Originally written May 2005 for First Lutheran Church, Morris, MN - "First Things"
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you have learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:14-17
Graduation is upon us! As I prepare to see my first son graduate it is a frightening thought. When he started kindergarten (such a short time ago, it seems) someone made the comment, "Ah, he's no longer yours. He belongs to the world now." I thought it was an odd statement considering he was just starting kindergarten - and half days at that! But looking back, I understand the comment. As our children grow, our influence becomes less and less. The world of school, friends, and activities becomes more and more important.
Our relationships with each other change and grow. In August, when I send my son off to college, our relationship will forever change. Yes, he'll return home from time to time but it will not be the same. Changes are already setting in. When Erik bought his first coar and took out his first loan, he asked me, "Mom, did I do the right thing?" I told him that I couldn't answer that anymore. And I can't. The decisions are his to make.
I can give him advice and help him see all sides of an issue. I can be there to listen and be a sounding board. I can be his cheerleader or give him a shoulder to cry on and a warm hug for encouragement. But I can't tell him what to do anymore. That role now belongs solely to God.
For those of us who have grown beyond an age where our earthly parents make decisions for us, God remains our loving parent who provides us with direction. He sends us out into the world with the scriptures as our guide, our brothers and sisters in Christ as our support, and the Holy Spirit to whisper in our ears when we need a friendly word of encouragement. Sometimes the decisions we need to make are clearly right or wrong. Sometimes there isn't a clear right or wrong answer, just one that is more right for us at the time. Those are the times the decision gets difficult. But even at those times, God is with us. He stands by our side, takes our hand when we need it, and slowly and patiently guides us into making a good decision.
Each day we graduate into a new day. Each day God sends us out to love and serve him. Each day we are called to "...continue in what you have learned and firmly believed..."
When I teach the 2nd graders about their new Bibles, I remind them that the Bible is a living book. It is the only book they will ever own which will grow with them.
It is God's living Word, active in our lives. God's Word is new everyday. It is "...inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness..." It is the guidebook we take through our lives as we graduate and go out into the world.
Through the hearing and study of God's Word, and by prayerful consideration, God is able to help us make the decisions we need to make. It is his way of giving us good advice. We may not choose to follow that advice - and that's why we need God's grace - for all the times we choose to ignore God's direction.
God is and always will be our most perfect loving parent. He gives us direction. He encourages us. He stands beside us. He fights for us. When we ignore him, he forgives us and offers us his grace.
Yes, my son does now truly belong to the world - God's world. And if he, and the rest of us, 'continue in what we have learned and firmly believe, knowing from whom we have learned it, and how from childhood we have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct us for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.... we may truly be proficient and equipped for every good work.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Fearfully Happy or Happily Fearful?
"Happy is the one who is never without fear, but one who is hard-hearted will fall into calamity." - Proverbs 28:14
Interesting. As I was flipping through my Bible today trying to come up with something to write about, l ran across this proverb. I read it a few times thinking it was a typo. "Happy is the one who is never without fear." Sounds like a contradiction in terms to me. Whenever I've been afraid, I haven't exactly considered myself happy. In fact, generally, my feelings would be quite the opposite. Fear, anxiety, and sorrow tend to go hand in hand. And I really couldn't figure out what the second half of that proverb had to do with the first, "but one who is hard-hearted will fall into calamity." While I understand and agree with that second part, it just doesn't seem to have any connection with the first part.
Hmmm.... let me think.... When we are afraid, we tend to be in a situation over which we have very little - if any - control. That's what makes us afraid in the first place, the fact that something is happening over which we have no control. Whether it's a test we feel we may fail or fear of losing someone dear to us or what we can't see in the dark... it's something that is now out of our hands. Considering the things that make us afraid, why would anyone who is never without fear be happy? And what does being hard-hearted have to do with not being afraid?
Well, I think the answer to those questions may lie in 2 Corinthians, where Paul writes, "but (God) said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.' So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9b-10)
Weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, calamities... these are certainly things that would produce fear. When we are afraid and we feel we have no control over the situation, all we can do is turn to Christ. In turning to him, he gives us the strength to face our fears and whatever the outcome of the situation may be. In that way we have happiness, for our fear draws us closer to God. When we are unafraid, feeling that we can do anything and all things by ourselves, then we become hard-hearted. We stop seeing the dangers (and blessings) around us because we mistakenly believe we can do it all on our own - that we are invincible. We stop depending on God and calamity awaits us because we become blinded by our own 'brilliance' rather than having our path illuminated by the light of Christ.
If we are never without fear, we are never without the realization that we depend upon God. In acknowledging our dependence on God, we find happiness and peace. It becomes a circle. Perhaps what the teacher is trying to tell us in this proverb is that happy is the one who is never without fear, who never depends solely on their own abilities but rather depends upon a God who is with us in our fear and in our joy; a God who gives us strength and will carry us through all the weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities we might face.
May God be with us and may we be happy in our fears.
Interesting. As I was flipping through my Bible today trying to come up with something to write about, l ran across this proverb. I read it a few times thinking it was a typo. "Happy is the one who is never without fear." Sounds like a contradiction in terms to me. Whenever I've been afraid, I haven't exactly considered myself happy. In fact, generally, my feelings would be quite the opposite. Fear, anxiety, and sorrow tend to go hand in hand. And I really couldn't figure out what the second half of that proverb had to do with the first, "but one who is hard-hearted will fall into calamity." While I understand and agree with that second part, it just doesn't seem to have any connection with the first part.
Hmmm.... let me think.... When we are afraid, we tend to be in a situation over which we have very little - if any - control. That's what makes us afraid in the first place, the fact that something is happening over which we have no control. Whether it's a test we feel we may fail or fear of losing someone dear to us or what we can't see in the dark... it's something that is now out of our hands. Considering the things that make us afraid, why would anyone who is never without fear be happy? And what does being hard-hearted have to do with not being afraid?
Well, I think the answer to those questions may lie in 2 Corinthians, where Paul writes, "but (God) said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.' So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9b-10)
Weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, calamities... these are certainly things that would produce fear. When we are afraid and we feel we have no control over the situation, all we can do is turn to Christ. In turning to him, he gives us the strength to face our fears and whatever the outcome of the situation may be. In that way we have happiness, for our fear draws us closer to God. When we are unafraid, feeling that we can do anything and all things by ourselves, then we become hard-hearted. We stop seeing the dangers (and blessings) around us because we mistakenly believe we can do it all on our own - that we are invincible. We stop depending on God and calamity awaits us because we become blinded by our own 'brilliance' rather than having our path illuminated by the light of Christ.
If we are never without fear, we are never without the realization that we depend upon God. In acknowledging our dependence on God, we find happiness and peace. It becomes a circle. Perhaps what the teacher is trying to tell us in this proverb is that happy is the one who is never without fear, who never depends solely on their own abilities but rather depends upon a God who is with us in our fear and in our joy; a God who gives us strength and will carry us through all the weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities we might face.
May God be with us and may we be happy in our fears.
