The Vitality of Communication

One thing that I have come to see as vitally important in all relationships is communication.  Now, I realize that communication actually covers a great deal of territory.  There is the communication of that which needs to be shared with others.  There is the choice of the words that are used (and if you think this is an easy thing, think about how often we have different meanings for the same words before you assume its ease).  Then there is also the manner in which the words are heard and received.  Associated with that is the manner in which the words are delivered.

In other words, the task of communication is far from an easy task.  Let's just take a simple expression from, say, a husband to a wife.  He wants to say, "I love you," to his dear one.  Three simple words, right?  To fit the first thing I wrote in the above paragraph, he has something to communicate to his wife.  But what is it that he wants to communicate?  Is he communicating that he has some overwhelming emotional response to her that is best expressed as love?  Or, to bring a biblical way of looking at love, did he just do some sacrificial action on her part, and wants her to know what he has done for her?  It's hardly the emotional part of it, but it is still love.  Or, does he say it to her as a reminder to himself that he loves this woman in his life, even though he may be upset at her at that particular moment? 

Then, think about the choice of words here.  Too often, we use the word love to express some deeply felt emotional response to another.  While that is part of the meaning of the word, a deeper meaning is a willing, sacrificial spirit done for another, not only out of emotion, but out of commitment to the other.  Giving up his twenty minutes of free time on Sunday afternoon to mow the lawn because she wants it done isn't likely to elicit a great emotional response of love, and yet, it truly is love, as he acts sacrificially on her behalf out of his commitment to her.

Then, there is the way we speak the words.  Saying "I love you" through gritted teeth probably isn't going to bring gushy feelings to anyone.  On the other hand, in a moment of breathless adoration of each other, those same three words may almost make it seem as though the heart of each is going to burst out of their chest into the other one.  Same words, spoken in different ways, and ways that could be taken very differently.

Finally, there is how the words are heard.  Let's say that the husband utters those words through gritted teeth as he heads upstairs to shower following the mowing of the yard.  Rather than hearing an expression of sacrificial love, his wife may instead hear it as though he is trying to rack up some points that she has repay in the future.  It may not come across as a statement of commitment, but rather, as a reminder that there will be a reckoning in the future.  She may think that he is going to demand something from her in the future, and she'll be expected to do it because she loves him.

I do have a reason for blogging on this topic, and realize that I've already typed too many words for right now.  So I'll keep going with this topic for a bit, until I finally get to what I really intend to say with it.  But for now, think about the words you say, how you say them, and how they may be understood by others, and see if it doesn't make you think again about just how big this task of communication really is.

Sheep Cartoon for the Weekend

For those who have eagerly been waiting, here is your comic strip for this coming Sunday.  Bible reference is John 17:1-11.

Discovering Joy!!!

One of the benefits of having a two year old daughter is how you often get to see the world through her eyes.  I love when we are playing outside, and she sees the neighbor's cat, and gets all excited to see the "kitty".  Or when she grabs my finger and has me follow her through her little trail in the bushes to "go in, daddy" with her.  Or when she hears the airplane flying overhead and looks up to see it, or the bird flying through the air, or the ant on the ground.  Well, you get the picture.

I have realized for several years that the occupation I serve in is one where you sometimes see the worst of people.  God tells us that we are sinful, and there are times where I am left to deal with the sinfulness of God's people.  While there is joy to be found even in those dealings, the prevailing thought and emotion that often comes through such situations tends more toward sadness.  It becomes easy to get frustrated with sinful human beings, or upset when they don't respond as you hoped, or even hard on yourself when you realize your own inadequacy for the situation.

Several times recently, though, it has been that joy of seeing life through the eyes of a two year old that has often opened my eyes to discovering joy.  I need to see the world through her eyes, because there is so much that God has made that is good, and praiseworthy, and worthy of celebration and devotion.  That's a reminder that I often need, and so often, God gives me that reminder in that little girl, even when it's something as simple as a little walk to the stop sign and back.

