"The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and wait there... Then Moses went up on the mountain... The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud." - Exodus 24: 12, 15-16
Our worldly nature has caused us to grow accustomed to receiving things right away. Technology has advanced so much that instead of creating new things, we just continue to find ways to make pre-existing things faster. Society has given up on being pure and chaste for a lifestyle of instant sexual gratification. Children miss out on great childhood experiences because they're in such a hurry to grow up. Psychics, fortune tellers and astrologers continue to thrive because everyone wants to know about the new job, the new boyfriend or other new big life change right now.
Sadly, we've allowed this mindset to affect how we interact with God. We send up our prayers to God and expect to find the answer right in front of us when we open our eyes after the amen. Somehow patience no longer applies once we've made our requests known. Yet God never promised an answer right away. And even when we have an answer, there is no guarantee of an immediate delivery. God called Moses to come to Him, yet it wasn't until the seventh day that Moses was allowed to come to the presence of God. I imagine Moses didn't have much else to do during the first six days, other than sit around and wait. Sure, he had Joshua to keep him company. But his entire purpose for being where he was was to wait for God to call, and so that is what he did. The Bible doesn't tell us what went through his mind at that time or how he spent those days. Did he spend them in prayer? Did he go over the laws with Joshua? Or did he groan and grumble and wish he was back off the mountain and with everyone else? Maybe he sat longing for his wife. Maybe he sat worrying about the safety of the people, and if Aaron and the others would take care of them. Or maybe he just sat humbly, because He knew God was coming.
Do I have the patience to wait for things promised me? Do I doubt God will use me in some way and think "well, if it hasn't happened yet...?" There are many opportunities I've missed because I did not have the patience to see them to fruition. Yet God is faithful. And one day I will hopefully learn to wait on the mountain until the time He deems it fitting to call me to Him and show me what I am to do.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
I am a farmer
"A farmer went out to sow his seed..." - Luke 8:5
The focus of this parable is usually placed on the seed. Yet, as I worked in my garden yesterday, my mind was drawn to the farmer. With this being the first time I've attempted to grow produce using seeds, I carefully read the package and tried to plan out how to follow the instructions with the limited tools I had. But when I thought of the farmer, I realized he wasn't concerned with keeping the seed 6" apart with 1/4" of soil covering it. When he planted, he took all the seeds he had and covered as much ground as possible, whether it was fertile, rocky, thorny, or didn't even make it to soil. Many people today would say that he was being wasteful, since only a quarter of his seeds landed anywhere that could be useful. But when I finished sowing my seed (and, admittedly, I just kind of dug a trench and scattered the seeds in it), I realized I had barely used any of the seeds in my packet in my small garden. Are my unused potential plants any better off than the farmer's seeds who did not reach their potential?
When remembering that the seed in the parable represents the Word of God, the contrast is even greater. The farmer in the parable took what he had and shared it with every place he could find, regardless of the likelihood it would grow into something fruitful. How often do we instead carefully plan who we're going to share the Word with and how? We claim we want to concentrate our efforts in places where we will be most effective but often we're idly waiting for the next great opportunity to come along. And what if our carefully planned efforts fail? In my garden, once I realize my seeds aren't producing plants, it may be too late to sow another round and try again. Are we letting chances pass us by because we don't recognize the potential? We never know who will be receptive to the gospel. The only way to ensure we reach everyone we should is by sharing the gospel with everyone we meet.
The focus of this parable is usually placed on the seed. Yet, as I worked in my garden yesterday, my mind was drawn to the farmer. With this being the first time I've attempted to grow produce using seeds, I carefully read the package and tried to plan out how to follow the instructions with the limited tools I had. But when I thought of the farmer, I realized he wasn't concerned with keeping the seed 6" apart with 1/4" of soil covering it. When he planted, he took all the seeds he had and covered as much ground as possible, whether it was fertile, rocky, thorny, or didn't even make it to soil. Many people today would say that he was being wasteful, since only a quarter of his seeds landed anywhere that could be useful. But when I finished sowing my seed (and, admittedly, I just kind of dug a trench and scattered the seeds in it), I realized I had barely used any of the seeds in my packet in my small garden. Are my unused potential plants any better off than the farmer's seeds who did not reach their potential?
When remembering that the seed in the parable represents the Word of God, the contrast is even greater. The farmer in the parable took what he had and shared it with every place he could find, regardless of the likelihood it would grow into something fruitful. How often do we instead carefully plan who we're going to share the Word with and how? We claim we want to concentrate our efforts in places where we will be most effective but often we're idly waiting for the next great opportunity to come along. And what if our carefully planned efforts fail? In my garden, once I realize my seeds aren't producing plants, it may be too late to sow another round and try again. Are we letting chances pass us by because we don't recognize the potential? We never know who will be receptive to the gospel. The only way to ensure we reach everyone we should is by sharing the gospel with everyone we meet.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Haiti wrap up
I've been trying to find the words to say to describe my experience in Haiti, but I have been a person of few words lately. So instead, I will copy and paste what I wrote in my wrap up to our team.
