Complicated

I Have Moved

2010-03-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

I have moved to my own domain: www.joshuastrickler.com

I'm sorry to make you all do this but you will need to go to the new site and switch over your bookmarks and rss feeds.

Thank you for your continued support.

4th Sunday of Lent 2010

2010-03-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

“Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen” – The Book of Common Prayer

Jesus said in John 6:48-51: “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

A constant theme in the background of this Lenten season has been how much we need to rely on Christ. We always fail in our human weaknesses, but with the power of Christ in our lives, we can be victorious.

This week, what has been in the background has come to the forefront. We learn what is most important for our lives: that we eat from the bread of life that is Christ. Earthly food can only sustain and give us strength for a limited time. Heavenly food can sustain and give us strength for eternity.

We must constantly partake of the bread of life so that we may be sustained throughout this life and the next. We cannot hope to overcome sin without this heavenly food.

As we continue this Lenten journey, be sure that as you are fasting you are also partaking of Christ so that you may overcome all adversity.

3rd Sunday of Lent 2010

2010-03-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

“Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.” – The Book of Common Prayer

What a sobering thought: We are hopeless and helpless, both physically and spiritually. So often, we think that we can do it ourselves. We rely on God for the “big” stuff, but figure we are strong enough to handle the “little” stuff.

However, this should come as no surprise. Even when humans have everything going for them, they seem to mess it up. Consider Adam and Eve. They had everything anyone could ever want, not only physically but also spiritually. They had God coming down out of heaven every day to walk and talk with them, yet when they listened to the serpent, instead of God, they failed.

The Apostle Paul is another prime example. Before he became a Christian, Paul was Saul, “The Hebrew of Hebrews.” However, even this great writer of the majority of the New Testament said in Romans 7:15: “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.”

We need to remember the exhortation given to us by Jude: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” When all else fails the love of God sustains us.

We are not alone. As those who profess faith in Christ, we have the creator of the universe on our side. Christ is willing to help, guide and protect us from all “adversities which may happen to the body, and from all thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul.”

As we continue our Lenten journey, remember that we cannot do anything on our own. We need the power of Christ to guide and protect us through every circumstance in life.

2nd Sunday of Lent 2010

2010-02-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

“O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ thy Son; who with thee and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” The Book of Common Prayer

Historically, one of the purposes of Lent was to bring back into fellowship those whose sin led to excommunication. While our sin has not led to excommunication, all of us sin on a daily basis. No one is perfect. We have all gone astray.

We constantly need God to bring about repentance in us. Repentance is a word that is tossed about quite frequently in the Church, yet its frequent use can cause it to lose its meaning.

Repentance means more than just expressing regret for one’s past sins. Repentance is a complete turning, a changing of the mind. It is a conscious decision to leave the sin of the past and move to a glorious new future in Christ.

However, we need Christ’s help. We should be praying on a daily basis for Christ to bring us “again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of [His] Word.”

As we continue this Lenten journey, ask Christ to bring you to repentance and to help you to hold steadfast to the faith.

1st Sunday of Lent 2010

2010-02-20T22:41:00.000-08:00

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan; Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. – The Book of Common Prayer

In this Lenten prayer for the first Sunday of Lent we hear echoes of the book of Hebrews:

"Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Our Savior, according to Scripture, was tempted in every way that we are. He is in heaven right now waiting to give us mercy and grace. As we continue our Lenten fast we will be tempted to break the fast, to give in to our human weaknesses and sin. Our Savior knows our weakness and our hope rests on His holy word that we can “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Let us hold true to our commitment to fast, search our hearts and seek God this Lenten season.

Ash Wednesday

2010-02-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wickedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. – The Book of Common Prayer

The Ash Wednesday service is one of the only times year that we seriously and methodically focus upon the frailty of the human condition. We are reminded through prayers and scripture readings that we are sinful creatures in need of salvation. Through the imposition of the ash we are reminded just how fragile life is: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

The above prayer that opens the Episcopal Ash Wednesday service is a wonderful and humbling way to begin Lent, a season of fasting and prayer. From the outset we are reminded that God is merciful. We confess that we are wicked sinful creatures and need to obtain forgiveness from God. We also acknowledge that it is only through God that we can change from a life of sinfulness to a life of righteousness.

As we journey through this season of fasting and prayer keep the above prayer in your heart. Keep it as a reminder of the reason we are fasting: “That we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wickedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness.” Remember the words of hope it brings: “Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent.“ And also, remember the final destination of this season of fasting and prayer: Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ, whose death and resurrection paved the way for us to be forgiven.

The Snowflake

2009-12-25T00:16:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was sitting in the living room examining the Christmas tree. We have a lot of lights and ornaments. As many a variety of ornaments, I think, as a tree can hold. Our tree has hand made ornaments, fine glass ornaments, cheesy toy ornaments and even a spaceship or two (okay ten).

But, the ornament that caught my eye was a cheap plastic snowflake covered in glitter. There are many just like it on the tree. I am sure that many years ago my mom bought them in a pack of 10 or 20 for less than a buck.

As I sat looking at this ornament I was taken back to a simpler time, at least for me it was simpler. It was back when I was in grade school and I took one of those ornaments to school and taped it to my desk. I wanted to decorate my desk for Christmas and that ornament was one I could take without mom getting worried about it getting lost or broken.

For me it was a time before holiday performances and concerts to attend. Before the family was so busy that planning the Christmas gathering was an act of congress. And maybe I was shielded from it, but before saying “Merry Christmas” was something that you had to be concerned about offending someone.

I have been greatly bothered this year by how the “magic” of Christmas seems to have disappeared. I know that I have changed and my life has gotten more complicated. I have things in my life now that I have never had before. There are things I thank God for everyday and things that I ask God to help change everyday.

I wonder if I have changed so much that I no longer see the “magic” of Christmas as I saw as a child. I wonder if in all my studies, growing up and growing more cynical with life has changed me to the point that I am no longer able to experience Christmas as I did as a child.

As I was writing this I was reminded again of one of the most amazing newspaper columns ever written. Veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church wrote it for the September 21, 1897 edition of New York’s Sun publication. It has become known around the world as “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” I would encourage you to read the whole column, but I want to quote the part that means the most to me:

“Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.”

Christmas is all about the unseeable. Science tells us that each individual snowflake is different, but we cannot see that with the naked eye. God created each of us as individuals different from each other, just as He created each individual snowflake different from another.

I know that sometimes I have gotten so busy that I forget to notice the beauty of God’s creation. There is a great diversity that exists in all created things. But sometimes because of life it becomes unseeable. I forget why we do all the things we do at this time of year.

I wonder if maybe the “magic” of Christmas is lost on me because I have forgotten it. Maybe the “magic” of Christmas is nothing external but it is an internal unseeable thing. That maybe the most important thing about Christmas is not all the gifts, parties, concerts, church services and whatever else we find to cram into a few short weeks in December.

The most important thing about Christmas is remembering why we do all the crazy stuff. That in some far away land, a long time ago a baby was born. He was born in the most humble of circumstances and yet angels and a bright shining star announced His birth.

The heart of Christmas is that the most lowly and unlikely of places can become a holy space, that the most unlikely birth can change the world. That God who takes so much care to make no two snowflakes the same took time to save the world.

Advent - Week 4 : Peace

2009-12-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting.”
Therefore He shall give them up,
Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth;
Then the remnant of His brethren
Shall return to the children of Israel.
And He shall stand and feed His flock
In the strength of the LORD,
In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God;
And they shall abide,
For now He shall be great
To the ends of the earth;
And this One shall be peace. -- Micah 5:2-5a

In this great Messianic prophecy we hear echoes of Isaiah. Micah tells us, “And this One shall be peace” and Isaiah tells us, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).

