Jest Fishin'

I went fishing today on Lake Loudon. The fish were biting, so I decided to join them, but broke my front tooth! On the way back to the dock, I decided to improvise...




I guess I'm a real Bluegrass preacher now!

Midweek Mosaic - Walking in Eden

And in the cool of the evening, God walked in the Garden of Eden...

Castle

Scottish audio version here

Isaiah 32:14 The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks, (NIV)

I’ve a beautiful painting hanging over the fireplace in my home. It’s a picture of Dunure Castle, an old medieval fort that sits above a cliff on the west coast of Scotland. At one time, it was owned by the mighty Kennedys of Cassillis. They lorded over the region for several centuries and some of them were despicable despots. In the sixteenth century, Gilbert Kennedy roasted a local minister, Alan Stewart, on a spit in the castle dungeon. Gilbert did this to obtain the deeds of church lands to add to his possessions.

The painting was given to me by the people of Dunure when our family left Scotland to immigrate to America. Whenever I feel homesick, I look at the painting and remind myself of the great times and moments that I shared with the villagers over nine years.

During the summer, many of the village children and parents used to gather in the grounds of the castle on Sunday evenings to play rounders. It’s sort of like baseball only you use hula-hoops for bases and hit a tennis ball with a racket. We would play for hours on the green and it was a great way of blending the families in community activities.

Always in the background, the ruins of Dunure castle would watch over us and I sometimes wondered what the mighty Kennedys would have thought if they could have seen the local minister and villagers trespassing on their grounds. No doubt another Stuart would have been roasted!

The Kennedys built a fortress that they thought would endure forever, but as time went by, it fell apart and was ruined. Sometimes in our own lives we build emotional and spiritual fortresses around ourselves to keep us free from corruption and make us impervious to the world’s woes. Eventually time will have its way and even the strongest of us will grow weak and become frail. That’s when we need the mighty fortress of God to enable us to endure. That’s when we rely upon the Name of Jesus to keep us strong.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we depend upon You to get us through the good and bad times of life. You shield us from sin and help us to overcome our problems. We look to You for guidance and assurance, for safety and security. Be our mighty fortress and the guardian of our souls. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Parting of the Way

Scottish audio version here

Psalm 33:11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

John 7: 43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. (NIV)

Today, there will be a sad parting in our Presbytery of East Tennessee. Our biggest church, Signal Mountain of Chattanooga, is leaving the denomination. Throughout the last fifteen years, they have tried to remain with the PC(USA) but after last year’s faith fiasco at the General Assembly, they are now pulling out.

The Progressives and Pluralists in our denomination are causing untold damage across the church. Their insistence in changing the faith of the church to accommodate cultural ways is more about defiance and rebellion. They are not growing the church; they are wrecking it and tearing down the walls.

But the purposes of God’s heart can never be thwarted and what is emerging is a neo-orthodoxy, where people are longing and clinging to the Gospel because they know within their hearts that the truth about life exists in Christ’s words and ways. The pseudo-progressives are actually regressing into pagan, heretical, and heathen ways – the real progressives are those who are walking onward and upward in the Kingdom of God.

So, today will be a sad time for our presbytery, but it will also be a triumphant time for God’s Kingdom. The old ways still remain – the Trinitarian values, qualities and titles that we ascribe to God will still be revered. Our people may be divided, but it’s because there are some who are still devoted to Jesus – not the Historical or Hysterical Jesus – not the Buddhist or New Age Jesus – but the One, True and Living Christ who is accurately revealed to us in the New Testament.

In the end, it’s all about faith and not our preferences. We kneel to no one but Christ. We call no one else Savior and Lord. The Progressives and Pluralists are creating another god, a different Christ, a more culturally acceptable Jesus. They are not reading the Gospel – Jesus was an anti-cultural radical and the true Church has been fighting the good fight against society since it was first established on the Day of Pentecost. And, long after the Progressives and Pluralists are dead and gone, Jesus Christ of the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John will still be worshiped, glorified, and exalted.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, our church is divided because of You. Some of us have taken sides with the world and the devil in order to be more acceptable to society. Others of us have remained loyal to Your ways and words, as we read and hear them in the New Testament. Let Your Holy Spirit fall upon our churches and our people. Let Your true ways be proclaimed and Your Gospel be truly taught. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

Memorial Day

For the Veterans

We will remember them,
Even though the years of peace
Have swiftly gone and lately passed
And men of war can't rest at last;
We, who are free,
Will not forget how once they chose
To fight and die on distant shores
For love of us and liberty.

We will remember Him,
Even though the years of grace
Have distanced each succeeding race
And men of God seem out of place;
We, with our faith,
Will not forget how once He chose
To go and die upon a cross
For love of us and liberty.

He will remember us,
Even though the years of life
Fly swiftly past before our eyes
And man is dust beneath the skies;
He, with His power,
Will not forget all those who choose
To follow Him and never lose
Their love of God or Liberty.

Celtic Moon

Mosaic Art of a Celtic Cross - created on the Memorial Day afternoon. I had a funeral this morning, so I needed to do something to unwind. This is what i came up with...

No Tears for My People

I watched the HBO movie "Bury My heart at Wounded Knee" tonight. It inspired me to draw this mosaic of the actor who played Sitting Bull.

