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Report Card

In grades 1-5 I loved report cards...I seemed to do fairly well with my grades.  Something happened in Middle School and High School...I did not look forward to report cards any longer.  My first 2 years of college were like my High School days, but then something happened in my Junior and Senior years...report cards shined like stars in the universe.  Grad School is even better.

There are some areas of my life in which I excel...A+.  There are some areas that are average...C.  Some areas I don't even want to think about...F.

This week, pundits have been giving grades to our new President.  Without weighing in, I do pray for him and his administration.  I would not want his job, yet to some level I do have his job on a much smaller scale.  I am responsible for my own economy, peace plan initiatives with family and friends, future planning in my job, and positively affecting the efforts within the church.

So...what standards do you use as you grade yourself?  What standards do you use as you grade others?  What standards does God use to grade you?  If you know Jesus, the answer is sweet!

What do they hear?

The context of a person's life colors what a person hears and sees.  I grew up in the midst of Communist Russia threatening to destroy America.  My elementary school had a bomb shelter and we practiced hiding under our desks when the sirens sounded.  I grew up having witnessed the assassination of a President, civil rights leader, and the former Attorney General of the United States.  Vietnam was a controversial war and heroes arrived on our shores to a traitors welcome.  I heard of Jesus through that lens.

N.T. Wright explains the context of the world who heard from the mouth of Jesus, "the kingdom of heaven is near."   "The Jews of Jesus' day, as is well-known, were living under foreign rule and had been for several centuries.  The worst thing about that was not the high taxation, the alien laws, the brutality of oppression and so on, awful though that often was.  The worst thing was that the foreigners were pagans.  If Israel was truly God's people, why were the pagans ruling over her?  If Israel was called to be God's true humanity, surely these foreign nations were like the animals over which Adam and Eve were to rule."

There were three options available to the Jew.  One was to escape the culture and live in the caves at Qumran.  Their philosophy was to "separate yourself from the wicked world and wait for God to do whatever God is going to do."  The second option was compromise.  This was taken by "Herod: build yourself fortresses and palaces, get along with your political bosses as well as you can...and hope that God will validate it somehow."  The third option was to be a "zealot...say your prayers, sharpen your swords, make yourselves holy to fight a holy war, and God will give you a military victory...over evil."

So when these people heard Jesus say "the kingdom of heaven is near" what did they think that meant?

And today, what is the context of the average person sitting in the seats of the worship assembly?  How do they see the world?  How do they view leaders?  How do they view hunger and aids?  How do they see marriage?  How are they hearing the message of Jesus?

The message is the same...the world needs Jesus!  How do we communicate this amazing Savior to a world who lives in this context?

"The Courage To Go"

"I dare you!"  "I double-dog dare you!"  Do you remember hearing those dreaded words?  Do you remember challenging someone to do the unspeakable or impossible?

 

At Fenway Park on Sunday, during a game between the Red Sox and Yankees courage was witnessed.  Red Sox player, Jacoby Ellsbury was on third with the bases loaded.  He had observed the slow windup of Yankee pitcher, Andy Pettite and felt confident he could steal a base...but home?  Ellsbury took a few steps toward home, then took off.  The speedster slidheadfirst, stirred up a cloud of dirt and looked at plate umpire Gary Cederstrom.  The signal...safe!

 

Ellsbury said, "The biggest thing is getting the courage to go, I guess. In that situation, bases loaded, you've got to make it.  I was pretty confident that I could get in there."   It was his first steal of home since before college.

 

Wikipedia defines courage ss the ability to confront  fear, pain, risk/danger, uncertainty or intimidation.  Physical courage is courage in the face of physical pain, hardship, or threat of death, while moral courage is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal,  or discouragement.

 

Courage.  We see it when a fireman runs into a burning building.  We take notice when a soldier sprints to save a wounded comrade.  But do you realize most of us demonstrate courage everyday?  When we sacrifice our desires for the sake of another we demonstrate courage.  When we choose to live the life of God we exemplify courage. 

 

So "be of good courage."  "Be strong and very courageous."  Everday we each have the opportunity to "steal home" for God's glory.

Addicted to Facebook?

The Social Media Network is exploding as technology provides opportunities to be an invited voyeur into the lives of friends and neighbors.  MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter provide the information we crave.  We have the tools to watch, know and be informed of every move of those around us.

CNN correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reported this week on: 

You know you're a Facebook addict when ...

