We’re no longer using WordPress for devotionals
By admin | August 4, 2011
If you come here to view Chip’s daily devotional, you can still enjoy it by checking out the Cokesbury United Methodist webpage at www.cokesburyumc.org or on the Cokesbury United Methodist Church Facebook page or on Twitter you can follow Cokesbury Church. Click on the links to take you there.
If you want it in your email inbox every morning, you can insert your email address where it says join our email list found on the Cokesbury webpage at www.cokesburyumc.org.
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Yes, Dear?
By admin | August 3, 2011
Psalm 78:1 “O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.”
Once upon a time, a young man and young woman married. They had a happy marriage in the beginning. There was just one problem. The husband and the wife would discuss something; the wife would nod her head and say, “Yes, Dear!” and then go and do whatever she wanted. This pattern was repeated in their marriage, literally, thousands of times. They would discuss something, the husband would share his feelings, the wife would apparently agree, and then she would go and do as she wished. The husband became angry and frustrated. The wife would cry whenever he lost his temper, but nothing changed.
The teenage years came and the mother’s permissiveness of their sons began to form fruit. The father would tell his sons, “One word from me and you all continue to do what you please.” Again and again, he wanted them to live with the consequences of their actions. He spent hours talking to his wife; yet, she did what she wanted. She never made the boys responsible.
As the boys became adults, the consequences of their actions became more and more dire. The wife would say to her husband, “Honey, what do you think we should do?” And yet, she never acted on his insight. She continued to exercise her will regardless of her husband’s opinions. On the surface, they looked like a wonderful couple whose children were independently rebellious. The truth was the boys’ behavior was reinforced by the mother’s indulgence and disrespect. The husband became silent and resentful. Finally, after forty years of marriage, the husband walked away completely from the wife emotionally. The husband said, “My wife seemingly honored me, but her real idol was the children, and it cost us everything.”
If I was God and I had stated the ethical behavior of humanity proactively in the Bible and humanity disregarded my divine perspective, I would become angry and withdraw from humanity. How would you feel if you were God and very few people responded faithfully to your instructions - instructions given for the good of every human being? If God is God and we are not, why not trust His wisdom?
Prayer: Dear God, help us to hear You. Amen.
Topics: Christians Behaving Badly | No Comments »
A Lesson from the Past
By admin | August 2, 2011
1 Corinthians 10:6-7 “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters…”
In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul tries to give the Corinthians a crash course of what happens if you worship an idol. Perhaps you remember the story from the Old Testament of Moses and the people of Israel. The Corinthians knew nothing about Jewish heritage. They probably had never heard of Moses. I would give anything to be able to see their faces as Paul told them what happened to the Israelites who worshiped the golden calf.
Moses traveled up Mount Sinai and left the people of Israel in the camp at the foot of the mountain with his brother, Aaron, in charge. A thick cloud covered the mountain and there was much thunder and lightening as the Lord descended and gave Moses the Ten Commandments. These Commandments speak of the sufficiency of God and dictate that the people not have an idol or graven image. God commanded Moses to write on stone tablets that the people should trust no other deity and treat sacredly His name and His holy day. God told Moses to tell the people to honor their parents; not to kill, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, or covet.
Moses was gone for forty days and the people at the camp lost faith in his return. The Israelites came to Aaron and insisted he make them an idol. Aaron did as they asked. He took the gold from earrings and other items, melted them down, and made them a golden calf. The people made offerings to this idol, raised their voices in song, drank, took off their clothes, and danced around the idol. Moses had been told this before he returned to the camp. God said He was going to destroy the people and Moses pleaded in their behalf and God granted Moses his request. However, when Moses actually saw the spectacle himself, he was filled with rage.
Paul related to the Corinthians that Moses in his rage, threw the stone tablets to the ground and broke them; threw the golden calf into the fire, ground the ashes and mixed them with water. He then made the people all drink some of this mixture. Twenty-three thousand people were killed. As Paul tells the story, he uses images of an avenging angel and snakes.
This story from Israel’s past enlightens the Corinthians about the importance of not worshiping idols. We, too, need to examine our hearts to make sure the only thing we worship is God. If we look at how much time and money we invest in other things in compared to how much time and money we invest in God, we might discover we do not worship God with our lives. A little reminder about an avenging angel and snakes and drinking grey stuff might be helpful to our repentance of false worship as well.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to worship only You. Amen.
