____________________
READ ARTICLE HERE
After reading the above article about Chinese Christians being detained for gathering for Easter services it reminded me of the freedoms that I, too often, take for granted here in America.
For our Easter services at ChangePoint I was free to print and distribute invitations, posters, flyers and bulletins, as well as electronically market our services to tens of thousands of people. The only thing that I feared was email bounce-back or people asking to be removed from our mailing list. No threat of persecution, no chance of government authorities detaining me and no risk.
If I am honest, I went through this entire Easter season and never once thought about the Christians around the world that were risking their lives to gather and celebrate our risen King.
Father, forgive me for being so focused on "me" and "my church" that I forget to remember your church world-wide.
____________________
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Reflections on Lent 2011
Lent is always a special season and this year was no different.
Now that the 40 days have been completed and we have celebrated the resurrection of our King, I look back on Lent and reflect on the real highlights.
This year there is one practice that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Sherri and I decided that we would read through the four Gospels during Lent. This ended up being one of, if not the, richest times in our 5 1/2 years of marriage. Each evening we would sit down and read two or three chapters and then spend a good amount of time discussing what we read. There were several nights when these discussions lasted for over an hour.
We would discuss our thoughts about what we read, our beliefs, dis-beliefs and questions. Then we would take the time to wrestle through it all. It was often messy, but always good.
We enjoyed this format so much that we have decided to keep it going. We are going to continue through the New Testament and then loop back to the OT.
Taking time to, not just read the word with my wife, but also discuss it and have time to talk through it has been amazing. I believe that our lives and our marriage will reap the benefits from Lent 2011 for a long time thanks to this spiritual discipline that we took up.
Now that the 40 days have been completed and we have celebrated the resurrection of our King, I look back on Lent and reflect on the real highlights.
This year there is one practice that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Sherri and I decided that we would read through the four Gospels during Lent. This ended up being one of, if not the, richest times in our 5 1/2 years of marriage. Each evening we would sit down and read two or three chapters and then spend a good amount of time discussing what we read. There were several nights when these discussions lasted for over an hour.
We would discuss our thoughts about what we read, our beliefs, dis-beliefs and questions. Then we would take the time to wrestle through it all. It was often messy, but always good.
We enjoyed this format so much that we have decided to keep it going. We are going to continue through the New Testament and then loop back to the OT.
Taking time to, not just read the word with my wife, but also discuss it and have time to talk through it has been amazing. I believe that our lives and our marriage will reap the benefits from Lent 2011 for a long time thanks to this spiritual discipline that we took up.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Good Friday
Today I am reminded that Good Friday is all about the love and provision of God.
It is about a Love that went beyond anything that we can imagine, to prove itself to us and a Provision that did something for us that we never could have done on our own.
Today I am thankful for a God that didn't wait for me to love Him. Instead, He acted first. He demonstrates his own love for us in this: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Oh, How deep the Father's love for us.
It is about a Love that went beyond anything that we can imagine, to prove itself to us and a Provision that did something for us that we never could have done on our own.
Today I am thankful for a God that didn't wait for me to love Him. Instead, He acted first. He demonstrates his own love for us in this: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Oh, How deep the Father's love for us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
