Most of us have voiced our displeasure with the retail insistence of stacking holiday merchandise on top of other holiday merchandise. There is no other way to explain how a turkey wound up on top of a Christmas tree instead of a traditional star. I am writing on Monday before Thanksgiving and wondering if I should be deciding what size heart-shaped box of candy I should buy my wife for Valentine's Day.
The truth is that I like to keep my holidays separated in time and thought. As much as I like Christmas, I refuse to decorate for the Christmas season until after the last bite of turkey and dressing have been consumed and the final whistle has blown for the last football game.
Don't get me wrong - I really like Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the other holidays for what they signify. The food is great; being with family is wonderful; and a little time off from work is relaxing. But ultimately, I want to hold on to Thanksgiving as a day unto itself because we all need a time to stop, reflect, and give thanks. I don't deserve the family, friends, and possessions that are part of my life. But along the way, God chose to bless me with that which I didn't earn nor deserve. The greatest such blessing was His gift of grace. At Christmas, I will celebrate that gift even more.
So this week - I give thanks for all the blessings that fill my life.
At Christmas - I will celebrate the birth of Jesus who ultimately paid the full price for my sin that I might have eternal life.
On New Year's Day - I will rejoice in the start of a new year and the opportunities it brings.
Valentine's Day - I celebrate the love that have with my wonderful life.
Arbor Day - Who knows - by then, I may be in the mood to plant a tree.
I just don't want to let the holidays run together so that I miss their singular meaning. Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Teams, Celebrations, and Values
The previous two evenings have been real times of celebration. On Tuesday evening, October 12, 2010, the Texas Rangers major league baseball team beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5 - 1 to advance to the next round of the playoffs. This was their first playoff series to win in the history of the team. To a Texas Ranger fan, it just doesn't get any better (unless they also win the next playoff series. To top it off, one of their top players has an issue with alcohol. To celebrate the win, they sprayed Ginger Ale on each other instead of the traditional champagne so that he could be part of the celebration. What a demonstration of being a real team!
When I thought it couldn't get any better, on Wednesday evening, October 13, 2010, in Chile, rescue workers completed the task of safely getting all 33 miners out of the mine where they had been trapped for 70 days. The first 17 days they existed on 1/2 cup of milk, two spoons of tuna, and a cracker, once every 48 hours. The government of Chile with help from nations all over the world mobilized an amazing rescue effort that resulted in a tremendous celebration as each miner emerged from the mine. The miners themselves had times of work, exercise, and encouragement as they passed the time hoping for rescue. One miner said that there were actually 34 of them - God was always with them. Their team effort and the efforts of the rescue team is one that will inspire people for years to come.
As much as I like baseball, I was reminded this week that it is still only a game even though a group of men demonstrated class and true teamwork. Their effort was worth great joy to the players and their fans. It will also be worth quite a few dollars to the players, coaches, and owners of the team. Their celebration was memorable.
The rescue of the miners was not a game; it was real life. The lives of 33 men were directly impacted by the work efforts of hundreds and the prayers of tens of thousands. Their families experienced the joy of the return of husbands, sons, fathers, and brothers. Many of them will also benefit financially as their stories are told and sold to various media outlets. Their celebration was priceless.
In the course of our busyness and interests, it is easy to believe that the most important things are whether our team wins or looses a game. This week we have all been reminded that human life is of much greater value than all the games that will ever be played. It is reason enough to celebrate life and the God who created life, and made man in His own Image.
When I thought it couldn't get any better, on Wednesday evening, October 13, 2010, in Chile, rescue workers completed the task of safely getting all 33 miners out of the mine where they had been trapped for 70 days. The first 17 days they existed on 1/2 cup of milk, two spoons of tuna, and a cracker, once every 48 hours. The government of Chile with help from nations all over the world mobilized an amazing rescue effort that resulted in a tremendous celebration as each miner emerged from the mine. The miners themselves had times of work, exercise, and encouragement as they passed the time hoping for rescue. One miner said that there were actually 34 of them - God was always with them. Their team effort and the efforts of the rescue team is one that will inspire people for years to come.
As much as I like baseball, I was reminded this week that it is still only a game even though a group of men demonstrated class and true teamwork. Their effort was worth great joy to the players and their fans. It will also be worth quite a few dollars to the players, coaches, and owners of the team. Their celebration was memorable.
The rescue of the miners was not a game; it was real life. The lives of 33 men were directly impacted by the work efforts of hundreds and the prayers of tens of thousands. Their families experienced the joy of the return of husbands, sons, fathers, and brothers. Many of them will also benefit financially as their stories are told and sold to various media outlets. Their celebration was priceless.
In the course of our busyness and interests, it is easy to believe that the most important things are whether our team wins or looses a game. This week we have all been reminded that human life is of much greater value than all the games that will ever be played. It is reason enough to celebrate life and the God who created life, and made man in His own Image.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Are Some Things Too Hard?
When my grandfather died at the age of 68, my grandmother said, "This is too hard; I can't make it through." But she did. In fact, she lived another 25 years, baked chocolate pies, and quilted with a ladies group from her church.