Sand Lines

Scottish accent audio version here

Romans 8:11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (NIV)

The gloves are coming off. I’ve about had it with those who are leading the church astray. In recent weeks, a Presbyterian pastor in another part of Tennessee had declared on Easter to his congregation that Jesus’ body decayed just like everyone else who died in the past. Now he is promoting Pluralism Sunday this Sunday, which is the Day of Pentecost, proclaiming that the Holy Spirit’s gift of languages was to let people of other religions and cultures know that their ways, their faith, and their beliefs were alright with God.

We’ve a word for that kind of accommodating, universalist preacher in Scotland – a numpty. Pentecost was the day when the Holy Spirit inspired the apostles to declare the Gospel in different languages. The message was the same, only the languages were different. For too long, we allowed universalists to bend, twist, and malign the truth that Christ presented. If they want to preach and teach that God has changed His mind and no longer validates His Son’s ministry, mission, death and resurrection, then they can go and do it elsewhere. A line of faith has been drawn in the sand, so this pandering to the world’s insistence of what Christianity should be must come to a halt.

To me, when Jesus says “I am the Truth, the Way and the Life,” He really means it. There’s no room for negotiation, compromise or accommodation. If He had said, “I am a way, a truth, and a life,” things might have been different, but the scriptures included “the” – the definite article – to show us how definite He was. Those who cannot accept this, cannot accept Him. And those who cannot accept Him, cannot be accepted by Him.

So, I’m drawing a line in the sand and I’m not retreating any further. This is far enough, not fair enough. It’s time to fight the good fight and win people back to Christ. It’s time to boldly go and preach the Gospel. There is no other way, no other truth, and no other life. There is no ‘my way’ on the King’s Highway! It’s either His way or dismay.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, for too long we have been spiritually asleep and have let go of priceless articles of faith and precious words of salvation. Awaken us from our slumber and restore us to Your work. Combat our poor witness and overcome our stubborn pride. Teach us to be soldiers, as well as servants, for Your Church and Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

Mary's Journey

An abstract pictograph depicting Mary's life - her exhausting journey to Bethlehem; the terrifying flight to Egypt; and as an old lady wanting to hold her precious Son in her arms again.

Babylon 02 - Secret Messages

Scottish accent audio version here

1 Peter 5:13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. (NIV)

We tend to forget that our Christian ancestors lived in troubled times and underwent terrible persecutions. This meant that some of their activities and communications had to be kept secret. This verse is encoded with a secret message that only other Christians would understand.

“She who is in Babylon” – what does it mean? Someone that Peter couldn’t name who was secretly working in Persia? Was he referring to Mary the mother of Jesus on a covert mission in Iraq? Did he mean Mary Magdalene and was she doing some sort of undercover work in the Middle East?

As much as these suggestions sound intriguing, the answer is less complicated. The “she” is the Church, the Mother Church. “Babylon” is the Christian code word for “Rome.” So Peter is writing about the underground church that was flourishing in Rome – a church that met in secret underneath the city in the catacombs.

Peter knew that his letters could have been intercepted, read by the Roman authorities, thus bringing their wrath upon the Christian community. Anyone caught with the letter would have been treated like an insurgent, a home-grown terrorist if you like. And if Rome had been specifically mentioned, it would have brought death to the messenger. So, Peter encrypts the end of the letter with a greeting to tell the recipients that, despite persecution, the church in Rome was still flourishing.

It’s not everyday that we get to read spy mail, but today’s passage from Peter’s letter is just that. It really humbles me to think that the first Christians, who practiced the same faith that I have, had to be careful about what they wrote, said, or sent. They were all true heroes and heroines in my book. They were all true believers of Christ.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we really have an easy time when it comes to matters of faith. We can worship when we like, read scripture without interruption, and even pray without fear of being watched, betrayed, or persecuted. We take our religious freedom for granted and forget the true price of our faith.

Help us to remember that there are others in our world whose Christian faith will cost them their families, their careers, and even their lives today. Keep us from becoming blasé about what our Christians beliefs really mean. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Letting Go

Scottish audio version here

Colossians 1: 28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. (NIV)

Part of my seminary training was spent dealing with people who had emotional problems. A group of our seniors students were tutored by professional social workers who were attached to a local hospital. The purpose of the tutoring was not to show us how to help people with problems, but to learn that there are some situations where people cannot be helped.

This was not something that we accepted readily. As would be ministers and zealous servants for the Lord, we believed that everyone could be helped, cured, and saved. There was no emotional problem that prayer could not overcome. There was no person who would end up being left behind. We had the power of the Spirit within us and we were ready to save the entire world.

One of the senior social workers kept telling us that we had to accept our limitations. If people had severe emotional and mental issues, we had to learn how to let go and refer them to a specialist. Time and time again, he admonished us on how important it was to let go of our pride and zeal when people were beyond our help. Too many pastors held on to people in counseling captivity instead of referring them to specially qualified counselors.

One of our group wouldn’t accept this. And when we were each assigned different patients to counsel, he went on a one-man mission to rescue, save, and cure the person under his care. He even visited the patient at her home, which was strictly taboo.

