Returning Thanks: Thoughts on "Church Vision"

If I’ve heard this prayer once, I’ve heard it a thousand times. As a child, I used to roll my eyes when I’d hear some old man recite the words by rote. He usually mumbled quickly along, aware that his audience was focused on the fried chicken, cornbread and sliced tomatoes.

It’s called, “asking the blessing,” or “saying grace,” or best of all, “returning thanks.” Sometimes, in pockets of the deep southern vernacular, the name of this act is shortened even further, as in “Herschel, would you ‘turn thanks, and then we’ll eat.”

Whatever you call it, it goes like this:

“Father, we ask for your blessings on the food set before us, and on the hands that have prepared it. May you bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies, and our bodies to your service.”

That prayer is considered the right and proper way to begin a barbecue, fish fry, homecoming dinner, and any of a number of other church-eating related events throughout the south. Maybe folks pray this prayer in other locales as well, I don’t know.

I just know that the local Patriarch with the deep Georgia drawl has the right voice to make this prayer truly resonate.

As a kid, I knew that when my time came to be one of the praying grown folks, I would say something new, and creative, and from the heart.

Well…a little older and a little wiser now…I think that new and creative definitely has its place, but it’s sure not the only game in town. What a beautiful prayer this truly is, handed down from generation to generation. We don’t have to be the center of attention when we can be part of something larger than ourselves.

This beautiful old prayer reminds us that the summer bounty spread before us on the church buffet is absolutely a free gift from God, and a sign of his love. In fact, everything is a gift. If God chooses to “nourish” our bodies, then we will have the privilege of committing them to his service.

“Vision” should work exactly the same way in a church. At SOTH, our worship, prayer, study of scripture, building of relationships, giving and serving in the community are all gifts from God.

When we respond to God by getting involved we are “returning thanks” to the God who loves us.

On August 15th, we’ll have an important conversation as a church family. The conversation began in May with our listening groups. We’ll share feedback, we’ll pray, we’ll dream about what God might be calling us to next, but most of all we will continue the process of letting God lead us and give us a vision for this community and our world.

Plan to stay for lunch after 11:00 worship that Sunday, and take part in the good things that are happening.

Now, let’s “turn thanks” and eat --- that’s always a great idea.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

VBS 2010: What We Learned

This morning I got to see a pretty spectacular thing.

Sometimes that happens for all of us...we witness the miraculous.

In 1992, Sid Bream slid across home plate and the Braves beat the Pirates in the NLCS. That was a good night.

Sometimes a sunrise or sunset stops us in our tracks. At least a few times each summer, I will pick and eat the perfectly ripe, just picked, homegrown tomato. That always gets my attention.

The truth is, there are thousands of things that we encounter each day which, if we actually thought about them and paid attention, would simply blow us away.

Almost always, those things are simple and spontaneous.

Jesus needed to remind his disciples of this truth:

¹³Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

¹⁴Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." ¹⁵When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. -- Matthew 19

Jesus' disciples often needed to recalibrate. In this case, Jesus did that by teaching them about children.

"This is what the kingdom looks like."

I saw the kingdom today when a line of about 20 little children formed at our opening VBS worship rally.

They'd been invited to share what they've learned this week.

"I learned to forgive my friends when they hurt me."

"I learned that I should love people."

"I learned that God will never leave me."

"I learned to pray for people."

That's what the kingdom looks like.

It's Friday, and tons of SOTH volunteers have dirty houses...piles of laundry...kitchens that need cleaning...and lots of other delayed tasks that have gone undone while they've given their time and energy this week.

Great planning has taken place. Lots of work has been done...so that this spontaneous showing of the kingdom could unfold.

Thank you God --- and all of our volunteers --- and our children, for allowing me to see it.

VBS Celebration this Sunday at SOTH: 11 AM!

