We have just spent a few days with part of our family, the ones that live the longest distance from us, over in Arkansas. They asked us to come to Atlanta when they were to be there for a wedding. Since they were bringing their two kids, and knew that we did not get to see them enough, they arranged to come a couple of days early so that we could have some time with all. It was a good time and we appreciated their efforts on our behalf.
Since our family is spread out, in 4 different states, it is hard to get together. If we make it once every couple of years at Christmas, that is an accomplishment, and, as the grand kids grow up and have lives of their own, it gets harder each year. It is something that we enjoy, but it is not always easy.
I guess my idealized family situation is all of the kids and grandkids growing up in the same place, maybe even the same compound, like on a big farm with separate houses for each family, but many times of fellowship and sharing their lives. That would be a time of watching them grow up, participating in the events of their lives, seeing the extended family living and working and playing, and, in short, being together and liking it.
But I also know that there is a danger in all of that, too. I have seen, and have also witnessed, close families that were held together by the dictatorial attitudes of the father or mother. There is control situated at the top of the family structure, and fear becomes the dominating factor. Father knows best was not just a TV show, but the way of life for some families.
I thought of all this while I was reading the Scripture in Matthew 23 this morning:
"Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do."
I don't want to be the authority for the decisions of my children and their families. That is way too much pressure for me, and they don't need that kind of dependence on anyone else. God is the One who will be there for them, and I want them to find, and take advantage, of that final authority.
It is true that I raised my family to be independent, and I wanted them to be dependent on no man. I think God would want that also, and His control is that of love and the best for each one.
Submission to God equals independence from man, and I need that just like all my family.
But I still kinda like the scenes from Little House on the Prairie.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
Be Careful of What You Build
What is my prayer this morning? What thoughts enter my mind as I wake up, even before I read any of the Scriptures or try to pray? It is hard to get up with a clean slate, or a clear and open mind. So many things are already out there, even in the few minutes between waking and getting to this point. Even though it is only a short time, my dreams of the night before, or my plans of the coming day already want my attention. Events, words or actions of the previous day come flowing back and try to crowd out the sense of why I sit here to study and write.
It is hard for me to concentrate with all of this going on in my mind. I want the Spirit of God to guide me in my thoughts, and maybe this is a part of that, but I often feel disappointed with myself when I realize my faults and short comings. I want to live in a way that others might see that I have been with Jesus.
Then I look back at what I have written and it looks like Jesus is not the important part of this equation, it is me. I want to live, and I want others to see. Is not the object of any Christian life that others see Jesus not me?
Even as I read the short Scripture passage this morning this came out:
Wanting others around me to recognize that I am in touch with the God of the Universe, and that I can speak His wisdom, so that people might marvel, is a very slippery slope. Does the spotlight fall on God or me?
Perhaps that is why God brings my past up to me in these moments, so that I can see myself as He does, and from that experience, to grow.
After all.....
The pedestal that I build for myself is pretty short, but it is plenty tall enough to get hurt falling off of.
It is hard for me to concentrate with all of this going on in my mind. I want the Spirit of God to guide me in my thoughts, and maybe this is a part of that, but I often feel disappointed with myself when I realize my faults and short comings. I want to live in a way that others might see that I have been with Jesus.
Then I look back at what I have written and it looks like Jesus is not the important part of this equation, it is me. I want to live, and I want others to see. Is not the object of any Christian life that others see Jesus not me?
Even as I read the short Scripture passage this morning this came out:
"When they heard it, they marveled."
Wanting others around me to recognize that I am in touch with the God of the Universe, and that I can speak His wisdom, so that people might marvel, is a very slippery slope. Does the spotlight fall on God or me?
Perhaps that is why God brings my past up to me in these moments, so that I can see myself as He does, and from that experience, to grow.
After all.....
The pedestal that I build for myself is pretty short, but it is plenty tall enough to get hurt falling off of.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Showing the Proper Respect
There are a lot of people mentioned in today's reading from Matthew 22.
First there are the invited guests:
"He sent out servants to call in all the invited guests. And they wouldn't come!"
They had a personal invitation to the banquet.
Then there were those who were in the right place at the right time:
"The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad,"
They got the chance to feast also.
Then there were those who came:
"And so the banquet was on—every place filled."
