Three days ago, Black Friday. As I read my recent emails, today is Cyber Monday, the online retailers version of Black Friday. Nothing like a bit of instigated and unnecessary chaos to remove our focus from life's real priorities.
"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." - Psalm 46:10
How about we make tomorrow "Be Still" Tuesday?
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
I Would Have Enjoyed Hanging With TR
With the few things I know about Theodore Roosevelt, he seemed to have been a fascinating man with a "larger than life" presence about him. Someone who realized that many facets of life are indeed part of a battle, which one has to take a stand and make a difference.
I certainly agree. I believe that we are all involved, whether or not we choose to be, in a grand battle of good versus evil. I am an ardent opponent of apathy and mediocrity.
When giving a speech in Paris in 1910, TR remarked:
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory or defeat."
Bravo and well said, Mr. President.
I certainly agree. I believe that we are all involved, whether or not we choose to be, in a grand battle of good versus evil. I am an ardent opponent of apathy and mediocrity.
When giving a speech in Paris in 1910, TR remarked:
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory or defeat."
Bravo and well said, Mr. President.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Incarnation version 1.0
In the last few years or so, the end of October has now sadly inaugurated in the "Holiday Season", officially kicked off by Thanksgiving, it's centerpiece of Christmas, and the grand finale being the New Year celebration. The shopping ads pop up on TV while kids are still bloated from recent costumed candy acquisitions.
It's a nice time of year for most, even those not so concerned with things of a spiritual nature, because they get to engage in enjoyable giving. Indeed, for many, it may be the only significant giving event of their year. If not their only, then their most serious time to flex that giving muscle. Exercising one's giving muscle can be a very good thing - life changing even. Just as easily as a person can condition and utilize any muscle, one can do so in an ineffective or even damaging way.
People are making mass pilgrimages to overflowing parking lots and overstocked and overcrowded stores to add to overloaded credit card accounts to flex that muscle. Many will be on a journey to find the perfect gift for someone, racing to actually get a hand on an item before someone else in close pursuit, perhaps getting in an altercation of some sort, or maybe even butting into a checkout line with a death wish, in order to continue on to the next goal of acquiring the next perfect gift for another loved one.
Pheew! I get tired and a little sad just thinking about it.
The gift is presented and another's receiving muscle is exercised a bit (that other side of the previously mentioned process and a fun muscle to use) and sometimes soon after, that perfect gift gets used a little less often, or in some cases little at all, making it's way to a shelf or closet, later to be appearing at a thrift store near you.
This description certainly does not apply to many well intentioned, kind, and gracious Christmas gift givers, and I don't mean to offend them at all. But unfortunately, it does fit quite a number, and many folks just plain falling somewhere in the middle of Christmas giving muscle flexers. While pursuing the perfect gift, they've not succumbed to the pursuit by the Perfect Gift.
The Reason for CHRISTmas totally blows me away. What can I say about it - how can I or anyone else find adequate words to express the miracle and majesty of it? The truth is we can't; but we can try, and praise God in the process. I love the Christmas season and celebrate it in my heart all the year long because of what it truly means.
Let's back up in time quite a bit. God is in total delight creating stuff. Really cool stuff like pomegranates, dolphins, pelicans, and elephants (who doesn't dig elephants, especially baby ones with those cute little trunks and tails). He really loves what he's doing and is certainly in a groove, but he takes it to a whole different level. He makes man. Then he pulls out all the stops and makes woman. The man and woman are actually spiritual beings, made in God's very own image, unlike any of the previous and marvelous things he's brought into being. But the man and woman totally mess it all up, destroying the phenomenal relationship they enjoyed and shared with God.
Now go with me to Roman occupied and oppressed Palestine 2,000 years ago. Inside a cave the aroma of livestock fills the air as is typical of stables. A young woman and man are smiling at each other as a precious little newborn squirms in his mother's arms. They have been through so very much, but now the little one has arrived. The King of kings, Lord of all creation, lays there totally innocent and dependent on his parents for his care and comfort. Does that not just almost knock you down...take your breath away? The Father giving his Son. The Son willingly becoming a baby, to live among us, grow up to manhood among us, relate to us, teach us, heal us, cry over us. And then to be brutally tortured and killed for us.
