God has made us alive

A few years ago there was a popular song that contained this chorus, “Love will keep us alive.” The song was referring to a relationship between a man and a woman, and how love would keep them going even through those difficult times. As many can attest to, there are times when love does indeed keep a relationship going. This idea of love’s power to bond people together is especially significant in our relationship with God and with one another. During those times when we go astray and fail because of our rebellion, it is His love for us that keeps Him close and gives us the opportunity to return again and again. Especially at the time of communion we are reminded of the awesome power and awesome love of God; a love that both saves/rescues/and protects. It truly is His love for us that keeps us alive in a broken world that so desperately needs to know this type of love.

If we change one word in the chorus of that oldie and but goodie, it more appropriately describes what God has done for us: “Love will make us alive.”

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.”

Scripture uses the terms slave and free as parallels for being dead and alive. At one time we were dead in our sins, but now we have been set free from that which held us in slavery (our sin and rebellion). Since we are free from sin, we should live like liberated people no longer under sin’s mastery.

Around the table we experience though bread and cup vivid reminders that we are set free from sin in order to be a new creation and live a new life. His love has indeed made us alive.

Wind Chimes

Wind chimes are amazing things. They are designed with a very specific purpose, but also retain a unique beauty. Wind chimes come in many shapes and sizes, colors and designs, and all are made of quite a diversity of materials. Some are made of seashells, while others are made of brass; still others are made of glass, and the list could go on. All of these things make them beautiful, depending on your preferences. But no matter the shape, size, or material, the wind chime has a specific purpose: to create a beautiful music from the invisible power of the wind. At the communion table we also see a unique beauty. Here, people from all walks of life and personal backgrounds come together for a single, special purpose. No matter the various shapes, sizes, and situations of the participants, the Lord’s Supper is something beautiful. All are welcome at the table.

Galatians 3:26-28: “So in Christ Jesus you are children of God through faith, for all of you were baptized in Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

One aspect of the Lord’s Supper beauty is that it communicates to each of us that we are saved/redeemed/rescued/reconciled/set free because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In this moment we are reminded of the beauty and power of this time together. It is all that makes up this time bread/cup and even the silence that can energize the broken pieces of our lives with His beauty and rescuing power.

John 17:20-23: “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.”

Almost Christian # 4

It has been a couple months since I have discussed the book Almost Christan: What the faith of our teenagers is telling the American church. A section I read this past week has convicted me in a strong way. I hope it does the same for you. "Research is nearly unanimous on this point: parents matter most in shaping the religious lives of  their children. This is not to say that parents determine their children's spiritual destinies...Yet there is no doubt that teenagers' appreciation of a life-orienting/altering God story, and their ability to discern God's ongoing movement in their lives and their communities are heavily influenced by adults' appreciation of such a story, and adults' ways of discerning and responding to the Holy Spirit's presence in their lives...Teenagers ability to imitate Christ depends, to a daunting degree, on whether we do" (112). May each one of us have the desire/will and commitment to live our lives in a way that our children. grandchildren, nieces, nephews, whoever we might have the opportunity to influence, will want to follow us, as we follow the Savior. Not some religious tradition, simply Jesus.   

"Blue Rose"

Received this story from Ken Green and I find it too moving not to spread.

Blue Rose

Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.

I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."

It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?" "My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly. "Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve." "Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?" "How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle. "You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."

I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section. Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.

I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God. She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?" Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's garden." She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.

May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.

From an old dandelion! Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God .

"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel!" 

Amazing Read

Megan's Secrets by Mike Cope is an incredible read. I have shed tears with each chapter and through my reading have come to a deeper appreciation for the time I have with Dylon and Allie. I cannot recommend this book enough.



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0891122869/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Recognize holiness

More than once in the Gospels Jesus asks the leaders of the people to look beyond language to the witness of his life. When Jesus was asked "If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly," he answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me" (John 10:24-25). When John the Baptizer's followers pressed the same question, Jesus replied: "Go back and tell John what you see and hear" (Matthew 11:4). Jesus pushes us to look at our life. Proclamations of faith matter little compared with the presence or absence of truth and justice and love in our daily living. May we seek to live lives where people can recognize holiness. To this we are called.

Franciscan Monk Prayer

Discovered this prayer and found in extremely moving and powerful.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, hard
hearts, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you
may live from deep within your heart where God’s Spirit dwells.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who
suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you
may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their
pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe
that you can make a difference in this world and in your neighborhood, so that you will courageously
try what you don'think you can do, but in Jesus Christ you’ll have the strength
necessary to do.

May God bless you so that you remember we are called
to continue God’s redemptive work of love and healing in God’s
place, in and through God’s name, in God’s Spirit, continually
creating and breathing new life and grace into everything and
Everyone we touch.

