The Celebrity and the towel...

Not that long ago I was talking with a lead pastor about how he “serves” the community/world and we had an incredibly instructional time. The gist of the conversation went like this; he serves the world by using his giftedness (in his case it was speaking). In other words, he serves those on the fringes of hope by speaking/preaching (very cool). However, I later learned that this particular individual rarely, if ever, goes on mission trips (locally, or anywhere else) when he’s not the featured speaker (I guess he’s a celebrity and has earned the right to make such arrangements). Sorry, my cynicism and sarcasm are leaching out; hey I’m human too – really…

I wonder; what does one’s giftedness/passions have to do with towel bearing – serving the real needs of the poor, lonely, forgotten, and homeless; sharing real hope with AIDS orphans, clothing the naked, coming alongside the disconnected, feeding the hungry and being the hands/feet of Jesus in an unjust world?

Last I checked it wasn't about me or even my giftedness.

Read the following and ask yourself a few questions.

John 13:1-17
1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.[a] 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas,[b] son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. 6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” 9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” 10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet,[c] to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

Questions:

1. What particular skill or ability did Jesus possess to engage in such an act (bearing the towel)?
2. Why does it seem as if we’re enamored by working exclusively in our area(s) of “giftedness (passion)”, sometimes at the expense of those on the fringe? Admittedly, maybe this is just one of my hobby horses…
3. What are some ways we can combine our giftedness and the towel, or can we?
4. Am I way off base here?

Personal note: I love to preach/teach and will do so anytime and anywhere – when asked. However, what if God took away my preaching? What’s left? Towel bearing and serving those on the fringe of the unjust world… This was an extremely hard lesson for me (one I finally learned while in Kenya): lead with the towel and everything else will follow…

Ron

Compassion Rules! Live your Life...

For the love of the game...

You have to wonder; how many young athletes have walked away from the game simply because they were “driven” to practice, practice, practice, so they could win at the expense of everything else? When my dad introduced my younger brother and me to the game of ice hockey he managed to help us first love the game and then learn how to play. As it turned out it was the love of the game that pushed us to play together for over 50 years (we still love to get out on the ice and shoot the puck around).

In our walk with Christ our spiritual training (the regular use of the many spiritual practices) can be much the same in that it is always best when they are motivated by a “love affair” with Jesus.

Anything less can lead into a performance based type of Christianity; the practice of the spiritual “disciplines” can grow old and when our enthusiasm wanes (which means you’re human) we have nothing left. Worse yet, we’re stuck with a guilt complex because we’re not “doing” what we’re supposed to be doing. Sound familiar?

Read the following and then ask yourself a few questions:

Psalm 86:1-13
Hear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am devoted to you.
You are my God; save your servant
who trusts in you.
3 Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant,
for to you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul.
5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, O LORD;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call to you,
for you will answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, O Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

Questions:

1. Why do I engage in the practices of prayer and Bible study?
2. Why do I want to help others who have less and need some TLC?
3. Why do I want to learn and grow?
4. What is my real motivation? Does it need to change?
5. Have I actually fallen in love with Jesus?


Compassion Rules! Live your Life...

Encouragement: it's powerful...

A few days after receiving my driver’s license my mom and I were riding down the road – I was driving her car. After a few moments of silence she turned to me and said, “Ron, I feel very safe riding in the car when you are driving. You’re doing great.” Looking back I have no doubt that she shared these same words with my five brothers when they received their license, but at that time they were the words that I needed to hear; encouraging words that took the edge off and made me feel really good about myself.

This is my mom’s way. She is truly a voice of encouragement and as such over her life of 87 years hundreds of women come to her for advice and counsel (they still do). Why? Because she has decided to pour into people; to encourage them and help them see the good in themselves and the world in which we live.

King Solomon has much to say about the counsel of friends. Here are just a few:

Prov. 27:6
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

Prov. 27:9
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.

Prov. 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Prov. 16:24
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

As you read these short verses does anyone come to mind who reflects these verses in your life?
How about you? Are you the voice of encouragement to others?

What a lonely and shallow life it would be if we did not have those in our life who love us enough to encourage and even challenge us when needed. Encouragement, they type found in Jesus, has great power. Indeed, it is the power of life!! Don’t believe me? Then take some time and read John 8:1-11.

Hey, make a decision today. Be an encourager and the voice of hope. People need you more than you know.

Compassion Rules! Live your Life...

July 5th: The "freedom" principle...

July 4th is an awesome holiday (maybe awesome is overused, but it fits here). As you are well aware, the freedoms we have in our country came at great cost by millions of young men and women throughout the years. It serves to remind us as we celebrate; freedom is not the absence of sacrifice and duty. Freedom is a result of courage, strength, honor and a willingness to live by a law/principle that is larger than life – the principle of embracing a set of standards that transcend personal preference and places the needs of others ahead of our own as individuals.

The same can be said of the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. Like our national freedom, freedom in Christ is not simply the absence of rules, guidelines and principles that define for us how God would have us live. There are two Bible references that bring our freedom and responsibility together…

John 8:31-32…
31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Hebrews 12:1-2…
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

Blending these two parts of the Bible together let me ask you to think about a few things:

1. What is the “catch/condition” that Jesus shares in his offer for freedom? How does the truth set us free? How could this freedom be interrupted?

2. If we’re in this "race" called life (living for God) what can get in the way of that life or even disqualify us from the “assignment” we have been given? How does this relate to freedom?

3. Which is really more confining; God’s rules for life or the absence of them? Why?

4. When we do mess up and get off-track (and we all do) what does Hebrews 12 tell us to do?

For years I thought that Christianity was nothing more than an attempt to get me to simply behave and follow the rules. What I have learned (the hard way) is that God’s principles for life are best followed when we fall in love with Jesus first (because of who he is and what he did (see June 29th – he took our place)).

So, I no longer follow God’s guidelines, principles for life, because I “have” to, I do so because I “get” to and therein one finds true freedom.


Hey, let’s enjoy our freedom and continue to live for Jesus. There is a world out there that needs what we have. Let’s offer it to them with kindness and compassion as we fix our eyes on HIM…


Compassion Rules! Live your Life...