It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was on television last evening. This animated TV special first aired October 27, 1966, and has been a classic ever since. It is a fun story about the Peanuts gang getting ready for Halloween. The story opens with Linus and Lucy going out into a pumpkin patch to find a pumpkin. Linus points out several pumpkins, but Lucy is not interested. Lucy then points to a large pumpkin and Linus then has the job of rolling it home. Once they arrive Lucy takes a big knife and slices into the pumpkin to gut it, at which point a mortified Linus says “Ohhh, you didn’t tell me you were going to kill it!” and starts wailing.
A couple of weeks ago I shared with our students what I call the “Pumpkin” chapel. I bring a pumpkin to school and carve it while the kids watch. I start the chapel by sharing about the origins of pumpkin carving explaining that it was out of necessity that people carved gourds so that they could use them as lanterns to see where they were going at night. Today it is different, people still have the need to see where they are going, but they have more efficient means of casting light into darkness. We then talk about why people carve pumpkins today and most of the answers center around the idea that it is a festive event to do around Halloween. My pumpkin on the other hand is used as an illustration of a person and the Christian life. My story begins with a pumpkin covered in mud who wants to meet God. The pumpkin tries to clean itself up by washing off the mud, but soon discovers a problem. He learns that God is not so concerned about the outside, but He looks at the heart. So now the pumpkin has to trust the hand of His maker to clean-up his heart. At this point I cut open the top of the pumpkin and begin scooping out its’ guts. I usually make the most of this by having students smell the inside of the pumpkin and see how slimy and gooey the insides are. Some of the gunk comes out easily, but then the hard part comes. “Sometimes to bring about change you have to be scraped” I will say. At this point I ask the kids to name the kinds of feelings and or thinking that may need to be “scraped” out of a person’s heart. They usually respond with answers like, lying, stealing, cheating, angry feelings and other hurts. After cleaning out the inside, I hold the pumpkin up and show the students how clean it is. I then tell them that God loves them so much He would never leave them empty, but puts His light and love inside of us. I put a candle in the pumpkin and put the top back on. After a short amount of time the candle goes out, and the students are all clamoring to tell me that I have forgotten to make a face. I usually cut a funny face into the pumpkin and then re-light the candle explaining to the students that when God places His light inside of us it is so that we will shine His love and truth to all who are around us. If we try and keep His light to ourselves it soon goes out. At this point we dim the lights and sing, “This little light of mine…”
Linus is convinced that the Great Pumpkin will bring toys to the child who waits in the most sincere pumpkin patch. The problem is that while his belief is sincere it is incorrect. This does not make him a bad person only misguided. Hopefully, people like Linus will see God’s light in us and put their faith in something that lasts forever.
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Ben Franklin - "One today is worth two tomorrows; what I am to be, I am now becoming.”
Many of you might be familiar with Judith Viorst’s book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. It’s the story of a little boy whose day falls to pieces.
“I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there’s gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard...and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” (Viorst, p.5).
Alexander’s day just gets worse as he goes to school, finds himself at the dentist, and has to go shopping with his mother. No one looks forward to a day filled with obstacles, trials, and setbacks, but I wonder how often we approach a day in the same way as Alexander. How often do we start the day with a flat tire even before we get into our car? How often do we set our course with a bad attitude and then act surprised when our day falls apart? Even as I write this I am wondering if I should change my line of questioning. Let me ask, how often do you have a great day? What would a great day look like to you? Would you say that it is the norm to have a great day, or the exception?
To me it all boils down to choice. I have to make a choice about my day before it begins. What will you choose? There is no doubt that our days will be filled with events beyond our control. So how are you going to allow those events shape you? Truly, the only area in our lives we can control is our choice in how we react or respond to what happens.
John Maxwell, says this about choices/decisions, “Successful people make right decisions early and manage those decisions daily.” I believe he is saying that the sooner you decide the important decisions and the longer you manage them, the more successful you can become. Persons who neglect making decisions and fail to manage them will often look back on their lives with sadness and regret.
I would encourage you to begin each day with a word of thanksgiving to God. Begin your day with Him and allow Him to change your outlook and attitude about what is to come (Phil. 4:4-9).
May God’s peace reign in your heart and mind. Thanks for reading.
“I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there’s gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard...and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” (Viorst, p.5).
