Yes, for All

While putting away holiday decorations at the beginning of this year, my son and I talked about the meanings of several of the ornaments we had made to decorate our tree. The snowflakes helped us to remember that God washes us whiter than snow. The sparkling, gem-covered crowns reminded us that Jesus is the King of kings. Then Aaron held in his little hand the wooden cross he had painted blue (of course!). I asked him, "What does that help us to know?"

"Jesus died on the cross," he replied.

"That's right. He loves us so much that he died for our sins."

"Mommy, did Jesus die on my cross?"

At the time I told him that Jesus didn't die on that little cross but on a much bigger one in an earlier time and a place far away from where we live. When he's a little bit older he will be able to grasp the answer I have now looking back. Yes, he did indeed . . . on yours, on mine, on everyone's . . .

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ~Isaiah 53: 5-6~

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. ~2 Cor. 5: 14-15~

CTL

Wise Men Still Seek Him

Not too long ago, we had a bulletin board downstairs in the fellowship room which, near a shining star, simply stated, "Wise Men Still Seek Him." I have sent out holiday cards with the same message. The evangelistic aim of such a statement is quite clear, but I've realized that the message speaks to believers as well.

1 John 2: 5-6 states: "But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." We begin with learning about Christ, studying scripture, and then we must move forward. Put into practice what we have heard (James 1: 22-27). Be still and know (Psalm 46: 10) and then go (Matthew 28: 19-20)!

To be imitators of God (Ephesians 5: 1), to be like Jesus, requires time spent with Him. Not ceasing with time spent in the Word, but being willing, walking, working jars of clay to be used for His purposes and glory (2 Tim. 3: 16-17; Matt. 26: 39b; Isaiah 40: 31; Eph. 2: 10; 2 Cor. 4: 7; Phil. 2: 13; 1 Cor. 10: 31).

I know that my relationship with God is to come before everything else in my life, even good things, but do I live my life this way? What ought to be a no-brainer for the Christian—loving God above all else—is a spiritual struggle. There's always so much that demands our time and even appears "urgent." Still, don't we make time for what we deem most important? As a church family we are desiring to better reach out to those around us and share Christ's love, telling how much the Lord has done for us and how he has had mercy on us (Mark 5: 19). This is a great time to examine priorities and pray for wisdom, so that we fully live for him who died for us (2 Cor. 5: 15). Seek Him first . . .

CTL

‘Tis the Season to Reciprocate!

"Thanks for the gift!” We will all be saying that a few times in the coming weeks. A few weeks ago we paused for “Thanksgiving” as we thanked God for his bounty. Now the season is upon us where gifts abound, and we find ourselves thanking others for their kind gifts to us. It’s tough, isn’t it, to accept a gift without your mind immediately racing to the thought, “Oh, I did not get them something this good!” or maybe, “I got them something way better than this!” or worse yet, “I did not get them anything at all.”

Many times this season of giving and receiving is overshadowed by the desire to keep it all even. It’s not really about “giving” so much as “reciprocating”. We work hard to give others something equal to what they gave us. If we don’t pull this off we feel horrible. In fact, it’s actually sort of unacceptable, awkward (can I say even rude?) in our culture to give someone something really nice if you know they could never match it. That’s why we often make rules for giving … “Let’s set a $20 limit,” we say. That’s partly because we want to limit spending, but it’s also a way to ensure no one shows anyone up by getting something nicer than the next guy or gal.

With all this reciprocating going on, it’s hard to remember our relationship with God this Christmas is nothing like that. He gives this gigantic, extravagant, priceless gift of His son, and we stand there with nothing to give back! It’s embarrassing when you think about it. Humiliating. Makes you want to run and get Him something just as nice…then you realize you can’t afford it and you’re not as creative, and you’d just fall short.

One group of people in our culture is not bothered by the unspoken law of reciprocation. Children. Before we get too tied up in the burden of reciprocal gift giving, we need to pause and look at kids this Christmas. Kids, especially younger ones, aren’t affected by the whole “equality-in-gift-giving-fear” that grips the rest of us. They know that they can’t match the wealth and giving power of adults so they don’t get burdened by it.

What’s the best thing your kids can do when they open a gift? I’d say it is to smile and genuinely love it. To squeal and say, “Just what I wanted! Thank you! Thank you!” It’s nice, very touching, when they take their money (money you gave them) and buy you something in return…but the very best thing they can do is just love the gift…and be filled with Joy!

Mark

From God our Heavenly Father / A blessed Angel came; / And unto certain Shepherds / Brought tidings of the same: / How that in Bethlehem was born / The Son of God by Name / O tidings of comfort and joy, / Comfort and joy / O tidings of comfort and joy

“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”

Great Christmas Gift Idea

I'm about to help you out here with an amazing idea for your Christmas shopping. You know that nagging problem of what to get for the personwho has everything? Well, this should solve that one. I bet they don't have their very own tree in Uganda. Click on thelink below and you can buy one, get a cool Christmas card you can plant (yes, a card you can plant when you are done) and it will grow flowers (no kidding) and you get an ornament that will have a number on it marking the GPS coordinates of your tree in Uganda. (Better click on the link below if you want it to make sense.) The Kibo Group is a non-profit that I run along with a friend named Clint Davis. You can read about Kibo at our website http://www.kibogroup.org/. We make no money off this, take no salaries...the money goes to plant trees.

Check it out... its a unique gift idea and it really can make the world better. Merry Christmas!

The Mvule Project

http://www.kibogroup.org/mvuleproject.html

Mark

Prophet for Sale or Rent

Ever see Space Jam? If you haven’t, I can’t say I recommend it, but I’ll tell you what happens. The characters of cartoon land (Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, etc.) get challenged to a game of basketball by very powerful aliens invading earth. The stakes are high, and it looks like they’ll lose, so the toons hire the ONLY guy on earth who could stand against such odds. They get Michael Jordan!

In Numbers 22 we meet Balak, a king with a similar problem. He looks out and sees the Israelites camped on his border and is scared out of his wits. He knows the Israelites are beating up on his neighbors… in fact, “beating up” is too nice a term. A more accurate term might be “annihilating” his neighbors. Balak sees he’s in big trouble, so he does what any smart king would do if his back were against the wall. He scours the globe and finds the most powerful guy he can and offers him whatever it takes to get his help. He sends some of his assistants more than 350 miles down to Mesopotamia, to a town on the Euphrates River, to hire a famous guy named Balaam.

When they get there, Balaam, who is not a prophet of God, consults God who tells him not to go with them. Balaam eventually decides to go anyway, apparently because the money is too good to turn down. We know the rest of the story: the donkey he is riding turns out to be smarter than his master and ends up speaking to Balaam.

Paul says in Romans 8, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” In Numbers chapters 22-25 we find that the converse is also true. “If God is against us…who can be for us?” King Balak hires Balaam to be “for him” and is incredulous when Balaam not only fails to curse his enemies but instead ends up blessing them! At one point Balak says, “I brought you here to curse my enemies and you keep blessing them!” Balaam has a great quote in the midst of all this. He says, “even if Balak gave me his palace filled with gold and silver, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord—and I must say only what the Lord says.”

Balaam goes as a mercenary prophet for hire and ends up leaving with nothing. Balak the King realizes that even if he gave all he had, he could not stop God and his people. Will anything stop us now? Can we be like Balaam and say, “I must say only what the Lord says?” This week we look at an old story that we too often dismiss as a story for kids, missing the powerful, simple message that is very much meant for us adults.

Mark

Good Snakes and Bad Snakes

My friend Dr. Mike Plummer is a herpetologist at Harding University…that’s academic language for “snake handler.” Dr. Plummer is probably the most widely respected and well-published member of the Harding faculty and is a regional, if not national expert in his field of reptiles. He often amazes students with his love of all things creepy crawly, and I remember him saying years ago that there are good snakes and bad snakes. According to Dr. Plummer, the vast majority of snakes are good. Good snakes that eat mosquitoes or poisonous frogs or other undesirables are often unfairly tried, convicted and murdered by humans who never pause a second to consider giving them a fair shake. The good Dr. Plummer still has a fair bit of PR to do on behalf of the snakes of the world to redeem their not-so-good reputation with the human race. The fact is most people still agree that the only good snake … is a dead snake.

We should not be surprised to hear that there are good snakes; we have direct Biblical evidence to support that notion. In Numbers chapter 21 the bad snakes are biting the Israelites, and God sends a good snake to save them. Moses fashions a snake on a pole and all who look to it after it is “raised up” are saved. We have seen some pretty strange things in Numbers, but this one might just take the cake. Why would God use this snake on a pole to save the people?

