Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3, 4 NIV)
I was in the fourth grade when I my family moved from Canada to South Florida. It was definitely a culture shock! It was also in the middle of the school year, so I had no time to adjust before being thrust in the midst of my new peers. It was difficult. I talked differentlly and had trouble understanding their accents. They laughed at me for standing at my desk whenever I was called on to speak in class. They played different games on the playgound.
For someone who just wanted to blend in, I stuck out like a sore thumb. Thank heaven for Tammy. Instead of being afraid of me for being different, she was curious. She walked home from school with me and asked me all kinds of questions. She sat beside me at lunch. She explained processes and rules as they came up. She helped me enter into the games and groups on the playgound.
As adults, we still often fear those who are different and sometimes even label them as outcasts. And when they enter our churches, it can even create conflict. The best thing to do when someone we perceive as different comes into our church is to take them under our wing. Be curious. Ask them about themselves. Take them to lunch after worship. Explain worship (especially if they don't come from a liturgical background!). Invite them into ministries and groups.
People usually seek out others like themselves. It's not always the best thing to do, but we are comfortable that way, and we like comfort. But sometimes circumstances thrust us into group of very different folks. When someone different comes your way, whether in church or work or your neighborhood, try to remember a time when you felt different and someone mad you feel more welcome... and do the same.
Father,
You have made us all so different, and yet we are so much the same in our desire to be accepted and loved. Help us to be accepting and loving in the same way we would want to be accepted and loved. Amen.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Sunshine
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)
One of my favorite things to do at the beach is to gather seashells. I have tons of them at home in pretty glass vases and bowls, displaying the prettiest and most unique. The type of shells I find often depends upon what beach I am visiting or what time of year I happen to be there. Richard has found some of our best shells, star fish and sand dollars by trekking out to more deserted areas or - in his National Guard days - by being among the first to arrive after a hurricane.
I usually do my seashell hunting in the early morning sunshine. When the sun shines down on the wet shells just washed up by the surf, they all look so beautiful! They look like little jewels in the sand. I tend to pick up so many and bring them all back inside, where the sun is no longer shining on them and I see them for what they are. Nice, maybe... but not unique and certainly no different from all the ones I already have at home. Without the light shining on them, they are no longer jewels of the sea, but just your ordinary seashell.
God's light works the same way on us. With His light, we become more than what we are without it. We become more beautiful. More valuable. More.....everything. And when we let that light shine on others, we do the same for them. It is so easy to get swept up into this wonderful light.
Unfortunately, it is also easy to live with clouds over us, never letting the sunshine through. And that is contagious as well. When we share negativity, the world around us becomes a negative place and it seems like the sunshine will never appear again.
It's up to each of us each day to shine. Connect with the Source of all light each morning and carry it out to the world each day. Oh, the jewels we will find!
Father,
Help us to be and reflect you light each and every day. When the clouds threaten to overcome us, help us to reach through them to your constant, ever-shining light. Amen.
One of my favorite things to do at the beach is to gather seashells. I have tons of them at home in pretty glass vases and bowls, displaying the prettiest and most unique. The type of shells I find often depends upon what beach I am visiting or what time of year I happen to be there. Richard has found some of our best shells, star fish and sand dollars by trekking out to more deserted areas or - in his National Guard days - by being among the first to arrive after a hurricane.
I usually do my seashell hunting in the early morning sunshine. When the sun shines down on the wet shells just washed up by the surf, they all look so beautiful! They look like little jewels in the sand. I tend to pick up so many and bring them all back inside, where the sun is no longer shining on them and I see them for what they are. Nice, maybe... but not unique and certainly no different from all the ones I already have at home. Without the light shining on them, they are no longer jewels of the sea, but just your ordinary seashell.
God's light works the same way on us. With His light, we become more than what we are without it. We become more beautiful. More valuable. More.....everything. And when we let that light shine on others, we do the same for them. It is so easy to get swept up into this wonderful light.
Unfortunately, it is also easy to live with clouds over us, never letting the sunshine through. And that is contagious as well. When we share negativity, the world around us becomes a negative place and it seems like the sunshine will never appear again.
It's up to each of us each day to shine. Connect with the Source of all light each morning and carry it out to the world each day. Oh, the jewels we will find!
