But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. Matthew 14:27-29 NIV
Two years ago today I did something that I thought I would never have the faith to do. I walked into my boss’ office and gave my resignation for a job that most people would love to have. I had no real plan, no real savings, no real idea of what was going to be in store over the next two years. If I had known, I don’t know if I would have done it, but if I didn’t do it, I wouldn’t know that I could. I did something that I thought was impossible.
In the above scripture, Peter did something that he thought was impossible. He walked on water. Yet, he knew that if Jesus gave him the power to do it, then it was possible. Peter called out to Jesus and said that if it is Jesus who is calling out to them, then Peter would be able to do things that seemed impossible, like walking on the water. I can only imagine what that experience was like. There they are in the water with nothing but dim light, as it was right before dawn. The winds pick up and start to shake the boat, but suddenly they see a figure walking on the water. They thought is was a ghost, but Jesus tells them not to be afraid. Peter, the bold one, knows that the only way to be sure that it was Jesus is to ask for something that seems impossible and then do it. Jesus answers his request, and Peter walks on water.
When I got the feeling that it was time for me to quit my job, I wasn’t sure that it was God leading me. Things started to happen all around me: changes in management, dissatisfaction with my work, frustration about not helping the people I wanted to help, apathy about production, less energy, recession, all types of things. I even had dreams about it for months. The feeling started to get stronger and stronger until I knew I had to do something. I waited and waited, but finally decided that if God was calling me to do this, then things would just work out. So I quit.
The things that happened to me after I quit would seem impossible to most people. They seemed impossible to me! I never would have thought that I would be able to have an office and it not cost me any out of pocket money. I never would have thought that I would have been given a chance to take a month long vacation in a foreign country. I never would have thought that while making 80 percent less than what I previously made that I would still be in my house. I never would have thought that I would have been able to write a book and get a nationally known speaker to write the foreward. I never would have thought that I would be able to still pay for my car and be only 4 payments away from complete payoff (Hallelujah!!!) I never would have thought that I would have been able to say that God did all of this without giving me more money. He actually took it away! But one thing I do know is that it was Jesus who was calling me.
These two years have taught me many lessons. One of them is that sometimes we have to step out to do something before we are sure that God is the one calling us to do it. Sometimes actually stepping out is the only way we know that God is the one calling us to do the impossible. We don’t always get the confirmation until we get out of the boat. But if you think that it might be Jesus calling you in the midst of your boat being shaken, then maybe you should get out. Peter did. I did. And now I know for sure that it was Jesus calling me. There is no way that I would have been able to do what I have done these last two years if it wasn’t him. So do yourself a favor: If you think Jesus is calling you, step out and see. His sheep always know his voice.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
A Child is Born
A Child Is Born
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV
Today, we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It i a day where we might spend time with family and friends. We might exchange gifts, or even a day just to have a chance to relax. With all of the hoopla surrounding the material side of Christmas, we might forget the truth of what we are actually celebrating. That is if we even know the truth of what we are celebrating.
We often hear people reminding us to remember Jesus during these days. Remember that we are celebrating his birth and his coming to earth as a baby in order to live as our king. But what does it mean to celebrate Jesus’ birth? What did he actually come to do?
Celebrating Jesus’ birth is not like celebrating our birthdays. Not exactly anyway. On our birthday we might have a party to celebrate God giving us another year of life. Maybe we use it as an excuse to drink and party. People buy us gifts and we eat cake and ice cream and have people do special things for us. But we were not born for the exact same reason that Jesus was born. Not to my knowledge anyway.
Jesus was born to deliver us from oppression. The oppression that he was born to deliver us from is often called sin, but I don’t just mean the context of how most people talk about sin in referring to your “behaviors”. I mean deliver from all things in our life that keep us in bondage and keep us from being free in our relationships, with God and with each other. This oppression is hard to see when you live a “good life”. Because it is often hidden for even ourselves. But deliverance from this oppression is the heart of God. He wants us to be free. And he sent a child here in order to make us free.
Something is always trying to oppress you, or enslave you to it. When it gets out of hand, we call that addiction. But there are also people who are functioning addicts. Some people are addicted to attention. Some are addicted to material possessions. Some are addicted to indulgence. Others are addicted to fear. Some are even addicted to religion. Some are addicted to money. But something is always after us to enslave us to it. But Jesus came to deliver.
