I don't have to look very far to know that people are broken; just a walk over to the mirror for a good look, or a bit of time to monitor my inner thoughts and I have ample evidence.
I also know when I am discouraged by my inward look, I don't have to look far afield to see that divorce rates are higher than ever, that people experience and are impacted by road rage, that children are being hurt every day of their lives by those who are supposed to love them, that people can't get along, that elected officials are making promises they can't keep, rather than caring for the public good, and that even pastors who are supposed to care for their flocks, often care more about their own personal agendas than the good of the church. What has the world come to? Obviously no good!
But then I look into the faces of my grandkids and see acceptance and love, watch my daughter laughing and talking to good friends over the dinner table, watch her care tenderly for her children, see my son work hard cleaning the garage as a way to help, hear about someone who's anonymously donated $35,000 to a small rural church, taking them out of debt, or someone who "gives up" their retirement years to serve people in another culture, and I realize that there's so much good than evil in this world.
Why is it easier for me to get discouraged by all the bad stuff? I know that good and bad coexist in a broken world. I know that there's a solution and answer to the mess, but in the meantime I get sad when I see people choose to not be loyal, honest, forgiving, or self-motivated about their personal and spiritual growth, etc. It bothers me to see those who criticize and accuse, rather than be redemptive and grace centered in their responses. Lately, it seems to be all around me. Sometimes I just want to scream, "ENOUGH!".
I guess I need to recognize that my propensity to see the glass half empty and to be discouraged over the bleaker side of life is not unique to me. I'm trying to pray that God would help me to not be judgmental toward those who are struggling similarly. Isn't it ironic that what I see as excusable in myself, is reprehensible when seen in others? Self-righteousness isn't pretty! I guess I (we all) need to learn to see through new eyes; those that rejoice over the good, even while we have compassion on the brokenness. Eyes that see people as God sees them - precious and worth redemption. This struggle does not get easier as I get older!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Happy Father's Day
Synergy:
"The working together of two or more things, people, or organizations, especially when the result is greater than the sum of their individual effects or capabilities."
Happy Father's Day to all of you reading this who are Dads and/or Grandfathers. I hope you have a blessed day with your families. For our family, Father's Day is very different now than it was in the past. In the early years of our marriage John and I would drive to my parents and celebrate with my Dad and Mom, and our kids. John's Dad had passed away when he was 16, and so it wasn't as complicated for us as for those who had to share their attention on that day. Then, with the passing of time, there was one Dad left; John. We always tried to give John a special day, though he preferred serving others, making it difficult to get him to let us "do" for him and serve him. On a sad day, June 3, 2007, Father's Day changed for us. Then there were none. John was gone from among us. Each passing Father's Day we have had a time of sharing memories about John, who was in our opinion, one of the best Dad's ever. This year I was sitting at the computer typing out some comments to be shared at a special graduation of students who were mentored academically, and socially in a group called GWAYO. Some, if interested, worked with spiritual mentors. Working with kids was a life long commitment of John's and so with it being Father's Day, and what I was doing, I already was thinking about him. I had WTTW, channel 11 on in the background, listening to The Canadian Tenors; beautiful! As I sat here typing, reflecting, and listening (more than two things obviously in the formula of synergy) a remarkable moment of "something bigger than the parts" occurred. The Tenors began to sing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". I was immediately transported back to that pre-Father's Day June 3rd, 2007. I sat in the kitchen listening to Mark, sitting at his Dad's bedside, singing and playing his guitar. He sang this song. The lyrics weren't the thing that I remember best today, although the last stanza sticks with me:
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen
"I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah"
(and then the chorus, repeating Hallelujah 17 more times follows.)