Where does God open your eyes to discovering joy?  I really do think that, if we start looking for it, we'll start to see that He is presenting more joy to us than we would ever expect to find out there.

Just what the Dr. Ordered

Over the past several years, I have been astounded at how God works.  Now, to be sure, I've always been astounded at what God has done for us, and how He continues to show His hand in this world, but there are those times when it becomes so obvious that even a blind guy like myself cannot help but notice.  Maybe it's just that He recognizes that I need the brick to the side of the head to get my attention every once in a while.

Let me start off by saying this.  I am an information junkie.  I am an information hoarder.  I love learning, and I love learning new things.  I love reading the things that are current, whether they are ministry, business, or leadership oriented.  I love reading them, learning new things, and then looking for ways to try them out.  I see my whole life as one long learning experience.

Over the past several years, it has just seemed way too obvious on the part of God that He would put exactly the information piece in front of me that I needed at that particular time, to fit a particular situation, problem, or challenge that lay ahead of me.  This week, already, I have had two occasions where there was some minor challenge or situation that needed addressing, and wouldn't you know it, I'd open up my email, or check out my facebook page, and there would be a link to the exact thing that I was thinking about and needing some guidance on.  I'm not one who believes in coincedence, but sees the guiding hand of God working unseen, behind the scenes.

Sometimes God shows His nature through His hiddeness, and sometimes He reveals exactly what is needed at exactly the right time.  And somehow, that just seems fitting for an information junkie like me.

Sheep Comic Strip

For those who may be wondering, these are from a collection found on AgnusDay.org.  Search for the ones that describe your favorite Bible readings!  Cute, clever, and to the point!

The Desperate Prayer, All Alone

"And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.'"  Matthew 26:39

First, a little context.  The above verse comes from the time when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Thursday evening, He had celebrated the Passover with His disciples, revealing that one of them would betray Him.  He instituted the holy Supper of His body and blood, which we Christians continue to observe and receive still today.  Then, He went over to this garden with His disciples.

Matthew tells us that Jesus then took Peter, James, and John with Him a little farther on into the garden.  This wasn't unusual, as Jesus often took these three, seemingly as the "closest" of the disciples.  But then, Jesus even leaves them and goes on farther by Himself.  Jesus goes a little farther by Himself, and then He falls down and prays what is likely the most fervent prayer prayed in the history of this world.

I've read in any number of leadership books that it's lonely at the top.  If you are the one with whom the buck ultimately stops, it can be very lonely.  You don't have anyone you can point fingers at if things go wrong.  You bear the responsibility.  While you may have the authority, that responsibility is the other side of the coin.  You, and you alone bear the burden.

Jesus knows this.  Jesus knows this far better than any of us.  This very morning, I went into our sanctuary, our holy place before God, because there are times when the weight of being "the one" bears down.  Sometimes that weight is staggering.  Sometimes that weight is put upon us by our own doing, and sometimes it's there because of others.  Regardless, that weight falls on the shoulders, and calls for a response.

Jesus gave me a good reminder as I knelt there before Him.  My weight, as significant as it is for me, is microscopic compared to that weight that He bore.  And I was reminded of something else.  It isn't that Jesus takes away the weight from my shoulders.  He does provide the means by which to share that burden.  That's something I often need to be reminded of.  It's something I need to take up, and for which I am very thankful when He provides those who share the burden.

Jesus prayed the desperate prayer all alone.  In all that He did, endured, and overcame, He now gives us the way by which to share the burden.  And I say share the burden.  God does not often remove the burden, but He does provide those with whom we can share the burden.  Thanks be to God for that, in Christ our Lord. 

Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled

You may recognize those words from our Lord Jesus in the blog post title.  They are found in the first part of John 14, and are spoken as Jesus was in the upper room, celebrating the Last Supper, instituting the Lord's Supper, and telling the disciples that they would be known by their love for one another.  Later that night, He would be arrested, tried, and, the following morning, crucified on the cross.

