Pastor of Fishing

Day 3 Genesis 8:1-11:32

Couple of pieces jumped out at me as I read the words of God to me.  First was rebirth…this concept of a restart.  The whole earth was rebooted.  Everything was just restarted in sweeping motion.  The earth subdued in water and then everything emerges from it again.  The opportunity to start over is something that always is attractive to many people. The effects of the flood always bring up the dinosaur questions in my head.  As a child I was very into dinosaurs, and the flood definitely explains it.  It also explains the concepts of “ancient” fish.  I see so many different fish that are dated back to “dinosaur times”  and well if there was a flood fish would live no yes?

The other concept is languages.  The tower of Babel always makes languages seem to make sense for me.  When I view the scientific evidence for a centralized tribe of people languages becomes a problem.  The tower of Babel solves this whole issue.  Could it be that neat and simple?  Language has created a very large barrier, yet it seems to be closing a gap with all the technology of the day.  Anyways just some thoughts on the passages…struck me how it all seems to explain some of our mysteries of history.

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Day 2  - Genesis 4:1-7:22

The theme that kept pressing in my mind throughout these 4 chapters is family.  Family dynamics play a huge role in what we see happening here with the early people of Creation.  The birth of Cain and Abel sets in motion a series of events that are still felt today.  We see the value of our first fruits being given to God.  The best is what God wants, not our second best.  I really find this to be an issue in my heart at times.  In ministry my second best can look like my best to many, but not to God.

The murder of a brother by their brother is something that shows the anger and rage that Cain felt.  This rage is also what receives the wrath of God.  The punishment is severe, yet has mercy wrapped up within it ( Genesis 4:15 ).   We see that even God has mercy even when it comes to murder, so why does the Church lack this mercy?

Imagine how Cain’s wife must have felt?  Banished out amongst the world to have to settle and create a new life, because her husband was a murderer of family!  Effects of Cain’s actions flow into his home life.  We see its not just an act that is solely felt by Cain, but for generations to come.  A city is formed because of the blood on his hands, yet through his line the earth was redeemed in Noah.

In chapter 5  is the generational line that is created.    It is a reference to show that Noah was the first generation not to know Adam.  Imagine everyone up to Noah’s generation had an opportunity to interact with the man that was created directly by God.  I wonder does that mean it showed that he didn’t have a belly button?  Was it that obvious?  This is significant though when looking at how sour the earth had gotten.  Even with the man that walked with God around people still forgot God’s goodness.

I get the chills every time I read chapter 6.  First off, who are these Nephilim?  I have heard so many different speculations on this set of people that it drives me nuts.  I want to know, yet we really do not have an accurate picture, and of course I figure they are taken out in the flood as well.  That is just a side note…

This is the chapter that continually rocks me.  In Genesis 6:5-8 we see a God that grieves.  It means to me that there are possibilities.  We make choices and God reacts to our choices, its not just this grand master of puppets plan, but God truly interacts and feels things towards and for us.  Think, if God knew that He would destroy the earth, why grieve over it?  Why have regret?  Think on that one…this makes our actions on this earth carry so much more weight than we can even imagine.

We also see a God that does know His building plans.  Here is Noah a man that now gets to build an ark?!?.  At this point we are not sure, but it seems that it has not rained at all on the earth either.  Irrigation has been springing up from the ground at this point, so to even have an understanding of rain coming blows my mind away.  I get scared and fearful just when I think of some of the burdens of my own heart, let alone giving up my life to build an ark…WOW.

Noah has some interesting family dynamics as well in these chapters.  Imagine having your extended family outside the ark screaming to be let in?  We don’t see this picture about the Ark, we always see a portrayal of all these happy faces and all the animals coming and lining up, but we never think of the destruction that lays around Noah and his family.  What were the yells and cries like?  Did people try to cling onto the Ark to survive?  Oh the images rush my mind as to what could have happened.  The destruction and chaos that ensued around the Ark as they waited for the earth to come back to a balance.  What grief God must have felt!?!?  150 days on the water…can’t even imagine what it must have been like…WOW!

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Day 1 Reading of Genesis 1:1-3:24

The recount of the Creation story always stirs my soul.  We see the intention of a purity started by God and set in motion that truly gives us this sense of wonder and awe.  Chapter 1 creates an image of an inventor in my mind.  God is inventing this whole experience before him.  Setting up all the items that need to be in place to keep Creation running.  It reminds me of setting up a fish tank and how you have to go in certain orders to make it all work right.  You can’t just put fish in without the water, and the plants, and the stones and the filter and all the other things in place for the fish to survive.  If you set up a tank right and with the right fish everything can just run on its own…very little maintenance.

