I have started a new month long devotional reading the book of Proverbs, but strangely enough, another devotional that I stumbled upon was Proverbs 22:6 and it I couldn’t stop reading:
Start children off on the way they should go,
and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6
Isn’t that our job as parents? To start teaching our children off in the way that they should go forward throughout their lives? Isn’t it our job to prepare them for life? isn’t it our job to give them the tools and foundation to make good and responsible decisions, so that they can be good contributing members of our society?
I think about how I talk to my children when they do something that is not correct. I try to be patient and I hope that as they grow older, they will be patient with others and especially with each other. I think about the example that I set with my life and how they look up to me, am I doing everything that I can to be a good father, so that one day, they will be good fathers?
All of these things filled my mind after reading this verse, I just prayed that I could be a good father and a good example to my children, as I hope that they learn the good things that I try to do, and see through my faults.
I would encourage each of you to take a moment, read the verse here and just reflect on it.
I happen to catch The Bible series last night on the History channel and towards the end of the movie, they showed Thomas and how he doubted that Jesus had returned and it got me thinking if I was a Doubting Thomas.
John 20:24-29
New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Do you find yourself questioning things, especially as it pertains to God? I have. And there might be times that I still do? But, I know that I doubt less than I did. I think that it is part of growing older and dealing with life situations and how my faith has increased.
But I am challenging myself to be less of a Doubting Thomas and more of a believer, and not just for myself, but more importantly for my kids. I want them to look at me as they grow older and see how I respond and how I have faith. Faith is a hard thing, and like Thomas, it takes seeing to believe and there are times in life, that you can not always see things to know that they are real or that they will come to be.
So in this time of the Christmas season, a time where little children show us that they have faith in Santa Claus and the birth of Jesus, I hope to cast aside my doubts and believe more and take more leaps of faith.
For the record, I’m not Catholic, I am a Methodist, but I have to admit, what I have seen and read about the current Pope, I would consider converting to the Catholic Church. This is just one of many stories that have brought me to stop what I was doing and just stand in amazement regarding his blessing a man that was disfigured. And here is another great story about how he turned a Mansion into a Soup Kitchen.
I point these out because all too often we get wrapped up in the season, we get wrapped up in our daily lives and we forget about those that have less than we do. If the disfigured man approached you, would you bless or pray over him? Let alone touch and kiss him?
If you had a mansion, would you turn it into a soup kitchen so that those without could come and eat? Break bread with others? Share in fellowship? Weren’t we called to serve others? And not when it is convenient, but I think more so when it is hard. It takes us out of our comfort zone and challenges us. Again, I am not a Catholic, but I have a lot of respect for Pope Francis. And as we get closer to Thanksgiving and a time of reflection, I know that I could do more and should do more for those without. I should help those that are asking for money on the street. What if it were Jesus asking for money, would you turn him away? Aren’t we love one another? And I think for the first time, especially in mainstream media, Pope Francis is doing that.
It is funny how as we go through life, our views change. I remember growing up and I think around the age of 13, it hit me that not everyone went to church on Sunday mornings. I actually remember where I was when I discovered this. I left church early to go to the lake to setup for my 13 birthday gathering with friends and family. I remember every Sunday morning, putting on a suit, even as a kid, grabbing my Bible and heading off with the family to church.
As the years passed by, my views of the church began to change, but not necessarily in a bad way. For starters, I switched from a Baptist church to a Methodist church, because I realized that as my views changed, I no longer fit the definition of the Baptist church member. I believed that the church was open to everyone, regardless of color of skin, the clothes on their back, economic status, etc. And, I also believed that it was acceptable to go to a restaurant and grab a beer or to the liquor store for a bottle of wine.
And that leads me to the Pub Church, that is right, a church service held in a pub where you can have a beer or two and listen to the Gospel. Is it a crazy idea? Sure, but the reality is very simple and in 2 parts: 1) People are not going to church as they once did and especially the younger demographics and 2) Churches need to adapt and go where the people are. Here is a great article on the Pub Church movement.
But this got me thinking about how the church has changed over the years and it is rather interesting. There are more people going to church now on Saturday nights (excluding Catholics) than ever before. More people are going to church in jeans and shorts and casual wear, than ever before. Contemporary services are often the most attended services for churches, I know that our contemporary service that my family attends even has a banjo player. Who doesn’t love a banjo? Churches use hymnals less now, instead the words are projected on the walls or a screen. Bibles are now on smart phones, I personally use the You Version app on my iPhone and read 2 devotionals every day and have read more of the Bible off of my phone, than ever holding the book itself.