Two things crystallized in my memory in those moments. First, it is the memory of my first born, singing the song Hallelujah over and over to his Dad on the day that John closed his eyes on Earth and opened in them Glory. There, he heard his Heavenly Father, say, "Welcome home Son". Calm overtook my soul that day as I realized that John had lived his life as a Hallelujah to his God. Hearing these words again today, I was reminded of a handsome young man, unsure of his way, and floundering just a bit at age 17. Then, the memory of an even more handsome tall, think young groom of 21, standing beside me making promises to God and me that he never broke. Another really strong memory followed of an emotional (and maybe a little frightened) 26 year old, standing beside me, holding our first born in his arms, stopping to say, "let's pray for him right now Cheryl; God has entrusted him to us!". And we did pray for Mark Christopher; the first of many prayers to follow. That is the young man who helped care for his Dad during his last days, and then sat singing him into Eternity. John's life goes on in our children Mark (his first born), Jennifer (his special little girl), and Matthew (his Father's Day gift in 1978), and in the lives of his beloved grandchildren, Felicia, Isabel, Alex, and Tao.
The second thing I thought of was what John is doing today. I believe he is standing before his Father, singing Hallelujah, words of praise and gratitude for the one who gave him the gift of life, family, purpose, and meaning. But most of all the gift of Eternal Life and an eternity in God's presence. And the words and melody are perfect! Happy Father's Day John! Happy Father's Day Heavenly Father.
"The working together of two or more things, people, or organizations, especially when the result is greater than the sum of their individual effects or capabilities."
Happy Father's Day to all of you reading this who are Dads and/or Grandfathers. I hope you have a blessed day with your families. For our family, Father's Day is very different now than it was in the past. In the early years of our marriage John and I would drive to my parents and celebrate with my Dad and Mom, and our kids. John's Dad had passed away when he was 16, and so it wasn't as complicated for us as for those who had to share their attention on that day. Then, with the passing of time, there was one Dad left; John. We always tried to give John a special day, though he preferred serving others, making it difficult to get him to let us "do" for him and serve him. On a sad day, June 3, 2007, Father's Day changed for us. Then there were none. John was gone from among us. Each passing Father's Day we have had a time of sharing memories about John, who was in our opinion, one of the best Dad's ever. This year I was sitting at the computer typing out some comments to be shared at a special graduation of students who were mentored academically, and socially in a group called GWAYO. Some, if interested, worked with spiritual mentors. Working with kids was a life long commitment of John's and so with it being Father's Day, and what I was doing, I already was thinking about him. I had WTTW, channel 11 on in the background, listening to The Canadian Tenors; beautiful! As I sat here typing, reflecting, and listening (more than two things obviously in the formula of synergy) a remarkable moment of "something bigger than the parts" occurred. The Tenors began to sing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". I was immediately transported back to that pre-Father's Day June 3rd, 2007. I sat in the kitchen listening to Mark, sitting at his Dad's bedside, singing and playing his guitar. He sang this song. The lyrics weren't the thing that I remember best today, although the last stanza sticks with me:
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen
"I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah"
(and then the chorus, repeating Hallelujah 17 more times follows.)
Two things crystallized in my memory in those moments. First, it is the memory of my first born, singing the song Hallelujah over and over to his Dad on the day that John closed his eyes on Earth and opened in them Glory. There, he heard his Heavenly Father, say, "Welcome home Son". Calm overtook my soul that day as I realized that John had lived his life as a Hallelujah to his God. Hearing these words again today, I was reminded of a handsome young man, unsure of his way, and floundering just a bit at age 17. Then, the memory of an even more handsome tall, think young groom of 21, standing beside me making promises to God and me that he never broke. Another really strong memory followed of an emotional (and maybe a little frightened) 26 year old, standing beside me, holding our first born in his arms, stopping to say, "let's pray for him right now Cheryl; God has entrusted him to us!". And we did pray for Mark Christopher; the first of many prayers to follow. That is the young man who helped care for his Dad during his last days, and then sat singing him into Eternity. John's life goes on in our children Mark (his first born), Jennifer (his special little girl), and Matthew (his Father's Day gift in 1978), and in the lives of his beloved grandchildren, Felicia, Isabel, Alex, and Tao.