Father,
Help us to be and reflect you light each and every day. When the clouds threaten to overcome us, help us to reach through them to your constant, ever-shining light. Amen.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Authentic Love
This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:17 NIV)
How would you feel if your spouse told you that they love you because they HAVE TO? What if your parents said, "God said I must love my children, and that is why I love you." What if your children only "honored" you because it is in the Ten Commandments? It just wouldn't feel like the real thing, would it?
And yet Christians go around all the time saying, "Well, being a Christian, I HAVE to love even him." Or ... "I should hate the sin, but love the sinner." I think that is just another way of saying I HAVE to love someone I don't really want to love. It's like trying to legislate morality... it can't be done.
Authentic Christian love, like morality cannot be instilled in us through law... God's or man's. This love we are SUPPOSED to feel for everyone can only be transformed into authentic love through the transformation that comes to all of those who daily live as Christ's disciples. It comes through daily prayer, worship, study and action. We cannot have authentic Christian love in our hearts simply by attending church once a week.
It is the "supposed to love" Christians that are labeled "judgmental" and "hypocritical." It is the "authentic love" Christians that turn the world upside down and truly win people to Christ. If we only had more "authentic love" Christians! Think of what the world might be today! Think of the problems that could be solved in this very scary economy! Think of how the world might begin to view Christianity!... not as hypocritical, self-righteous judges, but as the hands, feet and lips of a loving Savior.
Don't HAVE to love your neighbor... LOVE your neighbor. Not with feelings, but with action.
Lord Jesus,
You don't love us because you HAVE to, you love us because you just do... with everything you are. Help us to love you and one another with that kind of pure, authentic love. Amen.
How would you feel if your spouse told you that they love you because they HAVE TO? What if your parents said, "God said I must love my children, and that is why I love you." What if your children only "honored" you because it is in the Ten Commandments? It just wouldn't feel like the real thing, would it?
And yet Christians go around all the time saying, "Well, being a Christian, I HAVE to love even him." Or ... "I should hate the sin, but love the sinner." I think that is just another way of saying I HAVE to love someone I don't really want to love. It's like trying to legislate morality... it can't be done.
Authentic Christian love, like morality cannot be instilled in us through law... God's or man's. This love we are SUPPOSED to feel for everyone can only be transformed into authentic love through the transformation that comes to all of those who daily live as Christ's disciples. It comes through daily prayer, worship, study and action. We cannot have authentic Christian love in our hearts simply by attending church once a week.
It is the "supposed to love" Christians that are labeled "judgmental" and "hypocritical." It is the "authentic love" Christians that turn the world upside down and truly win people to Christ. If we only had more "authentic love" Christians! Think of what the world might be today! Think of the problems that could be solved in this very scary economy! Think of how the world might begin to view Christianity!... not as hypocritical, self-righteous judges, but as the hands, feet and lips of a loving Savior.
Don't HAVE to love your neighbor... LOVE your neighbor. Not with feelings, but with action.
Lord Jesus,
You don't love us because you HAVE to, you love us because you just do... with everything you are. Help us to love you and one another with that kind of pure, authentic love. Amen.
Monday, February 24, 2014
The Call
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength. -Ephesians 1:17-19
When the Holy Spirit calls us, it is an entirely different feeling from simply wanting to do something. In fact, often we DON'T want to do what we are being called to do, but the idea simply will not go away.
Some of the things the Holy Spirit has called me to:
A call doesn't necessarily mean you are supposed to do that thing for the rest of your life. On the contrary... many times a call is just for a season or for a particular purpose God has in mind. We can tell when a call is over when the feeling changes. Suddenly we find we are doing the work on our own and it is just not bearing the fruit it did when God was surely working through us. Many times we keep trying to continue to do it on our own and become frustrated with the sudden lack of inspiration for something that once came so easily. Maybe we want to recapture that wonderful feeling of God working through us. Or maybe we want to live up to the expectations of others. Whatever the reason we try to continue, it is better to accept the fact that God has finished that work and wait for our new call.
In what ways has the Holy Spirit called you over the years? Are you still holding on to old calls? If you are, you might be missing something new and exciting. Pay attention to the nudgings of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit,
Thank you for your guidance and call over the years. Help me to stay tuned in to how you want to work through me that I may bless others and be blessed. Amen.
