Follow the leader

I watched Nick's basketball team practice last night. It's fun to watch 11 and 12 year olds attempt the "moves" that they have seen NBA players execute. Despite their inability to dunk a basketball they are rather zealous at attempting the near impossible: crossover moves, spinning lay-ups and three-pointers are hurled with the expectation that every shot will fall. On the one hand our attempts to be like Jesus are similar to these "would be" NBA stars. It is a little ambitious for us to attempt to be like the Master. Yet, there really is no other way to live. To truly live life is to live what Eugene Peterson calls "a life that is consonant with His leading".

What do you see?

This week has been unusually cold for us. On Tuesday, the temperatures plummeted and it never really warmed up during the day. I was getting a cup of coffee at the church and looked outside as a man walked up to the front door. I invited him in for a cup of coffee. There are many things that are different in our lives. Clearly, he had spent a lot of time outside and he was cold and hungry. The differences in our lives do not stop there. I have a car with a heater. He would spend the day walking in the cold. As we sipped coffee together and he ate a snack, we started talking. It turns out that he had once visited the church I attended as a boy. We spent the next few minutes remembering the music, the pastor and a mutual friend who had brought him to church. We laughed and shared some great memories. Some of the same people who have touched my life have touched his. He thanked me for the coffee and food and told me he was ready to get on his way. After praying together and giving him a hug I watched as a man with a very different life and yet a very similar heart walked away.

Procrastination

Today, it is fitting to consider some of the powerful words given to us by Dr. Martin Luther King. Yesterday, I shared a favorite quote from Dr. King in my message: "It's always the right time to do the right thing". Dr. King's words remind us of our tendency to procrastinate. His message was a message of change that was delivered to so many people who were not ready to respond to the need to change. Dr. King confronted the need to change values and perspectives that were anchored deep in culture. His words reveal the true meaning of procrastination. It soothes the conscience with the illusion that we are not rejecting the need to change, we are merely giving time for consideration. We delay. We put off. Silently, we hope the call for change will disappear without our participation.

Encouragement from a giant

I was reading a quote today from Hudson Taylor, the great missionary. Taylor reminds us that "all God's giants have been weak men, who did great things for God because they reckoned on his being with them". Lately, I have been sharing messages about our need to "lose the old and put on the new". When we make fresh commitments or reaffirm our old ones we run into the challenge of endurance. When our endurance and perseverance is tested physically, coaches will tell you to reach deep within and find the courage to go on. When our spiritual courage is tested, Hudson Taylor coaches us to reach out to God's presence and acknowledge that when we are weak, He is strong.

It didn't snow

No big surprise this morning. After all the anticipation and talk about the possibility of wintry precipitation...it didn't snow. Our world here in East Tennessee is full of stories about "would be" snow storms. I hate to show my age, but I remember when we first got the weather channel at our house. I remember staying up all night because the prediction kept flashing for "four inches or more". My brother and I were sure we would be out of school. As you might have guessed by now we received East Tennessee snow, better known as rain. For those of you who hate snow, congratulations. For those of you who love snow, keep believing.

Actor's death illustrates the battle

I was saddened to hear of Brad Renfro's death. The twenty-five year old actor was born in Knoxville and found an early entry into the movies with Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones in the movie "The Client". Renfro was only 12 at the time. He has had a very troubled life. He has been in and out of the news through the years with drug and alcohol related incidents and arrests. As I read the news I was struck by the contrast in two statements. The first was a report that Renfro had been out drinking with friends the night before his death. The second statement by Renfro's attorney was that Renfro had "been working hard on his sobriety". These two statements illustrate the battle that we have been examining on Sundays. The Apostle Paul's teachings about killing off our sinful tendencies hits home with the tragic news of Renfro's death.

