Early in the second chapter of the book of Mark, there is a great story of a man who was paralyzed and was brought to Jesus to be healed. Four of the man's friends have carried him to where Jesus is, only to find that there is no way to get to Jesus. The four men climb to the roof, carrying their friend, and proceed to dismantle the roof and lower the paralytic through so he is in front of Jesus. Jesus forgives the man's sins and then, to prove that He has that authority, he heals the man physically.
I have read this story throughout my life and it is one of the ones that is often learned in Sunday School as a small child. This last week I saw something in the story that had never come to my attention before.
In order for these men to come to the point of carrying their friend to the Lord, something had to spark the idea. They didn't just wake up and find themselves hauling a lame man on a bed to a random location to see a man they didn't know for an unspecified reason. There was some communication that took place that brought these men to the place they were.
Two thoughts...
One, if the lame man suggested to his friends that they take him to Jesus, it took great humility on his part to ask for help. He had to admit that he didn't have what it took to get where he needed to be in order to be made whole. We don't like to be in that place of discovering that we don't have the strength, control, ability, whatever, to do what we need to do. It is difficult to humble ourselves and ask for friends to carry us to Jesus.
Two, if the lame man's friends approached him about taking him to Jesus, there was great love in their suggestion. They saw their friend in a place of need and offered to take him to a place where he could be made whole. They didn't just talk about taking him, there was action. They loved him enough to give their time and their efforts to carry him to Jesus, overcoming obstacles in the process.
At some point in our life, we will find ourselves in one of these two roles. Sometimes, we will be weak and need to ask others to carry us. The hard part is to let others do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Other times will find us full of strength and faith and we need to love people enough to truly pray and give of what we have to serve them.
Where are you now? If you're paralyzed, let others know that you need them. Let them know that you cannot move yourself and they need to carry you a bit. Be humble and allow them to do the work for you that you cannot do.
If you are strong, ask your friends what they need. Love them enough to offer your strength and pray alongside them. If there are practical, tangible things you can do, go there as well.
Peace.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
SeeSaw
Back and forth I go.
Some days, I'm ready to take over the world and inspire others to reach their greatest heights. Other days, it's all I can do to be nice to the dog.
On occasion, I honestly know what I want to do when I grow up and I believe that I will be great at what I do. More often than not, I wonder if I should have kept my overnight job at Target.
There are times that I think that my kids have listened and internalized all the good lessons my wife and I have imparted to them. Usually, they are having a heated argument about whether or not one of them said the word "butt".
Someday I will get there, wherever "there" is. I will know for certain what I am supposed to be doing, how to get it done and that I am doing it well. Until then, I will see through the glass dimly. And trust.
Back and forth I go.
Peace.
Some days, I'm ready to take over the world and inspire others to reach their greatest heights. Other days, it's all I can do to be nice to the dog.
On occasion, I honestly know what I want to do when I grow up and I believe that I will be great at what I do. More often than not, I wonder if I should have kept my overnight job at Target.
There are times that I think that my kids have listened and internalized all the good lessons my wife and I have imparted to them. Usually, they are having a heated argument about whether or not one of them said the word "butt".
Someday I will get there, wherever "there" is. I will know for certain what I am supposed to be doing, how to get it done and that I am doing it well. Until then, I will see through the glass dimly. And trust.
Back and forth I go.
Peace.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Moments
Our church moved into a new meeting space in downtown Wilmington, NC yesterday. We sent this to the church early last week. Just posting it here for anyone who may be interested. Keep praying for us.
Moments. They happen very obviously in the movies. The dialogue gets more real, every thing around the moment fades into the background and, the biggest moment cue of them all, the music begins; either strikingly dramatic or subtly engaging. The "moments" are hard to miss in a movie.
Real life moments are not quite so obvious. Most of us are not clever enough to come up with lines like "You complete me" or "I'm your huckleberry" off the top of our head. Life does not stop and wait for you while you have a life changing conversation with your boss. And, unless you constantly have your ipod handy and cued up, there is no music to let you know that you should be paying attention to what is happening here.
Allow me to fade the background a bit, maybe say a witty line or two, and start the dramatic music.
This Sunday, June 6th, 2010, is a moment for Wilmington Community Church. This has the potential to be a time that we look back on as a big step in the life of our church. We have been meeting in Steve and Sara's house for almost three years now and it has been a great time. At the very beginning, there were five adults and seven children (it still feels like the children outnumber the adults!). We have almost tripled in numbers in that time, but more importantly we have gone deeper in our relationships with one another and in our understanding of who God is in our lives.