All throughout Scripture, God promises peace to His children. In Leviticus, God promises Israel that if they will keep His covenant “I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land“ (Leviticus 26:6).

Our God is the God of peace. He wants to bring peace to your life and mine. However, the thing that prevents that is what we do. More accurately, it is our sin. We sin everyday, willfully and unknowingly. God in His infinite love and mercy uses anything and everything He can to bring us to repentance and set our lives on the right path. In many cases this includes the lack of peace in our lives.

God wants to give us peace, and when we find that we are truly resting in Him, we have a peace that passes all understanding. And we also have the promise from His word that in the end, if we are faithful to Him, we will enter into His eternal rest and peace. We will live and reign with Him forever in paradise. That thought should bring us peace and hope now in the midst of all the chaos of this world.

As we begin the final week of our Advent journey, let us remember that everything God does is for us, that the hope we have in God, the love He freely gives and joy that trusting God brings should lead us to peace. Knowing that we serve the God of the Universe, who made the effort to save us and direct our lives, should inspire us to follow Him daily and in that effort find peace.

The following are promises and examples of peace from God’s Word. As you read each days passage, if you are not at peace, take time to ask God why. He will show you, as He desires to bring peace to your life.

Monday - John 16:32-33
Tuesday - Psalm 4:7-8
Wednesday - Hebrews 13:20-21
Thursday (Last day of the Season Advent) - Job 5:22-24
Friday (First day of the Season of Christmas) - Merry Christmas - Luke 2:1-20

Advent - Week 3 : Joy

2009-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Sing, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
The LORD has taken away your judgments,
He has cast out your enemy.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
You shall see disaster no more.
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

“ Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.
The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
“ I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly,
Who are among you,
To whom its reproach is a burden.
Behold, at that time
I will deal with all who afflict you;
I will save the lame,
And gather those who were driven out;
I will appoint them for praise and fame
In every land where they were put to shame.
At that time I will bring you back,
Even at the time I gather you;
For I will give you fame and praise
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I return your captives before your eyes,”
Says the LORD. -- Zephaniah 3:14-20

Something amazing happens in this passage of Scripture: “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” So often we rejoice over what the LORD has done for us, that we do not realize that He rejoices over us.

We forget that our sins grieve God, that He endured horrific torture and death in order to secure our salvation, so when we are restored He rejoices, which in turn should bring joy to our lives.

The God who created everything rejoices over us when we are restored to righteousness. We can see the joy of God in the story of the prodigal son. The father is so joyful the son has returned that he restores everything to the son. So it is with God--when we return He rejoices and restores everything to us, which should bring us joy.

As we continue this Advent journey together, let us never forget the joy we have in being restored to God and the joy He has in restoring us.

The following are examples from God’s Word in which we are given reasons to rejoice or in which God rejoices because of us. Read each day’s example, and let the hope that God brings and the love He pours out on us to bring us eternal joy.

Monday - 1 Peter 1:6-9
Tuesday - Psalm 5:11-12
Wednesday - Luke 2:9-11
Thursday - Jeremiah 33:8-9
Friday - Luke 15:8-10
Saturday - Isaiah 9:2-3

Advent - Week 2 : Love

2009-12-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

“Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the LORD of hosts.
“ But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the LORD
An offering in righteousness.
“ Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
Will be pleasant to the LORD,
As in the days of old,
As in former years. -- Malachi 3:1-4

What a strange way to start a week of focusing on God’s love. This is a message from the prophet Malachi on what it will be like when Messiah comes. It does not sound very enjoyable. He will come and purify so that we can offer an acceptable offering of righteousness to the LORD.

The process of purification is not always an enjoyable one. It involves removing things in our lives that separate us from God. Some of those things we may not want to admit we struggle with, or we like the sin in our lives and do not want to be purified of it.

But when the Messiah comes, we will be purified. We will be able to make the offering of righteousness that the LORD desires, and this will all be accomplished because of the love of God, a God who is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9b) is willing to send His Son to purify us so that we can be in relationship with Him.

As we continue this Advent journey together, let us remember that everything we have or ever will have comes from the hand of a loving God.

The following are examples of God’s love for us from God’s Word. Read each day’s example and take time to meditate on it and thank God for the love He bestows upon you.

Monday - Romans 5:6-11
Tuesday - Deuteronomy 7:11-13
Wednesday - John 3:16-17
Thursday - Psalm 42:5-8
Friday - 1 John 4:9-12
Saturday - Psalm 136

Advent - Week 1 : Hope

2009-11-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah:
‘In those days and at that time
I will cause to grow up to David
A Branch of righteousness;
He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
In those days Judah will be saved,
And Jerusalem will dwell safely.
And this is the name by which she will be called:

THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. -- Jeremiah 33:14-16

A good definition of “hope” is to look forward to something with desire and have a reasonable confidence that it will happen.

The hope we have is something that the world does not understand. Where the world sees only death, poverty, war and disease, we can see the promise of God. We know that one day He will return and restore all things.

As Christians we know that what God has promised He will fulfill. We have God’s Word that states “that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.” The Bible is filled with promises that God has fulfilled, and this one is no different. It has not been fulfilled yet, but we have the desire and reasonable confidence that it will happen. We have the hope of God’s promise, the promise that we will live and reign with Him forever, that all things will be restored, that there will be no sickness or death, and the entire world will be at peace.

As we travel this Advent journey together, let us remember that our hope is based on nothing less than the Word of God.

The following are promises of our hope from God’s Word. Read each day’s promise and take time to meditate on it, thanking God for the hope you have in Him.

Monday - Isaiah 2:1-5
Tuesday - Matthew 24:36-44
Wednesday - Micah 4:1-4
Thursday - James 5:7-10
Friday - Isaiah 35:1-10
Saturday - 1 John 5:1-12

Sorry

2009-10-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

I wish to apologize for my lack of posting. I've been distracted by several events in my life.

1) I'm engaged
2) Started planning a wedding
3) Looking for a job

I had a job interview on Friday. I think it was a good one, please pray that if it's the right fit God would open the door for me.

Hopefully I will start posting again soon.

Josh

Play

2009-09-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis may notice a constant theme of balance in life. I spend quite a bit of time thinking about how to live a balanced and healthy life, asking myself questions like: What things in life are important? Is this a good activity? Am I getting enough rest, nutrition and exercise? This list could go on, but these few examples should give you the gist of what my thoughts often are and why I often blog on the subject.

Last month night I attended my first “Port and Pipe” night with some friends from college. They smoke pipes, drink port and attempt to play poker (for fun, not for money). The point is to have fun, socialize and play.

I have another group of friends that typically gets together once a week to play board and card games. Sometimes we do dinner, while other times we get together to celebrate holidays, birthdays and other life events. However, the main purpose of our gatherings is to relax, have fun and play.

I’ve been wondering the past few weeks if we play enough. We fill our lives with so many different things: church, work, school, weddings, funerals, and volunteering, to name a few. But do we include play in our list of things to do? In living a balanced life we try to include down time, alone time, resting time, but do we include playtime?

According to Dictionary.com, the verb “play” means “to exercise or employ oneself in diversion, amusement, or recreation.”

I’ll often joke that kindergarten was the best grade in school. When I went, it was for a half day. We would get to class, work on a project, have recess, listen to a story, do a craft, take a nap, do another project and go home. What could not have been great about that? We would play, relax, socialize and have a bit of learning all going on in the space of a few hours. I wonder if society needs to take another look at how kindergarten is structured and rethink some things.
As a society we seem to fill our lives with so many concerns, activities and responsibilities. Is it any wonder that we live stress-filled lives? The news constantly bombards us with reports on “Cheney: Obama Setting A 'Terrible Precedent',” “Severe H1N1 Warning” “Fired for Refusing Sex?” “Florida Man's Body Found Tangled in Bulldozer” and a plethora of other headlines. The human mind body and spirit can only take so much.

