What's in a Name?

Many years ago I belonged to our women’s group that was called The Guild. The name had existed for as long as I can remember and the title seemed, well…a little out of date. In order to refurbish and energize the group a few of us younger gals petitioned the older ladies for a name change. While the new name helped to better describe us as a group, it really didn’t change us, or our mission. The new title did however have a personal affect on some of our older ladies. In their eyes I’d hoped to see enthusiasm for the make-over, but what I saw a certain loss of identity. It was a good lesson for me and is one of the factors for my current resistance to name changes just for the sake of change…like changing Sunday School to Bible Fellowship or Worship to Celebration. What we gain is not always worth what we lose.

Walking in the Truth

As a parent there is very little that can compare with knowing your children are believers. It has crossed my mind however that the spiritual burden for two children was really hard work and I’m glad I didn’t have more kids. I can’t grasp the responsibility the Apostles felt toward all their disciples...nor can I imagine their reward of joy. John says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth”. (3 John 1:4 NIV)

Special Places

The unfolding story of Jaycee Lee Dugard who was kidnapped and held as a slave for 18 years is unfathomable. I doubt that most of us will be prepared to hear the truth of this tragic story when it’s finally revealed. More than a few people are commenting that there’s a ‘special place in Hell’ for the likes of the captors. Isn’t it strange that some of us find comfort in thinking there are degrees of Hell. Though Hell was established by God, it’s the separation from God that makes it Hell. Sure makes one appreciate that our place in heaven is being prepared for us by Jesus…

The Lost

Many years ago my husband and I purchased 300 paperback Kiamichi Favorite Songs and Hymns for our church. Every month or so on a Sunday evening we’d break out the books and folks picked their favorite old-time hymns to sing. During the 1990’s there were quite a few turnovers with ministers and one new youth minister took it upon himself to clean house by throwing all the books in the trash. Needless to say I was hurt, distraught and angry that this young man hadn’t bothered to ask anyone in the congregation if they wanted to keep the books or to even give them to another Christian group. Last Sunday evening we had our first sing-a-long in our new church and lo and behold there were the green covered Kiamichi books that we’re purchased over 20 years ago. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Unbeknownst to me, one box of the books had survived on a family’s storage shelf because every year they were being used for the church camping trip. I can so relate to the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin …Just as the parables say, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my Lost Kiamichi hymn books’. (Luke 15)

Honoring

I know Senator Edward M. Kennedy accomplished a lot in his life and by the number of folks who turned out for his funeral he was loved, respected and revered. My perspective of the Senator is tainted because I view him through the Chappaquiddick incident and the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. I guess I just have a hard time honoring someone who, in spite of their good deeds, seems so...well, dishonorable. In sorting out my thoughts and feelings about Kennedy, King David came to mind. David seduced Bathsheba and then in a cover-up had her husband Uriah the Hittite killed. David, ‘a man after God’s own heart’, was loved, respected and revered. I imaging the friends, family and men serving alongside Uriah found that a little hard to take.

The Good Life

My sister just received her third cancer diagnosis in six years. First a lung was removed, then a brain tumor and now a tumor on her spine. Although I wouldn’t necessarily describe Shelly as optimistic, I would say that she has never been pessimistic. A week ago when she learned about the tumor on her spine she said, “Damn…I was hoping for better news than that. Oh well, I’ve prayed about it and that’s all I can do. But even if it’s bad, it’s OK. I’ve lived a good life.” Now I know we all have our own skewed view of life, but Shelly has also battled alcohol and prescription drug addiction for years…and yet she feels she has lived a good life. I suppose to one degree or another everyone thinks they’ve lived a good life. Guess we’ll all find out for certain when it comes time for us to stand before the Lord.

Choke Hold

There are times when church attendance can fall under the umbrella of obligation and we grudgingly attend services. Maybe it’s during our teens when our parents tell us we have to go, or it could be when we’ve overcommitted and have nursery duty for six months. And then there’s the spiritual dry spell when you leave a worship service feeling no different than when you walked in the door. I think even the faithful can occasionally find themselves being unfaithful. “Still others…hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.” (Mark 4:18-19 NIV) I hate it when the worries of the world follow me into worship.

You Didn't See That

When we commit a traffic infraction while driving in town we normally avoid eye contact with other drivers. For instance, if you take the right-of-way from another driver you don’t want to look him in the eye because you know, that he knows, that you are in the wrong. Or haven’t we all rushed a yellow caution light and wound up running a red light. We don’t want to see the reaction of other drivers so we look out the window, fiddle with something in the car seat or stare straight ahead…it’s as though we believe, ‘if I don’t look you in the eye then you don’t know what I’ve done’. Sort of reminds you of Adam in the Garden of Eden…he probably thought, ‘If I don’t make eye contact with God, He won’t notice’.

Why?

I think it’s safe to say that at one time or another we’ve all asked God, ‘Why?’ Some people have countered this question with, ‘Why not?’ which I’ve always thought that was a good response. Recently however I read an even better response. The ‘Why?’ was turned into ‘What for?’ I think God might be pleased if we asked Him ‘What for?’ when we are in the midst of a crisis.

911

A woman in distress called 911 because she was locked inside her car. “Everything on my car is electrical and nothing’s working”, she told the operator, “It’s getting hot in here and I’m not feeling well.” Calmly the operator said, “Ma’am, do you have a lock on your door and have you tried pulling it up?” Problem solved…the captive was set free. I can so identify. The Spirit often answers ‘end-of-my-rope’ prayers with a similar, ‘have you tried pulling up on the lock?’

Foundation

Years ago when we laid sod in the backyard we just piled the excess dirt by the fence. Depending on our landscaping needs, a shovelful of dirt here and there was added to or taken away from the pile. For the most part though, the heap just weathered in the elements and took on the shape of a mini-volcano. One summer a colony of entrepreneurial ants came by and couldn’t pass up the pre-formed anthill. With a little interior remodeling they made the dirt mound livable and took up residence. Our adding and subtracting eventually took its toll on the colony. Just goes to show that there is something to be said about, “building on someone else’s foundation”. (Ro 15:20)

Cooperative

For the last couple years my sister has lived with me and I’ve been her caregiver. I worry when she’s not feeling well, but I have a confession to make…she’s easier to get along with when she’s ill. I know it sounds bad, but when she’s really, really sick she doesn’t complain, criticize or demand…she appreciates everything I do for her. When you think about it, it’s not much different than when God allows challenges (physical, financial, spiritual, etc.) to come into the lives of believers. We really are more cooperative with the Spirit’s leading when we’re feeling under the weather.