The order and the method that God works for the start of creation is mind blowing to me.  All the attention to the detail in how it all will flow.  All the possibilities  accounted for in a sequence of events that will forever change the existence of Creation.  I can understand why scientists think there was a big bang…imagine the force that was unleashed into existence by the snapping of God’s fingers to create light?  The massive amount of energy that flowed out to start the universe would be cataclysmic.  It truly would be a big bang!

What about the day of rest?  This always has intrigued me.  God takes a day to rest…a time where He is not working just kicking back and doing what?  Enjoying Creation?  I wonder if He walked around like you do in Google Earth?  It would be interesting to see it in action.

As the serpent approaches Eve we get this very distinct image of just how harsh the next steps will be.  Every time I read this account I want to just cry out to Eve, “DON’T DO IT!”.  The slow motion of the , “NOOOOOO” just never works.  Adam and Eve lose their innocence.  So often with youth I see this happen.  It could be sexual interactions, drugs, alcohol, or whatever it may be that robs them of their innocence.  From then on they see the world with different eyes.

This story also shows how man tries to hide their sin from God.  How we think we aren’t being seen when we truly are.  Even now after all we have learned from God we still try to do this as man.  What we do sometimes in our feeble attempts instead of just living within the spirit.

It is interesting in Genesis 3:22  how man became like “them”.  Its interesting that through this knowledge we are no longer just an image but we are like.  We now have lost our purity…it all changed.

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Recently I have been asking the question to my personal self, “How is my relationship to God size up to the disciples and Christ?”  Asking this question can result in a variety of answers, but the one that I know is common is secure.  Chapter 5 delves into the concept of having a real relationship with God and specifically the Holy Spirit.    Chan points out very vividly the concept of being “known” by God as we see in Galatians 4:9. ( Galatians is a book that truly can rock your world if you choose to dig into it.)   The concept of having a relationship with God that is secure is very crucial in our existence as a human created in God’s image.

What does it mean to be known by God?  This is the theme we see in the beginning.  We see a deep picture of how God can know us and what that means to be His child.  This is very different than a slave as is pointed out.  This means that our toils in life are not to just be a “servant” of God but actually part of the family! How many times have I turned my faith into a works based attitude…instead of my works being the product of my relationship?

Do we view our faith as we live in exile in our own country?  The story of the South Korean missionary that was held hostage.  Do we have that zeal about our faith everyday?  I am starting to beg this question of my own life…can I truly look at each day in a way that is in relationship with God where the Holy Spirit is my life line?

Lately in life things have been hitting me and I have to deal with them on a daily basis.  The pastorate is one that is very misunderstood by many and frankly I am seeing it in a whole new light as well.  What will NEF look like in 5 years if the major attitude is to be Spirit lead…and we are truly not concerned about our security in heaven as much as knowing our God as He knows us!

Lets talk about the volume of life for a moment…I am finding more and more how I can focus my world and keep the volume low when it comes to the noise.  I am learning to be focussed and not get into the multitasking funk of life.  It is in this anxiety of “doing” that we lose our “being”.  Are we taking the time to relax and enjoy our lives as well?  Are we finding the peace within the noise?

One final point I really want to hit on…Do not let your baggage get in the way of your relationship with Christ!

This past week in particular I have talked to a few people where their pasts were holding them back from their future.  God loves to recycle our junk and make beautiful ornate creations…so let Him!  We didn’t call Him the creator for nothing.  I can’t stress enough how our pasts can drag us down unless we just give it up and move on!  We have so much to enjoy with the Lord if we just let go of the past and fly on!

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I found this chapter to be very compelling within my own being.  More and more as I begin to dig into the concept of the Spirit I am reminded at the vastness and how just sometimes it does make me wonder how much do I want Him?  Is the He leading me?  I am going to process a couple spots in this chapter because I feel they need to be highlighted and looked at with some more pointed scrutiny.

