The other morning, I was staring into my coffee, which is what I often do when I am in need of sermon material, because the glory of God is revealed in coffee. If you are not a coffee drinker, you do not get to see the weight of God’s glory as I do….I pity you….truly.
If your keeping up, here is what has been going on at the Martin House during our sabbatical.
Last week, the plague of intestinal heaving descended on our house. It was like something you see in a Steven King movie, where the ethereal green fog with menacing eyes moves with vicious intent towards an unsuspecting family having a picnic. It started on tuesday and by Saturday evening, every member in our home of 7 had been struck by this force. The most notable seizure of body and will was Tera’s. She laid down pillows and a blanket next to the white porcelain fixture in our bathroom normally visited by our posterior. It was horrible. Balin was the funniest. He had no comprehension for why his innerds would turn, leading to a spontaneous hurl wherever he happened to be standing at the time. The look on his face, horrible as it was, was also funny. It said, “what in the he** is happening to me? Someone do SOMETHING!!!”
Over the next month, I am going to try to stay connected with you through some blogging since we may not see you as much until my return to preaching on January the 9th.
Facebook is an interesting phenomenon. I am not nearly smart enough to really unpack that statement, but I will attempt to take a look at one emerging aspect of it. While Facebook has been a source of bringing high-school friends of years past back together, and helping people to rally together around a common hobby, it is also manifesting the clear potential for becoming a device to create disharmony in the church. Considering conversations that I have had with other pastors around the country, I think I am on the right track. Drama of various shapes and sizes is being created everywhere and the private opinions of some are becoming public dogma on Facebook. Don’t get me wrong. I think Facebook has great potential for good and I have actually seen more of that than the other. I constantly see friends consoling others, encouraging others, and cheering others on. And who wouldn’t love seeing the goofy pictures of ourselves posted up for all the world to see. I am still recovering from the fact that my wife let pics of me in a hairnet surface on Facebook.
Okay. So how will you shepherd your families in 2010? If you are a man, this should be on your mind. If it is not, then you need to repent because your chief purpose as a husband and father has, so far, been neglected. I am not trying to cripple you with condemnation for your failures last year, but this year should be different. 2010 is held out to you and your family as a gift. This is the year that you grow up and start thinking about the spiritual formation of your family.
I know that makes me sound like a sick, sadistic jerk, but it is a good thing actually. It shows my love for the gospel of Jesus, for it is only the despairing who see the gospel as good news and give their whole selves to its truth.
Shame comes along side us like a life draining leech.
It doesn’t matter who you are or what your philosophical or religious background is; shame will push you into corners of darkness that seem inescapable. There is, however, good shame and bad shame. Good shame is that which leads us to the recognition that we have done wrong, and we need to confess and ask forgiveness to those we have wronged. It is good shame that leads a person to the foot of the cross, with their head bowed, seeking the kindness of a savior who gives generously to those who approach in humility and even despair. I am thankful for the way that God works in our lives through shame before we have become followers of Jesus. It is shame that leads us to despairing of believing that we have any device or scheme that will atone for our sins and put us in right standing with God. This is a leech that drains us of confidence in ourselves. It drains us of any hope that we can do enough. The darkness of that place has us craving the light of love and forgiveness. I had an encounter with a man a couple days ago that showed me the value of God sent shame. He was so burdened beneath the weight of his own depravity, that the message of the cross was indeed, good news. Were it not for the shame he labored under, he would not have understood his need for a savior. Because of this weight, he bowed his head to Jesus, and surrendered everything. Control, authority, direction,…everything. There is an old song that simply says, “I surrender all. All to Jesus, I surrender”. Thank you, O Lord, for the shame that leads to surrender. Through surrender, comes serenity in Christ and the removal of guilt and shame.
Yes, yes, there is such a thing as missional golf, and missional hunting, and missional bowling, and maybe even missional shopping. By this I simply mean that people should use common interests with other people to build relationship and the credibility that is necessary to speak truth into people’s lives. We are called to be on mission and I can’t think of a more fun way to do that than to take your natural interests and hobbies and redeem them for the glory of God.
1Cor. 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Today, my family and I went to visit a 90 year old lady in her “new” home. She has recently moved out of the house that she has lived in for over 40 years and moved into a home with one of her daughters.
Twitter