"What's in it for me?"

Have you ever asked this question? Of course you have! Even if it wasn't spoken aloud, at one point or another this question entered your thoughts and, more than likely, affected a decision or two. Self-centeredness is a critical flaw in humanity, and is often a factor in our lives.

So why are you a Christian? You might be like the majority of the American Christian society and just be a self-centered follower; just wanting to get out of Hell and hoping for a bit of health, wealth, and prosperity on side. If you are going to church and serving God for these reasons, then you are not honoring God and living the full Christian life. Now, before you get all defensive, let me say that I do not believe that your sorry butt isn't saved or covered by Grace. I'm saying that you are a fallen creature and are in need of correction and spiritual growth.

I must, therefore, pose this question: if there was no promise of Heaven or eternal life, would you still serve and love the one, true God of the universe? Would you worship the One who is worthy of worship even if He didn't give you what you wanted?

I believe we should show thanks and gratitude for what He has done for us, for if He had not saved us we would not be able to worship Him and love Him because sin would have overtaken us. If, however, that was all God chose to do, if He never promised a "here after" would you still be "Christian."

If Joel Osteen is finally and His heretical teaching are brought screaming into the Light of Truth, will you falter? Will you serve?

Again, I'm not saying that if you came to Christ with a mindset of "I want to be saved from Hell" that are not saved. I'm saying that we must now move past that and on toward true love and devotion of God that is selfless. It is a goal that I think is all but impossible to reach, but I hope to be able to reach it one day. Let us strive together as one body to rid ourselves of our sin and to move towards purity of heart and soul. For there are a thousand reasons why people have yielded to the beckoning call of Christ and all are in need of the transforming work of the Spirit. God Did not call us to get pure and then come and be counted as the redeemed. No, we were counted among the redeemed and then God said "come to me and be made pure."

The Darkness Within

A friend of mine recently introduced me to a band called "Imagine Dragons" and I immediately fell in love with three songs in particular. I would advise listening to their songs "Radioactive" and "Bleeding Out", but the song that I am currently most compelled by is the song "Demons." As a courtesy, I have add the link to the song via youtube for your listening pleasure, as well as a point of reference to what I am now writing about.

This song pulls upon my desire for perfection and reminds me of the overwhelming reality that I simply am incapable of reaching perfection. I am full of darkness and I am prone to greed, pride, deceit, and failure. This is the reality of the human condition; we are ever seeking greatness but always falling short because of the sin that taints our souls.

Those of us who have been Church leaders (whether voluntary or paid staff) can deeply relate to the words of this song as is screams of a need to be there for others and the "need" to hide the demons that lay just beyond the surface of our skin. Church leaders are often too concealing of the faults and sinful natures for a variety of reasons. While it is not possible for a Priest, Church leader, or volunteer to be completely transparent about their sinfulness, it is necessary that a certain level of transparency be maintained.

Despite the fact there is always going to be a measure of sin within our hearts (until the final purification, at the end of all beginnings) we can stand in the comfort that the True and Holy One knows and understands all and has deemed it is a meet and right and joyful thing to shower grace upon humanity and upon His redeemed. We can never be perfect, but that does not mean we are not useful or that we have lost our value as God's special creation on Earth!

I hope that you listen to the lyrics of this song and that it moves you in such a deep and wonderful way; that you will allow the Holy Spirit to speak to through the words of another.

Be intentional in all action, attentive in daily encounters, and be present in life.

Peace be with you,

Stephen 

#ChristiansAndTheirWeirdNeedToMakeStatementsInHashtags

I love culture. Its complex, it's beautiful, and its the structure in which society functions and operates. Culture is full of wonderful and hideous elements of humanity, but it is essential. Culture is the stumbling block of Americans...and the Church. Americans often are insensitive to cultures other than theirs. Christians typically are either far removed from culture to the point of irreverence or they try so hard that they make it awkward.  Why is this? I haven't a clue.

                     (The above pic can be found on http://www.stuffchristianculturelikes.com/2008/08/15-believing-that-america-is-christian.html)
It is important to understand that the Church is a creator of culture, but to some degree must be aware of the culture that it indwells. Never to conform to the culture and give in to sin or be lax on doctrine, but adaptive none the less. To be apart of culture does take some thoughtful effort, but it should not be such a strain. There is such a thing as..."overkill" (or should we call it "overtweet"?).

Not a day does by that I do not see a picture or some text on Facebook that makes me "smh" (shake my head). I am appalled by the "Share if you love Jesus! Don't if you love Satan" posts. What point is there to this? To manipulate people's weak consciences and emotional states to get them to post something? Does reposting a picture bring some sort of legitimacy to your love of God? You may not think this is a big deal...but what happens when statements like these leave the confines of Facebook and simple matter of reposting and enter into the Church -culture in the real world? What happens when pastors and/or youth pastors start making these kind of statements to get people to do what they want them to? It's a dangerous place to be.

Along the same lines of the previous paragraph, why do so many Christians leave weird hash-tags?

