Ancient Future Resolutions

Ancient-Future Resolutions (Hebrews 13:1-7) Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. The New Year is upon us. The Bible teaches us there are worthy resolutions to pursue. They were ancient practices of early Christians. Yet they are valuable for us and our future. Let’s consider what real love looks like for 2011. 1. I resolve to keep on loving by opening my home to strangers. (v.2) 2. I resolve to keep on loving by visiting believers in prison (v.3) 3. I resolve to keep on loving by honoring my marriage (v.4) 4. I resolve to keep on loving by not committing adultery and sexual sin (v.4) 5. I resolve to keep on loving by ‘unlover’ of money (v.5) 6. I resolve to keep on loving by being satisfied with what we have (v.5) 7. I resolve to keep on loving by imitating my Christian leaders. (v.7) Grace and truth for a Happy New Year!

Searching

People today are searching, trying to make sense about what life is all about. The Bible says that ultimately life is all about Jesus Christ. We live in a culture that ignores him and at best uses him as a swear word. At our community of faith: Allison - The Journey Church we are probing the question in our present message series called "Searching". We want to wrestle with this statement we find in Colossians 1:17 - Jesus Christ is before all things, and in him all things hold together. The opposite of this would than mean that without him everything falls apart. The more I look at people I can't help think this is true - both presently and for the future. Last week we started with a message, with a neat title, called "Christus Prime" What does it mean for Christ to be prime in everything? Brent Hudson spoke on this - check it out at http://allisonchurch.com/ and go to messages button. This week I am giving the message called "Trouble in Paradise" I want us to get grasp on the Fall of man as described in Genesis 3 and what are the implications and hope for us all. We are back to our services at 6:15pm on Saturday evenings (Salisbury Road campus) and our two 11am services at our two campuses - (Salisbury Road Campus and Dickson Blvd Campus) Come check us out live or website! Dave

Me?

I came across this idea from Sacred Space - a website created by Irish Jesuits. Their goal is to help people practice the presence of God. On the site this week they had this observation Something to think and pray about this week What did Jesus mean when he urged self-denial? ‘Deny yourself and take up your cross daily.’ I used to think this meant looking for mortification. Lord, you have taught me that my cross is myself, my ego, the pains in my body, my awkwardness, my mistakes. Hopkins put it starkly: I am gall, I am heartburn. God’s most deep decree Bitter would have me taste; my taste was me. To follow you is to move beyond ego-trips. It means coping with the business of life without trampling on others or making them suffer. There is a world here to be explored. To deny myself – to reach a point where my self is no longer the most important thing in the world; to be able to take a back seat comfortably; to be happy to listen; to accept without resentment the diminishments that come to me through time or circumstances; to see your hand, Lord, in both the bright and dark places of my life. That is something to think about. dave

Jesus Laughing

Came across a picture of Jesus laughing... that is an image I wasn't given growing up in a Christian environment. I wonder why? Yes...I know the image looks too North American or whatever...despite that inaccuracy the question for me is how does it make you feel? What would Jesus laugh about? What do I laugh about? Dave

A Poem for Leaders

Came across a poem by Walt Whitman - "My Captain O Captain" written as a tribute to Abraham Lincoln after his assassination. I think this poem is a good reminder of what people are looking for in a leader.

O Captain my Captain! our fearful trip is done; The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won; The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:

But O heart! heart! heart!

O the bleeding drops of red,

Where on the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills; For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding; For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;

Here Captain! dear father!

This arm beneath your head;

It is some dream that on the deck,

You’ve fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still; My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will; The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done; From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;

Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!

But I, with mournful tread,

Walk the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.

This poem reminds me of three other things about leadership...

1. the voyage does come to an end

2. leaders do get shot at... so let's consider the cost.

3. Others need someone at the helm on trips worth taking

Dave

What does God want?

What does God want from me? A passage in the Bible speaks to that question. Micah 6 - Passage Lookup - New International Version - BibleGateway.com: "6 With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Here is what gets me... we often equate achievement with devotion...what are my burnt offerings?...thousand rams?... my firstborn? In today terms is it possible to think that I will be good with God if I sacrifice and achieve enough? Does my performance make me acceptable before God? I can't help but think my performance makes me feel good about me. That thinking has one major crack in it...I am still making it about me and it depends on my efforts...this performance-demand mindset makes it a miserable existence in my walk with God...no wonder few want to take this journey. But God calls me to something simpler and yet far more profound - be just...love...and follow God. Where that takes me...is towards freedom. dave