Tag: love

Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown

January 25, 2022 / Stephen

Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown
Charles Wesley

Come, O thou Traveller unknown,
Whom still I hold, but cannot see!
My company before is gone,
And I am left alone with Thee;
With Thee all night I mean to stay,
And wrestle till the break of day.

I need not tell Thee who I am,
My misery and sin declare;
Thyself hast called me by my name,
Look on Thy hands, and read it there;
But who, I ask Thee, who art Thou?
Tell me Thy name, and tell me now.

In vain Thou strugglest to get free,
I never will unloose my hold!
Art Thou the Man that died for me?
The secret of Thy love unfold;
Wrestling, I will not let Thee go,
Till I Thy name, Thy nature know.

Wilt Thou not yet to me reveal
Thy new, unutterable Name?
Tell me, I still beseech Thee, tell;
To know it now resolved I am;
Wrestling, I will not let Thee go,
Till I Thy Name, Thy nature know.

‘Tis all in vain to hold Thy tongue
Or touch the hollow of my thigh;
Though every sinew be unstrung,
Out of my arms Thou shalt not fly;
Wrestling I will not let Thee go
Till I Thy name, Thy nature know.

What though my shrinking flesh complain,
And murmur to contend so long?
I rise superior to my pain,
When I am weak, then I am strong
And when my all of strength shall fail,
I shall with the God-man prevail.

My strength is gone, my nature dies,
I sink beneath Thy weighty hand,
Faint to revive, and fall to rise;
I fall, and yet by faith I stand;
I stand and will not let Thee go
Till I Thy Name, Thy nature know.

Yield to me now, for I am weak,
But confident in self-despair;
Speak to my heart, in blessings speak,
Be conquered by my instant prayer;
Speak, or Thou never hence shalt move,
And tell me if Thy Name is Love.

‘Tis Love! ’tis Love! Thou diedst for me!
I hear Thy whisper in my heart;
The morning breaks, the shadows flee,
Pure, universal love Thou art;
To me, to all, Thy mercies move;
Thy nature and Thy Name is Love.

My prayer hath power with God; the grace
Unspeakable I now receive;
Through faith I see Thee face to face,
I see Thee face to face, and live!
In vain I have not wept and strove;
Thy nature and Thy Name is Love.

I know Thee, Saviour, who Thou art.
Jesus, the feeble sinner’s friend;
Nor wilt Thou with the night depart.
But stay and love me to the end,
Thy mercies never shall remove;
Thy nature and Thy Name is Love.

The Sun of Righteousness on me
Hath rose with healing in His wings,
Withered my nature’s strength; from Thee
My soul its life and succour brings;
My help is all laid up above;
Thy nature and Thy Name is Love.

Contented now upon my thigh
I halt, till life’s short journey end;
All helplessness, all weakness I
On Thee alone for strength depend;
Nor have I power from Thee to move:
Thy nature, and Thy name is Love.

Lame as I am, I take the prey,
Hell, earth, and sin, with ease o’ercome;
I leap for joy, pursue my way,
And as a bounding hart fly home,
Through all eternity to prove
Thy nature and Thy Name is Love.

Helping Each Other

April 14, 2020 / Stephen

In the next week, many of us are going to be receiving stimulus checks from the government. For some of us, this money could not come soon enough. For others of us, we, quite honestly, don’t need these extra resources. I want to talk with both groups and, I know, whenever a preacher starts talking about money, most of us check out and head for the hills. I wouldn’t blame you but stay with me for a bit.

First, if you part of the large group of people in our country that could really use this help at this time. Be grateful and use this money to support your family, meet your needs, and feel no guilt about doing so. Dave Ramsey frequently speaks of the need for all of us to maintain the four walls in our life: food, shelter, clothing, and transportation. I would add a fifth: your health. If right now because of reduction in hours, loss of work, or increased financial insecurity, these foundations in your life are threatened then please manage these extra resources well and keep your family safe. This is true both now and in the future. Maybe right now, your financial situation is looking okay, but you don’t know if this will still be true come May or even into the summer, then I would encourage you to take this money, put it into a bank account and hold it as an emergency fund. If come fall, the crisis never comes, then you can move onto the challenge I have below.

