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Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling
By Mark D. Roberts | Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Joy of God’s Presence
You have endowed him with eternal blessings
and given him the joy of your presence.
Psalm 21 focuses on the king of Israel. It celebrates many ways God has blessed the king and his leadership. Verse 6 declares, “You have endowed him with eternal blessings and given him the joy of your presence.” The Hebrew of this verse refers, literally, to the joy of God’s faces (panekha). This doesn’t mean God has many literal faces, of course. But it does convey the sense of God’s presence with a gripping image.
Have you ever seen a baby watch the face of her mother? I think of when my daughter, Kara, was tiny, how she’d focus on my wife’s face. Linda’s face signified safety, nourishment, warmth, and tenderness. When Linda smiled at Kara, sometimes Kara would offer back a huge grin. She knew the joy of her mother’s “faces.”
God wants us to know him in this way. Though we won’t get to see him literally face-to-face until the age to come, we can experience his “faces” even now. God’s presence is revealed to us when we gather with his people for worship, or when we take time alone for prayer. But God is also present with us when we’re sitting in a boardroom or teaching a class. As we grow in our faith, we’ll become more aware of God’s “faces” in each and every moment of our life, and we’ll learn to enjoy his presence wherever we are.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: When do you experience God’s presence most powerfully? Have you ever sensed God’s presence in unexpected places? When? How did this make you feel?
PRAYER: O Lord, thank you for the many times that you have made your presence known to me, breaking through my spiritual blindness so that I might see you. Thank you for filling my heart with the sublime joy of being with you.
Dear Lord, I know that you are present with me at all times. Thank you for this sweet gift. I ask that you help me to attend to your presence, to see you in unexpected places, to hear the still, small voice of your Spirit. Help me especially to sense your presence in places I think of as “secular” or “unspiritual.” May I live each moment with the assurance and joy that comes from being with you. Amen.
Daily Reflections from The High Calling.org
This devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work (www.thehighcalling.org). You can read my Daily Reflections there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace.
Topics: Sunday Inspiration | 1 Comment »
Another Helpful Sign in Florida
By Mark D. Roberts | Saturday, March 14, 2009
Yesterday I put up the “how to wash your hands in the restroom” sign from Disney World. That’s not the only helpful sign I saw on my recent trip to Florida. Take the following example from a neighborhood in Orange County, Florida, just outside of Orlando:
I’m sure it’s helpful to know where a sewer line is buried. But I wonder for whom the warning is intended. Would anybody read “Sewer Line Buried Here” and think, “Great! I think I’ll have swig!”? It seems to me that the identification of the pipe as “sewer line” rather implies “not for drinking.” Yes? Or am I missing something here? Do buried gas lines in Florida have signs that read: “Gas Line Buried Here . . . Not for Breathing”?
Topics: Fun, Signs | No Comments »
Hand Washing Tips from Disney’s Epcot
By Mark D. Roberts | Friday, March 13, 2009
A couple of days ago I made my first visit to Epcot, one of the four theme parks in Disney World, Florida. I was impressed by the overall experience. As always, Disney’s attention to detail is extraordinary. But I’ve never seen a sign quite like one I spied in a men’s restroom. Check out these hand washing tips, provided by Brawny (the paper towel people).
Now that’s helpful, don’t you think? After all, thousands of men each year must stand at the sink in the men’s room without any idea of what to do next. Then, after they use soap and water, with dripping hands, they look for one of those ecologically-sound, electricity-burning, noise-polluting, hand-drying machines. But none are to be found! What to do??? Not to worry, though. Brawny has the solution: “Dry hands thoroughly using paper towels.” Ah, if only all of life were always this simple!
P.S. In case you’re interested, there similar instructions were not supplied by the toilet paper vendor.
Topics: Fun | 8 Comments »
More Than Birds in Florida
By Mark D. Roberts | Thursday, March 12, 2009
During our visit to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in central Florida we saw more than amazing birds. We almost stumbled upon several alligators in a little canal along the road. As we hopped out of the car to see some colorful birds, my wife said, “Hey, look! An alligator!” Gazing down we saw a seven-foot alligator, only about ten feet away. Then we saw another, and even a baby gator hiding in the weeds. It’s the first time I ever saw alligators in the wild.
