Friday, May 15, 2009
Coming soon - Book Reviews
Just wanted to alert you to some new content coming soon to the site. Yeah I know, everyone's a critic. But don't worry, I hope to put a less annoying spin on it than most. Basically, if you read this at all then you know I love to read. In fact, I'm currently reading three books. And I figured that as long as I'm taking the time to read them I might as well throw in my two cents on them. Maybe it'll encourage you to read one, maybe it won't. Whatever. But if nothing else it'll help keep me focused on both reading and writing more. Hopefully I'll have the first couple up this weekend. I just finished some pretty good books and I'm looking forward to posting them. Till then...
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Moving, Old Furniture, and St. Francis
OK, I know it's been a few weeks, and for those few souls who indulge me by reading this, I apologize. But I have a good excuse, really. I moved. Yeah, that's what I thought, no more explanation needed.
I hate moving. Even for as relatively few times as I've done it in my life, I just don't like it. Don't get me wrong, this particular move was very necessary and long overdue, and I could not be happier with the new place. It's the first one that my wife and I have picked out together and it just feels more like home than the old house did. But I hate the physical process of moving. The sorting, trashing, packing, lifting, moving, unpacking, rearranging physical part of moving. But we're all done now, and except for a little decorating, we're quite settled in.
So, now I can finally get back to the task at hand; writing more. I've been keeping notes these last few weeks on some topics that have danced in my brain a little, and I hope to materialize them shortly, but I first want to share something that sprang from the weekend that we moved.
If you've ever moved, especially as an adult, you know that it's rather amazing how much stuff can gather in the darkest reaches of basements, closets, sheds and garages over time. I really had no idea just how much junk I had. And isn't it funny that no matter how much time has elapsed since you last laid eyes on something or even remembered it's existence, once you find it again you just can't imagine how you ever lived without it? Fortunately, I knew that our storage space would be a bit more limited at the new place, so I was forced to get rid of quite a bit. But I did come across a lot of old memories in the process.
Something of particular interest was a folder from about twelve or so years ago, right before I moved out of my parent’s house. It was a collection of papers that I used to have hanging on the wall of a basement office we had there. Some were quotes, some were bible verses, and most were pretty cheesy as I look back on it now. But one that I came across stuck with me and ended up tying in nicely with not only my last post, but also with something that happened later that weekend.
The paper was a quote commonly attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, a thirteenth century friar and the founder of what we commonly refer to as the Franciscans. While the wording of the quote varies slightly depending on the source and it's never been directly found in any of Francis' writings, the idea is commonly thought to be his. In chapter XVII of his rule of 1221, Francis said, "Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds." This statement has been commonly reinvented to read something like what I had on my wall, "Go out and preach the Gospel, and if you must, use words." I have always loved that quote, but as time has gone on and I've given more thought to it, I've come to think it rather incomplete.
Before I tell you why though, let me share something else that happened that weekend. Prior to moving, my wife and I had decided to use our tax return this year to stimulate the economy a bit and get some new furniture and house wares. Basically, after a couple years of making do with all of my leftover junk we just wanted a clean start. But we also knew that what we wanted to replace, while old and a bit rundown to us, may be far and away better than what someone else may have. So, we contacted the men's group at our church and they gladly hauled away a mattress set, couch, stove and refrigerator, all to be cleaned up and donated to people who needed them.
Honestly, I had assumed it would be days or even a couple weeks before they could ready everything to be given away. But the very next day at church, one of the men from the group made it a point to track me down and let me know what had happened to our old items. At first, I admit I was a bit uncomfortable. You see, I didn't donate them so I could pat myself on the back about it. I never intended to find out where they went; I just trusted that God would place them with whoever needed them the most. In fact, I only share it with you here because it helps to illustrate my point. As it turns out, they almost immediately took the appliances to a woman they knew who needed them. But, as they were taking them in and setting them up for her, they discovered that she needed much more than just the appliances and ended up unloading the couch and bed as well.
Now, at this point it would have been easy enough to simply accept the woman's thanks, maybe even tell her what church they were from and pray that God might move through their actions and bring this woman to a relationship with God. But that's not what they did. They made a point to tell this woman exactly why they did this and tell her of God's saving grace. As it turns out, the woman made a decision that day to accept that precious gift of salvation. I have to admit, that really did move me.
And it brought me back to the paper I had found earlier that weekend with the quote from St. Francis on it. As I said, it seems a bit incomplete to me. Is it enough to simply show God's love by our actions? Maybe, but if we don't share the Gospel then what makes our actions any different from anyone else's? You can turn on the news and see coverage of any number of humanitarian efforts. There are countless agencies around the world doing amazing things for the less than privileged. They show tremendous love and mercy. And then look at Hollywood. George Clooney, U2, Brangelina and countless others are lending their time, money and fame to raise awareness of many injustices the world over. They too show great love and compassion. But to what end and in who's name do they do it?
So many "Christians" today are so quick to speak, but they never back up their words with actions. It's easy to tell people what they should or should not do, but what kind of clout does it carry if not backed up with actions? And I think that's part of the basis for the St. Francis quote. But it doesn't mean we should keep our mouths shut completely. In fact, as true believers, is it even possible to not speak of Him? Shouldn't we be so overcome by the undeserved gift of salvation that we can't possibly keep quiet about it? Granted, not everyone should get up on a Sunday morning and preach a sermon. It takes a special gift to be a teacher in that regard. But when it comes to backing up our actions, we most certainly should be willing to speak. Otherwise we're just another good Samaritan, taking the glory onto ourselves by not directing where it ultimately deserves to go.
Now, go out today and preach the Gospel, with your actions and your words.
I hate moving. Even for as relatively few times as I've done it in my life, I just don't like it. Don't get me wrong, this particular move was very necessary and long overdue, and I could not be happier with the new place. It's the first one that my wife and I have picked out together and it just feels more like home than the old house did. But I hate the physical process of moving. The sorting, trashing, packing, lifting, moving, unpacking, rearranging physical part of moving. But we're all done now, and except for a little decorating, we're quite settled in.