The above scripture says that the “zeal” of the Lord will accomplish this. To me, that means that the passion and pursuit of God will send a child to earth in order to put a new reign on earth. Instead of us being addicted to things that are bound to the earth, we can link up to Jesus and be free from everything else. It is God’s passion and pursuit of you that will accomplish this. He is after everything in your life that seeks to enslave you to it. Even those things we think are “good things”. If you become a slave to it, you need deliverance from it.
It is during this season that we seek to celebrate the entry of our Lord into this world to free us from anything that would hold us captive. Yet, so many even during this season will become slaves all over again. As the alcohol flows, the credit cards come out, the food is consumed and the emotions run high, be careful not to enslave yourself to any of it. Going into debt or over indulging in holiday celebrations is a sure sign that we have no idea what this season is really about. We must remember that we are born to be free. Because Jesus was born to free us. This Christmas, do yourself a favor and reflect on something. There is always something trying to enslave you. What is after you now? How can you celebrate this year by not giving into it, but being free from it?
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV
Today, we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It i a day where we might spend time with family and friends. We might exchange gifts, or even a day just to have a chance to relax. With all of the hoopla surrounding the material side of Christmas, we might forget the truth of what we are actually celebrating. That is if we even know the truth of what we are celebrating.
We often hear people reminding us to remember Jesus during these days. Remember that we are celebrating his birth and his coming to earth as a baby in order to live as our king. But what does it mean to celebrate Jesus’ birth? What did he actually come to do?
Celebrating Jesus’ birth is not like celebrating our birthdays. Not exactly anyway. On our birthday we might have a party to celebrate God giving us another year of life. Maybe we use it as an excuse to drink and party. People buy us gifts and we eat cake and ice cream and have people do special things for us. But we were not born for the exact same reason that Jesus was born. Not to my knowledge anyway.
Jesus was born to deliver us from oppression. The oppression that he was born to deliver us from is often called sin, but I don’t just mean the context of how most people talk about sin in referring to your “behaviors”. I mean deliver from all things in our life that keep us in bondage and keep us from being free in our relationships, with God and with each other. This oppression is hard to see when you live a “good life”. Because it is often hidden for even ourselves. But deliverance from this oppression is the heart of God. He wants us to be free. And he sent a child here in order to make us free.
Something is always trying to oppress you, or enslave you to it. When it gets out of hand, we call that addiction. But there are also people who are functioning addicts. Some people are addicted to attention. Some are addicted to material possessions. Some are addicted to indulgence. Others are addicted to fear. Some are even addicted to religion. Some are addicted to money. But something is always after us to enslave us to it. But Jesus came to deliver.
The above scripture says that the “zeal” of the Lord will accomplish this. To me, that means that the passion and pursuit of God will send a child to earth in order to put a new reign on earth. Instead of us being addicted to things that are bound to the earth, we can link up to Jesus and be free from everything else. It is God’s passion and pursuit of you that will accomplish this. He is after everything in your life that seeks to enslave you to it. Even those things we think are “good things”. If you become a slave to it, you need deliverance from it.
It is during this season that we seek to celebrate the entry of our Lord into this world to free us from anything that would hold us captive. Yet, so many even during this season will become slaves all over again. As the alcohol flows, the credit cards come out, the food is consumed and the emotions run high, be careful not to enslave yourself to any of it. Going into debt or over indulging in holiday celebrations is a sure sign that we have no idea what this season is really about. We must remember that we are born to be free. Because Jesus was born to free us. This Christmas, do yourself a favor and reflect on something. There is always something trying to enslave you. What is after you now? How can you celebrate this year by not giving into it, but being free from it?
Monday, December 12, 2011
Re-Occupied Philly
Re-occupied Philly
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 NASB
A few weeks ago, I was downtown for a meeting and had a chance to walk around the Occupy Philly area. I walked around reading the signs of people who were sleeping in tents. Some were humorous. Some a bit vulgar. Others thought provoking. I finally ended up walking by a group of three women with a sign that had pictures of books on it. They were “occupying” the Quaker Interfaith tent and offered me a seat and we had an opportunity to chat for while. As I sat there, I noticed several people come up to them with bags of food that they wanted to offer to those who were sleeping as well as one gentleman who brought a bag of clothes to give out to people. There was a sense of community there that was refreshing to see in these days and times. There were people of all ages, races and ethnicities. Some were certainly a little off, but for the most part, it was peaceful. My conversation with the three ladies at the Quaker tent was enlightening. They shared with me some of the history of Philadelphia that I didn’t know. They told me about their own lives and things they participated in during their lifetime. They also told me why they were there that day and supported the movement. I was a nice conversation.