This alligator was probably five feet long, and safely across a canal from me.
This baby gator was probably about eighteen inches long.
As we drove through Merritt Island Refuge, we saw a sign for a Manatee viewing spot. So we drove to Haulover Canal in the hope of seeing a Manatee. Sure enough, we caught a glimpse of one as it fed along the shore.
This one was big, at least nine feet long, I estimate. If you’re not familiar with Manatees, they are marine mammals that are also known as “sea cows.” It’s estimated that there are 1,000 to 3,000 Manatees in Florida. The Manatee is an endangered species, and is genetically related to the elephant.
Speaking of marine mammals, I also saw a couple interesting ones just offshore at Cocoa Beach. They look curiously like my own kids, only much older than I remember.
Topics: Vacation, Nature | 4 Comments »
A Few More Birds in Florida
By Mark D. Roberts | Wednesday, March 11, 2009
During my sojourn in Florida, I was able to visit Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. It lies along the Atlantic coast of central Florida, about 50 miles due east of Orlando. Among the animals we saw were several birds that I had not seen before, including:
The Great (or American) Egret
The Louisiana (or Tricolor) Heron
Two Spoonbills. A Spoonbill is pink, like a Flamingo, but it is shorter and has a large, spoon-shaped beak. I enlarged part of the photo so you can see the Spoonbills in more detail.
Anhinga (also known as a Snake Bird because its body is under water when it swims. This happens because the Anhinga does not have oil glands to waterproof its wings.)
photo credit to my son, Nathan, of nathandroberts.com
P.S. If you’re new to my blog, you may wonder why I’m putting up these pictures. I generally do this sort of thing when I’m on vacation. My readers still get something interesting when they stop by my blog, and I don’t have to spend too many brain cells on blog posts.
Topics: Nature | 3 Comments »
Birds in Florida
By Mark D. Roberts | Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Last week I attended a leadership conference in Florida. Though my schedule was full, I did manage to get an hour to walk along the beach in Naples. I was fascinated by the birds, several species of which I have not seen before.
The picture below shows a Snowy Egret prancing in the surf.
The next photo is of a flock of White Ibises. They’re similar to the Egret, but have reddish curved beak and legs.
Birds are some of the most wonderful beings in God’s creation. Oh, the beach in Florida wasn’t half bad, either.
Topics: Nature | No Comments »
Websites Reviewed: Faith Blogging
By Mark D. Roberts | Monday, March 9, 2009
I recently learned of a new website that I will visit regularly. It’s called Faith Blogging: Complete Coverage of Christian Blogs and Bloggers. This is not to say that Faith Blogging covers all of the Christian blogs in the blogosphere. That would require a super-human effort. Rather, Faith Blogging surveys and summarzies many of the major Christian blogs and bloggers, including: Al Mohler, American Papist, Between Two Worlds, Brian McClaren, Catholic and Enjoying It, Desiring God, Don Miller, Emergent Village, Evangelical Outpost, God’s Politics, Jesus Creed, JollyBlogger, Our of Ur, Real Live Preacher, Tall Skinny Kiwi, and The Scriptorium. (You’ll have to visit Faith Blogging to get the links. See the left column.) Even if you’re unfamiliar with these blogs, the titles alone reflect a wide range of theological opinion. If you know these blogs, then you’ll appreciate the breadth of coverage here. Oh, I should mention that my blog has made the list as well.
What Faith Blogging does is to summarize blog posts by major Christian bloggers. So it’s like an especially intelligent and selective RSS feed. I’ve been impressed and pleased by what’s been included so far (i.e. blog posts I’m glad to have read but might very well have missed).
Faith Blogging is the brainchild of Shane Raynor, a United Methodist writer and publisher from Austin, Texas. He also produces The Wesley Report, which is an outstanding website intended primarily for Methodists.
Faith Blogging includes a few ads, but they’re inobtrusively limited to the right column. One of the things I appreciate about this website is its readability. It’s neat and simple.
If you’re so inclined, Shane gives you links to his social media at Facebook and Twitter. You can subscribe to syndication feed too.
So, check out Faith Blogging. It’s well worth the visit.
