These Are the Days

 

Paul Simon knows how to weave lyrics into paradoxical complexity with flair and calculated affect.

"These are the days of miracle and wonder
This is the long distance call
The way the camera follows us in slo-mo
The way we look to us all
The way we look to a distant constellation
That's dying in a corner of the sky
These are the days of miracle and wonder
And don't cry baby, don't cry
Don't cry"

The surrounding stanzas all depict the contradictory observations of a world gone crazy with its own technological and political imbalances. Is he speaking hope or mockery? I choose hope.

I always choose hope.

These are indeed days of miracles and wonder. I have never doubted that. I see miracles everywhere and, like Rabbi Heschell, I stand in wonder and awe.

It is indeed a long-distance call, it it is also a local call. God is both imminent and transcendent. He is near and far, among us and beyond us, involved and removed. He defines paradox even as He reconciles paradoxical truth within Himself.

The camera follows us in slo-mo and that is but one perspective. Speed it up, like looking at the vastness of the infinite universe with focus on a distant constellation that may not be today what it was when the light we are now beholding was dispatched. Miracles and wonder.

We stand back from ourselves and our circumstances and we see things differently. we are part of something greater.

Don't cry, baby; don't cry.

 

 

Setting the Table

The Next STEPS of SOLUTIONS:

I am looking at integrating the Entrepreneur's table with the ministry of the local church and modelling it in our congregation.

What is your impression about how much Proverbs and the rest of the Bible have to say about these issues is the following list?

 

Wealth and accumulation of wealth

Justice for the poor

Fair business practices

Advice for attaining prosperity

Values

Stewardship of wealth

Giving and generosity?

 

My observation is that it is a major topic in Proverbs, In what ways has God's church limited its message and help in these areas? I think it is major as well.

We reluctantly address tithing when absolutely necessary and our backs are agains the wall - but we say very little about wealth definition, accumulation, preservation, and stewardship beyond giving to worthy causes.

 

What are some solutions for being more wholistic in our approach? What fears or obstacles might we face? These are some of the questions we recently addressed wioth our congregation.

 

To what extent might we have to invent a solution as we go along? Where might we find resources?

Suppose a group began to meet regularly to study God’s principles of wealth & business and with the opportunity to support, collaborate, work together on some projects, and pray for each other? What else might we include?

 

Who do you think might be interested in your own community? When, how often, and for how long should we meet?  what about combin ing it with the activites of a leads group? Perhaps we would invite in leaders in various network marketing businesses? would they come?

 

How might we use it as a tool for evangelism and discipleship?

 

Might God be using our crises in giving in the churches to birth something great that will bless our communities and the church as a whole?

Skate Church at BT

In the interest of promoting my church and my friend, Bill Tucker, our Skate Pastor (How many of you pastors have on of those?????), here is a link to our skate church web site. it is very, very cool with some great pictures and information:

Visit the:
The Temple Skate Church Web Site
I will post something in the future about how this ministry came to be and how it is possible for a church of almost any size to do it.

Solutions - Day 10 - Necessary

From all the readings today (See  Solutions for readings), I am confronted with the conclusion  that all valid premises lead to necessities. We MUST respond to a presentation of truth either to refute it, comply with it, or ignore it. From Moses' sermon in Deuteronomy, the necessity is to be faithful to the covenant and show great care in the area of obedience to God. In Philippians, Paul tells his friends that the must go on living for their benefit and for God's purposes even though he would welcome a fast track to heaven. In II Corinthians 9:5 Paul sensed to do what was necessary to enable the Corinthians o give generously. In Acts 1:21 it was necessary to appoint new leadership in the church.

Some things we do because we want to; some things because it is convenient; others because they are imperative. What I MUST do today is disc over what I MUST do ... and then, do it.

Solutions - Day 9 - Obligate and More

My reflections today on Deuteronomy 28 pointed me to the reality of my obligation under covenant with God to be holy, called by His Name, and in leadership for His sake.

With great blessing always comes great responsibility and obligation. The Kennedys and the Rockefellers drilled this into the consciousness of their children and grandchildren. It became a family culture from which few departed. It ought to be a part of the culture of God's people as well.

I identify with Paul in Romans 1:14-16 that I am a debtor of good news. Frank Pollard once said, "Because I know it, I owe it." That means that I am obligated to find a way to share good news so that it really does come out as good news and not condemnation and it is receivable. I cannot determine that it will be received, but I can present it in such a way as not to alienate the hearer for the wrong reasons - namely that I was obnoxious, pushy, or evasive.

