|
|
From the PastorWant to get pastor Ken's wit and wisdom delivered fresh every week? Subscribe to his blog using the RSS icon below.  Faith at a Snail's PaceFriday, February 03, 2012 A guy hears a knocking on his door. He opens it up, and no one is there. He looks all around and he finally sees a little snail sitting on the doormat. He picks it up and throws it across the street into a field.
Ten years later, he hears a knocking on his door again. He opens it up and no one is there. He looks all around, and he finally sees a little snail sitting on the doormat.
The snail says, "What was that all about?"
I got that joke in my email box a while back. I shared it with a few people, but not many enjoyed it like I did. I'm not sure what that means. I think it's funny to me because I "get it." I mean, I really "get it." Or, maybe it's just one of those "you had to be there" things.
And I really feel like I've been there. My years of serving the Lord have rarely been what I expected. There have been good times, as well as frustrating times. Often, to be honest, there was seeming hopelessness and despair. We often asked, as we wandered through the wilderness and waited to see what God had in store for us, "Lord, what's taking so long?"
I thought of that after I had a conversation with my wife the other night when I took her out for dinner on her birthday. It was one of those times when we reflected on how God has led us, and taken us to where He has us now. We contemplated where we've been, where we are, and where we're going. And with that, we were essentially asking, like the snail, "What was that all about?"
Richard Hendrix said it this way: "Second only to suffering, waiting may be the greatest teacher and trainer in godliness, maturity and genuine spirituality most of us ever encounter." I very much believe that is true. I've never forgotten another quote I heard once: "Faith proves itself in our willingness to wait on the faithfulness of God." Even when waiting is not much fun.
As much I have spent a good deal of my life afflicted by it, I believe a lack of patience reveals, ultimately, a lack of trust in God. And maybe that's what the Lord is trying to teach all of us more than anything else. To place our faith in Him, and His perfect will.
Someone said of the aforementioned snail's pace, "Life by the yard is hard, but by the inch, anything's a cinch." So we inch along, seeking to walk in obedience, learning to trust the Father as we wait on Him.
May the Lord continue to grow you up in Him, as you walk with Him this week. I'm praying for you, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
--Pastor Ken A Return on Your InvestmentFriday, January 27, 2012 Father O'Malley answers the phone...
"Hello, is this Father O'Malley?" "It is."
"This is the IRS. Can you help us?" "I can."
"Do you know a Ted Houlihan?" "I do."
"Is he a member of your congregation?" "He is."
"Did he donate $10,000.00?" (pause)
"He will."
Someone sent me that joke a few weeks back and I was reminded of it as we prepare to distribute statements for your 2011 charitable contributions to our church. If you gave to our church last year by check or using an envelope, please be sure to pick up your statement this Sunday so you'll have a record for your tax deduction purposes--and so we can save the postage of mailing them. We're always trying to be good stewards of the financial contributions you make.
Now, let me say up front that I have no idea what your statement will say and how much money you gave our church--I've always tried to follow the Biblical decree to stay away from the "filthy lucre" (King James) when it comes to church money. God does know, however, as we looked at in last Sunday's message. Your right hand may not know what your left is doing, but He's paying attention. He who is keeping up with what you do in secret also promises to reward your faithfulness.
One thing I can tell you with confidence, however much you may have given, is that your investment into the Kingdom through the ministry of The Church at Shelby Crossings brought a very good return. Just as many of you are getting end-of-the-year financial investment statements in the mail these days, I thought I'd remind you of some of the dividends paid on what you gave to our church.
To begin with, we can celebrate that several people came to faith in Christ in the past year, at least three of whom we'll baptize this Sunday. Dozens more moved into deeper levels of discipleship than they had ever imagined. Families were changed--a number of marriages restored, and teenagers who turned back to following Christ. There were children who grew in their knowledge of God's word, and learned to live out the principles of Scripture. The hungry were fed, their homes kept warm, and a roof provided overhead (sometimes literally). Then there were the precious little ones who were adopted into new homes.
Outside of our walls, the impact of your investment was felt literally around the world. There are churches that are being planted in at least four continents outside of North America because of our church's mission support. There are orphans who have a roof over their head, food in their stomachs, and loving care the year round, not to mention the opportunity to hear the Gospel. There are ministries that are making a difference--some in very hard places, and others in fruitful missions where the work is joyous and the reports exciting. There are unwed mothers and unborn babies whose lives are preserved, and homeless men who are fed in the name of Jesus.
Thank you for your continued faithful "investment" into the ministry of The Church at Shelby Crossings. May we each be trustworthy managers of the resources God provides us, and may He be honored with the way we invest that which already belongs to Him to change the lives of others for eternity.
I'm so excited to be a part of The Church at Shelby Crossings, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken Caution Against Injudicious Prodigality Friday, January 20, 2012 Sometimes, the frantic pace of being a pastor, husband and father of several teenagers makes me think that there's just not enough time in the day. The past few weeks have been especially taxing, and more than a few times I've dreamed of a day with nothing on my plate. Those days are quite rare indeed.
I remember attending a conference for pastors many years ago, and hearing a noted speaker say something I've never forgotten: There's always enough time to do God's will. In other words, as busy as our days may be, God will never require more of us than the time of our life requires. And, if there's anything that gets in the way of us living our lives in God's will--if we're too busy--then those things need to be eliminated.
We have 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week, and God has a plan for us to steward the gift of life He's given us. Those of who who seek to be all things to all men--and do all things on all days--will quickly find out that we just can't do it all. Thankfuly, we were never intended to do so.
With that in mind, I thought I'd share a letter I came across this week that William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, once received from his wife Catherine when he was on a long and tiring ministry trip. The letter included these words:
Your Tuesday's notes arrived safe, and I was rejoiced to hear of the continued prosperity of your work, though sorry you were so worn out; I fear the effect of all this excitement and exertion upon your health, and though I would not hinder your usefulness, I would caution you against an injudicious prodigality of your strength.
Remember a long life of steady, consistent, holy labour will produce twice as much fruit as one shortened and destroyed by spasmodic and extravagant exertions; be careful and sparing of your strength when and where exertion is unnecessary.
Remember that William Booth was out doing good things, not wasting his time. His wife was not telling him to turn off the TV, quit surfing the web, or stop playing video games. This was in the mid 1800's, and he was engaged in giving himself to a ministry that was quite fruitful then, and would go on to impact millions in generations to come. But even then, the caution was to "be careful" and avoid an "injudicious prodigality of his strength."
We would all do well to heed the words of Catherine Booth (if we can understand them!), and seek to live "steady, consistent" lives submitted to God, instead of burning ourselves out trying to cram too much in our day. As someone once said, sometimes you have to stop and "sharpen the saw." You'll find you get a lot more wood cut when you take a break from sawing and make sure your saw is sharp.
