Archive - August, 2010

A Fair Life…

August 26, 2010 in life with 3 Comments

Haylee and her rabbit project

Haylee and her rabbit project...

When I was younger, my intention was to teach Agriculture. I got an AgEd degree to prove it. A semester of student teaching at a prominent South Texas high school, though, broke me of that. Fortunately, I was a part of TAMUK‘s livestock judging team and my coach got me an interview with IBP Inc.  I took a job as a buyer for them in Central Iowa, but I worked with them for only a year. The opportunities for advancement were limited, and that year Iowa was the coldest place on the planet, so we moved back to Texas and I changed courses, completely.

I never thought I would experience the life of my original Agriculture track again, but coming to the NMCCH has changed that. Here we have our own working farm and farm manager, Rick Daniell. We also have our own 4-H chapter, Shooting Stars 4-H, and many of the kids here have opportunities to work their own 4-H projects. It is a wonderful chance for them to learn, grow and show.

This week is fair week in Roosevelt County, NM. I’ve been blessed with occasions, over the last couple of weeks, to help Rick and the kids get their projects ready for show. I’ve also been able to watch my own kids show their rabbits. I would have never thought, given the last 13 years of my life, that I would again be living a fair life. Washing pigs. Clipping sheep. Coaching kids to show pigs. I’m living a fair life.

The fair life is tiring. It means you might be up at 4 am, at the fairgrounds all day, and not home till 11 pm. But it’s rewarding. The smiles on a face when the judge pens a child’s pig. Even consoling a child who’s devastated about not placing has its benefits. Those are real teachable moments, and possibly, some of the best teachable moments given the circumstances. Hard realities of life are learned when you live a fair life. You feel robbed, at times. Other times, you are elated. Still other times you feel defeated. These are all real and raw experiences.

Cory Long sheers sheep...

I am proud of our kids, both my own kids and the home kids. They’ve done well and that’s what matters the most. I suppose its right to say that I owe a “Thank You” to the NMCCH because coming here has allowed me the opportunity to put a BS degree to good use, putting me back in touch with what it means to live a fair life.

Unity Month @ BobbyCohoon.com

August 19, 2010 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

My friend, Bobby Cohoon, has Unity Month going on at his blog. Bobby asked me to be a guest writer for him. My post has been up since last evening.

Bobby, thanks for the invitation to be a guest writer at Here in the Real World!

Doug

In the works…

August 16, 2010 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

I have a week off in my MACR program and for us here at the NMCC, summer is officially coming to an end. School for some, here, begins tomorrow. The county fair is next week, so that will add some serious spice to our lives. Nevertheless, there has been considerable inquiry into what life is like working with a children’s home. I plan on taking some time and letting you know what the summer has been like for us here.

I am also going to pick up where I left off with a post entitled, AGAPE. On the 19th, I am offering a guest post for my friend, Bobby Cohoon, on his blog, Here in the Real World.

So now that I am settling in here, I hope to resurrect this blog a bit!

Questions (Part 2)

August 6, 2010 in Faith with 3 Comments

What could have made John the Baptist question the Messiahship of Jesus? Something was at work, but what was it? I believe the answer lies within Matthew 11:6: “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

The key word is “offended.” Contextually, it is clear to me that Jesus is speaking of John, here. But why would John be offended by Jesus? The to this question is elsewhere.

John had some sharp opinions about Jesus that were expressed through his preaching ministry. In the following passage, I’ve emboldened some words and phrases that give indication to John’s perceptions about the ministry of Jesus.

Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree that does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

(Matthew 3:10-12).

John was speaking to Pharisees and Sadducees who’d come to him. “Even now” seems to suggest that the judgment of which he speaks, he believes to be imminen, and that the Pharisees would not escape it. His conception of Jesus’ ministry is that he would be carrying his “winnowing fork,” chucking people into everlasting and unquenchable fire. But was this so?

The story of Jesus and Nicodemus (John 3) casts Jesus in a much different light than  what John the Baptist preached. Jesus is conversing with a Pharisee- not just a Pharisee, but a ruler of the Pharisees- yet Jesus says nothing about judgment, being cut down or unquenchable fire. He simply says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (v. 3). I don’t sense, at all, that Jesus is trying to scare him. In fact, he goes out of his way to not scare him.

