For about the last week, the Christmas Conversation devo has asked us to take a survey of what is around us... an honest survey of what is around us. Darkness has been one of the main themes. Words like evil, sin, enemies of God, can't fix it, only make it worse, messed up relationships, a world that stinks in a lot of ways, things that look good on the surface- seemingly harmless and fulfilling- turn out to lead us deeper into emptiness and despair, loneliness, fallenness.
Sound familiar? Not only from the reading, but also from the life you live everyday. Your experiences, your relationships, your struggles. Sin and darkness have crept into every corner of our lives. It's easy to feel trapped and powerless to get out. Fargo residents can understand this feeling after the "white-out darkness" of last weekend's blizzard. We couldn't see across the street, we couldn't get out of our doors let alone our driveways, and we were at the mercy of those clearing the roads (for whom we are greatly appreciative). How did you spend your time while you were trapped inside? What did you do as work and school were shut-down for a day? Did you go crazy like me?
The Conversation talks about opposites in this section of days as well. The opposite of snow-covered Fargo may be balmy Largo, Florida. They sound like they should be neighboring communities, but alas we are worlds apart. The opposite of darkness? That's right, light! And we are moving toward a celebration of the light that God sent into a world bound in darkness. A light that exposes the darkness for what it truly is. A light that takes overpowers the darkness setting people free from its shadow. Fargo and Largo right now seem worlds apart. But God is not distant, He is not worlds apart. He entered into the dark world and entered into our lives. Day 17: whether you know it or not, whether you like it or not... God is doing something in your life RIGHT NOW! Even if you don't speak it, hear the prayer of Day 18- God understands what it feels like to be you.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Christmas Conversations Day 10-11
It was the "stirring it up" section of both Day 10 and 11 that caught my attention. Conversations are two-sided, right? Well, most of the time. I will admit to semi-regular conversations with myself, another inheritance from my mother. But this devotion book has encouraged you to not just talk to yourself, but to engage others. Use the book with family, give a copy to a friend, post a comment on the blog, ask someone a question.
I like the specific target of the question posted in Day 10: Someone you know. You don't have to be engaging complete strangers with these conversations or questions. Take the person you are closest to... a good friend, maybe a sibling, a parent or child or spouse and if you don't know the answer, then ask the question. "Have you ever read the Bible, have you opened a Bible lately, how do I start, where do I start, how do I not quit, why do you, why should I..." There are a lot of questions and I bet you don't know the answer even for the three people you would consider closest. These conversations are a great way to strengthen your relationships that are already strong. To invest more in the people in whom you are already investing and who are investing time and energy in you. Break that comfort zone and share your story!
And then maybe the answer to Day 11's question will change. Have you asked anyone about the economy lately... what they think of the housing situation, the bank bail-out, the potential for or failure of an auto-industry bail-out, high gas prices, low gas prices (haveyou noticed grocery prices that went up becuase of expense gas has not come back down?), whether a new president can solve the economic problems... again, a lot of questions that I bet you actually have been asking and building conversations around.
I didn't hear the speech but I was watching some Senate debate about the auto industry bail-out on Day 11 while I was running at the Y. The TV was muted, but the closed captioning had one senator saying this as the hope for a deal diminished, "This is going to be a very, very bad Christmas for a lot of people as a result of what happens here tonight." The senator is saying Christmas could be different if Congress acts one way or another on a piece of legislation. I understand the reality of that statement and the real economic hardships that some people are experiencing everyday. But Day 11 asks a tremendously powerful and life-transforming question, "How will Christmas be different this year if you believe that Jesus is truly the Savior, the Promised One from God?"
I like the specific target of the question posted in Day 10: Someone you know. You don't have to be engaging complete strangers with these conversations or questions. Take the person you are closest to... a good friend, maybe a sibling, a parent or child or spouse and if you don't know the answer, then ask the question. "Have you ever read the Bible, have you opened a Bible lately, how do I start, where do I start, how do I not quit, why do you, why should I..." There are a lot of questions and I bet you don't know the answer even for the three people you would consider closest. These conversations are a great way to strengthen your relationships that are already strong. To invest more in the people in whom you are already investing and who are investing time and energy in you. Break that comfort zone and share your story!
