I will have much joy in the Lord. My soul will have joy in my God, for He has clothed me with the clothes of His saving power. He has put around me a coat of what is right and good, as a man at his own wedding wears something special on his head, and as a bride makes herself beautiful with stones of great worth. ~ Isaiah 61:10
Maybe you're like me and you've never been part of society's "in crowd." I've always been kind of in the middle of the popularity contiuum - neither the most popular, nor the least. I've been content to flourish among a handful of true and faithful friends, secure in a healthy sense of self and humanity that my parents instilled in me from the beginning. But I'd be lying if I denied a certain longing for popularity, particularly in my younger years.
In today's paper, Dear Abby's column addressed this very issue. A reader wrote in to praise Abby's past advice about how to become popular, advice that the reader had practiced and had found to be successful. In a nutshell, Abby's original advice was to pay as much attention to the expression you wear on your face as to the clothes you wear on your body. The more cheerful and pleasant your demeanor, the more others will gravitate toward you. Not bad advice, but it begs the question...what if the reader were asked why she is so cheerful? Is she to answer, "Because Abigail Van Buren told me to be"?
This week, I've had the pleasure of sharing two separate meals with two joyful individuals, one being a certain minister we know and love, and the other being a good friend and sister in Christ. These folks ooze cheerfulness, and not the pretentious kind. Their joy is genuine because it comes from the very source of joy itself. Their faith in Christ is so committed, so complete, that they simply can't hide their joy of being saved by the grace of Jesus. I don't know about you, but I find the Jesus Joy to be more contagious than the most virulent flu bug or YouTube video out there!
I am by nature a somewhat serious person. I laugh and joke a great deal, but typically only among those with whom I am very well acquainted and comfortable. Outside of that, I tend to be quiet and reserved. My sharing of the Gospel has mostly been with those who are heartbroken or suffering, with an appropriately serious demeanor. But my dining companions this week have reminded me that living my daily moments with the visible and audible joy of Christ is perhaps the most effective way of sharing the Good News.
How fun would it be to compel someone in the grocery store or the bank to ask me why in the world I'm so happy? And how marverlous would it be to answer, "Because Jesus has saved me and He is alive in me"? If I try it for the next few days (and beyond), will you join me? Maybe together we can start the "Jesus Joy Club," the best in-crowd around!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Let Not Man Put Asunder
Ten years after the attacks of 9/11, I am typing on this blog from a well of splendid emotion. I have forced myself to watch the 10th anniversary specials on TV, so as not to succumb to apathy. But it is not the network news events that have moved me so deeply, but rather an experience yesterday that has nothing (and everything) to do with 9/11.
I spent my Saturday in a sanctuary in Fairfield, Ohio participating in a live Beth Moore simulcast. For those who don't know her, Beth Moore is an evangelical writer and speaker who has penned many marvelous Bible studies. Yesterday, she was speaking live from Lubbock, Texas. In typical Beth Moore fashion, she took a couple of verses from Luke and a couple of verses from Acts and turned them into a beautiful sermon about the life and example of Luke in his passion for the good news of Jesus.
The simulcast was organized in segments, with worship music and breaks built in between. While I always revel in a good message, I was particularly struck by these moments of worship. Beth Moore told us that nearly 200,000 people around the world were tuning into her simulcast at the same time, representing 48 states, 31 Canadian sites, and 11 countries. The impact of these numbers flowed over and through me as I witnessed hands and voices raised in worship to the one and only God of this world. At one point, I leaned over to my best friend, who had invited me, and said, "Wow...200,000 people doing this all around the country. Let the terrorists try to take this down."
The title for this blog post came to mind during worship at the simulcast yesterday. We are all familiar with the words in Matthew 19:6..."Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man put asunder." These words are used in marriage ceremonies to remind us of the importance of a relationship formed by God. I think it can also be applied to the church. God has joined us, the body of Christ, together in order to worship, to serve and to spread the news of Jesus Christ to the world. What we can all take away from the events of 9/11 is that while it's natural for us to grieve, to mourn, and to crave justice, the single most important thing in life is Christ. We are the body of Christ, and we cannot let man separate us from the love and call of our God - neither terrorists, nor each other.
Today and always, let's remember the message of another 9/11. Psalm 9:11 tells us, "Sing praises to the Lord, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done." Not what the terrorists have done, but what our wonderful, loving and merciful God has done. Jesus lives in each of us, if we allow Him to. Let that be how we honor this day and all the days the come.
I spent my Saturday in a sanctuary in Fairfield, Ohio participating in a live Beth Moore simulcast. For those who don't know her, Beth Moore is an evangelical writer and speaker who has penned many marvelous Bible studies. Yesterday, she was speaking live from Lubbock, Texas. In typical Beth Moore fashion, she took a couple of verses from Luke and a couple of verses from Acts and turned them into a beautiful sermon about the life and example of Luke in his passion for the good news of Jesus.
The simulcast was organized in segments, with worship music and breaks built in between. While I always revel in a good message, I was particularly struck by these moments of worship. Beth Moore told us that nearly 200,000 people around the world were tuning into her simulcast at the same time, representing 48 states, 31 Canadian sites, and 11 countries. The impact of these numbers flowed over and through me as I witnessed hands and voices raised in worship to the one and only God of this world. At one point, I leaned over to my best friend, who had invited me, and said, "Wow...200,000 people doing this all around the country. Let the terrorists try to take this down."
The title for this blog post came to mind during worship at the simulcast yesterday. We are all familiar with the words in Matthew 19:6..."Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man put asunder." These words are used in marriage ceremonies to remind us of the importance of a relationship formed by God. I think it can also be applied to the church. God has joined us, the body of Christ, together in order to worship, to serve and to spread the news of Jesus Christ to the world. What we can all take away from the events of 9/11 is that while it's natural for us to grieve, to mourn, and to crave justice, the single most important thing in life is Christ. We are the body of Christ, and we cannot let man separate us from the love and call of our God - neither terrorists, nor each other.
Today and always, let's remember the message of another 9/11. Psalm 9:11 tells us, "Sing praises to the Lord, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done." Not what the terrorists have done, but what our wonderful, loving and merciful God has done. Jesus lives in each of us, if we allow Him to. Let that be how we honor this day and all the days the come.
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