holiday reflection

As we come closer and closer to Christmas day, I seem to be increasingly pensive and reflective.  Nine years ago tomorrow, my cousin Dan moved from his earthly home to his heavenly home.  He now lives with his eternal Father in heaven, but his earthly Mom and Dad miss his more than any of us can ever know.  I am sure there is a void with him not being here. 

On a much lesser scale, I feel a void too.  Our soon to be son is alone this Christmas, without a family to celebrate with.  He doesn’t have a Mom and Dad to give him hugs and kisses, show him love and wish him Merry Christmas.  He doesn’t get to celebrate Christmas with us this year.  We are separated. 

Earlier this week, I dropped some items off to be delivered to our dear friends living in Lesotho working at Beautiful Gate (an orphanage).  I included a small gift for our son to be given to him the day we are “matched” with him.  Josh and I picked out a sweatshirt for him.  We washed it and then slept with it so that it would smell like us and like our home.  Then, I sealed it up in 2 ziplock bags to be sent to Lesotho.  As odd as this sounds, it was extremely difficult for me to seal those bags and leave the sweatshirt with the other items to be brought to our friends.  I felt like I was giving away the only piece of our son that we had and entrusting it to other people. 

As I was thinking about this last night in bed, I realized that this might have also been somewhat of what God had going through his mind when he gave his only son as a baby to us.  As a mother, I cannot imagine how difficult that decision must have been for God…to willingly give up your son to be raised by Mary and Joseph, knowing full well what was to happen to him in the future.   What an amazing gift God has given us!

I pray for all of our friends and family at this time and pray that we remember those less fortunate than ourselves.  Please pray with me for all the children who are mother and fatherless this Christmas that they might feel God’s presence in their lives.  Also, please pray with me for all parents without their children, that they may be comforted.

Merry Christmas friends! 

Jaclyn

homestudy complete *check*

Another milestone in our adoption journey has been reached - our state mandated home study is complete.  *Yea!*

SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION
Joshua and Jaclyn Cooper are a loving couple who have been married for nine years.  They are excellent candidates for adoption, as they have a vibrant marriage, stable employment, and a healthy child rearing philosophy.  They also have plenty of room in their hearts and in their home for an additional child.  Based on the facts presented...it has been assessed that Joshua Paul Cooper and Jaclyn Sue Cooper are suitable and eligible to adopt from the country of Lesotho.


We just wanted to share this good news with all of you, and to thank all of you who have and continue to pray for us as we journey together to bring our son home.  Y'all rock!

On a more personal [and related] note, our friends, Bryan and Anita, wrote on their blog [http:ourbeautifulmission.blogspot.com] that an infant unexpectedly died two days ago at their orphanage.  Even as I type, I get all choked up because this shouldn't be happening.  Yet, it's the reality that the Lesotho babies and children face each and every day.  Every day there is a battle between life and death.

Please continue to pray - not only for us - but for our friends and the children of Beautiful Gate.  And now...we wait.

As our paperwork makes its way to Africa.

As patiently as we can.

garage sale success

We are tremendously grateful to all of the 20-some families who helped make last week's garage sale such a huge success.  At the end of the day, we managed to bring in just over $900!  This is such a blessing and the timing couldn't have been better because we learned that our home-study is complete and has been forwarded to our placing agency in Indianapolis.

The kids made a few extra bucks selling granola bars and apple cider.

One of the coolest moments of the day was when a woman from our neighborhood stopped by because she had heard we were adopting (and it turns out she has 5 adopted children as well) and she gave us the name of an adoption grant organization of which her friend is the founder.  She insisted we contact her friend's organization and when we did we were to call her so she could recommend us.  Now - this stranger did not know who we were or anything about us.  Before this encounter, we were complete strangers.  I guess it was one of those moments where you "just had to be there" to get the full weight of the conversation.  Needless to say, we were deeply touched and tremendously grateful for the referral.  All in all, it was a really good day!

garage sale this saturday

Make your way to 43 S. Jefferson St., Zeeland this Saturday from 8 - 3 for our first adoption fundraiser garage sale!

We have hundreds of items for sale including:

• Men's, women's, & children's clothing
• Books, games, and children's toys
• Electronics
• Dishwasher
• Furniture
• Bed
• Printers & faxes
• 10-speed Schwinn bicycle
• LED Christmas decor
• Power tools
• Mirrors & coat racks
• Gaming chairs
• Much much more!

