What I’m Reading Today: Acts 8:1-25
Lots of folks are quick to label things in the world as being either “good” or “bad”. They get fired from a job, for instance, and say that’s a “bad” thing; or they might have a relationship end and tell others in the days that follow that it was a bad “thing”.
If you step back in time, however, what initially might have seemed “bad” can turn out okay. For instance, when a person was fired from a job he or she happened to hate – it might have freed them up so that he or she finds a job that he or she now loves. That would be a “good” thing.
And while the person whose relationship ended might be initially overwhelmed with how “bad” their luck was – eventually the person might find him or herself in a healthier relationship than he or she ever dreamed possible. That would certainly be a “good” thing.
That’s the primary reason why I’m so slow to label things as being either “good” or “bad” – because I usually don’t have enough sense of perspective to do the labeling.
A good example of how things are always what they initially appear to be can be found in today’s passage from Acts. At the start of the passage, we are told that a “terrific” persecution of the church was set off by Stephen’s martyrdom. That sounds like a “bad” thing, right?
Not so fast.
The author(s) of Acts go on to immediately add – “Forced to leave their home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries.” In other words, that persecution led to an explosive expansion of the faith. Sounds pretty “good” to me.
Keeping this fickleness in our use of the labels “good” and “bad” in mind, today I would ask you: “Is there something in your life that has happened that you’ve labeled ‘bad’ that has gotten you stuck in a place of anger, bitterness, or resentment?” If so, take a moment and remember that with the passage of time (and the acquisition of perspective) you just might eventually come to see the matter differently.
Til next time…
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Monday, April 26, 2010
What I’m Reading Today: Acts 7
As I watched the controversy around the immigration bill recently passed by the state of Arizona, I wondered if most folks realized how delicate this issue is in terms of their own identities.
As I read today’s passage from Acts, for instance, I was reminded in Stephen’s speech that all of us who come from a Jewish or Christian background have spiritual ancestors who were immigrants. “So [Abraham] left the country of the Chaldees and moved to Haran,” Stephen noted, “After the death of his father he immigrated to this country where you now live.”
In addition to having spiritual ancestors who were immigrants, many of us in the United States are also descendents of immigrants as well. My father’s family came from Norway, for instance, and my mother’s family came from Germany. Therefore, if I’m being honest about my social location I suppose I would say I’m an immigrant of sorts. For this reason, I feel some degree of personal investment in this conversation.
As I’ve listened to folks debate the issue of immigration, I realize I have a profoundly different way of approaching the issue than most folks in the media. For most folks, the central question in the debate is, “Is a person a legal immigrant or is a person an illegal immigrant?” The answer to that question often tells a person everything they think they need to know. I have a different question that tells me how to act. My question is, “Whose land is this?” The answer to that question – at least for me - is “God’s”.
Thinking about the issue has got me thinking about how incredibly possessive we human beings are about most things. We throw possessive pronouns around as if they were nothing – this is “my country”, “my church”, “my house”, “my car”… The list is endless.
Today I would ask you to consider how your life might be different if you changed the word “my” in each of these phrases to “God’s”.
Til next time…
As I watched the controversy around the immigration bill recently passed by the state of Arizona, I wondered if most folks realized how delicate this issue is in terms of their own identities.
As I read today’s passage from Acts, for instance, I was reminded in Stephen’s speech that all of us who come from a Jewish or Christian background have spiritual ancestors who were immigrants. “So [Abraham] left the country of the Chaldees and moved to Haran,” Stephen noted, “After the death of his father he immigrated to this country where you now live.”
In addition to having spiritual ancestors who were immigrants, many of us in the United States are also descendents of immigrants as well. My father’s family came from Norway, for instance, and my mother’s family came from Germany. Therefore, if I’m being honest about my social location I suppose I would say I’m an immigrant of sorts. For this reason, I feel some degree of personal investment in this conversation.
As I’ve listened to folks debate the issue of immigration, I realize I have a profoundly different way of approaching the issue than most folks in the media. For most folks, the central question in the debate is, “Is a person a legal immigrant or is a person an illegal immigrant?” The answer to that question often tells a person everything they think they need to know. I have a different question that tells me how to act. My question is, “Whose land is this?” The answer to that question – at least for me - is “God’s”.
Thinking about the issue has got me thinking about how incredibly possessive we human beings are about most things. We throw possessive pronouns around as if they were nothing – this is “my country”, “my church”, “my house”, “my car”… The list is endless.
Today I would ask you to consider how your life might be different if you changed the word “my” in each of these phrases to “God’s”.
Til next time…
Saturday, April 24, 2010
What I’m Reading Today: Acts 6
Each of us has defining moments in our lives that occur relatively early. One of my defining moments came during the fall of my senior year of high school.
The previous Spring I had been elected Student Body President of my high school. That meant I was responsible for helping organize the Homecoming festivities the following fall. There were many traditions associated with Homecoming. One of those was that there was a competition that was held between each of the four classes. The competition lasted all week – and each day of the week there was an individual “event”. At the end of the day on Friday, points from the events were tabulated and a winner was declared. That was the formal explanation of the tradition.