Lamps on a Lampstand
Originally written for First Lutheran Church, Morris, Minnesota - August 2004 newsletter
The week of July 12-16, 2004, twenty-three junior high youth and a varying number of adults spent five days on a camping trip near Duluth, Minnesota. It was a good time. No one fell out of the raft when we went whitewater rafting, no one got hurt, no one got lost, and I believe everyone had fun. In other words, it was a successful trip.
The Bible study theme for the week was taken from Matthew 5:14-16, "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp-stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
During the week we concentrated on what it means to spread the light of Jesus' love to others. Instead of doing just one service project as we usually did on the Junior High camping trip, we spent three mornings doing a variety of service projects.
On Tuesday morning we helped assemble journals and decorate journal covers at a Crisis Shelter for youth. Wednesday morning we pulled weeds at Jay Cooke State Park. And on Thursday morning we played Bingo with residents of a nursing home on Minnesota Point. Now while none of these sound like earth-shattering, life-changing service events, they were all greatly appreciated by the people for whom we worked.
Our afternoons and evenings were spent having fun and exploring the Duluth area. When the day was done we gathered for Bible study and campfire. On Tuesday evening the Bible study activity involved recognizing someone in the group for something we had seen them do that spread the light of Christ.
Sounds easy, right? But think back on your own day, today. When did you see someone spread the light of Christ? When did you spread the light of Christ?
Just like you, no one else knew I was going to spring that question on them. It had even slipped my mind until I took a quick look at my lesson plans for that night. But I was lucky. While we were out walking in Duluth that day, a little boy riding his bike, lost the chain on his bike and one of our youth stopped to help him fix it.
At campfire that night, this was the youth I first mentioned. I announced that this young man had been caught doing something good. He froze and this puzzled look came over his face when I mentioned his name. He wondered "What? What did I do?" Even when I reminded him of his good deed, the young man in our group looked like, "yeah, so what's the big deal?"
True, it wasn't any earth-shattering, lightening bolt experience. Chances are good that Jesus' name never even came up in the conversation they had. But the light of Christ was spread all the same.
As we went around the circle that night, everyone had the opportunity to tell someone else how they had seen that person spread the light of Christ. Again, there were no big lightening bolt actions mentioned; it was a glass of water given, a smile, a listening ear, a candy bar shared, an invitation to go on the trip - all little things that had made a big difference to someone.
Each time the person and the deed were mentioned, the person receiving the recognition barely remembered the incident because what they had done was such a natural thing to do. Their actions were a part of who they were; lamps on a lamp stand.
A lamp is something steady and consistent. It gives a light that can be depended upon. If it is a good lamp, the flame does not waver but gives a clear, true light. We are called to be that lamp. We are called to let the light of Christ shine through us - a steady and consistent light; a clear true light that does not waver. We are called to do good deeds not to seek recognition or praise but because it's the thing to do.
In this, the light and love of Christ is spread. When the young man in our group stopped to fix the little boy's bike, he didn't do it because he was told to do it or because he expected to be recognized for this achievement (and he certainly didn't expect to end up in a devotion); he did it because it was the thing to do. I'm not sure the little boy even asked for help or said, 'Thank you'. But the young man in our group helped because he knew the boy needed his help and he had the ability to do the job.
God has given all of us the abilities to do what needs to be done. Martin Luther once said that we should do every job, every task, as if we were doing it for Jesus. Then, whether we are washing dishes, mowing the lawn, working at our jobs, or even fixing a little boy's bike, our everyday tasks become earth-shattering, potentially life changing experiences.
If we do our tasks and live our lives as a service for Jesus, then the light and love of Christ is spread. We become an example of what it means to be a Christian. We become that city on a hill; that lamp on a lamp-stand. May we all let Christ's light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven.
The week of July 12-16, 2004, twenty-three junior high youth and a varying number of adults spent five days on a camping trip near Duluth, Minnesota. It was a good time. No one fell out of the raft when we went whitewater rafting, no one got hurt, no one got lost, and I believe everyone had fun. In other words, it was a successful trip.
The Bible study theme for the week was taken from Matthew 5:14-16, "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp-stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
During the week we concentrated on what it means to spread the light of Jesus' love to others. Instead of doing just one service project as we usually did on the Junior High camping trip, we spent three mornings doing a variety of service projects.
On Tuesday morning we helped assemble journals and decorate journal covers at a Crisis Shelter for youth. Wednesday morning we pulled weeds at Jay Cooke State Park. And on Thursday morning we played Bingo with residents of a nursing home on Minnesota Point. Now while none of these sound like earth-shattering, life-changing service events, they were all greatly appreciated by the people for whom we worked.
Our afternoons and evenings were spent having fun and exploring the Duluth area. When the day was done we gathered for Bible study and campfire. On Tuesday evening the Bible study activity involved recognizing someone in the group for something we had seen them do that spread the light of Christ.
Sounds easy, right? But think back on your own day, today. When did you see someone spread the light of Christ? When did you spread the light of Christ?
Just like you, no one else knew I was going to spring that question on them. It had even slipped my mind until I took a quick look at my lesson plans for that night. But I was lucky. While we were out walking in Duluth that day, a little boy riding his bike, lost the chain on his bike and one of our youth stopped to help him fix it.
At campfire that night, this was the youth I first mentioned. I announced that this young man had been caught doing something good. He froze and this puzzled look came over his face when I mentioned his name. He wondered "What? What did I do?" Even when I reminded him of his good deed, the young man in our group looked like, "yeah, so what's the big deal?"
True, it wasn't any earth-shattering, lightening bolt experience. Chances are good that Jesus' name never even came up in the conversation they had. But the light of Christ was spread all the same.
As we went around the circle that night, everyone had the opportunity to tell someone else how they had seen that person spread the light of Christ. Again, there were no big lightening bolt actions mentioned; it was a glass of water given, a smile, a listening ear, a candy bar shared, an invitation to go on the trip - all little things that had made a big difference to someone.
Each time the person and the deed were mentioned, the person receiving the recognition barely remembered the incident because what they had done was such a natural thing to do. Their actions were a part of who they were; lamps on a lamp stand.
A lamp is something steady and consistent. It gives a light that can be depended upon. If it is a good lamp, the flame does not waver but gives a clear, true light. We are called to be that lamp. We are called to let the light of Christ shine through us - a steady and consistent light; a clear true light that does not waver. We are called to do good deeds not to seek recognition or praise but because it's the thing to do.
In this, the light and love of Christ is spread. When the young man in our group stopped to fix the little boy's bike, he didn't do it because he was told to do it or because he expected to be recognized for this achievement (and he certainly didn't expect to end up in a devotion); he did it because it was the thing to do. I'm not sure the little boy even asked for help or said, 'Thank you'. But the young man in our group helped because he knew the boy needed his help and he had the ability to do the job.
God has given all of us the abilities to do what needs to be done. Martin Luther once said that we should do every job, every task, as if we were doing it for Jesus. Then, whether we are washing dishes, mowing the lawn, working at our jobs, or even fixing a little boy's bike, our everyday tasks become earth-shattering, potentially life changing experiences.
If we do our tasks and live our lives as a service for Jesus, then the light and love of Christ is spread. We become an example of what it means to be a Christian. We become that city on a hill; that lamp on a lamp-stand. May we all let Christ's light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
VIS or JPJ?
