if Obama had been President when 9/11 happened we'd still be right where we are today... perhaps without the surge policy in Iraq. I don't think putting government in control of more things is the answer to our woes... including socialized health care... though I see big problems with the affordability of health care and would love to see some solutions. I am deeply concerned about the issue of abortion in our country, and the availability for even late term (partial birth abortions). I cannot personally square that policy with a Christocentric world view. Not because I want to tell other people what to do with their bodies (though we do that all the time in a civilized culture and we always will), I just think that human life begins at conception and I'm not sure there's much evidence to the contrary.

I love it that we have an African American President, and I think, as Juan Williams said on Election night choked with emotion, it speaks volumes about America that so few years after the horrible racial injustices that we've seen that we have a "black President." It appears to me that Barak Obama is thoughtful, and he is clearly intelligent. He seems well-spoken. History will decide whether or not he was a good President... as it will all our Presidents over time. But what do you think after the first 100 days? Any positive steps? Negative steps? I'd love to publish them on my blog and have a bit of dialogue about it. (You need to know that I won't publish ranting and raving - or impolite remarks so don't bother with them - but I would love to hear what you think). I surely believe that, even among Christians, the conversation needs to become civil. I don't sense that too many people are listening these days... it would help us if we did.

I Will Lift My Eyes

2009-04-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

Psalm 121

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever.
(NASB95)

Do you ever wonder why the bookstores have aisles filled with “self-help books?” It seems to be the same story with Christian bookstores for the most part. Of course there are plenty of good books and great authors, for which I’m grateful. What occurs to me, however, is the degree to which we look all sorts of places for help and miss the most obvious place we might find help. Perhaps we need another “for Dummies” book; Where to look for help for Dummies. It wouldn’t have to be a long book really… quite short in fact. Look up!

I notice in my own life, and frequently in the lives of others I observe, that we’re looking everywhere in the world for answers, except to our creator and Father; the one who knows us best. Of course I’m in favor of seeking advice from people with skin on also. Scripture is clear that there is wisdom in many counselors, and Christians have a tendency to go it alone, and not seek wisdom from some obvious places. However, when we’re in difficult situations we tend to even panic and search high and low for help rather than seek help from where it really comes. I think the key thing for me, now days, is to realize that He is my help weather I get out of my difficult circumstances or not! When we think of help we think of help OUT of what we’re in. More often than not, I’m convinced; the help is “in the midst of what we’re in.” God uses our difficulties to make us, teach us, mature us, perfect us, and prepare us for what we’re really meant to be ultimately. Not sure if that gets done if we’re in a panic looking for a way out. My help comes from the Lord… but what does it look like, practically, to “lift our eyes?” Just curious what you think.

"Do you want to be healed?"

2009-04-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

As I started back through the Gospel of John in my devotional reading I was struck again by the story in Chapter five of the man by the pool. It's the first 17 verses of chapter five, and hit full in the face by the question that Jesus asks the man... "Do you want to be healed?"

There are a number of interesting aspects in the gospel account. First Jesus knows that the man has been in this condition for 38 years (v.5), or at least it's listed in the account that he had been been there 38 years, and also that "Jesus knew that he'd already been a long time in this condition." Second, knowing that the man had been in that condition for so long the question, "Do you want to be healed?" seems ridiculous. Who wouldn't want to be healed? Who wants to stay in that condition. The answer that the man gives is, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when it's stirred up!"

What has come clear to me over the years I think is that Jesus question is not rhetorical. I think it's an actual question. It seems to me that Jesus is willing to heal, but there needs to be some movement on the man's part... namely... "get up, take your pallet and walk!" that's the command that Jesus gives to the man, and he does it. The power for change and healing is perfectly and immediately available to the man if he will believe and move.

I don't that the point of this text is that we'll all be healed of our physical ailments if we'll only believe more and do something. I think it does mean, however, that we can choose to stay in our current situation, and sometimes that situation is dysfunction, if we'd like, but if we're willing to make a move real changes can take place. Christ want us to have abundant life... that is promised to all who believe... but it will take some movement on our part. Or, we can continue to wallow in our current situation.

I know my own life can be a mess at times... or parts of it can be a mess at times, and all that's required for real change is for me to do what I know I need to do... to be obedient to the truths I already know.

It's difficult to help someone who doesn't want help... it's like trying to lift dead weight; it's a very difficult task. I think Jesus is often asking us the question, in the midst of our messyness... "Do you want to be healed?" It's a legitimate question, and since he loves us

On Delayed Trains and Angels

2009-04-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

Strangest day of travel from Vienna to Osijek Croatia. The punch line of the story is that we actually made it! The funny thing is that we shouldn't have made it by any account. Here's the story.

Our train left Vienna this morning at 6:50 so I got up at 5:30 AM to make some lunch for the day and get ready. Thought I'd get Josh up around 10 'till 6. When I finally got around to looking at the clock time had gotten completely away from me. It was 6:05 AM. Really thought we still had time, so we hustled and got to the ubahn with just enought time to get to Westbanoff and catch the train. If we missed that 6:50 AM train we couldn't possibly make the connection to Croatia.

We hustled to the u-bahn and hopped the subway. I looked up and said to Josh... "I can't believe it! I got us on the subway headed the wrong way!" We went one stop and jumped off the subway, ran over the top, down the other side and just missed the subway. Waited five minutes caught the next one and I realized... while on this subway... that we'd been right before! :) Ok it was early and with jetlag I hadn't gotten to sleep until 2:00 AM.

Ok... we missed our train. I said to Josh standing on the platform waiting for the second time on the right subway... it will be a miracle if we make the train to Budapest... then Croatia. I looked up and said... "Lord, we need a miracle."

I looked at the train schedule and realized that another train left Vienna at 7:05 AM. I knew it wouldnt' get to Budapest in time for the 10:01 train leaving for Croatia... but we had to be moving this direction at some point, so we took the train. I couldn't contact Oliver and Pam McLemore who were to meet us in Budapest. They had our tickets and we had a bag for them from the states. I just thought, we'll call them when we get to Budapest and then catch the train down on Sunday or Monday to Osijek.

We got to Kelenfold (Budapest) at 9:58 AM - amazing since the train leaving Vienna was 10 minutes late leaving. Just as we stepped off our train there was Oliver coming down the Platform. We didn't know about the Croatia train... neither did Oliver, but we went to check the board to see if it had left. We couldn't tell. There was a 30 something Hungarian there who immediately said... "Do you need some help?" We said yes. He ran with me into the information booth and found that our train was on the platform and about the leave... he gave me my tickets told me what platform and we ran... and he was gone. Ok, Joshua and I, and Oliver ran carrying our bags... got to the platform... Josh jumped in... I threw the bags in... I jumped in and literally the door shut and train started to move.

We can chalk it all up to chance... and I'm fine with it if you want to... but it made me wonder. Maybe God has something here for us to do, and somehow with the help of delayed trains ("God's trains always arrive on the time" by the way - Maj. Ian Thomas) and an angel on the platform... it was just weird that he was there at that moment unhesitatingly asking us if we needed help... we'll be here to do it. One minute longer, literally and we would have missed the train.

I plan to speak tomorrow on "The Prodigal God" taken from the title of the book by Tim Keller. God has lavishly poured out his love on us in spite of weirdness, warts, and weaknesses... in spite of ourselves. It's a slightly different twist on the Prodigal Son... but really no twist at all... God has loved us and run to us and embraced us and given us a place with him, even when we have squandered all of his goodness!

I seriously wonder if we encountered and angel today. If you see him let me know... kind of a scruffy hungarian riding a bicycle - brown tweed jacket I think.

The Centrality of the Resurrection

2009-04-17T03:45:00.000-07:00

Antony Flew, noted atheist Philosopher at Oxford University (actually in the past few years Flew has moved from Atheism to Theism… not making any claims about any particular wing of theism. That is as far as I know) has written of the resurrection, “The scandalous particularity consists here in the fact that one particular alleged miracle, occurring at one particular time and place on one particular planet, is not just one of the evidence for identifying Christianity as a revelation of and from God, but is itself the crucial element in the essential content of that revelation.”
NT Wright (Bishop of Durham) says of the resurrection, “For Paul, the point of the resurrection is not simply that the creator god has done something remarkable for one solitary individual (as people today sometimes imagine is the supposed thrust of the Easter proclamation), but that, in and through the resurrection, ‘the present evil age’ has been invaded by the ‘age to come’, the time of restoration, return, covenant renewal, and forgiveness. An event has occurred as a result of which the world is a different place, and human beings have the new possibility to become a different kind of people.”
Another noted scholar of the resurrection, Gary Habermas says, “The New Testament claims that the resurrection of Jesus is the center of Christian theology and practice. It is also recognized as such by almost all theologians today, even those who do not interpret this event literally.”