Hope to see you then!

garage sale fundraiser

We will be having an Adoption Fundraiser Garage Sale on Saturday, October 8.  If you have any items to donate to the sale, please contact us via email, facebook, or leave us a comment.  Also, if you have any sources to advertise the garage sale (school, work or church newsletters) please help spread the word for us. 

Here are the details:

Adoption Fundraiser Garage Sale

Saturday, October 8

8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

43 S. Jefferson Street

Zeeland, MI  49464

a little q & a

So...it's been a while since our last update.  Life has been pretty hectic, our days have been full, we're still getting used to writing blog posts together...AND, we've been up to our armpits in homework for the home study.  Lately, much of our "free" time is chewed up reading adoption-related books and working through online studies.  We are getting really close to having our homework done - so that's something to be thankful for!

One of the things I (Josh) wanted to do was to interview my wife (Jaclyn) to give all of our friends, our family (and the occasional random person who drops by) a sense of what is happening and what we are learning about at this time.

Q:  It's been a few weeks since the last update, what is the current status regarding the adoption process?

A: Our final home study appointment is tomorrow (Thursday).  We are completing our “homework” for the Michigan Adoption agency (reading books, completing online courses, etc.).  After this process is complete, everything gets sent to our Placing Agency in Indiana.  After they compile the paperwork, we pay our first ½ of the fees and then we wait to be matched with our son. 

Q: What is God speaking to you at this time?A: Patience.  I am at peace with the process and timeline. 

Q: Any concerns right now?A: I am praying for financial peace.  I don’t want our children to think that we are poor but I also want them to learn the difference between need and want.  We have been emphasizing that we are choosing to spend our money in different ways, but it is always difficult to say "no" to our children. 

Q: What are you celebrating?A: Our children are so excited about adopting.  It is wonderful to see them share with their friends that they will have a brother from Lesotho. 

Q: How do you respond when people ask you - "Why not foster care?  There are 4000+ orphans in Michigan, and it's less expensive than international adoption?"
A: We feel called by God to adopt internationally and not domestically through foster care.  It is what it is.  J 

$11.96

$11.96 is a pile of money to an 8- and 5-year old.

$11.96 is what Naomi, Elijah, and their friends brought in yesterday from their lemonade stand.

$11.96 is what they worked hard to earn selling lemonade, brownies, and bracelets.

$11.96 is what they gave away.

$11.96 is what they gave to the adoption fund.

And I have the jar of change to prove it.

God's leading, our response (part two)

The possibility of adoption began for me (Josh) nearly two years ago while Jaclyn was still pregnant with our youngest, Abigail.  Family and friends will recall that while all three pregnancies were physically hard on Jaclyn's body, the third pregnancy was the most difficult of all.

I'm not very good at remembering dates, but when we went for a routine ultrasound, somewhere around week 20, we learned that there was a problem.  The ultrasound showed a large problematic hematoma.  By all appearances, Abigail was healthy and safe, but the doctors could not be certain.  Jaclyn was immediately placed on modified bed rest and was not allowed to return to work until the doctor gave the all clear, and we were subsequently referred to a specialist in Grand Rapids for further consultation.

Jaclyn carried Abigail full term and I remember being exhausted by the time she came along - physically, emotionally, spiritually.  The hematoma...the bed rest...plus the disabling migraine headaches that Jaclyn was prone to took its toll on us, and I remember saying to myself: "That's all I can handle.  I have reached my limit."  After Abigail was born, I recall saying to Jaclyn that we'd have to pray hard and be absolutely certain before getting pregnant again because I wasn't sure I could endure all of that again.

Though I was pretty darn sure we were done having biological children, I was wide open to the possibility of adoption.  As Jaclyn shared earlier (see previous post from her), through a series of events - books we were reading, Sunday sermons, adoptive parents we met, and prayer - we were simultaneously sensing both a push and pull to adopt.  The push came through God's Spirit speaking to our spirits about taking greater risks for Him and the Kingdom.  All the while our heartstrings were being pulled as we learned more about the orphans our friends, Brian and Anita, were caring for in Lesotho, Africa.

Today is a "milestone" kind of day.  Today, Jaclyn and I have our first (of three) homestudy appointment.  For those who don't know, a homestudy is a detailed report made by an adoption agency submitted by an adoption social worker.  The details of the report will be submitted to our adoption agency - Americans for African Adoptions - to help make a final determination if we can, as a family, continue on in the adoption process.