Alexander’s day just gets worse as he goes to school, finds himself at the dentist, and has to go shopping with his mother. No one looks forward to a day filled with obstacles, trials, and setbacks, but I wonder how often we approach a day in the same way as Alexander. How often do we start the day with a flat tire even before we get into our car? How often do we set our course with a bad attitude and then act surprised when our day falls apart? Even as I write this I am wondering if I should change my line of questioning. Let me ask, how often do you have a great day? What would a great day look like to you? Would you say that it is the norm to have a great day, or the exception?
To me it all boils down to choice. I have to make a choice about my day before it begins. What will you choose? There is no doubt that our days will be filled with events beyond our control. So how are you going to allow those events shape you? Truly, the only area in our lives we can control is our choice in how we react or respond to what happens.
John Maxwell, says this about choices/decisions, “Successful people make right decisions early and manage those decisions daily.” I believe he is saying that the sooner you decide the important decisions and the longer you manage them, the more successful you can become. Persons who neglect making decisions and fail to manage them will often look back on their lives with sadness and regret.
I would encourage you to begin each day with a word of thanksgiving to God. Begin your day with Him and allow Him to change your outlook and attitude about what is to come (Phil. 4:4-9).
May God’s peace reign in your heart and mind. Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
“The minute a man ceases to grow, no matter what his years, that minute he begins to be old.” William James
This past Sunday, Fairview church celebrated 102 years of ministry. Amazingly, the Fairview building is also 102 years old. Obviously, the buildings’ age is apparent, not so with the church. It is the difference in building materials. The church is made of people, the building of stone, wood, and paint … lots and lots of paint.
I have been at Fairview since the fall of 1984. I came to Seattle to attend Seattle Pacific University. In 1984, the Fairview Church was known as the Woodland Park Church. In December of that year, the church purchased and began renovating the Fairview Elementary school building. The church started Fairview Christian School in the fall of 1985. In January 1993, I joined the staff of the church, and in 1996 became the school administrator. I have now lived in Seattle longer than I have ever lived anywhere else, and yet I refer to my hometown as east of the mountains. In two short years, the number of years I have lived as a married person will match the number of years I lived as a single person. Every year, I notice that things are changing about how my body works (or fails to work). I do not bend as I used to, nor do I bounce back as I used too.
Have you ever stopped and thought about the biblical phrase “full of days?” Many of the patriarchs died “full of days.” At a cursory reading one might think this just is another way of saying someone or something is old, but a closer more careful reading conveys a message that a person lived a full life—a life of meaning, and purpose—a life of influence.
Jesus died at 33. Yet he was full of days. Stephen, the first martyr, was likely only in his 20s when Paul and his crew stoned him to death. Yet he was full of days.
Being full of days is not about the length of your life. It is about its depth. It is not about numbers of years. It is about abundance. Its yardstick is not the amount of gray hair on your head. It is about the grace and maturity that resonates from a life mirrored after Christ.
As I age, I want full days. I am more and more committed to living the fullness of life that Jesus promised (John 10:10). I want to laugh with more heartiness and weep with greater compassion. I want to say “I love you” more times in a day than anything else, and “I’m sorry” as quick and as often as it is needed. I want to linger with my friends, forgive my enemies, and reconcile with those I estranged along the way. I want to love God with all I have and all I am. I want to love my neighbor as myself. Whether I die soon or late, I want to leave this world full of days.
Thanks for reading.
I have been at Fairview since the fall of 1984. I came to Seattle to attend Seattle Pacific University. In 1984, the Fairview Church was known as the Woodland Park Church. In December of that year, the church purchased and began renovating the Fairview Elementary school building. The church started Fairview Christian School in the fall of 1985. In January 1993, I joined the staff of the church, and in 1996 became the school administrator. I have now lived in Seattle longer than I have ever lived anywhere else, and yet I refer to my hometown as east of the mountains. In two short years, the number of years I have lived as a married person will match the number of years I lived as a single person. Every year, I notice that things are changing about how my body works (or fails to work). I do not bend as I used to, nor do I bounce back as I used too.
Have you ever stopped and thought about the biblical phrase “full of days?” Many of the patriarchs died “full of days.” At a cursory reading one might think this just is another way of saying someone or something is old, but a closer more careful reading conveys a message that a person lived a full life—a life of meaning, and purpose—a life of influence.
