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GOD BLESS YOU, GENEVA
The world lost a wonderful human being last night. Geneva was a neat 90-something year old lady who became a friend the instant we met her. Karen spent many afternoons at her home, and became a good friend. And we saw her togther just a little while ago.
Her passing hurts on a certain level though. You she, she has been unable to attend our church for a couple of years now, but had been quite involved at the beginning. She was looking forward to "seeing" the new building and had often spoken of hoping God would let her live long enough to.
My hurt comes not from her passing. She is with her Jesus now. And she has her sight. My hurt comes in knowing I had the chance to take her to the building and didn't. She passed away the evening after our unofficial opening, so God did let her live long enough. I just fumbled the opportunity to get her there.
I'm sorry Geneva. I know you forgive me. I hope to forgive myself.
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SO LONG, FAREWELL, AUD WIEDERSEHEN, GOODBYE
Hebrews 9:27 -- ...it is appointed unto men once to die, and then the judgement.
Oh, don't worry, I'm not dying. Neither is Karen.
Maybe Deuteronomy 34:4 is more appropriate. This is the land I promised ... I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.
In this passage Moses is about to die. He has led the children of Israel to the Promised Land, but will not be able to go in himself. I have been thinking about Moses and that situation alot lately.
You see, Karen and I have been a part of our church, Christ Community, for the entire 4+ years of its existence. The last 2+ years CCC has been working on contructing its new facility. On the day it opens, April 2, the church will also hold a going away party for Karen and me. We will be leaving to move to GA the very next day.
So, even though we have been intimately involved in the building process, and have been terribly excited to see what God will do in Winter Haven through this church and its building, we will be long gone when it happens. In a previous posting I referred to it as "God laughed".
What I have been doing lately is taking any and every opportunity to go over to the new building. I am grateful that I will get to participate in at least 1 service there before going north. There was a moment, as I also mentioined in the "There is a God...and He likes us...and He has a sense of humor" post, when we weren't sure we were even going to be here when the building opened. At that time I definitely felt like Moses.
What I wondered was whether or not Moses ever felt like sneaking across the river late at night just to see what Canaan was like? I know that is what I would have been tempted to do.
And you know why? Because I am a fallen human, prone to sin. And, no matter how trivial it seems or how unfair the issue seems to be, yeilding to temptation to do what God has said you can't (or shouldn't) do is sin. Moses could have cried, "UNFAIR", and many (if not most) of us would have agreed with him, but to sneak into the Promised Land would still have been a sin. Just as we could have cried, "UNFAIR" when God called us to leave here just as the new facility is slated to open.
So, was it a sin for the others to go in? No. But it would have been for Moses.
Why? Because he was expressly told not to.
No matter what our culture tells us, God is not unfair when He interacts with us. If He tells us not to do something, even when we --and nearly everyone else -- thinks it is a good thing to do, He is not being unfair to hold us accountable. Following a rule, even a rule we think is unfair, is simply a matter of choice. As is the sum of all human behavior.
It is actually the ultimate in fairness. He asks us to do something. We choose whether or not to do it. If we make a choice to disobey, why is it unfair for God to respond exactly how He told us ahead of time He would?
It isn't. That is why it was fair for God to keep Moses out of the Promised Land. Moses had disobeyed. And, yeah, to us humans it seems like a small matter, but it was, nonetheless, an act of disobedience on Moses' part.
And it is fair for God to call us to somewhere else right when CCC is about to open its building, even though we have worked very hard to see that happen. We have to choose whether or not we trust Him to know what is right for us. If God is who He says He is, and we believe He is, He has promised to lead us where He wants us to go. So who are we argue?
And although many of us may choose not to, God always keeps His end of any bargain. That is a textbook definition of "being fair".
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DANCE FEVER
OK, I'll admit it. This one won't be very spiritual. But not everything has to be.
In a matter of hours the 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball tournament begins. As always, some people are happy with the way the field is set, and some are unahppy. I, too, have some questions, the biggest of which actually involves the Women's tournament. Oh, let's deal with that now. How in the wide, wide world is Tennessee a number 2, and, apparently, the lowest rated number 2 at that? Makes no sene to me. I'm equally surprised, but for the opposite reason, that the Tennessee Men's team is a number 2 too. Of course, I have often stated that the Tennessee Men's team should name Pat Summit (the Women's coach) as their head coach. But, that is another question for another time.
Now, back to our story.
One thing has bugged me for a few years now. This tournament historically has allowed the winners of individual conference tournaments entry into the field of (now) 64 teams. Recently, they decided that the winners of the 2 lowest rated conferences had to play each other for entry into the tournament, although they, quite irrationally, do not call this a "play in" game.
