Garbology. William Rathje started the garbology project while a professor at University of Arizona. Garbology is the study of a society by examining what it discards.
Archaeologist know that what remains at a civilization’s refuse area is sometimes the only evidence of their lives. When no writings or buildings remain, these discards are valuable findings. Such items as broken tools and pottery, and fragments of furnishings offer a glimpse into ancient cultures.
The word “garbology” caused me to think about other discards of life. Oh, not the stuff that we set on the curb for the sanitation department to cart away. I’m thinking about the personal choices we make about what is worthy. I’m pondering what people cast away as unimportant? And what those castoffs say about an individual or society?
Shame is one of the things that can be laid aside. Blushes seem not to happen as often these days. Skin is in. A great grandmother’s face might flush crimson if she revisited in the summer of 2006. Grandpa’s, too.
Chastity—described by Encarta Dictionary as “the practice of abstaining from sex on moral grounds,” is a past virtue for some. God’s definitioin is to save sex for marriage—for the home and society’s good.
Guilt can be shrugged off. Personal wrongdoings are blamed on parents, schools, churches, and government. The late Flip Wilson’s line “The devil made me do it” is alive and well: only the subject has changed.
The unborn can be legally discarded in the United States.
Arrogant minds toss aside “unworthy” people. If someone’s accomplishments or lack of achievements don’t fit the prescribed niche of the prideful mind, then they are written off, or worse yet, treated with contempt.
Discipleship Magazine reported that the word “integrity” was the word most often looked up in online dictionaries. That’s good. When integrity is defined in lives, then there will be less disposal of morals, values and people. No garbage left behind.
“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:5-6).
http://www.stainedglasspickup.com/
Friday, April 28, 2006
Friday, April 21, 2006
Escape Technique
www.stainedglasspickup.com
In East Texas, the spring pollen dusted windshields and porches as if they were powdered doughnuts. The good thing about pollen is by the time it arrives, the flu season has passed.
In a crowded shopping mall this winter, my husband and I walked toward a swath of people. One of them sneezed. A humongous explosion. Her hand moved toward her mouth in slow motion and landed there way too late.
Facing the germy droplets, we either had to turn and run or walk through. Our choice probably didn’t make much difference because I’m told that a sneeze exits at 100 mph. We walked through the mist. But, in a whisper, I cautioned my husband and myself. “Don’t breathe. Don’t breathe.”
The air borne bacteria reminded me of the bad things in life that influence people. Young-adult Joseph experienced temptations but resisted.
Sold into slavery by his own brothers, Joseph served in the household of a powerful Egyptian official, Potiphar. Potiphar’s wife kept seducing Joseph. “Day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.”
Joseph said to Mrs. Potiphar, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:10). She wouldn’t take “no” for an answer, and one day, she dismissed all servants. Like a spider, she weaved a trap.
With only Joseph on the estate, she again made advances. This time, Joseph ran from the house so fast that he left his cloak behind. Offended by his refusal, she convinced her husband that Joseph attacked her, and Joseph became an innocent prisoner.
But God didn’t forget Joseph’s faithfulness, and he eventually placed him second in command to the Pharaoh. Joseph, proven upright, would be instrumental in saving many from starvation.
Joseph’s evasive actions in the face of temptation remind me of the famous line from the movie “Forest Gump”: “Run, Forest, run!”
James advices, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:7).
Like Joseph found out, “Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell.” Another remarked about succumbing, “If you go to bed with the dogs, you will rise up with fleas.”
The next time temptation leans on your doorbell, remember Joseph’s good example and “run, Forest, run.”
You may contact Cathy at www.stainedglasspickup.com
In East Texas, the spring pollen dusted windshields and porches as if they were powdered doughnuts. The good thing about pollen is by the time it arrives, the flu season has passed.
In a crowded shopping mall this winter, my husband and I walked toward a swath of people. One of them sneezed. A humongous explosion. Her hand moved toward her mouth in slow motion and landed there way too late.
Facing the germy droplets, we either had to turn and run or walk through. Our choice probably didn’t make much difference because I’m told that a sneeze exits at 100 mph. We walked through the mist. But, in a whisper, I cautioned my husband and myself. “Don’t breathe. Don’t breathe.”
The air borne bacteria reminded me of the bad things in life that influence people. Young-adult Joseph experienced temptations but resisted.
Sold into slavery by his own brothers, Joseph served in the household of a powerful Egyptian official, Potiphar. Potiphar’s wife kept seducing Joseph. “Day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.”
Joseph said to Mrs. Potiphar, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:10). She wouldn’t take “no” for an answer, and one day, she dismissed all servants. Like a spider, she weaved a trap.
With only Joseph on the estate, she again made advances. This time, Joseph ran from the house so fast that he left his cloak behind. Offended by his refusal, she convinced her husband that Joseph attacked her, and Joseph became an innocent prisoner.
But God didn’t forget Joseph’s faithfulness, and he eventually placed him second in command to the Pharaoh. Joseph, proven upright, would be instrumental in saving many from starvation.
Joseph’s evasive actions in the face of temptation remind me of the famous line from the movie “Forest Gump”: “Run, Forest, run!”
James advices, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:7).
Like Joseph found out, “Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell.” Another remarked about succumbing, “If you go to bed with the dogs, you will rise up with fleas.”
The next time temptation leans on your doorbell, remember Joseph’s good example and “run, Forest, run.”
You may contact Cathy at www.stainedglasspickup.com
Friday, April 14, 2006
Little Matthew's Hope
www.stainedglasspickup.com
He is Risen!
At a February banquet honoring missionaries, my friends Monty and Melody Huffman and I listened to a chorus sing an old spiritual about heaven. The music ranged from mournful to exuberant finale. As the song ended, I looked toward Melody. She grasped my hand, saying, “Makes you want to go there, doesn’t it?” One reason Melody longs to make the trip — heaven adopted her seven-year-old son Matthew in 1991.
In 1989, the Huffmans moved their family from Happy, Texas to Salvador, Brazil to work with a missionary team. Five-year-old Matthew and seven-year-old Micah quickly learned Portuguese. When he wasn’t sleeping, Matthew was outdoors. He explored. He captured bugs. Scamper, a marmoset, was his constant companion. The small New World monkey was just the right size pet for little Matthew.
Melody home schooled, and the Huffmans lived near a beach on the Atlantic Ocean. Near the soft waves one hot August afternoon, the family looked for black sea urchins with tiny pink mouths, but Matthew didn’t feel well. On the walk home, he held his mother’s hand.
Unknown, at the time, Matthew had bacterial meningitis. Later, his condition worsened. The onset of severe headaches followed by sudden blindness caused his parents to scoop him up and rush him to a hospital. Frantic, his dad drove 30 miles down coast. In the backseat, Melody cradled Matthew in a blanket.
Melody tells what happened on the way to the hospital: “Matthew kept reaching out his hand into the air. I would take his hand and tell him ‘I’m here.’ I was holding his hand and he said, ‘No, not you.’ This happened several times.
“Finally, in desperation I said, ‘What do you want, Matthew? I’ll get it for you.’ His last words as he slipped into a coma were, ‘I’m trying to reach Jesus' hand.’ With those words, his little hand seemed to close around something in the air.”
Never regaining consciousness, Matthew died two days later. His family brought him back to Happy, Texas. On his grave stone, a small hand rests in a much larger one.
Matthew’s story is part of a greater story, the greatest story ever told. Jesus promised to overcome God’s enemy Death. After his resurrection, Jesus asked Mary Magdalene, who was weeping, “Woman, why are you crying?”
It wasn’t a calloused question, but an illuminating one: Jesus knew tears are native to the earth, and eternal life is native to heaven. This weekend celebrate the risen Lord. Hold his hand through life, then, like Matthew, stretch your hand toward Jesus when you journey home.
You may contact Cathy at www.stainedglasspickup.com
He is Risen!
At a February banquet honoring missionaries, my friends Monty and Melody Huffman and I listened to a chorus sing an old spiritual about heaven. The music ranged from mournful to exuberant finale. As the song ended, I looked toward Melody. She grasped my hand, saying, “Makes you want to go there, doesn’t it?” One reason Melody longs to make the trip — heaven adopted her seven-year-old son Matthew in 1991.
In 1989, the Huffmans moved their family from Happy, Texas to Salvador, Brazil to work with a missionary team. Five-year-old Matthew and seven-year-old Micah quickly learned Portuguese. When he wasn’t sleeping, Matthew was outdoors. He explored. He captured bugs. Scamper, a marmoset, was his constant companion. The small New World monkey was just the right size pet for little Matthew.
Melody home schooled, and the Huffmans lived near a beach on the Atlantic Ocean. Near the soft waves one hot August afternoon, the family looked for black sea urchins with tiny pink mouths, but Matthew didn’t feel well. On the walk home, he held his mother’s hand.
Unknown, at the time, Matthew had bacterial meningitis. Later, his condition worsened. The onset of severe headaches followed by sudden blindness caused his parents to scoop him up and rush him to a hospital. Frantic, his dad drove 30 miles down coast. In the backseat, Melody cradled Matthew in a blanket.
Melody tells what happened on the way to the hospital: “Matthew kept reaching out his hand into the air. I would take his hand and tell him ‘I’m here.’ I was holding his hand and he said, ‘No, not you.’ This happened several times.
“Finally, in desperation I said, ‘What do you want, Matthew? I’ll get it for you.’ His last words as he slipped into a coma were, ‘I’m trying to reach Jesus' hand.’ With those words, his little hand seemed to close around something in the air.”
