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Archive for the ‘Formation’ Category

The Theology of Steve Martin

Posted in Formation, Humor on September 19, 2012| Leave a Comment »

In the words of the great theologian, Steve Martin, “Where ever you go, there you are.”

When I was a teenager, Steve Martin was in the height of his popularity as “one wild and crazy guy.”  While I have never had the opportunity to meet him or even see him live, I watched and listened to his acts religiously – maybe that says something about me.

At any rate, that quote has always made me smile.  But as I have been preparing for this Sunday, I have asked myself, “Is that true of me?”  Where ever I go, am I really there?  It is so easy to go through the motions.  It is possible to be somewhere physically but not really be engaged.

My encouragement for you today is this – where ever you go, really be there!

Be a blessing today!

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What Sacrifice Will You Bring Today?

Posted in Formation on September 17, 2012| 2 Comments »

Over the last two weeks, our sanctuary has been either too hot or too cold.  Two weeks ago, we had no air conditioning.  Yesterday, we had plenty.  In fact, it was almost cold.  I had one person suggest we build a fire on the stage around the “campfire” I had built for the sermon.

Now, I agree it was cool but I had to take offense at the thought that the altar I had so meticulously put together would be mistaken for a campfire.

Image

OK, I admit, it doesn’t look much like an altar.  It looked very different in my head when I picked up the stones at Home Depot.

At any rate, we had an altar on the stage yesterday.  And the reason was to illustrate the sacrifice God expects of us.  In Romans, Paul tells us that the sacrifice that pleases God is not our job, our money or even our family.  The only acceptable sacrifice is the complete surrender of ourselves.

Paul also points out that while in the Jewish sacrificial system, the sacrifice was killed as part of the ritual, God wants us to be a living sacrifice.  We must die to ourselves so that we can truly live as God created us to live.  As I crawled onto that altar yesterday to illustrate what we must do, I also made the point that the biggest problem with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off the altar just as easily as it crawled on.

Offering ourselves as a living sacrifice is a daily act of worship.  It takes commitment – every day.

Will you offer yourself today as a living sacrifice to God.  How will you live today to show God your heart-felt worship?

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A Lesson Learned From a Blow Out

Posted in Formation on September 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »

When my wife asked, “Did you air up that tire?” I should have stopped right then and taken care of it.  But I had pulled that trailer many, many times with a low tire, and I was in a hurry.

And it almost worked one more time.

But about 5 minutes from home last night, it just couldn’t take it anymore.  The tire blew!

So now, instead of getting home a little late, we got home an hour late.  And I get to replace a worn out tire – not a great way to end a wonderful day.

As I have reflected on our experience last night, I have been reminded that all of us run through life taking care of our responsibilities.  We go to work, take care of families and have other responsibilities on our plate as well.  All of us need inner strength to keep going.

But do you ever run low?

I have found that my time alone with God in prayer and reading is the only thing that will keep me running at the right “pressure.”  If I am running low, then the load I carry gets to be too much.  I might can handle for a while but eventually, something has to give – just like my low tire last night.

So this morning, get out the spiritual pressure gauge.  Take a few minutes to spend with God.  Don’t go through another day with low spiritual “pressure.”

Be blessed today.

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One Little Candle

Posted in Community, Formation, Hope, Missions on September 6, 2012| Leave a Comment »

 

There are some candles in my study.  Every once in a while, I will be in a more contemplative mood and I’ll light the candles and turn off the overhead light just to create a different environment in which to focus.

Have you ever noticed what happens if you light a candle in a lighted room?  The effect is minimal.  I mean, you notice the candle but as far as it making a difference in the environment, you really can’t see much change.  But, when you turn off the lights, now all of the sudden, even one little candle is a game changer.  It creates much more light than you noticed before.  In fact, while the light may not be as bright, it still illuminates the whole room.

In a very dark world lacking hope and peace and joy – we are called to be that candle.  When we gather our little light in church, we are surrounded by a lot of other lights so the effects, while important, are minimal.  But, when we take our little light into the dark world, we can make a huge difference.

Be that light in someone else’s life today.

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Where Is Your Focus?

Posted in Formation, Hope on September 5, 2012| Leave a Comment »

What one thing will you do today to make a difference?

So often, we start our day by looking at our calendar and To Do list and then just jump right in trying to get something done – to achieve that sense of accomplishment we get when we finish something.  I talked about that here.

But what if – today – we began a little differently?  What if, today, we thought about our day and focused in on one thing we will do to impact another person in a positive way?

It’s not that we won’t work on our To Do list or that we clear our calendars but that we simply focus some of our attention on making a difference in someone else’s life.  If we  aim at nothing, we most likely will hit it.

Today, focus on making a difference.

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Pray Expecting God To Overwhelm

Posted in Formation, Grace, Hope on August 29, 2012| Leave a Comment »

What are you praying for these days?  With the start of school, many of us are praying more intently for our kids.  Today, we find a part of our nation under the threat of hurricane Isaac.  The storm made landfall twice in the last several hours, dumping water on New Orleans that has power knocked out and is testing the integrity of the levies built after Katrina.   So we are praying for our brothers and sisters enduring the brunt of that storm.

Maybe today you are praying for a change.  Perhaps, you need God to intervene in your job or at home.  Or maybe you find yourself praying for God to move around you – in your church or community.

Whatever you have on your heart that you are praying about today, let me challenge you.  Tonight we will continue our study of the book of Ephesians.  We will be looking at the end of the third chapter.  In verse 20, Paul pushes us to be bold in our prayer.  He reminds us that God can do more than we can even imagine.

