Oh, No! Not Again!

Here we go again…

For many of us, August 29, 2005 is not some faint memory. Instead it is still a very present reality. Three years ago (this Friday August 29, 2008) hurricane Katrina put a lickin’ on our Gulf Coast home.

I will not forget the sense of urgency in trying to board up my house.

I will not forget the fears I did not want to speak out loud as we journeyed north that Sunday afternoon before Katrina came ashore the following morning.

Our damages were minimal in every sense of the word. A few shingles and roof cap gone. Missing siding. A completely destroyed fence. Food in the freezer ruined.

That’s what we came home to the day after the storm.

So many came home to nothing. Some never came home at all.

In the weeks without power and running water and all the luxury’s of modern life, we gained a new perspective about family, church, community, and what was ultimately important.

With another gulf hurricane in the making, I pray we haven’t forgotten those lessons.

Whatever “hurricane” you are facing, hug your family and trust in the Lord.

Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 4:1

Les, Jr.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

One of the names above is quite normal in the English speaking world.

But the second name? That’s a mouthful and one you will not normally find except in two verses in the letter to the Philippians.

The Apostle Paul knew both Timothy and Epaphroditus as men who had his back. They were helpers, supporters, friends, and brothers-in-Christ. Paul even alludes to Timothy being a like a son in the faith.

Each of those descriptions implies something vitally important in the Christian life and for the Christian life.

Helper, supporter, friend, brother, and even son mean relationship.

Relationship.

That’s a big word in and of itself. But unfortunately, far too many of us see our far too many of our Christian relationships as merely superficial.

We wouldn’t claim that. And for the most part, we would probably be indignant at having our Christian relationships characterized in such a fashion.

But think it about it for a moment or two. Think hard.

Outside of our immediate circle of friends and relatives, is there anyone in your faith family whom you can say with the utmost confidence, he or she has my back? Is there anyone who can say that of you?

If the answer is yes, take a few minutes to praise and thank God for such a blessing.

Otherwise, stop and consider that being a Christian means having a deep and abiding relationship with God. It also means opening yourself up to a deep and abiding working relationship with other brothers and sisters in Christ.

By working I mean two things:

1.     Working at building and growing and deepening those relationships; and,

2.     Working on behalf of your brother or sister—supporting, loving, encouraging, and building them up.

Be intentional and be relational—take a look at our family.

Pick somebody out that needs a friend or needs some encouragement and be that friend—be that encourager.

You will ultimately be a blessing in their life as well as discovering a blessing in yours!

In the words of the beloved Mr.Rogers, won’t you be my neighbor?

Blessings to you,

Les, Jr.

To Remember When I really Need It Most!

Church life is always full of ups and downs.

Sometimes it’s just people–including myself–being people.

Sometimes it comes from a systemic nature that seems to be a part of the dynamics of a particular group.

Sometimes it is nothing more or nothing less than Satan having his way in the attitudes and actions of those who are the people of God.

The fact is, we all make mistakes.

We all have attitudinal problems at times.

And truthfully, even those of us in leadership positions can get all out of whack in ourselves and even in our responses to others.

Unfortunately, all of the above tends to be a part of the human condition. That’s not an excuse–to the contrary it means we have to be ever vigilant.

Certainly we can do better–especially in recognizing our failures, insecurities, and our amazing ability to mis-communicate with one another.

Recently I was reminded of a verse in the Bible with a phrase that most of us have discounted completely–mainly because such phrase is not in a preponderance of source manuscripts. Thanks to Edward Fudge for nudging me toward looking at Matthew 6:13 again.

Coming at the end of the Lord’s Prayer, this verse says, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.^[a]‘

Unless you are reading from the KJV, you probably never consider the phrase that is footnoted at the end: for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

In my need to fix people and situations and church problems in general, I often forget rather conveniently that the Kingdom and power and glory of God is all sufficient.

Even worse, I think I sometimes depend on myself to be the power that delivers me and others from temptation and the evil one. Such arrogance surely puts me squarely in the domain of Satan.

In other words, it’s not about me.

It is however, completely about God. About His Kingdom. About His power. About His glory.

Let’s fix our problems where we can.

Let’s be more devoted to God and each other.

Most importantly, let’s remember that all of this is His!

To God be the Glory!

Les Ferguson, Jr.