Topics: Christians Behaving Badly | No Comments »
Idolatry or Reality
By admin | August 1, 2011
Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”
The word idol is generally translated to mean image. An image is not real, but perceived or imagined.
Theologically, idol as a concept has many facets. The Ten Commandments dictated that believers not worship an image of God. Exodus 20:4 states: “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above…” The Hebrews saw everything of God as too sacred to reproduce. Their understanding was people held God in their hearts. The concept was God was much too magnificent to picture or conceive. All the other ancient cultures pictured God in likenesses that were produced as images or idols. These other cultures had images or idols that were worshiped in their temples or in their homes. The Hebrews or Jewish people were unique in ancient cultures in that they had no anthropomorphic figures.
The Corinthians were accustomed to their gods being represented as statues. We consider these statues as Hellenistic art, not idols. Early Christians had no qualms about reproducing the stories of Christianity or the understanding of the Trinity. Pictures of Jesus are replete in Christianity. God the Father is usually represented as He is depicted in the Sistine Chapel as an older man with grey hair and usually very muscular. The Holy Spirit is represented traditionally as a dove. Catholicism as it contained Christianity had no problem with pictures or images of God. However, in the development of Protestantism, one of the divergences was that the pictures and statues were removed from churches in countries of the Protestant Reformation. Today, if you go to Catholic churches as compared to Protestant churches, you will notice generally more physical representations of God. This difference relates directly to the interpretation of the Second Commandment.
In religious culture of today, idol is not thought of as a statue or picture. Idol is considered anything we personally put before God. In secular culture, idol as in American idol is sometimes an image of a popular entertainer. I find it fascinating that idol is an image, not necessarily a reality. An American idol is a much crafted image of a celebrity, not, perhaps, the true persona of that person. Yet that fact is incidental.
Where we must be concerned as people of faith is that we do not put anything before our worship of God. It is significant that the Commandments concerning our relationship with God are placed before the Commandments that are inter-personal. Our relationship with God is primary. If you ask someone about their pursuit of an income over their pursuit of God as compared with committing adultery, most people would raise adultery as being a graver sin. Putting God before our personal pursuits in today’s culture is inconsequential. Yet, we are Christians behaving badly if we put anything before our relationship with God, be it other people, income, careers, possessions, interests.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to worship you before everything else. Amen.
Topics: Christians Behaving Badly | No Comments »
Life in the Temporary
By admin | July 30, 2011
The experience of human life is temporary. Everything about our physical lives and our relationships ends at our death. What remain in eternity are the beautiful aspects of those relationships - the love of God, what we did that blessed others, and the integrity of the way we lived within ourselves.
I had a Sunday school teacher once when I was a child who said “Picture your body as an outline. Sin is colored in red and it fills up part of your body. The red represents the bad things we did that will not be taken to heaven. The white represents the good that we did.” That particular Sunday school teacher profoundly affected me by saying, “You, Chipper, are in trouble because there is only a sliver of white to go to heaven. The rest will be left behind.” She editorialized and said, “If you continue to be a bad little boy and then a bad man, all you’ll take to heaven is a sliver of yourself.” Her insight changed my perspective in life. I wanted to be “mostly there” in heaven, not just a sliver, so I amended my behavior.
Perhaps all of us have had relationships we thought were permanent, but ended. To this day, I had a friendship that is still painful to me; as a matter of fact, if I have a passing thought of this person, I do not dwell there - I blot it out of my mind. The very memory of that friendship is heartbreaking. This person was a friend and a trusted buddy. We were friends for many years and many times he declared to me we would be friends for the rest of our lives. He and his family moved to another community. I believed his words. It became evident he did not want to be a permanent friend. In my heart, I honestly wish I had never met him. In life, I am generally more philosophical about my relationships and realize, generously, the truth about humanity.
Most of my life, I deluded myself into thinking things were permanent. We bought antiques because they seemed ageless, I bought leather books because I knew they would always last, and I try to build a permanent way of life. Yet the reality of the temporary has come to be an epiphany. This earthly life is completely passing. Everything we own is temporary. Every day we live is in itself temporary. Theologically and attitudinally, our lives are passing. We trust God with what is permanent and know He has taken care of everything.
