Goldfish in a Bowl

It's now about 9:13 PM. I've been working since 9 AM. I'm ready to write my sermon for tomorrow. I'll let you know if I have survived.


DG

As I edit this post, I'm two pages into the sermon writing.

The End of a Day

The day is nearly over now. It's not late, but there is a fire in the fireplace and that can only happen when the family is home and in the living room for the evening. The children are being treated to story time with mom. The dogs are annoying me as is the cat. I'm doing laundry. I'm ready to sit on the couch and read. I'm ready to fight the temptation to watch television (I sort of like Top Design, although it is not nearly as good as Top Chef and not even close to Project Runway). I'm ready to indulge my senses in a book. I'm reading four different books right now and choosing which one to read is always a challenge. Maybe tonight I'll read about the Spartans or about Theology or Discipleship or Scripture. Or maybe I'll read my Bible for a while--I could read a little about all of them. I'm ready to relax and a book seems the way to go. Goodnight.

DG

www.dangoldfinch.wordpress.com

Monday, March 26, 2007

I hope you spent some time outside today. I did. I played catch with my son. Worked at the local barn theater for a while with my family. Took a short trip to the Dairy Queen and slurped down a chocolate shake. The day was so warm and breezy. It was unbelievable butter sunny. What a fantastic day today was. I hope you were able to enjoy a bit of it for a while.

DG

Coming Soon

Coming soon: Daily Devotional Thoughts from the Gospel according to John. A Special 90 Days with Jesus Scripture series coming June, July & August 2007. Stay tuned for more...

DG

Felt like Spring

Today what a day! Band practice tonight--yes, I got to jam with my band. Picked up a used piano--for free. Spent some time out of doors inhaling deeply the fresh, warm, spring air. Finished watching Cool Hand Luke with my wife--Luke was always smiling.

The boys are sleeping. My feet are cold. I wish my head would feel right for day, just a day. I subscribed to a journal the other day. The people who run the subscription department sent me a reply email that began with the word 'evidently.' Condescending, sniveling rat. Simmer down. Let off some steam. I responded in kind.

My brain is moving but my fingers not quite. I hope it is warm tomorrow. I need another nice day--but I need one without rain. Till then.

DG

Well...

Well...

I finally converted to the 'new' blogger.

DG

Post Your Thoughts

I copied and pasted this from a blog I came across today. Simply post a comment and let me know what you are interested in reading.--DG

1. One book that changed your life: Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places

2. One book that you've read more than once: Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo

3. One book that you'd want on a desert island: The Holy Bible (Or, following Chesterton, A Practical Guide to Ship-making)

4. One book that made you laugh: Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events (pick any of the 13 published volumes, they're all funny!)

5. One book that made you cry: JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

6. One book that you wish you had written: Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

7. One book that you wish had never been written: Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

8. One book you are currently reading: David Wells, Losing Our Virtue

9. One book that you've been meaning to read: Catechism of the Catholic Church

Update

I should give serious consideration to updating this every now and again.

DG

Brilliance, pt 1

If I knew what it would cost before I did it, would I do it? Would I invest the time, effort, energy in the beginning? Is it pure insanity to jump in head first, feet first, body first, before the spirit jumps in? I'm trying to make sense of something that cannot make sense no matter how it is looked at, leaped at or listened to. I'll never know. Probably, I ought to quit while I am only behind and stop trying to get ahead before I am utterly lost.

____________________

I wondered aloud to my son today: I hope someday when we all get to heaven that after we have marveled at the wonders of God for a time that we get to see some baseball. I immediately regretted saying it. The reason? Do I really think that I will ever stop marveling at the wonders of God? I think eternity will scarcely be enough time to complete such an assignment as marveling at the wonders of God. "Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:33-36). I Don't think I'll have time to think about baseball then. I wonder what makes me think I have time for it now? Shouldn't I start marveling at the wonders of God now?

____________________

I wonder sometimes if it is terribly wrong to desire any sort of happiness here on this planet. Seriously. Is it wrong to enjoy a rest after a hard day's work? Should I look for opportunities to suffer for the Name of Jesus lest I forget my brothers who are suffering elsewhere in the world? Should I abandon all creature comforts in order to better identify with my sisters who are living in something worse than squalor? How shall I live in Christ in America? Should I abandon my dignity or should I raise the dignity of those who have already been humiliated? What shall I throw their way? A Prayer? A Dollar? A Rock? A Kiss? Who are they? Perhaps they are looking at the stone on which they write and wonder, "What shall I throw his way? Shall I abandon my humble place and join him in wealth or lower him? How shall I remember my poor brothers in America who suffer from so much affluence and abundance? What shall I throw him? My Loin Cloth? My Soleless Shoes? My Straw Mat? A Kiss? A Prayer for his miserable condition?"

___________________

I heard this song the other night. I think it was called 'Creep', by a group called Radiohead. I've never listened to Radiohead. I still haven't. I heard someone else sing it. But I like it. Call me a creep. Loser like me. Call me anything but what I am. I cannot live up to the billing. I'm likely to fail and let you down. I'm in a world I don't understand. What I cannot figure out is why God would do it. I talk a mighty big talk, but what do I know of real suffering? What does this mean, "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:17b-19) He does not pray that we will have power or knowledge: How can you know something that surpasses knowledge? He prays that we will know a love that surpasses knowledge, and the power not to be powerful but to know love. I'm supposed to know this sort of love when all the time I am all too aware of who I am? I'm always in the way! That's why we need the power: To get beyond ourselves and to Christ. Maybe I'm not a creep after all, just a little weak; a little too thick.

