Screen Door on a Submarine, circa 1996
It's about as useless as
A screen door on a submarine
Faith without works baby
It just ain't happenin'
One is your left hand, One is your right
It'll take two strong arms, To hold on tight
Some folks cut off their nose
Just to spite their face
I think you need some works to show
For your alleged faith
Well there's a difference you know
B'tween having faith and playing make believe
One will make you grow
The other one just make you sleep
Talk about it, But I really think you oughta
Take a leap off of the ship
Before you claim to walk on water
Faith without works is like a song you can't sing
It's as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith comes from God
And every word that He breathes
He lets you take it to your heart
So you can give it hands and feet
It's gotta be active if it's gonna be alive
You gotta put it into practice, Otherwise....
It's about as useless as a screen door
On a submarine
Faith without works, baby
It just ain't happenin'
One is your right hand, one is your left
It's your light, your guide
Your life and your breath
Faith without works is like a song you can't sing
It's about as useless as a screen door
On a submarine
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Ahhhh...High School
It just hit me. I guess because the school year just finished up and somewhere there are high school graduates celebrating their new-found freedom and remembering their memories of the last four years. I remember high school. Awkward years, mostly, of trying to figure out who I was and how to avoid being left out, singled out, or punched out.
What hit me is that painful transition I made during the middle of my junior year of high school. I moved in with my dad in a totally different place and totally different school. After Christmas break, I was the new kid at a new school with new people and it was tough.
I felt very much like I had invaded somebody else's territory and everybody there knew what was going on but me. Add that stress and discomfort to an already difficult time of transition and development (i.e. the teenage years) and you have the makings of a painful experience.
The reason my high school experience is particularly relevant to me now in my life is because of the new church we are launching. Our expressed intention is to be a church that is focused on connecting with people who are not a part of the church. For people checking out the church for the first time, or the first time in a long time, I imagine it could feel much like going into a new high school mid-way through your junior year. My prayer is that the bridge will allow someone to feel invited, welcomed, and like they fit right in.
What hit me is that painful transition I made during the middle of my junior year of high school. I moved in with my dad in a totally different place and totally different school. After Christmas break, I was the new kid at a new school with new people and it was tough.
I felt very much like I had invaded somebody else's territory and everybody there knew what was going on but me. Add that stress and discomfort to an already difficult time of transition and development (i.e. the teenage years) and you have the makings of a painful experience.
The reason my high school experience is particularly relevant to me now in my life is because of the new church we are launching. Our expressed intention is to be a church that is focused on connecting with people who are not a part of the church. For people checking out the church for the first time, or the first time in a long time, I imagine it could feel much like going into a new high school mid-way through your junior year. My prayer is that the bridge will allow someone to feel invited, welcomed, and like they fit right in.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Good Friday
This is the day that Christians have historically remembered as the day that Jesus was arrested, tried and convicted, and crucified in Jerusalem.
I can't help but be reminded by the wicked storms raging outside my house right now of that scene at Golgotha when Jesus took his last breath. In the Bible (Matthew, chapter 27), the writer describes the scene this way:
From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. (v. 45)
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. (v. 50-51)
When the storms today started raging and the sky got dark, everybody took notice. We immediately turned on the news to see the latest forecast. We even stopped cooking dinner to see what was developing and ended up in the bathroom waiting for the tornado warning to pass. My mom called to check on us. My wife's mom and sister called to check on us. News crews were dispatched to the storm centers to report on what they saw.
The account of the crucifixion of Jesus reads much the same way. When the sky got dark and the earth shook and the rocks split, everybody took notice. Even one of the guards who had ridiculed and beaten Jesus said, "Surely he was the Son of God" (v. 54).
So, seeing today's storm (on Good Friday) reminds me of that guard and the storm he saw on the very first Good Friday. He had not been a believer in Jesus as the Son of God before the storm, but afterward, he declared his belief for sure.
On this Good Friday, will you say with me...Surely Jesus is the Son of God!
I can't help but be reminded by the wicked storms raging outside my house right now of that scene at Golgotha when Jesus took his last breath. In the Bible (Matthew, chapter 27), the writer describes the scene this way:
From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. (v. 45)
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. (v. 50-51)
When the storms today started raging and the sky got dark, everybody took notice. We immediately turned on the news to see the latest forecast. We even stopped cooking dinner to see what was developing and ended up in the bathroom waiting for the tornado warning to pass. My mom called to check on us. My wife's mom and sister called to check on us. News crews were dispatched to the storm centers to report on what they saw.
The account of the crucifixion of Jesus reads much the same way. When the sky got dark and the earth shook and the rocks split, everybody took notice. Even one of the guards who had ridiculed and beaten Jesus said, "Surely he was the Son of God" (v. 54).
So, seeing today's storm (on Good Friday) reminds me of that guard and the storm he saw on the very first Good Friday. He had not been a believer in Jesus as the Son of God before the storm, but afterward, he declared his belief for sure.
