From Books Worth Reading

From “Messy Spirituality” by Michael Yaconelli (pages 12-13)

“What landed Jesus on the cross was the preposterous idea that common, ordinary, broken, screwed-up people could be godly! What drove Jesus’ enemies crazy were His criticisms of the “perfect”religious people and His acceptance of the imperfect nonreligious people. The shocking implication of Jesus’ ministry is that anyone can be spiritual.

Scandoulous? Maybe.

Maybe truthis scandalous. Maybe the scandal is that all of us are in some condition of not-togetherness, even those of us who are trying to be godly. Maybe we’re all a mess, not only sinfully messy but inconsistent messy, up-and-down messy, in-and-out messy, now-I-believe-now-I-don’t messy, I-understand-uh-now-I-don’t-understand messy.

I admit, messy spirituality sounds… well… unspiritual.

Surely there are guidelines to follow, principles to live by, maps to show us where to go, and secrets we can uncover to find a spirituality that is clean and tidy. 

I'm afraid not.

Spirituality is not a formula; its not a test. It is a relationship. Spirituality is not about competency; it is about intimacy. Spirituality is not about perfection; it is about connection.”

Devotion

The Act of Contrition
James Gibbons (1834-1921)

O my God,

I am heartily sorry for
Having offended Thee,
And I detest all my sins,
Because I dread the loss of heaven,
And the pains of hell;
But most of all because
They offend Thee, My God,
Who are all good and
Deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve,
With the help of Thy grace
To confess sins,
To do penance
And to amend my life.
Amen.

Why serving in the church is so important?

Why serving in the church is so important?

Because there’s so much to do, we need all the help we can get!  There is such a great need in our world; we are surrounded by lost people.  Even our own members could easily fall away if not given opportunities for growth and fellowship.  The more volunteers we have, the more services we can offer.  Our church is blessed with visionary leaders.  They are always thinking of amazing opportunities we can use to bring people to a closer walk with the Lord.  But for everything we do, we need people to help, people to participate, people to be involved.  There is something everyone can do, from our youngest members to our oldest.  There are so many things, that everyone can find something that is within their physical limitations and time constrains.  You may not know what you can do to help, but there are people who do know.  Let any of the staff members, elders or deacons know you are willing, and they can work with you to find something that you’d enjoy doing.

 Often when you start an exercise regimen it’s difficult to get in the habit of working out, you’re too tired, too busy.  But once you establish a routine, exercise actually gives you energy.  That’s how it is with work in the church.  When you serve others, you generally get more out of it than the ones they’re serving.  The more you do, the more you grow, and the more you grow, the more you want to do.  So, get off the bench and into the game.

Dawn Tuccillo

THINGS RE-TWEETED BY KELLY

I love my wife but she re-tweets a lot. Lucky for me it is usually good stuff.  Here are some re-tweets that have made me think!

Bob Goff ‏@bobgoff

What we do about truth we hear doesn't change the truth; what we do about the lies we hear can change everything

Louie Giglio @louiegiglio

Nothing more exhausting than trying to gain the approval of people who are created by the same God who is in love with you.

Justin Davis @justindavis33

When we make decisions from a place of woundedness, they are rarely wise decisions.

Beth Moore @BethMooreLPM

A teacher who doesn't like to study is a talker. Don't mix up the two.

Love Like Jesus ‏ @LovLikeJesus

You must stop talking about the problem and start talking about the solution...start speaking words of victory.

A Godly Life ‏ @Godly_Life

Be willing to listen to others and be teachable. You're not right about everything…nobody is.

A Godly Life ‏ @Godly_Life

When the Bible says "watch and pray" it doesn't mean "watch and criticize," "watch and gossip" or "watch and judge."

David Platt ‏ @plattdavid

The sovereignty of God is the only foundation for praise in the middle of pain.

shelley giglio ‏ @shelleygiglio

God's love is meteoric, his loyalty astronomic, his purpose titanic, his verdicts oceanic. yet in his largeness nothing gets lost [ps 36]

Bo Ayers ‏ @BoAyers

If you have a problem with OBEYING God, you also have a problem with LOVING God #John14

New Beginnings ‏ @NBCCTAMPA

We saw this on a church sign nearby: "A person is never more empty than when he is full of self." Nice #Truth

Lecrae ‏ @lecrae

Nothing and no one, no matter how glorious, will ever satisfy a heart designed for God.


Women Of Christ @Women_Of_Christ


Lord, yesterday I was nothing without you, today I'm nothing without you & tomorrow I'll still be nothing without you. All glory is yours.

Troy

Missions Monday

Second mission trip to Cuba .

