Author: Fred Shope

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I Know Who I Am: Repost

This is a repost from August 1, 2011. This is one of the lessons God has been teaching me more and more this year.

One of the perks of driving a bus part time for a summer camp is being able to go to movies for free and see films that you might not otherwise see. Last Friday, I drove a group to the local cheap seat theater and saw “Kung Fu Panda 2.” Since our own children are adults, I probably would not have gone to see this particular movie on my own.

I like it when a popular film or song presents a biblical truth, whether on purpose or not. This was the case in “Kung Fu Panda 2.” The main story of the film is the quest of the title character to find out where he came from, all the while saving China from certain destruction. Near the end of the movie, the main character comes back to his adoptive father (who is a goose, in case you haven’t seen it). When the goose asks the panda if he found out who he was, the reply is, “I know who I am. I am your son.” Since I tend to be somewhat emotional at times, that line caused a catch in my throat. I then thought what a great picture that is of the Christian.
Regardless of the circumstances of the panda’s life, he realized that his identity was rooted in the fact that he had been adopted and loved by the goose. Even though he found out the story of how he came to that place, what mattered was the love given him by his father. Those of us who follow Jesus have the same story. No matter where we have been, no matter what stories our lives have told, we have been loved and adopted by the Father. Our backgrounds are as varied as can be, as are the ways we came to faith. What unifies us is that identity as God’s children.
As the panda was saving China, he faced terrible odds. After he found out the story of how he had been found by the goose, he was able to triumph. I believe that was the point when he saw his identity bound with the goose, and that gave him the strength he needed. Again, we are the same. When we realize our identity as beloved children of Abba and live in that identity, we can handle the obstacles that come our way. That doesn’t mean that we’ll be “winners” all the time, but it does mean that no matter what, who we are doesn’t change. The fact that we are loved by the Creator of the universe doesn’t change. God’s good heart for us is the same, whether we are “spiritual” or struggling. We know who we are. We are God’s sons and daughters. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
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Weekend Wanderings

Weekend Wanderings will not appear this week. Our son Josh, and his wife Alicia, had a miscarriage Saturday, and we are grieving with them. Please pray

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Table As Truth

This is the third installment in a series on table fellowship. I approach this subject with a bit of trepidation. Truth can be a touchy subject, as the term has been thrown around by those who believe that “truth” is the way they see things and those who believe that there is no real truth. I also wanted to avoid over spiritualizing the subject. There are a number of valid ways to approach the subject. I hope I have chosen one of them.

Among the definitions of truth in Webster’s dictionary are fidelity, constancy, sincerity in action, character, and utterance, and the body of real things. Truth is an important, yet seemingly rare, quality. Even those who believe that truth is relative want to know that they can trust certain people to be honest with them. Unfortunately, there seems to be an increasingly smaller number of folks who can be trusted to have fidelity, constancy, sincerity, and who are real.

One of the things that has become evident to me is the difficulty in being untrue when gathered around a table with family or friends. I guess it is possible to not be real while attending a large banquet or similar gathering, but small gatherings tend to be more intimate and revealing. When around the table, it is hard to fade into the woodwork and disappear. Conversation flows around the table, and the more time we spend with others, sharing food and talking, the more we get to know the real person. The masks come off around the table.

Inviting and accepting invitations to the table has long been a sign of acceptance and caring about the other. It is one way we can show love to others. Like the Velveteen Rabbit, we become real when we are loved and accepted. As we grow into that acceptance and love, we allow others to see who we really are, and we learn to accept them as they are. It is around the family table that children first learn social skills, and it is around the table that adults continue the lesson.

In Year of Plenty, Craig L. Goodwin writes about his family’s trip to Thailand:

Our experiences with food in Bangkok reminds me of how a pastor friend from Brazil, Claudio Oliver, helped me understand two unique words used to talk about food in Latin America. He explained to me that “alimento is what nutritionists recommend for you; comida is what your mum makes for you. Comida is what you would call soul food: family together, people talking, warm fresh veggies, sweet potatoes, corn bread, laughing, crying, prayer, thanksgiving, culture, old history, little ones learning who we are through food.” 

