Why I Do What I Do by Greg Creek

The last several weeks have been a blur of hard work and absolute fun. In fact, as I write this I am a few short hours away from a weekend full of memories with a group of high school students. And yet, I find myself...unsatisfied, or maybe searching...struggling? I am not sure.

I’ve been terrified for over a month. With all of the different activities that have happened, one right after the other, it hasn’t given me much time to feel that each event has been adequately planned. I find myself worrying about what’s next, how it will get done, and who will be there to help accomplish it. I’m afraid I’ll mess something up and an event, which can at times in my line of work mean a life, will be adversely affected.

At the end of each landmark, though, I realize that God has given me incredible opportunities to connect with young people, to serve people, and to let others know about His goodness and love. Yes, the planning is important, but at some point the planning needs to stop and the living needs to begin.

Perhaps it’s because I haven’t had the time to really reflect on how good God has been this month that I have been constantly worrying about the next step. Instead of being able to ponder His faithfulness to me, I look ahead. Even now, I’m thinking ahead to our next youth program. But in the midst of my lack of trust in God, He gave me an amazing gift: He reminded me why I do what I do.

At the end of service camp, I realized . . . I love my job! Now that doesn’t mean that I hated it before, just that those opportunities of service with young people is why I got into pastoral ministry. And in those moments, the lack of satisfaction, or searching, or struggling, or whatever it is causing that knot in my stomach, just disappears.

The amazing thing is, God has called each one of us to serve Him in ways that, while glorifying Him, bring us joy, too. I don’t know if you’ve found the area or areas that make you grateful, but I encourage you to find them, and when you get there, do as I say and not as I do – enjoy them. :)

Greg Creek

What's Playing on God's iPod? by Richard Hickam

Do you ever wonder what kind of music God likes?

Does He like music about other things beside Himself?

Does He like music that talks about our problems?

Does He like music that has dissonance?

Does He like rap music?

Does He have an affinity for 18^th century choral tradition of planet Earth’s western society?

Does God compose music?

Does God play an instrument?

Does God sing?

Does God dance?

Does God care about musical genres, or is He above all that?

I remember the day I read the following from William Young’s book, The Shack, where Mack is talking with God about the music on Her iPod (in his book, Young portrays God as a large, black woman):

He inquired, “May I ask what you’re listening to?”

“You really wanna know?”

“Sure.” Now Mack was curious.

“West Coast Juice. Group called Diatribe and an album that isn’t even out yet called Heart Trips. Actually,” she winked at Mack, “these kids haven’t even been born yet.”

“Right,” Mack responded, more than a little incredulous. “West Coast Juice, huh? It doesn’t sound very religious.”

“Oh, trust me, it’s not. More like Eurasian funk and blues with a message, and a great beat.” She sidestepped toward Mack as if she were doing a dance move and clapped. Mack stepped back.

“So God listens to funk?” Mack had never heard “funk” talked about in any properly righteous terms. “I thought you would be listening to George Beverly Shea or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir—you know, something churchier.”

“Now see here, Mackenzie. You don’t have to be lookin’ out for me. I listen to everything—and not just to the music itself, but the hearts behind it. Don’t you remember your seminary classes? These kids ain’t saying anything I haven’t heard before; they’re just full of vinegar and fizz. Lots of anger and, I must say, with some good reason too. They’re just some of my kids, showin’ and spoutin’ off. I am especially fond of those boys, you know. Yup, I’ll be keeping my eye on ‘em.”

As God looks down and mingles with the totality of His children here, does he limit His listening pleasure?

Kind of stretches the mind, doesn’t it?  The Bible is very clear that we cannot understand the mind of God . . .

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. Isaiah 55:8-NLT

“Then the Lord spoke to Job . . . Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell me, if you know so much.” Job 38:1,4 (actually – the entirety of Job, Chapters 38-41, until Job finally acknowledges:  “You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.” Job 42:3)

. . . so what makes us think we could decipher His musical tastes?

I happily jam away on my own iPod to newgrass, classical, and the occasional CCM, but how much better must be the “Music of the Spheres?”  Personally, I can’t wait until I can hear it for myself.

