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Saturday, August 17, 2013
Spare Me The Details: Thoughts on Prayer
A few years ago, a local church I used to be a part of was seeking a grant from a foundation to help with the construction of their building. They applied online, and after a long wait they were notified that the application had been received and they would be hearing from them. Some more time went by, and the pastor received a phone call from the foundation. He was informed that the philanthropist who started the foundation was in the room and was listening. The pastor then went into great detail about all the efforts that have been made, fundraising, the hurdles and hoops that needed to be jumped, the zoning process and all of the business that goes on with building. The foundation rep told the pastor they would let him know in due time. Not long after that, the foundation rep called the pastor and told him the next time they call, and the gentleman philanthropist is in the room, please don't bore him with the details. Not too terribly long after that, the church got the grant and they were able to proceed finishing construction. My facts may be a little off, but the theme of the story kind of says "spare me the details". Make your requests known.
This story got me to thinking about how we pray and what we pray for. I am reminded of the comedian who makes fun of the oratory prayers that call on the name of God. ALL the names of God. By the time they get through all of the names, God may very well be saying "you've call my name 16 times a minute for the past hour, WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Or how about the person that turns their prayer time into a personal gossip session with God? As if God does not know what is going on. It might seem comical, and it is to a certain extent. But there is more to prayer than what we see, or what we say.
I think of Prayer as spending time with God. Enjoying God. Sharing with God. Reading God's Word. Sitting in silence and letting the Holy Spirit do the talking. Giving Thanks. Bringing Requests. Prayer is a not only a specific time, but it is a mindset.
My mother was quite a lady. Some called her eccentric, some called her crazy, and others loved her no matter what. I remember when I was young I would hear my mom talking. In all of her eccentricities, not only did I think she was talking to herself, so did my father, my brother, and others in the family and community. Later on, I realized my mom took I Thessalonians 5:17 to heart. It is a pretty awesome verse: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."(ESV).
No matter what, my mom was joyful, thankful and prayerful. I now realize she was not talking to herself, she was taking the Bible literally, praying without ceasing. No, she wasn't divulging every detail. She was walking and talking with God. She knew that God has all the details worked out. She knew the answer was on the way, and that she might or might not like it at the time. And in spite of that, there was always a reason to enjoy God. To talk to God. To let God speak to her.
We have this idea that we have to fill the air with words. The pastor at the church. The oratorical prayer. The listing. The details. Sometimes I believe God just wants to spend time with us. No. Not sometimes. All the time. God wants to be a part of every aspect of our lives. That is worth repeating. God wants to be a part of EVERY aspect of our lives. We don't need to give God all the details. God already knows. God only asks to make your requests known. Let God take care of the details.
He is the Great Philanthropist. He is the Great Provider. The Healer. The Father. And the list goes on. Maybe it is time for me to quit being concerned with details and just sit back and relax in the presence of God. Jesus said, "where two or three are gathered, I am there in the midst". But more than that, God tells us "those who seek me will find me".
Sometimes details are fine, and making requests known is fine, but what God really wants is for all of us to spend some time with Him. We can leave out the details. God has got it covered.
This story got me to thinking about how we pray and what we pray for. I am reminded of the comedian who makes fun of the oratory prayers that call on the name of God. ALL the names of God. By the time they get through all of the names, God may very well be saying "you've call my name 16 times a minute for the past hour, WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Or how about the person that turns their prayer time into a personal gossip session with God? As if God does not know what is going on. It might seem comical, and it is to a certain extent. But there is more to prayer than what we see, or what we say.
I think of Prayer as spending time with God. Enjoying God. Sharing with God. Reading God's Word. Sitting in silence and letting the Holy Spirit do the talking. Giving Thanks. Bringing Requests. Prayer is a not only a specific time, but it is a mindset.
My mother was quite a lady. Some called her eccentric, some called her crazy, and others loved her no matter what. I remember when I was young I would hear my mom talking. In all of her eccentricities, not only did I think she was talking to herself, so did my father, my brother, and others in the family and community. Later on, I realized my mom took I Thessalonians 5:17 to heart. It is a pretty awesome verse: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."(ESV).
