No one sins in isolation.
Though the Bible is plain the each one will die for their own sins, our sin affects those around us.
Certainly the devastation of Judah, and Israel before that, resulted from idolatry and disobedience of the nation.
Sin affects everyone; this is its ripple effect.
Achan is a prime example. He disobeyed and took some spoils in the victory at Jericho as the Israelites entered the promised Land. Then the whole nation was defeated in the next battle because of the disobedience of one. It was a lesson to the people; sin comes with a high cost.
No sin occurs in isolation, regardless of the perspective of the perpetrator.
At some point, even if not immediately, every sin affects someone else.
Lord, please forgive.
Restore.
Renew.
Lamentations 5:7
Joshua 7
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Crowd psychology and political posturing: Jesus goes to Jerusalem
Matthew 21:10-11
"Who is this?" they asked.
It was not a complicated question, though the answer was.
Though the crowds were giving Christ a king's welcome, they acknowledged Him only as a prophet.
To acknowledge Him as king would bring Roman opposition.
So, did ignorance and/or fear mix with political savvy?
Matthew 21:23-27
More political posturing, this time the chief priests and elders to avoid opposition of the people - the crowds in Jerusalem for Passover.
Matthew 22:15-22
Now the Pharisees and Herodians join forces to try to get someone (other than they themselves) with more influence mad at Jesus: King Herod and the Roman government or religious zealots.
June 12, 2012
"Who is this?" they asked.
It was not a complicated question, though the answer was.
Though the crowds were giving Christ a king's welcome, they acknowledged Him only as a prophet.
To acknowledge Him as king would bring Roman opposition.
So, did ignorance and/or fear mix with political savvy?
Matthew 21:23-27
More political posturing, this time the chief priests and elders to avoid opposition of the people - the crowds in Jerusalem for Passover.
Matthew 22:15-22
Now the Pharisees and Herodians join forces to try to get someone (other than they themselves) with more influence mad at Jesus: King Herod and the Roman government or religious zealots.
June 12, 2012
James' juxtaposition
James 1:15,18
James juxtaposes birth with birth.
Desire births sin. Sin births death.
But
The Father through the Word births Life.
One birth brings life; the other death.
There is a gestation period for both, though not readily seen to the casual observer, and sometimes missed even by those involved.
As all fauna in creation do not have the same gestation period, neither do people,
either in sin and death, or in life.
God has long intended His words to be Life, and to be lived, not just studied.
They are the path to true Life which is found only in Christ.
June 16, 2012
Deuteronomy 32:47
John 5:38-40
James juxtaposes birth with birth.
Desire births sin. Sin births death.
But
The Father through the Word births Life.
One birth brings life; the other death.
There is a gestation period for both, though not readily seen to the casual observer, and sometimes missed even by those involved.
As all fauna in creation do not have the same gestation period, neither do people,
either in sin and death, or in life.
God has long intended His words to be Life, and to be lived, not just studied.
They are the path to true Life which is found only in Christ.
June 16, 2012
Deuteronomy 32:47
John 5:38-40
Paul vs the Eleven
God is sovereign. His choices are intriguing. They confound me.
To reach Jews, God chose simple, uneducated men.
What a stark contrast with the educated elitists who had established a caste system in which the uneducated could never attain to the highest levels.
Thus, the disciples knowledge and powerful message and preaching obviously had a different source.
To reach Gentiles, God chose one from the Jewish educated elite.
He reformed Saul to be the vessel to present Christ clearly to pagan cultures.
June 16, 2012, after reading Galatians 1-2
To reach Jews, God chose simple, uneducated men.
What a stark contrast with the educated elitists who had established a caste system in which the uneducated could never attain to the highest levels.
Thus, the disciples knowledge and powerful message and preaching obviously had a different source.
To reach Gentiles, God chose one from the Jewish educated elite.
He reformed Saul to be the vessel to present Christ clearly to pagan cultures.
June 16, 2012, after reading Galatians 1-2
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Snow White and the Huntsman (and common grace)
Common grace, the Gospel incognito, thinly veiled and disguised, recognizable only to those who seek, persist, and strive to understand, that they might see...
The most epic stories are those that most clearly reflect the True Gospel.
There is an appeal many do not understand; they know only that they were affected deeply,
perhaps expressing it as moved, or stirred, though likely not recognizing it was the Spirit of God nudging their spirit and soul to recognize truth.
The "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is one such epic saga that reflects the True Gospel,
as do "The Chronicles of Narnia," and more recently, the "Harry Potter" series.
And so, in this fairy tale, "Snow White," there are many reflections of the gospel.