Never regaining consciousness, Matthew died two days later. His family brought him back to Happy, Texas. On his grave stone, a small hand rests in a much larger one.
Matthew’s story is part of a greater story, the greatest story ever told. Jesus promised to overcome God’s enemy Death. After his resurrection, Jesus asked Mary Magdalene, who was weeping, “Woman, why are you crying?”
It wasn’t a calloused question, but an illuminating one: Jesus knew tears are native to the earth, and eternal life is native to heaven. This weekend celebrate the risen Lord. Hold his hand through life, then, like Matthew, stretch your hand toward Jesus when you journey home.
You may contact Cathy at www.stainedglasspickup.com
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Fiction What-nots
Here's a good post on fiction writing. Makes me want to revisit some of my manuscripts:
Mirathon: BEFORE YOU ENTER THAT FICTION CONTEST: Mir's Non-Comprehensive Tour of Trouble Spot Tip-Offs
Mirathon: BEFORE YOU ENTER THAT FICTION CONTEST: Mir's Non-Comprehensive Tour of Trouble Spot Tip-Offs
Friday, April 07, 2006
da Vinci's Last Supper
www.stainedglasspickup.com
THE LAST SUPPER
In a convent dining room in Milan, Italy, Leonardo da Vinci, dipped the bristles of his brush into paint and began a masterpiece on the wall. In 1495, he began a commissioned work of the last supper, 15 by 29 feet, covering an entire wall. A known procrastinator, he finished in 1498.
His art was not the only portrayal of Christ at the last supper. However, Leonardo’s Last Supper is acclaimed as the first to show the disciples displaying real emotions. The scene records the artist’s interpretation of the disciples’ reactions to an announcement Jesus made—just seconds before—that one of the 12 would betray him. Their countenances reflect questions, appall, and denial.
Over the years, the painting deteriorated. Paint flaked, and further damage occurred when a construction worker, not quite aware of his exact location in the convent, proceeded to open up a wall for a doorway. Standing on the other side of the painted wall, he chiseled away plaster, ripping out the portion of the painting where Jesus’ feet were.
In Leonardo’s Last Supper, all elements and persons point to the central figure of Jesus, very fitting. The apostle Paul wrote about that meal: “The Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me’” (1 Corinthians 11:23).
Some Christians eat this “remembrance supper” each Sunday, while others do so at regular intervals or gatherings such as funerals and weddings. Each time Jesus is met at the table, it’s a time to look to the past, to the future, and inward.
Looking back. Remember the everyday Jesus, who brushed tears away with his fingertips, nurtured villages, chucked children under their chins. Recall his sacrifice, his forgiveness even from the cross.
Looking forward. Pray for Jesus to invade community and church, so peace is more prevalent than bickering. Ask for a better world, where people are clothed in purity and integrity, where Jesus is the standard for imitation, not Hollywood.
And, finally, during the meal with Jesus, look inward for traces of betrayal. Is his example the superior standard for personal behavior?
Leonardo’s work of art focused on the Christ. Help restore Jesus as a central figure in the 21st Century, and let the chiseling away at the Savior be relegated to history.
THE LAST SUPPER
In a convent dining room in Milan, Italy, Leonardo da Vinci, dipped the bristles of his brush into paint and began a masterpiece on the wall. In 1495, he began a commissioned work of the last supper, 15 by 29 feet, covering an entire wall. A known procrastinator, he finished in 1498.
His art was not the only portrayal of Christ at the last supper. However, Leonardo’s Last Supper is acclaimed as the first to show the disciples displaying real emotions. The scene records the artist’s interpretation of the disciples’ reactions to an announcement Jesus made—just seconds before—that one of the 12 would betray him. Their countenances reflect questions, appall, and denial.
Over the years, the painting deteriorated. Paint flaked, and further damage occurred when a construction worker, not quite aware of his exact location in the convent, proceeded to open up a wall for a doorway. Standing on the other side of the painted wall, he chiseled away plaster, ripping out the portion of the painting where Jesus’ feet were.
In Leonardo’s Last Supper, all elements and persons point to the central figure of Jesus, very fitting. The apostle Paul wrote about that meal: “The Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me’” (1 Corinthians 11:23).
Some Christians eat this “remembrance supper” each Sunday, while others do so at regular intervals or gatherings such as funerals and weddings. Each time Jesus is met at the table, it’s a time to look to the past, to the future, and inward.
Looking back. Remember the everyday Jesus, who brushed tears away with his fingertips, nurtured villages, chucked children under their chins. Recall his sacrifice, his forgiveness even from the cross.
Looking forward. Pray for Jesus to invade community and church, so peace is more prevalent than bickering. Ask for a better world, where people are clothed in purity and integrity, where Jesus is the standard for imitation, not Hollywood.
And, finally, during the meal with Jesus, look inward for traces of betrayal. Is his example the superior standard for personal behavior?
Leonardo’s work of art focused on the Christ. Help restore Jesus as a central figure in the 21st Century, and let the chiseling away at the Savior be relegated to history.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Shawls and Prayer
Shawl and Prayer Ministry
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 RSV
“Jeff” knitted a shawl for his wife, and while knitting and purling, he prayed for her recovery from cancer. He and his siblings learned knitting from their mother. Although he hadn't held knitting needles in years, the technique returned. He not only crafted a shawl for his wife, but he knit four more.
Local knitter Laurie Sauers embraces the ancient art, and knitted and prayed over a shawl she presented to a veteran, who has no family. She’s working on her second shawl.
In 1998, Vicky Galo, began knitting shawls and praying for women who had breast cancer. Other knitters joined in the handiwork, and the shawl-knitting ministry began. When knitters meet, needles click, prayers rise, and a variety of colors, textures and patterns are individualized.
Shawls are given for celebrations such as births, anniversaries, friendships, and professional and personal achievements. Also, they are given to prison ministries and to comfort the grieving and ill.
The knitters believe a basic human need is swaddling. Infants sense security in a snug, warm blanket. Children and adults alike are fond of wrapping a favorite blanket around themselves and settling into a comfortable spot for rest.
Most have witnessed toddlers clutching frazzled “blankies.” The condition of the frayed fabric didn't seem to matter. When my children were young, and their favorite security blanket needed washing, they’d weep by the washing machine, separation from their beloved wrappers unbearable. They remained slightly miffed until they once again clutched their warm-from-the-dryer “blankies.”
The prayer shawl ministry recognizes this basic human need, and they add the important skein of prayer. Susan Izard says there is an old saying: “Our hands are God’s hands.” She understands that “God works through us when we care for friends and strangers alike.”
Prayer-knitters believe that the mystery of God’s unconditional love unravels a bit for all involved as celebrants and the chaos-cloaked benefit from this ministry covering people in prayer and shawls. The Christian knitters aspire to “be imitators of God, as beloved children and live in love” (Ephesians 5:1).
www.cathymessecar.com
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 RSV
“Jeff” knitted a shawl for his wife, and while knitting and purling, he prayed for her recovery from cancer. He and his siblings learned knitting from their mother. Although he hadn't held knitting needles in years, the technique returned. He not only crafted a shawl for his wife, but he knit four more.
Local knitter Laurie Sauers embraces the ancient art, and knitted and prayed over a shawl she presented to a veteran, who has no family. She’s working on her second shawl.
In 1998, Vicky Galo, began knitting shawls and praying for women who had breast cancer. Other knitters joined in the handiwork, and the shawl-knitting ministry began. When knitters meet, needles click, prayers rise, and a variety of colors, textures and patterns are individualized.
Shawls are given for celebrations such as births, anniversaries, friendships, and professional and personal achievements. Also, they are given to prison ministries and to comfort the grieving and ill.
The knitters believe a basic human need is swaddling. Infants sense security in a snug, warm blanket. Children and adults alike are fond of wrapping a favorite blanket around themselves and settling into a comfortable spot for rest.
Most have witnessed toddlers clutching frazzled “blankies.” The condition of the frayed fabric didn't seem to matter. When my children were young, and their favorite security blanket needed washing, they’d weep by the washing machine, separation from their beloved wrappers unbearable. They remained slightly miffed until they once again clutched their warm-from-the-dryer “blankies.”
The prayer shawl ministry recognizes this basic human need, and they add the important skein of prayer. Susan Izard says there is an old saying: “Our hands are God’s hands.” She understands that “God works through us when we care for friends and strangers alike.”
Prayer-knitters believe that the mystery of God’s unconditional love unravels a bit for all involved as celebrants and the chaos-cloaked benefit from this ministry covering people in prayer and shawls. The Christian knitters aspire to “be imitators of God, as beloved children and live in love” (Ephesians 5:1).
www.cathymessecar.com
Friday, March 24, 2006
Stolen "Grace"
Thieves broke into my parents’ home and stole electronic gadgets, jewelry, blankets and one more thing. Before they made their get-away, they took a framed print off the wall and that completed their plunder.
The print was a copy of a famous photograph, “Grace,” taken in Bovey, Minnesota, 1918, by Eric Enstrom. The familiar print hangs in homes and businesses worldwide. The subject is a bearded, older gentleman posed in prayer. On the table before him is a book, a pair of spectacles, a bowl of gruel, a knife, and a loaf of bread.
What caused burglars to steal a print depicting prayer? Who knows? But the very act has me thinking about robbing God of thanks for food. When thanks is given before a meal, it is often referred to as “saying grace,” or saying “a blessing” over the food.
