The Priority of Peace

In Colossians 3:15, Paul writes, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”

In Philippians 4:7, Paul reminds the church that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

As Jesus was ending his earthly ministry he told his followers, “My peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 4:27).

Peace. It takes great priority in the scriptures. And so I want to remind you today that whatever you do, whether in word or deed, keep the peace of Jesus in your heart. Pray for it. Think about it. Dwell on it. Live in it.

Because the peace of Jesus is the hope for troubled families. It’s the solution for disgruntled citizens. It’s the remedy for rage and revenge. It’s the source of strength in the midst of sorrow.

When Jesus sent his disciples out to share the good news of life with Jesus, he said “Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. (Matthew 10:11-13).”

Jesus, here, is counseling us to resist the temptation to let other people take away our peace. Don’t let what someone else says or does allow us to be consumed with anger, bitterness, spitefulness or vengefulness. Instead prioritize peace. For the peace of God “will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.”

Successfulness versus Fruitfulness

I was reading from the writings of Henri Nouwen yesterday and came across a rather remarkable paragraph. It was so good and challenging and right, that I want to share it with you (with a few of my own thoughts interjected, for better or worse). I pray that God would speak to you and into your exact life situation this week as you reflect on Nouwen's words.

"There is a difference between successfulness and fruitfulness. Success comes from strength, control and respectability. A successful person has the energy [and skill] to create something, to keep control over its development, and to make it available in large quantities. Success brings many rewards and often fame.

“Fruits, however, come from weakness and vulnerability [and trials and problems and perseverance--see James chapter 1 in the New Testament]….Community is the fruit born through shared brokenness, and intimacy is the fruit that grows through touching another's wounds. Let's remind one another that what brings us true joy is not successfulness but fruitfulness."

Lists 2011

In 2008 I started what is a fun, annual post for me.

Here are my top five lists from 2011.

Top Five Movies I Saw:

1. The Help

2. The King’s Speech

3. The Next Three Days

4. The Adjustment Bureau

5. The Lincoln Lawyer

Top Five Websites I Visited:

1. Ted.com

2. AJC.com / CNN.com / USATODAY.com

3. Pandora.com

4. CBSsports.com

5. FastCompany.com

Top Five Books I Read:

1. Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman

2. Great By Choice by Jim Collins

3. Jesus through the Centuries: His Place in the History of Culture by Jaroslav Pelikan

4. The Big Thirst by Charles Fishman

5. Signature in the Cell by Stephen C. Meyer

Top Five Restaurants I Ate At:

1. Subway

2. Sid’s Pizza (for pick-up, not dine-in)

3. California Pizza Kitchen

4. Taco Mac (more for the football than the food)

5. Starbucks (still not a restaurant, but I frequented no eating establishment more often. And my beverage of choice switched from hot chocolate to coffee and/or steam apple juice.)

Top Five Things I'm Really Glad I Spent My Time Doing:

1. Growing my relationship with my wife and children.

2. Being with my church family on Sunday mornings.

3. Tutoring kids at Esther Jackson Elementary School, helping to fund the digging of freshwater wells in Africa, and officiating at weddings at Kimball Hall.

4. Spending time with friends.

5. Reading.

Fifteen Great Memories

1. Attending my son’s basketball games and a little father-son, one-on-one game in a full court gym on Thanksgiving Day in North Carolina. Just the two of us in the entire gym. (And one not-so-great memory: spending time with him at two hospitals for surgery on his broken tibia and fibula in mid-December.)

2. Tucking my daughter in at night and driving her to school every morning, Mon-Fri.

3. Baptizing my daughter in the waters of Lake Lanier on October 22. The water was cold! The day was unforgettably wonderful!

4. The best six months in all the years of my marriage.

5. Our annual summer vacation in Hilton Head. Great again.

6. The Braves game with SteveW (about 250 phone conversations, too), tennis with Chris, Wednesday lunches over backgammon with Carlos, conversations with George and Dianne, and deepening friendships with Susie and Eddie.

7. Talking on the phone with my parents.

8. My 40^th birthday celebration(s).

9. Sunday nights at Taco Mac with friends.

10. Phone conversations with my great Aunt Gracie, who passed away in the Fall at the age of 94…still quick-witted and sharp of mind.

11. Weddings at Kimball Hall.

12. A wonderful, warm and perfect Christmas brunch with my church family at Altobelli’s

13. One new cat, Iris, that unexpectedly resulted in two kittens, three weeks after we got her (we kept one of the two kittens, who Emma named “Snowball.”)

