Preparing for a Feast

Good morning all,

Today is preparation day for our annual Cajun Christmas Feast at Bryantsville. I am not sure what I like better, cooking or eating. The real truth is along the lines of both equally! As I have sat here this morning having quiet time and praying the meal keeps interrupting my thoughts as I think about all of the things I need to do, but those thoughts have led to other, more spiritually productive, thoughts that I wanted to share real quick this morning.

We joke at Bryantsville about everything we do seeming to involve food; and while we say that in jest, there is a great deal of truth to it. The thought I had this morning is that we really are not all that much different than Jesus. As we read the Gospels, time and again we find Jesus and the disciples doing something that involves food. Every time we have Holy Communion we talk about looking to the time when Christ returns and we feast at His heavenly banquet table. When we eat at church, especially big feasts like this one, it serves as a reminder to us of Christ and the hope we have of His imminent return.

Tomorrow night we will feast on lots of yummy food, but it pales in comparison to the feast we will share with Jesus upon His return; but no good feast happens without a lot of preparation. Today I begin all of the preparations so I can focus on cooking tomorrow, but the same holds true for Christ's heavenly banquet table. The day is coming when we will dine with Him at the feast He has prepared, but in the meantime we have a lot of preparation to do. Advent is a season of preparation, so it is appropriate that we focus on this. While the Cajun feast involves the preparation of food, the heavenly banquet table involves the preparation of our hearts.

We must do the work of spending time with God in worship, fellowship, prayer, service and scripture to be prepared for His return feast. When we make those preparations God does the incredible work of transforming our hearts from something Grinchish to something that is bursting with joy and hope and is ready to sit at a table with Christ.

In the days to come we are all going to find ourselves at some point preparing a feast, be it Cajun feasts or Christmas dinners, or Christmas morning cinnamon rolls, as we do let us all allow that to be a reminder to us to make sure we are doing the work of preparing our hearts for the greatest banquet of all.

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

The Prison of Bitterness

Good morning all,

Let's start with a couple of scripture readings:

NLT Acts 8:22 Turn from your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, 23 for I can see that you are full of bitterness and held captive by sin." 24 "Pray to the Lord for me," Simon exclaimed, "that these terrible things won't happen to me!"

NLT Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

I was reading The Grapes of Wrath again this morning and Steinbeck was describing the process the tenant farmers were going through of selling off the stuff that they couldn't transport to California for mere pennies on the dollar it was really worth.  The comment kept arising as people took advantage of their bad situation that the people were not just buying stuff because the stuff came with bitterness as well.  The chapter ends with the pointed statement that while they thought they had sold their bitterness they got back to the truck to discover that it was still alive and well in them.

That is the funny thing about bitterness, it can become all consuming.  Distorting the lens through which we look at life, making us feel angry and full of hate.  Stripping us of hope and joy.  In our scripture this morning we first find an encounter between Peter and Simon the magician who is trying to buy the power of the Holy Spirit.  Peter tells him the only way to get such power is not with money but with repentance and calling on the name of the Lord.  What struck me in the passage is that Peter describes Simon as captive to sin, but first he says that he is full of bitterness.  The first thing Peter notices about him is that he is trapped in a prison of bitterness and then that he is captive to sin. 

Our second passage is from Paul as he writes to the Ephesians telling them how they should live in Christ. Like Peter's description of Simon that begins with bitterness, Paul's list of things to put away begins with bitterness, followed by rage, anger, harsh words, etc.  It is the first "sin" in a chain, but in many ways it is the root of the other sins as bitterness can lead us into all of the things Paul describes just as it can lead us to being held captive to sin.  Bitterness is a prison; a dark, dank, depressing prison that makes us feel like life is hopeless and without joy.

The good news is that while it is a prison, unlike most prisons it is one to which we hold the cell keys because it is a self imposed prison.  No one but ourselves can put us in the prison of bitterness and no one but ourselves can let us out.  It is God's desire that none of us be trapped in such a prison and God wants to give us hope and joy and peace, but even God cannot turn the key in our cell door of bitterness.  He can give us assurance that He will always be with us, that His love knows no end, that in Him we can finally know peace.  He can and does send the Holy Spirit to empower us to be able to make such a decision to open the cell door, but only we can choose to turn that key and walk out of the cell. 