There’s no question that the resurrection deserves some attention. It’s an event that demands interpretation by everyone on the planet… to deem it legend, plain farce, an historical reality or some combination of those. One thing is undeniable however, it was the central event to the early church, and continues to be the central event in the church year. There are some notable points for the early church.

Preaching the resurrection was central in the first century church! They begin telling the story at the beginning! The history of the NT Church – Acts begins with it! Acts 1:3, 2:24, 5:30, 10:40, and 24:21. In continues central in Paul’s preaching: Romans 1:4, 6:5, 9, 10:9; I Cor. 6:5, 14; 15:1-9, 12,13; II Timothy 1:10, 12; 2:8-13. It’s prominent in Peter’s preaching I Peter 1:3

The Transformation brought about by the resurrection is an undeniable minimal fact of the resurrection! While at one moment the first leaders of the church were cowering in an upper room wondering what to do next, they were at the next moment challenging the religious establishment and being put to death for their belief in the resurrection! John 20:19/Acts 5:27-32. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was a defining moment for the church of Jesus Christ… an event, or decision in your life, after which, everything changes. Paul says… “if Christ hasn’t been raised then there isn’t any resurrection and we’re fools! It’s Central! Paul tells Agrippa – “This didn’t happen in a corner!” Acts 26:22-28. Both here and in I Corinthians 15 Paul says, “This thing happened out in the open… and there are many people still alive who witnessed it (1 Cor. 15) go and ask them! The resurrection brought change… The disciples, Paul, James! Neither Paul nor James were believers until after the resurrection, and neither were candidates for anything like hallucination - which is in no way a compelling argument. You have to account for something changing Paul and James, the brother of Jesus.

The centrality of the resurrection gave them power to live! If we want to understand what’s back of Paul’s message to Timothy then we have to understand Paul’s frame of reference. When he says to Timothy: He’s telling Timothy, a young church leader living in perilous times that he can stand firm in the face of adversity, and even potential death for his faith because of Christ… and specifically the resurrection. 1:10… who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 1:12… I know whom I have believed and convinced… 2:11… if we died with him we shall also live with Him… Paul’s perspective was other worldly… he was able to walk through the difficulties he faced because of his personal encounter with Christ… Risen from the dead!

The Implications of the Resurrection. Romans 8:11 – Shall give life to your mortal bodies…Romans 6:4 – We shall have a new life by the power of God… Romans 10:9 – We can be saved…In the resurrection we are born again into a LIVING HOPE!

If the resurrection is real… it changes everything, it gives us a different view of reality… what we see here isn’t all there is, there is more. Our hope is in Him who transcends this physical world, who is able to do abundantly beyond all that we can ask or thing according to His power that is at work among us!

Steve Fulk Update

2009-04-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hey, anyone interested in a follow up regarding Steven Fulk I'll paste here what his wife just wrote on her facebook. I'm grateful for good news.

"Steve opened his eyes and looked at me and I held his hand and asked him to squeeze my hand if he could see me and knew I was there with him....he squeezed my hand really tight. They are getting ready to move him to another facility that is a stepping stone to being able to return home. They have warned me it will be several, several months, but he is progressing nicely!"

Steve Fulk

2009-03-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

(Picture r to l: Steve, Kathy, Jenna, Jeremy, and Jay Fulk)

Anytime I hear the song “Everybody was Kung-Fu Fighting” it brings a smile to my face… not primarily because it’s a weird song and who knows where it came from or why! It brings a smile to my face because every time I hear it, and I do mean every single time, it takes me back to Don and Caroline Fulk’s basement in Willowcreek OR in the early 70’s. The basement is unfinished at this point of my memory, and my brother Dan and I are staying overnight with the Fulks on Christmas break. The song is blaring in the basement and Steve, Lonnie (Steve’s younger brother), Dan (my younger brother), and I are flying around the basement kicking and karate chopping each other.

I have a million incredible childhood memories from the Fulks. Riding motorcycles like wild men, diving off the 3 X 12 diving board into the canal, the trampoline, farming, the barn, winter pulls by Don on the upside down car hood… all of us piled on it while Don drug us around behind the tractor. It really was the stuff of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and they’re memories that I cherish even if they don’t surface too often – not surprisingly I don’t have “Everybody was Kung-Fu Fighting” on my IPod… though I might just load it now.

I heard a couple days ago that my friend Steve was in a horrible car accident with his wife Kathy and son Jay. Last I heard he is still in a coma – I, and many others are praying for him and his family (Kathy and Jay are out of the hospital). I have always had a ton of admiration for Steve, even though life has taken us different directions and we really haven't stayed in touch (thanks to facebook there's now a bit of connection). I think the last time I saw Steve and Kathy was the 20 year reunion… we’re getting frighteningly close to 30 now!

Two thoughts flood through my mind as I reflect: First, life is fleeting (not that I think Steve’s is over - he could always beat me up... I think he's going to beat this thing!). One moment you’re driving and the next you’re in the hospital with everything hanging by a thread and uncertain. We really do need to make the most of it. Erik Erikson’s final stage of psycho-social development is “Integrity vs. Despair” and it simply says, “At the end of life you’ll look back and love your life (integrity) or be disappointed in it (despair). This always reminds me to live in such a way that integrity is the end thought. Second, the life and memories I have, the people I’ve grown up around and continue to have in my heart are a gift… I need to treasure them. Who I am is in large part due to them.

"The fools says in his heart there is no God"... maybe I'm the fool!

2009-03-25T08:32:00.001-07:00

Psalm 53 hit me in an interesting way yesterday early morning. The text starts right out, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" David then goes on to say that there is in fact no one who does good, that everyone has turned aside and is corrupt, and then repeats again, "there is no one who does good, not even one!"

David moves on from there to wicked eat of the "bread of my people" and that "they have not called upon God." he also says "they were in great fear where no fear had been."

He finished up the Psalm, "Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!"

It's easy for those who believe in God (of any sort really) to point fingers at those who don't and say, "They're fools!" In truth all of creation testifies to design rather than randomness, from the Universe itself to the smallest molecular structures. Paul says that no one has excuse, God has testified to all of our hearts that "He is" through all that we see. What I think is interesting, and what struck me afresh this week is how often we who believe in God are functional atheists. That is to say, we affirm that God is, and that He is at work, and intensely interested in every detail of our lives (unless we are deists of course), but then we don't rely or call upon Him.

The psalm says, they have not called upon God! The result seems to be "great fear where no fear had been." A brief story: Several years ago, just after 2000 I went through a short period of anxiety (maybe 6 months). I went to see a few docs who tried giving me medication to help - it didn't help. I tried a number of things. Night after night I would fall asleep as soon as I got into bed, and night after night I would wake up, full awake, at 1:00 AM. At first it frustrated me, but later on I learned to take this time as a blessing. I would go to my boy's rooms and pray for them as they slept... and then I would have a cup of tea, read the psalms, and journal. I would be up for about two hours, and then fall back to sleep for a bit. It became a rich time of seeking, and finding, God.

I'm going through a similar experience again. Not exactly the same, not sure the cause, but it struck me yesterday, I've been pursuing the issues with medical help - and will continue to do so. I am so appreciative of the blessings of medicine and the help of good docs. However, I simply realized I have not been calling on God for this really, nor really seeking His face. The result I think is simple... great fear at times where no fear had been.

We can point our boney fingers in the faces of those who "say there is no God." I don't usually do that... I think it's important to honor each person as one carrying the Imago Dei regardless of their beliefs. The real question to me (to us) is whether or not we're just as foolish... knowing God and not calling.

