Years Left?

Here is the challenging question I tossed out Sunday morning. If life was measured by the number of years remaining rather than the number of years lived, how would it change the way we think and live? That would obviously requiring knowing the exact date of our death, but would it make a difference in the way we live. What if rather than being sixty, I was minus ten (and counting), or minus one? Some of us would become instantly uninsurable! All of us would probably drastically change our future plans.
As I reflected on that challenge, the one thing that really jumped out at me was "There would be some serious changes in how people thought about church." For one thing, we'd quit gambling with our souls by falling back on Satan's best excuse, "I've got plenty of time to do that!" On the practical side, here are the things that rose to the top of my list in terms of what would probably change. (See Hebrews 11:13-16 on how we should think)
1. We wouldn't define our walk with God by what does or doesn't happen in the Sunday morning assembly. We'd truly understand the difference between a pep rally and THE game, and turn our togetherness time into a giving, helping, and encouraging opportunity.
2. We would see the importance of loving relationships. Life is about who you love and who loves you back! So is the church! The purpose of the collective church is growing in Christ through loving relationships. We'd stop looking for the "wow" and start building genuine love that would allow us to be a supportive community through tragedy and triumphs.
3. We would seek to serve rather than be served! "One of these days" has limits and now it's time to be what we know Jesus called us to be.
4. We would want our children to know God more than anything else! School, sports, and entertainment would take second place to securing the souls of our kids! Having an iPhone would not be more important than having the great I AM!
5. We would not sweat the small stuff! Dwelling on irks, perks, and jerks is a waste of time! Remember what Jesus said was a waste of time? Worrying about food, drink, clothes, self worth, and tomorrow! (Mt.6:25ff) We'd do what he said and seek God's kingdom first. We'd also stop seeing the speck in others eyes, and stop being fearful about being a witness for God.
We would probably treasure every day as a gift from God, and if we understood his grace like we should, we'd live expectantly and not fearfully.

Real Friends?

My brother sent me this cartoon. The caption of the email was "There's friendship, and there's friendship." Not only did it make me laugh, but it made me thankful for good friends and good teeth.

Forget about it?

I was reading an article in USA Today (on my iPad) about Glen Campbell's struggle with Alzheimer's at the age of 75. The article was about how he stills records and tours even though he occasionally just forgets the lyrics of a song. He just laughs and asks the audience what the next words are. The article points out that one of the reasons for his optimism is that the disease itself causes him to forget that he has it. I can think of some other diseases that it would be nice for the one who has it to be able to forget they have it.
I like to think I have a good memory for things, though I must confess that my life-long struggle with remembering names seems to be getting worse. I really don't have OCD, but if I did, it would include an obsession with not forgetting things. It's a regular source of stress for me when I am working on something that is important to me. I truly can't stand finding out that I have forgotten to do something I wasn't going to forget to do. Even little things.
But what about the BIG things? You know - the really big things - things that really count? Like remembering to be thankful, remembering that many people in the world have no idea what it's like to struggle with WHICH food to have for breakfast, or remembering that tens of thousands of American men and women would love to be waking up in their home bed in their own house with AC, hot showers, and loved ones all around them?
Why is it so easy to forget how many good things so many people are doing because of their faith and love for God? How many acts of service are performed by godly people, in the name of Jesus Christ, and to the glory of God - but we don't know about it? And then we look around at what we don't see, can't see, and never will see, and conclude "We need to do more" because it's not being done in the name of THE CHURCH! Since when is an act of service or love done by a Christian, who is the church even when alone, not a work of the church? We forget that the very nature of being "light" and "salt" is an individual responsibility more than it is a collective responsibility.
I need to remember that good, godly people, are doing wonderful acts of service for others every day. I need to remember that my brethren are sharing their faith, speaking about God, and encouraging people every day. I need to remember that they not only don't need "The church's" permission, but they don't even need the church to organize and define when and where it happens. Before I start declaring "what this church needs" I need to remember that every cup of water given in the name of Jesus by his people every hour of every day, will not be ignored by God and will be rewarded. That's what Jesus said - I just need to remember it.
Now - what was this blog about? I forgot.

A New and Exciting Book!

