Which Day Do You Live In?

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.[1]

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.[2]
We spend so much time worrying about the future. We stress about the meeting with our boss that may or may not be a good thing. We aren’t quite sure if we are on the boss’s good side or his bad side. We worry about tax time. We worry about medical tests and preparations for procedures and surgeries. We worry about things that never happen because in the infinite realm of possibilities it might, it JUST might happen. Yes, there are times I do it as well. I write most of these columns for myself. It is something I need to be reminded about as well. If you ever feel like I had someone in mind when I was writing this, you are correct. It was, first and foremost, myself.

Well, back to our texts. The psalmist has a very different take on how we should approach the day, each day. “THIS is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in IT.” This day is a gift. Yes, even with its own set of challenges, it is still a gift from God.

We blast through life worrying about what might happen while few of us ever stop to enjoy what is happening! God wants you to stop and drink in the gift of the day he has made for you.

I am sure that each of you has been given a gift sometime in your life and had the giver say, “Open it! Open it right now!” You try to defer, but their enthusiasm finally convinces you to open the gift and show the appreciation it deserves. Sometimes you do it simply to humor the giver. Can we not give our Heavenly Father the same basic consideration? Know that the day you read this is a gift from God. He says to you, “Open it! Open it right now!” with all the enthusiasm that any other giver has ever exhibited for their gift to you. Open your gift and celebrate with the giver!

Pastor Craig

---

[1] Psalm 118:24 (The Message)

[2] Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

Inspiration

How does God speak to us? Where do we hear his voice? Maybe the better question is do we hear his voice?

I write a lot. I write this page each week. I write sermons even when I don’t take the notes in the pulpit. I write articles that have, from time-to-time been published in periodicals. I write. I write because God lays something on my heart. The problem is, what do you write when God seems to fail to deliver a theme which would inspire? Well, you do a lot of sitting. You get up and walk around your office. You pull random books off the shelves thinking a word, a picture, or a phrase will energize you to complete the task at hand. You doodle. Sometimes, you throw something on the page just to be done. Usually your readers know when you follow that method of inspiration. It comes across much more like a method of surrender.

Every so often you wear out and everything goes blank from exhaustion. When that occurs, it is usually time to sit up straight and listen because God is about to tell you something. God uses those times to show that a little less of your efforts and a lot more time spent before him will yield something worth more than the paper on which it is printed. This is the Holy Spirit telling you your tank is just about empty. It is the dinging sound your car makes when you get under two gallons left in your tank. You can only ignore that sound so long before the vehicle coasts to a stop due to lack of fuel. Our spiritual lives are the same way.

We lack story and testimony because we have neglected growing our relationship with the one who is the author of all inspiration. If someone were to ask you, “What is the Holy Spirit accomplishing in your life right now?” and you have nothing to reply, maybe you need a time of quiet reflection waiting for the good shepherd to come find the little lost lamb.

Even in the midst of the urgency of Jesus’ mission on earth, he told the disciples “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get yourselves some rest.” Quiet time, alone with Christ is never lost or wasted. It is a time of refueling where we get the answers to the questions the world seeks.

Pastor Craig















[1] Mark 6:31 (NIV)

Do One Thing Brave!

Do one thing brave today! If that is your goal, what would you do? What would you even consider? Some people might sit down and being to make a list. Their list may include things like sky diving, running with the bulls, whitewater rafting, or trying some disgusting sounding, yet elegantly labeled, foreign cuisine.

All of the above? Mere child’s play. Increased risk of death, or severe gastrointestinal distress at worst. Instead try picking something really risky from the list below and see what God will do.

1) Tell someone who does not know that you love them. I’m not talking about some romantic interest, but someone who you respect and highly value. Be un-Presbyterian. Don’t think. . .FEEL!

2) Share your faith journey with someone, anyone! Most of us have kept this special part of our personal history far too personal. Share it. Tell someone what Jesus Christ means to you. Tell them how your life is different because you are a child of the king.

3) Get involved! We see so many things as we pass through this life. Much of what we see we let pass us by, telling ourselves, “That really isn’t my business.” Obviously, don’t be foolish, but remind yourself that a wrong or injustice committed in your presence automatically becomes your business.

