Wisdom for the proud postmodernist

Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about....

G.K. Chesterton 1874-1936

Britain's Got Talent

A whole different take on American Idol and who can win--a most unexpected and wonder-filled performance. 

The Never Ending Dance

We'll be concluding our "Dancing with the Stars" series this week.  Our focus as we study James 5.19-20 will be on passing on what we've been given.   

The opening dance this week is done by Angie Yetzke.  

Our songs focus on celebrating how God has worked in our lives, changing us, moving us forward in our walk with him.  The songs serve as a capstone to the series in which we've walked steps to help us through God's power to become new people.

Our worship will continue with the giving of our gifts.  

Pastor Tom will be preaching this week and helping us see that as God has led us through steps that bring newness so we need to make sure we don't keep this message to ourselves.

After a time of prayer, we'll sing "Come Thou Fount" which reminds us of God's grace and our need to be connected to him to continue living out his call on our lives.

Think, Think

When you read the sermon on the mount there are some things that can mess with your mind and trying to figure out how to live as a passionate follower of Jesus.   Here's two of them:  

1.  Contrast Matthew 5.16 and Matthew 6.1

--Matthew 5.16: In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

--Matthew 6.1:  Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them.  If you do, you will not have a reward from your Father in heaven.

2.  Contrast Matthew 7.1 and Matthew 7.

--Matthew 7.1:  Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

--Matthew 7.6:  Do not give to dogs what is holy or cast your pearls before swine (i.e. judge others as to whether you should give them the good things of the kingdom).

We are told to let our light shine and to do things in secret.  We are told not to judge, but to know who the dogs and swine are so we don't cast our pearls before them.   So just how does this work?   

A thought:  Jesus wants us to think.   There are times when we need to let our light shine and times when we need to do things in secret.  We need to figure out which is which.  There are times when we need to not judge, to think the best of others and times when we need to know that we are just throwing our pearls before swine.   We need to know which is which.   The Scriptures call this being a person of wisdom, we call it confusing.   Jesus calls us to think, too often I just want rules to follow.

Missing the Mark

Luke 15 has the familiar story of the prodigal son.   I was reading that story again a couple of days ago and thought how little this story shocks me.   A young man wants his inheritance, his dad gives it to him, he blows it in a crazy lifestyle, his dad exercises some grace and welcomes him home.   

At our staff Christmas party Dave Stravers taught us through the eyes of culture just how shocking this passage really is.   By all rights what the son has asked and done should have brought about his death--we (at least I do) however see all of this as no big deal.

Remembering what Dave had taught I couldn't help but wonder if my lack of shock at the story reflects my overall lack of outrage at my own sin.   Like I yawn when I read of an outrageous sin against a father, so I yawn at my own sin ignoring how outrageous it is against the Father.  Maybe a good reminder from time to time of what's really going on in the story of the prodigal would be a good reminder of what's really going on when I sin.  Something to think on.

Keep Dancing

Tap Dancing is the art of rhythm and percussion. Sunday we have dancers from Calvin College joining us and doing tap. As Tap is about rhythm so our lives need to find a certain rhythm if we are going to stay healthy. That's what we'll be looking at on Sunday.

The text for the week is: James 5.13-18
We'll be seeing how steps 10&11 of AA connect with this text.

The days starts with Tap and then moves to songs that praise God and look at Christ's sacrifice for us on the cross.

We will be celebrating 16 new households joining EverGreen after our time of praise. Enjoy the DVD with pictures and a bit of the story of those joining.

We'll be starting a new Corners offering cause this week. It is Vision of Hope ministries out of Holland, MI. They provide counseling for those who are unable to afford it as wellr pregnant teens and a host of other services.

The message gets started by reminding us how important right rhythms are for our health--and that it's no secret what those rhythms are. We'll move from there to be reminded of some chains that can bind us up, the importance of community and the odd idea that we can be righteous (trust me, it all fits together and it all comes out of those few verses from James 5).

When the message is done Pastor Tom will lead us in a time of individual and corporate confession. We will then receive God's blessing and be on our way to continue to serve him.

That troublesome tongue

James tells us that the number one way to know if we are on the way to spiritual maturity is to check out what's flowing from our tongue. He writes in James 3.2 "For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well." (you can download the sermon on this one from www.egm.org). My daughter Gayle just sent me a Gallup poll on how well Christians in North America are doing on this one. Follow the link and then know you need to scroll a log way down before you get to the place where we find out how may of us are controlling our tongues.