Community: Lonely Singles

Here is a section from an article on making singleness better:

But perhaps his [Paul's] strongest response would be to the extreme loneliness many single people experience. I do not think that, in commending singleness, Paul was also commending a life without quality long-term relationships. The thought would have distressed him. A quick tour through his letters gives us every indication that he knew a lot of people, and that he knew them well; in some sense, Paul experienced our future—a multitude of great relationships with his brothers and sisters in Christ from every nation, people and tribe. Paul was not married, but neither was he lonely. I think he would see this epidemic of loneliness as a major moral failure of the church to be the church, and, perhaps, more particularly, a moral failure of families to treat those not in their family as family. The church is a family, and we are to treat those in the church as family—not by lowering the standard with which we treat our family, but by raising the standard with which we treat others. For this ideal to become a reality, I suggest that our thinking and action proceed along two lines—firstly, in the habits of families and secondly, in the structure and design of our churches.

It’s old, but I highly recommend reading the whole thing.

I’m Really Busy

Someone commented how I never post anymore, hence the short one about the Vikings/Packers game. The reason I haven’t been posting isn’t that I’m running out of things to say, I’m just so busy! Here’s what I’ve been up to:

• Learning Greek – I started taking Greek 1 through TBI and I love it! Who would have thought case endings could be so thrilling!
• Teaching at Wednesday Connection – The curriculum is Rejoicing in Gods Design: a study of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. I haven’t actually started teaching yet, but that will come soon. I need to prepare for lessons, plus the leaders are reading a book along side the class curriculum, so it’s a big commitment!
• Co-leading a Small Group – …with Dieudonne and Stephanie! It’s a blast and I love our group. It is so encouraging to do life with folks who are striving for Christ every day.
• Filling Up My House – Buying a house is just the beginning. Then you have to buy furniture, a vacuum cleaner, a shoe rack, etc. It’s a ton of work (and money).
• Having a Housewarming Party – You’re invited! I decided that October 17th would be a great day to have everyone I know come over. Even if I don’t know you, I’d love to change that, so please come!
• So many other little things – having people over for dinner, practicing to play for a wedding this Saturday, getting work done, spending time with my family, spending time with old and new friends, etc. The days go by so fast!

So thanks for the grace you’ve given me, sticking around. I hope that what I write blesses you in some way.

Hanging On To Green

As the sun was flashing between the trees, it’s light making shapes on the road, the cold [!!] air made everything seem so clear. The trees were hanging onto green, and I was struck by what was said by Pastor John in the Q&A at the DG natcon.

Romans 1:18-20

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

What a grace that day was, that God would reveal Himself to us and withhold His righteous wrath.

Vikings Versus Packers

Just watching the game. Vikings are winning

Discipleship

Some thoughts about discipleship from an interview with Josh Harris. The idea that you need to approach it with humility and not only as a consumer, but with the intention to invest in others (2 Tim. 2:2).

Adrian
What advice would you give to people who are not currently being discipled? I urge people to do anything they can to position themselves in the right place—to enable them to have such an experience. Would you agree? Do you have any other advice?

Josh
I do agree. I think that the starting point is an attitude of humility (and I don’t pretend to be a model for this by any means) that acknowledges that you need help. I think my relationship with C. J. can sound very glamorous from a distance. The reality is that being mentored requires that you believe and embrace the reality that you don’t know everything, that you need to learn. Let’s be honest, our pride, our sin, opposes this. My question for a person who desires to be mentored would be, “How are you learning from those God has already placed in your life? Are you humbly asking them questions? Are you studying people you respect?” And then, are you gleaning what you can from them, even if you don’t have an “official” mentoring relationship with them? I wish I could clone C. J. so that 5,000 young guys like me could have their own private Mahaney mentor. But it’s not possible. What is possible is to read his books. Start with Humility: True Greatness. And today, with the web, you can listen to dozens of his sermons. And hopefully, if I can convince him, C. J. will have his own blog so his influence can be more frequent. There are many godly older men like C. J. from whom we can learn and benefit. In some cases, that will be in a close relationship; at other times it will be from a distance.

Next, it’s vital that you be in a strong local church headed by men that you want to emulate. Whether or not you feel called to ministry, you should be in a place where there are men whose character and teaching, whose life and doctrine, provide you with a compelling example. A church led by such men should be well-stocked with godly men, many of whom are not pastors, who can mentor and disciple.

Finally, I’d encourage men to cry out to God for this good gift. And even if that prayer isn’t answered in the fashion or time that you’d like, don’t forget how important this is. Because one day you’re going to be the older generation that can invest in others. I think a big part of the reason C. J. has been so faithful in training younger men like me is because he never had that benefit in his own life. So much of what he learned he had to learn through books and through trial and error. He wanted a mentor, but though he learned from different older men, he never truly had that. I think it spurred him to be that mentor so that men like me could have what he missed.

One Legged Man

I saw a man with one leg today
He hopped along on his crutches
He moved with a purpose belying his status
of injured, disabled or helpless

The man didn’t waiver from staying his course
the crosswalk where the light was blinking
As quick as I saw him he soon had departed
Off to the place he was heading

A Terrible Statistic

A statistic that crushes my spirit:

At least 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men are or will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime.

A truth that gives me hope:

12 “For thus says the Lord:
Your hurt is incurable,
and your wound is grievous.
13 There is none to uphold your cause,
no medicine for your wound,
no healing for you.
14 All your lovers have forgotten you;
they care nothing for you;
for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy,
the punishment of a merciless foe,
because your guilt is great,
because your sins are flagrant.
15 Why do you cry out over your hurt?
Your pain is incurable.
Because your guilt is great,
because your sins are flagrant,
I have done these things to you.
16 Therefore all who devour you shall be devoured,
and all your foes, every one of them, shall go into captivity;
those who plunder you shall be plundered,
and all who prey on you I will make a prey.
17 For I will restore health to you,
and your wounds I will heal,
declares the Lord,
because they have called you an outcast:
‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’

Out of the darkest place, the most grievous wound, the most rotten heart, the Lord restores. And all the promises of God find their Yes in Christ.

Jesus is our only hope.

Starbucks

Sitting here
Waiting for someone
Waiting with everyone
They all look busy

Starbucks is great
A place to look busy
A place to be cool
Cool with a Macbook

Let’s meet for coffee
Except I never get coffee
I don’t even like coffee
I get a smoothie or hot chocolate

Storm

The rolling thunder
The clouds light up
But it was another that made it so

The rain pours
Everything shines
The air is so pure and clean

There’s a calm in the excitement
A peace amidst the violence

The person walks
Getting drenched
They just want to find a dry place

I sit
Content with writing
I appreciate but don’t experience

A cool breeze blows
It’s time to go inside
Away from the storm
But it’s not out of mind
Just sight

Thoughts About Heaven

I was reading the fighter verse blog and was struck by the Rev 7 passage Johnathon referenced. It got me thinking about heaven.

Sometimes I get worried that I won’t enjoy heaven, that it’ll be boring or not what I want. This passage says Jesus will shelter us with His presence? How can a presence shelter us? By doing the things John writes next. It removes all my concern that we will not like serving him day and night before the throne, because He will be our Shepherd, guiding us to streams of living water and God will wipe every tear from our eyes. In his presence there are pleasures forevermore!

Let us not forget that heaven would be hell if Jesus wasn’t there!