And then maybe the answer to Day 11's question will change. Have you asked anyone about the economy lately... what they think of the housing situation, the bank bail-out, the potential for or failure of an auto-industry bail-out, high gas prices, low gas prices (haveyou noticed grocery prices that went up becuase of expense gas has not come back down?), whether a new president can solve the economic problems... again, a lot of questions that I bet you actually have been asking and building conversations around.
I didn't hear the speech but I was watching some Senate debate about the auto industry bail-out on Day 11 while I was running at the Y. The TV was muted, but the closed captioning had one senator saying this as the hope for a deal diminished, "This is going to be a very, very bad Christmas for a lot of people as a result of what happens here tonight." The senator is saying Christmas could be different if Congress acts one way or another on a piece of legislation. I understand the reality of that statement and the real economic hardships that some people are experiencing everyday. But Day 11 asks a tremendously powerful and life-transforming question, "How will Christmas be different this year if you believe that Jesus is truly the Savior, the Promised One from God?"
Friday, December 12, 2008
Christmas Conversations Day 9-10
From miracles to promises... we are covering a lot of ground quickly here! Are you reading along, are you praying and asking some questions and maybe even asking some other people questions. That's the point: conversations about Christmas and what Christmas is all about!
Day 9 ends with a question: What was the last promise you made and kept? What about the other end of that: what was the last promise you made but failed to keep or were hesitant or afraid or unwilling to even make? Or the flip-side: What was the last promise that someone else made to you and was the promise kept or did the words of the promise fall to pieces in the reality of everyday life? What is your typical reaction to promises from friends, parents, kids, spouses, siblings, co-workers, team-mates, politicians, pastors...? As the conversation plays out we see that God's promises are much much different than what we experience with one another. When God speaks, His words create reality. The Bible says that it is impossible for God to lie so that what He promises, He will deliver. Powerful words from Day 9 remind you that God has never lost sight of you! Which may not be the way you always feel.
I took the time to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special this year. I have probably watched it over a dozen times but it was a peaceful 30 minutes to spend. As I watched, it seemed that good old loveable Chuck would have fit perfectly into the themes of Day 9. Charlie's problem; he sees no place for himself in all of the Christmas rush and he continually says he wants no part of a commercialized Christmas. Day 9 asks if anyone will even notice if you're not as chipper as everyone else or if you aren't caught up in the celebrating mode or if you don't feel important.
The coolest moment of that day settled upon me as I listened to Luke Chapter 2 being broadcast on network television during prime-time as Linus read THE Christmas story telling of the one who was to be born through whom peace and joy would be found. On national television during prime-time while he was holding his blue blanket, Linus proclaimed the announcement of the angels telling of a Savior born in the city of David who is Christ the Lord. Charlie Brown, frustrated and feeling left-out and a complete failure asks if "Anyone can tell me what the true meaning is?" And Linus steps to center stage to tell of the day that Jesus was born. Miraculous words of a promise fulfilled by God!
Day 9 ends with a question: What was the last promise you made and kept? What about the other end of that: what was the last promise you made but failed to keep or were hesitant or afraid or unwilling to even make? Or the flip-side: What was the last promise that someone else made to you and was the promise kept or did the words of the promise fall to pieces in the reality of everyday life? What is your typical reaction to promises from friends, parents, kids, spouses, siblings, co-workers, team-mates, politicians, pastors...? As the conversation plays out we see that God's promises are much much different than what we experience with one another. When God speaks, His words create reality. The Bible says that it is impossible for God to lie so that what He promises, He will deliver. Powerful words from Day 9 remind you that God has never lost sight of you! Which may not be the way you always feel.
