We had our Throwdown at dinner tonight and I am always amazed what comes out of my kids mouths. Some good...some bad! Not only do we discuss the Kingdom of God but my boys like to say the word "poop". If you have boys, I think you understand. I don't have girls...so I don't know if they are just as fascinated with the word.
Isn't it amazing how God chose to relay the wisdom of the Kingdom through simple stories! I love discussing the Kingdom with my children. Tonight we discussed the parable of the Wedding Feast. This is one of my favorite parables because of it's evangelistic bent. There is so much in this parable but the part that got a hold of me is the part where God casts out the gentleman at the wedding feast because he didn't have the proper wedding attire on. Now, a little background here...When there was a wedding, the father of the groom would send wedding clothes, possibly a sash, for those invited...A Gift! So when all came, they would be wearing the proper wedding clothes. I asked my boys, "Why did the man get kicked out of the Wedding Feast?" Sam, never short of creative statements said," Hey, I didn't send you that to wear!" saying it like what the man wore was out of style!
It made me think though...sometimes we wear the wrong things in the Kingdom. God gives us proper clothes to wear...but we refuse to wear his righteousness! I like the idea that Christ lays out here. Righteousness is something we put on....not attain!
One more thing. Lake asks tonight,"Why would God invite the good people and the bad people?" It's great to know that when we finally sit down at that feast our identity is not what we were...but what we wear...His Righteousness!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Otherness
I read this poem out of Jimmy Seibert's book, The Church Can Change the World. It was written by Carl Gully...I love the imagery. It is titled, Otherness...
That's what we're all about. Not trying to be like anyone or anything else. Just Jesus. It makes us look like aliens. Foreigners in a distant land. We stick out. And huimbly so. Why? Becasue the way we love is unusual. Out words bring tears of laughter and solace. Our music and dance are fueled by a different drummer and a better one at that. The fruit? A different song. A different value system. Not pushing the edge of sin and hell. Not ok with status quo. A place where beneficial vs permissible is clearly understood. And no one even wants the boundary line. We would much rather lunge out to the Kingdom's cutting edge...which is heaven's arms. Sitting on his lap is fine with me. His heart beat rythmically puts me to rest. Not apathetic slumber that leads to poverty. But deep love that thrusts us to Nineveh. Macedonians are still calling. And Ethiopians are still asking for someone to come and help them understand. And how do we know this?
For we look into different pair of eyes. Not just the window to his soul. But a magnifying glass of theirs. Look again: His tears aren't clear-and they don't taste like salt. Ther're colorful banners of the nations...and taste like the blood that was shed for them. A tear trickles down and I see Sri Lanka. Another hangs in the corner of His eye and deep inside I see a Sudanese lady worshipping over the family that just abandoned her. Here comes three more: Canada, France, Mexico. As he wipes his eyes, I see the colors of Morrocco, Russia, Scotland, and China on the palms of his hands. And where do those tears go? Not just stored in a bottle; but The Bottle. The one that held the cries of the saints of Germany. The one that held the deep secrets of Thailand's orphans, America's addicts, and Indonesia's widows. The groans of North Korea's underground church. And South Korea's prayer mountain. All in the bottle. Waiting for me to open my hands so he can pour them out. Why would he trust us with these treasures? These precious children of His? Because He calls us family. And He can trust us. Because we have seen the otherness of God. And long for more. For if You, God, were the same as the rest, You wouldn't be Holy. And my unholiness craves Your holiness. Your cleansing. You. In the process, we have become"other". And the importance of that? So many stories being told. Vying for my affecctions. My Passions. My heart.
But I refuse to be caught up in the small stories that seem brilliant at the moment, but soon become faded glory. I desire to be taken into His story. Into Your great plot for me and mankind. So I leap into the chariot of fire and ask for humility and courage to leave it all behind: NO MATTER THE COST! Because You desreve it. And they need it. Because I love You. And they need You. And the Spirit and the bride are still crying out, "Come Lord Jesus" And You will. You always do.
