“The Margin of Real Rest”

(By Thor Knutstad)

As I write today’s weekly blog, I am reading the comments of many disappointed people. Adults wanted a day off at home. Kids wanted a snow day from school. Many businesses and schools were closed.  People throughout our region had braced for “Winter Storm Juno” – which was ‘supposed to’ (and let me emphasize SUPPOSED TO) dump a foot or two of snow in blizzard-like fashion over the entire North Eastern United States and here in the Greater Philadelphia Region. It did not. It was a bust. In the words of teens these days, “Fail.”  Actually, “Epic Fail” seems more appropriate. In the throes of expectation and disappointment, here are a few simple observations that I have made today:

 Don’t judge what you and others don’t know.

 People really do want reasons to rest and be at home.

Don’t judge what you don’t know.  The meteorologists got it wrong about the snowstorm. So what?  99.9% of the time they actually get it very right. Maybe the fear and hype of HOW PEOPLE RESPOND to snow shows that they really do want the weatherman to be correct. This was a storm that had a lot of room for meteorological error. And maybe we should be grateful that it isn’t worse. Lives are actually saved without recognizing it. We judge and we blame for what we do not really understand or fully comprehend.  This is wrong and ought not to be. But it’s more than wrong judgment and disappointed expectations.  Many crave something that is treasured, yet not really utilized or lived out.

People want real reasons to rest and stay home.  Rest is something very foreign to our busy, pleasure idolatrous culture. We cannot sit still and just talk, laugh, read or rest.  We leave NO MARGIN for ponder, thought or imagination. Our minds are distracted by an endless array of media, sights, sounds, internet, information, to do lists, social media (yes, Facebook), tablets, movies, games, apps and smart-phones that ALL subtly deceive us into thinking we are connected to others. These tools aren’t evils, and are useful secondary things, until they are abused and distract us from primary things.  When they drive our minds and bodies away from real rest, we crave someone or something to make us rest.  We want something to be done for us because we sinfully (yes, I said that) live in modes of extreme exhaustion and the busyness of “marginlessness” (my new word).  A big snowstorm puts loved ones together with lots of food and laughter and TIME and closes the door on outside activities – ENDLESS ACTIVITIES of BUSYNESS.  The disappointment isn’t just a sign of wrong expectations.  It’s an indicator of the crave of rest.  And remember people – it’s not even February.  There’s still time for snow.  Winter isn’t over.  But make time for the margin of real rest.

On the Brilliance of Man

"I'm just a little bit worried. Do you have some sort of plan? Have you been finally defeated by the cunning of these fully evolved men?"

— from “Letter from a Concerned Follower”, by Pedro the Lion

As of yesterday, the forecast for today called for 12 to 18 inches of snow.  Bread was absent from store shelves last night (don’t ask me how I know), and local schools announced they’d be closed, even before any flakes had fallen.  Modern science is an amazing thing, and the technological tools that man has developed are wildly fantastic. 

I didn’t measure it, but I’d say we got about 1 to 2 inches of snow today, or what you might call a “dusting,” which is a little less than the foot and a half they were calling for.  How could a forecast, just 24 hours ago, be so off?  With all of modern science behind them, the meteorologists best guess was wildly wrong.

Before you get the wrong impression, I am not a science hater.  I’m not a climate-change denier.  I believe in getting kids vaccinated.  Science is a passion of mine, and I have spent years trying to inspire a sense of wonder to my students through science.  I believe that God has given us the information in the natural world, and the mental capacity to do things with it that would have been mind-blowing just 200 years ago.  God has made us pretty brilliant.

But I find a strange comfort in science getting things wrong.  With all the computer models, expert minds, and satellite images, there is still some mystery in nature.  I’m not saying that God supernaturally shifted the storm to humble the braggadocious weather men.  I suppose that’s one possibility, but more likely, they just didn’t have a complete understanding of what was going on.  And I love that.

God is so much greater than man.  His creation, whether you believe it is 10,000 years old or 14 billion, is vastly more complex than our best attempts to understand it.  It is comforting to know that the God of the universe is my father, and he remains firmly in the driver’s seat.  Throughout human history, we have attempted to understand our world.  Every generation makes advances and assumes that they are the pinnacle of knowledge.  Sometimes we forget that Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”  Then 18 inches of snow turns out to be a dusting, and we are left to realize that we don’t know everything.

Jeff Hyson

What Is Good Repentance?

(By Diego Cuartas)

Whether we all use the same word to describe the need for change is not as relevant as the fact that as human beings we all understand what is implied by the expectation to repent or change. Not everything about us—our thoughts, words, attitudes or actions—is admirable! There is always room and a need for change—in this blog I will call this repentance.

I remember the days when my two brothers and I would get into playing rough and loud, and my father would warn us that if there was not a change (repentance) in our behavior we would experience physical consequences that usually involved pain. What my father was calling for was a change of our behavior at the moment. Remember the warnings you received from a teacher, your parents or perhaps a friend? Some of us have even experienced the warning offered by a law-enforcement officer while driving on a road where we ignored the law of the land!