Christmas time tends to be a polarizing time as we generally inhabit two ends of the spectrum; joy and happiness or bitterness and hurt.  If any of us are stuck in that cell of bitterness this year, let's make a deliberate choice not to be consumed by it and to step out of the cell.  The good news about being part of the body of Christ is that we never have to do this alone.  When we choose to turn the key, open the door and walk out, if we will simply ask those around us that love us to help us open that door and hold our hand as we walk out, THEY WILL!  This year let us, together, make sure none of us are trapped in a prison of bitterness and let's share the keys of the cell with the world so that all may walk out into a life in Christ!

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Momma's

Greetings All,

I want to share with you this morning the description that John Steinbeck writes of Ma from The Grapes of Wrath.

"Ma was heavy, but not fat; thick with child-bearing and work.  She wore a loose Mother Hubbard of gray cloth in which there had once been colored flowers, but the color was washed out now, so that the small flowered pattern was only a little lighter gray than the background.  The dress came  down to her ankles, and her strong, broad, bare feet moved quickly and deftly over the floor.  Her thin, steel-gray hair was gathered in a sparse wispy knot at the back of her head.  Strong, freckled arms were bare to the elbow, and her hands were chubby and delicate, like those of a plump little girl.  She looked out into the sunshine.  Her full face was not soft; it was controlled, kindly.  Her hazel eyes seemed to have experienced all possible tragedy and to have mounted pain and suffering like steps into a high calm and a superhuman understanding.  She seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken.  And since old Tom and the children could not know hurt or fear unless she acknowledged hurt and fear, she had practiced denying them in herself.  And since, when a joyful thing happened, they looked to see whether joy was on her, it was her habit to build up laughter out of inadequate materials.  But better than joy was calm.  Imperturbability could be depended upon.  And from her great and humble position in the family she had taken dignity and a clean calm beauty.  From her position as healer, her hands had grown sure and cool and quiet; from her position as arbiter she had become as remote and faultless in judgment as a goddess.  She seemed to know that if she swayed the family shook, and if she ever really deeply wavered or despaired the family would fall, the family will to function would be gone."from The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck pgs. 99-100

I read this a couple of days ago and it just struck me as it so aptly describes so many women that I know.  Women whose trust in the Lord has placed them as family back bones, the key that holds the whole family together.  Women who experience pain, loss, doing without, and hurt yet choose to trust God that it will all work out in the end; women who can always be counted on for that smile of hope, that twinkle of joy, that look of unconditional love.  Women who make you believe that God really could love someone like you because they love someone like you. 

This morning take a moment to reflect on the women in your life and consider who are the "Maws" of your life?  Who are those women that you depend on no matter what because you know you can?  Who are those women that love you no matter what you've done?  Who are those women who make you know that God is real because He is fully present in them?  When you have identified them, give them a call, a hug, write them a card, take a moment to acknowledge what their faith, hope, joy and love have meant in your life.  Thank them for allowing God to use them in such a subtle but mighty way.

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

The Absence of Holy

Greetings All,

Our men's group devotional book is one by Dr. Dennis Kinlaw who used to serve as president of Asbury College.  This morning he made a statement that really caused me great pause and continued reflection, "The problem is not that evil is so powerful; in fact, evil only works in the absence of that which is holy."  I have always heard that darkness is not an actual state, it is merely the absence of light.  I hadn't taken that thought the further step that Dr. Kinlaw did this morning to apply it to evil.  On one hand I cannot affirm that evil is merely the absence of holy, because there is some evil so insidious and unthinkable that it is completely independent of the holy, but to suggest that evil only works in the absence of holy is a wholly separate thing.

