Plants In Need Of Watering

When you want a flower to grow, it turns out, simply planting the seed isn't enough. Sure, it has to be done.

It helps if you plant it in good soil -- even more if that soil is stocked with nutrients and growth formulas and other new sciency things designed to help flowers grow. But unless you water the thing, all you have is a fairly expensive pot of dirt.

And it's not just a one-time thing, either. Turns out, the darn things need to be watered all the time. Even once they've started to grow, they still require water for survival. Fail to water, and your lovely flower wilts. Continue to forget, and it dies.

It's true for plants, for pets, and even for people. We need water -- a consistent supply of it! -- in order to survive.

As water is for our physical beings, prayer and learning are for our spiritual -- our real -- selves. It's telling, I think, that Jesus didn't tell us, before being taken back to the Father's side, to make converts, but to make disciples. It's one thing to plant a seed, but we must also encourage our fellow believer to grow stronger and become more like Christ. This is a process, and one that won't end until we end our lives here and come into our inheritance at His side.

Paul tells the church, in Hebrews 2:12-14,

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.

His encouragement here is to edify one another, and to keep one another on the right path. We do this through constant prayer. We do this by constantly seeking to know more about God and His will.  This is why Christ called believers to make disciples. It's one thing to plant the seed; but once somebody comes to the faith, it is up to us to help cultivate it.

This is one of the reasons the church is so important. The church is a good soil in which this seed of faith can find what it needs for growth. But, more importantly, the fellow believers help sustain the life of this new faith by a constant stream of encouragement, prayer, and teaching.

Peacemaking is Hard. And Strange.

Drama, drama, drama.

Have you ever noticed how much we humans crave conflict? While conflict on the world stage creates fear, conflict closer to home -- say, on the internet, in our homes, and in our churches -- draws a crowd of onlookers. Some people create it on purpose. Some people will talk publicly about how much they "hate all the drama," but will then be the first to create it in some way, starting a fight over some insignificant thing, or publicly airing dirty laundry. And as human beings, we love it. Love. It. Why do you think daytime talk shows are so popular?

Maybe that's why Jesus called His people to aim for the opposite. "Blessed are the peacemakers," He declared in Matthew 5:9, "for they shall be called the children of God."

Make no mistake: the Beatitudes -- perhaps the most famous part of Christ's Sermon on the Mount -- are a direct call from God to be other than what our humanity wants us to do naturally. They are counter-intuitive to our sinful natures. And that's exactly what Jesus wanted. It's not natural to consider yourself blessed in your want or mourning. It's not natural to embrace meekness, in this hard world, as a strength that will inherit the Earth. And it's not natural, when our humanity craves conflict -- yet fears confrontation -- to become a peacemaker.

Because peacemaking isn't about avoiding conflict. It's not a passive thing to be a peacemaker. No, peacemaking is, in fact, all about confronting the agents of conflict, in seeing them as people loved by Christ, and in guiding them to understanding and (true) tolerance. Now, as an aside, I'm not talking about tolerance the way generally expressed by the World: what do they know, anyway? I'm talking about the ability to love in spite of differences, to find common ground to rise above conflict. Not to embrace sin, but to love anyway.

Peacemaking isn't easy, but we don't do it alone. Philippians 4:13 reminds us, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

It is in Christ we can find the will -- where it doesn't exist in ourselves -- to shake off our human love of conflict, and our human desire for complacency, and become a force for peace in a constantly darkening world. 

Seeking and Finding

Today is Scavenger Hunt Day.

I love scavenger hunts. One of the things my wife has recently started doing is putting together lists of things for our kids to find. We then will go on walks around town, and down to the park, as they look for things to check off their lists. They have a great time, and it's a fun way to spend time with them.

Of course, the trick, when it comes to doing a good scavenger hunt, is in making a list of things they have to actually search for. It can't just fall in their laps: they have to want to find it.