From Jewish history there are examples of expressing thanksgiving to God before and after a meal. “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you” (Deuteronomy 8:10).
Jesus broke bread and gave thanks. Praise before a meal was directed to God who bountifully “brings bread out of the earth,” says Jerusalem scholar David Bivin.
Mr. Bivin goes on to say, “One does not bless the food, nor does one even ask God to bless the food. One blesses God who provides the food.”
When a bearded, saintly old man walked into Eric Enstom’s photography studio in 1918, the photographer saw a kind face with no malice. Charles Wilden was a peddler who hoped to sell a foot-scraper to Mr. Enstrom.
Mr. Enstrom was preparing a portfolio to take to a photography convention. He said he wanted to take a photo that would “show people that even though they had to do without many things because of the war they still had much to be thankful for.”
Enstrom asked the peddler if he would pose for him. The photographer said of Wilden, “To bow his head in prayer seemed to be characteristic . . . for he struck the pose very easily and naturally.”
Hurried people sometime forego a blessing toward God, and “grace” is stolen. Lead your family in giving thanks to the “one who brings bread from the earth.”
www.cathymessecar.com
The print was a copy of a famous photograph, “Grace,” taken in Bovey, Minnesota, 1918, by Eric Enstrom. The familiar print hangs in homes and businesses worldwide. The subject is a bearded, older gentleman posed in prayer. On the table before him is a book, a pair of spectacles, a bowl of gruel, a knife, and a loaf of bread.
What caused burglars to steal a print depicting prayer? Who knows? But the very act has me thinking about robbing God of thanks for food. When thanks is given before a meal, it is often referred to as “saying grace,” or saying “a blessing” over the food.
From Jewish history there are examples of expressing thanksgiving to God before and after a meal. “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you” (Deuteronomy 8:10).
Jesus broke bread and gave thanks. Praise before a meal was directed to God who bountifully “brings bread out of the earth,” says Jerusalem scholar David Bivin.
Mr. Bivin goes on to say, “One does not bless the food, nor does one even ask God to bless the food. One blesses God who provides the food.”
When a bearded, saintly old man walked into Eric Enstom’s photography studio in 1918, the photographer saw a kind face with no malice. Charles Wilden was a peddler who hoped to sell a foot-scraper to Mr. Enstrom.
Mr. Enstrom was preparing a portfolio to take to a photography convention. He said he wanted to take a photo that would “show people that even though they had to do without many things because of the war they still had much to be thankful for.”
Enstrom asked the peddler if he would pose for him. The photographer said of Wilden, “To bow his head in prayer seemed to be characteristic . . . for he struck the pose very easily and naturally.”
Hurried people sometime forego a blessing toward God, and “grace” is stolen. Lead your family in giving thanks to the “one who brings bread from the earth.”
www.cathymessecar.com
Sunday, March 19, 2006
A Quote about Meek
In Vine's Dictionary of New Testament Words--About the word "meek": "It is equanimity of spirit that is neither elated nor cast down, simply because it is not occupied with self at all."
Friday, March 17, 2006
Jesus, Debonair?
“Blessed are the debonair for they shall inherit the earth.” When the French translated the third beatitude that is how they rendered, “Blessed are the meek.”
“Debonair” in English means pleasant manners, courteous and gracious. It is a word from Old French that means “of good disposition.”
Essential to the Christian walk is the understanding of the word “meek.” What does it really mean? The dictionary defines meek as “humble, patient, or submissive as under provocation from others” also as “overly patient; spiritless; tame.” A little wimpy for Cathy’s dictionary.
I much prefer preachers’ definition of “meek” as “power under control.” Moses fits that description—solid leader, a man who went before kings, a family man. Moses had his faults, but he was viewed as a “very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Moses was teachable.
“Meek” doesn’t mean perfect except when describing Jesus. More than anything, “meek” probably means that a person is teachable. When corrected or instructed, some give a flippant answer of “Whatever.” Besides not being courteous it belies an un-teachable spirit
My friend Jan says that one of her prayers for arrogant or self-reliant people is that “they come to the end of themselves.” That’s the door to a university of “higher” learning, where a person recognizes faults and can learn better living patterns from above.
Jesus gives the lead on what “meek” means when he said about himself, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” He then said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle [meek] and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
Jesus invites those who are tired of trying to control themselves to team up and be taught. He’s not a slave driver; he’ll shoulder the load, too. He’ll get in the harness with the student.
The word “debonair” and Jesus seem not to belong in the same sentence. However, if the word means a teacher who will come alongside of a student and help them come to the end of themselves, then Jesus is debonair.
www.cathymessecar.com
“Debonair” in English means pleasant manners, courteous and gracious. It is a word from Old French that means “of good disposition.”
Essential to the Christian walk is the understanding of the word “meek.” What does it really mean? The dictionary defines meek as “humble, patient, or submissive as under provocation from others” also as “overly patient; spiritless; tame.” A little wimpy for Cathy’s dictionary.
I much prefer preachers’ definition of “meek” as “power under control.” Moses fits that description—solid leader, a man who went before kings, a family man. Moses had his faults, but he was viewed as a “very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Moses was teachable.
“Meek” doesn’t mean perfect except when describing Jesus. More than anything, “meek” probably means that a person is teachable. When corrected or instructed, some give a flippant answer of “Whatever.” Besides not being courteous it belies an un-teachable spirit
My friend Jan says that one of her prayers for arrogant or self-reliant people is that “they come to the end of themselves.” That’s the door to a university of “higher” learning, where a person recognizes faults and can learn better living patterns from above.
Jesus gives the lead on what “meek” means when he said about himself, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” He then said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle [meek] and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
Jesus invites those who are tired of trying to control themselves to team up and be taught. He’s not a slave driver; he’ll shoulder the load, too. He’ll get in the harness with the student.
The word “debonair” and Jesus seem not to belong in the same sentence. However, if the word means a teacher who will come alongside of a student and help them come to the end of themselves, then Jesus is debonair.
www.cathymessecar.com
Friday, March 10, 2006
Fasting
Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
I’ve heard if the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy. In a recent column, I mentioned junk mail as a time thief that adds another layer to already busy lives. Sometimes I feel like a tree landed on my home, only it descended in sheets of paper. I wish I could fast from junk mail.
Catalogs, credit card applications, political brochures—in a year’s time reams of paper were toted into our home. Perhaps, someone will invent a mailbox with a shredder. Even pricey, I might invest in one.
But junk mail isn’t the only culprit that crowds taxed schedules. Busyness is sometimes self-inflicted when overdoses of entertainment is preferred to productive work or rest. Television, telephone and computers have a place in life, but over indulgences, become addictions.
A health and science Web site reports the average household has a television on 6 hours and 47 minutes, and that 66% of families watch television and eat dinner. Annually, a staggering 260 billion hours of TV is watched by Americans.
During Lent many people of faith are fasting, but not all are fasting from food. At the first semester of seminary, a professor asks his students to fast from media for one week. Another professor/mentor recommended that a female student fast from dating for three months. The student found time to focus on studies and life direction. Then, the student quarantined herself from dating for an additional three months.
In Lauren F. Winner’s book Mudhouse Sabbath, she tells how she fasted from reading during Lent. Fasting has a purpose. In an article, Ms. Winner wrote, “We give up something for Lent to align ourselves with the heart, will, and experience of Jesus.”
Ms. Winner continues, “Fasting teaches us that we are not utterly subject to our bodily desires. And in sated and overfed America, fasting reminds us, sharply, of the poor.” Fasting is like walking a tightrope—imbalance is noticed. Denial of self may be foreign, but God calls followers to contemplation, meditation, solitude, silence and abstinence.
Lauren Winner also says about fasting, “It is a necessary tool for rousing us from our day-to-day sleepwalking.” Trudging in the trench the world has carved out? Stupored by cultural demands? Feel compelled to answer each time the planet rings your doorbell? Fast from the clamor.
Be quiet. Be still. Know God.
www.cathymessecar.com
I’ve heard if the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy. In a recent column, I mentioned junk mail as a time thief that adds another layer to already busy lives. Sometimes I feel like a tree landed on my home, only it descended in sheets of paper. I wish I could fast from junk mail.
Catalogs, credit card applications, political brochures—in a year’s time reams of paper were toted into our home. Perhaps, someone will invent a mailbox with a shredder. Even pricey, I might invest in one.
But junk mail isn’t the only culprit that crowds taxed schedules. Busyness is sometimes self-inflicted when overdoses of entertainment is preferred to productive work or rest. Television, telephone and computers have a place in life, but over indulgences, become addictions.
A health and science Web site reports the average household has a television on 6 hours and 47 minutes, and that 66% of families watch television and eat dinner. Annually, a staggering 260 billion hours of TV is watched by Americans.
During Lent many people of faith are fasting, but not all are fasting from food. At the first semester of seminary, a professor asks his students to fast from media for one week. Another professor/mentor recommended that a female student fast from dating for three months. The student found time to focus on studies and life direction. Then, the student quarantined herself from dating for an additional three months.
In Lauren F. Winner’s book Mudhouse Sabbath, she tells how she fasted from reading during Lent. Fasting has a purpose. In an article, Ms. Winner wrote, “We give up something for Lent to align ourselves with the heart, will, and experience of Jesus.”
Ms. Winner continues, “Fasting teaches us that we are not utterly subject to our bodily desires. And in sated and overfed America, fasting reminds us, sharply, of the poor.” Fasting is like walking a tightrope—imbalance is noticed. Denial of self may be foreign, but God calls followers to contemplation, meditation, solitude, silence and abstinence.
