Category: Personal Reflections (Page 11 of 12)

Many of you are wondering how we ended up responding to the Day of Silence (mentioned in my post below). In youth group this past Wednesday, we talked about how we might respond. One idea was to give participants a card like the one above (I had made 300 copies and they were almost all taken). At least one student plans to hand out cookies to the participants as a way to show love. And another student was thinking about actually participating in the silence.

I’ll post a comment with reports on how it goes tomorrow.

Years ago, the Lord gave me an idea for an illustration that I finally shared with the youth group. It turned out to be one of my most memorable lessons ever. It still impacts my own thinking.

It was two days before our Poland trip and I had just cashed out all our trip spending money, so I had a huge stack of cash in my possession — not a common occurrence!

During my talk that Wednesday night, I chose a volunteer from the audience (it happened to be Rachel Kearney) and I gave her a $100 bill. She–and the rest of the group–was astounded. Then I asked if I could give her another $100. And another, and another. People were flabbergasted and in total awe — some even stood up to get a better view. This went on for several minutes.  By the time I was finished, I had handed her sixty $100 bills for a total of $6,000. Most people in the room had never even seen that much cash in one place. The stack was huge.  That would pay for a decent car or two years at Kirkwood!

I asked Rachel how she felt at that moment and her words were “Speechless!”

The first point was this: God has given us immeasurably more than $6,000. For free. Just because He wanted to. More than $6 million; more than $6 trillion. If we were to quantify all his undeserved earthly blessings (life, health, family, abilities, resources, education, freedom, intelligence, friends, transportation, His Word, fellowship, utilities, technologies, communication abilities, etc) and the eternal blessings acquired by Jesus substitutionary death on the cross for our sins, we would see that we are truly wealthy beyond measure. And that’s just adding up His undeserved grace. If we factor in His mercy (the bad things we deserve–such as hell–but are spared from), we will find that we have far too many blessings to even begin to count!

So what should our reaction be to God’s generosity toward us? Rachel had it right:  Speechlessness.

Application #1. When was the last time you were speechless toward God because of His generosity toward you?

Back to that Wednesday night. With the huge pile of cash in Rachel’s hand, we then speculated on what her reaction ought to be if the person sitting next to her withheld from her a measly Quarter that she was owed. We agreed it really shouldn’t make a bit of difference to her. She’s rich beyond words, so why should that pitiful quarter make any difference at all to her.

So the second point was this: We easily forget how wealthy we are in Christ and therefore we easily obsess over the “Quarter” that we think we need in order to be happy (a relationship, some material thing, an exotic experience, etc.). We ought to live in a constant state of exuberance, yet so often our thinking gets skewed and we believe we need this or that to be happy. We get depressed and anxious over such relatively insignificant things and we lose our joy. How it must break God’s heart when, having just abundantly showered us with innumerable blessings, we get mopey and gloomy over one unnecessary trinket we don’t have.  It would insult the generous giver to fixate on an insignificant debtor.

This truth hit home with me again even today. Early this morning I had lain in bed for two hours, unable to sleep, because I thought I needed to acquire a particular thing to be happy–dreaming about how wonderful it would be.  Scheming ways to possibly obtain it.  And then I remembered the “Quarter” and thought about how sad God must have been during those two hours while I blocked Him completely out of my mind’s eye because I was obsessing over the stupid “Quarter” that I didn’t have. I’m happy to say I apologized to God, repented of my sin,  and then had an awesome worship time right there in my bed. I put my delight back in God alone and I found Him amazingly satisfying. I don’t need any “Quarter” to be happy.

Application #2. What “Quarter” are you currently obsessing over? Can you let it go and trust God to be your sole source of delight? These would be good questions to ask ourselves, probably every day!

Until recently I had tons of weeds in my yard. Then one day last week I took a drastic measure that removed all of my weeds for good! And the amazing thing is that it didn’t cost a thing and the weeds are guaranteed to never come back. What I did was simply this: I started calling them Flowers!

What we label something matters. Calling those yellow things “weeds” sends a message about their value to us. Calling them “flowers” sends a totally different message.

On a similar note, I recently decided to label my office a “closet” instead of an “office”. That way I don’t have to feel guilty about the mess! What a stress reliever that’s been!

I’ve been thinking about labels lately, specifically with what labels do we choose to label ourselves?