Marriage - Talking it Out

2009-03-18T10:36:00.001-07:00

I'm adding this content from my sermon last Sunday. I'm in the midst of a series titled "What's Love Got to Do with It?" It seemed helpful to people at MLCC. Maybe it can be helpful to some others. Sharlyn said to me this week... "Hey your sermon on Sunday was really good... did I tell you that? Where did you get all that information?" I think she may have been saying, "Why don't you try some of that at home buddy!!" As with most things, the knowing and the doing thereof are two different things. Chesterton said of Christianity, "Christianity has not so much been tried and found wanting, rather it has mostly been wanted and left untried." In any case, hopefully you can find some practical tools here. I've inserted a few quotes I used. I love quotes about anything... well, almost anything.

“I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage. They've experienced pain and bought jewelry.” – Rita Rudner

“Elections are a good deal like marriages. There's no accounting for any one's taste. Every time we see a bridegroom we wonder why she ever picked him, and it's the same with public officials.”- Will Rogers

“For two people in a marriage to live together day after day is unquestionably the one miracle the Vatican has overlooked.” – Bill Cosby

Marriage is easy to make fun of it because everyone who has ever been involved in it recognizes that it’s a delight on the one hand, and a work on the other!

God designed marriage to express oneness. Genesis 2:22-24. The two become one in the consummation of the marriage, but there is also a oneness as two lives are united… we have pictures of it with unity candle, the difficulty is in actually attaining the oneness that is part of the covenant, in real terms. It takes work.

Oneness if found through reconciliation of conflict, not the lack of conflict. Conflict shouldn’t be feared… it is…
… a doorway to intimacy.

Gives opportunity to gain understanding.
You can ask questions: “How did that make you feel?
Gives opportunity to give an emotional word picture.

…an opportunity to gather facts:
Let’s talk about the issues in a factual way.
Why or why not do this, go there?
Calms us down and helps us to see with clarity the right thing to do.

…helps us develop our keys for opening the door.
What do I say that shuts you down?
How can I say things that open you up?
You always statements lock the door.
Use “I feel” or “I think” statements that remove blame.

… is an opportunity to express physical/emotional affection:
It’s an opportunity to give a hug… non sexual meaningful touch.
Opportunity to say “I’m sorry.”

The most difficult conflicts are often the most emotionally rewarding.

Conflict resolution ought to be guided by:
-Eph. 4:29-32… no unwholesome words.
-James 1:19… quick to hear… slow to speak.

Conflict is healthy in relationships: “All married couples should learn the art of battle as they should learn the art of making love. Good battle is objective and honest--never vicious or cruel. Good battle is healthy and constructive, and brings to a marriage the principle of equal partnership.” – Ann Landers

Tools to build oneness and address conflict.
Practice withholds (Les and Leslie Parrot)… good or bad. Try this week to have two nights when you share at least two of each. A withhold is something you haven't said, but could. You say, "I really appreciated you bringing me a cup of coffee this morning." They respond only by saying “…thank you for sharing that.” Could be, "My feelings were hurt this morning when you jokingly said I wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer." They respond by saying, "thank you for saying that."

Practice assertiveness in a relationship that is meaningful to you: Three wishes… “I wish…” Three things… Something like, "I wish that we could take a least two hours one day a week that was just out time, without kids, friends, family, or TV; just to be together.

“Like everything which is not the involuntary result of fleeting emotion but the creation of time and will, any marriage, happy or unhappy, is infinitely more interesting than any romance, however passionate.” W.H. Auden

Esme Kenney - We're not alone!

2009-03-08T19:40:00.001-07:00

It's surprising, and unnerving when violence and tragedy surface so close to home. If you've been keeping up on the news you've probably seen the story of Esme Kenny, a thirteen year old young lady who decided to go out for a jog yesterday afternoon (March 7), and never returned. They found her murdered a few minutes from her home. They have found and charged a man with her murder who has a record of similar crimes. He was wandering in the woods with her Ipod and watch. They have him in custody and they're relatively sure that he's the murderer.

Esme's aunt and uncle and two cousins are part of our church. I spent part of the afternoon with them. The pain of this violence and loss is exponential. Hard to grasp, but reminds me of two truths. First, we're not alone... we live in a world where evil exists and we run into it when we don't expect to; there is no way to completely avoid it. Evil befalls even the most innocent. Other places in the world live with the sort of destruction, violence, and pain that seem to visit us in America less frequently. Still, the evil is real and impacting us. If you haven't read The Shack you ought to take a look at it. William Young does a great job of dealing with the problem of evil in a scenario eerily similar to Esme Kenny's story.

Second, it reminds me that we're not alone. From our church alone we've seen several thousands of dollars raised to help the family go back and be with Esme's family as they walk through this tragedy. Additionally a couple hundred thousand air miles have donated from the church body to get them flights. The outpouring of love and help has overwhelmed this family with blessing even in the midst of this incredible tragedy. I have never been so deeply moved by the generosity and love flowing from the church I'm privileged to work at. I didn't say "surprised" because I'm not surprised. I know them, and they love and give. I've seen it in my own life, and I'm seeing it again.

Life throws misery at us, we're not immune to it because we follow Christ and trust Him to be Savior, but we are blessed to walk together with people how love us and who we love in return. I hope your journey has those people in it... There are times when God seems utterly absent... it's in those times that we feel His presence in the lives and generosity of those who are His! We are his hands and feet, Christ incarnate, in the lives of people who are hungry, thirsty, hopeless, and in darkness.

The Prodigal Father...

2009-02-26T13:21:00.000-08:00

I am struck by the idea of the prodigal father. The story from Luke 15 gets titled the prodigal son because the son is a spendthrift... he is wasteful and spends the money extravagantly - and quickly it seems.

The definition of prodigal is: : “ wastefully or recklessly extravagant.” “A person who spends, or has spent his or her money with wasteful extravagance.” Isn't that a description of how God has spent his wealth on us? And the father in the story... he takes this wayward son in without even hearing his excuses and beyond that he gives him a new robe, ring on his finger, sandals, and throws a big party which starts by butchering the best animal. The elder son says, "You didn't even give me a goat" so I think we can assume that to kill a fatted calf would be of more value. The father is spending wastefully on the son! He has spent extravagantly and wastefully on us. Not wastefully on us in the sense that he didn't know what he was doing... but with reckless abandon!

Another thing that epitomizes God's pursuit of us is that He doesn't wait for us to come crawling back... he approaches us and gives to us lavishly. I am reminded of Thomas in the upper room. Remember the story. Thomas gets called (for all of history it seems) "doubting Thomas" because he said, "If I can't put my fingers in the nail holes or my hand in his side I won't believe. I think I might have been more like Thomas than the others. In any case, when Jesus shows back up he immediately says, "Thomas come here and put your fingers in the holes and your hand in my side! Stop doubting and believe. I think that more than anything else Jesus WANTS Thomas to believe... I don't think he came scolding.... I think he comes hoping that Thomas will draw near. I love this story. Jesus doesn't wait for Thomas to sweat... the Jewish Father doesn't wait for the son to get back before running... the shepherd doesn't wait for the lost sheep to wander home... the woman doesn't wait for the lost coin to turn up... God doesn't sulkily wait for me to see the error of my ways... he's pursuing me with lavish and extravagant love!

The Divine Embrace

2009-02-15T23:17:00.000-08:00

A student in our church made the comment about the elder brother in The Return of the Prodigal Son that, "It looks like the elder brother is looking somewhat longingly at the embrace that the father is giving to the younger son."

Without a doubt the elder brother is incredulous about the father's behavior, but I was taken by the comment. I think it makes sense to a degree when you look at the bigger context of the passage. The first couple verses in Luke 15 are the Pharisees saying... "Look at this guy (Jesus) he's hanging with sinners and tax gatherers." That's not something they would have done, and it doesn't resonate with them in the least that Jesus is doing it.

What's at a premium for the Pharisees? Keeping the rules... following the law... every bit at least as they see it. When that characterizes our relationship with the father then it seems to me that we miss the divine embrace that the younger son is getting. Our relationship with the father, in that environment, is based upon our goodness... our doing the right things... our being the right sort of people. It's like payment for a task. The elder brother says, at the end of the parable... "I've been slaving for you all these years, doing whatever you asked" and by implication he's saying "you owe me." The beauty of the embrace that the younger son gets is that it's an embrace that isn't owed... in fact what the younger son is owed is to be run out of the family... tossed into the street... at the very best to be a slave. The sweetness and strength of the father's embrace is rooted in it's being freely given. The elder son isn't feeling it.

