So I've been writing lesson commentary for a Bible study called Bible Studies For Life. Here is the one for April 20, 2008. This one is about perseverance and I particularly like the "bonus" teaching aids at the end.
Study Theme: Pioneers in the Covenant
Date: Week of April 20, 2008
Title: Go The Distance
Bible Passage(s):
Background Passage(s): Genesis 26:1-22
Focal Passage(s): Genesis 26:1-3,6,12-22
Sidebar: Person study, “Who Was Abimelech?” (Gen. 26:1,16)
Biblical Truth:
God’s people must persevere in the face of society’s opposition to them.
Perseverance means going the distance.
Our culture is full of contests that require perseverance. There are athletes who strive to go the distance. Some high schoolers study long hours to gain knowledge and achieve high grades so they can get into college and win scholarships. At the time of this writing there is a great question about who can go the distance to win the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. Looming larger still is the question of who can go the distance to win the whole presidency.
All of us are called to persevere and most everyone knows that a certain amount of drive and determination are required for even modest successes.
But perseverance in the life of a Christian may have different meanings and purposes. While Joseph may have had his coat of many colors, Isaac, his forbear, had his wells of many frustrations. Having grown successful in the land of Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar, Isaac was envied by the Philisitines. Seemingly for spite, the filled in the wells his father’s servants had dug, and asked Isaac to move away. “You’ve become too strong for us,” they said.
So Isaac moved, only to have this same type of problem. His servants dug and well and found water, but lost it to the herdsmen of the area who claimed it as theirs. He lost another well in a similar fashion, and it wasn’t until a third well was dug that Isaac’s people were able to live in peace. Isaac persevered and after this God appeared to him one night and extended the blessing of Abraham to Isaac. Isaac would prosper and flourish by God’s hand.
It is possible to conclude from this text that God extended the blessing from Abraham to Isaac because Isaac persevered. The writer orders the story to give us this theological read. It is possible, however, to read the blessing’s extension apart from Isaac’s perseverance in digging more wells in the face of opposition, and this is probably a more theologically sound reading.
What we can say for sure is that perseverance in the face of opposition is modeled by Isaac in a meaningful way for modern readers. Consider the ways that Isaac’s perseverance can strengthen your students in the midst of struggles:
Isaac focused on God’s clear directions to stay in Canaan rather than the logical plan of going down to Egypt to find food in the midst of famine. God tells Isaac to stay put and Isaac responds obediently. Likewise, believers today are able to persevere more completely when we know that we are following God’s path for our lives.
Further, God’s direction to stay in Canaan didn’t make good sense, yet Isaac stayed and prospered among Abimelech’s people. We can reasonably conclude then, that God doesn’t always offer up options that make sense to our human reason. There are times in which we are called upon to take a risk, to make an illogical move, to go contrary to conventional wisdom. Moreover, God sometimes calls for action that will be costly in the short term but in the long run will yield a substantial harvest.
Isaac understood his directions to remain in the land of Canaan in the light of God’s promise to bless him. God essentially said, “Look, I promised all this to your father Abraham, and I’m going to do the same for you. But you have to trust me.” It was probably tempting for Isaac to move to Egypt where food and wealth were plentiful. But he fought his instincts because he remembered the promise of God to Abraham.
He likely remembered that promise in the context of nearly being offered to God as a living sacrifice until the angel of God stepped in (see last week’s lesson, 4/13, you should revisit Genesis 22.15-18). Ask your students to consider how palpable and powerful that promise was for the young Isaac to have heard as he crawled off the pile of wood he was nearly offered upon. By the time we get to Genesis 26, this promise of prosperity means a great deal to Isaac, and he understands the concept of obedience to the point of death – so hanging out in a famished land because God told him to would have been easier because he fully understood that God’s promises were a good thing.
For you and I, we can find encouragement and endurance when we focus on all the goodness that is promised to us through the riches of God’s son, Jesus Christ. So it is that we are enriched in our perseverance by focusing on these same ideals:
1. Focus on God’s directions first. Persevere when we believe we are doing what God wants us to do.
2. Perseverance in the face of absurdity is a waste. But sometimes God calls us to unconventional obedience.
3. Perseverance is easier for us when we see it in light of all that God has promised us.
Bonus Teaching Aid
The Disney feature length cartoon Hercules contains a song about the perseverance of a teenage boy to become a real life hero. You can listen to the song Go the Distance for free and see the scene from the movie at this website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lenkR5XzSJc. This clip provides you an example of someone who is determined to persevere, but you can use it to make the point that “going the distance” in the life of a Christian calls for God’s blessing and encouragement.
Or, consider the commercial by Nike There Are No Cinderella’s. You can view it also for free at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky7Whwl6DnE. This video shows athletes working long and hard to achieve goals while a clock is tolling midnight in the background. The final caption says. The clock strikes 12:01 a.m. and the athletes continue working out. The screen fades to black and the title says, “There are no cinderella’s.” The message is that success comes from hard work and perseverance.
Friday, April 11, 2008
He Started It!
Not a Sermon - Just a Thought for April 11, 2008
If two kids play together long enough they will eventually disagree about something. It will likely escalate, and if an adult intervenes there will be that moment where one kid justifies his actions by saying “But he started it!” It illustrates our innate thirst for revenge. Injustices, real or perceived, evoke a response from our core.
Like when I am forced to listen to an obnoxious cell phone conversation three tables away in a restaurant. Am I the only one who wants to take the phone, slam it shut, and drop it in the iced tea? Or how about the mind rattling music coming from the car next to you at the stop light. Have you ever dreamed of a device that could cause a subwoofer to implode from 20 feet away?
In First Peter 2.18-25 we find that Jesus’ pattern for his followers excludes this kind of revenge. The reading teaches us that we must bear up under suffering and refuse the path of retaliation. While cell phones and loud music are inconveniences to be endured, there are other substantial situations that we face where we must walk the path of quiet suffering without retaliation.
But the hard question is, “When is enough, enough?” This text has been abused by preachers who told slaves that suffering under the hand of a cruel master was just part of suffering for God. This text has been abused by preachers telling women to stay in their marriages even when there is abuse to preserve the holiness of marriage. How long do we tolerate abuse before we take action?
The answer lies here: “But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God” (1 Pete 2.20). In other words, suffering just for suffering sake is silly. God would not have one of His children remain in a situation of pain when escape is possible. But suffering for good causes verifies our commitment to the causes of God. Suffering with “purpose” is really part of what it means to walk in the footsteps of Jesus – as Peter suggests in verse 21.
So if I suffer financially because I have made a decision to help the poor, that’s good. If I choose not to retaliate against a driver who cuts me off, that’s good too because I avoid a wreck and give a positive example of a Christian. If the church suffers persecution by the state or by the culture, that’s worthy suffering as well because it shows that we truly are committed to our beliefs.
This weekend I’ll be preaching a sermon at Willow Meadows Baptist Church based on this idea that following in Jesus’ footsteps necessarily includes some suffering. I’m not anticipating a sellout crowd for this unpopular message, but you’ll still want to be here by 10:45.
I see the footprints,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly email from me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. You can subscribe or unsubscribe by emailing me directly at glong@wmbc.org. You can also read some more of my writing at my blog, To the Lees.
I Peter 2.18-25
18Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 20But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." 23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
If two kids play together long enough they will eventually disagree about something. It will likely escalate, and if an adult intervenes there will be that moment where one kid justifies his actions by saying “But he started it!” It illustrates our innate thirst for revenge. Injustices, real or perceived, evoke a response from our core.
Like when I am forced to listen to an obnoxious cell phone conversation three tables away in a restaurant. Am I the only one who wants to take the phone, slam it shut, and drop it in the iced tea? Or how about the mind rattling music coming from the car next to you at the stop light. Have you ever dreamed of a device that could cause a subwoofer to implode from 20 feet away?
In First Peter 2.18-25 we find that Jesus’ pattern for his followers excludes this kind of revenge. The reading teaches us that we must bear up under suffering and refuse the path of retaliation. While cell phones and loud music are inconveniences to be endured, there are other substantial situations that we face where we must walk the path of quiet suffering without retaliation.
But the hard question is, “When is enough, enough?” This text has been abused by preachers who told slaves that suffering under the hand of a cruel master was just part of suffering for God. This text has been abused by preachers telling women to stay in their marriages even when there is abuse to preserve the holiness of marriage. How long do we tolerate abuse before we take action?
The answer lies here: “But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God” (1 Pete 2.20). In other words, suffering just for suffering sake is silly. God would not have one of His children remain in a situation of pain when escape is possible. But suffering for good causes verifies our commitment to the causes of God. Suffering with “purpose” is really part of what it means to walk in the footsteps of Jesus – as Peter suggests in verse 21.
So if I suffer financially because I have made a decision to help the poor, that’s good. If I choose not to retaliate against a driver who cuts me off, that’s good too because I avoid a wreck and give a positive example of a Christian. If the church suffers persecution by the state or by the culture, that’s worthy suffering as well because it shows that we truly are committed to our beliefs.
This weekend I’ll be preaching a sermon at Willow Meadows Baptist Church based on this idea that following in Jesus’ footsteps necessarily includes some suffering. I’m not anticipating a sellout crowd for this unpopular message, but you’ll still want to be here by 10:45.
I see the footprints,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly email from me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. You can subscribe or unsubscribe by emailing me directly at glong@wmbc.org. You can also read some more of my writing at my blog, To the Lees.
I Peter 2.18-25
18Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 20But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." 23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Final Four, Babeee!
I have tickest to the NCAA Men's Basketball championship game for this coming Monday night. If UNC pulls off their favored win over Kansas I'm going to get to see my beloved Heels play for a national title IN PERSON!
I'm so psyched. These tix are even lower level!
The bad news is that if UNC loses Saturday night then someone's gonna have to scrape me off the floor and stand me back up to preach on Sunday morning. So, to all my fellow Tar Heels fans out there, in the words of Woody, "All right you Carolina faithful, it's time to do whatever you do to pull those Tar Heels through!"
I'm sure it's bad theolog to pray against the Jayhawks, isn't it? Well, bad theology never stopped most of us for praying for inane stuff.
I'm so psyched. These tix are even lower level!
The bad news is that if UNC loses Saturday night then someone's gonna have to scrape me off the floor and stand me back up to preach on Sunday morning. So, to all my fellow Tar Heels fans out there, in the words of Woody, "All right you Carolina faithful, it's time to do whatever you do to pull those Tar Heels through!"
I'm sure it's bad theolog to pray against the Jayhawks, isn't it? Well, bad theology never stopped most of us for praying for inane stuff.
A Bible Study
So I've been writing lesson commentary for a Bible study called Bible Studies For Life. Here is one for April 13, 2008. I really like it because it raises some hard questions about the story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac.
Study Theme: Pioneers in the Covenant
Date: Week of April 13, 2008
Title: Exploring Devotion – the Hard Work of Covenant
Bible Passage(s):
Background Passage(s): Genesis 22:1-19
Focal Passage(s): Genesis 22:1-14,17-18
The problem with devotion to God is not that it wanes to nothingness, but that our devotion usually shifts to something else. We humans were built for worship, so it’s not a matter of whether or not we worship – but a question of whom we will worship. Is it going to be self and the charms of this world? Or is it going to be the god who creates, renews, forgives, and restores us?
This is the central question faced by Abraham when asked by God to sacrifice his precious son Isaac. Recall the details of this boy’s miraculous birth. First, Sarah and Abraham were childless for many years so Abraham had relations with and conceived a child by Sarah’s slave Hagar. Then, at the age when women are well past child-bearing, Sarah gave birth to Isaac. This boy Isaac was Abraham’s pride and joy. “Whom you love” is how Genesis described Abraham’s affections.
Abraham was being tested by God to display where his loyalties lay.
It is a messy, uncomfortable text because we modern day readers have a hard time connecting to the idea of child sacrifice. We’re left with unsettling questions: Why would a loving God demand such a thing? What would Isaac’s version of this story sound like? Did Isaac resist? How does Isaac relate to his father Abraham after this event? And if we are willing to live this story and give our very best to God, can we expect God to stop us from sacrificing something precious at the last moment?
The tempting and easy answer is “it’s just part of the mystery of God.” However, we shouldn’t resort to that answer too soon, because we may miss some truth that will aid us in the struggle of living the life of faith. Too many times our Bible studies and sermons sanitize the stories of the Bible to make them palatable (and to fit in an hour long worship service!) when instead we should ponder and puzzle over the oddities of the text.
A Demanding God
Why would God demand the offering of a first born? The sacrifice of a child was a cultic practice common in Abraham’s day, but it reads as offensive in our context. This story demonstrates in a radical way the very nature of loyalty which God demands of those who would follow faithfully. It is possible to be a believer and devoted follower, but this idea that God would demand of Abraham the very most important thing in his life indicates to us that there must be nothing – truly nothing or no one – who comes between us and our devotion to following God’s will.
