Autumn Psalms: From the Smokies - A Photo Journal

“Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains” Psalm 36:6

"One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4

“He leads me beside quiet water he restores my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:9

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1

“I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 118:1

“He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber…” Psalm 121:3

“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.” Psalm 148:13

“Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. Psalm 86:11

Starting Points

It wasn’t a cheap shot, but it sure did hurt. Phil Yancey passes along a conversation he had with a friend involved with Alcoholics Anonymous. "I asked him to name the one quality missing in the local church that AA had somehow provided. He stared at his coffee for a long time, and then said softly this one word: dependency.

“‘None of us can make it on our own – isn’t that why Jesus came?’ he explained. ‘Yet most church people give off a self-satisfied air of piety or superiority. I don’t sense them consciously leaning on God or on each other. Their lives appear to be in order. An alcoholic who goes to church feels inferior and incomplete.’”

Could this be true? Is there more vulnerability, understanding and support at AA than with a group of Christians? Have we created an environment that stifles or worse yet kills off honest sharing?

I’m sure all of us at some point have been burned by being vulnerable. We bared our soul only to bring upon ourselves more pain and resolutely determined to never be that honest again. So we set out on a journey of slowly dying inside.

What’s the answer for those of us who want to be real in a relationship? Who want to unload a burden in order to find the path of support and some victories? Who want the church to be a place of healing?

Good questions but who among us has those answers? I’m sure I don’t have pat answers for complex questions. Indulge me to suggest a few starting points to hopefully get us headed in that direction. Maybe a good starting point would be for us who presume to be leaders in the church to stop protecting ourselves and begin honestly sharing our struggles. Maybe a starting point for all of us who have been hurt is to be on the lookout for an appropriate person who aches for the same relationship. And maybe another starting point is for us to take a look inward to determine how approachable and open we are.

Maybe most of all we can learn from Phil Yancey’s AA friend and begin by acknowledging we have a problem with dependency. At least it’s a starting point.

Photo's from Daniel's trip to Moab, Utah

Vulnerability: 11 Bulletin Board Points

Lately, I’ve been entertaining the concept of vulnerability. But I don’t want to talk about it. ;o) Actually I do but don’t have enough cohesive thoughts to put in paragraph form so instead I offer these 11 bulletin board points:

* I’ll be the first to admit it isn’t easy to say, “I feel overwhelmed”, “I’ve been wrong” or “I’m hurting” without feeling like a failure or worrying about repercussions. It’s much easier to convince myself that, “Nothing’s wrong”, “I’ll be fine” or “I’m not bitter, just hurt.”

* As Christians we’ve somehow given the mistaken notion that we have to have it all together and to acknowledge otherwise makes us immature failures.

* Worrying about what others think and protecting our image is a death blow to vulnerability.

* When I wall myself in and others out, I run the risk of convincing myself everything is okay and short circuiting the Spirit’s work.
* Christians have struggles, weaknesses and sin issues like everyone else. Vulnerability admits it and allows us to take an honest look to see what’s going on beneath the surface.

* Transparency is like looking into a café window and seeing me sitting at a table. You can see me with clarity, make some observations, but we have no meaningful interaction. Vulnerability on the other hand is when you step inside the café, sit down beside me, and we share honest open conversation.

* Transparency says, “I’m struggling” but holds you at arm’s length. Vulnerability says, “I’m struggling” and invites input.

* Transparency is good. Vulnerability is better.

* My inheritance in the Gospel reveals my true character, my true self, my true identity.

*Seeing myself in honesty allows the Spirit to continually apply the implications of that Gospel to my interior life and transform me.

* It’s freeing to live life without having anything to prove.

We Are Back Home - A Photo Journal

Vermont country roads……………….take me back to West Virginia

We stayed ½ mile from the Canadian border and ventured over one day

A tour of Ben & Jerry’s produced some good samples of Chocolate mint

The Van Trapp’s of Sound of Music fame ended up in Vermont after their escape from Austria

Little cabin in the back woods of Vermont where we purchased maple syrup

In Lancaster County we were hosted by Keith & Dawn - good friends and former teammates

One of the hundreds of farms owned and operated by the Amish

The 2010 model of the standard black Amish buggy – horse not included

The Red Caboose Motel is one of the most intriguing motels we have ever seen

Sight & Sound theatre visualizes and dramatizes Biblical truth through live stage productions – the Joseph story was unbelievable and a highlight of the trip