Then a few weeks later I was back downtown and noticed that all of the tents were gone. Occupy Philly had been evicted. The area that was sectioned off was empty with the exception of policemen who were guarding the space. I was a little sad, wondering what will happen to the momentum of community that had been created by the Occupy movement. What will happen next?
Then, I happened to notice across the street the Christmas Village that is set up every year downtown. Everything is decorated to the holidays and there are street vendors everywhere with goods to sell. I walked around for a bit and looked at the vendors and their goods. There was the guy selling artwork, which looked pretty interesting. There was the lady selling handmade scarves. There were the beer and sausage guys. And one of my favorites, the Chaddsford Winery. A lady that I was walking close to was complaining about the police who were standing around doing nothing while cars turned the corner too quickly. She was dropping “F-bombs” like they were going out of style. The people behind all of the booths looked bored and like they were just waiting out their shift. There were pictures of Santa Claus all over. But interestingly enough, there was not one part of the Christmas Village that pointed to Christ. It was pure commerce.
Occupy Philly was evicted and the Christmas Village was ushered in. The spirit of Christmas was alive and well during the time I spent at the Occupy Philly Interfaith Quaker tent. But the materialism of Christmas replaced it across the street. There were people sharing and giving at Occupy Philly, but people selling at the Christmas Village. It made me think about priorities and where they lie in our society. Maybe the Occupy movement was a little too unorganized to thrive in its current state, but the spirit of what they started doesn’t have to die. They became a voice for the majority of us who have the least in this country. They interacted with one another in ways that brought us together instead of looking at everything that makes us different. They had a sense of community instead of individualism. They valued each other instead of profit.
As we go into the Christmas season, I hope that we can keep in mind that riches will not last, but what we build and do for God will. In the season of giving, we must remember that what we have comes from God and that we have a responsibility to one another. No matter what you have or don’t have, most likely you are part of the 99%, not the 1%. There is more of us than there are of them. But every time we put more emphasis on spending money and buying into materialism, we give the 1% more power. Let’s do something that reflects the love of Christ this Christmas, who came to occupy the flesh so that we might have access to the divine. Let’s re-occupy Philly (or wherever you are) with the things that Jesus came to give us, instead of the things we will leave behind when we die. Maybe you can give something to someone and not expect anything in return. Maybe you can go out and give blankets to those without a home. Maybe you can invite someone who has no place to go to spend time with you and your family. Maybe you can make a friend of another race. Don’t just make it about presents. Let the One who came to occupy your life, fill you with what you need to bless someone else this season.
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 NASB
A few weeks ago, I was downtown for a meeting and had a chance to walk around the Occupy Philly area. I walked around reading the signs of people who were sleeping in tents. Some were humorous. Some a bit vulgar. Others thought provoking. I finally ended up walking by a group of three women with a sign that had pictures of books on it. They were “occupying” the Quaker Interfaith tent and offered me a seat and we had an opportunity to chat for while. As I sat there, I noticed several people come up to them with bags of food that they wanted to offer to those who were sleeping as well as one gentleman who brought a bag of clothes to give out to people. There was a sense of community there that was refreshing to see in these days and times. There were people of all ages, races and ethnicities. Some were certainly a little off, but for the most part, it was peaceful. My conversation with the three ladies at the Quaker tent was enlightening. They shared with me some of the history of Philadelphia that I didn’t know. They told me about their own lives and things they participated in during their lifetime. They also told me why they were there that day and supported the movement. I was a nice conversation.
Then a few weeks later I was back downtown and noticed that all of the tents were gone. Occupy Philly had been evicted. The area that was sectioned off was empty with the exception of policemen who were guarding the space. I was a little sad, wondering what will happen to the momentum of community that had been created by the Occupy movement. What will happen next?
