Last night was our next to last lesson for the year and not an easy one as we asked the question "What if someone won't forgive me?". This is a slight change of direction from the first two weeks and has multiple layers to unpack, but before we got started with anything, I wanted initial responses from the kids. Their reactions covered the bulk of responses that most people have. There was begging, ignoring, getting even and letting it go with a few more sprinkled in for good measure. And there was no clear "right" answer as they all admitted that it would totally depend on the person and situation. Remember... they're smart.
So, before we even discussed situational or conditional issues, we opened up the Bible and took a look at some things. We started in Proverbs 14:9 where we see Solomon contrast foolish and honest people. The foolish do bad things, laugh about it and don't take it seriously. But honest people do the right thing. This is nothing new, but it is cool to see the concept spelled out so plainly but the wisest guy of all time. We talked about this verse for a second to kind of set the picture of our question. When we mess up, there is a certain process that we need to follow. We need to own our mistake, apologize for what we've done and then do our best to fix it. I used the example of accidentally hitting/throwing a ball through someone's window. Foolish people would run away, hide and laugh about it. You know... punks. But honest people would go to the house, tell the owner what happened, apologize and pay to have it fixed. That is the right thing. And we have a responsibility to do the right thing.
So, our question relates to how others respond to us doing the right thing. What if they don't forgive our apology, for whatever reason. We flipped to James 5:16 and looked at his advice there. It says, "So admit to one another that you have sinned. Pray for one another so
that you might be healed. The prayer of a godly person is powerful. It
makes things happen." The first part lines up with what we read in Proverbs, but then James says to pray for one another. This is a crazy concept. When you are at odds with someone, pray for them. I asked the kids why on earth would you want to do that. They talked it out and what we came to was that it would be hard to keep being mad at someone you were praying for. I also mentioned that praying for someone keeps your heart tender toward them while they work through the forgiveness process. That brings us to the second part of that sentence: that you might be healed. Healing is part of forgiveness.
We stopped there for a minute to discuss the reality of hurting and healing. I started out practically. If you scrape your knee or break your arm, there is a process you go through to bring about healing. For a scrape, you clean it, medicate it, bandage it and it scabs over and, after a week or two, it heals. A broken bone sometimes needs to be set, then immobilized and then several weeks or months later, it heals. The same is true of relationships. When we sin against someone, depending on the wrong we do, there is a healing period even after we've apologized. What James is saying is that we should pray during that time for healing. And he says that prayer is powerful and works. So, praying keeps us from becoming bitter, resentful or vengeful during their healing process as well as asking the Spirit to soften their hearts and speed up the healing process that leads to forgiveness.
The last two scriptures we looked at give us a great example of the patience of forgiveness. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Psalm 66:16-20, we see God forgiving His people when they sin. A holy God is able to forgive the horrible things that we do when we apologize. This gives us hope that others will respond in the same way when we ask for forgiveness. But while God is able to forgive and forget, we don't have that luxury. So, a lot of times, when we mess up, own it, apologize and do the right thing, we still may have to wait for forgiveness. It may not come instantly because there is a healing process that takes place. That means that we have to practice grace in allowing someone to not forgive us the second we apologize. We need to forgive them for not forgiving us instantly.
So, what do we do if someone doesn't forgive us? Wait. Pray. Extend grace. Forgive them. You know, pretty much all of the things that we don't naturally want to do. But it is important for us to understand this, not only for those people but also for ourselves. Sometimes the only thing that brings about healing and forgiveness is a little time. And while praying can speed that up, there are a lot of things we can do to slow it down or make it impossible. In the same way, we shouldn't get frustrated with ourselves when forgiveness takes a while for us to extend when someone sins against us. We need to heal as well in those situations.
I heard the phrase "don't say you're are sorry unless you mean it" a lot going up. I say it often to my kids now. Our apologies should be sincere. But so should our forgiveness. And we need to allow someone to get to the point where they can honestly say, "you're forgiven", and mean it. That takes time. For different people and different situations, that could be a few hours, a few days or maybe a few years. Different wounds heal at different rates. Sure, it isn't fun or easy to wait to be forgiven. I think it is probably why we are told to try hard not to sin against one another. But when we do mess up, we can do the right thing and know that the rest of it is up to the other person. And once we've done that, we should give them the time, space and grace it takes to get to the point of forgiving us.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Say You're Sorry
We continued our conversation on forgiveness last night by asking the question "What if someone doesn't ask for forgiveness?". After all, we kind of got the feeling last week that the people that God was telling us to forgive 77 times or 490 times were apologizing. But what if they don't? Should we forgive them? I started by polling the kids and seeing what they thought. 80% said they should forgive no matter what. But the other 20% disagreed. And, just to be honest with them, I told them that I wasn't completely sure myself. That's why we ask questions and look at scriptures in Surge, rather than just listening to some guy's opinion.
That being said, we jumped right in and turned to Matthew 6:14-15. Jesus is giving some pretty solid instruction on prayer. He had just given a model prayer that outlines the "how" we should pray and follows it up with the command to forgive one another. But not just because he says so. Rather, he tells us to forgive so that God will forgive us. So we are to forgive others so that God will forgive us. And just in case that isn't clear enough, he follows that up by warning that if we don't forgive people, then God won't forgive us. Interestingly enough, no conditions surround the command to forgive. It doesn't say to forgive those who apologize or show remorse. It says to forgive others when they sin against you. Period.
Ok... but that's just one verse. Surely Jesus has more to say. So we flipped to Luke 6:27-31. Here we see some crazy instructions that fly in the face of reason. Jesus says love our enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those that curse you and pray for those who treat you bad. Seriously? And if that wasn't enough, he gives practical examples of how to respond to someone mistreating you or stealing from you. And he ends it with the golden rule of treating others the way we want to be treated. I stopped and asked the kids if they had ever had someone do something bad to them and not apologize. They all eagerly raised their hands. I asked if any of them had done something bad to someone else and not said they were sorry. They all raised their hands again, but with a little less excitement. Yet, we all expect to be forgiven when we do the bad thing. When we treat others the way we want to be treated, it means that we extend the same grace that we want.
I talked about how ridiculous that must have sounded to the people Jesus was talking to. You know, just as ridiculous as it sounds to us. What makes it hard to hear is that it doesn't line up with our sense of justice. It isn't right to bless those that curse you or pray for that treat you bad. If someone steals our coat, we report them to the authorities. We don't start pealing off additional layers to give them. And I'm sure the religious leaders balked in much the same way. But Jesus was on to something that goes beyond rights, possession and even justice.
Lastly, we looked at Ephesians 4:31-32. Here Paul commands the church in Ephesus to get rid of their feelings of anger and rage toward one another. He tells them to the be kind and tender to one another. He instructs them to forgive, just as God has forgiven them because of what Jesus had done for them. Again, no conditional response based on remorse or repentance. Just a command to forgive. So, no matter what someone does, you always forgive even if they don't say they are sorry?
Yes.
However, we also have a model relationship with our Creator through His son. That relationship exists because of grace by faith. And salvation comes, in part, by asking for forgiveness for our sins. So I asked the kids a hard question. After we've been justified and our sins are no longer held against us, why do we continue to ask for forgiveness for the sins that we commit? They thought for a long time but no one had an answer. It's an important question and one that we too often overlook the importance of. Why do we continue to tell God we're sorry once we have been forgiven of all of our sins? I'll spare you the route we took to get there, but the end result (that they came to) was that it is all about maintaining our relationship. We ask for forgiveness to keep the relationship right. God forgives us because of what Jesus did, but in our relationship with Him, we still need to say we're sorry.
So, do we forgive people that don't apologize? Absolutely! Every time! But, we also understand that apologies are what help maintain relationships and lack of them can destroy one. And while that is important to understand from the one who has been sinned against, it is even more important to grasp as one who sins. Jesus said the greatest command was to love. Relationships are the most important thing. Love is how we build relationships but forgiveness is how we maintain them. So when we mess up, we need to apologize. And when someone doesn't apologize to us, we forgive them and extend grace to them. But also with the understanding that it affects the relationship. Why do we do it? Not because it is easy. Not because it is fair. But because God forgave us first and promises to continue to forgive us if we do.