Moving downtown to meet at Communities In Schools is a big deal but we want to see it for what it is-a next step in the process of doing what God would have us to do. We believe that God has given us, as a church, a role to play in the city of Wilmington. We believe that He has more people for us to love and with whom to share the life we have found in Jesus. We believe He has brought us this far and that He will continue to guide us.
Take a moment this week to thank God for the opportunity that He is laying before us. Ask Him for wisdom as we begin this next chapter in the life of Wilmington Community Church. Ask Him to bless Steve and Sara for their faithfulness in opening their home for the last three years. Ask Him to guide us to those He would add to our lives. In all of that, thank Him for giving us His Son so that we might know what redemption and salvation means.
This is a moment, a big moment for sure, but merely a step toward who God is calling us to be.
Peace.
Moments. They happen very obviously in the movies. The dialogue gets more real, every thing around the moment fades into the background and, the biggest moment cue of them all, the music begins; either strikingly dramatic or subtly engaging. The "moments" are hard to miss in a movie.
Real life moments are not quite so obvious. Most of us are not clever enough to come up with lines like "You complete me" or "I'm your huckleberry" off the top of our head. Life does not stop and wait for you while you have a life changing conversation with your boss. And, unless you constantly have your ipod handy and cued up, there is no music to let you know that you should be paying attention to what is happening here.
Allow me to fade the background a bit, maybe say a witty line or two, and start the dramatic music.
This Sunday, June 6th, 2010, is a moment for Wilmington Community Church. This has the potential to be a time that we look back on as a big step in the life of our church. We have been meeting in Steve and Sara's house for almost three years now and it has been a great time. At the very beginning, there were five adults and seven children (it still feels like the children outnumber the adults!). We have almost tripled in numbers in that time, but more importantly we have gone deeper in our relationships with one another and in our understanding of who God is in our lives.
Moving downtown to meet at Communities In Schools is a big deal but we want to see it for what it is-a next step in the process of doing what God would have us to do. We believe that God has given us, as a church, a role to play in the city of Wilmington. We believe that He has more people for us to love and with whom to share the life we have found in Jesus. We believe He has brought us this far and that He will continue to guide us.
Take a moment this week to thank God for the opportunity that He is laying before us. Ask Him for wisdom as we begin this next chapter in the life of Wilmington Community Church. Ask Him to bless Steve and Sara for their faithfulness in opening their home for the last three years. Ask Him to guide us to those He would add to our lives. In all of that, thank Him for giving us His Son so that we might know what redemption and salvation means.
This is a moment, a big moment for sure, but merely a step toward who God is calling us to be.
Peace.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Critics
Easiest thing in the world: Sit on the sideline, don't get involved in the production/game/play, then shout down the ones who are in the action for not doing what the spectators think they should.
Just an observation.
Just an observation.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Control
Why do we insist on making this business of following Jesus so cleverly packaged; all nice and neat, the loose ends all wrapped together and tied into a beautiful bow on top? Have you read the Bible lately?! What a mess! Murder, sex, deceit-and these were the ones the God used to further His purposes, the Big Names, if you will.
How do we get to the place where we say that this is the way or that is how that will happen or God is going to work like this? I think it is because we are ill at ease with the mystery that is God; we can't control it.
So much time and effort is spent trying to make sure that we have, as one of my youth group kids used to say, our "poop in a group". Somehow if everything is lined up, we feel like we are in control a bit more. It's a lie that we buy quickly and keep going back for more.
At what point in a person's journey with Jesus do we expect Him to say, "You know, you pretty much have this whole life thing figured out, your resume looks good, your children are behaving themselves, you haven't really sinned (I mean the big sins, not just the little ones) for a good while. I'm just going to go check on a few others who are really struggling and leave you in your very own capable hands for a little while. If you need me, and I doubt you will, you know where to find me."
I am not saying that we should let all of our ugliness be on display all the time. It just seems that we would all do well to learn a little humility before God and be ok with saying "I'm not exactly sure but I am trusting that God is in control, He sees the end from the beginning and He will never leave me nor forsake me."
How do we get to the place where we say that this is the way or that is how that will happen or God is going to work like this? I think it is because we are ill at ease with the mystery that is God; we can't control it.
So much time and effort is spent trying to make sure that we have, as one of my youth group kids used to say, our "poop in a group". Somehow if everything is lined up, we feel like we are in control a bit more. It's a lie that we buy quickly and keep going back for more.
At what point in a person's journey with Jesus do we expect Him to say, "You know, you pretty much have this whole life thing figured out, your resume looks good, your children are behaving themselves, you haven't really sinned (I mean the big sins, not just the little ones) for a good while. I'm just going to go check on a few others who are really struggling and leave you in your very own capable hands for a little while. If you need me, and I doubt you will, you know where to find me."
