November 9, 2016 - ... along the Way

Good morning!   Last night we learned that we have a new president-elect.   I am sure it was quite a shock to many, some have received the news with joy and wonderment, others with sadness and disbelief.   So what should we think as God's people walking together ... along the Way?

Throughout this entire presidential election year, I have maintained 3 truths that should give us confidence no matter which way the election would end.

1) God is in control.  

In Psalm 146, we read, "Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.   When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.  Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God."

God is eternal, human beings are not.  Earthly kingdoms may rise and fall, but God is the ruler yet.
We can put our trust and confidence in Almighty God.   He alone is fully trustworthy, and He will do what is best.

2) In the US, we do not elect a king.

As an American citizen, I place a lot of confidence in the US Constitution.  The wisdom of a balance of power between the Judicial, Executive, and Legislative branches, creates a system whereby a tyrant cannot take control.  Presidents can voice their opinions, offer plans, and develop budgets, but they are not given unilateral control to do whatever they please.   We are still a government ... "of the people, by the people, and for the people."

3) We will get the president we deserve.  

Because God is in control we will get the president we deserve.   As a people, we are free to choose our leaders through the electoral process.   Yet, as a people, we are also fallen.   We do not always know what is best for us, and often when we get what we think we want in the end it is not what we had thought it would be.

For example, in the Jewish scriptures, we see that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was the king  God's people deserved.   He was cruel, and God's people suffered under his rule.   Nevertheless, God was still in control.  Eventually, God changed Nebuchadnezzar's heart, so that near the end of his life he proclaimed about the LORD, the Most High, "His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation."

In spite of what we deserve, God is good, and He gives good things to those who fear Him.  We can be confident in light of the election results that God is in control, the US does not elect kings, and although we will get the president we deserve, God is good.

May the hope found in Jesus our true King, who alone has received all power and authority from God, offer us confidence to move forward in peace, as we journey together ... along the Way.

May 5, 2016 - Along the Way ...

As proclaimed by President Obama, today is the National Day of Prayer.  But what does that mean?

Prayer is an expression of our dependence on God, our Creator.   Today, we acknowledge His hand of care and protection over our nation and this world.  Today we give thanks for all God has done, is doing, and will continue to do.  Today, we humbly bow and ask God to heal our land in every possible meaning of that term.

The church that I serve has a document called, "Our World Belongs to God".   It is a contemporary testimony of our faith and trust and hope that God is ultimately in control, and because God is good we are assured that God has good plans for this, His (not our) world.

There is a song that I have been singing over the past month or so.  It has become my heart song as I have traveled, lived, move, and found God at work along the Way.  The song is true, and can be sung anywhere; in any city, in any nation, among all people.  The song is a prayer, expressing our hope and faith that God has greater things in store for this world; greater things than we can now fathom or even imagine.

The song is "God of this City" by Bluetree.  The song was written by a band from Ireland in a city in Thailand, which testifies to its universal application.

Here are the lyrics - it begins with praise and moves to petition - as we look to God as our greatest and really our only hope.

"You're the God of this city.

You're the King of these people.

You're the Lord of this nation.

You are.

You're the light in this darkness,

You're the hope to the hopeless,

You're the peace to the restless,

You are.

There is no one like our God.

There is no one like our God.

Greater things have yet to come,

and greater things are still to be done in this city."

So on this National Day of Prayer, I invite everyone to make this our prayer together.  We really do need God.  He is our creator, the redeemer of all things, and He is only hope.   So let us make this our prayer not just today, but always, as we journey together in hope ... along the Way!

"Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, 

whose hope is in the LORD his God,

the Maker of heaven and earth,

the sea and everything in them -

the LORD, who remains faithful forever."

(Psalm 146:5-6)

April 19, 2016 - along the Way ...

Hello.  I know it has been a while since I have written.  I was busy finishing a Clinical Pastoral Education unit at the Presbyterian Hospital here in Albuquerque.  It was a great experience.   And along the Way, God opened my eyes to the greatest gift we have to offer our family, friends, and neighbors: prayer.