My prayer for each of you in these busy times is that you would manage God's gift of time in a way that will maximize the fruit you bear as you live in the center of His will each day. May He be honored in all our lives as we live for Him.
What a privilege it is to be your pastor. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken The Rest of Your LifeFriday, January 13, 2012 A skydiving instructor was going through the question and answer period with his new students when one of them asked the usual question always asked: "If our 'chute doesn't open, and the reserve doesn't open, how long would we have till we hit the ground?"
The jump master looked at him and in perfect deadpan answered: "The rest of your life."
Each one of us could probably ask that question in one form or another. The reality is, none of us knows when our "chute" will fail, and our time on earth will come to an end. But we do know what we have left: the rest of our lives.
So the big question is, what are you doing with the rest of your life? I remember talking to someone a few years back who was consumed with his job, and he said, with the best of motives I think, that he wanted to spend the first half of his life making a lot of money so he could retire early and spend the second half giving it all away. My question to him was, how do you know when you reach half-time?
The psalmist said it this way: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12) In other words, since we can't count our days, we need to make our days count. We must start doing what we want to do with our lives now, since this is the only "rest of our lives" we'll ever have.
So, what is is that you plan to do "one of these days"? Spend more time with your family? Now's the time. Get in shape? Why wait? It'll never get any easier. Walk with God on a deeper, more consistent level? Don't put off a blessing you'll never regret.
You do realize that you have never been closer to the end of your life than now, don't you? I just wanted to encourage you with that. Since your time is running out, it's time to get on with it and become that person you've always wanted to be.
Have a blessed rest of your life! I'll see you Sunday.
--Pastor Ken Super-Hero FaithFriday, January 06, 2012 Some of you may be old enough to remember the TV show "Superman" of the 1950's and 1960's. It was a little before my time, but I have seen a few reruns. I also remember hearing as a child about how my older sister, after having watched the show, climbed up on top of the garage and tried to fly like Superman. It didn't work out so well for her. She broke her arm.
Anyway, the show would open every week with Superman flying faster than a speeding bullet and higher than the tallest building. Then he would stand still as someone shot at him because the bullets were supposedly bouncing right off. Then, as the criminal's gun ran out of bullets, the strangest thing always happened. The desperate bad guy would then throw his gun at Superman--and Superman would duck!
Why would the Man of Steel who is able to deflect bullets have to duck when a gun was thrown at him? I guess the powers of a super-hero only go so far.
No doubt, those powers are still pretty good at the movie box office. There have been dozens of successful movies the past few years that brought to the big screen the comic book superheroes and brought to their makers plenty of big bucks. From Captain America and the X-Men, to the Green Lantern and Green Hornet, to Spiderman and Batman and, of course, Superman, we do love those heroes. Maybe it's because they are larger than life and can come to our rescue.
I bring all this up in light of a good discussion we had in our small group on Wednesday night. We were discussing prayer--its power and possibilities, our struggles and inconsistencies--from James 5. The apostle includes an almost incidental illustration right in the middle of his call to pray. He says, "Elijah was a man just like us." And then he tells of Elijah's prayer and his faith in calling for drought, and then rain, as a prophet of God. God used Elijah in incredible ways--including one of my favorite Biblical stories when he faced down the prophets of Baal--and yet he was no superhero. He was "just like us."
I think we often look at the leading characters of the Bible as superhero-like and larger than life, even so much that we don't think we're capable of the things they did. But an important lesson of Scripture, from beginning to end, is that God uses ordinary people to do extra-ordinary things, when we put our faith in Him.
In some ways, there are similarities in those ordinary Biblical characters and our superheroes--and us. In reality, we are all the very ordinary Elijahs and Peter Parkers and Clark Kents who in and of ourselves won't make much of an impact on our world. However, when we allow God to work in us and through us, and His Spirit to supernaturally empower us, we see extraordinary things happen. You might not run faster than a locomotive, but you can do things you never imagined, with His help.
My prayer for all of us is not that we would be Superhero Christians in 2012, but that we would be faithful to Him, allowing Him to be honored through our obedience. If we do that, I assure you we'll all have a "super" year.
His grace is sufficient! I look forward to seeing each of you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken On Fresh Starts...and ChoicesFriday, December 30, 2011 We stand on the brink of a New Year, with all of the possibilities of a fresh start and the opportunity for yet another new beginning. This is the time of year when we are inclined to make resolutions about what we plan/hope/wish to do in the year ahead, most of which fade as quickly as the fireworks in the sky on New Year's Eve.
For that reason I will not suggest any new "New Year's resolutions," but I will recommend a few choices. We all have decisions before us as to what we will do and who we will be in the year ahead, and those choices will be grounded in the real-life priorities that shape our lives.
As we look back a year from now and evaluate the lives we lived in 2012--assuming of course, that the Mayans were as good at prophecy as they were at maintaining their civilization, and we are still around--whether we will have succeeded or failed will largely be determined by the choices we made. Let's make good choices, to live our lives according to God's will.
Specifically in regard to our church, I am excited and encouraged about what God is doing in the life of our fellowship. There is a fresh wind blowing, no doubt, and I believe God has great things in store for us in the year ahead as we serve Him together. Howeve, we are reminded that "our church" collectively is made up of a bunch of individuals, all of whom have our own choices to make.
With that in mind, I wanted to specifically encourage each of you and your family to commit yourselves to do at least these five things in the New Year:
- Pray diligently. Our church will only be as strong as our prayer lives, as we seek God's direction and His moving in our ministry. We can do what we can do, or we can ask God to do what He does. I prefer the latter. So...let us pray.
- Attend faithfully. Every member of this body needs every other member, both as we gather together for worship on Sundays and as we connect with one another in community in our small groups. So, "let us not forsake assembling ourselves together."
- Serve selflessly. Like Jesus, we're called to serve, more than to be served. Ask God to give you a servant's heart, and then open your eyes for opportunities to use it. See how you can give your life away in the year ahead.
- Reach out compassionately. It is time we regain our passion for seeing lost people saved. They need hope. We have it. Share it.
- Walk humbly with God. Ultimately, that's God's will for all of us, all the time. (Micah 6:8)
Happy New Year to each of you! May the Lord bless you and your family abundantly in the year ahead. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday as we kick off 2012 with a great day of worship together.
--Pastor Ken The Difference Jesus MakesFriday, December 23, 2011 "I want to live again, I want to live again," George Bailey cried out as he stood on the snow-covered bridge in Bedford Falls, the river dark and swirling below. With the help of Clarence Oddbody, Angel Second Class, George had discovered, to his horror, what life would have been like had he never been born.
No doubt you recognize that's the pivotal scene of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life," which makes its annual appearance on television this time of year (and is also showing this week at the Alabama Theater). Of all the Christmas classics, I would have to say that one is my favorite. Clarence the angel sums up the compelling theme of the movie so well in his words: "Each man's life touches to many other lives, and when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole."