Well, to cut a long story short, the patient ended up taking an overdose whilst he was at her apartment. The paramedics rushed to her home and managed to save her life. A couple of days later, we were all ushered into the presence of the senior social worker. He plainly told us about the situation and this time admonished us to remember the event and to recognize there were limits to what we could do to help people as pastors. It’s a lesson I have tried to put into practice throughout my years of counseling. There are just some people that I personally cannot help. There are limitations in some situations to what I can do.

Sadly, the student who over-stepped his boundaries only remained a pastor for a couple of years. He never learned this lesson and took a nervous breakdown because of what we call “Savior Syndrome” in the ministry. He just didn’t accept his limitations. He just wouldn’t refer people to other specialists.

Perhaps your trying to help someone in a severe situation. Maybe you’ve been carrying that person for years, but your support has only enabled her or him to continue in their personal crisis. Sometimes the best help we can give to others is to offer no help at all by letting them go and saying “no.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, even You could not heal everyone or solve all of their problems. There were times when people rejected Your advice or ignored Your admonitions. You healed many, but not all. Help us to understand this hard lesson and grant us the courage to let go of those whom we cannot help. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Angels Dancing on a Celtic Cross

I've been working on a Celtic Cross abstract all week. After three attempts, I managed to create what I wanted.



There is a Celtic Cross in the picture...

Fight the Good Fight

Scottish audio version here

Philippians 3:19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. (NIV)

I wonder what Paul would have thought about buying food in a supermarket and seeing glossy magazines at the check outs that extol the virtues of the latest diets? I think he would have had a hissy fit and banned Christians from being in such places. But now that I think about it, it does seem kind of weird that in the very places where we pile up our carts with all sorts of junk food, we’re also enticed to buy weekly diet magazines. I guess that’s the way the world and marketing works. We buy the food because we’re hungry and we purchase the magazines because we feel guilty.

Even in Paul’s time, people were the same. The enemies of Christ were known for their gluttony, excesses, and over-indulgence. But what Paul was worried about was that Christian people were being led astray by the world, so that there was hardly any difference between Christ’s followers and unfaithful people. The church was enticed by society to adopt earthly standards instead of heavenly ones.

And that’s been the fight in every generation since Paul’s time. We’re constantly striving to keep our faith and maintain some sort of different standard, whereas the world pressurizes us to be like everyone else. Some Christians have even bought into the old heresy that all religions are alike and that we are all heading towards the same goal – the happiness of heaven. But we are not alike, which is why Christians are not liked in most secular cultures. We are different for we have a different Teacher, a different Savior, a different Leader to follow.

Now, don’t get me wrong – we aren’t perfect, spiritually superior, or absolutely sinless. Christians still have faults and make mistakes. But we try to overcome our selfish ways; we aim to please God rather than ourselves; we attempt to practice faith through confession, forgiveness, compassion, and love. Our minds aren’t always on earthly things, for our hearts are filled with heavenly hopes. As Paul expresses it: “…our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, our lives belong to You and we try to serve You each day. We know that we are prone to failure and make many mistakes. But we also realize that You have the authority to forgive our past misdeeds, and that You bestow a mercy which frees us from our regrets, enabling us to begin again. Be with us this day and renew our spirits. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Amazing Agents

Scottish audio version here

Ephesians 4: 12 ‘…to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…’

I’m always amazed at the amount of good that church people do in the world. Congregations are full of individuals who like to give of themselves to causes and charities over and above what they commit to their own church. For example, I’ve seen a group of Senior citizens contribute monthly to the needs of a young boy in the Philippines, who has grown up well educated because of their support. I’ve known a group of college students to give up their breaks to clean up hurricane-ravaged areas of the Gulf Coast, and who also have worked with poor school children in Guatemala.

I’ve watched a busy young mother set up a weekly support group for other mothers on Monday mornings, giving them and their children a good start to another week of pressure. I’ve seen a young family with a deaf child start a monthly group for other families with deaf children, in order to help them find the right resources, peer support, and a place to express their feelings.

I’ve also watched a retired scientist give up his Tuesdays and Thursdays to work on Habitat building projects. And I’ve encountered a 90 year old man who constantly visits people in hospital and nursing homes, bringing to the patients and residents good cheer, friendship, and faith to help them get better.

These are just a few of the good things that church people are doing to help others. With each act of kindness, friendship, and love, the sharing of faith and the building up of Christ’s church continues. These are good people, working for God’s Kingdom and serving Him in ways that positively impact those around them.

That’s what Paul was expressing to the Christians at Ephesus. That’s also what Christ did for us when He descended into this world. Now that He has ascended into heaven, it’s our turn to do His work, in His ways. For in so doing, we not only make the world a better place, we also build up Christ’s Church.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, every day You grant us opportunities to do good, to help others, and to give support to those in need. Help us to fulfill those precious moments, so that we may make a positive difference in the world and be agents of Your compassion, hope, and love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Weekend Art Project - Singer of Songs

A member of the Heavenly Choir

Blogachute #3!!!

It’s Friday lunchtime! – which means blogachute! Time to jump off the blogplane and freefall into cyberspace until I land on the ground.

Today’s freefall takes us into the world of atheism, spiritualism and a lot of New Age stuff. I guess if we want to be relevant in today’s world, we need to know what we’re up against. After all, Paul preached on Mars Hill using the statue of an unknown god.

