Eternal Hours

OFFICE HOURS Ministry in the Marketplace Part 1

Have you been to a seminar to help you become more productive at work? Have you ever read books or articles on how to lead better at work? Many of us work hard to do better at our job. Yet, there is also a great number of people who do not find satisfaction in their work or think having to work is a kind of a curse for us.When we think about work it is almost as if we think our only purpose is to focus on doing a good job just to provide so we can get what we want and for our family. Then at the end of the day, we don’t have enough time or energy to “do good” in our community, in our world.

Work is not just something we endure so we can get ready for the weekend or vacation. Our work actually has a purpose. It is not a curse. It is God-given. This six week blog series is going to look at the eternal aspect of work. This blog will be published each Tuesday morning.Maybe we can gain a clearer focus so we can discover our purpose in work is actually to live out a life that gives glory to God in all we do and to steward the gifts we’ve been given.

This week, I invite you to read Genesis 2:5-15. Here is the passage as written in the Common English Bible:

“before any wild plants appeared on the earth, and before any field crops grew, because the LORD God hadn’t yet sent rain on the earth and there was still no human being to farm the fertile land, though a stream rose from the earth and watered all of the fertile land— the LORD God formed the human from the topsoil of the fertile land and blew life’s breath into his nostrils. The human came to life. The LORD God planted a garden in Eden in the east and put there the human he had formed. In the fertile land, the LORD God grew every beautiful tree with edible fruit, and also he grew the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river flows from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides into four headwaters. The name of the first river is the Pishon. It flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. That land’s gold is pure, and the land also has sweet-smelling resins and gemstones. The name of the second river is the Gihon. It flows around the entire land of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris, flowing east of Assyria; and the name of the fourth river is the Euphrates. The LORD God took the human and settled him in the garden of Eden to farm it and to take care of it.”

What is the first thing you notice (besides the strange names that are difficult to pronounce)? I also have a picture of the Garden of Eden as a place of perfect paradise. This is a quiet, peaceful, joyful place because the presence of the Living Lord is tangible and fully experienced. 

This passage opens with the idea that there was no being created to take care of the garden. God formed out of the earth, a human, who was created to take care of, to work the land so it can continue to produce fruit and for people to live in perfect harmony with God Himself.

All of this happened before “the fall” in Genesis 3 meaning that God gave humankind the gift of work so we can partner with Him to take care of the land. Apply this to your setting. Your work is actually a gift from God. You and I have been given gifts and talents to do our work. We do not do this work alone. God is with us. When we think about partnering with God to work and steward the resources and people around us, how does this change your view of work?

Did you notice something else in the passage? Read the passage again.

“a stream rose from the earth and watered all of the fertile land” I find this very interesting. if we think about this, the water is coming up and nourishing the fertile land all around. Water brings life. Where is scripture does it talk about water bringing life? All throughout the New Testament! Jesus Christ is the Living Water in the world (John 4).

When Jesus was resurrected from the dead (John 20), Mary Magdeline thought He was the…gardener! Not only does Jesus Christ (Emmanuel – God in flesh) nourish the world, but He is also working the to restore the earth back to the original state of paradise. We get to participate in the redemption of the world with Him!

Everything we do at our work has eternal consequences. The way we treat those around us has eternal consequences. Our work is not just about getting the job done in order to play. Our work actually has a purpose. So whatever it is you do for a living, know this, you have partnered with Jesus Christ for the redemption of the world. Each person we come in contact in the workplace should know they also have the chance to partner with Jesus Christ in the restoration of the world.

How has your view of work changed now? 

“Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him.” ~ Colossians 3:17 CEB

*Note: The concept for this series we first published on http://www.seedbed.com “Sermon Series – Office Hours: Ministry in the Marketplace”

Shifting Focus

“…there was evening and there was morning, the _______ day.”

What is the first thing you do at the beginning of the day? Usually what we think about first thing in the morning is where our daily priorities lie. This thought has been convicting to me because I will plan out the day to see what I will accomplish during the day. So, my priorities, at times, are all about accomplishing tasks and work so it’s done and done the best I can do it.

