Dudes and Dudettes: We are all (it seems) obsessed with the senseless loss of Robin Williams. If anything good could come from this it would be that folks who are in need of help will seek it out and get it.
But let's cut to the chase. We gotta get to the root cause of so much of the deadly angst in modern day life. And the root cause is that so many of us have disconnected ourselves from the root of our being: disconnected from the essence of living, if you will. We're all a bunch of stinking narcissists. There is nothing bigger in our lives than ourselves. We've fired God.
Here is a quote seen in a discussion in one of the pastor sites. See what you think:
In a letter to E. Stanley Jones, the great Austrian psychologist Carl Jung wrote:
Those psychiatrists who are not superficial have come to the conclusion that the vast neurotic misery of the world could be termed a neurosis of emptiness. Men cut themselves off from the root of their being, from God, and then life turns empty, inane, meaningless, without purpose. So when God goes, goal goes. When goal goes, meaning goes. When meaning goes, value goes, and life turns dead on our hands.
Jung also saw this evil within himself. He said that the man who used psychology to look behind the scenes of his patient's lives must also use it more especially to look behind the scenes in his own life. If he does not do this, says Jung, he is merely an "unconscious fraud."
(http://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/ephesians/darkness-of-mind)
Have you done that, bucko? Cut yourself off from the root of your being? Too cool or good modern or too whatever for this God business? God didn't go anywhere. Neither has the Christ. They're still reaching out. Reach back! Do it! Do it now!
This is the Voice of One.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Suicide Class Notes
Suicide
Class notes-there is nothing easy about this subject, and yes I have preached the funerals of suicides
-Remember what an unidentified young woman who had faced depression and had seriously contemplated suicide told me: we are NOT promised that we will never face more than we can bear: we are promised we will never face more temptation than we can bear.
1 Corinthians 10:13 13No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
-what about when the suckage factor of life hits the max?
-Remember what an unidentified family member told me who had contemplated suicide: “I would have missed out on a lot of good times.”
-the background: Earth is cursed, mankind is fallen
Genesis 2:17-19 17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
-we live in hell, plain and simple
-three causal agents:
-act of God
-act of Satan
-act of Man
-cause and effect
-happenstance
-the result: we live in hell and hell it is
-why did God do all this?
-I don’t know, all I can do is trust and be thankful he’s provided me a way out
-in the meantime, there is suffering sometimes to the point that a person feels that death is the solution and they act on it
-seven suicides in the Bible:
1 Abimelek (really was more like assisted suicide)
-wicked bad guy, had usurped power in a bloody coup, the blood of many innocents was on his hands
-civil war was upon them, Abimelek and his troops defeated a rebel, then laid siege to Shechem the people took refuge in a tower, and Abimelek set fire to the tower and burned them all alive.
-he razed the city and sowed the ground with salt
-however, the next town was a little tougher nut to crack
Judges 9:50-57 50 Next Abimelek went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it. 51 Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women—all the people of the city—had fled. They had locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof. 52 Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, 53 a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.
54 Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can’t say, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his servant ran him through, and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelek was dead, they went home.
56 Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelek had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers. 57 God also made the people of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.
-what shame: a woman killed him!
-a little misogynist, dontcha think?
-makes me wonder if he would have survived, since he was still talking but he acted in haste, and his armor bearer completed the deed.
-he was a wicked man, cursed, and I think it is safe to say he didn’t make it to heaven
2 Sampson (often considered more of a sacrifice of self rather than straight suicide, since in his death he took out a bunch of bad guys...)
Judges 16:23-30 23 Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, “Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.”
24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying,
“Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the one who laid waste our land and multiplied our slain.”
25 While they were in high spirits, they shouted, “Bring out Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them.
When they stood him among the pillars, 26 Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.” 27 Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. 28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
-he was one of the Judges who ruled the Israelites for 20 years
-had taken a Nazarite vow
-razor had never touched his head, it was in 7 dreads
-had some morality problems, and some stupidity problems (Delilah would have tried to trick me only once!)
-the Lord returned to him and he brought down the house
-so was this suicide which happened to take out bad guys, or was this the ancient equivalent of throwing yourself on a hand grenade?
-Samson's case was different.
-notice that while his life was not a model for holy living, Samson was honored among the faithful heroes of Hebrews 11.
-some consider Samson's final act an example of martyrdom, a sacrificial death that allowed him to fulfill his God-assigned mission.
-discuss!
3 and 4: Saul and his armor-bearer
-no question, this is suicide even though it is in battle
1 Samuel 31:1-6 1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. 3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.
4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”
But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. 5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. 6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.
-Saul started well, but ended up badly
-certainly had abandoned God, safe to say he probably didn’t make it but notice his condemnation was already in play before his suicide
5 Ahithophel
-hari kari before the days of the ninja!
-Ahithophel was a commander in the army of Absalom
-Absalom was the wicked son of David, who rose up in rebellion and tried to dethrone and kill his father and take the crown for himself
-Ahithophel had the plan to catch David and his men by surprise and wipe them out.
-Absalom thought it was a good plan, but just to be on the safe side he wanted to get a second opinion from another commander, Hushai
-Hushai had a different idea about how to do the deed
-Absalom went with Hushai, and of course the whole thing failed
-Ahithopel lost face, the shame was just too much to bear
2 Samuel 17:23 23 When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his house in order and then hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.
-so he died in the midst of his sins, heaven probably was not waiting for him.
-poor baby, rather than live with embarrassment he chose death
-he is not treated kindly in scripture, except the scripture says that his advice was actually good advice, but was thwarted by God so as to bring disaster onto Absalom
6 Zimri
-number six also comes in a time of war
-Zimri commanded half the chariots of the army of the nation of Israel, in the period of the divided Kingdom
-but the lust for power overcame him, and one night King Elah was at someone’s house getting drunk when Zimri walked in and killed him, taking the throne for himself, killing a lot of other people while he was at it
-the problem was apparently he didn’t ask the army what they thought about all this, and their response was massive.
-to the text:
1 Kings 16:15-19 15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town. 16 When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp. 17 Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died, 19 because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.
-so he was caught, he wasn’t going to escape, so he took the easy way out.
-heaven was not awaiting him, again his fate was already sealed before he committed suicide by burning down the house.
