Friday, August 31, 2007

You're an Oak

He actually did it. Jim actually retired. He’s said he would before but I guess this time he did it the right way…he’s on vacation. Since he said he has retired and because he’s gone on vacation…I’ve moved into his office (insert your jokes here). Although Jim is not leaving Northview, I already miss having him around the office. He is an amazing mentor, brother, and friend.

Jim has taught me a lot over the past year. I know God has done so much through him in the lives of so many people over the years. This past year alone has been one of my biggest growing years because of the impact that God has had on my life through Jim. What I respect most about him is that he is a student of the Word. It is tempting at it age, I’m sure, to think you already know everything there is to know. I’ve even heard people say, “I know all of the important scriptures.”

Jim walked into my office one day with a certain look on his face holding his Bible. He asked me what the passage meant, to which I replied, “You’re the Elder. You tell me.” He reminded me that I was the Bible Major and I was supposed to have everything memorized (which I don’t). We joke a lot, but this one occasion will always stand out in my mind. He told me that he read that passage differently for the first time that day than he ever had in his life.
Have you ever looked at an old oak tree, strong and firm in the ground, and seen it grow? I saw Jim grow a little more that day. There are days, even years, when we all but refuse to grow. It is tempting to decide what we believe and never budge. Make sure you keep growing.

My professors were good about teaching us this. I often heard, “I am your professor but I am first and foremost a student of the Word.” I was blessed with humble teachers and mentors. I thank God for them and can only pray that I will continue to grow. Patsy Day, a spunky little old lady I met at one of my frequent coffee shops, reminded me of the verse in 1 Corinthians 8, “Knowledge puffs up.” Don’t ever think you cannot learn anymore. Keep growing.


“So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” – I Kings 3:9

“Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.” – Psalm 119:66

“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.” – Proverbs 18:15

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” – Proverbs 12:1

Monday, August 27, 2007

end...beginning...whatever

I’m having a different feeling than I really ever had before. We had an amazing weekend last weekend. We camped, hiked, and saw tons of God’s beautiful artwork all around us. He is a good artist…you should check His work out sometime. We got to look through really expensive telescopes seeing exploding ring nebulas, Jupiter and her moons, star clusters at the edge of the galaxy, and many other incredible things that most of our eyes have never gazed upon outside of a textbook. None of these are what have caused the different feelings within me. We’ve had a great summer…I hope everyone else has the same feelings.

I’ve never had this feeling of “end” at the end of a summer. Other youth ministers probably have a good feeling what I’m talking about. As much as I’ve enjoyed all the times I’ve had with the teens this summer, they are going back to school and my life gets to calm down for a little bit. Despite popular belief this does not mean that I have nothing to do. I do work on Sundays and Wednesdays (a joke…just incase you are wondering if I do work at other times…I do…it is Friday and I’m writing this insert).

This brings me to the start of a new school year for our teens. Most of them have a candle that has been burning strong this summer. Then school starts. Different influences set in. Satan attacks. This is the hardest time of the year for a teen. Camps are done. Youth events are more spread out. Busyness sets in and God time often seems to be squeezed out of each day. Struggles get harder and we often start floundering. If you grew up in a youth group then you know what I’m talking about.

I’m calling on you, as brothers and sisters of these teenagers, to simply pray for them, take interest in them, keep them accountable, and talk to them every once in a while. They are actually real people who are capable of holding conversation…just ask anyone who has worked with them. They are interesting as well and a part of this family who we need to edify and build up as they start their new school year.

Ryan

Friday, August 17, 2007

God! I'm scared of the dark!

Do you remember being scared of the dark as a kid? Isn’t it funny how an ordinary room can dramatically change as soon as the lights go out? The coat on the door becomes a blood sucking ghost…The creaks of the bed are the voices of the monsters who are going to slurp your soul out of your body through your ears…The little chair in the corner quickly becomes a troll, with one eye bigger than the other, who is going to pluck ever hair out of your body one at a time…ok I think you get the point. When darkness happens…things come to life!

Needing to get away for some much needed alone time, I decided to do a “wee bit of hill walking” as they called it in Scotland. Starting atop Mount Mitchell I ventured deep into the black mountains along the Deep Gap Trail. I walked with a hurried pace, not neglecting the beautiful sun setting behind the mountains. You could see for miles…absolutely breathtaking! With the reality that the sun was setting, meaning that I would soon no longer have the brilliant light of the blazing sun I quickened my pace some more.