When Jesus heard this he replied, "There is one thing lacking. Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor." - Luke 18:22
When I was working in youth and family ministry full time, my office would often resemble a storage closet more than an office. From my experience - youth directors, principals, and preschool directors have the same problem - given enough time, their offices become storage places for everything imaginable.
Now granted, it is often very important stuff - curriculum, VBS supplies, recreational supplies, art supplies, handbooks, policies, regulations..... You get the idea.
Before I moved from Minnesota to California, I had an office, a house, and a two-car garage filled with stuff - and I could probably make a good case for most of it being important. Of course some of that stuff had been untouched in boxes in the garage for 10 years. And some of it had been in boxes somewhere for even longer than that - all of it VIS (Very Important Stuff).
When it came time to move to California, I had to weed through all of that VIS and like it or not, 90% of it had to be downgraded to GWS/SAS (Goodwill Stuff/Salvation Army Stuff), and JPJ (Just Plain Junk) that was pitched into a large trash bin.
Much as I didn't want to get rid of all that VIS, I had to find a new home for it. It was bogging me down and certainly could not have been shipped 2000 miles to California. Like the rich young ruler, I had to get rid of the stuff that was bogging me down before I could answer God's call to move.
My guess is that we all have areas in our home that are filled with VIS which someday someone will have to sort through and decide which is really VIS and which is JPJ before we can move on with our lives and answer God's call to go and do.
So why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we collect and collect and collect? I'm not just talking about the stuff that collects in our closets. We also tend to collect grudges, hurts, crammed schedules and other burdens that bog us down and keep us from answering God's call. To top it all off, as far as God is concerned, anything that keeps us from answering his call is JPJ - Just Plain Junk. - suitable for the trash heap.
Daily we are called to follow. Daily we are called to sort through the stuff in our lives and dump everything that is holding us back. Daily Jesus calls us to "sell all that you have..." and follow him with nothing but the faith which he gives us. Will we follow? Or will we be like the rich young ruler who went away sad because he didn't see his VIS as JPJ?
When I was working in youth and family ministry full time, my office would often resemble a storage closet more than an office. From my experience - youth directors, principals, and preschool directors have the same problem - given enough time, their offices become storage places for everything imaginable.
Now granted, it is often very important stuff - curriculum, VBS supplies, recreational supplies, art supplies, handbooks, policies, regulations..... You get the idea.
Before I moved from Minnesota to California, I had an office, a house, and a two-car garage filled with stuff - and I could probably make a good case for most of it being important. Of course some of that stuff had been untouched in boxes in the garage for 10 years. And some of it had been in boxes somewhere for even longer than that - all of it VIS (Very Important Stuff).
When it came time to move to California, I had to weed through all of that VIS and like it or not, 90% of it had to be downgraded to GWS/SAS (Goodwill Stuff/Salvation Army Stuff), and JPJ (Just Plain Junk) that was pitched into a large trash bin.
Much as I didn't want to get rid of all that VIS, I had to find a new home for it. It was bogging me down and certainly could not have been shipped 2000 miles to California. Like the rich young ruler, I had to get rid of the stuff that was bogging me down before I could answer God's call to move.
My guess is that we all have areas in our home that are filled with VIS which someday someone will have to sort through and decide which is really VIS and which is JPJ before we can move on with our lives and answer God's call to go and do.
So why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we collect and collect and collect? I'm not just talking about the stuff that collects in our closets. We also tend to collect grudges, hurts, crammed schedules and other burdens that bog us down and keep us from answering God's call. To top it all off, as far as God is concerned, anything that keeps us from answering his call is JPJ - Just Plain Junk. - suitable for the trash heap.
Daily we are called to follow. Daily we are called to sort through the stuff in our lives and dump everything that is holding us back. Daily Jesus calls us to "sell all that you have..." and follow him with nothing but the faith which he gives us. Will we follow? Or will we be like the rich young ruler who went away sad because he didn't see his VIS as JPJ?
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Smudges
"Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return"
As I write this it is the afternoon of Ash Wednesday. As usual, I attended the noon Ash Wednesday service and then went to lunch and sort of forgot about the cross smudge on my forehead. As I was standing in line at the McDonald's, the worker behind the counter - trying to be helpful - pointed out the smudge of ash on my forehead and offered me a napkin with which to wipe it off.
While I couldn't see the smudge, I can still feel its presence. What does this smudge mean, after all? When the pastor placed it on my head he said the old familiar words, "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return." Pretty humbling thought - we are dust and to dust we shall return. In other words, we are really pretty worthless. We live, we die, and - with the rare exception - in a thousand years, only a few will remember we lived at all.
But the smudge on our forehead is more than a smudge. It isn't just a non-descript smudge of dirt. It's a cross in the same spot where many years ago another pastor placed a similar cross - a cross of water - at our baptism. Those crosses - one a reminder of our mortality and the other a cross of life - both remind us that someone died for us. Someone - Jesus Christ - gave his life for me, for you, for everyone on this planet. That act, that saving act, is what gives each of us value and worth. You could say it's "value added".
That's a value no one can take away from us. It was given to us as a free gift; a very expensive free gift in that it cost Jesus Christ his life. We wear that cross daily. As the hymn says, "All newborn soldiers of the crucified / bear on their brows the seal of him who died." (Lift High the Cross) Whether or not I see the cross on my brow - it is there. It has marked me as a Christian for all of my life just as it has marked countless others throughout history. The question is, does it make a difference? Can others see the cross as we live our lives? Or do we live our lives as though it is 'just a smudge' that we wipe away before anyone notices? What will we do today? Will we take the napkin offered by the world or will we leave the smudge for all to see? The choice is yours. Which will you choose?
As I write this it is the afternoon of Ash Wednesday. As usual, I attended the noon Ash Wednesday service and then went to lunch and sort of forgot about the cross smudge on my forehead. As I was standing in line at the McDonald's, the worker behind the counter - trying to be helpful - pointed out the smudge of ash on my forehead and offered me a napkin with which to wipe it off.
While I couldn't see the smudge, I can still feel its presence. What does this smudge mean, after all? When the pastor placed it on my head he said the old familiar words, "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return." Pretty humbling thought - we are dust and to dust we shall return. In other words, we are really pretty worthless. We live, we die, and - with the rare exception - in a thousand years, only a few will remember we lived at all.
But the smudge on our forehead is more than a smudge. It isn't just a non-descript smudge of dirt. It's a cross in the same spot where many years ago another pastor placed a similar cross - a cross of water - at our baptism. Those crosses - one a reminder of our mortality and the other a cross of life - both remind us that someone died for us. Someone - Jesus Christ - gave his life for me, for you, for everyone on this planet. That act, that saving act, is what gives each of us value and worth. You could say it's "value added".
That's a value no one can take away from us. It was given to us as a free gift; a very expensive free gift in that it cost Jesus Christ his life. We wear that cross daily. As the hymn says, "All newborn soldiers of the crucified / bear on their brows the seal of him who died." (Lift High the Cross) Whether or not I see the cross on my brow - it is there. It has marked me as a Christian for all of my life just as it has marked countless others throughout history. The question is, does it make a difference? Can others see the cross as we live our lives? Or do we live our lives as though it is 'just a smudge' that we wipe away before anyone notices? What will we do today? Will we take the napkin offered by the world or will we leave the smudge for all to see? The choice is yours. Which will you choose?
