This is the Day

The song says it well: “This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.” The quotation is from Psalm 118:24. We recite the verse in unison each Sunday as we begin worship at the Park Plaza church.

A travel ad from a couple of years ago, an ad sponsored by one of my favorite states, reminded us that we only get to experience and enjoy about 25000 mornings in a lifetime. According to the ad, at least some of them should be spent in Michigan, because Michigan mornings are memorable. I have spent about 4000 mornings in Michigan, but today I am thinking spiritually not geographically. This is the day the Lord has made. How many of my 25000 (plus or minus) mornings will be memorable?

What mornings do I remember? Early mornings in Grandma’s kitchen with the aroma of sausage cooking, awake well before dawn because milking chores were waiting. Beginning vacation in the wee hours of the morn so we could travel in the cool (referring to the days before auto AC!). Our last day of family vacation in Rocky Mountain National Park with a morning hike to Emerald Lake, up and back before 6 A.M. The quietness of a Latin American city before most are awake and moving (except the roosters). There are many more….

What days would you mention? Which have been the coldest ones? the hottest? the most refreshing? the most unusual?
Which mornings have brought you closest to God? When have you marveled at God’s nature? at God’s sunrise? at the rain? at the snow? at your sleeping son or daughter?

Another saying I have picked up along the way is “carpe diem”–often translated “seize the day”. Days happen, but what one puts into each day is a choice. Let me fill this day well, because it is a gift from God!

It’s Sunday Again: “Getting God right”!

If we don’t understand God, it is unlikely we will understand much else of our place and life. Understanding God is foundation for understanding Christ; yet Christ shows us God. This is a paradox in Christianity. We do not study God. We do not seek to know him nor understand him. God’s entire purpose is that we might become like him. We cannot become like that which we do not understand. Our worship problems are God problems. Our commitment problems are not only Christ problems–they are God problems. A failure in understanding God permeates and has negative influence in all of life.

When we have studied God, we have put him in preconceived “boxes” that limit our understanding and fail to communicate. We must study afresh! We must seek him. What is God like? What are we like? We are “image of God” people–what does that mean? God creates us, calls us to him, and connects us (to him and one another).

God wishes to bless those who are his. (What does that mean? We need to spend a lot more time in the Old Testament on blessing and cursing.) Perhaps my goal is too ambitious, but I want to share God. I want to “get Him right”!

Note: I am working on a short series of sermons to guide a fresh exploration of the dimensions of God–to be available for seminars in both English and Spanish.

It’s Sunday Again: Teaching and Preaching about God

Today is jam-packed filled with kingdom “stuff.” We will attend early Anglo worship; I will teach the Bible class at Iglesia de Cristo. Today is community groups day–spending time with brothers and sisters is always special.
This afternoon I will preach and give a mission report at Fort Gibson. This church is special, near and dear to our hearts. It is hard to believe that 18 years have passed since we completed our ministry there and began our work in Christian higher education. The depth of the relationships that were built is evident in the warmth and hugs we share every time we return. Fort Gibson is definitely one of our ‘home churches’ where we maintain our membership even in our absence.
The Fort Gibson church has a heart for mission work, and has graciously assisted with our mission work in strengthening churches and developing teachers and leaders. I look forward to our return and the opportunity to share the word and what God is doing among his people.

Life in the kingdom is about God and what he makes of us. God works in our lives by his grace. The kingdom mission with which we are entrusted is his mission, not ours. Our first goal is not the mission–our goal is to become like him. Our goal is to make him known as others hear our words and see our lives. Jesus is king in the kingdom–he tells us to teach (disciple) others for kingdom transformation and service.

It’s Sunday Again: Hearts Attuned to Praise

I enjoy new songs. I am glad we have fresh words and melodies to express our adoration to God. I also like many of the older songs. One song that we sang frequently in the little church where I grew up in central Kansas was titled “Lord We Come Before Thee Now.” For a time, it was sung almost every Sunday as a call to worship. One phrase says, “tune our lips to sing thy praise.” Today I am thinking of a slightly different phrase: “hearts attuned to praise.”

My Sunday prayer guide includes developing a heart of adoration filled with gratitude and praise. Hearts attuned to praise seek opportunities to praise and worship God. Hearts attuned to praise rejoice as prayers and songs are presented before the throne of God. All creation declares the majesty and glory of the Creator. The created order naturally declares God’s splendor, it is a part of the nature of our world. In all of creation, only we human beings are free to choose–to praise or not to praise. Praise is a part of our nature, but we can refuse to acknowledge that part of who we are.

In praise we fully live out who we are and what God has made possible for us as his creation, created in his image and likeness. God, give us this day hearts attuned to praise, so that our tongues and lips, our hearts, and our lives declare your glory.

It’s Sunday Again: Home

“Home is where the heart is!” With that idea in mind, I am “home” every Sunday as I worship with God’s spiritual family, for I am blessed to be able to follow my heart and the heart of God in my mission and ministry activities. This year, through eleven Sundays I have worshiped with eleven different congregations. What blessings God is overflowing into my life!
So far this year, I have spent the night in eight different Christian homes, visited and eaten meals in many more. All of these brothers and sisters in Christ have said “our house is your house.” I remember Jesus’ promise to his disciples that they will have hundreds of houses.
This week I am glad to be home with my family–able to spend time with Jan and with my children and grandchildren.
All of these come to mind as I think about home.
But today I am also thinking of the opportunity to spend time with my spiritual family at Park Plaza. I will worship with my spiritual family (English-speaking). I will spend time with my spiritual family (Spanish-speaking). And I will also attend my community group (a special subset of my Park Plaza spiritual family).