8000 feet - http://atheist1.com/blog/

A resourceful website for people who want to get rid of their religious burdens by turning away from God. I didn’t realize there were so many books! Maybe I should stock up on a few and review my systematic theology. Argumentative site, but applies comment moderation. I’ve asked a couple of questions here, but they never show up.

7000 feet - http://churchofintegrity.blogspot.com/

Lots of huggy, touchy, feely stuff going on here. Respect and tolerance for one another, although the blogger questions existence of God and the purpose of religion more than a few times. I guess this is how the other side think.


6000 feet - http://www.non-violent.com/

Otherwise known as Maryilyn’s Non-Violent Planet. Lots of great Peace Movement links and resources here. Nice philosophy going on, too. I like the layout and graphics. A cyber-encyclopedia of pacifism.



5000 feet - http://members.aol.com/AngriesOut/index.htm

Sounds a bit corny and looks a bit dated, but website is a great resource for family life and strengthening relationships. Lots of counseling tools and perhaps small group study stuff here. Definitely a bookmarker for Family ministries.

4000 feet - http://www.coloringtherapy.com/

An interesting site about the therapeutic use of coloring. You have to purchase the designs, though. Some ideas about transcendental meditation – I thought that went out of style when the Beatles broke up. I guess not.


3000 feet - http://www.expressyoursoul.com/

Website of Dr. Joy Lynn Freeman – a healing arts coach/consultant whose into yoga, dance, and creativity. Very pleasing and aesthetic site to view. Some of the links are painfully slow to view – or maybe it was just my computer. New Age stuff doesn’t go down well with my e-machine.


2000 feet - http://www.john-paolucci.com/

This blogachute jump is getting weird and wacky, almost like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or Milo’s journey in the Phantom Tolbooth. This website is about controlling the universe through your own thoughts. Sounds a bit like that new book “The Secret.”

The human imagination is a wonderful vehicle for endless creation.


1000 feet – back on course - http://www.labyrinthonline.com/

The definitive website about labyrinths. I walked one about three weeks ago and fell in love with the spiritual journey. Great site for history, meaning, and resources on labyrinths. One day, all our churches will have one – although some folks think that Presbytery is a bureaucratic labyrinth…but that’s me getting polity political…heheheheheh..

Zero feet – back to terra firma, as well as opus major

Foreign Ways

Scottish accent Audio version here

I Kings 8:43 …then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. (NIV)

There’s talk of amnesty and deals for the 12 million illegal aliens in this nation. The President and Congress want to find a solution to a problem that is beginning to affect us all. There’s no easy answer to this, and it certainly won’t be resolved overnight. As a legal immigrant and naturalized citizen, I find myself struggling with this issue. Part of me wants to see as many people as possible receiving the blessings of this nation; the other half of me wants to make sure that they follow the rules to get in here.

It’s a highly controversial issue and one that inflames a lot of passion in ordinary people. Fears about the collapse of the economy, the health of the nation, and the education system are normal reactions to a major influx of immigrants to any nation. You only have to look at examples from history to know that the immigration anxieties we are experiencing have been going on since Biblical times. What we’re feeling has been expressed, experienced and endured by hundreds of nations across the centuries. It’s not something new to us, and as long as people live and move all over the globe, it will continue to happen.

The Jews of the Old Testament respected and tolerated foreigners in ways that we have perhaps forgotten. They even had special scriptural laws which pertained to the well-being of the foreigner in their midst. This was because of their experiences in Egypt – God had delivered the immigrant Hebrew people from oppression and slavery. Centuries later, they were called to treat foreigners respectfully in their own nation.

But it was also a two-way process. Immigrants were expected to uphold the customs and traditions of the sovereign people. When Solomon dedicates the Temple, he expresses this by asking God to favorably answer the prayers of worshipping foreigners – foreigners who believed in the One, True and Living God of the Hebrew people.

So, perhaps the solution to the problems of illegal immigration is two-fold. Firstly, we tolerate and treat one another respectfully, for we are all God’s children; and secondly, foreigners in our midst need to respect, uphold and practice those traditions that are dear to the American people. It seems to me that the Bible is giving us this as the way to resolve these issues.

Prayer: Lord God, we are all Your children. We need to remember that when You look at the world, there are no boundaries, walls or fences, no nations, nationalities or races. We all belong to You and the world is Your possession.

Grant us patience, faith and love to overcome prejudice, fear, and loathing. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Going Global

Audio Version here

Isaiah 49:6 I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."
Ephesians 2:17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. (NIV)

I want to thank you for reading these devotions each day. It’s amazing how many people use these scriptures for their daily devotions and meditate on the message. Readers live all over the world and it humbles me to think that other lives are affected by these words. Over the past three years, I have received many kind replies and some thoughtful opinions about what I have written. It frequently amazes me how often a bible verse or a thought relates to your own experiences. That’s the living power of God’s word. That’s the Holy Spirit in action.

I also post these messages on a blogsite called “Heaven’s Highway.” It’s read by pastors and people from churches all over the place. It also contains some of my artwork, archived messages, as well as a novel way of using the internet called “blogachuting.” You can find out what that means by visiting the website at www.glenkirk.blogspot.com.