Your prayers are greatly appreciated as we continue on this journey.  Peace.
Josh

God's leading, our response

I (Jaclyn) have grown up in a home that has been supportive of international adoptions.  I have 2 younger sisters that were adopted when I was 14 (Suzanne) and again when I was 20 (Kelly).  When my youngest sister, Kelly, was adopted, I went with my Mom to the Philippines to finalize the paperwork and take her home.  We also have a niece that was adopted from Guatemala 5 years ago.  I was able to visit her in Guatemala with my older sister, Shelly, prior to their adoption being finalized.  Due to the history of my family, I think we both have a real understanding of the process of adoption and the difficulties that can and will occur in a family setting afterwards.  However, we also know how wonderful adoption can be and how blessed the whole family is as a result. 

Several months ago, I had been reading a couple books (Crazy Love and Unshaken) and was overcome with the emotions and feelings that we needed to adopt.   I felt like we really needed to live out our lives the way God intended, including taking care of orphans and widows.  But I didn’t act upon it then as it didn’t seem like it was the right time for our family.  Then just recently, my younger sister, Suzanne, married the love of her life.  My older brother, Greg, officiated at the wedding and spoke about how love in a marriage is a choice, just like the love in adoption.  We choose to love each other through the good times and the bad.  We have had a lot of rough times with Suzanne throughout the last 19 years she has been a part of our family, especially in the last couple years.  But through it all, we still love her as a sister.  This wedding was almost like a positive reinforcement/resolution for us that through it all good can come.

A week after the wedding, Josh and I were sitting outside at another wedding.  We happened to be seated right in front of a couple that is going through an adoption from Haiti currently.  They shared their amazing “God moments” about the process and it was so exciting to see their joy.  You see, I spent 18 months in Port-au-Prince, Haiti as a teacher just before Josh and I were married.  I have a heart for the people of Haiti and instantly felt connected to this couple. 

The next day, on July 3, 2011, we sat in church and listened to our children’s director talk about giving your children purpose in life.  She talked about how if you want your children to grow up serving others that we need to do that as a family together now.  Something in her talk really hit me (Jaclyn) in that we need to adopt now and not wait for the perfect time.

The next week I started looking into international adoptions.  Our previous neighbors and good friends moved with their family of 5 to Lesotho, Africa in December 2010 to work at an orphanage for 5 years.  We have stayed in touch with them through Facebook, their blog, and Skype.  We have since grown to love the people of Lesotho, which is why we chose this country through which to pursue adoption.   

time for renovation

The time has come to do some remodeling around here.  I am taking an extended blogging break in order to come back with a new focus (details to come soon).  A big "thank you" to all my friends and family who have read my posts over the years and I hope the new blog will be an even greater encouragement to you.  Be back soon.

guitar baby :: too funny not to share

what blogs are in your reader

photo © 2008 Daniel Henríquez | more info (via: Wylio)
I'm at a bit of a standstill right now with blogging.  I'm doing more reading and I've had less time to write and so I'm wondering:

What blog(s) do you follow religiously?  Who are your favorite bloggers?

In no particular order, I regularly check:
1. Rachel Held Evans
2. Jesus Creed
3. Justin Buzzard
4. Quadrilateral Thoughts
5. Jamie - The Very Worst Missionary
6. Our Beautiful Mission - It would be really awesome if all my friends and family would check this out.  It would be even cooler if someone would foot the bill and buy them a domain name and host and set them up with a rad website for 5 years!

Least favorite?


I'd say Mark Driscoll's blog and The Gospel Coalition.  There's some good stuff there...sometimes, but mostly I just stay away.


Which bloggers make you think the most?


Rachel Held Evans...hands down.  She's a deep thinker who can look at many different sides of an issue in the same way a jeweler looks at a diamond from different angles.


What blogs out there are beautifully done?  (Maybe the content stinks, but it is aesthetically eye appealing).


This one's a tough one, but I'm going with Carin Griffith's blog Learning As I Go.  Carin was someone I knew from college and she's a terrific mother and educator.  Her blog is really well done and she's a bit of a font freak (not my words...hers), so I know she spends a lot of time tweaking her blog in order to make it look just right. 


