I had the privilege of preaching at the Yucca Valley, CA EFC yesterday. I took the congregation through the familiar account of Jesus' birth in Luke's Gospel. I asked them to pretend that they didn't know the end of the story. If one is able to do that it's interesting (to me anyway) to note that the first 8 verses would probably have the reader asking, "So what?"
It was an ordinary time. Caesar is taking a census in order to levy taxes to pay for road maintenance, support of the armies of Rome and to keep him in the lifestyle to which he has grown accustomed. There is nothing extraordinary about that.
It was an ordinary place. Both Nazareth, where the young couple starts out from and Bethlehem, where they stop, are backwater towns. There is nothing extraordinary about that.
It was an ordinary couple. Luke does not give the back story of angel visitations, so the reader simply sees a couple, not yet married, who are expecting a child. There is nothing extraordinary about that.
It was an ordinary birth. The time came for her to be delivered. Like millions of women before her, the baby makes his way into the world. She wraps him snuggly like millions of mothers before her. There is nothing extraordinary about that.
It was an ordinary setting. The shepherds were doing what they always had done, watching their sheep. There is nothing extraordinary about that.
In verse 9 everything changes. Angelic messengers, a good news announcement from God for all people, a response of faith by the shepherds (who traditionally didn't get to the Temple much because of their profession), a glimpse at the face of God in the flesh, and an amazed wonder from Mary who treasures all that has happened.
I've been part of God's family through faith in Jesus since 1970. One of the things I've discovered over those years is that God does extraordinary things, but most often He does them using ordinary people in ordinary circumstances. Part of the reason, Scripture tells us, is that in this way, God gets the glory He deserves.
Paul writes to the Christians at Corinth, "Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 NLT
So continue to do the ordinary and watch for God to do the extraordinary.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
I'm Back
We finished the Bible in 90 Days. It was harder than I thought it would be to read through the text and blog. But it was, for all of us, a very helpful exercise. Some will be finishing up in the next week or so, others slowed down more. But we all agreed that reading it in a shorter period than a year was helpful for getting the bigger picture.
I blogged every day except when I was out of range of an internet connection (yes, there are places in the U.S. where that is possible. I don't think I'll try to do the same with this blog, but I will try to post at least once a week.
BTW, just watched Slumdog Millionaire for the first time last evening. Painful reminder of the brutality and poverty of the 2/3 world. Yet even in that setting, a recognition of the image of God, however tarnished it is from the Fall.
I blogged every day except when I was out of range of an internet connection (yes, there are places in the U.S. where that is possible. I don't think I'll try to do the same with this blog, but I will try to post at least once a week.
BTW, just watched Slumdog Millionaire for the first time last evening. Painful reminder of the brutality and poverty of the 2/3 world. Yet even in that setting, a recognition of the image of God, however tarnished it is from the Fall.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Hiatus
I may blog some on this spot, but because of the Through the Bible in Ninety Days I am more liklely to post something at EFCHBBiblein90Days.blogspot.com through the end of November.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
There Arose Another Generation After Them...
I'm still working my way through the Bible. This morning I arrived at Judges. Judges is that book with stories like the king who was so fat that his stomach closed around the hilt of the sword used to kill him, the woman who drove a tent peg through a man's temple while he slept, and the man who hacked his concubine into twelve pieces after she was raped.
But before all those stories there is a statement in chapter 2 that bothers me each time I read it. The passage begins by recounting, "And the people served YHWH all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that YHWH had done for Israel." You can almost see what comes next by the way the author makes a point that the people served YHWH all the days of Joshua and the elders who outlived Joshua. What the author says next concerns me every time.
"And all that generation [who had seen all the great work that YHWH had done for Israel] also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know YHWH or the work that he had done for Israel."
The generation referred to are the children of those who had experienced 40 years of God's faithfulness. Honestly, I can understand those children not knowing YHWH. We can never have a relationship with God for someone else. Everyone has to make their own decision about what they will do or not do with God. They could have decided, collectively, that they didn't want to know YHWH. But the verse goes on to say "...[they] did not know YHWH or the work that he had done for Israel."