Last night, I added something special to the blog – it’s an instantaneous translator which translates these messages into French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. It’s an amazing web tool and it means that even more folk can read these daily devotions in different languages. I am astounded by this device, although it does have some glitches – for instance, whenever I write the word “spirit” in English, it translates the word into ‘alcohol’ in some languages. I guess the foreign reader will understand what I originally mean due to the context of the message!

I’ve also added a subscriber to the devotional, which automatically sends the message and artwork to people around the world by email. In recent months, my AOL email has developed some glitches, so this new web tool effectively eradicates that problem.

I guess what I’m trying to express here is that we live in amazing times and the word of God is being spread around the world, to people near and far, in wonderful ways. In the past couple of days, readers from across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Singapore have been reading these messages. In the past, computer users from China, Brazil, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bahrain, and even Saudi Arabia have read these devotionals. One day, by the grace of God, I hope to get to meet them in glory.

So thank you for your support and for sending these messages to other people. What began three years ago as a devotional for elders is now touching lives all over the globe. Isn’t God amazing?

Prayer: Heavenly Lord, we live in amazing times when people from all over the world can be connected to each other almost instantaneously. Help us to use this powerful technology to spread Your word of peace and gospel. Enable us to share Your holy words and sacred Son. In Jesus’ name, we enthusiastically pray. Amen.

Caught in the Hot

Global warming with Dr. Seuss or How the world came to an end when we ran out of green eggs and ham.

Real Reconciliators

2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. (NIV)

I used to hate a guy called Graeme who lived about 500 yards from my home. I don’t what started the rivalry, but his house was in a different street, so that automatically put him in the category of “enemy.” We used to shout and call names at each other, throw stones in the summer, and snowballs in the winter. It went on for years and to this day, I can’t remember what caused such hatred.

I do, however, remember what stopped it. We grew weary of fighting one another and decided to become friends. Instead of shouting at him, I asked Graeme if he collected postage stamps. To my surprise, he did and we arranged to meet after school to swap our doublers – stamps that we had more than one of. From that moment on, we became the best of friends and were constantly in each other’s company throughout our teenage years. We had discovered similar interests and given up on our fighting. We had buried the hatchet and reconciled our differences.

I guess that’s what God does when He sends Jesus into the world. He takes on our similarities and gives up on our enmity. God gives us a wonderful opportunity to be reconciled to Him and restored to His Kingdom. Without Jesus, we would be at war with God forever. Without Christ, we would have no hope of returning to God’s love.

This is why it’s important that we as Christians become ambassadors of God’s peace. Sadly, that’s hard to do in a world which is bent on war. However, if we want hatred to end and enmity to cease, then we have to become agents of reconciliation and servants of goodwill. Without Christ, our world will be at war forever. Without Jesus, the earth will have no hope of experiencing love.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, some people say that the hope of peace is mere pie in the sky and cannot ever be accomplished. Sometimes we fail miserably at keeping peace with one another, and Your church seems to be in the midst of all the fighting that’s going on. Remind us that our faith is not meant for fighting, but for reconciling. Help us to remember that You call us to be ambassadors of God’s unity, and not agents of the devil’s divisions. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Acedia

Audio version here

Romans 5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (NIV)

I came across a new word the other day: acedia. It means ‘spiritual languor.’ I guess it’s like belief burnout or compassion fatigue. It’s when you lose your connection to God, His church or His people, and you end up feeling isolated, vulnerable, and maybe even abandoned.

It’s like being in a spiritual wilderness with no sense of direction, focus, or meaning. It’s a hard state to be in and a hard experience to endure. Souls can feel lost in acedia, but it seems to be an important part of our spiritual journey and Christian growth.

The Desert Fathers of the fourth and fifth centuries experienced a lot of this, especially when they chose to be isolated from the rest of the Christian community. They went out into the desert to find themselves because they were too many distractions around them in the towns and cities where they lived. They found the peace and quiet, solace and tranquility they were looking for, but slowly and surely acedia wormed its way into their hearts and minds. For a time, their souls became depressed and their grasp of God weakened. Some of them went mad with despair, whilst others were overwhelmed with a spiritual malaise.

So, how did they overcome acedia? They kept on praying. They kept on meditating about God. They kept on reading the scriptures. And even although this was hard to do, they persevered; bringing their souls through that acediac wilderness to a realization of a new hope in God’s overflowing love through being reconnected to the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps, you are feeling the same acedia. Maybe you’ve felt disconnected to God for a while and have lost some of that peace, presence and spiritual strength you so desperately need at this time. You’re not alone, and others have walked that wilderness path before you. Keep praying. Keep reading. Keep persevering. You’ll one day discover that God still holds you in His hand and that He keeps pouring out His love to you day by day, hour by hour, second by second.

Prayer: Father God, sometimes we feel that we have lost our grasp of faith and that things are not the same. Sometimes we wonder if You are really there, or if we are really that important to You. As we struggle with acedia, keep on loving us. Continue to guide us by Your grace and lead us by Your love. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Pentecost Peace

The Holy Spirit of peace descends like a dove to earth, only to be crucified in an Iraqi civil war.

