Discerning what "God's will" is can be a daunting task. My mom gave me a book called "Decision Making and the Will of God" many years ago, before I married Cindy. I think she may have been hinting. One major principle that book elaborated on was what I would call "concentricity" -- working inward toward the bulls-eye with concentric circles. Outer circles would be broad, generalized principles that each inner circle made more specific until you had it narrowed down to a fairly clear decision.
That principle serves decision making well. Should I steal my neighbor's property? Not according to the Ten Commandments. Should I waste my boss's resources? There is no "Ten Commandment" that specifically says not to, but as I look at more "refining" principles in the scripture, I finally end up with a "no, I should not" answer.
What about the decision my mom was alluding to when she gave me the book? Using concentricity, I could determine that Cindy would indeed be an excellent choice for a wife, but -- MY wife? If I asked, would she say "yes"? That lay beyond the scope of the principles. Ultimately my decision had to lay just outside the boundaries of my comfort zone.
Scriptural principles like concentricity can serve us well for many decisions. For some, ultimately we need to be able to "hear" God's voice. I want to note that in Acts 2, even though the Holy Spirit could have had the disciples speak in Aramaic (or even Hebrew) and everyone in the crowd would have understood them, God chose to foreshadow the sending of the Gospel to the whole earth by speaking it in the national language of the various nations represented. He "spoke their language".
A similar point is evident in 1 Corinthians 14 where Paul says that if the bugle call is indistinct, how will the troops know what to do in the battle? They need to understand what the bugler is communicating.
That brings me to my point. I have believed for many years that God works with each of those who will let Him -- working with us as His disciples. As we walk with Him, we develop an instinctive recognition of the patterns He uses to teach us and lead us. He wants us to be able to recognize what He is doing. This gives us that additional "tool" we need when we have gone as far as concentricity can take us. Have you recognized Him "speaking your language"?
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Benaiah in Reverse
I have long appreciated the stories of David's mighty men -- especially that of Benaiah in 1 Chronicles 11:22-24. In fact, back in the late 1970's, as friend and pastor Bill Woods and I were discussing a project for mass outreach using pop radio music (hold your fire, please!), Benaiah was -- at least in my thinking -- the model for what we intended to do.
No one would argue how music especially, but arts and sciences (humanities) in general affect the human spirit. Maybe even more so today, people have "their song" or "their artist" and they both identify with these things and let them influence their choices. Often, music has been used as an instrument of evil to influence people wrongly into doing things that are destructive to their own lives and others' around them.
In our plan, music was the "weaver's beam" being used by the Egyptian giant to attack. Like Benaiah, we wanted to take the weapon from his hand and turn it around and use it against him (not against the people but against the Evil One).
Though our idea focused specifically on music as an outreach, history is filled with the work of Christians in all areas of culture who believed God wanted them to use their gifts, talents, interests, to glorify Him and make their community a better place. The litany would be too long, but would include Christians who nursed the sick during plagues in the Roman empire while the Romans ran for cover, J.S Bach writing music for God (much just music, not a musified gospel tract), William Wilberforce persistently putting forth anti-slavery legislation in Great Britain year after year until it passed, George Washington Carver using his gifts in research to find ways to benefit poor people and the community as a whole with his many experiments, Lord Kelvin and many men of science who contributed to medicine and hospital care and the founding of schools for the common folk and universities for those who want to learn more. The list is endless.
These men (and women) took the weaver's beam from the enemy and used it to defeat him, as Romans says, to "overcome evil with good." They didn't run for cover and teach others to do the same. They took their talents into the fray. They were like Benaiah. Unfortunately, acts like this have fallen out of fashion and have been called "polishing the brass on a sinking ship". We have given those areas of cultural development back to unbelievers because they have become "unspiritual". They (the enemies of Christ) now own those institutions and we think it is supposed to be that way. It is like Benaiah handing the beam back to the Egyptian and saying, "Sorry, I was mistaken, here is your weapon back," then letting him run us through.
God grant me to be like Bach, like Wilberforce, and many more as well. I want the weaver's beam back!
No one would argue how music especially, but arts and sciences (humanities) in general affect the human spirit. Maybe even more so today, people have "their song" or "their artist" and they both identify with these things and let them influence their choices. Often, music has been used as an instrument of evil to influence people wrongly into doing things that are destructive to their own lives and others' around them.
In our plan, music was the "weaver's beam" being used by the Egyptian giant to attack. Like Benaiah, we wanted to take the weapon from his hand and turn it around and use it against him (not against the people but against the Evil One).
Though our idea focused specifically on music as an outreach, history is filled with the work of Christians in all areas of culture who believed God wanted them to use their gifts, talents, interests, to glorify Him and make their community a better place. The litany would be too long, but would include Christians who nursed the sick during plagues in the Roman empire while the Romans ran for cover, J.S Bach writing music for God (much just music, not a musified gospel tract), William Wilberforce persistently putting forth anti-slavery legislation in Great Britain year after year until it passed, George Washington Carver using his gifts in research to find ways to benefit poor people and the community as a whole with his many experiments, Lord Kelvin and many men of science who contributed to medicine and hospital care and the founding of schools for the common folk and universities for those who want to learn more. The list is endless.
These men (and women) took the weaver's beam from the enemy and used it to defeat him, as Romans says, to "overcome evil with good." They didn't run for cover and teach others to do the same. They took their talents into the fray. They were like Benaiah. Unfortunately, acts like this have fallen out of fashion and have been called "polishing the brass on a sinking ship". We have given those areas of cultural development back to unbelievers because they have become "unspiritual". They (the enemies of Christ) now own those institutions and we think it is supposed to be that way. It is like Benaiah handing the beam back to the Egyptian and saying, "Sorry, I was mistaken, here is your weapon back," then letting him run us through.
God grant me to be like Bach, like Wilberforce, and many more as well. I want the weaver's beam back!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Facets of God's Communication
We live in interesting times where my home, like many in America, has an abundance of Bibles. Different translations shed light on meanings of God's word. We have leather, hardbound, vest pocket size, pocket size, study editions -- even online -- which I use frequently. All this, for what? Paul, in the opening of his letter to the Romans lets me know... "to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake" (Romans 1:5). Simply put, God speaks that we might trust and obey... that we might build a life that honors Him.
Psalm 119 is an acrostic -- what is that and why did the psalmist use a gimmick like this? An acrostic, as this psalm exemplifies, is verse where each line or each section starts with the same letter. In the first section of Psalm 119 each couplet begins with the Hebrew letter aleph. All the couplets in the next section begin with the letter beth and so on. Why use this method? One reason is to make it easy for the hearer to memorize and recite. In those times, written scrolls of scripture weren't abundant in homes the same way Bibles are in ours. Scripture was often read to the people who recited and committed to heart.
Verses 1-8
You want to be happy (blessed)? Live a blameless life! How do I do that? Live in accord with the Law of the Lord. Unfortunately the words "Bible" and "happy" seem out of sync in our world -- but God says that is the way you get there from here. Blameless? Me? That sounds like setting the bar pretty high. Not if you know the difference between sinless and blameless. No one on our best day or on our best behavior will ever be sinless during this lifetime. To be blameless, though, means that when we fail, we make things right. Titus lists this quality as a characteristic of a man who has learned to manage himself and take care of others. He is not sinless, but when he does err, he makes sure things get straightened out.
The apostle Peter says in his first letter, 1 Peter 2:2, that we should long for God's communication like a baby roots for breast milk, so that we can grow up in our faith. "Failure To Thrive" is a condition in infants where they do not grow and gain weight. It is not normal! Growth is normal for babies and should be for those who trust God and listen to Him.
The next seven verses describe God's communication with us. It is like a diamond with many facets. So, likewise, different words are used to describe different facets of his communication. It uses these words: testimonies, precepts, statutes, commands and judgments.
God gives us his testimonies. He has "packaged" his communication in the form of a story. Call it "The History and Future of God's Dealings With Men". How's that for a title? If He wanted to give us a book of systematic theology to memorize, He could have done that -- but He didn't.
In that story, He is revealing his "ways" (119:3) What does that mean? A good example is found in Psalm 103:7 "He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel." His "ways" are the "what" "how" "why" of his doings. He wants us to understand Him. Part of being a learner, a disciple to God is finding out "how things work" and living in line with this understanding. Moses wanted to know those things, the rest of the camp was content just to see God do things and not wonder.