Grace & Peace,

Adam

Dear God, surround me as I speak,
the bridges that I walk across are weak
Frustrations fill the void that I can't solely bear
Dear God, don't let me fall apart,
you've held me close to you
I have turned away and searched for answers I can't understand

They say that I can move the mountains
And send them crashing into the sea
They say that I can walk on water
If I would follow and believe
with faith like a child

Sometimes, when I feel miles away
and my eyes can't see your face
I wonder if I've grown to lose the recklessness
I walked in light of you

[Little girl:]
"I've got joy like a fountain!"
"Be kind one to others"
"In Jesus Christ Your son"

They say that love can heal the broken
They say that hope can make you see
They say that faith can find a Savior
If you would follow and believe
with faith like a child

Politics and Religion at the Supper Table

Rev. Tony Crosby is a good friend of mine, and Pastor at Alma, United Methodist Church in Alma, Georgia. He's written a great piece that reminds us how patriotism and Christianity can fit together for American Christians. I really enjoyed it and wanted to share as we approach both the 4th of July and Holy Communion in our worship at SOTH this Sunday. Thanks Tony!
Politics and Religion at the Supper Table

One of the rules that many of us were taught growing up is that you aren’t supposed to talk about politics or religion at the supper table. Most people hold very strong opinions about both of these subjects and the food just doesn’t go down very easily when the tempers are flaring and there is heated discussion.

So guess what I thought we might do? Of course! We are going to talk about politics and religion at the supper table. We will try to keep the discourse positive as the calendar and our traditions converge today with celebrating the sacrament of communion on our most celebrated national political holiday.

Mixing politics and religion is dangerous mostly because people have difficulty resolving matters where it seems that the two have competing objectives. For example, nations make war upon other nations from time to time and many Christians find this to be at odds with the “gospel of peace” that is taught in the scriptures. A controversial piece of legislation will find both support and also opposition from Christians throughout the country because of differing ideas about how Biblical principles should be lived out in the public square. It always makes me nervous when people begin to equate the work of any government with the work of God. The Christian church has historically had some of its worst and darkest times when it has aligned itself too closely with political entities.

As Christians, we serve God first as citizens of the kingdom of God; but, we are also citizens of a geopolitical nation as well. I am very thankful for the heritage of our country and for its unique expression of representative democracy in the world, however, I am cautious in my political allegiances in the context of worship. God has made forgiveness and grace available to all who will call upon the name of Jesus Christ—from Iraq to Italy, from Afghanistan to Africa, from the Czech Republic to Chile, from Bolivia to Brazil, and, yes, from sea to shining sea right here in the United States of America. As Christians who live in one of the most affluent nations in the world, let us never forget how much we need God’s grace in our lives. As we come to the supper table today on this Independence Day, let us remember that God so loved the whole world that he gave his only son, Jesus Christ, so that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.

Written by Rev. Tony Crosby, Alma UMC

The Same Old Barn

Galatians 2:15-21 (The Message)

We Jews know that we have no advantage of birth over "non-Jewish sinners."

We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it—and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good.

Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?)

And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren't perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous.

If I was "trying to be good," I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be acting as a charlatan.

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ.

My ego is no longer central.

It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.

How many times do we need God to tell us...stop building the "same old barn."

Paul really wanted to do things right. He really wanted to please God...maybe.

Or, maybe, in his first life as "Saul," he really wanted to use God to his advantage. He liked the idea of pleasing God, but what he really, really liked was everybody knowing that he was the best God-pleaser of them all.

God made him famous. He really knew how to do the God thing better than anybody else. And that life left his lost and empty.

Really consider these words...they're the ones we'll be considering together on Sunday at SOTH:

My ego is no longer central.

I don't need your good opinion of me.

I don't have to impress God.

It's no longer my life you see me living.

What could those statements mean for each of us?

Grace & Peace -- Adam

Don't wanna be a martyr in this war
Don't wanna hear the same excuses anymore
That everything's a threat
And it's only gonna get worse if we let it

Don't wanna blame the rich for what they got
Don't point a finger at the poor for what they have not
Though the politician and the priest
Live in the belly of the beast because we fed it

Freedom is seldom found
By beating someone to the ground
Telling them how everything is gonna be now, yeah

Now if the tables were turned tell me how you would feel
Somebody busted up into your house telling you to stay still
While the leaders will deny defeat
Innocents they testify by dying in the street

Freedom is seldom found
By beating someone to the ground
Telling them how everything is gonna be now

Freedom is seldom found
By beating someone to the ground
Telling them how everything is gonna be now

Regret

Galatians 1:13-24

I'm sure that you've heard the story of my earlier life when I lived in the Jewish way.