So, now I can finally get back to the task at hand; writing more. I've been keeping notes these last few weeks on some topics that have danced in my brain a little, and I hope to materialize them shortly, but I first want to share something that sprang from the weekend that we moved.
If you've ever moved, especially as an adult, you know that it's rather amazing how much stuff can gather in the darkest reaches of basements, closets, sheds and garages over time. I really had no idea just how much junk I had. And isn't it funny that no matter how much time has elapsed since you last laid eyes on something or even remembered it's existence, once you find it again you just can't imagine how you ever lived without it? Fortunately, I knew that our storage space would be a bit more limited at the new place, so I was forced to get rid of quite a bit. But I did come across a lot of old memories in the process.
Something of particular interest was a folder from about twelve or so years ago, right before I moved out of my parent’s house. It was a collection of papers that I used to have hanging on the wall of a basement office we had there. Some were quotes, some were bible verses, and most were pretty cheesy as I look back on it now. But one that I came across stuck with me and ended up tying in nicely with not only my last post, but also with something that happened later that weekend.
The paper was a quote commonly attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, a thirteenth century friar and the founder of what we commonly refer to as the Franciscans. While the wording of the quote varies slightly depending on the source and it's never been directly found in any of Francis' writings, the idea is commonly thought to be his. In chapter XVII of his rule of 1221, Francis said, "Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds." This statement has been commonly reinvented to read something like what I had on my wall, "Go out and preach the Gospel, and if you must, use words." I have always loved that quote, but as time has gone on and I've given more thought to it, I've come to think it rather incomplete.
Before I tell you why though, let me share something else that happened that weekend. Prior to moving, my wife and I had decided to use our tax return this year to stimulate the economy a bit and get some new furniture and house wares. Basically, after a couple years of making do with all of my leftover junk we just wanted a clean start. But we also knew that what we wanted to replace, while old and a bit rundown to us, may be far and away better than what someone else may have. So, we contacted the men's group at our church and they gladly hauled away a mattress set, couch, stove and refrigerator, all to be cleaned up and donated to people who needed them.
Honestly, I had assumed it would be days or even a couple weeks before they could ready everything to be given away. But the very next day at church, one of the men from the group made it a point to track me down and let me know what had happened to our old items. At first, I admit I was a bit uncomfortable. You see, I didn't donate them so I could pat myself on the back about it. I never intended to find out where they went; I just trusted that God would place them with whoever needed them the most. In fact, I only share it with you here because it helps to illustrate my point. As it turns out, they almost immediately took the appliances to a woman they knew who needed them. But, as they were taking them in and setting them up for her, they discovered that she needed much more than just the appliances and ended up unloading the couch and bed as well.
Now, at this point it would have been easy enough to simply accept the woman's thanks, maybe even tell her what church they were from and pray that God might move through their actions and bring this woman to a relationship with God. But that's not what they did. They made a point to tell this woman exactly why they did this and tell her of God's saving grace. As it turns out, the woman made a decision that day to accept that precious gift of salvation. I have to admit, that really did move me.
And it brought me back to the paper I had found earlier that weekend with the quote from St. Francis on it. As I said, it seems a bit incomplete to me. Is it enough to simply show God's love by our actions? Maybe, but if we don't share the Gospel then what makes our actions any different from anyone else's? You can turn on the news and see coverage of any number of humanitarian efforts. There are countless agencies around the world doing amazing things for the less than privileged. They show tremendous love and mercy. And then look at Hollywood. George Clooney, U2, Brangelina and countless others are lending their time, money and fame to raise awareness of many injustices the world over. They too show great love and compassion. But to what end and in who's name do they do it?
So many "Christians" today are so quick to speak, but they never back up their words with actions. It's easy to tell people what they should or should not do, but what kind of clout does it carry if not backed up with actions? And I think that's part of the basis for the St. Francis quote. But it doesn't mean we should keep our mouths shut completely. In fact, as true believers, is it even possible to not speak of Him? Shouldn't we be so overcome by the undeserved gift of salvation that we can't possibly keep quiet about it? Granted, not everyone should get up on a Sunday morning and preach a sermon. It takes a special gift to be a teacher in that regard. But when it comes to backing up our actions, we most certainly should be willing to speak. Otherwise we're just another good Samaritan, taking the glory onto ourselves by not directing where it ultimately deserves to go.
Now, go out today and preach the Gospel, with your actions and your words.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
From Six Billion to Six
About two years ago I finally gave in to the lure of online social networking, otherwise known as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Now, I'm not exactly all that old, but I had always thought of these sites as catering to a younger generation; high school and college age mostly. I had no thoughts of becoming part of the phenomenon; that is until I wanted to download music to a song by a favorite band of mine. I went to their site like I had done so many times before only to find that the content I was looking for had been moved to their new MySpace site. Not wanting to give up my endeavor, I set up a quick account expecting only to use it for this express purpose. But as I navigated around a little bit, I found that many of my friends and family were signed up as well. I was amazed at the diversity of membership and I ended up finding people whom I hadn't seen or spoken to in years. A year or so after creating this account, I added an account at another of these sites, Facebook. And that brings me to want I want to share with you.
If you've ever been on Facebook (and if you're reading this on Facebook right now, yes I do realize that's a stupid question), you know that invitations to join groups are pretty common. And few groups on Facebook may be more popular than the group "Six Degrees of Separation." It's based on the theory that everyone in the world is no more than six "steps" away from any other person. I've yet to join the group myself, but it did remind me of an episode of Primetime I saw a couple of years ago.
I don't normally watch the primetime news programs, but this one was about the six degrees theory, and I've always been a bit fascinated by that so I decided to watch. The premise of the show was that they would take two complete strangers in New York City and see if they could connect in six steps or less. The one I remember paired an opera singer and a boxer; two polar opposites from opposite sides of the tracks who couldn't possibly run in the same circles, being asked to find each other in one of the largest cities on earth by no other means than mutual acquaintances. Fascinating, I thought. But there was no way she would do it.
To start the show, they took the opera singer and gave her nothing but the boxer's name, profession and photo. From there they followed her as she tried to find someone she knew who would know someone that would know someone that would know someone else, etc, until they found someone who knew this boxer personally. And she had only six steps to do it in. If I'm not mistaken, she did it in four. Unbelievable.