Where holiness is present, active and flourishing it is much harder for evil to raise its ugly head, not that it can't but it is much harder; however when there is no holiness present, active and flourishing it creates the perfect opportunity for evil to be all three of those!  On one level this makes me a little uncomfortable because it refuses to allow me to merely stand back and point at evil and say, "look, there is evil; we should do something about it;" rather it forces me to look at myself and ask, "Where am I failing to grow in holiness and spreading holiness thus enabling evil to be active and working?"  To suggest that evil only works in the absence of holy is to force us as Christians to become even more determined to spread the love of Christ throughout the world, because where the love of Christ is growing, evil is shrinking.  Will you join me today in pursuing holiness, spreading hope and sharing love towards the vanquishment of evil?

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

A Christmas Song

Greetings All,

I picked up a James Taylor Christmas album at 1/2 Price Books the other day and it has become one of my absolute favorite Christmas albums.  His rendition of Go Tell It on the Mountain is spectacular and the entire album has a real spiritual feel to it.  What I wanted to share with you all this morning is his song Some Children See Him.  By far it is the song that has touched my heart the most this Christmas season.  The only youtube video I could find is one someone put together for a Christmas Eve service, but the words are what matters.  Enjoy!



Some Children See Him
by James Taylor

Some children see Him lily white,

The baby Jesus born this night.
Some children see Him lily white,
With tresses soft and fair.

Some children see Him bronzed and brown,
The Lord of heav'n to earth come down.
Some children see Him bronzed and brown,
With dark and heavy hair.
Some children see Him almond-eyed,
This Savior whom we kneel beside.
Some children see Him almond-eyed,
With skin of yellow hue.

Some children see Him dark as they,
Sweet Mary's Son to whom we pray.
Some children see him dark as they,
And, ah! they love Him, too!

The children in each different place
Will see the baby Jesus' face
Like theirs, but bright with heavenly grace,
And filled with holy light.

O lay aside each earthly thing
And with thy heart as offering,
Come worship now the infant King.
'Tis love that's born tonight!

Your Brother in Christ,
Faron

Book Review: A Better Freedom by Michael Card

A Better Freedom
by Michael Card
published in 2009 by Intervarsity Press

Summary: Michael Card, singer and songwriter of hit Christian songs like El Shaddai and Immanuel, is also an accomplished theologian and Biblical scholar.  He has attended an African-American church for years and in doing so has observed their practice for referring to Jesus as Master.  As he inquired as to why, he discovered that it was a practice that tied back to times of slavery when slaves would call Jesus Master to make it clear that the master they had on earth was not their true master!  This exacerbated Michael's interest in slavery: ancient slavery practices, pre-Civil War slavery practices and the reality that there are more slaves in the world today than at anytime given time in history.  His study took him to the various sources, but his primary lens was the Bible as he considered what life in Christ means when we view it as a servant/master relationship. 

Review: Card is as accomplished in writing as he is in music.  The book while covering an emotional topic is presented in an appropriate, stimulating manner.  There is scholarship from real sources to support the beliefs he puts forth and there is an authentic wrestling with the Biblical text, especially those he believes are related to slavery in any way.  The subject matter and theology presented is deep, but it is presented in a way that makes it accessible to all and while he may not convince you to completely alter the manner in which you live out your Christian walk, he will at least give you pause to think about how we currently live out that walk.

Reading Recommendation: YES, great read, easy read, really provides a new perspective.  It is worth your time.

Jimmy Carter's Theological Lens

Greetings All,


Having finished Michael Card's A Better Freedom yesterday I was switched to a book by former president Jimmy Carter, Sources of Strength: Meditations on Scripture for a Living Faith. The book is divided into 52 different Sunday School lessons he has taught over the years, nine of them are from when he was the sitting President. What caught my attention this morning came from his introduction to the book. His goal in the introduction is to help us understand why and how we should read the Bible. He also realizes how much our theological beliefs are going to affect just how we read the Bible. Towards that end, he shares his primary theological lens for Bible study and life. It is a lens he copied from a Cuban pastor named Eloy Cruz. The lens is simply this:

"We only need to have two loves in our lives: for God, and for the person who happens to be in front of us at any time."

