Friday, December 18, 2009
A Christmas Message from our house to yours!
Wow… it seems like only a little while ago that I sat down to write our annual “Christmas letter.” This has been something of a tradition for me now for a number of years, but I can’t believe how fast this last one has flown by! Looking back and thinking on all of the things we have done and all of the ways God has blessed us… I can’t imagine now how we squeezed it all in… in what seems like such a short period of time. God has been good to us once again this year and for that we are so thankful!
The kids are growing up fast! It sounds like such a cliche, but it's SO true. I can’t believe Andy is already in the 4th grade. I learned it’s quite a step up from 3rd. Friends had been warning us about the big 4th grade project, the Tennessee State Notebook, ever since he started school at Riverside and boy, were they right! What a project! We all learned a lot… and I mean ALL of us. It was “all hands on deck” to get it finished and we were all thankful to complete it. IF we can make it through the rest of 4th grade, 5th should be a “cinch”, right? David is in the 2nd grade and absolutely loves to go to school. He was sick last week and actually moped around the house complaining about not getting to go to school. He did NOT get this from me! Michael loves making friends and thoroughly enjoys just about everything he does, including “Mrs. Christy’s” Kindergarten class. He absolutely lives life to the full, as most of you know. You can usually hear him coming and you certainly know when he has arrived. After having all three of the boys over the years, Mrs. Christy is probably thinking of retiring. I’m convinced Kindergarten teachers should get combat pay.
The boys certainly keep us busy. All three played baseball over the summer and so most nights you could find us at the ball park. This Fall, Andy decided to hang up his football jersey for the time being (I didn’t argue) while David and Michael filled up our time with their soccer games and practices. Now, David and Andy are gearing up for Jr. Pro basketball… a first for us, so we’ll see how it goes. Celeste continues to enjoy teaching at Riverside. She took on more Bible classes this year plus a Health & Wellness class. The middle school girls love her. I can’t believe that I just started my 9th year as pulpit minister at Washington Street. I continue to be thankful (and a little amazed) that the folks still put up with me and still let me speak to them every week. They have enriched our lives in so many ways. I am just as excited about our future at Washington Street as ever!
Speaking of growth… in case you hadn’t heard (or noticed) we are looking forward to a little more growth of our own in the coming year. For those of you keeping score, it looks like #4 will be arriving sometime in mid April. This reaffirms my theological theory that God indeed has a sense of humor! I’m sure having a new baby at home won’t shake things up too terribly much. In fact, we’re having quite the “baby boom” at church this next year and we’re looking forward to ours having a great group of kids to grow up with. As we look anxiously to a new year, we sincerely pray God’s richest blessings on all of you for a happy and healthy 2010. Oh, and by the way, in case you were wondering, the doctors have told us it’s a… BOY!!!
(is anybody really surprised?)
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Heart to Heart
Well, I'm not sure how effective it was. My main goal is to give the church an opportunity to look into the hearts of our ministers and elders and get a sense of why we do what we do... what gets us out of bed in the mornings, so to speak. We're in a period of transition right now at Washington Street as our long-time family minister will be leaving us soon and there are questions about the future of that ministry in particular. Since he also served as an elder, there are leadership questions, too. Is it time to look for additional leaders? Additional deacons? More elders? I wanted to give the church the sense that our elders, ministers and deacons love this church and are working together seeking God's will for us. I am as excited now about the future at Washington Street as ever before... but I'm not sure that came across.
Anyway, Brad will be taking up the challenge next week... "A Heart to Heart with our Youth Minister." Our elders are slated for the first Sunday night in January as we look towards a great and new year!
Bottom line: I'm glad to be a part of a church that puts up with me and allows me to feel my way through God's amazing work.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Melody Roach
Ms. Melody A. Roach
Gallant Funeral Home
November 19, 2009
Welcome & thank you for being here
Let me say welcome and thank you to everyone for being here today. I know that Melody’s family is SO appreciative of all of the hugs & well-wishes and especially the prayers which have been lifted up on their behalf. I can tell you that means a great deal to them right now as they are going through this very difficult time.
We are here not only to honor the memory of Melody Roach but to celebrate her life… because that is what we believe she would want for us to do. She would not want us to be downcast… she would want us to be upbeat and joyous about her life… because she was. Her life had not been without its twists & turns, but she had never let life’s disappointments keep her down. She was a person who was full of life itself… and she wore a joyous and infectious smile wherever she went just to prove it! In fact, if she was in charge of this service, she might insist that there be dancing because that is one thing she loved to do so much… and was such a reflection of her personality.
Our hearts were broken on Saturday as the news spread to all of Melody’s friends and family of the horrible accident. Of course our thoughts were immediately with Amberly and the injuries that she had sustained. But we were just heartbroken over the news of Melody. I’m sure the first thing most of us did was to offer up a prayer… even if it had been a long time since we had talked with God. And for Mr. Jess and Cindy… my heart just went out to them. I cannot imagine the pain that the both of you have felt in these last days. I hope that the endless stream of friends who passed through these doors last night… the warm words… the caring voices… and the thoughts reflected from this service today will comfort you in some small way.
When Cindy asked me if I would do Melody’s service, I really did not know what I would say. What do you say in moments like this? Words just don’t quite seem to be enough. And no amount of words can really & truly summarize a person’s life… so I won’t even attempt that. She grew up in our church family, she & Amberly, but had grown up and moved off before I came to know the family. She would pop in occasionally when she was home visiting the folks and had recently moved back in at home, I understand. Yet even while I had not been around her very much… I could not help but know that she was a beautiful young lady (on the inside as well as out) who loved her family… and loved life! What do you say to someone who has lost such a dear, sweet sister/ daughter/ friend? I went to the Word of God… and I thought about the story of David.
David was without a doubt a great man of God… the greatest king to rule over Israel (God’s people) and the standard bearer by which all future kings came to be judged. He is the only man ever described in the Bible as being “a man after God’s own heart.” And I thought about the personal tragedy that he experienced in his life when (in 2 Sam 12) he lost his son, who was only an infant. David had prayed. He had fasted. He had pleaded with God not to take his son’s life… and despite all that David had done… the child had died. Most of us can only imagine how that feels… some of us know. I imagine he felt helpless. I imagine he felt angry. I imagine he felt guilty. I imagine he may have even felt hopeless. And I imagine he must have had a lot of questions… “Why had God allowed this horrible tragedy to occur?” “Why couldn’t it have been me instead of him?” “How could a loving God do this to me?” Aren’t these the questions we still ask when bad things happen… when there are things we cannot understand?
Well, what did David do?
