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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76072491722699739972017-05-14T05:15:36.076-07:00Between SundaysA place for thoughts, devotionals, and questions from a pastor who doesn't have it all figured out.Taylor Sandlinhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-39191616800039613792017-03-02T12:43:00.001-08:002017-03-02T12:43:42.270-08:00Whom have I in heaven but you?

Copyright: stanslavov / 123RF Stock Photo

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever – Psalm 73:25-26
Yesterday marked the beginning of Lent, a six-week season that leads up to Easter. While not a traditional part of Baptist life, many Baptists have begun to take a serious look at this season which has been observed by some Christian groups for centuries. For instance, for the last few years I have attempted to give something up for Lent. I admit that I am not always good at this. I fail as often as I succeed. I'm more ok with that than you'd think. Lent is one of those times in which attention to our failures may be as helpful achieving our goals. The point of the season, after all, isn't to accumulate gold stars for how well we've done but to practice recognizing our need for God.

The tradition of giving something up for Lent is connected to the spiritual discipline of fasting and can be traced back to the early days of the church. In his book, Living the Christian Year, Bobby Gross notes that early Christians fasted on the Friday and Saturday before Easter as a way of remembering both Christ's death and entombment. Later the fast stretched to include all of Holy Week. By the Council of Nicea in 325, some churches had extended such observances to a forty-day period of fasting and repentance much like the modern Lenten season.

In fasting, a person temporarily refrains from something good to make room in one's life for something better, namely, the moving of God's Spirit. For instance, a person refrains from eating for a period to dedicate the time normally given to meals to the seeking of God in prayer. For a more modern twist, a person might choose to give up TV, Facebook, an hour of sleep, or some other activity for the very same reason - to fill that time up with the pursuit of God's presence.

In the process of fasting, we are reminded of our dependence upon God and our freedom from dependence upon anything else. Most of the things in our life are fine in themselves. In fact, they are gifts from God, but it is amazing how we can become consumed by these things without even realizing it. We think we can live without them if we so choose, but of course, we rarely get around to trying. Fasting during Lent is a time to try. Giving up a favorite activity or a favorite thing for Lent is a way of allowing one's spirit to remember, "I may enjoy these things, but I do not need them. They are not my master. God, alone, is my portion."

The inward discovery that all we need is God should lead to changes in outward behavior. Discovering that God is enough leads us toward greater generosity. In giving something up we discover that we can also give something away. For example, if you have a Starbucks a day habit that you lay aside for forty days, that's a decent chunk of change you'll have come Easter morning. What will you choose to do with the extra money? One possibility is to give it away to those who need not practice fasting because their lives are already an exercise in need.

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 Online Lenten Devotionals

Bible Gateway is providing three Lenten devotionals straight to your inbox, including one from the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and another from Dallas Willard.

Lent for Everyone is a Lenten Devotional available on the YouVersion app/webpage written by one of my favorite scholars, N.T. Wright. If you search the YouVersion site, you'll find Lenten devotionals by a number of other famous authors, scholars, and ministries (Tim Keller, Max Lucado, etc).

Taylor Sandlinhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-54500452831306230622017-02-16T11:44:00.000-08:002017-02-16T11:44:37.797-08:00The Power of Presence

Few things communicate love quite like spending time together.

Copyright: weerapat / 123RF Stock Photo

In the New Testament, the followers of Jesus are commanded to visit those in prison (See Matthew 25:36-40; Hebrews 13:3). The concern for prisoners likely stemmed from the fact that believers often found themselves in prison. Peter, John, Paul, and Silas all spent time behind bars. It was also because Christianity is at its best, a ministry of presence. God made his love known to us by becoming present with us in the person of Jesus Christ. We make God's love known by being present in the lives of others. This is especially true when we are present with those who find themselves in times of great need.

Just this past weekend, the adult choir spent the weekend ministering to inmates in one of the correctional facilities in Gatesville, Texas. Everyone I've talked to who went on the trip has gone on and on about how God moved during this trip. Both the inmates and the choir discovered God's presence as they spent time being present in one another's life. This is how God often works. He shows up among us when we show up in each other's lives.

