Hello Everyone!
I pray all of you are doing well and that all of you have been intentional about your Lenten journey this year. It is in this time of Lent that we break down the ego, the pride, the barriers, that have kept us from experiencing the fullness of Christ in our lives. We take the time to shed the sins that have kept us from growing into mature Christians and seek the redeeming power of Christ's grace in the newness He brings.
I would like to share with you a story from Malcolm Muggeridge's book Something Beautiful for God that has been challenging me this week as I journey with Jesus.
I ran away and stayed away; Mother Teresa moved in and stayed. That was the difference. She, a nun, rather slightly built, with a few rupees in her pocket; not particularly clever, or particularly gifted in the arts of persuasion. Just with this Christian love shining about her; in her heart and on her lips. Just prepared to follow her Lord, and in accordance with his instructions regard every derelict left to die in the streets as him; to hear in the cry of every abandoned child, even in the tiny squeak of the discarded fetus, the cry of the Bethlehem child; to recognize in every leper's stumps the hands which once touched sightless eyes and made them see, rested on distracted heads and made them calm, brought back health to sick flesh and twisted limbs. As for my expatiations on Bengal's wretched social conditions - I regret to say that I doubt whether, in any divine accounting, they will equal one single quizzical half smile bestowed by Mother Teresa on a street urchin who happened to catch her eye.
As I shared this with the staff of the church this week, Pastor Emily pointed out the part at the begining which said, "she stayed". I have been thinking about that act all week. How, in the midst of the mire and muck, the nastiness, the death, the disease, the condemnation - she stayed.
My high spiritual opinion of myself would lead me to think that I would stay, too. But then again, I have trouble staying with people that talk bad about me or people I don't agree with. I struggle with staying with people who have a bad attitude or those who can only find something to complain about. I have trouble staying true to my own promises - to myself and to God. What makes me think, that in all of that human suffering, I would stay?
Here is what I know - Jesus stayed. He came in the midst of human suffering and misguided souls and He stayed. He stayed when the crowds turned against Him and tried to throw Him off a cliff. He stayed when the religious leaders tried to discredit Him. He stayed when His own friend plotted against Him. He stayed when the authorities came to arrest Him. He stayed when they nailed Him to the cross. He stayed. And, He is with us today.
I pray, that as I continue to grow in Christ, He will give me a heart that stays - even when every other fiber of my being wants to leave. That is love that comes from God...when we are willing to stay, even in the midst of suffering because we realize Jesus stayed and continues to be with us.
Loving God, thank you for coming into my life and taking up residence in my heart. Forgive me for running away from time to time. Create within me a heart that stays even when my reaction is to leave. I want my life to honor you, Jesus by loving how You loved and living how You lived. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Climate Change
Hello!
This month I haven't been as consistent in my weekly blog. I apologize. Last week I was at a conference in Phoenix, Arizona that shared with us the shifting culture we live in and it challenged church leaders to discover new ways to be in ministry with our changing culture. It was a good conference that offered a great deal of food for thought.
As I processed everything I learned at the conference, I realized that climate change is alive and well in the church. We hear alot about climate change in our media, the government, and some scientific institutions. I am not hear to argue for or against, because, quite frankly, my main concern is the obvious climate change that is happening within the church itself. We all know that "church" as we have come to know it is changing. Some see it as a threat to the gospel. Others welcome the changes with open arms. While most people are trying to figure out how the changes are going to affect them.
We all know that we live in a culture that has become increasingly selfish, me-motivated, and highly relativistic. These characteristics have worked their way into the church and to combat these challenges, the church is having to change the way in which we are in ministry with one another...the way we are the church together.
The younger generations (I am included in that) are becoming increasingly skeptical about the institution of church. It has become a political system more than a spiritual one. It has looked out for itself and its own survival more than it has looked out for "the least of these" among us. It has focused more on being right (theologicall, doctrinally, etc.) than it has on being right (righteousness) with God. To be honest, the church has lost its right to be an authority in the lives of those it has been called to serve. The church has lost its way on many fronts.