The second thing I thought of was what John is doing today. I believe he is standing before his Father, singing Hallelujah, words of praise and gratitude for the one who gave him the gift of life, family, purpose, and meaning. But most of all the gift of Eternal Life and an eternity in God's presence. And the words and melody are perfect! Happy Father's Day John! Happy Father's Day Heavenly Father.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Watching the Curtains Mold
Years ago my husband John had a saying, the origin of which I am not sure. When he wanted to indicate that he was bored, or being lazy, he's say, "Ya, I'm sitting around just watching the curtains mold!" Now where he got that interesting quip is beyond me, but I was reminded of it today. I threw my back out two weeks ago and have been less able to be out and about. During this time I've been reading, watching TV, on the internet, and watching the curtains mold. Perhaps it's just a result of too much time on my hands, but I've been pondering some big ideas, for example:
• why is it that some people thrive on change and imbalance, while others crave
stability, "sameness", and routine?
I know people who are bored by routine, while I thrive on knowing the tasks that need to be accomplished and feel the satisfaction of checking items off the list as I go -- yes, I am a list maker! Something soothing to me about that predictability.
I know people who love change -- my oldest son being one. He loves living in new places, seeing new faces, the challenge of the unexpected, and traveling lightly through life. I, on the other hand, love the stability (in my mind anyway) that is represented by lack of change and sameness.
Now I'd never admit to being a boring stick in the mud, or rigid in my desire to experience a predictable life, but apparently if the shoe fits..... Is it just that I'm getting old enough to notice this by virtue of the fact that I can't move as fast as I used to? Or is it that I'm getting more introspective as I get older? Never mind that I forget what I want to do between points a and b. Or is it that I'm becoming more like this as I get older and therefore it's a relatively new development on the personal scene? Well, baby boomers, how about you? Are predictability and stability more on your mental radar of late, or should I see the mental health care people?
• why is it that some people thrive on change and imbalance, while others crave
stability, "sameness", and routine?
I know people who are bored by routine, while I thrive on knowing the tasks that need to be accomplished and feel the satisfaction of checking items off the list as I go -- yes, I am a list maker! Something soothing to me about that predictability.
I know people who love change -- my oldest son being one. He loves living in new places, seeing new faces, the challenge of the unexpected, and traveling lightly through life. I, on the other hand, love the stability (in my mind anyway) that is represented by lack of change and sameness.
Now I'd never admit to being a boring stick in the mud, or rigid in my desire to experience a predictable life, but apparently if the shoe fits..... Is it just that I'm getting old enough to notice this by virtue of the fact that I can't move as fast as I used to? Or is it that I'm getting more introspective as I get older? Never mind that I forget what I want to do between points a and b. Or is it that I'm becoming more like this as I get older and therefore it's a relatively new development on the personal scene? Well, baby boomers, how about you? Are predictability and stability more on your mental radar of late, or should I see the mental health care people?
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Unsound Bites
Toward the end of April two of our Pastors began a sermon series called, "Unsound Bites". The title for this post is "stolen" (or at least borrowed, with no intention to return) from them. Pastor Keith started explaining that the media is known for putting sound bites out into the airwaves, and into the minds of listeners. Supporting the notion that those listeners are often passive in their analysis of what they're hearing, it was suggested that slogans, jingles, and catchphrases float through that media - linguistic ether to actually form opinion and frame ideas.
Americans have a long history of contributing to the sound bite library. For example:
"The only thing we have to fear is...";
"Ask not what your country can do for you...";
"Houston, we have a....";
"Elvis has left the....".
(I'm sure that all of you can complete the preceding sound bites, but just in case you can't, the concluding parts are:
"...fear itself";
"...Ask what you can do for your country";
"...problem"; and
"...building".)