Richard Hickam

The Pain of the Purge by Tami Cinquemani

We helped my mother and father-in-law move into a new home today.  Though they were excited about the destination, the journey has been difficult.  The home they left is quite a bit larger than the home they moved into.  On the bright side, there will no longer be property to keep up, and their new location is in close proximity to family as well as wonderful friends.  On the not-so-bright side, there were many, MANY, MANY things that they needed to get rid of in order to make the move.

The difficulty for my father-in-law was the fact that he is a “collector.”  Years of buying and selling at the flea market combined with his skill of fixing almost anything resulted in two storage sheds filled with outdated appliance manuals, old electronics parts, an abundance of tools, and many things he considered “treasures just waiting for the right buyer.”

The challenge for my mother-in-law was more emotional.  Items of both practical and sentimental value had to be passed onto other family members, sold at a yard sale, or donated to a thrift store.  Though this place had been their home for less than ten years, there were still fond memories left behind as well.

The loss of all of these things accompanied by the pleasure of settling into a home closer to family and friends made this a very bittersweet move.  This was a move they knew they wanted to make . . . knew they had to make . . . but it was painful nonetheless, sometimes to the point of causing distress and tears.

As it turned out, my in-laws needed as much, if not more, help preparing for the move as they did making the move.  Realizing they were not strong enough to purge on their own, they planned a time when they would be away from home so they did not see the removal of a large portion of what had been collected over the years.  They asked their children to do this because they knew they could trust them to discern what should be kept and what needed to go.

In 2 Samuel, Chapter 12, King David had come to a place where his life was cluttered and crowded with things that were keeping him from the life of contentment and peace God had planned for him.  He was filled with pride and lust and self-sufficiency that had built so gradually he hadn’t even noticed.  So God sent Nathan to illuminate the problem: David had to move, but he had to unload a lot of “stuff” to make that possible. 

David is devastated.  He fully understands that he has to purge his life, but he is also quite sure he is incapable of doing it himself.  Psalm 51 is David’s heartfelt plea for God to do for him what he can’t do for himself:

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
     wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
     let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
    and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.

(vs. 7-12)

Though I’m not a “collector,” I’m sure sorting through the almost-30 years of accumulation in my home would be a challenge.  Like David, I am much more daunted by the purge that needs to take place in my heart on a regular basis.  I’m pretty sure my husband and I will be able to handle the eventual down-sizing as we get older.  I have no doubt my heart is something better left in much larger hands.

Tami Cinquemani 

Bullying the Bullies

A few weeks ago, a video was released of a group of middle school students bullying the bus monitor on the school bus.  It's a 10-minute long video with an endless stream of profanity, insults, threats, and taunts.  The video went viral and sparked international outrage as well as donations topping $650,000 to help Karen Klein (the bus monitor).  But even more disturbing to me than the video is the aftermath for the students who did the bullying.  These 13-year-old students have received thousands of phone calls and text messages threatening their lives, have had people come by and bang on the door to their house, and the families have had to call 911 several times because they feared for their lives.  

Clearly, bullying isn't just an adolescent problem.  Considering the bullying that the students have received, it is not hard to figure out where the behavior comes from.  The bullying of the bus monitor by the students is absolutely unacceptable, and so is the bullying of those students by the enraged public.  Children learn how to deal with people who they don't like and who upset them from watching adults as well as their peers, and sadly that example is not good.

The political arena is a great example of socially-sanctioned bullying.  The airwaves are flooded with ads criticizing and condemning the character and person of their opponent (not just their policies and record).  Truth and civility are sacrificed for personal advancement and winning over the onlookers.  Is this reminding anyone else of middle-school bullying?  

Bullying is a big problem that's getting bigger.  Thousands of kids commit suicide every year because of bullying.  But kids will never stop bullying each other while they see adults doing the same thing.  So before you like that post on Facebook or repeat that piece of gossip you heard at work, think of the example you are setting.  Teenagers may not listen to us, but they are watching us.

