Don't Face Life Alone

                                               

“April showers bring May flowers”. Though Texas is a little different; I have had flowers in my yard since February. However, the idea still stands there is a cost to everything. We have to suffer through rainy days in order to have the water we want and need. Personally, I love rainy days, for it feels like God is nourishing us. Unfortunately, sometimes with severe weather come unwanted consequences. The weather is not a judgment tool as some preachers may tell you. It is random, or due to changing weather patterns. "The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike." Floods sweep away homes of good and bad people alike.

 Sometimes the struggles in life make us stronger; sometimes they may break us. A lot of the results depend upon with whom we walk through life. Once we realize that God is not judging or punishing or testing us with the struggles of life, it becomes much easier to look to God in hard times. God loves us and wants what is best for us, always. Much of life is governed by the randomness of the universe coupled with choices made with our free will or the ripple effect of others' decisions. Whatever we face, it is easier to face with God. I loved the new movie, “Miracles from Heaven”, for it showed how God brought comfort to both the child and the parents of the child who lived and the child who did not survive. Our loving relationship with God is a constant in good times or bad. We never have to face anything alone. We can walk through life with a loving guide, helping us make the best decisions. We go through life with an eternal, knowledgeable comforter. We find all this and more in our relationship with God. Into all our lives struggles will come. Don’t face them alone. Is God relevant? Try facing life alone.

Relevant Relationship

           Recently I was talking to some grad students, you know twenty-somethings, and they opened my eyes to their perspective. I wasn't surprised, but I was saddened to discover that they did not think God was even available for a potential relationship. They looked at God as someone who created the universe, set all the rules of physics in motion, and then went on vacation. The universe was on autopilot, and God was not involved in our lives at all. They thought God might occasionally look in upon creation with kind of a voyeuristic appreciation for what had been created to see how things were going. Though at the same time God was unconcerned because God knew the things set in motion were continuing on their own way as they were supposed to. God was some kind of absentee landlord who didn't charge rent. Or maybe it was kind of like an ant farm in which God would occasionally thump the glass to see what happened when the earth quaked for the humans and then would go on God's casual way, for humanity was unable to stimulate God's short attention span. What a sad picture of God; and what could I possibly do to convince them God was otherwise?
            Perhaps I could tell them that I had a relationship with God myself, that I believed that God cared for me better than any parent. I could tell them God loved me with full compassion even with being totally aware of who I am and all the things I had done. But would they think I was just some deluded fanatic living in my own fantasy world built upon an archaic religion? I could let them see inside me to take note of all my struggles. Then they would see the light and happiness within me; they would see the great changes in my life, and they would be convinced that divine effort was essential to accomplish such change. Or would they? It is so evident to me, but how would it look to them? It is so much a matter of faith, feeling, and perspective; I can't prove it. If I could just convince them of the possibility of a relationship with God and get them to give it a try, then they could feel it too. But would their perspective be open enough to give it a fair shake? If I could shape the God experience into a pill and surround it with a party of pretty people, then maybe they would give it a try. Or we could wrap the experience of helping others in need into a God-defined experience; then  the possibility of God being active in our lives and in our world would be more relevant. Loving God and feeling loved by God is such a wonderful thing. I just wish there was some way I could hand on that feeling to those who have yet to experience it, to those who don't even know it is possible. I'll keep trying, be open to the possibilities, and who knows, you may yet be surprised.  See video  www.fcccarrollton.org   

Must It Be a Cruel World?

