Back to School: Done

Today’s devotional was written by Alan Amavisca, the Director of the North County Project. You can subscribe to his email devotionals or find out more about him and his organization at northcountyproject.org.

“The words of Job are ended.”

— Job 31:40b (RSV)

Have you ever run out of words in the course of praying? Have you ever poured out your heart so fully and desperately in your hope of a divine word or a touch that nothing remained to be said?

Consider the source of Job's own dilemma: bereft of wealth gathered over a lifetime, robbed of his children, stripped of respect, he asked, "Why?" God did not answer.

Job's wife had a suggestion: "Curse God and die." His associates had a response: mockery and scorn. His friends had a conclusion: "You must have led an evil, duplicitous life and God has exposed you at last, you hypocrite!" God said nothing.

Job weeps. He laments. He protests, questions and argues. He lays out his defense while his self-righteous friends alternately pontificate and deride him. Yet no word from God. In desperation, he sighs, "Fine. If I have done evil, then curse me." Then he shuts up.

What is left when our words run out and God still remains silent? Where can we go? What can we do?

Job offers us an example: we wait. In silence. And in faith that God will show up. Job knew he was not talking to a wall or to the cold emptiness of space. He felt unfairly treated and unjustly ignored but he never doubted God's presence. In fact, it is precisely his confidence in God which fuels his protest. So when his words are spent he does not turn away in disgust, he sits at God's doorstep in silence and waits.

Job teaches me two lessons about my prayer life: I do not wrestle fiercely enough in prayer and I do not listen enough when I have exhausted my words.

How would my prayer life change if I prayed with Job's tenacity for that which burdens me, and also committed to listen when words fail?

-Alan Amavisca
Director of the North County Project

Back to School: Our Souls Need Gratitude

“Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

— Luke 17:11-19

The words “Thank You” are pretty powerful. They can infuse joy into service faster than any other words. Those two simple words have saved marriages. Restored friendships. Healed work environments. And brought tears to many physically exhausted and emotionally weary eyes. One of my favorite things in the world is having one of my young kids, with excitement in their voice, wrap their arms around my leg and joyfully exclaim, “Thank you!” about some mundane thing I had done for them.

In the verses above, Jesus reminds us about the importance of gratitude. Ten men came to Jesus hurting. As they left his presence and were on their way, they experienced something miraculous. They were healed of their infirmities! They had encountered the grace of God in a profound way. They all had the faith to trust Jesus’ words and follow his commands. However, only one turned back. Only one of them had a gratitude that accompanied his faith. And what does Jesus say? “Your faith has made you well.” Wait, wasn’t he already healed of his leprosy before that moment? The Greek word for “made you well” could also be translated: “made you complete” or “made you whole.” Jesus is saying, “You have experienced physical healing, but now you have experienced a spiritual one. Now you are whole.” What was the key ingredient to that wholeness? GRATITUDE.

Let’s pause there for a moment.
Please take a moment to watch the video below.
Allow your heart to be filled with gladness and gratitude.

Would you consider doing something clunky this week? We know when people aren’t saying “Thank You” to us enough. But do we stop to think about whether we’re saying “Thank You” to others enough? This week, would you consider saying “Thank You” to someone who you wouldn’t otherwise do that to? And not just off-hand, say-it-without-thinking-about-it, kind of “thank you.” I mean a real heartfelt, say-it-with-all-the-gratitude-you-can-muster, kind of “Thank You.” The kind of “Thank You” that even has a couple of sentences attached to it at the end that elaborates on why you are thankful and expounds on just how thankful you are. And here’s the clunky part: be looking for moments to say that kind of “Thank You” to people throughout the day. Be present in the moment so that you don’t take little things for granted. You would probably be surprised by how many times you could say a heartfelt “Thank You” in a day.

