Tuesday, December 16, 2008
And the band played on...
The band on the Titanic is legendary for continuing to play as the great ship sank. We are witnessing a tragedy on a more massive scale here in Michigan with the Detroit Public Schools board, which is churning through superintendents on average every 19 months.
This is a school district where, at best, 70 percent of the students graduate. It is a district that has lost an incredible number of students, yet doesn't want to close school buildings, and keeps pouring money into dilapidated facilities. It is a district that was just allowed to have its own school board within the past few years after the state had taken control of the financially and performance-troubled district. Now the state is poised to take control again.
The tragedy is that thousands of children are recieving a substandard education, which will hamper them for the rest of their lives. The school board seems more interested in getting themselves in the news and running for higher office (City Council) than they do about properly educating the youth of Detroit. How can a superintendent accomplish anything lasting in 18 months? Or 20 months, which was the previous superintendent's tenure.
If this isn't a case for vouchers, I don't know what is. Give these kids a voucher that would let them take the state aid that accompanies each child and let them go to to whatever school district they want, where they can at least have a fighting chance at a decent education. Otherwise, we are creating a permanent underclass of people with poor education and low job skills.
That is just immoral.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
If this doesn't move you, I don't know what will
Just when you thought it couldn't get any weirder
Friday, December 05, 2008
If this becomes a trend, we will need more jail cells
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Yep. I've been there
I sometimes wonder if the creator of Real Life Adventures is my alter ego. He sure pegs me a great deal with his comics.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Black Friday
This year is the first time that I have joined the Black Friday horde that is in search of bargains before the sun rises. Deb and I had a good time picking up stuff down in Dayton, and generally found the crowds to be manageable and the stores well-staffed to deal with them. There were exceptions such as the Toys R Us with a 90+ minute wait to check out and a Circuit City store that had a serpentine line that I wouldn't have waited in.
This story from New York is most disturbing. What is it about Black Friday that will make people behave like animals. In the reports I have read, this man was trampled and the people trying to rescue him were also in danger. Even the police and paramedics trying to save his life had to fight off crazed shoppers.
Who is a fault? The courts will decide. Certainly the store was ill-prepared for the horde outside its doors. The people who bum-rushed the place are also at fault. I'm not sure how anyone in that mob can sleep at night knowing that in their zeal to save a few dollars they cost a man his life.
Christmas is about a gift - not the almighty pursuit of gifts. Yet somehow we have made the season into a cutthroat event that is worthy of parody in bad Arnold Schwarzenegger movies - wait that is redundant - Arnold Schwarzenegger movies yet its very real dark side can cost people their lives.
The more I see stuff like this, the more I thank God for Internet shopping. This is so disturbing at so many levels.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Good advice for pastors
That clip is so true. Not only with wives, but with children. One of our pastors in another state had a rule with his family that if he used them in a sermon without permission, he had to pay them a fixed amount (I can't remember how much)to compensate them for the embarrassment. That is a pretty good rule of thumb. What I usually do is let my wife read my sermons in advance, which alerts her to any mentions. But asking permission is always a good idea.
Annual Thansgiving message
This year as you stuff your face and watch the Lions lose, spend a moment to reflect on these two things. Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation and an account of the first Thanksgiving by Edward Winslow:
Lincoln:
"Inasmuch as we know that nations, like individuals, are subjected to the punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of Civil War that now desolates our land may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people.
We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God.
We have forgotten the gracious hand that preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us and we have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts that all of these blessings were provided by some superior wisdom or virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us.
It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended power to confess our national sins and pray for clemency and forgiveness."
Winslow's account:
"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, Many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest King Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."
May your Thanksgiving be blessed by good food, good friends, and the love of your family.Roy
How then should we live?
Another article that touches on this from a slightly different perspective is here. It talks about the difference between God's image and likeness. The author posits the belief that we are created in God's image, but we grow into God's likeness as we draw closer to him, and take on his characteristics such as holiness, compassion, mercy, righteousness etc. It is through that trans formative process that Paul talks about in Romans 12 "Be transformed by the renewing of your minds" that is key. It is a view more traditionally aligned with the Orthodox Church, but one that John and Charles Wesley embraced as well.
