Whether we know it or not
We are all broken
We all have hearts that are broken and need repair
Split and torn, sustaining us in our ruin
We feel it but cannot see it
Until one day when the pieces shatter and the truth is revealed
Only You, God
Only You heal our broken hearts
Come soon come now with your hands strong and warm
Come peel back the layers and bind us again
Seal the leaks and mend the tears
Take our hearts cold and massage them until they burn
Redirect our inner path of life so that You flow within us
And renew us so that we are new
Breathe within us Your true life, O God
For where You wound, You bind and heal again
You will heal us again and again so that no evil can touch us
When we are healed, we are whole
And we will dance and and play and run
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
On Children
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.
- Kahlil Gibran, "The Prophet"
Thursday, January 14, 2010
We must do what we can
Below is a copy of an email sent from Ryan Mobley, pastor of Delta Church:
As you all certainly know, a terrible 7.0 earthquake occurred in Haiti on Tuesday afternoon. Hundreds of thousands of people have died and upwards of 1 million people are homeless. 80% of Haiti's population lives below the poverty line, which makes them the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. By their own admission, they are no where near equipped to handle a disaster like this and are in need of tangible help. Please pray fervently for the people of Haiti and the relief workers. But beyond that, financial gifts are necessary to fund the relief efforts - everything from food, search & rescue, etc. Here are 5 tremendous organizations that you can send a financial gift to (even a small micro-gift of $10 will go a long way):
As you all certainly know, a terrible 7.0 earthquake occurred in Haiti on Tuesday afternoon. Hundreds of thousands of people have died and upwards of 1 million people are homeless. 80% of Haiti's population lives below the poverty line, which makes them the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. By their own admission, they are no where near equipped to handle a disaster like this and are in need of tangible help. Please pray fervently for the people of Haiti and the relief workers. But beyond that, financial gifts are necessary to fund the relief efforts - everything from food, search & rescue, etc. Here are 5 tremendous organizations that you can send a financial gift to (even a small micro-gift of $10 will go a long way):
Baptist Global Response
The Red Cross
World Vision
Samaritan's Purse
Compassion International
Additionally, let me emphasize this as well: this is in no way any type of "judgment" from God punishing people. There are misinformed, arrogant, judgmental, non-gospel centered religious people who are saying and believing such things. Do not believe them. Romans 8:22 says "For we we know that the whole creation has been groaning..." The context is the suffering that this life brings because of the terrible effects of sin. The fall (Genesis 3) not only brought death to people, but to all of creation as well. An event like this earthquake is a stark reminder of the brokenness of the world and great need we have for the hope of the gospel to renew not just us, but all of creation. So let us be a people of prayer, a people on mission for the gospel, and a people who do what we can to renew this creation and bring comfort to those who are hurting for the glory of Jesus.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Elephant
Never apologize for who you are, she says
For then you are apologizing for the truth
But what truth? You reply
For truth is an elephant
Innocent, exotic, immense, unforgetting
And we are all blind beggars
Invite us to touch and we will stumble
Who knows where we will land?
Who will you meet when you touch her?
She is love and her love is a trunk generous and enveloping
She is courage and her courage is a back resilient and sustaining
She is the hind legs of righteousness
She is the soft lips of beauty
She is the mindful ears of wisdom
All wrapped in the skin of an experience
That every blind man begs to define
Can anyone fully know without asking her?
She sits awkward in this room
Saturday, December 12, 2009
This is what it means to be happy
My friend asked me today, "Does getting older bother you?"
"Not at all," I answered immediately. "I embrace it." After a moment, I continued the thought. "I hated my twenties. Turning thirty felt like a rite of passage. I remember saying, 'Now I don't have to be twenty-anything anymore.' I am just convinced that the best is yet to come."
"I can see, for you, that that's true," she remarked.
"Yeah, I really believe it is. I don't mind getting older because I'm truly enjoying my life right now, just for what it is. There are things that I would change if I could, but I embrace things for what they are. Even with the things that I would change, I am finding the good that is available to me there. That is the difference between just surviving and really living. And there is still so much to look forward to."
[Dear reader, I think it can be this way for you, too.]
"Not at all," I answered immediately. "I embrace it." After a moment, I continued the thought. "I hated my twenties. Turning thirty felt like a rite of passage. I remember saying, 'Now I don't have to be twenty-anything anymore.' I am just convinced that the best is yet to come."
"I can see, for you, that that's true," she remarked.
"Yeah, I really believe it is. I don't mind getting older because I'm truly enjoying my life right now, just for what it is. There are things that I would change if I could, but I embrace things for what they are. Even with the things that I would change, I am finding the good that is available to me there. That is the difference between just surviving and really living. And there is still so much to look forward to."
[Dear reader, I think it can be this way for you, too.]
