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My little plastic god

2/10/2016

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We had just returned from being on the mission field.  It didn't turn out as positively as we had hoped (see: When something turns on you, you kill it).  It was a wonderful time and full of many positive experiences, new friendships and outstanding cultural opportunities.

However, it ended a year earlier than we had anticipated.   

I received a call from a mennonite psychologist while we were in Ecuador.  He called and asked me to work for him, back at the same area where we had left.  So, that meant that we could go back to our sending church.  Yet, I fell into somewhat of a depression and had many doubts about whether I had heard God accurately about being a missionary.  

So, there was depression in my life.  There was also pride.  I didn't want people thinking that we "couldn't make it" as missionaries.  I also was angry with God for "putting us through" this experience as His call to go to Ecuador seemed so clear.  

That's when a little plastic god entered my life.

Upon coming home, and being employed, we started to get credit card offers in the mail.  We really did not believe in debt but with my depression, pride, and anger, I felt justified in using a credit card to get my family what they needed.  We moved back home without any belongings except for what was in our suitcases.  My thinking was, "we gave everything up for this call that God placed on our lives, and He didn't come through; therefore, I'm gonna have to do this myself."  

Do you see the mistakes in my thinking there?  GOD DIDN'T COME THRU (lack of trust) and I'M GONNA HAVE TO DO THIS MYSELF (self-sufficiency).

What's ironic though was that I wasn't self-sufficient.  I was, instead, relying on a god made of plastic:  Need a couch?  Have the plastic god pay for it.  Wanna go out to eat?  Have the plastic god pay for it.  

Did you know that "plastic" and "god" mean roughly the same thing?  Plastic means, "false or superficial."  Little "g" god mean "fake, not real, an idol.  Something made with human hands."  Jeremiah 10:5 says, "Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk."  

My little plastic god couldn't speak or walk but I certainly became its servant.  Proverbs 22:7b reminds us, "the borrower is servant to the lender."  Moreover, by relying on my little plastic god, I was squeezing God out of my life.  I was also squeezing myself out of opportunities for God to bless and care for me and my family.  

My first thought could have been, "God we need a couch.  We are counting on you to provide this for us."  

Instead, my first thought was, "I can pay for that with my credit card and pay the bill over time."  

For me, that was where the problem came.  I learned to trust a piece of plastic rather than the God who made the universe who has all the resources I need.  

James 4:2b is very clear, "You do not have because you do not ask God."  

Over time, I came to see that I was not trusting God.  However, it was too late.  The card was maxed out.  So, that meant that we had a long road to pay off this card.  

As we came to the closing payoff, God drove the point home... 

​I called the credit card company to get a payoff.  They told me the amount, and I put a check in the mail the next day.  Well, a month later, we got a little surprise from the credit card company.  We got another bill.  Evidently, there was interest accrued between the time we were told the payoff and the time they received the payoff.  

God was saying, "now that I got your attention, you will never be free unless you trust Me.  Remember this."  

So, we paid the interest and we were finally free from my little plastic god.  Thank God.


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The character of God & what it means for us

7/27/2015

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Holy holy holy is the Lord. The Old Testament tells us this, particularly in Leviticus and Isaiah. The New Testament tells us this, particularly in 1 Peter and in Revelation.

As God is holy, He calls us to be holy too.

Lately I have been thinking a great deal about this and what exactly it means. Of all the attributes of God, His holiness is the only one that gets repeated like it does. Maybe that's to signify to us that all the attributes of God, which are revealed to us in scripture and through the internal witness of the Holy Spirit, are to be seen in light of His holiness.

The holiness of God first sets Him apart from everything else. Who else is there, or what else is there, that is like God? The angels certainly are not, as they are created. Creation is not, though creation is an extension of who God is. And of ourselves we are not, though we are made in His image but also part of creation. In this, I believe God must be understood that He is distinct, separate, above all other things and beings. Our ideas of Him, our thoughts of Him, don't even begin to come close to Who He is. The only way we can hope to know Him is through His own Self-revelation.

And yet we do know God through how He has revealed Himself. We see in creation that God created through the spoken Word. The Gospel of John informs us that the Word made flesh (logos in Greek, "spoken word" as opposed to "written word") is Jesus. So Jesus was not only present at the creation, but was the catalyst for creation when we read to beginning of John's gospel.

