When Simon saw that the apostles by merely laying on hands conferred the Spirit, he pulled out his money, excited, and said, "Sell me your secret! Show me how you did that! How much do you want? Name your price!" Acts 8:18-19 (The Message)
Simon got excited that he might have discovered some new kind of magic trick. He was willing to pay money to learn how to do what the apostles were doing … and it got me thinking … What gets us excited?
Can we make a list of those things in this life that gets us excited?
Sporting event?
A good meal?
Being together with our special someone?
Visiting with our grandchildren?
Is it something that we are willing to pay money to get? … regardless of the cost?
I mean … real excited … racing heart, quick pulse, cannot sleep, jump up and down excited?
Bill Gaither wrote a gospel song about getting excited:
Get all excited go tell everybody that Jesus Christ is King, I said get all excited go tell everybody that Jesus Christ is King, Get all excited go tell everybody that Jesus Christ is King, Jesus Christ is still the King of king's
You talk about people you talk about thing's that really aren't important at all ... you talk about weather you talk about problems we have here at home and abroad
Oh, we speak about getting excited about this or about that … but words are cheap and not often backed up by our actions.
If we were visited by “Mr- Hunk-Movie-Star” or “Miss-Knock-Your-Socks-Off-Of-World-Beauty-Queen-Winner” we would be so excited that everyone, including the strangers at our door, would hear about. We would be so excited that it would last for at least a week, if not longer.
So why don’t we feel the same way about Jesus?
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
A Modern Day Parable - The Parable of the Train
Modern day parables, like parables of old, tell a simple story with one clear point. Stories are the way we think and remember. Jesus knew this and thus he used a lot of them to help his listeners and us to understand the deeper truth of God’s love and grace.
The Parable of the Train
A man is in charge of the junction switch at an important location of the train tracks. Normally, he controls the movement of the tracks from his control booth, but one day he discovers the junction control is broken and the track in its current position would send any approaching train off the rails into oblivion. The man hears a passenger train full of people approaching and knows that he will have to hold the manual lever in place personally in order for the train to make it safely across. He strains and holds the lever in the correct position as the train nears the junction. Suddenly, the man's two year old son wanders into view searching for his dad. Finding him on the other side of the tracks, the young boy runs across to him putting himself directly in the path of the oncoming train. The man's first instinct is to grab his son, but he knows if he lets go of the lever, the train and all its passengers will perish. The man decides in an instant that the only choice is to save the train and the people inside and allow his son to be sacrificed. The man collapses in tears afterwards, as the train passes on, with the people inside never realizing what had happened a few feet back...
In life sometimes we might have to sacrifice something that is huge to us in order to save something bigger in the world. Sacrifices are never easy. It isn’t for us nor was it for Jesus.
The Parable of the Train
A man is in charge of the junction switch at an important location of the train tracks. Normally, he controls the movement of the tracks from his control booth, but one day he discovers the junction control is broken and the track in its current position would send any approaching train off the rails into oblivion. The man hears a passenger train full of people approaching and knows that he will have to hold the manual lever in place personally in order for the train to make it safely across. He strains and holds the lever in the correct position as the train nears the junction. Suddenly, the man's two year old son wanders into view searching for his dad. Finding him on the other side of the tracks, the young boy runs across to him putting himself directly in the path of the oncoming train. The man's first instinct is to grab his son, but he knows if he lets go of the lever, the train and all its passengers will perish. The man decides in an instant that the only choice is to save the train and the people inside and allow his son to be sacrificed. The man collapses in tears afterwards, as the train passes on, with the people inside never realizing what had happened a few feet back...
In life sometimes we might have to sacrifice something that is huge to us in order to save something bigger in the world. Sacrifices are never easy. It isn’t for us nor was it for Jesus.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Some random thoughts
Over the last several weeks there have been some random thoughts bouncing around in my gray matter. Some of them began to touch my spirit and affect my spiritual journey helping to shape it as I move into some new areas of ministry. Non e of these random ideas actually moved beyond just a thought or idea, but I have decided that I will put them into some form and share them with you. Some of these concepts might develop further, but only time will tell on that one. Therefore, today is just a potpourri of fragrances that have filled my spirit.
· CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP – Recently I had a conversation with a dear older friend who has never enjoyed or appreciated contemporary music – too loud, too much of the same words being sung over and over, etc. I’ve heard it all before, nothing new here. It did remind me of something that I read in a worship resource a year ago. It went something like this – if what you are singing this Sunday is the same stuff you were singing 3 to 6 months ago it isn’t contemporary. Contemporary worship should be cutting edge, fresh, exciting and experimental. Interesting idea.