Would you now consider doing something even clunkier? Try writing a letter to someone telling them of your gratitude for them. Maybe an email to your kid’s teacher. Maybe a letter to a mentor from your youth. Or a friend. Your spouse. Maybe a note to your kids thanking them for showing you what childlike faith looks like. Or maybe the best one of all, spend time thanking God.

-Pastor Tyler Lemen
Associate Pastor of Family Ministries at Friends Community Church

Obsessive Gratitude

This blog post originally appeared in the Fall issue of the Friends Community Church Women’s Newsletter. Click here to check out the newsletter and other info about Women’s Ministry at FCC.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”

— Hebrews 12:1-2a NLT

I love a good story. Mysteries are my go-to genre. My favorite author is Agatha Christie, the queen of mystery and a master of the ‘red herring.’ A red herring is ‘something, especially a clue, that is or is intended to be misleading or distracting.’

In these days of pandemic, isolation, racial injustice and tension, political strife, fires, hurricanes and more, it feels as if life is full of red herrings that distract, mislead and confuse me. Without minimizing the importance of these issues, they leave me confused and distracted. How do I respond to all that is happening in my world today and honor the Lord, to be Christ-like in my response?

How do I keep my eyes on Jesus when it so easy to get caught up in the arguments and discord? The Lord has been showing me anew how to keep my focus on Jesus. Time daily with Jesus is first and foremost, something I’ve done my best to practice for years. Time spent in the Word and prayer every day, when possible first thing in the morning, is of immense value. It should be obvious that to get to know someone we have to spend time with that person. Spend time with Jesus.

Lately the Lord has been showing me a new way to stay focused on Jesus – gratitude. I recently heard a sermon that used the term ‘obsessive gratitude.’ When I thank Jesus for the things in my life, for everything in my life, it turns my focus back to him and away from the ‘red herrings’ that distract and confuse me. Just outside our backyard are five beautiful stately pine trees. They provide shade, beautifully frame our view to the mountains, provide a home for the birds and squirrels, and remind me daily of creation. They also create a huge mess on our patio, littering it with needles and pinecones. The squirrels sit in the trees and eat the pinecones dropping more mess on our patio. I have a choice where to place my focus: on the beauty or on the mess. When my focus is on gratefulness for those trees the mess seems inconsequential. When my focus is on the mess, I lose the enjoyment of the trees.

This is true with life. Where I place my focus determines my mindset for the day. Gratitude for all God has given me, for all He does, for every little thing, takes my focus from the messes of life and turns my mind back to him. To help my focus I keep a gratefulness log in my daily journal.

Try writing down at least one thing every day for which to be grateful. It can be anything and everything: God’s grace, family, grilled cheese sandwiches, a sunset, laughter, iced tea on a hot day… don’t get fancy, just make a list and thank God. There are always things in our lives for which to be grateful. Keep focused on Jesus by thanking him.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

— Psalm 100:4-5

-Judi Hammer
Elder Board Member at Friends Community Church

Back to School: We Need Perspective

“This is what the Lord says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
who drew out the chariots and horses,
the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness”

— Isaiah 43:16-19

Did you catch what just happened in the verses above? Isaiah is talking to the people of God and is relaying what God is wanting him to tell the people. He starts to introduce it by saying, “This is what God says, He is the one who…” And he goes on to recount some amazing things that God had done in the past. As a matter of fact, he recounts the very greatest thing that every person he was talking to would have been able to think of. The exodus out of Egypt and slavery. The moment where the people were trapped and God made a way out. He parted the Red Sea and they were rescued. An amazing story that was told to every generation from that point onward. It exemplified the might of God. But what does God say? He tells them, “Forget the former things. Don’t dwell on the past.” What!? Why would God say something like that? Shouldn’t we remember all the good and amazing things that God has done?

We get the answer in his very next statement: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Yes, we should remember the things God has done in the past. That command is all throughout the Bible. But we shouldn’t dwell there. We shouldn’t live in the past. We should be anxiously awaiting the next big and amazing thing that God wants to do. Is our dwelling on the way things used to be hindering us from seeing what God is doing right now? Do we not perceive it? God is desiring that we open our eyes to see his handiwork all around us. He is working some miraculous things, right now, do you see it?