We desperately need time to play. We need to distract ourselves with amusement or recreation. As we all strive to live healthier lives I would encourage you to find time in your busy schedules to play.

Abraham

2009-09-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

“Now the Lord said to Abram, go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you….So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him…” Genesis 12:1-2a; 4a

“By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8

Something new and amazing is going on here. This is not just another man listening to the voice of God, stepping out in faith. This is Abram, the father of faith. The man who would later be renamed Abraham, the father of many nations; the man who would one day offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice to God. So many great things this man did, and the one thing he is remembered most for in the book of Hebrews is that when God called he went.

What was so special and so amazing about Abram going “forth as the Lord had spoken to him”? In Thomas Cahill’s book The Gift of the Jews we begin to see a picture of what was so special with this one act of faith.

From what we understand of the history of the region Abram came out of there are many things that make this such an extraordinary event. First, God was probably one of many gods Abram worshiped. Abram in all likelihood had no concept of one all sovereign God. And yet, at this strange command Abram goes. Second, Abram was coming out of a land where the status quo was more important than it is today. There really were no ‘dreamers’ or ‘optimists’. In their worldview history moved in cycles, seasons changed, you were born you died and the only reason to offer homage to the gods was to ensure a good harvest, so the cycle would continue. There was no concept of God directing history towards an ultimate goal (as the Christians and the Jews believe).

What was so amazing was that God was calling Abram out of everything he knew and believed: everything familiar, his home, his family, his entire view of the world and how things worked. God was calling Abram to a whole new way of thinking and living. And the most amazing thing is that Abram went. No questions asked, no excuses, he just went.

Confessions

2009-07-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

The other night I was having a discussion with a friend about the topic of “confession,” specifically the differences between how the Catholic and Protestant churches handle confession. As a note of background, my friend is a Protestant, his wife is Catholic and I am a Protestant but have spent quite a bit of time studying the Catholic church and its practices.

In the Catholic church one goes to “confession.” In essence you go sit in a little booth, confess your sins to the priest, and he dispenses penance if necessary, then absolves you of your sins.

In the Protestant church one is admonished to confess one’s sins to God and if necessary share your “struggles” with a brother or sister in Christ, or your pastor for prayer and support.

These are two very different approaches.

The idea of confession comes from James 5:16: “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

Confessing one’s sins is a very hard, personal thing. It is an admittance that one has failed in keeping God’s law. But, I think it does much more. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1455:

“The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even from a simply human point of view, frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Through such an admission man looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible.”

I have heard many times throughout my life that someone who has a problem cannot deal with it until that person admits that there is a problem. What strength could one gain if one had the ability to go to someone, confess one’s sins, struggles and concerns and get prayer and support.

I have had people in my life that I have felt comfortable sharing some things with, but not everything. I have been around too many well-meaning Christians who share something that was told them in confidence because “this person needs prayer.” Then it gets around, and finally the person is very hurt (and in some cases leaves the church) because something they thought they were sharing in confidence was not kept in confidence.

Because of this, the past few years I have been considering the idea of how the Catholics handle confession. One goes to a booth anonymously confesses to a priest who has sworn a solemn vow of secrecy, and receives absolution.

While I do believe that only God can forgive sins, I am wondering if there is not some value in this. I know that if I had someplace to go confess, get prayer and know that 1) my confession was secret, and 2) my confession was anonymous, I would go quite frequently.

Maybe my issue is lack of trust rather than needing a place to confess, because I do have brothers and sisters in Christ I can go to with some things, but I do not feel comfortable sharing everything.

At times I have even thought about going to a Catholic church for confession and telling the priest that I am a Protestant and just need to unburden my soul and receive prayer.

However, I think the deeper need is the need to confess. I do not want to give someone a laundry list of my sins so that I can go out and keep sinning, but I want to confess in a way that is like the Catechism says: “Through such an admission man looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible” which is another way to say what James says: “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

Expect the Unexpected

2009-06-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

This picture has become a reminder to me that sometimes the best things in life are unexpected.

This picture, I took September 2008 at the Portland Street of Dreams. I almost deleted it. I didn't like the lighting, it was out of focus, not really my best work. However, I kinda liked the shadows and kept it around as something I might reference later as an idea for another picture.

So as I usually do I posted this picture to my Flickr account to share with my friends. Something strange happened. This picture (as of today 6/15/09) has more comments on it from non-friends than any other picture I have. It is the only one of my pictures that has been invited to join a special group. 5 people call it one of their favorite shots and it has been viewed 110 times (more than any other picture on that account).

I was (and still am) highly baffled by this. I still do not think it is a great shot. I still criticize the same issues that I did after I took it. But, other people see beauty in it.

I think the same is true with life. We tend to get down on ourselves when things do not go as planned. My life certainly has not gone as planned.

I am currently unemployed, dating a wonderful girl - who lives three hours away and staying with my parents until I can find a new job.

On the one hand it is very easy for me to get depressed about this whole situation. I am not working and I wonder if I am ever going to find a job. My girlfriend lives three hours away. I love her very much but want to see her more often than I do - and being unemployed it makes it hard to move forward in the relationship or make a lot trips to see her. I am living with my parents - need I say more?

However, on the other hand I have an amazing life. Yes, I am unemployed but I have family and friends doing everything they can to help me find a job. Yes, my girlfriend lives three hours away, but she understand my situation. She helps me out where and when she can and is willing to do for me as much as I am for her. Sure, I am living with my parents, but at least I have a roof over my head and food to eat.

So like this picture, my life is not what I wanted or expected it to be. But it still has beauty in it. It is still blessed by God. I would not trade my life right now for anything. And as I look at this picture I remember that not everything is as I perceive it to be.

Pentecost

2009-05-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

We are all familiar with the story of Pentecost from Acts chapter 2. The disciples were sitting together in the upper room praying and waiting as Jesus had instructed, when suddenly the Holy Spirit came down upon them and each one began to speak in “other tongues.”

Many times in church we get so caught up in the coming of the Holy Spirit and debating what “other tongues” means that we miss the true importance of the event.

Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, celebrates the birth of the Church. For the first time since creation, God created something new, not just another synagogue or temple for people who adhere to a specific set of beliefs. God created, using humans, the living Body of Christ.

Pentecost is a reminder to us that we are the Body of Christ. From Pentecost to rapture we are to be on this earth fulfilling the prophecy of Jesus in John 14:12, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

Pentecost is a reminder that we are the Body of Christ. We are Christ’s representatives on this earth. How we act is how people perceive Christ in the real world.

Are you fulfilling the prophecy of Jesus? Are you living your life as Christ’s representative?

Suffering

2009-05-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

One of the most poignant questions that a person of faith can ask is, “How can a good, all-powerful God allow his creation to suffer?” Whether or not a person realizes it, there are three questions embedded within the original question of suffering. What is suffering? What is its purpose? What should be a Christian’s response to suffering? Without exploring these three questions it is difficult to gain a complete picture of suffering and why God allows it.^[i]

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, to suffer is “to feel pain or distress; sustain loss, injury, harm, or punishment.”^[ii] That is probably the most concise definition of suffering that can be written. However, as anyone who has experienced suffering will testify, true suffering cannot be described in words.

When looking at suffering it is important to look at its three main causes: nature (or natural forces), humanity, and supernatural forces^[iii].

Natural forces that cause suffering include anything from a tornado destroying a home to cancer destroying a life. One feels completely helpless at the mercy of forces that cannot be controlled. This can be the most torturous form of suffering because there appears to be no purpose or even a rational (or irrational) cause.