That being said, we jumped right in and turned to Matthew 6:14-15. Jesus is giving some pretty solid instruction on prayer. He had just given a model prayer that outlines the "how" we should pray and follows it up with the command to forgive one another. But not just because he says so. Rather, he tells us to forgive so that God will forgive us. So we are to forgive others so that God will forgive us. And just in case that isn't clear enough, he follows that up by warning that if we don't forgive people, then God won't forgive us. Interestingly enough, no conditions surround the command to forgive. It doesn't say to forgive those who apologize or show remorse. It says to forgive others when they sin against you. Period.
Ok... but that's just one verse. Surely Jesus has more to say. So we flipped to Luke 6:27-31. Here we see some crazy instructions that fly in the face of reason. Jesus says love our enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those that curse you and pray for those who treat you bad. Seriously? And if that wasn't enough, he gives practical examples of how to respond to someone mistreating you or stealing from you. And he ends it with the golden rule of treating others the way we want to be treated. I stopped and asked the kids if they had ever had someone do something bad to them and not apologize. They all eagerly raised their hands. I asked if any of them had done something bad to someone else and not said they were sorry. They all raised their hands again, but with a little less excitement. Yet, we all expect to be forgiven when we do the bad thing. When we treat others the way we want to be treated, it means that we extend the same grace that we want.
I talked about how ridiculous that must have sounded to the people Jesus was talking to. You know, just as ridiculous as it sounds to us. What makes it hard to hear is that it doesn't line up with our sense of justice. It isn't right to bless those that curse you or pray for that treat you bad. If someone steals our coat, we report them to the authorities. We don't start pealing off additional layers to give them. And I'm sure the religious leaders balked in much the same way. But Jesus was on to something that goes beyond rights, possession and even justice.
Lastly, we looked at Ephesians 4:31-32. Here Paul commands the church in Ephesus to get rid of their feelings of anger and rage toward one another. He tells them to the be kind and tender to one another. He instructs them to forgive, just as God has forgiven them because of what Jesus had done for them. Again, no conditional response based on remorse or repentance. Just a command to forgive. So, no matter what someone does, you always forgive even if they don't say they are sorry?
Yes.
However, we also have a model relationship with our Creator through His son. That relationship exists because of grace by faith. And salvation comes, in part, by asking for forgiveness for our sins. So I asked the kids a hard question. After we've been justified and our sins are no longer held against us, why do we continue to ask for forgiveness for the sins that we commit? They thought for a long time but no one had an answer. It's an important question and one that we too often overlook the importance of. Why do we continue to tell God we're sorry once we have been forgiven of all of our sins? I'll spare you the route we took to get there, but the end result (that they came to) was that it is all about maintaining our relationship. We ask for forgiveness to keep the relationship right. God forgives us because of what Jesus did, but in our relationship with Him, we still need to say we're sorry.
So, do we forgive people that don't apologize? Absolutely! Every time! But, we also understand that apologies are what help maintain relationships and lack of them can destroy one. And while that is important to understand from the one who has been sinned against, it is even more important to grasp as one who sins. Jesus said the greatest command was to love. Relationships are the most important thing. Love is how we build relationships but forgiveness is how we maintain them. So when we mess up, we need to apologize. And when someone doesn't apologize to us, we forgive them and extend grace to them. But also with the understanding that it affects the relationship. Why do we do it? Not because it is easy. Not because it is fair. But because God forgave us first and promises to continue to forgive us if we do.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Forgiveness Math
Last night we kicked off the first lesson of the last series for Surge this year. It was bittersweet! And we saved the best... and possibly hardest lessons for last. For the next four weeks we're going to be all about forgiveness. What better way to come off of Easter and the ultimate act of forgiveness to discuss the topic that so many people struggle with. So, last night was all about how many times we have to forgive someone. I started by asking the kids what they thought. They mentioned that it depends on what they do to us and who it is. After all, stepping on my toe and burning down my house are two entirely different things. And if you're my best-friend, you're probably going to be forgiven differently than my worst enemy. But, in general, they said something around 2 or 3 times, with a couple other random numbers. And that's pretty fair for what we experience in our world, right? Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Three strikes and you're out. But is that what we should show people? And better yet, is that what we expect shown to us?
So, to kick things off, we see the Apostle Peter asking pretty much the same question in Matthew 18:21. But, instead of 2 or 3 times, the disciple suggests even up to 7 times. I'm sure he felt very generous with that amount. Surely that would be plenty. But Jesus' response, depending on the translation you use, says 77 or 70 times 7. And then, just to drive his point home, Jesus breaks out into story. His story of the servant without mercy puts it all into perspective. Those who have been forgiven a great debt should forgive the same way. So whether you read 77 or 490, the reality is the same... God wants us to forgive a bunch.
So, there isn't a formula for how many times, but do we always have to forgive? We flipped over to Luke 17 and we see a little more explanation. Jesus says that we should tell people when they sin and if they repent, or turn away, to forgive them. And if they do it seven times on one day? Forgive them seven times. To put some perspective to this, I suggested that if I came up to them and punched them in the face and then said I was sorry, and then did it 6 more times, would they really want to forgive me? Of course not, which is why this is such a hard thing. Memory and self-preservation make it hard. We don't like being hurt, made fun of, embarrassed or betrayed. But I pointed out that Jesus didn't say we have to be their best friend - we just simple have to forgive them. If someone punches you in the face every time you see them, extending forgiveness is commanded, but no one says you have to stand around and wait for it.
Another key thing I mentioned at this point is that forgiving someone doesn't mean not holding them accountable and punishing them when they mess up. If someone kills a member of your family, you can forgive them but also they still need to go to prison. If your friend lies to you, you can forgive them, but it doesn't mean you have to be their friend. There are consequences for sin, but we're still to forgive those sins when people commit them.
Lastly, we looked at Colossians 3:13. This verse is killer when it comes to how we respond to forgiveness. First, it tells us to put up with each other. It doesn't say like everyone. It doesn't say hold hands and sing songs and wear a smile all day. It says put up with each other. That means that you aren't going to always like them and they won't always like you, but out of love, deal with it. Then it says to forgive the things you are holding on to. But not just forgive them, forgive them the same way God forgave you. Ouch! That is as simple of a command as you can give. No need for math. No need for tally marks or a score sheet. Simply forgive the same way God forgave you.
I asked the kids if they like being forgiven. I asked them if they expect to be forgiven. I asked for a practical example of their day-to-day life about how this works. I got great replies, but one took the cake. She said she expected her parents to forgive her when she messes up, and they always do, even if she has to get punished. But, she says when they break a promise to her, like not taking her somewhere or doing something for her, she has a hard time forgiving them. I asked the kids if they could relate and it was a unanimous yes. We love the part where we get forgiven. We love that Jesus died for our sins and that God forgives us. So why is it that we have a hard time giving what we enjoy getting so much?
I wish I could tell you that this is an easy lesson for me to teach because I've mastered it. But, as I told them, the point of discipleship, especially at their age, is so that they can figure these things out at 10 or 11 and be further down the road than their parents and teachers by the time they are our age. And it might just take them all of that time to develop the habit of showing that kind of forgiveness. But there is no question of how much grace we should extend or how much forgiveness we should give. It's only as much as God has shown us.
So, to kick things off, we see the Apostle Peter asking pretty much the same question in Matthew 18:21. But, instead of 2 or 3 times, the disciple suggests even up to 7 times. I'm sure he felt very generous with that amount. Surely that would be plenty. But Jesus' response, depending on the translation you use, says 77 or 70 times 7. And then, just to drive his point home, Jesus breaks out into story. His story of the servant without mercy puts it all into perspective. Those who have been forgiven a great debt should forgive the same way. So whether you read 77 or 490, the reality is the same... God wants us to forgive a bunch.
So, there isn't a formula for how many times, but do we always have to forgive? We flipped over to Luke 17 and we see a little more explanation. Jesus says that we should tell people when they sin and if they repent, or turn away, to forgive them. And if they do it seven times on one day? Forgive them seven times. To put some perspective to this, I suggested that if I came up to them and punched them in the face and then said I was sorry, and then did it 6 more times, would they really want to forgive me? Of course not, which is why this is such a hard thing. Memory and self-preservation make it hard. We don't like being hurt, made fun of, embarrassed or betrayed. But I pointed out that Jesus didn't say we have to be their best friend - we just simple have to forgive them. If someone punches you in the face every time you see them, extending forgiveness is commanded, but no one says you have to stand around and wait for it.