When the Holy Spirit calls us, it is an entirely different feeling from simply wanting to do something. In fact, often we DON'T want to do what we are being called to do, but the idea simply will not go away.
Some of the things the Holy Spirit has called me to:
- attending Holy Cross for the first time
- teaching Sunday school
- chairing the Christian Education committee and heading up VBS for several years
- attending Via de Cristo
- writing skits for clown ministry
- working at Holy Cross
- writing these devotions
A call doesn't necessarily mean you are supposed to do that thing for the rest of your life. On the contrary... many times a call is just for a season or for a particular purpose God has in mind. We can tell when a call is over when the feeling changes. Suddenly we find we are doing the work on our own and it is just not bearing the fruit it did when God was surely working through us. Many times we keep trying to continue to do it on our own and become frustrated with the sudden lack of inspiration for something that once came so easily. Maybe we want to recapture that wonderful feeling of God working through us. Or maybe we want to live up to the expectations of others. Whatever the reason we try to continue, it is better to accept the fact that God has finished that work and wait for our new call.
In what ways has the Holy Spirit called you over the years? Are you still holding on to old calls? If you are, you might be missing something new and exciting. Pay attention to the nudgings of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit,
Thank you for your guidance and call over the years. Help me to stay tuned in to how you want to work through me that I may bless others and be blessed. Amen.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
One-Upping
Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? (1 Corinthians 5:6 NIV)
Have you ever known anyone who always had to "one up" everyone else? If you talked about the fish you caught, he caught a bigger one. If you talked about being in labor for 20 hours, she was in labor for 40. If you pulled a 4.0 GPA in college.. Well... He'll tell you he tested out of college and they just gave him a degree. We all know someone like this... And perhaps we are even like this ourselves from time to time.
The thing is, when we are one-upped in our stories, we are rarely impressed with that person. We are only annoyed. They stole our thunder. They made our accomplishment look small. They tried to make themselves look good, but only succeeded in making themselves look petty. So why do we ever do that?
We crave recognition. We want people to admire us. But bragging always backfires. No one admires a braggart. And the only recognition the habitual braggart gets is eye rolls as she approaches a group in conversation.
Paradoxically, the way to win admiration is by being humble. When we live our lives the way we should, people are naturally drawn to us and even want to imitate us. That is what being yeast is all about. Instead of trying to be better than someone else, we merely do our OWN best and encourage others to be their best. Sometimes we will get the biggest fish and sometimes someone else will. But the point is, the fish are being caught and we should be happy for every person's success, big or small.
We're all in this life together and working together we make much better yeast than when we try to get all the recognition for ourselves.
Father,
Help us to remain humble...and silent...even when we have a "better" story. Help us to take more joy in recognizing others rather than craving recognition for ourselves. Amen.
Have you ever known anyone who always had to "one up" everyone else? If you talked about the fish you caught, he caught a bigger one. If you talked about being in labor for 20 hours, she was in labor for 40. If you pulled a 4.0 GPA in college.. Well... He'll tell you he tested out of college and they just gave him a degree. We all know someone like this... And perhaps we are even like this ourselves from time to time.
The thing is, when we are one-upped in our stories, we are rarely impressed with that person. We are only annoyed. They stole our thunder. They made our accomplishment look small. They tried to make themselves look good, but only succeeded in making themselves look petty. So why do we ever do that?
We crave recognition. We want people to admire us. But bragging always backfires. No one admires a braggart. And the only recognition the habitual braggart gets is eye rolls as she approaches a group in conversation.
Paradoxically, the way to win admiration is by being humble. When we live our lives the way we should, people are naturally drawn to us and even want to imitate us. That is what being yeast is all about. Instead of trying to be better than someone else, we merely do our OWN best and encourage others to be their best. Sometimes we will get the biggest fish and sometimes someone else will. But the point is, the fish are being caught and we should be happy for every person's success, big or small.
We're all in this life together and working together we make much better yeast than when we try to get all the recognition for ourselves.
Father,
Help us to remain humble...and silent...even when we have a "better" story. Help us to take more joy in recognizing others rather than craving recognition for ourselves. Amen.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Improve the World
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. (Romans 7:15 NIV)
The writer E.B. White once commented, "I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." I'm sure this is a struggle all of us have to one extent or another. Even Paul talks about the trouble this phenomena gives him when he says,"I don't do what I want, but I do what I hate."