Another facet, precepts (119:4) have been ordained by God. They are not optional. In fact, this carries the idea of specificity -- "specific" instructions. They are to be followed diligently. What does that mean? It means carefully and persistently.
The thrust of the facet statutes (119:5) is like our word "prescribe" - a prescription. God has a prescription for us. There is a shift in the psalmist's conversation here. He goes from talking about "them" and "they" (who walk in the law of the Lord) to "me". The things that "they" are doing he wants for himself. "Oh that my ways -- what makes me tick -- was anchored in your statutes." It expresses a longing of the heart.
The next facet (119:6) is commandments, communication He has authoritatively given to govern our lives. The psalmist's longing expressed here is that they would prevent him from shame as he looked at the panorama of God's communication.
Do you ever have to make a "judgment call" about something? The next facet -- judgments -- are God's judgment calls regarding many things we encounter in life. This verse says that as we learn them, they will cause us to praise Him with an upright heart. How, oh how, can I have an upright heart? Pray, pray, pray for one. God wants you to ask.
The psalmist wraps up his litany of "facets" with this commitment: "I will keep your statutes" -- and acknowledges that he needs God to be with him to make it happen.
Psalm 119 is an acrostic -- what is that and why did the psalmist use a gimmick like this? An acrostic, as this psalm exemplifies, is verse where each line or each section starts with the same letter. In the first section of Psalm 119 each couplet begins with the Hebrew letter aleph. All the couplets in the next section begin with the letter beth and so on. Why use this method? One reason is to make it easy for the hearer to memorize and recite. In those times, written scrolls of scripture weren't abundant in homes the same way Bibles are in ours. Scripture was often read to the people who recited and committed to heart.
Verses 1-8
You want to be happy (blessed)? Live a blameless life! How do I do that? Live in accord with the Law of the Lord. Unfortunately the words "Bible" and "happy" seem out of sync in our world -- but God says that is the way you get there from here. Blameless? Me? That sounds like setting the bar pretty high. Not if you know the difference between sinless and blameless. No one on our best day or on our best behavior will ever be sinless during this lifetime. To be blameless, though, means that when we fail, we make things right. Titus lists this quality as a characteristic of a man who has learned to manage himself and take care of others. He is not sinless, but when he does err, he makes sure things get straightened out.
The apostle Peter says in his first letter, 1 Peter 2:2, that we should long for God's communication like a baby roots for breast milk, so that we can grow up in our faith. "Failure To Thrive" is a condition in infants where they do not grow and gain weight. It is not normal! Growth is normal for babies and should be for those who trust God and listen to Him.
The next seven verses describe God's communication with us. It is like a diamond with many facets. So, likewise, different words are used to describe different facets of his communication. It uses these words: testimonies, precepts, statutes, commands and judgments.
God gives us his testimonies. He has "packaged" his communication in the form of a story. Call it "The History and Future of God's Dealings With Men". How's that for a title? If He wanted to give us a book of systematic theology to memorize, He could have done that -- but He didn't.
In that story, He is revealing his "ways" (119:3) What does that mean? A good example is found in Psalm 103:7 "He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel." His "ways" are the "what" "how" "why" of his doings. He wants us to understand Him. Part of being a learner, a disciple to God is finding out "how things work" and living in line with this understanding. Moses wanted to know those things, the rest of the camp was content just to see God do things and not wonder.
Another facet, precepts (119:4) have been ordained by God. They are not optional. In fact, this carries the idea of specificity -- "specific" instructions. They are to be followed diligently. What does that mean? It means carefully and persistently.
The thrust of the facet statutes (119:5) is like our word "prescribe" - a prescription. God has a prescription for us. There is a shift in the psalmist's conversation here. He goes from talking about "them" and "they" (who walk in the law of the Lord) to "me". The things that "they" are doing he wants for himself. "Oh that my ways -- what makes me tick -- was anchored in your statutes." It expresses a longing of the heart.
The next facet (119:6) is commandments, communication He has authoritatively given to govern our lives. The psalmist's longing expressed here is that they would prevent him from shame as he looked at the panorama of God's communication.
Do you ever have to make a "judgment call" about something? The next facet -- judgments -- are God's judgment calls regarding many things we encounter in life. This verse says that as we learn them, they will cause us to praise Him with an upright heart. How, oh how, can I have an upright heart? Pray, pray, pray for one. God wants you to ask.
The psalmist wraps up his litany of "facets" with this commitment: "I will keep your statutes" -- and acknowledges that he needs God to be with him to make it happen.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
How You Do The Things You Do
Interesting thought (at least to me!) reading Romans 12 today. Paul is instructing the Roman believers about using the Holy Spirit enabled gifts that each one has received in Christ. (Pause: Is there a connection between these and the stewardship requirements in Matthew 25:14-28?)
As Paul lists examples of spiritual gifts (I don't believe that this list or the list in 1 Corinthians 12 is exhaustive, just exemplary) he starts out with a one-to-one "what > how" relationship:
If prophecy > prophesy according to your faith
If you minister > with ministering
If you teach > by teaching
If you exhort > by exhortation
If you give > by giving liberally
Then he breaks the mold:
If you lead > by diligence
If you show mercy > with cheerfulness
In thinking about these last two and his change of tack, I can see that leadership is a situation where one would be prone to saying "oh, what's the use..." Paul says "keep on keeping on." As for showing mercy, the demands on caring people, on caregivers can be great. I know from my own experience that it can wear you down and you have times where you do what the other person needs but you do it by "grinding it out" -- no joy. Paul wants to remind us that cheerfulness is the way to deliver mercy or care -- all the time, by God's enablement.
As Paul lists examples of spiritual gifts (I don't believe that this list or the list in 1 Corinthians 12 is exhaustive, just exemplary) he starts out with a one-to-one "what > how" relationship:
If prophecy > prophesy according to your faith
If you minister > with ministering
If you teach > by teaching
If you exhort > by exhortation
If you give > by giving liberally
Then he breaks the mold:
If you lead > by diligence
If you show mercy > with cheerfulness
In thinking about these last two and his change of tack, I can see that leadership is a situation where one would be prone to saying "oh, what's the use..." Paul says "keep on keeping on." As for showing mercy, the demands on caring people, on caregivers can be great. I know from my own experience that it can wear you down and you have times where you do what the other person needs but you do it by "grinding it out" -- no joy. Paul wants to remind us that cheerfulness is the way to deliver mercy or care -- all the time, by God's enablement.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Cindy Rowland 1953 - 2009
Thank you for your interest in our dearly loved Cindy. I have created a blog site specifically dedicated to her and her memory, called "Remembering Cindy". As time allows, I will add more to her site, memories and stories of her "growing up" years, comments from her journals, etc. In addition, I hope to add more of her UK journals to our 2007 UK Trip blog.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
U-571 and Godly Leadership
I have written before about the film U-571 and what we might learn in regard to duty. Ever since I saw it the first time, I have appreciated it as study in the dynamics of leadership.
I was thinking about one of it's key thematic elements this morning. Lt. Tyler (Matthew McConnaughy) finds himself thrust into command of a sub on a dangerous mission, after having been denied his own boat. He had been denied his own sub because skipper recognized that Tyler wanted to be "one of the guys" with his crew and the war-wise skipper knew that in crisis, Tyler would be called on to make command decisions that would endanger, even to the point of death, the men who followed his commands. Skipper didn't know if Tyler had the mettle to handle those kinds of decisions. The skipper having been correct in his observations, the plot essentially follows the maturing of Tyler in the make-or-break of battle.
What struck me this morning was thinking about the advancement of the rule of Jesus Christ over the lives of men. It is a person to person thing. It is our tendency to follow the rules of polite culture and "keep it to ourselves". We go about our daily work, talk sports and weather and go back home. The really serious ones among us are guiltily concerned about get those gospel "zings" into the conversation.
In reality, if we are serious about having "Jesus is Lord" over every facet of life, we won't have to worry about whether people "notice" or not. Additionally, and this is where the leadership thing comes in, we refuse to "keep it to ourselves" because regardless of what polite culture says, TRUTH is truth for me and you, not I-have-my-truth-and-you-have-yours. In other words I will pursue what may be uncomfortable for me and for you because it is a responsibility, not because it is convenient. It is part of the leadership I believe God wants every man to pursue.
More than that, if we are called to leadership, we will need to be sure that what we are leading others to do is the right thing, THE TRUTH, not just my truth. Their lives will be affected by it one way or the other.