We are all familiar with John 3:16, but not as many of us are familiar with the verses before it. Jesus said, "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life" (John 3:14, 15). Evidently this story, handed down through the ages was one familiar to all. Jesus reminds the people that they are snake bit, doomed to die without an antidote, and God provides the one and only antidote in the form of his Son.

This week we will talk about good snakes and bad snakes and the fairly obvious fact that this wonderful old story points us to Jesus. However, we will also talk about how God uses unexpected things for his glory, and how the things that were once “good snakes” might just turn on us over the years and become “bad snakes” if we are not careful.

Mark

Come and Be Thankful at the Table of the Lord

There is much to be thankful for as we gather at the table of the Lord today. It is not like the regular tables where we normally dine. At the table of the Lord all people are welcome, no matter how much money they have; no matter the things they have done in the past; no matter their ethnic background; or how pretty they are. It does not matter if you’re pretty, tan, or muscular. It does not matter if you are smart or slow. In the gospels, Christ is always eating with tax collectors and the sinners—he eats with people like you and me: people who’ve missed the mark and gotten it wrong; people who haven’t measured up; and people who have been left behind. Whatever your circumstances and regardless of your past, you are invited to eat with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords this morning. He announces the invitation in Isaiah 55:1: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”

But you can’t get to the table of the Lord on your own. The presence of God is very valuable and worth more than we can imagine. The price of being at the table with a holy God is perfect, holy, deeds and perfect, holy lives. Such a price tag makes even Bill Gates look like a pauper!—who can buy holiness? It doesn’t matter how much your portfolio is worth because a ticket to the table of the Lord is simply beyond the budget. This is why only the guests of Christ are seated at this table. A seat at the table of our Lord is, as Paul said in Romans, a “free gift.” All you have to do is humbly accept the invitation from Jesus. You have to stop trying to feed yourself with your own devices for happiness and let Christ feed you. Christ beckons you now to come home to the greatest feast ever prepared; he begs you to follow him home for a meal. No dinner invitation that you will ever receive is more wonderful and more satisfying. No dinner on earth is more “prestigious” and yet so available. Relationship with God is open to all people because of the table that Jesus Christ has set out for us. This relationship is real food for our spiritual bodies and causes us to become real people, full of real life, and real love. Let’s gather together at the Lord’s Table and be thankful for all that he is doing.

-Matt Tapie

A Grateful Heart

Occasionally my birthday falls on Thanksgiving. Now, I don’t mind that a bit, but as a kid, at times I wasn’t too happy about it. In fact, one year, I believed it made my birthday the worst birthday ever. As a young girl, I imagined the perfect cake to be decorated with lovely flowers, velvety red roses of rich, sweet frosting, gently connected by lacing lines of green. The “Happy Birthday” would be in a curly script—perfectly penned.

Well, one year, on the day of Thanksgiving, my mom brought in my cake, the candles aglow on top. She lowered it to the table just in front of me. My eyes stared in disbelief at the design before me, composed of browns, orange, red, green, and black. My mom and dad had surprised me with a turkey cake! A turkey cake! That Thanksgiving I wasn’t giving thanks. I can’t tell you the effort it took not to burst into tears. How could they have done that?! How could they have thought I would have enjoyed such a thing?!

I wish I could say I came to my senses soon after, realizing they had probably gone to the bakery and determined this was the perfect cake for the Thanksgiving birthday girl. Maybe they had even special ordered it. Maybe my mom couldn’t wait to see my face when she presented her clever find . . . Such considerations, however, I must confess, were years in coming. I was really sour about that day. And, I really missed out on the celebration.

As an adult, I want to look beyond the physical aspect of a gift and treasure the fact that someone gave me something to let me know I’m cared about, thought about, loved. This is something we diligently try to teach our children. Show appreciation. Say “thank you.” Take time to value the gesture. Share the giver’s joy. As we enter this season of giving, give generously and receive appreciatively. All of us can benefit from cultivating a grateful heart.

CTL

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts . . . And be thankful. ~Colossians 3: 15~

Between the Living and the Dead

Numbers Chapter 16 is a very weird chapter of the Bible. There is a rebellion in this chapter, and the earth literally opens up and swallows a bunch of people. After that, a plague hits the people, and 14,700 people die. More people would have died if Aaron had not stood in between the living and the dead. Imagine that scene...the High Priest steps in and literally stands between the living and the dead. We don't have to look too hard as Christians to see a sermon there!

In the beginning of the chapter there is an interesting part where the people tell Moses, "You've gone too far!" They stand up to their God-given leader and tell him, "We've had enough, and we are taking charge!" Moses says, "No, you have gone too far!" I love the language there. It sounds like a modern-day English argument might sound, not an ancient Hebrew revolt. The language seems very flippant and informal.

In this chapter we learn some things about "standing in the Gap." In many ways, thanks to Jesus coming and standing in the gap for us (that huge gap between the living and the dead), we are now granted the privilege that the rebellious people wanted. We are all priests. Peter tells us as much in the New Testament when he speaks about the priesthood of all believers.

What does that mean? Are we plagued (to borrow a term from Numbers 16) with a tendency to "Go too far" or are we plagued with the opposite problem of not going far enough? It’s hard to know, but we can learn a lot about ourselves and about human nature by reading Numbers chapter 16.

Mark

Just the Hem of a Garment

The closing verses of Numbers chapter 15 can easily slip by unnoticed. They are about God telling the Israelites to tie tassels on the ends of their garments. He tells them to tie seven strands of white and then one strand of blue. It is really a fairly meaningless group of verses to Christians.

Yet the people of Israel throughout the centuries have seen great importance in these few verses. The tassels, known as tzitziot (fringes) became, through traditions of various rabbis, very detailed in the way in which the tassels were tied and how they were to be worn. The pattern and its numbers seem like something straight out of the TV show “Lost.” 7, 8, 11, 13…those are the numbers that are required. The Tzitziot were to be tied to a garment which is known as the tallit, which must have four corners and is to be “big enough to cover the infant who is old enough to walk.”

The important thing here is the tassels, not the garment that holds them; yet, the tallit became a huge part of the faithful Jew’s life and remains so to this day. The tallit, which can be any color but is traditionally blue and white, is the inspiration for the modern-day Israeli flag. It is said that two Zionists laid down their tallits and made a flag.

When Jesus gives instructions on prayer he says, “Go to your closet and pray…” This word that is translated as “closet” is the same word that is used to refer to the process of kneeling and pulling the tallit over one’s body to create a personal “tent”. We see this all the time on the news and in the media when we see Muslims and orthodox Jews at their times of prayer. The same process in scripture is referred to as being “under the wings of the Lord.”

This week we will look at this tradition briefly and talk about the significance we see in scripture of the “hems of garments.”

Mark

He Hears Every Word (Part 2)

I prayed as I always did for Aaron to be able to speak clearly one day . . .And now, about four years later, we are so thankful for Aaron’s progress. The wonderful teachers, skilled therapists, and Aaron’s own willingness to keep trying are such good gifts from God. To hear Aaron singing--oh, my heart soars! I can’t help but “praise Him from whom all blessings flow . . .”

There must be a moment of realization in anything we bring to God that He truly wants what is best for us. A moment when we surrender to His will. A moment when we choose to trust him whatever the outcome, whatever the answer to our prayers.

I vividly remember Samuel and my “what if” conversations. Imagining the future for a child who could not speak, we held on to the truth of God’s goodness: “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8: 28). What awesome assurance to know that the Creator of heaven and earth wants you to call on Him, wants you to bring all before Him, wants you to know He loves you, and wants you to believe what He has said: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4: 6)

Does he who implanted the ear not hear? (Psalm 94:9a)

Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. (Isaiah 65: 24)

Our “happy ending” in this is not just seeing our dreams come true (for other prayers have been and will be answered in ways other than we might prefer), but also the peace we have experienced every step of the way, knowing God desires the best for us, and when we pray, He hears every word.

CTL

He Hears Every Word (Part 1)

Something just happened that caused me to stop in mid-step and praise God for his amazing answers to prayer. What was this extraordinary event? Aaron just bounded up the stairs shouting, “Mommy, I have to ask you something. Do you want any eggs?” I replied, “Yes, I do. Thanks for asking.” A simple exchange and yet one that seems almost miraculous to me. You see, there was a time when we realized that Aaron might never talk.

