1 John 2:6 (New International Version)
6Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
But I Knew The Guy
Yesterday a person I knew was sentenced to life in prison. After the gospel meeting last night, I overheard a preacher and an elder discussing the sentence. The preacher was frustrated because of the life sentence and not the death penalty. I wanted to say "But I knew the guy." I remained silent.
Two minutes ago, two colleagues commented on the situation and was dismissive to the murderer and a former colleague who publicly supported the murderer. Their conclusion was "We didn't really know the guy, and we have to move forward." I remained somewhat silent.
Friday was the anniversary of April 16th. Since that day, there has been a camp who believes we have to move forward. Some want to move forward with respect. Others just want to move forward. Others want to continue to remember.
I don't know what I want.
Christianity and religion in general requires discipline. It requires punishment. It requires moving forward. It requires being intentional. It requires struggle. But it also requires love, compassion, forgiveness, and peace.
Unfortunately since Friday, I have been in a funk. The previous paragraphs get into some of it. I can't break from the past, but I can't embrace the future either. This dilemma disallows enjoying the present. And the present is all that matters.
Heavenly Father,
Guide me as I struggle with the world,
Show me Your ways,
Ease my pain,
Help me learn from the past,
Help me enjoy and achieve in the present,
So I can embrace the future,
Help me balance discipline and love,
Help me balance punishment and forgiveness,
Help me be intentional while also being compassionate,
Lord, help me live a life of repentance,
And forgive me for my many failures,
Help me to trust in Christ,
Because through Him I can do all things,
It is in His name I pray,
Amen.
Two minutes ago, two colleagues commented on the situation and was dismissive to the murderer and a former colleague who publicly supported the murderer. Their conclusion was "We didn't really know the guy, and we have to move forward." I remained somewhat silent.
Friday was the anniversary of April 16th. Since that day, there has been a camp who believes we have to move forward. Some want to move forward with respect. Others just want to move forward. Others want to continue to remember.
I don't know what I want.
Christianity and religion in general requires discipline. It requires punishment. It requires moving forward. It requires being intentional. It requires struggle. But it also requires love, compassion, forgiveness, and peace.
Unfortunately since Friday, I have been in a funk. The previous paragraphs get into some of it. I can't break from the past, but I can't embrace the future either. This dilemma disallows enjoying the present. And the present is all that matters.
Heavenly Father,
Guide me as I struggle with the world,
Show me Your ways,
Ease my pain,
Help me learn from the past,
Help me enjoy and achieve in the present,
So I can embrace the future,
Help me balance discipline and love,
Help me balance punishment and forgiveness,
Help me be intentional while also being compassionate,
Lord, help me live a life of repentance,
And forgive me for my many failures,
Help me to trust in Christ,
Because through Him I can do all things,
It is in His name I pray,
Amen.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Purpose
I have read a number of self-help books. They all have a general theme: Be purposeful. Be intentional. Plan. Be proactive. Understand your commitments, and fulfill your commitments. Have discipline to say "no." Have discipline to do the things you say "yes" to.
This is another point that I was trying to get at with this post. Our actions have to match our intentions. There will be times when our actions and intentions get confounded. Times when people perceive our actions different from what our intentions were.
God's call is to keep pushing. Jesus told us to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile (Matthew 5:38-48). To keep pushing, we have to be purposeful and disciplined. We have to work to make our intentions and our actions mesh. We have to trust and be faithful, and let our intentions be His intentions and our actions be His actions.
This is another point that I was trying to get at with this post. Our actions have to match our intentions. There will be times when our actions and intentions get confounded. Times when people perceive our actions different from what our intentions were.
God's call is to keep pushing. Jesus told us to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile (Matthew 5:38-48). To keep pushing, we have to be purposeful and disciplined. We have to work to make our intentions and our actions mesh. We have to trust and be faithful, and let our intentions be His intentions and our actions be His actions.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Father Longenecker Does It Again
Here:
"If the resurrection of Christ is a historical fact, then we have a choice. We can get busy living or get busy dying. In other words, we can follow the path of Life or follow the path of Death. The path of Life is one that accepts the resurrection by faith and steps out to follow Jesus Christ as the Lord of Life. This path is a path of hope, a path of peace, a path of forgiveness and a path of joy. It is a proven path trod by millions of ordinary people down the ages. It is simply a new way of living opened up by the fact of the resurrection. It is available to all through baptism, faith and membership of Christ's Church.
The other alternative is the path of Death. The path of Death can be followed in two different ways: the Epicurean or the Stoic. These two classic philosophies assume that there is nothing after this life. Therefore, the Epicurean lives for pleasure in the present moment. "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die." While it is possible to follow this path in a crude and decadent manner it is also possible to follow it in a refined and tasteful manner. You can be an Epicurean by either loving porn, pizza and mud wrestling or by loving grand opera, haute cuisine and high class ladies. The stoic response to the fact of death is to live a dignified life of service to one's fellow man--hoping to leave the world a better place than you found it. Both philosophies end in despair."
"If the resurrection of Christ is a historical fact, then we have a choice. We can get busy living or get busy dying. In other words, we can follow the path of Life or follow the path of Death. The path of Life is one that accepts the resurrection by faith and steps out to follow Jesus Christ as the Lord of Life. This path is a path of hope, a path of peace, a path of forgiveness and a path of joy. It is a proven path trod by millions of ordinary people down the ages. It is simply a new way of living opened up by the fact of the resurrection. It is available to all through baptism, faith and membership of Christ's Church.