Sunday, February 14, 2010
First Grade
(Originally written for First Lutheran Church, Morris, MN - April 2005)
"But the Lord said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.... for whenever I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10b
In Bible study the other day, the comment was made that sometimes we become so focused on our faults and weaknesses that we cannot see the gifts God has given us. Sound familiar? I know I do it. Looking back on an old placement form I had once completed, the only talent I listed was playing flute. Now granted, I can play the flute, but I can also crochet with about equal ability. Neither talent is something that would make or break my getting a job. I'm just not that good at either of those talents. But I really don't know what I'd list.
Sometimes I think the best part about job hunting is reading the letters of recommendation people have written for me. They see things in me that I don't see.
I know I'm not alone in not seeing my gifts. It's amazing to me how many very talented people we have who deny their gifts. We have learned so well that it's wrong to boast that, too often, we deny our God-given abilities rather than admit we can do something well.
Too often we spend time comparing ourselves to others, and forget that God has given all of us gifts in varying degrees. When we spend time comparing ourselves to others, we turn our focus in on ourselves rather than out on the world which God has given us to nurture.
We also forget that God's grace is there to make up for our lack of ability or when our abilities fall far short of the need. God will always be there to support and strengthen us for the need. We may question our abilites but we still have those abilities. The theologian, pastor and seminary professor, Gerhard Frost writes about a little boy who, "...had a great year in kindergarten, but now the going was hard in first grade. After reflection and brooding he came to his mother with a sad self-assessment and solemn conclusion: 'I don't think I'm really first grade; I'm more kindergarten type' "("The Demon Self-Doubt", Seasons of a Lifetime, p. 34)
God has created us as unique individuals; we are all "first grade" - top of the line. He has given us gifts, though too often we doubt their existence or their worth (and consequently our worth). But the apostle, Paul, reminds us, "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varities of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone." (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)
God is able to use all of our gifts for his glory. As Frost concludes, "... God has loved us into dignity and worth forever." (Ibid., p. 35) We just need to trust that he will use us; and then we need to say "yes" when the call comes.
God's grace is a wondrous thing. He is able to take us where we are and fill in the gaps to get us where he needs us to be. All we need to do is trust him enough to say "yes", do our best, and know that God will make it not just good enough but perfect.
As Paul writes, "(God's) grace is sufficient... for his power is made perfect in weakness..." And the best part is, we don't have to worry about boasting because we know we have only done our best, the difference is done by God. So, like Paul, we may boast in God's goodness and not in our own abilities.
Perhaps whenever we list our talents, the first one we should list is our ability to say "yes" to whatever God asks of us.
May we all see ourselves as God sees us and say "yes" when we are called to serve.
"But the Lord said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.... for whenever I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10b
In Bible study the other day, the comment was made that sometimes we become so focused on our faults and weaknesses that we cannot see the gifts God has given us. Sound familiar? I know I do it. Looking back on an old placement form I had once completed, the only talent I listed was playing flute. Now granted, I can play the flute, but I can also crochet with about equal ability. Neither talent is something that would make or break my getting a job. I'm just not that good at either of those talents. But I really don't know what I'd list.
Sometimes I think the best part about job hunting is reading the letters of recommendation people have written for me. They see things in me that I don't see.
I know I'm not alone in not seeing my gifts. It's amazing to me how many very talented people we have who deny their gifts. We have learned so well that it's wrong to boast that, too often, we deny our God-given abilities rather than admit we can do something well.
Too often we spend time comparing ourselves to others, and forget that God has given all of us gifts in varying degrees. When we spend time comparing ourselves to others, we turn our focus in on ourselves rather than out on the world which God has given us to nurture.
We also forget that God's grace is there to make up for our lack of ability or when our abilities fall far short of the need. God will always be there to support and strengthen us for the need. We may question our abilites but we still have those abilities. The theologian, pastor and seminary professor, Gerhard Frost writes about a little boy who, "...had a great year in kindergarten, but now the going was hard in first grade. After reflection and brooding he came to his mother with a sad self-assessment and solemn conclusion: 'I don't think I'm really first grade; I'm more kindergarten type' "("The Demon Self-Doubt", Seasons of a Lifetime, p. 34)
God has created us as unique individuals; we are all "first grade" - top of the line. He has given us gifts, though too often we doubt their existence or their worth (and consequently our worth). But the apostle, Paul, reminds us, "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varities of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone." (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)
God is able to use all of our gifts for his glory. As Frost concludes, "... God has loved us into dignity and worth forever." (Ibid., p. 35) We just need to trust that he will use us; and then we need to say "yes" when the call comes.
God's grace is a wondrous thing. He is able to take us where we are and fill in the gaps to get us where he needs us to be. All we need to do is trust him enough to say "yes", do our best, and know that God will make it not just good enough but perfect.
As Paul writes, "(God's) grace is sufficient... for his power is made perfect in weakness..." And the best part is, we don't have to worry about boasting because we know we have only done our best, the difference is done by God. So, like Paul, we may boast in God's goodness and not in our own abilities.
Perhaps whenever we list our talents, the first one we should list is our ability to say "yes" to whatever God asks of us.
May we all see ourselves as God sees us and say "yes" when we are called to serve.
Love, Love, Love.... That's What It's All About
"Love, love, love
That's what it's all about.
'Cause God loves us we love each other
Mother, Father, Sister, Brother
Everybody sing and shout!
'Cause that's what it's all about.
It's about love, love, love."
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (Minnesota to be exact) I learned that song in Sunday School (like I said - a long time ago!) It may be a simple children's song but like so many other things we teach our children it carries an important message - it IS all about love.
As I write this, it's Valentine's Day. This was never one of my favorite holidays. Oh, the anticipation was great... and I always hoped for one of those wonderfully romantic times on this day. But too often my anticipation never quite matched the reality.
There was one Valentine's Day when the man I was dating tried very hard to make it that 'storybook' Valentine's evening. He drove the 75 miles from where he lived to where I was living, brought a beautiful bouquet of red roses, the perfect card, took me out to a quiet restaurant known locally for it's romantic atmosphere and good food..... And I fell asleep.
I was working a new, temporary job that meant long hours, stressful working conditions, and very little sleep. There had been no time to catch a quick nap before he arrived; I barely had time to clean-up and get dressed. I fell asleep in the car on the way to the restaurant, kept dozing off during dinner, and was sound asleep before we were even a block from the restaurant as he drove me home. He walked me to my door and said goodnight. Needless to say, the relationship ended soon after that date.
If I had really loved him as much as I thought I did, I would have called him earlier and asked if we could celebrate another time - when I was more awake. Because that's what love does. It takes note of the human condition and adjusts as needed.
In his letter to the Romans Paul writes, "Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord." (Romans 12:9-11 NRSV). I like that last statement - "serve the Lord." - because if we are really loving each other, then that's what we are doing.