Topics: Websites Reviewed | 1 Comment »
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling
By Mark D. Roberts | Sunday, March 8, 2009
Signposts of Nature
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
I grew up in Southern California. The combination of smog and ambient light from Los Angeles and its suburbs meant that I could see very few stars at night, even on a relatively clear summer evening. Thus I loved getting away up to the High Sierra mountains. From several thousand feet above sea level, the night sky was dark as pitch with thousands of stars twinkling like brilliant diamonds.
One of the things I love most about Laity Lodge is seeing the night sky glowing with the high-definition grandeur that I associate with the High Sierras. The heavens are so expansive in the Hill Country, miles from bright city lights, that I could almost let my admiration stop with the skies themselves. But I must remember that, as beautiful as the stars might be, they are signposts to something even better. The heavens proclaim the glory of God. They illustrate his matchless beauty and power. They call my heart to humility and my soul to worship.
Nature is indeed a gift of God to us, and we are invited to enjoy it. But let’s be sure not to turn nature itself into some sort of god. May the glory of creation always point further to the matchless glory of the Creator.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: When have you seen the skies filled with stars? What aspects of nature point your heart to God?
PRAYER: Almighty Creator and gracious God, indeed, the heavens do proclaim your glory. How I thank you for making me so that I could see the stars in the summer sky. Even more, how I thank you for allowing me to marvel at their beauty. Even more, how grateful I am for the way the heavens proclaim your glory. You have filled the natural world with countless reminders of your greatness. Thank you, Lord!
Help me never to take for granted the beauty and grandeur of your creation. May the signposts of nature continually remind me of you, calling me to wonder and worship. Amen.
P.S. from Mark
A few years ago, I put up a short series of “proofs” for the existence of God from the unexpected beauty and symmetry of nature. See Colorful Arguments for the Existence of God.
Daily Reflections from The High Calling.org
This devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work (www.thehighcalling.org). You can read my Daily Reflections there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace.
Topics: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Jet Plane Engine at Sunset
By Mark D. Roberts | Saturday, March 7, 2009
Here’s a recent view out of my window of a Delta airplane. We were somewhere over North Carolina.
Topics: Pictures | 2 Comments »
The Monkey and the Fish: An Interview with the Author, Dave Gibbons
By Mark D. Roberts | Friday, March 6, 2009
Yesterday I began a two-part “interview” with Dave Gibbons, author of The Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church. Today I’ll finish up my conversation with Dave. Let me say, once again, how much I appreciate Dave’s careful and extensive answers to my questions.
Mark: So, are you really saying that Christians should seek first and foremost to love those who are “totally unlike us”? And if so, was it wrong for you, an Asian from an urban environment, to go to Bangkok, an Asian city, when you could have gone to a village in Africa instead? Didn’t the fact that you were somewhat like those in Bangkok give you ways to connect with them? Wasn’t this helpful?
Dave: Actually, I’m half White! Actually I have Irish roots. My birth father had blue eyes. Crazy how Korean genes are dominant. My brother looks more Hispanic! We can look alike. You probably are aware that Japanese and Korean cultures are like Black and White race issues here in America. The Japanese are often hated in Asia because of their oppression of nearby nations. What’s even possibly more confusing is how even though I’m half Korean and part Irish, I’m culturally and more naturally American and Western. I’m a second generation Korean which even throws another layer of complexity into the mix. I probably love grits and gravy as much as some people in the south.
So the truth is Bangkok was a totally different mix of cultures that I was unfamiliar with. It was a mix of multiple Chinese cultures, many sub-cultures of Indian roots, Persian, Northern and Southern Thai, immigrant and expat communities, Muslims, Buddhists and the normal hodgepodge of multiple religions and philosophies. Syncretism is huge in the east. The language itself had five tones. It was the hardest language I ever studied. I thought Hebrew was difficult until I started learning Thai. So while we can look alike we are actually very different. I guess it’s like any major urban, world class city in that regard. There are hundreds of cultures in one city. Even here in Irvine! In fact, I had to repent to the church for my lack of engagement with our neighbor, Santa Ana. When I think of people who are unlike me or I’m not comfortable around, it usually is more of a socio-economic issue not a race issue. Hence, we’ve been working hard in moving forward in building relationships with the city of Santa Ana and her people which is also very diverse.