 Loving the church
 His thought that he posed, “How much do you love the church?  As you look around at your brothers and sisters do you think to yourself,  I love these people so much I pray God empowers me in some way to encourage these people toward a deeper walk with Him “  Wow!  I am finding myself more and saying this prayer.  Why?  I am in love with the church, and yes some days more than others.  Recently it has been harder for me to “love” but I am.  Consistently going to prayer for empowerment is a deep process that is becoming more and more apparent as my days continue.  The other day I caught myself wanting to go to heaven for the shear purpose of leaving this rock of a planet and enjoy the peace of being with God…yet am I not here to create the Kingdom on earth?  Wow talk about a revelation!  It definitely was the kick this war horse needed to be spurred on.

 So what does it look like for us to take interest in what God is doing in others?  It boils down to asking questions about people’s lives.  This is why I have been so bent in the Sunday school class to get people to share about what is happening.  The Spirit is working among us and I so want to hear how!  I want to seek the Spirit for the right reasons…to create the Kingdom here on earth.

 Miracles
I have heard recently (past 2 weeks) a few people say where are the miracles of the bible happening around me.  The theme is they want to see the miracles as they played out in the bible happen to them in their world.  I tend to see a danger in this as the Chan points out.  The “miracle hunting” that is happening more and more within the postmodern church.  I am seeing this hunger to see this happen, yet the lack of how is God to use me now?  This miracle hunting has created a misguided pursuit in priorities.  Emphasizing how we enter into the presence of God and know that He is the one that is calling the shots is rather important…hmmm what does this mean for how I pray?

 Followers or Leaders
 So did the Spirit lead me into the pastorate or myself?  That is the question asked to me with this chapter.  Digging into who I am and how I am walking with God at this point is important to me.  Having two weeks to prep for this Sunday’s sermon has really gotten me into the mindset of being vital in ministry.  God wants me and He wants you!  WOW could this be the key to why we serve?  Not out of obedience but out of our hearts to be wanted and loved?  What does it look like if we are find our being loved through experiencing the Kingdom? Hmmmmm more ponderings on this one.

 Esther…did he have to put her in the book?
These are stories that do not move me anymore…they ache me instead.  Reading these types of accounts tend to make my heart pain.  How easy do we have it?  Yes we, not just I but we.  We have a life that is so simple and safe.  Daily we take for granted that we could have been born into a world like Esther, instead we get this nice cushy life here in America.  We do not understand just how good we have it, yet we forget how much God is doing in our world.

 Conclusion of it all
Basically this chapter has summed up how the Spirit is in my life.  Daily manifestations of the Spirit are being seen, but are we noticing and acknowledging them.  Seeing people being focused on the wrong things and not asking for the empowerment and listening has become the norm.  This Sunday as I prep for the sermon I am continually digging into the concept that it is through our prayers and the interactions with the Spirit and the church that we will see the glory of God!

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I read a book once titled unChristian.  It came to my mind tonight as I look across the world of Facebook at the various people that profess Christ and how many appear to be very unchristian in their postings.  Now I am not here to cast judgment on those that sin because Lord knows I am right there with it.  This is more about a temperature of the effectiveness of our faith in this world we live in.

The book is basically hitting on some of the top things Christians do that are very unchristian in nature.  I am wondering what has started this trend within America.  I am wondering if it has to do with discipleship.  I know I have ranted and raved on this subject before but as I start to look at the stem of how deep this problem can be.

Analysis of our modern church we see this mentality of Christians that they pay the pastor to teach on a Sunday and that is where they get their discipleship from the pulpit.  Maybe some will read a book or attend a Sunday school class or head into a small group.  The majority though go through life not really growing or moving in their faith.

In turn this lack of teaching relationships within their lives do they lack examples in the real world?  Pastors seem to be those that are removed from the world.  They tend to be looked at differently so we need to look at how someone is grown beyond the pastorate.  I am not saying the pastorate is wrong or bad, but as a church grows the one on one or small group setting for a pastor tends to be more difficult to have.

Realizing this we need to start looking at how we structure our churches for more effective discipling growth.  The Anabaptist tradition had this from what we could tell.  They didn’t have the luxury of authors writing books upon books or the instant access of sermons and teaching on the Internet.  It seems that right now in our current world we as Christians have everything we need and more…

Yet here we are in a time where we are seeing a weaker and weaker church.  I begin to wonder why (Mennonite Church USA spends so much time dealing with all these social issues and taking these stances on things yet we lack the discipleship that is necessary to make changes.  I am throwing all this out because it seems to me that we are lacking more and more what it takes to fulfill the Great Commission.  We are lacking it because we are not taking to heart what it is that the Lord wants and asks of us.