These two conference champions have done what they were told to do in order to get into this tournament. Namely, they are WINNERS! Regardless of their overall record, they went into their conference tournament and won. But the NCAA, in their infinite wisdom, has decided that it is best to penalize these winners in order to reward a loser. And generally the winner they are penalizing is what we might call a "little guy". And the loser they reward is generally a "big guy". It is a case where the interest of the rich and powerful trump those of the poor and weak. How can the NCAA, an organization for which "pc run amock" seems to describe their standard operating procedure, allow this to happen?
Every year there are one or two so-called large conference teams who get left out who complain loudly about not being one of the 30 or so "at-large" teams that get into the tourney. But you know what, those teams are LOSERS. If you want to be sure you get in -- WIN! But, because these teams and conferences generate a lot of money for the NCAA, there is pressure to get as many into the tournament as possible. So, in order to have one more at-large spot available for these losers, the NCAA makes two winners play each other for the spot they each ought to have by right.
Would it not be more equitable to have the last at-large team play the highest rated non-tournament team for a spot into the tournament? At least that way they would have to be a winner to get in.
First round winners: Duke, Geoge Washington, Texas A+M, Iona, S. Illinois, Iowa, NC State, Texas, Memphis, Bucknell, Kent State, Kansas, San Diego St, Gonzaga, Alabama, UCLA, UConn, UAB, Utah St, Illinois, Michigan St, Murray St, Wichita St, Tennessee, Villanova, Arizona, Nevada, Pacific, Oklahoma, South Alabama, Georgetown, Davidson.
Sweet 16: Duke, Iona, Iowa, Texas, Memphis, Kansas, Gonzaga, Alabama, UConn, Murray St, Tennessee, Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma, Davidson (Oh, why not!?!)
Final 4: Duke, Gonzaga, UConn, Nevada
Best guess to win it all: Duke
As for the "play in" game: I let my wife pick it (although I agreed), and she said Hampton (the name of one of her friend's kids). So, what do I know? |
BEING FERTILIZER
“From the very beginning God decided that those who came to him--and all along he knew who would--should become like his Son…” Romans 8:29
If you can start the day without caffeine…
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains…
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles…
If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it…
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time…
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment…
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than your poor friend…
If you can face the world without lies and deceit…
If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when,
through no fault of yours, something goes wrong…
If you can conquer tension without medical help…
If you can say honestly that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion or politics…
Then, you are almost as good as a child…or a dog!
Or, you are growing and maturing spiritually.
So, how do we grow spiritually? And, more than that, how do we help each other grow? I think one of the most powerful choices you and I can make is the decision to love other people, to help them grow.
1. AFFIRM EACH OTHER’S WORTH
When you and I affirm other people, we’re doing some incredible things in this world. We are showing love.
But, how do we do this? How do we make the choice to affirm people in everyday life?
With ACCEPTANCE. Do what the Bible says in Romans 15:7 when it says, “Accept one another, just as Christ accepted you...” One of the greatest ways to feel better about who you are is to lift other people up. It gives you a thrill like nothing else.
With ATTENTION. The Bible says in Galatians 6:10, “Give special attention to those who are in the family of believers.” Let’s all look for opportunities to show attention to the people in our life, to pay attention. That is the greatest gift of love that we can give them. And don’t just wait for it to happen, make opportunities to show attention.
With AFFECTION. If you love others in God’s family, you need to show it and make a habit of hugging, of touching, of giving a firm handshake, or a pat on the back, an ‘Atta boy,’ whatever it takes to just give them a word of encouragement that says, “You know what? I love you. We’re in this together.” It’s not enough just to say it. You gotta show it.
With APPRECIATION. Appreciation means to “raise in value”. The Bible says, “Brothers and sisters… appreciate those who work hard among you, who lead you in the Lord and teach you.” I Thessalonians 5:12
2. PRAY FOR EACH OTHER’S GROWTH
We usually pray for people’s needs. They have health needs and financial needs, and we should pray for these things. But we don’t spend nearly enough time praying for people’s spiritual growth, and we should, because that’s what’s going to last.
For example, this first verse from Ephesians 3:18-19, who could you pray this verse for? “I pray…you’ll be able to feel and understand, how long, wide, deep, and high Christ’s love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves…”
Who do you know that you need to pray the next verse for? Hebrews 13:21, “I pray… you will always be eager to do right.” Parents wouldn’t you like to pray that for your kids? Not only that they will do what was right, but also that they’d be eager to do the right thing.
Or how about Romans 15:13, “I pray God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace while you trust in him.”
Or Ephesians 1:17, “I pray God …would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation...”
Or, II Thessalonians 3:5, “I pray the Lord will guide you to be as loving as God and as patient as Christ.”
How about Ephesians 3:16, “I pray that God may strengthen you with power through his spirit.”
3. ADMIT OUR OWN MISTAKES
Ephesians 4:25 says, “Tell each other the truth because we all belong to each other.”