With that in mind, I ask a different question this Christmas Eve eve, one that we should ask annually this time of year, as we remember and celebrate the birth of our Savior. What if Jesus had never been born? What difference would it have made in history or in our daily lives if a Bethlehem stable had not served as a makeshift delivery room for the promised Christ-child a little more than 2,000 years ago?
Dr. D. James Kennedy wrote a book with that very title--"What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?"--several years back, in which he gave persuasive evidence that people inspired by Jesus are responsible for everything from mass education, modern science, representative democracy, the elevation of women, the end of slavery, respect for life, and the creation of universities and hospitals. "Jesus Christ, the greatest man who ever lived, has changed virtually every aspect of human life--and most people don't know it." the author asserted. His truly was a wonderful life!
I doubt anyone would argue that the birth and life of Christ has not had a radical impact on world history. But my question for you today gets a little more personal.
What difference does His birth (and life, and death on the cross, and resurrection) make in your daily life? Is the promised "peace on earth" the angels sang about evident in your life, even in this stressed-out season? Does the hope of the coming of the promised Messiah sustain you in difficult times? Do the "glad tidings of great joy for all the people" show in the way you life your life?
If we celebrate only the birth and life of a historical figure from the 1st century without realizing His impact on our daily lives personally in the 21st century, then I believe we have missed the meaning of Christmas. He came to give us life, and peace, and hope and "great joy," not just in December but all the year round. I hope and pray, especially this holiday season, you have experienced those gifts of Christmas He came to bring.
So, from my family to yours, may you have a most blessed Christmas. I hope to see you Sunday at Shelby Crossings as we gather in His name to worship our Savior and King.
--Pastor Ken One of UsFriday, December 16, 2011 It's been sixteen years since a somewhat obscure singer named Joan Osborne released her hit song "One of Us." The song earned seven Grammy nominations, and made a virtually unknown singer an overnight sensation.
If you remember the song, you'll recall it was a song of spiritual questioning, about conceiving of God in a modern age. It ruffled the feathers of many conservative Christian groups because of its irreverence and complete disgregard for faith in the God of the Bible. Here's an example of one of the verses to the song:
If God had a name, what would it be,
and would you call it to his face,
if you were faced with him,
in all his glory,
what would you ask if you had just one question?
It was the chorus of the song that seemed to bother people the most. I remember being very uncomfortable with the words then, as I am now.
What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us?
Just a stranger on a bus,
trying to make his way home.
I will admit, I know very little about Joan Osbourne, then or now, and I have no idea of her motives behind that song. I suspect she knew she was pushing a few hot buttons, and probably relished in the attention she received because of it. But even in her irreverence, she asked some very real questions.
The central question--the song title, "What if God was one of us?"--could very well be the most important question ever asked this side of heaven. The answer to that question, if it were known, would do no less than change every conceivable aspect of life for people on this planet. And it's a question that needs to be asked, no matter who asks it.
The good news is, we have the answer to that life-alterning "what if" question. He was one of us--that's what the incarnation of Christmas is all about: "Immanuel...'God with us'" (Matt. 1:23). Or, as the apostle John wrote, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14). God did come among us, and He did have a name. His name was Jesus.
Sometimes the thought of a "one of us" Jesus, with all of its implications, makes us as uncomfortable as the lyrics to Ms. Osbourne's song. But we mustn't work so hard to worship His divinity that we miss His humanity. God really did become a real baby--and lived as a real man in a real world. He was one of us in every way, except, as Hebrews 4:15 reminds us, without sin. Even still, He who knew no sin would go to the cross to "become sin for us, so that we could become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor. 5:21)
My prayer for each of you this Christmas is that you will be able to cut through the clutter of Christmas to relate to the one who became one of us so He could relate to us. May His presence be the best "present" you receive this December.
I look forward to seeing you on Sunday as we celebrate the present of His presence together.
--Pastor Ken A Simple Christmas Friday, December 09, 2011 Last week I wrote in this space about "going against the flow this Christmas," and choosing to simplify your holiday. This week I wanted to continue that thought with a reminder that sometimes simple is better, especially when it comes to Christmas.
One of the timeless traditions of many families this time of year is watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special together. It's such a simple story, with an unlikely ending for a program airing on a major network television, and according to a recent account about the special from the National Review, it almost didn't come to pass.
It all started in 1965 when Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz put together his first TV special, on very short notice and with a shoestring budget. In fact, Schulz was asked on a Wednesday to put write a special...by the following Monday. What he came up with was nearly rejected at first, and CBS executives were sure it would be doomed if it ever aired at all. However, to their surprise it was well-received the first year, and 46 years later it is still one of the most-watched shows of the holiday season.
Other than nostalgia, what makes the Charlie Brown special so...special? For one, Schulz insisted that it would have no laugh track, which was unheard of in that day. It was a what-you-see-is-what-you-get show, with no external cues on when to laugh. The backdrop is sometimes eery silence which accentuates the simplicity of the whole program.
Another peculiar part of the show is that all the voices you hear are children. Not adult actors playing children, but real-life kids. Again, that hadn't been done when Schulz proposed it, and network executives suggested it would never work, but Schulz knew that the simple, innocent voices of children would be the key to presenting the message.
But the most controversial part of the special was what bothered CBS executives the most. As the bumbling Charlie Brown, with his puny little Christmas tree, tries to discover the true meaning of Christmas, it is Linus who comes to the rescue in the climax of the show. And he does so by reading from--of all places--the Bible. He reads familiar account from Luke 2 about the birth of Jesus.
"And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
In a mid-1960's time of rebellion and questioning of al "truth"--when Time magazine's cover would ask the Nietzsche-inspired question "Is God Dead?"--Schulz and Charlie Brown would answer that question with a resounding "No." The hope in the midst of the chaos was our Emmanuel, God with us, a simple baby born in a manger in Bethlehem.
Like the Charlie Brown special, we would all do well this season to move away from the noise of our modern holiday, to approach Christmas with the simple faith of a child, and to focus our attention not on the trappings of the busy, over-commercialized season, but on the One who came to give us peace and joy and life in the midst of it all. Yes, that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.
Don't let the world trap you into an over-extended, over-spent, over-stressed Christmas. There's still time for you to simplify, and enjoy the wonder of Emmanuel this Advent season.
I am praying for you and I look forward to seeing you Sunday, morning and evening.
--Pastor Ken Going Against the Flow This ChristmasFriday, December 02, 2011 I watched a History Channel special on the history of Christmas on Thanksgiving night. There was nothing in it that I hadn't heard before, but when it was all laid out in 2,000 years of sequence, it definitely got me to thinking--again--about all the trappings of the world that we've allowed to intrude on the way we celebrate Christmas.