If you are part of another group in our country that doesn’t need this extra financial stimulus, then I want to challenge you to consider how you might bless your neighbor and our community at this time. I know it is tempting to want to use the money to buy a new flat screen T.V. or upgrade the lawnmower. Consider the possibility that you might have been blessed to bless others and think about how you might do that. Here are just a few ideas for you to consider:

There are many organizations in our community on the front lines helping. In Galesburg, the F.I.S.H. Food Pantry is not able to accept physical donations but are in need of financial gifts so they can buy food for those in need. The Salvation Army is still offering its food pantry. Safe Harbor is still serving families in the midst of domestic violence. The YMCA is serving in many ways. And I am sure you can probably think of many others.
What about your neighbor? Have they lost hours or lost their job entirely? Maybe you could help them out.
Do you know someone who is a first-responder or working in health care? Maybe you could buy them some gift cards to local restaurants, so they don’t have to cook a meal on top of the stress they are already feeling. Or call up a lawn care company and pay to have their yard mowed for them.
Are you still going to eat out? Consider giving that waitress or waiter an extra-large tip.

There are many different ways we can help. These are just a few. If you have other ideas, I would love to hear them.

Blessings,

Stephen

Changing the Paradigm

March 26, 2020 / Stephen

Dear Friends,

As I practice my social distancing I have been reading and thinking a great deal about what is next for the church. In my reading I came across this quote I want to share with you:

For years, the mission of the church in the United States was largely defined in terms of offering attractive programs to retain its members, building appealing structures and services to draw new members, and participating in some type of benevolent pursuit to appease the conscience of the few individuals looking to make a difference in the world . . . recent developments have contributed to a rediscovery that the mission and purpose of the church do not stem from charting institutional health through traditional quantifiable metrics. Rather, the Church ought to understand its role primarily as a partner and co-participant in the mission of God, whose desire is to redeem humanity, restore creation, heal brokenness, and invite Christians everywhere to embrace their true identity in Christ. (Twibell 82)

Years ago I was at a church event where the host church was celebrating their opening of a children’s play area. They proudly announced how many kids in the community had come onto their turf in the last year. I commend the church for its desire to do something for the community. As I drove around the community I could not help but wonder, “Is this really what the community needed? Did they need it most on the church’s turf? What could the impact have been if they had built in another part of town and resisted the temptation to brand it with the church’s brand? What if it had been about the community rather than the church?”

I know these are hard questions, and some might even say unfair, but as a pastor, I see regularly that people are tired of our efforts to attract them to come to our events. We have lost people’s trust. They are onto our games.

And now we, the Church, have been given a great gift. We have nothing to invite them to. Our buildings are closed, our programs suspended. All we have to offer is ourselves, our love, our compassion, our concern, our generosity. We have nothing to offer but Jesus who, when saying why he came, quoted from the prophet Isaiah and said:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
(Luke 4:18-19, NIV)

I am concerned whether we are learning from the lessons this time is teaching us. What if, when we are finally released to “life as normal” we don’t go back to our old ways? What if, instead of expecting people to come to us on our terms, we went to them on theirs? What if we continued to live outside our walls seeking to find new and ever more ways to love and serve our community joining in the mission of God to “redeem humanity, restore creation, heal brokenness, and invite Christians everywhere to embrace their true identity in Christ?”

What if?

Blessings,
Stephen

SOURCE:
Twibell, Simone Mulieri. “Missional Act in Spiritual Formation: Moving Beyond Mission Trips into the Realm of Missional Living.” Missional Disciple-Making, edited by Michael J. Breen and David M. Gustafson, 3DM Publishing, 2019, pp. 82–104.

What can you do?

March 25, 2020 / Stephen

Dear Friends,

One of the challenges many of us are feeling is the sense of helplessness that there is nothing we can do. It is easy to feel like we are at the whim of our government officials and the daily whiplash of recommendations and advice.

I want to say to you that you are not helpless. There are things you can do. Here are just a few ideas:

Show your Heart
Put paper hearts in your window. It has gone national, but Heart Hunters started right here in Galesburg.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/326431341651785/
https://www.kwqc.com/content/news/Galesburg-woman-at-the-heart-of-worldwide-virtual-scavenger-hunt-569049201.html

Get Connected
The United Way of Knox County has set up the GetCONNECTED site to help organize those interested in volunteering.
https://myforefront.galaxydigital.com/

Go to Work
Are you part of the essential workforce? You can help the community and your family by going to work and doing what you do.

Stay Home
The Governor of Illinois has advised all persons to “shelter-in-place” and avoid going out unless necessary to get food, medical care, or to go to work. You can help your community by staying home and reducing the potential for the spread of the virus.

Check on Your Neighbor
If you know people in high-risk categories: elderly, those with health challenges like cancer, diabetes, immune-suppressed or respiratory issues, etc. Check-in on them to see if they should not going out and offer to pick up groceries or medicine for them.