On this Good Friday, will you say with me...Surely Jesus is the Son of God!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Fat Tuesday
Today is Fat Tuesday because tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season in the Christian calendar called Lent, which ends with Easter. This season is often identified with people giving up things in their daily life as a way to remember and identify with the sacrifice that Jesus made for humanity.
In early celebrations of this season, many people sacrificed food and would fast or eat only sparingly during Lent. This season was also a time of preparation and study for people who had converted to Christianity and wanted to join the Church. For a very long time, Lent was without a doubt the most important season of the year for the Church.
Fat Tuesday became a day of celebration and even indulgence as people prepared for their fasting or sacrificial living during Lent. Eventually, the celebration became a season in itself: Mardi Gras (which means "Fat Tuesday"). It's just hard to get a good party to end.
Lent, however, is not a party. It is a time to remember the depth of the sacrifice God made for you and me through Jesus. It is also a time to remember the reason that such sacrifice had to be made - the reprehensible and regrettable condition of humanity - sin. That is where Ash Wednesday comes in. The Church long ago adopted a tradition to begin Lent by people marking their foreheads with ashes as a symbol of the regrettable condition of sin and the desire to turn away from it - repentance.
Whether you are a Christian or not, get into religious symbolism or not, would you still be willing to think about that regrettable (or even reprehensible?) thing in your life that needs to go away? If so, this season of the year, leading up to Easter and the new life of spring, might be the perfect time for you to remember the sacrifice God made for us all and consider what you are willing to let go of....
To read more about Lent, check out this link: Lent 101
In early celebrations of this season, many people sacrificed food and would fast or eat only sparingly during Lent. This season was also a time of preparation and study for people who had converted to Christianity and wanted to join the Church. For a very long time, Lent was without a doubt the most important season of the year for the Church.
Fat Tuesday became a day of celebration and even indulgence as people prepared for their fasting or sacrificial living during Lent. Eventually, the celebration became a season in itself: Mardi Gras (which means "Fat Tuesday"). It's just hard to get a good party to end.
Lent, however, is not a party. It is a time to remember the depth of the sacrifice God made for you and me through Jesus. It is also a time to remember the reason that such sacrifice had to be made - the reprehensible and regrettable condition of humanity - sin. That is where Ash Wednesday comes in. The Church long ago adopted a tradition to begin Lent by people marking their foreheads with ashes as a symbol of the regrettable condition of sin and the desire to turn away from it - repentance.
Whether you are a Christian or not, get into religious symbolism or not, would you still be willing to think about that regrettable (or even reprehensible?) thing in your life that needs to go away? If so, this season of the year, leading up to Easter and the new life of spring, might be the perfect time for you to remember the sacrifice God made for us all and consider what you are willing to let go of....
To read more about Lent, check out this link: Lent 101
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Recession Proof
Money is tight these days. People are losing their jobs. 401(k) balances are falling like...well...like the stock market :(
Pretty much every talking head, expert, and adviser admits that we are in the midst of a recession in the American and the global economies. Everybody is feeling the pinch. Even the Treasury Department has begun printing new dollar bills to reflect the state of the economy:
I recall learning in business school about recession proof businesses that dealt in the staples of life and were able to withstand economic downturns because people will always get sick, people will always gamble, people always have to eat and have to drive.
Much is being written today about how to recession proof your career, your budget, your family, and even yourself! There are articles about recession-proof companies, recession-proof cities, and even recession-proof blogs. :)
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (NIV translation)
Although I think the Bible verse Philippians 4:13 is used and abused, that verse and the two before it have a lot to say about "recession proofing" our lives. Unfortunately, the emphasis gets put on the "I can do everything" part more than the "him who gives me strength" part. The big idea in that verse is that God gives us what is needed to endure all of life's twists and [down]turns. Also, if you read verses 11 and 12, you find that Paul is saying that he has learned to be content when he has little and just as content when he has much. He can live through it all because of the strength he receives from God.
Being Content. Now that is a concept and a perspective that will help recession-proof your life!
Pretty much every talking head, expert, and adviser admits that we are in the midst of a recession in the American and the global economies. Everybody is feeling the pinch. Even the Treasury Department has begun printing new dollar bills to reflect the state of the economy:
I recall learning in business school about recession proof businesses that dealt in the staples of life and were able to withstand economic downturns because people will always get sick, people will always gamble, people always have to eat and have to drive.
Much is being written today about how to recession proof your career, your budget, your family, and even yourself! There are articles about recession-proof companies, recession-proof cities, and even recession-proof blogs. :)
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (NIV translation)
Although I think the Bible verse Philippians 4:13 is used and abused, that verse and the two before it have a lot to say about "recession proofing" our lives. Unfortunately, the emphasis gets put on the "I can do everything" part more than the "him who gives me strength" part. The big idea in that verse is that God gives us what is needed to endure all of life's twists and [down]turns. Also, if you read verses 11 and 12, you find that Paul is saying that he has learned to be content when he has little and just as content when he has much. He can live through it all because of the strength he receives from God.