This is a hard truth for Christian, both new and old. The oft held view in the pew is that church participation on Sunday morning and maybe Wednesday night is a full expression of loyalty to God. But this story demands that we examine the ways in which we compartmentalize faith and bring into the light of day the demand that we integrate our beliefs into all we do. Our lives must somehow verify the fact that there is nothing between us and God on our priority scale. If God would demand Abraham’s very best and most precious, there is no reason to think God would expect less of us.
Isaac’s Experience
If Isaac could speak to us, what would his version of the story look like? As a boy who is old enough to take a three day trip, climb a mountain while loaded with firewood, and have the presence of mind to ask “where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” we can guess that Isaac has a sense of what is going on when he gets bound and laid down on the altar. He’d seen a sacrifice before and had most likely figured out that he, although precious to his father, was about to play second fiddle to the God of the cosmos.
A hard question to ask your learners is this: Is there ever a time when too much religion is bad for a family? Bad for a child? What is it like to be the child Isaac in the household of the faithful Abraham?
I remember the story told to me by a woman in the first church I served as a pastor. She was a few years older than me, in her mid-30’s at the time, and she and her husband were raising two teenagers and working hard. Our families were out one Sunday afternoon water-skiing and discussing life. I mentioned how thankful I was that her father had been so devoted to our church and that he was really a pillar of the church. Her response was polite, but direct. “As a little girl it was pretty hard to see him spend so much time serving the church, though. I’d rather him been more of a daddy than a deacon.”
Reading this story as a young boy terrorized me. It left me worried that God would demand that of my father. While this story is really about the testing of Abraham, there must be at least a passing thought as to what the implications of faith are on our children and spouses, not to mention friendships and employment. There is a degree to which we modern followers must be balanced in our approach to church participation. Isaac’s experience at least begs the question of how parents must work to balance out family and faith.
What if God Doesn’t Stop Me?
Genesis 22.15 says, “…because you have done this an have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you…” The story is frequently used by preachers to encourage church folk to make sacrifices in a modern way by giving of their resources to support the ministry of the church. The logic is that if we are willing to sacrifice like Abraham was, then we will be blessed as well. While that may be a reasonable way to read this story in our world, it is important to note that God might not stop us at the last moment like God stopped Abraham. There are no guarantees that the result of testing by God will be prosperity like it was for Abraham.
We are guaranteed that God will test us, and we are guaranteed that God will use that testing to change us, shape us, and direct us. What matters, as a result, is that as we consider the reasons God might be testing us, we must also be determined to grow from testing and sacrifice.
Study Theme: Pioneers in the Covenant
Date: Week of April 13, 2008
Title: Exploring Devotion – the Hard Work of Covenant
Bible Passage(s):
Background Passage(s): Genesis 22:1-19
Focal Passage(s): Genesis 22:1-14,17-18
The problem with devotion to God is not that it wanes to nothingness, but that our devotion usually shifts to something else. We humans were built for worship, so it’s not a matter of whether or not we worship – but a question of whom we will worship. Is it going to be self and the charms of this world? Or is it going to be the god who creates, renews, forgives, and restores us?
This is the central question faced by Abraham when asked by God to sacrifice his precious son Isaac. Recall the details of this boy’s miraculous birth. First, Sarah and Abraham were childless for many years so Abraham had relations with and conceived a child by Sarah’s slave Hagar. Then, at the age when women are well past child-bearing, Sarah gave birth to Isaac. This boy Isaac was Abraham’s pride and joy. “Whom you love” is how Genesis described Abraham’s affections.
Abraham was being tested by God to display where his loyalties lay.
It is a messy, uncomfortable text because we modern day readers have a hard time connecting to the idea of child sacrifice. We’re left with unsettling questions: Why would a loving God demand such a thing? What would Isaac’s version of this story sound like? Did Isaac resist? How does Isaac relate to his father Abraham after this event? And if we are willing to live this story and give our very best to God, can we expect God to stop us from sacrificing something precious at the last moment?
The tempting and easy answer is “it’s just part of the mystery of God.” However, we shouldn’t resort to that answer too soon, because we may miss some truth that will aid us in the struggle of living the life of faith. Too many times our Bible studies and sermons sanitize the stories of the Bible to make them palatable (and to fit in an hour long worship service!) when instead we should ponder and puzzle over the oddities of the text.
A Demanding God
Why would God demand the offering of a first born? The sacrifice of a child was a cultic practice common in Abraham’s day, but it reads as offensive in our context. This story demonstrates in a radical way the very nature of loyalty which God demands of those who would follow faithfully. It is possible to be a believer and devoted follower, but this idea that God would demand of Abraham the very most important thing in his life indicates to us that there must be nothing – truly nothing or no one – who comes between us and our devotion to following God’s will.
This is a hard truth for Christian, both new and old. The oft held view in the pew is that church participation on Sunday morning and maybe Wednesday night is a full expression of loyalty to God. But this story demands that we examine the ways in which we compartmentalize faith and bring into the light of day the demand that we integrate our beliefs into all we do. Our lives must somehow verify the fact that there is nothing between us and God on our priority scale. If God would demand Abraham’s very best and most precious, there is no reason to think God would expect less of us.
Isaac’s Experience
If Isaac could speak to us, what would his version of the story look like? As a boy who is old enough to take a three day trip, climb a mountain while loaded with firewood, and have the presence of mind to ask “where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” we can guess that Isaac has a sense of what is going on when he gets bound and laid down on the altar. He’d seen a sacrifice before and had most likely figured out that he, although precious to his father, was about to play second fiddle to the God of the cosmos.
A hard question to ask your learners is this: Is there ever a time when too much religion is bad for a family? Bad for a child? What is it like to be the child Isaac in the household of the faithful Abraham?
I remember the story told to me by a woman in the first church I served as a pastor. She was a few years older than me, in her mid-30’s at the time, and she and her husband were raising two teenagers and working hard. Our families were out one Sunday afternoon water-skiing and discussing life. I mentioned how thankful I was that her father had been so devoted to our church and that he was really a pillar of the church. Her response was polite, but direct. “As a little girl it was pretty hard to see him spend so much time serving the church, though. I’d rather him been more of a daddy than a deacon.”
Reading this story as a young boy terrorized me. It left me worried that God would demand that of my father. While this story is really about the testing of Abraham, there must be at least a passing thought as to what the implications of faith are on our children and spouses, not to mention friendships and employment. There is a degree to which we modern followers must be balanced in our approach to church participation. Isaac’s experience at least begs the question of how parents must work to balance out family and faith.
What if God Doesn’t Stop Me?
Genesis 22.15 says, “…because you have done this an have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you…” The story is frequently used by preachers to encourage church folk to make sacrifices in a modern way by giving of their resources to support the ministry of the church. The logic is that if we are willing to sacrifice like Abraham was, then we will be blessed as well. While that may be a reasonable way to read this story in our world, it is important to note that God might not stop us at the last moment like God stopped Abraham. There are no guarantees that the result of testing by God will be prosperity like it was for Abraham.
We are guaranteed that God will test us, and we are guaranteed that God will use that testing to change us, shape us, and direct us. What matters, as a result, is that as we consider the reasons God might be testing us, we must also be determined to grow from testing and sacrifice.
The Code of the Road
Not a Sermon - Just a Thought - column for April 6, 2008
I’m crazy about road trips. Among my favorite road trips over the years are with my wife and her aunt and uncle. Debbie, the aunt, always starts a road trip with the same line, “Remember kids – what happens on the road, stays on the road,” meaning, of course, that any fun “mischief” remains a secret upon returning home. It’s funny because road trips with Aunt Debbie don’t usually involve mischief except for some of her shopping splurges. But still, the sentiment makes the trip more of an adventure.
This “Code of the Rode” was not in force for a Biblical character named Cleopas. He and an unnamed friend were taking a road trip to the village of Emmaus. These two encountered Jesus but they didn’t understand who he was at first. By the end of the conversation they’d figured out that the person they’d been talking to was the same person who’d been crucified and dead just a few days earlier.
No way, no how were these two able to promise “what happens on the road, stays on the road.” There was no way they could keep quiet about encountering the risen Lord and the story ends with the two aborting the road trip to return to Jerusalem. There they sought out the eleven disciples and the scripture says, “…they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made know to them in the breaking of the bread” (Luke 24.35).
All on a road trip.
Lots of interesting things happen on road trips. What about yours? Lately I’m discovering that the road trip of faith includes discussion, disputes, and discoveries. Oh yeah, some good dining, too. Let’s think about that together this Sunday at Willow Meadows Baptist Church in a sermon entitled What Happened on the Road. We gather for Bible Study at 9:30 a.m., and worship is at 10:45 a.m. I hope you can join us!
Head out on the highway lookin’ for adventure,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly email from me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. You can subscribe or unsubscribe by emailing me directly at glong@wmbc.org.
Luke 24.13-35
On the Road to Emmaus
13Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16but they were kept from recognizing him.
17He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
19"What things?" he asked.
"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
25He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ[b] have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
33They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." 35Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
I’m crazy about road trips. Among my favorite road trips over the years are with my wife and her aunt and uncle. Debbie, the aunt, always starts a road trip with the same line, “Remember kids – what happens on the road, stays on the road,” meaning, of course, that any fun “mischief” remains a secret upon returning home. It’s funny because road trips with Aunt Debbie don’t usually involve mischief except for some of her shopping splurges. But still, the sentiment makes the trip more of an adventure.
This “Code of the Rode” was not in force for a Biblical character named Cleopas. He and an unnamed friend were taking a road trip to the village of Emmaus. These two encountered Jesus but they didn’t understand who he was at first. By the end of the conversation they’d figured out that the person they’d been talking to was the same person who’d been crucified and dead just a few days earlier.
No way, no how were these two able to promise “what happens on the road, stays on the road.” There was no way they could keep quiet about encountering the risen Lord and the story ends with the two aborting the road trip to return to Jerusalem. There they sought out the eleven disciples and the scripture says, “…they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made know to them in the breaking of the bread” (Luke 24.35).
All on a road trip.
Lots of interesting things happen on road trips. What about yours? Lately I’m discovering that the road trip of faith includes discussion, disputes, and discoveries. Oh yeah, some good dining, too. Let’s think about that together this Sunday at Willow Meadows Baptist Church in a sermon entitled What Happened on the Road. We gather for Bible Study at 9:30 a.m., and worship is at 10:45 a.m. I hope you can join us!
Head out on the highway lookin’ for adventure,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly email from me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. You can subscribe or unsubscribe by emailing me directly at glong@wmbc.org.
Luke 24.13-35
On the Road to Emmaus
13Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16but they were kept from recognizing him.
17He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
19"What things?" he asked.
"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
25He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ[b] have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
33They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." 35Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
More on Worship
So today I'm continuing to pray about the worship question for our church. We definitely need that in this season. Our church needs to have a more multicultural approach to worship given the demographcis of our community. If we're going to continue trying to reach white college educated middle-class adults, then SW Houston is going to be a harder and harder place to maintain a church. WMBC has needed to make a shift to reach the cultures around us for some time, but that shift is not so easy.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Who is Worship For?
I know the theologically correct answer - God. Don't go harping.
Our ministry team was asked this question in a challenging meeting this morning. More specifically - and rightly - we were asked by our consultant "For whom do you plan worship?"
The question came up because our church is going through a bit of an identity crisis surrounding worship style. In March of 2004 we launched a non-traditional worship service to increase our chances of reaching out to people who'd had negative or no previous church experiences. Just like a million other churches on the planet. We offered a traditional Baptist service with organ, choir, hymnody, and classical music, while offering a different service that utilized a rock band, contemporary Christian songs, as well as popular music with a redemptive message that you'd hear on commercial radio.
But in December of 2007, our Worship Council decided that our congregation needed have one worship. Here were the top reasons:
1. We were down a staff minister and given financial constraints will probably not hire another one. So, we needed to cut back on programming to keep the existing staff sane.
2. Although our contemporary service had brought in about 100 people in 3 plus years, we were meeting in a cavernous sanctuary, so the energy level in the room always seemed low. Gathering the whole church together at one time created a remarkable energy level.
3. The ministry staff was sensing a need for the entire congregation to worship together - at least for a seaon - so that we could all get to know each other better. After all, that many new people can make an existing congregation seem "all new." Personally, I was tired of hearing long time members say, "Why don't I ever see the young people in church anymore?" And my wife was tired, too. She came to the non-traditional service and hardly ever missed a Sunday, yet she was told almost weekly, "We never see you in worship anymore!"
4. One service on Sunday am decomplicated things. A Bible study and one worship service is so much easier to manage from a custodial point of view.
So our rock band showed up in the same service as our choir. We sang black gospel in the same service that a Mark Hayes arranged choral piece was performed. Most people loved being together, but more than a few would've worn down the patience of Job with their complaining.
Some hated the presence of guitars and drums in worship. I got a letter from one woman who criticized the band for bad music and bad style. I think she used the phrase, "Is that hill-billy band the best you could find? What happened to dressing your best for God?"
Some disliked the organ and choir. "It's too stiff and formal" they said. "Can't you get the choir to loosen up a little? They look so...so....so white!"