Connect
Call/FaceTime with people you love to stay connected, but don’t insist on in-person visits. Be creative in how you can connect differently than your normal routine with people. Who can you add to your circle of connection? If you are not personally affected in your health with COVID-19, choose to continue to stay connected with people. Don’t isolate for the sake of isolation, your mental health will thank you for this decision.

Make a Plan
It is easy to feel like one day is the same as the next. Make a plan for what you are going to do today. Then work your plan.

Learn Something New
Many online learning companies are making their courses available for free or significantly reduced. Here is one from N.T. Wright: Faith Working Through Love
But there are many more.

Show Gratitude
As you are out getting groceries, filling your gas tank, going to the doctor, etc. Be gracious to those who are serving you. They have families too. They feel the same anxieties. They are working so you get what you need or stay healthy. They are working to provide for their families like you are.

Do you know a police officer, paramedic, firefighter, doctor, nurse, or cashier? Send them a message: THANK YOU!

Disconnect and Breathe
Disconnect: Take a break from the continuous pandemic news. Turn off the T.V., put your phone down, and get off the computer.

Breathe: Sit in a comfortable chair. Close your eyes and breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose. Hold it and then exhale slowly out of your mouth. Do this for one minute. Have an Apple Watch? You can set it to remind you to stop and breathe throughout the day.

Go Outside: The weather today is sunny and warm in Galesburg. Go outside. Walk around the block or just sit in a chair outside your door. Breath in the fresh air.

Dream
We can be so tempted to want to get life back to normal that we miss the great things we have learned in this time. We have learned to connect with each other in greater and more meaningful ways. We have seen the beauty of creation healed as some industries have paused. If you have not already, look up the videos of the canals in Venice. Here is one. We have learned that “doing church” does not require a building. Dream about how life could be better because of what we have learned through this experience. It will not always be like this.

Do you have other ideas? Please share them.

Pastor Stephen

Giving Credit: The seed of many of these suggestions came from a message Beth Cossin, Pastor at Heritage Church, sent to the congregation in a letter.

Why won’t we do it?

July 1, 2019 / Stephen

This post is the final in the slow series on our summer of Sabbath rest. In it, I want to address the “why not?” of Sabbath. For all the benefits of the Sabbath, most of us will not actually engage in the practice of rest. I am sure the reasons are many, but I want to share two here:

First, we are afraid of stopping. Our identity is tied up in what we do. Want to know how much? Try going to a gather and never ask a person what they do and never say what you do. It is nearly impossible. Not being identified with our work causes us to feel lost and useless. Sabbath will confront your very sense of who you are and what you find your value in. Most of us, myself included, do not want to go there. Sabbath is not productive. We fear we are missing out. We fear we will be accused of being lazy or failing to carry out our responsibilities.

Second, fear of legalism. Certainly, there are many stories of excess rules and structures of the past. When children were not allowed to play and joy was looked upon with disdain. We are right to be apprehensive, but let us not avoid one excess by going to another excess that never stops, never delights in God and his good gifts to humanity. If your Sabbath has become a burden then it is time to change your Sabbath. Sabbath is a day to celebrate the abundance of God. A day filled with joy, laughter, beauty, rest, love, and delight. Jesus, says to come to him like a child. There is something winsome and childlike about the Sabbath. Jesus said the Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. The Sabbath is God’s holy gift to humanity. It is a means of expressing his continual love and provision to each one of us. Sabbath is the invitation to be with God.

Blessings,
Stephen

Are we on the run?

September 21, 2015 / Stephen

As I see the images of Syrian children washed up on Mediterranean beaches, my thoughts go to another fugitive—much older but hardly wiser. His name? Jonah. Unlike today’s refugees, however, Jonah wasn’t fleeing war, violence or hunger. He was running away from God. More precisely he was running away from the opportunity to be used as a conduit of God’s compassion. Jonah reveals his heart in Jonah 4:1-3:

But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to the LORD, ‘O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live. (NIV)

Thousands of people in the ancient city of Nineveh (modern day Mosul, Iraq) repent and turn to God in sackcloth as a result of Jonah’s words, and Jonah’s response is to ask God to kill him. “It is better for me to die” (Jonah 4:3), he says, than to live and see you extend compassion to these people.

Jonah is angry. Really, really angry and perhaps rightfully so. After all, the Ninevites were Assyrians, people who weren’t afraid to flay Jonah’s countrymen alive in front of their wives and children and impale others on poles. In Jonah’s book, they were the absolute worst kind of people.

