Overwhelmed Thoughts

This morning my wife and I talked about the sermon for Sunday over breakfast.  

I spent most of yesterday on a single verse.  I prayed about it.  I read about it.  I wrote it out.  One verse.  The more time I spent with it the bigger it got.  I looked at the moon with a telescope and realized it was 238,855 miles away.  I was trolling on top of an ocean that was three miles deep.

I came to a few conclusions:

1.  I am woefully under-equipped to discuss some things about God.  Who am I to assume that I could take a role of teacher when the topic has anything to do with God?  A license given to me by a denomination doesn't seem to carry the needed weight.  Degrees on top of a bookshelf don't give enough insight.  Human understanding?  Talent?  Ability?  Learning?  There is never enough to qualify me to take God's name on my lips let alone teach anyone else about him.

2.  Experience doesn't help.  I've taught through the Easter season for years.  I've felt the weight of saying the same thing in a unique way.  I've choked on the vomit of my own self importance.  "There's got to be a way I can…"  Experience doesn't make that weaker - it makes the temptation less recognizable.  When I am the most important character in any sermon preparation little value can be expected. 

3.  Too many of us are numb to what we half-know.  "I know the story and what came before it and what comes after."  We are satisfied with what we remember from what we knew rather than expecting what we've never seen in what we've looked at a thousand times.  We've read it and heard it until we are the horse that could walk the trail blindfolded… so we do.  As a result we miss the sunrise - which is why we were on the trail to start with.  Whenever the story of Christ doesn't cause awe we only know half the story.  

4. It could be different.  Somewhere in the land of schedules and expectations, in the midst of pressures and frustrations, in the noise of disappointment and self imposed demands, is a park bench of awe.  We could go there.  We could sit.  We could gaze into the depth of grace and be hypnotized by its bottomlessness.  We could find a worship that is from a place in our spirit that includes passion.  We could see how far away the moon really is and marvel at the fact that we are still enjoying its cool reflective light.  It could be different.

So, I will keep working on the verse that is too big for me.  I will keep reading the words that are too deep for me.  I will trust that the Holy Spirit will break off a piece of the universe and give me a piece that is small enough for my limited mind to digest.  I will share that meal with you.  Come full, leave fuller still.

Overwhelmed,

Pastor Dave

Dear God

Dear God,
Easter is my favorite time of year.  I love Spring.  It's a great season for sports.  It's fun to get outside again.  People are happier in the Spring; it's like Christmas without the snow.  Thank you for Easter.
Your Acquaintance, Dave.

Dear God,
Thanks for your note.  I understand that Easter is about more than Spring.  I think this Easter I'd like to be a better person.  I think I'm going to do something holy that I normally wouldn't do.  Do you have any ideas?
Your Pal, Dave

Dear God,
Thanks for your note.  Do you have any other ideas?  I was thinking more along the lines of baby steps, like reading my Bible more or inviting someone to church again.
Your Buddy, Dave

Dear God,
Thanks for your note.  Wow!  I knew Easter was about your Son coming to life but I didn't realize it had that much impact on me.  You're saying that the power that brought Christ back from the dead is the same power that brings me out of sin and into a new life that is fully surrendered to you?  If that's true than Easter is huge!  It's more than history - it's life!
Your Friend, Dave

Dear God,
Thanks for your note.  Victory isn't something I think of much in my spiritual life.  It belongs in sports.  It belongs in politics.  It even belongs in arguments, but I haven't thought much about how you have planned for my victory over what holds me back. I didn't realize I was trying to live a defeated Christian life.  I didn't know that there was no such thing.  This is a different year.
Your Servant, Dave

Dear God
Thanks for your note.  Easter is my favorite time of year!  I love the reminder of Christ's power at work in my life!  I love knowing that he was willing to give his life for my sin.  I love the thought of him standing outside of an empty tomb proving to the world that you have more power than sin and death.  I love the fact He invites me to a relationship with you so I can know that power both now and forever!  Thank you for Easter!
Your Follower, Dave

 

Boycotting Boycotting

This is just my personal opinion but, I'm boycotting boycotting.

Apparently a group recently tried to organize a boycott of JCPenny for having Ellen Degeneres as their spokesperson (the boycott has since been lifted).  The problem? Ellen is a lesbian and by using her in their commercials the corporation was being "anti-family."

Here's why I'm boycotting boycotting:
1. The "fight fire with fire," "hit 'em where it hurts," attempt at strong-arming people into living according to godly standards is... not godly.  The gospel is not best carried through the vehicle of manipulation.

2. It's almost impossible to have integrity.  Ellen works for Warner Brothers.  Why didn't they call for a boycott on all of their movies and programs?  She did a voice on the cartoon Finding Nemo, was that anti-family?  What about the network her daily show is on?  Often boycotts don't have the integrity to be thorough.