I have mentioned before, that for decades the church has slowly but surely abdicated its authority and responsibilities to government and other social and civic institutions. We have turned turtle and gone inside of ourselves. As a result, we are growing generations of Christians who are biblically illiterate and spiritually bankrupt. We have grown members, not disciples.
This is not just my opinion, but the research and statistics prove it to be true. As a result, the church's climate has changed and a new generation is rising up and saying, "We need to change the climate again. We need to get back to being the church, putting our faith into action, making Jesus real through the relationships we build. The church can once again be a transforming power in our lives and in our communities, but we are going to have to change the climate." And, that is not always easy.
Here is what I suggest. Yesterday, was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of our Lenten season. Often times, and rightly so, our focus during Lent is on our individual relationship with Jesus Christ. We confess our sins and seek our Lord's forgiveness. Some of us give something up that has been keeping us down. We substitute that with something that will bring growth and health to our lives (exercising, reading Scripture, strengthening our prayer life, becoming more vulnerable in our relationships, etc.). These 40 days of Lent lead us to resurrection...to newness...where the old is gone and passed away and the new life is lived!
Maybe we should also focus ourselves as a church. Maybe we should also honestly assess our ability to be holy and spiritually healthy. Maybe we should confess the ways we have turned people away and seen ourselves as "to big to fail". Maybe we should journey together toward resurrection, newness, and LIFE! Instead of being afraid of the climate change in the church, we ask God to direct us and lead us to new ways of reaching people and building relationships for the sake of our Savior. Maybe we embrace the change and thank God for using us broken vessels to carry the living water of hope in Him.
What do you think? Are we too entrenched in the old way that we won't allow God to make us new? Or, are we broken enough, empty enough, open enough, for God to restore us to new things?
Almighty God, forgive us when the lives we lead bring recognition to ourselves and do not point to your greatness and mercy. Forgive our arrogance and our piousness. Restore us and make us new again. Restore our relationships with each other. Strengthen our relationship with you. Help us to see this world with new eyes and serve this world with renewed purpose so that Your Body may be what you originally created it to be. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen.
This month I haven't been as consistent in my weekly blog. I apologize. Last week I was at a conference in Phoenix, Arizona that shared with us the shifting culture we live in and it challenged church leaders to discover new ways to be in ministry with our changing culture. It was a good conference that offered a great deal of food for thought.
As I processed everything I learned at the conference, I realized that climate change is alive and well in the church. We hear alot about climate change in our media, the government, and some scientific institutions. I am not hear to argue for or against, because, quite frankly, my main concern is the obvious climate change that is happening within the church itself. We all know that "church" as we have come to know it is changing. Some see it as a threat to the gospel. Others welcome the changes with open arms. While most people are trying to figure out how the changes are going to affect them.
We all know that we live in a culture that has become increasingly selfish, me-motivated, and highly relativistic. These characteristics have worked their way into the church and to combat these challenges, the church is having to change the way in which we are in ministry with one another...the way we are the church together.
The younger generations (I am included in that) are becoming increasingly skeptical about the institution of church. It has become a political system more than a spiritual one. It has looked out for itself and its own survival more than it has looked out for "the least of these" among us. It has focused more on being right (theologicall, doctrinally, etc.) than it has on being right (righteousness) with God. To be honest, the church has lost its right to be an authority in the lives of those it has been called to serve. The church has lost its way on many fronts.
I have mentioned before, that for decades the church has slowly but surely abdicated its authority and responsibilities to government and other social and civic institutions. We have turned turtle and gone inside of ourselves. As a result, we are growing generations of Christians who are biblically illiterate and spiritually bankrupt. We have grown members, not disciples.
This is not just my opinion, but the research and statistics prove it to be true. As a result, the church's climate has changed and a new generation is rising up and saying, "We need to change the climate again. We need to get back to being the church, putting our faith into action, making Jesus real through the relationships we build. The church can once again be a transforming power in our lives and in our communities, but we are going to have to change the climate." And, that is not always easy.
Here is what I suggest. Yesterday, was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of our Lenten season. Often times, and rightly so, our focus during Lent is on our individual relationship with Jesus Christ. We confess our sins and seek our Lord's forgiveness. Some of us give something up that has been keeping us down. We substitute that with something that will bring growth and health to our lives (exercising, reading Scripture, strengthening our prayer life, becoming more vulnerable in our relationships, etc.). These 40 days of Lent lead us to resurrection...to newness...where the old is gone and passed away and the new life is lived!