-now we come to the most famous suicide in the Bible: Judas
7 Judas
Matthew 27:3-7 3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial
place for foreigners.
Acts 1:18-20 18 (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:
“‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’[e]
and,
“‘May another take his place of leadership.’
-Judas does a terrible thing, nothing good is ever said about him
-he finds himself in a dark, dark place realizing he has sinned horribly and so he hangs himself
(a point from the Grammar Nazi: you aren’t hung...you are hanged)
-Judas apparently does not avail himself of God’s forgiveness
-so there are the seven, now what about the subject at hand: are there circumstances where a suicide can go to heaven?
-none of our Biblical suicides (not sure if Sampson is a suicide) look to me like they’re heaven bound: but the actions of their life had already brought about their condemnation even more suicide
-the question is: what happens when a Christian commits suicide?
-a couple of Christian author’s perspectives:
Mary Fairchild, writing in about.com/christianity:
God's Perspective on Suicide
A few years ago, I attended the funeral of a Christian man who had committed suicide. The experience gave me a new perspective on the issue of Christians and suicide.
The man who had killed himself was the son of one our church staff members. In the short time he had been a believer, he touched many lives for Jesus Christ. His funeral was one of the most moving memorials I had ever attended.
With more than 500 mourners gathered, for nearly two hours, person after person testified of how this man had been used by God. He had pointed countless lives to faith in Christ and shown them the way to the Father's love. I left the service convinced that what had driven him to commit suicide had been his inability to shake his addiction to drugs and the failure he felt as a husband, father, and son.
Although it was a sad and tragic ending, nevertheless, his life testified undeniably of Christ's redemptive power in an amazing way. I do not believe this man went to hell.
His funeral made me realize that no one can truly understand the depth of someone else's suffering, or the reasons that could drive a soul to such desperation. Only God knows what is in a person's heart (Psalm 139:1-2). Only he knows the extent of pain which might bring a person to the point of suicide.
In conclusion, it bears repeating—suicide is a terrible tragedy, but it does not negate the Lord's act of redemption. Our salvation rests securely in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. So then, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13, NIV)
Shawna Morrissey, in her blog Eat, Think and Be Merry writes:
Twelve years ago this month, I lost my Uncle Jay to suicide.
At his funeral, Jay’s bishop addressed us. The words he spoke are burned into my mind. He said, “I feel impressed to tell you that Jay spent his life struggling to survive. Suicide was not a choice he made, but rather a choice he happened onto when his pain was greater than his ability to cope.”
She goes on to list the struggles in his life, which were very significant. He suffered from physical ailments that were significant and lost two wives to cancer.
When I was living in Alexandria, Virginia, with my husband and children, Jay and his boys came to visit. I knew something was wrong when we picked them up from the airport. Jay was not himself. We discovered later that his doctor had taken him off Lortab (a painkiller upon which he was dependent) and put him on methadone (a strong drug used to wean addicts from heroine).
When he went down into the underground Metro station, Jay snapped. He paced frantically and tore off his shirt. He was visibly covered in sweat.
After fleeing the station, Jay refused to get into a vehicle, but rather ran the few miles to the hospital. He was not aware of what was happening or why. That day he went into pulmonary failure due to drug withdrawal. He was hospitalized for the better part of a week and released only to fly home.
Jay got back home, tried three times to get himself admitted into the hospital, was sent home each time, and after the third time shot himself .
The bishop’s words at Jay’s funeral gave me comfort at the time. Jay had not been accountable, but I sensed there was deeper significance in his words, “Suicide was not a choice he made, but rather a choice he happened onto when his pain was greater than his ability to cope.”
Just last year, I had a clarifying experience—an experience that helped me to understand suicide a little better and led me to believe that it is really an expression of the deepest human desire to survive.
My family was watching a documentary on the 9/11 terrorist attacks and for the first time, I saw footage of someone jumping from the window of one of the twin towers. All at once, I understood what Jay’s bishop had meant. The person was not jumping from the building to die, but rather to escape the intense and consuming flames. Nobody would accuse that person of being selfish or of giving up on life.
Jay was inside a figurative burning building and he happened upon an exit.
-so do we agree or disagree that someone’s mental anguish can be compared to jumping from a burning building?
-discuss!
-caveat: both of these were written to find comfort for friends and family of suicides
-the case of one caught in mental illness is easy: cancer is not a sin, neither is mental illness
-Jay’s meds were messed up, it messed up his head
-I’m not sure about the gentleman before
-discuss!
-time to get down to it:
-do we agree or disagree that suicide most likely is a sin?
-life, and the ending of it, is the Lord’s to give and take:
Job 1:21 “Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.”
-the Bible expresses the sanctity of human life in the Ten Commandments, and throughout from there
Luke 12:6-7 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Luke 9:25 25What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
Mark 8:36-37 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
-as Moses said in his instructions to the Hebrew nation:
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
-the nature of salvation of those who come to Christ has a firm nature about it:
Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
-writers on this topic also quote this:
Romans 8:38-39 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5:8-9 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
-at the end of the day, it would be difficult to argue that suicide is not a sin, suicide is not pleasing unto the Lord
-most people who commit suicide are not rational, but sometimes they are
-the cases of falling on a grenade or leaping from the flames of a burning building are easy
-self sacrifice to save others is easy
-the wicked person who, in the midst of their sins, commits suicide that case is easy
-what about the person who learns they have a terrible disease, and rather than take themselves and their loved ones through it simply ends it?
-and it is possible for a Christian to slide down a terrible slope of despair, hopelessness, uselessness,
-they look at themselves and hate what they see
-the world becomes dark
-so we ask why?
-the answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind
-every person is different, and that’s why we trust God’s wisdom
-people commit suicide because they cannot believe their lives are precious enough to make them worth living.
-despair, depression, hopelessness, self loathing are the killers.
-so for those who have taken this path, we have no choice but to trust God for him to do the right thing, and we know he will
-trust God, trust also in me Jesus said
-do that!
-our mandate, I believe, is we must seek out those who are slipping down the terrible slope and impart to them: trust
-perfect example: Ruth vs Carolyn
-when she was in her right mind, Ruth gave Carolyn a set of instructions.