I am not saying that we should let all of our ugliness be on display all the time. It just seems that we would all do well to learn a little humility before God and be ok with saying "I'm not exactly sure but I am trusting that God is in control, He sees the end from the beginning and He will never leave me nor forsake me."
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Shortcomings
All my life, I have done a tremendous job of holding myself back.
I don't know what triggered this thought, but it hit me pretty hard yesterday afternoon. It seems like life does that though, doesn't it? You are cruising along, doing what you do, and "WHAM!...Deal with this!!". Whoa.
I realized that I have been the King of Lame Excuses, The Master Procrastinator and The Talent/Gift Comparison Expert all rolled into one tall, skinny, bald-headed package. I have had things all my life that I would like to do or try and, one way or another, I have talked myself out of them. Dreams that have gone unrealized because I was too afraid to attempt to catch them, suitcases that have remained unpacked because I decided against the trip, excitement that has been kept to myself because I feel the need to be under control; I think they all boil down to two things.
Fear of man and lack of faith.
These two probably run together hand in hand down the beach every time I decide that I know what is the best for me and I leave God out of the equation. I have probably squandered multiple opportunities to realize fully what God has had for me over the years. That doesn't mean that I have missed God or that I have been outside of His will. It just means that I have not fully immersed myself in what He has given me.
The fear of man comes in the form of wondering what others will think, as well as not being sure of my own abilities to do something "well". The lack of faith is not believing that God might call me to give myself to a certain task because it could be beyond me.
I don't know that I won't be afraid or that I will have abundant faith from this point forward. I do know that I am aware of my (multiple) shortcomings and will daily lay them at the feet of my King.
Peace.
I don't know what triggered this thought, but it hit me pretty hard yesterday afternoon. It seems like life does that though, doesn't it? You are cruising along, doing what you do, and "WHAM!...Deal with this!!". Whoa.
I realized that I have been the King of Lame Excuses, The Master Procrastinator and The Talent/Gift Comparison Expert all rolled into one tall, skinny, bald-headed package. I have had things all my life that I would like to do or try and, one way or another, I have talked myself out of them. Dreams that have gone unrealized because I was too afraid to attempt to catch them, suitcases that have remained unpacked because I decided against the trip, excitement that has been kept to myself because I feel the need to be under control; I think they all boil down to two things.
Fear of man and lack of faith.
These two probably run together hand in hand down the beach every time I decide that I know what is the best for me and I leave God out of the equation. I have probably squandered multiple opportunities to realize fully what God has had for me over the years. That doesn't mean that I have missed God or that I have been outside of His will. It just means that I have not fully immersed myself in what He has given me.
The fear of man comes in the form of wondering what others will think, as well as not being sure of my own abilities to do something "well". The lack of faith is not believing that God might call me to give myself to a certain task because it could be beyond me.
I don't know that I won't be afraid or that I will have abundant faith from this point forward. I do know that I am aware of my (multiple) shortcomings and will daily lay them at the feet of my King.
Peace.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Random Links
I'm going to cheat a bit and not really write much. I am going to give you some links to things I have found on the web that have inspired, provoked,enlightened or amused me over the last few weeks. Most of these are from blogs that I read every day.
I think it helps us to read alot. I don't always agree with the things that I come across on these sites but they stir me to think and that is always a good thing.
http://dickstaub.com/culturewatch.php?record_id=1235
http://donmilleris.com/2010/04/30/if-youre-life-were-a-movie/
http://donmilleris.com/2010/04/23/telling-the-truth-is-more-important-than-selling-the-truth/
http://mockingbirdnyc.blogspot.com/2010/04/killed-by-robber.html
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/04/the-coming-meltdown-in-higher-education-as-seen-by-a-marketer.html
That should be plenty for now. I'll try to get some lighter stuff in here at some point in the near future.
Peace.
P.S. Click the post title for one more. Amazing!
I think it helps us to read alot. I don't always agree with the things that I come across on these sites but they stir me to think and that is always a good thing.
http://dickstaub.com/culturewatch.php?record_id=1235
http://donmilleris.com/2010/04/30/if-youre-life-were-a-movie/
http://donmilleris.com/2010/04/23/telling-the-truth-is-more-important-than-selling-the-truth/
http://mockingbirdnyc.blogspot.com/2010/04/killed-by-robber.html
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/04/the-coming-meltdown-in-higher-education-as-seen-by-a-marketer.html
That should be plenty for now. I'll try to get some lighter stuff in here at some point in the near future.
Peace.
P.S. Click the post title for one more. Amazing!
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