CREATIVE Words

So we talked about the potential damage our mouths can do according to James (3:6-12) a few weeks ago during worship. I think at one point James alludes to the creation story (3:7). It is within this story in Genesis, where we learn that God created the heavens and the earth and all the living creatures with…

ONE WORD.

And it was GOOD.

Incidentally, when is God Good?

And then God created humans… In God’s image.

And then God asks Adam (humanity) to NAME the animals.

So since we are created in God’s image…

And we are to name the animals…

What if the words we spoke

Created GOOD?


What if we concentrated on speaking words of creation instead of words of destruction? Why it would be GOOD… ALL THE TIME.

Words like:

Harmony Love Hope Justice Tender Mercy Passion Compassion
Service Worship Jesus Kindness Gentleness Listen Help Yes
Life Serenity Awesome Beautiful Potential Sincere Unity Holy
Grace and Peace

A few weeks ago, I had preached a sermon on the transfiguration of Jesus Christ (Mark 9:2-9). I talked about how awesome it would be to actually witness Jesus changing before the eyes of the disciples, and the additional WOW factor of Moses and Elijah showing up on the scene.

And of course, I pointed out the humorous - humanness (is that a word?) of Peter, as he tried to control this holy of holy moments by offering to put the three in tents. We always try to put God in a box don’t we?

Not to mention, by making this offer, Peter is suggesting that Jesus is on the same level as Moses and Elijah. I’m so happy that I never put someone else on the same level as Jesus or maybe even higher… yeah right.

But you know what really gets me about this story is when this huge cloud overshadows this group, and a voice comes out of the cloud saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him!”
Now when I hear that voice in my head I think about what’s about to happen in the rest of this story. We know that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to be crucified on the cross…

And God knows this…

Now I don’t know what it’s like to actually lose a child. I cannot imagine it. I don’t want to imagine it. My wife and I had a miscarriage several years ago, and that was horrible! But losing a child… there can be no words…

And so I as I explained this to the congregation, knowing that there were a few families that had indeed lost a child, I stated that God certainly had to be crying when God said, “This is MY SON, the BELOVED.” I imagine God’s voice cracking. I can hear the moans, the agony the pain. I bet it was raining, since God surely had to be crying.
God’s son was about to die… would we just please take Jesus seriously? Will be please, please take notice of him? God is in agony.
Today, life just sucker punched one of the families that were seated in the sanctuary, listening to that sermon a few weeks ago. Their daughter who was three months pregnant was in a horrific auto accident this morning. She left behind a little boy and a loving husband. Her grandfather was seated next to his son.

It doesn’t make sense. These are times when our faith is challenged. We don’t understand why God would allow this to happen? Why does this happen to one family and not the other?
But what we do know is this…

God knows the pain and the agony of losing a child too. I don’t know if there is comfort in that, but maybe it brings our hearts closer to God knowing that God can relate to that kind of pain…

So let's all pray for the family-- her husband and small child, for her parents, her brother, her grandfather, pray for her parent's church and for this young woman's church. In doing so, we are somehow mysteriously connected, we are unified through Christ Jesus. Our tears are their tears, their tears are God's tears.

Courage

"From the cowardice that dares not face new truth, from the laziness that is contedted with half-truth, from the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth, Good Lord, deliver me. Amen" -- Prayer from Kenya

Writer's Block

Okay, for me to title this as, “Writer’s Block” is somehow making the statement that I fancy myself as a writer. I DO NOT believe that is the case. Let me repeat, I DO NOT think I am a writer.

With that said, I knew this would happen. I open up a blog and get “writer’s block.” I cannot think of a thing to say….

BECAUSE I’M NOT LISTENING FOR God…. I have not taken the time to listen for, or become aware of the sounds, the voice, the whisper, the quietness of God.

Maybe that’s what sin really is… the inability or refusal to listen FOR God.