There are "religious" sound bites floating around too. Some that my pastors have explored are: "God loves the sinner but hates the sin", "God won't give you more than you can handle?", and "Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship". In the religious realm we know that these sound bites are catchy and memorable, but are they true? I'd like to add another idea that floats through our culture with such frequency that it has developed a ring of credibility. "Why are Evangelical Christians so intolerant?". If you haven't said this, you have probably heard it. But have you investigated it’s veracity?
I suppose the defensive response to this might be, "Do you know all Christians?", or "Are they intolerant about everything, or just some things?". Well, one area where Evangelical Christians are accused of being intolerant would be in their assertion that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. So, the question is: "Who" made this claim? Many people think that this is just the arrogant boast of religious fanatics, who are the equivalent of spiritual Neanderthals. But is that so, or merely a commonly held opinion? It seems that it might be good to know what Jesus said about himself.
In John 14:6 Jesus said, " I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me". He also claimed that he had the authority to forgive sins (in Mark 2:1-12), stated that he had existed before Abraham of the Old Testament (John 8:58), and said that he would live forever (Matt. 28:20). In John 8:24, he even said that if a person didn't believe in him they would die in their sins. These are but a few of the many claims that Jesus made about himself. If you don't believe me, I suggest you read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament. As a new believer I remember reading the one time atheist, C.S. Lewis', Mere Christianity, and finding his startling evaluation of the idea that Jesus was a good man, and a prophet, but not God. His thoughts unfolded like this:
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg--or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
And so it seems to me, we must make a decision about Jesus. If he is not God and said such things, he is either a liar, or a lunatic, but he is most decidedly not good. We would be fools to live our life for him and entrust our eternal destiny to him. But, if he is indeed God in the flesh, we must respond personally to that claim. That is admittedly difficult in this day of moral relativity, where many believe that there is no such thing as right or wrong, and many people buy into the idea that one religion is as good as another. Never the less, we are confronted with these claims of Jesus. So, we must get off the fence about him! If he is whom he says, then what we believe about him, and how we relate to him, are the most significant, life-altering choices of our life. Isn't it fortunate that the same Jesus gave an invitation saying all who are weary and heavy laden may come. He will give us rest. If you'd like come to him, I'd be so excited to share how you can do that.
Americans have a long history of contributing to the sound bite library. For example:
"The only thing we have to fear is...";
"Ask not what your country can do for you...";
"Houston, we have a....";
"Elvis has left the....".
(I'm sure that all of you can complete the preceding sound bites, but just in case you can't, the concluding parts are:
"...fear itself";
"...Ask what you can do for your country";
"...problem"; and
"...building".)
There are "religious" sound bites floating around too. Some that my pastors have explored are: "God loves the sinner but hates the sin", "God won't give you more than you can handle?", and "Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship". In the religious realm we know that these sound bites are catchy and memorable, but are they true? I'd like to add another idea that floats through our culture with such frequency that it has developed a ring of credibility. "Why are Evangelical Christians so intolerant?". If you haven't said this, you have probably heard it. But have you investigated it’s veracity?
I suppose the defensive response to this might be, "Do you know all Christians?", or "Are they intolerant about everything, or just some things?". Well, one area where Evangelical Christians are accused of being intolerant would be in their assertion that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. So, the question is: "Who" made this claim? Many people think that this is just the arrogant boast of religious fanatics, who are the equivalent of spiritual Neanderthals. But is that so, or merely a commonly held opinion? It seems that it might be good to know what Jesus said about himself.
