12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3; from 1st Sunday of Advent)
9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1; from 2nd Sunday of Advent)
I've been struck this year by this emphasis in Paul's letters, actually in Paul's prayers, which we heard on each of the first two Sundays of Advent. It is love that prepares us to greet Jesus the Messiah when he comes again in glory to make all things right.
Paul does not exhort moral behavior, disciplined religiosity, or law keeping as the way to prepare oneself to meet the Lord. In fact, he says it's the quality of our relationships with other human beings (the horizontal relationships, if you will) that will determine our posture or attitude or disposition with regard to our relationship ultimately with our creator, redeemer, sustainer, and judge.
It is abounding love alone that can make us blameless, unashamed and prepared to meet our king and judge and savior. It is this agape (selfless, sacrificial) love that bears the kind of fruit that lasts, that satisfies, and that renews and heals the world.
May God answer Paul's prayers in me and you.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Monday, December 07, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
running post
Two weeks till our Half Marathon - Dec. 12 in Point Clear, AL.
had a good run yesterday. ran 13.1 and broke 100 minutes...
had a good run yesterday. ran 13.1 and broke 100 minutes...
Thanksgiving Beard
new urban dictionary phrase - yeah, just shaved mine...
November 29: Thanksgiving Beard
An unintentional beard started over the 4 day Thanksgiving weekend, where you're too lazy to shave it off Monday morning. Usually continues until Christmas or New Year's Day.
Also known as a Holiday Beard
Boss: You look like you haven't shaved in days. That's unprofessional.
Employee: Sir, that's my Thanksgiving beard. It's my way of honoring our forefathers.
Boss: Oh, I didn't realize that. Maybe I'll grow one too.
Monday, November 23, 2009
in my name
We continued in Jesus' "Discourse on Community" in Matthew 18 last week.
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me"
This verse compares with verse 20
20 "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Both these statements by Jesus include a condition and a similar result, with the same central premise: "in my name."
The context again is the community, relating together, guarding the unity, which includes dealing with sin individually and in the community. We saw previously how important humility is as the fundamental and most important quality for Jesus' followers to have in relationship with one another.
What does "in my name" mean?
It could mean:
What is his name? His name is Jesus, as the angel commanded (1:21), for he will save his people from their sins. But we also read in 1:23 that "they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means God with us). This created for us (the readers) an interesting tension: we are listening for his naming as Immanuel - and we never hear it. He is never called Immanuel in his story.
But we have this promise of his presence somehow through his name, and his own promise at the end of the story - "behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (28:20)
I love this, I think this is very significant - Jesus seems to be saying, "Remember, I am Immanuel, God with us. When you encounter one another, whether it's a simple welcome or gathering to pray through restoration and reconciliation, and you do so remembering that I am with you, that I am in the midst, that as you receive the presence of a brother or sister you do so as you would receive me, as if you were receiving me, you will find and discover that you are receiving me, that I am there.
There is also the name by which he is called, "Jesus," and it may also figure into this whole discourse, but that's to consider another day.
Also, we heard in the Discourse on Mission (ch. 10), and will hear in the final Discourse in chapter 25, more about receiving Jesus. In chapter 10, we heard Jesus say "whoever receives you receives me" (v. 40), and we'll hear in the end-time judgment scene the king, the Son of Man, say that "as you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me" (v. 40). Again, we have more of Jesus so identifying with his disciples, with the little ones, with those living and serving and going "in his name" that when we receive his disciple we receive him, and when we serve a hurting, little one we are serving him.
Lord Jesus, help me serve you and receive you, by receiving and serving those around me. Forgive me for treating so lightly, so thoughtlessly, sometimes so arrogantly, those whose lives touch mine. Thank you for you humility, your gentleness, your faithfulness.
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me"
This verse compares with verse 20
20 "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Both these statements by Jesus include a condition and a similar result, with the same central premise: "in my name."
The context again is the community, relating together, guarding the unity, which includes dealing with sin individually and in the community. We saw previously how important humility is as the fundamental and most important quality for Jesus' followers to have in relationship with one another.
What does "in my name" mean?
It could mean:
- because of me
- for my sake
- because I have commanded it
- and perhaps even, as if the child were me
What is his name? His name is Jesus, as the angel commanded (1:21), for he will save his people from their sins. But we also read in 1:23 that "they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means God with us). This created for us (the readers) an interesting tension: we are listening for his naming as Immanuel - and we never hear it. He is never called Immanuel in his story.
