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.
Monday, July 27, 2009
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
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