As I lay in bed later that night, I couldn't get the show out of my head. I kept thinking about all the people I know, and all the people they know and so on and so on until my brain began to hurt. But then another thought occurred to me. God calls us to take His word to all the nations, and if you're anything like me, that task seems awfully daunting. I've only occasionally been out of Mansfield, Ohio much less into all the nations. And how many people are there in the world now, six billion plus? Incredible. How can we possibly expect reach all of those people? But think about it for a minute. If each of us is only, on average, six steps away from everyone else in the world, then theoretically, if we tell only the people we know about Jesus and they in turn tell the people they know and so on, the whole world could know of the One true and living God in only six steps. Doesn't seem quite so daunting anymore does it? From six billion to six.
Lest you think I'm completely crazy, let me give you a quick mathmatical example. Going back to Facebook, I think I currently have a bit over 200 "friends." Some people have far fewer and some have many, many more than that. Regardless of the number, it usually doesn't begin to exemplify the true number of people we really know. I'm sure I could easily double or triple that number and more by just thinking of every person I ever encountered at every school, job, church or organization I've ever been a part of. But let's take the number 200 for arguments sake.
Step one is the 200 people I know. Assuming they each know 200 more unique individuals, step two gives you 40,000. If we continue to carry that out, making the assumption that every person will know 200 unique other people then step three gives you 8 million, step four takes you to 1.6 billion, step five makes 320 billion, and by the time you reach step six, you're at 64 trillion people, which, if I'm not mistaken, is roughly one thousand times the earth's current population.
I guess my point in all of this is that we really can make a difference. And we can't shy away from telling the people we come in contact with about Jesus. Who knows what effect it will have? Who knows how far the impact of each person you tell about God will reach. Look at all of the pastors, authors, musicians, filmmakers, etc. who are doing great things for God. They are having a far reaching impact, but along the way, someone had to be the one to tell them about God.
I think back to when I was in a band during and right after High School. One thing we always said was that if all of our time together as a band ended up being for the purpose of reaching just one single person, then it would have all been worth it. I don't know if we ever really did reach anyone, but I remember playing for the youth night at a local Church. I only vaguely remember the song, and I have no idea now who this person was, but a girl came up afterwards with tears still in her eyes and told us how much one song had impacted her. Like I said, I have no idea who she was, but I've thought a lot about that moment over the years. I wonder what became of the conviction she experienced that night. I wonder how many other people she may have in turn touched. The point is we just don't know. The person you tell about Jesus may laugh at you. They may want nothing to do with you. But they might also respond. And they might tell another person, or 100 people, or 1,000 people. You just don't know.
There's a song that comes to mind by the band Casting Crowns. One of the lines is "Jesus paid much too high a price for us to pick and choose who should come." Is that what we're doing? Deciding for ourselves who we will tell? Deciding who we think will respond and who won't? Waiting for just that right opportunity to tell someone when we think they will be most responsive? Or are we telling everyone, at every opportunity we get? Realizing that we could be just six small steps away from reaching them all.
If you've ever been on Facebook (and if you're reading this on Facebook right now, yes I do realize that's a stupid question), you know that invitations to join groups are pretty common. And few groups on Facebook may be more popular than the group "Six Degrees of Separation." It's based on the theory that everyone in the world is no more than six "steps" away from any other person. I've yet to join the group myself, but it did remind me of an episode of Primetime I saw a couple of years ago.
I don't normally watch the primetime news programs, but this one was about the six degrees theory, and I've always been a bit fascinated by that so I decided to watch. The premise of the show was that they would take two complete strangers in New York City and see if they could connect in six steps or less. The one I remember paired an opera singer and a boxer; two polar opposites from opposite sides of the tracks who couldn't possibly run in the same circles, being asked to find each other in one of the largest cities on earth by no other means than mutual acquaintances. Fascinating, I thought. But there was no way she would do it.
To start the show, they took the opera singer and gave her nothing but the boxer's name, profession and photo. From there they followed her as she tried to find someone she knew who would know someone that would know someone that would know someone else, etc, until they found someone who knew this boxer personally. And she had only six steps to do it in. If I'm not mistaken, she did it in four. Unbelievable.
As I lay in bed later that night, I couldn't get the show out of my head. I kept thinking about all the people I know, and all the people they know and so on and so on until my brain began to hurt. But then another thought occurred to me. God calls us to take His word to all the nations, and if you're anything like me, that task seems awfully daunting. I've only occasionally been out of Mansfield, Ohio much less into all the nations. And how many people are there in the world now, six billion plus? Incredible. How can we possibly expect reach all of those people? But think about it for a minute. If each of us is only, on average, six steps away from everyone else in the world, then theoretically, if we tell only the people we know about Jesus and they in turn tell the people they know and so on, the whole world could know of the One true and living God in only six steps. Doesn't seem quite so daunting anymore does it? From six billion to six.
Lest you think I'm completely crazy, let me give you a quick mathmatical example. Going back to Facebook, I think I currently have a bit over 200 "friends." Some people have far fewer and some have many, many more than that. Regardless of the number, it usually doesn't begin to exemplify the true number of people we really know. I'm sure I could easily double or triple that number and more by just thinking of every person I ever encountered at every school, job, church or organization I've ever been a part of. But let's take the number 200 for arguments sake.
Step one is the 200 people I know. Assuming they each know 200 more unique individuals, step two gives you 40,000. If we continue to carry that out, making the assumption that every person will know 200 unique other people then step three gives you 8 million, step four takes you to 1.6 billion, step five makes 320 billion, and by the time you reach step six, you're at 64 trillion people, which, if I'm not mistaken, is roughly one thousand times the earth's current population.
I guess my point in all of this is that we really can make a difference. And we can't shy away from telling the people we come in contact with about Jesus. Who knows what effect it will have? Who knows how far the impact of each person you tell about God will reach. Look at all of the pastors, authors, musicians, filmmakers, etc. who are doing great things for God. They are having a far reaching impact, but along the way, someone had to be the one to tell them about God.
