Vol 4 No 34 - I Know this Already...

I've heard it before.  I know it by heart.  Do we really need to cover this again?  We all know what happened, whose fault it is, and the consequences thereof, so why not move on to something a little more obscure, a little more interesting, a little more challenging?

Admittedly, this was part of my attitude as I approached the first session of our latest Bible study, Introduction to Genesis.  After all, one of the more universally known things about the Bible is the story of Genesis 1-3.  The creation of the world and the distortion of that world by humanity being disobedient to God's command.  Pretty basic stuff, found on the 'baby food' aisle of Christianity.

But then, reading and processing these passages with our Sunday night crew and our Tuesday morning crew reminded me that there is always something more to be gleaned from the scripture, and it is essential for our growth in the faith and in our knowledge of scripture to never take for granted what we think is in there.  Not to give away the story, but I would urge you to take a moment and do the following:

1. From memory, without opening your Bible, write down how the fall of humanity went, with as much detail as possible.

2. Go read Genesis 3.

3. Note any differences?  (and remember, details are important)

Moral of the story:  Christianity is an active, not passive, lifestyle.  Don't rest on what you already know to keep you from discovering more, and growing in the faith as a result of that discovery.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 33 - I Didn't Know...

"I didn't know because no one told me."

Ever heard that one before?  Ever missed out on something because you weren't told?  I thought about this yesterday as I heard from a childhood friend on Facebook and found out that her father, a man I knew and respected, had passed away suddenly in 2005.  Of course, I had no way of knowing because we'd lost touch over the years, but it got me to thinking further about this idea.

This week's message is brief, for I want you to think about this:  

How many people do you know that you have not shared how Christ has made a difference in your life?

How sad would it be for you to find out that someone you know and love has not responded to Christ's offer of grace because, "No one had ever told [me]."

I promise you it's a higher number than you think; and that you have a golden opportunity to share it with them.  Not by preaching to them or 'guilt-tripping' them, but by sharing how Christ has made a difference in your life.  But then again, that leads to one final piece of food-for-thought:

Has professing the Christian faith made a difference in your life?

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 32 - Writer's Block

Writer's block.  A phenomenon that anyone who has spent time in any sort of school environment has hit at one time or another.  That time where you know you have to write something, but have no idea what to say or how to say it in a way that would cause any interest on the part of the reader/hearer (not to mention you.)  It has been my experience that many times writer's block comes along when composing thoughts or words about subjects you know well.

I've been thinking a great deal about writer's block lately, for I wonder if part of what faces the Christian is the idea that we've said all there needs to be said; to quote from the Eucharist, "Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again."  Or, for a lengthier version, the contents of the Apostle's Creed or the Nicene Creed do nicely to sum up what we have to say.

And there's the rub.  In a society where we are bombarded with thousands of messages (large and small) every day, it can be tempting at times to attempt to change our message in a continual quest to be relevant, when the fact of the matter is that the message we give, the message of grace and peace through the Lordship of Jesus Christ, is one that we must be diligent about repeating.

We are never at a loss for something to say, for ours is not to come up with something to say, but simply to share what Christ has already said.  Don't let anyone try to fool you into thinking otherwise. 

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 31 - Worship Expectations

That God will say or do something that I could not have imagined, and praying that I will be totally open to God's presence in whatever form it comes.

That's the answer that comes to my mind in response to a question asked by one of my colleagues last week: "What do you expect to happen when you go to worship?"

As I think further on this, however, I wind up moving this answer to things beyond the corporate worship of the body of Christ on any given day, and look at life in general.  What would my life look like if I thought this way when dealing with: family, friends, co-workers, neighbors...or pretty much any and all situations in which I find myself?  What would your life look like if you allowed yourself to anticipate God saying or doing something in the most unlikely or mundane things?

So often, it seems that we allow ourselves to be in the mindset that in any given situation, God is going to do this or that.  I want to encourage you this morning to anticipate that God will be revealed to you in any and all situations, and to pray that you will allow yourself to be moved by the Holy Spirit into a place where you will see the God who is being revealed to you, in whatever way God may choose.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 30 - Toxicity

Toxic.  When I think of or hear this term used, my mind goes back to a black sticker with a bright green frowny-face on it that I used to see as a child.  If memory serves me correct, these very bright, very vivid stickers were reminder labels for the local poison control hotline.  The idea was to have them on anything toxic that you might get into around the house so that if you got into trouble someone could call immediately and find out what to do.