#ChrsitansLivinItReal
#GodLovesMe
#LivinTheBlessedLife (I laugh every time)
#Truth
#TheWord

..and the list goes on. I'm not saying it's wrong to say these things or that the statements are untrue. I'm simply questioning our overuse of these statements and what appears to be a need for people to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you #LoveJesus or that your #BlessedAndHighlyFavored (I actually hate this one for a variety of personal and theological reasons). What I'm saying is go and be real. Be "in the World but not of it" in such away that you are light in the World and salt to the culture.

#PeaceBeUponYou (lol)

Stepheno Verde

Voices: What Does it Mean to be Called?

Today I was reading the book "The Writing Life" by Annie Dillard while drinking coffee at the local Barnes and Nobles. I was struck by Dillard's description what life is like as a writer; moved by her dramatic, metaphorical explanations of "the writing life".

It has been a stark reality of late that nearly everything I read or encounter in my day-to-day life leads me to question my understanding of "callings" and what that implies for my life. It is undeniable ( at least from my observation  that Ms. Dillard is called to be a writer. In seeing her calling, I am compelled to question my own.

While the use of the word "calling" is generally a religious one, it is not a topic that is overlooked by the unbeliever or the pagan worshiper. Christianity has coined the term, even among those who do not hold to a high view of sovereignty. Growing up in the Church, I often heard statements like " have you received the calling?", "How do you know if you are called?", or "What do you believe God is calling you to?"

If you think about it, everyone questions calling. Even if you don't believe in God-it still holds true that there is "calling". Often people ask the following questions (which I believe to be intimately related to the subject of calling): "Who am I?", What do I enjoy?", "What makes me happy?", What is my purpose?", "What am I good at?", "What am I terrible at?", or even "Why is my life the way that it is?"

These are fundamental questions of discovering one's self and figuring out what one's desires to do with his or her life. I believe that they are deeply and strongly connected to this sense of "calling" that is imprinted on our souls.

I could write a whole thesis paper on the topic of calling and ask a thousand philosophical questions on the matter due to how complex this topic real is.

Instead...let me share just a few of the thoughts that came to me as I drank my coffee this morning.

How do we view calling? Do we limit it to Church work and the priesthood? Or do we understand calling in a much more profound way? If we limit "calling" to ministry  then are we not undermining God and His interactions with humanity? Additionally, are we not giving Church leadership an unhealthy elevation and setting ourselves up for disappointment? Many have been given the hearts and skills to lead and minister to people. They are servants of others, not people to be elevated. (A philosophy that I believe is well portrayed in the Anglican tradition specifically, and hopefully will one day be among others as well *cough cough Catholic cough*)

If you had asked me earlier today to explain calling I might have given the following statement:

"The difference between the uncalled blacksmith and the called blacksmith is this. The uncalled smith works hard in misery through blood, sweat, and tears to form and create tools for people so that he can receive money to purchase his wants and desires. The called smith toils and works hard in misery through blood, sweat, and tears for the sheer joy of taking the unshaped Earth, feeling the heat of the furnace as he manipulates the formerly unusable material into something of purpose, whether it be forming tools of beauty or weapons of war. He does not do it for the money, though he will glad receive it to continue doing his desired task, but he will sacrifice for it and pour a little bit of his soul into every thing he makes. Even if he incites angry and/or hatred of his loved ones for not working a field that brings about a more luxurious lifestyle."

I believe that this statement is still true...however, I must rethink my understanding of calling and ask "is there more than one kind of calling in life?" I believe the answer is yes. The is the understanding of calling that implies that one has been give skills, gifts, and talents for the purpose of vocation and purpose for life.


Is calling something that is always enjoyed? No

Is calling always vocational? No

Does everyone have a calling? Yes

Does everyone discover their calling? Yes, but not necessarily before departure from the physical world.


There is, however, another aspect of calling. You are called to be where you are now. Don't believe me? Are you saying that Moses wasn't called to be in the desert before being sent back to Pharaoh? Why? Did God not lead him to his future Father-in-law who would one day help him organize the government for Israel? Did God not lead him to brokenness to be used as a leader? Is not God choosing your family and your time of birth not enough to say that you are where you are because you are called to be there? It used to be understood that your calling was to do the trade that the family you were born to did. Very few did otherwise, and those who did were either in the military or joined the priesthood.

I'm not saying that God ordains every action or movement...I'm saying that God has called humanity to be holy and to be :Christian"; to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves.We who are born into the 21st century are lost in a world of choices and "freedom" to do what we want, but in the midst of it we often miss our calling as members of humanity and Christiandom because we fret over whether we are called our not and look for signs in the stars or for miracles to tell us our fate. Often we even are filled with fear over what our "calling" might be. Was anyone called  to Africa that did not desire to go? God made people in such away that they would desire Hid glory be spread to the far reaches of the world and they went and Africa and Asia became the callings of many.

He gave us desires, gifts, abilities, and His duel command of love...now go in your free will to do the things that he has sovereignly made possible for you to do. That is your calling is it not? Go to love and serve God by worshiping Him and enjoying His creation; loving others in such  a way that it is undeniable that Christ lives within you.

Peace be with you,

Stephen