I always try to start these types of things out profoundly, as if to generate interest and credibility. I usually end up confusing myself, so this time, I'm going to let Martin Smith, lead singer of Delirious?, present the basic idea. In the song "Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?" you will find the following lyric: Did you feel the darkness tremble?/When all the saints join in one song/And all the streams flow as one river/To wash away our brokenness.
There are a hundred ways to interpret the river metaphor we've developed here at ROL church. For the purposes of this blog, the interpretation is simple: we're as much a river of lives as we are a river of life. What I mean by that is we are all individuals with our own ideas, opinions, relationships, callings and lives. Yet we are all members of a single community of believers, a community seeking to spread the love and life of Christ to everyone we meet. Taking the metaphor to the logical end, we are all streams flowing into the River of Life.
So what does this blog have to do with it? I admit I have been cynical of the whole blog thing since people started talking about them. It first seemed to me like another one of those other self-serving trends like YouTube or reality TV. . .everyone wants his or her "moment in the sun," his or her slice of fame, his or her chance to speak up and be heard. Then I realized what an amazing tool this could be for our church. What a great opportunity for us to share thoughts and ideas! What a great chance to share our lives! My hope for this blog is that it gets us talking, not as we do on Sunday mornings, but as families do around the dinner table. This is a perfect place for real, raw and relevant conversation, a place to let our personalities come out, and a place for tranparency.
At the very least, this experiment is going to help us get to know each other better. Maybe in that respect it is a little self-serving. . . and I'm okay with that.
Here's how it's going to work, at least to start. My plan is to update the articles and discussion topics on a frequent basis (at least weekly). As time goes on and the participation level increases we can add more writers/contributors, but I think we need to start simple. Initially, I'm volunteering to manage, maintain and moderate the blog. Mostly, I'll just be writing about things I'm trying to hash out, and asking questions that will get us all thinking and talking. We want to be very careful to avoid divisiveness and negativity, so please be conscious of that when posting comments. We want this to be something that reflects Christ.
These posts will probably not always be this lengthy, but of course this is the first one. A little background is necessary.
So how about a discussion to get the ball ROL-ing (ha! my first blog pun!)? I'm going to share with you a timeline of important "red-letter" dates in my relationship with God--a paired down testimony, if you will.
1985: Born, physically
1994-5: Grapple with conviction, condemnation, and confession. Develop understanding of sin. Get baptized in water.
Late 90s: Struggle with fear, doubt, compulsive tendencies. Experience some deliverance.
1998: Begin involvement with worship team
2000: Gain desire for deeper personal relationship with God. Recognize need for fellowship.
2006: Start to give Godly desires more importance than worldly desires
2007: See God's plan beginning to unfold. Begin to learn how to trust God more fully.
2008: Continuing to recognize and appreciate God's faithfulness and blessing. Still learning how to trust God. Trying to learn what worship is and how it works.
Well, there you have it. Now it's your turn! Also, let's kick around this question: what would you like to see happen with this blog?
Looking forward to your comments,
Jeff
wanderings, musings, and general commentary on the process of becoming more like Christ
38 comments:
Jeff, I love the river analogy and this whole blog concept. I pray that it will catch on and we will be able to have some honest dialog about real issues. It was also very interesting to see a thumbnail schetch of your spiritual journey.
I'd love to get feed back on my messages on Sundays and ways that people are applying them or questions they would have as to their own personal application. Rather than it just be a 'ask the pastor' I'd love to see interaction over the ideas from everyone.
Great start, let's let it ROL.
jeff, i think its a great idea. Have you considered giving the church a specific reason to check out the blog and leave feedback? perhaps something like, "which guitar of mine is your favorite?" haha jk, maybe like songs people like...
I think this is a great idea. since Mark asked my favorite guitar is accoustical.
This week the Lord has challenges me to be a vessel of honor to others. so several time this week I have went about doing for otheres and what a blessed week I have had. so I challenge all of us to do for others little acts of obedence. See how it makes you feel. ( and if you look you will seee jesus smile) Have a Blessed week
bcook
Nice work Jeff. This is a great way to fuse together technology and church. Good luck with it, let me know if you need any help.