Some would say that one person’s inhumanity towards another causes the greatest suffering in the world. One person inflicts harm upon another, motivated by desperation or uncontrollable urges to selfishness or vengeance. This form of suffering taints human history going back to the time when Cain committed the first murder.^[iv]The third cause of suffering--supernatural forces--includes God, Satan, angels and demons. The plagues that God brought down on Egypt^[v] caused suffering for a great number of Egyptians.^[vi] Satan, by deceiving Eve and causing her to lead Adam to sin, is the instigator of all suffering in human existence. The angels and demons merely carry out the commands of God or Satan respectively.

When looking at what suffering is, it is also necessary to understand where it originated. As previously mentioned, suffering exists as a result of sin entering into the world, which is seen in God’s judgment of Adam and Eve.

To the woman He said:
"I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”

Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:

“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.”^[vii]

It is clear that life was very different for Adam and Eve before sin entered into the world. Childbearing was not painful, but after they sinned, the woman was told that childbearing would be painful. The garden provided food for Adam and Eve, and they did not have to work for it, but after they sinned, God pronounced that they would have to work for their food.

If all suffering could be attributed to punishment for sin, we would never ask the “why” question. But, since suffering is so widespread and renders harm to innocents, it is hard to believe that it is only a punishment for sin.

The only way to respond to the “why” of suffering is to assume that God allows it because it serves a legitimate purpose in God’s eternal plan.^[viii] One can also infer that if suffering is allowed it serves a purpose beyond the pain it causes.

Some suffering can only be explained as a result of, or punishment for, sin. However, there are some positive explanations for the rest.

A certain amount of suffering can serve as a warning. Physical pain can be a sign of great warning. For example, if someone hits his or her thumb with a hammer, that person may keep hammering and cause horrific damage, if it were not for the physical pain caused by the first hit. Pain, while unpleasant, can serve as a warning of even more pain and suffering.

Suffering also serves as a warning against spiritual harm. In the Book of Joel we read of a locust plague that covered Judah and caused great devastation. God gave a message to Judah through the prophet Joel, saying that the coming Day of the Lord would cause the locust plague to seem as nothing, but if the people turned from their ways and returned to the Lord, he would bless them and not destroy them.^[ix]

James and Paul write that suffering also produces personal growth. James tells us to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”^[x] Later he writes, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”^[xi] In the same manner Paul tells us, “We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”^[xii] According to both of these great men of the Bible, suffering is a positive thing, producing positive character attributes worthy of the Christian lifestyle. Enduring suffering is a way to draw closer to God.

Finally, some suffering serves to accomplish a divine purpose. John tells the story of a blind man whom Jesus healed. When Jesus is asked why this man was born blind, he replies, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”^[xiii] Suffering, in this instance, was used to bring glory to God.

In the Book of Job we see a vision of the heavens when Satan comes before God to accuse Job. He questions God, saying, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.”^[xiv]> God then allows Satan to cause a great deal of suffering in Job’s life to prove that Job serves God for more than just the blessings that God has given him. In the end, Job’s continued obedience to God defeats Satan and vindicates God’s righteousness.

Having explored what suffering is, where it came from and what the causes are, it is necessary to explore the final question: What should be a Christian’s response to suffering? A Christian’s response to suffering should always be to turn to God. As the author of Hebrews tells us, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”^[xv]and later,

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.^[xvi]We are told to go to God--not a distant uncaring God, but one who has suffered as we do, one who understands what it means to suffer, one who will give us mercy and grace to help in our time of need.

In conclusion, the answer to the original question, “How can a good, all powerful God allow his creation to suffer?” may be best stated, “God allows suffering in order to change people (groups or individuals) in their relationship with Him.” We may not ever understand why we had to endure what we had to endure. We may never see the benefit. But, we can take comfort in the fact that God allowed it for a reason: either to change ourselves or to change those around us.

______________________

[i] I am not saying the topic of suffering is easy even with these questions. I am merely stating that these questions may help the individual to explore the topic.

[ii] suffering. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved November 04, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/suffering

[iii] I concede that there may be some forms of suffering that may not fit into any category listed here. However, I feel that these three categories provide a “blanket” under which everything can at least tenuously be placed under one of the headings for the sake of this paper, especially when we do not fully understand the causes of certain forms of suffering.

[iv] Genesis 4

[v] Exodus 9 - 11

[vi] I am only commenting here that God was the instigator of the suffering. I am not commenting on God’s motives to inflict such suffering on the Egyptians.

[vii] Genesis 3:16-19 (NKJV)

[viii] The following is developed primarily from a course outline provided for Theology 507 at Multnomah Biblical Seminary, Fall 2005 by Dr. Daniel R. Lockwood.

[ix] Joel 2

[x] James 1:2-3

[xi] James 1:12

[xii] Romans 5:3-4

[xiii] John 9:3

[xiv] Job 1:9-10

[xv] Hebrews 2:18

[xvi] Hebrews 4:14-16

Palm Sunday

2009-04-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

When we celebrate Palm Sunday, what are we truly celebrating?

In part we are not celebrating anything. Palm Sunday represents the beginning of the end for Jesus’s earthly ministry. Less than a week later he will be crucified and buried. He enters Jerusalem with celebration and excitement. The people are declaring Jesus to be their king and Messiah, the one who will deliver them and bring peace to Jerusalem. The entire city wonders who this man is and what is happening at the gate. The Pharisees know and do not like it, so they concoct a plan and set it in motion and Jesus is arrested, tried, falsely convicted and killed. He enters the city in victory and leaves in what appears to be utter tragedy. But that is not the end.

He rose from the dead and is in heaven interceding with the Father for us. And we are celebrating a future “Palm Sunday.” We are celebrating a day that will come when Jesus will once again enter Jerusalem in victory. Only this time it will not end in tragedy; it will result in Jesus setting up His eternal Kingdom, in which we will live and reign with Him forever.

Fifth Sunday in Lent

2009-03-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

As we enter the last weeks of Lent we should look back and remember why we started this Lenten journey.

We started a 40 day fast because Jesus fasted. One of the goals of the Christian life is to be imitators of Christ, and we have a yearly fast as one way to help us accomplish this goal.

We started the fast because at various times throughout Scripture God calls his people to fast and pray. God called his people to step out of the normal routine of life for the purpose of removing sin from their lives and to draw them closer to Him.

This is the most important reason we fast, to allow God a chance to shake up our lives, to draw out of us the “sin that so easily ensnares” and to lead us into a fuller richer life with Him.

As we come close to the end of our Lenten journey and prepare for coming celebration of Easter, remember why you began the fast and be sure to finish it with the same purpose as you started.

Fourth Sunday in Lent

2009-03-21T15:15:00.000-07:00

What a difference a week makes. Last week we were struggling with maintaining our fast and not wavering. This week it seems that the struggle is not so much maintaining our fast, but remembering that it is only temporary.

It has been long enough that now what was once a struggle may be becoming part of everyday life. Something that is not out of the ordinary. Which is more dangerous than struggling with keeping our fast.

Struggling to keep our fast means that we still feel like we are giving something up for God, that we are working to maintain the commitment we made. Now, if it becomes something not out of the ordinary, we may forget why we are fasting, why what we are doing is important.

As we continue on our Lenten journey, remember that you are fasting for a purpose. Do not let your fast become so commonplace that it loses its meaning.

Third Sunday in Lent

2009-03-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

As we begin the third week of Lent, it might be tempting to let your fast slip.

Nothing permanent--just indulge this once. Break the fast because it is getting hard.

You may be saying to yourself: God will understand. After all, He created me. He knows I am not perfect. But, He also knows that you made the commitment to a Lenten fast.