2 Samuel 12:20
20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. NIV
What? He ‘worshipped’? What do you mean, ‘He worshipped?’ His child had just died and he went to the Temple and offered worship to God? That’s what it says. Why would he do that? With all of those questions bouncing about in his head… the doubt, the anger, the frustration. HOW in the world could he ‘worship’?
Well… moments like these are the moments that drive us to our knees. They are the moments that remind us that we really are NOT in control in this world… and that no matter how hard we try to cheat death… we cannot. These are the moments that cause us realize just how badly we need God. These are the moments that prompt us all to stop and reflect.
Reflect on the fact that… Life is a precious gift of God!
At the creation after God had created the heavens & the earth… the seas… and the skies… on the 6th day the Bible tells us that he created man and breathed into him the precious “breath of life.” The psalmist would sing…
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalms 139:14 NIV
Life is precious because it is the gift of God… and Melody was a precious gift of God… anyone who knew her knew that!
But oh, is it so brief!
Whether its 25 yrs or 85 years in the big picture of things… it is tragically too short!
Psalms 39:5
5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Selah NIV
Hebrews 9:27
27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, NIV
As shocked as we were to hear the news about Melody… its news that will one day come for each and every one of us… regardless of who we are. Its not the number of days we get on earth that ultimately matters… its what we DO with those days that really counts! And Melody made every day count. She loved life and lived every one of them to the full. I heard somebody say in a movie one time, “Every man dies, but not every man truly lives.” I think we can say that Melody truly lived.
Appreciating the brevity of life ought to move each of us to make the most of every moment… Melody did that… always smiling and making friends wherever she went.
And you can tell that in the response from all of her friends & family… I’ll bet I counted 100’s of postings on Amberly’s Facebook page… hundreds of folks who poured through here last night & this morning… people who loved her and are oh, so going to miss her! She loved her friends, too… especially her ballroom friends with whom she could be found almost every weekend. She loved her family… her Daddy (Share Jess’ story about her ring) She loved her siblings… and I know was especially close to her twin sister, Amberly. They were known for playing the old switcharoo… just to mess with folks… or to see if anybody would notice.
With the loss of such a lovely young person… you might ask… “How could we possibly worship? How could we possibly sing a song of praise in this moment?” I sort of think about it this way. When I was a kid, whenever I got hurt… whenever a bigger kid had pushed me down or hurt my feelings… whenever I was upset or confused about the world… I always knew I could crawl up in my Daddy’s lap & just let him hold me. He wouldn’t even have to say anything… just being there… in his lap… made me feel better. His was a strong shoulder to cry on… and his arms were just gentle enough to make me feel better and yet strong enough to hold me tight. He didn’t have to even explain everything to me… I probably wouldn’t have understood his grown-up explanations anyway. It was enough… for him just to hold me. (I still feel like doing this sometimes, don’t you?) I think that’s exactly what David did. He went in to sit down in his Father’s lap… so that God could hold him a while.
Like I said… I don’t have the words to comfort this morning. But its my prayer that all of you, (Jess, Jess jr., Cindy, and especially Amberly) can crawl into the arms of our Heavenly Father… let him wrap his arms around you… and hold you… carry you.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. NIV
… let him carry you. Do NOT try to carry this burden by yourself!
And one day… well John saw this vision of the way its going to be ONE day…
Revelation 21:1-5
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." NIV
and I can’t wait, how about you?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Wonder what happened the next day?
I mean, what would have happened if Jesus had continued the story into the next day in the life of this reunited family? Would the prodigal son have woken up in the warmth of his own bed and had a renewed appreciation for it… after all those nights with the pigs? What would the conversation around the breakfast table have been like that morning? Would he thank his father again for the reception? For the party? For the absolute and unconditional love that his father had shown? Would he tell his dad again how sorry he was for leaving? Would he savor every bite of his meal, appreciative of where it came from. Would his manors be more full of “please” and “thank yous” than ever before? Do you think he worked extra hard for his father, knowing how much his father had done for him? Or do you suppose that the little brother got up the next day and fell right back into a pattern of ungrateful behavior towards his family? Do you suppose he complained about his breakfast? “Dad, the toast is burnt.” Or “Mom, the juice isn’t cold enough.” Do you guess that he picked a fight with his older brother just for the sake of an argument? “Mom loves me more.” Do you imagine that he would decide to test his father’s patience again? Do you suppose he did any of those things?
If not, why do we? We who have come home have been welcomed unabashedly into God’s glorious kingdom! God has thrown his arms around us and called us his sons once more… despite the fact that none of us deserved it. He has thrown a party and given us a room in his dwelling place! And yet so many Christians wake up every morning woefully neglectful of all that God has done for us. We act as if making it to church once or twice a week is about all we can do in return. Surely the Father’s okay with that. Surely there isn’t any more he expects of us. Will we live our lives as grateful children ever mindful of what our Father has done for us? Our Father hurt when we sinned and turned our backs on him, but he welcomed us home anyway. He forgave us of our sin… and even gave his Spirit to us to empower us over sin. He has given us LIFE and life TO THE FULL! What will we do with it?
Monday, October 19, 2009
A Great Sunday!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Spectators
As I said… football is something of a religion in many places… but what may be worse is that many treat their religion like they do football… as a spectator sport. They are content to make their weekly pilgrimages to church where they can find a comfortable seat among the others who have gathered to cheer, throw in a few dollars to the offering plate and ensure that the gospel is spread. The actual work, however, is left to others… the ministers? The elders? The deacons? They will do the work, take the licks and make the plays. The spectator Christians are content to sit by and watch. Oh, they’ll cheer and holler! They’ll be the biggest cheerleaders when a new ministry opportunity comes down the pike… but they won’t volunteer to participate. They’ll be the first to point out when the coaches have made a bad move or the referees have made a bad call… but they won’t volunteer to lead or coach for themselves. They’ll be glad to point out the need for a new ministry here and there… but you won’t see their name on the roster. That’s because they’re content to watch… they don’t want to get into the game for themselves. Maybe they’ve put in their time and want to enjoy retirement? I wonder if Moses was contemplating retiring when God called him from the burning bush at 80 years old? Maybe they just don’t think they’ve got what it takes? I wonder if Peter ever wondered why Jesus had picked an impetuous fisherman to preach God’s Word to thousands? Maybe they just don’t want to get knocked down? I wonder if Paul ever considered staying down when they were throwing rocks at him? Whatever the reason, spectator Christians are fine just watching as others play the game. “People are funnier than anybody.”
God has called us and he has called EACH ONE of us. That means we are all on the team… meant to play not watch. We are meant to participate, not spectate. We are meant to get in on the action, not watch it pass us by. We are meant to live life to the full, not simply sit idly by. Where are you? Are you on the field or in the stands?