There is so much cruelty in the world. Hatred, sarcasm, negative “humor”, hitting, hurting, killing, stealing one’s property, stealing one’s identity are part of everyday life. We even use negativity to show our affection to people we supposedly like or love. This rampant cruelty is a sickness in our world. People even lift up bullies as heroes, seeing bullying as a sign of confidence  or strength, when in actuality it is usually a sign of insecurity or cowardice. Cruelty is unacceptable behavior. God is love. We who are lovers of God are called to emulate God as best as possible. There is no cruelty, hatred, or fear in love. There should be none such among God’s children. 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…” 

Many people go out of their way to hurt others. Where does this come from? God has given us free will. Therefore, we have equal ability to do good or to do evil. We can say yes to who God is or we can say no. Saying yes to God is saying yes to love. Saying no to God is saying yes to hate and no to love. Some who say no to God get a sadistic pleasure out of hurting others. Some who say no to God just don’t care enough about anything beyond themselves to even care about whether they are hurting someone else or not. Sometimes negativity is a response to personal experience. That is a reason but is not an excuse. I read an article in Travel and Leisure called, “How Not to Be a Jerk on an Airplane”. The fact that they felt a need to print such an article is very telling.

We who have answered God’s call with a resounding yes need to be intentional about how we treat the world around us. We need to do intentional acts of kindness. We need to do extra because not only are we doing good as our personal action but we are also trying to make up for those who are cruel. Not only are we to be kind and loving to those we love or like, we are also supposed to be kind and loving to strangers. If we are to imitate God, we are to be love; we are to personify love. We have to learn to swallow that quick biting tongue we have been conditioned to use. We have to no longer admire the quick retort or insult. We have to hold people accountable for cruel behavior; it is unacceptable. We have to speak love, do love, be love, act loving. If we find pleasure in hurting someone or putting someone down or in hating someone, we are living wrong. We have to love rightly to live rightly. Let us fully, completely, live and love as God’s children. We can help change the world! www.fcccarrollton.org

    

Living Loved

     Too many wander through life unaware that they are loved. There are very few things sadder than not feeling loved. I remember clearly the before and after pictures of people when they fell into a relationship of  reciprocated love. A plain unassuming face became all aglow. Even the plainest faces became beautiful when the people realized they were loved. The instant you saw them, you realized the difference; the change was remarkable. Imagine now, how beautiful inside and out they would have become with this new relationship if they had realized they were loved all along, beauty expanded rather than born. For me, it is sad that such a glow is dependent on the capricious love of another human being.
       All of creation is loved by God all of the time. As you experience God's love on a daily basis you begin to "live loved" (a phrase used by Paul Young in The Shack). There is more joy, more glow, and more power. Knowing you are loved makes you powerful. You walk with a lighter tread. Living loved enables you to live longer and healthier. Living loved gives you the security to have better human relationships as well. When you realize that you are not dependent on another human to love you, then you can love better. You are less needy and more giving. You can eliminate jealousy.  Knowing that you will always be loved helps you be more confident. Confident people make better lovers.
     The difficult part of living loved is believing God is really always loving you. It is easy to say, but how can you know it is real? God seems so non-tangible, the immortal, invisible God. Not surprising, the believing comes first. When you believe in the truth of God's love and invite God into a loving relationship with you, then you begin to feel it. The more you feel it, the more you believe in the reality of God's love, and the more you believe it, the more you feel it. No, it is not simply convincing yourself of the truth of an illusion. For illusions have no lasting effect upon you. However, God's love has a lasting effect; an effect that increases exponentially with the ever deepening experience. I choose to live loved, and I choose to love. It is very real I know; I live in God's love. www.fcccarrollton.org

Haters Need Not Apply

       When we follow the way of the Christian faith, the way Jesus personified and illustrated, there is no room for hate. We are not even supposed to hate the haters. Too many church goers define their faith by what they are against rather than what they stand for. They choose some group or behavior as being worse than all others and decide to speak out against, place themselves in opposition to, and down right hate them or it. They try to take over the role of God as righteous judge and place a judgment against someone for who they are or what they do. It is  only by grace that we are righteous, so how can we judge others? We have not a clue as to the mind of God, so how can anyone so vehemently speak out on God's behalf? They choose certain scriptures to prove their agenda, but with contextual spins and choosing what they use and what they leave out they can "prove" any subject in any direction.
       Jesus was all about love, for he came to earth as the incarnation of God, who is also all about love, for God is love. We have free will. We can choose for whatever reason not to approve of a certain behavior, life style, or group. That does not give us the right to judge on God's behalf. It does not give us the right to say we speak for God. God has already spoken-- he loves the world and everyone in it. God wants to save us ALL from ourselves and take us home to be loved and cared for forever. No one knows exactly what that will look like. It is not an exclusive club. Only God decides entrance requirements, and God wants all of us. There is no room for hate in a faith based upon God as revealed in Jesus Christ.  The spitting rage with which "Christians" hate others with different understandings removes the label's truth. True Christians don't live that way, for it is not the way of Christ, not the way Jesus lived, not the way he taught. We can choose to live for God; but we cannot choose to judge or speak for God - leave that to God. "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." (1 John 4:7) ."A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." (John 13:34) As Dr. Phil Snider proclaimed, "I believe in the separation of church and hate." Our church is about love and acceptance. www.fcccarrollton.org

