So You Want to be a Star?

Our society is obsessed with stars. From Olympic athletes to pop singers to famous actors. There is nothing wrong with enjoying an athletic performance or a beautiful singing voice. Christians like stars, too. From Billy Graham to Steven Curtis Chapman, we all have heroes (or heroines).

Christans often desire to be stars. We want to be the one who touches lives for Christ. We want to be the one who gets a crowd at the church. We want to be the one who is successful and people see as spiritual. Do you see the slippery slope at work here?

I am trying to discern the good and bad about being stars. Let's check out what the Bible says about stars. "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become like blameless and pure children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life..."(Philippians 2:17). ""You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number because you did not obey the Lord your God" (Deut. 28:62).

I want my motivations for Christian success to be pure, but I better be careful. Am I really trying to build His Kingdom or just building my kingdom with His name on it? Am I called to be successful or am I called to be faithful?

If we are the body of Christ, we can't all be the head and sometimes it is better if we aren't. For God gives greater honor to the weaker parts. I still want to shine but I can't forget that His light often shines brighter when I am in the background rather than center stage.

Have a God filled week,

Dan Todd
Discipleship and Small Groups
St Marks UMC

Dealing with My Unbelief

I have some unbelief in me. I think you probably have some unbelief too. The Bible has some hard things to say about unbelief but, thankfully, they also provide a way to deal with it.

There was a man who brought Jesus his mute son and wanted to know if Jesus could cure him. Jesus tells him that all things are possible to those who believe. I love the man's answer. "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). Now, that is a guy I can relate to.

Sure, I can say I believe in God and Jesus all the time. But I think Jesus was talking about belief as more than just a philosophical explanation of the universe. I think Jesus refers to belief as something which totally changes one's priorities and actions. Belief is more than head knowledge. Belief is life transformation.

Frankly, some times I believe and sometimes I have quite a bit of unbelief. But God has given us a way to overcome unbelief.

We are people of the story. "When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls" (Message-Hebrews 12:3).

We share the stories of scripture and we also share our own stories of faith with each other. I recently attended a funeral of a man who was in a coma the last couple weeks of his life. He was basically brain dead. When his pastor last visited him in the hospital, they started singing "He touched me". As they sang, the man's eyes started to water, his eyes opened, and the monitors went haywire. God didn't cure him, but God sure made one strong statement of belief for those whom he left behind.

I pass on that story to help you as it helped me. Let's keep sharing stories. Unbelief is hard to defeat.

Have a God filled week,

Dan Todd
Discipleship and Small Groups
St Marks UMC

Here Comes the Judge!

I didn't think I was a judgmental person. Well, not particularly judgmental. I am now rethinking that assessment. But thinking too much has been part of my problem.

As we grow and learn, we make judgments. That can be a good thing. Who doesn't want to forget those days when you were young and foolish? Do you really want to be eighteen again? Nothing wrong with being young, but I don't want to go back.

According to Gallop, my number one strength is being analytical. What a great gift; for some things. But do I really want to make critiques and judgments on people based on what little I know about them? It is so easy to do. My neighbors who cuss and are loud, they are bad. People who go to church and read their bible are good.

Everyone gets placed in a folder in my memory. The folders are labeled "good" and "bad" and there are a number of folders somewhere in the middle.

I make most of these judgments based on my very limited knowledge of them. And somehow I start to believe that God sees people pretty much the same as I do.

I just finished reading a book called the "The Shack" (you have to read this book). The book is about one person's supernatural weekend with God. A God who loves deeper and accepts people much easier than I do. It doesn't mean God can't get mad or be disappointed with your actions, but God sees beyond the behavior. God knows how we were raised. He knows that we often deal with hardship and pain in our lives with inappropriate, defensive measures. Even the most evil acts are done as a means to cope or cry out.

I want to judge people purely based on how they treat me, how much they agree with me, and how much we are alike. God sees a person He is uniquely fond of. Like a good parent, every child is special and their behavior doesn't affect the love given them. God only has one folder labeled, "wonderfully special".

[I Cor. 8 1b-3] We know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.

Here is my new motto: Stop thinking so much. Start loving more.

Have a God filled week,

Dan Todd
Discipleship and Small Groups
St Marks UMC

The 2 Days!

There are two days in your life that will change you forever. I am not talking about graduating, getting married or the birth of your child. I am talking about really big days.

The first day usually starts with a phone call. Most of the time you receive the call but sometimes you have to make the call. If it happens in the middle of the night, you usually know it's bad news. It is bad news. It is the worst news possible. A loved one has died. Death is cruel and often sudden. It brings you to your knees quickly. There is pain and it lasts a long time. Life goes on but it is now tainted. There is a part of you that is missing.

