Pastor Kevin preached today in church. His text was the last chapter of Deuteronomy into the beginning of Joshua. Those chapters chronicle the end of Moses' life (as well as leadership of Israel) and the beginning of Joshua's leadership. Moses had been with the people a long time. After leading them out of slavery in Egypt and through the delivering waters of the Red Sea, he spent 40 insufferable years with them in the wilderness.
First they complain that there is no water. God provides the water. Then they complain that there is no food. God provides the food. Then they complain that there is no water again.
They've seen God take care of them again and again, but they keep chiding Moses with how much better off they were in oppressive Egypt. It eventually gets to Moses. At one point, instead of commanding water from a rock, he strikes it. Twice. God is not pleased with Moses' disobedience, and he is not allowed to enter into the promised land. In fact, when he dies, Moses is 120 years old with perfect vision and leadership capacity. The negativity of the people has gotten to Moses too much. It's time for new leadership.
So Joshua is raised up. He grew up amidst the grumbling and complaining, he was the only one of the twelve spies besides Caleb who had scoped out the Promised Land and came back optimistic. God tells him to be strong and courageous as a leader. He repeats that admonition several times in the opening verses of Joshua.
Negativity creeps into our lives--at least it does mine, and I don't think I'm alone. It's easy to start thinking about how the economy has us down or a job loss or a troubled marriage or personal failures. The negativity of the culture around us becomes our own.
Let's head into what lies before us with boldness and courage, not listening to the negativity and grumbling around us, but with assurance that we can do all things through Christ who gives us the strength to do what He has called us to do (Philippians 4:13)
1/17/2010
1/14/2010
Earthquakes, Prophecy and Love
Christians and non-Christians alike cringed at the words of a man regarding the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Pat Robertson was all over the news for blaming the Haitian earthquake on the nation's sins. It's not the first time he's been there for such pronouncements. And he's not the only one. This past summer John Piper said the tornado that hit Minneapolis was because of the ELCA's pending vote to ordain homosexual pastors. Jerry Falwell blamed a whole list of "sinners" for the 9/11 attacks. They're not the first to pronounce judgment on people or entire nations for their sins. And, unfortunately, they won't be the last.
God does still give people the spiritual gift of prophecy. But it's a gift--meant to build up the church, not condemn others. According to 1 Corinthians 14:3, the gift of prophecy is given to edify, exhort and comfort. According to Jesus, it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to convict people (or nations) of sin, of righteousness and of judgment to come (John 16:8-11)--it's not the job of any man.
Bad things happen to everyone (even good people as Rabbi Harold Kushner has pointed out). No one is immune from natural events or the consequences of ours (or other's) sins. There is evil in the world. Our sins have let it in. We live in a fallen world--and the world isn't going to be perfect because of that. Jesus said that the rain falls on the righteous and unrighteous alike (Matthew 5:45).
The Bible has many exhortations for us to be slow and thoughtful in speaking. God does not pronounce judgments upon anyone through natural disasters. I ask you to find a place in the Bible where it says He will do so. God's message is about love for others--and that He has provided a way out of the muck and mire for us.
Pat Robertson has made many people upset. But let's not point the finger at him alone. Don't we all say things that are hurtful at times? Don't we all neglect helping someone because it's inconvenient for us? Don't we all turn a blind eye to injustice at times? I know I do. Instead of being angry at Pat Robertson, why don't we use this as an opportunity to examine our own sins. Why don't we take time to pray (not in condemnation, but in love) for him, for Haiti, for ourselves, for the world. Confess our sins--both our individual ones as well as our corporate sins. And then turn around with a forgiven (and forgiving!) hand and offer it in love to people who need our help and love. Whether it be in Haiti or the house next door.
God does still give people the spiritual gift of prophecy. But it's a gift--meant to build up the church, not condemn others. According to 1 Corinthians 14:3, the gift of prophecy is given to edify, exhort and comfort. According to Jesus, it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to convict people (or nations) of sin, of righteousness and of judgment to come (John 16:8-11)--it's not the job of any man.
