A Son or a Servant?

I've been reading an interesting book lately, and I'll include a review of it, probably early next week.  But in the book, the author makes an interesting point.  Do most Christians "act" as though they are a son (or daughter) of the Father, or as though they are a servant?  As I thought about that contrast, it really did get me to thinking.

If you are a child of the Father, you have a great deal of freedom.  You live in the relationship of knowing that you have far more "latitude" as a son than you do as a servant.  The reason for that is simple: you belong by blood to the Father.  A servant is merely someone who is employed for a particular set of tasks.  However, if you are a son (or daughter), you have both greater responsibility and greater freedom.

Greater freedom in that you have less to worry about in terms of your standing before your Father.  You can step out and risk a lot more as a son than you ever would as a servant.  Why is that?  Because you know that your Father is a forgiving Father who wants nothing but the best for you.  Sure, if you step out in a wrong direction, or too far, He may have to call you back and show you the error of your ways, but even in that, you know that you can venture forth because of that relationship.

At the same time, you have greater responsibility than a servant.  Because you are in relationship with the Father, you bear His name.  Everything that you do, no matter how large or small, reflects upon the name of the Father.  Everything you do reflects upon the other members of your family, and therefore you also have a greater responsibility to consider them when you act.  They may grant you freedom to risk in the family's name, but they also carry the responsibility and authority to bring you back when you step out of line, or too far.

In contrast, as a servant, your primary concern is to make your master happy.  You are less willing to take risks because you know that it could easily backfire on you.  While you might have the comfort of knowing that your Master is a forgiving Master, you don't have the family connection to fall back on.  You are merely there to do your duty.  You tend to operate in far narrower, more defined ways, than you ever would if you had that blood relationship of a son or daughter.

I find this interesting because, even as the author says that Christians should consider themselves as sons and daughters of the Father, his language throughout is that of a servant.  When you hear things like obedience stressed, it isn't necessarily an indication of a view of yourself as a servant.  However, when that's pretty much the bulk of the language used, it indicates the viewpoint in which you stand.

Consider the language you use concerning God your Father.  Do you use language which reflects a view of yourself as a child of the Father, or of a servant of the Master?  And once you think about that, consider also which one you would rather be viewed as by God.  Yes, Scripture speaks of both, and of us filling both roles, but our language can often reveal which one we primarily think of ourselves as.

Whew, all that snow!!!

Some of you may know that I grew up in Texas.  In the part of Texas I grew up in, we would have a little snow pretty much every year.  It might not add up to much, but it would be enough that the wind drifts would get decently deep.  I remember one in front of our house one year that actually got deep enough for my pickup to get stuck in.  Of course, the wind had blown all the snow from the rest of the ground into that drift, so the rest of the ground was snow-free.  And usually, the snow would melt by the next day.

Just over a year ago, I moved to the greater Atlanta metro area, after well over a decade in the northern Utah mountains.  During the whole of the winter that I was here last year, we had no snow at all.  Then, earlier this week, the forecast came in.  A couple of inches of snow, after a couple of days of temps in the 60's.  That meant that the small amount of snow would fall on the roads and melt.  Then, combine that with a couple of days well below freezing, and you end up with a nice layer of ice on the ground and roadways.

Combine that layer of ice with a metro area in which more than a million people need to get home, and with little to no snow removal or preparation, and you get a recipe for disaster.  Over the past two days, schools, churches, and businesses have been cancelled.  My wife was following a number of stories in which it took people over 18 hours to commute back to their homes from the time they left work Tuesday afternoon.  While some of that is a reflection of drivers who aren't used to the conditions, much of it has to do with the simple dynamic of driving on a sheet of ice in hill country.  Bad idea, in other words.

While we are starting to thaw out (60s for the coming weekend again!!!), it really did marvel me.  We think we, as humans, have so much control over the things of this world.  And yet, in the right conditions, God can drop two inches of snow and bring a metro area of 6 million people to a grinding stop.  For me, it was a stark reminder than God really can do many things, despite our attempts to control everything around us.  It also was a stark reminder to be thankful that God doesn't often remind us of His power, but rather, of His grace, His overwhelming care and compassion for us.

Life will resume again, and I'll probably forget this little lesson (at least until the next snowstorm).  But it's good that God does indeed remind us of what He can do, so that we are thankful for what He has done in giving His grace through Christ our Lord.