Prayer is the greatest gift we have to offer because in prayer we rely on God to do things we can only dream.  God is able to heal.  God is able to forgive.  God is able to restore and completely transform lives, our communities, and even our city.

So today I want to bring our attention to Jeremiah 29:4-7.

This is a letter God wrote and shared via the prophet Jeremiah with His people.   It is God's marching orders for His people in exile in Babylon awaiting deliverance.  And for us who follow the Way (who is Jesus), it is marching orders as we wait for Jesus to return and make all things new.

Look at the list of activities that God blesses.

Build houses ... settle down ... plant gardens and eat what they produce ... marry ... have sons and daughters ... find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage ... that they too may have sons and daughters ...

This is the stuff of life.   This is life together.  This is why we work.  It is why we pray.  We work to live, not the other way around.   And God is saying that this is all good!

Then come the marching orders ...

"seek the peace and prosperity of the city" ...
"Pray to the LORD for it"...
"because if it prospers, you too will prosper."

So our marching orders are simple: seek peace and prosperity (for all) and pray to the LORD.

Simple, but how often do we do it?

Well, I would like to give us a chance to pray about these things.  For those in our area, Chelwood Church is sponsoring the first of many "Neighborhood Prayer Walks" this Wednesday evening, April 20 at 6pm.  

We are going to reflect on Jeremiah 29:4-7, as we walk through our neighborhood being mindful of what we see, hear, and smell; listening to God as He shares His dreams for this community.   If you would like to join us, meet near the front entrance and we will go from there.

These are our marching orders, and we will obey as together we journey along the Way ...

December 27, 2015 - along the Way ...

Well, we have come to the end of another year.   2015 will soon be only a memory, as a new year arises.  2016 is filled with anticipation for all that might be.  So as we move from one year to the next, we are confronted with the realities of time.  

There are a number of songs, which capture our preoccupation with time. 

“Time Marches On” by Tracy Lawrence which includes the line, “The only thing that stays the same is everything changes.”

“Nineteen Something” Mark Wills with the repeated line in the chorus, “I wouldn’t trade those days for nothin”

“We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel with the lines in the chorus, “... It was always burnin’ since the world’s been turnin’ … No, we didn’t light it, but we tried to fight it.”

        Popular culture has often mirrored our preoccupation with time.   But how should we, who follow Jesus, look at time?

In Psalm 90, the Psalmist, whom the scripture identifies as Moses, gives us some help in how we, who believe God’s promises, ought to view time.

(Read Psalm 90) p. 480

There is a simple message offered in this psalm.  The Lord is our dwelling place for all generations.  He is our home.   Yet in the midst of that simple message comes all the messiness of life.

The psalm is made of 3 parts.  

Part 1 is praise.  It recognizes God’s eternal being and His constant sovereign care.

Part 2 is a lament over the troubles and transience of life.  

Part 3 is a prayer for God’s help throughout life.

So let’s begin with Part 1 (verses 1-2): Praise

The Psalmist begins by declaring the Lord to be his home, and not only his home but the home of all who believe in Him from generations past to generations to come.   The Lord is eternal, and from everlasting to everlasting He is God.

Therefore, the Lord alone is worthy of our praise!

Yet Part 2 (verses 3-12) acknowledges the brokenness of a sin-sick world.  

Two themes offer evidence of the brokenness of our world.

Transience - We are only here on earth for a short time.  Each year that passes is one less in the number God has given us.  As 2015 comes to a close, it will never come back again.  It is gone forever, and all that will be left are memories.  And who we are now is not who we were 10 years ago, 5 years ago, or even at the start of 2015.   Things change, we change, yet God never changes!

Trouble - Not only are our days short in number, but they are accompanied with trouble.   God is good, but sometimes life is not.  I am sure everyone of us has experienced some type of hardship or trouble this year.   There have been good times, but there have also been times we wish would never have come.

Yet through it all, God is acknowledged as the One in charge, and fear is His due.  

Jewish wisdom literature teaches, “The Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 1:7)  Fear is respect, and the knowledge that God is great and I am not.  It is as one commentator has said, “I know two things for sure: First there is a God, and second I am not him.”   God is God, and fear is His due.