In our church, there are those who regularly visit those in prison through a jail ministry here in town. I want to take the time to thank these volunteers for their faithfulness. These men and women go weekly to the Tom Green County jail and lead Bible studies for the inmates. Tonight, Pastor Matt will go and baptize fifteen inmates who have recently accepted Christ. Matt knows that he is reaping the fruit, but it's these faithful men and women who sowed the seeds by being present in the lives of others over the long hall. They're living testimonies to the power of being present in another person's life.

You don't have to be a prisoner to know the importance of love made known in presence. I am grateful for those who have made God's love known to me by being present in my life. I think of the director if the Baptist Student Ministry, the late Bob Mayfield. Bob wasn't flashy. He wasn't cool. He wasn't young. He was present in my life. We'd regularly spend time together just to spend time together. Even though Bob had been in ministry for decades at that point, he treated me like an equal. He'd ask my opinion about things and then took the time to listen to my answer. Years later I've forgotten almost all the cool conference speakers and preachers I heard during my college years, but I'll never forget Bob. Love, made tangible through being present in each other's life, leaves an imprint that's not easily forgotten.

I wonder, who are the people whose presence left an imprint of love on your life? On whose life is your presence leaving a similar imprint of love?

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 Additional thoughts:

Show Up by Jill Phillips. Alyson and I enjoy Jill's music. This song reminds us "If you want to change the world, all you got to do is show up."

Sitting with Suffering by Richard J. Foster. We know that true love weeps with those who weep. Still, being present with those who are suffering challenges the best of us. What do we say to those who are hurting? What do we not say? Richard Foster has some helpful suggestions on the Renovaré blog.

Taylor Sandlinhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-2291639646945441742017-02-14T04:00:00.000-08:002017-02-13T16:10:34.422-08:00Jonah: Reluctant Prophet, Merciful GodI'm grateful to Smyth & Helwys for the opportunity to write this year's Annual Bible Study. You can get your copy today here.

Book Description

Jonah: Reluctant Prophet, Merciful God is a four-session Bible study for individuals and groups. The study guide revisits the classic story of "Jonah and the Whale" and discovers a rich and complex tale that proves far more interesting than we might suspect. First, the Bible makes no mention of a whale. Instead, we learn about a great fish that has only a minor role in the narrative. The main character of the story is not the fish or even Jonah; the main character of this story is God. Furthermore, the book of Jonah invites readers to ask important questions about who God is and who God calls us to be in response. Along with the prophet, we ask questions such as What kind of God is the God of Israel? and Who falls within the sphere of God's care? Most importantly, perhaps, we find ourselves asking How will I respond when I discover that God loves the people I love to hate? These sessions invite readers to wrestle with these questions and others like them as we discover God's mercy for both the worst of sinners and the most reluctant of prophets.

Jonah Teaching Guide
This Teaching Guide for the Smyth & Helwys Annual Bible Study on Jonah includes teaching options, suggested worship and sermon outlines, and approaches to leading discussions and group study. This study also includes relevant lesson plans for including youth and children in a congregational study of Jonah.

Jonah Study Guide
This Study Guide for the Smyth & Helwys Annual Bible Study on Jonah serves three purposes: to educate the learner on major issues of appropriate interpretation, to offer an overview of theological themes, and to build the learner's Bible study skills by reviewing significant interpretations. Each session comes with thoughtful questions for reflection and discussion.Taylor Sandlinhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-26952445153229398812017-02-13T08:24:00.000-08:002017-02-13T08:24:06.265-08:00My Favorite Books on PrayerSunday's sermon explored the ways that prayer for others is a form of love in action. Below, I've listed a few of my favorite books on prayer for those interested in exploring more on the topic. Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section.

Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home by Richard Foster. In this Ephesians 6:18, the apostle Paul writes, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." In this classic work on prayer, Foster explores twenty-one different types of prayer giving us some idea what Paul might have meant by "all kinds of prayers." Drawing on a variety of Christian traditions, Foster's list will likely include some prayers you are familiar with and some that are new to you.

Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? by Philip Yancey. I started reading Philip Yancey's work in college. His writing is purposefully accessible to anyone regardless of where they are on their spiritual journey. At the same time, he blends this accessibility with a willingness to press readers just beyond their comfort zone. He continues this pattern in his work on prayer exploring many of the questions we have about prayer but are too afraid to ask.

Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott. In this simple little book, Anne Lamott contends that the three basic prayers all of us pray are "Help," "Thanks," and "Wow." If you are new to Lamott's writing, be prepared. She does not fit the traditional religious writer's mold. More confessional than guide and aimed as much at the skeptic as the already religious, this book will encourage anyone who has struggled to find their voice in prayer.

Check out a fuller review I wrote for The Baptist Standard.Taylor Sandlinhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-50523710726731354652017-02-09T05:00:00.000-08:002017-02-14T06:25:21.690-08:00Amateurs at Prayer

Copyright: tomsickova / 123RF Stock Photo

I don't know about you, but I constantly feel like an amateur when it comes to prayer. I do pray – for you, for the church, for myself, for the world. My prayers are not always smooth or eloquent or even consistent. Sometimes, I get distracted. Sometimes, I get bored. Often, I'm simply at a loss for words. I know people often consider pastors professionals when it comes to the spiritual, but truth be told, I'm no professional prayer. Maybe, that's not a bad thing. In the book of James, the apostle presents Elijah as an example of prayer, not because he had some supernatural gift of intercession, but precisely because he "was a man just like us." He could get frustrated, tired, doubtful, just read his story in 1 Kings 17 and 18. Clearly, the man had his ups and downs. And yet, he was a man whose prayers changed the world.

In our slick, glossy, overly marketed world we've been taught to think poorly of amateurs. Nobody wants to do an amateur job at anything, we think. But the word amateur comes from the verb to love and means "for the love of it." Being an amateur means doing something for the sheer love of it. Amateur athletes play the game, not for a paycheck but because they love the game. So too, we amateur prayers. We pray for the love of it, or more specifically, for the love of the one who first loved us. We pray because we serve a God who makes himself known in the depths of our troubles and the heights of our joys. We pray because we serve a God who heals our broken bodies and makes whole our broken souls.

We could (and often do) wish prayer was easier, like so many of the sermons and books and talks make it out to be: a method, a formula, a magic incantation. But prayer, biblical prayer, is not magic and there's no set method. It's communication. It's a relationship with the God who is able. So pray when you can, and where you can, and how you can. Mess up and make mistakes. Be an amateur like Elijah and pray for the love of it that the world might be changed - and you right along with it!

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Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. – James 5:13-16

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Further Reading on Prayer<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>5 Misconceptions that Hinder Prayer by Richard Foster. Foster, author of the classic book, Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home helps us move past five common misconceptions about prayer.

A Prayer That's Not Just for the Pulpit by Mark Roberts. Roberts reminds us that Psalm 19:14, a prayer I've prayed in the pulpit many times, is a good prayer to offer throughout the rest of your week.

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Taylor Sandlinhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-27766765112762853532017-01-31T13:13:00.001-08:002017-02-08T13:50:55.740-08:00Go and Do Likewise"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."

Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

 - Luke 10:36-37
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Luke describes this anonymous young man as an expert in the law. We might first think of him as a lawyer, but because this is primarily religious law we're talking about, we might equally call him a seminarian. Now, my brother is a lawyer and I am obviously a preacher. And I can tell you, there are some similarities in our training. We were both taught to examine things, to analyze them, to ponder the possibilities in front of us. Most of all we're both taught to ask good questions in the search for truth and justice. Theoretically, the questions asked by lawyers and preachers are supposed to eventually lead not simply to the discovery of truth and justice but to the enacting of those virtues as well. Of course, we all know it's easier to ask the questions and discuss answers than it is to put those answers into practice.<o:p></o:p>

The young man in our text, in keeping with his professional training, had questions for Jesus. Good questions, even if his motives were a little mixed. Luke writes that he stood up to test Jesus with perhaps the question of all questions, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus proves, that while he might not have the training of the lawyer, he's not afraid of asking questions himself. "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?"
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The young man jumps at the opportunity to showcase his learning (lawyers and seminarians always do) and answers with words consistent with Jewish teachings of the day. Perhaps surprisingly to him and others there that day, he was also amazingly close to Jesus' own teachings, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind;' and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" <o:p></o:p>

I'm sure the young man bit his lip to conceal a smile as Jesus confirmed that he had read well. But I wonder if the smile faded when Jesus made clear that reading well wasn't the key to participating in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place>? One must also do what one has read in order to truly live.  That is after all what the young man asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus had caught him in his own words. <o:p></o:p>

