They Are (Smart), and They Can (Hear)
John Fischer
In a comment about her work with children through her church, one of our readers commented, “I have found some wonderful new friends, some my age, and some that are four years old.”
I love that. I've had it floating around in my idea file for a while and find I keep coming back to it. I think I like it because of the dignity it gives both friendship and children.
We can be so quick to pass off children as being too young and immature to contribute on an adult level. “Children are to be seen and not heard,” is still a part of the American conscience. Although the cultural climate towards children has changed drastically in my lifetime, there are still evidences of how we look down on them. The “children's table” is still a popular holiday setting when the extended family gathers (as if they have nothing to contribute to the adults), and then there is “children's church” where the pastor speaks in a different voice and tone than when he preaches later to the congregation. (Just once I'd love to hear one of those kids blurt out, “Why are you talking so funny?”)
To have an adult say, “I've found some wonderful new friends… and some of them are four years old,” says something to me. It says that there are some ways in which she sees a four-year-old as a peer. Friendship is all about giving and receiving, and the minute we start to look for what children can teach us, not just what we are trying to teach them, we will be rewarded.
Here is, I think, a good general assumption to go by, and it goes not only for children but for seniors, Alzheimer's and coma patients, the mentally handicapped, and anyone we have a tendency to think isn't very smart or can't hear us: they are (smart), and they can (hear). Our six-year-old is slow in language for his age, but there is no question his mind is as sharp as a tack and he doesn't miss a trick. In other words, expect there to be more understanding than you think there is, and nine out of ten times you will be right. (Come to think of it, this probably goes for anyone.)
And finally, treat everyone as an equal. That's how the woman who inspired these thoughts sees the four-year-olds she is working with. If we don't do this, we miss out. And we miss out not only on the richness of what we can receive, but according to Jesus, we miss out on the kingdom of God.
"Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all" (Luke 18:16-17).
PDL
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Super Fans
John Fischer
Honestly, I didn't think anybody in Seattle could get this excited about anything. I don't have any real grounds on which to make that statement other than coffee grounds. People who brought us the espresso and the cappuccino don't seem to be the type that would scream their lungs out at a football game, but maybe their subliminal animal natures are just coming out. At any rate, watching that divisional playoff game Sunday night pretty much made me a believer, if not in the Seattle Seahawks, at least in their fans. Wow, were they pumped, or what?
I've come to expect a high noise level from Green Bay and most east coast fans (they have to make a lot of noise just to keep warm), but the west coast is generally more subdued. With generally milder weather, there are simply more options for your interest here in the fall and winter other than football. But these people in the Northwest have definitely gotten behind this team.
What about this whole football thing? Is there anything worthwhile in it or is it just a diversion? Is there anything valuable in all the hype we will be exposed to in the next two weeks?
Well, first, there's nothing wrong necessarily with being diverted. God doesn't only smile on work; He smiles on play too. He made us capable of enjoying aspects of this life on earth, and He is not the great killjoy in the sky that some people make Him out to be. The Psalms and Proverbs give indication of a kind of common grace that God allows human beings to experience regardless of their commitment or lack of it, to Him. David even laments this on occasion, when he sees evil people enjoying the benefits of this life. Having the right purpose in life means that everything else falls into its proper place. It does not mean there is no other enjoyment possible.
There is also the fact that the Super Bowl is something that a majority of people in this country will have in common. So that if you do choose to follow it, you will have a point of reference with friends a work, neighbors or even acquaintances, and anything that gets a conversation going is helpful when it comes to our need for relationships, and the spreading of the news about God in and through them. It may even be an opportunity to have neighbors over, or to go to their house (whoever has the bigger TV). Super Bowl Sunday is a good excuse to enhance relationships in our communities and neighborhoods, and whatever you might think about the game, that's worth getting excited about!
PDL
John Fischer
Honestly, I didn't think anybody in Seattle could get this excited about anything. I don't have any real grounds on which to make that statement other than coffee grounds. People who brought us the espresso and the cappuccino don't seem to be the type that would scream their lungs out at a football game, but maybe their subliminal animal natures are just coming out. At any rate, watching that divisional playoff game Sunday night pretty much made me a believer, if not in the Seattle Seahawks, at least in their fans. Wow, were they pumped, or what?