I think back to when I was in a band during and right after High School. One thing we always said was that if all of our time together as a band ended up being for the purpose of reaching just one single person, then it would have all been worth it. I don't know if we ever really did reach anyone, but I remember playing for the youth night at a local Church. I only vaguely remember the song, and I have no idea now who this person was, but a girl came up afterwards with tears still in her eyes and told us how much one song had impacted her. Like I said, I have no idea who she was, but I've thought a lot about that moment over the years. I wonder what became of the conviction she experienced that night. I wonder how many other people she may have in turn touched. The point is we just don't know. The person you tell about Jesus may laugh at you. They may want nothing to do with you. But they might also respond. And they might tell another person, or 100 people, or 1,000 people. You just don't know.
There's a song that comes to mind by the band Casting Crowns. One of the lines is "Jesus paid much too high a price for us to pick and choose who should come." Is that what we're doing? Deciding for ourselves who we will tell? Deciding who we think will respond and who won't? Waiting for just that right opportunity to tell someone when we think they will be most responsive? Or are we telling everyone, at every opportunity we get? Realizing that we could be just six small steps away from reaching them all.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
What Kind of Sorrow?
Larry Lee Palmer. March 25, 1950 - June 16, 2004
I miss my dad. He was taken way too early at the age of fifty four. I often wish I would have spent more time with him at the end. I wish he could have still been here to meet my wife; he would have loved my wife. I wish he could have been here to see his granddaughter; he would have really loved her, and she would have loved him. But we don't always get what we wish for, do we?
So, why do I tell you this? Is it so I can write a nice little piece about being content and thankful for what we have? No, I tell you this about my dad because something I heard in church a couple of weeks ago made me think about him. Or rather, about the week that he passed away.
To be perfectly honest, I don't remember exactly what the sermon was about. I kind of zoned out after I heard these verses from II Corinthians. They're from chapter 7, verses 8-10:
"Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it-I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while-yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death."
The passage continues on through verse 16 if you want to get the full context, but this is the gist of what I wanted to share. I suppose what struck me the most about this was the concept of there being a distinction in our sorrow. Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. And as I started to think on that, my mind was taken to the weekend of my dad's calling hours and funeral.
My dad passed away sometime shortly after eight o'clock in the evening on Wednesday June 16, 2004. He had been battling an inoperable brain tumor for about a year, so his passing was not sudden. We had time to prepare (as much as you can prepare for a loved one's passing that is). I remember that night so vividly. I had been playing at church and was leaving to go see my dad right after the service. I made it about halfway there when I got the call that he had passed away. Shortly after my arrival, the house was nearly filled. My step-mom, my sisters, my dad's brother and sister, a multitude of family friends, all were there to offer support and pay their respects. There were many tears shed, but also more than a few smiles.
Fast forward a couple of days to the calling hours. I've been to a few of these in my day, but always to offer sympathies, never to receive them. It was kind of surreal, just standing up in the front by my dad's casket while throngs of people passed by offering their condolences, a handshake or hug, and maybe some brief memory they had of my dad. And when I say throngs, I'm not exaggerating. Countless people filed through that night. Whether it was his playing for the church softball team, his four mission trips to Ukraine, the years spent as a youth leader and Sunday School teacher, his time as a CASA volunteer, or the countless hours spent on various church finance committees and mission boards, it was clear that he had come in contact with and had touched many, many lives. But back to those smiles I mentioned a minute ago.
My dad was a born-again Christian. He had been since he was in his thirties and I was in my early teens. I tell you this because it is at the heart of what makes this weekend stick out for me after all these years. You see, I had expected his calling hours to be a difficult time to get through. I wasn't sure how I would be able to manage talking to all of those people while keeping some sort of composure. But as person after person filed by, it became more and more clear that this was more of a celebration of his life than a mourning of his passing. And for all of the lip service we often give to people being in a "better place", it was clear that everyone passing by knew that my dad truly was in a far better place and that it was only a matter of time until we were all reunited. Sure, there were still tears. But the overall feeling was one of joy. Joy that he had finally been eased of his pain and taken home. Joy for all of the lives he had touched. And joy that we would one day, very soon, all see each other again. Godly sorrow.
Now, let me take you forward a couple more days. As cruel fate would have it, I received a call from my mom on Sunday, the day before my dad's funeral. My cousin Brandon (second cousin actually) had been in a car accident and had been killed. Honestly, I didn't spend a lot of time with that side of the family and probably hadn't seen Brandon since he was waist high on me. But, I made arrangements to take an extra day off work and attend his calling hours on Tuesday.
Almost as soon as I arrived I could feel a difference. The whole room seemed darker; the people more solemn. I don't know how to describe it really. There was such a sense of despair in the room, like a dark cloud just hovering overhead. The family was almost inconsolable, and people just didn't know what to say. I'm sure some of it had to do with the suddenness of his departure. Whereas my dad passed slowly over the course of a year, Brandon's life was gone in an instant. Not to mention, Brandon was only 18. He still had so much of a future in front of him. Most importantly though, Brandon (at least to my knowledge) did not have a relationship with God, and I believe that was the overriding difference. There wasn't that solid assurance that he was truly in a better place. Sure, some people said it, but you didn't get the sense that they really believed it. Lip service. Worldly sorrow.
As I left the funeral home that day, it struck me right away that I had no idea how people without a relationship with Christ can possibly handle death. Those two experiences were so polar opposite of each other. We have to remember that God never a promised us a life without trials, pain, hardship or sorrow. Whether it's losing a father to a brain tumor, or losing a cousin to a sudden car accident, sorrow will most definitely be a part of our lives. The question is what kind of sorrow will it be? Godly sorrow or worldly sorrow? Will it be sorrow that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, or sorrow that brings death? There is a difference and we are all free to choose.
As for my "wish list" from before. I still wish I would have spent more time with my dad, but I know that in a short while I'll have an eternity to spend with him. I still wish he could have met my wife. But I know that he is smiling down on us, even as I write this, and couldn't be happier for me. And I still really wish he could have known my daughter, and she him. But who knows, maybe he got to hold her and play with her even before we did. Godly sorrow.