In those days I went all out in persecuting God's church.

I was systematically destroying it. I was so enthusiastic about the traditions of my ancestors that I advanced head and shoulders above my peers in my career.

Even then God had designs on me. Why, when I was still in my mother's womb he chose and called me out of sheer generosity! Now he has intervened and revealed his Son to me so that I might joyfully tell non-Jews about him.

Immediately after my calling—without consulting anyone around me and without going up to Jerusalem to confer with those who were apostles long before I was—I got away to Arabia.

Later I returned to Damascus, but it was three years before I went up to Jerusalem to compare stories with Peter. I was there only fifteen days—but what days they were! Except for our Master's brother James, I saw no other apostles. (I'm telling you the absolute truth in this.)

Then I began my ministry in the regions of Syria and Cilicia. After all that time and activity I was still unknown by face among the Christian churches in Judea.

There was only this report: "That man who once persecuted us is now preaching the very message he used to try to destroy."

Their response was to recognize and worship God because of me!

Everybody has a past. Everybody has something they regret.

Paul has more than most folks. He "systematically" persecuted the church. He was responsible for death and mahem among the early followers of Jesus.

He killed in the name of God.

How could he ever overcome that kind of past?

Honestly, I'm not convinced that he ever overcame the guilt. He certainly always had regrets.

But he also witnessed God putting his past actions and reputation to use in the Kingdom.

Because of the incredible story of his own transformation, the followers of Jesus could believe more than ever in the power of God. If Saul could become Paul, then anything really was possible in Jesus Christ.

What do you regret?

Is it possible that God could actually turn those regrets into the biggest places of transformation in your life and the lives of others?

Of course it is.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

Summer Camp 2010

The youth and I have returned from Summer Camp on Friday...though I have not completely recovered! What an amazing weekend from the beach to the worship - across the board - it was an unforgettable experience for those who attended.

The theme of the week was "Next" and it was a focus on the things Jesus said that we might pass on; and I dont mean that we share it, either. I mean He said "Go do ________________" and we respond with "I'd rather not."

The four talks centered on Jesus saying:

1) Follow me.

2) Take up your cross.

3) Do not be afraid.

4) Go make disciples.

Some of our groups' highlights from the weekend:

1) Adam and Amber Rigby coming along! Both were amazing assets and presences on the retreat both for the kids and for me. I actually caught a little bit of flack from the other youth directors when they first discovered that Adam was my senior pastor - In case you didnt know: Its not cool to have your pastor along on a retreat. But as the week rolled on and the others got to see Adam at work with the kids, they grew to the point of being envious of my ability to include a senior pastor on a youth trip that didnt suck the cool-factor right out of the room. Amber was a great addition, too, who not only had a great time herself but also enhanced the experience for the youth as she played all of their games on the bus and took them where ever they wanted to go without complaint while we were at the beach. So grateful for both of their presences at Summer Camp!

2) Six hours on a bus makes for some interesting time killers...They ranged from the game Catchphrase to Adam annoying the youth with songs from his mp3 player about harvesting corn to Brian Riehl free-style rapping. Yeah. That happened.

3) On our last night at the camp, two amazing things happened. The first happened right after the talk that evening. The worship space was made quiet as an invitation for youth and adults alike to sit in prayerful communion with and reflection on their God. Watching as the SOTH youth sat, heads bowed and arms around one another, was awesome. I sat in the back literally in awe of their faiths and love for God and one another, blessed at the fact that I have been called to SOTH in such a capacity as to nurture and witness to their spiritual lives, and humbled at the fact that my effects on their lives are nothing compared to what was going on in those moments. Later that night the kids wanted to walk on the beach to the pier and back - not a short jaunt, mind you. En route, a bunch of them struck up singing worship songs...and didnt stop. Not for fear of shame in front of the other random folks on the beach as we walked. Not for shame in their singing abilities. Not for anything. They lifted their voices and sang to the One they love.

