At the last Lunch at Angie's, we talked about alcohol. Do you drink? What do you think about drinking? Our group is quite a mix of women (ages, backgrounds, life situations), and so the answer was kind of like hearing the Church itself speak. Granted, we are all American Protestants, but still, it was varied, real, and refreshing.
Being a part of meaningful conversation creates some sort of marker in our lives. Being able to express your real thoughts, hearing from the hearts and lives of others, is not something that happens to us all the time. I pray that you have a group of friends or a family environment that connects with meaningful words. It is food for the soul, a refreshing drink.
Someone once called Lunch at Angie's a safe environment. There is a theology behind being safe. Did you ever think about that, the beliefs that are in place to have safety?
1) God loves you, and He knows everything in your heart, whether you say it out loud or not.
2) We are all sinners--this is one of my favorites. Many religions are a list of do's and don'ts, but Christianity is about knowing Truth, a personal God who wants to be known. One of the realities that Christianity teaches is that we all mess up, we are all short of the holiness of God. I never have to put on a false front before my God or His people. I can be known for what I really am, warts and all.
3) We are meant to encourage each other. Christians are not lone rangers who pull themselves together and do the right thing. We need each other...other insights, other perspectives, the knowledge others share, the example (good or not) that they provide. Not only does God love you, but so do your sisters in Christ. And we love with a love He has planted in our hearts, which is awesome and beyond our own ability.
Our only Scripture was "Seek first His Kingdom, and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). This must be the primary focus of our lives. Everything else--what we know, what we do, how we fail, how we succeed--is secondary to chasing Him, to living out His call. On the journey, may we help others along.
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Friday, October 26, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Encourage younger moms
This entry is for older women. I don't know what qualifies you as an "older woman", but if it comforts you, I fit that category and I'm only 29. (Smile, look around the room, I think they believe me...)
One of our jobs is to encourage younger women. The book of the Bible written to Titus tells us to urge the younger women to do various things "so that no one will malign the word of God" (Titus 2:4). When I mentioned this topic to my best friend, she sighed, "But I don't want to do Valentine parties." And I immediately think of all those church programs that get a bunch of women together for "mentoring," pairing them off with commands to meet weekly, pray for each other daily, and study this book. One more item for our checklist--just what we need.
Whatever image you have in your head of "encourage the younger women," set it on the table and honestly look at it. Do you think you don't have time? That you're not knowledgable enough, good enough, wise enough, etc? You've been told to do it, so let's consider something other than that revolting mass of obligation you're staring at.
Do you ever see a woman in the store with children younger than yours? You think, "Oh, I remember my kids at that age." Say something nice to her. Stop in the hall at church and tell that young mom that she's doing a good job. You don't even have to know if it's true! Your words bless her, and encourage her on the best path before her.
That wasn't so hard, was it? Could you take one more step? Invite a younger mom for coffee or an afternoon soft drink. Meet her somewhere. Drop by her house with a cookie. Take 45 minutes to listen to her. Just talking out loud and knowing you care about her will make her entire week better. Give yourself the following freedoms: 1) it doesn't have to be a long visit; 2) you don't ever have to do it again. God is capable of bringing one encouraging voice after another into her life; you aren't committing to a 10-year relationship.
A quick word on the "I'm not (blank) enough." Of course you're not. God is. Ask Him for enough confidence to help someone else. You don't have to be a paramedic to give someone a hand when they've fallen down. You don't have to never have fallen yourself, or been trained as the Expert Get Upper. Maybe you need to learn a little grace for yourself so you can offer it to someone else...that is very important for your own walk, and I encourage you to look into that one.
In our crazy American culture, we could all use a little casual. A little unscheduled friendliness. A little low-pressure community. Be willing, and let God be in charge of the rest.
One of our jobs is to encourage younger women. The book of the Bible written to Titus tells us to urge the younger women to do various things "so that no one will malign the word of God" (Titus 2:4). When I mentioned this topic to my best friend, she sighed, "But I don't want to do Valentine parties." And I immediately think of all those church programs that get a bunch of women together for "mentoring," pairing them off with commands to meet weekly, pray for each other daily, and study this book. One more item for our checklist--just what we need.
Whatever image you have in your head of "encourage the younger women," set it on the table and honestly look at it. Do you think you don't have time? That you're not knowledgable enough, good enough, wise enough, etc? You've been told to do it, so let's consider something other than that revolting mass of obligation you're staring at.
Do you ever see a woman in the store with children younger than yours? You think, "Oh, I remember my kids at that age." Say something nice to her. Stop in the hall at church and tell that young mom that she's doing a good job. You don't even have to know if it's true! Your words bless her, and encourage her on the best path before her.