Another key thing I mentioned at this point is that forgiving someone doesn't mean not holding them accountable and punishing them when they mess up. If someone kills a member of your family, you can forgive them but also they still need to go to prison. If your friend lies to you, you can forgive them, but it doesn't mean you have to be their friend. There are consequences for sin, but we're still to forgive those sins when people commit them.
Lastly, we looked at Colossians 3:13. This verse is killer when it comes to how we respond to forgiveness. First, it tells us to put up with each other. It doesn't say like everyone. It doesn't say hold hands and sing songs and wear a smile all day. It says put up with each other. That means that you aren't going to always like them and they won't always like you, but out of love, deal with it. Then it says to forgive the things you are holding on to. But not just forgive them, forgive them the same way God forgave you. Ouch! That is as simple of a command as you can give. No need for math. No need for tally marks or a score sheet. Simply forgive the same way God forgave you.
I asked the kids if they like being forgiven. I asked them if they expect to be forgiven. I asked for a practical example of their day-to-day life about how this works. I got great replies, but one took the cake. She said she expected her parents to forgive her when she messes up, and they always do, even if she has to get punished. But, she says when they break a promise to her, like not taking her somewhere or doing something for her, she has a hard time forgiving them. I asked the kids if they could relate and it was a unanimous yes. We love the part where we get forgiven. We love that Jesus died for our sins and that God forgives us. So why is it that we have a hard time giving what we enjoy getting so much?
I wish I could tell you that this is an easy lesson for me to teach because I've mastered it. But, as I told them, the point of discipleship, especially at their age, is so that they can figure these things out at 10 or 11 and be further down the road than their parents and teachers by the time they are our age. And it might just take them all of that time to develop the habit of showing that kind of forgiveness. But there is no question of how much grace we should extend or how much forgiveness we should give. It's only as much as God has shown us.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Hot Topic!
Last night we broke away from our normal routine to do a Hot Topic on the Geography of the Bible. Wait... don't start yawning. While it might not sound like the most interesting topic on the surface, I'd be willing to bet that most adults, including parents, would be surprised at how little they know about simply things related to location in the Bible. Things like the location of Mount Ararat, which river the city of Nineveh is on and where the region of Galatia is in relation to the cities of Thessolonica and Philippi. And while that might seem like trivial knowledge, it really makes understanding a lot of the subtle things in scripture easier and fuller than just a "somewhere over there" mentality.
But 4th and 5th graders? Yeah, ok... I could see someone questioning a 10 year-old being interested in which of the tribes got which plot of land in Canaan. And honestly, they weren't bouncing off the walls with enthusiasm. But, with the way we do Hot Topics, they not only heard the information, but they saw it and wrote it down. And if I could have figured out a way to have them smell it or taste it, I would. But because of getting them to see, hear and write it, I feel like they'll retain at least some of it for many years to come. After all, the Spirit can't bring something to mind that they've never been exposed to.
But 4th and 5th graders? Yeah, ok... I could see someone questioning a 10 year-old being interested in which of the tribes got which plot of land in Canaan. And honestly, they weren't bouncing off the walls with enthusiasm. But, with the way we do Hot Topics, they not only heard the information, but they saw it and wrote it down. And if I could have figured out a way to have them smell it or taste it, I would. But because of getting them to see, hear and write it, I feel like they'll retain at least some of it for many years to come. After all, the Spirit can't bring something to mind that they've never been exposed to.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
More than a feeling
I usually update this on Thursday mornings, but tonight we had one of those classes that just won't wait. We wrapped up our conversation of a big, big God by asking "What about when God feels far away?". After all, this big, big God that is invisible but still wants to be our friend doesn't exactly always feel like He's around. This is such an important question that many people struggle with throughout their lives. But, before we unpacked the question, I needed to ask a couple more, just to set the tone for the evening. The first question was "Is God ever far away?" to which they instantly replied "no" as they are well aware that God is omnipresent. It's part of what makes Him God. So I followed that up with "Then what is the key word in the question of 'what about when God feels far away'?". They thought about that a little longer but finally came to the conclusion that it was the word "feels". Exactly. With those two thoughts in place, we started our discussion.
The first two stops are directly related to one another and form the basis for the beginning of our discussion. Acts 13:22 and Psalm 89:13-29 both paint a picture of David being a man that God has great affection for. Their relationship is close and David finds great favor in God's eyes. This is the David that we know and admire. This is the giant-killing, harp-playing, street-dancing king that authored Psalm 23. This is the guy whose family line would produce the final solution to the problem of sin. This is the man after God's own heart. This is our model for the relationship with God that all of us should strive for.
However, we also need to read Psalm 13. We need to read Psalm 22. We need to see David calling out to a God that he feels isn't close or even listening. We need to hear him lamenting as he feels God is ignoring and hiding from David. The words pour out of David in such a way that we identify with his anguish and hurt along with him. This does not sounds like the David we were just describing. If David can feel this way about God, where does that leave us?
Just to be sure, I asked the kids if they thought God had actually been far from David as he wrote those words. They said no. But it is obvious that He felt far away to David. And David is not the only one. We turned to Matthew 27:45-50 as we see Jesus cry out, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani". Surely God wouldn't turn His back on His own son in his greatest hour of need. I asked the kids what they thought about it. They talked it out and the outcome of their thoughts was that God had to turn His back on Jesus because of sin. And even though God was still there, Jesus felt like He was far.
In both situations, the culprit is sin.
David's laments throughout the Psalms are a direct result of sin, both his and others. Jesus, bearing our sins on the cross, felt the separation from his Father for the first time in eternity. Sin makes God feel far away. It is because He is holy and is set apart from sin. I didn't have to go into much detail as this made complete sense to the kids. So while God is near, He feels distant because of how He reacts to sin. The problem isn't with God actually being distant, but rather, how we feel because of His reaction. Whew! I'm glad we figured that little problem out. But there is a catch... we don't want Him to feel distant. So what do we do? Not sin? That's easy to say, and certainly the goal to shoot for, but pulling it off is a little harder. So how do we make God not feel far when we do sin?
We stepped back to use an example of a friend. If we had a friend that wasn't talking to us, and we didn't know why, we would go through a process to fix it. I asked the kids to walk me through that process. They explained that first, you would think back through the last couple encounters to see if there was anything that stood out that might explain it. If so, you would go apologize. If not, you might have to go to them and ask what you did wrong. If they told you, then you apologize. Realization followed by apology which hopefully leads to forgiveness. Once that has happened, you move forward. The exact same thing is true of God. Assuming we don't know which sin we have committed (yeah right) that keeps us from feeling God is near, we first examine our lives. We search out to see where we have offended God. And if we can figure it out, we ask for forgiveness. If we can't figure it out, we ask Him. Then we listen. The Spirit will reveal the sin and then we ask for forgiveness. It's the same with God as it is with any relationship. The only difference is that we're the only ones that can offend and need to ask for forgiveness and He is eager to forgive.
Right then, as if on cue, one of them asks, "But what if it isn't sin that makes God feel far? What if it is something else bad that is going on?" It's so hard to keep a straight face when you're choked up and beaming with pride. I love these kids! Sorry... Focus... YES! Great question! What if it isn't sin that is causing God to feel distant? What if it is just the pains of living in a fallen world and dealing with things like suffering, death and evil? That happens. We talked through the reality of bad things happening that cause us to question where God is in it all. To answer, I had a little practical illustration in mind. As I continued teaching, I dropped my voice to the smallest whisper I could produce and still keep talking. At first they laughed and joked until it clicked and they begin to tell each other to be quiet. Then they started catching bits and pieces. If they were quiet, they could make out parts but it wasn't until one of them got the bright idea to stand up and walk over to me that they were able to hear it all.
