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Does It Seem Like You Are Just Spinning Your Wheels in Life? in MInistry?

Does It Seem Like You Are Just Spinning Your Wheels in Life? in MInistry?

Jan 15

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Devotional/Discussion Thought of the Week:

 3  He said to me, “You’re my dear servant, Israel, through whom I’ll shine.” 4  But I said, “I’ve worked for nothing. I’ve nothing to show for a life of hard work. Nevertheless, I’ll let GOD have the last word. I’ll let him pronounce his verdict.”  Isaiah 49:3-4 (MSG)

657 Sometimes the immediate future is full of worries, if we stop seeing things in a supernatural way. So, faith, my child, faith… and more deeds. In that way it is certain that our Father God will continue to solve your problems.

658  God’s ordinary providence is a continual miracle; but He will use extraordinary means when they are required.  (1) 

One of the better professors I had in my Master’s program taught young pastors to be to never change anything in their churches, until they could mourn the loss the change caused.

His idea was two-fold, the first that we need to work in ministry patiently, not just changing things, whether to make them more tranditional or more missional (which I don’t think are contrary – though I admit many do).  Things will not become more successful just because you change how you go about things.  Far too often we have the attitude, the view of the servant in Isaiah, we look around and do not see any results for our labors, for our sacrifice.  So we get desparate to see results, and we react by changing eerything to produce the results we want.  We may try to become “holier” to do things in a more regiemented, disciplined way that seems to have worked at some point in the past.  Or we may try to throw off the past, and do tings that get back to the “core” of the early church, far more missional/apostolic.

In both cases, we are not trusting in the providence of God, but rather in the direction we feel should be set, often without looking to see where we are at, what we are doing.  We want results now, great, glorious results, results that are undeniably miraculous, and to which we can point to a place in time and say, it was at this point, when we discovered, revealed, made this change… that it all happened.

I would contend that our desire to change things – either to restore the practices of the past (romantically viewing them as the solution because the church was so perfect or to make them cutting edge to see better results) can be driven by despair, by frustration, by the feeling that we are simply spinning our wheels in ministry.  I am not saying we shouldn’t evaluate what we are doing, or that there shouldn’t be a standard that includes both scriptural integrity and pragmatic effectiveness (does our preaching Christ crucified communicate) but that spinning our wheels may only be in our perpspective.

So the first question we should ask – are we trusting in God in doing what we are doing now?  Are we working form the assumption that God is already working within us, within our lives, within in our ministries?  Do we see His hand in our present situation, providing for us, caring for each of us?  Or are we seeing the “spinning of wheels” as evidence to the contrary?  Do we see the supernatural miraculous, the sacred that is already occuring in our midst?

You see, its easy to see the lack of our effect easily, it is almost our default – our impatience, our self-determination taking over, but faith demands seeing God at work, even when we don’t see it in our own lives.  To know He is there, listening comforting, strengthening.  He is at work through HIs word, which never returns void, and in the sacrament, the word combined by God with water, with bread and wine, through the hands and voices of the people of God. THat His work is always beneficial, that it always provides results, including the greatest of results, calling us into His presence.

From that position, we perceive our work differently, we trust in His judgment more, we rely on HIm, more, and ours plans are synthesised into His will.

Breathe, be still and know that He is God…. then having heard, realize His glory will be seen in your life, in your work.  AMEN!

 

(1)   Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 2419-2423). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.

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Does anyone really know what time it is?

Aug 18

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"Saint Francis embracing Christ on the Cr...

“Saint Francis embracing Christ on the Cross” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Does anyone really know what time it is?

Luke 12:49-56

 

† Jesus, Son, Deliverer †

My friends, may you be very careful about the sort of lives you lead, living  like intelligent and not like senseless people.  May you make the best of the present time, for it is a wicked age. 17  This is why you must not be thoughtless but must recognize what is the will of the Lord. AMEN!    Adapted from Ephesians 5:15-17 (NJB)

Synchronize your watches

         

The men are gathered around their leader, excited, anxious, a bit nerve-wracked as they consider what it will take to come out of this alive, and more importantly, bring those that they have been sent to rescue out alive.

They have gone over the plan, time and time again. They have it memorized, the exact time each will be called on to do their part, right down to the second.   They know the signals, the potential obstacles, and as they once last time are briefed, the leader calls for them to synchronize their watches, it is 9:35 on my mark….mark!

Timing is very important.  Knowing what time it is, can be critical. (except during the sermon)

When Jesus is talking to the crowd about timing, about how they should know what time it is, they cannot quite comprehend the mission He is on, nor perhaps can they understand how it will change their lives.

It is time for something to happen, for God is in their midst.  Jesus the Messiah is talking to them – and all of the promises of His work in preparing them to be the people of God are coming true, right before their eyes.