So as I read the Pub Church article, it hit me and made a lot of sense. People can go to a pub, grab a beer and worship. Matthew 18 – 20 says : “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” God went to the street, to the market and anywhere else the people were to preach, so why is it that far out of the realm to think about going to a Pub for Church?
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Matthew 19:21
I was reminded this week of this Bible verse and it really hit me out of the blue. This past Wednesday morning in our weekly office meeting it was discussed our normal holiday tradition of adopting a community family. As the specifics of the family were read aloud, i.e. ages and what they wanted, I kept thinking about all the things that I have and how much I take for granted, especially when the father of the family was asking for a used coat, because it was getting ready to turn colder. And as the office quietly discussed what everyone wanted to do, this verse popped into my head and said that I would go this weekend and purchase enough canned goods, pasta, etc to last them several weeks. Sure, there are others that could have done it, there are others that do not have children that have more expendable income than we do, but I can’t take these things with me when I die. And there is just something magical about giving to others.
“Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ”
Acts 3:6
My job as a father is to set an example for my boys and if I can do that, then that is worth more than anything in this world. So I recounted this story to my mother yesterday on the phone on my commute home and the other end of the phone was really quiet and I heard my mother sniffle and she just said that she was proud of me. My mother has taught school for 45 years and she told me how she had often purchased coats for some of her students or shoes for students and that they would just happen to end up on their desk and would ever know where they came from.
My mother showed me that giving to others, was the greatest gift that you could give and it meant even more, if it was done without recognition. So today, I ask, what are you doing to help others in need? I can skip Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts this week and pay for a lot of canned good items for a family in need and what is really more important, another cup of coffee or providing a meal for a hungry family? What is holding you back from giving to others? And it doesn’t have to be a lot, $1.00 can buy 2 canned goods, but it is something that I encourage everyone to start doing more spontaneous giving.
Every year, I set the goal to start reading The Bible again and each year, something seems to get in the way of that time. I have always put an excuse or put something else above that time to read, but not now. For the last 2 months I have set aside 10 minutes a day to sit in quiet and read The Bible. And yes, I realize that 10 minutes is not a lot, but how much free time do you usually get with twin boys?
Quiet time is hard to find and there is always something to be cleaned, something to be straightened, but I realized that I was putting aside something that not only I wanted to do, but needed to do as a father. I needed to prepare myself in a different way, look at things in a different way, prepare my children for a life of growing up with going to church. And for me, the first step was picking up The Bible. Ok, I’ll be honest, yes, I own actually 2 Bibles, I’ve been reading the The Bible on my phone using the YouVersion.com app. Is it cheating? Maybe? But I am reading The Bible and isn’t that what counts?
Our society is changing, let’s be honest and it is really changing in the way of the church. The traditional churches that we one knew are on the way out. Sure, I think that you’ll see some that will be in existence, but churches are now held in basketball gyms, The Compaq Center (Joel Osteen), a bar in Denver, coffee shops, on the beach, and the list goes on and on. And with that, churches need to reach people in a new way, i.e. The Bible app.
So, I’m back on my goal of actually reading The Bible and just started a year long devotional and have really enjoyed the quiet time and reflection that I have in reading it. I just hope and pray that this new journey will help me be more patient with my boys as they grow and allow me to share with them my faith, but also help them find out their own.
Growing up in a Baptist Church, we attended ever Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday night, without fail. Somewhere along the way, my views on church started to change and my views longer aligned themselves with the Baptist church. So, instead of looking elsewhere, I just quit attending all together. Not the right approach, but when our minister and his son both died in the same week of very difficult cancers, I really had some serious questions for God and I needed some answers.
Over the course of 2 years, I searched for answers, not hard, but I searched. I talked with people/friends/etc to ask, why? Why would God allow a pastor and his little son to both die? No one had an answer. But, something happened one day Friday after work. I got a phone call from my sister and she said that her best friend’s mom had just died and the wanted me to attend the funeral the following week. I was close to my sister’s friend, so it wasn’t a strange request and it was easy enough to change my schedule to attend the funeral. But something happened that day. Something changed me while I was sitting in church. For some reason, I was at peace with all of those questions that I had about God and church before.
That day, after leaving the funeral, I was asked what I thought about the service and I just replied that, I would start attending that United Methodist Church going forward. And that is what happened. From that day forward, I have been a member of the Methodist Church. I look back on my time in Texas and I was very active in the church. I was there for everything. I was always willing to give if a child could not afford to attend a camp. The church was a huge part of my life there.