Blind But Now I See

I heard a story on the news about 90 year-old Martin Alvey who, because of degenerative eye disease, has been blind for two years. A recent dizzy spell sent Mr. Alvey to the hospital and while being examined his sight miraculously returned. Giving credit where credit is due Martin said, “God gave me back my sight.” Wanting more of a personal anecdote the reporter asked what had changed since his sight had returned. “Well,” said Martin, “When I go to shave in the morning I look in the mirror and say, ‘Hello there Buddy…Nice to see you.’” Jesus didn’t opened the eyes of the blind just so they could see the world around them…He opened their eyes so that they might see themselves.

Reading the Bill

I get frustrated with Senators and Representatives who are prepared to sign a health care bill without first having read it. Apparently many of those in Congress rely on their staff to do the reading, research and help formulate opinions. In reality I suppose it’s not much different than those of us who never crack open our Bibles…we rely on preachers and teachers to spoon feed us their opinions and interpretations. You wanna bet that the Spirit Himself just might be a little frustrated with us?

Missions

Because my church is a relatively new congregation the mission’s ministry is in its formative years. Other than thinking in terms of three different outreach directions - local, national and international – we haven’t settled on what or who to support. In the past I think the trend in churches has been to support people on the mission field, with a few projects thrown in here and there. However I’m wondering if supporting projects rather than missionaries might be closer to New Testament teaching. The disciples were sent out with no money in their purse or extra provisions and even Paul was not financed by the church, but supported himself as a tentmaker. I think I personally like the idea of supporting projects because they are measurable. Similar to the situation in the parable of the talents, most of us want to see evidence of our investment in the kingdom.

Getting to Know You

Most of us feel a certain amount of responsibility toward our children, our best friend or even our Sunday School class, if we’re the teacher. Generally speaking however, we don’t feel the same obligation towards those who fall in the category of an acquaintance. As Paul was sailing to Rome a wind of hurricane force came up and an angel of God said to him, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” It’s entirely possible that Paul didn’t even know the names of some of those on board. Here’s a scary thought…maybe the Lord has given you the lives of all your co-workers or your friends. What are you going to do with the lives God has graciously given you? (Acts 27:24 NIV)

Together Again

I recently joined 13 fellow believers for a pot-luck dinner. At one time we had belonged to the same church, but today we attend five different local congregations. At the time of our separation from one another, it was somewhat painful. None of us wanted to leave the church we had in common, much less the fellowship we shared with one another. I suppose the Apostles and the 72 disciples (Luke 9:3, 10:1) may have had similar feelings as they were split up. I think my pot-luck group shares a bond with those in the early church who were sent out…you cannot be returned to one another with joy unless you’re first separated.

Naturally

Recently two obituaries published in the paper on the same day caught my eye. Interestingly both deceased men, one 54 and the other 76, died of natural causes. I’m sure most of us believe we’ll die in that way…when we’re in our 90’s. Somehow dying at 54 years-old seems, well…un-natural. No doubt the warning, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come”, is just as applicable to our life on earth as it is to the Second Coming. (Matt 22:42 NIV)

The Disciple

My great-aunt Cleo fought going to the nursing home tooth and nail. While I was trying to encourage her by telling her God could still use her, she was telling God, ‘I’m useless, I’m ready to go to heaven and You’ve left me on earth long enough…I don’t understand why you won’t let me die’. It’s now been a month since Aunt Cleo took up permanent residence in the nursing home and all of a sudden life is worth living. It seems a fellow resident admired her strong faith and wanted a private conversation to see if Cleo could help her with her weak faith. The two of them visited for over an hour. Cleo said, “She’s elderly…well a couple years older than I am. I just hope and pray I said the right things; the things the Lord wants me to say.” Thinking that I needed to be praying for both of them, I asked Aunt Cleo the name of her new disciple. “Well, I’ve been calling her Doris, but I think others are using a different name. I need to find out who she is.” Hey I’m good with it, the name Doris works for me…besides, the Lord can sort it out.

Portals

When I enlisted in the Navy, boot camp for women was located at Bainbridge, Maryland. As new recruits, character building was an important and ever present element of our training. An impressive sign positioned over the entrance to the drill hall read, “Through These Portals Pass the Women of the Greatest Navy on Earth”. Every time we marched through those doors we were reminded of who we were. As believers it might be good to have a reminder over the doors of our churches that read, “Through These Portals Pass the Greatest Sinners on Earth”.

Residue

Because of health issues my sister has had to live with me for the last two years. I’ve prayed, hoped and kept my fingers crossed that the Spirit might somehow rub off on Shelly enough that she would come to the Lord. Strangely she got excited about the new church and made a personal investment in it by cleaning and working alongside believers as we prepared the facility for worship services. Without any prompting…or manipulation on my part, she began attending services the first Sunday in our new building. The last couple of weeks have seen Shelly’s health take a turn and she’s now in a nursing home deteriorating rapidly. The only functioning body of Christ she’s ever known is the five Sundays she’s worshiped with us. I’d like to think that some Gospel residue is sticking to her.

The Answer Is

We all have friends and relatives who we suspect do not have a personal relationship with the Lord. Rather than our trying to witness to them through conversation, we often rely on the Holy Spirit to use our Christian life style to point them toward Christ. Not that talking to them couldn’t be productive. It just seems counterproductive to ask someone if they believe that Jesus is the Son of God knowing full well that they don’t even believe in God. Another reason I’m hesitant to ask someone if they believe that Jesus is the Christ is because I’m afraid of the answer...What if they say, “No”? I know this is skewed thinking, but somehow it seems that as long as a person doesn’t outright verbally deny Christ, then the Spirit still has an opportunity to work on them. Or maybe it’s that I really don’t want a loved one to confirm my suspicions that he’s forever lost…

Legacy

I don’t have a green bone in my body and I attribute my lack of being politically correct to my formative years. I grew up with outdoor plumbing, taking turns bathing in used bath water and no nighttime heat in the Warm Morning stove because everyone was supposed to stay cozy in bed and under the covers. I’m not bothered by ecologists who warn against leaving a carbon footprint; I am however concerned that many of us seem to shy away from leaving a spiritual footprint. We are so busy trying to keep our faith and beliefs politically correct that we don’t even stir the dust…much less leave a footprint.