[MDR: What’s you’re saying her is right on. When I was in Irvine, I was amazed by the number of people who were afraid of Santa Ana. Yes, there was more crime there than in Irvine. But people’s fear was far beyond rational concern. Partly, I expect, it had racist elements. But mostly it would about unfamiliarity.]
Mark: Do you mean to imply that we shouldn’t really bother to love those who are like us? Or that it’s somehow less Christian if I care for a person in need if that person happens to be a lot like I am?
Don’t you think churches should, in addition to seeking to love those who make them uncomfortable, also focus their strategic initiatives on all people they happen to meet on the road, so to speak? Should churches stop reaching out to their literal neighbors as they rightly strive to love those who are different from their members? Did Newsong stop reaching out to the Asian population of Irvine, so much of which is not Christian?
In light of your understanding of Jesus’ call to love the neighbor, how do you make sense of his command to his disciples that they tell people everywhere about him, “in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Doesn’t this text teach us to be sure and reach out to people like us, our literal and culture neighbors, even as we are to reach out to everyone, including those we despise? You aren’t suggesting that we forget about Jerusalem and Judea, are you?
You explain that “Third culture is about adaptation, the both/and, not the either/or, mindset” (40). So wouldn’t a third culture church reach out both to their proximal neighbors who are like them and also to those who are not like them? Wouldn’t third culture Christians seek to reach both those with whom they share a first culture, people like themselves, and also those from the second, different culture?
So now you can see my discomfort with what you’ve written, even though I heartily endorse your basic challenge to the church and appreciate how your experience and wisdom can guide us into more effective participation in God’s kingdom. Perhaps I’ve over-reacted to your rhetoric, reading as a Westerner (which I am, even more so now that I live in Texas!). Or, perhaps I’ve understood quite well what you’ve said, and we simply differ on what the call of Christ means in today’s world. At any rate, I’d appreciate some clarification of your understanding of who is and is not our neighbor and how this relates to the church today.
Dave: Yes, it’s not an either/or proposition. It’s a both/and. We are called to love our family who is probably most like us. Aren’t we worse than infidels if we don’t. But I believe the point of the passage was to call us to a supernatural love that the world would take notice of, a love that was so radical and unusual that they would see Jesus.
The Acts 1:8 text is actually a compelling support to a third culture pursuit. When I read to reach out to those in Jerusalem I believe the context points to people from all over the world gathering there in Jerusalem [MDR: That’s a interesting insight!]. I know it’s common to interpret this as from those who are near you culturally to those who are unlike you culturally. However, Jerusalem did not refer solely to one local homogeneous culture but actually it was the world which includes the both/and. The first circle was not actually just people like us but both people like us culturally and unlike us, people we’d hate and people we’d like, people we want to forgive and others we wouldn’t want to forgive. The list of people in Jerusalem listed in Acts seems very diverse. I love that passage in Acts 2 where it described who was there:
5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem.6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. 7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages!9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia,10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!
A recent thought to me was even Jesus’ inclusion of Judas in his inner circle. Why would he include someone who would betray him? Part of it was to fulfill prophecy but also, I wonder if it was to demonstrate the extent of His love. . . to love someone who would betray him. To me that is the most difficult person to love. That has been even more difficult to me than crossing the socio-economic gap or the cultural divide.
Mark: Thanks for putting up with my long-windedness and what might seem like my crankiness. I take you and your ideas too seriously to ask merely some nice affirming question, or to focus only on areas in which we clearly agree. I expect that you’ve wrestled plenty with the questions I have asked, and I look forward to your answers.
Dave: Mark, I love your heart and the honesty of your reflections. I look forward to hanging out with you. If you come back to Cali, please let me take you out to some good Korean food around the corner. But I guess if we want to be third culture, maybe we ought to go to McDonald’s AND the Indian restaurant at 5 and Culver. We can do both. Much love,
Dave
[MDR: Ah, I love that Indian restaurant, especially the lunch brunch! I don’t get this in my part of Texas. I like Korean food too, though I can take kimchi only in small doses. Anyway, thanks, Dave, for the invitation. Let me return it by saying if you’re even in the San Antonio/Austin area, I’d love to take you out for some Texas barbeque!
