Walls
Last week we were off on vacation. For the week off we went to Austin to work on our Son’s new house. He and his wife Cindy purchased a house and are expecting a baby girl in August. It is their first home and it is a nice house but it needed some work. The siding on the house is that kind made of pressed wood fibers. After a while that pressed board stuff just goes bad, so Deb, Alex and I spent some of the week replacing it with hardy siding. It may not sound like much of a vacation however I like working on things. I often find it relaxing to build or repair something. For me it leaves me with a feeling of accomplishment. I find it interesting that I like working on things. I think it is because it gives me a break from reading and thinking.
One thing that I have noticed it that it is easier to work on something than to work on relationships. It is easier with things because their reaction is limited. I think that is what makes it easy. When we enter into relationships there is a certain amount of control that we just do not have. You see with the bad siding, all we had to do was tear it off, nail up new, a little calk and some paint and better than new. The formula is easy. But with relationships, we never know how people will react to our efforts. There is risk in relationships. We become vulnerable if we truly open up. The effort to build new relationships, or to maintain, or even to repair relationships doesn’t always follow a simple formula, but Paul spoke of accomplishments vs. love. In the comparison he concluded without love “I am nothing”. He then spoke of love in simple terms. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps not record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Cor 13:4-7)
In none of these word do I see Paul say, love is controlling, love is manipulative, love is calculating, love needs to own. Love keeps a record of what is owed. So when I do works of kindness; I must remember to do them without strings. I must make sure the only wall I repair is the one on the house. For if I attach strings to the gift I may be building walls to our relationship.
Rev Patrick Evans
Friday, June 15, 2007
Loss of Control
I remember the days of corporate meetings and frustrations. A friend told me of a meeting the other day. He got his new compensation plan in that meeting. The presenter asked if there were any questions about the compensation plan. Jerry asked; “are there any questions that would cause a change in the plan.” They answered “no”. So Jerry said: “Well then I don’t have any questions.” I could feel his frustration.
Then a little later, another person was talking about their annual planning and budgeting meeting. He said at some point he just wanted to say to senior management “just give me the numbers and we will find a way to get there.” Again there was frustration. Then the source of frustration dawned on me: loss of control. You know for all of us there comes a time when it dawns on us that we have limited control. In that moment it can become either a growing moment or a self defeating moment. It can result in a self defeating attitude, or it can result in a resolve for us to focus on what we can do.
In Ecclesiastes is a verse about casting your bread upon the water. It is about doing your part. Solomon is speaking about doing good works to the poor, and in doing the work without over thinking.
In the casting of my bread upon the water, it is not lost, but well laid out, and well laid up; it brings me to understand the providence of God, and graces and comforts of his Spirit; for the principal is sure, laid up in heaven, for it is lent to the Lord.
Ecclesiastes is a long lament of the wisest and wealthiest man of his time. Here he speaks of what he can control and he cannot control. He cannot control the weather or many other things, but he can plant. My two friends could lament about not having control, but it is wise to focus on what they can do. As a pastor I must come to grips with my lack of control, and then I remember what John Wesley said, “Do all the good you can, for as long as you can, to all the people you can.” In doing so I step past my own frustrations of what I can and cannot control and realize and remember all at once that God is good, and He is in control.
Ecclesiastes 11:1
11 Cast your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will find it again.
2 Give portions to seven, yes to eight,
for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
3 If clouds are full of water,
they pour rain upon the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there will it lie.
4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.
6 Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let not your hands be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.
I remember the days of corporate meetings and frustrations. A friend told me of a meeting the other day. He got his new compensation plan in that meeting. The presenter asked if there were any questions about the compensation plan. Jerry asked; “are there any questions that would cause a change in the plan.” They answered “no”. So Jerry said: “Well then I don’t have any questions.” I could feel his frustration.
