Idiot lights are the little red lights on the dash board of the car. The proper name now is warning light. When I was growing up we called them idiot lights. I suppose they got that name because if one came on in your car you were supposed to pull off the road and shut off the car, “you idiot!” Or they may have gotten the name from people not being aware enough to watch the gauges on the dash board. Anyway… In my car a low tire warning light keeps coming on. The first time it happened, I checked the tire pressure, and the tires were all fine—including the spare. The problem is, as the guy at the tire shop told me, my tires have no sending units to measure the pressure and send the data to the computer. That is, my car did not come with the low tire warning system. But it did come with the little light that pops on. So now, instead of checking the pressure in my tires, I just reset the light.
It’s obvious that I have no faith in that light. Well, I do have faith; I have faith that it is wrong. But you know the principle: If I’m going to rely on a warning system, it must be reliable. The truly important principle underlying this is to have a means of gaining insight. In this case it is a tire gauge, but in life what are the means to insight? Proverbs 12:1 “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” Proverbs also tells us, “The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.” The issue is that I need trusted advisors and these advisors need to know me. They need to be able to “check my pressure,” if you will allow me to stay with the metaphor. I also need advisors who have my best interest at heart. Unfortunately many would-be advisors do not have my best interests at heart. So where do I obtain counsel?
Meeting together with a small group of fellow Christians can provide the much-needed counsel or “warning lights” in our life. Our “God-chosen friends” are not a nuisance; rather they are a comfort. As I had breakfast with a small group this past week, a man commented, “I would have never guessed before I started doing this that it would mean so much to me.” As I looked around the table I saw each man agree. They each had a look of knowing just what he meant. It was as though it had just occurred to each one of them that they had all been on a journey together, and were looking forward to the continuation of the journey.
As I turn the key to my car, just before it starts all of the idiot lights come on. They do this just to let me know that they are working, and as I journey along I have faith that they are there checking.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
All Wet
All Wet
It was a windy day when I took two friends sailing on our Hobie Cat. Both Vern and Mike had been sailing with me before on this boat; however, both times the wind was light. Today the wind was blowing hard. After we had the sails up and were ready to go I tried to explain to my two friends that today would be different, that the boat would not only go faster than usual, it could flip quickly as well. Neither of them was willing to listen, to which I said “OK then lets go.”
A man once coined a phrase about Hobie cats in heavy winds. He quipped “they are cats with sharp claws.” As we came out of the protected cove the wind shifted a couple of times then we got the full force of the wind. I shouted to both friends to get on my side of the boat. They replied “What?” Then instantaneously, we flipped. Suddenly I had their full attention. Before instructing them on how to right the boat I gave a quick class on sailing in heavy winds. We then righted the boat and had a great day of sailing.
Proverbs 9:6-10 NIV
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.
7 “Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.
8 Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
9 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.
10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
The Message gives this translation:
7–12 If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face; confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins. So don’t waste your time on a scoffer; all you’ll get for your pains is abuse. But if you correct those who care about life, that’s different—they’ll love you for it! Save your breath for the wise—they’ll be wiser for it; tell good people what you know—they’ll profit from it. Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God, insight into life from knowing a Holy God.
In my life I have often ended up swimming, wondering how the boat got upside down. The answer is that I did not first seek wisdom first. I call it the school of hard knocks, and I have paid much tuition to that school. Yet the wisdom of life is contained in God’s word. In verse 4 and 5 of Proverbs 9 it says that a table of wisdom has been set for the simple. Our God has set a banquet of wisdom for us. Will you come with me and partake, or do you need to go swimming first?
Rev. Patrick Evans
http://pastorpatscorner.blogspot.com
It was a windy day when I took two friends sailing on our Hobie Cat. Both Vern and Mike had been sailing with me before on this boat; however, both times the wind was light. Today the wind was blowing hard. After we had the sails up and were ready to go I tried to explain to my two friends that today would be different, that the boat would not only go faster than usual, it could flip quickly as well. Neither of them was willing to listen, to which I said “OK then lets go.”
A man once coined a phrase about Hobie cats in heavy winds. He quipped “they are cats with sharp claws.” As we came out of the protected cove the wind shifted a couple of times then we got the full force of the wind. I shouted to both friends to get on my side of the boat. They replied “What?” Then instantaneously, we flipped. Suddenly I had their full attention. Before instructing them on how to right the boat I gave a quick class on sailing in heavy winds. We then righted the boat and had a great day of sailing.
Proverbs 9:6-10 NIV
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.
7 “Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.
8 Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
9 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.
10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
The Message gives this translation:
7–12 If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face; confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins. So don’t waste your time on a scoffer; all you’ll get for your pains is abuse. But if you correct those who care about life, that’s different—they’ll love you for it! Save your breath for the wise—they’ll be wiser for it; tell good people what you know—they’ll profit from it. Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God, insight into life from knowing a Holy God.
In my life I have often ended up swimming, wondering how the boat got upside down. The answer is that I did not first seek wisdom first. I call it the school of hard knocks, and I have paid much tuition to that school. Yet the wisdom of life is contained in God’s word. In verse 4 and 5 of Proverbs 9 it says that a table of wisdom has been set for the simple. Our God has set a banquet of wisdom for us. Will you come with me and partake, or do you need to go swimming first?
Rev. Patrick Evans
http://pastorpatscorner.blogspot.com
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
The following link will take you to a news story about the UM ARMY camp I was able to attend.