Those were the extremes, granted. And the vast majority of our folk simply smiled and sang their best. They smiled, I think, because all together we looked more like the kingdom of God. One woman in her 80's emailed me to say just that. "I saw a tatooed couple with piercings. I saw a black couple enjoying the music. I saw young children at the activity table quietly working during the sermon. I saw a cute little young Asian couple smiling at one another as they sang. And I didn't even have to turn my head to see all that. It looked a lot like I think heaven's gonna look."
So back to the question of this morning: "Who is worship for?" And more specifically, who does our ministry team plan the liturgy for?
Is it for the ones who love the 1950's hymns? Yes.
Is it for the ones who found faith swaying at a David Crowder concert? Yes.
Is it for the hippie who found Jesus in Bob Dylan's music? Yes.
Is it for the 80's rocker who snuck Petra tapes into the youth group? Yes (That was me, by the way).
Is it for the black man who grew up in Jamaica and loves to sing Jesus reggae? Yes.
I could keep asking these questions, and the answer will remain the same. Yes. We plan worship at Willow Meadows Baptist Church for the many faces who show up each and every Sunday with the hopes of encountering the living God of Adam & Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Mary and Martha, Peter and Paul. We plan worship for people who might be 2 or 92. We plan worship for people who are rich, poor, middle class, high class, low class, or no class.
In short, worship is for the multicultural, multigenerational people who inhabit Southwest Houston.
That's my thinking on this today. Our staff has committed to pray over this matter for 10 days and to wait to see if God affirms this multicultural/multigenerational approach. We're going to spend time praying separately and together. We're going to run a wiki (I'll see if I can get their permission to share the link with you). I'm going to blog about it here. Maybe God will speak one more time and show us the way.
Would you pray to that end?
Our ministry team was asked this question in a challenging meeting this morning. More specifically - and rightly - we were asked by our consultant "For whom do you plan worship?"
The question came up because our church is going through a bit of an identity crisis surrounding worship style. In March of 2004 we launched a non-traditional worship service to increase our chances of reaching out to people who'd had negative or no previous church experiences. Just like a million other churches on the planet. We offered a traditional Baptist service with organ, choir, hymnody, and classical music, while offering a different service that utilized a rock band, contemporary Christian songs, as well as popular music with a redemptive message that you'd hear on commercial radio.
But in December of 2007, our Worship Council decided that our congregation needed have one worship. Here were the top reasons:
1. We were down a staff minister and given financial constraints will probably not hire another one. So, we needed to cut back on programming to keep the existing staff sane.
2. Although our contemporary service had brought in about 100 people in 3 plus years, we were meeting in a cavernous sanctuary, so the energy level in the room always seemed low. Gathering the whole church together at one time created a remarkable energy level.
3. The ministry staff was sensing a need for the entire congregation to worship together - at least for a seaon - so that we could all get to know each other better. After all, that many new people can make an existing congregation seem "all new." Personally, I was tired of hearing long time members say, "Why don't I ever see the young people in church anymore?" And my wife was tired, too. She came to the non-traditional service and hardly ever missed a Sunday, yet she was told almost weekly, "We never see you in worship anymore!"
4. One service on Sunday am decomplicated things. A Bible study and one worship service is so much easier to manage from a custodial point of view.
So our rock band showed up in the same service as our choir. We sang black gospel in the same service that a Mark Hayes arranged choral piece was performed. Most people loved being together, but more than a few would've worn down the patience of Job with their complaining.
Some hated the presence of guitars and drums in worship. I got a letter from one woman who criticized the band for bad music and bad style. I think she used the phrase, "Is that hill-billy band the best you could find? What happened to dressing your best for God?"
Some disliked the organ and choir. "It's too stiff and formal" they said. "Can't you get the choir to loosen up a little? They look so...so....so white!"
Those were the extremes, granted. And the vast majority of our folk simply smiled and sang their best. They smiled, I think, because all together we looked more like the kingdom of God. One woman in her 80's emailed me to say just that. "I saw a tatooed couple with piercings. I saw a black couple enjoying the music. I saw young children at the activity table quietly working during the sermon. I saw a cute little young Asian couple smiling at one another as they sang. And I didn't even have to turn my head to see all that. It looked a lot like I think heaven's gonna look."
So back to the question of this morning: "Who is worship for?" And more specifically, who does our ministry team plan the liturgy for?
Is it for the ones who love the 1950's hymns? Yes.
Is it for the ones who found faith swaying at a David Crowder concert? Yes.
Is it for the hippie who found Jesus in Bob Dylan's music? Yes.
Is it for the 80's rocker who snuck Petra tapes into the youth group? Yes (That was me, by the way).
Is it for the black man who grew up in Jamaica and loves to sing Jesus reggae? Yes.
I could keep asking these questions, and the answer will remain the same. Yes. We plan worship at Willow Meadows Baptist Church for the many faces who show up each and every Sunday with the hopes of encountering the living God of Adam & Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Mary and Martha, Peter and Paul. We plan worship for people who might be 2 or 92. We plan worship for people who are rich, poor, middle class, high class, low class, or no class.
In short, worship is for the multicultural, multigenerational people who inhabit Southwest Houston.
That's my thinking on this today. Our staff has committed to pray over this matter for 10 days and to wait to see if God affirms this multicultural/multigenerational approach. We're going to spend time praying separately and together. We're going to run a wiki (I'll see if I can get their permission to share the link with you). I'm going to blog about it here. Maybe God will speak one more time and show us the way.
Would you pray to that end?
Monday, March 10, 2008
Rabies or Rubies?
Today Traci, my wife, had a run in with one of the bats at Bellaire High School. I'm not talking about any crazy people, though. Turns out there are probably three or four colonies of those vampy critters there. As she walked the hall to her class room early this morning a bat flew down the hall and at her head.
Because it seems there was contact between her and the bat, she was sent to the ER to get the rabies vaccination. At least six students were sent for treatment as well. I couldn't understand all the hub-bub until I learned that rabies is fatal in every documented case except for one. Needless to say, I was supportive of the preventive medicine.
It stands to reason that if there are three colonies of them at BHS, then the school should be shut down until the infestation is taken care of. This isn't the first time bats have been in the belfry at BHS. The school library was closed for several weeks back in February to deal with more bats. The school is putting kids and faculty at risk, and in addition, the entire Houston ISD is at financial and legal liability. Closing the school for a day or two would be a low cost to pay versus a worst-case scenario of death by rabies.
There is a great upside to this story, though. This afternoon the Youngest Sister bounded in the door from school, having ridden home with her mom and hearing the whole batty story being told to a friend on the phone. With big eyes she came into the living room where I was writing and exclaimed, "Daddy, Mom got a shot in both her arms and in both her hips!"
I quizzed back, "Why did she have to get a shot?"
"So she won't get rubies from a bat."
"Really? What are rubies?"
"They're special like diamonds but bigger and they're red."
"And you don't want to get rubies?"
"I think they're poisonous for you."
Because it seems there was contact between her and the bat, she was sent to the ER to get the rabies vaccination. At least six students were sent for treatment as well. I couldn't understand all the hub-bub until I learned that rabies is fatal in every documented case except for one. Needless to say, I was supportive of the preventive medicine.
It stands to reason that if there are three colonies of them at BHS, then the school should be shut down until the infestation is taken care of. This isn't the first time bats have been in the belfry at BHS. The school library was closed for several weeks back in February to deal with more bats. The school is putting kids and faculty at risk, and in addition, the entire Houston ISD is at financial and legal liability. Closing the school for a day or two would be a low cost to pay versus a worst-case scenario of death by rabies.
There is a great upside to this story, though. This afternoon the Youngest Sister bounded in the door from school, having ridden home with her mom and hearing the whole batty story being told to a friend on the phone. With big eyes she came into the living room where I was writing and exclaimed, "Daddy, Mom got a shot in both her arms and in both her hips!"
I quizzed back, "Why did she have to get a shot?"
"So she won't get rubies from a bat."
"Really? What are rubies?"
"They're special like diamonds but bigger and they're red."
"And you don't want to get rubies?"
"I think they're poisonous for you."
Help 'im Up, Houston!
If you’re in Houston this week there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll attend the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at least once. And when a cowboy falls you’ll probably hear Rodeo Hall of Fame announcer Bob Tallman tell the crowd, “Help ‘im up, Houston!” In response the crowd will cheer and clap for the recently unseated cowboy as he dusts himself off and puts his hat back on. Knocked in the dirt and likely a little sore, the cowboy is reminded by the crowd, “This ain’t your last rodeo.”
This week’s Bible reading has a “Help ‘im up, Houston!” moment. It’s the story of Lazarus, who got sick and died. Word was sent to Jesus to come and heal him, but Jesus slowly rustled up his disciples and moseyed back to Bethany. Because Jesus didn’t gallop over quick enough, Lazarus died before he got there. When Jesus finally made it to Bethany, Martha (Lazarus’ sister) accosted him before he could even throw his hat in the door. “Lord,” she said, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Mary also knew that Jesus could have healed him and gives the same tongue lashing to Jesus. But he doesn’t simply want to heal Lazarus, he intends nothing less than to resurrect him from the dead. Jesus tells them to open up the tomb and then shouts, “Come forth, Lazarus!”
In rodeo speak, that’s “Help ‘im up, Houston!”
Jesus proves the power of God, and he reveals an ulterior motive – he is trying to get his followers to do some “outside the grave” type thinking. The sisters wanted a healing but assumed that a dead Lazarus was a done Lazarus. But Jesus illustrated that there’s more to life than meets the eye. He simultaneously decries the anemic view that we should live any way we like because - after all - “you’ve only one life to live.”
He also illustrates to us modern readers that by second-guessing God’s delays we betray our willingness to settle for something less than the great miracle that God wants to make of our lives. God wants to do more for you than “Help ‘im up, Houston!” God wants to resurrect our spirits to live life fully and victoriously in the here and now and in the hereafter.
If you’re in Houston this weekend, join us for worship. And be sure to wear your finest rodeo outfits for Rodeo Sunday. Worship starts at 10:45 and we’ll enjoy some blue grass, Southern gospel, and down right toe-tapping worship tunes. Don’t forget to change your clocks before bed Saturday night – spring forward!
Hangin’ in there for 8,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly column written by me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. To subscribe or unsubscribe contact me at glong@wmbc.org. You can read more of my musing on life at my blog, Life to the Lees.
John 11.1-42
The Death of Lazarus
1Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
4When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 5Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
7Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."
8"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"
9Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. 10It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."
11After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."
12His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
16Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
Jesus Comforts the Sisters
17On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18Bethany was less than two miles[a] from Jerusalem, 19and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ,[b] the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
28And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34"Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied.
35Jesus wept.
36Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
37But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"
Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead
38Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39"Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
40Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
41So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
43When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."
This week’s Bible reading has a “Help ‘im up, Houston!” moment. It’s the story of Lazarus, who got sick and died. Word was sent to Jesus to come and heal him, but Jesus slowly rustled up his disciples and moseyed back to Bethany. Because Jesus didn’t gallop over quick enough, Lazarus died before he got there. When Jesus finally made it to Bethany, Martha (Lazarus’ sister) accosted him before he could even throw his hat in the door. “Lord,” she said, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Mary also knew that Jesus could have healed him and gives the same tongue lashing to Jesus. But he doesn’t simply want to heal Lazarus, he intends nothing less than to resurrect him from the dead. Jesus tells them to open up the tomb and then shouts, “Come forth, Lazarus!”
In rodeo speak, that’s “Help ‘im up, Houston!”
Jesus proves the power of God, and he reveals an ulterior motive – he is trying to get his followers to do some “outside the grave” type thinking. The sisters wanted a healing but assumed that a dead Lazarus was a done Lazarus. But Jesus illustrated that there’s more to life than meets the eye. He simultaneously decries the anemic view that we should live any way we like because - after all - “you’ve only one life to live.”
He also illustrates to us modern readers that by second-guessing God’s delays we betray our willingness to settle for something less than the great miracle that God wants to make of our lives. God wants to do more for you than “Help ‘im up, Houston!” God wants to resurrect our spirits to live life fully and victoriously in the here and now and in the hereafter.
If you’re in Houston this weekend, join us for worship. And be sure to wear your finest rodeo outfits for Rodeo Sunday. Worship starts at 10:45 and we’ll enjoy some blue grass, Southern gospel, and down right toe-tapping worship tunes. Don’t forget to change your clocks before bed Saturday night – spring forward!
Hangin’ in there for 8,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly column written by me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. To subscribe or unsubscribe contact me at glong@wmbc.org. You can read more of my musing on life at my blog, Life to the Lees.
John 11.1-42
The Death of Lazarus
1Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
4When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 5Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
7Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."
8"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"
9Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. 10It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."
11After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."
12His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
16Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
Jesus Comforts the Sisters
17On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18Bethany was less than two miles[a] from Jerusalem, 19and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ,[b] the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
28And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34"Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied.
35Jesus wept.
36Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
37But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"
Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead
38Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39"Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
40Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
41So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
43When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Maker
Was listening to a little Dave Matthews today, The Maker. It reminded me of a conversation I overheard just a few days ago between my wife and the Youngest Sister.
The Youngest Sister, who loves all kinds of fruit, was eating an orange and a banana at the same time. She said, "I love these fruits. They taste good and they're healthy.
Mom says, "Yep, they're full of vitamins."
The Youngest Sister says back, "Mom, how do the people get the vitamins in there?"
I'm laughing to myself as I listen because I just know that her six year old mind is thinking, "This orange has gummy-vitamins inside it."
Mom, putting away groceries says, "God just makes them that way."
To which the Youngest Sister replies, "God sure is a good maker."
This is especially funny if you take a look at this story I wrote in 2006 called Hinder Not the Little Children. The sentiment is not much different in that story than in this one - a little child takes an abstract theological construct and makes it concrete. Perhaps we should leave Dave Matthews and the little children to do the theological heavy-lifting more often?
One more parting thought: If God loves us half as much as I love the Youngest Sister, we're all in better standing that some would lead you to believe.
The Youngest Sister, who loves all kinds of fruit, was eating an orange and a banana at the same time. She said, "I love these fruits. They taste good and they're healthy.
Mom says, "Yep, they're full of vitamins."
The Youngest Sister says back, "Mom, how do the people get the vitamins in there?"
I'm laughing to myself as I listen because I just know that her six year old mind is thinking, "This orange has gummy-vitamins inside it."
Mom, putting away groceries says, "God just makes them that way."
To which the Youngest Sister replies, "God sure is a good maker."
This is especially funny if you take a look at this story I wrote in 2006 called Hinder Not the Little Children. The sentiment is not much different in that story than in this one - a little child takes an abstract theological construct and makes it concrete. Perhaps we should leave Dave Matthews and the little children to do the theological heavy-lifting more often?
One more parting thought: If God loves us half as much as I love the Youngest Sister, we're all in better standing that some would lead you to believe.
Here’s Mud in Your Eye!
When you start thinking about it, mud is used a lot of different ways.
You can build a mud hut, take a mud bath, or make a mud pie.
You can wrestle in mud, you can go “mudding” in your 4x4, and you’ve probably noticed there are a few politicians who sling mud.
And of course, there’s Muddy Waters the blues band.
Of all these uses, I would’ve never thought of using mud as a salve to heal a blind guy, but Jesus did.
Walking along the dusty road, the disciples encounter a blind man. Going with their existing religious framework they asked Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus shatters their framework and another Lenten lesson for life comes to light: Jesus makes mud from dust and spit and spread the mud on the man’s eyes. After following Jesus’ instructions to go wash in the pool of Siloam, the man is able to see. Everyone was rightly amazed.
Jesus began the mud-healing by saying that the man was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed through him. Sometimes God does things for reasons that aren’t so obvious to us. Sometimes it’s not our sing that’s in the way; sometimes it’s not others who are in the way. Sometimes God is simply waiting for the right time to show God’s glory – like that day in the mud. Whatever you await, whatever your struggle, be sure to hang in there. Even if you don’t understand what is taking God so long, rest assured that God has a plan and your welfare is included in it.
I’ll have more to say about this on Sunday morning at 10:45am when the family of faith called Willow Meadows Baptist Church gathers for worship. The Bible text is John 9.1-41 and I’m hoping you’ll find encouragement for the living of these days.
Oh yeah, we’ll have a second worship service this Sunday evening. Here’s the scoop: We’ll gather for coffee and live music from the band The Autumn Film at 6pm. That will be followed by a casual worship service at 6:30pm. We’ll celebrate communion and I’ll be giving a message called “Questions to All Your Answers” – and I’ll be discussing why it’s not good for Christians to say, “Oh, you can’t figure it out, it’s just part of God’s mystery.” The idea is for us to make a journey for folk religion to a reflective faith. That service will be in “the Loft” which is the opposite end of the building from the sanctuary and is out youth space. They’ll be raising fund for summer missions by selling coffee, so come out and give them your support!
Daubbing Away,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly column written by me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. To subscribe or unsubscribe contact me at glong@wmbc.org.
John 9.1-41
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
6Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7"Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
8His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" 9Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man."
10"How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded.
11He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."
12"Where is this man?" they asked him. "I don't know," he said.
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. 15Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see."
16Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided.
17Finally they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is a prophet."
18The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man's parents. 19"Is this your son?" they asked. "Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?"
20"We know he is our son," the parents answered, "and we know he was born blind. 21But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don't know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself." 22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. 23That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."
24A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God,]" they said. "We know this man is a sinner."
25He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"
26Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"
27He answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?"
28Then they hurled insults at him and said, "You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from."
30The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. 32Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."
34To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out.
Spiritual Blindness
35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
36"Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."
37Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."
38Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.
39Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
40Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?"
41Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
You can build a mud hut, take a mud bath, or make a mud pie.
You can wrestle in mud, you can go “mudding” in your 4x4, and you’ve probably noticed there are a few politicians who sling mud.
And of course, there’s Muddy Waters the blues band.
Of all these uses, I would’ve never thought of using mud as a salve to heal a blind guy, but Jesus did.
Walking along the dusty road, the disciples encounter a blind man. Going with their existing religious framework they asked Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus shatters their framework and another Lenten lesson for life comes to light: Jesus makes mud from dust and spit and spread the mud on the man’s eyes. After following Jesus’ instructions to go wash in the pool of Siloam, the man is able to see. Everyone was rightly amazed.
Jesus began the mud-healing by saying that the man was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed through him. Sometimes God does things for reasons that aren’t so obvious to us. Sometimes it’s not our sing that’s in the way; sometimes it’s not others who are in the way. Sometimes God is simply waiting for the right time to show God’s glory – like that day in the mud. Whatever you await, whatever your struggle, be sure to hang in there. Even if you don’t understand what is taking God so long, rest assured that God has a plan and your welfare is included in it.
I’ll have more to say about this on Sunday morning at 10:45am when the family of faith called Willow Meadows Baptist Church gathers for worship. The Bible text is John 9.1-41 and I’m hoping you’ll find encouragement for the living of these days.
Oh yeah, we’ll have a second worship service this Sunday evening. Here’s the scoop: We’ll gather for coffee and live music from the band The Autumn Film at 6pm. That will be followed by a casual worship service at 6:30pm. We’ll celebrate communion and I’ll be giving a message called “Questions to All Your Answers” – and I’ll be discussing why it’s not good for Christians to say, “Oh, you can’t figure it out, it’s just part of God’s mystery.” The idea is for us to make a journey for folk religion to a reflective faith. That service will be in “the Loft” which is the opposite end of the building from the sanctuary and is out youth space. They’ll be raising fund for summer missions by selling coffee, so come out and give them your support!
Daubbing Away,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly column written by me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. To subscribe or unsubscribe contact me at glong@wmbc.org.
John 9.1-41
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
6Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7"Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
8His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" 9Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man."
10"How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded.
11He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."
12"Where is this man?" they asked him. "I don't know," he said.
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. 15Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see."
16Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided.
17Finally they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is a prophet."
18The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man's parents. 19"Is this your son?" they asked. "Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?"
20"We know he is our son," the parents answered, "and we know he was born blind. 21But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don't know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself." 22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. 23That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."
24A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God,]" they said. "We know this man is a sinner."
25He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"
26Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"
27He answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?"
28Then they hurled insults at him and said, "You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from."
30The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. 32Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."
34To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out.
Spiritual Blindness
35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
36"Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."
37Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."
38Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.
39Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
40Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?"
41Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
Knee Deep in a River and Dying of Thirst
That’s the title of a country song originally recorded by Don Williams and made popular by Kathy Matea in 1992. It’s a haunting tune about how we let divides to come in between friends and lovers over time. The closing verse includes these striking words:
So the side walk is crowded the city goes by,
I just rushed through another day
And a world full of strangers turn their eyes to me,
But I just look the other way.
Chorus: They roll by just like water,
And I guess we never learn,
Go through life parched and empty
Standing knee deep in a river, dying of thirst.
In contemporary culture the song is poetic commentary on the divides that were surrounding Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, as accounted in the fourth chapter of John’s gospel. Tired and thirsty by the well in the middle of the day Jesus asks this woman for a drink of water. But this is no common request.
Why not? Well, there are two reasons.
First, Jews didn’t speak to Samaritans – there was an open wound between Israelites and Samaritans, a sort of north versus south thing that compares well to the Civil War wounds in our own country nearly 150 years ago.
Second, righteous Jewish men didn’t talk to women alone at the well in the middle of the day. It was about the same as seeing your senator slip into a hotel room with a good looking woman who isn’t his wife. You somehow know that they’re not working on legislation.
Jesus exploded two taboos in his request for water and in the end gives living water to a woman who was dry and parched by life. After five husbands, this woman probably had no one to count on and was likely the object of derision in her community. In other words, she was one of those strangers in the country song, turning her eyes to others, but they just look the other way.
But Jesus chose not to look the other way, he chose to engage her. He treated her as a full human being and later did the same with her entire town. In the season of Lent – when we focus on confessing our failures – we have a great opportunity to confess the sinful ways we have treated others with disdain and exclusion. This Sunday I’ll be preaching a sermon called Knee Deep in A River and Dying of Thirst and I’m hoping to convince you that Jesus’ acts at the well give Christians a model of dignity and respect for those in the world outside our community of faith. This is “Track 3” in the sermon series The Dusty Road Sessions – one more of the lessons Jesus’ disciples can learn from Jesus’ journeys on the dusty roads of Israel.
I’ve included the full lyrics to Knee Deep in a River below the passage from John 4. Why not take a few minutes on Saturday or Sunday morning to enjoy a cup of coffee and reflect on this passage? I hope you enjoy a wonderful weekend of rest!
Shabbat Shalom,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly column written by me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. To subscribe or unsubscribe contact me at glong@wmbc.org.
John 4.1-42
Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman
1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
16He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."
17"I have no husband," she replied.
Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."
19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
21Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
The Disciples Rejoin Jesus
27Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"
28Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 30They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."
32But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."
33Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?"
34"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. 38I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
Many Samaritans Believe
39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41And because of his words many more became believers.
42They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."
Lyrics to Knee Deep in a River (and Dying of Thirst)
Friends I could count on I could count on one hand
With a left over finger or two.
I took them for granted, let them all slip away,
Now where they are I wish I knew.
(Chorus) They roll by just like water & I guess we never learn,
Go through life parched and empty,
Standing knee deep in a river, dying of thirst.
Sometimes I remember the good people I've known,
Some I've forgotten I suppose.
One or two still linger,
Oh I wonder now why I ever let them go.
(Chorus) They roll by just like water & I guess we never learn,
Go through life parched and empty,
Standing knee deep in a river, dying of thirst.
So the side walk is crowded the city goes by,
I just rushed through another day
And a world full of strangers turn their eyes to me,
But I just look the other way.
(Chorus) They roll by just like water & I guess we never learn,
Go through life parched and empty,
Standing knee deep in a river, dying of thirst.
So the side walk is crowded the city goes by,
I just rushed through another day
And a world full of strangers turn their eyes to me,
But I just look the other way.
Chorus: They roll by just like water,
And I guess we never learn,
Go through life parched and empty
Standing knee deep in a river, dying of thirst.
In contemporary culture the song is poetic commentary on the divides that were surrounding Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, as accounted in the fourth chapter of John’s gospel. Tired and thirsty by the well in the middle of the day Jesus asks this woman for a drink of water. But this is no common request.
Why not? Well, there are two reasons.
First, Jews didn’t speak to Samaritans – there was an open wound between Israelites and Samaritans, a sort of north versus south thing that compares well to the Civil War wounds in our own country nearly 150 years ago.
Second, righteous Jewish men didn’t talk to women alone at the well in the middle of the day. It was about the same as seeing your senator slip into a hotel room with a good looking woman who isn’t his wife. You somehow know that they’re not working on legislation.
Jesus exploded two taboos in his request for water and in the end gives living water to a woman who was dry and parched by life. After five husbands, this woman probably had no one to count on and was likely the object of derision in her community. In other words, she was one of those strangers in the country song, turning her eyes to others, but they just look the other way.
But Jesus chose not to look the other way, he chose to engage her. He treated her as a full human being and later did the same with her entire town. In the season of Lent – when we focus on confessing our failures – we have a great opportunity to confess the sinful ways we have treated others with disdain and exclusion. This Sunday I’ll be preaching a sermon called Knee Deep in A River and Dying of Thirst and I’m hoping to convince you that Jesus’ acts at the well give Christians a model of dignity and respect for those in the world outside our community of faith. This is “Track 3” in the sermon series The Dusty Road Sessions – one more of the lessons Jesus’ disciples can learn from Jesus’ journeys on the dusty roads of Israel.
I’ve included the full lyrics to Knee Deep in a River below the passage from John 4. Why not take a few minutes on Saturday or Sunday morning to enjoy a cup of coffee and reflect on this passage? I hope you enjoy a wonderful weekend of rest!
