This past sunday ended our series called Broken at h2o.
This week, we talked about how man's relationship with language was broken as a result of the Fall. You see, in Genesis Chapter 11, God intervened as human beings went to work building the Tower of Babel. It wasn't that towers in and of themselves are bad, it was what this tower represented. It was an attempt on the part of humanity to construct a world in which they would dictate a relationship with God. The desire was to build a tower to ascend into the heavens--to make our own way to God.
The irony is that in the story, it says that God "came down to have a look". As a result of the Fall, our relationship with language became broken. People had their language confused so that they would better understand their need for each other, and more importantly their need for God.
Even today, as we have made massive inroads in the world of language, we still continue to hurt and abuse one another with words. It's like we don't fully understand what we use words for--so we use them as weapons to cut and to hurt one another.
When Jesus came on the earth, he brought healing where there was once brokenness. In fact, in the Bible, one of the first stories of people sharing the gospel involved a change in the dynamic of language. People from every nation heard the gospel proclaimed in their own language.
Today, we play a part in reversing the tower of Babel, when we stop using words as weapons. We play a part in reversing the tower of Babel when we take the time, and the initiative to share the truth of the gospel and redemption through Jesus with other people. We play a part in reversing the tower of Babel when we use language to point people back to the God of all creation whose relationship with us has been severed by us.
Language that was once broken nowbecomes the great tool in the hands of humanity for sharing healing and restoration with the world. In fact, the Bible tells us that one day people from all of the nations will be gathered together in a worshipful community with God (instead of a tower) in its center.
Take time today, and share the powerful, healing message of the gospel with someone. Help them to become part of an inclusive community that will one day be composed of people from every tribe and tongue and nation united in worship in the eternal presence of God.
Showing posts with label broken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label broken. Show all posts
Monday, October 08, 2007
Monday, October 01, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Broken: Connection
Yesterday, we continued our series at h2o called broken. We have been looking at how "The Fall" resulted in a series of broken relationships that we still suffer from today. Last night we talked about how our relationships with one another were broken as a result of sin entering the world.
You may be familiar with the story of Cain and Abel, and how Cain slew his brother because he was angry with him, and resentful of Abel's favor with God. How often do we carry a grudge? Is there a person in your life that you carry resentment toward.
Jesus said that when we are angry with our brother, we commit murder in our hearts. He also told us that if we know there is an issue we've got with someone, go and make amends quickly. Even if we are about to leave an offering, reconciliation with our brother/sister takes precedence over that offering.
I don't think we view reconciliation as such a high priority though. We allow bitterness to form toward others. The picture above was taken in a country called Rwanda which is in Africa. There are two tribes of people in Rwanda, the hutu and the tutsi tribes. There was a long history of bitterness and resentment of the hutu toward the tutsi. In April 1994, the Hutu let their anger and resentment take over. In a period of days, 800,000 Tutsi were killed. This skull represents a young person who was killed with a blunt farm instrument. Women and children were slaughtered in the streets, in homes, and even in churches. There was no safe place from the bitterness and resentment from their fellow citizens. Indeed, our connection with one another was severely devastated, and this shattering of our relationship with one another continues to be seen in our world.
And while most of us could read this blog and tell ourselves that we would never murder someone, perhaps we end up doing something nearly as devastating. We live in superficiality. Rather than pursuing rich relationships and friendships with those around us, we find ourselves holding grudges, and keeping our relationships with others on a superficial level We want to avoid conflict, and so we hide ourselves away from it. When someone hurts us or offends us, we keep quiet, and we keep that friendship superficial. We begin to build walls around us, and even separate ourselves from our neighbors with stockade fences and gated communities.
In the end we don't murder others, we leave ourselves isolated and alone. And yet Jesus tells us to be reconciled. To forgive as we have been forgiven. The Cross has put to death the enmity between us and God. It has restored us to a better understanding of our God given identity. And it has put to death the enmity that exists between us and others.
Maybe there is someone you need to be reconciled with. Jesus tells us to do it quickly. So maybe you need to talk to that friend or that neighbor or that relative or whoever it is, and work to make things right between you and them. You know, if you don't like someone, and you end up spending eternity with them, that might be pretty awkward.