Let us learn fidelity, constancy, sincerity in action, character, and utterance, and being real around the table as we share food, drink, and conversation.
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Weekend Wanderings

This has been a pretty busy week. Jan and I found out that we are going to be grandparents. Josh and Alicia are expecting their first child in July. Basketball continues, as does all the usual stuff of life. I promise that I will get the third post in the series on table fellowship out this next week.

Well, the man who has been president for the last four years will be president for the next four. I still believe that our mission as followers of Jesus has not changed a bit, nor will it change after the elections in any year. Having said that, let’s move on the the links of the week:

Good words from Kansas Bob on Ecclesiastes 11:4.
Following Jesus beyond the culture wars.
Dan Edelen on the 2012 elections.
Mercy.

Bonnie May on love and skim milk.
Marketplace ministries.
Jeff Dunn on darkness.
Were some early church elders also bond-slaves?

If anyone wants to pay for Jan and me to go on this, you won’t hear us complain. 🙂
Man overboard!
Remix of Luke 13:4-5.
And all shall be well…

Dan Allen on a disappointing day.
Jon Acuff’s election post.
The problem of learning from strangers.
Dining in the valley.

Alan Knox on hospitality.
I believe this is a good thing.
Something good to think about.
American evangelicals and militarism.

Have a wonderful, blessed week.

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Weekend Wanderings

The weather has turned colder here in the sunny South. The mornings are chilly, with temperatures in the 30s, but the afternoons are beautiful. This Tuesday is Election Day across the country. However you vote, or not vote, remember that no matter who is elected to office, Jesus is still King.

So much for my political statement for the day. On to the links:

Arthur Sido on living as peacemakers.
A good thing to keep in mind on Tuesday.
Swanny on the “F” word.
Alan Knox links to some good articles on table fellowship.
Hopefully you didn’t do this.

Keith Giles on weather reports.
This is pretty cool.
Duh! (HT: iMonk)
Interesting take on Halloween (HT: Jake Belder).
Len on lament.

Government and grace.
Young Americans and libraries (HT: Scot McKnight).
We should all be like this.
Jared Wilson has some good thoughts on the Gospel.
Tilling new creation soil.

Frank Viola has a series on sowing discord. Part 1 is here.
Eric Carpenter reflects.
Working with Daddy.
Romans 8 and the Prodigal.
I agree with Jake.

That’s it for this week. I hope you have a great weekend and a blessed week.

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Table As Beauty

This is the second post in a series on table fellowship.

Beauty is defined as a pleasing quality associated with harmony, excellence of craftsmanship, a quality that is most effective or gratifying. The table can be characterized by each of these things.

Gathering around a table with friends or family promotes harmony, as food is passed around, stories are shared, and social skills are learned and sharpened. It is at table that real communication happens, and it is there that people get to know each other. Folks who gather around a table on a regular basis tend to be more accepting of each other, and more gracious. One of the ways Jesus showed his identification with the least of these was joining them for meals.

One of the joys of life is sitting down at a table that has been carefully prepared with lovingly crafted dishes. Whether the food is gourmet or “country style,” served on fine china or paper plates, the craftsmanship of a well put-together meal is evident. If it’s a large banquet, a family meal, or a group of friends at a barbecue, a meal is a thing of beauty if it is done with care and creativity.

Table fellowship can be very effective and immensely gratifying. Breaking bread together was one of the more important aspects of the life of the early church. Gathering at meals was so important that one of the things involved in church discipline was exclusion from the table. In my own experience, the times I have been challenged the most, the times I have felt loved and accepted the most, have been times when I have studied Scripture or just hung out with folks with whom I have just shared a meal, a cup of coffee, or a pint. Those are the times that have been most effective and gratifying in my journey.

It’s been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That may be true, but I know that when I am gathering with friends or family around a table, I am in the midst of beauty.

Table As Goodness

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Weekend Wanderings

It’s been a while since I’ve done a weekend links post. The last couple of weekends were crazy busy, but things have settled down a bit. Here in the sunny South we missed the worst of Hurricane Sandy, but we are praying for the folks further north who are expecting to have a rough time the next few days. I wonder if any of the states have alternative ways of voting on Nov. 6, in case the power is still out due to the storms. Hopefully it won’t be as bad as that.