What bloggers did you used to follow but now no longer do?  What's changed between now and then?


I used to regularly check Jon Acuff's blog What Christians Like, but that was before his book and before he became famous.

father's day lament

So Father's Day is just two days away and while I don't have time at the moment to tell all of you what my father means to me (but I will...I promise), I thought I'd pull this out of the archives to share.  Enjoy!

Lamentations of the Father

For the fathers out there - can you relate?

forgiveness :: part three

Picking up from where I left off...

I've been writing - as of late - about what forgiveness is and what it is not.  It has been my experience that for many people (including many Christians) are unable to experience the power of true forgiveness in their lives because they misunderstand what forgiveness is, what forgiveness does and does not imply, and who forgiveness is for.  My previous posts address the second and third points listed.  Today, I'd like to spend a little time talking about a workable definition of forgiveness.

I've been asked on different occasions: "How do I know when I have forgiven someone for what they did to me?"

The late Christian ethicist, Lewis Smedes, wrote in his book The Art of Forgiveness that forgiveness happens when you truly wish someone well.  I believe this is a place to start for a definition.  For someone who is looking for a more "Christian-ese" definition, I say that forgiveness happens when you can say to the other person: "Peace be with you" or "The peace of Christ be with you."

I believe when we can say to the person who has wronged us: "Peace be with you" (even if we mean it just a little bit), we are on the path of forgiveness.

Where does this idea come from?

This thought came to me last year as I was preparing a sermon for the first Sunday following Easter.  I had spent a lot of time in the Gospel of John that year and I remembered the story of Jesus' first resurrection appearance following the tomb in John 20.

Beginning at verse 19 we find the disciples were  fearing the Jews and had locked themselves inside of a house.  Jesus appears to them and says: "Peace be with you."  I should know the Greek, but I can't recall it off the top of my head.  But as a budding Hebrew instructor I can say that the Hebrew equivalent is "Shalom aleikhem."

Shalom (peace)

aleikhem (with / upon y'all)

And so it is here in this one text where we find the One who was abandoned on the cross by His disciples, appears to them in the midst of their fear and says to them: "Peace be with you!"  I'd like to think this is the equivalent of saying "I forgive you" in our terms today.  Jesus says it not once, but twice in just a couple of verses.  "Peace be with you!"

So, Smedes says when you wish someone well you can know that you have forgiven.  For those who like more of a Christian slant, we may say when we bless someone with the peace of Christ, we can know we have forgiven.

Some Final Thoughts on Steps

1. We need to recognize our flawed humanity.  Each of us is flawed.  We have this stuff called "sin" in our lives and so we're all on equal ground.  We say and do things that hurt others.  We've all been there, done that, and gotten the bumper sticker.

2. We need to remember what Christ has already done on our behalf.  What Scripture tells us is that we are already forgiven for all the crap and sin and junk because of what Jesus has done.  What we need to do is grab hold of the radical forgiveness which is only through Jesus Christ, the Messiah, by saying Yes to Christ.

3. We need to relinquish control.  We need to let go of the desire to get even with those who hurt or wrong us no matter how badly we want to hurt them back.  "Vengeance is mine" says the LORD.  When we relinquish control, we are imitating Christ, who had the authority and power to get even, but He didn't.  He surrendered himself to the "one who judges justly" - that is, His heavenly Father.

So...what steps have you taken lately to forgive?  To what lengths will you go?  
Other ideas on forgiveness?  Anyone?

caution :: do not to go to seminary

Just a few months ago, I officially graduated from seminary which means that I've in a reflective mood.  It must be that I'm missing writing papers or something.  But, as an "older" and supposedly more "mature" student among many recent college graduates, I realized that I might actually have some wisdom to share with a younger generation.

So, as I began to reflect on my 4.5 year journey through seminary - yes, I said 4.5 years - have concluded that while many become seminary students because they are called to serve as pastors or missionaries or chaplains, there are some really good reasons not to go to seminary.  Oh, and by the way, I am attempting some mild humor here.

My first piece of wisdom is: do not go to seminary...

1. ...because you want to be debt-free.

2. ...because your favorite popular pod-casted preacher is adjunct faculty there.

3. ...because you love to write theological treatises.

4. ...because you love to sleep in a library cubicle.

5. ...because your parents named you John or Calvin or Wesley (after John Calvin or John Wesley).

