A New Year's Eve Confession

I confess that the older I get the faster time flies for it is hard to believe that today is the last day of the year! My own theories are that the speed of time increases as you age because of a mixture of things.

• Your subconscious mind is telling you there is more time before the present than after in your life;
• Your responsibilities increase each year. First yourself, then your mate, then your children, then grandchildren, then parents, and in our future there will likely be great-grandchildren. (Such does not even consider other life areas such as vocation or occupation that has increased responsibilities as the years pass.)

My hunch is that as I age the zeroing in of the compass, that is choosing the actions that best shape the future, becomes crucial. And, oddly enough, time alone to consider such has become vital.

Time -- it is such a gift that, irregardless of our age, our economic condition, God has given us all equally. That is, we have been given the same number of seconds in a minute, minutes in an hour, hours in a day, etc, to live.

Pray that I use my time well in 2009.

And my prayers will be the same for you as well.

6:30 PM

New Year's Eve Worship

Arlington UMC (arlingtonum.org)

Listen!

Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking;

if you hear my voice and open the door,

I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.

Revelation 3:20

These are words that are often attributed to Jesus and with that in mind my own memory goes to a painting of that scene in which Jesus is standing and knocking at an exterior door that has no exterior handle. This painter emphasized the words "if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in ...". What is believed is that Jesus does not force his way into any one's life. Rather, he leaves us the free choice of "opening the door" to a relationship of loving and following him who loved us so much he died for us. And then the power of God raised him from death to life everlasting. He fully demonstrated love for God, neighbor, enemy and self; and then asked us to do so as well.

My own experience is I must constantly work on opening, or keeping the door open, to Jesus every moment of the day. It is too easy to close! The wind of busyness can pull it shut. The stops I put under it such as daily devotional time in God's written word can allow it to slide shut when I am not allowing God's word to fully shape all my decisions. When I become too self-centered my eyes may drift away from the door through which Christ may enter. Well, you know what I mean. So for me the issue is not as much opening the door but finding the doorstop to keep it open.

My experience is the only doorstop that keeps my door of life open is Jesus, God's Son, who opened it through his birth, life, death and resurrection. And the Spirit of God who was sent to live in me, and every person; to tender our natural conscience to the point that little, itty-bitty, sins bother us. For me, the more those tiny sins bother me the closer I believe I am to sitting at the table with Jesus.

Jesus came at Christmas. He still comes, now and then, each day. May we all be attentive to the time(s) when Jesus stands at our door today.

New Year's Eve Worship

6:30 PM

arlingtonum.org for further information

A Shining Word

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to observe your righteous ordinances. I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word. Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me your ordinances. I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts. Your decrees are my heritage for ever; they are the joy of my heart. I incline my heart to perform your statutes for ever, to the end.

(Psalm 119:105-112)

After Jesus' birth, the gospel of John speaks of him as the word of God. Here that word is seen as "a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path", so with that in mind, I think of travelling in more rural areas of our nation in which you can see the stars. In those more rural ares, so many stars can be seen on a clear night for there is such darkness! In that setting I most see the relevance of a "lamp" or "light" to see where you are walking. The psalmist sees the word of God as a guidance to every day steps by holding one's life in my own hands (self-responsibility) and not forgetting the law of God.

How much life the psalmist sees in the law of God. It is as if God's law has power in itself (to live in me if only I allow such)! God's gift of the living word in Christmas affirms this power. So my hope is that I will strive more than ever before to live out the word of God that is in short ...

love God, neighbor, enemy, and self.

My prayer in this Christmas season is you will do so as well.

New Year's Eve Service,

6:30 PM

arlingtonum.org

Hallelujah!

Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Extol him, all you peoples!
For great is his steadfast love towards us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Praise the Lord!

(Psalm 117)

When I hear the invitation and the call for all people to praise the Lord the inside of me wants to shout, "Hallelujah!" that comes from the Hebrew (Old Testament) word meaning 'Praise the Lord!'

When I imagine all the world praising the Lord my mind goes to the Jamaican dry river valley that I saw in 1992. At that time, there were people living in homes made out of 'supplies' from the trash heaps of Jamaica, and over five hundred homes shared one water spicket for their water supply. Yet, my worship experience with them was more full of joy than I had experienced before or after. I suppose that being can well make one more God-centered.

Perhaps this Christmas Season can be a time when I once again seek to live on less so that I can give more. Such may guide me more toward the real joy in life that has more to do with giving than it does receiving. Such I saw of my Jamaican brothers and sisters in Christ who were a means of the joy of Jesus Christ for me.

My prayer is that you also give yourself empowered by the Spirit of God who lived in God's ultimate gift, Jesus.

New Years Eve worship time is at 6:30 PM, of course on December 31, 2008. Here participants will be given the opportunity for renewal.

The Christmas Season ...

As I remember the action of God the Son in becoming human I see an immeasurable love in him. With that in mind, I recall such biblical verses as ...

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God;

everyone who loves is born of God and knows God"

(1 John 4:7)

The letter of 1 John speaks of what is called "Christian perfection". For me, Christian perfection speaks more of a journey toward perfection than it does being perfect. Or to put it another way, it is more a striving to be loving, than it is to have a perfect love without mistakes.

So useful questions for my own self-reflection are along the lines of these two simple questions: (1) Where are am striving to have a selfless, self-giving love? and (2) Where or whom do I need to add to my striving love?

The Christmas Season, December 25 through January 5, is for me a time to ponder these questions as the New Year is approaching.

Perhaps they may help you as well.

See you tomorrow ... worship is at 10:00 AM.

There really are twelve days ...

We live in a non-Christian world where few know of the risen Jesus. And even fewer know the stories of his birth and life as a human being. Now imagine, in this situation a law is passed that you must attend church, and all of a sudden there are more persons attending church than ever before. This is what occurred when Constantine was emperor of the Roman Empire. With this situation the local churches put together classes to teach their guests about the Christian faith, its beliefs and how to live it out in daily experience. It is during this time that the Christian calendar was polished into the forms that the universal church has today with dates for Christmas, Easter, and other celebrations were set. And the Christian seasons of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost were designed to teach about our story as God's people.

The Christmas season was given twelve days likely because twelve is a biblical number. For examples, there were twelves tribes of Israel, and Jesus chose twelve apostles to follow him. The twelves days of Christmas begin on December 25 and end on January 5.

My invitation is to be a radical in today's world for we need Christ-centered "radicals". Continue celebrating Christmas until January 5. A method recommended is to review the Christmas story each of these twelve days and join me in asking,

"OK, Jesus, what do you want me to do today?"

... and look for answers that make you bend out of your way to help others. Such will be continuing to offer Christ-centered gifts as our Christmas celebration will lengthen.

Christmas Day

A Deeper Meaning for Christmas

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

(John 1:1-18)

Christmas Eve

The Story of Jesus' Birth

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah,* the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,* praising God and saying,

‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’*

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Luke 2:1-20

You are invited to be a part of the Celebration of Jesus Birth

at 11:00 PM.

Arlington United Methodist Church

1360 Murfreesboro Road

Nashville, TN

(between Briley Parkway and

the airport runway that crosses over Murfreesboro Road)

arlingtonum.org

(615) 361-4896

Abiding in Jesus

Abide in me as I abide in you.

Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine,

neither can you unless you abide in me.

(John 15:4)

These are the words of Jesus as an adult so while we are preparing to celebrate his birth I am wondering what it means to abide in a newborn baby. For me, such means admitting that we depend on those who care for us. For the infant, that provided care keeps one warm, feeds one, listens, rocks, sings to, talks with, and, of course, changes the diaper. Such was Jesus as an infant.

In John 15:1-11 Jesus tells this story of how a branch cannot survive without the vine to which it is attached. So as I am considering the baby Jesus I am also considering we who are adults. My own experience says that we as adults cannot survive in a healthy way the pros and cons of life without daily abiding in Jesus.

The word for abide here can mean "to remain in" as well as "to wait for". So for me to abide in Jesus is both to remain in and to wait for him. Such is the calling of the Advent (the Christian season before Christmas) and Christmas that celebrates his birth.

My prayer is that you and I will daily remain in and wait for Jesus.

You are invited to be our guest.

Our Christmas Eve Service

will be at 11:00 PM.

Arlington United Methodist Church

1360 Murfreesboro Road

Nashville, TN

(between Briley Parkway and the airport runway

that crosses Murfreesboro Road)

arlingtonum.org

(615) 361-4896

If you have courage ...

‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,

to be with you for ever.

This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,

because it neither sees him nor knows him.

You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.'

(John 14:15-17)

From my own experience, it becomes more difficult each day to be Christ-centered as Christmas approaches.

The world has so many things to distract our attention from being so. Just consider all the television, radio, mail, and Internet advertisements that say "do this, buy that".

And then our families will be coming together for Christmas and our minds go to such questions as these. Where is the best place to meet? Who will be preparing the main course? the vegetables? fruits? salads? deserts? Who will be setting up? cleaning after? tearing down?

And then ... and then ... and then ...

I have tried in the last month to work ahead, but such is not possible for everyone. Like other vocations, I will still be on call for the hospitalized, etc. How do I handle such best? To take advantage of every down time possible.

So my invitation to you and your household is to take advantage of down times. When they arrive, sit still in silence, remember that Jesus loves you with a love that cannot be measured.

More often that I can count I have simply prayed, "Thank you Lord for loving me."

And, then, if you have courage, join me in praying,

"Speak, Lord, your servant is listening."

You are invited to be our guest in the
Celebration of Jesus’ Birth
at 11:00 PM.

Arlington United Methodist Church
1360 Murfreesboro Road
Nashville, TN

(Between Briley Parkway and the airport runway over Murfreesboro Road)

arlingtonum.org
(615) 361-4896

Looking for God ...

"The Father and I are one."

(John 9:30)

God is mysterious. That is he rarely allows God's own self to be seen. Just picture, a national hero of Israel named Moses in around 1300 BC wants to see God whom he has followed well. And what happens, God shields his eyes while he walking toward him and after he turns around he allows Moses to see his back, but not his face (Exodus 33:17-23).

In the gospel of John the relationship between Jesus, God the Son, and God the Father is underlined to the point that Jesus says, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).

God is a God who is present and accounted for. The story of Christmas is a part of that certainty.

I invite you to join me in looking for the presence of God in your daily experience.

You are invited to be our guest in the
Celebration of Jesus’ Birth
at 11:00 PM.

Arlington United Methodist Church
1360 Murfreesboro Road
Nashville, TN

(Between Briley Parkway and the airport runway over Murfreesboro Road)

arlingtonum.org
(615) 361-4896

As Christmas Approaches ...

Scripture: On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” ’ Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39).

Observation: The setting of this saying of Jesus is during the Jewish Festival of Booths (John 7: 2). During this week-long festival the people of Israel would do such actions as recalling various merciful acts of God with people important in their history, and requesting that God give them enough rain for the coming growing season. So it is in this setting that Jesus says, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me ..." and “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”

Application: What am I thirsty for? Is it what Jesus desires me to have? And am I daring enough to ask Jesus to quench my thirst?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am thirsty to write for you. If it is what you desire, may my thirst be quenched and bring praise to you.

Yield: To what the Lord provides.

You are invited to be our guest in the
Celebration of Jesus’ Birth
at 11:00 PM.

Arlington United Methodist Church
1360 Murfreesboro Road
Nashville, TN

(Between Briley Parkway and the airport runway over Murfreesboro Road)

arlingtonum.org
(615) 361-4896

Glory ...

"How can you believe when you accept glory from one another

and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God?"

(John 5:44)

The word glory has various meanings such as:

• "fame, admiration, and honor that is given to somebody who does something important";
• "praise and thanksgiving offered as an act of worship to a deity";
• "majesty or splendor";
• "beauty that inspires feelings".

In the number of times I have read the gospel of John I am convinced that John sees Jesus as in the glory of God most while he is dying on the cross. Here are just three reasons from John that help me to see it this way.

When John first sees Jesus he says, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!" (John 1:29, see also v. 36). Lambs were a customary sacrifice that the people of Israel gave for their sins.

Jesus keeps speaking about his "hour". If you are curious here go to http://bible.oremus.org/. When it comes up look for "enter a word or phrase to search for..." and type in hour and look under John. And you will find that many of the uses of that word point to the hour of Jesus' crucifixion.

And while on the cross Jesus says, "It is finished!" (John 19:30) That is, there he completed the work of God given to him.

Jesus' glory moment was in his sacrifice. Such is pointed to in Christmas as well for there the everlasting Son of God took on human form and lived his life demonstrating that the glorification of God as being a servant to God and humanity.

How is God calling us to be servants today?

You are invited to be our guest in the
Celebration of Jesus’ Birth
at 11:00 PM.

Arlington United Methodist Church
1360 Murfreesboro Road
Nashville, TN

(Between Briley Parkway and the airport runway over Murfreesboro Road)

arlingtonum.org
(615) 361-4896

God loves you ...

John 3:16 is a verse that you see so often. At times you will see "John 3:16" on a poster or bumper sticker. It is a central verse for the understanding of the gospel of John, and it is often seen as the theme of all of Scripture. This morning it was part of my Scripture reading from John 2-4.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him may not perish

but may have eternal life"

(John 3:16)

For me, there are many places in the first four chapters speaking of the love of God. But it is especially central in John, chapter four. Here Jesus sits in the fellowship of a Samaritan woman at a well. That is, he crosses a bridge built by human hands between the Jewish brothers and sisters and the Samaritans (who have had one parent that is Jewish and another that is Gentile, non-Jewish). Jesus was not supposed to even talk to her but in this story Jesus expresses God's love for all people. It is worth the reading so I invite you to take the time (John 4:1-42).

God loves you! Believe so!

A letter from John ...

The heat in our home that went out on December 9, 2008 is still out. Presently, we have sheets stapled to the top of some door trim to be able to heat the den and kitchen. We are thanking God and friends for the loaned heater units. Such has been keeping my wife and me in the season of Advent that remembers that just as we are waiting for our warranted part to arrive, so God was promising a warranty for a couple of areas: (1) meaning and purpose for our life here and now; as well as, (2) promise of life always with God.

