Springfield Church Blog

Food Pantry Needs

2009-01-15T07:28:00.000-08:00

FOOD PANTRY NEEDS 2009

BAKED BEANS
CARROTS
CEREAL(ANY VARIETY)
CHILI
CORN
CRACKERS
FRUIT--APPLE SAUCE, PEACHES, FRUIT COCKTAIL
GREEN BEANS
PEANUT BUTTER
JELLY
MACARONI AND CHEESE
MIXED VEGETABLES
PANCAKE MIX
SOUP--VEGETABLE, CHICKEN NOODLE, TOMATO, BEEF, ETC.
SYRUP
SPAGHETTI SAUCE
PASTA FOR SPAGHETTI
PINTO BEANS
RICE
TUNA

Please feel free to donate money for pantry items by contacting Marie Stratton. If you have any questions about the pantry contact Angela Copeland at adcf99@yahoo.com or 571-330-7390.

"If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap." Luke 6:38

Needs and Wants List

2008-09-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

More Immediate Needs

Replace Sagging Side Entrance door on lower level

Longer Term Needs

Resurface parking lot ($65K+)

Current Wish List

Increase in Food Pantry funding
Replace Exit Door near room 15
Replace remaining basement classroom windows
Add windows into classroom doors

Trust His Promises

2008-08-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

As we learn to develop the skills for ministry we have been discussing over the last several weeks, it will be our trust in God to keep the promises he has made that will both sustain us and call us deeper into ministry. This prayer by Walter Brueggeman, an Old Testament scholar, asks God for help trusting his promises in order that we might answer his call to ministry:

You are the God who makes extravagant promises.

We relish your great promises

of fidelity

and presence

and solidarity

and we exude in them.

Only to find out, always too late,

that your promise always comes

in the midst of a hard, deep call to obedience.

You are the God who calls people like us,

and the long list of mothers and fathers before us,

who trusted the promise enough to keep the call.

So we give you thanks that you are a calling God,

who calls always to dangerous new places.

We pray enough of your grace and mercy among us

that we may be among those

who believe in your promises enough

to respond to your call.

We pray in the one who embodied your promise

and enacted your call, even Jesus. Amen.

-Walter Brueggeman

Sharing Our Faith

2008-08-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

I got into the sharing my faith business a little differently than most Christians. I got hired into it as a missionary! We planned and trained to share our faith for a long time. It took years! I even raised money so I could share my faith and still feed my family. It was a long process of packing up all our stuff, moving to Uganda, buying a used truck, renting a house....all for the purpose of sharing my faith.

Then I arrived and started the job and realized I had no clue how to do what I was supposed to do. Sharing my faith, evangelizing, preaching, still felt awkward and unwelcomed and ... well, to tell you the truth... not all that fun.

Today we will talk about sharpening the sharing part of our ministry skills. We have talked about prayer and talked about caring and now comes the hardest one of all. Actually speaking to people about our faith.

The problem we have in America is that evangelism (sharing our faith) makes us feel like hucksters. We feel like that unwanted salesman we find at our door, or that pesky telemarketer we hate to speak with. Even if we are pedaling a good product, what's to differentiate us from the average AMWAY salesperson who is also convinced of their wares? After all, there is a "price" to the gospel, that's why the Bible has all those stories about "counting the cost".... and in that regard we are "selling it" when we try and convince others.

Most preachers, at this point, would try and re-convince you that the thing you are selling is the most important thing in the world! There is a lot of truth in that, and the fact we are not all more ambitious about telling our friends is perhaps a commentary on our faith. However, I think the "sharing" part is not something we need to make an effort. It is the result, the product of a life of caring and prayer. If we pray for others and genuinely care for them, then we will share with them as well.

Mark

Even the Waves

2008-07-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

That day when evening came, [Jesus] said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4: 35-39)

Jesus removed the danger. He stopped the boat-sinking waves, but you can sense he hoped he didn’t need to. You can’t overlook what Jesus was doing when the disciples came to him: sleeping. How? He knew Who was in control and trusted Him fully. If only the disciples could have dozed! How extraordinary it must be to have no fear when life’s storms surround us. Can you even imagine not worrying when trying to stay afloat in rough waters? God does desire for even the waves of fear in our hearts to be calmed, whatever happens around us. Physical beings that we are, though, and if we’re honest, we know we aren’t there yet. Still, how good is God for wanting such freedom for each of us. As we mature in Christ, we become more and more like Him and do progressively experience God’s perfect will for us. In the meantime, when we don’t always rest easy on boats being tossed about, it’s nice to know God hears our cries and faithfully responds.

CTL

Welcoming Strangers

2008-06-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

Like every kid in America, I knew that it was a bad idea to talk to strangers. We watched these creepy videos in school of bearded men in oversized sedans pulling up to little kids to offer them candy, and we all knew that the correct response to that hypothetical situation was to run away.

While telling one’s children not to talk to strangers is probably good parenting practice, John gives the church somewhat different advice in his third letter. In fact, he commends them for doing just the opposite: giving support to strangers. You can imagine how this scene might have unfolded. Demetrius shows up in a small town in Asia Minor and wants to be involved in the church. He’s some kind of traveling missionary who claims to know John, but no one in the church has ever met him. One group in the church wants to welcome and support him and another group is more reserved. Perhaps they’re concerned that he might teach something false or put the congregation in danger (Christianity is not exactly popular among the Romans at this time). Whatever their reason, this group, led by Diotrephes, takes a stand, refusing to welcome the strangers and trying to kick them out of the church. In our safety-conscious culture, we can understand their caution. John, however, sides with the first group, saying that they ought to welcome and support even strangers in order to be co-workers in truth with them.

After telling this congregation to welcome strangers, John makes another surprising statement. He writes to the congregation that they should imitate what is good, not what is evil. (No surprise there.) He goes on to say that whoever does good is from God (still no surprise), and whoever does evil has not seen God. He does not say whoever does evil is not from God, or whoever does evil is from the Devil, or whoever does evil ought to be kicked out. He simply says whoever does evil has not seen God, implying that what evildoers really need is not to be feared and shunned, but to have an encounter with our God. And what better place exists for that to happen than inside the doors of a church.

Tera

“I’m Church of Christ"

2008-05-18T02:57:00.000-07:00

That's what I normally say at the Catholic University of America when asked by my peers (Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Mennonites) to describe my church affiliation. The name definitely takes some explaining since we're not one of the easily recognizable mainline churches, and we're also not an evangelical or Baptist church. But taking the time to explain the history doesn't bother me, so I usually do. What does make me uncomfortable, at times, is the "of Christ" part of our name.
It's not because I'm embarrassed. It's because I'm nervous. It is a bold name. A name says a lot, of course. Names are a powerful part of our language. The name Church of Christ can make me nervous because of what the bold meaning of the name implies. The "Church of Christ" is a powerful name because it highlights that our church belongs to Christ; that it is his church; that it is a gathering of people which represents the Messiah. The name Church of Christ makes our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ front and center. The name highlights a supposed proximity to Christ. And this should cause us to pause because a relationship to Jesus Christ is costly.
Taking on Christ's name requires that we give up what we hold dear to become part of his covenant family of others-focused communion. The name Church of Christ should always cause us to ask: "Are we of Christ?" "Are we Christ-like people?" "How well do we live up to a name that describes a people belonging to him?" If we claim to be the Church of Christ, we must recognize that we'll have to conform our American way of life to His death and resurrection way of life, not the other way around. The life of Christ was full of sacrifice and service on behalf of others who were "enemies and sinners" (Rom. 5). It is a narrow path. The life of Christ was a life begotten by the Father and sent into the world to seek and save the lost. Christ is the great reconciler of the divided and embattled. How tragic that Churches of Christ have, at times, become known for splitting rather than reconciling.
As we reflect on Randy Harris's retreat message that the church must "leave the building" to bring God's relentless, reconciling love to others (rather than expect them to come to us), we should think about what the name Church of Christ means for the Springfield community. We should let the name challenge us, and I think it's good that it make us a little nervous. To be a church that is worthy of the name Church of Christ will require relinquishing power and becoming vulnerable in order to serve others who are different from us. May the Lord give us the grace we need to more fully become a Church of Christ.

Matt

Keeping In Touch

2008-04-27T16:52:00.000-07:00

Here’s a great quote from Samuel Wells’s God’s Companions: Reimagining Christian Ethics: “When people of the current generation talk about keeping in touch, what they usually mean is email, mobile phones, landlines, or even perhaps a letter. The irony is that none of these involve touching anybody. Eating together is one way, perhaps the most important way, in which people learn to touch one another. In eating together, they become one another’s companions--bread-sharers.”

I know distance makes keeping in touch with others very difficult. I constantly experience the painful feeling of being apart from many people I love. It seems like we can channel this longing for close relationship in several different ways. One way that may not be helpful is relying exclusively upon technology to meet our relational needs. Don’t get me wrong, I think technology is great. I have a blog. I have a Facebook account and enjoy it very much. I’ve even written on how the Internet is a real community. But I have to remind myself that technological communication cannot replace the experience of a face-to-face, bodily meeting with another person. This is really tough to remember in our culture of gadgets. Even the phone call, one of the most basic gadgets around, cannot replace talking with another person face-to-face.

The relentless production of new forms of communication requires us to be very intentional about preserving the practice of making local friendships. This will be especially hard on those accustomed to relying solely on long-distance friendships. It seems easier just to contact the long-distant friends using technology than it does developing an entirely new friendship. We all know finding new friends takes a lot of time. But I don’t think it’s worth the cost of neglecting face-to-face friendship. There’s something deeply real and Christian about a face-to-face encounter, especially over a meal. I think the communion table is a symbol of this deep reality. Genuine relationship is nourished by breaking bread together. Despite the newness and the risk involved, the forming of face-to-face friendships over meals is perhaps one of the most Christian, and counter-cultural things we could do. So, do you know any good places to eat around here? Matt

Continuing by Faith*

2008-03-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

By faith Abel, by faith Enoch, by faith Noah, by faith Abraham and Sarah . . .

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth . . . they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

By faith Abraham, by faith Isaac, by faith Jacob, by faith Joseph, by faith Moses' parents, by faith Moses, by faith the people passed through the Red Sea, by faith the walls of Jericho fell, by faith the prostitute Rahab . . . was not killed . . .

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

By faith, fifty years ago, a group of Christians began a congregation . . . may we continue by faith, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith . . .

*from Hebrews 11: 3-40 and 12: 2

Announcing a Special Event

2008-03-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

God prepared the Hebrews for their departure from Egypt, as told in the Book of Exodus, He commanded them (verse 14 of Chapter 12): “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD – a lasting ordinance.” In verse 17 He again says: "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. This commemoration has come to be known as the Passover Festival. It was so important that God further told the Israelites to renumber the months of their calendar so that this commemoration would occur during the first month.

Would it surprise you to know that as Christians, and for the most part Gentile Christians, we have learned the meaning of, and continue to celebrate the Passover?