There is a beautiful story in 1 Kings 19 where Elijah is facing a serious trial. He is being chased by his enemies, God's people are worshipping idols and doing all types of evil, and Elijah is feeling distraught to the point of wishing for his death. The prophet makes it to Mount Horeb after 40 days of traveling and ends up in a cave. There the Lord comes to him and tells Elijah to go out and wait as He is about to pass by the mountain. At first there was a mighty wind, but God was not in the wind. Then there was a earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. Then there was a roaring fire, but God was not in the fire. Then came a gentle whisper. God was in the whisper.
A whisper seems so distant. It seems so far away. And when we seek to hear it, we tend to do two things: we quiet ourselves and lean toward it. These are the things that God wants and part of why God feels so far away during certain trials. He is in the whisper and is trying to get us to quiet ourselves and draw near to Him. It is a part of the way He redeems the evil in the world. It is why so many people come through ordeals closer to God. It is part of why He allows them to happen. It is what tilts us off balance when we become content with where we are in our process of sanctification. God uses our flawed emotional perception of His location to betray us enough to reveal His true presence and strength which draws us in to Himself as a means of growing us to be more like Christ. It is absolute genius.
Before we wrapped up, I had to ask the question "what makes us feel like God is far?". While we've already unpacked the questions of "why" God feels distant, I wanted to at least address the "what" causes the feeling. For the kids, it was when He doesn't answer our prayers or bad things keep happening. Since we had already discussed the way God uses bad things to draw us near, I wanted to talk about the way God answers prayers. We could spend an entire lesson on this topic but I just wanted to remind them that God hears our prayers, even if the answer is no, not yet or something else that doesn't line up with our instant-gratification expectations. Just because He doesn't answer our prayers the way we want doesn't mean He isn't there. And it doesn't always indicate sin. Sometimes we just pray based on our limited, finite, selfish perspective and it doesn't compare to His limitless, infinite, perfect plans. Being told no doesn't mean He isn't near. It just means no.
So, where does all that leave us? What do we do when God seems far? The answer is simple, though not always easy. Get up! Go to Him! Whether it is to ask for forgiveness for a sin we've committed against Him or if it is to draw near and quiet ourselves to hear the whisper, the result is the same. He is always here. If He feels distant then it is because we are not where we should be. It could be our pride, our stubbornness, our ignorance, our contentment, or any number of other things that hold us fast to where we are. But it isn't because He isn't there. We should be seeking Him, drawing near to Him and relying on Him. And, like both David and Jesus, if he feels far, then we can tell Him that He feels far. We can tell Him when we are scared, frustrated and mad. We can admit when we feel abandoned, ignored and forsakened. We can be honest and tell Him what we feel, even if we are wrong or if our perception is just off. He's can take it. After all, He is a big, big God.
The first two stops are directly related to one another and form the basis for the beginning of our discussion. Acts 13:22 and Psalm 89:13-29 both paint a picture of David being a man that God has great affection for. Their relationship is close and David finds great favor in God's eyes. This is the David that we know and admire. This is the giant-killing, harp-playing, street-dancing king that authored Psalm 23. This is the guy whose family line would produce the final solution to the problem of sin. This is the man after God's own heart. This is our model for the relationship with God that all of us should strive for.
However, we also need to read Psalm 13. We need to read Psalm 22. We need to see David calling out to a God that he feels isn't close or even listening. We need to hear him lamenting as he feels God is ignoring and hiding from David. The words pour out of David in such a way that we identify with his anguish and hurt along with him. This does not sounds like the David we were just describing. If David can feel this way about God, where does that leave us?
Just to be sure, I asked the kids if they thought God had actually been far from David as he wrote those words. They said no. But it is obvious that He felt far away to David. And David is not the only one. We turned to Matthew 27:45-50 as we see Jesus cry out, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani". Surely God wouldn't turn His back on His own son in his greatest hour of need. I asked the kids what they thought about it. They talked it out and the outcome of their thoughts was that God had to turn His back on Jesus because of sin. And even though God was still there, Jesus felt like He was far.
In both situations, the culprit is sin.
David's laments throughout the Psalms are a direct result of sin, both his and others. Jesus, bearing our sins on the cross, felt the separation from his Father for the first time in eternity. Sin makes God feel far away. It is because He is holy and is set apart from sin. I didn't have to go into much detail as this made complete sense to the kids. So while God is near, He feels distant because of how He reacts to sin. The problem isn't with God actually being distant, but rather, how we feel because of His reaction. Whew! I'm glad we figured that little problem out. But there is a catch... we don't want Him to feel distant. So what do we do? Not sin? That's easy to say, and certainly the goal to shoot for, but pulling it off is a little harder. So how do we make God not feel far when we do sin?
We stepped back to use an example of a friend. If we had a friend that wasn't talking to us, and we didn't know why, we would go through a process to fix it. I asked the kids to walk me through that process. They explained that first, you would think back through the last couple encounters to see if there was anything that stood out that might explain it. If so, you would go apologize. If not, you might have to go to them and ask what you did wrong. If they told you, then you apologize. Realization followed by apology which hopefully leads to forgiveness. Once that has happened, you move forward. The exact same thing is true of God. Assuming we don't know which sin we have committed (yeah right) that keeps us from feeling God is near, we first examine our lives. We search out to see where we have offended God. And if we can figure it out, we ask for forgiveness. If we can't figure it out, we ask Him. Then we listen. The Spirit will reveal the sin and then we ask for forgiveness. It's the same with God as it is with any relationship. The only difference is that we're the only ones that can offend and need to ask for forgiveness and He is eager to forgive.
Right then, as if on cue, one of them asks, "But what if it isn't sin that makes God feel far? What if it is something else bad that is going on?" It's so hard to keep a straight face when you're choked up and beaming with pride. I love these kids! Sorry... Focus... YES! Great question! What if it isn't sin that is causing God to feel distant? What if it is just the pains of living in a fallen world and dealing with things like suffering, death and evil? That happens. We talked through the reality of bad things happening that cause us to question where God is in it all. To answer, I had a little practical illustration in mind. As I continued teaching, I dropped my voice to the smallest whisper I could produce and still keep talking. At first they laughed and joked until it clicked and they begin to tell each other to be quiet. Then they started catching bits and pieces. If they were quiet, they could make out parts but it wasn't until one of them got the bright idea to stand up and walk over to me that they were able to hear it all.
There is a beautiful story in 1 Kings 19 where Elijah is facing a serious trial. He is being chased by his enemies, God's people are worshipping idols and doing all types of evil, and Elijah is feeling distraught to the point of wishing for his death. The prophet makes it to Mount Horeb after 40 days of traveling and ends up in a cave. There the Lord comes to him and tells Elijah to go out and wait as He is about to pass by the mountain. At first there was a mighty wind, but God was not in the wind. Then there was a earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. Then there was a roaring fire, but God was not in the fire. Then came a gentle whisper. God was in the whisper.
A whisper seems so distant. It seems so far away. And when we seek to hear it, we tend to do two things: we quiet ourselves and lean toward it. These are the things that God wants and part of why God feels so far away during certain trials. He is in the whisper and is trying to get us to quiet ourselves and draw near to Him. It is a part of the way He redeems the evil in the world. It is why so many people come through ordeals closer to God. It is part of why He allows them to happen. It is what tilts us off balance when we become content with where we are in our process of sanctification. God uses our flawed emotional perception of His location to betray us enough to reveal His true presence and strength which draws us in to Himself as a means of growing us to be more like Christ. It is absolute genius.
Before we wrapped up, I had to ask the question "what makes us feel like God is far?". While we've already unpacked the questions of "why" God feels distant, I wanted to at least address the "what" causes the feeling. For the kids, it was when He doesn't answer our prayers or bad things keep happening. Since we had already discussed the way God uses bad things to draw us near, I wanted to talk about the way God answers prayers. We could spend an entire lesson on this topic but I just wanted to remind them that God hears our prayers, even if the answer is no, not yet or something else that doesn't line up with our instant-gratification expectations. Just because He doesn't answer our prayers the way we want doesn't mean He isn't there. And it doesn't always indicate sin. Sometimes we just pray based on our limited, finite, selfish perspective and it doesn't compare to His limitless, infinite, perfect plans. Being told no doesn't mean He isn't near. It just means no.