Then there was one who came but who did not respect the occasion or the one who made the feast available:
"When the king entered and looked over the scene, he spotted a man who wasn't properly dressed."
Where do I fit into this whole story?
When God issues an invitation to serve, to care, or just to sit and listen, do I disrespect that offer by my indifference or selfishness? Am I too busy to make the effort, or just don't care about the feast or the one who sets it?
If I do decide to come, do I show the proper respect for the occasion, or the feast preparer, by at least showing up with the proper motives, leaving the selfish part behind?
In short, do I show up because I want to honor those others who are in that part of the story, or do I sit and eat because I see it as an opportunity for personal gain?
It is not enough to show up, although that is the first important part, I need to get myself out of the way.
Even if I show up to read, study, meditate and pray in the beginning of each day, when I treat the time as just a prelude to writing a blog, forgetting what I have written as I live that day, I show no respect for what God has revealed. It is just so many words.
God, help me to respect the invitation and respect what You show to me, by living it out today.
First there are the invited guests:
"He sent out servants to call in all the invited guests. And they wouldn't come!"
They had a personal invitation to the banquet.
Then there were those who were in the right place at the right time:
"The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad,"
They got the chance to feast also.
Then there were those who came:
"And so the banquet was on—every place filled."
Then there was one who came but who did not respect the occasion or the one who made the feast available:
"When the king entered and looked over the scene, he spotted a man who wasn't properly dressed."
Where do I fit into this whole story?
When God issues an invitation to serve, to care, or just to sit and listen, do I disrespect that offer by my indifference or selfishness? Am I too busy to make the effort, or just don't care about the feast or the one who sets it?
If I do decide to come, do I show the proper respect for the occasion, or the feast preparer, by at least showing up with the proper motives, leaving the selfish part behind?
In short, do I show up because I want to honor those others who are in that part of the story, or do I sit and eat because I see it as an opportunity for personal gain?
It is not enough to show up, although that is the first important part, I need to get myself out of the way.
Even if I show up to read, study, meditate and pray in the beginning of each day, when I treat the time as just a prelude to writing a blog, forgetting what I have written as I live that day, I show no respect for what God has revealed. It is just so many words.
God, help me to respect the invitation and respect what You show to me, by living it out today.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Somebody Knows My Name
When I graduated from The University of Tennessee, way back in 1958, I took a job with the university in their accounting department. My title was Asst. Auditor, and my job was to do whatever the Treasurer or the Head Auditor told me, The President of UT at that time was C.E. Brehm, who served in that office from 1946-1959. About the only time I saw Dr. Brehm was when he got out of his car to go to his office, which was on the 2nd floor of our building.
After he retired, Dr. Andy Holt, who had been one of the University vice presidents, became the President and the aura around the office of president changed. Dr. Holt walked all over that campus, speaking to students, faculty and visitors alike. He never failed to speak to staff as they passed in the hall. The stories were passed around the school of how he would stop students on their way to the top of the Hill, to Ayers Hall, and give them a ride to the top in his car. He was a people person for sure.
My office was in the Administration Building up on the Hill, well, really, I only had a desk in a big office, but the President's office was on the floor above. One day as I walked across the Hill for something, a voice called out from the other side of the small quad that separated the buildings, "Hey Don", and you can imagine my surprise when I realized who it was. The President actually knew who I was, and called me by name, not in a small whisper, but in a loud shout that everyone up on the Hill that day could hear. But that was the way this man operated, speaking to and with, everyone from the janitor in the building to the head football coach, without distinction.
That memory sticks with me, partly because I was flattered by his recognition, but more because I saw something there that I would like to emulate. The man cared about people, all his people, at least as far as I saw, and he was not afraid to show that in public.
True humility and true caring are two traits that cannot be faked very well, and they are two that I would like to characterize my life. By treating men and women that I meet in a genuine way, acknowledging that they are persons of worth, whether it be in church, in prison or in a store, is the way that God would like me to behave.
After all, He was not ashamed when He called my name either.
After he retired, Dr. Andy Holt, who had been one of the University vice presidents, became the President and the aura around the office of president changed. Dr. Holt walked all over that campus, speaking to students, faculty and visitors alike. He never failed to speak to staff as they passed in the hall. The stories were passed around the school of how he would stop students on their way to the top of the Hill, to Ayers Hall, and give them a ride to the top in his car. He was a people person for sure.
