my one and only life

Here's a great quote from the movie, P.S. I Love You:

"This is my one and only life,
and it's a great and terrible
and a short and endless thing,
and none of us come out of it alive."

I attended the funeral of a friend this week. She was 45 years old, killed suddenly in the middle of life. There were over a thousand people at her funeral, all celebrating her life and the impact she had had on their lives.

And here is what really struck me: all these people were touched by love. They were not there because of what my friend had done, what she had built or how she had succeeded. They were there because she had loved them and by loving them had added value to their lives.

I wonder if half as many people will attend my funeral. If they do, it will not be because I was successful; it will be because I loved them.

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor 13:13)

the diabolical d'oh!

Imagine the devil's reaction when the stone began to move roll away from the entrance to the tomb! D'oh!

Death is an enemy. This is especially evident when it comes suddenly, to people who least expect or deserve it. When this happens, I find Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 especially comforting.

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is what stirs me: death may be the enemy, but for the believer, death also guarantees the ultimate victory.

When a saint dies, there is grief. There can be many questions, many of which will never be answered. But we can take comfort in this: the devil doesn't rejoice; God has won yet another victory. D'oh!

Finding Truth in Traffic

While driving my kids to school this morning I had one of those encounters we all have from time to time. I was turning into a flow of traffic on a busy road. I felt there was an appropriate distance between me and the oncoming car; and that taking into account their speed, I should have been able to slot in causing little or no inconvenience. The oncoming driver felt differently. He (or she - I couldn't see clearly) immediately accelerated right up to my tail, applied the horn and by hand signals and their general driving demeanor made their feelings very clear!

I resisted the temptation of communicating with my finger, and instead waved in a friendly manner; considered and rejected the option of slowing right down (just to help them chill out a little, you understand); and offered what I am sure was an uplifting and loving comment to my kids about the other driver's character!

But here's the thing: I felt grieved inside. Why? I don't know the other driver. We do not have a relationship. No harm was done. So why should I feel as though something , somehow, isn't right? Could it be because even such a seemingly inconsequential encounter offends the God-created need for healthy, life-giving relationship? Deep inside we all have a desire to get along with people; to be in unity; to live in peace. After all, we are created in the image of God, who himself is grieved by a profound breakdown in his relationship with humanity!

So, instead of being offended by the other driver's actions toward me; perhaps I should allow this simple example of relationship gone wrong to draw out God's love - maybe I should pray for them! In fact, I think I will.

Oh, and maybe I should be a little more careful when I pull out into traffic! (I'm not admitting that I was in any way in the wrong, you understand!)

May you feel God's love stirring in you today.

Making Great Wine!

Jeremiah 48:11 (NIV)

Moab has been at rest from youth,

like wine left on its dregs,

not poured from one jar to another--

she has not gone into exile.

So she tastes as she did,

and her aroma is unchanged.

The Israelites had been defeated by their enemies and sent into exile on a number of occasions. Why? We know it was because they were disobedient to the covenant they had with God. But there was another, closely related, reason: God was decanting them!

The Moabites had enjoyed a relatively secure history. As a result, they had never changed. Over time they had simply become a stronger and more pungent version of who they were - and who they were did not bring glory to God.

Perhaps this is what God is doing when we suffer hardship and "exile"; he is decanting us. He is straining out the "dregs" - those characteristics that do not glorify him, and which if left undisturbed will continue to flavour our lives. If we submit to the process and allow him to pour us into a new day without bringing the dregs with us, will we not become a more drinkable, useful wine?

It is not just age that makes a good wine. It is also the decanting!

Have a nice day .....

Who am I?

Our identity is shaped by our history. Who I am today is the product of all I have experienced in the past - my history. Our identity as Australians is shaped by our collective history. What about our identity as Christians? Sure, we are sons and daughters of God adopted into his family through Jesus Christ. But our identity - our perception of who we are - is shaped by our history.

And that is why the Bible - both Old and New Testaments - is so important for Christians; it is the record of our history. Of course, it is so much more than this; but surely this aspect is vitally important. In the Old Testament we read about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants, the Israelites. This is our history! These stories are our stories; they shape our identity. Even those parts of the Bible we tend to skim over or even ignore, such as Leviticus and Numbers, are important because they are part of OUR history.

Every part of the Bible is relevant, not because it speaks directly into contemporary situations, but because as our history is shapes our identity, which in turn influences how we approach everyday life. If I know my history, I know who I am, I live who I am. Maybe if we appropriate every part of the Bible as OUR history, we will find it much more engaging and it will actually influence how we live!

What's Missing?

As I read through the book of Acts, I am struck by how contagious the Christianity of the first church was. Every day people were being added to them. I ask myself: why is that not happening in my life and in my church? Is it a problem with us; or is it the world?

A question and a thought occur to me.

Question: are we living a Christianity that is a viable alternative to the life offered by the world? The world (in the West, at any rate) offers a pretty good deal. Work hard; keep your nose clean; build wealth; enjoy. It is possible. And what do we offer? If we offer no more than a great life, then our neighbours may be excused for opting for the one they are already living! Jesus did not come preaching the gospel of a good life. He came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God. There is a difference.

Thought: at least in our context, (the affluent West,) it is possible to build a good life without God. The situation in our society reminds me of the builders of the Tower of Babel. With some cooperation and lots of hard work, they will build a society that works for them; they will make a name for themselves. I wonder if we can expect God to confuse their language too, and bring the whole thing tumbling down? And if he does, is the church ready with a viable alternative?

some thoughts about pressure

The internal world can be a stormy place! Life can seem good, then something happens and on the inside we find ourselves facing dark skies, strong winds and high seas! Pressure. Imagine life without any pressure. Imagine never growing up! Sir Edmund Hillary reportedly climbed Mt Everest "because it was there". Could it be that the purpose of mountains is to be climbed; the purpose of giants is to be killed; the purpose of problems is to be overcome?

Here's a thought: the purpose of every outside pressure is to effect inside change which in turn effects outside change which benefits not only me but all those touched by my life?

Naaahh. I think I'll just sit here and be depressed!

Some thoughts about security.

"Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist." (John 13:3-4)

Is "so" the most important word in this passage? What Jesus was about to do - not just washing the disciples' feet, but going to the cross - was the hardest thing any human being has ever done voluntarily! Yet we see no hesitation; no procrastination; no looking for a way out. How could Jesus be so secure in the face of such a difficult calling? Answer: he knew where he had come from; where he was going; and what it was that God had given him.

I wonder; if we lived out of that "so", . . . . . . . . .

Thinking in the vines.

Recently I had the privilege to spend a few days in the Hunter Valley with some other pastors. I was reflecting as I sat in front of an open fire, looking out on the winter vines: it is what we produce that makes our lives beautiful. During winter, the vines lose all their leaves; they are pruned back and left sitting, brooding and dark until spring, when new leaves begin to grow and the fruit begins to develop. During spring and summer, you don’t see the vines themselves. All you see is a blanket of green leaves and later, hanging bunches of sweet, juicy grapes. But each winter all that beauty falls away. The vines do not demand to be seen and appreciated; they do not insist that we notice and admire them. They just sit there, resting and quiet, until spring rolls on again and it is their season to produce fruit. I ask myself; do I demand that others notice and admire me, or am I content to allow the fruit of my life to define me?

I think there is something in that for all of us, don't you?