Thomas the Tank Intern and I had a discussion recently about our Facebook profile’s “political views”. (Facebook forces you to label yourself a lot if you hadn’t noticed!) I had listed myself as “very conservative” prior to this conversation, but our conversation helped me see that my views are a mixture of very conservative (on moral issues) and moderate (on enviromental issues) and maybe even some relatively liberal (with regard to treatment of the poor, etc). One label couldn’t accurately describe the mix of them. So I changed my label to “other”!

Another way I think we attach a label to ourselves is by the Facebook groups we join. Each one represents something we associate ourselves with. We subtly endorse those groups that we join whether we realize it or not.

I had a conversation with a distraught student last weekend. This student had received a scolding from a non-Christian acquaintance because she was part of a Facebook group called “Abolish Abortion”. Now there’s a label for you! Sounds a little like “weeds”!

Now I’m as pro-life as anyone. When my unwed mom was pregnant with me, she was offered an abortion, but instead, she chose adoption for me. She’s my hero–now you can see one more reason that I’m so prolife.

Too often Christians are perceived as “haters” and are identified with what we are against. Let’s not reinforce that stereotype by choosing labels that communicate hate. “Abolish Abortion” sounds hateful and I’m not surprised that a non-believer would be offended. I discovered there’s even an “Abolish Abolish Abortion Groups” group out there. I’m tempted to join!

How about taking a stand with a positive label instead. Here are some suggestions: “Promote Adoption,” “Choose life,” “Let’s Help Women Facing an Unwanted Pregnancy,” “Great Alternatives to Abortion,” etc. These labels communicate love, rather than focusing on hate.

On the same note, instead of joining “Hilary Haters,” why not start a group “Jesus loves Hilary.” Or instead of “Ban Gay Marriage” how about “God loves those struggling with same-sex attractions.”

But I think the best label of all is a life lived that models the character of Christ to a lost world. I think it’s called “loving our neighbors as ourselves.”

Have you ever fallen asleep while praying? Ever felt guilty about it and scolded yourself over it? I sure have. Plenty of times. Until something recently made me look at it differently.

One evening not too long ago, after the kids had gone to the their rooms, I came into the living room to find my wife Cindy reclining on the sofa after a long day. Beautiful. I couldn’t resist the moment, so I nestled my way in behind her, wrapping my arms around her to keep her from falling off. Before long she was far away in dreamland.

I layed there for a long while soaking in the moment before I too fell asleep. I was entranced by our mutually shared warmth, security, comfort, peace and joy. Pure contentment.

Was I offended and upset that she had fallen asleep on me? Not a chance. In fact her peaceful sleep in my arms brought me tremendous satisfaction. What better place for her to fall asleep? What higher honor could she bestow on me than to rest in my arms?

This experience made me think about prayer and all the times I’ve fallen asleep during it. Perhaps God isn’t up there offended and angry about it. Perhaps he’s thrilled that my last waking moments were spent with him and that I fell asleep peacefully in his arms.

Today I just finished a biography of Amy Carmichael and she seems to agree with this. In her later, invalid years she came up with seven instructions on prayer. Number six is this: “Don’t worry if you fall to sleep. ‘He giveth unto His beloved in sleep.'”

Perhaps the religion/relationship distinction comes into play here. If it’s true that God wants a relationship with us, then falling asleep while snuggling with Him isn’t such a bad thing at all. Conversely, if our faith merely consists of performing religious duties, (i.e. saying our prayers) than falling asleep is an offensive crime.

I think it’s so easy to accidentally slip back into the religion mentality, forgetting that it really is all about relationship. This encounter with my wife jolted me back to a better way of looking at my spiritual life.

Certainly the entirety of our prayer life can’t consist solely of snuggling and sleeping in the arms of God. Any relationship needs honest, heartfelt communication–both ways. But I, for one, am done kicking myself for the times when I fall asleep while praying.

Last week marked the death anniversaries of the two youth group members who have died since I’ve been at New Covenant. Ryan W. died 10 years ago and Michelle Pinkston died 1 year ago. I’ve been reflecting on what was similar and different about their lives and deaths.

SIMILARITIES

Both grew up in our church.
Both from strong Christian families.
Both were active in youth group, doing drama, music, the Mexico trip.
Both were really fun, life-of-the-party types. Popular and well-liked.
Both died suddenly as a total shock to everyone.
Both deaths made me cry for very different reasons.

DIFFERENCES

Despite his good start, Ryan strayed from the Lord his junior year, quit coming to church, made a series of poor choices which ultimately resulted in his death.

Michelle kept the faith, focused on loving others, used her talents to glorify God, served God in many ways, completed college with numerous awards and achievements, and was killed in a car accident on her way home.

