It was a hectic morning.
Last Sunday, I was in the early-stages of an eventually full-blown sinus infection. While I could talk, my throat wasn’t feeling too well.
To top it all off, I was getting ready to translate for a Cuban pastor who was visiting a local Methodist church. He would be preaching THREE times that morning, meaning I would be translating three times. He had clued me into what verses he’d be using, but I was still a bit nervous.
You see, for those of you who don’t know me well, I was raised in Miami by Cuban parents. I understand Spanish well enough (even though I have great difficulty speaking it with correct grammar). However, one thing that makes translation difficult for me is that my brain is wired a little funny (it’s called Central Auditory Process Disorder). In a nutshell, CAPD makes it difficult for me to hear and understand ENGLISH, let alone other languages.
Imagine a little secretary sitting in my head who listens to you asking me, “What are we eating tonight?” Imagine this secretary turning to my brain and translating it as, “When are you feeding Mike?”
That’s what I hear.
This drives my poor wife nuts.
So not only was I suffering from a sore throat, I was about to spend the next several hours translating what I thought he said from one language to another.
Oh, and we Cubans are known for talking real fast.
Several hours later, after the three services, I was convinced that God had temporarily gifted me with the ability to interpret foreign tongues. I was able to keep up with him even when he was jumping up and down in the aisles.
But that wasn’t the highlight of the morning for me.
After the last service, most of the congregation had emptied out (presumably heading for lunch). One of the choir members came down to hug the Cuban pastor. She had me share with him that she could sing like he could preach (with great passion). They then began singing the chorus of the hymn “How Great Thou Art” together; him in Spanish, her in English.
Full throttle.
It was a moment.
Realizing what I was beholding, I stood there, transfixed, and let the experience wash over me. I felt sorry for those who didn’t witness it. When it was over, I thanked God.
Starting this following Saturday (June 6th), we are going to begin exploring the concept that we’re to bloom wherever it is that we’re planted.
When we start blooming, we become more aware of God at work around us. His sweet grace becomes more evident. His purpose for our lives becomes natural.
We walk with Him, and He points things out to us along the way.
Like two voices singing one song.
And despite our circumstances and the distractions that surround us; we experience life to the fullest, peace that lasts, and joy that is contagious.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Starting with the End
Life is about change.
Beginning. Middle. End.
Our lives are never static. We rush to one appointment, and then head off to another.
And as our calendars and homes fill up, so do our stress levels.
Is this what it’s all about?
More appointments? More stuff? More stress?
Jesus said in Matthew 25:34: “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”NLT
Why do we worry so much when we already know it doesn’t do us any good?
Maybe there’s an answer in Jesus’ message. In this entire teaching about not worrying, Jesus throws out this line in the preceding verse: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”NLT
How do we seek out the Kingdom of God? How do we know when we find it?
Is it as easy as slipping into a pair of sweatpants, or does it require you to live on a mountain top and stare at your belly button for twenty years?
And. Jesus throws in an and. He says we must seek the Kingdom and live righteously.
What does that look like? WWJD? How does one live right with God and others?
We start with the end, because the end holds the answers.
The last part of our vision focuses on how we perceive God’s Kingdom looks like. This gives us a vision to pursue, a road to walk, and a dream to realize.
It reads as follows:
A kingdom where the poor are rich and the lonely find family. Where justice and mercy slow dance. Where hearts, souls, and minds are opened and wisdom expands. Where we pour love on Jesus’ tired, dirty, beautiful, aching feet whenever we serve another person. A kingdom where we receive our name and engage our calling. Where shattered lives and fragmented dreams find the hope that leads to restoration. We have caught a glimpse of this kingdom and we have found it captivating. We as the church have been called to get this kingdom started on earth as it is in heaven. The keys to this kingdom are in our hands. When are we going to unlock these gates? Who will help push the boundaries of this kingdom until it swallows up all that causes disconnection and suffering? As this River bursts forth we will flood our community with the tangible presence of Jesus Christ.
Related Verses
Matthew 6:19-34“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Beginning. Middle. End.
Our lives are never static. We rush to one appointment, and then head off to another.
And as our calendars and homes fill up, so do our stress levels.
Is this what it’s all about?
More appointments? More stuff? More stress?
Jesus said in Matthew 25:34: “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”NLT
Why do we worry so much when we already know it doesn’t do us any good?
Maybe there’s an answer in Jesus’ message. In this entire teaching about not worrying, Jesus throws out this line in the preceding verse: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”NLT
How do we seek out the Kingdom of God? How do we know when we find it?
Is it as easy as slipping into a pair of sweatpants, or does it require you to live on a mountain top and stare at your belly button for twenty years?
And. Jesus throws in an and. He says we must seek the Kingdom and live righteously.
What does that look like? WWJD? How does one live right with God and others?
We start with the end, because the end holds the answers.
The last part of our vision focuses on how we perceive God’s Kingdom looks like. This gives us a vision to pursue, a road to walk, and a dream to realize.
It reads as follows:
A kingdom where the poor are rich and the lonely find family. Where justice and mercy slow dance. Where hearts, souls, and minds are opened and wisdom expands. Where we pour love on Jesus’ tired, dirty, beautiful, aching feet whenever we serve another person. A kingdom where we receive our name and engage our calling. Where shattered lives and fragmented dreams find the hope that leads to restoration. We have caught a glimpse of this kingdom and we have found it captivating. We as the church have been called to get this kingdom started on earth as it is in heaven. The keys to this kingdom are in our hands. When are we going to unlock these gates? Who will help push the boundaries of this kingdom until it swallows up all that causes disconnection and suffering? As this River bursts forth we will flood our community with the tangible presence of Jesus Christ.