I have personally experienced many moments in my life in which my intent to repent was very superficial at best. Perhaps with the help of others I saw that there was a need for repentance in my life, but I only pursued such repentance to please others or pacify them in some way. I knew deep in my heart that though I was modifying my behavior I had remained the same person. So my brothers and I at times were lucky to calm down and avoid my father’s punishment, but deep inside we did not want the authority of our father over our lives in that moment—especially if his authority was bringing limitations to what we considered our wants and freedom in the moment!

May I suggest that in order for repentance to be good—effective and fruitful—we will need a more comprehensive approach to repentance. Let me explain. As human beings, we constantly display behaviors, but the reality is that we are more than behaviors. We are creatures with a command center that God has made with the capacities to desire, belief and strive. And at the core of these dynamics is our capacity to treasure or worship. What is true is that our behaviors are always in sync with what is happening in our command center—our hearts. So to speak of repentance and and pursue a repentance that is good, effective and fruitful, we need to consider both the behaviors and the heart. 

Think of it this way: behaviors are indicators (or the fruit) of what is really happening in our hearts. 

Good repentance will always require that we consider a journey into our hearts by using the path that our behaviors afford us. Let me illustrate through a personal simple journey:

I am making statements that are not my real opinion in a given conversation with a friend.

I am sensing that what I am doing is not sincere and therefore fake.

I am experiencing the guilt that comes with this moment.

I am now considering why I am doing this. Why am I not saying what my sincere opinion is?

As I follow the path of my behavior, I start noticing some desires, beliefs and agendas seeded deep in my heart.

I am noticing that I desire acceptance, not rejection; I see that there is also a belief in my heart that says, “You will not be safe if you tell the truth” and another one that says, “You will miss life if this person rejects you or disapproves of you.”

As I keep following the path into my heart, I also see that my agenda is now to control the conversation in order to secure the outcomes I really want.

Can you see it? In order to experience repentance—change—in who I am, I will need to consider both my behaviors and my heart. Good repentance then will lead me to explore and understand my behavior in light of my heart. Furthermore, good repentance will probably translate into addressing the wrong (idolatrous) desires, beliefs and agendas that rule my heart.

Good repentance is not something that happens in a vacuum. And it is not something we do within the confines of our own understanding and wisdom. A bigger, wiser and holier being than us will have to be our reference point and helper. In order to treasure or worship what is truly good and admirable we will need a transformation that only God can offer.

Stay tuned. Good repentance is possible! 

Would the World Notice if the Church Ceased to Exist?

(By Nate Howard)

Imagine...

Tomorrow, you awaken to find ShopRite has disappeared — along with every other grocery store! What if the police department was no more? What if, heaven forbid, chocolate ceased to exist? What if technology as we know it, including the internet, cell phones, even electricity, vanished without a trace?

It’s hard to imagine survival without life’s so-called necessities. But here’s a more challenging question: What if all Christian churches disappeared? What if Living Faith Alliance disappeared? Would it make any difference if we didn’t exist? Would anyone notice?
God imagines His church to be a world-changing church — that our presence would be felt, that people would know we exist. God said, "I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, that they might be for me a people, a name, a
praise, and a glory." (Jeremiah 13:11)
God intends the life of Jesus in His people to significantly alter the world. That’s what we want as well. We’ve set the course of LFA to be in pursuit of the life-changing presence of Jesus, impacting
South Jersey one life at a time.
The 5-year goals we have embraced (see the front cover) describe the kind of impact we imagine, not just as one church, but as a number of networked churches — call them church plants or multisite.
We want to engage our world, intentionally talking with our friends about the Gospel, experiencing the joy of watching them become Jesus followers, connected in true community, living a
purposeful life of mission.

Look again at the graphic. Do you see the five essential practices we intend to grow in? It really does start with you and me. So as we begin this new year, the questions facing each of us are:
‣ What values need to shift in our life?
‣ How must we change?
‣ What will God need to do in you and me for us to become the
church God envisions?

I hope you can see there is an urgency that each of us connect with
God. That’s why we are beginning 2015 with an all-church week of
prayer. Please use this guide to enter in to the life of your church.
Set aside this week and let your faith rise to grasp what God has
for us.

A CHRISTIAN “FISH” on YOUR CAR?

It was the day before the moving van arrived to take us from Minnesota to Massachusetts. At the dining room table were two movers, wrapping and packing the last of the kitchen in layers of paper. My husband, definitely an A-type, was in the eaves of the attic directly overhead, struggling to remove a youth bed mattress so he could take it to the dump. The new owners were to arrive in two days and he was determined that everything should be perfect.

All was going swimmingly when suddenly, without warning, my husband’s foot and leg crashed through the ceiling overhead --- the freshly painted ceiling, I might add.