In this season, it is easy to focus on the negative. It is easy to focus on things not being the way we would like them to be. It is easy to focus on the past that was simpler, easier, and more comfortable. But we then run the risk of missing God. We miss the miracle he is orchestrating. Instead of focusing on what we can’t control, let us focus on the one who has the control.

Let’s pause there for a moment.
Please take a moment to watch the video below.
Pay attention to the lyrics and what God is speaking to you through them.
Allow your soul to be centered in Jesus.
Focused on the here and now.

Would you consider doing something clunky this week? Sometimes our conversations with people start with complaining about things around us. And if they don’t start there, they soon turn that direction. What if instead of starting your conversations there, you instead started your conversations with people by asking them, “What have you seen God doing lately?” Would that change the trajectory of your conversations? Would that put your perspective on the movement of God?

Now, would you consider doing something even harder than that? If you really want to try an experiment, try this: Don’t complain for two days. Sound simple? It may be harder than you think! For two days don’t complain about anything. Big or small. This also includes its close cousin: grumbling. Try it. See what happens in you and the people around you.

-Pastor Tyler Lemen
Associate Pastor of Family Ministries at Friends Community Church

Back to School: Our Souls Need Blessing

“The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
”

— Numbers 6:24-26

Have you ever been blessed by someone? And I don’t mean when someone pays for your meal, says “Bless You” after you sneeze, or does something else nice for you. Have you ever had someone speak a word of blessing over you? Where they implored God on your behalf. There is something about speaking a word of blessing over someone or having someone speak a word of blessing over you that reaches into the soul.

When speaking a blessing over someone, it changes your posture towards them. Where there was indifference, there is now love and care. Where there was animosity, there is now healing. Where there was already love, there is now a greater level of intimacy and renewed concern.

When having a blessing spoken over you, it changes your posture towards daily life. Where there was striving to earn, there is now the humility to receive. Where there was the anxiety of performance, there is now rest. Where there was tumult, there is now peace.

Let’s pause there for a moment.
Maybe you’ve never had someone speak a word of blessing over you.
Or maybe you have before, but you’re in need of a spoken blessing right now.
Please take a moment to watch the video below and receive this blessing.
Allow your soul to find rest and peace.

In his book, Soul Keeping, John Ortberg says this:

The soul is seen when it reaches out in love. The Bible’s word for this is blessing. Blessing is not just a word. Blessing is the projection of good into the life of another. Blessing-giving should be asymmetrical. It’s not a form of barter. It’s grace. Our souls need blessing.

The projection of good into the life of another. Is that the posture we take towards others? Our child’s teacher? Our co-workers? Even our own family, friends, and kids? Or are we too busy to think about that? Speaking a word of blessing over someone also, even if just for a moment, takes our focus off of the projection of good into our own lives and puts the focus on the projection of good into the life of another.

Would you consider doing something clunky this week? Would you consider speaking a blessing over someone? At the top of this post are a couple of verses from the Bible. Memorize them. Take a day to repeat it both in your head and out loud, so that you can make sure you could say it at a moment’s notice.

Now here’s the clunky part: Go to someone you care about deeply, look them in the eye, and speak that blessing over them. Here’s the important part: Mean it. Think about every word as you speak them. What they mean and represent. Allow your soul to reach out in love towards theirs. And now, here’s the even clunkier part: Be ready to speak that word of blessing over someone else as the Lord leads you. Maybe it’s your kid’s teacher. Maybe it’s a parent that you know is struggling with the stress of distance learning. Maybe it’s a niece or nephew. Maybe it’s a neighbor or co-worker that is being ravaged mentally by anxiety. Maybe it’s just what that person needed to hear at the exact moment they needed to hear it.

-Pastor Tyler Lemen
Associate Pastor of Family Ministries at Friends Community Church