When my daughter was in high school, she brought home her literature book and threw it down saying, "No one can understand this Shakespeare stuff; it is too hard!" But we waded through Mr. Shakespeare's tragedy and our daughter made a good grade. However, she is still not a fan of Shakespeare.
Right now I am working on an assignment related to a church that just seems too hard. It occupies my thoughts and keeps me from focusing well on other important tasks that also need to be done. I keep putting off finishing this particular assisgnment because my mind says it is too hard.
Are some things really too hard or do we just imagine that they are too hard? The real answer to both is probably "Yes." A great number of things are beyond my limited skill set and always will be. Some of those things are just beyond my physical strength to do while others are impossible for me because of a lack of knowledge. And some, well, they just paralyze me and keep me from ever trying. My guess is that all of us could fill in some blanks and name some specific areas that we would label as being too hard for us.
If I were to stop this post here, I would be very discouraged, but there is more to say and a reason to hope. Some of the most difficult tasks I have ever been given came from one who knew all of my strengths and all of my limitations. Even with that knowledge, he gave me tasks that were simply too hard for me. And yet the surprising reality is that I accepted the challenged and saw those tasks completed. Am I just an overachiever? No! But I am a believer. In the Bible, Paul wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13). When Jesus' disciples pushed for an explanation about how something that to them seemed impossible could happen, Jesus told them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)
There is no doubt - for us, a lot of things are way too hard - literally, they are impossible. But the impossible often becomes the possible when God is involved. My impossible assignment with a church can be accomplished as long as I am willing for God to be in charge and I am an obedient follower.
When my daughter was in high school, she brought home her literature book and threw it down saying, "No one can understand this Shakespeare stuff; it is too hard!" But we waded through Mr. Shakespeare's tragedy and our daughter made a good grade. However, she is still not a fan of Shakespeare.
Right now I am working on an assignment related to a church that just seems too hard. It occupies my thoughts and keeps me from focusing well on other important tasks that also need to be done. I keep putting off finishing this particular assisgnment because my mind says it is too hard.
Are some things really too hard or do we just imagine that they are too hard? The real answer to both is probably "Yes." A great number of things are beyond my limited skill set and always will be. Some of those things are just beyond my physical strength to do while others are impossible for me because of a lack of knowledge. And some, well, they just paralyze me and keep me from ever trying. My guess is that all of us could fill in some blanks and name some specific areas that we would label as being too hard for us.
If I were to stop this post here, I would be very discouraged, but there is more to say and a reason to hope. Some of the most difficult tasks I have ever been given came from one who knew all of my strengths and all of my limitations. Even with that knowledge, he gave me tasks that were simply too hard for me. And yet the surprising reality is that I accepted the challenged and saw those tasks completed. Am I just an overachiever? No! But I am a believer. In the Bible, Paul wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13). When Jesus' disciples pushed for an explanation about how something that to them seemed impossible could happen, Jesus told them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)
There is no doubt - for us, a lot of things are way too hard - literally, they are impossible. But the impossible often becomes the possible when God is involved. My impossible assignment with a church can be accomplished as long as I am willing for God to be in charge and I am an obedient follower.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Is Waiting Worth It?
Thirty-three miners trapped for 17 days in an underground mine in Chile! There are two amazing stories here - one, all 33 are alive and well; and two, it will take 2-4 months to get them out of the mine. A small hole was drilled that enabled a message to be sent from the miners to the surface that they were alive and safe. That same hole can be used for sending food and water to the miners and maintaining communication with them. However, the hole is too small to use to remove the miners. It will take 2-4 months to drill a large enough openning to use for the release of the miners from the mine. Christmas is the time being used most often in the news reports as a time for their release.
After seeing that on the news, I wondered if I were one of those 33, could I wait that long to be rescued? Or if I were one of the family members of one of those 33, could I patiently wait for a larger hole to be dug over a 2-4 month period for my loved one to be rescued?
We all have a tendency to expect everything we want to happen quickly. The truth is that most things of real value and importance do not happen quickly, rather they tend to develop and evolve over an extended period of time. For example, an education is often measured by the time period of kindergarten through 12th grade, followed by 4 years of college and maybe 2 to 4 years of graduate school. The truth is that an education is a lifelong process that still has many gaps when our physical lives end.
Today we are concerned about the year long time that a military serviceman might serve in Afghanistan or in Iraq. The truth is that many of them serve two, three, or even four tours of a year each. Some of our fathers and grandfathers served up to four years away from family during World War II either in Europe, Africa, or the Pacific. Whether today or yesterday, it is a long time waiting for a loved one to come home safely.
I wish that I could get a better grasp of the entirety of life. Maybe then I could accept that some of life's events don't really take as long as I currently believe they do. At the same time, maybe I could be more patient in waiting for those happenings that will actually take an extended period of time.
One final thought today - in the area where I live, today is the first day of a new school year for many school districts. My own children have been out of public schools for 16 and 18 years respectively. That is a long time. But it must be a short time because I can still remember the days that each of them was born, the first time I held them, and the first time I heard their sweet little cries.