Shabbat Shalom,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly column written by me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. To subscribe or unsubscribe contact me at glong@wmbc.org.
John 4.1-42
Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman
1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
16He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."
17"I have no husband," she replied.
Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."
19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
21Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
The Disciples Rejoin Jesus
27Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"
28Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 30They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."
32But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."
33Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?"
34"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. 38I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
Many Samaritans Believe
39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41And because of his words many more became believers.
42They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."
Lyrics to Knee Deep in a River (and Dying of Thirst)
Friends I could count on I could count on one hand
With a left over finger or two.
I took them for granted, let them all slip away,
Now where they are I wish I knew.
(Chorus) They roll by just like water & I guess we never learn,
Go through life parched and empty,
Standing knee deep in a river, dying of thirst.
Sometimes I remember the good people I've known,
Some I've forgotten I suppose.
One or two still linger,
Oh I wonder now why I ever let them go.
(Chorus) They roll by just like water & I guess we never learn,
Go through life parched and empty,
Standing knee deep in a river, dying of thirst.
So the side walk is crowded the city goes by,
I just rushed through another day
And a world full of strangers turn their eyes to me,
But I just look the other way.
(Chorus) They roll by just like water & I guess we never learn,
Go through life parched and empty,
Standing knee deep in a river, dying of thirst.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Ever Been Afraid to Ask?
Math has never been my forte, partly because embarrassment kept me from asking how the quadratic equation worked, or why division by zero wouldn’t work. After all, if you divide something zero times, it should equal the same number, right? I suppose I was turned off forever to math when in Algebra II Mrs. Womble embarrassed me in class by saying, “You look confused, Gary. Why don’t you just ask your question instead of sitting there with that silly look on your face?”
Flustered, I lied defensively, “I understand, I was just thinking hard.”
Truth was I was too afraid to ask what I thought was a stupid question. Have you ever been there?
I suppose Jesus’ disciples were in that position occasionally. Especially that time in John 3 when a Pharisee named Nicodemus came to Jesus under cover of the night to talk about faith. Nicodemus sincerely flattered Jesus saying, “I know you’re from God because nobody else could do what you’ve done.”
Jesus answers like he frequently does – in such a way as to evoke a question. “Truly, no one could see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”
But Nicodemus doesn’t get it. That’s because in Greek there’s a word anothen that can mean three different things, based on context. It can mean “from God/from above” or it can mean “again/second time” or it can mean “radically.” You can see how this would create some confusion, so Nicodemus the Pharisee thinks Jesus means “again” or “second time.” So he asks the “stupid” question.
Nicodemus says, “How can I be born a second time? Can I return to my mother’s womb?”
I like to imagine the disciples who followed Jesus around in this scene listening in. They probably let out a sigh of relief when Nicodemus asked for clarification. Can you see Peter looking at John with a smug look, nodding pensively as if to say, “Isn’t this deep?” When really on the inside Peter is saying, “Born of spirit and water? What the heck?”
And Matthew the tax collector is thinking, “Now if you are born again is that the same tax rate? Or can you now take two deductions on your 1040 return?”
And fishermen James and John are wondering, “Can sea creatures can do that?”
Fortunately, Jesus clarifies their crude interpretations. What follows is a teaching time that ends with the famous Bible verse, John 3.16. I bet you know it.
Nicodemus shows us the beauty of honest inquiry. He’s not afraid to say, “I don’t get it, could you tell me more?” I am thankful that “Nick at Night” was courageous enough to ask the “stupid” question when he could have just nodded knowingly. As a result of his inquiry we get to hear Jesus tell us that
Flustered, I lied defensively, “I understand, I was just thinking hard.”
Truth was I was too afraid to ask what I thought was a stupid question. Have you ever been there?
I suppose Jesus’ disciples were in that position occasionally. Especially that time in John 3 when a Pharisee named Nicodemus came to Jesus under cover of the night to talk about faith. Nicodemus sincerely flattered Jesus saying, “I know you’re from God because nobody else could do what you’ve done.”
Jesus answers like he frequently does – in such a way as to evoke a question. “Truly, no one could see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”
But Nicodemus doesn’t get it. That’s because in Greek there’s a word anothen that can mean three different things, based on context. It can mean “from God/from above” or it can mean “again/second time” or it can mean “radically.” You can see how this would create some confusion, so Nicodemus the Pharisee thinks Jesus means “again” or “second time.” So he asks the “stupid” question.
Nicodemus says, “How can I be born a second time? Can I return to my mother’s womb?”
I like to imagine the disciples who followed Jesus around in this scene listening in. They probably let out a sigh of relief when Nicodemus asked for clarification. Can you see Peter looking at John with a smug look, nodding pensively as if to say, “Isn’t this deep?” When really on the inside Peter is saying, “Born of spirit and water? What the heck?”
And Matthew the tax collector is thinking, “Now if you are born again is that the same tax rate? Or can you now take two deductions on your 1040 return?”
And fishermen James and John are wondering, “Can sea creatures can do that?”
Fortunately, Jesus clarifies their crude interpretations. What follows is a teaching time that ends with the famous Bible verse, John 3.16. I bet you know it.
Nicodemus shows us the beauty of honest inquiry. He’s not afraid to say, “I don’t get it, could you tell me more?” I am thankful that “Nick at Night” was courageous enough to ask the “stupid” question when he could have just nodded knowingly. As a result of his inquiry we get to hear Jesus tell us that
- We are more than just physical beings,
- God is very much interested in all parts of us,
- That whole “For God so loved the world” thing, and
- Honest inquiry is the most important part of nurturing our spiritual being.
So I’m now wondering what you’re wondering? What questions have you locked inside because you’ve been too afraid to ask?
We’ll discuss this more in a sermon this Sunday at Willow Meadows Baptist Church. We gather to study the scripture in small groups at 9:30 and we worship corporately at 10:45. I hope you can join us if you’re in town.
From confidence to questioning, and back again,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly email that I’ve been writing almost every Friday of the year since 2005. If you’d like to be added to or deleted from this mailing list, let me know by telling me at glong@wmbc.org.
John 3.1-17 – NRSV (I usually use NIV, but they didn’t do a good job translating anothen and catching the word-play between Jesus and Nicodemus. Even Eugene Peterson gets it better in his paraphrase The Message.)
3Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus* by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ 3Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’* 4Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ 5Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.* 7Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You* must be born from above.”* 8The wind* blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ 9Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ 10Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
11 ‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you* do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.* 14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.*
16 ‘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.
17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Osteen Commentary
There is a great op-ed piece from the Dallas Morning News by Chris Lehmann found here. Let me know what you think.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Romance and Love
I'm thinking about Valentine's Day - it's coming up, you know. Marianne Williamson writes in her collection of prayers Illuminata,
"there is a difference between romance and love. Often the true path of love begins only when romance has begun to taper off, for love is the capacity to see light when darkness has begun to eclipse it...
Many people are proficient at romance who are not proficient at love. They see the humanness of their partner and say, Nah, I want romance again. Then they start over elsewhere, beginning again the path that will always end up in the exact same place" (pp 148-49).
I like the way she puts this, for it challenges the romantic in me to think more seriously about the love that I must sometimes will toward others. I don't mean just in my marriage - although it's true that the will to love is necessary to make that relationship work. The will to love is required to be a pastor, too.
Some days I reach my maximum capacity for caring and the idyllic nature of the pastorate is lost. Some days I don't want to love the complaining congregant and it becomes an act of pure volition to maintain the level of care and concern the person in front of me needs. And some days I fail totally, pretending not to notice the needs and pains of others.
It's rather like walking down the hall with a cell phone to my ear, pretending to be on the phone even though no one is on the line - all so I can avoid engagement with another person. Maybe it's weakness, or maybe it's just a fighting chance at living to love another day.
"there is a difference between romance and love. Often the true path of love begins only when romance has begun to taper off, for love is the capacity to see light when darkness has begun to eclipse it...
Many people are proficient at romance who are not proficient at love. They see the humanness of their partner and say, Nah, I want romance again. Then they start over elsewhere, beginning again the path that will always end up in the exact same place" (pp 148-49).
I like the way she puts this, for it challenges the romantic in me to think more seriously about the love that I must sometimes will toward others. I don't mean just in my marriage - although it's true that the will to love is necessary to make that relationship work. The will to love is required to be a pastor, too.
Some days I reach my maximum capacity for caring and the idyllic nature of the pastorate is lost. Some days I don't want to love the complaining congregant and it becomes an act of pure volition to maintain the level of care and concern the person in front of me needs. And some days I fail totally, pretending not to notice the needs and pains of others.
It's rather like walking down the hall with a cell phone to my ear, pretending to be on the phone even though no one is on the line - all so I can avoid engagement with another person. Maybe it's weakness, or maybe it's just a fighting chance at living to love another day.
Miracle - a Definition
The Brother is turning into something of a theologian. I got the report from his Sunday School teacher this week that he said a healing was a miracle "if it happens in less than three seconds. Any longer than that and it's not a true miracle."
Kind of like the "Five Second Rule" for miracles.
Thanks be to God for Sunday School teachers who guide, sometimes correct, and always shepherd.
Kind of like the "Five Second Rule" for miracles.
Thanks be to God for Sunday School teachers who guide, sometimes correct, and always shepherd.
The Dusty Desert of Temptation
Jesus chalked up many a mile on the dusty roads of Israel with his disciples in tow. I imagine them as a group that laughed and joked along the way, sharing meals around a fire and soaking up each other’s fellowship. I bet there were special moments as they saw Jesus in action – the “a-ha” moments when they saw God at work and learned new truths.
During Lent, a season of the church associated with dust and ashes as signs of repentance, we’re going to turn our attention to those lessons learned around Jesus while on the dusty road. The series is called The Dusty Road Sessions and we begin this Sunday with Matthew 4.1-11. That’s the scene where Jesus is tempted by the devil.
Long before the cross and the resurrection there was the dusty desert of temptation. Jesus, alone and fasting in the desert, was tempted by the evil one to power, to wealth, and to self-sufficiency. Who knows how Matthew learned of this story; perhaps Jesus shared it one night around a campfire, or one day walking along the road. What matters is that this lesson on life from the dusty road is a useful reminder to for us today – temptation is everywhere and if we are to resist it we must rely on God.
We’ll talk about ways of doing that in this Sunday’s sermon, The Dusty Desert of Temptation¸ and we’ll even be building a “temptometer” this week to help you measure your level of temptation! Hope to see you Sunday at 9:30 for Bible study and 10:45 for worship. We’ll also have a fried chicken lunch after worship. The cost is $5 and proceeds go to support youth summer camp and mission trips. There will be a town-hall discussion about our recent changes to worship as well.
Tempted to do good,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly column by me, Gary Long. I write this as a part of my duties as the pastor of a great community church called Willow Meadows Baptist Church. You can subscribe or unsubscribe to this email by contacting me directly at glong@wmbc.org. You can read more at my blog entitled To the Lees. It’s a collection of stories, photos, and musings drawn from my life as a father, husband, and pastor.
Matthew 4.1-11 – New International Version
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.']"
7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
During Lent, a season of the church associated with dust and ashes as signs of repentance, we’re going to turn our attention to those lessons learned around Jesus while on the dusty road. The series is called The Dusty Road Sessions and we begin this Sunday with Matthew 4.1-11. That’s the scene where Jesus is tempted by the devil.
Long before the cross and the resurrection there was the dusty desert of temptation. Jesus, alone and fasting in the desert, was tempted by the evil one to power, to wealth, and to self-sufficiency. Who knows how Matthew learned of this story; perhaps Jesus shared it one night around a campfire, or one day walking along the road. What matters is that this lesson on life from the dusty road is a useful reminder to for us today – temptation is everywhere and if we are to resist it we must rely on God.
We’ll talk about ways of doing that in this Sunday’s sermon, The Dusty Desert of Temptation¸ and we’ll even be building a “temptometer” this week to help you measure your level of temptation! Hope to see you Sunday at 9:30 for Bible study and 10:45 for worship. We’ll also have a fried chicken lunch after worship. The cost is $5 and proceeds go to support youth summer camp and mission trips. There will be a town-hall discussion about our recent changes to worship as well.
Tempted to do good,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly column by me, Gary Long. I write this as a part of my duties as the pastor of a great community church called Willow Meadows Baptist Church. You can subscribe or unsubscribe to this email by contacting me directly at glong@wmbc.org. You can read more at my blog entitled To the Lees. It’s a collection of stories, photos, and musings drawn from my life as a father, husband, and pastor.
Matthew 4.1-11 – New International Version
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.']"
7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Star Gazing
I got this information for a reliable friend, so I'm posting it here with hopes that you'll get to see this over the next few mornings. Thanks, Marvin Hines, for sharing this:
Rick Larson is a local lawyer, amateur stargazer who discovered some amazing things about the Christmas star by using simple astronomy/telescope programs. He gives a presentation each Christmas at Texas A&M, but now has a movie out.
He describes a unique star event happening in the next few days. This event will be impressive from today until about Monday, February 4, with the closest approach of the planets occurring on Friday, February 1.