4) Be Quiet! Turn off everything and sit boldly before God asking him to give you insight into his presence and will for your life. Then take him at his word and put into action whatever he tells you to do!

Remember one thing. It may all boil down to perspective. Are you the penguin or the bear? Either way, be bold.


Pastor Craig

Thoughts On a Drive From the Airport

On New Year’s Eve, as I drove from the Atlanta airport I heard Bryan Adams’ song, Back in the Summer of ’69. Those of you who know the song probably also remember the line Those were the best days of my life. Granted, not all of the items of a “best day” for a teenager would normally be included among the wisest day(s) of our lives. However, the song got me thinking. What are the best days of my life?

Don’t worry. I’m not going to bore you with a highlight reel, but I am going to challenge you to think about your own best days. I would like to challenge you to dig deeper than those obvious moments many of us would pick. I don’t want to dismiss them. I do want to challenge you to think about what events molded you into the person who was ready for those moments. . .your wedding, the birth of your children, the defining career moment, etc.

Those moments didn’t just happen. They were the series of interconnected events that brought you to a natural conclusion. Maybe it was friends, way back in the summer of 69, or before. Maybe it was a Sunday school teacher or pastor, or someone else who helped develop the character that allowed you to approach one of those moments with faith and confidence. Maybe the moment required strength, maybe it required faith, maybe it deserved celebration, maybe reverence.

The point of this brief writing is to remind you that your loving and compassionate Heavenly Father has known your future from the beginning of creation. He has masterminded creation. He has moved mountains. He has prepared dozens of people along your way, each one with something to contribute to your development.
2013 is past. Some of our choices may have been among the best days of our lives, some of them you might rather forget. Yet, all of those experiences are part of the molding and preparing compassion of the Holy Spirit for the events coming your way in 2014.

Romans 8:28 reminds us, All things work together for good for those who love Him. Yes, there it is. ALL THINGS. Not just the pleasant things, not just the obvious spiritual things, ALL THINGS. Now, I have probably reminded you of some events this past year you would rather have done without if you could. Sorry, but I hope you will take some time to spend with God and thank him for those events, thank him for caring for you and preparing you for the year ahead, thank him for trusting you to handle the difficult things from 2013, and giving you the practice for those events which will challenge you during the year that lies ahead.

Happy New Year


Pastor Craig

Transitions

It seems that 2014 is expected to be a year of transitions. I wish I had kept count of all the E-mails I have I have received in the last few weeks speaking of transitions, and this is only in church ministry! Transitions in the way we do outreach, in the way we do pastoral care, in the way we give, the motivation for our giving, and the emphases to which we give, in how we worship and how our worship services and spaces are designed, and transitions in our own denomination.

It seems we will be changing more than the year we write on our checks in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Time honored traditions we have cherished and protected for years are being modified by future generations, not will be. . . ARE. Those of us who consider ourselves traditionalists will be challenged to accept new things, new ways of being church. We may struggle to find our place and new comfort zone in the “new normal.”

Some of these changes we have already had a taste of in our own congregation. To give you a sample of what folks expect ahead. . .By the way, please read all the way to the end. . .

1. Traditional giving and pledge drives are fading, including tithing.
2. Printed material is harder to come by and more expensive to produce. Say “Hello” to more church websites, including opportunities to give on-line.
3. Affinity groups within churches will center around mission interests rather than age groupings.

Some of you may be wondering, “Do I have a place of this church of the future?” Well, this short article is not about getting you to accept changes that may be charging at us faster than we are ready to receive them.

No, these few words are here as a source of comfort.

Listen carefully. However we do church in the future here is what will stay the same as long as we call ourselves Christian.

1. The Church will be centered on relationships, now more than ever before.
2. The Gospel is still about the saving love of Jesus Christ for sinners.
3. You can follow Christ without following ANYONE on Twitter.
4. It won’t matter whether the words are on a page or on a screen, the people of Christ gathered together will still need your voice to sing God’s praises.
5. Whether we give on-line, physically write a check and put it in the mail, or swipe a card from a digital device, we will still live out our commitment to our Lord as we show it through the giving of our goods.
6. Finally, you will always know that the BEST way to access your Heavenly Father is from the privacy of your own quiet time rather than a blog, on Facebook, or by forwarding a group E-mail.

Maybe, the more things change, the more they stay the same!

Pastor Craig