More seriously, thanks again for your thoughtful answers to my pesky questions. Thanks even more for your visionary leadership of the church today, and for putting your thoughts and stories in The Monkey and the Fish. I hope many of my blog readers will buy it and read it and wrestle with it and be transformed by it.]
FYI: As a Amazon Associate, I get around 6% of anything that is purchased when somebody links to Amazon from my website. So if you buy The Monkey and the Fish by clicking the link above, I’ll get around 70 cents. But to avoid the appearance of self-interest in my recommendation of Dave’s book, I will give anything I make from this blog tour to charity.
Topics: Book Reviews | 3 Comments »
The Monkey and the Fish: An Interview with the Author, Dave Gibbons
By Mark D. Roberts | Thursday, March 5, 2009
Today I’m part of a blog tour connected with the release of a new book, The Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church, by Dave Gibbons. My website is one of fourteen that Dave will “visit” today as he promotes his new book. In fact, what you’ll read in this post is a Q&A “interview” that Dave and I had via email.
Before I get to this interchange, I want to say a few words about Dave. I have known of him for many years since he and I both pastured churches in Irvine, California for a long time. Dave is the founding pastor of Newsong, a ground-breaking, shaking church that was once focused on the large Asian population of Irvine, but has grown into a multi-site, multi-ethnic, “third culture” church. Oddly enough, given our common vision and location, Dave and I met only once during my Irvine sojourn. But I knew of Newsong and we had many mutual friends. I always thought highly of Dave and his ministry, though I was unaware of some of the amazing paths Dave has trod in the last few years.
Dave is a man of deep faith, wisdom, and integrity. You will see this in our email dialogue below. I’ve done blog tours before, and mostly authors answer questions quickly, as if they’re eager to move on to the next blog. Dave has given thoughtful, careful answers to my questions. And these questions were not happy slaps on the back. But I believe that Dave’s book deserves serious attention, and I had a hunch that he’d take my questions seriously as well. I was not disappointed. Nor will you be in our interchange.
Before we get into my interview with Dave, let me say that The Monkey and the Fish is an important book, one that Christians – and especially Christian leaders – should take seriously. Though I might quibble here and there with certain things in this book, that in no way discounts my appreciation for it and its potential impact. (For the record, I quibble here and there with things I have written too.) Dave Gibbons is helping, indeed challenging us to deal with the world into which we have been sent with the Gospel. His experience and wisdom open up new frontiers for those of us who want to live out the kingdom of God in the world.
Because my interchange with Dave was quite extensive, I’ve decided to break it up into two parts. Today you’ll get Part 1. Tomorrow you’ll get Part 2. And now, with no further ado, here’s Part 1 of my interview with Dave.
Mark: Dave, first of all I want to thank you for this stirring, timely book. Your main point, that Christians need to be “third culture”, that is, culturally-sensitive, culturally-engaged, bridge-building people, is surely right on. And you’re just the person to bring this challenge. One of the things I appreciate about this book is your openness in telling your own story. Thanks! I have admired your ministry for a long time. As you may know, I was also a pastor in Irvine, California for many years. I always had the highest regard for NewSong and for your leadership there.
Dave: Mark, great to hear from you! I’ve met you briefly before. We have a mutual friend that I hung out with named Tod, I believe in San Clemente. He was a pastor there. [MDR: Tod Bolsinger of It Takes a Church] I met him at a Max DePree Roundtable. Mark, I’m grateful for your work in Irvine. The people I have met from your congregation were kind and gracious. I can see why. You took a great amount of time to make sure to affirm the book where you felt legitimate. Thank you for your gentle but clear and forthright response. You got the art of third culture communication down! [MDR: Not bad for someone who is now a Texan!]
Also, I’m very appreciative of your scholarship, so your thoughts were very helpful for me to ponder. I’ll try my best to respond to some of your concerns and affirmations. I do so feeling honored that you would take the time to read the book and to reflect upon it.
Personally, I’m amazed people are reading it because after putting the pen down for this book, I wish I would have changed some things or added some thoughts. I guess it’s the period of normal regret after one finishes a work. I tend to be my own worst critic. [MDR: Yes, that’s the writer’s curse.]