This year the original Passover festival, more or less as laid out in scripture (Exodus 12 and Leviticus 23) will be celebrated for a week beginning at sunset on Friday April 18. How and why is this significant to Christians? Why, how and when do Christians continue to celebrate this festival? Come share a different kind of experience with us. Find out the answers to these questions and more.

During our worship service on Sunday, April 13, we’ll begin to explore the Christian significance of the Passover festival. Then, on the following Saturday, April 19, you are all invited to explore the full meaning of the Passover Seder - the combined service and meal associated with this holiday. If you’ve never attended a Passover celebration, this is your opportunity to learn all about it. If you have had this unique experience, this too is for you, because we’ll explore Passover from a Christian perspective.

So bring your family and join your Springfield brothers and sisters for a fascinating learning experience and a potluck meal. More information will follow, and the specific time will be announced over the next few weeks. We’ll also have a sign-up sheet (so we’ll know how many we need plan to accommodate). Mark the date on your calendar now, and plan to be with us for this special event.

More Facts About Acts: Women

2008-03-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

If we were to pick up the book of Acts and look for a theme in regards to women, we’d have a few choices. Women are mentioned either directly or indirectly over 20 times in the book of Acts. Here are a couple suggested themes:

How about the theme of suffering? (we might call this women’s sufferage;-)

There are three separate times that it mentions women who were tortured for their faith:

Acts 8:3 Saul committed women to prison,

Acts 9:2 That Saul might bring women bound to prison,

Acts 22:4 Saul/Paul testifies how he had committed women to prison before his conversion.

It’s true that they suffered but it’s not exactly a consistent “theme”.

How about the theme of women behaving badly?

Acts 5:1-11 When Sapphira lied for her husband and God judged her for her part.

Acts 12:13-16 Rhoda didn´t open the gate for Peter!

Acts 13:50 The Jews stirred up the “devout and honorable” ladies who did a pretty good job of joining with men to get Paul and Barnabas tossed out.

The problem with that one is the theme of men behaving badly is much more consistent, and the men are guilty of slightly worse offenses than “not opening gates”.

But how about a theme of Women Being Faithful?

In Acts chapter 2 Peter stands up and quotes the prophet Joel:

17" 'In the last days, God says,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your young men will see visions,

your old men will dream dreams.

18Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will prophesy.

We see the prophet Joel’s words come true in Acts. The very first European convert is Lydia. We see faithful women in Acts 10, 12, 16, 17, and 18. Thanks to our faithful sisters at Springfield…many of whom get limited press but do much of the work. Perhaps that is the major theme that has not changed since the first century . . .

Mark

Off the Bottom of My Screen

2008-03-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

I have noticed there is a phenomenon at play in my life that drastically affects all I do. I suspect that it may be at play in your life as well. I call it "The Bottom of My Screen Syndrome". Basically it works like this: my life seems to revolve around people contacting me via emails. (Even my telephone voice mails at one job get automatically emailed to me as Mp3's.) They pile into my in box at a terrific rate. They come in fast enough that I can't possibly reply to all of them, so I find myself sort of randomly replying to the ones that are not urgently sent from someone work-related. Therefore, as soon as the emails disappear off the bottom of my screen...they join the thousands of others down there, and they are literally out of sight, out of mind. The only encouraging thing about this is that I don't yet have a Blackberry...which has an even smaller screen and thus subjects more and more of my emails to the "bottom of my screen" reality. Ironically, as I write this bulletin article it is this reality that causes me to forget to send an article to Carrie much of the time!

Sadly, we live in a culture where this is the way we operate. Priorities are often sacrificed because they get pushed off the bottom of our screens. Whoever shouts the loudest or sends the most SPAM gets our attention. God, who does not play that game, often gets pushed so far down the screen that we never even think of him. We are too busy handling the things on our screens... regardless of whether they are all that important.

Paul did not have this problem. God never left his screen, never became an after thought, and never got pushed aside by the worries of the day. This was true of Paul before he met Jesus, as he endeavored to serve his Lord as a Pharisee of Pharisees. But it was even more true of his life AFTER he met Jesus. Before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus he was passionate about serving God, but after he met Jesus he began giving speeches like the one he gave in Acts 17, where he said, "God is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else."

What was it that kept service to God on Paul’s screen even after he realized that the old-school-Pharisee motivation for serving God was not the main reason to serve him?

Mark

Some Facts about Acts

2008-02-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

It’s not a fact that Luke wrote Acts, but evidence points us in that direction.

Here are some facts:

Acts was written on a Papyrus roll (35 to 40 feet long).
Both Luke and Acts are about the same length in material.
Luke is the longest book in the New Testament. Acts is the second longest book in the NT.
Both books describe arrests and trials in about the same way. Luke spends almost ¼ of his gospel on Jesus’ arrest and trial. Luke spends almost ¼ of Acts on Paul’s arrest and trial.
Both books are written to the same man, Theophilus, who may have hired a copyist to make copies of these two books so that they were distributed around the ancient world. Both books cover around 30 years of history...the gospel starting around 4 BC and ending around 30 AD. Acts picks up at about 30 AD and ends close to 60 or 62 AD. The gospel foreshadows Acts with references to things that are not fulfilled until Acts is laid out.

Themes in Luke are continued in Acts:

1) Favorable attitude towards Samaritans (Luke 9:52-56; 17:11-19; Acts 8)
2) Role of women among Christ followers (Luke 8:1-3; Acts 16 & 18)
3) Clarification that John the Baptist was NOT the Messiah (Luke 3:15 & Acts 13:25; 19:5)

Some seeds that were planted in Luke are cultivated and matured in Acts. Ancient authors who wrote histories tried to make the volumes symmetrical in size and scope. Luke has done this with his gospel and Acts.

Mark

Peter Said, Paul Said

2008-01-27T16:36:00.000-08:00

I wonder if Peter and Paul were friends. They had a lot in common. Both were passionate about their faith, living it out in impressive, larger-than-life fashion. Each had plenty of baggage from his background to remind him of past failures. Paul surely had those pesky memories of hunting down families and persecuting them. Peter must have had haunting recollections of telling Jesus he would never forsake him one moment only to forsake him three times that very same day. Also, both these men offer seemingly different presentations of the gospel message in the book of Acts.

Peter, a man of action, stresses action in his Acts chapter two sermon. "Repent and be baptized," he says. When Paul recounts his story of how he experienced salvation in Acts 22:16, he tells of meeting Jesus and Jesus instructing him to go see Ananias who says, "What are you waiting for? Go be baptized!" Ananias (as Paul retells it) feels a certain amount of urgency in this. In fact, it seems like a directive and not a mere suggestion.

However, equally plentiful are the messages from the two of these men that emphasize not OUR action but God's action in the salvation process. Referring to the conversion of Cornelius in Acts 15, Peter declared, "Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us" (7-8). He continued by affirming that God "made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith" (9). Cornelius had received the Holy Spirit when he believed the Gospel. He was saved by faith-plus-nothing. Peter makes no mention of turning from sins, of baptism, of circumcision, or anything else. What's more, Peter specifically ruled out any role for works in our salvation, adding the powerful words, "Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they" (10-11).

Similarly, in the conversion of the Philippian jailer in Acts 16, the jailer asks the question, "…what must I do to be saved?" (30). Paul's answer is unequivocal: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…" (31). (Yet even in this instance we see the jailer and his family urgently baptized in the middle of the night.)

So what do we do? Do we ignore baptism as so many of our evangelical brothers and sisters seem to do? Or do we speak only of baptism and refuse to call others “brothers and sisters” unless they agree with us? Today we look at what Peter and Paul said about it in the book of Acts.
Mark

Acts 2: 38

2008-01-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

Remember the guy in the rainbow wig who used to go to all the NFL games with a John 3:16 sign? You can bet the guy was not a church of Christer because if he were and he had the chance to show the world the Bible’s most important verse, he would have selected Acts 2:38 instead.

Peter does a masterful job in this sermon. He convicts he audience of their compliance in the death of an innocent man with the logic of a prosecuting attorney and the emotion and passion of a gospel preacher. He also offers us a great outline for what we can tell others when we speak. “Change your mind, change your heart and die (be baptized)”…that’s what it means to decide to follow Christ. And those who do get the amazing gift of he Holy Spirit to guide them in their journey. At the heart of Peter’s plea seems to be this: “You have chosen against God in the past, it’s time to choose God.”

That “plan” has been called by us and others the “plan of salvation”. Peter lays it out pretty clearly and does not want anyone to miss it. (By the way, the most notable group to call it a “plan of salvation” and use that exact same phrase is the Mormons.)

This week we will look at Peter’s first sermon and what it says about him and his expectations for the church. We compare his message with Paul’s later messages in Acts which quite often seem to counter Peter’s “here is how to choose God” messages with “here is how God CHOSE me” messages. Can they both be true? And how dangerous is it to ignore one or the other?

Mark

Luke-Acts: Community of Place

2008-01-13T13:45:00.000-08:00

We have spent the last several months talking about Luke and the significance of the table in Luke. We talked a lot about this "table" being a metaphor for God's intention, which is that people would be brought into fellowship with Him. As we venture into ACTS, Luke's second book, we see God’s Church emerge as the ultimate representation of that fellowship.

But the Church is about more than fellowship. Country-clubs, alumni groups and other social organizations provide great food and fellowship for people each week as well. CS Lewis reminds us that the church differs from these other organizations in that they all provide a "unity of likings". In other words, people with common interests and tastes and probably similar backgrounds and political opinions, tend to gather in social groups around the world. They "like" the same stuff and they join organizations (like golf clubs) that offer them the opportunity to hang out with people of similar likings. But more than a community of likings, the church is a community of place. People come together simply because it is THE place God calls them to be, not because they all like the same stuff or have similar backgrounds, but because it is God's institution to change them and the world around them.

Obviously there are potentially big problems for churches who deal improperly with the tendency of people to gravitate towards "likings". We see some churches that are really nothing more than a gathering of likings; everyone looks sort of the same, drives similar cars, even dress sort of alike each Sunday. Many people spend their lives church shopping, hunting for that place where they "like" everyone and everyone there likes the same sort of stuff they do. Such an environment and such an attitude produce churches that are an inch deep and a mile wide. My experience is that they are often big and slick, have great coffee bars and nifty websites. Many of their "likings" are best seen in their corporate worship expressions which are measured by a slicker-the-better mentality and judged by how entertaining they are for the masses.

I don't think railing against the "community of likings" mentality is the most useful thing I could say to our congregation at Springfield. One look around and it's pretty easy to see that we are not geared to keep that crowd. We are not all alike, not from the same social clubs or political parties or economic backgrounds. We don't put a lot of effort into making our services slick or entertaining. However, if we don't watch it we may be guilty of falling down the other side of that slippery slope. The other side is perhaps not as shallow, but if left unchecked, can be as arrogant as the other side is shallow. It's a side which I might call the "if-you-don't-like-it-lump-it" side. This side correctly says, "We are not here to entertain you!" Then, rather than admit there might be room for diversity in what people like and don't like...we draw up a list as long as your arm of Biblical reasons to justify our dislike for the community of likings crowd. This side of the coin refuses to admit that actually liking something (say a worship service or a Bible study group) is possible.