Jeff, this is a stupendous idea. And to marks comment "which guitar of mine is your favorite?", i kinda like the old black one that you fancy...
Anyways, enough messing around and I'll be serious. This week has not very eventful, seeings i lost my job like a week ago to tardiness, but i wont get in to that, even tho i feel free much like a bird cause i don't work there anymore.
Well, this week i was looking for a job, i saw a guy outside of his truck on the side of the road, with his lawn mower gas tank thingy out, to show other drivers to stop and help him. Seeings that i am a great and awesome follower of Christ. i stopped and help the guy out and drove him to the nearest gas station. The man told me he was waiting there for 5 to 10 minuties while cars just drove right on by. i told him i've had the same experience a few times in my short 21 year life.
After i dropped him off. He said, he was grateful and all, but after i left i thought something was missing. Even tho i helped the guy, i had that best opportunity in the world to tell him bout Jesus Christ and i blew it.
i'll try to learn from that mistake , because that could have been his only chance of making it to heaven.
i would be the one that was responsible for it, it would make me very sad 8c. so, hopefully i'll become more obedent on god wants me to do in the near future.
god bless my soul and yours aswell, nate
Jeff, I love this blog idea, and I hope it will catch on.
Just wanted to say how much I loved the youth worship last sunday and all the other interaction that they had. I hope we'll be seeing more of them in the future.
In a little different vein on the river analogy, is what I found this morning from the writings of Matthew Henry - it's his take on Revelation 22:1 where it says "then he showed me 'a river of the water of life', clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb...". I think M.H. packs a punch beginning with his very first line because we all need comfort in our lives and he lets us know right off that earthly comforts are not the answer to our daily trials and tribulations - what he is saying is that when we need comfort for WHATEVER ails us, we need to go to our good God for that comfort - but he says a whole lot more as well!
Back to the 'the river of the water of life' in Rev 22:1, here is what he wrote: "All streams of earthly comfort are muddy; but these are clear, and refreshing. They give life, and preserve life, to those who drink of them, and thus they will flow for evermore. These point to the quickening and sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, as given to sinners through Christ. The Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, applies this salvation to our souls by his new-creating love and power. The trees of life are fed by the pure waters of the river that comes from the throne of God. The presence of God in heaven, is the health and happiness of the saints. This tree was an emblem of Christ, and of all the blessings of his salvation; and the leaves for the healing of the nations, mean that his favour and presence supply all good to the inhabitants of that blessed world. The devil has no power there; he cannot draw the saints from serving God, nor can he disturb them in the service of God. God and the Lamb are here spoken of as one. Service there shall be not only freedom, but honour and dominion. There will be no night; no affliction or dejection, no pause in service or enjoyment: no diversions or pleasures or man's inventing will there be wanted. How different all this from gross and merely human views of heavenly happiness, even those which refer to pleasures of the mind!"
I want us to back up and notice again, "... The trees of life are fed by the pure waters of the river that comes from the throne of God." It all comes from our good God!
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
II Cor. 1:3-4 NIV
I think this is the kind of River of Life we want to be.