Remember Jesus’s fasting and testing in the wilderness. He was in the scorching desert without food or water. He was tested to break His fast by none other than Satan. Imagine the pressure that Satan would put on the Son of God to sin, then compare that to the pressure you are feeling to break your fast.

Take strength and courage from the fact that Jesus did not break under the kind of pressure that we cannot imagine. Take comfort in the fact that He, according to the Book of Hebrews, is in heaven right now, interceding for you as one who has suffered and endured.

Second Sunday in Lent

2009-03-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

This year as we continue our Lenten fast it is beneficial that we remember Jesus’s teaching on fasting. Matthew’s gospel tells us:

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

Fasting is a private act between you and God, to be seen only by God. Remember that you are fasting not to earn the respect and favor of the other Christians around you. You are fasting to draw closer to God. It is a private act to show God how important He is to you, and as Jesus told us, God will see your devotion and reward you for it.

First Sunday in Lent

2009-02-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

Lent is a season of fasting and repentance. One of the most commonly asked questions is “Why do we fast at Lent?”

We fast at Lent first and foremost because Jesus fasted. He went into the wilderness for 40 days to fast and be tested by Satan. Lent is 40 days of fasting because of Jesus’s 40 days in the wilderness.

We also fast at Lent because God, throughout the Old Testament, called His children to a holy fast. One of the most poignant instances of this is found in the book Joel.

“Now, therefore,” says the LORD,

“Turn to Me with all your heart,

With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”

So rend your heart, and not your garments;

Return to the LORD your God,

For He is gracious and merciful,

Slow to anger, and of great kindness;

And He relents from doing harm.

Who knows if He will turn and relent,

And leave a blessing behind Him—

Most importantly, we fast as a way to draw closer to God. We actively remove something from our daily lives and replace it with prayer. We make the conscious effort to say to God, “You are more important than anything in my life. Please show me the areas in my life that I need to improve so that I can draw closer to you.”

Ash Wednesday

2009-02-21T14:27:00.000-08:00

“Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledge our wretchedness may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.” The Book of Common Prayer

Thus begins the liturgical Ash Wednesday Service. A service designed to remind us that we are sinners and are in need of repentance. It reminds us that we are made from the dust of the ground and that one day we will return to that dust. Ash Wednesday puts our lives in perspective with the universe. But, it also gives us hope that God, who is all-powerful, will forgive us if we truly repent.

Ash Wednesday also marks the beginning of Lent, a season of repentance and fasting. It is a period of time for Christians to pause and take stock of their lives before the tragedy of Holy Week and the triumphant celebration of Easter. Lent is 40 days, modeled after Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness in preparation of His earthly ministry.

Wednesday February 25, 2009 is the first day of Lent. I would encourage you to find and attend an Ash Wednesday service. Let the ash that is placed on your forehead serve as a reminder of the dust that we are made of. Allow God to speak to you and direct your fast, so that it will challenge and change your life.

Struggling With Prayer

2009-02-03T16:39:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I received as a present a hand held labyrinth. I have been a fan of the labyrinth for years. Walking the path almost takes one out of the real world and into a place of walking solely with God.

To the uninitiated a labyrinth may seem a bit strange. Just walking around a maze that has no exit. The experience is so much more than that.

According to Wikipedia “Labyrinths can be thought of as symbolic forms of pilgrimage; people can walk the path, ascending toward salvation or enlightenment. Many people could not afford to travel to holy sites and lands, so labyrinths and prayer substituted for such travel. Many newly made labyrinths exist today, in churches and parks. Labyrinths are used by modern mystics to help achieve a contemplative state. Walking among the turnings, one loses track of direction and of the outside world, and thus quiets his mind.”

I use it as a way to calm my mind enter the presence of God without distraction. Using the stylus and tracing the pattern I am able to block all the distractions from around me and focus on God. It has become almost a daily ritual as I seek God.

It has become a journey to me. I enter the labyrinth with God, and as we walk towards the center, we talk about general things, leaving the world behind. When we reach the center, we stop as far away from the world as we can get and discuss the serious matters we need to discuss. Once we finish we walk back out from the center and conclude our discussion as we reach the world once again.

I realize this may sound very mystical, but I am a very visual person. It helps me in my prayer life to visualize God with me, walking and talking.

I do not know what works for you. But I would encourage you, that if you are having a struggle in your prayer life, try the labyrinth. It helped me refocus my prayer life, it may help you.

White Christmas?

2008-12-23T09:31:00.000-08:00

It looks like Portland, OR is going to have a white Christmas for the first time in years.

I'm personally very excited about this. It may delay or cancel some of my plans, but this happens so rarely I think I can enjoy it.

Here are some of the pictures I have taken of this exciting "snow event"

All of my snow pictures can be found here

4th Sunday of Advent - Peace

2008-12-20T16:09:00.000-08:00

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 or Luke 1:47-55
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

We live in a world where the idea of peace seems to be a fantasy. Just turn on the news and the events and situations that present themselves are at times unbelievable. Someone has done something despicable to someone else. A husband is accused of killing his wife. A car bomb has killed innocent people in someone’s attempt to make a statement.

And even closer to home in our own lives peace is something that always seems to be out of our grasp. Things are bad at work, which for some reason we cannot leave at work. The test last week did not go well and next week’s test does not look any better. We feel sick and know something is wrong, but the doctors keep telling us that we are fine.

Yet Jesus speaks to us of peace in the midst of everything going on around us. This is one of those things that make us wonder (but would never admit to) if He remembers what life here on earth is like, because maybe He has been in heaven long enough that He sees everything through “rose colored glasses”.

But we must not forget that Jesus spoke these words while He was on earth. Before He was crucified, knowing what was coming. Jesus knew the pain, agony and death that was coming and He still spoke of peace. He spoke of a heavenly peace. A peace that we cannot understand. A peace that we would have in the midst of all the painful and frustrating experiences of this life. A peace that would make life not just bearable, but something we can enjoy.

The scriptures above are from the Revised Common Lectionary copyright ©1992 Consultation on Common Texts for Year B, the Fourth Sunday in Advent.

3rd Sunday of Advent - Joy

2008-12-13T09:48:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

Psalm 126 or Luke 1:47-55

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Many people try to put joy and happiness in the same camp. They think that they are just different ways to say the same thing or convey an idea. However, that is not the case. Unlike happiness, joy has nothing to do with circumstances, joy comes from hope.

It is hard to talk about joy without talking about hope. As Christians our joy flows out of the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Many who have no hope live lives of utter desperation without happiness, joy or satisfaction.

We we have hope because Jesus Christ has saved us from our sins. But, that hope only comes when we know what we are saved from. We are saved from the eternal consequences of our sins: separation from God. This hope brings us joy.

We have a hope that we will spend eternity with God, in a place where, as Isaiah tells us, ‘sorrow and sighing will flee away’ where ‘the lame will leap like a dear and the mute tongue shout for joy.’ The hope that this brings gives this life meaning and purpose. It makes this life bearable and it brings to our hearts joy.

2nd Sunday of Advent - Love

2008-12-06T14:03:00.000-08:00

In one of the most familiar passages of scripture we are told why God sent Jesus to this earth. “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

It was because of love. The word “love” in our society today does not have the same power or meaning it used to. We love our car, we love TV show, we love the new video game, and we love our family. If one was not paying careful attention we may see our family put on the same level as the car, TV, video game or something else.

However, this does not seem like the kind of love that would cause God to send His Son to die on a cross for the salvation of humanity. Even Jesus commanded us to “love one another”. But what does this really mean?

Jesus tells us that “greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” This is what love is. This is what we should mean when we use the word love.

