April 28th, 2010
A denomination (not Baptist) has as their slogan: “God is still speaking.” That is certainly Biblical when you consider the many times God breaks into the scene and because of this people begin to imagine new possibilities of living and relating.
All week long I have been working on my sermon for this Sunday and I am wondering about God still speaking. Yes, I believe God speaks to me (and hopefully through me) for the sermon. But specifically I am wrestling with how God is speaking in Acts 11 where Peter is “explaining himself” to the Jerusalem Church. The problem was the Gentiles. Not all of them, just the ones who, and here I am quoting, “accepted the word of God.” (Acts 11:1) This meant that Peter and the others were rethinking what it would mean to live and relate with others, specifically the Gentile believers. Peter concludes with these powerful words: “Who was I that I could hinder God?” (Acts 11:17b)
I wonder about me; how do I attempt to hinder God and therefore stand in the way of God speaking something fresh and alive? What about you? Do you think God is still speaking?
Of course this can all get rather dangerous, right? Many times I have heard people tell me something like, “the Lord told me…” in order to defend their prejudices or personal views. Hmmm….this whole business of God speaking can be tricky. It would be easier to just believe that “God said it, I believe it, and that is that.” Yet if God is still speaking that means there is more to be said. That was certainly the pickle Peter and many of the other Jewish-Christians found themselves in when many Gentiles were starting to follow the risen Christ.
I would love to hear what you think about God still speaking and what ways others may attempt to hinder God. Who knows, it might show up this Sunday in a sermon. Better yet, it may better prepare us to listen and look for the growing movement of God.
Who knows, it might show up this Sunday in a sermon. Better yet, it may better prepare us to listen and look for the growing movement of God.
April 22nd, 2010
What is the “face” of a church? Bearded? Bespectacled? Steepled? Bricked? Anglo? African-American? Young? Old? Formal? Casual? Traditional? Modern? American? Latino? You and I know that there is no one face to the church which the Bible refers to as the body of Christ. There are many faces.
This past Sunday the congregation of First Baptist Church welcomed 29 new faces to our church family who joined our membership. It was a great response for a single Sunday. What a gift we have been given with these who have come to call First Baptist church their home. They were of differnet ages, gender and ethnicity. No one face is “the” face of FBC but all of the faces help paint a more complete picture.
Your face is part of the larger family too, wherever you worship. First Baptist has adopted the stewardship theme: “I am First Baptist Church” and throughout 2010 and 2011 we will celebrate the many images and faces that make up FBC. Of course our church’s theme could be any church’s theme. What do you picture or imagine when you here the words, “I am the church”?
To the ancient but cosmopolitan city of Corinth, Paul the Apostle wrote to the church: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body– Jews or Greeks, slaves or free– and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many… 20 As it is, there are many members, yet one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 20)
It is a beautiful thought isn’t it? God’s wonderful, diverse family united by a common devotion to follow Jesus. “I am the Church,” and I am honored to be pictured with my good folks in Augusta as the face of our church.
Peace be with you,
April 13th, 2010
Second to The Masters tournament itself, Tiger Woods has been the center of attention this past week. It should be stated from the outset that many, many are pleased in Phil Mickelson’s win. He seems to be a fine man, devoted to his wife, and humble in character. Somewhere in the shadow of Mickelson’s victory, however, is Tiger Woods.
When Tiger won his first Masters he was 21 scoring 12 under par (I am not sure what that means) which at the time set a record for the course and he was the first African-American to win a major golf event. That was in 1997. Since that time Tiger Woods has dominated attention both on the golf course and off. There is no need to repeat the last four months of sad news related to Tiger Woods. Needless to say, his return to the golf course has been met by cheers, jeers, planes, and pundits
Many people love him; many people revile him; and many people just ignore him. I have wondered what it must be like to live as Tiger Woods: every expression analyzed; every action judged; and every decision questioned. Now he is back and although he did not win The Masters he is still indisputably a great golfer. I sat there amazed that he could even focus long enough to finish a round of golf with all the world watching.
What can we learn about ourselves through Tiger Woods? He who is without sin cast the first golf ball? Issues of choices, sin, passing judgment and consequences come to mind. So do redemption, restoration and hope. Tiger Woods is just a human being, like you and me, in need of the same salvation that cannot be earned, merited or entitled.
Tiger Woods is teaching me what it means to be humble with God’s abundant grace in my own life. I am not implying Tiger is himself humble or not – there is no way I can pass that kind of judgment. I only know that all of my mistakes, poor decisions, and profane thoughts are not shared before the world. Each day I am allowed to breathe into the fresh grace of God.
It can be hard to love people in spite of what they do and say. Yet we love anyway knowing that we are loved too in spite of what we do and say. I would like to tell Tiger Woods that, but perhaps more importantly I should tell those that I see every day that they are loved. God loves each of us too much for any of us to live in the mistakes and sins of our past. To love is to believe in the future.