Rob Bell, a pastor and author, said it this way, "When I respect the image of God in others, I protect the image of God in me." When we move toward reconciliation with others, we honor Jesus, and we become more like Him, and we treat others with the God given dignity they deserve. Go and be reconciled with that person you are holding a grudge over. Stop being superficial and stop committing murder in your heart!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Broken-Man
My best friend on the planet, Wilie, took this photo of me in June about a week after my mom's funeral. That's when he first shared the song he wrote in honor of my mom as well. If you haven't heard it/watched the video, I hope you are blessed by it as you watch.
I thought I would try to dedicate at least one blog each week to the messages we are giving at h2o, the campus faith community of our local church. We have been exploring a myriad of broken relationships that have occured as a result of the fall. You can actually listen to the podcast of the message on "H2O Morgantown Live" if you have itunes installed on your computer. Otherwise, you can just click this link and check out the most recent podcast on this site.
This week, we talked about the brokenness of humanity that has happened as a result of the Fall. You see, before the fall, human beings had an understanding that they were made in the image of God, and it is in Him, from Him, by Him, and through Him that we are meant to have our identity.
It's kind of like as a result of the Fall, we have been separated from who we really are. So because we are unsure of who we are, we walk through this brokenness clutching onto anything and everything to give us a sense of identity. It's like men and women all over are grabbing hold of area's of life not so much for a pure enjoyment, but to meet this longing to know ourselves and feel secure.
And so we go out into the world in which we live wrestling through our brokenness and trying to really discover our identity and purpose.
Often, we find our identity in the clothes we wear, the music we listen to, the people we hang out with, how much alcohol we can consume, how many places we've visited, and even where we work or how hard we work.
We weren't meant to find our identity in these ways. In the end our identity comes from knowing that we were made for an intimate relationship with our Creator, and that as we honor Him with our lives, we discover healing for the brokenness that exists within each of us.
I thought I would try to dedicate at least one blog each week to the messages we are giving at h2o, the campus faith community of our local church. We have been exploring a myriad of broken relationships that have occured as a result of the fall. You can actually listen to the podcast of the message on "H2O Morgantown Live" if you have itunes installed on your computer. Otherwise, you can just click this link and check out the most recent podcast on this site.
This week, we talked about the brokenness of humanity that has happened as a result of the Fall. You see, before the fall, human beings had an understanding that they were made in the image of God, and it is in Him, from Him, by Him, and through Him that we are meant to have our identity.
It's kind of like as a result of the Fall, we have been separated from who we really are. So because we are unsure of who we are, we walk through this brokenness clutching onto anything and everything to give us a sense of identity. It's like men and women all over are grabbing hold of area's of life not so much for a pure enjoyment, but to meet this longing to know ourselves and feel secure.
And so we go out into the world in which we live wrestling through our brokenness and trying to really discover our identity and purpose.
Often, we find our identity in the clothes we wear, the music we listen to, the people we hang out with, how much alcohol we can consume, how many places we've visited, and even where we work or how hard we work.
We weren't meant to find our identity in these ways. In the end our identity comes from knowing that we were made for an intimate relationship with our Creator, and that as we honor Him with our lives, we discover healing for the brokenness that exists within each of us.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Broken Trust
I took this picture the last time I was in Amsterdam. This sculpture is inside one of the most beautiful churches I've ever entered. It's called Niewe Kerk I believe. (Any of my dutch friends can help me here!)
This past week we started a new series at h2o called broken. In the series, we are looking at the story of the fall, and how as a result of this event, we experience an abundance of broken relationships in the good earth that God has made.
This past week we talked about Adam and Eve and the eating of the fruit. Have you ever thought about the fact that it wasn't just about the original sin. I heard someone refer to this as the original intent to sin as well. Much of the time, when we choose to sin, it doesn't take us by surprise. We think on it. We reflect on it. Then we do it.
