Live from Maine. It appears that technology has come to the Maine woods. I give thanks to God for the ability to be in this place.
This morning I was reading through 2 Timothy 4 and I was drawn to Paul's words about the teachings that will come. It seems that when you take a look at the landscape of the Christian world there are plenty of people who are willing to tell people what they want to hear. There is great temptation to simply preach what people want to hear. If we only listen to what we want to hear, we are never challenged beyond where we are in our faith journey. I know in my life I need to be told things I do not want to hear. I might even be a little upset and annoyed by being challenged. Yet in the end I need to be challenged.
Each of us has a responsibility to allow ourselves to be challenged. Challenge the understandings of we have. Challenge what we have held as dear. Challenge what we understand to be true. Ask questions and seek God. This is the key to keeping our faith from becoming mediocre.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
The Joy of a New Song
Last night I got to do one of my favorite things, play music with my band, Lord if I Know . We are preparing for some up coming ministry opportunities, and learning some new music. It was great joy simply getting together with the guys and playing. I continue to be amazed at how God brings the 4 of us together, and quickly we are on the same beat and page.
Part of the experience was learning new music. For some people new music is threatening. There are folks who would rather always work with the songs which are already known. For me there is a great excitement around new songs. Whether they are new to me, or simply new. Songs that are brand new, still being written, I am awestruck at the way God works.
It is not just in songs which God is calling us to something new. God loves us right where we are at, yet refuses to leave us there. God wants to takes us to new places, possibly uncharted places. Will we whine for the "comfort of Egypt" or will we press ahead to the new place God is calling us? Will we dance to the new song, or mourn over the song which is no longer played?
An important note. I will be going to Maine for the next week on a mission trip. I am not sure what the Internet access will be, so I might be taking a week long break. I promise if I am gone for the week, I will be back as soon as possible.
Part of the experience was learning new music. For some people new music is threatening. There are folks who would rather always work with the songs which are already known. For me there is a great excitement around new songs. Whether they are new to me, or simply new. Songs that are brand new, still being written, I am awestruck at the way God works.
It is not just in songs which God is calling us to something new. God loves us right where we are at, yet refuses to leave us there. God wants to takes us to new places, possibly uncharted places. Will we whine for the "comfort of Egypt" or will we press ahead to the new place God is calling us? Will we dance to the new song, or mourn over the song which is no longer played?
An important note. I will be going to Maine for the next week on a mission trip. I am not sure what the Internet access will be, so I might be taking a week long break. I promise if I am gone for the week, I will be back as soon as possible.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Running
"Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts." (2 Timothy 2:22 NLT emphasis mine)
As I read this verse this morning it jumped up off the page and grabbed me along with my attention. These words from Paul to Timothy are words of challenge and encouragement. They contain two of the three biggies which run throughout Paul's writing, Faith and Love, add hope and you have the big three.
To set the stage the challenge to pursue we are reminded there are things we must run away from. In our journey with Christ we do not do enough fleeing and running from the right things. There is enough fleeing and running happening, but our focus is misplaced. I have thought many times I can dabble in certain things because, well I am strong enough in Christ. WRONG, run, flee get away from anything which will spark a youthful lust. Follow those things which call us to God.
While running from the things that will spark youthful lust we are to run toward faith, love and justice. Now I cannot in the frame of this blog expand on those points now. Needless to say, I will anyway, there is much behind those words. We are also challenged not to pursue these things alone. Community matters. There is not such thing as an isolated faith. Our journey with God is always played out in the context of community. Our journey with God was never intended to be a private matter.
As I read this verse this morning it jumped up off the page and grabbed me along with my attention. These words from Paul to Timothy are words of challenge and encouragement. They contain two of the three biggies which run throughout Paul's writing, Faith and Love, add hope and you have the big three.
To set the stage the challenge to pursue we are reminded there are things we must run away from. In our journey with Christ we do not do enough fleeing and running from the right things. There is enough fleeing and running happening, but our focus is misplaced. I have thought many times I can dabble in certain things because, well I am strong enough in Christ. WRONG, run, flee get away from anything which will spark a youthful lust. Follow those things which call us to God.
While running from the things that will spark youthful lust we are to run toward faith, love and justice. Now I cannot in the frame of this blog expand on those points now. Needless to say, I will anyway, there is much behind those words. We are also challenged not to pursue these things alone. Community matters. There is not such thing as an isolated faith. Our journey with God is always played out in the context of community. Our journey with God was never intended to be a private matter.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Unexamined and Untested
If find it amazing the number of times I realize that my faith has been unexamined and untested. There are certain beliefs which are carried from teachings of my past, which are not examined to the depth they should. I guess I was still functioning in the because I said so journey of faith. The trouble I am having now is coming to terms with the narrow nature, or sometimes flat out wrong conclusions of some of these beliefs. If I believe God to be the Originator of all truth, which I believe, and if i believe that there is an 'ultimate' truth or reality, which I believe, then what is the big deal with examination and testing of our faith.
An unexamined faith has many problems with it. One is we believe things which may not be sound Biblical understanding. Two, we trust more in the words of people than what God has given to us. Third, we participate in some of the great atrocities of human making , which have been justified with godly language.