Finally, in the midst of the transience and trouble of life, the Psalmist leads us in a corporate prayer for help.   This is Part 3, and it is where we find our hope and our home.

Remember that the Psalmist began by telling us that the Lord is our dwelling place.  He is our home.  Well, if the Lord is our home, then He is the one to whom we should bring our troubles, cares, and concerns.  He is the One who can help in our time of need. 

Part 3: Prayer for help

Gladness for trouble (affliction)

Establishment for transience

Favor for wrath

God has granted us His grace through His Son; the eternal Word who became flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.   This is the miracle we celebrated at Christmas, and He is the miracle we celebrate all through the year. 

But as one year passes and a new year dawns, what do we, as those who believe God’s promise fulfilled in Jesus, learn from this Psalm?  

Our time on earth is limited.   We have a set number of years.  There will be trouble and hardship, and eventually our troubled days will come to an end.  Therefore, wisdom teaches us to number them, to feel them, “to taste tears and enjoy laughter”; to use them as best we can to make the truth of God’s kingdom come alive!

Our time, as are our lives, is in God’s hands.   We belong to God.  He has been our dwelling place for generations.  He is our home.  He will watch over us, and no matter what we think or feel, He will never leave us or forsake us.   

Finally, time is moving toward an end.  It is not an endless cycle, repeated over and over again, rather time is linear.  It will never be repeated, and it is heading toward a pre-determined end.   God knows when that day will be.   Jesus will return and will make all things new and all the sad things will come untrue.

Our times and our lives are in God’s hands.  We can trust Him because to Him the future is already history. 

To God be the glory!  Great things He has done, is doing, and will continue to do!

Amen.

November 10, 2015 - along the Way ...

It has been a few weeks since I have posted on my blog.   The last few weeks have been very full.  I recently started my second unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).   This second unit takes place at the Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque.   On top of the extra more than 20 hours each week for the CPE, I have participated in a few funerals, served on call with the Albuquerque Police Department, and last week drilled alongside those who serve in the New Mexico Air National Guard.

All these events, as well as the special days in the month of November, have me thinking about gratitude and service.

Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13)

Jesus willingly laid down his life (see John 10:18) for us, His friends, and every military veteran follows Jesus' pattern in their willingness to lay down their lives if necessary for the cause of freedom.  As such, these men and women deserve our admiration, appreciation, and respect.  To all who have served, are serving, and those who one day will serve, "Thank you".

I have the privilege to serve alongside some great folks, the men and women who serve in the New Mexico Air National Guard (the "Tacos").   We occasionally recite a creed that reminds us of the seriousness of our commitment.   A line in "The Airman's Creed" says very plainly, "I defend my country with my life."

While it is our hope and prayer that no one from the NM ANG will ever have to actually give their life in defense of this country or our state, we each vow that if necessary we will defend this state and our nation even to the cost of our lives.   This is love; this is great love; in fact Jesus said there is no greater love than this.

Thank you again to all who have served, are serving, and someday will serve.   You are my heroes, and I am honored to serve alongside you as we journey together along the Way ....

October 14, 2015 - along the Way ...

Since we have covered all the seven deadly sins and their accompanying virtues, we will move onto other matters. 

This week I want to consider the definition of the church.   Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”  So according to Jesus the church, which is the body of Christ, is present wherever 2 or 3 gather in Jesus’ name.  

So what does that mean?  

Too often we think of the church as a place, or a building, or a group of people (usually the same group of people) with which we gather each week, especially on Sunday.   But what if Jesus’ definition is more inclusive than that?  

What if we began to see the church, as the body of Christ, present anywhere at least two people gather in agreement in Jesus’ name?   How might our perception of the church and its purpose change?

Last week, as a chaplain with the local police, I had an opportunity to gather with some workers at a local business following the tragic death of one of their co-workers.   As I walked around, I chatted with a few different people.   It was amazing to me to see how many professed faith in God, yet others lamented that there were not many believers there, likely because they did not attend the same weekly worship gathering.   

What might happen in that business, if the believers recognized each other as brothers and sisters-in-Christ?   How might their workplace change?   How might they be able to encourage one another? 

