I saw on the news this week that a very creative farmer has been growing his pumpkins inside a precast mold this fall so that they grow formed to look like a "Frankenstein" head or some other Halloween associated character. I tried to find photos for this blog but could not. On the TV news video I saw, they looked like plastic but were in fact real whole pumpkins shaped like a head.
Let me say here that I am neither endorsing nor advertising Halloween decorations. I personally don't like them but from my farm background though I do have to say this is a pretty inventive guy because he is getting $75 per pumpkin. My hats off to his ingenuity though I will not ever pay $75 for a pumpkin no matter who it looks like.
All this did remind me of this verse from J. B. Phillips translation of the book of Romans -
Don’t let the world around you
squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so
that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all
his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity. Romans 12:2
We live in a world that will squeeze us into its mold if we let it. It will squeeze us financially, morally, emotionally, spiritually, relationally - any way that we can imagine being squeezed it will and often for someone else's profit.
Those pumpkins don't have a choice but we do. We have something strong enough to break the mold the world tries to put us into - the power of Christ in us. If you are feeling like one of those pumpkins this week, I pray what we will look at Sunday will help you. Let's all come to break our molds and be "unsqueezed."
for the journey...
Tim
Friday, September 26, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
One Thing
"There is more difference between 1 and 2 than there is between 2 and 10,000." Elton Trueblood
I heard that in a sermon this week and as the preacher explained what he thought the Quaker philosopher Trueblood meant by that statement, my mind went in a different direction than his explanation. Now I know all you engineers and math majors are going to say that statement makes no sense at all, but remember I am talking theology where Father (1) + Son (1) + Holy Spirit (1) = 1.
So what did my mind go to after the preacher quoted Trueblood? It went to the story I had read earlier that a large, extremely rare 122.52 carat blue diamond sold for $27.6 million. Stay with me here. How does that relate to the statement above?
If you took that diamond and cut it into two, it would immediately loose its value of $27.6 million. Oh each piece would be very valuable but probably not a total of over $27,000,000. If you took the two pieces and cut them up until there were 10,000 each piece would be costly but not what that single, whole, huge diamond would be worth. When something that precious is divided just once, that one divide makes a huge difference. Perhaps that is not even what Elton Trueblood was trying to say but that is where my mind went. A whole precious thing is worth more than many different pieces but that one splitting into two is where the biggest difference is and the the greatest loss.
What then is the cost of going from being single-minded to double minded? From having an undivided heart and having a divided one? How much is it worth to be single minded? To have an undivided heart? Again, we are talking theology where the numbers don't always work in ways we can quantify, but it is very valuable.
The Psalmist writes in Ps. 86:11, "Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name." In Ezekiel 11 God tells the prophet in verse 19, "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh." In both those places a whole, undivided heart sounds like it is something worth more than diamonds.
This Sunday we will look at where Paul talks about, "this one thing I do..." He had found the worth of his life given whole and undivided to God. He found great value in that, far above diamonds. We can find it too.
for the journey...
Tim
I heard that in a sermon this week and as the preacher explained what he thought the Quaker philosopher Trueblood meant by that statement, my mind went in a different direction than his explanation. Now I know all you engineers and math majors are going to say that statement makes no sense at all, but remember I am talking theology where Father (1) + Son (1) + Holy Spirit (1) = 1.
So what did my mind go to after the preacher quoted Trueblood? It went to the story I had read earlier that a large, extremely rare 122.52 carat blue diamond sold for $27.6 million. Stay with me here. How does that relate to the statement above?
If you took that diamond and cut it into two, it would immediately loose its value of $27.6 million. Oh each piece would be very valuable but probably not a total of over $27,000,000. If you took the two pieces and cut them up until there were 10,000 each piece would be costly but not what that single, whole, huge diamond would be worth. When something that precious is divided just once, that one divide makes a huge difference. Perhaps that is not even what Elton Trueblood was trying to say but that is where my mind went. A whole precious thing is worth more than many different pieces but that one splitting into two is where the biggest difference is and the the greatest loss.
What then is the cost of going from being single-minded to double minded? From having an undivided heart and having a divided one? How much is it worth to be single minded? To have an undivided heart? Again, we are talking theology where the numbers don't always work in ways we can quantify, but it is very valuable.
The Psalmist writes in Ps. 86:11, "Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name." In Ezekiel 11 God tells the prophet in verse 19, "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh." In both those places a whole, undivided heart sounds like it is something worth more than diamonds.
