What’s new in your life? It seems so easy to live day after day and miss all that is good and full of beauty that is all around us. Last evening I watched a humminbird sitting on a dangling drip line a few inches from a feeder. I have seen many humminbirds, but it was like I was seeing one for the first time. The little creature was amazing! It quickly flew away, and if birds have thoughts, the little guy probably was thinking, “That big creature is amazing!” May I live today not only seeing beauty, but creating and nurturing it as well in the way I live my life toward others and all of God’s creation.
There he was. Down in the river called Jordan. Stringy hair, wooly beard, and hairy. Hair everywhere. He was known mostly as The Washer. It seemed like his eyes were staring at you no matter which direction he was looking. Common folk were drawn to him, religious leaders were conspiring against him, and the King was fuming. He wasn’t actually yelling, but you could hear every word as if he was…”Turn, turn to God. His kingdom is here.” It caught everyone off guard when all of a sudden he fell silent and his gaze turned away from the people and to the lone figure walking down the bank toward the water’s edge. It was as if the air itself stopped moving to pay homage to the one approaching The Washer. The crowd made room as the wild man gently lowered the man into the water and then raised him up. With water streaming down both of them, the clouds parted and a dove maybe, or wind, or maybe just our imagination, but something or someone it seemed had come from the heavens and covered the man who had just been washed. The voice we heard next could not be missed, “This is my son, I am pleased with him.” Then The Washer went one way and the man went another. The Washer kept pointing people toward the one he kept calling the lamb.
What do you think about Baptism? Share your thoughts.
Crisis, lowest since, hard times, bailout, job loss, bankruptcy, fear, recession…depression! These are the words that we hear while we listen to the news. And as we look at our personal account balance it might be what comes to mind as well. As I listen to God’s voice in the scriptures I hear another story…food, blessing, open floodgates (in a good way), delightful land (see Malachi 3). It’s not that God is living in a fantasy land either, these words of hope are found in the context of judgment, poverty, perverted justice, bondage, corruption, and in a landscape that sounds like the one we hear on cable news. In the midst of fear and depression God springs into the scene with HOPE! The challenge is that we are called by God to trust him. One of the central ways we show that our trust is real is the way we use our money. It sounds old fashioned, but giving our tithes and offerings to God first is an act of trust. And God promises to bring blessing into our lives when we do. That’s been my real life experience.
The message, “Vision Brings Hope,” is so much easier to talk about than to actually live out. (Read Matthew 16:21-23, especially Jesus’ words to have the things of God in mind). Imagine the disciples trying to get their minds around the what Jesus was saying to them about his pending suffering and death? I am sure the disciples, and Peter as well, desired to follow Jesus and to know and see what he did. How difficult it is for us to have the mind of Christ when there are so many voices around us. May we seek the things of God with a heart and mind that is wrapped up in Jesus.
What did you hear God saying to you? Do you have a personal mission statement? Share it?
While I was hanging out at the coffee shop this morning the topic of choice was politics. Views were flying left and right, and of course I was slinging mine as well. Rarely do we converse about romance, the arts, great music we’ve listened to, or the challenges we face in our own family relationships (occasionally someone else’s comes up). Funny how we don’t spend much time talking about some of the most important questions we would like to have answered. Crucial questions like: Who am I? Can my life be changed? To whom do I belong? Is there hope for the world? Can these questions really be answered by President Obama and other political figures? I know they try. I suspect that these real questions can be answered only by God. A real God and not the one that we put in a box! But that is a subject for another post.
“Well, lately I have been thinking about how after every event we, as a youth group, partake in (i.e. mission trips, teen retreat, Main Event, etc.). Every single one of us are on an outreach/missions high. After these events, all of us have awesome ideas about what we can do and express those ideas in our little meetings. …. Two weeks later, we all know what happens. All of us go back into our routine lives and forget all about our ideas or “don’t have time” for them.
Now, I am not writing this to point fingers at anyone. The purpose of this is to help us realize what is happening. Guys, things are not going to change all on their own. It takes initiative and people with a drive to get the ball rolling…. Well, I have a plan…..
JUMP START THE HEART FOR MINISTRY Youth Campaign. This is my vision: A youth ran and operated (with help from adults) outreach program designed to cover a large spectrum of needs. This program will, over time, incorporate all of our ideas we have come up with from “Under The Bridge” type ministries to the same kind of thing we did that one Sunday, “Be The Church”.
Obviously, we can’t accomplish all of that from the get-go. My plan is for this program to grow over time and become as large as we want it to. Also, I am not calling you to take a leadership role in this thing. All I want from you guys is to know that I have you behind me and are willing/wanting to help out. I am willing to be the spearhead behind this, along with some others. If you are wanting to see this become a reality too, let me know. Finally, if you DO want to have a leadership role in this let me know too; I would very much like to hear that.”
Have you ever received an awesome gift, but when you opened the box you discovered it needed to be assembled? My marriage is like that. It’s an awesome gift, and yet I have to put in hard work to get it to work. My experience has been that without help and some instruction it can end up pretty rocky at times. There is hope though.
On Sunday, February 8th, I will be starting a message series called “Hope for Marriage.” God cares about your marriage. If you have great marriage it can get better. If you think your marriage is over, don’t give up! It’s not too late.
Join me in signing up for the 7 day love challenge. Couples during the week of Feb. 7-14, 2009 will choose to commit to show their love for one another in ordinary, and extraordinary ways. Each day a simple challenge by email will be sent to couples in hopes that they will take it on and see a new spark start within their relationship, or will continue to fan the flame that is already burning. Here is the link: 7daylovechallenge.com. If you sign up you can win a free weekend getaway at Skamania Lodge!
What could happen this new year, 2009, if we looked into the future with hope? As I read the newspaper and watch television it seems that much of what is forcast is gloomy. The exception might be the contestants on American Idol before hearing what Simon has to say about their singing! They are so hopeful while in the waiting room. As door of the new year begins to open may we enter with hope and expectation that God is on the other side. Here is the good news…God is no Simon. He is for us, not against us. God proclaims promises of victory for us as we follow him into this new year. May we be a people full of hope.
“But mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19
It is in the quiet that we are able to ask ourselves questions that can change our future. Leonard Sweet in his book, SoulSalsa, suggests these questions in times of quiet: Am I doing what God is calling me to do? Is my life pleasing to God? Am I a change-the-world-person? Could it be that we keep ourselves busy and surrounded by noise because we are afraid of asking the kinds of questions that connect our past with our future. How have I lived my life so far? And, how will I live from this day on?
This week I challenged myself and the people gathered at our Sunday service to create a quiet time each day for the next seven days. During that quiet time do nothing but ponder and ask honest questions about your life and where it is going. Share what you discover.
What could happen this new year, 2009, if we looked into the future with hope? As I read the newspaper and watch television it seems that much of what is forcast is gloomy. The exception might be the contestants on American Idol before hearing what Simon has to say about their singing! They are so hopeful while in the waiting room. As door of the new year begins to open may we enter with hope and expectation that God is on the other side. Here is the good news…God is no Simon. He is for us, not against us. God proclaims promises of victory for us as we follow him into this new year. May we be a people full of hope.