Inter-Generational

I've come across this word from the title over the past several years.  It's been used to describe a kind of ministry which seeks to connect people across the span of life.  So often, we end up grouped together with people in similar circumstances or places in life.  That's often a good thing.  These are the people who understand our struggles, and who can perhaps give a helpful word or two.

But there's also something to be gained by being part of a group that is inter-generational.  There is something to be learned from those who are younger than you, or who are older than you.  There are things to be learned from those who have a different lifestyle or income from you.  In some ways, you can find yourself being both a learner and a teacher when you are involved with others across the scope and span of life.

That's part of what makes ministry of this kind so beneficial.  A young person can gain much by gleaning some wisdom from someone who has "been there, done that".  An older person can catch the excitement, energy, and enthusiasm of youth and be spurred on to more.  An older couple can rejoice in having young children to once again engage with, and the parents of those young children can benefit from the wisdom of those older (not to mention the occasional babysitting that could take place!).

God has never intended for His people to be all of one generation, or place in life, or even all of one nationality or skin color or language.  In His wisdom, God reaches across the "barrier lines" that we create to show that He transcends all of them.  So maybe we should also remember that next time we find ourselves complaining about those "darn young kids" or those "ancient people".  Life together in God's kingdom is far better when we cross those lines, just as Jesus Himself has already done.

A Multi-generational Household

In olden times (and by olden, I mean time over about 100 years ago), it was not uncommon for multiple generations to be living in one house, under the same roof.  People would add on to their houses when children began their married life together, and then, as they had children who got married, the house might be added on to for a little more room.  You might actually have households with four generations all living under the same roof, and that was normal.  It was common.  In fact, in some places and times, it was even seen as odd if a child were to leave home and go live somewhere else, even if it was only over on the next street.

In recent years, I have started to see a return to this multi-generational household.  I know of quite a few families that have up to three generations living under one roof.  Now, these have come about for a variety of reasons, but the main point I want to start off with is that this is becoming more and more common.  It used to be looked down upon highly when the children didn't go off and establish their own households.  They were strange if they continued to live at home beyond the college years (an arbitrary number that we arrived at for some reason). 

One thing that I think we forget at times is that the Bible times were times that were used to the multi-generational household.  Children cared for their parents, and more often than not, people would die in the same house in which they were born.  (Yes, birth and death often took place at home, which meant that it wasn't as taboo to talk about or think about as it is in our circles these days.)  Life was truly lived together in that context.

I truly believe that this impacts our understanding of some of the things we encounter in the Bible from time to time.  I actually want to spend a little time reflecting on this over the next few blog posts, since it cannot but help us to better grasp the world in which God's Word came to us, and then to see how that same Word powerfully affects and influences our understanding in our day and age.

Of Bumper Stickers and Other Things

I get a kick out of bumper stickers sometimes.  Just last night, I was behind a bad driver (in my opinion, of course, notwithstanding the two lanes of traffic he cut across in order to get to the turn lane).  Now, bad drivers irritate me, but I actually found this one amusing.  He had a bumper sticker that said something along the lines of "Tailgating kills."  I can perhaps understand his sentiment, even as I wanted to let him know how I upset I was for his inept driving skills and preparedness.

Other bumper stickers are a lot less likeable in my eyes.  You've probably seen one that says "COEXIST" with the letters replaced by different religious symbols.  I admit that one irritates me.  To think that someone assumes that they have a higher understanding of God than people of faith, and that their view of how the world should be is superior to those who look outside of themselves for guidance truly baffles me.  (I should say I've also seen one of the same design with the word TOLERANCE on it, which again seems to demonstrate that their belief in tolerance is better than anything God could says.)

In one sense, I understand the desire of those who decorate their cars with bumper stickers.  They truly want to demonstrate something that they believe in.  It's admirable, in a way.  And yet, one thing I often find is that it is simply impossible to convey much sense of what you believe by pasting a few words onto a sticker on your bumper.  There is always a much greater depth and context than the mere few words that have to be large enough to be seen.

I've tried over the years to sum up my Christian belief in just a few words.  But I consistently discover that there is no way I can sum up everything that God tells us about Himself that is vital to know in that brief of a way.  No bumper sticker or 140 character display can accurately convey meaning and intent.  At best, it can point to a deeper meaning, with the hope that those reading are encouraged to delve deeper.