Romans 8:12-13 reminds me that I have an obligation to mortify the flesh with its deeds and motive and live by the Spirit with my spirit.
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Other Stuff ...

What I saw on Letterman last night was a glimpse of how church ought to work and it was totally from outside the church.

We had seen a comic make an absolute idiot of himself by ranting racial slurs and yelling at the audience. Spouting profanities seems to be tantamount to punctuation marks in the comedy community as evidenced through "Comic Relief" the other night. But this went way over the edge and revealed something deep and troubling about Michael Richards that I am not sure even he understands.

Then we saw the condemnations. They were justified and real. What normally happens is that friends go into hiding or denounce the person. This happens in church as we shoot our wounded soldiers. It happens in government. It is true of both public and private life.

What happened next was uncharacteristic of public discourse. Jerry Seinfeld reached out to his friend without condoning the behavior. In fact, he privately and publicly deplored the behavior. He apparently offered wise counsel throughout the day and urged Michael to openly and publically repent of his words and offer apologies.

Finally, Jerry offered a spot on his own time on Letterman for Michael to do so and even gently rebuked the audience for laughing. He told Letterman that "this is a person I love," and stood by him. Michael's apology was one of the most brutally honest, no-excuses, heartfelt apologies I have ever heard.

The words he used on stage make my skin crawl, but I believed Micahel Richards' apology. More so, I applaud Jerry Seinfeld for being a friend and an example of what Christians ought to be and David Letterman for making the forum available.

We learn from unlikely sources and this was one.

Concerning Comic Relief, I am a bit sad. What a line-up! For one thing, the three hosts are some of the most tallented, good-hearted, responsible, funny individuals in show business. What a tragedy that they and nearly every other entertainer on the show had to be b leeped repeatedly for profanity. I was flipping channels and hoping against hope I could find something funny that wasn't bleeped out - because I love the work these guys do in mainstream media. Beyond that, I loved what they were trying to accomplish that night.

The question is why must they resort to this lowest common denominator of profanity? Is it supposedly more real? I don't know, but it is not the reality I choose.

I won't give up on these guys, but I am disappointed and hope someone will lead the way to a return to clean humor. In the meantime, I'll be praying for Michael Richards as he does what he described as "personal work."

SOLUTIONS - Days 6-8 - Innovation and Intercession

Days 6-7 – Reflecting on the journey so far leads me to believe that God has directed my heart toward these specific scriptures with purpose and precision. I did not plan down time from what I intended for my down time, but it has proven productive. Jell-O has to jell, pudding has to “pud,” and stew tastes better in the morning. There have been some surprises in this time of retreat, but I doubt anyone would be surprised by them but me.

Day 8

Deuteronomy 28 Reflections - From verse 1, I had to stop with the words, “carefully follow,” and wonder how much care and attention to detail is required of me. How much have I neglected? How much glossing over have I done in attempt to “get on with it?”

After all, a C-flat is not a C. 439 vibrations do not make a perfect A 440. If I am off an inch, I am off a mile except that the correction for the fine tuning may be a bit more excruciating. Excellence is always achieved in the fine tuning.

That goes to the issues of INNOVATION and INTERCESSION. Joel 2:28 associates the work of the Spirit with dreaming dreams and seeing visions. Daniel (9:17-23) was a dreamer and an intercessor. His vision for the future was rooted in God’s past favors to Israel, but also in a reality that none around him could see. As he prayed, Gabriel the angel came to give him understanding. Gabriel told him that as soon as he began to pray, the answer was given.

Note that the answer was given even before Daniel knew it.

This is the fine tuning we/I need in this journey. To intercede with innovation in mind is the key. It not innovation that I invent for the sake of novelty, but God’s ideas coming to us in prayer that are solutions we have not previously imagined. They may not be new from an eternal perspective, but they are profoundly new in terms of what we have been willing to believe God for so far.

Deuteronomy 28:3 says we will be blessed in the country and blessed in the city. I have been blessed in the country for the last week. It is now almost time to return home and be blessed in the city.

 

Solutions Journal - Day 5

Day 5 - Trust and Test (Taking Risks)

Faith is risky and trust is tried in the testing of our faith. If I don't act on faith, it is probably not real faith. Real faith permeates everything and flavors my whole life. It seeps from the outside and oozes out from the inside.

Deuteronomy 28 Insights for today - I sense God nudging me/us toward pro-activity on our part regarding the things He intends to bless. First, obedience, then the normal activities work, business, planting, and reaping - all bathed in the refreshing waters of faith-trust.

We don't get paid up front in business or conventional jobs. we believe in the "pay-off" at the end of the task. Sometimes, it takes me months or even years to get paid for my time investments. In the same way, God does not send all of His rewards on the front-end.