On to the links:

Becoming sauce.
Pastor Romney?
Already but not yet.
The unmentionable one anothers.
After pietism.

Jesus loves even Chaplain Mike.
Have you heard about this?
Some good posts on this synchroblog.
Keith Giles has a series on leadership. Part 1 is here.
Len reviews The Art of Neighboring.

Fear.
How not to interpret the Bible.
To be in Christ.
The pastor and politics.
On being wrong.

J.R. Miller has a series on elders. Part 1 is here.
Alan Knox has a series on the “body of Christ” metaphor. Part 1 is here.
Eric Carpenter lives in the tradition belt.
Frank Viola on half-answered prayers.
If you’re a leader in a church, please don’t buy this (HT: iMonk).

Beautiful (HT: Scot McKnight).
It’s time to party.
Sacred times and places.
Caption this.
Get small.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a blessed week.

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Table As Goodness

In our fellowship, three of the things we emphasize are goodness, beauty, and truth. In this series, I want to look at table fellowship using these three ideas. This first post will focus on the table as goodness.

In the beginning chapters of Genesis, the statement was made that it was not good for Adam to be alone. Yes, he had fellowship with his Creator, but there was something missing. God brought Eve to Adam. They were put together for fellowship, for sharing life, and for caring for creation together.

All through Scripture, the theme of the goodness of fellowship is continued. The Hebrew word hesed carries the idea of both kindness and goodness, and many times is used in the context of relationships. Many times this fellowship is around the table. Hospitality was an important part of the Israelites’ faith. When God delivered them from bondage in Egypt, he began their journey with a meal. In Deuteronomy 14:22-26, the people were told to take the tithe of their crops for the year and have a family feast at the Tabernacle. If they lived too far away, they were to exchange the tithe for silver and spend it on the makings of a feast at a closer location.

In the New Testament, Jesus came eating and drinking. His first miracle took place at a wedding feast, and he spent enough time at dinner parties that his critics called him a glutton and a drunk. Jesus spoke of the feast to be celebrated in the kingdom of God. The early church was known for many things. Two of these were a devotion to fellowship and a devotion to eating together. What we call the Lord’s Supper today was just a part of a full meal the church ate together. In the epistles, we are told to practice hospitality. No matter what the enemies of the early church said, they had to admit that the followers of Jesus loved others. One of the ways they loved was by welcoming others to the table.

God said that it was not good for us to be alone. It’s good for us to have fellowship with others, to share our lives with others, and to help and encourage others. One of the best places to do these things is the table. Whether it’s a cup of coffee and dessert, a pint in a pub, or a full meal, spending time with people around a table is a good thing.

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Back From Break

I’m back from my short blogging break. I have a few ideas in mind, so hopefully I can make some sense of them and write something worth reading. One of those is a series on table fellowship. Another is a series on the parable of the prodigal son.

In the meantime, here is something originally posted for the November elections in 2008:

1 Corinthians 13 for the Election

If I speak with a silver tongue and can sway hundreds, but have not love,
I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all polls,
and if I have a faith that can move political mountains, but have not love,
I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the national committee
and surrender my time to run a phone bank, but have not love,
I gain nothing.

Love is patient with those of the other party.
It is not jealous of opponent’s fund raising,
it does not boast of its candidate, it is not proud.

It does not rudely argue political points, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered when others disagree, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in negative campaigns
but rejoices in the truth.

It always protects the reputation of Christ, always trusts God is in control,
always hopes for the best, always perseveres in living as a disciple of Jesus.

Love never fails. But where there are campaign promises,
they will be broken;
where there are silver tongued orators,
they will be stilled;
where there is knowledge of how to govern,
it will pass away.

For we have partial knowledge and we govern with that knowledge,
but when the True King comes, imperfect government will disappear.

When I was a partisan, I talked like a partisan,
I thought like a partisan,I reasoned like a partisan.

When I recognized who the True King is,
I put partisan ways behind me.

Now we see but a poor reflection;
then we shall see face to face.

Now I know in part;
then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain:
faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love.