Better together

It's humbling when you are forced to put into practice something you intellectually agree with and even champion, but practically hold off implementing.

We start our 40 Days of Community campaign on Sunday. Its theme is "Better Together," and will emphasize God's design for the church. Specifically, we were meant to serve each other and to serve together. No lone rangers need apply.

Well, we discovered Tuesday morning we have a broken, clogged sewer line (read more here). Our pastor's wife graciously offered us the use of her washing machine, so we agreed to take her up on the offer today. I brought a load of dirty laundry and detergent with me to work (parsonage in next door), fully expecting to handle the domestic duty myself.

But she told her machine was a front-loader, used a certain kind of detergent (don't worry, she had enough), and had a few other precedural quirks. It's also a new machine. So, she offered to do laundry herself. I confess I felt a little bit of American individualism sneak under the radar: there's something unnerving about watching someone scoop your dirty underwear into a washing machine.

But the whole experience illustrates the core concept of "Better Together." There are times when we are more then capable of cleaning up our own messes. But there are also times when we need outside help. We just need to be willing to accept--and ask for--that help. And we need to be just as ready to offer and actually give help to others.

Thou shalt not murder...ever?

When I deserve to be smacked in the head with the proverbial two-by-four, and it finally happens, should I complain because my head hurts? Do I even have the right to assess the grip and delivery of the one wielding the “board of education”?

Today, I caught wood twice, but I’ll only describe the first time here. It will be too easy to glibly say that correcting the underlying issues will require God’s help. Too often I think we say that as a way to excuse not doing anything substantive ourselves to address the issue at hand. Yes, it will require God’s work. But because of what God has already done for me, I am expected to do my part as well.

After two years, I realize my priorities are a bit out of whack. They’re too focused on execution—on completing the To Do list so I can successfully report tasks completed at the next meeting. This means relationships suffer—all of them. I need to fully submit myself to God, and then, to “slay my dragons.” Which brings me to that first two-by-four.

In preparing for a Bible study in Colossians I will deliver tomorrow, I ran across the passage in chapter 3 where Paul contrasts the old self and the new self. The chapter starts:

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

[And here comes the swing…]

“Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.”

Those words “put to death” left a virtual imprint on my temple. They imply conscious effort, premeditated and carefully directed against the old self. But if we are a new creature in Christ—having been made alive together with Him (1:22; 2:6, 10, 12-13), what does Paul mean by this admonishment?

There are two ways, I think, to kill something. The first is to introduce something foreign and contrary to the needs of existence, such that death follows. Examples of this would be poisoning, stabbing, kicking, stoning, shooting, etc. Paul says that we need to take such action when these characteristics of the old self appear. Get rid of them—quickly!

The second way to kill something is to withhold what it needs to survive: such as air, food water, touch, love, etc. In this sense, Paul says we must keep the storehouses empty of anything that can give these characteristics sustenance. Don’t feed them. This is probably the only time murder is okay: to kill the old self.

So, I have some issues that I've never dealt with and have carried into ministry. Dealing with them will be a long road, but ultimately the best one for the sake of my family and the church.

Talk about a whirlwind...

When we last heard from our intrepid blogger...

The message went great...first service. I played the video clip from Star Wars and the tie-in was obvious. The message wnet smoothly, and considering I rearely looked at my outline, I pretty much covered everything. Only proplem was that I tended to forget to advance the Powerpoint slides.

Then second service came. We were half-way through the song right before the message when I realized I forgot to re-cue the video clip!. So I did my best impression of Yoda (not bad, if the chuckles from the younger kids in the audience mean anything), and forged ahead.

We've since purchased a wireless presenter mouse/control so we can work slides from anywhere in the sanctuary. I get to try it our for real this Sunday during our prayer service (to kick off the new year). I will combine music (live and CDs) with projected images as we conduct a "concert of prayer" using the Lord' prayer as an outline.