Sometimes children with a motor planning disorder such as his never become primarily verbal communicators. He began learning signs around age two to help him communicate his needs, and in fact, had created some of his own before then. One sunny afternoon, Aaron and I ran into some neighborhood children up near the playground by our home. Aaron was just over two years old at the time, and variations on a “ba” sound were about all he produced. We knew there were meanings behind these vocalizations even though we couldn’t always figure them out. Still, to most people, they were just “baa, ba, bah.” One of the children laughed and said, “Why does he talk like that? He sounds like a sheep!” Thankfully Aaron did not understand that he was being made fun of. He had been having too good a time playing.

That night I prayed for him to have strength not to be wounded or discouraged by such remarks if he were to grow without being able to speak. I prayed that others who got to know him would see his humor, his enthusiasm, and tender heart. I prayed for him to receive skills needed to communicate in whatever way possible. I thanked God for the incredible gift of our son. I praised Him for the chance to be a mother. Then I prayed as I always did for Aaron to be able to speak clearly one day . . .

CTL

Passed Down, Handing Over, Reach Up

“I will not be bitter towards God for decisions my parents made that I have to live with.”

As I think about that statement from last week, I wonder how many ways it applies to our lives and our faith. It may be literally true for some of us; we may, like the Israelites in Numbers, be struggling with God because of the decisions our parents made about the nature of God. It may be that the “parents” referred to here are not your actual parents. Perhaps it is just those who came before us: our spiritual parents in the faith, those who, like biological parents, have played a role in how we look, how we act, how we think, how we handle stress or anger or disagreement. The same things that are true of our biological parents because of their nature (DNA) and their nurture are also true of our spiritual parents and forefathers.

Remember when God said to the Israelites, “An entire generation will need to die here in the desert before you can see the promised land.” When I talk to this generation and see how excited they are about faith and stepping out on faith for God, sometimes I wonder if it is my generation that will have to die off before the next great thing happens in the church. Not to be negative…or too pessimistic, but perhaps if we considered that possibility we would be more open to what God is leading us to do on his behalf.

Whatever the case, Numbers chapters 15 and 16 are encouraging chapters because they show us how to serve God after we have let him down. Certainly we can all relate to that, and this week we get a chance to see how God deals with them.

Mark

Minority Report

A few years ago there was a Stephen Spielberg film where Tom Cruise was part of a crime fighting team that had the ability to see into the future and see who would become a murderer. He and others would then take action to prevent murders before they ever happened. I won’t tell you what happens from there in case you have not seen it, but let’s just say that Tom Cruise learns that just because something is predicted by the majority does not mean it will come true.

In many ways that’s what we have going on in Numbers chapter 13. We have the majority report: the spies that come back and say that there is no way the Israelites can take the giants who inhabit the land. Then there is the minority report…the two who say it can be done with God’s power. The end of the story shows us that the majority report was wrong, and it cost the Israelites dearly to depend on their report.

There is a new movie just out called Facing the Giants (www.facingthegiants.com). I have not seen it yet, but I know it is very much the opposite of a Spielberg film in its budget. Facing the Giants was made by a church in Georgia on a shoestring budget, yet it has been picked up by a major studio and placed on screens all over America. It’s about a high school football team that “faces up to their fears”…I’m just guessing that the other team is called “The Giants.”

While I am not sure about the film, they certainly have a great message for human beings because we have a many-century track record of being afraid to face giants. We look at our lives and see the giants that face us… giants like alcohol, pornography, bitterness, anger…we look at those giants and we say, “There is no way they can be defeated.” And when we look at our world, the majority report tells us that we are correct…these and other giants seem to destroy and threaten and dominate all too often.

Yet the minority report tells us what is true about the future. God can easily take on the giants. That’s what numbers chapters 13 and 14 tell us, and this week we have a chance to be reminded again of how true it is.

Mark

Rabble

I mentioned a few weeks ago in my introduction to the book of Numbers a section in chapter 11 where Moses deals with the "rabble". Most versions translate this word as "the mixed multitude" and Exodus chapter 12:38 tells us that this "mixed multitude" was not Israelites but others (even Egyptians) who had blood on their doorposts and left slavery with the Israelites. We can't say ALL of these "rabblers" were non-Israelites because we see in chapter 12 that Miriam, Moses’ sister, is one of the leaders of a dissenting group.

Whatever the case, there are complainers in their midst. The Israelites are experiencing a time of uncertainty and insecurity. They are in between, in transition, and there is ambiguity between where they ARE and where God has them GOING. It is interesting to note we have not changed much through the years. Anytime we are in transition, there will always be the tendency to romanticize the past and demonize the future. In this case the rabblers say, "Remember the good old days in Egypt when we ate good food at no cost?" We laugh at this, realizing that the "cost" they paid for a life of slavery in Egypt was the lives of their children! The food in Egypt was ultra-expensive...yet the rabblers manage to convince themselves that somehow the past represents the good old days.

I am quick to blame them, but then I realize that too often I begin to act that way. I romanticize the past sometimes because I am afraid of the ambiguity of where I am going. We all are capable of whipping up a frenzy or worry and dread for the future, and a common cure for that is to imagine that the past was a whole lot better than it actually was. That's why serving a God who points us forward on a journey to a promised land that he has prepared is an exciting adventure.

Certainly we all see a little of ourselves in the rabble. I rabble sometimes in my marriage, in my job, in my family and in my church. It’s encouraging to see a story where God's faithfulness and goodness leads, and how Moses, the great leader that he is, deals with the rabble.

Mark

Nazirite Vow

None of us like to be different or stand out. Well, at least in most cases we don’t. The average person does all he or she can to blend in. We dress the same and watch for “trends” so we match others. We conform to norms in hairstyles or clothes or cars or whatever. It’s one of the great criticisms that outsiders make of our culture…there is pressure to all look the same. If you don’t believe it, talk to someone from the goth community (ask Steven Stratton what that is), and they will tell you what happens when you don’t “conform” to what society expects.

Numbers chapter six talks about the Nazirite vow. The word Nazar in Ancient Hebrew meant “separate” or “set apart”. The goal of the vow was to look different and act different as a way of showing that the person who took the vow belonged to God. Those taking the vow would not cut their hair for a specified period of time (often years), not drink any wine (the common drink of all households and any meal), and never touch any dead thing. You can imagine how hard that might be if your mother or father or child died and you could not even come near the body. It was a serious commitment. Two of the prerequisites were about staying away from death and one was about life and growth.

There are some famous Biblical characters who took these vows. Samson is the most famous, though it must have been a modified version with all the Phillistines he killed! Samuel also took the vow; in fact, his mother took it for him. Many scholars believe that John the Baptist took some version of a Nazirite vow.

I wonder what it would look like today in our culture. (Since I have already mentioned one Stratton, I won’t suggest that Phil has taken one with his newest hairstyle;-) What would it take for us to stand out? The vows were only taken for a time, a period that had a beginning and end. It was sort of like a sprint for a runner…the vows were so strenuous that they were not meant to be kept up for long periods.

Today we will talk about being set apart, and how we can perhaps take similar vows to give glory to God.

Mark

Given, Poured out for You . . .

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

Luke 22: 14-20

Following By Numbers

Remember those paint by numbers things we all did as kids? You follow the numbers and paint in that small area whatever color is requested. At first it looks crazy...then it all starts to make sense and turn into an impressive picture. Well, the book of Numbers is sort of like that. It contains some boring, historical facts, but when you get farther along and then back off and look at the whole picture, it’s pretty amazing to see the picture take shape.

Over the course of the fall and into December, we will be talking about following God. Our text will be the Exodus narrative and the stories that are found there. We won't stop reading in Exodus, but we'll use it as a way to look at the book of Numbers as God counts those who are found to be his people. Sound boring? Well, I have to admit, the book of Numbers does not usually come to my mind when I think about exciting reading. If so, just wait till we get a few of the numbers painted in and it won’t be.

As Christ-followers, our interest is in following God. We want to be His people, to go where He would have us go, to serve where He would want us to serve. One way to learn about that process is to look at those who have gone before us. If we look at their failures and successes, we can begin to construct a reference database for the future. We can form a lessons learned course for ourselves, a study in best practices. I'm using all this corporate language knowing that most of you sit in jobs all week where such language is the norm. The military in particular loves to construct lessons learned manuals so they can guide future teams who encounter problems and hopefully help them avoid mistakes of the past.

In many ways that’s what we have in Exodus and Numbers: an amazingly detailed history of God's people and their attempts to follow him. It shows the failures and successes of their leaders. It shows the failures and successes of everyday people. It shows those who were counted among the faithful at the end of a very long and trying ordeal.