1st Sunday of Advent - Hope

2008-11-28T10:47:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37

Sunday Nov. 30, 2008 marks the beginning of Advent, which also marks the beginning of a new cycle of the Christian year. The Christian year focuses the church on the major events in the life of Jesus.

Advent: The anticipation of His coming
Christmas: The celebration of his coming
Ephipany: Celebrating the visit of the Magi and later the baptism of Jesus
Lent: A 40 day fast, in honor of Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness, to prepare us for Easter.
Holy Week: A remembrance of the last week of his earthly ministry
Easter: The celebration of his resurrection from the dead.
Pentecost: The birthday of the Church

The overarching theme of Advent is anticipation. We remember the anticipation of the Old Testament saints who looked for the first coming of Messiah. We who are believers experience once again the anticipation we have looking for the second coming of Messiah.

This is why we focus on the theme of “Hope” for the first Sunday of Advent. Anticipation breeds hope. We see the fulfilled hope of the Old Testament saints who were waiting for the coming of Messiah. This should inspire us as we remember the hope we have that Messiah will one day return again and take us to live with Him forever in paradise.

Rest

2008-10-21T19:15:00.001-07:00

In a previous blog post I gave several tips on how to "Live a Balanced Life."

As I have pondered this, I think the hardest for me is number 7 - giving myself permission to relax. I have a very hard time with this. Like most of society I am programmed that if I am not doing 'something' I am wasting time. Take now for instance, I have nothing that I have to do tonight. Yet here I am posting in my blog...I have an incessant need to feel productive.

Even if I am doing something that I am not sure many people will find useful. Something that is only useful to myself, I have to do it. I can only sit and do nothing for so long without feeling like I am being lazy. Which is something I need to work on.

I know the pitfalls of always being active and never having any down time. I understand why rest is important. But it is a hard to do.

The Jewish people have a concept of a Sabbath rest. This is basically taking one day in seven away from work, away from the chores of life and just resting. This is based upon the fact that God created all of creation in six days and on the seventh He "rested" from His labor (See Genesis 2:1-3).

I am beginning to believe that there is something in this. For the Jewish people there are many spiritual and physical benefits related to the Sabbath, but I am seriously beginning to see a benefit to this. Taking one day of the week, to basically hit the 'reset' button on life.

Farmers will even let their fields "rest" by not planting them for a season and letting them return to seed. This, depending on the crop, greatly improves the quality of the future crops.

So I will encourage you as I encourage myself. To find time to rest and relax. To allow yourself time to be unproductive. To not feel the need to fill every moment of everyday with a project, goal or work.

Community

2008-09-30T23:14:00.000-07:00

As most of you know I sing in a semi-professional choir. I have been singing in choirs since I was in high school. One of the most interesting things about a choir, is that it is one of the only groups I am a part of where every member has to give 100%.

If just one person is slacking it can (and most often does) affect the whole choir. If one person if off by a quarter of a beat, they will come in early or hold the note too long and dramatically alter the performance. Every member has to be giving their best and not holding back.

Contrary to popular opinion it takes hard work, skill, dedication and a lot of time to produce a good choral performance.

I wonder what life would be like if in every situation I found myself I applied the same dedication and commitment I do in choir. How would that affect my relationships, my job, my church, my life? How would it affect those around me?

Just think if everyone everywhere gave 100% no matter what situation they were in. Even if it was a situation they did not particularly like or want to have to deal with...say a meeting at work or a struggling relationship.

What if I took the attitude I have in choir (if I'm not giving 100% it dramatically affects the whole) to the rest of my life? I would like to think that it would produce as positive results in life as it does in choir. But, I think that for it to work like that everyone everywhere would have to have a common goal and take the same approach.

Practically I'm not sure it could work in society as a whole because of so many diverse opinions about what a common goal should be. But the church is another story.

The church is a place where Christians come to proclaim the greatness of God, fellowship with other believers and reach out into their communities with the good news of the Gospel. The church has a common goal and a common purpose. What if everyone in the church gave 100% to the common goal instead of (as is often times the case) treating church as if were something that can be done half-heartedly.

I think if everyone in the church took the attitude I have in choir (if I'm not giving 100% it dramatically affects the whole) then we would see a dramatically different church. We would not see a fractured church filled with problems. We would see a church that, even when it had problems, would have people coming together in love to solve it, instead of pointing fingers.

We would see a church that positively affectes its communities for good and fulfills its God given purpose.

Down is Up

2008-09-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite sci-fi books of all time is Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It's about children at a military academy on a space station training to be the next great military geniuses that defeat the attacking alien race. As part of their training they play a game in the battle room that can best be described as a game of laser tag in a zero gravity environment.

The object of the game is to get from your territory through the other team's territory and through their entrance to the battle room. One of the most important things that new recruits are taught is that once they enter the battle room "down is up". When looking into the room it appears that the enemy's gate is below you. But once you step into the zero gravity environment of the battle room what direction you are going becomes relative. You are no longer going 'down' to get to the enemy's entrance you are going 'up'.

I've had some changes in my life the past few weeks that have made me think of this whole idea of "down is up" again. My life took a couple of turns that I didn't expect and actually thought that they might be a negative. But the more I look at it and pray about it, the more I see these changes as a good thing.

So I started thinking about how God works in all the great men and women of the Bible.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely put into prison and then made second in command of all Egypt reporting only to Pharaoh.

Moses went from living in Pharaoh's court to herding sheep in the desert. Eventually becoming the leader that lead the Jewish people out of Egypt's slavery.

Ruth's husband died, she was living in a land stricken with famine. She returned to Israel with her mother-in-law and eventually found favor in Boaz's eyes. He married her, provided for her and her mother-in-law and because of this, Ruth, the Moabite woman, is in the lineage of Jesus.

Paul, who was once Saul, one of the greatest persecutor's of the church, became Paul the Apostle. As Paul he was beaten, shipped wrecked, thrown in prison and eventually killed for his faith. Yet this was the man who lead the evangelism of the Gentiles and wrote most of the New Testament.

These examples reminded me that God is not about doing things the way we expect Him to. Many times God does things completely opposite to what our plans would be. God does things to prepare us for the plan that He has for our lives. It may not always be easy, but the rewards are always worth it. And it helps to remember that with God sometimes "down is up".

The Balancing Act

2008-08-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

I was asked to give a speech last night to the Washington County Rotaract club on "How to Balance Life, Work and Community Service." Interesting topic for me, I know, but I used myself as an example of what not to do. I came up with 7 tips to help live a balanced life and thought I would share them...feel free to feed back, I would find a discussion on my points interesting.

7 Tips for a Balanced Life

1. You are in charge of your own time

Many people try to pull you in different directions, but realize that it is up to you to go.

2. Learn to say “No”

It’s okay to say “no”

3. Set your priorities, there are 5 main focus areas in your life

Work/Career
Family/Social
Renewal (Physical, spiritual, emotional, leisure)
Community
Intellectual

4. Know your limits

Get to know yourself and what your capabilities are. Knowing your limits reinforces your ability to say no.

5. Know you cannot “do it all”

When you try to do it all, you generally fail at everything.

6. Health, Exercise and Sleep

Seems like a “no brainer” but often times when we lead an unbalanced life these three things take a back seat first and are generally in this order 1) Health - not eating properly; 2) Exercise - I can skip the gym “just this once”; 3) Sleep - I can stay up late and get this project done, the boss won’t mind if I’m a little groggy

7. Give yourself permission to relax

It is perfectly acceptable to have times in your life when you are not productive.

Growing Up

2008-08-02T21:52:00.000-07:00

We all have moments in our lives when we realize we have grown up. But as I’m beginning to realize, we are never totally grown up. Even though I’m only 27 I have had several experiences in the past year that have reminded me I’m not a teenager (or a college goof-off) anymore.

