Compost for Christ!

I took my three year old daughter Olivia fishing for the first time two days ago...she was excited about it as all three year olds are excited about most things but what got her really jacked up was hunting for worms!

We went up the street to the parking lot of a big church because they have massive compost piles next to them. We found a couple of snakes  and a few worms..it was chilly...

But I couldn't help noticing the dirt...dark, black, loose...perfect for all kinds of life...

And it hit me "unless a seed falls to the ground"....in death come life, yeah? When we die to our plans and agendas then they rot and become fertile ground to plant Gods' life and agenda. When you dig under leaves that have not yet begun to break down, you don't find much of anything...may a worm or two and perhaps a pill bug or earwig (hate those things)...but the good, long ago dead-and-down stuff yields so much life! We didn't catch any fish, but it was the best of days. My agenda fell by the wayside.

...so where are you? Are you compost for Christ bringing forth life from death? Or are you rotting on your own vine wondering why nothing is growing?
b

"let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" 

So a kid in Florida named Chase lived this verse out and answered the question we should ask...how can we encourage one another do do this...to radically live out our faith so as to encourage others to do it? Simple, do it. Folks say that talk is cheap and the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I was living that out myself but a young kid who came to my workshop in North Carolina last week didn't and encouraged me to do the same.

For the full story go to my other blog  and read it but the short version is this..he ended up taking care of a neighbors house who had fallen into a tough spot..but they did it in the dark, while their parents and the owner was away, a completely free act of will to a neighbor as we read in the parable of Luke.

So there is an elderly person across the street from me who last year had half of her house rebuilt because vines over the years had covered it and destroyed it. She keeps to herself so no one really knows her. The work was extensive and the job was beautiful and the neighbor was thankful that the work was done because they were afraid of the air conditioner falling out of the window and into the driveway.

But last fall the vines began to come back...and we all just watched and commented on it, waiting for the envitable covering of the house again. So this morning as I walked out my front door to get my trash can from the curb I realized how stupid my actions had been and the Holy Spirit asked me to do some weeding. So I walked across the street and up the neighbors driveway, behind the bushes and began to pull up the vines. There were a lot and they were wrapped around the windows and stuck on the screens so I thought it best to knock on her door so as to not frighten her.

I rang the bell and told her I was her neighbor across the street (we've met before) and told her I had noticed the weeds growing again and asked if she minded if I pulled them off for her. "No, oh thank you for coming over!" she said.

And as I walked across the street with my huge bundle of vines in tow to toss out another neighbor saw he as called out "stealing vines again?!"..."no" I replied, just helping out someone"

so are you pulling weeds to make your yard look good, or to advance the kingdom of God? Join Chase and I as we follow Christ...here's the resolution that Jonathan Edwards made...he would have pulled the vines too...how about you?

1.     Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad's of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

are you a hot Christian?

The other day it was 93 degrees in CT and I was jumping out of my skin to get out and have an adventure. I had a clergy meeting in the morning so I tossed my climbing rack, shoes and rope in the bed of my truck and sat through the meeting with really itchy feet....

I parked at the trail head and started to hike in when I remembered just how hot 93 is, especially in early spring! So I''m drenched but loving the afternoon and the smell hits me...do you know it?

When you are in a very sunny spot in the forest with dry brown ground cover you can smell the heat, it's like a blast furnace really. The heat bounces right back in your face and there never seems to be any wind....

This only happens when there is no cover, just direct sun, and as I hiked in to the cliffs the Holy Spirit reminded me that this is our life with God...when there is no darkness covering the direct effects of the Son (of God) the heat bounces off of us and when others step near us they are blasted by the heat...their breath is taken away and there is a holy stillness....

Are you a blast furnice, or a space heater that only comes out when it is cold? Is your heat always on, or seasonal? Are there people walking into your heat, or running away? What is blocking the Son of God in your life?
b

coming out of the fog

I minister in a small town in the Naugatuk Valley in CT. It's a rather amazing place full of natural wonder if you slow down and look. There is a small river that is being reclaimed after years of abuse by mills. It's a great source for paddling, it's cut several small climbing crags with it's power, the fish are coming back and it produces intense fog banks and thermal zones in compact little areas.

The other morning driving in for a 6:30 am Good Friday Service I drove through the sunrise. I lost count of how many times I drove in and out of the fog...

I finally crested the hill where the church we were borrowing is and I was literally blinded by the blueness of the sky. The color change was incredible and I felt as if I had come out of a dream.

How often do we get glimpses like that in our lives with Jesus...in and out of the darkness and light? What was the last bright thing that blinded you? What was the last dark thing that kept you from seeing the light? It seems almost dream like at times, others a nightmare, but when those in Christ wake, Oh yes!
"It seemed like a dream, to good to be true, when God returned Zion's exiles. We laughed, we sang, we couldn't believe our good fortune