Maybe we should also focus ourselves as a church. Maybe we should also honestly assess our ability to be holy and spiritually healthy. Maybe we should confess the ways we have turned people away and seen ourselves as "to big to fail". Maybe we should journey together toward resurrection, newness, and LIFE! Instead of being afraid of the climate change in the church, we ask God to direct us and lead us to new ways of reaching people and building relationships for the sake of our Savior. Maybe we embrace the change and thank God for using us broken vessels to carry the living water of hope in Him.
What do you think? Are we too entrenched in the old way that we won't allow God to make us new? Or, are we broken enough, empty enough, open enough, for God to restore us to new things?
Almighty God, forgive us when the lives we lead bring recognition to ourselves and do not point to your greatness and mercy. Forgive our arrogance and our piousness. Restore us and make us new again. Restore our relationships with each other. Strengthen our relationship with you. Help us to see this world with new eyes and serve this world with renewed purpose so that Your Body may be what you originally created it to be. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Scattered Thoughts
Hello!
Sorry I missed last week. Life got the best of me and I didn't have a chance to check-in.
Life is going well this week as I am preparing to go to a Sharefest luncheon for the pastors in Fremont County to tell them about a great opportunity for the Body of Christ to truly be the hands and feet of Jesus! I know God will work in a mighty way to bring the Body of Christ together and begin His transformative work among us.
With everything on my plate, my mind is a bit scattered so I wanted to share just a couple of things that have kept me going over the last couple of weeks.
The first is a quote I received from a LIFE group devotion that I am a member of. It is not only funny, but profound:
"Live your life so that when you wake up in the morning and your feet hit the floor, the devil says, 'Oh crud, they're up!'"
Another one is something I received from Jan Blue as she was responding to one of my blogs about Significance. This quote comes from The Bible in One Year: "Here's the key to significance: fulfilling our unique, God-given, eternal purpose. In this life, we do not labor to leave a physical legacy or waste our days pursuing pleasure. Instead, we help those in need, influence our culture, and reach out to the lost. And when a believer enters the heavenly place Jesus has prepared, he or she keeps on working for Him."
May these words work their way into your heart and mind, as Christ continues His wonderful work in you.
Precious Lord, even when my mind is scattered, You are there to remind me of Your presence n my life in very simple ways. May I be open to Your movement in my life and to the glimpses of Your holy presence that you show me throughout my scattered day. In Jesus' Holy Name. Amen.
Take Care & God Bless,
Pastor Don
Sorry I missed last week. Life got the best of me and I didn't have a chance to check-in.
Life is going well this week as I am preparing to go to a Sharefest luncheon for the pastors in Fremont County to tell them about a great opportunity for the Body of Christ to truly be the hands and feet of Jesus! I know God will work in a mighty way to bring the Body of Christ together and begin His transformative work among us.
With everything on my plate, my mind is a bit scattered so I wanted to share just a couple of things that have kept me going over the last couple of weeks.
The first is a quote I received from a LIFE group devotion that I am a member of. It is not only funny, but profound:
"Live your life so that when you wake up in the morning and your feet hit the floor, the devil says, 'Oh crud, they're up!'"
Another one is something I received from Jan Blue as she was responding to one of my blogs about Significance. This quote comes from The Bible in One Year: "Here's the key to significance: fulfilling our unique, God-given, eternal purpose. In this life, we do not labor to leave a physical legacy or waste our days pursuing pleasure. Instead, we help those in need, influence our culture, and reach out to the lost. And when a believer enters the heavenly place Jesus has prepared, he or she keeps on working for Him."
May these words work their way into your heart and mind, as Christ continues His wonderful work in you.
Precious Lord, even when my mind is scattered, You are there to remind me of Your presence n my life in very simple ways. May I be open to Your movement in my life and to the glimpses of Your holy presence that you show me throughout my scattered day. In Jesus' Holy Name. Amen.
Take Care & God Bless,
Pastor Don
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