We also see the Holy Spirit hovering above the waters and bringing order. It is the Holy Spirit, the breath of God, that would give adam, humanity created in the image of God, the breath of life, making adam a living being. At the time of creation God reveals Himself in relationship. He also reveals that He has a relationship with what He has created, and a special, set apart, holy relationship with humanity.

The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, all work as one in mutual, unadulterated love for each other. It is a completely equal unity partnership that they created. When humanity was made in God's image, both man and woman were called to be partners with God, to have dominion over creation, and to be God's representative to the rest of creation and to each other. This is a relationship that was exclusively established between God and humanity. You might say it was a holy, set apart, relationship. And yet it was clear, we as bearers of God's image, were created to relate to each other and the rest of creation.

One of the thoughts that goes along with this I've had lately is related to the kind of world God created. Sometimes we wonder how it is that God came to create this world. Why create a world which He knew would be corrupted by sin, and that would give rise to all manner of evil? Why not create a world where His creation, even the creation that bears His image, would be perfectly obedient to Him, and never even have the chance to fall into sin?

I don't believe scripture ever directly answers this question, though it's a question that can be heard in various forms from various people. But looking at the various attributes of God, and knowing how He has revealed Himself to be throughout scripture and in Jesus, I believe an answer can be ascertained.

There are many who say that God is sovereign and has complete freedom to do whatever He sees fit. To them that's what complete sovereignty means. In this same vein they'll say that God creates people to glorify Him through election which, to them, equals salvation. For the rest of humanity He is glorified in their destruction, whether by decree or by simply not electing them (I'm not entirely sure what the difference is because the result is the same).

Whether God CAN act this way, and create and rule over a world this way, is I believe the wrong question to ask. If God can speak everything into existence I don't believe His power is really in question. But the right question to ask is WOULD He create such a world where parts of His creation, even those that bear His image, are destroyed for His glory?

When we turn to scripture and read in Malachi 3:6, God says of Himself "I do not change." It's interesting to me that He doesn't say of Himself "I cannot change", but "I do not change." This is a choice made by God to keep in line with His nature, His character.

God declared His creation to be "good. when He created all there is. Jesus told the rich young ruler that nobody is good except God. What God created and said was good was an extension of His own character. I believe God created a world that was, in some regard, a reflection of Himself, and therefore did not create a world where the possibility of creating some to only be destroyed for His glory existed.

When we see that God exists in relationship with Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and He created us to be in relationship with Him, as well as relationship with each other, we see, I believe, the truest essence of holiness. It is a set apart relationship with mutual love and trust is the foundation. It doesn't allow room for anything to undermine or eat away at that foundation.

Jesus Himself, in the Lord's Model Prayer, prayed "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." The reality of heaven is holiness and the center of that is God. In order to show what holiness should look like "on earth as it is in heaven" we must be in relationship with God and let that shape our relationship with each other.


This post was written by Pastor Ryan Cole.  You can find his blog post here:  http://pastorchristophercole.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-character-of-god-and-what-it-means.html
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I don't know

2/16/2015

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Almost everyone loves to hear stories of God “showing up.” We feel trapped by circumstances, we pray in desperation, and a providential answer arrives just in time. We know it’s God, and it’s easy to praise Him--for a while.

But so much of life is lived in the “idk” (“I don’t know”)—those in-between times when our problems proliferate and threaten to obscure God’s goodness. We wonder where He is.

A cluster of psalms attributed to Asaph (Psalms 73:1–83:18) deal with life in the “idk.” Again and again, the psalmist revealed the raw honesty of his heart as he saw his people violated and tyrants prospering.

In Psalm 77:1-20 he wrote, “All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted” (Psalm 77:2). That anguish soon slipped into resignation: “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me” (Psalm 77:10).

“But then . . .” (Psalm 77:11).

For those who trust in God, every moment living in the “idk” has a corresponding “but then.” Asaph continued, “But then I recall all you have done, O LORD; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago” (Psalm 77:11). He then celebrated the “God of great wonders” who displays “awesome power among the nations” (Psalm 77:14). The conclusion is one of triumphant memories, not despair over the present.

Despite the fear that permeates many of Asaph’s psalms, the focus is on God, His past goodness, and His promise to be ourGod. We anticipate a day when justice will reign. Then we will look back and see how God was near us every step of the way.