So, where does all that leave us? What do we do when God seems far? The answer is simple, though not always easy. Get up! Go to Him! Whether it is to ask for forgiveness for a sin we've committed against Him or if it is to draw near and quiet ourselves to hear the whisper, the result is the same. He is always here. If He feels distant then it is because we are not where we should be. It could be our pride, our stubbornness, our ignorance, our contentment, or any number of other things that hold us fast to where we are. But it isn't because He isn't there. We should be seeking Him, drawing near to Him and relying on Him. And, like both David and Jesus, if he feels far, then we can tell Him that He feels far. We can tell Him when we are scared, frustrated and mad. We can admit when we feel abandoned, ignored and forsakened. We can be honest and tell Him what we feel, even if we are wrong or if our perception is just off. He's can take it. After all, He is a big, big God.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Freak!
With the mission trip under our belt, we dove back into our discussion of our big, big God by looking at the question of whether this invisible God that desires a relationship with us is going to make us be some sort of "Jesus Freak". There are a lot of variables there, so before we can even get started with our question, we need to quantify things a bit. So, the first item to address is the term "freak". The kids did a very thorough job defining the term, though I'll spare you all the details, but ended up with “strange”, “crazy” and “unusual” as the best words to describe it. Then we focused on figuring out just what a "Jesus Freak" is and whether or not it is even a negative term. The consensus was that it is someone who is kind of an over-the-top Christian or extreme in their faith. Fair enough. And as to whether it was a good or bad thing, they sort of had mixed feelings.
So, as we began, I drew a line on the board with the two "extremes" of faith - one end being none, such as an atheist, and the other end being the "Jesus Freak". At that point I had the kids identify where they felt that they currently fell on the chart between the extremes and where they felt like they should be. They were all over the place, but the end result was about the same for all of them. They were somewhere in the middle and felt like they should be further toward the "Jesus Freak" end, but not necessarily to the end. One of them summed it up pretty well. She said, "I know I should be closer to the “Jesus Freak”, but part of me just doesn't want to." Yup, that pretty much sums it up for the vast majority of us. But the question is why.
So, we started off by opening up and looking at 1 Corinthians 11:1. Here we see Paul make a bold statement to the church in Corinth that they should "Follow my example, just as I follow the example of Christ". Talk about being confident in your walk. I asked the kids if any of them felt like they could make such a claim and they laughed. I did too. But imagine being so far along in your walk with God that you could tell people that aren't sure about how to be a Christian to simply copy what you're doing. This brought up our dot/line conversation that we have talked about over the last couple months. As Christians, we are moving along the line of sanctification, or becoming more Christ-like. It is a process. We all move at different paces and at different times, but the goal is the same for all: to be more like Jesus.
So, as a Christian in process, the end goal would appear to be the "Jesus Freak" end of the spectrum. So what's the hold up? We flipped back a few books to Romans 12:1-2 to see Paul talking to the church in Rome. He says some pretty interesting stuff that I bet was probably just as hard for the Romans to hear as it is for us today. Things like offering up our bodies as living sacrifices and not living the way the world lives make us a little uncomfortable. After all, being a living sacrifice means that we have to die to ourselves. We talked about that a little and basically explained that it is when we place more importance on what God wants for us than what we want for ourselves. On paper that sounds good, but living it out is a little harder. After all, there are lots of things out there to do that don’t exactly line up with being Christ-like. Being in the world means we see a lot of things out there that we want to be a part of and dying to that part of life to do what God wants us to do doesn’t sound like all that much fun. Wouldn’t it be easier if we didn’t have to see it?
People have tried to make that process easier and more realistic by withdrawing from society to become monks and hermits living on the fringe, having little or no human interaction to shield themselves from temptation and worldly things. They take being "in the world but not of the world" to the extreme. I asked the kids if anything is wrong with living that way and they instantly answered that isolating yourself means that you can't tell other people about Jesus. Bingo! They’re so smart. The relationships that we have play such a huge role in the day-to-day evangelism of the gospel. Without contact with the world, our role in the gospel is reduced to less than what God designed it to be. So, if we can't withdraw from the world, how do we live in it without being affected by it?
The last scripture for the day finds us in 1 Peter 2:1-3. Here we get practical instructions and advice that basically boils down to reducing sin and desiring God. Again, it seems so simple on paper. So why is it such a problem? The kids knew without me cueing them. It’s because we are sinful. Our sin nature makes the process of sanctification slow because we get bogged down in the mess of the world, in our own sinful wiring, in our desire to be in control, in the addiction of experience and so many other things. But despite the obstacles, our goal is to keep moving. We should never be content with where we are in our walk. We should constantly be in process.
Will that make us a "Jesus Freak"? That depends. Perspective is everything. From the “faithless” end of the spectrum, following after an invisible God and putting hope in grace by faith probably does seem freakish. It is not normal to die to oneself, especially when society tells you that you are the most important thing. But, from the other end of the spectrum, the guy living for himself, in the moment, with no hope in anything beyond himself and his temporary life seems pretty crazy too. And the guy straddling the fence trying to be "Christian" - but still trying to do everything the world does - probably thinks that both ends are goofy. Other people are always going to judge based on where they are, what they want to see, and their perception of truth. How much stock we put in their perspective can keep us from moving on toward our goal of being Christ-like.
While adults would probably be sitting back, nodding in agreement and unwilling to ask the hard questions… preteens don’t know any better. So, one of them asked, “what if appearing to be too much of a “Jesus Freak” ends up making some people not want a relationship with me?”. What a great and honest question! Even if it is because of their distorted perception, what if it keeps them from wanting to have anything to do with us? I have no clue. It’s a real concern a lot of people have. If they appear too “Christian”, they can’t slip under the radar and build relationships with non-believers. My only response is that our part of the equation is to be obedient. Part of that obedience is trusting that God is in control and knows best. Part of what 1 Peter 2 told us was “Don't pretend to be something you are not”. This not only means to not act holier or better than what you are, but not to act worse than you are. Be yourself and let God be in control. Let Him orchestrate how those relationships work themselves out. And if someone doesn’t want to hang out with you because of who you are, then let God worry about it.
Let’s be honest. Life in this world is hard and messy. I think of God sending His only son to be a nasty, smelly human and what a hard thing that would have been for him. Imagine begin a co-creator of the universe in one minute and relying on your creation to change your diaper the next. Yet, Jesus put himself in the middle of that mess and was successfully able to live in the world and not be of it. He did it because of the relationships and perspective that it afforded him. People thought he was a freak, too. The religious leaders rejected him because of what he said and did. And ultimately, he endured torture, death and separation so that all of humanity could have the choice of being reconciled with God.
So will God make me a "Jesus Freak"? Nope. God doesn't make me do anything. He gives me the choice and freedom to do whatever I want, even at His own expense. When I choose the things of the world, I suffer the consequences. And when I choose to do what is right, it brings glory to Him. But God lets me decide who I am. The question is will I choose to live life for myself or in such a way that I am constantly moving closer to being Christ-like? Will I be content with simply being justified or will I strive to work out my sanctification? Is it my desire to be viewed as “normal” by the masses or to be so conformed to the image of Christ that I can tell others to emulate me as I emulate him? And depending on what I choose, I just might be considered a freak by some. But I might also be considered a role model by others. And when it is all said and done, I might just be considered a "good and faithful servant" by the only One whose opinion really matters.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Church Under the Bridge
Sorry for the delay. Apparently the hard drive on my laptop died during the trip. But that's not going to stop me from telling you about our final day in Waco. We woke up and loaded our stuff to head to the Rock for our last breakfast, some instructions and to gift Mission Waco with some supplies that we were able to provide them. At that point, we loaded on the vans and headed down to I-35 for one of the most unique church experiences you can imagine.
Set across the service road from Baylor on a wide median directly under the I-35 overpass, Church Under the Bridge is as simple as church can get. A trailer acts as a stage and metal folding chairs are set out for the hundreds of people who call themselves Trolls. Every type of person can be seen there. There were old and young, homeless and well-off and every color of the rainbow. We saw several faces from the past few days as well as some from previous years. After we met and greeted, church started. Pigeons flew around and traffic roared overhead, but church was happening in the most authentic way. Worship was amazing as two guitars, a bass, a mandolin and even a washboard praised God. As usual, Patrick led worship in his own special way. We sang a few songs before we sat and listened to the guest speaker of the day, Emily Mills with the ministry JesusSaidLove. It is an organization she and her husband started to love on and build relationships with those in the margins. You can visit their site at http://www.jesussaidlove.com/ for more information on their ministry. Service concluded with communion where this assorted group of every type of person you can imagine all remembered Jesus and his sacrifice. It was a very moving and humbling experience. Afterward, we talked the similarities between our church and what they had experienced that morning. This was definitely the first time they had ever seen people smoking in church, among other unique things that happens there. Here are a few pictures from the morning:
Church Under the Bridge
Meeting and visiting with the members of this church.
