Sharpening Your Sword or Practicing Your Tune

For the last month, our church staff has replaced the normal weekly staff meeting with something closer to a Bible study.  I stop short of calling it a Bible study because it is slightly different than that.  The book that we are using is titled "Kairos," and it uses the "Lifeshapes" tools for understanding life.  It is important to understand that these "Lifeshapes" are not sacred, but they are excellent tools for applying the sacred to our lives.

The first shape is a circle.  Imagine your life as a timeline.  This is chronology, based on the word Chronos.  Compare that to the word for time that Jesus used when he said, "The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near.  Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 15)  Jesus uses the word Kairos, translated time, but more like a defining moment rather than the chronological passing of a clock.  As we move along the "chronos" of our lives, we encounter "kairos" moments.  At these moments we step off the line at the tangent point and enter the circle.  We observe, reflect and discuss so that we may plan, act, and be held accountable for our actions, moving forward in our "chronos" having grown from processing our "kairos."

I've just come through a personal struggle that has lasted for about three months.  I won't explain details, but several weeks ago, the situation was getting close to coming to a head.  It is one of those situations that even though you want more than anything for the situation to change, chances are you are going to have to make the best of a situation or make a dramatic change in your life.  I saw this as a "kairos" moment that I brought to our group for discussion.

I faced an opportunity to meet personally with several people to discuss our current situation.  I felt reluctance to engage in this conversation because of the potential consequences.  I knew that I needed to either confront the situation or let it go-- letting go would be the easy way out, but I doubted that I could just let go.  I also worried that I had become so involved that communicating in a non-emotional/calm manner would be difficult.

The group pointed me to the story of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho.  God promised the city to Joshua and instructed his people to march around the city for seven days.  On the seventh day, the priests sounded the horns, and the walls came down.  I was in a confrontational posture.  I was absorbed in self.  The group pointed out through this story that perhaps this situation required that I practice my tune rather than sharpening my sword.  Instead of approaching this meeting as an act of war, perhaps it would be best approached as an act of worship.

I don't think this situation is resolved, but taking the time to pause the "chronos" of my life to process a "kairos" moment gave me a new perspective on the entire situation and a metaphor that will serve me well in similar situations.  Sometimes we shouldn't spend so much time sharpening our swords, instead we should be practicing our tune, a joyful noise that brings glory to God.

When a Non-Fisherman Goes Fishing

This weekend I went fishing.  I don't fish.  So why did I go?  Honestly, I think I went because I like fish.  I never fish from the ground in lakes, rivers, or the coast; I probably haven't fished like that in seventeen or eighteen years.  But this is the third time in the last five years that I gone fishing from a boat on the ocean.  It's pretty expensive and quite a lot of trouble for a couple of filets.

On my previous two trips I got sick.  There is nothing fun about throwing up over the railing of a speeding boat.  Not to mention that when you get seasick, everyone seems to have suggestions for what to do about it.  Even worse, people tend to be quite judgmental when you get seasick.  They openly question why you didn't take any medicine (even if you did), or expect to get an account of all that you've had to eat and drink for the day.  Ultimately it becomes a measure of your manhood, and those who didn't get sick seem to feel at least a little superior to you.

I decided that this trip would be my last if I couldn't handle the water without vomiting.  I borrowed a friend's prescription medication and started taking it the night before, but I was still quite nervous that the sea would get the best of me.  As we boarded the boat, and stood on her at the dock I could already feel my legs and body adjusting to a new kind of balance away from solid ground.  But as the day progressed, my stomach remained calm and I made it through healthy and whole.  One of our partners didn't.  I guess it's not a trip unless someone wretches over the boat.  I'm just glad it wasn't me.

We caught our limit and set off for home, about an hour and one-half trip on the ocean.  With limited space to stand on deck, and all seats taken in the cabin, I spied a cushioned bench below deck.  As the vessel skipped and jumped across the water I lay my head on my balled up sweater and halfway fell asleep.  It reminded me of the time when Jesus lay sleeping in the boat while all of the disciples fretted over the storm that was thrashing their ship.