A kingdom is happy and complete, then evil enters by way of deception.
The king dies, betrayed by his love, just as Adam chose deception and disobedience when prompted by his love, and death entered the world, "by fairest blood the curse is done."
The king's forces were defeated and fled into exile, living in an occupied country.
The heir to the throne, the only hope for the kingdom was locked in a tower, imprisoned,
just as Jesus, the true heir of all things, forfeited the boundlessness of eternity and limitlessness of deity to take on flesh, to be imprisoned in a body of frailty.
In the tower, Snow was a captive with no escape, just as we are captives to our sin, broken, and enslaved to our fear of death. The whole of the kingdom was trapped in a living death, alive in body but dead in spirit - no joy, no hope, no peace, only despair.They knew not the way, they were passive, living in defeat, paralyzed by fear and afraid to fight.
We see the witch, evil personified (as the serpent in the garden), preying on the lives of others, especially, but not only, beautiful young women. She steals their life, their vitality, their beauty, their essence, destroying, killing, ...
This is always the way of the thief who comes only to steal, kill and destroy, beginning with deception by which he skulked into the kingdom.
Against this backdrop, in the midst of her captivity, Snow prays,
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name,
Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
Prayers for deliverance from [spiritual] bondage are always heard and answered. We did not know the way until Jesus made and showed the way to life. And so, the fairies come in disguise (as do angels) to show Snow the way of escape, the way out of her prison. The escape is perilous, she is in danger from her adversaries, as well as from nature. If she is captured, all will be lost, evil will win,
hope will die.
As long as there is life, there is hope.
Neither is our escape from sin absolute, a once-for-all event. Jesus' sacrifice and our salvation is a once-for-all event, but our sanctification is a slow, gradual, tedious process on a road rife with pitfalls, just as Snow faced in her flight from the Queen and into the Dark Forest.
But this is a time of preparation for Snow, not a time of mission. Our Lord spent the majority of His earthly existence in preparation for a brief three years of ministry - a ministry which began with a blessing at His baptism. People soon realized He was Life incarnate. So also, Snow was blessed even as the dwarves had begun to realize that life and healing were in her.
She takes on the mission to regain the kingdom, to wrest it from evil's grasp. In the ensuing battle, one of the dwarves demonstrates the meaning of love, sacrificing himself, taking the arrow to protect Snow. There is no greater love than this.
Yet, there is a deception, a seeming betrayal, and life is murdered; Life dies, and with it, hope.
The blind dwarf who is the Seer knows this is wrong, it cannot be, and yet it is. (True sight is not confined to the eyes; "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.")
Snow is dead; mourned by the remnant that remains of the kingdom. The Huntsman is heartbroken; his wife is dead and now Snow is, too. In his grief, he gently kisses her lifeless form and leaves.
One thing is stronger than death - love. Just as God demonstrated His love in allowing Christ to die for us while we were still sinners, in love, the Father would not allow His Son to remain in death, and brought about His resurrection after three days.
Life returns! Love conquers death with Life. Now Life sets out to defeat the darkness and despair of the witches' slavery. Snow issues the call to die (to self) rather than spend another day in this "living death."
What a powerful phrase! Apart from the life and salvation found in Christ, all exist in a living death.
It takes Snow's call to arms to wrest the remnant from the complacency of security and to realize the battle had long been raging around them, yet they would not choose to fight for the kingdom.
Now, however, they responded to the call and equipped, taking the battle to the enemy's fortress.
The battle is joined. At first it seems to go in favor of the attackers, but the defenders regroup. Snow goes after the Witch, knowing her secret and that she can only be defeated by fairest blood, by Snow's own blood. Snow did not know if it would cost, but was willing to sacrifice, her own life. In like fashion, the bondage and slavery of sin could only be defeated by, sin could only be atoned with, innocent blood, and only Jesus' blood met that requirement. The curse was undone by Christ's blood.
Yet it seemed Snow could not possibly defeat the Witch Queen. Then Snow's blood was spilled (only three drops), and the curse was lifted. The Witch Queen was destroyed.
All that had been lost, and even forgotten, was rebirthed. Renewal came.
Life returned to the countryside bringing renewal, restoration, hope and joy.
June 4,10,25, 2012
The most epic stories are those that most clearly reflect the True Gospel.
There is an appeal many do not understand; they know only that they were affected deeply,
perhaps expressing it as moved, or stirred, though likely not recognizing it was the Spirit of God nudging their spirit and soul to recognize truth.
The "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is one such epic saga that reflects the True Gospel,
as do "The Chronicles of Narnia," and more recently, the "Harry Potter" series.