Bad things happen to everyone (even good people as Rabbi Harold Kushner has pointed out). No one is immune from natural events or the consequences of ours (or other's) sins. There is evil in the world. Our sins have let it in. We live in a fallen world--and the world isn't going to be perfect because of that. Jesus said that the rain falls on the righteous and unrighteous alike (Matthew 5:45).
The Bible has many exhortations for us to be slow and thoughtful in speaking. God does not pronounce judgments upon anyone through natural disasters. I ask you to find a place in the Bible where it says He will do so. God's message is about love for others--and that He has provided a way out of the muck and mire for us.
Pat Robertson has made many people upset. But let's not point the finger at him alone. Don't we all say things that are hurtful at times? Don't we all neglect helping someone because it's inconvenient for us? Don't we all turn a blind eye to injustice at times? I know I do. Instead of being angry at Pat Robertson, why don't we use this as an opportunity to examine our own sins. Why don't we take time to pray (not in condemnation, but in love) for him, for Haiti, for ourselves, for the world. Confess our sins--both our individual ones as well as our corporate sins. And then turn around with a forgiven (and forgiving!) hand and offer it in love to people who need our help and love. Whether it be in Haiti or the house next door.
1/12/2010
A Walk on A Frosty Morning
Outside my window
Hoary frost clings to the tree branches
Like burdock to clothes.
I put on my coat
And head outside for a walk
Around the pond.
The air is crisp,
But it doesn't steal
My breath away.
The snow crunches, scrunches,
Almost squeaks under my feet.
Whiteness is all around me:
On the ground,
On the trees,
Even the air seems white today.
Rabbit tracks meander across the pond.
Birds have left their prints
On the ground
Under the evergreen tree.
Halfway around the pond,
I wish I would have put on
My thermal underwear.
I keep moving,
Hoping my thighs
Warm from the friction,
Enjoying my solitude
And communion with
The wintry landscape.
Only me and God are out here,
And He reminds me
Of His promise that He alone can
Wash me whiter than snow.
1/11/2010
The Pool
Anders began swimming lessons today. They're just a half hour in the afternoon. Five kids in a class. The instructor took turns helping each kid float or kick as she led them in a small circle.There are three big steps to learning to swim: 1) getting in the water, 2) putting your head under water, 3) letting go of the edge of the pool.
It's a lot like following Jesus. You can sit on the edge and watch all you want, but at some point you've got to get in the water if you want to swim. Jesus invites all to follow Him. It's up to us to respond.
You can keep your head above water all you want, but you can't really learn to swim until you trust yourself and the water enough to put your head under it. Following takes a leap of faith if we want to go deeper at some point. We have to trust Jesus. We also have to trust ourselves--that we will excede in this new life we've been given without falling back in our old patterns.
And you can learn to put your head underwater and kick and all the other skills, but they don't matter unless you're willing to let go of the side of the pool. Following Jesus means that we have to leave a lot of our old ways behind--the unhealthy habits we developed that gave us security. Jesus invites us to go deeper with Him and experience something wonderfully new.
1/10/2010
Potty Beauty
Nils is one who finds beauty in everything. Today were were in restrooms in a few different stores. Upon two separate occasions, Nils declared regarding the shorter urinal he was using, "Awww, how cute!" I'm not exactly sure what makes a urinal cute, but Nils is the only one who can get by declaring it so.
1/08/2010
Time was Never Money
I was just listening to Switchfoot's song Gone / on the radio. One line says, "Life is more than money/ Time was never money/ Time was never cash."
I was reminded how a couple days ago our neighbor called to see if I could jump the battery on her car. She mentioned she was going to call a taxi to take her sister to the airport while she got the issue with her car taken care of. We said that we could do it (Beth didn't have to be in to work for a while, so we were available). Beth ended up driving her down; she was offered some money for the errand. Beth turned it down, of course. We didn't do it for the money.