· RECYCLING – As I pulled out of my driveway I noticed that one of my neighbors had two long fluorescent light tubes in their trash can. I wondered if he knew that those tubes should not go to a landfill because they are considered hazardous waste. Then I remembered that my present county makes it rather difficult to drop off hazardous waste material. They have about 2 Saturdays each year for such activities and the hours of operation are very narrow. Doesn’t real encourage one to be more active in recycling hazardous materials. My last county was open every week Monday through Saturday except for holidays.
· PART-TIME PASTORING – Yesterday, I returned home after nearly 7 hours of hospital/home pastoral care – one visit because of a medical procedure, one visit at the VA hospital in St. Pete and one home visit … a part-time schedule? Pastoral Care, as well as sermon preparation cannot be relegated to a part-time calendar. Finding the rhythm has always been difficult. While working as a full-time pastor there were many weeks that a 75-hour week was not unusual so a 40-hour week does seem like a part-time schedule. If it is worth doing it is worth doing well – an old tape that continues to play continuously in my mind.
· TOUR DE FRANCE – Discipline of unbelievable physical demands; teamwork all focused on making it possible for a single rider to win; the planning of each stage rides; the equipment lightweight, strong and durable; support cars with replacement equipment and the ability to do simple maintenance while the car and the cyclist continues to move forward; coordination of rider and those standing at the feeding stations; and the large crowds that line the roads to cheer on the riders. If only the church could learn the lessons of the Tour de France!
· MARK CAVENDISH – When people start talking of their heritage I always like to throw mine out and watch people turn with big question marks on their faces. I’m a Manx and proud of it! My maternal grandmother came to the United States from the Isle of Man, a little known island off the coast of England. I would challenge anyone to see if they can discover someone from the Isle of Man (a Manx). It could be very hard because very few leave the Isle. Mr. Cavendish, a participant in the Tour de France, is from the Isle of Man and will probably go down as one of the best sprinters ever. Yeah, Mark! A visit to this beautiful Isle is on my bucket list.
· E-MAIL FORWARDS – Confession, I was among the guilty parties who did this, but I have changed my ways. I don’t know why people feel that everything that comes into their In-Box should be forwarded on. Oh, there are a couple of real funny, informational and/or inspirational ones that should be passed on, but those are usually in the 5% of all that are forwarded. Beyond those are the ones that should be checked out via snopes.com or some other internet investigative sites to discover if the information in the e-mail is correct or not. Still further, I have let all of my e-mail friends that I neither read nor forward political type of e-mails … something about bearing false witness … at least that is my read on the situation.
· GUILT - Oh, there is one other that just causes me to laugh more than anything else. It is those messages that state that only 1% will forward on a message or “I know that 97% of my Facebook friends won’t repost this message” or “Only my true friends…” or “Only those who really believe will…” and this list goes on. Guilt is an interesting ploy to “make” others to complete your wishes.
Thanks for reading my random thoughts. I’m not sure how they will develop further, but at least now they are out of my mind and down on “paper”.
P.S. One last thought. Mentors of some distinction mentioned to me repeatedly that I needed to focus on my primary responsibility in worship - preaching the Word of God. "Leave the rest of the service to others and allow yourself to recoup your energy so you will be able to give it your best." I use to actively participate in worship, but it would often take its toll on my energy. The older I get the wiser their suggestions. So, the past Sunday I decided to stay seated during the singing of the Praise songs. Someone wrote me a note, "Why didn't our new pastor stand during the singing of 'My Country 'Tis of Thee'. Well, it looks like I need to educate the congregation of my primary priority come Sunday. I pray that they will understand.
· CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP – Recently I had a conversation with a dear older friend who has never enjoyed or appreciated contemporary music – too loud, too much of the same words being sung over and over, etc. I’ve heard it all before, nothing new here. It did remind me of something that I read in a worship resource a year ago. It went something like this – if what you are singing this Sunday is the same stuff you were singing 3 to 6 months ago it isn’t contemporary. Contemporary worship should be cutting edge, fresh, exciting and experimental. Interesting idea.