Here is how I interpret Paul’s idea.  He is suggesting that we pray for God to work and move in such a way that it will be so mind-blowing people will be talking about it for years!  Do you ever pray with that kind of boldness?

I don’t know about you, but I would love for God to move in such a way that it is life-changing and the talk of people for years.

Join me in asking God to move like that today!

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Revisiting the First Day of School Prayer

Posted in Community, Family, Formation on August 27, 2012| 2 Comments »

Over the last month, the post that has received the most views has been this one.  I wrote it on the first day of school last year and, given the recent interest in the post, I thought I would revisit the topic – particularly since today is the first day of school for my kids for the 2012 – 2013 school year.

The school years are so important in the lives of our kids.  They mature and grow, not only physically but emotionally and mentally as well.  When you think about the amount of time they spend in school compared to the time you have with them at home, it becomes even more obvious just how important it is to pray for them and for their teachers and school administrators.

So here is what I would like you to do this morning.  The following is a guided prayer.  This concept may be a bit foreign to some (it certainly was to me when I first encountered it several years ago), but it can be very effective and meaningful.  Simply follow along and pray as you feel led.

Spend a couple of minutes clearing your mind and focusing on the magnificence of God.

Pray that your children will enjoy their day.  Pray that they will be receptive to what God has for them this year.  That they will connect well with their teachers and that they will make at least one new friend who will help them stay the course in their followship of Jesus.

Pray for the teachers.  Pray that God will give them a sincere passion to make a positive impact in the lives of their students.  Pray that God will give them wisdom as to how to help each student.  And pray that God will give them the tools and the strength to use those tools to teach our kids.

Pray for the school administrators – all those folks who work to make our schools a safe and effective place of learning and growing.  Pray for their wisdom and passion.  Ask God to bless them today.

Ask God to use you to make a difference in the lives of your kids and in the schools in which they attend.

Father, I thank you for my kids.  They are growing up too fast.  I remember when I used to have to do everything for them and now, it seems, they can do it all themselves.  God, I ask you to be there for them when I can’t.  Protect them and keep their feet on the right path.  Put people in their lives today to direct them and teach them.  Grow them into the people you created them to be for your purposes, and help me to be the parent I need to be for my kids for your glory.  Amen

Be blessed today!

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Only You Can Be You

Posted in Community, Formation, Hope on August 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »

All of us have a story to tell.  The intricate weaving of the experiences of our lives come together to make a beautiful tapestry.  Each individual experience might seem insignificant by itself, but when pieced together with all the others, the tapestry takes on a picture that is unique to you.

God has created you to be you and there is no other you – never has been, never will be!

All the things you have done, people you have known and experiences you have had make you the person you are today.  And in the midst of all of it – God has been at work all along the way.

You are of ultimate importance to God and you were created to reflect God’s love and life.  God has brought you to today with a story to tell that will make all the difference in the eternity of the people to whom you tell it.

So tell your story – what has God done in your life to bring you to this day?

Be a blessing today!

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When the Pressure Is Too Great

Posted in Formation, Grace, Hope on August 21, 2012| 2 Comments »

How frantic is your life?  How much pressure do you feel to get things done?  Do you ever feel you are not doing anything well because you can’t devote enough of yourself to any one thing?

I find myself there much of the time.  And, I am sure, most of that pressure is self-imposed.

But I ran across this quote from Thomas Merton yesterday that has had me thinking.  He said,

Unnatural, frantic, anxious work, work done under pressure of greed or fear or any other inordinate passion, cannot properly speaking be dedicated to God, because God never wills such work directly.

What I take from that is the idea that God intends for us to be productive and to work.  We were created to be fruitful and satisfied in our efforts.  But God never intended for us to take on so much that we cannot be effective in anything.  We were not created to live under that stress and pressure – and further, that pressure is not from God but from other sources.

So today, regardless of how long your To Do list may be, ask God these two questions, “What do YOU want me to accomplish today? Where do YOU want me to focus my attention?”

Give it a try and see what God does in and through you.

I’d love to hear about your results.

Be blessed.

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We Need Each Other

Posted in Church, Community, Formation on August 20, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Last Friday, our community celebrated together.  One of the streets downtown was closed off, tents were set up and food was served.  People were everywhere.  It was a wonderful experience complete with a strong sense of community.

The occasion?  The beginning of football season.  Our school mascot is the wildcat.  So the event was appropriately titled, “Meet the Wildcats.”

Now there is a lot I could say about the over-emphasis on sports in our community – I mean, we don’t get together and celebrate the band students or the high academic achievements of our students – not that these things aren’t celebrated, but we don’t close a street and make it a community event.

I could talk about that but that is not what is on my heart today.  The point I want to make is how wonderful it was to experience that sense of community.  People were friendly and encouraging.  We enjoyed good food and had a great time just being together as a town.  It was moving.

As I have reflected on that day, I have been reminded that God created us for community.  We are wired for relationships – both with God and with one another.  And the best place to grow our relationships is in a safe and welcoming place filled with honest and transparent people who want the same things.

The only place I know of that fits that description is church.  I am not saying the church is filled with perfect, saintly people who have it all together.  In fact, it is somewhat the opposite.  The church should be a place filled with people who are willing to be transparent and let others know they aren’t perfect and they don’t have it all together.

If we had it all together with no problems and no needs, then why would we even need church?

The thing is, we all need community and the reality is we all need church.  As long as people remain imperfect, there will always be a need for church.  And no one will attain perfection in this life.

All that to say, we all need relationships – we were created that way.  We all need community.  And the best place to find it is at church.

If you aren’t involved in a church, find one in your area and get plugged in.  Just give it a try – what have you got to lose?

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