But that action will call for a painful division, one that cuts right through their souls, right through their hearts.

Jesus has been teaching them, and we’ve been hearing Him teach them for 3 weeks, about His work… really, we’ve been hearing Him talk to us, calling us to realize it’s time.

The question today is like the title of an old Chicago song…”does anyone really know what time it is?”

and if we do, are we ready for what needs to take place, within us, within our world?

The High Cost of the Mission

As Christ has spoken to us through the gospel readings this week and the previous two weeks, He has asked us about our priorities, or perspective in life and yes, our loyalty.

It’s not that there is something wrong with wealth, or things, or family.  Each has its place; each has it’s time; each should be treasured as a gift from God. The challenge is when they become more important that our relationship with God.  Make no mistake, the cost of hearing God’s love and responding to it, trusting in Him, can divide us from anything.

It can mean we realize that money or careers are not our priority.
It can mean we realize that even relationships with family and friends don’t quite compare.

Luther found this out, when he realized God wanted him to be a priest, his father wanted to disown him.  Francis of Assisi’s dad locked him up in a storage area that was 3 feet tall and 5 feet long because he wanted to become a monk.  Some relatives may call us nuts or fanatics, we may struggle to explain to them why our relationship with God is our highest priority…there is division… at first.

We may even struggle with this cost… after all, worldy logic tells us that blood is thicker than water… though I don’t think they understood the power of this water when the word of God is applied with it.

The temptation is simple – to allow the Trinity to be overlooked.  To see God’s mission to take a back seat, to be blind to our time with family to be time invested in God’s mission. Whenever  we forget it is time to see God at work, we’ve allowed false God’s to slip in,

Back to the question for us, which means more to us? Is it our relationship with God, or how we define ourselves apart from Him?
If it is time to see God’s Kingdom come in its fullness among us, if we are going to find our lives set apart completely for God’s use, then that means that we will be divided from things, and potentially our relationships with others will change.

And we need to ask are we ready for this time?

If we answer ourselves honestly, to really see our loyalty and how we invest our time and effort being centered in our relationship with Christ, we are going to need help.  Lots of it!

Christ’s desire

         

But as is the case over and over, when we have to face the harsh reality and demands of our life of faith, we find the one in whom we have faith.  I love the way the New Living Translation puts the first two verses of the gospel.

I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! 50  I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished.

 

The two verses are a parallelism – they are saying the same thing. What will set the world on fire – what will devour us, is the very baptism of suffering that Jesus would endure.  For us, that He endured.  Next year – on good Friday, you will hear Jesus proclaim “It is finished” (well you can read it before then too!) It is the same root word as accomplished.  For as He dies, everything in the universe changes – the world is consumed there on the cross – along with all of us, and our sin.

But I want you specifically to see the desire of Jesus – He wants to get on to this, He is under a heavy burden, waiting for His crucifixion!  Not because of the nature of the suffering, but because of what it brings – our deliverance, our salvation, our being united to Him, our being freed from burdens of sin, anxiety over death, from the oppression of Satan.

All of that will be consumed at the cross. All of that was consumed at the cross…

Being on fire for Christ, as some talk about it, is about His suffering, His death, consuming our sin, our idolatry.  It’s about responding to Christ’s enduring the cross because of the incredible joy that God, Father, Son and Spirit would have, with our life in Christ secure.

Look at the cover of the bulletin – that is what the author of Hebrews, tells us, in the chapter after our epistle reading….

What all of those people of faith looked forward to.. it is time for… time to..

2  Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection: for the sake of the joy which lay ahead of him, he endured the cross, disregarding the shame of it, and has taken his seat at the right of God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2 (NJB)

 

That’s the fire that changes everything – this baptism of suffering which Christ endures.  It causes a fire of love, of faith, something which consumes our hearts and minds, something that transforms them, purifying us, assuring us of God’s love in a way that is not illogical – but greater than any logic we can understand…

it’s like the blessing which I started the sermon with…

May you make the best of the present time, for it is a wicked age. 17  This is why you must not be thoughtless but must recognize what is the will of the Lord. AMEN!

The will of God, His greatest desire… to feast with you, to pour out His love upon you, to help you realize you are never alone, but that He would cleanse of all our idolatry, that He would divide us from the world in a sense, but give us back that same world and many of those relationships as they are cured of their brokenness, that they are healed of the sin which so ravaged them.

Because of His love for us…

His burden is over now… the wish that the fire were already burning is no longer needed – this fire, this desire to see the world saved – it is kindling in us, and as we come to realize how great the Father’s love for us is…. It will burn brighter and brighter, as we desire that all the people we know join us…all the people we meet, for as they join us at this altar, we know that they will join us before His throne…..