It's the same way when it comes to finding God. He puts the clues out there. He outright tells you who He is. He speaks into your spirit with a still, small voice. But you have to want to find Him. Proverbs 8:17 says, "I love those who love me and those who seek me find me."

In Jeremiah 29:12-13, God promises, "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

And Jesus invites us, in Matthew 7:7 to, "ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

God wants a relationship with us -- but more than that, he wants us to want a relationship with Him.  So He puts Himself out there... all you have to do is look. 

Turtles, Timidity, and Timothy

It must be nice to be a turtle. Take your time getting where you need to go -- and then not even have to worry about getting back home before dark, because you brought it with you! Not to mention the relative safety! Trouble comes, and you just pop back under your shell.

If I'm being totally honest, there are days I really envy that in a turtle. Days when I want nothing more than to hide in my shell, and shut the world out until it leaves me alone. Because, let's face it, it's a cruel old world. It's not the easiest place to remain innocent and keep your eyes on Christ. It's not always easy to be bold
about your faith in a world that mocks the very idea of God and derides conviction as something medieval.

Some times, I wonder why Faith doesn't come with a shell to carry around with us, for when the enemy's arrows come raining down.

Timothy, a young leader of the early church, must surely have felt the same way -- and then some! Maybe that's why Paul, in his second letter to his young protege, made sure, right away, to encourage him.

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. (2 Timothy 1:5-8)

Yeah, says Paul, Christians have it tough. (And let's face it, Timothy's church, and churches around the world today, have it a LOT tougher than you and I!) But Christ gave us not only a mission to reach others, but a command to love them. And not only a command, but the strength and courage, in His Spirit, to fulfill it. 

So no, we don't have a shell. We have something much better: the Power of the Living God.

With the Timbrel and Harp

Psalm 149

¹ Praise the Lord.^[a]

Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.

² Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
    let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
³ Let them praise his name with dancing
    and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
⁴ For the Lord takes delight in his people;
    he crowns the humble with victory.
⁵ Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor
    and sing for joy on their beds.

⁶ May the praise of God be in their mouths
    and a double-edged sword in their hands,
⁷ to inflict vengeance on the nations
    and punishment on the peoples,
⁸ to bind their kings with fetters,
    their nobles with shackles of iron,
⁹ to carry out the sentence written against them—
    this is the glory of all his faithful people.

Praise the Lord.

Diversity and (TRUE!) Unity: Lessons from Babel

Diversity sure is misunderstood! In some corners, it's almost a dirty word, while in others, it is venerated as a
holiness above all others. Cultural diversity is a wonderful thing. Our world is made richer because of the various cultures represented throughout. When it comes to celebrating cultural diversity, we most often have a view to a kind of unity among all people. By saying we're celebrating our differences (for that's what diversity is), we're really seeking a kind of common ground.

And that's noble.

But I can't help but think, as good a goal as unity is, it would be good to consider why there's all this diversity in the first place. If a structure collapses, it just makes good sense to investigate why it did so before building it again. In the same way, it seems to me that, if our goal is unity, we ought to look first at the reasons behind our separation.

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. (Genesis 11:1-9)

So, God Himself scattered humanity -- and the reason is really pretty simple. He did it as a way to keep man reliant on Him. Man was originally created to be in relationship with God; but man's ambition was to elevate himself to God's level. We know from the New Testament that God does indeed desire unity among His children -- but that Unity must be founded on a relationship to God. 

Put another way, the unity Man wants is a false unity, because it fails to recognize who we actually are to each other. We believe we ought to be united because we are of the same species. We want to believe that we can become one Human Family, without God, by virtue of nature and good intentions. But without recognizing who -- and whose -- we really are, that unity is a fiction. 

It is only through our relationship with Christ -- and our recognition that we are, all of us, children of God -- that we can gain the true Unity He has in store. That of a single, loving, family, gathered under the roof of our Heavenly Father.

Does Jesus Hate Rich People?