6. ...because you want to get an educational tax credit.

7. ...if you think the world needs more unemployed Ph.D. candidates.

8. ...because you look forward to Spring Break.

9. ...because you once thought to yourself: "Wouldn't it be really cool to read the Bible in it's original language?"!

10. ...if you are really good at making a living doing something else.  This last one isn't all that funny, but it is some of the best advice I was given.

So, what are some more reasons for not going to seminary?

forgiveness :: part two

This post has been long overdue...

A few weeks ago I posted some thoughts on the topic of forgiveness.  You can read that post by clicking here.  And in that post I talk about a number of things that forgiveness is not.  For example:

Forgiving is not excusing.


Forgiving is not a reunion or a reset to "the way things were."


Forgiving is not instantaneous.


Forgiving is not the wrong thing to do.


Forgiving is not forgetting.


It's here I should add another thing forgiving is not...forgiving is not the same as judging. 

Forgiveness implies that a judgment has already been rendered.  Think of it this way...in a United States courtroom, the offender / defendant goes through a trial process for a crime.  Both the prosecution and the defense teams present their best cases and cross-examine witnesses.  When both sides have "rested" their cases, a jury (or in some cases a judge) will deliberate and render a verdict.  The verdict of the case is stated and if the defendant is found guilty, then punishment is rendered.  At what point in the process is judgment given?  When the verdict is given, right?  Many people have fallen into the trap by believing that when we forgive someone for something they did to us that we render a verdict of "forgiven" or "not-forgiven."  But what we need to realize is that to forgive (or not to forgive) is not when the judgment (or verdict) is given, but when the punishment is carried out.

Forgiveness implies a guilty verdict, if you will.  "You did this to me and it hurt me...what you did was wrong."  That is a judgment statement.  "Right" and "wrong" statements are judgment values.  What forgiveness does is suspend punishment.

Forgiveness is surrendering your legitimate right to get even with the other person.  We can affirm that what they did to us was in fact "wrong," but in response to their wrongful action, we give up our right to get even.

As Holy Week, Good Friday, and Easter have come and gone, I've been reflecting on the implications of forgiveness as I understand it in context of Jesus' mediating role between God and us.

In the court of God, we are all found "guilty" and deserving of death.  But because of...

Christ's work...
Christ's healing...
Christ's teaching...
Christ's faithfulness...
Christ's preaching...
Christ's obedience...
Christ's ultimate once and for all sacrifice on the cross...
Christ's shed blood...
Christ's three day descent...
Christ's RESURRECTION...
Christ's victory over death and violence and sin and Satan...

Because of all of these and more, even though God says "guilty" to all of humanity, for those who are in Christ, God surrendered his legitimate right to get even and says to us: "forgiven."

Guilty yet forgiven.

In the third and final installment on forgiveness, I'll share more about what forgiveness is and how next steps can be taken to forgive.

forgiveness :: the other 'f' word

A few days ago, I posted this video where the preacher enthusiastically encouraged his parishioners to text all their ex's and tell them that they are in church and to 'f' them.  Sadly, what was lost in all the commotion and hoopla was something else that the pastor said which is a launching pad for what I'm about to say.  He said (and I'll paraphrase), "I want you to forgive all those who have said wrong things about you...who have lied about you...who have hurt you."

So it was that one little phrase that has prompted this post about what forgiveness is and is not.  Before we get to what forgiveness is, it might be helpful to say what forgiveness is not.  And before I do that, I'd like to point out that if you'd like learn more about the "art" of forgiveness, I highly recommend you read Lewis Smedes' two books on forgiveness: Forgive & Forget and The Art of Forgiveness.  Much of what I say here is framed by Smedes' work.

Forgiving is not excusing.

Here is where I believe much confusion lies when it comes to understanding the nature and purpose of forgiveness.  Forgiving is not the same thing as excusing.  We "excuse" ourselves when our bodies make audible noises at the dinner table in the presence of other company.  When this happens we say things like: "Please excuse me."  Ordinary bodily outbursts are excusable, not forgivable, offenses.  Here's another example...teachers excuse students for having to go to the bathroom.  They don't say: "You are forgiven, you may go to the bathroom Johnny."  No, what they say is: "You are excused, you may go."

Often we confuse forgiving with excusing.  We ask for forgiveness when none is required and we excuse (or make excuses for) those offenses which genuinely call for forgiveness.  

