It's Not About the Cookies

The couple was near the cookies, in the snack aisle.  The tension was thick between them as I saw the man put the cookies back on the shelf.  Their body language was stiff, angry.

“Fine.  Just go ahead and get them,” she said impatiently.

They were young, maybe mid-twenties.  Clearly not wealthy, but not below the poverty-line either.  Their cart had mostly necessities.  But, he had a hunger for something sweet.  She probably manages their budget.

$2.98.  Not very much in the grand scheme of things.  But, when things are tight a few dollars can make all the difference.

He pushed the cart, without the cookies, on down the aisle, while she stood near them, waiting for him to comply, with her arms demonstrating frustration.  She doesn’t want to be the miser, but someone has to pay attention to the finances.

Nobody really wants to wage a war over cookies.  And, of course, it’s not about the cookies.  It’s about mounting financial pressure.  It’s about fear of the unknown.  Maybe it’s about not being on the same page when it comes to running their household.  Maybe it’s about her Mom and the looming visit.  Maybe it’s about his incorrigible boss and the pressure he lives under every day.

We don’t really know exactly what’s going on beneath the surface.  But we do know that our day can turn on a dime over cookies.  We can say things we don’t mean and give dreadful looks that are impossible to take back.  We can build prideful walls that are terribly difficult to dismantle.  We can end up pushing the people we love further away from us.

I wanted to follow them the rest of their shopping trip.  To see how they navigated the rest of their purchases.  I wanted to sit in the back seat of their car, after they got the groceries loaded up, and listen as they sorted out the cookie decision (I know, creepy).  I imagined that they took a few minutes to talk about why the tension rose so quickly over something so insignificant.  I wonder if they listened closely to each other and reached a new level of understanding.  I wonder if they gently helped each other uncover the layers.

“You know, I feel like I am going to buckle under the pressure of our monthly bills.”

“I feel like I am a horrible provider.  Seriously, we can’t even afford Oreos.”

I hope that happened.  But, I’ve lived long enough to know that the couple may have simply moved on without ever really understanding that it wasn’t really about the cookies.

Received this from a friend via email.  Good stuff.  I believe it originated from a pastor's blog in Colorado.  Have you ever had this same experience and wondered what the rest of the story would be?  Me too.  Wish I could help this young couple.

Bridge or Barrier?

When nonbelievers visit a church, they are not only checking out what is happening up front, but they are also checking out what is going on around them. They are watching your reaction. Do you care? Are you paying attention? Is this important to you? Should it be important to them?

And maybe there are times when visitors don't know the protocol. But before we start to judge, let's stop and ask ourselves, do we know their story? Is this their first time at church? They don't know what they are supposed to wear. They don't know what slogan is acceptable on a T-shirt. They don't know what to say.

Some Christians might turn them away and say, "I am sorry. You can't come in here. You are not dressed appropriately." And guess what? That makes God angry, because the church is a place to hear the Word of God. The church is a place to worship the Lord. The church is a place to pray. And the church is a place for sinners to come and find God.

If someone comes to church who doesn't know the protocol or the dress code or the secret language of Christians, and they are turned away or made to feel uncomfortable because of some judgmental stare from a believer, then we are missing it. We should look at those people and go out of our way to welcome them, to make them feel loved. We should never keep people from Christ. We should always be drawing them to Christ.

Are you a bridge or a barrier to people coming to Christ? Every Christian tends to be one or the other. We are all examples, whether we want to be or not. The question is, are we good examples or bad ones?

Why I Haven't Been Blogging So Much

Well, it's been awhile, I must admit.  It's been so long that they've changed the interface on this blogger page and it's hard to navigate....again.  And I guess that will be my excuse for not blogging in some time.  It's been hard to navigate some of the changes going on here at Oakwood.  It's been hard to find the time, even a few minutes to blog some stuff.  So, here is my attempt 9 minutes before my lunch meeting today!

