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.
Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Saturday, February 27, 2010
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.
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.
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