At the same time, you can easily overwhelm another if you try to include too much.  (Just imagine a bumper sticker with the Athanasian Creed on it, and if you don't know what that is, I suggest Googling it.)  It's a balance in trying to convey depth and accuracy while striving to be brief enough to keep attention.

That just seems to beg us to work to create community and relationship with others.  Only in that kind of context can we briefly describe certain parts of what God reveals to us about Himself, and at the same time, have the opportunity to go into depth as the situation allows.  And that kind of community is something you have to work at as you live your life.  If you find a way to get it onto a bumper sticker, great.  But community and relationship is always greater than even the most profound of bumper stickers.

"Follow Me"

Recently, I came across an interesting little Youtube video, which applied Twitter to the story of Jesus' ministry, life, death, and resurrection.  I believe I posted it on here last week, so if you'd like to take this chance to go back and check it out, please feel free.

That's gotten me to thinking (always a dangerous thing).  One of the things we come across quite often in the Bible is the invitation/command to "Follow Me".  Jesus speaks those words to those whom we call His disciples.  It's the unspoken invitation of the Holy Spirit when we encounter God's Word.  It's the call of God to His people as they left Egypt in the middle of the night, and even as they waited 40 years to take possession of the Promised Land.  It's the call of God to a man named Abraham, whose descendants and descendant would ultimately change the world.

Follow Me.  It's a gracious invitation from our God, the God who made all things, and who has promised to make all things new again.  And we respond to that call.  In fact, that's really the only way that we come to know God, when He extends His call to us.  Absent that call, we just wander around this life, following whatever manages to capture our attention.  And so, we are thankful when God whispers that invitation into our ears and minds.  Follow Me.

The thing is, following God isn't the easy road that it has been made out to be.  It involves sacrifice.  It involves re-thinking the way we live.  It involves serving others and considering them as more needing than ourselves.  It involves giving up the control we think we have of our lives and watching God do miraculous things that we never expected.  It leads to adventure, and to danger.  It leads to hope, and also to having our good name tarnished by others.

And yet, God makes one consistent promise.  Follow Me, and nothing can take you from My hand.  That's the promise that is attached to the invitation/command (and yes, it really is a command as well as an invitation, but more on that later).  And that's the promise we cling to as we follow God, and as we follow Jesus, wherever He may lead.

Sermon for January 19

The other day, I had a really cute moment at my house.  I was home in the late afternoon, and happened to be looking out one of the front windows.  I noticed that the mail truck was coming around our circle.  Now, Rachel really likes to notice cars when they drive up the street.  She was on the other side of the room, and so I turned to her, and invited her to come over to the window to see the car.  It was something so simple.  Rachel, come and see the mail truck.  And she ran over to see the car in the street, and then we went out to the mailbox to pick up our mail once the mail truck had left.

“Come and see.”  A simple, easy phrase.  That’s how simple it is to invite someone.  And it’s a phrase that we come across quite often throughout the Bible.  This past week, I was talking with our Thursday morning Bible study group, and one of the verses in the chapter we were reading started off that way.  Come, O nations, and hear God.  It was an invitation.  Come and hear what God has to say.  Come and hear the word of the God of this world.

And the point I really want to start off with on this topic of invitation today is that God is constantly inviting people to come to Him.  For a moment, pull out your Bibles and turn with me to Isaiah 55.  In the chair bibles, you can find it on page 615.  As God was speaking to His people through Isaiah, He tenderly invites His people.  (Read the verses.)  We see God inviting His people.  Come and receive what you need for life.  Come to me and discover the things that really make life.  Come and discover that which is good for you.  Come to me.

God is an inviting God.  The cry goes out from God over and over again.  Come to me.  Come to me, my people.  Come to me, people of the world.  God speaks to the people of the world, inviting them to come to receive His great gifts.  And there are a couple of things in this statement that I want to look at for a moment.

First, God invites people to come to receive His gifts.  God recognizes the condition of the people of this world.  He sees us all stuck down here in the mud and muck of sin, and He invites us to see Him as the one who can and does rescue us from it.  He sees our feeble efforts to improve this world, only to be defeated by sin again and again.  He sees our internal struggles and battles against the things that we know we shouldn’t  do, but that we do anyway, and He invites us to receive His gifts in freeing us from those things.