God ultimately fulfilled that promise in Jesus Christ. What we believe about Jesus is he perfectly lived up to his God-given purpose and meaning. His meaning was simply an expression of the love of God. His purpose was to save every human being by making it possible through simple trust that God has saved us in Jesus to be made right with God. His promise was that he would always be with us. Such is living under the influence of the Spirit of God through our 'natural' conscience that in the real world is not just natural but is a gift from God to every human being that will respond.

Yes, the Carpenters are waiting for our heat to be repaired. But that is just us. We are all waiting for Christ to someday return. And that is true to all the world.

A way for waiting for Christ is through participation in his body, the church. If you are not a part of a local church, you are as always invited to be part of Arlington UMC. Our street address is 1360 Murfreesboro Road. Nashville, Tennessee. Our phone # is (615) 361-4896. Our website is arlingtonum.org. If you are looking for a church to attend our website also includes worshipping opportunities.

May your Christmas be surprisingly full of the presence of Jesus Christ.

A method to the madness ...

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves;

set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ

will bring you when he is revealed.

Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires

that you formerly had in ignorance.

Instead as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct;

for it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy".

(1 Peter 1:13-16)

The second word of our denominational title, United Methodist, comes form what we became known for, our "method" of helping people follow Christ. The context of our method were individuals meeting together in order to help each other examine their own relationship with Jesus Christ.

As one example, the group I am a part of each week begins by asking each other, "How has God been good to you in the past week?" After answers are shared we look at the sermon text for the following week with challenging discussion questions that focus upon our realtionship with Jesus. And last, we make a promise on one action that we are going to do for God in the coming week. And, of course, there is a checkup on that in the following week.

This does a couple of healthy things -- it builds human relationships and relationships with God. Such is our effort to be 'holy' as the Lord our God is holy. Thanks be to God.

If you would like to be part of such a group contact me at john@arlingtonum.org

Whenver you face trials ...

For me, serving others is my main source of happiness. According to other's evaluation of me (EQ-360) I am one whose major strength is "social responsibility", that is in my words, a call to serve. Servanthood brings much joy. But there are challenges along the way, so here my thoughts are more for those challenges. The opening words in the letter of James that is in the Bible is addressed as follows.

"My brothers and sisters,

whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy,

because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance;

and let endurance have its full effect,

so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing"

(James 1:2-4)

From my own experience the most difficult moments in my life have been those that have produced the best results. They made me aware of personal changes that must be made in order for my leadership skills to further develop. I think of years ago when in my second job location I attempted to imitate what occurred at the first location because it was exceedingly successful .... disaster occurred. Or a location where my leadership style was once again legitimately challenged. They both have been the more major "trials" of my work. Yet, from those trials, I have learned. I have even also learned that it is as crucial to pay attention to minor, smaller challenges as well. They, too, are sources of personal growth.

So Jame's words: "Whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy" speak personally to me for they talk of lessons that can be learned by the more difficult and maybe even tense moments in life.

My hope is that when you have those tense moments this week, may you pause your response, stand still, and look for the lesson to be learned.

When the clock slows down ...

Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus,

the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,

make you complete in everything good so that you may do his will,

working among us that which is pleasing in his sight,

through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
(Hebrews 13:20-21)

I was really appreciative of the phrase in bold and italics above especially considering the word "us". I have experienced a lot of working among us in the last week. There were visits covering a good bit of the day Monday and interspersed through each other day. There were Christmas meals that my wife and I had with friends. It is during such occasions that time can get lost. Particularly, on a couple of occasions we were surprised by how much time had passed when we were preparing to leave. It is in the good times that it seems that time slows down for a holy moment to occur with the presence of people and, ultimately, God.

Such are those moments I was hungry for this past week and I am grateful. Such events are truly holy.

This week may you experience such times when the clock slows down so that when a meaningful event concludes you will be pleasantly surprised as how much time has passed.

So simple ...

But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.

(Hebrews 9:11-12)

For me, the phrase "with his [Jesus] own blood" makes the Christian beliefs and lifestyle very simple. This is what I mean ...

• Before Jesus, people were trying to earn the love of God by doing good things. A part of those good things were offering to God sacrifices like "goats and calves". It would also be areas like helping those in poverty. Those who do so in order to earn God's love are not understanding that God loves us irregardless of our works. Such is what is radical about the love of God;
• And because the blood of Jesus makes all who trust Jesus right with God, then our good works for God and other people are an expression of our love for God who always loves us in spite of ourselves.

So simple ...

See you in worship tomorrow ... arlingtonum.org

Trust God in smaller matters ...

Consequently he able for all time to save those who approach God through him,

since he always lives to make intercession for them

(Hebrews 7:25)

Intercession is praying for other people such as family, friends and even enemies. It is I interceding with God on behalf of others.

Long ago I learned that in order to intercede it is better to pray about small things at first, even areas in which you believe God is too busy to answer such an "unimportant" prayer. Here is one example. On Tuesday afternoon I was involved in a three hour board meeting. On arriving there I was expecting a call from a service person for our heat was out for the second time this winter. (Of course, I turned off the ringer.) My phone vibrated during the board meeting so I glanced at my phone, saw it was the service person, walked out in the hall, and answered. As he gave data, I reached into my pocket for a pen and there was not one there. So, as the conversation continued I simply prayed in my mind to find one and as I looked there was a table in the hall with an ink pen there. Simple situation ... simple prayer. Other simpler situations are colds, headaches, and sprained ankles.

Such begins to build one's faith or trust in God before our prayers are over really crucial matters such as persons with more serious conditions such as cancer. Does this mean the answer from God will be more what we desire? No, not necessarily, but it will mean that because of when God has answered prayers over smaller issues, our trust in God will have grown and will have better prepared us .

God's house ...

"Christ, however, was faithful over God's house as a son,

and we are his house if we hold firm the confidence

and pride that belong to hope"

(Hebrews 3:6)

When I thought of the world of "house" this morning the first thought that came to mind my parent's house. It was a place that I called "home", "the place where I live", "the place across the street from my grandparents", "the place". And today, my house is again "the place where we (my wife and I) live", "the place where now and then children and grandchildren come", "the place".

Here we are presented to be "his house" -- God's house! Wow! God alive in us. God at home in us. Us, "the place where God lives", and "the place where others may come home".

Thanks be to God that such can be.

The Living Gift

"Guard the good treasure entrusted to you,
with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us"
(2 Timothy 1:14)

What caught my eyes was the two words "good treasure" so I reread the verses before this one to see how Paul defined the treasure (vv. 8-14). Here are my hunches:

• not being ashamed of the testimony about our Lord;
• relying on the power of God who saved us and gave us a holy calling;
• the grace, or mercy, of God given to us in Christ Jesus; and a
• faith/trust relationship with Jesus.

Central, of course, to this good treasure is Jesus Christ himself as God's grand gift to us. Such makes all the rest possible including the living gift of the Holy Spirit in us who helps us to give testimony by word and deed, reminds us of our calling, is God's channel of grace to us, and who gives us God's gift of our trust.

A product of God's love ...

This morning in reading from 1 Timothy 5-6 as well as Titus 1-3 what caught my eyes were as follows:

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you.

Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions
of what is falsely called knowledge;

by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith.