In John 14:6 Jesus said, " I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me". He also claimed that he had the authority to forgive sins (in Mark 2:1-12), stated that he had existed before Abraham of the Old Testament (John 8:58), and said that he would live forever (Matt. 28:20). In John 8:24, he even said that if a person didn't believe in him they would die in their sins. These are but a few of the many claims that Jesus made about himself. If you don't believe me, I suggest you read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament. As a new believer I remember reading the one time atheist, C.S. Lewis', Mere Christianity, and finding his startling evaluation of the idea that Jesus was a good man, and a prophet, but not God. His thoughts unfolded like this:
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg--or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
And so it seems to me, we must make a decision about Jesus. If he is not God and said such things, he is either a liar, or a lunatic, but he is most decidedly not good. We would be fools to live our life for him and entrust our eternal destiny to him. But, if he is indeed God in the flesh, we must respond personally to that claim. That is admittedly difficult in this day of moral relativity, where many believe that there is no such thing as right or wrong, and many people buy into the idea that one religion is as good as another. Never the less, we are confronted with these claims of Jesus. So, we must get off the fence about him! If he is whom he says, then what we believe about him, and how we relate to him, are the most significant, life-altering choices of our life. Isn't it fortunate that the same Jesus gave an invitation saying all who are weary and heavy laden may come. He will give us rest. If you'd like come to him, I'd be so excited to share how you can do that.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
We Have Met The Enemy and It Is Us...
A visiting seminary student was preaching at a church one Sunday morning. He was extremely nervous about preaching his first sermon and was shaking considerably by the time he had to begin his message. As he approached the pulpit, he froze, only able to remember the first three words of his sermon; "Behold, I come!", which he said in a squeaky voice. Using a technique taught in seminary, he backed away from the pulpit to give himself time to collect his thoughts, and then once again quickly approached the pulpit, only to say, "Behold I come!" again, stopping with no clue of what came next. The third time he launched himself at the pulpit, loudly saying, "Behold I come!", and hurdled forward over the pulpit, landing in the lap of an older woman in front row of the church. He began to apologize profusely about what had happened, but her wry response was, "Don't worry about it sonny; you warned me three times!" This serves as your disclaimer - a warning to not read further if:
a) you love technology,
b) you don't want to hear complaining, or
c) if you don't want to hear complaining about technology!
The cartoon character Pogo may have said, "We have met the enemy and it is us", but recently I learned for certain that Pogo had it wrong. It should have been, "We have met the enemy and it is technology". Or maybe it should have been, "We have met the enemy and it is companies that sell technological services!" OK that one is just too cumbersome to catch on.
Like every common drug dealer, "they" come at you with the old bait and switch ploy; "here, try it, the first one is free" routine, and then you're hooked and it's too late. Remember the old days when a "mouse" scurried across a floor, a screen was on a door, the "net" was something you put on your hair, and "digital" was an adjective preceding fingers and toes?
Did you see the movie, "He's Just Not That Into You"? Drew Barrymore bemoaned the sad fact that today you can be rejected by someone in five technologies without ever seeing them face to face. Isn't that ironic? We can Tweet, share our status on Face Book, email, text message, voice mail, as we see our friends less and less frequently face to face. All this in the name of social networking. Remember when social networking was when people actually got together and talked, laughed, debated, or even argued? Well now it can all be done from your iPhone.
Alright, I know that I'm rambling and very disgruntled for someone typing a blog, on a computer that is connected to that same Internet...yada, yada, yada! All technology you rightfully point out. But please indulge me as I've spent the last five days, with too many phone calls to count, navigating more automated phone systems than I care to think about, trying to sort out the latest complication of Internet connection issues. The Internet company I use says it's the mac computer I have; the mac people say it's the Internet service, one technician says that the other one did something wrong, and a technical support guy named "Irish" from the Philippines, (after a long conversation where I expressed my frustration over this Internet thing never really working properly since I've had the service), closed his conversation with, "Well, Mrs. Witook, I hope that we have provided you with very excellent service!" Ahhhh! It just kind of makes you go "hmmmmm!"
Anyway, today's technician, arriving at 5:30 for a 12 - 4 appointment time range, could apparently see that I was "on the edge". Without so much as an argument to "give wireless one more chance", he agreed to hard wire the computer. Two holes in my wall, an hour and a half later, I stood looking at my insulation and dust strewn floor, just as hesitant to click on the Firefox symbol as the young preacher was to approach the pulpit. Boldly, I clicked on the Firefox icon. I'm finally back online. Will it last? Will I need a new fix in a few days? Will I be back cursing the technology that I rely on more and more? Who knows?
a) you love technology,
b) you don't want to hear complaining, or
c) if you don't want to hear complaining about technology!