Forgiving is not a reunion or a reset back to "the way things were."

Somewhere throughout history, we have bought in to this idea that when we forgive someone, a magic "reset" button is pushed and we're supposed to be happily reunited with the person who hurt us...that way things can go back to "the way they were" before the abuse or offense occurred.  I really don't mean to be combative, but I dare you to tell that to a woman who's been beaten or raped by her husband or boyfriend.  Let's admit it, we've all heard stories or know someone who's advised an abused spouse or friend, by saying: "Just keep forgiving him (or her), give 'em another chance...after all Jesus suffered abuse for you."  My advice on the other hand is to RUN!  Get out of the situation now and don't go back.  Working through a process of healing will lead to some form of forgiveness at some point down the road but for now remove yourself from the abusive relationship.  

Forgiving is not instantaneous.

Bottom line: forgiving does not happen magically or instantly between two people or two groups of people.  For some, yes, forgiving comes easily.  But for others, it's much more difficult.  I'm reminded of times in my own life where forgiveness came easily for me.  But there were also some instances where it took me a while to get to a point where I could even muster the words: "I forgive you" even if I wasn't sure I actually did forgive.  It is a process that based on the scope, depth and frequency of the offense may take months to years or even a lifetime to work through.  

Forgiving is not the wrong thing to do.

Have you ever heard a friend or loved one say something like: "I just cannot forgive so I'm going to make them pay for what they did to me."  I realize I'm banging on the same cultural drum here, but somewhere along the line, we picked up this idea that forgiveness is unjust and that we have a responsibility and an obligation to repay.  "Eye for an eye" you know..."tooth for a tooth."

I'll let you in on a little something...there is no such thing as "getting even" when it comes to seeking revenge.  It's impossible.  An "eye for an eye" is never one for one.  Revenge only raises the stakes higher and higher until serious mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual damage has been done.  

Forgiving is not forgetting.

How many times have we heard this mantra repeated over and over and over - "forgive and forget, forgive and forget, forgive and forget."  Forgiving is not the same thing as forgetting as if nothing ever happened.  Some would say that to forgive is to acknowledge that no offense has even taken place.  It's often equated with turning a blind eye.  As human beings, we're not wired to immediately forget things we don't want to remember or relive.  We do have the capacity to suppress our memories and the terrible events in our lives, but our bodies are just as capable of retrieving those memories.  Researchers tell us that our sense of smell has the strongest link to our memories.  Years ago, when my grandfather died, I inherited a tool chest, and still to this day when I open that tool chest, it's like I'm opening a portal straight to his basement workshop where that chest was because the inside still smells like his house.

Forgiveness happens when you give up your legitimate right to get even.  There it is.  That's as succinct as I can say it, so I'll say it again...the act of forgiving is giving up your legitimate right to get even. 

What forgiveness is...coming next.

the other 'f' word

What can I say about this video?  Well, I can say that I appreciate this pastor's conviction as well as the spirit of the message.  Would I tell my congregation to "'f' your neighbor" or to text all their friends to let them know that they are at church and to 'f' you?  Proably not. 

But he does raise some interesting convictions on forgiveness which I will lay out in my next post.  So for now, if you didn't watch the video...watch it now.  And if you already watched it...watch it again.  It gets funnier the more you watch it!

the rapture: history & influence in america

Many thanks to a great friend who created this video which nicely articulates how dispensational theology emerged in America and how it continues to influence evangelical Christianity today.


The Rapture: History and Influence in America from Derrick Sims on Vimeo.

quotable quote :: ken schenck

Ironically, never in history have Christians so easily confessed themselves as sinners, and never in history have they become so comfortable with it!

Quote taken from Ken Schenck's book Paul: Messenger of Grace (Indianapolis: WPH, 2010), 28.

So what do you think...I think Schenck is on to something here.  I hear this kind of thing a lot in certain circles.  What do you do with the places where the Apostle Paul calls his readers "saints"?  Are we saintly-sinners?  Are we sinner-saints?  Or are we poor wretched sinners?  Thoughts?

stuff that bugs me :: church signboards

I'm not sure what to call this post - a rant, a critique, a non-sensical rambling?  I don't know.  So for now I'm just going to call it "stuff that bugs me."  From time to time, I drive past one of the local churches, as I make my way to the Family Fare grocery story, with a signboard out front (someone might call it a "marquee", but for our purposes "signboard will suffice).  And today this church wanted to let me know something really special which I'd like to share with all of you (the whole 5 of you that actually read my blog - thanks Mom and Dad and to the three others who venture here from time to time!) is...