Death humbles us all. It reminds us that we don't have as much control as we think we do. We don't know what tomorrow will bring (if you haven't seen the show "Hopkins", it is a good reminder of the fragility of life). We do know that tomorrow will bring more sorrow. The loss lives in us now, it is part of who we are.

But there is a second day. A day of hope. A day when death is defeated. A day when God's kingdom will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This day is so good that the first day is no longer relevant.

Here are Jesus words from a bible paraphrase; "You don't have to wait for the end. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?"

I believe it. But, it is good to remind myself now and then.

P.S. We are waiting for that second day to see you again, Brian. We miss you.

Have a God filled week,

Dan Todd
St Marks UMC

Stuck Inside These Four Walls

I spend much of my time at home with my family. My wife spends even more of her time at home. With two young kids, we can often feel stuck at home. Stuck is probably too negative of term, but I am sure most parents feel stuck now and then.

Most people spend a lot of time in their house and there are so many chores to do inside those four walls. It is often difficult to feel spiritual when you are washing dishes or taking out the trash. I question whether God is calling me to do more than change diapers or read the same old stories, time and time again, to my kids.

Do you ever question your connection or devotion to God when you spend so much of your day doing the mundane? I know I do.

Let me tell you about a Brother Lawrence. He was assigned to the monastery kitchen where, amidst the tedious chores of cooking and cleaning at the constant bidding of his superiors, he developed his rule of spirituality and work. For Brother Lawrence, the mundane or routine was the medium of God's love. The issue was not the sacredness or worldly status of the task but the motivation behind it. "Nor is it needful that we should have great things to do. . . We can do little things for God; I turn the cake that is frying on the pan for love of him, and that done, if there is nothing else to call me, I prostrate myself in worship before him, who has given me grace to work; afterwards I rise happier than a king. It is enough for me to pick up but a straw from the ground for the love of God."

This is something I must learn. When I wash dishes, I can thank God for the food we had today. I can thank God for clean water. I can pray for those who are hungry and have no clean water. When I mow the lawn, I can pray for our neighbors. I can pray for their needs and how God might be able to use me to point them toward Him.

How sad it is that I still tend to separate the spiritual from the mundane. To God, everything is spiritual. And if everything becomes spiritual, then there is no mundane.

Have a God filled week,

Dan Todd
Discipleship and Small Groups
St Marks UMC

How Hot are You?

It is so hot these days that I saw a funeral procession turn into a Diary Queen. It is so hot I saw two Amish guys buying air conditioners. It is so hot that parking spots are not determined by distance but by shade. It is so hot that the fry guy at McDonald's can't wait to get to work to cool off.

I hate being hot. I don't mind it if I am working outside and dressed for it, but I hate being hot when I am just trying to get through my day. Yesterday, my family went to the zoo after church. I think the camels were even complaining about the heat. But last night, I had a chance to take a swim. Wow, let me just say that it felt great. Why hadn't I done this before?

It's amazing how long I will put up with something before I get serious about addressing the problem. I guess that I can often act like a frog in the kettle -- the water will boil before I even start to notice that the funny smell is my own hide.

Spiritually, I can drift away from the bible, prayer, and Christian community so easy. I so wish I could learn the lesson once and for all. We are going to reap what we sow. God's grace is a free gift, but how I sense it and how I respond to it is up to me. So after days (or weeks) of ignoring my soul, I start to realize how hot under the collar I am getting.

When David was out in the hot desert of Judah, he prayed these words, "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you: my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water" (Psalm 63:1).

Is today the day, we will let God cool us off? Or maybe we want it to get a little hotter?

Have a God filled week,

Dan Todd
Discipleship and Small Groups
St Marks UMC

Can't Beat God

My two year old daughter and I will often play a little game at bed time. I will say "I love you" and then she will say it and we will go back and forth a few times like we are trying to out do each other. Sometimes, when we really want to prove our point, we quickly repeat it over and over. The words "ILoveYou-ILoveYou-ILoveYou-ILoveYou" doesn't give the other person much chance to respond but it sure sounds nice.

Love is treasured by everyone. Everyone wants to be loved. When you don't feel it, you wait for it anxiously, hoping it will come your way.

The Bible talks a lot about love. The Greeks use the term agape love, which is a special type of love that is almost never used outside of the Bible. It refers to the unconditional love that God has for us.

