Surprise Snow

I still have enough “Indiana” in me that I don’t think of March as a month for snow. March is a month for basketball, budding flowers and trees, chirping birds, and a fair bit of rain. Imagine my surprise when we woke up to half a foot of snow this morning! Yes, the weather forecast told me this would happen ahead of time, but it still caught me a bit off guard.

It strikes me that surprise is a very human experience. Some people enjoy surprise birthday parties; some like movies or books with surprise endings. Other people dislike any kind of surprise because of their emotional or physical reactions to surprises. So the ability to be surprised is a pretty common human characteristic. But what about surprise in the life of the Christian? What do our scriptures say about surprises?

In the Old Testament, we read that we should not be surprised when we see injustice in the world, because that’s just the way the world works (Ecclesiastes 5:8). In the teachings of Jesus, we read that we should not be surprised by his call for us to be “born again” (John 3:7). And in several New Testament letters, we read that we should not be surprised by various trials or by the return of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4, 1 Peter 4:12-16, 1 John 3:13).

As human beings, we will always be surprised by one thing or another. However, when it comes to matters of faith, we are to have confidence in our Lord: in his faithfulness to us, in his promised return, in his strength that enables us to withstand any trial. And this confidence extends to our mission, as well. We are called by the Lord to meet the needs of those who are in need in our community, so we should face that call, those needs, and the people who are involved with confidence rather than with surprise. The Bible and the course of human history teach us that injustice, poverty, abuse, and all kinds of social ills will always exist in our world – and every generation needs to hear the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. Our work is ongoing!

The difference between surprise and anticipation is the difference between being caught off guard and being prepared. In time, I will learn to anticipate snowfall in March (and April? and May?!). In the life of the church, the difference between surprise and anticipation is as great as night and day. I believe that moving toward an attitude of anticipation is part of the process of becoming more like Christ, who always seemed to anticipate the next step rather than to express surprise at a new development in his life. What would our fellowship look like if we lived in constant anticipation of the Lord’s return? What would it look like if we anticipated the needs of our community, both physical and spiritual, before we learned about specific problems facing specific people? I think these attitudes can transform our relationships with each other and with the Lord. What do you think?

–Pastor David

The Privilege of Scripture

How many versions of the Bible do you have in your home?  I hope you have at least one – if not, let me know and we’ll fix that ASAP!  It’s likely, though, that you have a few different translations of the Bible available to you, whether they are in your home or at church or somewhere else.  Do you realize how fortunate we are?

I didn’t choose to learn English when I was a child, but I am sure glad that I did.  There are dozens and dozens of translations of the Bible available to us English speakers, and they cover a wide variety of uses.  Each has its strengths and weaknesses, because no translation perfectly captures the meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek texts.  When we study the Bible, it is good for us to compare several translations so that we might gain better insight into what the Lord is saying to us.

People who speak other certain languages are not as fortunate as we are.  Bible translation is still an active field of study all around the world.  Through organizations such as Wycliffe Bible Translators and World Missionary Press (to name only two), the Word of God is being translated into more and more languages and is being placed in the hands of people who claim those languages as their own.

One fact has been proven true time and time again through this process:  people with limited access to the scriptures have a tremendous desire to read them.  People will travel for hours and stand in long lines to receive their first New Testament – and you should see how they eat it up!  Just as startling is the inverse truth:  people (like us) with scriptures coming out of our ears tend to take the Bible lightly.  We read it when we feel like it, until we’re tired of it, and then we move on to something more interesting.  Friends, this should not be!

We truly are privileged to have so many different English translations of the Bible.  I challenge you with this thought:  the next time you see a Bible sitting on your shelf, desk, or nightstand, give thanks to God that his word is so accessible to us.  Then open it up and read it!

–Pastor David

Getting Ready

Wow, what a snowstorm!  I think Tara and I are starting to get a feel for what Michigan winters are all about.  They say this is unusual, though, so perhaps it’s not quite like this every year.  In any case, I find it fascinating how the human instinct to survive kicks in just before major storms like this.  People stock up on food, water, and other supplies; they buy candles and flashlights in case the power goes out; they do all sorts of things to get ready.

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Job, the Present-Day Sufferer

In my quiet time lately, I’ve been reading through the book of Job.  When was the last time you read this book?  It is a pretty long book (forty-two chapters!), but it’s well worth the read.  Job, a righteous man, asks perennial questions:  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Where is God in the midst of undeserved suffering?  Those questions are as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago, when the book of Job was written.

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One year since the earthquake in Haiti

Where were you exactly one year ago?  If you had been in Haiti, you most certainly would remember.  On January 12, 2010, a very powerful earthquake shook this island nation to its core, and the world rallied to respond to desperate human need.  Even though great need still exists there today, the world has mostly moved on to other news items.  What does this say about our culture?

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Celebrating Birthdays

‘Tis the season… to celebrate birthdays.  We are in the season of Advent, in which we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.  As if that were not enough reason for me to celebrate, today (which will have passed by the time you read this) happens to be my thirty-first birthday.  If you will humor me, then, I will try not to draw too strong of a comparison between the two birthday boys.
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Absolute Truth

I just received and read my copy of the current “Communion together” newsletter (Nov/Dec 2010).  First, take a few minutes to read the article by Jen Carney on being “Missionaries in Our Own Community.”  Her words are right on the money – missions work begins in our own neighborhood.  It’s good stuff.

Second, I’d like to comment about Jim Lyon’s article on “Absolute Truth and the Word of God.”  This article reminds us of some important points, such as the fact that the Bible contains the truths of God.  But the notion of absolute truth is, I believe, more complicated than the article suggests.  Here’s what I mean:

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Silence before the Lord

If you were in church with us last Sunday, you know that I’ve been battling a cold for the past several days.  I had something of a voice on Sunday, but by the following day, my entire voice was gone.  Have you ever had that experience – where you can whisper, but not much more comes out?  Well, as the day wore on, I began to think about just how “noisy” I usually am – especially before the Lord.

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Caring for Our Parents

I am learning so many things in my first few weeks as pastor of Mt. Haley Church of God.  One of the most significant of these is a reality facing many people in our congregation (and in society in general):  the need to care for our elderly parents, even after we ourselves have retired.  While I was preparing for this Sunday’s sermon, I was struck by how directly the scriptures address this very issue.

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