Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Monday, June 28, 2010

Sinful Man

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

Ever since the Fall, we know that sin has permeated our world, our lives, and plagued our inner being with turmoil. Gratefully, it's not about us though. It's about Him. He has and does overcome this sin for His glory.

Yesterday, I went to the church that I'm attending this summer. The minister was no longer there. He had been removed from the pastorate after viewing pornography at the church. The district superintendent of the denomination's conference spoke openly and honestly about the situation, but then said something along the lines of: "we aren't here to talk about the sins of the world, we are here to worship God."

That statement made me think. Am I so consumed with thinking about my sins or the sins of others that I hinder my worship of Him? I am a sinner. There's no doubt about that. I have been redeemed and no longer am a slave to sin though. Sometimes I am guilt-ridden and consumed with focusing on my fallacies more than I focus on my worship.

He is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think. That in itself should entice worship. It is even greater that this is all done according to the power at work within us. Although we have fallen, He has redeemed. He is working within us to change us to worship Him more fully for His glory.

It's logical to say that we must know sin in order to know holiness. Thankfully, His grace is enough that we can live in His holiness. And this continues forever and ever. Amen.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Things Learned from 70+ Year Olds

The Bible says that those with grey hair have wisdom. Here are the highlights of living with seventy year olds:

"Fox News and styrofoam are evil." - Said as my grandmother discusses my conservatism.

"Napkins, paper towers, and plastic bags are meant to be stolen." - A rebuttal by my grandma's third cousin leaving a restaurant as she stuffs her purse and jacket with said materials.

"Good fun is when you laugh until you cry. Great fun is when you laugh until you wet your pants." - The wisdom of my grandma's best friend after the two of them peed on the garage floor.

"I've always done it this way, and it's worked. Why would I change?"

"I don't want to get old. But then again, I do want Social Security and senior discounts."

Living with "old folks" can be tiresome with grunts and moans of body aches, steadfast stubbornness, and a lack of youthful relevancy. Nonetheless, it is such a joy to share a part of life learning by living day to day. Watching, listening, and picking up on insightful and wise ways intrigues me and challenges me to cherish the time I am spending with seventy-some year olds.

I've always said that I want to be a lifetime learner; perhaps going to school forever. But it'd be a lot cheaper just to learn from those around me. With a self-focus during most of our lives, we have to be diligent about learning from others. I don't mean just what they say or do, but who they are as a person. When we learn who someone is and why they are that way, then we have a better appreciation for the relationship with that person and we learn about who we are and what we aspire to be. It takes an extra effort and there is no room for excuses: we have to utilize learning from those around us. Whether it's our friends, parents, grandparents, colleagues, professors, on and on. We have to learn, we have to invest, and we have to return. It brings me joy to know that I can learn from those around me and hopefully, I pray, others can learn from me.

Let's embark on this lifelong learning journey together.