Stoplights, waiting rooms, gas stations, grocery stores, traffic jams.
We wait, a lot.
We wait for God. Maybe we wait, impatiently, for the life, or job, or home, or person that we hope to have.
But in another sense, there's no such thing as waiting. There is really only now. We're only waiting if we're focused more on the future than we are the present.
Of course we'll sit in traffic, and wait here and there and everywhere else. But we can choose to spend those moments in the presence of God and those around us. We can be fully present, even while we wait.
Life is short, so don't miss what happens in the waiting.
17-18 Then David sang this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan, and gave orders that everyone in Judah learn it by heart. Yes, it's even inscribed in The Book of Jashar.
19 Oh, oh, Gazelles of Israel, struck down on your hills,
the mighty warriors—fallen, fallen!
26 O my dear brother Jonathan,
I'm crushed by your death.
Your friendship was a miracle-wonder,
love far exceeding anything I've known—
or ever hope to know.
27 The mighty warriors—fallen, fallen.
And the arms of war broken to bits.
Grief is one of the hardest human emotions. The pain of real mourning turns day to night, causes physical symptoms and makes the mourner think that they're losing their grip on reality.
Sometimes, we can even feel guilty that we just can't "get over it" when we've sustained a loss of some kind and "go on with our lives."
Well, here's at least a little good news. Those who mourn are not crazy. It's actually normal to feel that way.
It's even in the Bible. David was deeply mourning the loss of Saul and Jonathan. He decreed that everyone in the kingdom should memorize his verses of loss and grief.
Eventually there is healing. Whatever grief we carry...God can carry it with us. He does understand. God mourns right beside us. In time, there can even be laughter again.
I will now do a bit of a review for a book I finished a week or so back. It was my toilet reader.Every time I took a shoosey-doosey, I picked it up and read. The book is by Gary Smalley, and is called If Only He Knew.
Please dont let the tag line located below the title throw you too far off of the book's true content. Its not so much a book about how to get a woman as it is how to keep the one you are with. I know, I know: "But, Mike, you dont have a woman." Yeah, well, call this read a preemptive strike.
Smalley is a marriage counselor, and in this book he shares stories of failed marriages, strong marriages, and resurrected marriages. Interspersed among the real life stories of his own and others' marriages he interjects his personal theories on the situations. He openly admits that most of what he presents is common sense, but submits that we as men (that is the target audience of this particular book) often fail at realizing the obvious and acting accordingly.
Now, time and time again he posits that all relationship problems are the man's fault and that he has yet to be shown the exception to that rule. I am not so quick to jump on board with that idea for two reasons:
1) I dislike universals because they are largely unprovable.
2) It alleviates responsibilty from the women. Marriage is an equal-share endeavor.
While most of what he outlines in the book is, in fact, very common-sensical, it is refreshing to be reminded lest we forget. And, as Smalley points out, though there are sacrifices in need of being made, the rewards outweigh them exponentially; namely those of a healthy and happy marriage, a deepened and strengthened relationship with our wife, and the presentation of a shining example of both in a world where they are too often misconstrued or abused. This book reminds us that we are not done wooing our beloved once the ring is on her finger, but that the fun is just beginning!
My biggest knock on the book is that I found it to be way too repetitive at times. You would re-read bits of information in chapter 10 that you learned at length in chapter 3. So in that vein, it feels a bit thrown together and a little less organized than a book should. It is not an overwhelming problem, but when it does rear its face, it is a little off-putting.
Im ready to pass this one on to the next willing reader. Free of charge as long as you promise to read it, take it to heart, and pass it along, yourself, when you are done.
Late that day he said to them, "Let's go across to the other side." They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it.
And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?"
Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, "Quiet! Settle down!"
The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?"
They were in absolute awe, staggered. "Who is this, anyway?" they asked. "Wind and sea at his beck and call!"
"Why are you such cowards?"
Jesus wasn't just trying to belittle them. He was asking a real question about their faith.
So...why are we such cowards?
Lots of reasons. Big storms could kill us. Situations get out of our control. We could drown. We get afraid. We see problems that are greater than our resources.
