Family...

So I just got off the phone with a reporter from the local newspaper.  She is covering the Thanksgiving service project that my church is doing this year and has been doing for the last 15 years.  I've had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of this for almost 3 years now.  In fact, this will be my third year working with over 100 volunteers to serve the greater Indianapolis community on Thanksgiving Day.

The conversation with the report went well I thought.  I was asked questions about how long we've been doing this, who helps out, why we are doing this, etc.  Then she asked me a question that no one has ever asked me about this project.  She asked me how I felt about it and what it was like to be away from my family that day to serve these people.  I paused and gave it some thought.

I was reminded of Acts 2:42-47...

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

It's incredible to be surrounded by people who are willing to give of their possessions so that others may have.  Giving of their time by volunteering, there talents by serving and cooking, bringing donations to the table; food and financial.  Being a part of this Thanksgiving project reminds me of the first century church. 

But that question the reporter asked me still echoed through my mind.  How did I feel about this?  It's not every day that I get to sit with my family from Indianapolis.  However, on this day, the people that I eat with, share stories with, and laugh with are my family.  It doesn't matter whether they are black, white, hispanic, male, female, young, old, poor, or rich...they are my family.

My immediate family has always understood that being called to ministry means making sacrifices.  Sometimes we sacrifice time with those we know as family to be with those we don't know...who are still our family.  This Thanksgiving I would challenge each of us to reach out to our neighbors, those around us, and share a "thanks" and a "giving" with them. 

My prayer is that you will look deep into your heart and ask God what you can do to give thanks to Him by giving today.  Be like those first Christians by breaking bread with others and giving of what is already His. 

Amen.

Old Sweater...

So I moved this past summer after my wife and I got married.  It was interesting going through old clothing.  I'm a big fan of sweaters, especially older ones.  She'll tell you that this is true.  And I'm not talking about Cosby sweaters.  These are just solid one color sweaters. 

I have this one sweater that's a cream color.  It has an elastic waistband that has been worn out and several holes.  I just can't seem to part with it.  I wore it out one time and then had to promise my wife I never would do that again.  But I refuse to throw it out, because it has some value to me as a person.  Whenever I wear it I feel all the memories of college coming back.  In 1998, when I first bought it, it was brand new and perfect.  Now, here we are in 2010 almost 2011, and in my opinion it's still perfect. 

The Bible talks about seasons for things.  In fact, in Ecclesiastes 3:1 it says, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven."  I think sometimes it's hard to realize that things change.  Whether it's our relationships, jobs, church, family, friends, etc.  Change is always difficult and hard to let go of.  Sometimes it's okay to hold onto the old, but oftentimes it's better to let go.  And just like my sweater, sometimes we have to make compromises with the past so that the future can be better. 

I don't wear my cream colored sweater out anymore, but that's because I have new sweaters I can wear.  But, I take comfort in knowing that if I want to remember the past, I can go find that warm and familiar sweater. 

What changes need to occur in your life so that you can move onto better things? 

"God, help us make the changes in our lives that are right.  Help us hold onto parts of the past that are worthy of keeping.  Reminded us that even though the seasons of life change, you are always there for us and with us.  Amen."

Why You Don't Want to Follow Jesus, Part I

Normally I keep the topics of this blog short and light.  However, I've recently been reading Luke 9.  Something jumped out at me that I have read before, but just never viewed with the right set of lenses.  This is such a hard chapter to read, especially towards the end.  The reason that it's hard to read is because, well, I'm an American.  That's right, it's hard to read because I read it through the lenses of an American.  An American Christian that is. 

I think here in America we believe that the Gospel was written specifically for us.  However, it wasn't.  The Gospel was originally written for the Jews.  Jesus was a Jew in case you forgot that.  He came to speak to the Jews.  It wasn't until the Apostle Paul came along that the Gentiles were even invited into the conversation.  So, unless your Jewish, count your blessings.  And if you're Jewish, count your blessings. 

Needless to say, the Gospel was never intended to be what it has become here in America....a lazy excusable resource guide for living a quasi-socially acceptable Christian lifestyle.  And the truth is that today in America, it's not really all that accepted in most circles.  The reason we as Christians think that it is acceptable is because most of us do not have friends that are not Christians and most of us don't run in circles where we are the only Christian.

So here we are at Part I of "Why You Don't Want to Follow Jesus".  There's no catch here, by the way.  I'm not going to quote you the verse and then tell you what it really means.  To do so would be giving you the watered down American version.  I will say this, it might sound like I'm pointing a finger and I am.  Not just at you, but at myself also.  I'm guilty as much as anyone else.  So please remember that I say these things in love.

So, if you want to keep on living your life of excuses, stop reading now.  Otherwise you're going to be confronted with a decision that you're going to have to make.  You can accuse me of being too black and white here on this issue and that's okay.  It's your choice.  But the truth is, if you believe this scripture to be true, then you've gotta take it at what it says.  Not what Jesus might be inferring.  Because the truth is, if Jesus wanted to use this as an example, he would use it as an example and not just come out and say it like it is.  So here we go....

"As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." - Luke 9:57 and 58

There it is.  That's right.  Jesus was talking about being homeless.  So remember this, just because you're a Christian doesn't mean you're guarantee'd a home.  You're not guarantee'd to have a place to lay your head.  If Jesus wasn't, what makes us think that we are? 