Now most of us will not have holidays named after us for improving the world in any significant ways, and human nature will always be after us to please ourselves rather than others. But with each decision we make during the course of each day we have a choice of improving the world or simply enjoying the world.
It is the choice we make between serving a home-cooked meal at a homeless shelter or going out to eat...again. It is the choice between giving your spare change to the Christian Ministry collection at the supermarket or tossing it in your own overflowing change jar at home. It is a choice between taking offense or letting it go... Holding a grudge or forgiving. It is the choice between wearing a scowl all day or smiling at each person you encounter.
Improving the world doesn't always mean solving world hunger or balancing the national budget. If everyone always made the decision to improve the world in the these smaller ways, the bigger problems would practically take care of themselves. The wonderful paradox God offers is that when we decide to improve the world rather than enjoy the world, we actually enjoy the world a whole lot more than we would have.
Father,
Guide us in every choice we make today. Amen.
The writer E.B. White once commented, "I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." I'm sure this is a struggle all of us have to one extent or another. Even Paul talks about the trouble this phenomena gives him when he says,"I don't do what I want, but I do what I hate."
Now most of us will not have holidays named after us for improving the world in any significant ways, and human nature will always be after us to please ourselves rather than others. But with each decision we make during the course of each day we have a choice of improving the world or simply enjoying the world.
It is the choice we make between serving a home-cooked meal at a homeless shelter or going out to eat...again. It is the choice between giving your spare change to the Christian Ministry collection at the supermarket or tossing it in your own overflowing change jar at home. It is a choice between taking offense or letting it go... Holding a grudge or forgiving. It is the choice between wearing a scowl all day or smiling at each person you encounter.
Improving the world doesn't always mean solving world hunger or balancing the national budget. If everyone always made the decision to improve the world in the these smaller ways, the bigger problems would practically take care of themselves. The wonderful paradox God offers is that when we decide to improve the world rather than enjoy the world, we actually enjoy the world a whole lot more than we would have.
Father,
Guide us in every choice we make today. Amen.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Thou Shall
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17 NIV)
I find the commandment to not covet to be the hardest commandment to keep. This one is not a commandment about behavior and action, but about attitude and intention. I don't find it difficult to refrain from killing... or even the less obvious meaning of the commandment - killing someone's spirit. But I do find it difficult to refrain from feeling envy over another's ability to sing well or play an instrument. I find it difficult to refrain from envy over another's ability to manage money well or keep healthy habits. And I sometimes even find it difficult to refrain from envy over some else's car or home or clothes or vacations.
There is always someone who has talents or gifts or wealth that we don't... and that we wish we did. So how do we refrain from envy? How can we change how we feel? I wonder if the commandments shouldn't have been made into a list of "Thou Shalls" instead of "Thou Shall Nots."
Instead of "Thou shall not murder," what if it was, "Thou shall seek to make the lives of all others worth living." Instead of "Thou shall not commit adultry," what if it was, "Thou shall seek always to bring the greatest joy to your spouse." And then instead of "You shall not covet," it was "You shall count your talents, gifts and material goods and give thanks for them every day."
True gratitude sends envy running. When we are focused on the incredible abundance of what we have, we have no room to wish for what others have. Gratitude is the safeguard against covetness. Count your blessings today and every day.
Father,
You have given me more than I could count in a lifetime. Thank you. Amen.
I find the commandment to not covet to be the hardest commandment to keep. This one is not a commandment about behavior and action, but about attitude and intention. I don't find it difficult to refrain from killing... or even the less obvious meaning of the commandment - killing someone's spirit. But I do find it difficult to refrain from feeling envy over another's ability to sing well or play an instrument. I find it difficult to refrain from envy over another's ability to manage money well or keep healthy habits. And I sometimes even find it difficult to refrain from envy over some else's car or home or clothes or vacations.
There is always someone who has talents or gifts or wealth that we don't... and that we wish we did. So how do we refrain from envy? How can we change how we feel? I wonder if the commandments shouldn't have been made into a list of "Thou Shalls" instead of "Thou Shall Nots."
Instead of "Thou shall not murder," what if it was, "Thou shall seek to make the lives of all others worth living." Instead of "Thou shall not commit adultry," what if it was, "Thou shall seek always to bring the greatest joy to your spouse." And then instead of "You shall not covet," it was "You shall count your talents, gifts and material goods and give thanks for them every day."