The sharp, young lawyer quickly picked up on Jesus' prodding. While round one may have gone to this peasant teacher, he wasn't about to let Jesus off the hook that easily. Time for round two. Time to show that two could play at this game: "And who is my neighbor?" It was one of those questions with no answer or rather a question with a thousand answers. "Who is my neighbor?" is a question about boundaries – a question of who's in and who's out. And boundaries are notoriously difficult to determine as this war torn world knows all to well. <o:p></o:p>

The question "Who is my neighbor?" is really the question of who they're not. The young man basically wanted to know "Where does my neighborhood end? Where is that line that separates us from them? That distinguishes those for whom I am responsible from those for whom I am not?" For if someone isn't my neighbor then they're pretty much a stranger. And we all know that strangers aren't that far removed from being enemies. And no one would be expected to love their enemies, would they? <o:p></o:p>

At this point Jesus continues the conversation by telling a story. What initially looks like an answer to the man's question ends up being an extended opening to another question. Jesus wants to move the conversation from asking, "Who is my neighbor?" or "Where does my neighborhood end?" to the far more important inquiry "Am I a part of God's neighborhood? Am I a resident of the coming <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place>?" Jesus does this by first exposing the unhelpfulness of "Who is my neighbor?" kinds of questions with the story of a man who became a victim of the notoriously dangerous road from <st1:city w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:city> to <st1:city w:st="on">Jericho</st1:city>. Robbed of even his clothes, beaten, and left for dead we find ourselves with a man who has no identity other than his need. Is he neighbor, someone I know, or a foreigner? It's hard to tell with all the bruises on his face. Is he a Jew or a Gentile? A respectable man or an outlaw, himself? Without clothes or other cultural markers one can't be sure. It reminds us that the vast majority of the ways we divide one another up are pretty artificial. Naked and in need we're all more alike than we care to admit. We're all potential neighbors, even if we were once (or still remain) so called enemies.<o:p></o:p>

As the story unfolds, Jesus continues to challenge assumptions by warning that just as it's not always easy to recognize who our neighbors are, it is equally difficult to pick out those who are the neighbors of God. The two obvious residents of God's subdivision, a priest and a Levite (perhaps coworkers of the young lawyer) each take turns happening upon the wounded man and each for reasons unknown, pass by on the other side without rendering aid. Did their hearts struggle with the decision to stop or not? Were they just cowards? Jesus doesn't say and his silence indicates that their motivations for refusing to show compassion were irrelevant . . . whether ill or well intentioned, the outcome was the same. <o:p></o:p>

In contrast to the Priest and the Levite Jesus introduces a Samaritan. For the original listeners, the Samaritan was a clear outsider, a religious heretic, one whose country men have already shown themselves hostile to Jesus and his disciples just the chapter before. But this Samaritan acts against type and actually does something good. He does much good. Having compassion on the man, he tends to his wounds, places him on his own donkey, and takes him to an inn where he cares for him all night long and then gives two full days worth of wages to the inn keeper with the promise of more.

Who is a neighbor in God's kingdom? Remarkably, not the ones with the best theology. Not the ones with the best answers. Not even the ones with the best mission statement or understanding of what it means to be missional. No, the one who shared the same zip code as the Almighty according to Jesus was the one who shared in the Lord's compassion for the wounded man. Even the lawyer could see that. The question remains though, did he go and do likewise? I wonder, will we?

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Taylor Sandlinhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-58309226377071402942017-01-12T13:41:00.000-08:002017-02-08T13:42:01.384-08:00Buyer's Remorse