There was an informal tradition associated with the competition as well. That informal tradition was that the senior class ALWAYS won: even if it meant that the leaders had to cheat in order to rig the competition.
As of Thursday night that year, the junior and senior classes were running neck and neck in the competition. That meant the competition would be decided by a pyramid competition on Friday. The pyramid competition required 10 members of the class to build a pyramid. Whichever class did so in the least amount of time won.
The senior class went early and had a good time in terms of putting their pyramid together. The junior class went last. Their junior class’ advisor helped the juniors figure out that nothing in the rules indicated that the participants had to build the pyramid by getting down on their hands and knees (even though every other class had always interpreted the rules that way over the years). So when it came time for the juniors to go, they built their pyramid by simply laying on top of each other. Needless to say, they shattered the time of the senior class.
When the junior class finished their pyramid, the gym was going wild – thinking that history had been made and the senior class had been upset. Before the results could be announced, however, the judges had to meet and issue a final ruling. It would have been easy for me to disqualify the junior class and let the senior high class win. I didn’t, however. I stood up to the pressure and did the right thing. In the process, I became the first President to let my own senior class lose the homecoming week celebration.
There probably isn’t another person on the planet who remembers that moment nearly 25 years ago – but I do. It was an important lesson in my life about standing up for what is right: even when it is hard to do so.
This morning’s passage from Acts introduced us to another individual faced with difficult circumstances: the apostle Stephen. Of course, his situation was much more challenging than mine. Individuals who felt threatened by Stephen from the meeting place misrepresented his ministry – and put him in a position where he could be killed.
And how did Stephen respond to the pressure?
The closing words of the passage tell us he became a sort of angelic presence that manifested itself in the midst of the High Council. That description reminds us that when one does the right thing, we have the ability to be a vessel for something far greater than ourselves.
As I said at the outset of today’s entry, each of us has such moments in our lives when we can become that vessel for truth/God. Today, I would encourage you to do what I did : remember one such moment from you life. As you do so, may you draw strength from that moment so that it might prepare you for future moments when you have a chance to do the same thing.
Til next time…
Each of us has defining moments in our lives that occur relatively early. One of my defining moments came during the fall of my senior year of high school.
The previous Spring I had been elected Student Body President of my high school. That meant I was responsible for helping organize the Homecoming festivities the following fall. There were many traditions associated with Homecoming. One of those was that there was a competition that was held between each of the four classes. The competition lasted all week – and each day of the week there was an individual “event”. At the end of the day on Friday, points from the events were tabulated and a winner was declared. That was the formal explanation of the tradition.
There was an informal tradition associated with the competition as well. That informal tradition was that the senior class ALWAYS won: even if it meant that the leaders had to cheat in order to rig the competition.
As of Thursday night that year, the junior and senior classes were running neck and neck in the competition. That meant the competition would be decided by a pyramid competition on Friday. The pyramid competition required 10 members of the class to build a pyramid. Whichever class did so in the least amount of time won.
The senior class went early and had a good time in terms of putting their pyramid together. The junior class went last. Their junior class’ advisor helped the juniors figure out that nothing in the rules indicated that the participants had to build the pyramid by getting down on their hands and knees (even though every other class had always interpreted the rules that way over the years). So when it came time for the juniors to go, they built their pyramid by simply laying on top of each other. Needless to say, they shattered the time of the senior class.
When the junior class finished their pyramid, the gym was going wild – thinking that history had been made and the senior class had been upset. Before the results could be announced, however, the judges had to meet and issue a final ruling. It would have been easy for me to disqualify the junior class and let the senior high class win. I didn’t, however. I stood up to the pressure and did the right thing. In the process, I became the first President to let my own senior class lose the homecoming week celebration.
There probably isn’t another person on the planet who remembers that moment nearly 25 years ago – but I do. It was an important lesson in my life about standing up for what is right: even when it is hard to do so.
This morning’s passage from Acts introduced us to another individual faced with difficult circumstances: the apostle Stephen. Of course, his situation was much more challenging than mine. Individuals who felt threatened by Stephen from the meeting place misrepresented his ministry – and put him in a position where he could be killed.
And how did Stephen respond to the pressure?
The closing words of the passage tell us he became a sort of angelic presence that manifested itself in the midst of the High Council. That description reminds us that when one does the right thing, we have the ability to be a vessel for something far greater than ourselves.
As I said at the outset of today’s entry, each of us has such moments in our lives when we can become that vessel for truth/God. Today, I would encourage you to do what I did : remember one such moment from you life. As you do so, may you draw strength from that moment so that it might prepare you for future moments when you have a chance to do the same thing.
Til next time…
Friday, April 23, 2010
What I’m Reading Today: Acts 5:12-42
Taking the role of “leader” brings with it many challenges. The challenges some people think of right away are challenges that I would consider relatively superficial (i.e. balancing time commitments, massaging personalities and ego to keep folks motivated, networking, etc.).
