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| "Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, it is laying hold of his highest willingness." -Archbishop Trench For the record, I really tried to update last week, but I was foiled at every turn. I was on vacation and I don't have internet at home, so I couldn't post there. I had plans of updating at a friend's house, but when I went to do it, they have a filter that wouldn't allow me on Xanga. Finally, on Saturday I came over to the church in order to update and the internet was down here. So, I TRIED!!!!!!!! I'm reading this great Philip Yancey book on prayer - I love Philip Yancey. I love his honesty, his doubts, his questioning, but ultimately his coming back to a faith that seems pretty much unshakeable. If you're looking for something to read, I highly recommend it. The quote above really captured my attention last night. I absolutely love the idea behind it, and I feel as if it was an amazing epipheny for me. I very much see prayer as this need to convince God to meet some sort of need for me or for someone else. Whether it is physical or emotional healing, a material need, a desire for something more or better (even a good, holy desire), or any of the myriad things that make me want to approach him with requests, I so often feel this attitude of trying to convince him to do something he doesn't really want to do. Like asking Dad for just a little more allowance. The thought that my prayers should instead be something that try to search out the heart of God for my life and the lives of those I care about is very refreshing to me. When I can find the key that unlocks what he already wants to do, the answers flow into my life. I believe we experienced that when the church went through the painful, and yet ultimately rewarding, process of change. We were asking God to make us like him in reaching out with mercy and grace, and he jumped at the request. Prayer is so much more than our lists - it is an intimacy that should reach the very heart of God. It is relationship that is honest and can even approach God with our disappointments and frustrations with him. It is continually seeking how to present our lives as a pleasing sacrifice. I too often forget what prayer is really all about. "The main purpose of prayer is not to make life easier, nor to gain magical powers, but to know God. I need God more than anything I might get from God." -Philip Yancey | | |
| Jesus and Others and You What a wonderful way to spell JOY Jesus and Others and You In the heart of each girl and each boy J is for Jesus who died in my place O is for others we meet face to face Y is for you – in whatever you do Put yourself third and spell JOY Did anyone else just go back with me to Vacation Bible School? I can almost smell the chalk from the guy’s easel – the guy who was getting ready to draw a picture of Jesus in the clouds. He was coming again, after all, and we all had better be good and ready! My little 8-year-old heart with all its 8-year-old sin is still trembling somewhere within me. For some reason I remember screaming this song at the top of my lungs. I loved it and, looking back these *mumble, mumble* years later I’m not sure why. I think it was partly because, even back then, I knew there was great truth in the words. About a month ago I had a conversation with a friend. The gist of it was this person’s struggle with someone in their life – someone they had no choice but to interact with very often and knew they had to come to terms with the negativity they were facing in this relationship. Since that conversation, this little childhood song has been in my head at least once a day. It wasn’t so much my need to get this message across to my friend (although that was part of it), but I’ve been having a real working on my heart from the Holy Spirit about how I feel about people – both close, intimate relationships and the stranger in the car in front of me. The truth is I get far too – well, I guess the word that best describes it is, carnal – when I react to people. My nature does not at all tend to be demonstrative with these carnal feelings, but believe me, they are there. Usually hidden underneath layers and layers of, as our pastor put it so well the other week, peacefaking. But God has been showing me the JOY of the little formula – Jesus and Others and You. And He’s also been showing me the importance of keeping the order. The most tempting way to change it for me is often not totally backwards (although that’s just the human nature way), but I often want to make it Others and Jesus and You. You know, OJY.  Sometimes I let other people’s needs and circumstances kick Jesus out of His place – and this is just as dangerous as making myself the focus. I lose all kinds of perspective when I am concerned about someone else at the cost of my relationship with Christ. Even when that concern appears to be very holy and good and spiritual. Absolutely nothing can take that first place spot – the minute it does, it becomes idolatry. Putting something else where God should be. Dying is not fun. It hurts, it stinks, it creates mourning. But this is the call on the lives of those who claim to follow the One who faced all that for us. And in the end it will be totally worth it – that is the promise that keeps us dying. I don't understand Your ways Oh but I will give You my song Give You all of my praise You hold on to all my pain With it You are pulling me closer And pulling me into Your ways Now around every corner And up every mountain I'm not looking for crowns Or the water from fountains I'm desperate in seeking, frantic believing That the sight of Your face Is all that I need I will say to You It's gonna be worth it It's gonna be worth it It's gonna be worth it all I believe this It's gonna be worth it It's gonna be worth it It's gonna be worth it all I believe this You're gonna be worth it You're gonna be worth it You're gonna be worth it all I believe this You're gonna be worth it You're gonna be worth it You're gonna be worth it all I believe this | | |