The times when we don’t know what to do are the times to let God build our faith. When we don’t have anywhere else to go, He has us exactly where He wants us.


This post was written by Tim Gustafson of Our Daily Journey.  

BE HOLY.
 BE A MAN.


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Chasing Him together

10/21/2014

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I have learned that maintaining my relationship with God takes a lot of work -- as does any relationship -- work that at times I do not have the motivation for chasing after God and the things of God. While I know full well that God is at work within me, enabling me "both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13), I also remember that He has commanded me to work out my salvation "with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12). But I recently noticed a statement of Paul's that I overlooked for so many years. 

Prior to commanding the believers in Philippi to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, noting that God Himself is granting them the ability to do so, the apostle writes: "just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence" (Phil. 2:12, emphasis added). I wondered if the believers found exercising spiritual disciplines easier when Paul was with them, but, perhaps, a bit more difficult apart from him, or, more to the point, when he was away. 

I know from my own experience that when I am spending a lot of time with a spiritual leader, like a pastor or a visiting evangelist, I am much more inclined toward spiritual truths than when I am on my own. Perhaps many of us experience the same. Could this be a primary reason we are encouraged and commanded: "But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' so that none of you [believers] may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin" (Heb. 3:13); "And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb. 10:24)?

Though I have been writing this truth for quite some time now, I think that I am just now beginning to feel the weight of it: brothers and sisters in Christ need each other for their spiritual well-being. Not one among us can say, "I have no need of you" (1 Cor. 12:21, 22, 23, 24); but, rather, God has "so arranged the body . . . that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another" (1 Cor. 12:25). We suffer together and we rejoice together (1 Cor. 12:26). We also pursue God together, as a unit, intent on one purpose and one goal.


I think that God has so arranged our unity in the Body in an effort at encouraging each of us to the chasing of Himself -- seeking not merely for what He can do for us, or give us, but just to live our lives in His presence and enjoy His love and grace. Sadly, I think many today have forgotten what the church is for, and what it means to be the church. While some people in our culture are frustrated with "church-as-they've-come-to-know-it," thereby forsaking the assembling of themselves together with other believers, they are unknowingly robbing themselves of not only developing rich relationships with others but also experiencing the one, true and living God. Robert E. Webber writes:


"The church, like a tribe, is a cultural community defined by the story of God. This story and shared vision is taught and communicated primarily as a lived experience. When a convert enters into the Christian community and becomes a disciple of Jesus, the person confesses that life is defined by the story of Israel and Jesus. Therefore it is important during the disciple stage to experience the biblical nature of the church. The church is not a mere voluntary society of like-minded believers, but a continuation of the presence of Jesus in and to the world."[1]


Many in the early Church believed, with Cyprian (d. 258), that a person "cannot have God as his Father who does not have the church for his Mother." This does not mean that one must attend church in order to "be saved" -- as though salvation can be earned by church attendance -- as though all God requires of someone in order to experience His salvation is to belong to a local church -- but that anyone who claims God as Father would also, very naturally, mind you, desire the Church for one's Mother. The Church is, after all, the Body of Christ Jesus, God's Son. If someone wants to claim union with the Father, he or she needs to go through the Son, and through the Son enters the Body, which is the Church universal.

The Church as the on-going and tangible presence of Jesus often appears a foreign concept in our post-postmodern age where selfishness, individualism, and narcissism is commonplace. Being Jesus to and for others takes a great bit of intentional work; it does not happen by accident. Yet, in and through the Church, we often experience the manifest presence of our faithful God. Charles Ringma underscores the fact that our appreciation of God "seldom comes by way of doctrinal formulation."[2] We do not experience God's grace, mercy, love and faithfulness merely by reading words on the pages of a book. We read about His ways; we understand and glean from them; but we experience Him in real-time -- in real-to-life relationships with other brothers and sisters.

Can each one of us experience God's presence and goodness while being alone? Yes, we certainly can, while in prayer and praise and study of His word. We are called to quiet solitude at times. But Anglican John Donne (1572-1631) was also right when he noted, "No man is an island entire of itself." Remember how the early believers conducted their lives at the birth of the Church: "Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people." (Acts 3:46, 47, emphasis added)
__________

[1] Robert E. Webber, Journey to Jesus: The Worship, Evangelism, and Nurture Mission of the Church (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001), 106.

[2] Charles Ringma, Dare to Journey with Henri Nouwen (Colorado Springs: Piñon Press, 2000), 159.


