thoughts on the abstract and concrete
November 22, 2009 Leave a comment
Saw the David Crowder*Band in Columbia this past Thursday night. Epic, as always.
Thoughts:
October 29, 2009 Leave a comment
I recently watched a sitcom that I normally flip right past. It wasn’t because there was nothing else on, but because this particular episode was about a wedding between two of the main characters. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 30-minute TV comedy, a movie or even a pro wrestling event, if you want people to tune in, you can’t go wrong with a wedding.
There is something that fascinates us about two people getting married. When news of an engagement breaks, we share in the excitement of the happy couple. It’s contagious. We can’t wait for them to march down the aisle and make it official. There is real emotion there for these people, and it’s not just over the heave hors d’oeuvres that await us at the reception. However, our involvement often ends around the time the food runs out.
Just like on TV, when two people we know are just married, they can become just married to us. We love them, but somehow our excitement dies down. We showed our support with toasters and waffle irons, but are now back to business as usual. Why aren’t we more involved?
One of the things I did last Christmas when I sent out cards was give a little something extra to two couples I know who had gotten married earlier that year. It was their first Christmases together as husband and wife, and I wanted them to have a small token to use for a date night or however they wished. I share that only to truly share it. Maybe that’s a way you can show you’re there for the married people in your lives.
Why don’t we do more with the covenants we are a part of, such as marriage; or when someone in our congregation gives his/her life to Christ? We all have a part in encouraging those around us to continue down the right path. What are we doing with this? Are we just checking in for the wedding and reception, and then checking out for the thing these commemorate? Maybe the next engagement we get news of should bring forth a little bit of the feeling of, Where am I going to find the time? And with that, feelings of responsibility. We’re in this together. Remember that with the newlyweds and the new-in-Christ you know. Don’t just eat a piece of chicken and leave: stay for the marriage.
October 14, 2009 Leave a comment
Do you know what disturbs me? We have the ability to customize our lives to meet our every satisfaction. Provided I have the money to buy a car, I can get a green Honda Accord with leather interior seating. When I go to McDonald’s, I can get a Big Mac without pickles, even though they’re mentioned in the jingle. I have over a hundred television channels to choose something to watch from and over a hundred different churches in my area I can choose to worship at. Of all the options at our disposal at any given time, it’s natural for us to select the things that fit us best. It’s what we do with that power with the bigger things in life (such as said church selecting) that I cannot rest with seeking my own comfort. When it comes to God, no matter how crazy it may be, my desire is to dwell in the things He wants for me, no matter how discomforting they are. And, even though I let it win a lot, I am uncomfortable with being comfortable.
I love the church I’m a member of. I’m attracted to it because of the casual environment, the contemporary music, the practical message, and the lack of having to change the way I dress and conduct myself for a fraction of one day each week. That’s why I’m attracted to it, but that’s not why I love it. I love it because I’m challenged to be something more than a country club member. By that, I mean I am engaging in authentic relationships and fellowship with other believers and non-believers alike who are on a journey together to be transformed by the Almighty God. I’m inspired to grow, stretched to serve, and called to love.
I have a few questions for you. If you go to church, are you happy with where you go? Do you love it? Finally, what do you love about it? You may not be able to say about your church what I can say about mine. That doesn’t mean anything is wrong with where you go, but your intentions may be off. Maybe you’re content with the comfort you experience at your church. Maybe you’ve selected a place to worship, or have grown up in a place to worship, that you can tolerate long enough to meet your “needs,” but does not affect the way you live your life. You are comfortable with the way you are, and you have found a church custom fit with where you are, and being there is in your comfort zone. For you, that may work. For me, I just can’t settle for that.
I’ve stuck with the example of selecting a church here, but I hope if you have read this and that example does not apply to you, you replaced it with what did. If not, give it a try. It’s great that we can make customizations with certain things in our lives. However, I challenge you not to settle for anything less than discomfort in the things that matter most. You don’t grow when you’re comfortable, only when you’re stretching. Our goal should be Christ-likeness, and none of us this side of Heaven have accomplished that. There is room to grow, so get uncomfortable.
September 28, 2009 Leave a comment
As we follow Jesus Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit, one of the greatest things that happens in our journeys is when we “get” something. This “something” could be an insight to start doing things differently. When it’s different from unbelievers, we may be encouraged in our convictions by our believing friends. When we start doing things differently from our fellow believers, though, praise isn’t as easy to come by.
Have you ever found yourself with a fresh perspective after studying the Bible, listening to a song or sermon, or spending time in prayer, that no longer looks like what the believers in your life are doing? We’ve all been there, and it’s tough to move foward after that. You may become so excited about a vision you have on how to apply God’s truth to your life, and you can’t wait to share it with others in hopes they will be on board, too. But, you may often find that God has not brought them to where you are yet.
Before I go on, it’s important to know we are all created equal, and the Holy Spirit–who dwells in every follower of Jesus Christ–works in each of us differently. His counselling and direction does not halt our equality. However, He may bring you to a higher place in some areas for your life before He brings those around you there.
I find this is a hard place to be; especially when I am desiring to have community with other believers, and want all of us to grow together. What seems to happen, though, is God has brought me to a place where I am separated from anyone else and looking back at those I was walking beside, flagging them to catch up.
It can also be hard to watch a truth unfold in your life in such an incredible and transforming way and see your friends still caught in the same dead end patterns that aren’t getting them any further. This is a consequence of getting it.