I've come to expect a high noise level from Green Bay and most east coast fans (they have to make a lot of noise just to keep warm), but the west coast is generally more subdued. With generally milder weather, there are simply more options for your interest here in the fall and winter other than football. But these people in the Northwest have definitely gotten behind this team.
What about this whole football thing? Is there anything worthwhile in it or is it just a diversion? Is there anything valuable in all the hype we will be exposed to in the next two weeks?
Well, first, there's nothing wrong necessarily with being diverted. God doesn't only smile on work; He smiles on play too. He made us capable of enjoying aspects of this life on earth, and He is not the great killjoy in the sky that some people make Him out to be. The Psalms and Proverbs give indication of a kind of common grace that God allows human beings to experience regardless of their commitment or lack of it, to Him. David even laments this on occasion, when he sees evil people enjoying the benefits of this life. Having the right purpose in life means that everything else falls into its proper place. It does not mean there is no other enjoyment possible.
There is also the fact that the Super Bowl is something that a majority of people in this country will have in common. So that if you do choose to follow it, you will have a point of reference with friends a work, neighbors or even acquaintances, and anything that gets a conversation going is helpful when it comes to our need for relationships, and the spreading of the news about God in and through them. It may even be an opportunity to have neighbors over, or to go to their house (whoever has the bigger TV). Super Bowl Sunday is a good excuse to enhance relationships in our communities and neighborhoods, and whatever you might think about the game, that's worth getting excited about!
PDL
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Wonderfully Flawed
Missey Butler
Have you ever heard the phrase, "I'm only human?" Or, "I'm not perfect, just forgiven?" Whenever you hear these types of statements, do you sometimes get the impression that someone might just be a little defensive?
I know I've been guilty. We all, at one time or another, have stood on our soapbox and proceeded to state our case about why we are the way we are. We feel like we are caught up in the endless cycle of the "I can't help it's" -- that is, until the Holy Spirit gently reminds us that we are (after all) a work in progress. Much like the highway flagman who alerts us to the "SLOW DOWN - PROCEED WITH CAUTION," our Helper will lead us to the exact scriptures that aid us in this changing process.
Recently during my quiet time, I was curiously struck by a two-word phrase that ordinarily I would have passed over in my hurried pace. But, I decided to heed the advice of my "heavenly flagman" and reduce my speed, so that I could gain a better understanding of God's message to me.
II Corinthians 4:7 says:
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels to show this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
I became inquisitive about the words "earthen vessels." I thought I had a good idea of its meaning but decided to do a word study with my favorite Greek scholar, Spiros Zodhiates. He is a wonderful instructor that knows how to search out root-word origins.
Through my study, I discovered the word vessel (skeuos) to be defined as a holder, jar, or something that contains. The word earthen (ostrakinos) is a substance made of clay, brittle, and easily broken.
I began to realize that I am nothing more than a lump of clay.
And yet, Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand. (Isaiah 64:8)
I want to share with you a beautiful illustration that I heard years ago that still speaks to my heart whenever I have one of those, "I can't do anything right" days. It is the lesson of "The Cracked Pot."
Many years ago, in a very poor Middle East village, stood an ancient stone well. Along side of that well sat two large watering pots. One of them was like new, beautifully formed, even had graceful etchings along its curved handle.
The other, not as new yet still useful, had become cracked over the years. Time after time, the pot was passed over by the people with the exception of a little village girl. She had grown fond of the neglected pitcher. Every day she would chose it instead of the beautiful pot.
One morning, the old pot asked the little girl, "Why do you continue to use me, when you know I am flawed and cannot hold the water you and your family so desperately need?" The little girl spoke not a word, but carried the broken pot to a familiar pathway that she traveled daily.
With her tiny voice she said, "This is why I pick you." There before the pot was a row of delicate wild flowers that had bloomed along the trail because of the water that had trickled and leaked from the pot. The buried seeds of the flowers had been watered as she made her way home each day. The cracked pot for the first time had seen its worth through the eyes of a grateful little girl.
Just like the not so perfect piece of pottery, the Potter uses us as God's creations despite our imperfections. Sometimes, unfortunately, we have to be placed back on the potter's wheel to be remolded. This is not always a fun process but it is necessary in order to smooth out some of the flaws that God says must go! In even more serious times, God will actually break us and begin the process all over again. All because He's after something within us that will ultimately produce a vessel of honor for His glory.