Why cry "peace! peace!" when there is no peace - Jeremiah 8v11

Babylon

Job 38:19 "What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? (NIV)

When I read this verse this morning, it reminded me of the beginning of an old nursery rhyme that always puzzled me. Perhaps you remember it as well:

"How many miles to Babylon? Three score miles and ten.Can you get there by candle light?Yes, and back again.If your feet are nimble and light,You can get there by candle light."

I can remember reading this from a colorful book when I was about five years old. I can still see the picture in my mind of children in nightshirts carrying lit candles, walking across the hills under a starry night sky. It was an eerie picture because all of the children looked as though they were sleep walking. As I read the words out loud, it sounded more like an incantation or a spell. The whole rhyme was mysterious and I could never work out its meaning.

Sometimes the Bible is enigmatic, too. The thirty eighth chapter of Job expresses an ancient understanding of nature. God has storehouses of snow and hail; light and lightning have their own secret place. Nowadays, we think these ideas as quaint and old-fashioned, non-scientific and out dated, but to Job and his peers these things expressed the mysterious and magical qualities of God’s power.

Our world has grown up a lot since the days of Job, and even since the days of my childhood. In this age of instantaneous information which overloads and overwhelms us, we’ve lost some of that element of mystery which keeps God sacred in our hearts and, strangely enough, brings peace to our souls. Perhaps it's time that we reclaimed the ancient mysteries of God by rediscovering awe and reverence. Job’s descriptions may be unscientific, but there is something timeless and changeless, winsome and wonderful in them which pleases our souls. And in this complicated, computerized, and commercialized world, isn’t it reassuring to know that there are some things which only God can explain?

Prayer: Almighty God, Your ways are mysterious and beyond our imagining at times. In midst of our busy, noisy world, help us to reclaim the stillness and quietness of resting in Your Holy presence. Grant us the gift of awe and reverence; bless us with the surprising joy of sacred sanctuary. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Herod's Tomb

Audio version here

1 John 2:4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (NIV)

Breaking News: Israeli archeologists find King Herod’s tomb

The tomb of one of the most evil kings in the Bible, Herod the Great, has just recently been discovered. A sarcophagus, which may have contained his last remains, has been found in an ancient place called Herodium. The inscriptions on the tomb seem to refer to the king, so it’s almost certain that he was buried there after all.

Herod was the king who lied to the wise men about Jesus. You’ll remember the old story of how they end up at Herod’s court expecting to find the new king of the Jews. Herod is deeply troubled by this and wants to kill the child. He makes up some elaborate story about wishing to worship the new king and asks the wise men to come back and give him information about where the child resides. It’s only when an angel warns the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod that the evil king’s plans are ruined. In a fit of temper and paranoia, he orders all the male infants to be slaughtered. Jesus only escapes just in time.

I wonder if the inscriptions in the tomb refer to any of this. Probably not. Herod liked to be called Great – a title that he was given by the Romans. He was a tyrant who murdered his family, as well as his opponents. He was so ruthless that is was said, "It is better to be Herod's hog than to be his son." He died a lonely and fearful man.

When the apostle John was writing his letter to the Christian church, he reminded Christ’s followers that not everyone who said that they believed in Christ actually were believers. At that time, Christians were being hunted down and persecuted. Church people were betraying other Christians to the Roman authorities and informers had infiltrated local congregations. John was cautioning the Christian community to remain alert and to sift out these traitors. Whoever talked the talk about faith, but did not walk the walk of faith was suspected of being a liar. John doesn’t mince his words or pull his punches. Like Jesus before him, John considered a true believer as one who had faith and whose life witnessed to Christ through the fruits of that faith.

So, I guess the challenge for us today is this: do we put on a good show and say that we believe in Jesus, or can we back up our Christian profession with real fruits of faith?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, like Herod, we all live and we all die. Our lives are filled with acts and deeds that either exalt You or betray You. Help us to re-examine ourselves and seek to do Your good each day. Enable and empower us to walk in faith, and not just talk about faith. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Stellar Rainbow

The wonders of Microssoft paint will never cease!

Battleground

Audio version here

John 17:23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (NIV)

There’s a lot of selfish-minded and self-destructive people in the Christian church today, especially in the United States. Christians are expressing their loathing of one another and causing upsets in congregations across all denominations. Usually, these divisions are created through different interpretations of scripture, dogma, and traditional ways. They involve worship wars, clergy wars, and lifestyle wars. Instead of being places where Christ’s peace can be experienced, churches are becoming battlegrounds for discontent, division, and schism. Perhaps, at the end of this century, the establishment that we call church today will be so fragmented that its message will be feeble and futile in an increasingly secular world.

Jesus doesn’t mince His words or pull any punches. The purpose of a united church is to consolidate the faithful and present an effective message to the world. We seem to have forgotten, in the midst of our skirmishes and schisms, that the church was established to go out into a divided, barbaric, and pagan world, presenting a message of peace, hope, and love.

But because we have become sinfully selfish, rebellious and intolerant, the world no longer listens to the message we are preaching and presenting because we are not practicing it. If we honestly want to become more effective and evangelize the world once again, we’ve got to get honest with ourselves and ask these questions: what are we doing that disturbs the unity and peace of the church? What can we do to promote Christ’s peace in a loving, faithful, genuine, and effective manner?