More than anything, though, it shows the faithfulness of God. And since we have the amazing benefit of being able to read all of it with Christ-colored glasses, we can see God's amazing hand in these stories in a way that the people of Israel could not.

Mark

Is Your Child Ready for School?

You’ve been in the long lines at Staples, WalMart, or Target to get the items on the supply list. Wondered how he could grow so fast over a few months as you renewed his wardrobe at Kohls. You helped her find her room at open house. You’ve gotten the piles of paperwork nearly complete and even now warm up your signing arm for the reams coming in the Friday folder! All this, though, is just a small part of preparing your child to start another school year. There are great teachers, great programs, and wonderful experiences ahead this year in school, but, especially if your child attends public school (as mine will), there is a need for further preparation. How might you and I answer the following questions?

Does your child deeply understand his incredible value as one who is created in the image of God? Does she believe God loves her enough to have given His son?

Can your child discern between fact and fiction when the world says one thing and faith proclaims another?Could your child share why she believes what she believes?

Is he ready and willing to stand firm against peer pressure? Does he understand that being different as he follows Christ, not conforming to the world, is a good thing?

Does your child have ample opportunity to meaningfully read scripture or have it read to her? To pray for teachers, classmates, family, and friends?

Will your child come to you first with his questions no matter what the topic, knowing he will get straight answers?

Can your child count on following you as you follow Christ?

CTL

Show Children The Way

The mall wasn’t that crowded this particular Saturday. Aaron had no problem getting his favorite carousel animal—the zebra. Samuel helped him into the saddle as he had done many times before. The attendant pushed the pedal, the music began, and as the creatures moved up and down and around, my mind traveled back in time. While children’s smiles passed before me, I thought of Aaron’s first ride. Was it on his favorite striped beast even then? Six months old—another world, another time. With every wave to my son, I recalled waving at other times, other stages, other ages. Time is fleeting! Children do grow up so fast. We cannot miss these precious early years to show our children the Way:

So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you . . . so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God . . . Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.~Deuteronomy 5: 32, 33a; 6: 2a, 5-7~

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these . . .” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.~Mark 10: 14b, 16~

CTL

Little Holy Heroes

There is so much hatred in the world. This has always been the case, but it seems that technology, through TV and the internet, exposes the hatred in overwhelming quantities that individuals are not used to seeing. Watching the news for fifteen minutes can really bring you down. Part of the reason we always see sensational news stories is due to the fact that tragedy and shock keep our attention and increase ratings. There are many good things taking place every day that we never learn about simply because they don’t make juicy headlines. Nevertheless, tragedy and trouble are indeed part of our daily routine. Amidst all the bad news we hear each week, how can the Christian person remain hopeful?

Earlier this week I asked the apostle Peter to help me better understand biblical hope. Peter tells us not to despair because hope is closer than we realize. He tells us we have actually been born into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. In Peter’s eyes there is definitely death and trouble in this world. But there is also resurrection. Christ’s resurrection is the source of all human hope amidst a dying world. Faith in Jesus Christ causes our hope to come alive. This faith he has given us is, according to Peter, “more precious than gold” and “tested by fire” through suffering and trials. But how does this faith in Christ change anything? What are we supposed to do with this “faith”? Peter’s answer is simple: “Be Holy.” After introducing the preciousness of the life of faith in Christ, he writes that we should be holy just as Christ who called us is holy. So the response to all the trouble and the suffering and the trials is “be holy”? These are difficult words. How does holiness accomplish anything?

Peter knew that the transformation God creates in the hearts of believers through the power of his Spirit was the hope of the world. I am hopeful today because I believe the power of the “Christ with us” life can transform you and me. If you are a Christian and you read this, realize your holiness is the hope of world. Holiness doesn’t mean being religious; it means acknowledging you can’t make life work on your own terms and accepting God’s merciful invitation for genuine relationship. He loves you despite everything you’ve done. He loves you, not with a nice puppy love, but with a love that is so holy and deep and wide that, eventually, it cannot help but compel you to change.

In the comic books I read as a kid, the heroes were big and muscular, fast and smart, achieving amazing things. Terrific trouble could only be stopped by a terrific super hero. Because of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, the job description to become a hero or heroine is not like in my old DC comic books. You don’t have to be terrific or smart or muscular to stop terrific trouble. You just have to be humble enough to know you desperately need his help. Your desperate and daily reaching for him slowly transforms you into the little holy hero or heroine the world is literally dying for. Little holy heroes are little because their mistakes are huge, their love seems insignificant, and their lives seem mostly unimportant. They are holy because they reflect the love and service-filled life of Christ. They are heroes because Christ uses them, collectively, to shine the light of love and hopefulness into the darkness of the world.

Don’t expect the media to detect the little holy heroes of Christ. You will not see them on the covers of the magazines in the supermarket checkout line. They do small, weak, and undetectable little things like show kindness to people, pray in closets, weep over the seriousness of sin, and call people who are lonely. Little holy heroes consider others better than themselves, and they don’t believe they deserve anything. The collective actions of little heroes are a lot like the mustard seed Jesus mentioned in the gospel of Mark (4: 30-32):

“With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

Matt

Lake Break

Out and about running errands with a “to do” list repeating in my head, I realized this had to stop, even if just for 10 or 15 minutes. The day was beautiful, with the kind of weather Northern Virginia hasn’t seen for awhile, and the lake beckoned.

On the drive there, I began to consider the tasks I could get done while sitting on the dock: make entries in the checkbook, maybe pay some bills, or even catch up on some reading. Then I realized I would be missing the whole point of the outing. I needed to stop, do nothing, unplug, and be still.

How busy we can get and forget to take time to be quiet, especially to be quiet with God. In the midst of my hectic day (probably self-induced if I am honest), I needed communion with my Heavenly Father.

Getting closer to the marina, I was almost surprisingly excited. Imagine . . . time to do nothing but enjoy the presence of God surrounded by His creation! I parked my car, followed the path through the trees, and walked up the ramp of the dock.

When I was just a few wooden planks beyond the metal ramp, I heard a familiar rustling of leaves overhead and noticed a quickening dance of waves. Almost involuntarily I closed my eyes as the soft wind lifted loose strands of hair from my face. The delightful breeze lifted as well the stress I had been feeling. For a moment, however brief, I understood “peace.” I couldn’t help but give thanks for this much-needed, gentle gift from God.

Opening my eyes, I looked to the tree-lined shore across the lake and then up at the blue sky. Lastly, I let my eyes take in the silver bits of sunlight glistening on the water’s surface. Such awesome beauty in deceptively simple things: earth, air, and water . . .

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature---have been clearly seen, being understood from what was made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)

If I had continued my day the way it had begun, I might have accomplished more of my “to-do’s” but I would have missed so much. I hope this week you find opportunities to stop whatever you’re doing, be still, and enjoy being with God.

CTL

Opinion/Belief/Conviction...Can You Put It in the Right Category?

We ended one series last week and begin another in two weeks. Next week Matt Tapie will be preaching. This week I want to speak about something that is important as we grow together as a church.

When someone acts a certain way, we must evaluate. Either they have a mental problem if they, for example, eat from the trash, or they are not crazy if they eat from the trash because they don’t have other food. My point is we assume people behave a certain way for a reason. Unless someone is crazy, their actions or behaviors stem from values and values usually stem from opinions, beliefs, and convictions that are deeply held. We know this is true as Christians because we talk about it all the time. We want people to be centered on God’s view of the world, so such a God-centered world view would produce a belief system that would produce values that in turn would produce good behaviors.

It’s important to see that “values” are generated by beliefs, opinions, and convictions. One of my opinions is I love my Macintosh computer. I think it is great, and I base that opinion on a mix of facts, emotions, and experiences. Yet, sometimes I get so crazy about this opinion that it starts slipping into belief and conviction. This is uncomfortable for my friends who have PC’s because they see what they thought was just a simple machine on their desk is oddly a conviction for me.

As Christians we do this as well. There are some things we have opinions about . . . the color of the carpet, the songs we sing, the order of worship. Those are opinions, driven by a mix of personal preferences and experiences. Then we have beliefs . . . such as whether or not we home school or think Halloween is a good holiday. These are much more than mere opinions; people who feel strongly about these give a strong defense for their belief.

But what are our convictions? What causes us to draw a line and makes Christian armies turn their guns on one another? There are many examples of churches where opinions, beliefs, and convictions get into a confused mix that ends up a mess. In fact, being a part of a group that has too many strong convictions is a sure recipe for strife.