· RECYCLING – As I pulled out of my driveway I noticed that one of my neighbors had two long fluorescent light tubes in their trash can. I wondered if he knew that those tubes should not go to a landfill because they are considered hazardous waste. Then I remembered that my present county makes it rather difficult to drop off hazardous waste material. They have about 2 Saturdays each year for such activities and the hours of operation are very narrow. Doesn’t real encourage one to be more active in recycling hazardous materials. My last county was open every week Monday through Saturday except for holidays.
· PART-TIME PASTORING – Yesterday, I returned home after nearly 7 hours of hospital/home pastoral care – one visit because of a medical procedure, one visit at the VA hospital in St. Pete and one home visit … a part-time schedule? Pastoral Care, as well as sermon preparation cannot be relegated to a part-time calendar. Finding the rhythm has always been difficult. While working as a full-time pastor there were many weeks that a 75-hour week was not unusual so a 40-hour week does seem like a part-time schedule. If it is worth doing it is worth doing well – an old tape that continues to play continuously in my mind.
· TOUR DE FRANCE – Discipline of unbelievable physical demands; teamwork all focused on making it possible for a single rider to win; the planning of each stage rides; the equipment lightweight, strong and durable; support cars with replacement equipment and the ability to do simple maintenance while the car and the cyclist continues to move forward; coordination of rider and those standing at the feeding stations; and the large crowds that line the roads to cheer on the riders. If only the church could learn the lessons of the Tour de France!
· MARK CAVENDISH – When people start talking of their heritage I always like to throw mine out and watch people turn with big question marks on their faces. I’m a Manx and proud of it! My maternal grandmother came to the United States from the Isle of Man, a little known island off the coast of England. I would challenge anyone to see if they can discover someone from the Isle of Man (a Manx). It could be very hard because very few leave the Isle. Mr. Cavendish, a participant in the Tour de France, is from the Isle of Man and will probably go down as one of the best sprinters ever. Yeah, Mark! A visit to this beautiful Isle is on my bucket list.
· E-MAIL FORWARDS – Confession, I was among the guilty parties who did this, but I have changed my ways. I don’t know why people feel that everything that comes into their In-Box should be forwarded on. Oh, there are a couple of real funny, informational and/or inspirational ones that should be passed on, but those are usually in the 5% of all that are forwarded. Beyond those are the ones that should be checked out via snopes.com or some other internet investigative sites to discover if the information in the e-mail is correct or not. Still further, I have let all of my e-mail friends that I neither read nor forward political type of e-mails … something about bearing false witness … at least that is my read on the situation.
· GUILT - Oh, there is one other that just causes me to laugh more than anything else. It is those messages that state that only 1% will forward on a message or “I know that 97% of my Facebook friends won’t repost this message” or “Only my true friends…” or “Only those who really believe will…” and this list goes on. Guilt is an interesting ploy to “make” others to complete your wishes.
Thanks for reading my random thoughts. I’m not sure how they will develop further, but at least now they are out of my mind and down on “paper”.
P.S. One last thought. Mentors of some distinction mentioned to me repeatedly that I needed to focus on my primary responsibility in worship - preaching the Word of God. "Leave the rest of the service to others and allow yourself to recoup your energy so you will be able to give it your best." I use to actively participate in worship, but it would often take its toll on my energy. The older I get the wiser their suggestions. So, the past Sunday I decided to stay seated during the singing of the Praise songs. Someone wrote me a note, "Why didn't our new pastor stand during the singing of 'My Country 'Tis of Thee'. Well, it looks like I need to educate the congregation of my primary priority come Sunday. I pray that they will understand.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
From mountains to youth camp to discovering where my strength comes from
“I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?” Psalm 121:1 (The Message)
Well, it wasn’t the strength of my youth, but it sure was an opportunity to escape … at least for a week. It wasn’t up in the mountains, but at place that I considered paradise. My ideal assignment as pastor would have been the director, but alas that wasn’t in the “cards” so to speak.
I’m speaking of the Youth Camp in Leesburg, Fl.
Each summer I would be one of thousands of campers who would load up on buses or pile into cars and head to central Florida. The land of heat and mosquitoes. The cabins were not air conditioned and the bathrooms and showers were in a central location down a dirt path. But was my kind of paradise. Something that I looked forward to each summer.
To this day I can close my eyes and remember … the early morning devotions on the silver benches down by the lake, the dinning hall and KP duty, the craft huts, small discussion groups, the games, folk dancing, the closing chapel services and the Lord’s Prayer being played over the speakers as the sounds of the night came flooding in through the open windows.