_____________________

I watched Rambo: First Blood tonight. Rambo was a Vietnam vet who got shafted--seriously. Halfway through the film some gung-ho weekend warrior National Guardsmen launched a rocket at him. The rocket hit the front of the mine he was in and sealed it prohibiting him from escaping. They thought he was dead and they went about their business. But inside this grave, this underground mine shaft, he was alive. They went back to their lives--celebrating, enjoying 'their' town, back to work. He, Rambo, crawled, crouched, and climbed through seemingly miles and miles of underground passages until, at last, he found an exit. He climbed up the ladders until he, bloody and bruised, arrived at the top. Rambo died. Rambo Resurrected. And the funny thing about it is this: When he resurrected he was angrier than before he died. Strange that. Either way, he did come back to life. The grave he was in could not contain him. He found a way out of the earth.

______________________

It is cool this evening. I like that. I hear frogs. I hear crickets. I hear an occasional car drive by. Crickets certainly are wonderful to listen to. I will miss them when winter comes. Maybe a few will move into my house and live here until summer comes. I don't want to miss a single note of their song. Some things are far too important to miss. Even crickets. I want to enjoy them now because the way this world works, I may not get to hear them tomorrow. I'm awake at 2 AM because I want to be found watching, waiting, listening for the note that will drown out and replace the crickets and announce that new, better music has arrived. Even the crickets will stop to listen. Or they may join in the band. Crickets!? Imagine that: They stay awake all night, all day just singing, waiting and watching.

The Church Building, pt. 2: Suffer the Chairs

http://www.persecution.org/Countries/afghanistan.html

http://magicstatistics.com/2006/03/22/more-afghan-christians-suffering-persecution/

I’ve been on a roll. I confess. I’m expecting visits any moment from clergy wearing dark sunglasses, leather gloves, and tiny curly-wired ear pieces they keep touching as if they are receiving information from some one I cannot see. It’s not likely to happen, but it might.

I’ve listed a couple of web-links here. I hope they work when you click them. They discuss, in part, the trials and travails of the church as it exists in Afghanistan. I don’t suspect these are complete views and, to be sure, some of the information at persecution.org appears a bit dated. Still, they are a place to start. Do your own search and see what comes up. Go to google.com. Type in these words: Afghanistan, Christian, suffering. See what turns up. Fact is, the church in the greater part of the world is not living life nearly as close to heaven as we in the United States are. Although, if I may, I would suggest that most of the church in the world is closer to the Throne that is in heaven (Revelation 4 & 5).

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/03/21/afghan-christian060321.html

This might be old news, this story of Abdul Rahman. He was sentenced to die because he became a Christian. But his story, just this year, highlights the way Christians live in places where Christ is hated. Rahman, as if this writing, did not die. The stories of Christians being persecuted in other places are numerous—too numerous for me to document here. I have heard it said, seen it written, more than once that the 1900’s were one of the bloodiest centuries ever when it comes to Christians being persecuted. More Christian deaths in the 1900’s than in the previous 1800 combined! I’m blogging.

I received a magazine in the mail today. I did not order it or subscribe to it and, frankly, I have no idea to this day why I receive it in the mail. I usually flip through the pages and look at the pictures and scan for something interesting, but in all the time I have been receiving this magazine I have read maybe 1 article. It’s called Your Church and declares on the cover that it is ‘Helping you with the business of ministry.’ Inside are all sorts of helpful hints about sound equipment, musical instruments, lighting, stages, buildings, construction, and more. The back page advertisement declares: “Ready for a quality sign? How one church grew from 200 to 800 in just 16 months.” There is an interview with the pastor of the church. Here is what he says, “And how has the ****** sign done so far?” His answer, “To date, we’re up over 300 percent. The ****** sign by far is the number one reason. I’m really happy.” Isn’t that special?

I’m sure the sign had a lot to do with the church growing. It doesn’t matter that Scripture says the Lord adds to His church daily those being saved, or that Jesus would build his church, or that faith comes by hearing the Word or any of that sort of nonsense. It's the sign. Don't you get it? We will never attract the right people, let alone the right sort of people until we get the right sort of sign; a sign that speaks their language; a sign that announces exactly who we are and what we are about. Heaven forbid people see these things in the people who bought the sign. As long as the sign says it, I don't have to.

Here’s the reason I bring up Your Church: The front cover. There is a picture of a chair skeleton. There is a nicely dressed man, staring at this chair skeleton as it hovers in front of him like the Spirit hovering over the waters of creation, or Jesus as His baptism. His hand is placed carefully on his chin like Rodan’s Thinker. The cover announces, “Anatomy of a Chair: Our Guide for Diagnosing Quality. Plus: Chair Choices.” As I was saying, Abdul Rahman is living, I think in Italy, after the Italian government offered him asylum.

You know, I really wish that signs and chairs were all it took to grow a heaping helping of committed Christian disciples of Jesus Christ. I really wish the right architecture could develop the sort of people who would take up their cross, deny themselves and follow Him. I really wish the sound system mattered in the Kingdom of God. And these things do matter, we are told, because we should want to do our best for God, be excellent in all we do, and do something here that speaks of His Majesty there; give people a little taste of heaven right here on earth. I’m serious. All the good books say it. All the key speakers preach it. All the statisticians prove it. And all the popular musicians endorse it. It must be true because no church has ever grown without these things.