3. We pick our issues.  We decide what single issue is most offensive to God.  What about the spokespeople that live profoundly immoral heterosexual lifestyles?  I am not in favor of redefining marriage any more than I am of repealing the law of gravity, but there are many issues that are equally offensive to God and I'm kind of annoyed at some "Christian" organizations that take the name of my faith and attach it to their agenda.

4.  We are very moody.  We like a boycott that doesn't too negatively impact us.  "I'm going to get my shoes at…."  If Christians are going start refusing to do business based on morals we had better be ready to make some drastic lifestyle changes.  It takes a few clicks online to find out about the hiring practices of oil companies that make the gas we buy.  With a moment of searching you can find out about the lifestyle of CEO's of the restaurants we like to go to.  It wouldn't take long to learn about the lives of some of the people that own our grocery stores.  Boycotters get your signs ready, buy a bike, and grow your food!  We like to make statements that don't inconvenience us.

5.  It hasn't worked.  Let's quit finding ways to show the world around us that we are angry people.  I'm not suggesting that we give up and don't care.  I'm suggesting that the method of a "we're-right-you're-wrong-change-or-else" boycott doesn't seem be congruent with the call to engage and reach the culture.

Now, I know that some will not agree with me.  This is not the official position of the Free Methodist Church or even the Midland Free Methodist Church, this is just Dave listening to the world mock our behavior and ignore our Savior again.

Boycotting Boycotting,

Dave 

 

Hostility

Sometimes hostility is really appropriate.

Possible Hostile Moments:
1. "I asked for ______ to be done and it wasn't… again."
2. "The person in front of me drove under the speed limit."
3. "I forgot to 'spring ahead' Saturday night."
4. "The neighbor kid started a garage band."
5. "You spent how much?"
6. "It's not fair!  All my friends are…"

Sometimes hostility is really appropriate.  Just none of those times!

Peter wrote, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith…(1Peter 5:8-9).

The word resist in the original language is defined as, "to oppose someone, involving not only a psychological attitude but also a corresponding behavior — to oppose, to be hostile toward, to show hostility."

How do you be "hostile" to the enemy of your soul?  Does it involve anger and shouting and satan camouflage so you can sneak up on him?    Do I get to call him names and tell him where to go?

Peter gave the weapon for aggressive hostility against the enemy of our souls, "standing firm in the faith."  Hostility to Satan has little to do with my reaction to him, it has to do with my position in Christ.

If "the faith" was faith in the stock market that would not bug Satan.  If it was faith in our own talent or ability it would have no impact.  If we stood firm in the faith of our knowledge he'd yawn while devouring.  But, we are hostile to the enemy of our souls by standing firm in our faith in Jesus Christ the risen Lord.

So, if we can share a focused definition on hostility as the byproduct of standing firm in Jesus, if we can acknowledge that it's not a focused hostility but a focused faith, if we can trust the fact that it's the victory of Christ not our muscles that the enemy cannot confront - then let's get hostile.

Having a Hostile Day,

Pastor Dave

Engaged

I watched my daughter try on wedding dresses yesterday.  I handled it quite well.  They handed me a box of tissues once, but I didn't require any medical attention.  To be honest, I didn't do the flash back thing.  I didn't mourn.  I didn't wrestle with how much smaller the years seem in the rearview mirror.  I sat in awe and watched.  All that other stuff happened last night when I tried to sleep.

Thought 1.  I thought about the worst day of my life.  I remember dropping her off at college and driving home.  I can't spend a lot of time on that memory or I break out in hives.

Thought 2. I thought about how proud I am of her.  I've had that feeling a lot from my kids.

Thought 3. I thought about a lot of laughter.

Thought 4. I thought about some of the storms we've walked through together as individuals and as a family.

Thought 5. I thought about the years I've spent praying that the Lord would protect her for the one he has for her and that he would protect that person for her.  I thought about the thread of God's grace that ties a dedicated infant and a wedding together.

Thought 6.  I hugged my wife and thought about what an amazing mom she is.

Thought 7.  It took a while, but I got to the mirrors.  Watching her stand on a platform looking at the woman reflected in the mirrors.  Then, God showed up this morning and taught me.

I don't think we let God be the proud parent.  Sometimes we are so critical and angry about who we are and what we aren't that we can't receive the beaming love of the Father.  He doesn't look at the redeemed through their sin, he looks through the perfect sacrifice of his Son.  I have been clothed with righteousness in Christ.

I heard God ask me why I don't bask in love and pride as he looks on.  Numerous times Bre and I locked eyes yesterday and I smiled and gave a small nod.  She was amazing.  I think I need to be robed in the beauty of Christ and let God look on and be proud.

Church - be ready, stand in the mirror, wear Christ, smile big, and receive the Father's nod.

Revelation 19.7  Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!  For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

I know Bre is glowing, but so am I.

So is God.

Engaged,
Pastor Dave