<div class="font_8" data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$c1tbm.1.$i69ih1xo.0.0.$child.$0.3.$1.$5.$0.0.2" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: arial, "ms pゴシック", "ms pgothic", 돋움, dotum, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Have you ever heard the term buyer's remorse? Ever experienced it? I've felt it with every piece of exercise equipment I've ever bought. Buyer's remorse is that feeling of regret that often crops up after some major or not so major purchase. These feelings can show up for all sorts of reasons, but usually appear when the credit card bill hits sometime in January. At that point, you realize that your purchase of a 70-inch TV doesn't make that much sense for your apartment where the biggest room is only ten feet wide. Regret strikes the moment you realize that your new car already has a scratch on it, your new dress showed up in the styles-to-avoid column, and your new cell phone is already on sale for half of what you paid for it.
<div class="font_8" data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$c1tbm.1.$i69ih1xo.0.0.$child.$0.3.$1.$5.$0.0.3" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: arial, "ms pゴシック", "ms pgothic", 돋움, dotum, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Buyer's remorse leaves you wondering why you liked this purchase so much in the first place. Why did you pay so much? Why couldn't you wait for the after Christmas sales? You'd think past experiences of buyer's remorse would slow our spending down, but you'd be wrong. We seem to not only have buyer's regret but buyer's amnesia. We somehow convince ourselves that we'll be wiser this year. We think that this next purchase will do what all the other purchases did not, satisfy our souls.
<div class="font_8" data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$c1tbm.1.$i69ih1xo.0.0.$child.$0.3.$1.$5.$0.0.4" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: arial, "ms pゴシック", "ms pgothic", 돋움, dotum, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">

<div class="font_8" data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$c1tbm.1.$i69ih1xo.0.0.$child.$0.3.$1.$5.$0.0.5" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: arial, "ms pゴシック", "ms pgothic", 돋움, dotum, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Several years ago, my father-in-law pointed out that while he'd experienced plenty of buyer's remorse in his life, he'd never experienced giver's remorse. That is, he'd never given a gift to a ministry or a mission or a person in need and then later wished he had that money back. His words struck me then as truthful and have proven truthful ever since. I'm a slow learner, so I've continued to make purchases that I've later regretted. But without fail, every time I've stretched myself to give generously to my church, a good cause, or a neighbor in need, I've found joy, not regret.
<div class="font_8" data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$c1tbm.1.$i69ih1xo.0.0.$child.$0.3.$1.$5.$0.0.6" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: arial, "ms pゴシック", "ms pgothic", 돋움, dotum, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
My guess is we're going to continue to buy things for our families. That's ok. Giving my kids or my wife a gift is a form of generosity. But how might we find more joy and less regret in 2017? Perhaps by figuring out how to buy ourselves less and to give others more.
Taylor Sandlinhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-83520101287655967172017-01-05T13:48:00.000-08:002017-02-08T13:55:59.307-08:00Three Reasons to Attend Church this Sunday

'Tis the season for New Year's resolutions. I wonder if you've included in your to-dos for 2017 the commitment to regularly participate the corporate worship of God? Many of us have the idea that going to church is something we should do, and that it is something that is good for us, but we struggle to put this desire into practice. What would happen if we committed to attending weekly worship services and stuck to that commitment?

Our deeds will match our confession of faith. The truth is, all of us are works in progress. We declare with our mouths that "Jesus Christ is Lord," and then struggle to implement that truth in our lives. If Jesus is our Lord, then we will want to do what he commands. One of the things God desires from us is regular attendance with a worshiping community. The author of Hebrews challenges us, "Don't stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten in the habit of doing." (Hebrews 10:25). Regularly attending worship helps our words match our deeds. If Jesus is our Lord, we will join others in worshiping him as such.

We'll discover God's presence. I know that we can discover God's presence in all sorts of different places. I often stumble upon God during time with family or when I'm hiking through brush looking for butterflies. I also know that the one place Jesus promised to show up is among the gathered people of God (see Matthew 18:20). I recognize that we don't always feel God's presence in worship each week. We cannot manipulate God into showing up. God shows up when and where he desires. Regular worship helps us to be ready when he does.

We might be the presence of God in another person's life. The temptation to skip worship is great. We think about how good it will feel to sleep in or get some quiet time just to ourselves. We know we might miss out on something at church but figure the only person we are hurting is ourselves. What if we are the instrument God intends to use to bless someone else? What if it's your smile, your singing, your handshake that God uses to speak to another person. What if your presence encourages someone else's attendance? What if that person, encouraged by your presence, hears the life-changing good news of Jesus Christ?

