Love | Hate : Love | Like

Listen to this morning's sermon. Here are some notes.

Hate isn’t the enemy of love. Like is love’s real enemy. Our lives are full of casual relationships with people we like, or at least pretend to like. We are nice people and we like to be liked. This affinity for liking and liking to be liked robs us of the deep, meaningful, authentic, and loving relationships that we all thirst for.

Healthy Relationships are Dependable and Loyal

But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. -Ruth 1:16-18

Healthy Relationship are Forgiving

Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.

But the man fell down before his master and begged him, "Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all." Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.

His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. "Be patient with me, and I will pay it," he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, "You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?" Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

Healthy Relationships Invite God to Be Part of the Relationship

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper, and to prayer. –Acts 2:42

Healthy Relationships are Serving and Giving

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. –Philippians 2:5-8

Remembering Jerry

Tuesday evening was a sad night for me and many others. Jerry Chambers, who was one of the original members of The Water’s Edge Leadership Team, passed away after battling illness for the last fifteen months.

I remember when I asked Jerry to be on the team, he looked at me and asked me if I thought he was too old. I said I wouldn’t be asking him if I thought he was too old. He smiled and agreed to help.

And help he did. Jerry was an outstanding leader. He never said a lot at our meetings, but when he said something, everybody listened. He brought a rare blend of human wisdom, compassion for people, and passion for God.

Jerry served wherever he was needed. He did so with joy and kindness. Until we had a large crew of men now known as our set-up and tear-down team, Jerry could be found setting up chairs before the worship service and putting away tables after most of the people left.

The food ministry team that exists today literally gathers tons of food each year to feed thousands of hungry people right here in Omaha. This team would not exist today without Jerry’s vision and leadership.

Jerry was an encourager. As people we can speak harsh words that discourage or gentle words that encourage. Jerry always chose the latter. I was a little discouraged after our second worship service almost four years ago at Russell Middle School. We didn’t have many people show up. I was doubting if The Water’s Edge would be sustainable. Jerry came up to me afterward, shook my hand, and told me to never give up. He continued to tell me God was going to do something great. Kind thoughts expressed vocally from a credible person are words of life.

His love for the church continued. I visited him in his room just last week. The first thing he asked was how many people were in church on Sunday. I didn’t know the number, but I told him we ran out of chairs and had to set some up in the back. He smiled and reminded me that God is going to do something even greater.

I know that Jerry loved his kids and his grandkids. He never missed their games. He played with them. He loved them.

A few months ago, Jerry wanted to have a meeting with Larry Brown and me. Larry picked me up and we took Jerry lunch. We sat at the table together at the nursing home and met. To this day I still have no idea what we met about, but when friends meet the content of the meeting isn’t important. The people meeting are what matter. And it was a good meeting with good friends.

Jesus was our friend who died for us (John 15:13-15) so that we may live forever. Jerry leaves a rich legacy of Christian discipleship and friendship that we get to build on.

The best is yet to come…

Craig

Attributes of a Friend

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Paul gives us a list of the attributes of Christian love and of Christ himself. As I read this chapter a few times, I couldn't help but think that this list are the attributes of friendship as well.

Reflection

1. In which of these areas are you doing well?

2. In which of these areas can you grow?

3. In the areas you are struggling, how do your struggles adversely effect your friendships?

4. Consider your list of five people. How can you express love to each of these people today?

Separate : Connect

Ruth 1:16-17

But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”

The words Ruth spoke to Naomi are some of the most beautiful and profound words ever spoken. In a few simple sentences, she tells Naomi she is going to be with her until the end. Not only is Ruth going to be present with Naomi, they are going to share family, friends, and God. A longevity and depth of the relationship both exist. Consider the words of Paul in Romans 8:38-39:

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Note the word separate in both Ruth and Romans. An essential element of a relationship to God is permanence. Permanence is beautifully illustrated by Ruth. Location, common interests, convenience, etc... are of little to no importance in God's family. It is the only the people and the promise that matter.

As everybody is leaving, the real friend enters with no intention of exiting. Friendship in God's family has to do with both longevity and depth.

Reflection

List the people you are Ruth to or would like to be Ruth to: people you will never leave (longevity). How are you doing in keeping a healthy and loving relationship (depth) with the other person?

List the people who are Ruth to you: people who will stick by you no matter what (longevity). For the people who weren't on the previous list, how are you doing in your relationships (depth) with them?

Alone

Listen to this morning's sermon

Relationships are God’s Idea

Genesis 2:18

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”

It is God’s Hope that Our Relationships are Healthy

Philippians 4:2-3

Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.