1 Timothy 5:20-21a

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,

he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done,

but according to his mercy,

through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit

Titus 3:4-5

These have a common Scriptural theme of what almost sounds like a contradiction: We are called by God to do good works, yet all of humanity's combined good works would not keep one person in a good relationship with God. Rather good human works should be seen as not earning God's love but as a product of God's love in me.

We believe such about God. He did not send Jesus, his Son, to earn our love but as a growth out of his unending love for us, for all.

The first reading above speaks of human works. The next reading speaks of our motivation to do so. So for now, I will ask: How did God love me yesterday? And if I want to go further, last week? over the years? And as I answer these questions I will be reminded of part of the motivation for my good works.

Perhaps it would be good for you to do so as well.

Such ...

There are various methods of reading the Bible. One of my own methods is to pay attention for quotations in Scripture. Such can indicate what is on an author's mind when they were writing. There at least a couple of quotations in 1 Timothy 1-4 that I read this morning. They are 1 Timothy 2:5 and 3:16b.

"... there is one God,

there is also one mediator between God and humankind,

Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as a ransom for all ..."

and,

"He was revealed in the flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels,

proclaimed among the Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory"

This sees God as one. The words that really poke out here to me about Jesus are mediator, human, ransom, revealed, vindicated, seen, proclaimed, believed in, and taken up.

Such began my day well.

Blessings ...

Whatever you do ...

And whatever you do, in word or deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Colossians 3:17)

To me, to do something "in the name of" someone else is to do something that bests represents them. Modern examples of that are our elected or appointed government personnel who are to go in the name of our nation representing us. In reference to the above Scriptural verse we, who believe in Jesus Christ, are set apart to do and say everything representing his incessant love for all the world.

What a high calling this is! When I keep this in mind it can take a bit more time to shape the compass by which I set the priorities for the day but doing so keeps my mind at more ease, my heart more true, and my prayers are that my life is more for real ... more true!

My prayers are that whatever you do will be truly representing Jesus Christ who is living love.

SOAPY

Scripture: Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; ^*13 but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own;but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.

Observation: Determination; striving; and focusing upon "this one thing I do...".

Application: To more sharply focus what are the important areas of life that focus more upon the one thing in this moment we are called by God to do.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for adopting me as your own. Now,may I forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead. May I press toward that one thing for this and each moment you have called me to do for you. Amen.

Yield: Press on toward whom God has made you to become.

See you tomorrow at Arlington UMC ...

Doing the impossible ...

This morning Scripture verses that caught my attention were as follows:

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,

as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us,

a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God"

(Ephesians 5:1-2)

If we are to love as Christ loved us, my first thought was to explore how the writer of Ephesians looks on the love of God. For that writer, it is a blessing. It is the foundation of God adopting us all as his children. The love of Christ is an inheritance, a value, love toward all, wisdom, mercy, grace, and servanthood. So be the imitators of God. That is, be those who love as Christ loved us, be an inheritance, a value, and a love toward all ... be a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

How did Christ love us? He gave up whatever it took for him to give up for us. For Christ, such was giving up his life for us. And for us, it can be giving up our time, giving up our temptation to give instant advice before first listening well, and then before we give it ask if our advice is wanted.

Christ went out of his way to love me and so the question is, "How can I go out of my way to love Christ? to love others?

Just enough ...

This morning it was enough for me to just read and reread the following. I invite you to do the same.

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

(Ephesians 1:15-23)

This Sunday, December 7 ...

Sunday will be December 7, 2008, the 67th anniversary of Pearl Harbor so my mind looks back to that event of tragedy. And, at the same time looks across the earth at our national forces at work in Iraq and Afghanistan.

With my mind on this I cannot help but remember that my father was part of the 8th Army Air Corp in Europe. He flew as a top-turret gunner on a B-24, a large high-altitude bomber of that day. We met eight of his ten fellow crewman at an 8th Air Force reunion in San Antonio, Texas. And my mind goes as well to my brother that was in the Army during Vietnam from 1966 to 1968.

For me, Psalm 85, which will be the sermon text for this coming Sunday not only speaks to a nation that is remembering peace and experiencing war, but also speaks to a nation that is in any type of trouble such as our economic concerns. For this psalm moves from recalling good times (vv. 1-3); calls out for restoration and help in bad times (vv. 4-7); has faith that in spite of the presence of tragedy, God will surely bring help (vv. 8-9); and has confidence in the final good effect of God (vv. 10-13).

In invite you to read Psalm 85 for verse nine says,

"Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,

that his glory may dwell in our land".

A portion meant ...

This past Sunday we were fund-raising after church for missions and ministries that go far beyond ourselves. In the United Methodist Church such is called "apportionments" in which each church is encouraged to raise a portion meant to fund the proclamation of Jesus Christ by word and deed beyond ourselves.

It was a lot of fun. We had a chili cook off in which right at two dozen church participants cooked chili and so we were given about one-fourth a cup of each to taste, and choose one winner. Donations were given and all was used to support a part of our apportionments.

For me, such is the local church at its best ... when it is doing something for someone else expecting nothing in return. In a sense, such is becoming like Jesus who took on the human condition to show us the real love of God.

My rescue ...

"So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good,

evil lies close at hand."

Romans 7:21

So Paul's thought begins in Romans 7:21-25 but that is not where it ends. Here is its end ...

Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 7:25

The places where I can identify with Paul's words here are: in the weekly planning process where objectives are set based upon my values and mission; and, in my self-evaluation at both the end of the day and at the end of the week. Some of the planning may have been attained and some was not. As for those that were not attained it could have been because I was not well focused. But then as a German theologian expressed to us twenty-eight years ago there is a danger in an overloaded calendar because when it is overloaded you are more than likely scheduling out God. (So he said long before I used a computerized calendar).

Very simple -- my evil is over-scheduling, and my rescue is Jesus Christ who, thanks to God, has spoken such through laity.

That is just the way it is ...

This morning's reading (Romans 1-4) was from a letter that has often been referred to as a summary of Christian beliefs. It is the letter of Romans in the New Testament. It speaks of subjects such as God the Father, Jesus, Spirit; chosenness; righteousness; sin; grace/mercy; justification; and sanctification.

The writer of Romans is at least wrestling with the "how-to's" of salvation -- what it means to be made right with God. On this subject, the human side of the writer wants to keep saying, 'It all depends on how well I do in the sight of God'. And the divine guidance in my own words to the human writer keeps on encouraging this thought -- 'You are not loved by God based on your works no matter how good they may be, but rather you are loved by God only because God wants to love you (even if it is in spite of yourself).'

Verses that stuck out to me were as follows. As a background to them, Abraham has always been seen as the father of Israel kind of like George Washington is seen as the father of the United States.

For if Abraham was justified by works,

he has something to boast about, but not before God.

For what does the Scripture say,

"Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due.

But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly,

such faith is reckoned as righteousness"

Romans 4:3-5

(bold & italics added)

The aim of the Judeo-Christian life is to be made righteous/holy/good/upright/godly/right by God. But it can only be a work by God on me and God's work on me enables me to work for God. Sounds so odd, but for all that is just the way it is.

I was waiting ...