This Sunday we will look at where Paul talks about, "this one thing I do..." He had found the worth of his life given whole and undivided to God. He found great value in that, far above diamonds. We can find it too.
for the journey...
Tim
Friday, September 12, 2014
Caught not just Taught
Good things as well as bad, you know, are caught by a kind of infection. If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. They are not a sort of prize which God could, if He chose, just hand out to anyone. They are a great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very centre of reality. If you are close to it, the spray will wet you: if you are not, you will remain dry. Once a man is united to God, how could he not live forever?
C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity
I have read that quote often recently and it keeps speaking to me. I seem to see something new in it every time I read it. It helps me understand I cannot work my way to God but if I spend time with God, He works His way into me.
I also get the thought that this is what Paul was talking about when he says, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:10
Paul is not being a masochist nor is he suicidal. He just knew that the high point of all human history was when Jesus suffered for us and died for us out of his great love for us. Paul wanted to know that kind of love and that kind of life. It seems to me Paul is saying he wanted to be near enough to it to 'catch it by a kind of infection.'
Let's get together with God this Sunday, look at this more carefully and see what we catch.
for the journey...
Tim
I have read that quote often recently and it keeps speaking to me. I seem to see something new in it every time I read it. It helps me understand I cannot work my way to God but if I spend time with God, He works His way into me.
I also get the thought that this is what Paul was talking about when he says, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:10
Paul is not being a masochist nor is he suicidal. He just knew that the high point of all human history was when Jesus suffered for us and died for us out of his great love for us. Paul wanted to know that kind of love and that kind of life. It seems to me Paul is saying he wanted to be near enough to it to 'catch it by a kind of infection.'
Let's get together with God this Sunday, look at this more carefully and see what we catch.
for the journey...
Tim
Friday, September 5, 2014
Washing Windows
Recently we had a new glass storm door put in on our back door. As I looked out of the new, clean glass and then looked at the windows near it, I saw how very dirty my windows were. I needed to do something about this so I set about to wash our windows on Labor Day. They looked pretty clean after I got through but since they have dried I have found numerous streaks and spots I missed. I have gone back to clean them and I still see more! It has become a little obsession of mine, when I look at a window, I look for spots. This is very discouraging because I am realizing I can never get them completely clean.
One day this week while I was looking from the inside and seeing more missed spots, streaks and some new things that had blown onto a window, it is like the Lord tapped my shoulder and said, "You cannot get anything completely clean yourself, not your windows, not your life." As I thought of that it also hit me the purpose of windows is to see out and let light in, not to only look for spots.
It is that way in my spiritual life as well. There has to be some sort of settling in my mind that I cannot get myself perfectly clean and never will. I don't have to live with dirty windows in my spiritual life though because 1 John 1:9 tells me "if I confess my sin, He is faithful and just to forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness." My spiritual life needs to include this "cleaning of windows" but that is not all their is, there is so much more. There are spiritual windows that are meant to be seen through to things on the other side. There are spiritual windows that let in light. I can get obsessed with just cleaning my windows and never seeing what is on the other side. That is not how I was meant to live.
This Sunday, we are going to look at "Two Paths to God?" Can we get so caught up in the rules of righteousness that we never see the One on the other side of our spiritual windows? Yes, we can and we do. But if we let Jesus take care of this, we look through those windows and see the One who wants to clean us up and show us great things on the other side. He also wants to shine in His light. Let's pray we see things clearly.
for the journey...
Tim
One day this week while I was looking from the inside and seeing more missed spots, streaks and some new things that had blown onto a window, it is like the Lord tapped my shoulder and said, "You cannot get anything completely clean yourself, not your windows, not your life." As I thought of that it also hit me the purpose of windows is to see out and let light in, not to only look for spots.
It is that way in my spiritual life as well. There has to be some sort of settling in my mind that I cannot get myself perfectly clean and never will. I don't have to live with dirty windows in my spiritual life though because 1 John 1:9 tells me "if I confess my sin, He is faithful and just to forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness." My spiritual life needs to include this "cleaning of windows" but that is not all their is, there is so much more. There are spiritual windows that are meant to be seen through to things on the other side. There are spiritual windows that let in light. I can get obsessed with just cleaning my windows and never seeing what is on the other side. That is not how I was meant to live.