I think it is time we started asking more questions. It is time we started to examine and test our faith understandings. The end result, if we are faithful to the process, will result not in our giving up on God, but on our finding God in deeper ways and places.
An unexamined faith has many problems with it. One is we believe things which may not be sound Biblical understanding. Two, we trust more in the words of people than what God has given to us. Third, we participate in some of the great atrocities of human making , which have been justified with godly language.
I think it is time we started asking more questions. It is time we started to examine and test our faith understandings. The end result, if we are faithful to the process, will result not in our giving up on God, but on our finding God in deeper ways and places.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The Struggle of Facing Yourself
As a pastor I get the opportunity to meet and be around people all the time. Some of the people who I am around are more challenging than others. When I first heard the phrase Extra Grace Required person, I was a little put off, but now understand it clearly. Yet no matter how many EGR people I work with there is always one person who gives me greater fits. The is always one person who cannot quite seem to get their head around things. There is always one person who seems slow to get the point. That person is me.
The Apostle Paul stated is this way, I do not do what I want to and I do what I do not. However, I think it is more than that. I so desperately want people to draw as earthly close to God as possible. I want the same for myself. Because I know when are as close as earthly possible to God, we are more easily lead by God. We hear the voice of God more clearly. Yet there is a bigger challenge, doing what God says.
After several years of seeking I am the most sure what God wants for me to do than I have ever been. While that is the case, I am having trouble following through because of what it will mean to follow that path. There is much uncertainty. There might be times when safety and comfort will be challenged. And the classic battle is under way.
At the end of the day I am left to face myself. Some days this is very easy, others not so much. It remains true, the greatest struggle is with myself.
The Apostle Paul stated is this way, I do not do what I want to and I do what I do not. However, I think it is more than that. I so desperately want people to draw as earthly close to God as possible. I want the same for myself. Because I know when are as close as earthly possible to God, we are more easily lead by God. We hear the voice of God more clearly. Yet there is a bigger challenge, doing what God says.
After several years of seeking I am the most sure what God wants for me to do than I have ever been. While that is the case, I am having trouble following through because of what it will mean to follow that path. There is much uncertainty. There might be times when safety and comfort will be challenged. And the classic battle is under way.
At the end of the day I am left to face myself. Some days this is very easy, others not so much. It remains true, the greatest struggle is with myself.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Commitment
Commitment is a funny thing. We all crave to have people make a commitment to us, but are we willing to make commitments to others? The fear of commitment is a classic discussion about young men facing the possibility of marriage. However, all of us struggle with commitment. Why?
I cannot even pretend to give a definitive answer, but I will offer a thought. I believe John Maxwell calls it destination disease. All of us are holding out for what could be next. There is a tendency to leave the options open, just in case something "better" comes along. Even more challenging is our tendency to want to do it all. So we sign up for things we know we cannot possibly do, or we make commitments we want to keep, but have no way of doing it.
So what are we to do? There are a few places in scripture where we are encouraged to make our yes be yes and our no be no. That is to say if we make a commitment we meet it, and do not make a commitment we know we cannot meet. There is also a possibility we might have to follow through in commitments even if there is a possibility of something better coming along. The grass is always greener on the other side, but as Erma Bombeck reminds us, it is because it can be where the septic tank is.
I cannot even pretend to give a definitive answer, but I will offer a thought. I believe John Maxwell calls it destination disease. All of us are holding out for what could be next. There is a tendency to leave the options open, just in case something "better" comes along. Even more challenging is our tendency to want to do it all. So we sign up for things we know we cannot possibly do, or we make commitments we want to keep, but have no way of doing it.
So what are we to do? There are a few places in scripture where we are encouraged to make our yes be yes and our no be no. That is to say if we make a commitment we meet it, and do not make a commitment we know we cannot meet. There is also a possibility we might have to follow through in commitments even if there is a possibility of something better coming along. The grass is always greener on the other side, but as Erma Bombeck reminds us, it is because it can be where the septic tank is.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
If It Isn't Broken
As I make final preparations for the Sunday ministry day I continue to be overwhelmed by a thought which came to me during prayer last night. "If it isn't broken, then break us." Now I have to say I was not really excited to get this message. I am not a real big fan of being broken, whether it is physically or spiritually. But I think that being broken spiritually is the key to drawing near to God.
In reality it is not a matter of being broken, it is a matter of realizing that we are broken, and that we have broken our relationship with God. In all reality we must be broken further to fix what is already broken. All of a sudden I feel like Yogi Berra.
I guess I will keep this short, because actions are more needed than words. We must place our confidence in God, not in ourselves. We need to draw near to God, we need a broken and contrite heart. Pray to the Lord our God that He would break us.
In reality it is not a matter of being broken, it is a matter of realizing that we are broken, and that we have broken our relationship with God. In all reality we must be broken further to fix what is already broken. All of a sudden I feel like Yogi Berra.
I guess I will keep this short, because actions are more needed than words. We must place our confidence in God, not in ourselves. We need to draw near to God, we need a broken and contrite heart. Pray to the Lord our God that He would break us.
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