So the truth, if you want to follow Jesus, you gotta give up the idea that you might always have a place to call home.  You might not.  I challenge you to wrestle with that for awhile.  And honestly, we can't understand until we're in that moment.  But if you want to follow Jesus, you gotta give up the idea that having a home.  I know the American Dream says this is okay, but if you want to follow Jesus, you're gonna have to give up this idea that your entitled to have a home just because. 

Now, this doesn't mean go sell your home and live on the streets.  What it does mean is that you need to be ready to let go if called by God to do so.  And here's the kicker, we are all called by God to do so.  So if you want to follow Jesus, you gotta let go. 

Tough...I know.  Right there with you.  I would encourage you to post your thoughts from a non-American perspective.  That's going to be tough because we are Americans.  But Jesus wasn't, and the gospel wasn't written just for us.  Remember that. 

Saturday's with Mom...

I remember when I was growing up that my Mom and I would spend our Saturday's together.  Dad was usually out cutting grass or fixing something, so this gave us time to hang.  One of my Mom's Saturday rituals, one still practiced today, was to go to McDonald's for a Diet Coke.  I always remember going there with her on Saturday's and we would share a Coke in the car. 

There was something really special about those Saturday mornings.  I think it was just the fact that I was with Mom that made me content.  I didn't need anything to make me happy in that moment, I just needed to be with Mom.  Eventually, though, if we were out too long I would get restless and hide in the clothing racks of the local department store or I would run up and down the aisles of the grocery store.

Psalms 131 says, "Jehovah, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too wonderful for me.  Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child with his mother, Like a weaned child is my soul within me.  O Israel, hope in Jehovah from this time forth and for evermore."

Being content with where God has us is so key and important to our relationship with Him.  It's like being happy just being with Mom on Saturday mornings.  I don't need her to buy me anything to be happy.  I just need to be with her.

Are you happy just being with God?  Or, are you caught up with all the things around you that you've forgotten to take time just to be with Him?

God,
Help us take the time today to just be with you.  Amen.

Service Engine Soon

This morning, I got up and put myself together to experience a great day.  I stepped outside and the weather was fantastic.  I'll take anything below 90 degree's since we've been having a bit of a heat wave lately.  I put my backpack in the passenger seat and started up my car.

Needless to say, that yellow light popped up again.  You know the "Service Engine Soon" light.  It reminded me of the first time I saw the light.  It was a day full of frustration and seeing this light was the straw that broke the camel's back.  I remember taking it to Auto Zone and having the guy come run a check on it.  After the check he told me everything was fine and that it was just the sensor being ultra sensitive.  However, everytime it comes on it reminds me of how I need to get things checked out on occasion.  That "Service Engine Soon" light is the accountability that I need to remind me to get the car checked out.

This also reminds me of the verse in Hebrews 10:24 where it says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

My question for you is this, who is holding you accountable for your actions?  In 1 Corinthians 12 it talks about all of us being a part of the body of Christ and how we need to keep each other in check.  So are you keeping yourself accountable today?  It's hard to live in this world without having someone to share the things that we've done wrong with.  We also need someone, as the verse in Hebrews says, to spur us on in life to love and do good things.

So today, if you don't have someone holding you accountable, find someone you can trust and depend on.  Meet with them on a regular basis and share your experiences.  Sharpen each other and spur each other on to live the lives that God has destined us to live.

God,
Thank you for accountability.  Thank you for those in our lives who can speak truth into us.  Thank you for those who can encourage us and love us accurately.  Help us seek accountability so we can share your love with those around us.  Amen.

Clay Pots...

"Yet, O Lord, you are the Father.  We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." - Isaiah 64:8

I once heard a story about some of the earliest of settler's in the praire's and old west.  When the settler's first arrived to the west they found that it was hard to get water from the ground.  So they took it upon themselves to make cistern's out of clay.  They would then take these clay cistern's and bury them into the ground.  The hope would be that the rain water would collect into these underground cistern's and they could get fresh water out of them.
Unfortunately, more times than not, the clay cistern's would bring or crack.  This allowed dirt, mud, and water to creep in.  Eventually the water would go from fresh to murky or dark muddy substance.  I can imagine this didn't sit well with those first settler's.
We as humans like to be in control of our lives.  If someone handed me a lump of clay and said I had two choices, either make a clay cistern for myself or have them make it, I'd probably do it myself.  Unfortunately, I'm not very good at make anything out of clay.  So I would have to rely on someone else to make my clay cistern for me.  Otherwise, I'd end up with cracks and then the murky water would creep in.
This is no different then our relationship with God.  If we allow God to be the potter in our life then we can rest assure that the cracks will be repaired or they will never appear.  It's when we try and control life that we begin to see the murky water. 
Are you allowing God to be your potter or are you still trying to control everything?  Given the choice, would you rather drink from a cistern of fresh water or murky water?  Why not drink from the Living Well of Jesus Christ today by allowing Him to be your potter.

Dear Jesus,
Take our lives that we try to control and show us that giving you control is okay.  Help us remember that life with you is wonderful.  We don't have to worry about drinking murky water when we allow you to shape us into the clay cistern's you want us to be.  Teach us Lord that it is only through you that we can taste that living spring water of life. Amen!