For the next few days you can go out in your own yard and see an event similar to the Star of Bethlehem. Depending upon weather (and sleep habits), you may be able to see a close approach of Jupiter and Venus. Great viewing for the next few days. To see this spectacle, you'll need to look to the eastern sky just before dawn . Depending upon the terrain where you stand, you may first see the paired stars rising in the east around 5.40a. They'll appear later if there are trees or other obstructions on your horizon.
The show will continue until the Sun rises and washes everything out around 7.30a. So there's a good viewing window for many of you, even if you're not normally early risers. Do take a look! You'll probably be out of bed by 7 anyway, so go outside! Now, how does this compare to the Star of Bethlehem?
Here are some helpful units, starting with what you already know, but moving to things you probably DON'T know:
A full circle = 360 degrees
Visible sky = around 180 degrees
Width of a finger held at armslength = about 2 degrees
One degree = 60 arcminutes
Resolving power of unaided human eye = about 3 arcminutes
One arcminute = 60 arcseconds
With that background. You'll see this clearly! On February 1, the planets will be separated by around 35 acrminutes. The resolving power of the unaided human eye is about 3 arcminutes, so they will appear very close, but still separable. The 2 BC Star of Bethlehem occurred when the two planets came within about 35 arcSECONDS of one another. About 60 times closer! The two became inseparable by even the best human eyes.
Rick Frederick A. Larson
The Star Project
111 University Drive East,
Suite 220 College Station, Texas 77840-1700
USA (979) 846-6078
http://www.bethlehemstar.net/
This prayer was included, but I don't know who wrote it:
"Father, on Sunday we sing about your majesty displayed in your creation. But we get pretty accustomed to it. It's easy for us to overlook because it's always there. But one thing you did for our little planet is so unusual and so amazing! You left the top off. You gave us an atmosphere to protect and nourish us, but you made air TRANSPARENT. Like an open window. We little ones can simply turn our eyes up and see objects millions of miles away. We can see from the soles of our feet in our driveways straight out into infinity. It scarcely seems possible, Father. It is wonderful beyond belief. Thank you for leaving the top off! Thank you for letting us see deep wonders hanging in infinity. Thank you for arranging jewels in the sky to announce our Messiah! We come before you full of praise and wonder, and in the name of Jesus, amen!"
Rick Larson is a local lawyer, amateur stargazer who discovered some amazing things about the Christmas star by using simple astronomy/telescope programs. He gives a presentation each Christmas at Texas A&M, but now has a movie out.
He describes a unique star event happening in the next few days. This event will be impressive from today until about Monday, February 4, with the closest approach of the planets occurring on Friday, February 1.
For the next few days you can go out in your own yard and see an event similar to the Star of Bethlehem. Depending upon weather (and sleep habits), you may be able to see a close approach of Jupiter and Venus. Great viewing for the next few days. To see this spectacle, you'll need to look to the eastern sky just before dawn . Depending upon the terrain where you stand, you may first see the paired stars rising in the east around 5.40a. They'll appear later if there are trees or other obstructions on your horizon.
The show will continue until the Sun rises and washes everything out around 7.30a. So there's a good viewing window for many of you, even if you're not normally early risers. Do take a look! You'll probably be out of bed by 7 anyway, so go outside! Now, how does this compare to the Star of Bethlehem?
Here are some helpful units, starting with what you already know, but moving to things you probably DON'T know:
A full circle = 360 degrees
Visible sky = around 180 degrees
Width of a finger held at armslength = about 2 degrees
One degree = 60 arcminutes
Resolving power of unaided human eye = about 3 arcminutes
One arcminute = 60 arcseconds
With that background. You'll see this clearly! On February 1, the planets will be separated by around 35 acrminutes. The resolving power of the unaided human eye is about 3 arcminutes, so they will appear very close, but still separable. The 2 BC Star of Bethlehem occurred when the two planets came within about 35 arcSECONDS of one another. About 60 times closer! The two became inseparable by even the best human eyes.
Rick Frederick A. Larson
The Star Project
111 University Drive East,
Suite 220 College Station, Texas 77840-1700
USA (979) 846-6078
http://www.bethlehemstar.net/
This prayer was included, but I don't know who wrote it:
"Father, on Sunday we sing about your majesty displayed in your creation. But we get pretty accustomed to it. It's easy for us to overlook because it's always there. But one thing you did for our little planet is so unusual and so amazing! You left the top off. You gave us an atmosphere to protect and nourish us, but you made air TRANSPARENT. Like an open window. We little ones can simply turn our eyes up and see objects millions of miles away. We can see from the soles of our feet in our driveways straight out into infinity. It scarcely seems possible, Father. It is wonderful beyond belief. Thank you for leaving the top off! Thank you for letting us see deep wonders hanging in infinity. Thank you for arranging jewels in the sky to announce our Messiah! We come before you full of praise and wonder, and in the name of Jesus, amen!"
All-American?
Now the election is past, I wonder if immigration will return to the national conversation? I heard the popular country song All American Girl sung by Carrie Underwood the other day - I was in Tennessee and heard country music everywhere I went. I like the song, even though it's cliche and trite. I can't tell you why for sure, but I think it has to do with having two daughters and being wrapped around their fingers.
But something also bugs me about the song. I sort of get the shcleppy concept of being the cute "girl next door" that loves her daddy and turns all the boys' heads. But on a deeper lever, what does that mean? How can anyone really be "all" American?
I wonder just exactly what an "All American" girl really is? I mean, how many generations does a family have to live in America to be considered "All American?" Does it mean you speak English? Pay taxes? Enlist in the military? My dad shared with me about a week ago how our family farm has belonged to us since 1885. Does that make me and my family more "American" than some of you who came here in 1946? Or 2008?
It confuses me that any American would not want to share the dream of America with others. And I don't argue this just from a Christian perspective of liberation and equality as a God-given gift to all humans. There is this deficient reasoning out there that says if we confer citizenship on immigrants (and let's be honest, we're talking Latino's here) that we somehow dilute our country's greatness, and in doing so pose an economic threat to the current citizens. But I don't see it that way. There isn't a limited fund of goodness, wealth, or power that we are diluting. We are adding to, not taking from.
Consider it this way. More citizens equals more tax revenue, more productivity, more domestic trade, more product to trade internationally, more soldiers, more young people, and more rich diversity. Yes, it's going to take a few generations for Latino's to attain higher education levels and integrate fully into American life - but how long did it take your family? After all, unless you're on a reservation somewhere, you're not from here either, bucko.
Some folk say "they're taking away American jobs." I don't see it. I can't find any white or black English speakers who want to mow my yard. What jobs are they "taking away?"
Some say "They're a drain on the welfare system." Well duh. When we fail to grant them citizenship they cannot get legitimate jobs. Every illegal Latino I've known has a strong work ethic and sense of pride about providing for their family. Every legal Latino I know has that same work ethic and pride and they are great Americans, loyal to the dream and the republic.
Perhaps we should examine another drain on the welfare system - those "all Americans" who have been in the entitlement system for generations.
But something also bugs me about the song. I sort of get the shcleppy concept of being the cute "girl next door" that loves her daddy and turns all the boys' heads. But on a deeper lever, what does that mean? How can anyone really be "all" American?
I wonder just exactly what an "All American" girl really is? I mean, how many generations does a family have to live in America to be considered "All American?" Does it mean you speak English? Pay taxes? Enlist in the military? My dad shared with me about a week ago how our family farm has belonged to us since 1885. Does that make me and my family more "American" than some of you who came here in 1946? Or 2008?
It confuses me that any American would not want to share the dream of America with others. And I don't argue this just from a Christian perspective of liberation and equality as a God-given gift to all humans. There is this deficient reasoning out there that says if we confer citizenship on immigrants (and let's be honest, we're talking Latino's here) that we somehow dilute our country's greatness, and in doing so pose an economic threat to the current citizens. But I don't see it that way. There isn't a limited fund of goodness, wealth, or power that we are diluting. We are adding to, not taking from.
Consider it this way. More citizens equals more tax revenue, more productivity, more domestic trade, more product to trade internationally, more soldiers, more young people, and more rich diversity. Yes, it's going to take a few generations for Latino's to attain higher education levels and integrate fully into American life - but how long did it take your family? After all, unless you're on a reservation somewhere, you're not from here either, bucko.
Some folk say "they're taking away American jobs." I don't see it. I can't find any white or black English speakers who want to mow my yard. What jobs are they "taking away?"
Some say "They're a drain on the welfare system." Well duh. When we fail to grant them citizenship they cannot get legitimate jobs. Every illegal Latino I've known has a strong work ethic and sense of pride about providing for their family. Every legal Latino I know has that same work ethic and pride and they are great Americans, loyal to the dream and the republic.
Perhaps we should examine another drain on the welfare system - those "all Americans" who have been in the entitlement system for generations.
Hero of the Faith
Sailing on open water is one of my favorite adventures. When you’re under full sail and no motor it’s as if the very breath of God is pushing you along. You can feel the power of God as the deck moves beneath your bare feet, and it’s at once exhilarating and relaxing.
Unless you’re in a storm like the one my wife and I were caught in a few years back in the Florida Keys.
A large storm front predicted to be farther north changed direction and suddenly the power on display beneath my bare feet was not at all relaxing, but cry-for-your-mamma frightening. The boat was slamming the water hard and dramatically listing (leaning left and right for you landlubbers) as we rode the eight foot swells. The sails slapped, the mast moaned, and the rain came in sideways. Fun was suddenly folly. “Relaxing” soon became “sea sick” that took two weeks to wear off. All we could do was curl up in the cockpit hoping for leviathan to dine while the captain and first mate chuckled at us. Some sailing super hero I was.
That trip is a living story for me about how God’s power is sometimes pleasant, but up close it can be terrifying. We Christians sometimes say that we’d like to have the clarity of the burning bush experience of Moses, but I wonder: Do we really want to be that close to the utter and annihilating power of the deity? Would we know what to do with that experience if it happened to us?
Peter, James, and John got to answer this question.
In Matthew 17 we’re told about how they went up the mountain alone with Jesus and had an amazing experience wherein Jesus was transfigured and the utter power of God was all around them. Not surprisingly, the disciples don’t know what to make of it. They saw Jesus talking to their Jewish heroes, Moses and Elijah, and that Jesus’ face was lit up like the sun. They watched the blinding power of God in the transfiguration of Jesus and these disciples gained a new hero in their rabbi Jesus.
They witnessed the deity of their rabbi, and much like my experience with the power of the wind and water, they saw the raw power of the gentle shepherd. Appropriately, they fell down to the ground afraid. But Jesus didn’t leave them there, take note! His first post-transfigured act is to go to them, and touch them, and say, “Get up and do not be afraid.” By going to his closest friends who are fallen in fear, Jesus seems to be saying that a hero of the faith is one who extends care to others caught in fear.
And by doing so, it leaves me to wonder: was the transfiguration all about Jesus, or could it also be about the real power he gives to his followers – then and now – to conduct acts of love and care on behalf of the transfigured One? If so, how can we use that power in heroic fashion? I’ll try to answer that question this Sunday in a sermon called See a Hero – Be a Hero. Come worship with us at 10:45 and be encouraged. You just might find you’re more heroic than you think.
I see your cape,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly column by me, Gary Long. I write this as a part of my duties as the pastor of a great community church called Willow Meadows Baptist Church. You can subscribe or unsubscribe to this email by contacting me directly at http://webmail.logixonline.com/images/blank.png.
Matthew 17.1-9 – New International Version
1After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."
5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"
6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." 8When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
Are You in Good Hands?
The scene opens with a woman on a treadmill jogging. As the camera pans back you see she’s in the middle of a busy freeway. Next, a man sits at a desk talking on the phone, also in the middle of the freeway. Then a dorm room scene, then a mom playing with two kids on a swing set, then a family in their dining room, and finally two neighbors talking over their fence - all in the middle of the freeway with cars whizzing by dangerously.
The host of this All State insurance ad tells us that the world is filled with people, not just drivers and says this, “Let’s treat people more like they’re in our home and less like they’re in our way.”
As a Houston driver, I forget sometimes that cars are driven by real live people. And if pressed to be confessional, sometimes I forget that the clerk at McDonald’s, the teller at the bank, and the guys who cut my grass are people, too. It’s easy to forget there are others in the world. But being a part of the community of faith known as Willow Meadows Baptist Church reminds me that I belong to a group of people and they belong to me and in that belonging I gain a sense of self-worth and other’s worth.
I appreciate that about church, but wish church were more accessible to those who feel worthless. We church folk can be divisive, exclusive, and cliquish, often without even knowing it. Paul addressed this when he wrote to the church at Corinth. They were divided and cliquish saying “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas.” Paul summarily slammed them by asking “Has Christ been divided?” Paul then says it’s not about who baptized you, or which “clique” you belong to, but about the gospel – the story of the Christ on the cross. It is Christ on the cross, dying for all that defines our worth.