I believe it is time we learn to see the church as Jesus defines it, “where two or three gather in my name”.   As we do, we will begin to see more opportunities to carry out the purpose of the church which is to reveal Christ and His kingdom to those around us wherever we find ourselves as we journey together along the Way … 

October 6, 2015 - along the Way ...

Today we will discuss the final of the "deadly sins" and its accompanying virtue.    The last of the seven deadly sins is wrath or anger.

Anger comes from misdirected desire because it often involves a response to something I wanted or felt I deserved but did not receive.   It is my desire to be respected and valued, which is not bad in itself, but when misdirected can lead to a sense of entitlement.   I feel I am owed respect, and when I do not get it, I get angry.

For example, the one place I recognize this most in my life is when I am behind the wheel.   If someone pulls out in front of me or cuts me off, I feel anger rising up inside of me.   I can feel my blood pressure begin to increase, and my face becoming tense and turning red.   There is a negative biological reaction to anger, and it causes me undue stress.

Yet there is a remedy for wrath.  The accompanying virtue that I must ask God to cultivate in me is patience leading to forgiveness.   Patience means seeing the value in the other person and respecting them as I wish to be respected, so that I am able to set aside my sense of entitlement and let another have first place.  

Patience also leads to forgiveness when I choose to show love for the other person, and offer them the benefit of the doubt, extending forgiveness even as I have received forgiveness from God.

Jesus highlights this when He taught us how we should pray.   One of the petitions in the prayer Jesus taught us to pray is: "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors".   We ask God to help us offer forgiveness to others as freely as we have received forgiveness by believing God's promise met in Christ.

Recently, I have learned a concept taught by Jeff Vander Stelt to the Soma Communities of which he has been pastor.   The concept is called "Gospel Fluency" and it involves four key questions that will help us navigate any situation in a Christlike manner.

1) Who is God?  (Theology) - What does the Bible say about who God is and how does God's being
                                                 relate to my situation?
2) What has God done? (Soteriology - Doctrine of Salvation) - What has God done in Christ and  
                                                 throughout history that would shed light on this current situation?
3) Who am I?  (Ecclesiology) - It is important to reflect on our identity (both collective and
                                                individual) in Christ to determine its relevance for the current situation.
4)  What should I do? (Missiology) - The church does what it is, our identity in Christ (determined by
                                                Who God is, and What He has done) shapes what we do.   This will
                                                make knowing the right thing to do in every situation much clearer,
                                                since as God's children we are called to love others as God has loved us
                                                in Christ.   Thus in this situation that would mean offering forgiveness.

I hope these thoughts have been helpful for you.   I invite you to share your own challenges, and how God has taught you how your identity in Christ can shape what you do in each situation, as we journey together along the Way ...

September 29, 2015 - along the Way ...

This week we look at the deadly sin of "sloth".

Sloth is interesting because it deals with wrongly directed desire that is really a lack of desire.   Sloth is the lack of desire to do something; be productive; use God-given gifts for God-glorifying activity.
Sloth is apathy, and a refusal to be responsive or responsible for one's calling.

The corresponding virtue to sloth is diligence; following through on one's responsibilities and calling.
Diligence should not be confused with overworking, which is often motivated by greed.   Diligence is willingness to serve in any capacity in order to bring the most glory to God.   It is not self-directed work, rather it is God-directed kingdom pursuit.

Consider Ephesians 2:10.   Following the important declaration in verses 8-9 that we are saved by grace through faith, a gift of God, not by works, Paul follows up with these words,

"For we are God's workmanship (poetry),

created in Christ Jesus,

to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do."

God's grace is not merely aimed at the personal salvation of individual believers.   Our salvation is not the end, but rather the means toward God's greater ends; the accomplishment of the good works God has prepared for us.

On the one hand, diligence recognizes this responsibility and seeks to pursue these ends seeking first God's kingdom and His righteousness.   Sloth, on the other hand, ignores God's call and chooses to disregard this kingdom responsibility. 

So I encourage each of us to pursue God's kingdom wholeheartedly, and not allow sloth to prevent us from accomplishing God's good purposes for His glory.  

These have been my thoughts, and I invite you to share some of your own as we journey together along the Way ... 