Last Sunday I made the statement that the Bible as the newest book of all. Sure, if you date it from the time it was written, it is one of the oldest books of all, but the unique message of the Bible makes it new every time you read it. It doesn't matter how much of a scholar you are, how many degrees in Bible and biblical languages you have, or how many passages of Scripture you can quote - it's new every time we read it because we are not the same person we were the last time we read it. That is why we constantly find ourselves "discovering" a new truth from a verse we have read - literally - thousands of times. There is no other book in existence that becomes deeper and more precious as our hearts draw closer to the author!

I also made the statement that there is nothing more interesting, exciting, and enlightening to me now than the Bible. Of course, I had to point out that I haven't always felt that way. Why? Because of the two principles that determine when a new subject becomes exciting. First, the principle of being Age Appropriate. We must be mature enough to understand it and see all or most of the possibilities it holds for us. Secondly, the principle of Prerequisites - those things we must know before hand that lay the foundation for understanding the new subject.

There have been many time in the past when I was not "age appropriate" to understand the power and thrill of what God was sharing with me. Remember, I'm not referring to a matter of years, but of spiritual maturity. When we are ready and wanting to see the things God has for us in his word, things start hitting us like proverbial "ton of bricks" on a regular basis. And the prerequisites are not Introduction to the New Testament 101 or Church work 201, but love, grace, and a seeking after the mind of Christ. That is why, before I shared my four rules for understanding the Word of God, I offered the suggestion "Communicate don't study." Think of it as talking to God. Hear him talking to you, and as you seek him, talk to him. Communication is an essential part of relationship building, so think about listening to God not just studying him.

For those who wonder what the four rule were:
1. Read it objectively: try to ignore all preconceived conclusions others taught you.
2. Read it consistently: see God's consistence message and let the Bible explain the Bible. Always understand and address the context.
3. Read it historically: consider the culture and the occasion.
4. Read it lovingly: look at it through the eyes of God and Jesus.

Please! Please! Please?

In my family we laugh about our personal obsessions. What else can you do? When something is important to you, even if it is driven more by your personality than objectivity, "you gotta do what you gotta do." If there was one personality obsession that pretty much captures every adult member of my clan it's being a people pleaser. Intellectually you know you can't please everyone all the time, but emotionally you expect to. I have learned to develop a little bit of a thicker skin than I used to have, but I still have to fight the tendency to be disappointed and depressed when I find out just one person doesn't like me or agree with something I have said - and I say a lot to a lot of people. The older I get (I guess I'll never stop saying that) the more I find myself getting angry with myself for being that way. Again, it's an emotional thing verses an intellectual thing, and sometimes balance just isn't possible.
What makes me angry with myself is that I allow one disgruntled or negative person to dwarf the scores of people who love, appreciate, and support me as their friend and their minister. Since perfect pleasing is a perfect impossibility, why be surprised when imperfect people point out your imperfections? (Don't say that in front of a microphone!)
I guess we all do that some. We let the "squeaky wheel" run over us, or dominate our attention too much. It happens all the time in every church family. I few people complain to some elders, and all of a sudden "the whole church is upset, inactive, unfaithful, uninvolved, un-enthused, and/or leaving in droves!" A classic case of going from specific to generic, making mountains out of mole hills, and not seeing the forest for the trees - or any number of saying and cliche's we could apply to this. Shepherds are probably be best example there is of a group of people pleasers. How many decisions are made based on who and how many will be displeased? A happy church is a growing church right? Right - and since it is an impossibility to keep everyone happy, what does that say about us? The faith that is pleasing to God is not always a faith that will please people. If the purpose is clear and biblical, you will not please everyone. We need to keep our focus, please.
So here is the new Rootism I want to keep in front of my eyes and also share with my fellow church leaders. Don't let the squeaking wheel cause you to forget how full the wagon is!

