1-28-10

I heard a Bible verse in staff meeting this past week that spoke to my condition. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13-14 (NIV).
This is such a fine “one thing.” We could all sit in a circle, and I imagine everyone one of us could describe what it means in our circumstance, this very day, to let go of something in the past and press on toward the goal for which God has called us.
If I let go of what lies behind that probably means I need to forgive someone. More often than not that someone is myself. Can I let that thing go and trust that God is big enough to handle the situation? And if I press on toward the prize to which God has called me, that will pretty much color how I do what I do today. And that seems to give me less to let go of tomorrow.
Paul knew what he was talking about. Those are word we can live by.

Pastor Chuck

1-22-10

Thanks for the thoughtful comments on last week’s article on Haiti. Both Drew and Jeff made excellent observations about how to keep from being immobilized by the immensity of a tragedy. Drew, who has been on site in a Rwandan refugee camp, counseled on the value of managing one’s news sources. Jeff spoke of the value of keeping the subject alive in a faith community so our ambitions to act don’t “flee to Tarsus.” Read their comments if you get a chance.
2 Corinthians 8 is a wonderful chapter for reflection during this season of great need. “Excel in this grace of giving,” says the Apostle Paul (v.7). How do we do that? That’s exactly what Paul, Jeff and Drew are inviting us to engage. Good news: I don’t think we can miss on this one. Whenever and however we engage the grace of giving, we’re probably moving towards excelling in that very thing.
For example, thanks for the $2200+ our congregation gave last Sunday for Haiti relief. Let’s continue to encourage one another to discover what it means to excel in the grace of giving as a lifestyle.
The Lord is with us,
CO

Death Life Mourning Joy Crying Laughing Pain Health

The extent of the tragedy in Haiti is beyond imagination. Understandably, we can’t help but wonder how God can let such things happen. Here are some thoughts that help sustain me in such times.
• There is a difference between heaven and earth. We live in a world of death, mourning, crying and pain (Rev. 21:4). Of course there is also life, joy, laughing and health. We want to believe that the latter are normal. However, the very hard fact is that as long as we are on this earth we will have tears. Yes we will. Now what?
• We put our hope in the One Who is bigger than this life. We tend to think of tragedy in terms of a human life span. When we really believe that the best comes after this life on our tear-stained planet, our view of tragedy takes a significant shift. But what about those who are suffering right now?
• “Religion that God... accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” James 1:27. What do we do? We love our neighbors who suffer. Notice that James assumes tears will always be at hand. Widows and orphans are the living reminders of loss. For tell-it-like-it-is James, the evidence of God’s love is not the absence of tragedy, but the action of people.
• God’s love isn’t hypothetical. The love that emerges in a tragedy matches the loss. It doesn’t compensate for the loss, but it is as real. How great the tragedy. How great the love. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. That is real life.