I was thinking about one of it's key thematic elements this morning. Lt. Tyler (Matthew McConnaughy) finds himself thrust into command of a sub on a dangerous mission, after having been denied his own boat. He had been denied his own sub because skipper recognized that Tyler wanted to be "one of the guys" with his crew and the war-wise skipper knew that in crisis, Tyler would be called on to make command decisions that would endanger, even to the point of death, the men who followed his commands. Skipper didn't know if Tyler had the mettle to handle those kinds of decisions. The skipper having been correct in his observations, the plot essentially follows the maturing of Tyler in the make-or-break of battle.
What struck me this morning was thinking about the advancement of the rule of Jesus Christ over the lives of men. It is a person to person thing. It is our tendency to follow the rules of polite culture and "keep it to ourselves". We go about our daily work, talk sports and weather and go back home. The really serious ones among us are guiltily concerned about get those gospel "zings" into the conversation.
In reality, if we are serious about having "Jesus is Lord" over every facet of life, we won't have to worry about whether people "notice" or not. Additionally, and this is where the leadership thing comes in, we refuse to "keep it to ourselves" because regardless of what polite culture says, TRUTH is truth for me and you, not I-have-my-truth-and-you-have-yours. In other words I will pursue what may be uncomfortable for me and for you because it is a responsibility, not because it is convenient. It is part of the leadership I believe God wants every man to pursue.
More than that, if we are called to leadership, we will need to be sure that what we are leading others to do is the right thing, THE TRUTH, not just my truth. Their lives will be affected by it one way or the other.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
On the Home Front
I've not written anything "personal" since the end of last year. Well, that's not exactly true, because even if I write commentary (Joseph calls it John-mentary) on the scriptures or culture, it's not just academic.
Anyway, Cindy has been dealing with chemotherapy-induced congestive heart failure (CHF) since October 2007. Though she managed it fairly well, she had some issues the Monday after Christmas 2008 which needed medical attention. Because her cardiologist was out of town, her primary care doctor recommended that we use the emergency room at the medical center. This began a downward spiral of CHF where she was over-hydrated, under-hydrated, in cardiac ICU... long story short, she was in the hospital for almost three weeks with both heart and kidney failure. Unable to have chemo and tired of having endless cycles of blood work, medication adjustments, she opted to go into hospice care early in March.
Our hospice team has been wonderful to us. Our siblings, and my parents, our friends and church family, my boss and co-workers -- all have been forthcoming with great acts of kindness and generosity. We have been so greatly blessed through it.
Cindy has had times of extreme weakness. In that sense, she is a little better now, though still very weak. Her respiration is very shallow and she is on oxygen full-time. Her feet, ankles and legs are very swollen, like the Michelin man, and are painful. This fluid buildup is caused by her CHF -- the heart not pumping well enough to pull the fluid off. Diuretics were helping at one point in time, but they no longer do the job. This is probably due to cancerous tissue in her abdomen blocking the fluid return. She is getting to the point where not only is walking painful, but just sitting with her feet dangling is painful as well. Reclining is becoming the least painful option.
Anyway, in spite of it all, she has a sweet spirit. It has been a great pleasure, as her time may be drawing near, to be her night/weekend aide. Helping in every way I'm able to. It is a joy to show love to her in this way. We love because Christ first loved us. She called this weekend a "fairy tale" weekend, because she has felt fairly well (despite the legs) and has had enjoyable times of prayer and had enjoyed visiting. Hopefully, she will have many more "fairy tales".
Anyway, Cindy has been dealing with chemotherapy-induced congestive heart failure (CHF) since October 2007. Though she managed it fairly well, she had some issues the Monday after Christmas 2008 which needed medical attention. Because her cardiologist was out of town, her primary care doctor recommended that we use the emergency room at the medical center. This began a downward spiral of CHF where she was over-hydrated, under-hydrated, in cardiac ICU... long story short, she was in the hospital for almost three weeks with both heart and kidney failure. Unable to have chemo and tired of having endless cycles of blood work, medication adjustments, she opted to go into hospice care early in March.
Our hospice team has been wonderful to us. Our siblings, and my parents, our friends and church family, my boss and co-workers -- all have been forthcoming with great acts of kindness and generosity. We have been so greatly blessed through it.
Cindy has had times of extreme weakness. In that sense, she is a little better now, though still very weak. Her respiration is very shallow and she is on oxygen full-time. Her feet, ankles and legs are very swollen, like the Michelin man, and are painful. This fluid buildup is caused by her CHF -- the heart not pumping well enough to pull the fluid off. Diuretics were helping at one point in time, but they no longer do the job. This is probably due to cancerous tissue in her abdomen blocking the fluid return. She is getting to the point where not only is walking painful, but just sitting with her feet dangling is painful as well. Reclining is becoming the least painful option.
Anyway, in spite of it all, she has a sweet spirit. It has been a great pleasure, as her time may be drawing near, to be her night/weekend aide. Helping in every way I'm able to. It is a joy to show love to her in this way. We love because Christ first loved us. She called this weekend a "fairy tale" weekend, because she has felt fairly well (despite the legs) and has had enjoyable times of prayer and had enjoyed visiting. Hopefully, she will have many more "fairy tales".
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Feet Curiously Planted In Mid-Air
I was intrigued by the president's statement that the CIA should "uphold our values." In a way it reminds me of the "it all depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is" statement of a former president. It all depends on what the meaning of the word "our" is. It all depends on the meaning of the word "values" is. No, really, it all depends on what grounds one can stand for or hold up anything if there is no ultimate "truth" to make those actions meaningful.
Case in point: the president's position of abortion, late-term abortion, even post-term abortion as chronicled over the years since his days as an Illinois state senator, including the endorsement of his HHS pick. It is no problem to endorse barbarism in or around the womb. To be comparatively lightweight on known terrorists, however is an essential value for the CIA.
Values planted firmly on nothing.
Case in point: the president's position of abortion, late-term abortion, even post-term abortion as chronicled over the years since his days as an Illinois state senator, including the endorsement of his HHS pick. It is no problem to endorse barbarism in or around the womb. To be comparatively lightweight on known terrorists, however is an essential value for the CIA.
Values planted firmly on nothing.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Earth Day... Why?
When I picked up the newspaper yesterday morning (Wednesday, Earth Day) the headlines were aglow with wonderful human interest stories about Earth Day activities. I even read a quote by a 6-year-old that "if we don't keep the planet clean, we will all die!" He has been well trained. That's why they want to get them into the system young.
If I were to presuppose that the universe is an eternal (no god needed) ever-improving system, were it not for the detrimental things we humans do to un-improve it -- I would still be faced with an important question. Other than a feel-good exercise, why does it matter? If the earth is a blob of matter orbiting a burning blob of matter spiraling around a bigger blob of matter in a universe filled with such blobs of matter. Nothing personal about it. It just is. As fascinating as the universe is, so what? Science says it is all headed for "room temperature" -- heat death. It didn't matter to anyone important at the beginning and there is no one for it to be important to at the end.
But I don't presuppose that. I presuppose... I trust, that the earth is here for a reason. I trust that earth's inhabitants are here for a reason. If I am awed at the creation (and I am) as a reflection of the one who created it, then it is the one who designed and created who ultimately should get the most awe and credit. Borrowing from Romans 1, worshipping the Creator, not the creature.
What about the earth and the environment and... what if we all die? Having been entrusted with all the tools and materials to MANAGE the earth properly, yes, mankind has hijacked it for himself and taken it into the ditch. In that sense, I can agree with the environmental activism. Divorced from ultimate meaning, however, Earth Day... Why?
If I were to presuppose that the universe is an eternal (no god needed) ever-improving system, were it not for the detrimental things we humans do to un-improve it -- I would still be faced with an important question. Other than a feel-good exercise, why does it matter? If the earth is a blob of matter orbiting a burning blob of matter spiraling around a bigger blob of matter in a universe filled with such blobs of matter. Nothing personal about it. It just is. As fascinating as the universe is, so what? Science says it is all headed for "room temperature" -- heat death. It didn't matter to anyone important at the beginning and there is no one for it to be important to at the end.
But I don't presuppose that. I presuppose... I trust, that the earth is here for a reason. I trust that earth's inhabitants are here for a reason. If I am awed at the creation (and I am) as a reflection of the one who created it, then it is the one who designed and created who ultimately should get the most awe and credit. Borrowing from Romans 1, worshipping the Creator, not the creature.