And to what end? So more people can join the church, so that we can have more money, so that we need to build bigger campuses to accommodate the crowds? We need our own bookstores, restaurants, and barber shops. I’d rather go to Barnes & Nobles and hang out in a bookstore where I might see a book I shouldn’t read but where I might also meet a person I would never have met if I had bought the same book from the bookstore in my church building.

Rant. Rant. Rant. What I don’t understand is why these things matter. I’m trying to figure out if these things (Billion dollar buildings, perfect chairs, and amazing sound systems) are God’s blessing or man’s hubris. I honestly do not know. I do know this: While Abdul Rahman was on trial for his life, because He loves Jesus, I did not hear of one church in America offering to bring him here and offer him asylum. “Remember your brothers and sisters who are in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” And I don’t understand all these billion dollar architecture projects being undertaken while nations of people literally starve to death. You realize that some congregations spend more money on the building of a building, its maintenance, and its additions than some nations spend on their people in a year? I’m leaning more towards hubris…

I’d like to think that everyone reading this would agree with me, but I’m just as much a part of the problem. I didn’t offer Rahman asylum. I did not send him a basket of fruit or box of cookies. And although I prayed, I did not conduct a meaningful prayer service on his behalf. For that matter, I too often forget about those who suffer for Christ because I’m too worried about whether or not I visited enough sick people or if I picked the right songs for Sunday’s worship or if I managed to get a guest speaker so I could go on vacation. I think I have a long way to go before I am considered an equal with someone like Rahman. I think this church in America has a long way to go before we can say with Jesus: Suffer the Little Children to Come unto me. For now, we can just suffer the chairs.

The magazine gives us one more clue as to the problem we are facing in the American Church. The magazine's title: Your Church. The problem is, of course, that this is not our church. In some sense we have stolen the church, ruined its reputation, squandered its wealth on frivolous living, and we have misused the Name of God in our justification of opulence and grandeur. Jesus said: "I will build MY church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." I truly wonder if the gates of hell would prevail against my church. I know Jesus' church will do fine. I wonder about mine.

Remember the Suffering.

Thinking Out Loud About Jesus in Hebrews

There is something about the first four verses of the letter we call Hebrews that boggles the mind. I'd like to have the ability to say that much, about one 'topic', in as few sentences, as the writer of Hebrews did in the first four verses. However, it is more than likely that I, being as American as I am, and being far more interested in saying something clever, and enjoying stringing words together in long chains, that I will use more words than necessary to say far less than I had hoped, and, thus, leave the reader more confused at the end of the paragraph than they were before they started reading the thoughts I put down on paper, computer screen, or in the sky, where, the best one could hope for is an eraser, delete key or wind. That should help.

"In the past Go spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs" (Hebrews 1:1-4, NIV).

Take a breath now. Breathe deeply, slowly. Let these words sink in deep as you consider the granduer, the awesomeness, the overwhelming stature of Jesus, the Messiah.

________________

I just received a free issue of CCM--Contemporary Christian Music. "Enjoy your FREE issue!" they say. So I will. The thing that bugs me is the blurb on the fake cover: "Worship is the most popular genre of Christian Music." (Emphasis is theirs.) I have a problem with this notion that worship has become merely a 'genre' of music--as if there is anything else to do with music, as if one particular style can be called 'worship,' as if worship is merely a Christian thing. I'm ranting, perhaps. I just don't think worship should be downgraded to a mere genre. After all, worship is directed to God. Who is to say that music is the only way to worship? Who says worship will go away if the CCM genre went away. Sounds to me like another way of riding a green wave. To think that we should grow rich because of worship is, to me, scary.

_________________

Have you listened to the David Crowder Band? There are not enough words to describe how unbelievably good this band is. Their music is quality, deep, and delights the imagination, stirs the heart for God, and draws the listener into a participatory worship. In other words, one cannot help but sing along. I suspect that is what DCB would like to know. I only just received 'A Collision or 3+4=7' on my birthday. I have already listened to it, in its entirety, like 100 times. It is that good. I praise God for DCB! I first heard this band at Ohio Teens for Christ about 5 years ago. I only wish then I had known what I know now about this band and their music. Go buy their CD today.

_________________

Thanks for reading. I might have more to say later. I am sort of overwhelmed right now. My church has put together a team of missionaries to take a trip to Austria in 2008 to work at a mission house. Please pray for us.

DG

The Church Building, pt 1: Christian Mecca

Where does God live? Is the place where I worship the 'house of God'? That's what I grew up believing. I think perhaps people said such absurd things because they wanted us children not to run around the building. They wanted us to be respectful of the property. So instead of saying to us, "Hey, that door cost us $1500 don't swing on it." They said, "Hey this is the House of God. Show some respect." Either way, I suppose, we did not swing on the door. I'm reminded that God does not live in houses built by human hands. I'm also reminded that the body of the Christian is the Temple of God--something that seems to be lost in our church-speak nowadays unless we are trying to guilt people into not drinking, smoking or abusing themselves with all sorts of sexual laxity.