4) Adam and I had two awesome opportunities on the retreat to prove that he was not the lame senior pastor that some feared he might be. The first came when Adam was called upon to participate in a game during which he had a large jar-like container of ping-pong balls taped to his stomach and was instructed that he had to get all of the balls out of the container without using his hands or turning upside down before his challenger did the same. Adam and I, using our tried and true telepathy, knew exactly what to do, and when the guy running the games said "Go" I tore through the crowd of youth towards the front and used MY hands to clear his container before his opponent of the game dude knew what was going on. Victory was ours. So was the respect and wonder of the youth directors in the room who realized that Adam and I share an amazing mind-meldish bond. The second cool-point winning moment for Adam was his inclusion in the prankster team of youth directors. He even scored some major laughs from the kids with his shenanigans. I think Adam will be a welcomed part of Summer Camp next year should he choose to attend...

Summer Camp 2010 was a huge success both relationally and spiritually. Many thanks from the youth ministry to those who prayed during our stay for safety, fun, and for God's movement. Summer Camp wouldnt have been the same without you!

Direct

A Month with Galatians...

That's what we're doing at Shepherd of the Hills on Sunday mornings, and I thought it would be good for me to work through this powerful little letter day by day on the SOTHblog. Thanks for indulging.

So, here we go:

Galatians 1:1-5, The Message (read the whole chapter here)

^1-5 I, Paul, and my companions in faith here, send greetings to the Galatian churches.

My authority for writing to you does not come from any popular vote of the people, nor does it come through the appointment of some human higher-up.

It comes directly from Jesus the Messiah and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.

I'm God-commissioned.

So I greet you with the great words, grace and peace! We know the meaning of those words because Jesus Christ rescued us from this evil world we're in by offering himself as a sacrifice for our sins.

God's plan is that we all experience that rescue.
Glory to God forever! Oh, yes!

As we jump in to what Paul had to say to this church, first things have to come first.

He needs to remind everyone of his authority. Really, the authority isn't his, it's been given to him directly.

The message he carries isn't his own invention. He didn't write this sermon. It's straight from God.

Paul is "God-commissioned."

Acts 9 tells the story, and it's really the place where this letter begins.

Saul was heading to Damascus to arrest the followers of Jesus. Until he met Jesus himself. He experienced the resurrected Christ first-hand. He sat blinded for three days. His life changed forever.

As these next chapters unfold, we'll hear Paul say some hard things to these people he loves. He says it because he has to. The truth burns inside of him and he has to speak. They've been led astray, and that's not something Paul is able to tolerate.

He's God commissioned.

Curious about what a person who saw the risen Jesus face-to-face might have to say about what it means to be a follower of "The Way?"

Then let's keep reading.

Grace & Peace,
Adam

Wisdom

Readings for this week, from the Revised Common Lectionary:

Proverbs 8:1-4; 22-31
Psalm 8
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15

Proverbs 8 (The Message)

Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling? Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice?

She's taken her stand at First and Main, at the busiest intersection.

Right in the city square where the traffic is thickest, she shouts: "You—I'm talking to all of you, everyone out here on the streets!

Listen, you idiots—learn good sense! You blockheads—shape up!

Don't miss a word of this—I'm telling you how to live well, I'm telling you how to live at your best.

"God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—before he did anything else.

I was brought into being a long time ago, well before Earth got its start.

I arrived on the scene before Ocean, yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes. Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape, I was already there, newborn;

Long before God stretched out Earth's Horizons, and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather, And set Sky firmly in place, I was there. When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean, built the vast vault of Heaven, and installed the fountains that fed Ocean, When he drew a boundary for Sea, posted a sign that said no trespassing, And then staked out Earth's Foundations, I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.

Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause, always enjoying his company,

Delighted with the world of things and creatures, happily celebrating the human family, before he did anything else.

Proverbs 8 shows us wisdom...personified.

"Lady Wisdom" stands crying out in the streets, but few seem to hear her voice.

It's too busy and noisy out there on Main Street. Besides, her advice might run counter to the things that we want to do, or the things that the world sometimes tells us we should do.

The wisdom of God runs deep. It is ancient, present at and in the creation.