And...maybe we don't really trust Him, although we'll sure go wake Him up when we get scared.
After all, "who is he?"
He is the one that we can trust, no matter what. In that truth, there is a bravery greater than our own.
Friday is usually the day I blog here about a Wesley teaching, but today I am writing on something altogether seperate for two reasons:
1) I did not really make time for Mr. Wesley this week. My badskies.
2) Today was Water Day at SOTH.
Watching the kids play in the water today reminded me of something Jesus said in the Good Ole' New Testament:
"I tell you the truth: Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 18:3)
What struck me about the kids' play today was that they were not concerned with what was not there.
You see, I found myself thinking "How in the world did I ever have fun in a foot-deep pool or with a sprinkler?" I was reminded, even, of a Mitch Hedberg joke:
"I saw a commercial for an above-ground pool. It was 30 seconds long because that is the maximum amount of time you can depict yourself having fun in an above-ground pool. If it was 31 seconds long, the actor would say "The water is only up to here. What do I do now? Throw the ball back to Jimmy or put some goggles on and look at his feet? I cant even drown my knee-caps."
But the kids were not concerned about what they did not have. I did not once hear a single kid ask where the diving board was, or complain that the slip-n-slide was too short, or that there werent enough water guns. Instead, they chose to enjoy what had been provided.
How often do you wish for more or complain about what we do not have? Especially in today's economic circumstances, right? Even when the economy is at it's peak, we find ourselves discontented.
That is why I believe Jesus wants us to be like the little children. He wants us, too, to be grateful for what we have and to not worry about what we dont. Adam will be speaking more to this idea on Sunday when he tackles the tenth commandment: coveting.
Dear, dear Corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life.
We didn't fence you in.
The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way.
I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives.
Live openly and expansively!
How big is the life you're living, right now?
A few years ago, I walked into a coffee shop with a good friend. Before I could say anything, he pulled out some cash and paid for my coffee. I'll always remember what he said.
"I'm feeling expansive today."
Expansive. Such a strange turn of phrase. I'd never heard anyone say that before. I still remember that little act of kindness and the odd, wonderful declaration of "expansiveness" that accompanied it.
Let's be expansive. Our lives are only small if we live them that way.
Each child needs to bring lots of sunscreen, swim suit, a towel and a "sack" lunch for a picnic.
BRING A FRIEND!!!
Little ones will enjoy splashing around in puddles & sprinklers and playing with bubbles while the big kids will engage in a water blast game of hide & seek!
We needs lots of adults/youth to help supervise and entertain! Please RSVP if you can volunteer for WATER DAY!! We also need fun water items such as: sprinklers, plastic baby pools, fun bubble "stuff", water guns, a slip n' slide, outdoor water games, etc.
Some more thoughts on SOTH's Listening, Relating and Encouraging ministry of visitation into the community, from SOTH memeber and LRE leader, Jamie Blankenship:
Why do we go visit Mr. W each week?
My first and immediate answer to this is “because he shaved and put on a clean shirt.”
During the weekend training for the evangelism ministry, LRE or as I like to call it, Loving Relating & Encouraging, we met the W’s. They were friendly and receptive to our visits, so we kept visiting. Some background on the W’s. They are older folks. The Mrs. has health issues that require just about constant care, and her care giver is her husband. Outside of doctor visits, they are pretty much home bound.
Now, this information has been gathered over time since last August, and may not be exactly chronological. It would be hard to write about what we have learned from the W’s that way. See, it is almost a year of (on average)15-20 minute visits. It takes time to get know people, it takes time to build relationships.
At first, we didn’t visit every week. But over the course of time, it became weekly, because of their situation. It had been suggested that, perhaps, we shouldn’t go to their house so often or even change the nature of our ministry with them to something more of a “shut-in” ministry. But, I always come back to the mental picture of Mr. W, clean shaven with a fresh shirt and say, no, we need to go.
We have seen the W’s on good days and bad days. Chronic illness can be so hard to deal with, both for the patient and the caregiver. I believe it can take you to places where you question your faith. Times when you asked God, this is how my life is going to be lived out? Long days and nights full of wondering, how much longer will this last? How much more can I endure? We have witnessed this pain and suffering on Mr. W’s face.
