If you’re not a parent and never raised little children this image might not resonate with you. But I remember as a young new parent with twin children trying to teach my boys to eat. Like every child I’ve ever encountered they had a tendency to take their food and throw some of it on the floor. Then they’d cry because they were hungry and didn’t have enough to eat. When dealing with children, we kind of laugh it off as if it’s no big deal, but what if an older person were to do that? I can’t imagine what would happen if I would have done that at 13 at the supper table with my parents!
Growing up going to church taught me a lot. I went to Sunday worship and even bible class as a child. Then when I was old enough, I went through something called confirmation. This was when I learned the ins and outs of what the church I attended believed. We studied things like baptism and communion and prayer. But before all that we took time to study the famous 10 Commandments. In our most recent series in worship, we’ll be digging deeper into these very commandments to gain a better understanding. Let’s start here.
This week at church we looked at one of the most adult rated stories in the entire bible. If this were made into a movie it would not be on television and it would likely not make it past your parental control settings. It was the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Perhaps you know the story? Maybe not? Let me give you the PG-13 version.
There’s a lot of talk in the world right now. Everyone has something to say. Bloggers blog. Writers write. Speakers speak. We update our Facebook with all of our thoughts and feelings. We have no problem telling peopel what we’re for and what we’re against. But there’s something we might have forgotten and that’s the theme of this week’s MusicMonday.
Enough is enough already. When did we become a divided people? When did we fall for the trap of evil that has been set before us? When did we become so stupid that we follow the horrible lead of violence? What made us give in to the idea that hatred and destruction are the answer?
We are not together. I don’t know of a time when division was more prominent. The unfortunate thing is that this is being called a racial division but that’s just not true. There is racial tension and inequality to be certain but that’s not the real problem we face. The violence and the hatred being spread around our cities like manure flung in a farmer’s field is not about race. It’s about evil. Pure evil.
I pray for my brothers and sisters around the world regardless of race or color or gender or political background. I pray for those who hurt and those who lack the confidence to live the lives they’ve been given to live. I pray for those who are violently held back in life.
It’s time to realize that we have merely one shot at this life. We can opt to mess it up and make it miserable for everyone around us by trashing their businesses and homes and ruining our own stuff. Or we can choose to serve those in need. Support our local business owners. Clean up after these riots. Care for one another. Walk shoulder to shoulder through this life together. The choice is yours. I pray you choose together.
The last couple of weeks have been pretty packed and I haven’t had a chance to write. Writing can be a bit healing for me. Today we’re going to pause for a minute and realize just how amazing God is. In a world that’s filled with pain, hurt, heartache, let downs, depression, sadness, death and so many other negative things swirling around us.
It seems I find an author and stick with them for a bit, and this week’s book review is no different. This week we take a look at Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love. This book as been around for several years but is definitely worth the read. As I’ve explained the premise of Crazy Love and other selections of his to several people recently, his books have become a punch in the gut for the comfortable and complacent, Christian church in North America.
Why do we celebrate Christmas? Why do we gather around a tree with our family and give each other gifts? Why is it ok for a large man in a red suit to invite children to sit on his lap and no one finds that wrong? Why is it that we tend to fill our churches on Christmas more than on the Sunday after Christmas? This week in our Adventually series we address the idea of love by asking the question why.
Maybe it’s a business trip. Maybe it’s a move to a new place. Maybe it’s just a temporary distance. This song was written by one of the members of For King and Country as they were on tour. He was praying that God would hold his wife while he was away. I’m not sure who you’re away from right now or who you’re praying this song over but take comfort and know that God is doing just that holding her tonight.
Bob Goff is a great writer and has made me realize something simply by the choice of covers on his books. This is Goff’s second published book and both have something in common – balloons! Balloons on the cover are so fun and vibrant and honestly simply nonthreatening. But there’s more to this book than just balloons on the cover. The theme of the book is about loving others how God loves us. This book answers the questions: who does God want us to love and when does he want us to love them? The answer…