We must stretch ourselves through the trust/test connection and that can seem very risky.

Malachi goes further, extending this "risk" to our finances. God uses the prophet's voice to call for a material investment in the process of being blessed. While there is a promise attached, it is not the principle reason for the investment. The reason is that we are simply returning what rightfully belongs to God.

And that is the essence of stewardship: It is all God's stuff and we are God's people. In psalm 23, we are reminded that He leads us in the paths of righteousness for HIS NAMES' SAKE.

That means that God has a vested interest in our success in the area of righteousness (i.e. right relationship and right direction).

The lesson for me? I must put my time an d treasures where my mouth is.

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Solutions Journal - Days 3 and 4

Day 3 – Learn, Lean, Love

From Deuteronomy 28 – The blessing of God, through obedience can be upon everything I put my hand to. This presupposes that I am putting my hand to those things that are in accordance with God’s purposes since I am obeying Him. It is the same principle at work as in Psalm 37:4. If I delight myself in the Lord, the Lord can trust me enough to give me the desires of my heart because He is shaping those desires.

Lord, shape my desires as I learn, from You, to lean upon You and to love You.

As You shape my desires, may I become productive for Your purposes.

Learn- Matthew 28:29-30 outlines the process of learning. First, we must come and it is a rag-tag group He calls to do so, worn out and beaten down by life, old dogs who have given up learning new tricks. We are promised fulfillment (rest). The second step in the process is to submit to a yoke which binds us to Him and to our yoke-fellows. Then we begin to learn, but our learning is from Jesus. What we learn is that He is no stern schoolmaster, but one who is gentle, humble, and generous in giving rest.

 

Lean – Proverbs 3:5-6 teaches me/us to lean by instructing us what not to lean upon, namely, our own understanding. It is not that understanding is frowned upon; it is that our human understanding is so limited as to exclude vast storehouses of information and interpretation. Yet, it is so compelling and simplistic that we are eager to settle for it only to discover later that the missing piece was the puzzle component that brought the whole picture into cohesion and that it was in His hand.

 

Love – They asked Jesus in Matthew 22:34-40 what was most important in the law and He answered from two Old Testament scriptures. The first was a specific answer to their specific question: Love God. Then He went further to illustrate the importance of loving other people. Finally, He reduced the rationale for all law and instruction to these two: Love God and others and you will keep all the rest of the laws.

As I seek God’s will in my life and ministry and in the life of the church I lead, I come to understand that decisions must be based upon what God Himself teaches, my faith in the reliability of His Word and applications that are filtered through the law of love.

Day 4 - Understand

Deuteronomy 28 reminds me that to walk in God’s ways and to carefully follow those ways, even given the lessons of yesterday, presume understanding that may often be beyond me. I need to understand some things that I do not yet understand.

Therefore, the prayer of David in Psalm 119:25 is one which I can apply. I need discernment and the request for discernment is legitimized in the scriptures.

God, teach me and open my eyes to be like those wise men who were called upon by the king because of their ability to understand the times and know what needed to be done.

The Process

I am secluded in the hills. For that reason, I do not have a prayer partner for the SOLUTIONS process through which I am leading my church. Therefore, I will make all of you my prayer partners and record my journal here.

I share them because some of the concepts with which I grapple can be transferred and contextualized to your own life.

Yesterday was a traveling day and I did not get to post. So, we'll have two entries today.

Day 1 - Seek

My reflections on Deuteronomy - What struck me were these words:

"The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb,"

I am taking them a bit out of context here, but they spoke to me in the midst of real concern for my kids and grandchildren. I seem to focus on many tasks at once - and sometimes do, but when there are problems with my children and worries about their futures, I sometimes become very single minded. I have spent a great many hours in prayer for them. At the same time, I need to focus on the tasks that have brought me to the mountains.

Full integration  of life and faith is a spiritual exercise of trust in God. I trust God that He will provide for our church, our church families, and me and my family. Increase is His mode of operation.

From Matthew 7 - Seeking is not divorced from asking and knocking. How many knocks does it take to get someone to come to the door? God is no fickle and is not playing games with us, but He does want us to persist in prayer. He wants our participation. Likewise, He wants to tell us what He is doing in a way that we can understand His larger purposes and to the extent that we are ready and able to receive them.

When do I stop seeking? When do I stop knocking or asking?

At least not until I have an answer that leads me to stop. I believe that God knows things that i don't know and that none of us know. Some of those things are the answer to whatever challenges we face as individuals, as a community, and as a church. Some of that He wishes to share with us so that we can join Him in His work.