Then I moved to the east coast. And I searched and went to 10 different different Methodist Churches and I just couldn’t find a fit. My now wife and I attended a Methodist Church and it was ok. I was not blown away by any of the sermons. I never left better than I came into the sanctuary. I often was more at peace after listening to the church sermon from my church out in Texas than I was at any of the churches that I have attended here. And then today. Today, on my Facebook wall, I saw a post about a United Methodist Minister, Jeffery Herships, holding church in Denver bars. And it hit me, man, this is awesome. Not because you could have a beer or a glass of wine with the sermon, though that is cool. But this guy is going where the unchurched are. He is going to meet the people in their environment. He says the exact same thing that I told friends just yesterday, Church can be anywhere.
I’ve often struggled with the idea that church has to be Sunday morning at 9:20 am or 11:00 am in a big building. Why can’t church be on a mountain top over looking a city? Why can’t church be out on the water and a group of 5 sail boats are all anchored out? How says that church as to be on Sunday morning? I have watched this video a few times now and have emailed it to friends that work with the United Methodist Church and we have all said the same thing, church is changing. And for me, going to church is important and it is something that I want to instill in my sons, that there is a higher being and that it is ok to believe in God. But I also want them to understand too, that church does not mean that you have to wear a suit and tie on Sunday morning to a big building, because those people that are in the video that are getting a sandwich in the park, are not dressed up, but they are being ministered to. They are receiving a blessing from God.
So what does church look like for you? A big sanctuary on Sunday morning? Or spending time with others in the presence of God wherever you are?
Today isn’t just about the Easter bunny coming for a visit, it is the day that Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.
We have setup Easter eggs for the boys and have their baskets ready. The boys have been been fighting off colds the last several days, so I am not sure if we will be attending church today or not? But we will spend the day together, as a family. Easter is a time for reflection. Easter is time to remember that Jesus gave up his life here on earth to save the lives of those of us here.
So whatever you do today, I hope that you spend time with your family and that you remember the reason for today.
Today is a symbolic day within the Christian community, as it is the day that Jesus died on the cross for us. I don’t want to go too deep here, as everyone has their own personal beliefs on religion.
I think that as with everything, you can look at days like this in multiple ways. It can be a time for internal reflection of your own personal religious beliefs. It can also serve as just another day for those that do not believe.
But as a Christian, I look at it 2 ways.
1) Jesus took it upon himself to fulfill the prophecy to save the world and my sins. But even on the cross, he saved the life of one of the criminals that was hanging on the cross with him.
42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.Luke 23:42-43
2) God sacrificed his only son Jesus, for us. As a parent, it is our responsibility to sacrifice ourselves for our children. We need to put their needs in front of ours.
So, if you are a Christian, take a moment and reflect on this Good Friday and what the symbol of the cross means for you, both as a Christian and a parent. If you are not a Christian, then I pray that you would consider reading more about Good Friday using a great site YouVersion.
Being a Christian, the start of Lent is a time for reflection and remembrance before the death and resurrection of Jesus. Many Christians use this time of Lent, as a way to grow closer to God and in doing so, will often times give something up as a way to test themselves. I’m not a historian, so I’m providing some links that might be helpful to learn more about the season of Lent:
And here is a site that gives you some ideas of things that you can give up for Lent this year. But, you don’t have to just give something up. You can chose to take something on. But remember whatever you do, make it a challenge. Challenge yourself to either give something up or take something on that will cause a little suffering. For me, in the past I have given up Starbucks. This year, I am giving up my daily Coke Zero. I have gotten into the habit of drinking a Coke Zero every day and sometimes twice a day, so it has definitely become a habit. So for me, I’m really challenging myself to give up Coke Zero & I have asked my co-workers to really help me with this.
But, I’m not only going to give up my daily Coke Zero, but I am going to start working out more. It is hard to do with twins, but as my wife said to me this weekend, we both need to be healthier so that we are around for the boys for a long time. And that really hit me. So Lent is definitely coming at a good time for me, because not only will I lose weight from not drinking Coke Zero, but I am going to take the money that I was spending every day on Coke Zero and put it in a jar for the boys for their piggy banks. And the sad part, is that it will quickly add up, because they sold for $1.79 a piece so on a given work week, I could save at least $9.00, if not closer to $20.00. And, I would be saving calories too.
The choice to give something up for Lent is a very personal thing. It should be between you and God and really no one else. Meaning, you be the one to decide what to give up. Lent is a 40 day challenge, but can be a challenge that is life changing. Just like the life changing events of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins.
So I challenge you to give something up this year for Lent.