September 22, 2015 - along the Way ...

GREED.  It is one of the most dangerous of the Seven Deadly Sins, but most often it is ignored in our lives and our preaching.  

Jesus said, "No one can serve (worship) two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other,
or you will devoted to the one and despise the other.   You cannot serve (worship) both God and money (things)."   - Matthew 6:24

Greed is desire that has gone in the wrong direction.   Instead of focusing on our love for God and others, greed causes us to focus on ourselves, our wants and our desires.

Jesus also said, "pagans run after all these things" (Matthew 6:32a).   Greed defines the pagan by what they do, not who they are.  So greed is most dangerous because it can take us away from God.

In contrast, following up on His statement about pagans, Jesus says, "... and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first His (God's) kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you (all) as well." (Matthew 6:32b, 33)

This leads us to the corresponding virtue that God calls us to cultivate in opposition to greed.   The virtue is generosity.

Generosity destroys greed from the inside out because it forces us to look away from our own wants and desires to see the needs of the people around us.  Generosity seeks first God's kingdom and righteousness to come alive in the lives of others, and trusts God to provide what we (all) need for each day.

So if you feel weighed down by greed, I encourage you to ask God to make you generous.   God has given us all we need for each day, and as we learn to share generously God's kingdom will come alive to more and more people.

These are my thoughts, and I am certain you also have thoughts to share, so I invite you to share some of your own thoughts as we journey together along the Way ....

September 15, 2015 - along the Way ...

Envy is also identified as one of the "Seven Deadly Sins".   Envy begins with desire and quickly goes the wrong way.

Envy is not only desire for something someone else has, it also includes contempt for the person who has what you desire.  Envy can be deadly because it can lead to something much worse.

In the book, "Not the Way it's Supposed to Be: a Breviary of Sin" by Neal Plantinga he retells a story of a woman who envied another woman so much that it led to murder.   She murdered the woman and the man she wanted from the woman.   Granted, this is a very extreme example of how envy can go wrong, but a real life example nonetheless.

On the other hand, kindness is a desire we can cultivate in opposition to envy.   Kindness wants the very best for the other.   Kindness is even willing to sacrifice to see another's needs met, and celebrates with the other in their happiness.

So what about you?

Are you envious of anyone?   Are you allowing that envy to poison your soul?    If so, you can do something about it.   You can pray that God will develop in you a kindness that seeks what is best for others and not just yourself.   You can choose to bless rather than curse, and in so doing you can be a light in a world that often seems very dark.

These are my thoughts, so what about yours?   I invite you to share your thoughts as we journey together along the Way ...

September 8, 2015 - along the Way ...

Gluttony is another of the "Seven Deadly Sins" and temperance is its accompanying virtue.

Gluttony could be defined as "too much of a good thing".   Examples of gluttony are overeating, overexercising, over-TV watching, etc.   Anything activity that is described with the word "over" is most likely a form of gluttony.

At first glance, one might think that gluttony should not be one of the seven deadly sins because although it is misdirected desire it seems to affect only the glutton and not others around them.
However, gluttony actually affects more than just the glutton.   Gluttony prohibits the glutton from properly loving their neighbor because the whole focus is on himself.

So how does temperance counteract gluttony?

Temperance means "enjoyment of good things without overindulging".   One is temperate when she maintains the ability to say "No".   She might also say, "Yes" to enjoy the experience, but once she  experienced it, she will also say "No" to overdoing it.

Temperance allows us to enjoy the good things God has given us without them becoming "all-consuming" or unhealthy.

So what about you?

Can you think of other examples of gluttony?   Also, how might temperance be exercised in that situation?

I invite you to share your thoughts as we journey together along the Way ...

September 1, 2015 - along the Way ...

I have now completed the third room with laminate flooring in our home, for which I am very thankful.   As we enter into a new month, I will continue to consider the "Seven Deadly Sins" and their accompanying virtues.   For this week we will consider "envy".

Envy is not simply desiring what another has, but envy actually resents the other person for having it.
It is sort of the idea that if I cannot have it, then you should not have it either.   Envy is common in our world today.