That wasn't so hard, was it? Could you take one more step? Invite a younger mom for coffee or an afternoon soft drink. Meet her somewhere. Drop by her house with a cookie. Take 45 minutes to listen to her. Just talking out loud and knowing you care about her will make her entire week better. Give yourself the following freedoms: 1) it doesn't have to be a long visit; 2) you don't ever have to do it again. God is capable of bringing one encouraging voice after another into her life; you aren't committing to a 10-year relationship.
A quick word on the "I'm not (blank) enough." Of course you're not. God is. Ask Him for enough confidence to help someone else. You don't have to be a paramedic to give someone a hand when they've fallen down. You don't have to never have fallen yourself, or been trained as the Expert Get Upper. Maybe you need to learn a little grace for yourself so you can offer it to someone else...that is very important for your own walk, and I encourage you to look into that one.
In our crazy American culture, we could all use a little casual. A little unscheduled friendliness. A little low-pressure community. Be willing, and let God be in charge of the rest.
Friday, August 3, 2012
An aroma pleasing to the Lord
Think for a moment about yourself. Think about those awful times when you lose it, those choices you wish you never made, those thoughts and feelings that run through your head that you hate. No one wants to be portrayed at their worst.
Stay there a minute. Realize that God sees you all the time. He knows your choices. He knows your heart. He knows you need to be rescued, and He provided Jesus so you could be. Jesus trades His life for yours. When God looks at you, He sees His Son, but it's not like He's tricked into thinking you are someone else. He knows what that blood covers, and He declares this is good. He has atoned for you.
His purpose is not to make you look good. He wants to bring glory to Himself. Our job, as believers, is to not try to be perfect, but to take our hangups to Him and let Him atone for them. And then we sing, because He is a good, good God.
At a funeral on Wednesday, the preacher recounted a question someone had asked him: what does God do with all the stuff we bring Him? If we are supposed to bring Him our problems and failures and worries, what does He do with it? Revelation 5:8 says that our prayers are incense rising up before Him. Maybe all the things we lay at His feet get burned up, like a sacrifice on an Old Testament altar. Leviticus describes the sacrifices we bring to the Lord, and this concept is repeated over and over again: "Then Aaron's sons are to burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering that is lying on the burning wood; it is a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord" (Leviticus 3:5).
If He does not remember our sins, but removes them as far as the east is from the west, then I think the things we take to Him are burned up, and they please Him--just because we hand them over. Our good deeds don't stockpile and make Him happy. Truthfully, our goodness needs to be burned before Him as well. All of me, everything I am, needs the covering of Jesus' blood.
Romans 12:1 says I should make myself a living sacrifice. Today, declare His truth over all of your problems and worries. He knows you for who you really are, and He has a story to write about you that you are going to love, but He is the main character. Show off in me today, God.
Stay there a minute. Realize that God sees you all the time. He knows your choices. He knows your heart. He knows you need to be rescued, and He provided Jesus so you could be. Jesus trades His life for yours. When God looks at you, He sees His Son, but it's not like He's tricked into thinking you are someone else. He knows what that blood covers, and He declares this is good. He has atoned for you.
His purpose is not to make you look good. He wants to bring glory to Himself. Our job, as believers, is to not try to be perfect, but to take our hangups to Him and let Him atone for them. And then we sing, because He is a good, good God.
At a funeral on Wednesday, the preacher recounted a question someone had asked him: what does God do with all the stuff we bring Him? If we are supposed to bring Him our problems and failures and worries, what does He do with it? Revelation 5:8 says that our prayers are incense rising up before Him. Maybe all the things we lay at His feet get burned up, like a sacrifice on an Old Testament altar. Leviticus describes the sacrifices we bring to the Lord, and this concept is repeated over and over again: "Then Aaron's sons are to burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering that is lying on the burning wood; it is a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord" (Leviticus 3:5).
If He does not remember our sins, but removes them as far as the east is from the west, then I think the things we take to Him are burned up, and they please Him--just because we hand them over. Our good deeds don't stockpile and make Him happy. Truthfully, our goodness needs to be burned before Him as well. All of me, everything I am, needs the covering of Jesus' blood.
Romans 12:1 says I should make myself a living sacrifice. Today, declare His truth over all of your problems and worries. He knows you for who you really are, and He has a story to write about you that you are going to love, but He is the main character. Show off in me today, God.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Out by the barn
Law and grace. I'm not sure how much you have thought about these concepts, but our church has been discussing them intensely in a new sermon series, Jesus Hates Religion. Law says that you have to; grace says that you get to. The tension between these two is high, and I find myself wrestling with them while I listen to pastor. This is one of the core messages of our church; I have explored this topic in my thoughts, my practices, and my writing, and still...sigh.