I have a lot of things to say about church buildings. I think they get too much credit for being the Christian version of Mecca. And, to be sure, there are a about 10,000 Meccas in the world of churchianity. Every other day, there is a new Prophet building a new Mecca hoping to attract a throng of pilgrims. I dislike buildings as much as I recognize they are, probably, a necessary evil. I sincerely believe that the modern craze of building giant buildings is as bad as the ancient craze of building giant cathedrals. It is all a waste of money, labor, and vision. Is our vision for the Kingdom of God merely concerned with how much property we own, how big our buildings are, and how many removable, stackable chairs fill the auditorium? I'm reminded of a comment I read the other day that the Church's effectiveness is not measured in its seating capacity, but in its sending capacity. I will tear down these barns and build bigger ones to accommodate all the grain this bumper crop has produced.

I'm not interested in a bigger building. I'm not interested in folding, stackable, and/or removable chairs (chairs that normally cost around $75-$150 each!). We don't need a building with bigger seating capacity and better parking. Rather, we need a building with bigger doors. Because when church is done correctly, that is, when the Body of Christ functions well, people will be as anxious to get out as they are to get in. People will not be content to merely 'come to church' or 'go to church.' Instead, they will be anxious to go and be the church in places where the church is not. Thus, their 'House of God' will be the world. Their altar will be a darkened place where light is needed. Their pew will be a park bench where some lonely person is sitting. Their pulpit will be a dugout at a little league baseball field. Their communion cup and bread will be the meal they share with a hungry person. Their offering will be their very life they give as a living sacrifice.

I'm sure others have said this before and that I am not the last who will say it either. I don't need to be original. I do want to impress upon anyone who happens to glance at this, however, that if the Church is going to win the lost then the church must be in those places where the lost are. In other words, it seems to me far more biblical to go instead of to wait; far more biblical to serve and not be served; far more biblical to give it away than to keep it for the self; far more biblical to live on the edge of disaster than in palaces of opulence. You know, if we have all that we need here then what is left to look forward to? "By faith Abraham made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:9-10).

"Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:16). Me too. I don't want a building. I want an entire country; an entire city, something made not out of stuff that will perish.

DG

Madonna's Messiah Move

Friends,

Here's a story that might interest you, or not.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/03/03/060303130812.lo9imhbg.html

Evidently, Madonna wants to move to Israel to await the Messiah. You know, I'm hopeful about this. First, Michael Jackson leaves the country to live in the Middle East. Madonna wants to move. I'll tell you what, if we could get George Clooney, Barbra Streisand, Al Gore, and Michael Moore to move over there also this might be a happier place to live. I can only imagine. Actually, we ought to find a way to air lift the entire Nation of Hollywood to another place. I can only imagine.

DG

Just Wondering about Fish

What do fish think about all day long? Is there life consumed only with thoughts of what to eat, how to avoid being prey, and perhaps where to sleep, safely, at night?

Do you ever wonder if fish think about what they look like or if they are offending other fish by, say, not smelling like a fish?

Do they take a bath after being hooked by a fisherman and thrown back? Are they concerned about that less than fishy smell that coats them after being handled by a fisherman?

Do they thank God when they are thrown back?

Do fish ever get tired of constantly havin their thirst slaked? That is, do they ever get tired of not being thirsty?

Do fish ever get a hankering for lobster? Would they like to have a glass of wine every now and again?

Absurd, right?

Just wondering.

Big Deal

Is there anybody out there?

More fun from nature. Actually, Renee took this one.

Jerry

Writing #9: Exodus & Numbers

The people at my church are engaged in a month long adventure to read through the Bible in a mere 31 days. These writings have been designed to be encouragement along the way. I prefer an honest look at what I read and the way life works. This is, after all, a blog about the way I see life and its myriad of varieties. But, I have a confession to make which I will get to in a moment or two.

I am a big fan of literature. I love to read--oh, and I love books. I think the proper term is bibliophile. To make matters worse, with very few exceptions, I'll read just about anything that consists of words: advertisements, books, essays, scholarly papers, novels, commentaries and magazines. To further complicate matters, I will read just about any genre of literature: Scientific papers, history, literature, poetry, opinion--whatever. If I thought I could get away with it, I would be a reader for a living; oh, wait--I am. But I have a confession to make. My love of books and my greater love of the words printed inside of books does not make it any easier to trudge through the books that have come to be called Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers.

Now, I must be fair. Within those books there are, I noticed especially in Numbers, periodic episodes for the rote recitation of law is interrupted by grumbling, complaining, stoning or outbreaks of plague. I suspect that these episodes were inserted in the text for the express purpose of relieving the unmitigated boredom of reading who gave what, how much, when and how many of 'them' there were and where 'they' camped along the way. Let me give you an example from Numbers 7:

The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah. His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 14 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 15 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 16 one male goat for a sin offering; 17 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.

This is not so bad. Until you consider that these verses are repeated, word for word, twelve times for a total of 89 verses. Our modern ambitions would be a little less monumental: Ditto. And that is only one example. Another is in chapter 29 where we learn about the Feast of Tabernacles and the offerings that are to be made during the feast. There we are treated to a description of all the offerings that are to be made during the eight day period of feasting:

" 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Celebrate a festival to the LORD for seven days. 13 Present an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, a burnt offering of thirteen young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 14 With each of the thirteen bulls prepare a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with each of the two rams, two-tenths; 15 and with each of the fourteen lambs, one-tenth. 16 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offering.

