Thanks!

I am thankful for my beautiful wife and how she loves me!  I am thankful for my family that supports me and raised me to have a good work ethic, responsibility, integrity, and love of Christ.  I am thankful for my friends who encourage me, minister alongside me, and celebrate good times with me.  I am thankful for the Therriens who are allowing Joanna and I to live with them.  I am thankful for Londonderry Christian Church who allows me to preach and teach God's word!  I am thankful for committed Christians in New England who desire to see revival sweep across the globe.  I am thankful for my Savior who has forgiven my sin and shown me a new way to live in the kingdom of Christ.  I am thankful for the life my Blessed Creator has chosen me to lead!

I am thankful to each of you who has read my posts in the past and who will read my posts in the future.  I hope you have been blessed by them!

Blessings!

Thankful?

Give Thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever!

Give Thanks to the God of gods; his love endures forever!

Give Thanks to the Lord of lords; his love endures forever!

Give Thanks to the God of heave; his love endures forever!

Psalm 136:1-3, 26

Give Thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus!

1 Thessalonians 5:18

It is cliché, but I appreciate the reminder that Thanksgiving serves.  Each year, we have designated a day to remind us to give thanks.  At times the giving thanks portion gets overlooked as we gorge ourselves on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie all in preparation for the shopping frenzy that is Black Friday. 

But, I want to remind us to pause and give thanks.  Whether you did this on Thanksgiving or not, take time now to pause and give thanks for all God has given you.  I am thankful for my wife and my family.  I am thankful for my friends.  I am thankful for this church.  I am thankful for the privilege to serve God in ministry.  I am thankful for the ability to get out of bed each morning.  Those are easy things to give thanks for. 

1 Thessalonians says that God’s will for us is to give thanks in all circumstances.  Many of us may be in tough life situations right now.  We may be jobless, without a loved one, in broken relationships, or battling health problems, but we are to give thanks despite these things.  The Bible teaches that in this world we will have trouble.  We are not to expect an easy life.  We live in a world that is in rebellion to God.  Our bodies fail.  Our relationships suffer.  God said that people will mistreat us, insult us, and mock us because we have chosen to follow Christ.  But, Jesus said, “take heart for I have overcome the world.”  Even in difficult circumstances, we can give thanks because of Christ.  I thank God that though I live in a rebellious world I follow a Savior who has overcome the world.  I thank God that I have a Savior who went to the cross on my behalf.  I thank God for Jesus who loves me and gave himself up for me.  Are you thankful?  Can you give thanks in all circumstances?  

May we each seek to give thanks to God for what he has done through Christ!

Citizenship

"But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

Philippians 3:20-21

I struggle with citizenship.  I was born at a hospital in Williamson County in the United States of America that makes me a citizen of the USA.  I have voting privileges.  I pay taxes, albeit grudgingly.  I am protected by the police, emergency services, and the military.  I obey the laws of the land, at least the major ones.  I have a problem with the one about a speed limit.  I live in the USA, but the Bible teaches me that I am not truly a citizen of the USA.  I have dual citizenship.  I am a citizen of the USA and a citizen of the kingdom of God.  However, these citizenships are not equal.  They are not on a level field, one is more important than the other.  My citizenship in God's kingdom is my true citizenship.  The kingdom is my true home.  It is the home that I was made for, but many days I don't live that way.  I live as if my only home is the USA.  Jesus tells me that my loyalty is not to my homeland, my parents, my wife, my friends, my job.  He says that my loyalty is to him alone.

So, what does it mean to live in America as a citizen of the kingdom of Christ?  Does it mean I go to church on Sunday and do good things?  Does it mean that I rebel against America and become an ascetic?  Does it mean I protest the military and war?  Does it mean that I become so heavenly minded that I am of no earthly good?  Does it mean that I obey the earthly authorities over me as long as their laws don't break the laws of Christ?

My current thought is that I am to be so heavenly minded that I am forced to be of earthly good.  As I am transfixed by the Savior, I must follow his example to touch, teach, feed, clothe, rebuke, love, and honor those I meet.

