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Journal — July 2007 |
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AN ONGOING
SPIRITUAL WEBLOG
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July 31, 2007
Which is easier for you — being optimistic and enthusiastic, or
complaining and pessimistic?
Tough question, yes, but when I honestly probe myself I realize that
I often act more sullen than joyful. It's not that I am a negative person,
but I let the cares of the world and anxiety weigh me down.
A help is being around optimistic and loving people. Have you ever noticed
how some people can just light up a room? I'm not talking about the earnest
and insincere always "shiny, happy" people. I'm talking about
some very tough-minded and hard-working individuals who embrace living
in the moment.
In Blaine Smith's Nehemiah
Notes column from July 15, 2007 he speaks of the importance
of being in contact with and helped by optimistic people. Problems don't
always melt away just because we change our attitude, but unless we have
the faith that in the mind of Christ are the solutions to all our problems — no
matter how large they loom — then we fail to avail ourselves of
the great source of spiritual power that we need to find solutions.
Read the column here.
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July 28, 2007
I find that Saturday mornings, especially in the summer months, can be
so wonderful if I do not have to rush off to work. I can sit in the backyard,
my dog Shadow lying at my side, and quietly enjoy the surroundings. Hummingbirds
fly by, the grass is green and the warmth is comforting without being
oppressive at this time of day.
And I contemplate life and God. We have been given so much potential,
yet we must resist the desire to control everything and command attention. Jesus
was the perfect model for how to walk through life. We hear that
he spoke with inner authority, yet he was clearly humble. He was
charismatic, but not a showoff. He often told those he healed not
to tell others. I believe he did this because he didn't want the true
message he was bringing the world to get lost amongst the miracles. He
healed because he was compassionate. Not to gain recognition and
fame.
Enjoy your weekend. If you are not a current subscriber to our free e-zine
you can sign up here and
our issues are also posted online here (including
the latest
issue from July 26).
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July 25, 2007
With the release of the seventh, and final, book in the Harry Potter
Series (Harry Potter
and the Deathly Hallows), plus the latest Potter film now in theaters,
there is again a great deal of talk and debate about Harry Potter and
how Christians should respond. Should it be read? Condemned? Debated?
I have found that the books are well written and no one can deny their
popularity. Just because someone reads something that is fiction
and contains elements that are not in sync with one's spiritual views
or beliefs doesn't mean it is valueless. The Harry Potter books
have a great deal to discuss about life, death and spirituality. They
are essentially a pagan view, not a Christian presentation. Nevertheless,
there can be value in the books leading to discussions about faith. And
we always have the opportunity (and responsibility) to show the world
by the example of the way we live what we believe to be Truth about God
as revealed through Jesus Christ and the Gospels.
There is an interesting essay by Josh Moody (senior pastor of Trinity
Baptist Church in Newhaven, CT and associate fellow of Jonathan Edwards
College, Yale University) where he speculates about what the minister
Jonathan Edwards might have said about Harry Potter if he was around
today to comment on it. You can read it here at Christianity
Today.
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July 23, 2007
One of the recent prayer requests (of the many we
receive daily) states: "it just seems like everything in my life
is not going right; I keep hoping that it will get better, yet nothing.
Can you please bring sunshine back into my life?"
This prayer request reflects what many people often face and feel on
a daily basis. What can I do to improve my life? How can things get better?
Where can I find help?
As we each go through our day we face many challenges. Finding the answers
is often difficult. Where and how does one begin?
These kinds of concerns are a big reason why this website exists. We,
too, face daily challenges and it often feels overwhelming getting our
work done and providing suggestions that can be solutions. Even when
we are presented with solutions - spiritual solutions - it takes the
ongoing commitment to Live the Solution.
We feel your pain. Yet, God is nearby and we believe waiting for you
to turn to Him with your burdens. The words of Jesus Christ are both
comforting and challenging. A friend of mine mentioned today that change
rarely takes place unless we are dissatisfied. Of course. Why would we
change anything if it is all going ok?
We pray, we hope, and we have faith in God's great love to motivate us
into action. There are spiritual guidelines for us to measure our actions
by. Don't give up, brothers and sisters. Encourage each other, even when
you are "down in the dumps". Experience demonstrates that reaching out
to help others is a way to help us grow spiritually and to find purpose
in our lives.
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July 16, 2007
Large worship gatherings in stadiums and the like became very popular
in the past few years. However, there has been a notable drop in attendance
at these kinds of events. I have some thoughts on this.