I took the time to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special this year. I have probably watched it over a dozen times but it was a peaceful 30 minutes to spend. As I watched, it seemed that good old loveable Chuck would have fit perfectly into the themes of Day 9. Charlie's problem; he sees no place for himself in all of the Christmas rush and he continually says he wants no part of a commercialized Christmas. Day 9 asks if anyone will even notice if you're not as chipper as everyone else or if you aren't caught up in the celebrating mode or if you don't feel important.
The coolest moment of that day settled upon me as I listened to Luke Chapter 2 being broadcast on network television during prime-time as Linus read THE Christmas story telling of the one who was to be born through whom peace and joy would be found. On national television during prime-time while he was holding his blue blanket, Linus proclaimed the announcement of the angels telling of a Savior born in the city of David who is Christ the Lord. Charlie Brown, frustrated and feeling left-out and a complete failure asks if "Anyone can tell me what the true meaning is?" And Linus steps to center stage to tell of the day that Jesus was born. Miraculous words of a promise fulfilled by God!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Christmas Conversations Day 6-8
Are there things that you find hard to believe? Stories friends have told you or something you heard on the radio or on t.v. or read in the newspaper? We already know that if you read it in the grocery store line or if it is posted on the internet, then it absolutely, positively MUST be true. I used to be really shy and hated to talk in front of people, do you believe it? The best route from Palm Springs, CA to Death Valley, CA takes you out of California and into two other states, Arizona and Nevada, and then back into California, do you believe it?
This whole virgin birth tale could be extremely hard to believe, it IS extremely hard to believe! Imagine Mary telling Joseph, in the Day 8 reading I was struck by the amount of courage it would have required and how difficult it would have been for young Mary to make sense of and then communicate the situation to others. I made a note on the page holding Day 6 that the virgin birth does not stand as an individual event. If this event stood alone as the only instance of something unique with Jesus, something that said to us this is God coming to be with us, if the miraculous birth of Jesus stood alone, who could say anything except, "Yeah, right!" But there is more to the story. Jesus calmed storms, he drove out demons, he healed the sick, he fed multitudes with next to nothing, he brought dead people back to life, he himself was dead and then alive! Again and again, Jesus demonstrated who he was and looking at the whole picture helps us to understand some of the individual events, like his miraculous birth.
Miracles. Maybe you believe in them, maybe you are skeptical, maybe you have experienced one or maybe you need one. I remember as I read this booklet for the first time Day 7 almost caused me not to use this as a resource to give to others. There is nothing wrong or false here. It's just that this talk of miracles is tough. Its a tough topic to tackle in one half of a page. Day 7 seems less conversational and more "what does he mean by that"... If miracles, don't exist then neither does God... To rule out miracles is more irrational than to believe... Those sentences may not answer a lot of questions, in fact they may provoke additional questions and thus serve as good conversation starters...
This whole virgin birth tale could be extremely hard to believe, it IS extremely hard to believe! Imagine Mary telling Joseph, in the Day 8 reading I was struck by the amount of courage it would have required and how difficult it would have been for young Mary to make sense of and then communicate the situation to others. I made a note on the page holding Day 6 that the virgin birth does not stand as an individual event. If this event stood alone as the only instance of something unique with Jesus, something that said to us this is God coming to be with us, if the miraculous birth of Jesus stood alone, who could say anything except, "Yeah, right!" But there is more to the story. Jesus calmed storms, he drove out demons, he healed the sick, he fed multitudes with next to nothing, he brought dead people back to life, he himself was dead and then alive! Again and again, Jesus demonstrated who he was and looking at the whole picture helps us to understand some of the individual events, like his miraculous birth.
Miracles. Maybe you believe in them, maybe you are skeptical, maybe you have experienced one or maybe you need one. I remember as I read this booklet for the first time Day 7 almost caused me not to use this as a resource to give to others. There is nothing wrong or false here. It's just that this talk of miracles is tough. Its a tough topic to tackle in one half of a page. Day 7 seems less conversational and more "what does he mean by that"... If miracles, don't exist then neither does God... To rule out miracles is more irrational than to believe... Those sentences may not answer a lot of questions, in fact they may provoke additional questions and thus serve as good conversation starters...