It is easy to forget that the words of John 3:16 were offered, still, in the context of Jesus and Nicodemus. But they were. I’m inclined, though, to think that verse 17 is more profound than verse 16, especially, given expectations about Jesus during his earthly ministry. Brace yourself here…“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

John believed Jesus was coming to the world to condemn it, but Jesus, essentially, said: “No, that is not why the Father sent me.” In fact, he stated in no uncertain terms that he didn’t come to condemn the world! The conclusion: John had expectations of Jesus that Jesus didn’t live up to! That is why, I believe, John has reservations about Jesus.

Did Jesus recognize this? I think so. I’m convinced that this is why Jesus said to John’s messengers, “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” John was offended that Jesus didn’t live up to his expectations. So he question him.

John fell into the trap of doing what so many of us do…casting Jesus in our own light instead of seeing him for who he really is. If you see Jesus as American, Republican, and/or White, you are guilty of making Jesus into who you want him to be. The inevitable conclusion will be that you will formulate expectations of him that he’ll never live up to. In the end, you’ll be let down.

John’s doubts weren’t the end of him. He died a martyr’s death as a kingdom servant. Our questions aren’t the end of us, either. They are crucial to our development. Jesus could handle John’s question and he can handle ours, as well. He didn’t get mad at John for asking, nor will he be upset with us. Our questions are opportunities to grow and he will show us what we need to see and give us what we need.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).

Questions

August 4, 2010 in Faith with 5 Comments

“There’s no such thing as a stupid question!”

We’ve been told this is true but many of us are not compelled to believe it. And it’s not that we don’t believe the statement, in principle, to be true. We just don’t believe that those who often utter these words always mean it. I’m not convinced we should, either.

Ask a few questions and you’ll get vilified. Put some things to the test (1 Thess. 5:21) and you’ll quickly assume a label you didn’t ask for. Why? Because you asked a few questions?

For those of you who’ve got some questions but haven’t asked them because you’ve come to believe that asking them comes with a price, I want to remind you of John the Baptist. On one occasion, he asked a question of utmost importance. To be honest, I can’t believe he asked it at all. But he did, and my consideration of the question he asked has helped me over the years. I hope it helps you, too.

John is in prison. He’s literally going to lose his head. So he sends messengers to Jesus to ask… “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3). This wasn’t a harmless question. It was a question upon which everything that would come would hinge. We might ask it like this…”Are you really the Christ?”

Now remember, John is blood kin to Jesus. They are cousins. John’s time in his mother’s womb bore supernatural distinction. John is foreshadowed in the Old Testament scriptures (Isaiah 40; Malachi 3 & 4). He even baptized Jesus (Matthew 3). John the Baptist is no small player in the scheme of things. But in prison, amid the doom and gloom of what was before him, he doubts.

And it was John who was doubting, not his messengers. I’ve found some who’ve given treatment to this story who found it inconceivable that John would possess such doubts, so they surmised that John is not one with the questions, but rather the messengers are the uncertain ones. Jesus eliminates this possibility when he sends them back, encouraging them to “Go and tell John what you hear and see” (Matthew 11:4).

Given his role, and who he is, how could he ask such a question?

It must have infuriated Jesus, right? Nope. Not one bit. And that is what makes me marvel.

I know some people who if they were in Jesus’ shoes would have responded….

Who’ve you been listening to?

Who’ve you been reading?

John has fallen off the deep end. Mark him and stay with us.

But Jesus says none of that! He says, “Go and tell John what you hear and see.” This is an effort to affirm and shore him up, not write him off. And that is the difference between Jesus and a lot of people today!

In fact, Jesus actually does the unthinkable when the messengers leave. In verses 8ff, Jesus actually commends John for who he is and what he has done. Wow.

You may have some questions for which you are searching for an answer. It’s OK. Before God, you’ll not get crucified for asking them. But before you ask them, think about who you are asking. Find someone you trust. Find someone with the heart of love. Find someone who deals with the things that matter most. But ask the questions. You are doing yourself any good by not asking them. God can take them. He’s been doing it for a long time.

Later this week, I am going to posit some thoughts about why John the Baptist was in doubt. I’ll focus on Matthew 11:6. John does something that a lot of us have done.

Thanks for reading!