Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Childlike Curiosity

A joy for me this summer was when an 80 year old volunteer at Vacation Bible School asked me, “How many brothers did Joseph have?”


I responded, “I am unsure and haven’t really thought about that question.”


The next day he informed me that there were twelve brothers. Even as a pastor I continue to learn more details. I grow in a deeper understanding of God’s people in scripture and what they reveal to us about God in our life today. Our conversations around scripture continued throughout the week. Each conversation was full of childlike curiosity and mature revelation.


These conversations brought me joy because often after a lifetime of studying scripture and hearing it week after week in worship most think we’ve heard it all. We feel there is no need to read again a story we assume we already know. Yet, as this 80 year old was reminded when he was teaching children. When we continue to read scripture there is always something more the Spirit reveals and new questions, new insights that emerge and in this our relationship with God grows.


My prayer is that we will (no matter our age), through scripture, continue to immerse ourselves in childlike curiosity and find mature revelation. As the Spirit reveals new questions and insights so we can emerge, into the world, living God’s Word in a new and vibrant way!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

possibilites

O LORD our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Adonai, Savior, Abba, Immanuel, Redeemer, Deliverer, Yahweh, God our Rock, Logos, Counselor, Comforter, Advocate, Sanctifier, Shepherd, King of Kings, Creator, Prince of Peace, Everlasting God, Healer, Bread of Life, Refuge, Holy One, Alpha and Omega, I AM!

O LORD our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8 emphasizes the power of the name of God.

We don’t have one name for God – we have many names to describe a God of awe. The different names we speak help us to describe our God – the power of our God – the love of God – the omnipotence of God.

We may not have a perfect way to describe God, but we can recognize the gifts given to us when we consider God’s heavens, the work of God’s fingers, the moon and the stars, which God has set in place. This is a God who has put everything under our feet!

God is so much more than a name! When I look at a star-filled sky or a vast body of water I feel so small. Then in the midst of that smallness there will suddenly emerge a realization of the vast number of possibilities. We are a part of something larger. We are a part of each other. We are a part of the earth. We are a part of the universe. All of these parts lead to an infinite number of possibilities.

My prayer is that God leads us and guides as us we embrace our possibilities!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Cleaning up Leaf's

Every summer since I graduated from college in 99 my college friends and I get together at my parent’s cabin in Michigan.

A few summer's ago when we got together my friend’s child, Alex was with her. He was 3 years old (and now is 7) and has been at the cabin every year since he was in the womb.

And the year he began walking and talking he enjoyed hanging out with my father. Since I haven’t provided grandchildren yet, my father was especially enjoying it. My father, Dale, was spending most of his time fixing the boat. The boat had not been used for over a year because it needed a new gas tank. It was finally fixed and needed to be cleaned. It was full of leafs and dirt. And my father decided to ask Alex to be a big helper and clean out the leaf’s.

I was standing on the sidelines and began to watch this 3 year old begin to pick up the leafs and throw them over the side of the boat into the water. Alex did not do it as I would have done it. I would have complained and then grabbed as many of them in my arms as I could and throw them into the water.

Instead, Alex would get under dash of the boat grab one leaf, climb back up on the seat and took a moment to look at the leaf because each one had a different shape and different color. He would let go of it slowly and then watch it float down to the water and stair at the ripple it would leave on the water.

He would then climb down off the seat, go under the dash, climb back on the chair, look at the leaf, let go, and watch it drop down to the water and look at the ripple it left. At first I was annoyed and wanted to jump on the boat and do the work in half the time. Jodi stopped me and said don’t you think you could use something like this in a sermon someday. So, I kept watching Alex take care with each leaf… I noticed he was smiling and joyful about the task he was asked to do. He was not complaining as I would have instead he was attentive to each leaf and paid close attention to each.

Thanks Jodi… I too needed a reminder.

The reminder of how God cares for us. God does not complain when we make mistakes or don’t take time to listen or talk with God. God cares for each one of us individually. God is watching the unique path that we take and God admires the unique ripple that we leave on the world though our love and actions!