There are times when I have felt discouraged and downtrodden over much less significant circumstances, so you can imagine the irony of me, having a bad day, downtrodden, walking up to Mr. W’s door and seeing his amazing hopefulness. More than once, our teams have been encouraged by his faith. He tells us he feels blessed, and he is taking it day by day, the best they can. His faith firmly rooted in the Lord.
We have discovered, over time, that Mr. W. was an Elder in the BaptistChurch. He is curious about us, our ministry, our church. We know from the questions he asks during our visits that he has been reading up on Methodism. He even quoted John Wesley one night. He rarely asks us a question that he already doesn’t have the answer too. I believe there have been many team members praying “Help me, Holy Spirit” on his door step, as they search for the right answers for Mr. W!
He has occasionally asked questions about this ministry, of Loving, Relating and Encouraging. What we do, where we go, how many visits, how many people are involved. But last week, he laid out a very pointed “do you believe this ministry you do on Thursday’s is profitable?”
Profitable? Not financially speaking. He asked, “Has anyone ever come to your church or joined the church that you met on a Thursday night?” We answered, “yes” because some have come and some have joined. Before I could get to my full explanation on why we go, he explained it to me. Remember, he always has the answer before he asks the question!
He told us that once, when he was active in ministry, the leadership of his church went out into the community on a Sunday afternoon. He said he reported back to the church that they had determined their community was going to hell. Yes, it didn’t go well and that was the first and last time they tried it. Our tenacity is provokes his curiosity.
He continued to tell us that we were doing an amazing thing. He said the Bible tells us to “go” and he told us not to give up, even though we may never know what profit for the Lord comes from the seeds we plant. He said God would bless the work we do. He told us how much we mean to him personally. He believes God sent us to him.
It is “funny” that he this happened last Thursday. Only two team members came out to visit last week and this visit was the only one we were going to make. Yes, I would say my morale was at an all time low last Thursday and *bam* a fresh a dose of encouragement from the person we are trying to encourage. God bless irony!
The purpose of the Loving, Relating and Encouraging ministry is to “go” and build relationships in the community. To show others the love of Christ, asking nothing in return. It isn’t easy. There may be no tangible result. Sounds crazy, right?
If it seems that we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Whatever we do it is because Christ’s love controls us.
2 Corinthians 5:13-14
Lives are changing through this ministry for Christ. God is being glorified every single Thursday. And we are all invited and encouraged to be a part of it! Just come to the ranch, Thursday, at 6:30 pm. I can’t wait to see what this Thursday will bring.
Movie review time! I realize that it has been a while since I have done one of these, and that in that time I have seen several movies. My plan is this: I am going to give a full review ofTransformers 2, and then give much shorter reviews of a few others I have seen in the meantime.
Transformers 2
Where to begin? I thought this one was better than the first. For starters, the fights were a lot less of the "Im just going to throw myself into you" variety. And there seemed to be a lot more of them. It is a safe thing to say that this installment of the Transformers series significantly amped up the action quotient. There were more bots, bigger bots, and bigger "booms" than in the first. There are even a couple of bots that are made of other bots; one reminding me of my Power Ranger days.
But, with the upgrade in action came a few other unwanted upgrades. First, the robots picked up a few of our language's less-tasteful words and phrases. Actually, "a few" might very well be an understatement. For the most part, the harsher language was used for joke telling which is just unfortunate. What a great lesson to be teaching the youth of our nation, right? The rating for this one was PG-13, so a kid as young as 13 could have purchased a ticket to this one outright and been permitted to watch it unsupervised. But, being that this series is based on what is widely viewed as an older (and even recent) children's show, there were many in the theater with me much younger than that. Normally, I dont have an issue with language in movies, but being that this one is based, as I said, on a children's show and thus the audience will then be laregely comprised of kids, they should have omitted the language as much as they could. And its not like they couldnt have taken it out, either. Its one thing for a soldier on the battlefield to shout an obscenity after being shot and another thing for a robotic character to use one just joking around.