" 'On the second day prepare twelve young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect. 18 With the bulls, rams and lambs, prepare their grain offerings and drink offerings according to the number specified. 19 Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

One the third day, the number of young bulls to be offered drops to eleven. On the fourth day, ten; and so on and so forth. It is an interesting chapter. I mean that sincerely. But if you think about it, at all, you soon come to realize that in the Book of Numbers there are a lot of sacrifices that have to be made. Everything the Israelites did involved sacrifice. Blood was shed for everything under the sun. There were even sacrifices that were simply called 'morning' and 'evening' sacrifices. Some animals ver even got to live because they were firstborn and belonged to the Lord: They could not be redeemed; they were born, they were killed (sacrificed). There were supplemental offerings, offerings for unintentional sins, sacrifices for the cleansing of water, Sabbath offerings, Monthly offerings, Passover offerings, Day of Atonement offerings, Trumpet offerings, Offerings for Vows and it seems to never end. It got me to wondering: how did they keep it all straight.

Then the answer became clear. The only way to keep all these and many more rules and commandments and sacrifices straight was to be reading the book of Numbers and Exodus and Leviticus every single day, every single minute of every single day to see what the Lord prescribed. Imagine that: they had to read the Bible every day. It's no wonder the priesthood was so important and so exempt from everything but tabernacle/temple duties. They had to be involved in the Word so that they knew what the Lord was prescribing each day. If a day went by where they were not in the Bible it seems altogether too likely they would mess up and forget something thus incurring the Lord's wrath.

This says something to the Christian too. If the Word of God is a Double Edged Sword, if it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, if it is like the Rain and Snow which are sent forth with a purpose, if the Word of God is our only rule of faith and practice--if all these things are true, then does it not behoove the Christian to be reading that Word every day to see what God has said to us about Himself, about sin, about righteousness, about the Gospel, about His Son Jesus and more? This month has been a challenge for me because I have put on hold most all reading projects (mostly the books) in order that I might concentrate entirely on reading the Bible. What I have found is that I am no less informed about the world than if I read the paper every day. No, in fact, I believe I am actually more informed, better educated, and more in step with God from having done so and I am only 17 days into the adventure.

I saw what happened to Israel when they got away from the daily preparation and sacrifice of reading the Bible: they fell into apostasy. They were so uninformed that God said this to them, "Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. For forty years--one year for each of the forty days you explored the land--you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you." (Numbers 14:33-34) Later, it was as a celebration when under Josiah's leadership the Law was found and read. And, later than that, it was Ezra who came back from captivity, well versed in the Law, and made a daily habit of reading to the people God's Holy Word. I just wonder what would happen in the Church if we spent more time reading the Bible than reading Joel Osteen, Rick Warren or Max Lucado. Not that I have anything against these fellas, but I think even they would confess that their words pale in comparison to God's.

Writing #8: Exodus

I finished the book of Exodus today. What an amazingly diverse book. What a profoundly sincere look at the ordered lives of those Israelites who were led out of Egypt into 'freedom' as God's Covenant people. They moaned at times, "Why have you led us out here into the desert? In Egypt we sat around pots of meat!" After reading the book of Exodus, in a lot of ways I have to agree. The life of faith, which is necessarily the point of Exodus, is, at best complicated, and at worst, difficult. Anyone who tried to read or live the book of Exodus would have a difficult time doing so apart from faith. And when I say faith, I mean much more than 'yes, I agree this is true.' I also mean, 'yes, this makes sense to someone even if I agree with it and it makes no sense to me.' Put blood on the ear lobe, the thumb, and the big toe in order to consecrate Aaron as a priest. Yes, in the world of faith this makes perfectly logical sense.

But I read somewhere that faith is believing all things make sense to God even when they don't make sense to us. Someone asked me Tuesday evening what the blood on the earlobe, thumb and big toe meant. I responded that I had little idea, or, maybe, it was a way of saying you are consecrated head to toe. Or, maybe it was a way of saying, "May your ears, your hands and feet be found doing the work of God always." Or, maybe it was a way of saying: "Even the smallest parts of your body have been redeemed by the shedding of blood; don't take anything for granted when it comes to your redemption." Faith issues are not nearly as complicated as, I believe, some want to make them out to be. True, faith does sometimes involve that so-called 'leap', but more often than not the we take the leap knowing full well that the leap makes sense to God even if it does not make sense to us. That is to say, we don't put our trust in the leap itself, but in the God who may or may not have told us to take the 'leap' in the first place. We know the end result of the leap and we trust God with the landing or the not landing.

At the beginning of Exodus, Moses' mother took that leap of faith when she 'saw that he was a fine child.' She took another leap when she hid him in the river. She took another leap having Miriam go and watch for him. And her faith kept going and going. It took faith for Moses' to go back and declare before Pharaoh: Let my people go! And it took faith for Moses to approach the burning bush, and throw his staff onto the ground, and raise his staff over the Red Sea and hope the water split in two. I think it took a tremendous amount of faith, perhaps more than was required when he went before Pharaoh, for Moses to go before his own people and say to them, "Follow me." This man of faltering tongue and shallow self-confidence had the faith to go before the most powerful man on earth at the time and demand that God be recognized. Faith is the victory that overcame the world. I suspect it still is.