I think I saw this story in a new light, after my experiences.  I found no rest on my first two trips as my body revolted against the sea.  Finally, I managed to "weather the storm" and realizing that I was out of harm's way, it wasn't too difficult to retire below deck and allow the rocking of the sea to send me to sleep.  I would have never appreciated that nap as much if I hadn't been through so much to get there.

When the Earth Shakes

The Haitian earthquake tragedy has touched me in a much greater way than many other recent tragedies experienced in our world. My previous post includes a video of our church's participation in Stop Hunger Now, and the representative from the organization who worked with us departed Charlottesville on Sunday afternoon to unload the truck and prepare for his next day trip to Haiti. Apparently he returned the day before the earthquake hit.

I'm sure most of us feel an urge to be there, but when I put more thought to this, I wonder just what I could do. With no visible signs of government, infrastructure stressed to the breaking point, and lack of food and water, how many relief workers can Haiti support. I'm sure there is a need for people, but the people who are needed there now are the one's who have planned and trained and anticipated just such events. But still, despite the fact that I'd probably just drain needed resources and create another body for a overstretched land to sustain, the urge is to just be there.

This is where I find God. If I long to join the people of Haiti in their suffering, people whom I've never met. If I long to give of myself, to relieve others who I do not know. Then how much more does God long to enter into our lives? So much so that he did. Through Jesus, God showed that he is in the suffering with us. I don't pretend to know why, but I trust that a God who cared enough to walk among us and endure a personal suffering despite deity wants to communicate that whatever the tragedy, we are not alone.

In the days ahead, perhaps I will learn how to be of help. For now, I've chosen to join with others and simply promote and enable donations and contributions to the Red Cross for disaster relief on this page through the link to the right.

Emmanuel, God is with us.

Memorial Day

Forget June 21, we all know the real first day of summer is Memorial Day. The sales, cookouts, beaches and pools; I'm glad that I took the time to attend a Memorial Day service today. You know, men and women in their uniforms, formal presentation of the flag, patriotic songs, and speeches.

I always have this compelling urge to actually observe a holiday for what it was meant, not just a day off or time to do what I want to do, but when it comes to Memorial Day, I've been a bit ambivalent in the past. I struggle with military ideas and war. I'm somewhat of a pacifist especially in regards to certain recent American endeavors. How do I honor those who represent something that I do not honor?

"Greater love has no one than this, that he would lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) There is the answer. Do they really represent something that I do not honor? I don't think so. The men and women we honor on this day would consider me their friend, they have laid down their life for me. I may not have asked for it, and I may not approve of it, but they have considered me more valuable than themselves. They have served me by giving of themselves in life and in death. I will not be critical of men and women who choose to forgo their own plans, safety, and comfort in the service of others. On this day and all others I will choose to respect and honor those who give themselves through service to their nation.

God bless us all.

Generation Gap?

I saw this interesting video the other day. I am only 34 (at least for a few more days) and there are so many aspects of the world of teenagers that I am way out of touch with. On the surface, this video seems to point that out vividly, but after watching a few times, I think it may actually be more of a bridge than a gap. I'm not a child of the technology age, but whoever created this video expresses universal concerns about our need for relevance, authenticity, and community; Values that often seem scarce in all of our worlds- children, teens, and adults. I pray that our faith can reflect all three. Here's the video:

Not-so-Endless Summer

The blog postings have been few and far between this summer, but I think that all of that may be coming to a close soon. Our youth had a fun, but hot day at King's Dominion yesterday and we anticipate welcoming our rising seventh graders into the Youth Group by month's end. If any rising seventh graders haven't heard from us, please get in touch as we will all be going to dinner together on Wednesday, August 15 to prepare everyone for what to expect on the 19th when they are officially welcomed into the youth program. Schools start on August 22 this year and we look forward to a great year of CGBC youth. Remember that we meet every Sunday evening from 6:30 to 8:00 for a meal, Bible study and recreation. We also meet after the church's Wednesday night dinners for an hour of Bible study from 6:30-7:30. The final piece of our weekly schedule is the Sunday School hour at 10:00 on Sunday mornings. All of our meetings take place in the youth space in the basement of the church, usually referred to as the fellowship hall unless otherwise noted.