No matter what, my mom was joyful, thankful and prayerful. I now realize she was not talking to herself, she was taking the Bible literally, praying without ceasing. No, she wasn't divulging every detail. She was walking and talking with God. She knew that God has all the details worked out. She knew the answer was on the way, and that she might or might not like it at the time. And in spite of that, there was always a reason to enjoy God. To talk to God. To let God speak to her.
We have this idea that we have to fill the air with words. The pastor at the church. The oratorical prayer. The listing. The details. Sometimes I believe God just wants to spend time with us. No. Not sometimes. All the time. God wants to be a part of every aspect of our lives. That is worth repeating. God wants to be a part of EVERY aspect of our lives. We don't need to give God all the details. God already knows. God only asks to make your requests known. Let God take care of the details.
He is the Great Philanthropist. He is the Great Provider. The Healer. The Father. And the list goes on. Maybe it is time for me to quit being concerned with details and just sit back and relax in the presence of God. Jesus said, "where two or three are gathered, I am there in the midst". But more than that, God tells us "those who seek me will find me".
Sometimes details are fine, and making requests known is fine, but what God really wants is for all of us to spend some time with Him. We can leave out the details. God has got it covered.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
John 14:6 - Only Jesus - There's No Other Way
I find it interesting that Christian Denominations are so divided over non-essentials. Yes I know we have differences when it comes to our faith, but within Christianity, there is so much division that it gets in the way of the message of Christ. Jesus summed all of the Law (see the Pentateuch) in two concepts. I paraphrase them by saying "Love God First and Best and Most of All" and "Love Everyone No Matter What". We often call it "The Great Commandment". But Jesus gave us another charge, telling us that He has ALL the power for ALL time, and with that power we are to Preach The Gospel, Make Disciples, and Baptize every one who believes. We often call that charge "The Great Commission". When the church takes on issues that fall outside of The Great Commandment and The Great Commission, they enter into dangerous and often heretical territory. I know Baptists that think Catholics are all going to Hell. I know Lutherans that think they are the ONLY true church. I know Pentecostals that think if you don't speak in tongues you are not Saved or Going To Heaven. I know some who believe that every time you sin, you have to get saved again. I know some who believe that Grace means once you are saved, then you have done all you can do, and it becomes a license to sin. All of those ideas are in error. There are more, but you get the idea., I hope.
Let me be clear, I am not talking about groups that are Apostate (outside of Christianity) and teach something other than what the Bible is clear about. John 14:6 is the one verse that does it for me. There are others that echo it, but when Jesus said that no one can come to the Father except through Him, that pretty much settles it. There is not another way, except through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary, Was Crucified, Died and Rose Again, Sent us the Holy Spirit to empower us, He will judge everyone, He carries out his mission through the Church (the church are the people who have made a confession publicly of the Lord Jesus Christ - Romans 10:9-10) and that He is coming back just like He said. If you take a look at The Apostles Creed, it sums it up nicely. If you can't agree with The Apostles Creed, then I don't believe you can really be a true Christian.
Does baptism save? Absolutely not! Does Communion save? Nope. But I would have to question a persons decision to follow Christ if they refused either one. The only thing that saves someone is Faith in Jesus Christ. If you look in Hebrews 11 you find that it was by FAITH the Old Testament Saints were counted as righteous. (that doesn't mean they were actually RIGHTEOUS, just that they were COUNTED as righteous.)
But just to be clear, there are groups who believe they are Christian, but in reality, they are not. Why? Because they are in error, according to Scripture, on WHO Jesus is. The may say things like: Jesus was a Good Man. Jesus was a prophet, but not the Son of God. Jesus is one of many gods. Jesus is Michael the Archangel. Jesus is the brother of Lucifer/Satan. We are like Jesus - or little gods. These statements exclude specific groups from Christianity. I'll let you guess what groups they are.