-now, in the depths of Ruth’s illness, of dementia, there is incredible opposition and there is heartache you can’t know about as folks are rent asunder
-the emotional toll is tremendous
-but hear me well: Ruth is a Christian, she’s going to Heaven, and some day we all will have a happy reunion, and she will know her daughter was faithful and cared for her well.
-and that is why we hang on
-life is like that: we hang on because we know it will be made right in eternity
-our mission right now is the hurting: find them, reach out to them, and let them know that because of Jesus it is all going to be ok
-when someone commits suicide their eternal destination is already set before they act
-my conclusion is that yes, the blood of Jesus is more powerful than your sins, but I think it is too dangerous to risk.
-only God truly knows the heart, and God will do right and yes I believe there are suicides in heaven
-in the meantime, find the hurting, and give them trust and strength and love.
-because for the household of faith, it will all be made right we must take seriously these words:
Romans 8:18-30 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 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 intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Kingons, Vulcans and Bible Thumping Ways
This is the Voice of One.
So let me see if I got this straight. Episcopal Priest Fr. Roger Joslin speculates (Springdale Morning News, April 28th 2012 p8A) that if we were to find life on other planets this could have widespread ramifications on theology on this planet. He postulates the notion that as we are presented with proof of extra-terrestrial life we would, in his words, "let go of our narrow conceptions of God. . ." and wonders if we would, in his words, "let go of fundamentalist convictions."
His argument goes like this. We find a planet that is female dominated, we'd see how absurd are the traditional roles of men and women in the church. We'd find a planet that reproduces asexually and we would learn how ludicrous is our stance concerning same sex issues. And when we find a planet really in tune with the spiritual realm, poof! There go our silly notions about the Trinitarian conceptualization of God, and that pesky need for salvation.
Wow. Beam me up, Scotty! So you really think that as we encounter these more enlightened beings (let’s call them Klingons, Romulans and Vulcans) we would see the error of our Bible thumping ways? But wait a minute! What if we found extraterrestrial life, all right, but what if they were total warmongers who ate their young? What if they followed capitalism? Voted Republican? Then what would we do?
It's all idle speculation, of course and it is fun to fantasize such scenarios. But let's think for a moment, what if we really did come across Klingons, Romulans and Vulcans? What effect would that have on us, spiritually and theologically?
The answer: None. Zero. Zip. Nada.
There would be no effect because that relationship that brings us into a saving relationship with God is a covenant exclusively between mankind and God. It doesn't cover animals, you notice. Only people. The same concept applies here. The covenant between God and mankind is for mankind only therefore presumably God would have worked out a separate covenant with each one of these specimens of His handiwork.
So would we evangelize Klingons? No. Would we outreach toward the Romulans? No. Would we send missionaries to Vulcan? No. And they would not evangelize us. But then again it's all whimsical fantasy.
Or is it? Perhaps what we're seeing here is a longing, a deep seated wish, by a stiff necked and proud generation that wants to give lip service to God but who does not want to do what He says. Perhaps this is an example of a people who would use any fantasy to rid themselves of anything smacking of religious orthodoxy while claiming a manufactured version of the love of God. A people, perhaps, who would create God in their own image, and loudly declare their love for the concept they call God and impressing us with their great religiosity and smugly letting us know that God was on their side all along?
Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” I take that to mean that if we love the Lord we will do what he asks of us and not try to force our notions of political correctness down His throat.
Here’s what I think. I think these folks say they love God, but they do not love his Word, nor his Way and hence I speculate their avowed love of God is false, and it is so false that some would use silly fantasies to explain why their way is better than the Bible. Oh, I dunno. I would advance the notion that if you really do love God, you will love his Word and his Way and you will follow.
In all reality, I would hazard a guess that a Close Encounter with Klaatu and Gort would not make us abandon our Biblical understandings, but we would hold to them even more strongly than we do now.
Maybe it’s a generational thing. In the original 1951 movie The Day The Earth Stood Still, Klaatu recognized the existence of God. Worf, in Star Trek Deep Space 9, tells us that the Klingon gods were more trouble than they were worth and so Klingon warriors tracked them down and slew them.
I think I’m sticking with Klaatu.
This is the Voice of One.
So let me see if I got this straight. Episcopal Priest Fr. Roger Joslin speculates (Springdale Morning News, April 28th 2012 p8A) that if we were to find life on other planets this could have widespread ramifications on theology on this planet. He postulates the notion that as we are presented with proof of extra-terrestrial life we would, in his words, "let go of our narrow conceptions of God. . ." and wonders if we would, in his words, "let go of fundamentalist convictions."
His argument goes like this. We find a planet that is female dominated, we'd see how absurd are the traditional roles of men and women in the church. We'd find a planet that reproduces asexually and we would learn how ludicrous is our stance concerning same sex issues. And when we find a planet really in tune with the spiritual realm, poof! There go our silly notions about the Trinitarian conceptualization of God, and that pesky need for salvation.
Wow. Beam me up, Scotty! So you really think that as we encounter these more enlightened beings (let’s call them Klingons, Romulans and Vulcans) we would see the error of our Bible thumping ways? But wait a minute! What if we found extraterrestrial life, all right, but what if they were total warmongers who ate their young? What if they followed capitalism? Voted Republican? Then what would we do?
It's all idle speculation, of course and it is fun to fantasize such scenarios. But let's think for a moment, what if we really did come across Klingons, Romulans and Vulcans? What effect would that have on us, spiritually and theologically?
The answer: None. Zero. Zip. Nada.
There would be no effect because that relationship that brings us into a saving relationship with God is a covenant exclusively between mankind and God. It doesn't cover animals, you notice. Only people. The same concept applies here. The covenant between God and mankind is for mankind only therefore presumably God would have worked out a separate covenant with each one of these specimens of His handiwork.
So would we evangelize Klingons? No. Would we outreach toward the Romulans? No. Would we send missionaries to Vulcan? No. And they would not evangelize us. But then again it's all whimsical fantasy.
Or is it? Perhaps what we're seeing here is a longing, a deep seated wish, by a stiff necked and proud generation that wants to give lip service to God but who does not want to do what He says. Perhaps this is an example of a people who would use any fantasy to rid themselves of anything smacking of religious orthodoxy while claiming a manufactured version of the love of God. A people, perhaps, who would create God in their own image, and loudly declare their love for the concept they call God and impressing us with their great religiosity and smugly letting us know that God was on their side all along?
Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” I take that to mean that if we love the Lord we will do what he asks of us and not try to force our notions of political correctness down His throat.
Here’s what I think. I think these folks say they love God, but they do not love his Word, nor his Way and hence I speculate their avowed love of God is false, and it is so false that some would use silly fantasies to explain why their way is better than the Bible. Oh, I dunno. I would advance the notion that if you really do love God, you will love his Word and his Way and you will follow.
In all reality, I would hazard a guess that a Close Encounter with Klaatu and Gort would not make us abandon our Biblical understandings, but we would hold to them even more strongly than we do now.
Maybe it’s a generational thing. In the original 1951 movie The Day The Earth Stood Still, Klaatu recognized the existence of God. Worf, in Star Trek Deep Space 9, tells us that the Klingon gods were more trouble than they were worth and so Klingon warriors tracked them down and slew them.
I think I’m sticking with Klaatu.
This is the Voice of One.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Thankful? Yeah, for what??
This is the Voice of One.
A lot of us spent the month of Thanksgiving posting something every day that we were thankful for. I sorta got lost from this. The newspaper sucks all the oxygen out of your life in November, since that is our busiest month and I got too busy to pay attention to Facebook and all that.
Well, I hate to leave a task unfinished so here now we answer the question: Thankful? Yeah, for what?? Well, as you can see, quite a bit! Here we go...
Thanksgiving Day One: Thankful that my Lord God would consider a sinner such as me not only worthy of salvation, but as one to be his servant in ministry. It's mind boggling still today!
Thanksgiving Day Two: I am thankful that I was given the opportunity to be with a group of over 900 people tonight who made a stand for life. The Loving Choices banquet was a powerful thing, and that so many will make a stand for life tells me that there's hope for this nation after all!
Thanksgiving Day 3: I am thankful for my honey bunches! Thru thick and thin she stands by her man, and gives my life reason and order. 35 years and going strong! Carolyn! I love you now and forevermore!
Thanksgiving Day 4: I am thankful for grandkids! Kaila and Eliana make life so worth it! I miss them terribly, and an hardly wait to see them over the holidays. I miss my grandson, Conner. When he is older we shall have good days to enjoy. I wonder, is this crop going to be it, or will there be more grandchildren to spoil rotten? Time will tell.
Thanksgiving Day Five: I am thankful for the little kid who came along and made me into a Dad...Sgt. Joshua J. Mackey! They handed him to me in the delivery room, and I'm told I looked like I was about to pass out because I had never held one of those things before! Can't believe that was 34 years ago this past October. Thank you, Josh, for making dad awfully proud!
Thanksgiving Day Six: I am thankful for my favorite daughter in the whole world: Dr. Amber Mackey. I knew early on that here was a girl with scary smarts who was going to accomplish tremendous things and do lots of good in this life. I also knew early on that my claim to fame in this world was going to be that I am Amber Mackey's father! And that's a claim worth having.
Thanksgiving Day Seven: I am thankful for my best Razorback game partner: Jordan Mackey! The youngest of my brood, he has a heart for missions and an incredible talent for music. Which is why he is not allowed to play my bass. Too embarrassing!
Thanksgiving Day Eight: I am thankful for rainy days, complete with the sound of the rain pouring on the house, the rumble of thunder and in the middle of all that the sound of a train off in the distance. Relaxing!
Thanksgiving Day Nine: I am thankful for the group of guys I meet with every Wednesday for lunch. We always pick places that are organic, fresh and healthy, only heart happy foods and healthy. Yesireebob, health foods only. Well, I could be lying about that...
Thanksgiving Day Ten: I am thankful for Oak Manor Christian Church. Of all the churches I have ever been a part of, either as pastor or attender, OMCC is my favorite of them all!
Thanksgiving Day Eleven: Well, it’s Veteran’s Day so we’re all supposed to say how we’re thankful for Vets. Which I think is an awesome idea! If you’re a vet, or currently serving, and you read this post this is what I have to say to you: Thank you! Your service and your sacrifice is appreciated! America first, baby!
Thanksgiving Day Twelve: I am thankful for Arkansas Razorbacks Football games I get to attend! I am VERY thankful for Arkansas Razorbacks Football games I attend when the Hogs win! When I was a kid I would listen to KAAY-AM in Little Rock at night, and when there were Razorback games they’d call the hogs which I thought was just cool! Wooooo Pig Soie! Razorbacks!
Thanksgiving Day 13: I'm thankful for my car! It's an older car, a 2002 Toyota Avalon with all the bells and whistles. At 150,000 miles it is at about the halfway point in its serviceable life. It's named "The White Rabbit" after the Jefferson Airplane song of the same name. It has hippie attitude, enough afterburners to take care of you, and luxurious trappings and I have enjoyed this car more than any other. It is smoooooth!
Thanksgiving Day 14: I am thankful for the magic elixir of life: a Route 44 Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper from Sonic!
Thanksgiving Day 15: I am thankful for the Christ on Campus student ministry at the University of Arkansas. Mike Armstrong and the gang have a powerful outreach to University students. Tonight Oak Manor CC presents our annual ConC Thanksgiving Banquet at the Rock House, which is at the corner of Dickson and Arkansas Ave there at the University. Students! Come chow on some great Thanksgiving grub and meet Mike and the crew. We serve 5:30 to 7:30 so be there or be square!
Thanksgiving Day 16: I am thankful for the Wednesday Night Prayer Group. This is a small group, but it is a powerful group of prayer warriors. About half a dozen or so of us gather each week, we share a meal and then get down to the business of praying for each name on our Military Prayer List, for each attender of OMCC by name, and a host of other things we bring before our Awesome God. We have three groups that are devoted exclusively to intercessory prayer, this is the one that meets weekly.
Thanksgiving Day 17: I am thankful for the Ed Marshall Prayer Group. This being the second Thursday of the month we met tonight, like the Wednesday night group, we share a meal and then get down to intercessory industrial strength prayer. Tonight (we didn’t plan this) but we had a deep discussion about issues in the past that have faced Oak Manor CC, and we brought forth a commitment to look not to the past but to the future that our Awesome God has for this church family. More than once I have come to Ed’s group discouraged and depressed, and left uplifted and confident in the future. You guys mean more to me than you’ll ever know!