Confession is not just your deep, dark sins. Confession means admitting what’s going on in your life. “You know, I’m having some doubts today,” you admit. That’s confession. “You know, I’m worried about such and such.” That’s a confession. “You know I’m feeling a little lonely today.” That’s a confession. “You know, I’m having a hard time forgiving that person.” That’s a confession. “You know, I just don’t know why but I feel depressed. I feel discouraged today.” That is a confession.
4. ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER’S COMMITMENT
I Timothy 4:7, “Keep yourselves in training for Godly life.” How do you do that? How do you stay in training for Godly life? You get a training partner. It is always easier to work out physically when you’re working with somebody else. For your spiritual workout, you need to get a spiritual training partner.
It should be another man if you’re a man, or a woman for the ladies, but, ideally, our closest spiritual partner should also be our spouse.
The fact is spiritual growth and maturity is a choice. You’re only as close to God as you choose to be. One day you’re going to stand before God and give an account of your life, and He’s going to ask, “Did you ever make these commitments? Did you ever fulfill the purposes I put you on earth to fulfill?”
My Pastor is constantly asking, “What’s your next steps?” Meaning, how do we apply whatever lesson we learned to our life, family, or ministry?
That’s my question to you, what’s your next step? Do you need to invite Christ into your life? Do you need to be baptized? Do you need to join a small group? Do you need to find someplace in ministry to serve others? What's your next step toward being fertilizer?
(adapted from a sermon by Rick Warren)
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THERE IS A GOD ... AND HE LIKES US ... AND HE HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR
Of course there is a God. And we know He "likes" us. And I have never doubted His sense of humor, after all, He made me. But, every once in a while, something happens that, in the words of that old philosopher Arsenio Hall, makes me go "hmmm".
As you have seen in our profile, Karen and I are on staff at a church we helped to start. We are very happy in Winter Haven, and at Christ Community. But, as you have also read, we have begun to feel moved to begin an alternative church. We believed it would happen in about a year at CCC.
But then God laughed. Our Pastor sent us to a conference about church planting. While there we ran into an old friend. He shared his vision to start a multinational, multilingual church south of Atlanta. Of course, since I have known him almost 15 years, I have heard his heart about that before. But never in such detail. After seeing him again, and hearing his story, Karen asked if I thought we might work with him someday. I wasn't sure, although I have in the past and know we work together very well. But, I thought his church vision was just that, a vision. Something for the future.
Well, I was wrong. He contacted me a week or so later and laid out his plan in greater detail. And his timeline, which has this church opening its doors in September. The next day he told me how much he would like to have Karen and I join him. He didn't ask me. I had to ask him. Then I heard "the rest of the story".
Turns out he has felt the freedom from God to ask anybody for anything to help get this church started except one thing. In order to guard against people helping him out of a sense of personal loyalty, he wasn't supposed to ask friends to come help. He was to rely on God to bring people to him. So when I asked if there was anything we could do to help, his reply was instantneous. "Absofreakinglutely!"
Then God laughed again. We started to talk about the potential timeframe for Karen and I moving to Atlanta. It figured to be about 8-12 weeks, well into May. We had to give our notice in Winter Haven, staying long enough to help with Christ Community's transition into its new (and first) building. We had to put our house on the market and then sell it. We have to find a home near Atlanta and buy it.
But the timeframe got co-opted by another set of circumstances. As a result, our notice to leave CCC became public knowledge long before we had planned. In fact, it was known to some before I even had a chance to tell my boss. So we put our home on the market on a Sunday. By that Thursday we had received and accepted an offer. By the weekend we were in Georgia looking for a home. Our offer on the third house we visited was accepted by the following Tuesday. And both our buyer and our seller are motivated to get the deal done, and to get it done fast. As I write this we are awaiting word on whether or not our closing on the sale of our home will be in two weeks, instead of a month. If so, then we could be in Georgia less than one month from making the decision to leave Winter Haven.
If I were God, I would not have moved this thing so quickly. But I am a school teacher by trade. In order to support ourselves in Georgia, I intend to substitute teach. If our original timeline had gone through, we would not have made it to Georgia until school was almost out for the summer. Which would have meant not being able to make meaningful school contacts until August.
We are sometimes tempted to believe that the way we think things should go is also the way God thinks. And when it doesn't go that way, and the way it does go seems to be not in our favor, we think something must be wrong. When my notice to leave CCC was co-opted by other circumstances I was tempted to question God why it was happening that way.
When things go better than we plan we have no problem believing that, in the words of my title, "There is a God ... and He likes me". But it is the last phrase in the title, '"and He has a sense of humor", that we need to pay attention to. Not every good thing that happens is a blessing. Not every bad thing is a curse. And not every blessing is something that appears to be "good" at first.
God is God, and He always will be God. I am not God, and I won't ever be. It matters not if we believe it, or accept it. It is the truth nonetheless. |
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