Saturday, September 19, 2009
4th Grade Field Trip
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Ezekiel and the Valley of the Dry Bones
Cool title... I just need a sermon. Sunday I'll be looking at the message of Ezekiel... now here's a guy that God really messed with! "Eat this scroll", "Lay on your side for a year", "Shave your head", "Eat this over a fire of human dung"... what was he thinking? Of course, Ezekiel being the faithful prophet of God that he was... always did just as God commanded. (Actually he did protest having to eat his meals cooked over human poop, so God made an allowance and told him that he could use cow manure instead... I'm still not sure that was any better, though.)
Anyway, as eccentric as Ezekiel was... what was his message? I love the task he was given in ch 37... "Go and preach to a bunch of rotting skeletons in the valley of dry bones." Woo hoo! I've preached before some dead audiences before, but THIS is ridiculous! Actually it was a huge object lesson for Ezekiel and for Israel. God is giving the people a message of hope in the midst of despair and telling them that He can bring forth life from their destroyed and "dead" nation. And if God can bring life to dead bones, and if God can bring life back to Israel after their total and utter destruction... wonder what else He can do?
Thoughts for Sunday???
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Labor Day Weekend "Kicks-off" FALL at Washington Street
With Fall comes more opportunities for new beginnings at church as well.
Our Share Groups got off to a great "kick-off" Sunday night. Thank you to all of our group leaders for the wonderful hosting job they did and for all the scrumptuous ice cream which was served! I am looking forward to our first Share Group meeting THIS Sunday night. With that, the time of our services are again being adjusted to accomodate people's schedules.
Beginning THIS Sunday, the evening group will meet at 5pm for a devotional and prayer in the auditorium. Most of our groups will be meeting Sunday evenings at 6pm, including a Share Group for parents of teens in the youth group meeting which will meet at the building.
Along these lines, let me remind you of the challenge I made to us all on Sunday. Let's be on the lookout for ways that we can help encourage and "connect" folks... maybe folks who have been sick, out of town, or otherwise not in worship. Make a special effort this week to drop them a note, give them a call or just drop by to let them know that they are missed. Over the next few weeks on Sunday nights, we'll be exploring ways we can help more people "connect" to our church family and most importantly to God! Thank you again for letting me serve in such a loving, church family!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Jeremiah
Still, I've got an affinity for the guy. Here he is... a prophet of God... called to preach God's Word to the doomed nation of Judah and he hates it! He absolutely hates his job. No matter what he does, he can't win. When he preaches what God wants him to... the people hate him. But when he doesn't, he can't stand himself. There's a "fire in his bones" that he just can't contain. The only thing Jeremiah hates worse than preaching God's Word is NOT preaching God's Word.
I guess I've had those days... certainly not to the degree Jeremiah did. Still, I've got to admire him. Here he is preaching away... for 40+ years... and nobody ever listens. The people don't listen. His family doesn't listen. The kings don't listen. At one point the king even burns all the man's sermons and he has to start all over! There are times when I feel like nobody is listening to what I'm saying... and yet Jeremiah pressed on. He was faithful. He kept preaching... in season... out of season... despite hardship... despite persecution... despite apathy and despite outright hatred. (you'd cry too if it happened to you!) He kept on. A good example to consider, I think.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Tips for applying Song of Solomon
1. Always get Blake Johnson to do the reading when the text is from Song of Solomon. I thought that was a nice shade of red, Blake.
2. There is really never a reason to mention either Barry Manilow or Billy Ray Cyrus when preaching about Solomon's greatest of love songs.
and 3. (Probably the most important lesson) Do NOT go home and tell your wife that she looks like a flock of goats just descended from Mt. Gilead onto her head... OR that she is built like the tower of David. Those are cultural references that DO NOT translate well.
Hope this helps!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Preaching from Song of Solomon
A) Its about a girl who looks like a flock of goats just landed on her head, but still has all of her teeth, and a boy who wants her pomegranates.
As for HOW I'm going to preach that... still working on that.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Mission Work in Honduras: A Voice from the Inside
Last Thursday and Friday nights, many people slept better—not least, many of our family members. Our Honduras mission trip had ended safely, and our loved ones could rest their heads without any further worry about our condition in a politically uncertain Honduras.
Honestly, for most of our mission trip members, the most tiring part of last Thursday was the repeatedly delayed flight that would carry us home to Nashville from Miami. Our boredom-induced creativity was put to the test as we sat outside of our gate at Miami International.
But enough about getting home. There are things we’d like the community to know about our trip. First, and most important, we believe that God blessed our trip, strengthened our group’s relationships, guarded us, and enabled us to accomplish everything we had hoped to accomplish in Honduras … and then some. We attribute our safety and success to God. Period.
We left Nashville International early on Thursday morning, June 25. We arrived in Honduras by lunch time, landing in Tegucigalpa, the country’s capital. After a short trip to our hotel to unload our luggage, we headed off to our warehouse, our home base of sorts. It was time to get to work.
We packed 250 bags of food—each bag containing beans, rice, sugar, tomato paste, pasta, powdered milk, lard, cornmeal, and coffee. A simple, modest selection of food, to be sure, but a welcomed gift to the hungry and disadvantaged. Later in our trip, we would deliver these bags to be distributed to over 200 Honduran families. A small dent in the world of Honduran hunger and poverty, but, like the starfish story (if you know it), we believe that making a difference to one person is worth all the effort. And, in case you’re wondering, each food bag cost us a mere $11.05 per bag, or 208.87 Lempira, if you prefer Honduran currency.
Friday, June 26, we travelled to Santa Lucia to build a house and conduct a children’s Vacation Bible School. The house was for an adult blind man, whose patchwork house and leaky roof had meant that his 8-year-old son had not been able to live with him. A preacher in Santa Lucia had notified us of this condition, and we were thrilled to help. The jury is still out on who benefitted more from this experience—us or him. We built him a pine-wood and concrete floor house that was 16-feet wide and 12-feet deep, with one door and a couple of windows. May not sound like much, but we’ve learned not to complain about our dwelling places here in the States. And one of these houses cost us about $1,173.80.
Ishmael, the man for whom we built the house, had worked two long days and nights carrying bag-loads of sand, gravel, and cement—bag of heavy materials in one hand, walking cane in the other, downhill for some 300 meters on a muddy, rocky, washed-out path that kept those of us “gringos” tripping up time and time again—and we had our sight. Oh, and Ishmael’s voice! He sang for our group, not least with a moving rendition of “How Great Thou Art”—“Cuan Grande Es El” in Spanish. Some things never get lost in translation.
