Thursday’s Musings: Bible-to-Life or Life-to Bible?

Mark 16:20 And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.

From biblical times, we’ve had people who were charged with sharing the news of current events and the Good News of the Gospel with others. Shane Raynor wrote a good article about the current Zimmerman / Martin issue for Ministry Matters. (link is below) Yet he goes on to say about pastors who intend to address the verdict from the pulpit, “…but I’ve never been one for preaching with a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in another. A Bible-to-life approach, to me, produces more spiritual dividends in the long run than a life-to-Bible one, although both have their place. Congregations that are grounded in Scripture are able to process these kinds of events for themselves as they happen. They don’t need the pastor telling them what to think. Addressing every current event from the pulpit turns a preacher into just another pundit.”

In a way I agree but with some reservations.  I have been taught and I truly believe this that the best way to share the Gospel is to show where it intersects the members of the congregation’s lives. When I craft my sermons, I most often try to show where the scripture applies to or is evidenced in a current event either in the news or in our congregation. That’s also the basis of these Musings as I look at life and see a relationship to scripture. What do you think?  Would you rather hear Bible-to-life, life-to-Bible or something else?  How do you perceive my sermons?  There is no wrong answer here!

God of life, I ask your help in preaching the gospel and relating it to our lives. May we all know your Word to such an extent that we can see how it applies to what’s going on in our personal life and in the lives of those around us. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Bless,
Paige

http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/blog/entry/4059/trayvon-zimmerman-and-pastor-pundits#axzz2ZMJMl4Qa

Wednesday’s Musings: Trashing the Dress. Really?

Luke 3:11 (NIRV) John answered, “If you have extra clothes, you should share with those who have none. And if you have extra food, you should do the same.”

The morning news showed us photos of a bride running into the ocean with her wedding dress on fire.  This was done on purpose for her wedding photo shoot.  Apparently there’s a new trend among brides to “trash the dress” after the wedding. Some have paint thrown on them; others walk through mud while others jump into water. Everyone agreed the fire stunt had gone way too far.  Last year a bride died when she jumped in water near a waterfall and her veil got caught and carried her downstream.  I agree with the commentators who said if the brides didn’t want to save the dresses for their daughters why not sell or donate them to charity.  Considering the prices of wedding dresses this act of deliberate destruction is in my opinion the height of self-indulgence.  I used a modern translation here because it most captures what John was getting out.  Older translations use the word “cloak” or “coat.” The point is that we should share of our excess with the needy.  What do you have in your home that you aren’t using?  How could you help someone else by donating it or selling it and giving the proceeds to charity? 

Holy God, please open our eyes to our selfishness. We confess that we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves nor have we helped the least, the last and the lost, by sharing some of the abundant blessings bestowed upon us. Amen.

Happy Wednesday,
Paige

Tuesday’s Musings: Rest and Rejoice

Psalm 118:24  This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be full of joy and be glad in it.

We used to have a saying, “The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get.”  I get up early and stay up late and still have a list of things I feel I should have done. Of course if I did all of those things, there would just be more to take their place.  My “In” basket is never empty. Maybe that’s not a bad thing.  If our “in” basket is empty perhaps it’s because no one needs us anymore.  There’s really not much on our “to do” list that can’t wait. Yet I’ve seen people who seemed to live their lives in emergency mode.  It’s good for us to have balance between work and rest.  God wants us to seek that balance because it’s difficult to fully experience the joy God offer us when we are going at full speed.  Instead of always focusing on our To Do list, let’s find some time to stop each day and enjoy the day that the Lord has made.

Creator God, thank you for this day which You have made.  Please help us to find joy in it.  We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

In Christ,
Paige

Monday’s Musings: Eve and Me

Genesis 3:1-3  Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”  The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,  but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and ypou must not touch it, or you will die.’”