Our task? Listen. Find some space before the noise begins and listen. When we get really accomplished, maybe it's even possible for us to find some spiritual space in the middle of the noise, as it's happening around us.

Not easy. The best things take time and practice. But here's the deal. God has already attended to the details. The soil, the water, the air, the trees, the delicate balance of life...it's all in place.

God made us for the purpose of being here, and being in relationship with Him.

Lady Wisdom cries out at First and Main, "delicately" calling us back home:

"Listen you idiots! Learn good sense! You blockheads, shape up!"

Grace & Peace,
Adam

See

John 14:8-17 (The Message)

⁸Philip said, "Master, show us the Father; then we'll be content."

^9-10"You've been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don't understand?

To see me is to see the Father.

So how can you ask, 'Where is the Father?' Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

The words that I speak to you aren't mere words. I don't just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act.

^11-14"Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me.

If you can't believe that, believe what you see—these works.

The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing.

You can count on it.

From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son.

I mean it.

Whatever you request in this way, I'll do.

^15-17"If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you.

I will talk to the Father, and he'll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth.

The godless world can't take him in because it doesn't have eyes to see him, doesn't know what to look for.

But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!

I love passages like these from the Gospels so much.

Jesus just makes it simple:

1. See me...you see the Father

2. Believe in me

3. Ask me for what you need

4. Obey me

Simple, right?

So simple...but such a challenge for us because following this teaching will force us to get ourselves out of our own way.

See

Believe

Ask

Obey

Let's give it a shot today. Stop yourself from time to time throughout this day and check in with these four steps.

It's a lesson from the Master worth learning.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

Worship this Sunday, 9:30 and 11 AM. We'll be honoring 7 graduates, and concluding our "To Save a Family" series with, "Strong Families Leave a Legacy."

Pentecost

Acts 2:1-13 (The Message)

^1-4 When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building.

Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.

^5-11There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world.

When they heard the sound, they came on the run.

Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. They couldn't for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, "Aren't these all Galileans? How come we're hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?

Parthians, Medes, and Elamites;
Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;
Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;
Even Cretans and Arabs!

"They're speaking our languages, describing God's mighty works!"

¹²Their heads were spinning; they couldn't make head or tail of any of it.

They talked back and forth, confused: "What's going on here?"

¹³Others joked, "They're drunk on cheap wine."

Jerusalem has always been a city of many languages.

When Holly and I visited there 2 years ago, we were struck by the incredible diversity of people we met.

I suppose I always thought that Jerusalem was overwhelmingly Jewish. It's the site of the Temple Mount, it's the capitol of Israel.

In reality, I found it to be dominated by Muslim people and culture. The governmental authority and much of the wealth is Jewish. There is a Christian presence, though much smaller and more insignificant than I'd imagined.

The Christians are fragmented among Catholics, Orthodox, Ethiopian, and the infinite stripes of Protestants.

Everybody has their own parts and pieces of the city. Every group has its own sacred sites and shrines.

What could ever bring unity?

Fire from heaven, that's about all I can think of. The spectacle of these many groups and peoples speaking one another's languages, as a gift from God.

It is the Tower of Babel in reverse. It is a vision of what is possible with the immediate, powerful presence of God at work in our lives.

What could the Holy Spirit do to unify our families, our churches, our towns?

Human beings, in our brokenness and sin, will always find ways to be divided. God is unified, and that's God's vision for his people. May it truly come to pass.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

Burial and Resurrection

Romans 8:12-17 (Message)

So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent.

There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all.

The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life.

It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?"

God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.

And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance!

We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!

A couple of weeks ago, I went for a long hike around the town of Waynesville, North Carolina.

I was attending an annual clergy retreat at nearby Lake Junaluska. We had the afternoon off, and I found a do-it-yourself walking tour around the beautiful old town.

Toward the end of the 6 mile journey, I read the instructions, "turn left at ____ street, and enter through the main gates of Green Hill Cemetery."

Seriously? I wasn't expecting that.

What I found was pretty amazing. The historic Green Hill cemetery is filled to capacity and has been for some time. It rests on one of the highest points around the mountainous area of Waynesville. From the crest of the tallest hill, you could see the old town spread out below.