And there is the most profound summary of how we are supposed to live as Christians in a simple sentence. Two loves, God and the person who happens to be in front of us. Do we live that way? Sure we love God, but do we really interact in love with whoever is standing in front of us? How would our lives, our church, our community be different if we adopted this theological lens for living? While I disagree with much of President Carter's politics, I can find no fault whatsoever in how he has chosen to live out his Christian walk. Perhaps we should wear his theological glasses for a season.

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Felicity

Good morning all,


This morning my Psalm was the sixteenth and I have been reading it out of the New English Bible translation. Here are the first two verses:

"Keep me, O God, for in thee have I found refuge. I have said to the Yahweh, 'Thou, Lord, art my felicity.'"

The Psalm goes on to affirm God as the fullness of the psalmist's joy and the one who shows him the path of life. The word that jumped out at me this morning was "felicity," I remembered a television show with that name and I had heard it before, but I realized that I didn't know the definition. A quick trip to the Google and I had it. Basically it means "the cause of happiness." The psalmist is saying, "Lord you are the cause of my happiness." What a beautiful way to describe God, the cause of our happiness. We talk about Him as being the source of our joy and hope, but how often do we use that phrase, "Lord you are the cause of my happiness?"

Perhaps there is a bigger question, "Is God the cause of our happiness?" Or even bigger, "Are we happy?" If the answer to either is "no," then we need to ask ourselves, "why aren't we happy?" and "what are we looking for to make us happy?" If we look outside of God for something to cause us to be happy it will fail us every time. Sadly the Christmas season has become such that we are looking to the giving and receiving of commercial gifts as a cause for us to be happy. It may work for a while, but it will always be temporary. The only lasting cause for happiness is God!

Is God your felicity? If not, can you make Him your felicity for today?

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

A Pause Amidst the Rush

Good morning all,


I read somewhere the other day that the earth spins at 1,000 miles per hour. I double checked and discovered that it does in fact spin, at the equator, at approximately 1,038 m.p.h., at the poles almost 0 m.p.h. and in the United States between 700 and 900 m.p.h. depending on where you are which would put Kentucky in that 750 to 800 m.p.h zone. Do you feel like you are traveling at 800 m.p.h.? I am sitting at the counter typing this post not moving at all, but the reality is that I am traveling way, way over the speed limit! It is amazing to really think about, that God created the world in such a way that it moved at great speed but that speed was undetectable to a person standing on the earth. The earth is moving whether we want it to or not, but amidst the movement we can stop and rest and reflect. When we stop we are still in motion. The earth is still moving, life is still moving forward, we just don't sense that movement.

Isn't that how life should be in God. Life moves forward at a pace that sometimes feels blinding, but God has created us in such a way that amidst the movement of life we can pause and focus on Him, resting, relaxing, connecting, just being and for a moment it seems as if life has stopped and we are not moving. The earth is constantly moving and we are on it so we are constantly moving, but we do not live as if we are in constant motion. We need to make sure that our lives in God are not lived as if we are in constant motion. Yes, life is constantly moving forward, "Time marches on" as they say, but we do not have to live where we are in constant motion. We can be deliberate about finding time to sit down, relax and focus on God. It is in those times of motionless motion that we find peace, hope and joy and have our empty cups refilled so that we can go back to that life of motion.

Today let's find a moment to live as if we are not moving; to live unaware of the pace of life for a moment in the same way that we are unaware of the fact that we are moving at 800 m.p.h.; and in that moment take a minute to seek the face of the Lord.

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Duty or Affirmation?

Good morning all,


Michael Card never ceases to provoke, nudge and flat out stomp on toes at times. As a brief reminder this book A Better Freedom: Finding Life as Slaves of Christ is Card's attempt to repaint our walk as disciples from simple discipleship and friendship to a relationship of slave to master. I ended up with this book by accident, but like many other "accidents" this has proven to be an incredible read as evidenced by the number of posts related to this book. This morning he has been exploring slavery related parables and he ends with a personal story about a dear departed friend who was always there for him and never expected or even wanted thanks. Card ends the chapter with these words:

"Servants don't stand around and wait for thanks or affirmation when they do their duty. Everything they do is a privilege when it is done for their Master." From A Better Freedom page 118

Wow, or should I say "OUCH!" How often do we serve in the church waiting for someone to acknowledge, praise or lavish us with thanks rather than simply being content to serve unnoticed but effectively? I remember walking through the living room one time when the kids were watching Maury Povich. There was a deadbeat dad on the program that was upset because no one praised him for getting a job and supporting his child. Maury, who I am not a big fan of but who impressed me that day, looks at him and simply asks, "Why do you expect praise for doing what you are supposed to do?"