And so, in this fairy tale, "Snow White," there are many reflections of the gospel.
A kingdom is happy and complete, then evil enters by way of deception.
The king dies, betrayed by his love, just as Adam chose deception and disobedience when prompted by his love, and death entered the world, "by fairest blood the curse is done."
The king's forces were defeated and fled into exile, living in an occupied country.
The heir to the throne, the only hope for the kingdom was locked in a tower, imprisoned,
just as Jesus, the true heir of all things, forfeited the boundlessness of eternity and limitlessness of deity to take on flesh, to be imprisoned in a body of frailty.
In the tower, Snow was a captive with no escape, just as we are captives to our sin, broken, and enslaved to our fear of death. The whole of the kingdom was trapped in a living death, alive in body but dead in spirit - no joy, no hope, no peace, only despair.They knew not the way, they were passive, living in defeat, paralyzed by fear and afraid to fight.
We see the witch, evil personified (as the serpent in the garden), preying on the lives of others, especially, but not only, beautiful young women. She steals their life, their vitality, their beauty, their essence, destroying, killing, ...
This is always the way of the thief who comes only to steal, kill and destroy, beginning with deception by which he skulked into the kingdom.
Against this backdrop, in the midst of her captivity, Snow prays,
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name,
Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
Prayers for deliverance from [spiritual] bondage are always heard and answered. We did not know the way until Jesus made and showed the way to life. And so, the fairies come in disguise (as do angels) to show Snow the way of escape, the way out of her prison. The escape is perilous, she is in danger from her adversaries, as well as from nature. If she is captured, all will be lost, evil will win,
hope will die.
As long as there is life, there is hope.
Neither is our escape from sin absolute, a once-for-all event. Jesus' sacrifice and our salvation is a once-for-all event, but our sanctification is a slow, gradual, tedious process on a road rife with pitfalls, just as Snow faced in her flight from the Queen and into the Dark Forest.
But this is a time of preparation for Snow, not a time of mission. Our Lord spent the majority of His earthly existence in preparation for a brief three years of ministry - a ministry which began with a blessing at His baptism. People soon realized He was Life incarnate. So also, Snow was blessed even as the dwarves had begun to realize that life and healing were in her.
She takes on the mission to regain the kingdom, to wrest it from evil's grasp. In the ensuing battle, one of the dwarves demonstrates the meaning of love, sacrificing himself, taking the arrow to protect Snow. There is no greater love than this.
Yet, there is a deception, a seeming betrayal, and life is murdered; Life dies, and with it, hope.
The blind dwarf who is the Seer knows this is wrong, it cannot be, and yet it is. (True sight is not confined to the eyes; "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.")
Snow is dead; mourned by the remnant that remains of the kingdom. The Huntsman is heartbroken; his wife is dead and now Snow is, too. In his grief, he gently kisses her lifeless form and leaves.
One thing is stronger than death - love. Just as God demonstrated His love in allowing Christ to die for us while we were still sinners, in love, the Father would not allow His Son to remain in death, and brought about His resurrection after three days.
Life returns! Love conquers death with Life. Now Life sets out to defeat the darkness and despair of the witches' slavery. Snow issues the call to die (to self) rather than spend another day in this "living death."
What a powerful phrase! Apart from the life and salvation found in Christ, all exist in a living death.
It takes Snow's call to arms to wrest the remnant from the complacency of security and to realize the battle had long been raging around them, yet they would not choose to fight for the kingdom.
Now, however, they responded to the call and equipped, taking the battle to the enemy's fortress.
The battle is joined. At first it seems to go in favor of the attackers, but the defenders regroup. Snow goes after the Witch, knowing her secret and that she can only be defeated by fairest blood, by Snow's own blood. Snow did not know if it would cost, but was willing to sacrifice, her own life. In like fashion, the bondage and slavery of sin could only be defeated by, sin could only be atoned with, innocent blood, and only Jesus' blood met that requirement. The curse was undone by Christ's blood.
Yet it seemed Snow could not possibly defeat the Witch Queen. Then Snow's blood was spilled (only three drops), and the curse was lifted. The Witch Queen was destroyed.
All that had been lost, and even forgotten, was rebirthed. Renewal came.
Life returned to the countryside bringing renewal, restoration, hope and joy.
June 4,10,25, 2012
Psalm 100, upside down
Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His Name.
For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100 is one of my many favorite psalms of praise.
It begins with our actions, and ends celebrating who God is.
But reading it this morning, I realized it works just as well in reverse,
from the bottom up.