But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to Him. (Jeremiah 18: 4)
Just so you know you are in good company, here are some of the more famous "cracked pots" found in the Bible:
Noah was a Drunk
Elijah was Suicidal
Peter was a Coward
Jacob was a Deceiver
Rahab was a Prostitute
Samson was a Womanizer
Moses had a Self-esteem problem
David was an Adulterer/Murderer
The Samaritan Woman was Divorced (a lot)
We may find ourselves falling on our faces. But just like these heroes and heroines of the faith, God has promised to be our treasure while in these earthen vessels. Hallelujah! We have immutable Deity dwelling in a breakable container. The "Complete One" abiding in the "Incomplete ones." What a divine paradox!
I find myself today still one of His works in progress. It would not surprise me if one day I discovered, engraved deeply upon this "earthen vessel," the signature of my loving Maker. Along with it would be the following words:
Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. (II Tim 2:2)
Then I will truly be a finished masterpiece, ready to bring honor and glory to the Potter's Hands.
cbn
Missey Butler
Have you ever heard the phrase, "I'm only human?" Or, "I'm not perfect, just forgiven?" Whenever you hear these types of statements, do you sometimes get the impression that someone might just be a little defensive?
I know I've been guilty. We all, at one time or another, have stood on our soapbox and proceeded to state our case about why we are the way we are. We feel like we are caught up in the endless cycle of the "I can't help it's" -- that is, until the Holy Spirit gently reminds us that we are (after all) a work in progress. Much like the highway flagman who alerts us to the "SLOW DOWN - PROCEED WITH CAUTION," our Helper will lead us to the exact scriptures that aid us in this changing process.
Recently during my quiet time, I was curiously struck by a two-word phrase that ordinarily I would have passed over in my hurried pace. But, I decided to heed the advice of my "heavenly flagman" and reduce my speed, so that I could gain a better understanding of God's message to me.
II Corinthians 4:7 says:
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels to show this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
I became inquisitive about the words "earthen vessels." I thought I had a good idea of its meaning but decided to do a word study with my favorite Greek scholar, Spiros Zodhiates. He is a wonderful instructor that knows how to search out root-word origins.
Through my study, I discovered the word vessel (skeuos) to be defined as a holder, jar, or something that contains. The word earthen (ostrakinos) is a substance made of clay, brittle, and easily broken.
I began to realize that I am nothing more than a lump of clay.
And yet, Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand. (Isaiah 64:8)
I want to share with you a beautiful illustration that I heard years ago that still speaks to my heart whenever I have one of those, "I can't do anything right" days. It is the lesson of "The Cracked Pot."
Many years ago, in a very poor Middle East village, stood an ancient stone well. Along side of that well sat two large watering pots. One of them was like new, beautifully formed, even had graceful etchings along its curved handle.
The other, not as new yet still useful, had become cracked over the years. Time after time, the pot was passed over by the people with the exception of a little village girl. She had grown fond of the neglected pitcher. Every day she would chose it instead of the beautiful pot.
One morning, the old pot asked the little girl, "Why do you continue to use me, when you know I am flawed and cannot hold the water you and your family so desperately need?" The little girl spoke not a word, but carried the broken pot to a familiar pathway that she traveled daily.
With her tiny voice she said, "This is why I pick you." There before the pot was a row of delicate wild flowers that had bloomed along the trail because of the water that had trickled and leaked from the pot. The buried seeds of the flowers had been watered as she made her way home each day. The cracked pot for the first time had seen its worth through the eyes of a grateful little girl.
Just like the not so perfect piece of pottery, the Potter uses us as God's creations despite our imperfections. Sometimes, unfortunately, we have to be placed back on the potter's wheel to be remolded. This is not always a fun process but it is necessary in order to smooth out some of the flaws that God says must go! In even more serious times, God will actually break us and begin the process all over again. All because He's after something within us that will ultimately produce a vessel of honor for His glory.
