Kings vs. Devils
Kings in 5
RESULT: KINGS IN 6
Friday, May 25, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Transparency
I've been working on a lesson for our small group this week, dealing with the topic of transparency. My goal is partially to define what is really meant by transparency, and then to talk about why this is important for us as people in relationship with God and with one another. So, here are some thoughts:
In a nutshell, being transparent means being real. It means being authentic; not putting on airs or presenting a version of ourselves that is unrealistic or false. It means being honest and open about who we are and about our struggles. This does not mean airing all of our dirty laundry all the time. It is not sharing every detail about what's happening in our lives. But it is about being real.
This is true in our relationship with God; since God knows our hearts anyway, it is futile to try to deceive God about who we are. Often we do this without realizing it. But God knows who we really are. There's not much point in trying to fool Him.
This is also true in our relationships with one another. First, with other Christians: one of the purposes of the church is to encourage and admonish one another...to help each other grow in faith, in knowledge, and in love for God and others. But it's much harder to grow in faith when we aren't real about who we are. Second, with non-Christians. The effectiveness of our witness is directly related to how transparent we are. If we pretend to be perfect (or, pretend that Christianity is some "magic cure" for all of life's challenges), we are being disingenuous and people see through such phony-ness pretty quickly. Not only that, but when we mis-represent ourselves and/or Christianity, we end up being manipulative..."selling" something that people come to find out is not what we made it seem. People are attracted to transparency. They gravitate toward it. Perhaps this has much to do with the world we live in, where superficialities are far more prevalent than authenticity.
Being real is a crucial part of maturity...in faith and in life.
One final note, perhaps a bit random, but a thought that has convicted me personally this week: A truly honest person is motivated by love, not by an obsession with conveying accurate information. I know at times I've prided myself on being an honest, "frank" kind of person...but often that has, indeed, been motived by a desire to be accurate, rather than by a desire to love those around me. It's been a challenging thought for me.
In a nutshell, being transparent means being real. It means being authentic; not putting on airs or presenting a version of ourselves that is unrealistic or false. It means being honest and open about who we are and about our struggles. This does not mean airing all of our dirty laundry all the time. It is not sharing every detail about what's happening in our lives. But it is about being real.
This is true in our relationship with God; since God knows our hearts anyway, it is futile to try to deceive God about who we are. Often we do this without realizing it. But God knows who we really are. There's not much point in trying to fool Him.
This is also true in our relationships with one another. First, with other Christians: one of the purposes of the church is to encourage and admonish one another...to help each other grow in faith, in knowledge, and in love for God and others. But it's much harder to grow in faith when we aren't real about who we are. Second, with non-Christians. The effectiveness of our witness is directly related to how transparent we are. If we pretend to be perfect (or, pretend that Christianity is some "magic cure" for all of life's challenges), we are being disingenuous and people see through such phony-ness pretty quickly. Not only that, but when we mis-represent ourselves and/or Christianity, we end up being manipulative..."selling" something that people come to find out is not what we made it seem. People are attracted to transparency. They gravitate toward it. Perhaps this has much to do with the world we live in, where superficialities are far more prevalent than authenticity.
Being real is a crucial part of maturity...in faith and in life.
One final note, perhaps a bit random, but a thought that has convicted me personally this week: A truly honest person is motivated by love, not by an obsession with conveying accurate information. I know at times I've prided myself on being an honest, "frank" kind of person...but often that has, indeed, been motived by a desire to be accurate, rather than by a desire to love those around me. It's been a challenging thought for me.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
2012 Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions - Conference Finals
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Rangers (1) vs. Devils (6)
Rangers in 6
RESULT: DEVILS IN 6
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Coyotes (3) vs. Kings (8)
Kings in 5
RESULT: KINGS IN 5
Rangers (1) vs. Devils (6)
Rangers in 6
RESULT: DEVILS IN 6
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Coyotes (3) vs. Kings (8)
Kings in 5
RESULT: KINGS IN 5
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Hard Work > More Skill
So, the Philadelphia Flyers' season ended tonight with a loss to the New Jersey Devils. This series is living proof that hard work overcomes superior skill. The Flyers’ bread and butter has always been outworking the other team. In this series, even though the Flyers have more skilled forwards, d-men, goalie, and coach, the Devils outworked them…and won the series as a result. They turned the tables on the Flyers’ M.O., and it paid off. On paper, the Flyers should have won this series. But the Devils just worked harder...and won because of it.
As I thought about this, I got thinking about how we live out our faith, and how we "do" ministry. Often we think our lack of skill excuses us from ministering to others. We leave it to those with more training, more experience, more knowledge. Yet the truth unveiled by this Flyers-Devils series is a universal one: hard work often trumps superior skill or knowledge. Sometimes it just requires rolling up our sleeves and doing it.
I run into people who say that they don't share their faith with others because they aren't sure what to say, or how to respond if people ask questions. Yet often this is more of an excuse than a legitimate reason. Sometimes we just have to do it. Talk about our faith in Jesus. Don't be pushy or obnoxious, but do share what God has done/is doing in your life. Do help those in need. Do go serve in some ministry or another. We can't accomplish anything by sitting on the sidelines.
In hockey, battles are won against the boards...whoever works harder at controlling the puck, planting themselves in front of the net, and pushing the other team off their stride, are usually the winners. If they aren't willing to put in the work, they get nowhere. It's a good lesson to learn, and one I need to take to heart myself.
