Labels

DateLine (7/27/06 – Pearl River, NY)

I attended a high school football factory in a sports crazed small town. From the 1950s through the 1990s there were very few high schools in the entire country that could match the winning record of Woodruff High School. As successful as the present day Byrnes High School Rebels are they have only equaled the four consecutive state high school championships that Woodruff earned in the late 1970s. The coach, “Willie” Varner, was a legend locally, regionally, and nationally. He is known for setting high expectations and motivating student athletics to over achieve. There’s where I pick up the story.

I was not athletically inclined when I entered high school in 1969, hence I was not involved in one of the favorite pastimes of the city. But I was subjected to the high standards and motivational tactics of Coach Varner. This was back in the day when Physical Education was a required component of the school curriculum. I was surprised to find during the first day of PE that we would not immediately purchase the mandatory PE uniform, which was a common practice at most “normal” school.

We would first complete a series of personal assessment events, based on the President’s Physical Fitness Standard, and be given a grade level score based on our performance. Some would receive A’s, some B’s, some C’s, some D’s, some E’s and some F’s. Now here’s the Woodruff twist. At the conclusion of this evaluation we would procure a PE uniform which prominently displayed our letter grade on the shorts. And oh by the way, each letter grade had a uniquely colored pair of shorts.

Let me cut to the chase. The best that my late blooming physique could earn for me was a D on my evaluation. I was “privileged” to be able to purchase a brand new PE uniform with gorgeous muddy brown shorts with a huge letter D emblazoned on the leg. Can you imagine my joy? Not only was I an athletic underachiever in a land of over achievers I had the joy of being publicly labeled as such. Unfortunately I “lost” my cherished brown shorts after just a few weeks and happened to “find” a more acceptable pair of maroon C shorts. That wasn’t so bad, there were lots of C shorts; average you know.

What does this have to do with Christianity? Labels are hard to shake, crippling caricatures, often reinforcing negative stereotypes. Labels can be undeserved or over used, and often reflect narrow characterizations of people, who are complex creations and reflections of God’s glory. God has only two labels; P for potential child and C for child. We are not assessed before acquiring our label, it is our choice. Our label is not dependent upon our performance but His performance and it is already complete; He passed with flying colors. He could have applied S for sinner, or L for lost, but He didn’t. In God’s economy we don’t get what we deserved we get what he earned.

I never had the privilege of celebrating a state championship on the revered football field at Woodruff, but I have experienced the joy of being welcomed into the family of God. And one day I will enter the gates of the biggest, loudest, arena of champions that has ever been prepared. I will run through the glorious gates and I won’t be wearing no muddy brown shorts. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1. Now that’s a label I won’t mind wearing.

Love

DateLine (7/19/06 – Greenville, SC)
Guest Contributor for Reference Point – Libby Darnell

Love grows out of a sincere and fervent devotion to God. Without it, the rest of the glorious fruit of the Spirit is nothing, and of no meaning to us. It is the charitable heart, not the eloquent tongue that is acceptable to God. It’s not great knowledge that God sets value on, but true devotion and love.

The most wonder-working faith, to which nothing is impossible, is nothing without love. Even if we sacrifice our lives for the faith of the gospel, and be burnt in the preservation of its truth, it is all to no avail unless we have love in our heart. Vindicating religion at the cost of our life profits nothing.

Love, is the first fruit of the Spirit. Chapter 12 of I Corinthians lists the gifts of the Spirit. When we get to heaven all these gifts will no longer be necessary or required. Prophecy must fail and will be useless in heaven. Tongues will be unnecessary as there will be one language. No confusion, perfect peace and tranquility will prevail. In other words, the supernatural gifts will be of no use in heaven.

Love is long suffering and can endure evil, injury, provocation without resentment or revenge. It will put up with slights and neglects from those we love and admire. Love is kind and courteous. It has a large, giving heart and is ready to do good to everyone, and wants to be useful. It searches for opportunities to serve.

Love does not envy and is not jealous of the good of others. If we love our neighbors, we will not envy or be displeased with their possessions or welfare. Their happiness and success will add to ours. Envy is the effect of ill-will. The prosperity of those we wish well can never grieve us. The mind that is purposed to do good to all, can never wish ill to any.

Love subdues pride and vainglory. It is not concerned with self, and does not gloat when recognized. It is not arrogant or insolent. It does not despise others or trample on them or treat them with contempt. Genuine love esteems others over themselves. Love is not forward or stubborn, cross or contradictory. Some misinterpret a person with a loving spirit as flattery. Love hates falsehood, gossip, and flattery.

Love is careful not to pass the bounds of decency. It does nothing out of character and behaves with respect toward everyone. Love does not break ranks, but acts decently, minding its own business.

Love is the enemy of selfishness and doesn't seek its own praise, honor, profit or pleasure. There’s a reasonable love of self, as Jesus said, "We are to love our neighbor as our self." But charity never seeks its own way to the hurt and pain of others. Love tempers and restrains passions. It corrects a sharp tongue. Anger cannot dwell in the heart where love reigns. It is hard to stay angry with someone we love.

Love thinks no evil and does not seek retribution. It does not suspect evil of others. Love will hide faults and will never indulge suspicion or keep score. Love takes no pleasure in doing hurt to anyone and doesn't wish evil, harm or mischief. It does not rejoice at the faults or failings of others, but grieves at sin and doesn't judge anyone.

Love will cover a multitude of sins. It will not publish the faults of a brother until duty demands it. It puts up with personal injuries without indulging in anger or revenge. Love endures curses, slanders, prison, exile, torments and even death for the sake of others, without striking back.