The full quotation from Hebrews is this, "Don't stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:35). Regular participation in worship encourages the body of Christ to be faithful until Christ's return. I know that I am regularly encouraged by the presence of God's people each week. I encourage you to put church on your calendar this week. If you don't have a regular church home, I invite you to worship with us at Southland this Sunday.Taylor Sandlinhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-50323497023467662502016-12-08T13:54:00.000-08:002017-02-14T06:27:38.621-08:00

Copyright: rashevskiy / 123RF Stock Photo

This post is from last year's Service of Consolation. Join us this year for this special service on December 14, 2016, at 6:00 pm in the sanctuary.

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A quick scan through the radio dial this season may leave a grieving soul with the impression that there is no room for the sorrowful during the holiday season. This is, after all, a holly-jolly season. It is the most wonderful time of the year. If the television commercials are to be believed, everyone appears to be happy, hopeful, and honestly thrilled to be celebrating another Christmas. Sad people apparently are not included.

In our sanitized versions of the Christmas story, even the folks in the nativity scene seem to be absolutely beside themselves. Mary and Joseph, after the minor hiccup with the hotel arrangements, end the evening with a happy, healthy, baby. The Shepherds get free admission to the very first Christmas cantata. Even the wise men, after a long and arduous journey, found their way to the Christ child while bearing gifts that were sure to upstage almost all others. Most shops in Bethlehem sold out of gold, frankincense, and myrrh on Black Friday.

It all seems so sentimental, so serene, so superbly blessed that it's tempting to think that whereas at that first Christmas, there was no room at the inn for Jesus, now, two millennia later, with all the tinsel and the toys, all the laughter for girls and boys, there's no room at Christmas for those who are grieving.

I have good news for the sorrowful. While there may not be room for you in a Hallmark version of Christmas, there's all sorts room for you in a New Testament Christmas. I know this because right there in the pages of the New Testament, we learn that a grieving heart had a front row seat to the arrival of the Messiah.

We learn from Luke 2:36-38 that Anna, a widow, was one of the very first souls to bear witness to the coming of the Lord. A couple of things stick out to me about this short little passage.

The first is that the God of Israel makes room for the grieving. We don't always make room for one another in our grief. Nobody's mean about it. People don't intend to isolate those who are grieving, but little by little the actions of our friends communicate that they have moved on and make little room for those who have not.

It was even worse in the ancient world, at least for a woman. Anna's husband died after just seven years of marriage. According to the tradition of the day, Anna was probably 19 or 20 at the time of his death. With so much life still ahead of her, she nevertheless, found little to look forward to. In her culture, a woman without a husband was in danger of becoming destitute, with no home, no hope, no future.

Remarkably, she found a home in the very shadow of the Almighty. Others might have been repelled by her grief, but not God. Far from being excluded from God's presence, she was invited to live out her days in the very courts of the Temple.

It's good news to learn that God gives us room to grieve. God does not insist that we put on a happy face. God does not encourage us to get over it. God does not ask us to move on with our lives. He, instead, invites us to move into his presence bringing our grief right inside with us.

The second thing I notice in this passage is related, Anna's grieving opened the door to new visions of God. The text tells us that Anna was a prophet, which means, she was someone who received special insights into who God was and what he wanted for his people. We don't know if she was considered a prophet before the death of her husband or just after, but there is good reason to believe that this new ability to hear a word from God came only after the tragedy of her husband's death.

I don't believe for a moment that God caused her husband's death to make her a prophet. I don't think that is how God works. I do believe that some visions of God only come to those who have tasted grief. Sometimes, it takes a great loss for us to be in the right frame of mind to hear a word from God.

Sitting there day after day, still reeling from her grief, Anna was not consumed with many of the things that concerned others in the temple courts. All the old contests, all the old concerns, all the old activities that filled her former days had lost their luster for this grieving saint. Instead, her heart was filled with the deepest longings for good to prevail and for life to be restored.

Those longings led her to prayer. Prayer led her to God. God gave her a glimpse of the Messiah.

Which leads me to the last point: True hope resides only on the far side of loss. People who have never lost anything, the extremely young, or the extremely sheltered, don't tend to long for the future because they mistakenly believe they have everything they need today. Those who have experienced loss, recognize the need for an intervening hand. Not all those whose hearts ache turn their heart's attention towards the Lord, but Anna did. For over seventy years she listened, and she watched. She knew this life didn't hold the answers to all our yearnings, so she longed for another.
Eventually, she saw the God-child that would fulfill the longings of all those who were on the lookout for something more. Glory! What a moment it must have been. We know it was a special moment because of the way the Bible highlights this grieving widow. Very few people in the Bible get named. We don't know the names or the shepherds or the wise men, but Anna, watchful, grieving Anna, gets named. Like I said, it's a high honor to be named in the pages of the scriptures.

