The Seventh Dip

I've been thinking recently about the fruitfulness of fruitlessness. Doesn't it seem at times that we take three steps forward and two steps back? As I was pondering this, a couple Bible stories come to mind. The first one is found in Luke 5. The disciples had toiled all night out on the open water to no avail. They caught no fish and returned to shore with empty nets. Jesus then said to them, "Launch out into the deep for a catch." Peter explained to the Master, "we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net. "
You probably know the story. The net was so full of fish they could barely bring it aboard. Often we focus on the great miracle of the catch, but I have been pondering the necessity of the fruitless night. It seems that we must learn to endure the arduous task of enduring the night of fruitlessness before God brings us to fruitfulness. The miracle shone brightly against the dark backdrop of futility.
There's another story in the Old Testament. A guy named Naaman had leprosy. He was instructed by a prophet, Elisha, that he would be healed if he would dip himself in the river Jordan seven times. At first Naaman was hesitant. It seemed too simple a thing to do to receive healing, but a servant convinced him he should at least try.
Naaman dipped himself seven times in the river and on the seventh dip he was healed. Again, many would focus on the seventh dip but my mind is drawn to the first six. I see the prinicple again, fruitlessness.
After the first dip there was nothing to show for Naaman's trouble. All he was was wet and maybe cold. How frustrating to apply yourself to something and have nothing productive to show for it! I wonder how many people quit after one dip. Give Naaman credit though, he dipped a second time. Again nothing. Cheat me once, shame on you, cheat me twice, shame on me. Surely after two dips and no results it is time to quit.
Naaman dipped a third time. I imagine that the voices on the shore began to encourage him to come out of the water. "Maybe this isn't the right place for you."
Naaman dipped a fourth time. Bystanders were probably offering advice on how to dip. Some were suggesting he attend a "dipping seminar."
Naaman dipped a fifth time. People were now walking away having concluded that Naaman would never be a successful dipper. It was obvious that he didn't have what it takes to reach the top of the dipping ladder. He would never be invited to speak on how to dip. No one would call asking for his steps to success. He had none. He was a failure at dipping. Many were now sure that he had missed his calling. He should obviously be doing something else. Who in their right mind would keep laboring like that with no results?
Naaman dipped a sixth time. Few people were left to watch this exercise in futility. They had long given up on a guy who wasn't in the "Who's Who" of dipping. He was becoming a joke now.
Naaman dipped a seventh time. When he came up out of the water, he was completely healed! Success at last. The question to ask yourself, "Which dip was the most important?"

Who Are the Happiest Workers?

The Yahoo! homepage posted a survey today of the the "top occupations in general happiness." According to the survey the happiest workers in the U.S. are...(drumroll, please) Clergy!
When I saw the title, I immediately wondered if clergy had been interviewed, and then I wondered if they made the list. I thought to myself, "I love my job. I get paid to talk about the thing I love most. How great is that!" But then I wondered if most pastors feel the same way about the ministry. Most that I know do.
I was very pleased that we topped the list. It only makes sense. As the Rev. Dr. Rick Wright states in the article, "With ministry I get to tie in my fundamental beliefs about God and life with what I do all day. So I get to work with people and assist them."
I became a pastor by accident. I just loved talking to people about the Lord. I was raised without knowing one thing about Christianity. All I knew about th Bible I learned through "Charlie Brown's Christmas." When I gave my life to Christ, He became so real to me that I felt I could sense His presence everywhere and see His glory in everything. I became a radical, fanatical, Bible-thumping believer. I just couldn't see how everyone couldn't see it.
That excitement for spiritual things carried over into every area of my life. At church, I just loved talking about the Bible, the Lord, and anything Heavenly. When I did, people would come up to me and say that I had helped them understand things in a new light. Eventually I was asked to Pastor a congregation. After much prayer, I felt that the Lord was indeed leading me into the ministry.
I have never regretted doing so. Sure, there have been times that I would liked to have "taken the wings of the morning and dwelt in the uttermost parts of the sea," but deep down inside I've always loved ministering to the Lord and His people.
So count me as one of those happy workers the article talks about. And if you have any questions about spiritual matters I love talking about it, not as one who thinks he has all the answers, but as one who has been captured by His beauty!