Fessin' Up

One thing TV crime dramas have in common is that the bad guy just doesn’t walk into a detective’s office and make a confession. Once he’s caught there’s a certain amount of interrogation, testimony, and verbal arm twisting that goes into getting him to admit his guilt. You’ve got to emphasize with the Holy Spirit. It takes a lot of time and effort to get the ‘good confession’ out of some of us.

Tomorrow

Colorado Governor Ritter was one of the speakers at the funeral for our police officer who was shot in the line of duty. Speaking about all those who’ve sworn to serve and protect the Governor said, “The day after the Sgt. David Kinterknecht was killed, men and women across Colorado woke up, put on their uniform and went to work.” I think this same message is applicable for believers. We may be struggling, weary or grieving, but with each new day it’s the Lord’s desire that we get up, put on our armor and follow Him.

Too Young to Die

As I see it, the only thing all obituaries have in common is the fact that someone has died. Beyond that, our emotional reaction to each obituary is decidedly different. For instance our sympathy level may be much higher for a twenty-something than for an octogenarian. We’re likely to have more empathy for a mother with a young family than for a grandfather. I think most of us mentally use our own age as a gage to determine when we think someone is too young to die. At 33 years of age Jesus was crucified…not too young to die?

Native

Those of us who are native born Coloradoans often lord that fact over folks who move into our area from another state. And we often show our indignation with transplants when they suggest we change and become like the state they just left. Rather than being irritated, I had empathy for one newcomer who was toting a bumper sticker that read, "Not a NATIVE...but I got here as soon as I could." I can imagine the Jewish indignation toward chosen people who are not native. Maybe my Gentile bumper sticker should read, ‘Not a NATIVE…but I came to Jesus as soon as I could’.

Bumper Sticker

The bumper sticker on a small truck being towed by a large motor home read, “Please be patient with me, I’m pushing this big trailer.” Sort of reminds me of how some of us feel when we’re doing the Lord’s work. We think we’re the ones who are pushing forth the Lord’s agenda and doing the heavy lifting, when in reality it’s the Lord who is motoring along and pulling us with Him. Jesus said, “Come, follow me…” not come give me a push.

Shut Out

I recently attended a session where participants were asked to give their views on various interests within the community. A couple of people in the group dominated the conversation and seemed oblivious when other participants tried to squeeze in their comments. Believers too can be guilty of hijacking a Sunday school class, Bible study or fellowship. I think most of us know when someone is redirecting a lesson. Normally we feel it is up to the leader to get us back on track, however we also have an obligation to not let ourselves get squeezed out of the conversation.

In the Line of Duty

Most careers don’t put us in life threatening situations and I think we sometimes underestimate the cost to those who do serve in dangerous occupations. Yesterday three of our police officers were shot in the line of duty and tragically, one was a fatality. I think many times we believers also underestimate the cost of following Christ…and we fail to realize we are always on duty. It seems appropriate to recall Jesus’ words, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13 NIV)

Playing Dress-Up

My son wore a Fedora when he was in high school. It really did look good on him, but I developed strong dislike for the hat because when he wore it his personality and mood changed...he was invincible. Similar to Zorro putting on his mask, a motorcyclist rider putting on black leathers or a young woman dressing in revealing clothing, there is a certain suggestive power that has us behaving like we dress. It’s no wonder Paul tells us to put on the armor of God. He knows when we’re fully dressed up were invincible against the devil and his schemes. (Eph 6:10-18)

Brush Off

One of the neat things about church planting is that it’s easy to invite people to come and visit you based solely on the grounds that you’re a new church. I recently I ran into a believer that I once worshipped with from XYZ Church, so I invited her to come and visit. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not in the sheep rustling business. We just have friends in common and I thought she might like to see what we're doing. “Thanks,” she said, “But I’m not into church right now. Oh… every once in awhile I go to the ABC Church and I’ve talked to Pastor Doe. He understands me and where I’m coming from.” There’s not too much you can say when you’ve been given the brush off. I wish I could have said, ‘From the Lord’s perspective it’s where you’re going that’s the issue…’

Knowing Your Audience

Our Sunday morning sermons keep getting better and I don’t think it’s just because the preacher is gaining more experience in writing and delivering the message. Because we have new faces with unknown hearts, none of us can assume that everyone in the worship service knows the Lord as their personal Savior. I think we’re on our best Christian behavior and preaching the Good News rather than ‘preaching to the choir’.

Evangelizing

If you’ve been a believer for any length of time you’ve probably invested some effort in inviting people to church. You also know that people just don’t normally attend church without a personal invitation. Last week a man left a voice mail on the church phone apologizing for backing into our wooden privacy fence. He gave his name and cell phone number and asked how much it would cost to have the fence repaired. A couple of our deacons were able to fix the fence and told the man he could donate whatever he felt was appropriate. Going a step further the man said he thought he might as well just come to church…and he did. You’ve got to admit the Lord has an unconventional way of evangelizing.

Compare and Contrast

I think the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah just has the feel of God’s judgment. You can almost smell the burning sulfur raining down from heaven as a dense smoke rises from the land. For me the scene has Revelation written all over it. It’s sort of ironic that just being annihilated doesn’t spare these towns from having to go through the judgment. There is some not-so-bad news for Sodom and Gomorrah however…it will be more bearable for them on the day of judgment than it will be for the towns that did not welcome the disciples or listen to their words. (Matt 10:11-16)

Favorites

We’ve all experienced a time when we could tell we weren’t as loved as someone else. Maybe it was realizing that brother Bob was Mom’s favorite, or finding out that our best friend in the whole world has a new best friend. In our human nature some of us work very hard to keep the favored status or regain what was lost. Jesus very pointedly tells us where He expects to be on our love-scale, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me…” (Matt 10:37 NIV)

Assignment

The old Mission Impossible TV series of the mid-1960’s started out each week by giving the operatives a mission. A portion of the pre-recorded instructions to IMF leader Phelps had the caveat, "Your mission, should you decide to accept it..." Believers are often given assignments by the Holy Spirit, but many of us think that we too should have the option of refusing the mission. Jonah refused his assignment, but it only took three days and three nights in the belly of a fish for him to reconsider and become “a sign to the Ninevites”. (Luke 11:30 NIV)