And yet God has a message for Jonah. Jonah thinks he has a right to be angry, but God has a right to be concerned. And so when Jonah stomps off and builds a shelter out of a few tree limbs, God does something. He sends a “Jack and the Beanstalk” type of vine–one of those vines that grows up super quickly. Sitting out in the hot sun all day, Jonah is exuberant about the vine and the shade it provides. However, the next morning his happiness once again turns to anger as God sends a worm to chew on the vine that God had made to grow. By mid-morning, he is steaming. The vine is wilted, the sun is beating down, and God has sent a scorching east wind. Once again he says, “It would be better for me to die than to live” (Jonah 4:8).

“But God said to Jonah, ‘Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?”

“I do,” Jonah said, “I am angry enough to die.” (Jonah 4:9)

“But the LORD said, ‘You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?’” (Jonah 4:10-11). Jonah does not have a reply and neither do we. Suddenly we learn that God’s concerns are different and greater than our own. While we are worried about how someone has injured us or fearing someone taking advantage of us, God not only knows their name, he has nurtured them and cared for them. He has made them to grow and tended them. He cares deeply for them and values them.

Suddenly Jonah’s words in Jonah 2:8, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs” pertain not just to those who worship other gods, they pertain to Jonah and perhaps to us as well. When Jonah chooses to flee from God in Jonah 1:3, he clings to a worthless idol and chooses to forfeit the grace or hesed (covenantal love) that could be his. Jonah is so concerned about keeping God’s covenantal love or hesed to himself that he fails to realize that in doing so, he is actually leaving it far behind. When Jonah runs away from the LORD, he isn’t just running away from the LORD, he’s running away from a relationship with the LORD—and all because he doesn’t want God to extend to his enemy the same kind of grace and compassion or covenantal love that he himself has received and experienced time and time again.

The irony of Jonah’s story is that he cannot outrun God or his covenantal love. When Jonah begins to sink into the depths of the sea, God sends a fish to eventually take him to dry land. When Jonah stomps off in a pout, God sends a vine to shade him. And when Jonah is drowning in self-absorption and self-righteousness, God sends a worm to destroy the vine and a scorching east wind to heat things up again. God has a lesson for Jonah and for us. Those people you think are far from me—those people you view as enemies—I love them. I have tended them and I know them. I am concerned for them.

The same might be said about Syrian refugees today. God knows them, has tended them and caused them to grow. When we choose to hold up fear rather than to extend love and hospitality are we not behaving in the same way as Jonah? Are we in our attempt to protect ourselves, our way of life and even our religion actually running away from God and forfeiting the covenantal love and grace that could be ours? Can we not hear God say, “But Syria has many, many innocent people. Should I not be concerned about that great country? Should I not be concerned…”

Pastor Laura

Author’s note: I am not suggesting Syria is an evil country or that the Syrian people are evil or that they are the enemy. I am simply responding to the general fear and suspicion currently being propagated towards Syrian refugees.

Let Love Roll

July 17, 2015 / Stephen

On the night that Jesus was betrayed, as he washed his disciples feet and became a servant he said these words to his disciples: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭34-35, ‬ NIV) It is funny that he would call it a new command. For the three prior years of active ministry he would live out this command to love one another and he would call his disciples to follow his example. On this night, however, love would become unmistakable.

What is love? Paul would tell us so eloquently in 1 Corinthians: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭4-8a, NIV)

Racism is deeply embedded in our country and its effects are felt on many different levels. It can cloud our vision and cause us to see what is not there to be seen. My challenge to each of us is that we engage each other with love. When we are tempted to make comments in social media or share another’s words ask yourself if your words are words of love to the “other side.” When one’s actions do not make sense, ask yourself what the lens of their life might be which would cause them to respond in the way they did. One does not have to agree but we must understand for without understanding we have no hope for reconciliation.

The stakes could not be higher for Christians. By our love for one another the world will know that we are followers of Jesus and by our unity we will demonstrate to the world that Jesus is God (John 17:23). The reverse is also true for those of us who call ourselves Christians, our lack of love demonstrates are not truly Jesus’ disciples and our disunity give them a reason to question Jesus himself. Ultimately true reconciliation in the hearts and lives of people can only happen through the reconciling work of Jesus in each of our lives.

Finally, I want to share with you a resource I would highly recommend. It is the autobiography of the civil rights worker, John Perkins, Let Justice Roll Down. As I read in these pages how his brother was murdered by a sheriff’s deputy in 1946. Then as I read of members of his church being loaded into a police van that did not go directly to the police station but instead stopped along the way to beat the people in the back. I was again struck by the similarity to today’s events. Through poignant words and a deep conviction for reconciliation through the good news of Jesus Christ, John Perkins has much to teach us.