Wednesday night of this past week (11/26/08), I arrived home as the sun was beginning to set so I hurriedly got out the lawnmower to chop up the leaves in the back yard. I did not put as much gasoline in the mower to be sure and burn up all the gasoline before putting it up for the winter. Nevertheless, after the back yard was finished, the lawnmower kept running so I cut the side and front yard again. And even with all of that the mower kept running so I cut the back yard again for it was stacked high with leaves before it was cut the first time. When it was all cut, some twice, the mower just kept running so I finally put up the mower with a bit of gasoline in it! There are still a couple of trees with leaves so my plans are to cut under them again to finish burning up the gasoline.

In my life I try to look back at events to see if there is any evidence of the presence of God. One way that I see this event is God may have walked beside me laughing as I tried to use all the gasoline. Another way I see this event is that God just wanted me to get more exercise. Perhaps also God wanted to remind me of one of the themes of the Advent/Christian Season which awaits God's coming as I was waiting to run out of gasoline. Could it have been the timing for the moment I walked in the house after cutting the yard I was hearing of the captives in India over the television?

I does help me in experience to try to see God so I take the time.

See you tomorrow at Arlington UMC.

Another reason for Thanksgiving

I have just read the final chapter of the gospel of Matthew. Admittedly, it begins with one of the favorite times of day I have which is sitting up and watching the light gradually increase as the sun rises. In that scene colors begin to gradually appear as the light increases. So it must have been in Matthew for, as the sun was rising, there were women on the way to Jesus' tomb.

As I picture this scene, I wonder how fast are they going, and what is their posture. Are they silent? Are they talking? Are they moping along with uncertainty? Or do they walk with a purpose in their steps?

"Suddenly there was a great earthquake". And an angel, literally "messenger", of the Lord appeared to them. And he announced that the executed Jesus had been raised from the dead, and he invited them to see the empty tomb where the night before Jesus' dead body lay.

My mind stops right there as I imagine the scene. The women looking at each other with eyes wide open, eyebrows raised, and jaws dropping. Some of them are looking directly into the messengers face while others are dropping to the floor with fear. Although there is no reference to any verbal reply in Scripture, I can easily imagine them saying phrases like: "What?"; "You've got to be kidding!"; "I can't believe that!"; "Do you believe?" or "You mean..."

Irregardless of their reply suddenly the risen Jesus appeared to them and said, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me" (Matthew 28:10b).

The resurrection of Jesus and the hope it gives us to share with those around us is now another reason for thanksgiving.

Setting the mood for Thanksgiving ...

The following comes from a book written by one of the members of Arlington United Methodist Church. Her name is Susanna Lahde, and presently she is in heaven. These words of hers are drawn from her reflections on Psalm 106:1-3, 48. I see them as fitting to read aloud and set the mood or theme of a Thanksgiving prayer or meal. This may even be used for a prayer. Copies of her book are available at AUMC.

LOVE

His love endures.

His love endures forever.

Thanks to the Lord for he is good.

Bless those who maintain justice, doing right.

Praise the Lord from everlasting to everlasting.

Proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord; declare his praise.

Praise the Lord from everlasting to everlasting.

Bless those who maintain justice doing right.

Thanks to the Lord for doing good.

His love endures forever.

His love endures.

LOVE

May your Thanksgiving Day be a God-centered celebration of hope and renewal.

Honestly, rough language for me to hear ...

Today, there are religious leaders who have different purposes. That is, there are Deacons in the United Methodist Church who are in such service as physicians, nurses, teachers, business administrators, musicians in every respect, Christian education directors and ... Such honors our God-given gifts.

There are also Elders whose purpose is in "word (proclamation), sacrament (Baptism and Holy Communion), and order (bringing order to the life of the church)".

During Jesus' life there were also religious leaders with particular tasks. There were "Scribes and Pharisees". Among other responsibilities the main work of the scribes was to hand write copies of the Hebrew Bible. And the Pharisees were responsible for its interpretation to daily life.

Jesus was toughest on the religious leaders of his day. Even though I believe in the mercy of a forgiving God, I confess that is a scary thought for me. The gospel of Matthew places emphasis on this side of Jesus when in chapter 23 of that gospel this phrase appears five times ...

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!"
(Matthew 23:13, 23, 25, 27, 29)
[in verse 16 they are referred to as 'blind guides'!]

From this I sense a call again to an outward holiness that others may see and an inward holiness (attitudes, thoughts, etc) that only God can see in each of us.

May I request this? Pray daily for today's scribes and pharisees, our religious leaders, for my hunch is that God's judgment on us will be the toughest. Pray that God's guidance, God's love, and and God's mercy will surround us as well as be delivered through us.

And, of course, pray for yourself.

Jesus said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"

They said to him,
"Lord, let our eyes be opened"
(Matthew 20:32b-33)

Even though I am not physically blind, there is always a chance that I may not be seeing life as God sees it. That is always true and for that reason the story of Jesus healing the physically blind can give me hope that he will heal spiritual blindness that is not seeing things the way he sees them. With that in mind I remember an event from this past Sunday.

On Sunday, November 23, 2008 from 8:00 to 9:30 AM we had what is called a "Charge Conference". For United Methodist local churches "charge conferences" are at least one annual 'business review' meeting . The word "charge" refers to the place of an appointed minister. Even though we had good attendance at our charge conference (about 30% of our active attendees) I wish there had been more for this reason: it would have been a good opportunity for more of the people of our local church to hear the testimony of how God has been working through us. I have decided that in the weeks after Thanksgiving I will motivate our staff and laity to publicize what ministries for those outside the Arlington Church have occurred in the last year through at least our newsletter, website, and verbally in worship.

The whole point here is God is a very personal God who seeks to work through people to change the world. And maybe, just maybe, during this Advent and Christmas season he will use me to change a few people at a time toward goodness. From my perspective with all of us seeking to do so such can change the world.

May God continue to open my eyes to how God can work through me! And may God do so for you as well!

Jesus' coming

On Monday of this week, I will be looking forward to the coming of our heat and air conditioning service. Our heat is not working so last night our house temperature dropped to the lower fifties. The repairman's coming will no doubt repair our system.

Just as the heat and air conditioner service will come for repairs to our heating unit, so the coming of Jesus had this purpose to repair us in both our individual and community lives.

Advent is the Christian season before Christmas and it is a Latin word that means "coming". In long-standing Christian tradition Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas which this year that will be November 30, 2008. It recalls that before Jesus came the people of God believed that he was coming. Advent also looks forward to the day when Jesus Christ will come again at the end of time.

During Advent my family does little things to remind us of Jesus' coming. For example, we will place a nativity scene in our sight and will not place the statue of the baby Jesus in the scene until Christmas that celebrates the birthday of Jesus. May your Advent and Christmas season be Christ centered.

If you are further interested in celebrating Advent in your own home here is a good site that has given us good ideas ...

http://www.gbod.org/ministries/children/articles.asp?item_id=8405

S.O.A.P.Y.

Scripture: They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish". And Jesus said, "Bring them here to me". (Matthew 14:17-18)

Observation: This scene has another similar story in Matthew (15:32-39). Both stress a common theme -- Jesus receives our gifts that are far too little for his work through us and multiplies them to complete his work in, through, and, if necessary, around us. And both have a common situation -- Jesus takes insufficient gifts of food and feeds thousands with them.