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:21-24)

Jesus seems awfully tough on rich people here, doesn't he? What's he saying here? Does wealth really keep us separated from God? It certainly can; this isn't even the first time Jesus spoke on this problem. In Matthew 6, He tells us to store up our treasures in Heaven -- that is, to put our effort into the things of God, rather than of this world. Because, He says in verse 24, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

So, what's Jesus' problem with money? After all, Job is an example of great faith, even now -- and he was filthy rich! Actually, Job illustrates the issue nicely. See, it's not that Jesus has a problem with money. It's that we do.  

Job is what you call an exception that proves the rule. His trust was in God -- so much so, that even when his great wealth was stripped from him, he still cried out and put his faith in his Creator. 

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
    and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
    may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21)

 
For Job, his wealth was a gift from God, and therefore belonged to God. 

What Jesus was pointing out was that so many who were -- and are -- wealthy, can't seem to put their trust and faith in Him. Jesus told the rich young man in Matthew 19 that, if he sold all he had and gave it to the poor, he would have treasure in Heaven -- that is, everlasting treasure. But the young man couldn't believe. His faith was in his worldly possessions. More to the point, he believed in the security he got from his wealth, and when asked point blank, couldn't transfer that security and faith to the God he claimed to serve. 

Today, that's not a problem for only the rich. How many of us put our faith and our trust in a job; in our ability to make money? How many would willingly sell everything we have, give it to the poor, and put our faith wholly and completely in God? It's easy to say we would -- or even that we are. But think carefully: if the rubber hit the road, and you heard Jesus' voice telling you to give up everything and trust completely in him, could you do it?

Fortunately, we -- and even that rich young man -- needn't rely on the limits of our own very human faith. 

When Jesus made his point about the wealthy, and a camel fitting through the eye of a needle, His disciples were incredulous. If not the rich, then who could be saved? And were the rich without hope?

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

A desperate man once told Jesus, "I do believe. Help my unbelief." 

Our own beliefs may seem small and unworthy. But through Christ, even the wealthy may find faith enough to trust Him.

Pack Rats and Soul Junk

I'm a pack-rat. Now, I don't collect everything, but there are some things I simply can't let go. Cords and cables, for one. I have a bag at home that weighs roughly 60lbs -- full of electrical cords, audio/video cables, phone cords, and even speaker wire. Because you never know.

For many people, it starts out this way, but eventually, preparedness becomes compulsion. Before long, you wake up to find yourself with mountains of magazines, stacks of nick-knacks, and a TV show on TLC.

It's very human to hold onto things we no longer need. We develop a sort of attachment, and for various reasons. Maybe we've been burned before; maybe we're afraid of ever being without it. Maybe it's just so comfortable living with it that it almost seems a part of us.

For me, that includes wires and cables. And nice pens and paper. And also mistrust, disappointment, and, occasionally, anger. And sin. So, so human. If TLC made a "Hoarders"-like show for Christians who can't let go of their vices, I think a lot of us would be on it. After all, our hearts are our safe places. Our homes, where we keep those things close which make us feel secure.

But here's the great thing about Jesus: when we invite Him in, He doesn't expect us to clean that junk up. He expects to help us do it. Like those helpful reality shows (you know, the shows you secretly keep hoping will show up at your door), He wants to identify the clutter, the junk we no longer need in our lives -- even though we seem to think we do -- and help us to get rid of it.

That grudge? Gone. Lust and intemperance? Don't need it. And what's with -- well, let's just toss that, too. Jesus isn't about hiding our hoarded junk; He's about eliminating it. Clearing it out. And when we start to bring it back in? He's right there to help you take it out again.

Because the truth is, we don't need it. And, here's the real secret: we never have.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

Love a Tree

Today is Love a Tree Day. And I do. One in particular. The tree I love, I love not because of the wood of which it is made, or because of how majestically it stands. In fact, the tree I love isn't really a tree, but a cross. Yet, this particular tree bears fruit -- and that fruit is our Salvation.