Service about to begin.
Talented musicians leading us in worship.
Patrick is a staple under the bridge. While he is mentally handicapped, there is nothing wrong with his heart and the way he greets and loves people. Having almost nothing of his own, Patrick gives away almost everything he has during church, especially hugs and handshakes. And, equipped with his own guitar, he takes center stage to lead worship.
Set across the service road from Baylor on a wide median directly under the I-35 overpass, Church Under the Bridge is as simple as church can get. A trailer acts as a stage and metal folding chairs are set out for the hundreds of people who call themselves Trolls. Every type of person can be seen there. There were old and young, homeless and well-off and every color of the rainbow. We saw several faces from the past few days as well as some from previous years. After we met and greeted, church started. Pigeons flew around and traffic roared overhead, but church was happening in the most authentic way. Worship was amazing as two guitars, a bass, a mandolin and even a washboard praised God. As usual, Patrick led worship in his own special way. We sang a few songs before we sat and listened to the guest speaker of the day, Emily Mills with the ministry JesusSaidLove. It is an organization she and her husband started to love on and build relationships with those in the margins. You can visit their site at http://www.jesussaidlove.com/ for more information on their ministry. Service concluded with communion where this assorted group of every type of person you can imagine all remembered Jesus and his sacrifice. It was a very moving and humbling experience. Afterward, we talked the similarities between our church and what they had experienced that morning. This was definitely the first time they had ever seen people smoking in church, among other unique things that happens there. Here are a few pictures from the morning:
Wrapping up our trip with a final prayer.
Church Under the Bridge
Meeting and visiting with the members of this church.
Service about to begin.
Talented musicians leading us in worship.
Patrick is a staple under the bridge. While he is mentally handicapped, there is nothing wrong with his heart and the way he greets and loves people. Having almost nothing of his own, Patrick gives away almost everything he has during church, especially hugs and handshakes. And, equipped with his own guitar, he takes center stage to lead worship.
Another successful trip being the hands and feet of Christ to the homeless and poverty stricken community in Waco.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Saturday night
After 2 hours of fighting my computer, I'm giving up on it and just giving an afternoon report via phone. I apologize for the lack of pictures but will hopefully have more luck after the computer and I get some much needed sleep.
The girls had a productive afternoon helping to clean the World Cup Cafe, a coffee shop that not only specializes in free trade coffee, but also other free trade goods. Today they had their Green Eggs and Ham event and the girls were able to go in afterward and get their turn at scrubbing toilets, sweeping and mopping. We might need to challenge the boys and girls to an official "clean off" after we get home. And after getting their clean on at the cafe, they headed to Mission Waco's offices to do some cleaning there as well. And, not to be outdone by the boys, they showed their skills at pulling weeks and doing yard work.
The boys were not ready to give up on clearing our assigned lots from the morning. And despite tall grass, problematic equipment and obstacles that would thwart the most seasoned landscaper, they not only knocked out one or two, but three lots and a little more. They were hard workers who showed patience and determination. Their hard work was so contagious, some neighbor boys even came over to lend a hand.
After dinner and a little time to clean up, we loaded up in vans and rewarded everyone with a trip to see The Lorax. We filled the theater that we rented out and had a lot of fun with the movie and experience. We ended with devotionals and instructions for our trip to Church Under the Bridge tomorrow morning.
I've had several conversations with them over the past few days and it is apparent that there is more going on than just projects and hard work. The kids are seeing how serving changes us. They are figuring out that they don't have to wait for ministry some day but are perfectly able at 9, 10 or 11 to change the world. And they are seeing how helping the least of these is no different than showing love to their Savior. I am exhausted but can't sleep with the excitement of experiencing church with them in the morning. The lines of age, income, residence and race will blur to one body worshipping one God in a way that they won't soon forget.
A little more welcoming without the weeds.
Mowing would have been impossible without picking up the huge pile of branches and debris.
Serving is contagious.
Big sticks call for big boys.
Ready for a little Lorax 3-D action!
The girls had a productive afternoon helping to clean the World Cup Cafe, a coffee shop that not only specializes in free trade coffee, but also other free trade goods. Today they had their Green Eggs and Ham event and the girls were able to go in afterward and get their turn at scrubbing toilets, sweeping and mopping. We might need to challenge the boys and girls to an official "clean off" after we get home. And after getting their clean on at the cafe, they headed to Mission Waco's offices to do some cleaning there as well. And, not to be outdone by the boys, they showed their skills at pulling weeks and doing yard work.
The boys were not ready to give up on clearing our assigned lots from the morning. And despite tall grass, problematic equipment and obstacles that would thwart the most seasoned landscaper, they not only knocked out one or two, but three lots and a little more. They were hard workers who showed patience and determination. Their hard work was so contagious, some neighbor boys even came over to lend a hand.
After dinner and a little time to clean up, we loaded up in vans and rewarded everyone with a trip to see The Lorax. We filled the theater that we rented out and had a lot of fun with the movie and experience. We ended with devotionals and instructions for our trip to Church Under the Bridge tomorrow morning.
I've had several conversations with them over the past few days and it is apparent that there is more going on than just projects and hard work. The kids are seeing how serving changes us. They are figuring out that they don't have to wait for ministry some day but are perfectly able at 9, 10 or 11 to change the world. And they are seeing how helping the least of these is no different than showing love to their Savior. I am exhausted but can't sleep with the excitement of experiencing church with them in the morning. The lines of age, income, residence and race will blur to one body worshipping one God in a way that they won't soon forget.
A little more welcoming without the weeds.
Mowing would have been impossible without picking up the huge pile of branches and debris.
Serving is contagious.
Big sticks call for big boys.
Ready for a little Lorax 3-D action!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Mid-Saturday Update
* UPDATED with pictures
A little more than halfway through our second and final day of the trip and the kids are hanging in there and working hard. The boys are spending the day doing some mowing, weed eating and lot clearing while the girls worked at the nursing home more. As I understand it, they got to participate in a good ol' fashion gospel experience before doing crafts with the residents. A couple more hours of work left before we wash up and go reward ourselves with a 3-D movie and our final night here in Waco.
Playing a few groups games in the morning before heading out to work. Nothing builds teams like beating each other with pool noodles.
Mowing in grass almost up to their waists.
Playing Bingo at the Crestview Nursing Home.
Meeting a few of the residents.
What a bunch of sweet girls.
A little more than halfway through our second and final day of the trip and the kids are hanging in there and working hard. The boys are spending the day doing some mowing, weed eating and lot clearing while the girls worked at the nursing home more. As I understand it, they got to participate in a good ol' fashion gospel experience before doing crafts with the residents. A couple more hours of work left before we wash up and go reward ourselves with a 3-D movie and our final night here in Waco.
Mowing in grass almost up to their waists.
Picking up trash before the mowers make their way in.
Playing Bingo at the Crestview Nursing Home.
Meeting a few of the residents.
What a bunch of sweet girls.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Special Addition - Do Not Miss This!!!
One more special treat. Not only did the girls get to listen to Dylan sing, but they got to join in along with the individuals staying at the homeless shelter to sing praises to God. This is just a tiny glimpse, but there was no way I was going to pass trying to share at least a portion of their experience. I hope you all enjoy it!!!
* The story behind Dylan is that he is actually not even from around here. He is from Missouri and to prepare his heart for an upcoming mission trip he decided to live as if he was homeless for 40 days. Since he has been in Waco he actually was contacted by a record label to help him make a CD. He plans to use most of the proceeds to help Mission Waco. According to most of them he is the "next big thing"! ~ Angela Platt
Friday!
