"He heals the broken hearted,
He binds their wounds
He is love
He finds those forgotten,
Those who have been abused
He is love
He knows your name
A father to the fatherless
A healer to the brokenness
You make beauty from the ashes
A helper to the helpless
A fighter to the hopeless
You love those who are alone
He comforts the lonely,
He hears their cry
He is love
He holds the children,
Throughout the night
He is love
A father to the fatherless
A healer to the brokenness
You make beauty from the ashes
A helper to the helpless
A fighter to the hopeless
You love those who are alone
Give us your heart Lord
Help us love the unseen
Give us your eyes Lord
Help us love those in need"
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Convicted
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels,
but have not love,
I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers,
and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains,
but have not love,
I AM NOTHING.
If I give away all I have,
and if I deliver up my body to be burned,
but have not love,
I GAIN NOTHING."
- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
I've been to this temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand. It is called Wat Rong Khun and the most elaborate temple in all of Thailand. This is a picture of hell and the Thai people must pay to pass through the bridge (the hands are all around the outside to represent that the spiritually pure may enter the Buddhist temple.
but have not love,
I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers,
and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains,
but have not love,
I AM NOTHING.
If I give away all I have,
and if I deliver up my body to be burned,
but have not love,
I GAIN NOTHING."
- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
What truth to be hit over the head with. Yesterday morning I went to Buns by the Lake, a local sort of "mom and pop" bakery. I was just setting up my computer to begin my long day of work since I had procrastinated long enough that I had the majority of my charts to do for the book of Matthew. I was the only other customer in the store since it was still fairly early in the morning when a man (possibly in his late 30's or early 40's) came in and ordered. He looked at me with an interesting glance as he walked in, but considering I was looking at him as well, I didn't think much of it. He came over and asked if it was my Colorado license out there to which I responded 'Yes.'
This got us to talking about many different things, among which was his second question of how I ended up in Somers, MT. I told him I was attending Bible college in Lakeside just down the road. A smile crept up on his face and this started my hour long conversation with this man. I was very concerned about my time, but God has been speaking to me a lot about getting out into the community and I believe that this includes the remainder of my time here in Montana. This man was very interesting to talk to since many of his thoughts had to do with quantum physics - something I know next to nothing about! However, he did believe in God - though he himself is not a church-goer. Through the course of our discussion I came to realize that he must have been deeply wounded by the church since even at my mention of Jesus commanding us to love one another he cringed. He didn't like the idea of God "commanding" us to do anything, he simply thought it was a "suggestion." He and I continued our conversation for awhile and then we parted ways.
This morning I was reading and, though I was not looking for this specific passage, I came to 1 Corinthians 13. I was convicted within the first three verses of the chapter in relation to my conversation I had with the man yesterday. I never caught his name, but I prayed for him after our discussion. Yet, one of his biggest arguments against the word "command" was that he thought it painted a picture of condemnation by God. What have we done as a church to give the lost this impression of the commandments of God? Do we look at his commandments as a chore, or as a joy? God's heart for us is that we love one another because HE FIRST LOVED US! I was convicted in the little things like laughing at some of the things he was saying - not to say they weren't funny, but am I really loving that person if I'm not loving them through my words both in front of him and behind his back? I guess this commandment is not always something we take seriously as Christians. This is the greatest commandment of all - to love both God and people. It has been a long time since I thought about how I love those who seem unloveable. Jesus is the one who touched the lepers when no one else would and he did it without laughing about their situation later. We, as the body of Christ, are called to live as he lived. Yet the impression that we give people of the love of God is wrong. We have made it seem "too hard" or like a joke and I believe it breaks the heart of God. I want to learn how to love people as he did - I want to be the one to touch the lepers when no one else will. I want to be the one who, rather than laughing at something as silly as a man trying to explain that everything (inlcuding inanimate objects) goes to heaven, I pray for his salvation and total truth to be revealed to him. I pray that as the body of Christ we would really do that by doing what he did through loving the unloveable. They are desperate for his love!
This got us to talking about many different things, among which was his second question of how I ended up in Somers, MT. I told him I was attending Bible college in Lakeside just down the road. A smile crept up on his face and this started my hour long conversation with this man. I was very concerned about my time, but God has been speaking to me a lot about getting out into the community and I believe that this includes the remainder of my time here in Montana. This man was very interesting to talk to since many of his thoughts had to do with quantum physics - something I know next to nothing about! However, he did believe in God - though he himself is not a church-goer. Through the course of our discussion I came to realize that he must have been deeply wounded by the church since even at my mention of Jesus commanding us to love one another he cringed. He didn't like the idea of God "commanding" us to do anything, he simply thought it was a "suggestion." He and I continued our conversation for awhile and then we parted ways.