I think it also took sincere faith to follow a cloud around through the desert. I'm one for knowing where I am going and it seems to me that following a cloud around in a windy desert could be hazardous to our plans. Therein, however, I think is the key to faith. Their journey's were not a matter of going where they wanted to go but God's. So is ours. It is, and I say this humbly and passionately, entirely too easy to go where we want to go and do the things we want to do. Only faith gives us the courage and stamina to stay on course when God invites us to go His way. I'm not saying the journey is not filled with trouble along the way. On the contrary, wind blows clouds all over the place, everyday. Our job is to seek the cloud and follow it. "In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out--until the day it lifted." What he means is, we have to pay close attention to what the Lord is doing and follow Him. To do otherwise will inevitably result in peril and disaster.

Writing #7: 1 John, Colossians, 2 Peter

I'm sorry if you were expecting a writing or two in the last couple of days. I do have children and a wife. We are always so busy. I have been getting finished later and later each day--I think. Well, blah, blah, blah.

I know I should not make excuses that way. I'm sorry. I'm trying to be honest here but I confess that life gets in the way too often. The world--have you noticed how much death there is in this 'not altogether intelligently designed' (George Will: http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/will1.asp) world--is driving me crazy, and not in a very good way. Frankly, if I may be frank for a mere moment, I'm a bit tired of this world. It is getting near the point of stupidity. Last year a tsunami killed--how many people? Last week an earthquake killed close to what, 40,000 people? Is life that fragile? Is life that cheap? Can life really be so devastating, so unimaginably, profoundly meaningless? Are we like the millions of 'Canadian Soldiers' congregating on and around my house that are here today and dead within a week? It seems that way. And I confess that there are times when I allow the cracks in my personal veneer to show. This must be one of those times.

You see, I not only believe; I want to believe. But, and here is the part that is frightening, I cannot comprehend what it means that 40,000 lives are suddenly not here any more. There are probably some strong atheists, and theists too, that have all sorts of answers that make sense. I'll bet the esteemed Dr. Dobson, the one who 'knows more than he should', has a pretty good idea what the Lord was thinking the other day when he announced to the god of this earth 'their lives are in your hands.' I'm a little deeper than Mr. Dobson; I have no idea. Enter John's first letter to the church and his comment, brash as it may be, "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." And the one that is worse, "...for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

I could be wrong, but it seems to me that this means there are a lot of people who are not going to overcome the world. The key, we are told, is to build more, spend more, eliminate more and more of this or that. I wonder if these things will really solve the problem of death in this world. I wonder why it is that no one is asking the really important questions like: What will the world be like now that 40,000 people are gone in a matter of minutes? Or, I wonder where those 40,000 people are right now? People keep saying we need to do something to fix the earth so that such things will stop happening. We need to 'solve' the problem of global warming. We need to 'solve' the problem of shifting tectonic plates. We need to start driving more hybrid vehicles that burn less fossil fuels. We need more politicians who have a greater vision for the future. Blah. Blah. Blah. I wonder why no one is asking the really important question: If a tsunami can take out 100,000 people in a matter of minutes, and an earthquake can take out 40,000 in a matter of minutes, and a hurricane can wipe a city off the face of the earth in a matter of hours--if all these things can happen 'there', what is to stop them from happening 'here' and wiping out the entire planet in a matter of minutes?

I'm no alarmist or fatalist. I'm a firm believer that per Colossians, He has all things under control. It's not a matter of 'what if', but a matter of 'what when.' It is a matter of whether or not we are going to be prepared for whatever hits here and what will happen when we are suddenly no longer here but find ourselves, instead, there. The question is, Are we ready for there? Will we overcome?

I don't thnk it is a matter of if, but when. Peter makes it quite clear: The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. I imagine a young Simba from The Lion King practicing his roar on a lizard that walks by while he sits on a rock. He squeaks out a baby roar. Then another. Then another. At the end he belches out a roar that echoes down the ravine. We get the idea next when the ground starts to shake, rocks rattle, and the roar becomes the deafening stampede of a herd of wildebeests. These earthquakes, tsunami's, and hurricanes have nothing and everything to do with global warming. They have more to do with small belches, small groans 'while the creation awaits for the Sons of God to be revealed.' Soon, someday, later the baby belch will become the full blown roar of an adult lion, heard for miles around the Serengetti.

Peter's question becomes ever more poignant as the days, and natural disasters go by, 'Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?' His answer is even more devastating, 'You ought to live holy and godly lives..." Sooner or later people of this planet need to figure out that we are not helping ourselves when a disaster strikes and we, in the power of the indomitable human spirit, simply shrug it off, throw a dollar at it, and rebuild it bigger and better than before. Woe are we if we continue to miss the question. Woe are we when we get the question and supply the wrong answer. But I am not merely content to rebuild what is broken. I want to overcome. I don't simply want the structure, the framework, the shell of what was. I'm looking for something entirely new and pristine: But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Jerry

What Time Do You Give to the Lord Jesus?

Two weeks ago, when I preached my sermon, I said that we need to give ourselves away.

Last week when I preached to you I read to you scripture that informed us that the properly grounded Christian life is one that is lived sacrficially.

This week, as we formally kick-off our faith promise campaign, I want to share with you some thoughts about a rarely spoken of sacrifice that the Bible does speak of concerning the Christian. It is the sacrifice of our time. And when I say the ‘sacrifice of our time’ I mean the bringing of the minutes and hours and days and years of our existence under the Lordship of Jesus. I think the thing we guard most jealously in our lives is our time. Sometimes I think that when it comes to Christianity and service in God’s Kingdom it is easier for American Christians to simply throw some money at it and let someone else do it. Indeed, this is an American thing in general. As soon as the hurricane hit we started hearing about the need not for human compassion, human hands, but for money.