Saturday, June 27, we headed out to El Zamorano, where is located Jovenes En Camino (“Children on the Way”), an orphans home for boys, with some 83 boys in residence. Many of these came from the streets—discovered in trash cans, abandoned by parents, some required to beg for other adults, some forced into child prostitution. We spent time with them and had a Vacation Bible School for them. God is the only reason those boys are no longer on the streets, and that’s all there is to it. God moved people to act in their behalf.
Sunday, June 28, was the day to remember. About breakfast time, we learned of the military coup. It was the day for the Honduran primary elections, in preparation for the later presidential election, and allegations of illegal behavior and ill intent against current president Manuel Zelaya reached a boiling point. From our hotel dining room TV, we saw the advisory that people stay in their homes on Sunday. So, we did. The most eerie part was the sequence of the TV channel cutting out all of a sudden, and the 3 or so military planes we heard fly overhead, followed by the hotel power shutting off for a few moments. This was perhaps the most uncertain moment in our trip.
We were together at the hotel, however. We gathered in one of our rooms, sang worship songs, prayed, discussed the Bible together, discussed the events, and even shared the Lord’s Supper together. The rest of the day, we tested the patience of our thumbs as we twiddled them from mid-morning through that night.
Monday, June 29, the empty streets gave way to life as (almost) normal. We headed out to La Valle de Angeles to build our second house, this one a 16-ft by 16-ft. If we had had enough sand and cement, we would have completed the house in one day. The three teens that went, Abby, Kaitlin, and Wilson, are now experts in mixing concrete! We conducted another VBS that day as well, at a neighboring house in La Valle, in a house with a nearby outhouse, which we were fortunate to have.
That afternoon, we headed back to Tegucigalpa and carried cots and some hot food to the waiting area of one of the hospitals there. It was bittersweet, to say the least. There were at least two young women who had just given birth and had their newborns nursing and resting beside them on their cots. There was the lady who arrived after the food was gone and begged for money for food. There was the young man asking me if there was any way I could get him to the States so he could find work. And the list could go on. We were emotionally drained.
I think it important to note that, there, in that hospital foyer of sorts, we gathered the people in a huge circle, talked to them, prayed with them, and sang praise songs together.
Tuesday, June 30, we returned to finish the house in Valle de Angeles. Others from our group conducted yet another VBS for some 90-plus children in Retiro, a town near La Valle. And, Valle de Angeles being a tourist town, we did support the economy there with a little shopping and local food. I’ll say “pupusas” and “Pepe,” and leave it at that. LOL. That night, we celebrated the 35th birthday of Walter Goodwin, our Honduran brother in Christ who runs “Ambassadors for Christ,” the name given to the work in which we share.
Wednesday, July 1, we carried “furniture”—a plastic table, four plastic chairs, and mattresses—to the houses we had built in Santa Lucia and Valle de Angeles. We left 35 food bags at an adult blind school in Santa Lucia and toured the school there. We left 65 food bags with a preacher of a church there in Santa Lucia, for him to distribute to families in that area. We later went to Maquelizo to hand out 70 food bags to those living in the mountains there, carrying the food bags from house to house. As always, there are more houses and people than we have food bags, but we pray that God bless what we did do, and we pray that we (and you) will do more in the future.
That night, we did enjoy a little diversion, playing soccer at a caged-in, carpeted soccer field there in Tegucigalpa. Walter, our 35-year-old Honduran brother, schooled us in “futbol” Honduran style. We gringos enjoyed trying to compete.
Thursday, July 2, God provided yet again. The anticipated re-entry of ousted president Manuel Zelaya was postponed until Saturday, and so any anxieties about our ability to return as scheduled were relieved. Bag checking, boarding passes, passports, exit fees (you have to pay to leave!), and some security checks later, we were outside of our gate awaiting departure. Four of our team members flew Continental and were back in their homes by 9:00 or so that night. The rest of us? Yeah, I think my head hit the pillow on my bed by 3:15 a.m. Friday morning!
A lengthy article, to be sure. But I want you to know a few things in closing. First, our team members. From Gallatin Church of Christ: Charlene Cigler, Daniel Gordon, Abby Hale, Joel Harrison, LeRoy Irons, Linda Vaughn, Kaitlin Walters, Kathy Walters, Linda Webster, and Wilson Webster. From Washington Street Church of Christ (Fayetteville, TN): Jim Black, Ray Hillis, Dale Pierce, Ricky Pierce, and Keith White. And from Manchester Church of Christ (Connecticut): Mike, Emma, Natalie, and Amy St. Germain.
Second, pray for the Hondurans. I think I speak for my group members when I say that I did not ever feel my safety threatened. Were there uncertainties? For sure. But the real concern is for the Hondurans in these politically charged and uncertain times. Some protests were peaceful. Some involved vandalism. We had 2 military police guards with our group at all times, as we do every year, not because of the current political situation.
Third, if you would like to assist with our mission work in Honduras, there are always needs. Money goes a long way toward a house, food bags, cots, and other supplies that assist the people there. Contact Linda Webster of our church’s Mission Team. We are Gallatin Church of Christ, 150 E. Main St., 452-0271, info@gallatinchurchofchrist.com.
Fourth, and finally, never take for granted what you have. Are you blessed? Fine. You are blessed to be a blessing to others. Everything we have belongs to God. Why not share it with others who struggle with some of the most basic needs of human existence? It is in giving to others that we learn the true meaning of being God’s child and of being fully human.
Monday, July 20, 2009
A Letter from Honduras
To the Washington Street church,
I hope, on receiving this letter, that everything is well with you and that our heavenly father is spilling many blessings on each one of your families.
I want to tell all of you that I admire you very much and that I love each one of you. You have come to be a part of my family. The people that I know have told me many things about you and you are an important part of my life
I do not have the words to tell you how grateful I am for all that you have done for me and for my family. Many, many thanks (muchisimas gracias).
May our heavenly father richly bless you.
from one who loves you and admires you, Erin Nodel Toledo (15 years)
Monday, July 6, 2009
Thoughts on Honduras...
Our trip, as we reported Sunday, was nonetheless a great success… thanks be to God! We successfully completed the building of two houses, conducted a roving Vacation Bible School which taught over 230 children throughout the week stories from the Bible, visited and encouraged the children at the children’s home, Jovenes en Camino (a wonderful place and a terrific ministry!). We handed bags of food to over 250 families in some of the poorest areas in which we worked and we visited a local hospital and had a devotional with the people who were waiting in the halls on their loved ones. The one thing that we did NOT get to do because of the political situation was to worship with the church in the Valle de Angeles. That is always a highlight of the trip and it greatly encourages the members of the church there. Because of the unfolding situation that Sunday morning, our team felt it best to remain at the hotel and not travel out. It was probably the best decision, but we really missed being with the church that morning. I hope we can get back soon.
