13 Feb 06 113984135327870601

We woke up Sunday morning to about 10 inches of snow.

The snow was light and fluffy - perfect for artistic expression . . .

. . . even better for an intense game of football with bone crushing tackles.

What did you guys do yesterday?

10 Feb 06 113958067498592958

These thoughts from Rob Bell are running laps in my mind today.

Why do we do the things we do? Why do we go to church or give money away? Because we’re supposed to or because we think God needs it? Do we honestly put on our best clothes for an hour once a week, stand and sit at all the right times, and sing all the appropriate songs for God’s sake, or because it’ll make us look better to the world around us? We’re tired of all the empty rituals and routines. And so is God. God hates it when we call ourselves Christians but ignore all the things he really cares about. He hates it when we go through hollow religious routines out of some feeling of duty or obligation. God doesn’t want the meaningless rituals. God wants our hearts. God hates is, he can’t stand it, when we put on a religious show and then we ignore the poor and the broken and the marginalized and the oppressed. Is church a building? Like an hour once a week? Church is people. People whose hearts are beating more and more like God’s.

09 Feb 06 113949633356489203

Is envy so bad? What harm is there in being just a little bit envious? Can I be envious of someone else and that not be a sinful attitude? What’s the harm in wanting what someone else has? I mean besides breaking into their car or house to take something that doesn’t belong to you?

Consider this ancient proverb:

Anger is cruel and destroys like a flood, but no one can put up with jealousy! (Proverbs 27:4 NCV)

Did you catch that? We can deal with anger – even though anger can be quite damaging - but no one can stem the tide of jealousy.

Think about the bible stories where envy and jealousy brought great heartache, tribulation, and destruction into the lives of those who had every reason to help and support each other. (Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, Joseph and his brothers, Miriam and Aaron against Moses, Saul and David to name a few.)

Think of how the biblical narrative would have been different, think of how our world would be a different place today had this spirit of envy and jealousy not permeated these relationships. Think of how different our own relationships would be if we stopped competing against each other and started competing for each other.

The ruin of every relationship we value can somehow be traced to envy, jealousy that leads to bitterness. Notice how Romans 13 includes jealousy in a list of what we would consider some high profile sins.

Romans 13:13 (NCV) Let us live in a right way, like people who belong to the day. We should not have wild parties or get drunk. There should be no sexual sins of any kind, no fighting or jealousy.

I’ve wrestled with the difference, if one exists, between competition that makes you better and competitiveness which makes you bitter. If I see someone who is better at something than I am that can inspire me to practice or work hard at becoming better myself. I can also see someone who is better and that can inspire me to despise them and seek for ways to tear them down so that I will appear better.

The Bible does seem to make a distinction between competition that makes you better and competitiveness that makes you bitter.

James 3:13-16 (NCV) Are there those among you who are truly wise and understanding? Then they should show it by living right and doing good things with a gentleness that comes from wisdom. But if you are selfish and have bitter jealousy in your hearts, do not brag. Your bragging is a lie that hides the truth.

That kind of “wisdom” does not come from God but from the world. It is not spiritual; it is from the devil. Where jealousy and selfishness are, there will be confusion and every kind of evil.

James makes no excuses - he does not attempt to soften the concept of selfishness or jealousy. James attributes the wisdom of bragging, thinking or acting selfishly, and hearts full of bitter jealousy as being demonic.

In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis called envy “The Great Sin.” Because of envy he wrote:

we get no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest.

Certainly confusion and every kind of evil is the product of jealousy and selfishness.

08 Feb 06 113940822368873406

In the city of angels, an animal control officer gave an Iguana mouth-to-snout resucitation after the reptile was fished from the bottom of the swimming pool. This of course is easily explained with four words . . . “Well it is LA!”

In Arkansas, a retired nurse gave a chicken mouth-to-beak after the yard bird fowled up and ended up in the family pond. This may also be explained with four words . . . “Well it is Arkansas!”

Having taught many Medic-First Aid classes, I’ve used stories like these for their illustrative and comedic value. I was wondering when the first pet CPR class would be offered so I googled the topic and lo and behold you can take a Pet First-Aid course from the Red Cross.

When we are trying to revive chickens rather than frying them have we not blurred the lines even more between pets and people?

07 Feb 06 113932407396454867

Transcript of an actual conversation that I overheard yesterday. There was no way not to overhear as the conversation was rather loud. Insert your own tone of voice where appropriate.

RECEPTIONIST - Did you fill out the patient information form?

PATIENT - I filled out five forms and faxed them just to get the appointment.

RECEPTIONIST - Yes, but did you fill out the patient information form? I don’t see it in your file.

PATIENT - I had to fill out and fax a whole bunch of forms just to make the appointment with you and have driven along way to make this appointment today.

RECEPTIONIST - I understand that but we need a completed patient information form.

PATIENT - I don’t remember what I filled out, I filled out five forms.

I sat in the waiting area, with ring side seats, watching this exchange and was made immediately aware of the reason for the conflict. The exchange of communication was escalating into conflict not because of what was actually being said – the conflict was escalating because of what was not being said.

More than that, it was the idea or perception of what one party thought the other party was saying. There is often a chasm between what is being said and what he actually hear.