Christmas Conversations Day 6-7
As I was doing Saturday's reading, I was struck by the presence of questions in the prayers. Do your prayers ever contain questions or are they usually a list of thank you's and requests? Mine probably typically (double qualifier there) lean toward the latter. But I have a new goal as I roll through these Christmas Conversations... to allow the questions of the prayers to linger for a while. Not to just plow through and read the couple lines and call it good but to allow the questions to provoke some prayerful conversation between me and God. Throughout the Bible, especially in the Psalms, prayers are filled with questions like "Why is this happening?" or "How long will this last?" or "What is going on here, I don't understand?".
Day 7 also contains an important point about questions. If Day 6 reminds us that questions are OK within our prayers, Day 7 also tells us that it is OK to ask questions about the Bible and God and the world around us. Ask the questions and then dive into conversations with others and with God through His Word where he reveals Himself and as you ask and follow up with the questions I am confident that your faith will be confirmed. That God will show Himself to be who the Bible says that He is. (More to come on all that.) We often think or are told that any questions are bad and wrong... that we just have to accept what we are told without blinking an eye or furrowing a brow. The danger is not in asking the questions, it's in allowing the questions to go unanswered. Be in conversation.
Day 7 also contains an important point about questions. If Day 6 reminds us that questions are OK within our prayers, Day 7 also tells us that it is OK to ask questions about the Bible and God and the world around us. Ask the questions and then dive into conversations with others and with God through His Word where he reveals Himself and as you ask and follow up with the questions I am confident that your faith will be confirmed. That God will show Himself to be who the Bible says that He is. (More to come on all that.) We often think or are told that any questions are bad and wrong... that we just have to accept what we are told without blinking an eye or furrowing a brow. The danger is not in asking the questions, it's in allowing the questions to go unanswered. Be in conversation.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Christmas Conversations Day 3-5
Wow, December is already flying by. Is your tree up? Have you untangled lights and searched for which bulb is out on a string? Decorations and stockings hung? Cookies baked? Gifts wrapped? Me neither! Have you cracked open your Christmas Conversations book or shared something that you read with someone else? Don't miss out, this is a great way to pull Jesus into our December busyness, if even for a couple minutes.
As I continue to think about this question of evidence... "What kind of evidence do you need to believe in God" (Day 3)... my mind went toward Thomas who couldn't believe those who were saying that Jesus' grave was empty and that He had appeared to them alive. Thomas made it clear that he would not believe in a resurrected Jesus short of seeing the nail marks in His hands and putting his own finger into Jesus' pierced side (John 20:25). Thomas needed evidence. However when Jesus came to Thomas, saying "Let me show you who I am" (a paraphrase, but echoing Day 3) "see my hand, put your finger in my side"... when Jesus appeared to Thomas with the evidence Thomas said he needed, he did not put his finger in Jesus' side. Instead he spoke words about who Jesus is, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus' coming to him moves Thomas from disbelief to belief.
The Bible verse for Day 3 focuses us on markings on hands. Isaiah writes the Word of God, "Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands." The relationship that God has established with us (getting us toward Conversation days 4-5) is one unlike we will find with anyone else... our closest friends, our spouses, parents or children. Keep tracking along to see what this Conversation has to say about God's relationship with you!
As I continue to think about this question of evidence... "What kind of evidence do you need to believe in God" (Day 3)... my mind went toward Thomas who couldn't believe those who were saying that Jesus' grave was empty and that He had appeared to them alive. Thomas made it clear that he would not believe in a resurrected Jesus short of seeing the nail marks in His hands and putting his own finger into Jesus' pierced side (John 20:25). Thomas needed evidence. However when Jesus came to Thomas, saying "Let me show you who I am" (a paraphrase, but echoing Day 3) "see my hand, put your finger in my side"... when Jesus appeared to Thomas with the evidence Thomas said he needed, he did not put his finger in Jesus' side. Instead he spoke words about who Jesus is, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus' coming to him moves Thomas from disbelief to belief.