I’ve recently discovered that I most likely have an intolerance of gluten. It happened when I tried an elimination diet. When the wheat went, so did some muscle and joint tenderness that I’ve had for a long time. Now when I eat wheat the symptoms return.  Saturday as I walked down the grocery store aisle I began to notice all the foods I used to eat that contain gluten. I walked by the cookies, crackers, wonderful breads, pastas and frozen entrees saying to myself, “can’t eat that, can’t eat that, can’t eat that…” until I realized I was having a real Eve moment.  You see, with the serpent’s prompting she began focusing on the one tree in the garden she couldn’t eat from instead of all the other trees God had provided for Eve and Adam to eat.  I went down aisles and aisles of foods that are gluten free but I was pouting over the things I know I would be better off avoiding.  Eve would have been much happier if she’d appreciated what she had instead of spending time resenting what she didn’t have. That kind of resentment often causes people to do things they shouldn’t do. I’ll try to do better; in the meantime, Joe said he wouldn’t mind buying groceries by himself for awhile!

Holy Lord, forgive us for not appreciating fully all of the gifts of life with which you have blessed us. We ask that you help us overcome the temptations of things that would not be in our best interests. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have a great week!
Paige

Friday's Musings: A Different Kind of Website

Job 8:13-15 Such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless shall perish. Their confidence is gossamer, a spider’s house their trust. If one leans against its house, it will not stand; if one lays hold of it, it will not endure.

A Loganville friend often posts photos from his garden or walks in nature.  Today a photo showed a group of spider webs that were like hammocks in the low grass. I have a fear of spiders but I do like looking at their webs. Some are very intricate and all show a lot of perseverance. Still they are fragile and easily destroyed.  What are the webs we weave in our lives?  Where do we spend time and energy on things not of the kingdom –-things that will perish? What can we embrace and enact in our lives that will endure not just in ourselves but will make a difference for others?  Just something to ponder.

Holy Lord, thank you for the beauty of nature.  Help us not just to observe but to learn from what we see. Amen.

Have a great weekend! I hope you will all be in worship on Sunday. That is where you might find the answers to these questions.
Paige

Thursday’s Musings: Drawn to the Light USED

Used Again with modification 6 -19-19 and 11-9-21

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

I did some laundry last night. Running out of underwear will usually force me to do that. The laundry room floor was populated with hard shelled beetles, mostly deceased.  They are drawn to the light in the room and come in through the doggy door. If I leave an outside light on it’s not unusual to look out and see it surrounded by moths and other flying insects.  Like the beetles, they often meet their demise when they fly into the light. I thought about the metaphor of light in the bible. Jesus is the light of the world. 1 Peter speaks of God’s wonderful light.  Here as elsewhere, light refers to true, Godly knowledge. Those who remain in darkness do not have true knowledge of God’s will for His people.  They often misinterpret God’s Word even if unintentional. You might wonder how my dead insects relate to what happens when we are drawn to the light mentioned here.  I think that when we come to the light we become new people. A lot of our old ways die. We put on the light of Christ and then become a light for others. (Matt. 5:16).

God of Light and Love, we pray that you will continue to draw us into your glorious light. Show us your will and teach us your ways. We ask in Jesus name, amen.

Blessings,
Paige

Wednesday’s Musings: Giving Secretly

 

Matthew 6:1-4 (CEB) “Be careful that you don’t practice your religion in front of people to draw their attention. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.  “Whenever you give to the poor, don’t blow your trumpet as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may get praise from people. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get.  But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that you may give to the poor in secret. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you.

Our Methodist health insurance program encourages us to participate in Virgin Health Miles.  We wear a pedometer and upload our steps to our computer.  We can actually earn money for walking.  I walked a little over four miles yesterday morning only to discover I had left my pedometer at home.  Too bad I can’t just upload the stats from my iPhone Map My Walk app.  I was upset that I wasn’t going to get credit for all those steps.  We like to be recognized for our efforts, especially when we stand to gain financially.  But there are times when quiet acts of kindness are more appropriate.  Have you ever given an anonymous gift? It feels really good.

Loving God, We know that you see all our acts and will reward our kind deeds. This week please provide us with opportunities to help others without recognition for ourselves.  We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Blessings,

Paige