That's what we're all about. Not trying to be like anyone or anything else. Just Jesus. It makes us look like aliens. Foreigners in a distant land. We stick out. And huimbly so. Why? Becasue the way we love is unusual. Out words bring tears of laughter and solace. Our music and dance are fueled by a different drummer and a better one at that. The fruit? A different song. A different value system. Not pushing the edge of sin and hell. Not ok with status quo. A place where beneficial vs permissible is clearly understood. And no one even wants the boundary line. We would much rather lunge out to the Kingdom's cutting edge...which is heaven's arms. Sitting on his lap is fine with me. His heart beat rythmically puts me to rest. Not apathetic slumber that leads to poverty. But deep love that thrusts us to Nineveh. Macedonians are still calling. And Ethiopians are still asking for someone to come and help them understand. And how do we know this?
For we look into different pair of eyes. Not just the window to his soul. But a magnifying glass of theirs. Look again: His tears aren't clear-and they don't taste like salt. Ther're colorful banners of the nations...and taste like the blood that was shed for them. A tear trickles down and I see Sri Lanka. Another hangs in the corner of His eye and deep inside I see a Sudanese lady worshipping over the family that just abandoned her. Here comes three more: Canada, France, Mexico. As he wipes his eyes, I see the colors of Morrocco, Russia, Scotland, and China on the palms of his hands. And where do those tears go? Not just stored in a bottle; but The Bottle. The one that held the cries of the saints of Germany. The one that held the deep secrets of Thailand's orphans, America's addicts, and Indonesia's widows. The groans of North Korea's underground church. And South Korea's prayer mountain. All in the bottle. Waiting for me to open my hands so he can pour them out. Why would he trust us with these treasures? These precious children of His? Because He calls us family. And He can trust us. Because we have seen the otherness of God. And long for more. For if You, God, were the same as the rest, You wouldn't be Holy. And my unholiness craves Your holiness. Your cleansing. You. In the process, we have become"other". And the importance of that? So many stories being told. Vying for my affecctions. My Passions. My heart.
But I refuse to be caught up in the small stories that seem brilliant at the moment, but soon become faded glory. I desire to be taken into His story. Into Your great plot for me and mankind. So I leap into the chariot of fire and ask for humility and courage to leave it all behind: NO MATTER THE COST! Because You desreve it. And they need it. Because I love You. And they need You. And the Spirit and the bride are still crying out, "Come Lord Jesus" And You will. You always do.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Lake's Throwdown!
Wow...I haven't blogged in a long time! But it's time to start again. My boys love our Throwdown meetings so we decided to start again. We have a little different of a format in that we are doing it at dinner time. This is great for two reasons: 1. Everybody actually is still at the table by the time Steph and I take our seats and 2. We digest the word with Steph's great food...I'm a blessed man! By the way, my wife is the best cook! Homemade chicken fingers...Salsa Verde chicken bake...Home made Quesadilla's, just to name a few.
Tonight's Throwdown was good, we discussed the parable of the Rich foolish man. But what happened afterward was really cool. Lake, my youngest came up to me and told me about what they did in Sunday school. There was something handed out to the kids and it asked, "What kind of job would you like in church?" There was things on there like Pastor and other church occupations. He told me he signed up for "Floor Cleaner". I asked him, "Why did you sign up for that?" He said, "Nobody else did!"
Wow! I was impressed. I have to admit, I would not sign up for it either...but Lake got it...he got the Kingdom.
I was expecting to lead our Throwdown meeting tonight...but I guess Lake threw it down! Out of the mouths of babes....
Tonight's Throwdown was good, we discussed the parable of the Rich foolish man. But what happened afterward was really cool. Lake, my youngest came up to me and told me about what they did in Sunday school. There was something handed out to the kids and it asked, "What kind of job would you like in church?" There was things on there like Pastor and other church occupations. He told me he signed up for "Floor Cleaner". I asked him, "Why did you sign up for that?" He said, "Nobody else did!"
Wow! I was impressed. I have to admit, I would not sign up for it either...but Lake got it...he got the Kingdom.
I was expecting to lead our Throwdown meeting tonight...but I guess Lake threw it down! Out of the mouths of babes....
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