Every time I think about these words from Scripture in Genesis 1, I begin to meditate on the concept that we have our priorities backwards and it’s time we shift focus to what is most important. So now the question we all need to answer is, “what is really the most important aspect of your life?” Being able to truthfully and passionately answer this question answers the “why” or the motivation of why we do what we do.

Relationships are the most important part of life for me; at least this is what I hope to demonstrate on a daily basis. I believe the Jewish faith and culture has the beginning of the day correct. The days begin at 6:00pm and go through 6:00pm the following day. With this in mind, what we do in the evening of the day is crucial.

Imagine rethinking how we view our day, and the time our days begin. Let’s truly shift our focus to what really matters in this life. It all begins from a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. From this relationship we show others how much they are valued. Our motivation to work each day should include providing for our family and to give God the glory because we have the opportunity to do this work.

Now, let’s think about another way we can arrange our day to keep the real focus of our lives as the “why” of what we do. After coming come in the evenings from a day of work, we have the opportunity to spend time with our family. Then we rest and go back to work the following day. This is different from how we normally think about how our day goes: get up, go to work, then spend time with the family or our friends. Relationships in this way of thinking are put on the back burner in our minds and get the least amount of attention.

So how would our day go, and how much more fruitful would our relationships be if we shifted from thinking work was the most important part of our day to relationships being the most important part? I am beginning to believe more and more that “…there was evening and there was morning” is how we should live our lives. Develop relationships first. The evening time (which includes dinner) is a great time to cultivate and nourish our family and friends. Then we take the time to rest at night in order to prepare for the final part of the day, work.

This also means that our relationship with God through Jesus Christ should be the most important relationship to develop first, then the relationship with our family and friends. Without the grace and love of Jesus Christ it will be difficult, and impossible for many, to be able to show our own family and friends how much they are truly valued and appreciated.

I am continually working on this concept daily. It is challenging; but shifting our focus is important and healthy for all aspects of our lives.

More Than Words

Have you ever been told, “just pray about it?” I have told people this for years, especially when there is something of importance going on whether it be with vocation, relationships, new projects, etc. Prayer is one of the things that we know is important; but a great deal of us don’t really put too much thought into what we’re praying for or words that we’re saying.

Luke 11:1-13 shows Jesus’ disciples asking Him, “teach us to pray.” Yesterday, I asked the congregation, “have you asked Jesus to teach you to pray?” This is a very valuable question to ask; especially because this was a convicting question for me as well. If we can humbly go to Jesus Christ to teach us how to pray and listen for His answer, we can realize more and more the reality is we are communicating with God each and every time we pray.

To prepare for this message this past week, I read several commentaries and one thing stood out. One of the commentators for the United Methodist Church had this to say, “According to a Pew Research report, 55% of American Christians say they pray every day. These persons rely on prayer when making personal decisions, and consider prayer and essential part of their identity.” Isn’t this interesting. What I read in this is that 45% of American Christians do not feel they need to pray daily. My question is, how can someone have a real relationship with God if there is not constant communication. Before we get judgemental, I do believe there are people who do not pray because they do not believe God will answer their prayers.

The first thing to look at when we talk about prayer is Jesus gives us assurance that God not only cares about us, but He hears our prayers and does answer them. Luke 11:11-13 says, “Which father among you would give a snake to your child if the child asked for a fish? If a child asked for an egg, what father would give the child a scorpion? If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

We all need assurance that God will answer our prayers, that our words do not stop at the ceiling. My guess is that we have all heard about three answers that God gives: Yes, No, Not Yet. These answers we can deal with; but there is a fourth answer we don’t seem to mention very much. That answer is “I have already given you an answer and am waiting for you to act.”

I remember, when I was a child and I would do everything I could do to find a favorable answer to a question. For many of us, it may be the case that we don’t like the answer God has given and we keep trying to get Him to change His mind or at least give us an alternative answer.