In the distance, in all directions, beautiful trees, sky and mountains filled the view. I was surrounded by a huge crowd of silent witnesses to the beauty God has made.

I was struck to see family after family, memorialized in granite. I read the story of Waynesville's founders, and confederate battle flags decorated the graves of scores of southern soldiers who died in the civil war.

But even in that beautiful, quiet place, I could hear the sounds of cars and trucks. The hustle and bustle of the living was calling for me to join them.

And so is Romans 8. We are called to an experience of burial and resurrection, here and now.

"The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life."

I didn't stay in the cemetery. It was a nice place to visit...but there are things to do, places to go.

"What's next Papa?"

Grace & Peace,

Adam

Wonderful

Lectionary Readings for this week (where we're heading together on the SOTHblog each morning)

Acts 2:1-21
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b (UMH 826)
Romans 8:14-17
John 14:8-17 (25-27)

We'll start this morning with Psalm 104 (The Message)

What a wildly wonderful world, God!

You made it all, with Wisdom at your side,
made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.

Oh, look—the deep, wide sea,
brimming with fish past counting,
sardines and sharks and salmon.

Ships plow those waters,
and Leviathan, your pet dragon, romps in them.

All the creatures look expectantly to you
to give them their meals on time.
You come, and they gather around;
you open your hand and they eat from it.

If you turned your back,
they'd die in a minute—
Take back your Spirit and they die,
revert to original mud;
Send out your Spirit and they spring to life—
the whole countryside in bloom and blossom.

The glory of God—let it last forever!
Let God enjoy his creation!
He takes one look at earth and triggers an earthquake,
points a finger at the mountains, and volcanoes erupt.

Oh, let me sing to God all my life long,
sing hymns to my God as long as I live!

Oh, let my song please him;
I'm so pleased to be singing to God.

"He points a finger at the mountains and volcanoes erupt."

That's not really how it happens, is it?

We all learned in about 7th grade earth science (now I think they teach this in 3rd grade), that pressure builds up within a mountain because of geological forces and finally the lava explodes up into the air.

Don't get me wrong...I'm so thankful for science. It's saved my life many times. Virtually everything that I'll do today has been made easier, safer, and much more comfortable because of the scientific method and what human beings have been able to learn and achieve.

But there is a problem.

We may have lost our sense of wonder...and place.

Anybody out there have teenage kids?

I bet you know how smart they DON'T think you are.

They've managed to do a few things, to learn a few more new things...and then make the critical mistake of thinking they've got it all figured out. That, in fact, they know more than their parents.

I did it. You did it. We all did it. Of course, we were wrong.

I wonder if it's possible that humanity at this moment has a similar relationship to God?

Walk outside and take it all in. Find a tree, somewhere, and just really look at it. Study it closely. Understand all the processes that are at work in that tree, at that very moment.

We can describe the process of photosynthesis, but we can't really replicate it. We can manage the growth and hybridization of trees, but only God can make one.

We don't cause the sun to shine. Without rain, we know how difficult life can become.

Thousands of years after Psalm 104 was written...it's absolutely true: "if you turned your back, we'd die in a minute."

Folks, that means that today really is a gift.

"All the creatures look expectantly to you
to give them their meals on time.
You come, and they gather around;
you open your hand and they eat from it."

Amen.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

This vid is absolutely one of my favorites...what a great hymn of the church, and a brilliant example of how old and new can come together in a powerful way.

Unity

John 17:20-26 (The Message)

This is Jesus' prayer for the unity of his believers in John 17. As we do the work of being a church together, what would happen if we stopped and recited this prayer together, whenever we encounter difficulty or conflict?

This might be the ultimate conflict buster. Let's don't leave it on the shelf to collect dust when it can live and breathe and give us life.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

I'm praying not only for them
But also for those who will believe in me
Because of them and their witness about me.

The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—
Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
So they might be one heart and mind with us.

Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.

The same glory you gave me, I gave them,
So they'll be as unified and together as we are—
I in them and you in me.

Then they'll be mature in this oneness,
And give the godless world evidence
That you've sent me and loved them
In the same way you've loved me.