Lauren Winner also says about fasting, “It is a necessary tool for rousing us from our day-to-day sleepwalking.” Trudging in the trench the world has carved out? Stupored by cultural demands? Feel compelled to answer each time the planet rings your doorbell? Fast from the clamor.
Be quiet. Be still. Know God.
www.cathymessecar.com
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Blaspheming the Holy Spirit
I thought that B Shelburne answered this well and wanted to add this to my blog. So many people seem to focus on this verse that condemns instead of the verse that says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him " (John 3:16, 17).
You may sign up to receive B's "Nuggets Email devotionals." Information below.
Nuggets 10: "The Unpardonable Sin"
"I need to talk to you," she said. "In your lecture you read where Jesus said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit can never be forgiven. I am so afraid I may have committed that sin."
This young lady was one of my brightest, most receptive students. While listening to a sermon, she said, irreverent thoughts had gone through her mind that shocked her. Now she was living under a cloud of fear. Her religious upbringing had hidden from her the love of God and set her up for this kind of false guilt.
I answered her like this: Though Jesus does speak of an unforgivable sin called blasphemy against the Spirit, by definition blasphemy is committed with the tongue. Only the most perverted, hardened heart is capable of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Against clearest evidence, the wicked Jewish leaders accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of the devil. Since Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit, these leaders were calling the Holy Spirit the prince of demons. Truth meant nothing to these men. They were incapable of remorse. When a person can feel remorse and longs to be right with God, he/she does not have the kind of heart that could commit the ultimate sin. The best evidence of all is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life. Had you blasphemed the Spirit, you can be sure He would not have remained in you producing the "fruit of the Spirit" and the reverence for God which we all see in you.
Matthew 12:22-37; Galatians 5:22,23
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Copyright 2006 by G.B. Shelburne, III. May be freely reproduced or forwarded for non-commercial purposes provided content is unchanged and this copyright notice is included. These shepherding messages are sent to members and friends of New Beginnings Church (nbchurch.com), to students and alumni of South Houston Bible Institute (shbi.org), and to other interested persons. TO UNSUBSCRIBE, hit "Reply" and type the word "Remove" in the message area. TO SUBSCRIBE, email bshelburne@shbi.org
Scriptures are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION © 1978 and 1984 by the New York International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Tuition-free evening classes: www.shbi.org
Distance Learning Bible courses: www.shbi.org/content/distance/distancelearn.htm
To support SHBI's ministry: www.shbi.org/content/finances/finances.htm
South Houston Bible InstituteTuition-Free Evening ClassesDistance Learning Classes"Nuggets" Email Devotionals14325 Crescent Landing DrHouston, TX 77062-2178www.shbi.orgPh 281-990-8899Fx 281-990-8877To join our group, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/ and sign in.For more information contact Steve Sandifer atsteve.sandifer@swcentral.organd sign in.For more information contact Steve Sandifer atsteve.sandifer@swcentral.org
You may sign up to receive B's "Nuggets Email devotionals." Information below.
Nuggets 10: "The Unpardonable Sin"
"I need to talk to you," she said. "In your lecture you read where Jesus said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit can never be forgiven. I am so afraid I may have committed that sin."
This young lady was one of my brightest, most receptive students. While listening to a sermon, she said, irreverent thoughts had gone through her mind that shocked her. Now she was living under a cloud of fear. Her religious upbringing had hidden from her the love of God and set her up for this kind of false guilt.
I answered her like this: Though Jesus does speak of an unforgivable sin called blasphemy against the Spirit, by definition blasphemy is committed with the tongue. Only the most perverted, hardened heart is capable of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Against clearest evidence, the wicked Jewish leaders accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of the devil. Since Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit, these leaders were calling the Holy Spirit the prince of demons. Truth meant nothing to these men. They were incapable of remorse. When a person can feel remorse and longs to be right with God, he/she does not have the kind of heart that could commit the ultimate sin. The best evidence of all is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life. Had you blasphemed the Spirit, you can be sure He would not have remained in you producing the "fruit of the Spirit" and the reverence for God which we all see in you.
Matthew 12:22-37; Galatians 5:22,23
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Copyright 2006 by G.B. Shelburne, III. May be freely reproduced or forwarded for non-commercial purposes provided content is unchanged and this copyright notice is included. These shepherding messages are sent to members and friends of New Beginnings Church (nbchurch.com), to students and alumni of South Houston Bible Institute (shbi.org), and to other interested persons. TO UNSUBSCRIBE, hit "Reply" and type the word "Remove" in the message area. TO SUBSCRIBE, email bshelburne@shbi.org
Scriptures are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION © 1978 and 1984 by the New York International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Tuition-free evening classes: www.shbi.org
Distance Learning Bible courses: www.shbi.org/content/distance/distancelearn.htm
To support SHBI's ministry: www.shbi.org/content/finances/finances.htm
South Houston Bible InstituteTuition-Free Evening ClassesDistance Learning Classes"Nuggets" Email Devotionals14325 Crescent Landing DrHouston, TX 77062-2178www.shbi.orgPh 281-990-8899Fx 281-990-8877To join our group, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/ and sign in.For more information contact Steve Sandifer atsteve.sandifer@swcentral.organd sign in.For more information contact Steve Sandifer atsteve.sandifer@swcentral.org
Sunday, March 05, 2006
When Jesus Becomes Real
In the Orlando Sentinel I read about a former drug addict, Glen King, who pedals a bike pulling a train of trailers. Inside the trailers, he has Bibles and devotional books. His mode of transportation is pedaling, but he doesn’t sell Bibles, he gives them away. Odd jobs allow him to supply free Bibles and devotional books. When Jesus becomes real to a person, a person does extraordinary things.
A prison guard, assigned to secure an area also acted unexpectedly after meeting Jesus. His encounter with Jesus is found in Acts16. Paul and Silas were in Philippi preaching the gospel of Jesus, his message of love and forgiveness. However, trouble began to brew.
Several businessmen owned a demon possessed slave girl. They touted her services of fortune-telling and predicting the future. Clients paid extravagant amounts to the charlatans. But when the tortured girl cried out to Paul and Silas for healing, Paul commanded the demon to come out in the name of Jesus. No longer under the spell of evil, she lost her fortune telling powers.
Of course, the vile men who used this poor girl to line their silky pockets with gold were incensed. The love of money and profit margin caused the merchants to drag Paul and Silas “into the marketplace to face the authorities” (vs. 20). The magistrates commanded they be stripped and beaten. After being “severely flogged” (23), a jailer imprisoned them in secure ankle stocks.
About midnight from their cell, Paul and Silas could be heard praying and singing hymns to God. Bruised and ripped flesh responding with praise—most unusual. Other prisoners listened. Most often they’d heard moans and curses from brutally beaten prisoners. But not this night. Paul and Silas knew the real Jesus, and they prayed and sang.
During their God-serenade, a violent earthquake loosed what man had bound. Every prison door flew open. Each prisoner’s chains fell slack. The quaking awoke the jailer, and when he saw prison doors ajar, he drew his sword to kill himself. Death was his expected sentence if he let prisoners escape. Paul cried out, “Don’t harm yourself. We are all here” (vs. 28).
The jailer shouted for torch-lights and rushed into Paul and Silas’ cell. Trembling, he fell before them, “What must I do to be saved?”
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household” (vs. 31). On a dirty prison floor on his knees, the jailer met the real Jesus. Then the jailer did an amazing thing. He took Paul and Silas out of the prison, called for water and cloths and washed their torn bodies. The once calloused jailer, after meeting Jesus, could no longer ignore suffering. After their comfort, the jailer and his household were baptized. Jesus washed their sins and indifference away.
Former drug addict Glen King passes out Bibles, severely beaten Paul and Silas sang and prayed. A crusty jailer became a Christian nursemaid. Jesus is the source for the extraordinary life.
www.cathymessecar.com
A prison guard, assigned to secure an area also acted unexpectedly after meeting Jesus. His encounter with Jesus is found in Acts16. Paul and Silas were in Philippi preaching the gospel of Jesus, his message of love and forgiveness. However, trouble began to brew.
Several businessmen owned a demon possessed slave girl. They touted her services of fortune-telling and predicting the future. Clients paid extravagant amounts to the charlatans. But when the tortured girl cried out to Paul and Silas for healing, Paul commanded the demon to come out in the name of Jesus. No longer under the spell of evil, she lost her fortune telling powers.
Of course, the vile men who used this poor girl to line their silky pockets with gold were incensed. The love of money and profit margin caused the merchants to drag Paul and Silas “into the marketplace to face the authorities” (vs. 20). The magistrates commanded they be stripped and beaten. After being “severely flogged” (23), a jailer imprisoned them in secure ankle stocks.
About midnight from their cell, Paul and Silas could be heard praying and singing hymns to God. Bruised and ripped flesh responding with praise—most unusual. Other prisoners listened. Most often they’d heard moans and curses from brutally beaten prisoners. But not this night. Paul and Silas knew the real Jesus, and they prayed and sang.
During their God-serenade, a violent earthquake loosed what man had bound. Every prison door flew open. Each prisoner’s chains fell slack. The quaking awoke the jailer, and when he saw prison doors ajar, he drew his sword to kill himself. Death was his expected sentence if he let prisoners escape. Paul cried out, “Don’t harm yourself. We are all here” (vs. 28).
