Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Meaningful Words (7/28/07)
In light of the changes in my ministry and spiritual life, I share the following poetic thoughts:
I am very grateful for each of you joining me as I share my life and ministry with you in the fashion. When I was preparing to send out the party invitations, I was amazed at just how many people still receive this newsletter. Of course I know many of you may not even read it on a regular basis, but still I find it encouraging knowing at least some of you do. I do pray that God speaks to you through this sharing of His work in and through me. Jesus prayed for you and me during that dark night in Gethsemane and I echo his prayer today: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them” (John 17:20-26).
Hate Sin, Love Sinner
She stares at me through the lenses of her half-priced glasses
All I feel wells up inside me in love,
Yet her lifestyle is of sin
Still He calls me to let her in,
Into my heart, into my world.
Though she has a different companion every night,
Still He calls me to love her with all my might.
(Chorus)
Hate the sin but love the sinner,
That’s what we all should do.
Love the sinner, but hate the sin,
Is what He calls us to do.
He sits in a jailhouse apartment.
A cell which has no windows.
Steel bars his only companions.
He’s on deathrow for his past,
Yet a Bible sits by his side.
(Chorus)
They lie in their beds
Both terminally waiting to be dead,
Without a hope for anything,
Yet I stand at their side knowing the Hope for everything.
They had joined in ways not meant to be,
But He calls me to love them as I do me,
And as their minds fill with anguish and sorrow for their sin,
I hear Him again, “Let them in.”
(Chorus)
I could go on for verse after verse,
And still not totally converse,
That which He has placed in my heart,
And which I, in prayer, must start.
We must love the sinner, but hate the sin.
(Chorus)
Remember, my friends, what ever else you may forget.
What ever else you do and may live to regret.
Though sin is from Satan,
The sinner is a child of God
The sinner is a child of God.
(Chorus).
There is a White
There is a white for this black of ours.
It will show itself in its hour,
But we who hold it in our hearts,
No ray of dark can penetrate our parts.
But what of this light?
What use is it, if it cannot shine bright!
Too often we turn away its source.
We take out our swords,
Made by the hand of Satan,
And slash it into oblivion.
But this light cannot die.
It cannot be swept away.
There are those who have claimed it
And the light lives on in them.
The light has a place in all of our hearts.
Every single one must play its part.
Through them this world will change.
Through them it will exchange
Its darkness for the EVERLASTING LIGHT!
A-men
She stares at me through the lenses of her half-priced glasses
All I feel wells up inside me in love,
Yet her lifestyle is of sin
Still He calls me to let her in,
Into my heart, into my world.
Though she has a different companion every night,
Still He calls me to love her with all my might.
(Chorus)
Hate the sin but love the sinner,
That’s what we all should do.
Love the sinner, but hate the sin,
Is what He calls us to do.
He sits in a jailhouse apartment.
A cell which has no windows.
Steel bars his only companions.
He’s on deathrow for his past,
Yet a Bible sits by his side.
(Chorus)
They lie in their beds
Both terminally waiting to be dead,
Without a hope for anything,
Yet I stand at their side knowing the Hope for everything.
They had joined in ways not meant to be,
But He calls me to love them as I do me,
And as their minds fill with anguish and sorrow for their sin,
I hear Him again, “Let them in.”
(Chorus)
I could go on for verse after verse,
And still not totally converse,
That which He has placed in my heart,
And which I, in prayer, must start.
We must love the sinner, but hate the sin.
(Chorus)
Remember, my friends, what ever else you may forget.
What ever else you do and may live to regret.
Though sin is from Satan,
The sinner is a child of God
The sinner is a child of God.
(Chorus).
There is a White
There is a white for this black of ours.
It will show itself in its hour,
But we who hold it in our hearts,
No ray of dark can penetrate our parts.
But what of this light?
What use is it, if it cannot shine bright!
Too often we turn away its source.
We take out our swords,
Made by the hand of Satan,
And slash it into oblivion.
But this light cannot die.
It cannot be swept away.
There are those who have claimed it
And the light lives on in them.
The light has a place in all of our hearts.
Every single one must play its part.
Through them this world will change.
Through them it will exchange
Its darkness for the EVERLASTING LIGHT!
A-men
I am very grateful for each of you joining me as I share my life and ministry with you in the fashion. When I was preparing to send out the party invitations, I was amazed at just how many people still receive this newsletter. Of course I know many of you may not even read it on a regular basis, but still I find it encouraging knowing at least some of you do. I do pray that God speaks to you through this sharing of His work in and through me. Jesus prayed for you and me during that dark night in Gethsemane and I echo his prayer today: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them” (John 17:20-26).
Sharing My Life (7/28/07): Sharing God’s love
As I make my rounds as a chaplain, one of the most common comments against Christians that I hear is that most of us are hypocritical jerks. We certainly know how to talk the talk, but few of us really know what it means to walk the walk. Normally I just brush such comments off thinking that these people obviously don’t know the same Christians I do, but lately I’ve been thinking that they might not be that far off. When I see someone living in sin, my gut reaction is to judge first and act mercifully later, yet Jesus calls us to a higher standard as Paul indicates in Romans: “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:9-10). This means we, as followers of Christ, must show our love for each other and the world both in what we say and what we do. We must not only speak with love, truth and justice, we must also act in loving, true and just ways. Otherwise, our words will be lost amidst the volume of our actions. As Micah once said,
“He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
Life Update (7/28/07): Should I stay or should I go now?
I originally started volunteering at St. Joseph’s Chemical Dependency Department in an effort to gain more experience in that field and cultivate some more long-term care relationships. Unfortunately I found that their program has a pretty high patient turnout rate and most don’t stay there more than a week or so. That’s hardly enough time for me to invest in their lives in a helping fashion. So, I started looking for other ways to pursue those needs and found that Christian Student Fellowship, which I was already involved with through their Evensong Worship Community and Together Groups, was more than willing to let me become more involved with them! Then, just last Friday, St. Cloud Hospital called saying they would like to interview me for a full-time chaplain position! Two great ministry opportunities came my way within one week. Unfortunately, I cannot pursue both, so right now I’m planning on doing the interview this Friday (8/3) and seeing what happens from there. If the position fits, I am willing to move again, but if it does not, at least I have got good plans for this coming year here.
In addition, most of you should have received invitations to my 32nd Birthday Bash. If not, just send me an email and I will gladly send one off to you. It’s currently scheduled for Wednesday, September 12th at my place. The precise time and other details are still being worked out, so reply soon if you wish to stay informed ;-)
In addition, most of you should have received invitations to my 32nd Birthday Bash. If not, just send me an email and I will gladly send one off to you. It’s currently scheduled for Wednesday, September 12th at my place. The precise time and other details are still being worked out, so reply soon if you wish to stay informed ;-)
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Mike's 32nd Birthday Bash!!!
Each birthday happens only once a lifetimes ;-)
My birthday is coming up in September and I'm starting to plan it a few months out this year, so I can let the party be a bit organic. As people reply with their availability and interest level, we'll work out the details . . . So far the date is set for September 12th, 2007 at my place. Reply by email for more details or check out the Event pages on Facebook and MySpace.
My birthday is coming up in September and I'm starting to plan it a few months out this year, so I can let the party be a bit organic. As people reply with their availability and interest level, we'll work out the details . . . So far the date is set for September 12th, 2007 at my place. Reply by email for more details or check out the Event pages on Facebook and MySpace.
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