Archive for March, 2010
OK, so I honestly shy away from talking too much about Scripture on my blog because I’m afraid it will become too preachy. However, I am a preacher, right? And this is Holy Week. So, here you go:
I get really inspired, moved, excited, awed, and amazed every year around Easter. For much of my faith on a daily basis, I focus on the Resurrection. I believe that Christianity should be about the victory of Jesus, the life He gives, and the salvation He brings. However, there really is a time to meditate on His “passion”—the time of his suffering and death.
For some reason, Good Friday really gets to me. There is something so sacred and deep and holy about it. There is something so overwhelming about the sacrifice that He gave because of His love for us. He believed in us so much, believed in our potential, saw in us what we struggle to see ourselves—that he paid the ultimate price to secure our future.
And, as I meditate on all this, I begin to realize that I simply can not wrap my mind around what He has actually done. What he actually gave up. So tonight we read this passage at our small group, and it’s a passage I meditate on often:
Philippians 2:5-11
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name…
What amazes me about this passage is the beautiful portrayal of the humiliation of Christ. God becomes a servant; the All Powerful is humble; the Creator becomes His creation; the Eternal submits to death. It’s unfathomable. It’s indescribable.
What amazes me is the descending steps of his humiliation. As one author put it, the cross is “The bottom rung in the ladder from the Throne of God. Jesus came all the way down to the most despised death of all, a condemned criminal on the accursed cross.” (ref) Not only does God come to serve, but he becomes man. Not only does he become man, but he allows himself to die. And not only does he allow himself to die, but he allows himself to be crucified—the most ignominious way to die!
It’s kind of like Him saying, “There is literally nothing else I can do to show you my love. There is no possible way for me to lower myself any further.”
I just think it’s amazing. Words escape me. I just want to honor and stand in awe of the true sacrifice that was paid on our behalf. I think that meditating on the suffering and understanding the price that was paid, makes Resurrection Day all that more powerful!
Ok, here’s a list of prayers I pray in desperation, that I’m not sure God answers :)
1) Please make these four hours of sleep feel like eight!
2) Please don’t let these calories count!
3) Please help me to make a teaching really fast tonight!
4) Even though I haven’t run consistently for 10 years, please help me to play soccer tonight like I did when I was 18!
5) Even though I’m not finished with my notes yet, and still have a power point to make, and its 12:30am, please let me be in bed by 1!
6) Please don’t let me owe that much for taxes!
7) Please don’t let me be so scared by this horror movie that I can’t sleep tonight!
8) Please help me not to get a ticket while I park here! (Jason’s personal favorite of mine!)
9) Even though I’m still not finished with my notes yet, and still have a power point to make, and its now 1:20am, please let me be in bed by 2!
10) Please help me to think of something really creative to post tonight on my blog!
Also, BTW – this is my 101st post! Quite an accomplishment!
You got any prayers that you pray like these?
I really enjoy tackling new projects. Especially ones that require a lot of figuring out of new things. That really excites me. And that is why, every year around this time for the past four years, I have gotten really excited . . . to do my taxes!
I know, weird.
You see, I paid someone to do my taxes my entire life. That is, until four years ago when, because of an accumulation of special situations (partially owned rentals, bunches of small self-employed jobs, being a pastor, etc), I had to pay $900 to HR Block to do them! What??!?! I remember when the lady put the sheet in front of me, I couldn’t believe it.
So, the next year, I determined to figure it out myself. I bought some software for $50 (much cheaper than $900) and set out. It took me many hours and lots of frustration—but I got it! And I’ve never looked back.
And the strange this is, I really really enjoy it. I look forward to it. In fact, I kind of think I’d enjoy doing other people’s taxes too. There is something soothing about doing methodical math work. Strange.
Anyway, tonight I printed everything out and I’m ready to file. What a sense of accomplishment! YES!
