Showing posts with label Scripture. Show all posts

Here's what I have:

• Two car keys with the remotes attached.  
• Three PO Box keys for our personal box, the church box, and the Lions Club box.  
• Church front door key.  
• Church office key.  
• Church lock-box key.   
• Home front door key.  
• Keyring flashlight.  

That's 10 keys and one flashlight.

That's what I have on my keychain...now.

Last week I realized that the number of keys I was carrying around seemed a bit excessive.  It was something that had happened over time.  Every day when I leave the house, I do the ceremonial "pocket check" making sure I have my wallet, my phone, and my keys.

Back left pocket. Wallet.  Check.
Front left pocket.  Phone.  Check.
Front right pocket.  Keys,  Check.

It was that right front pocket check that got my attention.  In addition to all of those things listed above I had the following:

• Key to the old church that I rarely use.
• A key to the padlock we had on the church during construction and haven't used in over two years.
• A flashlight that didn't work and I had just forgotten to take off.
• And about four keys that went to unknown doors and locks but I probably just kept on there because I was sure I might need them at some point.

It wasn't until I threw my keys down on the desk at church that I noticed.  Sitting there against the wood top of the desk, it sure looked like I had a whole lot of keys.  Why was I carrying around all of that unneeded stuff.  That's a lot for a front pocket.  We don't have a huge church or anything.  There's no reason I should have to carry around all of this.

Now, I can't tell you why I started carrying around unneeded keys.  There probably was a good reason for them at some point.  But as the need for them passed, I was too lazy to even think about getting rid of them or storing them somewhere else to pull out only when needed.  But I can tell you what a difference this makes to my front right pocket. 

This is just a silly little example about my keys. But think for a second about all the other stuff that we pile up in life, that weighs us down, and we never let go of.

Material things are a great example of this.  When we have TV shows that talk about hoarders (no, I've never seen it) and pawn shops, perhaps we have a problem here.

But it goes beyond material things to the emotional, the psychological, and the spiritual as well.  Think of all the pain or griefs that we let weigh us down, never finding a way to free us from that burden.  Think of the weight of sin, that we can't seem to run from and never get released from by an acceptance of forgiveness and a change in behavior.  Think of the relationships we try to hold onto even thought they keep us from being the people we were intended to be.  Sometimes the very people we hold onto most tightly are the ones keep us from being truly free.

With my keys it was easy.  Realize the burden they've become.  Sit down in my office chair and take away the stuff I didn't need.

With those emotional, psychological, and spiritual issues, it's more difficult.

But I do know we have a God who wants us to be free from our burdens and to take a load off.

This is what Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV):

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Here's how Peterson's The Message puts it:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.

I want to live into that easy yoke and light burden today.

The keychain was just a start.

Now for the rest of my life.

We continue our sermon series this week, looking at Jacob's parenting and "Playing Favorites."

Image by humancarbine via Flickr

“Spiritual theology, using Scripture as a text, does not present us with a moral code and tell us, ‘live up to this’; nor does it set out a system of doctrine and say, ‘Think like this and you will live well.’ The biblical way is to tell a story and in the telling invite: 'Live INTO this — this is what it looks like to be human in this God-made and God-ruled world; this is what is involved in becoming and maturing as a human being.'

“When we submit ourselves to what we read in Scripture, we find that we are not being led to see God in our stories, but our stories in God’s. God is the larger context and plot in which our stories find themselves.” (43-44)

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Image by Todd Huffman via Flickr

And this from Eugene Peterson's, The Message, Colossians...

He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

(This is from Ron Cole: faith unleashed...running wild.  See the whole post there.)

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Good stuff from Chaplain Mike over at Internet Monk:

The Bible is not an “owners manual for life,” a handbook that instructs us how to be healthy, wealthy, and wise, with well-behaved children and without financial debt. It does not give therapeutic counseling for emotional problems nor does it hold the key to being healthy and fit. You won’t find “15 Steps for Overcoming Discouragement” or how to build a “successful” church or ministry.