In the previous incident, the reason for the anger and frustration had to do with what each person believed the other person to be saying. Here’s the same scenario only I will change the words to reflect what each person was probably hearing.

RECEPTIONIST - You won’t be seen today because a form is missing.

PATIENT - Are you kidding me? Are you aware of the hoops I had to jump through just to set up the appointment.

RECEPTIONIST - That’s really not my problem. A form is missing and you won’t be seen without it.

PATIENT - This is ridiculous. We’ve waited along time for this appointment and have driven a long way to make it to the appointment. How come now you’re just telling me about it.

RECEPTIONIST - It doesn’t change the fact that without the missing form you will not be seen today.

PATIENT - Unbelievable.

From a distance, removed from the actual conflict, I saw the solution to the problem was to ask for the required form and fill it out while waiting the 6 hours to actually see the doctor.

06 Feb 06 113923715009560053

Let’s begin the voting (if you watched) for your favorite Super Bowl commercial. I thought the game was boring and disappointing. I liked the ‚ÄúSODA‚Äù advertisement with the revolving wall / refrigerator.

I know many of you have been waiting, holding your breath, to learn of my new AIM screen name. With the help of the best Spanish professor at Pepperdine University I have chosen: “elhechicerodepez” or “El Hechicero de Pez” which means The Fish Enchanter. It was as close to The Fish Whisperer as I could get and stay within the character limit.

Here’s the 2 minute version of my 20 minute message yesterday.

The Hebrew writer tells us that at anytime of the day or night you can, with full confidence, call upon God for “help when you need it.”

Hebrews 4:16 (NCV) Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it.

From this text I want to answer two questions: “How are we to pray?” AND “What are we to expect when we pray?”

HOW ARE WE TO PRAY?

We are to pray with confidence. We can pray with confidence knowing the past experience and current activity of Jesus, (Hebrews 4:14-15). We can pray with confidence because we are approaching the throne of grace, (Hebrews 4:16a). We can pray with confidence because God invites us to speak freely those things on our heart and mind.

We are to pray with persistence. The encouragement to pray with confidence is complemented by an exhortation to pray with persistence.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE WHEN WE PRAY?

We can expect to receive mercy. To receive mercy is a reference to the goodness of God in relation to our individual, specific needs. Think of the examples of those in scripture who cried out to Jesus with the words “Lord have mercy on me.”

We can expect to receive grace. God loves in mercy and gives in grace.

We can expect to receive help in our time of need. The confidence to approach God with bold frankness has been given to us by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

The promise that we will receive mercy - God’s compassionate attention - together with God’s sustaining grace is the help we desperately need. But help also comes in the form of encouragement: God knows about and cares about our struggles. Help also comes in the form of knowledge: We are not alone - we don’t have to face the struggles of life alone. (Peace of mind) Help arrives in the form of understanding: We trust to receive that which we really need in spite of what we might be requesting.

Living in this world requires a godly measure of mercy, grace and help. Thus, Hebrews 4:16 encourages us to pray with confidence, persistence and expectation.

‚ÄúLet us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God‚Äôs throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it.”

03 Feb 06 113897740897159937

Here are a couple of quotes from the latest Christian Chronicle that I find interesting.

The number of members and congregations of non-instrumental churches of Christ fell 1 percent in the last three years, according to the latest edition of Churches of Christ in the United States. By comparison, instrumental Christian Churches/Churches of Christ grew by 19.6 percent in the 1990s, the second-fastest rate among 15 religious groups in the U.S. that identify themselves as “Christian” and have 1 million or more adherents, Yeakley said.

I’m sure there are many reasons, not just musical, that have been instrumental in the growth and decline of our churches. I wonder if the difference has more to do with methodologyideology than anything else? With all generalizations and exceptions aside here’s what I think.

The Christian Churches / Church of Christ share the same heritage and tradition of restoration. A basic guiding principle for those in the Churches of Christ is “if Scripture doesn’t authorize a practice we are forbidden from doing it.” A basic guiding principle for those in the Christian Churches is “If Scripture doesn’t forbid a practice we are free to do it.”

I can tell you which guiding principle is closer to my heart. Free at last, free at last. Because of God, people, we are free at last.

Click here if you want to read the entire article.

02 Feb 06 113889054543147366

Brace yourselves. Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow and predicts 6 more weeks of winter.

Today, I join Brady in celebrating Groundhog Day. Brady has written a fine piece today about the redemptive story lines in the movie. Make sure you cruise on over the Swiss blogger border and give his post a read.

I love the part in the movie when Bill Murray’s character realizes that his day is repeating over and over again. He reminisces about a particular day in his past and laments that this particular day is not repeating.

The genius of the film is that with the day that actually repeats itself, over and over again, he finally gets bored living to please himself and sets out to become a better person to better help others.

It’s a good habit to make today count. Do some good things today, enjoy yourself and help others, take a step to improve your character and disposition. Because you never know . . . tomorrow you may wake up to Sonny and Cher singing “I got you babe” and the radio deejay saying:

Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties because it’s COOOLD out there today!

01 Feb 06 113880644247830221

I’m trying to sign up with AIM (an instant messenger service) but anything I can think of for a screen name has already been chosen.

So I turn this important step over to you.

I will now entertain your suggestions for an original AIM screen name that I can use.