What’s good about lies, hate, pain, blood, sweat, tears, misery, torture, betrayal, abandonment & death?
What is good is the fact that because Jesus experienced this, you and I don’t have to. As of Good Friday, we were bought & paid for. And believe me, no one or nothing has the resources to buy us back from God. Furthermore, God is not in the exchange business (well, except for the Great Exchange, but you know what I mean!).
Last Wednesday, February 3rd, my Education class was cancelled so I was able to teach the children’s group at church. With the Super Bowl coming up on Sunday, I decided to talk about the widow’s Super Bowl.
1 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.2 And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house? And she said, Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.3 Then he said, Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few.4 Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.5 So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her.6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, Bring me another vessel. And he said to her, There is not another. Then the oil stopped flowing.7 She came and told the man of God, and he said, Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest. (ESV)
Now, I know it probably wasn’t a bowl the widow poured the oil from–I took some liberty there. However, the notion of talking about the Super Bowl did get their attention.
Due to a school sports event, many of the children weren’t there Wednesday. So, I asked my pastor if it would be acceptable to teach a shortened version of the lesson for the children’s sermon on Sunday, the day of the Super Bowl. He told me that one of his seminary professors said “if a sermon is good enough to preach once, it’s good enough to preach twice.” Consequently, I did just that. Now, on Wednesday, I threw out an arbitrary number, 98, as the amount of vessels the widow collected from her neighbors to fill with the oil from her regular bowl that God turned into a “Super Bowl.” Sure enough, when I began discussing those vessels in the children’s sermon, one little girl who had been there on Wednesday leaned over and whispered “there were 98.”
It’s so pleasing to know that children pay attention and retain what they hear! Therefore, we should tell them the Gospel early and often. Just be sure to leave out what we don’t want them to retain!
I later specified to the children that we don’t really know how many vessels there were, but we do know there were enough to get the widow out of debt and provide for her and her sons; God gave her what she asked for and more.
Looking in my backpack just before my first class of the Spring 2010 semester, I realized I had forgotten to return my notepad to the backpack. So, I walked to the nearest classmate, told them about my lack of paper, and asked for a piece. His response was amusing. Without looking up, he waved his hand in the general direction of the paper and told me to take some. The only problem was that several of his books and handouts were laying on top of the notepad. So when I hesitated, he quickly scooted the impeding items out of my way while letting on like it pained him to do so. I tore out a piece and thanked him, joking about how I was so far away from being back in “school mode.” I figured I would at least illicit a polite chuckle, but simply received a tight-lipped “Mmmm.” As I walked back to my seat, I smiled and thought to myself “he must be a Christian.”
You may ask “why on earth does he equate that kind of behavior with Christianity?” That’s a great question, but I’m not the only one who does so. Therefore, the question is: why do many outside the church equate that kind of behavior with Christianity?
I’ve had such experiences with fellow Christians. Several years ago, I worked for the largest home-delivery frozen food company in the world. To obtain new customers, we would walk door-to-door, introduce ourselves, leave a catalog, and ask if we could come back in a few days to see if they wanted to buy our products. It quickly became apparent to me that the homes having trucks parked outside with those nude-female-silhouette mudflaps and cutouts of men relieving themselves in the yard beside a pile of beer cans housed some of the more polite, receptive, and eager-to-smile people. On the other hand, I dreaded walking up to a house and seeing a stone in their landscape with John 3:16 carved in it, or a Jesus fish decal on their car. Nine
times out of ten these people were quick, sour, or just plain rude.
One customer in particular was an older man who refused to buy from me if he was alone unless his wife left an order. “She doesn’t tend to the cattle, and I don’t buy the groceries” he would say. One day I was apparently feeling flippant and I asked him “you’re involved in a church, aren’t you.” He was taken aback slightly. Then, after some hesitation, he affirmed. Once I got back in the truck I laughed about how I had pegged him, but quickly grew somber when I realized that I didn’t recognize him by his fruits, but by his thorns. Now, in his defense, he did treat me better after this, but it’s a shame that it took me finding out he was a deacon (yes, a deacon) to make him change his demeanor to be more like Christ.
So, to get back to where I’m going with this: I know that door-to-door sales don’t generally bring out the best in people, but should salespeople, or anyone, for that matter, dread going to “Christian” homes or functions and enjoy entering “pagan” homes?
I Gave At The SanctuaryThis aversion to Christians and Christianity doesn’t just occur among salespeople. Just recently, I asked a waitress in the area if what I’d heard about Sunday restaurant patrons is true. She confirmed, stating that tips-per-table do indeed decrease on Sundays, the day when church-goers resplendent in their church clothes patronize local eateries. She spoke of one particular Sunday when two of every three tables did not tip. This is the kind of witness Christians are putting forth: stingy with their money, unwilling to give where giving is due.
I once heard a story from a local pastor who ate lunch with a friend. This friend was rude, impatient, and downright ugly toward the waitress. After the meal, his friend left a meager tip and a gospel tract on the table. When his friend’s back was turned, he quickly scooped up the tract and stuffed it in his pocket, ashamed to have the gospel associated with such rude and unforgiving behavior.
Now I’m not saying Christians should take out a second mortgage to tip exceedingly to poor waiters and waitresses, but I am saying that experiences like dining, meeting with salespeople, and our everyday dealings with people in general give us a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate grace and love, the very traits God demonstrates which give us hope and abundant life. If we, being people who have experienced God’s grace and love, cannot express grace and love, then we are like the wicked servant in Matthew 18:23-34:
23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.