Daily Bread

Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer as an example of how we should pray to the Father. I find it interesting that as children we memorize this model prayer, but we rarely recite it as adults. I have a feeling that some of us feel it’s a sign of our ‘maturity’ to leave the model prayer and to be able to craft our own eloquent public prayers on the spur of the moment. Considering the current financial and economical crisis we might want to think about going back to the basics, “Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors…” (Matt 6:9, Luke 11:2)

The Truth Hurts

In talking about unity in the body of Christ, Paul tells us to speak the truth in love. Now I know the ‘in love’ phrase is important, but I think it sometimes keeps us from speaking the truth at all. When we expose a weaknesses or sins in one another, the last thing we’re going to be looking for is the love factor. Too bad Scripture didn’t also instruct us to listen to the truth in love. (Eph 4:15)

Filed

My Mom has been a nursing home resident for a couple of years. Even though at the beginning of her ‘incarceration’ I consolidated her belongings, I still find myself going through boxes to locate pertinent papers. I was on such a search last week when I came across a file folder containing a health and vitamin magazine. The lead article on the front cover boldly stated, “How Not to Have to Go into a Nursing Home”. I’d really like to share my discovery with Mom…but I’m not sure she’d see the humor in it. One of the things that often attract people to the Bible is the, ‘How to Stay out of Hell’ sections. Too bad the rest of the Book gets filed on a shelf.

Leave 'em in the Boat

I like the motivating thought that ‘you can’t expect to walk on water unless you first get out of the boat’. I think some of us are slow to get out of the boat because we don’t want to go alone…we really do want everyone else to come with us. When Jesus called James and his brother John without delay they left to follow him. They not only didn’t ask anyone to come with them, “…they left their father Zebedee in the boat…” Sometimes we just need to leave others in the boat…and throw them a life preserver.

Dead Fish

In relinquishing her position as Alaska’s Governor Sarah Palin said in a news conference, “It would be apathetic to just hunker down and ‘go with the flow.’ Nah, only dead fish ‘go with the flow’.” Maybe that’s why some of us are failing discipleship 101…we’re trying to evangelize folks who just want to go with the flow.

Supplying

Last week a couple from Texas sent a gift to our fledging church with a note saying, “You may use this check for the building or use it to go toward your budget – wherever the need is the greatest.” I think this generosity is reminiscent of the early believers sending collections to needy churches in other areas and communities. Paul is speaking of folks like these when he says, “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” (2 Cor 9:12 NIV)

Banquet

Ever since we planted an apricot tree we’ve experienced a spring frost that has killed all the fruit. This year I was excited to see that about 3 dozen apricots had survived the frost, but my happiness was short lived. Yesterday I discovered that every piece of fruit had been pecked by birds and not one piece was left untouched and hanging on the tree. Now I don’t begrudge them their share, but I’m a little miffed. I can’t even tell if this is a tree that bears ‘good fruit’ because I’ve never had a chance to taste it. Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” (Matt 6:26a NIV) I appreciate God feeding the birds…and He feeds them so well.

Martha, Martha

As we settle into our new church facility there are some things that aren’t yet running smoothly. Because our house of worship isn’t quite in order I’m struggling with distractions during the service. For instance, the feedback from sound system contributes some squawks and screeches and serving communion doesn’t flow quite as smoothly as it should because we need a couple more serving trays. We’re unable to offer Sunday School for the young children because the classrooms aren’t yet prepared and if you want a fairly comfortable seat in the worship center you need to come early…or bring your own cushion. I can identify with Martha who was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. Clearly the Lord is talking to me when he says, “Martha, Martha,…you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.” That is, to sit at the feet of the Lord and listen. (Luke 10:38-42 NIV)

Kiss That Reward Good-By

Recently I attended an open forum meeting where the topic of discussion was community growth. One Christian man used some of his microphone time suggesting the group’s efforts could be better spent on helping the homeless and serving food at meals sites. Boasting of his own service to the poor, he in effect chastised others for their lack of compassion and service. I don’t know how the audience felt about his assertions, but as a fellow believer I was embarrassed for the man and cringed at the shadow of pride he cast.“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (Matt 6:2 NIV)

Cushy

Most of us have an opinion on how money should be spent or how projects should be funded, especially if we’re talking about the government, a community organization or the church. Speaking from a leadership perspective a church newsletter reported, “We have somewhat of a built-in cushion in our checking account [and] We’d rather not dip into Capitol Improvement funds, [but] a portion of the funds have been pulled and kept as an emergency fund…” Whether or not congregants agree or disagree with leadership’s stance really isn’t important, but can’t you just picture the Lord doing an eye roll and saying repeat after me, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”(Matt 6:26 NIV)

Essentials

Some church administrations have cut back on programming by eliminating Sunday evening services, youth groups and Sunday School. The leaders of one congregation describe their actions as more of a philosophical shift than a financial one and feel they are pro-active. In light of the current downturn in tithes and offerings it is a shift they’re happy to make. However, their newsletter attempts to add weight to their current position, “I feel sorry for the organizations that are driven by a high volume of expensive programs and whose people have become accustomed to having them feel they are essential to their ongoing church experience.”

Survival of the Fittest

Whether as an individual, or as a church, we’re all feeling the pinch of the current economic situation. One church reported, “…we have cut many of our ministry budgets by 50% effectively immediately. We are not a staff who believes that money is the key to ministry...” With all due respect to being frugal, I’m not sure how an ongoing ministry survives an immediate 50% cut in their funding. Maybe there are some positives here. This tightening of the belt could result in volunteers looking for new places to serve. I suppose we could also view this as a sort of pruning of ministries…and we know how the Lord feels about pruning.

Seeking

For the last year our church shared space with a funeral home which is located in a semi-industrial area of the city. The facility we recently purchased is in a business area on a highway and everyone is excited about the high visibility. We’ve all agreed it will now be easier to give directions to the church. Interestingly the local Church of Christ is doing the opposite of our congregation. They sold their high visibility property and will soon be moving into a new building, which is located in a residential area. Concerned about her church moving to a secluded suburb, one of their older members remarked, “How are people ever going to find us if we’re not on the main thoroughfare?” Not to worry. God determined the times and exact places where every nation should live, “God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27 NIV).