While I have had very few Hallmark Valentine's Day celebrations in my life, I have been blessed with friends who show the meaning of true love. God has given me friends who help me move (again and again and again and....) - even when they know I won't be completely packed when they arrive. I have had friends who brought me food when I was sick, comforted me in grief, stood by me in trial, helped me see the funny side of a bad situation, laughed with me, cried with me, and just sat with me. They have listened to me share the joys of having new children and grandchildren. They have let me vent when the frustrations of life have me tied up in knots. They have advised me - even when I tend to do the opposite of what they advise - and they have listened patiently when all I needed was an ear to hear me. My closest friends have the uncanny ability to know when each of those - advice or the listening ear - is needed most. Again and again they have proven that their love is genuine.
But best of all - they have shared their lives, hopes, dreams, laughter, and tears with me. We have worked together, played together, laughed together, and cried together. We have shared that "mutual affection" of which Paul was speaking. Friendship is always a two-way street - I am as blessed by being their friend as I am by them being my friend. That is love; it doesn't fit on a mushy card, it can't be contained in vase - and it's more satisfying than the most sumptious banquet. That IS what it's all about - love, love, love.
May God fill our lives with his love and the love of friends.
That's what it's all about.
'Cause God loves us we love each other
Mother, Father, Sister, Brother
Everybody sing and shout!
'Cause that's what it's all about.
It's about love, love, love."
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (Minnesota to be exact) I learned that song in Sunday School (like I said - a long time ago!) It may be a simple children's song but like so many other things we teach our children it carries an important message - it IS all about love.
As I write this, it's Valentine's Day. This was never one of my favorite holidays. Oh, the anticipation was great... and I always hoped for one of those wonderfully romantic times on this day. But too often my anticipation never quite matched the reality.
There was one Valentine's Day when the man I was dating tried very hard to make it that 'storybook' Valentine's evening. He drove the 75 miles from where he lived to where I was living, brought a beautiful bouquet of red roses, the perfect card, took me out to a quiet restaurant known locally for it's romantic atmosphere and good food..... And I fell asleep.
I was working a new, temporary job that meant long hours, stressful working conditions, and very little sleep. There had been no time to catch a quick nap before he arrived; I barely had time to clean-up and get dressed. I fell asleep in the car on the way to the restaurant, kept dozing off during dinner, and was sound asleep before we were even a block from the restaurant as he drove me home. He walked me to my door and said goodnight. Needless to say, the relationship ended soon after that date.
If I had really loved him as much as I thought I did, I would have called him earlier and asked if we could celebrate another time - when I was more awake. Because that's what love does. It takes note of the human condition and adjusts as needed.
In his letter to the Romans Paul writes, "Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord." (Romans 12:9-11 NRSV). I like that last statement - "serve the Lord." - because if we are really loving each other, then that's what we are doing.
While I have had very few Hallmark Valentine's Day celebrations in my life, I have been blessed with friends who show the meaning of true love. God has given me friends who help me move (again and again and again and....) - even when they know I won't be completely packed when they arrive. I have had friends who brought me food when I was sick, comforted me in grief, stood by me in trial, helped me see the funny side of a bad situation, laughed with me, cried with me, and just sat with me. They have listened to me share the joys of having new children and grandchildren. They have let me vent when the frustrations of life have me tied up in knots. They have advised me - even when I tend to do the opposite of what they advise - and they have listened patiently when all I needed was an ear to hear me. My closest friends have the uncanny ability to know when each of those - advice or the listening ear - is needed most. Again and again they have proven that their love is genuine.
But best of all - they have shared their lives, hopes, dreams, laughter, and tears with me. We have worked together, played together, laughed together, and cried together. We have shared that "mutual affection" of which Paul was speaking. Friendship is always a two-way street - I am as blessed by being their friend as I am by them being my friend. That is love; it doesn't fit on a mushy card, it can't be contained in vase - and it's more satisfying than the most sumptious banquet. That IS what it's all about - love, love, love.
May God fill our lives with his love and the love of friends.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Loving Weeds
(Originally written for First Lutheran Church, Morris, MN)
When I lived in St. Cloud, Minnesota, we had a garden that ran the length of our house. My family always teased me because as I would plant the garden, I would color coordinate it. Red yarn was strung between sticks showing the rows of beets, orange yarn for carrots, green for beans, a darker green for spinach... it wasn't that I liked a colorful garden, it was that I usually couldn't tell the young plants from the weeds. I needed to know if that four-leafed plant coming out of the ground was really supposed to be there. More than once I pulled up a carrot or a bean in my enthusiasm for weeding.
I remember one summer I started weeding right away. Those weeds weren't going to get ahead of me! Well, I only managed to weed about half the beets before I was called away from the garden. Fortunately, it was almost a month before I got back to weeding. I say fortunately, because in my overzealous attention to getting every little weed, I had pulled up almost half of the young beets, too. Freshly sprouted, those four little beet leaves looked a lot like the four little leaves of some weed that also claimed my garden as a home. The hole in my garden was a good reminder to me that I needed to wait for the beets to grow and develop a little so I could tell the beets from the weeds.
In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus tells a parable about a farmer who sowed some wheat. But during the night, an enemy comes and sows weeds among the wheat. This was a terrible crime against Roman law; a definate act of terrorism. As the plants sprouted and grew together, the farmer lovingly and carefully cared for both. Together the wheat and the weeds soaked up sun, rain, and nutrients from the ground. Together they faced the wind, insects, and any storms that came. Together they were loved as one crop. To look at the field as it grew, one would not know that weeds grew in amongst the wheat.
It wasn't until the crops started to ripen that the difference in the plants began to show. By this time, the plants were growing so closely together that to separate them would have done damage to the wheat. There was nothing that could be done until the harvest. Only after the wheat and weeds were cut would it be possible to separate the two without doing damage to the wheat. In the meantime, the plants would continue to grow together as one, both lovingly cared for by the farmer.
When the disciples asked Jesus to explain the parable, he told them that, "the one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:36-42)
The field is still the world in which we live. Every person in the world is a part of the crop in the field. We are all loved by God and have been saved on the cross by Jesus' death and resurrection. At this point in the growing season, there is no distinction between any of us. In a world that places labels on everything it is tempting to try to identify among us who are the weeds; who in this field isn't quite as 'righteous' as we feel we are.
In our efforts to identify the weeds, we look at our neighbors who don't come to church as often as we do, or those who don't tithe. Maybe we single out those who have chosen to decorate their bodies in different ways. Or we may discriminate based on lifestyle or style of worship. We may differ on politics, denomination, or interpretation of scripture. Too often, we see differences and we think, "weeds".
God sees only a crop waiting for a harvest. God is the only one who sees into the heart of who we really are. And it's only the heart that really matters.Tempting as it may be we can't look around us and point fingers, claiming someone is a weed and bound for the fire. We can't tell the wheat from the weeds. While we may look at someone we are sure is a weed because of their words or their actions, we have no way of knowing what is in that person's heart - or how they may change before the harvest.
Instead of pointing fingers or excluding someone because of their differences, we are called to love all because we can't tell the weeds from the wheat. We are called to accept and affirm everyone regardless of our differences. The crop is not yet ready for the harvest. It needs more time to grow and develop.
We are surrounded by people who need the love of Christ showing through us to grow to their fullest potential. We don't know when that love and acceptance can make a difference in someone else's life.