This week we will talk about how we make those decisions by looking at how the early church used to make those decisions.

Mark

More Thoughts for the New Year

2008-01-06T17:22:00.000-08:00

Beginning in November, several ladies participated in an e-mail study group using the book Preparing My Heart for Advent.* Below are some snippets from the devotionals for December 26 through January 6. May they bless the start of your New Year:

Did you know God knows your name? He knows everything about you (see Jeremiah 1:5). He knows exactly what you need and wants to give it to you. He is the giver of all perfect gifts [James 1: 17] . . . But what if you wanted to give God a gift? How would you know what He wanted? The same way you choose a friend’s gift. You need to spend time with Him and study about Him. You need to ask Him questions to know how to please Him and walk in His light (p. 137).

. . . we can look forward to deepening our relationship with God, as well as living with the ultimate hope of seeing Him face to face (p. 138).

O come all ye who are faithful, come adore Jesus all year long. And in His presence may you feel His life and His light (p. 143).

Let your goals reflect your priorities: God, spouse, children, family, others . . . Just like the psalmist, ask God how you can best spend your time to gain a heart of wisdom (p. 144).

Who are you living for this year? Philippians 1: 21 reads, “For to me, to live is Christ” (p. 146).

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5: 9) . . . In this new year, keep your accounts short. Give yourself the gift of forgiveness . . . (p. 148).

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5: 11a) . . . Isn’t it awesome that we have such a powerful positive tool to use for God’s glory? Let us step out in encouragement and love (p. 150).

Thoughts for the New Year

2007-12-30T17:20:00.000-08:00

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

Rescue the weak and needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

(Psalm 82: 3-4)

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

(James 1: 27)

Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

(Hebrews 13: 1-3, 16)

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

(Micah 6: 8)

Merry Christmas to All at Springfield!

2007-12-23T17:18:00.000-08:00

Marnie, the kids and I are on the way to Missouri and Michigan to see our extended families, so we won't be with you today or next Sunday. After taking the year off from traveling last Christmas, we are off in the minivan this year to drive the roads! (Hope Clint Propst and I don't have to make another trip to Ohio like we did two years ago to retrieve a broken down van.)

What a year it has been at Springfield! We have had some very sad times, like the loss of Agnes Bennett, one our longest standing members. The departure of Agnes is truly a milestone of a faithful generation passing onward. She lived a long and faithful life, so it was possible to celebrate that life and share joys in the midst of the normal sorrow at her funeral. It was much harder to see the silver lining in the passing of Kyle Mack, who tragically lost his life in a car wreck this fall. It was a difficult and terrible thing to see a young life cut short.

But we have also had many times of great joy. We welcomed Kenneth's family from

Ghana

! (One sure way to grow your church is to import members from afar;-) We have added so many new people that I hate to mention names for fear of leaving some out. We had a great retreat with Randy Harris that inspired us and will serve as the first of an annual tradition for years to come. We have welcomed Gene Kraft home from

Afghanistan

(but Ray Gibson was shortly sent off in his place). We have seen baptisms of our young people and many inspiring stories of service and devotion.

I think we will all look back on 2007 as a great year... a milestone where we grew and began a pattern of growth that will carry on for years to come.

Please join with me in praying this holiday season for our church. Pray that we will have the vision and leadership to go forward in 2008. Pray that God will send us new people to join with us in our mission to serve God in our community. Pray that our hopes and dreams will be one with God's hopes and dreams for what we should be doing in Springfield.

Love and Peace to all,
Mark, Marnie, and the Kids

Would He Mind?

2007-12-16T18:35:00.000-08:00

Donny was the best friend a seven-year-old could ever have. We did everything together. We rode bikes together, ate King Vitaman Cereal together, played war together, and spent the night at each other's house every weekend. We were blood brothers. We both hated girls, and we stuck up for each other when someone called me fat or him four-eyes. We even had a secret fort we built in the woods - a true friendship.

Donny looked up to me and rightfully so. I was older than him by two months, a fact I frequently reminded him of, and I out-weighed him by thirty pounds, a fact he frequently reminded me of. Age and weight are two factors that loom large in seven-year-olds' relationships, so when Don had a question, he would often come to me.

One December day, as we played in a snow bank, throwing snowballs at the Anspaugh's statue of the Virgin Mary, Donny had a question. We had been talking about Christmas, the number one December topic for seven-year-olds, when he posed a quasi-question/comment about Christmas being Jesus' birthday.

I must confess now that I rarely, if ever, knew the answers to any of Donny's questions. Usually I'd just act like I knew and he would believe me. But this time was different. I actually knew the answer. This was my chance to tell Don something about Jesus other than he was a prefix for various swear words.

"No! No! No!" I blurted out, scorning Donny for his ignorance. "It's not his birthday and don't let anyone tell you different. No one knows when his birthday is!"

Donny sat there for a while, I guess embarrassed that he had even asked. He knew better than to argue theological issues with a guy who went to church on Wednesday nights, but in reply he mumbled, "If nobody knew when my birthday was, I wouldn't mind if they just picked a day."

I still remember what Donny mumbled that day in a snow bank. Donny, who had never been to church a day in his life, saw a smiling Jesus who said, "Go ahead, just pick a day!" and I saw a frowning Jesus yelling, "No! no! No! For the last time, it's not my birthday!"

Do we really think that he cringes when we sing about mangers? When he hears songs about Bethlehem and wise men, does he pull his hair and say, "It never says three, it never says three ...." I doubt it. I really doubt it.

All these years later, I wonder if Don remembers what I told him. I hope not, because he now has a two-year-old who's almost ready to ask him the same question. What a shame if that's the only thing he remembers about his friend who went to church three times a week.

Mark

It’s Advent Again

2007-12-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

The word “advent” is not an English word we use very commonly these days. It comes from the Latin word, “adventus”, which means “coming”. In Christian terms it means, “The coming of Christ our Savior”. Interestingly, the Greek word for “coming” is “Parousia”, which we may recognize as the term used for the second coming. The similarity in the two has made the traditions that surround Advent to include continual readings and reminders for Christians to consider the dual nature of the waiting that Hebrews endured as they expected a coming messiah and the waiting we endure as we live expecting a second coming. For centuries Christians have formed traditions of readings that fit various themes in Advent. Below is a traditional Advent responsive reading that we will use today in our service. I thought it is especially appropriate as we consider those around us who are poor and needy and tend to have especially difficult times at the holidays.

Psalm 146
ALL: Blessed are the poor and needy, for God’s kingdom surely is theirs. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
ALL: I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.
ALL: When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
ALL: Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
The Maker of heaven and earth, The sea, and everything in them-The Lord, who remains faithful forever.
ALL: Blessed are the poor and needy, for God’s kingdom surely is theirs.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free,
ALL: The Lord gives sight to the blind
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; ALL: The Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the aliens (strangers);
ALL: And sustains the fatherless and widow; But he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord!
ALL: Blessed are the poor and needy, for God’s kingdom surely is theirs.

Come, Share the Lord*

2007-12-02T18:30:00.000-08:00

We gather here in Jesus’ name, His love is burning in our hearts like living flame.

For thru the loving Son the Father makes us one.

Come take the bread,

come drink the wine,

come share the Lord.

No one is a stranger here, everyone belongs.

Finding our forgiveness here, we in turn forgive all wrongs.

He joins us here, He breaks the bread.

The Lord who pours the cup is risen from the dead.

The One we love the most is now our gracious host.

Come take the bread,

come drink the wine,

come share the Lord.

We are now a family of which the Lord is head.

Tho unseen He meets us here in the breaking of the bread.

We’ll gather soon where angels sing.

We’ll see the glory of our Lord and coming King.

Now we anticipate the feast for which we wait.

Come take the bread,

come drink the wine,

come share the Lord.

*Bryan Jeffery Leech , 1984

Thanks and Grace*

2007-11-25T18:28:00.000-08:00

This week we Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day, arguably our favorite national holiday. This traditional harvest festival traces its roots to 1621 when the English settlers in Massachusetts Colony celebrated an abundant harvest with a three-day banquet and invited the Wampanoag Native People to join them as their guests. For the next 320 years, motivated by custom, spiritual instinct and numerous presidential proclamations, Americans celebrated Thanksgiving irregularly on a variety of days. In December 1941, the U.S. Congress finally made it a legal national holiday to be observed on the fourth Thursday of each November.

As I contemplate the approaching holiday, I think of the biblical connection between God's grace and our giving thanks. Throughout the Bible, God's people note the relationship, as Paul does for example in writing to believers in Corinth. The gospel message is God's treasure entrusted to human messengers, Paul says, "so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God" (2 Cor. 4:15). The sense is clear: God gives us his grace and in return we give God our thanks. Thus our thanksgiving brings the movement full circle. From God's glory flow his gratuitous gifts -- which stimulate our gratitude -- which we express by giving thanks -- which brings glory to our gracious God.

The notion also fascinates me on another level as a lover of words. I am struck by the linguistic connections found in many languages between the words for "grace" and "thanksgiving” and my point is illustrated in the Hellenic/Greek, where "grace" is charis and "thanksgiving" is eucharistia (giving our word "Eucharist"). So with the Latin, where "grace" is gratia and "thanksgiving" is gratiarum. This Latin connection even finds its way into English in the word-pair "grat-uitous" and "grat-itude" used in the paragraph just before this one. I can think of no similar root-yoking in native-born English, but we do maintain the verbal connection between grace and thanksgiving when we use the expression "say grace" to mean "give thanks." However, the major Romance (from "Rome") languages faithfully display the theological point made earlier by their parental Latin, as well as by their "Aunt Hellen" or "Uncle Greek." If we look at Second Corinthians 4:15 in New Testament translations of the Romance languages we will find that "grace" in Spanish is gracia and "thanksgiving" or "giving of thanks" is gracias. The French New Testament has grace for "grace" and graces for "giving of thanks." Similarly, "grace" is grazia in Italian, where "thanksgiving" is ringraziamento. Not surprisingly, the Portuguese translation of our passage has graca for "grace" and gracas for "thanksgiving" or "giving of thanks." So whatever the date on the calendar, regardless of our national homeland, no matter what may be our native tongue -- as citizens of the Kingdom of God and recipients of his grace through Jesus Christ, let us always give thanks to the glory of God!

* Used by permission from Edward Fudge

Ten Tables

2007-11-18T18:20:00.000-08:00

Our theme in this study of Luke is the Table, and for weeks we have talked about how in Luke’s narrative we are continually seeing Jesus coming to or going from a meal. Here are ten examples as broken down by John Mark Hicks in his book Come to the Table:

Luke is a narrator. He tells stories, and through the stories he seeks to inculcate the values which he wants his community to embrace. The “table etiquette” presented in these instances (and others) is kingdom etiquette. The significance we see in each of these meals above is what we are to see as significant in our community, and the teaching we see is to be a large part of the teaching we present to others and reiterate to ourselves.

