Hearing From God

Yesterday, during my sermon, I gave some attention to this idea of “hearing from God.”  In fact, when I asked our congregation how many of them felt as though they had actually received a “specific, deliberate, individual word from the Lord,” nearly every hand in the building shot up.  And yet when I asked who among the audience had heard an actual “audible” voice, only one or two hands were raised.  The response was expected.  Although most of us have never heard an actual voice, most of us have heard from God in some way… maybe through the whisper and prompting of the Spirit, maybe through the words of a friend, or maybe through the reading of Scripture.  As I stated yesterday, I really believe that God speaks and that He speaks often.  The problem with our communication with God lies within us, and not with God.  Sometimes, we just don’t listen for His voice.

This past weekend I was in Tuscaloosa for the Alabama game.  A few minutes into the game, a young woman sitting in front of me turned and asked, “Are you from Nashville?”  I said, “Yes.”  And then her follow-up question… “Aren’t you a minister?”  Again I said, “Yes.”  “I thought so,” she replied.  I recognized your voice from your television broadcast.”  Turns out she lives here in town and teaches in East Nashville.  Interesting. She knew who I was, because she heard my voice.  Would we recognize the voice of God if He spoke?  Maybe that’s the problem.  Maybe His voice sounds very different from what we might expect.  Maybe instead of a booming voice from the heavens, His voice sounds like a gentle whisper, or the laughter of a child, or the shaky voice of a senior adult who offers a word of counsel.  Think about it… God has billions of voices to use, each one with a different accent, a different inflection, a different pitch.  God can “borrow” a voice from one of His children at any time in order to speak in our direction.  And just maybe, at times, God borrows your voice to speak to someone else.  How about that thought?  What if God wants to use your voice today to speak a word of hope, a word of correction, or a word of encouragement to someone He places in your path?  Are you willing to be used that way?  Take care with your words… speak with grace, hope, civility, and respect.  You just never know what God may be saying.

Woodmont Goes Green

The following is an excerpt from last Sunday's sermon in which I challenged our congregation to honor God by taking seriously, the things that God takes seriously.  One of the things that I discussed was God's care for His creation.  Here's the excerpt...

"Go back and read the Biblical record carefully and you will discover God’s love and care for all of His created order. It is not just people that catch His attention. He also cares for all that He made in addition to human flesh.  In Genesis 1:26-27, man is given dominion and the responsibility of stewardship for the planet. Plants, shrubs, birds, fish, livestock, are all placed under humankind's care. God expects us to practice good stewardship of our resources. A “go green” conversation is a responsible, moral, and needed conversation for Christians to have. It is not a political issue to be debated; it is a “people of God” responsibility to undertake. Why would anyone be opposed to responsible care for our planet? We need to care about the earth and it’s resources. We need to figure out ways at the individual and corporate level for our “care-taking” task to be accomplished. The problem is that ecology is such a huge task. It’s one of those jobs that is everyone’s responsibility which means from a practical standpoint it becomes “no one’s” responsibility. The earth must receive our consideration, not our exploitation.

"It is interesting to me that in all of our conversations about rethinking, reviving, and renewing our church, in all our dialogues and town hall meetings, that the topic of green earth as a moral/spiritual imperative never came to the surface. We need to get a better handle on this topic as a congregation. Sure we recycle cans, but is that enough? Is that all that we should consider doing? How much paper could we recycle? How many Styrofoam cups do we use to keep our coffee hot and our soft drinks cold? How much water do we waste? How many plastic bottles do we toss out? Let me give you some figures to consider for a moment. That Styrofoam cup that you use and simply toss aside, will take up to a million years to decompose. A glass bottle? The same decomposition time. A plastic water bottle? It’s going to be around for another million years as well unless it is recycled. An aluminum can will decompose in about 500 years. Monofilament fishing line in about 800 years. That little plastic ring that keeps a six-pack together in your grocery cart… it’s here for another 450 years. We really do have to get serious about recycling initiatives, reusable packaging, and earth-friendly products. Each family needs to look for ways to be more responsible. And quite honestly, we need someone to emerge in the life of our church who will help to understand this issue more fully so that we can act more responsibly. A green earth policy is a part of the stewardship that God has placed at our feet. He is serious about His creation."

The response from those words has been exciting.  I have heard from a number of members who are excited about moving this issue to a more prominent point of discussion.  Several have already volunteered to be part of a Ministry Team that can provide some helpful suggestions.  I'm interested in your thoughts.  I will be glad to post your ideas and thoughts about the ways in which we can make a difference here at Woodmont.

Accepting our Acceptance...

"But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path." (Romans 9:31, 32 NLT)

Boil down Paul's discussion in Romans 9 and you will discover that he offers a simple truth about God's acceptance and rejection of Israel.  Most Jews had bought into a mentality that declared a keeping of the Law would justify them in the eyes of God.  It was a salvation-by-works kind of mentality.  "Do the right things and God will have to accept us."  But Paul offers a different word.  It is not about a rigid keeping of the Law that makes one right in the eyes of God, but simple faith instead.  When we are joined to God through simple faith, not by birthright or works, it is then that we find ourselves in the right relationship with Him.