As always, if we want to change the world, it begins at home. And so, if we want to change the church, it begins in our souls.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your Church is beset with battles and scarred with schisms. Pride and prejudice have contaminated our souls and belittled Your work in the world. Forgive us for being headstrong and foolish, vain and conceited. Help us to get back on to the path that You have proclaimed for two thousand years – the path of peace and not self-promotion – the road to unity and not division. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Final Fire Feeder

Welcome breath of fire and

Feeder of Fire

Weekend screensaver project

Pentecostal picture

Blogachute #2

It’s lunchtime on Friday! – which means it’s blogachute day! Time to jump off the blogplane and freefall into cyberspace until I land on the ground.

8000 feet - http://www.blogtopsites.com/religion/

A blogspace for many religious blogs around the globe – today, I’m number 327 in the case files, but I want to look at some other sites around me. Let’s see where will all the fun begin?

7000 feet - http://dharmavision.typepad.com/

A Buddhist blogsite – written by Amadeus whose mantra is: in a world of suffering and pain, the best refuge can be found in the Dharma

Interesting graphics, eyecatching layout, and some cool fonts.

Today’s message:The Buddhist view on globalization – everything is connected

6000 feet - http://cyclingplatypus.com/wordpress/

Another Buddhist who calls himself the Cycling Platypus – some great photos here as well as a few worthwhile quotes. Check out Tom the Sea Monkey!

Today’s quote: As free human beings we can use our unique intelligence to try to understand ourselves and our world. But if we are prevented from using our creative potential, we are deprived of one of the basic characteristics of a human being.


5000 feet - http://www.bobdob.com/index.php

Bob Dob is an amazing cartoonist/ painter. Some of his paintings are really weird, but he connects with the dark side of the soul. His work make you laugh and think.

4000 feet - http://www.strangeco.com/index_home.php

Strangeco – purveyors of the peculiar! A lot of sci-fi and quirky stuff here. I guess this is where I’m beginning to feel the culture gap, but if the church wants to get out into the world, then this is where some of it is. Much of the art is heavily influenced by Japanese anime and computer games. It makes me wonder what Rembrandt, Monet, and Picasso would have thought about it. Salvador Dali would love this.


3000 feet - http://laughingsquid.com/

Art, culture and technology from San Francisco and beyond. I’m definitely way out of my comfort zone here. I seem to have spiraled into a world that I never knew existed. This reminds me a lot of what we called “Third Eye” culture back in Scotland. Some amazing graphics.

News of the day: Yahoo is closing down its photos site and focusing on Flickr – Flickr is a great website for storing and sharing photographs, drawings, etc

2000 feet - http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/ - talking about quirky artwork and weird photos – this is my flickr site

and this is my brother Alan’s flickrsite http://www.flickr.com/photos/flickrwegian/ and this is my other brother Andy’s

flickrsite - http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaggystu71/ - They both have some stunning photographs of Scotland


1000 feet – back on course - http://www.themerlinshow.com/ - a podcast show about music and other stuff. In years to come, pastors will be podcasting their sermons from their own backyards, sitting on a deck chair, sipping iced tea – who needs a church building, anyway?

Zero feet – back to terra firma, as well as opus major

Testimony

Audio version here

John 4: 42 They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." (NIV)

This is one of my favorite Bible verses. It comes at the end of the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. He has confronted her in a non-judgmental way, exposing her sin, and freeing her from a deceitful life. The woman is so moved by Him that she tells all of her neighbors she has met the Messiah. Her testimony is so sincere that they believe her and go looking for Jesus themselves.

When they find Him, they ask Jesus to stay for a couple of days during which He teaches them many things. Many more of them became believers and, at the end of the story, the Samaritan people tell the woman that they no longer believe just because of her testimony; they have heard Jesus for themselves and they, too, personally know Him to be the Christ, the Savior of the world. It’s a beautiful moment in the scriptures and one that must have deeply gladdened Jesus.

That’s what our faith is for; that’s what the church is all about. We are called to lovingly and sincerely share the Good News of Jesus Christ with other people – our families, our friends, our neighbors – in the hope that one day they will personally experience Jesus for themselves. As a pastor, I’ve been privileged to see that happening with all sorts of different people. Each time it occurs, I feel happy and humble – happy because it positively changes their lives; humble because Christ has personally touched their hearts.

So, wherever we go today and whoever we meet, let’s make and take opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, for who knows how many lives will be changed forever by the power of Jesus and His Gospel.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, there are loved ones in our lives who do not personally know You. Grant us perfect opportunities to express our faith to them in non-judgmental ways. Give us the courage to sincerely share our beliefs, so that seeds of faith may be planted in their hearts and minds that one day will grow. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

Prayers & polling

Romans 15: 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (NIV)

Today is our National Day of Prayer, so a lot of church people will be gathering in towns and cities across America to pray for our nation. Meanwhile, over in Britain, it’s National Polling Day, when the people get to choose who will be their Prime Minister for the next five years. I wonder how many prayers will be said as votes are being cast in polling stations across the United Kingdom.

Both our countries are facing troubled times. We’re involved in a highly unpopular and still indecisive war. We don’t have any clear sense of direction for the future. Most people just want to get on with their lives without too much interference from government, for this is the age of secularism individualism and social anarchy. There is no loyalty to leadership, responsibility, or duty anymore. People are longing to be free to do their own thing, in their own time, and in their own way.

