Faith You Can See

I started a teaching series on the book of James two weeks ago in the college ministry. When I started it I knew that it was going to be a challenging book to study, but it has really blown my own expectations out of the water. It is REALLY challenging and really practical. This week we are looking at James 1:19-27 which paints a picture of what true faith looks like. As i have studied, there are really 4 different things that James points out. Faith expresses itself in the way that we deal with anger, the way we listen and respond to the Word, the way we speak, and the way we care about the things God cares about.

This is a really challenging passage, but I think James a book that the church needs to embrace in a new way. We (at least in Evangelicalism) have told people that faith is saying a prayer and being convinced in our head of some theological truths. After spending time with James, I think he would say that is a pretty weak definition of the word 'faith.'

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts....

Go Natinals!

Are you kidding me? The worst franchise in baseball just became a bigger joke. Two weeks ago two of the Nationals players (their 2 best players by the way), walked out onto the field to play a major league baskball game... with the name of their team logo spelled wrong on the front of their jersey! Way to strive for excellence Natinals! You go Natinals! The Worlde Seris is rite arownd the korner.

Thankful

I was sitting in a seminary class last night, talking about ministry and I was just struck by how thankful I am for the people that I get to work with and share life with. Seriously, we have the best staff! Here is a recent picture that's on a postcard we send out to new people who come. (for some reason the colors are messed up when I upload it, but you get the picture).

Earth Day - Stopping Short

So, it's Earth Day today. I have never been a big celebrator of Earth Day, but I am intrigued by people who do celebrate this 'holiday.' To me it really just seems like it is stopping short - no, not in the same was as the Seinfeld episode. It reminds me a lot of what Paul writes in Romans 1:25 which says, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen."

For me, the fact that this day even exists is a reminder to not stop short. To not worship the things that God has created rather than God himself. The Bible affirms that the things God has created are good, but we miss the point when we give those things praise rather than the person who gave those things to us for our use and enjoyment. May we press forward to the giver of all good things. We are too easily satisfied.

I am reminded of a famous C.S. Lewis quote where he said, ""It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." May we not be so satisfied with the gift, that we miss the giver. May our desires grow that we will long for so much more!

The Love of God

I heard the song "The Love of God" this past week and was just absolutely taken by the last verse.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

What amazing poetry, truth, and beauty. It's so good to be reminded of this truth this week. I needed it!

Bees... they're sting crazy!

I had an interesting experience last Saturday. I was on the driving range getting ready to play a round of golf with my father-in-law. I saw a cloud type thing emerge in the distance, sort of like the smoke monster in Lost... It moved towards me and the other people hitting balls on the range. As it go closer, it became clear that it was a swarm of bees! I'm not a huge fan of killer bees, so along with the other people on the range, I backed up under the canopy (like that would have protected me!).

Eventually, the bees calmed down a bit. They seemed to be leaving, but when I looked closer, they weren't leaving at all, they just found a place to congregate and make a new home... right on my golf bag!!! That's right, there were literally a few thousand bees that made their home on my golf bag!

To make a long story short, the golf course had to call an exterminator to come. They put a bag over my golf bag and took the bag and the bees to a hive near the Wold Animal Park. I got my golf bag back at the end of my round. The people in the pro shop told me, "It has a little bit of wax and honeycomb on it."

CRAZY!

Resource for Holy Week

I found a great resource for Holy Week on a blog that I read. Here is the link. I hope that it is helpful to you as you think about the significance of this week.

A practical resource for Holy Week