God invites us to receive His gifts of grace.  He invites us to see His Son, Jesus, who lived the perfect life we couldn’t live, who died the death on the cross that we all deserved, and who rose to give us the promise of new life.  God invites us to come to Him, inviting us to the places that He has assured us that He pours out His grace and hope.  We call those the sacraments, the washing waters of baptism, where God Himself enters us and makes His home within us, where He brings us the forgiveness of our sin, and where the gift of eternal life springs to life within us.  He invites us to come and receive the body and blood which was broken and spilled for us as Jesus, quite literally, gives Himself to us, and as we receive that great gift, we receive that renewal that God works through the forgiveness of our sin.

The second thing is this statement is simply that God invites.  God doesn’t force, but instead calls out tenderly.  Come and drink waters that bring new life.  Come and eat bread that satisfies for more than this life.  Come, come, come to me.  The gentle invitation rings out again and again as God invites the people of the world to come to Him.

And the people of the world respond.  Turn with me now in your Bibles to Isaiah 2, page 567 in the chair bibles.  Listen to these words which God speaks to us through Isaiah.  (Read 2:2-3, 5)  Did you hear the language of invitation there?  God’s mountain of hope and redemption is set higher than any other mountain in the world.  The people of the world see it and hear about it and are drawn to it.  In other words, God’s invitation goes out, and the people of the world respond.  They are drawn to God’s invitation.  

And then, as they approach God’s holy mountain, what do they do?  They also invite others.  “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD.”  As God’s people hear God’s invitation, and as they receive His gifts, and as they approach the mountain of the LORD, they aren’t content to go there alone.  As they journey to that mountain, they also speak to those that they encounter along the way.  Come with us, come and see what God has done.

In other words, we could say that God’s people respond to God’s invitation by inviting others to join them along the way.  God’s people see what God has in store and in mind for them, and they desperately want others to share in that with them.  So, as they go through this journey of life, as they repeatedly come to the mountain of the LORD, they invite others to join them on the way.  Come with us, come to the mountain of the LORD, come to the house of our God, so that we can see what He does and says.

As I say that, I find something very interesting in this little segment from Isaiah.  The people are inviting others as they journey to God’s house and mountain.  Here’s where I’ll say that I am often fascinated by how modern day research in areas like marketing and branding finally catch on to what God has known all along.  What’s the best kind of advertising?  You can have all the flashy commercials on TV, you can have the best website in the world, you can have the prime location for your store or business, but you know what ultimately leads people to places, or back to places?  Word of mouth.  It’s when someone goes there and finds that it’s a place of value, and then they tell others about it.

Wouldn’t you say that’s what is going on in this picture?  The people who have been invited by God then head to His holy mountain and house, and as they go, the words of their mouths invite others to join with them.  God has known this all along.  The very best way for the people of the world to find their way to God’s holy mountain, to receive the best gifts of God, is for His people to be inviting others as they themselves walk along the road on the journey.

Now, I invite you to turn with me to another place where we see this at work.  Let’s go to John 1.  You can find it on page 887 in those chair bibles.  Listen to these words.  (Read John 1:43-46)  Do you see how easy that was for Philip?  He had heard Jesus with his own ears, and then he invited Nathanael to simply “come and see.”  Nathanael didn’t exactly respond as Philip probably had expected, but still, the point is made that he extended the invitation to come and see.  And as an additional point, he even went along with Nathanael as part of the invitation.  Something worth thinking about there, I think.

God’s people are a people of inviting.  We’re a people of inviting because we have received God’s invitation already.  We’ve heard God invite us to come to Him.  We’ve seen God give us His rich gifts of grace, and we’ve seen how valuable they are for us.  So now, as we continue on this journey to God’s mountain, we invite people to “come and see” along with us.  

And as I say that, I know that it can seem somewhat daunting to be extending those invitations.  So here’s what we are going to do as we think about being an inviting people, just as we have been invited by our God.  We’re going to start off by thinking about those different people that we know in life to whom we can extend an invitation.  We’re going to start by listing them on our prayer bookmarks, and then we’re going to commit ourselves to praying for them every day.  You can pick these bookmarks up out there on the welcome desk.  

But I ask you not to stop with that.  I actually want to encourage you to take a second one and to fill out those same names on it.  Then, turn the second one in to me.  I am going to commit to praying for those same names that get turned in to me on a daily basis.  You don’t have to write your name on the bookmark, and in fact, I’d almost rather you didn’t.  Just write their names, and then give me the second bookmark, and I’ll commit to praying for those individuals that you are thinking about inviting.