The other alternative is the path of Death. The path of Death can be followed in two different ways: the Epicurean or the Stoic. These two classic philosophies assume that there is nothing after this life. Therefore, the Epicurean lives for pleasure in the present moment. "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die." While it is possible to follow this path in a crude and decadent manner it is also possible to follow it in a refined and tasteful manner. You can be an Epicurean by either loving porn, pizza and mud wrestling or by loving grand opera, haute cuisine and high class ladies. The stoic response to the fact of death is to live a dignified life of service to one's fellow man--hoping to leave the world a better place than you found it. Both philosophies end in despair."
Thursday, April 1, 2010
What I Wanted To Say Last Night But I Couldn't Seem To Find The Words
For every blistery winter day, there are beautiful Spring days. God remembers us. God has chosen us to be His firstfruits (James 1:18).
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Working An Idea To Its Fruition
Last Monday I had the worse travel day of my life. I left my apartment in San Antonio at 4:30AM and did not get back to Blacksburg until midnight. My flight was delayed in San Antonio. I waited eight hours in the Atlanta airport. I was diverted through Lynchburg. I had to go to Pennsylvania at 7:00AM on Tuesday, so I had to get back. The airline and airport people weren't mean, but they weren't nice either. It was just a miserable day.
The Saturday before my wife and I watched the latest Twilight movie on DVD. All I could say throughout the movie was "Can't we skip to the end?" I wanted to know the ending, but all of the stuff in-between wasn't important. Who wins? The werewolves or the vampires? I remembered an old song lyric that went "Why can't we skip to the final chapter of the book?" And that is the same way I felt Monday evening. Why can't I just skip to Wednesday and forget these travel woes?
The song that the lyric comes from alludes to Noah and the Flood (Genesis 6-8). It discusses how Noah's family on the ark must have been afraid, have must been feeling like I did in the airport: Why can't this all be over? The song answers this question with "because we would have missed the point." But I like Genesis 8:1 better: "...God remembered Noah....and the waters subsided."
Keith read James 1 last Sunday. James is imploring us to persevere and be patient. Life will be difficult, but with Jesus and the Word, we will get through. James 1:18 tells us that we are chosen so we might be the "firstfruits of His creation." Like Noah, we are remembered. We are chosen. And if we continue to be faithful persevering and patient servants, the waters will subside. I finally made it back to Blacksburg. Lord willing, I will eventually know who wins between the vampires and werewolves. And if I remain faithful, I will reap even greater rewards.
And for the record, the last verse of the last chapter of the book states "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." One text replaces all with "all the saints."
If you need to commit to Christ and become a saint of if you have lost the grace of Jesus Christ, you have the opportunity to come forward as we sing.
The Saturday before my wife and I watched the latest Twilight movie on DVD. All I could say throughout the movie was "Can't we skip to the end?" I wanted to know the ending, but all of the stuff in-between wasn't important. Who wins? The werewolves or the vampires? I remembered an old song lyric that went "Why can't we skip to the final chapter of the book?" And that is the same way I felt Monday evening. Why can't I just skip to Wednesday and forget these travel woes?
The song that the lyric comes from alludes to Noah and the Flood (Genesis 6-8). It discusses how Noah's family on the ark must have been afraid, have must been feeling like I did in the airport: Why can't this all be over? The song answers this question with "because we would have missed the point." But I like Genesis 8:1 better: "...God remembered Noah....and the waters subsided."
Keith read James 1 last Sunday. James is imploring us to persevere and be patient. Life will be difficult, but with Jesus and the Word, we will get through. James 1:18 tells us that we are chosen so we might be the "firstfruits of His creation." Like Noah, we are remembered. We are chosen. And if we continue to be faithful persevering and patient servants, the waters will subside. I finally made it back to Blacksburg. Lord willing, I will eventually know who wins between the vampires and werewolves. And if I remain faithful, I will reap even greater rewards.
And for the record, the last verse of the last chapter of the book states "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." One text replaces all with "all the saints."
If you need to commit to Christ and become a saint of if you have lost the grace of Jesus Christ, you have the opportunity to come forward as we sing.
Monday, March 29, 2010
A Couple Of Other Things
1. I was looking at the contribution board in church yesterday. If you take the total contribution and divide it by the number of attendees, you get a number greater than my average contribution. This realization made me remember the average-marginal rule. Simply, if your (marginal) contribution is below the average then you are pulling the average (and total) down. The point here is it made me consider my contribution. I have always felt that contribution cannot be measured just by dollars, and I understand earnings and tithing life-cycles, but it is something I have to keep in mind.
2. Part of what I wanted to get out of the airport and the "why can't we skip to the last chapter of the book?" posts is the temporary nature of the world and the temporary nature of strife. Heaven is a great gift and should be remembered in times of strife (and also good times.) Thank you Jesus.
2. Part of what I wanted to get out of the airport and the "why can't we skip to the last chapter of the book?" posts is the temporary nature of the world and the temporary nature of strife. Heaven is a great gift and should be remembered in times of strife (and also good times.) Thank you Jesus.
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