Related Verses
Matthew 6:19-34“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
My Brother's Keeper
Growing up, I loved going to Miami Metrozoo.
Thanks to my dad’s annual pass, we went there lots of times. I thought working there would be a cool job. I even remember looking at volunteer forms.
I lived too far away, unfortunately.
I might still have a documentary on the zoo on one of my old, fading, VHS tapes. I watched it over and over in my teens. It showed the daily life of a keeper.
Keeper. Now that's an interesting title.
Dictionary.com has twelve definitions for “Keeper”. The first two go as follows:
1. A person who guards or watches, as at a prison or gate.
2. A person who assumes responsibility for another's behavior.
As a zookeeper, you’re responsible for the lives in the zoo. The animals can't fend for themselves in their artificial habitats; they depend on you for food, water, shelter, care, everything (I don't know from direct experience, but this sounds a little like parenting to me).
Responsibility is a tall order for some. There are people who don't like the idea of being responsible for another.
You see, when we take care of another, we have to put our own wants aside.
Jesus said, “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Do you ever feel like a keeper? Who is under your care?
What situations cause you to wish that your responsibilities consisted solely of taking care of your own needs?
How do we overcome our own selfishness?
Related Verses
Genesis 4:1-9
Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. ”
Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let's go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don't know,” he replied. “Am I my brother's keeper?”
John 15:11-17
I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other.
Thanks to my dad’s annual pass, we went there lots of times. I thought working there would be a cool job. I even remember looking at volunteer forms.
I lived too far away, unfortunately.
I might still have a documentary on the zoo on one of my old, fading, VHS tapes. I watched it over and over in my teens. It showed the daily life of a keeper.
Keeper. Now that's an interesting title.
Dictionary.com has twelve definitions for “Keeper”. The first two go as follows:
1. A person who guards or watches, as at a prison or gate.
2. A person who assumes responsibility for another's behavior.
As a zookeeper, you’re responsible for the lives in the zoo. The animals can't fend for themselves in their artificial habitats; they depend on you for food, water, shelter, care, everything (I don't know from direct experience, but this sounds a little like parenting to me).
Responsibility is a tall order for some. There are people who don't like the idea of being responsible for another.
You see, when we take care of another, we have to put our own wants aside.
Jesus said, “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Do you ever feel like a keeper? Who is under your care?
What situations cause you to wish that your responsibilities consisted solely of taking care of your own needs?
How do we overcome our own selfishness?
Related Verses
Genesis 4:1-9
Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. ”
Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let's go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don't know,” he replied. “Am I my brother's keeper?”
John 15:11-17
I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
How Good are Your Eyes?
It was a great fire.
The meat sizzled when it hit the grill.
I love barbequing.
It was the very last day of the Cold Weather Shelter, a ministry that fed and sheltered the homeless in Culpeper from November through April. Churches of all types and sizes took turns hosting and caring for our guests during these months. The River & Mosaic churches partnered for this last week.
Some of our guests were so thankful for the helping hand that they decided to put some of their own resources together and do a barbeque the final night.
I got my grill and set it up in the pastor's parking space right off where we were spending the night. I fired up the coals and waited for the guys to return with the hot dogs and burgers.
When they got back from the store, I was in for a surprise. They just didn't get hot dogs and burgers; they brought the supermarket meat section with them.
Burgers, hot dogs, pork chops, brats, different types of sausage, etc.
It was veritable carnivore’s garden of delights.
I was very touched by their generosity. These guys have little enough as it is, and yet they provided a feast the likes I've never seen before at a church function.
Generosity, it seems, is often inversely proportional to what we have.
The more we’ve got, the tighter our grip on it. Or, should I say, the tighter its grip on us.
I have shared the following question with many people over the past week:
“Who has gained more these past months? The homeless, or our churches?”
There is much we can learn from each other; if we’ll only sit down and talk.
How can we be generous to others this week?
Joe
Related Verses
Matt 6:19-34
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
The meat sizzled when it hit the grill.
I love barbequing.
It was the very last day of the Cold Weather Shelter, a ministry that fed and sheltered the homeless in Culpeper from November through April. Churches of all types and sizes took turns hosting and caring for our guests during these months. The River & Mosaic churches partnered for this last week.
Some of our guests were so thankful for the helping hand that they decided to put some of their own resources together and do a barbeque the final night.
I got my grill and set it up in the pastor's parking space right off where we were spending the night. I fired up the coals and waited for the guys to return with the hot dogs and burgers.
When they got back from the store, I was in for a surprise. They just didn't get hot dogs and burgers; they brought the supermarket meat section with them.
Burgers, hot dogs, pork chops, brats, different types of sausage, etc.
It was veritable carnivore’s garden of delights.
I was very touched by their generosity. These guys have little enough as it is, and yet they provided a feast the likes I've never seen before at a church function.
Generosity, it seems, is often inversely proportional to what we have.
The more we’ve got, the tighter our grip on it. Or, should I say, the tighter its grip on us.
I have shared the following question with many people over the past week:
“Who has gained more these past months? The homeless, or our churches?”
There is much we can learn from each other; if we’ll only sit down and talk.
How can we be generous to others this week?
Joe
Related Verses
Matt 6:19-34
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
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