As I read through my last post, I wasn't sure that I was completely clear. The thing is that I believe that we the subject is bigger than can be contained in a blog or two so I'm going to write a book and you can get a copy of it...wait, no I'm not. I would, however, like to clear up what I meant by agenda.
Our agenda, as followers of Jesus, cannot be to get people to join our church. It should never be to get people to do what WE want them to do. It cannot be to change people into what we think they should look like. It should not be to change their sexual orientation. It should never be advertised as something that it is not. It cannot be to get them to join our small group. It is never to be to get them to read better books and it absolutely cannot be to somehow earn the love that we are going to give them.
Our agenda is to be to show them Jesus. This means loving without strings attached, but means sharing the message of who Jesus is along with that love. Not in a way that preaches or shoves down the throat and not in such a way as to have to always get in a word about Jesus. It doesn't have to be on the sign and it doesn't have to be the first and the last thing that we say. But the message should at some point turn to Jesus.
Hopefully this makes my message a bit more clear.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
strings and agendas
I go through waves with my reading. I read a ton, and then it's like I can't figure out how to find a minute here or there to read. I mostly read books that are recommended to me by friends or spiritual mentors of mine, or if a favorite author writes a new volume I'll usually pick it up.
It seems that lately most of what I have read has a huge angle toward social justice. I have not purposely looked for this theme, but I have truly been challenged to live in such a way that I am watching for opportunities to use the resources that I have been given to help lift those who do not have. I absolutely believe that the church must move with purpose in the direction of loving as Jesus loved. It is all over the Scriptures that we are to love.
We are to love one another, we are told that if we do not love others, we don't love God. We are told that if we don't have love we are like an annoying cymbal. We are told that loving those who have the capacity to give something back to us is the easy kind of love, but the love like Jesus' love is the kind that loves those who can give us nothing in return. The Scripture just screams it out. The message of Jesus must be communicated with an unconditional love and with everything we've been given above our needs, the American church (I am definitely included in that number though hopefully moving in the right direction) has left a huge gap between the love that is being shown and the ability/capacity that we have to love.
The thing about the prominent message out there is this continual call to love with no strings attached and no agenda. Now, I think I know what is being called for and I do believe that when we love those around us it should never be with small print that says, "All we're trying to do is get you to join our group." People should understand that whether or not they join our specific church or whether or not they accept our beliefs they will still be loved and accepted by us. The love we show should not be rescinded if people show a disrespect or disregard our message. People should know that they can use our love. We should love those who hate what we believe.
But WE HAVE AN AGENDA and we should have one. Our agenda is to make disciples. It is the calling that each one of has been given by God by His son Jesus. We have been saved from death by the blood of Jesus Christ and that truth of Jesus must at some point come through our love shown to others. We know that the most important thing that we have is the truth of who Jesus is and that He is the only hope for our world and for eternity.
Love is the means, love is the message.
I'm fine with no strings. I think that's the way of Jesus. But no agenda? I think we completely miss the boat if we don't have the agenda of spreading the gospel.
It seems that lately most of what I have read has a huge angle toward social justice. I have not purposely looked for this theme, but I have truly been challenged to live in such a way that I am watching for opportunities to use the resources that I have been given to help lift those who do not have. I absolutely believe that the church must move with purpose in the direction of loving as Jesus loved. It is all over the Scriptures that we are to love.
We are to love one another, we are told that if we do not love others, we don't love God. We are told that if we don't have love we are like an annoying cymbal. We are told that loving those who have the capacity to give something back to us is the easy kind of love, but the love like Jesus' love is the kind that loves those who can give us nothing in return. The Scripture just screams it out. The message of Jesus must be communicated with an unconditional love and with everything we've been given above our needs, the American church (I am definitely included in that number though hopefully moving in the right direction) has left a huge gap between the love that is being shown and the ability/capacity that we have to love.
The thing about the prominent message out there is this continual call to love with no strings attached and no agenda. Now, I think I know what is being called for and I do believe that when we love those around us it should never be with small print that says, "All we're trying to do is get you to join our group." People should understand that whether or not they join our specific church or whether or not they accept our beliefs they will still be loved and accepted by us. The love we show should not be rescinded if people show a disrespect or disregard our message. People should know that they can use our love. We should love those who hate what we believe.
But WE HAVE AN AGENDA and we should have one. Our agenda is to make disciples. It is the calling that each one of has been given by God by His son Jesus. We have been saved from death by the blood of Jesus Christ and that truth of Jesus must at some point come through our love shown to others. We know that the most important thing that we have is the truth of who Jesus is and that He is the only hope for our world and for eternity.
Love is the means, love is the message.
I'm fine with no strings. I think that's the way of Jesus. But no agenda? I think we completely miss the boat if we don't have the agenda of spreading the gospel.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Gloria
This is a mother's day that I won't soon forget. It's my wife's second one as a full blown participant and this morning we walked across the stage in commitment to raising our precious baby daughter, Laila, in a loving household teaching her about the love of Jesus. There we stood with over thirty very young children. There was cooing, drooling, arm waving, shy head ducks and surprisingly no screaming or crying, and each parent made a great commitment to lead the next generation in the right direction. That isn't why I'll remember this Mother's Day. I'll remember that, but that's not why I'll remember this mother's day.