Here in the USA it is hard for us to understand what a truly third or fourth world country really means.  In Cuba , you find out real fast, once you get there you will immediately appreciate our clean air standards, which Cuba woefully lacks.  Most of their cars are US made from the 1940’s and 1950’s still running though not well thanks to duct tape and anything that can be used as a spare part.  It is not uncommon to see almost a full turn of play in the steering wheel, making you feel sorry for anyone driving us a long distance.  It should also be noted that Cuban’s operate on Island time which is usually one hour later than when you say or think.  So if you want your driver at the hotel at 8 am tell him 645 or 700, that way he will be on time.

On this trip to Cuba we were staying at the International Hotel, right next door to the Cuban Military Museum and in downtown Havana .  Wonderful people at the hotel who tried their best to please us in every way.  I must tell you that the average Cuban makes about 8 dollars a month and works six days a week, the average Lawyer or Doctor makes about 25 dollars a month.  That being said so that you know a little tip goes a long way in Cuba , not that it is ever solicited or in any way asked for. 

Much happened on this trip, all of it positive and touching our hearts, however, one thing stands out among all the rest.  The night before we were to leave one of the hotel staff (Nancy) who was assigned to us went out late at night to find milk to cook with.  She slept in a closet (not going home that night) so that she would be sure to be at the hotel before we left and would have had enough time to make scones for us as a departing gift.   Best departing gift we have ever received.  As a postscript to this the next time we went to Cuba (about 8 months later) we found that Nancy no longer worked there and that the others did not know where or even if she was working. 

During that trip (8 months later) on our day off we were in Old Town Cuba , being a sightseeing tourist for the day and we stopped for lunch at one of the Old Town restaurants and you will not believe who was there to take care of us, right, Nancy .  We were able to visit with her every time we came to Cuba after that.  God is so cool.

John Hartley

Elder

Missions Committee Chairman

From Books Worth Reading

From “Not the Cross but the Crucified” by Herman Emiel Mertens (page 35)

“Christians know their love of God is inextricably bound up with the love of their neighbor. This love has many forms, ranging from respect for life and social justice to gratitude and reconciliation, the finest art of love. Also respect for one another, tolerance, hospitality, friendliness, affection, loyalty, generosity, peace, complaisance, social commitment, national solidarity, and even sound social criticism have got to do with it. In short, humanity has many forms and variants. Freedom has many names as well: truthfulness, sincerity, self-respect, privacy, self-determination, autonomy of conscience, consistency, firmness of principle, will-power, courage… not to forget modesty. Paul has listed all these virtues in order in Galatians 5:22-23a: “The harvest of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fidelity, gentleness, and self-control.”

3 Most Misquoted Passages

John Meisenbach and I were at a minister’s breakfast the other morning, and an interesting topic came up. Among all the other things talked about that day, the topic was “the most misquoted” or “the most misused”passages in the Bible. That is not what we normally talk about, but it happened to come up. Before you keep reading, can you guess what the top 3 were that were mentioned around this table of rambunctious clergy?

In no particular order…

#1 “Don’t Judge” which comes from Matthew 7:1-2 which actually says, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” The verse does not actually say that we are not to judge others or make decisions about things or be discerning, but rather we should be careful in our judgments of others because with the measure we use it will be measured to us! We quote one part of the verse and leave out the rest of Jesus’ thoughts. Most of the time we think “Don’t Judge” and it is a blanket statement that we should love and be tolerant and accepting of all, but that is not exactly what the verse says. The verse is often misused to shame people into allowing others to live sinfully and to not say anything about it. Be careful in how you judge… that is what Jesus says! We just misquote it.

#2 “God will never give you more than you can bear” which comes from 1 Corinthians 10:13 which actually says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” Most of the time we quote this verse and we say that the bad things in life will not be above what we can bear. We say “God will not give you more than you can bear” and leave out so much of the verse. The verse doesn’t say that and doesn’t even come close. The context of the verse is temptation and that in all situations a person will find a way out from under a temptation and God will provide a way out. Temptation will not be more than you can bear. We just misuse it.

#3 “Money is the root of all evil” which comes from 1 Timothy 6:10 which actually says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” What we say about this verse is incorrect. We omit words. Money is neither good nor evil, but it is what we do with it that makes good or evil results. Money is certainly an issue in many people’s lives. Even the other day on the radio station it mentioned money as a prime reason for divorce. Money is needed for life, food, health, etc, but the love of money is the downfall of many. Greed breeds more sin. We should master our money not the other way around (see Dave Ramsey on that subject). We just misquote and misuse this verse.

Are there other passages that you have heard that are misused and misquoted? Thoughts?

Troy

Missions Monday

First Missions Trip to Cuba

It takes several months to get all the documents and logistics lined up to travel from the USA to Cuba and this was our first trip.  Everything proceeded smoothly from Tampa to Miami and then to Cuba itself.  I had 12 folks with me on this first trip and we as excited as a kid in a candy store.  The flight by jet takes only 38 minutes from Miami to Jose Marti airport just outside of Havana Cuba . 