The Great Divide

Christian Spirituality/Living a complete life
 Dividing our lives into seperate spheres. Too often our lives can be divided into what is termed "spiritual" and what is termed "secular". For a follower of Jesus this cannot be, disciples of Jesus should not live divided lives. Disciples are called to be holy (set apart) but that does not mean we seperate from the rest of the world and hide in caves and that certaintly does not mean we live seperated/divided lives (spiritual on Sunday and secular the rest of the week). Christian Spirituality does not signify a flight from physical life, or a withdrawl from the challenges of life in the world; rather it describes the process whereby Christians seek to live holy lives, while engaging the challenges of this world. It is a call to actualize Jesus' mandate to be "in" but not "of" the world (John 17:15-18), and to live by what Paul declares: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2). This is who we are...this is what we do.

Almost Christian #3

As I continue to read through Almost Christian I came across some powerful statements this week that are worthy of sharing: "Jesus tells the disciples, 'As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' In other words, Jesus not only sends the church where he was sent; he sends us in the same way that he was sent, as human translations of divine love, people whose words and actions do not grasp for God as much as they reveal a God who grasps for us...In Moralistic Therapeutic Deism's agenda of personal fulfillment, Christian discipleship enacts the inside-out logic of a self-giving God, whose power is weakness, who deems love worthy of suffering and who promises that life will spring from death" (64). May we strive to show the world through every word and every deed what the good news of Jesus is all about. People are paying attention, our youth are paying attention...let us live out what we believe.  

121 Ocala Dr

Tomorrow 121 Ocala Dr will officially belong to another family for the first time ever. I praise God for my dad who provided a home for his son for 30 yrs. A home for his daughter-in-law Carrie (who he loved like his own) and a home for his grandson Dylon who he loved more than words can express. Words cannot express how much I miss my dad, but I praise the Father of all for the man who became my dad, who loved me and taught me what it means and looks like to be a dad. I will always remember corner shots, hrs of football throwing, and a black Nissan truck sitting in the drive. Thank you Father for gift of not just a house, but a home.  

Almost Christian #2

Moving on to chapter 2 of Almost Christian: What The Faith Of Our Teenagers Is Telling The American Church Kenda Dean (author) offers this declaration concerning American youth growing up in church in regards to the Moralistic Therapeutic Deism syndrome and treating Christianity as a niceness religion.  

Jesus would caution against criticizing the speck in teenagers’ faith before scrutinizing the log in our own (Matt. 7:5). If teenagers are members of the Church of Benign Whatever-ism, it is because we are too. The National Study of Youth and Religion’s most incontrovertible finding is that parents generally “get what they are,” in religion as in most things. This is as true to churches as it is in families, which means that we can expect the faith of the young people we love to reflect the faith we show them. So we need to ask before going further: Do we practice the kind of faith that we want our children to have? I think the honest answer might be, ‘Yes we do.’ The simple truth seems to be that the reason young people practice an imposter faith is because we do- and because this is the faith we want them to have. It’s that not-too-religious, “decent” kind of Christianity that allows our teenagers to do well while doing good, makes them successful adults without turning them into religious zealots, teaches them to notice others without actually laying their lives down for any of them. If this is the faith they see lived out by their parents, their pastors, and their churches, how would they know it’s a sham? In a world crazed with violence and intolerance, isn’t being “good enough” good enough? Not according to Jesus who calls us to be holy- which changes the equation substantially.  The good news of Jesus is God’s invitation to young people- to all people- to participate in the divine plan of salvation in Jesus Christ and to rely on God’s goodness, not our own. Imitating Christ makes people lay down their wallets, their reputations, their lives for the sake of others, which parents rightly fear for their children. The cult of nice is so much safer; God is friendly and predictable, offering little and asking less.  Moralistic Therapeutic Deism does not ask people to lay down their lives for anyone, because niceness does not go that far. Love goes that far- and true love is neither nice nor safe.

What do you think of her thoughts? Has any of this challenged you in regards to your own faith life? These first two chapters have really challenged me in understanding more about the faith I live out towards our young people here at 43^rd and the faith I live out in general towards the world. Are we really living out the gospel of Jesus, or have we substituted the radical message of Jesus for a cheap niceness driven moralistic therapeutic deism?

Almost Christian #1

I am now beginning to read a book written by Kenda Creasy Dean called Almost Christian: What The Faith Of Our Teenagers Is Telling The American Church. This book offer some insights into how teenagers tend to think and feel about Christianity and church. She begins her book is stating that studies have shown that young people tend to mirror the approach and overall attitude of their parents when it comes to religion. The subtle truth that young people tend to reflect their parents when it comes to religion is both a joyful thought and at the same time it can be a disappointing thought. This outlook is seen in how young people appreciate or under-appreciate "church". This is seen in how young people "feel" about God and even how young people "feel" about Jesus. This book should be a wild ride...I will write about my journey through this book.

She begins chapter 1 with this quote..."A person will worship something, have no doubt about that...That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming." Interesting thought.