The author is talking about Theosis - where we begin to take on the divine nature - and captures it well in this thought: Most important, the Orthodox understanding of theosis reminds us that salvation is less about what we get than about what God gets. It is about his purposes being accomplished in us. As the Reformed credo states: It is by his grace, for our good, to his glory.
As Advent approaches, think about how we can be more of a gift to God. Christ is his greatest gift to us, but the gift of his image isn't far behind. How can we take those gifts and grow into something that is pleasing and useful to God as He brings his Kingdom.
Something to chew on this holiday season. And it is fat-free and sugar-free. Be warned, it may cause some consternation and possible indigestion.
Monday, November 24, 2008
A book I plan to read soon
More Government = More Better?
You have to love the logic behind this story. If a church can't provide shelter for homeless people 5 days per week, it can't do it at all. I'm sure the freezing homeless person appreciates the government's need for order in all things, but somehow telling churches that they cannot provide shelter to "the least of these" on a freezing night doesn't sit well.
Friday, November 21, 2008
A CD worth buying
I'm not going to write my own review, other than to say I own this CD and listen to it almost daily. I've had the privilege of worshiping at Jacob's Well twice, and it is an experience I look forward to each time I am in Kansas City.
You can go here to read the review.
Click here to sample the music. Horse and Rider and Center My Heart are favs of mine.
I cannot encourage you strongly enough to listen to this.
Here are the lyrics to the last song "Words to build a life on"
As promised, here are the lyrics for "Words to Build a Life On"... Amazing song... It speaks for itself...
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words how can they be mine
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words I want them to be mine
Blessed are the poor
Blessed are the weak
Blessed are the ones
Who can barely speak
Blessed in your hurt
Blessed in your pain
Blessed when your teardrops
Are falling down like rain
Blessed when you're broken
Blessed when you're blind
Blessed when you're fragile
When you have lost your mind
Blessed when you're desperate
Blessed when you're scared
Blessed when you're lonely
Blessed when you've failed
Blessed when you're beat up
Blessed when you're bruised
Blessed when you're tore down
Blessed when you're used
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words how can they be mine
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words I want them to be mine
Blessed when you're heartbroke
Blessed when you're fired
Blessed when you're choked up
Blessed when you're tired
Blessed when the plans
That you so carefully laid
End up in the junkyard
With all the trash you made
Blessed when you feel like
Giving up the ghost
Blessed when your loved ones
Are the ones who hurt you most
Blessed when you lose your
Own identity
Then blessed when you find it
And it has been redeemed
Blessed when you see what
Your friends can never be
Blessed with your eyes closed
Then blessed you see Me
These are Your words how can they be mine
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words I want them to be mine
Blessed when you're hungry
Blessed when you thirst
Cause that's when you will eat of
The bread that matters most
Blessed when you're put down
Because of me you're dissed
Because of me you're kicked out
They take you off their list
You know you're on the mark
You know you've got it right
You are to be my salt
You are to be my light
So bring out all the flavour
In the feast of this My world
And light up all the colours
Let the banner be unfurled
Shout it from the rooftops
Let the trumpets ring
Sing your freaking lungs out
Jesus Christ is King!
Jesus is my Saviour
Jesus is divine
Jesus is my answer
Jesus is my life
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words how can they be mine
These are words to build a life on
These are Your words I want them to be mine
Give us ears that we may hear them
voice that we may sing them
life that we may live them
hope that we may give them
hearts that we can feel them
eyes that we can see them
thoughts that we may think them
tongues that we may speak Your words
Copyright Mike Crawford 2004, BMI
CCLI Song No. 4541172
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Hypocrisy in Politics? Perish the thought!
This story has me a bit flummoxed. It seems that the Congressional Democrats want a business plan from the Big 3 automakers before they lend them any money as part of the Early Christmas Cash Giveaway in Washington, D.C. What is odd is that I don't remember AIG presenting a business plan for their $150 billion buffet at the taxpayer trough, nor do I remember any business plans being submitted for the $700 billion taxpayer shakedown for Wall Street. I also don't remember the pompous fools in Washington talking about the luxury jets of the Wall Street folks.