Getting a large group together to worship and praise God and to explore
their faith and bring more people to Christ is a good thing. But there
often can be dynamics at work in these types of gatherings not that different
from a concert or a sporting event. Faith and witness should go beyond
entertainment. It's not about an emotional high.
Getting to the heart of the matter with faith and spirituality is deeply
personal. It takes quiet reflection that hopefully lead to questions
and seeking.
Still, I don't discount all large gatherings as being without spiritual
merit. When many come together to stand on common ground it can be effective
and powerful. We've seen demonstrations of this before, such as at the
Washington Memorial when Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I have a dream" speech
during the Civil Rights Movement.
There is another movement going on with a group known as The
Call. I'm interested is seeing how this develops. They've
been around a few years, but they seemed to have reorganized their approach.
They do fill stadiums, as they did recently in Nashville, but they don't
have big name speakers, entertainers or celebrities. They "call" participants
to fasting and prayer. It appears they want to come together in faithfulness
and open hearts and then let God's Spirit go to work through them. You
can see more at their website, www.thecall.com.
Note the goal of a few more events over the next year culminating on
08/08/08 in Washington D.C.
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July 11, 2007
Here's something to ponder. God is by nature unchanging. That means consistency.
There will always be debate about just what God's nature is, but I choose
to believe that God is love in its highest form. This means a loving
God that is merciful, forgiving, compassionate and longs for us to know
Him and to be like Him.
If God desires that deep relationship that transforms us into a completely
loving person AND we come to the conclusion that only God has the power
to accomplish this then we must accept that we cannot bring about the
change all by ourselves. We need God's help.
Accepting God's help means surrendering trying to do it all our way.
Like Jesus' mother, Mary, we say from our innermost being, let it be
done unto me (see the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke).
As God works in and through and with us and we become changed it helps
to reflect on God's loving nature, a nature that will never manipulate.
God loves perfectly, without condition or favoritism. In other words,
God's love is for everybody. If we want to be loving like God it's important
to let go of our class distinctions, judgments, "them versus us mentality" and
simply love. This does not mean playing the patsy. We stand up to injustice,
but we choose to follow Jesus Christ in how we do that - with peace,
love, courage and non-violence.
It's not easy, is it? I certainly recognize where I am falling short.
But the perfect ideal God calls us to (and God is calling) keeps bringing
me back to the point of surrender - let it be done unto me.
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July 9, 2007
Over the weekend you may have seen coverage of the Live Earth concerts
that took place on seven continents on July 7 (7/7/07 - a date many think
holds some significance, if for no other reason than it's triple sevens).
The purpose of the concerts, which featured many of the biggest names
in contemporary music, was to call attention to our planet and global
climate change issues, such as global warming. As stewards of the Earth
we should all care about taking care of our habitat and our resources.
Yet, most of us go about our day with little concern, at least in America.
For us to become more conscious of environmental concerns we have to
become more aware and then make an informed decision on how we live. Co-Op
America is an organization dedicated to responsible environmental
living.
You can also visit the Live Earth website at www.liveearth.org.
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July 3, 2007
Tomorrow, July 4, is the Independence Holiday in the United States. The
Fourth of July is celebrating the birth of a nation, one that has had
a storied history. Our contry is a great country with many blessings
in many respects. But we are not without our faults, our struggles and
our growing pains.
For those of us walking a spiritual path we place our faith and reliance
on God. Jesus Christ came to show us a way of independence from our sinful
and selfish ways. He taught us what it means to be a friend and to lead
by service to others. This is not the way many people think or act, so
it is a challenge to each of us to embrace and follow these teachings.
If we do that as a community we can each day build relationships that
make for a better nation. We must remember that we give our allegiance
and glory to God. If we put anything else in front of that it is idolatry,
plain and simple. We can honor our country and flag, but we don't worship
it. And we don't give blind allegiance. Our founding fathers established
a republic of, for and by the people. If we love God and we love each
other (even our enemies) we are representing the highest standards that
exist.
Enjoy the Fourth of July with family gatherings, parades, food and fireworks.
But remember the New Freedom (see
article) God has called us to.
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Scripture taken from the
Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved
throughout the world. Used by permission of International
Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks
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of goods or services requires the prior written consent of International
Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New
Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission of Tyndale
House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189, USA. All rights reserved.
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PSALM 118:24
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"This
is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad
in it."
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(NIV)
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