This Sunday, we are going to look at "Two Paths to God?" Can we get so caught up in the rules of righteousness that we never see the One on the other side of our spiritual windows? Yes, we can and we do. But if we let Jesus take care of this, we look through those windows and see the One who wants to clean us up and show us great things on the other side. He also wants to shine in His light. Let's pray we see things clearly.
for the journey...
Tim
Friday, August 29, 2014
Job Listings
Where does your job fit in on the "best and worst jobs" list? Last year Forbes magazine published an article that pointed to a study that CareerCast.com did of 200 jobs in America. The analysis looked at salary, job outlook, work environment and stress and ranked the jobs at the top and at the bottom. Here are their top jobs:
- Actuary
- Biomedical Engineer
- Software Engineer
- Financial Planner
- Occupational Therapist
My first thought after reading that list was, "What is an Actuary?" My second thought was, "It is church budget time, I'm glad pastor was not on the top jobs list. It would not bode well for a raise."
So what makes a job a "worst job?" Such things as always being on call and facing a deadline, working in a high stress environment, little pay, routinely working outdoors on the hottest and the coldest days and putting yourself in constant risk of serious injury or death. My thought after reading that was, "Pastor is not going to make that list either." Sure enough it didn't, but these are the top five jobs that made the "worst" list:
- Butcher
- Dishwasher
- Roofer
- Meter Reader
- Dairy Farmer
Hey, I grew up doing that last one. My Dad was a dairy farmer for about 30 years and seemed, for the most part, to enjoy what he did. I did not think it was that bad of a job but I am glad on these 100 degree days that God called me to be a pastor and that I live in the days of air conditioning. I am also thankful not to be in a hay field in August.
In the end, though, I think it is not about a best or worst jobs list or even about the conditions you work under. It is the attitude you have toward the work you do that is most important. There are probably some unhappy Actuaries out there, whatever it is they do. I have known some pretty happy people on the "worst" job list.
This Sunday we will look at "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord." Paul was writing this to those who were slaves. I think that slave would have made the "worst" list. There was a way that God has for us to face our work with purpose, even if your job is on the "worst" list, perhaps even to let Him make you as content as an Actuary.
for the journey...
Tim
- Actuary
- Biomedical Engineer
- Software Engineer
- Financial Planner
- Occupational Therapist
My first thought after reading that list was, "What is an Actuary?" My second thought was, "It is church budget time, I'm glad pastor was not on the top jobs list. It would not bode well for a raise."
So what makes a job a "worst job?" Such things as always being on call and facing a deadline, working in a high stress environment, little pay, routinely working outdoors on the hottest and the coldest days and putting yourself in constant risk of serious injury or death. My thought after reading that was, "Pastor is not going to make that list either." Sure enough it didn't, but these are the top five jobs that made the "worst" list:
- Butcher
- Dishwasher
- Roofer
- Meter Reader
- Dairy Farmer
Hey, I grew up doing that last one. My Dad was a dairy farmer for about 30 years and seemed, for the most part, to enjoy what he did. I did not think it was that bad of a job but I am glad on these 100 degree days that God called me to be a pastor and that I live in the days of air conditioning. I am also thankful not to be in a hay field in August.
In the end, though, I think it is not about a best or worst jobs list or even about the conditions you work under. It is the attitude you have toward the work you do that is most important. There are probably some unhappy Actuaries out there, whatever it is they do. I have known some pretty happy people on the "worst" job list.
This Sunday we will look at "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord." Paul was writing this to those who were slaves. I think that slave would have made the "worst" list. There was a way that God has for us to face our work with purpose, even if your job is on the "worst" list, perhaps even to let Him make you as content as an Actuary.
for the journey...
Tim
Friday, August 22, 2014
Independence Pass
On our recent vacation in Colorado, we decided on a whim to drive up to a place called Independence Pass. It is a high mountain road where the pavement stops and a gravel road begins. That is what we could tell from the map. We could find very little information on what was there but it was near by and there was a break in the rain clouds so we decided to check it out.
We were amazed. I have driven some other high mountain roads and passes before. We have been through the famous Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park but the sights we saw at Independence Pass rivals anything we had seen. When you reach the pass at just over 12,000 feet elevation, you look down on some beautiful valleys and the mountain vistas you can see there seem to stretch on forever.
It was stunning. We were pleasantly surprised. There was a large parking lot, restroom facilities, several trails that went off from the pass and numerous great spots just made for picture taking. None of this was what we expected.
After spending some time there we began to make our way back down to get home before dark. We descended down several switch backs and came to a place where three are four cars were parked precariously on the side of the road looking out over one of the beautiful valleys we had seen up above.