The jailer shouted for torch-lights and rushed into Paul and Silas’ cell. Trembling, he fell before them, “What must I do to be saved?”
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household” (vs. 31). On a dirty prison floor on his knees, the jailer met the real Jesus. Then the jailer did an amazing thing. He took Paul and Silas out of the prison, called for water and cloths and washed their torn bodies. The once calloused jailer, after meeting Jesus, could no longer ignore suffering. After their comfort, the jailer and his household were baptized. Jesus washed their sins and indifference away.
Former drug addict Glen King passes out Bibles, severely beaten Paul and Silas sang and prayed. A crusty jailer became a Christian nursemaid. Jesus is the source for the extraordinary life.
www.cathymessecar.com
Monday, February 27, 2006
Nuggets 8: Married to an Unbeliever
When we walked into Roy's living room, we saw something we never expected to see.
One night, fifteen years earlier, Maria told her husband Roy that she had just been baptized. Roy groaned and turned his face toward the wall. Maria saw in that moment how hard her path would be. But she had read from Peter that a man who doesn't believe the word may be "won without words" by the Christlike attitude and behavior of his wife. Maria decided right then that she would be the best wife a man ever had.
We met Roy and Maria through missionary friends in Malawi. Roy was a gentleman and quite sociable but had no time for religion. He was christened as a baby but had no faith of his own. Briefly when Roy had cancer surgery he began to read the Bible and talk about his soul. But as he got well he lost interest. When the couple retired to Cyprus, I wrote him a letter: "I won't force anything on you, but we love you. If you ever want to talk about your relationship with Christ, we are ready."
Years later Roy and Maria came to see us during a tour of America. Almost immediately Maria said, "Roy wants to talk to you." Roy wanted to give his life to Christ, but being a proper British gentleman, was embarrassed about getting all wet in a baptistry in front of his friends. I said, "Roy, maybe one of the reasons God gave us baptism was to test our humility and obedience." Roy promised to think on it that night. Next morning he was ready and I baptized him. A few years later Ruth and I visited the couple on Cyprus. As we entered their living room, there beside Roy's recliner were his Bible and concordance. The couple was hosting a house church.
1 Peter 3:1-6
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Copyright 2006 by G.B. Shelburne, III. May be freely reproduced or forwarded for non-commercial purposes provided content is unchanged and this copyright notice is included. These shepherding messages are sent to members and friends of New Beginnings Church (nbchurch.com), to students and alumni of South Houston Bible Institute (shbi.org), and to other interested persons. TO UNSUBSCRIBE, hit "Reply" and type the word "Remove" in the message area. TO SUBSCRIBE, email bshelburne@shbi.org
Scriptures are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION © 1978 and 1984 by the New York International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Tuition-free evening classes: www.shbi.org
Distance Learning Bible courses: www.shbi.org/content/distance/distancelearn.htm
To support SHBI's ministry: www.shbi.org/content/finances/finances.htm
South Houston Bible InstituteTuition-Free Evening ClassesDistance Learning Classes"Nuggets" Email Devotionals14325 Crescent Landing DrHouston, TX 77062-2178www.shbi.orgPh 281-990-8899Fx 281-990-8877To join our group, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/ and sign in.For more information contact Steve Sandifer atsteve.sandifer@swcentral.organd sign in.For more information contact Steve Sandifer atsteve.sandifer@swcentral.org
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When we walked into Roy's living room, we saw something we never expected to see.
One night, fifteen years earlier, Maria told her husband Roy that she had just been baptized. Roy groaned and turned his face toward the wall. Maria saw in that moment how hard her path would be. But she had read from Peter that a man who doesn't believe the word may be "won without words" by the Christlike attitude and behavior of his wife. Maria decided right then that she would be the best wife a man ever had.
We met Roy and Maria through missionary friends in Malawi. Roy was a gentleman and quite sociable but had no time for religion. He was christened as a baby but had no faith of his own. Briefly when Roy had cancer surgery he began to read the Bible and talk about his soul. But as he got well he lost interest. When the couple retired to Cyprus, I wrote him a letter: "I won't force anything on you, but we love you. If you ever want to talk about your relationship with Christ, we are ready."
Years later Roy and Maria came to see us during a tour of America. Almost immediately Maria said, "Roy wants to talk to you." Roy wanted to give his life to Christ, but being a proper British gentleman, was embarrassed about getting all wet in a baptistry in front of his friends. I said, "Roy, maybe one of the reasons God gave us baptism was to test our humility and obedience." Roy promised to think on it that night. Next morning he was ready and I baptized him. A few years later Ruth and I visited the couple on Cyprus. As we entered their living room, there beside Roy's recliner were his Bible and concordance. The couple was hosting a house church.
1 Peter 3:1-6
-------
Copyright 2006 by G.B. Shelburne, III. May be freely reproduced or forwarded for non-commercial purposes provided content is unchanged and this copyright notice is included. These shepherding messages are sent to members and friends of New Beginnings Church (nbchurch.com), to students and alumni of South Houston Bible Institute (shbi.org), and to other interested persons. TO UNSUBSCRIBE, hit "Reply" and type the word "Remove" in the message area. TO SUBSCRIBE, email bshelburne@shbi.org
Scriptures are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION © 1978 and 1984 by the New York International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Tuition-free evening classes: www.shbi.org
Distance Learning Bible courses: www.shbi.org/content/distance/distancelearn.htm
To support SHBI's ministry: www.shbi.org/content/finances/finances.htm
South Houston Bible InstituteTuition-Free Evening ClassesDistance Learning Classes"Nuggets" Email Devotionals14325 Crescent Landing DrHouston, TX 77062-2178www.shbi.orgPh 281-990-8899Fx 281-990-8877To join our group, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/ and sign in.For more information contact Steve Sandifer atsteve.sandifer@swcentral.organd sign in.For more information contact Steve Sandifer atsteve.sandifer@swcentral.org
SPONSORED LINKS
State of texas child support
Texas secretary of state
State of texas incorporation
Texas state birth record
Texas state flag
Notary public state of texas
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
Visit your group "HoustonCofC" on the web.
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: HoustonCofC-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Friendships—Handshakes and Hugs
The north winds blew across the Texas Panhandle swept into Abilene and pierced wool coats as if they were T-shirts. This past week, I spent a few days on Abilene Christian University’s campus. The chilly weather no way mirrored the warmth of friends reuniting after months or years of not seeing each other.
On campus, a booth-filled gymnasium was transformed into bookstore and information outlet for many ministries. A women’s group had a stall and sold homemade pies. The immediate area was furnished with plenty of tables and chairs and became a central meeting place for friends. Sitting alone a few times, I witnessed longtime friends reuniting. Warm bear hugs and handshakes between men, and among the women, squeals and 90-degree-Farenheit smiles—they became the room’s thermostat.
In our culture gone mad with noise and a variety of distractions, quiet moments with friends bring refreshment. My days with dear friends reminded me of Jesus and his companions who experienced this camaraderie. The frenetic days of Jesus’ ministry were balanced by withdrawing with his friends to deserted places.
Jesus, the Son of God, is the answer to noise pollution of my life. Because of crowds and their almost constant neediness, Jesus often traveled to uninhabited areas (1:45). No doubt, Jesus loved the crowds, but to garner strength, he spent time in prayer or with an intimate group of friends. In his story, I see the restorative power of such times.
While here on earth, Jesus had a flesh and blood body and his needs reflect needs of humanity. His physical body required rest, and his mind and heart required respite. God’s love and message are capable of reaching through the clatter of daily routine. But I find it difficult to distinguish the call of God when the blast of a television is in the background. In the last few years I felt a need to shut out noise that I can control. Of late, I made a conscious effort to weed noise from my environment. I used to turn on a morning newscast, but that no longer happens. I used to listen to talk radio every few days. I’m weaned from the airways.
Me, myself, and I are not that great of a companion, but in the silence, in the quiet, my friend Jesus is given a better opportunity to abide with me. He is Bread, Sanctuary, Life and Light. He fills in the dark gaps in my life.
The quiet and ordered environment I desire has not been perfected, and I doubt it will be while dwelling on earth. Of course, not all life-intrusions come by way of noise. Some don’t have decibel ratings, but they keep us from an intentional time with God and friends. Unsolicited junk mail is one that comes to mind. My on-going goals are to free myself from such life-trappings, to have more time for retreats with family and friends.
The word “companion” is formed from two Latin words: com/with and panis/ bread. Those we break bread with are companions. I love the times when friends arrange to meet in someone’s home. Pat, Doris, Betty, Mary Jo, Sherri, and Kay, bring their offerings of fruit salad, baked chicken, and bread. Conversations percolate through meal time, through breaking bread.
Of course, the best friend is Jesus who is a constant attendant. He assists at 2:00 A.M. or noonday. This Prince of Peace owns time, he is the time keeper. Always near, he is ready with a quiet meal for a friend. He is the meal, the one who always brings the bread—Jesus, the Christ.
The north winds blew across the Texas Panhandle swept into Abilene and pierced wool coats as if they were T-shirts. This past week, I spent a few days on Abilene Christian University’s campus. The chilly weather no way mirrored the warmth of friends reuniting after months or years of not seeing each other.
On campus, a booth-filled gymnasium was transformed into bookstore and information outlet for many ministries. A women’s group had a stall and sold homemade pies. The immediate area was furnished with plenty of tables and chairs and became a central meeting place for friends. Sitting alone a few times, I witnessed longtime friends reuniting. Warm bear hugs and handshakes between men, and among the women, squeals and 90-degree-Farenheit smiles—they became the room’s thermostat.
