Calming the (inner) storm

Thank you to the Skit Guys (based in Oklahoma) and Worship House Media for making this powerful reminder available.

Light Shines (a video)

This video is perfect for Easter but for an any-day reminder too. Light shines in darkness.

Thoughts on Good Friday (a poem)

Sorrow's no more than a season
That cradles a measure of hope in its weight.

For only after tasting tears
Can we savor the triumph of dawn
     The sweetness of surrender
          The sharp perfection of joy.

Only after heads are bowed
With grief-hung burdens too heavy to wear
Can we lift eyes to a new day
     In wonder of shifting, growing, enticing light
          Captivated by the swelling song of morning.

Only after feet are mired
Bogged in the weight of realities
     not always our choice, but always our pain
Can we know the strength of a dream
     Spur hopes locked in chains
          And respond to the voice of the dance.

There may be pain for a time
     but joy comes with the mourning
          If only we wait.

A Sunday story

Easter is on its way again and I love that this video combines the story, the highlights and some imagination in portraying the Easter story again. It's a story that is ages old and yet ever new for the telling.

Getting things in the right order

I was reading in 1 Chronicles 22 the other day about the preparations King David made for the building of a permanent temple for the Lord. He knew that he would not be the one to build it  (see 1 King 7) but it was still a heart's desire for him and so he set to work gathering the materials his son Solomon would need to get to work. Before he was done, he'd gathered 3750 tons of gold, 37,500 tons of silver, bronze and iron that couldn't even be measured there was so much of it, wood and stone galore. He'd also a list of craftsmen ready to start the work when Solomon became king.

And then he did something profound. He gathered the leaders of Israel and directed them to help Solomon in this huge task with these words:

"Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the Lord." (1 Chronicles 22:19)

When were they to begin? After they had spent time seeking God. Not just a quick prayer before picking up the spades, but after spending both time and energy devoted to seeking Him.

And that struck me as a good place to start. No matter what we have planned or dreamed or been preparing for. First, spend time seeking God.

And the best news?

It works.

How do I know?

Well, I think Proverbs 16:3 is the lesson that Solomon learned through the whole experience:

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

 

Devout Duplicity

This is a rather broad statement but I'll make it anyways:

 Christians might be the biggest problem Christianity faces today.

How many times have we heard people outside the church comment on the person inside the church as their reason (excuse?) for not giving their life over to Christ? For not entering into a relationship that offers them life? I don't think that even we, as Christians, have to look many pews over (or possibly even past our own seat) to find church attenders that:

     - are unfaithful to their spouse, either in practice or through pornography
     - abuse their children
     - take payment under the table so they don't have to report the income on their taxes
     - use God's name as a curse, or even worse, use it as a place holder in conversations without even noticing
     - spend their time criticizing and undermining pastors, family and friends
     - drink in excess
     - generally live a private life that doesn't match up with their public one.

In fairness, let me say that there are many wonderful Christians who live a whole-hearted life for God. But for those looking to find a flaw in the faith, let's be honest and say they probably don't have to look far.

I don't think, though, that this phenomenon is uniquely Christian. It might be clearer to say:

Humans might be the biggest problem God faces today.

How many times did God rebuke the priests (and the nation) that didn't uphold his laws in the duties of their office or the privacy of their homes? I think it's simply human nature. I think we could look at any major world religion and find people that say they accept its teachings but live a life that ignores it.

It happened with the religious leaders of Jesus day, too.

Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. (John 18:28, NIV, emphasis mine)

 We know the expression about having our cake and eating it too, and that's exactly what was happening here. The Jewish leaders had been looking for ways and means to arrest Jesus for days, weeks and months. Caiaphas, the Roman-appointed high priest, made no secret of the fact that he wanted Jesus dead. They brought false charges and lying proof. They manipulated (and ignored) the legal system of the day. They broke the law to get their way. BUT even in their scheming and their ambition to see Jesus phony trial come to a death sentence, they still wanted to preserve their appearance of piety. They wanted to be able to sit down and eat the Passover meal - one of the most important celebrations of their year. And so they stood outside Pilate's house with murder in their hearts and the law they had written in their backbones.

I have to shake my head at the image of these men sitting down the next day to take part in a feast that was meant to remind them of God's mercy through the blood of an innocent sacrifice, when they had just sacrificed an innocent man but would never see the mercy his death offered. I suspect the dark circles under their eyes that day came not from a late night of trials and meetings, but from inside, a shadow of the darkness in their hearts. But to a casual outside inspection, they still looked righteous as they lifted the cup and sang the songs of Passover.

And God granted them the grace of time to change their minds and accept the sacrifice He sent on their behalf.

Still, too many times we try to live that way too. Saying one thing, living another. More captured by the religious rites than the relationship with God. Keeping our faith in the closet beside our best Sunday shoes. And not seeing it as a problem.

But God loves us enough to give us time to make a better choice.

I don't want to live that way.

What about you?

NIV Bibles for preteen boys and girls (a review)

Two Bibles for pre-teens (ages 9-12) are available with some unique age-focused features.

The Faithgirlz! Bible was first released in 2007 and now has had its first update. What I particularly like about this particular Bible is that it is addressing issues like character and self-perception at the age where it's still possible to offer what I consider a pre-emptive strike. Girls at the preteen age are still willing to believe they are unique and special even in their search to belong, and this Bible gives a balance to both desires. With features like "Oh, I Get It" or the introductions of each book, the truths of the Bible are open to them, while "Is There a Little _______ In You?" and "Dream Girl" help them see a connection between the people of the Bible and their own choices and decisions. My personal favorite is the "Bring It On" features, that look like a personality quiz and give different passages to explore for different answers.

As a companion Bible, the NIV Boys Bible has some "boy-centric" offerings like "Grossology" and "Makin' It Real," both giving a current day perspective to the events of the Bible. And the "What's the Big Deal?" sections are great for providing personal application even at this preteen, gotta-wonder-what-they're-thinking stage. And "Words to Live By" provide eye-catching highlights scattered throughout. Great introductory material for each book of the Bible and interesting facts scattered throughout too.

Two final observations:

1. The font in both Bibles is not black. In the Faithgirlz! version it is purple with lots of pink highlights and artwork; in the boys it's blue with gold accents. This will probably not be an issue for 99.9% of readers but for a small minority it is something so be aware of if you consider purchasing it.

2. The sound of the binding makes me wonder just how durable these Bibles will be over the course of time. Hardcover, of course, should hold up well to use but again, it's something to be aware of when investing in a Bible that will (hopefully) take a lot of use. Of course, only time will tell if that's a real issue or not.

Either version are nicely geared to their age group and I also think would work for a shared family devotional time, or even for adults that want a little extra information in their daily study. There's some fun stuff behind those cool covers!

Review copies provided by The B&B Media Group.