It is with God’s Help Our Relationships can Become Healthy

Exodus 2:23-25

Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.

Healthy Relationships Take Some Serious Work, but the Result of the Work is Worth All the Effort and Then Some

Proverbs 18:24

There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

Perseverance is continuing to be a friend when the other person needs you more than you need them.

Abandoned and Alone to Hopeful and Restored

Mark 15:33-39

At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!”

Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

It's not God's fault that we have been abandoned. Because of that day a few thousand years ago, God has experienced our pain and He understands our pain. He wants to help. When the world lets us down, God offers hope and restoration.

Jesus said: No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. -John 14:18

Carry

Isaiah 46:4

Even to your old age and gray hairs

I am he, I am he who will sustain you.

I have made you and I will carry you;

I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Team Hoyt is a father and son team from Massachusetts who compete in triathlons. Rick has cerebral palsy and during the races Dick pulls Rick in a special boat as they swim, carries him in a special seat in the front of a bicycle, and pushes him in a special wheelchair as they run. The following race is the Ironman Triathlon where they swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2.

This video is a wonderful illustration for God's love for us and how we can be faithful to each other. God carries us and we can carry each other.

Abandoned

Mark 15:33-39

At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!”

Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

Yesterday we looked at the importance of being a faithful friend and what perseverance in a friendship means. Today we look at the devastating effects of being abandoned and hope for those who have been abandoned.

We need to look no further than Jesus himself to observe abandonment. During the previous three years Jesus found himself in community. Community with God, community with the twelve, community with Mary and Martha, and community with the people he served and loved.

At noon it became dark outside. Jesus was hanging on a cross, abandoned. The friends who were with him by the fire at night and the masses who listened to him from the hillside weren't there. He would have been all alone if it weren't for the people torturing him and mocking him. And then he died. Abandoned and alone.

You have been abandoned before and so have I.

It's not God's fault that we have been abandoned. Because of that day a few thousand years ago, God has experienced our pain and He understands our pain. He wants to help. When the world lets us down, God offers hope and restoration.

Jesus said: No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. -John 14:18

Three days later, a stone rolled from the tomb. With a limp, a man with scars on his body emerged. The broken was now blessed. The dead became resurrected. Jesus would live in community again. Here on earth and in heaven. He took a journey with two men on the road to Emmaus and their lives would never be the same again. And he sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

God is with us when we are abandoned and God remains with us and helps us become whole again.

Reflection

During your time of abandonment and being alone, do you blame or depend on God?

When you read that Jesus will not abandon you, how can you apply that to your life in the future?

Today's lesson is a continuation of yesterday's lesson on perseverance in friendship. How will you become a better friend based on the experience of Jesus being abandoned on the cross?

What in your life needs to be resurrected from the various relational deaths or injuries you have experienced or are experiencing?

Four Years

Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. He taught them many things by parables. -Mark 4:1-2

Four years ago I sat around a table with twenty friends. For nine months we planned the launch of a worship experience. For almost nine months we planned, we prayed, and we prepared. It was a diverse group. The largest number of people were in their twenties. Some of us were in our thirties. Every decade of people from their forties to their seventies were represented. We had men and women. People from Faith-Westwood and people from the community. I’m not sure if any of us truly knew what we were doing.

We walked through neighborhoods and prayed. We gave out water bottles at parades and car washes at gas stations. We started small groups and formed ministry teams. Our to-do list seemed insurmountable. Our motto was: We are going to work as if it depends on us and pray as if it depends on God.

We didn’t have a clue if The Water’s Edge was going to work or not. The first Sunday we gathered in a circle about 30 minutes before our first worship experience at Russell Middle School. It was pouring rain. We were having a few issues with lots of things. Nobody was there besides the people who had to be there. A half hour later, the room was filled with about two hundred people: some supporters from Faith-Westwood, some curious people from neighboring churches, and some people seeking a fresh start in life. The next week about seventy people returned and we moved forward with that group of people.

I look back at our volunteers who worked so hard over that first year. Many people served in the kids areas and the set-up and tear-down teams almost every weekend. People learned to invite their friends. People in small groups became friends and the friends became like family. After twelve months, we outgrew Russell Middle School and moved to Millard West High School.

Amber and I had our son David during that first year. He is three and a half now. During that time he has learned how to crawl, stand, walk, and talk. Everyday there is something new. It has been a joy to be a part of the development of The Water's Edge as well. Last week we had over one hundred children fifth grade and under participate in the Frog Pond. Nearly three hundred people serve on various ministry teams. We have collected tons of food for hungry people. Hundreds of people have joined the church.