Then a little later, another person was talking about their annual planning and budgeting meeting. He said at some point he just wanted to say to senior management “just give me the numbers and we will find a way to get there.” Again there was frustration. Then the source of frustration dawned on me: loss of control. You know for all of us there comes a time when it dawns on us that we have limited control. In that moment it can become either a growing moment or a self defeating moment. It can result in a self defeating attitude, or it can result in a resolve for us to focus on what we can do.
In Ecclesiastes is a verse about casting your bread upon the water. It is about doing your part. Solomon is speaking about doing good works to the poor, and in doing the work without over thinking.
In the casting of my bread upon the water, it is not lost, but well laid out, and well laid up; it brings me to understand the providence of God, and graces and comforts of his Spirit; for the principal is sure, laid up in heaven, for it is lent to the Lord.
Ecclesiastes is a long lament of the wisest and wealthiest man of his time. Here he speaks of what he can control and he cannot control. He cannot control the weather or many other things, but he can plant. My two friends could lament about not having control, but it is wise to focus on what they can do. As a pastor I must come to grips with my lack of control, and then I remember what John Wesley said, “Do all the good you can, for as long as you can, to all the people you can.” In doing so I step past my own frustrations of what I can and cannot control and realize and remember all at once that God is good, and He is in control.
Ecclesiastes 11:1
11 Cast your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will find it again.
2 Give portions to seven, yes to eight,
for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
3 If clouds are full of water,
they pour rain upon the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there will it lie.
4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.
6 Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let not your hands be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Being Made Ready to Witness
I was driving to the church this morning and saw a man running. He was covered in sweat and did not have on a shirt. You could tell he works out. Wow was he in shape. He had a tattoo on his chest that looked like he was in the Marine Corps. This guy could be on the poster for recruiting for the Marines. It got me to thinking about what it means to be a soldier. It means becoming a soldier. It means having discipline of body and mind. To do it right is a 24-7 thing not just a 9 to 5 thing. It is to become heart and soul connected and sold out so as to be ready for a mission. The end result of that mission is often to allow a leader to implement their will over a people or a situation.
Then I started to wonder, am I as disciplined in my discipleship mission? That is, am I “working out” so that I can become fully Christ like? Do I have the discipline and am I being made ready? Jesus left us the mission to go and make disciples in all of the earth. This is a mission to change the world. It is in fact a mission that imposes God’s will over our will and to bring about his kingdom on the earth. As I pray “thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” I realize that the mission has already been presented. There is one key difference between being a soldier in an earthly kingdom and a soldier in the kingdom of Christ. The difference being the mission is not to be accomplished by force; it is to be accomplished by love.
Jesus does not impose his will; he attracts people by his beauty. The question is, “am I being made beautiful like Jesus?” But the only way people will see the beauty of Christ in me, which is the love of the father, is if I live it out. The only way that I can live out love is to be made like Christ. To be made like Christ is a work of the Holy Spirit, and a work of my will. I have been saved by grace, but I am being made Christ like through sanctification. John Wesley spoke often of living a life of holiness so that we could be people who live lives that transform the world. John Wesley was a fiercely devoted man to these principles.
When I saw the runner, the whole essence of his being told me immediately who he was. The training that he devoted himself to had resulted in a transformation of his body. His superior tuned body witnessed to me immediately who he was. We too are called to a life of discipline that transforms. The question is: Do you immediately see Jesus in me?
Rev. Patrick Evans
I was driving to the church this morning and saw a man running. He was covered in sweat and did not have on a shirt. You could tell he works out. Wow was he in shape. He had a tattoo on his chest that looked like he was in the Marine Corps. This guy could be on the poster for recruiting for the Marines. It got me to thinking about what it means to be a soldier. It means becoming a soldier. It means having discipline of body and mind. To do it right is a 24-7 thing not just a 9 to 5 thing. It is to become heart and soul connected and sold out so as to be ready for a mission. The end result of that mission is often to allow a leader to implement their will over a people or a situation.
