Satisfy My Thirsty Soul

Feb6

September 5, 2012

 Dear Barbara,

One of my assignments in the assignments in the Satisfy My Thirsty Soul Bible study is to write a letter to a friend describing what God has taught me about worship.

I don’t know about worship, but I have learned that I am not a restful soul. Wheneverpicture of book cover I sit down for my quiet time, I always think of other things I should be doing. The obvious thing is that they are NOT what I should be doing at all. I should be composing my mind to worship and to hear what God has to say. When I keep my grandson, I think of what I could be doing on the family business. When all is quiet, I read a fiction book and don’t work on the business at all. I do not sit still long enough (even though my body is actually still, my mind isn’t) for God to tell me what He wants me to do that day. I keep saying I should set aside an hour every morning and spend the entire hour in God’s presence so that my quiet time/Bible study is not just something to cross off my To-Do list. I have been trying to do this for two years!

What I really liked about this book are the chapter names in part two.

I bow my life.I bow my words.I bow my attitude.I bow my work. (My work is my mom, my grandson, and our business, in that order. My husband takes care of himself.)

Laborare est orareOrare est laborare(This is a fine point that almost everyone misses.)

I bow my times of waiting.I bow my pain.I bow my will.Drawn into His presence

 

All of the above, both the positive and the negative, belong to God.

It has been a good study even though I have not been able to incorporate it all into my life. It is supposed to be a 12-week study but I cannot apply that fast.

Have I actually learned anything? Can’t tell it by me.

Love–Susan

 

**note–It has been almost two and a half years. I have set aside that hour every day and I sit for it. Still working on the composing of the mind though. I am slow at application. I should go through it again.

Does anyone else have this problem?

The book is Satisfy My Thirsty Soul by Linda Dillow, published by NavPress 2007.

The many ways of not fitting in

Feb2
three blue birds together with one red bird to the side

image by Sean Lynn

I met a woman last night. I will call her Elena. She and her husband had been married for 44 years when he left her. He told her that he never should have married her and that marriage and children were just a facade so that he could rise in business and society. He had to do it because in 1967, if you wanted to get anywhere, you didn’t come out of the closet. For 44 years she had been nothing but a facade. Her grown children have abandoned her because they blame her for his leaving, evidently not believing what she says he told her when he left.

There are so many ways of not fitting in. Elena cried. She had been through a divorce recovery program, she volunteers and keeps busy but is still so alone. She told us that a person can be around lots of other people and still be alone. She wants to find a church where she will fit in. People have said horrible things to her because she is divorced. She has been a Christian all of her adult life and can find nowhere to fit. She wanted our prayers that she would find a place.

We had some conversation and then our leader said, “We hope you will come back to join us.”

We watched a video and the leader closed with prayer. Right at the “amen,” Elena jumped up and left quickly. I followed after her calling her name out in the hall.

“Will you come back?” I asked.

“No, I will not be back. Thank you, but I will not be back.” She hadn’t even stopped walking to answer; she was out the door before I could take a breath.

I think too slowly. I let her go. Should I have followed up? Should I have chased her down to say, I care. Talk to me? What did we say wrong? What did we do? Was it the video? Whatever it was, it was repelling. She couldn’t wait to get out.

There are so many ways of not fitting in. When I was a teenager, I went to church all the time but was not totally accepted because at school, I ran around with non-Christian wild kids. Those non-Christian wild kids thought of me as the prude, the virgin, the religious one but they accepted me for what I was and I enjoyed those years immensely. I was never quite as comfortable with the church crowd. I didn’t really fit in either place.

My grandmother always told me, “You are judged by the company you keep.”

“Well, you shouldn’t be!” I would yell back at her in my head, (never out loud.)

There are so many ways of not fitting in. How many Christians do not attend church because churches are filled with husbands, wives, children, and they do not wish to attend alone or they fear that they will be judged because their family does not come?