If I do not seek, I will not find.

Day 2 - Obey

From Deuteronomy - I am to fully obey and carefully follow. I know I am often lax and casual about holy things. This cannot be if I am to enter into the promises of God fully and completely. I do not see a call to prudish "sourpussism" here, but to joyful embrace of the ways of God. Obedience is a thing of great joy!

Samuel told Saul that it is better than sacrifice in I Samuel 15:22.

God isn't as much interested in how miserable I make myself in the course of following Him as He is in my willingness to follow and in my follow-through on that commitment. I can offer everything I have, but it does not matter if I do not offer who I am.

Jesus said that this yoke is easy and this burden light. It doesn't always seem that way, but it seems less that way when I am waging war with god over His simple instructions.

God is not interested in controversy over this business of obedience. He just wants me to do it.

It may mean doing just what i am doing now - sitting in a cabin alone in the mountains seeking Him, writing/finishing a book I have been putting off for years, letting Him take care of the problems at home, and learning to trust Him - which is the first and greatest act of obedience.

Heading for the Hills

Thanks to my friends Shelda and Hal Green and a very supportive church and wife, I am leaving today for a week-long personal retreat in the High Sierra where I will read, write, study, pray, and reflect.

I have some major goals and minor goals.

The major goal is to hear from God.

The next goal is to be able to put some of what I hear into written form.

I'll be checking in.

Solutions

Some of you read the sermon I posted last week on Romans 8 as it related to a financial crisis and mission recommitment in our church. Today, I am updating that theme in hopes that what we are working through may be an encouragment in ylour life and work. I call, it SOLUTIONS

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 (NIV © 1999, International Bible Society – all scriptures quoted from NIV)

1- If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 -All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:

3 - You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

4 -The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

5 - Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

6 -You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

7 - The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.

8 - The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

9 - The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. 10 - Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. 11 - The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.

12 - The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 - The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 - Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.

The Process

• Read this scripture      daily and discuss fresh insights with a friend/prayer partner.
• Call your      friend/prayer partner daily to share the devotional and pray for God’s      solutions in your life and in the life of our church.
• Continue your own      personal daily Bible reading and find applications for our common concerns      as a church and the concept of the day.

 The Solutions Formula:

S for Seek; O for Obey; L for Lean, Learn, and Love; U for Understand; T for Trust and Test; I for Innovate and Intercede; O for Obligate; N for Necessity; S for Surrender

 

 

Monday, November 13 – Seek

What are you discovering in your daily Bible reading about seeking God? What does the Deuteronomy passage suggest, imply, or teach about seeking God? Read the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:7-12. What do they teach us about seeking? How can seeking God as individual members and as a church provide solutions to our needs and direction for ministry? In a separate journal, record some of the things God is speaking to your heart.

 

Tuesday, November 14 –Obey

What are you discovering in your daily Bible reading about obeying God? What does the Deuteronomy passage suggest, imply, or teach about obeying God? Read I Samuel 15:22. What does it teach us about obeying? How can obeying God as individual members and as a church provide solutions to our needs and direction for ministry? In a separate journal, record some of the things God is speaking to your heart.

 

Wednesday, November 15 – Learn, Lean, and Love

What are you discovering in your daily Bible reading about these disciplines? What does the Deuteronomy passage suggest, imply, or teach about them? What does it mean to learn from God, to lean on Him, and to love Him? Read Matthew 11:28-30 for learning, Proverbs 3:5-6 for leaning, and Matthew 22:34-40 for loving. What do these verse teach us about how we make decisions and gain insight into solutions? In a separate journal, record some of the things God is speaking to your heart.

 

Thursday, November 16 – Understand

What are you discovering in your daily Bible reading about understanding God’s will? What does the Deuteronomy passage suggest, imply, or teach about understanding? What does it help you to actually understand about God? Read Psalm 119:125? Stop and pray that prayer to God in your own words. How can understanding God’s ways provide solutions to our needs and direction for ministry? In a separate journal, record some of the things God is speaking to your heart.

 

Friday, November 17 – Trust and Test (take a risk)

What are you discovering in your daily Bible reading about trusting God? What does the Deuteronomy passage suggest, imply, or teach about trusting God? In the time with your prayer partner, what scriptures come to mind about trusting God? How can trusting God as individual members and as a church provide solutions to our needs and direction for ministry? What are some areas of your personal and church life where you need to trust God more? While testing God is generally frowned upon in scripture, there are a few times where we are challenged to do so. Malachi 3:6-12 is one of those times. What is the relationship between trusting Him and taking the risk of testing His promise? What good are God’s promises if we do not put them into practice? In a separate journal, record some of the things God is speaking to your heart.