Advice to Young Ministers

A lot of years ago, my buddy Jim Mankin had me down to Abilene Christian University to speak to the Bible Majors about what full time ministry is like. I spoke to them about what I called Ministry Mountains, and after pointing out the abundance of "mole hills", I shared with them what I thought the three greatest challenges of being a full time preacher are. They are the Three Big "E's" of preaching: Ego, Elders, and Economics. These are not bad thing at all, but they are things that every minister must get a handle on or they will destroy your effectiveness and cause grief on every level of your life.
I could write volumes about my mistakes and life lessons with each of these, but that isn't why I share them in this article. I'm sharing them (again) to simply make the point that ministry is first, last, and always about glorifying God. I don't care how amazingly talented a minister may be, if they are not in an honest relationship with God, they will not deal with the Three Big "E's" in a godly way. Only a humble heart that is genuinely seeking to please God can stay focused on His plan and His mission for your life. It's a difficult job to be a dynamic and forceful leader and at the same time be humble and meek. Even the most humble leader will have people who misjudge their actions and motives, but God knows the truth. If unqualified men are given the title of Elder and in their need for control they make ungodly decisions - hurtful and destructive decisions - a minister who is walking with God must show what Jesus would do and not let that other "E" (ego) be their guide.
And in a day when churches are not expecting their ministers to take the Catholic "Vow of Poverty," and salaries are much more in line with qualifications and abilities, ministry can't be about "the money" or ever appear to be a driving force. At the same time, you can't control how people want to think. You can only choose to be at peace with God.
It will aways come back to integrity. There will aways be people who second guess, judge, and criticize, but when your conscience is clear and you know God is please - it becomes their mountain not yours.

Reflections on Teachers

This coming Sunday I am beginning a new and short series of lessons called Back To School. I'm basically planning on using this time of "beginnings" to challenge everyone to refocus and reconnect with God. This Sunday I am discussing A Fresh Start, which is what the first days of a new School year are all about. As a result, I have really been doing a lot of reflecting and remembering as I try to deal accurately with what all our young people are heading into in the next couple weeks. I always loved the beginning of a new school year. I mention in this weeks bulletin article about my memories of seeing old friend, finding some new ones, wondering what kind of teacher I had, getting new books, new supplies, and, on a good year, some new clothes to wear for the first time. Looking good and feeling good! I was never afraid of going to school. I always looked forward to finishing up, what was by then, a long boring summer.
In the midst of all my reflecting, a couple things jumped out at me. First, what I'm talking about this Sunday, how important fresh starts are. We have so many throughout our lives and they are so pivotal for getting us back on track or reminding us of our priorities. Often those times of renewal are because of stressful changes in life - some by choice and some by circumstances, but they change us. As we grow older, we learn the importance of choosing renewal - of putting ourselves in a place we need to be to jump start our commitment. If we don't choose it, life will choose it for us - eventually.
The second thing that my reflecting did was remind me how important teachers have been in my life. I turned sixty last month, but I can tell you the name of every teacher I had since the first grade. I can see them in my mind, and I can remember things they taught me. That's saying a lot for a guy who can't remember the name of someone I shook hands with five minutes ago. It just reminds my that our culture has a truly twisted sense of who our heroes are. Those football, baseball, and basketball stars that we worshipped as we grew up are long forgotten. I lived through every Super Bowl Game ever played and I only remember a hand full. And those movie stars that we idolized over they years never did a single thing to improve the quality of our lives, and now they're just trivia questions every now and then on Jeopardy. But those teachers - men and women who never knew whether or not they made a difference, but who taught, encouraged, praise, and pushed all of us into another school year and into a better life - they are the real heroes of this world.
I wonder when we will start treating them with the recognition and reward they deserve? Could that be a better way to make sure "no child is left behind"?

Life is full of it...

