Closed Window to My Soul

Today I'm wearing sunglasses inside all day long! My right eye is having serious impetigo problems again. And rather than having someone pass out after looking at my really red, puffy right eye that I want to scratch out of socket, I decided to just wear these glasses.

It is weird for me, though! Especially when I'm talking with someone else. Normally, even if it is really sunny outside, I take off my glasses anytime I talk to someone. It is an attempt to be personal, to let someone "in" so-to-speak. "If they see my eyes," I think, "they will know that I'm putting myself out there to be vulnerable." If our eyes are the window to our soul, I want people to know who I am. So, I almost always take off my glasses when I'm talking to someone.

That said, today is difficult for me as I keep my glasses on all day! I've had several conversations. Even though they centered on why I had my glasses on inside, I could feel the emotional distance. I was looking right at people and could tell they were wondering where I was looking. They rarely looked directly at me and kept shifting their eyes around as we talked. I tried to give them an "out" by looking around at other things myself. It is hard!

And tonight will be even more difficult because I'm teaching our Wednesday night college Bible class. I've debated about what to do. Glasses? No glasses? An eye patch? Maybe a pirate's patch! That would an an interesting spark to our discussion.

Dang Gina!

Profanity. What counts? How do we honor God in our language? Where do euphemisms fit in?

Last night we had a great discussion in our "You Asked For It" class where we are addressing various questions raised by our students. At the end of class I shared a few helpful principles to keep in mind as we learn to honor God with our lips. Here are the things I shared:

• Realize that transformation happens slowly and only over time
• Realize that our language both expresses and influences our heart
• Recognize in yourself the situations when you struggle most in honoring God in your language
• Develop a plan of action for those situations ahead of time
• Understand that small decisions to refrain from certain words (even if you still think them) are signs of real progress

Over the next few blog entries I will go into more depth to explain some of these things. What do you think about these things?

Rated 'i' for Ignore

Have you ever been truckin' along in your Bible, come across a passage of scripture that you had no idea what to do with it, and rather than pause a second to make some sense of it just kept right on going? That is me more than I'd like to admit! There are some passages of scripture that are just straight up confusing! Why is that in here? How am I supposed to apply this?

Even more, sometimes I feel like I'm unable to actually say that in church! It is as if I know better than to ask why that passage is in there! I'm somehow already supposed to know how that applies to my life!

Well, I'm wanting to create a little safe space where we take a look at some of these passages, passages that we'd like to ignore. Some passages I have NEVER heard preached! Some passages are mentioned only in passing without any depth. And some passages should only be talked about in appropriate places!

This 10-week class series is entitled "Rated 'i' for Ignore: 10 Biblical Passages We'd Like to Ignore." Beyond looking at specific passages of scripture, I hope also to see more vividly the human element of God's divine word. The Bible reveals stories of God in perfectly messed up lives!

In the end, I hope that we can be more realistic and honest about our own "messed-up-ness" (since that is a real word)! These passages have something to say to us who humbly recognize our own inadequacies before the Almighty God who forever reigns above all!

You can bookmark the series link to peek into our conversation.

Rated 'i' for Ignore

As I read through the Bible, I regularly run across difficult passages that make almost no sense. At least I sometimes want to ignore it and just keep right on reading, because touching that would mean...well...uh....I mean...okay, let's move on. Many things run through my mind as I have these interesting encounters with God's word!

"What in the world is that doing in the Bible?" "Did I misread something?"
"How can that be what I'm supposed to do?" "I can see why no one ever talks about this passage." "These are impractical and archaic nowadays." "Those things sound unchristian!" "What if baldness really can be reversed?" "Surely this means something else." "Does this sound like God?" "Am I a moron?" "What else is going on here?" "There is NO WAY that I would even think about bringing this passage up for serious discussion in a Bible class at church!"