No matter what our response to the answers God gives us, we should still be assured that He does answer us. Because we can trust that God will answer our prayers, we should be open to the various ways He answers, oftentimes using other people around us.

The Gospel of Luke passage shows the disciples asking Jesus how to pray. A couple of things stand out when I read what has been called the “Lord’s Prayer.” One is that the normal things we end up focusing on some things and leaving out others. For example we’ll focus on the physical health or a person instead of the spiritual health. This is what I have called “organ prayers.” It is easier to pray for physical healing of body organs than for spiritual or emotional healing to bring a person to completeness and wholeness.

Jesus, on the other hand gives us, not just a script of what to pray, but for us to watch how we are praying and what we pray for. He is showing the disciples, which includes us today, that we should pray with the will of God in mind. Many of us have not taken the time to really think about these words. These are not “magic words” to get God to do our bidding. Instead, when we pray we’ll seek God and His direction.

Father, hallowed be your name: This is important so we remember who we are speaking with and to not use God’s name as something that is common or ordinary.

Your kingdom come: ushering in the kingdom of Heaven here on earth. Does our world look like, right now, how heaven will be? Not yet. There are many things that are still happening. The reality of the Kingdom of Heaven is here; but there is still the culmination of heaven being on earth full time that will eventually take place.

Natural disasters

Devaluing of human life

Distractions from our relationships

More concerned about the individual than the health of the community

not everyone knows Jesus Christ on a personal level

Give us this day our daily bread: completely dependent on God for all we need each day (goes against our individualistic do it by yourself mottos)

Think about Israelites wandering around in the desert and the manna from heaven who did not know where the food was coming from; but they trusted that God would provide each day.

Most of us don’t worry about where our next meal is coming from, or where we are going to get the next thing that we want

Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted (sinned against) to us: As a commentator notes, “Jewish teachings had already linked the necessity of forgiving others to one’s ability to receive forgiveness…the ability to forgive and be forgiven are part of the same gift.”

And do not bring us to the time of trial: “normal trials” for us may include traffic, rude people, sicknesses, anything like this.

  • also think about things that would hinder or harm your relationship with other people (family members included)
  • Consider to seek protection against things that will come between yours and God’s relationship

We pray for healing, for provision, for protection, for our relationships with other people AND with God

As we can see, it really is more than words when we speak to the Living God through prayer who can and will answer our prayers. Praying the Lord’s Prayer is basically praying this way:

“God, we honor you on earth more than we honor our own flesh and blood parents. Please come to rule our lives every day that we l have on this earth. Help us to not worry about the future. We ask only for enough bread to get through this day. Don’t forgive us our sins until we have found a way to forgive every person who has done us wrong. And please God, do not test our faith too much because we know that we are weak and that we will surely fail.”

May we all continue to develop our prayer life and seek the face and Kingdom of God daily.

New blog post: “Lessons Learned From 16 Year Old Me”

I know everyone can look back on their life and see the lessons learned over the years. As I look back on my life, I realize that it was God using those time in which I learned the most valuable lessons to shape me into the person I am today. I am still no where near perfect; but I hope I am closer to the person God desires me to be than I was last year.

When I was 16, I was going for my first paying job, outside of mowing lawns, etc. So like every good small town guy, I applied at Walmart. Thinking about this now, 20 years later, makes me laugh. I remember when I was under 10 years old that the teens worked at Walmart in my small Texas town. This was the place I thought everyone needed to work at when they became a teenager. The time came. I walked in for my interview (several people were interviewing at the same time. I sat down. Right after I left the interview I was disappointed. I didn’t get the job!

Lesson number one learned quickly, be sure not to put all hope or thought into one strategy without thinking about other options. I had to learn how to handle disappointment rather quickly. Another lesson learned was how to lead and follow. Finally, I can look back at the losses and realize I have thankful for my life and where I am today.

