In the late 1970s, the Doobie Brothers had a hit single entitled, "What a Fool Believes." In the refrain of the song, lead singer Michael MacDonald crooned in his signature velvety voice,
"But what a fool believes ... he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away..."
Today, in response to more than two years of persistent foolish haranguing, President Barack Obama did what no other president in the history of our country has ever been asked or expected to do--he published a copy of his birth certificate for all the world to see to prove that he was born an American citizen. Those who truly had a need to see his documentation have seen it and the issue was settled for them long ago. So, what's really behind the clamoring for it to be presented for all the other inquiring minds?
All the noise and fury about the President's history makes me wonder if we have we somehow forgotten our own history as Americans. Have we forgotten that America is a country that was founded by early "settlers" (illegal aliens in today's terms) who arrived unannounced and ruthlessly set out to decimate the indigenous population, labeling the native people "savages" for defending their own country?
If truth be told, there aren't very many of us who have the full right to call ourselves "Americans," which may be why many of us acknowledge our non-American heritage whether it be Irish, Italian, Jewish, African, or a host of others.
I understand that the law requires those who hold the office of President of the United States to be born in this country. What puzzles me in this situation is that, despite the confirmation of Hawaii state officials--Republican and Democrat--along with the findings of Hawaii media, and sworn affadavits by other officials regarding the President's birth, there are still those in leadership who insist on giving life to what began as desperate speculation on the part of those who simply want to deny Barack Obama the opportunity to serve as President.
Despite our savage beginnings, one of the strong points of our country today is that we are free to choose our own leaders. We are even free not to like or agree with every elected leader, but we are not free to disrespect the democratic process or disrespect the office of the President, regardless of who sits in the seat.
Christians are called to pray for those in leadership, not prey on them. If any other American citizen faced a situation where they had satisfied the requirements of the Human Resources department or other key officials, yet faced relentless pressure by individuals in their workplace to present their birth certificate to curiosity-seekers, there would be grounds for a harrassment suit.
Even after today's posting of the birth certificate, there will still be those who will stubbornly hold on to what they choose to believe, for just as Proverbs 18:2 says, "A fool has no delight in understanding." Proverbs 10:23 explains, "Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding."
If we truly believe and trust in God and understand that the government is ultimately upon His shoulders, we will not be inclined to expend inordinate amounts of energy trying to reverse what He has allowed. Nothing happens without the Lord allowing it. He may not cause some things to occur, but He certainly allows all things to work together for our good.
If we don't like who we have in office, we don't need to fear, they can't serve forever. The one we really need to fear is the Lord, who watches how we react when things don't go our way. Do we throw tantrums and act like we have forgotten that God is still in control? Or do we humble ourselves and remember that "the fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7)."
Regardless of who I vote for, I don't put my faith in any man or woman. My faith is in God, who will not allow any policy or political maneuvering to destroy my destiny. In the words of one of the great church hymns, "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand...."
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
A weekly posting of encouraging and challenging thoughts about life from Rev. Karen W. Curry, a pastor's wife and mother of two who is also --in her "spare time"-- a dynamic preacher, teacher, motivational speaker, facilitator, writer, reviewer, poet, MC, liturgical dance/drama consultant and storyteller. Contact Rev. Karen at BNcouraged247@msn.com to speak at your next service or retreat.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Razing in the Son
In 1959, Lorraine Hansberry's heart-stirring play, "A Raisin in the Sun" debuted on Broadway. The first play written by an African-American woman to be produced on Broadway, "A Raisin in the Sun" portrayed the (fictional) Younger family's agonizing struggle with competing dreams and-- as poet Langston Hughes called them-- dreams deferred.
Some of us know exactly what it's like to struggle and agonize internally with competing dreams or desires. Others of us languish over unfulfilled hopes and dreams deferred from our "Younger" days.
As we prepare our hearts to reflect on the agony Jesus endured on the cross on our behalf, let us remember that Jesus knows what it's like to agonize over competing desires. In the garden of Gethsemene, the night before He was to be crucified, Jesus sweated drops of blood as He asked, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me." Even though He admitted His desire to forgo the agony of the cross, His desire to fulfill God's will led Him to conclude, "nevertheless, not my will, but Thine."
Our desire for self-preservation is natural. We naturally and instinctively seek comfort, safety in satisfaction in our lives. But, when those things compete with what we have been created, called and commissioned to do for the Kingdom, these urges must not be raised up to a position of prominence. Instead, they must be razed, or cut down.