Mark: You’re also hitting the bull’s-eye when you call both the church and individual Christians to the priority of love, to adaptability, to embracing pain, and to risking discomfort for the sake of reaching others. I expect that many who read this book will be encouraged to extend themselves as never before, especially to people who make them uncomfortable. In fact, you have challenged me to think about the people I need to love even though I’d rather avoid them.
But, having said that, I want to ask you about something in your book that made me uncomfortable. (Sorry. Bad pun.) It was your interpretation of the parable of the Good Samaritan and the implications you draw from that story. You rightly point out that the Samaritans were hated by Jews of Jesus’ day as half-bloods and religious heretics. So, indeed, Jesus’ hearers would have been upset because “the hero of the story is a person they despised” (74). Jesus is defining one’s neighbor in a most unsettling way here, as you rightly observe. You conclude:
The second most important commandment is all about loving people we don’t understand, whom maybe even the community we live in doesn’t like, maybe even hates, or at the least disregards or writes off. People who are misfits. People who are marginalized. People who are outsiders. Loving my neighbor is not about likenesses at all. It’s not about people who happen to share my skin color or ethnicity, or about people who talk like me and think like me, people who like the same food as me and like the same things I do. Instead, it’s about people I would not normally choose to befriend, people who might make me feel uncomfortable to be around. (74)
On this basis, you offer a solid critique of the homogenous principle, the idea that a church will grow best if it reaches out to people who are like the church’s members. If we want to see our churches grow in the way of Jesus, you counter, “we must focus our strategic initiatives of love on people who make us feel uncomfortable, who don’t fit into our thinking and our conventions, who are marginalized and even considered misfits and outsiders” (79). Thus you say things like:
Anyone can love people who are like themselves. The Father’s love is best reflected – and is most irresistible and potent – when we love those who are unattractive to us. (79)
We are to be the living extension of Jesus’ hands and heart to the world. And with what’s happening in the world today, if we live out a theology of discomfort and embrace a biblical definition of who our neighbors are in our churches, both in America and abroad, then we are loving the neighbor Jesus defined two thousand years ago. A neighbor totally unlike us. (86)
I think much of what you say here is true, and it surely needs to be heard by the church today. I need to hear it myself. But let me now explain my discomfort and then ask a few questions.
I don’t think the main point of the parable of the Good Samaritan is that we should love people who are “totally unlike us.” For one thing, Samaritans and Jews were not completely different. In fact, their rivalry was so strong because they had so much in common: a common history, a common basic theology, many common customs and values. If Jesus had wanted to tell a story about loving someone very different from ourselves, surely he could have chosen someone other than a Samaritan, perhaps a Roman female slave or aristocratic matron. So, I agree with you that “loving my neighbor is not about likenesses at all.” But I’m not sure it’s as much about “unlikenesses” as you seem to think. It seems to be more about loving anyone in need, even and especially my enemy, and doing so in tangible, costly, sacrificial ways.
Dave: Yes, in fact, I’m trying to explain this more in my presentations. When I say “people unlike you,” I also refer to those who are our enemies and people you may not want to forgive. The cultural component however, still seems to resonate with me as I wrestle with the distinction in races and culture in this passage. I see that while the main idea may be to love an enemy or someone you hate, it’s hard for me to ignore the cultural nuances of this text.
[MDR: You’re right, Dave, about these “cultural nuances.” And when people read your book, as I hope they do, they’ll see more of where you’re coming from in your observations. One of the things I found most helpful was your willingness to share (and critique) your own Christian background. Especially in America, we have tended to neglect the cultural issues. This is no longer acceptable, or even possible. Part of what makes your book so powerful is the fact that you have lived so much of what you’re talking about. Your personal stories are compelling. They also make for great reading!]
INTERMISSION: I’ll complete my conversation with Dave tomorrow. In the meanwhile, you might want to check out some of the other stops on Dave’s blog tour. Better yet, you can buy The Monkey and the Fish.
FYI: As a Amazon Associate, I get around 6% of anything that is purchased when somebody links to Amazon from my website. So if you buy The Monkey and the Fish by clicking the link above, I’ll get around 70 cents. But to avoid the appearance of self-interest in my recommendation of Dave’s book, I will give anything I make from this blog tour to charity.