The Holy Spirit is still moving yet many ignore the promptings or do not take the time to heed them.  Over and over I see status postings of Christians in despair yet they do not acknowledge their Lord publicly and what He is doing in their lives…

Have we become this weak that we almost look unchristian to those around us?

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When hearing someone’s take on the Holy Spirit I usually end up cringing at first.  It seems that lately everybody has an opinion on what or who the Holy Spirit is…even me!  As I read this chapter it echoed the words of the Scripture.  The concept of grieving over my injustices and rejoicing over my loving actions.  What is that truly like?

This chapter really pushed me to start asking the questions to my Lord how do I communicate with God and particularly the Holy Spirit.  It has pushed my prayer life into more than just a one time a day, or a moment in time that I focus, but into more of a checking in throughout the day.  A txt msg conversation with the Holy Spirit of sorts.

I know at first this may sound cheapened, like I am not making a ritual or having a reverence for my time, but more and more I am viewing it as being in battle.  I can’t help but view our walks as a piece of the greater battle.  Everyday I am constantly reminded of how fallen our world is and every step is moment where the Holy Spirit may have some insight/direction on my moves.  Intel as you may call it.

The reality is that all the schooling in the world will not prepare you for when the Holy Spirit needs you for a task.  Yes I said need and probably can throw in there want.  God has us as a piece of the battle, a force that He needs here on earth.  Sure I get the big picture and sometimes don’t have the details of it all, but I love when I have that direction, drive, and focus.

So what did these basic truths create for you?  Did you get stirred up a bit in your prayer life?  How you interact with God?

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Recently as a Christian in America I have been struggling with how I fit in within the grand scheme of the Kingdom. Saying this I do not mean I am struggling with my identity as much as I am saying how does it all work? The bible portrays the early church as a very active force, a force that is almost super hero like and seems to impact the areas that it touches on a regular basis. The early church seemed to truly be one that was transformational in its surroundings. I take this passion and drive of the church of Acts and start to look at how it applies to me today. What created this effort that was so powerful?

I am lead to look first at who was doing this? It was men and women that had a personal interaction with Christ and then those that were touched by the Holy Spirit. They had faith that meant something to them because they wanted to be close to their Lord as well as reach out to others. How did they preserve this passion?

I am embarking on a journey in my life as a pastor because I will be solo at the church. It is a time of transition and uncertainty which drives me to my knees on a daily basis. I am striving to help those in my care to press closer to God and seek His heart for them. When I look at the Church of Acts I begin to weep because I feel in many ways we are so far from the mark. I begin to look at my own world and ask how does this change? How did we get here? What do I as a pastor need to do to lead in this day in age?

Being a pastor in today’s age means I have a mark on me. When I say the word pastor people automatically have a built up stereotype or generalization of who a pastor is, what we do, and how we act. Its almost automatic for many depending on their background. Lately this has been a weight on me. I have spent so long not to live inside a box of others and now…the box is so well defined by those in my world that I tend to want to just rip it away completely and not have that title at all.  Did those in the Church of Acts deal with this label?

I guess where I am going with all this I think is what does it mean to me today? How do I lead in a time when Christians are so poorly defined in our culture? A time when the term Christian is not welcomed always, when being a pastor is not necessarily a positive word, and finally a time when people are searching for a “spiritual” connection to those around them…how do I function around all this?

As I look back on Anabaptist history and reflect this with the Church of Acts I see disciplines formed. Ways of creating good formations of their spiritual life that keeps themselves strong under the times of pressure. Whether its communion or prayer it seems that in order to succeed there needs to be a way of passing on what is good to those that go ahead of us. Recently I feel that as a pastor in the post modern world there is a disconnect from pastors of previous generations to a point where I feel that sometimes I am teaching the old dogs instead of them teaching this pup. Its hard some days.

Recently I have been finding myself pressing for the discipleship that Paul shows to the church leaders of the early day. Pressing to be in relationship with other pastors to sharpen me and push me into something more than I am now. Wanting to be pushed into a direction that creates a stronger man of God is what my heart’s desire is. It has been very difficult forming this wise counsel. It seems that many pastors are just getting by and not really pushing their congregations to grow…I could also just be critical, but it seems that with all these churches around me our towns should look vastly different. Our towns should at least be changing for the better instead I see area after area around me looking bleaker and bleaker. I guess in the end I want to see growth of the Kingdom around me and I want to be a part of it.

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