His snoring was loud, guttural, and distinctive. Lee, who I had brought to church, was embarrassing me. Sitting two rows from the front, I thought: “I wonder if the pastor heard him.”
The elder’s wife glanced back at me. She smiled-- rather graciously. A teenager across the aisle gave me a roll-your-eyes smirk. I could only guess what the people behind me thought. Then my wife gave me “a look”--“Poke him.”
I did, once. Not liking his sleepy-eyed glare, I stopped. Lee nodded, snored, and intermittently jerked his head. Then he would listen briefly and continue the irritating snoring.
I take my church experience seriously. I want to experience God. I want to worship God. I want to have my life changed . . . I want, I want.
Yeah, I started hearing from God—right through the snoring. The Bible verse “Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up in due time,” whispered into my mind.
While concerned if other people were distracted by the snoring, I humbled myself. I decided not to care about what people thought of me. A formidable obstacle in life—what do people think of me?
Driving home, Lee said, “I’m sorry I kept falling asleep.” That’s O.K. I was glad he went with me knowing he attends church less than once a month.
I’m concerned about Lee’s spiritual life.
A couple of weeks later, my wife saw Lee. Again he mentioned his falling asleep, adding, “Every time I woke up, it was like the preacher was talking right to me.” And then he told her he was attending church closer to home more regularly.
God showed me; the Sunday service was about God and Lee . . . not me. I was lifted up.
8/27/05
8/20/05
TEMPERED SOUL
“What’s your e-mail address,” I asked Autumn. temperedsoul @ aol.com. Why do you use tempered soul?” She replied, “I’m temperamental.” I smiled to the point of laughter, “You Autumn?”
My wife started mentoring Autumn when she was a sixth grader. Eight years later, married with a child; we remain close even though she lives hundreds of miles away.
I know few people who are more emotionally expressive than Autumn. I remember explosive anger when she couldn’t be consoled. During those times my wife and I learned to ride the wave to calmer water.
Then there were the still-feel-like-crying moments when Autumn would be gentle as she beautifully expressed her heart. I will never forget the time she said to me, “I’m closer to you than my own dad.”
She initiated keep-us-connected phone calls. Autumn might rant a little and then the smile in her voice would break through. No matter where her tempered soul drifted our conversation, she ended with: “I love you”
Love is a big word.
The Apostle Paul breathes life into the word “love” in 1 Corinthians 13. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails.”
The Apostle Paul’s love description is a load to pull off. Where can a person even begin?
While the core of really knowing love is knowing God; are there many human actions more meaningful than the verbal expression of love? The Bible says, “From the heart the mouth speaks.”
Now I end my phone conversations with my favorite tempered soul by saying: “I love you Autumn.”
My wife started mentoring Autumn when she was a sixth grader. Eight years later, married with a child; we remain close even though she lives hundreds of miles away.
I know few people who are more emotionally expressive than Autumn. I remember explosive anger when she couldn’t be consoled. During those times my wife and I learned to ride the wave to calmer water.
Then there were the still-feel-like-crying moments when Autumn would be gentle as she beautifully expressed her heart. I will never forget the time she said to me, “I’m closer to you than my own dad.”
She initiated keep-us-connected phone calls. Autumn might rant a little and then the smile in her voice would break through. No matter where her tempered soul drifted our conversation, she ended with: “I love you”
Love is a big word.
The Apostle Paul breathes life into the word “love” in 1 Corinthians 13. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails.”
The Apostle Paul’s love description is a load to pull off. Where can a person even begin?
While the core of really knowing love is knowing God; are there many human actions more meaningful than the verbal expression of love? The Bible says, “From the heart the mouth speaks.”
Now I end my phone conversations with my favorite tempered soul by saying: “I love you Autumn.”
8/13/05
SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENED
“I prayed to Jesus” Jose said. “Nothing good happened.” He was cold, hungry, confused and almost in tears.
He had wandered in off the street, nearly exhausted—friendless. The Spanish signs in the window seemed welcoming.
He quickly spilled out his story of hopelessness to the lady working at what appeared to be a second hand clothing store.
Promised a job, he had been transported a few hours from his home. His new job: 13 hour days making $3 an hour. The people who helped him find the job now insisted he pay them an extravagant finder’s fee. And after 5 days of work, he received no pay. He was hopeless. The night before he had slept in an unheated garage in below freezing weather. His expectations shattered.
Jose didn’t realize he had arrived at a Christian ministry. The lady behind the counter said a silent prayer and smiled: “No, don’t give up faith.”
Conversation with Jose revealed he had a lot of problems, a lot of failing.