Topics: Book Reviews | 5 Comments »
Happy Birthday, Mom!
By Mark D. Roberts | Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Today is my mother’s birthday. Since I’m not able to be with her, I figured I’d do the next best thing and put up a blog post in her honor. (Well, okay, okay, before I get a dozen rebuking comments, I realize that a phone call would be the next best thing, or a birthday card, or a present, or all of the above. I don’t think my mom would appreciate a text message or a tweet, however.)
Well, what to say about my mother on her birthday? She a fine human being, that’s for sure. She excelled in all of the “mom” stuff when I was growing up: cooking healthy, tasty meals, making my lunch, being a room mother, driving me all over creation for my activities, patching me up when I got hurt, washing my clothers, sitting through my Little League games, packing for camping trips, etc. I should add that she did all of that, not just for me, but also for my three younger siblings. As I think back on how my mom managed four kids and one husband in a busy household, I’m rather amazed. She seemed to take it all in stride, and was never too busy to be there emotionally for me and my siblings.
My mom modeled faithful Christian discipleship. I remember when I was young, sitting in church during the prayer of confession, and thinking that my mom never sinned. Oh, I figured she had sinned when she was young. But I just couldn’t imagine what my mom’s sins since I had entered her life. I expect my estimation of my mom’s sinlessness wasn’t quite true, but my naive evaluation of her moral state spoke volumes about her character. She lived her faith in a consistent way day in and day out in front of those who watched her continually. I’m sure my mom’s faithfulness as a Christian is one main reason why I am a believer today. I was not one of those unfortunate kids whose parents professed faith at church but didn’t live it out at home.
Speaking of church, this reminds me of one of the things I admire most about my mother. During most of my youth, she was a “stay at home mom.” This label is about as far from the truth as it could be, given how much she was away from home being a chauffeur, room mother, Girl Scout leader, Sunday school teacher, etc. Nevertheless, she didn’t work for money during my growing up years. As my siblings and I got older, my mom began working in a children’s store, and ended up being the assistant manager of that store. But work was never the main thing in her life. Family and church always took first place.
In 1979 my dad was diagnosed with serious cancer. Surgery and chemotherapy added several years to his life. He died in 1986 after a long, slow bout with liver cancer. As you can imagine, all of this took a great toll on my mother. I wondered how she would make it without my dad, emotionally and financially.
Not long after my dad’s death, our church found itself without a Children’s Director. The leaders asked my mom to serve as the Interim Children’s Director while they searched for the permament person. My mom had done lots of volunteer leadership in the ministry, and was glad to fill in as the Interim Director. Now this was a big job, full time plus. The children’s ministry at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, where I worked as College Director at that time, was large, with hundreds of children and families, not to mention hundreds of volunteers.
My mom jumped into the job with gusto, and promptly began to get everything organized. She paid close attention to her Sunday School teachers, met with parents who were struggling with their kids, and pioneered some new ministries. She set the bar high for the new, permanent Children’s Director . . . so high, in fact, that eventually the church leaders decided to stop looking for some outside “expert.” They hired my mom as the full-time Children’s Director, a role she filled for seventeen years. During that time, the children’s ministry at Hollywood Pres flourished, even growing numerically in a time when the church was declining in membership. Even though she was not an ordained pastor, my mom nurtured dozens of “pastoral” relationships with children, parents, and lay ministers under her charge.
I admire my mom’s leadership abilities, her faithfulness and prayerfulness. I am especially impressed with how she was able to do all of this while still grieving over my dad’s death. In God’s gracious providence, her ministry gave my mother something wonderful to live for, a way to make a giant difference in the world, and also a way to help pay her bills.
I think what I admire most in my mother is not her work at the church, however, but her “work” at home. She and my father raised four children. All of us have turned out well, if you’ll pardon my bluntness. My siblings are some of the finest people I know. We are all in the business of serving people as a pastor, a teacher, a marriage and family counselor, and a sheriff. We have solid marriages and have produced or adopted some wonderful grandchildren for my mom, for whom she is a fantastic grandmother. (See photo below for proof.)