So whether that person in front of you is a new Christian, old Christian, not-yet-a-Christian, even the never-gonna-be-a-Christian, Christ died for them, just as much as for you. That person in the pew near you may not dress as well as you, speak as well as you, or spend as well as you, but he is worth something to God. That person you meet on the street may not know Christ like you, or have the same orientation as you, or vote like you, but she is worth something to God.
So church family, let’s treat people more like they’re a part of us and less like they’re an object to us.
I’ll be saying more about this in a sermon this Sunday called Signs of the Covenant – Communion that finds its basis in I Corinthians 1.10-18. I’ll suggest that the power of God’s salvation as related to us in the communion event is unifying and “de-clique-ifying.” We gather for Bible Study at 9:30 and worship at 10:45, if you’re in town please join us!
In God’s Hand,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly email from me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor at Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. You can view the ad I mentioned at this Allstate website and you can subscribe or unsubscribe to this list by contacting me at http://webmail.logixonline.com/images/blank.png.
The host of this All State insurance ad tells us that the world is filled with people, not just drivers and says this, “Let’s treat people more like they’re in our home and less like they’re in our way.”
As a Houston driver, I forget sometimes that cars are driven by real live people. And if pressed to be confessional, sometimes I forget that the clerk at McDonald’s, the teller at the bank, and the guys who cut my grass are people, too. It’s easy to forget there are others in the world. But being a part of the community of faith known as Willow Meadows Baptist Church reminds me that I belong to a group of people and they belong to me and in that belonging I gain a sense of self-worth and other’s worth.
I appreciate that about church, but wish church were more accessible to those who feel worthless. We church folk can be divisive, exclusive, and cliquish, often without even knowing it. Paul addressed this when he wrote to the church at Corinth. They were divided and cliquish saying “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas.” Paul summarily slammed them by asking “Has Christ been divided?” Paul then says it’s not about who baptized you, or which “clique” you belong to, but about the gospel – the story of the Christ on the cross. It is Christ on the cross, dying for all that defines our worth.
So whether that person in front of you is a new Christian, old Christian, not-yet-a-Christian, even the never-gonna-be-a-Christian, Christ died for them, just as much as for you. That person in the pew near you may not dress as well as you, speak as well as you, or spend as well as you, but he is worth something to God. That person you meet on the street may not know Christ like you, or have the same orientation as you, or vote like you, but she is worth something to God.
So church family, let’s treat people more like they’re a part of us and less like they’re an object to us.
I’ll be saying more about this in a sermon this Sunday called Signs of the Covenant – Communion that finds its basis in I Corinthians 1.10-18. I’ll suggest that the power of God’s salvation as related to us in the communion event is unifying and “de-clique-ifying.” We gather for Bible Study at 9:30 and worship at 10:45, if you’re in town please join us!
In God’s Hand,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly email from me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor at Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. You can view the ad I mentioned at this Allstate website and you can subscribe or unsubscribe to this list by contacting me at http://webmail.logixonline.com/images/blank.png.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Urn of Living Water
The overflow from this urn spills into a urinal - yes, a urinal - that serves as a drinking spot for the Hemingway 6-toed cats.
The story goes that the urinal came from Sloppy Joe's Key West bar. Hemingway told him, "I might as well put one of these in my backyard since so much of my money has gone down it already."
Or something to that effect...
Here's the view from the other side.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Grace Between the Lines
I caught this photo on a recent trip to the Florida Keys. It struck me as a symbol of how difficult it is for people outside the church sometimes to find grace. Some of the "wires" which keep us from grace are put their by our own conveniences, and some of the "wires" are put up by those closest to grace to hoard it up.
What does the modern church need to do to remove the "wires?"
Hemingway's Wall
They say that Ernie had this wall put up to keep away the gawkers. It fits the old farm standard of "horse high, pig tight, and bull strong."
And, like any good fence should, it makes one want to be on the inside instead of the outside.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Six Year Old Vocab Lesson
According to the Youngest Sister, the word "cleavage" can be exchanged with the open compound "boob crack."
Example of usage: "Hey, Oldest Sister, I can see your boob crack in that shirt!"
Example of usage: "Hey, Oldest Sister, I can see your boob crack in that shirt!"
An older column - written Jan 4
The Covenant is a Sign
Each January the Willow Meadows Baptist Church family is invited to take a look at the meaning of our relationships that we have with Christ and with one another. The church is a community like none other on earth, and one of the many ways in which we are unique is summed up in one word: Covenant.
It is a word that is passé for many because we live in a world where promises made don’t always equal promises kept. Covenant is a special kind of promise. Unlike a contract between two parties that is binding because of laws and judges, a covenant is a promise between two or more people and the binding force is that the promise if made to God. As Christians, we believe that covenants are special because with God’s help, the people of God are able to maintain covenantal relationships of trust, caring, and mutual understanding.
Baptists have long been known as non-creedal. That is to say, we don’t force anyone to believe exactly as we believe, and that individuals in a community like the local church are under the authority of Jesus Christ – not the pastor, not the deacons, not even each other. We hold this belief that each individual is competent to stand before God, interpret scripture, and live a life in relationship with Jesus. And this belief stretches to say that each believer has freedom before God. But that does not exempt us from making promises to one another to live a life of moral integrity, to diligently advance as disciples of Jesus, and to submit to our church family for guidance in living the Christian life.
The sermons in January will help us focus on this call to Christian community as we build toward the annual renewal of our church covenant. This series of sermons is called Signs and we’ll be exploring the signs of covenant that are alive and well in our congregation, and how those “signs” can help us lead inspired lives. You can read more below about where we’re going for the entire month of January!
There is a time change for 2008 at WMBC – Bible Study is at 9:30, worship is at 10:45. Tell a friend about the time change!
Merry Christmas (still),
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly column written by me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor at Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston. I took a much needed break from this column in December – thanks for your emails asking “Where’s the column?” I felt much like Sally Fields at the Oscars: “You love me, you really, really love me.”
You can get this column sent right to you by emailing me at glong@wmbc.org. You can also get removed from my distribution list by doing the same thing.
Here’s where we’re heading in January:
January 6 – Epiphany – Ephesians 3.1-12
Signs of the Covenant – Shared Vision
Isaiah saw a vision of a kingdom to come in which justice and mercy would reign and the light of God would dwell among the people (Isaiah 60). Isaiah was prophetically shaping Israel to shared vision of the Christ to come, while Paul, in writing to the church at Ephesus, helps our church understand God’s vision that is shared among us. He wrote, “the mystery was made know to me by revelation…[and] in former generations was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed by his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” (Ephesians 3). It is the power of God at work when individual believers come together to accomplish great tasks for God. Shared vision reminds us that we are not to live in isolation and that the whole of us is far greater than the sum of our parts.
January 13 – Acts 10.34-43 and Matthew 3.13-17
Signs of the Covenant – Baptism
Jesus was baptized by John at the Jordan and we are called ever after into the waters of baptism to follow God’s calling for our lives. Baptism is the shared sign of covenant between us that commences our work as Christians who would be the presence of Christ in the world. This is what Peter understood as he told the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in Acts 10. This sermon is going to explore the idea that baptism – a covenantal sign – is our “home base” in the journey of faith.
January 20 – Psalm 40.1-11, John 1.29-42
Bob Lindsey will preach Signs of the Covenant – Following Christ.
The later part of John 1 records the account of two disciples of John the Baptist who ecaem the first disciples of Jessu by literally “following” him. What does it mean for us who choose to live in covenantal community to be “followers” of Christ? Is it primarily about the keeping of the rules and rituals, or is something ar more – the developing of a deep relationship with Jesus and deep relationships with each other?
January 27 – I Corinthians 1.10-18
Signs of the Covenant - Communion
The church at Corinth had some pretty big problems learning to get along. Paul wrote to them in a pleading tone, “I appeal to you…that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.” All churches have disagreements, all churches have arguments from time to time. How do we get achieve this unity of which Paul speaks? I think the answer is found around the table – the Lord’s table. Communion is a sign of the covenant, perhaps the ultimate sign. Join us as we renew our church covenant this day, and as we observe communion.
Each January the Willow Meadows Baptist Church family is invited to take a look at the meaning of our relationships that we have with Christ and with one another. The church is a community like none other on earth, and one of the many ways in which we are unique is summed up in one word: Covenant.
It is a word that is passé for many because we live in a world where promises made don’t always equal promises kept. Covenant is a special kind of promise. Unlike a contract between two parties that is binding because of laws and judges, a covenant is a promise between two or more people and the binding force is that the promise if made to God. As Christians, we believe that covenants are special because with God’s help, the people of God are able to maintain covenantal relationships of trust, caring, and mutual understanding.
Baptists have long been known as non-creedal. That is to say, we don’t force anyone to believe exactly as we believe, and that individuals in a community like the local church are under the authority of Jesus Christ – not the pastor, not the deacons, not even each other. We hold this belief that each individual is competent to stand before God, interpret scripture, and live a life in relationship with Jesus. And this belief stretches to say that each believer has freedom before God. But that does not exempt us from making promises to one another to live a life of moral integrity, to diligently advance as disciples of Jesus, and to submit to our church family for guidance in living the Christian life.
The sermons in January will help us focus on this call to Christian community as we build toward the annual renewal of our church covenant. This series of sermons is called Signs and we’ll be exploring the signs of covenant that are alive and well in our congregation, and how those “signs” can help us lead inspired lives. You can read more below about where we’re going for the entire month of January!
There is a time change for 2008 at WMBC – Bible Study is at 9:30, worship is at 10:45. Tell a friend about the time change!
Merry Christmas (still),
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly column written by me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor at Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston. I took a much needed break from this column in December – thanks for your emails asking “Where’s the column?” I felt much like Sally Fields at the Oscars: “You love me, you really, really love me.”
You can get this column sent right to you by emailing me at glong@wmbc.org. You can also get removed from my distribution list by doing the same thing.
Here’s where we’re heading in January:
January 6 – Epiphany – Ephesians 3.1-12
Signs of the Covenant – Shared Vision
Isaiah saw a vision of a kingdom to come in which justice and mercy would reign and the light of God would dwell among the people (Isaiah 60). Isaiah was prophetically shaping Israel to shared vision of the Christ to come, while Paul, in writing to the church at Ephesus, helps our church understand God’s vision that is shared among us. He wrote, “the mystery was made know to me by revelation…[and] in former generations was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed by his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” (Ephesians 3). It is the power of God at work when individual believers come together to accomplish great tasks for God. Shared vision reminds us that we are not to live in isolation and that the whole of us is far greater than the sum of our parts.
January 13 – Acts 10.34-43 and Matthew 3.13-17
Signs of the Covenant – Baptism
Jesus was baptized by John at the Jordan and we are called ever after into the waters of baptism to follow God’s calling for our lives. Baptism is the shared sign of covenant between us that commences our work as Christians who would be the presence of Christ in the world. This is what Peter understood as he told the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in Acts 10. This sermon is going to explore the idea that baptism – a covenantal sign – is our “home base” in the journey of faith.
January 20 – Psalm 40.1-11, John 1.29-42
Bob Lindsey will preach Signs of the Covenant – Following Christ.
The later part of John 1 records the account of two disciples of John the Baptist who ecaem the first disciples of Jessu by literally “following” him. What does it mean for us who choose to live in covenantal community to be “followers” of Christ? Is it primarily about the keeping of the rules and rituals, or is something ar more – the developing of a deep relationship with Jesus and deep relationships with each other?
January 27 – I Corinthians 1.10-18
Signs of the Covenant - Communion
The church at Corinth had some pretty big problems learning to get along. Paul wrote to them in a pleading tone, “I appeal to you…that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.” All churches have disagreements, all churches have arguments from time to time. How do we get achieve this unity of which Paul speaks? I think the answer is found around the table – the Lord’s table. Communion is a sign of the covenant, perhaps the ultimate sign. Join us as we renew our church covenant this day, and as we observe communion.
Screwballs and Nuts
Kelly Siegler is a candidate for district attorney here in Houston. According to the Houston Chronicle, she is disinclined to include the “screwballs and nuts” who attend Lakewood Church on juries. She told a judge last year that she worked to keep them off of juries. She made the comment in response to the charge that she struck a man from capital murder jury pool because he is black. She balked at that, saying that the reason was not his race, but that he attends Joel Osteen’s mega-church.
"To start with, he's a member of Lakewood Church. And we have had a running agreement, my partner Luci Davidson and I have, since we started, that people who go to Lakewood are screwballs and nuts,"
Siegler said, according to the court transcript. "I'm very familiar with that church. We try our hardest not to put anybody who goes to Lakewood regularly on any jury, he's a pretty devout member of Lakewood Church. That's one reason that scared me about the man."
Imagine that – Christians being called “screwballs and nuts” in the public sector. While many of you know I’m not a big fan of mega-churches, and that I have frequently criticized the theology and hair of pastor Joel Osteen, I’m proud to know that at least some portion of the church is viewed in the public sector as counter-cultural! What if all Christians lived out the unique message of the Gospel? We not only might avoid jury duty in capital cases, we might convince others that faith in Jesus is worth something, that it actually makes a difference in how we live our lives.
