One of the many beautiful reasons Christians gather together week in and week out for worship - rather than dispersed in our homes - is because of the vast diversity of individual gifted-ness and the picturesque 'work of art' we create when that gifted-ness is shared in the corporate setting.
For the bulk of this year Pillar has been journeying together in the Sermon on the Mount. Just last week we were considering the text of Matthew 5:21 - 26 (Anger). One of our parishioners was moved to compose a piece of poetry based upon her meditation and reflection over this passage of Scripture. She came into the theater (where we meet for worship) and handed me the poem before the service began. To be honest, I usually do not read or share something unless I have some time to interact with it before hand. In this case, I read through the poem and sensed the Lord would minister to others through it. Therefore, I shared it as the benediction to our service - what a fitting way to be 'sent' out into the world!
As I consider worship week in and week out I am reminded of how worship at its best 'centers' us on God - Christ the King - and invites all who come to participate in it - not just a few who lead from the front. It is also a multi sensory experience, which goes well beyond singing; to what we see, hear, smell, how we receive one another, etc.
What gift do you contribute to the gathered experience of Christian worship week in and week out? You must begin with yourself - yes, you have to show up. From there only the sky is your limit.
Please take a minute and read this poem, submitted by Denise Rathbun. Perhaps read it with a Bible next to you: Matthew 5:21 - 26:
God says,'thou shalt not murder' -
Murder in your heart.
Thou shalt not hold to bitterness
And write off some one's part.
Thou shalt not hold your anger
For power, control, a rush.
Thous shalt not cut down
With your words.
No spirit shall you crush.
For God created all mankind,
Created all living things,
And murder brings an end to life . . .
To things that are the king's.
Instead, we are to live a life
Blessed by God above.
Protect life and promote it,
Encourage it with our love.
We are to be His agents
To help build others up,
To spread the news - the cycle of death -
Christ did interrupt.
Through His death and resurrection,
he gives us the grace we need
To break out of that system
Where death can only breed -- death.
'Thou shalt not murder.'
-Denise Rathbun, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
when a people cannot hear
"what" . . . the intonation reveals that it is more of a statement of ambivalence rather than a question of intrigue, much less a response of desire. it is a word that flows through my house like a river after a deep spring rain. in fact, it is almost a constant refrain. always monotone. always dull. always reminding me that I was heard, but not received.
there is a difference you know. to be received is to be responded to with desire. to be heard is to be acknowledged, but nothing further. somewhat like a grain of sand in a shoe. an irritant to be sure. but not one worthy of stopping and addressing, at least not right now.
yes, this is the life of many people. we speak and others may 'acknowledge' us, but they fail to 'recieve' us - they fail to respond with a desire to know more, experience more, obey more, hear more, etc. thus we remain ruthlessly unconnected even as we live in the most intricately interconnected culture known to human kind.
hmm . . .
perhaps this is why the Christian life in our time is such an anemic one. if we were to be compared to those Christians of ancient times, we would be similar in name only. they would no doubt be satiated and full bodied in the Word of the Lord. we would be emaciated and wrinkled in the wisdom of man. our mouths would be enormous and our ears inverted. as a result we say 'what' yet we do not 'receive.' not so in ancient times.
consider, for example, Samuel. he heard the Lord when the Lord was not being heard. he was called by God on three different occasions. he was called from his slumber. he was unsure of the voice so intrigue lead him to Eli, his mentor. after a couple of times of being awakened by this young Samuel, Eli finally told him to take it to the Lord. the very next moment Samuel did just that. when the voice called again Samuel said, 'Speak, your servant is listening.'
