FRIDAY 3.14.08 – PHILLIPIANS 3:16–17
Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.
Lord, thank You for a great teaching meeting last night. I feel energized again about the group of pastors, group of people, group of disciples that I am apart of in following You. I'm reminded again yesterday, two different times actually, how refreshing honesty can be. At tennis practice I confronted one of my players about his attitude and the conversation ended with him saying he was glad I talked to him. At teaching meeting Joel confronted us with his frustration and the night ended with all of us saying that this was a good night.
Interesting thing about the verse today: "Only let us live up to what we have already attained." I believe as I pulled up this verse in Bible Gateway, that the context here is that we should live up to the things about Christ that we know. Certainly we are always growing and learning and seeing more clearly if we are truly following as a disciple. I think that this verse is saying, what you know, do that. What you don't know, don't worry about that yet. That's what Paul does.
Today, I want that to be true of me but also my community. And that's my prayer. Transform people, Lord, so that they can live what they know. Transform me, so that I can live up to what I've already attained. And that's where I'm going to end, short and sweet. Lord, let me meditate today on the Word. Let it sink into me throughout my comings and my goings. Amen.
Showing posts with label day thirty-eight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label day thirty-eight. Show all posts
Friday, March 14, 2008
Friday, April 27, 2007
How to Be Missional?
Texts:
- Psalms 141-144
- Matthew 9-10
"And the answer to your question is...I don't know." That was a quote from a play that my middle school students are putting on this weekend. We watched the dress rehearsal today, and every time a very hard question was asked, the wisest character would always say that line. That's how I feel when trying to think about how to be missional, how to get out and live my faith for more than just me.
It's a difficult question Lord. Let me just bring to You the reasons why it is so brain numbing. Number one, and admittedly this is inexcusable, there is the issue of my personality. Pretty introverted, pretty shy with others, take a long time to develop a relationship with other people, therefore don't have many "acquaintances" with anybody other than those I work with. Well, of course there are the friendships that I already have. Strong friendships that I believe I am already living missionally within. How and where do I meet new people? Do I just start walking the roads of the town? Where do I even find people with needs? And if I find them, how do I overcome my uncomfortability to even talk to them?
I mean, Lord, I could just glance over that. But it's a big issue! It makes me not want to meet anybody. Give me a room to paint, a roof to fix, some kids to play with, I'm fine. But ask me to talk and interact with numerous adults in different situations? Awkward.
And worse, I don't even know what You can do about it! I'm not trying to be a jerk here, just honest. I don't believe that You could actually make me comfortable in those situations. Maybe because I don't believe You'd change my personality, maybe because I don't think You want me to be comfortable. You want me to grow. Of course, I wish You could make me grow while I simply sit at home reading Eugene Petereson, the Bible, and watching soccer. But I'm convicted that I must be doing...
So the second thing that makes it so hard is following the example of Christ. I know that I should be like You when You walked the earth, so checking the gospels I find that You were going out to people and helping them. So what were You doing, maybe I can do that! Well, in reading today from Matthew You had healed a man who was paralyzed, forgiven sins, ate dinner with sinners, healed a woman with bleeding, raised a girl from the dead, made a blind man see and drove a demon out of a man.
Excellent. Healing (uh no, I don't think I'll be doing that). Forgiving sins (um...). Raising people from the dead (wow.) Giving people back their lost senses. Finally confronted demonic spirits (yipes!) The only thing from that list that seems remotely plausible is eating with sinners, and trust me, my mind is trying to think of every excuse possible to say no way.
Well, maybe You ask us to do differently? Not to be exactly like You? You don't expect Your disciples to have exactly the same power, I'm sure of it. That's why in Matthew 11:8 You say to Your disciples, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons." Oh right, exactly what You just did (and You took out the almost do-able part about eating with sinners, and just left the impossible).
So where does that leave being missional in the way that Jesus is missional. Well, maybe its not about exact imitation, maybe it is about the way that we go about it. Or maybe I need to be healing people. I don't want to just gloss over the New Testament commands, but then again, these things seem unbelievably difficult. So how do we wrestle with this? Lord where do we come out?
And the answer to your question is...
- Psalms 141-144
- Matthew 9-10
"And the answer to your question is...I don't know." That was a quote from a play that my middle school students are putting on this weekend. We watched the dress rehearsal today, and every time a very hard question was asked, the wisest character would always say that line. That's how I feel when trying to think about how to be missional, how to get out and live my faith for more than just me.
It's a difficult question Lord. Let me just bring to You the reasons why it is so brain numbing. Number one, and admittedly this is inexcusable, there is the issue of my personality. Pretty introverted, pretty shy with others, take a long time to develop a relationship with other people, therefore don't have many "acquaintances" with anybody other than those I work with. Well, of course there are the friendships that I already have. Strong friendships that I believe I am already living missionally within. How and where do I meet new people? Do I just start walking the roads of the town? Where do I even find people with needs? And if I find them, how do I overcome my uncomfortability to even talk to them?
I mean, Lord, I could just glance over that. But it's a big issue! It makes me not want to meet anybody. Give me a room to paint, a roof to fix, some kids to play with, I'm fine. But ask me to talk and interact with numerous adults in different situations? Awkward.
And worse, I don't even know what You can do about it! I'm not trying to be a jerk here, just honest. I don't believe that You could actually make me comfortable in those situations. Maybe because I don't believe You'd change my personality, maybe because I don't think You want me to be comfortable. You want me to grow. Of course, I wish You could make me grow while I simply sit at home reading Eugene Petereson, the Bible, and watching soccer. But I'm convicted that I must be doing...