I looked forward to this experience every chance I could get. I would be the first one to sign up for the experience. The first one to send off my reservation slip. I was ready … just tell me when.
It was the place that I looked to as the place to have my faith strengthened. It was the mountain top experience. It was the Path of Silence and quiet nights on the docks looking at the blue outlined cross floating on the lake. It was my solitude. It was an escape. Like church, it was a place of freedom, love and an instrument of grace. It was the place that I found God more real than a thousand worship services, ten thousand MYF meetings and never ending Sunday school programs.
Every summer I become a little nostalgic for those summer days. Life seemed more simple then. Everything had its place and everything fit into place. It all made logical sense. It was predictable. I knew what was expected of me and I knew what was around the next corner. It was a special time … the lost days of my youth.
But we all grow up and move on to more adult experiences and heavier responsibilities. The matters which confront us now are weightier with far reaching implications for everyone we touch. There are little opportunities to escape, except with a vacation week here or there.
Yet within it all there is a longing … a hoping … a wishing … that just maybe this summer the recapturing of those summer camp days might become reality. And yet, through it all we are reminded our help doesn’t come via a summer camp or memories or recaptured youth experiences … our help comes only from God, regardless of our age, needs or desires.
And so, we can look to the mountains and wish, long, hope, dream, but help is found only in God. But, wouldn’t be nice … at least just once … to be able to return to those lost days of a youthful summer and live through some of those rich experiences once again?
Oh, if it was only possible … and so I close my eyes allowing my spirit to be transported back and savor the sweet memory of a time lost in the turning of the calendar pages.
Well, it wasn’t the strength of my youth, but it sure was an opportunity to escape … at least for a week. It wasn’t up in the mountains, but at place that I considered paradise. My ideal assignment as pastor would have been the director, but alas that wasn’t in the “cards” so to speak.
I’m speaking of the Youth Camp in Leesburg, Fl.
Each summer I would be one of thousands of campers who would load up on buses or pile into cars and head to central Florida. The land of heat and mosquitoes. The cabins were not air conditioned and the bathrooms and showers were in a central location down a dirt path. But was my kind of paradise. Something that I looked forward to each summer.
To this day I can close my eyes and remember … the early morning devotions on the silver benches down by the lake, the dinning hall and KP duty, the craft huts, small discussion groups, the games, folk dancing, the closing chapel services and the Lord’s Prayer being played over the speakers as the sounds of the night came flooding in through the open windows.
I looked forward to this experience every chance I could get. I would be the first one to sign up for the experience. The first one to send off my reservation slip. I was ready … just tell me when.
It was the place that I looked to as the place to have my faith strengthened. It was the mountain top experience. It was the Path of Silence and quiet nights on the docks looking at the blue outlined cross floating on the lake. It was my solitude. It was an escape. Like church, it was a place of freedom, love and an instrument of grace. It was the place that I found God more real than a thousand worship services, ten thousand MYF meetings and never ending Sunday school programs.
Every summer I become a little nostalgic for those summer days. Life seemed more simple then. Everything had its place and everything fit into place. It all made logical sense. It was predictable. I knew what was expected of me and I knew what was around the next corner. It was a special time … the lost days of my youth.
But we all grow up and move on to more adult experiences and heavier responsibilities. The matters which confront us now are weightier with far reaching implications for everyone we touch. There are little opportunities to escape, except with a vacation week here or there.
Yet within it all there is a longing … a hoping … a wishing … that just maybe this summer the recapturing of those summer camp days might become reality. And yet, through it all we are reminded our help doesn’t come via a summer camp or memories or recaptured youth experiences … our help comes only from God, regardless of our age, needs or desires.
And so, we can look to the mountains and wish, long, hope, dream, but help is found only in God. But, wouldn’t be nice … at least just once … to be able to return to those lost days of a youthful summer and live through some of those rich experiences once again?
Oh, if it was only possible … and so I close my eyes allowing my spirit to be transported back and savor the sweet memory of a time lost in the turning of the calendar pages.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
A journey has begun.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” ~Confucius
And so a journey began on Sunday. It began with a single step. Where this journey will take us is anyone’s guess. Like Abraham of old who packed up his entire household and headed off across the Fertile Crescent not knowing where he would end up, only that God had told him to go. So, now a small membership church and I are heading off on a journey … a journey ordained by God for it was God who brought us together.
