Friend

Did you read the touching story of profound friendship this week?  Apparently in upstate New York one man showed bravery and the other loyalty.

24-year-old friend, "A,"  told 25-year-old friend, "B," that he wanted  to know what it felt like to get shot.  So friend "A" talked friend "B" into shooting him in the leg with a .22-caliber rifle.  It took a lot of convincing, but friend "B" gave in - what are friends for?

It takes a lot of guts to ask someone to shoot you.  He's the brave one.  Unless you're a solider who has been shot by an enemy rifle that had a bullet the size of friend "A's" fist; Unless you've faced pain out of duty more than twisted curiosity;  Unless you define bravery as more than talking someone into doing something stupid to you.

Friend "B" is the loyal one.  He's the one sitting in a jail cell for reckless endangerment because he let his buddy convince him to pull the trigger.  That's loyalty.  Unless you know what it's like have a broken relationship because you refused to do the wrong thing;  Unless you're a person who puts wisdom and principle ahead of a friend's call to help them self-destruct;  Unless you define loyalty as wanting the best for someone you care about.

For the record, in the stories I've read and heard no one has given the label brave or loyal to either "A" or "B."  In fact the attitude is mocking disbelief.  But why?

Isn't that what kindness and non-judgmental attitudes lead us to?  It's wrong to say anything is wrong.  Unless you're the one that says nothing's wrong and someone disagrees with you - then that person is wrong about anything being wrong (it's the old argument that there are absolutely no absolutes).  When desire trumps common sense and selfishness is bigger than morality the rules have to be ignored or changed. 

To my friends:  I won't shoot you so you know what it feels like.  I won't stab you in the eye with a fork because you want to wear a pirate's patch.  I won't tell you you sing like an angel and should be on American Idol because… you shouldn't.  I won't walk with you off a cliff so you don't have to fall alone.

To my friends:  I won't remain silent if you're letting sin ruin your life.  I won't help you ignore God.  I won't tell it's not your fault if it is and I won't pretend with you that this life is more important then the next one.

I will do my best, empowered by God, to be a friend that points you to Christ, shows you what following Him looks like, and speaks the truth in love.  I risk everything on the truth, even our friendship.  That's bravery and loyalty.  We all need friends like that.  

Friend,

Pastor Dave

YES!

This week a number of area pastors met with Midland's Mayor, Maureen Donker.  She is asking us to work together to impact our city.

I have a few observations from that meeting:

1.  That's not fair.  It's not realistic to ask Baptists, Lutherans, Reformeds, Methodists, and Charismatics to play together.  We've worked so hard at ignoring each other.  We have nothing in common.  Ya, there's the Jesus thing - but is that really enough?

2. It's too late.  There is an invisible line that is the, "It's Possible to Change" line.  When you've crossed it there's no hope of making a real difference.  There are too many big issues that range from poverty to prideful wealth, no one can help either of them really.  We've been who we are for a really long time.  The "It's Possible to Change" line is in our rear view mirror.  Ya, God has all the power in the universe - but would He waste it on us?

3.  I don't want to.  Building relationships take time.  I have enough of them already in my circle of friends.  Add too many people to a circle and it ends up changing shape and before you know it, it's oblongy.  I don't know what that really means and it doesn't make any sense but, it's a goodish argument because it's mine.  Ya, I know others have been called by God to unity - but did He really expect me to do it?

4.  I don't get enough out of it.  There's the whole, "What's in it for me?" issue to deal with.  If I'm going to invest my time in it and talk to my church about it I need to know that it will result in an immediate dual "moreness."  More hind-ends in seats and more dollars in the plate.  We may impact the city, but what about my statistics?  Ya, I know God said His Kingdom is more important than my kingdom - but does he really intend for me to agree with Him?

5. I've never done that before.  There is a sacred buffer that is part of religion.  We can make minor adjustments but the buffer keeps us from getting too far from where we've been.  The buffer is our previous experience.  It protects us from excess, heresy,  and discomfort… effectiveness… obedience… faith….  Ya, I know that God is not always honored by the way we've done it - but is it a big enough deal that I should change me?

6. Blah, blah, blah.

There's a call that will be coming to those who call MFMC their home (and those who don't).  I'd like to say that it's the result of a group of brilliant theologians who have discovered some new way of doing church.  But it's really a call that is almost as old as humanity.

We're going to learn from Christ how to be a neighbor.  It's time to relearn the lost art of neighboring.  Midland is asking us to do it.  But even more, the Christ of the great commission is asking us.

Note: the answer to the questions above - "yes."

Yesing,

Pastor Dave

 

Weird

I know it's always been part of the game but for some reason a migration really bugs me.  It's not a migration of bugs or birds (not literally anyway).  It's a migration of people… politicians.

It doesn't matter which side of the political aisle you sit on; "Everyone's doing it" is just as thick of wall to hide behind as an adult as it was when we were in Jr. High.

Now that it's a sure thing who the Republican nominee is going to be the headlines are reading, "_________ supports Romney."

I think that should have to be declared at the beginning.  An "out of the six that are going to campaign for the nomination I support_______ for the following reasons" statement would tell me more about what you believe and why.

As it is, it feels like filling out a bracket for March Madness in May.  "After careful thought, deliberation, and weighing the stats, I believe that I will vote for the team that won."

Before I throw a stone too hard I have to realize there's a mirror in the direction I am aiming.

It's easier to assume and proclaim, "that was God's will," leaving a situation than it is to seek Him and discern His will before I get there.  Romans 12:2 tells me that submitting to the transformation of God is so that I would know His "good, pleasing, and perfect will."

Wading into the pool of discovering the will of God is more work, requires more faith, and takes more time.  But isn't that what we're supposed to do?  Watching for signs, listening for confirmation, knowing the leading, waiting for direction, following the will - those are actions that require faith in and communion with God.

I wonder how many of my decisions would be different if they were made after a season of seeking God.  I wonder if I could risk being confident in Him before rather than blaming His sovereignty after.  I wonder how that would impact other people.

But, that's kind of weird.

God and I like weird.

Seeking His Will,
Pastor Dave