This morning I was reading and, though I was not looking for this specific passage, I came to 1 Corinthians 13. I was convicted within the first three verses of the chapter in relation to my conversation I had with the man yesterday. I never caught his name, but I prayed for him after our discussion. Yet, one of his biggest arguments against the word "command" was that he thought it painted a picture of condemnation by God. What have we done as a church to give the lost this impression of the commandments of God? Do we look at his commandments as a chore, or as a joy? God's heart for us is that we love one another because HE FIRST LOVED US! I was convicted in the little things like laughing at some of the things he was saying - not to say they weren't funny, but am I really loving that person if I'm not loving them through my words both in front of him and behind his back? I guess this commandment is not always something we take seriously as Christians. This is the greatest commandment of all - to love both God and people. It has been a long time since I thought about how I love those who seem unloveable. Jesus is the one who touched the lepers when no one else would and he did it without laughing about their situation later. We, as the body of Christ, are called to live as he lived. Yet the impression that we give people of the love of God is wrong. We have made it seem "too hard" or like a joke and I believe it breaks the heart of God. I want to learn how to love people as he did - I want to be the one to touch the lepers when no one else will. I want to be the one who, rather than laughing at something as silly as a man trying to explain that everything (inlcuding inanimate objects) goes to heaven, I pray for his salvation and total truth to be revealed to him. I pray that as the body of Christ we would really do that by doing what he did through loving the unloveable. They are desperate for his love!
I've been to this temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand. It is called Wat Rong Khun and the most elaborate temple in all of Thailand. This is a picture of hell and the Thai people must pay to pass through the bridge (the hands are all around the outside to represent that the spiritually pure may enter the Buddhist temple.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Christ With Me
"Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye of everyone who sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me."
- St. Patrick
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye of everyone who sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me."
- St. Patrick
God, this is my prayer! I want everyone I come into contact with and everyone who hears of my testimony to see your fingerprints all over me. I don't want them to think I have done anything on my own but let them know the extent of your grace in my life. Let everything I say and think always reflect you and your love for humanity. Would you be my everything, O God?
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Bittersweet Endings
I don't honestly know where to start with what I'm thinking and feeling right now. I'm just looking at the calendar counting down the days until my SBS experience will be over. Bittersweet is such a fitting word because it encompasses so many feelings all in one - you're sa
d, you're excited, you're afraid, you're confident, you're confused, you have a head full of knowledge...and the list continues.
This week I have felt as if I have so much time on my hands that I don't know what to do with. It's like the end of a race when you are still pushing hard,
but you begin to slow your pace down. Going along with this analogy, my feet are tired from the long trek through SBS, yet looking around at those running with me I can see that the end is coming upon us all too soon. I will never be with these people all at once again and, though it is a harsh reality, I will likely never speak with many of them again. Some I will keep in contact with, but trying to stay in touch with 41 people - not including staff, is a tough job. I cannot express the growth I have experienced this year with these people - the good times and the hard times. It has been so amazing. I am surrounded by awesome people who are completely in love with Jesus and passionate! I hate to think about going home and realizing that not everyone is in love with Jesus, and many lose their passion.
On top of all of this, I am excited to come home and experience the continuation of this gr
owth. I am excited to meet new people and move into different areas of ministry. It will be the turning the page of one chapter and beginning to write another. But the exciting part is that I am not the author - God is! He is so faithful. I'm laughing at myself because just 9 short months ago I was dreading the idea of SBS, and now everytime I see these people and look around at the beautiful lake surrounded by beautiful mountains, and when I hear the sound of the babbling brook, I can't help but think that I don't want to leave this place. It will be so good to be home. I keep getting confirming words that even when I don't know what I'll be doing for certain - whether that be school this fall, SBS staff in Australia, or even little things like where I will work - God has me right where he wants me. HE is the one who directs my steps. HE makes my paths straight. God, may I be faithful to the calling you have placed on my life for this season. I love you so much and am excited for the new adventures you have for me.
SBS - It's been my joy and privilege doing this school with you. I hope our paths cross again. You all are amazing people who love the Lord with all your hearts.
d, you're excited, you're afraid, you're confident, you're confused, you have a head full of knowledge...and the list continues.This week I have felt as if I have so much time on my hands that I don't know what to do with. It's like the end of a race when you are still pushing hard,
but you begin to slow your pace down. Going along with this analogy, my feet are tired from the long trek through SBS, yet looking around at those running with me I can see that the end is coming upon us all too soon. I will never be with these people all at once again and, though it is a harsh reality, I will likely never speak with many of them again. Some I will keep in contact with, but trying to stay in touch with 41 people - not including staff, is a tough job. I cannot express the growth I have experienced this year with these people - the good times and the hard times. It has been so amazing. I am surrounded by awesome people who are completely in love with Jesus and passionate! I hate to think about going home and realizing that not everyone is in love with Jesus, and many lose their passion.On top of all of this, I am excited to come home and experience the continuation of this gr
owth. I am excited to meet new people and move into different areas of ministry. It will be the turning the page of one chapter and beginning to write another. But the exciting part is that I am not the author - God is! He is so faithful. I'm laughing at myself because just 9 short months ago I was dreading the idea of SBS, and now everytime I see these people and look around at the beautiful lake surrounded by beautiful mountains, and when I hear the sound of the babbling brook, I can't help but think that I don't want to leave this place. It will be so good to be home. I keep getting confirming words that even when I don't know what I'll be doing for certain - whether that be school this fall, SBS staff in Australia, or even little things like where I will work - God has me right where he wants me. HE is the one who directs my steps. HE makes my paths straight. God, may I be faithful to the calling you have placed on my life for this season. I love you so much and am excited for the new adventures you have for me.SBS - It's been my joy and privilege doing this school with you. I hope our paths cross again. You all are amazing people who love the Lord with all your hearts.
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