The plot was a little fantastic, too, taking a page or two out of the National Treasure movies and maybe a little from the latest installment of the Indiana Jones anthology. But lets be realistic here: Its a series being built around the idea that a talking alien race of robots that can transform into any machine they scan brings a bit of their homeworld's war to earth. If you can be okay with that much, you can overlook the craziness of the Pyramids of Giza hiding an ancient, sun-destroying machine and that a certain number of the alien race has been hiding on our planet for thousands of years.
Lamest part of the movie: LeBouf has this weird dream towards the end in which the Primes (a sort of branch or species of the alien race of machines) explain to him that they key that he needed could not be found but earned. Really? If you KNEW that, Primes, why not have just avoided the whole "the key turns to dust" schtick?
Coolest part of the movie: Optimus Prime gets a serious upgrade at the end and does some pretty fantastic butt-whooping with it. The fight between him and a couple of the Decepticons in the woods was very cool, too.
Megan Fox is still just that: a fox. LeBouf does a fine job, too; we are coming to expect that of him. I still like John Turturro's role, although you see WAY more of him than you would like, for sure, and I mean that in several senses. And then there is the new character, Leo, who I thought the movie could have easily done without. He was dropped into the mix for comic relief and that is IT. He lends, essentially, no significance to the film.
And one more thing: You are subjected to dogs getting it on twice in the span of five minutes for "comedic relief." I didnt get that.
All in all, I wasnt upset for having dropped the $9 to catch this one in the theaters. It was a bit longer than I would have preferred, but I didnt feel that it was running itself into the ground dragging on in the end. This movie wont blow you away, but it wont disappoint, either.
So far this summer, I have been disappointed by the movies Ive seen for the large part. Here are a few, smaller reviews of others I have watched:
Up - It wasnt bad, but I didnt think it was great, either. It felt very slow and a lot less humorous than I had hoped for. It was, however, a very touching story.
Land of the Lost - Okay, I tried watching this last night online and gave up 20 minutes in. This made me sad in part because I remember loving the old TV show as a kid. There was nothing there to catch and hold my attention, though. Its possible that I gave up too early, but I didnt feel guilty turning it off since I wasnt paying to watch it.
Star Trek - Even if you've never seen even a fraction of an episode of the show, this movie should easily top your summer movie list. Hands down, in my opinion, the best movie of the summer. Its closest contender was probably Wolverine, but, as I posted previously, the fan in me was disappointed in a major way with aspects of that one. Had I not been a fan or knowledgable about the comics, it would have been a serious contender.
The Hangover - Contender for one of the funniest movies I have ever seen, but ashamedly so. Not all, but a significant chunk of its humor was "inappropriate," and there was more than a few things in it that it could have gone without. If you catch it, do not, under any circumstance, stay to watch the slideshow during the credits. Run.
Night at the Museum 2 - Meh. The first was better, and I really didnt think much of the first one. This is a pass.
I still plan on catching The Proposal, Year One, and maybe The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. I will try to get those reviews up as I catch them.
God's a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times.
The moment you arrive, you relax; you're never sorry you knocked.
Sing your songs to Zion-dwelling God, tell his stories to everyone you meet: How he tracks down killers yet keeps his eye on us, registers every whimper and moan.
Be kind to me, God; I've been kicked around long enough.
Once you've pulled me back from the gates of death, I'll write the book on Hallelujahs;
On the corner of Main and First I'll hold a street meeting;
I'll be the song leader; we'll fill the air with salvation songs.
I love this psalm so much. It makes me feel better about myself. And, it makes me feel really good about God.
It reminds me that even the psalm-writer could feel sorry for himself. And, even he could go passive-aggressive: "I've been kicked around long enough, Lord..."
What images! God is a "safe house." In fact, it almost sounds like God is a "beach house," a place to relax as soon as you walk in.
Whatever you're up against today...a simple reminder...our God, "hears every whimper and moan." Our task? To fill the air with salvation songs.
Hey, all! I just wanted to post a couple of announcements here:
1) I am uploading pictures that my camera took at the Confirmation Service this past Sunday to Flickr, but I know my camera wasnt the only one taking pictures! If you have pictures from that service you are willing to share with the congregation, please email them to me (mike@sothumc.net) or drop them on a disc so that I can upload them to our flickr account.