Warning! The stories and pictures you are about to read and view are real. No identities have been hidden to protect the innocent. These are actual 4th and 5th graders doing yard work, folding and hanging clothes, cleaning toilets and all types of behavior that may not be consistent with the experiences they parents have seen at home. Parents with a history of heart problems, those with back or neck injuries and those who may be pregnant may want to avoid reading further.
What a day! After a good night sleep, the kids headed to the Rock for breakfast and to get their introduction to a little history of Mission Waco. The founder's son spoke to us, giving us a unique perspective to growing up the community and how it has changed, not only in terms of housing and people, but how God has used the ministry to change the world. After that we received our morning instructions for our service projects. Our kids got split up by gender. The boys headed to a local clothing center run by Mission Waco where donated clothes are resold to the public. There, they went through bins, tubs and bags of donated clothing to pull out the undesirables and hang and sort the clothes to be sold. They folded and hung clothes like seasoned professionals. The girls headed to a local nursing home where they visited with the residents, playing Bingo and listening to stories. Make sure you ask them about Miss Kitty and her desire to make it to Church Under the Bridge to find hubby number 7!
Other groups spread out doing clearing lots, mowing, doing maintenance work around the Rock (including painting and cleaning) and passing out fliers throughout the neighborhood. One group helped with lunch and did some shopping for the afternoon snacks and then spent their afternoon service time serving the rest of their peers. Very little grumbling and a whole lot of encouraging words were common throughout the entire day.
From there we headed back to the Rock for some yummy burgers and a little down time. After lunch and our break, everyone was ready to hit the afternoon service projects hard. The girls headed to the Mission Waco training center where they cleaned the kitchen like professionals. They also put together some crafts and did some other little jobs around setting up for future groups. They also did some yard work and outdoor cleaning around the training center. The guys went to the Jubilee Theater to fold some stage curtains, wipe down seats, swept and mop floors and clean bathrooms. Yes, bathrooms. And after becoming experts there, they moved over to the Mission Waco Youth Center to clean more bathrooms and knock out some more general cleaning.
From there we all gathered back at My Brother's Keeper for an explanation to how the shelter works and some history behind it. Dinner followed with a massive pick up game of girls versus boys on the basketball court. And, for the record, they held their own with the boys and tied them 5 to 5. From there were split again as the boys headed to the hotel to unwind and swim a bit while the girls headed to the shelter for the evening devotion with the people staying there. Unlike the experience the boys had last night, the girls had a larger crowd and even had someone there leading worship. The girls totally engaged with the homeless people and joined them in worshipping the same God. This summary won't do it justice. It will truly be something they will have to share with you personally. After that, they headed back to work off the last of their energy and dig into a little ice cream.
We worked hard and are very tired. The energy and excitement from last night has been replaced with content, worn out bodies from a day of being servants to people that can't pay us back. Here are some of the highlights from our day, but certainly only a small portion of the experience:
Breakfast line to start the day.
Folding, sorting and hanging clothes to be resold to help Mission Waco addiction recovery programs.
Taking a break to pose on the Clothesline.
Cleaning the Jubilee Theater. It's not snowing, it's just crazy dusty.
Prepping some St. Patrick's Day crafts for the nursing home.
Maddi!
More craft prep.
My Brother's Keeper Homeless Shelter.
Cathy with Mission Waco giving us some background information and success stories of how My Brother's Keeper works.
Taking a break to smile for their mommies.
Devotional at My Brother's Keeper with the girls.
A super cool surprise. Impromptu worship with musician, Dylan.
Listening to Dylan sing.
Group picture with the people staying at My Brother's Keeper.
Proof that we are feeding them and they are eating.
Business and pleasure makes for a great trip and bonding experiences.
Photo op number 7,295
The exterior of the Rock, where we stage most of our work and eat most of our meals.
Like father, like son...
Many, many more pictures but not enough time. We will be making CDs of pictures of the entire trip once we get home. We're winding down and getting ready to sleep hard. Tomorrow is going to be long and hard but we're all going to bed knowing that we've not only helped to change a community, but ourselves as well. Sleep well knowing that these kids showed God's love today. Check back tomorrow for more pics and stories about what we're doing down here in Waco!
What a day! After a good night sleep, the kids headed to the Rock for breakfast and to get their introduction to a little history of Mission Waco. The founder's son spoke to us, giving us a unique perspective to growing up the community and how it has changed, not only in terms of housing and people, but how God has used the ministry to change the world. After that we received our morning instructions for our service projects. Our kids got split up by gender. The boys headed to a local clothing center run by Mission Waco where donated clothes are resold to the public. There, they went through bins, tubs and bags of donated clothing to pull out the undesirables and hang and sort the clothes to be sold. They folded and hung clothes like seasoned professionals. The girls headed to a local nursing home where they visited with the residents, playing Bingo and listening to stories. Make sure you ask them about Miss Kitty and her desire to make it to Church Under the Bridge to find hubby number 7!
Other groups spread out doing clearing lots, mowing, doing maintenance work around the Rock (including painting and cleaning) and passing out fliers throughout the neighborhood. One group helped with lunch and did some shopping for the afternoon snacks and then spent their afternoon service time serving the rest of their peers. Very little grumbling and a whole lot of encouraging words were common throughout the entire day.
From there we headed back to the Rock for some yummy burgers and a little down time. After lunch and our break, everyone was ready to hit the afternoon service projects hard. The girls headed to the Mission Waco training center where they cleaned the kitchen like professionals. They also put together some crafts and did some other little jobs around setting up for future groups. They also did some yard work and outdoor cleaning around the training center. The guys went to the Jubilee Theater to fold some stage curtains, wipe down seats, swept and mop floors and clean bathrooms. Yes, bathrooms. And after becoming experts there, they moved over to the Mission Waco Youth Center to clean more bathrooms and knock out some more general cleaning.
From there we all gathered back at My Brother's Keeper for an explanation to how the shelter works and some history behind it. Dinner followed with a massive pick up game of girls versus boys on the basketball court. And, for the record, they held their own with the boys and tied them 5 to 5. From there were split again as the boys headed to the hotel to unwind and swim a bit while the girls headed to the shelter for the evening devotion with the people staying there. Unlike the experience the boys had last night, the girls had a larger crowd and even had someone there leading worship. The girls totally engaged with the homeless people and joined them in worshipping the same God. This summary won't do it justice. It will truly be something they will have to share with you personally. After that, they headed back to work off the last of their energy and dig into a little ice cream.
We worked hard and are very tired. The energy and excitement from last night has been replaced with content, worn out bodies from a day of being servants to people that can't pay us back. Here are some of the highlights from our day, but certainly only a small portion of the experience:
Breakfast line to start the day.
Folding, sorting and hanging clothes to be resold to help Mission Waco addiction recovery programs.
Taking a break to pose on the Clothesline.
Cleaning the Jubilee Theater. It's not snowing, it's just crazy dusty.
Prepping some St. Patrick's Day crafts for the nursing home.
Maddi!
More craft prep.
My Brother's Keeper Homeless Shelter.
Cathy with Mission Waco giving us some background information and success stories of how My Brother's Keeper works.
Taking a break to smile for their mommies.
Devotional at My Brother's Keeper with the girls.
A super cool surprise. Impromptu worship with musician, Dylan.
Listening to Dylan sing.
Group picture with the people staying at My Brother's Keeper.
Proof that we are feeding them and they are eating.
Business and pleasure makes for a great trip and bonding experiences.
Photo op number 7,295
The exterior of the Rock, where we stage most of our work and eat most of our meals.
Like father, like son...
Many, many more pictures but not enough time. We will be making CDs of pictures of the entire trip once we get home. We're winding down and getting ready to sleep hard. Tomorrow is going to be long and hard but we're all going to bed knowing that we've not only helped to change a community, but ourselves as well. Sleep well knowing that these kids showed God's love today. Check back tomorrow for more pics and stories about what we're doing down here in Waco!
Rise and Shine
It's 6:30 in the morning on the first full day of our trip and the kids are slowly waking. The adults too. We'll be meeting for breakfast at 7:15 at the Rock which consists of cereals and fruit before getting our daily assignments and splitting up into smaller groups to tackle them. It's gonna be a long day, but it should be a great one too!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Waco!!!
