There seems to be a typical rush at the end of every year to cross the proverbial finish line. Most people are not financial wizards but we act as though we are accountants in the finance department; needing to close the books as quickly as possible. NOT necessarily balancing them. Rather just shoving everything in them and wrapping bands of duct tape around them and shoving them in the back of the closet.
Rarely is there an autumn in our day.
I'm reminded of Joshua's request to gather stones as this group of common folk were headed on a journey. And he told them to grab these ordinary stones and place a marker; a monument of sorts pointing to something else. "When your children ask," he said "tell them..." Rarely do we have an autumn in life. The moment where the leaves fall and just before the silence of winter you can reflect on all the colorful moments of the past season. Moments reflected where 'when your children ask' your response won't be silence.
The christian sentiment is a acting/reflecting faith. It is not puncticular or fleeting, but moments in time that transcend time. When Jesus came in flesh the game changed: then and forever. When he changed us we too are forever different. Now moments cannot be seen as some isolated event; now we have to see things in the frame of: 'as often as we do this (future), do this (present) in remembrance of me (past)"
This season, use the gift of reflection. You may find someone or something you lost. You might find that the someone or something you lost has always been there.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Authenticity
I'm finishing a book entitled Unchristian from the Barna.org ministry. A rather pleasant book in light of the mass amounts of statistics. I've never been in a situation where a ratio or a percentage sign could promote so much conviction but that is exactly what I have found. But it brought me to a a point in this relationship I think we should visit.
If I found a Picasso painting. I suppose my intent would be to determine its authenticity. Whats interesting to notice is that the condition of the painting is not directly related to its authenticity. If the painting is in better condition it would be easier to determine if it is an authentic. But quality is not the final judge of authenticity. The way to tell whether it is authentic is whether it does in fact belong to the painter.
Like the painter to the painting, the author of the person who claims to be a Christian is what makes the Christian authentic. And here lies the essential key to one changed and the critical component to any outsider getting past the sometimes apparent hypocrisy. It is not perfection that we purport to have, we rather have laid hold of faithfulness that it is coming. Perhaps this convition will place us more in line with scripture and provide the clear perspective for those outside to understand is that our authenticity is not in deed but first in hope of a person.
If I found a Picasso painting. I suppose my intent would be to determine its authenticity. Whats interesting to notice is that the condition of the painting is not directly related to its authenticity. If the painting is in better condition it would be easier to determine if it is an authentic. But quality is not the final judge of authenticity. The way to tell whether it is authentic is whether it does in fact belong to the painter.
Like the painter to the painting, the author of the person who claims to be a Christian is what makes the Christian authentic. And here lies the essential key to one changed and the critical component to any outsider getting past the sometimes apparent hypocrisy. It is not perfection that we purport to have, we rather have laid hold of faithfulness that it is coming. Perhaps this convition will place us more in line with scripture and provide the clear perspective for those outside to understand is that our authenticity is not in deed but first in hope of a person.
Friday, November 30, 2007
HVAC FRANKS HAS FINALLY ARRIVED
After much persistence and frothing at the mouth, sitting at the mourners bench. I must have repented enough to get HVAC Franks to finally grace the blogs presence with a word. Let me do the honor the introducing my first guest writer under the pen name HVAC Franks. I'll save my final thoughts for the conclusion of his blog entries. But please make Mr. Franks feel comfortable and perhaps share your thoughts....
Before I write my first official “Guest Blog” I would like to introduce myself and give some credit where due. I am a firm believer in acknowledging those that have helped me get this far. You never know when it is too late to thank somebody and there is no time like the present.
Delano has mentioned before the group of friends that used to have lat night discussions at various dorms. Well I am speaking of these same group of people who helped to support each other in our college years. Each of them has a place in my heart for various reasons. But since my next blog will be about my walk with Christ I would like to point out 3 of them that never let me veer too far away from God during my college years as well as after.
The first one was the best man at my wedding. Since D likes to use nicknames, we will call this fellow “Part 2”. He was dang near my roommate all but 2 years in school. We stayed in the same dorm for our first two years and then we shared an apartment two of my last three years. Enough cannot be said about this man as he was able to counsel me and keep me on the road long enough to make sure I saw the end. I can’t thank him enough.
The second is a person we will call “Triple H”. Along with Part 2, these two guys have a way of hitting you over the head with a sledgehammer in the most loving way. They’ll tell you like it is and don’t care two bits if you are offended, because as the title of this blog says, truth is necessary to know the way to live it (life). Talk about a model of how to live as a husband, this man in his few short years of marriage has it nailed down. I’ll get to more of Triple H in my next blog.
The last one is the author of this blog. This man and I had a specific discussion that changed both of our lives. Long story short, at my worst time of being a believer, this man kept me from jumping over the edge. I won’t be able to do the conversation justice here, but just know that this man is a true gift from God in my life and I will never be able to repay him.
I don’t want to discount the importance of the role any of my college friends in my life because they all helped me get to where I am today. But I just wanted to point out these three since I will occasionally be taking time to write about my spiritual journey and how it has impacted my life.
Thank you.
HVAC Franks Introduction.
Before I write my first official “Guest Blog” I would like to introduce myself and give some credit where due. I am a firm believer in acknowledging those that have helped me get this far. You never know when it is too late to thank somebody and there is no time like the present.
Obviously, primary credit goes to God to even allowing any of this to happen. Even though I say “obviously” more often than not we tend to overlook who deserves the ultimate credit. Secondly my family who allowed me to question things and make my own decisions, but they never stopped praying for me. Their prayers not only helped me make it this far in life, but it was their prayers that eventually led me to KU. Not that they were specifically praying for me to go to KU, but they wanted me to go to a place that was going to be good for me. Which leads me to my “extended family” of college friends.
Delano has mentioned before the group of friends that used to have lat night discussions at various dorms. Well I am speaking of these same group of people who helped to support each other in our college years. Each of them has a place in my heart for various reasons. But since my next blog will be about my walk with Christ I would like to point out 3 of them that never let me veer too far away from God during my college years as well as after.
The first one was the best man at my wedding. Since D likes to use nicknames, we will call this fellow “Part 2”. He was dang near my roommate all but 2 years in school. We stayed in the same dorm for our first two years and then we shared an apartment two of my last three years. Enough cannot be said about this man as he was able to counsel me and keep me on the road long enough to make sure I saw the end. I can’t thank him enough.
The second is a person we will call “Triple H”. Along with Part 2, these two guys have a way of hitting you over the head with a sledgehammer in the most loving way. They’ll tell you like it is and don’t care two bits if you are offended, because as the title of this blog says, truth is necessary to know the way to live it (life). Talk about a model of how to live as a husband, this man in his few short years of marriage has it nailed down. I’ll get to more of Triple H in my next blog.
The last one is the author of this blog. This man and I had a specific discussion that changed both of our lives. Long story short, at my worst time of being a believer, this man kept me from jumping over the edge. I won’t be able to do the conversation justice here, but just know that this man is a true gift from God in my life and I will never be able to repay him.
I don’t want to discount the importance of the role any of my college friends in my life because they all helped me get to where I am today. But I just wanted to point out these three since I will occasionally be taking time to write about my spiritual journey and how it has impacted my life.
Thank you.
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