Filed under: God at work, thought of the moment | Tags: C3 Church, C3 Orlando, Church, Community Bible Church, Highway Community, Memorial Baptist Church, Realizing Harmony, serve, stuck in their ways
Sunday, after church, I was talking with someone who I barely knew. His name is Jehaan. He’d been with Highway Community for quite a while longer than me, and in fact, is on staff at the church.
I believe Highway Community has been in existence for more than 10 years, but only a few years ago they expanded when they were approached by Community Bible Church (CBC) to join forces. CBC had a reasonably nice facility, but they were struggling financially as I understand it.
Prior to our move to FL, my wife and I had been members of CBC for quite some time. Me, since about 1990. She had been going there since before she was born.
CBC was the “new” name for Memorial Baptist Church. And Memorial Baptist Church was the “new” name for one of the longest-named churches I’ve heard of: First Memorial Baptist Church of Mountain View. (My record for longest church name still remains: First Filipino Southern Baptist Church of San Diego – or FFSBCSD for “short” – where one of my college roommates was a member. But I digress…)
So, despite being one of the “new people” at Highway Community, we’ve got quite a history with the church. And surprisingly, there are quite a few Seniors who have stayed – through all the name changes, and style changes, and even building changes. My Mother-in-law is one of those Seniors.
Back to my conversation with Jehaan…
We got to talking about the church’s history, more the history of the building and a bit about the history of the people who’d been worshiping there over the years. He was amazed that so many Seniors were still there, particularly with the fairly radical changes wrought by CBC and then pushed even further by Highway Community.
Later in the afternoon, I asked my Mother-in-law why she and all the other Seniors stayed. Her response?
“I guess we’re just stuck in our ways.”
That struck me as strange. I’ve heard that phrase before, but it’s usually used of people who are stuck in their ways in terms of style of teaching (casual vs formal, topical vs inductive), style of learning (Sunday School vs Home Bible Study), style of music (hymns vs praise choruses), etc.
When Parkway Baptist Church, in Orlando started to change to become C3, droves of people who were “stuck in their ways” left. Yet here in Mtn. View, when First Memorial Baptist Church of Mtn. View went through all the changes to wind up becoming Highway Community, there were quite a few people who stayed because they were “stuck in their ways.”
So, what “ways” are they “stuck in”?
I think the answer to that is instructive, and helpful. It’s a sign of maturity, I believe.
Here are what I can determine are the “ways” they’re “stuck in.”
They are “stuck in” fellowship. They enjoy each others company. And they are good at sharing burdens and joys.
They are “stuck in” serving. They serve where they can. Some are losing strength and stamina that’s required for some areas of service, but they still are interested in serving where possible.
They are “stuck in” loving God and loving others.
They are “stuck in” relationships.
They are “stuck in” learning more and more about what it means to be followers of Christ, and doing their best to live that out authentically and with integrity.
While they have their preferences for liturgy, musical style(s), etc., they recognize that those things are of MUCH lower priority. And so they “put up with” the relatively unimportant things that they disagree with, in order to continue on with the important things.
There is no such thing as the “perfect church” here on earth, because every church is made up of imperfect people. And each person will have different tastes and differences in how they can best be served and how they in turn can best serve others.
I’m not sure who said it first, but I think this saying applies:
Wherever you are, be there!
In this context, I think that means, if you’ve found a church that meets your needs and where you are able to serve, then stay there and serve. Don’t get distracted by small differences. Focus on the big picture, and get “stuck in the ways” that are truly important – to you and to God.
Filed under: God at work, Personal Development, gratitude, positive, thought of the moment | Tags: harmony, love, Prodigal, realizing, Realizing Harmony, thankful
I had never questioned who the Prodigal was in the story of The Prodigal Son. I just “knew” that the Prodigal was the wayward one, the rebellious one, the wanderer, the derelict, the outcast of his own making. He had done the unthinkable in asking for his inheritance early, and he’d gone away and disgraced himself in how he squandered it. He had made himself unlovable, at least in his own eyes.
His older brother had stayed home, and been a “good boy” – faithfully doing all his chores and helping out around the house. He was obedient, compliant, reliable, careful, stable, and loved.
We all know the story.
Or do we?
I’ve often seen myself as more similar to the younger son, the “Prodigal” – wayward, rebellious, wandering, somewhat of a derelict, and an outcast who can largely only blame himself.
Then, last week I received and started reading a book from my oldest brother. It’s called “He Loves Me! Learning to Live in the Father’s Affection.”
I was a bit nervous to read it, given the strained relationship I have had with my own father for as long as I can remember. Nevertheless, I picked it up and began to read.
In chapter 4 after summarizing the story, Wayne Jacobsen wrote (pg 26):
Traditionally this story is called “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” and is one of Jesus’ most poignant tales. It has been told and retold because it is so easy to identify with the son and the mercy he received in spite of his arrogance and stupidity.