True gratitude sends envy running. When we are focused on the incredible abundance of what we have, we have no room to wish for what others have. Gratitude is the safeguard against covetness. Count your blessings today and every day.
Father,
You have given me more than I could count in a lifetime. Thank you. Amen.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
The Joy of Skipping
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox. (Psalm 29:5, 6 NIV)
Have you ever been part of a cardio class? It usually looks a lot more fun than it feels! You can tell just by watching the participants. They may be dancing, but their expressions don't look as joyful as their movements. Their expressions are often downright grim.
I once (a LONG time ago) participated in a class that had us all wearing those same grim looks through all the dancing and hopping and running in place. But then the instructor had us skip in a big circle around the room! Did you ever try to NOT smile while you skip? There is a childlike joy in the very action! Most of us were grinning from ear to ear, but amazingly, there were still some who managed to scowl through it.
It kind of reminds me of communion. What could be more joyful than being in the very presence of Christ? And yet mostly I see grim faces. I understand there is a certain amount of solemnity in the occasion. It took the crucifixion to provide this Body and Blood, and our sin makes it necessary. But... the act of taking communion unites us with Christ and forgives our sin... so JOY! JOY! JOY!
So maybe we will never all take communion sporting ear-to-ear grins. But let's at least work on getting rid of the scowl. Or maybe we can talk Pastor Chad into having us all skip up to the altar!
Lord Jesus,
Help us to feel the joy of Your Meal when we partake. Amen.
Have you ever been part of a cardio class? It usually looks a lot more fun than it feels! You can tell just by watching the participants. They may be dancing, but their expressions don't look as joyful as their movements. Their expressions are often downright grim.
I once (a LONG time ago) participated in a class that had us all wearing those same grim looks through all the dancing and hopping and running in place. But then the instructor had us skip in a big circle around the room! Did you ever try to NOT smile while you skip? There is a childlike joy in the very action! Most of us were grinning from ear to ear, but amazingly, there were still some who managed to scowl through it.
It kind of reminds me of communion. What could be more joyful than being in the very presence of Christ? And yet mostly I see grim faces. I understand there is a certain amount of solemnity in the occasion. It took the crucifixion to provide this Body and Blood, and our sin makes it necessary. But... the act of taking communion unites us with Christ and forgives our sin... so JOY! JOY! JOY!
So maybe we will never all take communion sporting ear-to-ear grins. But let's at least work on getting rid of the scowl. Or maybe we can talk Pastor Chad into having us all skip up to the altar!
Lord Jesus,
Help us to feel the joy of Your Meal when we partake. Amen.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Making Choices
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him. -Deuteronomy 30:19-20a
Every day we make hundreds, if not thousands, of choices. From them moment we choose whether to hit the snooze alarm or just get up, until the the choice of one more chapter or put the book down and sleep, we make choice after choice after choice....
What to wear; what to eat; gas up now or after work; let the driver into your crowded lane or pretend you don't see his blinker; listen to the gossip or walk away; accept the criticism or argue your side; bless your lunch or just eat... and the list goes on and on and on.
Our choices say a lot about who we are. And most of our choices can boil down to whether or not we are choosing to be that "salt" and "light" we've been hearing about in church lately. So maybe God doesn't care about whether we wear the blue shirt or the green shirt today and I don't think God would want us to obsess about each and every little choice. Hopefully our love for God and for one another will make our choices to be salt and light come quite naturally.
But sometimes we do need to just stop and think. Too often we let our own needs and wants get in the way. We're late or work, so we don't take the time to be courteous to other drivers. We participate in gossip to feel a little superior for a while. And if we did just stop and think... most of us would choose better.
Stop and think today... life or death... blessings or curses... salt and light or rude and thoughtless?
Holy God,
Help us to choose wisely, that the we spend our days may giv us life in you. Amen.
Every day we make hundreds, if not thousands, of choices. From them moment we choose whether to hit the snooze alarm or just get up, until the the choice of one more chapter or put the book down and sleep, we make choice after choice after choice....
What to wear; what to eat; gas up now or after work; let the driver into your crowded lane or pretend you don't see his blinker; listen to the gossip or walk away; accept the criticism or argue your side; bless your lunch or just eat... and the list goes on and on and on.