Handling disappointment is something we all struggle to learn as we age. We will not win everything and that is okay. We are not meant to win or get everything we want. If we did, we would be the most spoiled people and not care about anyone except what we want and not think about anyone else’s needs / wants. This is something that we just really have to learn. We should remember that God has a great plan for our life and I have noticed that the things in life we get disappointed over may very well be the things that God does not desire for us to have or experience.

I remember very clearly the interviewer asking me, “do you consider yourself a leader or a follower?” and I gave the best answer anyone would give to make themselves look good. Say it with me. “Of course I’m a leader!” Now, at the same time, I heard another teen answering the same question. His answer has stuck with me to this day. “There are times when I am asked to lead, or I step up to lead. But there are times when I know how to follow. So, I am a leader and a follower.” It seems that following another person and trusting they know what they are doing puts us in a vulnerable position. We would rather be in a position of authority and tell people what to do. But this is not what true leadership, or wisdom, is like. True leaders are willing to allow another person to lead. Truthfully, I still struggle with this; even in my walk with Jesus Christ. I like to be in control; but I know there are people I can learn from and people I should let take the lead because of the gifts they have.

Following is also a challenge because the leader will not do things just like you or I would. That is a beautiful thing because then we can show we are learning from everyone. It is too easy to tell the leader what they need to be doing and how to do it; but I have learned we can learn to appreciate different styles of leadership by letting the people do what they feel should be done. There are many times when people look at me, I look younger than I am, and assume that I do not have the experience or knowledge to get the job done. There are times this bothers me; but there is also wisdom to listening. Could we all handle our conversations better? Absolutely. People will always assume they know more than me; but I am learning to thank God for the wisdom and guidance they are attempting to give, even if it is done in an inappropriate manner.

As I look back on my life, I am grateful for the lessons I learned as a 16 year old. Praise God I am where I am today. I believe that if I had chosen different paths in my life, I would not be married to my wife, the most beautiful and caring woman, today. Nor would I have the 2 precious children either. I know I still have a lot to learn. If we ever get to a place where we automatically assume we know how it do it better than another person, or we are smarter, we can miss out on great opportunities to see how God is leading.

Everyone of us will have opinions on what I have just written. And each of us has learned lessons through the years. I invite you to take time and think about some of your most life shaping times in your life and find a way to praise God for the person He is shaping you to be. What have you learned?

To God be the glory. Amen

Singular Focus

We all like to multitask. This seems to help us get a lot of things done in a faster amount of time. We’ll even multitask when talking with people. It is common to see people texting one person and having verbal conversation with another. Our minds drift and at the end of the day, doesn’t it seem as if we did not get as much completed as we wanted to?

As a pastor, one of the things I try (key word: “try”) to do is spend a little bit of time each day in silence and just focusing on one thing. Now, I understand there are people out in our society that do not think there is enough time in the day to spend in quiet. Or there is too much noise. Or they (we) try to be busy for the sake of busyness. For all people who tell me they do not have time to spend apart, or take time out of their day for mediation or daily devotional so, I tell them I understand!

Family responsibilities (my wife and children take time), church responsibilities, social responsibilities. I almost feel like I’d have to wake up at 3:00 am everyday just to squeeze in 30 minutes of devotional or reflection time. Well, I know myself and I know getting up that early is not going to happen. Instead, I have a calendar item that simply says “God.” This is set from 7:00am – 7:30am each day.

Do I always make this commitment? No. But this is a good reminder, for me, that my focus at the beginning of the day should be on Jesus Christ. The reason I have this scheduled for the morning part of the day is that I know I will not be diligent and take time in the middle of the day to pause and devote in silence.

Back to multitasking. There are studies that show people are actually less productive when they multitask. Right now, as I am writing this post, I am also helping my wife at church. I have to pause writing every now and then to make sure I’m doing what she needs me to do, proving it is challenging to multitask. 

We have so much to do and so little time to do it (so we think). We all have the same amount of time, 24 hours. In a world of computers, tablets, smartphones, etc, we try to actually fit too much into our day. And how are our emotions? I have found that anxiety runs high because I have many tasks to attempt to accomplish daily. If I only allowed one thing to do at a time, I know it would get done at a much higher quality than if I let 10 or more tasks get scheduled at the same time.

