Updates from July, 2006 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Mark 2:10 pm on July 17, 2006 Permalink | Reply  

    Guilt’s spreading 

    phone2.jpgThis past week I’ve been feeling guilty.  The blossoming faith community that I am a part of has been an interesting influx of social/spiritual communion of which I am most grateful.  One of the things that we are inquiring about together is the notion of simply being a spiritual family together under Christ, rather than just another event or program people “go to”.  So one of the principles behind that desire is for all of us to be contacting each other throughout the week – and therein lays the problem.  I feel this little twinge of guilt when I go a whole week without talking to every person in the faith community I am a part of!
    I am trained to be a “minister” in every sense of the word.  I’m supposed to be the leader of this program; I’m supposed to have the nice wrapping paper and bow to decorate our little worship times; I’m supposed to have all the answers.  Or at least I THINK I do…
    Instead of making life so complex and hard on myself, I need to remember that this is first and foremost about simplicity and natural relationships.  Those in my faith family that I am naturally drawn to I will hang out with more than others.  I can’t spread myself so thin that no one, not even me, gets a worthwhile portion.

    I remember a youth pastor at a mega-church I was a part of in High School; no matter how many times you “met him” his greeting was always a firm handshake, a warm smile, and “Hello friend, remind me of your name?”  That’s the picture of a man who doesn’t have a clue about his social center – or at least doesn’t care about the names of his regular kids.  If everyone in our group is to be a minister to each other, then everyone must take the initiative – all I can do is spread the vision and invite others to join in.

    Share
     

    • DPS 8:14 pm on July 17, 2006 Permalink

      Jesus’ solution to the name problem was to simply just change their name so he could remember it, most of us just aren’t smart enough to get away with that… Blessings, dps

    • Mark 9:33 pm on July 17, 2006 Permalink

      That’s frikin’ hilarious Donald. I mean, Cephas.

    • DPS 8:45 pm on July 18, 2006 Permalink

      Not a problem Quentin, anytime… see you in class or at least in campus!

  • Mark 11:17 am on July 16, 2006 Permalink | Reply  

    Love in Beirut 

    I have a really good friend who is engaged to a young woman in Beirut.  Of course, right now that city is under attack from Israel, and it looks very grim for even the civilians of that Lebanese city.  What makes this even more intriguing is that my friend has devoted his life to Jewish studies, and is planning some pretty amazing work on the language of 1st Century Palestinian Greek.  So to see him dealing with the hate and anger for the nation of Israel, and yet working so passionately on this project in Jewish history has got to be making his head spin.

    More than anything of course, he just wants his fiancee back.  I don’t blame him.  Last night as I was laying in bed I looked over at my beautiful bride and kept thinking to myself, “Why do I get to lay close and keep safe my wife tonight, while my friend aches with fear and is riddled with the political imbroglio of the Near East?”  I don’t deserve the life I live – the maddeningly gorgeous woman that sticks with me through thick and through thin – the opportunity to devote an entire week carefully examining God’s Word, not to mention the years I have been involved in training for mission in the US… The blessings in my life are a mystery.  Last night as I lay there wondering why I had been offered the undeserved blessing of watching my wife sleep soundly, I gave up all pretenses of wondering “why” and just began to thank the Lord for the gift of the moment.  I thanked him for the gift of my wife.  I thanked him for the life he had given me and the life I was leading.  I gave thanks to him for the peaceful situation we live in, even while there is so much turmoil in the world around us.

    The peace is not universal or fair, and that means the thankfulness should not lead to apathy.  But for one moment – one blissful evening, I am reminded of just how much I am to be thankful for.

    Share
     

    • Steve 11:13 pm on July 16, 2006 Permalink

      We’re lucky guys, aren’t we, Mark?

      I thank God often for mine. (by the way, she got three compliments on her eyes from three total strangers on Saturday. Crazy, huh?)

      The Middle East needs the Prince of Peace, doesn’t it?

    • Mark 6:36 am on July 17, 2006 Permalink

      They may need the PoP, but would they accept him if he came? Would we? What kind of a message would Jesus have to say to some of the political leaders of our world today? What would peace look like among the G-8, verses what it might look like for our Lord?

    • Curtis 11:28 am on July 20, 2006 Permalink

      Mark bro, I appreciate your comments. I think it’s a good response to the situation: be very thankful for what you have, but let it make you aware of the millions of people like me who are deprived and live haunted by fear and need.

      If there is any good coming out of my situation and Caroline’s, it’s that nobody who knows us is able to distance themselves and just suck in Fox news or Bush’s latest speech and not wonder about it. And it’s about time! May the Lord use the suffering of the Lebanese to smite the American complacency and arrogance and detachment from the world’s pain.

      To other Americans, the Middle East needs the Prince of Peace no more than America herself needs it. Notice that it’s American M-16s, F-16s, Apaches, smart bombs, and missles that are killing people like my beloved everday. Get the log out of your own eyes before you point your finger at a culture and a people you are utterly ignorant of. What do you really know about “the middle east?” What you see on TV?! Fools!

      If anyone reading hasn’t pondered that, maybe the Prince has some things to say to you.

      I do want my fiancee back safe in my arms. I am trusting the Lord to save her for me and protect her family when I can’t.

  • Mark 2:31 pm on July 14, 2006 Permalink | Reply  

    Peace, Be Still 

    se80a.jpg

    I have been fascinated with the imagery of water in the Bible as of late. All throughout Scripture we hear about water and the creatures of the deep (like Leviathans, etc) and we wonder what the big deal was. The Israelites all seem to be petrified of water! It seems to have been the place of fear, chaos, and the utterly disastrous abyss. Not a place you want to find yourself. And yet, God is always present.

    Even before God spoke light into his creation, chaos was there. The whole universe was a disaster; complete chaos…and yet God’s Spirit was hovering over the face of the waters, watching it closely and displaying control over everything.

    As God creates, he pushes back the waters of chaos to form land, which is where people are put to live. Eventually, people sin to the point of no return, and God has no choice but to unleash his chaos beast: a Worldwide Flood that undoes his entire creation. Chaos is given chance to reign again. And yet it is God controlling the flood and exhibiting a God-like control over the unstable mess.

    After bringing his people back on solid ground, we see Jonah being tossed into the sea and God using a sea monster to save him, Job describing creatures of the deep, and comparing their pathetic strength to God’s controlling arm, and in Revelation, we get a peek into heaven – where the Lord God sits on his throne, sitting before a sea of glass. The erupting, chaotic waters are now completely stilled when in his presence. He is the God of creation and even the uncreation of chaos.

    My friend Miller and I were talking about this the other day, and he wisely commented, “Sorta gives new meaning to Jesus’ walking on the water, don’t it?”

    Peace chaos, be still.

    Peace unrest, be still.

    Peace family strife, be still.

    Peace warfare, be still.

    Peace death, be still. I am in control, and behold, I make all things new.

    Share
     

    • miller 5:59 am on July 16, 2006 Permalink

      excellent words my friend.

      have you done the test yet?

      i’m about to start work on it as i write these words.

      peace, this will probably be fairly chaotic.

    • Mark 11:00 am on July 16, 2006 Permalink

      haven’t started on my paper yet – but I’m looking forward to it strangely. As it turns out, I am more excited about your quickly approaching END to all this school stuff than I am about finishing this class myself! God bless you as you seek him more deeply through your studies.

← Older posts

Newer posts →

c
compose new post
j
next post/next comment
k
previous post/previous comment
r
reply
e
edit
o
show/hide comments
t
go to top
l
go to login
h
show/hide help
esc
cancel