From ancient pagan traditions that were adopted into the earliest forms of the "Christ mass," to Clement Moore's St. Nick poem and Madison Avenue's marketing here in America, we've been hit from every side with what I would call the accessorizing of Christmas. There are so many externals we've come to accept that really don't have anything to do with the incarnation of the Son of God. And as much as everyone wants to "keep Christ in Christmas," the reality is, most of what we do this time of year has little to do with Jesus, other than maybe a manger scene on our coffee table and a few Christmas carols that we hear playing in the mall while we shop.
Now, let me say, this is not intended to heap more guilt onto your shoulders. It is a suggestion, in this season of Advent, to re-evaluate what this thing we call Christmas is all about. What steps can we as the people of God take to do things a little differently? Are there realistic ways that we can remember "the reason for the season" and not get caught up in the commercialization we all complain about, yet most participate in? How can we honor Jesus in our environment of Christian community, and how can we truly put Him first in our family traditions?
My one suggestion: simplify. There's still time to make some choices--23 days, in fact--that you don't have to get caught in the world's trap, stress yourself out, spend all your money, and chase the fantasy that we've made Christmas into. Just say no. It's okay. Some people will probably think you're crazy, and no doubt some will call you Ebenezer Scrooge or the Grinch. But that doesn't matter. To truly be a follower of Christ, you often have to go against the flow. In fact, there's no occasion in all of Scripture that more confounded the conventional wisdom of the world than the birth of Jesus we are supposedly celebrating.
Who would have thought that the Messiah would be born to an unwed teenage mother, in an animal food trough? The witnesses were not royalty but lowly shepherds--and a few cattle. This was the greatest of stories ever told, yet it unfolded not with great fanfare but in the simplest and most unexpected of ways. So, if you want to follow the Biblical pattern, go against the flow. Strip away the unneccessaries, and all the expectations from the world, and do it your own way. Or better yet, His way.
I won't prescribe what your Christmas should look like, and how you and your family should celebrate the holiday(s), but I will suggest, strongly, that you not succumb to the pressure of the world to do it their way.
More on this subject next week. In the mean time, have a very joyous season, and may you truly experience "peace on earth" during this season of the year. I'm praying for you, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken God's Will...as a Way of LifeFriday, November 25, 2011 Someone once remarked that the worst of all possible moments for an atheist is to feel truly thankful and have no one there to thank. Most Americans are not actual atheists, of course, but as Calvin Miller wrote, they may be practical atheists. An actual atheist has no God to thank. A practical atheist has a God to thank, but never thinks of doing it.
As I mentioned in last Sunday's message, there is no clearer passage of God's will in all the Scripture than 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which states: "In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Have you ever wanted to know God's will on an issue? There it is. Give thanks....in everything.
Of course, you are receiving this on the day after the one day of the year when we practice God's will the best in this matter, and I'm not just talking about praying over the turkey (or the afternoon indigestion). But Thanksgiving is not just a single day of the year, nor even a specific season. Neither is it so much about how much we have been blessed, but how much we are thankful. It's a recognition of God's gracious blessings of life itself, and His providential provision of our every need, just as He has promised. It's a general attitude of gratitude and about doing God's will as a way of life.
In fact, the art of thanksgiving is not a matter of how much or how little God gives us. America is proof that the blessings of God can wean us from remembering the necessity of God. The Bible warns and history has continually proven that when God blesses a nation with abundance, the people are not prone to love Him, but to love only His abundant provision. When He blesses us with material blessings, we don't typically become believers or thankers, but mere materialists.
The truth is, giving thanks is usually learned not in abundance, but in times of need, when we have more appreciation for the simple things of life. With that in mind, may I leave you this week with the words of the prophet Habakkuk, who offers some much-needed counsel on Thanksgiving for all of us:
"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pens and no cattle in the stalls...yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my Savior." (Hab. 3:17-18)
I hope you had a safe and happy Thanksgiving, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken Learning to Say Thanks Friday, November 18, 2011 If you're on Facebook you've probably read the daily updates from your friends who are participating in the "30 days of thanks" campaign, or whatever it is. The point is to take time every day and post for all the world to see what you are thankful for on that particular day.
Some of the posts are predictable, some a little syrupy, and a few quite unexpected or silly. No doubt, most are sincere, and any exercise in counting your blessings, and naming them one by one (with apologies to the old hymn writer) is a good thing. We would all do well to take whatever opportunities we have to express our gratitude. And, there's no better time to do that than in a season of the year set aside to give thanks.
As I wrote in this space a couple of Thanksgivings ago,
though Thanksgiving Day is not a distinctly Christian holiday, thanksgiving as an act is a major biblical teaching. Scripture is full of admonitions to give thanks, and examples of those who did. There is no more specific exhortation than the apostle Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians 5:17: "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
There you have it. It's not only a good idea, it's God's will, and even a Biblical command to be obeyed. But for whatever reason, sometimes we are more like one of the nine lepers whom Jesus healed and walked away without even saying thanks, than we are the one who came back to express his gratitude. "Where are the other nine?" Jesus asked them, and I believe He asks that even today.
In fact, thanks-giving in and of itself is not a natural act for self-centered people like us. It must be learned, and in fact, it's something we're always learning. I read something this week from pastor Steve May on that very subject. He wrote of a friend who mentioned that she would never force her son to say "Thank you" unless he really feels like saying it. She said, "If I teach him to say 'thank you' when he doesn't feel thankful, I'm teaching him that it's okay to be a hypocrite."
That may sound nice on the outside, but it's all wrong. Feelings have nothing to do with genuine thanksgiving, or how we express it. Gratitude is not an emotion, it's an action. The act of saying "thank you" is not so much a feeling, but a choice, and when we are thankful to God (as commanded) it is an act that puts our lives in proper perspective.
That's why the Psalms so often refer to the "sacrifice of thanksgiving." It's an act of obedience, to a gracious God, in recognition of His goodness of our behalf.
Like children, I believe that all of us as Christ-followers must learn how to express our gratitude, and the best way we learn it, like most everything else, is by practicing it on a regular basis.
So, while I'm at it, let me take this opportunity to say, like the apostle Paul, that "I thank God every time I remember you," (Phil. 1:3), and that I am very grateful that God has blessed me by allowing me to serve as your pastor. I pray for each of you, that His grace would abound in your life, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken Thank You...Veterans Friday, November 11, 2011 Today is Veteran's Day. It's been nearly a hundred years since President Woodrow Wilson first declared November 11 to be Armistice Day to celebrate the conclusion of "the war to end all wars," World War I.
Obviously, it wasn't, and several generations have come and gone since, with our nation's finest and bravest continuing to lay their lives on the line each day in service of our country. Literally hundreds of thousands have paid the supreme price defending of our nation, and as we commemorate Veteran's Day this Nov. 11, we must never forget their sacrifice.
I have been sitting here trying to think of something creative to write that might express my heart's gratitude for those men and women who have served in our military, both at home and abroad, in peace time and in war, to preserve our freedom and protect our lives.
