Tuesday, November 22, 2005
ZEW
One of my favorite weekends of the year is the one before Thanksgiving. For the last 13 years it has been spent with middle schoolers. I is amazing to watch the LORD work on young hearts. ZEW stands for zealous everyday warriors. If they can learn to live everyday in, for and with God, then they can have a taste of the life that he wants for all of us. This year we repeated my favorite theme: SYLO (serve Yahweh love others, or sing your lungs out, etc.) I really like multiple variants on a theme! May God give us all the energy of middle schoolers
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
From Green to Greed
Here are some thought from a sermon I preached on Sunday 09-18-05 from John 2. the ideas fit the the metatheme of this website:
13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
We all understand making a profit. You cannot work all the time for free. You must provide for your family. But our interest goes beyond provision.
Noah (my six-year-old) learned early on the difference between brown money and silver money. Brown money will not work in vending machines, and after all life is about getting what I want when I want from a vending machine. It was not too long before he discovered green money. And like all of us he started longing for it. In a phone conversation he had with his grandfather this week he stated, “Pawpaw, It been a longtime since I had some green money”. All of you who are grandparents know the proper response. When my dad got here Friday, he got his green money.
The problem is not the green money. The problem is the change from green to greed is only one letter. I think that illustrates our quickness to use the need for green to excuse our greed for the green. We have all experienced greed: gas prices during a disaster or a coke at a ballgame. Somebody is making a huge profit just because they can get away with.
That’s the thinking that led to the temple courts. The Jewish leaders had the man coming to offer his sacrifice in a bad way. If you brought your own sacrifice they had official inspectors. It seemed they could find something wrong with just about everyone's. And when you animal failed they had just the right answer, an officially approved lamb at an unbelievable price. Before long you just showed up and paid the price. Greed covered by religious correctness was too much for Jesus. He acted. He upset the norm. He scattered the tools of the greedy.
His disciples understood. 17His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."
The Jews asked for a sign. 18Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" The problem was the sign had already happened and they missed it!!
Do not miss the sign. We have all gone of course because we missed some small sign we did not see. However, this sign is clear. Jesus at the beginning of his ministry sets the pattern. God dwelling among us changes things. The time to act is now. When we see injustice, when we see people taken advantage of, when we have opportunity to make a difference, we must act. In order to be ready for these times we must have the right attitude. An attitude of dissatisfaction with the way things are.We must be dissatisfied with injustice, people pushed down, oppressed. Who else can show the love of God to people who are most open to hearing it?
13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
We all understand making a profit. You cannot work all the time for free. You must provide for your family. But our interest goes beyond provision.
Noah (my six-year-old) learned early on the difference between brown money and silver money. Brown money will not work in vending machines, and after all life is about getting what I want when I want from a vending machine. It was not too long before he discovered green money. And like all of us he started longing for it. In a phone conversation he had with his grandfather this week he stated, “Pawpaw, It been a longtime since I had some green money”. All of you who are grandparents know the proper response. When my dad got here Friday, he got his green money.
The problem is not the green money. The problem is the change from green to greed is only one letter. I think that illustrates our quickness to use the need for green to excuse our greed for the green. We have all experienced greed: gas prices during a disaster or a coke at a ballgame. Somebody is making a huge profit just because they can get away with.
That’s the thinking that led to the temple courts. The Jewish leaders had the man coming to offer his sacrifice in a bad way. If you brought your own sacrifice they had official inspectors. It seemed they could find something wrong with just about everyone's. And when you animal failed they had just the right answer, an officially approved lamb at an unbelievable price. Before long you just showed up and paid the price. Greed covered by religious correctness was too much for Jesus. He acted. He upset the norm. He scattered the tools of the greedy.
His disciples understood. 17His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."
The Jews asked for a sign. 18Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" The problem was the sign had already happened and they missed it!!