The largest part of any such journey is trust. The membership has to trust me and I have to trust them … and both of us have to trust God. Along the way we will experience some challenges, which will require each of us to make some changes. Change is good as long as it isn’t just change for change sake.
Along this journey we will discover that we are carrying some things that simply needs to be discarded. Oh, they were important at one point in our history, but are simply weighing us down now. Making the difficult decision to let them go will be hard and often emotional, but the real question is, Are they important to God? Holding on to traditions has meaning at times, but letting them go is freeing. Again, the challenge here is trust.
Along this journey we will discover that we need to add to our load some new ideas and new concepts. This often challenges our comfort zones, makes us stretch where we might not particularly like to be stretched and confronted where we least like to be confronted. Growth is difficult and sometimes is painful, but growth is always better then the alternative.
Along this journey we will make some interesting discovers. There will be many surprises and we will exclaim, “Wow, we didn’t know we could do that!” We will discover a spiritual depth that we didn’t know we were capable of reaching, as well as view the vistas of the grand landscape of the spiritual world that we only dreamed of.
Spiritual journeys are dynamic and fantastic, but we have to leave the comfort zone of the familiar, the traditional, the predictable and venture forth into the unknown trusting God to lead us.
And so a journey began on Sunday. It began with a single step. Where this journey will take us is anyone’s guess. Like Abraham of old who packed up his entire household and headed off across the Fertile Crescent not knowing where he would end up, only that God had told him to go. So, now a small membership church and I are heading off on a journey … a journey ordained by God for it was God who brought us together.
The largest part of any such journey is trust. The membership has to trust me and I have to trust them … and both of us have to trust God. Along the way we will experience some challenges, which will require each of us to make some changes. Change is good as long as it isn’t just change for change sake.
Along this journey we will discover that we are carrying some things that simply needs to be discarded. Oh, they were important at one point in our history, but are simply weighing us down now. Making the difficult decision to let them go will be hard and often emotional, but the real question is, Are they important to God? Holding on to traditions has meaning at times, but letting them go is freeing. Again, the challenge here is trust.
Along this journey we will discover that we need to add to our load some new ideas and new concepts. This often challenges our comfort zones, makes us stretch where we might not particularly like to be stretched and confronted where we least like to be confronted. Growth is difficult and sometimes is painful, but growth is always better then the alternative.
Along this journey we will make some interesting discovers. There will be many surprises and we will exclaim, “Wow, we didn’t know we could do that!” We will discover a spiritual depth that we didn’t know we were capable of reaching, as well as view the vistas of the grand landscape of the spiritual world that we only dreamed of.
Spiritual journeys are dynamic and fantastic, but we have to leave the comfort zone of the familiar, the traditional, the predictable and venture forth into the unknown trusting God to lead us.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
A Modern Day Parable - A Blue Rose who goes by the name, Denny
When I read the following story I thought of Bill. I called him Sweet William. He would just grin and give me a hug. It didn’t take long before he started to call me Sweet Jim … and he started to beat me to the punch. He was the unofficial greeter at First, Gainesville. He also collected all of the Sunday School offerings and got them to the counters. Bill is now in heaven with his mama, but oh the lives he touched with his smile, warm handshake and hugs, and his greeting of “Hi, I’m glad to see you!”
And now for a modern day parable …
Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.
I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."
It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"
"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.
"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name. I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve."
"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"
"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.
"You're fifteen-years-old Denny. Now be a good boy and let the man pass by."
I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.
Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.
I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.
She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"
Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's garden."
She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel!" ~Anonymous
And now for a modern day parable …
Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.
I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."
It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"
"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.
"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name. I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve."
"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"
"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.
"You're fifteen-years-old Denny. Now be a good boy and let the man pass by."
I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.
Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.
I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.
She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"
Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's garden."
She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel!" ~Anonymous
Friday, July 1, 2011
Reflections on my new personal purpose statement
“(God) who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” 2 Timothy 1:9 (NIV)
Why it never dawned on me before is anyone’s guess. Maybe I was just too busy trying to fulfill the role and expectations of pastoring a church, as well as meeting the expectations and demands as a husband and father.
Oh, I had worked to discover a purpose statement for the body of fellowships that I was serving – a purpose statement that was short and easy to remember … a statement that spoke volumes in as few words as possible … but for me personally … not until now.
There it was ablaze on a T-shirt of someone on the television … Onward, Upward, Outward. I had never connected those words before in a single phrase, but had preached a series of sermons (many, many years ago on the concepts of Inward, Upward, Onward and Outward). The more I mulled them over I kind of liked it as a personal purpose statement.