How does this relate to taking time each day and devote it to Jesus Christ? Well, Jesus Christ should be our singular focus. When we only look to Him, the work we do, no matter what it is, gets done for His honor and glory.

“Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭CEB‬‬

I challenge you, and me, with the task to schedule time each day on your calendar, and keep it. Our focus, if kept on Christ reminds us why we do what we do and gives the work we do a grand purpose.

Grace and peace with you.

Sin & Redemption 

Sin. Sin is a condition that many people do not take serious enough. Humankind has had to live with and experience the effects of sin throughout human history. In the creation story of Genesis 1 and Genesis 2, we can see that God created the world, and it was good. There was an intimacy between God and humans with God “walking in the garden in the cool of the day to be with Adam and Eve personally (Genesis 3:8). God was looking for Adam and Eve after they had tasted and eaten of the forbidden fruit. From this time forward, sin has left a mark of humanity and creation. The intimate relationship between God and humans was broken.
As we begin to look at sin, the Hebrew and Greek words used in scripture help to understand what sin is. One of the Hebrew words is chata (khan-taw’). The New Testament Greek has a word with a similar meaning as the Hebrew word. Hamartia (ham-ar-tee’-ah). Both words basically mean to “miss the mark,” or “failure to hit the mark.” Looking at sin with these two words could make it seem like sin is no big deal. These words show there is a “mark,” a bullseye we are all striving for to hit. Our next question would have to be “what is the mark we are supposed to hit?”

Adam and Eve has a perfect communion with God in the beginning. After the fruit was eaten, we can now begin to look through the scriptures to see how sin impacted and affected every part of creation. This is what is known as “original sin.” Throughout the centuries there have been different understandings and teachings on what original sin is and how we are effected by it today.

In the book, Responsible Grace, Randy Maddox describes a western viewpoint and an eastern viewpoint on original sin. “This term was used to refer to both the event of Adam and Eve using their self-determining power to turn away from God, and to the effects of this ‘Fall’ upon subsequent humanity.” (Maddox 74)

For most people within the Western Church, the teaching has predominantly been 1) all humans have “inherited” the guilt from the original sin and 2) God’s judgement will be upon us because we are depraved to the point that we can do little more than to sin. (MADDOX 74). Eastern churches have had a different understanding and teaching about original sin. Their teaching has been “the true significance of the Fall was our loss of the Spirit’s immediate Presence, resulting in the introduction of mortality into human life.” (MADDOX 74) John Wesley tended to favor the eastern church’s teaching on original sin, thus he began teaching about prevenient grace, grace that God gives to humanity even before we realize God’s presence with us and around us.

Now it is important to examine a couple reasons why people sin today. Two ideas seem to give good reasons why people sin and they come from two different people who lived roughly 150 years apart, Saint Augustine and Iranaeus. These two views also display the differences in the Western and Eastern Church teachings.

Justo Gonzalez and Zaida Maldonado Perez write about the differences in these two early church fathers. “The most common way of interpreting the story of the first temptation is that Adam and Eve allowed themselves to be carried away by ambition when the serpent promised they would be ‘like God.’ In that case, pride is at the very root of evil.” (Gonzalez 69) This teaching is very much in line with the understanding of the Western Church today. This has been a dominate teaching since the time of Saint Augustine (AD 354-430)

Iranaeus (AD 200s) taught something that is in line with the Eastern Church’s understanding on sin. “Adam and Eve were already like God, who had made them after the divine image and likeness. Therefore, sin, is not in ambition, but rather in the lack of faith, in not believing what was already a reality, that they were “like God.” (Gonzales 69)

These two understandings and teachings help show how sin can come about in our day and age. If the root of all sin is pride, then the poor and oppressed people should stay exactly in the state they are in and should not aspire to have or be more. If the root of sin is forgetting the image of God in us, the poor and oppressed should demand respect and justice because they are like everyone else, made in the image of God. (Gonzalez 69)