Take Two

It has been awhile since I last posted.  Life has been very busy, and I have been unsure of what to post.  Here are the basics:  December 31, 2008 I married Joanna Ragan.  We had an amazing wedding and great reception.  We learned how extremely blessed we are during the weeks leading up to and the day of our wedding.  Our family and friends came together to pull off a great party for everyone involved.  May 2009 I resigned from my role as Associate/Youth Pastor at Mason City Christian Church.  July 12, 2009 was our last day at Mason City.  It was a tear filled day.  Again, God revealed to us how blessed we are.  The students and people at Mason City are dearly missed by us.  July 19, 2009 was our first day at Londonderry Christian Church.  We moved from central IL to New England.  Amazingly, it has not been as difficult a transition as anticipated.  It has been fulfilling to preach from God's Word each Sunday here in Londonderry.  That are the big points of what has been going on, if you would like more details please let me know.

Now that life has settled somewhat I plan to resume regular posting.  My goal is to have a weekly post covering a range of topics.  I hope some of you will decide to read and respond.

Dave

Grace Before

“I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

-Exodus 20:1

“I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

-Deuteronomy 5:6

Each of these verses precedes the two places in the Old Testament that contain the Ten Commandments. These Ten Commandments are the summation of the Law. All of the Law that Israel was called to obey is contained in these commands, the rest of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, is an expounding of these commands. Both times before God spells out the demands of his covenant with his people, he says, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” In other words, he is saying, “I redeemed you!” I took you out of slavery. I defeated the Egyptians on your behalf. I heard your cry and I acted. I did something that you did not deserve. I shined my grace on you.

There is a common misconception that the Old Testament is the Testament of Law devoid of grace. Too often, we miss those verses at the beginning of the Ten Commandments. We skip straight to the commands and miss the grace. God is asking his people to obey his commands, to covenant with him upon the basis of his gracious action. He is not telling them to obey without an inclination of how he will act toward them. He has shown his loving kindness to them by redeeming them from slavery in Egypt. God acted first. He redeemed them. Then, he says if you want to live a life of blessing follow my commands. This is important for two reasons. One, it keeps us in harmony with God so that we are close to him. Two, God’s plan for life keeps us in harmony with others and ourselves. Following God’s commands brings us back into harmony with the relationships sin destroyed. We follow his commands and obey him, not because he is a harsh taskmaster, but because God first gave us his grace. He says to us, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of sin, out of the land of slavery.” “I have redeemed you!” May we follow our God of grace and live out his commands in response to his great loving kindness to us!

And a litte child shall lead them all?

“People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” -Mark 10:13-16

A couple of weeks ago, I watched a video clip online about a group of teenage girls who basically kidnapped and assaulted a fellow student in an attempt to become famous. They lured this girl into a “friend’s” house where one of the girls physically assaulted her. The girl who was attacked suffered a concussion plus other physical and emotional damage. She has since been taken out of her high school to be home schooled. The girls who attacked her videotaped the attack so that they could post it on youtube.com. They hoped to become famous. Instead, they have become infamous. Today on foxnews.com, I read a story about a growing trend among adolescents to send nude pictures of themselves to their boyfriends, girlfriends, and other classmates. These pictures are being forwarded by the students who received them to other students, and some of them are making it on to websites. I read another story on foxnews.com about a British girl who started drinking at 12 years of age and experienced liver failure at 14. This girl is 18 now, but continues to drink. She did not realize that her drinking was out of control. She says, “I didn’t think my drinking was a problem because all my friends were getting wasted every weekend as well. But, now I have no short-term memory and doctors warn me that if I drink anymore I will die.”

I share all these stories not to depress us or shame us, but to keep us aware that the youth of today are under attack. I know that for each of these horror stories about our youth there are plenty of great stories about kids doing the right things and serving God, but we must remain alert to the needs of our youth. Jesus says that he wants the little children to come to him. We must not hinder them. I think we must move beyond that to guiding them towards Christ. We must strive to find new ways to reach this generation for Christ. If we don’t reach this generation for Christ, who will lead the Church in the future?