Beginning September 12^th, the next chapter begins as we launch a new worship experience at 9:00. This will allow us to reach people who want to be done with worship by 10:00 and people who have commitments late Sunday morning and early Sunday afternoon—like sports, dance, and work. It will also create some open space at our 10:30 service so that service can grow again.

I can’t wait to see where God takes us in the next four years!

In Christ,

Craig

Brothers

Proverbs 18:24

There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

Today we look at a primary quality of a friend: the willingness to persevere. Perseverance is continuing to be a friend when the other person needs you more than you need them. Perseverance is not enabling a self-destructive behavior. Accountability must be a close cousin to perseverance. Sometimes saying good-bye is our gift of love to the other person so they can become healthier. And sometimes continuing to say hello is our gift of love.

Perseverance in friendship means something like this: I'm your friend. I'm going to do my best not to hurt you. When times get tough I'm going to stick with you. You can always depend on me. I'll give you a second chance. I love you not because we are relatives or share a common interest or live in the same vicinity: I love you because of who you are.

I have two sons: Benjamin is nine and David is three. They are brothers. Everyday they fight. No exceptions. And everyday they their bond grows closer. David needs Benjamin more than Benjamin needs David. Many times, not all the time, Benjamin puts aside what is fun and exciting and easy for him and does what is best for David. Proverbs tells us a real friend sticks closer than a brother. So that means we put aside what is fun and exciting and easy and are blessed with something greater: friendship.

Reflect

Are you a friend who perseveres? Someone who cares about the other party in the relationship as much as you care about yourself?

Do you have friends who will persevere with you? When you have little or nothing to offer the other person, they are still present and giving?

Act

We all have been hurt when others have abandoned us. We have probably hurt others by abandoning them. We don't want either of these to ever happen again.

We can't control how others act. We can control how we act. From your list of five relationships you created the other day, choose a relationship with a person who needs you more than you need them. Be intentional about blessing that person on this day. And you will find that you are the one who is blessed.

Maze

Proverbs 14:20-22

20 The poor are despised even by their neighbors, while the rich have many “friends.”

21 It is a sin to belittle one’s neighbor; blessed are those who help the poor.

22 If you plan to do evil, you will be lost; if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness.

Verse 20 - The way we feel about others should have nothing to do with what the other person can do for us. Proverbs notes people didn't act this way a few thousand years ago and his observation remains relevant for our culture today.

Verse 21 - Belittling others is a dysfunctional habit that creates barriers between us, others, and God. Sin in this verse shouldn't be thought of as breaking a dogmatic and rigid rule of just another item on the long list of things we should and shouldn't do. Rather, sin in this verse is self-destructive behavior that harms our relationships and therefore harms us. On a practical level: has belittling another ever helped you or anybody else in the long-term? In the short-term belittling others can give a boost to the ego by making us feel better about ourselves because others have been pushed down below us. Long-term the effects are devastating in the way we view humanity and in our interpersonal relationships.

Verse 22 - Life is kind of like a maze. Beginnings and endings both exist. At times we get stuck and lost. We have to make u-turns from time to time. Progress hopefully happens. The words of Scripture ring true: If you plan to do evil, you will be lost. Evil has to have a deliberate quality about it. Unintentional mistreatment of the moral rights of another is called negligence. Intentionally violating the moral rights of others makes us lost: everybody from the sinner to the saint knows such is the case. A guilty consciousness and a lack of authentic and mutually loving relationships is among the most severe consequence that any of us can face in life. Among the greatest rewards is found in the last half of verse 22: If you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness.

A time for reflection:

The journey begins with God and continues with an evaluation of ourselves. Today we are challenged by Scripture to act in a loving way to others and to be inclusive in our view of who others are. Know this simple truth: are actions toward anybody effect our relationships with everybody.

A time for action:

1. Starting today - Remove belittling others from your life.
2. Today - Do a loving act or say a loving word to a poor or marginalized person. No strings attached. Make this a habit.
3. Today - Do a loving action or say a loving word to the people most important in your life. Make this a habit.

Self-Portrait

1 Kings 19:9-18

9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He replied again, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

15 Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. 16 Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. 17 Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha! 18 Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”

Our journey to better relationships started yesterday with God. Today it continues with self. Every relationship you are in is imperfect because, in part, you are half of the relationship. We all bring our imperfections--selfishness, control, and communication quirks--into relationships. So does everybody else. Therefore, all relationships have some dysfunction. No exceptions exist to that rule.