Then it begins with God's nature and character, and ends with our response.
The Lord is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
So enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His Name.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
So worship the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful songs.
Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His Name.
For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100 is one of my many favorite psalms of praise.
It begins with our actions, and ends celebrating who God is.
But reading it this morning, I realized it works just as well in reverse,
from the bottom up.
Then it begins with God's nature and character, and ends with our response.
The Lord is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
So enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His Name.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
So worship the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful songs.
Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
May 10, 2012
A Disciple's Monologue, Post Crucifixion
Jesus is crucified.
Dead.
Buried.
Now what?
What was the point of these last three years?
How can I go back to what and who I was?
Now it's the third day, and this morning we find out His body is missing: It's not in the tomb.
All day ... wondering. What can this mean?
We're meeting tonight.
(We kept the place a secret.
No point in tipping our hand to those that had Jesus killed.)
Maybe we'll eat, though no one has been hungry, really.
Well, we're here and locked in, just in case the authorities come looking for us.
Jesus appeared! Out of nowhere, just appeared out of thin air!
He is Alive!
What difference does it really make?
I boasted I would never turn away, even if I had to die.
All the other guys said the same, but
I was the only one who denied Him,
Three times I denied knowing Christ.
What hope is there for me?
I'm going [back to] fishing. Who's with me?
It was a bad night of fishing.
The next morning a guy on shore asked if we had any fish.
I almost shouted back, "NO! And THANKS FOR ASKING!"
But one with a cooler head answered first and just said, "No."
He told us to throw our nets on the other side of the boat.
I'm not sure why we did. No one ever fishes off that side of the boat.
But we had nothing to lose, except to be thought as fools, and I'm sure I'm already there.
Too many fish! We'll have to tow the net to shore.
Wait. This happened before ... Three years ago ...
It's Jesus!
Three times he asked me if I loved him, one for each denial.
When I would not boast
Jesus reinstated me.
He commissioned me.
He loves me.
John 18-21, What Peter might have said.
March 20-21, 2012
Dead.
Buried.
Now what?
What was the point of these last three years?
How can I go back to what and who I was?
Now it's the third day, and this morning we find out His body is missing: It's not in the tomb.
All day ... wondering. What can this mean?
We're meeting tonight.
(We kept the place a secret.
No point in tipping our hand to those that had Jesus killed.)
Maybe we'll eat, though no one has been hungry, really.
Well, we're here and locked in, just in case the authorities come looking for us.
Jesus appeared! Out of nowhere, just appeared out of thin air!
He is Alive!
What difference does it really make?
I boasted I would never turn away, even if I had to die.
All the other guys said the same, but
I was the only one who denied Him,
Three times I denied knowing Christ.
What hope is there for me?
I'm going [back to] fishing. Who's with me?
It was a bad night of fishing.
The next morning a guy on shore asked if we had any fish.
I almost shouted back, "NO! And THANKS FOR ASKING!"
But one with a cooler head answered first and just said, "No."
He told us to throw our nets on the other side of the boat.
I'm not sure why we did. No one ever fishes off that side of the boat.
But we had nothing to lose, except to be thought as fools, and I'm sure I'm already there.
Too many fish! We'll have to tow the net to shore.
Wait. This happened before ... Three years ago ...
It's Jesus!
Three times he asked me if I loved him, one for each denial.
When I would not boast
Jesus reinstated me.
He commissioned me.
He loves me.
John 18-21, What Peter might have said.
March 20-21, 2012
Circumstances, Perceptions, Reality
We have this treasure in jars of clay: we are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:7-8
When I focus on my circumstances, I perceive that I am
hard-pressed,
perplexed,
persecuted,
struck down,
abandoned,
punished.
I ask,
"Why me?
What have I done to deserve this?"
Why do I act this way?
Because my focus is not just on my circumstances,
it is completely and totally on me.
I see nothing outside myself.
Caught up in such navel-gazing,
I become my own idol.
I presume to judge God by my experiences, or because of them,
"If God loved me, he would never allow ..."
In the midst of all that I feel and experience,
I need to remember God's reality:
I am
never alone,
supported,
protected,
raised up.
These light and momentary troubles,
these difficult circumstances
these trials and persecutions
build perseverance,
character and hope to achieve eternal glory.
In a conversation about this, Jesse replied:
"So we are called to an apocalyptic ministry,
meaning that we are peeling back the curtains of reality
to see the world as it truly is, God's world."
However, it seems to me these curtains are not curtains of reality,
but only curtains of perceptions,
specifically, the way I perceive reality.
The curtains of my perceptions must be peeled back
in order to see the true reality, God's reality.