Let not your hearts be troubled.  There are times where my particular occupation carries the weight, not necessarily of my troubles, but that of other people.  It includes their sorrows.  It includes their sins.  It includes damage that happens in relationships, through words, through assumptions, through actual hurtful actions, and the like.

It's kind of ironic to me that, as I came to blog today for the first time in a while, those were the words that popped up from a friend's blog that I follow.  They were words that I needed to hear.  I needed to be reminded that my heart doesn't need to be troubled.  Even as I venture through the challenges of relationships between God's people, I need the reminder that my heart need not be troubled.  God's got this.

That doesn't at all downplay my part in it.  I still need to pray, still need to prepare for the conversations and discussions.  I still need to strive to be faithful to what God designs for us as His people, especially as one to whom others guide their gazes to see Christian faith in action.  Sometimes it causes sleepless nights.  Sometimes it means dealing with things I would rather not deal with.

Yet, there is still something satisfying to see God's Word actually work when God's people follow it.  Shock of shocks, it's as though God actually knows what He's talking about when He gives us His design and will for our lives.  And that is a constant reminder that I need.  Let not your heart be troubled. 

David Platt Speaking on Shallow Christianity

Here is the video I mentioned in my previous post.  He leads us to
think about the depth of the Gospel message of God in Christ Jesus. 
While there may be an element in which he overstates the issue here, I
believe that his main point is pretty much on target.  If we settle for a
more shallow Christian faith, should we be surprised when we see that
reflected in the Christian Church?



While it is a
challenge to introduce people to the depths of the Christian faith, we
shouldn't settle for a very basic understanding, either.  We may
introduce people to the Christian faith via easy to understand messages
and ways, but the point I want to make is that we should not leave them
there.  Rather, we should have an idea for how we want to cultivate a
far deeper faith in them as they come into the Christian Church.  Far
too often, we introduce them to the basics, and then leave them there,
without any guidance into the depths of the good news of God.  So please
keep that in mind as you watch this video.

David Platt and Shallow Christianity

Here is the video I mentioned in my previous post.  He leads us to think about the depth of the Gospel message of God in Christ Jesus.  While there may be an element in which he overstates the issue here, I believe that his main point is pretty much on target.  If we settle for a more shallow Christian faith, should we be surprised when we see that reflected in the Christian Church?

While it is a challenge to introduce people to the depths of the Christian faith, we shouldn't settle for a very basic understanding, either.  We may introduce people to the Christian faith via easy to understand messages and ways, but the point I want to make is that we should not leave them there.  Rather, we should have an idea for how we want to cultivate a far deeper faith in them as they come into the Christian Church.  Far too often, we introduce them to the basics, and then leave them there, without any guidance into the depths of the good news of God.  So please keep that in mind as you watch this video.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPhEEzjU8xQ

The Depth of Good News

It's probably happened to you as it has happened to me.  You meet someone who says that they are truly passionate about something.  You see the evidence in their life.  Not only do they talk about this thing that they are passionate about, but it infiltrates their life in very deep, meaningful ways.  You may or may not necessarily agree with the thing they are passionate about, but you cannot deny the depth of their passion.

I've been that way about running in the past.  I love to run.  It's not always easy, but I enjoy it when I get the chance.  (Yes, sometimes work and family matters preclude me from getting to that which I love, but the love remains, even when the miles aren't being pounded.)  If you look on my nightstand, you see running magazines.  If you look in my closet, you see running shoes and clothes.  It's something that I have a certain amount of passion toward.

Just imagine if we, the people of God, who have been rescued and redeemed by Christ Jesus, would carry that passion over into all aspects of our lives.  Now, let me be clear, you can be God's child, but not necessarily spilling out this passion in many and various ways.  However, as you are filled with the forgiveness of Christ Jesus, and as the new life springs up in you through your Baptism, imagine if that passion for Christ Jesus started revealing itself in passionate ways in your life.

Far too often, we settle for a shallower Christian faith.  After this blog post, I'm going to post another one, with a link to a youtube video that I believe speaks somewhat to this.  To me, it's sad that we often settle for a shallower version of the good news of God in Christ Jesus, and therefore, we have less to be passionate about.

