Dec 31 2008
I haven’t posted for a long time. I have missed it but I haven’t had either the time or the creative energy needed to write. However I am eager to be back for the new year. I hope that those who were reading will wander back and that many will begin to comment so that this can become a conversation.
Happy New Year.
on the walk
-Ethan
Oct 30 2008
Here is a link to today’s reading:
There are a lot of ways to leave a legacy. With enough money you can build a building or start a foundation. But there is no more important way to leave a legacy than to invest in the life of someone else. I Timothy was a letter written from the early church leader Paul to his legacy Timothy. You can hear his passion and concern for this young leader. Paul chose to leave a legacy.
Today’s Challenge:
Are you investing in a legacy of changed lives? Can you identify people that are your children in the faith? What can you do now so that you can leave boldly with a legacy of Christians ready to carry on the service that you are now offering?
Textual Reflection:
This letter is one of the three Pastoral epistles. This name refers to the three of Paul’s letters that are not written to churches but instead to church leaders who were early associates of the apostle Paul. The very existence of these letters is a part of Paul’s effort to leave a legacy of leadership. The two recipients (Timothy and Titus) were companions of Paul who were eventually stopped travelling with Paul and stayed in one location to serve and lead the churches there.
As I consider this particular text and these letters in general, I am struck by one thought. It is the question asked in the devotion, ” Can you identify people that are your children in the faith?” Paul knew who was going to pick up his work and carry on. Do I have similar assurance? Do you? If not, that must be a top priority for our lives: o raise up not just a successor but a team of people who can carry on the work that God has given to us to do.
on the walk
-Ethan
Oct 29 2008
Here is a link to today’s reading:
God has given you skills that are designed to be used for the good of all God’s people. When you withhold your gifts from the church everyone suffers. But when you contribute what you have to offer you help build a legacy of a strong healthy church. Don’t worry that you can’t do everything. No one can. However, you are gifted to serve and the only obstacle is your willingness to offer what you have.
Today’s Challenge:
You can trust that God has gifted you for service to the church. Make a commitment to find out how you have been gifted to serve and then offer those gifts to God. Write down how you will offer your gifts to God’s church.
Textual Reflections:
This the beginning of a long section from Paul on the use(and misuse) of spiritual gifts. Those who are very interested may want to read on to the end of chapter 14. But even in this short introduction is found the most fundamental truth about spiritual gifts: Spiritual gifts are given to each of us for the good of others. The spiritual gift that is given to me is not for me, it is for others even though it was to me.
Consider this illustration. My four year old is about to go to a birthday party for a friend. Before he goes, I will (with his ‘help’) purchase a gift, wrap it, label it, and keep track off it until minutes before the party. As he walks to the door of the party I will hand him his gift. And I will tell him, “Remember this gift is for your friend. I know you like it, but it isn’t for you it is for him.”
That is the way spiritual gifts work. If we don’t get that right w have missed everything. They come from God, to us for others. If you are using your God given abilities for your own glory (even at church) then don’t call it a gift. That is just stuff that you have.
on the walk
-Ethan
Oct 28 2008
Here is a link to today’s reading:
To be a witness requires two qualities. You must see something and you must be prepared to tell about it. One of the hallmarks of people who leave a legacy in the church is their willingness to testify how God has acted throughout history and in their lives. You can be a witness. Study scripture to see what God has done, and partner with what God is doing today so you will have a testimony to pass on to the next generation.
Today’s Challenge:
Find a way to make a difference in the next generation of Christians. This may happen in the context of your family or in new relationships that you can form. Can you name three people who could benefit if you shared a witness of what God has done in your life? Write down their names and tell them your story.
Textual Reflections:
This psalm helps me remember the simplicity of worship. Most simply I can worship by recalling the good works of God. God is praised not just for his intangible and unchanging nature, but most especially for his timely and purposeful action in our lives. Worship then is not only an interaction between the worshiper and God, it is also a testimony to all who hear our worship. When I do this with my children I not only am modeling worship, I am passing on a legacy.
To worship like this we need to cultivate two important perspectives. The first is to develop a mindset that is looking for the work of God. We will do this by studying scripture, but also by learning from others and by watching our own lives for God and work in the world. The second perspective we must cultivate is a since of the public nature of worship.
There has been some controversy over the years about the way in which worship is a witness to the world. The question is often asked, “Is worship evangelistic?” There is certainly a sense in which it is not. Praise to God needs no other motivation. In fact, if we praise as a means to some other end, then our praise is weakened by the inherent confusion of motives. But there is more to this story, and it is to this that our psalmist speaks.