I’ll be talking about this on Sunday in a sermon about baptism. I’ll offer some practical pointers on how to “live out” our baptism, and you’ll be urged to remember the waters of your own baptism in a tangible way. Maybe by the end of the worship gathering you’ll want to be considered a screwball, too! The Bible texts this week are Acts 10.34-43 and Matthew 3.13-17.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly column by me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, where we gather for worship on Sundays at 10:45am. You can sign up for this weekly column by contacting me at glong@wmbc.org. You can check on the full story on Kelly Siegler at this link: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/5444317.html.
"To start with, he's a member of Lakewood Church. And we have had a running agreement, my partner Luci Davidson and I have, since we started, that people who go to Lakewood are screwballs and nuts,"
Siegler said, according to the court transcript. "I'm very familiar with that church. We try our hardest not to put anybody who goes to Lakewood regularly on any jury, he's a pretty devout member of Lakewood Church. That's one reason that scared me about the man."
Imagine that – Christians being called “screwballs and nuts” in the public sector. While many of you know I’m not a big fan of mega-churches, and that I have frequently criticized the theology and hair of pastor Joel Osteen, I’m proud to know that at least some portion of the church is viewed in the public sector as counter-cultural! What if all Christians lived out the unique message of the Gospel? We not only might avoid jury duty in capital cases, we might convince others that faith in Jesus is worth something, that it actually makes a difference in how we live our lives.
I’ll be talking about this on Sunday in a sermon about baptism. I’ll offer some practical pointers on how to “live out” our baptism, and you’ll be urged to remember the waters of your own baptism in a tangible way. Maybe by the end of the worship gathering you’ll want to be considered a screwball, too! The Bible texts this week are Acts 10.34-43 and Matthew 3.13-17.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly column by me, Gary Long. I’m the pastor of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, where we gather for worship on Sundays at 10:45am. You can sign up for this weekly column by contacting me at glong@wmbc.org. You can check on the full story on Kelly Siegler at this link: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/religion/5444317.html.
Been Busy
Hey there, just wanted to write a little today - I'm still alive and well, but took a few weeks off from posting here. It's been a hectic Advent and Christmas, and the first of 2008 looks no less hectic.
I took two writing gigs that paid real money, so they captured most of my writing energy recently. But, they're done, and I'm planning on getting back here really soon. I have stories to tell!
I took two writing gigs that paid real money, so they captured most of my writing energy recently. But, they're done, and I'm planning on getting back here really soon. I have stories to tell!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Advent Words of Waiting
This poem is by my friend Phuc Luu. He is a lecturer in the religion department at Houston Baptist University, and a PhD student at St. Thomas.
anxious waiting
dangerous waiting
unexpected
being conceived
a plan
drawn in stars
and darkness
and fleeing
and inhospitality
as in the seventies
when in the middle of the night
taking off for another country
unaware
while artillery shells find new born babies Herod always hunts the Christ
beth-lehem
to bake bread for all
body
blood
the one to feed the world
will come crying
to suckle
to be God
to smell like new born deity
wrapped in soft skin
a mother and child at a metro stop
with a transfer
holding grace, homeless grace
looking at her, I try to read the plans on her face
dark constellation
to see God wrapped up anywhere
as I drive away, not knowing what waiting was really about
anxious waiting
dangerous waiting
unexpected
being conceived
a plan
drawn in stars
and darkness
and fleeing
and inhospitality
as in the seventies
when in the middle of the night
taking off for another country
unaware
while artillery shells find new born babies Herod always hunts the Christ
beth-lehem
to bake bread for all
body
blood
the one to feed the world
will come crying
to suckle
to be God
to smell like new born deity
wrapped in soft skin
a mother and child at a metro stop
with a transfer
holding grace, homeless grace
looking at her, I try to read the plans on her face
dark constellation
to see God wrapped up anywhere
as I drive away, not knowing what waiting was really about
Friday, December 14, 2007
If you like cool pictures...
If you're a fan of photography, I encourage you to check out a relatively new magazine called JPG. The photos are all user-submitted and thematically organized. Some of them are typical "I got lucky with my point and shoot" type, but there are quite a few beauties. They're found online here.
I've submitted a few photos there myself. You can find them here.
I've submitted a few photos there myself. You can find them here.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
A Timid Preacher's Secret
It's 10:39 on a Sunday morning, the Second Sunday of Advent, 2007. In a few minutes I'll put on a clergy robe and don the blue stole that is identical the ones the other ministers in our church will wear. They were all hand-made by a dear saint in the choir.
I'll go out for a microphone check and line up with the choir for the processional. For the next hour and a half in that robe I'll be speaking on God's behalf, I'll be an objectified symbol of religion for some, and a hopeful sign of the possibility of God for others.
It is a mantle I have accepted, but not one I would choose.
I wouldn't choose it because every Sunday morning I am sick to my stomach. I've preached nearly 500 sermons in my life, and yet I spend 30 wrenching minutes in the bathroom every time. I do it because I am afraid. Now don't go thinking you can talk me out of this - others have tried, and frankly I think the fear is somewhat healthy.
It's not that I'm afraid of speaking in public. I do that lots, and if it's not in worship then I don't get sick. Honestly, I'm afraid of God. I'm afraid of hurting someone. I'm afraid of saying something that would distract from God almost as much as I fear having nothing to say at all. I fear that people will see that blue stole as a costume cover up for the fact that sometimes I am a doubting Thomas, sometimes I am a cynic about religion, and that sometimes I am closer to leaving the pulpit than to staying.
I don't want to do anything to injure someone's faith. So lean in here, and I'll tell you the secret of how and why I get up and preach Sunday in and Sunday out despite all these fears. If you were near me I'd be whispering now. The secret is that God does this work through frail humans like me and you despite our fear. When I walk into the sanctuary in a few minutes I'll pray that same prayer as last Sunday: God, I've done what I can to prepare for this, the rest is up to You.
Amen.
I'll go out for a microphone check and line up with the choir for the processional. For the next hour and a half in that robe I'll be speaking on God's behalf, I'll be an objectified symbol of religion for some, and a hopeful sign of the possibility of God for others.
It is a mantle I have accepted, but not one I would choose.
I wouldn't choose it because every Sunday morning I am sick to my stomach. I've preached nearly 500 sermons in my life, and yet I spend 30 wrenching minutes in the bathroom every time. I do it because I am afraid. Now don't go thinking you can talk me out of this - others have tried, and frankly I think the fear is somewhat healthy.
It's not that I'm afraid of speaking in public. I do that lots, and if it's not in worship then I don't get sick. Honestly, I'm afraid of God. I'm afraid of hurting someone. I'm afraid of saying something that would distract from God almost as much as I fear having nothing to say at all. I fear that people will see that blue stole as a costume cover up for the fact that sometimes I am a doubting Thomas, sometimes I am a cynic about religion, and that sometimes I am closer to leaving the pulpit than to staying.
I don't want to do anything to injure someone's faith. So lean in here, and I'll tell you the secret of how and why I get up and preach Sunday in and Sunday out despite all these fears. If you were near me I'd be whispering now. The secret is that God does this work through frail humans like me and you despite our fear. When I walk into the sanctuary in a few minutes I'll pray that same prayer as last Sunday: God, I've done what I can to prepare for this, the rest is up to You.
Amen.
Friday, December 07, 2007
No God, No Peace - No Kidding!
This photo is by Sandra Bello, found at this website. The sign says "No Peace - No God. Know God - Know Peace." Follow the link to see it more clearly.
No God, No Peace - No Kidding!
I despise bumper sticker theology. After all, how can you condense the Holy One to a sound-bite? One that I see frequently is “No God – No Peace. Know God – Know Peace.” Frankly, it annoys me, because it’s only half true. “No God, No Peace.” Check. I agree with that idea. But there are quite a few Christians who “Know God” but do not know anything about peace. Not in their homes, not in their souls, not in their world.
We await a peaceable kingdom that Jesus intends to bring to earth, but the human bent toward self makes true peace impossible in the world as we know it. Peace requires us to give up some of ourselves, our ideals, and even some of our wealth – and most of us are reluctant to change the things that make us un-peace-able people. We can’t get peace between ethnic groups because we refuse to give up our un-peace-able stereotypes. We can’t get peace in our marriages because we refuse to give up our un-peace-able notion that love is all about feeling good. We can’t get peace between nations because we refuse to give up our un-peace-able levels of status, comfort, and consumption.
Peace will not come until the Prince of Peace exerts the power of the gospel of love in a fulfilled kingdom, a kingdom for which I yearn more and more as I age. I criticize warring nations – including our own – but governments can no more beat cruise missiles and combat vehicles into plowshares than I can beat my own un-peace-able behaviors into pruning hooks. And until we Christians can manage to bring peace to our homes and churches, we cannot even begin to imagine peace in the Congo or the Middle East or even in our own Senate.
What we need is the one who frames our Advent waiting – a coming messiah who will rule with justice and mercy and who will lead us to intentionally move toward unity by way of an oh-so-subtle drift toward grace. Only then will we truly be able to say that when we “Know God” we “Know Peace.” But until then, you and I can strive to get rid of the un-peace-able planks in our own eyes so that, upon seeing more clearly, we can look with love and peace at others. That’s the fodder for the sermon this Sunday – it’s called All the Earth Awaits Peace and it comes from Isaiah 2.1-5. We worship at 11:10 am this week and I hope you’ll join us.
Shabbat Shalom,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly email written in hopes of getting you to think about your faith and your everyday world. If you wish to no longer receive this email, or would like to receive it every week delivered free to your e-box, shoot me an email at glong@wmbc.org. I’m the pastor at Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, and you can find more info about us at www.wmbc.org.
Isaiah 2:1-5
2:1 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2:2 In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.
2:3 Many peoples shall come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
2:4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
2:5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!
We await a peaceable kingdom that Jesus intends to bring to earth, but the human bent toward self makes true peace impossible in the world as we know it. Peace requires us to give up some of ourselves, our ideals, and even some of our wealth – and most of us are reluctant to change the things that make us un-peace-able people. We can’t get peace between ethnic groups because we refuse to give up our un-peace-able stereotypes. We can’t get peace in our marriages because we refuse to give up our un-peace-able notion that love is all about feeling good. We can’t get peace between nations because we refuse to give up our un-peace-able levels of status, comfort, and consumption.
Peace will not come until the Prince of Peace exerts the power of the gospel of love in a fulfilled kingdom, a kingdom for which I yearn more and more as I age. I criticize warring nations – including our own – but governments can no more beat cruise missiles and combat vehicles into plowshares than I can beat my own un-peace-able behaviors into pruning hooks. And until we Christians can manage to bring peace to our homes and churches, we cannot even begin to imagine peace in the Congo or the Middle East or even in our own Senate.
What we need is the one who frames our Advent waiting – a coming messiah who will rule with justice and mercy and who will lead us to intentionally move toward unity by way of an oh-so-subtle drift toward grace. Only then will we truly be able to say that when we “Know God” we “Know Peace.” But until then, you and I can strive to get rid of the un-peace-able planks in our own eyes so that, upon seeing more clearly, we can look with love and peace at others. That’s the fodder for the sermon this Sunday – it’s called All the Earth Awaits Peace and it comes from Isaiah 2.1-5. We worship at 11:10 am this week and I hope you’ll join us.
Shabbat Shalom,
Pastor Gary
Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly email written in hopes of getting you to think about your faith and your everyday world. If you wish to no longer receive this email, or would like to receive it every week delivered free to your e-box, shoot me an email at glong@wmbc.org. I’m the pastor at Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, and you can find more info about us at www.wmbc.org.
Isaiah 2:1-5
2:1 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2:2 In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.
2:3 Many peoples shall come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
2:4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
2:5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Have You Ever Been There?
An office mate at WMBC sent me this:
DADDY'S GONNA EAT YOUR FINGERS
I was packing for my business trip and my three year old daughter was having a wonderful time playing on the bed.
At one point she said, "Daddy, look at this", and stuck out two of her fingers.
Trying to keep her entertained, I reached out and stuck her tiny fingers in my mouth and said, "Daddy's gonna eat your fingers", pretending to eat them. I went back to packing, looked up again, and my daughter was standing on the bed staring at her fingers with a devastated look on her face.
I said, "What's wrong, honey?"
She replied, "What happened to my booger?"
DADDY'S GONNA EAT YOUR FINGERS
I was packing for my business trip and my three year old daughter was having a wonderful time playing on the bed.
At one point she said, "Daddy, look at this", and stuck out two of her fingers.
Trying to keep her entertained, I reached out and stuck her tiny fingers in my mouth and said, "Daddy's gonna eat your fingers", pretending to eat them. I went back to packing, looked up again, and my daughter was standing on the bed staring at her fingers with a devastated look on her face.
I said, "What's wrong, honey?"
She replied, "What happened to my booger?"
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