This post was written by Credendum.  For the original post, go to:  http://www.credendum.net/home/chasing-him-together


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We are carriers of God's kingdom

9/12/2014

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Random thoughts on the Kingdom of God: We are carriers of the Kingdom of God. It is like a circle around us—like a huge hulahoop and where we go it goes with us. We carry the Kingdom with us into different arenas of life. Or imagine a frog sitting on a lily pad. There is friction between the frog’s feet and the surface of the lily pad. And friction is connection. If I were to push the frog the lily pad under him would be carried along with him. Where the lily pad goes the frog goes and where the frog goes the lily pad goes. The Kingdom of God is like that lily pad stuck to our feet. Where we go the Kingdom of God goes and where the Kingdom goes we are carried along with it.

Therefore our job is to develop a connection of friction with the Kingdom of God so that it becomes “stuck” to the soles of our feet. As Kingdom people we have the capacity to bring new “ground”, new “soil” and a new “atmosphere” into a country simply by bringing our presence into a country and abiding there. It is not necessarily us that changes and transforms anything within a culture. Rather it is the presence of our Lord and Savior abiding within us and being lived out through us. In that sense we are simply carriers of the presence of our King and therefore carriers of His Kingdom.

This post was written by StriderMTB.  He directs an orphanage in an Asian country.  For the original post, go to:  http://atheologyintension.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/we-are-carriers-of-gods-kingdom/
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Sunday Meditation

9/7/2014

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I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power . . .to grasp . . . the love of Christ.  
Ephesians 3:17

We all have root systems. Roots are life-lines. They seek out and drink in water and nutrients. And they provide stability in times of wind and erosion.

Unfortunately, many of us are rooted in the soil of shame. Roots in this rocky soil become bound. They cannot sustain growth. They are not able to provide nourishment or stability.

Recovery for many of us is like being transplanted. It is the process of allowing God to first pull us out of the parched and rocky soil of shame and to then plant us in the soil of love. In the rich soil of love our fragile roots can finally begin to stretch, grow and take hold. It is a soil in which real nourishment and real stability are possible.

But transplantation is not a simple matter. No matter how gently God pulls us up out of the soil of shame, there will be trauma. And sinking roots in new soil will feel like an unfamiliar and risky adventure.

As our roots sink deeper and deeper in the soil of God's love, however, we will begin to experience growth that never could have been possible in the soil of rejection and shame. We will become 'rooted and established' in love.

My roots are in poor soil, Lord.
They do not nourish.
They provide no stability.
My roots are bound, Lord.
Transplant me.
Give me grace-full soil, Lord.
Sink my roots deeply. 
Give me stability.
Nourish me.
In your love.

Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan
National Association for Christian Recovery



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How you think of God impacts prayer's effect on mental health

8/21/2014

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New research suggests that individual expectations appear to influence how prayer impacts mental health.

For example, when it comes to easing symptoms of anxiety-related disorders, prayer doesn’t have the same effect for everybody. Baylor University researchers found that what seemed to matter more was the type of attachment the praying individual felt toward God.

Those who prayed to a loving and supportive God whom they thought would be there to comfort and protect them in times of need were less likely to show symptoms of anxiety-related disorders — symptoms such as irrational worry, fear, self-consciousness, dread in social situations, and obsessive-compulsive behavior — than those who prayed but did not expect God to comfort or protect them.

The study is published in the journal Sociology of Religion.

“While previous research has shown that people who have a secure attachment to God are more satisfied with life and less depressed and lonely, little attention has been paid to psychiatric symptoms,” said researcher Matt Bradshaw, Ph.D.

“For many individuals, God is a major source of comfort and strength that makes the world seem less threatening and dangerous. Through prayer, individuals seek to develop an intimate relationship with God,” Bradshaw said.

“Those who achieve this goal, and believe that God will be there to protect and support them during times of need, develop a secure attachment to God.”

In this context, prayer appears to confer emotional comfort, which results in fewer symptoms of anxiety-related disorders.

“Other people, however, form avoidant or insecure attachments to God — meaning that they do not necessarily believe God will be there when they need Him,” he said.

“For these individuals, prayer may feel like an unsuccessful attempt to cultivate and maintain an intimate relationship with God. Rejected, unanswered, or otherwise unsuccessful experiences of prayer may be disturbing and debilitating — and may therefore lead to more frequent and severe symptoms of anxiety-related disorders.”