People may say time is money. It's not. It's more than that. Time is love. We use our time for work to make money to pay our bills, sure, but we also do it because God has given us skills and passions and expects us to serve Him and others in that position--out of love. We give our time to our families because we love them. We serve others out of love. We give up our own time for others.
It's easy to get trapped into thinking that time is money. I can look at a purchase in reference as to how many hours I have to work (or my wife has to work, as the case may be) to pay for it. But that kind of thinking turns me away from helping others. I don't stop to help the person with the flat tire on their car because I don't have the time to do that (translate: it's not worth it to me).
How would my little corner of the world change if I started thinking of my time being an opportunity to love? And I followed Jesus example in giving love away?
I was reminded how a couple days ago our neighbor called to see if I could jump the battery on her car. She mentioned she was going to call a taxi to take her sister to the airport while she got the issue with her car taken care of. We said that we could do it (Beth didn't have to be in to work for a while, so we were available). Beth ended up driving her down; she was offered some money for the errand. Beth turned it down, of course. We didn't do it for the money.
People may say time is money. It's not. It's more than that. Time is love. We use our time for work to make money to pay our bills, sure, but we also do it because God has given us skills and passions and expects us to serve Him and others in that position--out of love. We give our time to our families because we love them. We serve others out of love. We give up our own time for others.
It's easy to get trapped into thinking that time is money. I can look at a purchase in reference as to how many hours I have to work (or my wife has to work, as the case may be) to pay for it. But that kind of thinking turns me away from helping others. I don't stop to help the person with the flat tire on their car because I don't have the time to do that (translate: it's not worth it to me).
How would my little corner of the world change if I started thinking of my time being an opportunity to love? And I followed Jesus example in giving love away?
It's a Smooth Ride
Nils: I'm going to ride on my Speedo bike. (I'm hoping he meant speeder, as they were playing Star Wars).
1/06/2010
Twelfth Day of Christmas
Epiphany
Wise men traveled from a distant land;
A land where the God of the Jews
was unknown,
Where Ahura Mazda was the god
and Zoroaster his prophet.
Wise men traveled, following the light:
Light from a star which showed
the way,
Which foretold of the birth of a
great King.
Wise men traveled bearing gifts:
Gifts of gold, worthy of a King
who owns everything;
Gifts of the most valuable incense,
worthy of a god;
Gifts of myrrh, for preparing a body
for entombment.
Wise men arrived from Persia;
Arrived at the home of a carpenter
and his young bride,
And their infant Son who
was worthy of their worship.
Wise men announced the birth of a King;
A baby whom Herod
wanted dead,
A baby whom shepherds
alone had praised.
Are we wise enough to follow as well?
Do we decide to journey to the Light
to find the Son?
What do we give Him
that will be worthy?
Wise men traveled from a distant land;
A land where the God of the Jews
was unknown,
Where Ahura Mazda was the god
and Zoroaster his prophet.
Wise men traveled, following the light:
Light from a star which showed
the way,
Which foretold of the birth of a
great King.
Wise men traveled bearing gifts:
Gifts of gold, worthy of a King
who owns everything;
Gifts of the most valuable incense,
worthy of a god;
Gifts of myrrh, for preparing a body
for entombment.
Wise men arrived from Persia;
Arrived at the home of a carpenter
and his young bride,
And their infant Son who
was worthy of their worship.
Wise men announced the birth of a King;
A baby whom Herod
wanted dead,
A baby whom shepherds
alone had praised.
Are we wise enough to follow as well?
Do we decide to journey to the Light
to find the Son?
What do we give Him
that will be worthy?