My office was in the Administration Building up on the Hill, well, really, I only had a desk in a big office, but the President's office was on the floor above. One day as I walked across the Hill for something, a voice called out from the other side of the small quad that separated the buildings, "Hey Don", and you can imagine my surprise when I realized who it was. The President actually knew who I was, and called me by name, not in a small whisper, but in a loud shout that everyone up on the Hill that day could hear. But that was the way this man operated, speaking to and with, everyone from the janitor in the building to the head football coach, without distinction.
That memory sticks with me, partly because I was flattered by his recognition, but more because I saw something there that I would like to emulate. The man cared about people, all his people, at least as far as I saw, and he was not afraid to show that in public.
True humility and true caring are two traits that cannot be faked very well, and they are two that I would like to characterize my life. By treating men and women that I meet in a genuine way, acknowledging that they are persons of worth, whether it be in church, in prison or in a store, is the way that God would like me to behave.
After all, He was not ashamed when He called my name either.
Monday, June 25, 2012
My Plans or His?
Today is the day of the Gathering Place fund raising golf tournament. I have looked forward to this for a while since it is to be played on the Ocean Forest course over on Sea Island. Now this course is very private, and the only way to get on is to be invited by a member. So this is my chance to see it and play it, and to test my game on it.
But there is a problem. It started raining last night, rained all night and is still coming down this morning. The forecast is for still more rain throughout the day, so it does not look good for golf. A tropical storm came up in the Gulf of Mexico a couple of days ago and has moved east so that the northern part of Florida and south Georgia are getting the rain. Looking at the weather radar map, the whole of the United States looks good except for right down here where we are.
As I sit here this morning, listening to the rain outside and reading the Scripture for today, the word that catches my attention is "Prayer", as in this verse in Matthew 21:
"Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God."
After kicking this around in my mind, realizing that praying is something that I do, but also something that eludes my understanding quite a bit of the time, I think maybe God is telling me to spend the free time today, since I don't have to spend hours at that course, in seeking Him in prayer.
One of my favorite lines on prayer, from a quasi secular book series, Jan Karon's Mitford series, is the one by Father Tim when he says that he will pray the prayer that never fails, which is: "Thy will be done".
If it is God's will that I not play today, perhaps another activity might be much more beneficial to me.
Thy will be done.
But there is a problem. It started raining last night, rained all night and is still coming down this morning. The forecast is for still more rain throughout the day, so it does not look good for golf. A tropical storm came up in the Gulf of Mexico a couple of days ago and has moved east so that the northern part of Florida and south Georgia are getting the rain. Looking at the weather radar map, the whole of the United States looks good except for right down here where we are.
As I sit here this morning, listening to the rain outside and reading the Scripture for today, the word that catches my attention is "Prayer", as in this verse in Matthew 21:
"Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God."
After kicking this around in my mind, realizing that praying is something that I do, but also something that eludes my understanding quite a bit of the time, I think maybe God is telling me to spend the free time today, since I don't have to spend hours at that course, in seeking Him in prayer.
One of my favorite lines on prayer, from a quasi secular book series, Jan Karon's Mitford series, is the one by Father Tim when he says that he will pray the prayer that never fails, which is: "Thy will be done".
If it is God's will that I not play today, perhaps another activity might be much more beneficial to me.
Thy will be done.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
The Uniqueness of a Sunday
There was a woman in the reading for today, from Luke 13, a woman who had a problem but continued to come to the place of meeting on the Sabbath. Luke records the incident:
"10-13He was teaching in one of the meeting places on the Sabbath. There was a woman present, so twisted and bent over with arthritis that she couldn't even look up. She had been afflicted with this for eighteen years. When Jesus saw her, he called her over. "Woman, you're free!" He laid hands on her and suddenly she was standing straight and tall, giving glory to God". (The Message)
Was this woman coming to be healed? Did she even know that Jesus would be there that day? Was it just her custom to come on the Sabbath, regardless?
Of course we cannot look into her mind, but I suspect that she expected this particular Sabbath to be like the ones before, the ones she had been coming to for the past 18 years since the arthritis had left her somewhat deformed and probably in pain. Would this day be any different?