I miss my dad. He was taken way too early at the age of fifty four. I often wish I would have spent more time with him at the end. I wish he could have still been here to meet my wife; he would have loved my wife. I wish he could have been here to see his granddaughter; he would have really loved her, and she would have loved him. But we don't always get what we wish for, do we?
So, why do I tell you this? Is it so I can write a nice little piece about being content and thankful for what we have? No, I tell you this about my dad because something I heard in church a couple of weeks ago made me think about him. Or rather, about the week that he passed away.
To be perfectly honest, I don't remember exactly what the sermon was about. I kind of zoned out after I heard these verses from II Corinthians. They're from chapter 7, verses 8-10:
"Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it-I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while-yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death."
The passage continues on through verse 16 if you want to get the full context, but this is the gist of what I wanted to share. I suppose what struck me the most about this was the concept of there being a distinction in our sorrow. Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. And as I started to think on that, my mind was taken to the weekend of my dad's calling hours and funeral.
My dad passed away sometime shortly after eight o'clock in the evening on Wednesday June 16, 2004. He had been battling an inoperable brain tumor for about a year, so his passing was not sudden. We had time to prepare (as much as you can prepare for a loved one's passing that is). I remember that night so vividly. I had been playing at church and was leaving to go see my dad right after the service. I made it about halfway there when I got the call that he had passed away. Shortly after my arrival, the house was nearly filled. My step-mom, my sisters, my dad's brother and sister, a multitude of family friends, all were there to offer support and pay their respects. There were many tears shed, but also more than a few smiles.
Fast forward a couple of days to the calling hours. I've been to a few of these in my day, but always to offer sympathies, never to receive them. It was kind of surreal, just standing up in the front by my dad's casket while throngs of people passed by offering their condolences, a handshake or hug, and maybe some brief memory they had of my dad. And when I say throngs, I'm not exaggerating. Countless people filed through that night. Whether it was his playing for the church softball team, his four mission trips to Ukraine, the years spent as a youth leader and Sunday School teacher, his time as a CASA volunteer, or the countless hours spent on various church finance committees and mission boards, it was clear that he had come in contact with and had touched many, many lives. But back to those smiles I mentioned a minute ago.
My dad was a born-again Christian. He had been since he was in his thirties and I was in my early teens. I tell you this because it is at the heart of what makes this weekend stick out for me after all these years. You see, I had expected his calling hours to be a difficult time to get through. I wasn't sure how I would be able to manage talking to all of those people while keeping some sort of composure. But as person after person filed by, it became more and more clear that this was more of a celebration of his life than a mourning of his passing. And for all of the lip service we often give to people being in a "better place", it was clear that everyone passing by knew that my dad truly was in a far better place and that it was only a matter of time until we were all reunited. Sure, there were still tears. But the overall feeling was one of joy. Joy that he had finally been eased of his pain and taken home. Joy for all of the lives he had touched. And joy that we would one day, very soon, all see each other again. Godly sorrow.
Now, let me take you forward a couple more days. As cruel fate would have it, I received a call from my mom on Sunday, the day before my dad's funeral. My cousin Brandon (second cousin actually) had been in a car accident and had been killed. Honestly, I didn't spend a lot of time with that side of the family and probably hadn't seen Brandon since he was waist high on me. But, I made arrangements to take an extra day off work and attend his calling hours on Tuesday.
Almost as soon as I arrived I could feel a difference. The whole room seemed darker; the people more solemn. I don't know how to describe it really. There was such a sense of despair in the room, like a dark cloud just hovering overhead. The family was almost inconsolable, and people just didn't know what to say. I'm sure some of it had to do with the suddenness of his departure. Whereas my dad passed slowly over the course of a year, Brandon's life was gone in an instant. Not to mention, Brandon was only 18. He still had so much of a future in front of him. Most importantly though, Brandon (at least to my knowledge) did not have a relationship with God, and I believe that was the overriding difference. There wasn't that solid assurance that he was truly in a better place. Sure, some people said it, but you didn't get the sense that they really believed it. Lip service. Worldly sorrow.
As I left the funeral home that day, it struck me right away that I had no idea how people without a relationship with Christ can possibly handle death. Those two experiences were so polar opposite of each other. We have to remember that God never a promised us a life without trials, pain, hardship or sorrow. Whether it's losing a father to a brain tumor, or losing a cousin to a sudden car accident, sorrow will most definitely be a part of our lives. The question is what kind of sorrow will it be? Godly sorrow or worldly sorrow? Will it be sorrow that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, or sorrow that brings death? There is a difference and we are all free to choose.
As for my "wish list" from before. I still wish I would have spent more time with my dad, but I know that in a short while I'll have an eternity to spend with him. I still wish he could have met my wife. But I know that he is smiling down on us, even as I write this, and couldn't be happier for me. And I still really wish he could have known my daughter, and she him. But who knows, maybe he got to hold her and play with her even before we did. Godly sorrow.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
New(er) Features
I'm currently working on a couple of new posts, but they are stuck in my Blackberry right now. I wanted to try out my new bluetooth keyboard so I downloaded a trial version of Microsoft Office Mobile and started typing away. I was working on one post today when I realized the program was having trouble keeping up with my typing. I decided to just save the file to the memory card and transfer it to my laptop to finish. Well apparently, since it's only a trial version, the file seems to be encrypted to where I can't do anything with it. So, all that is to say that I promise I'm working on new content, but it will have to wait until I either re-type it or pony up the $29.95 to register the program.
In the meantime, I figured I would alert you all to some of the new features here at 6:22. Some have already been in place for a little while while a couple others are new.
1) Subscription. You can now subscribe to, or "follow" this blog by clicking on the link on the right of the page and following the instructions. Some of you have already done this and I encourage others to do it as well. This way, you'll always be alerted when there is a new post. Also, you can see who else subscribes and check out their blogs as well. You do not need to have a blog of your own to subscribe.
2) E-mail a post. This one is new. If you look at the bottom of each post now, you'll see a small envelope icon. You can use this to e-mail a link to that post to any of your friends who might find it interesting.
3) Bible Gateway Search. Bible Gateway is one of my favorite free online Bible resources. They offer a multitude of versions and plenty of cross reference and topical options. I know that many times, when reading other blogs, I've had a thought cross my mind and have wanted to look up some passage or another. Now you can do that with the search box located on the right hand side of the page.