1/04/2010
Julia Child, Blogging and Art
Last night my wife borrowed the movie Julie & Julia from our neighbors so we could watch it (which reminds me that I need to take it off my reserve list at the library). The movie is based on a blog that a woman (named Julie) wrote about cooking all of Julia Child's recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking within a year's time. Her blog gained a huge following over time and was eventually made into a movie which compares and contrasts Julie & Julia's lives as well as chronicling how Julia Child impacted Julie's life.
It's been just over six years since I began this blog. The first four years were hit or miss--I didn't write much at all. There's not even an entry about Nils being born.
The blog really came into being when we moved to British Columbia. It was an effective way for us to continue sharing our lives (and, perhaps more importantly, pictures of the kids) with all the people we were leaving behind in the Midwest.
I've continued the blog since then since we still have friends from all over the world that we logistically just can't keep in touch with as often as we'd like. I also feel connected to my readers; having a comment on a post just makes my day to know someone took the time to read and respond to what I was thinking. And perhaps at this point I write mainly for myself. I need to take the time to reflect and connect . I need to keep writing--I have a dream to someday have something published. And whether or not that ever happens, it's good for me to do. I guess blogs can end up being a bit narcissistic, but I hope that in helping myself I can also help others, that I can speak to them, than even in cyberspace I can minister to others.
I would love to be able to have this blog springboard me into something bigger, as it did for Julie Powell. Writing is something I can do at home while I'm watching the boys. It's be nice if it could provide a little income as well.
The other thing I've been doing from home is painting and drawing. It's mainly a hobbie for enjoyment, but I've been humbly trying to sell some as a way for people to brighten up their work spaces (Cubicle Art).
I just sold my first pieces this weekend. Sure, they were to my sister. But she wanted them. It wasn't just charity on her part (at least I'm fairly sure it wasn't). I probably would have never thought of selling my art if it weren't at the suggestion of a friend. I've still got a lot to learn about painting, but it's enjoyable and relaxing to me, so I'll continue. Even if I don't think I've got much to offer yet.
I guess with anything we do, we need to do it for ourselves as well as doing it for others. Sometimes in taking care of ourselves, we keep ourselves healthy so that we can serve others. And all we do needs to bring glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31). So as I take care of my boys, do housework, write, paint or whatever, I do it for me. I do it for someone else (whether it's my wife or you) and I do it for God. Yet another good reminder that I need to love God & love my neighbor as myself.
It's been just over six years since I began this blog. The first four years were hit or miss--I didn't write much at all. There's not even an entry about Nils being born.
The blog really came into being when we moved to British Columbia. It was an effective way for us to continue sharing our lives (and, perhaps more importantly, pictures of the kids) with all the people we were leaving behind in the Midwest.
I've continued the blog since then since we still have friends from all over the world that we logistically just can't keep in touch with as often as we'd like. I also feel connected to my readers; having a comment on a post just makes my day to know someone took the time to read and respond to what I was thinking. And perhaps at this point I write mainly for myself. I need to take the time to reflect and connect . I need to keep writing--I have a dream to someday have something published. And whether or not that ever happens, it's good for me to do. I guess blogs can end up being a bit narcissistic, but I hope that in helping myself I can also help others, that I can speak to them, than even in cyberspace I can minister to others.
I would love to be able to have this blog springboard me into something bigger, as it did for Julie Powell. Writing is something I can do at home while I'm watching the boys. It's be nice if it could provide a little income as well.
The other thing I've been doing from home is painting and drawing. It's mainly a hobbie for enjoyment, but I've been humbly trying to sell some as a way for people to brighten up their work spaces (Cubicle Art).
I just sold my first pieces this weekend. Sure, they were to my sister. But she wanted them. It wasn't just charity on her part (at least I'm fairly sure it wasn't). I probably would have never thought of selling my art if it weren't at the suggestion of a friend. I've still got a lot to learn about painting, but it's enjoyable and relaxing to me, so I'll continue. Even if I don't think I've got much to offer yet.
