Good news and basketball

A couple things.

First, I’m excited about a volunteer opportunity that has come my way. As Coach Culbertson announced last week, I’m the new layout editor for Relief Journal. This is very cool. (And, apparently, I’m continuing a tradition of Coach’s Midnight Diner authors who like to volunteer to work for Relief.) I’ve worked in journalism for nearly 20 years and a good bit of my experience involves page design and layout. So I think I have some skills that could be useful to a publication like Relief. Sure, I do this in my day job, but I’ve been praying about and keeping my eyes open for opportunities to use these talents for God in some way. So when Coach put out a call for a layout editor a few weeks ago, I fired off an e-mail before I could lose my nerve. Now I get to layout something like 170 pages between now and early May. A little scary and but I’m looking forward to it. And I’m helping a good cause.

I’ve also been putting together an annual report for the Midwest Covenant Conference Women Ministries (I’m on the board) and that’s been fun, too. It’s short and it’s almost done and I think it looks pretty good. A few more tweaks and it’ll be ready for printing.

Now on to basketball. Yes, the time has come for me to give myself over to the madness that is the NCAA tournament. I’ve made my bracket picks, knowing full well that my bracket will be shot to pieces before the first round is over. But it’s fun anyway. For once, I have not picked KU to win it all this year — they’re good, but I’m not confident they can do it this year. K-State’s men’s team is in the NIT and K-State’s women’s team is in the NCAA tournament, so I’ll have multiple teams to cheer for.

And one more thing — it is definitely feeling more like spring outside and that’s a very good thing.

 

Listening … No Line on the Horizon

I’ve been listening to U2’s new album this week — amazing. I like it better every time I listen to it. I’ve always liked U2 to some extent, but I think I appreciate their music more now than I did when I was younger. And it’s not just their most recent albums — I like a lot of their older music better now, too. There is some music like that — you have to be at the right point in your life to appreciate it.

I remember watching a performance by U2 on MTV back in the early 80s (when MTV actually played music videos and concerts). I’m pretty sure it was at least some of a concert at Red Rocks and I was captivated by their passion (especially Sunday, Bloody Sunday). Bono sang from his heart. And more than 25 years later, he’s still singing from his heart. In fact, one of the first things that struck me about No Line on the Horizon was how Bono sings on the album — with gusto, really giving his all in the songs. He’s going for notes that most middle-aged men avoid — and sometimes he sounds a little ragged, but it’s passionate and honest. I like it.

And the songs … oh my goodness, the songs. From soaring guitars to hushed vocals, the songs reward repeated listenings. Initial recording for this album was in Fez, Morocco, and you can hear some of that influence, but it’s subtle and not overdone. But most of all, I hear God in this album. On “Magnificent,” a hymn of praise if ever there was one, Bono sings that he was “born to sing for you, I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up.”

I don’t want to belabor the point. A lot of people will not hear what I hear, but when I listen to this album I’m uplifted — it’s the combination of lyrics, melody and instruments. I have not doubt that this album is art to the glory of God.

 

Welcome

I’ve decided to move my blog over to Word Press and be a little more focused in what I write about. I haven’t decided whether or not to move all my blogger entries over here — they’re fine where they are I guess. By the way, the old blog is Musings from the Windowsill.

 

Receive Him

Matt. 2:9-12
John 1:9-13

Almost every Christmas pageant includes an appearance by the three wise men who came to see baby Jesus. Of course, by the time they arrived, Jesus was probably a toddler, not a baby. And there might have been two wise men, or five, or more — the account in Matthew 2 just says they brought three kinds of gifts, not how many men actually brought them. But even though some of what we think we know about the wise men is more legend than fact, there is one thing we know for sure: When they saw Jesus “they fell down and worshiped him.” And in doing so, they offer a glimpse of what is to come — a time when all people, not just the Jews, can know and worship God.

John writes in his Gospel that Jesus “came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God …” (John 1:11-12) Among the earliest worshipers of God’s son were lowly shepherds, a poor prophet and prophetess in the temple (Simeon and Anna), and these men from a foreign country. The ruler of the day, King Herod, feared Jesus as a threat to his power. It seems to have beyond his imagination that what Jesus had to offer was worth far more than any earthly throne.