Ryan started well and finished poorly.
Ryan’s funeral was a somber occasion, filled with regret, guilt, and tears of despair.

Michelle started well and finished well.
Michelle’s funeral was a worshipful occasion, filled with praise to God for a life well lived. There were tears from the grief of separation, but they were also tears of joy knowing she heard the words “Well done, good and faithful servant. Welcome home!”
Today, the mention of Michelle’s name brings to mind “finishing well.”

CONCLUSION

How you finish matters.  It is a lot of what will be remembered about you. We don’t know when our life will be over, it could happen suddenly, without warning like it did for these two.

Choose to finish well by always living well. Michelle did that by making good choices. Please be like her.

For 1,700 years it has been a Christian tradition to celebrate Lent. That means that ever since the 3rd Century, this has been done each spring. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Blaise Pascal, Christopher Columbus, Martin Luther, and others likely took part in this historic observance.

Because we’re not liturgical like Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists Episcopalians and others, churches like ours have tended to throw out all the ancient traditions.  If they’re meaningless, empty traditions, they ought to be thrown out.  But I think Lent is one tradition we should retain.

Jesus gave up everything for us, so the custom of denying ourselves some comfort for the 40 days prior to Easter is an appropriate way to commemorate his death. It can be a way to draw close to Jesus as we in some small way “share in his sufferings.” An especially good practice for any of you fellow ascetics!

And it’s also a great time to focus on self-control rather than our usual mode of indulgence.  An especially good practice for any of you like me who need to practice restraint!  When else are we especially encouraged to exercise restraint in our indulgent society?

It begins this Wednesday “Ash Wednesday” when ashes are typically “painted” on the forehead in the sign of the cross to symbolize humility and repentence: a modern day version of “sackcloth and ashes”.

With or without the ashes, I challenge you to think of what you’ll seek to cut out of your life during this Lenten season. Not as an empty ritual, but rather as a way to love and connect with Jesus.

For 1,700 years it has been a Christian tradition to celebrate Lent.  That means that ever since the 3rd Century, this has been done each spring.  Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Blaise Pascal, Christopher Columbus, Martin Luther, and others likely took part in this historic observance.

Because we’re not liturgical like Catholics or Lutherans, churches like ours have tended to throw out all the ancient traditions.   But I think Lent is one tradition we should retain.

Jesus gave up everything for us so the custom of denying ourselves some comfort for the 40 days prior to Easter is an appropriate way to commemorate his death. It can be a way to draw close to Jesus as we in some small way “share in his sufferings.”  An especially good practice for any of you fellow ascetics!

And it’s also a great time to focus on self-control rather than our usual mode of indulgence.  An especially good practice for any of you like me who need to practice restraint!

It begins this Wednesday “Ash Wednesday” when ashes are typically “painted” on the forehead in the sign of the cross to symbolize humility and repentence: a modern day version of “sackcloth and ashes”. 

With or without the ashes, I challenge you to think of what you’ll seek to cut out of your life during this Lenten season.  Not as an empty ritual, but rather as a way to love and connect with Jesus.

Hi!  I’m in Poland right now, and you can read updates from our trip on Pastor James Wartian’s blog!  And photos can be viewed at www.poland.impactforjesus.org. 

Tonight I caught eleven of our senior highers at the Adult Shop and it thrilled my heart!

Of course we were there to pray! It’s been two years now since we started praying weekly at the Adult Shop. Let me explain to you parents what this is all about because on the surface I know it sounds a little dubious!

Two years ago this month, Jordan Koskamp, Bill Uelze, myself and a couple of guys from Cedar Valley were brainstorming ways to help impact our city. My pastor friend Charles Daugherty had recently told me of another city where people prayed drug dealers out of town. We had just become aware of the new Adult Shop North–which is only a mile from our church–and decided to start to pray it away.

So that night we started what has become a weekly prayer time in cars on the street in front of the A-Shop (located next to Frontier Garden Center, which is across from the Happy Chef on Blairs Ferry.) We pray from 9:30-11:00.

Tonight was typical. The eleven of us prayed for God to overcome evil in our city, country, world, and in our own hearts as well. We pray for each person who comes to the A-Shop as well as the owner and employees. We pray “for” them, not “against” them. They are not the enemy, but they’ve been seduced by the enemy. We pray for freedom from their bondage and for them to find real satisfaction in Christ.

We’re not there to judge, but to bless. A couple of times, we’ve had pizzas delivered inside to show them our love. Tonight, we started a new tradition.  I’m going to bring in a dish of candy to the desk worker and let him know we’re praying.