Thanksgiving Day 18: Back to something less serious, but something I am thankful for indeed. I am thankful for Mexican food! Surely when St. Peter ushers us through the pearly gates (ignore the faulty theology here, just work with me!) the first thing we’ll see is a ginormous buffet of Mexican delights! Tacos! Enchiladas! Burritos! Chips with salsa so hot your face melts off! Refried beans and Mexican rice flow in rivers you just jump in! Two words: Cheese Dip! I could eat this stuff every day, and sometimes I do! Ahhhh, I believe it’s Friday, so I have a scheduled trip to Acambaro’s in Lowell for lunch! Yes!
Thanksgiving Day 19 I am thankful for our final prayer group, the Dave Whitmire Prayer Group. We gather at the Whitmire home in Springdale once per month, and like the other groups the agenda is great food great fellowship and industrial strength prayer. Like with the Wednesday Night Prayer Group and the Ed Marshall Prayer Group, many is the time I’ve arrived discouraged, depressed and down but left lifted up and encouraged and ready to take on the next challenge. A high point of the month, for sure!
Thanksgiving Day 20 I am thankful for The World’s Most Dangerous Praise Band. Led by worship leader Rick Herring on guitar and vocals, we feature Carol Bursey on keyboards, Karen Hendrix vocals and your humble servant on bass. We have more fun than any one human being should be allowed to have! And while we’re at it we do our best to point our church family’s hearts toward home: toward our Awesome God.
Thanksgiving Day 21 I am thankful for the money grubbing owners of the Beatle’s catalog of music, who for money grubbing reasons released the music of The Fab Four to the likes of Pandora so I can listen to it a bunch on my Moody Blues radio! Woohoo!
Thanksgiving Day 22 I am thankful for flying machines. So I’m sitting there waiting for something, and I gaze into the sky and see contrails high above and a Cessna over there and what do I hear but a chopper? Flying machines are the coolest piece of technology ever invented by man! I’ve flown in every kind of flying machine from Piper Cub to Cessna to Beach Bonanza to T-38 to F-4 and F-16 and a C-130 even a Ford Tri-Motor once! Of course that’s not to mention the 727, 737, 757 and the 777 (and others). I missed the 747, somehow. That’s not to mention a hot air balloon (closed circuit to Elizabeth Alex: that little girl you were carrying around at the station watching while I flew in the balloon is now a surgical pathology resident in San Diego) and the choppers I flew in, a couple of which I hung out of to take pictures and one that I did a flying live shot from for the late KPOM-TV. Hmmm. All of my thanksgivings have been a couple of lines. This one is a paragraph. Can anyone say where my passion lies?
Thanksgiving Day 23 I am thankful for the horseless carriage. A very recent invention, as far as the full course of human history goes, we have forgotten what freedom comes when you don’t have to hitch up the horses to go somewhere. You just get in the thing, fire up the internal combustion engine, and away you go. Just think. If I decided to up and go see Amber in San Diego, all I have to consult is my pocketbook. Well, I may have to consult Amber. But you know what I mean!
Thanksgiving Day 24 As I mentioned in the first part, a lot of this was written after the fact. Truth be known, thanks to my work at the newspaper I wasn’t in much of a thankful mood this week because this is the heaviest week in the newspaper business because of Black Friday. The largest paper of the year comes out today, and this is a day of “all hands on deck.” Bah, humbug!
Thanksgiving Day 25 I am thankful for times with my family at holidays. For instance, when Eliana walked through the door and first laid eyes on her old grandpa, she made a bee line towards me and lifted her arms up for me to pick her up immediately. We were quite the buds, and let me tell you that all at once life was worth living. Kaila and Eliana have a way of reminding you what love is all about!
Thanksgiving Day 26 I am thankful for that All-American culinary art form: a well made hamburger! Cheddar Burger at Sassy’s, Jalapeno Burger at George’s, Chubby Cheese Basket at Babe’s, any burger at Five Guys, and whatever that thing is I custom make at Burger Life are all awesome treats for the taste buds for which I give thanks to The Almighty and receive with joy, gladness and thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Day 27 I am thankful for another All American culinary art form: a well made plate of onion rings and/or french fries! Yum!
Thanksgiving Day 28 I am thankful for the fact that these eyes saw Joe Adams return a punt for a touchdown in a style that only can come from the Razorbacks!
Thanksgiving Day 29 I am thankful that I have been blessed to be born in and to live in the most awesome nation that humanity has ever seen: The United States of America!
Thanksgiving Day 30 I am thankful that I finally got this list finished!
This is the Voice of One!
A lot of us spent the month of Thanksgiving posting something every day that we were thankful for. I sorta got lost from this. The newspaper sucks all the oxygen out of your life in November, since that is our busiest month and I got too busy to pay attention to Facebook and all that.
Well, I hate to leave a task unfinished so here now we answer the question: Thankful? Yeah, for what?? Well, as you can see, quite a bit! Here we go...
Thanksgiving Day One: Thankful that my Lord God would consider a sinner such as me not only worthy of salvation, but as one to be his servant in ministry. It's mind boggling still today!
Thanksgiving Day Two: I am thankful that I was given the opportunity to be with a group of over 900 people tonight who made a stand for life. The Loving Choices banquet was a powerful thing, and that so many will make a stand for life tells me that there's hope for this nation after all!
Thanksgiving Day 3: I am thankful for my honey bunches! Thru thick and thin she stands by her man, and gives my life reason and order. 35 years and going strong! Carolyn! I love you now and forevermore!
Thanksgiving Day 4: I am thankful for grandkids! Kaila and Eliana make life so worth it! I miss them terribly, and an hardly wait to see them over the holidays. I miss my grandson, Conner. When he is older we shall have good days to enjoy. I wonder, is this crop going to be it, or will there be more grandchildren to spoil rotten? Time will tell.
Thanksgiving Day Five: I am thankful for the little kid who came along and made me into a Dad...Sgt. Joshua J. Mackey! They handed him to me in the delivery room, and I'm told I looked like I was about to pass out because I had never held one of those things before! Can't believe that was 34 years ago this past October. Thank you, Josh, for making dad awfully proud!