Father Son

On Saturday mornings Nicholas removes all doubt of whether he has inherited some of my DNA. I remember when I was a little boy. I always woke up early on Saturdays. I remember sneaking down the hallway and making my way to the den. Once I arrived I would either read or turn on the TV. Those were the good old days when you could catch a good agricultural show about how to pick out the best salt block at the farm store (great television for a 6 year old). Needless to say I was a little jealous of the fact that Nick was able to watch ESPN at 6:00 this morning. I never told him or taught him to get up at the crack of dawn on Saturdays. It's just a natural thing for him to do. I wish the traits that our heavenly Father has given to us were reflected as clearly and naturally.

Losing your old life

I'm looking forward to Sunday's message on The Biggest Loser: Losing your Old Life. I have a couple of questions that I have been pondering: What are the most significant chagnes that you have experienced in life? Were there aspects of your life that had to die in order for that change to be successful? There is a story in Matthew's Gospel writings about a man who was possessed by demons. Jesus delievered him from the demons and the demons entered a herd of swine. The swine immediately took a suicidal journey off a cliff into the sea (Matthew 8). This is a very vivid picture of a change that brought about both life and death. Matthew seems to indicate that the people in the town focused more on the loss of the swine than the deliverance and healing of the man. Subsequently, they asked Jesus to leave town. Perhaps we too focus more on fear of loss in change than we do the life we gain.

National Champions

I watched the BCS Championship Game last night. LSU and Ohio State University battled to see who would be crowned the best team in college football. LSU won a decisive victory over the Buckeyes despite the fact that Ohio State jumped out to a 10-0 lead early. LSU responded by scoring the next 31 points. What if you tuned in during the first quarter and were asked to predict the outcome? It looked as though Ohio State had the upper hand and that they would be able to dominate LSU. Sometimes our perspective on life is similar. We may be caught up in the midst of a particular challenge and feel like the "game" is already lost. God always has a long term perspective. We need to trust in His vantage point. I have come to cherish the words of the Apostle: He who has begun a good work in me will complete it (Philippians 1:6).

What difference does it make?

One of my favorite writers on the subject of spiritual discipline is Richard Foster. He has a way of communicating the impact of our devotional life in the day to day. It is appropriate to ask questions like "What difference will this make?" as we begin the New Year. It is a stewardship question. Is this activity or practice a wise investment of my time and energy? What about worship? Why worship? What difference should worship make? Consider Foster's words:

As worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience. Holy obedience saves worship from becoming an opiate, an escape from the pressing needs of modern life"

Ours is a culture that can become addicted to "experience"...even the worship experience, rather than the God we worship. Foster presses us to consider "Holy obedience" as a natural outgrowth of worship.

Pray

I received emails from three different friends today asking for prayer for people in Kenya, Africa. You may have seen some coverage of the current unrest. The situation in Kenya is perilous and I have a number of connections to people in both Kenya and Uganda who are being affected. It is unusual to receive three requests in one day from unrelated people about the same need. Without the blessing of prayer I know that I would feel saddened and helpless. It is such a blessing to be able to call the names of those who are struggling and know that God sees them and knows their situation and He will supply grace for what they will encounter today.

Why does the year begin in Winter?

Happy New Year. After enjoying unseasonably warm temperatures during the month of December we have been greeted with unseasonably cold temperatures to start the year. Why do we start the New Year in winter? New Year is a time for new things. Yet, it begins when all the vegetation is dead. Seems like Spring would be a better time for New Year. I know what you're thinking - it's not cold and dead everywhere. I know, I lived in Arizona for five years. But, in the great paradox of God's truth life begins with death.

Start with the basics

I am preparing to watch a little football today. It's New Year's Day and that means it's a great day for college football. I'll be watching the Volunteers play Wisconsin in the Outback bowl. This will be the last game of the season for those teams who have worked hard all year to earn entry into the bowls. As complicated as the offensive and defensive schemes will be, every athlete on the field started with the same basics that will be the keys to victory. They all learned how to block, kick, run, throw and catch in much the same manner. They will play according to the same rules and the same boundaries. Beginning the new year is an opportunity for us to reaffirm the importance of the basics. The wisdom of the Proverbs begins with an admonition to grasp the basics for a successful year: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.