By focusing on the prodigal son, however, we lose the central lesson of the parable. He was only one of two brothers, each dealing with an estrangement from their father, albeit in vastly different ways.
The central character is the father himself, and for that reason I wish it were called “The Parable of the Incredible Father.” For Jesus used this story to paint a portrait of his Father, and believe me, this is like no father you’ve ever known.
He goes on to describe how unusual this Father is. And how amazing his love is. He asks, “In this incredible story, when do you think the father loved his son the most?”
Was it the moment the father met the son on the road?
Was it when he gave the son his inheritance and let him go?
The truth is, it’s an impossible question to answer because the father’s love was unwavering. At no point in the story did he love his son any less than at any other time.
But the son… he perceived his father’s love to be varying. And I think that’s what I (we) resonate with.
It’s almost unthinkable and/or unbelievable that we could be loved so consistently and unconditionally.
I know I’ve never experienced that in my relationship with my own father. (Didn’t Jacobsen say the father in the story is unlike any father we’ve ever known?) Yet that’s the kind of love we all long for. And some of us would be thrilled to experience even a faint imitation of that kind of love.
So, I’d been reading that, and then yesterday morning at Highway Community the message was titled “The Prodigal Father.” I thought, “This is gonna be different!”
And it was.
Right near the beginning of the message we were given the TRUE definition of “prodigal.”
It turns out a “prodigal” isn’t one who is wayward, rebellious, a wanderer, a derelict, or outcast of his own making.
Here are some of the definitions from the dictionary:
recklessly extravagant
giving or yielding profusely; lavish
lavishly abundant; profuse
WOW! THAT’s different! It’s amazing the difference when you understand the real meaning of words that are somewhat commonly used.
Suddenly I can see how the story really could be called “The Prodigal Father.” It really is a story about a father’s love for BOTH of his sons. It illustrates recklessly extravagant, lavishly abundant, and profuse love being shown to both sons, and the sons’ unwillingness and/or inability to accept such love as it’s given.
Knowing the true meaning of “prodigal”, I now realize I have not been a prodigal. But I’m trying to learn to accept my prodigal God’s love.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Andy McCarroll, ccm, Cyan City, Fun, Happy, instrumental, Moral Support, music, Music Video, Realizing Harmony
In my search for “Paint Your Windows White” (for my last post), I mistakenly thought that song was written by Andy McCarroll. And in looking through Andy McCarroll’s stuff I was reminded of this fun instrumental. (I hadn’t seen the video before.) Enjoy!
Filed under: Politics, thought of the moment | Tags: climate change, environment, global warming, nuclear, radiation
The other day, President Obama’s Climate Guru, Dr. Stephen Chu, said that in order to reduce the effects of Global Warming we should all paint our roofs white.
Now, he’s supposed to be a really smart man. In fact, he’s won a Nobel prize. (Much like former-Vice President Al Gore, who’s used his celebrity to great effect.)
While painting your roof white would quite possibly have the effect of somewhat reducing your cooling bill, if Global Warming is real, and it’s caused by heat being trapped by greenhouse gases, then bouncing more heat into the greenhouse gases isn’t going to slow, much less reverse Global Warming.
This suggestion, however, reminded me of a suggestion from years ago. It too was a suggestion to use white paint as a defensive measure. Maybe you don’t remember it, but back in the days of the Cold War, it was suggested that we should all paint our windows white as part of civil defense. Yes, it was suggested by the smart people in government that we might be able to survive a nuclear blast if we just used regular white paint. ( See this link to a 12-minute video.)
White paint will help save buildings, but it won’t do much for you if that’s all that is between you and the radiation. A much more effective “solution” is to fix the problem at the source… if that’s possible.
Now, given that I wasn’t even born at the time, why would I know about this, much less have it jump to mind?
It was a simple little song by Malcolm And The Mirrors (Malcolm was formerly recording with Alwyn Wall) from the 1982 album “Red Alert” that locked it in my mind. I couldn’t find a direct link to the recorded music, but here are the lyrics:
Paint Your Windows White – by Malcolm Wild
Verse:
I am the man, I am your government
I can show you how and where your money went
Put a coat over your head and forget about the rent
Verse:
When the bombs begin to fall in the middle of the night
When you start to lose it all, and your heart faints in fright
Put a coat over your head, and paint your windows white
Chorus:
“Paint your windows white,” they say, “It’ll make it all go away
You don’t have to understand, just bury your head in the sand”
Verse:
This is your school; I am your teacher too
Hear my rules and I’ll tell you what to do
Put a coat over your head, and believe that it’s all true
Repeat Chorus
Verse:
Men are fools; they make their rules
They think they’re wise in their own eyes
Men are blind; they’ve lost their mind
All because they discard God
Instrumental break
Verse:
I am a man of books, I know the human race
It’s not how it looks; I say that we all came from apes
Put a coat over your head and hide your monkey face
Repeat Chorus:
Repeat
Men are fools
They make their rules
They think they’re wise
In their own eyes
Men are blind
They’ve lost their mind
All because they discard God
