Last Wednesday, I was talking with someone and reminded of one the truths from the Bible that has been an on going point of reference. Galatians 1:10 says, "Am I now trying to win the approval of people or of God? Or am I still trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."
I don't know about you but regularly I must determine the who? Who am I going to try to please?
I believe that a large majority in our culture would answer, "You can't please everybody so you might as well please yourself." Our culture has managed to make selfishness sound positive as it encourages us to go after our heart, which is largely just an excuse for self-indulgence, but putting it in terms of "heart" makes it sound so much more pure.
Of course, for others the who question is not at all self-liberating. Some of us are so ridden with the need to win the approval of others that we have long since lost sight of what is our responsibility and what is that of others. So, we spend our lives still trying to keep everybody happy as if we will one day have the title of the first person who managed to do this impossible task. Think about it...even Jesus couldn't make everyone happy...of course, then again, Jesus was never interested in making people happy.
So, who will it be for you and me? Will we chase after the cultural deception of making ourselves the who we are to please or will we fall into the trap of making the who other people that we try to please in order to try to have some empty spot in ourselves fulfilled?
Galatians 1:10 presents another option. Actually, it seems that the truth God is giving us here is not an option but an ultimatum. Please God or please people...who is it going to be? Do I have to please myself even if what I want is contrary to what God wants? Then I am not serving God no matter what I do on Sunday. Do I have to please others, then I am not a servant of God? Its not a condemnation...its a freedom... make God who I please and I find out what I really want and I am free to live for what is best irregardless of who else approves. Who is it going to be for you?
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
"Normal"
The doctor's office just called with the results from Anna's test last Friday. The results show that everything is "normal." I have never been so happy to hear "normal." We are so grateful! Praise God! Thank you for caring!
The last several days have been an incredible journey of receiving the "WITH" of God (see Sunday's service if that does not make sense at www.elivinghope.com). God allowed us to experience his peace before we knew the results. That does not say anything about us (we wrestle with fears and doubts just as much as anyone), but it does say a whole lot about our Father in heaven. God did not give us the answer before the doctor did. He did not tell us the results before the results were read. Rather as our fears were faced he asked us, "Do you trust me?" He gave us a choice...trust him or not trust him?
Everyday in the scares, struggles and circumstances of life we are faced with that question...do we trust Him? Will we receive his WITH during the time of uncertainty? Will we acknowledge him as the giver of all good things when the results are good? Will we continue to trust him when the results are not good? Its no easy question and no easy choice, but more than anything else Jesus wants us to live alive to his peace no matter what life does or does not bring. The question is will I invite him into the places of my greatest fears and biggest questions and before I receive any answers and before anything changes, will I trust him?
This was not the first time life has made me hear God's question, "Do you trust me?", loud and clear and it won't be the last, but I know this...I would rather live in the peace of his presence than locked up in fear. What about you?
See John 20:19-22.
The last several days have been an incredible journey of receiving the "WITH" of God (see Sunday's service if that does not make sense at www.elivinghope.com). God allowed us to experience his peace before we knew the results. That does not say anything about us (we wrestle with fears and doubts just as much as anyone), but it does say a whole lot about our Father in heaven. God did not give us the answer before the doctor did. He did not tell us the results before the results were read. Rather as our fears were faced he asked us, "Do you trust me?" He gave us a choice...trust him or not trust him?
Everyday in the scares, struggles and circumstances of life we are faced with that question...do we trust Him? Will we receive his WITH during the time of uncertainty? Will we acknowledge him as the giver of all good things when the results are good? Will we continue to trust him when the results are not good? Its no easy question and no easy choice, but more than anything else Jesus wants us to live alive to his peace no matter what life does or does not bring. The question is will I invite him into the places of my greatest fears and biggest questions and before I receive any answers and before anything changes, will I trust him?
This was not the first time life has made me hear God's question, "Do you trust me?", loud and clear and it won't be the last, but I know this...I would rather live in the peace of his presence than locked up in fear. What about you?