Elijah was in one of those dysfunctional relationships. In fact, he was in a lot of them. People wanted to kill him. Elijah painted a self-portrait of his current relational status and he did something about it before it was too late.

After we look to God, the next place we should look is in the mirror. We paint a a self-portrait of our current relationships and look at our part in those relationships. What relationships, in our lives, do we need to do something about before they are killed?

Get a blank sheet of paper, a pencil, and paint your own self-portrait:

1. List the five most important relationships you have. (It could be family, friends, co-workers, etc...)
2. Note the health of these relationships. (Flourishing, pretty good, going through the motions, struggling, about to implode, etc...)
3. Dream about where you want this relationship to be in five years.
4. Think about your part in the dysfunction of the relationship. (You aren't spending enough energy in the relationship, you have to high of affinity for control, you talk too much and don't listen, etc...)
5. Change what you can change in the relationship. (Note: you can't change the other person!) This isn't easy because it involves changing ourselves.
6. Ask for God's grace and power to change, serve, be authentic, forgive, seek forgiveness, and move forward.

It Starts with God

Exodus 2:21-25

21 Moses accepted the invitation, and he settled there with him. In time, Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife. 22 Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, for he explained, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”

23 Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.

We know certain things about God.

1. We are His idea.
2. He loves us.
3. He knows what is best for us.
4. He wants what is best for us.
5. He can do what is best for us.

God wants to be active in all areas of our lives, including our relationships. God is willing and able to help us in our lives with others.

The people of Israel were struggling in their relationships. You can't really blame them. The harsh conditions would test even the most patient of people. They had no place to put their head at night. The days were long. Hope was not evident. Relationships are tough even under the best of conditions. Stress in life puts stress on relationships.

So they called upon God. They knew they were loved by God. And that God knew, wanted, and could do what was best for them. So God looked down on the people, remembered the promise he made them, and knew it was time to act.

God acts as a bridge between people. Some bodies of water look like they can't be crossed. And most likely they can't without the help of a bridge. And so it is with relationships. Some of them can't work without God.

As we begin this two week journey of strengthening our interpersonal relationships, God is who we begin with.

Some practical tips are:

1. Seek God's wisdom for relational advice by reading the Bible.
2. Pray to God for direction in your relationships.
3. Pray with others in your life. Common prayer is an intimate and effective form of communication.

Alone: Bible Reading Plan

Alone

Our Relationship with God and Others

Alone. We have all been there before. Loneliness has little to do with being in the presence of people. A person can be physically by themselves and be very comfortable with who they are in relationship to other people and to God. Another person can be in the middle of a crowded room or be sitting right next to somebody and be all alone. Mother Teresa wrote: The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being alone.

Loneliness is not God’s plan for our life. God created us to be in community with God and with others and God gives us the church to help in our relationship with God and our relationships with others.

Over the next two weeks we will look at our relationships: how to strengthen our existing ones, when to end bad ones, and how to create new relationships and friendship that give us life.

Together replaces alone.

August 22nd – One: The Loneliest Number

Many of us like to be self-sufficient. Others of us like to have control. And others like to compete and be on top. But our need for independence, power, and position can prevent new relationships from happening and also damage our existing interpersonal relationships. We will discover that more than one is better than one.

August 29th – Love | Hate : Love | Like

Hate is often described as the enemy of love. We will look at another alternative: like being love’s biggest enemy. Liking is being friendly and polite when it is convenient. Love is sharing life, serving, forgiving, and listening whether it’s convenient or not. We will be encouraged to forge loving relationships that give us life.

We will be sharing in Holy Communion on August 29th.

Read the entire chapter each day, reread the selected verses, and then reflect on the selected verses. Write down and pray about what God is trying to teach you about relationships with others and your relationship with Him.

August 16 Exodus 2 (verses 21-25)

August 17 I Kings 19 (verses 9-18)

August 18 Proverbs 14 (verses 20-22)

August 19 Proverbs 18 (verse 24)

August 20 Mark 15 (verses 33-39)

August 21 Isaiah 46 (verse 4)

August 22 Ecclesiastes 4 (verse 12)

August 23 Ruth 1 (verses 16-17)

August 24 1 Corinthians 13 (verses 4-7)

August 25 Philippians 4 (verses 2-5)

August 26 Philemon 1 (verses 8-16)

August 27 Galatians 6 (verses 2-3)

August 28 Philippians 2 (verses 5-8)

August 29 Matthew 18 (verse 20)

August 30 Acts 2 (verses 41-47)

August 31 Joshua 24 (verses 14-15)

I Love My Church

We had a great day in worship today. Over 100 kids got their backpacks blessed! The sermon was: I Love My Church. I talked about the importance and the purpose of the church. One of the things I noted was the church at its best gets people into heaven and also brings heaven into people. Listen here...