Back on track, Christian Rifts. There is too much fighting between denominations over non-essentials. I pretty much believe that The Apostles Creed is a good start on what to believe. If it contradicts that, then, it's in error.
Love God. Love Everyone. Preach The Gospel. Makes Disciples. Forgive Everyone No Matter What.
Why complicate it?
Let me be clear, I am not talking about groups that are Apostate (outside of Christianity) and teach something other than what the Bible is clear about. John 14:6 is the one verse that does it for me. There are others that echo it, but when Jesus said that no one can come to the Father except through Him, that pretty much settles it. There is not another way, except through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary, Was Crucified, Died and Rose Again, Sent us the Holy Spirit to empower us, He will judge everyone, He carries out his mission through the Church (the church are the people who have made a confession publicly of the Lord Jesus Christ - Romans 10:9-10) and that He is coming back just like He said. If you take a look at The Apostles Creed, it sums it up nicely. If you can't agree with The Apostles Creed, then I don't believe you can really be a true Christian.
Does baptism save? Absolutely not! Does Communion save? Nope. But I would have to question a persons decision to follow Christ if they refused either one. The only thing that saves someone is Faith in Jesus Christ. If you look in Hebrews 11 you find that it was by FAITH the Old Testament Saints were counted as righteous. (that doesn't mean they were actually RIGHTEOUS, just that they were COUNTED as righteous.)
But just to be clear, there are groups who believe they are Christian, but in reality, they are not. Why? Because they are in error, according to Scripture, on WHO Jesus is. The may say things like: Jesus was a Good Man. Jesus was a prophet, but not the Son of God. Jesus is one of many gods. Jesus is Michael the Archangel. Jesus is the brother of Lucifer/Satan. We are like Jesus - or little gods. These statements exclude specific groups from Christianity. I'll let you guess what groups they are.
Back on track, Christian Rifts. There is too much fighting between denominations over non-essentials. I pretty much believe that The Apostles Creed is a good start on what to believe. If it contradicts that, then, it's in error.
Love God. Love Everyone. Preach The Gospel. Makes Disciples. Forgive Everyone No Matter What.
Why complicate it?
Monday, June 24, 2013
So what if you don't like the music?!?
I fit in with the crowd that says they "grew up on a church pew". Well, not exactly, I was sometimes under the pews as a toddler kicking people. That is another story.
Growing up in church we sang out of the hymnal and the chorus book. My church was a little progressive when it came to music. By the late 1970's we still sang from the hymnal, but we also used those old overhead projectors to put the words up on a big screen. Eventually, that overhead projector gave way to Video Projector, and we used programs like Power Point to project the words to the songs, and even the scripture readings.
After the PowerPoint came specialized programs just for churches to project the words to the songs. The songs have changed over the years, and it has left a lot of people on the sidelines wondering what has happened. The styles of music have changed to include beats that even I did not have growing up.
Today, musical styles of every kind are being used in churches, and accompanying the singers you will scarcely find an organ. You will find bands of musicians, and at some churches, you might think you are at a rock concert.
But why the change? Isn't the old piano and organ and hymnal enough? Why does it have to be this way?
Think about this: Who turns 70 years old this year? Have you figured it out yet? The answer is very simple. As of this writing on June 24, 2013 - everyone that was born in 1943 either has or will turn 70 years old this year should they make it through the year. What does that mean? It's very simple really. Everyone born in 1943 has grown up in a culture that is heavily influenced by all sorts of music, namely, Rock n' Roll.
In the late 1940's, clarinetist Benny Goodman is said to have had the first ever rock concert at Carnegie Hall. We call that music today, Swing. By the mid-1950's we had Elvis. Fast forward to 2013 and we find Lady Gaga, Rhianna, Kanye West and Young Country leading the pack.
Clearly, from my perspective, the most controversial subject in the church is the style of music. Christians become intolerant of other Christians because of the music they listen to. They become intolerant of other Christians who want to hear the styles of music they most like played in church. Young against old. Southern Gospel against Rock and Hymnalists pitted against Contemporary Christian Music.