14. Rafting the Ocoee River with McKenzie, Jack, Naum and Ethan.

15. Christmas Morning with my family. The most relaxed and fun I can remember.

GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

On behalf of Mike Nelson and the Hornheads (a man and a group I know almost nothing about—but you gotta admit that that name says a lot), I’d like to recommend their Jingle Bell JAZZ Holiday CD, which includes 20 holiday favorites arranged in classic jazz style.

I recommend it because my daughter Emma and I have been playing it and singing to it each morning on our way to her school since the first Monday after Thanksgiving.

Yesterday we turned up the volume in my car almost as loud as it would go and, we shout-sang together, “Go, Tell It on the Mountain.”

Go tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and ev’rywhere

Go tell it on the mountain, That Jesus Christ is born!

By the time it was over, we were laughing and high-fiving (at the stop light), and Emma was exclaiming, “Let’s sing it again, Dad!”

Later it struck me, that to “go tell it on the mountain” would require a decent amount of work. I mean if I wanted to go tell it on Stone Mountain I’d have to drive a good forty-five minutes and then climb the 1686 feet to the summit. If I wanted to go tell it on Brasstown Bald Mountain (the highest point in GA) I’d have to drive to the NC-GA state line and climb 4,784 feet. If I wanted to go tell it on Mount Everest…..well, you get the idea.

But then I recognized that there are many kinds of “mountains” or “platforms” in which we can “go tell it.” And there are many kinds of ways we can “tell it,” too.

The “platforms” we have to tell it from include places liked our children’s bedside at bedtime, the front door of our neighbor’s house, the classroom at a nearby school, the parking lot of a church, and a community center in need of volunteers. We can “go tell it” in phone conversations, emails, written letters, text-messages, and over a cup of coffee at a local coffee shop.

And the ways we can “go tell it” are even greater. Some of the best ways don’t even involve our mouths (although “a word aptly chosen”—and ‘aptly’ is the key—“is like apples of gold in setting of silver. Pr. 25:11). We can use our hands, our feet, our ears, our money, our time, and our talents. We can tell it with a handshake, a “thank-you,” a hug, a small gift, and a listening ear. We can shout it through acts of kindness, and working hard, and doing things with excellence, and demonstrating unconditional love.

The list, of course, is endless. But the question is a singular one: Will you “Go Tell it on the Mountain” this moment, this day, this season?

“You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “HERE IS YOUR GOD!” -Isaiah 40:9

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER

Saturday, October 22, I had the most amazing privilege of baptizing my daughter in the cold waters of Lake Lanier. Joined by my immediate family, grandparents, cousins and friends, Emma and I waded into the water until it surrounded her from toe to mid-chest.

Then, after a few private words between Emma and me, I raised my hand into the air and said, “Emma, because you love Jesus and want to follow him forever, and be his friend forever, and live in his grace forever, I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

No words can describe the feeling of gratefulness I had standing next to her. No sentence can capture the joy and pride that we all felt. No paragraph will ever recount fully the emotion of the day.

And I can only imagine the Heavenly Father’s gratefulness, joy, pride and emotion!

Emma was baptized “in the name of her Heavenly Father.” And in doing so she symbolized publically what has already taken place privately inside of her—a decision to be part of God’s family and to live now and forever in the loving care and leadership of a Father who loves her unconditionally, celebrates her radically, offers her wisdom impartially, and is with her completely.

Emma came up out of the water, smiling ear-to-ear, to shouts and cheers and hugs and prayers of thanksgiving! It was a day I pray she will always remember.

I wonder, if you have been baptized, do you remember that day or that era in your life when you made the decision to follow Jesus’ example and be baptized? And if so, as you remember it, would you re-dedicate your life to following Jesus, in whom we stake our greatest hope?

If you have not been baptized, do you know why? Be honest. Because if you are not sure you want to embrace God’s grace, and if you are not sure you would like Him to guide your life, then it’s helpful to be clear on that.

But if you would like to embrace God's grace and dedicate your life to following Him, then it's helpful to be clear on that too.

Emma spoke clearly about her desire to be in a relationship with Jesus Christ a few Saturdays ago, when she happily and excitedly stepped into the chilly, Fall waters of Lake Lanier to be baptized in the presence of family, friends and the beloved Creator of all things. He loves her so much. And she would want you to know that He loves you and me so much, too!

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!” -1 John 3:1