As we were walking this morning, I told my wife that I was that I was probably 85% following our South Beach Diet, and 15 % cheating, but for me, just not over-eating is doing more to help me lose weight than just sticking to the items on the diet. Then I said something I find myself saying regularly. "Isn't it amazing how much of life is a matter of balance?" We so quickly label things as "bad for us" when in reality, they aren't bad at all - unless we do too much of them. Chocolate is good. In certain amounts and at certain times, it can even be healthy. But if I choose to eat a sixteen ounce giant Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar, and do it enough, I shouldn't be surprised to see my spare tire turn into a Mac Truck sized inner tube, and find out that my arteries are clogged up worse than Granny's field lines. When I talked with my Doctor about possibly training to run a half marathon, he didn't say "Don't do it," but he did say he'd rather see me stay on a good regimented daily exercise program than overdue it, and spend months recuperating. I heard him say, "balance" even though he never used the word.
I was talking with one of my daughters about children today being so drawn to technological things, like Wi games, cell phones, Ipads, computers, and all the other devices available for today's kids. She was concerned about her children spending too much time connected to technological devices and not learning to socialize and use their minds for creative things. All those gadgets are for entertainment. Yes, there are some that are educational, but it has multiplied the number of electronic baby sitters that used to be just limited to TV. Any parent that allows their child or children to use technological devices and doesn't have guidelines and restrictions as to when, where, and how long they can be used, is a parent who is not parenting.
Again, it's a matter of balance. Those games, computers, and electronic toys are entertainment, but life isn't just about entertainment. Remember, proper parental control exists to guide children to proper self-control. If they don't learn the principle of balance in life, their life will be out of balance. Just think about the level of balance that is required to "love your neighbor as you love yourself." When things get out of balance, someone is going to have problems. That's what happens to children who never learn to balance things in life.
Now, were is my Ipad?

Another Happy Birthday!

I borrowed these pictures from my daughter Elizabeth's blog because we didn't have any. The first day of our family vacation in Branson, we celebrated my birthday (just six days late) at the house we were renting for the week. I received two really neat gifts. Above is a custom made Cardinals shirt with my name and new age on it. I love it. Can't wait to wear it to a Cardinals game and have people wonder "Was there a player named Root? When did he play?" Thanks to everyone for a neat gift.

The BIG gift was this album that Deborah & Pat, Elizabeth & Chad, and Jonathan & Holly worked on as a joint gift for me. It's awesome. I knew they were putting a picture album together for me because I had to go through all my hunting pictures for them when they were here for the play in June. I had no idea they got most of my hunting buddies to write articles about a special memory or hunt with me.

What a thoughtful and super special gift that I will treasure for years. Thanks to Kev, Brian, Danny, Rob, Steve, Jonathan, and grandsons, Joshua and Carter for contributing to this special book of memories.

FYI family - I did put this shirt on last Sunday at the beginning of my lesson to show everyone. The pictures that were taken didn't come out very clear.

The Perfect Marriage?

It only took a short amount of time to put together my notes for last Sunday evenings presentation on The Perfect Marriage. That is because I had spent many hours reflecting and building the lesson in my head over the last week - or should I say, sixty years. The process is not the point. The points are the point, and I thought I'd share a few of those with anyone who reads this blog. Here are some bullet points from the lesson.
1. There is no such thing as a perfect marriage. I have no knowledge of one in my life experiences from my parents, to people who have influenced me, to all the spiritual leaders I've ever know, and including the almost thirty-nine years that I've been in one.
2. All marriages involve imperfect people, and every one has problems and struggles. Even in the best marriages, there are times when you don't even like each other - for a while - but, like the song says, "Love will keep us together."
3. They really aren't marriage problems, they are character problems. Working through and resolving those problems builds stronger marriages and stronger character.
4. All marriages involve making the right choices. Paul gave us Jesus and the church as an example of a perfect marriage (Eph.5:21-33) because he couldn't find any on earth. His challenge is for us to choose submission, love, caring, oneness, and respect..
5. The key to making the right choice is thoughtfulness. It is thinking of others because you want what is best for them!
6. Thoughtfulness is looking to the needs of you spouse and recognizing they are different. Here is the Root List: Everyone married person needs...(both want the same but w/ a different focus)
A. Companionship: Women = sharing; Men = presence
B. Admiration & Respect: Women = self worth; men = achievements
C. Intimacy: Women = touch, hold, cuddle; men = sex
D. Trust: both want security, honesty, & commitment
7. All of these are only as strong as your ability to communicate. Remember, if you don't communicate you speculate!
8. The key to thoughtfulness is thankfulness. Thankfulness is what you tell yourself and thus what determines your values.
9. All marriages are learning and growing relationships as we learn to adjust to meet one another's needs through the years.
10. Just look at God dealing w/ the Israelites right after they miraculously crossed the Red Sea. They complained a lot, but surprisingly He listened! Water! Manna! Quail! Yes He was forced to punish there infidelity, but it's really a story of how deeply He loved his people and took care of their every need.