I recently had one of those experiences. While the experience itself was important, for me the most important part was realizing that it was a moment in which I grew as an individual. A defining moment in my life that I will look back upon forever with joy and sorrow. Two very different emotions.

Joy because I’ve grown and maybe helped a couple people around me in the process grow. Joy because something I had been wondering for over 10 years if it would actually happen finally did.

Sorrow because things have changed; relationships that have been one way for a very long time will now be different. Sorrow because I liked the way things were and maybe did not want them to change.

Another emotion felt in the aftermath of the event is inquietude. Inquietude is a fancy word for an uneasiness of either of body or mind. I do not know how everything is going to play out. I may not know for years. I may never know the full extent of how it effects the other people involved.

I think I will be processing this event for the weeks and months to come. Anxiously looking forward to the ways it will change me. The thing that will keep me from ignoring it will be to remember that any opportunity for growth is a good one.

Through a Mirror Darkly

2008-07-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

I have been wondering lately if we laugh enough.

A few weeks ago I was at a friend's house playing games and I had a lot of fun. I think we all did, because we laughed a lot. In fact I "laughed until I cried" several times. I left that night feeling refreshed in a way that I had not felt in a long time.

The next day I still felt refreshed. That feeling has since faded and I have once again been worn down by life. The experience prompted me to go back and re-read a section of Telling The Truth: The Gospel as Comedy, Tragedy and Fairy Tale. I have read this book at least 8 - 10 times over the last four years.

In it the author tells us that it is the truth of life that preachers must preach. He says that preachers must "address themselves to the fullness of who we are and the emptiness too, the emptiness where grace and peace belong but mostly are not, because terrible as well as wonderful things have happened to us all."

What brought me back to the book this time was his discussion on laughter. He says that laughter and tears both come from the same place. That "emptiness where grace and peace belong but mostly are not." Tears are the response to that emptiness and laughter is the antidote to it.

I think that both laughter and tears have the same effect: leaving us feeling drained and refreshed at the same time. They provide a release to the stress, the pain and hardship of life. Both are necessary and important.

Tears, in a way, allow us to admit that life is tragic. Laughter, in a way, allows us to escape from the tragic - if only for a moment.

Laughter gives us hope, in those moments when God seems the most absent, that God can at any moment break through and do the miraculous that only God can do. Just as He did with Abraham and Sarah when he told them that they would have a child in their old age. Just as He did with the disciples when they thought all was lost, Jesus rose from the dead.

Happy Fourth of July

2008-07-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

I pray that as we pause to celebrate the birth of America you will find time to thank God for all the blessing in your life.

Be Still

2008-06-25T23:27:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about a lot of things lately. Pondering what direction I want my future ministry to take, what direction I want my life to take...what direction God wants to take my life.

I actually sat down to write about my thoughts on ministry. But as I thought about what I wanted to say, my mind took me in a completely different direction. The direction it took me was "stillness"

Being still, as anyone who knows me will attest, is not something I do well. I've always got this thing to do, or that place to go, or this person to meet, or a million other things that keep me running. And when I do get a "free evening" to myself, what do I do? I read a book on music history, I tinker on my computer - there is always something to be done.

And I wonder if that's really healthy (my friends tell me it's not). In seminary, one of my professors spent almost 4 weeks on the subject of a Sabbath rest. There was a lot involved in it, but the main focus was: resting in God. Taking a day, an evening, an hour to do nothing but rest in God.

I can honestly say that is something I do not do enough of. I rush through my devotions at times. I pray while driving - which makes it very difficult to focus on God. I'm now asking myself why. Is it because I have over committed myself, because of my inability to say 'no' or is it because I am scared of what God may have to show me.

In the stillness of resting in God am I afraid of hearing what God might actually want to say to me? How would it change me? How would it affect my plans for life, the ministry and everything?

I honestly do not know. I just know that I do not spend enough time resting in God. That I do not take time to put life on pause and just listen for God to speak to me.

Seeing God

2008-05-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been asking myself a question as I am going to bed. That question is: Have I seen God today?

It was inspired oddly enough by the George Straight song “I Saw God Today.” The chorus, which is what really made me think goes:

I’ve been to church, I’ve read the book
I know he’s here but I don’t look
Near as often as I should .. yeah I know I should
His fingerprints are everywhere
I just slowed down to stop and stare
Opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today.

I have been asking myself this question because I think it fits well with what I believe. I believe that God is omnipresent, that He is present everywhere at the same time. I also believe that God takes an active role in the history of the universe.

So believing as I do, I think I should be able to everyday ask the question of myself and the answer be ‘yes.’ And if the answer is ‘no’ then I need to ask myself why. Ask myself did God not show Himself to me today or did I not see God in my life today.
Most of the time I can honestly say that it has been because I have not seen God, that I did not look for Him throughout my day.

I got up, grumpy because my alarm went off before I really wanted to get up. I went to work, a job I do not really enjoy, and spent my day counting the hours until I could go home. Finally I go home and I am home just long enough to eat before I have to go somewhere else to do something else. And when I do get home, I read for a few minutes and then go to bed.

Not much time in there for God or rather I did not take the time for God.

So my conclusion, which I think is becoming a theme here, is that I need to make sure that I am taking time for God. That I do not allow my everyday life to weigh me down so much that it distracts me from seeing God.

So I ask you: Have you seen God today?

Come What May - Take 2

2008-03-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

I’ve been thinking about my Come What May entry for a while after a comment an agnostic friend gave me about that entry. I completely paraphrase and butcher the actual quote, but the essence of the comment was “the reason Christian’s dont turn to God is not that they don’t believe, it’s that God isn’t real to them in their everyday lives.”

Strangely enough I think he is right. We go to church on Sundays, mid-week if we have time. We might pick up and read our Bible’s during the week if we have time. In truth how many of us take time everyday, without exception, to spend time with God.

To “Practice the Presence of God” as Brother Lawrence would put it.

I began pondering how we as Christians can go about that. The most common is to set time aside everyday to read the Bible and pray. While it is a good and worthy exercise that I truly believe every Christian must be doing, in truth I have to admit, in my life that at times that becomes just another routine activity I do.

And with that thought in mind I picked up a book I purchased a while back and began thumbing through it. The book is Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun. It’s not a book that one sits down and reads cover to cover. It truly is a handbook that takes 3-5 pages per discipline and describes the discipline, gives scripture and advice on how to practice it. There are almost 70 disciples that it discusses.

While I may not try all of them, there are some that I have tried in the past and am looking at incorporating in to my spiritual life again. Some new ones I have found that seem to me that they would be beneficial.

The amazing thing is, every human is different. Not every discipline will work for every person. But God in His creativity has led men and women throughout the ages to create different ways of practicing His presence so that everyone would have the opportunity to experience the fullness of God in their lives.

So my encouragement to you would be to take time to learn God’s ‘unforced rhythms of grace.’ Take the time everyday to make God real to your everyday life. So that when the time comes you turn to Him first (and not last).

Unknown Destinations

2008-03-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Mark 11:1-11

Take a moment and imagine the irony imbedded in Holy Week. Nothing seems to happen as it should. First, on Palm Sunday Jesus enters Jerusalem in triumph. The people are praising Jesus and waving palms, greeting Jesus as a victorious king. But less than a week later those same people condemn Jesus and by Good Friday he is dying on a cross.

Then on Holy Saturday, as Jesus is lying in the tomb, it appears that evil has won. Satan has succeeded in killing God. Imagine the fear and disillusionment the disciples must have felt. But then on Sunday morning it is all reversed as Jesus rises from the dead, the victorious king he was praised to be only a week earlier.