Blessings,
Pastor Stephen

Do we get to curse?

March 10, 2015 / Stephen

world map

In last week’s post I said that as Christians our adopted DNA is to be a blessing to all the nations of the world. But you might ask, what about our enemies and those who curse and hate us?

Allow to me to answer with a story. A few years ago I had the opportunity to hear an Army Chaplain share about the challenges of soldiers and their families before, during and after deployment. At the end of the discussion there was a chance for individuals in the room to ask questions. One person raised his hand and asked what her thoughts were on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Before the chaplain could give an answer, her commanding officer, who happened to also be in the room, jumped to his feet. He said, “you have asked a question that is above her pay grade, while she is in uniform she does not have an opinion.”

So I say, to those who are worried about our enemies and those who curse and hate us, the issue is not of our concern, it is above our pay grade. How can I say this? Let’s look again at what God said to Abram when he called him. “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” Did you catch that? God said the decision of who gets the privilege of being blessed or cursed, because of the way they interact with the people of God, is above our pay grade. The decision rests with God alone.

Jesus would take it one step further telling us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us (Luke 6:27).

May we, as Christians, be known as those who serve full of grace, truth, and blessing.

How to Find a More Excellent Way

October 21, 2014 / Stephen

Maybe Paul knew we were not going to get along with each other. Maybe he knew we, as humans, are competitive by nature. No matter what we are doing there always has to be a winner and a loser. Someone has to be on top and be better than someone else. In the church we are certainly no better. In the midst of our competitiveness Paul wades deep into murky waters and attempts to address spiritual gifts. In his letter to the people of the ancient city of Corinth he begins to lay a foundation teaching us four things:

1. Your spiritual gifts are just that gifts.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given . . .” (1 Corinthians 12:7).

The gifts we have, whether they be wisdom, knowledge, prophecy, or healing are not earned by you and I, and therefore we have no reason to be proud of them. We may have a picture on our wall of a state championship earned in high school. This is good, we should be proud of the accomplishments we worked hard for. But spiritual gifts are different, there are no plaques on our walls. No pictures of glory days to look back on. They come from God at his discretion.

2 . . . . but they aren’t for you.

“. . . for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7).

To be a Christian is to live and share in community. We are spiritual gift Pony Express riders. We have been given the satchel of gifts to carry for our designated time until we can pass it on to the next rider and ultimately see it emptied out for the community to enjoy what is inside.

3. We need each other.

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form on body” (12:12).

As much as we may be tempted to go it alone our gifts are worthless on their own. The gifts God gives to each one of us only have value when they are combined with each other’s. Attempting to go it alone makes us look like a chicken with its head cut off. The show is fun to watch for a little while, people may even chase you around, but eventually inevitable death will come.

4. There is an even better way.

“And now I will show you the most excellent way” (12:31).

The way is love. It is rare to hear 1 Corinthians 13 read outside of the context of a wedding ceremony, but when Paul shares these words he is not standing in a chapel wearing an Elvis costume he is describing the “most excellent way” for the church. This is what the church should look like. This is how we should treat each other. This is what using our spiritual gifts should be. So “follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts” (14:1) because . . .

Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
Love does not demand its own way.
Love is not irritable,
Love keeps no record of being wronged.
Love does not rejoice about injustice
Love rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up
Love never loses faith
Love is always hopeful
Love endures through every circumstance.

Now that is the kind of church I want to be part of!

Pastor Stephen

Do you love me?

April 25, 2012 / Stephen

“Do you love me?” Jesus’, asks Peter. The same Peter who had proclaimed he would never abandoned Jesus but had done so when the pressure was on. As the words pierced his ears, Peter’s soul likely ached with an emptiness that longed to ask the same question of Jesus. “Do you love me Jesus?”

Peter is not alone in his wonder. In a million different ways, we frantically ask God the same question. But “as long as I keep running about asking: ‘Do you love me? Do you really love me?’ I will give all power to the voices in the world and put myself in bondage because the world is filled with ‘ifs.’ The world says: ‘Yes, I love you if you are good-looking, intelligent, and wealthy. I love you if you have a good education, a good job, and good connections. I love you if you produce much, sell much, and buy much.’ There are endless ‘ifs’ hidden in the world’s love. These ‘ifs’ enslave me . . .” to an endless struggle to earn and justify God’s love, but there are no “ifs,” “buts,” or “whens” in God’s answer to our question. There is only Jesus.