In our culture gone mad with noise and a variety of distractions, quiet moments with friends bring refreshment. My days with dear friends reminded me of Jesus and his companions who experienced this camaraderie. The frenetic days of Jesus’ ministry were balanced by withdrawing with his friends to deserted places.
Jesus, the Son of God, is the answer to noise pollution of my life. Because of crowds and their almost constant neediness, Jesus often traveled to uninhabited areas (1:45). No doubt, Jesus loved the crowds, but to garner strength, he spent time in prayer or with an intimate group of friends. In his story, I see the restorative power of such times.
While here on earth, Jesus had a flesh and blood body and his needs reflect needs of humanity. His physical body required rest, and his mind and heart required respite. God’s love and message are capable of reaching through the clatter of daily routine. But I find it difficult to distinguish the call of God when the blast of a television is in the background. In the last few years I felt a need to shut out noise that I can control. Of late, I made a conscious effort to weed noise from my environment. I used to turn on a morning newscast, but that no longer happens. I used to listen to talk radio every few days. I’m weaned from the airways.
Me, myself, and I are not that great of a companion, but in the silence, in the quiet, my friend Jesus is given a better opportunity to abide with me. He is Bread, Sanctuary, Life and Light. He fills in the dark gaps in my life.
The quiet and ordered environment I desire has not been perfected, and I doubt it will be while dwelling on earth. Of course, not all life-intrusions come by way of noise. Some don’t have decibel ratings, but they keep us from an intentional time with God and friends. Unsolicited junk mail is one that comes to mind. My on-going goals are to free myself from such life-trappings, to have more time for retreats with family and friends.
The word “companion” is formed from two Latin words: com/with and panis/ bread. Those we break bread with are companions. I love the times when friends arrange to meet in someone’s home. Pat, Doris, Betty, Mary Jo, Sherri, and Kay, bring their offerings of fruit salad, baked chicken, and bread. Conversations percolate through meal time, through breaking bread.
Of course, the best friend is Jesus who is a constant attendant. He assists at 2:00 A.M. or noonday. This Prince of Peace owns time, he is the time keeper. Always near, he is ready with a quiet meal for a friend. He is the meal, the one who always brings the bread—Jesus, the Christ.
Friday, February 17, 2006
www.cathymessecar.com
Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some sort of battle.
Kindness may seem a vague word, one covering a variety of niceties. But thoughtfulness is not hazy or unclear. The week of February 14th is designated as Kindness Week by Congress. This week is celebrated with compassionate acts and emphasizes practicing consideration year round.
In 1993, Dr. Chuck Wall, heard a news commentator describe a horrible event as “just another senseless act of violence.” That’s when he presented his college class with a challenge. He encouraged them to go out and commit a “random act of senseless kindness and write about it.”
But Dr. Wall’s motivational story started earlier than the college assignment. In junior high and high school, his grades weren’t that good. He was treated as if he didn’t have learning capacity. Finally diagnosed with severe onset retinitis pigmentosa (RP), Wall said, “I was so relieved.” He went home and told his parents, “The only thing wrong with me is I’m going blind!”
He enrolled in college, and the first semester would have failed except for one young man’s help. With the growing obstacles of RP, he maintained a C average and received his degree. He went to graduate school, completing three Masters with a 3.95 grade point. Finally, he received his Ph. D. with a 4.0, all because kind people helped him.
Media reports often focus on upsetting news—murder, bankruptcy, theft, gang violence, rampant street drugs. Because of technology, a tragedy can happen in Budapest, Hungary or Bogotá, Colombia and we hear about it immediately.
Most who receive such news don’t have personal resources or connections to alleviate massive suffering. But many hands, in imitation of God’s grace, compassion, and bountiful love (Jonah 4: 2), can lessen misery a world away. Closer-at-home generosities such as casseroles for the sick and letting a driver “go first” brighten neighborhoods.
I recall a simple act of charity that cheered me. While shopping, I reached for a bottle of salad dressing, a specific brand we like. Beside the bottle someone had propped a coupon—not outdated—for the exact flavor I was about to buy. Because of thoughtfulness for another, an earlier shopper saved me 50 cents. I wrote my first letter to an editor about that simple gift.
Though blind, Dr. Chuck Wall had a vision for a struggling world, where benevolence could make a difference. Charles Kuralt said, “The everyday kindness of the back roads more than makes up for the acts of greed in the headlines.” This week, this year, celebrate big heartedness.
Pour the milk of human kindness into the world’s tin cup.
www.cathymessecar.com
Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some sort of battle.
Kindness may seem a vague word, one covering a variety of niceties. But thoughtfulness is not hazy or unclear. The week of February 14th is designated as Kindness Week by Congress. This week is celebrated with compassionate acts and emphasizes practicing consideration year round.
In 1993, Dr. Chuck Wall, heard a news commentator describe a horrible event as “just another senseless act of violence.” That’s when he presented his college class with a challenge. He encouraged them to go out and commit a “random act of senseless kindness and write about it.”
But Dr. Wall’s motivational story started earlier than the college assignment. In junior high and high school, his grades weren’t that good. He was treated as if he didn’t have learning capacity. Finally diagnosed with severe onset retinitis pigmentosa (RP), Wall said, “I was so relieved.” He went home and told his parents, “The only thing wrong with me is I’m going blind!”
He enrolled in college, and the first semester would have failed except for one young man’s help. With the growing obstacles of RP, he maintained a C average and received his degree. He went to graduate school, completing three Masters with a 3.95 grade point. Finally, he received his Ph. D. with a 4.0, all because kind people helped him.
Media reports often focus on upsetting news—murder, bankruptcy, theft, gang violence, rampant street drugs. Because of technology, a tragedy can happen in Budapest, Hungary or Bogotá, Colombia and we hear about it immediately.
Most who receive such news don’t have personal resources or connections to alleviate massive suffering. But many hands, in imitation of God’s grace, compassion, and bountiful love (Jonah 4: 2), can lessen misery a world away. Closer-at-home generosities such as casseroles for the sick and letting a driver “go first” brighten neighborhoods.
I recall a simple act of charity that cheered me. While shopping, I reached for a bottle of salad dressing, a specific brand we like. Beside the bottle someone had propped a coupon—not outdated—for the exact flavor I was about to buy. Because of thoughtfulness for another, an earlier shopper saved me 50 cents. I wrote my first letter to an editor about that simple gift.
Though blind, Dr. Chuck Wall had a vision for a struggling world, where benevolence could make a difference. Charles Kuralt said, “The everyday kindness of the back roads more than makes up for the acts of greed in the headlines.” This week, this year, celebrate big heartedness.
Pour the milk of human kindness into the world’s tin cup.
www.cathymessecar.com
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Bow the Knee
www.cathymessecar.com
Earl Williams had quadruple bypass surgery and his first hospital stay. At the hospital, he assumed a different role. Instead of parking in the ministers’ reserved area and visiting the sick, he lay in an airy hospital gown receiving visitors. His sweet wife Barbara recalled the many kindnesses from staff, family and friends.
Folks rallied to “bless,” serve, Earl and Barbara. The word “bless” means to kneel or to bow the knee. In Genesis the 12th chapter, God made promises to Abram, and God used the word “bless” in at least two distinct ways.
“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you: I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
The Hebrew archives at www.studylight..org explains, “The idea of blessing may come from several factors including that of bending the knees to give or to receive.” Both elements of giving and receiving are present in Genesis 12. First, God bowed his knees and served Abram’s clan, and eventually through his lineage gifted the entire earth with the Savior. Abram believed God’s promises, appreciated his provisions, and in turn bowed his knees in service to family and foreigners.
Abram bowing his knee to serve God and contemporaries is easily imagined. However, the concept of God on his knees meeting my very real needs is more difficult to visualize. From the earliest days, God served, expressed his all-out love. The Creator seeded the earth and set up an atmosphere to support it. For thousands of years, God nurtured, but humans bit the hand that fed them. From the beginning, God planned to complete the demonstration of his love.
God’s kneeling-to-give and his extravagant measures to woe us to him, culminated in Jesus. Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14: 9). On the evening before his crucifixion, Jesus, God in the flesh, showed his disciples the “full extent of his love” (13:1).
Jesus and his disciples settled to dine, but street grime journeyed to the table on their feet. Instead of waiting for a servant, Jesus got up, took off his outer garment and wrapped a towel around his waist.
After pouring water into a basin, Jesus knelt and one at a time lifted 24 dirty feet. Wash and dry. Wash and dry. John. Andrew. James. Bartholomew. Judas. The cleansing wasn’t over in a moment. Jesus moved from man to man, foot to foot. He physically touched each disciple.
What thoughts did Jesus have as he washed each foot? Was he also saying goodbyes, for the men’s sake? Would they recall the moments when God held their feet and washed the dirt of earth away?
Would they remember him kneeling, lower than them? Would they remember looking down into his eyes? He didn’t look like a king. He didn’t look like Lord of heaven, Lord of earth. He looked like a servant.
When Jesus reached for Peter’s foot, Peter said, “You shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus said, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me . . . later you will understand.”
God’s lavish love is not limited by protocol. God bowed his knee to Abram, so Abram could “be a blessing.” Today, God still bows his knees in service. With prolific love, he kneels and heals. He kneels to wipe sins away.
www.cathymessecar.com
Earl Williams had quadruple bypass surgery and his first hospital stay. At the hospital, he assumed a different role. Instead of parking in the ministers’ reserved area and visiting the sick, he lay in an airy hospital gown receiving visitors. His sweet wife Barbara recalled the many kindnesses from staff, family and friends.