Faith and the Fatherless

2007-11-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

But this time, Jesus, how can I be sure
I will not lose my follow-through
Between the altar and the door?
~Casting Crowns

So simply stated above is the struggle all of us in this walk with Jesus face. Here in the midst of brothers and sisters, we are encouraged, inspired, and motivated. But how can we maintain our faith, more importantly put it in action, beyond the doors of this building?

My mind can’t help but immediately go to the fact that this is National Adoption Month. Surely you’ve seen the poster downstairs and the flyers in the foyer. In James there is no mincing of words: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (1: 27). We are to care for the fatherless.

The most obvious and direct response is to adopt. Prayerfully consider this incredible journey and blessing. The foster care system is in desperate need of stable homes for children who are often described as social orphans. Many of these children are available for adoption as well. Does your heart draw you to this avenue of love?

You may not be called to adopt or provide foster care, but the opportunities to live out such a pure and faultless religion are numerous! Sponsor a child through any of the organizations that care for children around the world. Be a part of a mission team which helps build children’s homes. Get involved in a program such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Have the home that all the neighborhood kids come to for wholesome fun. Walk alongside a young person who may not have the support they need at home. Be a guide for a new Christian who comes from a family of non-believers. Each of us can discover the ways God has prepared us for expressing His love. Just ask Him to show you!

CTL

In the Midst of Darkness, LIGHT!

2007-11-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

Having just “fallen back” with our clocks, we can anticipate the earlier onset of darkness in the late afternoon / early evening. Days will continue to get darker until December 22 for us Northern Hemisphere folk. After that shortest day, hours of light will increase for the sun is coming back! My mind relishes the symbolism of this astronomical event . . . Perhaps it’s because my thoughts can’t help but run to darkness and light imagery these days as I prepare with others for the upcoming Super Saturday “Light of the World” which is inspired by Isaiah 9:2a: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light . . .”

A person who is thrilled by making connections, having what I’m studying in one place be reinforced in another, I am delighted to be encountering bible verses and passages concerning light. In our Sunday morning adult class, we read how Jesus told the crowd “You are the light of the world . . .” (Matthew 5: 14). [Sorry, David, but this sent me off on an illuminating search to gather more “light” verses!] One evening recently I walked into the teen classroom and was drawn to what was penned on the dry erase board: “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1: 3). In the beginning God’s light had shattered the darkness of the physical world.

John’s gospel speaks of the spiritual: “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” (1: 9). We have God’s Word as “a lamp to [our] feet and a light for [our] path[s].” Jesus called himself “the light of the world” and said, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8: 12). Beautifully, in Revelation we discover the New Jerusalem “does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (21: 23).

I’m enjoying my “light load” these days and hope that you, too, will focus on the Light as our days get shorter, physically darker. Also, may we pray to ever more eagerly look forward to the Son coming back . . .

CTL

Joining the Army

2007-10-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

There was a movie when I was young called Private Benjamin. Goldie Hawn was a rich girl who joined the Army, and the humor in the film is based around the fact she has no idea what she has gotten herself into. She asks if she can sleep in one day and asks for a uniform in a different color that looks better on her. It is humorous to us because we all know that joining the army is not a picnic. Even those of us who have never served realize good and well that when a person signs his or her name on the line, Uncle Sam has a clear cut set of expectations. The recruiters may talk about the great benefits, but they also tell you clearly that you are turning your life over to a larger cause.

In the latter part of Luke chapter nine, Jesus tells everyone up front what the expectations are for joining his crew. He tells one guy, “Look, we won’t be staying in the best hotels.” Another guy does not ask for much, he says, “I’d like to join as soon as I bury my father.” In his reply Jesus is not trying to be mean; he is just being clear. He tells the guy in no uncertain terms that joining his army means a surrender of personal freedom.

The United States military asks for this surrender of personal freedom because they realize it is required for them to accomplish their mission and be effective. Perhaps Jesus’ warnings are rooted in similar concerns for organizational effectiveness…but in a larger sense they are not sacrifice for the sake of effectiveness in the same way that most organizations and businesses require. Jesus, as the maker and crafter of the human machine, the maker of life, knows what is required for true life, and he has come to put together an organization that allows for people to truly live. He is a good and honest recruiter: he does not soft sell it; he speaks clearly and directly.

Today we look at some tough language from Jesus, and we look at the amazing opportunity for life that comes for those of us willing to listen and submit to his requirements.

Mark

Luke Chapter 9

2007-10-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

There is about a 400 (or so)-year time period between the Old and New Testaments. During that time, we know from world history that the Greeks took over the world. One of the most famous Greeks is Plato, and his most famous book is called the Republic. We were assigned to read it in graduate school, and, to be honest, I found it tough going. There was one part of it, however, that was very easy and exciting to read; it was called the “Allegory of the Cave.”

Most of us are familiar to some extent with this story. It presents a group of humans chained in a cave so they can only look ahead at a wall. Behind them a great fire rages, and in front of the fire, slaves carry objects carved of clay and wood and ivory, and the light of the fire projects shadows of those objects upon the wall. The people in the cave, there from birth, think the shadows they are seeing are the only reality there is. They can't see the fire or the slaves, so they assume that the shadows are what is real. Plato then asks his students to consider what it would be like for those people to leave the cave and see something real for the first time. The students reply, "They would say that the reality they saw outside of the cave would make the shadows on the wall look like foolishness."

In Luke chapter nine we have something like that going on with Jesus and his disciples. Peter figures out who Jesus is, and as soon as he does, Jesus takes him and James and John up on a mountain for a transfiguration. They are, in effect, led out of the cave to see the real thing! They are absolutely stunned by his glory and power.

Today we will look at why Jesus did this, and how important it is for those who are his disciples to be "on message" . . . that is, getting the point of what he expects his disciples to relay to the world.

Mark

Spiritual Reading List

2007-10-17T13:24:00.001-07:00

Want to dig in deeper on your own? Here's a list of good books to work through. Put your own thoughts about these books in a comment...

The Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible
New Revised Standard Version

Pilgrim Heart: The Way of Jesus in Everyday Life
by Darryl Tippens

Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth
by Richard Foster

Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home
by Richard Foster

The Practice of the Presence of God
by Brother Lawrence

Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense
by N.T. Wright

Luke Chapter 8

2007-10-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

There are times when we face the terror of mother nature head on, and we realize that we really have no chance. Maybe it’s a hurricane or maybe a flood... or maybe it’s just when we find ourselves in a bad situation. I had that happen at least once in my life. I jumped off a cliff into the mighty Nile River on a rafting trip one time. We were not in the rapids where the white water churns, we were off to the side in the calm water. It was supposed to be safe so we had taken off our life jackets to dive into the river. I jumped in feet first and plunged deep into the water. Going in was no problem, but coming up was. I found myself stuck in the undertow, first for just a second or two, then longer and longer as I struggled with all my might to get to the surface. I am not sure how long it lasted... 15-20 seconds. But it was long enough that I began to think that I was going to drown that day. I remember thinking, "I can't believe this. This is how I am going to die; I am going to drown." Suddenly I broke free and shot to the surface.

In Luke 8:22 we see that the disciples were in a similar situation. They were in a small boat on a rough sea, and they could see they were not going to make it. They had come face to face with mother nature, and they knew they were about to lose to the mighty forces of the sea. "We are going to drown!" they yelled.

People who doubt our faith in an all powerful God say we are just deluding ourselves. They would say that when humanity comes face to face with nature and needs to believe there is some rhyme or reason to it all, people invent a god, who they can pretend has power over all the scary and terrible things in nature. They say men invent a god who might be sympathetic to them.

Apparently these people have not read Luke chapter 8 because these disciples come face to face with nature, and they are afraid. Yet at the very next moment they come face to face with God himself and rather than feel comfort and peace they are filled with more fear and amazement. If the atheists’ theory about man creating god for a sense of safety is correct, then this little scenario we have is very strange indeed.

Luke 8 has a couple more stories we will look at today that show people who are afraid of Jesus and his power. As we read them, we see that rather than man inventing God to subdue his fears, perhaps man has invented atheism to avoid having to deal with a god who is as powerful and awe inspiring as the Christ we serve.

Mark

Luke Chapter 7

2007-10-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

Last week we looked at Jesus and the method he used to select his disciples. We noticed that he spent the entire night in prayer and then showed up the next day and named the twelve. We also noticed that in spite of their resumes, he selected some guys who, though lacking many qualifications, had the qualities he was looking for: they were risk takers, they were seekers, and they were witnesses. This week we will look at the big picture of the plan he gave these new employees.

Now that Jesus has "hired" his guys, he has to give them a plan for what they will be doing. Luke seven tells us a lot about Jesus’ master plan. It begins with a story about a Roman centurion. This little story is no big deal to us because we have heard it before, but shows the reader God's plan of salvation is for everyone. Luke then uses story after story in a section of writing we call "the seventh chapter" to reveal who Jesus is and what his plan is. He shows us some great hearts and some great attitudes in the chapter.

In the middle of that chapter, we find John the Baptist, and he is confused. It appears as if he is in doubt, and he seems to be reaching out to Jesus to get some confirmation in the midst of his doubts. I find strange encouragement in this because it tells me it is okay to doubt and to express our doubts. If it is okay for John to wonder out loud about who Jesus is, then it's okay for me to do so as well.

Jesus answers John by telling a strange little story about bratty kids. Today we will compare the hearts and the attitudes of those we see in the other stories in Luke chapter seven with the self righteous bratty kids in verse 32.

Mark

Malachi to Luke

2007-09-30T16:27:00.000-07:00

"Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things," says the LORD Almighty.

"Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.

"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."

Malachi 4: 1-5

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Luke 1: 11-17

God in the Dock

2007-09-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

C.S. Lewis wrote a famous essay in the 1940's called "God in the Dock." The word "dock" in this case is the British use term for the place for a defendant in a courtroom...we might say "On the stand" in American English. The gist of the essay is that ancient man was, in effect, on trial before God who was the great judge of all things. Today, things have changed and man (humanity) is the judge and as judge, man has decided to put God on trial. No longer does man have to answer to God, God has to "prove" himself to man...and man can decide whether he thinks God has a very good case for himself.

This week a Nebraska lawmaker took that notion to new heights. See the article below:

Lincoln, NE- The defendant in a state senator's lawsuit is accused of causing untold death and horror and threatening to cause more still.
He can be sued in Douglas County, the legislator claims, because He's everywhere.
State Sen. Ernie Chambers sued God last week. Angered by another lawsuit he considers frivolous, Chambers says he's trying to make the point that anybody can file a lawsuit against anybody.
Chambers says in his lawsuit that God has made terrorist threats against the senator and his constituents, inspired fear and caused "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."
The Omaha senator, who skips morning prayers during the legislative session and often criticizes Christians, also says God has caused "fearsome floods ... horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes."
He's seeking a permanent injunction against the Almighty.