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Sugar and Spice vs. Snakes and Snails
I just had a passionate and inspiring conversation with one of my favorite women. My friend, a passionate and inspiring woman herself, always stretches me with her compassionate and thoughtful intensity and her heart for people and ministry. When we talk, we always walk off the beaten path to the thicker parts, the important parts, because it's as if we can't even help ourselves. Two intense women on the phone will always find a way to try to solve the problems of the world!
I don't even know how we got on the subject, but we started talking about leadership and sexism in the church. We both have received callings in our lives for ministry, and we met in college where we were being equipped in these callings. Our life journeys have taken us to different places on the road, though. She is pursuing a calling of leadership in the church, and I no longer am. My friend is discouraged. She has been in many leadership roles in the church and experienced sexism so much that she feels that the church is hierarchical and views women as the lesser sex. I think many (maybe even most) people view the church like this as well, so I thought I would take just a moment to get on my little box here and share my own view with the 7 of you.
Before I do, though, I will pause for a brief moment to share how many times I misspelled the word "hierarchical": six.
Okay, moving on.
I think this issue is important and one that relies on perspective. 15 years ago, I was pursuing a career in church leadership, and for reasons I both know and don't know, I've never been fully raised up or released to be a full-time church leader (pastor, minister, etc.). My life has taken many twists and turns since then, and throughout the journey, my perspective has changed. I used to be fairly progressive and believed that women should be empowered to do anything in the church that a man could do. I don't believe that anymore. Not because women are a lesser sex but rather because women are the more honored sex.
It is clear that God has always honored and revered women because of the way He treats them. He has always given them an honored place in history; it is humankind that has been guilty of sexism, not God. The Bible is full of examples of incredible women who furthered God's work on earth because He raised them up to do so. (Great examples: Deborah, Esther, Abigail, Lydia and my favorite, freaking Rahab.) In fact, when Jesus was raised from the dead, the first witnesses of the gospel were not men but women. He entrusted His good news to women first and required that the gospel be spread by a man listening to a woman. This happened within a culture that would not allow women to testify in court because a woman's testimony was "not reliable!" The gospel and the church transcends and transforms culture! Here, it makes women so important in the church that the good news was given to them first and the ministry of sharing it with the world was given to them first. The good news spread because of women. So God does not keep women out of the work of the church; He was the one to raise them up in the church in the first place.
But full time church leadership is extremely stressful. I'm talking about eldership that guides, directs, teaches, and disciplines. The inner as well as outer demands on the person in this position are absolutely enormous. It breaks the back of the soul. God requires a sacrifice from His servant leaders that is so taxing and difficult, and frankly, it's one of the hardest and most thankless jobs on earth. (Only one other job compares with it in my mind, and that's parenthood.) I think that God loves women so much that He doesn't want us to have to do put up with the crap that pastors have to put up with. The attacks from the evil one, from church members, from the world ... God loves women so much that He wants to protect us from that. He gives the grunt work to the guys.
I don't believe this is sexist at all but actually rather beautiful. I think we see a type of this in the way that God made us in our romantic inclinations. "When a man loves a woman, she can do no wrong ..." and all that. Okay, so the song wasn't written by St. Paul or anything, but the truth is, a man works very hard to love his woman and when the love is true, all the sacrifices he makes are for her. A true man never works for his own gain but rather for the gain of those he loves. In this lies his true strength and power.
If our full time pastors and elders truly looked at themselves as servants, then the act of serving is an act of loving and honoring. Everything they do is for the glory of God and the gain of others. If men, who are called to be the head of their home as Christ is the head of the church, are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave His life for her, then it is logical to conclude that these same men - married or not - should give their lives in leadership of the church for all. And God says, "Ladies, I love you so much that you are off the hook for this one. Let the guys sweat it out." It doesn't make me think that God loves girls less; it makes me wonder if God loves girls more.
Now for the disclaimers. Yes, I think that women can and should be ministers in the church. The first ministers of the gospel, again, were the women at the tomb, and so they are our examples. I know of many women who have staff positions at churches who teach, lead and manage ministries. Being an elder or pastor is a different role, though. No, I do not believe that a conservative view of women in church leadership automatically means I believe that women should not be allowed to speak in church or that they should cover their heads. Context, people. Babies and bathwater.
So, there you have it. I do apologize for the lack of Scripture references; I admit that I'm lazy. I'm just thinking off the top of my head here.
I don't even know how we got on the subject, but we started talking about leadership and sexism in the church. We both have received callings in our lives for ministry, and we met in college where we were being equipped in these callings. Our life journeys have taken us to different places on the road, though. She is pursuing a calling of leadership in the church, and I no longer am. My friend is discouraged. She has been in many leadership roles in the church and experienced sexism so much that she feels that the church is hierarchical and views women as the lesser sex. I think many (maybe even most) people view the church like this as well, so I thought I would take just a moment to get on my little box here and share my own view with the 7 of you.
Before I do, though, I will pause for a brief moment to share how many times I misspelled the word "hierarchical": six.