You Become What You Look At

2 Corinthians 3:18 says that as we behold the glory of the Lord, we actually are being transformed into His image. Advertisers realize that if they can get people to "behold" a famous person with their brand in their hand, the viewers will become transformed and begin to bear that same brand or image.
I began to think about that today as I was mulling over some political news I had been reading. I was pacing in my mind about perceived injustices and inconsistencies that were perpetrated recently. I realized that this was consuming my thinking. My attitude was beginning to sour. I realized that I was violating a basic principle of God's Word, I was becoming agitated by ruminating on these things. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything , by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the Peace of God [emphasis mine], which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I was allowing these things to cause me to lose my peace; as I was beholding those things, I was being transformed into an ungodly image. I fear that happens to too many of us in the faith. We watch or listen to political news and lose our peace. Obviously, we are not to be ignorant of what's going on, but the question I ask myself, "How much time do I give mental energy to these things compared to meditating on the things of God?"
God promises spiritual prosperity when we "meditate day and night" on His Word. I wonder if we spend so much time in the political arena that it becomes easy to resort to name-calling and people-bashing because of their their political views. Jesus warned us to stay out of that trap, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." If we are Kingdom oriented we cannot allow ourselves to be pulled down into the mud of this political arena.
So, while I do intend to stay informed and I do hold my own political viewpoints, I will try to rise above the morass of politics and think on those things that are above. "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable,- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." Philippians 4:8

Seasons Change

It seems that just a coupla days ago it was ninety degrees in the shade. Now I'm scraping frost in the morning and seeing my breath in the evening. I've never been a fan of the cold. I look toward the winter with fatalistic resignation. What will be, will be. Winter's coming, I've gotta deal with it.
I like seasons changing when it's for the better. I love Spring 'cause it points to the wonderful warm Summer but let's not talk about that now. I'm going to do my best to make the best of this season.
I have gone through some seasonal changes over the last few years. My youngest daughter went off to college. No more kids at home. That was good, kinda. Then my grandson was born three years ago. That was great, kinda. Now he's running around under our feet. That's good, kinda.
I'm wearing glasses almost all the time now. And the folks I run around with all have gray (or colored) hair. I don't feel like I fit in with this crowd until I go by a mirror. I don't know when that happened. That season really snuck up on me.
The most wonderful thing about changing seasons is the unchanging love of God. For every season there is a new revelation of the faithfulness and care of our Lord. He has promised to be with us till the end of the age...I'm thankful He's with me at every age.

Those Were the Days, My Friend

Yesterday our prof showed photographs of culture-shaping events from my generation. He started with the atomic bomb (BEFORE my time) through JFK assassination, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr, Anti-war protests, and even Woodstock. The purpose was to give perspective as to how much our culture was in upheaval then and bring a perspective to the cultural shift we are seeing today. We are feeling the same unrest our parents or grandparents felt when the world they knew was changing before their very eyes.
In the midst of all that chaos, the Christian culture was going through its own upheaval. They were facing the Jesus movement. Hippies were finding Christ and coming into the church in droves. But they didn't come in suit and ties. They came in halter tops and blue jeans. I remember preaching at a church in Key Largo, FL, that was going through a split because the pastor had the nerve to take food out to the homeless beach bums and let them use the facilities to shave and wash. He even allowed them to come to church!
I was taken back to the years when I and many of my friends started going to church. We all had long hair and wore sandals. I didn't realize then how much countercultural courage it took for my pastor to accept us and mentor us. I remember some disapproving looks but I just thought they were old cranks.
Fast forward to today. I have hope for another Jesus movement. It's very possible that God will start revealing His Son to this generation one confused person at a time and when He does the big question for me will be, "Will I be ready?" Will I be able to accept piercings and tatoos and spiked collars and whatever else may come through the door looking for love and direction? I hope so. I'd like to think so. I kinda like those cultural rebels, they remind me of me!