Jesus died at 33. Yet he was full of days. Stephen, the first martyr, was likely only in his 20s when Paul and his crew stoned him to death. Yet he was full of days.
Being full of days is not about the length of your life. It is about its depth. It is not about numbers of years. It is about abundance. Its yardstick is not the amount of gray hair on your head. It is about the grace and maturity that resonates from a life mirrored after Christ.
As I age, I want full days. I am more and more committed to living the fullness of life that Jesus promised (John 10:10). I want to laugh with more heartiness and weep with greater compassion. I want to say “I love you” more times in a day than anything else, and “I’m sorry” as quick and as often as it is needed. I want to linger with my friends, forgive my enemies, and reconcile with those I estranged along the way. I want to love God with all I have and all I am. I want to love my neighbor as myself. Whether I die soon or late, I want to leave this world full of days.
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
“Did you really mean do unto others as they do unto you, because if you did then I’m going to fix my brother.” excerpt from Children’s Letters to God
I was a bit convicted and challenged yesterday when reading one of my favorite books, My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers. He writes, “The true test of a person’s spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening.” This was a great reminder to me that every moment has worth. Every moment is full of potential and influence…especially those moments when we are not in the spotlight, but behind the scenes, out of perceived sight, working and serving when (we think) no one is watching.
Life at times can come pretty hard and happen fast. This past week I have had to be extra careful about my response to life as it happens. A nice way of saying I have been a bit irritable. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but for some reason it has not taken much to ruffle my feathers. Some of you might wonder, “Hmmm, I’d like to see that,” or “I wonder what that looks like?” Thankfully, not many of you will ever see that side of me, and I am not so inclined to make it easy for the rest of you to find out.
We have all had days that we wished had gone differently. No one is immune to making a mistake with his/her words or actions from time to time. This does not make those times excusable, but it is what it means to be human. There was a man that scripture tells us very little about, but what it does say is truly amazing. His name was Enoch. We can read about him in the book of Genesis 5:19-24. All we know about him was that he was born, became a father, and after reaching the age of 365 and walking with God for many years, God took him. That is right, God took him, and he did not die. The Bible tells us “he was no more, because God took Him away.” Amazing! He must have truly been special. In Hebrews 11:5 we read that, it was Enoch’s faith that pleased God and so he did not have to die. Enoch was different because he walked with God. Enoch chose to place himself in an environment that influenced his behavior, his words, his character, his very being. Enoch in learning to keep in step with God was transformed by the very atmosphere of being in His presence, and so he was different. Oswald Chambers continues, “Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning. It is God’s Spirit that changes the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and then things begin to be possible which before were impossible. Getting into God’s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him.”
During these times of turmoil in our country’s economy, and the stress that this can have on families, and communities, we would do well to follow Enoch’s example of seeking to be present with God. I am encouraged that the solution to my grumpiness lies in me taking time to walk with God. If we can live in the atmosphere of Christ, the peace of Christ will surely be ours.
Thanks for reading.
Life at times can come pretty hard and happen fast. This past week I have had to be extra careful about my response to life as it happens. A nice way of saying I have been a bit irritable. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but for some reason it has not taken much to ruffle my feathers. Some of you might wonder, “Hmmm, I’d like to see that,” or “I wonder what that looks like?” Thankfully, not many of you will ever see that side of me, and I am not so inclined to make it easy for the rest of you to find out.
We have all had days that we wished had gone differently. No one is immune to making a mistake with his/her words or actions from time to time. This does not make those times excusable, but it is what it means to be human. There was a man that scripture tells us very little about, but what it does say is truly amazing. His name was Enoch. We can read about him in the book of Genesis 5:19-24. All we know about him was that he was born, became a father, and after reaching the age of 365 and walking with God for many years, God took him. That is right, God took him, and he did not die. The Bible tells us “he was no more, because God took Him away.” Amazing! He must have truly been special. In Hebrews 11:5 we read that, it was Enoch’s faith that pleased God and so he did not have to die. Enoch was different because he walked with God. Enoch chose to place himself in an environment that influenced his behavior, his words, his character, his very being. Enoch in learning to keep in step with God was transformed by the very atmosphere of being in His presence, and so he was different. Oswald Chambers continues, “Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning. It is God’s Spirit that changes the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and then things begin to be possible which before were impossible. Getting into God’s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him.”