Thanksgiving Day Six: I am thankful for my favorite daughter in the whole world: Dr. Amber Mackey. I knew early on that here was a girl with scary smarts who was going to accomplish tremendous things and do lots of good in this life. I also knew early on that my claim to fame in this world was going to be that I am Amber Mackey's father! And that's a claim worth having.
Thanksgiving Day Seven: I am thankful for my best Razorback game partner: Jordan Mackey! The youngest of my brood, he has a heart for missions and an incredible talent for music. Which is why he is not allowed to play my bass. Too embarrassing!
Thanksgiving Day Eight: I am thankful for rainy days, complete with the sound of the rain pouring on the house, the rumble of thunder and in the middle of all that the sound of a train off in the distance. Relaxing!
Thanksgiving Day Nine: I am thankful for the group of guys I meet with every Wednesday for lunch. We always pick places that are organic, fresh and healthy, only heart happy foods and healthy. Yesireebob, health foods only. Well, I could be lying about that...
Thanksgiving Day Ten: I am thankful for Oak Manor Christian Church. Of all the churches I have ever been a part of, either as pastor or attender, OMCC is my favorite of them all!
Thanksgiving Day Eleven: Well, it’s Veteran’s Day so we’re all supposed to say how we’re thankful for Vets. Which I think is an awesome idea! If you’re a vet, or currently serving, and you read this post this is what I have to say to you: Thank you! Your service and your sacrifice is appreciated! America first, baby!
Thanksgiving Day Twelve: I am thankful for Arkansas Razorbacks Football games I get to attend! I am VERY thankful for Arkansas Razorbacks Football games I attend when the Hogs win! When I was a kid I would listen to KAAY-AM in Little Rock at night, and when there were Razorback games they’d call the hogs which I thought was just cool! Wooooo Pig Soie! Razorbacks!
Thanksgiving Day 13: I'm thankful for my car! It's an older car, a 2002 Toyota Avalon with all the bells and whistles. At 150,000 miles it is at about the halfway point in its serviceable life. It's named "The White Rabbit" after the Jefferson Airplane song of the same name. It has hippie attitude, enough afterburners to take care of you, and luxurious trappings and I have enjoyed this car more than any other. It is smoooooth!
Thanksgiving Day 14: I am thankful for the magic elixir of life: a Route 44 Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper from Sonic!
Thanksgiving Day 15: I am thankful for the Christ on Campus student ministry at the University of Arkansas. Mike Armstrong and the gang have a powerful outreach to University students. Tonight Oak Manor CC presents our annual ConC Thanksgiving Banquet at the Rock House, which is at the corner of Dickson and Arkansas Ave there at the University. Students! Come chow on some great Thanksgiving grub and meet Mike and the crew. We serve 5:30 to 7:30 so be there or be square!
Thanksgiving Day 16: I am thankful for the Wednesday Night Prayer Group. This is a small group, but it is a powerful group of prayer warriors. About half a dozen or so of us gather each week, we share a meal and then get down to the business of praying for each name on our Military Prayer List, for each attender of OMCC by name, and a host of other things we bring before our Awesome God. We have three groups that are devoted exclusively to intercessory prayer, this is the one that meets weekly.
Thanksgiving Day 17: I am thankful for the Ed Marshall Prayer Group. This being the second Thursday of the month we met tonight, like the Wednesday night group, we share a meal and then get down to intercessory industrial strength prayer. Tonight (we didn’t plan this) but we had a deep discussion about issues in the past that have faced Oak Manor CC, and we brought forth a commitment to look not to the past but to the future that our Awesome God has for this church family. More than once I have come to Ed’s group discouraged and depressed, and left uplifted and confident in the future. You guys mean more to me than you’ll ever know!
Thanksgiving Day 18: Back to something less serious, but something I am thankful for indeed. I am thankful for Mexican food! Surely when St. Peter ushers us through the pearly gates (ignore the faulty theology here, just work with me!) the first thing we’ll see is a ginormous buffet of Mexican delights! Tacos! Enchiladas! Burritos! Chips with salsa so hot your face melts off! Refried beans and Mexican rice flow in rivers you just jump in! Two words: Cheese Dip! I could eat this stuff every day, and sometimes I do! Ahhhh, I believe it’s Friday, so I have a scheduled trip to Acambaro’s in Lowell for lunch! Yes!
Thanksgiving Day 19 I am thankful for our final prayer group, the Dave Whitmire Prayer Group. We gather at the Whitmire home in Springdale once per month, and like the other groups the agenda is great food great fellowship and industrial strength prayer. Like with the Wednesday Night Prayer Group and the Ed Marshall Prayer Group, many is the time I’ve arrived discouraged, depressed and down but left lifted up and encouraged and ready to take on the next challenge. A high point of the month, for sure!
Thanksgiving Day 20 I am thankful for The World’s Most Dangerous Praise Band. Led by worship leader Rick Herring on guitar and vocals, we feature Carol Bursey on keyboards, Karen Hendrix vocals and your humble servant on bass. We have more fun than any one human being should be allowed to have! And while we’re at it we do our best to point our church family’s hearts toward home: toward our Awesome God.
Thanksgiving Day 21 I am thankful for the money grubbing owners of the Beatle’s catalog of music, who for money grubbing reasons released the music of The Fab Four to the likes of Pandora so I can listen to it a bunch on my Moody Blues radio! Woohoo!
Thanksgiving Day 22 I am thankful for flying machines. So I’m sitting there waiting for something, and I gaze into the sky and see contrails high above and a Cessna over there and what do I hear but a chopper? Flying machines are the coolest piece of technology ever invented by man! I’ve flown in every kind of flying machine from Piper Cub to Cessna to Beach Bonanza to T-38 to F-4 and F-16 and a C-130 even a Ford Tri-Motor once! Of course that’s not to mention the 727, 737, 757 and the 777 (and others). I missed the 747, somehow. That’s not to mention a hot air balloon (closed circuit to Elizabeth Alex: that little girl you were carrying around at the station watching while I flew in the balloon is now a surgical pathology resident in San Diego) and the choppers I flew in, a couple of which I hung out of to take pictures and one that I did a flying live shot from for the late KPOM-TV. Hmmm. All of my thanksgivings have been a couple of lines. This one is a paragraph. Can anyone say where my passion lies?