How can they not know what he had done for Israel? Only because they were never told. I know that's an "all-ness", but isn't that what the text says? They did not know the work God had done for Israel. They were not there when it happened or they were too young when it happened. So how could they have known? Only because their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors told the story. But they didn't. As a result an entire generation did not know YHWH or the work he had done for Israel.
Before we come down too hard on the generation who didn't tell the story, who are you telling?
But before all those stories there is a statement in chapter 2 that bothers me each time I read it. The passage begins by recounting, "And the people served YHWH all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that YHWH had done for Israel." You can almost see what comes next by the way the author makes a point that the people served YHWH all the days of Joshua and the elders who outlived Joshua. What the author says next concerns me every time.
"And all that generation [who had seen all the great work that YHWH had done for Israel] also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know YHWH or the work that he had done for Israel."
The generation referred to are the children of those who had experienced 40 years of God's faithfulness. Honestly, I can understand those children not knowing YHWH. We can never have a relationship with God for someone else. Everyone has to make their own decision about what they will do or not do with God. They could have decided, collectively, that they didn't want to know YHWH. But the verse goes on to say "...[they] did not know YHWH or the work that he had done for Israel."
How can they not know what he had done for Israel? Only because they were never told. I know that's an "all-ness", but isn't that what the text says? They did not know the work God had done for Israel. They were not there when it happened or they were too young when it happened. So how could they have known? Only because their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors told the story. But they didn't. As a result an entire generation did not know YHWH or the work he had done for Israel.
Before we come down too hard on the generation who didn't tell the story, who are you telling?
Monday, July 27, 2009
What Goes Without Saying...
One of the lasting impacts of living in Santa Margarita was a new appreciation for Country Music. Our whole family became Paul Overstreet fans. One of his songs is What Goes Without Saying Should be Said.
"He stood looking at his father who was eighty-five years old
He remembered all the ball games they played so long ago
Then he put his arm around him and kissed him on the cheek
He say dad it's time I told you what a friend you've been to me.
'Cause when you love someone you gotta let 'em know
When you're thinking of someone you need to tell 'em so
Don't know what makes us think our minds and our hearts can be read
What's going without saying should be said.
She stood in the kitchen doorway all grown up with children too
Watching as her mama cooked just like she used to do
She slowly walked up to her and she held her wrinkled hands
She said do you know you are the greatest mom a daughter ever had.
No one needs our roses when the sun of life's gone down
If you're gonna send a message of your love then send it now.
Oh, I don't believe I've let you hear the things you should have heard
I don't believe I've truly put my feelings into words
'Cause to me you are so beautiful much more than words can say
And if you don't mind and you've got the time I'd like to try today."
In one of my favorite, quirky movies, "Waking Ned Devine," Jackie O'Shea pretends to be Ned who died upon learning that he had won the lottery. When the lottery officials arrive in town, the eulogy for Ned quickly turns into a eulogy for Jackie so that the officials will assume that Jackie is Ned. (Rent the movie, it'll become clearer.) Anyway, on the spur of the moment to the surprise of his fellow villagers, Jackie is attending his own wake. In those moments he hears from his friends what he has meant to them.
This past Saturday I was blessed to be at a similar occasion. Several former students of the now deceased Voyager's Christian School pulled together a reunion of what the school's only principal described as a "home school group that got out of hand." The students who were there on Saturday spent a significant time recounting [in the presence of Thenell and Gary Hanggi who served as principal, teacher, surrogate parents, mentors, sports coach, driver's education instructors, and all the other hats they wore throughout the life of the school] the life-transforming impact they had on the students. One by one these adults were able to articulate what a difference these two people had made in their lives. (One of the students calculated that Gary and Thenell were about the age the students are now when they began the school. That was sobering.)
Rather than waiting until some point down the road when or more of the Hanggi's were dead or dying, they set aside time to tell them now how God had used them to impact their lives for good. Is there someone in your life that needs to know how much they imprinted your life? What goes without saying should be said.
"He stood looking at his father who was eighty-five years old
He remembered all the ball games they played so long ago
Then he put his arm around him and kissed him on the cheek
He say dad it's time I told you what a friend you've been to me.
'Cause when you love someone you gotta let 'em know
When you're thinking of someone you need to tell 'em so
Don't know what makes us think our minds and our hearts can be read
What's going without saying should be said.