'listening' . . . that's awesome.
to listen to someone is to receive them - not just their words, but them - their person. when is the last time you 'listened' to your dad, mom, child, friend, associate . . . Lord?!?
consider Christ. he sits down on the mountain side as a new Moses in Matthew 5 - 7. not as the new law giver - but as the law fulfill er - the covenant mediator. you know what He did? spoke. you know what his disciples did? they listened - they received - they drew near. the text is beautifully clear and compelling,
this takes practice; it takes effort. in fact it takes the development of habits that you and i do not currently possess. it takes habits like silence and solitude. it takes habits like sacred reading. it takes habits like fasting and prayer. so, when is the last time you desired, i mean DESIRED to listen to our Lord?
if it has been a while, perhaps some re habituation might help shape your desire back toward Him and His kingdom.
i know, i know. i can hear it now . . . what?
shaping desires
Biz
there is a difference you know. to be received is to be responded to with desire. to be heard is to be acknowledged, but nothing further. somewhat like a grain of sand in a shoe. an irritant to be sure. but not one worthy of stopping and addressing, at least not right now.
yes, this is the life of many people. we speak and others may 'acknowledge' us, but they fail to 'recieve' us - they fail to respond with a desire to know more, experience more, obey more, hear more, etc. thus we remain ruthlessly unconnected even as we live in the most intricately interconnected culture known to human kind.
hmm . . .
perhaps this is why the Christian life in our time is such an anemic one. if we were to be compared to those Christians of ancient times, we would be similar in name only. they would no doubt be satiated and full bodied in the Word of the Lord. we would be emaciated and wrinkled in the wisdom of man. our mouths would be enormous and our ears inverted. as a result we say 'what' yet we do not 'receive.' not so in ancient times.
consider, for example, Samuel. he heard the Lord when the Lord was not being heard. he was called by God on three different occasions. he was called from his slumber. he was unsure of the voice so intrigue lead him to Eli, his mentor. after a couple of times of being awakened by this young Samuel, Eli finally told him to take it to the Lord. the very next moment Samuel did just that. when the voice called again Samuel said, 'Speak, your servant is listening.'
'listening' . . . that's awesome.
to listen to someone is to receive them - not just their words, but them - their person. when is the last time you 'listened' to your dad, mom, child, friend, associate . . . Lord?!?
consider Christ. he sits down on the mountain side as a new Moses in Matthew 5 - 7. not as the new law giver - but as the law fulfill er - the covenant mediator. you know what He did? spoke. you know what his disciples did? they listened - they received - they drew near. the text is beautifully clear and compelling,
"his disciples came to him . . . and he opened his mouth"
what a picture! no one saying 'what' without regard for whom. no one marking time waiting on him to be done. no. they came to him - that is what his followers do. we come to him and we listen, we receive. for to be a Christian, particularly one that is growing means that we 'hear' the Lord. we receive Him.
this takes practice; it takes effort. in fact it takes the development of habits that you and i do not currently possess. it takes habits like silence and solitude. it takes habits like sacred reading. it takes habits like fasting and prayer. so, when is the last time you desired, i mean DESIRED to listen to our Lord?
if it has been a while, perhaps some re habituation might help shape your desire back toward Him and His kingdom.
i know, i know. i can hear it now . . . what?
shaping desires
Biz
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
partly thought through thoughts on living well and desiring rightly
I turn 43 today. Not old by many standards; one foot in the grave by some. Statistically speaking I have already expended over half the years allotted to me, on average. Yes. The male species in America has an average life expectancy of about 75 years. Of course some live much longer others die much earlier - thus the average.
I wondered this morning, while spending some time in the Word, what will the balance of my life be worth when it is done? Will I be weighed and 'found wanting,' as it were. Or, will I be assessed and found exceeding all expectations and hopes? Perhaps I will fall somewhere in between.
The last day of my 42nd year was spent with my family at the Indian River County Fair. Fun place for an adult, more fun for a kid. During the course of the evening I found myself riding the rides with my kids and their friends. At one point my son, Luke, and I rode the Zipper together. The Zipper is, as are most fair rides, a rickety old piece of equipment in which you are strapped in for 'safety' then hurled through the air at speeds that exceed the equipment's capacity (or so it would seem) as you are twrilled between all four points of the compass. Did I say fun?