Summer Vacation

I'm two weeks into being sixty and I hadn't felt old until we went to a water park in Branson yesterday. We are on vacation, it's terribly hot, we have seven small children from one year old to ten, and it seemed like the thing to do. First of all, it was fun. I went down every slide, including the huge vertical drop slide where they made me take off my old guy hat, old guy white shirt, sun glasses, and water shoes. Hey, it was fun, even with my hands full of stuff. I went on several rides with the sons-in-laws and older grandkids, but the one time I took a long hike to a ride without my shoes I got huge blisters on the balls of both feet. Yes, we're talking old guy limping all through the park. The last hour and a half, after several hours in the park participating, I rested on our loungers in the Kiddie Park area while the guys did a last few rides.
So what did I do? I people watched! Usually that's fun - like at the airport or in a store. This was a water park with mostly naked people. I say "mostly" because it's been a long time since I was in a water park and I saw more flesh than I ever wanted to see. Some, because they were way too revealing and appealing. One cute lifeguard walked back and forth in front of me - guarding of course - and I found myself thinking, "She is a really good looking gal!" Then it dawned on me that she was half the age of my daughters and I felt like a dirty old man.
Then there were the Michelin Man Mammoths in rubber bands! Ugh! Why reveal SO much to SO many and risk sun burning so many thousands of square inches of unprotected skin? I know - don't look. That's like attending a Macy's parade and focusing on the sidewalk. I'm thankful for sun glasses and beautiful little children splashing in the water, who were much more enjoyable to people watch.
Yes, maybe I am getting old. Skimpy swim suits, tattoos, and skin piercings galore make people watching a lot different than it used to be. Oh well, the things you do for grand kids.
Bye for now. I've got to go put something on my foot blisters.

Looking With New Eyes

I woke up this morning, on vacation, finding myself thinking about some things that we talked about last week while at a retreat. We had some good classes and discussions about how to interpret the Bible and I found myself coming back to the same problem that I believe most of us have as we try to understand God's written Word. The simplest way to put it is, we don't seek objectivity. Most of us approach reading the Bible with several preconceived conclusions that make getting the real meaning difficult if not impossible. I've written about this before, but it just seems to be more obvious as I hear people preach and teach things that are not contextually honest with the passage they are dealing with.
For instance, if you begin your study of the Bible with a basic belief that Christians must meet together on Sunday morning for a formal time of worship, with prescribed directions from God about what He wants done there - you will find passages that you will apply to that belief. Your "pre-taught" conclusions about what church is supposed to be and do will effect how you read the Bible. If you come from an evangelical background, you will take passages about evangelists and apostles and infer conclusions to support what you already believe. Not because you discovered those truths from an objective search of scripture, but because someone else taught you and convinced you that those passages were talking about the conclusions you expected to reach. That doesn't mean that the conclusions are ALL WRONG! I'm talking about honest interpretation of God's Word. The point may be taught in scripture, but that doesn't justify taking any verse out of context.
What are some other preconceived conclusions that effect our objectivity? The list is probably as long as any and all topics we are taught before we can read it for ourselves. Things like looking for laws, fear of the Holy Spirit, institutionalizing the church, belief in ceremonial acts, and maybe more than any other, the belief in salvation by works, which we reject intellectually, but practice religiously. Another huge attitude that impacts what you find when you study God's word is when you are reading it for ammunition to prove a point you want to argue. I was trained and educated using scripture (selected scripture) as proof-texts so I could win any debate. Talk about something that will rob you of the Spirit!
Just think about it and ask yourself what kind of preconceived conclusions you have when you read God's Word. Can you truly be objective and see what God wants you see.

Hi! Bye!