Just to be safe I thought that it might be good to do a double checking on the phrase to make sure that I wasn’t connecting myself, unintentionally, to some radical group. A quick internet search proved that I had nothing to fear. So there you go …
My new personal purpose statement: Inward, Upward, Onward, Outward …
Inward – looking at my spiritual condition, taking the pulse of my spiritual walk, keeping the cobwebs from gathering in the corners of my heart, sorting out those areas in which I have become lazy, and keeping my faith fresh. Hint: that is why I like Rachel Evans Hold’s blog. I don’t have to agree with what she shares, but they do make me think and evaluate.
Upward – always looking to God for guidance and strength following the example of Jesus who was constantly taking time to stay connected with his heavenly father – even as the crowds pressed upon him, he withdrew for hours and days of prayer and meditation. Can any of us do less?
Onward – keeping my mind on “heading north” as an associate of mine is fond of saying. It is too easy to take up “housekeeping” in our comfort zones. There was some reason that God had the Israelites living in tents – tents are easy to pull up, fold up and pack up for moving to the next location in our journey. Spiritual journeys should be the same. Some favorite words from one of my spiritual mentors was the question: Is what you believe today the same as you believed last year, last month, yesterday? If so then your faith is stagnating!
Outward – the purpose of our relationship with God through Christ is not so we can go to heaven or feel good about ourselves or gain a political/social advantage in the community or to have our lives blessed. The purpose is to serve the needs of others, as in “As you have done it unto the least of these …” (Matthew 25) Or, as it states in Jeremiah (29), “Seek the welfare of the city …” Or, as John Wesley believed that our place in this world should make an impact on those who surround us – in a meaningful and lasting way. That is why John Wesley and the Wesleyan movement is accredited for saving England from a French-style revolution.
And so, there you have it – Inward, Upward, Onward, Upward – my new purpose statement. What do you think?
Why it never dawned on me before is anyone’s guess. Maybe I was just too busy trying to fulfill the role and expectations of pastoring a church, as well as meeting the expectations and demands as a husband and father.
Oh, I had worked to discover a purpose statement for the body of fellowships that I was serving – a purpose statement that was short and easy to remember … a statement that spoke volumes in as few words as possible … but for me personally … not until now.
There it was ablaze on a T-shirt of someone on the television … Onward, Upward, Outward. I had never connected those words before in a single phrase, but had preached a series of sermons (many, many years ago on the concepts of Inward, Upward, Onward and Outward). The more I mulled them over I kind of liked it as a personal purpose statement.
Just to be safe I thought that it might be good to do a double checking on the phrase to make sure that I wasn’t connecting myself, unintentionally, to some radical group. A quick internet search proved that I had nothing to fear. So there you go …
My new personal purpose statement: Inward, Upward, Onward, Outward …
Inward – looking at my spiritual condition, taking the pulse of my spiritual walk, keeping the cobwebs from gathering in the corners of my heart, sorting out those areas in which I have become lazy, and keeping my faith fresh. Hint: that is why I like Rachel Evans Hold’s blog. I don’t have to agree with what she shares, but they do make me think and evaluate.
Upward – always looking to God for guidance and strength following the example of Jesus who was constantly taking time to stay connected with his heavenly father – even as the crowds pressed upon him, he withdrew for hours and days of prayer and meditation. Can any of us do less?
Onward – keeping my mind on “heading north” as an associate of mine is fond of saying. It is too easy to take up “housekeeping” in our comfort zones. There was some reason that God had the Israelites living in tents – tents are easy to pull up, fold up and pack up for moving to the next location in our journey. Spiritual journeys should be the same. Some favorite words from one of my spiritual mentors was the question: Is what you believe today the same as you believed last year, last month, yesterday? If so then your faith is stagnating!
Outward – the purpose of our relationship with God through Christ is not so we can go to heaven or feel good about ourselves or gain a political/social advantage in the community or to have our lives blessed. The purpose is to serve the needs of others, as in “As you have done it unto the least of these …” (Matthew 25) Or, as it states in Jeremiah (29), “Seek the welfare of the city …” Or, as John Wesley believed that our place in this world should make an impact on those who surround us – in a meaningful and lasting way. That is why John Wesley and the Wesleyan movement is accredited for saving England from a French-style revolution.
And so, there you have it – Inward, Upward, Onward, Upward – my new purpose statement. What do you think?
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