The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

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The Work We’ve Been Given To Do

July 29, 2013 / / 0 Comments

“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” ~John 17:1

Jesus begins his very public prayer at the end of that last meal with his disciples acknowledging that the time for him to die, to glorify the Father in a selfless act of unconditional love, was at hand. The hour had come. It was here. It was time. The prayer is certainly set in and around the context of his impending death. But for a brief moment at the beginning of this prayer, Jesus allowed himself room to reflect for a moment on his brief earthly life and ministry.

“I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. I have revealed you…”

Jesus always told people if you had seen him, you had seen the Father. If you knew Jesus, you knew the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Yes, Jesus revealed God to the world. Jesus reveals God’s glory. Jesus allows us to see God. Jesus allows us to experience God. Jesus’ compassion shows us God’s compassion. Jesus’ mercy shows us God’s mercy. Jesus’ gentleness shows us God’s gentleness. Jesus’ intolerance for religious people who judge others and think they’re better than everybody else shows us God’s holy intolerance for religious arrogance and pride. Jesus’ love and forgiveness shows us God’s great love and forgiveness. Revealing God — this was a large part of the work God had given Jesus to do.

And, to borrow the powerful language from Christ’s prayer, the time has come for the Church of God to do the work God has given us to do. The time has come for us to reveal our God to the world. If we don’t, who will?

This world is full of cops and lawyers and judges and juries who accuse and prosecute and punish. The time has come for God’s people to be the ones who forgive. The world is full of writers and broadcasters and politicians who spread hate and fear in order to divide and conquer. The time has come for Christ’s followers to be the ones who spread love and hope in order to reconcile and restore. The world is full of soldiers and generals and armies and kings who take and kill in the name of country and security. The time has come for Christ’s Church to be the ones who give life, who give resources, who give of themselves, who give and give and give in the name of the One who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

The time has come for us to complete the work we’ve been given to do, to reveal the love and grace of Almighty God to a world that does not know him. If we don’t, who will?

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I’m not playing “Taps” for the Rangers just yet. It’s not completely over. But this team is on life support. They’re barely breathing. The family’s been called in. The grandkids are gathering photos for the slide show. It’s not looking good.

The Rangers have lost four straight and nine of their past eleven games. They have been shut out — zero runs! — in three of their past four games. The Rangers haven’t scored a run in 21 straight innings. They have scored three runs or fewer in twelve of their past fifteen games and hit .177 with runners in scoring position during this same fifteen game stretch, including yesterday’s 0-3 showing in Cleveland. As of this very moment, Texas is six games back of Oakland in the AL West and fourth in the Wild Card standings. Worse than that, yesterday marked the 30th consecutive day the Rangers have not made up ground in the division. They’ve gone a full month now either staying put or losing ground to the A’s.

Yikes!

I’m still convinced that Nelson Cruz will be suspended this coming weekend, probably Friday, for the remainder of the season. So now the Rangers need at least two or three brand new bats, not just one or two. I was hopeful that the Garza signing would spark something in these guys. No, it hasn’t. And I’m afraid Ron Washington’s 45-minute closed door team meeting after yesterday’s embarrassing effort won’t do it either.

We’ll know for certain this time next Monday whether to pull the plug on this team. Texas plays the Angels in a three-game set in Arlington beginning tonight and then go head-to-head with the A’s in Oakland this coming weekend. So, come Monday, we’ll know.

It’s been three or four years since Cowboys pre-season football was more interesting than watching the Rangers.

Crud.

Allan

God Bless Junior and Patricia

July 24, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Our church family at Central has been so blessed to spend this month with our beloved missionaries in Brasilia, Junior and Patricia Lira. The Liras are on a working sabbatical (oxymoron, I know) here in the States and have used three weeks of it here in Amarillo with us before heading up to Tulsa this weekend. I think they’ve eaten Tex-Mex at least once a day since they arrived here. And they’ve received approximately 11,700 hugs and twice that many well wishes and kind words of encouragement.