Application: Imagine Jesus multiplying your individual and community gifts for his work. With this multiplication possible, what is now your dreams for a three-year future? And considering what Jesus has given you, what can you do now to make that future more of a reality?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, multiply my (our) gifts solely for your work in, through, and around me (us).

Yield: More toward delegation.

What a belief!

Can you imagine selling every thing you owned (house, furniture, cars, clothes, and ...) just to buy one thing? Yet, this is how Jesus presents the value of the kingdom of heaven, or the Kingdom of God -- the time and place in life when we allow God to rule.

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field,

which someone found and hid;

then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field"

Matthew 13:44

Wow! Letting God have his own way with us is worth all that we have!

One preacher's confession ...

The leaves of some trees can really be beautiful this time of year with various colors like orange, red, yellow, or gold. Some of the leaves are falling. We have two types of Maple trees in our yard, one type has their roots all below ground and the other has roots partially going along the surface. The ones with roots below hang on to somewhere around 20% of their leaves until the spring, the other two are in a process of soon losing all of their leaves.

I see in the two Maple trees that are 'stubborn' about losing their leaves not just hope but also determination for the spring. In a real sense every individual and group go through a seasonal process, and I believe that such can happen each day. A process where the new behavior (even if such is a small change) pushes out the old (that which used to work well). Sometimes the new creative leaves, or behavior, must be repeatedly done so that the new healthy actions push out the old habits that are no longer effective.

What got my mind on this was a mixture of sitting where I can look out the window at the trees and reading some of Jesus' words from Matthew,

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;

therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest"

Matthew 9:37b-38

Today, every local church including the one I serve, and me, is in need of constantly changing the way we reach people for Jesus. The old leaves/methods are for now trying to hang on when they are no longer producing. Such calls for the courage to experiment with new leaves that will revitalize the tree.

Before you are covered under ...

This morning I have not yet looked over the daily tasks for today. Such is following through with how I have given myself a bit more time over the last few days to slow down and determine what the important areas are for God in my life. Christmas is approaching and there will be less and less time for such as odd as that may sound when the center of the season is God in the flesh.

Within the next few minutes I will look again into my mission and values, my weekly compass/objectives, and possibly revise my daily tasks.

In my scripture reading for today a healthy rule from Jesus tuned in with my mission, etc, ...

"In everything do to others as you would have them do to you;

for this is the law and the prophets"

Matthew 7:12

It is my hope that such will remind me of my value-sentence I struggle to live by: "I am one whose first focus is how I can serve God, neighbor, enemy and self".

The invitation is before you are covered under with the things to do for Christmas, take some time to slow down and determine the important areas of your life that you can center your actions upon.

This morning I was reading one of the books about Jesus called Matthew that is a book in the Bible. His first four chapters take the reader through ...

• the genealogy of Jesus with those Matthew chooses and omits for emphasis (there are any from high quality to questionable character!);
• the story of his mother, Mary, who became pregnant before marriage, and how God shaped her husband's response in a loving way;
• how a king executed babies under the age of two in the hope to murder Jesus;
• how years after the birth of Jesus a man named John called people to turn toward God and pointed to Jesus as the source of hope;
• Jesus' temptations;
• his withdrawal for a while after John's arrest and then his return;
• his choosing of some fishermen to follow him;
• and a brief summary of his ministry in Galilee.

What do we do with all of this? For me it is enough to say that God will use anyone ... any one God chooses such as the fishermen who later become major leaders in the church. Such a message Matthew opens with while after chapter four his focus definitely shifts to centering upon Jesus. Why, for the next three chapters all that is written is Jesus' words!

Again, I see the Scriptures as sort of like life. For me, this day began a bit self-centered but as it flowed it has become more and more Christ-centered. If only every day would just be Christ-centered!

I hope a Christ-centered day is for you...

Help given and received ...

Early yesterday morning, I just hung around the house and did little things that are very important. I helped make up the beds, pick up, and swept the kitchen floor. Kathy boiled eggs and we had breakfast together as we talked over the work that we would be doing that day. Two of our grandchildren had spent the night so we got one of them who caught the school bus ready for school and the other one we carried to his day care.

When we are doing such it is helpful to remember,

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

(Psalm 124:8).

For me, I hear these words in two ways ...

• the help we give is in the name of the Lord; and,
• the help we receive is in the name of the Lord.

In a real sense the Lord helps us in both ways.

Blessings on your day ...

I rejoice ...

Yesterday, I preached on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. If you would like to read it,the text was 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. It is clear in that letter that Paul, who wrote it, was wrestling with when Jesus would return.

I don't play with the dates of Jesus' return. Such has been played with for millenniums. My thought in that area is just this. If I knew Jesus would be returning today would I do anything different? Such is like the question, if you knew you were going to die today, would you do anything different?

And the answer for me is, "No".

Deep down I just strive to do what I believe is important for Jesus, the love of God in the flesh. Am I perfect? No way. I just strive, struggle, wrestle, aim to be so.

My hope is that the words of Paul to the Corinthian Church is a bit similar to Jesus' words to me each day.

"I rejoice because I have complete confidence in you"

2 Corinthians 7:16

Again, not that I am doing it all right, but that I strive to do so.

I rejoice and I have complete confidence in you ...

Sabbath ... rest

Friday I took a Sabbath. That is healthy, and in confession I do not do so enough.

It was good. I did some work at home but such is relaxing to me because you can immediately see the results. And then I read ... one thing I love to do. I relaxed. A lot of times when I do this my mind wanders back to writing my dissertation. I discovered that if I would just leave it alone two or three days and come back to it my mind would catch things like saying a thought twice that was over fifty pages apart when such was not required. Or in the planning world such helps me separate the urgent, that which must be done now, from the important, that which has a long-lasting effect that may take a while to patiently accomplish.

I have a hunch that even Jesus may have had quite similar experiences for he, too, took time to be alone with God. That he, too, was avoiding the temptation to be here and there with other people when God the Father and Spirit was reminding the Son that it was time to be alone!

I am trying as much as possible to even take a Sabbath today (Saturday). By the grace of God so I will do.

Take some time to be alone with God. In spite of what you are (or I am) thinking such is possible. After all, the whole Sabbath (day of rest) concept has a belief that ultimately it is God who completes our work.

Thanks while in trouble ...

At the uncertain times we have whether it is our national economy, friends that are dying, or just uncertainty in what is the best next step, it helps for me to hear from a man named Paul. He wrote a number of letters included in the Bible. If the reader of these letters keeps in mind that Paul was constantly being arrested, beaten, and whipped for being a Christian it helps to keep this in mind as you read words like these from one of his letters:

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not peddlers of God’s word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in his presence.

(2 Corinthians 2:14-17)

Thanking and praising God in the midst of trouble! It is times a challenge for me, but I constantly make up my mind to do so.

If you will, join me.

I will see you tomorrow ...

A new song ... a joyful noise

I have been in music all my life. My mother has just retired from teaching piano. My sister excels in piano, my brother in guitar, my sister-in-law is a flutist, and my brother-in-law and all the rest of us sing.

Music is seen as a grand way in which we worship God. My own belief is music is central to worship, perhaps even more so than preaching for music is more universal in participation.

So a Scripture verse that I read today was at home for me.