Some of us will never truly start living until we are finally willing to die to some things.
What have you been raising in the sun? What have you been allowing to grow in the natural nourishment of the sun and soil--the earthly, natural environment? If we continually nourish the physical and emotional soul at the expense of our spiritual growth, we fragment ourselves and the wholeness and sense of fulfillment that we seek will continually be deferred.
Our God-given gifts, talents and dreams are always given to us for the greater good, not just our personal satisfaction or private ego boost. Once we finally see the big picture from God's point of view, there is no competition between what we desire and what God desires. To fulfill God's desire is to feel full-- full of power, full of purpose and fully alive!
This Friday, "Good Friday," provides an opportune time for us to cut out those things in our lives that hold us down because we insist on raising them up. The signs of the time are daily reminders that we cannot afford to hold on to people, places and things that don't move us forward. Remaining in "neutral" or "park" is simply not an option.
If we're honest with ourselves, we know exactly which attitudes, actions and acquaintences need to go. So, let's stop putting sweat equity into raising in the sun those things that we actually need to be razing in the Son, or nailing to the cross. When we do so, we might suffer pain and separation anxiety, but just like Jesus, if we hold on, our Sunday morning will come!
My prayer is that we will not only celebrate Jesus' resurrection this Sunday, but that we will also be able to celebrate our own!
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Some of us know exactly what it's like to struggle and agonize internally with competing dreams or desires. Others of us languish over unfulfilled hopes and dreams deferred from our "Younger" days.
As we prepare our hearts to reflect on the agony Jesus endured on the cross on our behalf, let us remember that Jesus knows what it's like to agonize over competing desires. In the garden of Gethsemene, the night before He was to be crucified, Jesus sweated drops of blood as He asked, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me." Even though He admitted His desire to forgo the agony of the cross, His desire to fulfill God's will led Him to conclude, "nevertheless, not my will, but Thine."
Our desire for self-preservation is natural. We naturally and instinctively seek comfort, safety in satisfaction in our lives. But, when those things compete with what we have been created, called and commissioned to do for the Kingdom, these urges must not be raised up to a position of prominence. Instead, they must be razed, or cut down.
Some of us will never truly start living until we are finally willing to die to some things.
What have you been raising in the sun? What have you been allowing to grow in the natural nourishment of the sun and soil--the earthly, natural environment? If we continually nourish the physical and emotional soul at the expense of our spiritual growth, we fragment ourselves and the wholeness and sense of fulfillment that we seek will continually be deferred.
Our God-given gifts, talents and dreams are always given to us for the greater good, not just our personal satisfaction or private ego boost. Once we finally see the big picture from God's point of view, there is no competition between what we desire and what God desires. To fulfill God's desire is to feel full-- full of power, full of purpose and fully alive!
This Friday, "Good Friday," provides an opportune time for us to cut out those things in our lives that hold us down because we insist on raising them up. The signs of the time are daily reminders that we cannot afford to hold on to people, places and things that don't move us forward. Remaining in "neutral" or "park" is simply not an option.
If we're honest with ourselves, we know exactly which attitudes, actions and acquaintences need to go. So, let's stop putting sweat equity into raising in the sun those things that we actually need to be razing in the Son, or nailing to the cross. When we do so, we might suffer pain and separation anxiety, but just like Jesus, if we hold on, our Sunday morning will come!
My prayer is that we will not only celebrate Jesus' resurrection this Sunday, but that we will also be able to celebrate our own!
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
That Doesn't Make Any Cents
Whenever we purchase an item by paying the exact amount for it, we do not receive any change. The only time we receive change is when we give more than what was requested.
In life, some of us are desiring, needing, or expecting change, but we don't want to give anything extra in order to receive that change. We complain (or brag) about how long we've done this thing or that thing and yet haven't seen any change. Perhaps we haven't seen any change because we haven't done anything beyond the bare minimum. Perhaps it's because we have been merely going through the motions without really expecting change, forgetting that, "Without faith, it is impossible to please God....and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Diligent people never stop at the bare minimum or an even exchange. Diligent people stop at nothing.
If we are willing to accept that God's ways are not our ways, and that God can do exceedingly, abundantly above all we ask or imagine, perhaps we will begin to change our expectations to be more in line with God's abilities instead of our impossibilities.