Think about it for a moment, though.  Isn't the good news of what God has done for us in Jesus just about the most meaningful, valuable thing we could ever have?  If I'm passionate about running shoes, shirts, and shorts, how much more should I be passionate about eternal life, and forgiveness of sin?  The depth of God's Good News is far deeper than my best run ever. 

Growing in that passion would be a good thing.  It's not the goal of faith, but rather, an expression of faith.  May that expression be growing in your life as you live as God's redeemed, forgiven child.

This Week's Comic Strip

For those who want an amusing introduction to the topic of this week's message, here is our little comic strip!

Defensiveness and Territoriality

"Why not rather suffer wrong?  Why not rather be defrauded?  But you yourselves wrong and defraud-even your own brothers!"  1 Corinthians 6:7b-8

It's happened in church after church.  God's people gather together, some of them are designated to do certain functions of ministry, and then you start to encounter the snarling dog.  Rather than seeing their work as an opportunity to serve God and others, they become territorial.  They want things done their way.  If you threaten their little kingdom, they become territorial, kind of like a dog protecting its backyard.  If you question the way they do things, they become defensive, as though they have to justify why the way they do it is the best, right, and only holy way.

Okay, I'm overspeaking things there a bit.  But you've probably been there before, especially if you've served in some area of ministry in a congregation.  And while it is great for God's people to take their tasks seriously, it's also sad when it becomes a badge of honor, or something to that effect.  If you've ever had to think about how someone would react before a needed change could be made, you've probably encountered this phenomenon before.

The problem is, this is completely contrary to how God desires for His people to interact with one another.  It promotes a spirit of pride rather than a spirit of humility.  It locks us into certain ways of thinking, and prevents us from learning things that could truly be helpful and beneficial.  It deprives us of the wisdom and counsel that others could introduce into the picture that maybe, just maybe, could actually help things work better or smoother. 

The above quotation, in its context, is St. Paul chastising the Corinthian Christians for their lack of humility, in that they placed being right above the well-being of the Church and Christian unity.  They were territorial and defensive, and Paul took them to task for it.  God's people are changed to serve one another, to love one another, not to promote their own causes and desires above others. 

That's why Paul says that it's better to be wronged than to pursue this kind of course.  That shows true humility, truly putting the needs of the brother or sister in Christ above your own.  And if that's the thing that Christians became known for doing, rather than being territorial and defensive, it just might make a different impression on our brothers and sisters, as well as our witness to the rest of the world.  And that is something that Jesus would have us remember in our interactions with each other.

A few years ago, I was guided to a place where these cute, short little comic strips are found.  They fit with the particular readings that my church body uses throughout the year.  One thing I will try to do on a weekly basis is present the one that speaks for the coming Sunday.  So, without further ado, here's this coming Sunday's comic strip (www.agnusday.org)

Entering the Conversation

This coming Sunday, my Bible Study class will take some time over the next few weeks to look at what people, especially younger people, are saying and thinking about Christians in general.  While it is true that we Christians are not necessarily driven by what people think of us, it is also true that we need to listen to what people say they see in our lives.  If our lives and our faith are not lining up in visible ways, then it may (I would even say does) point to a significant challenge that we will face in sharing the Good News of Jesus.

I've done lots of reading and research over the past 8 years of my life.  In all of that, I've come to the conclusion that there are way too many times where we, as Christians, simply fail to realize that people outside the church actually do look at our lives.  We know and understand that we are right with God because of His grace shown to us in Christ, but too often, we resist living the new life that Jesus creates in us, somehow thinking it's okay to still hold to our old sinful ways.

I realize that this is a far more complex issue than how I'm painting it here.  That's why I truly do believe that we benefit from hearing what others see in us.  That's why I want to lead my study through a series of videos available on Youtube, which feature some men who have done significant study on them.  As I come across them, I'll probably also include links here on the blog, so that, if you want to follow along, you can do so.  I'd even encourage you to throw your two cents in on occasion.