There has been something of interest for Christians going around on the Internet lately about bibs and aprons:
Bibs are for people who only want to be fed.
Bibs are for those who are not yet ready or willing to feed themselves.
Bibs are for those who are more interested in being served than in serving.
Bibs are for those who insist that the church exists for them and their needs.
Bibs are for babes in the faith, those who haven't caught God's vision for the church or those who are not yet of the faith.
Aprons are for those who have a heart to serve others in Jesus' name.
Aprons are for those who know that they are the church.
Aprons are for those who don't mind getting their hands dirty.
Aprons are for those who take the time daily to feed their spiritual hunger.
Aprons are for those who are growing in faith, and hunger to help others grow.
We have just spent 40 days in Lent preparing ourselves spiritually for the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. On Maundy Thursday we were reminded of how Jesus washed his disciples' feet at the Lord's Supper. "So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel (apron) around his waist. After that he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him." (John 13:4-5)
"When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?' he asked them. . . I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:12, 15-17)
So. . . What are you wearing? A bib or an apron?
BTW. Remember that this Sunday we will begin our six week study based on John Ortberg's best selling book If You Want To Walk On Water, You've Got To Get Out Of The Boat. I've ordered some extra books so I hope to see you there!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Wet Pants And The Resurrection
It seems like another life—those elementary school days at Zepher Hill back in Neshoba County. There was a boy in our class who had an embarrassing physical problem. Billy could not control his bladder and so every day would wet his pants. It was obviously a difficult situation. I was reminded of Billy recently when I read an email that has been making the rounds:
“Come with me to a third grade classroom. . . There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden there is a puddle between his feet and his pants are wet in front. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It’s never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they’ll never speak to him again as long as he lives.
The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, "Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I’m dead meat.”
He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered. As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy’s lap.
The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, “Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!”
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else—Susie. She tries to help clean up, but they tell her to get out of the way. “You’ve done enough, you klutz!”
Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Susie whispers back, “I wet my pants once too.”
Sometimes I think we have difficulty connecting Biblical concepts with our daily lives. What has Easter and this talk of resurrection have to do with me? Of course, it is a profound reminder that this life is not the end. But it is also a poignant exemplar of a God-given paradigm: new life follows self-sacrifice. We are called every day to bring new life into the world by serving others. Life with meaning and purpose and joy and peace. Susie was willing to take ridicule in order to save a friend from ridicule. The best way to celebrate Easter is to renew our commitment to Christ and follow his example of self-sacrifice. In what way is God calling you to do this?
“Come with me to a third grade classroom. . . There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden there is a puddle between his feet and his pants are wet in front. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It’s never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they’ll never speak to him again as long as he lives.
The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, "Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I’m dead meat.”
He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered. As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy’s lap.
The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, “Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!”
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else—Susie. She tries to help clean up, but they tell her to get out of the way. “You’ve done enough, you klutz!”
Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Susie whispers back, “I wet my pants once too.”
Sometimes I think we have difficulty connecting Biblical concepts with our daily lives. What has Easter and this talk of resurrection have to do with me? Of course, it is a profound reminder that this life is not the end. But it is also a poignant exemplar of a God-given paradigm: new life follows self-sacrifice. We are called every day to bring new life into the world by serving others. Life with meaning and purpose and joy and peace. Susie was willing to take ridicule in order to save a friend from ridicule. The best way to celebrate Easter is to renew our commitment to Christ and follow his example of self-sacrifice. In what way is God calling you to do this?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Are We All A Bit Cuckoo?
I’m not an avianologist but my understanding is that the cuckoo bird never builds its own nest. The mother bird lays its eggs in another bird’s nest and then flies away. Since the other bird is a little weak at mathematics it never notices that there are new eggs in the nest. When the eggs hatch the cuckoo is usually larger than the other birds. Some cuckoos can grow to a height of twenty-five inches. Since the young cuckoo has the largest mouth it usually gets the worms the unsuspecting bird brings for her young. A mother thrush may feed a baby cuckoo that is three or four times its own size!
Since the baby cuckoo is the one getting most of the food and is naturally much larger it quickly outgrows the other babies in the nest. The cuckoo gets stronger as the mother’s own offspring become weaker and weaker. Over time the healthier, more powerful young bird begins to throw the sick, frail little ones from the nest. In fact, a cuckoo nest can often be found by looking for dead baby birds lying on the ground.
The apostle Paul wrote, “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God” (Romans 8 5-8).
Stuart Briscoe has suggested that Paul is reminding us that we have “two natures in one nest. The nature that you go on feeding will grow, and the nature that you go on starving will diminish.” So the question for you and me today is, “Which nature are we really feeding?”
On March 30 we are going to begin a six week study based on John Ortberg’s best selling book If You Want To Walk On Water, You’ve Got To Get Out Of The Boat. We will begin each Sunday evening with a light fellowship meal at 5 p.m. This study will feed our spirits so that we might grow our Godly nature! The participant's book will cost $9. If you want Ortberg's hardback book on which the study is based I can get one for you at the special price of $15. Please let me know you plan to attend so that I can order a book(s) for you. Hope to see each and every one of you there and I’m excited about the time we will have together.
Will you join me?
Dr. Gary
Since the baby cuckoo is the one getting most of the food and is naturally much larger it quickly outgrows the other babies in the nest. The cuckoo gets stronger as the mother’s own offspring become weaker and weaker. Over time the healthier, more powerful young bird begins to throw the sick, frail little ones from the nest. In fact, a cuckoo nest can often be found by looking for dead baby birds lying on the ground.
The apostle Paul wrote, “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God” (Romans 8 5-8).
Stuart Briscoe has suggested that Paul is reminding us that we have “two natures in one nest. The nature that you go on feeding will grow, and the nature that you go on starving will diminish.” So the question for you and me today is, “Which nature are we really feeding?”
On March 30 we are going to begin a six week study based on John Ortberg’s best selling book If You Want To Walk On Water, You’ve Got To Get Out Of The Boat. We will begin each Sunday evening with a light fellowship meal at 5 p.m. This study will feed our spirits so that we might grow our Godly nature! The participant's book will cost $9. If you want Ortberg's hardback book on which the study is based I can get one for you at the special price of $15. Please let me know you plan to attend so that I can order a book(s) for you. Hope to see each and every one of you there and I’m excited about the time we will have together.
Will you join me?
Dr. Gary
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