One pastor I heard speak at a youth leader training event, believes that every time we have a student who acts out in class, instead of looking at them and threatening to throw them out of class, we should look straight at them and tell them, "You're going to seminary".
Tell someone that enough times and that rowdy student headed for reform school may actually become a pastor who helps keep other students from becoming weeds. Talk about an herbicide that really works! The love of Christ is the ultimate herbicide for this field we call humanity.
Accepting and loving those who are different isn't easy. Sometimes we fear the weeds. We can easily think of people who have caused pain and suffering or who live a life we call sinful. But are these people truly weeds? If so, we are all weeds. Because each of us at some point in our lives has hurt someone else. And no matter how hard we try to live a good life, we sin. We can't help ourselves.
For this reason, not only are we wheat, but we are also weeds. The good news we need to remember is that Jesus died for our sins and the sins of all people. Christ's death and resurrection totally washed away the sins of humankind. When we ask for forgiveness, God takes an eraser to our hearts. The sin is totally gone from his memory; it no longer exists.
Christ has sown the seeds of new life. We grow amidst the weeds of sin. At times we resemble weeds. At other times we resemble grain. The harvest is coming, but it is not close enough for you and I to tell the wheat from the weeds. That's not our job. Our job is to continue to grow in Christ, loving our neighbor as Jesus first loved us; loving weeds and wheat as one in the same, allowing this field to grow until the harvest, when the "righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Matthew 13:43)
When I lived in St. Cloud, Minnesota, we had a garden that ran the length of our house. My family always teased me because as I would plant the garden, I would color coordinate it. Red yarn was strung between sticks showing the rows of beets, orange yarn for carrots, green for beans, a darker green for spinach... it wasn't that I liked a colorful garden, it was that I usually couldn't tell the young plants from the weeds. I needed to know if that four-leafed plant coming out of the ground was really supposed to be there. More than once I pulled up a carrot or a bean in my enthusiasm for weeding.
I remember one summer I started weeding right away. Those weeds weren't going to get ahead of me! Well, I only managed to weed about half the beets before I was called away from the garden. Fortunately, it was almost a month before I got back to weeding. I say fortunately, because in my overzealous attention to getting every little weed, I had pulled up almost half of the young beets, too. Freshly sprouted, those four little beet leaves looked a lot like the four little leaves of some weed that also claimed my garden as a home. The hole in my garden was a good reminder to me that I needed to wait for the beets to grow and develop a little so I could tell the beets from the weeds.
In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus tells a parable about a farmer who sowed some wheat. But during the night, an enemy comes and sows weeds among the wheat. This was a terrible crime against Roman law; a definate act of terrorism. As the plants sprouted and grew together, the farmer lovingly and carefully cared for both. Together the wheat and the weeds soaked up sun, rain, and nutrients from the ground. Together they faced the wind, insects, and any storms that came. Together they were loved as one crop. To look at the field as it grew, one would not know that weeds grew in amongst the wheat.
It wasn't until the crops started to ripen that the difference in the plants began to show. By this time, the plants were growing so closely together that to separate them would have done damage to the wheat. There was nothing that could be done until the harvest. Only after the wheat and weeds were cut would it be possible to separate the two without doing damage to the wheat. In the meantime, the plants would continue to grow together as one, both lovingly cared for by the farmer.
When the disciples asked Jesus to explain the parable, he told them that, "the one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:36-42)
The field is still the world in which we live. Every person in the world is a part of the crop in the field. We are all loved by God and have been saved on the cross by Jesus' death and resurrection. At this point in the growing season, there is no distinction between any of us. In a world that places labels on everything it is tempting to try to identify among us who are the weeds; who in this field isn't quite as 'righteous' as we feel we are.
In our efforts to identify the weeds, we look at our neighbors who don't come to church as often as we do, or those who don't tithe. Maybe we single out those who have chosen to decorate their bodies in different ways. Or we may discriminate based on lifestyle or style of worship. We may differ on politics, denomination, or interpretation of scripture. Too often, we see differences and we think, "weeds".
God sees only a crop waiting for a harvest. God is the only one who sees into the heart of who we really are. And it's only the heart that really matters.Tempting as it may be we can't look around us and point fingers, claiming someone is a weed and bound for the fire. We can't tell the wheat from the weeds. While we may look at someone we are sure is a weed because of their words or their actions, we have no way of knowing what is in that person's heart - or how they may change before the harvest.
Instead of pointing fingers or excluding someone because of their differences, we are called to love all because we can't tell the weeds from the wheat. We are called to accept and affirm everyone regardless of our differences. The crop is not yet ready for the harvest. It needs more time to grow and develop.
We are surrounded by people who need the love of Christ showing through us to grow to their fullest potential. We don't know when that love and acceptance can make a difference in someone else's life.
One pastor I heard speak at a youth leader training event, believes that every time we have a student who acts out in class, instead of looking at them and threatening to throw them out of class, we should look straight at them and tell them, "You're going to seminary".
Tell someone that enough times and that rowdy student headed for reform school may actually become a pastor who helps keep other students from becoming weeds. Talk about an herbicide that really works! The love of Christ is the ultimate herbicide for this field we call humanity.
Accepting and loving those who are different isn't easy. Sometimes we fear the weeds. We can easily think of people who have caused pain and suffering or who live a life we call sinful. But are these people truly weeds? If so, we are all weeds. Because each of us at some point in our lives has hurt someone else. And no matter how hard we try to live a good life, we sin. We can't help ourselves.
For this reason, not only are we wheat, but we are also weeds. The good news we need to remember is that Jesus died for our sins and the sins of all people. Christ's death and resurrection totally washed away the sins of humankind. When we ask for forgiveness, God takes an eraser to our hearts. The sin is totally gone from his memory; it no longer exists.
Christ has sown the seeds of new life. We grow amidst the weeds of sin. At times we resemble weeds. At other times we resemble grain. The harvest is coming, but it is not close enough for you and I to tell the wheat from the weeds. That's not our job. Our job is to continue to grow in Christ, loving our neighbor as Jesus first loved us; loving weeds and wheat as one in the same, allowing this field to grow until the harvest, when the "righteous shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Matthew 13:43)
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Original IM Message
(originally written for the "KOG in the Wheel" September 2006)
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. - Romans 8:26-27
Recently I read that email is dead. Yup, kids of today prefer IM and text messaging to e-mail as the way to communicate. I can understand that. It's instant communication, it's silent, and there are all those really cool abbreviations and emoticons you can send. (Of course, I sent the wrong one to my son once and was met with "ewww, Mom! That's gross!")
Want to send a picture? Go for it! IM and TM can do the trick in an instant or two. With web cams, you can even have instant visual communication across the miles. It seems that IM and TM have even developed a separate language. When I first saw my sons' IM communications I thought it was just really bad spelling; "cya, ttyl, lol, rofl".... I mean, it might as well have been ancient Greek to me. It made no sense to me. Until my sons translated it into a language I could understand, I felt totally lost in the teen world of IM.
Sometimes we can feel the same way when we are asked to pray. I mean, when we hear prayers in church, it can feel like we need a special language to talk to God; "thee, thy, trespasses, righteousness...."