2 weeks ago in worshihp We sang a song in worship about the Walls coming down, anyway during that song the Lord had me replace the Wall coming down with different ailiments in the body like Carol cancer, and others that I will not go into but it powerfull, when we realize what God has already done for us, and we begin pulling down the walls that keep us blocked. bernice
this is agreat idea keep up the good word jeff when i feel better i will put some of my story on here right now am expericing gods healing praise god
to ineedheeling wow i cant even spell what i had but i will give it a shot tridibel neragal i had this for about 6 yrs i could not get a dr to dignuss me for this all these yrs i did lose some faith for healing i did not think i deserve it and i would not ask for pray well i gave in and strated ask everyone i could to pray for me it still was not happening now i dont understand this whole healing thing and i know god was doing slow becuse i could not handel it fast well the dr a surgen in slc dr house said we could try surgy i said ok i was so frighten now i was going to have minner brian surgry before surgy my pastor bless his hurt called and we prayed over the phone after that i strated to fall asleep i prayed all the way up the hall of the hospital and 4hrs latter i wake up priaseing god up the halls again and today 4 weeks after and still recovering i do not fell the pain i felt for6 yrs all i can say i dont know way god heals some pepole so quikly and way he does some so slowly he aslo toght me something with all my dr bills i have had a hard time with money am i tuff man and dont like to take donation from anyone but god had to take me to low spot were i had no choice put to be super bless by him praise god sorry for miss speeling i will be praying for yu
I have found God's priority in healing of the soul. While the body has a limited lifetime, the soul lives forever. Our priority should always be in letting God heal our soul from those things that keep us away from Him. Our lives are a continual understanding of our reliance on Him to fulfill his plan for us. And He has good gifts for us, but only He understands what would be best and that includes the stuggles that we go through. While it is hard to focus on our soul when our body needs healing, I feel that focusing on our relationship with God comes first and his gifts come as we rely more on Him.
To ineedhealing--your question is very hard, as we have all seen the Lord heal people and we also have known situations where people have ferverently believed for healing and haven't received it on this side. It also is puzzling that there seems to be locations where there are higher levels of healing than others. It seems that God sometimes chooses to heal people completely, body, soul and spirit by taking them to Himself. I'm sure they aren't complaining now, but it sure can be hard on us.
My wife was very ill with a drug induced illness from a medicine her doctor prescribed, but didn't realize its side affects. We had prayed lots with no change, but then all of a sudden God healed her over a period of three days. I'm not sure I was operating in a great deal of faith, but had somewhat resigned ourselves to natural means. All symptoms left and that was 13 years ago, it was a clear miracle. She still has insulin dependent diabetes, but it is manageable, although I continue to pray for her healing in that area as well.
Our church recently published a book with seven stories of people from our church who have experienced God's intervention emotionally, spiritually and physically. Her story is written in this book and I would be glad send you a copy if you would email me with your address. rodenos@riverchurch.us
I guess my take on this is that healing is part of the salvation that Jesus bought and paid for with His blood. He wants us to believe for it and really go after. However, sometimes ti seems He just chooses to do a complete make over and take us to be with Him. The process can be kind of rough, but as the Apostle Paul said, these light and momentary afflictions are not worthy to be compared to the glory we have waiting for us.
Our prayers are with you for your healing and for faith to believe. Rod
Dear Lost Sheep Paints:
I also believe that it was no accident that you came across this blog site. I wouldn’t want to pressure you in any way, but we would love to have you come back. I think you would be surprised at how people would respond to your return. We see people return quite often actually. We believe there are seasons that God works in people’s lives and uses different means during those seasons. Sometimes people just need a break and need to get some perspective. Sometimes they find what they need at another fellowship for a while and then want to come back. Either way we welcome people back with open arms. We’ve all been prodicals in one way or another!
I would suggest that you really need a church family around you during this time. I was just visiting a lady who is a retired minister’s wife this afternoon and we shared communion together. I was reading the passage of scripture from 1 Corinthians 11:23-34. The part that stuck out to me was 1 Corinthians 11:29-30 (NIV) For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
I have heard that passage of scripture interpreted quite harshly. However, I believe it is simply saying that if we don’t recognize the body of Christ; recognize that through one part God brings healing, through another part God brings encouragement, etc. we will miss out on His provision for us. We may miss out on our healing, encouragement and other things we need. Therefore we end up being weak, sick and even dying needlessly. It is my belief that God does almost everything He does through His body, that is His people.
Besides, we are missing out on your gifts as well! We’d love to have you come home.
You are in our prayer!
Rod
Paints,
Thank you for sharing your journey, I know it can be scary. And also thank you for your kind remarks about the Lord has used us. It is always so encouraging to hear of how the Lord has touched people’s lives. I am so blessed that your marriage is strong. I’m also glad that you have felt comfortable to share on this blog, it is one of the reasons that we began it. It is a good place for you to ask questions and ask for prayer.