As I thought about this, I got thinking about how we live out our faith, and how we "do" ministry. Often we think our lack of skill excuses us from ministering to others. We leave it to those with more training, more experience, more knowledge. Yet the truth unveiled by this Flyers-Devils series is a universal one: hard work often trumps superior skill or knowledge. Sometimes it just requires rolling up our sleeves and doing it.
I run into people who say that they don't share their faith with others because they aren't sure what to say, or how to respond if people ask questions. Yet often this is more of an excuse than a legitimate reason. Sometimes we just have to do it. Talk about our faith in Jesus. Don't be pushy or obnoxious, but do share what God has done/is doing in your life. Do help those in need. Do go serve in some ministry or another. We can't accomplish anything by sitting on the sidelines.
In hockey, battles are won against the boards...whoever works harder at controlling the puck, planting themselves in front of the net, and pushing the other team off their stride, are usually the winners. If they aren't willing to put in the work, they get nowhere. It's a good lesson to learn, and one I need to take to heart myself.
Sunday, May 06, 2012
God Is Still God
Those who know me, know this about me: I HATE when the Flyers lose. I hate it. There are few things in this world that get me more upset. It ruins my day (sometimes more than that!), puts me in a horrible mood, and really causes me to become a bitter, angry person for a time.
Seriously...I don't know if I can convey strongly enough just how much I hate it when the Flyers lose.
Part of my problem is the fact that the Flyers get a raw deal. This is not me just being a fan and thinking the world is out to get my team; players that have come from outside of Philly have been traded to the Flyers while feeling that the Flyers were just always complaining any time they were penalized or lost games. But shortly thereafter those same players have said that they came to realize that the Flyers really do get a raw deal. There is a vendetta against the Flyers by the officials dating way back to the 70s and 80s with the "Broad Street Bullies" - an era of time when the Flyers were known for their rough and tumble play, where they would beat other teams by knocking their heads off. After all, you can't win a hockey game if you're lying bloody and toothless on the ice. That style of play has been long gone from the Flyers, yet that reputation has followed them for decades...and they are frequently penalized not for their actual actions on the ice, but for this outdated reputation.
This irks me, because it's not fair. They should win (or lose) games based on their skills and how well they play (or not), not based on the officials giving the other team unfair advantages. There is an injustice in this that reflects the injustice in the world.
So, I hate it when the Flyers lose. Really. Today, when the Flyers were losing, someone posted something to their Facebook page, irate over something that had happened to them at a restaurant. As soon as I read it, I thought to myself, "Really? You're getting that upset over something so minor and silly?!?"
You might expect that I realized that someone else might look at someone's team losing and say that's minor or silly...but I disagree, and that is not the point I'm trying to make. =) What I am trying to say, though, is this: whether it's a hockey team losing or something that happened at a restaurant, or something truly major and awful, God is still God. The injustices in the world will be handled by God. The awful situations we face are far less awful when we realize that the God of the universe is in control, and He holds the universe in the palm of His hand.
I got to see 39 people baptized tonight. 39 people that made a public profession of the way Jesus has changed their lives. That kind of thing is a great reminder that, in the midst of whatever life brings, God is still God. It's a good lesson to learn.
I'm still going to pray for some justice in this world, though, with the Flyers. =)
Seriously...I don't know if I can convey strongly enough just how much I hate it when the Flyers lose.
Part of my problem is the fact that the Flyers get a raw deal. This is not me just being a fan and thinking the world is out to get my team; players that have come from outside of Philly have been traded to the Flyers while feeling that the Flyers were just always complaining any time they were penalized or lost games. But shortly thereafter those same players have said that they came to realize that the Flyers really do get a raw deal. There is a vendetta against the Flyers by the officials dating way back to the 70s and 80s with the "Broad Street Bullies" - an era of time when the Flyers were known for their rough and tumble play, where they would beat other teams by knocking their heads off. After all, you can't win a hockey game if you're lying bloody and toothless on the ice. That style of play has been long gone from the Flyers, yet that reputation has followed them for decades...and they are frequently penalized not for their actual actions on the ice, but for this outdated reputation.
This irks me, because it's not fair. They should win (or lose) games based on their skills and how well they play (or not), not based on the officials giving the other team unfair advantages. There is an injustice in this that reflects the injustice in the world.
So, I hate it when the Flyers lose. Really. Today, when the Flyers were losing, someone posted something to their Facebook page, irate over something that had happened to them at a restaurant. As soon as I read it, I thought to myself, "Really? You're getting that upset over something so minor and silly?!?"
You might expect that I realized that someone else might look at someone's team losing and say that's minor or silly...but I disagree, and that is not the point I'm trying to make. =) What I am trying to say, though, is this: whether it's a hockey team losing or something that happened at a restaurant, or something truly major and awful, God is still God. The injustices in the world will be handled by God. The awful situations we face are far less awful when we realize that the God of the universe is in control, and He holds the universe in the palm of His hand.
I got to see 39 people baptized tonight. 39 people that made a public profession of the way Jesus has changed their lives. That kind of thing is a great reminder that, in the midst of whatever life brings, God is still God. It's a good lesson to learn.
I'm still going to pray for some justice in this world, though, with the Flyers. =)
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