2) I will be absent this Friday on a retreat with the youth, so there will be a small gap in the Wesley posts. I will pick the ball back up next Friday.
"Could we suppose an intelligent being, entirely a stranger to the state of this world and its inhabitants, to take a view of their various enterprises and employments, and thence conjecture the end of their existence, he would surely conclude that these creatures were designed to be busied about many things. While he observed not only the infinite difference of the ends which different men were pursuing, but how vast a multitude of objects were successively pursued by almost every different person, he might fairly infer that for all these things were the sons of men placed upon the earth, even to gratify their several desires with sensual pleasure, or riches, or honour, or power.
How surprised then would he be to hear their Creator declare to all, without distinction, 'One thing is needful!' But how much more when he knew that this one thing needful for men, their one business, the one end of their existence, was none of all of those things which men were troubled about, none of all those ends they were pursuing, none of all those businesses wherein they were so deeply engaged, which filled their hearts and employed their hands. Nay, that it was an end not only distinct from but contrary to them all - as contrary as light and darkness, heaven and hell, the kingdom of God and that of Satan!"
John Wesley poses a fantastic question in these two paragraphs! In layman's terms:
"If an objective, third party being were to stumble across the earth and observe the happenings of its inhabitants, what might he or she hypothesize their purpose is?"
I think we are all aware that the being's answer would probably be far from what we, as Christians, read and profess our purpose to be.
Isaiah recounts God declaring that we were made for His glorification (43:7). Furthermore, this sermon of Wesley's is drawn from Luke 10:
Jesus has been invited into the home of Martha and Mary. He takes a seat and Mary settles herself at His feet to listen to whatever He might say. Martha, however, busies herself with "preparations." The Bible isnt specific as to what those preparations might be, but thinking of our own time and what preparations we often busy ourselves with when company visits, I dont believe it to be a stretch that she might have been tidying up a bit, preparing a meal or a snack, making sure cups were never empty of whatever fluid might be occupying them, etc.
Martha then gets a little frustrated and says: "Lord, dont you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" (10:40)
Jesus's response is short, but very convicting: "Martha, Martha...you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (10:41-42)
The implications of Jesus's response: Mary is doing the one thing that is needed.
Recall what she is doing: She is seeking to be near to her Lord, focusing her attention on Him, and prioritizing him above whatever normal preparations or work there was to be done.
I could spend a lot of time and typing on this! Oh, that I could! Instead, I will pose a series of questions to spark thought on your part:
1) What do you think the third party, objective being might have guessed Mary's purpose to be? What about Martha's? Who are you in the story: Mary or Martha?
2) Wesley wrote this sermon in 1734. Dont you think that our level of occupation or busyness has increased exponentially since then? And our definition of what we "need?" And, yet, long before even Wesley's time, Jesus said: "Seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)
3) How radically different would the world be if we followed Matthew 6:33?
4) A friend of mine and I were speaking yesterday about Rob Bell, a pastor at Mars Hill church and an acclaimed author and writer. My buddy explained to me that Mars Hill does not have a church sign at Rob Bell's request. Jason said:
"The church came and asked Rob if they could put up a sign, and Rob said: 'Yeah, go right ahead. But know that when you do, I will turn in my official resignation, too. If the world cannot tell what we are without a sign, then we are doing something wrong.'"
Are we in need of a sign?
"How would [the being] express, how would he conceive the senselessness, the madness, of those creatures who, being in such a situation, could think of anything else, could talk of anything else, could do anything besides, could find time for any other design, or care, but that of ensuring the one thing needful!"
Next week, I will continue with the lesson Wesley passed along in this sermon. Join me then!
Today, when I pulled into the parking lot of a row of local shops near SOTH, I realized that there was a newly empty storefront.
Another small business has gone under.
I can't remember the last time I talked to a business owner who was experiencing good economic times.
Things are really hard. They really, really are and I haven't seen much hope locally of them getting better really soon. There are moments when it becomes very clear to me just how much pressure everybody really is under.
