My Epic Journey

I have been in many situations in which I am contanstly struggling with discontent.  Perhaps it is financial, home, family, ministry or just personal discontent with life in general.  I always wonder where that discontent comes from.If I am unhappy in my current situation, can I blame God for that?  If “numbers” aren’t up in ministry, is that my fault or God’s fault?  I am in a financial struggle?  Or if my family is being attacked spiritually?

And then there is that verse in Philippians 4.11 where Paul claims contentment in every situation because he knows that God is in control.

I so struggle with contentment at times and yet I must be constantly reminded that in EVERY situation there is a God that is bigger than me and bigger than my situation and that that same God is in complete and total control!

Pray that both you and I will be content what ever God brings our way!!!

 Why are Christians so afraid of the arts? I know that it is okay to have the art of music in our churches but bryond that, things get really sketchy for us concerning how art can play a role in our spiritual lives. Growing up in an artistic family (my Mom being an amazing artist with painting, drawing and pottery and my Dad being artist when it comes to woodwork), I have struggled with how, if even I can, use my art in a spiritual aspect.

 The following article from msnbc.com is a fitting write up of the struggle between the spiritual and the artistic.

Evangelicals seek ‘creators of culture’ role

Once wary of pop culture and high art, faithful look to artistic renaissance

The Associated Press

Updated: 2:14 p.m. ET July 27, 2007

MILAN, Italy - There are no crosses in Makoto Fujimura’s paintings. No images of Jesus gazing into the distance, or serene scenes of churches in a snow-cloaked wood.

Fujimura’s abstract works speak to his evangelical Christian faith. But to find it takes some digging.

After the 2001 terrorist strikes on the World Trade Center, three blocks from Fujimura’s home, his work explored the power of fire to both destroy and purify, themes drawn from the Christian Gospels and Dante’s “The Divine Comedy.”

“I am a Christian,” says Fujimura, 46, who founded the nonprofit International Arts Movement to help bridge the gap between the religious and art communities. “I am also an artist and creative, and what I do is driven by my faith experience.

“But I am also a human being living in the 21st century, struggling with a lot of brokenness — my own, as well as the world’s. I don’t want to use the term ’Christian’ to shield me away from the suffering or evil that I see, or to escape in some nice ghetto where everyone thinks the same.” (more…)

Our society is driven by numbers.  How much money are companies and individuals making.  How many Grammies or Emmies a star has.  How many people we might have in our portfolio.  It just seems overwhelming to be in such a numbers-success driven society–and then to step into church and see the exact same thing.

Since when has numbers been a driving force for hwo we reach the world?  I know that we have numbers in the Bible (#’s were added to church daily, Jesus saw the multitude and had compassion), but have we not forgotten that it was because Jesus ministered to the individual that the crowds eventually came?

I am overwhelm with our need to have such big numbers in the church all for the sake of reaching the community for Christ, without looking at the very important need of stepping into the lives of those who walk through our doors or who are in our community but need individual help.

The Senior High Ministry is currently in a series entitled, the Nehemiah Project, and have been talking about what dreams we have for life.  For the most part we have narrowed it down to two kind of dreams we have:  Good dreams and God dreams.

Good dreams are the ones that aren’t necessarily bad for us and many of us have these kind of dreams.  For some it is to make a lot of money, to have an extravagent career, to travel to the ends of the earth.  These aren’t bad dreams–there good dreams.  But are they God dreams?

God dreams are dreams that God gives us that advance His Kingdom, not for our sake but for His sake.  They are dreams that give God the glory and not ourselves.

Now let me make something clear.  I am not saying that God doesn’t want us to reach the world–because He does and was very specific about taht in Matthew 28:18-20, but I also know that more imprtantly He addresses the need for us to help one another out (bear one another’s burdens, love one another, comfort one another, etc.).  To forsake the health of the individual for the growth of the mass is like not addressing the tumor on the arm and just worrying about the overall health of the body.  The arm is an individual part of the entire body and if not treated right, it will effect the whole body.  Maybe not right away but eventually the tumor will spread.

It is imperative that we seek the health of the individual so that the whole body may live healthy and grow to the mature state that God desires.

It is good to dream about numbers but not at the expense of the health of the individuals!