In Philippians chapter 3 Paul addresses this issue. He talks about this mix of opinions, beliefs, and convictions, and he points out what our convictions should be. This week we look at what Paul says about these three things.

Mark

I Love this church

I can't help it.  I just gotta say that I love this church.  It's my family- and it's a pretty good one.  Good thing, too, since my wife and I spend an awful lot of time with this church- going, doing, fixing, helping, encouraging, leading, following, moving, and enjoying.

 

 

Meet the Tapies

Matt and Carolyn Tapie finally made the long trek from Dallas, Texas to Springfield last weekend. They arrived Monday night and are very excited to call Springfield their home.

The Tapies have lived in Texas since 1997. Matt and Carolyn both graduated from Abilene Christian University in 2001 with their bachelors degrees. Carolyn graduated with a B.A. in Biochemistry and a minor in Bible, and Matt graduated with a B.S. in Christian Ministry and a minor in Philosophy. After ACU they were married in Greenville, South Carolina (Carolyn’s hometown).

In 2002 they started graduate work at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Matt and Carolyn attended the Crestview Church of Christ in Waco where they led a young adult Bible class. While at Baylor, Carolyn attended law school and Matt attended Baylor’s Institute of Church-State Studies. They both graduated from Baylor in the summer of 2004 and then moved to Dallas, Texas.

In Dallas, Matt served the Farmers Branch Church of Christ as a Spiritual Formation Minister while pursuing a Master of Divinity at ACU. Carolyn worked at Hughes and Luce LLP (a Texas law firm) and practiced complex litigation and labor/employment law.
In January of this year Matt was accepted to the Catholic University of America’s School of Theology and Religious Studies to pursue a Ph.D. in Theological Ethics. He graduated from ACU with the M.Div two weeks ago and will begin classes at CUA at the end of the month. Carolyn will be working at King and Spalding LLP, and she begins her new job in early September. They are very thankful that God has called them to the Springfield Church of Christ and are eager to help this family of believers serve the Lord.

Praise You in This Storm*

I was sure by now / That You would have reached down / and wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day / But once again, I say, “Amen” / and it’s still raining

As the thunder rolls / I barely hear Your whisper through the rain, / “I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls / I raise my hands and praise the God who gives / And takes away

I’ll praise You in this storm / And I will lift my hands / For You are who You are
No matter where I am / Every tear I’ve cried / You hold in Your hand
You never left my side / And though my heart is torn / I will praise You in this storm

I remember when / I stumbled in the wind / You heard my cry / You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone / How can I carry on / If I can’t find You

As the thunder rolls / I barely hear Your whisper through the rain, / “I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls / I raise my hands and praise the God who gives / And takes away


I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth
**

*Casting Crowns, Lifesong **Psalm 121: 1-2

Hate Your Mom!

Look at the following quotes from Jesus:

Luke 12:51-53
51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

Luke 14:25-27
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."

Can you imagine if Jesus were invited to speak at Focus on the Family and he preached a message like these?! Hate your father and mother? Hate your wife and children? Hate your own life? Certainly these are descriptions of maladjusted, strange people in need of counseling? Or not?

John tells us God is love and Jesus spoke a lot about love, but in these difficult verses he seems to say that there are times when hate and strife are appropriate in the life of the believer. This week we will look at those tough words from Jesus.

Mark

Toughest Things Jesus Said: A Look at Last Words

As we sort through all the red letters in our Bibles looking for especially difficult words from Jesus, eventually we come to his very last words. Perhaps one of the most difficult things Jesus ever said was the last thing he ever said. As he hung on the cross he said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

You have heard the same explanations of these words that I have heard. Before Jesus, mankind was so sinful and so deep in debt to God that no human being could ever pay it all. So God sent Jesus to die for our sins, erasing the debt once and for all. This is the most traditional view of the cross, but it does not answer the question of suffering. What kind of father demands the death of a son in order to pay off a debt to himself?

According to another view, it was God who died on the cross, putting an end to divine bookkeeping through the voluntary sacrifice of divine power. But this view asks the question, “If Jesus was God, to whom was he talking in the garden and from the cross?” It’s clear he believed that someone else had the power to remove the cup of suffering from him, or at least to be with him while he drank it down--but who, in both cases, declined to do so?

I’m not sure if there is anything worse I could have my sons accuse me of. If they looked at me in a moment of desperation and said, “Why have you left me now?” I would feel horrible as a father. Yet we have those troubling words there at the end of Jesus’ life. This week I won’t pretend to be the final word on Jesus’ final words, but we will look at how difficult they are and try to explore what they mean for us and our lives.

Mark

Wait! I Think I Might Be Possessed!

Jesus interacted with a lot of people who were “possessed”. That term, as we use it, is generally used in reference to people who have been taken over by a demon. However, he warns us of another type of “possession”…that is when we are possessed by things that we think we possess. In other words, Jesus had a keen eye for seeing that money and the things it buys for us can end up not only providing us with “possessions” but can also very easily possess, or own, us.

As we move along through our series on the toughest things Jesus ever said, this week we come to a whole list of tough things that he had to say about money:

Matthew 10:9 When you go, don’t take any gold or silver with you!

Matthew 5:40 If someone sues you, give him your cloak as well.

Matthew 19:21 Sell everything you have and give it to the poor…

Jesus seemed pretty intent on getting the message across to his disciples that dependency on money and possessions was not something that was compatible with joining his team of followers. He had lots of good things to say about the poor and generally not a lot of good things to say about those who had money. That’s a tough thing to hear for those of us who tend to have some money at our disposal. Or are we at its disposal??

Today we look at a few of Jesus’ radical statements about money and possessions.

Mark

Don't Look Back

I have a friend who is a staff member for a US Senator, and he has some great stories about that particular Senator having an uncanny ability to stand up, talk extemporaneously and say just the right thing. He also has almost as many stories of that same Senator getting on the opposite sort of “roll.” The kind where you dig a hole, and it gets deeper and deeper as you say all the wrong stuff to the wrong crowd!

I wonder if Jesus’disciples ever felt like this? Sometimes he would just get on a roll and say the hardest, most unpleasant, unpopular things. We looked at a section in Matthew two weeks ago where he seemed to do this, and today, we will look at the closing verses of Luke Chapter 9, where he gives us perhaps his most unpleasant example of this.

“I’ll follow you Lord…after my father’s funeral.” “I’m about life not death,” Jesus says. “Let the dead bury the dead.” “I’ll follow you Lord, but I need to at least have the courtesy to go back and say goodbye to my family.” “I need people who are serious,” Jesus replies. “No one who starts plowing a field and looks back is fit to join my crowd.”

I wonder if the disciples felt like crawling in a hole somewhere after Jesus said, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but we are not going to be staying in the best hotels!” I can just see the disciples working the crowd afterwards. Surely there must have been a few of them who were sort of like me--spin doctors who said with a nervous laugh, “He has not had a lot of sleep lately. Go say goodbye to your family and meet us in the next town. He’ll never notice.”

Today in our series, The Inconvenient Truth, we look at what Jesus meant when he said, “Put your hand to the plow and don’t look back.”

Mark

Forgiveness

Last week we looked at Matthew Chapter five and all of the difficult things that Jesus had to say in that passage. One transitional thing I meant to say but somehow left out, was that Jesus’ warning of "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees you will surely not enter the kingdom of heaven" was not a warning for us to DO more than the Pharisees or to "do better things" than the Pharisees. I think what he was getting at was that the Pharisees managed to know the letter of the law and not live it out. That's why we talked about specific ways we could live it out, practically in service to the poor in our area. However, even that list of good things to do should not be taken as a pharisaic to-do list but rather as a response to knowing God and His will.

While last week we looked at a whole section of various difficult words from Jesus, this week we begin to look at places where he said short and specific things. This week is Matthew Chapter 6:12-15: "Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.... for if we forgive others our heavenly father will forgive us, but if we do not forgive others neither will our heavenly father forgive us."

Personally, I can't think of a much more disturbing passage than this passage right in the middle of the Lord’s prayer. Jesus does not mince words in telling us our forgiveness from God is contingent upon the extent to which we are able to forgive others. In short he is saying, "God, deal with us as we deal with others." When I think about how I frequently deal with others unfairly, I sometimes cringe at this. “God forgive me as I forgive my kids!” “God forgive me as I forgive my coworkers.” Truth is, I usually only forgive those who I think deserve to be forgiven. Is that how God deals with us?

If God deals with us the way we deal with others, I think many of us might be in big trouble. This week we want to look at this difficult passage and talk about its implications for our lives, our families, our marriages and our homes.