In either case, the effects of sin are prevalent throughout all of creation. We see this throughout the Old Testament book of Genesis all the way through the last book of the New Testament, Revelation. The very next chapter after the Fall, in Genesis 3, we see the damage sin can do. “Missing the mark” for God’s perfect will for our lives can and does lead people down a path that they would not have gone. Pride and forgetting the image of God in humans is clearly evident when Cain murdered Abel over the offering sacrifice. Throughout the genealogical lines listed beginning in Genesis 4 through chapter 5, we see sin taking a stronger and stronger hold on the people.

The effect from original sin do not take away the free will Adam and Eve had in the beginning. People have had the choice to follow God or take their own path whether based on pride, or forgetting they are made in the image of God. The choice to follow God is evident within the story of Noah and is evident all the way through the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. With each story we read, God is gracious enough to find ways to cleanse the sin and give people chances to follow and know the One True God as their Creator.

The Grace of God came into full fruition through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, God made flesh and dwelling among us. It was his life, death, and resurrection that shows us how serious sin is and how loving and gracious God is that our sin would be paid for through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV)

His was the perfect life that we should all aspire to live. Jesus lived and loved as God intended us to live and love like from the beginning. Lest we think this life was easy for Jesus, we can read of his life in the Gospels and remember the writer of Hebrews who wrote, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15 NIV)

Sin does have lasting and damaging effects in our world. All we have to do is turn on the television to witness that. But, the beauty of it is, we do not have the last word on sin, God has the last word. God has defeated and broken the chains of sin and death that enslaved humans and makes us think we lack the freedom to not sin. Because of grace, we have the freedom to follow Jesus Christ and allow his grace and love to transform us.

Bibliography

Campbell, Ted. Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials. Nashville: Abingdon, 2011. Print.

González, Justo L., and Zaida Maldonado Pérez. An Introduction to Christian Theology. Nashville: Abingdon, 2002. Print. 

Maddox, Randy L. Responsible Grace: John Wesley’s Practical Theology. Nashville, TN: Kingswood, 1994. Print.

The Holy Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005. Print.

Image of God

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27 NIV)

From the very beginning, human beings have been a unique creation and have had a unique role in caring for the earth. The sun, moon, land, fish, birds, animals, vegetation, all fill the earth; but humans were the only part of creation said, by God, were created in the image of God. Man and woman, as stated in Genesis 2, were created out of the same substances of the earth as the plants and other animals and living creatures; but something was different. God breathed the breath of life into him (Genesis 2:7)
What is the image of God? This is a question that has been discussed for many centuries. John Wesley described the imago Dei (image of God) using three dimensions: the natural image, the political image, and the moral image. It was the moral and natural images that Wesley discussed more often. “The natural Image of God in humanity referred to those characteristics or faculties definitive of being human, while the moral Image of God referred to the ‘character’ of holiness and love that God intended for humanity.” (Maddox 68) Humanity has been given the Image of God through the characteristics of God, such as love. The Image of God shows people how we are supposed to be in relationship to God, to other people, and to creation itself.

The idea that part of our identity is for us to be in relationship with God is important to understand why the Image of God is vital to our being. People were designed from the beginning to be in relationship. We are to be careful stewards of creation and to help build people up so they can experience a life with Christ. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29 NIV)

The benefit of understanding what it means to be created in the Image of God gives more clarity and purpose for people. If we can understand our purpose, we understand why we were created. Many people do not have this kind of mindset, that they are made in the Image of God. 

Holiness is the main quality of God, so it is easy to think that we have to have everything perfect because God is perfect. This can create a skewed way of thinking and cause people to step off the path God designed for them or to create a false sense of who God is and how God works in the world. Throughout the scriptures, especially the Gospels when Jesus speaks of God, the Father, and the letters of John in the New Testament, God is defined as love. people are created to love God and love people. The Image of God imprinted in our souls shows us we are made to be in relationship with God. It is out of God’s love for us that we exist. It is out of God’s love for us that we can experience the feeling and lifestyle of ones who love others.