Love is full of openness, honesty and truthfulness, quick to make the best of everything. And when love cannot believe well of others, it will hope well. Love never fails. It is permanent and perpetual grace lasting throughout eternity.

Love keeps no record or wrongs. It always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres; and will never fail. Prophecies will fail, tongues will cease, knowledge will pass away, but love will abide forever…… for God is Love.

How does God know that we love Him…. we keep His commandments! Now abides faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

"Wondering" in the Wilderness

DateLine (7/12/06 – Ponce, PR)

One night earlier this week my mind woke up before my body, it was 3:30 AM. I don’t know about you but I don’t like it when that happens. Try as hard as I may, my body can never convince my mind to go back to sleep. So there I lay a fully conscious mind captive to a comatose body. I’ve been told that this condition is a precursor to old age, it must be true because it’s starting to happen to me with more frequency. The only thing that you can do is lay there and think. Come to think of it some of my more lucid and creative thoughts come to me while lying in the dark. I guess all that energy that is being conserved by the body is being funneled to the brain. So keep a pad and pencil on the nightstand just in case my mind can convince my hand to reach over and chronicle the thoughts.

While in this state the irony of this past weeks’ Sunday School experience hit me like brick. We’re in the process of taking a virtual tour of the “Land of the Bible” via an internet site call BiblePlaces.com. Our area of focus this past week was the Negev and the wilderness area of southern Israel. This area is famous for being the majority of the space where the Hebrew “wilderness wanderings” occurred. The Hebrews were led from bondage to the Egyptians only to be thrust into one of the most barren and odd landscapes in all of the world.

Much of this area sees less than 6” annual rain. Raleigh, NC saw 6” of rain in one afternoon recently when a tropical storm came over. Imagine the difficulty of feeding and hydrating what has been estimated to be close to 3 million Hebrews as they wandered for 40 years. No wonder Moses struck the rock to produce water. No wonder God had to make extraordinary provision for His people (fire by night, cloud by day, manna, etc.) No wonder that the Hebrews began to grumble that it all may have been a mistake. Itinerants; totally dependent on God for their sustenance, without the prospects for short term relief. Enslavement behind them; motivated forward by God’s promise of a new life; discouraged by the military might of those who occupied their dream.

I know that this will sound over-dramatic but hang with me, here’s where the irony comes in. Some of us wandered down the hall last week toward a new home (i.e. Sunday School classroom). We were uncomfortable for a few moments as we were wrenched from our normal Sunday routines. We had to find a new place to sit because the room configuration was different. We had some technical snafus as we tried to make our “teaching technology” work. All for the promise of a bigger more effective Sunday School class. Nothing on the scale of what the Hebrews experienced mind you but it does drive home a point. We’re all dependent on God. He gives provisions for the journey. He’s promised a better place; our final destination. We must trust His leadership even if it appears to go in circles sometimes. We operate on His timetable. We will occupy the promise, eventually.

What’s God got in store for our new Sunday School venture? I can’t say with certainty, but I do know that just as Joshua and the Hebrew faithful discovered several thousand years ago, the land will flow with milk and honey. And I do know that “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them,” Matt. 18:20. If God is in our midst what more could we possibly need, even in a wilderness?

Predictable Success

DateLine (7/5/06 – Green Pond, SC)
A call to heaven from Green Pond is a local call, anywhere else it’s long distance.

July 4th is a week when we honor the birth of our country and our forefathers who in their wisdom laid the political and moral foundations that have served us so well for 230 years. Wow, seems like yesterday that we had our bicentennial celebration. This is the season when we need to be reminded that the outcome that we enjoy was not a foregone conclusion for the brave men and women who carved this country from the wilderness and wrenched it from the arms of tyranny. We’re also rightly reminded of the brave contemporaries who are sacrificing time, relationships, and perhaps lives to maintain our hard fought freedoms. Nothing in life is cheap. Everything has a price tag.

When I contemplate our past my hope for the future is invigorated. The reason is simple: I have a historical example. I’ve related the story before that when I was “playing” carpenter during the construction of our home, it was a long difficult struggle. Most every task brought a challenge because I had never done it before. I tell people that I learned to lay brick in my great room; literally on the hearth where the wood stove now sits. I was grateful for the experience that my Dad and Harriett’s Dad brought to the task; the “been there and done that” perspective.

Some persons reject the wisdom of prior generations, thinking that if it’s not new and original thought then it’s somehow adulterated. From my view the shortest route to success and progress is not having to personally sort through all the failures of previous generations but innovating off of the platform of the successes. I’m often emboldened to try my hand when I have the ability to observe someone else doing something that I aspire to or knowing through history that it is doable. It gives me confidence in the possibilities.

One of the strengths of the Christian church as an institution is that by design it is multi-generational. Young and old, experienced and novices, strong and weak, all thrown together in common pursuit of God’s will. Paul acknowledged that the church in Thessalonica had become imitators of himself, the church fathers in Judea, and of God (see Eph. 5, I Thess. 1 & 2.) and they were the better for it. Your testimony (i.e. matter of living) is just as important inside the church as it is outside of the church; maybe for different reasons.

As we wind down from July 4, 2006 let us never forget nor allow our respect to wane for the foundation that has been laid by our political forefathers. Let us also never forget the foundations of the Christian church. Our country and the freedoms it affords are important. Our church and its contributions are eternal.

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” I Cor 3:10-15

Quality materials, time tested techniques, and a solid foundation; now’s that predictable success.