How many times do we find ourselves desiring something someone else has, and then becoming resentful?   In our resentment, we want the other to be deprived as we are.

Envy is very dangerous.  It begins with misdirected desire, and can lead to some awful things, even murder.

So if envy is misdirected desire and resentment, then what is the accompanying virtue?

Kindness is the opposite of envy.   Kindness wants what is best for everyone.   Kindness appreciates the belongings of another, and is happy to see it bring them happiness.   Kindness looks for ways to bless rather than curse.   In this way it is the opposite of envy and resentment.

Now, as you think about your week, are there opportunities where you can let kindness lead?   Also, if you feel envy and resentment cropping up from within, will you stop them in their tracks and choose to think kind thoughts instead?  

Developing virtue requires effort.   It requires reliance on God in prayer, and it requires us to be attuned to our own souls so that we can weed out envy and cultivate kindness.

So what about you?  How do you cultivate kindness?  I invite you to share your thoughts and ideas as we journey together along the Way ...

August 25, 2015 - along the Way ...

I apologize that I missed sending a post last week.  I was busy completing some work around the house (laminate flooring in two rooms so far).

This week I would like to continue our exploration of desire needing direction with the second of the 7 deadly sins: Pride.

Pride is defined as "thinking of yourself more highly than you ought".   Pride begins with desire.  It is our desire to feel good about ourselves, and pride can be a good thing.  It is good to take pride in your work, and in who you are.  However, pride becomes a problem when our opinion of ourselves becomes overinflated, like a balloon about to burst.

When pride becomes overinflated, it can cause us to look down on others, lose our ability to love people, and lead us to do things we should not do (whether a 40-year old man trying to jump a bicycle, or enter into a business opportunity without counting the cost).   Overinflated pride can be very damaging indeed.

On the flip side, humility is "thinking of yourself as you are for who you really are".  It is not self-deprecation, which causes us to devalue ourselves.  Humility is an honest assessment of who we are and what we are able to do.   Humility leads us to depend on God because it makes us realize how far short we fall of His glory.   Humility also allows us to love others because it causes us to recognize the inherent value of each person.

So our prayer for this week would be for God to help us develop true humility, not self-deprecation but honest assessment, so that we can be who we really are and do what God wants us to do to make His kingdom come alive!

As pride breaks Shalom, so we pray that true humility can help us experience more of what God intends for us together.

These have been my thoughts, and I invite you to share some of your own, as we journey together along the Way ...

August 11, 2015 - along the Way ...

This past Sunday, as we continue to seek first God's righteousness,  I taught that desire needs direction.   "The Seven Deadly Sins" are an example because each begins with desire.   Over the next few weeks, using the Seven Deadly Sins and their accompanying virtues, I will show how desire can go one of two ways:  toward sin or toward virtue (righteousness).

Sin, as Neal Plantinga defines it in his book: "Not the Way It's Supposed to Be" is "culpable Shalom-breaking".   Shalom is the world as God intends it to be; everything right; all people reconciled; true peace.    

Lust is one of the seven deadly sins.   It begins with desire, a natural God-given desire, which gets twisted, misdirected, and leads toward sin; the breaking of Shalom.

The accompanying virtue to "lust" is "chastity".   Chastity is purity.   It is rightly directed desire, which leads to respect for oneself and others.   "Chastity" is a virtue that begins in the heart with respect and leads us more toward the world as God intended.

Respect means acknowledging each person as uniquely created in God's image, and thereby each person has inherent value and worth.  Thus, each person is a person first, not an object to be used for one's own purposes.

Lust twists our natural, God-given desire into something selfish and disrespectful.  

If each person would realize the inherent value of every other person, and see each person as a person first rather than an object, we would have a more respectful society.

Pornography would not be welcome, although permissible under the law (freedom of speech and expression), it would not have a following.   In addition, sex-trafficking would become a thing of the past.  People would realize that other people are someone's child, sister, brother, mother, father, etc.
No one is a commodity to be bought and sold at a price.   It is inhumane and very disrespectful.

So ultimately Shalom (the world as God intended it to be) is broken by lust because it degrades the other person into an object, and mars the true identity of a person.