But all I could come up with was...thank you.
For some reason, no matter how hard I try to craft my words to express something particularly meaningful, the words themselves just seem to come up empty. Sometimes a simple "thank you" does seem to say it all.
As I mentioned Sunday, I do have a profound respect for those who have served and try to take every opportunity I get to tell them so, whether it be at a funeral, at the Alabama Veteran's Memorial in Irondale (I would highly recommend this), or just out in public. I can think of a couple of dozen personal encounters I have had with American military servicemen and veterans over the past few years. It may have been standing on opposite sides of a gas pump; waiting in line at a fast food restaurant; talking to a World War II veteran at the public library; seeing someone in an airport dressed in their military uniform; or recognizing veterans like we did last Sunday at Shelby Crossings. Over and over, with genuine heart-felt gratitude, I've felt compelled to simply say, "Thank you."
And so, today, lest I cloud these sentiments with many words, I will say it once again. To all of you who have served, and are serving--and also to those who have sent your sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, or fathers and mothers off to serve in defense of our nation--please know how grateful we are for your sacrifice.
Thank you.
May I suggest that each of us find someone to thank, today, for standing in the gap for us. And don't forget to be in prayer for those serving in harm's way around our world even this day. May our Lord protect them, and may He be honored by their service.
Happy 11-11-11 to each of you. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken Lord of the RingsFriday, November 04, 2011 I have cousins in California, and when I was small my family used to make the Griswold-ian drive across country to visit them. I can only imagine now, looking back as a dad, what that was like for my parents driving 2,500 miles with three kids in the back seat of a car, without interstate highways. ("Are we there yet?")
One of my vivid memories of our vacation one summer was a trip to the Sierra Nevada mountain range where we visited the Redwood National Park. It was there that we saw some of God's most awesome creations: giant sequoia and redwood trees, some of which were up to 3,000 years old and stood more than 300 feet in the air. They looked like skyscrapers, including one they had carved a tunnel through so you could drive through it in your car.
I still have some pictures--black and white, of course--of me and my sisters standing next to the huge trees, and our car driving through the tunnel in the tree. I also remember seeing one of those trees that had been cut down, and the cross-section of the trunk stood more than 25 feet in height. It was amazing then for a little boy's eyes, and it still is for this not-so-little boy.
The park ranger told us how the rings of the tree tell the story of that tree's life, year by year. We've all heard how that works, in elementary science class, but it's pretty fascinating when you're looking a tree that is a couple of millennia old. There are thin rings, revealing years when the tree hardly grew at all because of a drought. There are thick rings, reflecting healthy years, when the tree grew by leaps and bounds. There are signs where the tree was struck by lightning, and signs from when it faced years of blight and disease.
Dr. David Seamands, in his book Healing for Damaged Emotions, uses the rings of those great trees as pictures of our own lives. "Beneath the protective bark," he wrote, "the concealing, protective mask, are the recorded rings of our lives."
If we were able to pull back the bark and look at our own lives like the cross-section of one of those big trees, we would see plenty of revealing signs, from deep scars to evidence of healthy growth, that make up our past. Some of those rings would represent wrongs done to us, and some the result of mistakes we made where we had to reap what we sowed. Others would show years of growth because of good choices we made, and because we "remained in the vine" (John 15:1-8) in our relationship with our gracious God.
Whatever the case, and whatever our "rings" may look like, God knows where we've been, and He's faithfully seen us through the good times and bad. He will use every one of those years--those we cherish and those we would choose to forget--to grow us up into what, and who, He wants us to be. He is, truly, the Lord of the rings of our lives.
May He bless each of you abundantly this week, that you may be "rooted" in Him. I'm praying for you and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken October...FreedomFriday, October 28, 2011 I used this space a few weeks ago to recommend a movie (Courageous, which opened on Sept. 30). I really don't see a career as a film critic in my future or anything, and never thought it would be something I would do again in this space any time soon. But, here goes again.
As many of you know, today is the day for the local premier of October Baby. The movie was filmed entirely in Alabama, by local filmmakers The Erwin Brothers, and as many of you know, was co-written by Shelby Crossings member Theresa Preston. Her husband Stephen also worked on the movie as a sound engineer, among other things. The movie is opening around Alabama and Mississippi today, with a major national release planned for the spring.
I had the pleasure of viewing October Baby at a screening a few months back at a local church, along with several other friends from the Shelby Crossings family. It is a powerful story, with heart-wrenching emotion, along with some pretty light and funny moments as well. The acting was good--you'll recognize several of the stars from TV and other movies--and the screenplay was well-written and compelling. Like a lot of "Christian movies," much of the story line was predictable, but there were more than a few surprises along the way as well. Personally, I also enjoyed seeing so many familiar places in the movie.
Because it deals with the hot-potato subject of abortion, it will no doubt face controversy, though the movie is done with great sensitivity and there's really nothing about it that is antagonistic or politically focused. From my view, it was more of a movie about forgiveness than anything else. And who among us doesn't need to be reminded of the power of forgiveness in our lives?
The truth is, we are all somewhere on the continuum of forgiveness. In all of our relationships, we come across situations daily that require that we forgive, or that we be forgiven. And sometimes there are very hard choices to let people off the hook and move on. As someone has said, one of the big surprises we discover when we make the choice to forgive is that when we do so, the person we release is not the one who has wronged us, but ourselves. It's where genuine Christian freedom is best lived out.
That freedom begins when each of us is offered the unfathomable gift of forgiveness wrapped up in the cross of Jesus Christ. Because of His great love and grace, God chose to forgive us, and to Himself pay the penalty for our unrighteousness--to let us off the hook for the sin we've committed. That's the centrality of the gospel. And once we've received that gift, there's a responsibility to turn around and give that same gift of forgiveness to others. That was one of the lessons, I believe, of October Baby.
I hope you'll get the opportunity to see October Babysoon, for several reasons. For one, it is an entertaining flick, and if you are a regular movie-goer I'm sure you will find that it is worth the price of admission. Also, I'll say the same thing I said when I wrote aboutCourageous last month: As easy as it is to complain about Hollywood and the lack of quality family-friendly movies produced, when such a movie does come along, we can send a message to the film industry best by buying tickets to see the movie. Money talks, and here's another chance to speak.
I also hope you'll be praying for fruit to be borne through the ministry of this movie. Thanks Theresa and Stephen, and the Erwin Brothers and friends, for all your efforts in producing this tool that I'm sure God will use. May He bless it, for eternity's sake.
I look forward to seeing each of you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken Good News for Mistake-MakersFriday, October 21, 2011
A few weeks back, those of you who read the ePistle via email got a little surprise, when you saw your own name in the headline of this space. It was not on purpose--even though some people suspected it was aimed at them--and your name wasn't included on anyone else'sePistle but your own. It was something in the HTML code that added a greeting instead of the real heading, after it was sent. Another one of those cases where the machine outsmarted the man sitting at the keyboard.