Without the Cross, and what it represents -- and without the resurrection of Christ -- we would be completely without hope and lost in our sin.

The Old Rugged Cross, by George Bennard

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
 the emblem of suffering and shame;
 and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
 for a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
 So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
 till my trophies at last I lay down;
 I will cling to the old rugged cross,
 and exchange it some day for a crown.

2. O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
 has a wondrous attraction for me;
 for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
 to bear it to dark Calvary.
 (Refrain)

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
 a wondrous beauty I see,
 for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
 to pardon and sanctify me.
 (Refrain)

4. To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,
 its shame and reproach gladly bear;
 then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
 where his glory forever I'll share.
 (Refrain)

The World Is My Sea Monkey

As a boy in central Michigan, I spent a good portion of my elementary school days as a Cub Scout. And as a Cub Scout, I had a subscription to Boy's Life Magazine (anyone else remember Boy's Life?). One of the things I always looked forward to in getting my subscription was digging to the back pages for the classifieds. Ads for every wondrous thing awaited: books on becoming the next Charles Atlas (even though, by then, there wasn't an 11-year-old alive who actually knew who he was), X-Ray specs, and Sea-Monkeys!

Sea-Monkeys were many a child's first lesson in disappointment. In the ad, they were like tiny mer-people. They grew big, were a lot of fun, and could even be trained! Why, they were "instant pets!" In reality, of course, they were brine shrimp, and with the aid of the accompanying "Growth Food," could grow to a gigantic 0.5 inches. Eventually.

Temptation is a lot like that. We build up this idea of what Sin is like (assuming we even call it sin). We assume the Christian life will be this dull, empty, rules-filled life that will just suck the joy out of whatever time we have on earth. Ultimately, however, though it may indeed be enjoyable for a time, sin will disappoint. It will leave you unfulfilled. And worst of all, it will lead to death (Romans 6:23)!

Jesus Christ, however, is exactly what He claims to be. In John 14:6, He tells us, "I am the Way, the Truth, and The Life." He is our way, not only to Heaven -- not only to audience with the Father -- but to a fulfilled life.

John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Re-accepting The Gift of God's Word

Today is the beginning of Shavuot -- the Jewish "Feast of the Weeks." The celebration begins officially at sundown and lasts until sundown Thursday. During this time, according to Jewish tradition, God gives the Torah to His people again, and they re-accept the gift of His word.

I love this view of God's word -- His revelation of the Law, and the visions of His prophets. It is a gift to us: His way of allowing us to hear His voice.

Psalm 119:15-16 says,

I meditate on your precepts
    and consider your ways.

I delight in your decrees;
    I will not neglect your word.

In verses 105 and 106, 

Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path. 

I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
    that I will follow your righteous laws.

God's law is His way of showing His love for us. He sets us apart, and desires only the best for us, and so gives us the way to get along with one another, and with Him. Jesus tells us as much in Matthew 22:36-40. He was asked which is the most important law, and He responds that the entire will of God -- the entire law -- is about our devotion to our Creator, and to a slightly lesser extent, about how we treat His creation.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Who better to guide us through this world than the One who made it? So, the word of God is a gift. And it's a gift we can re-accept every new day, as we bind it to our minds, and write it on our hearts. 

Mother's Day - Every Day

It takes a special person to be a Mom. I'm not talking about biology here -- a lot of people can actually have children. But to be a Mom is more than a function of nature. It is a calling. Mom is the glue that holds the family together. She is the family's heart, soul, and quiet strength.

Mom not only serves her family, but builds them, crafts them, into generations of strong, generous, courageous, loving, creative individuals. You Mother is ingrained in your identity -- not through mere genetics, but your relationship to her creates a lasting imprint on your entire life: on how you see the world, how you relate to others, and even how you see God.

No wonder God wrote the 5th Commandment in hard stone, and handed the words to Moses: "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."