Today we look at Luke's evidence so that this "orderly account" might "assure" us of what we have been told about God... a God who put himself in the dock, was found guilty in a sham trial and sentenced for our transgressions.

Mark

The Luke / Acts Story

2007-09-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

Most Biblical scholars think that Luke and Acts are the work of one author. If that is the case, then we have a very valuable resource to use as a companion to Acts. Many Christian denominations throughout the ages have been guilty of ignoring or downplaying the book of Acts...a crime that we in the churches of Christ could never be convicted of. We have studied and exalted Acts. Followed its examples, commands and inferences to the letter and generally been heavily influenced by this Lukan volume in ways that most Christians
cannot claim.

Critics might say that we would be well served to spend as much time reading Luke's first book as a lens through which we interpret his second. I guess that is a valid observation, isn't it? Which one of us would start at book two of a modern series such as Harry Potter or others and not take the time to read the first? Or better yet...which one of us would watch episode two of a season’s worth of TV shows and not watch the first? It is in the first where we learn about the characters and their development and begin to see why they behave the way they do in episode two or season two.

Of course, we have not ignored Luke...we have read it just as much as we have the other gospels. But this fall, we want to focus on Luke's writings and look for clues that can help make more sense of this thing we call the church (the entity we see develop so rapidly and amazingly in Acts) and to help us make more sense of this thing we call the Christian life.

Mark

Jesus' Table Etiquette

2007-09-09T16:19:00.000-07:00

My poor wife! Up till recently when Rylee came along she has been dealing with a problem that cave woman for centuries have had to deal with. The table etiquette of the cavemen she lives with. She has four of them at her table each evening and has taken on the task of trying to instill (to cavemen that means beat with a club) some sense of etiquette, or table manners in the brains of the men at her table. She is trying to teach them (us) that it’s not okay to grunt and grab and stuff things in their mouths. If she had any hopes that adding dainty little Rylee to the mix might help, those dreams have been dashed by the fact that Rylee has a propensity to throw food and make things even less orderly.

It has often been noted that in the book of Luke we always find Jesus coming to a meal, at a meal or leaving a meal. This fall we will be looking at Jesus in Luke, and often we will be sitting around a table with him. In Luke 14 we see Jesus with a group of Pharisees and religious scholars at a table, and we see him commenting on their manners. He notices they put a great deal of effort into the jostling and positioning of getting the best seat at the table, so he takes the opportunity to tell them a parable about how to choose a seat and whom to invite to their tables.

The meal mentioned in Luke 14, if understood in the context of the culture of the time, would have been not just an occasion to eat, but an occasion to build reputations and connections. The invitation to such an event would have come with an expectation for a similar invitation in return. Jesus gives them a whole new set of table manners. He teaches them and us, that when we come to Christ’s table, everyone is welcome. It does not matter if you can pay him in return, in fact, he invites those who know they cannot repay him. At Christ’s table it does not matter if you are rich or poor, black or white, young or old; you come elbow to elbow with people from all walks of life.

The reason my wife is concerned about table manners is not because she cares about being prim and proper, but because meals are not just occasions to pour fuel into our human machines, they are opportunities to share and reflect and laugh and be a family. Today at the table of the Lord, all are welcome and we are a family. If you show up today knowing that you are poor, lame and blind…then you are minding your manners in a way that would make your father proud.

Mark

In Psalm-niacs

2007-08-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

Ever have trouble sleeping? I don’t. Whenever my head hits the pillow I am pretty much out. Yet it is a problem that affects countless Americans, and it has a terrible aspect to it. The more you get into a cycle of sleeplessness, the more you are tired and in need of sleep and the less a true insomniac is able to sleep.

In Psalm 77 the Psalmist speaks of his inability to sleep. In verse 3 he talks about how he lay awake at night as anxiety tormented him. Sleep specialists today blame anxiety as the number one villain in sufferers of insomnia. Those affected find their minds spinning like little computer hard drives unable to “sleep”. (Sad that I have to use a computer analogy to talk about something as uniquely human as sleep.) In many cases the worries and concerns of the next day or the happenings of the previous day cause the mind of the insomniac to stick and worry and sleep never comes.

The Psalmist deals with his insomnia by deliberately turning his thoughts to the past and dwelling on what God has done for him and his people. Psychologists today have a name for this. They tell us we need to recall our pasts, and therapy supposedly helps us “reassign new meanings” to the negative happenings there. The Psalmist does this, and in the midst of his sleeplessness finds peace in recalling the wonderful track record that our Lord has with his people. In short, our track record in being faithful to him is pretty sad, but his track record in being faithful to his people is flawless.

Today we talk about Psalm 77 and the art of remembering and how it brings rest to a weary and tired people.

Mark

Psalm 23

2007-08-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

I have preached a lot of sermons in my life, but I don’t think I have ever preached one on Psalm 23. That seems sort of odd now that I think about it . . . maybe I have been avoiding it? Maybe I hear it too often so preaching about it seems boring.

Maybe it was because I am afraid of that first part. The Lord is my shepherd, I SHALL NOT WANT. The not wanting part is tough for me, because I still want. I still want stuff in this world like titles and money and a better car and whatever else I know I probably should not want.

Today we will talk about how the Shepherd calls us not to want. Mark

1 The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.

(NKJV)

Purity

2007-07-29T18:16:00.000-07:00

Last week we talked about morality and instructions on the operation of the human machine. We discussed how with even the simplest of machines there is a truism in operating them…do it wrongly and you may ruin the machine, hurt yourself or hurt someone else.

There are lots of aspects to morality that Christians have stressed over the years. In the old days these aspects were displayed as “virtues” and they were called the Cardinal virtues, the word “cardinal” having nothing to do with Catholic church leaders or baseball players…but with the Latin word cardo meaning “hinge of the door”. They are justice, fortitude, prudence and temperance, and the Psalms are full of calls for us to put these virtues on display.

One very important aspect to being “virtuous” is the combination of prudence and temperance in the English word “purity”. The following are some of the myths the Christian establishment tends to believe about purity:

"I am a Christian because of the things I do not do." (1 Samuel 16:7, Isaiah 64:6)

"Purity and morality is only about what I do sexually." (1 Timothy 4:12, Hebrews 12:16, Acts 5:1-11)

"If I choose to do the purity thing, everything will be 'all good' all at once." (Galatians 6:7)

"God will give me whatever I want, if I just stay pure." (1 John 3:13, John 15:18)

Today we look at Psalm 101 and its call to purity. In Psalm 101 we see purity forms powerful results (1). Purity must flow out of a positive, passionate relationship with God (8), and purity flourishes when practiced rigorously (2). In fact, Psalm 101 calls us to put purity and morality in action and reminds us that practicing private purity precedes public performance.

Today we look at: Purity of the mind – Psalms 101:3

Purity of the heart – Psalms 101:4

Purity of words – Psalms 101:5

Mark

The Psalms and Morality

2007-07-22T18:14:00.000-07:00

Recently on one of my trips to Africa I was talking to my roommate who was (and is) a terrific guy, but who does not confess to be a Christian. We were talking about morality, though I don’t think we ever used that term. Ever since Jerry Falwell launched the Moral Majority, non-Christians tend to get a little antsy about talking “morals” with Christians. None-the-less, we were talking about morals because we were talking about right and wrong. We were talking about how we as humans decide what it means to actually say something is right or wrong, and he offered his opinion that “wrong” actions can be defined as those that in some way harm another person.

I certainly did not disagree…I think that’s a pretty good benchmark for calling something bad… if it hurts another person. It is the social aspect to morality, and it helps us have good relationships with those around us. Indeed without it, there would be mayhem….which was my roommate’s explanation of why people do kind deeds and treat one another well. Yet, as CS Lewis reminds us in his writings, true morality does not allow us to stop there, at least not those of us who call ourselves Christians. As Christians there at least two more aspects or facets to our moral code we think are very important. In addition to “social” morality (how we treat others) there is an internal aspect to morality (how we deal with ourselves) as well as an eternal aspect (how we deal with God).

The Psalms are concerned with all three. The Psalms help us navigate the sea of life by offering wisdom, advice, encouragement and prayer for us to guide our ships. Some teach us how to keep our ships from ramming into others (social). Others tell us to tidy up inside our ships (internal) and others remind us that the life we live is not some random voyage in which we are carried by the wind…but that God built our ships, knows our course and cares where we end up (eternal).

It is interesting that most people in our culture are quite happy to leave the whole morality discussion at the social level. “As long as what I am doing does not hurt anyone, then it’s ok,” they say. Yet we believe that God is concerned about what goes on inside our ships, not because he is a busybody who likes to peek in our windows, but because he built the human machine, and he knows if we do whatever we want, our steering mechanisms will eventually get into such disrepair that we will hurt others and ourselves. He also longs for us to get on course and sail to the destination he desires. Today we look at how the Psalms can shape our morality.

Mark

Psalm 72

2007-07-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

The Hebrew Bible uses a wide and varied vocabulary to talk about the poor. The various books of the Old Testament use at least nine terms, each with a slightly different meaning or connotation. The New Testament, using different languages, has a less extensive vocabulary.

So why is it that the language of ancient Hebrew, the language He chose for His people to speak to one another and to praise Him, is so well equipped to talk about the poor? Could it be because the poor are very important to God, and he did not want them dealt with in a broad-brush sort of way?

English has several ways of referring to the poor…at least it has lots of modifiers. We talk of the working class-poor, the poverty line, the dirt poor, the desperately poor… we have ways of differentiating exactly which class of the poor we are referring to. But at the end of the day it seems we fall into a similar trap that the people of Israel fell into…not noticing and caring for the poor.

The twenty verses of Psalm 72 mention the poor nine times. When we think of the poor, we tend to think of their deprivation, but Psalm 72 focuses on their powerlessness instead. Psalm 72 asks God to empower the chief politician of the day, the king, to defend the poor against those who tried to exploit them. Not unlike many places today, the people of means (the haves) corrupted the courts and judicial system through bribery. We see this in the many references to bribery in ancient Israel’s legal, prophetic, and wisdom traditions. The wealthy (the haves) were apparently able to preserve their interests at the expense of the rights of the poor (the have-nots), who (not unlike today) did not have the resources to protect themselves.

As scholar Leslie J. Hoppes says, “Psalm 72 presents the king as the instrument by which God’s justice and righteousness come to the people, especially the poor (vv. 1-2). There is no spiritualization of the poor here. When Psalm 72 speaks about the poor and needy, it is speaking about those people whose lack of material resources makes their exploitation a simple matter for the wealthy.”

Today we look at what the Psalms teach us about the poor and how doing something about it must be part of our faith.

Mark

The Calf-Path

2007-06-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

by Sam Walter Foss (1858-1911)

One day, through the primeval wood,
A calf walked home, as good calves should;
But made a trail all bent askew,
A crooked trail, as all calves do.

Since then three hundred years have fled,
And, I infer, the calf is dead.
But still he left behind his trail,
And thereby hangs my moral tale.