Well, even with the bald joke implanted above, the time has come. I am venturing into a 10-week Adult Bible Class at 9am on Sunday mornings at Huntsville Church of Christ starting January 22, 2012 that peruses some of these passages that we would like to ignore. I'm calling it, "Rated 'i' for Ignore: 10 Bible Passages We'd Like to Ignore."

I'll leave you hanging right there, knowing that more will come. Deeper purposes do lurk behind the surface waiting to explain why such a class would even be offered. Trust me! Confidence and conversation wait to reveal themselves.

In the meantime, I'm curious what Bible passages would you never touch, even with an 144,000 foot pole?

Bible Bowl

I don't know how I come to a place to forget about this, but I do it more often than I'd care to admit. Even though I do read the Bible all the time...every day, in fact...it is done not for my own nourishment but for others'. I am always thinking of a lesson, a class, a thought, a sermon, or something else to come down the road. The nature of being a minister seems to force me into this mode of reading scripture.

In spite of this, I have recommitted to read through the Bible again this year so that I can find the nourishment I need to minister more effectively in the kingdom of God. The plan I am following this year takes different sections of scripture for each day. Each week I get to read from the epistles, law, history, psalms, poetry, prophecy, and the gospels. The variety is refreshing.

A Chinese friend of mine taught me a Chinese proverb that comes to mind. "In order to give a drink, you need a bowl to draw from." One point of this proverb that I take home is that you need to have plenty of Bible nourishment in the bowl before you can offer even a small drink of Bible to someone else in a class or a sermon or a conversation.

How is your bowl of Bible doing?

Chris' Sermons

This post is the place to come if you want to hear some of my sermons and classes. I will refer people to this page in the future if they would like to listen to my classes or sermons.

Sermons

• The Mountain of Distinction (11-16-2008)

Classes 

• Coming Soon

Children's Play and Creativity

When you watch a child play there will come a time when she will become bored. Her ideas for playing have reached a standstill. Usually, the child will walk around in a kindof daze looking for some idea, some new way of playing, something, anything. They might even come to their parents during this time. However, if left alone during that time (during that "boredom"), creativity will usually come. Something will spark an idea, something not connected before, and play will continue with serious vigor. Imagination comes out of the windows. They are again in their world of play.

Watching children play has proved to be a nourishing thing for my class and sermon preparation. In using some of these ideas, creativity is sparked like I've never experienced before. Let me explain.

I get to a place in my class and sermon preparation where I get bored. I don't see any connection between the text and life. The text is just one of those toys I've played with a thousand times. Nothing is there. It is at this moment when many teachers or preachers reach toward other outsiders, like parents so-to-speak who can help us "play" with the text. This is not a good move at this point.

When I get bored with the text, I stay there and begin to use my imagination, however vain I think the effort might be. For me (not necessarily for everyone), my dry erase board becomes a canvas for my imagination. I do a little bit of free association as I walk around the room bored with this text I keep reading aloud. Any image, idea, word, connection (no matter how outlandish) goes on my canvas. At some point, creativity happens. Sometimes it doesn't happen for a while. I might even have to go to something else (some other text) knowing that I will come back to my boredom.

Ever since I have started this, God has faithfully ushered in creativity. Even in how to present the text or arrange the class time. It is funny how this has sparked a new era, so-to-speak, in my ministry preparation.

Thank you, Lord, for loving me. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me. Thank you, Lord, for making my job such a joy. You are so faithful to sustain.

TV and Movies

For Sunday college class this semester, I am wanting to focus on discussing video clips from various movies and TV shows. The impact on our younger generation is much more engaging. I love to think about the discussions that we will be having this year. Eventually, I would like to see students bringing clips from their movies that we can discuss.

Please help us, Lord, to use discernment as we watch TV shows and movies. While the entertainment is good, we want to bring glory to your name in our watching. Keep us focused on you. Amen.

Elder Teaching Class

Last night was a great class! It was the second of two classes that Mark Waldron (one of our elders) taught in our series on "Great Faiths." He and I met on Tuesday to discuss a few things that have been on my heart about our college students' lack of willingness to serve others.