Arise My Love

As I examine my life, I notice that I tend to go (like most of us) through hills and valleys. Lately, I have been in an valley. My spiritual life has been good. My time with God has been productive. I have felt God's presence and blessing in my life. But at times, I find myself shrinking. I begin to shrink into myself. I stop living out my warrior calling. I become frightened. I lack courage. This leads to becoming unmotivated and lazy. I start simply going through the motions. I stop pushing myself. I quit trying to better myself. But, God in his infinite mercy and grace does not let me lie dormant. He uses circumstances, people, and events to expose my fear. He begins putting me in situations where I have to stand up and be courageous. He calls me out. Arise my love. Awaken. Take up the weapons at your feet. Stand Firm. Fight. Live. Move. Arise my love. The battle is joined before you and your strength is needed. Your wisdom is needed. Your talents are needed. You are needed. Again, I have been wakened from my slumber. I have fears, but my God is bigger than them. I have concerns but he is greater. I have power, not by my doing, but from his loving hand. Arise my love. Wake up o sleeper! Be strong and courageous! Stand Firm! Remember your first love! Arise. Awaken. Fight. Stand.

The Gates of Hell

“we will wear compassion, we will wear it on our chests, and the gates of Hell won’t stand against us, we will wear compassion, we will wear it on our chests, and the gates of Hell won’t stand against us.” -As Cities Burn

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” -Matthew 16:18

For a long time, I have understood this passage to mean that no matter how bad the world might become or how bad things may seem; take heart because the gates of Hell will never overcome the Church. Even through the darkest night, the Church would remain. Satan and his army may attack us and rail against us, but we will not be overcome. We will stand firm and remain. Last night, I heard a different take on this idea. A friend of mine was sharing how we often have a wrong few of this verse. We think what I thought, Satan will attack us but we will not be overcome. He went on to say that the verse says the gates of Hades will not overcome us. Gates by nature and definition are defensive structures. Gates are not used for attack. They are used to keep invaders out, not to take an invasion to someone. He said this verse is about the Church being on the offensive. If we are going out to places where there is wrong being done, where injustice is rampant and fight against it, the gates of Hell will not be able to prevail against us. We will have the victory.

The problem in our world today is that the Church has become too defensive, afraid of the gates of Hades, when we are called to be more than conquerors. The Greek term for gate backs this idea up. It is a defensive structure for keeping invaders out. The Jews would have understood Jesus teaching to mean that the Church on the offensive would prevail against the gates of Hell. Hades was not seen as a place from which evil powers emerged to attack humans. It was a place where the gates prevented escape and barred invaders. Jesus is saying his Church will invade the domain of Hell and the gates will not be able to prevail against us. They will not stand against us. I am not advocating we go on the warpath against Satan. I am saying we must be on the offensive to fight social injustice, economic injustice, racial injustice, and moral injustice in our homes, our communities, our country, and our world. We must actively fight against evil and if we do, the gates of Hell will not stand against us.

The Need for Better Men

“We are constantly on a stretch, if not on a strain, to devise new methods, new plans, new organizations to advance the church and secure enlargement and efficiency for the gospel. This trend of the day has a tendency to lose sight of the man or sink the man in the plan or organization. God’s plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God’s method. The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men.”

-E. M. Bounds 1907

The words of E. M. Bounds ring true even today. They were first penned in 1907, but today at the close of 2007 they are a prophetic voice. A century has passed and we still delude ourselves. We tell ourselves that the problems we face in reaching the lost are bad methods, bad programs, bad administration, bad organization, and bad plans. In the past century, we have witnessed the Sunday School Boom, the Mega Church Movement, the Business Model Approach, the Small Groups Methodology, the Emerging Church, and the House Church Shift. All were new ways guaranteed to help the Church reach the lost. While each of these methods and movements has been helpful, they have not been the key to reaching our world for Christ. They have fallen short. Or maybe, it wasn’t them. Maybe, we have fallen short.