Folks rallied to “bless,” serve, Earl and Barbara. The word “bless” means to kneel or to bow the knee. In Genesis the 12th chapter, God made promises to Abram, and God used the word “bless” in at least two distinct ways.
“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you: I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
The Hebrew archives at www.studylight..org explains, “The idea of blessing may come from several factors including that of bending the knees to give or to receive.” Both elements of giving and receiving are present in Genesis 12. First, God bowed his knees and served Abram’s clan, and eventually through his lineage gifted the entire earth with the Savior. Abram believed God’s promises, appreciated his provisions, and in turn bowed his knees in service to family and foreigners.
Abram bowing his knee to serve God and contemporaries is easily imagined. However, the concept of God on his knees meeting my very real needs is more difficult to visualize. From the earliest days, God served, expressed his all-out love. The Creator seeded the earth and set up an atmosphere to support it. For thousands of years, God nurtured, but humans bit the hand that fed them. From the beginning, God planned to complete the demonstration of his love.
God’s kneeling-to-give and his extravagant measures to woe us to him, culminated in Jesus. Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14: 9). On the evening before his crucifixion, Jesus, God in the flesh, showed his disciples the “full extent of his love” (13:1).
Jesus and his disciples settled to dine, but street grime journeyed to the table on their feet. Instead of waiting for a servant, Jesus got up, took off his outer garment and wrapped a towel around his waist.
After pouring water into a basin, Jesus knelt and one at a time lifted 24 dirty feet. Wash and dry. Wash and dry. John. Andrew. James. Bartholomew. Judas. The cleansing wasn’t over in a moment. Jesus moved from man to man, foot to foot. He physically touched each disciple.
What thoughts did Jesus have as he washed each foot? Was he also saying goodbyes, for the men’s sake? Would they recall the moments when God held their feet and washed the dirt of earth away?
Would they remember him kneeling, lower than them? Would they remember looking down into his eyes? He didn’t look like a king. He didn’t look like Lord of heaven, Lord of earth. He looked like a servant.
When Jesus reached for Peter’s foot, Peter said, “You shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus said, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me . . . later you will understand.”
God’s lavish love is not limited by protocol. God bowed his knee to Abram, so Abram could “be a blessing.” Today, God still bows his knees in service. With prolific love, he kneels and heals. He kneels to wipe sins away.
www.cathymessecar.com
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Inspire
The word "inspire" means to breathe or blow (into) to draw or inhale into the lungs; to instruct by divine influence, to instruct or affect with a superior influence, to animate a person.
The etymology of the word is Latin inspirdre: in--in, into; spirdre--to breathe
A writer quoted her pastor, and his saying probed my motives for projects: "If you manufacture your own platform, you will have to manufacture your own anointing."
Benjamin Franklin also inspired me this past week: Printer, statesman,inventor Ben contributed to society. A few of his inventions were "[s]wim fins, bifocals, a glass armonica, watertight bulkheads for ships, the lightning rod, an odometer, and the wood stove (called the Franklin stove)."
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/benfranklin/inventor.html
He refused to apply for patents on any of his inventions because he wanted everyone to benefit from those, not just a few.
His example inspired me to quit charging my husband for cooking supper.
This past week, who or what came like a breath of fresh air into your life and roused up courage, awakened a dream, imbued strength, or lifted consciousness to a higher ledge? Who last inspired you?
The etymology of the word is Latin inspirdre: in--in, into; spirdre--to breathe
A writer quoted her pastor, and his saying probed my motives for projects: "If you manufacture your own platform, you will have to manufacture your own anointing."
Benjamin Franklin also inspired me this past week: Printer, statesman,inventor Ben contributed to society. A few of his inventions were "[s]wim fins, bifocals, a glass armonica, watertight bulkheads for ships, the lightning rod, an odometer, and the wood stove (called the Franklin stove)."
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/benfranklin/inventor.html
He refused to apply for patents on any of his inventions because he wanted everyone to benefit from those, not just a few.
His example inspired me to quit charging my husband for cooking supper.
This past week, who or what came like a breath of fresh air into your life and roused up courage, awakened a dream, imbued strength, or lifted consciousness to a higher ledge? Who last inspired you?
Friday, February 03, 2006
Spear Forgivings
In 1956, missionaries Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming, and Ed McCully made contact with an isolated Waodani tribe in Ecuador. The tribe lived by a code of revenge, and Waodani children grew up learning "they would spear and live or be speared and die." Out of every 10 adult deaths in the Waodanis, six are believed to have died from spearings.
This past week my family watched the documentary Beyond the Gates of Splendor, released in October 2005, a story of sacrifice, death, forgiveness and redemption. In 1956, the five men had made successful contact with the Waodani, and had taken guns along, but decided if they were confronted they would not use them because "we are ready to go to heaven and they are not."
After a few days, of talking with three of the Waodani, the missionaries failed to make regular radio contact with their base. News quickly reached the states about the missing men, and across the United States farmers, clerks, and dignitaries awaited word from the jungles of Ecuador. A search party was sent into the remote area.
Within a few days newscasts reported the fate of the five men. Their speared bodies were found in and near a river. The yellow plane, the modern missionary mule, had been hacked by machetes. A short time later and by God's grace, the families of the slain men made contact with the Waodani tribe. This tragedy of such magnitude resulted in stories of mercy and salvation. Some of the surviving families even lived among the Waodani for years.
The award winning documentary Beyond the Gates of Splendor is on DVD, available for rental or purchase. Actual footage in one scene details the baptism of one of the slain's daughters. When a teenager she wanted to be baptized, and she told about the water-grave. "I was in the same water where Dad's body had been thrown. And on either side of me were the two men who in their youth had killed Dad. All I knew was I really loved those guys."
Another movie chronicling the events, End of the Spear, rated PG-13, is appearing in selected theaters. In this movie, the story of the 1956 slayings is told from the Waodani's perspective. Steve Saint, son of slain missionary Nate Saint, has lived with the tribe and he wanted the story told from their viewpoint, too. At first the Waodani wouldn't give their permission for the filming of a movie, and then Steve Saint told them about the Columbine High School killings. The tribesmen were astonished that in our advanced culture people are also killing innocent people for no reason. The Waodani then said yes to a movie about the spearings, hoping their story would help others.
Although Jesus is not mentioned in the movie, it is evident that his love prompted the forgiveness and love fostered between the families of the slain and the Waodani. Movie viewer Doug Kenny said: "Like grass growing through concrete, there is no stopping what Christ's love can do. The movie is a gift for today."
www.cathymessecar.com
This past week my family watched the documentary Beyond the Gates of Splendor, released in October 2005, a story of sacrifice, death, forgiveness and redemption. In 1956, the five men had made successful contact with the Waodani, and had taken guns along, but decided if they were confronted they would not use them because "we are ready to go to heaven and they are not."
After a few days, of talking with three of the Waodani, the missionaries failed to make regular radio contact with their base. News quickly reached the states about the missing men, and across the United States farmers, clerks, and dignitaries awaited word from the jungles of Ecuador. A search party was sent into the remote area.
Within a few days newscasts reported the fate of the five men. Their speared bodies were found in and near a river. The yellow plane, the modern missionary mule, had been hacked by machetes. A short time later and by God's grace, the families of the slain men made contact with the Waodani tribe. This tragedy of such magnitude resulted in stories of mercy and salvation. Some of the surviving families even lived among the Waodani for years.
The award winning documentary Beyond the Gates of Splendor is on DVD, available for rental or purchase. Actual footage in one scene details the baptism of one of the slain's daughters. When a teenager she wanted to be baptized, and she told about the water-grave. "I was in the same water where Dad's body had been thrown. And on either side of me were the two men who in their youth had killed Dad. All I knew was I really loved those guys."
Another movie chronicling the events, End of the Spear, rated PG-13, is appearing in selected theaters. In this movie, the story of the 1956 slayings is told from the Waodani's perspective. Steve Saint, son of slain missionary Nate Saint, has lived with the tribe and he wanted the story told from their viewpoint, too. At first the Waodani wouldn't give their permission for the filming of a movie, and then Steve Saint told them about the Columbine High School killings. The tribesmen were astonished that in our advanced culture people are also killing innocent people for no reason. The Waodani then said yes to a movie about the spearings, hoping their story would help others.
Although Jesus is not mentioned in the movie, it is evident that his love prompted the forgiveness and love fostered between the families of the slain and the Waodani. Movie viewer Doug Kenny said: "Like grass growing through concrete, there is no stopping what Christ's love can do. The movie is a gift for today."
www.cathymessecar.com
Friday, January 27, 2006
Journey to Belief
www.cathymessecar.com
Converse with 20 different Christians and they will tell you 20 different ways God piqued their interest in him and encouraged their belief in Christ. One such story comes from the Civil War General Lew Wallace who authored the book Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.
Wallace’s mother told him about the Wise Men searching for the King of the Jews. That story enthralled him through his adult years, and Wallace eventually wrote “The First Christmas,” a fictional account of the Wise Men. He didn’t submit it for publication, but put it away. When an adult, Wallace went to church off and on, but confessed his “attitude with respect to religion had been one of absolute indifference.”