Mind you I'm not in favor of government intervention in markets. They generally screw up everything they touch. But it does seem a bit hypocritical for people who have totally mismanaged the federal budget for years to lecture the automakers on fiscal responsibility. I tip my hat to the anyone with the cojones it takes to pull that off with a straight face. But they did.
Nero is fiddling again. Except this time he has 535 heads and lives under a dome. And his new whipping boys aren't Christians. They are automaker executives.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
If you ever wonder if God is still moving in the hearts of people
God is still very active today. Praise be to God.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Saying Grace as a means of Grace
Last night I was sitting in a local coffee shop reading a book for my evangelism class. I ordered some chili, and as is my custom, said grace before I ate. There was a couple in their 60s there who stopped and thanked me for saying grace as they left. They said that it blessed them to see someone still doing that in restaurants.
Isn't that just like God to take something that we may take for granted and use it to bless someone else. He truly is an amazing God!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Legal does not equal good
Isaiah 5:20:
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
Go read this article and shake your head. We have an epidemic of divorce that has swept this country, and we now have an agency advertising the motto "Life is short. Have an affair" over the airwaves. I've heard some bad advertising on "Sports talk Radio" in my lifetime. It seems to get more risque' as time passes. I thought it was bad enough to have to listen to ads for "Gentleman's Clubs" on the radio with my kids in the car. I cannot even imagine how the discussion would go after hearing this ad.
There is a reason Adultery is one of the Ten Commandments. It destabilizes society, destroys the family unit, and leads to rash actions such as violence and murder in fits of jealous rage. Just watch the TV crime shows. Murder by jealous spouse, or someone wanting to dispose of spouse to pursue their love affair are common themes. It's old school and was a capital crime in the Old Testament. David had Uriah killed so he could have Bathsheba more than 3000 years ago. And their first-born son died as a result. You can read that account here. It's not new, but it's still evil.
I may have to tune into commercial-free radio exclusively. This is nuts.
Credit for the picture goes here.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
The cry of my heart today
As I progress through seminary and continue to take steps toward entering the ministry full-time, I have endured a barrage of doubts and lies from the enemy that is growing in a crescendo. I don't feel worthy of my calling. I'm scared of where it might take me. I realize that God is faithful, but this is something new, something very scary to me, and something that I did not seek. I fought it for a long time, until the price of fighting was so high that I came to my senses and surrendered to God.
Despite all of the fears, doubts, concerns and all of the other emotions and thoughts that have flooded my brain, I still echo the words of this song in the clip above:
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus
When I am alone
When I am alone
When I am alone, give me Jesus
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus
When I come to die
When I come to die
When I come to die, give me Jesus
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus
As excited as I am about entering into ministry, there is also a sadness, almost a grieving, as one phase of my life ends. It marks the end of an era, and a new one unfolds. The good news is that I have Jesus.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
This is almost painful to watch
Thanks to Andrew for the tip.
I have to admit that some of this is just stinging in its rebuke of the American church. Obviously they are using satire to make a point about how the church markets itself, and some of the practices within the church. Not everything here is necessarily bad, but when they are put together the weight is damning.
I encourage you to watch the clip a couple times. I think you might find some things worthy of leaving comments on.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Where to find world hunger?
A place to camp out for a while
I have posted on this song before, but I didn't have a decent video clip to use. This is one of my favorite Jars of Clay songs. It is decidedly melancholy, but it evokes powerful emotions within me. It is a song of someone searching for God but not finding Him. I've been there before, and every so often it is good to revisit that ground and listen for the still small voice that is God.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Monday, November 03, 2008
In case you missed it
What have I done to William Clay Ford Sr. to deserve this
In a season where the Detroit Lions are halfway to perfection (they are 0-8) and quite possibly the worst record since Mr. Ford purchased them in 1963, they find a way to stick a dagger in my back. I've suffered with this disastrous franchise for all of my 41 years. So this year, in my fantasy football league I decide to pick up players playing the Lions, since they are destined for banner days against an awful defense. So far, so good.
Then yesterday the Lions knock out my quarterback, Kyle Orton, in a game that they had no business competing in. What have I done Mr. Ford? Why do you torment me like this. You put garbage on the field year in and year out, and when I finally get smart enough to play against your steaming pile of refuse, they jump up and bite me. What have I done to you to deserve this?
