Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. I trust in You, my God! Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord Point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me for You are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You. Remember O Lord your unfailing love and compassion which you have shown from long ages past. Forgive the rebellious sins of my youth…Archive for Jesus
serve –> love –> joy –> Christ
UPDATE: check out the GTI ‘volunteer training manual’ as well!
NOTE: Apparently my new frequent blogging style is to read some little ‘thing’ from someone else’s posts, and blog about them… like this. Oh well…
Two points stood out for me when I read Creating communities of grace:
(5) Eat and drink with broken people
The Son of Man who receives all authority in Daniel 7 comes eating and drinking (Luke 7:34). Jesus eats and drinks with sinners. It’s a powerful expression of community. We think we are enacting grace if we work among the poor, if we serve them. But we are only half way there. It is not really grace because we still act from a position of superiority. We think we are humble when we serve. But we have missed the dynamic that is going on. What we really proclaim is that we are able and you are unable. I can do something for you, but you can do nothing for me. Think how different the dynamic is when we sit and eat with someone. We meet as equals. We share together. We behave as friends. We affirm one another and enjoy one another.
(7) Focus on the heart
What’s your agenda for change? All too often we focus on behaviour. We can list the behaviours we would like someone to stop or start. But Jesus says our behaviour comes from the heart (Mark 7:20-23). Our focus needs to be on the heart. Our job is to help people love God and treasure Christ. In Philippians 1 Paul says the aim of his ministry among them is their joy (1:25-26). He wants them to find joy in Christ – only then will people turn from the pleasures of sin. I do need to describe a life that pleases God. But my job is not to go round telling people to reform their lives or change their behaviour. My job is help people find joy in Christ.
Jesus – I pray that our adventure in serving with those around Richmond who are without a home or are poor be less about me and more about You. May we all recognize our humble roles and not as superiors. May we get to know those we meet *as friends* not acquaintances. May we not focus on what they ‘need to do’ and instead just love them where they are at … to find joy in Christ.
in the world, not of the world
Romans 12:1,2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
John 17:14,15 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.
1 John 2:9-11 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
Matthew 5:14-15 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”
So what I’m wondering and discussed a bit last night was this – our kids and public versus private schools. Then I went and read this from Tina… which got me thinking more. There is a very clear view out there in Christianity that the public school system has failed us and we shouldn’t have our kids part of it. Some may choose home-schooling – others may choose private Christian schools (we have “academies” around here).
I have two points I’d like to throw out:
- Aren’t we called to be “be in the world but not of it”? I thought the verse this was quoting was that clear, but at least I can’t find a translation that says it exactly like that but I’m guessing the above two verses are it. Shouldn’t we be “in the schools” but not “of the schools”? Meaning not be blindly led around and follow the ways and paths others take there.
- Aren’t we also called to be a light to the world? I don’t we ourselves are The Light – that’s so a Jesus Christ thing. I couldn’t find a specific verse that said this, but take a look at the last two verses above for my closest guesses. But aren’t we called to be like little Christs to show the way to Jesus through our lives? Now I know a lot of people feel like the school system is only getting worse, but how exactly will it get better when we pull our kids out of it? Might a little light in there help?
I will concede that the issue with this and what seems to be the main counterpoint is am I willing to “sacrifice” my children for those beliefs? Well, no I’m not but sheesh that sure seems like some divisive words there in my opinion. My daughter is only in Kindergarten so we’re currently going to “just see how it goes”. We’ve definitely talked about our kids going to a private school. If my kid(s) experienced some sort of persecution or something in the schools over their beliefs, we will talk about it more then. I guess I’m optimistic a bit that this won’t become an issue. We’ll see.
But what seems to me is that we as Christians can come across too easily as quick to judge, condemn and pull in this regard. I don’t know – I really haven’t had this become an issue for us yet but we do know a handful that have (and I really don’t believe at all they were judgmental and condemning – they had a bunch of other reasons if I recall correctly).
Anyone else care to comment? Jim – you have older kids, right?
3/11/08 UPDATE: read Tina’s part II – much more thought out that me…
3/12/08 UPDATE: Check out this post They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our …? – it exemplifies the underpinning to my concerns..
teaching a man to fish
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them…. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting.
I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.” Matthew 6
I personally think some things should be out in the open – like content about church sermons, and quite possibly certain aspects of our lives (this blog is kind of a diary for me in some ways). But not everything should be out in the open… some should be “in secret”. Jesus identifies three in the Sermon on the Mount, but we are only going to focus on one for this post – our “private time” with God. That means prayer.
Oh by the way – this is excerpted, paraphrased and generally taken from my church’s gathering today (9/30/07), sermon is “Part 2: Encouraging a Secret Life” which is part of the “In the Closet…” series.
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