Then, I happened to notice across the street the Christmas Village that is set up every year downtown. Everything is decorated to the holidays and there are street vendors everywhere with goods to sell. I walked around for a bit and looked at the vendors and their goods. There was the guy selling artwork, which looked pretty interesting. There was the lady selling handmade scarves. There were the beer and sausage guys. And one of my favorites, the Chaddsford Winery. A lady that I was walking close to was complaining about the police who were standing around doing nothing while cars turned the corner too quickly. She was dropping “F-bombs” like they were going out of style. The people behind all of the booths looked bored and like they were just waiting out their shift. There were pictures of Santa Claus all over. But interestingly enough, there was not one part of the Christmas Village that pointed to Christ. It was pure commerce.
Occupy Philly was evicted and the Christmas Village was ushered in. The spirit of Christmas was alive and well during the time I spent at the Occupy Philly Interfaith Quaker tent. But the materialism of Christmas replaced it across the street. There were people sharing and giving at Occupy Philly, but people selling at the Christmas Village. It made me think about priorities and where they lie in our society. Maybe the Occupy movement was a little too unorganized to thrive in its current state, but the spirit of what they started doesn’t have to die. They became a voice for the majority of us who have the least in this country. They interacted with one another in ways that brought us together instead of looking at everything that makes us different. They had a sense of community instead of individualism. They valued each other instead of profit.
As we go into the Christmas season, I hope that we can keep in mind that riches will not last, but what we build and do for God will. In the season of giving, we must remember that what we have comes from God and that we have a responsibility to one another. No matter what you have or don’t have, most likely you are part of the 99%, not the 1%. There is more of us than there are of them. But every time we put more emphasis on spending money and buying into materialism, we give the 1% more power. Let’s do something that reflects the love of Christ this Christmas, who came to occupy the flesh so that we might have access to the divine. Let’s re-occupy Philly (or wherever you are) with the things that Jesus came to give us, instead of the things we will leave behind when we die. Maybe you can give something to someone and not expect anything in return. Maybe you can go out and give blankets to those without a home. Maybe you can invite someone who has no place to go to spend time with you and your family. Maybe you can make a friend of another race. Don’t just make it about presents. Let the One who came to occupy your life, fill you with what you need to bless someone else this season.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Perishing at Sea
Perishing at Sea
“But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” Jonah 1:3-6 NIV
Maybe when you were a kid, you heard the story of Jonah and the whale. We know that Jonah ran away from doing what God told him to do and ended up in the belly of a whale for three days. But before he got to the whale, he was on a ship, with other people. Jonah wanted to go in the opposite direction of where he was supposed to go, and found other people who were just minding their own business sailing away to Tarshish. Jonah was told to go to Nineveh. Tarshish is located in the extreme west in what scholars say is southern Spain. Nineveh is located in the east in Iraq. Is Spain near Iraq? Not so much. Jonah went to the farthest place he could think of to avoid doing what God called him to do. But do you think Jonah expected God to just say, ok? Not at all. God sent a huge storm to the boat that Jonah was in, which affected the others on the ship. As the other sailors tried to keep from dying out on the sea, Jonah was asleep below deck. . . chillin’.
There have been a million sermons on Jonah preached over the years. I have preached one. It is actually one of my favorite passages of scripture. It reveals so much about the heart of God, the mercy of God, the power of God, the love of God, among other things. But in this passage, what I find myself drawn to are the other sailors in the ship. I can imagine the panic in their hearts as the wind began to blow harder and harder. I can see them looking around for ways to ensure that their ship didn’t go down. I can hear them all crying out to their own gods for help in the violent storm. And I can also see their confusion as to why the guy asleep in the deck doesn’t seem to have the same urgency as the rest of them.
We can all be Jonah in our lifetime. But sometimes we are also the sailors. We are being affected by the disobedience of others not moving towards what God is calling them to do. Sometimes the storm we are in is not because of us, but because of who we are carrying with us. Maybe we were going exactly where we needed to go, but the person we invited along is running away from God. If that is the case, God can, and often does shake things up so that we can begin to take notice of who and what is around us. The storms in our life are not always about us being off track, but may be about who is in our boat.