I guess with anything we do, we need to do it for ourselves as well as doing it for others. Sometimes in taking care of ourselves, we keep ourselves healthy so that we can serve others. And all we do needs to bring glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31). So as I take care of my boys, do housework, write, paint or whatever, I do it for me. I do it for someone else (whether it's my wife or you) and I do it for God. Yet another good reminder that I need to love God & love my neighbor as myself.
1/03/2010
New Year, New Life
The boys and I rang in the New Year in Des Moines. We drove down with my sister and niece on New Year's Eve. We reached my other sister's apartment a little after 10:30. Nils at least was still up until midnight. I was laying in bed trying to get them both asleep. It's a glamorous life.
We had Christmas with my mom's extended family on New Year's Day. The boys got to swim with the cousins on Saturday (once they opened the pool). And we arrived back home late last night. We went (since we could get a ride with my sister), knowing we won't have a lot of these Christmas gatherings left, and we don't get to go to them too often.
With that said, the New Year kind of came and went. The boys and I did take some time on New Year's Eve to remember what happened in 2009. I didn't focus too much, though, on the things I need to change and learn from. But I think I've kind of been doing that a lot in the past year, so they're in the back of my mind at least.
We've been to family gatherings over the past several weekends, so we haven't been in our own church for a while. It was good to be back so we can go there today. Pastor Efrem spoke on the Holy Spirit. It was a good message for starting a new year.
One of the basic affirmations that the Evangelical Covenant Church upholds is "a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit." I don't think many of us have a good working knowledge of Who the Holy Spirit is, what He does and what he enables us to do. Actually, that was Efrem's premise for today: that in order for us to live more fully in the Spirit, we have to have a better knowledge of the Spirit. (And if you want that part of his sermon, it'll be posted here in not too long.) I know I turn less to the Holy Spirit than I do to the Son or Father. He's the most over-looked member of the Trinity in most Christendom (and over-emphasized in unhelpful ways in some parts). So, starting the New Year with a foundation of who the Holy Spirit is and what He does is a good place to start.
For me, the sermon was a reminder of what I desire for the year ahead: to live more in touch with God each day, which can only happen through a more conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit's indwelling in my life. Efrem commented today that "being Spirit-filled is like drowning in God's love." That sounds like the outcome of a good New Year's resolution to me.
We had Christmas with my mom's extended family on New Year's Day. The boys got to swim with the cousins on Saturday (once they opened the pool). And we arrived back home late last night. We went (since we could get a ride with my sister), knowing we won't have a lot of these Christmas gatherings left, and we don't get to go to them too often.
With that said, the New Year kind of came and went. The boys and I did take some time on New Year's Eve to remember what happened in 2009. I didn't focus too much, though, on the things I need to change and learn from. But I think I've kind of been doing that a lot in the past year, so they're in the back of my mind at least.
We've been to family gatherings over the past several weekends, so we haven't been in our own church for a while. It was good to be back so we can go there today. Pastor Efrem spoke on the Holy Spirit. It was a good message for starting a new year.
One of the basic affirmations that the Evangelical Covenant Church upholds is "a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit." I don't think many of us have a good working knowledge of Who the Holy Spirit is, what He does and what he enables us to do. Actually, that was Efrem's premise for today: that in order for us to live more fully in the Spirit, we have to have a better knowledge of the Spirit. (And if you want that part of his sermon, it'll be posted here in not too long.) I know I turn less to the Holy Spirit than I do to the Son or Father. He's the most over-looked member of the Trinity in most Christendom (and over-emphasized in unhelpful ways in some parts). So, starting the New Year with a foundation of who the Holy Spirit is and what He does is a good place to start.
For me, the sermon was a reminder of what I desire for the year ahead: to live more in touch with God each day, which can only happen through a more conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit's indwelling in my life. Efrem commented today that "being Spirit-filled is like drowning in God's love." That sounds like the outcome of a good New Year's resolution to me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)