A year or so ago I was asked to share a song that I had written called Wash Your Feet. It's a prayer of mine and reflects my hearts desire to be the person that Jesus wants me to be. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c9NrYxR30c
Enjoy!
Lonnie
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
I'm a "Mack" too... burp...
Friday I was the Mystery Reader at my son's school and in deciding what to read I came back to Dr. Seuss. I find that his books are not only funny but also are filled with lessons. The story that I read was: Yertle the Turtle. Quite a powerful story actually. Unfamiliar with it? Need a refresher? Here's the scoop: Yertle the Turtle is the king of the turtles. He decides that he wants to sit on a throne bigger than just a rock and begins to command the turtles to come and he stacks them. (Even though the turtles don't like it they still come and help) From his vantage point he's decided that he's the king of all he can see. But it's never enough and so keeps adding turtles. Along comes Mack who begins to politely express how painful it is that the king is making these decisions. He's hurting, and yet, the king shouts him down. Time and again Mack warns the king that it's too much and the king decides to add more so that he can build his kingdom to the heavens. When Mack has had enough he lets out a 'burp'. It shakes the tower of turtles and it all collapses. It ends with Yertle the turtle king being king of the mud.
Wow, I thought, as I read it again. How amazing that this story dovetails the political landscape in our country. The people in power (as of this writing it's the Democrats with Obama filling the role of president) are seeking to build their kingdom. The people have tried to politely say, "We've had enough, you can stop now." We're like Mack in the story. We've tried to speak our peace and multiple polls have suggested we are not in favor of the present "Change" that has come upon the USA. Some in my state (NY) would agree with Carl Paladino they they are "Mad as..." well you know. They are 'Macks', the guys at the bottom trying to hold it all together. The little guy whose voice is being ignored and drowned out. (What do you mean you don't want healthcare reform? What do you mean you don't support of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"?! What do you mean you don't like us treating Israel like a step-child?! What do you mean you don't want to pay more taxes?! What do you mean the Stimulus isn't working?! What do you mean we have to create jobs... we gave extensions for people who are unemployed!)
Across the nation people are, like Mack, ready to "burp". November 2nd is about the little guys saying, "ENOUGH!" It isn't going to be about Independent, Democrat, Republican, Liberal, Conservative... It's going to be about people with common sense voting their "Change and Hope" into office. And if that doesn't work they'll "burp" again. There are those who are seeking to build their kingdom upon the back of "Macks", but like Yertle the Turtle, they will find themselves ruling over the mud.
I'm a "Mack" and I approve of this message. ;)
Wow, I thought, as I read it again. How amazing that this story dovetails the political landscape in our country. The people in power (as of this writing it's the Democrats with Obama filling the role of president) are seeking to build their kingdom. The people have tried to politely say, "We've had enough, you can stop now." We're like Mack in the story. We've tried to speak our peace and multiple polls have suggested we are not in favor of the present "Change" that has come upon the USA. Some in my state (NY) would agree with Carl Paladino they they are "Mad as..." well you know. They are 'Macks', the guys at the bottom trying to hold it all together. The little guy whose voice is being ignored and drowned out. (What do you mean you don't want healthcare reform? What do you mean you don't support of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"?! What do you mean you don't like us treating Israel like a step-child?! What do you mean you don't want to pay more taxes?! What do you mean the Stimulus isn't working?! What do you mean we have to create jobs... we gave extensions for people who are unemployed!)
Across the nation people are, like Mack, ready to "burp". November 2nd is about the little guys saying, "ENOUGH!" It isn't going to be about Independent, Democrat, Republican, Liberal, Conservative... It's going to be about people with common sense voting their "Change and Hope" into office. And if that doesn't work they'll "burp" again. There are those who are seeking to build their kingdom upon the back of "Macks", but like Yertle the Turtle, they will find themselves ruling over the mud.
I'm a "Mack" and I approve of this message. ;)
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Been thinkin'... again!
I was thinking about the times I've been at Myrtle Beach and been playing in the waves. I know where we placed our things on the beach and intend to stay near that spot, however, inevitably as we face the waves coming in we seem to drift. It's not that we try to drift, it just seems that we get carried along in the moments and suddenly stop to get our bearings. When we realize where we are supposed to be we start walking back that direction.
How many times in life do we know where we are supposed to be and we are carried along by life as it ebbs and flows? Sometimes the drift is in our vision of where we see ourselves being. Maybe it's a direction more than a goal and we know that we have to take corrective steps to get back in the right direction. For a company or church the drift can happen at good and bad times. We can get carried along in directions by dealing with all the good options and without stopping to be headed in the best option direction. It can be that we get caught in a "riptide" and are carried away by the bad... could be economy, decisions, personality conflicts. At times we have to stop and gain perspective. We have to remember where we were and where we intended to be and take steps to get there.
Being a pastor this thought takes deeper meaning. Personal relationships can have drift. The marriage relationship is one that is easy to have drift and there's always a need to have both people stop and consider where they were headed together and then take steps to get there!
Still, deeper still, is the relationship with have with God. Sin can be as subtle as innocently drifting. How many times I've stopped to examine my life and thought, "When did I get here?!" With a word of repentance I express my sin and begin the directional change to get where I know I need to be... headed toward Jesus!
I would venture that we all have moments where we allow ourselves to drift. But we also need to build into our lives moments to stop and reflect to see where we are. Instead of asking "why or how" we need to refocus our minds and ask God to lead us where He would take us. "Help us God to see what opportunities this allows us as we venture back toward and to You." Amen.
