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Journal — December, 2007 |
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AN ONGOING
SPIRITUAL WEBLOG
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December 31, 2007
The world makes a big deal out of the end of one year and the beginning
of a new one. Yet, when the New Year arrives it will, in many ways, be
like the day before or the day after. Life is and when we can
accept that we live in a continuous "now" then everyday becomes
a new year's day.
I do think it is fine—even important—to do some reflecting
at this time of year. Think about where you've been and where you want
to go. If you are not growing, you are dead. Living is essential. And,
as we like to focus on here, Living in the Solution always
beats the alternative.
A blessed, joyful and peaceful New Year to you all!
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December 28, 2007
The sad track record of history is that over and over again political
leaders, usually those striving to bring about positive change in the
world, are violently opposed and often assasinated.
This has happened again in Pakistan. On Thursday Benazir Bhutto, the
country's former prime minister, was killed in a suicide attack that
also killed and injured others (see the article at Mission
News Network). This country is already fraught with violence and
there is concern that the heightened tension will escalate the already
volatile situation.
Pray for peace in our world. Our prayers, accompanied by the action inspired
by God, can change the world.
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December 26, 2007
It's a bright, sunny and cold day here in New Mexico. This day
after Christmas is a day when we can recognize that the great Mystery
of God becoming flesh, one of us, a newborn baby born into the world
to show us how to live and love, is a reality.
It can be so easy to fall back into "business as usual" and miss this.
But Jesus continues to touch people in ways that go beyond our mistaken
way of living.
St. Stephen, an early follower of Christ, died for his beliefs and his
feast day is celebrated on December 26. We know of this man from
the Book of Acts. He lived at a time when Greek-speaking Christians were
quarreling with the Hebrew-speaking Christians. They were complaining
that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food
and goods. As a result the disciples selected someone who could speak
for these people. He was a man filled with the Spirit, grace and power.
It's reported he worked great wonders among the people. Sadly, this created
resentment on the part of some.
There were certain Jews, members of the Synagogue of Roman Freedman,
who debated with Stephen. But they could not match his wisdon. He spoke
with words the Spirit gave him. As a result he was stoned to death. But
he did a very unusual thing as he was being killed. He asked God to forgive
them. He did what Jesus did; He loved and forgave his enemies.
This is a crucial aspect of Jesus' teaching and something he demonstrated
to everyone when he was being crucified. He did not respond to the hate
and anger of his persecutors by being condemning. He did not deserve
the hatred and punishment of those who did not understand him, but he
transformed their negativity into an outpouring of unconditional love.
Stephen died the same way. He was falsely accused because he fearlessly
spoke the Truth revealed to him by Jesus Christ. His courage is an example
to all. It was an example that must have been disturbing to a man
who witnessed the stoning. Those who killed Stephen laid their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul. This very man some time later
had one of the most astounding conversions ever recorded. Saul, later
Paul, had a complete reversal in his life from persecutor of the followers
of Jesus to one of the greatest evangelists ever, the disciple who spread
the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to many Gentiles. How God
uses people can never be underestimated.
May the amazing peace and joy of the Christmas Season be in our hearts
each and every day as we follow the one who shows us the Way to the Truth. All
are God's children.
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December 24, 2007
Christmas Eve —a day of excitement, anticipation and wonder. Eugene
Peterson, the well-known author perhaps best known for his The
Message translation of the Bible, has an article on Christianity
Today that I found inspiring. Read It's
a Wonder-Full Life here.
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December 20, 2007
Christmas is almost here. I hope you
are finding it a joyful season. Don’t fret over
those things that distract us from the love of God and
the love of each other. Enjoy the experience of gift
giving without obsessing over whether you bought the
right kind of gift. If you have been thoughtful in your
shopping you probably picked out something that will
be received gratefully and appreciated.
Our heavenly Father knows the deep longing of our hearts. I believe it
is God’s intention to help us bring those true desires into the
light. The letter of James in the New Testament calls him “the
Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”That’s
right, God is constant and true. But God is always creating. The greatest
gift to us, His son, made all things new.
This Christmas remember we’ve already been given the greatest gift
ever. If you need a God “with skin on him”look to Jesus Christ. “Every
good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the
heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose
to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of
firstfruits of all he created.”–James 1:17-18
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December 19, 2007
How tragic it is when a young person dies in an accident. It can
cause you to question your faith, especially if that person is full of
talent and zeal. Justin Sullivan, a high school baseball star in
Oklahoma, died on a summer afternoon in 2002 when he swerved his vehicle
on Interstate 44 in an attempt to avoid a collision. His action saved
the passengers in his car but Justin was killed when a pair of 800 pound
tires that had broken off from a big rig bounded across the highway and
slammed through the windshield.
Chris Wall, a youth pastor and friend of Justin, made a promise to the
parents, Dave and Juliann Sullivan, the day they buried their only son.
"For the rest of my life, for the rest of my ministry,”he told them, "I
will tell Justin's story.” The result is a devotional journal
that includes entries from Justin's own journal along with stories about his
life. Wall wasn't only the boy's youth pastor, he'd been a ffriend. For five
years he'd told about the young baseball star who was named player of the year
on a Sunday, then killed on Monday. Wall told them about the boy Justin taught
to hit because the boy's mom was in a wheelchair and about the talks Justin had
with his granddad about the Bible.