Being Content. Now that is a concept and a perspective that will help recession-proof your life!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
New Year's Lions
The Chinese New Year will be January 26. Have you ever seen the celebrations and parades for the Chinese New Year? The things I remember most are the dancing dragons and lions. The lion dance is done by two people in the lion costume with that big head and is meant to symbolize and invite blessing and joy for the new year.
When I think about lions, I think about Aslan from Narnia and I also think about Daniel in the lion's den from the Bible. As most people know, the Aslan character by C.S. Lewis is actually a biblical image representing Jesus the Christ. He is the King who sacrifices his life for his kingdom and returns from death to win victory over the enemy.
For Daniel, the lions were the punishment he received for praying to his God in direct defiance of an order from King Nebuchadnezzer. The punishment was a death sentence by way of being thrown into the den of hungry lions.
I appreciate this painting by Briton Riviere depicting Daniel in the lion's den because it causes me to see that even when Daniel was faced with imminent death, instead of being focused on the lions, he had his eyes and his heart turned toward heaven. Toward God.
I wonder if there are any lions prowling in your life right now? Economic uncertainly? Job in jeapordy? A relationship that keeps getting worse rather than better? Undeserved persecution? A habit or addiction that you can't overcome?
And this is where that other lion image I mentioned comes in to play. The victorious King. The Savior. There is one who is at work in the world and in all of our lives who has already won the battle against evil, oppression, persecution, and sin. His name is Jesus and he is the Son of God.
I encourage you to join me as we turn our eyes and hearts toward God, in the midst of the prowling lions, and see what God will do in us and through us. Remember how the story of Daniel and the lions ends? Read it again and be blessed: Daniel 6:19-28.
May you have a blessed 2009!
When I think about lions, I think about Aslan from Narnia and I also think about Daniel in the lion's den from the Bible. As most people know, the Aslan character by C.S. Lewis is actually a biblical image representing Jesus the Christ. He is the King who sacrifices his life for his kingdom and returns from death to win victory over the enemy.
For Daniel, the lions were the punishment he received for praying to his God in direct defiance of an order from King Nebuchadnezzer. The punishment was a death sentence by way of being thrown into the den of hungry lions.
I appreciate this painting by Briton Riviere depicting Daniel in the lion's den because it causes me to see that even when Daniel was faced with imminent death, instead of being focused on the lions, he had his eyes and his heart turned toward heaven. Toward God.I wonder if there are any lions prowling in your life right now? Economic uncertainly? Job in jeapordy? A relationship that keeps getting worse rather than better? Undeserved persecution? A habit or addiction that you can't overcome?
And this is where that other lion image I mentioned comes in to play. The victorious King. The Savior. There is one who is at work in the world and in all of our lives who has already won the battle against evil, oppression, persecution, and sin. His name is Jesus and he is the Son of God.
I encourage you to join me as we turn our eyes and hearts toward God, in the midst of the prowling lions, and see what God will do in us and through us. Remember how the story of Daniel and the lions ends? Read it again and be blessed: Daniel 6:19-28.
May you have a blessed 2009!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Costly Grace
I had a conversation with a friend today and we talked a bit about the concept of grace as it applies to the Christian faith. We agreed that there is a temptation within the faith to misinterpret God's grace as permission to live and act and think however we please because we are forgiven and loved by God (i.e. grace).
We also agreed that such a perspective is not at all consistent with the biblical picture of grace. In fact, God's grace, when applied to our lives and active in our lives, actually changes us from the inside out. We are no longer interested in, or motivated by, living our lives the way we want to and catering to our own desires and pleasures.
God's grace produces in us a love for God and a desire to live the way God designed us to live. Living the way God intended is a concept that is found throughout the Bible and is often referred to with terms like righteousness and holiness.
Instead of considering your life your own to live and God's grace as your permission to do so; how would your life be different today if you saw God's grace in your life as the inspiration and empowerment to live the life for which God created you?
For further reading on this subject, I recommend Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book The Cost of Discipleship. Bonhoeffer was a German theologian, born in 1906, who openly opposed Hitler and the Nazi's until his execution in 1945.
We also agreed that such a perspective is not at all consistent with the biblical picture of grace. In fact, God's grace, when applied to our lives and active in our lives, actually changes us from the inside out. We are no longer interested in, or motivated by, living our lives the way we want to and catering to our own desires and pleasures.
God's grace produces in us a love for God and a desire to live the way God designed us to live. Living the way God intended is a concept that is found throughout the Bible and is often referred to with terms like righteousness and holiness.
Instead of considering your life your own to live and God's grace as your permission to do so; how would your life be different today if you saw God's grace in your life as the inspiration and empowerment to live the life for which God created you?
For further reading on this subject, I recommend Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book The Cost of Discipleship. Bonhoeffer was a German theologian, born in 1906, who openly opposed Hitler and the Nazi's until his execution in 1945.
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