The cartoon character Pogo may have said, "We have met the enemy and it is us", but recently I learned for certain that Pogo had it wrong. It should have been, "We have met the enemy and it is technology". Or maybe it should have been, "We have met the enemy and it is companies that sell technological services!" OK that one is just too cumbersome to catch on.
Like every common drug dealer, "they" come at you with the old bait and switch ploy; "here, try it, the first one is free" routine, and then you're hooked and it's too late. Remember the old days when a "mouse" scurried across a floor, a screen was on a door, the "net" was something you put on your hair, and "digital" was an adjective preceding fingers and toes?
Did you see the movie, "He's Just Not That Into You"? Drew Barrymore bemoaned the sad fact that today you can be rejected by someone in five technologies without ever seeing them face to face. Isn't that ironic? We can Tweet, share our status on Face Book, email, text message, voice mail, as we see our friends less and less frequently face to face. All this in the name of social networking. Remember when social networking was when people actually got together and talked, laughed, debated, or even argued? Well now it can all be done from your iPhone.
Alright, I know that I'm rambling and very disgruntled for someone typing a blog, on a computer that is connected to that same Internet...yada, yada, yada! All technology you rightfully point out. But please indulge me as I've spent the last five days, with too many phone calls to count, navigating more automated phone systems than I care to think about, trying to sort out the latest complication of Internet connection issues. The Internet company I use says it's the mac computer I have; the mac people say it's the Internet service, one technician says that the other one did something wrong, and a technical support guy named "Irish" from the Philippines, (after a long conversation where I expressed my frustration over this Internet thing never really working properly since I've had the service), closed his conversation with, "Well, Mrs. Witook, I hope that we have provided you with very excellent service!" Ahhhh! It just kind of makes you go "hmmmmm!"
Anyway, today's technician, arriving at 5:30 for a 12 - 4 appointment time range, could apparently see that I was "on the edge". Without so much as an argument to "give wireless one more chance", he agreed to hard wire the computer. Two holes in my wall, an hour and a half later, I stood looking at my insulation and dust strewn floor, just as hesitant to click on the Firefox symbol as the young preacher was to approach the pulpit. Boldly, I clicked on the Firefox icon. I'm finally back online. Will it last? Will I need a new fix in a few days? Will I be back cursing the technology that I rely on more and more? Who knows?
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Passing The Torch
Not long ago, I wrote about my Aunt Doris' passing. I shared how surreal it felt, along with my other first cousins, to be the elder generation of my grandparent's, Albert and Stella Sauter. I talked about how the torch had been passed from our parent's generation to ours, and how we as the oldest generation would also someday leave a legacy. What that legacy will be has yet to be determined, and so remains fraught (Don't you love that word?) with possibilities. This got me thinking about passing of torches, and what I wish to pass on to my descendants.
Then this morning Pastor Keith spoke about "Passing the Gospel Torch". He reminded us of the significance of this type of event in the opening of the Olympics. I checked online about the 2010 torch relay, and it seems that it is carried 45,000 kilometers for over 106 days prior to the start of the Olympics. The flame was carried by approximately 12,000 people, who passed the torch from one to the next, until it reached it's destination. The relay started with the lighting of the torch in front of the ruins of the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece, and was carried to the site of the current winter Olympic games in Vancouver, emphasizing the connection between the ancient and modern games. Finally, one person lit the Olympic fire in the opening ceremonies for all the world to see. It occurred to me that each person who had ran had a part in lighting that Olympic flame, even though only one person had the privilege of actually physically lighting it. My pastor pointed out similarities of this relay passage to the sharing of the gospel message.