What about the earth and the environment and... what if we all die? Having been entrusted with all the tools and materials to MANAGE the earth properly, yes, mankind has hijacked it for himself and taken it into the ditch. In that sense, I can agree with the environmental activism. Divorced from ultimate meaning, however, Earth Day... Why?
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Collaboration... all the rage
My day job (and sometimes evening, night and weekend job -- though rarely because our mail system usually "just works") is that of a network administrator. My primary responsiblity in that arena is that of email and groupware. In other words, how people work together to get a job done.
In fact, that is one of the main focii of scripture and one of the most important things a believing man needs to get hold of. We were made to be co-workers with God. That was the nature of Adam's post-creation walk with God in Eden. Paul ties back to the same idea for redeemed men in 1 Corinthians 3:9 and Jesus alluded to it in Matthew 11:28-30. This is where we learn about him, as we labor with him.
In fact, that is one of the main focii of scripture and one of the most important things a believing man needs to get hold of. We were made to be co-workers with God. That was the nature of Adam's post-creation walk with God in Eden. Paul ties back to the same idea for redeemed men in 1 Corinthians 3:9 and Jesus alluded to it in Matthew 11:28-30. This is where we learn about him, as we labor with him.
Letting the present define the past
One of the more comical examples of changes in language and perspective I have know of in the last few years -- especially in this election season -- is the reference to the friends of the paralytic who tried to bring him to Jesus. The King James version says that they could not get him close to Jesus "because of the press." So, they took him to the roof, dug through it and lowered their friend down in front of Jesus.
Now, as much as we all are aware of the media and the rich and famous, we can picture these men trying to bring their friend, but all the reporters and media types were crowded around Jesus and no one could get up close. But alas, those translators were using terminology that to them meant "because of the crowd". Modern ears hear the same word differently.
Humor aside, one mistake I see being made in the modern evangelical church is to define the scriptures in terms of "the way we do things now." Example: When we discuss the journeys of Paul, Barnabas and others, we typically frame it in some manner that is a direct correlation to modern mission agencies, etc.
Instead, we should scrape away our preconceptions and let the scripture tell the story to us freshly -- as if we might actually learn something -- and let it form and reform the way we do business as the Church in the 21st century.
Now, as much as we all are aware of the media and the rich and famous, we can picture these men trying to bring their friend, but all the reporters and media types were crowded around Jesus and no one could get up close. But alas, those translators were using terminology that to them meant "because of the crowd". Modern ears hear the same word differently.
Humor aside, one mistake I see being made in the modern evangelical church is to define the scriptures in terms of "the way we do things now." Example: When we discuss the journeys of Paul, Barnabas and others, we typically frame it in some manner that is a direct correlation to modern mission agencies, etc.
Instead, we should scrape away our preconceptions and let the scripture tell the story to us freshly -- as if we might actually learn something -- and let it form and reform the way we do business as the Church in the 21st century.
Friday, January 23, 2009
The Basin and The Towel
In an upstairs room, a parable
is just about to come alive.
And while they bicker about who's best,
with a painful glance, He'll silently rise.
Their Savior Servant must show them how
through the will of the water
and the tenderness of the towel.
And the call is to community,
The impoverished power that sets the soul free.
In humility, to take the vow,
that day after day we must take up the basin and the towel.
In any ordinary place,
on any ordinary day,
the parable can live again
when one will kneel and one will yield.
Our Saviour Servant must show us how
through the will of the water
and the tenderness of the towel.
And the space between ourselves sometimes
is more than the distance between the stars.
By the fragile bridge of the Servant's bow
we take up the basin and the towel.
And the call is to community,
The impoverished power that sets the soul free.
In humility, to take the vow,
that day after day we must take up the basin and the towel.
Michael Card
Getting to learn a lot about this these days.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
The Rowlands :: Christmas 2008
It's Thanksgiving Day. I have finished cleaning up the smoker and slicing smoked meat and potatoes. I look forward to sitting down with Cindy and Joseph in a while to enjoy some of our bountiful fixin's and ...pumpkin pie. The holiday season has begun early this year. Seems like the Christmas shopping push comes earlier each year. In spite of the bleak times we are wading into as a nation, we have a great deal that we are thankful for and look forward, as ever, to celebrating the advent of the King of Kings.
We miss Cindy's brother Eddie this year. He passed away the last day of February this year after a number of compounding health problems. He had lived in our home since Cindy's mother passed away in early 2000.
Cindy and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this spring. My family hosted a reception at the Caledonia Baptist fellowship hall and we tremendously enjoyed having many friends and family members celebrate it with us.
Many of you remain concerned for Cindy's health. In February, it will be five years since she was diagnosed with cancer. None of her last five years have been easy, but this year has been harder than most for her. After returning from our UK trip last year, we had a number of medical decisions to make. In January, she had a difficult surgery to remove two tumors in her right lung. Recovery has been long and hard, compounded by a weakened heart. In July, she began chemo again to fight a remaining tumor in her abdomen. Happily, she is benefitting from the chemo, though it seems each bout gets a little harder. She is still smiling.
Joseph continues to work at Arkansas Educational Television (AETN). We enjoyed his first project as co-producer, which was an hour-long special dealing with water problems in Arkansas called “Troubled Waters”. It has aired many times since it was released in the spring. He was able to write and perform some of the music for that show. Since then he has taken on the task of bringing their media content to the internet.
I celebrated another anniversary this year – my 10th year with Murphy Oil Corporation. I am still responsible for messaging systems (which used to be just email but now includes Blackberrys and instant messaging). I manage several other systems as well and work with a terrific bunch of people.
Our church family at Caledonia Baptist had a sorrowful loss this year as Pastor Hugh Nelson's wife, Marian, succumbed to cancer. This has meant tremendous changes for him and we have all sought to lift him up and keep us all moving ahead.
We miss Cindy's brother Eddie this year. He passed away the last day of February this year after a number of compounding health problems. He had lived in our home since Cindy's mother passed away in early 2000.
Cindy and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this spring. My family hosted a reception at the Caledonia Baptist fellowship hall and we tremendously enjoyed having many friends and family members celebrate it with us.
Many of you remain concerned for Cindy's health. In February, it will be five years since she was diagnosed with cancer. None of her last five years have been easy, but this year has been harder than most for her. After returning from our UK trip last year, we had a number of medical decisions to make. In January, she had a difficult surgery to remove two tumors in her right lung. Recovery has been long and hard, compounded by a weakened heart. In July, she began chemo again to fight a remaining tumor in her abdomen. Happily, she is benefitting from the chemo, though it seems each bout gets a little harder. She is still smiling.
Joseph continues to work at Arkansas Educational Television (AETN). We enjoyed his first project as co-producer, which was an hour-long special dealing with water problems in Arkansas called “Troubled Waters”. It has aired many times since it was released in the spring. He was able to write and perform some of the music for that show. Since then he has taken on the task of bringing their media content to the internet.
I celebrated another anniversary this year – my 10th year with Murphy Oil Corporation. I am still responsible for messaging systems (which used to be just email but now includes Blackberrys and instant messaging). I manage several other systems as well and work with a terrific bunch of people.
Our church family at Caledonia Baptist had a sorrowful loss this year as Pastor Hugh Nelson's wife, Marian, succumbed to cancer. This has meant tremendous changes for him and we have all sought to lift him up and keep us all moving ahead.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Empowering Matt Damon
Matt Damon says that he has a hard time entrusting "the nuclear codes" with someone who believes dinosaurs were alive a few millenia ago. Hmmm... I guess he wouldn't trust me.
I enjoy the Bourne movies -- I would probably like them no matter who starred as Jason Bourne. The fact of the matter is that Matt Damon is the one who took home a check for that part (and perhaps residuals). His face on that screen and his bulging checkbook have given him the ability to fund anti-christian causes, and I am responsible for a small part of that. So are other Christians. It's like Saul taking up a collection to send the Philistines so they could hire Goliath.
That said, there are a couple of things I need to consider for myself and fellow Christians should, too.
First, we are as bad as the society around us in being entertainment-driven. Is film-music-art (the media, not the content) inherently "bad"? Is it "worldly"? As a worldview proponent, I would find it hard to take that position. They are only as bad as the motivation and message they present. In the proper hands, they can be wonderful at "telling a story". Ravi Zacharias portrays the arts as the bridge between abstract concepts and supper-table discussions. The arts bring concepts down to where we can see and respond and formulate action.