He read sermons from some of the “best preachers" of his day—Bossuet, Chalmers, Robert Hall, and Henry Ward Beecher—but only for the "charm of their rhetoric.” In 1876, a “chance” meeting with atheist Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll, breached his indifference. On a train together, Ingersoll discounted believers in God, Christ and heaven with “argument, eloquence, wit, satire,” and “brilliant antitheses,” Wallace later wrote.
General Wallace disembarked alone. Instead of taking the streetcar, he chose to walk a long way to his destination, because of his “confusion of mind.” He had no answers to any of the Colonel’s opinions. Wallace, ashamed of his ignorance, remembered the manuscript he’d written about the Wise Men searching for the Christ Child.
He decided to finish the story, through the crucifixion. He reasoned that the writing would oblige him to study the Bible and everything relevant to the event. He thought he would then possess “opinions of real value.” The book Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ resulted. Wallace also journeyed to a belief in Jesus, “a conviction amounting to absolute belief in God and the Divinity of Christ.”
God addresses unbelief. “I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me.” He continues, “My purpose will stand; and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose” (Isaiah 46:8-10). God knows how, when and where to stimulate interest in himself, even through an atheist’s opinions.
The story of the Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur, and his own path to belief, became a stage play. An obstacle to the stage presentation was the chariot race, but eight trained horses pulled chariots and ran on treadmills in the play first performed on Broadway in 1899.
After 21 years of worldwide performances, an estimated 21 million people viewed the stage production. One historian said the play "brought millions to their feet to cheer and more millions to their knees to pray?"
Later, MGM produced the 1959 motion picture Ben-Hur, starring Charlton Heston, which won 11 of the 12 nominated Academy Awards. In 2003, an animated version, featuring the voice of Charlton Heston, released. This past week, I watched the DVD with my grandsons, ages 8 and 5.
During the movie, we talked of ancient Roman rule and Rome, Italy now. I explained the difference between lepers and leopards. They asked questions about Jerusalem culture, and questions about God. They showed empathy for the sick and oppressed. Those moments are treasures for this grandmother. And they had their beginnings in Civil War General Lew Wallace’s journey—a journey to The Christ.
www.cathymessecar.com
Converse with 20 different Christians and they will tell you 20 different ways God piqued their interest in him and encouraged their belief in Christ. One such story comes from the Civil War General Lew Wallace who authored the book Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.
Wallace’s mother told him about the Wise Men searching for the King of the Jews. That story enthralled him through his adult years, and Wallace eventually wrote “The First Christmas,” a fictional account of the Wise Men. He didn’t submit it for publication, but put it away. When an adult, Wallace went to church off and on, but confessed his “attitude with respect to religion had been one of absolute indifference.”
He read sermons from some of the “best preachers" of his day—Bossuet, Chalmers, Robert Hall, and Henry Ward Beecher—but only for the "charm of their rhetoric.” In 1876, a “chance” meeting with atheist Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll, breached his indifference. On a train together, Ingersoll discounted believers in God, Christ and heaven with “argument, eloquence, wit, satire,” and “brilliant antitheses,” Wallace later wrote.
General Wallace disembarked alone. Instead of taking the streetcar, he chose to walk a long way to his destination, because of his “confusion of mind.” He had no answers to any of the Colonel’s opinions. Wallace, ashamed of his ignorance, remembered the manuscript he’d written about the Wise Men searching for the Christ Child.
He decided to finish the story, through the crucifixion. He reasoned that the writing would oblige him to study the Bible and everything relevant to the event. He thought he would then possess “opinions of real value.” The book Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ resulted. Wallace also journeyed to a belief in Jesus, “a conviction amounting to absolute belief in God and the Divinity of Christ.”
God addresses unbelief. “I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me.” He continues, “My purpose will stand; and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose” (Isaiah 46:8-10). God knows how, when and where to stimulate interest in himself, even through an atheist’s opinions.
The story of the Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur, and his own path to belief, became a stage play. An obstacle to the stage presentation was the chariot race, but eight trained horses pulled chariots and ran on treadmills in the play first performed on Broadway in 1899.
After 21 years of worldwide performances, an estimated 21 million people viewed the stage production. One historian said the play "brought millions to their feet to cheer and more millions to their knees to pray?"
Later, MGM produced the 1959 motion picture Ben-Hur, starring Charlton Heston, which won 11 of the 12 nominated Academy Awards. In 2003, an animated version, featuring the voice of Charlton Heston, released. This past week, I watched the DVD with my grandsons, ages 8 and 5.
During the movie, we talked of ancient Roman rule and Rome, Italy now. I explained the difference between lepers and leopards. They asked questions about Jerusalem culture, and questions about God. They showed empathy for the sick and oppressed. Those moments are treasures for this grandmother. And they had their beginnings in Civil War General Lew Wallace’s journey—a journey to The Christ.
www.cathymessecar.com
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Prayer Garden
A Place for Prayer
My grandsons, ages 8 and 5, are helping me build a prayer garden. Well, that’s what we’re calling it. Right now, the garden consists of one tree and some laboring grass.
The idea for a special place for prayer has been growing, seeded from several sources. A friend has a lovely landscaped area near her home that she calls her “prayer garden.” Also, the gospels tell about Jesus going often to an olive grove, a seemingly favorite outdoor chapel for him, apart from the noise and dust of Jerusalem. From Eden to Gethsemene, conversations with God have taken place in gardens.
I decided our family needed a prayer garden, too, but our yard is not the gardenish-type. It’s rustic to the bone. Plenty of trees dapple the lawn: pines, pin oaks, cedars, sweet gum, mulberry and mimosa. Another variety is a holly tree in its 50’s. Shaped like an open umbrella, the tree has a low-forked trunk, perfect for first-time tree scalers.
Dubbed the “climbing tree” by grandsons Jack and Adam, it will provide shady shelter in the middle of our quiet place. One day, I was telling my grandsons what we would put in the garden: a pea gravel floor, border rocks, a couple of molded plastic chairs and table, a citronella candle, and engraved scripture stones. Caught up in the planning phase, I forgot something very important.
Jack, grew very quiet. When I stopped reeling off the list of things we would “do” to create the garden, he simply asked, “Can we pray in it?”
Jack’s legitimate question focused on the main item for our prayer garden – prayer. Over the years, I’ve read countless articles about prayer, read e-mail prayers, kept a prayer journal and studied prayers in the Bible to discover the physical positions of the prayerful.
Those activities helped me learn about prayer and even tracked results, but they only enlightened “about” prayer. Too many times in life, I’ve been enamored with the prayer-helps instead of actually praying to God.
In the next few weeks, Jack, Adam and I will finish the prayer garden. Then the three of us will sit down in the shade of the holly tree, two seated in the green chairs. One of us will climb the holly tree to sit on a low branch. I’m counting on an eight or –five-year-old volunteer.
After we’re settled under our tree and in it, we’ll talk about the many times Jesus went with his disciples to the garden on the Mount of Olives, including the betrayal night. In the garden that dreadful night, the first word spoken to his disciples was “Pray . . .” (Luke 22:40).
The holly tree, antique rocks and mocking birds hymning will stage a wholesome place for little boys’ prayers. Add one listening Father and it’s the perfect combination—our prayer garden.
My grandsons, ages 8 and 5, are helping me build a prayer garden. Well, that’s what we’re calling it. Right now, the garden consists of one tree and some laboring grass.
The idea for a special place for prayer has been growing, seeded from several sources. A friend has a lovely landscaped area near her home that she calls her “prayer garden.” Also, the gospels tell about Jesus going often to an olive grove, a seemingly favorite outdoor chapel for him, apart from the noise and dust of Jerusalem. From Eden to Gethsemene, conversations with God have taken place in gardens.
I decided our family needed a prayer garden, too, but our yard is not the gardenish-type. It’s rustic to the bone. Plenty of trees dapple the lawn: pines, pin oaks, cedars, sweet gum, mulberry and mimosa. Another variety is a holly tree in its 50’s. Shaped like an open umbrella, the tree has a low-forked trunk, perfect for first-time tree scalers.
Dubbed the “climbing tree” by grandsons Jack and Adam, it will provide shady shelter in the middle of our quiet place. One day, I was telling my grandsons what we would put in the garden: a pea gravel floor, border rocks, a couple of molded plastic chairs and table, a citronella candle, and engraved scripture stones. Caught up in the planning phase, I forgot something very important.
Jack, grew very quiet. When I stopped reeling off the list of things we would “do” to create the garden, he simply asked, “Can we pray in it?”
Jack’s legitimate question focused on the main item for our prayer garden – prayer. Over the years, I’ve read countless articles about prayer, read e-mail prayers, kept a prayer journal and studied prayers in the Bible to discover the physical positions of the prayerful.
Those activities helped me learn about prayer and even tracked results, but they only enlightened “about” prayer. Too many times in life, I’ve been enamored with the prayer-helps instead of actually praying to God.
In the next few weeks, Jack, Adam and I will finish the prayer garden. Then the three of us will sit down in the shade of the holly tree, two seated in the green chairs. One of us will climb the holly tree to sit on a low branch. I’m counting on an eight or –five-year-old volunteer.
After we’re settled under our tree and in it, we’ll talk about the many times Jesus went with his disciples to the garden on the Mount of Olives, including the betrayal night. In the garden that dreadful night, the first word spoken to his disciples was “Pray . . .” (Luke 22:40).
The holly tree, antique rocks and mocking birds hymning will stage a wholesome place for little boys’ prayers. Add one listening Father and it’s the perfect combination—our prayer garden.
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