Affirmations

"I can think of no other pursuit in the world that is more difficult or more rewarding than leading a church that is committed to creatively changing lives for the glory of God. These are words from a pastor named Ed Young that challenge my heart.

I always live somewhere between difficult and rewarding when I think about ministry.

Both of these descriptors are real, even though sometimes I pretend they are not. Today I sat through meetings where I heard stories of difficult times and rewarding times in kingdom ministry.

Tonight I watched as three people were ordained into the ministry. They had that invincible look in their eye...that look that seeks to convince observers that nothing is to diffcult for them. I had that look one time. Living life has tempered that optimism and made me aware that "apart from Him I can do nothing."

It was a night of affirmations.

It was a night of confirmations.

I thought that it was about those being ordained until I listened closely to the ritual. I contemplated the difficult and rewarding places that I have been in ministry and realized that this was a night of affirmations for me as well. It was also a night of confirmations.

Now that I am sitting at home reflecting on the evening, I recognize that His story continues to shape the story of my life and ministry. For this I am thankful.

C.S. Lewis said, “Christianity is the story of how the rightful King has landed, you might say in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in His great campaign of sabotage”

Tomorrow I will get up and continue to be shaped by His Story, I will continue to tell His Story and I will continue to experience difficult and rewarding places along the journey.

When was the last time you shared His Story?

Afternoons

Sunday afternoon at home....I love the sound of that phrase. It conjures up images of rest, relaxation and an opportunity to unwind.

Sunday afternoons over the years have been celebrated in a number of different ways. I have memories of Sunday afternoons when "time stood still." When I was young the last thing I needed on a Sunday afternoon was a nap. I was ready for activity.

As time passes, I relish the idea of Sunday afternoons where "time stands still." Maybe it is because I am seeing the value of celebrating Sabbath. Maybe it is because time now has a different meaning for me than when I was younger.

Today I sat down for a while. Not long enough, but I sat down and rested for a little while.

There was something refreshing about the few moments of Sabbath in the middle of a busy day.

Here's a thought...What if our Sabbath was spent free from all unnecessary clutter? Living in a cluttered world wearies pilgrims who long for simplicity. What if our Sabbath was spent free from the tyranny of the clock? Living by the clock saps our creative energies. What if our Sabbath was spent resting in preparation for service rather than fretting about what lies ahead?

Today I "sabbath-ed."

Coca-Cola had a great slogan years ago...it was Coke, The Pause That Refreshes.

Sabbath for me has become a Pause That Refreshes

Sabbath...Have you experienced that recently?

Words

Richard Foster wrote, "It is far better to soak in five pages of substance than to read 500 pages of fluff."

Words are everywhere.


The Lord's Prayer has 66 words
The Gettysburg Address has 286 words
The 10 Commandments has 179 words
The Declaration of Independence has 1300 words
The Pythagoream Theorem has 24 words
Archimedes Principle has 67 words


I read this week that the United States Government Regulations on the sale of cabbage has 26,911 words. Whew! Makes me tired thinking about it.


I always vacillate between "fluff" and "substance." It is easy to get distracted by "fluff" and miss what is all around us.


Carl Sanburg, the great American writer said, "There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud."


Reading keeps my mind sharp and allows me to focus on substance when the world around me tempts me with fluff.


This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. Colossians 1:26


Where is your focus? Substance or fluff?


Just a thought

Porches

I love front porches. We had one when I was a kid growing up. Porches are places to pontificate. Front porches are mostly non-existent today and so are the conversations they fostered.

I was thinking about porches today. Here's what came to my mind...

"If you can't run with the big dogs, then stay on the porch."

“Friends are the pillars on your porch. Sometimes they hold you up, sometimes they lean on you, and sometimes it's just enough to know that they are standing by.”

“The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say a word, then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation that you ever had.”

Here's my favorite...

"Don't live on the porch and think you are in the house."

Francois Fenelon wrote those words in the late 1690's. Insightfully he suggested that many people today never delve deeper into matters of faith. They are content to "live on the porch" and never "enter into the house."

"Enter with the password: "Thank you!" Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. " Psalm 100:4 (The Message)

As a kid I often heard these words...."Get in the house!" Today I am hearing my Father say, "Get in the house!"