The trail was taken up next day
By a lone dog that passed that way;
And then a wise bellwether sheep
Pursued the trail o’er vale and steep,
And drew the flock behind him, too,
As good bellwethers always do.

And from that day, o’er hill and glade,
Through those old woods a path was made,
And many men wound in and out,

And dodged and turned and bent about,
And uttered words of righteous wrath
Because ’twas such a crooked path;
But still they followed — do not laugh —
The first migrations of that calf,
And through this winding wood-way stalked
Because he wobbled when he walked.

This forest path became a lane,
That bent, and turned, and turned again.
This crooked lane became a road,
Where many a poor horse with his load
Toiled on beneath the burning sun,
And traveled some three miles in one.
And thus a century and a half
They trod the footsteps of that calf.

The years passed on in swiftness fleet.
The road became a village street,

And this, before men were aware,
A city’s crowded thoroughfare,
And soon the central street was this
Of a renowned metropolis;
And men two centuries and a half
Trod in the footsteps of that calf.

Each day a hundred thousand rout
Followed that zigzag calf about,
And o’er his crooked journey went
The traffic of a continent.
A hundred thousand men were led
By one calf near three centuries dead.
They follow still his crooked way,
And lose one hundred years a day,
For thus such reverence is lent
To well-established precedent.

A moral lesson this might teach
Were I ordained and called to preach;
For men are prone to go it blind
Along the calf-paths of the mind,

And work away from sun to sun
To do what other men have done.
They follow in the beaten track,
And out and in, and forth and back,
And still their devious course pursue,
To keep the path that others do.

They keep the path a sacred groove,
Along which all their lives they move;
But how the wise old wood-gods laugh,
Who saw the first primeval calf!
Ah, many things this tale might teach —
But I am not ordained to preach.

D-Day . . . A Day of Disorientation for Joe Oleson

2007-06-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

On D-day, June 6th 1944, Joe Oleson floated into France in a wooden glider released from high above, descended silently for many minutes, and then parachuted out as he got near the ground. Joe was a radio man, so when he hit the ground in an apple orchard in France, his job was not to shoot anyone but to start sending messages as soon as possible.

Unfortunately for Joe his radio (which, big and heavy, was tethered to him by a long cord) hit the ground a lot harder than expected and was smashed into pieces. After he was able to disentangle himself form the apple tree he landed in, he made it to the radio to see that his accomplishing his main job would not be possible. He went to plan B…which was an infrared sending device strapped to his ankle. These had just been invented, and the new-fangled device for sending Morse code signals to aircraft overhead did not work at all. Joe then moved to plan C…which was…and you won’t believe this… a carrier pigeon that was strapped to his left shoulder. He took out the pigeon, scribbled his coordinates on a piece of paper, and released the bird. The bird, which apparently had been injured when Joe fell out of the tree, flew to the top of the apple tree and just sat there.

I thought of this story this week as we celebrated another anniversary of D-day. There was Joe, sitting there needing to communicate with those above. The radio, the infrared, even the old-school carrier pigeon all failed him as he sat lost and alone in the middle of France. All three were very different ways of communicating based on different situations and scenarios.

The Psalms are similar in some ways--different messages and cries sent to God depending on the situation. Joe could have offered a Psalm of Lament, or one of destruction upon his enemies…and by the time I met him many years later he was offering one of praise that he had survived the whole thing.

Mark

(I got this story from Joe Oleson at the Branson Church of Christ one Sunday night.)

Disoriented? How to Get Re-Oriented

2007-06-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

It’s easy to get lost in Washington DC. It shouldn’t be; the city is basically a diamond shape, one big grid with A, B, C streets going one way and 1,2,3 streets the other. Should be simple, but most of us can attest that by the time we make two or three turns and run into yet another diagonal street with a state name (Mass Ave or New York) then the average Joe is completely disoriented.

The good thing is that RE-orientation in DC is only a matter of heading down a lettered street and seeing if the numbers or letters get bigger or smaller. The disorientation process is easy to fall into, but the re-orientation antidote is equally simple.

Walter Brueggemann, one of the authors of the Spiritual Formation Bible some of us have been using, suggests we can categorize the Psalms into three categories: Orientation, Disorientation, Re-orientation. Throughout the years, scholars have not used Brueggemann’s terms, but they have determined that there are groups of psalms that can be classified together because of similarities: Hymns, Individual Laments, Community Laments, Songs of Trust, Individual Thanksgiving Psalms, Royal Psalms, Wisdom Psalms, Pilgrimage Psalms, Liturgy Psalms.

I like Brueggamann’s simple categories because they seem useful in my life. I seem to be in a continual process of knowing what I am doing (oriented . . . these are brief moments;-), which quickly devolves into not knowing what I am doing (disoriented), which hopefully, eventually is solved by a period of re-orientation. It’s true of my driving, my work life, my parenting, my coaching…and perhaps most true of my spiritual walk. The Psalms provide us a way to pray through it all. A guide or map for the lost, a spiritual GPS that maps us from our current lost state and points us toward God. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like something useful.

Mark

Source on Psalms: The ever accurate Wikipedia!

Up to the Mountain to Pray

2007-05-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Randy Harris for taking time from his busy schedule to come inspire us at our summer retreat. For those of you who were there, you know the blessing it was to hear Randy. He has a great gift for communicating God's truth in fresh and challenging ways.

If some of us look a little drowsy this AM, it’s from too many late night conversations in Bergton at the retreat center. They weren't quite all-nighters, but certainly all of us have "pulled an all-nighter" or two through the years. Usually it is something very urgent: a school paper or a work project that has come down to the last minute. There is a sense of urgency, and we know it’s time to pull an all-nighter to address this pressing need.

Imagine feeling that way about prayer. We have records of Jesus pulling all-nighters, and it was to pray. The pattern of city to desert, desert to city is a good one to use to describe this...Jesus is in ministry in the city or around the town and then the next thing you know, he is up all night at the mountain praying!! How about that for an all-nighter?

Here are some Scriptures that speak of it:

Matthew 14:23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone . . .

Mark 6:46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

Luke 6:12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

Luke 9:28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.

Bergton is perhaps not a "desert," but it certainly is a wilderness compared to the urban, belt-way existence we all lead here in Northern Virginia. So, as a church that just came from the mountainside, hopefully we return with a sense of urgency that things in our spiritual life simply cannot wait or be put off any longer. Perhaps we will be inspired to pull a proverbial all-nighter or two because of it...and if we do, ironically, we will emerge from those sessions with souls less tired and more rested than ever.

Mark and Matt

God’s Will—Character and Service

2007-05-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

First I was a Bible major. Then I was a Bible-Psychology Double Major. Then it was just Psychology. Finally, I graduated with a degree in Political Science, only to start working at a bank. After a couple of years at the bank, I went back to school to certify to teach. I taught for six years, and then switched to the very similar career of diplomacy. Along the way, I've worked in a poultry processing plant, sold photography packages over the phone, managed political campaigns, served as a Marine Corps machine gunner, made salsa, and received a commission as a Navy Reserve Public Affairs Officer. And I still don't really know what I want to be when I grow up! On the bright side, I do know whose I want to be.

There are a lot of important questions in life: What should I study? What should my career(s) be? Who should I marry? Do I want fries with that? For Christians, there is one overriding question: What is God's will for me?

Paul examines this question in Romans 12. He writes about God's will for both our character and our service. Everything else flows from those two concerns. If you are first concerned with God's plan for you as a person, then you can move on to determining if you should work in a chicken factory, an office, a restaurant, or a fox hole - and if you want fries with that.

Dana Deree

Hands Too Full?

2007-05-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

I ran across a quote this week in C.S. Lewis’ writings: “God wants to give us something but cannot because our hands are full and there is no where for him to put it” (St. Augustine of Hippo).

As we look to our summer retreat, perhaps we would do well to repeat Augustine’s ancient words to ourselves and see if there is any truth in them for us. Our hands certainly are full in Northern Virginia, and it’s easy to see the retreat as one more thing, one more event on an already crowded calendar. If this retreat is just one more thing to “do” then certainly none of us have time for it….our hands or plates, are simply too full.

Lewis suggested that we often view God as an airman regards his parachute. It’s there for emergencies, but he hopes he will never have to use it. That analogy fits all too well with the busy lives most of us lead. We know God is there for us but he does not really expect we will call on him other than in extreme emergencies.

Yet God made us, so he has some insider information about what we need. In a way, it’s a strange truth that he as the creator knows, but we (the created) often do not see ourselves. He knows we will not seek him as long as he leaves us any other resort where happiness can plausibly be found. As Lewis puts it, “As long as what we call ‘our own life’ remains rewarding and agreeable, we won’t surrender to him. So God knows he must, at times, make our own lives less agreeable to us and take away any of those false sources of happiness.”

“It is here,” Lewis continues, “that God and his providence seems most cruel. Yet reality is that this stooping down of the most high to take interest in our true happiness is perhaps the most remarkable and deserving of praise.”

Is Augustine correct? Are my hands too full to accept what God has to give me? God wants our attention and, as Lewis suggests, he will eventually get it by removing things we have come to depend on. If that is the case, then this retreat seems to me an exceptionally kind way of God asking for our attention. He asks us to take a day and go and rest and reflect together. In a way it’s not much to ask… but then again, to ask for one of my busy weekends…it’s not very easy either.

Mark

May the Fourth Be With You

2007-05-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

Many years ago I was watching a Daffy Duck cartoon and Daffy was in a sword fight. In the middle of the fight, as it looked like he was sure to lose, he suddenly asked the character he was fighting, "What is the date?" The other character looked surprised and confused by the off-the-wall question and said, "It's May the fourth." Daffy looked back at his adversary, pulled up his hood so he looked like Obi Wan Kenobi and said, "Then May the Fourth be with you!"

That was a big moment for me because it supplied me with one joke a year for the rest of my life. I have used it so often with so many different people throughout the years that I now get e-mails every May the 4th from loads of people trying to beat me to the punch. I am writing this on May the fourth...but by the time you read this on the 6th, the old joke will be mothballed away till next year.

As we enter into the summer months we need The Force to be with us. Summer ends up being a whirlwind of events, trips, visitors...vacation quickly gives way to something that is far less than relaxing. That's why our summer retreat is such a great way to start the summer. You still have three weeks to sign up. It's just a day and a night, not a huge commitment, but it is a great opportunity to hear Randy Harris encourage us to allow the Force to be with us through a busy summer. Our Force is something far greater than whatever it was that caused Luke Skywalker and Yoda to levitate in the movies...it is the power of the living God.

In the coming weeks we will use our sermon time to prepare ourselves for our retreat. After that, we will enter into a summer series called “A Summer in the Psalms.” If you have not done so yet, I encourage you to sign up for the retreat and join our family at Springfield as we prepare for a busy but great summer.

Mark

Great Science Apologetics Site

2007-05-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

I've been a big fan of "science apologetics" for a long time. With my science and medical training, I particularly appreciate the work of Reasons To Believe for its scientifically and theologically rigorous approach and how well they have been able to harmonize the "book of nature" with the book of scripture. Check them out at www.reasons.org and have your faith tremendously uplifted with Reasons to Believe.