I'm going to go sit in a corner and rock for a while.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
As you prepare to vote
This is a song by Randy Stonehill. I heard him sing this at Hills Alive in 1993 or 1994 in Spearfish, South Dakota.
Well we worship at the shroud of Elvis
And we're waiting for that money from Ed McMahon
And we're drinking from the Perrier fountain of youth
While we follow what the daily horoscopes saying
Taking lethal doses of MTV
Delving into pet psychiatry
Trying to treat cancer with a fruit juice cure
And waiting for the Beatles reunion tour
'Cuz it's a great big stupid world
And we're feeling kinda queasy as it turns around
Great big stupid world
And we're never really sure if we're up or down
We're on a dirt clod out in space
Where it stops nobody knows
If Jesus came back today
They'd try to book him on the Oprah Winfrey show
'Cuz it's a great big stupid world
Great big stupid world
Well we're hot on the trail of Big Foot
And we're wearing the crystals to feel the power
We're hoping that the creatures from outer space
Come to set us free in that final hour
Trying to tell the future from the lumps on our heads
Getting melanoma from our tanning beds
Channeling Houdini with Shirley MacLaine
And trying to figure out what the dolphins are saying
Well it's a Great-Big-Stupid world
Dumb dumb da dumb dumb baby it's a stupid world
It's a great big stupid, great big stupid
Great big stupid world
Well we're studying the National Enquirer
Is it true Sonny Bono is the Anti-Christ
We debate if T.V. wrestling is really a sport
While we're testing rock 'n' roll and it's effect on mice
Bonding with our little computer screens
Getting anorexic on our Lean Cuisines
Turning plastic surgeons into millionaires
So everybody finally gets to look like Cher
It's a great big stupid world
And we're feeling kind of queasy as it turns around
Great big stupid world
And we're never really sure if we're up or down
It's a great... big... stupid world
Dumb dumb da dumb dumb baby it's a stupid world
Thursday, October 30, 2008
The most popular YouTube video election season.
More than 11 million hits to watch 2 minutes of a guy looking into a camera and talking.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Taking our eyes off of the prize
Matthew 6:33 - But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Those words are some incredibly sound advice given by our Lord Jesus Christ during the sermon on the Mount. For nearly 2000 years they have been available to Christians as wise counsel about the practical application of living out our faith. Yet, they are often ignored as we let the smaller things in life crowd out the vision of the Kingdom of God in our thinking.
This has been on my mind for a while now as I progress through seminary. I've seen so many churches take their eyes off of the prize, and get locked up into bickering, schism, name-calling, church splits and all manner of ungodly behavior over seemingly minor things.
Here are a few of the examples I have seen churches split over:
1. Should the pastor's wife be compelled to wear a hat?
2. Removal of a beloved worship leader and replacement with someone who plays a different style of music.
3. Factional fighting for power/control within a congregation resulting in "churning" of pastors who cannot get past the initial 2-year call.
4. Removal of a pastor who violated church bylaws on divorce and remarriage.
5. Removal of a beloved member of the church staff.
6. Gossip, backbiting and strife used to wield power behind the scenes in a church.
Looking back at each of these, I ask the question: "Where is the kingdom of God in all of this?" Do any of these examples warrant blowing up a congregation and destroying the unity of a church? Is clothing, music or personnel worth ruining the reputation of the Bride of Christ?
Please hear me. I am NOT excusing ungodly leadership or behavior. If a church leader or pastor is engaging in ungodly behavior, they should be dealt with according to the scriptures and the leadership of the church. What I am talking about here are preferences that become "sacred cows" and the ensuing aftermath when someones sacred cow gets slaughtered.
Paul takes on the personnel issue in 1 Corinthians 3. He is writing to a church that is in discord because some say they are followers of Paul and others are followers of Apollos. That sounds familiar in the list I printed above. Neither Paul or Apollos are anything but followers of God. The church has taken their eyes off of God, and is focusing on the men. They are missing the message because they are so worried about the messenger! That is a tragic mistake that we see repeated over and over again.
