Stories Remixed

Too often we only think in terms of cause and effect. Now, of course, cause and effect makes sense some of the time: I strike a billiard ball and it rolls with the amount of force I hit it with. I think this becomes dangerous, though, when we make God into a cause and effect God--especially with our pain and hurts and lessons learned in those times. Let me explain.

After a loss or hurt or trial, we begin to look back and see what we learned--about God, about ourselves, about life. The cause was the hurt; the effect was the growth. This can lead us to think of God as being responsible for the hurt--bringing hurt so that we can learn one specific lesson. Let me offer another thought. Instead of thinking in terms of cause and effect, think in terms of story. As a Christian, put your life into the story of death and resurrection. See the hurts as the moments that bring death, but the lessons as those elements of life and resurrection!

Sometimes God does not cause the trials; they happen for all kinds of reasons. But God is not hindered by them. Seeing resurrection (hope, growth, life) after the death (defeat, trial, hurt) helps us to see the work of God as being against the evils that threaten, rather than being their author. To put it in terms of yesterday, God didn't give me the panic attack, but he has definitely worked through it!

Can you see moments of death in your life from which God has brought resurrection? Do you have a resurrection story to share?

Remix: Love and Truth

Yesterday's sermon from Pastor Gary was a timely word to our congregation--our fellowship of believers on Sunday mornings. Let me summarize the most important part for me: Love not only gives us the right, it burdens us with the responsibility to tell others the truth. Wow! If you recall from our 40 Days video last week, we were warned against using the truth as a club to beat people with. One of the things that came out in our small group discussion is that the truth is not a weapon for harm; it is not cold. The truth is warm and personal, though at times confrontational. These adjectives only show themselves fully in Jesus who said he--as a person!--is the Truth (John 14:6). Let a hopeless wannabe philosopher quote his favourite philosopher for a moment. Soren Kierkegaard said something like, "Something that is true when whispered can become a lie when shouted." Frankly, the truth presented without love misrepresents Jesus and his intentions. The truth without love is not the truth.

Monday Morning Remix: Helping Others Grow

Yesterday Pastor Gary talked about helping each other grow.

Are there any stories in our community about people who have helped others grow? Let me share a quick one from my life.

While interning at a church in Michigan, I had the privilege of being mentored by my friend Peter. I grew a good amount through my time there, but it was mainly evident to me in my last two months spent there. Peter's philosophy of mentoring was "spend-time-together." I did everything he did. Helping each other grow can only happen after the hard work of investing time in one another. Sometimes the dividends are tough to see, but prayeful time spent together sows seeds that God's Spirit grows slowly and surely.

Make sure to have room in your life to spend time with those you want to become like and around those you want to become like you! (Those people can be kids, friends, coworkers...all are important, as Pastor Gary mentioned yesterday: We are all worth alot!)