How many times in life do we know where we are supposed to be and we are carried along by life as it ebbs and flows? Sometimes the drift is in our vision of where we see ourselves being. Maybe it's a direction more than a goal and we know that we have to take corrective steps to get back in the right direction. For a company or church the drift can happen at good and bad times. We can get carried along in directions by dealing with all the good options and without stopping to be headed in the best option direction. It can be that we get caught in a "riptide" and are carried away by the bad... could be economy, decisions, personality conflicts. At times we have to stop and gain perspective. We have to remember where we were and where we intended to be and take steps to get there.
Being a pastor this thought takes deeper meaning. Personal relationships can have drift. The marriage relationship is one that is easy to have drift and there's always a need to have both people stop and consider where they were headed together and then take steps to get there!
Still, deeper still, is the relationship with have with God. Sin can be as subtle as innocently drifting. How many times I've stopped to examine my life and thought, "When did I get here?!" With a word of repentance I express my sin and begin the directional change to get where I know I need to be... headed toward Jesus!
I would venture that we all have moments where we allow ourselves to drift. But we also need to build into our lives moments to stop and reflect to see where we are. Instead of asking "why or how" we need to refocus our minds and ask God to lead us where He would take us. "Help us God to see what opportunities this allows us as we venture back toward and to You." Amen.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Speaking August 1st
By the way... I'll be speaking August 1st at Niagara Alliance Church (niagaraalliance.org)! My message is about Worship as a lifestyle not just Sunday service. Hope to see my friends and family there!
Lonnie
Lonnie
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Not Abandoned... Thoughts on the book of Eli
I didn't forget that I have this blog! I have found myself doing more on Twitter and Facebook as of January. But I'm back.
Tonight I watched "The Book of Eli" with my wife. I didn't care for the swearing, or the cat on a spit (as supper... YUCK). I'm guessing that they had to go with the religious zealot stereotype in some form, alas. In worldly terms at least the guy could kick butt. :)
I did find this an interesting movie. The ending reminded me of the verse: Heaven and earth will pass away but my word will never pass away. - Jesus
I liked the teacher / disciple relationship that formed and loved the ending where she was going back "home" armed with the knowledge of the bible.
I found it funny that the Bible was blamed on "the war" which caused desolation and was to be destroyed. Only later it was sought after by "a bad guy" because he wanted to use it to manipulate people and build his kingdom. In the end the bible was found to have significance on which to build society. Intentional or not it placed the bible in a positive light. So good for them. I'm guessing that quite a few people wouldn't watch a movie about saving the bible, but with some guns and knives they probably picked up a few more people. ;)
I found it quite heartwarming at the end where it showed Eli's grave and the Apostle Paul's words "I have fought the good fight... I have finished the race..." May that be said of all who follow Christ to the end.
Tonight I watched "The Book of Eli" with my wife. I didn't care for the swearing, or the cat on a spit (as supper... YUCK). I'm guessing that they had to go with the religious zealot stereotype in some form, alas. In worldly terms at least the guy could kick butt. :)
I did find this an interesting movie. The ending reminded me of the verse: Heaven and earth will pass away but my word will never pass away. - Jesus
I liked the teacher / disciple relationship that formed and loved the ending where she was going back "home" armed with the knowledge of the bible.
I found it funny that the Bible was blamed on "the war" which caused desolation and was to be destroyed. Only later it was sought after by "a bad guy" because he wanted to use it to manipulate people and build his kingdom. In the end the bible was found to have significance on which to build society. Intentional or not it placed the bible in a positive light. So good for them. I'm guessing that quite a few people wouldn't watch a movie about saving the bible, but with some guns and knives they probably picked up a few more people. ;)
I found it quite heartwarming at the end where it showed Eli's grave and the Apostle Paul's words "I have fought the good fight... I have finished the race..." May that be said of all who follow Christ to the end.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Get out of your bubble!
Sunday I was listening to Ken Hill speak. It was his first time, but he did great. There was one thought that he threw out... Get out of your bubble!
With that my mind immediately went to the Sprint(tm) commercial about getting out of your bubble of local friends so you can call anyone on any network. Well... it just hit me that so many times we get stuck in our church bubble or our circle of friends bubble. We need to get out of the bubble! It's pretty easy to stay comfortable. To be around people who act like the good people we like. Last Friday (January 8th, 2010) I was with Amy at her work party. There was some swearing and someone asked me if that was a problem since I was a pastor. I told them it wasn't a problem. I just didn't tell them why. Jesus spent a lot of time with people who didn't have their stuff together. They mean well and some actually want to do well, but they have a few walls that have to come down first. They need to know that you are not judging them. Honestly, I am not the Judge and will not be the One they stand before and give an account of to. So I can just be me and do what Jesus would do and say what Jesus would say.
With that my mind immediately went to the Sprint(tm) commercial about getting out of your bubble of local friends so you can call anyone on any network. Well... it just hit me that so many times we get stuck in our church bubble or our circle of friends bubble. We need to get out of the bubble! It's pretty easy to stay comfortable. To be around people who act like the good people we like. Last Friday (January 8th, 2010) I was with Amy at her work party. There was some swearing and someone asked me if that was a problem since I was a pastor. I told them it wasn't a problem. I just didn't tell them why. Jesus spent a lot of time with people who didn't have their stuff together. They mean well and some actually want to do well, but they have a few walls that have to come down first. They need to know that you are not judging them. Honestly, I am not the Judge and will not be the One they stand before and give an account of to. So I can just be me and do what Jesus would do and say what Jesus would say.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Speaking on Sunday October 18th!
Just wanted to give a heads up to those that follow my blog that I'm speaking at Niagara Alliance Church in Wheatfield, NY on Sunday October 18th at the 10:30am service. The message is part of a series that started the week before on: "How to get what you want... God's way!" It's from the book of Proverbs and I'll be speaking about Prosperity. Hope to see you there!
Lonnie
Lonnie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)