Thanksgiving Day 23 I am thankful for the horseless carriage. A very recent invention, as far as the full course of human history goes, we have forgotten what freedom comes when you don’t have to hitch up the horses to go somewhere. You just get in the thing, fire up the internal combustion engine, and away you go. Just think. If I decided to up and go see Amber in San Diego, all I have to consult is my pocketbook. Well, I may have to consult Amber. But you know what I mean!
Thanksgiving Day 24 As I mentioned in the first part, a lot of this was written after the fact. Truth be known, thanks to my work at the newspaper I wasn’t in much of a thankful mood this week because this is the heaviest week in the newspaper business because of Black Friday. The largest paper of the year comes out today, and this is a day of “all hands on deck.” Bah, humbug!
Thanksgiving Day 25 I am thankful for times with my family at holidays. For instance, when Eliana walked through the door and first laid eyes on her old grandpa, she made a bee line towards me and lifted her arms up for me to pick her up immediately. We were quite the buds, and let me tell you that all at once life was worth living. Kaila and Eliana have a way of reminding you what love is all about!
Thanksgiving Day 26 I am thankful for that All-American culinary art form: a well made hamburger! Cheddar Burger at Sassy’s, Jalapeno Burger at George’s, Chubby Cheese Basket at Babe’s, any burger at Five Guys, and whatever that thing is I custom make at Burger Life are all awesome treats for the taste buds for which I give thanks to The Almighty and receive with joy, gladness and thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Day 27 I am thankful for another All American culinary art form: a well made plate of onion rings and/or french fries! Yum!
Thanksgiving Day 28 I am thankful for the fact that these eyes saw Joe Adams return a punt for a touchdown in a style that only can come from the Razorbacks!
Thanksgiving Day 29 I am thankful that I have been blessed to be born in and to live in the most awesome nation that humanity has ever seen: The United States of America!
Thanksgiving Day 30 I am thankful that I finally got this list finished!
This is the Voice of One!
Friday, November 11, 2011
11-11-11
This is the Voice of One. Welcome to November 11th, 2011 a/k/a 11-11-11. Nothing more to add there, just that it's a cool date that won't be repeated for another thousand years (hopefully the Lord will have returned long before then!)
Three big things to discuss and so in no particular order here we go:
Fayetteville Fire Fighters were called to the scene of a big duplex fire today at the intersection of Drake and Peg. The structure was 30% involved when firefighters arrived, and smoke was seen all over town. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The problem is that someone at Carolyn’s work said the fire was at a nearby apartment complex, the one where one of our attenders and one of our families live. There immediately began a scramble to find them all. Rick was dispatched to find the individual, and I dispatched myself to find the family. Before we completed our missions we discovered our error and stood down. The point is this: if you are Oak Manor Christian Church you are family and should calamity strike your family will go proactive to make sure you’re all right and see to any needs. As Paul told the church in Galatia: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:9-10)
It is so good to be a part of the family! Are you in Northwest Arkansas and not a part of a powerful church family? How can you face life so alone? Come check us out, we'd love to see you Sunday morning!
Secondly, we see how our Awesome God takes care of his own. A young man who is an Opera major at the University of Arkansas and a member of the Christ on Campus student ministry, Jonathan Chavez, came to this country when he was 14. His folks went on to become citizens, but due to his age he fell through the cracks. On his way to visit his mom in Florida, he was snared in an immigration sweep at the bus station and spent some time in the slammer awaiting deportation. Many prayers were lifted up on his behalf, for sure and now comes word that he has received what they call prosecutorial discretion, which means to make a long story short the way is paved for him to become a resident, he will be allowed to work and he faces deportation no more! Woohoo! This is so awesome! Jonathan had shared his amazing testimony with us a while back, and we were really praying for him and pulling for him. A happy ending indeed!
Finally, today is Veteran’s Day. There has been so much said about this day that I doubt that my meager musings will really add much. But let me say this: if you’re a veteran of the armed forces I want to say thank you for your service. We live in the greatest country on earth! One of the guys at work is an immigrant from El Salvador, and the other night he was telling us some of the horror stories he saw during the civil war there. These stories are so gruesome they are really not appropriate for this format. It just makes me thank my God that I live in the United States and lest we become judgmental of those who want to live in this country I would remind you to check out some of their stories. It will make you proud to be an American!
This is the Voice of One!
Closed Circuit to Oak Manorites:
I look forward to Sunday, when our family will gather and lift up praises to our Awesome God and we will enjoy the bonds we share in the Lord and the peace we have in our presence with one another. We will have some routine business to discuss as it is also our board meeting Sunday. In the meantime, let’s lift praises to God and think how we can get our friends and family to know and share in the precious relationship that we have with our Lord and with each other. One more housekeeping item: normally this would be the weekend for Dave's prayer group but it has been postponed for one week.
I'll see you Sunday, if not before!
Three big things to discuss and so in no particular order here we go:
Fayetteville Fire Fighters were called to the scene of a big duplex fire today at the intersection of Drake and Peg. The structure was 30% involved when firefighters arrived, and smoke was seen all over town. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The problem is that someone at Carolyn’s work said the fire was at a nearby apartment complex, the one where one of our attenders and one of our families live. There immediately began a scramble to find them all. Rick was dispatched to find the individual, and I dispatched myself to find the family. Before we completed our missions we discovered our error and stood down. The point is this: if you are Oak Manor Christian Church you are family and should calamity strike your family will go proactive to make sure you’re all right and see to any needs. As Paul told the church in Galatia: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:9-10)
It is so good to be a part of the family! Are you in Northwest Arkansas and not a part of a powerful church family? How can you face life so alone? Come check us out, we'd love to see you Sunday morning!
Secondly, we see how our Awesome God takes care of his own. A young man who is an Opera major at the University of Arkansas and a member of the Christ on Campus student ministry, Jonathan Chavez, came to this country when he was 14. His folks went on to become citizens, but due to his age he fell through the cracks. On his way to visit his mom in Florida, he was snared in an immigration sweep at the bus station and spent some time in the slammer awaiting deportation. Many prayers were lifted up on his behalf, for sure and now comes word that he has received what they call prosecutorial discretion, which means to make a long story short the way is paved for him to become a resident, he will be allowed to work and he faces deportation no more! Woohoo! This is so awesome! Jonathan had shared his amazing testimony with us a while back, and we were really praying for him and pulling for him. A happy ending indeed!