So, we need to accord the muses their proper place in our world. We also need to look at ourselves and how we treat entertainment. Advertisers would have every new book title, every new movie, every new TV show, every new CD, every new restaurant menu offering as "must see", "must hear", "must read" and we respond with our time and our money. Is that wise?
Next, and corresponding to that, I frequently get "urgent - response needed" emails from organizations like AFA who act as a watchdog for anti-Christian activity in the aforementioned places. Their well-intentioned warning mechanism is a good example of calling like-minded people together to deal with a crisis, but also an example of how we treat the symptoms, not the causes. We have to take away Matt Damon's empowerment. We have to stop sending money to Goliath. We have to do that by re-evaluating and scaling back our appetite for entertainment and by committing ourselves corporately to a long-term effort to defund our enemies.
I enjoy the Bourne movies -- I would probably like them no matter who starred as Jason Bourne. The fact of the matter is that Matt Damon is the one who took home a check for that part (and perhaps residuals). His face on that screen and his bulging checkbook have given him the ability to fund anti-christian causes, and I am responsible for a small part of that. So are other Christians. It's like Saul taking up a collection to send the Philistines so they could hire Goliath.
That said, there are a couple of things I need to consider for myself and fellow Christians should, too.
First, we are as bad as the society around us in being entertainment-driven. Is film-music-art (the media, not the content) inherently "bad"? Is it "worldly"? As a worldview proponent, I would find it hard to take that position. They are only as bad as the motivation and message they present. In the proper hands, they can be wonderful at "telling a story". Ravi Zacharias portrays the arts as the bridge between abstract concepts and supper-table discussions. The arts bring concepts down to where we can see and respond and formulate action.
So, we need to accord the muses their proper place in our world. We also need to look at ourselves and how we treat entertainment. Advertisers would have every new book title, every new movie, every new TV show, every new CD, every new restaurant menu offering as "must see", "must hear", "must read" and we respond with our time and our money. Is that wise?
Next, and corresponding to that, I frequently get "urgent - response needed" emails from organizations like AFA who act as a watchdog for anti-Christian activity in the aforementioned places. Their well-intentioned warning mechanism is a good example of calling like-minded people together to deal with a crisis, but also an example of how we treat the symptoms, not the causes. We have to take away Matt Damon's empowerment. We have to stop sending money to Goliath. We have to do that by re-evaluating and scaling back our appetite for entertainment and by committing ourselves corporately to a long-term effort to defund our enemies.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Why would a man want to be here?
McDonald's targets the kids to get the adults in the door. Don't some Sunday School and VBS programs do the same? If the kids weren't nagging Dad to go to McDonald's would Dad go there by choice?
Since it is the father's responsibility to feed the family, it is circumvented unless you reach the men. Titus was charged to "put in order that which is lacking". As the letter proceeds, this means properly functioning authority in families (among other things). He also says that if this is not carried out, the word of God will be blasphemed. Can we connect the dots to how things are today between church and society?
The Sunday School bus picking up kids in hopes to finally get dad there delays what is really needed. I know that is an over-simplification, but you get the idea.
Since it is the father's responsibility to feed the family, it is circumvented unless you reach the men. Titus was charged to "put in order that which is lacking". As the letter proceeds, this means properly functioning authority in families (among other things). He also says that if this is not carried out, the word of God will be blasphemed. Can we connect the dots to how things are today between church and society?
The Sunday School bus picking up kids in hopes to finally get dad there delays what is really needed. I know that is an over-simplification, but you get the idea.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
How It Played Out - 25th Anniversary Recollections
Cindy: I remembered that Jan Woods had a sort of request list for when someone would ask her to marry him. She went through the book of Ruth and found character traits that were in Boaz. I decide it wouldn't hurt to do that. I don't have the list any more but from what I can remember Boaz was a kind man and he was resolute to do what was right. It seems like it says, "He wouldn't rest until it was settled." I prayed over these things.
The next week I made an appointment to talk with Bill Woods about my conversation with Rob. Bill told me that I had insulated myself from relationships. I tended to back off if they got too close, but that wasn't healthy for the church. The body couldn't function properly if people weren't honest. If, perchance, there was a person that I felt a bond with -- more than just sharing a hymnal -- then I needed to ask God to work specific things in that person. Character traits, Bible verses, whatever God laid on my heart. Bill said I could be confident God was at work when the man did what I had been praying. I set about to do that for my dear friend John.
John had rescued me many times from rodents, lawn mowing, and not having a ride. He knew I was insecure with guy/girl relationships so I didn't think he would have unrealistic expectations. Besides, he had expressed care for me when we both worked at David's and at a conference we both attended before I moved to Indiana.
John: A very interesting thing happened after the campus fellowship meeting the next Friday night. The singles often went out to eat after fellowship. I happened to be with several younger guys at a restaurant when Cindy and some other girls from the fellowship walked by -- and we chatted briefly. One of the guys with me asked, "Is that your wife?" I answered, "No." but noted how curious a question it was.
Sunday morning came. I had to leave for work immediately after church. Bill spoke about Ruth and Boaz at worship that morning. Ruth and Boaz were another set of "major players" in my concept of my relationship with Cindy. Boaz's love for Ruth led him to take charge and settle things with regard to her well-being. Things had been building for several days and by this point, I was pretty bothered by this whole thing being unsettled. I kept praying when I had moments alone at work, like going to the stockroom for things.
After work, I went home and as I was there alone, I kept praying fervently about this situation. My promise to God was that if I determined that it was the right thing to do, I would follow through with it. I had been reminded again and again about my perspective of Moses crossing the Red Sea and as I thought about things and recounted them in my mind prayerfully, I realized that I had been brought to this point and there was only one thing to do. Almost audibly, I heard, "what are you waiting for, move forward." I didn't think about it at the time, but that was what God told Moses to do when he cried out to God about the approaching Egyptian army. I realized that I that it was time to get on with it.
As I went to the car and began to drive over to Cindy's, I knew that whatever the outcome -- keep in mind that we had not dated, we had not spoken about this together and she might totally shut me down -- I had to follow it out to the conclusion. I arrived at Cindy's apartment and knocked on the front door. There was no answer. Should I give up and go home? I thought, "no I have to settle this today," so I went to the back door. I knocked and Cindy answered the door.
Cindy: No more than two weeks had passed and I was having a very emotional day. I was dressed in orange sweat pants and shirt -- not expecting company -- ughh! There was a knock at my kitchen door. When I went to the door, John was there. He said he had to talk to me and ask me something. I invited him inside and we sat down. He said God had given him a special love for me and he wanted to ask me to marry him. Because I needed to have confidence that God was at work in this, I said, "On what basis?" John said, "Because God has given us an 'iron sharpens iron' relationship and I just can't rest until this is settled." When he said that, I said "Yes." I probably cried, too.
John: I was not expecting Cindy’s response, "On what basis?" So when she asked, I knew what I appreciated about her and our relationship, and I just knew I had to settle this. As it turned out, these exact things were what she needed to confirm what she had been praying. What a relief when she sighed and said, "Yes."
After that, we both wanted to share the happy news with Bill and Jan. We announced it to them and went over to visit for a while, then stayed up late and started planning, calling people and just rejoicing in our news...
This was just the beginning of miracles in our life together, small and large. We were able to pull together a wedding in six weeks, Cindy found a beautiful wedding dress and veil at a fraction of its original cost at a wedding shop. Later, my vision of Abraham and Sarah was fulfilled this way: After over a year of trying to have a baby with various infertility treatments, God blessed us with Joseph. That is another story. When Cindy and I chose an imprint for our wedding napkins, we chose the Bible verse about "a cord of three strands is not easily broken." Jesus has been the "strong strand" in the cord of our life together and we are thankful to be able to celebrate these twenty-five years together.
The next week I made an appointment to talk with Bill Woods about my conversation with Rob. Bill told me that I had insulated myself from relationships. I tended to back off if they got too close, but that wasn't healthy for the church. The body couldn't function properly if people weren't honest. If, perchance, there was a person that I felt a bond with -- more than just sharing a hymnal -- then I needed to ask God to work specific things in that person. Character traits, Bible verses, whatever God laid on my heart. Bill said I could be confident God was at work when the man did what I had been praying. I set about to do that for my dear friend John.
John had rescued me many times from rodents, lawn mowing, and not having a ride. He knew I was insecure with guy/girl relationships so I didn't think he would have unrealistic expectations. Besides, he had expressed care for me when we both worked at David's and at a conference we both attended before I moved to Indiana.