Perhaps some of us have enough faith to expect change, but we have never accepted or understood the profound truth that faith without works is dead. Faith should certainly precede and provide the foundation for our works, but if we never act upon that faith or act like people of faith, we may not ever experience miraculous change in our lives. When we fail to live out the faith that lives within, we simply remain sideline observers of God's transformative power, never testing the waters enough to yield a testimony.
If we've been living a life that makes no cents, perhaps it's because we've been playing it too safe. Sometimes our concern for comfort, acceptance or loyalty to tradition prevent us from going all out for the Lord. When Jesus gave His life for us, He gave extravagantly, going far beyond what any of us would have done. As a result of His abundant giving, He rightfully expected to see abundant change coming back to Him.
We are that change.
When we truly encounter the risen Saviour, Jesus Christ, our Lord, we cannot possibly remain the same. Our minds become renewed, our priorities shift, our understanding and appreciation of life deepens, our actions and reactions change, for as Paul says, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).
As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the sacrificial death and triumphal resurrection of Jesus Christ, let's make sure we are not being stingy, stubborn or slacking with the lives we have been given and the new life that has been extended to us through Jesus' shed blood. After all, Jesus lived and loved in a way that didn't make any sense--it was exceedingly above and beyond our senses.
If we truly appreciate His example of unconditional love and uncommon courage, we will never be satisfied living a life that doesn't make any cents--one that yields no change, one that is unfruitful, unproductive or untested. Since we are children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, it doesn't make any sense that our lives wouldn't make any cents.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
In life, some of us are desiring, needing, or expecting change, but we don't want to give anything extra in order to receive that change. We complain (or brag) about how long we've done this thing or that thing and yet haven't seen any change. Perhaps we haven't seen any change because we haven't done anything beyond the bare minimum. Perhaps it's because we have been merely going through the motions without really expecting change, forgetting that, "Without faith, it is impossible to please God....and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Diligent people never stop at the bare minimum or an even exchange. Diligent people stop at nothing.
If we are willing to accept that God's ways are not our ways, and that God can do exceedingly, abundantly above all we ask or imagine, perhaps we will begin to change our expectations to be more in line with God's abilities instead of our impossibilities.
Perhaps some of us have enough faith to expect change, but we have never accepted or understood the profound truth that faith without works is dead. Faith should certainly precede and provide the foundation for our works, but if we never act upon that faith or act like people of faith, we may not ever experience miraculous change in our lives. When we fail to live out the faith that lives within, we simply remain sideline observers of God's transformative power, never testing the waters enough to yield a testimony.
If we've been living a life that makes no cents, perhaps it's because we've been playing it too safe. Sometimes our concern for comfort, acceptance or loyalty to tradition prevent us from going all out for the Lord. When Jesus gave His life for us, He gave extravagantly, going far beyond what any of us would have done. As a result of His abundant giving, He rightfully expected to see abundant change coming back to Him.
We are that change.
When we truly encounter the risen Saviour, Jesus Christ, our Lord, we cannot possibly remain the same. Our minds become renewed, our priorities shift, our understanding and appreciation of life deepens, our actions and reactions change, for as Paul says, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).
As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the sacrificial death and triumphal resurrection of Jesus Christ, let's make sure we are not being stingy, stubborn or slacking with the lives we have been given and the new life that has been extended to us through Jesus' shed blood. After all, Jesus lived and loved in a way that didn't make any sense--it was exceedingly above and beyond our senses.
If we truly appreciate His example of unconditional love and uncommon courage, we will never be satisfied living a life that doesn't make any cents--one that yields no change, one that is unfruitful, unproductive or untested. Since we are children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, it doesn't make any sense that our lives wouldn't make any cents.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Why Do You Ask?
Asking questions is a critical component in the learning process. No matter how smart or skilled we are (or think we are), we could not possibly know everything there is to know about everything--after all, only God is omniscient and able to know all.
Sometimes, when we ask a question the respondant may, in turn, ask us a question such as, "Why do you ask?" In this case, the respondant is likely trying to determine the motive behind the original question or line of questioning.
In matters of faith, it not only matters that we ask questions, but why we ask questions. In James 4:2-3 we find "....the reason you don't have what you want is that you don't ask God for it. And even when you do ask, you don't get it because your whole motive is wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure."