The story seems to emphasize the healing of the woman and the religious leaders reaction to it, but my thought was the uniqueness of that particular Sabbath, for everyone concerned.
Then I thought of my attitude as I go to church on each Sunday morning. Do I go in expectation of something unique, or do I suspect it will be the same each and every time. I have jobs to perform, the order of the service is somewhat predictable, the people are familiar for the most part, we sit in the same place in the sanctuary, and we will be through around 12:15. Do I give God a chance to break into my routine and bless me, or even challenge me?
The woman in the story was faithful to be there in the meeting place on the appointed day. She was in that spot where God could step into her life in a big way, and she would never be the same again. From then on, that meeting place would become a miracle spot for her. I know it is hard to put to many things in the mind of that woman, one that I do not know anything about, but she encountered Jesus in a mighty way.
Perhaps I should take a closer look at Sunday mornings and my attitudes on those days.
"10-13He was teaching in one of the meeting places on the Sabbath. There was a woman present, so twisted and bent over with arthritis that she couldn't even look up. She had been afflicted with this for eighteen years. When Jesus saw her, he called her over. "Woman, you're free!" He laid hands on her and suddenly she was standing straight and tall, giving glory to God". (The Message)
Was this woman coming to be healed? Did she even know that Jesus would be there that day? Was it just her custom to come on the Sabbath, regardless?
Of course we cannot look into her mind, but I suspect that she expected this particular Sabbath to be like the ones before, the ones she had been coming to for the past 18 years since the arthritis had left her somewhat deformed and probably in pain. Would this day be any different?
The story seems to emphasize the healing of the woman and the religious leaders reaction to it, but my thought was the uniqueness of that particular Sabbath, for everyone concerned.
Then I thought of my attitude as I go to church on each Sunday morning. Do I go in expectation of something unique, or do I suspect it will be the same each and every time. I have jobs to perform, the order of the service is somewhat predictable, the people are familiar for the most part, we sit in the same place in the sanctuary, and we will be through around 12:15. Do I give God a chance to break into my routine and bless me, or even challenge me?
The woman in the story was faithful to be there in the meeting place on the appointed day. She was in that spot where God could step into her life in a big way, and she would never be the same again. From then on, that meeting place would become a miracle spot for her. I know it is hard to put to many things in the mind of that woman, one that I do not know anything about, but she encountered Jesus in a mighty way.
Perhaps I should take a closer look at Sunday mornings and my attitudes on those days.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
The Question
There is a question in the reading today. True, it is a question that comes out of a particular story from Matthew 20, but it is a question that all have to answer when we encounter Jesus. The passage reads from The Message:
"As they were leaving Jericho, a huge crowd followed. Suddenly they came upon two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard it was Jesus passing, they cried out, "Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!" The crowd tried to hush them up, but they got all the louder, crying, "Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!"
Jesus asks this morning, "What do you want Me to do? What is the need here for you? Out of all the things that you can ask Me for, what is the most important, right now, today, at this moment in time, when we are speaking to each other, when we recognize each other?"
When I strip away all the things that can call for the attention of my life, all the needs of others, all the situations that call for my help and notice, all my concerns, what do I answer Jesus?
"To know You and the power of Your salvation"
My eyes also need to be opened, I want to see, and I want to feel that divine touch. I want to be so blatantly honest that Jesus is deeply moved.
Let it be so, even now, Lord Jesus, let it be so..
"As they were leaving Jericho, a huge crowd followed. Suddenly they came upon two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard it was Jesus passing, they cried out, "Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!" The crowd tried to hush them up, but they got all the louder, crying, "Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!"
32Jesus stopped and called over, "What do you want from me?"
33They said, "Master, we want our eyes opened. We want to see!"
34Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes"
Jesus asks this morning, "What do you want Me to do? What is the need here for you? Out of all the things that you can ask Me for, what is the most important, right now, today, at this moment in time, when we are speaking to each other, when we recognize each other?"
When I strip away all the things that can call for the attention of my life, all the needs of others, all the situations that call for my help and notice, all my concerns, what do I answer Jesus?
"To know You and the power of Your salvation"
My eyes also need to be opened, I want to see, and I want to feel that divine touch. I want to be so blatantly honest that Jesus is deeply moved.
Let it be so, even now, Lord Jesus, let it be so..
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