It was Sunday nap time and the phone rang and I heard my sister's voice on the answering machine. Through the fog of that vice grip feeling I get in my head when I've napped too long, I thought she said something about grandpa and then the message ended. I froze. I love my grandpa and when family leaves a vague phone message the news is never good. When I finally got up the courage to call her back she explained that they had had Mother's day lunch with mom and grandma and that although grandma (who has been battling alzheimers for years) was very quiet, my brother had made her laugh several times. They had helped grandpa get her into the handicap accessible van and taken off. My sister stopped, choked up a bit, and then continued to explain that grandma had experienced cardiac arrest and was gone.
Mother's day of all days...it was her 59th mother's day and she had cared lovingly for her children all of those years until the alzheimer's turned the tables. I'll never forget her caring for us as well.
We loved staying at grandma and grandpa's house growing up. My cousin, Ryan, and I were best friends and we would continuously conive ways to stay over whenever we could. She was the voice of reason when we wanted to swim in her swimming pool in the middle of the night and it was only 60 degrees outside but grandpa had said we could. She was the one who made us weed their huge garden or spread hay out on the strawberries when all we wanted to do was play in the creek or swim. She was also the one to have an amazing breakfast ready for us when we came down in the morning. The one who, although she had just done her hair, would come out and swim with us anyway (with this ridiculous swim cap on) while grandpa was away at work. I remember she made us wait until grandpa got home one time when Ryan and I were going to "help" by painting grandpa's beater old pickup with the paint we found in the garage. Oh and how she used to sing beautifully around the house while she did her work or how her piano playing accompanied some of our family gatherings. I still remember her leanning over to help me find my notes on that same keyboard.
I could go on and on with the memories and family could fill in the details with stories that would make you laugh and cry alike, but this is a blog and not a book so that is all you get. She was born on 01/22/33 and my mom started grandma's motherhood 59 years ago. She is survived by her husband, five children, twelve grand children and six great-grand children. Every one of us has missed her since the alzheimers took her mind, but there is an emptiness in my gut today that her death has brought and our family will grieve our loss this week in a real way.
Her name was Gloria and whenever I heard it spoken I always used to think of that Christmas song. She had lost that beautiful voice she had once had, but I imagine she's singing before her King as loud and long as she ever had. I bet she'll have a garden to work in soon while she sings since it is spring time. She'll lay delicious foods before her maker that she has grown and prepared as she sings "gloria" to her risen Savior whom she can now see for the very first time.
I'll miss her.
It was Sunday nap time and the phone rang and I heard my sister's voice on the answering machine. Through the fog of that vice grip feeling I get in my head when I've napped too long, I thought she said something about grandpa and then the message ended. I froze. I love my grandpa and when family leaves a vague phone message the news is never good. When I finally got up the courage to call her back she explained that they had had Mother's day lunch with mom and grandma and that although grandma (who has been battling alzheimers for years) was very quiet, my brother had made her laugh several times. They had helped grandpa get her into the handicap accessible van and taken off. My sister stopped, choked up a bit, and then continued to explain that grandma had experienced cardiac arrest and was gone.
Mother's day of all days...it was her 59th mother's day and she had cared lovingly for her children all of those years until the alzheimer's turned the tables. I'll never forget her caring for us as well.
We loved staying at grandma and grandpa's house growing up. My cousin, Ryan, and I were best friends and we would continuously conive ways to stay over whenever we could. She was the voice of reason when we wanted to swim in her swimming pool in the middle of the night and it was only 60 degrees outside but grandpa had said we could. She was the one who made us weed their huge garden or spread hay out on the strawberries when all we wanted to do was play in the creek or swim. She was also the one to have an amazing breakfast ready for us when we came down in the morning. The one who, although she had just done her hair, would come out and swim with us anyway (with this ridiculous swim cap on) while grandpa was away at work. I remember she made us wait until grandpa got home one time when Ryan and I were going to "help" by painting grandpa's beater old pickup with the paint we found in the garage. Oh and how she used to sing beautifully around the house while she did her work or how her piano playing accompanied some of our family gatherings. I still remember her leanning over to help me find my notes on that same keyboard.
I could go on and on with the memories and family could fill in the details with stories that would make you laugh and cry alike, but this is a blog and not a book so that is all you get. She was born on 01/22/33 and my mom started grandma's motherhood 59 years ago. She is survived by her husband, five children, twelve grand children and six great-grand children. Every one of us has missed her since the alzheimers took her mind, but there is an emptiness in my gut today that her death has brought and our family will grieve our loss this week in a real way.
Her name was Gloria and whenever I heard it spoken I always used to think of that Christmas song. She had lost that beautiful voice she had once had, but I imagine she's singing before her King as loud and long as she ever had. I bet she'll have a garden to work in soon while she sings since it is spring time. She'll lay delicious foods before her maker that she has grown and prepared as she sings "gloria" to her risen Savior whom she can now see for the very first time.
I'll miss her.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
some good
I guess sometimes you just see something that catches your eye and then moves a bit deeper. I saw this video on www.jedidiahusa.com and found out that if I buy a shirt from them that $5 goes to a cause just like this...that's a very high percentage that they are giving away. I want to do business with people like this.
Christmas at The Gabriel House from Jedidiah Clothing on Vimeo.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