That’s why prayer on both sides of the Atlantic is very important today. We need to stop for a moment and reconsider where we’re headed as a nation, people, and civilization. If we cut God off from influencing our decisions, we are in danger of becoming a godless society where anything goes and everyone loses. If we stop and think about who we are and how we got here, we’ll remember that God, in Christ, has played an important role in shaping our cultures, building our freedoms, and growing our nations. If ever we needed God’s joy and peace before, we sure do need it now. If ever we desired hope for our people, then our desire should be that an overflowing of the Holy Spirit spreads throughout our lands, our nations, and our world.

So, let’s take time to go on our knees before the Lord and ask His blessing on our nations, our peoples, and our world. Ballot boxes and casting votes change leaders, but as Tennyson once said, “More things are wrought by prayer than the world dreams of.”

Prayer: Lord God, You are the Rule of the Nations and the Sovereign of this world. We ask Your blessing upon our peoples and pray that You will grant us the presence of Your Holy Spirit in our lives. Remind us that our first loyalty is to You and Your kingdom. Help- us to live according to Your ways and holy word. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Calypso Moon

Caribbean yacht sailing under a lazy crescent moon

Restoration

Audio Version here

Isaiah 57: 18 I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him (NIV)

Two weeks ago, I spent five days at a Clergy Coaching Center in Columbus, Georgia. I had some past issues that I had to deal with because they were beginning to affect who I am and how I minister to other people. I dreaded going to the center, mainly because of my mother’s horrifying experiences with psychologists and psychiatrists. I was worried that perhaps I was heading down the same tormented path.

I almost didn’t get there, for my car nearly broke down outside of Atlanta. For seventy miles, I was completely stressed out through franticly praying to God to keep the car going until I reached Columbus. When I arrived at my hotel, I was totally exhausted – physically, mentally, and spiritually. I just wanted to get my car fixed and head back up the road. As far as the counseling and coaching was concerned – forget about it!

However, the people at the Turner Pastoral Institute were very understanding and, after taking a whole battery of tests (I’m an INTJ, by the way), the coaching sessions began. My anxiety and apprehensions were considerably reduced. My fears were set aside and my faith was restored. After a whole week of counseling, I felt renewed, refreshed, and restored to God.

In the middle of the week, my coaches honed in on something that I had suppressed for decades - my lost childhood. During my formative years, I had tried to help my mother overcome her mental illness and multi-personalities, but to no avail. I carried this failure within me and attempted to anaesthetize the pain with alcohol. I spent years battling with the guilt and grief.

As my counselors explained, those lost years were still hurting me, but they may have led me into ministry – how? Well, churches are full of multi-personalities – I’m still trying to fix, heal and restore people that I love.

This was an epiphany for me – both shocking and surprising. I came away from Columbus thanking God for my mother’s schizophrenia. I had never done that before, but then I had never realized how much her illness has shaped who I am today.

I realize that this is just the beginning of a new journey for me. God has seen my ways and is healing me. He is guiding and restoring me. And if He can do that for someone like me, I know that He can do the same for you and your loved ones.

Prayer: Loving God, You know the troubles of our lives and the worries of our hearts. You see issues that we are facing and the problems that confront our loved ones. Hear the unvoiced cries of our hearts and the burdens on our minds. Help us and heal us. Encourage and embrace us. Renew us and restore our loved ones. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

A Lawful Faith

Audio Version here

Romans 3:31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. (NIV)

Yesterday in Britain, five terrorists were given life sentences for conspiring to bring about a worse tragedy than 9/11 in the United Kingdom. The evidence against them showed that they were plotting to plant bombs in nightclubs, poison beer at football stadiums, and even set off a nuclear explosion in a major British city. They appear to have relished the idea that such events would paralyze Britain and hasten the downfall of Western society.

One of the shocking things about this conspiracy is that all five men grew up in the United Kingdom and seem to have lived normal lives. It was only when they came in contact with hatred spewing clerics that their lives changed forever. Instead of using their faith to uphold the law and seek peace with other people, they bought into the unrestrained fanaticism of some of their religious leaders. Thankfully, their conspiracy was discovered and no lives were lost, save those of the five who will remain in prison for a long, long time.

Our faith has had its moments of fanaticism, too, but most modern Christians, like most of their Islamic counterparts, want a peaceful, integrated world where love overcomes fear and peace extinguishes hatred. We are living in times that try our souls and wear out our spirits with worry. As Christians, we need to remain resolute to confront evil, but we also need to seek ways that will bring about a lasting peace. If we allow our faith to become a tool for fanatics, then we will also forget to uphold the law, which is a major part of our calling. If we allow ourselves to be overcome by a xenophobic zeal, we will be just as bad as our enemies.

The way to peace and freedom is an uphill climb all of the time. There is no easy answer to solving the world’s problems right now, but the path involves painstakingly walking in faith whilst upholding the law. Any other solution is just a short cut to disaster.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we need Your peace to reign throughout the world. We know that there are people who want to destroy our faith and freedom, and who will use any tactic or device to do so. Help us to overcome evil by applying Your words and ways, especially when You tell us to love both our neighbors and our enemies. In Your Holy Name, we hopefully pray. Amen.