There is a big difference between "porch-sitting" and "house-dwelling."

Where are you sitting these days?

Artists

St. Francis of Assisi was right.

He captured the heart of the church and understood nuances that slipped past many of his contemporaries. Describing those he served he said, "He who works with his hands is a labourer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands, his head and his heart is an artist."

The church is made up of laborers, craftsmen and artists."

All are sacred. All are essential. All are important to fulfilling the church's calling.

I know some of all three.

Everytime I meet a laborer I am grateful for their work. When I meet a craftsman I marvel at their ability. When I encounter an artist I am in awe. God works equally in all three. It is my perceptions of each that labels one more important than another.

Some days I am a laborer...occasionally I am a craftsman...once in a while I feel like an artist.

Last year while on a trip through the Smoky Mountains I watched as a young lady created artwork on pottery. She worked effortlessly at her craft. Standing there, the verse from Isaiah came to my mind.

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8.

I want to be clay in the hands of the Master Artist.

How about you?

Gifts

What a paradox.

One person can afford any birthday gift they want, another will celebrate his tenth birthday with no birthday gifts. What a paradox.

The invitation came via email. You know the kind you get on a regular basis. As soon as the invitation comes, you ask, "what do I get the person who has everything?"

Embedded in the invitation were familiar words...Please, do not bring a gift, it is not about the gift, it is about fun with friends!!!! I love the sound of that. Friends.

Then these words got my attention....If you feel you can not comply with the no gift policy, please gift someone else on behalf of me and let me know what you did. Wow! The possibilities are endless.

Here is where the 10 year old boy comes into the picture. He is the son of a another friend of ours. He lives in an area of town where gifts are few and far between. What a contrast.

So, last night we went to the party. We brought our card to the person who sent the invitation. Inside the card we wrote these words...You have been such a blessing in our lives. We are giving a birthday gift on your behalf to a little ten year old boy who will not be receiving a party or any gifts for his birthday. Because you have blessed us, we will bless him with a gift. Thanks for your friendship.

I am so thankful for all that I have....friends, family, health, work, and hundreds of other things. It was a blessing to attend the birthday party of a friend, it will be a blessing to give a gift to a little boy who we have never met, it is sheer joy to think that it will bring joy to both.

Affluenza is killing us. What would happen if we decided to bless others in the same way we have been blessed. I think my friend has caught on...Please do not bring a gift, it is not about the gift... It's about the gifts God gives.

But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. Galatians 5:22 The Message

What do you think?

Stunt

Reading The New York Times over lunch today, I ran across a small article that captured my attention. It started on the front page with a small blurb tucked at the bottom of the page. The teaser said, The Washington Post received 6 Pulitzers, the most received by any newspaper in a given year. The New York Times won two.

My attention was piqued.

A Pulitzer Prize was awarded to Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post for Feature Writing.

In minute detail he portrays an account of a Grammy Award winning violinist by the name of Joshua Bell playing anonymously outside of a subway station during rush hour.

People would easily pay over a hundred dollars a ticket to see him perform in concert halls in any major city.

But here he was playing anonymously outside of a subway station during the city's busiest time. Weingarten was curious if people would stop and listen to this virtuoso.

Meticulously recording every detail, Weingarten noted that during 45 minutes over a thousand commuters hurried past Joshua Bell. As the violinist prepared to put his instrument back in its case, he fumbled the loose change and added it up. $32.17

That in itself is shocking. What is even more shocking was that Weingarten, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, admitted later that the whole thing was a stunt. Yes, the journalist had orchestrated the whole thing.

A stunt.

I am not sure how I feel about all of that. I am intrigued by the fact that Joshua Bell played for 45 minutes to a passing crowd of over a thousand and made $32.17. The fruit tray in the green room of large concert halls where he played probably cost more than $32.17

How could people miss the fact that in their presence was a concert genius? How did they see past the fact that the same music in the concert hall was available outside at the mouth of the subway?

It has caused me to wonder. Do I miss genius just because it doesn't appear in a package that I would recognize? Do I fail to experience the work of the Master because it is on the street rather than in a church?

Just a thought.