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Weekend Wanderings: Condensed Version

Since I haven’t posted a weekend post in a couple of weeks, I thought I’d take a few minutes and share a few of the good things I’ve read lately. This doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of all the good stuff out there, but since this is another one of those crazy busy weekends, I’ll do what I can.

Here they are:

The most loving thing?
Bethlehem space.
Impractical Jesus.
Keep Christ in Christmas?
The women of Advent.

Michael Spencer may have been right after all.
Why Christians need Flannery O’Connor.
Heretics.
Tacky Christmas tree.
Free.

Enjoy your reading. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas as you celebrate the birth of the One who came to set us free.

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The Lord’s Prayer: Lead Us Not Into Temptation…

The final petition in the Lord’s Prayer is the request that our Father not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil. As we have prayed for our Father’s name to be glorified, for God’s kingdom to come to earth and be lived out in his provision for us and in our forgiving and being forgiven, we then pray to be kept from temptation and evil.

Another way to translate this could be, “Don’t let us give in to temptation.” We are told elsewhere in Scripture that God does not tempt any of us to sin, although he does bring things into our lives to try, or prove our faith. This is the idea of the refiner’s fire that burns out impurities, thus proving the metal. God does try, or test us in order to refine us and develop the character of Christ in us. There is a danger that we will be tempted during the trial, tempted to trust our self instead of the Father. We are drawn into temptation by our own desires, and those desires can easily lead us to sin by not letting God work in us through the trial.

We pray for the strength to resist temptation and for the Spirit to help us avoid areas in which we would be tempted. We also pray for Christ to fill us so that our sinful desires are pushed out. As we become more like Jesus, and as he lives in us more and more, we find that our desires start to line up with the desires of our Father. More and more, we are able to say with Jesus, “I do what I see my Father doing.” As that happens, we are better able resist temptation when it’s comes, and we are even tempted less and less in many areas. Until we see Jesus face to face, our prayer will continue to be that we are delivered from temptation and the evil one who tempts us.

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Blast From the Past: God’s Response to the “War on Christmas”

This was first posted on November 22, 2010.

James Stillwell posted this a few years ago. It’s titled, “God’s Response to the ‘War on Christmas'”. This is worth a read.

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just get along and love one another. Now, having said, that let Me go on.

If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can and may remember Me anytime you see any tree.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list :

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don’t have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can’t afford and they don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

4. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

5. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don’t know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile it could make the difference. Also, you might consider supporting the local Hot-Line: they talk with people like that every day.

6. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren’t allowed to wish you a “Merry Christmas” that doesn’t keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn’t make so much money on that day, they’d close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

7. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary, especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name. You may already know someone like that.

8. Here’s a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no “Christmas” tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don’t know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to some charity that believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

9. Finally if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don’t do things in secret that you wouldn’t do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Sincerely,

-God

P.S. Don’t forget, I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I’ll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work, time is short. I’ll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those you love and, remember, I love you.

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Weekend Wanderings

This past Thursday, Americans took a day off and gave thanks for their many blessings, then went out and trampled one another in an attempt to spend money on stuff. We had a wonderful time with family and have so far successfully avoided the crowds. Tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent. For me, celebrating Advent is a good antidote to the bustle and stress of this time of year.

On to the links:

A sign of things to come.
Meghan Tschanz on Thanksgiving.
Action alert.
Shannan Martin on love that swerves.
Ruth Wilson has some confessions.

Christmas is for worship.
How much does your life weigh?
Len on Advent.
Grace applied.
John Frye on the curtain.

Gratitude.
Good idea.
Daniel A. Siedell thinks outside the pew.
Morgan Guyton writes about the three “family values” of Black Friday.
Tradition!

Chaplain Mike has a taxing question.
God sees you.
I can sleep better now that this mystery has been solved.
Friends.
For that person who’s impossible to shop for.

Have a blessed first Sunday of Advent and a great week!

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Blast From the Past: Just Wondering

This was first posted on July 31, 2008.

I was thinking this afternoon (that’s dangerous, I know) about Jesus statement to his disciples that they could expect to be hated and persecuted because he was. When I was growing up I was always taught that this meant if I didn’t dress like the world, didn’t listen to the same music as the world, and didn’t hang around with worldly people, then those folks would hate me, make fun of me, call me names, etc. It would be okay though, because Jesus had been hated, been made fun of, and been called names. That message is still being preached in some churches around the country.

There is no question that Jesus was hated and persecuted by some of the people in his day. Heck, they even put him to death! But, I started to think about the folks who did the persecuting and the reasons why. Amazingly enough, it was not the “sinners” that hated Jesus, made fun of him and called him names. Those were the very people who followed Jesus. They were the ones who hung on his every word and who believed that he was the Messiah.