Throughout scripture God says to his people (see Isaiah 1 or Malachi) that he's not interested in rule following, rather he's interested in a heart that truly wants Him! Of course he's interested in obedience - there's no shortage of that message in either the Old or the New Testament. But he's not after the rule... he's after the heart that is obedient out of love for him rather than an empty hearted adherence to duty.

The Older Brother

2009-02-12T14:45:00.000-08:00

One particular idea that challenged me in The Prodigal God by T. Keller is that we're probably the older brother. That is to say, I think that most of us tend to identify with the prodigal son, the younger son. Keller challenged me to think, to some degree, that I'm probably closer to the older brother, at least as a religious guy.

In so many ways the church is the older brother. We see ourselves as having kept the rules, followed the right path, done the right things, been faithful, etc, etc. When people come toward the church we may not be accepting because we see them as the younger brother coming back after being away and getting the inheritance.

The older brother is clearly annoyed that the father is accepting the younger brother back and throwing him a party... "What's all this about? I've been serving you all these years and have been faithful, and now you're throwing a party for this knucklehead whose been squandering your money on hookers!"

One really interesting reflection made by "Jordan" at church last Sunday when I asked our congregation to reflect on the Painting (I had a huge framed print in the worship area) is that the older brother may be looking on the scene between the father and the younger son and wishing that he was feeling that embrace of the father. I hadn't looked at it that way.

Notice the servants (in the background) looking on incredulously. Have they ever seen anything like this? It's the story of the gospel... while were were still knuckleheads..."

I'd love to read your reflections on this painting: The Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt

2009-02-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

I just finished the book The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller last week, and I'm digging into The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen this week. Keller's book is fabulous, and I've heard Nouwen's is amazing. What are your reflections on the painting... what do you see in it? Any part of your story you'd like to tell... leave it in the comments!

Augustine - The Confessions

2009-02-04T22:46:00.000-08:00

"... for you have made us for yourself and our heart is restless till it finds its rest in you.”

In the very first section of The Confessions Augustine gives us this treasure. Speaking apologetically this short quote resonates with the message of the gospel. That is to say, Paul writes in Romans chapter one that no on has excuse - all know, intuitively, that there is a creator, and there is some desire to know this one. For me it's encouraging to know that when I'm thinking about sharing my faith I can have confidence that God is also pulling those with whom I'm sharing my faith, into His presence. That means that I am only one of the players on the stage of reaching those who are outside of Jesus Christ.

As I see the struggle and striving for meaning and fulfillment all around me I'm struck by the reality that everyone is working (unless they're in a covenant relationship with God through Christ) to fill that God shaped hole in their lives. We seek relationships to fill it; careers to fill it; other people to fill it; wealth to fill it. Time to rest in HIM.

Ok, I've been away for awhile

2009-02-03T17:35:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I haven't kept this up... not that there are millions of disappointed blogmeisters out there thinking I've been lazy and who are hanging on every hope that soon I will make another scintillating contribution to their lives through my blog. But I'd like to get moving ahead again. Hopefully it will be so. I guess we'll see.

Wish I was more profound... life has just been busy.
Hope you're well,
John

Saturday Morning Devotions - James 3, Psalm 3

2008-09-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? James 3:8-11 (NASB95)

I wonder what a difference it would make if we could just get this figured out? That is... to make sure that the same fountain (our mouths) only spews forth good water, and not bitter. Just being able to get a filter on the brain/mouth thing.

Friday Morning Community - James 2, Psalm 2

2008-09-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? James 2:2-4 (NASB95)

It's so difficult to treat everyone the same because of the way we view the world. How many of our relationships are bringing us some return? That is to say, how often are we thinking in terms of "what I can get" from the relationship rather than what I have to give. 90% of the relationship conflicts I work with people through boil down to expectations vs. reality in interpersonal relationship. Marriage is certainly that way... but I think that's what James is saying in this text. When you say to the wealthy person - "sit here in this comfortable chair" and the person without much - "sit here on the floor by my feet" we're recognizing, even at a sub-conscious level that there is more to gain from the one who has little than from the one who has much! James says that those are "evil motives."

If we spent more of our time asking the question, "How can I be responsible for someone else's success?" I think we would be generally happier. When we expect others to meet our needs and further our progress we're rarely, if ever, satisfied that they've done all they can do.

Perhaps we could spend more time working on the "royal law" which is to "love your neighbor as yourself." We can be self-absorbed (which may not always really be "loving ourselves") and forget that our call is to serve, to love, to give... not live in relationships waiting to get.

Thursday Morning Community, Psalm 1 - James 1

2008-09-25T07:02:00.000-07:00

I am intrigued that though we chose James to read, and started at Psalm 1 (ok that's not a big surprise to start at Psalm 1) they have some similar content.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:2-3 (NASB95)

Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21 (NASB95)

The word of God is both the seed and the water... God uses it in our lives to bear fruit. We were talking last night about the necessity of being in God's presence... even for Jesus! Think about how deeply connected Christ was also to the written word... quoting it often... clearly well versed in it. He lived in it when "not on the spot" so that his life was shaped for the times when he "was on the spot!" May it grow up and bear fruit!

MLCC Student Ministry Community Devotional Challenge

2008-09-24T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys (anyone else can join us also... but the MLCC student ministry group{Jr. High & Sr. High... I really love these guys} are reading scripture together apart from 6:20 - 6:40 AM each day for a week), here is the plan for the week.

Remember that Bonhoeffer said that part of community is sharing the morning together in worship, the word, and prayer. So we're going to be reading the same passages together from 6:20 -6:40 for the next week. Saturday and Sunday we'll just say it's going to be morning since I know some of you are lazy and won't get up early those days... wait... did I say lazy?

Please feel free... and in fact invited... to share through comments... on the reading for the day.

Thursday, September 25: Psalm 1; James 1
Friday, September 26: Psalm 2; James 2
Saturday, September 27: Psalm 3
Sunday, September 28: Psalm 4
Monday, September 29: Psalm 5; James 3
Tuesday, September 30: Psalm 6; James 4
Wednesday, October 1: Psalm 7, James 5

I love this plan... hope you can join us for the week!
John

The Struggle for Power

2008-09-24T06:17:00.000-07:00

As we're in the throes of the political campaigning season I can't help myself... I'm just cynical about the real political motivations of those seeking office. One of things that I genuinely appreciate about John McCain is his history of sacrifice and service to the US. He has served a very long time, and given much. Having said that he isn't a compelling candidate overall. Not sure what to think about Obama. I truly don't see any real experience. When his own campaign is citing running for office as an example of his executive experience that's weird. To say, "I'm qualified to be President of the USA because I've run a large Presidential campaign seems something like circular reasoning.

What's the motivation when it's all said and done, for each party? I think it's power and the thrill of being in power. It causes us to completely lose our objectivity. I don't see political parties - or candidates - spending much time truly seeking the welfare of those they serve. I don't see them being faithful to their pledges. I just got a flyer from the Doc Hastings campaign last night. He ran on the "term limits" platform. Now he's been in office... continues to run for office... long after the "time's up" on the limits he was espousing. Why doesn't he get out of the race and throw his hat in with someone he can support? He likes power - and somewhere deep down he probably thinks he can help more in office than out - but he likes power. (Someone please correct me if it wasn't Hastings who ran on that platform - I'll gladly retract).