Then I started to wonder, am I as disciplined in my discipleship mission? That is, am I “working out” so that I can become fully Christ like? Do I have the discipline and am I being made ready? Jesus left us the mission to go and make disciples in all of the earth. This is a mission to change the world. It is in fact a mission that imposes God’s will over our will and to bring about his kingdom on the earth. As I pray “thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” I realize that the mission has already been presented. There is one key difference between being a soldier in an earthly kingdom and a soldier in the kingdom of Christ. The difference being the mission is not to be accomplished by force; it is to be accomplished by love.
Jesus does not impose his will; he attracts people by his beauty. The question is, “am I being made beautiful like Jesus?” But the only way people will see the beauty of Christ in me, which is the love of the father, is if I live it out. The only way that I can live out love is to be made like Christ. To be made like Christ is a work of the Holy Spirit, and a work of my will. I have been saved by grace, but I am being made Christ like through sanctification. John Wesley spoke often of living a life of holiness so that we could be people who live lives that transform the world. John Wesley was a fiercely devoted man to these principles.
When I saw the runner, the whole essence of his being told me immediately who he was. The training that he devoted himself to had resulted in a transformation of his body. His superior tuned body witnessed to me immediately who he was. We too are called to a life of discipline that transforms. The question is: Do you immediately see Jesus in me?
Rev. Patrick Evans
Friday, June 1, 2007
Don’t waste the pain.
It was my first semester in seminary when during the chapel service the following words were said. “Don’t waste the pain.” I thought what on earth could this possibly mean? No one said anything about pain in the glossy seminary brochure. In fact the brochure made it look more like a Pleasantville than a place where there was pain. What good could there be in pain?
Since that time I think I have come to understand the wisdom of those words. In life we have experiences that add to our lives. Experiences that enrich us, those from which we develop character, are often in times of stress and conflict. Places where there is pain and fear. As I reflect on the experiences that have taught me the most I notice something. They often include pain. It maybe that I only learn the hard way, but I think there is something more basic here. The process of sanctification takes place in the hard lessons of life. The word sanctification is the $5.00 word for being made Christ like.
Often God must show us the sin that is in our lives that keeps us prisoners. When we finally see the sin in our lives for what it is there is pain. But such pain is good because it is the pain that can set us free.
Now here is the real catch with the painful experiences, we can either run from the pain or move toward the pain. The solution to problems is not in running from them, the solution is to press through the problem. As a society today when we face pain, we look for instant relief. We suppress our problems with entertainment, or a stiff drink, or just by living in denial. There is real strength to be found in moving through the problem, especially when it is Christ who carries us through. This is the process of being made like Christ while being in Christ. So often the solutions to my problems are that I need to be made more Christ like. So I must remember not to waste the pain but to rejoice in suffering.
Romans 5
Let us rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but let us also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
It was my first semester in seminary when during the chapel service the following words were said. “Don’t waste the pain.” I thought what on earth could this possibly mean? No one said anything about pain in the glossy seminary brochure. In fact the brochure made it look more like a Pleasantville than a place where there was pain. What good could there be in pain?
Since that time I think I have come to understand the wisdom of those words. In life we have experiences that add to our lives. Experiences that enrich us, those from which we develop character, are often in times of stress and conflict. Places where there is pain and fear. As I reflect on the experiences that have taught me the most I notice something. They often include pain. It maybe that I only learn the hard way, but I think there is something more basic here. The process of sanctification takes place in the hard lessons of life. The word sanctification is the $5.00 word for being made Christ like.
Often God must show us the sin that is in our lives that keeps us prisoners. When we finally see the sin in our lives for what it is there is pain. But such pain is good because it is the pain that can set us free.
Now here is the real catch with the painful experiences, we can either run from the pain or move toward the pain. The solution to problems is not in running from them, the solution is to press through the problem. As a society today when we face pain, we look for instant relief. We suppress our problems with entertainment, or a stiff drink, or just by living in denial. There is real strength to be found in moving through the problem, especially when it is Christ who carries us through. This is the process of being made like Christ while being in Christ. So often the solutions to my problems are that I need to be made more Christ like. So I must remember not to waste the pain but to rejoice in suffering.
Romans 5
Let us rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but let us also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
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