So, then, how do you have community with other believers when you feel like you’re ahead of the game? Well, for one, you’re not ahead, but something has changed in your life for purposes God has for you. The best way to cast that vision to others is to continue to live in communion with God and light the path for others to follow. This also means not to quench the Holy Spirit and go back to the same place you were for the sake of conformity.
Also, realize the believing people in your life are being transformed in other areas. Try to find the path they are lighting for you … you’re going to need it.
When we are alone, may we not give up on others, but continue to show them the way by living out what we were meant to do.
August 14, 2009 Leave a comment
Earlier this week, Microsoft lost a court battle that bans the sale of an upcoming edition of Word in the United States. Yes. The program that’s gotten you through many a report is now unable to be legally purchased.
Poor, poor Clippy. . .
While Microsoft will likely come up with a workaround for their upcoming release, 9 to 5′ers are officially some of the most hardcore workers in the U.S. right now.
Here’s a question for you. And, in the spirit of report-writing, it is a two-parter:
What tool would most affect what you do if it were banned? How would you work around this?
March 5, 2009 Leave a comment
Where are you at in life right now? Is there some part of you stuck in a rut you’re wondering when you will get out of? Do you find yourself wishing there was more to what you were doing? That your life had more direction? That you are not reaching your full potential, but rather feel like God has you on hold or is out of earshot of your cries? Would you like for there to be a light shining on your future?
Then, you’re in the perfect place for a dream to be planted if it hasn’t been already.
Reflecting on what my pastor said Sunday–that we dream in the dark parts of our lives–I think about what that means about our times of stillness or uncertainty. We may find ourselves not going as far as we would like, but the outcome can be a vision for the future greater than we’ve ever had. Even in the most disheartening of times, we can set our sights on tomorrow and what it will hold.
When I think about dreaming, I think of the man in the 60s who had a dream that has continued to resonate among us. That man was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His dream was for an equal America. One where we are judged on character and not skin color. His dream has persevered towards fruition long after his time here. A dream, mind you, that happened in one of the darkest hours of racism ever seen.
Optimism can be viewed as a happy-go-lucky and artificial attitude full of warm and fuzzies. I challenge you to look at optimism as something synonymous with hope, and hope as a result faith, and faith as a result of a greater vision instilled in us by an Almighty God.
We may not always see the path ahead of us that leads us to our dreams, but that need not cease us from looking ahead. In the same way, may we not be stifled by our present circumstances to the point of accepting less when we feel we are capable of so much more; even if we don’t know what it is.
If you find yourself waiting, it’s time to dream. If you have a dream, it’s time to walk by faith. The road before you may not be seen for the fog that hides it, but the same God who made the residue that veils your way is there to guide you through it. Dream.
March 2, 2009 Leave a comment
Tonight, my small group is having a social, and we’re doing things pot luck style. (Note: I made the soda!)
This made me think of a team building exercise. I like to call it the Ingredient Luck Dinner.
I would imagine it going like this: Get your team together and put a potted food like spaghetti on the menu. Give them a recipe. Each member will be responsible for bringing one or two ingredients. That means spices, meat, sauce, noodles, etc.
If everybody does their part, it should turn out magnificient, and you will dig in like you’re family. If some people don’t do their part, leaving something missing, you will dig in anyway and eat it as a team.
Get the point?
March 2, 2009 Leave a comment
What a great weekend of doing nothing but getting some much-needed rest, spending time with family and having an incredible time responding to all God has done for me.
Through regaining strength, I was also reminded of my potential for weakness on a couple of occasions. The one I’m posting about came from the simple act of turning on the television and watching The Celebrity Apprentice.
I’ve never been super big on reality shows, but after watching an episode of the regular Apprentice in my Communication for Professionals class last year and liking it, I decided to watch Donald Trump fire some famous people.
Like most things on TV, “reality” shows give you a chance to pick your favorites and decide who you don’t like. I realized right away that I was enjoying some of the characters on the show more than others (believe it or not, the milk-straight-from-the-cow-drinker Tom Green was very rational and has great business sense).
What I noticed about myself was the potential to start judging the contestants on the show not by how they were doing, but by their worth as human beings. I think that’s true for a lot of people who watch these kind of shows, and something that is dangerous to do, whether it be the news stations, reality TV, music videos, talk shows, entertainment news, etc.
Do you find yourself judging others as you learn about them? Do their actions or flaws get in the way of you seeing them the way God does? Personally, I see where it’s easy to do if I’m not careful.
February 25, 2009 Leave a comment
A mere glance at a website like Facebook will tell you that relationships in our lives are something of much worth and of great value to us. We are excited to make new friends and develop a romantic connection. Life is better when we do things together; be it work, eating, entertainment, family time, etc. Relationships exist not solely by knowing people, but by actively pursuing them. In other words, relationships take action.
Is it any wonder then that God, who embedded us with this drive for relationships, wants to have one with us? A lot of times we find ourselves wondering what to do with the Almighty Creator. Here is this big God who can move us around like a grasshopper, and yet He wants to be a part of our lives and paid the highest of costs to do so.
When you look at the two greatest commandments Christ gave us, you see they are to love God with everything and to love each other as we love ourselves. What you might miss is what links them together. After Jesus tells us the first commandment, He says the second one is like it.
So when it comes to having a loving relationship with God, let’s take a look at how we have a loving relationships with friends, family, significant others, co-workers, bosses, enemies, complete strangers, etc. You may find there is work to be done with both of these commandments. That’s where action comes in.
In order to be in a relationship with God, we must seek Him, spend time with Him, consult and confide in Him. And in order for this relationship to be its proper placement, we must make Him the center of our lives, invite Him to be a part of everything we do, and love His people. The ball is in our court.
Word Up