I also want to remind you that inviting someone to come and see what God is all about in Jesus isn’t something that requires a lot of extra training and the like.  Watch this short little video clip with me, if you would.  (Show “You don’t have to be an expert” clip.)  I hope that you get the point from that.  I don’t have to lead you in a class on how to invite someone to come and see for you to be able to invite them along.

Just a couple of quick things as we close.  First off, what’s more inviting when people actually do come and see than for us to be wearing our name badges, and not forcing them to have to memorize our names?  So keep making your efforts to wear those things.  If you don’t have one, please write your name legibly on a piece of paper and put it in there on Sherry’s desk in the office, and we’ll get you one printed up ASAP.

Also, isn’t it nice to have something to which you can invite someone?  One of the things that was mentioned to me last week was that it would be nice if you could have an idea about the upcoming sermons and series, so that you could let those that you are inviting know what to expect.  So I will also commit myself to getting things prepared well ahead of time, and to make them available, so that you can know what you can invite people to come and see.

Come and see.  God tenderly invites you to come and see, and I rejoice that you have responded to that invitation by receiving His gifts of grace.  I also pray that you will further respond by inviting others to come and see, so that they also can receive those great gifts of grace.  May we be active in doing this for the sake of those whom the Lord is calling to come and see.  Amen. 

Being Encouragers

One of the things that I think we as Christians can do a much better job of is in the area of encouraging each other.  We're very quick to point out why things won't work, especially when it's something new in the context of our congregation or gathering.  We're also very good at pointing out how it may depart from our traditional approach to things, and to render a bit of resistance to the thought of changing in accordance with any new proposals.

We also find it very natural to grumble about a lot of things, especially when they don't go our way.  If we don't like the direction of something, we're often not shy about speaking up about our discontent.  And I will say that there is a role for things like this.  In some respects, we should always be challenging the things we do (new as well as traditional) because if we discover that they are no longer serving the Gospel, then perhaps it is time to look at something different.

But when it comes to encouraging, we often lack any consistent basis of doing this.  Sure, we may complement the choir and the director when they have a good piece offered in worship, but we perhaps fail to encourage them outside of that time.  We send our children to be taught by Sunday School teachers, but fail to consistently thank them for the sacrifices that they have to make to prepare lessons, to put up with our children, and then we wonder why no one wants to serve as a Sunday School teacher.

The encouragement to encourage is found throughout the pages of the Scriptures.  Quite frequently in his letters, St. Paul says to speak well to each other, to encourage one another, and to build up one another.  And so, I'm going to issue a challenge today.  When you go to worship tomorrow, keep track of how many expressions of encouragement cross your lips.  Observe how many you hear in the context of your time with God's people overall. 

Being an encourager means a few things.  First, you have to be looking for opportunities to encourage.  Believe me, they are there.  In fact, I would dare say you will find more of them than you should find of reasons to be critical of others.  Second, it means you have to be prepared to actually speak that word of encouragement.  Just noticing the fine job someone else does, but not mentioning it to them or to others really amounts to the same as not encouraging.  Encouraging requires words of encouragement being spoken.

WARNING: If you start encouraging others a lot, be prepared for people to think that you have rose colored glasses on, or something along those lines.  It may sound strange, but we simply are not that used to hearing words of encouragement, so we tend to look somewhat strangely at those who are openly encouraging of others.  But just imagine if that became the norm rather than the exception.  Maybe, just maybe, that would be a service to our God and His Gospel message.

Rethinking the Prayer Chain

Many of you who are Christians and are associated with a congregation are probably familiar with the idea of the prayer chain.  It's this series of links that, when someone has need of prayers, the request is sent out, and makes its way through the whole series of links, so that everyone can be praying for the individual in need of prayers. 

In a former day and age, this prayer chain was often accomplished by means of the telephone.  One person would call three others, each of those three would call three others, and in a few short calls, the prayer request would be in the hands of everyone.  The only problem came when people weren't home to answer their phones.  Then, those further down the chain might have to wait a while to hear.

Now, enter the world of social media and instant messaging that we live in today.  Sure, there is still a place for the phone chain, as there are many people who still prefer to be contacted via their home phone.  However, the means of sharing those same requests have multiplied.  How does your congregation do in terms of making use of these different forms of media to communicate things like prayer requests?

Currently, I'm looking at developing a three pronged approach at our local congregation.  One aspect of it will be the traditional telephone tree.  Another part of it will be utilizing the congregation email address in order to send out a message via email.  The third part of it would consist of a text message burst to those who choose to receive their messages and alerts in such a fashion.

