I Love Coffee!!

I love coffee! I know that comes as a shock to many of you who know me…but I must confess it. I love coffee! I love the aroma, the way it is made, the work that goes into it. To me…coffee is a form of art. I might even be called a bit of a coffee snob. I love to find local coffee shops that serve locally roasted coffee so that I can partake in the art of the area. A favorite memory of mine is sitting in a little coffee shop with a little old lady on the side of a mountain in Costa Rica. Her coffee shop overlooked the communities coffee fields that all took part in harvesting. The cup I was drinking was the product and pride of the village of Monteverde, Costa Rica.

If you asked me, “Do you love coffee more than God?” the answer would be simple. There isn’t a chance that I love coffee more than God. A few weeks ago I was talking to my teens about making a sacrifice for a time and one of them asked if I could go without coffee. I felt challenged. I would never say that I love coffee more than God but could I give coffee up as a testimony for how much I love God? 

I'm not say that you have to give up something as if it were required to prove to God how much you love Him but it can be healthy in a relationship from time to time to say, “I love you this much.” We do so many things in our lives that are not inherently bad but sometimes we put them above God without realizing it. What could you give up for a time? What is something that consumes you more than God? What is something that you could remove from your life that’ll bring you closer to the God who created you?

I am proud of my teens. This past weekend at Winterfest they were challenge with living “Elemental Lives.” Everything that happens in life comes down to two elements – L-1 and L-2…Love God and Love Others. When these elements come together powerful things happen. Many of the teens are taking this challenge of Loving God and making a sacrifice for a time to work on that major element in their lives. During this time they are also going through daily devotionals to help them focus on L-1 and L-2 and apply them to their lives. I look forward to seeing what kind of growth happens in their relationships with God and with others.

Shema

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is ONE. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and will all your strength.”
– Deut 6:4-5

From the 613 total commandments that complex the lives of the Jews, an expert in the law asked Jesus which one is the greatest commandment. I think Jesus answered the question like any good Jew would. The Jews have a practice that captures me. The Shema is recited every morning, during morning blessings, throughout prayer services, when the Torah is brought out, at holidays, as a bedtime prayer, as part of the deathbed confessional, and various other times. The first part of the Shema is the answer that Jesus gave as the greatest command, Deuteronomy 6:4-5.

To love God is not just to have good feelings about Him or to keep a list of prescribed rules. I’ve known many people who have lived out this view of love toward God. We discussed this in class this past Wednesday night and I really like how Dustin Deal put it. “When you love God with all that you are it simply pours out of you.” To love God is to give Him your all…everything you’ve got – your mind, spirit, body, time, service, allegiance, dedication, passion, stuff, money, time, and on and on and on.

The Jews repeat this passage over and over throughout the day and throughout their lives as a reminder of the very basis of their beliefs: “That the LORD our God, the LORD is one.” The theme of Winterfest this weekend is “Love God – Love Others” based on this passage. Our teens will be challenged to live out this command in their lives. I want to leave us with the question…and challenge…if we focused throughout the day on Deuteronomy 6:4-5, how would our lives change?

Quarter Century

A quarter century passed on Feb 15. A lot has happened in the last 25 years. I’ve been to 16 different countries…some more than once. I’ve climbed mountains. Laughed hysterically. Cried vigorously. Met strangers. Shared love. Bonded. Became a Brother to people I had never met. Seen God in amazing ways. Shared Jesus. Found Jesus. Been angry with God. Laughed with God. Talked long talks with God. Walked with God. Regretted things I’ve done. Remembered. Forgotten. Forgiven. Preached a wedding…and a funeral. Lived in a different country. Moved out on my own. Experienced new adventures. Had my first spanking. Took my first breath.

I have seen and done a lot in the first 25 years of my life. I don’t say this to boast or to make you think more of me. I’ve done a lot in my short existence. Looking back on my list of stuff I’ve seen and done I get excited about the opportunities I’ve had. In 25 years I hope my list looks different…not that I don’t want anymore adventure because I really do. I hope that when I am 50 and I look back at the last quarter century…my next 25 years, I hope my list looks more like Paul’s in 2 Corinthians 11.

When I look back over my life I hope to see all of the times that I could do nothing more than to put my trust in God. I hope I see a life that was a life of dependence and not on independence. I hope that the next 25 years will be lived in a way that I find no strength in myself but only in God.

Now that I know what I want to look back on…how do I live it? What areas in my life do I depend on myself and not God? Where to I turn first when something happens…either good or bad? During time of crisis…economic, physical, mental…where do I find my strength? In all areas of my life, do I see God or myself?

Grace and Peace to You

Grace and peace to you. Grace and peace to you from God our Father. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

I am constantly amazed at some of the things that Paul said to people in his letters. Sometimes he comes across as absolutely brutal. If he were a “hired minister” at a particular congregation he would most likely be fired for some of the things he said to those who are under the name of Christ. On a number of occasions he called individuals out, saying that they were under Satan’s influence. He used language and imagery to get his point across that isn’t even secularly accepted today in public. Most of all he was passionate about what he was saying…and he meant it.

No matter what Paul had to say, he said it under the banner of the grace and peace of God. I think back to things I’ve said and often I speak out of all kinds of wrong motives. The banner that is often flown with our lips is a banner of pride, anger, revenge, annoyance, etc. Everything Paul said in his letters was said in order to bring grace and peace.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.