But Paul tells us we don't need a special language to talk to God. We can tell him whatever is on our mind or in our heart. We can talk to him in the same language and in the same way we talk to our friends. Even when we can't seem to put it into words, the Holy Spirit jumps in and translates what we say into the language God best understands - the language of the heart.
And just like in IM, sometimes messages cross and we get answers as we are chatting - praying. We may get the answer to that pesky problem that's been bugging us or our anger at someone may start to cool or we may think of someone who needs to hear a bit of good news to make their day brighter. You know, when you think about it, prayer is the original IM conversation. The best part is, no internet or cell phone connection is needed. We only need to start the conversation - any time, anywhere. God is listening. Happy messaging!
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. - Romans 8:26-27
Recently I read that email is dead. Yup, kids of today prefer IM and text messaging to e-mail as the way to communicate. I can understand that. It's instant communication, it's silent, and there are all those really cool abbreviations and emoticons you can send. (Of course, I sent the wrong one to my son once and was met with "ewww, Mom! That's gross!")
Want to send a picture? Go for it! IM and TM can do the trick in an instant or two. With web cams, you can even have instant visual communication across the miles. It seems that IM and TM have even developed a separate language. When I first saw my sons' IM communications I thought it was just really bad spelling; "cya, ttyl, lol, rofl".... I mean, it might as well have been ancient Greek to me. It made no sense to me. Until my sons translated it into a language I could understand, I felt totally lost in the teen world of IM.
Sometimes we can feel the same way when we are asked to pray. I mean, when we hear prayers in church, it can feel like we need a special language to talk to God; "thee, thy, trespasses, righteousness...."
But Paul tells us we don't need a special language to talk to God. We can tell him whatever is on our mind or in our heart. We can talk to him in the same language and in the same way we talk to our friends. Even when we can't seem to put it into words, the Holy Spirit jumps in and translates what we say into the language God best understands - the language of the heart.
And just like in IM, sometimes messages cross and we get answers as we are chatting - praying. We may get the answer to that pesky problem that's been bugging us or our anger at someone may start to cool or we may think of someone who needs to hear a bit of good news to make their day brighter. You know, when you think about it, prayer is the original IM conversation. The best part is, no internet or cell phone connection is needed. We only need to start the conversation - any time, anywhere. God is listening. Happy messaging!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Who me? Not me! Yes, you.
"But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees saying, 'Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!'.....Then Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.'" (Luke 5:8, 10)
"And I said,'Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!'.... Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I; send me!" - (Isaiah 6:5, 8)
Trusting God and making coffee means answering his call.
One of the new programs we implemented in our parachial school this year was the idea of "Chapel Buddies". We have paired middle school students with Pre-School-2nd grade students to sit together during Chapel. The idea was three-fold; it would assist the teachers with maintaining discipline in the lower grades, it would give the middle school students a way to be more involved in Chapel - and therefore help keep them out of mischief; and it would provide a connection between the younger children and the older students which would hopefully increase our retention from grade to grade.
While the younger students are thrilled with having a connection to these 'big kids', the middle school students do their fair share of whining about it. They have discovered how difficult it is to get a wiggly pre-schooler to sit still, dealt with kids who don't want to listen to them, and find they aren't able to talk with their own friends as easily. As middle school teachers we find a certain poetic justice in all of that.
Yet, what we try to get through to our students is just how important they are becoming to those younger children. Over the Christmas break, our 2nd grade teacher broke her leg. It was a severe fracture and put her out of the classroom for the entire month of January. Even though we were able to cover the classroom time with substitute teachers, the greatest consistency for those students came from their Chapel Buddies.
The second graders knew that regardless of who was teaching their class that week, they would see their Chapel Buddy every Wednesday morning. It was the consistency of knowing the same person would be there for them that helped keep that 2nd grade classroom on track while their teacher was recovering. Our middle school students may have been reluctantly called - and often question their importance - but they do make the difference for those students.
Sometimes when we are called, we not only question whether or not we are important but also whether or not we can really do the job. Simon Peter, Isaiah, and others throughout history have questioned their worthiness, their abilities and their importance. What we need to remember is that those questions never crossed God's mind. He knew he would take care of the differences. He also knew that the tasks at hand were extremely important in the long run.
When we question our abilities, we need to remember that God does not call the equipped as often as he equips the called. I can remember when I was first asked to lead an adult Bible study. I tried every which way I could to get out of it. In spite of years of teaching Confirmation, I just didn't feel confident in my abilities to lead a group of adults. The same was true the first time I was asked to write a devotion, give a sermon, and lead a worship service. In each case, I never believed I could do it. And in each case, God made up the difference between what I felt were my abilities and what the end result became.
The other part we need to remember is that often times we have an impact on others we never see. One of the things I have had to do many times in the past few years, is to explain who have been the most influential people in my life - other than my parents, that is. Once I started listing them, I was amazed at how long that list had become - and I'm also guilty of never having told most of them that they made such a difference in my life. The thing is, the ones I did tell..... were surprised and had pretty much forgotten what they did because what they had done was just a part of who they were. They had taken God's call and it had become their life.
As to our worthiness the Cross has taken care of that. In the cross of Christ and by his atoning sacrifice, we are made right with God. By our faith, we are made worthy of any task God calls us to do.
God calls us every day. We are important to his plan and he needs each and every one of us. Most of the time we don't have a clue what he has planned for our day. But we are called to be "Chapel Buddies" to everyone we meet; in the way we treat others, in the way we live our lives, in our consistency of faith. We may not feel up to the task and we may not feel that what we do is important - but it is. We just need to trust God and make coffee. He'll take care of the rest.
"And I said,'Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!'.... Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I; send me!" - (Isaiah 6:5, 8)
Trusting God and making coffee means answering his call.
One of the new programs we implemented in our parachial school this year was the idea of "Chapel Buddies". We have paired middle school students with Pre-School-2nd grade students to sit together during Chapel. The idea was three-fold; it would assist the teachers with maintaining discipline in the lower grades, it would give the middle school students a way to be more involved in Chapel - and therefore help keep them out of mischief; and it would provide a connection between the younger children and the older students which would hopefully increase our retention from grade to grade.
While the younger students are thrilled with having a connection to these 'big kids', the middle school students do their fair share of whining about it. They have discovered how difficult it is to get a wiggly pre-schooler to sit still, dealt with kids who don't want to listen to them, and find they aren't able to talk with their own friends as easily. As middle school teachers we find a certain poetic justice in all of that.
Yet, what we try to get through to our students is just how important they are becoming to those younger children. Over the Christmas break, our 2nd grade teacher broke her leg. It was a severe fracture and put her out of the classroom for the entire month of January. Even though we were able to cover the classroom time with substitute teachers, the greatest consistency for those students came from their Chapel Buddies.
The second graders knew that regardless of who was teaching their class that week, they would see their Chapel Buddy every Wednesday morning. It was the consistency of knowing the same person would be there for them that helped keep that 2nd grade classroom on track while their teacher was recovering. Our middle school students may have been reluctantly called - and often question their importance - but they do make the difference for those students.
Sometimes when we are called, we not only question whether or not we are important but also whether or not we can really do the job. Simon Peter, Isaiah, and others throughout history have questioned their worthiness, their abilities and their importance. What we need to remember is that those questions never crossed God's mind. He knew he would take care of the differences. He also knew that the tasks at hand were extremely important in the long run.