There are so many ways not to fit. How do we react when someone at church or Bible study expresses a view that does not fit with the mainline view, religious or political,  of the group? Here is one person who has had a good experience, alise-write.com, but I know many who haven’t.

There are those that deny God, Christ, and religion of any sort and no amount of goodness, inner beauty, peace, or love will change their view. Regardless, Christians are the face of Christ on earth. What others see in us should be attractive, not repelling.

Elena, we failed you, but wherever you are and wherever you go next, I will be praying for you and I am so sorry.

 

*For something else to consider, see this anonymous post regarding church, by a young adult with Aspergers.

The Cost of Fear

Jan15

Islamic State, Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda, Iran, A new U.S.S.R.Americans have always thought that everyone is entitled to their opinion as long as it didn’t reach out and hurt someone else. As the varied nations and cultures of the planet become more globally aware, Americans are coming to understand that what we call reason or common sense does not have the same meaning to all human beings.

Whether it is for reasons of power, or sincerely held religious beliefs, regardless of what most Muslims say their religion really teaches, we have to come to terms with the fact that there are those that truly believe that the goal of furthering Islam and doing away with blasphemy, justifies any means. This has become a cause for fear on all sides.

We non-Muslims in the West fear that more of these acts will come here. We live in distrust and anger at Islam as a religion and Muslims as individuals. We come together and show solidarity in anger because we would rather be angry than fearful. It feels less cowardly to be angry, but anger is just fear in disguise. We fear all because of a few and that gives the power to the few. We turn our lives over to them when we fear.

The non-militant Muslims are now in fear of not only non-Muslims but of each other. They have to quickly speak out that they do not condone such actions. Do we even believe them? But who among their neighbors might secretly harbor militant tendencies? Muslim countries are in fear of Muslim militant groups. They fear takeover. They fear that western nations will not help. They may fear that we will help. They cannot be seen as taking sides militarily against Muslims even though they have expressed their disapprobation of attacks such as those at Charlie Hebdo and the activities in Nigeria by Boko Haram.

What do the terrorists themselves fear if anything? Do they fear each other? We know that ISIL used to be a part of Al-Qaeda. We also know that the beginnings of Boko Haram came from Al-Qaeda. What happens if they reunite? Should the world fear that? We are led to believe that because they will die for their cause that the individual terrorists do not fear anything but is that true? Do they fear failure? Do they fear that their story will never be heard? Do they have any doubts as their bomb explodes or a bullet stops their hearts?

What should we do about this situation? What can we do? As fear mounts all across the globe, people are either coming together or pushing others away. Will we look for a country, or a person who is charismatic enough to bring disparate peoples together? Is there such an entity? What would it use to unite all people? What religion or creed would it put forth? What would be its motivation? What are we willing to give up to get rid of our fear? What is world peace worth? There is an often quoted saying that is attributed to Henry Spaak, one of the founding fathers of the European Union. I cannot confirm the attribution but, I suspect that the sentiment is true for many people today. For the record, it is not true for me.

 What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the alliances of all people and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man, and be he god or devil, we will receive him.

What will we have to give up to be rid of our fear?

 

Be anxious for nothing but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Vote Proactively, Not Reactively.

Jan8

multicolored map of the United StatesWe now have a Republican controlled Congress and I want to know if that landslide victory for the Republicans is really a mandate for the Republican platform or was it just a matter of, “The Democrats had their chance and things are not going well for me so…” Are the majority of voters really in favor of repealing the Affordable Care Act? According to the Gallop poll published November 17, 2014:

Americans have never been overly positive toward the ACA, at best showing a roughly equal division between approval and disapproval early on in the law’s implementation.

According to that same poll, the current approval rating is 37%. So, why did we vote for him? He campaigned on this plan from the beginning.