So, to my mom I say: “Thanks for being such a great mother, grandmother, and human being. Happy birthday! And in the words of Winnie the Pooh, to whom you introduced me so many years ago, ‘Many happy returns of the day!’”
Topics: Birthdays | 6 Comments »
Lent Special!
By Mark D. Roberts | Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Yesterday I went to one of my favorite restaurants in Boerne, Texas. It’s called the Hungry Horse, and it specializes in Texas-style food: chicken fried steak, burgers, steamed veggies, appetizers, giant salads, etc. etc. As I was standing in line to order (it’s an order at the counter establishment), I noted the sign to the right. That’s right. The Hungry Horse as a Lent Special. [Oops. Typo! As Paul points out below, I could get in trouble with the animal rights people. It should read: The Hungry Horse has a Lent Special.] It’s fish, as you might guess. And it must be good, because the bottom of the sign reads: “Mmmmmmmmm. . . . .”
I think a Lent Special chicken burger is fine, though I’m not sure “spicy tartar on the side” is really a Lenten option. And, given the oleaginous wonder of Hungry Horse Onion Rings, I’m not sure these would fit in Lent. In fact, they’d be something you should give up for Lent!
No, I didn’t order the Lent Special. I’m a big fan of the Hungry Horse Chicken Salad. And I didn’t give up chicken for Lent, so no worries!
Anybody else see any Lent Specials out there?
Topics: Holidays | 6 Comments »
“God Only” - A Great Piece on Lenten Spirituality
By Mark D. Roberts | Monday, March 2, 2009
Mark Galli, the senior managing editor of Christianity Today, has written an outstanding piece on Lenten spirituality. It’s called: “God Only.” Galli’s insights speak incisively to some of the trends in contemporary Christianity. But they also touched me personally. I highly recommend that you read “God Only.”
Thanks, Mark, for this excellent column.
A Lenten photo: The hills of Palm Desert, California.
Topics: Recommendations | 4 Comments »
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling
By Mark D. Roberts | Sunday, March 1, 2009
Ultimate Satisfaction
Because I am righteous, I will see you.
When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.
Psalm 17 overflows with David’s prayers of asking: hear my plea, listen to my cry, pay attention to my prayer, declare me innocent, show me your unfailing love, guard me, protect me, rescue me, etc. But the last verse of the psalm includes a unexpected profession: “When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.” We might think that David would not be satisfied until all of his requests had been fulfilled by God. But, in fact, as he comes to the end of his prayer, David realizes that ultimate satisfaction comes, not in having God’s answers to your prayers, but in God himself.
One of the greatest privileges in life is being able to offer our prayers to God. Scripture invites us to ask for what we need without hesitation. Yet, though we often begin our prayers by asking God to do things for us, in the very process of praying, we discover the joy of God’s presence. Sure, we still want him to answer our prayers. But, even more, we yearn for God, realizing that nothing is better than being with him.
Prayer, therefore, is not primarily a means of getting God to do what we want him to do. Rather, prayer is a channel of relationship. Through prayer, we encounter the living God, and he satisfies us in a way nothing else in life can satisfy.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Have you ever had a “Psalm 17” experience, where you began praying urgently for what you wanted God to do for you, but, along the way, discovered the wonder of his presence? What helps to open your heart to the Lord as you pray? When have you known the deep satisfaction of being with the Lord?
PRAYER: Dear Lord, how many times have I done just like David! I come to you with my needs, my concerns, my desires. Yet as I pour out my heart to you, I experience something I hadn’t bargained for . . . the peace and joy of your presence. A deep sense of satisfaction comes upon me, not because I have received what I’ve requested, but because I’ve spent time with you.
Thank you, dear Lord, for the freedom you give me to tell you whatever is on my heart. How glad I am that I don’t have to come up with perfectly proper prayers for you. Yet, I thank you even more for making yourself known to me as I pray. Being with you, Lord, is best of all. Amen.
P.S. from Mark
I have explored the ideas in this reflection much more thoroughly in my book on praying the Psalms: No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer.
Daily Reflections from The High Calling.org
This devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work (www.thehighcalling.org). You can read my Daily Reflections there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace.
Topics: Sunday Inspiration | No Comments »