John: A very interesting thing happened after the campus fellowship meeting the next Friday night. The singles often went out to eat after fellowship. I happened to be with several younger guys at a restaurant when Cindy and some other girls from the fellowship walked by -- and we chatted briefly. One of the guys with me asked, "Is that your wife?" I answered, "No." but noted how curious a question it was.
Sunday morning came. I had to leave for work immediately after church. Bill spoke about Ruth and Boaz at worship that morning. Ruth and Boaz were another set of "major players" in my concept of my relationship with Cindy. Boaz's love for Ruth led him to take charge and settle things with regard to her well-being. Things had been building for several days and by this point, I was pretty bothered by this whole thing being unsettled. I kept praying when I had moments alone at work, like going to the stockroom for things.
After work, I went home and as I was there alone, I kept praying fervently about this situation. My promise to God was that if I determined that it was the right thing to do, I would follow through with it. I had been reminded again and again about my perspective of Moses crossing the Red Sea and as I thought about things and recounted them in my mind prayerfully, I realized that I had been brought to this point and there was only one thing to do. Almost audibly, I heard, "what are you waiting for, move forward." I didn't think about it at the time, but that was what God told Moses to do when he cried out to God about the approaching Egyptian army. I realized that I that it was time to get on with it.
As I went to the car and began to drive over to Cindy's, I knew that whatever the outcome -- keep in mind that we had not dated, we had not spoken about this together and she might totally shut me down -- I had to follow it out to the conclusion. I arrived at Cindy's apartment and knocked on the front door. There was no answer. Should I give up and go home? I thought, "no I have to settle this today," so I went to the back door. I knocked and Cindy answered the door.
Cindy: No more than two weeks had passed and I was having a very emotional day. I was dressed in orange sweat pants and shirt -- not expecting company -- ughh! There was a knock at my kitchen door. When I went to the door, John was there. He said he had to talk to me and ask me something. I invited him inside and we sat down. He said God had given him a special love for me and he wanted to ask me to marry him. Because I needed to have confidence that God was at work in this, I said, "On what basis?" John said, "Because God has given us an 'iron sharpens iron' relationship and I just can't rest until this is settled." When he said that, I said "Yes." I probably cried, too.
John: I was not expecting Cindy’s response, "On what basis?" So when she asked, I knew what I appreciated about her and our relationship, and I just knew I had to settle this. As it turned out, these exact things were what she needed to confirm what she had been praying. What a relief when she sighed and said, "Yes."
After that, we both wanted to share the happy news with Bill and Jan. We announced it to them and went over to visit for a while, then stayed up late and started planning, calling people and just rejoicing in our news...
This was just the beginning of miracles in our life together, small and large. We were able to pull together a wedding in six weeks, Cindy found a beautiful wedding dress and veil at a fraction of its original cost at a wedding shop. Later, my vision of Abraham and Sarah was fulfilled this way: After over a year of trying to have a baby with various infertility treatments, God blessed us with Joseph. That is another story. When Cindy and I chose an imprint for our wedding napkins, we chose the Bible verse about "a cord of three strands is not easily broken." Jesus has been the "strong strand" in the cord of our life together and we are thankful to be able to celebrate these twenty-five years together.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
What Happened Next - 25th Anniversary Recollections
Cindy: I struggled with my singleness but I accepted it as God's design. I knew that when it came to relationships with men that I couldn't trust that they would be stable and secure or that sin wouldn't mar it.
It happened one weekend, as spring break was just ending, that I went with Christy, Rob and someone else to pick up trucks for Rob's U-Haul business. Somehow I ended up riding with Rob. He scared me to death when the first thing he asked me was "what I looked for in a husband." I quickly said that I didn't -- that I felt as if my singleness was a permanent proposition. He just as quickly told me that he didn't believe our pastor, Bill Woods would agree. In fact, he was quite sure that Bill would say no one in our church had the gift of celibacy. That hit me pretty hard because I was pretty keen on being under the pastoral leaderships' authority. So that night I cried out to God about whether I was wrong, asking "was I protecting myself from rejection, betrayal and insecurity?"
John: Rob started talking about his conversation with Cindy when he got home that Friday night. I told him -- with uncharacteristic bravado -- that I believed Cindy and I were meant to be together and I believed we would be married. His reply was that it would be some sort of miracle because Cindy had told him in no uncertain terms that she would not marry. I countered with the promise that if we were not engaged by the time Sunday ended, I would just drop the issue. Well, I'm not sure how I thought that would happen, but Sunday night came and I was not engaged. I dejectedly said I would keep my word and just let it drop. The next week would be a very down week for me -- sort of trying to "soldier on" disappointedly. Every time I thought about Cindy -- and that was often -- I reminded myself that I was dropping it.
It happened one weekend, as spring break was just ending, that I went with Christy, Rob and someone else to pick up trucks for Rob's U-Haul business. Somehow I ended up riding with Rob. He scared me to death when the first thing he asked me was "what I looked for in a husband." I quickly said that I didn't -- that I felt as if my singleness was a permanent proposition. He just as quickly told me that he didn't believe our pastor, Bill Woods would agree. In fact, he was quite sure that Bill would say no one in our church had the gift of celibacy. That hit me pretty hard because I was pretty keen on being under the pastoral leaderships' authority. So that night I cried out to God about whether I was wrong, asking "was I protecting myself from rejection, betrayal and insecurity?"
John: Rob started talking about his conversation with Cindy when he got home that Friday night. I told him -- with uncharacteristic bravado -- that I believed Cindy and I were meant to be together and I believed we would be married. His reply was that it would be some sort of miracle because Cindy had told him in no uncertain terms that she would not marry. I countered with the promise that if we were not engaged by the time Sunday ended, I would just drop the issue. Well, I'm not sure how I thought that would happen, but Sunday night came and I was not engaged. I dejectedly said I would keep my word and just let it drop. The next week would be a very down week for me -- sort of trying to "soldier on" disappointedly. Every time I thought about Cindy -- and that was often -- I reminded myself that I was dropping it.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
How Cindy and I Met - 25th Anniversary Recollections
John: The first time I met Cindy -- in 1977 -- was at a weekend conference held at a camp next to Caney Lake, just a little ways from Ruston, Louisiana. I had traveled there from Emporia, Kansas with Bill Woods, my pastor. Bill was one of the conference speakers that weekend.
To properly understand the context that all these things happened in, I should do a little background about our church experience. In the early 1970's, several young men and women began an itinerant evangelistic outreach that focused on college campuses. They would locate at a campus, put on musical programs in the dorms, have Bible studies, have outdoor preaching and follow up by trying to band those who responded together as a fledgling church. After a period of time, they would move on to another campus and do the same thing. As a result, there were -- for lack of a better description -- campus Bible study churches from Texas to Ohio to Florida to Louisiana and many campuses in between. Bill Woods was a product of this outreach at Kansas University and had become a facilitator of other similar churches.
When God awakened me to my spiritual need, it was through this type of church, located where I went to college at Emporia State University in Kansas. Cindy had already been a member of the church at Louisiana Tech in Ruston for several years. It was the church at Louisiana Tech that had invited a sister church from Houston for a joint Christian Living conference and Bill Woods was one of the two invited speakers. As one of the founders of the church at Ruston, Bill was the common denominator between Emporia and Ruston.
I distinctly remember sitting outside the dining/meeting hall at a picnic table and talking with Cindy for a short period of time. One thing we still laugh about -- I remember having the conversation and she doesn't. I joke that I must have made a fantastic impression on her! In her defense, when we met and had that conversation, I was pretty overweight and it would be no wonder that when our trails crossed later, I looked different, having lost about 55 pounds.
After the conference, Bill and I traveled back to Ruston, and stayed over at the home of several single men who were in the church there. Cindy and someone else -- I can't remember who -- came over and made a travel lunch for Bill and myself before we headed back to Kansas. Along the way, when we unpacked our lunches, I found an index card with the food. It had the verse saying, "Whom have I in heaven but Thee and there is none upon the earth that I desire but Thee." For some reason I kept that index card for years -- and Cindy was very surprised to find it when she was unpacking my things at the apartment when we returned from our honeymoon.