Time is a funny thing. Two to four months seems like a lifetime if you are trapped in a mine. Two to four months isn't even a full semester of one school year. "Lord, help me be patient enough to wait for the things that are worthwhile and that add value to life. Help me to be disciplined enough to resist quick and easy fixes that have little value and marginalize life."
After seeing that on the news, I wondered if I were one of those 33, could I wait that long to be rescued? Or if I were one of the family members of one of those 33, could I patiently wait for a larger hole to be dug over a 2-4 month period for my loved one to be rescued?
We all have a tendency to expect everything we want to happen quickly. The truth is that most things of real value and importance do not happen quickly, rather they tend to develop and evolve over an extended period of time. For example, an education is often measured by the time period of kindergarten through 12th grade, followed by 4 years of college and maybe 2 to 4 years of graduate school. The truth is that an education is a lifelong process that still has many gaps when our physical lives end.
Today we are concerned about the year long time that a military serviceman might serve in Afghanistan or in Iraq. The truth is that many of them serve two, three, or even four tours of a year each. Some of our fathers and grandfathers served up to four years away from family during World War II either in Europe, Africa, or the Pacific. Whether today or yesterday, it is a long time waiting for a loved one to come home safely.
I wish that I could get a better grasp of the entirety of life. Maybe then I could accept that some of life's events don't really take as long as I currently believe they do. At the same time, maybe I could be more patient in waiting for those happenings that will actually take an extended period of time.
One final thought today - in the area where I live, today is the first day of a new school year for many school districts. My own children have been out of public schools for 16 and 18 years respectively. That is a long time. But it must be a short time because I can still remember the days that each of them was born, the first time I held them, and the first time I heard their sweet little cries.
Time is a funny thing. Two to four months seems like a lifetime if you are trapped in a mine. Two to four months isn't even a full semester of one school year. "Lord, help me be patient enough to wait for the things that are worthwhile and that add value to life. Help me to be disciplined enough to resist quick and easy fixes that have little value and marginalize life."
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Other side of an Issue
The following post is an article that I wrote to appear in the June 2010 issue of the Connections, a monthly newsletter published by Denton Baptist Association.
“The Other Side of an Issue”
In 1979 I was the pastor of a church in a small college town. Three men in their late 20s on student visas from Iran began attending our church. Their religion was Islam but they wanted to find out about Christianity. When the government of the Shah of Iran collapsed and he went into exile, they returned to their native country of Iran and the new leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini. I had spent several hours with them over six weeks answering some of their questions. I still wonder what impact that time had upon their lives as they returned to a revolution in progress.
Today, political and religious persecution in Myanmar (Burma) has resulted in people leaving their homeland rather than returning to it. One of those groups, the Chin (they are officially sanctioned as political refugees by our nation), began settling in the North Texas area particularly in Lewisville. As awareness of their presence grew, a new church was begun in our association focused on reaching the Chin people. The ministry expanded as more Chin moved to the area to include helping these refugee families find housing, enter the workforce, learn English, and adjust to their new home. FBC, Flower Mound, has been instrumental in developing a refugee ministry to the Chin and have been joined by The Village Church in making a lasting difference in the lives of these families.
Sometimes people arrive in our country not because of politics or education but for economic or safety reasons as is often the case with people from Mexico. One Hispanic congregation in our area is located in a rural area of our county. While the surrounding countryside appears only sparsely populated, on Sundays the church overflows with people of all ages. Many of the members are citizens of this country, but many are not. Of those that are not, many are undocumented. Week by week, people hear the faithful preaching of the Word and many are saved and baptized. Lives are being changed.
Each of these true stories represents the other side of immigration. The political side makes the news. Like you, I know that we have many immigration issues that need solutions. Securing the borders, determining who can receive government benefits, and managing 12-20 million undocumented immigrants currently in our country are just some of the issues that our nation must resolve. But the other side of immigration – the human side – is often ignored or neglected.
I believe that regardless of how someone arrived in our country and regardless of his status, the church composed of followers of Jesus has a God-given responsibility to minister to everyone and to share the love of God with all. In Deuteronomy 10:18 (NIV), the scripture says that God “executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.” As Baptists, we have raised huge sums of money to send missionaries all over the world to share Christ. Today, the world has arrived in our country. Shall we now turn the other way and ignore those who sojourn and live among us?
The opportunities for the church are limitless in these areas today. If language is an issue, then the church can teach English in homes, churches, and even where day laborers gather. If education is an issue, then the church can provide mentors and tutors in the schools. If nutrition is an issue, then the church can offer help in meal preparation and healthy eating. If morality is an issue, then the church shares Jesus and teaches His Word.
My ideas are not creative; they are only listed in the hope of opening our eyes to the people around us and their needs. As we see them, let’s begin to minister, not based on documentation, country of origin, or world religion, but on the basis of Jesus’ example and teaching. It was a Samaritan who stopped by the road and bandaged the wounds of the beaten Jew and provided for his care. Regardless of your political views on immigration, the humanity of all people cannot be neglected or ignored. How will you and your church represent Jesus to humanity in your community?
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