Independence

I was born in the USA and I am thankful for the blessing that has been to me personally. Those of us who have this privilege should know what we really have. We have been given, by God's grace, a land that is fruitful, resource full, culturally rich, historically impressive and blessed in a multitude of ways. We are, however, an arrogant people.

The nation of Israel, preparing to enter the Biblical promised land, were admonished by God to be careful in the land were they were going. They were challenged to remember from whom the land was given, to remember through whom the fruit of that land was given and to remember their God. They were reproved by God that in that day that they transformed into an arrogant people that they would know their real estate without God. They would be ravished by the lands around them, the powers that surrounded them, and lose all that they had acquired.

It is my prayer today for my country that we hear again the voice of God and turn from our arrogant ways. That as a people, we might in honest humility present ourselves before the Lord and seek His will in all that we do. That we might act in righteousness in all we do both locally and globally. And that as we hasten to a new administration, that our leaders might truly seek God's face and wisdom so as to know God's favor.

Happy Independence Day!

Anniversary

Today I celebrate ten years of service as one of the pastors in my church. In the last ten years many things have happened, not happened and sort of happened. I know that sounds like a very ambiguous statement, but I believe life is kind of like that. I thought I would reprise my sermon from last Sunday as a reminder of those ten years.

Here is my "Top Ten" for the last ten years. 10. It's ok to cry in church (i.e., It's ok to be real in church). 9. People are the object of God's love and purpose on the earth. 8. Some people will love you for who you are; some despite who you are; some will never love (the capacity to love flows out of our relationship to God directly). 7. God can save anyone (we all need to be saved from our sin and God is able). 6. The gospel bothers people (Christians need to get over the fact that the rest of the world does not necessarily appreciate the good news). 5. Honest teamwork overcomes all obstacles. 4. Without Jesus, I am nothing (and so is everyone else). 3. Music soothes, but only Jesus saves (we in the church need to get over our arrogance that there is only one kind of "God music" and remember it is all about Jesus and not the songs!). 2. Some things are worth sacrifice. 1. God rules, cares, loves, heals and continues to act on the earth.

There they are. I know there is much more than that, but these seemed appropriate to me for this time.

Laziness

I have been lazy lately. I hope to be more involved with my notes, but what can I say? Life is a rapid series of common events, spaced out between the extraordinary.

I have been bludgeoned recently by the common.