The entire missions committee and our families gathered at Stanglin Manor on Monday for grilled fajitas and an extended time of prayer for Junior and Patricia, for the Kingdom work in Brazil, and for our relationship together in Christ. After sharing a massive meal, we listened intently as these two co-workers with God talked with us about their triumphs and their defeats, about their good times and bad in Brasilia. Church work is hard; I believe foreign missions work is exponentially harder. And our hearts became one with theirs as they discussed some of those struggles.

I found myself reminding them that, for ministers, at the end of every single day there’s always several more things you could have done. Congregational ministry never stops. When 5:00 rolls around, you’ve never done enough. No matter how efficient or productive your day has been, there’s always one more phone call you could have made, one more card you could have written, one more thing you could have read, another meeting you could have attended, one more something somewhere that would have strengthened or encouraged or otherwise blessed somebody. There’s always something else. Always. So, I told Junior, just go home! Patricia said, “Yes! Early!”

They both work so hard. And they inspire us. They are both so energetic, so enthusiastic, so visibly full of God’s Holy Spirit, and want nothing more than to be used by God for his eternal purposes. They challenge us with their lives of service to our Father’s Kingdom.

The highlight of the evening was getting Junior and Patricia in the middle of our living room and then surrounding them, on our knees before our holy God, laying hands on them and thanking the Lord and asking him to pour out his richest blessings on them. To listen and participate with these great men and women as they opened up their hearts to God and to one another was really the highlight of my week.

Until we got together for a dinner with the praise team last night at Michael and Connie’s and sang for more than an hour with Junior and Patricia. I’m not sure how Carrie-Anne and I got invited, but we’re so grateful. Singing songs of praise to our God in English and in Portuguese was an undeniable testimony to the power of his Spirit and the vitality of his Church. We laughed together as Dick and Lisa traded friendly barbs, we worked hard together to harmonize with Prentis, we sniffed tears of joy away as we sang It Is Well, and we stood together to sing The Lord Bless You and Keep You. After all seven “amens” we hugged and began all over again expressing our great admiration for and best wishes to Junior and Patricia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been a marvelous three weeks with these two great servants of our Lord. May our God bless them with strength and endurance, with energy and confidence, as they serve his Kingdom in South America. And may our God bless his people at Central to sacrifice and serve here in Amarillo in the selfless and joyful manner of Junior and Patricia.

Peace,

Allan

Now What?

July 23, 2013 / / 3 Comments

Matt Garza is a Texas Ranger. He’s no Cliff Lee. He doesn’t automatically result in a division crown for the Rangers as the Lee trade did in 2010. Yes, he’s a solid number two or three guy behind Darvish and the Dutch Oven. Yes, he’s probably good for eight or nine wins and a dozen or more quality outings over the last ten weeks. But I don’t know if he’s enough. The return of Matt Harrison to anything near his pitching prowess of a year ago is iffy at best. We’re talking about a back injury here, as unpredictable for a pitcher as it is for a golfer. Who knows? As for Ogando, I guess we’ll know a little more tonight. Can we really count on him? And, I’m not certain we’re ever going to see Neftali Feliz again. Those national writers who are still picking Texas to eventually overcome the A’s to win the West are basing that on Ogando and Harrison and Feliz each making strong returns. Seems shaky to me…

The real problem with the Rangers this year, as awful as the pitching’s been the past three weeks, is the offense. To replace Hamilton and Young, the Rangers went with a couple of oft-injured old-timers and now they’re paying for it. Lance Berkman is gone and A.J.’s looking really tired. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Manny Ramirez get called up before the week’s over to take some hacks with the Rangers. I mean, at this point, they’ve got to try something. The fact that it’s going to be Manny tells you all you need to know about the level of desperation right now in Arlington.

If that’s not bad enough, yesterday’s plea deal between MLB and Ryan Braun means Nellie Cruz could be gone for the year within a matter of days. It all depends on how much evidence they have on him, whether Selig views Nellie as a first-time offender, and if they’ll wait until there are 50 games left in the season to announce a suspension. That would be in about two weeks. Manny being Manny is not enough for this struggling offense. Manny would have to be Manny and Cal and Babe Ruth.