Sing to the Lord a new song,

his praise in the assembly of the faithful"

(Psalm 149:1)

Not everyone are musicians, not everyone can sing well. That is fine! Another passage of scripture says, 'make a joyful noise to the Lord'. The key in this is the new and joyful part of music/noise.

The Lord rejoices in the joyful new, in us giving in to him, in us praising him, in us just seeking to imitate his incessant love.

Today, my inner self is singing. Join in the song (or if you cannot sing well, the joyful noise)!

Superb words ...

"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

No addition...

Again, s.o.a.p.y.

Scripture: "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the deer?" (Job 39:1)

Observation: Job has been constantly complaining to God, and many of us would say that he had a lot to complain about--loss of children, loss of property, loss of health. And, for these reasons he was demanding God to answer the tough question, "Why did all this happen to me?" And God's answer in the concluding chapters of Job is like the Scripture for today. For me, all God's answers to Job revolve around this question: "Can you understand as well as I (God) understand?" And, of course, the answer is always, "No". Such is all God answers to Job's question, "Why?"

Application: To keep moving from asking the question,"Why?" to asking this question: "Now that this has happened, what does God want me to do?"

Prayer: Lord God, keep me focused upon my call -- what you want me to accomplish irregardless of what occurs. Amen.

Yield: Stay focused upon God.

A second assignment ...

"I can do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings."

(1 Corinthians 9:23)

Daniel Goldman in his research discovered that even though some individuals would have exceptionally high IQ scores they still may not be able to relate well with other people. He called these necessary relational qualities Emotional Intelligence (EI) which became the title of his first book.

I had been told by a few leaders I respected that having one's emotional intelligence measured could add to one's quality of leadership. In response I went to a workshop on EI at Louisville Seminary in Kentucky on July 21-25, 2008. As preparation for the class persons selected from the groups of managers, peers, laypersons, family, and others evaluated my EI. From their evaluations, my major EI strengths are in the areas of social responsibility, empathy, self-actualization, problem-solving, and optimism and a low spot is in the area of independence. And because I focus upon using my strengths, I use them to work upon this one area of weakness.

I would recommend an emotional intelligence evaluation (also known as an EQ-360) for those who want to walk toward serving God in a higher quality.

Let each of you ...

In my Scripture lessons for today, one of them had these words,

"... let each of you lead the life that the Lord has assigned,

to which God has called you"

(1 Corinthians 7:17)

For me, these words blended in with an article in the business section of the Tennessean of Saturday, November 8, 2008. It was entitled "Five Ways to Survive, Thrive at the Office" written by Marcus Buckingham. I have read and applied two of his works: First, Break All the Rules and Go, Put Your Strengths to Work. A third work of his was being advertised as a guide for young professionals entitled The Truth About You. His works have been very beneficial for my planning and executing actions.

First, Break all the Rules identified and described the five major strengths I have been given. They are in the areas of Maximizer (I focus upon the strengths of both myself and others); Connectedness (I believe that things happen for a reason and that it is not healthy to live in isolation); Responsibility (I have a tender conscience); Learner (I love to read, research, and learn); and Achiever (this explains my drive). And Go, Put Your Strengths to Work added to this by giving a set of how-to's in strength-based planning.

My belief is that we all can be helped to determine God's assignment on us or call for us by determining the strengths God has given unto us. If you have not done so, my advice would be to make that your first assignment, yet my experience sees a second assignment as well. I will get to that tomorrow.

Blessings ...

Wrestling ...

Paul was a top of the line religious man, rated top of the line by the world but not necessarily by God. When he met Jesus on the road of his life one day, he gave up all his top of the line respectability in order to follow Jesus. The result of that was going from being a respected leader to a persecuted follower of Jesus, from being a man who followed all the rules to one who challenged many of the rules. After doing so, Paul writes ...

To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless, and we grow weary from the work of our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we speak kindly. We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day. (1 Corinthians 4:11-13).

Paul, in essence, was following Jesus who gave up all that it means to be God to become human. With this thought in mind I am considering what must I give up this day in order to better follow God?

Such is wrestling with God.

Polishing our temple ...

There are huge churches in the world. Some with tens and even hundreds of thousands in worship attendance. I have been to some of them such as Willow Creek Church in Chicago with 20,000 plus per week attending their worship celebrations. Unreal! I attended the Billy Graham Crusade as a helper when he was in the Nashville Titans stadium -- every seat filled with some standing! Unreal!

I have also been the pastor of churches where the maximum shoulder to shoulder seating is around seventy-five.

The place of worship I read of today is even smaller. And that place can be of aid in helping us worship God. And that is our very self! Particularly, our very experience can become a place for worship. From my own experience it helps me to have a few moments now and then to consider what just occurred. Such reflection just may help me see how God was in the middle of it.

I imagine one of Jesus' followers named Paul had this in mind when he wrote,

"Do you not know that you are God's temple (place of worship) and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple" (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

My own question is what can I personally do to polish my own temple, myself, for God?

See you tomorrow! Worship at Arlington UMC is at 10:00 AM.

Our freedom to be a slave ...

This past week we, as a nation, have used one of the basic freedoms of our nation -- to elect persons to our local and national government. This is but a part of human freedom that we are designed to have.

Another freedom that for me that is crucially important is to be what some people consider quite odd for freedom -- to freely choose to be a servant, or in more serious biblical language to be a slave. Jesus even referred to himself as a slave. As Paul writes of him,"he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness ..." (Philippians 2:7). It is almost unreal for me to imagine the everlasting divine Son of God choosing to become human so that through him all between me (us) and God would be set right. But such occurred.

With this in mind the apostle Paul writes,

"For freedom Christ has set us free.

Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery ...

For you were called to freedom brothers and sisters;

only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence,

but through love become slaves of one another.

For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment,

'You should love your neighbor as yourself.'

(Galatians 5:1, 13-14).

Today I will seek to do so, and I invite you to as well.

God's love ... to be my sole motivation ...

My thoughts for today comes from a devotional resource I use entitled Life Journal that daily follows the five step process below for a Scripture lesson I have chosen from the readings.

Scripture: "Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?" (Galatians 3:5)

Observation: Here Paul, who knew and strove to do good works by just following the laws of God and humans inside, outside, up, down, around and through, discovered that the love of God was only because God loved him irregardless of what he would do. When he realized this, the constant love of God became Paul's motivation for doing his good works of love for God, friends, neighbors, enemies and all creation.

Application: Let God's love be my sole motivation.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I praise you today for the love-relationship you constantly offer free of charge. Today, I pray that your free love will motivate every thought, emotion, decision, action, and word in and through me. Praise to you today! Amen.

Yield: I will strive to love as God has loved me!

* for those interested Life Journal may be found at www.lifejournal.cc

Following election day ...

This was written on November 3, 2008 as a prayer for the winning candidates ...

Grace to you and peace from

God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age,

according to the will of our God and Father,

to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

(Galatians 1:3-5)

Irregardless of the winners ...

• I want the grace, or mercy, of God to surround them.
• I want the peace, or wholeness, of God to guide and strengthen their decisions.
• I want their decisions to support and expand the freedom God desires for us and, as much as is possible, for all the world.
• I want them and us to act according to the will of our God for in the end his is the glory!

