The spent this last weekend at an advance for a group of men, but to be honest I spent most of my time reflecting back to things I have written in the past and writing for the future. I want to share with you one of my old journal moments. This is from a retreat I took back in November 2002.
The Prairie
For prairies to remain health, to remain prairies they need to occasionally be burned. This burning helps rid the grasslands of unwanted woody shrubs and trees. It also releases back into the soil nutrients of long dead plants for the new growth. After being burned the prairie will come back lush and green revitalized by the removal of "junk" and the replenishing of nutrients.
It seems to me that my life is like the prairie. It is God who needs to burn off the unwanted things in my life. The removal then allows me to flourish as I refocus my energy on God. We need to take the time to allow God to replenish and refresh us. To rekindle the fire within, to become who He wants us to be.
I am taking a week (more or less) off to do just that. The prairie fire was ignited this past weekend and now through this week I will allow it to burn off the old and see what new growth sprouts up.
The is the condition of your "prairie?" What does God need to burn our of your life? How are you going to allow God to transform you, refresh you, revitalize you? Take some time this week to ask God to ignite a prairie fire in you.
29 September 2008
23 September 2008
An Aha Moment
An aha moment, you know those times when something just click and you have a new thought to ponder and explore. As a teacher, these are the moments when your student gets the idea or concept that you are exploring.
I had an aha moment the other day. I was having lunch with a friend and we were talking social justice and the idea of living out our faith. I was sharing with him from the end of James chapter one where he talks about true religion is taking care of the orphans and widows and keeping yourself uncorrupted by the world. My mind then wondered over to Matthew 22 where Jesus is confronted by the religious leaders and is ask what is the greatest commandment. Jesus responded with loving God and loving others. I've preached on the last and will be preaching on the first in a couple of weeks, but what struck me, my aha moment was the linking of serving other and tending to our own spiritual well being. In these two passages they seem linked.
The idea I need to spend more time pondering this linking of service to others and tending to our own formation, of loving God and loving others. What does this mean as a Christ-follower? How are my beliefs and values shaped by this perspective? What should my life look like?
I had an aha moment the other day. I was having lunch with a friend and we were talking social justice and the idea of living out our faith. I was sharing with him from the end of James chapter one where he talks about true religion is taking care of the orphans and widows and keeping yourself uncorrupted by the world. My mind then wondered over to Matthew 22 where Jesus is confronted by the religious leaders and is ask what is the greatest commandment. Jesus responded with loving God and loving others. I've preached on the last and will be preaching on the first in a couple of weeks, but what struck me, my aha moment was the linking of serving other and tending to our own spiritual well being. In these two passages they seem linked.
The idea I need to spend more time pondering this linking of service to others and tending to our own formation, of loving God and loving others. What does this mean as a Christ-follower? How are my beliefs and values shaped by this perspective? What should my life look like?
18 September 2008
James - A message for today
As my sermon is coming together I was struck by the idea of how relevant this book is for us today. In the first verse we see that James is writing to those who have been dispersed thought the middle east, Asia Minor, Rome, etc. These christian enclaves were set into places where pagan religious practices and idol worship were prevalent. They were not set into a Christian nation.
In reality, isn't that where the church is today? We say that we are a Christian nation, but to be honest, I don't really know what the means. As I look around I see signs of idol worship, maybe its the car some one drives or the house they live in or the job they hold or the lifestyle the choose to live. Not that any of these things are bad in and of themselves, it is when they begin to control us rather than allowing God to guide us. I know at times I am guilty of this. So like the audience that James is writing to, this conflict between following Jesus and being in/of the world causes trials and struggles. This is one of the themes of this book.
We are told not to run away from these trials and struggle, but rather we are to endure through them so that God can mold us and shape us into the Christ-followers that He wants us to be. Is this easy? No. Is this painful? Maybe. Is this part of our spiritual formation? Definitely.
James does not leave us without hope. We are told to ask God for wisdom as to how to work through these trials. Later on in Chapter 3 James talks about the wisdom that we should apply. It is not worldly wisdom, rather it is the wisdom that comes down from heaven. It is the wisdom that produces peacemakers.
My question is this: What trials or struggles are you going through right now? Have you asked God for wisdom, His wisdom to handle the situation or are you relying on worldly wisdom?
In reality, isn't that where the church is today? We say that we are a Christian nation, but to be honest, I don't really know what the means. As I look around I see signs of idol worship, maybe its the car some one drives or the house they live in or the job they hold or the lifestyle the choose to live. Not that any of these things are bad in and of themselves, it is when they begin to control us rather than allowing God to guide us. I know at times I am guilty of this. So like the audience that James is writing to, this conflict between following Jesus and being in/of the world causes trials and struggles. This is one of the themes of this book.
We are told not to run away from these trials and struggle, but rather we are to endure through them so that God can mold us and shape us into the Christ-followers that He wants us to be. Is this easy? No. Is this painful? Maybe. Is this part of our spiritual formation? Definitely.
James does not leave us without hope. We are told to ask God for wisdom as to how to work through these trials. Later on in Chapter 3 James talks about the wisdom that we should apply. It is not worldly wisdom, rather it is the wisdom that comes down from heaven. It is the wisdom that produces peacemakers.
My question is this: What trials or struggles are you going through right now? Have you asked God for wisdom, His wisdom to handle the situation or are you relying on worldly wisdom?
12 September 2008
Overview of James
I have been pondering my way through the book of James (along with my family) and in October I am going to be preaching a three part series on the book. I have titled the series “Patience, Practice, and Position: A brief overview of the Book of James.” Reading through the book I have picked out three themes that I will be focusing on.
The first theme is patience. We see this idea pop up in the first verse as this letter is written to the twelve tribes that have been scattered. James then begins to address the issue of trials and temptation and in chapter five he looks at suffering. Wisdom seems to be a key point in handling these issues.
The second them is practice. This letter is full of things that we can practice. Listening before speaking, treating everyone fairly, living out your faith, and asking for help when you need it.
The final theme is position. James looks at who we are and how we should be around others and around God.
I will be writing more on each of these themes as I develop my sermons. In the mean time read through James and then read it a couple of more times. See if you can find these themes and how if applied in your life you might live differently.
The first theme is patience. We see this idea pop up in the first verse as this letter is written to the twelve tribes that have been scattered. James then begins to address the issue of trials and temptation and in chapter five he looks at suffering. Wisdom seems to be a key point in handling these issues.
The second them is practice. This letter is full of things that we can practice. Listening before speaking, treating everyone fairly, living out your faith, and asking for help when you need it.
The final theme is position. James looks at who we are and how we should be around others and around God.
I will be writing more on each of these themes as I develop my sermons. In the mean time read through James and then read it a couple of more times. See if you can find these themes and how if applied in your life you might live differently.
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