The same is true of our lives. We may never understand where God is leading, or what is happening. We may feel like God has failed at being God. However, as Holy Week proves, God is a God of unpredictability. God will always surprise with the best possible outcome from any situation, good or bad.

Wake Up

2008-03-01T15:06:00.001-08:00

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:8-14

It is very easy as we go about our daily lives to fall asleep. We get run down by the monotony of life. Get up, go to work, come home, go to bed...and tomorrow do it all again. Occasionally we will do something special, go on vacation, go to a concert have a special evening with friends and family. However, for the most part, life is just a continuing succession of repetition.

One of the things about the Lenten season we are in right now, is that it is a call to wake up. It is a reminder that this life has a purpose. We are not just supposed to go through the motions of life. We are to live life to its fullest potential.

Yet, because of sin we often do not live life to its fullest potential. We get distracted by it. It wears us down. And in many cases causes the continuing succession of repetition that life can so easily become, to be the thing that most separates us from God. Not because we want to separate ourselves from God, but because we loose focus and put life on ‘auto-pilot.’

Take the opportunity this Lenten season provides to examine your life. See those areas you need to work on. See the sin that separates you from God. Remember that life has a purpose.

Sin

2008-02-16T17:49:00.001-08:00

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23

Sin is a subject that is not popular in today’s world. The concept of sin brings along with it a lot of ideas that do not fit into the modern idea of life. It declares that there is an absolute right and an absolute wrong. It tells us that we are responsible for our actions.

But the idea of sin does not stop here. As Christians we have a hope.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24

The hope we have as Christians and that we profess in the Creed every week is that there is forgiveness of sins. That God has provided a way, through the sacrifice of Jesus, that even though we have fallen short of God, we can still approach God.

As we continue our Lenten journey, take time to ask God where sin still exists in your life. Listen to Him, and ask Him for forgiveness and help to move away from sin.

Ash Wednesday

2008-02-05T19:08:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, for me one of the most meaningful services of the year that I attend. I generally attend another church's service than the church where I minister as we are a small church and do not currently have a mid-week service.

I would like to share my favorite liturgical prayer with you: the opening prayer of the liturgical Ash Wednesday service:

“Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledge our wretchedness may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.” The Book of Common Prayer

For more information on Ash Wednesday and Lent please click here.

He Can't Be Serious

2008-01-31T19:58:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week I was driving to work. I was driving the speed limit, minding my own business when I heard a very large engine rev up behind me. I looked in my review mirror only to see a large truck whip out, pass me on a double yellow, and continue to speed up the hill.

I will have to admit that when I reached the light at the top of the hill and found him stuck at a red light right in front of me I chuckled. Then I was even more amazed that when he got the chance he ran the red light and tore off down the road. I waited for my red light to turn green and continued on my way to work.

I laughed out loud when I got to work and realized that this guy in the truck was going to the lot right next to where I work and had beaten me by less than a minute.

He had blatantly broken quite a few traffic laws and put other people in danger only to get to his destination a few seconds sooner then he would have if he had obeyed the traffic laws.

I do not use this to show off how good of a driver I am and how reckless this other driver was. I have broken my fair share of traffic laws. But the way this guy was driving it was as if he did not take the traffic laws seriously. That he thought he could just do as he wanted to.

This thought, logically (probably only in my mind), led me to remember a sermon I heard a few weeks ago in which the preacher asked if we truly take the words of Christ serious.

Since then I have been pondering that thought. Do I take the words of Christ serious? Believing as I do, that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, do I take everything in there serious?

When I speed, when I do not fully stop at a stop sign am I doing as Romans 13:1 says and submitting my self to the governing authorities? That answer would be “no” because if I were truly submitting to the governing authorities I would be obeying the laws they have put in place.

You may say, you are a good person, you do not steal, do not murder, not out sleeping around. There again, we are not taking the words of Christ seriously enough.

Have we forgotten the words of Christ in Matthew 7:21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

I am fairly certain that I called someone a fool this week, I know for a fact that I have been mad at someone. According to Jesus this is no different than if I had murdered.

And moving right along let us not forget about Matthew 7:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

I do not think I really need to elaborate on this one, suffice to say: I am guilty.

Honestly, this is the easy stuff about what Jesus taught. It gets even harder. Matthew 25:31-46...let us read together, shall we?

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

That is very sobering. Let me think here: I have never visited anyone in prison, because they are hardened criminals and I am just a kid from the suburbs. What kind of impact can I have?

Homeless people on the street ask me for money and I ignore them, because I have been taught by society that if I give them money they will just use it for drugs. But, I do not offer to take them somewhere and buy them food.

Yes, I give my old clothes to ‘Goodwill’ but is that because I truly care and want to help the less fortunate or is it because I want rid of the junk. It is better than just throwing it away and...well...I get a tax write off.

And guess what? Because I did not do any of the above for my fellow humanity, I did not do it for Christ - which is the greater sin?

These are just a few samples of the teachings of Christ. What do we do with the really hard stuff like “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, but through me” or “deny me before men and I will deny you before my Father”

And as I posted last week do we take the teachings of the power of Christ to care for us and protect and guide us seriously?

I am not writing all this to make everyone who reads it depressed. I am writing it in the hope that we will re-evaluate how we view the words and teachings of Christ. We claim to be Christians, we claim to believe the Bible. But, when it comes down to it, we really only do the easy stuff.

We really need to start taking the words and teachings of Christ as serious as He did, He suffered, died, went to hell and rose again...that is how serious He was. He was not alone either. The early followers of Christ took his teaching so seriously they were willing to die for them. Do I take them that serious? Do you?

Come What May

2008-01-23T21:15:00.000-08:00

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.

Those who know Your name will trust in You,
for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You.

- Psalm 9:9-10

Sometimes I wonder if Christians actually believe these words (and the many other words of comfort in scripture). Stop and think about your life for a moment. Something bad happens, something way out of your control happens and what is the first thing you do? Do you run to God and cry out for help or do you look for human comfort, human wisdom for help and direction?

I know in my life God is not always the first place I turn. I comfort myself when I realize that I have not taken my situation to God with the excuses that God has given me wisdom to solve problems. God has placed people in my life that love and care about me and provide me comfort. But those are just excuses.

I say I believe the words of scripture. I tell people that God is a refuge in times of trouble, but do my actions bear witness to what I believe.

I think my actions may speak louder than my words when it comes to my faith. Because I can say I believe anything I want. But until I act out that belief in practical experience I wonder if I really believe.

So if my actions speak louder than my words then my actions say that I believe in my strength and my family and friend’s strength more than I do God’s. Because generally God is where I turn last. I turn to myself or family and friends first.

But I think I am in good company. Abraham, the father of faith, lied not once but twice to two different kings and said his wife was really his sister, instead of trusting in God’s protection. If the father of faith struggled with turning to God why should it be any different for me.

Maybe I really do believe what I say and it is just human nature to struggle in this manner. Maybe the struggle is what it is all about. Or just maybe the point is that no matter what life brings we learn to turn to God. Not because it is what we say we believe, not because it is what scripture tells us. But because through our own life experiences we learn that the wisdom and comfort God brings is far superior to anything a human can provide.

And like most people I have to learn things the hard way.

So I Finally Did It

2008-01-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

So after all these years of being online, I finally decided to create my own blog.

No, I'm not going to post random tidbits about my life so people can keep up with my life. But I often feel the desire to write thoughts down about life and faith and how faith expresses itself in various aspects of life. I may even post a devotion or two that I write primarily for use at the church I am blessed to minister at.

The title might come across as a bit odd at first. 'Complicated' is a bit ominous and may scare some people away. But, when we stop to think about it life is complicated and the sooner we admit that the sooner we can move past the complication and start enjoying.

So for better or worse, here we go.