4) C.S. Lewis Quote of the day. Not much to say about this really. I like C.S. Lewis and his approach to Christianity. I'm noticing that there is not a lot of variety in the number of quotes, so we'll see how long I keep it up. For now though, enjoy thinking on the wisdom of Lewis.
That's really about it for now. There're a few other things I'm contemplating but we'll see. Any suggestions are appreciated. And look for a new post shortly. I think I'm just going to bite the bullet for now and re-type one.
In the meantime, I figured I would alert you all to some of the new features here at 6:22. Some have already been in place for a little while while a couple others are new.
1) Subscription. You can now subscribe to, or "follow" this blog by clicking on the link on the right of the page and following the instructions. Some of you have already done this and I encourage others to do it as well. This way, you'll always be alerted when there is a new post. Also, you can see who else subscribes and check out their blogs as well. You do not need to have a blog of your own to subscribe.
2) E-mail a post. This one is new. If you look at the bottom of each post now, you'll see a small envelope icon. You can use this to e-mail a link to that post to any of your friends who might find it interesting.
3) Bible Gateway Search. Bible Gateway is one of my favorite free online Bible resources. They offer a multitude of versions and plenty of cross reference and topical options. I know that many times, when reading other blogs, I've had a thought cross my mind and have wanted to look up some passage or another. Now you can do that with the search box located on the right hand side of the page.
4) C.S. Lewis Quote of the day. Not much to say about this really. I like C.S. Lewis and his approach to Christianity. I'm noticing that there is not a lot of variety in the number of quotes, so we'll see how long I keep it up. For now though, enjoy thinking on the wisdom of Lewis.
That's really about it for now. There're a few other things I'm contemplating but we'll see. Any suggestions are appreciated. And look for a new post shortly. I think I'm just going to bite the bullet for now and re-type one.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Mr. Nanny? Seriously?
One of the blogs that I follow recently posted a link to Christianity Today's list of the ten most redeeming films of 2008. I admit, I think that most "Christian" films still lack serious quality so I almost didn't click the link. But my curiosity got the best of me and, if for no other reason than a good laugh, I decided to check it out. What I found there was not what I expected at all and it reinforced something that I've been thinking about lately, but I'm still not sure how to feel.
I figured that when I got to the site I would find films such as Prince Caspian, Fireproof, and a host of other low budget, low quality films I had never heard of. Surprise! That's not what I found at all. Fireproof was on the list, but at number six. Prince Caspian? Not on the list at all. Here is a sampling of the films that did make the list:
Wall*E - No.1
Gran Torino - No.3
Horton Hears a Who - No.4
Rachel Getting Married - No.5
The Dark Knight - No.7
Slumdog Millionaire - No.9
Do you see why I was a bit taken aback? One of the comments for The Dark Knight even said this: "Under the surface—perhaps unknown even to the filmmakers—is that this film shows Batman as a Christ-figure who self-sacrificially takes the sins of others onto himself, knowing it is the only way to save others and bring hope. Batman becomes an outcast so that the people of Gotham would have hope." Kind of a stretch if you ask me.
And this is where I run into my dilemma. I just don't know what to think. I've seen some of these films and they are excellent. My point in this is not to disparage these works or try to make a case for whether Christians should or should not watch them. That's a discussion that we just don't have time for. But do these films belong in a magazine like Christianity Today? Granted, Jesus used parables all the time as one of His primary forms of teaching. And although there are plenty of family unfriendly scenes and imagery in some of these movies, let's not forget that the Bible is strewn with scenes so violent that we would shudder to see them portrayed on the big screen. Even some of the "Christian" fiction that I read is frowned on in some of the more conservative circles for being too radical and too graphic. But have we gone too far? Are we over analyzing and trying to find Christ in the mainstream in some desperate attempt to make Christ culturally relevant? I don't know, but it leads me to something else that's been bothering me.
If you've read any of my posts at all it's hard to miss the fact that I love to read. And while I can usually find what I want sooner and cheaper at places like Amazon, I try to frequent my local Christian book store as much as I can. I may soon have to put an end to that though. The last few times I've been in there have caused me nothing but frustration, as my wife can attest to (I feel bad for her sometimes for having to listen to my rantings.) I went in on three separate occasions recently to find a certain CD by a popular Christian artist. Not once did I find it in stock, and I finally had to order it. Not that that in itself bothered me. What bothered me was what I did find in stock there. You want the new Jonas Brothers CD? No problem. High School Musical soundtrack? In Stock. How about Daughtry's newest release? On the shelf. And when I glanced over to the movie section, I saw selections such as The Princess Bride, Air Bud, and Mr. Nanny (yeah, the one with Hulk Hogan.)
Again, I'm not in any way trying to disparage any of these titles. After all, who in their right mind doesn't think that The Princess Bride is one the greatest movies ever? I won't comment on my feelings about the Jonas Brothers or High School Musical, but in reality, all of these are pretty wholesome family entertainment. They are all "good" movies and "good" music. But we weren't called to just be "good" people or to lead "good" lives. We were called to be Christlike. Go back to that Christianity Today poll and to what they said about The Dark Knight. This is an excellent, albeit dark, movie. There certainly is a redemptive quality to it and I totally understand how the reviewer arrived at the Batman as a sort of Christ figure analogy. But when Jesus spoke in parables, they were very direct correlations to the point he was trying to make. They were stories specifically built around the message. It wasn't the message trying to be squeezed into the story (as is the case with the Batman analogy), and therein lies the very important and very dangerous distinction.
As I mentioned in a previous blog, I think this whole seeker sensitive/culturally relevant philosophy may be getting a little out of hand. I have to wonder if, in our quest to make Christ relevant, we've crossed the line from simply being "in" the world to now being "of" the world. How far should we go in trying to be culturally relevant? I can't find the latest book by my favorite author, but I can get a PG or PG-13 edition of a small group bible study based around mainstream movies (yes, I've seen this.) Don't want the kids to play Guitar Hero? No problem, just go buy Guitar Praise. Need to fill some seats at Church? Throw in a couple of Top 40 tunes and tie them in to your message. Where do we draw the line?