I was reading this morning in the gospel of John chapter three. Jesus and his disciples, along with John and his disciples are baptizing in the land of Judea (v.22ff) because there was much water there. In a discussion between John's disciples and a Jew they asked John a question, "What do you think about this Jesus guy baptizing too?" Are they asking John how he feels about someone stealing his thunder? "Hey! We're the popular baptizing guys... what's he doing horning in on our territory?" I love John's answer -

"You yourselves were there when I made it public that I was not the Messiah but simply the one sent ahead of him to get things ready. The one who gets the bride is, by definition, the bridegroom. And the bridegroom's friend, his 'best man'—that's me—in place at his side where he can hear every word, is genuinely happy. How could he be jealous when he knows that the wedding is finished and the marriage is off to a good start? "That's why my cup is running over. This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines. "The One who comes from above is head and shoulders over other messengers from God. The earthborn is earthbound and speaks earth language; the heavenborn is in a league of his own." John 3:28-31 (MSG)

John effectively says, "Hey guys, this thing is not about me, and I don't need the popularity. The point is Jesus, let's not lose focus." He isn't consumed by power. When John's in prison seeing the handwriting on the wall and his head soon on the platter only has one concern... did I bet on the right horse. He doesn't seem overly concerned about his own welfare - he just wants to know, and sends his disciples to ask, "Are you the one or should we look for another?"

It's refreshing to see that heart and it challenges me to have that heart. My power an success are immaterial in the whole scope of things. It's not about me - or you either if you're reading this I guess.

Out of the Loop

2008-09-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

To anyone who actually comes and reads this once in a while, particularly if you were looking for the next Prayer for Beginners installment, sorry I've been away.

Prayer for Beginners: Chapter Two- Part VI

2008-09-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

Prayer is Delightful

“There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience (Brother Andrew – Letter 5).” No one who has ever tried it has given it a lesser rating than that. For even though our prayer-contact with God may be almost infinitely poor, the God we thus contact is infinitely rich! Therefore “we are to be pitied who content ourselves with so little. God has infinite treasure to bestow” (Letter 4).
Delight is a subjective reason for praying, but it’s a valid one. God accepts the more “selfish” and subjective and natural motive of our own delight and preace and joy and happiness as perfectly proper, for God appeals to this motive throughout scripture. He is not an elitist; he stoops to conquer. He stoops down even into the spiritual nursery and carefully watches over spiritual infants like us.

Recent Reads

2008-08-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

Just a note to check out book ideas on the sidebar. These are some of the books that I've read in the recent weeks in case you're interested. These, actually, are the books I've read recently even if you haven't the slightest interest in all the world!

To "anonymous":

2008-08-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry you didn't see my response... it came fairly soon after yours... it's in the comment thread of "Movie Flash." To be honest, I'd prefer you not comment as "anonymous." Though I thought your comment was good, and thoughtful, so I published it. I think openness is best, not sure why you keep your identity secret, unless perhaps that's just your policy with regard to Internet stuff, which I would respect. If you know me, though, don't hesitate to jump in the conversation. If I was trying to hide a topic I certainly wouldn't be publishing about it on my blog. I know people have different ways of approaching issues - as Molak Jedi suggested in saying Angelina Jolie movies are off limits to him. I think it's best in conversation that we know each other.

That said, I just wanted to let you know that my comment on your first comment was in the thread a few days after yours... and it's still there. Go to movie flash comments and follow the thread down.

Prayer for Beginners: Chapter Two- Part V

2008-08-07T09:09:00.000-07:00

"Remembering the facts of death and Heaven gives us an even more pressing reason to learn to pray: We do not have an infinite amount of time."

“We are one day nearer Home today than we ever were before. I guarantee you that after you die you will not say ‘I spent too much time praying; I wish I had watched more TV instead.”

“We must learn to pray because infinite and uncompromising Love will not leave us alone until we do.” This reminds me of Augustine in The Confessions, right at the beginning, where he says, “You stir us up to delight in your praise; for you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless till if finds its rest in you.” (I.I.I.)

“Prayer is like gardening: the growing of something alive – in this case, alive for eternity. It is gradual, it is invisible, but it is the difference between life and death. Prayer is plant food. This plant – your soul – is going to be transplanted at death into an immortal, eternal garden. Learning to pray is dress rehearsal for eternal life.”

I just got an email this morning about a very young child with an inoperable abdominal tumor. It's heart breaking... I think, "Lord you have to heal this little boy!" His life is full ahead of him. We think about life in terms of a long time usually, unless something like this comes along. We hear the word "cancer" and it scares the life out of us before it kills us. In part we think it's sad because in the back of our unconscious we don't have our own mortality in view. We think we have lots of time, and we don't really. We shouldn't go through life thinking we're out of time either it seems to me, but now that I'm 45 I realize how quickly time goes by. My summer went by yesterday! This is the quickest summer on record for me I think. We're going to be in God's presence, the eternal Kingdom, for much longer than we're going to be here. Reminds me of the end of The Silver Chair where Eustace and Jill ask Aslan if Caspian has died. Aslan response is something like... "Died? Yes... that's what you call it in your world... mos people have you know."

To learn to live life in God's presence in prayer surely gets us ready.

Prayer for Beginners: Chapter Two- Part IV

2008-07-17T23:31:00.000-07:00

We should pray because God’s honor deserves it, in fact demands it.

"To put it most simply, God is God, the Absolute Reality, Infinite Perfection, more massively real than the universe itself and more worthy than all the ideals together ever conceived by all human minds. If God is not this, then God is not God. Thus, we should pray because prayer is the most realistic thing in the world to do. It is our acknowledgment of reality, our right response to reality, our honesty with reality."

If God is truly God, and truly there then He is interested in us, and our response to him is the least thing we can do. And if we really recognize him as the Absolute Reality it's something we will do.

When the prodigal returns to his father in the story that Jesus tells (Luke 15:11ff) he's not expecting much, but to be one of the servants. He knows that even being a servant on his father's farm is better than anything he's experiencing in the "distant country." What do suppose his deep response is to the sight of old father running down the road to meet him? Think he stopped and let the father come? I suppose that he was overwhelmed with a sense love and compassion from his father and couldn't wait to be in his embrace. He's running to us...

Prayer for Beginners: Chapter Two- Part III

2008-07-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

Three reasons that God commands us to pray correspond to our three deepest needs, the fundamental needs of the three powers of our soul: Prayer gives truth to our minds, goodness to our will, and beauty to our heart.

The true, the good, and the beautiful are the three things we need and love the most, because they are three attributes of God.

Prayer gives truth to our mind because it puts us in the presence of truth itself, the divine mind who designed our minds and our lives and our whole universe.

It gives goodness to our will because it puts us “on line with God, in love with God who is love and goodness. That is his essence. In prayer we become like the God we pray to and conform to; we catch the good infection of Godliness by contact.

It gives beauty to our heart because it plunges us into the heart of God, which is the eternal energy of infinite joy. That is why it gives us joy and peace and delight and happiness.

To pray is to enter the tent it seems, as Moses did in the wilderness. When he'd come out of the tent his face glowed; being in the presence of God changed him... the glory of God infused him to some degree. Not to a perfect degree... Moses' face would begin to fade when he was out of God's presence. The difference for us, or so says Paul in II Corinthians 3:18, is that we don't have to go into a tent to be in God's presence... because of Christ we're able to live in God's presence and therefore our glory (the degree to which we reflect the person of Christ) can continue to grow. Still it takes his presence purposefully entered.

II Timothy - Earl Palmer (Regent College)

2008-07-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

I've been at Regent College this week taking a class on II Timothy from Earl Palmer (University Presbyterian Church - Seattle). It's been a great class and Earl Palmer is a wealth of interesting information about II Timothy and many other things. He's a guy who knows so much that he can easily talk about anything at the drop of the hat, and does, but connects his musings adeptly to the focus of the class. It's been delightful.

Here's a way of studying the text that he showed us the first day. Nothing substantially new... but a good reminder to me as to how to exegete the text of scripture. You follow the text through five questions. These don't have to relate to "preaching or teaching" but can relate simply to one's personal study of scripture.

I. The Technical Questions
Lower Criticism: What is the best reading of the text? What do the words mean? Why was this particular word used? “Tell me what the hard words mean and you will have done more for me than a 1000 commentaries.” C.S. Lewis

II. The Historical Questions
Behind: What’s the history behind what’s being said… the depth.
Form Criticism: What is the atmosphere behind the text? What’s going on around this writing? What is the context in which it’s given?
Within: Develop a “radical historical curiosity” about the things going on within the text and the time.

III. The Theological Question
What does the text say? What does it mean? What is the author trying to get at… what does he want us to see and know theologically?