One of the fun ways to teach and talk about the Image of God with children is by asking them to use their imagination. It is fascinating to watch children begin to create new and interesting objects, or by watching them bring objects to life while they are playing. God has a great imagination and we can see this through everything that has been created. God is constantly up to something and is creating something new everyday. When the children have the opportunity to use their imagination, something new is created. 

God, in Genesis 1, had a grand imagination when the words, “let there be light” came forth and light happened. Then, carefully, planning and designing the rest of creation from the sky to the land to the plants, fish, and land animals, we can see God causing the plans and designs come to life. 

Teenagers begin to develop complexes about their appearance. The important thing we should always remember is to meet people where they are, so God can work in and through them in a new way. So, mirrors would be a good object to use. The reflection in the mirror is not the same as the actual person, but rather the likeness of the person looking into the mirror. Because of sin, there is a distortion (look through a broken mirror). We don’t always see the original image, but we do see pieces of the original image. 

As we look at ourselves in the mirror, do we always love what we see? No. We see the imperfections. We see our flaws. We see the places that “need” to be fixed or improved. Adults are very similar to teenagers in this fashion. Each one of us needs to understand that we are designed to be in relationship with God and this is the foundation of the Image of God within us. 

Since God is love (1 John 4:18), this is who we are as well. One of the best descriptions of love is found in the 1 Corinthians 13 passage. A challenge that has been used for teenagers and adults shows how we can misunderstand love. If we take the time to replace the word “love” or “it” in this passage with God we can see more of God and more of the character of God. We are all made in the image of God, so this means this is who we are supposed to be as well. The challenge comes in to play when we replace “love” or “it” with our name.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV)

Sin has caused us to fail in many of these areas. But God, has done something greater than we could have ever imagined. God has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth. He lived a life in perfect communion with His Heavenly Father so we can see first hand what God’s original intent for us was when humanity came into existence. It is through the lens of Jesus Christ that we can experience and see anew the Image of God imprinted on our hearts and lives: to be in relationship with God, with other people, and with creation.
Bibliography

Campbell, Ted. Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials. Nashville: Abingdon, 2011. Print.

González, Justo L., and Zaida Maldonado Pérez. An Introduction to Christian Theology. Nashville: Abingdon, 2002. Print. 

Maddox, Randy L. Responsible Grace: John Wesley’s Practical Theology. Nashville, TN: Kingswood, 1994. Print.

The Holy Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005. Print.

Jesus is Alive!

Yesterday, we celebrated and rejoiced in the truth the Jesus Christ has been resurrected from the dead and still lives. This is a key teaching and cornerstone to the Christian Faith. It was a great time in worship. How do you celebrate the Risen Lord? What brought you to a place of belief?
When we read about the resurrection in the Gospel of John (John 20:1-18), we first see Mary Magdeline go to the empty tomb, then the disciples John and Peter. What I find interesting is each one of them had a different reaction when approaching the empty tomb:

  • Mary made a snap judgement someone stole the body of Jesus just by seeing the stone had been rolled away
  • John knelt down and glanced in, noticing the grave cloths and finally entered and believed
  • Peter pushed his way in and began investigatin the scene

None of these reactions are wrong, they are just different. But these also show us how we react to people and news today. It is easier to make a quick judgement and decision without ever trying to figure out the entire story. Adults teach this to children; yet we, as adults, still make snap/quick judgements on people, news, circumstances, etc. without ever trying to figure out the whole truth of what happened, what was said. There are others who get quick snippets of the situation and come to their own conclusions, whether or not it is the whole truth. Then, there are those who take time to investigate and try to understand wholeheartedly.

I believe it is important to have all of these traits and reactions. We should quickly look to see what happened. Then we should glance in to get more information. Finally, we should investigate and examine what is presented to get to the core of the truth.

One of my favorite stories about Mother Teresa is when she teaches someone searching for her about trust versus clarity.