Do not miss the sign. We have all gone of course because we missed some small sign we did not see. However, this sign is clear. Jesus at the beginning of his ministry sets the pattern. God dwelling among us changes things. The time to act is now. When we see injustice, when we see people taken advantage of, when we have opportunity to make a difference, we must act. In order to be ready for these times we must have the right attitude. An attitude of dissatisfaction with the way things are.We must be dissatisfied with injustice, people pushed down, oppressed. Who else can show the love of God to people who are most open to hearing it?
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
It is already September 13!
So much for posting every other day. Life is so packed sometimes. Well at least I posted before half the month was gone.
It is amazing to watch people have generous hearts. The Shiloh Church in the last week has given over $10,000 for Katrina refugees, $4000 for building a habitat house as well as keeping their regular commitments. And the time given. There are people doing helpful things everyday.
I miss the summer. I miss the focused energy of trips and camps. I miss wearing shorts to work. I miss daily worship with a group. I miss seeing God transform people daily.
But the transition to the school year is good. FISH, BL!P, Sunday nights, Devo, and coming soon, Quiz, and retreats. God will continue to transform just using different means.
May God use the people around you to continue to mold you in His likeness.
It is amazing to watch people have generous hearts. The Shiloh Church in the last week has given over $10,000 for Katrina refugees, $4000 for building a habitat house as well as keeping their regular commitments. And the time given. There are people doing helpful things everyday.
I miss the summer. I miss the focused energy of trips and camps. I miss wearing shorts to work. I miss daily worship with a group. I miss seeing God transform people daily.
But the transition to the school year is good. FISH, BL!P, Sunday nights, Devo, and coming soon, Quiz, and retreats. God will continue to transform just using different means.
May God use the people around you to continue to mold you in His likeness.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Labor Day
I really enjoyed Labor day. Because of my job, there are many holidays that I am working or do not get off. So it was a good day spent the day with family and friends. God blesses in our work as well as in our rest. May you find the rest you need.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Lunch in the Springs
I did something really different yesterday. I flew from Tyler, TX to Colorado Springs, Co to have lunch. I then flew back the smae day. 4 flights in one day was to much. I did need to meet with some friends. It just now seems to be a day suspented in time.
I do feel good about posting one day after my last post. So far so good on my commitment to become at most a daily blogger and at least a frequent blogger.
Today I am glad that my house is above sea level. I am not close to the ocean but the pictures of New Orleans are overwhelming. This is going to take years to recover from. There are several hundred people now staying in shelters in Tyler and probally 2500 coming. I hope to find good was to serve and help.
I do feel good about posting one day after my last post. So far so good on my commitment to become at most a daily blogger and at least a frequent blogger.
Today I am glad that my house is above sea level. I am not close to the ocean but the pictures of New Orleans are overwhelming. This is going to take years to recover from. There are several hundred people now staying in shelters in Tyler and probally 2500 coming. I hope to find good was to serve and help.
Monday, August 29, 2005
It Is About Time
I thought it was time to make my first post for the year!! So much has happened. I am committing to share through this blog. I am going to write for a while and get in the habit so that I can then ask people to read the thoughts I put down. So if you read this in the future (which would be the present to you) know this is when I decided to really become a blogger rather then yearly to be a blogger.
My six year old son is always coming up with great quotes. This week his oldest sister was calling from college, one of his other sisters answered the phone and told him someone had important business with him on the phone. His response was, "Is it the guy you made Zelda?" You need to know that he and I play Zelda (video game) all the time. He thought the guy who invented the game would call him to see if he might need any help and to discuss the game with him. I know the world is getting smaller but not that small...and anyway I do not think my son knows any Japanese.
My six year old son is always coming up with great quotes. This week his oldest sister was calling from college, one of his other sisters answered the phone and told him someone had important business with him on the phone. His response was, "Is it the guy you made Zelda?" You need to know that he and I play Zelda (video game) all the time. He thought the guy who invented the game would call him to see if he might need any help and to discuss the game with him. I know the world is getting smaller but not that small...and anyway I do not think my son knows any Japanese.
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