Ready

I am ready. I am ready for people to let God transform them from the inside out. I am ready for us to get over our selfishness and let God work through us. I read an email about Jeff Cash today. For those that do not know who Jeff Cash is let me tell you how God is using him.

He is a missionary in Uganda. He has been asked by two warring tribes in the eastern Congo to hold a peace conference. If you have no idea what is happening in the Congo, go see Hotel Rwanda. The tribal leaders have approached Jeff to hold two conferences, both are four days long. Everybody from the tribes will be invited for the first three days (estimated 15,000 in attendance at the first conference and 10,000 at the second conference) and the tribal leaders for the fourth day. Imagine God placing this opportunity to be a "peacemaker"--a true peacemaker at your feet! Tribes that have been at war with each other are now seeking a humble Christian to help bring peace to their tribes and regions.

Jeff is currently praying for God's wisdom of what to do. If he chooses to accept this opportunity he will have to get the UN's approval and then imagine peace being talked about. God trying to restore peace to a land of civil war, not by human means but by God's means.

WOW! Can you see God there? I can. I see God working through someone who is ready to do God's will. I see God working through a single individual to bring a message of peace (and probably Christ). You can encourage him at this email address: jeffcash@infocom.co.ug

I am ready for that to happen over here. I am ready for our "religiosity" to be replaced by people who are ready for God to work in powerful ways.

I am ready! Are you?

Ethical decisions

I do not know what to think about the Terri Schiavo situation. On the one hand, I believe the protection of life is important. On the other hand, is she really "living"? Have we over developed our technology without a good theological base for it to function properly?

Can technology and faith live together harmoniously? Living in a fallen world, what we create for good seems to always be tainted with our fallen nature. We corrupt the very things we create for good purposes.

I do not know what the ethical decision in the Terri Schiavo situation is. Living by faith in a fallen world is tough. Decisions are not always black and white. Living in the greys presents many quandries for faith (when both sides seem to have merit).

Many people will disagree with this and say it is very "black and white", I do not know if it is that easy. Maybe we should be looking at God's love?

The Prodigal

I have been thinking about the parable of the prodigal son. There are multiple threads to think about.

The Son (who leaves)
What would entice him so much to leave a place where he is loved, clothed and blessed? Maybe he was disillusioned about what the future can bring. I do not know what he could have been thinking. I do know what I think when I become the prodigal son. I think I can do it on my own. I do not need anybody. I can do it better. All of those ideas are lies. All of those ideas are deceptions I buy into not with money but with my life. I pay to do those ideas with my life. That is an expensive exchange. The good part of the son is that he comes to his senses and goes home.

The Father
He loves the son no matter what! He loves the son because he is 'the son'. He loves because that is what he does.

The Other Son (who stays)
He doesn't understand. He can't get passed himself because he has always been the 'good' son.

Sometimes I think we can transition from being a prodigal son who is very thankful to be loved after we leave and come back, to the older son who complains about never leaving. Like we have the 'right' to complain because we have never 'strayed as bad as others'. We are blessed to be born into the family. What did we do--NOTHING.

I love to be loved by the Father. I know he delights in my right choices. I know he empowers me to walk the paths of righteousness. I know he loves to love me. I delight in that. I love to be loved by the Father. Try it some time and let God love you the way he wants to love you.

Busy!

Life is so busy right now. I have been teaching a theology class on Friday nights. This class is 2 hours and goes for another 8 weeks. I am leaving Monday to fly to Arkansas to do a seminar for the Youth Ministry Department. Study for that has not gone as fast I need it to happen, but I am pushing through. I get the priviledge of teaching youth ministry majors for 13 hours. I am teaching a class on communion on Sunday mornings to adults. The quarter just started. 12 more weeks to go. All this on top of running a youth ministry and trying to keep involved in the teens lives. We have had a flood gate of visitors lately--trying to get to know them and get them to come back. On top of all of that try to keep my marriage in good shape.

This may sound like I am complaining. I really am not. These are all good things to be involved in (especially marriage). I am just really busy. Oh well, God be praised in all things!

Hotel Rwanda

I saw Hotel Rwanda last night. I walked away disturbed! (To put my feelings lightly.) Even now I think about the movie and my eyes begin to tear up. I remember the endless and pointless killing. The bodies laying everywhere. It happened over 10 years ago. I do not remember any of it. What also bothered me was I did not know how the story ended. I did not know if Tutsies were completely wiped out or not. It ended that Tutsie rebel army pushed the Hutus out of Rwanda and ended the mass killing in Rwanda.

I am disturbed on multiple levels. First, what did we (U.S.) do to help stop this. According to the movie--nothing! Second, we invade and begin a war in Iraq but do nothing about the killing in Rwanda when it was happening. Both are equally cruel. Both are injustice. Both deserve better. Why choose Iraq over Rwanda? I know Rwanda happened while President Clinton was in office but that doesn't change the injustice and the crimes against humanity. Do not give me a terrorist argument. Thirdly, where was the Church in all this?

At the end of the movie, there were people helping the Tutsie refugees with food, medical care, and bare necessities to live. I wanted to be one of those people. They were there fighting against injustice. They were there caring for the homeless. Christ would have been there.

All Christians need to see Hotel Rwanda! It will change you.

Hotel Rwanda

Practicing God's Presence

I am in the middle of Brother Lawrence's book title Practicing the Presence of God. I am amazed at the life the he lived. I have been trying to practice God's presence for the past three weeks. Just trying to do 5 minutes every hour. I do not spend the time praying. I spend the time reminding myself that God lives in me and God is near me. I have been amazed at how that changes those five minutes. They are more peaceful. They are more focused. But it is getting harder to do those 5 minutes. I have become more busy in my life. I have taken on more responsibility at church. I find myself being incredibly too busy to even take the time to spend 5 measly minutes thinking about God's presence. It seems there are more good things out there to do, and I am just longing to "be". A few questions have come to my attention through the past 3 weeks:
1. Am I becoming more aware of the things God desires for his servants to do?
2. Is Satan trying to tempt me into doing all these good things and keep me from the presence of God?

I long for time to be with God. I long for His presence to be real and me to aware of it constantly. Brother Lawrence said even when the kitchen at the monastery was busy and everybody was working, talking, and giving orders, he still felt the presence of God in all that. What is that like to be able to experience God's presence when things are so incredibly busy? I am extremely busy but seldom in my busyness am I keenly aware of God's presence. Lessons to be learned from a Christian who lived over 400 years ago.

More about Brother Lawrence at the following site:
Brother Lawrence