However, Shalom can be restored through respect which leads to chastity and makes God's already present kingdom come more alive for all to see.  

I encourage each of us to consider how we might ask God to lead us toward mutual respect and chastity, and away from Shalom-breaking lust.

These are my thoughts, now I invite you to share yours, as we journey together along the Way ...

August 5, 2015 - along the Way ...

This week I am thinking about the hardships we all go through, and the source of strength we most often overlook.

Often I hear people complain about their life.   Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently.   It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.

In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."

Did you get that?  We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.

What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.

Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139.   I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.    

It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today.   If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.

Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn.  In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven.   Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you.  He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.

And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...

August 5, 2015 - along the Way ...

This week I am thinking about the hardships we all go through, and the source of strength we most often overlook.

Often I hear people complain about their life.   Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently.   It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.

In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."

Did you get that?  We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.

What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.

Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139.   I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.    

It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today.   If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.

Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn.  In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven.   Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you.  He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.

And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...

August 5, 2015 - along the Way ...

This week I am thinking about the hardships we all go through, and the source of strength we most often overlook.

Often I hear people complain about their life.   Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently.   It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.

In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."

Did you get that?  We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.

What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.

Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139.   I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.    

It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today.   If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.

Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn.  In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven.   Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you.  He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.

And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...

August 5, 2015 - along the Way ...

This week I am thinking about the hardships we all go through, and the source of strength we most often overlook.

Often I hear people complain about their life.   Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently.   It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.

In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."

Did you get that?  We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.

What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.

Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139.   I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.    

It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today.   If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.

Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn.  In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven.   Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you.  He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.

And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...

August 5, 2015 - along the Way ...

This week I am thinking about the hardships we all go through, and the source of strength we most often overlook.

Often I hear people complain about their life.   Usually it is legitimate because life has been particularly hard recently.   It is in these moments that we must remember where our strength is found.

In I Peter 5:7, Peter writes, "Cast all your anxiety (cares) on Him because He cares for you."

Did you get that?  We can give God all our cares because He cares about us.

What an overwhelming privilege to know that the God who created the universe, and who knit each one of us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), cares so much for us that He invites us to give Him ALL of our cares and concerns.

Recently, I was reading through Psalm 139.   I invite you to do the same, but do so from the perspective of someone struggling with anxiety.    

It seems there are many people who deal with anxiety attacks in our world today.   If you are one of those people, let me encourage you to cast your anxiety on God as you make Psalm 139 (especially verse 23) your personal prayer.

Many times we feel overwhelmed, and it seems we have nowhere to turn.  In those moments, I encourage you to turn your eyes toward heaven.   Ask yourself, "Where is God in all of this?"
Realize that you have a Creator, He is always there, and He cares for you.  He is there, and He is ready to receive your anxiety, your cares, and concerns.

And remember someday I might need this same reminder as we journey together along the Way ...

July 21, 2015 - along the Way ...

Over the past few weeks our local neighborhood has been terrorized by a handful of young men.   They have been tagging property, stealing things from inside cars, breaking and entering, and generally causing havoc.

Recently, three of the perpetrators were arrested and brought to justice through a partnership between a community member and our police department.   Since these young men have been brought to justice, there has been less terrorism in our community, which got me to thinking ... if a handful of young men can terrorize a neighborhood, what can a handful of people to do build up their community?

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:14-16,

"You are the light of the world.

A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.

Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

In the same way, let your light shine before others,

that they may see your good deeds,

and glorify your Father in heaven."

Jesus says, "You are the light of the world."  Elsewhere, He claims, "I am the light of the world ..." (John 8:12)  So Jesus, who is THE light of the world, says to us, "you are THE light of the world."

Since we are the body of Christ now on earth, our calling is to be like Jesus bringing light to dark places.  As we do, Jesus tells us people will see what we do, and in turn they will glorify God, our Father.

Therefore, if a handful of Christ followers, and those who agree to partner with us, can bring light, doing good deeds, encouraging people, helping those in need, and working with young people to show them a better path, we can make a huge difference and make our community flourish.  

So what about you?  Are you willing to shine your light, and do some good deeds?

If so, we can make a real difference in our neighborhoods and communities as we journey together ... along the Way!