The Bible verse for Day 3 focuses us on markings on hands. Isaiah writes the Word of God, "Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands." The relationship that God has established with us (getting us toward Conversation days 4-5) is one unlike we will find with anyone else... our closest friends, our spouses, parents or children. Keep tracking along to see what this Conversation has to say about God's relationship with you!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Christmas Conversations Day 1-3
Lilly, you beat me to posting a first meaningful post... awesome. I will drop a comment onto your comment after I get mine done.
As I read the first two days, my first thought was that I don't like choices all that much. Maybe I'm just not that good at making them. I went to Subway yesterday... that's where I ALWAYS go if I go out for lunch. I ordered the same sandwhich I ALWAYS order when I go there and got the same beverage I ALWAYS get to wash down the sub. At Q'doba I always order the same thing and at the Pita place and at Mexican Village and even at Teaberry and Starbucks. Man, I am a full creature of habit. Do you thrive on choice or live in habit???
However, as I thought about choices and talked with others about what I was reading, I did realize that it is super easy to project our moods (day one reminds us that often our mood dictates what we buy), our desires and wants, and our own personal opinions or ideas about right and wrong onto God. It is tempting to make God be an entity that we want Him to be for us so that He can serve us in the ways that we think best. But so many Bible verses tell us about how God's knowledge so far surpasses our own that it is uncomprehinsible. He knows us and what we need so much better than we do (Yikes... so cliche, sorry). His view of life is so much bigger and broader and deeper and less tainted than our own.
Day 3 makes a cool move away from how we shape God to fit our mold toward how He comes to us saying "Let me show you who I am." I am very excited about how these Christmas Conversations will unfold over the coming weeks and how God will show Himself to us.
As I read the first two days, my first thought was that I don't like choices all that much. Maybe I'm just not that good at making them. I went to Subway yesterday... that's where I ALWAYS go if I go out for lunch. I ordered the same sandwhich I ALWAYS order when I go there and got the same beverage I ALWAYS get to wash down the sub. At Q'doba I always order the same thing and at the Pita place and at Mexican Village and even at Teaberry and Starbucks. Man, I am a full creature of habit. Do you thrive on choice or live in habit???
However, as I thought about choices and talked with others about what I was reading, I did realize that it is super easy to project our moods (day one reminds us that often our mood dictates what we buy), our desires and wants, and our own personal opinions or ideas about right and wrong onto God. It is tempting to make God be an entity that we want Him to be for us so that He can serve us in the ways that we think best. But so many Bible verses tell us about how God's knowledge so far surpasses our own that it is uncomprehinsible. He knows us and what we need so much better than we do (Yikes... so cliche, sorry). His view of life is so much bigger and broader and deeper and less tainted than our own.
Day 3 makes a cool move away from how we shape God to fit our mold toward how He comes to us saying "Let me show you who I am." I am very excited about how these Christmas Conversations will unfold over the coming weeks and how God will show Himself to us.
Monday, December 1, 2008
How to sign up or post comments
It's easy... if Dave and I can do it, then so can you! If you are reading this then you have taken the first step of tracking down the web-page. Congrats! Here are a couple ways to join in the Conversation this Christmas season:
Click on “Follow this blog” which appears along the left-hand side. A new window will pop up. Click on “Sign up” and follow the couple steps that are required.
Or if you want to hop right into the conversation and post a comment... click on a "Comment" link which will take you to a new page where you can type in your comment. If you have not signed up yet, choose "sign up here" toward the bottom of the screen and you will again be walked through a couple steps that will get you all set up.
Any difficulties or questions, just let me know.
Click on “Follow this blog” which appears along the left-hand side. A new window will pop up. Click on “Sign up” and follow the couple steps that are required.
Or if you want to hop right into the conversation and post a comment... click on a "Comment" link which will take you to a new page where you can type in your comment. If you have not signed up yet, choose "sign up here" toward the bottom of the screen and you will again be walked through a couple steps that will get you all set up.
Any difficulties or questions, just let me know.
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