Mark

The Inconvenient Truth

Summer is in full swing, lots of travels for all of us at Springfield. The Moores are just back from Arkansas where all went well at camp other than an unfortunate broken arm for Grady. We are back for good now with no plans to head anywhere anytime soon! (What a relief.) Many thanks to Kenneth and others who filled in so admirably. One family that is traveling right now is the Strattons who are in Little Rock for the birth of Garrett Alexander Davis who was born on July 5th! Baby and mother are reportedly doing well.

Starting this week we begin looking at a series that will take us through the summer. I am calling it "The Inconvenient Truth".... the 7 toughest things that Jesus ever said. Anyone notice where I got that title? Some of you will recognize that it is blatantly stolen from Al Gore's new documentary about global warming. I have not seen it, but apparently Mr. Gore made the movie to remind Americans that some truths we may not want to hear could turn out to be deadly serious. I read a review recently where even some of his most harsh political enemies suggested maybe some of The Inconvenient Truth is something we should listen to.

As the Lord's church we are not nearly as interested in the Inconvenient Truth about global warming as we are in the Inconvenient Truths about what God expects from his created humans. Jesus had a habit of telling inconvenient truths to people. "Sell everything!" he said. "Unless you hate your father and mother..." he told one questioner. "Let the dead bury the dead..." He had a lot of very difficult sayings that, when we read them today, tend to get explained away as circumstantial or cultural or even meaning the opposite of what he actually said. Our goal in looking at these tough words will be to consider that perhaps some of them should be taken at face value. It might be a little inconvenient to put these messages to work in our lives...but since Jesus claimed to be the Way, the Truth and the Life maybe the adjective "inconvenient" placed before each of those words should be at least part of what we should expect as we follow Him.

Mark

What's On Your Mind?

Basically, what we listen to, look at, think about, ponder—what we experience or expose ourselves to sticks with us, especially if we feed on it regularly.

As I write, I have about 3 or 4 songs I recently listened to taking turns running through my head. My brain collected them several days ago when I found a website where you can watch a variety of full-length music videos, ranging from pop to rap to country and rock. Some songs had positive messages, some negative messages, and some were neutral. Music style is an individual preference, so I’m not advocating any particular kind of music. The point is, good or bad, what we take in, stays in. What we feed on fills us.

Philippians 4:8, then, isn’t just some pie in the sky, out of touch with reality kind of passage, a way to escape what’s happening around us, but direction given based on the facts of how we are made and how our thoughts, what’s on our minds, make a big difference.

Meditating on God’s word (Psalm 119: 9-16), thinking on certain things (Php. 4: 8), and setting our minds on things above (Col. 3: 2) is just plain good for us. We are buoyed up, strengthened, and reassured of God’s hand in our lives and His work in this world. We can focus on His good gifts (James 1: 17) around us.

The way we approach each day, relate to others, and give witness to our Lord begins with what’s on our minds. Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10: 5) and allow your minds to be renewed (Rom. 12: 2). We can learn to discern what is beneficial (1 Cor. 10: 23) and make better choices about what we let into our lives, doing all in humility, without a self-righteous attitude or placing judgment on others (Gal. 6: 4). What’ll be on your mind today?

CTL

An Obscure Prophet with a Great Message

In sports, whenever you play at the same time as someone great, your accomplishments tend to go unnoticed. In basketball, for example, Karl Malone dominated for years, but as a contemporary of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, no one talks much about him even though his stats were often better. Same for every soccer player who played with Pelé or every business leader who led companies the same time as Donald Trump. Some people get all the press while others do great things without much recognition.

If you have ever suffered such injustice, Micah the prophet feels your pain. He was a contemporary of Isaiah the prophet, living and preaching in Israel around 500 BC. In fact, Micah's writings are so similar to Isaiah's that scholars disagree about who was more influenced by who. Some suggest both may have been influenced by an even more unfortunate third prophet who is now forgotten by history.

Although he is one of our more obscure prophets today, Micah was evidently not all that obscure during his time. He spoke boldly and did not pull any punches as he spoke to Israel on behalf of the Lord. One very famous passage is in Micah 6:8 where he boils it all down for the people of Israel and for us today many centuries later. He says, "This is what the Lord requires. That we act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with the Lord."

Today we will talk about the 2500-year-old challenge and ask whether the people of God are doing any better at meeting God’s "requirements". How much do we focus on justice and mercy and humility? Or are we sometimes known for being bullies (the opposite connotation of what "acting justly" implies), being hard line and being just a little bit arrogant about the fact that we "walk with God"? If we were truly convinced that justice and mercy and humility were at the top of God's list of things he wants to see, how would it change our daily "walk" with Him?

Mark

Perseverance

It was a little, wooden, black train engine. He wanted it so badly. As he grappled with the side rails of his changing table -- reaching with tiny fingers to sit up and grasp the prize, face filled with determination, I just stood there and cried. "O Lord, why does it have to be so hard?" my mind pleaded. "Why can't he be like other little boys?" Other little boys. Like the one I assumed I had. Little boys who roll all over the floor, who pull up on the furniture. Little boys who could sit up and grab the little, wooden, black train engine, with much less effort. "Why does he have it so hard?" I ask the Almighty God, the maker of heaven and earth.

Zeke is crying now and has resolved for the moment just to lie back down and give up the struggle. I am tempted to just give him the toy, but I think better of it and instead place my hands on his little limbs and pray for him. I pray that his brain will be whole and healthy, that his arms and legs will be strong. I pray for his little spirit -- that it will also be strong and not be crushed under the challenges he faces. I pray that one day the little, wooden, black train engine will be easily in his reach. Then, we try again. I place my hand under his neck and gently coax him. "We're going to try it again," I said with enough determination for the both of us. His hands grasp the side rails. His toes curl and legs raise up off the table with the effort. His face is red and a small vein rises in his forehead. And then, he sits up. He sits up and grabs the little, wooden, black train engine.

A giant smile covers his face as he chews on the much desired prize. Life is filled with these kind of moments, I suppose -- moments when perseverance is put to the test; moments when we are tempted to just throw in the towel; moments when it just feels easier to lie back down. These are our spiritual work-outs. God at work. I smile too. Surely, God is cultivating an amazing young man . . . . "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:2-4).

Copyright 2006 by Melanie Simpson. Permission hereby granted to reprint this gracEmail in its entirety without change, with credit given and not for financial profit.

Psalm 67

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine upon us,

Selah

that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.

May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples justly
and guide the nations of the earth.

Selah

May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.

Then the land will yield its harvest,
and God, our God, will bless us.
God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him.
(1-7)

Psalm 66

Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious!
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing praise to your name.” Selah

Come and see what God has done,
how awesome his works in man’s behalf!
He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice in him.

Praise our God, O peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.

If I had cherished sin in my heart
the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened
and heard my voice in prayer.
Praise be to God
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!
(1-6, 8-9, 18-20)

Obvious Conclusions

A gracEmail subscriber asks whether we are capable of correctly concluding from the Bible what God intended to convey. "I believe we can," he says, "and that's why I think obvious conclusions from the Bible are so clear that all other people should also see them."

Yes, it is possible to draw correct conclusions from the Bible using our God-blessed thinking. However, Thomas Campbell, a founder of my own modern-day Churches of Christ, had some wise advice on that point. We must be careful, he warned, not to attempt to bind such deductions on the consciences of others, "farther than they see the connection and evidently perceive that they are so," otherwise their faith will rest in the wisdom of men and not in the wisdom of God.

What is "obvious" to you or to me is not necessarily "obvious" to everyone else. God does not hold others accountable to what you or I understand, but to what each of them understands. A person cannot "see" further than his or her own mind understands. A person cannot obey God further than she or he "sees." God looks at the heart, and he regards what he sees there as if it were the deed itself -- both for good (2 Chron. 30:18-20) and for ill (Matt. 5:22, 28).

Jesus does not call us to be debaters but disciples. He seeks learners, not logicians. We should love the Lord with all our minds, but that is not the same as trusting in our intellectual prowess to get us to glory. We are no more saved by our right thinking than we are saved by our right conduct or behavior. Justification is by grace through faith, not by logic through syllogisms. The gospel is not a puzzle to be deciphered but an announcement to be believed. Studiousness is one proper response to God's gift of salvation. It is not a route to eternal life apart from trusting in Jesus Christ.

Copyright 2006 by Edward Fudge. Permission hereby granted to reprint this gracEmail in its entirety without change, with credit given and not for financial profit.

