Good Books

It is hard to believe our month in Florida is coming to a close. Tomorrow, we fly back to Michigan, leave behind the shorts, repack for an England winter, and fly out to the UK on Monday. It will be hard to say good-bye to the warmth and sunshine, but I do look forward to our British experiences.

Seeing that a few days will pass before I get a chance to write a new blog posting, I have something to fill the time. Please click below on "comments". Then, let everyone know about a good book you are reading currently, or one that deeply influenced your life. When I get back on line, I will share some thoughts about my reading during this past month.

Please note: your comment will not post immediately as it passes through my email first. Look for the comments to appear by Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Price to Pay

Now, by this title you may be expecting a commentary on the outrageous prices charged at Disney World. However, what follows actually looks at our church experience this morning.

We set out choosing to attend a Free Methodist church with a bilingual Spanish/English service. However, after numerous attempts at calling and searching the internet we failed to find the information we needed to attend. So we determined we must be predestined to be Presbyterians for the day (sorry, I just had to include a little subtle theology humor noting the differences in perspective on free will). The sanctuary reminded Rachel and me of the chapel at Asbury Seminary where we did our master's work. The people were friendly, the place was full, the pipe organ was beautiful, and the walk from the car through the city was warm and sunny.

The pastor delivered a powerful message about the price of following Jesus. He posed the question, "what is worth dying for?" Reading from the book of Acts about the death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, the pastor concluded that Jesus is the only thing (or person, as the case may be) worthy to live and die for.

As church dismissed along with two other very large churches on the same block, we saw a young woman in ragged clothes sitting in the grass next to a dirty old duffel bag. As we walked passed, I made eye contact with her, nodded, said hello and noticed a hand written sign in her hand which read, "hungry and pregnant." Sadly, all the church people flowed by like a steady stream, unaffected by this person in need.

I have been a pastor long enough to have a degree of cynicism in situations like these. I have seen countless people who bounce from church to church playing the system looking for handouts. Certainly, some have even successfully played me. However, the moment I made eye contact with this woman I was forced to make a decision, do I chalk her up as another "system player" or see her as a creation of God with a real need? Natalie's question certainly didn't help, "What did her sign say, Daddy?" Responding with, "it said she is hungry and pregnant, now let's go get some lunch," remained far from appropriate. I had to choose, would I go with the flow or do my part to help?

If Jesus is worth dying for (which I know He is), isn't He worth going to the car, the store, or home to get some food for someone in need? If we would die for Him, surely we would be inconvenienced for Him. Didn't we all just hear the same powerful sermon? Certainly, we really can't forget what we just heard within five or ten minutes. Yet we walk by as if the person didn't exist.

In moments like these, Jesus' words "whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me," cut deep into the soul. Rachel and I did what we could to go against the flow.

Believing in Dreams

We spent the week in the Orlando area. Of course no trip to Florida would be complete without a visit to see the world renowned mouse. Being my first Disney World experience, I suppose that defines this as my first complete trip to Florida.

Last night we viewed the firework display over Cinderella's castle, complete with the highest caliber of pyrotechnics, Tinker Bell soaring through the air high over head, and innumerable simulated shooting stars lighting up the sky, all set to a backdrop of music, movie quotes, and the voice of Walt Disney himself encouraging the listeners to believe in their dreams and promising that all of their dreams will come true. The display made Walt Disney's philosophy quite convincing, if not inspirational and motivational. Disney himself dreamed big and saw those dreams come to fruition on the grandest of scales.

I believe Disney had something important to say about dreaming big, but I do find a bit of his philosophy lacking at some points. I wonder how many times settling for mediocrity prevents us from truly dreaming big. I also wonder how many big dreams, good dreams, world changing dreams exist throughout the world, but they remain unfulfilled due to a sense of self-doubt, insecurity, or a settling for business as usual.

What would this world look like if we all began to dream Walt Disney-sized dreams? Better yet, what would this world look like if we all began to dream God-sized dreams? I am convinced that God's dreams for our lives remain at the farthest reach away from mediocrity or complacency. If only we would buy into God's dreams, the world would be a different place.