The church as a whole gets caught in the middle.
Here is the thing that we forget.
Are we pleasing God in all of this?
Does God really care what kind of music we use in our church services?
Does God really care if there is a band, piano, organ, or no instruments at all?
Here's the answer church: It's Not About You!
Why do we have a church? To glorify God? Certainly.
But what is greater than that? The church is on this earth to share the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, by whatever means possible.
Well, what does that mean then? Consider this, God is throwing this huge party, and he has invited everyone to come to that party, and God implores all of US to go out and COMPEL people to come to the party.
COMPEL. Compel. compel. Whatever means necessary. THAT is what we are supposed to do. It is very difficult to compel someone to do something, or go somewhere they don't want to go. It is very difficult to get someone to listen to music they don't like.
Where does that leave YOU? We've already established, it's NOT about YOU.
We all have plenty of time to listen to the music that we want and what we watch on television without having to be concerned with the various styles used in a church service.
For once, and for all, it is time for the CHURCH to get with the program!
Start by Loving God FIRST and BEST!
Continue by loving EVERYONE with that same intensity.
PREACH the Gospel (with whatever means necessary.
Make Disciples of ALL Nations and I add this one
- FORGIVE NO MATTER WHAT!
When Christians realize that the mission of the church is NOT about the liturgy, the hymns, the organ, the band, the video and so on....THEN the church can make a Fresh Start.
So what if you don't like the music?
Growing up in church we sang out of the hymnal and the chorus book. My church was a little progressive when it came to music. By the late 1970's we still sang from the hymnal, but we also used those old overhead projectors to put the words up on a big screen. Eventually, that overhead projector gave way to Video Projector, and we used programs like Power Point to project the words to the songs, and even the scripture readings.
After the PowerPoint came specialized programs just for churches to project the words to the songs. The songs have changed over the years, and it has left a lot of people on the sidelines wondering what has happened. The styles of music have changed to include beats that even I did not have growing up.
Today, musical styles of every kind are being used in churches, and accompanying the singers you will scarcely find an organ. You will find bands of musicians, and at some churches, you might think you are at a rock concert.
But why the change? Isn't the old piano and organ and hymnal enough? Why does it have to be this way?
Think about this: Who turns 70 years old this year? Have you figured it out yet? The answer is very simple. As of this writing on June 24, 2013 - everyone that was born in 1943 either has or will turn 70 years old this year should they make it through the year. What does that mean? It's very simple really. Everyone born in 1943 has grown up in a culture that is heavily influenced by all sorts of music, namely, Rock n' Roll.
In the late 1940's, clarinetist Benny Goodman is said to have had the first ever rock concert at Carnegie Hall. We call that music today, Swing. By the mid-1950's we had Elvis. Fast forward to 2013 and we find Lady Gaga, Rhianna, Kanye West and Young Country leading the pack.
Clearly, from my perspective, the most controversial subject in the church is the style of music. Christians become intolerant of other Christians because of the music they listen to. They become intolerant of other Christians who want to hear the styles of music they most like played in church. Young against old. Southern Gospel against Rock and Hymnalists pitted against Contemporary Christian Music.
The church as a whole gets caught in the middle.
Here is the thing that we forget.
Are we pleasing God in all of this?
Does God really care what kind of music we use in our church services?
Does God really care if there is a band, piano, organ, or no instruments at all?
Here's the answer church: It's Not About You!
Why do we have a church? To glorify God? Certainly.
But what is greater than that? The church is on this earth to share the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, by whatever means possible.
Well, what does that mean then? Consider this, God is throwing this huge party, and he has invited everyone to come to that party, and God implores all of US to go out and COMPEL people to come to the party.
COMPEL. Compel. compel. Whatever means necessary. THAT is what we are supposed to do. It is very difficult to compel someone to do something, or go somewhere they don't want to go. It is very difficult to get someone to listen to music they don't like.