In fact, the longer we meditate on Scripture, the more we see it is not really about us at all; that is, it was not given to meet our “felt needs.” Rather it was given to tell the story of what God did to restore his blessing to creation through his Son, Jesus Christ. And it calls us to let him integrate the stories of our lives into that bigger story by his saving grace and mercy.

OK, the book of Job is not the most uplifting book in the Bible.  I know folks use the phrase "the patience of Job" pretty freely, but it sure seems like that guy was a bit of a whiner...not that he didn't have anything to complain about.  Let's face it.  He had it rough.  But my favorite part of the book is towards the end when Job's so-called "friends" fade away and God really makes an appearance, to be confronted by (and to confront) Job.  In Chapter 38, it's God who questions the questioner who has the audacity to ask why bad things happen to good people...namely Job.

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:
² ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
³ Gird up your loins like a man,
   I will question you, and you shall declare to me.

⁴ ‘Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
   Tell me, if you have understanding.
⁵ Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
   Or who stretched the line upon it?
⁶ On what were its bases sunk,
   or who laid its cornerstone
⁷ when the morning stars sang together
   and all the heavenly beings^* shouted for joy?

⁸ ‘Or who shut in the sea with doors
   when it burst out from the womb?—
⁹ when I made the clouds its garment,
   and thick darkness its swaddling band,
¹⁰ and prescribed bounds for it,
   and set bars and doors,
¹¹ and said, “Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
   and here shall your proud waves be stopped”? 

And, over the next verses, God proceeds to ask Job just who it is that has control over all living creatures...the goats, the wild ass, the hawk, the horse, etc.   This is the Lord God Almighty talking here and Job needs to remember his place in creation and be grateful for it.  God's God.  Job's not.  Get over it.

Occasionally, I get reminded of "my place" in this creation of God's.  Bears have done this for me over the last three days.

First, on Thursday evening, I finally was going to get out on a bike ride.  It had been a few days.  My bike had a new crank set and cartridge and I was ready to head on out to Bird Point for a quick 18 mile ride.  I was moving.  It was good to be out.  I was just about ready to ride on down a hill to the turnaround point when a black bear appeared on the bike path.  I slammed on my breaks about 40 feet away.  I yelled.  I picked up my bike.  I was very polite about it, but I made it clear that I wanted to proceed down the hill.  I'd worked 8 miles to get there.  But the bear wouldn't budge.  I then saw a cub in a tree behind it.  The bear wasn't going to move.  I figured this was a sign that I should just turn around and deal with a 16 mile ride.  It was a good ride.  But I was reminded that I'm really not in control of this life of mine.  I'm not even in control of the bike ride.

Then, on Friday, my wife and I went up Alyeska for a hike.  Again, it was going to have to be a little short but it was good to be out.   We had just made it back down to the bottom when a biker pointed out a bear up the hill.  There was a cub with this one as well.  We watched for a few minutes as they wandered around a clearing and then it was time to go home.  I was reminded of the wildness of the place we live.  Creation is all around us.

But, Saturday was the one that really reminded me what part of the food chain I am around here.  I went out in our very tiny lawn to get the garden hose with the hopes of knocking down a hornets nest that has been built under the edge of our roof.  I was in the yard and heard a very forceful "GRUNT."  There was a rather large black bear 10-15 feet away from me.  The grunt was meant for me.  It watched very carefully as I hurriedly made my way down our porch steps away from it.  I'd never had a bear grunt at me before.  Then again, I'd never gotten that close to one without there being a fence or glass between it and me.  While the bear wasn't doing anything besides being a bear, it made me realize I was out of my league.  This was a big bear.  His grunt clearly pointed out that he was boss at that moment.

Look, pride gets the best of all of us at some time or another.  For some of us, it's a more regular occurrence.  But in the end, God, either answering "out of the whirlwind" or sending a few bears our way, reminds us that we are merely some of his creatures in this great world of us.  We may be loved and forgiven creatures, but we're just creatures all the same.

What reminds you of your place?  What does God use to bring out some of your humility?

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For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!
Ezekiel 18:32




Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice
Proverbs 24:17



But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 
Matthew 5:44-45