I’m so sorry for your experience in the Bible Study. Unfortunately, as you said human nature is everywhere, even in the church. Unfortunately there are unsafe people even in the church. Even Jesus experienced incredible rejection with His tight knit group of twelve. However, I realize that that doesn’t make it any less painful for you. I pray the Lord will bring healing to your heart so that you can trust again.
As to your question about levels of faith, I would say yes it seems that God does gives to each a measure of faith and that the level seems to differ. The Lord always makes it fair in that He just asks us to be faithful to use what we have. Jesus said to whom much is given, much is required. I’m just glad that He is able to take us from right where we are. Even if we feel that we have not been faithful in what we have been given He doesn’t condemn us, but simply asks us to admit it and let Him take us from there. There is always a new day and a fresh start with Jesus. I like what the man said to Jesus, “I do believe, help me in my unbelief.”
I also believe that whatever level our faith is it can grow. And that is what spiritual maturity is all about, growing in our faith. We need not every worry that we don’t have enough faith for any particular circumstance, because it is that very circumstance that is going to grow our faith if we allow it. One of the hindrances to growing in our faith is bitterness and unforgiveness. The writer of Hebrews talking about the cultivation of our faith in chapter 12 says, “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” (Hebrews 12:15 (NIV)) God’s grace is released through faith, therefore if something blocks us from growing in grace it is going to limit God’s grace flowing to us.
Bitterness leaves us as victims of circumstances and the choices of others. It makes the circumstance or the person bigger than God. Joseph said, “You meant it for evil, but God intended it for good.” Faith says I am not a victim, but I am a child of God and He has given Me everything I need to overcome. He can cause all things to work together for my good. Everything I need is not always in my lap, but is accessible one day at a time as it is needed from the Father above who is the giver of everything good and perfect. When you are facing an illness like you are facing you can know that God is going to give you everything you need as you need it. You may feel that it is too much, but He knows exactly what you can take and just how far to stretch your faith. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Something I would suggest is that before you take the step of coming back to the church is for you to come in for some individual ministry. If you would like to call me you can reach me at 851-1120.
We are praying for you,
Rod
Dear Paints,
I have been getting your deleted comments so I'm going to respond accordingly.
First of all I would like to apologize for leaving the impression on my last blog that you were bitter, in the classical sense of the word. My understanding is that bitterness of heart is far more than the stereo typical idea of a person being unforgiving, angry, hateful, spiteful, etc., but it is brokenness in one’s heart that inhibits a person to trust, to love, to risk and be vulnerable. It is a condition of our hearts where we allow our hearts to harden through the pain of rejection and disappointment that we encounter in life. No one is exempt and to some degree or another there is hardness in all our hearts and which limits God’s grace in our lives. Hardness of heart and an inability to trust cannot be limited to anyone person, but affects all of our relationships including our ability to have faith and trust God.
Your story of your friend is so sad, but unfortunately not uncommon. I wished I could say that no one has ever left our church feeling that way, but unfortunately I can’t. I have had families come to me and tell me they felt some of those same feelings. It deeply grieves me as I see it as an epidemic through out the church. It is something that we need to address if we are going to see the church healthy and able to minister to those in need.
I wonder why it seems to be increasing. Jesus said that the love of many would grow cold. Certainly the busyness of out culture and our lack of time for one another is a contributing factor. I also believe there is a greater brokenness in society with the breakdown of the family and the increased neglect as well as physical and sexual abuse that leaves people more vulnerable to rejection.
It really is a complicated issue because we are dealing with human beings with all of our insecurities, and inadequacies not to mention our often self-focus. To add to that we have an enemy of our souls who is working overtime trying to cause miss understandings and division at every turn. It is like the movie “The Shot Heard Around the World” in which the American Patriots were meeting with the English Red coats to negotiate a peace. Meanwhile an arms dealer was lurking in the shadows knowing that a war would mean revenues for him. He wasn’t on one side or another, but just wanted conflict so he could sell arms. He fired a shot hitting one of the British soldiers. The British thought it was a Patriot and fired back in return and the war ensued. I don’t know that it has any historical basis, but it demonstrates how Satan works. I've seen two good hearted people feel totally betrayed by one another, not even knowing why.