Imagine if Paul and Apollos both fell over dead. Who would they follow then? The next apostle who showed up? They should be following God, and listening to the messengers who speak for him. But they became so wrapped up in the temporal things that they are missing the heavenly things.
My friends, I fear that is what many today are doing. We worry so much about the who (is delivering), and how (it is being delivered) of the message that we are missing the point of what (is being said) in the message. I know that I've been guilty in the past of letting the temporal overrule the eternal in my thinking, and I've asked God for forgiveness for that. I pray that each of you, during your prayer time, will ask God the question: "Is there something that I hold dear that is more important than building the Kingdom of God and its righteousness?" If there is, confess that to God and ask for his help in rearranging your priorities. The Kingdom of God awaits your help.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Weddings
Friday, October 17, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
How does stuff like this happen?
This is truly sickening.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Christmas Gift Idea
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Sadly, this may be true
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
A movie you might want to go see
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
A helpful remembering tool
Monday, October 06, 2008
Friday, October 03, 2008
Isn't this the truth
You have to love Real Life Adventures. It is a comic that hits on a great number of funny things that are true to life.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Hide your wallets
The same people who allowed this happen are now in charge of the cleanup. Taxpayer beware.
Watch the clip and ignore the partisanship. If I could find one without it I would use that one. The point is that the Congress knew four years ago that this was going to be a problem. Now, Ms. Waters, we do have a crisis at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and the taxpayers are bailing them out.
You may want to contact your member of Congress and your Senators before they stick it to you.
While you are being spanked by Washington and Wall Street
Monday, September 29, 2008
Wow. The Lord has a way of smacking me on the head
I was reading in my devotions this morning from Spiritual Classics. There is an essay by Catherine Marshall entitled A fasting from criticalness that is well worth reading. I have reprinted it here for you:
A Fasting on Criticalness
by Catherine Marshall
The Lord continues to deal with me about my critical spirit, convicting me that I have been wrong to judge any person or situation: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matt. 7:1-2; NIV)
One morning last week He gave me an assignment: for one day I was to go on a “fast” from criticism. I was not to criticize anybody about anything.
Into my mind crowded all the usual objections. “But then what happens to value judgments? You Yourself, Lord, spoke of ‘righteous judgment.’ How could society operate without standards and limits?”
All such resistance was brushed aside. “Just obey Me without questioning: an absolute fast on any critical statements for this day.”
As I pondered this assignment, I realized there was an even humorous side to this kind of fast. What did the Lord want to show me?
The Experiment
For the first half of the day, I simply felt a void, almost as if I had been wiped out as a person. This was especially true at lunch with my husband, Len, my mother, son Jeff, and my secretary Jeanne Sevigny, present. Several topics came up (school prayer, abortion, the ERA amendment) about which I had definite opinions. I listened to the others and kept silent. Barbed comments on the tip of my tongue about certain world leaders were suppressed. In our talkative family no one seemed to notice.
Bemused, I noticed that my comments were not missed. The federal government, the judicial system, and the institutional church could apparently get along fine without my penetrating observations. But still I didn’t see what this fast on criticism was accomplishing—until mid-afternoon.
For several years I had been praying for one talented young man whose life had gotten sidetracked. Perhaps my prayers for him had been too negative. That afternoon, a specific, positive vision for this life was dropped into my mind with God’s unmistakable hallmark on it—joy.
Ideas began to flow in a way I had not experienced in years. Now it was apparent what the Lord wanted me to see. My critical nature had not corrected a single one of the multitudinous things I found fault with. What it had done was to stifle my own creativity—in prayer, in relationships, perhaps even in writing—ideas that He wanted to give me.
Last Sunday night in a Bible study group, I told of my Day’s Fast experiment. The response was startling. Many admitted that criticalness was the chief problem in their offices, or in their marriages, or with their teenage children.
The Result
My own character flaw here is not going to be corrected overnight. But in thinking this problem through the past few days, I find the most solid Scriptural basis possible for dealing with it. (The Greek word translated “judge” in King James, becomes “criticize” in Moffat.) All through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus sets Himself squarely against our seeing other people and life situations through this negative lens. What He is showing me so far can be summed up as follows:
- A critical spirit focuses us on ourselves and makes us unhappy. We lose perspective and humor.
