Top 10 Reasons our Kids Leave Church.
Merry Christmas
As we have arrived near the peak of the holiday season at Christmas, packages that have been prepared and wrapped carefully are about to be torn apart to reveal the prizes that await their benefactors. I know I am excited to watch my kids check out all of the toys, games, and goodies that my wife and I have prepared and carefully placed under the tree. As much as we try and avoid the commercial aspects of Christmas, somehow it always sucks us in, and we look forward to the stuff waiting under the tree.
However, the “New” Hope that we don’t have to wait to open is the love of God that readily awaits us to accept and then pass along to all those with whom we come in contact. God has given this love to us fully. We don’t deserve this gift, our lives would probably place us on the “Naughty List”, but God sent Christ as an infant, taught us, and sent us a huge gift by dying on the cross for our transgressions. Through the life and death of Christ, we have hope, peace is upon us, joy is available, and by all of these God wraps us up in love.
On this Christmas, I wish you all hope and peace, joy and God’s love abounding in all of your lives.
Self Reflection
Holidays are often a time when I do some self reflection, however the season, and the emotions around the season often distort my perspective, and thus don’t provide me with the clearest picture of myself. This year, as I reflect on the blessings that have come, as well as the challenges, I must reflect on the man that I am, as well as ponder the man into which I want to grow.
“Lord, I ask your blessings in my reflection, help me grow into being a better husband, a better father, a better friend, and through the power of your Spirit may I be a better follower of you.” Amen
Stuck
This week I returned from a long break, and I have spent the last two days playing catch up. Yesterday, I beat down a pile of paperwork that had been accumulating, and today was spent dealing with my computer that had to be “refreshed”. Ironically, this is what a vacation is supposed to do for us, but my computer had to wait for me to get back for the same refreshment. All that being said, I still find myself in the same predicament that I was in when I walked through the door this morning, a lot of catching up to do, because today I was stuck giving the device that is supposed to boost my productivity its much needed “refresh”. I felt like I was stuck, like the people in the ride shown in the picture above. This is what the endless cycle of technology does to us sometimes, it makes us dependent upon it and then makes us work twice as hard trying to fix the problems it causes.
Funny thing that happened though in the midst of the maddening frustration with my computer was that I actually was allowed to move away from the screen, and I was able to put pen to paper and work on solving problems with all that education with which I have been blessed. Computers can be amazing, and I am thankful when they save me and abundant amount of time, but sometimes I need to remember that I should not rely upon them as much as I do. That is what made me feel as if I was stuck. Whether or not our computers, or iPads, or smart phones are working, things still need to get done. I am thankful for the perspective that today has given me regarding my technology reliance.
I am also reminded that I should rely upon God more. God did create the people that designed and built the computers, but God cares about me more than the computer, and God has given me a mind to problem solve. Today, I am loved by God, and with God I am not STUCK. Don’t get stuck in front of your screen, look up and notice that God has created a beautiful world around you, and that the Almighty would have still created it even if it was only you to enjoy it all.
Old Familiar Friends and Places
Today and tomorrow are going to be filled with reunions and gatherings throughout the US as the Thanksgiving holiday is upon us. For many of us it is a chance to connect with family and friends, and connect back to old places where we have memories both good and bad. Holidays themselves all a call to remember what has happened and to commemorate and/or celebrate something, some one, or some event. For this reason, we see people either looking forward to or dreading this time of year because we cannot escape the signs of the season, and they seem to begin their invasion of our offices, cafes, stores, and neighborhoods earlier each year.
This is also a time of year that we are confronted by the fact that our lives are not static as people are continuously coming into our lives, and leaving our lives. While we may not have to deal with the ebb and flow of people on an everyday basis, it unavoidably confronts us during these gatherings. In some ways this is exciting, like if a new member of the family has been added, such as the birth of a child, (this is my sweet Sophia’s first thanksgiving) or a new marriage. However, some people dread these times, maybe there has been a death, or a divorce, but there is clearly an absence that cannot be ignored.
During this time, we need to remember that no matter the people that come into our lives or leave our lives, God is constant. Take time out of your day today or tomorrow and look at the things that surround us and allow them to be our altars where we remember that God has been with us. The picture above is of the Campanile on the UC Berkeley campus, which reminds me that God is always beside me, even when it gets very dark and I have trouble finding hope. The people of Israel, as they crossed the Jordan, grabbed stones from the dry river bed and placed them on the banks of the Jordan to remind themselves and future generations that God had been there to allow them to enter into the promised land. The history of Israel had many ups and downs, but God never left them, and no matter what, the stones were there to remind them that it was God who led them into the promised land.
I have so many friends that each time we connect I am reminded that God loves me, and that it has been by His grace and mercy that our relationships have grown and flourished even though time, distance, and life have created space between us. So for those of you who I have not seen in a while, I thank God because of you, I thank God that our lives have crossed paths, and I thank God that because of our relationship I have become better than I was before we met.
So to my old familiar friends and places, I am thankful for you!
Elpis and Shalom 