When people raise questions about matters of faith, as a minister I welcome the opportunity to allow God to use me as a vessel to guide people toward the answers they seek. I had an incredibly blessed time doing just that with the women of Foundry United Methodist Church this past weekend during a retreat in West Virginia.
Throughout the weekend, I posed questions. The attendees posed questions. We questioned one another's questions, and eventually arrived at answers (in some cases more questions!) that empowered or challenged of us to live true to our values.
But what happens when questions aren't so fruitful? Every question and answer period is not always comfortable, but there are times when questions leave people angry or wounded. "What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn't it the whole army of evil desires at war within you?"(James 4:1)
Perhaps some questions lead down a fruitless path because of how they began. Many of us have encountered individuals who raised questions not because they were honestly seeking answers, but simply to provoke, insult or discourage someone. We may have also witnessed persons raising questions in a veiled attempt to demonstrate "superiority" or "intelligence." In some cases, we have seen individuals ignore all sense of sensitivity and insist on asking questions that would have been better left unasked or at least reserved for a more opportune time.
In such cases, perhaps it is the "whole army of evil desires at war within" these individuals that actually manifests through their line of questioning. Some of us may have trouble viewing someone else's motives or desires as "evil," but deliberately provoking, embarrasing or relentlessly barraging someone with questions is certainly not "good."
If we have ever been the ones guilty of asking questions with "questionable" motives, perhaps this is a good time for us to honestly examine our motives with regard to the questions we ask. Perhaps we might find that we don't have the "peace that passes understanding" that God has promised because, instead of asking for peace we have been demanding to be placated or pacified--by God as well as others.
"When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor" (James 4:10). Some of us have yet to realize that we need God's Holy Spirit to give us the self-control it takes to not only do the right things, but even to ask the right things.
A wealth of wisdom and insight can be gained from the questions raised throughout the fourth chapter of the book of James. If we are willing to take on the kind of self-examination James promotes, we might experience powerful change in our lives. All it takes is looking into a mirror and sincerely asking the person on the other side, "Why do you ask?"
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Sometimes, when we ask a question the respondant may, in turn, ask us a question such as, "Why do you ask?" In this case, the respondant is likely trying to determine the motive behind the original question or line of questioning.
In matters of faith, it not only matters that we ask questions, but why we ask questions. In James 4:2-3 we find "....the reason you don't have what you want is that you don't ask God for it. And even when you do ask, you don't get it because your whole motive is wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure."
When people raise questions about matters of faith, as a minister I welcome the opportunity to allow God to use me as a vessel to guide people toward the answers they seek. I had an incredibly blessed time doing just that with the women of Foundry United Methodist Church this past weekend during a retreat in West Virginia.
Throughout the weekend, I posed questions. The attendees posed questions. We questioned one another's questions, and eventually arrived at answers (in some cases more questions!) that empowered or challenged of us to live true to our values.
But what happens when questions aren't so fruitful? Every question and answer period is not always comfortable, but there are times when questions leave people angry or wounded. "What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn't it the whole army of evil desires at war within you?"(James 4:1)
Perhaps some questions lead down a fruitless path because of how they began. Many of us have encountered individuals who raised questions not because they were honestly seeking answers, but simply to provoke, insult or discourage someone. We may have also witnessed persons raising questions in a veiled attempt to demonstrate "superiority" or "intelligence." In some cases, we have seen individuals ignore all sense of sensitivity and insist on asking questions that would have been better left unasked or at least reserved for a more opportune time.
In such cases, perhaps it is the "whole army of evil desires at war within" these individuals that actually manifests through their line of questioning. Some of us may have trouble viewing someone else's motives or desires as "evil," but deliberately provoking, embarrasing or relentlessly barraging someone with questions is certainly not "good."
If we have ever been the ones guilty of asking questions with "questionable" motives, perhaps this is a good time for us to honestly examine our motives with regard to the questions we ask. Perhaps we might find that we don't have the "peace that passes understanding" that God has promised because, instead of asking for peace we have been demanding to be placated or pacified--by God as well as others.
"When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor" (James 4:10). Some of us have yet to realize that we need God's Holy Spirit to give us the self-control it takes to not only do the right things, but even to ask the right things.
A wealth of wisdom and insight can be gained from the questions raised throughout the fourth chapter of the book of James. If we are willing to take on the kind of self-examination James promotes, we might experience powerful change in our lives. All it takes is looking into a mirror and sincerely asking the person on the other side, "Why do you ask?"
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)