I hope to post pictures and maybe even video to the web site as soon as I can this week, so check back regularly at www.washingtonstreetchurch.org
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Thanks for the prayers... keep ém coming!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tuesday in Honduras
Our plans for tomorrow to finish up include visiting both the house sites and bringing the families some furniture... we are also hoping to get some work done on Carlos´house before we leave. I bet Ricky can knock that out in short order! They are such a sweet family and we are so fortunate to have them working with us in this ministry together! I´ll have to post some pictures of them when I get back. (note to self).
Everyone continues to do good... no one has gotten sick and everyone is having a great time... especially our firstimers! Paula and Sara Jo, Keith and Dale are just fine.
I´m looking forward to getting home (and putting my foot on US soil again) but we´ve got one more full day tomorrow and we´re excited about that.
I´m also pondering what I should do for the message for Sunday, maybe some of you can help. I´ve got a message on the Psalms... sort of an introductory lesson so to speak, but I´m wondering if I shouldn´t pre empt myself and just give a little report on our experience here this week... any thoughts... (well can´t find the question mark on this keyboard, sorry.)
till later...
Monday, June 29, 2009
Well, we have a saying when we are in Honduras...
I wish I had the time to tell you all of the stories right now of all that we have seen and all that God has allowed us to experience... and especially of all of the wonderful people we have met.. but I will save that for tomorrow if I get the chance to blog. Suffice it to say that God is blessing us and it has been an incredible experience so far. Should I forget, remind me to tell you about the sweet lady at the Miami airport who saw that we were Christians and asked us to pray for her 93 yr old father... and surely you will hear the story of Ishmael, the blind man who we built a house for... and of his incredible, amazing gift to US... and of Helberto, the nice gentleman we built a house for today. He was so grateful... or all of the folks at the Hospital Escuela who were so appreciative to recieve a plate of food from the church while they waited on loved ones who were there as patients.
Its been a long, hard day and we are all exhausted, so its off to bed. Thanks to Brad for filling in for me at the office today and for all those who are praying so hard for us back home. Keep it up... we definitely feel them going up.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Arrival in Honduras!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Preparing for Honduras...
Please keep us in your prayers this week! We're leaving bright and early in the morning (3:00am) from Ricky Pierce's house to catch an early flight out of Nashville. We should arrive in Tegucigalpa by mid-afternoon... in time to pack some benevolent food bags and head out for distribution. Our team this year consists of myself, Ricky Pierce, Ray Hillis, Dale Pierce and Keith White.
I plan to be blogging this week as I have time. They tell me that we'll have Internet access at the hotel, so I'll be keeping in touch with everyone this way. Feel free to send us e-mail thru the blog or directly to me at jimblack@fpunet.com
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
On Job...
It's an age-old question, which is why the story of Job is probably the oldest one in Scripture. Mankind has been wrestling with this one for a long time. If God is all-powerful (as Scripture claims) and CAN stop suffering, then why doesn't he? Is he just cruel? If God is all-good (as Scripture claims) and does nothing, does that mean that he is powerless to do anything about it? I can't accept that. Don't we believe that he both CAN and WOULD prefer for the innocent NOT to suffer? Then how do you explain drunk drivers robbing children of their daddies? How do you explain children starving to death in poverty-stricken Rwanda? It's a conundrum to be sure. What were your thoughts as you read through Job? What is God's answer to him? What were his friends telling him?
I can't help but think about the crowd that I'll look at on the Sunday when I bring the message from Job. There are so many hurting families and individuals right now in our church family. Some of them are much like Job, having lost so much in recent months. I'm not sure what I will be able to say to them that might help. My fear is that I'll come across like one of Job's friends, with empty words and unhelpful advice. One thing is for sure after reading Job... I'm a lot more cautious in trying to speak for God! What would you say?
Any thoughts...?
Friday, May 29, 2009
A Family Legacy
One thing that has struck me this week as I've read again the story of Rehoboam and the division of the kingdom in prepping for Sunday's message... is the legacy of Solomon. Rehoboam was proud, pompous, arrogant and an unwise, inexperienced king... true. His hasty decision to side with his buddies rather than the wiser elders of Israel, men who had served in his father's administration, led to the alienation of the northern kingdom and their rejection of him as their king. Subsequently the nation split in two with Rehoboam holding on to only a fraction of the nation he had come to lead. Yet, it wasn't all his fault. This was in large part due to the unfaithfulness of his father, Solomon, who had chosen not to walk in HIS father's ways and instead to embrace the pagan cultures around him. God brought judgment against Solomon and told him that this was going to happen.
I wonder what kind of legacy we are leaving for our children? Solomon's legacy destroyed a nation. What will mine produce? What kind of example am I leaving behind for my boys? What kind of mess am I going to leave behind for them to clean up? Will they be able to tell their boys that their grand-dad "walked in the ways of their father, David?" or will they just roll their eyes and say, "Well, you know grand-pa... ?" I wonder how the decisions I make today, the associations I involve myself with, and the way I interact with them... will affect their lives tomorrow? Hm.... something to ponder today.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Where does the time go?
Where does the time go? Interesting to think about isn’t it? On any given day, have you considered how you spend your time? How much of it goes to spending time with your family… time you’re your husband or wife… time with your kids? How much of it goes to spending time with God? And how much of it goes to things that really don’t matter in the big picture of things? Time is the one commodity that we all get exactly the same amount of. Nobody gets any more time in a day than any one else. We all get 24 hours… that’s 1,440 minutes… or 86,400 seconds in a day. The President gets the same amount as the trash collector. The preacher gets the same amount as the congregant. No more… no less. What matters is how we use that time. How is it spent? In the end, we are only stewards of our time. We didn’t create it… and we can’t create any more of it! It doesn’t belong to us… it comes from God… as a gift. What we can do with it… we can choose how we use it. What about your time? How have you been using it? Have you been investing it in the things that truly matter… in your relationship with God? … in your relationship with your family? … in furthering the kingdom of God? These are the investments that will prompt God to say at the end of our time, “Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with little… now I will reward you with more.” More time? How about eternity? Imagine a place where you won’t run out of time… a place where time will be no more… a place where an eternity with God will seem like a second. Yet, isn’t that the promise of God for those who invest for eternity here and now and spend their time wisely?
Monday, April 27, 2009
Back to it!