It’s a place where you can feel the spiritual battles raging and we’ve sensed some victories as well. Often we’ve sensed we’ve prayed people away, who drive in and then end up changing their minds and don’t go in.  One man sat in his car for about 20 minutes, deciding whether to go in before finally coming to his senses and driving away.

We always pray for our church, our youth group, and our personal holiness as well. But by the grace of God any of us would be caught up in Satan’s deceptions.

Hopefully this explains to you parents what this is all about. I’m almost always there myself each week and if not, there is another adult youth sponsor. If your kids want to come, just drive down the street “Crane Lane”. All the cars parked on the street belong to our group. We pack ourselves into the largest of the vehicles for the prayer time, so just walk up and we’ll add you to a carload.  Typically, just look for my van with the green trim and the running lights on.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Mark

Most every Saturday night for the past year and a half, members of our youth group have been faithfully praying with me in cars on the street outside the Adult Shop North. We usually have as many as 6-8, but it’s been as high as 17.

All along, we’ve been concerned that we not be perceived by the employees and customers as haters or judmental. So we’ve periodically sent pizzas and cards in to the desk. Last week, we got a big surprise: they sent us a pizza back! We were shocked and honored to be so received.

Since then, we’ve become more determined than ever to attempt to reach out to them in love. Two of our seniors (with parental permission) and I have introduced ourselves to the desk clerk, thanking him for the pizza. We also have requested to meet with the owner at Java Creek to create some understanding. So far he hasn’t taken us up on our offer, but we know that making the attempt is the right approach. (BTW, We don’t actually enter the A-shop, we just go up to the “show your id” window.)

To show the spirit with which we’re approaching this ministry, I wanted to show you a letter recently written by a college freshman from our group that is being delivered to the desk workers this Saturday. Please join us in prayer for breakthroughs into the hearts of these hurting people who need Jesus so desparately.

Dear Adult Shop owner and employees,

I’ve had the privilege of spending one of my many Saturday nights praying for you all. Thank you so much for your very kind gesture in sending us pizza. We were all very grateful and excited to receive such a gift in return. While we are all very thankful for the kindness you have shown us, that is not the only reason I am writing you this letter. I am afraid you might think false things of us. I just want you to know the truth about what and why we pray for you.

As I was sitting in the car looking at your shop one Saturday night, I realized you might have some preconceived notions about us. You probably wonder what we talk about and pray each Saturday evening.

You might even think that we judge or condemn you, but that is far from the truth. We never pray for you out of pity or vain conceit, but out of love. We believe that God loves everyone and as followers of Him we are called to love and serve Him first and foremost and secondly others. First off, the reason we are at your shop every Saturday is because we want to love you and show you the same love that Christ showed to us. I apologize because we don’t always know how to do this best. Second, when we come to your store we pray and give thanks. We thank the Lord for everything he has given us- friends, family, and salvation. We thank him for making each and every one of you, because you are special and important to Him. We pray that He would reveal himself to you and that he would lead you in truth and love into a deeper relationship with Himself. Our prayers are not just limited to you guys. We often pray for each other, our families, our friends, and our world leaders.

The whole reason I wanted to write you this was because there was a time in my life when I thought that Christians were goody-goodies holier than thou perfect people who were too stuck up to really even care about someone beside themselves. On top of that, I thought the God they worshiped wasn’t real and was all in their head. I got this idea, because it felt like every time I turned around a Christian would be preaching to me on knowing God and living a life to glorify Him and then they would turn around and abuse their wife and children or lived a life exactly opposite of what they preached. If that was the kind of life they wanted me to live, than I wanted to have nothing to do with it. However, I knew not all Christians are like that. I pray that you would not think of us like this. We know we have faults and we struggle with the same things you do- broken families, financial problems, health problems, etc. As your friends, we would love to help you out in anyway we can. I offer to you a free invitation to come talk to us anytime. If you have any questions, we’d love to try and answer them. Or, if you just want to talk I know that we would all love to meet each and every single one of you. In the midst of my prayers for you all, I come to a point where I just start to dream and imagine. I wonder how life has treated you all and what kind of lives you live. I wonder what your families are like and most of all, what it would be like to meet you. I wonder how we could serve you or love you better, but most of all I just dream about meeting you and talking to you all. I know I can say this for everyone of the people who pray for you, that if you ever have any free time on a Saturday evening, we really would love to talk to you.

Sincerely,

(she wanted to be anonymous in this post)