I wonder, what will I be doing on the last day of my 74th year (If I am blessed to live that long)? Not sure. But here is what I know. If I have managed to live a life of integrity wherein I love God, my family and others before I consider my own selfish desires, then it will be a life in which I will take pride. Perhaps on that day, I will be with my family at the Indian River County Fair, watching - not riding, the same pieces of equipment strap my grand kids in for safety just as they did to me and my son last night?
Okay, not the most profound blog in the world. Just some musings from a man who has lived nuch of his life and hopeful for the portion yet to be lived.
You know, we are pretty fortunate. The life span for for males in Mozambique is about 38 years, according wikipdia.
Here's to living well and desiring rightly!!
Biz
I wondered this morning, while spending some time in the Word, what will the balance of my life be worth when it is done? Will I be weighed and 'found wanting,' as it were. Or, will I be assessed and found exceeding all expectations and hopes? Perhaps I will fall somewhere in between.
The last day of my 42nd year was spent with my family at the Indian River County Fair. Fun place for an adult, more fun for a kid. During the course of the evening I found myself riding the rides with my kids and their friends. At one point my son, Luke, and I rode the Zipper together. The Zipper is, as are most fair rides, a rickety old piece of equipment in which you are strapped in for 'safety' then hurled through the air at speeds that exceed the equipment's capacity (or so it would seem) as you are twrilled between all four points of the compass. Did I say fun?
I wonder, what will I be doing on the last day of my 74th year (If I am blessed to live that long)? Not sure. But here is what I know. If I have managed to live a life of integrity wherein I love God, my family and others before I consider my own selfish desires, then it will be a life in which I will take pride. Perhaps on that day, I will be with my family at the Indian River County Fair, watching - not riding, the same pieces of equipment strap my grand kids in for safety just as they did to me and my son last night?
Okay, not the most profound blog in the world. Just some musings from a man who has lived nuch of his life and hopeful for the portion yet to be lived.
You know, we are pretty fortunate. The life span for for males in Mozambique is about 38 years, according wikipdia.
Here's to living well and desiring rightly!!
Biz
Friday, March 9, 2012
Working to be
My kids ask me all sorts of questions. For example, "Dad, can I have some money for the movies,' or 'Dad, why don't you just let me do what I want to do,' or 'Dad, do I really have to make my bed? After all, I am only going to mess it up again tonight when I get back in it.' This list of questions could go on and on. Occasionally I get surprised by their questions; pleasantly so. Every now and then they ask a question such as, "Dad, how are you doing today," or "Dad, would you like to shoot some hoops," or "Dad, what can I do to help you today?" These latter questions are the ones I (and probably all parents) love to hear! In fact, I think my children would do well to ask those questions more often.
As I read through the Gospels, I find the people in them often times act like my children. They display moments of incredible selfishness as well as moments of great sacrifice. They ask questions that are penetrating and thoughtful and questions that are incredulous and dumb (yes, there is a such thing as a dumb question). There was one question they asked of Jesus (a 'smart' question) that all of us would do well to ask more often. It's the kind of question we parents long for our children to ask us.
The setting is in which the question is asked is quite stirring. A 'hunt' is on to find Jesus. He had just performed exemplary miracles. The crowds who had thronged to him had nothing to eat. Jesus gathers them together and feeds them, thousands of them, with a meager two loaves and five fishes. The next scene pictures the disciples out at sea fishing. The text informs us that they are 3 - 4 miles off shore (that's quite a swim). The waves are thrashing about the boat when one of them looks out and spots a figure that appeared to be walking on the sea. You know the story; it was Jesus. The frightened disciples were finally calmed only by the sound of His voice which reminded them of His presence with them, miraculously so, even in the midst of the tumult.
The next day Jesus is nowhere to be found. So, as I said earlier, the hunt is on to find him. Once they find him they pepper him with questions. Jesus, in a quasi rebuke (that they miss completely), tells them that they are seeking (literally working to see) him because He as filled their belly. With the metaphor of a hunger that will need to be satiated again, he encourages them to work for the food that will never perish and bring life everlasting. It is at this crucial point when they say, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" John 6:28 (NAS).