I guess in the end I'm just frustrated. I'm frustrated that we're so desperate to sell magazines to the masses that we have to search for the redemptive message in movies like Horton Hears a Who, Gran Torino, and The Dark Knight. I'm frustrated that we have to fill our shelves with mainstream pop music and every imaginable trinket that can be emblazoned with a cross, a fish, or a catchy Jesus slogan. I'm frustrated that even though we have a timeless God, with a timeless message, we still feel the need to make God more relevant. I'm frustrated that in the process of doing that, we actually water down the message and we're not even realizing it. And I'm frustrated that I just don't know what to think of it all. I mean seriously, Mr. Nanny?
I figured that when I got to the site I would find films such as Prince Caspian, Fireproof, and a host of other low budget, low quality films I had never heard of. Surprise! That's not what I found at all. Fireproof was on the list, but at number six. Prince Caspian? Not on the list at all. Here is a sampling of the films that did make the list:
Wall*E - No.1
Gran Torino - No.3
Horton Hears a Who - No.4
Rachel Getting Married - No.5
The Dark Knight - No.7
Slumdog Millionaire - No.9
Do you see why I was a bit taken aback? One of the comments for The Dark Knight even said this: "Under the surface—perhaps unknown even to the filmmakers—is that this film shows Batman as a Christ-figure who self-sacrificially takes the sins of others onto himself, knowing it is the only way to save others and bring hope. Batman becomes an outcast so that the people of Gotham would have hope." Kind of a stretch if you ask me.
And this is where I run into my dilemma. I just don't know what to think. I've seen some of these films and they are excellent. My point in this is not to disparage these works or try to make a case for whether Christians should or should not watch them. That's a discussion that we just don't have time for. But do these films belong in a magazine like Christianity Today? Granted, Jesus used parables all the time as one of His primary forms of teaching. And although there are plenty of family unfriendly scenes and imagery in some of these movies, let's not forget that the Bible is strewn with scenes so violent that we would shudder to see them portrayed on the big screen. Even some of the "Christian" fiction that I read is frowned on in some of the more conservative circles for being too radical and too graphic. But have we gone too far? Are we over analyzing and trying to find Christ in the mainstream in some desperate attempt to make Christ culturally relevant? I don't know, but it leads me to something else that's been bothering me.
If you've read any of my posts at all it's hard to miss the fact that I love to read. And while I can usually find what I want sooner and cheaper at places like Amazon, I try to frequent my local Christian book store as much as I can. I may soon have to put an end to that though. The last few times I've been in there have caused me nothing but frustration, as my wife can attest to (I feel bad for her sometimes for having to listen to my rantings.) I went in on three separate occasions recently to find a certain CD by a popular Christian artist. Not once did I find it in stock, and I finally had to order it. Not that that in itself bothered me. What bothered me was what I did find in stock there. You want the new Jonas Brothers CD? No problem. High School Musical soundtrack? In Stock. How about Daughtry's newest release? On the shelf. And when I glanced over to the movie section, I saw selections such as The Princess Bride, Air Bud, and Mr. Nanny (yeah, the one with Hulk Hogan.)
Again, I'm not in any way trying to disparage any of these titles. After all, who in their right mind doesn't think that The Princess Bride is one the greatest movies ever? I won't comment on my feelings about the Jonas Brothers or High School Musical, but in reality, all of these are pretty wholesome family entertainment. They are all "good" movies and "good" music. But we weren't called to just be "good" people or to lead "good" lives. We were called to be Christlike. Go back to that Christianity Today poll and to what they said about The Dark Knight. This is an excellent, albeit dark, movie. There certainly is a redemptive quality to it and I totally understand how the reviewer arrived at the Batman as a sort of Christ figure analogy. But when Jesus spoke in parables, they were very direct correlations to the point he was trying to make. They were stories specifically built around the message. It wasn't the message trying to be squeezed into the story (as is the case with the Batman analogy), and therein lies the very important and very dangerous distinction.
As I mentioned in a previous blog, I think this whole seeker sensitive/culturally relevant philosophy may be getting a little out of hand. I have to wonder if, in our quest to make Christ relevant, we've crossed the line from simply being "in" the world to now being "of" the world. How far should we go in trying to be culturally relevant? I can't find the latest book by my favorite author, but I can get a PG or PG-13 edition of a small group bible study based around mainstream movies (yes, I've seen this.) Don't want the kids to play Guitar Hero? No problem, just go buy Guitar Praise. Need to fill some seats at Church? Throw in a couple of Top 40 tunes and tie them in to your message. Where do we draw the line?
I guess in the end I'm just frustrated. I'm frustrated that we're so desperate to sell magazines to the masses that we have to search for the redemptive message in movies like Horton Hears a Who, Gran Torino, and The Dark Knight. I'm frustrated that we have to fill our shelves with mainstream pop music and every imaginable trinket that can be emblazoned with a cross, a fish, or a catchy Jesus slogan. I'm frustrated that even though we have a timeless God, with a timeless message, we still feel the need to make God more relevant. I'm frustrated that in the process of doing that, we actually water down the message and we're not even realizing it. And I'm frustrated that I just don't know what to think of it all. I mean seriously, Mr. Nanny?
Friday, January 9, 2009
Most of All...
As I tried to decide how I wanted to start the New Year here, all that kept coming to mind was resolutions. But I didn’t really want to write about that. Not that I have anything against resolutions per se. Personally, I don’t make them but I know that they work for a lot of people, so whatever. It’s more of the fact that it’s just so overdone. I mean, who isn’t writing about New Year’s resolutions right now? Whether it’s something about how to keep your resolution, or it’s why you don’t need to or shouldn’t make them because they don’t really work anyway, the topic just seems to be everywhere.
But in the end, the turn of a new year does hold some significance and it’s hard to ignore that. If nothing else, for me, it’s at least a time review and evaluate. And in doing that, I was reminded of something that I posted a couple years ago on another site. I didn’t write a whole lot about it at the time, and I had always intended to re-post it at some point. The more I thought on it, the more I realized that it was exactly what I wanted to start the New Year with.
