Pastor's Weekly Musing
Hey everyone!
One of the most ignored yet fascinating books in the Bible is Lamentations. It's essentially the prophet Jeremiah's prayer journal to God when his country, Judah, had endured an economic tailspin and was terrorized by a foreign enemy. He had witnessed incredibly inhumane acts committed against his countrymen. People were out of work and starving to death.
How would you respond? How DO you respond when life goes sideways, when things are unfair, when you or the people you love have taken a beating and it's just not right? I'll tell you what I often do: I disappear. I go numb. I put it in a box, compartmentalize it to the point that it becomes the topic no one is allowed to speak of. Not even God.
But Jeremiah basically let's God have it. Check this out:
"God has made my skin and flesh grow old. He has broken my bones. He has besieged and surrounded me with anguish and distress. He has buried me in a dark place, like those long dead... And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers." (Lamentations 3:4-6, 8 NLT)
Does it surprise you that these words are in the Bible? Jeremiah--like some people today--felt God had forgotten him. But Jeremiah didn't ignore what he was feeling. He didn't sugarcoat the situation. He told God what was on his heart. In fact, Jeremiah spent five chapters telling God what he thought about the situation. He basically told God, "Are you kidding me?? This stinks!!"
Why would God put that kind of passage in the Bible? He wants you to know that He can handle your anger, your gripes, and your grief. Jeremiah spent an entire book of the Bible blowing off steam. If God is big enough to handle Jeremiah's pain, he's big enough to handle yours too.
If you swallow your emotions, you just hurt yourself. Your stomach will keep the score! And you'll leak it all on unsuspecting people around you, people who have ZERO idea what's going in with you. Instead, unload your emotions on God.
When my kids were little, they would periodically throw temper tantrums, times when their emotions were just too much to handle. As a dad, their temper tantrums didn't make me love them any less. They didn't make me doubt my decisions. They didn't make me feel like less of a father. They reminded me that my kids were immature. They didn't know what I knew.
God doesn't love you any less when you throw a temper tantrum. He doesn't owe you an explanation. But He is never afraid of what you have to say.
So tell Him. Seriously. Unedited, unfiltered, not couched in over-spiritual language. Just tell Him. It'll be the beginning of healing.
One of the most ignored yet fascinating books in the Bible is Lamentations. It's essentially the prophet Jeremiah's prayer journal to God when his country, Judah, had endured an economic tailspin and was terrorized by a foreign enemy. He had witnessed incredibly inhumane acts committed against his countrymen. People were out of work and starving to death.
How would you respond? How DO you respond when life goes sideways, when things are unfair, when you or the people you love have taken a beating and it's just not right? I'll tell you what I often do: I disappear. I go numb. I put it in a box, compartmentalize it to the point that it becomes the topic no one is allowed to speak of. Not even God.
But Jeremiah basically let's God have it. Check this out:
"God has made my skin and flesh grow old. He has broken my bones. He has besieged and surrounded me with anguish and distress. He has buried me in a dark place, like those long dead... And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers." (Lamentations 3:4-6, 8 NLT)
Does it surprise you that these words are in the Bible? Jeremiah--like some people today--felt God had forgotten him. But Jeremiah didn't ignore what he was feeling. He didn't sugarcoat the situation. He told God what was on his heart. In fact, Jeremiah spent five chapters telling God what he thought about the situation. He basically told God, "Are you kidding me?? This stinks!!"
Why would God put that kind of passage in the Bible? He wants you to know that He can handle your anger, your gripes, and your grief. Jeremiah spent an entire book of the Bible blowing off steam. If God is big enough to handle Jeremiah's pain, he's big enough to handle yours too.
If you swallow your emotions, you just hurt yourself. Your stomach will keep the score! And you'll leak it all on unsuspecting people around you, people who have ZERO idea what's going in with you. Instead, unload your emotions on God.
When my kids were little, they would periodically throw temper tantrums, times when their emotions were just too much to handle. As a dad, their temper tantrums didn't make me love them any less. They didn't make me doubt my decisions. They didn't make me feel like less of a father. They reminded me that my kids were immature. They didn't know what I knew.
God doesn't love you any less when you throw a temper tantrum. He doesn't owe you an explanation. But He is never afraid of what you have to say.
So tell Him. Seriously. Unedited, unfiltered, not couched in over-spiritual language. Just tell Him. It'll be the beginning of healing.
__________________________________________________
Saturday, August 19 -- Men's Serving Saturday. Join David Bombara and the Meadows Men as they meet for a Church Clean-up day! They'll beat the heat by gathering at the church at 7 AM, and there will be a handful of simple tasks to help keep the property in good shape. We'll have food, coffee, water, and some projects to complete. Click HERE to let us know you'll be there.
Tuesday, August 22 -- ROOTED Discipleship begins! Our 10-week small group discipleship experience is kicking off again and registration is now open! Rooted is a catalyst to grow deeper in your relationship with God, one another, and your purpose. Sign up today so we can get your Rooted book ordered, then join us around the table on Tuesday, August 22. Find lasting community and a deeper relationship with God through Rooted! Click HERE to sign up!
Tuesday, August 22 -- ROOTED Discipleship begins! Our 10-week small group discipleship experience is kicking off again and registration is now open! Rooted is a catalyst to grow deeper in your relationship with God, one another, and your purpose. Sign up today so we can get your Rooted book ordered, then join us around the table on Tuesday, August 22. Find lasting community and a deeper relationship with God through Rooted! Click HERE to sign up!
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Our first CRAVE Ladies Gathering was a huge success! Over 130 ladies of all ages showed up, the energy was off the charts, and God was glorified in it all.
Stay tuned for next month's Crave Gathering!
Stay tuned for next month's Crave Gathering!
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Next Sunday, August 27, Scott and January Wilson will be in town and Scott will bring the Word that morning! He and January are up to some awesome things in Mexico and beyond, and Scott will bring an encouragement for us all.
ALSO, the following Wednesday night (August 30 at 6:30 PM), the Wilsons will be hosting a Taco Dinner Fund-Raiser Event here at the church! Come get a free taco plate courtesy of the Wilson's, and then stick around to hear more about what they're doing with Foursquare Mexico and how you can partner with them to fulfill God's call on their lives to impact the world with the Gospel.
Next Sunday, August 27, Scott and January Wilson will be in town and Scott will bring the Word that morning! He and January are up to some awesome things in Mexico and beyond, and Scott will bring an encouragement for us all.
ALSO, the following Wednesday night (August 30 at 6:30 PM), the Wilsons will be hosting a Taco Dinner Fund-Raiser Event here at the church! Come get a free taco plate courtesy of the Wilson's, and then stick around to hear more about what they're doing with Foursquare Mexico and how you can partner with them to fulfill God's call on their lives to impact the world with the Gospel.
__________________________________________________
This Sunday, we'll continue our series: Receive the Holy Spirit.
We'll spend the next couple months deep-diving into the person, work, and power of the Holy Spirit. This Sunday, we'll start with a great encapsulation of who the Spirit is, as told by theologian Gordon Fee: The Holy Spirit is God's empowering presence. We'll break that down over the coming weeks.
Join us this Sunday for Part 2 - Power.
Looking forward to seeing you all on the walkway!
Pastor Ron
We'll spend the next couple months deep-diving into the person, work, and power of the Holy Spirit. This Sunday, we'll start with a great encapsulation of who the Spirit is, as told by theologian Gordon Fee: The Holy Spirit is God's empowering presence. We'll break that down over the coming weeks.
Join us this Sunday for Part 2 - Power.
Looking forward to seeing you all on the walkway!
Pastor Ron
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