When we question our abilities, we need to remember that God does not call the equipped as often as he equips the called. I can remember when I was first asked to lead an adult Bible study. I tried every which way I could to get out of it. In spite of years of teaching Confirmation, I just didn't feel confident in my abilities to lead a group of adults. The same was true the first time I was asked to write a devotion, give a sermon, and lead a worship service. In each case, I never believed I could do it. And in each case, God made up the difference between what I felt were my abilities and what the end result became.
The other part we need to remember is that often times we have an impact on others we never see. One of the things I have had to do many times in the past few years, is to explain who have been the most influential people in my life - other than my parents, that is. Once I started listing them, I was amazed at how long that list had become - and I'm also guilty of never having told most of them that they made such a difference in my life. The thing is, the ones I did tell..... were surprised and had pretty much forgotten what they did because what they had done was just a part of who they were. They had taken God's call and it had become their life.
As to our worthiness the Cross has taken care of that. In the cross of Christ and by his atoning sacrifice, we are made right with God. By our faith, we are made worthy of any task God calls us to do.
God calls us every day. We are important to his plan and he needs each and every one of us. Most of the time we don't have a clue what he has planned for our day. But we are called to be "Chapel Buddies" to everyone we meet; in the way we treat others, in the way we live our lives, in our consistency of faith. We may not feel up to the task and we may not feel that what we do is important - but it is. We just need to trust God and make coffee. He'll take care of the rest.
Trust God and Make Coffee
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
On Sunday mornings, in most Christian churches we acknowledge, "Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God". Depending on the denomination we may use different words but at some point in the service, we give thanks to God for the many blessings he has given us.
But lets admit it. Some days, "thanks" is the last thing we feel. It is really hard to follow the apostle Paul's advice to the Thessalonians every day of our lives. When pain, illness, death, forced separation from loved ones, divorce, job loss, day-to-day stresses, and other troubles get in our way how can we possibly give thanks and praise to God? We would much rather rant and rave at God for the injustice of it all (and we can rant and rave - God can take it). We cry for his help, we beg for his mercy, but give thanks? Yes. Give thanks - and pray without ceasing.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul also writes, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies." (Romans 4:8-10)
That's why we can give thanks. Because even in our darkest moments, through every trial and tragedy that life throws in our path, God is with us. He will not leave us nor forsake us. He is not deaf. He hears our cries, he feels our tears, and his tears mix with ours. I disagree with the adage, "If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it." God doesn't bring us to any of the bad stuff that happens. God doesn't cause bad things to happen; Sin and the sins we commit do. And sometimes things just happen for reasons we may never understand.
Regardless of why garbage comes into our lives, God takes the ugliness of our world and, if we let him, he will use it to remold us to make us stronger and better than we have been. God wants us all to be happy and he will do everything in his power to get us to a happier life. We just have to let him do it. Praying constantly and giving thanks for the blessings we are given - even in the face of tragedy - helps us to heal and to grow into the people God wants us to be.
In my apartment is a beautiful letterbox wall hanging with the adage, "Trust God and Make Coffee". That saying comes from a very difficult time in my life when it became the mantra that kept me going. Shortly before that time, a friend had sent me an email about a carrot, an egg, and a coffee bean. the jist of that email was that under adversity (hot water) the carrot becomes soft and falls apart, the egg becomes hardboiled, and the coffee bean changes the water around it into something new and delicious. God wants to help us make coffee - we just need to trust him.
We need to pray constantly to stay connected with God, rejoice in the good things God has given us, and give thanks that we are not alone. God is with us. He will always be with us. If we trust him, he will help us to make a great cup of coffee; full and rich with great homemade flavor that is 'good to the last drop'.
In good times and bad we need to follow Paul's advice to the Thessalonians "for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus" that we have a full, rich life. God can't get us there if we are not connected with him. And he can't help us make coffee if we don't trust him enough to give him the thanks and praise that are due.
May God bless us and give us all full, rich cups of coffee.
On Sunday mornings, in most Christian churches we acknowledge, "Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God". Depending on the denomination we may use different words but at some point in the service, we give thanks to God for the many blessings he has given us.
But lets admit it. Some days, "thanks" is the last thing we feel. It is really hard to follow the apostle Paul's advice to the Thessalonians every day of our lives. When pain, illness, death, forced separation from loved ones, divorce, job loss, day-to-day stresses, and other troubles get in our way how can we possibly give thanks and praise to God? We would much rather rant and rave at God for the injustice of it all (and we can rant and rave - God can take it). We cry for his help, we beg for his mercy, but give thanks? Yes. Give thanks - and pray without ceasing.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul also writes, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies." (Romans 4:8-10)
That's why we can give thanks. Because even in our darkest moments, through every trial and tragedy that life throws in our path, God is with us. He will not leave us nor forsake us. He is not deaf. He hears our cries, he feels our tears, and his tears mix with ours. I disagree with the adage, "If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it." God doesn't bring us to any of the bad stuff that happens. God doesn't cause bad things to happen; Sin and the sins we commit do. And sometimes things just happen for reasons we may never understand.
Regardless of why garbage comes into our lives, God takes the ugliness of our world and, if we let him, he will use it to remold us to make us stronger and better than we have been. God wants us all to be happy and he will do everything in his power to get us to a happier life. We just have to let him do it. Praying constantly and giving thanks for the blessings we are given - even in the face of tragedy - helps us to heal and to grow into the people God wants us to be.
In my apartment is a beautiful letterbox wall hanging with the adage, "Trust God and Make Coffee". That saying comes from a very difficult time in my life when it became the mantra that kept me going. Shortly before that time, a friend had sent me an email about a carrot, an egg, and a coffee bean. the jist of that email was that under adversity (hot water) the carrot becomes soft and falls apart, the egg becomes hardboiled, and the coffee bean changes the water around it into something new and delicious. God wants to help us make coffee - we just need to trust him.
We need to pray constantly to stay connected with God, rejoice in the good things God has given us, and give thanks that we are not alone. God is with us. He will always be with us. If we trust him, he will help us to make a great cup of coffee; full and rich with great homemade flavor that is 'good to the last drop'.
In good times and bad we need to follow Paul's advice to the Thessalonians "for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus" that we have a full, rich life. God can't get us there if we are not connected with him. And he can't help us make coffee if we don't trust him enough to give him the thanks and praise that are due.
May God bless us and give us all full, rich cups of coffee.
Why this blog....
For much of the past 14 years I served as a church youth director. During that time I wrote monthly devotions and the occasional sermon. They were always well received and I was often told I should publish them. I have a million and one excuses as to why I never have tried to publish anything - none of them good excuses.
But maybe this blog will be the first step. What's most important to me, though, is that maybe something I write will help others at a time when they need it most. Maybe something I write will strike a nerve and help others to 'trust God and make coffee'.
God's blessings to you.
But maybe this blog will be the first step. What's most important to me, though, is that maybe something I write will help others at a time when they need it most. Maybe something I write will strike a nerve and help others to 'trust God and make coffee'.
God's blessings to you.
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