We have been out of town attending a retreat in Tennessee this week. I had hoped to do a blog while at the retreat, but between being busy and not getting good wireless reception there, it was impossible to do. This was our eighth year to attend this retreat and we had a wonderful time of seeing some great friends and enjoying some neat spiritual encouragement. It's always interesting that each year, as we make the drive to TN, I find myself thinking that I had too much stuff to do at home and the office to be taking time for this trip, but as soon as I started seeing old friends and having some great shared experiences, I remembered why to do it. There is a reason it's called a "retreat" and it truly is a great "get-a-way" time for us each year. Unlike other years, we have a family vacation trip planned for tomorrow, so we are going from one trip right into the next. We are all ( minus the NY branch) meeting at a really nice and large rental house just outside of Branson, right on Table Rock Lake. We will get to be together all week and enjoy some great family time. I can't wait to see everyone and do some things together in a place I've only been to once before.
So, there may not be many new blogs this next week either. There might be, if the wireless reception there is good. I still have to finish up a sermon for the Sunday we come back, so I will need some quiet alone time, but I usually get that early in the morning. So there may be a blog after all. Thanks for checking either way! Hope your week has been as good as ours has. God is good.

Showers of Blessings!

Here are a few of the pictures I took Saturday at the shower Donna and several helpers had at our house for Ashley and Caleb. For some reason my camera isn't focusing as well as it should, but these will give you the gist of what happened. Donna and the ladies did a super job of preparing everything and hosting a great shower for the young couple.

This was just before the start of opening all the gifts. They really got some nice stuff. There really are some guys present. About four are in the basement with me watching the Outdoor Channel. (Did you see those deer on the wall? Awesome!)

There was "food, glorious food" in every room. Good stuff!

This was at the very start of the shower. Before I sampled several of the above.

This is for family. Please notice: The DESK! It really does have a top.

When You're Hot You're Hot!

We are half way through our seventh year in north St. Louis, and it has been the craziest year yet weather wise. A long bitter winter was followed by bipolar spring, and now we have been setting summer heat records every other day. Hey - I'm thankful - at least it's not Texas, where the standard for HOT SUMMERS was seared into my body back in the '90's. Still, it's hot, and that effects the way we do church. How hot is it at church? Glad you asked.
It's so hot that...
1. We used the baptistry for a lobster fellowship!
2. We've replaced the word "brimstone" with "Coldstone" (as in ice cream)!
3. We don't let the "lower lights" keep burning! (Know your hymns?)
4. We call sweat - "showers of blessings"!
5. Hell really is everything outside our church doors!
6. Visitors are glad to not get "a warm welcome"!
7. We changed our "Coffee House Fellowship" to Pooped Popsicle People!
8. The elders announced that Air Conditioning was exempt from the "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" principle!
9. Three people who were "slain in the spirit" really just had heat stroke. (We knew all along they were mistaken!)
10. Wearing out a funeral fan is considered being "on fire for the Lord"!
11. We've cancelled all excitement until mid-September!
12. The biggest doubters in the church are asking if heaven will be air conditioned!

Doubts-A-Million?

There is nothing unhealthy about honest doubts. For example, I know I'm saved. I spent my entire lesson last Sunday explaining why I know that. Yet, in my 46 years of being a Christian, I spent more of those years doubting my salvation than I have feeling secure about my salvation. As part of the introduction of my lesson, I made five statements about what it doesn't mean.
1. It's not about me being so righteous or good - I'm not!
2. It's not a matter of deserving it - I can't!
3. It's not about me figuring it all out - I haven't!
4. It's not about me having joined the right church - I was added!
5. I would be saved even if I didn't know it! Most of the time I haven't!
That last point is the one I want to emphasize. Most of my insecurities of the past, regarding my salvation, have come from the full awareness of sin in my life, and my sense of total unworthiness. My doubts, however, never kept me from searching and growing. I have said for many years that doubts are healthy if they are part of the growing process. They are unhealty if they are simply excuses to stop seeking or to make us feel better about our sins.
How can we think any other way? The very nature of seeking is asking questions, having doubts to remove, and searching for understanding. God is pleased and rewards the seeker (Heb.11:6), and that transcends our doubts and our ability to "figure it all out." Until I understood that what God wants to see in my heart was a desire to be going in the right direction (walking in the light - 1 Jn.1:7), I saw my journey as trying to do more good works and less sinful acts. Once I understood that going in the right direction meant my constant cleasing by the blood of Jesus - again, in spite of my sins which I'd be lying if I said I didn't have - I realized that salvation is HIS work not mine! (1 John 1:5-10)
What's the bottom line? I don't understand a lot of things in the Bible or in the mind of God. I don't think we were ever meant to in this life. And doubts? Yes I have some. Not about God and ANY promise he has made, but about many traditional teachings and conclusions that man has proclaimed. Our challenge isn't to know EVERYTHING, but to TRUST HIM! I believe that our level of doubting is directly related to our understanding of God's grace. What I have learned is that the more I come to know that his "grace is sufficent" for me, and that his power is made "perfect" or made complete when I am weak and absolutely MUST trust him - what is there to doubt? His grace is greater than my doubts, and I have no doubts about that!
His grace gives liberty and security. That may sound frightening to some, but his grace - when we really get it - makes us feel totally unworthy, and fills us with the motivation to please the One who could love us so much!