So yes – may you daily recognize what is the will of the Lord…

That because of the cross, because of Christ’s love, we would dwell now and forever in His peace, the peace that passes all understanding and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  AMEN?

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Do we do “devotions” or are we devoted?

Jan 22

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29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 (ESV)

9 “I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. John 15:9 (MSG)

14 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, 15 this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. 16 I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength— 17 that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, 18 you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! 19 Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19 (MSG)
Jesus has died. He is a corpse. Those holy women had no expectations. They had seen how he had been abused, and how he had been crucified. How vivid in their minds was the violence of the Passion he had undergone! They knew, too, that the soldiers were keeping watch over the place. They knew that the tomb was sealed shut: “Who will roll away the stone for us from the door?” they asked themselves, for it was a massive slab. But all the same…, in spite of everything, they went to be with him. Look: difficulties, large and small, can be seen at once… But if there is love, one pays no heed to those obstacles: one goes ahead with daring, with conviction, with courage. Don’t you have to confess your shame when you contemplate the drive, the daring and the courage of these women?  (1)

We hear these words from the Gospels often, we talk of the love of God weekly, if not daily, but how often do we do it?  Would we go and challenge soldiers – an attempt to move away a stone from a tomb, out of love for our Rabbi who has died?  How much more should we strive to show our love to the Resurrected Lord of Lords and King of Kings?  They  went to be with His body, the body given for them, even though they couldn’t understand this completely, they knew the miracles he had done, they had even been the recipients of that kind of grace – and they didn’t realize the grace that was about to be revealed.

Still they went!

How can we show Him a love that has recognized His love for us, the passion that God has, passion that would lead to that grave.  How can we respond in love?

John tells us, in the verses following that we remain in His love by treasuring that which He has commissioned – we often see that translated commandments – but it is more than the 10 – it is the life that God has called us to dwell in – the very work of art (Eph 2:10) that we have been created for – which includes the work – that He has planned for us.

This is nothing more, and certainly nothing less, than walking with Christ.  Realizing that each day is a gift – one that we can be at His side, as He continues to call people into a relationship with Him.  They would be our family, our friends, our co-workers, or even people we meet on the other side of the world from home.  We can’t do this simply out of a desire to obey so that we get something.  We would soon dry out, become weary, give up.

But if we love Him, if we come to adore the Lord who adores us enough to be buried… then we come….

Think often today of God’s love,

4 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, 15 this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. 16 I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength— 17 that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, 18 you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! 19 Live full lives, full in the fullness of God! Ephesians 3:14-19 (MSG)

Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 2489-2496). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.

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Focus, and Completing the Task

Dec 31

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 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)

18 All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (TEV) 

Nearly fifteen years ago, I lay on a table in a hospital, as an angiogram was being done by my cardiologist.  Above the table were a number of television monitors, all black and white, and the showed the progress of the camera as it was inserted into my thigh, and was run my leg into my heart.  A bit disconcerting — and yet fascinating.

What was even mroe fascinating was the focus of Dr. Silver.  His focus as he guided the devise was not on me, but on the cameras, his attention completed devoted and dedicated to task at hand, but yet, not on the work of his hands.  It was on the monitors- as they showed him where he was going – and what he needed to see.  It was a bit disconcerting – there he was – moving his hands, working on me.., but almost unaware that I was there.

As I contemplate the end of a very difficult year of ministry, (difficult because of a high level of trauma for the people in my congregation and those around me) and as I am praying this morning, and coming across these verses, I think our “success” as a congregation, and our focus has been much like my cardiologist Stephen’s.  For indeed, this small church has grown very strong in its faith.. and people have persevered through things.. that are beyond challenging.   For while we are working on things below, while we are struggling with the situations down here, the work requires our focus somewhere else – our focus is to be on Jesus Christ, on the love of God the Father, listening as they reveal the height and width, the depth and breadth of their love for us shown through Christ.

As we interact, as we dance in that love, as God leads us through life, the essential work we do requires that focus, even though our… mind tells us to look at what we are doing, to look at where our hands are moving.  There is our challenge, to be in communication with God – to have our focal point on Him.

It is like the words of a priest…written in a book called, “The Forge”

“To think of Christ’s Death means to be invited to face up to our everyday tasks with complete sincerity, and to take the faith that we profess seriously. It has to be an opportunity to go deeper into the depths of God’s Love, so as to be able to show that Love to men with our words and deeds.”  (1)

 

So look deep – deeply focus on the love of God – revealed to you – for you in Christ Jesus.  Keep your eyes on Him as you endure each day… for it is then, that you do you best work, even though it seems you are not…focused on what you are doing.