Today I am praying about home. I am praying about your home, and your family. I hope you have a great spiritual family and spiritual home in a local church. Do not hesitate to contact me if I can help you find a spiritual family!

It’s Sunday Again: Iglesia de Cristo–Crieve Hall

The last three days have been delightful. The seminar focused on building stronger Christian marriages and families, with participants present from several area congregations. With 10 hours teaching hours scheduled in the seminar, we covered a lot of ground, and continued the discussion during refreshments and shared meals.
Today we shift gears to think about the importance of the church, focusing especially on the shared times of worship and study. God’s wisdom and glory are seen in the church, his dwelling place and the central masterpiece of his saving work, a work which he accomplishes in the world through the church.
For me, sharing time with God’s spiritual family on the Lord’s Day is always special–God blesses his people as they live committed lives, actively engaging in his work to his glory. As we worship together we look upward to God in praise and worship, we look within ourselves and grow spiritually through study and learning, we look around to others in the family of God as we share time around the Table in the Supper and as we exhort and encourage one another, we look to the future as we declare afresh the commitments of our life and our priorities and loyalties.

It’s Sunday Again: Iglesia de Cristo-Lexington

Another Sunday, another part of God’s great spiritual family! Today I will be with Iglesia de Cristo at Southside in Lexington for the beginning of a four-day seminar. God is at work among his people around the world. May this be a day to his glory as we surround the Table to remember that God has saved us through the blood of Jesus and has bound us together as part of his special spiritual people.
I look forward to renewing friendship and fellowship in Christ with brothers and sisters we first met about a year ago. Today we celebrate God’s goodness toward us as his people, and we rejoice that he has placed us in his family. May we, as John, be “in the Spirit” on this Lord’s Day.

God’s Timing

God’s ways are not our ways, God’s thoughts not our thoughts, God’s timing not our timing.
I was scheduled to fly to Honduras today. When I got to the check-in counter a few minutes before 5 AM this morning the agent told me there was no way to get from Tulsa to Tegucigalpa today due to delays and connection problems. I had originally scheduled travel for today in order to be in Honduras for a meeting tomorrow. The meeting was cancelled about a week ago, so I really had no pressing need to travel today–and I had lots of things I still needed to do at home.

I asked, What about tomorrow? The agent checked and confirmed space available, no problem. We rescheduled travel for tomorrow, even better seats!
I think the agent expected a tirade, he seemed surprised and relieved that our interaction was so easy!

Two things come to mind. Getting upset would not have changed anything and would have made it more difficult to maintain the spirit of Jesus. God’s timing is better than my timing.

Got to go now–I have a pile of things to do before tomorrow morning at 5 AM!

Brothers and Sisters Around the World

Sunday. The Day of the Lord, special time with God. Time also with family–members of my physical family and also of my spiritual family. Most live in other places and will not be where I am today. Nonetheless, the hearts of the family of God combine from places distant and near to come together in unity before the throne of God in worship and praise and communion. I am grateful that God has given me such a spiritual family.

I am thinking about and praying for my brothers and sisters around the world. Those I have met and known across the years are my brothers and sisters, literally “around the world.” God is at work in the lives of his people.

Today I celebrate God’s goodness to me. One evidence of God’s blessings in my life is that I know brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. I am blessed by these brothers and sisters as we join in prayer and seek together to advance the cause of the King to whom we have declared allegiance. May the cause of Christ go forward mightily as the Good News echos forth and God’s people encourage one another.

The Simple Life–Little Things

As I grow older I appreciate more and more the importance of these words: Keep Life Simple. I have had the freedom through much of my life to select my priorities and to live life pretty much on my own schedule–both during my years in ministry and later in the university. Now in my role as ministry and mission consultant and speaker, that freedom is even greater.

We live in a world that threatens to make life intensely complex. One can spend tremendous amounts of time doing things that make little difference in the long run. Our lives often operate by the tyranny of the urgent and the importance of the immediate. The simple life seeks to establish priorities and live a focused life. The simple life appreciates the little things. I recognize that the simple life is a luxury unavailable to many in our rushed and hectic world, but one can take steps in the right direction even in a hurried world.

Here are five ideas.

  • Avoid the tendency to think life matters because we are busy. Do not overschedule life. Find time to take a break from mere busyness. Beware leisure activities that are not leisurely.
  • Avoid the tendency to think that “things” define life. The “stuff” is temporary. Relationships are vital to the simple life.
  • Keep the most important parts of life, and the most important activities of life, in focus. Make lists of things to do, keep the most important things as top priorities every day.
  • Do not ignore the little things: time with family and friends, time enjoyed for its simplicity. Take time to see and enjoy God’s natural beauty.
  • Take time to enjoy and appreciate the little things–be alert to sights, sounds, smells, and experiences. Let these be times of peace in your life.

    • Above all, the simple life and the little things include an awareness of God. Be thankful in all circumstances.
    “Thank you, Lord, for the simplicity of life and the little things that make life special.”