Someone Different

I friend told me yesterday that he challenged his middle school Sunday school class as the new year begins:

You won't be the same person at the end of the year.  You will change, for the better or for the worse.  What kind of changes would you like to see?  What steps can you take to make those changes?

Wow.  That is powerful and simple.  We can either let life happen to us, or we can take the initiative to create those changes that we want.

Every day we are becoming the person we will finally be.  Every day we make choices that make us closer to -- or farther from -- the person we want to be.  God can help us make the right choices.

Clooney and Engle

There is bad blood in Sudan.  For years, stories of abuse and enslavement have come from southern Sudan.  On Sunday a referendum began in southern Sudan, in which the citizens could choose become independent from the rest of the country.  The votes still aren't counted.  The people in the south of Sudan have been abused by the national leaders.  The people in north and south are different from each other.  In the north, they are lighter-skinned and Muslim.  In the south, they are mostly dark-skinned and animist or Christian.  Before the current abusive situation, there was genocide in Sudan, 1983-2005.

George Clooney is trying to change the world in Sudan.  He and other celebrities are working to get a commercial surveillance satellite orbiting the earth over south Sudan.  If the world can watch better, then the militant groups may behave better.  Not a bad idea.  Clooney believes it could prevent another genocide.

Closer to home, Charlie Engle was sentenced yesterday to 21 months in prison, convicted of real estate fraud.  Engle is an ultra-marathoner.  He ran across the entire Sahara Desert, raising awareness of the need for clean water in that region.  He teamed up with H20 Africa to raise money for wells. 

Prosecutors say that Engle obtained mortgages and second mortgages under false pretences and used the money to live on while undertaking his Sahara venture.  I want to give him the benefit of the doubt.  He's a likable guy.  But before he was sentenced, he said that he had been "foolish enough to think that I could change the world." 

Is it foolish to think that?  Some of us really want to change the world.  Most of us don't have the power of celebrity or the endurance to run ultra-marathons.  But even ordinary folks can change the world. 

God uses ordinary people -- and sometimes famous people -- to change this world.  And when we let his Spirit empower the work, that's when unbelievable things happen.

Understanding the World

I'm reading a fascinating book called "The Discoverers," by Daniel J. Boorstin.  He recounts the history of the important discoveries through the ages, but he begins with some very unexpected breakthroughs.  The first discovery he describes is the discovery of time. 

That almost seems like the discovery of air -- how could you NOT know it was there.  But the notion of marking increments of time was a significant idea.  Days are not of uniform length through the year.  The phases of the moon helped some, but were out of sync with the solar year.  The summer and winter solstices -- the longest and shortest days -- proved to be the best points of reference for the solar year.  For daily measurements, high noon was an obvious marker of mid-day.

To imagine a world in which punctuality had no meaning is difficult.  Yes, in many cultures today, 7:00 really means around 8:30, but for millennia, no one could really distinguish 7:00 from 8:30. 

The world was much more a riddle back then.  People tried to explain why the ball of fire revolved around the earth every day.  They explained the phases of the moon by saying that the souls of each month's dead ascended to the heavens and gathered to create the light.  When the light was full, it emptied back out, ready for the next cycle.

There are so many ideas about how the world works.  Some are based on superstition, some on faith, some on science, and many are based on a combination of the above.  What can we really believe?

If the One who made it all would shed some light on this world, it would be worth listening to him.  He has shed light through his Word.  The Creator has spoken.  He has revealed himself, through his written Word, and through his Son, the Word who became a person.

In the midst all the confusing and contradictory ideas of mankind, it helps to have a point of reference for truth.  God has provided that reference by revealing himself.  That gives me a new reverence for the Bible.

The New Year

Somehow the new year always gets me excited.  I feel like I get a fresh start.  I think it's because the holiday time gets me out of the routine, and I get to settle into a new routine.  The Christmas decorations come down, and everything is swept clean.  Even my desk.

With the new year I can begin new habits, like keeping that desk clean.  I took time last month to get my desk actually organized.  All I really needed was a power strip long enough, so that I could put my desk lamp where it really needs to go.  That inspired me to clean out old files and arrange everything so that I could actually reach it.

I'm working on the Getting Things Done system, and I am gradually making it work.  I've been at this GTD project for over a year, and it has helped me to be organized.  The more ideas I implement, the better it works.

Anyway, the fresh start and the organized work environment gives me hope that I can accomplish more, plan more, make more of a difference in the world.  And, I intend to have fun in the process!

Christmas Thoughts

Here are a few random thoughts about Christmas. 

The most profound event of history is God's intervention in the world of humanity.  The Creator came to live among his creatures.  He still intervenes today with his Spirit, and it is still most profound.

Christmas is the season of peace and joy, but the traditions of the season seem to squeeze out the peace and joy.  Even if we had time to relax and celebrate, we might try to fill it up with busyness. 

If Jesus were to celebrate Christmas, I wonder what he would do.  I imagine that he would do something nontraditional, counter cultural.  He might not even decorate his house.  To be sure, his celebration would be selfless, showing God's love.

We need regular events to get us out of the routine.  Sometimes we hear God speak the best when we are a little off-balance in life.  Christmas celebrations help break up the mundane rituals of daily life, so that we can have time to reflect. 

I want to hear God speak, and see God work this Christmas.

What if...?

This is one of the most powerful questions, when asked about the right things.  It is also one of the most annoying questions when wielded by curious preschoolers, but that's another story.

When we ask far-out questions, we really begin to use our imaginations.  What if you just got a million dollars?  Easily we can dismiss that question, knowing that it will never happen.  Or will it?  Even if it doesn't happen, we can be stretched by considering the possibility.

Everybody's favorite "what ifs" are different.  What if she says yes?  What if I get the promotion?  What if I had the perfect day?  What if terrorists came to Christ?  What if Jesus gave me the opportunity of a lifetime...what would it look like?  What if I actually enjoyed school?  What if I tried to make my marriage work?  What if I could kick this habit?

God can take our imaginations and lead us to greater service for him.

What if you took a moment and wondered, what if?

Parade Time!

One of my favorite events every year is the Stokesdale Christmas Parade, and it is coming up this Saturday!  Our church is mobilizing to serve the community again.  We will serve snacks and hot beverages, provide a free concert in front of the Fire Station, and announce the parade floats as they come by downtown.  This is one way we can give to the community at Christmas.



Our Christmas Parade Concert, 2007



Every year our folks step up to make this event happen.  We have people providing snacks, workers to serve food and drink, sound techs and musicians to share music with the town.  Because we don't have materials for a stage this year, we are arranging to borrow a flatbed trailer for that purpose. 

We have so much to praise God for, especially this year, and I'm glad we can proclaim his goodness in the public square!

Our concert will begin around noon, and the parade starts at 2 p.m., this Saturday, December 11.  It's going to be a beautiful day!