Not that I am making excuses, but the main reason that I’ve fallen behind is that I had turned my focus to this month’s sermon series, “Vintage Jesus” for a little while. I know, it’s not a good excuse, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! I hope that our look at some of the vintage teachings of our Savior was encouraging and challenging to all of us… it was to me! But now I’m back on track and wanting to return our Sunday morning focus back to the narrative of God’s people and our year-long “Cover to Cover” study. This Sunday, we return to the story of Israel, picking up with 1 Samuel where we left of. We’ll be trying to make up some ground to catch up with where our reading schedule should put us. For the month of May we will be looking at the great stories of Samuel, Saul, David and Solomon presented in the historical books of the Old Testament, Samuel, Kings and Chronicles. That will prepare us to move into the summer months and into the wisdom books of Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and into an exploration of the “meaning of life.” Keep up in your readings… be prayerful about your time in the Word… and come prepared to explore more fully the meaning of God’s Word for our lives today every week!!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
"No one can serve two masters" -Jesus
This Sunday we’re going to conclude our recent mini-series of lessons on the teachings of Jesus, “Vintage Jesus”, by taking a fresh look at this great one-liner… “No one can serve two masters” and its natural follow-up found at the end of that verse, “You cannot serve both God and Money.” Probably no teaching of our Savior is as relevant today as this one! How many of us are guilty of storing up for ourselves and putting our trust in the things of this world, rather than in the things of God? How many of us are investing for eternity… using the material resources and wealth that we have been blessed with to further the kingdom of God? How many of us put more trust in our 401k’s than in our Lord?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
What do teachers make?
Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.
You want to know what I make? (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)
I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions. I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator. I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe. I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America.
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life. In short, I make a difference. What do you make?"
Monday, April 13, 2009
"Whatever you do for the least of these..."
Jesus had some great one-liners… short, to the point statements of great truth and challenge. None are more challenging than his statement in Matthew 25:40, “Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” The challenge in this statement isn’t in remembering it… it is one of Jesus’ more memorable statements. The challenge is in living it out daily. How are we to serve Christ? What does he expect of us? Who are we supposed to love? It is some of these questions and themes that we want to explore more fully on Sunday as we continue our series, “Vintage Jesus.” Some time this week take a few moments to read Matthew 25:31-46 again… and be praying about how God would have us as a church serve Him in our community in more ways than we are right now doing.
Some thoughts which immediately spring to my jumbled mind on this Monday… the TN Children’s Home will be here on Thursday (April 16th) to pick up our donations of food. If you haven’t already made a contribution to this effort, you might begin serving “the least of these” by picking up a few extra food items on your weekly grocery trip and dropping them by the church office for the Children’s Home. This is a great ministry which serves children all over the middle Tennessee area by providing a solid, Christ-centered environment in which they can grow physically, mentally and spiritually. If you can do so, please drop off your groceries by Wednesday afternoon so we can have them all ready for pickup on Thursday! Monetary donations are also being accepted. You might also be interested in assisting the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief ministry out of Nashville as they provide emergency relief and assistance to areas affected by natural disasters. With the devastation caused by the recent storms and tornadoes both in Alabama and in Murfreesboro they have been very busy lately. Information about both of these church-based organizations can be found on our website.
Also, here locally, we have an opportunity to support Junior’s House, Fayetteville’s children’s advocacy center. On Tuesday, April 28th, they are hosting “Andrea’s Walk”, an event designed to raise money for the agency and promote awareness in the community of the need to help children who have been affected by abuse. We have been invited to help feed participants who walk in the event. If you would like to help us provide 50 sack lunches, please call the church office or drop us an e-mail. If you would like to participate in the event yourself, call Carol at Juniors House at 438-3233.
As you can see, you don’t have to look very hard around us for opportunities to “do unto the least of these” in and around our own community. I’ve just named three, but there are dozens more! Please be on the look out this week for opportunities to bless those around you.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
"I am the Resurrection and the Life"
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever wondered why God did not answer a prayer in the way that you would have liked? Have you ever cried out to God in desperation, “Lord, where are you? Why me? If only you had been here?” I’ve watched families like Martha’s walk through some pretty tough times. I’ve seen them try to make sense out of senseless tragedies. I’ve witnessed them face difficult diagnoses. I’ve even asked some of those questions, myself. Well, I’ve got to admit that I don’t have all the answers. I don’t understand fully why God does what he does sometimes. Why allow the innocent to suffer? Why allow a family to lose a loved one? Why allow someone to get sick? I don’t have all the answers…. But Jesus did. In fact, he IS the answer. In this heart-warming and gut-wrenching story from John’s gospel, Jesus not only provided Martha with comforting words to answer her question… he made the bold declaration that he IS the answer, HIMSELF. He said, “I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.”
If those words don’t bring a chill down your spine, go back and read that story of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in John chapter 11 again. “I AM the resurrection and the life!” Wow. This Sunday is Easter Sunday. It is the day that Christians around the globe will celebrate the day, almost 2,000 years ago, when Jesus, himself, took on the foe of death and won the victory! Having been crucified on Friday, Jesus rose from the grave on the following Sunday and forever changed the course of human history. No longer would death be an enemy. No longer would the grave be the end. No longer would the devil hold us in his clutches! Death had been defeated. The grave had been overcome and the tomb was found empty! Jesus’ words to Martha had surely come true, Jesus IS the resurrection! Not only did he rise from the grave himself… but his resurrection paved the way for our own resurrection when this life is over for us. What an incredible hope… a hope that we will celebrate this Lord’s day, as we do every Sunday, in our assembly together and we will reflect on these “vintage” words of Jesus…. “I am the Resurrection and the life.” What message do these words have for us today? Let me encourage you to invite a friend to join us in worship this Sunday as we continue our focus on Jesus and some of his great “one-liners.” And let us rejoice in the good news that Jesus IS the resurrection and the life!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Vintage Jesus
Don’t fall behind in your daily “Cover to Cover” readings, though! We’ll catch up from the pulpit in May with the great stories that we’re reading right now in Samuel, Kings and the Chronicles! Here are some upcoming lessons which we'll begin tackling in May...
Samuel... Saul... David, the boy King... Solomon... the Kingdom Divided... the Exile... Esther.... Job... (more to follow!)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Congratulations to Riverside Christian Academy!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
National Tragedy
I heard it said one time that Christianity is always just one generation away from extinction. That may seem a bit alarmist, but isn’t it true? It is the responsibility of every generation to make sure that the faith and the truths of God’s Word are passed on to the next generation. That was why God was so adamant in Deuteronomy 6 when he said, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up…” The goal was to insure that the precepts and principles established in His Word were passed along to the next generation… and the generation after that… and the generation after that and so on.
I don’t want to boast or get a big head or anything, but I really do think that this is something this church has done very well for a long time… instructing our children in God’s Word. We’ve got an incredible group of Bible school teachers and volunteers working with our children’s ministry. All of them love our kids and want for them to know God in a deep and meaningful way. It’s not that there aren’t things we might be able to do better. There always are and we are always looking for new ways to improve… but every Sunday morning and every Wednesday night our children’s classrooms are filled to the brim with eager, enthusiastic young people who are being taught (by word & example) what it means to follow Jesus. This could not be done without our wonderful teachers and adult volunteers. If you think you might be able to assist them and help out in this great ministry (if even ‘behind the scenes’) know that YOU are needed! Consider how you might help. Together with God we are insuring that our young people will grow up knowing the God who created the seas… who rescued Israel… who sent his only Son… and who doesn’t want to spend one day in eternity without each one of us!