May your next year be filled with His love, His mercy and many blessings.  AMEN †

 

 

 

(1)  Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 2141-2144). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.

 

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A Little Boy’s Dream fulfilled…what is yours?

Sep 17

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Devotional Thought of the Day:

It was about two years ago, as his mom did the Old Testament and Epistle readings of the day.  As she returned to her seat, he asked, since he was reading already, if he could read God’s word to the God’s people.   “Someday you will do it, when you are older,” replied his father, who happened to be the pastor.   To be honest I was thinking during confirmation a decade away…. I would have never expected two years.  Even for William that would be something incredible.  Yet, yesterday, with more seriousness than I have ever seen, he got up, walked over, bowed,  stepped up onto a step, and read a passage from Isaiah clearly, and with incredible skill – especially for a 5 year old.

I was proud of him on many levels, especially as I heard the reaction of our church, and heard how he ministered to them.  He was nervous, and did it anyway.  Although he originally wanted his mom to stand by him, he decided he wanted to do this, for God, all by himself.  When I realized my wife video’d it, sending it to a few family members seemed like a nice idea, as we figured they would be proud of him.  His dream was fulfilled and he did it well and seriously.

As I look over the comments this morning that people have made about it. I wonder how often we give up on that which God has called us to do.  Maybe it’s reading His word in public, ( I have a number of eloquent people who are very afraid of doing that! ) Or maybe it is talking to people about why you have hope?  Maybe it is studying to become a deacon, or a pastor, or going on a mission field to some remote land, or the inner city a few miles down the road.  Or maybe it is the most challenging thing (in my opinion), going to someone you’ve hurt, or been hurt by, and with great love, attempting to restore the relationship that was broken.  Perhaps it is simply living, where you are at, working among the same people, in the same vocation, but striving to do so in a way that glorifies God.

It may be titled a dream, or a calling, it may scare the heck out of you, it may seem impossible.

Ever see a five year old read 4 syllable words to a church filled with people?

Yeah – if God can help William achieve something he talked about for weeks a few years back, and still brought up – even two weeks ago… He’ll be with you…..

BTW – here is William’s video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_7RAYbvPQE&feature=g-upl

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Convenient Christianity

Jun 18

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Devotional/Discussion thought of the Day:

“ Another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say good-bye to my people at home.’ 62 Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’ “
Luke 9:61-62 (NJB)

As a pastor, I struggle a lot with those who have the attitude told in this passage.  Who say, “Pastor my faith means everything, but I am going to have to miss church (or Bible Study, or even their own devotional prayer time) because I must go and …(insert favorite hobby, activity, vacation, etc)
Of course, if I am honest, I am not much better, for I will allow things to crash my personal time with God, and there are days… if I didn’t have to go to church, I wouldn’t.  Partially because I wonder if what I do is effective enough, or whether it is worth the sacrifice that it costs – sacrifices to me, to my wife and son, to my parents and other relatives.
And then I come across this passage, and others like it, and I feel guilt, or sometimes I want to use this passage and the hundreds like it to provoke guilt in those whose commitment is divided, whose life shows the brokenness that comes from not spending it with God.

It’s not how it works though – for if we only do religious things because we have to, because we have an obligation to, because if we don’t, we feel guilty, then we’ve missed the point.

Religion isn’t about obligations, Christianity isn’t about obeying the commandments for the commandments sake,

It’s about walking (following is a word that denotes going on the same journey with the one we follow) with Christ – sharing our lives even as He has shared His life with us.

The reason my Christianity tends to be “convenient”, the reason Conventient Christianity is the fastest spreading form of it in our area… is because we don’t grasp the treasure of those simple words, “The Lord is with you”.

Lord, help us to know, to intimately get this truth, help us to encourage others to grasp it as well.  Help us to follow – and to realize nothing is as precious as our time spent with You and yours…
 

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Stress Redux

A couple of hours ago, I wrote a post on Stress….

Interestingly, this came up in my devotions, not to long after: ( thinks got a bit off of schedule this morning)

“You suffer a lot because you realize that you don’t make the grade.  You would like to do more, and do it more effectively, but very often you do things in a complete daze, or you don’t dare to do them at all.
Contra spem, in spem, – live in certain hope, against all hope!  Rely on that firm rock which will save you and help you on!  It is a wonderful theological virtue, which will encourage you to press on, without being afraid of going to far, and will not let you stop.
Don’t look so troubled!  Yes cultivating hope means strengthening the will! ”  (Escriva †)

This pretty much says it – the reason we have hope – is the Rock, our Lord Jesus Christ.  It is there we start  – it is in Him we live… It is His work..that gives us hope – and as we see that hope – we find His strength – which allows us to serve… and live… and realize we walk in Him!

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