Psalm 65

Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.
O you who hear prayer,
to you all men will come.
When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.
Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.

You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness,
O God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,
who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,
who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
Those living far away fear your wonders;
where morning dawns and evening fades
you call forth songs of joy.
(1-8)

Pray

In college, a book was passed around through all the really “spiritually minded” students called Practicing the Presence of God by a monk named Brother Lawrence. I can’t say I read it completely through, but I remember one particular quote about Brother Lawrence’s personal prayer life: “For many years I was bothered by the thought that I was a failure at prayer. Then one day I realized that I would always be a failure at prayer; and I’ve gotten along much better ever since.”

This week as we get to the end of James, we talk about prayer, and I must say as your speaker for the day, I am a person who often feels the burden of being a failure at prayer. I pray faithfully . . . WHEN I am in a serious bind. WHEN my kids are sick or WHEN someone dies, I pray! But when things are going great, I rarely think about praying. In fact, when things are going sort of bad or things are unsure . . . I usually don’t think to resort to prayer.

I hope not, but maybe you are like me. Maybe you don’t pray as much as you should. When I think logically, it’s just crazy not to pray. Sometimes I wonder if from heaven above God wonders why we choose to struggle so much without asking for help. I can imagine Jesus saying, “How bad does it have to get before you ask for a little help?! I am right here for you—amazing power! The resurrection Spirit of Christ that dwells in every believer is only a prayer away.”

Instead, we run around on our own and say, “No, no, I can handle this.” It’s interesting in James 5: 13-18, James, who much have spent large amounts of time with his half brother Jesus, does not talk about the theology of prayer, or how to pray, or prove the effects of prayer that much. He just applies it. James says, “Just do it.”

This week we will look at how we can “just do it” and be people of prayer.

Mark

James Chapter 5: 7-11

We have been in the book of James for about 8 weeks now, and we are heading for the end. Throughout the book, James has had the same style . . . as a preacher and writer, he is a classic “deductive reasoner.” Here is what he normally does:

A. He states the truth. He is clear in what he is trying to say. He states what he wants you to know right up front.
B. He illustrates it in a manner that is understandable to the reader. (Even if we are 2000 years removed.)
C. He then explains the details . . . usually by defining terms or tying up loose ends.
D. Finally, he applies it to real life.

We mentioned this a few weeks ago, and this week, verses 7-11 are great examples of this again:

~5: 7a “Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord . . .“
James states a command, clear and simple.
~5: 7b “Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.”
He illustrates it for an agrarian society . . . they are intimately familiar with farming, so he makes it simple.
~5: 8 “You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
Now he gives them more details . . . the NIV says, “brace yourself.”
~5:9 “Do not complain, brethren, against one another, that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.”
He applies it to real life, showing them that his command to be patient can be applied in their lives by not complaining against one another.

This week we will look at James again and attempt to apply his simple, straightforward (sometimes difficult to hear) teaching to real life. In the final three weeks of James, may we concentrate more and more on making sure James’ messages jump off the page and take action in our everyday interactions with each other.

Mark

Boasting and Bragging or Serving and Trusting?

This week we will read James 4: 13-17

It says, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are just a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”

Wow! That’s a tough verse for those of us planning for retirement. Never mind the last part about knowing what is good and not doing it . . . the previous part about making plans and having dreams for tomorrow seems to fly in the face of what it means to be a responsible person in out culture. James is almost downright un-American!

Yet, James is not so down on making plans and carrying them out as he is about rich people dreaming (or even boasting) about being richer . . . as opposed to dreaming (or even boasting) about serving God. As rich people we should take this as a stern warning. (That’s the tough part.) But as God’s people who have access to the resources that we have in our nation and in our community, we should take it as a charge to boast about the right stuff. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but we do know that whatever happens, we have given our lives to the God who is in charge of tomorrow.

Mark

Resurrected, Returning

Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20: 26b-29

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28: 16-20

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Luke 24: 50-53

Jesus said to them, “ . . . At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect . . . “
Mark 13: 26, 27

Fruit

God’s spirit living in us does something to us . . .*

You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ~James 2: 22

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. ~John 15: 5-8

A young boy approached an evangelist after a revival tent meeting. He inquired about answering Jesus’ knocking at the door of his heart. The conversation continued:

The evangelist squatted down so he could look the boy in the eye. “Did you ask him in?”
“Well, I’d like to,” the boy said, shuffling dirt with the toes of his shoe before returning his gaze to the evangelist. “But I got to figurin’ . . . I’m so little and Jesus is so big—he’s just gonna stick out all over!”
“That’s the point, son,” the evangelist said with a smile. “That’s the point.” **

Let’s get connected to the Vine so that we start bearing fruit . . . Let’s start loving in such a way people can point at our lives and say “I know who you are!” Or better yet, “I know whose you are”—because they see our Lord and his love in us.***

*Mark Moore, Springfield Church News, April 2, 2006
** , *** Joanna Weaver, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, 2000, 2002

Decaffeinated Faith

Most of you know I drink espresso in amounts that are probably unwise. As far as I can tell, the caffeine doesn’t bother me so much. However, if my wife were to ingest as much as I do, she might not sleep for days. Occasionally I have mixed up the coffee at our house and given her a cappuccino with caffeine, and she lies awake that night for hours. Marnie doesn’t decide to be wired when she drinks my coffee; the coffee makes her wired. In other words, it’s not her will; it’s the will of the coffee. Any resulting flurry of activity that results is from the coffee in her system. God’s spirit living in us does something to us . . . something far more powerful than caffeine.

When James tells us “Faith without works is dead,” he is, in effect, saying, “If we have REAL faith pumping through our systems, that faith produces good works.” To will ourselves into working harder is comparable to a person deciding to be energized by caffeine. No one “decides” that; it just happens. If it does not happen, perhaps we need to re-examine our caffeine source. (Not a perfect analogy. Caffeine doesn’t affect everyone, but the Spirit of God does.)

One extra sneaky way Satan works is to prompt people to get annoyed and discouraged when phony faith doesn’t affect their lives. He loves that because then they pitch the faith in the trash and say, “That was all a lie anyway!” Remember the lying pharmacist we talked about Sunday? He removed all the power from the drugs, and people taking the useless cancer meds died.

Everyday people like you and I are clueless as to whether coffee is really caffeinated or if drugs are potent. So how can we know if faith is real? Only scientists and chemists could give a report on substance properties . . . yet God is kind. He doesn’t ask us to seek theological experts to determine real faith; he builds it into our systems. James reminds us of that: “If good works are being produced, then we have a real faith.” (Remember this is very different from “If you work real hard, you have real faith.”) Perhaps it’s time to have an honest conversation with God and admit if our faith has been based on some intellectual decision, or fear of hell, or something other than a desire to be transformed by his will and his spirit.

With all that said, if you are like me, your good works are sorely lacking. That’s why we turn to God and say, “Lord, I know you are in me, and I know you have saved me; now, make me more aware of any work you have for me to do.” Pray it daily. Pray it hourly. He will answer.

Mark

Deeds

But if we are the body, why aren’t His arms reaching?
Why aren’t His hands healing?
Why aren’t His words teaching?
And if we are the body, why aren’t His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
(Casting Crowns)

. . . Never could slow down enough / To study a face,
but now I wanna know your name . . .

Hold my feet to the fire
“Til I’m breaking a sweat
“Til I never forget
Your calling
Keep me on the line
Give me the nerve
Here it’s all in the serve . . .
(Michael W. Smith)

Could you believe if I really was like Him / If I lived all the words that I said
If for a change I would kneel down before you / And serve you instead . . .

Could you believe if I carried my own cross
If I saw that the children were fed . . .
(Twila Paris)

You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ~James 2: 22~

Slow to Speak and Slow to Become Angry

As advice, the admonition to be slow to speak and slow to become angry is so obvious that it seems trite. Who needs to be reminded that talking too much and getting mad are not things that help us along relationship paths, career paths, any paths . . . other than the path to the Jerry Springer show? Yet, if you are like me, following James’ advice a little more closely would sure save a lot of headaches and heartaches. Thankfully most of our lives are not normally ruled by tension and problems . . . but to whatever extent they are, most of us can quickly attribute many of the tensions and problems to our (or someone else’s) tendency to speak too much or get mad about something.

So the obvious “take away” from James’ advice is to speak less and listen more. We should all just shut up and listen. (That’s tough for a preacher!) Yet James doesn’t leave it at that because he then warns that listeners are not any more noble than talkers if their listening does not result in some sort of action. “Don’t just listen to the word,” James says, or you become like a person who looks in a mirror and does not care enough to comb his hair.