Rev Patrick Evans
http://www.kfdm.com/news/says_21250___article.html/cleveland_army.html
Rev Patrick Evans
http://www.kfdm.com/news/says_21250___article.html/cleveland_army.html
I was able to experence UM ARMY this past week. If you would like to see a video of the experience follow the link attached.
Local News: New Homes for Some in Orange says, cleveland, army - kfdm.com
http://www.kfdm.com/news/says_21250___article.html/cleveland_army.html
Local News: New Homes for Some in Orange says, cleveland, army - kfdm.com
http://www.kfdm.com/news/says_21250___article.html/cleveland_army.html
I Prefer
I prefer being in control as opposed to being dependent. I prefer comfort as opposed to suffering. I prefer the task be well within my capabilities so the outcome is not in doubt as opposed to the success of the task being in doubt. I prefer working within my comfort zone as opposed to being outside my comfort zone. I prefer things going according to my plans as opposed to my plans being interrupted. I prefer being well rested as opposed to being exhausted.
Yet having such preferences is interesting when I remember that when I am dependent on Him, God teaches me the lesson of faith. When I’m suffering I feel God’s presence the closest. When the outcome of my task is in doubt, I pray more. As I live outside my comfort zone, I grow in maturity as a Christian. When my plans have been interrupted I see God at work and am overjoyed with the day. And in exhaustion I finally stop my striving and find rest in Jesus.
Paul states, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)
Rev Patrick Evans
I prefer being in control as opposed to being dependent. I prefer comfort as opposed to suffering. I prefer the task be well within my capabilities so the outcome is not in doubt as opposed to the success of the task being in doubt. I prefer working within my comfort zone as opposed to being outside my comfort zone. I prefer things going according to my plans as opposed to my plans being interrupted. I prefer being well rested as opposed to being exhausted.
Yet having such preferences is interesting when I remember that when I am dependent on Him, God teaches me the lesson of faith. When I’m suffering I feel God’s presence the closest. When the outcome of my task is in doubt, I pray more. As I live outside my comfort zone, I grow in maturity as a Christian. When my plans have been interrupted I see God at work and am overjoyed with the day. And in exhaustion I finally stop my striving and find rest in Jesus.
Paul states, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)
Rev Patrick Evans
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Voices
I played intramural soccer while in college. During one game I was running after a ball as fast as I could believing that I could get it before it went out of bounds. Then on the side lines I heard a guy say, “no way he gets there”. In that moment I let up for a step or two, and that was all it took. I missed getting to the ball. I thought to myself, “boy was that stupid of me.” I knew I could get there, maybe. I mean that, it would have taken everything I had; but there was a good chance I could do it, but that moment of disbelief stopped the moment of possibility. Later in that same game a similar opportunity came again, but this time the results were different. It was interesting in that it was a harder play on the ball. My last step was about an inch from the sideline. From there I was in the air until I kicked the ball. From about five feet away the referee said “Good play!” I could tell by the way he said it that he enjoyed the play. He took joy in my accomplishment.
I suppose this all brings me to my point. We should be deliberate in the voices we listen to. Joe reminded us in his sermon this past Sunday “we should take time to read the bible everyday.” Good advice! In this world we live with stresses and many competing voices and messages. As such, we must be deliberate to take time to listen to the voice of God. In the soccer game the voice I needed to hear was my own. It said “I can do this”, but in life we often must depend on others and on circumstances. We often must act trusting that things will work out. Joe told the story of the accomplished man who felt dread and stress in his life all the time. The pastor assigned reading the 23 Psalm 5 times a day. He was to read it slow and deliberate. He was to mediate on the passage. He was to listen. Here is the genius of his prescription, this man needed to hear a “voice of faith.” Now hear this “voice of faith.”
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in greena pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointestb my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Rev. Patrick Evans
http://pastorpatscorner.blogspot.com
I played intramural soccer while in college. During one game I was running after a ball as fast as I could believing that I could get it before it went out of bounds. Then on the side lines I heard a guy say, “no way he gets there”. In that moment I let up for a step or two, and that was all it took. I missed getting to the ball. I thought to myself, “boy was that stupid of me.” I knew I could get there, maybe. I mean that, it would have taken everything I had; but there was a good chance I could do it, but that moment of disbelief stopped the moment of possibility. Later in that same game a similar opportunity came again, but this time the results were different. It was interesting in that it was a harder play on the ball. My last step was about an inch from the sideline. From there I was in the air until I kicked the ball. From about five feet away the referee said “Good play!” I could tell by the way he said it that he enjoyed the play. He took joy in my accomplishment.
I suppose this all brings me to my point. We should be deliberate in the voices we listen to. Joe reminded us in his sermon this past Sunday “we should take time to read the bible everyday.” Good advice! In this world we live with stresses and many competing voices and messages. As such, we must be deliberate to take time to listen to the voice of God. In the soccer game the voice I needed to hear was my own. It said “I can do this”, but in life we often must depend on others and on circumstances. We often must act trusting that things will work out. Joe told the story of the accomplished man who felt dread and stress in his life all the time. The pastor assigned reading the 23 Psalm 5 times a day. He was to read it slow and deliberate. He was to mediate on the passage. He was to listen. Here is the genius of his prescription, this man needed to hear a “voice of faith.” Now hear this “voice of faith.”
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in greena pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointestb my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Rev. Patrick Evans
http://pastorpatscorner.blogspot.com
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