Why is this necessary?
I have lost touch with reality.
"the reality, however, is found in Christ. ...
Such a person ...has lost connection with the Head"
The Head is Christ.
So when I lose touch with Christ,
I lose touch with reality.
These verses in Colossians comfort me. Does that seem odd?
The comfort is simple:
I cannot lose something I never had.
If I never had touch with Christ,
I cannot lose touch with him.
If I never had touch with reality,
I cannot lose touch with it.
How does this comfort me?
Simple.
If I once had contact, I can have contact again!
How is this possible? (All things are possible with God.)
I must change my focus,
take it off myself, and
fix my eyes on Jesus,
the Author and Perfector of my faith.
Help me, Lord.
February 20-21, 2012
Colossians 2:17-19; 2 Corinthians 4:18; 5:7
When I focus on my circumstances, I perceive that I am
hard-pressed,
perplexed,
persecuted,
struck down,
abandoned,
punished.
I ask,
"Why me?
What have I done to deserve this?"
Why do I act this way?
Because my focus is not just on my circumstances,
it is completely and totally on me.
I see nothing outside myself.
Caught up in such navel-gazing,
I become my own idol.
I presume to judge God by my experiences, or because of them,
"If God loved me, he would never allow ..."
In the midst of all that I feel and experience,
I need to remember God's reality:
I am
never alone,
supported,
protected,
raised up.
These light and momentary troubles,
these difficult circumstances
these trials and persecutions
build perseverance,
character and hope to achieve eternal glory.
In a conversation about this, Jesse replied:
"So we are called to an apocalyptic ministry,
meaning that we are peeling back the curtains of reality
to see the world as it truly is, God's world."
However, it seems to me these curtains are not curtains of reality,
but only curtains of perceptions,
specifically, the way I perceive reality.
The curtains of my perceptions must be peeled back
in order to see the true reality, God's reality.
Why is this necessary?
I have lost touch with reality.
"the reality, however, is found in Christ. ...
Such a person ...has lost connection with the Head"
The Head is Christ.
So when I lose touch with Christ,
I lose touch with reality.
These verses in Colossians comfort me. Does that seem odd?
The comfort is simple:
I cannot lose something I never had.
If I never had touch with Christ,
I cannot lose touch with him.
If I never had touch with reality,
I cannot lose touch with it.
How does this comfort me?
Simple.
If I once had contact, I can have contact again!
How is this possible? (All things are possible with God.)
I must change my focus,
take it off myself, and
fix my eyes on Jesus,
the Author and Perfector of my faith.
Help me, Lord.
February 20-21, 2012
Colossians 2:17-19; 2 Corinthians 4:18; 5:7
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Why do we sing?
Psalm 137:4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land [in exile]?
With great joy and hope!
In this fleeting exile, we are foreigners and aliens,
strangers passing through, looking forward to our future home ...
So why do we sing?
We sing in anticipation.
We sing because the promise is sure and our hope is secure.
We sing because the home we seek is better than this.
We sing because we cannot be silent.
We sing because of the Lord's abundant, steadfast, unfailing love
that overflows into exceeding great mercy and amazing grace.
We sing because we have been given a new birth
into a living hope that does not disappoint us.
We sing because we have been rescued,
delivered from the dominion of darkness and
transferred into the kingdom of light,
the kingdom of the Son the Lord loves.
We sing because we love God who first loved us.
We sing because God is
more awesome,
more holy,
more righteous,
more powerful,
more faithful,
more loving,
more compassionate,
more gracious,
more merciful,
more perfect,
more ... just ...
more in every way than we can possibly imagine.
We sing because one day
our exile will end,
our faith will be sight,
all will be redeemed, restored and righted.
We sing because the kingdoms of this world
will again become the Kingdom of our God of of His Christ!
Alleluia!
July 17, 2012
With great joy and hope!
In this fleeting exile, we are foreigners and aliens,
strangers passing through, looking forward to our future home ...
So why do we sing?
We sing in anticipation.
We sing because the promise is sure and our hope is secure.
We sing because the home we seek is better than this.
We sing because we cannot be silent.
We sing because of the Lord's abundant, steadfast, unfailing love
that overflows into exceeding great mercy and amazing grace.
We sing because we have been given a new birth
into a living hope that does not disappoint us.
We sing because we have been rescued,
delivered from the dominion of darkness and
transferred into the kingdom of light,
the kingdom of the Son the Lord loves.
We sing because we love God who first loved us.