Another problem I see is that those who recognize the bad reputations Christians have rightfully earned want to distance themselves. They refer to themselves as “Christ-followers” or “seekers” while they portray “Christians” as an entirely proud and self-righteous group. This is unacceptable. The church was referred to as “Christians” in the Bible by sarcastic unbelievers in Antioch who did so to denigrate and poke fun at them. Putting aside the division this demonstrates to those outside the church, could it be said the “Christ-follower” crowd is doing just that once again? If so, I am glad to be able to call myself a Christian and endure careless speech as the early church did. The more I can be associated with those saints the better. So, let us not abandon the Christian reputation in order to brand a new name for the church. It’s still by extension Christ’s reputation, so let’s redeem it, even if it is one genuine, gracious, loving witness at a time.
Several months ago, I received a friendly reminder from the Circuit Court Clerk’s office that it was time to renew my driver’s license. I had a hard time believing it had really been five years and about six fewer inches of hair (plus decreased hairline surface area) since the last renewal.
I finally remembered to make the trip and had the time, so I walked in through the metal detectors, handed the clerk my old license, and posed stoically before their camera. Five minutes and $21 later I was out the door with a fresh, warm driver’s license. After returning to work, I asked two of my co-workers to witness my signature to become an organ donor. That is when it struck me: The signature (autograph) of former DC Talk drummer Rick May, who had initially witnessed my desire to become an organ donor, was on the back of my license which was placed in a garbage can in the Clerk’s office at the Clay County Courthouse.
A few years ago, a couple friends and I travelled north to Chillicothe, Ohio to record a handful of songs produced by Rick May. Several months prior to our session, Rick had been dying. His liver was failing. He didn’t have much time. Then, his family’s prayers were answered–a liver became available for him. So, over dinner, when he asked me if I had consented to be an organ donor, I knew that the issue hit close to home for him. After seeing what that organ donation meant to him, I had no hesitation to consent.
So, that is how the former drummer for DC Talk signed the back of my driver’s license, witnessing my desire to be an organ donor.
For those of you who may be reticent to become an organ donor, I would ask you this: If you had the chance to help prolong another’s life so that they might have the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, or, so that they may have more time on earth to work for the Kingdom of God and serve the King, would you pass up that chance? Consider this verse:
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. Romans 6:13
And another:
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:12-13
Clay Willis put it best when he wrote that
[t]he donation of the organs of the body so that others might live would, in my humble opinion, be the donation of one’s “life” (the organs must still be alive when donated) to his “friends“. biblestudy.org
So, I deeply believe that becoming an organ donor is a way to serve God and love others, which is what we are called to do. If that isn’t a form of presenting “your members to God as instruments for righteousness,” I don’t know what is. Additionally, I can’t think of a better witness for those we leave behind in that, even posthumously, we give all we can and have in the service of the King
I’m thinking about moving back to wordpress.com. I enjoy the freedom that self-hosted wordpress.org software allows, but I miss the networking and community here. Plus, I need some inspiration to start writing again.
This past week was awesome. Monday through Thursday, I was blessed to be able to help out at the county-wide Vacation Bible School. Hundreds of children, from pre-school ages to high-school ages, attended this event. It was incredible to look out over the parking lot and see dozens of buses representing dozens of different church bodies and denominations. The church in Clay County really came together. There was great fun, fellowship, music, conversation about Jesus, speaking, and mission reports. This year, the offerings taken up at the VBS will go towards missions in Poland. This was my first year, and I sincerely regret not volunteering for the first two. Running home to change, then running to the church building to hop on the church bus, helping out at the event, then riding the bus for another thirty minutes or so after was tiring, but it was worth it and I believe I was blessed as much as the youth. Praise God for the souls redeemed and the lives changed this week!
I saw this on the side of the road in Oneida:
I’ve only seen one or two red foxes and as many grey foxes in my life. I certainly didn’t want to get a close look under these conditions. I must say that I am surprised that whoever hit the fox didn’t take it in order to have it stuffed and mounted.
I finally had the opportunity and occasion to travel north to Morehead this weekend. It was great to hang out with some dear friends and family. Also, I was able to help out Crosspoint Church and play with their praise band.
After the Sunday evening service, I got to hang out with several friends, including Todd & Miranda. It was great to see them. Todd, when can I borrow the D90?
My parents were out of town to visit my brother and his family. They brought back this unique cookie with caramel between two waffle pieces called a stroopwafel. It’s Dutch. I’m a caramel fiend, so it was very thoughtful.
Whilst they were gone, my parents asked me to mow thier lawn. So, on Monday night, I drove to the old home place and fired up the mower. I quickly realized that it had probably been close to two years since I had done so. It was nice to smell the fresh cut grass and be outdoors on such a wonderful and unseasonably cool evening.
On Tuesday, the library hosted a pool party for all the children who had participated in the summer reading program. It was quite refreshing to be around so many care-free kids enjoying themselves. This is cliche, but I do sincerely believe adults could learn a thing or two from the innocence of children.
The week primarily consisted of moving books in and out of the bookmobile at a feverish pace by day, and then playing tennis and cooking by night. However, the routine was thrown off by my wife’s excursion to Cincinatti to see Cheap Trick, Def Leppard & Poison on Wednesday. She even got to talk to the lead singer for Men At Work. I didn’t miss the life of a bachelor, so it was great to have her back on Thursday.
Friday night was full of good food and good friends. We don’t get to see each other often enough do we Joey?
I had to work Saturday, but the circulation desk was busy, so the time passed by quickly enough. After work I traveled to Laurel County to see some of my aunts and drop off that print I ordered from Kodak. Yes, I’m just now having it framed.