Bounds points out “men are God’s method. The church is looking for better methods, but God is looking for better men.” We have abandoned the hard task of being better people for the quick fix of better methods. The task God has set out for us is the hardest task known to man, the task of becoming like Christ. Praise be to God that he does not leave us alone, but sent his Holy Spirit to transform us. But, this transformation is a cooperative event. We must commit ourselves to the hard task of character formation in partnership with the Holy Spirit. Only when we commit to becoming better men can we expect to begin to see God’s method move forward. God wants to use each of us to reach the lost. Are you ready to be used by God? Are you ready to be a better man, woman, teenager, husband, wife, son, daughter, and human being? God is ready. Are you? Am I?

The Doldrums

For the last few months, I am been in the doldrums. I have been going through the motions. I have been living, breathing, and moving; but I have not been right. It felt like I was walking through a fog. I was moving but without direction or knowledge of where I was going. It felt like a dream I often have. The dream is of me sleeping and desiring to wake up. I realize that I need to awaken but for some reason my eyes won't open. My brain is functioning like I am wide awake, but I am unable to see anything. I fight and struggle to wake up but to no avail. I am blind. As I reflect on this dream, I wonder if this wasn't a mere dream but a vision of my reality for the last few months. I was awake but not really. I don't know the exact reasons for this, but I have some guesses. I believe I have been under spiritual attack. I believe I had forgotten my passion. I believe I had been running to others for strength. I know that I had been neglecting my Savior. But, the doldrums have passed and sight has returned. Last week, God broke through the fog and reminded me of where my true strength resides, only in him. Finally, I have returned. I am back and ready to retake my place in the line fighting against the enemy. I will stand in the gap. I will stand firm in God's mighty power. Who will fight alongside me?

Jars of Clay

This was written for my Church's Newsletter, but i thought it would be good to post on here as well.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

One truth God has been teaching me for a while is that he delights in weakness. God loves to take the times we are weak and use them for his glory. He hungers to take our weak moments and show us that he is near. In the text above, Paul is saying that the treasure, which is the gospel, housed in jars of clay, which is us. Jars of clay were simply what they sound like pots made of clay. They were not perfect. They were not the strongest. They were breakable. But, God put his treasure in these breakable jars so that his glory would be seen. In their breakability and weakness, he would be their strength. In the last year our congregation as a whole and as its individual parts has been pushed to the breaking point. We have been hard pressed on every side. We have been perplexed. We have been persecuted. We have been struck down. However, we have NOT been crushed. We have NOT been despaired. We have NOT been abandoned. We have NOT been destroyed. None of this has been by our own power or strength, but by the Power and Strength of the Lord. “My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness.” We have been weak and near breaking, but Christ’s power is made perfect in our weakness. IF we can rest in his power and his strength, then he will continue to bind us together and heal us.

Doorless Cafes and Stained Glass

My favorite painting is by Edward Hopper. It is called Nighthawks. It is a scene of a New York Café with 3 customers and 1 man working behind the counter. Two of the customers, a man and a woman, are sitting close together with their hands almost touching. The other customer is a man sitting on the other side of them all by himself. The interesting and intriguing part of this painting is that there are no doors into the café. The interior of the café is well lit and inviting, but no one can come in or leave. The refreshment and relaxation the café could offer to the outsider is unavailable. People can only pass by and look in but never participate. This café is for insiders only.