We sing because God is
more awesome,
more holy,
more righteous,
more powerful,
more faithful,
more loving,
more compassionate,
more gracious,
more merciful,
more perfect,
more ... just ...
more in every way than we can possibly imagine.
We sing because one day
our exile will end,
our faith will be sight,
all will be redeemed, restored and righted.
We sing because the kingdoms of this world
will again become the Kingdom of our God of of His Christ!
Alleluia!
July 17, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Fun in my childhood home?
My youngest son sent me a text about he and a friend playing with the vacuum at church yesterday, and having a little too much fun.
I responded about remembering doing things like that; lots of fun!
Then a secondary thought followed close on the heels of the first,
"unless Dad was around."
I probably did have fun with Dad at some point,
but I do not remember anything other than maybe 42.
I grew up in a home of fear, not laughter.
Could be my faulty memory (and jaded),
but I do not remember random laughter in may parent's home.
That was always one of the refreshing things about the grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, ...
Laughter!
Joy! (even if shallow)
Life was lighter (in both senses), more colorful,
more enjoyable, and somehow easier to bear,
than
in the sullen, fearful, dark, dull, dreary, heavy and wearisome place
in which I lived and called home.
Small wonder I left home as I did, given my perceptions.
And it was not only my perception.
Scot (my youngest brother, 16 years my junior) when he was about 8 or 9,
told my wife that he did not like it when we left after a visit because,
"When you leave, the sun goes away."
June 7, 2012
I responded about remembering doing things like that; lots of fun!
Then a secondary thought followed close on the heels of the first,
"unless Dad was around."
I probably did have fun with Dad at some point,
but I do not remember anything other than maybe 42.
I grew up in a home of fear, not laughter.
Could be my faulty memory (and jaded),
but I do not remember random laughter in may parent's home.
That was always one of the refreshing things about the grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, ...
Laughter!
Joy! (even if shallow)
Life was lighter (in both senses), more colorful,
more enjoyable, and somehow easier to bear,
than
in the sullen, fearful, dark, dull, dreary, heavy and wearisome place
in which I lived and called home.
Small wonder I left home as I did, given my perceptions.
And it was not only my perception.
Scot (my youngest brother, 16 years my junior) when he was about 8 or 9,
told my wife that he did not like it when we left after a visit because,
"When you leave, the sun goes away."
June 7, 2012
Why do we judge?
Why do we judge others?
What is our motivation?
We are desperate to feel good about ourselves.
Yet, ruined by our sin,
we recognize our faults, our weaknesses, our sins,
even if we are not consciously aware of them,
the Holy Spirit is at work in our subconscious to reveal them to us,
to convict us that we may repent.
The human response to such a light shining in our dark places is twofold:
self-renovation/self-improvement projects
and
comparative living.
We try to get better to assuage our conscience, and
we compare ourselves to select others that we may feel better about our lives
due to our higher performance standards and successes.
In the end, all our comparisons fail us.
We are morally and spiritually bankrupt.
We all know this at some level.
It is the driving force and motivation to be better
and to compare ourselves to those who are worse.
Forgive.
Redeem.
What we truly need is not a better life,
but a new life;
rejuvenation rather than renovation.
June 5, 2012
What is our motivation?
We are desperate to feel good about ourselves.
Yet, ruined by our sin,
we recognize our faults, our weaknesses, our sins,
even if we are not consciously aware of them,
the Holy Spirit is at work in our subconscious to reveal them to us,
to convict us that we may repent.
The human response to such a light shining in our dark places is twofold:
self-renovation/self-improvement projects
and
comparative living.
We try to get better to assuage our conscience, and
we compare ourselves to select others that we may feel better about our lives
due to our higher performance standards and successes.
In the end, all our comparisons fail us.
We are morally and spiritually bankrupt.
We all know this at some level.
It is the driving force and motivation to be better
and to compare ourselves to those who are worse.
Forgive.
Redeem.
What we truly need is not a better life,
but a new life;
rejuvenation rather than renovation.
June 5, 2012
Janae - Heart of a Champion
Janae received the "Heart of a Champion" award at the choir banquet last night.
Mr. Farren originated that award for Jesse,
for those who have struggled to overcome some challenge in their lives,
and have done it in a way that encourages and inspires others.
It brought tears to my eyes.
Brandon mentioned her discussion with him about whether to graduate early or return for her senior year, about my being away, ...
The he told a story to address the importance and power of music,
with a baby in an NICU improving when her brother sang to her, ...
It brought me back to Jesse's birth again.
I shared that with a few people including Brandon (Farren).
I wept.
Janae and many friends cried.
Janae, as one of the Spirit Leaders, got to address the group.