Of course we can’t just blame the devil, for we all have responsibility to recognize His schemes. Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 6:10 to be on the alert because we don’t wrestle against people but against the schemes of he evil one.
I’m sure your friend has experienced real rejection, it probably wasn’t intentional, but possibly neglectful. I seriously doubt that they were excommunicated. It really doesn’t matter the reason and who was at fault, as much as the outcome that they are separated from the Body of Christ.
For this reason I believe relationships are always worth fighting for and so if it were possible I would encourage her to go back to her pastor and share her heart with him. It is risky, but if he doesn’t understand, at least she has done her part to work through it. Everyone looses in broken relationships except the devil. He laughs because he instigated the whole thing and got what he wanted, people isolated from one another and possibly thinking ill about one another.
The only person we are responsible is ourselves. The proverbs says, “watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the issues of life.” Having a soft heart is one of the most important things we can have. I pray for you and for your friend that the Lord will bring healing and restoration so that you can trust again.
I pray the Lord will bring the healing and restoration that will allow you and your friend to be an active part of a local fellowship where you can love, serve and be loved and be served.
Rod
Don't feel foolish. It just goes to those who have subscribed to the service. A blog is a place to share real feelings, not just nice writing. The only reason I brought it to your attention was so that you would know why I was responding to your deleted comments.
I've taken time to write you back for two reasons. One every person is important and that includes you and secondly, I need to process through some of these questions and your questions help me do that.
As to your question about having excommunicated someone from our church, unfortunately the answer is yes there as well, but with much prayer. The Bible actually gives clear instruction to that matter. Matthew 18:15-17 (NIV) "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
The person that was 'excommunicated' was living a willful and defiant lifestyle of immorality. They were unrepentant when confronted. They were not a new or young believer in the process of growing, but had occupied a place of responsibility in the church. It was done not out of hate or anger, but out of love. The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. We felt as a leadership we could not be indifferent, but needed to send a message to them that their lifestyle was incompatible with being a Christian. We still pray for them and would welcome a reconciliation should they be willing to repent and turn from their sin.
Pastor Rod:
I just wanted to take a moment and thank you here...where it all started. Thank you for your kindness when I called you. I wish I had been able to pick up the phone sooner, but for some reason, I was simply afraid to reach out and expose my vulnerabilities.
(boy I sure hope I spelled that right)
I want you to know that your online sermon, "Hope When Life is Broken" had a lot to do with helping me pick up the phone. I would encourage others to listen to the online sermons, because each time I listened to it, I took something new away with me. The sermon gave me much to think about. That sermon helped me pick up the phone. I look forward to listening to more of them.
Again, thank you for your help. I cannot express how grateful I am that you have responded to my questions, my feelings, and my spiritual needs, with such compassion.
I look forward to speaking with you in person this evening.
Blessings, Paints :)
Pastor Rod,
Before I forget...
You asked me how I found this blog, and I had forgotten what led me here. I remembered just after you left. With all that has happened in the past few months, I knew I needed to talk with a grounded Christian, and I looked online to find Mary's phone number. I googled her name. I followed a link with her name on it, and the link lead me to your church web site. From there, I saw the blog link. The next thing I knew, I was writing. To my suprise, you answered.
Thank you for coming to see us this evening. I was so incredibly blessed by our visit!! Your willingness to be so open about your own walk with the Lord was very refreshing!! It helped me relate to you, and enabled me to trust you. I don't know what I expected, but I did not expect to encounter such honesty...coupled with warmth and understanding. It made a big difference in how I feel about the past. It actually helped me focus more on the future...and this new chapeter that I believe God has for me. Thank you Pastor Rod. I pray and ask the Lord to bless you this day.
Paints :)
Please overlook the typo spelling. I get to typing too fast at times. I wanted to correct it, but could not do so without deleting the post. :)
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