IV. The Contemporary Question
Audience Criticism: How would an audience in the first Century hear this text? Why does John the Baptist ask, “Are you the one or should we look for another?” What makes John so disappointed with Jesus that he asks that question? How would those moving down through the centuries view the text? How would a Freudian view the text? We need new commentaries in every generation because every generation is dealing with something or someone new.

V. The Discipleship Question
There’s no great commentary that doesn’t deal with what it means of me? I want Paul to speak to me… to others

Palmer has a very high regard for Calvin's work, and one quote that he's given us from Calvin regards the importance of the biblical text, which says, “The text will always bring you to the ‘living center’ (Christ), the OT by anticipation, the NT by witness.” May it be so.

Movie Flash!!

2008-07-11T09:15:00.000-07:00

I've seen a couple movies lately - thought I'd give a quick... I mean quick... rundown.

Get Smart: Particularly for those of us who grew up during the era of Maxwell Smart it's a must see. It's hilariously funny at some points - I nearly wet my pants laughing at two points in the movie. The second time I saw it there was a lady in front of us who was absolutely howling it was so funny. I mentioned this to my brother-in-law with whom I'd seen the movie the first time and said, "that's just what you sounded like the first time you saw it!" I saw it twice in the theatre... I never do that. It's worth the price of admission. There is relatively little inappropriate stuff - good movie.

Wanted: If you can get past a couple of early, and graphic, sex scenes the rest of it is just as bad! Truly, I went to see it because it looked like a lot of fun and action. There were some great action spots to be sure. Morgan Freeman is an amazing actor, one of my favorites, I expect to see him in better movies. In the end Angelina Jolie is true to the code... it's just a bit of weird code to be true to! If you have to see it wait for the DVD in my opinion.

Prayer for Beginners: Chapter Two- Part II

2008-07-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5:9, 45; Luke 6:35; John 1:12; Romans 8:14ff; Romans 9:26; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18; Galatians 3:26

The second motivation for prayer is because God commands it.

“We pray not simply as some solitary self-improvement program, but because we have been addressed by God. Prayer is a response to a prior divine invitation. No, ‘invitation’ is too weak. God commands us to pray, in fact to ‘pray constantly.’ (1 Thessalonians 5:17) He yearns and longs for us to pray more passionately than any earthly lover yearns for his beloved to turn her eyes and her attention to him.
We pray to obey God, not to ‘play God’. We pray, not to change God’s mind, but to change our own; not to command God, but to let Him command us. We pray to ‘let God be God.’”

This divine invitation is for relationship, and we see it in no better place than the beginning, the garden, when God formed man and woman, breathed life into them, and then, wonder of wonders, walked with them in the cool of the day. It seems this picture is lost; at least it is to me at times, too often in fact. My interaction with God becomes asking, which he’s told us to do. But it becomes only asking. It seems that what God was after with us from the beginning was relationship. We’re uniquely created for it, with Him and with each other.

Throughout scripture the picture is expanded. God is seeking after us for relationship, for a heart that longs for Him. The first chapter of Isaiah is a prime example. The people are jumping through the religious hoops day in and day out, but there’s no heart for relationship with Him. He is simply dissatisfied with their religion because it’s not what he’s after. God is, after all, not looking for subjects as much as he is looking for sons and daughters to whom He desperately wishes to give an inheritance of all sorts of good things. (Matthew 5:9, 45; Luke 6:35; John 1:12; Romans 8:14ff; Romans 9:26; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18; Galatians 3:26)

I’ve been reading Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller. He’s a thoughtful and funny writer (you should read one of his books Blue Like Jazz is popular). I came across this thought there, “The God of the Bible seemed to be brokenhearted over the separation in our relationship and downright obsessed with mending the tear.” And a bit later on, “I realized that Jesus was always, and I mean always, talking about love, about people, about relationship, and He never once broke anything into steps or formulas. What if, because we were constantly trying to dissect His message, we were missing a blatant invitation? I began to wonder if becoming a Christian did not work more like falling in love than agreeing with a list of true principles.” (Chapter 3, pp 45, 46).

Prayer for Beginners: Chapter Two- Part I

2008-07-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

In chapter three Kreeft gives ten motivations for prayer. I’m going to give you the ten motivations for prayer, but I’ll take the next few posts to expand on them… today, only motivation number one:

1. Only prayer can save the world.
2. There is a better reason to pray than the fact that only prayer can save the world. We must pray because God commands it.
3. Three reasons that God commands us to pray correspond to our three deepest needs, the fundamental needs of the three powers of our soul: Prayer gives truth to our minds, goodness to our will, and beauty to our heart.
4. We should pray because God’s honor deserves it, in fact demands it.
5. Remembering the facts of death and Heaven gives us an even more pressing reason to learn to pray: We do not have an infinite amount of time.
6. Prayer is delightful.
7. Prayer is the way to know God, and this is Jesus’ definition of eternal life: “This is eternal life: that they know thee, the only true God.” (John 17:3)
8. Prayer, and its effect, knowing God, is the essential prerequisite for all religious teachers, catechists, evangelists, and preachers.
9. Prayer is the only way to spiritual progress.
10. Prayer is necessary because without it we cannot attain the meaning in life, the end and purpose of our existence.

The first motivation is that only prayer can save the world, but what does he mean by it? “Though some claim that prayer is an unaffordable luxury today, or an irresponsible withdrawal from the pressing public problems of our poor, hurting world, I say just the opposite: that nothing, nothing is more relevant and responsible; that nothing else can ever cure our sick world except saints, and saints are never made except by prayer.
Nothing but saints can save our world because the deepest root of all the world’s diseases is sin, and saints are the antibodies that fight sin. Nothing but prayer can make saints because nothing but God can make saints, and we meet God in prayer. Prayer is the hospital for souls where we meet Doctor God.”

Jesus has said that we're supposed to be "light" and "salt". (Matthew 5:13-16). We need to be light because the world, by almost any one's standard is pretty dark at times. We need to be salt because the world, by any one's standard, can be pretty bitter at times. Only God can take flesh and blood people and give them the properties of light and salt.

In another biblical analogy (Romans 9:19ff) we are the clay, and God is the potter. In order for us to be shaped in a way that is useful we need to be on the wheel... prayer is the wheel.

Prayer for Beginners - Peter Kreeft

2008-07-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

Necessity - Chapter 1

Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:46; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12; Luke 9:28; Luke 11:1ff; Luke 18:1ff.

"Eating keeps your body alive, and prayer keeps your soul alive. Praying is more important than eating because your soul is more important than your body. Your soul is more important than your body because your soul is you, your personality your self... prayer keeps your soul alive because prayer is real contact with God, and God is the life of the soul as the soul is the life of the body. If you do not pray, your soul will wither and die, just as, if you do not eat, your body will wither and die."

The difficult issue in view of this truth is that it's not as evident to us that our soul is dying as it is that our body is dying. Fasting, though one of the classic Christian disciplines has been almost completely neglected, makes our need for food painfully evident. Most protestants neglect fasting because it's unpleasant. Do you fast regularly? I go through periods of regular fasting; Mondays are the days I choose. I can honestly say that I'm annoyed by 11:00 AM or so on fasting days. It's not just that I'm famished, it's that I like eating... I enjoy it... it's part of my daily routine... I schedule my days around breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So do you. I just don't think of going through a day without eating, unless I'm exceptionally busy. My body misses food and thinks I'm dying if I miss a meal. My soul, on the other hand, doesn't demonstrably complain if I miss prayer for one session... a day... or perhaps even a week!

Kreeft says that prayer is important because it is real contact with God. Unfortunately, however, real contact with God isn't that helpful if GOD DOESN'T SEEM REAL SOMETIMES! Of course we know, intuitively if no other way, that God is real. Like the death of our soul can happen quietly the death of God's presence can also die a quite death. Of course he never ceases to be present, but my awareness of his presence can be severely hindered by my neglect of prayer.

It's fortunate that as humans we have complex souls. That is to say, we don't simply have desires, we can have desires about our desires. Simply put, if we don't have a desire for prayer at this moment, but we recognize how important prayer is to the health and life of our soul, we can have a desire about our desire to pray! Not feeling like praying? Not consistent with prayer? Wallowing in condemnation about not being a "prayer warrior" is probably not the best option for us... rather perhaps it's time to start with this prayer... "Lord give me a desire to pray because I don't feel like it just now, or at least I don't seem to remember it." Let's don't live in what we didn't do with prayer yesterday let's just make a run at beginning today... our souls need food!