Our choices say a lot about who we are. And most of our choices can boil down to whether or not we are choosing to be that "salt" and "light" we've been hearing about in church lately. So maybe God doesn't care about whether we wear the blue shirt or the green shirt today and I don't think God would want us to obsess about each and every little choice. Hopefully our love for God and for one another will make our choices to be salt and light come quite naturally.
But sometimes we do need to just stop and think. Too often we let our own needs and wants get in the way. We're late or work, so we don't take the time to be courteous to other drivers. We participate in gossip to feel a little superior for a while. And if we did just stop and think... most of us would choose better.
Stop and think today... life or death... blessings or curses... salt and light or rude and thoughtless?
Holy God,
Help us to choose wisely, that the we spend our days may giv us life in you. Amen.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Let It Shine
"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)
In our moments of prayer, devotions or worship we are all for being "the light of the world." But as soon as we get up off our knees or leave the sanctuary, we forget to take that light with us... That light we just agreed to share with the world... That light that reflects the love of Christ... That light of which no darkness can penetrate. We leave it there and don't even think of it again until we are next on our knees.
We carry our credit cards, debit cards, money and customer bonus cards wherever we go. We are reminded every minute of every day that we are consumers and we are programmed to buy, buy, buy. What if we were equally attached to a candle to remind us that we are to bring the light of Christ into the world?
If I have my candle with me, I wonder how much more patience I would have with others. I wonder if I would be as quick to pass up someone I know is in need. I wonder if I wouldn't be a bit kinder, a bit more loving and more ready to pass on a little more grace.
At Holy Cross we are encouraged to use little star stickers in various places to remind us to pray throughout the day. Perhaps we can find something that will remind us to shine our light throughout the day as well.
Lord Jesus,
Help us to remember to shine, even after we've said amen. Amen.
In our moments of prayer, devotions or worship we are all for being "the light of the world." But as soon as we get up off our knees or leave the sanctuary, we forget to take that light with us... That light we just agreed to share with the world... That light that reflects the love of Christ... That light of which no darkness can penetrate. We leave it there and don't even think of it again until we are next on our knees.
We carry our credit cards, debit cards, money and customer bonus cards wherever we go. We are reminded every minute of every day that we are consumers and we are programmed to buy, buy, buy. What if we were equally attached to a candle to remind us that we are to bring the light of Christ into the world?
If I have my candle with me, I wonder how much more patience I would have with others. I wonder if I would be as quick to pass up someone I know is in need. I wonder if I wouldn't be a bit kinder, a bit more loving and more ready to pass on a little more grace.
At Holy Cross we are encouraged to use little star stickers in various places to remind us to pray throughout the day. Perhaps we can find something that will remind us to shine our light throughout the day as well.
Lord Jesus,
Help us to remember to shine, even after we've said amen. Amen.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Sharing the Experience
Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
"Come and see," said Philip. (John 1:45, 46 NIV)
I love Nathaniel's response to Phillip: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" It's the type of response I feel from people I know who don't "do" religion. They don't usually say it, but I can see it in there body language... "Can anything good come out of religion?" Some have been hurt by the church. Some have been turned off by the in-fighting. Some just see it as a waste of a perfectly good weekend morning.
Philip told Nathaniel who Jesus was, but it wasn't until Nathaniel experienced Jesus himself that he was won over. That is our challenge. We can talk about Jesus until we are blue in the face... That will not convince anybody. We need to help people experience Christ for themselves. We do that by drawing them into our own experiences.
If you only experience Christ at church, you will have a hard time drawing non-church goers into your experience. Once you have Christ at the very center of your own life, then you are in a position to allow others to experience him through you.
Lord Jesus,
May our lives reflect you, so that others may see. Amen.
"Come and see," said Philip. (John 1:45, 46 NIV)
I love Nathaniel's response to Phillip: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" It's the type of response I feel from people I know who don't "do" religion. They don't usually say it, but I can see it in there body language... "Can anything good come out of religion?" Some have been hurt by the church. Some have been turned off by the in-fighting. Some just see it as a waste of a perfectly good weekend morning.
Philip told Nathaniel who Jesus was, but it wasn't until Nathaniel experienced Jesus himself that he was won over. That is our challenge. We can talk about Jesus until we are blue in the face... That will not convince anybody. We need to help people experience Christ for themselves. We do that by drawing them into our own experiences.