In last night's class Mark was able to speak as one who had the authority to speak. He challenged our students to find their purpose in Christ by serving others. Mark even went as far as to say something like, "You are growing up in a world that just gives you everything. You are an audience generation! College age people now-a-days want what their parents' have right now. You are not willing to wait like your parents or work like your parents." His challenge was to not be the spectators, but the participants. God is wanting to accomplish something through everyone; we just have to be there while we can willing to be used.

I must admit that I wish I could say something like that and have the same effect. But it sounds so much different coming from Mark. He was born in 1955 and has many years of experience and wisdom in working with students in ministry. He was truly an elder leading our college students into a deeper relationship with our Lord. I loved it!

Lord, show me that you were active last night in class. Bring students to our group with a willing heart to serve you even when they are not asked specifically. May it be a joy for them to serve others here. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

The Burden Shared, follow-up

Well, I must say that last night went well. I got caught in the hall before class, so I was a little late coming to class anyway...cool deal. I had set the announcement sheets on the floor at the door and the attendance sheet was on a chair near the door.

When I came in I went to talk to a couple of students for a bit and then took a not-my-normal-place seat. Immediately, some asked what was going on. I asked, "What do you mean?" "Do we start?" I said, "sure." A small awkward moment passed. Then another student asked, "Are you going to start or should we take the initiative?" I didn't even say anything and a student hopped up to welcome everyone, to pass out the announcement sheet, to get the signup list going, to offer prayers, and to open up the singing of two songs. He sat down and I got up to teach. Sweet chocolate pie!

I just asked a lot of questions, and the students got a chance to discuss the balance between me doing everything and them doing everything. I shared Romans 12:6-8 and added a few verses of my own (can I do that?): "if it is singing, let him sing; if it is doing announcements, rock on; if it is planning, bring it; if it is organizing, use the Staples easy button." Yes, I think I am a dork, but oh well! Basically, I think I led the class well...even though someone looking in on the class might say that I didn't lead.

Anyway, our students are great! They, I think, are beginning to feel a burden for taking my offer to share in ministry seriously. Some more than others, true, but we are all learning what it is like to partner together in ministry. For this I can only praise God!

Thank you, Father, for continuing to teach me new things. Give us your wisdom as we take your "great commission" seriously on the campus of Sam Houston State University.

I am excited about tonight's class. It is a good chance for students to get involved in ministry. Then God can accomplish many more things for His glory. If I am the only one doing anything at KFC as the campus minister, then something is wrong. All of us need to utilize the gifts God has given us. Here is your chance. What are you going to do?

---------

I can't wait to see Tanya and Kayla. It is totally different when I am at home by myself. This weekend is going to be a good time for our whole family. We are going to Stillwater, OK for Campus Encounter and then to Abilene for Lectureship and a pre-marital, marital training seminar called Prepare/Enrich.

Wed Night Class

I am super-excited about the responses I have gotten about what we are doing on Wednesday nights. We are going through an introduction to Kats for Christ. (You can check out the notes on our class notes page.) People have been saying they like this class because it really lets everyone know where we are and where we are planning to go. This is encouraging.

Our first class was really cool with a ton of discussion. It was mainly because of the topic: our Church of Christ heritage. We talked about hot topics or issues that we deal with. I am thinking about doing something in this regard in the future, but we don't need to do this right now.

The Biblical basis for KFC also had good discussion. Many students contributed many good scriptures to contemplate as a guide for our ministry here. Right now we are still in the middle of talking about our mission statement. I like our thinking and the modifications that we are making as we go along.

The part of the class that I am really looking forward to is the one where students will be breaking up to brainstorm about our various ministries in a couple of weeks. This will also give students the opportunity to get plugged in and start trying out various ministries for themselves. That is what I am really about. Students would not otherwise be trained for leadership in the church in the future.

Thanks for the encouragement!!