If we live celebrating the temporary, that does not minimize the possibilities of today. Every moment becomes greatly important because of the moment itself. No day or hour or moment can be relived or taken back. So, love charitably and do not try to hold on to a shadow. Even Peter Pan could not do that. Trust God with the shadows of this life and live in such a way that we are substantial in our quality of life.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to celebrate the temporary while living for the permanent. Amen.
Topics: Christians Behaving Badly | No Comments »
Appreciating God’s World
By admin | July 29, 2011
Psalm 19:5 “Like a champion rejoicing to run his course.”
God created a beautiful world. I believe He did that for enjoyment and as a gift to humanity. It always amazes me when I see the beauty of my world - the trees, grass, sky, and water.
Most of my life I have been a runner. I started running when I was thirteen and continue running to this day. Although pain-free running seems to be a thing of the past, I still enjoy, be it at a slower pace, the beauty of the world - especially when I run. I have seen the sun rise and set, I have felt the rain and the sun, the winter blasts and the summer heat as I ran through God’s world.
I particularly remember a beautiful early morning run many years ago while I was at Blue Lake. The sun had not yet risen when I left Oakwood Lodge. I ran through the beautiful Conecuh Forest. Of course, no one was up at 4:30 A.M. The pine forest reflected the light of the rising sun. The morning glories blessed me with their incredible blue petals. My heart seemed to beat with the rhythm of the pace. I watched my shadow as it crossed the pale green ferns. A deer moved in the woods. I smiled as I drank in the loveliness of the day and the beauty of the time with God.
I committed my thoughts to God as I ran. It was wonderful just to be with Him. I thought about David as he wrote the Psalms so long ago. David loved the outside. He loved to be active. He lived life every second. David deeply appreciated creation. Many of the Psalms reflect that. He said in Psalm 105:30 that the spirit of God created. Then David said to God, “And you renew the face of the earth.” David, in verse 31 of that same Psalm, rejoices in the works of God and celebrates the physical beauty of this life.
We are surrounded by such beauty. Recently, I have been painting a view from the causeway going from Pensacola to Pace. Every day I am stunned at the ever-changing loveliness of my surroundings. The causeway itself speaks to my heart. As I go back and try to recreate the grass, the sky and the water, it is but a poor imitation of the beauty that I see and carry in my heart. God could have created a colorless world. Yet, He gave us great natural beauty to enjoy. May we stop every now and then and take in this gift from God.
Prayer:Dear God, help me to be happy in you. Amen.
Topics: Christians Behaving Badly | No Comments »
Troubles in Paradise
By admin | July 28, 2011
Paul speaks humorous advice in 1 Corinthians 7:29: “But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, I want to spare you this.” I cannot imagine speaking this sentence especially in front of my wife. Yet, there is truth in it.
Looking back, I am blessed by our mutual accomplishments. We enjoy our home and possessions; endless hours have been spent in building and maintaining our home as a backdrop for our life together. We both found fulfillment in our children. Over the years, they have been a great source of unity and sometimes disagreement. We both offer to them our particular gifts and were better parents as individuals in different stages. I was stronger as a parent when our children were small; she is a much better parent now that they are grown. Both of us failed periodically in the teen-age years. I do feel raising children to be one of our greatest accomplishments, however.
As I reflect on our marriage and look forward to the years to come, I most enjoy the companionship, the laughter, and the tears. We stood next to each other at the deaths our daddies; we have hugged each other in the disappointments; we never allowed each other to become bitter over the heartaches; the laughter far outweighed the pain. What I have found being married to Averette Martin Hale is sustaining strength. Together we forged a vision that was God-informed for our lives.
In actuality, Paul’s laughable words are true: “But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, I want to spare you this.” There are many troubles for those who marry, but, perhaps, the troubles are worth the investment. Evidently, the Corinthians in that culture who were much divorced believed in the ideal of marriage even in the face of reality. No matter what our situation, there is always hope and God can do miracles.