During these times of turmoil in our country’s economy, and the stress that this can have on families, and communities, we would do well to follow Enoch’s example of seeking to be present with God. I am encouraged that the solution to my grumpiness lies in me taking time to walk with God. If we can live in the atmosphere of Christ, the peace of Christ will surely be ours.
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.” James Thurber
“Hey dad, can I ask you a question?” I hear this statement quite frequently, and sometimes am bothered by it. I am frustrated when a question is asked and I can tell that there was no thinking prior to the asking. Do you know what I am talking about? I like questions, but my hope and desire is to stimulate thinking both before and after a question is asked. I have this belief that the sooner I can get someone to not only ask questions, but think about them, the sooner they will be able to live in a real world. The road to wisdom is paved with lots and lots of choices, and the act of making a choice requires thinking. It is all part of my selfish desire to help kids grow to be responsible, respectful, and fun to be around most of the time. I say most of the time because I know that I am not always fun to be around, and how can I have an expectation of someone else that I do not have of myself?
So what do you think about questions? What is your viewpoint? This may seem an unusual question, but is there really anyone out there who does not have a question from time to time? Even the brightest person has questions. In fact, I think the more a person reads, the more a person learns, the more questions a person may have. Sometimes questions are simple and straightforward, other times they seem surprising and perhaps even frightening, and they may push us to avoidance rather than discovery. Once in a while I run across a person with no questions. This seems sad. Why don’t they have questions? What has caused them to choose to live without wonder? Someone not having questions makes me have even more questions.
If we want to know the truth we have to ask questions. In fact, to truly pursue the living God, we have to see the need for questions. So, how does your faith do with questions? Do you have room in your faith for questions? Why is this person sick? What is going on? Why did this happen? When will this change? When a person asks questions they are admitting that they do not have all of the answers, which then pushes a person to look outside of themselves for guidance. Rob Bell in his book “Velvet Elvis” states that “Questions, no matter how shocking or blasphemous or arrogant or ignorant or raw, are rooted in humility. A humility that understands that I am not God. And there is more to know.”
The Bible is filled with stories of real people who asked questions. Moses spends an inordinate amount of time (2 chapters) trying to convince God that He has picked the wrong guy, and with each question it appears that God reveals how convinced He is that He picked the right one. Job certainly asked a lot of questions. Nicodemus couldn’t sleep because of questions (see John 3). And what about Jesus on the cross asking, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Maybe God is looking for people who don’t just sit there and mindlessly accept whatever comes their way. Asking questions is a way of engaging the living God. It is a way of thinking and searching for answers. Asking questions is a way to freedom. Freedom from having to have it all figured out. If we do our job well, your children will have a mind full of questions.
Thanks for reading.
So what do you think about questions? What is your viewpoint? This may seem an unusual question, but is there really anyone out there who does not have a question from time to time? Even the brightest person has questions. In fact, I think the more a person reads, the more a person learns, the more questions a person may have. Sometimes questions are simple and straightforward, other times they seem surprising and perhaps even frightening, and they may push us to avoidance rather than discovery. Once in a while I run across a person with no questions. This seems sad. Why don’t they have questions? What has caused them to choose to live without wonder? Someone not having questions makes me have even more questions.
If we want to know the truth we have to ask questions. In fact, to truly pursue the living God, we have to see the need for questions. So, how does your faith do with questions? Do you have room in your faith for questions? Why is this person sick? What is going on? Why did this happen? When will this change? When a person asks questions they are admitting that they do not have all of the answers, which then pushes a person to look outside of themselves for guidance. Rob Bell in his book “Velvet Elvis” states that “Questions, no matter how shocking or blasphemous or arrogant or ignorant or raw, are rooted in humility. A humility that understands that I am not God. And there is more to know.”
The Bible is filled with stories of real people who asked questions. Moses spends an inordinate amount of time (2 chapters) trying to convince God that He has picked the wrong guy, and with each question it appears that God reveals how convinced He is that He picked the right one. Job certainly asked a lot of questions. Nicodemus couldn’t sleep because of questions (see John 3). And what about Jesus on the cross asking, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Maybe God is looking for people who don’t just sit there and mindlessly accept whatever comes their way. Asking questions is a way of engaging the living God. It is a way of thinking and searching for answers. Asking questions is a way to freedom. Freedom from having to have it all figured out. If we do our job well, your children will have a mind full of questions.
Thanks for reading.
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