Hey, we all make mistakes. That's one of the encouraging messages of the Christian life--that we all blow it, that it doesn't surprise God that we blow it, that there are second chances when we blow it. In fact, that's the essence of the Gospel itself: Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and to give His life as a sacrifice to pay the price for our "mistakes," big and small. "God demonstrated His love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8). Now, that's good news!
With His grace in mind, here are a few examples of some rather humorous mistakes, this time by people sitting where I'm sitting, in a church office. You have probably seen some of these before, in emails of "church bulletin bloopers" that have been circulating for years, supposedly real-life mistakes in real-life bulletins. Enjoy, all you mistake-makers, with a smile, reminded that God is still in the business of overcoming our mistakes!
The associate minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I upped my pledge. Up yours!"
The Rev. Adams spoke briefly, much to the delight of his audience.
The Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10. All ladies are invited to lunch in the fellowship hall after the B.S. is done.
Due to the pastor's illness, Wednesday's healing services will be discontinued until further notice.
The senior choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir.
For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
The cost for attending this year's Fasting and Prayer Conference is $39, which includes meals.
Ladies, don't forget the church yard sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands!
Applications are now being accepted for 2-year old nursery workers.
Weight Watchers will meet at 7 p.m. Please use the large double door at the side entrance.
If you choose to heave during the postlude, please do so quietly.
And, I might add to that last one, please do so outside. I do hope you'll allow God to pour out His grace on your mistakes, whatever they may be. I'm praying for you, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
--Pastor Ken
A-mazingly CornyFriday, October 14, 2011 You may have seen the story earlier this week about the family in Massachusetts who had to call 911 after they got lost in a local corn maze. Police received a frantic call from a woman asking for help getting out of the maze, and when they arrived at the "Haunted Corn Field" with their K-9 Unit they easily found her and her husband and two small children, still stuck in the maze.
The Connors Farm Corn Maze in Danvers, Massachusetts has been in operation for years, and though they've had their share of "corn-fused" patrons, they had never had anyone get so desperate that they had to call authorities to liberate them from the maze of maize. The saddest part was that the family was just 25 feet from freedom when they were "rescued."
I've been in one of those mazes, up near Hayden, Alabama, and though there were a few times I felt a little claustrophobic, I never would have considered calling for help. Maybe it was pride. Or maybe it's the fact that it was only corn, after all. At the very least I could have run through the walls, "Field of Dreams" style.
But I also recognize that sense of feeling lost and afraid, and being overwhelmed by not knowing which way to turn. There's certainly a parallel somewhere in there about our own navigation of the mazes of life, and how easily we lose perspective because all we can see are the stalks that surround us. We never know that we're just a few yards from our own freedom because we can't see beyond the forest for the trees...or corn.
It reminds me of a story I heard about a little 8-year old boy named Frank. Frank had a date with his father to go fishing on Saturday. They were going to fish the whole day. On Friday night he had everything laid out. He was ready to go.
But on Saturday morning he awoke to discover that it was raining cats and dogs, and they couldn't go fishing. So, little Frank grumbled and griped and complained all morning long. He kicked the furniture, the dog, the cat. His father tried to explain to him that the farmers needed the rain, but that didn't satisfy Frank. "Why does it have to rain today?" he asked.
About noon the clouds broke and the sun came out. His dad said, "Well, we can't go fishing all day, but at least we can fish this afternoon. Let's go." So they jumped into the truck, went to the lake and fished all afternoon, and caught more fish than they had ever caught before. Their baskets were full, and they had the time of their lives.
They came home and mom cooked some of the fish for supper. As they were sitting down to eat, Frank's dad called on him to ask the blessing. Eight-year old Frank prayed this prayer: "God, if I sounded a little grumpy earlier, it was because I couldn't see far enough ahead."
Whether you're lost in one of life's mazes, or frustrated because things just aren't going your way, that usually is the problem. We just can't see far enough ahead. But at times like that, we have to trust that God has a view that we don't, that He is looking out for us, and that Hecan see far enough ahead. He can be trusted you know, even if you can't see beyond the corn.
I hope you'll place your faith fully in Christ as you walk with Him this week. May He bless you abundantly as you serve Him. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken Living Each DayFriday, October 07, 2011
News of the death of Apple Computers co-founder and technology innovator Steve Jobs shocked the world on Wednesday. The 56-year old Jobs had been sick for some time, and recently stepped down as CEO of Apple because of health issues, but we still just didn't see it coming. The man who was called the "Thomas Edison of our time" impacted his generation like few have ever done.
Among the many tributes to Jobs the last two days, one of the most played videos of him are his words in a commencement address at Stanford University in 2005, about a year after he was first diagnosed with cancer. Specifically, he spoke in very frank terms about matters of life and death. Here is an excerpt of what he had to say to those graduates:
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" ...
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
I must say I have great respect for Steve Jobs and all of his contributions to the world, many of which have benefitted the church and our ministries. Still, I would suspect that Mr. Jobs and I would have had serious differences of opinion and belief about matters of life and death and eternity--and from all I have read, I have never seen anything that suggested that he ever made the "big choice in life" to trust in Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior. But I am not here to judge him, especially since I would have no way of knowing the matters of his heart.
That doesn't mean I don't agree with much of what he had to say in that speech, especially when his words are read through the lens of faith in Christ. As another man who greatly impacted his world in his generation, the apostle Paul, wrote in a Philippians verse we looked at just a few weeks ago, "to live is Christ, and to die is gain." In other words, once you've come to grips with the truth that "life is terminal," and once you've settled your eternity with the God who created you, then it sets you free to live passionately and "to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose," as Jobs said. To know Christ is truly a "win, win."
As for how we live until that day comes, I am reminded of the words of the psalmist, who said: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12) In other words, since we can't count our days, we need to make our days count. And, as Jobs said, one of the best ways to do that is to live today like it was your last.
Have a blessed rest of your life! I'll see you Sunday.
--Pastor Ken
A 'Courageous' Movie Friday, September 30, 2011 I have never used this space to endorse any kind of political agenda or product, and don't intend to start doing so now. However, I would like to recommend a movie.
Let me be the first to say that I am no Siskel or Ebert. I did review a Queen album for my high school newspaper, but that was a long, long time ago, and I pray that no copies still exist of that review.
I will also admit that I'm certainly no expert on movies. I could count on one hand the number of times I've been to a movie in the last five years that wasn't at the dollar theater. I am not a big fan of most of what comes out of Hollywood, and would have a hard time identifying half of the hot-list of actors and actresses.
Still, I do enjoy a good flick when I see it, especially when it has a compelling story line. My wife and I had the privilege of seeing such a movie a few months back, when we joined a couple of hundred other pastors for a screening of the movie Courageous. Unless you've been hiding under a rock and haven't seen all the promotion, you probably know that the movie opens in theaters across the country today, including in our area.