Dave

Citizenship!

2007-04-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

This week we celebrate together with Kenneth the reunion of his family! What a joy it is for us to meet his wife, Millicent, and daughters, Doris and Loretta, after all these many months of prayers on their behalf. What a much greater joy it must be for him to finally have his family reunited.

It’s a blessing for us because it reminds us of the all-important issue of citizenship. We tend to take our citizenship for granted until we hear stories like Enrique finally getting his citizenship, or we see Kenneth and his family reunited, excited about pursuing "citizenship" in a brand new country. Living in the DC area, we are blessed to be able to drive by the White House, the Lincoln Memorial and the Library of Congress...and see all these symbols of America are real places. Conversely, one of the bad things is we get familiar with these amazing symbols and often drive right by without even a second look. Do you remember the first time you drove by the Washington Monument and said to yourself, "Wow! There it is! I live right by the Washington Monument."

I wonder if we don't do something similar with our citizenship in heaven. I wonder if the temptation is to be citizens of the most amazing "nation" in the world, the kingdom of God...and to take for granted all the amazing blessings and benefits we have as citizens. Do we miss how amazing it is to take the Lord's Supper because, like the Washington Monument, we drive by it all the time? Do we fail to grasp the freedom that we experience in Christ and bask in how fantastic it really is? Not that America deserves to be compared to God's kingdom...it really does not... but since we are citizens of both places at the present time, maybe it’s a fitting comparison for our situation.

This week as we welcome Millicent, Doris, and Loretta to our family, maybe we can learn from them how great reunion can be. I doubt Kenneth or Millicent, as political refugees, will easily forget they can say what they want about our government without fear of retribution. I doubt they will forget anytime soon they are free to move about and go where they wish. It might be good to see Kenneth’s family as a way to reflect on the freedoms we experience in America...but if that's all we do then we will miss the real chance to see ourselves as people who are exactly in their shoes: visa in hand, citizens of God's kingdom, and secure in knowing the freedom He has promised us.

Mark

Cell Phone Vs. Bible

2007-04-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bibles like we treat our cell phones?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?

What if we gave it to the kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of an emergency?

This is something to make you go . . . hmmm . . .where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don’t ever have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!

Makes you stop and think, “Where are my priorities?”

And no dropped calls!

* Submitted by Kimberly Crawford, The Messenger, Volume XXX, Issue 06, February 11, 2007, Church of Christ at Dale City. **

Easter Message

2007-04-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

As a kid growing up in the 1970’s, my biggest memories of Easter are the stomach-aches I always got after eating way too much chocolate. It was the Halloween of spring for me. Even a seasoned chocolate eater such as me could not down half a dozen of those super-rich Cadbury eggs without repercussions! I noticed in the media this week that the numbers for Easter candy sales for 2007 are higher than ever. Candy sales are expected to top 1.85 billion this year. That’s just the money spent on candy! If you count all Easter related purchases, the average American will spend $135.07 each.

In the midst of all this conspicuous consumption, the Crossbridge church in Houston, Texas has a plan to use the Easter holiday as an outreach tool. Today (Easter Sunday) they will have a helicopter drop candy-filled Easter eggs to egg-hunting youngsters below. Thousands of eggs will fall from the sky for children to collect. "It is something different and completely unrelated to the Gospel message, but it is a fun way to reach people," children's director Trisha Rich said. "And once they are there, we invite them into the service."

Good for them for being creative in their outreach, but I wonder if the type of people who come to church because a helicopter dropped eggs on their kids’ heads are going to be a little surprised when the rabbits leave, the fun and games stop, and the church starts asking people to die and be resurrected with Christ. As far as I can tell that’s the primary message of Easter.

So here we are at Easter, faced with the challenge of presenting the hope-filled reality of Christ’s empty tomb to our culture. Should we get tough, be serious and make sure we are not confused with those helicopter churches? (Based on our budget I don’t think we have much of a problem there;-) Certainly there will be different answers for different members who have different sorts of friends. But here is one message we can tell our culture this Easter. If you fill your bellies with 1.8 billion dollars worth of candy, you are going to feel very, very, very sick.

Mark

The Miracle of Constant Forgiveness

2007-04-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

Do you believe in miracles? There is a great prayer on one of my favorite worship CDs: "Risen Christ, your miracle in us is your constant forgiveness." I really like this little saying a lot, and I can't seem to get it out of my head. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Constant forgiveness really does create miracles in our lives. Why? Because constant forgiveness is nothing else than the unending love of God, which Paul describes in Ephesians 3.18. Paul prays that we are able to grasp “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge….” God’s forgiving love is so great that it is beyond our reasoning capabilities. Our response to this love should simply be acceptance. Accept his unending, loving forgiveness each morning. Don’t try to figure it out; just receive it and enjoy it. The results of accepting this amazing love are nothing short of miraculous: this love will make you like God (2 Cor. 3.18). You’ll become a giver of unending love like the Father, and all those around you will benefit.

When we let go of the dark places in our past--whether they were ten years ago, last week, or this morning--and we accept the love God has for us, things change. This acceptance gives us hope and makes room in our hearts for God’s Spirit to “pour out love” (Romans 5.5). As Easter nears let’s reflect on how the Risen Christ’s steady flow of forgiveness miraculously helps us see beyond past failures and future fears. The love he offers us is like a door leading away from the dark places we tend to wander. His love melts away judgmental attitudes and bitter thoughts that harden our hearts toward others and creates interpersonal havoc. I pray that this Easter we will let God work a miracle in us and resolve to accept his constant forgiveness.

Matt

The Freedom of Belonging to Christ

2007-03-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a provocative thought: 1 Peter 2:9 says, ". . . you are . . . a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (English Standard Version).

This scripture really impressed me this morning--particularly the phrase "his own possession". The idea of being God's possession is tough to get my modern mind around. How does God "own" me? From the day we are born, American culture marinates us in the idea that we in fact belong to ourselves and no one else. You belong to yourself and so you have the right to make choices that benefit the self. The problem with this is that we don’t really know what’s best for us.

The Apostle Peter's words fly in the face of this modern definition of human personhood. In the Bible humans are not presented as pickers and choosers. We don't own ourselves. The Bible tells us that we are either slaves to the work of the devil or that we are slaves to Christ. Belonging to Christ is true freedom because it makes us dependent upon God who can do all things well. Belonging to Christ liberates us from the tyranny of our self-centered desires, which can be harmful to us and other people.

We should all realize that our choices are not ours alone. Our choices must glorify God who purchased us at the cross. We are his adopted children. Since we belong to him, our choices in life should honor him as well. He spent the blood of his precious Son on us. Know today that you were "ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ . . .” (ESV, 1 Peter 1:18-19).

Matt

Encountering Christ in Prayer

2007-03-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

At the heart of faith is a personal encounter with the loving Christ that is beyond all reasoning, beyond all words, and beyond all relationships. This personal encounter takes place in prayer. Christ is not an idea. He is a person. When we pray, we meet with the person Christ. Remember, salvation is about “knowing” him and not just knowing about him. Jesus said, “And this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Like any other relationship you have, knowing him intimately comes from spending time with him. When we spend time talking and listening to him, we begin to see him, ourselves, and the world more clearly—the fire within us burns brighter.

There is nothing like the Christian religion when it comes to the presence of God in relation to humans. In no other faith do we witness God going so close to people. The life of faith is about a journey with the living God established through Christ's work on the cross. This personal life with God dominated the language of the apostles. Thomas Oden writes: “When the apostles began to try to express what happened to them, they did not begin with a system of metaphysics or ethical injunctions or scientific data, but rather with their experiential testimony of an interpersonal encounter with Christ that made ‘all things new.’ I pray that today you reach out for him and personally invite him into your life through prayer.

-Matt

Confession

2007-02-25T13:04:00.000-08:00

I have a confession…my laundry room is messy. There are clothes hanging everywhere, and toys are all over the basement area you pass through to get there. I am sure this ruins your opinion of me and my family, but I want to go ahead and admit why I have locked all of you out of that corner of my life. It’s usually a big mess.

I’ve never been Catholic, and thus, I have never been to confession. But I have seen it a lot in movies and heard my Catholic friends from high school talk about it quite a bit. I must admit long ago I formed a pretty low opinion of the whole practice. I just dismissed it as nonsense that a man could speak for God about forgiving sins.

Now that I am older I think I am hedging a little on how sure I am that it is an altogether bad practice. In fact, I will say that we might just be better off if we had a confessional booth right here in the Springfield Church of Christ. We could get anyone in the priesthood of all believers to sit in it, and then we could all go about the Biblical command of “confessing our sins one to another.”

Better yet, though, we save the money on building the booth and just start confessing. The problem is that we are all too embarrassed to admit how messy our lives are. It’s like inviting everyone over to your house to go into your laundry room. I’m guessing your basement is just about as messy as mine, yet we all keep each other out of one another’s basements. It’s embarrassing, depressing, a reminder of things we are not all that proud of.

But what if we had a common practice of allowing people into the messy rooms of our houses? Wouldn’t that inspire us to clean them up? Obviously God knows all about your messiest rooms, so there is no need to hide. So why even confess something he already knows? Obviously, it’s because confession is not for him but for us. He knows we need to uncover all that stuff, confess it, admit it and quit pretending it doesn’t exist. That’s what it means to have a clean house in God’s eyes.

I don’t know much about Catholic confession, but I know it begins like this: “Forgive me father for I have sinned; it has been ___ years since my last confession.” How long has it been for you?

Mark

Submission

2007-02-18T16:28:00.000-08:00

The literal translation of the word “Islam” is “submission.” In fact, if one reads some liberal expressions of Islam, we see them dropping the word “Islam” all together and using the English word “submission” as a replacement name for Islam. One website says,

‘Submission’ is the religion whereby we recognize God's absolute authority, and reach an unshakable conviction that God ALONE possesses all power; no other entity possesses any power that is independent of Him.

I think that most of us would say that “freedom” is one of the things we hold dearest when we think about Christianity. We highlight this aspect of our faith for good reasons. Christ certainly came to free us. Paul and others made sure we did not miss this, and they remind us continually in the New Testament of the freedom we experience in Christ. The references are too numerous to cite here.

Yet all this talk of freedom begins to make us think that “freedom” is the opposite of “submission.” This is not true. Freedom is the opposite of slavery. Freedom is the opposite of bondage. Submission is the opposite of what? It’s hard for me to even come up with the right English word…but the best I can think of is “being in charge.”

My point is that it’s difficult for us as Americans to think about submitting without sacrificing precious freedom. One of the things we see in our monuments here in Washington is the recurring, pervasive theme of freedom. We fought for it! We build monuments to it...and what happens when you build monuments to something? It’s easy to worship it.

Perhaps if we understand the difficult and counter-intuitive notion that submission and true freedom go hand in hand, we will experience the sort of freedom that God desires. Today we will talk about submission and what role it plays in the with-God life.

