Posted August 27th, 2008 by Nathan
Consider this quote by Howard Synder in his book, “Liberating the Church” (Downers Grove, IL. Inter-Varsity Press, 1983):
“When Christians catch a vision of the Kingdom of God, their sight shifts to the poor, the orphan, the widow, the refugee, the wretched of the earth, to God’s future – to the concerns of justice, mercy, and truth. Church people think about how to get people into the church. Kingdom people think about how to get the church into the world. Church people worry that the world might change the church. Kingdom people work to see the church change the world.”
Posted August 21st, 2008 by Nathan
Every so often the secretaries at Pleasant Valley decide that it’s time to have a “graze day,” and yesterday was that day. Now these days are never put on the calendar so one never knows when “the day” might be approaching. Last fall when I was here at PV I was privileged to enjoy two of these days. For those that enjoy eating, such as I do, then these days are truly something special. These days are just as the name describes there is tons of food and you graze all day. The array of foods include: chips and several dips, cakes, cookies, pigs in a blanket, sausage balls, … and it’s all incredible.
I’ve heard it said that we should “live to eat” and not “eat to live.” Well, on “graze day” you are truly living to eat. Needless to say it’s a good day in the office.
Posted August 11th, 2008 by Nathan
Like many across the globe Sara and I have tried to watch some of the Olympics. Last night we were watching some of the swimming events. These are some of my favorites to watch since I swam competitively through High School.
We watched Katie Hoff let the gold slip away as Rebecca Adlington of Great Britain beat her in the last 50 meters of the 400 free to touch out the American by 7/100ths of a second. Next we watched the final for the men 4×100 free. As the announcers built up this event the French were by far the favorites and the Americans were clearly fighting for silver. The race started and Phelps swam first leaving the Americans in second. As the race continued the Americans took the lead but then lost it in the third leg of the race to the French. As Jason Lezak jumped in the pool he was behind Alain Bernard (the Frenchman who holds the world record in the 100 free). As the race progressed Lezak was behind by well over half a body length going into the turn. At this point I turned to Sara and said “there’re gonna have to fight for silver.” As they neared the 25 meter mark of the final lap Jason was closing the gap. By this point I was up off the couch talking to the TV and not believing what I was seeing. The last ten meters of the race were incredible. Lezak managed to turn it on and slip in stealing the gold from the French by 8/100ths of a second. What a finish! SI reported that “He (Lezak) got down and back in a staggering 46.06, the fastest relay leg in history though it doesn’t count as an official record.”
The games are still just starting; I can’t wait to see what other excitement they will bring.
Posted August 6th, 2008 by Nathan
Over the past two or three weeks I’ve heard different classes and sermons at church and these have kept reminding me of a story that I heard several years ago. I’ve managed to find it in the book Why Revival Tarries (p.32) by Leonard Ravenhill. He writes:
Charlie Peace was a criminal. Laws of God or man curbed him not. Finally the law caught up with him, and he was condemned to death. On the fatal morning in Armley Jail, Leeds, England, he was taken on the death-walk. Before him went the prison chaplain, routinely and sleepily reading some Bible verses. The criminal touched the preacher and asked what he was reading. “The Consolations of Religion,” was the reply. Charlie Peace was shocked at the way he professionally read about hell. Could a man be so unmoved under the very shadow of the scaffold as to lead a fellow-human there and yet, dry-eyed, read of a pit that has no bottom into which this fellow must fall? Could this preacher believe the words that there is an eternal fire that never consumes its victims, and yet slide over the phrase with a tremor? Is a man human at all who can say with no tears, “You will be eternally dying and yet never know the relief that death brings”? All this was too much for Charlie Peace. So he preached. Listen to his on-the-eve-of-hell sermon:
“Sir,” addressing the preacher, “if I believed what you and the church of God say that you believe, even if England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would walk over it, if need be, on hands and knees and think it worthwhile living, just to save one soul from an eternal hell like that!
This is the kind of story that cuts one’s knees out from under them, hits one right between the eyes, and leaves one embarrassed and speechless. That’s because more often than not, even though we believe in heaven and hell, we’re not willing to crawl on broken glass.
My prayer is that we will understand the urgent task that has been laid before us and may that change the way we see those around us this day.