Who are we most like? The wise men who sought Jesus and offered him their worship and their best gifts? Or are we like Herod and the religious authorities of Israel, who, seeing only the threat to their way of life, rejected the son of God?

As we start another new year, let’s think about the wise men. Let’s try to be like those who welcomed Jesus and offered their hearts and lives to him. His gift to us is far greater than all the gold or power in the world.

~ Eutychus

 

Putting off the Old Self

“But that is not the way you learned Christ! — assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:20-24, ESV)

A highlight of my summers, when I was growing up, were the weeks I spent at church camp. Often, sometime during the week, we’d have a campfire service and people would give testimonies. Some of these testimonies were quite dramatic,especially after I was in high school. You know the kind — full of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll and then a dramatic turn-around. It was great to hear about what marvelous things God did in people’s lives, but I know I came away feeling that maybe I didn’t have much of a testimony. After all, I was a small-town preacher’s kid and my big rebellion was objecting to washing dishes after supper.

What I didn’t really understand at that time in my life was that I was just as much a sinner as the kids who had rebelled in more obvious ways. As Paul writes to the Ephesians, my life was “corrupt through deceitful desires.” It didn’t matter if my desire was something apparently innocuous, such as wanting to watch TV instead of doing dishes. I had a disobedient heart and a resentful attitude. I needed to put off the old self and be transformed by Christ. That meant surrendering myself to Christ so he could make me more like him. I couldn’t do it on my own — and still can’t. It’s an ongoing process, so even though I became a Christian at age 10, I’m still growing and learning to let Christ complete that transformation.

I may not have a dramatic testimony, but I am glad that I can say I’m a sinner saved by grace, a new creation in Christ. I hope you can say that, too.

~ Eutychus

 

Shaped by God’s Word

Psalm 119:1-8

When I was growing up, my youngest brother looked up to me. He followed me around, he liked the TV shows I liked, he played pretend with me and followed my lead. We are still close and like a lot of the same books and movies. Several years ago he told me that when we were kids he even tried to emulate my handwriting. This was not such a good thing since my handwriting was atrocious (and still is). I feel bad that in at least that area, I wasn’t such a good influence. I think most of us can relate to the experience of either looking up to someone and wanting to be like that person, or being the person someone looks up to. But as humans, we’re far from perfect and can (often unintentionally) lead someone astray — or least into very poor penmanship.

But there is one model we are given that won’t lead us astray. In fact, it will mold and shape us into the kinds of people God intends us to be. The first three verses of Psalm 119 say:

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways! (Ps. 119:1-3 ESV)

The Hebrew word we translate as “keep” carries the idea of paying close attention, or treasuring. If we give close attention to God’s word, if we treasurer it, if we seek him, he will not lead us astray. Instead, he will give wise guidance and we will find our way in his ways.

All of Psalm 119 is a celebration of God’s Word and a reminder to us of the importance of being immersed in his Word. I plan to spend more time in Psalm 119, as a start to learning to walk more closely in God’s ways. I hope this year you, too, will treasure God’s Word and walk more closely with him.

~ Eutychus

 

The Messiah We Need

I Samuel 8
John 1:29

How often have you wanted something very badly, and yet when you finally got it, realized it wasn’t what you really wanted or needed after all? The Israelites were often that way. In I Samuel 8, they beg and beg for a king. God tells the prophet Samuel to give them what they want, while warning them that having a king might not be a such a great thing after all. God knew that Israel was not willing to let him be king over them, even though he had brought them out of Egypt and provided a wonderful land for them. They wanted a king like all the other countries. So, Samuel found a king for them — Saul, the first in a long line of kings in Israel, some good, some bad, but mostly bad. By the time Herod the Great was king, the country was under Roman domination, and now the people longed for the Messiah. Surely he would come and kick the Romans out, depose Herod and restore Israel to its former glory.

God certainly heard what the people wanted. But he also knew what they needed — a Savior. They didn’t need a king to rule an earthly country, they needed the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” as John the Baptist says in John 1:29. So God sent his son to be born a baby in humble circumstances, to grow up and teach and heal and show a new way to relate to God. Then he would die for our sins and rise again, conquering death and bringing hope to world.