In the fall, it wasn't just about eating a particular fruit either. The act of eating the fruit, was the initiation of a broken relationship, a betrayed trust if you will. Adam and Eve had a relationship with God, and they betrayed that relationship in a clear act of rebellion. And now, it's like that predisposition to betray and to rebel is caught up in our DNA. All of it stemming from a deceptive belief that God in Himself isn't trustworthy or He doesn't have our best interest at heart.
When you think about the fall as a betrayal of trust. You see things differently. Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? Have you ever had someone cut you deeply by doing the very thing you asked them not to do? Have you ever had someone betray your relationship by intentionally going and performing an act of betrayal? According to statistics, 60% of marriages experience this kind of betrayal.
And in the middle of this world of broken trust, God has performed the ultimate act of reconciliation. He has given His son and allowed Him to be broken, so our broken lives and broken relationship with Him might be healed. That's amazing love.
This past week we started a new series at h2o called broken. In the series, we are looking at the story of the fall, and how as a result of this event, we experience an abundance of broken relationships in the good earth that God has made.
This past week we talked about Adam and Eve and the eating of the fruit. Have you ever thought about the fact that it wasn't just about the original sin. I heard someone refer to this as the original intent to sin as well. Much of the time, when we choose to sin, it doesn't take us by surprise. We think on it. We reflect on it. Then we do it.
In the fall, it wasn't just about eating a particular fruit either. The act of eating the fruit, was the initiation of a broken relationship, a betrayed trust if you will. Adam and Eve had a relationship with God, and they betrayed that relationship in a clear act of rebellion. And now, it's like that predisposition to betray and to rebel is caught up in our DNA. All of it stemming from a deceptive belief that God in Himself isn't trustworthy or He doesn't have our best interest at heart.
When you think about the fall as a betrayal of trust. You see things differently. Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? Have you ever had someone cut you deeply by doing the very thing you asked them not to do? Have you ever had someone betray your relationship by intentionally going and performing an act of betrayal? According to statistics, 60% of marriages experience this kind of betrayal.
And in the middle of this world of broken trust, God has performed the ultimate act of reconciliation. He has given His son and allowed Him to be broken, so our broken lives and broken relationship with Him might be healed. That's amazing love.
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Regardless, we have been continuing our series at h2o looking at the fall of humanity. By the way, if you have itunes software on your computer, you can listen to messages for free by opening itunes, clicking podcast, and typing "H2O Morgantown Live" into the search box.
When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, not only did they pollute all humanity with the stain of sin, but now all of God's good creation exists under a curse. And our relationship to the created world is also broken.
According to Genesis one, the first commandment we human beings have is to "have dominion over the created world." This word, dominion, means something different than domination. You see, parents have dominion over their children. Teachers have dominion over their students. If we saw one of these authorities abusing the responsibility they had been given we would quickly intervene.
In Genesis Chapter 2, Adam is placed in the garden to "cultivate and keep" the garden. The words in Hebrew here mean "to protect and bring out the potential of." So we are told that we need to care for creation and act as wise stewards over the resources God has entrusted to us.
So how are we to go about this? How can we be better stewards. I may blog more about all of this in the future because it is such an important and overlooked topic, but for now, here are a few suggestions.
Switch out your light bulbs for "Compact Fluorescent Bulbs" Personally, I have seen a significant drop in my electric bills. After you switch, you can join my group Friends of Chanchanchepon on One Billion Bulbs and see how much money and energy we are saving each year.
Another thing you can do is start walking, riding a bike or carpooling (or even taking a bus). In our little town of Morgantown, the bus system is free for WVU students. And as Morgantown grows, our streets will become more congested with traffic. When you walk, you feel better, save energy, and save gas $$$. When you carpool, you can potentially reduce the environmental impact of your travel by up to 80%.
Buy locally, and eat in. Locally grown food tastes better, and doesn't have to travel as far for you to enjoy it. Plus you get the joy of supporting a local farmer, and supporting your community. Eating in also saves money, and cooking can be quite relaxing. Morgantown's Farmer's Market runs until the end of October.
There are many other ways you can minimize your environmental impact and begin to be a better steward of the resources God has given you. What are some things you are doing to more faithfully care for God's world?