Now, I do have to pick apart Disney's philosophy a bit. "If you believe hard enough" is his causal statement for the effect of seeing all one's dreams come true. How does one believe hard enough? Perhaps if I scrunch my face, wrinkle my forehead, clench my fists, and tighten every muscle in my body, I could muster up enough belief. Or, perhaps if I passively stare off into space with a contented smile and think about my dreams repeatedly, the belief will come and the dream will be realized. I don't think the Disney dream was accomplished through these means. His dreams were accompanied by action.

The book of James reminds us of two truths regarding belief, plans, and dreams. First, "faith without works is dead." Belief without action results in nothing. If we fail to act on our belief in God and in what He has called us to accomplish, our lives slip away into complacency. Secondly, we ought to hold on loosely to our plans and dreams saying, "if it is the Lord's will" we will accomplish this or that. The biggest dreams void of God will fail miserably, or if realized will remain void of meaning and purpose.

So, pray to seek God's dreams for your life, dream those God-sized dreams, and take action in order to see them through.

New Posts to Come

My access to the internet has been limited this past week, consequently I am a bit behind on my updates. I plan to write two new posts regarding a couple thoughts from the week later tomorrow night when my brain is hopefully a little more alert. Please stay tuned.

Camp Meeting

We spent the weekend with Jim and Marilyn (friends from church who winter in Florida, for those who don't know them). We had a wonderful time! As many of you know, Jim and Marilyn are great people, always a joy to be around.

I enjoyed observing the display of nature visible from their back deck, including a nesting pair of Sandhill Cranes, a hawk sunning itself in a tree only yards away, and the only floating island I have ever seen. The latter remains difficult to describe, but yes, the island of flora actually floats as it blows from one side of the pond to the other.

We were privileged to attend the last few services of the week-long camp meeting at the park where Jim and Marilyn live. The services were in a traditional holiness camp meeting style as verses of "Victory in Jesus" dinned throughout the sanctuary. I particularly enjoyed the Sunday morning service as the preacher painted such a beautiful picture with words, describing the magnificence of heaven as he read from John 14:1-6.

In light of this passage: When I think of Gene, Merle, and Jeanne (the three mentioned in my previous posts below), they witnessed extreme poverty, oppression, corruption, spiritual bondage, and natural disaster in Haiti--the worst of what this world contains. Now, they enjoy the best of what God offers for all of eternity!

Haiti Update

The three people I mentioned in the previous post, Gene, Merle, and Jeanne, sadly were not recovered from the collapsed building in Haiti and have consequently been presumed not alive. One of our bishops conducted a memorial service at the site of the building over the weekend. There will be a memorial service for Gene and Merle in Lakeland, Florida tomorrow where they and their wives have wintered. Jeanne's husband Jack survived the quake and is recovering at a U.S. hospital. Please keep their families in your prayers.

Please Pray

Last year a team came to our church to help with the roof project and storage room in the fellowship hall. Two of the men who came, Gene and Merle, went to Haiti to do some construction work. They stepped off the plane shortly before the massive earthquake. Last I heard, they are still unaccounted for. It is suspected that they were in a multi-level mission building that collapsed in Port au Prince, along with one of our FM missionaries--Jeanne. Please pray for their rescue and for their wives Dolly and Dorothy who are in Florida awaiting word. Rachel and I know Gene, Dolly, Merle, and Dorothy from the church we served in ten years ago.

A Life Marked by Greatness

Over the weekend we visited the Florida estate of Thomas Edison. Much to Alana's disappointment, all the talk about Thomas and we never did see the big blue tank engine. Instead, we viewed Thomas Edison's home, lab, and gardens containing plants from around the world.

Edison's 1,093 lifetime patents changed the world. The light bulb, motion pictures, audio recording, concrete mixes, among many other invention are all things that today exist as commonplace (not bad for someone who started out selling concessions on the train from Port Huron to Mt. Clemens). Such accomplishment leads one to wonder, what lies behind a life marked by such greatness? Perhaps it was his drive and work ethic, maybe it was just the product of an incredibly gifted individual, or the fulfillment of a God-given destiny.

Three components to Edison's life struck me as crucial to his success. First, like many of the greats in history, Thomas endured a great deal of suffering. As a child, he spent much of the first eight years of life ill with scarlet fever which left him partially deaf. When he was finally able to start school, he was constantly in trouble due to his inquisitive interruptions. In adulthood, his wife of only thirteen years died at a young age. Such suffering has a way of leaving one bitter or better. For Edison, it made him better.