In 2 Timothy the apostle Paul addressed a young pastor named Timothy. Paul's purpose and practice was clear in passing the torch to this young man, who would teach and lead the next generation of Christians. In chapter 1, verse 3, Paul stated that he personally serves God, as did his own forefathers, with a clear conscience, and with prayer for the next generation. Thus, his practice of prayer and encouragement for Timothy were rooted in a heritage of passing a spiritual torch. He shared his joy at hearing of Timothy's sincere faith, mentioning Timothy's grandmother Lois and mother Eunice, who were also faithful servants of God. He was not in any way implying that Lois and Eunice's faith was inherited by Timothy, but that Timothy was taught well, saw people of genuine faith, and so desired to personally receive and walk in the faith that his predecessors had held dear. There's something very contagious about genuine and transparent faith, and Timothy wanted that faith for himself.
Pastor Keith mentioned three things that Paul considered worthy of this young Pastor's attention, if he was to pass on a lasting spiritual legacy. First of all, in verse 8 Paul exhorted Timothy to be unashamed of speaking openly about Christ. Secondly (v. 8) he told Timothy to be prepared to suffer for the gospel. In the US today, Americans generally do not suffer physically for sharing their faith, as did Paul and the other apostles. We know though that in many parts of the world, even today, to share your faith in Christ openly may mean loss of family acceptance, job opportunities, beatings, or even loss of your life. We more consistently face culturally accepted ridicule that people of faith routinely receive. We are told by Hollywood and media alike that we are intellectually inferior, and emotionally weak. We are also considered restrictive, judgmental, and out of touch with reality. In some cases, people professing to be Christians have rightfully earned this criticism, but in many cases, people of faith are ridiculed, or stereotyped for simply believing. So, for the sincere Christian, who would like to engage in conversation about their faith, or even share a Biblical perspective on cultural issues, personal retribution may come in the form of being socially criticized or ostracized. I wonder why it seems acceptable to bash evangelical Christians for their beliefs, while in the name of tolerance it is unacceptable to criticize anyone else?
The third aspect of passing the gospel torch mentioned this morning was to preserve and protect sound teaching (Verses 13, 14). We protect what we treasure, and we are told that we should protect the accuracy of God's truth, found in the Word of God. In a marketplace of competing ideas today, we need to study and be conversant with the doctrines of the faith so that we recognize truth from error, and logical consistency from a patchwork quilt of thinking. We need to be able to make a reasonable accounting for the gospel message if is to be preserved. This is especially difficult in a postmodernist culture that says truth is relative and subjective.
The Olympic torch was carried by over 12, 000 people. I wonder how many people have carried the gospel torch over the centuries, so that I might be able to have the word of God in my language in 2010? How many have brought this gospel to the countless numbers over the last two millennium so that I could eventually be given the opportunity in 1961 to hear the gospel clearly presented so that I could respond to the call of God on my life? All of those believers who have gone before passed a torch so that I could hear. I pray that my legacy will be no less. What will you pass on to the next generation?
Then this morning Pastor Keith spoke about "Passing the Gospel Torch". He reminded us of the significance of this type of event in the opening of the Olympics. I checked online about the 2010 torch relay, and it seems that it is carried 45,000 kilometers for over 106 days prior to the start of the Olympics. The flame was carried by approximately 12,000 people, who passed the torch from one to the next, until it reached it's destination. The relay started with the lighting of the torch in front of the ruins of the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece, and was carried to the site of the current winter Olympic games in Vancouver, emphasizing the connection between the ancient and modern games. Finally, one person lit the Olympic fire in the opening ceremonies for all the world to see. It occurred to me that each person who had ran had a part in lighting that Olympic flame, even though only one person had the privilege of actually physically lighting it. My pastor pointed out similarities of this relay passage to the sharing of the gospel message.
