Month: January 2011

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Happy Freedom Day

Since yesterday was National Religious Freedom Day and today in Martin Luther King Junior’s Day, it seems very fitting to write a little bit about Freedom.

Yesterday the nation commemorated the anniversary of the passage, in 1786, of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, which provided the right to practice or not practice any religion you choose.

Today, we remember the great civil rights leader MLK Jr, and he efforts for racial equality and the freedom of to be able to be treated the same regardless of race.

These are both just remarkable blessings and things we should hold in high honor.  The blessings to be able to live in a land where you can be treated fairly regardless of of your faith, your gender, or your skin color is absolutely incredible.  However, those blessings pale in comparison to the freedom we are giving in Christ.

1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

The yoke of slavery to sin and addiction.  You see no matter how oppressed you are by your government or by other people ( God Forbid), the freedom from sin and the salvation connected with that are still available. It’s such an awesome way to be able to approach to day, knowing you are not a slave of your desires.

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Galatians 5:13-15

So, all you freemen, approach the day with gratitude, for all the freedoms you enjoy, and use them wisely!

We Shall Overcome!

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Deep Dark Winter

This morning is one of the coldest darkest days of the winter in Chattanooga – with temperatures in the teens or single digits.  There may be some other days this cold, but we are in the depths of winter, and getting up early to do anything just does not feel like the natural thing to do.  The natural thing to do seems to be to roll over, pull up the covers and go back to sleep until the light comes out and provides a little bit of warmth.

This could be because we are “children of the light and children of the day” and we have a natural tendenceny to avoid the dark – which I think is good. But eventually we have to get up and face the darkness. Its our goal bring the light into that darkness.

For instance, this morning, although my body didn’t want to, I strapped on the head lamp and went out into the cold darkness for a nice morning run, taking the light with me.

Thats the same way we need to live – take the light right to the darkness and let your light shine with goodness, righteousness and truth.

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5

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Being Prepared

What a difference being prepared makes.
On Monday Chattanooga received 7-10 inches of snow, the largest snowfall since 1993. It’s has been crazy, and the schools are closed until NEXT Tuesday. The city has been paralyzed for days, and some people still have not gotten out of their houses.

Yesterday, Portland Maine received 16 inches of snow, as seen in the picture. I checked the school closings this morning in Maine – no, only 1 to 2 hour delays, although the Casco Bay Quilters in Scarborough did cancel their Thursday meeting.

What a difference being prepared makes. You see Chattanooga has no provisions to remove that much snow from such a large area. The real problem has been that fact that most streets where not plowed and definitely not sidewalks and parking lots. So then when the weather took a dip south of the freezing mark, all that slushy stuff turned to the harder to remove ice.

In Portland on the other hand, everyone knows to remove the snow from the roadways, walkways and drive as fast as possible. They are prepared and equipped to react to this type of winter event.

So, it can be in our lives. For instance yesterday morning, I went into the office expecting 2 back to back short discussion and then off into the day of higher intensity meetings. What I got instead was contacts text messages and phone calls starting the before I even showered, (thus the most horrific post yesterday – sorry Joel H.) and when I got to the office and booted up the window to my electronic world, I was blasted with an hours worth of instant messages, urgent emails and questions from more directions then a compass rose can describe. And I could feel the tension and stress building up inside – I was not all prepared!

And that’s when bad things can start. (Sorry Joel A)

So, as we transform ourselves, we have to have some awareness of the “snow storms” that are coming our way and prepare ourselves. The book of Ephesians tell us “to put on the whole armor of God ,so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

Spend a little time today thinking about how prepared you are and what steps you need to take to sure up your armor, and find courage and strength from these words from Paul as you increase your readiness.

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

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Munchies

The thing about the winter for me is that I find myself snacking and munching a bunch in the evenings. It must be something about trying to stay warm by adding on a few pounds or something like that. I think a lot of us our that way in the winter, and since my brain can’t really come up with a deep thorough thought this morning, here are a few snacks for you to munch on mentally:

1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:1-4

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4

Have a great day – and stay warm.

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1.11.11

Its One day!

No it’s not an official holiday, but take a look at that cool date.  It’s one of those only once in a life time sort of dates.  Well I guess all dates are once in a lifetime dates, but not all of them are as cool as this one.  It’s sort of like my favorite time of day 11:11!

Anyway will all of these one’s around, I thought a few reminders about the oneness of Christ and the unity we have with him.

First a classic reminder of ‘one’:

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6 (New International Version, ©2010)

and then a reminder about unity that is always encouraging.

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. Romans 6:4-5

As you go about the day with all ones, remember how you are united with the one Christ who is the son of the One Father who is over all.