Today is Election Day, so pray and vote

The United States is one of the best countries around in the freedom it provides. Here is an appropriate prayer for today ...

God of life and wisdom another election day is today. Such will use the freedom that has been bought for us by sacrifice. Forgive us for those times when we do not appreciate our freedoms. Give our nation your wisdom this day so that our decisions will be based on the ethical values each candidate represents. Help us, Lord God, to move out of our comfort zones into the risk-filled political world. As we vote, as much as is possible, aid us to be your representatives. And take the one who wins election to just do your will of love, justice and service. Representing Jesus Christ I (we) pray. Amen.

Reading and candy ...

On Halloween, in between 'trick or treaters', I completed a book by Bill George entitled Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets in Creating Lasting Value. In short for him an authentic leader has purpose, value, heart, relationships and self-discipline. As I was reading it these were, for the moment, easy to determine.

Purpose: answer the door and give out the Halloween candy;
Value: stick with my purpose;
Heart: smile, laugh, tell the children how beautiful, handsome, looking just like _____, or scary they look (dependant upon costume);
Relationships: Love your neighbor as yourself;
Self-discipline: buy the candy, be ready to hand it out, have the candlelit pumpkin, have the front door open, read when you get a chance, and avoid eating the candy.

Of course, George went much, much deeper than this. Effective business he presented as mission/purpose driven and values-centered. From his observation, such organizations also had motivated employees, product innovations and superior customer service, increased customer satisfaction, revenue and profit growth that provided reinvestment in innovations and customer service as well as shareholder value increases.

Arlington UMC is in the process of nailing down our God-given vision. That is the mission that God has set AUMC apart to accomplish. At its highest quality in action this vision will help the members of AUMC realize that they are not the customers but the 'employees of AUMC' who are motivated to bring the world to Jesus Christ. And the way to do so in George's language is innovations, service, satisfaction of the customers (those who are attracted to and come in to AUMC), as well as adding value to the lives of those who are a part of AUMC (the shareholders).
It is worth the reading.

Job the wrestler ...

Job wrestles with life like I do. After disaster he is searching for God and he says,

If I go forward, he (God) is not there;
or backward, I cannot perceive him;
on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him;
I turn to the right, but I cannot see him.
But he knows the way that I take;

when he has tested me, I shall come out like gold.
My foot has held fast to his steps;
I have kept his way and have not turned aside.
I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
I have treasured in his bosom the words of his mouth.
But he stands alone and who can dissuade him?
What he desires, that he does.
For he will complete what he appoints for me;
and many such things are in his mind"
Job 23:8-14

These words of Job who feels as if God is absent say a lot to me. The words in italics emphasize the way Job feels. Feelings are important -- they are indicators of where we are at the moment. Yet feelings are not the only measuring stick of our experience and Job recognizes this truth. His words that are in bold for me make clear that he is bouncing back and forth from his feelings to his memory of the moments when he had experienced God's presence.

Job will keep bouncing back and forth between his negative feelings and positive memories. As a matter of fact, the very next words of Job will go back to his negative feelings. Such is life. No wonder God has given us the capacity to remember so that as we day by day wrestle with life we will remember the times when God was present in the middle of it.

In your tough moments, what would it help for you to remember?

Wrestling with communication ...

Some of the puzzles are amazing to me. One is Rubiks Cube. It is made of a cube with different colored squares, nine on each side, with the challenge to get all the ones of the same color on the same side. I was eating breakfast at Steak and Shake this week when the waitress there worked through the Rubiks Cube puzzle using her algorithm to solve it as I had set it up. As I watched her aligning the colors I noticed just two of the solution patterns.

There are times when just living out the day is a like me playing Rubiks Cube. That is, I may know some but not all of the necessary patterns of the solutions that are needed. My belief is that realistically there is no one human being outside of Jesus that has all the answers for none of us know all the patterns or rhythms needed for the answers.

I am willing enough to admit such. For me, the best leaders do so. It has become a puzzle for me in what are the best ways to bring people into a love-relationship with God, neighbor, enemy and self. A good part of it is because of the rapid ways that communication have been changing. As an example, I have moved from just house to house visits to adding phone calls, postage mail, emails, text messages and the use of blogsites and local church websites to help make people more aware of Jesus Christ. Fortunately and unfortunately, all of this is necessary in today's world. And because the world is constantly changing more rapidly every year I am expecting that challenges to communicating well will continue to escalate.

I am seeking to become more and more open to the necessary changes for myself in today's world. My ears are open.

Any suggestions, particularly from those who do not attend church,

about effective ways to communicate?

See you tomorrow.

Job again ...

A person named Eliphaz asks Job two challenging questions:

Can a motal be of use to God?
Can the wisest be of service to him?
Job 22:2

Eliphaz gives his answer that is "No". To a point he is true ... again, to a point. God can indeed complete all his work without creation. Jesus even said, 'If you are silent the very stones will cry out!' With these thoughts in mind God did not have to make creation to complete his work. Rather he only did it out of unselfish love. From my perspective, Eliphaz stresses that side of God a bit too much for Job who is a suffering person.

The way I would answer the questions are as follows.

Can a mortal be of use to God? From my perspective, the ultimate answer is "Yes!" And those times are best when I don't even realize that I have helped God! The reason for my thought is that I believe that we can get so caught up in ourselves through self-centeredness, self-praise, and desire of other's praise that this can interfere with our work for God. With that in mind,

my hope is that one day Jesus will say to me one-on-one, 'John, did you realize that you helped me by ______________.' And I will say, 'No! Wow, I didn't realize it!' A mortal is of best use to God when we so consciously serve God that we learn to unconsciously do so by good serving habits!

Can the wisest be of service to him? Yes, when God's wisdom is our guide. Jesus is referred to as the wisdom, or its synonym, the word of God (John 1:1-18) so one great way to learn the wisdom or word of God is just to read of Jesus Christ in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. (For those interested in reading Mark is the shortest). Those who follow Jesus are closer to wisdom for they are serving God.

Join me and praise God today and search for wisdom -- ways in which you can be of use or service to God!

Answering questions ...

This morning a part of my scriptural reading was about a man named Job who had lost his family and property and, like many of us would do, he was questioning.

"What is the Almighty that we should serve him?
And what profit do we get if we pray to him?"
(Job 21:15)

If he were asking me these two questions the following would be the beginning of my answers.

What is the Almighty? Job, that is a question too big for me to fully answer, but here is a beginning place. He is the God who makes all that is. He is the God who constantly loves us in spite of us. He is the one who does not bring disaster upon us but gives us the capability to deal with disaster. And even when we walk away from God, the Almighty always loves us and will always receive us home. Job, the ones who harmed you were in rebellion against God. God never wanted you harmed but he allowed them and you to be free in actions. The Almighty is an interesting one who even though he is almighty, he chooses to let us make even the wrong decisions. So those who robbed you, those who deserted you, did. Why even all creation has been messed up because of our sin, so that the collapse of the building on your children was not God's fault, but humanity's fault.

What profit do we get if we pray? Job, for me my profit is just enough to believe that God listens to me whether his answer is "Yes" or "No". His wisdom is insurmountable so his answer is best.

What is the Almighty that we should serve him? God is constant love.