Perhaps more than nice and very practical advice about our listening skills and our anger management, James seeks to make sure that we get the fact that the “Word” is what we should listen to and take action about. Not our word or words. But his Word. He spoke a Word of flesh and blood that lived and died. Lived and died just to be heard. Will we listen?


Mark

The Tiger Born of Temptation

Remember a few years ago when the magician of Sigfried and Roy was attacked by his tiger? He had raised it from a cub; yet, it turned on him, ignoring his commands and nearly killed him. He was used to commanding that little tiger, but when it was grown, it decided listening was optional.

When we were learning Lusoga (the language in Uganda), I sat under a mango tree for months on end trying to learn imperatives. This was made considerably more difficult by the fact that I had no idea what the term meant and couldn’t point to an imperative even in English! The book of James is full of imperatives. Imperatives say “Do this, don’t do this.” They are commands--emphatic directions. James is practical and pragmatic. Sometimes a little heavier on the imperatives than we might like him to be.

In the middle of James chapter one, James offers a few imperatives regarding temptation. Actually he gives us a flow chart for sin, saying it begins here, moves to here and ends up here. First it looks like this, then this, and finally this. James makes it clear that sin is headed to one place: death.

On one hand it’s not very encouraging to hear, “Don’t blame God. Do blame yourself.” Knowing we’re the problem and we’re to blame doesn’t help much, does it? I had so many problems with imperatives in Lusoga because I never used them in English, or at least not without trying to be polite. I softened them with, “Well, maybe you could . . .” or “What about trying this . . .”

Now that I have kids, I understand the need for imperatives. I find myself asking, “What part of ‘don’t’ did you not understand?” I want to be clear and direct, especially when it is “imperative” they get it. If my son heads toward traffic, I don’t suggest he stop; I demand it. James has neither the time nor inclination to soften his imperatives because he understands the result of sin is death.

Sin is like a baby tiger we take into our lives. It’s cute, interesting and cool to have around, but James knows it will mature, and when fully grown (his words, not mine), eat us alive. So if James sounds a little harsh and direct, maybe it’s because he knows good and well the nature of the beast we are dealing with and just how dangerous it is to play with it. Sin is a tiger, and we have a promise that one day it will turn on us, and we will be no match for it.

Mark

Tested

pure joy whenever you face trials . . . know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance . . . [you] will receive the crown of life that God promised . . .
~James 1: 2, 3, 12~

So through the fire
I’ll be refined
And if that fire
Were to take this life
I’ll be with him forever
~Rebecca St. James~

I didn’t come lookin’ for trouble
And I don’t want to fight needlessly
But I’m not going to hide in a bubble
If trouble comes for me . . .
Let the lightning flash, let the thunder roll,
Let the storm winds blow
Bring it on
Let the trouble come, let the hard rain fall,
Let it make me strong . . .
I’m not gonna run from the very things
That would drive me closer to Him
~Steven Curtis Chapman~

I will walk by faith even when I cannot see
Because this broken road
Prepares your will for me
~Jeremy Camp~

Consider It Pure Joy . . .

When you have a baby...now that’s pure joy. When church members bring you food so you don’t have to cook . . .ahh, pure joy. When my son steals a ball and makes a layup or when Samer Tohmy improves his jumpshot . . . pure joy. Basically, anything good that happens to ME or the PEOPLE I LIKE are things that fit my description of “pure joy.”

Yet James tells us, “consider it pure joy my brothers . . . when you face TRIALS and TEMPTATIONS of many kinds.” What’s that supposed to mean? When I get cut off in traffic . . . “Pure joy.” When my neighbor complains about my dog barking . . . “Pure joy.” When a raccoon bites me . . . “Pure joy.” (Sorry, Julie!) When something bad happens to my children . . . “Pure joy.”

Now that’s some pretty hard line advice. If we think of James’ advice as a haughty slap upside the head to all spiritual slackers, then it’s a little hard to swallow. James has been read for too long as a series of little pithy bumper stickers for macho Christians like . . . “when the going gets tough . . .” But when we think of James’ admonition as the wise words of a man who had faced his fair share of “trials and temptations of many kinds . . .” then we see that he is standing alongside us. He is saying, “I’m old and strong and mature now, and I got there by being tested. I got here by persevering . . . not necessarily by being perfect or by being excellent.”

I think it is encouraging to read James and not feel pressured or burdened to “feel pure joy” when the raccoon bites us (or whatever random crazy things come along), but rather to “consider it pure joy” to have persevered the encounter with faith not only intact, but enhanced. Otherwise we are caught in a trap where the only joy we can feel is when something really good happens to us or the people we like . . . which Jesus reminds us, isn’t any different than the rest of the world we are trying to reach.

Indescribable*

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea,
Creation’s revealing Your majesty.
From the colors of Fall to the fragrance of Spring,
Every creature unique in the song that it sings.
All exclaiming:

Indescribable, uncontainable
You placed the stars in the sky, and You know them by name.
You are amazing, God;
All powerful, untamable.
Awestruck, we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing, God.

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow?
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night?
None can fathom.

Indescribable, uncontainable;
You placed the stars in the sky, and You know them by name.
You are amazing, God;
Incomparable, unchangeable.
You see the depths of my heart, and You love me the same.
You are amazing, God.

*By Laura Story © 2004 Worshiptogether.com Songs

Psalm 65

O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.
When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.
Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.

You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas,
who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength,
who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
Those living far away fear your wonders;
where morning dawns and evening fades
you call forth songs of joy.

You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.

(2-13)

Anyway*

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies;
succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, they may cheat you;
be forthright anyway.
What you spent years building, they may destroy overnight;
build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous and scorn;
be joyous anyway.
The good you do today, they often will forget tomorrow;
do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it will never be enough;
give the world the best you have anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them, anyway.



*fr. Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Newsletter (winter 2005)

Resurrection*

I’m at a loss for words, there’s nothing to say
I sit in silence wondering what led me to this place
How did my heart become so lifeless and cold
Where did the passion go?

When all my efforts seem like chasing wind
I’ve used up all my strength and there’s nothing left to give
I’ve lost the feeling and I’m down to the core
I can’t fake it anymore

Here I am at the end I’m in need of resurrection
Only You can take this empty shell and raise it from the dead
What I’ve lost to the world what seems far beyond redemption
You can take the pieces inYour hand and make me whole again, again

You speak and all creation falls to its knees
You raise Your hand and calm the waves of the raging sea
You have a way of turning winter to spring
Make something beautiful out of all this suffering . . .

*Nicol Sponberg

Turkish Delight

We have not gone to see The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe yet, but we did finally manage to finish reading it as a family. Our boys loved it after we got over the formal, 1940’s British language of Lewis. Benjamin had read it earlier this year, so he suffered through a repeat reading; it was my third or fourth reading but I still loved it.

In this reading, Edmund stood out to me the most. Edmund, as most of you know, makes a deal with the White Witch to turn in his family, his brothers and sisters, for some Turkish Delight. During the visit, she lets him eat Turkish Delight until he has nearly had his fill. Then she sends him back to bring his family to her, with promises that he will get all the Turkish Delight he can eat.

After returning with his siblings, Edmund slips away to the White Witch’s castle. On the way, he justifies his betrayal by reminding himself how unfairly they treated him at times. He had been bickering with them and thought a lesson from the White Witch might do them good. More than anything he just wanted that Turkish Delight and was determined to get it.

When at the White Witch’s castle, he tells her his siblings are in Narnia at the beavers’ home. He asks for his pay—some Turkish Delight. The Witch calls for a dwarf who brings him stale bread on a tin plate instead. Edward turns up his nose at first, but the rage of the Witch causes him to sit and nibble on the horrible bread.

We don’t need our Christian parable glasses to see how Edmund’s short-sighted actions resemble things we do. He trades family for a few sweets . . . only to see he has actually bargained for something horrible. We can think of similar trades we have made over the years. Maybe for some it is a dramatic sin . . . but maybe for others it is the sweets of working too much, or playing too much golf, or sending e-mails instead of wrestling with our kids.

What is fantastic about the story, though, is Aslan’s reaction to Edmund when he meets him. He goes for a walk with him, and they talk quietly. Then Edmund comes back to the group, the family he has hurt, and says to Peter, “We talked. What’s done is done. The past is gone and should not be brought up again.”

Amazing to think that all of us who have made such horrible arrangements over the years with the Witch can speak with Aslan and be granted such peace.

Mark