We safely made it and hit the ground running. We met up at the Rock to get some dinner in our tummies, got some energy burnt off from the two-hour drive and split for the evening. The ladies headed to the hotel to unpack and enjoy some swimming and fellowship while the boys headed to My Brother's Keeper, the homeless shelter that we are working with while we are here. Pastor Trent led a small devotional and then we spent some time meeting and visiting some of the people currently staying there. The boys asked several questions and learned about the people there with questions ranging from their favorite colors to their families and where they were from. Then they went around and shared with the group the things that they learned. We ended by heading back to the Rock and enjoying some ice cream and down down burning off the last of the energy.
Early to bed tonight to get ready for a long, hard day tomorrow. Beautiful weather and lots of projects await. Here are some pictures from our first day:
14 kids, ready to be the hands and feet of Christ.
Excited to get on the road!
Buckled in and ready to roll. They were completely silent all the way there and never asked "are we there yet" once. NOT!!!
Dinner time! Yummy sandwiches and monster cookies.
Getting out some energy and making friends with kids from the Rockwall and Town East campuses.
Cheese!
First they're sour... then they're sweet.
Some see a slide and playground equipment... but we see a great place to eat and watch.
Thanks McAlisters! Yum!!!
Apparently they didn't get enough time in the car on the way down.
Workin' off a little energy on the court.
Visiting with the homeless at My Brother's Keeper and putting a name and face to homelessness.
Check back tomorrow for more. Pray for attitudes and energy as we serve the Waco community.
Early to bed tonight to get ready for a long, hard day tomorrow. Beautiful weather and lots of projects await. Here are some pictures from our first day:
14 kids, ready to be the hands and feet of Christ.
Excited to get on the road!
Buckled in and ready to roll. They were completely silent all the way there and never asked "are we there yet" once. NOT!!!
Dinner time! Yummy sandwiches and monster cookies.
Getting out some energy and making friends with kids from the Rockwall and Town East campuses.
Cheese!
First they're sour... then they're sweet.
Some see a slide and playground equipment... but we see a great place to eat and watch.
Thanks McAlisters! Yum!!!
Apparently they didn't get enough time in the car on the way down.
Workin' off a little energy on the court.
Visiting with the homeless at My Brother's Keeper and putting a name and face to homelessness.
Check back tomorrow for more. Pray for attitudes and energy as we serve the Waco community.
Mission Waco or Bust!
We're about an hour and a half away from loading up and heading out on our Mission Trip to Waco. Check back in this evening for pictures and an update of our first evening. Be praying for nerves and excitement.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
More than friends
We kicked off our second week in the topic of a big, big God last night by talking through why God would want a relationship with us. It's a great question, but before we jumped into it, I had the kids go through and list out the different qualities and characteristics that they have for a "perfect friend". Their list consisted of things like loyalty, honesty, trustworthy, kind, loving, caring and numerous other traits that most everyone would have on such a list. Even at such a young age, they know what is important in a friendship.
So we opened the Bible and looked at Psalm 8:3-4. Here we see David addressing God and telling Him how he thinks about how awesome He is. He talks about God's power and creativity and you can really sense how awe struck David is by God. But then he asks God why such a powerful, creative, holy God would think or care about sinful, fallen humans. As we unpack the idea of our relationship with God, it is easy to see where we would benefit from having God in our lives and the perks of that relationship. But God kinda gets the short end of that stick. He not only meets but exceeds the qualities that we listed for a perfect friend and yet we don't even come close. So why would God want a relationship with us?
We then flipped over a few chapters to Psalm 37:23-24. Here we see the care that God has for us, that even as we stumble, He is there to help catch us. There are a couple of good things here. The first is that David starts by saying, "If the Lord is pleased with the way a man lives" which we have talked about over the last couple weeks. Following rules, being nice, tossing a few bucks in the offering plate and all the other "Christian" things we do are great, but God is only pleased by our faith. And our faith is our part of the relationship we have with God. So this is specifically addressing those who have a relationship with God because of their faith, which is what pleases Him. Then David talks about the care that God shows us. When I look at this, I can't help but think about walking with my kids when they were young. They often tripped and stumbled. So many times I would hold their hand and when they took a bad step, before they could hit the ground, I had pulled them up and kept them from falling. But they had to hold my hand. If they chose to walk without holding my hand, then often they would fall. And while I would help them up, wipe away their tears and clean their wounds, I couldn't save them from the fall. That is the kind of relationship David is talking about. Reliance upon God is essential.
We looked a little more at this aspect of our relationship by turning to Jeremiah 29:11. Here we see God say that He knows the plans He has for us and they are good and He wants to see us succeed. Of course I asked the kids if this means that everything we do will work out and that all things in life will be perfect. They knew better. I pointed out that God says that He knows the plans HE has for us. But those plan hinge upon something very important: our obedience. When we put our plans ahead of God's plans, then we upset the plans that God designed that keep us upright and successful. He allows us to choose for the same reasons we allows us the free will to make all the other choices, which is ultimately to bring glory to Himself when we choose to follow. God allows us to fail in our relationship to show how unfailing He is. But even when we do, we know that He is able to redeem even the worst things and work them out for those that love Him.
The last verse we hit really sums it up. In Isaiah 49:1, we see the prophet telling everyone that God chose him before he was even born. He appointed him by name. I told the kids that this part of our relationship with God is unique as God has known us before we were born, before our parents were born and even before creation. Omniscience is part of what makes God “God”. I then went on to explain that when God says he knows us, it is not that he knows of us, but knows us completely. This is where the English language fails us. I used the example of a picture of Justin Bieber or President Obama. If you held up a picture of either of them for me to see, I would say that I know who that is. In much the same way, if someone held my picture up for them, they would admit that they don't know who I am. This is the "know" of recognition. And even though I might know facts and details about both of their lives, I can't say that I know them because I do not have a relationship with them. But God knows us. He doesn't just recognize us and have our names memorized, He knows every detail of our life. He knows our every action, our every word and even our every thought. From the moment of conception, through the last breathe we draw on earth, and to our infinite existence in heaven, God knows every aspect of each and every one of us. And He still loves us and still wants a relationship with us.
Awesome! God wants to be my best friend. While that was the point of our discussion, it is not where we stopped because it is only partially true. Yes, God wants a relationship with us that includes characteristics of what we think of as "friendship", but there are other things that He desires that go beyond being a friend. We see that in the way Jesus related to Him on earth. The religious officials put God's name at such a holy level that they wouldn't even include the vowels when they wrote out Yahweh. When Jesus shows up and prays to God with the very intimate phrase "abba" or "daddy", they were completely livid. But that is what God desires from us. Not only that we would consider Him to be our father, but that He would be our daddy. We talked through that a bit as we looked at the difference in how we address our earthly fathers. Using the word daddy says a lot without really saying it. It conveys intimacy, reliance, humility and disregard of what others think. And God desires those things from us. But daddy is a much different thing than friend. However, there are aspects of both of those earthly models that God wants in the relationship He has with us.
But He is also God. And while friendship and paternal characteristics line up with how we relate to God to a degree, there is also an aspect that those two things fail to address: the fact that He desires to be our Lord. Being our God means that we submit to Him completely. It isn't the same option we have with our friends or even the defiance we sometimes show to our parents. As our Lord or King, God deserves our complete surrender. Defiance of a king on earth is considered treason and a capital crime. It’s that big of a deal. There is simply a part of our relationship with God that demands reverence and submission because of who He is. And while we often fall short of that, we rejoice in the fact that He is loving, gracious and merciful.
So where does that leave us? Well, it gives me a tremendous amount of confidence that God knows me better than anyone, flaws and all, and still accepts me. It brings me joy that I get to relate to Him as a friend, father and God. But it also reminds me that in those three parts of our relationship, even though He loves me regardless, I want to also be the best friend, son and subject that I can be. Not because of rules, reward or repercussion, but because of relationship. He is worthy of my best, even though He accepts my worst. And He doesn't have to be. He could be an impersonal, indifferent God that set it all into motion and stepped away. He could be a God full of wrath and vengeance for those who fail to follow His ways. He could treat us like toys or pets or program us like robots. But He chooses to love us, to let us choose to love Him and He wants a relationship with us individually, no matter what we do. And because of that, He'll never be just a friend.
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