Cuts, Life, and Healing

On Monday night, our family was visiting a friend in a care facility. We were excited to see him. We were having a nice visit with the friend and his family when our three year old son, David, tripped and fell. Usually he pops right back up, but not this time. His little face landed on the metal frame of the bed in the room. David’s cheek was split open.

Obviously our visit didn’t go as planned and was cut short. The next visit was to the Emergency Room at Lakeside Hospital. The physician told us the cut was deep enough that David needed stitches. That procedure was more than our older son Benjamin was willing to stomach, so he and I spent the rest of the night in the waiting room. A couple hours later, David came out carrying some Thomas the Tank Engine stickers and a little toy. He wasn’t quite his usual self, but he was still talkative and energetic.

Four days later, David’s cheek is still swollen. He has the stitches for one week. We are not supposed to let them get too wet and we bandage them up at night. David is pretty much back to normal, except when we change his bandage, you’d think he is having a root canal.

The stitches will soon be removed. The cut will continue to heal. One day he won’t even remember his fall on that Monday evening in the nursing home. And so it is with most healing: whether it is healing that is physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual.

Pain, injury, and dysfunction happen in life. It is impossible to avoid such things. Consider this: We could keep David in a padded room and make sure he never gets a cut on his body. Or, we could help him experience friendship with others and encourage him to see the beauty of the world – knowing that he is going to get some bumps and bruises and an occasional broken heart along the way. Soren Kierkegaard was right when he wrote: To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.

Being hurt and experiencing pain are an important part of life. Healing and recovering is equally important. Here are the lessons from David’s fall:

1. Healing best happens in community.
2. Healing is a process that takes time.
3. Sometimes healing from a fall is better than not taking a fall at all.

I know many of you who read this are hurting in one way or another. Maybe it is physical or mental. Perhaps it is because of a relationship or an addiction. It might even be in your relationship with God. Regardless, the Great Physician is present to stitch our lives back together. And the church embraces each other as we take our common journey of healing and wholeness together.

The best is yet to come…

Craig

Doing Good

Listen to this morning's message.

The text was from Hebrews 10:23-25:

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

The Swing by the Lake

I’m sitting on a swing on a dock on a lake right at the water’s edge. It’s early in the morning. The kids and Amber are sleeping. Only a gentle breeze exists. No waves. No boats. No traffic. No clutter. No commotion. The only things I can hear are the birds, the locusts, and an occasional fish breaking through the surface of the water.


Fifteen miles due east of where I am sitting is Branson, Missouri. We were there yesterday and it is a busy place. Too busy. Its little roads were congested with minivans and tour buses. Shoppers and tourists. Locals and families on vacation. Retirees and thrill-seekers. Probably even a few retirees who are also thrill-seekers. You can do everything from seeing comedians to racing go-karts to visiting the Titanic museum to shopping at an outlet mall. Because of the hectic pace on the streets, in the stores, at the attractions, and in the restaurants—I sensed many people were frustrated.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. You will find rest for your souls.” –Matthew 11:28-29

Many of us live in Branson. Our lives are busy and crowded. We fill our schedules with obligations and activities. Life is like stop and go traffic. Some of this is necessary, of course. Most of us have to work. Our kids have to go to school. We want to do other things in life. But I sense frustration in our lives that life is too busy, stressful, and congested.

A swing on a quiet dock is calling many of us. Jesus says he will give us rest for our souls, which is the kind of rest we need the most. But, we have to go to him. We must create time, energy, and space in our lives so that we can experience God. The possibility is to achieve balance and contentment in life. The alternative is being stuck in the traffic jams of life and experiencing constant stress and unfulfillment.

Consider children. It’s possible that we could keep our kids busy with activity pretty much all day, everyday. We could watch them practice, play, and perform all seasons of the year. The danger is that our children become activity-rich and relationship-poor. They have experienced many things in life but are lacking in one of the things that matters the most—a nurturing and loving relationship with their parents.

And so it is with us. We can go through the motions of life and experience pretty much everything under the sun except the thing we need the most—a nurturing relationship with our Heavenly Parent. The one who can give us rest for our souls.

A swing on a dock on lake is calling our name. His name is Jesus. I pray we all discover and experience him together and help others discover and experience him at The Water’s Edge.

The best is yet to come…

Craig