Christmas Light

      Many people realize that Jesus most likely was not born on December 25. It is more likely he was born in spring when their are new lambs and shepherds in the fields at night. It is too cold in the winter for the shepherds to keep the flocks in the field; they put them in pens or corrals instead. The church chose December 25 to celebrate Jesus' birth, but the date was not arbitrary. Some believe that the date December 25 was chosen because of some elaborate connection between creation, conception, and crucifixion, as seen in the "Catholic Answer". The first time we have recorded that Christmas was celebrated on December 25 was 336 AD during the reign of Emperor Constantine. A short time later Pope Julius 1 declared December 25 to be the official date. There are many different theories about the date chosen, of which none are earth shatteringly important. The one that makes the most since to me is that the Emperor Constantine had just declared the official religion of the Roman Empire was Christian with the Edict of Milan. The church was hard at work trying to convert the pagan citizens of Rome. When you are asking someone to change their lives, you have to walk a fine line about demanding too much, so you don't want to take away all their festivals and parties. One of the biggest festivals in Rome was the winter solstice or the mid-winter festival. The winter solstice is the date that has the longest night and the shortest day. In other words, it is when the darkness is the strongest and the light is the weakest. The church chose a few days after the solstice to celebrate the birth of Jesus. To me this seems most appropriate, for what the birth of Jesus heralded was a faith in God who pushes back the darkness. Jesus was the light of God born into the world. From that date the light gets stronger and the darkness gets weaker. Just as the days get longer and the nights get shorter. The Christmas light is Jesus, the incarnation of God. Jesus' ministry was all about pushing back the darkness, pushing back evil, in the world and in humanity. Jesus also acquainted us with God's great guiding light to help the lost find their way. So for me December 25 is the perfect date to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Merry Christmas. www.fcccarrollton.org

Christmas Is Coming

     Advent is defined as the arrival of a notable person, event, or thing. What could better fit this definition than the arrival of Jesus into the world? At Christmas we celebrate the birth of the incarnation of God, Jesus, born of Mary. Advent for the church is the expectant waiting and preparation to welcome Jesus into our hearts once again. It is not that we somehow lost Jesus since last year; it is more like an anniversary of one of the most profound moments in history. It is one of my favorite times of year when people are a little kinder, a little happier. People smile more and call out greetings more often. Laughter peals from the lips of children. People hum, whistle, and sing some of my favorite songs, the songs that tell the tale of Christmas.

 

     Hark the Herald Angels Sing of Joy to the World. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear above Oh Little Town of Bethlehem that Angels We Have Heard on High sang Gloria about The First Noel. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night the baby Jesus was Away in a Manger. O Holy Night when the Infant Holy, Infant Lowly was born for Love Came Down at Christmas. Come thou Long Expected Jesus sang the Angels from the Realms of Glory. Do You Hear What I Hear then Go Tell It on a Mountain about what happened that Silent Night Once in Royal David's City. What Child is This? It is none other than The Sweet Little Jesus Boy. Mary Did You Know that Gabriel's Message would bring such Glory to God? There's a Song in the Air for Mary's Boy Child has been born. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel and change our lives forever.

 

Enjoy the true meaning of Christmas as together we approach the wondrous date. www.fcccarrollton.org