Because of Jesus, our hope doesn’t need to rest on earthly rulers. Governments come and go — some good, some not so good, some downright evil. But our hope is in Christ and our citizenship is in the Kingdom of God. We have an eternity of communion with God to look forward to.

Sometimes, like the Israelites, we think we need something other than God to make our lives better — maybe a new car or a new house or a different spouse or a different president. But all through the Bible God is teaching us that all we really need is him. I don’t know about you, but I find that comforting.

May your Christmas season be filled with the peace that comes from knowing Christ.

~ Eutychus

 

In Training

“Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” (1 Tim. 4:7b-10, ESV)

I’m not an athlete. I’m not being modest when I say this. I would much rather sleep than get up before dawn and start the day with a 2-mile run. I prefer to spend a fall afternoon curled up with a good book instead of playing football outdoors. But I can still relate to the idea of being in training for something. After all, many things in life prepare us for the next stage of development. Before we walk, we must learn to crawl and then stand. Before we’re ready for a career, we need education and experience.

Our life in Christ is much like this. In many of Paul’s epistles he describes faith in athletic or competitive terms. In the first letter to Timothy, he admonishes the young pastor to “train himself for godliness.” In the Greek and Roman culture of the day, physical fitness was one of the ideals, and Paul recognized the importance of being fit and healthy. But of greater — and eternal — importance is godliness. Just as a runner trains for a marathon, Christians must strive for godliness. It doesn’t come naturally. It requires the disciplines of prayer and Bible study and obedience. But the end result is worth it for our hope is in Christ and our goal is heaven.

~Eutychus

 

True Purpose

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt. 6:19-21 ESV)

Throughout our busy days, it’s often easy to lose sight of what’s truly important. While taking care of our families, doing our jobs, volunteering at church or service organizations, and even enjoying leisure activities are all fine, these things are not our sole purpose in life. Jesus laid out a different system of priorities in the Sermon on the Mount. And the apostle Paul is a good example of putting Christ and his purpose first in life.

The apostle Paul certainly did not lay up earthly treasure for himself. Instead, he traveled the known world proclaiming Christ and often suffering because of it. And yet, in Philippians 1:21 he says that for him “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Paul’s passion and purpose were focused on serving Christ and his church. Paul’s letters to the churches were full of encouragement and exhortation to remain firm in their calling in Christ. These churches — not physical buildings but the body of Christ — were Paul’s treasure. And when he died for the cause of Christ, I have no doubt that he heard his Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

~Eutychus

 

Uncomfortable

“We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures.  Nasty uncomfortable things!  Make you late for dinner!”
(Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien)

“Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver, “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver…”Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
(C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)

I think God likes to keep us uncomfortable. Remember, our God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — and not a one of them led a comfortable life. David became a king, but it wasn’t a comfortable life. The apostle Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned — not exactly comfortable circumstances. And Jesus, God’s own son, lived his life on earth as an itinerant rabbi, without a settled home or material wealth.

If the champions of the faith lived in often unsettled and uncomfortable circumstances, why do we think our lives should be any different? The truth for most of us is, when we get comfortable, we forget about God. We trust to our own understanding, instead of acknowledging God in all our ways. But when our lives become less comfortable, we are more inclined to call out to God and remember that we have nothing apart from him.

In the life of our congregation, we’ve had few times that could strictly be called comfortable — we’ve seen a lot of change and growth, which is inherently uncomfortable. It can’t have always been easy for the older folks who, 30 years ago, prayed for families to come. Yes, their prayers were answered, but with those young families came new challenges, new music, new ways of doing things, a new building — uncomfortable. Those prayers continue to be answered and our church has continued to grow, which inevitably leads to more new, uncomfortable things.

But there’s a reason I quoted two of my favorite books above — we were not really made for a comfortable life. If we heed the call to an adventurous, uncomfortable life in the Lord, we will also be reminded that he is good. In all the difficult, uncomfortable circumstances we experience in our lives, God is with us and never forsakes us. One of my favorite scriptures is Romans 8: 31-39, especially the last part –

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? …
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

If Paul could rejoice in this assurance from his Roman prison, surely we can remember it in our daily lives.

~Eutychus