No wonder our own Lord, Jesus Christ, looked down from the agony of the cross, and charged his friend to look after his mother (John 19:25-27). 

You honored your Mom on Mother's Day. But what about the other 364 days in the year? Are you honoring your Mother? Is she as important to you now, as she was when you needed her?

Remember: Mother is a gift from God.

Hide The Beer!

Human beings sure are an easily offendable lot. And we get offended by all the wrong things. A style of music somebody listens to. Who watched this movie or that one. Whether somebody enjoys a glass of beer with the barbecue or accidentally cursed when an errant finger got caught in a closing door.

The problem is, the stuff God looks at, we have a bit more trouble with. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells why he has sent an envoy ahead of his next visit, in order to strengthen the believers. The reason, in a nutshell, is because he worries for them. Not that he might catch some talk about Beverly having a glass of wine with at the neighbor's party, or that Jimmy and June were out holding hands by the stables.

... I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged. (2 Corinthians 12:20-21)

Paul is concerned -- because God is concerned -- about the heart. About the real sin that is constantly at our doorstep. 

We have a habit, my wife and I, when it comes to getting our kids to clean their rooms. It's a simple enough step: we check the closet. We didn't always do that, and frankly it didn't take long for my son to figure that out. We'd walk in, and his floor would be spotless. Yet, we were always amazed -- annoyed, irritated, and slightly angry, but amazed -- at how quickly it would go from shiny and clean to once again becoming an insane, hurricane-impact, chaotic mess. Eventually, we figured it out: the mess had never left the room. He had simply shoved it into his closet. And when next he opened that closet door, the mess simply shifted back into its original position on the floor. 

Sin is like that. We scrub our exteriors, and work hard to maintain a pure and clean appearance. We fool our fellow churchgoers, even happily inviting the Pastor over (making sure, first, to remove any evidence of potential indiscretion or controversy). Meanwhile, inside, the mess sits waiting. Selfishness, gossip, slander, arrogance, disorder, sexual impurity, hatred... these things remain hidden. Yet, when the pastor leaves -- when the Church stops looking -- the closet door opens, and our sin spills out. 

Of course, you may well be fooling the deacons and the preachers and the little old ladies at church. But God knows you.

God, forgive my hidden sins. Cleanse me from the inside, so I am -- all of me -- pure and worthy.

Why The Ascension Matters

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. (Luke 24:50-53)

Today is, traditionally, Ascension Day. Well, in certain states, anyway. In most diocese, the celebration actually takes place on Sunday. Not that important, actually: what matters is that recognize -- and celebrate -- the ascension of Christ into Heaven. 

The Ascension itself is important for several reasons. Christ's ascension tells us something about His nature. A lot about His nature, in fact. That Christ was born of flesh, died in the flesh, rose again, and then ascended to Heaven reiterates His dual nature as both God and Man (Philippians 2:5-8). So God -- who created the universe (John 1:1-5 reminds us the Word was God, was with God, and created everything), allowed Himself to become low, to become like us, in order to bring us back in relationship with the Father. By His ascension, we see that, really, He could always come and go as He wished. But He chose to be born of woman. Why is this important? 

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

That says it all, really. He came as one of us, so that His call to be Holy, to be Perfect, was not hollow or hypocritical. He defeated sin as a Man so that Man would be empowered through Him to claim that victory. Then He, as a Man, bore our sin -- became our representative -- and was crucified in our place. 

The Ascension, then, reminds of what Christ left behind when he descended to our level. It also reminds us that He is the King over all creation, and that He will be coming back.

Pigs, Chickens And The Acts 2 Church

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)

That's quite a picture of the Church, isn't it?