To be honest, it's still pretty hard for most of us to escape a salvation-by-works theology.  We tend to think that the more "good things" that we do, the more that God will like us.  We act as though we will "earn" our salvation by the things that we can do.  If we go to church, give to the poor, use the right language, and treat people fairly, how can God resist loving us?  Don't get me wrong... all those things are good practices, but they should be the result of our faith and not the catalyst for it.  We simply don't "do" enough good things until the day comes that God is pleased with us.  Instead, we discover that God already loves us and in response to that love, we do good things.  That's a different way of thinking about God.  Paul's message still needs to be heard by a modern audience.  Getting right with God is still all about having a trusting relationship with Him.  He loves us, promises to save us, and offers the gift of His Son.  It is as we begin to trust in those promises that our salvation comes to life.  Remember that we are already loved by God.  We are already the objects of His grace.  Those who try to "earn" their salvation labor in vain.  The gift is already offered.  All we do is accept it and let His grace begin to transform us.  As you start your day, instead of trying to do enough good things to be loved by God, why not accept the fact that you already are and then concentrate on ways to draw closer to Him?

When we don't know what to pray...

"And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. (Romans 8:26 NLT)

One of the greatest promises of the Bible is contained in this verse.  Paul is describing the work of the Spirit reminding us that God has sent His Spirit to help us in time of need and weakness.  As an example, Paul talks about this matter of prayer.  He reminds us that even when we don't know what to pray or how to pray, that the Spirit prays on our behalf, speaking the deep longings of our hearts that we cannot even express with words.

Ever been to the point of not knowing what to pray or even how to begin to pray about a certain need?  Most of us have experienced such a moment during some portion of our spiritual journey.  Sometimes needs are so complex, problems so great, and solutions so vague, that it is beyond our wisdom to even know how to lift our petition before God. Sometimes, we don't even know where to start.  It's odd... so often we work through the solution that we desire from God before we even begin to pray.  Our prayers sound something like this, "God I need for you to do this or that and solve this problem, working in just this way..."  We don't really need God to solve the mystery surrounding our needs.  We just need Him to do we what tell Him to do.  Maybe there is a better way.  Maybe the soul-searching, no-idea-what-to-do kind of prayer is more honest, more humble, and more effective.  Not knowing what to pray is not always a bad thing.  Sometimes it forces us to be totally God-dependent.  It takes our wisdom, our thoughts, and our opinions totally out of the mix.  Such praying says to God, "I have no idea what to do.  I just need You to take control and demonstrate Your miraculous power."  Let me give you an example... Not long ago I was praying for a friend who has made a total mess of his life.  He has ruined his marriage, his career, and his reputation.  Though I have prayed for him on many occasions, I find myself at a loss currently, to know what else to pray or how to even go about it.  What I find myself doing is simply praying a prayer in which I place my total trust in God by saying, "Thy will be done."  The truth is, I don't have the answer to my friend's needs.  But God does.  So I have chosen to get out of the way and let God work.  The Spirit groans the inexpressible words of my heart and I am comforted, knowing that a better prayer than I can pray has been offered.  So take a little comfort today... the Spirit works mightily when your simple life falters.

Doing the Right Thing

A couple of days ago I was walking along the seashore at one of my favorite spots... the Georgia Coast at St. Simons Island.  I was out on the beach fairly early, which meant I had most of the beach to myself.  Except for a few pesky Seagulls, it was a rare moment of solitude.  I passed by an abandoned beach chair, that someone had obviously placed earlier in the morning hoping to claim a prime spot once the sun got a bit higher in the sky.  It was one of those canvas kinds like you see at picnic or ball game that comes folded up in a cloth cover.  About the time I passed the chair, the wind picked up the cover and sent it dancing down the beach.  It would tumble for a few feet and stop... and then tumble a bit further.  I looked around and there was not another soul in sight... no one to retrieve the cover.  I knew that within a few moments, it would find it's way into the surf and would be lost forever.

And so I started a pursuit of the tumbling cover.  It took a moment or two, but I finally clutched it in my hand and began walking back to the chair.  I took the time to wrap it around one of the legs and tied it off with a big knot.  Being assured that it was there to stay, I turned and continued my walk along the shore.  The owner would no doubt return to the chair at some moment and discover that "someone" had  secured the chair cover.

It was a simple act of kindness, simply done.  It was not the kind of noble act that will change the world or even be noticed.  But sometimes, we just need to do the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing.  Sometimes we need to act responsibly because that's what believers do.  We seize opportunities. We take advantage of a moment.  Walk through life long enough and you will discover a lot of opportunities to do good.  Faithful Christians should view such moments as opportunities to minister and not as distractions which interrupt life.  Get out your New Testament and read James 4:17.  "Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin."  Something about living the Christian life forces us to get involved.  We cannot simply look the other way when God brings an opportunity to our doorstep.  So keep your eyes and ears open.  Before this week ends, you may have an opportunity to do the right thing... to help, to heal, or to offer a hand.  It won't matter if no one else is looking.  The praise of men is not why we do what we do, but instead, it's the gentle nod from our Father that matters.