Now don’t think I am overly, hyper-critical of those who give money and those who ask for money. I think money is important in so far as it is a means to an end. Time on the other hand is much more valuable than money and perhaps that is why we are so frequently guarded when it comes to our time. It means, in the words of Scripture, redeeming the time. It means making every minute count for the Kingdom. It means that if the cattle on a thousand hills belong to God Almighty then how much more does the every waking minute of our lives belong to him?

And I don’t know exactly where the problem began. Somewhere along the way a widow put two mites into the offering box, all she had, and since she did not also give a couple of minutes or hours we came to believe that all that was required was to put our pennies in the plate and then our obligation to the Kingdom was satisfied. Or maybe it was when someone said ‘do not forsake the gathering together’ and so we thought we did our part when we came to worship on Sunday morning. A friend of mine who is not a Christian reminded me yesterday that he saw a reminder of an oft mentioned expression and rarely practiced one: Enter to worship, depart to serve. The Sunday morning is not our primary time for service, evangelism, or anything but worship of Almighty God.

The sacrifice of your time, however, is not just about being busy for the Lord as if he needs us. It is about being busy in the Lord. It’s not just about praying that the Lord bless what we are doing. It’s about being in the place and doing the things that God is blessing. It’s not about squeezing the Lord into our daily schedule or making time for God each day. It’s about making time for everything else we do. It’s not about giving something back. It is about giving all it back. One reason why I asked you to join with me in reading through the Bible This month is because I wanted you to get a taste of what it means to devote something, everyday to God—namely, your time. Because I know from my experience, and I am a reader, that I have had to give up quite a lot—football, baseball, all other reading projects, video games, and more. I figure if we can start with something as simple as reading through the Bible then all the other stuff should be fairly uncomplicated.

I’d like to talk a little about time this morning by simply looking at some passages of Scripture and at the end I would like to challenge you. First, let’s look to Luke’s Gospel, chapter 9:

57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
59He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
61Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good bye to my family."
62Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

First I would like to point out that the easiest thing to do when it comes to Kingdom service is make excuses. Really when it comes to time it is a matter of priorities: what matters more to us. And I also know that I am fighting an uphill battle. I’m not trying to be harsh, but you have to admit that this is frequently our area of expertise. I would like to challenge you to overcome whatever adiction you may have to excuse making.
Next let’s look to Romans 13:11-14:

11And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature

There’s a couple or so of different things happening in this passage of Scripture. The one that stands out to me is this: The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. I believe that Paul is saying that we are almost out of time to make a difference in the lives of lost people. The unfortunate thing about life is that if the Bible is true, and I believe it is, then there is going to come a time when it is too late for us to do anything for the Kingdom or for the people who are lost. Another idea that seems to be floating around in here is this: We need to stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about others: do not think about how to gratify the flesh. We live in a very self-centered culture which is one reason why I am convinced that the Church must not emulate the culture in order to grow and produce fruit that lasts. We must be counter-cultural, we must not conform any longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed. And if this is true for the Christian then it is true for the Church.

Like excuses, it is fairly easy to continue thinking about ourselves. It’s my life. It’s my time. It’s my day. But Jesus had an interesting take on the ‘me’, ‘my’ and ‘mine’ culture: He said he who loses his life for my sake will find it. And,

28Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

He is telling us that we need to set our priorities. And he did not say that it would be easy, or uncomplicated, or that it would not hurt, or that it would not involve sacrifice. On the contrary, leaving behind such things or such people, does hurt. This is, nevertheless, what he has said: Give it up. When we are willing to part with something so abundant and free as time then I believe it will be much easier for us to part with, lay on the stone of sacrifice, all other things in our lives as well.

Third, there is passage of Scripture again found in Romans that I have come to love perhaps more than any passage of Scripture in the Bible. It is found in the fifth chapter:

6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I just got to thinking: God did all the work of salvation at just the right time. He was not early. He was not late. He was just right on time. Now here’s what I got to thinking: What if when we make ourselves available to the Lord, what if when we do, what if we are available at just the right time for Him to do something amazing, something useful, something that will bless someone else? How many opportunities are made available to God when we simply surrender ourselves to his good, and pleasing and perfect will? How many opportunities are lost because we are simply unavailable, too busy, or down right uncomitted? But let me suggest a hypothetical scenario: what if every Christian in America, starting in this church right here, would give back to the Lord our God who made our salvation possible at just the right time just one hour per week of our time—and I do not mean the hour or so that we spend here on Sunday mornings when there is nothing else to do.

Finally, there is John chapter 9 and I only wish to read a small scrap of this chapter:

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

I note in here the same theme we came across in Romans 13. But note that Jesus says ‘as long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me.’ We must be about his business. And again Jesus makes it clear that a day was coming, and a day is coming, when it will be dark and we will no longer be able to do the work of him who sent Jesus. What then will happen to the lost, the hopeless, the dying, and the dead? Who will preach? Who will send?

This month is about faith promise, but I want to make it perfectly clear that the Kingdom of God advances not because we give money but because we give ourselves. The Kingdom of God turns the world upside down not because Peter and John had money to give to a beggar but because Peter and John proclaimed the Gospel. I’d like you to ask yourself a couple of questions.

How many times this week have you wished the Church was growing faster?

How many times last week did I invite someone to worship with me this morning?