 

Saturday, November 18

Review and Catch-Up

Apply God’s grace to your life if you are behind, have not gotten started, or missed a day. Use this day to catch up. What are you discovering in your daily Bible reading about seeking God? What does the Deuteronomy passage suggest, imply, or teach about the words we have been considering? Read what you would ordinarily read today. If you don’t have a Bible reading program, read the 18^th chapter of Proverbs and the 18^th Psalm as the correspond d to the day of the month.. What do they teach us about our current situation? How can they help provide solutions to our needs and direction for ministry? In a separate journal, record some of the things God is speaking to your heart.

 

Sunday, November 19

Come to church.

Do what you do to prepare for worship. Come prayerfully and expectantly. Touch base with your prayer partner. What are you discovering in your daily Bible reading about seeking God? Share some of that with folks at church. What has the Deuteronomy passage suggested, implied, or taught you this week? Share with someone. How can doing these exercises individual members and as a church provide solutions to our needs and direction for ministry? In a separate journal, record some of the things God is speaking to your heart. Take notes on Pastor Jack’s sermon. Pick up this week’s assignment. Rejoice!

 

Monday, November 20 –Innovate and Intercede

Read Joel 2:28 and Daniel 9:17-23.What does the Holy Spirit say to you about intercessory prayer and innovation (The act of introducing something new) What are you discovering in your daily Bible reading about how

God speaks fresh insights into our lives through prayer? What does the Deuteronomy passage suggest, imply, or teach about these things? How can these insights equip us as individual members and as a church to provide solutions to our needs and direction for ministry? In a separate journal, record some of the things God is speaking to your heart.

 

Tuesday, November 21 –Obligate

What are you discovering in your daily Bible reading about our obligations to God? What does the Deuteronomy passage suggest, imply, or teach about that? Read Romans 1:14-16 and 8:12-13. What do these two passages teach us? What are some other obligations we have that you can remember from scripture? How can fulfilling our obligations to God and others as individual members and as a church provide solutions to our needs and direction for ministry? In a separate journal, record some of the things God is speaking to your heart.

 

Wednesday, November 22 –Necessity

Read Philippians 1:21-24, II Corinthians 9:4, an d Acts 1:21 to see some examples where the church and the apostles acted out of necessity. How do we determine what is necessary today? What are you discovering in your daily Bible reading about GFo’d timeless necessities? What does the Deuteronomy passage suggest, imply, or teach about this? How can zeroing in on necessities as individual members and as a church provide solutions to our needs and direction for ministry? In a separate journal, record some of the things God is speaking to your heart.

 

Thursday, November 23 –Surrender

A biblical word for surrender is “consecrated.” What are you discovering in your daily Bible reading about consecrating ourselves and our possessions to God? What does the Deuteronomy passage suggest, imply, or teach about consecration and surrender? The first part of Leviticus 11:44. What does it teach us about consecration? How can consecrating ourselves to God as individual members and as a church provide solutions to our needs and direction for ministry? In a separate journal, record some of the things God is speaking to your heart.

 

Friday, November 24

SOLUTIONS

Read the Deuteronomy passage in another translation today and look for each of the concepts of “solutions.” Pray through each of them..

 

Saturday, November 25 and Sunday

Review and Commit

See the assignments for last Saturday and Sunday and apply them to where you are today. What are the key issues that God has brought to your heart over these last two weeks and what will you do about them?

 

Life in the Spirit = Adventure

I have been preaching on the book of Romans for a while now. The first 7 chapters are filled with indictment. redemption, and ongoing struggle of people in the God movement with sin in their own live. I relate on every page.

Chapter 8 takes a dramatic turn as Paul begins to describe life in the Spirit as an adventure of unimaginable proportions.

Last Sunday, I preached on the first 14 verses. As I began to prepare, I was challenged with an unexpected impetus. Our church book-keeper, with whom I happened to have lived for thirty one years, got in my face with our finance report.

Suddenly, I had the need, even calling to be nuts and boltsy in the pulpit when I wanted to be spiritual and affirming.

Not about to abandon the series which I believe God had given me, I sought application to our situation from the selected Scriptures.

I never want to be so heavenly minded that I am no earthly good - and am seldom in danger of irrelevance for that reason. However, I may have perpetuated a dichotomy from time to time.

I have decided to post the results of the synthesis here because it is part of my exercise and may do you and my church some good. You can view it by downloading  Romans_8_Life in the Spirit - doc or by visiting our News Page.