Dead silence. Everything stopped. All four children froze. The two packers were fixated on the leg. I just stood there with my mouth open, cringing in anticipation of how my dearly beloved might choose to comment on this latest catastrophe. More silence.  And then, blessedly, he burst into wild laughter, and pulled his leg back out of the wreckage, and he and the cursed mattress came back downstairs where we were all helplessly doubled over at the memory of his leg waving around through the dining room ceiling. And one of the men summed it up. He said, “Yep, Doc --- that’s a hundred dollar hole!” (1965 dollars!)

So how do you think God would really like us to react when we are stopped in our tracks by some unforeseen and decidedly unpleasant surprise, or some obnoxious person, or the failure of something we really, really wanted to succeed? 

Back in the ‘70s a Christian music artist, whose name I have forgotten, shared a few thoughts in the middle of his excellent album. He reminded us about the shock-absorbers in our cars, and how they made the ride smoother and more comfortable for us. And he said that he was pretty sure that God wanted us to be His shock-absorbers. He said that when something hits us, we have a choice. We can always bounce the bad right back at someone else, and let the anger start a new journey bouncing off who knows how many people in its journey. Or we can  react in a way that pleases God, and stops the damage, and we can let it end with us. We can be God’s shock-absorbers. 

If we are to be the light of the world, then there really isn’t any place for yelling and screaming, or nasty hand-signals to the driver who cuts us off, or snarky comments to the clerk who offends us. We can really never know the life circumstance of that other stranger who treats us poorly, or what awful distraction may be causing what looks to us like rank ignorance. Even when faced with a direct confrontation there are almost always ways to defuse it without anger and retaliation. We do need to be God’s shock-absorbers, as much as we can, in this angry world. 

It’s not easy for everyone. Some of us may have grown up with pretty short fuses. Some of us may even be a little proud of the way that we’ve taught people to treat us carefully and sort of walk on egg-shells around us. But that isn’t God’s way. Jesus didn’t teach us to be that way, and we know it. 

       “You are the salt of the earth, but what good is salt if it has lost

    its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out 

    and trampled underfoot as worthless.

        “You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot

    be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket.

    Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to 

    everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine

    out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

                                                                                                           Matthew 5: 13-16, NLT

Norma Stockton

The Donkey, The Elephant and The Ladybug

(By Lois Robinson)

What a weird title for a blog, huh? Well, keep reading and you will find out the reason why I chose it.  It all started back in the first week of December when I was feeling pretty low. I actually felt abandoned by God a few times during the week as well. I was dealing with some significant health issues, family issues and the like. You may be able to relate to what I am talking about.

Then, something really strange happened at the end of that week. I pulled into my driveway and there, hanging on the wrought iron lawn ornament, was a red letter with a heavy plastic donkey tied to it. I thought, what in the world! I took it into the house, opened the letter and saw in addition, two WaWa gift certificates.  As I began to read the letter, it described how my King, King Jesus, came in a very unexpected way, and He road that donkey into difficult circumstances. He too will show up in my circumstances in unexpected ways and will ride that donkey into my difficulties. Oh my, I began to weep and weep.  It was like my Jesus reached out to me and gave me a huge hug. That is the picture of the Body of Christ. Someone, His people, saw my affliction, purchased the items, wrote the letter, pointing me to my King. Praise God for hearing my cry.

These tangible acts of love continued throughout the entire month of December. I couldn’t believe it. There was a beautiful basket full of healthy organic food products along with another gift certificate to Applebee’s. I was so moved and taken aback. Included was a large, heavy plastic elephant with large strong tusks, representing strength, with a handmade ornament. On it was written out Joshua 1:9 about moving out in battle. Not to be afraid but to be strong in the Lord. Once again, my Jesus came and wrapped around me, through the tangible actions of His people. Another package contained a beautiful picture of humming birds and how God cares for each one. Another gift certificate to my favorite food, Chinese:) Plus, a cute little Lady Bug stuffed animal. The people involved have no idea the TREMENDOUS impact you had on my life and the timing of it was absolutely amazing.

Little did I know, there were going to be some very difficult issues ahead the last week of December into January involving very close friends of mine, friends that are like family.  It was and still is in a crisis state. I made it a point to keep the Donkey, the Elephant, and the Lady Bug propped up in front of me by the TV. The letters were there as well. The family felt led by God  to do an intervention for a younger sibling heavy into substance abuse, eating disorder and mental illness.  We would read those letters, with the sister’s name inserted, declaring God’s plan for her life. Amen. We would look at those animals. Knowing that Jesus, our King was riding that donkey right into the middle of those/these difficult circumstances. The image of the elephant reminded us of the book in the bible, Joshua 1:9, to be strong and of good courage. The little Lady Bug, well, she reminded me that someone cared enough to bring her to my house and say, “Hey:) you are loved and not alone.”

There you are, the story of the Donkey, the Elephant and the Lady Bug.