Secondly, Edison had someone behind the scenes who encouraged him and believed in him. Thomas' mother saw his inquisitive nature as a strength to be developed, as opposed to weakness to be punished. Following Thomas' few short months in school and a confrontation with the schoolmaster, Mrs. Edison took on the responsibility of his education. Later in life, Thomas said that it was his mother who gave him a reason to succeed.

Thirdly, Edison had a way of successfully fighting against the tyranny of the urgent and focusing his time on his life's passion. After feeling bogged down with the business of running his factory in Newark, New Jersey, Edison moved the factory to Menlo Park, hiring a manager and accountants to take care of the business. This freed Thomas to focus his energies on what he loved, experimenting and inventing. As a result, he and his team received 32 patents over the following two years.

Reflecting on the accomplishments of such an individual, I'll leave you with three questions to ponder: How have life's experiences shaped you (have they left you bitter or better)? Who are the people in your life that encourage you toward reaching your God-given potential? What is your life's passion and what interferes with you devoting time toward that end?

A Good Day

Initially, we intended to visit an outdoor church in Naples today. However, record cold temperatures drove us inside. We found ourselves attending church in a nearby High School. I suppose you could say the church was quite "trendy" (the antithesis of what we will experience in the high church cathedrals of England). The music contained a strong hard rock edge, the service was occasionally interrupted with previously recorded video "commercials" for a Bible study or upcoming event. The pastor dressed in blue jeans and an untucked button up shirt. I have to admit I found the smoke machine and effects lighting a little over the top, but the message was sound and people responded. There existed a deep sense of worship and the presence of God was clearly felt. As a family, we left encouraged, challenged to move deeper in our time with God, and grateful for the experience.

The afternoon followed with me engaging in my favorite Sunday afternoon spiritual discipline--nap taking. Feeling refreshed, I then began reading a book by Calvin Miller, one of my top ten favorite Christian authors (at least of those who are still living), entitled Loving God Up Close. Calvin Miller possesses a way of writing that penetrates into the soul, leaving behind a contagious desire to know God more intimately. All in all, today began to rekindle in me that ever present, often unquenchable, hunger for the Holy--where life remains completely, unreservedly about God, nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else.

"The heavens declare..."

Psalm 19 states, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." God truly has revealed His splendor through His creation. Today, we took a drive through a mangrove swamp and saw a rich diversity of wildlife, each bird with its unique design to serve its survival. The drive home included a quick turn off the road to watch a number of dolphins putting on a display, a couple of them soaring above the water. The skies then proclaimed the work of God's hands as they lit up a fiery red over the ocean. To think that the God who created all this beauty also created each of us, designing us uniquely with a purpose in mind to proclaim His glory. Wow! What a privilege!

From the Mouths of Babes

We attended church this morning and yes, I admit, we sat in the back. I enjoyed the pastor's relaxed, humorous style as he encouraged the congregation to dream big for God in 2010. However, from the wisdom of a six year old, Natalie challenged me to see the sermon in a different light. At the dinner table we asked Natalie what she thought of church this morning. With profound insight, Natalie stated something along these lines, "Well, the pastor seemed to make a lot of jokes and laugh a lot. I felt like he wasn't taking the Bible seriously enough and was just trying to be funny." Natalie continued to expand on her thoughts with heart-felt conviction.

Natalie's statement seemed to coincide with something I have been reflecting on from the writings of Bernard of Clairvaux (a Christian author from the 11th-12th centuries). Bernard used a Latin term for "love" toward God that may not have been the expected word to use. Instead of using amor, he used the word from which we get the English word "diligence". The word shows a high regard, respect, reverence, or devotion to another, a "diligent" devotion, as opposed to a mushy, gushy feeling or mere companionship. Not only this, but the word is also a verb where amor is a noun. In other words, love is an action, not just a thing one possesses.

As we reflect on our love for God, do we take Him seriously enough? Do we posses a diligent devotion, filled with awe and reverence toward our God, our Master, our King? Are we diligent in action, fleeing the hurtful, sinful patterns of life and actively drawing closer to God? Or, are we merely content with an occasional good laugh?