A friend told me recently that the world can be divided into sinners and Pharisees. In the story of the prodigal son, you see the two: the heathen younger son and the good older boy. A line from a Rich Mullins song (can't remember which one) says, "Ain't nobody so bad that the Lord can't save 'em/Ain't nobody so good that they don't need God's love." Sinner and Pharisee. Wild one and the good boy.
I'm blogging this morning because I don't want to read my Bible. Part of me does...but I can't tell if it is a religious voice in me. If I just did whatever I wanted, I would go play Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook, but part of me knows that there is nothing down that road but emptiness. Hm, I don't want emptiness. I want purpose. The road labeled "Purpose" seems to have the first step of reading the Bible, but I think I'm going off-road. Talk to me, God. I don't want easy answers.
It is as if I am the older brother, and while coming in from the fields, I hear my Father celebrating with that stupid brat who has come home. In the story, the brother gets mad & his Father comes out to sort of chastise him, sort of coax him toward the right path. Since I know the story, I can hear the party, and I know I should go in. Put on a happy face for my younger brother and join in.
But if I go in because of obedience, because I am a slave to the Right Thing, then I am still dead inside. I think I will sit down, over here by the barn, and just think. Daddy will probably come out and ask me what I'm thinking, and I'll tell Him that I want to do what is right. I think He will pat me on the shoulder and let me sit here until I figure this out. You know, He killed a fatted calf for His lost son, but there is still another calf eating good feed in the stall. I can hear it munching. There is still grace for me.
And I don't think I'll read my Bible. I'll just keep sitting here, by the barn. I'm not going to put my tools away; I'm not going to wash up. I bet Dad will send out a plate, and some wine.
A friend told me recently that the world can be divided into sinners and Pharisees. In the story of the prodigal son, you see the two: the heathen younger son and the good older boy. A line from a Rich Mullins song (can't remember which one) says, "Ain't nobody so bad that the Lord can't save 'em/Ain't nobody so good that they don't need God's love." Sinner and Pharisee. Wild one and the good boy.
I'm blogging this morning because I don't want to read my Bible. Part of me does...but I can't tell if it is a religious voice in me. If I just did whatever I wanted, I would go play Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook, but part of me knows that there is nothing down that road but emptiness. Hm, I don't want emptiness. I want purpose. The road labeled "Purpose" seems to have the first step of reading the Bible, but I think I'm going off-road. Talk to me, God. I don't want easy answers.
It is as if I am the older brother, and while coming in from the fields, I hear my Father celebrating with that stupid brat who has come home. In the story, the brother gets mad & his Father comes out to sort of chastise him, sort of coax him toward the right path. Since I know the story, I can hear the party, and I know I should go in. Put on a happy face for my younger brother and join in.
But if I go in because of obedience, because I am a slave to the Right Thing, then I am still dead inside. I think I will sit down, over here by the barn, and just think. Daddy will probably come out and ask me what I'm thinking, and I'll tell Him that I want to do what is right. I think He will pat me on the shoulder and let me sit here until I figure this out. You know, He killed a fatted calf for His lost son, but there is still another calf eating good feed in the stall. I can hear it munching. There is still grace for me.
And I don't think I'll read my Bible. I'll just keep sitting here, by the barn. I'm not going to put my tools away; I'm not going to wash up. I bet Dad will send out a plate, and some wine.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Not feeling it
I love church, but yesterday I was not feeling very hyped when I entered the service. The music was already going, and since my church is contemporary, I had the feeling of walking into a rock concert for a group I just wasn't very excited about. However, church is about worshiping God, and I do love God, so one would like to feel more...adoring.
This is where my understanding of grace comes in: God knows me inside and out, and His expectations for me are pretty low. On my own, I don't have a lot to bring. So here I was on Sunday, entering the very throne room of God Almighty. I give a small wave and say, "Hi, Daddy. Not feeling much today, but I'm here, and I'm just going to go sit in the corner."
He smiles at me. I am welcome. Wow! He is truly holy and awesome, and He welcomes me that easily.
Now I feel adoring.
This is where my understanding of grace comes in: God knows me inside and out, and His expectations for me are pretty low. On my own, I don't have a lot to bring. So here I was on Sunday, entering the very throne room of God Almighty. I give a small wave and say, "Hi, Daddy. Not feeling much today, but I'm here, and I'm just going to go sit in the corner."
He smiles at me. I am welcome. Wow! He is truly holy and awesome, and He welcomes me that easily.
Now I feel adoring.
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