It's Been Awhile.. I guess

2008-07-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

It's time to get back at this blog... it's been awhile since I've written, sort of lost my way... in a way. It's not that I haven't been having the coffee... it's just that I haven't gotten round to writing anything here. Life has been real hectic, not just busy, but lots of moving around - going from here to there. It's been a great summer so far - visiting family, renewing old friendships, vacationing with Sharlyn and the boys, busy in the yard and at work. It's been a great summer, but it's keeping me running.

In keeping with that I'd like to spend some time over the next weeks thinking out loud about a great book that I've read in the past couple months, Prayer for Beginners by Peter Kreeft. He says in the introduction, "it could be called prayer for dummies - people who aren't good at praying." He goes on to say, "it could also be called 'prayer for Martha's,' not for Mary's, prayer for people with little time to pray, for busy people who keep finding excuses not to pray - in other words, for people like me." I really enjoy Kreeft's writing, and this book doesn't disappoint, there is a lot of good stuff in it, I'll try to hit the high spots over the next few weeks... don't let that stop you from picking it up, it's only about $10. If ever there was a "Martha" I'm one and this book delivers what it promises. It helps us learn how to practice God's presence which doesn't negate the need for setting aside time to be "Mary." I find that I need the challenge and the encouragement that Kreeft delivers here. Hope it's helpful... I hope I can keep it up on a regular schedule.

JJR

Holy Week Readings, Friday, March 21, 2008

2008-03-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

John 18:1 – 19:42, Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Psalm 22

"My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest... I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death..." (Psalm 22)

The cry of the Christ is so very often our cry, perhaps not with the same intensity of anguish, but with the same sense of lonliness. It seems that suffering is a lonely business. Even when we walk through it with someone we love, at the deepest points of suffering we are by our self with our questions... My God! Why have you forsaken me? Where are you? Food is like gravel in my mouth, I lay awake anxious at night and fret during the day... what is the answer? Where have you gone? Why have you left me in this dark night of the soul?

And yet within the anguish of the Christ, and our own... there is something calling from deep to deep... from the pits of our souls, out of the pits of our hell, to the reality of our God who is enthroned and able to save... even when we aren't relieved of our suffering. How many stories in scripture and our life experience does God enter into? How many times does he come and fill us with his peace, and comfort... in the midst of suffering... how many times does he bring from the crosses that we bear a new life and vitality? He hasn't left us to write our story alone...

Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them.But You, O LORD, be not far off; O You my help, hasten to my assistance. (Psalm 22)

Holy Week Readings, Thursday, March 20, 2008

2008-03-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

John 13:1-17, 31b – 35, Exodus 12:1-42, Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19.

Holy Week Readings, Wednesday, March 19, 2008

2008-03-19T03:32:00.000-07:00

John 13:21-32, Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 70.

Who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me. 9 Behold, the Lord GOD helps Me; Who is he who condemns Me? Behold, they will all wear out like a garment; The moth will eat them. Isaiah 50:8-9

It’s so easy for us to take up an offense. We are a people who offend living in a culture of offense. We have a “right” not to be mistreated. We should get what’s coming to us - the good stuff. I just finished listening to short argument between two of my sons about who should get the next orange… “You’ve already had two, you shouldn’t get another one!” “It’s not fair!”

Jesus simply didn’t spend any time, or so it seems, worrying about getting “His due.” He never got his “due” which would have been reward and honor because by anyone’s account he was a great man who put others ahead of himself. The prophesy of Him says, “I gave my back to those who strike me, my cheek to those who pluck out my beard; I didn’t cover my face from humiliation and spitting… because God helps me.”

I wonder how I can keep this ever before my eyes when I’m not getting my way… or feeling particularly appreciated. Where were His “rights” in the beating… the plucking… the spitting? Who have we become?

Holy Week Readings, Tuesday, March 18, 2008

2008-03-18T06:46:00.000-07:00

John 12:20-36, Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 71:1-14.

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” (Jn 12:23) “You are my servant, Israel, in Whom I will show my glory.” (Is. 49:3)

The glory of which Jesus speaks and of which Isaiah prophesied is a strange sort of glory indeed. Jesus, to be sure, is speaking of the crucifixion… it’s coming. He will be glorified. He’ll soon be wearing a crown… made of thorns; He’ll soon be wearing a royal robe… of mockery; He’ll soon bear a scepter… applied repeatedly to his back; He’ll soon be lifted up on a throne… made of rough sawn wood; He’ll soon be lifted up and spread His arms wide before His people… and be pinned by crude nails in that position.

Holy Week Readings, Monday, March 17, 2008

2008-03-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

John 12:1-11, Isaiah 42:1-9, Psalm 36:5-11.

There is no small irony here that Jesus is being prepared for burial by Mary while people crowd around to get a look at Lazarus. How often does the side show religious stuff keep us from what matters? I don't mean that Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead was in itself a side-show, it was a miracle and a wonder to be sure, but the people came "not only for Jesus' sake, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead."

I'm struck by all the layers of drama and confusion in the few short verses of the John text:

Mary loves and is anxious to honor Jesus.
Judas is spoiled by greed and thinking only about getting hold of the money already... and always I suspect, he can't get past the money and greed shaping his heart.
Jesus is looking toward and foreshadowing his coming death... which no one seems to hear in the hustle and bustle around the moment.
The Jewish people are just trying to figure this rabbi out.
The Jewish religious leaders are just trying to shut this rabbi up! They're willing even to commit murder ("but the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus to death also") in order to put a stop to this guy.
The Jewish leadership is intent on keeping leadership and cannot bear to see that "many of the Jews are going away and believing in Jesus."

Is everyone missing the point at the moment except Jesus for whom the cross looms large?

I guess I'm not much different from the crowds really. I want to honor Christ, but am pulled every which way from the pressures of my day to day existence. Pulled by the pressure of having the money to meet the obligations of clothing, housing, feeding, educating, and transporting three busy boys through life - maybe not falling into abject greed... but not immune from the pull of the dollar, anxious to "see God at work" in amazing ways and probably missing Him at work in a million ways; missing Jesus in the midst of serving Him; concerned about my own place in the world to the point that I sometimes begrudge others their place; being pulled at times to do what I shouldn't do to get what I probably don't need...

Come near Lord Jesus, and draw me to yourself.

If we don't believe... He stays true!

2008-02-05T21:30:00.000-08:00

I've been reading The Adventure by Jerry Sittser who will be the speaker this year at "Setting the Mind on Fire" at Moses Lake Christian Academy. It's not profound, but it's good, my son, a 7th grader at the Academy, is reading it in his Bible class.

Sittser quotes Hudson Taylor the great missionary and hero of the faith who started the Inland China Mission, as struggling with his lack of faithfulness! Hudson Taylor... struggling with lack of faithfulness and falling short? Who would have guessed it. Nevertheless as Taylor struggles through the question of his own faithfulness he is suddenly reminded of the elementary truth... I'll give it to you in his own words... a journal entry to his sister:

"But how to get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the Faithful one: As I read, I saw it all! 'If we believe not, he abideth faithful!' I looked to Jesus and saw (and when I saw, oh, how joy flowed!) that he has said, 'I will never leave Thee!!' 'Ah, there is rest!' I thought, I have striven in vain to rest in Him. I'll strive no more. For has not He promised to abide with me - never to leave me, never to fail me?"

Isn't it true... it's not difficult to lapse into the dulldrums of self-pity and condemnation because we're not measuring up. The truth is if we ever get to the place that we think we are measuring up we're probably in trouble. We only measure up because HE MEASURED UP! The reason that we can rest in that is because it never changes. I suppose there is a danger of just becoming lazy in our discipleship and saying, "It doesn't matter what I do, it's all about Him." We're called to be shaped, to draw near, to obedience, to faithfulness, and all the rest... to walk the narrow path. I want to press on, but in his finished work, not my daily busy work. Thank God - He is faithful when I struggle to believe!