Another piece of art that I really appreciate are the two giant stained glass windows in our sanctuary. They have vibrant color and detail. Each of them portrays an awesome story from Scripture. One shows that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and the other shows his appearance to Mary Magdalene after his resurrection. These are beautiful windows, but that is when they are viewed from the inside. When you look at them from the outside, they appear dull and lifeless. The vibrant color is not seen. The detail cannot be perceived. They convey the message that their beauty is only for those on the inside, not for the passerby. Similar to the café in the Nighthawks painting, these windows are only for the insiders. Yet, Christ told us that we must be focused on the outsider. He came to seek and save the lost (those outside). He told three parables in Luke 15 about this focus. The searcher’s focus in each parable (lost sheep, lost coin, lost son) was on finding what was lost. The searchers did not stop until they found what was lost. The search was their sole focus and priority. The father scanned the horizon continually until he saw his son returning. Then he ran (which was a no no in his day for him to do) to his son. The searchers were relentless in their pursuit. When we look at our beautiful stained glass windows, let’s appreciate their beauty, but we can’t stop there. We must be motivated to focus on bringing more people inside so that they too can appreciate their beauty. Our pursuit of those God loves (all people) must be relentless. We cannot become a café for the insiders only; we must be a loving family for outsiders to meet God and become a part of his family.

The Breaking Point

Have you ever been pushed to your breaking point? All things have a breaking point. A breaking point is the point at which enough force or pressure is put upon something so that it breaks. What is your breaking point? How much pressure can you handle before you reach the breaking point? Again, have you ever been pushed to your breaking point? Or has God ever pushed you to your breaking point?

In John 6, we see Jesus pushing people to their breaking point. He is with his disciples on a mountainside, and a great crowd followed him. He looks up sees the crowd and asks, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” His disciples are confounded. Jesus then proceeds to perform a miracle by feeding over 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. That night, Jesus goes up on the mountain to pray. While he is doing this the disciples get in a boat and sail across the lake. Jesus comes out walking across the water and joins them. Two major miracles have occurred both showing that Jesus is master of this world. The crowds wake up the next morning and realize that Jesus has gone. So, they set out for Capernaum looking for Jesus. They find Jesus and ask, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus responds by telling them that they came to eat some more of the bread he gave them, when they should be coming to him for the bread that endures to eternal life. He goes on tell them that he is the bread of life. They begin to grumble at this. They could not accept that he had come down from heaven. Then, Jesus continues saying that they must eat of his flesh in order to live forever. This puts the Jews in sharp disagreement. It was scandalous to think of eating raw flesh, let alone a man’s raw flesh. That totally went against the Law. Jesus responds to them by saying that they must eat of his flesh and drink of his blood or they will not have eternal life. At this point, his disciples began to grumble and argue about this. Jesus replies, “Does this offend you…this is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.” From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. The crowds and his own disciples had been pushed to the breaking point. Jesus turned to the Twelve asking, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe that you are the Holy One of God.”

Has God pushed you to your breaking point? Is your response like that of the crowds and disciples or the Twelve? Only Christ has the words of true life. When God pushes me to the breaking point, I have nowhere else to go. “Lord to whom shall I go? You have the words of eternal

A Rock and A Hard Place

I am between a rock and a hard place. I don't know what to do to solve the connundrum that is before me. The only options I see I don't like. I hate this...how does this all get worked out? Oh joy, the Rock and the Hard Place...

Live Love

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16

Live Love.

God has called each of us to be his people in this community. We have been chosen to be a part of his kingdom. The foundation of that kingdom is Jesus Christ. Christ came to show us how to be the kingdom while living in a broken world. The words, the actions, the pulse of the kingdom is love.

Love has many forms, romantic love, puppy love, tough love…each one is different but all contain the same essence. Love is giving what is needed no matter the cost. Sometimes love hurts. It is painful to love someone. There is always the chance that they won’t return or acknowledge your love. But the kingdom is about love. Love is confronting a friend unrepentant of their sin. Love is providing for a need. Love is saying no to the easy way out. Love is giving up what I want for what God wants or needs me to do. Love takes time. Love takes perseverance. Love moves where God is moving.

We have been called to Live Love. 24/7. To our community, to our families, to our friends, to ourselves. We must Live Love.