If you think your life stinks, we have a pew for you!

Now doesn't that just crack you up?  I mean really.  Please, tell me the truth.  Would you honesly walk in the doors of a church that has a sign out front that says If think your life stinks, we have a pew for you!?  Would you?  And so here you have it - item #1 that bugs me - cheesy church signboards.  This is a difficult thing for me to say because I am a pastor.  But let's be honest - cheesy church boardsigns have to go!

If your church is going to have a signboard out front, here are some guidelines for what to put on your sign:
1) You may have your church name and worship time(s).
2) You may advertise special upcoming events.
3) You may put your pastor's name on the sign (but this is highly debatable and borders on cheesy).
4) You may not put cheesy, cliche, or outdated witty-isms on your sign (unless you're making fun of your own church - but why would you do that?).

There you have it - four simple guidelines for having a church signboard.  As I look over the guidelines, it hardly seems worth it to even have a signboard at all.  I don't know.  What do you think?

What's the cheesiest church signboard witty saying you've ever seen?  And when you saw it, what did you think?

sermon thoughts :: exodus 19 & 20

So this Sunday I have the privilege of preaching at Compass Church on the Ten Commandments (the Exodus 20 version) as a part of our current series entitled: Roots.  The Roots series is the beginning of a year-long journey of preaching through the Bible.  Fifty-two Sundays...fifty-two messages from Genesis to Revelation.  I think the best part of this whole experience is that we as pastors (and as a church), are working cooperatively with about a dozen other pastors and churches (including Wesleyan, Reformed, Christian Reformed, Methodist, Bible, Non-denominational, and Baptist) in the Byron area through the One Book One Body initiative which basically means we're studying and preaching through the same texts at the same time.  How cool is that?!  I've never been a part of such an ecumencial endeavor like this before and it truly is exciting to participate in something so much bigger than just our local church body.

So there's my plug for Compass and the One Book One Body initiative.  Back to getting some sermon thoughts and ideas out on the Ten Commandments.  But before I do that, I must digress for a moment...let's call the Ten Commandments what they truly are in light of what Scripture says.  No where in the Book of Exodus are the Ten Commandments called the "Ten Commandments."  That's something someone made up along the way.  I think the mislabeling also leads to some false conclusions about who God is and how God relates to His people.  So, let's call Exodus 20.1-17 what it really is: the "Ten Words," which comes from Exodus 34.28.

To be sure, the Ten Words given by God to the Israelite community at Mount Sinai is fascinating, but what I'm more interested in thinking about today is the movement within the text both before and after they receive the Words because I think there's something peculiar going on.  If we look at this text from a dramatic standpoint, we have characters, dialogue, rising action, a central conflict, and a resolution.  Most biblical dramas have all these elements.  Also, all biblical narratives center around God.  The conflict that arises in biblical narratives also centers around God. 

Prelude
For 400 years, the people of Israel were slaves in Egypt.  According to the biblical account, the Hebrew slaves worked on the construction of the city of Rameses.  For generations, the Hebrews served Pharaoh.  Eventually they became fruitful and numerous much to chagrin of Pharaoh who made multiple attempts to squash the proliferation of their offspring.  First they were subject to forced labor.  Then the forced labor became outright slavery.  After that, Pharaoh secretly met with the Hebrew midwives in an attempt to murder newborn boys.  And finally, there was a public attempt to do the same.  Generation upon generation experienced this hardship and oppression.  They experienced rejection and humiliation.  They endured beatings and insults.  Life was bitter and harsh, but for them it was all they knew.  It was all they had ever known.

After Pharaoh released the Israelites, God led them by a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night until they reached the Sea of Reeds.  You know how the rest of this story goes, so let's skip past all the complaining they do about the menu and pick up in chapter 19.

Scene 1 :: Arrival at Sinai
The text says that they came to the wilderness of Sinai.  At this time about three months have passed since their release from Egypt.  Moses ascends the mountain and God said to him: "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.  Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples.  Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation."  It's here we see God's intent for delivering them from their slavery and oppression - to turn them into a priestly kingdom set apart for his purposes - to be mediators between God and all the nations (thus fulfilling God's promises to Abraham in Genesis 12). 