1. You lose sleep over Facebook

"If you're staying up late at night because you're on Facebook, and you're tired the next day, Facebook may be a compulsion for you.  You shouldn't be neglecting yourself because of Facebook."

2. You spend more than an hour a day on Facebook

"It's hard to pinpoint exactly how much is too much time to be spending on social networking.  I can't imagine that anyone would need more than an hour a day on Facebook, and probably no one needs more than 30 minutes."

3. You become obsessed with old loves

"Reconnecting with old friends is one of the great attractions of Facebook, and there's nothing necessarily wrong with 'friending' an old boyfriend or girlfriend. But it can get out of hand very quickly."

4. You ignore work in favor of Facebook

"If you're not doing your job in order to sneak time on Facebook, you could have a real problem."

5. The thought of getting off Facebook leaves you in a cold sweat

So...are you addicted?

Legacy

My neurosurgeon brother took on the role of being an elder where he worships in Arkansas.  He has been an active participant in the workings of the church body for a while and has been living out the qualities and characteristics of an elder.  The church witnessed those attributes and desired him to be among their leaders.  I am very proud of him as a man of God, loving husband and caring father.

How did he get to where he is?  What happened in his almost 50 year walk on this earth to prepare him for who he has become.  Who was a part of shaping his life, thoughts and direction?

Legacy is defined as "anything handed down from, or as from, an ancestor". 

There is a long path my brother has been traveling down that goes back many generations.  Great grandfathers who were anchor points in churches.  A grandfather who had an 8th grade education yet knew and lived out the Word of God in ways I still wish I possessed.  Another grandfather who lived an amazing life of kindness, love, generosity and hard work.  A father, who for the years we were in the home, served God with all his might.  A mother who loved and cherished her God and family and still walks with him.

My brother can stand on his own feet as he took what was handed to him and made it his own.  He became what God wanted him to be.  He does not lean on his past, but continues on the journey of those who handed down to him this faith in God.  And he is leaving a mark and legacy on his children.  I hope I'll be around to see their journey with God.

Feeding the Hungry!

Each month NCCC partners with the San Diego Food Bank to bag and hand out food to many North County residents.  Next Tuesday we serve again.  Over the past few months I have watched the numbers increase as more are struggling in the current financial situation.  It is sobering to see their faces and watch their body language.  Gratitude is abundant.  Humility is flowing freely.  Emptiness is overwhelming.

These people know they are in need.  They understand their desperation.  They arrive 5 hours before bagging begins to stand in line regardless of the weather, to ensure food will be in their hands.  They cannot feed themselves right now and need assistance to stay alive.  They arrive with open hands.

As I watch these people I cannot help but ask myself 2 questions: 

1.  What can I do to be more aware of the needs of others? 

2.  Do I appreciate what I have been given by God?  

How about you?  How would you answer those questions?

An "OLD" Design For Marriage

We’ve heard the lines from movies and songs...

 “Love means never having to say you’re sorry”

“You complete me”

“You are every woman in the world to me”

“If I had to live without you, tell me what kind of man would I be”

We enjoy Father of the Bride, You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle and other “chick flicks” that fill us with notions that every marriage is full of romance, minimal problems and rarely an argument.  Most movies portray marriage as white teeth and fresh breath.  Clean house and washed car. Family dinners around the table every night.  Children helping with dishes and folding of laundry.  A warm greeting at the door complete with tender kiss.  Snow white was a fairy tale and so is the picture given to us by Hollywood.

Gary Thomas in his book Sacred Marriage portrays the true emphasis of marriage as a place for holiness to be made complete.  Ponder some of these statements by the author. 

          “God desires that we use the challenges, joys, struggles, and celebrations of marriage to draw us closer to him and to grow in Christian character.”

          “If you are afraid to face your sin, don’t get married because this relationship will expose your sin like nothing else.”

          “If we find that the same kinds of challenges face every marriage, we might assume that God designed a purpose in this challenge that transcends something as illusory as happiness.”

          “If people get married for a reason as trivial as a romantic high, they will probably end up divorced for something as trivial as the loss of romantic intensity.”

If you are ready for the challenge and a true paradigm that gives purpose to everyday married life then pick up Sacred Marriage and rewire your brain to God’s pattern.

So…when you walked down the aisle to say “I do” what did you expect from your marriage?