Although praise is valuable and essential in its own right, it is also an essential part of the proclamation of God’s people. This why our worship needs to be grounded no just in our emotional response to God but in the historical reality of God’s action and the dependable character of God. When our praise is grounded in these realities, then our children and any others who are present are taught by our praise.
on the walk
-Ethan
Oct 21 2008
Here is a link to today’s reading:
Jesus promises that those who follow him will face suffering. It is a reality of this world and a specific consequence of following Jesus as the King of a new kingdom. Even when we suffer from evil that God did not cause, God can work in the context of that evil to produce good. The only question that remains is whether we will trust that God can use the trials we face to teach us perseverance which will result in maturity.
Today’s Challenge:
What trials are you facing today? How have you chosen to respond to those trials. Are you open to learning even from your suffering? Talk to God about your suffering. God can handle a frank conversation. Ask that God will use your suffering to teach you. Continue Reading »
Oct 16 2008
Here is a link to today’s reading:
Some people makes us better just by being around us; others drag us down. Christians are called to sharpen each other, to “spur one another on to love and good deeds.” Proverbs 27:17 reads, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” That is the vision for how Christians should interact. Let us never forget God’s call that we be spiritual whetstones for one another.
Today’s Challenge:
If you had one month to live who could you help sharpen with encouragement or a word of wise counsel? Are you connected with people who sharpen you or leave you dull? Discuss with a friend or with your challenge group how you could help sharpen each other. Continue Reading »
Oct 11 2008
[Note: For those of you following the One Month to Live series, don’t worry it will be back on Monday.]
On most nights, the night ends for my boys with prayers. After a story (if there is time), PJ’s, bath, teeth, water, music and lights out, the boys and I pray. Everyone gets a chance to pray. My youngest (3.75)is on a bit of a strike right now, but my oldest (6) loves to pray. Our evening prayers are mostly thank you’s although we have been talking about how it is good to tell God other things as well. We can tell God about our worries and fears and even talk to God about things that we want. Nevertheless on most nights it is a list of thank you’s. A pretty typical prayer segment sounds like this:
Thank you for this day and thank you that we got to play the star wars video game and that we got to eat apple slices for snack and that we got to make what were they called (I whisper wreaths) oh yeah that we got to make wreaths even though daddy wouldn’t let me do it by myself or use the what are they called (clippers) even though they are just like big scissors and I know how to use scissors thank you anyway and thank you that daddy is going to remember to put butter on the toast right away next time so that it will melt but thank you for toast anyway because that is a special breakfast and it is important to be grateful even when we don’t things exactly the way we want them and thank you for mommy who is the best mommy in the world, Amen.
A couple of night ago was a surprise variation. After a prayer through a days worth of gratitude he paused and said,
And God, about the bee, thank you and no thank you. Thank you that I found out that I am not allergic to bees and that it didn’t hurt as bad as I thought it would so that now I can be like daddy and not be afraid of bees, but not thank you that I got stung today.
I am not sure I have much to add to that. I have suffered very little in my life. But that is exactly how Christians should feel about the little suffering I have done. Thank you for the good you do through it, but not thank you for it. We are not called to be masochists. We don’t have to pretend that we are grateful that we suffer. The scripture is full of the lament of those who suffered and told God in pretty clear language that they were not happy about it, but we can learn to trust God and be grateful in our suffering for the good that God can work.
Suffering is a reality of life. When I suffer I pray that I can so straightforwardly say to God, “thank you and no thank you.”
on the walk
-Ethan
Sep 04 2008
Aug 27 2008
Grandview Christian Church in Johnson City, TN is a church that I love very much (and where I served for ten years). They have just launched a very cool third service. It meets in the fellowship hall around tables. It is called The Table. It is a highly communal Eucharist centered service. It excites me in many ways. It is a creative idea,; it is liturgically sound; it represents the reality that the church is making room for more people to find a spiritual home, etc. I can’t wait till I get to visit TN again and worship at the table.
I would love for many of my readers to visit the blog of Grandview’s Senior Minister Aaron Wymer. Look at his pictures and offer a word of encouragement (ie. actually leave a comment). This is a church that has a kingdom impact that is disproportionate to its size because of its association with Milligan College and Emmanuel School of Religion. It is fitting for us to be in prayer and praise for this cool new ministry.
on the walk
-Ethan
Ps. If you want to see some of the hilarious promotion they did for this new service, you can check out these older posts.
Aug 25 2008
One of the consistent reminders of the summit was the outrageous truth that God has chosen to work through the church to accomplish God’s purposes in the world. In fact one of the highlights for me was a great video piece that explored the the paradox we face when we realize that God’s response to the suffering and evil of the world it to call out a people who will be a conduit of grace and mercy.
Lot’s of people reminded us that we were God’s plan for the world. At least one of them went on to use some variation on one of my favorite lines, “the church is is plan A and there is no plan B.”
But nobody had as cool a way to remind us of this truth than Efrem Smith. Continue Reading »
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