White as Snow

2008-01-28T06:29:00.000-08:00

"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

-Isaiah 1:18 (NASB95)

It snowed a ton here in Moses Lake yesterday... the snow clouding your vision as you looked out the window sort of snow... I really love it. I'm guessing that we got just at 5" of new snow. The snow reminds me of this text in Isaiah, "though your sins are as scarlet; they will be as white as snow." Through the winter months it can be a bit dreary around here. We don't get enough snow to make it beautiful, the desert winter is just brown and bleak. Or we get just enough snow to skiff the ground and not completely cover the grass and grime. I don't mind it terribly, but there's nothing like a new snowfall to cover all the grass, dirt and grime. It gives a new view, a new landscape, it clears the air and covers the ground.

God's faithfulness to give us new starts is amazing to me. He tells us that his mercies are "new every morning." "The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him." Lamentations 3:22-24 (NASB95) He is long-suffering and forbearing with us to a degree that is mind-boggling. Forbearance is one of my favorite words... when you boil it down it pretty much means "to put up with." God just puts up with us; our weakness, our weirdness, our faulty and at times insincere worship.

These musings clarify two thoughts in my mind. 1) When I'm feeling like I'm worthless and not accomplishing much; when I know that I'm falling short in some area of my life, and particularly in my devotion to Him, He's faithful and forbearing to me. Though I fall short of giving myself in a way that He's worthy of he bridges the gap in coming toward me. 2) The world would be a vastly different place if we humans treated each other in the same way that God treats us; giving each other new chances, putting up with each other, loving each other and bridging the distance when someone falls short. We're so often actually the opposite. Rather than giving each other new chances we say, "Sorry, that was your last chance!" Rather than putting up with each other we say, "I'm done with you!" Rather than building bridges we tend to build walls. But it's a new day... and His mercy is new today... we can start over and make a difference. Today I want to work a bit harder to give another chance, put up with someone who surely isn't any worse than I when it's all said and done, and build a bridge.

Time: Some practical advice

2008-01-25T23:25:00.000-08:00

I've been reading this new book by Kreeft and have enjoyed it very much. The subtitle is, "Letters to our Children about What Really Matters." It's been great, and each snippet of information is no longer than two pages... it's actually a bit annoying because it's very hard to put down. You think, "Well, just one more... just one more... just one more... just one more.

The idea is little bits of wisdom and advice that Kreeft would really like to pass on to his children. I read one the other night that struck me... I know the truth of it, but I need to be reminded regulary. It's from page 36 and the title is "What to do with Time: Some Practical Advice." Here is the text:

"Amazing how a simple thing like time management can make such a big difference to everything in life. Amazing how a simple, obvious rule can make such a big difference to time management. The rule: Work first, then play. That way the work will be done well, unhurried, and without deadlines and time pressures. And the play will be guilt-free and worry-free because your work is done. You know you deserve to play now, so you will enjoy it more. Otherwise, if you play first and then work, the play is full of worry and the work is full of hurry."

-PKreeft

I think that most of us know this truth, and few of us live by it!

Riverdance

2008-01-21T21:29:00.001-08:00

We just got back from Riverdance in Spokane WA. What a hoot. The performance was last night at the Spokane Opera House. We've had a commitment to take our boys to some event like this on a regular basis. Unfortunately "a regular basis" hasn't been nearly as often as we'd like to have taken them. The last time we did something at the Opera House was Christmas two years ago... we saw The Nutcracker Ballet which was also a hoot.

We have the boys dress nicely, suits & ties, and go out to dinner, usually stay at the Davenport Hotel. This time was just as great as the last time. Our kids (generally, not just our three boys) have been brought up in such a media immersed age that they haven't been exposed much to such events. It makes us nervous when our kids are "bored" so we just don't make them attend such social occasions. It's clear to me that folks don't expose their children to such events for two non-scientific reasons. 1) We didn't really see any other children (under 18) at the event. I know there were some, but not enough to really notice. 2) People really noticed us... that is to say, nearly every adult that we had any significant contact with made comments about having our boys there, and how nicely they were dressed.

I feel very blessed because first our boys love dressing up. Second, we have enough income, and have been generously blessed by the goodness of others to experience such events. Our youngest, Noah, sort of rolled his eyes a bit through the first half, but was hooked after the break. There isn't much opportunity to be exposed to such amazing music and dancing. I think, at times, that living where we live, if a child isn't athletic there isn't a chance for her/him to find an outlet for their giftedness. It's the saddest thing in the world that we spend so much time, money, and energy exposing or sons and daughters to sports (most of them won't play sports of any sort extensively after high school) that we don't have time to expose them to the arts and society which they can appreciate right up until they fall into the hole in which they'll be buried.

I hope we can keep doing it, and I'd encourage you to also... if you don't have children gain an appreciation for it personally, and build the habit of taking it all in... then when/if you do have children you'll love it or at least appreciate it enough, to want to take you kids.

A Generous Orthodoxy

2008-01-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

I’ve spent this past week away. Away from home, away from church, away from noise… which like most people, I find I miss. Mostly I miss the noise of my wife and sons. Other than the daily trip into the Starbucks which gives me the opportunity of a 3 minute interchange with the Barista, I know, why should it take three minutes to order coffee… well, when that’s the only living soul you actually chat with in a week, you don’t want to rush it. Of course I’ve had a few phone calls and misc. email, but that doesn’t count as real human contact.

I’ve gone out each day for about 2 hours to do some cross-country skiing… I’m horrible at it, but it’s given a nice break from the Condo… yesterday was especially delightful at the top of Echo Ridge. I came around a corner of the trail and thought I could see a million miles of sky and mountains… I tried to stay back from the edge!

I’ve spent a lot of time quiet, and a bunch of time reading and thinking. Finished Of Mice and Men (see book review), then read Playing for Pizza (see book review), and started a book that I’ve had on my reading list for quite some time A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren. I haven’t read McLaren before, but have heard plenty about him (also heard him speak once). One thing that resonates with me so far in the book is the confusion that he’s felt about the church. Perhaps it’s characterized as well as anywhere in a statement on pg.21, “But often I have felt like an ambulance driver bringing injured people to a hospital where there’s an epidemic spreading among the patients and doctors and nurses.” The professor and I speak long and often about the church, our confusion, and for my part at least, my place in it. Probably seems strange since I’ve now been in church ministry for 21 or 22 years and at my current post for nearly 20! I love our church, wouldn’t want to go anywhere else… if I wasn’t on the staff, it’s still where I’d want to go, and yet there’s something missing. As much as we talk about being a “caravan rather than a commissary” I fear that we’re still a commissary. There is a group in the center who are deeply devoted to the body, and then much coming and going around the edges. It’s confusing to me at times. I surely do love the people there though; they are in so many ways, my family.

I appreciate McLaren’s desire to embrace a diverse orthodoxy, as well as a generous one, and I’m on that page in so many ways. What troubles me is at what point we say about a thing, “this is truth.” This is really it. Not so that we can say, “I’m right about this!” But because in saying, “this is truth” we’re saying something about the way things really are… we’re describing not our favorite idea of a thing, but actually saying what “is”. It is exclusive, I know, but then there is exclusivity in our world, there is discrimination. I don’t mean discrimination necessarily as picking someone out for unfair treatment, rather to be “discriminating” is to make a judgment between one thing and another, to discern. There isn’t anything inherently evil in that process. It’s certainly wrong to discriminate regarding race and some of the other issues that get us exercised… but some discrimination, some discernment reflects how the world is and ought to be. I’m honestly struggling a bit with that line just now. I’m sure I’ll reflect more on it and on McLaren as time goes by… I’m on page 140.

"The Bucket List"

2008-01-15T23:55:00.000-08:00

Just saw the movie, The Bucket List, it was an awesome movie. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, two great actors, and a great story. One of those movies that makes you laugh 'till you cry at one moment... and just cry the next. You've probably seen something about it, but if not the essential story line is two old guys who have cancer making "a bucket list." All the things they wanted to do before they "kicked the bucket."

Sharlyn and I saw this with two other couples, and everyone loved the movie, still talking about it a couple of days later. A movie that isn't, strictly speaking, profound. There's nothing really new, but a nice way of telling old truths. There isn't any nudity that I can remember, though there is some sexual talk and innuendo, but not enough to detract from the movie. Of course there is some language... Jack Nicholson... but again, not overwhelming.

You gotta check out this film.
JJR