You see, years ago I bought a CD by a group called “Benjamin.” They were fronted by Benjamin Gaither (of The Gaither Family fame) and to my knowledge it’s the only CD they put out. There were some decent songs on there but what has always stuck in my mind is a spoken word intro to one of the songs. It’s by Brennan Manning, author of the books “Abba’s Child” and “Ragamuffin Gospel”, among others. It’s just a short prayer, but it packs a serious punch, especially at this time when so many people are making resolutions for how they want to live in the coming year.
“Abba, Dear Father. If I had my life to live over again I’d climb more mountains, swim more rivers, and watch more sunsets. But most of all I would love Your Son Jesus and those around me, and I would let them know before life’s evening. If I had my life to live over again, I’d take a few more chances next time. I’d have more real problems and fewer imaginary ones. I’d ride more merry-go-rounds. I’d pick more daisies. I’d go barefoot earlier in the spring. I’d stay out later in the fall. But most of all I’d love Your Son Jesus and those around me, and I would let them know before life’s evening.”
I’ve always loved that and have aspired to live my life in that fashion. To be enamored with and experience God’s creation to the fullest. To slow down a bit and take the time to just enjoy life. And to be the kind of person that will take leaps of faith and will focus only on what’s truly important rather then cluttering my daily worries with things that don’t really matter. Granted, I can’t say that I’ve been overly successful in those endeavors, but I’m finding it easier as I get older, especially now that I have my daughter. What an absolute blessing she is. I find myself so intrigued by just watching her experience even the smallest things life has to offer. It reminds me that God’s creation is magnificent and it hasn’t gotten any less so just because I’ve aged. We need to look at it through a child’s eyes once in a while and remember just how awesome He really is.
But there’s more to the prayer than that. And being a Christian, I hate to admit that I used to gloss over the most important part of all, to love Jesus and those around me, and to let them know before life’s evening. After all, that’s what our time here is really all about. Sure, God gave us much to enjoy and to behold, but at the end of the day it all comes down to three things and they are clearly outlined in the Gospels. Matthew 22:37-39 says:
37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
There’s the “love God and those around me part.” As for the rest, we find that in Matthew 28:18-20:
18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
So, like I said earlier, I don’t really make resolutions. I choose instead to review and evaluate. To take stock of where I’ve been and look at where I’m headed. Sure, there are things I’d like to do this year. I’d like to spend as much time with my wife and daughter as I possibly can, just enjoying their presence and watching in wonder as my daughter begins to discover this world one piece at a time. (On a related note, I wouldn’t mind dropping a couple of pounds so that I can spend time with my family) I’d like to write more. I only posted fourteen times last year, and I’m pretty sure I can do better than that. Maybe I’ll even start on the book I’ve been thinking about, who knows? I’d like to read more. My pile is growing again and I’d like to get it a little more under control. But most of all I want to love Jesus and those around me, and I want to let them know before life’s evening.
But in the end, the turn of a new year does hold some significance and it’s hard to ignore that. If nothing else, for me, it’s at least a time review and evaluate. And in doing that, I was reminded of something that I posted a couple years ago on another site. I didn’t write a whole lot about it at the time, and I had always intended to re-post it at some point. The more I thought on it, the more I realized that it was exactly what I wanted to start the New Year with.
You see, years ago I bought a CD by a group called “Benjamin.” They were fronted by Benjamin Gaither (of The Gaither Family fame) and to my knowledge it’s the only CD they put out. There were some decent songs on there but what has always stuck in my mind is a spoken word intro to one of the songs. It’s by Brennan Manning, author of the books “Abba’s Child” and “Ragamuffin Gospel”, among others. It’s just a short prayer, but it packs a serious punch, especially at this time when so many people are making resolutions for how they want to live in the coming year.
“Abba, Dear Father. If I had my life to live over again I’d climb more mountains, swim more rivers, and watch more sunsets. But most of all I would love Your Son Jesus and those around me, and I would let them know before life’s evening. If I had my life to live over again, I’d take a few more chances next time. I’d have more real problems and fewer imaginary ones. I’d ride more merry-go-rounds. I’d pick more daisies. I’d go barefoot earlier in the spring. I’d stay out later in the fall. But most of all I’d love Your Son Jesus and those around me, and I would let them know before life’s evening.”
I’ve always loved that and have aspired to live my life in that fashion. To be enamored with and experience God’s creation to the fullest. To slow down a bit and take the time to just enjoy life. And to be the kind of person that will take leaps of faith and will focus only on what’s truly important rather then cluttering my daily worries with things that don’t really matter. Granted, I can’t say that I’ve been overly successful in those endeavors, but I’m finding it easier as I get older, especially now that I have my daughter. What an absolute blessing she is. I find myself so intrigued by just watching her experience even the smallest things life has to offer. It reminds me that God’s creation is magnificent and it hasn’t gotten any less so just because I’ve aged. We need to look at it through a child’s eyes once in a while and remember just how awesome He really is.
But there’s more to the prayer than that. And being a Christian, I hate to admit that I used to gloss over the most important part of all, to love Jesus and those around me, and to let them know before life’s evening. After all, that’s what our time here is really all about. Sure, God gave us much to enjoy and to behold, but at the end of the day it all comes down to three things and they are clearly outlined in the Gospels. Matthew 22:37-39 says:
37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
There’s the “love God and those around me part.” As for the rest, we find that in Matthew 28:18-20:
18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
So, like I said earlier, I don’t really make resolutions. I choose instead to review and evaluate. To take stock of where I’ve been and look at where I’m headed. Sure, there are things I’d like to do this year. I’d like to spend as much time with my wife and daughter as I possibly can, just enjoying their presence and watching in wonder as my daughter begins to discover this world one piece at a time. (On a related note, I wouldn’t mind dropping a couple of pounds so that I can spend time with my family) I’d like to write more. I only posted fourteen times last year, and I’m pretty sure I can do better than that. Maybe I’ll even start on the book I’ve been thinking about, who knows? I’d like to read more. My pile is growing again and I’d like to get it a little more under control. But most of all I want to love Jesus and those around me, and I want to let them know before life’s evening.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)