For the study, researchers analyzed data from 1,714 of the individuals who participated in the 2010 Baylor Religion Survey. The study focused on general anxiety, social anxiety, obsession, and compulsion.

Teachings of Christianity and some other faiths use the parent-child imagery to depict the relationship between God and an individual, with one researcher describing God as “the ultimate attachment figure.”

The Baylor study findings are consistent with a growing body of research indicating that a person’s perceived relationship with God can play an important role in shaping mental health.

In theory, people who pray regularly may be inclined to live out their religion more faithfully, which may lead to less stress, such as marriage and family conflicts, researchers wrote.

People who pray often may have more of a sense of purpose in life or have more supportive personal relations. And many people use prayer as a coping strategy.

When it comes to personal prayer outside of religious organizations, however, findings by previous researchers have been inconsistent — and puzzling.

Some studies indicate frequent praying has positive effects on mental health; others report no effect — or even that people who pray more often have poorer mental health than those who pray less frequently.

“At the present, we don’t know exactly why the findings have been so inconsistent,” Bradshaw said. “Prayer is complex.”

Some possible explanations for varying findings:

  • Individual expectations – Some scholars suggest that “if you expect prayer to matter, it just might,” Bradshaw said. In several studies of older adults, people who believe that only God knows when and how to respond to prayer fare well when it comes to mental health; those who think their prayers are not being answered do not.
  • Style of prayer — In general, meditative and colloquial prayers have been linked with desirable outcomes, including emotional well-being, while ritualistic prayer actually has been associated with poor mental health outcomes.
  • Perceived characteristics of God — such as loving, remote, or judgmental — affect the relationship between prayer and mental health. “Our previous work has found that prayer is associated with desirable mental health outcomes among individuals who believe that they are praying to a God who is close as opposed to remote, and the results from the current study are largely consistent with this finding,” Bradshaw said.
  • Differences in study design and sampling.


“These are all important considerations, but a comprehensive understanding of the connection between prayer and mental health remains elusive,” he said. “We still have a lot of work to do in this area.”

This research is from Baylor University.  This summary of the study can be found here:  http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/08/14/how-you-think-of-god-impacts-prayers-effect-on-mental-health/73602.html


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5 confessions of a tired pastor

8/16/2014

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At 2:30pm today, I hit the wall…you know what wall I am talking about. The one you may hit everyday too. I try so desperately to fight it, but often it overtakes my every move. A yawn escapes and there is something so satisfying about letting it go. It may be my personality, but I often find myself in these moments snapping myself out of a daydream. I do that often…I can’t seem to help it. Then, somehow, I make it through. I leave work and come home to a house teeming with life, pretend and snotty noses…and then it is bedtime for the kids and sometimes I stare at a blinking cursor…knowing that God wants me to share my heart, but with droopy eyelids. This is my life.

As a bivocational pastor, I have found myself getting into unhealthy routines because my brain and heart are on autopilot. Between my day job, preaching, visiting people in the hospital, counseling people, putting out fires, parenting, and life in general it is easy to make excuses for myself. As I write this blog today, I feel led to admit some things you may not know about me. I am tired…and I have some confessions to make.

The following are 5 confessions I have about my life as a pastor:

1. I don’t get into God’s word like I should- It is funny. The most energizing and life giving activity that I engage in is something that is often put on the back burner. Granted, I do dip into scripture regularly to prepare my messages, but I definitely feel the damage when I get into a habit of “snacking” on scripture and neglect the full meals that I need. I know that God is not going to keep me from Heaven because I got half way through the Psalms and got side tracked…and really that’s not the point. The point of soaking in scripture is to fall more in love with the author. I need this.

2. Sometimes I want to cuss- It’s true. It really affects the glow of my halo too. Don’t worry conservative fan base….I don’t, but I want to. Often something will come up that is stressful, or I have realized I have dropped the ball on a project, and I get as far as a “crud” and dare not go any further. What I have found, for me, is that the less I soak in scripture as mentioned above, the more these thoughts erupt.

3. From time to time I pray selfishly- It is a joy to pray for people in their time of need or simply when they come to mind. I will confess that there are rare times when I simply want to have what I want. A fat bank account, a new house, a smaller pant size, and the list goes on and on. As a result of these things, sometimes God hears about it…and the prayer request that someone gives me comes second. God checks me during these times, and reminds me of the blessings that He has provided…or…at the moment I will see one of my children boumding past my view and I am reminded how rich I am.