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." (I John 4:16)

One spiritual discipline that I really strive to practice is the art of listening to God. Listening is very difficult, even in the best of circumstances, but listening to God is particularly challenging. Challenging because God rarely speaks to our ears. Instead, God speaks to our hearts and mind.

God tells us many different things when we listen. But His main message is always the same. His message is love. I have my own definition of agape love, "ILoveYou-ILoveYou-ILoveYou-ILoveYou." The words we all long for are being spoken to us all the time, we just have to listen to them.

Have a God filled day,

Dan Todd
Discipleship and Small Groups
St Marks UMC

The Rest of the Story

If you remember, last week I was telling you about my experience at the playground where kids wanted me to push them on the swing and there were no other adults around. I was reluctant to help but I felt that I probably should have. I mentioned that we are in a society that is so afraid of doing harm that our fears control our behavior.

Well, it happened to me again. It was a different park and the kids were different but here I was, in almost the exact same situation as a week ago. I knew that I had to respond a little better this time around. I picked up one child and set her on the tire swing and helped pushed three little kids I had never met before. It was just one small action that most people don't think a thing about. But for me, it was something more.

God had given me a second chance to put my hands and feet where my mouth had taken me. That is the great thing about God. It always seems to surprise us. God is extremely patient with us and God always gives us more chances than we ever deserve.

If you have failed a lot or committed the same sin over and over again, you can start to think God must be pretty frustrated with you. Maybe, God has even given up on you. But God is different than us, God sees the good under all the bad. God forgives and forgets. Even if it is the 284th time. How cool is that?

P.S. I am patrolling all Lincoln parks, so you parents better not leave your young children unattended.

Have a God filled week,

Dan Todd
Discipleship and Small Groups
St Marks UMC

Deciding Between "Doing No Harm" and "Doing Good"

Our staff is reading John Wesley's book, Three Simple Rules. It is a good, little book with inspirational thoughts for your soul. The book has three chapters and three messages to reflect upon. The messages are 1) do no harm 2) do good and 3) stay in love with God. Three simples messages that are not so easy to live out.

The other day, I take my daughter to the park to play on the playground equipment. I am pushing her on the swing and three other kids are swinging too. They are all about five years old. There is no other parent or adult at the park but me. As I push my daughter, the other kids want me to push them too. I know most of you wouldn't have thought twice about giving them a few pushes, but I hesitated.

I hesitated because I didn't know these kids. What if one would have fallen and gotten hurt? What if they said, I was the one who pushed them? In this day and age, can you ever touch a child you don't know and not hesitate. I had to decide between trying to avoid possible harm and doing good.

I think we now live in a world that says avoid harm at all cost. Even, if it means you don't achieve as much good. Look at how much food is thrown out of grocery and department stores because the box is dented or the expiration date is almost up. People are hungry just down the street, but the food is thrown away. Why? Because, we are afraid the food has been damaged. We are afraid that there is a chance we could do harm. We are afraid, we could be sued or accused of many, many things.

So we do nothing. America throws good food away and kids don't get pushed on swings because we are scared to do good. As a person, my fear often wins in situations like this. As a church, I think we are more concerned about doing no harm than doing good. We would rather play it safe. I wonder what Jesus would do?

Have a God filled week,

Dan Todd
Discipleship and Small Groups
St Marks UMC

I Wish.....

Sometimes I just find myself wishing for things. In fact, I do it so often that I almost forget I am doing it. Wishing is part of our culture. Wishing wells can be seen all over town. Our movies are littered with wishes being granted. Sometimes, you even get 3 wishes if you find the right kind of bottle.

If I had 3 wishes, these come to mind.

1) I wish that life was less work. There are so many things that have to get done. The lawn has to be mowed, the dishes have to be washed, the bills need to be paid and the laundry needs to get done. These are just a small sampling and it doesn't even include work that has to be done at the job or work that revolves around being a parent.
2) I wish our budget was not so tight. My car needs gas. We need to get milk and a few more things. We can't go out to eat tonight! Oh, the things I could do with some extra money; wouldn't it be fun? I can hardly go a day without thinking about it, from basic needs to extra frills, the budget is always looming over us.
3) I wish that I always felt good. Good health is desired even though I often fail to eat right and exercise. It seems like there is always a good excuse at hand; I am tired or I don't feel well or a new pain has appeared.

What if all three of my wishes were granted? Do you think I would be any happier?

What good is it for man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? (Matt 8:36)

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:2b-5)

I guess it is a good thing God doesn't always grant wishes.

Have a God filled week,

Dan Todd
Discipleship and Small Groups
St Marks UMC