Where does that leave YOU? We've already established, it's NOT about YOU.
We all have plenty of time to listen to the music that we want and what we watch on television without having to be concerned with the various styles used in a church service.
For once, and for all, it is time for the CHURCH to get with the program!
Start by Loving God FIRST and BEST!
Continue by loving EVERYONE with that same intensity.
PREACH the Gospel (with whatever means necessary.
Make Disciples of ALL Nations and I add this one
- FORGIVE NO MATTER WHAT!
When Christians realize that the mission of the church is NOT about the liturgy, the hymns, the organ, the band, the video and so on....THEN the church can make a Fresh Start.
So what if you don't like the music?
NOTE: I wrote this going on 10 years ago. Not much has changed.
Monday, August 27, 2012
The First Time I Met You I Hated Your Guts!
The preacher was standing tall telling the story of how he came to know and love one of his customers at his job during the week. After six months of coming into her store, she finally said to him "when I first met you, I hated your guts". He responded, "yes, I know". But he was there to do a job, and he did it. The customer said she hated him because she thought "nobody can be THAT nice". He never said a cross word to her and he always smiled while doing his work. For six months this went on. She then realized how wrong she was. It took six months? To find out a guy is actually a reasonably good guy?
I have people tell me quite frequently what a nice guy I am. To myself I often think just the opposite. I jokingly say, "please don't tell anyone, I have a reputation to maintain". I'll be honest, a lot of things get to me and really piss me off. Just me saying that will piss some people off because they don't approve of the word 'piss'. And for that reason, they will not like me anymore after reading this. I have not fit into their religiosity. They think it is vulgar. They are quick to point out what is wrong with others, and to me? That is an indicator of extreme insecurity. But in my defense, I'm really not that nice of a guy. In fact, if I look at what the Bible has to say, it says the heart of man is uncontrollably evil.
Take political ads for example. Each candidate boasts of their insecurities by the attacks they make on the opposing candidates. The side that is the most negative and smearing is the most insecure, and usually wins the race. They drive their campaigns by hate. They want the public to be so mad at the other candidate that they want to spit nails.
Then there is the church, in general. They have taken it upon themselves to dissect what sin is or isn't. In their efforts to portray the Love of God in Christ, they have invited hate upon themselves. I am not talking only about the right wingnuts of the church either. They exist far to the left as well.
Now there are groups that are saying quite clearly that "if you don't agree with me, you are driven by hate". And those groups are also to the right and to the left.
So, go ahead, hate me. I might not be a nice guy, but I choose to love everyone. But that does not mean I like everyone. Some people will still call me a hater. That is because they hate themselves.
I have people tell me quite frequently what a nice guy I am. To myself I often think just the opposite. I jokingly say, "please don't tell anyone, I have a reputation to maintain". I'll be honest, a lot of things get to me and really piss me off. Just me saying that will piss some people off because they don't approve of the word 'piss'. And for that reason, they will not like me anymore after reading this. I have not fit into their religiosity. They think it is vulgar. They are quick to point out what is wrong with others, and to me? That is an indicator of extreme insecurity. But in my defense, I'm really not that nice of a guy. In fact, if I look at what the Bible has to say, it says the heart of man is uncontrollably evil.
Take political ads for example. Each candidate boasts of their insecurities by the attacks they make on the opposing candidates. The side that is the most negative and smearing is the most insecure, and usually wins the race. They drive their campaigns by hate. They want the public to be so mad at the other candidate that they want to spit nails.
Then there is the church, in general. They have taken it upon themselves to dissect what sin is or isn't. In their efforts to portray the Love of God in Christ, they have invited hate upon themselves. I am not talking only about the right wingnuts of the church either. They exist far to the left as well.
Now there are groups that are saying quite clearly that "if you don't agree with me, you are driven by hate". And those groups are also to the right and to the left.
So, go ahead, hate me. I might not be a nice guy, but I choose to love everyone. But that does not mean I like everyone. Some people will still call me a hater. That is because they hate themselves.
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