She stood in the kitchen doorway all grown up with children too
Watching as her mama cooked just like she used to do
She slowly walked up to her and she held her wrinkled hands
She said do you know you are the greatest mom a daughter ever had.
No one needs our roses when the sun of life's gone down
If you're gonna send a message of your love then send it now.
Oh, I don't believe I've let you hear the things you should have heard
I don't believe I've truly put my feelings into words
'Cause to me you are so beautiful much more than words can say
And if you don't mind and you've got the time I'd like to try today."
In one of my favorite, quirky movies, "Waking Ned Devine," Jackie O'Shea pretends to be Ned who died upon learning that he had won the lottery. When the lottery officials arrive in town, the eulogy for Ned quickly turns into a eulogy for Jackie so that the officials will assume that Jackie is Ned. (Rent the movie, it'll become clearer.) Anyway, on the spur of the moment to the surprise of his fellow villagers, Jackie is attending his own wake. In those moments he hears from his friends what he has meant to them.
This past Saturday I was blessed to be at a similar occasion. Several former students of the now deceased Voyager's Christian School pulled together a reunion of what the school's only principal described as a "home school group that got out of hand." The students who were there on Saturday spent a significant time recounting [in the presence of Thenell and Gary Hanggi who served as principal, teacher, surrogate parents, mentors, sports coach, driver's education instructors, and all the other hats they wore throughout the life of the school] the life-transforming impact they had on the students. One by one these adults were able to articulate what a difference these two people had made in their lives. (One of the students calculated that Gary and Thenell were about the age the students are now when they began the school. That was sobering.)
Rather than waiting until some point down the road when or more of the Hanggi's were dead or dying, they set aside time to tell them now how God had used them to impact their lives for good. Is there someone in your life that needs to know how much they imprinted your life? What goes without saying should be said.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
An Extension, not an Exemption
In his book, "Traveling Light, Eugene Peterson writes, "Paul will not permit us to compensate for neglecting those nearest us by advertising our compassion for those on another continent. Jesus, it must be remembered, restricted nine-tenths of his ministry to twelve Jews because it was the only way to redeem all Americans. He couldn't be bothered, says Martin Thornton, with the foreign Canaanites because his work was to save the whole world. The check for the starving child must still be written and the missionary sent, but as an extension of what we are doing at home, not as an exemption from it."
Earlier in Peterson's book he quotes from John Updike's novel, "The Coup." A U.S. embassy official, Don X. Gibbs, is murdered in his attempt to deliver a load of American junk food to the drought-ridden land of Kush. His wife later reflects, "I've forgotten a lot about Don...actually I didn't see that much of him. He was always trying to help people. But he only liked to help people he didn't know."
Life, and ministry in the context of life, is messy. As 21st century, North American Christians we have worked hard not to "do" messy. We have believed the lie that if we are good enough, life won't be messy; if we make enough money, life won't be messy; if we get enough education, life won't be messy. But the reality is, life is messy. And seeking to live out a relationship with Christ in the daily-ness of our lives is messy. And pointing people to Jesus is messy. And actually being in relationship with people is messy. That is why, it seems to me, we find it much easier to write the check or send the missionary than to engage the actual people in our lives.
Earlier in Peterson's book he quotes from John Updike's novel, "The Coup." A U.S. embassy official, Don X. Gibbs, is murdered in his attempt to deliver a load of American junk food to the drought-ridden land of Kush. His wife later reflects, "I've forgotten a lot about Don...actually I didn't see that much of him. He was always trying to help people. But he only liked to help people he didn't know."
Life, and ministry in the context of life, is messy. As 21st century, North American Christians we have worked hard not to "do" messy. We have believed the lie that if we are good enough, life won't be messy; if we make enough money, life won't be messy; if we get enough education, life won't be messy. But the reality is, life is messy. And seeking to live out a relationship with Christ in the daily-ness of our lives is messy. And pointing people to Jesus is messy. And actually being in relationship with people is messy. That is why, it seems to me, we find it much easier to write the check or send the missionary than to engage the actual people in our lives.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
B.I.N.D.
