In a conversation with my pastor yesterday, we were discussing connections: connections between people, and connections between the church and the community. To be sure, the reason we work together in this endeavor called 'church' is because our experience of faith in Jesus Christ. But in our culture, in this time and place, conventional norms discourage someone from being a "witness" for Jesus. Rather, you must first have "with-ness."
Be with others. Put your phone down and be there. It may be your spouse. Your child. Your colleague, or a friend. Be there...with them. Your with-ness is your first and most powerful witness.
Then witness.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Friday, March 6, 2015
Building Bridges
If you are not communicating with someone in your life and you wish you were, be the first one to extend the gesture of communication.
Frame of Reference
This morning I read that astronomers have been observing a supernova. It is on the other side of the universe, past some worm holes. The statistic that boggled my mind is that the supernova occurred nine billion years ago, and the light waves are just now getting here. Nine billion!?!
Palentologists date the dinosaurs to about 300 million years ago. The first human civilization, farming, started 150,000 years ago. Creation, the universe, whatever you want to call it, has been around for a long time before us.
The oldest sections of the Bible reference back to a time about 2500-4000 BC (or BCE). The historical person Jesus was alive on Earth at this precise moment two thousand years ago.
And I concern myself with matters pertaining to the last week, month, and year. And you better believe I am very focused on the next week, month, year of my life. It is nice to be reminded that God's frame of reference is far more comprehensive than our own. If your frame of reference needs a shift, what should it shift to?
Palentologists date the dinosaurs to about 300 million years ago. The first human civilization, farming, started 150,000 years ago. Creation, the universe, whatever you want to call it, has been around for a long time before us.
The oldest sections of the Bible reference back to a time about 2500-4000 BC (or BCE). The historical person Jesus was alive on Earth at this precise moment two thousand years ago.
And I concern myself with matters pertaining to the last week, month, and year. And you better believe I am very focused on the next week, month, year of my life. It is nice to be reminded that God's frame of reference is far more comprehensive than our own. If your frame of reference needs a shift, what should it shift to?
[ Praise to the Lord ] Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. (Isaiah 1:25)
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