So the second thing that makes it so hard is following the example of Christ. I know that I should be like You when You walked the earth, so checking the gospels I find that You were going out to people and helping them. So what were You doing, maybe I can do that! Well, in reading today from Matthew You had healed a man who was paralyzed, forgiven sins, ate dinner with sinners, healed a woman with bleeding, raised a girl from the dead, made a blind man see and drove a demon out of a man.
Excellent. Healing (uh no, I don't think I'll be doing that). Forgiving sins (um...). Raising people from the dead (wow.) Giving people back their lost senses. Finally confronted demonic spirits (yipes!) The only thing from that list that seems remotely plausible is eating with sinners, and trust me, my mind is trying to think of every excuse possible to say no way.
Well, maybe You ask us to do differently? Not to be exactly like You? You don't expect Your disciples to have exactly the same power, I'm sure of it. That's why in Matthew 11:8 You say to Your disciples, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons." Oh right, exactly what You just did (and You took out the almost do-able part about eating with sinners, and just left the impossible).
So where does that leave being missional in the way that Jesus is missional. Well, maybe its not about exact imitation, maybe it is about the way that we go about it. Or maybe I need to be healing people. I don't want to just gloss over the New Testament commands, but then again, these things seem unbelievably difficult. So how do we wrestle with this? Lord where do we come out?
And the answer to your question is...
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Nearing the End
Lord, I only have three days left of not eating for You, and it seems that my ears have been closed off from You. The tiredness has not been a problem and I've even made time to sit, study and pursue during all the crazy basketball that's going on. I guess that I have been hearing rumblings from Your thunder, but they certainly have not been as consistent or grandiose as I had imagined going in to this.
Lord, I long to be near to You. At intermittent times throughout these forty days I have been. But my passion is to prolong this. I'll tell You my biggest problem though, it's life. This life that You want me to live for You is difficult, it makes it very hard to actually keep my attention on You. I want to separate walking through my day and walking with You. And I know that this is false. This separation of You and my life is not a reality in the spiritual realm, because I truly subscribe to the idea that everything is spiritual.
So how do I integrate You into my life, so it doesn't seem as though life is in my way? I remember my parents talking about something that helped change their view of You in life. The entire church did it when I was probably in middle school, it was God-sightings. Taking some specific time in each day to look back and say where I saw You throughout my life, but specifically in that day. It seems like a great idea, a way to be more thankful.
Whatever I do, the bottom line is that the knowledge of what I need to do and the doing, being, feeling, hearing, reality of it are not the same thing at all. I realize that as I look back through this blog, I've come to this same realization multiple times. I feel great about my new knowledge or the new task ahead of me...then nothing really comes of it.
Life changes in action. God moves. God rests. God moves. God rests. There is a rhythm to it all. I move in God. I rest in God. I move in God. I rest in God. There needs to be a rhythm to it all for me.
Worries kill rhythm, they knock me off beat. Let me bring them to You:
- I am worried about Exodus Community, I want us to walk in You but we face many questions ( small groups, denominations, time table, paperwork, etc.)
- I am worried about myself and the people that are close to me and our spiritual maturity, ability to deal with change, think in new ways, be challenged, be a community of TRUTH, deal with spiritual warfare realities, and hear from You.
- I am worried about what people from the outside of the group will think about Exodus Community.
- I am worried that our whole group is worried, concerned, stressed and not ever rejoicing in You.
- I am worried that I am worried, concerned, stressed and not ever rejoicing in You.
Lord, these thoughts fill my mind constantly, like breathing. I need release. Take them from me.
I will fill this Sabbath with Your praise, for You are worthy. Tomorrow, Lord, let me come back with a myriad of ways I've seen You work, that I've been delivered, and that I was called to take part by Your side. I will end this fast lifting You up to Your rightful place, resurrected and living in all life.
Lord, I long to be near to You. At intermittent times throughout these forty days I have been. But my passion is to prolong this. I'll tell You my biggest problem though, it's life. This life that You want me to live for You is difficult, it makes it very hard to actually keep my attention on You. I want to separate walking through my day and walking with You. And I know that this is false. This separation of You and my life is not a reality in the spiritual realm, because I truly subscribe to the idea that everything is spiritual.
So how do I integrate You into my life, so it doesn't seem as though life is in my way? I remember my parents talking about something that helped change their view of You in life. The entire church did it when I was probably in middle school, it was God-sightings. Taking some specific time in each day to look back and say where I saw You throughout my life, but specifically in that day. It seems like a great idea, a way to be more thankful.
Whatever I do, the bottom line is that the knowledge of what I need to do and the doing, being, feeling, hearing, reality of it are not the same thing at all. I realize that as I look back through this blog, I've come to this same realization multiple times. I feel great about my new knowledge or the new task ahead of me...then nothing really comes of it.
Life changes in action. God moves. God rests. God moves. God rests. There is a rhythm to it all. I move in God. I rest in God. I move in God. I rest in God. There needs to be a rhythm to it all for me.
Worries kill rhythm, they knock me off beat. Let me bring them to You:
- I am worried about Exodus Community, I want us to walk in You but we face many questions ( small groups, denominations, time table, paperwork, etc.)
- I am worried about myself and the people that are close to me and our spiritual maturity, ability to deal with change, think in new ways, be challenged, be a community of TRUTH, deal with spiritual warfare realities, and hear from You.
- I am worried about what people from the outside of the group will think about Exodus Community.
- I am worried that our whole group is worried, concerned, stressed and not ever rejoicing in You.
- I am worried that I am worried, concerned, stressed and not ever rejoicing in You.
Lord, these thoughts fill my mind constantly, like breathing. I need release. Take them from me.
I will fill this Sabbath with Your praise, for You are worthy. Tomorrow, Lord, let me come back with a myriad of ways I've seen You work, that I've been delivered, and that I was called to take part by Your side. I will end this fast lifting You up to Your rightful place, resurrected and living in all life.
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