But we have this promise of his presence somehow through his name, and his own promise at the end of the story - "behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (28:20)
I love this, I think this is very significant - Jesus seems to be saying, "Remember, I am Immanuel, God with us. When you encounter one another, whether it's a simple welcome or gathering to pray through restoration and reconciliation, and you do so remembering that I am with you, that I am in the midst, that as you receive the presence of a brother or sister you do so as you would receive me, as if you were receiving me, you will find and discover that you are receiving me, that I am there.
There is also the name by which he is called, "Jesus," and it may also figure into this whole discourse, but that's to consider another day.
Also, we heard in the Discourse on Mission (ch. 10), and will hear in the final Discourse in chapter 25, more about receiving Jesus. In chapter 10, we heard Jesus say "whoever receives you receives me" (v. 40), and we'll hear in the end-time judgment scene the king, the Son of Man, say that "as you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me" (v. 40). Again, we have more of Jesus so identifying with his disciples, with the little ones, with those living and serving and going "in his name" that when we receive his disciple we receive him, and when we serve a hurting, little one we are serving him.
Lord Jesus, help me serve you and receive you, by receiving and serving those around me. Forgive me for treating so lightly, so thoughtlessly, sometimes so arrogantly, those whose lives touch mine. Thank you for you humility, your gentleness, your faithfulness.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Why Do I Run?
So why do I run?
I shared that I was asking myself this question last week, as I prepared my sermon on endurance. Again, the call to endure always has that context of struggle / trial / distress on the one hand and the promise / reward / joy on the other. We do not endure to earn something or convince God we deserve a reward, but to realize what has been promised but not yet fully realized.
Why I run:
I run because I can.
I run because I like to run.
I run because I feel better physically when I run.
I run because I feel better about myself in general when I run.
I run to improve myself, to push myself beyond my present limits.
I run to eat (but more and more I eat to run - there is a difference).
I run because I am vain and narcissistic.
I run because I don't want to be fat (or because I want to look good).
I run because I like people to know I'm a runner, that I'm still active and an athlete.
I run because, even though sometimes it's really difficult physically and/or mentally, sometimes it's the best experience and a great feeling to finish a long, hard run.
There you go, the good, the bad and the ugly.
God give me grace to trust in your goodness and grace as my deepest truest consolation, hope and joy.
Speaking of "why do I run?" Here's the trailer for Saint Ralph -
I shared that I was asking myself this question last week, as I prepared my sermon on endurance. Again, the call to endure always has that context of struggle / trial / distress on the one hand and the promise / reward / joy on the other. We do not endure to earn something or convince God we deserve a reward, but to realize what has been promised but not yet fully realized.
Why I run:
I run because I can.
I run because I like to run.
I run because I feel better physically when I run.
I run because I feel better about myself in general when I run.
I run to improve myself, to push myself beyond my present limits.
I run to eat (but more and more I eat to run - there is a difference).
I run because I am vain and narcissistic.
I run because I don't want to be fat (or because I want to look good).
I run because I like people to know I'm a runner, that I'm still active and an athlete.
I run because, even though sometimes it's really difficult physically and/or mentally, sometimes it's the best experience and a great feeling to finish a long, hard run.
There you go, the good, the bad and the ugly.
God give me grace to trust in your goodness and grace as my deepest truest consolation, hope and joy.
Speaking of "why do I run?" Here's the trailer for Saint Ralph -
Monday, November 16, 2009
Walk On
In preparing for my sermon on endurance I remembered U2's song, "Walk On," from their album "All that you can't leave behind." That album title comes from the song "Walk On." I found out that the inspiration for the song came from the movie "Beyond Rangoon" which tells the story of Aung San Suu Kyi, a Burmese activist who was sentenced to house arrest in 1989 for protesting her government. Earlier that year, while walking with some of her supporters, soldiers blocked their path and pointed rifles at them. Suu Kyi kept walking, despite orders to stop. The soldiers threatened to shoot her, but didn't. Her actions have been closely monitored by the government, but she remains an influential leader and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.
I love this song. Listen to the end of it, Bono and the Edge seem to incorporate their faith into it -
I love this song. Listen to the end of it, Bono and the Edge seem to incorporate their faith into it -
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)