The same is true for our church, of course. And every other church and non-profit in our community.
The prospect of losing a job, or of a business going under, is just terrifying for folks who have poured their life into those efforts.
What can we do?
We can remember this: (Matthew 6:24-34 The Message)
24"You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both.
25-26"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion.
There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
27-29"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference?
Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
30-33"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?
What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
34"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
And then, though most of us in this community aren't farmers, we can get up, get going and "take the tractor another round," whatever that means for you.
Pray. Believe. Act on those beliefs. I've come to love this song that came out a couple of years ago, and I really do believe in taking the tractor another round, no matter what. God will do the rest.
All will be well. (And looking at Jason Aldean, I think he'd get "whupped" if he showed up on a real farm, but it's still a great song).
From Jamie Blankenship --- SOTH Listening, Relating, Encouraging Ministry
I’ve got friends in …
Ok, finish the line in your head, I am no singer, but I will belt this out in the privacy of my car like I am a rock star! Is it good to have friends in low places? I think it is good to have friends all over the place.
I started thinking about friends after Priscilla Shepherd posted her status this week (thanks for the inspiration!)
“A friend stated last night "It's funny how people try on friendships like shoes, if they fit a little to tight or a little loose they throw them to the side and forget about them." I thought that was cool. So let's try not to forget who our FRIENDS are”
There are so many varieties of friends, just like shoes. Does this mean that what fits for one occasion may not fit for another?
·BFF (Best Friend Forever, for those of you without little girls running about your lives) "An good friend will help you move. A best friend will help you move a dead body."
·Friends for Bad Times: A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.
·Friends in spite of our faults: "A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked."
·Friends in Good times: “For it's always fair weather - When good fellows get together- With a stein on the table and a good song ringing clear”
·Some of us marry our best friend: Marriage is a sort of friendship recognized by the police."
·Fair weather Friends: “FRIENDSHIP, n. A ship big enough to carry two in fair weather, but only one in foul.
I am not an expert on friendship. I have heard that to have a friend you have to be a friend, and I am not a very good friend. I lose touch with people that are important to me. I don’t call my friends and say, I am thinking of you today. I totally forget birthdays, special days etc. (I do Facebook though, sometimes) I don’t do social events with others, pretty much at all, unless it is related to Piper. Bottom Line: I am a bad friend.
It is strange because I really like getting to know people. But, it is really hard for me to go further into friendship than that. Friendship isn’t easy.
·"Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow-ripening fruit." -- Aristotle (4th century B.C.)
Relationships, friendships, to me, are like little seeds. They need to be planted in a good foundation, and nurtured. The care doesn’t end there, though. There will be weeds. There will be blights, droughts and floods that will affect the growth and vitality of the plant. The care to be provided is an investment. And with any investment, there is a risk.
I can imagine that the circumstances for friendships starting, ending and pausing are endless. Distractions. Hard times. New opportunities. Why do you think your friendships wax and wane? Is it because I am work boots and you need strappy sandals? I am willing to bet that most friendships just fade out because of neglect (a lot like my August garden) and not so much rejection.
Of course, I think we might imagine the worst case scenario, rejection. If a friend doesn’t invite you to something what do you conclude? That you did something offensive? That you aren’t (fill in the blank) enough? If you invite a friend to something and they don’t come, what do you conclude? The very same things? Drawing (or jumping to) conclusions ends a lot of relationships.
This happens at church, too. If someone stops coming to church, we assume they have rejected us. That they didn’t like something the church has done. That they found a better church. Or maybe, our church is a sneaker and they prefer wing tips…
So how does this change? We can’t all be all purpose crocs! We embrace the individual shoe for what they are and enjoy them. How do we keep our friendships alive? There is no Miracle Grow for friendships! We go work in the garden, with some hands on nurturing. We search out the seeds we planted, and give them some attention.
As Priscilla recommended, let’s try not to forget who our friends are…Tonight we are going to go into the garden and search out friends from Shepherd of the Hills. We are going to give them our attention. We are going to nurture them. We are going to let them know, no matter the current condition of our relationship, that we love them and we want to see them in full bloom.