OBAMA’S PLAN
National Health Insurance Exchange:
The Obama plan will create a National Health Insurance Exchange to help individuals who wish to purchase a private insurance plan. The Exchange will act as a watchdog group and help reform the private insurance market by creating rules and standards for participating insurance plans to ensure fairness and to make individual coverage more affordable and accessible…
Source: Campaign booklet, “Blueprint for Change”, p. 6-9 Feb 2, 2008

When Barack Obama took office in 2009, he proceeded to do exactly what he said he was going to do. Around Election Day 2014, his approval /disapproval rating was 43% / 51%. As of January 7, 2015 it is 46% / 47%, only 1% difference between approval and disapproval, according to Gallop. Voters wanted a change in 2008. We got a change. In 2014, voters didn’t like that change and voted for a change again. Does it matter what the change is? It should.

I’m picking on the current president because he is the current president. My point is vote FOR a candidate. Know the issues. Know the state questions.

BE AN INFORMED VOTER.

Do a little research. Look into how a candidate has voted when in Congress or what their stance was as a governor. I know that it would be impossible to keep up with what all politicians do on a daily basis but there are websites that do that for you and you can take some time out every once in a while to look up your legislators at the local and national level. When primaries and national elections come around, research the contenders.

Here are a couple of sites that I have found helpful.

On The Issues This site also has the booklets that candidates write about their platforms.

Ballotpedia.

Both of these sites have a map where you can click on your state and find out about local issues.

Also, play the devil’s advocate with yourself. Try to understand the other side or try to understand issues that are not currently affecting you personally. Don’t be one of those people that thinks, I don’t have that problem so it’s not a problem.

Be a part of an informed and civil electorate.

The Lesson of Messiah

Jan2

Lectionary Reading – Matthew 2:1-12

Down through the ages, people have loved to explore who the magi were, where they came from, what astronomical event became the Star of Bethlehem, how evil King Herod was, and how God protected Joseph, Mary, and her son from Herod. No one really knows about the star or the magi but I like to think the magi were Zoroastrian astrologers/astronomers from Persia because the Zoroastrians also believe in a messiah. I have read several ideas of what was going on in the skies around the time of Jesus’ birth and all I can say is that timing is crucial. But these discussions, while fun, do not speak to the hidden lesson.

Herod, arguably knew the teaching that a messiah would come, but when the magi appeared to him, he called the chief priest and scribes.

In my head, I hear the conversation going something like this.

 

Herod: Do you know where this Christ is supposed to be born?

Scribes and priests: Sure we know. Bethlehem in Judea. Micah wrote,

And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah, for out of you will come a leader who will shepherds my people Israel.

 

What did those CHIEF PRIESTS and scribes do then? Nothing. There was a general expectation of a messiah at that time. There was always an expectation of a messiah when the Jews were not their own self-governing nation and were being persecuted, but also, Daniel 9 spoke of 483 years, by the Jewish calendar, between the word to start rebuilding Jerusalem and when messiah would be cut off. Time was getting short. The people were expectant.

So when King Herod asked them about this, why were the religious leaders not interested? Why did they not pursue the matter or start searching for this child themselves? This is the first indication of the hearts and minds of the Jewish leadership. They were completely apathetic to coming of the messiah. They ignored Him. He did not affect them. They would not let Him affect them.

How many of us use Christmas but ignore the Christ? We use the Christmas season to talk about peace, joy, goodwill toward men. The idea of a child bringing peace to the earth has been a favorite theme for generations. We use the themes of the child, the angels and shepherds, and the wise men without understanding and thus without meaning.

The Messiah does not call us to use Him once a year for some feel-good time. He is not apathetic about our response to Him. He calls us to know Him to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, to understand our need for Him, 24/7/365. It is important to Him for us to know that we are a rebellious creation and that the Messiah is our vehicle to back to God. He will not let us ignore Him.

 
 

Note – I do not necessarily agree with everything on the Disciple of Christ website but they do give a detailed explanation on the Daniel prophecy. For more information, click here.