Averette and I have experienced the miracle of two very opposite people building, brick by brick, a life together and sustaining the temporary separation. When we were first married, Averette found the text that said, “Marriage ends in death.” She asked me if our marriage would end in death. I affirmed the Biblical view that we would not be married in heaven. As a young bride, she pouted and complained because she wanted our marriage to be eternal. After much discussion, she looked at me and said, “Well, can we at least be friends?” In the end, after much trouble and much happiness, it is the friendship that is eternal. After a fashion, no matter how you live - single, married, divorced, widowed - life will always have its troubles.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to find joy in whatever our circumstance. Amen.
Topics: Christians Behaving Badly | No Comments »
Situation in Corinth
By admin | July 27, 2011
1 Corinthians 7:27 “Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned;…”
Recently, Johnny Ray invited me to go and ride around in his big jet boat. Eventually we stopped on a sand bar, listened to music, and talked. John said, “Do you remember about a hundred years ago before you went to Pensacola saying you thought if anything happened to Averette, you would live a monastic life?” He continued: “I thought you wouldn’t have lasted five minutes alone.” We both laughed and I replied, “In truth, being alone was a challenge at first, but I’ve been mostly alone for two years and I’m still alive. I look forward to the weekends with Averette and our flirtive meals at Cracker Barrel when we meet for a dinner-date mid-week.”
The reason Paul wrote this chapter and that we titled the series ‘Christians Behaving Badly’ was many people were behaving badly sexually in the Corinthian culture. Even in the church community, people were struggling with their sexuality. I think there might be the slightest propensity this might be apropos today. I surely do not know everything about our world and I do not know everything about everyone who is a member of our church; however, I can assume there are people who are dealing with sexual temptations today in our culture.
There were people in the Corinthian church who felt, because they were spiritual, they could satisfy all of their appetites because what they did with their bodies made no difference with their souls. Paul connected both the soul and the body for the Corinthians and said what happens in our physical choices affects our souls. Paul recommended marriage so that sexual needs could be satisfied within the boundaries of God’s law. In Corinth, temptation was everywhere. Paul’s advice was practical and well-founded.
Again, Paul speaks of the marriage relationship as based, not on self-gratification, but on mutual gratification. There is much circumstantial evidence that Paul had been married at one point and that perhaps his wife died. He was a member of the Sanhedrin and all members of that body were required to be married. It is not mentioned specifically so there is little need for speculating. Yet, Paul was not always necessarily single. Personally, if Averette died, I would not remarry. However, I have found marriage meaningful, but feel for me once is enough. It is not unreasonable to assume that Paul could feel the same. Paul believed, again, that sexual passion should be expressed through marriage.
Paul speaks of divorce, but he does so from the Corinthian perspective. In Corinth, divorce was very casual. The divorce of a spouse was very common. It was the norm in Corinth to be married and divorced many, many times. Paul’s statement about divorce was in response to a much-divorcing culture. He encourages people to truly consider the commitment to marriage for a lifetime, not just for a season. In any culture, some marriages painfully end. Paul says in chapter 7:27, “Are you married? Do not seek a divorce.”
The truth is whether we are married or not, we are called to practice self-discipline and self-control. Our sexual identities are a part of our relationship with God and we should live our lives in every way bringing honor to God.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to be a people of faith and to honor You in all areas of our lives. Amen.
Topics: Christians Behaving Badly | No Comments »
Blessed Singleness
By admin | July 26, 2011
I Corinthians 7:8 “Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.”
In 1 Corinthians 7, the sub-heading states the chapter is about marriage. In point of fact, much of it concerns being single. The chapter raises the unheard of and revolutionary concept in Biblical tradition that sometimes people chose not to marry. The Biblical unstated interpretation by commentaries concerning Paul is he saw the looming reality of Christian persecution. Paul was fearful what would happen to children in the upcoming genocide of early Christian families.
Sometimes our “prince” does not come. Our philosophy is deeply affected by animated celluloid personalities. Everyone feels they are entitled to happiness within marriage. This philosophy is deeply flawed. In truth, of the ten marriages that take place, five will end in divorce, three will stay married because of some extraneous fact, and only two marriages out of ten will be considered generally fulfilled. Bluntly, there are people who will not marry or who have to live alone.