Chad Hess

The Storm

I love the stories of Jesus demonstrating His power over the “natural elements.”  In Mark chapter 4:35-41, Mark is going to once again highlight Jesus’ power, not just in the “spiritual” realm, over the human body, but over elements of nature as well.  For Mark, knowing his target audience, the Roman culture, this is a strong case for Jesus’ startling uniqueness and divine nature.  I find it interesting that many of Mark’s details of Jesus’ calming the storm are absent in the accounts of Matthew and Luke. 

Here it is in the “Message” paraphrase:

“Late that day he said to them, ‘Let's go across to the other side.’ They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern (back), head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, ‘Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?”  Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, ‘Quiet! Settle down!’ The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: ‘Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?’ They were in absolute awe, staggered. ‘Who is this, anyway?’ they asked. ‘Wind and sea at his beck and call!’”

My first reaction to this was, Wow!  (That happens frequently to me in my journey through the New Testament with the Message.)  Let me share my thoughts:

“There were also other boats with him.”

I highlight this because it illustrates something that never ceases to amaze me.  In the last twelve years I have journeyed through the New Testament about fifty times.  Still, each time, something new jumps out and grabs my attention.  I have never paused and looked at this sentence before.  What is that?  (I can hear Andy saying now, “Because you are old and don’t pay attention.”)  This detail is only in Mark’s gospel, probably signifying an eyewitness account – possibly Peter, who sailed the boat and had to watch out for the other boats as they made their way out into the lake.  (Josephus, an ancient historian, wrote that there were usually more than three hundred fishing boats on the Sea of Galilee at one time).  The other boats accompanying Jesus may have been filled with persistent followers.  This tiny detail that has avoided my attention gives me a picture of God’s grace—MANY people on these other boats were also SAVED when Jesus calms the storm.  Is that cool or what?

More Storms Than Calm

Have you found that true in your Christian walk?  I got storms, you got storms, ALL God’s people got storms!  Truth is, the Christian life may have more storms than calm.  It is NOT just smooth sailing and triumphant living, right?  The life of a Christian can get messy.  When that happens, we must not surrender to the stress. We must not back down from the challenges.  We need not be overwhelmed by the problems.  We pray, trust, and move ahead knowing the One who called us is right beside us.  We can praise God and lean into the wind.

I am being persistent here because, in my own experience and observing others, often believers profess trust in Jesus’ power over the various storms of life.  We all fall short at times in demonstrating trust when storms arrive.  It is a great opportunity in our journey to be a powerful witness to others as they watch how we weather the crisis.  It is not our words but our life that preaches the most powerful of sermons, in my humble opinion.

That leads me to the last thought:

“Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.”

What a powerful demonstration of complete trust.  Jesus was sleeping.  Remember, this was a “boat-sinker” of a storm.  The Sea of Galilee is an unusual body of water.  It is relatively small (thirteen miles long, seven miles wide), but it is 150 feet deep, and the shoreline is 680 feet below sea level.  Mariners tell us that, because it is below sea level and is surrounded by mountains, it is susceptible to sudden storms.  It is not uncommon for these storms to produce 20-foot waves.  Think about that fact.  The disciples were not “weekend” fishermen.  These guys knew this body of water and knew what they were doing.  They often fished at night.  My point is, this was one gigantic storm that certainly scared their pants off . . . sorry, robes.  And Jesus was sleeping.  The record indicates that, in their minds, they thought Jesus didn’t even care.  In His mind, He wondered how much time, how many miracles, what on earth was it going to take to create in them this quality that they would need to carry on:  Faith?

My middle son, Matthew, has weathered many storms in his life.  I have been with him for a number of them.  One time, he looked at me as we were traveling along in the car and said, “Dad, you know where I would like to be some day in my journey through this life?” 

“Where son?” 

He said, “At a place of trust and faith like Jesus, that no matter what came my way, I could sleep.”

You get it, right?  That place in our journey that we come to that, no matter what the crisis, challenge, or storm, we will have calm in our heart, knowing that the One who created it all lives with us and in us.

What storms are you facing now?  How is your anxiety level?  Are you tempted to be overwhelmed with worry?  Have you given it to God completely?  What I mean by that is simply this: Even if the boat sinks, will your faith stay afloat?

Bill Crofton