Check Out the Website at Waynesvillelife

I just linked to a new evangelistic endeavor called 2-1-1. Twenty-one one refers to twenty-first technologies meeting first century truths. The questions page has links directing a seeker to videos addressing problems such as loneliness, death, hopelessness, illness, emptiness, etc. Check it out at http://www.waynesvillelife.com/Questions.html Let me know what you think. You may want link to it. The pages offer an opportunity to respond by accepting Christ or asking more questions.

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day

I just finished two days of classes with Mark Batterson, the author of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. And I just finished reading the book. How much fun was that! Mark challenges his readers to become lion chasers. The premise is taken from a passage of Scripture that tells of Benaiah, one of the soldiers of King David. It says of him that he slew a lion in a pit on a snowy day.
I've loved that passage for years for its poetic ring. Mark caused me to stop and really think about the event and then stirred me to desire to have that kind of aggressive passion for God's purposes.
The idea of the book is that if we want to reach our God-given potential and purpose, we cannot be afraid of the lions in our life. Often the lions we face are disguised blessings waiting to be grasped. When it seems we are in the wrong place at the wrong time, God has hidden his glory in that difficult circumstance.
Mark explains that long-shot odds are markers God wants to cash in for us. Then Mark challenges us to recognize that boldness to chase a lion means we will have to unlearn our fear. He talks about learning to reframe our situations, or see them from a heavenly perspective.
I have really enjoyed these last couple of days listening to Mark in the daytime and then reading his book in the evening. (It's a quick read...)
He mentions that is we're going to get "God ideas" we have to live in prayer mode. This stirred me to dessire God's creative thoughts to begin to rattle around in my brain.
Anyway, if you get a chance, pick the book up. Let me know what you think of it.
God Bless.

Judgmentalism

I'm finishing up a book titled, "UnChristian," by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. It researches the perceptions of sixteen to twenty-nine year olds towards Christianity. The chapter I just finished is titled Judgmentalism. The conception is that Christians are prideful and quick to find fault in others.
Unfortunately I'm afraid that is way too true. As a member of the Christian community for thirty years, I have found many "believers" intolerant, judgmental, bigoted, and closed-minded. I know that they struggle with the same things that all people do, it's just that somehow when they get victory over something it seems they become intolerant of others who struggle in the thing they now no longer do. Sometimes they just don't understand the struggles of others, having never been there themselves.
My fear is that is true of me, too. I'd like to think that I'm patient, kind, tolerant, and all the other things that the Bible says love is, but I'm afraid that I've quickly put some behaviors, or people, in the "that's going too far" box. Am I patient with the adulterer and judgmental of the gay? Do I show leniency to the thief and then condemn (internally, of course, I'm way too spiritual to do these things openly) the liar?
The authors suggest that people are asking for respect even if we disagree with their behavior. That doesn't seem unreasonable. These are the things that make for respect:
1. Listen to me.
2. Don't label me.
3. Don't be so smart. (An easy one for me!)
4. Put yourself in my place.
5. Be genuine.
6. Be my friend with no other motives.
I trust that I will be sensitive when judgmentalism rears its ugly head inside of me. If it does, will you judge me for it?

Culturally Relevant

I'm at school discussing what it means to be culturally relevant. As a pastor, one of the accusations that many people make is that the church is not culturally relevant. We appear to many to be an archaic people group that sing archaic songs and read an archaic book. In reality, there are many churches that are on the cutting edge as far as music taste, and ministry style. As far as the archaic book, all one has to do is read the newspaper to see how up to date the Bible is. The Bible has already told us that Israel would be re-formed (1948) That the European community would unite into one. (EU) That Russia would make an alliance with Iran. (Putin)That China would resurge as a world power. That oil would be the touchpoint of the world's conflict.
On a lighter note, today is my 30th wedding anniversary. Happy anniversary, my love!