Live Love. 24/7

The Point of No Return

Lately, I have been wrestling with the issue of God's goodness. I know God is real. I know God loves me, but I have been struggling with his goodness. I believe he is good. I have experienced and continue to experience his goodness, but I am trying to reconcile his goodness with some stories in scripture. I have been reflecting on the life of the prophet Jeremiah. From an outsiders perspective, Jeremiah's life seems to be pretty crappy. At one point, he even calls God out saying that God has deceived him and he is deceived. Jeremiah was used by God to speak to the people of Judah about the coming invasion of the Babylonians. He was thrown into a cistern. He was put in prison. He had an assaination attempt carried out against him. The people refused to believe his message. He is known as the "weeping prophet". God used this prophet to speak to his people, but his life does not appear to be blessed. In all actuality, it appears to be the opposite. I admit that I don't know the direction God has for my life. I don't know if I am simply in a time of weakness, but I keep coming back to this idea that God wants me to be obedient and follow him no matter what. I have no guarrantee from God that he will bless me in the ways that I want so desperately. I have no promise from him that he will do what I desire. I have been commanded to follow him regardless. Its a bitter pill to swallow to think that God in his goodness may not give me the desires of my heart. I have reached the point of no return. If God is good, may his goodness be showered upon me. However, if he chooses not to, so be it. I am all in. I am trying to surrender what I want the most to him. Lord, let my words be your words, "Father, not my will but your will be done". But if you will let my desires be fulfilled. Past the point of no return, "Father, you are all I have to cling to!"

Who is Equal to Such a Task?

"Who is equal to such a task?"...today at Church Dustin spoke about Guilt and how God frees us from the guilt of our past sins and past failures. He forgives us and frees us from the bondage of guilt. One would think that following a sermon like that I would leave Church feeling upbeat and free. Yet, I left Church with a burden. Following Sunday School, I had a brief talk with one of my youth sponsors. During this conversation, I learned some information about one of my students that breaks my heart. I need to talk to the parents of this student about this, and it will be difficult. Also, I get the impression from some of my other jr. high students that they don't respect me and may not even like me. Usually this does not bother me, but when my students don't like me i question myself. I recognize that I am sinful. I struggle with lust and laziness daily. I know that I don't do enough to help my ministry be more successful, but at the same time I know that I will never be able to do enough to help my ministy be more successful. I will never have enough time, resources, or sponsors to meet the needs of each of my students. This does not justify my laziness, but it is reality. Who is equal to such a task? Who can do enough? Who can be enough? I am weak. I am broken. I am frail. I am human. This task of being a minister of the gospel is too big for me. But praise be to the God who makes the impossible possible and uses broken frail sinful humans to accomplish his purposes. I know that he has put me in Mason City for a reason. I must strive to grow and be the man I am called to be. I like Paul cling to this verse "my grace is sufficent for you, my power is made perfect in weakness." Lord, I am weak and I am in need of your grace...

Inked

On Friday, March 26 at approximately 2:15 pm, I joined the ranks of the inked. It took roughly an hour to get my ink done. I had it done at a small shop here in Mason City. Going into it, I had been given different opinions on how it feels to get a tattoo. Some said that it hurt a lot, while others said it didn't hurt at all. I must admit that when it began it was not the most pleasant of feelings, but it did not hurt bad. I noticed that the longer it went the better it felt. I don't mean that it stopped hurting, but that the pain felt good. It was a cathartic pain. It felt like I was being purged by pain.

My tattoo is a celtic trinity symbol. It has been used for centuries to symbolize the oneness and threeness of the Godhead. This particular symbol has a smaller symbol on the inside. This is a symbol of the unity of a person, our body, soul, and spirit. This tattoo represents the reality that a person can only be united and whole when all of them is caught up inside the Godhead. I can only be who God has called me to be when I am in right relationship with him.

Hours after my tattoo was finished, I understood the addictive nature of tattoos. I already have plans on what I want to get next on my left forearm. I figure I have to balance my arms out. I can't have one on the right forearm and not on the left. So once I have the cash and the design, here comes tattoo #2!