Sometime later -- in 1979, I think -- Cindy was invited by Bill to consider joining the young fellowship at Emporia to help with the campus and community outreach. Cindy was very ill when the time came to move from Louisiana. She had to have some men in the fellowship drive her car up and move her things while she took a flight. Not long after her arrival, she was hospitalized had to have surgery for her ongoing "female" problems. I remember visiting her in the hospital, but mainly I was kind of a bother to her. I say that for this reason: I was very shy around her and didn't really know what to say -- so I made up for it by repeating things I read in the then-popular book How to Speak Southern. Not the thing to do!
Bill involved me in a project he and Dave Cook -- a pastor from Lawrence, Kansas -- were developing. The vision for this project was to form a pop-rock band that used Top-40 hit music to develop thematic programs bringing biblical concepts into focus. Dave Cook had been a professional drummer, I had been a semi-pro bass player and Bill recruited other band members from several sister churches that were talent-rich. Rehearsals and the subsequent "City Lights" tour kept me pretty tied up through the end of 1980.
After touring, we were sort of in limbo, thinking we might regroup after a rest and go at again. The possibility existed that me might relocate to a place more central to the network of campuses we were involved with. Bloomington, Indiana was one possibility. In the meantime, I got a job at a local discount store named David's -- sort of a regional Target -- which was where Cindy worked in the Cash Office. That was where I began to develop a true affection for her. I wanted to develop a deeper relationship with her, but was torn and fearful. As I pondered my options, I kept thinking of a common Biblical image, one that would figure into events later on. The image was that of Moses bringing the people of Israel to the Red Sea. When they were being apprehended by the Egyptian army, God parted the sea in order for the Israelites to pass over. I always felt in my relationship with Cindy that I was at the sea but it would not part. Until it did, I could not "move forward".
After several months, plans began being implemented for a team of couples and singles to migrate to Bloomington for a church plant. There was no discussion of reviving the music group, but I was urged by the church pastors to relocate to Bloomington. There was little doubt that part of the reason was that as they observed me in relation to Cindy, they realized that there was more emotion than substance and a little distance might put things in a better perspective. That summer, three small teams moved to Bloomington, a month apart. I was in the middle group and moved to Indiana early in June. I busied myself finding work -- not easy to do with 12% unemployment -- but after several weeks, I landed a job as a counter salesperson at Bender Lumber Company in Bloomington and settled in to work and campus ministry.
In the late fall, we had a retreat at an old mansion north of Bloomington. Several people who were still in Emporia came up for the weekend -- including Cindy. Late one evening, we got a change to chat with each other. Among other things, we talked about how we "used to" have feelings for each other months before, but we were past it now. For my own part, that was definitely not the truth. In reality, I never got over it -- and I still haven't!
The following fall, more people, including Bill and Jan Woods and Cindy had made the move to Bloomington and we all busied ourselves with our work and with campus bible studies and fellowship. For my part, I just tried to ignore my feelings and be productive. There were enjoyable opportunities to help her out with little things, like setting and emptying mouse traps, putting on window plastic for winter, having homemade mushroom soup -- yum! I tried to enjoy just being friends and that was okay for then. On through the winter and into the new year, on Valentine’s Day, I remember calling Cindy and chatting with her for several hours. I so enjoyed her. My roommate, Rob was aware of these things and marriage -- in generalities but not specifically -- was a topic of discussion between us.
To properly understand the context that all these things happened in, I should do a little background about our church experience. In the early 1970's, several young men and women began an itinerant evangelistic outreach that focused on college campuses. They would locate at a campus, put on musical programs in the dorms, have Bible studies, have outdoor preaching and follow up by trying to band those who responded together as a fledgling church. After a period of time, they would move on to another campus and do the same thing. As a result, there were -- for lack of a better description -- campus Bible study churches from Texas to Ohio to Florida to Louisiana and many campuses in between. Bill Woods was a product of this outreach at Kansas University and had become a facilitator of other similar churches.
When God awakened me to my spiritual need, it was through this type of church, located where I went to college at Emporia State University in Kansas. Cindy had already been a member of the church at Louisiana Tech in Ruston for several years. It was the church at Louisiana Tech that had invited a sister church from Houston for a joint Christian Living conference and Bill Woods was one of the two invited speakers. As one of the founders of the church at Ruston, Bill was the common denominator between Emporia and Ruston.
I distinctly remember sitting outside the dining/meeting hall at a picnic table and talking with Cindy for a short period of time. One thing we still laugh about -- I remember having the conversation and she doesn't. I joke that I must have made a fantastic impression on her! In her defense, when we met and had that conversation, I was pretty overweight and it would be no wonder that when our trails crossed later, I looked different, having lost about 55 pounds.
After the conference, Bill and I traveled back to Ruston, and stayed over at the home of several single men who were in the church there. Cindy and someone else -- I can't remember who -- came over and made a travel lunch for Bill and myself before we headed back to Kansas. Along the way, when we unpacked our lunches, I found an index card with the food. It had the verse saying, "Whom have I in heaven but Thee and there is none upon the earth that I desire but Thee." For some reason I kept that index card for years -- and Cindy was very surprised to find it when she was unpacking my things at the apartment when we returned from our honeymoon.
Sometime later -- in 1979, I think -- Cindy was invited by Bill to consider joining the young fellowship at Emporia to help with the campus and community outreach. Cindy was very ill when the time came to move from Louisiana. She had to have some men in the fellowship drive her car up and move her things while she took a flight. Not long after her arrival, she was hospitalized had to have surgery for her ongoing "female" problems. I remember visiting her in the hospital, but mainly I was kind of a bother to her. I say that for this reason: I was very shy around her and didn't really know what to say -- so I made up for it by repeating things I read in the then-popular book How to Speak Southern. Not the thing to do!
Bill involved me in a project he and Dave Cook -- a pastor from Lawrence, Kansas -- were developing. The vision for this project was to form a pop-rock band that used Top-40 hit music to develop thematic programs bringing biblical concepts into focus. Dave Cook had been a professional drummer, I had been a semi-pro bass player and Bill recruited other band members from several sister churches that were talent-rich. Rehearsals and the subsequent "City Lights" tour kept me pretty tied up through the end of 1980.
After touring, we were sort of in limbo, thinking we might regroup after a rest and go at again. The possibility existed that me might relocate to a place more central to the network of campuses we were involved with. Bloomington, Indiana was one possibility. In the meantime, I got a job at a local discount store named David's -- sort of a regional Target -- which was where Cindy worked in the Cash Office. That was where I began to develop a true affection for her. I wanted to develop a deeper relationship with her, but was torn and fearful. As I pondered my options, I kept thinking of a common Biblical image, one that would figure into events later on. The image was that of Moses bringing the people of Israel to the Red Sea. When they were being apprehended by the Egyptian army, God parted the sea in order for the Israelites to pass over. I always felt in my relationship with Cindy that I was at the sea but it would not part. Until it did, I could not "move forward".
After several months, plans began being implemented for a team of couples and singles to migrate to Bloomington for a church plant. There was no discussion of reviving the music group, but I was urged by the church pastors to relocate to Bloomington. There was little doubt that part of the reason was that as they observed me in relation to Cindy, they realized that there was more emotion than substance and a little distance might put things in a better perspective. That summer, three small teams moved to Bloomington, a month apart. I was in the middle group and moved to Indiana early in June. I busied myself finding work -- not easy to do with 12% unemployment -- but after several weeks, I landed a job as a counter salesperson at Bender Lumber Company in Bloomington and settled in to work and campus ministry.
In the late fall, we had a retreat at an old mansion north of Bloomington. Several people who were still in Emporia came up for the weekend -- including Cindy. Late one evening, we got a change to chat with each other. Among other things, we talked about how we "used to" have feelings for each other months before, but we were past it now. For my own part, that was definitely not the truth. In reality, I never got over it -- and I still haven't!
The following fall, more people, including Bill and Jan Woods and Cindy had made the move to Bloomington and we all busied ourselves with our work and with campus bible studies and fellowship. For my part, I just tried to ignore my feelings and be productive. There were enjoyable opportunities to help her out with little things, like setting and emptying mouse traps, putting on window plastic for winter, having homemade mushroom soup -- yum! I tried to enjoy just being friends and that was okay for then. On through the winter and into the new year, on Valentine’s Day, I remember calling Cindy and chatting with her for several hours. I so enjoyed her. My roommate, Rob was aware of these things and marriage -- in generalities but not specifically -- was a topic of discussion between us.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Sunset of Life - Jesus and Paul
As I write this, my pastor's wife and friend, Marian Nelson is going through one of the first steps of the process of dealing with the cancer which began in her pancreas and has metastisized to her liver. She was diagnosed this week. Her procedure today is an "easy" one, they will put in a stint to open up a bile duct in her liver. This will hopefully take care of immediate concerns of jaundice, nausea and other possible complications.