See John 20:19-22.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
"I Quit"
Welcome! It is good to have you; you, who live with me in the land of the Quit. In this land to quit is to live...to quit is to be free...to quit is to be happy...Here, in our most precious land, to quit is the door that opens whenever life becomes uncomfortable. All hail the powerful hope of the Quit!
To all you who are weary and burdened, just quit! Is your battle with addiction too hard? Just quit. Is your marriage too ugly? Just quit. Is your job a hassle? Just quit. Is it too hard to find a job? Just quit. Is your church less than perfect? Just quit. Is parenting more work than fun? Just quit. Is dealing with your diagnosis to overwhelming? Just quit. Do healthy relationships take too much time? Just quit. Is Following Jesus too costly? Just quit. Is becoming healthy in body, mind or spirit too tiring? Just quit. Is life itself too unfair? Just quit.
All hail the Quit! Just quit whatever is hard, not fun, uncomfortable...just quit. It is our way out. It is our escape. Its our choice. If you just quit, then you won't have to deal with it any more. Pay no attention to the fact that there will always be something else to deal with waiting for you on the other side of the door called quit. That's looking too far ahead. No, no, no...just quit! No one will judge you in the land of quit for quitting. It is completely acceptable here...its expected really...its even applauded...after all, our personal comfort and happiness is the reason the world goes 'round. So go ahead...stand tall...look your struggle in the eye and tell it, "I quit!"
But for those of you who dare to commit treason in the land of the quit...to you ridiculous few who look struggle in the eye and with fire in your eye, say, "I will never, never, never quit!" To you crazy few, I give you a promise that the those who take up residence in the land of quit will kill you if you repeat it. No, for your safety, in this land, I tell you, please do not repeat it. But there is nothing they can do to you, if you simply hear it, receive it, believe it and live it. Its what the Quit does not want you to know. For if you know this, then you will not need the quit. And if you no longer need the quit, then to you it means you will have received hope that looks beyond the present struggle, you will have seen the purpose in the struggle, you will have seen One who makes every struggle worth not quitting. Hear this, you radical rebels:
To all you who are weary and burdened, just quit! Is your battle with addiction too hard? Just quit. Is your marriage too ugly? Just quit. Is your job a hassle? Just quit. Is it too hard to find a job? Just quit. Is your church less than perfect? Just quit. Is parenting more work than fun? Just quit. Is dealing with your diagnosis to overwhelming? Just quit. Do healthy relationships take too much time? Just quit. Is Following Jesus too costly? Just quit. Is becoming healthy in body, mind or spirit too tiring? Just quit. Is life itself too unfair? Just quit.
All hail the Quit! Just quit whatever is hard, not fun, uncomfortable...just quit. It is our way out. It is our escape. Its our choice. If you just quit, then you won't have to deal with it any more. Pay no attention to the fact that there will always be something else to deal with waiting for you on the other side of the door called quit. That's looking too far ahead. No, no, no...just quit! No one will judge you in the land of quit for quitting. It is completely acceptable here...its expected really...its even applauded...after all, our personal comfort and happiness is the reason the world goes 'round. So go ahead...stand tall...look your struggle in the eye and tell it, "I quit!"
But for those of you who dare to commit treason in the land of the quit...to you ridiculous few who look struggle in the eye and with fire in your eye, say, "I will never, never, never quit!" To you crazy few, I give you a promise that the those who take up residence in the land of quit will kill you if you repeat it. No, for your safety, in this land, I tell you, please do not repeat it. But there is nothing they can do to you, if you simply hear it, receive it, believe it and live it. Its what the Quit does not want you to know. For if you know this, then you will not need the quit. And if you no longer need the quit, then to you it means you will have received hope that looks beyond the present struggle, you will have seen the purpose in the struggle, you will have seen One who makes every struggle worth not quitting. Hear this, you radical rebels:
7"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
13It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."b]">[b]With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
"Stop Swinging the Sword"
"Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus)." (John 18:10).
I have heard some preachers say that the reason Peter cut off Malchus' ear was because he was swinging for his head and missed. However, I would think it would be easier to cut off a head than an ear.