See the story at NewsOK.com.
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December 13, 2007
I'm pondering this morning the various kinds of writing and why people
write. I don't always know why I write or what I will write about
on any given day - until I sit down and begin to write. At other
times the project is thought out in advance. I'll make notes, outlines,
do some research and then sit down to write.
It does not always come easy. In fact, it is often very difficult. I
profess to myself and others that I love writing and feel drawn to it.
It seems to be part of me, something that God created me to do. But it
is easy to become too analytical about it all. And when I find
I'm in that frame of mind of "loving the idea of having written" rather
than actually doing the work it becomes necessary to once again thank
God for life, for abilities and talents, to start writing and just trust
the process.
It is interesting to me to see what others write, and when possible,
to talk with writers and share thoughts on the subject. The Internet
has given birth to the blogosphere and just about anyone can share on
a blog, writing about anything and everything. It is both a gift and
a curse.
There is a blog written by a group of authors, some new and some established,
spanning the spectrum of genres, who've agreed to write for a joint blog
effort. It's called The Writers Block (writersgroupblog.wordpress.com)
and the site is a 2007 weblog awards finalist for best literature blog. Each
of the seven writers shares her/his own views and the collaboration doesn't
mean they are in league with each other. The blog serves more as a way
to promote each of them and as an experiment. I'm reminded how diversity
is a good thing. The co-mingling of people with different interests,
attitudes, philosophies and talents can be a great positive - as long
as they allow each other space to peacefully co-exist. That means
loving unconditionally, not judging, being open-minded and still willing
to stand by your convictions. And to also be willing to grow in
understanding through questioning and embracing mystery. That's
a recipe for quality fellowship.
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December 11, 2007
Human Rights Day 2007 was
observed yesterday and it marks the start of a year-long
commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (from the United Nations).
The core values of these human rights include non-discriminatoin, equality,
fairness and universality. They sound downright Gospel, don't they?
Naturally. All of us are members of God's family. Our Creator loves
us all and teaches, encourages and urges us to love each other just as
God loves us. This was the primary teaching of Jesus Christ.
Our world is threatened by war, poverty, racial injustice and religious
divisiveness. It is more important than ever for each of us to
honor and protect the human rights of all.
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December 7, 2007
In 1960 John F. Kennedy, during his campaign for President, gave a stirring
and eloquent speech about why a candidate's faith and religion is private
and their religious preference should not be imposed on the nation, nor
should it be the sole deciding factor for voting for any candidate.
This is still an issue today. In the current campaign for the 2008 election
for the President of the United States one of the Republican Presidential
hopefuls, Mitt Romney, is being scrutinized by some because he is a member
of the Church of Latter Day Saints - the Mormons. He addressed
this concern in a speech yesterday where he focused more on the topic
of faith and politics in America than on his Mormon beliefs. In his speech,
directed primarily, I think, to the conservative Christian voting bloc,
he stated that he follows a moral creed that is in common with the convictions
of evangelical Protestants and conservative Catholics. He hopes
to alleviate the concerns of those who view Mormonism with skepticism.
Hopefully voters will keep an open mind and vote with their head, heart
and conscience for the candidate they think is best for the country.
As Jim Wallis, evangelical author and commentator (see
his blog) often states, "God is not a Republican...or a Democrat".
Also, insightful commentary at the Wall
Street Journal.
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December 3, 2007
There are a number of movies coming out for the holidays. One of them
is stirring up controversy in Christian ( and especially Catholic) circles. The
Golden Compass, a fantasy adventure starring Nicole Kidman
and Daniel Craig is based on Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.
Pullman is an admitted atheist and critics of the film are concerned
that people going to see it, especially young people, and will be introduced
to dangerous thoughts or agenda. My take is that we are always in danger
of anti-Christian or anti-God material. But it is our duty as believers
to be able to defend our faith as well as keep an open mind. Parents
and guardians are responsible for parenting and for deciding what movies
they will take their children to. So, research, discuss and make an informed
decision. You can read about the controversy online - here's
a link to an articulate article at KansasCity.com.
Over the weekend I viewed Amazing Grace (now
available on DVD), the cinematic story of William Wilberforce and
the English abolistionist movement. It is perhaps amazing to
us today that for so many years the African slave trade was not considered
evil - or at the very least that the forces of commerce turned a blind
eye. But millions of African men, women and children were captured and
sold to slave traders. They were shipped overseas in appalling conditions.
And they often lived harsh lives. God created ALL people in His image
and we all are deserving of human dignity and freedom. But throughout
history many people have been denied that freedom and dignity. Sadly,
human trafficking continues this day. It's also sobering that England
declared the slave trade illegal many years before the United States.
The movie is powerful and beautifully filmed. Wilberforce was inspired
and encouraged by John Newton, a former slave trader/ship captain who
had a conversion and then spent his life as a minister and Christian
opposing injustices such as slavery. He is best knows as the hymnist
who composed the much beloved song, Amazing Grace.
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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
of International Bible Society. Use of either trademark for the offering
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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