Mark

Being Students of the Game!

2007-02-11T16:18:00.000-08:00

This week in the with-God life we look at how we’re to be devoted to a life of study. If we want to be more like Jesus, there must be a commitment to being students, learners, disciples of His ways and His words.

When I was in Uganda, I was part of a mission team that planted quite a few churches, and we found ourselves in a dilemma. We had to train leaders, and we realized an important part of training them would be formal study and learning of God’s word. We formed a training program called Basoga Bible School (BBS), and we instituted a curriculum. BBS is still going today, but it’s an interesting school because many of the leaders who attend BBS cannot read and write! The ones who can read and write are usually not “literate” in the same way that Americans might be. They talk to friends or listen to the radio to learn things. They are not illiterate but are largely “pre-literate”…or they don’t live lives that orient them to continually reading as you or I might be with our inboxes jammed with emails.

I’m not a very studious guy. I managed to make it through college by playing lots of intramural sports and then (secondarily) cramming at the last minute for whatever tests were required. I’m not proud of that history, but I might as well be honest that I am hardly the guy to wax eloquently about a life of study! But, the athlete in me draws me back to a phrase we always hear from TV commentators talking about sports. Whenever they want to refer to a particularly “smart” player in whatever sport, they almost always say something like, “He (or she) is such a student of the game!” What do they mean by that? Do they mean she sits and reads books all the time about dribbling or bowling or throwing a javelin? Certainly that’s part of it, but I would suggest that in a much bigger way they mean she is a much different sort of “student” than we think of when we normally use that word. They mean she is thoughtful, always watching, always eager to learn from what she sees the best of the best do on the field of play. She eagerly looks for and applies lessons to her “game”.

My point is that my friends in Uganda taught me a lot about being “students of the game”. BBS hopefully taught (and is teaching) them something about being students of the word. I think the cool thing about serving Jesus is that he is a living Word. We are called to not only study the static (but still living) word on the page in the Bible, but we are also challenged to watch His game (His life) and to imitate His moves, His techniques, His vision. May we be students of both aspects of the Word!

Mark

Pilgrimage

2007-02-04T10:07:00.000-08:00

I’ve often thought how all the halls of fame in American sports are in crazy locations. The most famous one, the Baseball Hall of Fame, is in Cooperstown New York…not exactly a town where we find ourselves passing through the airport. The Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, Ohio, a town so obscure it makes Cooperstown look like Boston or Chicago. The Basketball Hall of Fame is in Springfield, Massachusetts, the home of James Naismith, its inventor. The less mainstream sports seem to have landed their shrines in even lesser towns: U.S. hockey--Eveleth, Minnesota; tennis--Newport, Rhode Island; racquetball--Gresham, Oregon.

The bottom line is if you are a sports nut who wants to get to a hall of fame, you have to set out to go there. It has to be a pilgrimage. You have to get in a car, get out a map, and journey to the holy shrine of Cooperstown or Canton or wherever. You ain’t gettin’ there by accident; it’s going to take some planning and some traveling….it’s going to take a pilgrimage.

My Muslim friends in Uganda understood very well the notion of pilgrimage. One of the great signs of true faith was whether someone had gained the name “Haaj” by completing the journey to Mecca at some point in his/her life. It’s the duty of every good Muslim to do it at least once, and that’s quite a tall order if you are an impoverished Ugandan and have no passport.

Certainly pilgrimages in other faiths can show us how dangerous and burdensome such “requirements” can be, and we should rejoice that our God made the journey, the pilgrimage to a foreign land, once and for all on our behalf. Yet there is an aspect to our Christian walk that is a pilgrimage. The idea that we are on a journey, not arrived, not settled or comfortable, is one that is evident throughout scripture. In fact, I would suggest a good portion of our troubles and woes in faith come when we think we have arrived and start building fences that God never intended we build. The with-God life is a life of pilgrimage.

Mark

Sacrifice

2007-01-14T19:59:00.000-08:00

Philippians 3:8-9 - "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."

In that powerful verse in Philippians, Paul lets us know what he considers a winning formula for the game of Life. He says “If I can lose all things” I win the game. In fact, he calls all the other stuff “rubbish.”

This week we begin exploring eight ingredients in a “with-God” (Immanuel) life: celebration, study, pilgrimage, submission, prayer, obedience, confession and sacrifice. We begin with “sacrifice.”

Benjamin is studying great religions in his 5th grade class and this week had a test on Buddhism. I’m always impressed with Fairfax County’s schools because when I was in 5th grade, my knowledge of Buddhism extended as far as the joke “Q: What did the Buddhist say to the hotdog vendor? A: Make me one with everything!” (Ha!) According to Benjamin’s material, one of Buddhism’s primary tenants is that we all suffer, and that the reason we all suffer is because we all have “wants.” The more we can remove ourselves from “wanting,” the less we will suffer, and the closer we will come to some sort of enlightenment. (I know there are much more complex explanations of Buddhism, but the 5th grade version is a good place for my intelligence level.)

As Christians, Paul reminds us we are very strange people because we’re not about working towards a life void of suffering. In fact, we are people who are looking for opportunities to “suffer” on behalf of Christ. At first glance it looks similar to the Buddhists’ attempts to eliminate wants, but Paul reminds us it is more than this. We are consumed by a “want,” a desire to be like Christ! We sacrifice all things, not as a trade off to balance some cosmic energy, but so we can experience increasing enlightenment as Christ lives in us.

This week we will look at the first space in the with-God game of Life …the space that says, “sacrifice all you have.”

Mark

A Three-Dimensional Jesus

2007-01-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

After nearly three months in the book of Numbers, it’s good to return to the New Testament and talk about Christ every week for a while. We will be looking at Christ in the book of Luke and focusing on his upward, inward and outward reach in life. As Martin Luther King reminded us last week, most people are content to concentrate on one dimension of life. He called it the length of life, and it’s the part that involves being a better person: better at our jobs, better at our various roles, more self-disciplined. It’s an inward focus to make ourselves better, and if we are not careful, we can become convinced that’s all there is to mastering life. It’s the stuff that most New Year’s resolutions are aimed at…losing a few pounds, getting more organized, exercising, etc.

Yet, there is more to life than just length of life, more than just an inward focus. There is an outward and upward aspect to life, too, which is crucial. We need to look no further than the life of Christ to see perfect examples of how a complete person might integrate those things. Jesus was amazing in how he was able to keep all three aspects in harmony…the inward, the outward, the upward. For the next several weeks we will be looking at Jesus in the book of Luke to see how he integrated these three aspects of life to be the most complete person who ever lived.

Mark

Daddy, Who is the enemy?

2007-01-06T18:57:00.000-08:00

Over the Christmas break my family and I visited one of the most popular destinations in Washington D.C.—the Steven F. Hudvar Hazy Air and Space Museum. It’s an impressive place. The building opened in December, 2003, and provides enough space for the Smithsonian to display the thousands of aviation and space artifacts that cannot be exhibited on the National Mall. The Hudvar Center, along with another building on the National Mall, showcases the largest collection of aviation and space artifacts in the world.

Toward the end of my visit I overheard something that I won’t forget. As I stood in front of a Bell UH-1H Iroquois, one of the most effective helicopters ever created, I overheard a little girl ask her dad a question. She was probably about five or six years old. Both of them stood about two feet away from me. While holding her dad’s hand and looking curiously at the massive Vietnam copter, the little girl asked, “Daddy, what is that for?” With little hesitation, and without taking his eyes off the copter, the father replied, “It’s to defeat the enemy.” The little girl then asked, “Who is the enemy?” “Well, at that time,” the father explained, “it was the Vietnamese.” The little girl didn’t answer and they continued on to the next display.

I couldn’t help but think of how a Christian ought to respond to such a question. Who is the enemy, really? What does the Christian religion say about the identity of the enemy? Touring the Hudvar Center, one cannot help but be impressed by the incredible technological advances our country has achieved in the last hundred years. At one end of the museum was a small glider built in the early part of the twentieth century; a symbol of the simple achievements of the first aviators. At the other end of the museum sat a massive space shuttle, used to experiment with entering and exiting the atmosphere. It was surrounded by numerous other rockets, satellites, and space suits. The Wright brothers flew at Kitty Hawk in 1903. Sixty six years later Neil Armstrong is walking the surface of the moon. The rapid pace of technological advance is astonishing.

What is more astonishing is that, regardless of such a Herculean advance in military technology, human beings remain incapable of stopping human hatred. Hiroshima and Nagasaki may be the perfect example of how technology submits to the will of its creator. Unfortunately, technology is inhibited by the moral shortcomings of the human condition. Don’t get me wrong, technology maintains peace for millions each day, through the force of military coercion, and this is a political good. But technology cannot get at the root of the problem with human beings: it cannot conquer evil.

This is where the Christian view of evil provides a more realistic and nuanced account of what is actually wrong with the world. Unlike the father’s answer to the little girl, the enemy is a much larger and menacing reality whose defeat requires a power that military might cannot produce. The enemy is not the Germans, the Vietnamese, the Russians, or even the Wahhabi Saudis of the Middle East. The enemy, according to the Christian religion, is evil with its expansive kingdom of unruly characters: Satan the father of what is false, and the instigator and tempter of man; human persons, with their disposition inclined toward the domination of others and the exaltation of the self, barely able to see what is true and good. The children of evil are those who buy its program of lies and therefore become full of hatred and fear. Hatred and fear causes people to perceive their fellow humans as the ultimate threat. This makes us race to create bigger and better killing machines. If our country is to firmly grasp the hand of peace and justice, especially in a war on terror, the "enemy" must first be recognized as the evil that it is. This vice-producing evil is what we must speak of when asked by the little boys and girls, “Who is the enemy?” To not do so is to ignore the overall illness of man and treat its symptoms of hatred and fear as the primary problem

Matt

Yes, for All

2006-12-29T17:15:00.002-08:00

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

2006-12-29T17:15:00.001-08:00

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!

2006-12-17T17:08:00.000-08:00

"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

2006-12-14T06:41:00.000-08:00

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

2006-12-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

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

2006-12-03T11:44:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-26T11:42:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-19T11:17:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-05T20:21:00.000-08:00

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)

2006-11-05T18:28:00.000-08:00

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)

2006-11-05T18:25:00.000-08:00

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

2006-10-29T20:19:00.000-08:00

“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

2006-10-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-15T20:12:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

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 . . .

2006-10-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

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?

2006-09-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

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?

2006-09-03T19:40:00.000-07:00

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

2006-08-31T22:15:00.001-07:00

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

2006-08-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

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*

2006-08-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-08-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

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

2006-08-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-07-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

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

2006-07-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

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

2006-07-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

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

2006-07-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

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?

2006-07-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

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

2006-06-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

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

2006-06-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

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).

Psalm 67

2006-06-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

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

2006-06-04T18:38:00.000-07:00

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

2006-05-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

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.

Psalm 65

2006-05-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

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)