Powerless

Six years ago it was determined that my Great Aunt Cleo could no longer live alone, much less take care of her large home. She moved into an assisted living facility and after a month she decided that she’d be better off back in her own home. For over a year her family, friends and some hired help rallied around to enable her to stay in her home. Eventually running out of options, she was forced to move to Texas and live with her daughter and son-in-law. After four years it was once again determined that she needed to be in a facility with fulltime nursing care. A few months ago arrangements were made for her to spend one weekend in a nursing home in order to just get a feel for the place. That’s all the time Aunt Cleo needed to decide she would not be one of their residents. This last Wednesday she grudgingly moved into an assisted living facility. I sort of think she’ll stay this time, in part because she had to put down a $2000 non-refundable deposit. Believers think we can’t move mountains...who says the powerless don’t have power.

Button Pushers

Don’t you just hate it when someone learns how to push your buttons? People can really get under a Christian’s skin by characterizing them as holier than thou, hypocrites or Bible thumpers. Recently a person said of me, “…ya know that you sound pretty judgmental and sarcastic for being such a ‘good christian’.” At one time I would have defended myself against this type of criticism. And most likely I’d also have felt discouraged, dejected and worried that I’d somehow devalued my Christian witness. I find it interesting that Jesus didn’t defend himself or react when he was called a blasphemer, law breaker, or criminal. I think Jesus is a good example of how not to let your buttons get pushed.

Please Pass the Plate

Last Sunday was our first service in the ‘new to us facility’ and we had 162 members, visitors and well-wishers in attendance. Naturally, there are a few glitches to work out. In the old facility we were fairly well compacted and had only one isle going down the middle of the church. Those serving communion would send the emblems down a row and the person seated at the end of the line would pass the trays over the shoulder of the person seated in front of them and the trays would work their way back to the server. In our new facility however, we need a new system. We now have two isles, along with double rows of seating on an upper level balcony. Since some of us are still in the ‘let me help you pass the tray’ mode, Sunday’s servers had to do some quick juggling and fast foot work. Communion trays seemed to have a mind of their own zigzagging over shoulders and around the auditorium. Placing the trays back on Communion Table a chuckle went through the audience as one of the elders broke the contemplative silence saying, “Now I’ve just got to ask...Did everyone get served?”

Deferring

I admire those who can make a Christian defense on the spur of the moment, but for many of us our best thoughts come to us only in hindsight. I think some of us can learn something from a technique used by Jesus. Rather than always defending the Father or Scripture, he would sometimes defer to them. “Haven’t you read this scripture…, You are in error because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God…” Sometimes being able to make a case may not be as important as knowing when to defer to the Authority.

Splinters

Our paper reported that two weeks ago a local congregation split off from their denomination. While many people of faith are saddened when congregations divide, God may very well view the situation as an opportunity - for both the old and the new congregations. Normally we wouldn’t consider church-division as being church-planting, but that’s exactly what is taking place. If the splinter group were to walk away from the Lord and abandoned worship altogether, then believers everywhere should indeed grieve the loss. In reality however, those who’ve split are starting another church and simply multiplying the Kingdom of God. This is a time of rejoicing, not grieving.

Money Management

I received a letter from a man who wanted to raise $1,000 for an event. Rather than letting the prospective donors decide what they felt like contributing, he set the amount for them. Taking it a step further, the solicitation letters listed the names of the ten people that he expected to contribute $100 each. I think there are times when we believers also fall into the trap of looking at others with thoughts about how they should spend their money. We mentally critique folks when we think they spend too much, save too little, or just in general should and could be putting their money to better use. God gives us talents (money) according to our ability…and we have the audacity to think we can manage another person’s talents better than he can.

Amputee

The local Episcopal Church had a split and the majority of the congregants have walked away and started a new congregation…and the pastor went with them! It’s my understanding the left-behind group had fewer than a dozen attendees last Sunday. I know this was a hard decision to make for those who left, but I congratulate them for taking a stand against the direction their former parent church is taking. Paul says, “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Matt 5:30 NIV) Rather than just cutting off a hand or gouging out an eye, I think these folks did some serious amputation.

Coveting

In our younger years most of us were guilty of seeing a gray-headed man driving a new Corvette convertible and thinking aloud, “That guy can’t possible appreciate such a smoking hot car as much as I would if it were mine. What does an old geezer need with a car like that anyway?” Or, we’d see some empty nesters rattling around in a five bedroom home and think, “They couldn’t possibly use all that room. Just think of what I could do if I had that much space.” Maybe our thought wouldn’t run so wild if we took Scripture to heart and actually realized that coveting is a sin…not just a mental exercise. Even Paul admits, “For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” (Romans 7:7b NIV)

Before You Ask

As we continue refurbishing the restaurant and transforming it into a church and we’ve had some interesting visitors drop by. A few days ago a woman stopped in to tell us that her prayer group began praying about the facility when the restaurant closed two years ago. “I just wanted you to know that we were praying that a Christian business would come into this building.” Tell me the Lord doesn’t plan ahead. We’ve only been a church body for one year…two years ago none of us even knew we needed a building. “…for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matt 6:8b NIV

Safe n' Sound

Once when I had nursery duty I looked out the window and there, dangling from the tree were leaves, feet and legs. Hanging in the high branches was a group of unsupervised preschoolers having a grand time. Plucking the last one out of the tree I breathed a sigh of relief and borrowed a quote from Jesus. “…I have not lost one of those you gave me.”John 18:9b NIV

Judas

For $660,000 our congregation purchased an upscale facility for our new church home, however not everyone in the community is supportive. There are a handful of folks who think we have too many churches in the area and they really wanted to see the restaurant and bar resurrected. One citizen said, “For a church to pay that much money to obtain real estate is absurd. That money could have actually gone to helping people instead of towards a monument to someone’s ego.” Now let me think, I’ve heard that before…Oh of course, now I remember. At Bethany Mary anointed Jesus with perfume and it was Judas Iscariot who objected. “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” John 12:5 NIV