 “John Kavanaugh, the noted and famous ethicist, went to Calcutta, he was seeking Mother Teresa … and more. He went for three months to work at “the house of the dying” to find out how best he could spend the rest of his life.

When he met Mother Teresa, he asked her to pray for him. “What do you want me to pray for?” she replied. He then uttered the request he had carried thousands of miles: “Clarity. Pray that I have clarity.”
“No,” Mother Teresa answered, “I will not do that.” When he asked her why, she said, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.” When Kavanaugh said that she always seemed to have clarity, the very kind of clarity he was looking for, Mother Teresa laughed and said: “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”

Jesus asks us to follow and trust Him through our life journey. Because He is risen and alive, He is with us (Matthew 28:20). The question asked of the congregation yesterday was, “Do you believe this?”

I hope and pray you do. Jesus is alive! Alleluia!

Sermon “Do You Believe” (Easter Sunday 2016) http://youtu.be/uUNE5o3gvWM

Springing Forward

As I sit here this morning, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, all of creation is awake! What a beautiful morning. Even in the beauty of this morning, it was still difficult to wake up. Changing our clocks an hour ahead over the weekend, and losing an hour sleep never seems to be a good combination.

Acts 1:1-11 is where my devotional time led me this morning. Something interesting struck me as I was reading and praying. There is an interesting balance of sorts between remembering the suffering of Jesus Christ and looking forward to what he promised would happen when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles. The apostles were afraid of what was going to happen to them after their teacher had been crucified; yet they were filled with joy and excitement over what is going to happen.

I think this is a good reminder for us as we enter into the spring season. Some mornings it feels like winter. There will still be snow in areas. Trees will begin the process of budding. This is a wonderful time of year!

There are people who will read this, and I hope the Acts 1:1-11 passage, and not be able to get past the winter season. We can easily be pessimistic about the new thing that God is doing in our midst. I find it intriguing it is easier, and more comfortable for some reason, to allow the past to stay ingrained in our minds to the point we cannot see past it to see what new things are being developed, being created, being renewed.

Where are you today? Springing forward is not always easy to do; but I remember the words of the prophet Isaiah this day:

“Don’t remember the prior things; don’t ponder ancient history. Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it? I’m making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness. The beasts of the field, the jackals and ostriches, will honor me, because I have put water in the desert and streams in the wilderness to give water to my people, my chosen ones, this people whom I formed for myself, who will recount my praise.” Isaiah‬ ‭43:18-21‬ ‭CEB‬‬

I pray each of you remembers the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in you and how Jesus Christ lives. Yes, the winter may still seem to be too close for us to look past right now; but look at what’s new and what is happening all around us that is good!

Filled With Expectation

As I read the verses for today, I think of the Johnny Carson show where Ed McMahon announced, “Heeeeere’s Johnny!!!” The expectation of the audience was raised when those words were spoken with excitement. I remember watching the Johnny Carson Show and loving hearing him announced.

I think a similar response happened with the crowd around John the Baptist when he was telling the crowd about the Messiah who is coming.

Click here to read Luke 3:15-18.

John has just finished telling the crowd what a changed heart and changed life (repentance) looks like and many were wondering if he was the Messiah promised or not.

It can be easy to read these verses in a monotone, unenthusiastic tone; but I do not believe this was John’s tone at all. I believe he would have been excited about telling the people of the coming Messiah. He would have been convicting, yet excited about telling the crowd of repentance and baptizing. This excitement must have transferred to the crowd.

The crowd gets rev’d up when something amazing is happening or about to happen. John is telling the people about the coming Messiah (Jesus Christ) and some of how He will live out His life. John proclaimed Christ to all who came and would listen!

How excited are we when we read the story of Jesus’ birth? How does our tone, our inflection, or volume change when we speak about Jesus Christ to others?

The Savior of the world is here. This is exciting news of great joy for all people! Our challenge is to have our attitudes of excitement become contagious so others will see there is something great and amazing about the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

O come, O come, Emmanuel.