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. John 13:34-35
Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:10
And may the Lord make your love grow and overflow to each other and to everyone else, just as our love overflows toward you. 1 Thessalonians 3:12
If you are ready to Love, Relate and Encourage others with Christ’s love, come out to the Ranch at 6:30 pm to join us, we would love to see you. No Experience Required.
Jamie
PS. Some of us will be flip flops, others may be sneakers.
*Summer Fun Play Dates *Sunday School/Bible Connection *VBS (July 13-17) And so much more!!
IMPORTANT DATE: June 9, 7 pm at The Ranch.
Anyone and EVERYONE who wants to be involved this summer in our Children's Program is invited. We will be planning the specifics of our summer activities, coordinating volunteers, brainstorming ideas for ministry & reviewing our Bible Connection and Sunday School progress over this past year.
We NEED YOUR input!!
Our programming is only as good as the efforts we put into it.
"That circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, that the distinguishing mark of a true follower of Christ, of one who is in a state of acceptance with God, is not either outward circumcision or baptism, or any other outward form, but a right state of soul - a mind and spirit renewed after the image of him that created it - is one of those important truths that can only be spiritually discerned."
Since the first Confirmation meeting, I have joked with the kids telling them that there would be a test at the end of the eight weeks. Truth be told, there is a sort of test. One that they will take in front of the whole congregation. When I told them this at the last Confirmation meeting, there were frightened looks and questions like "Is it going to be cumulative, or over everything we have talked about?" and "Is it multiple choice?".
It was during these questions that Adam entered the room. He then sat down and said something akin to this:
"Listen, it's not so much about your answer as much as it is about the feelings and intentions attached to it."
And he is absolutely right. Anyone can stand in front of the congregation and give acceptable answers. We see actors do it all the time, right? Last night I watched a movie called Valkyrie starring Tom Cruise. In it, he plays a Nazi officer and several times throughout the movie he expresses support for the Nazi agenda - it's how he came to be an officer, right? But does Tom Cruise yelling "Heil Hitler!" make him the Nazi that he portrays in the film? Of course not. It's not the words and the costume that make a man this or that, but the true intentions and emotions behind his actions.
This idea goes well beyond the veil of Hollywood, too. We all know that giving is an important part of faith. We spend part of each year learning about it and it is even part of our vows spoken and accepted in order to become a member of the church. But if you read the Scriptures carefully, there is more to giving than the exchange of money (or whatever the case may be, but we will stick with money for now) from one hand to another. In Matthew 6 you read about somebody who boasts about his great givings and another who gives "secretly." The first gives for his own recognition, the other clearly does not, and it is he/she that is recognized by God. In 2 Corinthians 9 we read that "God loves a cheerful giver" and that we should not give "reluctantly or out of compulsion." Are you seeing the pattern here? Giving is important, yes, but held in even higher regard, I believe, is the motive behind the giving. John Wesley refers to this as "a right state of soul."
Later on in the same sermon, Wesley states:
"To be more particular, circumcision of heart implies humility, faith, hope, and charity."
These are all things that can be shown outwardly, to be sure. But that is not what Wesley is aiming for. His emphasis is not on the outward appearance of such things, but of the inward validity of them. We are not the judge of these things he speculates as he declares they can only be found to be true through spiritual discernment.
Jesus held the same stance when he spoke unto the Pharisees:
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence." Matthew 23:25
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So there you are. The first of many. Please, please, please feel free to comment! These would be great discussion-oriented posts!