If you've seen Fireproof, or Facing the Giants, or evenFlywheel, you know the background of these movies. They are produced by Sherwood Pictures, which is an extension of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. They are often a little cheesy, and even predictable, because they don't shrink away from their agenda of presenting family-friendly entertainment with a message. And that message centers, without apology, on the difference-making impact of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Each of the Sherwood movies has improved over the previous one in production values and acting, and I believe the script-writing has gotten better too. It is my opinion that Courageous is Sherwood's best movie yet.
On the one hand, I would strongly recommend that you go see this movie, and others like it (including the soon-to-be-released October Baby, which was co-written and sound-engineered by Theresa and Stephen Preston from our own Shelby Crossings family)--if only to send a message to the movie industry that family-friendly films are worth producing. It's easy to complain about what's gone wrong with our culture, and blame Hollywood for their influence, but money talks, and when we do come across something that reflects our values one of the best ways we can make a statement is with our wallets. So, go buy some tickets, enjoy the movie, and help send Hollywood a message.
On the other hand, I would strongly recommend this movie simply because it is a good film, and worth watching. It's entertaining--you'll laugh, you'll cry--and it communicates a powerful message, especially to men who are fathers. Yes, it's over-the-top with its message but this is no ordinary good-enough-for-a-Christian-movie production. It's surely better than most of the options you could see at a theater tonight.
I'll say this one last thing. The movie Fireproof was used by God as an instrument to see literally thousands of people won to Christ and countless marriages restored. I believe Courageous will be used as a catalyst to restore a sense of Biblical manhood and fatherhood to this generation. I hope you'll give it a chance to make that kind of impact on your family.
That's my $.02. I do hope you get a chance to seeCourageous soon, and that you are blessed by it. I'm praying for you and look forward to seeing you Sunday.
Overcoming AsklessnessFriday, September 23, 2011 "If you never ask, the answer is always no.
That's a common line in the world of sales and marketing, especially in reference to the need to close the deal. I came across that statement recently and it got my attention because it also applies to our prayer life.
James said, "You do not have because you do not ask God." (James 4:2). How much clearer could that be? He also said, in the same passage, that we don't receive because we ask with the wrong motives, but I am convinced, from my observations of others and from my own inconsistent prayer life, that the biggest problem for most of us is the first part of that equation. Someone I read recently called it "asklessness." If you never ask, the answer is always no.
On a similar note, I came across a blog this week from Grant McDonald, called "Pray Anyway." It hit me as a cure for asklessness, and a call to cut out the excuses for our lack of prayer. I thought I'd share it with you here:
When you don't know how to pray, pray anyway! Ignorance is no excuse.
When you don't feel like praying, pray anyway! Depression is no excuse.
When dullness sits on you like a vulture, and a you can't muster enough enthusiasm to change channels, much less to pray, pray anyway! Boredom is no excuse.
When you see no need to pray and no reason to intercede for those about you, recognize this as a sign of impending danger and pray anyway. Blindness is no excuse.
When you've grown spiritually lazy and feel that you'll never be able to pick up your Bible and read it the way you once did, especially pray anyway. Laziness is no excuse.
When you don't understand what the big deal is about prayer, and you think it's overrated because it never did you much good, pray anyway. Immaturity is no excuse.
When you're too tired to remember your own name, and you know God will understand if you don't pray, pray anyway. Fatigue is no excuse.
When you're embarrassed to be back before God, confessing the same sins and admitting the same failures, come on and pray anyway. Shame is no excuse.
When you've been unfaithful and know it and you feel that burden of guilt that makes you want to run and hide under the porch, pray anyway. Sin is no excuse.
When the nagging voice of the enemy keeps telling you there is no God and even if there were, He'd never have anything to do with a nobody like you, you, pray anyway. Unbelief is no excuse.
We can bless ourselves immeasurably by rescuing our prayer life from bondage to our emotions and circumstances. There is no time and there are no conditions in which prayer is not necessary, not helpful, and not the right thing to do.
Let us pray. "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Heb. 4:15)
Have a blessed weekend. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken
Never Alone Friday, September 09, 2011
I was flipping through the channels the other night and came across a familiar movie I've seen a few times before, "Cast Away," starring Tom Hanks. If you've seen the movie, you know it's the story of a man named Chuck Nolan (played by Hanks), a FedEx executive who gets stranded when his plane goes down in the middle of the South Pacific. He is the only survivor.
It's a modern-day Robinson Crusoe story, without the man Friday. It's Gilligan, without the skipper and the rest of the gang. That's what makes the movie kind of strange, and at the same time compelling. We follow the main character, all alone on a deserted island, and because of that there is really no dialogue for most of the movie. What we do see is typical 21st century American having to learn to live in primitive conditions, all the while holding on to the hope of a love left at home.
There are but a few modern props, all provided when some of the cargo from the FedEx plane washes ashore. Among the items found were some ice skates and a Wilson brand of volleyball. In one particular scene, as Nolan tries to start a fire with a sharp stick, he cuts his hand. In frustration, he takes the volleyball and throws it as hard as he can. When it lands he notices that his bloody hand has made an imprint on the ball that looks like a fiery head. With his finger he draws a face in the blood, and right in front of our eyes, "Wilson" is born.
Throughout the movie, Nolan makes sure to keep his new friend Wilson nearby, whatever he's going through. He talks to him, reasons with him, and seemingly finds companionship with him--though he is obviously a man-made ball, with a man-made personality. An idol, if you will.
The sad part of the whole movie is that in all of the loneliness and fear and despair of trying to survive in a desperate situation, Nolan's character never once cries out to God. Instead, in effect, he makes his own god.
Sadder still is how often we all tend to do the same thing, whether we're in a desperate situation or just wading through the mundane details of our daily lives. We'll find just about anyone or any thing to occupy our minds and divert our attention, sometimes even making our idols with our own hands. But no matter how much we would like to imagine otherwise, these "gods" do not provide meaningful companionship, they do not offer us hope, they will not satisfy the longings of our heart. They are not real.
The good news is there's a real God who knows where we are, even if we feel like we're trying to survive on a desert island of our own. We are never alone, and will never be "cast away" from His presence when we come to Him in prayer. He is, as Scripture promises, "our refuge and strength, our ever-present help in times of trouble."
My prayer for each of us is that in the midst of all the idols of this world crying out for our attention, we'll give our full focus and devotion to God today. May He bless you and your family this weekend. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
Warts and AllFriday, September 02, 2011
If there's one over-arching desire I have for the ministry of The Church at Shelby Crossings, it's that we would "get real." Whatever we do, we seek to cut through the artificial and superficial to relate to God and to one another in a sincere and genuine way. That's true for our worship, our small groups, and all of our relationships.