With my headlamp blazing the trail I reached what would become my campsite. I set up a little fire ring and built a fire…constantly looking around me to make sure nothing was nearby. After building the fire (not so much for warmth but more so to keep animals away) I strung up my backpack in a tree, set up my hammock, and climbed in. I won’t lie to you…I prayed that God would take my fears away. Every creak of a tree was a bear…the small tapping of my hammock on my arm was a wolf sniffing me to see if I was good for the eating…the forest was coming alive!

I think what God wanted me to learn that night was to be scared of the dark again. Sometimes we find ourselves in really dark places in this world but we’ve become so used to it that we don’t notice it anymore. The things in the dark are no longer real to us. I’ve been experiencing that in my life. I needed the reminder that even when everything seems so dark around us, there is a light within that burns with blazing fury to drive out all fear. I am calling all of us to raise one finger and repeat…“Hide it under a bushel? NO! I’m gonna let it SHINE!”

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” – John 1:1-5

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” – John 3:19-21

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Sorry God...I didn't hear you

What is it inside of us men that cause us to look at a mountain and want to climb it, look at a forest and want to explore it, or look at a long trail and want to conquer it? I’m not saying that women don’t have these urges; I’m just saying that I’m not going to pretend to know what is going on inside their minds. I’ll just stick with what I know…or at least with what I have some experience with…23 or so years worth.

Why do we do these things? I don’t know if I can answer for all men but I’ll at least answer for me. A few months ago I was asked why God doesn’t speak to us anymore like He used to. I’ve had a few thoughts on this that were confirmed either by A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly or another book…or possibly a lecture I listened to…anyway. I asked myself, “Does God not talk to us anymore, or do we just not take time to listen? And, do we allow the world around us to be so loud that we cannot hear the whisper of God?” Wrestling with these two questions brings me back to why I…climb that mountain, conquer that river, explore the depths of the forest, etc.

Inside of me, and possibly inside many of you, there is a longing to hear the voice of God. I’m not saying that you have to be on top of a mountain to hear God. What I am saying is, often we need to run away, find a place, and get away from all the “noise” and listen. When I do this, I frequently find noise within myself keeping me from hearing and listening. It is important to frequently take time to set everything aside and listen. I’m not saying that you will hear God audibly but that God keeps His promise that when you ask for wisdom, He will give it.

“The LORD said, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? He replied, I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” – I Kings 19:11-14

“So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” – I Kings 3:11-12

”If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” – James 1:5-6

Monday, August 06, 2007

God...show yourself

I’ve been all over Scotland, throughout Germany, and down through Italy, with a few awe-inspiring places in between. The Highlands of Scotland was one of my favorite places to be. Words cannot describe the beauty that is found there. This weekend as I kayaked 15+ miles on the New River with the guys from the youth group and some men from the congregation, I strayed back a few times to be by myself and soak everything in around me. The breathtaking rolling hills filled with green grass and trees made me miss my time in Scotland. As I reminisced on the beauty that has flooded my two blessed eyes, I couldn’t help but sit in awe of a God who created all of it just for me to look at.

Sometimes I get my nose so down to the grind that I never take the opportunity to see where God is sharing Himself with me…like an artist painting for his love. God really cares about little ol’ me? Stars…I love to look at them, so much nothingness with little bursts of light ripping its way through space to these little eyes of mine. Why would God create these? I’ve come to believe that He’s done it for no other reason but to make me smile. It is hard for me to be out in God’s creation and not have a good time. I’m glad I was blessed to be with my brothers this weekend to share it with them…after all He created it for them too.

I love the section at the end of Isaiah 40 where it talks about God being the “everlasting God.” He calls out the starry host one by one because He can…He created them. I was standing on the ledge of a 200 ft cliff outside of Stonehaven, Scotland. It was about six foot wide between the fence and the cliff. I was standing there so that I could take a picture of Dunnattar Castle, which stands across the way on the same cliffs surrounding a beach. The scene is magnificent. This once mighty castle, sits in ruins with greenery all around, the sea behind it, and cliffs dropping below. This is the scene that reminds me of how mighty our God is. Sometimes we need to step away from the neat stuff that man has created, already laying in ruins, and admire how beautiful God has made things for us yesterday, today, and forever.