If you only experience Christ at church, you will have a hard time drawing non-church goers into your experience. Once you have Christ at the very center of your own life, then you are in a position to allow others to experience him through you.
Lord Jesus,
May our lives reflect you, so that others may see. Amen.
Monday, February 3, 2014
The Ocean and the Map
Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. (Deuteronomy 7:21 NIV)
When I first moved to North Carolina with my husband in 1985, one of the first questions I was often asked upon meeting someone new was, "Where do you go to church?" Not so much anymore. And that is probably because it is no longer assumed that everyone is a member of a church... and that is probably because fewer and fewer people are church members. But I don't think that necessarily means we have more and more unbelievers.
C.S. Lewis tells about a time when after he gave a talk to a group of military, an old army sergeant said, "I’ve no use for all that stuff. But, mind you, I’m a religious man too. I know there’s a God. I’ve felt Him: out alone in the desert at night: the tremendous mystery. And that’s just why I don’t believe all your neat little dogmas and formulas about Him. To anyone who’s met the real thing they all seem so petty and pedantic and unreal!" Once we have truly experienced God's presence, we know he is so much bigger than any of those boxes in which we try to put him. And I think that is what the "spiritual, but not religious" folks are trying to tell us.
But Lewis puts it all into perspective by comparing it to our experience of the ocean. A map of the Atlantic just doesn't do it the way standing on the shore with our feet in the surf does. The experience really makes us feel the greatness and majesty and power of the ocean. A map is just... paper. BUT, the map is the result of hundreds of thousands of acutal experiences of the ocean that come together to share that accumulation of experiences with others. If you are content to walk on your own beach, well then that will be more fun than looking at a map. But if you ever want to get to Europe or Africa, you are going to need the map.
If our churches are so stuck in dogmas and creeds (the experiences of others) that we are not experiencing God for ourselves, then maybe we need to set our maps down for a while and let God guide us. We need the unity of the church with all the shared experiences of the saints, past and present to help us grow; but we also need to experience the tremendous mystery of God, for that is the whole point of it, isn't it? We need to experience that he is so much bigger than our boxes and our rules and our creeds. If our churches could be the map AND the actual ocean, maybe people will start asking again, "Where do you go to church?"
Amazing and Mysterious God,
Help us to put down our "maps" and experience you for real. Amen.
When I first moved to North Carolina with my husband in 1985, one of the first questions I was often asked upon meeting someone new was, "Where do you go to church?" Not so much anymore. And that is probably because it is no longer assumed that everyone is a member of a church... and that is probably because fewer and fewer people are church members. But I don't think that necessarily means we have more and more unbelievers.
C.S. Lewis tells about a time when after he gave a talk to a group of military, an old army sergeant said, "I’ve no use for all that stuff. But, mind you, I’m a religious man too. I know there’s a God. I’ve felt Him: out alone in the desert at night: the tremendous mystery. And that’s just why I don’t believe all your neat little dogmas and formulas about Him. To anyone who’s met the real thing they all seem so petty and pedantic and unreal!" Once we have truly experienced God's presence, we know he is so much bigger than any of those boxes in which we try to put him. And I think that is what the "spiritual, but not religious" folks are trying to tell us.
But Lewis puts it all into perspective by comparing it to our experience of the ocean. A map of the Atlantic just doesn't do it the way standing on the shore with our feet in the surf does. The experience really makes us feel the greatness and majesty and power of the ocean. A map is just... paper. BUT, the map is the result of hundreds of thousands of acutal experiences of the ocean that come together to share that accumulation of experiences with others. If you are content to walk on your own beach, well then that will be more fun than looking at a map. But if you ever want to get to Europe or Africa, you are going to need the map.
If our churches are so stuck in dogmas and creeds (the experiences of others) that we are not experiencing God for ourselves, then maybe we need to set our maps down for a while and let God guide us. We need the unity of the church with all the shared experiences of the saints, past and present to help us grow; but we also need to experience the tremendous mystery of God, for that is the whole point of it, isn't it? We need to experience that he is so much bigger than our boxes and our rules and our creeds. If our churches could be the map AND the actual ocean, maybe people will start asking again, "Where do you go to church?"
Amazing and Mysterious God,
Help us to put down our "maps" and experience you for real. Amen.
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