We had lined up several activities for this first trip, working with the Churches, doing a VBS, witnessing where we could, visiting outlying Churches and working with the Sunday Schools.  I had taken two hundred and twenty pounds of Sunday School literature and books, mostly in Spanish as well as Bibles for many of the Churches.  Upon arrival at the airport (keep in mind that this is Cuba, so you have a long walk from the plane to the terminal (which is like an airplane hangar and probably was at one time), there are guards with guns and dogs and the process is not automated so it is extremely slow.  Of course this allows for your bags to be inside once you pass through customs.

And, so it was.  Once we got inside the baggage area, we were able to locate all the bags of our team members except mine.  The man bringing the bags out told me yours will be out soon.  Soon turned into 2 hours at which time I sent the team on ahead to check into our hotel.  Several attempts to get my bags were met with they should be out soon, I could seem them sitting in the back.  Another hour and a half and my bags come out, I proceed to the inspection line and it takes another thirty minutes to answer what each major item was.  Then finally I was cleared to go on, I had taken about ten steps and another Cuban official hollered STOP, which I did.  They went through everything again and asked me more questions.  Again, I was finally cleared to leave.  I had made it just about to the door and I here another loud STOP, and of course I stopped.  This time it was a much higher Cuban official who stopped me and wanted to go through my stuff, which he did.  Finally I made it out the door and to my waiting ride.

We had no other problems during this trip and I was able to make friends with the airport manager (with some Oreo’s and baseball cards) and we flew first class several times after that, just for a bag of cookies and some baseball cards.  I have never felt threatened our in danger while in Cuba and find it to be full of wonderful caring folks and a beautiful place to visit. 

John Hartley

Elder

Missions Committee Chairman

Farewell to James

The ladies of the Monday night study spent our last night in James this week...at least together. Here are a few things we've learned...
James wrote his epistle from a different vantage point than any other New Testament writer. We find in the gospels that during the life and ministry of Jesus, James was not a follower...literally or spiritually. He was not present for much of the teaching of Jesus and what he did hear, he didn't believe. But then there was the moment, after the resurrection that Jesus appeared to James. One of a precious  few who had an intimate encounter with Jesus after the cross, James was radically changed into the leader of the church in Jerusalem..."the first among equals." He grew up with God, but did not recognize how magnificent a privilege. He knew our Savior. He was deeply loved by our Lord. They were family. His writing is an opportunity to reflect on perfect faith that he witnessed but only understood in hindsight. What an interesting perspective!
Diving in to the text was a challenge. James is very pointed and without excuses. His message is two-fold. Pursue holiness and serve others. I think the main threads of the book are summed up in James 1:27 when he says Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Tall order, huh? James is very much about doing what the Word says. Melissa Fitzpatrick (who wrote some of the study) says James would assert that "you have not adequately read Scripture unless you've done it." 
James challenges us to consider trials joy, tame our tongue, practice patience, listen, to speak truth, submit, humble ourselves and remember if you  know you should do something but don't, you are sinning. He encourages us to forsake excess for giving to those in need...to be aware of the needs around us and meet them when we can. He tells us to pray. Often. For each other. For ourselves. In sickness. In happiness. In faith.
For me, chapter 4 has taken deep root. James says in 4:4-6 Adulters, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world's friend makes himself God's enemy. Or do you think Scripture means nothing when it says "The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning?" But he gives greater grace. That passage has stunned me and convicted me. Where do I look like the world? Can you ever tell a difference? When I do look like the world, or sin, it is like saying that I don't think God meant it when He said in Scripture to keep a tight rein on your tongue or be slow to anger and abounding in love or flee from sexual immorality or do not merely listen to the Word but do what it says or ______________. Thinking that I have ever said to the Lord that His Word means nothing broke my heart and challenged me to consider sin saying just that. It is much harder to fulfill my fleshly desire when I consider it telling my sweet Jesus His Words are nothing.
James digs into the nooks and crannies of our lives and demands change. I am praying that my girls and I let the Word of James make deep roots in our hearts so that we may be women of outrageous faith who have deeds to back that faith up!

Kelly

Missions Monday

One of my AHA! moments during a Mission ’s Trip

I think it was November of 2009 and we were building a baptistery in Lluidasvale , Jamaica and we were about two days away from finishing it when we were told an old man, Ivan, wanted to be baptized.  He was not in good health and couldn’t walk.  I was the one working on the baptistery.  I hurried my work because I thought Ivan might die first.  I finished tiling on Wednesday and on Thursday we set out to baptize him.

            Since he couldn’t walk, we took a wheelbarrow down to his house, with about four men, put a carpet in it, and loaded Ivan into his Jamaican Taxi.  We had to push him up a hill to where the church was and it was quite an effort.  

            During our evening program, we put Ivan on a metal folding chair and three or four of us lowered him into the pool and dunked him.  He really needed that too.  He was baptized and lifted out of the pool by all the men.  He had a big smile on his face and said a grateful thank you.  Ivan still lives on today.

-- Ken Meech