Finally, today is Veteran’s Day. There has been so much said about this day that I doubt that my meager musings will really add much. But let me say this: if you’re a veteran of the armed forces I want to say thank you for your service. We live in the greatest country on earth! One of the guys at work is an immigrant from El Salvador, and the other night he was telling us some of the horror stories he saw during the civil war there. These stories are so gruesome they are really not appropriate for this format. It just makes me thank my God that I live in the United States and lest we become judgmental of those who want to live in this country I would remind you to check out some of their stories. It will make you proud to be an American!
This is the Voice of One!
Closed Circuit to Oak Manorites:
I look forward to Sunday, when our family will gather and lift up praises to our Awesome God and we will enjoy the bonds we share in the Lord and the peace we have in our presence with one another. We will have some routine business to discuss as it is also our board meeting Sunday. In the meantime, let’s lift praises to God and think how we can get our friends and family to know and share in the precious relationship that we have with our Lord and with each other. One more housekeeping item: normally this would be the weekend for Dave's prayer group but it has been postponed for one week.
I'll see you Sunday, if not before!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
What if Christians Changed Their Names?
This is the Voice of One.
So what if Christians changed their names? All through the Bible we see folks who, when answering God’s call for their lives, changed their moniker. Abram became Abraham. Simon bar Jonas became Peter. Saul of Tarsus became the Apostle Paul. In modern times we see in the Catholic faith Karol Józef Wojtyła become Pope John Paul II, and Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger become Pope Benedict XVI.
Submitted for your approval: So what if we did this in the Christian Church today? What if we changed our names when we answered God’s call for our lives like they did in ancient times? Which brings us to the question of the hour: what would your name be?
My answer to that question became clear to me not long ago. A while back I was assessing my place in God’s Kingdom (Pastors do that kind of thing, you know) and I realized that if anyone ever were to remember my legacy I would want folks to remember me as an encourager. I would hope that my people would remember me as a guy who would encourage them onward, who would look at the positive things that God has done and at all the tremendous possibilities that he lays before us.
Therefore, there is only one choice of names I would take.
Barnabas!
Barnabas means Son of Encouragement. I would hazard a guess that old Barnabas (Paul's Missionary companion until they had that big falling out over Mark) was, in actuality, the first century equivalent of a motivational speaker. I'll bet no one could rouse a crowd like Barnabas! Talk to the guy and you would come away rarin' to go, ready to do some awesome things for our Awesome God!
And you know what? That is not a bad legacy to have.
This is the Voice of One.
Closed circuit for Oak Manorites:
Here is something that will encourage you. Our own Serena Galloway, from the Oak Manor Youth Group (a/k/a The Underground) has an opportunity to go on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic with her uncle. Toward that end she will be doing some fund raising, and this is a great opportunity for us to be a part of something great. Be generous! Be encouraging! Serena is a Barnabas for sure, and I am looking forward to seeing what God is going to accomplish in her life.
Friday, June 10, 2011
When Foundations Crumble
This is the Voice of One.
So here we are halfway through the year 2011. I’m not so sure I like 2011, because it is the year that forces of nature threw a mighty temper tantrum and a big chunk of my hometown disappeared. This disaster weighs heavy on many hearts. From posts from my Facebook friends it is clear that not only are folks who presently live in Joplin affected, but a lot of Joplin expats (those who have moved away) grieve also.
So here we are halfway through the year 2011. I’m not so sure I like 2011, because it is the year that forces of nature threw a mighty temper tantrum and a big chunk of my hometown disappeared. This disaster weighs heavy on many hearts. From posts from my Facebook friends it is clear that not only are folks who presently live in Joplin affected, but a lot of Joplin expats (those who have moved away) grieve also.
I remember many years ago, back in the day, when I was a young single reporter in Joplin. It was in the wee hours of the morning (about 2:00am if I recall) and I’m driving through the downtown area of 4th and Main, on down toward 2nd. When what did I see but someone come to the corner of the intersection and start hawking the latest edition of the Joplin Globe. What they were doing there, and just how many papers they thought they were going to sell remains a mystery to me this day. I saw him there more than once, and I saw him sell a paper or two to passers by. Perhaps he was just waiting on a particular customer to come by before going on to other routes? Who knows. But as I’m driving on by there on this particular night I saw a fire truck on its way back to the main station, there off Virginia Ave. at City Hall, and it struck me: this all just looked so “America!” I had recently been to Fred and Red’s (the joint just featured on “No Reservations” with Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel) and the thought occurred to me at that time, you know, when you’ve got counter top lunch spots like Fred and Red’s still to go to, when guys still hawk newspapers on the street corner, and who doesn’t love fire trucks? Well, I thought, the Republic is just fine. All is well with the world, and all is as it should be in these here United States of America. That was so long ago!
But now things are so very different. And maybe this is why we grieve so much. It’s not just buildings and property and landmarks that are gone (not to mention the human cost!), it’s a place called home that was supposed to be there now and forevermore. It was a foundation to our world, and even though we travel far and away still we know that we can come back to our foundation and see it as it’s always been, to drive its streets to walk the mall to stroll downtown to know and feel our own security, our own little world. We took this for granted.
But no more. It’s gone, and so is our security and so is the foundation to a big chunk of our world. Yes, Joplin will rebuild. But it’s our foundation, our home world, if you will, that we grieve.
So I guess it’s true after all. At the end of the day all we really have to cling to is God. Now, when we say “I have a home in Heaven,” I guess we’ll have to mean it!
Closed Circuit to Oak Manorites…
Big doings going on at the church. The A/C in the activities building has given up the ghost and it is going to cost some sheckles to get it going again. Your Chairman of the Board, your Deacon in charge of Buildings and Grounds and your Pastor had a meeting today to discuss these things, the long and short of that being we need to discuss this at the regularly scheduled monthly board meeting coming up Sunday. We have some thoughts on the matter, and are anxious to solicit yours.
The Dave Whitmire Prayer group meets Saturday at 6pm at the Whitmire home in Springdale. Great food, fellowship and industrial strength prayer are on the agenda. You are invited!
Carolyn is going to spend some time in Joplin this weekend. She sent a post out with ideas if you have a desire to go and help out. If you want in on any of that action contact her.
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