The Bible says: “We who are strong, of robust faith, ought to bear with the failings of the weak-- not to please ourselves.”
Over the next 2 days Christians came to his aid. Jose was given a place to sleep, more food than he could eat, and a little money.
The Bible continues: “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have continuing hope.”
As Jose sat on his motel room bed; Santiago, one of the people offering aid, knelt on the floor sharing many scriptures with him. Then they prayed an eternal prayer of hope to Jesus. Through teary eyes Jose said, “I have such a peace in my heart.”
Something good happened.
He had wandered in off the street, nearly exhausted—friendless. The Spanish signs in the window seemed welcoming.
He quickly spilled out his story of hopelessness to the lady working at what appeared to be a second hand clothing store.
Promised a job, he had been transported a few hours from his home. His new job: 13 hour days making $3 an hour. The people who helped him find the job now insisted he pay them an extravagant finder’s fee. And after 5 days of work, he received no pay. He was hopeless. The night before he had slept in an unheated garage in below freezing weather. His expectations shattered.
Jose didn’t realize he had arrived at a Christian ministry. The lady behind the counter said a silent prayer and smiled: “No, don’t give up faith.”
Conversation with Jose revealed he had a lot of problems, a lot of failing.
The Bible says: “We who are strong, of robust faith, ought to bear with the failings of the weak-- not to please ourselves.”
Over the next 2 days Christians came to his aid. Jose was given a place to sleep, more food than he could eat, and a little money.
The Bible continues: “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have continuing hope.”
As Jose sat on his motel room bed; Santiago, one of the people offering aid, knelt on the floor sharing many scriptures with him. Then they prayed an eternal prayer of hope to Jesus. Through teary eyes Jose said, “I have such a peace in my heart.”
Something good happened.
8/6/05
SUSPICIOUS SITUATION
Flip to page three of the newspaper—there it is. The police log from a couple nights prior: “11:43 p.m. 100 block N. Main St. Suspicious Situation.”
The police car approached a man walking down the street with tears flowing down his face: “Son is everything alright?” The man explained everything to the police officer just as a second car arrived. As they left, no arrests made, one of the officers said, “Boy you really caused a lot of commotion.”
The man wasn’t drunk and no crimes were committed. No, this was my friend John. He told the officer the reason for his crying and hands lifted to the sky: “I’m just worshipping God.”
John, worshipping on Main St.? The church sign in that neighborhood states: “Come Worship 9 & 11.” Inside the church on Sunday morning for an hour or so, isn’t that worship?
In Genesis 22:5 the word “worship” appears in the Bible for the first time. First mention is always a pay-attention moment for Bible scholars.
It says, “We will worship.” Here Abraham and his only son Isaac are the participants in the worship. But there’s no singing, no preaching, no late night “suspicious situation.” Abraham had heard the voice of God. He was going up the mountain to kill his son as a human sacrifice.
What!
Abraham never sacrificed his son. God provided an alternative sacrifice just as Abraham, with knife in hand, prepared to obey God to the ultimate.
Abraham tapped into the essence of true worship--sacrificial obedience. This means giving up everything to God as we worship Him through our lives all the time. As John discovered, this type of radical, all or nothing worship stirs up commotion sometimes.
God notices. “God called to Abraham from heaven . . . I will surely bless you.”
The police car approached a man walking down the street with tears flowing down his face: “Son is everything alright?” The man explained everything to the police officer just as a second car arrived. As they left, no arrests made, one of the officers said, “Boy you really caused a lot of commotion.”
The man wasn’t drunk and no crimes were committed. No, this was my friend John. He told the officer the reason for his crying and hands lifted to the sky: “I’m just worshipping God.”
John, worshipping on Main St.? The church sign in that neighborhood states: “Come Worship 9 & 11.” Inside the church on Sunday morning for an hour or so, isn’t that worship?
In Genesis 22:5 the word “worship” appears in the Bible for the first time. First mention is always a pay-attention moment for Bible scholars.
It says, “We will worship.” Here Abraham and his only son Isaac are the participants in the worship. But there’s no singing, no preaching, no late night “suspicious situation.” Abraham had heard the voice of God. He was going up the mountain to kill his son as a human sacrifice.
What!
Abraham never sacrificed his son. God provided an alternative sacrifice just as Abraham, with knife in hand, prepared to obey God to the ultimate.
Abraham tapped into the essence of true worship--sacrificial obedience. This means giving up everything to God as we worship Him through our lives all the time. As John discovered, this type of radical, all or nothing worship stirs up commotion sometimes.
God notices. “God called to Abraham from heaven . . . I will surely bless you.”
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