I asked this question recently on a message board--
"Just wondering how often you use stuff from the message board here in your sermons. Or how helpful is the day to day stuff you learn here in your preaching?"
My own answer to my question--
"I find a lot of things here. Mostly about myself which necessarily means it ends up in my preaching. Often the discussions and the points raised cause me to pause and consider and re-consider what has been said.
I have been forced to examine what I believe, I have repented more than once as a result of something I ‘saw’ from this message board.
I am driven to my Bible and I must do as the Bereans did--
Acts 17:11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
I also find that revelation will come as a result of what someone else has said. That the Lord will speak through this message board and drive me to search for the truth of what being a Christ-follower fully means.
Some things are easy to share--the fun of a photograph of four dozen pairs of shoes laid out in symmetry and color coordinated. Other things from here are hard to tell, the pain filled story of someone (Anyone) feeling abandoned and lost because the church has misplaced her Compassion and has taken it out on Anyone.
The hard stories are needful for my people to hear. Now I know that ya’ll probably don’t have any homophobic people in your congregations, but I have. I need to hear and be touched by the hard stories. Jesus demands we tell the hard stories—so the Good News will continue to be good.
Hardly “divulging confessional secrets” except that it is my own confession which I willingly divulge in my preaching. If I can admit that I have been wrong about something the folks will have courage to repent as well.
This message board abounds with wisdomfull things.
I need all the wisdom I can get and I’m gleaning the corners of this field and am being well-fed.
peace"
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Reflections from a fishpond
I wrote--"Another one of those spontaneous, in situ revelations.
I have a small goldfish pond in my front yard and I like to spend some time out there watching the fish and dragonflies and other critters who live around that place.
I usually feed the goldfish a few times a week—somehow they seem to know when it is time to eat, I think they feel the vibrations as I walk up to the edge of the pond.
Anyway a few years ago I was feeding the fish and one of them was blind—she/he had cataract looking eyes.
Again anyway, whenever I would sprinkle the fish food into the water the other fish would come around the food and begin eating. The blind fish would also show up but usually never got anywhere near the food even though its mouth would be making all the proper moves in order to eat but it never really connected with dinner. I would watch that fish and be completely filled with pity and compassion for it so I would purposely drop some food right in front of the fish so it would get something to eat.
One day as I was feeding that fish the Lord spoke to me and said ‘Jim, you are just like that poor fish! You expend a lot of energy, go through the motions, your mouth going and going, trying to get something but left on your own you come up empty and hungry. If it weren’t for Me dropping just what you need in front of your blinded eye face you would starve to death.’
Of course He was right. I realized then and now that if the Lord had not provided for me on a daily basis I would be starving and lost and undone. What a loving Father I have, One who provides for all my needs and is the source and provider of my daily bread. Oh the riches of His mercy and His goodness toward me."
Steve said--"Jim, you're right on about us starving if it weren't for the grace of the Lord dumping stuff in our laps.It makes me wonder, though... can't we learn to sense the vibrations of the Master's footsteps and look in the right direction?"
I replied--"Of course we can learn that, actually we must learn that. That’s what discipleship is all about.
Getting to hear and know the sound of the Lord—whether it be the sound of His voice, or His certain sounding footsteps, or His scent in our noses, or even to recognize His shape or His shadow, even we aren’t seeing too clearly. I have friends (the ones I know well) that I can see 100 yards away and I know it’s him or her.
I have to learn--
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, (Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; KJV) because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. NLT
I have to observe Him--
John 15:15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.
I have to imitate Him--
Matthew 10:25 Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master.
I have to be so infused with the learning of Him that ‘it is no longer I that lives but Christ that lives in me’--
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
This prepares me to recognize Him in whatever way He chooses to reveal Himself to me at any one particular time. Often the Lord comes to me in ways which if I did not know Him in some of His own peculiar ways I might miss Him. I might miss His approach."
I have a small goldfish pond in my front yard and I like to spend some time out there watching the fish and dragonflies and other critters who live around that place.
I usually feed the goldfish a few times a week—somehow they seem to know when it is time to eat, I think they feel the vibrations as I walk up to the edge of the pond.
Anyway a few years ago I was feeding the fish and one of them was blind—she/he had cataract looking eyes.
Again anyway, whenever I would sprinkle the fish food into the water the other fish would come around the food and begin eating. The blind fish would also show up but usually never got anywhere near the food even though its mouth would be making all the proper moves in order to eat but it never really connected with dinner. I would watch that fish and be completely filled with pity and compassion for it so I would purposely drop some food right in front of the fish so it would get something to eat.
One day as I was feeding that fish the Lord spoke to me and said ‘Jim, you are just like that poor fish! You expend a lot of energy, go through the motions, your mouth going and going, trying to get something but left on your own you come up empty and hungry. If it weren’t for Me dropping just what you need in front of your blinded eye face you would starve to death.’
Of course He was right. I realized then and now that if the Lord had not provided for me on a daily basis I would be starving and lost and undone. What a loving Father I have, One who provides for all my needs and is the source and provider of my daily bread. Oh the riches of His mercy and His goodness toward me."
Steve said--"Jim, you're right on about us starving if it weren't for the grace of the Lord dumping stuff in our laps.It makes me wonder, though... can't we learn to sense the vibrations of the Master's footsteps and look in the right direction?"
I replied--"Of course we can learn that, actually we must learn that. That’s what discipleship is all about.
Getting to hear and know the sound of the Lord—whether it be the sound of His voice, or His certain sounding footsteps, or His scent in our noses, or even to recognize His shape or His shadow, even we aren’t seeing too clearly. I have friends (the ones I know well) that I can see 100 yards away and I know it’s him or her.
I have to learn--
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, (Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; KJV) because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. NLT
I have to observe Him--
John 15:15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.
I have to imitate Him--
Matthew 10:25 Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master.
I have to be so infused with the learning of Him that ‘it is no longer I that lives but Christ that lives in me’--
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
This prepares me to recognize Him in whatever way He chooses to reveal Himself to me at any one particular time. Often the Lord comes to me in ways which if I did not know Him in some of His own peculiar ways I might miss Him. I might miss His approach."
Remembering June 6th
Remembering June 6th 1968
A voice of faith and reason fell silent.
Bobby we hardly knew ye!
"We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times. We've had difficult times in the past. And we will have difficult times in the future. It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of lawlessness; and it's not the end of disorder. But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land."
(Interrupted by applause)
"Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people. Thank you very much."
(Applause)
Robert F. Kennedy - April 4, 1968 on the assassination of Dr ML King
Also remembering June 6, 1944
my Uncle Joe--my Dad's brother,
killed at Normandie on D-Day while liberating Europe
from the Nazi's.
Thanks Uncle Joe
A voice of faith and reason fell silent.
Bobby we hardly knew ye!
"We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times. We've had difficult times in the past. And we will have difficult times in the future. It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of lawlessness; and it's not the end of disorder. But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land."
(Interrupted by applause)
"Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people. Thank you very much."
(Applause)
Robert F. Kennedy - April 4, 1968 on the assassination of Dr ML King
Also remembering June 6, 1944
my Uncle Joe--my Dad's brother,
killed at Normandie on D-Day while liberating Europe
from the Nazi's.
Thanks Uncle Joe
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