Actually, it would seem Peter was very deliberate in his action. In the first century slaves were identified by cutting off the lobe of the ear. Furthermore, Jews believed that if you were buried with part or all of your ear cut off that you would be doomed to be a slave in heaven. So, Peter picked out the high priest's servant to make a pretty strong statement. In essence he said, "Mess with us and you'll be nothing more than our slaves some day in the afterlife."
"That-a-boy, Peter...that will hit 'em where it hurts. These who use their faith to judge will get caught in their own judgement. Now one of their own will be a slave forever. If you can't win the war at least you can make a point!," I say. I completely relate to Peter's action and appreciate his style. After all, his action was justified. Jesus was innocent. Somebody ought to put up a fight. Somebody ought to say something...do something...he had every right to take a stand.
So, do we...right? "Don't take anybody's crap," we say. "Stand up for yourself!" "You've got your rights." Right?
Enter Jesus...He picks up the ear and places it back on the man. Thus saying, "Mess with me and I will still forgive you...I'll even heal you." The one who was innocent refused to demand his rights. No one took his life. He gave it up freely. And while they crucified him and hurled insults at him, "Father forgive them," was his come back.
I don't know about you, but I've got a lot to learn. I've learned to well how to stand up for myself and demand my rights. I know how to fight. I've got my comebacks and they sound nothing like, "Father forgive."
What if from now until Easter all of us committed to stop swinging the sword...to giving up our right to be right? What if for these next few days we chose the path of voluntary self-denial in honor of Jesus self-sacrifice? What could that look like? It could be as small as refusing to complain or even say a word if our food is prepared wrong at the restaurant or we could give up the close parking space and park far away to give someone else the spot. It could mean that we forgive a debt someone owes us and refuse to ever hold it against them again. It could mean a husband and wife call a truce for a few days and instead of trying to make the other see things from their perspective, they spend the next few days trying to see things from their spouses perspective. It could mean I give up my right to criticize, judge and look down upon. I don't know what it might look like for you, but I can imagine that if all of us spent the next few days giving up our right to be right that Jesus would be lifted up. We might just get a taste of what it is like to be so free in Christ to offer healing to those who intend our harm that we may never want to pick up the sword again.
I know...this is too idealistic...unreasonable even in this world...I agree...but, then again, is anything any more idealistic and unrealistic than God dieing for somebody like you and me.
I have heard some preachers say that the reason Peter cut off Malchus' ear was because he was swinging for his head and missed. However, I would think it would be easier to cut off a head than an ear.
Actually, it would seem Peter was very deliberate in his action. In the first century slaves were identified by cutting off the lobe of the ear. Furthermore, Jews believed that if you were buried with part or all of your ear cut off that you would be doomed to be a slave in heaven. So, Peter picked out the high priest's servant to make a pretty strong statement. In essence he said, "Mess with us and you'll be nothing more than our slaves some day in the afterlife."
"That-a-boy, Peter...that will hit 'em where it hurts. These who use their faith to judge will get caught in their own judgement. Now one of their own will be a slave forever. If you can't win the war at least you can make a point!," I say. I completely relate to Peter's action and appreciate his style. After all, his action was justified. Jesus was innocent. Somebody ought to put up a fight. Somebody ought to say something...do something...he had every right to take a stand.
So, do we...right? "Don't take anybody's crap," we say. "Stand up for yourself!" "You've got your rights." Right?
Enter Jesus...He picks up the ear and places it back on the man. Thus saying, "Mess with me and I will still forgive you...I'll even heal you." The one who was innocent refused to demand his rights. No one took his life. He gave it up freely. And while they crucified him and hurled insults at him, "Father forgive them," was his come back.
I don't know about you, but I've got a lot to learn. I've learned to well how to stand up for myself and demand my rights. I know how to fight. I've got my comebacks and they sound nothing like, "Father forgive."