It’s pretty bleak right now. I’m not feeling good about things. The past month has reminded me a lot of last September. They’re flat and lethargic, beat up and old, lackadaisical and just kinda going through the motions.

Beltre and Elvis are the only ones I can really get excited about right now. Maybe Texas will trade for Rios or another power hitter this week. Maybe the acquisition of Garza wakes the whole team up and they start playing like they’re capable. Right now, though, it’s Beltre and Elvis. Those two bulldogs play hard on every pitch, at the plate and in the field, and they’re a lot of fun to watch. Always have been. In honor of those two and in an effort to cheer myself up, I present this hilarious video of these two best friends.

Peace,

Allan

Surely God is My Help

July 22, 2013 / / 0 Comments

“Save me, O God, by your name;
vindicate me by your might.
Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.
Strangers are attacking me;
ruthless men seek my life —
men without regard for God.
Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.”
~Psalm 54:1-4

The psalmist recognizes that the world is full of wicked men and women, people who have no regard for God. This world is full of evil. It has its dark places. There are people who do not recognize the eternal authority of our God. They do not see God, they do not keep their eyes on God, they do not follow him. They are seeking their own paths, their own ways. And so we are surrounded by violence and war, we’re confronted daily with poverty and disease, we’re bombarded by accusations and lies, we’re troubled by broken relationships and wrecked communities.

God, though, is the psalmist’s “help.” The Hebrew word used here to describe God is the same word used in Genesis of the woman God made for Adam. Help. Helper. Helpmeet, my dad still says in his funny KJV. The picture is of a strong partner, one who delivers, one who completes and makes whole that which is lacking.

This song suggests that our God is still willing and very, very capable of providing what is needed to fix what’s wrong in this world. Our God is a God of justice and equity. He takes no pleasure in evil. He truly cares for his entire creation. And he longs — his Holy Spirit groans — for that day when all is made right. As followers of the Christ who do hold our God in high regard, we are compelled to keep our eyes on him. We’re moved to seek his ways, not ours. As Gerald Wilson writes,

“We can no longer make light of his power and glory, nor can we ignore the call to participate in the restoration of the world. Our relationships will and must change; we will and must seek justice and equity as God does; we will and must respond to the whole creation in ways that seek its best interests rather than ours.”

God is my help. He makes whole that which is now in part. He makes me whole — total peace. He’s cleansing and restoring his people. He’s making all things perfect and new. Just like he did in the garden.

“I will praise your name, O Lord,
for it is good.”
~Psalm 54:6

Peace,

Allan

Savior of the World

July 18, 2013 / / 0 Comments

“We know that this man really is the Savior of the world!” ~John 4:42

After just a couple of hours with Jesus, the Samaritan woman at the well knew it. After just two days with him, the villagers of Sychar proclaimed it. The rarest of biblical titles for our King was declared unashamedly by the socially marginalized, the religious outcasts, the “sinners.”

How did they know? What did they experience that led them to this bold confession?

Jesus had purposefully put himself at great risk by going through Samaria in order to find this woman. He had crossed every barrier and cleared every obstacle; he had blown past the social and cultural walls, the political and economic hurdles, the religious and gender boundaries to reach this lonely and forgotten soul. He had refused to be bogged down in religious debate and questions of worship, instead focusing on his relationship with her. And he had exposed her great sin against God at high noon in the town square — and graciously and powerfully forgiven her.

Without partiality, without prejudice, without compromise, Jesus is the true light who goes into the darkness to rescue the whole world. The scars you’ve suffered, the fences you’ve erected, the sins you’ve committed — none of this registers as even a speed bump to the Savior of the World.

Once you realize it, how do you respond? Because you have to respond. Jesus is not going away. He sat down on the edge of the well, an unavoidable obstacle to the Samaritan woman. And to you. The woman, Scripture says dropped her jar, she left the well, and ran back into town to tell everyone about the Messiah. The town sleaze had become a Gospel preacher!