- A critical spirit blocks the positive creative thoughts God longs to give us.
- A critical spirit can prevent good relationships between individuals and often produces retaliatory criticalness.
- Criticalness blocks the work of the Spirit of God: love, good will, mercy.
- Whenever we see something genuinely wrong in another person’s behavior, rather than criticize him or her directly, or – far worse – gripe about him behind his back, we should ask the Spirit of God to do the correction needed.
Convicted of the true destructiveness of a critical mind-set, on my knees I am repeating this prayer: “Lord, I repent of this sin of judgment. I am deeply sorry for having committed so gross an offense against You and against myself so continually. I claim Your promise of forgiveness and seek a new beginning.”
Does that ring your bell? It certainly did mine. I'm a basically optimistic person, but I do have a critical spirit at times. I lose the ability to see the good in people and situations and only see that which I consider to be wrong. And it takes me into a dark place where the Spirit of God is hard to find.Can I ask each of you to fast one day each week from criticalness? Can we agree to each take one day where we do not disparage anyone, anything or any situation? I think if we did that, we can expect that God will rearrange many of our thoughts and allow us to go places with Him that we have not been in some time. I know that I need to do this, and I pray that you will join me.
The following scripture follows this thought quite nicely:
Isaiah 58:3-9
3 'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?'
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD ?
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
There may be hope
The photos below are courtesy of Sean Baligian at WDFN.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
A promise that I cling to
Come Lord Jesus, Come.
A sad anniversary
Watch the video clip and offer your prayers for those whose lives were forever changed. The actions of 19 men and their trainers set in motion a catastrophic series of events that continues to this day.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Enough
No Mas! No Mas! Please stop!
All of you well-intentioned souls out there who are sending me email breathlessly spouting "Obama is a closet Muslim" or "Palin is a racist" allegations. Please stop. I really don't care and I throw them away. Most any email I receive that has more than one FW: in it is automatically discarded. I've come to realize that most of them (90+%) are factually inaccurate if not downright slanderous.
This article leads to a site you can use to check your political rumors before you share them. This particular article is about Ms. Palin, but there are links to the Obama rumors as well. It bears a very poor witness on us as Christians if we are knowingly spreading slanderous and/or untrue information about someone. It seems to be breaking the Commandment about bearing false witness against our neighbor, at least to me.
So I ask that you at a minimum remove me from your list. I would encourage you to examine your heart/motives/facts before you send them. It is the Christian thing to do.
A thought on Meditation
I recently picked up Spiritual Classics - Selected readings for Individuals and Groups on the Twelve Spiritual Disciplines, to assist me with my devotional life. Those of you that know me know that I am a restless soul, and the inward disciplines of meditation and solitude don't come naturally to me. The one I read today is one I want to share with you.
It is from St. Thomas More, and it is a wonderful contemplative, meditative prayer written in the 16th Century:
to set the world at nought;
To set my mind fast upon Thee,
and not to hang upon the blast of men’s mouths;
To be content to be solitary,
not to long for worldly company;
Little by little utterly to cast off the world,
and rid my mind of all the business thereof;
Not to long to hear of any worldly things,
but that the hearing of worldly phantasies may be to me unpleasant;
Gladly to be thinking of thee,
piteously to call for thy help;
To lean unto the comfort of thee,
busily to labor to love You;
To know my own vileness and wretchedness,
to be humble and meeken myself under the mighty hand of God;
To bewail my sins passed,
for the purging of them patiently to suffer adversity;
Gladly to bear my purgatory here,
to be joyful of tribulations;
To walk the narrow way that leads to life,
to bear the cross with Christ;
To have the last thing in remembrance,
to have ever before my eye my death that is ever at hand;
To make death no stranger to me,
to foresee and consider the everlasting fire of hell;
To pray for pardon before the Judge come,
to have continually in mind the passion that Christ suffered for me;
For His benefits unceasingly to give Him thanks,
to buy the time again that I before have lost;
To abstain from vain conversations,
to eschew light foolish mirth and gladness;
Recreations not necessary to cut off,
of worldly substance, friends, liberty, life and all, to set the loss as nothing
for the winning of Christ;
To think my greatest enemies my best friends,
for the brethren of Joseph could never have done him so much good
with their love and favor as they did him with their malice and hatred.