4. I find myself not trusting God- There are times where I look at the bank account and the prognosis doesn’t look good or I gear up for a relational battle that I think may be coming, and I forget that God is supposed to be in control. I try to take hold of the outcome so I am not left looking silly or so I can still look good. God has shown me, so many times, that his timing and methods are perfect. I don’t have to worry…but I confess that even though I preach this at church regularly, I often get caught in the negativity trap.

5. I often feel sorry for myself- If something happens to me or there were not many people at church this Sunday, I tend to have a short-lived pity party. It is a trance that I get into. I convince myself no one cares and no one should care, and I begin to get upset based on a false reality that I create in my mind. I think God wants so much more for me. He is always waiting for me, to snap out of it, and return to serving.

Like mentioned above, it is easy to come up with excuse after excuse. I could tell you about all the things I need to do between now and next week and cite these things as a reason for the way I handle situations. I am tired. I am a pastor. I desire to know Him more and serve Him. I get angry, and I falter. Obviously, I know God wants more from me. Sometimes it is really hard. But, when I think about it…I wouldn’t have it any other way. What keeps me going is the celebration I see in a person’s eyes when God reveals Himself to them in a mighty way. Really…I am living the dream, and my faults are opportunities to be transformed. I am not perfect but God is chpping away at my edges. I am so grateful.


This post was written by Rev DeCrastos.  For the original post, go to:  http://other-words.net/2014/08/08/5-confessions-of-a-tired-pastor/


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Sunday Meditation

8/10/2014

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I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.  I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Psalm 77:11-12

Sometimes hope fails us because of the pain of present circumstances. The intensity of the daily struggle can overwhelm us and crowd out hope for the future. We find ourselves unable to focus on a hope-full future because we cannot see beyond the burdens of the present. But we need hope in order to continue the journey. Without it we cannot go on. Without hope there is only the despair that comes when we think nothing will ever change.

Reviewing our experiences of God's help in the past is one way of nurturing hope. When present events crowd out hope, leaving despair and fear, we can turn to the disciplines of remembering. It can sustain our faith and renew our determination to continue the journey.

Remembering is not an easy discipline for us. Our memory is not good. Even miracles seem to age quickly - they become 'miracles of long ago'. Things that seemed unimaginably wonderful at the time can quickly fade in our memory as present concerns demand our attention. Dramatic breakthroughs in recovery that seemed to be powerful signs of God's grace and presence may seem painfully ordinary after a few months. For this reason it may be necessary to find someone to help us with the discipline of remembering. Hope can often be renewed by asking a trusted friend to remind us where we have been. An objective review of the journey to this point helps us see God's sustaining grace in our lives. And that gives us the hope to go on.

Lord, help me to remember the specific ways
you have sustained me in the past.
Help me to remember how I have changed.
Help me to remember your love and grace
so that I can grow in my capacity for hope today.

Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan
National Association for Christian Recovery



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Sunday Meditation

8/3/2014

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In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself prays for us with groans that words cannot express.   Romans 8:26

When we are alone, when our private terrors have left us without the ability to speak, when even the simplest of prayers ["Help!"] is more that our weary hearts can muster - those are the times we need God's Spirit most of all.

It is life itself to know that God pays attention to us. The Spirit of the Living God is with us and is attentive to our weakness. God does not shame us for our weakness. Our weakness is not a bad thing to God. Our weakness is simply a reality. The Spirit's response to our weakness is to help us. God is on our side. The Spirit knows us and loves us. God knows the pain that crushes us. God helps us in our weakness.

In those moments when we have been silenced by life, the Spirit prays for us. The Spirit prays with groans for which there is no language. When we are not able to pray we can find comfort and hope in the promise that the Spirit is praying for us.

Oh God
I need to be reminded when I feel so absolutely alone
that you know my pain,
you know my weakness.

When I come to the end of words,
when my mind is full of confusion,
help me to remember that you pray for me.

When I am overwhelmed with despair,
when I want to give up,
when I want to run away in fear,
it is only your presence,
gentle, powerful Friend,
that gives me hope and strength.

I need your help today.
I need you to pray for me.

Amen

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan
National Association for Christian Recovery



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