To both of you who read my blog:
Check out EFCHBBiblein90Days.blogspot.com. A group of us at the Evangelical Free Church of Huntington Beach (EFCHB) are going to read the Bible in its entirety in just 90 days (Bible in Ninety Days=B.I.N.D.). And we are going to read it chronologically. That means Job will follow Genesis 11. David's songs will be read during the season of his life in which they were written. The various prophets will be read during the narrative on the period in which they prophesied. Paul's letters will be read at the appropriate spot in the Acts narrative.
If you'd like to join us in the journey, you can do so anonymously (as the thousands do who read this blog and never comment), or you can become a "follower" by joining the blog and you'll be alerted when someone posts.
The blog will contain insights and questions submitted by those who are taking the challenge to read through the Bible in 90 days. If you'd like to join us, but don't attend EFCHB, you can drop me a line and I'll send you a PDF version of the reading calendar.
Our adventure in God's story will begin Monday, August 24 and end November 21. At EFCHB we will meet on Sunday mornings to talk about what we're learning beginning, Sunday, September 6 at 10:30 a.m. (sharp) in the Chapel of the Cornerstone Building and ending November 22.
So, if you're up to the challenge, join us on a 90-day, non-stop journey through the Bible.
Check out EFCHBBiblein90Days.blogspot.com. A group of us at the Evangelical Free Church of Huntington Beach (EFCHB) are going to read the Bible in its entirety in just 90 days (Bible in Ninety Days=B.I.N.D.). And we are going to read it chronologically. That means Job will follow Genesis 11. David's songs will be read during the season of his life in which they were written. The various prophets will be read during the narrative on the period in which they prophesied. Paul's letters will be read at the appropriate spot in the Acts narrative.
If you'd like to join us in the journey, you can do so anonymously (as the thousands do who read this blog and never comment), or you can become a "follower" by joining the blog and you'll be alerted when someone posts.
The blog will contain insights and questions submitted by those who are taking the challenge to read through the Bible in 90 days. If you'd like to join us, but don't attend EFCHB, you can drop me a line and I'll send you a PDF version of the reading calendar.
Our adventure in God's story will begin Monday, August 24 and end November 21. At EFCHB we will meet on Sunday mornings to talk about what we're learning beginning, Sunday, September 6 at 10:30 a.m. (sharp) in the Chapel of the Cornerstone Building and ending November 22.
So, if you're up to the challenge, join us on a 90-day, non-stop journey through the Bible.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Seeds
For many years now I've been collecting quotes that act as prompts for blogs and illustrations for sermons. I thought I would share some of these with you with the hope that they will stimulate your own thinking.
Never teach a child something they will later have to unlearn. —Earl Palmer
People go through three conversions in the Christian faith: their head, their heart and their purse. —Martin Luther
The truth is never a wrong answer. —Brother Cadfael in The Virgin in the Ice by Ellis Peters
The times most favorable to fits of depression, I have experienced, may be summed up in a brief catalogue. First, among them I mention the hour of great success. When at last a long-cherished desire is fulfilled, when God has been glorified greatly by our means, a great triumph achieved… Before any great achievement, some measure of the same depression is very usual… This depression comes over me whenever the Lord is preparing a larger blessing for my ministry… In the midst of a long stretch of unbroken labor, the same affliction may be looked for. The bow cannot be always bent without fear of breaking… —Charles H. Spurgeon
Doing good is imperative. Doing everything is impossible. — Grant Howard
The fact that you were okay yesterday has nothing to do with whether you are going to be so today. The fact that you were close to God yesterday has nothing to do with whether you are going to be close to God today. All Satan needs is an opportunity. You don’t even have to open the door for the devil. Just leave it unlocked; he knows how to turn the knob. —Tony Evans
The qualification for having a public ministry is not giftedness. The qualification for ministry is proven character. —Steve Farrar
Sin will take you farther than you wanted to go; keep you longer than you wanted to stay; cost you more than you wanted to pay. —Steve Farrar
Many believers are simply frantic over the fact of failure in their lives, and they will go to all lengths in trying to hide it, ignore it, or rationalize about it. And all the time they are resisting the main instrument in the Father’s hand for conforming us to the image of His Son! —Miles Stanford
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