I think I am still in the process of processing. Before we left, I had been reading Ecclesiastes. For some reason, I started reading something else while in Haiti, but while we were on the plane I went back to Ecclesiastes. I started at chapter 5 (which is one of my favorite Bible passages) and read the rest of the book. It was beautiful how relevant it all was to what we’d just experienced, both regarding those who live in Haiti and those of us who want to help them.
Like Gretchen, I am being very careful not to get caught up in a mountaintop experience. It’s so easy to feel motivated after having a spiritual experience. Retreats and Creation are great examples. I’m always so excited when I get home, and ready to make big changes. The hard part is keeping that motivation after I get home. Often it fades after a few months, weeks, or even days. Like everyone else, I’m eager to return to Haiti. I’m eager to continue the good work that’s being done there. I want to be like Paul and be able to say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7). But Ecclesiastes 5:5 warns us that is better to not make promises to God than to make a promise and not keep it. So I have decided to use the next month as a time of prayer and reflection, to process everything we’ve experienced and not make emotional decisions.
As for my experience with the world since returning home, other than an incident in the airport, on Sunday I felt pretty ok. Even driving in NYC didn’t bother me, and the few hours I spent awake were spent talking to friends. Monday morning I had mixed emotions. I woke up in a panic because I thought I had a parking ticket, then moved my car and took a lukewarm shower (the hot water only worked for about 2 minutes, so it was pretty similar to a Haitian shower). After my shower I started working, and I think that’s when everything hit me. Before I’d left, I’d been frustrated with my job and the users I supported. That frustration came back pretty much right away, but it was a little different. I just had a hard time dealing with people panicking over relatively small things, when there were so many big issues to be taken care of elsewhere. Even my excitement to spend the day in NYC was gone (although that was partly due to the weather) and I left the city without doing anything other than eat breakfast at a Dominican restaurant. My drive still took 15 hours, though, since I was very unmotivated to return home. Coming in to work on Tuesday, I was excited to share my experience with my friends, but found myself very unwilling to talk to the average person who stopped by to ask me about it, since I knew they wouldn’t get it. Focusing is very difficult, although I’m glad that my mom’s birthday and our young adult retreat is happening in the next few days, since it gives me something productive to focus my energy on, instead of being completely restless.
I don’t really know what all this means, since, like I said, I’m still processing. I do know that one of the lessons I was supposed to learn through this experience is that God can use us no matter where we are. A couple times while we were in Haiti, people joked about sending Haitian missionaries to the States. And while the majority of us aren’t lacking in physical needs, there is definitely a spiritual deficit in our country. Instead of seeing the hideousness in what we do, I am working on seeing the beauty in our country, and ways I can increase that beauty in places that are less desirable. God wants us to make the most of the little we have, and if I can prove myself with what He’s given me here, maybe He will be pleased enough to send me back to Haiti to do His work there, for whatever amount of time He deems appropriate.
I think I am still in the process of processing. Before we left, I had been reading Ecclesiastes. For some reason, I started reading something else while in Haiti, but while we were on the plane I went back to Ecclesiastes. I started at chapter 5 (which is one of my favorite Bible passages) and read the rest of the book. It was beautiful how relevant it all was to what we’d just experienced, both regarding those who live in Haiti and those of us who want to help them.
Like Gretchen, I am being very careful not to get caught up in a mountaintop experience. It’s so easy to feel motivated after having a spiritual experience. Retreats and Creation are great examples. I’m always so excited when I get home, and ready to make big changes. The hard part is keeping that motivation after I get home. Often it fades after a few months, weeks, or even days. Like everyone else, I’m eager to return to Haiti. I’m eager to continue the good work that’s being done there. I want to be like Paul and be able to say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7). But Ecclesiastes 5:5 warns us that is better to not make promises to God than to make a promise and not keep it. So I have decided to use the next month as a time of prayer and reflection, to process everything we’ve experienced and not make emotional decisions.
As for my experience with the world since returning home, other than an incident in the airport, on Sunday I felt pretty ok. Even driving in NYC didn’t bother me, and the few hours I spent awake were spent talking to friends. Monday morning I had mixed emotions. I woke up in a panic because I thought I had a parking ticket, then moved my car and took a lukewarm shower (the hot water only worked for about 2 minutes, so it was pretty similar to a Haitian shower). After my shower I started working, and I think that’s when everything hit me. Before I’d left, I’d been frustrated with my job and the users I supported. That frustration came back pretty much right away, but it was a little different. I just had a hard time dealing with people panicking over relatively small things, when there were so many big issues to be taken care of elsewhere. Even my excitement to spend the day in NYC was gone (although that was partly due to the weather) and I left the city without doing anything other than eat breakfast at a Dominican restaurant. My drive still took 15 hours, though, since I was very unmotivated to return home. Coming in to work on Tuesday, I was excited to share my experience with my friends, but found myself very unwilling to talk to the average person who stopped by to ask me about it, since I knew they wouldn’t get it. Focusing is very difficult, although I’m glad that my mom’s birthday and our young adult retreat is happening in the next few days, since it gives me something productive to focus my energy on, instead of being completely restless.