Monday, March 9, 2009
More Americans Say They Have No Religion… is there any good news in this?
These findings make me wonder what is happening? Is Jesus less relevant today than he was in 2001, in 1990… or 1960? Why does the trend seem to be downward? Is it because Christians are less-than-perfect representatives of Jesus and turning people away? Perhaps, but hasn’t that always been the case… even since the first century? So, why are fewer people choosing to be religious today? Why are more churches having to forget about “church growth” and just concentrate on “maintaining”? Is there ANY good news or silver lining here?
Ahhh… I’m glad you asked! It is a reminder that we live in a fallen world and that the mission field is wide open! The study found signs of a growing influence of churches that either don’t belong to a denomination or play down their affiliation. Respondents who identified themselves as “non-denominational Christian” grew from 0.1 percent in 1990 to 3.5 percent last year. That is quite a jump! What does this say to us? Well, it says that eople are less and less interested in their denominational affiliations and increasingly interested in “just being Christians.” Wow, they’re singing our song! Haven’t we long been saying that Jesus has called us to just follow him? Haven’t we long emphasized his plea for the unity of believers and against the dividing of his body? “That they may all be one,” he prayed. Perhaps this is an opportunity for those of us who want to simply follow Jesus without denominational baggage to present the message of Jesus to the world … a world that is increasingly interested in Jesus, but not traditional, denominational “churchianity”? Perhaps this is the opportunity we have been praying for to truly be “non-denominational” Christians? The question… what will we do to take advantage of this wide-open door? What are YOU doing?
Monday, February 16, 2009
Keeping up... cues on reading the Old Testament Law
Wow… if the last couple of weeks in Leviticus and Numbers haven’t been a little weary on you, then maybe its just me. I have been reminded why these books are so difficult to plow through. They are filled with rules, lists, and detailed descriptions of the Levitical priesthood… it has absolutely boggled my mind! How difficult it must have been to abide by all of these rules and regulations. Can you imagine having to offer up the sacrifices to God that were required in Leviticus on an ongoing basis… with little relief in sight? If you, like me, have struggled over the last several days in our reading and in understanding what the purpose of the Law was… let me suggest another Bible reading cue that might help.
Bible Reading Cue #3: The Old Testament Law should point us to Jesus
Paul wrote to the church in Galatia about the place of the Old Testament law. This is what he said in 3:24 & 25, “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” Do you imagine that keeping the law perfectly must have been a difficult task? Good, you are supposed to. It was difficult. In fact, it was impossible. Nobody ever did it perfectly… until Jesus, that is. I think that was part of the point. God always intended his people to be justified or to be made right by FAITH. It was the people’s faith in God that led them to offer the sacrifices in the first place. It was their faith in God that sustained them in the wilderness wanderings. It was their faith in God that led them to the land of promise. It was all about faith… from the beginning. So, why the law? It was all about pointing the way to Jesus!
Did you ever wonder why God allowed the people to suffer in slavery in Egypt before being delivered by Moses? Could it be that he was trying to teach them that we all are captives (to sin cf. Gal. 3:22) and in need of a deliverer… Jesus? Ever wonder why God demanded all of those animal blood sacrifices? It was to point the way to Jesus, whose blood sacrifice on the cross would forever remove the stain of sin and make perfect forever those who are being made holy (cf. Heb. 10:14)! Ever wonder why God asked them to build a Tabernacle so he could “dwell” with them? It was to make the way for the presence of Jesus in their lives through the indwelling of God’s Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 3:16). How it all makes sense… seen through the prism of Jesus.
I wonder if the Israelites fully comprehended what God was doing? My sense is that they didn’t. God was teaching them step by step. They were learning as they went and didn’t always get it. God’s desire was simply for them to trust him. Sometimes they did better with that than at other times. What about you? How are you at trusting in God? Even when he asks you to do something that doesn’t make sense to you? Its always easier to see God’s hand working in our lives in retrospect than it is to trust in him for the future. That’s because we can see the past… but what God wants is for us to trust in him when we cannot see what lies ahead. Isn’t that what faith is all about (cf. Heb. 11:1)… its an exciting journey, isn’t it?
Monday, February 9, 2009
got faith?
Every now and then I get folks who come to me and say something like this. “Preacher, I wish I had more faith.” It’s a great desire isn’t it… the desire for more faith? What if we all had a little more faith? Couldn’t we do so much more? Wouldn’t we be so much closer to the Lord? Who couldn’t use a little more faith?
All right, I’ll let you in on a little secret… one that I’m still learning… faith doesn’t just happen. God doesn’t just swish his magic wand and ‘poof’ we’ve got it. He doesn’t just FedEx more of it down from Heaven and deliver it to our doorstep. Faith doesn’t come about by accident and nobody gets it without wanting it. No. The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. That’s what Paul tells the Christians at Rome in Romans 10:17. He tells them that if they want salvation, they must believe. In other words, they must have faith. And that faith doesn’t just come from thin air… it comes as one hears the Word of God.
So, the next time somebody says to me, “Preacher, I just need a little more faith” I am going to ask them how much time they are spending in God’s Word. I have been trying to spend more time in the Bible this year as we have been reading it from “Cover to Cover” and so far I can tell you that it works! I still don’t feel that I am where I ought to be in my spiritual growth and I sure don’t have the faith that I should have… but the daily exercise of spending more time in God’s Word has certainly caused me to grow. Seeing the narrative of God’s story play out from creation and the fall of man to His seeking reconciliation through the covenant and the law has challenged me. I’ve seen things in the story that I’ve never seen before and I’ve been challenged by things that have not caught me in the same way before. My faith has been stretched, challenged and strengthened through it all.
What about you? Have you taken up our challenge to read the Bible thru this year? If not, are you still spending time each day in God’s Word? I’ll tell you that there is nothing you can do that will increase your faith more than hearing God in His Word. Couldn’t we all use a little more of that?