Father, I want those you gave me
To be with me, right where I am,
So they can see my glory, the splendor you gave me,

Having loved me
Long before there ever was a world.

Righteous Father, the world has never known you,
But I have known you, and these disciples know
That you sent me on this mission.

I have made your very being known to them—
Who you are and what you do—

And continue to make it known,
So that your love for me
Might be in them

Exactly as I am in them.

-- Jesus

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. Where charity and love are, God is there.

The Case for Christ

A very interesting film...Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ." Well worth the hour and eighteen minute time investment. Watch it when you have a chance to sit with it and think along with it...pretty good stuff, particularly the interviews with NT Wright.

Tomorrow -- we'll finish up the week with the passage from John 17 and I'll talk a bit about what's on tap for Sunday.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

Soon

From Revelation 22 (The Message)

"Yes, I'm on my way! I'll be there soon!

I'm bringing my payroll with me.

I'll pay all people in full for their life's work. I'm A to Z, the First and the Final, Beginning and Conclusion.

How blessed are those who wash their robes! The Tree of Life is theirs for good, and they'll walk through the gates to the City.

"I, Jesus, sent my Angel to testify to these things for the churches.

I'm the Root and Branch of David, the Bright Morning Star."

"Come!" say the Spirit and the Bride.
Whoever hears, echo, "Come!"
Is anyone thirsty? Come!
All who will, come and drink,
Drink freely of the Water of Life!

He who testifies to all these things says it again: "I'm on my way! I'll be there soon!"

Yes! Come, Master Jesus!

The grace of the Master Jesus be with all of you. Oh, Yes!

Can you remember a time when someone met a need for you? When have you been in need...a need that you could not meet for yourself?

How did it feel to experience that "grace?"

After all, when we receive a gift, and find that our needs are met when we didn't know how they would be, that's the very definition of grace.

And it's the nature of God towards his people.

This closing chapter of Revelation reminds us of the end of the story.

The apostle John was in his old age, exiled to the work colony of Patmos. He was powerless, and surrounded by powerless people who were being punished for their faith in Jesus.

John's revelation, in a nutshell?

It will all be worth it.

He hears the voice of Jesus: "I'm on my way, I'll be there soon. All who will, come and drink freely of the water of life!"

John actually knew that voice from his earlier life. He spent time with this man from Galilee who was the Messiah. He knew his voice, and heard it again in his heavenly vision.

How exciting would this have been for John? Can it be exciting for us to hear these words?

If you are tired...there is hope. There is one who is the beginning and the end, and he will take care of us all.

That's the good news that gives peace.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

For today, a glimpse into how pop rock envisions the end and what comes next:

Poking a little fun at ourselves...

My good friend Rev. Scott Parrish gets credit for finding this one...we shall not take ourselves too seriously...

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

THEO-logy, May 11, 2010

I dont think it is by accident that I read this particular sermon of my great-grandfather's today so close on the heels of the post on involved versus committed from earlier this week. He encapsulated this sermon in a single line near the end:

We cherish the last drops of these men's blood (here referring to the old saints, missionaries, martyrs, and reformers - including Jesus) but are careful not to shed a drop of our own.

We read of countless sacrifices made on behalf of or in the name of our God in the Bible:

• Abraham was called not only to leave his home but also to sacrifice his only son (Genesis 12:1-5 and Genesis 22:1-19 respectively)
• The disciples were told to leave everything they own...including their families (Luke 9:3, 59-62)
• Jesus gave all that He was (Do I really need to cite Scripture here...?)

When we read or are reminded of these sacrifices we're are awed by the willingness of those who gave everything; we rejoice in their obedience. We idolize them. But sometimes that's as far as it goes.

We cherish the last drops of these men's blood, but are careful not to shed a drop of our own.

How crazy is it that we are sometimes more willing to hear and apply morals and teachings of stories like "The Ant and the Grasshopper" or even "The Tortoise and the Hare" before we apply the lessons held within the pages of the very book we base our beliefs on?

Im definitely not preaching at you from on high, either. I am very withholding when it comes to God; more often than I care to admit. But as a wise man once said: "Knowing is half the battle." The other half? Taking what we've learned from the realm of theory into the realm of practice and application.

What will that look like in your life?