When God allows such impactful technology to be created, often the church is the last place to make use of it.  However, in this instance, it truly seems like we could greatly benefit from utilizing such resources in the sharing and aid of the kingdom of God.  Imaging getting a text message requesting prayers, and at that moment, you are able to take a few moments of silence to pray for that individual.  Imagine that a family has had a catastrophe happen, and you get the message, and within a short time, you are able to provide for their needs in some form, along with many others of your brothers and sisters.  That's when technology truly benefits God's people.

Imagine if...

What if Twitter had been around during the time of Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection?  Could it possibly have looked something like this?

Internally or Externally Motivated?

One of the things that often intrigues me is the question of motivation.  Part of this comes from my faith as a Christian, in which my love and care for my God and my neighbor inspire me in many of the things that I do.  I have also seen that frequently Christians can seek to impart their particular values and morals upon others, expecting them to follow suit without question.  And that's where I see a big difference between being internally motivated or externally motivated.

When you are internally motivated, you tend to make changes based upon your ow thinking, or the need that you recognize.  It is incumbent upon you to be the agent which directs and guides the change.  When you need motivation for achieving the change, it comes from within, and that makes it a little more powerful.  You see the need, and you recognize the need, and therefore, you are the agent which guides and influences the change.

It's a completely different thing when you are externally motivated.  When this happens, the change is being enforced upon you by another.  In our human nature, that's something that we are naturally opposed to.  We don't like it when others tell us how we are supposed to be, what we are supposed to do, and how we are supposed to act.  We may go along with it for a while, but when the external pressure is removed, it shouldn't be a surprise that we go back to that which we find comfortable and natural.

When God works upon us by His Spirit, He works to create a new heart within us.  God knows that, if He were to outwardly enforce His will, law, and design upon us, we would naturally rebel against Him.  Shoot, we already do that, even when it's just knowing what He says in His will, law, and design.  Imagine if God were to actively stop us from any kind of breaking of His law.  We would end up going along with it simply because it would be less painful to do that, rather than out of any kind of internal motivation.

But God is really about changing our hearts to where we become internally motivated to follow what He says and to do what He has commanded.  As God removes our heart of stone and replaces it with a heart of flesh, He changes us to become a people who are inwardly motivated by our love for God and our care for our neighbor.  We do it, not because someone else is forcing it on us, but because we see how it benefits others, and we do it from that internal motivation.  That is, by far, a more powerful motivation.  Inward motivation will often go much farther than any form of external motivation.

At its heart, the Gospel is about us become internally motivated to do that which God desires, wills, and commands.  Doing it, because we are loved by God, and therefore, we love others. 

Living in a #Hashtag World

Okay, full confession here.  I have a twitter account.  I'm also highly considering a Pinterest and an Instagram account.  I realize that some of you who read this blog may be wondering what those are, and perhaps in the future I'll explain or link to them.  But I have a twitter account.  I aim to put a thought or two out there each day on it, as well as a link to my (daily) blog entries. 

Lots of people, though, frequent twitter a lot more than I do.  Just in the last 3 minutes, I've had over 20 new twitter statements come through on my "feed".  I follow quite a few different people or interests on there.  Some are sports, some are running, some are food, and some are church, ministry, or theology related.  Regardless, I get a new alert every time a few more pop up.  (Just got 5 more while I typed that sentence.)

One of the remarkable things on twitter is that you can add a hashtag (#) in front of something, and it will sometimes get picked up by others.  You do that for a one word summary of something that expresses your thoughts at the moment.  It could be a person of interest, an item of interest, or something along those lines.  When enough people add it to their feed, twitter updates you to let you know what people are hashtagging, so you know what is trending out there in the world.

We live in a hashtag world, regardless of your awareness of how twitter uses them or not.  Every time you see a banner on TV that says "Breaking News", you have a form of the hashtag.  Every time something like that crosses your internet provider, you have a form of the hashtag.  It's a reminder of what's happening now, of what's popular now, of what people are looking into now.

We live in a hashtag world because we want things right now.  And in some respects, that also speaks to our Christian lives.  We want to know God is with us right now.  We want to know that God forgives us, not at some point in the future, but right now.  We want to know that God has an interest in our lives right now.  And the amazing thing is, God actually is and does all those things, and right now!