I've been thinking a great deal about these labels lately as I observe life on many levels.  There seems to be so much anger and anxiety going around society due to a number of factors (economics, politics, a general fear of an unknown future), and I wonder sometimes how much we as the people of God realize how much we can make a difference in the lives of those with whom we live, work, play, and worship.  I don't many of us who would willingly admit to wanting to be around negative people and negative situations; yet I wonder also how much we (willingly or unwillingly) contribute to negativity in the people and circumstances in our lives.

It would be really neat if every toxic person or situation had a neat poison control label, and if we could steer away from those environments.  However, we who take on the identity of Christian have a responsibility to bring grace to any and all we encounter.  We don't have the option of living a pollyannish existence - but we do have a choice of whether or not to bring grace and peace.

So, next time someone sends you a "the world's going to hell" e-mail, or next time someone comes up to you and tries to bait you into becoming a "nattering nabob of negativity", or you spend anytime watching someone in the political arena take shots at someone opposed to their idea, or someone is in your face, or there's a situation that you really don't like - take a five-count (or longer, if need be), smile, and remember that you are called to a higher standard.  Not to deny that there are serious situations that require serious conversations, but let's remember whose we are and what we claim to live.

Make no mistake about it - we live in an imperfect world.  Toxicity is a part of life.  But we can choose to contribute further to toxic environments (at home, work, school, society, among one another, etc.) or we can choose to be of a higher calling.

Think of the little skull and crossbones that is the universal symbol of poison - and ask yourself if you want to be identified by that image or by the image of the cross.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 29 - Forgiveness Demands

It was a little past 8PM last night when, in the first half of the Steelers-Cardinals pre-season game last night, an anxious nation received word that one of the great unknown mysteries of the summer of 2009 had been resolved.  Yes, that's right, former NFL quarterback Michael Vick was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Most of you know Mr. Vick's criminal background, and how he has spent two years in jail for his crime.  What strikes me this morning is the amount of hatred and venom being sent his way by fans in Philadelphia.  What Mr. Vick did was reprehensible, and as a dog owner it, quite frankly, nauseates me to even think of these actions.  However, the fact of the matter is that Mr. Vick has repaid his debt to society and is now a free man.

The question that comes to my mind has very little to do with Michael Vick and everything to do with you and me.  That question revolved around grace.  See, what I have been thinking of all morning as I have seen various reports of people responding to Mr. Vick is not a question of forgetting what he has done, but when, if ever, does someone deserve a second chance.  The question is:

What if Christ held a grudge against us for the sins we commit against him the way that we hold grudges against others who have done us wrong?

It's easy to sit here and condemn those people we have seen screw up, especially those who have caused us or those we love and care about great pain.  Yet, among Christ's final words were: "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Forgiveness isn't easy.  To have faith in Christ, however, DEMANDS forgiveness.  Otherwise, we have missed the whole point. 

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 28 - Backups are Essential

The automated backup system.  A must-have in today's world.  So must-have, that it is foolish to risk not having your computer, your phone, and anything else not on some sort of automated backup system, especially where your most important data is concerned.  There is security that comes from knowing that no matter what may happen to your primary devices, there is something there to protect you from the consequences of losing your primary device.

As I have become more and more reliant on my phone and my computer over the past few years, I have redoubled my backup efforts.  So, last week when my phone crashed, I didn't give it a second thought, for I knew I had backed it up weekly for almost 2 years.  Long story short - the backup file was corrupted, and I lost some valuable data with little hope of getting it back.

Moral of the story:  Yeah, it's just some data that in the big scheme of things isn't that big a deal.  However, it did get me to thinking about in what do I really put my trust.  It may have become cliché in many people's mind, but its at the core of who we are - NOTHING will provide the reliability or security of life in Christ.  

Money, fame, power, family, friends, backups for electronics - all of that will eventually wash away.  Christ's love, however, is eternal.

See you Sunday!

Lamar