"Funny the Way It Is" written by Carter Beauford, Stefan Lessard, David Matthews, LeRoi Moore, Boyd Tinsley and Tim Reynolds
Lying in the park on a beautiful day Sunshine in the grass and the children play Sirens pass and fire engine red Someone’s house is burning down on a day like this And evening comes and were hanging out On the front step and a car goes by with the windows rolled down And that war song is playing “Why can’t we be friends?” Someone is screaming and crying in the apartment upstairs
Funny the way it is If you think about it Somebody’s going hungry And someone else is eating out Funny the way it is Not right or wrong Somebody’s heart is broken And it becomes your favorite song
The way your mouth feels in a lovers kiss Like a pretty bird on a breeze or water to a fish A bomb blast brings a building crashing to the floor Hear the laughter while the children play war
Funny the way it is If you think about it One kid walks 10 miles to school Another’s dropping out Funny the way it is Not right or wrong On a soldier’s last breath His baby is being born
Standing on a bridge Watch the water passing under me It must have been much harder When there was no bridge just water Now the world is small Compared to how it used to be With mountains and oceans and winters and rivers and stars
Watch the sky A jet plane so far out of my reach Is there someone up there looking down on me? A boy chase a bird So close but every time He never catch her but he can’t stop trying
Funny the way it is If you think about it One kid walks 10 miles to school Another’s dropping out Funny the way it is Not right or wrong On a soldier’s last breath His baby’s being born
Funny the way it is Not right or wrong Somebody’s broken heart Becomes your favorite song Funny the way it is If you think about it One kid walks 10 miles to school Another’s dropping out
Standing on a bridge Watch the water passing under me It must have been much harder When there was no bridge just water Now the world is small Compared to how it used to be With mountains and oceans and winters and rivers and stars
He always told me my blog posts were just way too long. So, I know he would love this one already.
My friend John has transferred his membership from the church temporal to the church eternal.
Very early this morning, he went to be with God. We had discussed this topic many times before, and I know that he was ready to go. There is a great, deep, "peace that passes understanding" in that knowledge...but of course nobody in his family, or his church was ready to let him go.
Times of loss can be times filled with questions. Why now? Why not before? Why him? Why not me? How long do any of us have? How do we go from "here" to "not here anymore?"
John's life, like all of ours, was placed in the loom of time, and its fabric was woven by more than mere fate. The decisions of our hearts, and especially the decision to live a life of faith, makes all the difference.
John was not perfect. And he would be the first to tell you that truth.
But he was a child of God. He was redeemed. He was being transformed (sanctified, or "made holy" in the Wesleyan sense).
He had a wonderful understanding of an essential truth about church, and Christianity. It's not a place, or a religion that should become a club superficial saints.
John knew that this is a faith for recovering sinners. And he welcomed everybody.
He lived with the tenacity and zeal that you'd expect of an alumnus of the 101st Airborne. The lessons drilled into him at Toccoa lasted a lifetime. And he taught some of those lessons to me.
I'm better, and further along my path of faith, for having known him. And he will be missed.
Someone asked me recently (and it's the reason I shared the song above), "Adam, do you ever wonder why things are the way that they are? Do you ever wonder why things happen? Do you ever say 'why me?'"
So, let me answer for all of you reading this:
Of course I do.
And I believe that God is very much ok with that.
Lots of folks in the Bible wondered all kinds of things. We don't have the mind of God. This world violates our sense of justice. This is a "veil of tears," and a world filled with loss and hurt.
But it's also a place full of joy and beauty and possibility. I know that the dark places of a life are just as necessary for its beauty, as are the bright and glowing colors of good times and happiness.
Do I understand that? Of course not. Do I accept it? I try to, and I'm growing closer all the time.
Life is good, and it's a gift, and it's worth really being here and paying close attention.
Listen to the hope we find in I Corinthians 15:19-26 (The Message)
If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we're a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.
There is a nice symmetry in this: Death initially came by a man, and resurrection from death came by a man. Everybody dies in Adam; everybody comes alive in Christ.
But we have to wait our turn: Christ is first, then those with him at his Coming, the grand consummation when, after crushing the opposition, he hands over his kingdom to God the Father.
He won't let up until the last enemy is down—and the very last enemy is death!
Yes, it really is "funny the way it is." But the funniest, and most amazing, and most hopeful part of all is that there is redemption and resurrection.
I definitely do not know all the answers. I urge you to think twice before believing anyone who claims that they do.
But we do know the most important truths.
Our friend John is not lost. There is a grace greater than death. There is pain, but there is even greater hope.
There are always questions, but there will always be One who holds the answers. He is "Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End."
Behold...Jesus died and is alive evermore...and because he lives, we will live also.
