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Sometimes I need to read my own stuff!

Last month, my friend Father Hanh challenged me to “go deeper” with the metaphor of Luke 5.4:

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” (NIV)

But between last month and now, I didn’t feel as if I went deeper. I completed three house projects, preached twice, meditating on indifference and Psalm 1.1-3 (fruitfulness through meditation), and helped June host two families of kids and grandkids! 

I studied Luke 5.4 again, but I didn’t feel that I got a lot out of it.

When I shared all this with Hanh, including the story I posted yesterday and the six types of fruit/holy moments, he observed, “You did go deeper. You served your family by completing the projects and loving them during their visit. You served your community by sharing the Word with them.”

June reminded me that my rocking a sleeping 8-month-old while his parents packed to leave was a holy moment. 

Do I believe that God is in the ordinariness of life or not? 

Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19.13, 14, NIV)

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June and I were discussing “holy moments,” the concept I wrote about yesterday from The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity by Matthew Kelly.

Can you go out tomorrow and create just one Holy Moment? Not a holy life or even a holy day…just one single Holy Moment…A Holy Moment is a moment when you open yourself to God. You make yourself available to him. You set aside what you feel like doing in that moment, and you set aside self-interest, and for one moment you simply do what you prayerfully believe God is calling you to do in that moment. That is a Holy Moment. (Chapter 7)

We weren’t even thinking about the list I presented recently on fruitfulness or “How can God use me today?” I think Matthew Kelly’s concept of holy moments and fruitfulness are related, and here’s the list as suggested by Mark Greene in Fruitfulness on the Frontlines.”

• Model godly character
• Make good work
• Minister grace and love
• Mold culture
• Be a Mouthpiece for truth and justice
• Be a Messenger of the gospel

Anyway, as June and I were talking, we both jumped up to do something—to create a “holy moment.” She went to the kitchen to start preparing for dinner for six. I went to use the weedeater on some unsightly growth at the edge of our yard. We were both “making good work”!

But I got a bonus: the garbage guys came by as I was on my way to use the weedeater. I love the garbage guys: they do very important work, so whenever I see them I tell them so. David, the garbage guy, lit up. We shook hands and chatted for a minute about how valuable his work was. So I “ministered grace and love” while on my way to “make good work.” Another holy (fruitful) moment.

By the way, I did NOT create such a moment when we were at a restaurant a couple of weeks ago, and our order arrived much later than I thought it should have…

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. (John 15.8, ESV)

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22.36 – 39, NIV)

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Matthew Kelly wrote in The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity that the Greatest Lie is: “Holiness is not possible.” Many of us were raised with this concept, that since we can’t be holy, Jesus died to make us holy (in the next life). There is some truth in that, but it is also true that God desires holiness now.

For this is the will of God, your holiness… (1 Thessalonians 4.3, ESV, alternate reading)

To those of us who protest that we can’t do what God has clearly commanded, Matthew Kelly offers a proof that is mathematically elegant in its simplicity:

Can you go out tomorrow and create just one Holy Moment? Not a holy life or even a holy day…just one single Holy Moment…A Holy Moment is a moment when you open yourself to God. You make yourself available to him. You set aside what you feel like doing in that moment, and you set aside self-interest, and for one moment you simply do what you prayerfully believe God is calling you to do in that moment. That is a Holy Moment. (Chapter 7)

If we can do one holy moment, we demonstrate that holiness is indeed possible. 

I’ll give a practical example tomorrow! In the meantime, think about it!

But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1.15, 16, ESV)

It’s one of the biggest Father’s Days we’ve ever had: three of our four children, and seven of our eight grandchildren. Here is Taylor, 25, the oldest, and Caleb, 8 months, the youngest.

It happens fast.

From my childhood you’ve been my teacher, and I’m still telling everyone of your miracle-wonders! God, now that I’m old and gray, don’t walk away. Give me grace to demonstrate to the next generation all your mighty miracles and your excitement, to show them your magnificent power!(Psalm 17.17, 18, Passion Translation)

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I wrote recently about being careful where we abide and listed a few potential problem areas, including sports. One morning as I was reading one too many sports articles on the ESPN app (Clemson football was in it!), I came across this sentence:

By now, you’ve dutifully studied three-year projections for quarterbacks, offenses, and defenses.

We have? Dutifully studied? 

There are guys who may not have read a book since college. Who, if they are believers, may protest, “I don’t have time for daily time with God,” or “I can’t memorize scripture.” But ESPN expects that they will have “dutifully studied…” sports statistics—not even statistics—projections! Or maybe it’s politics or cars or fashion or something else. 

There are distractions out there, and we all need to be on guard. I speak to myself.

But the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. (Mark 4.19, NIV)

Be on guard! Be alert! (Mark 13.33, NIV)

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I spoke last Sunday and am speaking again this Sunday. In both cases, my goal is not to tell folks things they don’t know, but to lead them in applying the scripture to life. Jesus was clear:

But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. (Matthew 7.26, MSG)

James echoed it:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1.22, NIV)

My job as a teacher is to make applying the Word easier for people. Andy Stanley in his marvelous book Deep and Wide talks at length about “practical teaching” in chapter 7:

Jesus taught for a response. He taught for life change. He didn’t come to simply dispense information…Remember the first time you were challenged at that level? Remember how interesting the Bible suddenly became? You sat on the edge of your chair. The time flew by. You took notes…Your faith intersected with his faithfulness and your confidence in God got bigger. Practical teaching that moves people to action is one of the primary things God uses to grow our faith...That being the case, our messages and lesson preparations are not complete until we know what we want our audiences to do with what they are about to hear. To grow our congregants’ faith, we must preach and teach for life change.