Today is "Donate A Day's Wages To Charity Day" (and yes, that's a real thing). Because of this, I went into this morning's devotional thinking about sacrificial giving. It's a tough concept -- to actually give more than what you think you can conveniently offer. But that is, after all, what makes it a sacrifice. But in searching the Scripture (I was actually looking for the story of the widow's mite, found in Luke 21:1-4, but didn't remember exactly where it was), I stumbled across -- or was led to -- Acts 2:45. "They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need." And, in fact, we can learn similar lessons from each. The widow in Luke 21 can teach us about the spirit of our giving. 

The Widow's Mite, art by James Christensen

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” 

For so many of us, giving is an obligation. For the widow, it was a commitment. It is this same spirit we find in the Church of Acts 2.  Today, we say we're part of a church because we show up once or twice a week and (maybe) give up 10% of our incomes. 

Meanwhile, the early church was, by necessity, committed to its cause and to its members. Each person in the church was committed to his or her brothers and sisters as fellow members of the Body of Christ. Committed, in fact, to the point where they not only shared what they had, but went out of their way to offer sacrificially to the aid of another member in need. 

What we learn in Acts 2 is that a church isn't a building -- or even merely a group of believers. A church is a family -- a single organism. A church is a body -- The Body -- who truly loves one another as Christ Himself loves them. 

A pastor once asked how church members were like a ham and egg breakfast. Some members, he said, were like the Chickens, and some like the pigs. The difference, he said, was that while the Chickens were involved in the breakfast, the pigs were committed.  

We bemoan the state of the world -- how our culture becomes more and more secularized and depraved. But Scripture itself teaches us what we can do about it. Acts 2:47 says, "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Daily. 

How did they do it? Simply by being the Body of Christ.  

The Toughest Job In The World

I think we can all agree: not everyone is called to be a teacher. Teaching is hard. Teachers have not only to engage their students and capture their attention; they must also find a way to make their instruction memorable. And, more to the point, The teacher must take responsibility for what he or she teaches.

James 3:1 says, "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly."

Why would that be? Why will God judge the teacher differently than He would anyone else? Does that sound just? Or fair? 

Well, as a matter of fact, it is just. It's not a calling for everyone precisely because the job of the teacher is so important. It is the teacher -- from the public school desk to the pulpit -- who shapes and molds the mind and spirit. It is the teacher who has taken, or been given, the mantle of authority -- and with authority, responsibility -- over the instruction of the rest of us. What we know comes, at least in part, from our teachers. 

This means every teacher will be held to account for that which they teach. If they teach falsely, they will be held responsible for their false teaching. 

That's a heavy responsibility to bear, and I don't envy those who are called to it. But they do it. The teacher puts himself or herself on the line to be of service to the pupil, the Christian teacher in service to God. 

For that reason, the Teacher ought to be honored. Not just on National Teacher's Day, but every day.  

Simple Gifts

Today is the birthday of Joseph Brackett, Jr. A Shaker in Maine, who is best known for his song, "Simple Gifts." The folk spiritual has been performed and adapted since its inception in the 19 Century into modern times, and even sung at three modern Presidential inaugurations.

Here are the words, penned by Joseph Brackett:

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight
'Till by turning, turning we come round right.

In fact, the song was written as a dance song -- but, too, it serves as a reminder of the gifts God has given. How many of our modern day problems come from all those things intended to make life easier? How often do we find ourselves in some sort of financial trouble because we are unable to simplify our own lives and pare down to what we really need? How many times is the still, quiet voice of God drowned out by the noise of our daily lives?

Of course, I'm not suggesting we give up on all forms of modern convenience. I am suggesting we sometimes rob ourselves of enjoying the simple gifts of God. Freedom to love and worship Him. Freedom from the burdens imposed by modern life. Freedom from the heavier burden of our own sin.

It's appropriate that such a reminder should come in the form of a dance song -- the melody of which, by the way, has been adapted into a perhaps even more well-known song in recent years: "The Lord of the Dance." When we accept the freedom Christ has come to offer, we give up the burden of our sinful natures. And with that weight off our own shoulders, we are free to dance in worship to our Savior who has removed it.