She was nervous and was open about that before reading one of her writings on their senior year.
As with her others, this one was powerful, using striking imagery.
When she was finished, she received a standing ovation.
Lord, my words are incapable of expressing all my pride, awe, amazement,
and so many other things I feel for her,
and my gratitude to You for giving me such a beautiful,
intelligent, gifted, and talented daughter.
Janae Elisabeth,
God has answered with a precious gift,
my Faithful Princess.
May 19, 2012
Janae - my only daughter
Jesse - my eldest son
Brandon Farren - Canyon High School Choir Director
Mr. Farren originated that award for Jesse,
for those who have struggled to overcome some challenge in their lives,
and have done it in a way that encourages and inspires others.
It brought tears to my eyes.
Brandon mentioned her discussion with him about whether to graduate early or return for her senior year, about my being away, ...
The he told a story to address the importance and power of music,
with a baby in an NICU improving when her brother sang to her, ...
It brought me back to Jesse's birth again.
I shared that with a few people including Brandon (Farren).
I wept.
Janae and many friends cried.
Janae, as one of the Spirit Leaders, got to address the group.
She was nervous and was open about that before reading one of her writings on their senior year.
As with her others, this one was powerful, using striking imagery.
When she was finished, she received a standing ovation.
Lord, my words are incapable of expressing all my pride, awe, amazement,
and so many other things I feel for her,
and my gratitude to You for giving me such a beautiful,
intelligent, gifted, and talented daughter.
Janae Elisabeth,
God has answered with a precious gift,
my Faithful Princess.
May 19, 2012
Janae - my only daughter
Jesse - my eldest son
Brandon Farren - Canyon High School Choir Director
Home? A confession and a prayer
Home - the places I longed to go when growing up, that were desirable to me were
my great-grandparents Robinson, and
my grandparents Robinson
(before I realized the two-faced nature of my grandmother,
before her affections turned to the younger grandchildren).
My home was not a refuge, not an example, not a place I longed to go.
It colored my view of Booker, I am sure.
Conflict permeated the very fiber of my parent's marriage, of my home life.
My church in Booker became a bit of a refuge, a respite, a home, a place where I was accepted,
a place without conflict.
(But that came at a price because my mother did not accept that church or my faith
because I attended that church. So my choice brought conflict and judgment.)
I lived for events that took me away from home:
camps (always 4-H), overnight band trips,
tours (4-H short course to Washington, DC, European Wind Band tour, mission trips to Brasil),
visits to grandparents, fishing trips, ...,
in general, for things that got me away from my parents.
When I left for college,
I never wanted to go home.
I only went when I had to go, felt compelled to go.
I dreaded going home.
When possible, I took others with me,
not because my home was a wonderful place I wanted to share,
but as a buffer between me and my parents, and to expand their horizons,
to challenge their biases and prejudices (when I took Africans, black men, into my father's home).
Those are the attitudes about home and family I brought into my marriage, my home.
It was not intentional, but it was there, below the surface.
I brought the conflict, the anger, the dread, the separation (emotional distance and reluctance).
This is why my residence has not always felt like my home (personal),
Sherilyn's home, my kids' home,
yes, but not necessarily mine.
The room and bed I share with my wife,
in the way I referenced them,
were hers, not mine or ours.
Lord, grant Sherilyn and the kids the grace to forgive me.
I have not always longed to be home, to be with them,
though I do so now more than ever before.
May 13, 2012
my great-grandparents Robinson, and
my grandparents Robinson
(before I realized the two-faced nature of my grandmother,
before her affections turned to the younger grandchildren).
My home was not a refuge, not an example, not a place I longed to go.
It colored my view of Booker, I am sure.
Conflict permeated the very fiber of my parent's marriage, of my home life.
My church in Booker became a bit of a refuge, a respite, a home, a place where I was accepted,
a place without conflict.
(But that came at a price because my mother did not accept that church or my faith
because I attended that church. So my choice brought conflict and judgment.)
I lived for events that took me away from home:
camps (always 4-H), overnight band trips,
tours (4-H short course to Washington, DC, European Wind Band tour, mission trips to Brasil),
visits to grandparents, fishing trips, ...,
in general, for things that got me away from my parents.
When I left for college,
I never wanted to go home.
I only went when I had to go, felt compelled to go.
I dreaded going home.
When possible, I took others with me,
not because my home was a wonderful place I wanted to share,
but as a buffer between me and my parents, and to expand their horizons,
to challenge their biases and prejudices (when I took Africans, black men, into my father's home).
Those are the attitudes about home and family I brought into my marriage, my home.