But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to Him. (Jeremiah 18: 4)
Just so you know you are in good company, here are some of the more famous "cracked pots" found in the Bible:
Noah was a Drunk
Elijah was Suicidal
Peter was a Coward
Jacob was a Deceiver
Rahab was a Prostitute
Samson was a Womanizer
Moses had a Self-esteem problem
David was an Adulterer/Murderer
The Samaritan Woman was Divorced (a lot)
We may find ourselves falling on our faces. But just like these heroes and heroines of the faith, God has promised to be our treasure while in these earthen vessels. Hallelujah! We have immutable Deity dwelling in a breakable container. The "Complete One" abiding in the "Incomplete ones." What a divine paradox!
I find myself today still one of His works in progress. It would not surprise me if one day I discovered, engraved deeply upon this "earthen vessel," the signature of my loving Maker. Along with it would be the following words:
Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. (II Tim 2:2)
Then I will truly be a finished masterpiece, ready to bring honor and glory to the Potter's Hands.
cbn
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
“I Thirst”
John Fischer
We worship a God who became a vulnerable human being. Superman took kryptonite. Samson let his hair be cut. Jack Frost relinquished his wintry powers to become the town tailor. Jesus got thirsty. It’s a story that is played out not only in history, but in fantasy, legend and mythology—someone with supernatural powers gives up those powers to become human and it is always done for one reason: love. That was God’s reason, only His love was pure. “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8).
And yet Jesus did more than just come to die. He also came to live as a human being. And that’s how it came to be that the God who made the heavens and the earth, including the clouds that bring water to a thirsty land, wound up at the well of Jacob asking a Samaritan woman for a drink. She had something He needed.
“Please give me a drink.” It’s how He opened the conversation (John 4:7). He gave her worth by asking her for a drink. Due to tradition and culture, He should have had nothing to do with this woman. As it turned out, He ended up revealing to her His identity as the Messiah—something He did not do that directly to anyone for the rest of his ministry on earth.
Love always makes you vulnerable. There’s no way you can love and not expose yourself in some way or give something up. Love and need go together. God’s love compelled Him to do what He did because that very love created in Him a need for us. By creating us He also created in Himself a place for us, and that need was reflected many times through the life of Christ.
Jesus Christ didn’t die for us because it made for good theology, He died for us because He loved us, lost us to sin, and gave Himself up to buy us back. By doing this He had to become vulnerable to the very system He created, that we might see how true love behaves. There is a death in love, and that death is the death of self. Jesus died to love us; we die as well in order to love and serve others. And part of that is in being vulnerable.
Sometimes the best thing we can do for someone is ask for help. Jesus asked the woman for a drink and three years later, he was asking for the same thing from the cross—symbolic of the vulnerability He placed Himself into for the whole human race. Being vulnerable to those you love is a big part of love itself.
PDL
John Fischer
We worship a God who became a vulnerable human being. Superman took kryptonite. Samson let his hair be cut. Jack Frost relinquished his wintry powers to become the town tailor. Jesus got thirsty. It’s a story that is played out not only in history, but in fantasy, legend and mythology—someone with supernatural powers gives up those powers to become human and it is always done for one reason: love. That was God’s reason, only His love was pure. “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8).
And yet Jesus did more than just come to die. He also came to live as a human being. And that’s how it came to be that the God who made the heavens and the earth, including the clouds that bring water to a thirsty land, wound up at the well of Jacob asking a Samaritan woman for a drink. She had something He needed.
“Please give me a drink.” It’s how He opened the conversation (John 4:7). He gave her worth by asking her for a drink. Due to tradition and culture, He should have had nothing to do with this woman. As it turned out, He ended up revealing to her His identity as the Messiah—something He did not do that directly to anyone for the rest of his ministry on earth.
Love always makes you vulnerable. There’s no way you can love and not expose yourself in some way or give something up. Love and need go together. God’s love compelled Him to do what He did because that very love created in Him a need for us. By creating us He also created in Himself a place for us, and that need was reflected many times through the life of Christ.
Jesus Christ didn’t die for us because it made for good theology, He died for us because He loved us, lost us to sin, and gave Himself up to buy us back. By doing this He had to become vulnerable to the very system He created, that we might see how true love behaves. There is a death in love, and that death is the death of self. Jesus died to love us; we die as well in order to love and serve others. And part of that is in being vulnerable.
Sometimes the best thing we can do for someone is ask for help. Jesus asked the woman for a drink and three years later, he was asking for the same thing from the cross—symbolic of the vulnerability He placed Himself into for the whole human race. Being vulnerable to those you love is a big part of love itself.
PDL