Catch Me if You Can

Recently I visited with a thirty-something man who manages a local business. He disagreed with some of the city’s ordinances and codes, so his solution was to simply ignore them. “I guess you could say this is just my little protest. I can’t change the rules, but I don’t think I should have to follow them when I think they’re wrong.” I was somewhat taken back by his attitude, especially since he’d had a tour of duty with the Marines. By all appearances he is someone who doesn’t like rules, so I imagine his superiors were glad to see him leave military life and become a civilian again. Many believers are no different than the store manager when it comes to God’s requirements. If we don’t agree with a Biblical mandate, we protest by simply not complying with the ones we think are wrong. Whether in the physical world or the spiritual world we sometimes have arrogant attitudes. What’s unbelievable is we seem to be telling God, “It may be wrong, but first you have to catch me in the act…”

Unaware

We haven’t yet gotten the sign changed on our new church facility, so to the passer-by it still appears to be a restaurant. We did however put a mark of ownership on the marquee which reads, ‘Thank You God’. Yesterday a middle-aged man named John (not Tom in the June 3rd blog) was driving by when he read the marquee and had to stop. Unassuming and soft spoken he said, “I hope you don’t think it’s weird, but the Spirit told me I needed to come in and ask if I could do anything to help. Sometimes I avoid doing what the Spirit tells me to do…but this time I decided I was going to be obedient.” I felt a little funny asking him about doing windows, but he was willing. I was comfortable with the task I’d given him, because it required climbing an eight foot ladder – something that would have been difficult for our ladies. Engaging John in conversation I found out he belongs to another local congregation, he didn’t know that our building was a church…and by profession he is a building contractor. I have to tell you that I felt sheepish having asked a contractor with his own thriving business to simply wash windows. I was reminded of the passage in Hebrews, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Heb 13:2 NIV

Password

With computer technology I understand the need for passwords, but they can be taxing and annoying. If I haven’t used a site in awhile, I have a hard time remembering my password, but writing it down in a book defeats the purpose of security. When I’m denied access to a site the prompt comes up saying, “Forgot you password? Click here.” And then after filling out all the needed information there’s a message telling me they’ll get back to me within 24 hours. Believers have a Password of sorts. Whether you’re walking faithfully with the Lord, or you’ve been adrift in the world for years, in times of desperation the name of Jesus comes to the forefront of your mind. Actually, Jesus is not a totally secure Password because even unbelievers call on His Name. Jesus is, “… written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.” 2 Cor 3:2 NIV

The Committeee

Hilary Clinton said that it takes a village to raise a child. In the church we’ve gotten into the pattern of thinking that says it takes a committee to do anything. Actually I think we use the committee system because there’s a measure of protection. It’s much more difficult to find fault with a group of people than it is with just one or two. As we clean and refurbish our new church facility, we’ve been hearing behind the scene questions of, “So who is it that’s making all the decisions?” Speaking from the voice of experience…It doesn’t take a committee to clean the urinals.

The Source

Before reading a magazine article I usually turn to the end of it and read the snippet about the author. For me, the little tacked-on bio adds weight (or not) to the trustworthiness of the article. I’m sure there are logical and aesthetic reasons for ending an article with a bio, however I prefer the format used in the epistles where the author identifies himself and his qualifications at the beginning of the letter. It’s interesting that we wouldn’t think of accepting a story in print without knowing the source, but give us a piece of hearsay and we accept it as gospel. There’ve been times when someone will tell me some bit of information with the caveat of, “I can’t tell you who told me, but…” Jesus knew the importance of giving the source of His words, “The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” John 14:10b NIV

Out of This World

It’s not unusual for some of us to get weary of this life. Older folks who are spiritually healthy but physically suffering will often say, “I don’t know why the Lord doesn’t just take me home.” We know in our mind that our timing is not the Lord’s, but that doesn’t keep us from trying to tell Him when we think we’re used up and good for nothing. Even the disciples would have opted for heaven sooner rather than later. Jesus has another plan, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” John 17:15 NIV

Window Washer

When I met Tom, we shook hands and he asked me to “come into the light” so he could see what I was saying. Obviously he used lip reading to supplement his hearing aids. Tom stopped by the new church building while some of us were cleaning and he wanted to know if he could clean the windows. In his verbal resume he mentioned that he’d learned to wash windows at a church in Denver. He stated that God had taught him how to do a really good job and that white vinegar was the best thing to clean with. Understanding that we were all cleaning and painting volunteers ourselves, he was quick to say he didn’t expect be paid, he just wanted to serve the Lord. We welcomed Tom, his bucket and his squeegee. When it was time for him to leave he said he’d be back tomorrow to finish the job. "…I was a stranger and you invited me in." Matt 25:35b NIV

Quorum

Before officers or members of a body can legally transact business a quorum must be present. In the case of our County commissioners, two members together make a quorum. With the City Council three need to be present to constitute a quorum. I know that I have the Lord’s attention when I pray as an individual; however my prayer life can also have elements of a quorum. “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”Matt 18:19-20 NIV

Entrée

The restaurant we are turning into a church has been vacant for two years. Even though we haven’t yet changed the large outside sign, on the marquee underneath the name of the restaurant one of our men put, “Thank You God!” The exterior of the facility is in remarkably good shape and looks so inviting that on two separate occasions we’ve had tourists come in wanting dinner because they thought we were open for business. I think when we’re finally ready to hold worship services we should change the marquee to read, “Now Serving: The Bread of Life”.

Editing

A boy was watching his father, a pastor, write a sermon. “How do you know what to say?” he asked. His father said, “Why, God tells me.” The boy said, “Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?” I can relate…Taking this thought a step further, many of us also seem to cross things out in our thinking and speaking. Who are we to edit when Jesus says, “For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” (Luke 21:14-15 NIV)

The Nominee

Federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor said that never in her childhood dreams could she have thought of being a nominee to the Supreme Court. She may not have imagined herself on the Supreme Court, however her career path has certainly taken her in that direction. Ms Sotomayor does have a compelling story as a minority woman who worked her way up from the projects of New York and now is being considered for the highest court in the land. I think an even more compelling story is that of fishermen from Galilee who became disciples and were then selected for the highest court in heaven. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:28 NIV)

Genealogy

Our community just played host to the Moving Wall, a memorial inscribed with the names of over 58,000 men and women who lost their lives during the Vietnam War. Among those who attended were school children who were bused to the site. Some of these young people hoped to find their grandpa or uncle on the Wall, but were unable to locate the name in the reference book because they didn’t know the middle name of their relative. Thankfully with our name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, we don’t have to worry…Jesus knows where to find us.