In 2 Timothy the apostle Paul addressed a young pastor named Timothy. Paul's purpose and practice was clear in passing the torch to this young man, who would teach and lead the next generation of Christians. In chapter 1, verse 3, Paul stated that he personally serves God, as did his own forefathers, with a clear conscience, and with prayer for the next generation. Thus, his practice of prayer and encouragement for Timothy were rooted in a heritage of passing a spiritual torch. He shared his joy at hearing of Timothy's sincere faith, mentioning Timothy's grandmother Lois and mother Eunice, who were also faithful servants of God. He was not in any way implying that Lois and Eunice's faith was inherited by Timothy, but that Timothy was taught well, saw people of genuine faith, and so desired to personally receive and walk in the faith that his predecessors had held dear. There's something very contagious about genuine and transparent faith, and Timothy wanted that faith for himself.
Pastor Keith mentioned three things that Paul considered worthy of this young Pastor's attention, if he was to pass on a lasting spiritual legacy. First of all, in verse 8 Paul exhorted Timothy to be unashamed of speaking openly about Christ. Secondly (v. 8) he told Timothy to be prepared to suffer for the gospel. In the US today, Americans generally do not suffer physically for sharing their faith, as did Paul and the other apostles. We know though that in many parts of the world, even today, to share your faith in Christ openly may mean loss of family acceptance, job opportunities, beatings, or even loss of your life. We more consistently face culturally accepted ridicule that people of faith routinely receive. We are told by Hollywood and media alike that we are intellectually inferior, and emotionally weak. We are also considered restrictive, judgmental, and out of touch with reality. In some cases, people professing to be Christians have rightfully earned this criticism, but in many cases, people of faith are ridiculed, or stereotyped for simply believing. So, for the sincere Christian, who would like to engage in conversation about their faith, or even share a Biblical perspective on cultural issues, personal retribution may come in the form of being socially criticized or ostracized. I wonder why it seems acceptable to bash evangelical Christians for their beliefs, while in the name of tolerance it is unacceptable to criticize anyone else?
The third aspect of passing the gospel torch mentioned this morning was to preserve and protect sound teaching (Verses 13, 14). We protect what we treasure, and we are told that we should protect the accuracy of God's truth, found in the Word of God. In a marketplace of competing ideas today, we need to study and be conversant with the doctrines of the faith so that we recognize truth from error, and logical consistency from a patchwork quilt of thinking. We need to be able to make a reasonable accounting for the gospel message if is to be preserved. This is especially difficult in a postmodernist culture that says truth is relative and subjective.
The Olympic torch was carried by over 12, 000 people. I wonder how many people have carried the gospel torch over the centuries, so that I might be able to have the word of God in my language in 2010? How many have brought this gospel to the countless numbers over the last two millennium so that I could eventually be given the opportunity in 1961 to hear the gospel clearly presented so that I could respond to the call of God on my life? All of those believers who have gone before passed a torch so that I could hear. I pray that my legacy will be no less. What will you pass on to the next generation?
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Super Bowl, Really?
Well most of you know that it's Superbowl Sunday tomorrow. I can't remember how many Superbowl games I've sat through over the years - you notice that I say "sat through" rather than "watched". John used to love to watch the game, even though we rarely had our Chicago Bears to root on for on that biggest football Sunday of the year. I can remember thinking that I wished we could just watch a movie, or do something else, but it was a tradition and one we always shared with other couples. Now the big day has rolled around again, but I'll be sitting in some friends kitchen talking to the ladies while the men watch the game. Isn't life funny! Now I think what a blessing it would be to sit there with the ladies (I still wouldn't watch the game!), but to be able to look into the family room and watch John enjoying the game with the guys. What an unrealized treasure to be able to just hear his voice, or catch his eye and see him smile at me, or tease him as he came for another plate of snacks. To be able to go out to a warmed car and have him hop out and open the door for me, to feel safe and cared for as we went home. Well, enough of those remembrances. Ladies! If you have a special guy in your life, and will be sitting through the game tomorrow, remember how fortunate you are. It might not hurt to go sit by him for a short time and just let him know that you're glad to be there with him.
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