It was not intentional, but it was there, below the surface.
I brought the conflict, the anger, the dread, the separation (emotional distance and reluctance).
This is why my residence has not always felt like my home (personal),
Sherilyn's home, my kids' home,
yes, but not necessarily mine.
The room and bed I share with my wife,
in the way I referenced them,
were hers, not mine or ours.
Lord, grant Sherilyn and the kids the grace to forgive me.
I have not always longed to be home, to be with them,
though I do so now more than ever before.
May 13, 2012
Temptation and Idols
Temptation. What do these things have to do with it?
Idols?
False prophets?
Idolatry?
We tend to relegate these things to the ancient past, far away countries, or other religions.
But that is not the message I get from reading Jeremiah, James, and Paul's Epistles.
All these things are real.
Today.
Here.
In my life.
Jeremiah decries false prophets, because they lead us to sin, and sin deprives us of good.
But how do words written 1500 years ago apply today?
I am confronted constantly with false prophets in our culture, in the media, and in our country.
If we look, we can see them at work, at school, at the store, even at home and church.
Some claim the authority of God, telling me how to live, how to act, how to overcome, how to ...
Others are prophets of the many idols that permeate this place,
this time,
this culture,
this country:
prosperity, tolerance, freedom,
justice, peace, power, might,
politics, capitalism, science,
happiness, positive thinking, education,
philosophy, ...
How is it that these things, these idols are so appealing to us, to me?
Our idols are the lies we want to believe,
the ones we want to be true.
That is why they are so seductive to us;
they begin with our own evil desires,
with our own vain imaginations.
Since it begins with us,
it takes little incentive or external motivation
to begin digging our own cisterns (though broken)
because we want them to hold water.
We want to believe that if everyone is educated,
life will be better,
people will be more tolerant,
tyrannical governments will fall,
wars will cease,
justice will prevail,
freedom will reign, ...
We want to believe that thinking better thoughts
will improve our overall well-being,
will bring happiness,
peace,
prosperity, ...
The false prophets are just that: False.
Wrong, though they continue shouting lies.
None of these things has the ability to free me from the lies that have me bound.
The truth that frees in not in the making and studying of many books.
This truth is only found in the One who is
The Truth, the Life, and the Way,
Jesus Christ, the Ever-Living One,
Firstborn from the dead,
my Hope and my Salvation,
the Author and Perfecter of my faith.
Help me, Jesus.
I repent, deliver me from my idols.
Renew me in Your presence.
May 11-12, 2012
Jeremiah 5-6, Lamentations 2:14, James 1:14-15
Idols?
False prophets?
Idolatry?
We tend to relegate these things to the ancient past, far away countries, or other religions.
But that is not the message I get from reading Jeremiah, James, and Paul's Epistles.
All these things are real.
Today.
Here.
In my life.
Jeremiah decries false prophets, because they lead us to sin, and sin deprives us of good.
But how do words written 1500 years ago apply today?
I am confronted constantly with false prophets in our culture, in the media, and in our country.
If we look, we can see them at work, at school, at the store, even at home and church.
Some claim the authority of God, telling me how to live, how to act, how to overcome, how to ...
Others are prophets of the many idols that permeate this place,
this time,
this culture,
this country:
prosperity, tolerance, freedom,
justice, peace, power, might,
politics, capitalism, science,
happiness, positive thinking, education,
philosophy, ...
How is it that these things, these idols are so appealing to us, to me?
Our idols are the lies we want to believe,
the ones we want to be true.
That is why they are so seductive to us;
they begin with our own evil desires,
with our own vain imaginations.
Since it begins with us,
it takes little incentive or external motivation
to begin digging our own cisterns (though broken)
because we want them to hold water.
We want to believe that if everyone is educated,
life will be better,
people will be more tolerant,
tyrannical governments will fall,
wars will cease,
justice will prevail,
freedom will reign, ...
We want to believe that thinking better thoughts
will improve our overall well-being,
will bring happiness,
peace,
prosperity, ...
The false prophets are just that: False.
Wrong, though they continue shouting lies.
None of these things has the ability to free me from the lies that have me bound.
The truth that frees in not in the making and studying of many books.
This truth is only found in the One who is
The Truth, the Life, and the Way,
Jesus Christ, the Ever-Living One,
Firstborn from the dead,
my Hope and my Salvation,
the Author and Perfecter of my faith.
Help me, Jesus.
I repent, deliver me from my idols.
Renew me in Your presence.
May 11-12, 2012
Jeremiah 5-6, Lamentations 2:14, James 1:14-15
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