Perhaps that is one of the problems the world faces today. We have lost all sense of duty and replaced it with a sense of entitlement. I deserve; you owe me; it is my right! Duty demands sacrifice without praise or acknowledgement. Duty demands doing things because it is the right thing to do and not because there is reward or affirmation at the end. Duty is a word that has been lost not only in the world, but perhaps also the church. How often do we think of discipleship as duty rather than something that ends in reward or makes us look good? How often do we think of discipleship as obedience, doing something simply because God told us to and for no other reason?

Card is right, when we begin to shift our understanding of discipleship to a slave to master relationship suddenly we cannot avoid issues of duty, obedience and sacrifice. When we recognize that we are slaves to the Master Jesus praise is no longer required, it is merely a privilege to serve. When we serve at church are we doing it out of duty to our Master or to accommodate our desire for praise and affirmation?

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Sermon: Sunday, December 4, 2011

Greetings All,

Here is the audio file from yesterday's sermon. It is the 2nd sermon in our Advent series and it is title The Promised Coming: Warrior! Shepherd. Baby? and the primary text is Isaiah 40:1-11.


Your brother in Christ,
Faron

It Will Never Happen With Me!

Good morning all,


I had one of those "duh!" moments this morning reading Matthew chapter 23. Here is the portion that struck me:

"NLT Matthew 23:29 "How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed and decorate the graves of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. 30 Then you say, 'We never would have joined them in killing the prophets.' 31 "In saying that, you are accusing yourselves of being the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead. Finish what they started. 33 Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell? 34 I will send you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. You will kill some by crucifixion and whip others in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city. 35 As a result, you will become guilty of murdering all the godly people from righteous Abel to Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered in the Temple between the altar and the sanctuary. 36 I assure you, all the accumulated judgment of the centuries will break upon the heads of this very generation."

This comes in a series of warnings to the hypocritical Pharisees in which Jesus constantly points out to them that they have obeyed the letter of the law but failed mightily to obey the Spirit, they have traded justice, mercy and compassion for exactness in their rule following. In this passage that struck me Jesus tells them that they try to make up for what their fathers did in killing the prophets by making memorial tombs and decorating graves and proclaiming that had they been alive they would not have killed them, not even been a part of it. Basically they say, "Nope, it will never happen to me!" Yet this audience is the very same audience that will ultimately scourge and crucify Jesus; and in that is the message to all of us in the world today. As we look at people struggling in sin and life, we can be tempted to get a superior "Christian" attitude and begin to proclaim to ourselves and others that we are above all of that having reached a spiritual place where we do not have to worry about sin, or brokenness or failing. There is no place more dangerous!

Jesus tells the Pharisees, not only would you have killed the prophets long ago but that He is also about to send prophets in there midst now which they are going to kill. They can not atone for what their fathers did and worse they will do the same thing. He finally tells them that there is nothing they can do to escape the fires of hell.

That is the truth for all of us. There is nothing we can do to escape judgement; nothing that is except surrendering our lives to Jesus. It is Jesus and Jesus alone that causes us to escape judgement and brings us forgiveness of our sin. While we all strive towards holiness and perfection in love, we all have the carnal nature dwelling within us and it can raise its ugly head up at the most inconvenient times. What we must always be on guard for is that attitude of the Pharisees, "It can never happen to me," because the moment we start to think that is the moment we become seriously susceptible to it definitively happening.

It was true for the Pharisees and it is true for us. Left to our own accords we will repeat the sins of the fathers, but if we will break the chain of independence, or relying exclusively on self, and place ourselves in a relationship of dependence on Christ, we can find freedom.