Give me the grace so to spend my life,
that when the day of my death shall come,
though I may feel pain in my body,
I may feel comfort in soul;
and with faithful hope in thy mercy,
in due love towards thee
and charity towards the world,
I may, through thy grace,
part hence into thy glory.
Pray that prayer and let the Lord work in you with it. I'd love to hear where it takes you
Monday, September 08, 2008
Greatest threat to Marriage?
Read this post and let me know what you think. The author is reacting to a recent publication from our denomination re: Gay marriage.
The author makes a very salient point during all of this discussion over subverting the institution of marriage.
Yes indeed there is a biblical standard for marriage however it does not seem that as human beings let alone the most fundamentalist of Christians that it matters much or that we have set the practical standard that high. It only makes sense to me that Homosexuals would want to take a crack at being married, especially when we don't tend to do any better at it as a whole than society at large. I agree with the letter, the American family is being subverted; not by the efforts of a very small minority, but by the actions of a plank-eyed plurality. The single greatest threat to the sacrament of marriage in America is the rampant and wanton abuse of divorce by heterosexual Christians. The next greatest threat to the sacrament of marriage in America is rampant and wanton abuse of sex in all it's forms by heterosexual Christians.
I'm going to spend some time praying about that thought. I think he is on to something. Not that it means that homosexual marriage is right. But heterosexuals have so devalued marriage that it does seem a bit hypocritical to scream about protecting something we don't really seem to value.
We in the church need to make a concerted effort to show that we value marriage. That may mean that we go to great lengths to keep marriages from falling apart in our congregations. We need a radical type of community where people know each other well enough to sense these things before the wheels come off the train. How that works, I'm not sure. But we do need to end this epidemic of disposable marriage that is rampant in the church.
Lord help us.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
When God moves in
Sometimes in the midst of all of our doing, God moves in and does something that just grabs your attention. Our church has had an evangelist here since Saturday for revival services. We've been praying for months for these services and the Lord is honoring our prayers.
Last night we anointed people for healing. You know my disdain for the charlatans of the world who are out there duping people for money with their healing act. But I witnessed with my own eyes a man awaiting knee surgery lose the pain and gain the ability to jump up and down, when he could not walk without pain prior to that. I also witnessed a woman who was barely able to sit up be healed and was bouncing around the sanctuary after the service. I know both of these people and believe that what they are feeling is real.
Thank you Lord for bursting in on our lives when we need it. It is awesome to watch.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
This bears repeating
I know it is painful right now, but God is a big God and he can and will protect his church, including all of the members of the body of Christ.
Take heart, pray hard, and trust God. Lean on the truth of the words God spoke to Joshua “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Pray for this church
Jeremy Smallwood is one of my classmates and he is on staff at the Selinsgrove Church of the Nazarene in Pennsylvania. He asked that we pray for the following:
Pray for our witness to students from Susquehanna University, who are returning and beginning classes this week. Ministry to transient college students is hard, but we have an obligation to them due to our close proximity. Pray for God to give wisdom to the pastoral staff and church participants in taking advantage of opportunities to reach out.
Will you join me in praying for Jeremy, his congregation and his mission field? They have a tough assignment, but one that God can see them through. Our prayers will provide them with power, guidance and a clear field as they advance the kingdom of God.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Restore to me the joy
My heart aches at times for the struggles I see in the world, and in the church. I see the hurt caused by unforgiveness, hatred, evil, laziness and so many other things, and it begins to weigh on me. This is my prayer as I am in the 2nd week of 8.5 hours per day of classes at NTS.
"Restore to me the joy of my salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me."
Sometimes in all of the stuff of life the joy of our salvation gets buried in the avalanche of daily living. The closeness we felt to the one who rescued us from the mire seems so long ago as we grind out our daily lives.
Today, I simply ask you to join me in asking God to restore to me the joy of your salvation. Take me back to the place where I first fell in love with you and let me dwell there for a while. Then give me a spirit to go join the fray again.
Come Lord Jesus, Come.