You have forgiveness right now, because of what Jesus has done for you.  You have forgiveness right now when you have the washing waters of baptism as part of your history.  You have the gift of a relationship with God right now, through that baptism, and through your ongoing faith in what God has done for you in Jesus.  You have the gift of eternal life right now, by virtue of your connection to God in Christ Jesus, who lives an eternal life that will never die.

The great thing is, we don't need hashtags to make those things our reality.  They are our reality because of what God has done for us, and because those gifts have been given to us.  And yet, we need that hashtag frequency of reminder because not a day goes by that we need to be reminded of it.  We need that reminder because every day, other hashtags attempt to distract us from God's gifts in Christ Jesus.

Maybe you didn't know it, but you live in a hashtag world, in that you live in a world of right now.  God works right now for you, and won't stop.  Even if you don't know what a hashtag is, you have the assurance of God's gifts in your life right now!  Thanks be to God for that in Jesus!

Setting Professional Goals

Most of us have the joy, privilege, and challenge of having to work for the achievement of our livelihood.  As part of the so-called "work force", we face a rapidly changing environment around us.  While our careers and jobs may vary in great degrees, there are usually enough commonalities that a discussion on setting professional goals is worthwhile.

Yesterday I talked about how personal goals impact others beyond ourselves.  I believe the same thing applies with professional goals, especially when you serve or work in an area in which others look up to you, report to you, or in which you have a great deal of influence.  But even if you aren't in that position of influence, setting goals still carries great benefits with it.

What do you need to do in order to bring the most meaning into your chosen career, profession, or job?  So many of us look at our job as something that doesn't bring us much joy.  But what is there that you can bring to the job that can change your outlook on that?  That could be a good starting point when you think about professional goals.  How you approach your work definitely has an impact on the joy you discover in your work.  If you look to your work to bring meaning and joy, you're starting in the wrong place.  It all begins with you.

That's why setting professional goals can be so beneficial.  When you know that you are working toward certain things in your profession or job, you start to open your eyes to the opportunities that are around you.  I would also dare say that those who are in positions above you will also notice that kind of thing, and will want to find ways to bring it out even more.  I won't guarantee anything along those lines, but it really is interesting how often those who bring positive change to the workplace start to find themselves rising up to positions of influence.

I would even dare say that these things are biblical.  God calls His Christians to do such things as be honest in their work, earn the wages that you are paid, and to demonstrate your godly care and compassion toward those in your workplace.  In that way, you also serve as a light in the place you work, regardless of national or state laws about the practice of your faith.

What should these goals consist of?  Maybe they involve learning more about the field in which you work.  Perhaps they involve how you relate to the people you work with.  Maybe you even expand your knowledge to areas related to your job.  It could even be something as simple as making a goal about your attitude toward your work.  The possibilities are tremendous.

I also set goals in my professional career.  Some of them involve growing in knowledge.  Others involve relational aspects of my career.  Still others involve things like how I organize myself, my desk, my files, and other beneficial things like that.  Overall, I find them all tremendously helpful in my career in serving God and His people.

Book Review: I Am A Church Member

As part of my professional life, I read a lot.  True, I love to read personally, so the love of books isn't too challenging to bring over into my professional life.  But I truly do take something out of practically every book that I read.

One of the things I'm aiming for this year is to post brief reviews about books I read on this blog.  If that leads some of you to purchasing and reading those same books, great.  I'd also love to hear what you think of the various books.  I'll also try to keep things brief, yet as encompassing as possible.

Today I just finished Thom Rainer's "I Am A Church Member."  It's a brief book of 79 pages, and yet, presents some challenging thoughts to us as Christians.  He basically takes a look at this thing called church membership, focusing on what membership is biblically verses what we tend to think of as membership.

Rainer's primary contrast is the membership of a church versus the membership of a country club.  His research has led him to believe that too many churches in America have members who conduct themselves as country club members, who focus on services directed toward them, rather than seeking to serve.  He especially focuses on the area of functioning (being an active participant in the congregation), unifying, prayer (especially for those in leadership positions), health (especially in regard to family members), and in the role of preferences and desires.  Rainer asserts that our focus way too often tends to be on what we get from our participation in the church rather than seeking to be an asset to the Body of Christ in our local congregation.

To a healthy degree, I agree with much of what Rainer writes, though there are some caveats.  Many of us focus on what we get out of our local church rather than on how we can be an asset to Christ's body and ministry.  But I also believe that Rainer focuses too much on the serving aspect.  From the outset, we understand that we are members of Christ's Church because of what He has done for us.  It's completely Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, and the subsequent gift of faith, which make us members, and that is true whether we are productive or not, serving or consuming.