In a military town and with our economic realities, many spouses do not live together. We live in a world of realities. Many people choose not to marry, are alone because of the death of a spouse, divorced, or separated because of military or economic reasons. Many people choose bitterness. I have spent hours counseling people who are bitter or angry because they are alone. Well, alone is always a possibility for anyone. I have discovered instead of bitterness to focus on three things: my relationship with God, my relationship with others, and personal fulfillment through being productive.
In the face of our prince not coming or some other isolation, I have found, and the Bible states God is sufficient for our needs. The underlying premise of 1 Corinthians 7 is that our basic fulfillment comes from our relationship with God and living with our circumstances as a God-loving individual. Even in a perfect marriage, we focus first on God. Aloneness can give us an opportunity to focus on God and His blessings. God is an incredible Being worthy of our time and commitment. In truth, our relationship with Him is eternal and worthy of our earthly time. Making our relationship with others an offering of faith is a second important endeavor. When I lived on a daily basis with a wife, children, and parents hovering nearby, I did not focus as much on every discourse with anyone. Every discourse has come to be precious to me as a faith offering because, for the most part, I am alone.
In my personal situation, the most unique unfolding has been striving to be productive. When I struggle with bitterness or aloneness, I re-order my life to be productive. I have found enjoyment within myself. Aloneness can be deeply meaningful if our time is focused on tasks and substantive endeavors. Practically, if I start to become unhappy or bitter, I paint for an hour or read or walk the dog or vacuum the floor. We can find blessings in any worthwhile task we undertake. Sometimes we face isolation and the response of positive productivity can give us fulfillment. I do not believe I knew myself and, even aside - apart from others, I have come to love and appreciate my own life as an entity.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to handle the life You have given us. Amen.
Topics: Christians Behaving Badly | No Comments »
A Scriptural Understanding
By admin | July 25, 2011
Proverbs 5:19 “…may you ever be captivated by her love.”
The Bible is the document of our faith and it informs us as to God’s perspective and how people of faith interpreted God’s will.
The Bible understands marriage as God’s fulfillment for the continuation of creation. Marriage, as understood by our document of faith, is a spiritual and sexual union of a man and a woman who have made the cultural commitment to each other. In the early Jewish tradition and throughout the Old Testament tradition, marriage was arranged by parents or family; many marriages throughout Christian history have been so arranged. The Hellenistic culture introduced to both Christianity and Judaism the idea of God directing people’s choice of mate. Historically, when people felt attracted to another, they said that their relationship was by God’s directive.
I recall telling our parents and my congregation that Averette and I were both following God’s will in our mutual attraction and marriage. In point of fact, I prayed for three years before I met Averette that God would guide me to make the right decision as to a spouse. I continued to pray throughout the year of our dating. I prayed the night I proposed and felt God’s direction. I asked Averette to marry me and remember, after her “Yes,” telling her I interpreted our marriage as God’s will.
Marriage developed as the standard by the time of the New Testament in the Greco-Jewish culture. The Old Testament culture was such that a couple strongly needed to have a son. If a son was not born, divorce became a reality. The options for women who did not bear a son were so tentative that the culture tolerated polygamous marriages. The Old Testament is full of such stories. However, the time came when the norm was simply one wife at a time.
Again, marriage in Biblical times was the expected option for everyone in society for the continuation of families. Paul speaks bluntly in the Bible of sexual passion and encourages people to seek fulfillment in marriage and the expression of sexuality is reciprocal for both the man and the woman. Although the Song of Songs was written long years before him, it reflects Paul’s attitude towards the “beloved.” Proverbs 5:19 speaks of Solomon’s instructions and hopes for men that they always be infatuated with their wives: “…may you ever be captivated by her love.”
Averette and I have not had a perfect life together; there have been many bumps along the way! We, according to statistics, should not have made it for 32 years together. Many times we stayed married because of the commitment alone. We affirm that commitment in the face of difficulties. We both feel, at its deepest level, marriage is a spiritual, personal, and sexual relationship. In truth, we have been supportive of each other on the road of life, and I love her and I believe she has similar feelings. What has kept us together is not just love, but that God chose us for each other. We believe we do not have the right to break the bond even in individual uncertainty, difficulties, and the realities of living.
Prayer: Dear God, direct our lives. Amen.
Topics: Christians Behaving Badly | No Comments »
« Previous Entries