Misplaced Gratitude

A couple of weeks ago, Philip checked the mail and found a not-so-suspicious letter in our mailbox.

After opening the letter, he found it was a thank you note. Again, nothing suspicious there - especially given the fact we live in Mississippi and Philip jokes that we send thank you notes for our thank you notes.

This is where it gets interesting...I'll let you read the contents.

Just in case you have trouble reading it, the first line in the body reads, "Thank you for helping me move into my new house."

Now, if you are reading our blog, am I going to assume that you know that my husband, Philip, is in a wheelchair. That little fact would exclude him from being able to participate the action for which he was thanked. We found this hilarious and strange all at the same time. We have concocted ways that this person found Philip's name and mailing address and believed him to be the one to thank.

Philip is neither embarrased nor hindered by his condition. I would conjecture the Lord has even used his situation to make him a wiser-than-normal 30 year old. Don't get me wrong, it's not the handicap in and of itself. In the brief time I have known Philip, I have been more aware of people who are handicapped and interested in their stories. Whatever the circumstances that caused the crippling, it is the attitude and fortitude of the person, not the handicap itself, that is the lynch pin in their lives.

All of that to say that Philip is able to get a good belly laugh out of this misplaced gratitude and we hope you are too. :)

Books are to be read according to their worth

I recently started reading God and Football: Faith and Fanaticism in the SEC by Chad Gibbs. It addresses a topic I have often thought about since I became a (Christian) believer in 1998. I had long before been a believer in Mississippi State.

Since being converted, when I have the occasion to go to a Miss. State football game - rather, one we win decidedly - there is a sense of excitement and joy and community and blissfulness that is rarely matched. However, I know that sensation may seem like sadness compared to what believers will experience in glory. What I do get sad about in those victorious Bulldog moments is the likelihood that many people will not share the thrill of rejoicing with me when Jesus returns.

But getting to the title of this blog entry: Gibbs writes about a subject worthy of focus. His introduction is enough to make any SEC loving Christian wince in knowing laughter. Namely, that SEC football is much more attractive than loving Jesus. He describes this with a light-hearted and serious combination that makes it easier to swallow, but true nonetheless.

However, I find myself not being able to read large portions of his book at a time. When I told Philip that tonight, with shame in my heart because his writing style is not lofty or hard to read, he replied, "Books are to read according to their worth."

In essence, Philip was saying that even though Gibbs may have a worthy subject, his tone and attitude can be abrasive as well as humorous, sometimes at the expense of the church. In humor, he takes shots at specific denominations (50, 61, 72/3). Although he is attempting to get a laugh out of his audience, he does it at the expense of the church. He is undercutting the very God he is attempting to seek. Gibbs emphasizes the unity of the fans at the games he visits but fails to promote the same among God's children.

So while I appreciate his quest to find a balance between loving his Auburn Tigers and the Almighty God, there could be more thought put into the ink he spills about Jesus' bride, the church. I look forward to finishing the book...but at much slower a pace than I had anticipated.

To be, rather than to seem

To our eternal blessing, Jesus was rather than seemed.

During this week between Palm Sunday and Easter, Jesus would have been participating in Passover. Now, in the 21st century, Palm Sunday gets plenty of attention. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are also well known and observed. And of course and rightly so, Easter is the pinnacle of the week and celebrated by the Christian community.

However, in Matthew 11, there is a passage that doesn't get much attention. Over a year ago, Brian Habig taught on Matthew 11:11-25. The title of the sermon is "Becoming What He Prayed For" on March 21, 2010. Click here, find it and listen to it. Whether you love Jesus or are indifferent to him, listen to it.

To summarize the text: On Palm Sunday, Jesus goes to the temple and looks around. Then he leaves the city. The next day, he curses a fig tree and then goes to the temple and drives out the people doing business there. Jesus and his disciples again left the city, the fig tree had withered up, and Jesus teaches his disciples about trust, prayer, and forgiveness.

Sadly, the church is not always what she seems. Praise God, Jesus was content to be rather than to seem.