No pretense. No posing. No hypocrisy. Just real faith, in a real God, in real life.
Get real is a common expression of our generation. We don't have to define it; we know well what it means. But sometimes getting real means getting "messy." Life is hard, and when we take the step to take off our masks and cut through the surface-level layers of image-protection--and truly live in the abounding grace of our God--it makes us vulnerable and scares us to death. But it's worth the risk, I promise.
There's another common expression, passed down from years gone by, which is a little more earthy than cool: warts and all. Like a wart, getting real is not very pretty sometimes. But we must always resist the temptation to cover things over and act like everything's fine when it's not. We are imperfect people, in process, seeking to "get real" with ourselves, with one another, and most importantly, with God.
We in the church can be sure of one thing: the world is checking us out, not expecting that we would be perfect, but seeing if we are real. There is no greater turn-off to an unchurched world than artificial, hypocritical people, especially in church. They want to see substance, sincerely, authenticity. And often, they judge by our level of authenticity, how real they think our God is.
So, instead of acting like we've got it together, maybe we would all do well to work together to get it together, together. That's what the body of Christ is all about--living under God's grace and sharing in community with other imperfect people like ourselves, seeking to become all that He has called us to be. And that starts with getting real with Him...warts and all.
My prayer for each of us is that we'll experience the real-life joy of a real relationship with a very real God, even in the midst of all the real struggles and pain that we all face each week. God knows where we are, and He sees beyond our masks, and desires to meet us where we are and "get real" with us today.
May His sufficient grace be poured out in your life this week. I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
Party Time!Friday, August 26, 2011 You may have heard the story last month about an Australian schoolgirl who got a little overzealous about inviting her friends to her birthday party. Wanting to make sure her classmates knew about the party, she created an "event" on Facebook and invited everyone she knew. She also asked them to get the word out and to bring their friends. She even posted her home address in the invitation.
Her post went viral, and within 24 hours more than 20,000 people said they were coming. Then the number surged to 200,000! The party had to be cancelled, and her parents even had police stationed in the neighborhood the day of the supposed party for crowd control purposes. The girl's father also cancelled her Facebook account.
Happy birthday!
All of us have done foolish things like that, I'm sure, most of us before we had something like Facebook to magnify our mistakes. But in her defense, the young girl really had no idea what she was getting herself into. She was just excited about her party and wanted to invite everyone she could.
I couldn't help but think of Jesus' parable of the great banquet in Luke 14, and His own instructions about inviting everyone we know to the "party." He spoke, I believe, about life in His kingdom, and our call as disciples to "go out to the highways and byways and compel them to come in."
It's a simple illustration of someone excited enough about an invitation to a very special banquet that they wouldn't dare think of leaving anyone out, which should be our response to the gospel. When we are reconciled with Christ, His love "compels us" to be His ambassadors (2 Cor. 5) and invite others to know that same reconciliation. How can we who've been privileged to eat at His table not invite others to the same party?
That's really what Christ's Great Commission is about, extending the invitation we've accepted to those who have not yet heard. Whether it goes "viral" or is passed on one excited partier at a time, that's how God intends to reach our generation, using us as instruments of invitation, spreading the good news of His cross and His kingdom.
How excited are you about the party you've been invited to? Enough to pass it on? I hope you will.
I'm praying for you, as I hope you are for me, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday, for a great party of celebration of God's gracioius work in our lives. Invite a friend!
Water-Walking Dogs and Half-Full GlassesFriday, August 19, 2011 Two friends--one an optimist and the other a pessimist--could never quite agree on any topic of discussion. One day the optimist decided he had found a good way to pull his friend out of his continually pessimistic way of thinking.
The optimist owned a hunting dog that could walk on water. His plan? Take the pessimist and the dog out duck hunting in a boat. They got out into the middle of the lake, and the optimist shot down a duck. The dog immediately walked across the water, retrieved the duck, and walked back to the boat.
The optimist looked at his pessimistic friend and said, "What do you think about that?" The pessimist replied, "That dog can't swim, can he?"
Some people are like that, you know. The glass is always half empty to them. They always see the down side of things, and they have a way of bringing everybody else down with them. What's even worse, many of those people are Christians, which is almost a contradiction in terms.
If there's anybody on the planet who should have a hope-filled, positive perspective, it's believers. We who are saved by our faith should live by it, and faith, by definition, believes in the possibilities of what God can and will do.
So, how about you? Are your words filled with promise and possibility, or with negativism and frustration? Do you rejoice in all that is good, or complain about what's not?Do you see water-walkers or non-swimmers? Half full, of half empty? The choice, quite frankly, is up to you.
The apostle Paul suggested as much when he said in his letter to the Philippians that we should choose to "think on" those things that are good, instead of dwelling on those that aren't: "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things....And the God of peace will be with you." (Phil. 4:8-9)
Here's hoping you experience the God of peace in all that you do this week, and that those around you notice His hope oozing out of your life on every side, no matter the circumstances. I'm praying for you, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
Take This Job...and Love It!Friday, August 12, 2011
Most people spend four to eight years going to school to learn how to do it. Once we are done with learning how to do it, most Americans spend a minimum of 80,000 hours--or 10,000 days--of their lives doing it. If we can't do enough of it, we risk losing what we have. If we try to do too much of it, we risk losing our health and families. We can starve if we do too little, and we can burn ourselves out if we emphasize it too strongly.
Work. It's as old as humanity, but it's still a source of pressure and struggle for most of us. Whether you hold a traditional job in the market place, or if you put in your hours toiling as a stay-at-home mom (or dad), your vocation is no doubt one of the dominant themes of your life. Full-time or part-time, inside or outside the home, for yourself or for somebody else, or even as a volunteer, our work always seems to find its way to the center of our lives.
Work has been a major topic for so many in the Shelby Crossings family over the past year or so. We've prayed for several of you who have been seeking new jobs, and have been blessed to see answers to many of those prayers. For others, who work in a corporate world where "downsizing" is the order of the day in our reeling economy, your jobs teeter on the brink of being eliminated at any time. For all of us, there's the stress of long hours, hard work, and trying to pay the bills with what we bring home. And we haven't even mentioned having to put up with an ornery boss or a whining co-worker!
I hope you realize that you don't have to face your employment crisis alone. Your occupation is as important to God as it is to you, though sometimes we're prone to lose our perspective a bit. God invented work, and He desires that we provide for our families--and honor Him--through our work. His word speaks volumes on the subject of work and His will for how we approach our vocation. You might even call the Bible...the book of "job."
I hope you'll be able to join us for the next four weeks--through Labor Day weekend--as we share a new series of messages about God's will for our work, entitled Life @ Work. If you have friends who are facing particular job stresses, invite them to be with us. I'm excited to see what God has in store for us as we seek Him on this important subject.
I'm praying for you, as I hope you are for me, and look forward to seeing you Sunday.
|
|
Comments (0)