Is "Educated" past tense?

I like to learn new things and learn more about old things. When family and friends tease me about my favorite TV channel being the History Channel, I like to remind them that if I can learn something and have fun doing it, it's the best of worlds. Actually, the one program I watch daily - and have for many years - is Jeopardy. I enjoy the challenge of trying to see how many questions I can get right - in response to their answers. I do pretty well - as long as it's a category that covers my short range of knowledge. Please, no opera or poetry! I prefer history, news, and even geography, and of course, any Bible categories. I have to admit that I have missed several Bible related answers through the years. Usually it was some obscure name or thing that would never appear in a class or sermon. Still, you can't know it all, and I was really glad that millions of viewers weren't laughing at "The Preacher" who blew it on national TV!
I watch it for the fun of it, and not because I want to impress anyone, or even be impressed with myself. If I don't know something - big deal - who cares! No one knows everything, right? Well, excuse me - Who is God?
As I study God's Word and move from book to book and testament to testament, I am constantly struck with how much I don't know, and - more distressing - how much I've forgotten. How many times while preparing for my Wednesday class on Genesis have I found myself saying, "Wow! I never noticed that!" or "Oh man - I forgot all about that!"? And then I'll be skipping through multiple books of the Bible as I prepare my sermon, and find myself reading something that totally grabs my heart and causes me to feel like it has been way too long since I've been in that book!
I don't know - is God's Word just so big and so full that a lifetime of studying it will just make you hungry for more? Am I that forgetful, or are there just so many great treasures to be discovered in its pages that refreshing the mind is as much a part of growing as discovering it the first time? Jesus did say that the Word was a seed. I guess - how the seed grows is totally dependent on how good the soil is. If the soil is good and the seed germinates and grows, doesn't that mean it will never be the same any two days in a row? Both the soil and the seed?

Who Loves Ya Baby?

Last Sunday I was dealing with the reason I believe God loves me. What would you say if you were asked that as a question? Certainly John 3:16 gives us all the answers we need, but what is so simple is also amazingly complex. For this lesson I defined love a little differently than I have in the past, especially since I was talking about being loved. After working through some possibilities from others, I said, "You know you are loved when someone wants what is good for you. The bottom line? Love is honest unselfishness." No one does it better than God.
It seems to me that God's love for us is seen in three somewhat synonymous, mostly overlapping, and yet distinctive characteristic. I know God loves me because I know God's goodness, God's giving, and God's grace. Again, they are inseparable and, depending on what you are looking at, separate as each tell us something different about God's love.
God's goodness is his holiness. He always wants what is best for us, and that means he is good even when good things, from our perspective, don't happen to us. He is interested in our character not our comfort, and the truth is, our faith grows the most during times of trials and suffering. It all depends on our ability to have his spiritual perspective on life. (2 Cor.5:1-10 & James 1:2-4) The most difficult part of understanding God's goodness is understanding how a good God can allow pain and suffering. It's the most often heard argument from those who doubt. I compared God to a parent who lets their child join the basketball team even though there will be mistakes, failures, losses, benchings, and potential injury. How could you do something like that to one you love so much? You know why.
God's giving is part of his goodness, (i.e Jn.3:16) but love is also a matter of what you don't give. Why hasn't God made me rich? He has, it's just a matter of who you want to compare yourself to. Even if it's not what you think it should be, why would God give you something that Jesus said would make it so much harder for you to enter the Kingdom of God? He is interested in our spiritual growth not our material ownership. Sometimes a loving God loves us so much that He has to say no to what we think we need. Hey - remember what he had to say to his only Son when he asked, "Let this cup pass from me."
His grace is his giving from his goodness, but there is nothing like it. Grace is God's love applied to my sinfulness. It is a holy God making a way for an unholy person to be declared holy. We keep wanting to limit it and qualify it, as we seek to judge who gets it and when it's applied, but his grace is greater than our arrogance. All other doctrines rest on it, (see Romans 5:1-5) and it is given in spite of us, not because of us (see Eph.2:1-10). Once we begin to grasp what it is and does for us, it becomes our power to deal with life. (see 2 Cor.12:7-10) Not only is it all we need, it means he dearly loves me.
God is so good!