Okay, moving on.
I think this issue is important and one that relies on perspective. 15 years ago, I was pursuing a career in church leadership, and for reasons I both know and don't know, I've never been fully raised up or released to be a full-time church leader (pastor, minister, etc.). My life has taken many twists and turns since then, and throughout the journey, my perspective has changed. I used to be fairly progressive and believed that women should be empowered to do anything in the church that a man could do. I don't believe that anymore. Not because women are a lesser sex but rather because women are the more honored sex.
It is clear that God has always honored and revered women because of the way He treats them. He has always given them an honored place in history; it is humankind that has been guilty of sexism, not God. The Bible is full of examples of incredible women who furthered God's work on earth because He raised them up to do so. (Great examples: Deborah, Esther, Abigail, Lydia and my favorite, freaking Rahab.) In fact, when Jesus was raised from the dead, the first witnesses of the gospel were not men but women. He entrusted His good news to women first and required that the gospel be spread by a man listening to a woman. This happened within a culture that would not allow women to testify in court because a woman's testimony was "not reliable!" The gospel and the church transcends and transforms culture! Here, it makes women so important in the church that the good news was given to them first and the ministry of sharing it with the world was given to them first. The good news spread because of women. So God does not keep women out of the work of the church; He was the one to raise them up in the church in the first place.
But full time church leadership is extremely stressful. I'm talking about eldership that guides, directs, teaches, and disciplines. The inner as well as outer demands on the person in this position are absolutely enormous. It breaks the back of the soul. God requires a sacrifice from His servant leaders that is so taxing and difficult, and frankly, it's one of the hardest and most thankless jobs on earth. (Only one other job compares with it in my mind, and that's parenthood.) I think that God loves women so much that He doesn't want us to have to do put up with the crap that pastors have to put up with. The attacks from the evil one, from church members, from the world ... God loves women so much that He wants to protect us from that. He gives the grunt work to the guys.
I don't believe this is sexist at all but actually rather beautiful. I think we see a type of this in the way that God made us in our romantic inclinations. "When a man loves a woman, she can do no wrong ..." and all that. Okay, so the song wasn't written by St. Paul or anything, but the truth is, a man works very hard to love his woman and when the love is true, all the sacrifices he makes are for her. A true man never works for his own gain but rather for the gain of those he loves. In this lies his true strength and power.
If our full time pastors and elders truly looked at themselves as servants, then the act of serving is an act of loving and honoring. Everything they do is for the glory of God and the gain of others. If men, who are called to be the head of their home as Christ is the head of the church, are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave His life for her, then it is logical to conclude that these same men - married or not - should give their lives in leadership of the church for all. And God says, "Ladies, I love you so much that you are off the hook for this one. Let the guys sweat it out." It doesn't make me think that God loves girls less; it makes me wonder if God loves girls more.
Now for the disclaimers. Yes, I think that women can and should be ministers in the church. The first ministers of the gospel, again, were the women at the tomb, and so they are our examples. I know of many women who have staff positions at churches who teach, lead and manage ministries. Being an elder or pastor is a different role, though. No, I do not believe that a conservative view of women in church leadership automatically means I believe that women should not be allowed to speak in church or that they should cover their heads. Context, people. Babies and bathwater.
So, there you have it. I do apologize for the lack of Scripture references; I admit that I'm lazy. I'm just thinking off the top of my head here.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Hurricane Glass
Something inside of me is sleeping like winter.
The fire blazing that threatened to consume me
is barely now a flicker.
I can still see in here -
surely it is casting its light -
but it is now a lone votive memory of my burning.
I miss being consumed.
In my dying I felt alive.
I wanted more even as it ravaged more of me.
But now it is gone.
Strangers offer fuel and I say no thank you
as if they were offering a magazine subscription
or a carpet cleaning.
I wonder if something vital has left forever.
I wonder if I can ever recover it,
if the wick is too short or the room too small.
Maybe it is to be more than a memory
but also a beacon.
Maybe I see it from the sailor's view,
and as he draws nearer,
perhaps it will grow brighter.
The raging fire is at war with the world,
but the flickering candle serves the world
and needs protection from the world.
The fire blazing that threatened to consume me
is barely now a flicker.
I can still see in here -
surely it is casting its light -
but it is now a lone votive memory of my burning.
I miss being consumed.
In my dying I felt alive.
I wanted more even as it ravaged more of me.
But now it is gone.
Strangers offer fuel and I say no thank you
as if they were offering a magazine subscription
or a carpet cleaning.
I wonder if something vital has left forever.
I wonder if I can ever recover it,
if the wick is too short or the room too small.
Maybe it is to be more than a memory
but also a beacon.
Maybe I see it from the sailor's view,
and as he draws nearer,
perhaps it will grow brighter.
The raging fire is at war with the world,
but the flickering candle serves the world
and needs protection from the world.
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