So Moses tells the people and their response is very interesting.  They said with enthusiasm: "Everything that the LORD has spoken we will do."  Really?  Everything?  At this point neither the Ten Words or the Torah has been given.  That comes in the next chapter. 

Verse 17 says: "Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God.  They took their stand at the foot of the mountain."  By the end of chapter 19, it's as if the Israelites are all standing and waiting at the base of the mountain while this spectacular show of smoke and fire and thunder and lightening is taking place all around them.  Astounded I'm sure, they are as close to God as they can faithfully get at this point, and as if that weren't enough...God speaks directly to them.

Scene 2 :: God Speaks
Moses is at the base of the mountain when the LORD spoke the Ten Words for all to hear.  Just to jog our memory here they are: 1) No other gods.  2) No idols.  3) Do not misuse the LORD's name.  4) Keep the Sabbath.  5) Honor your parents.  6) Do not murder.  7) Do not commit adultery.  8) Do not steal.  9) Do not give false testimony.  10) Do not covet.

Scene 3 :: The Response
Notice in verse 21 that after God gives the Ten Words, the text says: "Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was."  The Israelites were standing at the foot of the mountain, close to the presence of God.  Now they see with their eyes and hear with their ears from the One who brought them out from the yoke of slavery, and they back away.  Does this story remind you of someone else who was in the presence of God and backed away (or tried to run away).  That's right - Jonah.  The reality of the situation the Israelites found themselves in is the same for us today.  We are brought near to God by His grace for the purposes of being His priests to the entire world...for the purposes of being his mediators...for the purposes of being conduits of grace to others.  This is not only an awesome responsibility but a terrifying one as well because it means that while we enjoy the blessings of being in the grace of God, we must at the same time surrender ourselves to his purposes.  We must obey His voice and keep His covenant - not our own. 

Scene 4 :: Postlude
Fear and desire are two of the greatest motivators for change.  I'm confident the Israelites were responding to what they just experienced out of fear and desire...desire to experience the freedom - the likes of which none of them had before; and fear of being the presence of the Holy One.  I like this quote from Ann Spangler, who writes about women in the Bible.  She says: "The antidote to fear is always trust.  Only faith can cure our worst nightmares and faith is a gift that is either fed by our obedience or starved by our disobedience." 

Bottom line:  God's not done with you yet.  Just as He continually and relentlessly pursued His people in order to make them a priestly kingdom, He's not content with leaving you as you are.  The God of the Bible is not a God of the "status quo."  He will lovingly pursue you and once He has you, He will always be working on and in and through you because you are one of His treasured possessions.

surprised by grace by tullian tchividjian

When I heard that Billy Graham's grandson, Tullian Tchividjian, wrote a book on my favorite book of the Bible, I just had to read it.  Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels is a really good exposition on the Book of Jonah.  Initially, I wanted to read this book because, quite frankly, I didn't want to like it.  I didn't want to like it because many people (pastors included) tend to immediately self-identify with Jonah.  And by identifying themselves with Jonah's plight, they fail to see God in the story.  The Book of Jonah is chuck-full of drama.  And Jonah is a complicated character, who really doesn't get "it" in the end.  He doesn't really understand how God could love the Ninevites and this is troubling to Jonah.  

Well, I couldn't have been any more wrong about this book.  Tullian, I think, does a really good job helping the reader understand that Jonah has more to do with God than it does with Jonah.  Here are a couple of points that I really liked about his exposition.  1) Tullian picks up on key repetitions of words and phrases from the Hebrew text.  For example, meaning is found in repetition and Tullian picks up on the fact that Jonah literally "goes down" and down and down to the point where he ultimately wants to "go down" to his death.   Often this repetition is lost in the English translations.  Other repetitions include: "fearing" as well as the hyperbolic use of the word "great".  Everything in Jonah is great!  2) I appreciate the fact that Tullian does not oversimplify the character of Jonah.  He helps the reader to see that Jonah is a complex character who deserves more than a simple character analysis.  3) Lastly, I appreciate how Tullian talks throughout the book about the gospel - God pursues and rescues both sinners and "wayward prophets."  Tullian says it best: "It [Jonah] reveals the fact that while you and I are great sinners, God is a great Savior, and that while our sin reaches far, his grace reaches farther" (18).