It was the religious leaders who hounded Jesus wherever he went, always looking for a way to trip him up and get him in trouble. They were the ones who said Jesus had a demon and implied that he was an illegitimate child. And, they called Jesus names like drunkard and glutton because he hung out with the “sinners”. Wait a minute. I thought the sinners, the ones who drink and party, are the very people I’m supposed to stay away from so my “testimony” isn’t damaged. I mean, heaven forbid someone should see me go into a bar or attend a party where “lost” people are gathered. They might start calling me a drunk or something like that, or at least might think that I’m not a very good Christian.

After all, I’m supposed to be a follower of Jesus and he would never put himself in a position where others would see him hanging out with the riff-raff and think badly of him. Would he?

Wait, you mean…?

Hmmmm.

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Weekend Wanderings

It’s getting colder here in the sunny South. We’ve had a few days of warmer weather, but it’s supposed to be quite a bit colder than usual the next few days. Friday was the 50th anniversary of the deaths of John F. Kennedy, C.S. Lewis, and Aldous Huxley. It’s been a long time, and lives and works of each of them are still having an impact on many. Basketball has begun, and the balls are bouncing in gyms all around the world. Players from peewee teams to the NBA are practicing and putting their skills on display before fans, friends, and family. Thanksgiving Day is this coming Thursday, and many will be traveling to spend time with their loved ones and give thanks for the bounties given by a gracious God. A great deal of food will be consumed, and hopefully those of us who are partaking will remember those who are less well off.

On to the real reason you are here:

The decisions of poor people.
Ruth Wilson passes on some tough words.
Pope Francis on the over commercialism of athletes.
Eric Carpenter reflects on C.S. Lewis.
Thanks for godly examples.

Brant Hansen answers a question.
You could get this for me for Christmas.
Mensch on a Bench.
Where the wind still sings.
Scot McKnight reflects on C.S. Lewis.

#Godtalk.
Rachel Barnette on redefining beauty.
Messy Bible, clean lives.
Christ the King.
Keith Giles has an unbelievable truth.

Zach Hoag on niceness.
On being thankful.
Heather writes about armistice.
Soft difference.
Jeff Dunn on being vulnerable.

More gracious than God?
Eric Carpenter has a series on women of the church. The intro. is here.
Shameful, ridiculous, and cruel.
Scot McKnight on some no comments.
Hard times and free sandwiches, and a bonus.

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The Lord’s Prayer: Forgive Our Debts…

As we pray through the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, we pray for the Father’s name to be praised, for his kingdom to come on this earth, and for our Father to give us what we need. In the midst of this we must remember that, since we live in a broken world, there will be debts that we will incur in our relationship to the Father, and debts that others will incur as they relate to us. Because the term “debt” brings to mind financial stuff, and because we have a tendency to downplay the wrong that we do, I prefer to use the word “sin.”

In the gospels, we see Jesus forgiving sins and telling others to forgive. Jesus’ ministry was one of forgiveness and reconciliation, and he calls his followers to be people of forgiveness and reconciliation. Luke tells us of the time Jesus was at the home of Simon the Pharisee, where his feet were washed by a “sinful” woman. Jesus stated that those who have been forgiven much are those who love much. None of us can say that we haven’t been forgiven much. Well, I guess you could say it. But you’d be wrong. Just sayin’. We have been forgiven our sin against a holy God. That makes what God has done for us pretty huge. In our lives, I seriously doubt that any wrong done to us comes close to the wrong we have done God.

Matthew tells us of Peter’s question of how many times we should forgive someone who sins against us. Peter though he was being generous with a number of seven. Jesus once again ups the ante. He states that we are to forgive seven times seven, or seventy times seven, depending on which translation you use. Jesus is not saying that we are to keep track of the wrongs done to us, and drop the hammer on the fiftieth or four hundred ninety first time. Many times, the number seven in Scripture speaks off completion. Maybe what Jesus is saying here is that we should forgive others completely and utterly no matter how many times they sin against us. I believe that Jesus’ words imply reconciliation. Someone is not generally going to have the opportunity to wrong us multiple times unless we are in relationship with that person. We are called to be vulnerable with our brothers and sisters, being willing to be hurt by them and forgive.

In the same passage in Matthew, Jesus tells the story of the servant who owed his master a huge chunk of change. The master graciously forgave the entire debt, only to find out that this servant then went and imprisoned a fellow servant who owed him just a few bucks. I believe that the thrust of this story is that we have been forgiven an unpayable debt, so we are to forgive those who are indebted to us in what is essentially a minuscule amount. If we do not forgive, we are telling the world that we haven’t been forgiven. Again, when we consider our huge debt that God has forgiven, how can we not forgive the tiny debt that anyone owes us. The Father has forgiven our great sin, and no wrong that is done to us can ever match that.

We are to live as forgiven, and forgiving, people. Anything less is contrary to what our Father wants.

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World Vision Wednesday

With the news of disasters around the world, it is easy to forget that there are urgent needs here in the United States as well. Some of these are in the Midwest, where a number of tornadoes recently devastated wide areas. World Vision is there, helping those who have been affected.