Winning the Lottery

More than a few of us have envisioned winning a lottery or coming into a large unexpected inheritance. It’s interesting how generous we can be with money we don’t have. Our imagination may take us to building a new church, setting up an endowment for our favorite charity, or giving scholarships for young people to attend Christian colleges - all noble causes. On second thought, God, “…is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.” (Acts 17:25 NIV)

Freedom

Americas and Christens have something in common, we were all purchased with shed blood - Freedom is not Free. Do this in remembrance of Me…

Audience of One

To me the phrase ‘for an audience of One’ implies that the only recognition and approval a presenter needs is from the Lord. While I like the sentiment, I’m not sure it’s accurate. We serve the Lord with our preaching, teaching and witnessing, but the audience is actually those who are willing to listen. I recently read an article that said, “If you, the speaker, want to make your presentation meaningful for your audience, you must convince them to make Yes! decisions to these four questions.” 1) Am I going to listen? 2) Am I going to benefit from what is said? 3) Will it be valuable enough to take with me? and 4) Am I going to act on what I hear? Regardless of the size of His audience, Jesus makes it easy for listeners to sort out what is needed and to take it with them

What's in Your Cup?

After separating Malchus from his ear, Peter was commanded by Jesus, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11 NIV) It’s clear that the cup Jesus had to drink was the crucifixion. Sometimes we compare carrying a burden to that of bearing a cross, but the truth is that none of us will bear the cross of crucifixion. We will however drink from the cup and interestingly it’s not an individual customized cup. Jesus said, “You will indeed drink from my cup…” (Matt 20:23 NIV)

Critters

As I’ve mentioned previously my congregation is buying a restaurant and we’re turning it into a church. The current décor is outdoor-rustic and there are lots of animals adorning the walls. Among the menagerie is a full sized mounted cougar, an antelope head and a wing-spread pheasant. While some of the folks sort of like the call-of –the-wild atmosphere, others aren’t so sure. I’m still forming an opinion, but I just can’t quite envision the buffalo head hanging overhead while we’re singing, “We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord…”

Asherah Pole

We’re currently in the process of buying a restaurant which we will then turn into a church. It would be much simpler if there wasn’t a beautiful 45 foot bar wrapping itself around one edge of the soon-to-be worship area. As you can imagine, on one side we have those who want to keep the bar intact and on the other there are those who want it completely removed. One group is arguing for a serving area, welcome center and Starbucks watering hole. The other contends it takes up too much room and it’s designed for sitting not standing. I don’t think it’s a large leap to compare the restaurant bar with the worship places of other gods mentioned in the Old Testament. King Hezekiah, “…did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles.” (2 Kings 18:1-4 NIV) A bar by any other name does not a welcome center make…

Christ's Church

Sometimes we fall into the trap of referring to a church by a man’s name. There’s Rick Warren’s church, Joel Osteen’s church and at one time in my community, there was Lloyd’s church. Churches seem to be christened with men’s names depending on the popularity of the presiding pastor in the community. The name of my new congregation is Christ’s Church of the Valley. For me the name isn’t comfortable to say because it feels like a mouthful, but I also don’t like using CCOV because then I must explain to others what the acronym means...which just adds to the mouthful. The middle ground seems to be simply calling it Christ’s Church. Not only is there name recognition for Jesus, but I think there’s only a remote chance of a future Tom, Dick or Harry being elevated over the Name.

Complete Package

We have an interesting prospect for a permanent location for the church and there will be a congregational vote on the property next Sunday. The building, a former restaurant/lounge, is a bank foreclosure. As you can imagine, we’ll need to do a little remodeling and a lot of cleaning. What you may find hard to imagine however, is that it is a fully functioning facility. There are refrigerators, coffee pots, dishes and all the cooking utensils we’ll ever need. The sound system is a 32 channel mixer board with microphones and a mounted video projector and screen. Of course we all know Jesus said, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Now I’m trying to figure out who would’ve thought to pray for all those matching salt and pepper shakers. (John 14:14 NIV)

What's There to Brag About?

Just because a portion of Scripture is speaking to a specific group doesn’t mean that it’s not applicable to the rest of us. Addressing Jews about their self-righteousness Paul said, “…if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?” (Ro 2:19-20 NV) It’s interesting that being knowledgeable in the Word is what makes us susceptible to falling into the same trap. Individually we may not be presumptuous enough see ourselves as guides and lights. Too bad we can’t say the same for some of our denominations.

Victory Line

In evaluating a project that’s aimed at solving a social problem, a spokesman said, “Nobody’s drawn a line in the sand to say: This is where the victory line is. We certainly have more that we can do.” If there is one thing a believer learns early in his Christian walk it’s how to draw victory lines. When we invite an unbeliever to church and he comes, it’s a victory. If he someday makes a confession of faith, it’s a victory. When he gets baptized, it’s a victory. Whether it is a social problem or a spiritual problem, there are always victories to win and “We certainly have more that we can do.”

The Go-To-Guys

One criticism we hear in the church is that it’s usually a few people who seem to be doing the majority of the work. We try to infuse new blood in specific ministries, but there’s always that core group who are dependable and faithful in their areas of ministry. Sometimes these go-to folks get weary and understandably, they can even feel a little put upon. I just discovered why these guys with a servant heart are carrying a heaver burden than some of the rest of us. In the Parable of the Talents the master was displeased with the servant who buried his talent rather than at least putting it out for interest. The master ordered, “Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.” “For everyone who has will be given more…"(Matt 25:28 NIV)

Popularity

The AP reported that the School of Church Music and Worship at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary will no longer be a free-standing school. Citing the sluggish economy and waning popularity, the plan is to combine music and worship with the School of Leadership and Church Ministry, “which has taught future education ministers, youth leaders and other specialized ministries”. A spokesman said the trend of churches moving to guitars and praise courses has eroded the schools entrants over several years. I can understand the sluggish economy taking a toll on programs, but I cringe when I hear of Christian institutions bowing down to the idol of waning popularity.