How much of my time this week did I dedicate to serving Jesus? I don’t mean praying or reading the Bible. I mean how many minutes or hours did you dedicate to serving him in someway by helping someone or serving someone or doing something for the congregation of which you are a member?

I had a conversation with a member of our congregation this past week. In the course of the conversation she said to me, I gave up doing such and such a thing so I could give more time to the church. I’d like to introduce that person to you—not because I think she needs the attention or to brag but merely to set an example. Her name is Natalie (and I did ask her permission to tell you this).

Tuesday night she was here and led the choir. Two Tuesday’s per month she comes to our Planning & Outreach meetings. Last summer she served as VBS director. On Wednesday evenings she meets with Randy, Ryan, and me and we practice our music for at least two hours. On Saturday mornings she comes to the church building for prayer meetings which take about an hour or so. This month she has also been spending her Saturday mornings or afternoons cleaning the church building. She also spends time several times per year preparing the communion cups and bread. It is almost unfair to say that she is here every time the door is opened; it’s more like she is the one here opening the door every time the door is opened. On top of all this, she works a full time job. And she told me this week, totally un-self-consciencely that she gave up giving flute lessons and earning extra money for herself so that she could give more time to this church. And there is a lot of work that goes into taking guitar lessons too and paying for them and practicing each night, helping me plan the worship, leading the worship, and so on.

Now I don’t tell you this because Natalie wants your attention or your applause. I am confident she does not. But I do tell it to you because she is setting an example for all of us. And I don’t single her out to the exclusion of the several others in the congregation who are giving their time and talents to see the Kingdom of God advance. But I am telling you because the challenge to all of you is to follow her example. But I would be remiss if I did not take the time to point out to you that when it comes to the Kingdom of God, when it comes to His church, your time matters. What I want you to understand from Natalie’s example is that there is work that needs done each month, each week, each day—and she is doing what she can. Now I’m not asking you, but I want you to ask yourself: Am I doing what I can?

It’s a tough question to ask. And lest Natalie go home feeling especially wonderful about herself, I want her to ask herself the same question all over again: Am I doing what I can? If the Body of Christ is us, if we are the Body of Christ, what part are you? A hand, a foot, a leg, a heart? And when you are missing, when that part of the Body is absent from service, who does what you have to offer?

Now don’t go away from this sermon mad or angry or thinking that I am accusing anyone of anything. I have to ask myself the same questions and I do. I have to think about each minute of each day because it is easy for me to grow complacent about service since I am paid to be here. I am asking these questions as a means of self-examination for each of us. It’s important that we understand what needs to be done and that we do it. And be certain of this: there are things that need done around the church building and around the church and around the community. So here’s the challenge I promised:

You are by the grace of God given 168 hours per week. I think all of us would find it easier to tithe a paycheck than our time; 16.8 hours per week of service to the Kingdom would be quite a large sum to give back by the grace of God! So let’s start small. Let’s start by doing this: I challenge everyone here to give one hour per week of the time graciously given them by God to the Church. If you are already giving one hour then I’m asking for two. If you are already giving two then I am asking for three. And so on. Here’s a partial list of some things that can be done.

We have a prayer meeting every Saturday morning when there is nothing on the planet to do.
Or come earlier than nine—I’ll meet with you earlier and pray.

Come up and make phone calls to people who missed worship. Or come up and send post cards or make follow up phone calls to those who worship with us on Sunday as guests.
Come up and pray during the week.

In the bulletin you can see I am trying to put together a food pantry team to work at the new Madison Ministerial Food Bank. I need four or five people to form a team.

We have three different Scout groups that meet here during the week. Come up during their meetings and be a helper, or a greeter, or prepare beverages or light snacks.

Come up and clean the building. Come up and do some of the finishing work on the balcony: trim, dusting, clean up, etc.

Come up here and spend an hour or so talking with the preacher who always needs encouragement. Don’t sit around waiting on him—go to him.

Go to a nursing home and do some volunteer work. The Bible says that God has made us and re-created us to do the good works which he has prepared in advance for us to do. He has prepared good works for you to do: are they getting done?

Sing in the choir. Paint a room. Decorate a bulletin board. Come to Bible school on Sunday mornings (although this doesn’t count!). Clean a window. Vacuum a floor.

Come up and organize a classroom or a storage room. Come up and write some lessons for a Bible School class. Come up and make baskets for the welcome center. Come up when we have a planning and outreach meeting. Take out the garbage. Wash a dish.

The bottom line is that the possibilities are only limited by your imagination. You don’t need me to stand up here this morning and tell you what needs to be done in the church or for the church. You are the church.

So I will stop short of begging you to do something for the church, but I will say that the church is only going to go as far as the members of the church are willing to take it. We all have to be involved in the work. All I am asking you for is one of the 168 hours per week that you are given. That is 60 minutes 10080 you are given each week. That is 3,600 seconds of the 604800 seconds you are given each week. It’s 52 hours per year 8736 hours you are given each year.

I’m not demanding you do anything. I’m asking you to consider what you are doing and to ask yourself if you can do more. I’m asking if the work you do with your 168 hours per week is work that has lasting, Kingdom value. Jesus said: (John 6)

26Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

Only you can anwer the question. And you don’t have to answer to me. But if the Bible says that someday we will have to give an account for every single word that we utter in this life, then how much more will God himself require of us an accounting for every single second that he gives us on this earth. Are you doing the work of God each day?