Perceptions and Conflict

According to Wikipedia perception is defined as: "what one perceives is a result of interplays between past experiences, including one’s culture, and the interpretation of the perceived." 

I continue to be amazed at how differently people perceive the same situation.  Bones (TV character) saw the girlfriend of a collegue with another man and immediately assumed cheating in the relationship.  When a confrontation eventually occurred the "cheating" was no where near the truth.

My professor gave an assignment and I read the task differently than the other students.  I did not read the rubric in the manner the teacher intended, but the teacher gave grace and another chance to complete the paper and all was fine.

Perception is a component of communication.  I send a signal with a specific intention and you listen through the past experiences and interpret my words, expression and intonation.  Effective communication is when my intended signal is understood by the recipient in my intended manner.  No wonder we have such struggles and trauma in relationships as we listen and respond.  Perception is not always the truth of what happened.  It may be my truth, but not THE truth.

That is why grace is needed in relationships.  Handle conflict directly with the one you struggle with...no one else needs to be involved.  Talk.  Ask questions.  Respond.  Talk more.  Give grace.  Believe the other person has good intentions unless they have proven otherwise.

Even as you read this you will probably have a different perception than I intended.  Give grace!

I am so glad God looks at the heart.  Can we do the same or at least attempt it?

Keep the Life Cycle Long!

Most products on store shelves have a life expectancy.  There are dates on most cans and bottles to let you know when to use or throw away. 

Cars, homes, almost everything has a product life cycle.  Some products have to reinvent themselves to keep the cycle from falling into a downward trend.  Levi's, Coke and other products continue to reinvent their brand to keep the cycle long.  Most products have a life cycle - an introduction, growth, maturity, and decline.

In the church, the product life cycle is the walk of a Christian on the path of God.  There are various phases of a believer that often require a renewal of commitment.  Some of those points may be but not limited to:  The birth of a child, child becoming a teen, teen going away to college (for student and parents), empty nest, adults taking care of aging parents, health deterioration.  There are many others.  These life events may bring added stress and movement away from God. 

As the presenters of "the product", the church has an opportunity to proactively plan for those life moments and provide tools and relationships to help members keep the faith.  Being aware of peoples potential stress points and planning how to assist in managing the events provides the church and members an invaluable tool.  People could be paired  with others who have experienced a similar situation or given resources on how to deal with the life change.  Self-awareness by every believer is vital to long term growth and energetic health of the soul.  Honesty of ones own life cycle realities is a must.

Keeping the faith till the end of time is the goal...walking with Jesus to the finish line...that is the true achievement.  How is the church able to build bridges over the waters of life events?  Acknowledge the realities of people.  Reinvent the reasons to serve God .  Help people see again the purpose he brings.  Assist congregants to find the joy and fulfillment only Christ can bring.  Sundays at church help to remind, encourage and find relationships with the creator of the Universe and the other children he has made.  Don't miss out.  Don't post your own expiration date.  Keep the life cycle long!

We serve a risen Savior

I can't remember his name, but I can still see him leading songs every Sunday morning. He loved the fast Stamps-Baxter songs and I think his favorite was "I serve a risen Savior".  His arms waved more wildly and his voice rang with passion.  His eyes would close and his face moved upward towards the ceiling.  His face became red as the energy increased.  He looked like he was going to burst.  I liked the song and the message was great, but I loved even more watching him believe the message.

"We serve a risen Savior.  He's in the world today!"  My Jesus is alive not dead.  He's not hanging on a cross.  He's not in a tomb.  He is alive!  So when I have problems I have a Savior who sees, knows and hears.  He acts!  When my gut is churning over what the future holds I have a living Savior who already knows the future and holds me securely in his arms.  When I anxiously wait for the news of a loved ones health, Jesus waites and comforts me.

I've visited the graves of many people.  The bodies of Presidents and world leaders are decaying in the ground.  Except for a couple of men, the great characters of the Bible were "gathered to their people".  We trust humans who give us their best guess about life.  But all of them will be "gathered to their people." 

All the answers of the world concerning the future are only a guess.  All the solutions provided by governments are only band-aids.  Even the arms of a loved one are only temporary.  Only the living Jesus knows the future, provides real eternal solutions, and gives true comfort.

He is alive!  The tomb is empty!  Rest in him!  Go to him!  And like my song leader of years gone by, close your eyes and sing with all the gusto you have "I serve a risen Savior!"