We passed these site seers in flash but the thought occurred to me to tell them, "The view is so much better further up." I wished for them to know what was ahead, you don't have to park on the side of the road, there is a better place. I wanted to yell, "Keep climbing, don't settle."
I shared all this with Judith and she reminded me that it is human nature to want to settle when you have found something good without journeying on and knowing something even better. How many times have we all done that? How much do we do that in the Christian life? We get to something better and try to hang on to it, settle into it and not loose it. When all the time, there is something so much better if we keep climbing.
We will have a lot of opportunities to climb to new heights in our discipleship this fall. I hope you will keep climbing. I know God has some great experiences for us, just a little higher.
for the journey...
Tim
We were amazed. I have driven some other high mountain roads and passes before. We have been through the famous Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park but the sights we saw at Independence Pass rivals anything we had seen. When you reach the pass at just over 12,000 feet elevation, you look down on some beautiful valleys and the mountain vistas you can see there seem to stretch on forever.
It was stunning. We were pleasantly surprised. There was a large parking lot, restroom facilities, several trails that went off from the pass and numerous great spots just made for picture taking. None of this was what we expected.
After spending some time there we began to make our way back down to get home before dark. We descended down several switch backs and came to a place where three are four cars were parked precariously on the side of the road looking out over one of the beautiful valleys we had seen up above.
We passed these site seers in flash but the thought occurred to me to tell them, "The view is so much better further up." I wished for them to know what was ahead, you don't have to park on the side of the road, there is a better place. I wanted to yell, "Keep climbing, don't settle."
I shared all this with Judith and she reminded me that it is human nature to want to settle when you have found something good without journeying on and knowing something even better. How many times have we all done that? How much do we do that in the Christian life? We get to something better and try to hang on to it, settle into it and not loose it. When all the time, there is something so much better if we keep climbing.
We will have a lot of opportunities to climb to new heights in our discipleship this fall. I hope you will keep climbing. I know God has some great experiences for us, just a little higher.
for the journey...
Tim
Friday, August 15, 2014
Sabbatical FAQ's
I'm writing this to mainly let all you faithful readers know that I am back and to kind of do a frequently asked questions about sabbatical post. So here goes:
- Yes, it was refreshing and enjoyable. I am very grateful to have a church that gave these six weeks off to me.
- Yes, we did miss you. We missed our church family and worship times together...ok, I'm feeling a little convicted here...we missed ALMOST ALL of you. There that feels more honest.
- No, I did not have a colonoscopy. Yeah, I was really disappointed about that one! Turns out they have changed the medical protocols and I am not due for another for one until next year. (If you want to read a blog post about a colonoscopy just go back in the list of posts and you will find one from a few years ago).
- Yes, I got some things done out at my parent's old place out in the country. No, I did not get everything done but I did enough to find out that I never will get it all done and I am at peace with that.
- No, I did not get a good answer in my search for "What is a weekend?" I think you have to be working a job Monday through Friday to really understand that one - which obviously, I was not. Maybe preachers are not supposed to understand weekends.
- Yes, it is good to be back. I don't have any great profound truths about life except that it is good to step away from things for an extended time. It gives you a renewed perspective on things and fresh start to them as well.
- And finally, yes, I am looking forward to seeing you Sunday.
for the journey...
Tim
- Yes, it was refreshing and enjoyable. I am very grateful to have a church that gave these six weeks off to me.
- Yes, we did miss you. We missed our church family and worship times together...ok, I'm feeling a little convicted here...we missed ALMOST ALL of you. There that feels more honest.
- No, I did not have a colonoscopy. Yeah, I was really disappointed about that one! Turns out they have changed the medical protocols and I am not due for another for one until next year. (If you want to read a blog post about a colonoscopy just go back in the list of posts and you will find one from a few years ago).
- Yes, I got some things done out at my parent's old place out in the country. No, I did not get everything done but I did enough to find out that I never will get it all done and I am at peace with that.
- No, I did not get a good answer in my search for "What is a weekend?" I think you have to be working a job Monday through Friday to really understand that one - which obviously, I was not. Maybe preachers are not supposed to understand weekends.
- Yes, it is good to be back. I don't have any great profound truths about life except that it is good to step away from things for an extended time. It gives you a renewed perspective on things and fresh start to them as well.
- And finally, yes, I am looking forward to seeing you Sunday.
for the journey...
Tim
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