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Final Thoughts

For almost three years, you and I have lived the Faith life together. We have worshiped, served in mission, studied scripture, and lived life together. As Kristin and I prepare to embark on a new adventure (with a slightly larger family than when we came to you) we are thankful for the opportunities we have had at Faith. In my time at Faith I have written over 120 articles on various themes. Today I write my last article to you. Final thoughts are often the hardest to come by. There is an urge to cram every important thought into the single page, after all, I’ll never have another chance to speak to you in this way. I have wrestled in my own mind over what to say here. Ultimately, I chose what I believe is the most important. Worship is a matter of submission to God, of seeing His majesty, of recognizing our own frailty, and submitting to His will and way. Worship is not found in the emotion of a song, or the swing of a hammer, it is found in the heart that does those things out of
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The Lord Directs Our Steps

"The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." —Proverbs 16:9 Over the last few weeks, Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 3:5-6, James 4:13-17 and Acts 17:26 have been the mainstays of my meditations. They all speak to God directing our paths. I am reminded of a specific campout I attended in boy scouts where we competed in an Orienteering contest at Lake Texoma. Someone had laid out a path for us, that we were to follow. In order to get there we had to pay careful attention to our map, our compass, and the surrounding terrain. In the same way, our paths are laid out for us by God. Our destination is a life of intimate relationship with God. As circumstances in our lives change, as the terrain changes we have to reference our compass (prayer) and our maps (scripture). This often leads to a change of plans. For me, right now, this change of plans comes in the form of a career change. I always planned to work with music until I died. I often stated that I couldn&#
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Declaring Thomas

"Then [Jesus] said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.' Thomas answered him, 'My Lord and my God!'" — John 20:27-28 Thomas gets a bad rap! Year after year, we go around calling him Doubting Thomas, like school children on the playground trying to get under his skin. I'm sure he didn’t expect that his one moment of grief would define him. The truth is, Thomas only asked for what the other disciple's received. After the Resurrection, Jesus came into the midst of ten of the disciples and he showed them his wounds, spoke peace over them and commissioned them to the work of the kingdom. When the ten disciples saw this, they were "glad." I think to myself, surely that is an understatement, but that is what the text says — "the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord." When Thomas returned from where he had been, the disciple’s excited
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Broken Hallelujah

"After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, 'Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you." Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, 'I do not know the man!' At that moment the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: "Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.' And he went out and wept bitterly." —Matthew 26:73-75 Perhaps you've noticed it. In our times of worship over the last five weeks, a familiar word has been missing. Hallelujah is a transliteration of a Hebrew phrase meaning "Praise Yahweh." But more than just praise, it carries the connotation of being foolishly clamorous. Throughout the ages, the church has steered away from its use during the Lenten fast. But why? Surely God is worthy of our boisterous praise year round! God is certainly worthy! But those joyful praises can make it difficult to remember that we are not worthy, and Christ died for us any
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Well, Well, Well...

"So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, 'Will you give me a drink?'" —John 4:5-7 Let anyone with eyes to see, see, and everyone with ears to hear, let them hear. This story has always fascinated me. As Brad mentioned on Sunday, there are a hundred ways to look at this passage. Even the title of this weekly article was derived from this passage. Jesus tells us that the Father is looking for worshipers who will worship “en pneumati kai aletheia,” in spirit and truth. As we seek to worship God, it is helpful to know how God wants to be worshiped. But that is a topic for another day. Today I want to look at something else. Brad mentioned that Jesus saw potential in the woman at the well and invested in her. This is
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Lift Your Voice

"Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints." —Psalm 149:1 This past Saturday evening we had the great privilege to host one of the best touring choirs in the United States. This 55 voice choir has traveled the world over the last 70 years, singing before presidents and heads of state. They have sung seven times at the White House for the previous two presidents. Even with all of these accomplishments, they sang for us, as if we were their most prestigious concert. They serve as inspiration and example for us. Only half of the choir is made up of music majors. The other half comes from every walk of life and area of study you can imagine. But they come together with common purpose, lifting their voices in song to bring honor to their God. We too serve this great and marvelous God. Each week we come together corporately to worship. We lift our voices in song, because we of all people have something worth singing about. We hav
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Let Us Break Bread Together

"Suppose a brother or sister is without ... daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" —James 2:15-16 A traditional part of the Lenten devotion is almsgiving. By caring for those who have no other means, we participate in the providence of God. Almsgiving makes the statement to God that we know he provides for our needs. We give, even out of our want, to provide for others, knowing that God will provide also for our needs. This almsgiving is a gift beyond the tithe that provides for the needs of others. Homework this week: Consider making a gift to "Pastors Alms," a fund that helps cover the immediate needs of people in our community. Consider bringing an extra dish to the Pot-luck this Saturday as we feed almost 60 college students who will have no other source for dinner.
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