P. S. having a tat makes me feel even more B A...

The Veil Grows Thin

The ancient Celts believed that at certain times and in certain places the veil that separates our realm from God's realm becomes thin. When this happens, we are able to catch glimpses of transcendence and the beauty of that realm. They marked these times with sacred days that were holy to them. They marked the places of power with stone cairns that alerted people to the sacredness of the place. They hallowed any place that reminded them of the intersection of the two realms such as the edge of a forest, where does the forest end and the outside begin, the beach, where does the ocean begin and the beach end, a crossroads, where does one end stop and the other begin. All of these places are pictures of the intersection.

This weekend, I witnessed another intersection of the two realms. My good friend and brother, D Willy, became a wedded man. The preacher remarked that one of the reasons we anticipate weddings even though we already know the surprise is because a wedding is a time when the veil between the realms becomes thin. A wedding helps us see two things that are from God's realm. First, it gives us a glimpse into the original order of things. For one day, a man and a woman come together to united as one flesh. I can't help but think that the Creator of Romance who has brought them together remembers the first Day that a man and a woman were brought together. This wedding day points back to that day. Second, it gives us a glimpse of the future that is to come. One day, the Lover of Humanity will return. On that day, he will be the Bridegroom who is eagerly waiting for his bride. He will have the same smile that I have seen on my friend's faces as his Bride makes her way to him. She will be radiant in her pure spotless gown. On that day, we, the Church, will be that bride. We will be guests at the greatest Wedding Feast ever seen. At the wedding of the Lamb all will be set right and all will finally be truly good. The old order of things will have passed, and the new order will begin. What a glorious day that will be. Every wedding we attend point us back to the first time a man and woman came together, and it points us forward to the Day when the Lamb shall have his Bride.

On Saturday, I caught a brief glimpse of the other realm. treasure the glimpses...

Peter and John

I'm sure almost everyone made this statment when they were a child, "but that's not fair". I am almost as equally sure that your parents responded like mine with the phrase, "yes, but life's not fair." Life is not fair. This is easily seen if you look across the landscape of the world. If life were fair, children in South Africa would not be oprhaned by AIDS, parents would not divorce, young girls would not be sexually abused, racism would not persist, etc. Life is not fair. Now, you may raise the question what has sparked my thinking about this subject? Was it any of these harsh realities of our world? Nope, it was Valentine's Day. I will explain. I am not a typically jealous person. I don't covet most of what other people have. I don't spend my time devising ways to get the cool gadgets and toys that others own. But, I am jealous of those in relationships, not in the way that I would try to take someone's girlfriend, but in the way that I want what they appear to have. I am jealous of that. My lack of success with the female sex has been well documented. I have been single for a long time, longer than many people I know. This is where I begin to be jealous. I see people who are great people, deserving, loving, and all around awesome people finding and developing relationships. I am happy for them, but at the same time I am jealous. Soon after I speak the congratulations, inwardly I speak the question, "when will my time come?" This is when I have once again realized that life is not fair. More importantly, God is not fair. In all acutality, God cares nothing for fairness. He cares about justice, but not about my definition of fairness. This reminds me of the story in John 21. Jesus has risen from the dead and appeared to the apsotles. He meets them while they are fishing. He calls out to them from the beach and they have a great catch of fish. They realize it is Jesus. Peter jumps out of the boat and swims to shore. After the rest of the apostles reach the beach, they share a breakfast of fish and bread. Jesus begins asking Peter if he loves him. Peter replies with the affirmative. Jesus continues asking. Peter becomes distressed. Jesus then tells him how he will die and to follow him. Peter looks back at John and asks Jesus, "what about him?' Jesus tells Peter its none of his business what happens to John. Peter's duty is to follow Jesus. In Peter's mind, it would only have been fair if John would share in the same kind of death, but in essence Jesus says fairness matters nothing, only obedience does. God knows what my heart desires. Fairness says I should get what I want, obedience says I must follow irregardless.

"Father, when will my time come?"
-Super Dave

"Follow Me!"
-Jesus