I don’t really know what all this means, since, like I said, I’m still processing. I do know that one of the lessons I was supposed to learn through this experience is that God can use us no matter where we are. A couple times while we were in Haiti, people joked about sending Haitian missionaries to the States. And while the majority of us aren’t lacking in physical needs, there is definitely a spiritual deficit in our country. Instead of seeing the hideousness in what we do, I am working on seeing the beauty in our country, and ways I can increase that beauty in places that are less desirable. God wants us to make the most of the little we have, and if I can prove myself with what He’s given me here, maybe He will be pleased enough to send me back to Haiti to do His work there, for whatever amount of time He deems appropriate.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Based on Steve's sermon
The people in the New Testament who loved Jesus were often sinners. Today, those are the ones who reject Him. Jesus surrounded Himself with unholy people. His disciples today try to turn the unrighteous away. The Jesus the world sees is not the Jesus who truly is.
Jesus used parables to get the audience to agree and become likeminded (Luke 15:1-10). He understood His audience and spoke to them in ways they understood, not over their heads.
Jesus used parables to get the audience to agree and become likeminded (Luke 15:1-10). He understood His audience and spoke to them in ways they understood, not over their heads.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
It's always been easy to recognize the significance of the cup that represents Jesus' blood. The Bible is clear that through the shedding of Jesus' blood we have forgiveness. But I did not understand the importance of the body. Yet, now I do not think we are called to remember His physical body, but the body that is the church. When I eat of the bread I acknowledge my part in the body of Christ and my place in the kingdom of God, just as in taking the cup I acknowledge that Christ has forgiven my sins.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Was Paul able to preach so well in so many various circumstances because of a miraculous power of God or because his faith prepared him for every situation? In some cases, he may have prepared what he was going to say along the way. But in others, such as with the jailer, the words he spoke were not prepared, yet he still spoke the word of the Lord and all were saved.
1 Peter 3:15 says that we should all be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks us to give an account for the hope in us. This means that in any situation we should be prepared to speak on the topic of Christ. The example of worship in 1 Corinthians 14 shows that it was not about having prepared sermons but about speaking as God inspired them. I think often times we are so concerned that we say the right thing that we rely too much on our own ability and not enough on Him.
1 Peter 3:15 says that we should all be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks us to give an account for the hope in us. This means that in any situation we should be prepared to speak on the topic of Christ. The example of worship in 1 Corinthians 14 shows that it was not about having prepared sermons but about speaking as God inspired them. I think often times we are so concerned that we say the right thing that we rely too much on our own ability and not enough on Him.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Last night I dreamed that there was a buffet banquet. I'm guessing at Creation, since Denise, Jenny and Gretchen were there. The cost was $8, and I at first did not want to pay, since there was not much for me to eat. But then they brought out several huge lobsters, so I decided it would be worth it to get that, plus the few other sides I could have. So I went and paid and got a plate. But by the time I did that and put one or two sides on, I discovered all of the lobster was gone. I was disappointed, but I had already started filling my plate so I couldn't change my mind, and had to settle for only the quarter of a plate worth of food.
My interpretation of what I should get out of the dream is that the way others worship may seem enticing, but it is not enough to fill me up. It may look good from afar, but in the end it is incomplete and leaves me still hungering.
My afterthought to this revelation is that anything man presents is incomplete. I can not count on any church organization to have all the answers. This is why we need each other. To show the areas where we're lacking and to help them make those parts of their life full. The food I saw was not fake. It was the real thing, there just wasn't enough. Instead of criticizing those who do not have absolute truth, we should help them gain more truth. True, many may become insulted and turn you away. But as long as what we bring is not junk, then we've done all we can. And by sharing, we may learn something from them as well.
My interpretation of what I should get out of the dream is that the way others worship may seem enticing, but it is not enough to fill me up. It may look good from afar, but in the end it is incomplete and leaves me still hungering.
My afterthought to this revelation is that anything man presents is incomplete. I can not count on any church organization to have all the answers. This is why we need each other. To show the areas where we're lacking and to help them make those parts of their life full. The food I saw was not fake. It was the real thing, there just wasn't enough. Instead of criticizing those who do not have absolute truth, we should help them gain more truth. True, many may become insulted and turn you away. But as long as what we bring is not junk, then we've done all we can. And by sharing, we may learn something from them as well.
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