Sweat Equity

My church is still looking for a permanent facility to call home and last Sunday we were told that one of the properties being considered will require some sweat equity. As we were leaving the worship service one of our young men who is in high school quipped, “You can have my sweat.” You’ve got to love the sacrificial attitude. I think we can say that Jesus too has sweat equity in all who believe in him. Going up to pray on the Mount of Olives he asked the Father if he were willing, to take the cup from him. “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:44)

Claim to Fame

I always feel strength and boldness anytime I can publically declare that I’m a Christian. It’s not hard to imagine that those in the early church would have felt a swell of pride in the boast, “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (Acts 11:26 NIV) The footnote on this verse in the NIV Study Bible says, “Christians [the title]. Whether adopted by believers or invented by enemies as a term of reproach, is an apt title for those ‘belonging to Christ’. Well now…doesn’t that just poke a hole in the pride bubble?

Ah-Hah

I love joining in a Biblical conversation where everyone is able to converse knowledgably on the subject at hand. Obviously we don’t all feel comfortable in theological discussions, but most of us can discuss the basic Bible stories we’ve learned in Sunday School. I think however, that we often avoid these well known stories because they’ve been so beaten to death that we figure there’s not any new gems left for adults to discover. The other day the fortune in my fortune cookie read, “No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he only had good intentions.” Ah-Hah!

It's Our Law

Even though Pilate found no basis for a charge against Jesus, the Jews continued to lobby, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.” (John 19:7 NIV) Although today we no longer live under the Old Testament law, some of our thought processes may be similar to that of the Jews. It’s no wonder the world is resistant to our message. Some of us have taken the New Testament and turned it into a New Law…and then we insist, ‘We have a law, and according to that law…’

Victorious

In war one of the first orders of spin is to claim victory. Whether it’s John McCain claiming front runner status for the Republican nomination, Goliath heckling the Israelites, or progressive leadership claim to end the traditional church. Many of us today feel the doom and gloom of defeat primarily because others keep telling us that they are victorious. The media can tell us we’re loosing when it comes to abortion, same sex marriage and prayer in school. The truth is that the victory for Jesus is in us as believers, not in the battles we’re fighting.

Filter

I recently read an article on how to build your credibility if you want to establish a blog. One suggestion is to “Become a filter – the go-to person for your area of expertise. People love filters and when you’re a filter, you’re considered an expert.” It’s an interesting thought. Generally speaking the perceived filters in today’s church are the preachers and teachers. Not surprisingly most of us shy away from being the go-to person because, ‘when you’re a filter, you’re considered an expert’. Who would have thought the go-to fellows of the early church were simply fishermen and tax collectors.

Lightly Seasoned

I was once in a class where the teacher tackled a controversial topic and his point of view was not entirely in line denominationally. Although I can’t say that I totally agreed with all the assumptions he made, with the Scripture he presented, I could understand his reasoning. At the end of the class a church leader firmly and publically corrected what had been perceived as errors. A Jew named Apollos spoke boldly in the synagogue. “He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.” (Acts 18:24-26 NIV) Fellow believers Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos teach, but rather than correct him publically, “they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.”

Casting Stones

Commentator Matthew Slick makes a good observation when he says, “The man who strikes first admits his argument has run out.” I can see this played out between Stephen and members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen in Acts 6. The Jews argued with Stephen and discovered “they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke”. Being poor losers, they stirred up the people, the elders and the teachers of the law. Stephen was stoned to death, in essence, for winning the argument. In today’s church we’re much more civilized…we just throw verbal stones. If we can’t win an argument we simply stir up others by labeling the perceived offenders as troublemakers, gossips and dissenters. There’s more than one way to stone a person into silence.

Reinventing

According to the Associated Press Promise Keepers is making another attempt to reinvent itself. The organization filled stadiums in the 1990’s, but changes in leadership and ministry focus caused a drastic slump in attendance. Their leaders began waiving conference fees and bringing in stand-up comics…and now they want to open up the event to women. Promise Keepers must have found the same change-with-the-culture playbook used by many of today’s churches. From a worldly perspective you can’t fault them. Going from a $117 million budget in the 1990’s to a $7.5 million budget in 2009 would drive anyone to the latest membership building methods. Too bad someone didn’t recommend going back to the basics of the Scriptural Playbook.

Your Own Strength

I’ve known some gentlemen who weren’t very gentle when it comes to shaking hands. When greeting them each week I’d try using various techniques to keep from getting my knuckles crunched…patting them on the arm, waving from a distance or even having my hands full. I even tried matching their firm grip as I grasp their hand, but that only seems to encourage a tighter squeeze on their part. While some of us underestimate our own physical strength, there is no doubt that we all underestimate our Christian strength. I think the Spirit within us could and would show more strength if we'd allow Him to flex a little more spiritual muscle.

Hung Out to Dry

In contentious situations, yes even in the church, it’s not unusual to feel like you’re in complete agreement with some of your fellow committee members…that is until you get into the actual meeting. Then it’s like the Tower of Babel all over again and no one is speaking your language. The other day I lamented to a fellow believer that I felt I been hung out to dry and he said, “Look at it like this. If you weren’t ever hung out to dry, you’d always be all wet.”

Fearless

During the question answer portion of the Miss USA pageant, Miss California stated that she holds a traditional view of marriage, which is between a man and a woman. Obviously her views are not politically correct and cost her the pageant crown. In an interview on FOX news Carrie Prejean stated that she will not deny her faith, values or opinions. When ask where she goes from here (her career) she said, “Wherever God leads me…I’m fearless.” What a great statement. Scripture gives comfort when it says, ‘fear not’, but there is power in the statement, ‘I am fearless!’

Grief

There is no right or wrong way to handle grief, but there are times when we (or others) question whether or not our feelings are appropriate. Nathan the prophet told King David that his young son would die. David pleaded with the Lord, fasted and lay on the ground for seven days. As soon as David learned of the child’s death, he got up, washed, put on clean clothes and ate a meal. The servants questioned David’s behavior and he responded, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again?...” (2 Sam 12:22-23 NIV) I appreciate David’s example. In a sense it gives us permission to wash our face, put on clean clothes…and go on living.

Amazing

It’s all a matter of perspective. Jesus went and taught in his home town of Nazareth and many who heard him were amazed at his teaching. I find it ironic that at the very same time Jesus too was amazed by the people…amazed at their lack of faith. (Mark 6:2, 6)

Still in His Hand

Today is the one year anniversary of my church. Our preacher observed that for being only a year old some of us sure look a little weathered. While we’ve averaged over a hundred in weekly attendance, we’ve also had our losses. Since the beginning of the year four of our members have passed away…two of them only yesterday. Our Birthday celebration is bitter sweet but Jesus comforts us when He says, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:28 NIV