In a word it's been merger.  I have had more meetings in the last 4 months than I've had all of last year.  They are important and necessary and good, but they do take time.  As I've been helped with priorities by my elders, I've found that this is number 7 on my list of priorities.  Some weeks I'm only getting to the top 3!  So, there's my excuse, whether it sounds legit or not.

I'm looking forward to sharing more in the coming days, weeks, and months.  The church merger with Davis Park has been awesome and we can all see God working through everything that is going on.  We will have our first official service together this Sunday at 10:30am.  It will be a great time of celebration of what God has done and is doing in the lives of people from 2 churches becoming one.  We are excited to see God's move in our hearts in this special way.

So, I'm hoping to start blowing up the blogosphere more as this merger settles down.  I appreciate all of the prayer and support I've received from everyone.  May God get even more glory for the great things He has done!

(9 minutes is up, got to get to my next meeting)

Above and Beyond

Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her. — Matthew 26:13

As you read the New Testament, you can't help but notice how little it says about the major events of world history. You might think Scripture would mention Rome and all its mighty conquests. But it doesn't.

Instead, God brings out nuances that are entirely different.

Here in Matthew 26, for example, we find a unique story that God wants us never to forget (see verse 13). It was the incredible sacrifice that a woman made for Jesus. What was it that she did that so impressed the Lord? Was it a miracle or some great teaching? No. It was a heartfelt act.

There in the home of a man named Simon, this woman took a jar of expensive perfume and anointed Jesus with it. Why is this so significant? Her actions are memorable because she seemed to recognize that Jesus needed to be anointed for His burial (see verse 12). So with complete abandon, she gave Him everything she had.

Mark's Gospel tells us her perfume cost more than 300 denarii (see Mark 14:5). In these times, 300 denarii was the equivalent of nearly a year's wages.

But it wasn't the gift that mattered. It was her heart behind the gift. It was her motives that touched Jesus, because He knew she sacrificed nearly everything for Him.

Are you doing all that you can for the Lord? Some people, like many of the dutiful Pharisees, will only give what is required. They will try to get by with the bare minimum. In many ways, we can be like that too.

Today, won't you commit to serving the Lord above and beyond what is required—like this woman did? May it be a memorial of the grace of Jesus in your life!

Culinary Delights of the Gospel

This is a prayer from a guy named Scotty Smith.  Good stuff.  Pray it and mean it for yourself.
  
     Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Ps. 143:8

     Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:32-35

     Heavenly Father, this early morning cry from King David makes me hungry, and I cannot conceive of a better (and continue!) way to begin every day than feasting on the gospel. Given the choice of any culinary delicacy imaginable, and I’ll choose words of your unfailing love for me in Jesus, every time.

     For there’s no nutrient I need more than the fresh manna of your grace. Nothing tastes as sweet as the assurance of your welcome, presence, and affection. I love carbohydrates, but none compare with bread from heaven—the Bread of Life, himself, the Lord Jesus.

     Feed me till I want no more, heavenly Father. I’m not just looking to be a satisfied consumer of the gospel. I need copious amounts of your unfailing, contra-conditional, heart-transforming love for the challenges of the day—this day.

     Apart from the gospel, I’ll whine more than I’ll worship. Apart from the gospel, I’ll judge people more than I’ll seek to understand them. Apart from the gospel, I’ll get my feelings hurt too easily, and I won’t consider serving others a privilege and joy. Apart from the gospel, I’ll waste this day, rather than steward it.

     Apart from the gospel, I’ll react selfishly to irritants rather than responding graciously. Apart from the gospel, I’ll talk more than I listen. Apart from the gospel, I’ll think about me much more than I think about you. Apart from the gospel, I won’t risk anything; I’ll do just enough to get by. Apart from the banquet of the gospel, I’ll be reaching for junk food all day long, literally and figuratively.

     Father, because of your unfailing love for me in Jesus, I have put my trust in you. I do lift my soul up to you, right now. Show me the way I should go this very day. Show me what thinking, feeling, and choosing in line with the truth of the gospel requires of me, and then give me that supply. So very Amen I pray, in Jesus’ beautiful and bountiful name.