However, Rainer hits the nail on the head that our membership in Christ's Church doesn't stop there.  The call to faith isn't about being static or complacent, but about taking up our cross and following Jesus as we exhibit our love for our neighbor.  That love is far too frequently missing in our churches.  Rainer provides a helpful reminder that, being Christ's Church, we are to focus on our love for God as we love our neighbor, both within the Church and outside the Church.

That drives us to have a servant heart and attitude rather than a consumer attitude.  This is the strength of Rainer's approach to this topic.  He challenges us to think about being part of Christ's Church and serving rather than being served.  He pulls that into our relationships with fellow members, with leaders, and even to those outside the Church.  Service, not preferences or personal desires, should be the driving force behind what we do, out of love for Christ, who redeemed us by serving us, and now sends us out to do the same in His name.

I would recommend this book, though it may come across as somewhat harsh and judgmental, especially to those who bring a consumer mindset to the Church.  Nevertheless, much can be gained from reading it, especially if you are willing to be challenged in your participation in your local congregation.

Setting Personal Goals

I don't plan on dwelling too long on this whole goal setting thought, but it might fill the rest of this week.  That's because goal setting is something that has both great benefits, but some definable dangers to them.  The benefits are that they give you something to aim for, to reach for.  They are supposed to stretch you and challenge you to become better in whatever field you set them.  The danger is that many of us begin to define ourselves by how we do in regard to our goals, and therefore, if we fail to live up to them, we begin to define ourselves as failures.  Therefore, our response becomes that of not setting goals, since we (seemingly obviously) can't live up to them.

With that aside, I do tend to set goals, but I look at them not merely as achievements to be mastered, but as guidelines to get to certain stages that I desire to attain in life.  For example, some of my goals this year involve running.  Running is great exercise, and it's the kind of exercise I've focused on for the last several years.  I set goals on how many miles to cover each week, how many times to go out and run, and how many races I like to enter.  These goals keep me motivated on days like today, when the temp is below freezing, but I know that I'll feel much better if I get out there and slog my way through it.

But here's the thing with personal goals, at least in my eyes.  While they are of direct benefit to you, they should also have some bearing in your interactions toward others.  Think of it from this perspective.  Running helps me to feel better, to have more energy, and to consider the food I eat a lot more.  That has an impact on my family.  When I feel better and have more energy, I'm much more able to focus on them and to do the things that need to be done which benefit my family.  My eating habits help us all to eat better, as I focus on not merely my own food, but how to prepare healthy meals for us all.  Plus, there are those occasions where I sign up for a race in another town, and we end up turning it into a family vacation time together!  So many benefits that go beyond myself.

You can probably also see how these spill over into my working life.  I'm a better pastor when I'm feeling good about myself, and when I have energy to focus on the tasks at hand.  In addition, since running often involves endurance and working through difficult situations, it helps to prepare me when I find those situations arising at work.  Knowing that I can push through a run in freezing temps helps me realize I can also endure that difficult conversation that needs to be had, or to make that phone call that I'd rather avoid.

So, they are personal, but they reach far more people than just myself.  I don't focus so much on the letter of achievement (though I tend to do them exactly as I set them up), but on where they are taking me.  Maybe that's a healthy way of looking at personal goals.  I don't know.  What do you think?

A happy new year

Well, we are now 7 days into the new year.  I realize that it's been a lot longer than that since I last posted something on here.  But that's about to change once again.

I hope that each and every one of you has been having a blessed new year thus far.  God's grace promises to carry through to us every year, and we rejoice in that grace as we live under it in His eternal kingdom.

Being the kind of person I am, I typically set goals for myself for the upcoming year.  Not so much resolutions, but things I want to see accomplished in the coming year.  Some of these are of a personal nature, such as my family time and how I interact with my family, as well as my running and exercise routine.  Some are professional, involving things such as reading, writing, and professional growth in areas in which I work.  Others, since I am a part of a local congregation with some amount of influence and guidance, have to do with the life of that congregation.

Over the next few days, I'll share a few of these with you, as well as ask you about any that you may set.  But above all, what I strive for in all of these is that the LORD our God is better served, even as He has served us fully in Christ our Lord.  May this year be one lived out in His holy name!