It’s similar to when I finished my undergrad thesis. I remember watching all 100 pages print out and thinking, I can’t believe I did this! So cool.
And maybe the best part is, for the first time that I can remember, I am getting money back! Whoa. What a concept.
So yeah – it’s a good night!
OK, so this picture has nothing really to do with my post, but I just really love it and yeah . . . it inspires me :)
But what I really want to talk about is the fact that I’ve taught 4 of the last 5 Sundays, and I have the next two as well. This is the most I’ve ever taught consecutively on Sunday morning in my life. I was excited for this challenge, and knew that I’d learn a lot about myself during the process.
One thing I’ve noticed is that I’m starting to fall into a groove (just noticed that when I spell that with one “o” like I did the first time, that it spells GROVE – wouldn’t that be nice to ‘fall into’?). I have kind of a series of things I do, almost like a ritual, to get inspired for a new teaching.
First, early in the week, I like to spend anywhere between 1-3 hours praying in the main room at the church. Something about being in the room that I will preach in inspires me. And praying, before thinking about what I want to say, or studying and researching, is a really good foundation for me. I like to just pray. And then listen. And then write.
Usually the first thing I’m going for is the “main idea.” Often I have a pre-assigned topic, so what I’m praying about is what God wants me to say about that topic. Then, (hopefully as fast as possible) I am passionately pursuing the coveted three points. I am addicted to those three points. I lust after them. I need them. If it starts to get close to Sunday, and I don’t have the three headings for those points, I start to panic. What if I can’t find three points???
So yeah, I’m a little obsessed with the three points. But it’s for a good reason. They are the main building blocks to support and communicate the main message. I need them (did I mention that yet?!).
Then I like to spend some time studying. I’ll do this by listening to a couple teachings throughout the week that are of similar themes and taking notes on them. I carry these notes in the car, around in my pocket, wherever I need them.
I also will do some study online. Usually two nights before I’ll spend some considerable time reading related verses, and especially commentaries.
Then, either two nights before, or the night before, I take a shower. Yup. A shower. I have no idea why, but it really seems to work for me. In the shower I pretty much start to preach in my head and try different approaches over and over again until it “works.”
Eventually I get tired of the shower, so I have to get out. So then I spend another long period of time walking around the house (not naked!!) praying and writing things down, and reciting the teaching in my head.
Once I feel really good about flow, about stories, about verses, about themes, about the three points, and about illustrations…then I will let myself go write. Usually this isn’t until 11pm the night before.
Crazy huh?
So, what inspires you?
I’m tired, and I’ve gotten sucked into another late night, not-so-good movie. So this is going to be short. :)
Today was a good day. And its on days like this where I realize how thankful I am for my job. This morning I got to worship with and be around some great people. I genuinely enjoy the people in our church. I feel like we have a lot of very sincere and real people in our church. It’s refreshing.
Tonight I got to spend time hanging out with my youth group. It’s funny. Today a lady at church was telling me that I should get a “younger speaker to come speak to youth group, because young people respond well to younger people.”
What??
That’s my line!
That’s what I’ve been saying for 16 years! And now, guess what? I’m too old?
Crazy.
So anyway, that was a bit of tangent. I love being around my youth group. They are amazing. They are such an inspiration. To be around young people as they find their path to God; to answer their questions while they still care what the answer is; to be part of the foundation upon which…hopefully…a life will remain to stand upon for years to come—all of this is so much fun for me.
And to add to that we welcomed some friends of mine from New York to lead tonight, and then got to eat out late with good friends from there, and good friends from here.There’s nothing quite like hanging out late at a diner, eating, laughing, and enjoying life. Yep – that’s all part of my job too. Really! Isn’t that crazy?
To top it off, I got to come home and sit with Mandy as she fell asleep on me as I rubbed her hair (no, that’s not part of my job – but it was still awesome).
Yep it was a good day. And I really do have a good job. And now that the stupid movie is finally over . . . I’m going to bed.
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