Andy is blunt with us teachers on this score:

As long as you are dishing out truth with no “here’s the difference it will make” tacked on the end, you will be perceived as irrelevant by most of the people in your church, student ministry, or home Bible study. You may be spot-on theologically, like the teachers of the law in Jesus’ day, but you will not be perceived as one who teaches with authority. Worse, nobody is going to want to listen to you…You will end up with a little congregation of truth seekers who consider themselves superior to all the other Christians in the community. But at the end of the day, you won’t make an iota of a difference in this world.

The good news is that if the goal of teachers is to help people apply the scripture to life, we can all fill our God-given role as teachers!

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, … (Hebrews 5.11, 12, NIV, emphasis mine)

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom … (Colossians 3.16, NIV, emphasis mine)

Ezra had committed himself to studying the Revelation of GOD, to living it, and to teaching Israel to live its truths and ways… [and King Artaxerxes said,] “Anyone who does not know the Teaching, you teach them.” (Ezra 7.10, 25)

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My Navigator hero Skip Gray has taught early and often: “The need does not constitute the call.” Skip added a new metaphor recently: “Life is like baggage claim. Not every suitcase has your name on it.”

Just because a business acquaintance needs something I might be able to do, doesn’t mean I have to do it. I’m trying hard to hold that line on a particular project, and even after I explained what I could do and what I couldn’t, and he responded, “Understood and accepted,” it’s apparent he doesn’t understand and hasn’t accepted! 

It’s important to me NOT to say I’ll do something that I know I can’t do or won’t have time to do.

But let your “Yes,” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment. (James 5.12, NKJV)

LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart…He who swears to his own hurt and does not change… (Psalm 15.1, 2, 4, NKJV)

June sensed God speaking to her spirit during her prayer time recently. It’s a word we both need to remember:

These could be the best years of your life if you listen to me and don’t overload.

I’m praying I’ll be able to implement that caution and Philippians 1.9 – 11. Anyone can discern good from bad. I need to discern and commit only to what is excellent!

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1.9 – 11, NKJV, emphasis mine)

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The St Louis Blues hockey team won their first Stanley Cup championship yesterday, winning game 7 against the Bruins in Boston. I watched only the last 8 minutes, but it’s always fun to see a team win, especially when it’s unexpected.

The Blues had the worst record in all of the NHL on January 1, 2019, having won only 15 of their first 37 games. They went on to win 30 of their last 45 regular season games, finishing third in their division. Then they won four playoff series, including the Stanley Cup Final.

Proving, once again, it’s not how you start, but how you finish.

Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. (2 Timothy 4.9, 10, ESV)

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. (1 Timothy 1.12, 13, ESV)

O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. (Psalm 71.17, 18, ESV)

The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (Psalm 92.12 – 15, ESV)

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I’ve written before that I strongly believe that the primary sound during a church’s worship time should be the people singing, and I was privileged to experience that Sunday at Woodland Bible Chapel, a small church in rural Lake George, Colorado.

By contrast, professional worship leader and author Danny Byrum just wrote an eloquent blog decrying the practice of many churches, where leaders are designing worship services that effectively eliminate the people singing. Here’s some of what Danny said:

Millions of dollars are spent to remodel sanctuaries, build new ones, purchase gear, keep up the latest trends in stage production – live video capturing – and worship song-set automation software. Yet, many who attend services find themselves standing in silence, watching screens, and observing performers on a platform. 

He continued:

C.S. Lewis recognized this problem over 70 years ago: “The perfect church service would be the one we were almost unaware of.  Our attention would have been on God.  But every novelty prevents this.”

Instead of trying to emulate the big churches, the folks at Woodland set up their small worship ensemble at the back of the room. We used either the hymnbook or looked at words on the screen. And the primary sound was the people singing. Refreshing. And decidedly NOT professional.

I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. (Psalm 104.33, NIV)

Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people. (Psalm 149.1, NIV)

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (Colossians 3.16, NIV)

By the way, you can listen to the sermon on Indifference I preached there on June 9, 2019, here.

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I’m often amused at products that make their way into articles in the Wall Street Journal, and I wonder, “Really? Someone would pay that much money for that?”

What do you think of these beach paddle ball sets?

You could buy a purely functional version of a beach paddleball set for as little as $10, but the nice wooden set on the right is from Amazon for about $70. Shockingly, the nearly identical (it appears to me) product on the left goes for $801. $801 for a $10 paddle ball set?

I don’t know anyone who has the $801 version, so I don’t know the motivation. I can only presume that for some people there’s value in paying a really high price for something.

Not me, but on the other hand, I’m not as frugal as Andy Janovich that I wrote about yesterday. If I had his money, I’d certainly have a vehicle newer than his 2000 model pickup (and my cars are newer than his!).

I have to remind myself that there are no “points” for my NOT spending $801 for a $10 paddle ball set. I am responsible to use the money I do have wisely.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13.5, NIV)

Then Jesus said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12.15, NIV)

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? (Luke 16.10 – 12, NIV)