Holy Sarcasm?

I have to confess that I struggle constantly with what constitutes appropriate sarcasm. I have always used sarcasm as a way to express humor, but also as a way to voice opinions and judgements in a way that is socially less offensive than the usual criticisms and personal digs that are clearly confrontational and hurtful. Several years ago it dawned on me that most sarcasm is just sugar coated negativity and semantically batter dipped barbs that, while witty and often cute, would never come from the lips of Jesus. Yes, I know that sarcasm has a place. It can emphasize a point, capture attentions, and cause a smile, but often it's a license to kill spirits, ridicule accomplishments, and vent poisonous gas from selfish gray matter. It is one of those things that you have to ask yourself why you are using it. Is it really the best way to show how quick and witty you are? Is it grabbing for attention at the cost of wounding others? Is it building up or tearing down?
Paul's words have haunted me for a lot of years now. Remember his challenge to "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Eph.4:29) Once you get past the occasional laugh that funny sarcasm my cause, at those rare times it isn't at the expense of hurting or humiliating someone else, it's hard to see when or how it helps, builds, or benefits anyone. Talk about a fascination with words, how does "wholesome" and "sarcasm" go together? It's not impossible, just not likely.
I shared a quote with our small group a while back that a friend shared with me. I really like it, especially as it is so appropriate to the times we live it. It's from Eric Hoffer, who said, "Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." I thought of it the other day when a new potential presidential candidate was declaring how he wasn't afraid to be rude to get his message across. Well it makes me think! I wonder if sarcasm could be defined as a selfish person's impersonation of being kind? Does that sound sarcastic?

The Bible Is God's Word!

I have never had a problem with the reliability of the Bible. I know it contains God's message of Good News to man. As I mentioned Sunday, if you believe there is a God, it's reasonable to expect him to communicate both his will for us - as the only part of his creation made in his image, and his directions for how to have a relationship with him. When we understand that he created us to be in a relationship with him, the meaning and purpose of the Bible is clear, and it changes the way we interpret every word of it. His Spirit inspired or guided the writers, and protected it from destruction or alteration through the centuries.
I have never really had any problems with the canonicity of the Bible - that is, are the right books in there or did something get left out that should have been in there. One of my standard "religious jokes" through the years has been, "We don't agree with the Catholics on hardly anything, yet we believe they did a perfect job of deciding which books belong in the Bible." I called it "selective trust" or maybe "grudging admiration" since we traditionally believe we have "all the pieces of the puzzle." The truth is, nearly the entire list of books that made the final cut had been considered "canonical" decades, even a couple centuries, before the formalization of it around 400 AD, and it involved a lot more scholars and theologians than a council of Catholic leaders.
What I have had problems with for several decades, is the assumption that God intended for his church to have access to all the pieces of the puzzle before we can know the truth. Because - as our traditional interpretive methodology has declared - you need all the parts to put together all the doctrinal patterns that complete the picture of what it means to truly be Christians like they were in the New Testament (aka - Restoration Theology). If that was the plan, it was poorly executed - especially when you consider how few people over the last two thousand years have had access to all the pieces (i.e. all twenty-seven NT books). How long has it been available to anyone who wanted to see it? Maybe the last two to three centuries? And how many of those first or second century brethren had access to all the parts.
I believe THE Gospel - the good news of Jesus - saves. Jesus is the truth. The truth is not having all the pieces of the doctrinal puzzle figured out. Consider this, if you only had a copy of one of the Gospels, would you have enough to become a child of God and be pleasing to God? I think you would. Everything else is great, but it's the tool box to help, not the law book to make us righteous.