Some might look at that list of things and think they aren’t superficial because they require a lot of talent and energy. For me, however, there is a whole other area involved that makes those things look small by comparison.
And what is that area?
For me, that area has to do with whether or not an idea is grounded in MY vision and agenda or whether it’s an expression of God’s vision. That is the most important (and most challenging) work to accomplish.
So why is that issue important?
Well, time after time in my life I have leapt into projects and nearly killed myself trying to realize them. Rarely did I ever stop at the beginning and ask, “Is this dream bigger than myself.” I would try to make such projects happen – even if that meant ignoring the obvious (i.e. that the resources weren’t appearing). Consequently, I often became frustrated and bitter.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown in my capacity to be more honest about my pursuits. Rather than try to force things, I’ll simply present ideas and watch to see if they grow and expand. That’s exactly the type of process I’m in now as I work to pull together members from the community to plan a 50th Anniversary Celebration for the Appearance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in The Valley. The celebration will occur the weekend of January 14-17, 2011 – the 50th anniversary of when Dr. King preached at the church I serve and then delivered an address to the community titled “The Future of Integration” later that afternoon.
Last night we had our first organizational meeting. After getting the word out, I wasn’t sure exactly who (if any) would show. Nor did I have a specific event of what the event should look like. At the end of the meeting, we had representatives from five community agencies involved and the seeds of a vision that will include somewhere between five and seven activities for that weekend.
I know the planning process will take many twists and turns. I am confident, however, in the wisdom contained in today’s passage from Acts – the portion where the author(s) quote Gamaliel as saying in response to the apostles activities: “If this program or this work is merely human, it will fall apart, but if it is of God, there is nothing you can do about it…”
Today I would invite you to explore various aspects of your own life – in particular projects that you are focused on. Are there any projects that you have been fighting or trying to force to happen? Projects that are draining your life and your energy? If so, maybe it’s time to ask yourself, “Is this project simply an expression of MY hopes and dreams or does it reflect something bigger than myself?” The answer to that question can either propel you further into the realization of the project, or help you let go of it.
By the way. If you would like to track the 50th anniversary celebration, you can do so in one of two places. If you are on Facebook, you can join the group “50th Anniversary of Dr. King’s Appearance in the Valley”. Even more information would be available if you go to meetup.com and join the group “50th Anniversary of Dr. King’s Appearance in the Valley.”
Til next time…
Taking the role of “leader” brings with it many challenges. The challenges some people think of right away are challenges that I would consider relatively superficial (i.e. balancing time commitments, massaging personalities and ego to keep folks motivated, networking, etc.).
Some might look at that list of things and think they aren’t superficial because they require a lot of talent and energy. For me, however, there is a whole other area involved that makes those things look small by comparison.
And what is that area?
For me, that area has to do with whether or not an idea is grounded in MY vision and agenda or whether it’s an expression of God’s vision. That is the most important (and most challenging) work to accomplish.
So why is that issue important?
Well, time after time in my life I have leapt into projects and nearly killed myself trying to realize them. Rarely did I ever stop at the beginning and ask, “Is this dream bigger than myself.” I would try to make such projects happen – even if that meant ignoring the obvious (i.e. that the resources weren’t appearing). Consequently, I often became frustrated and bitter.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown in my capacity to be more honest about my pursuits. Rather than try to force things, I’ll simply present ideas and watch to see if they grow and expand. That’s exactly the type of process I’m in now as I work to pull together members from the community to plan a 50th Anniversary Celebration for the Appearance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in The Valley. The celebration will occur the weekend of January 14-17, 2011 – the 50th anniversary of when Dr. King preached at the church I serve and then delivered an address to the community titled “The Future of Integration” later that afternoon.
Last night we had our first organizational meeting. After getting the word out, I wasn’t sure exactly who (if any) would show. Nor did I have a specific event of what the event should look like. At the end of the meeting, we had representatives from five community agencies involved and the seeds of a vision that will include somewhere between five and seven activities for that weekend.
I know the planning process will take many twists and turns. I am confident, however, in the wisdom contained in today’s passage from Acts – the portion where the author(s) quote Gamaliel as saying in response to the apostles activities: “If this program or this work is merely human, it will fall apart, but if it is of God, there is nothing you can do about it…”
Today I would invite you to explore various aspects of your own life – in particular projects that you are focused on. Are there any projects that you have been fighting or trying to force to happen? Projects that are draining your life and your energy? If so, maybe it’s time to ask yourself, “Is this project simply an expression of MY hopes and dreams or does it reflect something bigger than myself?” The answer to that question can either propel you further into the realization of the project, or help you let go of it.
By the way. If you would like to track the 50th anniversary celebration, you can do so in one of two places. If you are on Facebook, you can join the group “50th Anniversary of Dr. King’s Appearance in the Valley”. Even more information would be available if you go to meetup.com and join the group “50th Anniversary of Dr. King’s Appearance in the Valley.”
Til next time…
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