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Called to the Impossible

Good morning all,


Once again Michael Card has struck my imagination and shared words of wisdom that connect and inspire. For years I have talked about how God calls us to things that are beyond our own natural gifts, talents and abilities because when they come to pass our only possible response is "look what the Lord has done." When we accomplish things that we are capable of within our own strength, gifts and resources we face the very strong temptation to say, "look what I have done!" God doesn't want us lost to self pride but equally He wants to work through us to grow His kingdom so when He calls, He calls to things that are impossible without God.

In my own life I find this to be true when I compare preaching and counseling. I have always been a capable public speaker, so when I have a fortunate day of preaching a good sermon, while I know it is the work of God I could be tempted to think, "look at what a good preacher I AM!" but when I am fortunate enough to be able to help someone through counseling that temptation doesn't exist because I know I have no natural aptitude for counseling. In fact, that was one of my concerns about becoming a pastor. My background had stripped me of empathy and created a mindset towards counseling along the lines of "suck it up; get over it; and get back in the game!" While there are times that needs to be said in counseling, it cannot be the paradigm from which you do it all. When I see words of compassion and support and understanding come out of my "counseling" mouth, I cannot help but think, "look what the Lord has done!"

Today Michael Card shared the same sentiment but in the terms of us being slaves to Jesus specifically talking about Mary. Read his words as they are much more eloquent than anything I could type.

"Mary is a slave to an impossible demand, for the virgin to bear a Son. The call of God is always impossible. To impotent Abram and sterile Sarai he says, 'Make a son.' To the young virgin who sees herself simply as a slave kneeling at the feet of an angel he says, 'You will have a Son.' To become obedient to his call always means becoming a slave to the impossible. He asks us to do the impossible (like loving our enemies) knowing that the impossibility of the task will always drive us back to him, our Master, without whom even Jesus would say we can do nothing." from A Better Freedom: Finding Life as Slaves of Christ by Michael Card

God calls us to the impossible, because the impossible is only possible with Him. A call to the impossible forces us to expectantly depend upon Him to do something incredible and to give Him the glory when it comes to pass. What impossible thing is God calling you to today?

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Book Review: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

The Old Man and the Sea
by Ernest Hemingway
originally published in 1952 by Scribner Paperback Fiction

Summary: More than anything this is a bit of a character study of an old fisherman, his relationship with the ocean, a young boy and a fish.  We don't even learn his name, Santiago, until the very end of the story.  He is a fisherman who has not caught a fish in 85 days, but just like everyday he gets up in the morning heading out with the hope of catching one today.  He decides to go into deep water and hooks the biggest fish he has every caught.  Man and fish battle for days on end, but the meat of the story isn't about whether or not he actually catches the fish.  It is about him and his life, his faith, his relationships with others and the ocean.

Review: This is by far Hemingway's most acclaimed book having been awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and it playing a large part in his award of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1954.  To this day it is required reading for many high school and college students, as it continues to open a window for us into brilliant writing, a captivating view of a culture and a resounding commentary on life.  One cannot help but connect with the old man as he puts one foot in front of the other to get through this day of life.  Even though he has not caught a fish in 85 days, he continues to go out because he is a fisherman and fisherman fish.  Our lives are the same, we do what we do, day in and day out, because that is who we are.  Like the old man we worry about God, calling on His help and looking for His blessing; we look at our past and wonder if we have made mistakes along the way; we dip deep inside ourselves to find the reserves to accomplish what we need to accomplish and in the end we discover the futility of it all when all we do is pursue life for the sake of life.  As I have re-read this masterpiece, especially through a theological lens, what I have found is a modern day Ecclesiastes.  This is a book that masterfully captures the futility that life seems to have, but leaves us with the hope of tomorrow.

Reading Recommendation: Yes.  Really this is probably a recommendation for most of us to re-read this classic.  The first time I read it was high school and I muscled through it to get it done only because it was required.  The second time was in college, same scenario; but this time, reading for no other purpose than enjoyment and reconnecting with such a classic I found the book to be engaging in a way I had never experienced before.  Give it a first, second or third look; you won't be disappointed.