This is what we refer to as Jesus' incarnation. He became man. The God-Man. 100% God. 100% man. He didn't give up any part of being God. But he willing allowed himself to experience the reality of humanity. He laughed, enjoyed friendships over good meals, made useful things with his hands. He felt thirst, was tempted, and experienced great anguish. He felt excruciating pain as whips and nails sliced through his very human flesh, muscles, nerves, and more. And then, like no other man, the God-Man, who from eternity past had enjoyed endless joy in perfect relationship with the Father, experienced separation from him as he was sacrificed for each and every sin of each and every individual, past, present, and future. That's you and that's me. But he conquered death and evil. He was restored to fellowship with the Father and is with him again. He has sent us the Spirit to help us.
That, my friends, is a gift. The Gift. No gift gets any more perfect than that. And that is CHRISTmas. May you and those you love and care about experience the greatest Christmas ever.
It's a nice time of year for most, even those not so concerned with things of a spiritual nature, because they get to engage in enjoyable giving. Indeed, for many, it may be the only significant giving event of their year. If not their only, then their most serious time to flex that giving muscle. Exercising one's giving muscle can be a very good thing - life changing even. Just as easily as a person can condition and utilize any muscle, one can do so in an ineffective or even damaging way.
People are making mass pilgrimages to overflowing parking lots and overstocked and overcrowded stores to add to overloaded credit card accounts to flex that muscle. Many will be on a journey to find the perfect gift for someone, racing to actually get a hand on an item before someone else in close pursuit, perhaps getting in an altercation of some sort, or maybe even butting into a checkout line with a death wish, in order to continue on to the next goal of acquiring the next perfect gift for another loved one.
Pheew! I get tired and a little sad just thinking about it.
The gift is presented and another's receiving muscle is exercised a bit (that other side of the previously mentioned process and a fun muscle to use) and sometimes soon after, that perfect gift gets used a little less often, or in some cases little at all, making it's way to a shelf or closet, later to be appearing at a thrift store near you.
This description certainly does not apply to many well intentioned, kind, and gracious Christmas gift givers, and I don't mean to offend them at all. But unfortunately, it does fit quite a number, and many folks just plain falling somewhere in the middle of Christmas giving muscle flexers. While pursuing the perfect gift, they've not succumbed to the pursuit by the Perfect Gift.
The Reason for CHRISTmas totally blows me away. What can I say about it - how can I or anyone else find adequate words to express the miracle and majesty of it? The truth is we can't; but we can try, and praise God in the process. I love the Christmas season and celebrate it in my heart all the year long because of what it truly means.
Let's back up in time quite a bit. God is in total delight creating stuff. Really cool stuff like pomegranates, dolphins, pelicans, and elephants (who doesn't dig elephants, especially baby ones with those cute little trunks and tails). He really loves what he's doing and is certainly in a groove, but he takes it to a whole different level. He makes man. Then he pulls out all the stops and makes woman. The man and woman are actually spiritual beings, made in God's very own image, unlike any of the previous and marvelous things he's brought into being. But the man and woman totally mess it all up, destroying the phenomenal relationship they enjoyed and shared with God.
Now go with me to Roman occupied and oppressed Palestine 2,000 years ago. Inside a cave the aroma of livestock fills the air as is typical of stables. A young woman and man are smiling at each other as a precious little newborn squirms in his mother's arms. They have been through so very much, but now the little one has arrived. The King of kings, Lord of all creation, lays there totally innocent and dependent on his parents for his care and comfort. Does that not just almost knock you down...take your breath away? The Father giving his Son. The Son willingly becoming a baby, to live among us, grow up to manhood among us, relate to us, teach us, heal us, cry over us. And then to be brutally tortured and killed for us.
This is what we refer to as Jesus' incarnation. He became man. The God-Man. 100% God. 100% man. He didn't give up any part of being God. But he willing allowed himself to experience the reality of humanity. He laughed, enjoyed friendships over good meals, made useful things with his hands. He felt thirst, was tempted, and experienced great anguish. He felt excruciating pain as whips and nails sliced through his very human flesh, muscles, nerves, and more. And then, like no other man, the God-Man, who from eternity past had enjoyed endless joy in perfect relationship with the Father, experienced separation from him as he was sacrificed for each and every sin of each and every individual, past, present, and future. That's you and that's me. But he conquered death and evil. He was restored to fellowship with the Father and is with him again. He has sent us the Spirit to help us.
That, my friends, is a gift. The Gift. No gift gets any more perfect than that. And that is CHRISTmas. May you and those you love and care about experience the greatest Christmas ever.
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