In these days, God is calling people to take their positions in various places in society. It is not for nothing. Nor is it just about you getting more money or more material possessions. God is calling people to take positions because there are people who are going to die if we don’t go. God was going to destroy Nineveh but was giving them one more chance to repent. He was using Jonah to deliver that word. And God loved Nineveh so much that even when he was angry with them, he still made provision to save them. And wouldn’t even let Jonah get away with running away. So much so that he was willing to send a sea to those he was with.
We all have a responsibility to one another. My calling in this world is not just about me. But if I decide to run away from what I know God is calling me to, I can eventually cause disruption in other people’s life. Not because I mean to, but because God loves me and loves the world. The word that God gave to Jonah to speak in Nineveh was a word that was going to save the land from destruction. But Jonah didn’t want to go and other people suffered. If we are selfish enough to believe that our own choices affect only us, we are foolish and sadly mistaken. And we also must be willing to call other people out when they are running away from their call and their purpose. If not, we may all perish at sea. And if I know that I am running away from what God is calling me to, maybe I need to confess. I don’t know how much what other people around me are experiencing is because I am out of place. Can I love my brother or sister enough to get where I belong? Maybe if we all stop running away from God, we can calm the stormy seas of this world.
“But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” Jonah 1:3-6 NIV
Maybe when you were a kid, you heard the story of Jonah and the whale. We know that Jonah ran away from doing what God told him to do and ended up in the belly of a whale for three days. But before he got to the whale, he was on a ship, with other people. Jonah wanted to go in the opposite direction of where he was supposed to go, and found other people who were just minding their own business sailing away to Tarshish. Jonah was told to go to Nineveh. Tarshish is located in the extreme west in what scholars say is southern Spain. Nineveh is located in the east in Iraq. Is Spain near Iraq? Not so much. Jonah went to the farthest place he could think of to avoid doing what God called him to do. But do you think Jonah expected God to just say, ok? Not at all. God sent a huge storm to the boat that Jonah was in, which affected the others on the ship. As the other sailors tried to keep from dying out on the sea, Jonah was asleep below deck. . . chillin’.
There have been a million sermons on Jonah preached over the years. I have preached one. It is actually one of my favorite passages of scripture. It reveals so much about the heart of God, the mercy of God, the power of God, the love of God, among other things. But in this passage, what I find myself drawn to are the other sailors in the ship. I can imagine the panic in their hearts as the wind began to blow harder and harder. I can see them looking around for ways to ensure that their ship didn’t go down. I can hear them all crying out to their own gods for help in the violent storm. And I can also see their confusion as to why the guy asleep in the deck doesn’t seem to have the same urgency as the rest of them.
We can all be Jonah in our lifetime. But sometimes we are also the sailors. We are being affected by the disobedience of others not moving towards what God is calling them to do. Sometimes the storm we are in is not because of us, but because of who we are carrying with us. Maybe we were going exactly where we needed to go, but the person we invited along is running away from God. If that is the case, God can, and often does shake things up so that we can begin to take notice of who and what is around us. The storms in our life are not always about us being off track, but may be about who is in our boat.
In these days, God is calling people to take their positions in various places in society. It is not for nothing. Nor is it just about you getting more money or more material possessions. God is calling people to take positions because there are people who are going to die if we don’t go. God was going to destroy Nineveh but was giving them one more chance to repent. He was using Jonah to deliver that word. And God loved Nineveh so much that even when he was angry with them, he still made provision to save them. And wouldn’t even let Jonah get away with running away. So much so that he was willing to send a sea to those he was with.
We all have a responsibility to one another. My calling in this world is not just about me. But if I decide to run away from what I know God is calling me to, I can eventually cause disruption in other people’s life. Not because I mean to, but because God loves me and loves the world. The word that God gave to Jonah to speak in Nineveh was a word that was going to save the land from destruction. But Jonah didn’t want to go and other people suffered. If we are selfish enough to believe that our own choices affect only us, we are foolish and sadly mistaken. And we also must be willing to call other people out when they are running away from their call and their purpose. If not, we may all perish at sea. And if I know that I am running away from what God is calling me to, maybe I need to confess. I don’t know how much what other people around me are experiencing is because I am out of place. Can I love my brother or sister enough to get where I belong? Maybe if we all stop running away from God, we can calm the stormy seas of this world.
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