Cindy and I have had our own walk down this path since 2004, when she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. It has since metastisized to her spleen, lungs and abdomen. After the initial hysterectomy, she has had radiation, chemo, another surgery to remove her spleen and another spot in her abdomen, more chemo and most recently, removal of parts of her right lung. She is still alive, doing well and enjoying not having chemo. Many people in her shoes were not as fortunate.
Situations like this give us a cause to pause -- to take a "what is life really about" moment. Following are notes from a short talk I gave at our church meeting last Wednesday evening, as we begin to deal with Marian's situation.
Psalm 90:1-12 Things happen in life, particularly when someone close to us has a life-threatening situation, that draw our thoughts back to the brevity of life... We say "our days are numbered." Is that a bad thing? Moses said in this Psalm "teach us to number our days, so that we may present you a heart of wisdom". Knowing our days are numbered can be a helpful incentive to do what we can to make sure our lives count for others.
Life passes quickly, in the morning the grass grows and then in the afternoon, it drys up and withers and is cut down.
John 5:17 Jesus said, "My Father is working up till right now and I myself am working." God began our universe with work. God made us to work. Jesus worked. We talk about retirement and the "sunset years" but in God's economy there is never retirement as we think of it today. We may retire from our occupation, but we never retire from service.
John 9:4 We have to "make hay while the sun shines." The workday will end and there will be no going back and finishing it up.
John 17:4 As Jesus said for his own life, we glorify God by finishing the work he gave us to do.
1 Cor 15:58 No work we do in union with God (John 3:21 Berkeley), nothing, is a waste. Jesus said in Matthew that even a cup of cold water given to serve others in his name will not be forgotten.
Phil 1:12-14 Anything God allows works to his advantage (Romans 8:28 - and to our advantage as his people). Jesus took the worst Rome had to offer its enemies and turned it into liberation for his people. He made the symbol of Rome's power into a symbol of the power of God's kingdom. Paul's detractors thought that house arrest put him out of action. In reality, it created opportunities he would not have had otherwise. Things happen in our lives that we have no control over. God will not let them be a waste, but will work them to our good and his advantage.
Phil 1:19-26 As long as we have breath, we have work. Whether we live or die... "Christ". He will leave us as long has he has a purpose for us being here. If I'm breathing, I'm (hopefully) useful.
Cindy and I have had our own walk down this path since 2004, when she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. It has since metastisized to her spleen, lungs and abdomen. After the initial hysterectomy, she has had radiation, chemo, another surgery to remove her spleen and another spot in her abdomen, more chemo and most recently, removal of parts of her right lung. She is still alive, doing well and enjoying not having chemo. Many people in her shoes were not as fortunate.
Situations like this give us a cause to pause -- to take a "what is life really about" moment. Following are notes from a short talk I gave at our church meeting last Wednesday evening, as we begin to deal with Marian's situation.
Psalm 90:1-12 Things happen in life, particularly when someone close to us has a life-threatening situation, that draw our thoughts back to the brevity of life... We say "our days are numbered." Is that a bad thing? Moses said in this Psalm "teach us to number our days, so that we may present you a heart of wisdom". Knowing our days are numbered can be a helpful incentive to do what we can to make sure our lives count for others.
Life passes quickly, in the morning the grass grows and then in the afternoon, it drys up and withers and is cut down.
John 5:17 Jesus said, "My Father is working up till right now and I myself am working." God began our universe with work. God made us to work. Jesus worked. We talk about retirement and the "sunset years" but in God's economy there is never retirement as we think of it today. We may retire from our occupation, but we never retire from service.
John 9:4 We have to "make hay while the sun shines." The workday will end and there will be no going back and finishing it up.
John 17:4 As Jesus said for his own life, we glorify God by finishing the work he gave us to do.
1 Cor 15:58 No work we do in union with God (John 3:21 Berkeley), nothing, is a waste. Jesus said in Matthew that even a cup of cold water given to serve others in his name will not be forgotten.
Phil 1:12-14 Anything God allows works to his advantage (Romans 8:28 - and to our advantage as his people). Jesus took the worst Rome had to offer its enemies and turned it into liberation for his people. He made the symbol of Rome's power into a symbol of the power of God's kingdom. Paul's detractors thought that house arrest put him out of action. In reality, it created opportunities he would not have had otherwise. Things happen in our lives that we have no control over. God will not let them be a waste, but will work them to our good and his advantage.
Phil 1:19-26 As long as we have breath, we have work. Whether we live or die... "Christ". He will leave us as long has he has a purpose for us being here. If I'm breathing, I'm (hopefully) useful.
Sunset of Life - Moses, Jesus and Paul
As I write this, my pastor's wife and friend, Marian Nelson is going through one of the first steps of the process of dealing with the cancer which began in her pancreas and has metastisized to her liver. She was diagnosed this week. Her procedure today is an "easy" one, they will put in a stint to open up a bile duct in her liver. This will hopefully take care of immediate concerns of jaundice, nausea and other possible complications.
Cindy and I have had our own walk down this path since 2004, when she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. It has since metastisized to her spleen, lungs and abdomen. After the initial hysterectomy, she has had radiation, chemo, another surgery to remove her spleen and another spot in her abdomen, more chemo and most recently, removal of parts of her right lung. She is still alive, doing well and enjoying not having chemo. Many people in her shoes were not as fortunate.
Situations like this give us a cause to pause -- to take a "what is life really about" moment. Following are notes from a short talk I gave at our church meeting last Wednesday evening, as we begin to deal with Marian's situation.
Psalm 90:1-12 Things happen in life, particularly when someone close to us has a life-threatening situation, that draw our thoughts back to the brevity of life... We say "our days are numbered." Is that a bad thing? Moses said in this Psalm "teach us to number our days, so that we may present you a heart of wisdom". Knowing our days are numbered can be a helpful incentive to do what we can to make sure our lives count for others.
Cindy and I have had our own walk down this path since 2004, when she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. It has since metastisized to her spleen, lungs and abdomen. After the initial hysterectomy, she has had radiation, chemo, another surgery to remove her spleen and another spot in her abdomen, more chemo and most recently, removal of parts of her right lung. She is still alive, doing well and enjoying not having chemo. Many people in her shoes were not as fortunate.
Situations like this give us a cause to pause -- to take a "what is life really about" moment. Following are notes from a short talk I gave at our church meeting last Wednesday evening, as we begin to deal with Marian's situation.
Psalm 90:1-12 Things happen in life, particularly when someone close to us has a life-threatening situation, that draw our thoughts back to the brevity of life... We say "our days are numbered." Is that a bad thing? Moses said in this Psalm "teach us to number our days, so that we may present you a heart of wisdom". Knowing our days are numbered can be a helpful incentive to do what we can to make sure our lives count for others.
Life passes quickly, in the morning the grass grows and then in the afternoon, it drys up and withers and is cut down.
John 5:17 Jesus said, "My Father is working up till right now and I myself am working." God began our universe with work. God made us to work. Jesus worked. We talk about retirement and the "sunset years" but in God's economy there is never retirement as we think of it today. We may retire from our occupation, but we never retire from service.
John 9:4 We have to "make hay while the sun shines." The workday will end and there will be no going back and finishing it up.
John 17:4 As Jesus said for his own life, we glorify God by finishing the work he gave us to do.
1 Cor 15:58 No work we do in union with God (John 3:21 Berkeley), nothing, is a waste. Jesus said in Matthew that even a cup of cold water given to serve others in his name will not be forgotten.
Phil 1:12-14 Anything God allows works to his advantage (Romans 8:28 - and to our advantage as his people). Jesus took the worst Rome had to offer its enemies and turned it into liberation for his people. He made the symbol of Rome's power into a symbol of the power of God's kingdom. Paul's detractors thought that house arrest put him out of action. In reality, it created opportunities he would not have had otherwise. Things happen in our lives that we have no control over. God will not let them be a waste, but will work them to our good and his advantage.
Phil 1:19-26 As long as we have breath, we have work. Whether we live or die... "Christ". He will leave us as long has he has a purpose for us being here. If I'm breathing, I'm (hopefully) useful.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
John and Cindy
Kings Cross, London UK 2007