Causing a Commotion in Worship

   I was sitting on the end of the seventh row of the large church auditorium at the New Room Conference in south Nashville, Tennessee. The opening speaker, passionate about Jesus, had the room of 1500 sitting on the edge of our seats; he was really good. After a little while, I uncrossed my legs to adjust in my seat and my foot brushed against…

   …my water bottle, sitting on the inclined floor in front of me. It starts rolling and I froze. It did not stop. At first slowly and then making more and more noise, I closed my eyes and prayed that God would make me invisible. He didn’t. It rolled down the aisle on the right side of the huge room, all seven rows, coming to a stop right at the front of the stage. The speaker is still going, not aware of what had happened, but everyone around me has been watching my water bottle and turning around looking for the dummy that got it started. At this point, the man sitting in front of me, turns around and says, “That was a holy roller moment.” I recognize him as Professor Ben Witherington, a world-renowned Bible teacher as Asbury Seminary in Kentucky. He then smiles wide and says, “I’ve never seen a water bottle answer an altar call.” God was humbling me through a bottle of water.
   Are we rolling toward Jesus? Are we moving forward when God calls? Do we respond in worship?
   Psalm 19:1 proclaims that, “Heaven is declaring God’s glory, the sky is proclaiming his handiwork.” Speaking about God, Isaiah 55:12 says, “mountains and the hills before you shall break forth in song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Just days before the crucifixion, the Pharisees scolded the Jesus-followers as they sang the praises of Jesus. He responded that if they didn’t sing that God would make the rocks cry out (Luke 19:40).
   Oh Lord, don’t make rocks cry out your praise when we’ve been perfectly created to do it. I sometimes need people to knock me over to get me rolling. God is drawing us toward him. Will we roll with it, or resist? Lord, help me to turn around and come to you. Draw me nearer
Grace and peace, Scott

Water, Bleach, Prayer, Clean Hearts

   I have to admit, I am enamored with the transformation of the exterior of our historic 1891 Chapel building. I have literally stopped my car in the street twice now to admire it and snap photos while driving past the church for some other reason. The Trustees, thanks to a reference from Larry Collier, turned to Tony Hinnant, former WRHS principal and now contractor, to perform the work of resurfacing the siding, making improvements to some electrical connections, and repairing structures frames around doorways. The work is almost completed and I could not be more impressed. From the outside it looks new, while the inside keeps the charm and history that we all love.
   It is the work that the crew has done on all three of our steeples that probably gets my attention most, though. To be honest, our steeples had starting look somewhat shabby. It was not a matter of structural concern; they were covered in mildew and grime. However, that is now a thing of the past. It is amazing what a blend of tap-water and bleach can do for an exterior, isn't it?
   How does grime get onto a steeple? It happens naturally and over time, of course. Once it starts, you have to be intentional about removing it.
   Isn't this true for us? Sin clings naturally and over time. Psalm 51 says,

Purify me with hyssop and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and celebration again; let the bones you crushed rejoice once more. Hide your face from my sins; wipe away all my guilty deeds! Create a clean heart for me, God; put a new, faithful spirit deep inside me! 

Although we receive a cleansed and changed heart when we accept Christ, in a sense we need a heart change every morning. Each morning we should get down on our knees and say, “Lord, help me to be the person you want me to be today. Wash away the grime and take away the desires that shouldn’t be there, and help me be single-minded in my focus and my pursuit of you.” As we do this, God comes and cleanses us from the inside out, purifying our hearts.

   What does it matter? Who does it affect? Sin and the weight that clings to us not only pulls us down, it also affects our witness. We are called to be salt and light - not sin and grime! 

   Grace and peace, Scott

Am I Talking To You?

   The spiritual life is not a life before, after, or beyond our everyday existence. No, the spiritual life can only be real when it is lived in the midst of the pains and joys of the here and now. Therefore we need to begin with a careful look at the way we think, speak, feel, and act from hour to hour, day to day, week to week, and year to year, in order to become more fully aware of our hunger for the Spirit. As long as we have only a vague inner feeling of discontent with our present way of living, and only an indefinite desire for "things spiritual," our lives will continue to stagnate in a generalized melancholy. We often say, "I am not very happy. I am not content with the way my life is going. I am not really joyful or peaceful, but I just don't know how things can be different, and I guess I have to be realistic and accept my life as it is." It is this mood of resignation that prevents us from actively searching for the life of the Spirit. 

   Our first task is to dispel the vague, murky feeling of discontent and to look critically at how we are living our lives. This requires honesty, courage, and trust. We must honestly unmask and courageously confront the many self-deceptive games. We must trust that are honesty and courage will lead us not to despair, but to a new heaven and a new earth.

   - Henri Nouwen, from Making All Things New

   Our first task is to look critically at how we are living our lives. We must stop deceiving ourselves. We must be honest with ourselves. If we follow truth it will lead us to heaven. Sounds good, but....
 None of this easy. 

   First, many people who read all the way through the article to this very point are not even aware that these words or warning could apply to them. I don't talk like this often (maybe I should more), but the ruler of this world (Jesus says that is Satan in John 12) is working against us at the most basic levels. The world does not want us to think deeply. It wants us to never ask ourselves about our own motivations. The bad guys would be happy if we never thought about our attitudes and certainly if we never learned that we have the final say over our approach to God, neighbor and self.
   There is good news: there is a power available to everyone that overcomes, short-circuits, and crushes the spiritual forces of wickedness that would keep us dumb to our own self-defeating tendencies and drag us into the lowest depths imaginable. The power for good has been written into our software: the Holy Spirit is within us, if we would turn it on through repentance and commit to the Way of Jesus.
   Am I talking to you? Maybe. Grace and Peace, Scott

Runs like new again

"If an ax is dull and one doesn't sharpen it first, then one must exert more force. 
It's profitable to be skillful and wise." - Ecclesiastes 10:10

   While this was not one of the verses I lifted up in this past weekend's sermon that attempted to summarize the entire book of Ecclesiastes, it is a great example of the straightforward wisdom found within those pages. Solomon was talking about axes, but he could just have easily made his point talking about lawnmowers, that is, if they'd been invented at the time. A lot of things can go wrong with a lawnmower, but even if everything else is just right, it does not accomplish its purpose well with dull blades. 

   This was my life until earlier this week. I'd come to realize that the blades on the Troy-Bilt Zero Turn 42" mower were more than just dull - some of them were missing. Over time, the ends of the blades had chipped off and were gone. It was most noticeable when the two blades, spinning side by side, would leave a 4" streak of tall grass, like a mohawk haircut, on every pass around the yard. So, Larry and I set out to replace the blades. After finding the right YouTube video, buying a $2 cheater bar to loosen the hexnuts underneath, and about two hours of work, we accomplished the task. It felt glorious. 

   This story offers more lessons and applications for my life than I can count. The one speaking the most clearly to me is this: it feels good to get things back to right, again. We get dulled and dinged by life. Some of have 'proverbial' parts missing, having been knocked off by some conflict with others or even a self-inflicted hurt. While we cannot go to the parts store on North Davis and find one to match our individual model numbers, there is a method for being restored 'like new,' again.    
   As Mark tells the story, Jesus enters the scene preaching a message that went like this, "Now is the time! Here comes God's kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!" We don't need to go looking anywhere else for the replacement parts; God's power can change us from within. God can sharpen our minds and care for our souls, if we would just trust this good news. 
   Pray this with me: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Grace and Peace, Scott