| "Good things as well as bad, you know, are caught by a kind of infection. If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire; if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. They are not a sort of prize which God could, if He chose, just hand out to anyone. They are a great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very centre of reality. If you are close to it, the spray will wet you: if you are not, you will remain dry. Once a man is united to God, how could he not live forever? Once a man is separated from God, what can he do but wither and die?" -C.S. Lewis "We must stop setting our sights by the light of each passing ship; instead we must set our course by the stars." -George Marshall The sky is falling, the sky is falling . . . two updates in two days. Last night I had an incredible evening. Meeting 4 friends in Columbus for dinner, I can only say that God visited us at J. Alexander's Restaurant. Two of these friends are part of my almost daily life, the other two I see probably 10 times a year. Whenever we get together we have a whole lot of fun. But last night our conversation turned to spiritual things and suddenly we all were seeing God doing something new in each of our lives. All of us have been coming to the conclusion in our individual ways that television is playing far too great a role in our daily lives, while God and His Word are playing for too small a role. As we talked about how God has been speaking to us, the Holy Spirit came right into the middle of our conversation. I totally believe we all were changed in some way. The 4 of them went on to see a movie I had already seen and I started on my way home. In my car, God was so real to me. He was speaking to me and encouraging me on in a way I haven't felt in such a long time. At the center of our conversation was His promise to me to be my protection and to never leave me alone. When I got home, I continued spending time with Him and, as corny as this may sound, I just felt like a had this wonderful date. He kept saying things to me through His Word and through other people's words that my heart was so hungry to hear. I am so very blessed and I feel this unspeakable desire to pass it on. I still don't know exactly what that means, but I just want to listen, hear and obey His voice. How wonderful to have brothers and sisters along with us on the journey! I love C.S. Lewis' words above that are from Mere Christianity. It is so true that we are infected with the things we take in - good or bad. And in turn, I believe we also become contagious with whatever we are infected with. I want to spread good things to those around me! "So what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare to tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us -- who was raised to life for us! -- is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture . . . None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing -- nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable -- absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us." Romans 8:31-39 | | |
| “We look for visions from heaven and for earth-shaking events to see God’s power . . . Yet we never realize that all the time God is at work in our everyday events and in the people around us. If we will only obey, and do the task that He has placed closest to us, we will see Him.” -Oswald Chambers I know what you were thinking – that Debbie’s not really going to update every week during Lent. Well, here I am! It’s been a very interesting week with lots of unexpected and weird things happening. Situations that I would never in a million, bazillion years go seeking out, have been (quite literally) placed on my table. What normally I would run from, I have felt God nudge me toward. And while it is playing out quite differently than what I had anticipated (or maybe hoped), it is simply the way God works. We can never really guess at His purposes. (Am I being cryptic and vague enough for you? Ah, such mysteries.) The point is, God is reawakening something within me. I shouldn’t be surprised, because I asked Him to do just that. (Why does it amaze us when He answers our prayers?) But with reawakening there always come questions. What is the right thing to do? Where does this path lead? Can God really work miracles in desperate situations? Does He still make the lame walk or the blind see? Does He still cast out demons? Tree 63 has an amazing song called “The Answer to the Question.” The lyrics have become my cry – “I’m growing tired of a mouth shut tight when all I want to do is tell the whole world about the Man sitting at the right hand of the One in Heaven How could I sing about anything but Him? He is the answer to the question He is the cure for the infection He is all He says He is He is the ultimate reflection Of holiness and true perfection He is all He says He is How can I not cry watching as the world dies without a prayer? They look to their own construction bound to the living God of Earth and Heaven How could they sing about everything but Him?” God has shown me that I have played my faith and my relationship with Him far, far too safely. We can make all kinds of excuses, but at the end of the day we spend on earth we will stand before Him and the questioning will be turned around – What did you do with me? When I gave you every opportunity, did you share what you know? Did you even try to throw a lifeline or two to the drowning masses? Did you trust me enough to take some risks? I want to be able to stand with confidence before Him and say, “I listened to your voice – I did what was uncomfortable.” And maybe, just maybe (I pray this is true), there will be some there with us who may not have otherwise made it. I think that’s what it’s all about. I’m so tired of a mouth shut tight. “This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand or perform. It is not up in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go to heaven and bring it down so we can hear and obey it?’ It is not beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear and obey it?’ The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.” Deuteronomy 30:11-14 | | |
| Okay, okay . . . you know it's been too long when it takes 5 minutes to find the right button to click to make an entry. Yes, the daffodils are already showing their green little stems again - but they haven't bloomed yet, so I can safely say it's not been an entire year. Anyway, this is going to be short and sweet, but I need to put this in here because I'll be more likely to do what I say I'm going to do if I make this statement. This morning in Worship Design, the fact that tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent came up and we started discussing the old "Do you give something up?" question. I've never been a big "give something up for Lent" champion. And as I was thinking about it more, the thought came to me that maybe it would be more beneficial to me to commit to doing something, rather than committing to not doing something. So, I decided that I will commit to making at least one meaningful xanga post a week for Lent. This one doesn't really count. So . . . there ya go! I'm gonna do it. Yippee skippee for me!! See ya - I've got to work now! | | |
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