How do you respond to the Savior of the World?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As part of our “Gifted 2 Go” series here at Central, our oldest daughter, Whitney, and I wound up with almost twenty others at Brock’s Laundry last night, about two blocks west of our church building. Armed with $300 dollars in quarters, our task was to pay for everybody’s washers and dryers for two hours. There are 25 dryers along the back wall at Brock’s and 50 washing machines arranged in the middle. And we had all 75 of those things spinning until after 8:30 last night. We met young families and single moms, one college-aged kid and a couple of older folks. We packed and unpacked machines, folded clothes into laundry baskets and cardboard boxes, playfully fighting over the limited number of dryers and laughing loudly together as we took over Brock’s and made it the center of attention at Washington and 14th.

We met John, who I think used to have some ties to Central but refused to elaborate. We visited with Berto and his wife and held their precious seven-month-old daughter, Leah, while they switched out washers and dryers. We talked to Tiffany who admitted to hating Amarillo and wanting to move to San Antonio to be closer to an aunt. Justin and Mallory had just had the back glass and side window of their car blown out by gunfire Monday night. Miranda wouldn’t stop thanking us. Another woman there, almost in tears, told Shelly that for the first time in more than a year, she and her husband were now going to be able to do laundry and put gas in his truck during the same week. A young man named Matthew surveyed the room while his jeans and T-shirts cycled and commented to Myrl, “Y’all must have an awesome church.” To which Myrl replied, “Well, we have an awesome God!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A block away, Lon and Jeff and their crew washed almost twenty cars while Bob and his group changed oil a block south in another fifteen or twenty vehicles.

At 9:00 last night, as we were loading up the leftover sodas and water bottles in the laundromat parking lot, I turned to Shelley and said, “That sure beats a boring Wednesday night Bible class, huh?” Shelly said, “Yes, sir! Not that there’s anything wrong with our Bible classes, but THIS is what we’re supposed to be doing!”

We’re making inroads into our community. Slowly but surely, steady and purposefully, we’re meeting our neighbors and blessing them with the love and grace of our Lord. We’re seeking relationship. We’re meeting people where they are. We’re giving the cup of water, the handful of quarters, in the name of our King. And trusting him to use us to his eternal glory and praise.

Peace,

Allan

Quick Theology Check

July 17, 2013 / / 2 Comments

All right, let’s get some theology straight here. Our church is in the middle of this “Gifted 2 Go” project and it’s important that we be somewhat clear regarding the reasons we do things. Our motivations and expectations for what we do should always be guided by the Gospel of Christ. And we should all be at least close to the same understandings about what that is.

If we don’t guard ourselves, we can very easily be confused into thinking that the Bible is mainly about what we’re supposed to be doing instead of Scripture being mainly about revealing to us a picture of our God. That makes a huge difference in the way we view and apply the Bible and in our own motivations for doing good.

Jesus taught that we should turn the other cheek. Yes. But Jesus never said turning the other cheek toward someone who hits you is a useful and efficient method for bringing out the best in that person. Turning the other cheek, giving up your coat, walking two miles instead of one — it’s not taught by our Lord because it works. Let’s be honest, it usually doesn’t. It’s taught because this is the way our God is. God is kind to the selfish and ungrateful. He is merciful and loving to his enemies. As we in Amarillo can testify this week, our Father brings his rains equally on the just and the unjust.

Doing good to others is not a strategy for getting what we want. Instead, doing good to others is the only way to live since, in Jesus, we clearly see what God wants. We seek reconciliation and relationship with our neighbor, not because it makes us feel good, but because reconciliation and relationship is what God is doing in the world right now through Christ.

So, tonight we’re baking and delivering cookies to our neighbors. We’re changing the oil in their cars, washing their pick-ups, and helping them with their laundry. Not because it’ll work. Not because it’ll make us feel good about ourselves. Not because it’ll cause our church to grow or give Central great publicity. We serve our neighbors because this is who God is.

Peace,

Allan

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