Fantastic. What a question. They get it. They get Jesus. Finally they understand . . . not so fast.
Jesus answers their question by simply calling them to 'believe in Him whom He has sent.' I love it. They ask what they can do and Jesus says 'just be.' No working, no walking on water, no feeding thousands, no doing. They reject his answer and ask for 'bread from heaven.' To which Jesus says, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will never hunger, he who believes in Me will never thirst." You can read it and judge for yourself (John 6), but I don't think they got it. I don't think they understood.
Just as He did when he walked upon this earth and sea, Jesus beckons to you and me today! He simply says, 'Come to me and your desire will be fulfilled.' We, however, mind numbingly respond, 'yes but, what do you want us to do? What work might we accomplish?' His reply is the same. Desire Me. Long for Me. Be with Me. Sit with Me. Commune with Me. Experience Me. Celebrate Me. Thirst for Me.
Yes, I know. There is work to be done. That is, however, not the priority of the day. You and I must first sit at His feet and simply 'be with Him.' When is the last time you experienced His presence and acknowledged His Lordship in your life? Are you running from 'meal to meal' or seeking the next 'sign of the times,' hoping that you will somehow be filled?
Look up. Slow down. Stop. Be with Him . . . Believe in Him!
the shape of desire!
biz
As I read through the Gospels, I find the people in them often times act like my children. They display moments of incredible selfishness as well as moments of great sacrifice. They ask questions that are penetrating and thoughtful and questions that are incredulous and dumb (yes, there is a such thing as a dumb question). There was one question they asked of Jesus (a 'smart' question) that all of us would do well to ask more often. It's the kind of question we parents long for our children to ask us.
The setting is in which the question is asked is quite stirring. A 'hunt' is on to find Jesus. He had just performed exemplary miracles. The crowds who had thronged to him had nothing to eat. Jesus gathers them together and feeds them, thousands of them, with a meager two loaves and five fishes. The next scene pictures the disciples out at sea fishing. The text informs us that they are 3 - 4 miles off shore (that's quite a swim). The waves are thrashing about the boat when one of them looks out and spots a figure that appeared to be walking on the sea. You know the story; it was Jesus. The frightened disciples were finally calmed only by the sound of His voice which reminded them of His presence with them, miraculously so, even in the midst of the tumult.
The next day Jesus is nowhere to be found. So, as I said earlier, the hunt is on to find him. Once they find him they pepper him with questions. Jesus, in a quasi rebuke (that they miss completely), tells them that they are seeking (literally working to see) him because He as filled their belly. With the metaphor of a hunger that will need to be satiated again, he encourages them to work for the food that will never perish and bring life everlasting. It is at this crucial point when they say, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" John 6:28 (NAS).
Fantastic. What a question. They get it. They get Jesus. Finally they understand . . . not so fast.
Jesus answers their question by simply calling them to 'believe in Him whom He has sent.' I love it. They ask what they can do and Jesus says 'just be.' No working, no walking on water, no feeding thousands, no doing. They reject his answer and ask for 'bread from heaven.' To which Jesus says, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will never hunger, he who believes in Me will never thirst." You can read it and judge for yourself (John 6), but I don't think they got it. I don't think they understood.
Just as He did when he walked upon this earth and sea, Jesus beckons to you and me today! He simply says, 'Come to me and your desire will be fulfilled.' We, however, mind numbingly respond, 'yes but, what do you want us to do? What work might we accomplish?' His reply is the same. Desire Me. Long for Me. Be with Me. Sit with Me. Commune with Me. Experience Me. Celebrate Me. Thirst for Me.
Yes, I know. There is work to be done. That is, however, not the priority of the day. You and I must first sit at His feet and simply 'be with Him.' When is the last time you experienced His presence and acknowledged His Lordship in your life? Are you running from 'meal to meal' or seeking the next 'sign of the times,' hoping that you will somehow be filled?
Look up. Slow down. Stop. Be with Him . . . Believe in Him!
the shape of desire!
biz
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