What if from now until Easter all of us committed to stop swinging the sword...to giving up our right to be right? What if for these next few days we chose the path of voluntary self-denial in honor of Jesus self-sacrifice? What could that look like? It could be as small as refusing to complain or even say a word if our food is prepared wrong at the restaurant or we could give up the close parking space and park far away to give someone else the spot. It could mean that we forgive a debt someone owes us and refuse to ever hold it against them again. It could mean a husband and wife call a truce for a few days and instead of trying to make the other see things from their perspective, they spend the next few days trying to see things from their spouses perspective. It could mean I give up my right to criticize, judge and look down upon. I don't know what it might look like for you, but I can imagine that if all of us spent the next few days giving up our right to be right that Jesus would be lifted up. We might just get a taste of what it is like to be so free in Christ to offer healing to those who intend our harm that we may never want to pick up the sword again.
I know...this is too idealistic...unreasonable even in this world...I agree...but, then again, is anything any more idealistic and unrealistic than God dieing for somebody like you and me.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
"I'm Baaaaaack"
Yesterday I saw Jon Gibson's portrayal of me coming back from Sabbatical...it was just a little disturbing to say the least (if you were not here Sunday check out week 9 under the current message series at www.elivinghope.com). I give him credit...it was funny.
So, the question of the week has been, "How does it feel to be back?" I can honestly say that Sunday night I was a nervous wreck...I felt like I was starting at a new job. I felt scared, overwhelmed and wondered what would be waiting for me. I am glad to report that once again I have found fear to be a liar. It has been good to be back. I am starting to feel in the groove of things and it is great to start seeing my church family again.
Actually, I want to take a moment to share how grateful I am to be a part of a church that gets it. You know, when I headed out for sabbatical, I told the Church Board that I felt this would be a good time to see if over these ten years I had done the unhealthy thing and built a church around me as the pastor or if we are a part of a church that is about Being the church with or without the pastor. So, today I looked over the attendance and saw that we were only down by about 10% these past eight weeks.
Isn't that cool! 90% of our church family are really getting it! You are awesome! You understand that church is not about a pastor or a building or an hour on Sunday...you, me, we are the church! By joining us on the path while I was away you showed that you get it! You get that church life is about being connected to one another, not just a pastor. You showed that you can hear from God regardless of who is sharing the message. You showed that your faithfulness is to God not to any one pastor. You showed that your desire to serve one another and serve others in our community is wrapped up in your love for Christ with or without a Pastor. Praise God for you!!!!
I am so proud to call you my church family and I cannot wait to be back with you this Sunday! I have something that is very meaningful to me to share with you and I hope and pray it will be the same for you. So, I will see you this Sunday at 11 AM and I hope you will plan to hang around after the worship experience to connect with one another and share a light lunch together. I love this church!
So, the question of the week has been, "How does it feel to be back?" I can honestly say that Sunday night I was a nervous wreck...I felt like I was starting at a new job. I felt scared, overwhelmed and wondered what would be waiting for me. I am glad to report that once again I have found fear to be a liar. It has been good to be back. I am starting to feel in the groove of things and it is great to start seeing my church family again.
Actually, I want to take a moment to share how grateful I am to be a part of a church that gets it. You know, when I headed out for sabbatical, I told the Church Board that I felt this would be a good time to see if over these ten years I had done the unhealthy thing and built a church around me as the pastor or if we are a part of a church that is about Being the church with or without the pastor. So, today I looked over the attendance and saw that we were only down by about 10% these past eight weeks.
Isn't that cool! 90% of our church family are really getting it! You are awesome! You understand that church is not about a pastor or a building or an hour on Sunday...you, me, we are the church! By joining us on the path while I was away you showed that you get it! You get that church life is about being connected to one another, not just a pastor. You showed that you can hear from God regardless of who is sharing the message. You showed that your faithfulness is to God not to any one pastor. You showed that your desire to serve one another and serve others in our community is wrapped up in your love for Christ with or without a Pastor. Praise God for you!!!!
I am so proud to call you my church family and I cannot wait to be back with you this Sunday! I have something that is very meaningful to me to share with you and I hope and pray it will be the same for you. So, I will see you this Sunday at 11 AM and I hope you will plan to hang around after the worship experience to connect with one another and share a light lunch together. I love this church!
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