Monday, February 2, 2009
Surviving... and Appreciating Leviticus
Well, you knew it was going to happen. When we started our “Cover to Cover” Bible reading plan a few weeks ago, we knew it was inevitable. We embarked with enthusiasm and with all of the excitement of new creation in Genesis one. Then we moved quickly through the ensuing chapters as God’s marvelous story unfolded in gripping narrative. We got caught up in the plight of Abraham and Sarah. We were enthralled in the soap opera that is the love story of Jacob and Rachel… and Leah! We were on the edge of our seats reading through the story of Joseph with all of its ups and downs. We brushed away the images of Cecil B. DeMille’s movie as we were once again impressed by the awesome power of a real God rescuing his people in the Exodus. But then it happened. We couldn’t avoid it. We hit Leviticus! If you’ve been keeping up with your daily Bible reading you know what I mean. We have come to the book of Leviticus… and it may have seemed like hitting a brick wall after the gripping narratives of Genesis and Exodus. Leviticus is filled with commands and codes, laws and legalease, principles, precepts and priestly instruction… and perhaps you have wondered, “Where is God in all of this?” or “What am I supposed to get from all of these Old Testament laws?” Let me suggest a few thoughts that may help you get the most out of Leviticus… not only to get through it, but also to appreciate it as a wonderful reflection of a most Holy God.
- Leviticus is full of covenant language— Beneath all of the codes and ‘legalese’ of Leviticus is the one unmistakable truth… God loves his people and wants a relationship with them. The Levitical code is a reflection of that desire. God has agreed to be there God… to never leave them nor forsake them and in return he expects them to abide by certain principles which are embodied in his very nature and laid out in Leviticus.
- Jesus fulfills all of the Old Testament law-- Jesus told his followers that he came not to abolish this law but to fulfill it. That means that he lived it out fully and in doing so he showed the world what it meant. Thus while Christians are no longer “under the jurisdiction” of the Old Testament law, the moral principles which it conveyed and which Jesus lived out still apply.
- In the Old Testament law we see the Holiness of God in full display! God wanted the Hebrews to know ONE thing above everything else… He was their God and he was Holy (i.e. ‘set apart’). Thus he called them to “be Holy as I am Holy.” In almost every word of the Levitical code, God is reminding his people of that truth. The instructions for the priests, for the worship and for the practices of purity were all intended to emphasize the very special nature that God wanted the Hebrews to maintain… “separateness” from the world. They were to be different… a “peculiar people.” In a world where “everything goes”, we too need to remember that we are “set apart”… different from the world.
Don’t get lost in the details of the law and miss the Holy God that is embodied on every page! God bless your reading this week…
Monday, January 26, 2009
Some Helpful Cues for Our Bible Reading
I am thrilled that so many of you have chosen to take up the challenge and are reading through the Bible from “cover to cover” in ’09. Let us remember that our reading is not just so we can say we did it (though it’ll be something to be proud of) nor is it just to learn more stuff about the Bible (though knowledge of God’s Word is certainly a good thing)… it is for the purpose of knowing God better! That’s why God revealed his word… that’s why it has been passed down to us through the generations… and that is why we still read it today… to know God better. Towards that end I am going to be writing a series of bulletin articles that, hopefully, will provide some helpful suggestions for our reading.
Cue #1: Remember, we all interpret the Bible
This may seem an obvious observation to some, revolutionary to others, but it is true for all. I used to think that OTHERS interpreted the Bible… but not me. I just read it. To interpret it was to twist it and make it say what I wanted it to say. I would never do that. That’s what others did. I just read it, understood it’s plain meaning and did what it said. “The Bible says it. I believe it. That’s enough for me.” is what I heard us saying. I know now that I was wrong. We all interpret the Bible.
Let me explain what I mean. None of us come to the Bible completely objective and unbiased. We all have ideas and preconceived notions through which we view the world and everything in it. We call this a worldview… it is simply how we see the world. We filter everything we see, hear or experience through this worldview. That would include how we read the Bible. We take in the message of the Bible by reading the text, filter it through our own experiences, biases and worldview, and try to understand its meaning for us as best we can. This is the process of interpretation… and everybody does it. There is really no avoiding it. Now, we can try to avoid the pitfalls of misinterpretation by being aware of our biases and preconceived ideas, but we can’t completely eliminate them. None of us are a blank slate. We can come to the text openly and honestly looking for a word for God, instead of looking for it to say what we already believe it says, but we need to do so humbly with the awareness that we are fallen and imperfect creatures… prone to mistake. If I believe others are wrong in their interpretation of the Bible (as I do) then I must acknowledge with humility that I could be wrong, too. To say that the Bible is inerrant is correct. But to say that I understand it inerrantly is arrogance.
This is where the community of faith plays such a vital role! If Bible reading first demands humility, second it must demand community. We need to read Scripture together! Did you know this is the primary way that most Christians received God’s Word through the ages? They didn’t have printed Bibles until the 1500’s. Until then, when the printing press was developed and the literacy level rose, most people heard God’s Word as it was read either in the Temple (in the Old Testament days), in synagogue or in the church. People didn’t have their own copies of the Bible. Many wouldn’t have been able to read it if they could have gotten their hands on one! But they heard it as it was read in the community of faith. And I imagine they talked about it together. That is the blessing of our Bible classes and small groups which take up the discussion every week. We get to discuss the text’s meaning for our lives today… and help each other understand it together.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
An Historic Week... what will YOU do?
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. 2 Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 1 Tim 2:1-4 NLT
This will be an historic week, not only in our nation’s capital, but also for the whole country. All of the preparations that are going in to the inauguration of a new president on Tuesday has caused me once again to consider the role that faith ought to play in politics. Last Fall in the weeks leading up to the election, you will remember, that I presented a series of lessons on “Faith & Politics.” Generally those lessons were well received as I encouraged Christians to get involved and to let their voices be heard in the political arena. I appreciated the encouraging feedback that many of you gave me. There were some, however, who disagreed that we should even be talking about politics in church. I think there was a fear that it would be divisive. Surely we can all agree, though, that it is our duty… our obligation… our responsibility… and our profound privilege as people of faith to lift up all of our nation’s leaders in prayer, just as Paul admonished Timothy to do in 1 Tim. 2:1-4. Remember, the government of Rome was anything but friendly to the early church and Paul certainly couldn’t have agreed with all of its politics… yet he prayed!
On Tuesday, Americans will all mark the beginning of a new administration. We will celebrate the incredible significance of inaugurating Barak Obama, becoming our nation’s first African-American President. What a remarkable occasion it will be! Perhaps you will reflect back to times in our country when this seemed impossible and we will be reminded that our nation has made progress in overcoming racism and bigotry. Most importantly, though, Christians will pray. We will pray for ALL of our country’s new leaders… that God would grant them safety, protection and wisdom to make the right choices for all of us. Most of all, let us pray that God’s kingdom would grow. Governments are neither Christian nor non-Christian and I don’t expect that I will agree with all of the decisions it will make in the next four years (just as I haven’t in the last four)… but that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t support them with my prayers. I hope you will join me J