You know who also doesn't get named, all the other people at the Temple that day. There were likely lots of them. These other people not only don't get named, they don't see. Nope. These other people did not see Jesus that day, even though he was there for all to behold. They were too happy, too content, too preoccupied with the present to be on the lookout for the future that was unfolding at their feet.

Who stays on the lookout for such things? Only those who have lost something. Only those who are looking for something or someone to return. In other words, only those who grieve.

Jesus once said, "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). It's a weird thing to say, especially when we realize that the word blessed can also be translated happy. Happy are those who grieve. Strange and not a verse we often associate with Christmas.

I wonder if we might not think of it as Anna's verse. Maybe it can be your Christmas verse, too.

Blessed as those who mourn, for those who watch, for they shall see what others don't and be comforted.Taylor Sandlinhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-51603735459864659372016-09-15T13:55:00.000-07:002016-09-15T13:58:49.911-07:00Doggone! Waiting on the Lord is tough!

I have a problem. Actually, I have two problems. One is a Shi-Tzu named Gracie. The other one is a Shi-Tzu/poodle mix named Aggie. Like most families, we love our dogs. We love our dogs because they love us. Hence the problem. My dogs love us so much they can't bear to be apart from us. When we leave each day for school or work, they begin an excavation project under the fence in an effort to escape the confines of the yard and find their people. Most of the time, this is not too big of a problem, because I come home at lunch and drop rocks or bricks in the holes and thwart their efforts. Unfortunately, the rains have softened the dirt and made an escape possible with just a few hours of digging.<o:p></o:p>

I am grateful that neighbors keep finding my dogs and returning them to me, but I can tell that this cycle of dig-escape-find-my-people is negatively reinforcing my dogs' bad behavior. In their doggy brains, their efforts at finding us prove successful over and over again. I can tell they think this is working because they are now digging with even more gusto! It does not matter how many rocks/boards/step stones I drop in their holes; they just keep digging. I know that their efforts reduce the likelihood that they will see us at the end of the day. We will always come home to them if they are patient. Some day, they may get lost if they keep digging out. I just can't figure out how to convince them of this!<o:p></o:p>

The saga with my dogs struck a chord with me while listening to a sermon by my friend Steve Wells, pastor of South Main Baptist Church in Houston, TX. His sermon, based on Matthew 6:25-33, touched on the fact that we can often be as clueless as my dogs when it comes to worry. Time and time again we find ourselves in situations in which there is nothing for us to do but wait patiently on the Lord. Steve gives an example of a child playing sports. We can make sure that our kids have the proper safety equipment and know the rules. But, if we are going to let them play, then we have to acknowledge that whether or not they get hurt lies beyond our control.<o:p></o:p>

We have trouble admitting that we don't have control over something in our lives. We especially don't like not being able to do anything to alter our circumstances, so we worry, which feels very much like doing something. We do love to be doing something. When what we worry about does not happen, we negatively reinforce the act of worrying. Subconsciously, we believe that our worrying helped prevent some great evil from occurring. In actuality, our worrying did nothing to prevent trouble from coming our way. Instead, worry added unnecessary trouble to our lives. Studies show that perpetual worry adds undo stress to our lives and threatens our health. <o:p></o:p>

Most of the time, when we simply wait on the Lord, trusting in his providential care, things will work out just fine. Not worrying will save us from all manner of trouble in the meantime. If the bad thing we are worried about does happen, worrying will not make us better prepared on that day. It will simply have robbed us of the joys we could have experienced up to that point. Better to simply trust that not everything in this world is up to us. The things that are, let us do with grace and skill. Those that aren't, let us turn over to God, trusting he cares for us.<o:p></o:p>

Now, if I could just convince my dogs not to worry about me when I'm gone.<o:p></o:p>

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? – Luke 12:25-26<o:p></o:p>
Taylor Sandlinhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-82587937483313178242016-06-04T22:36:00.000-07:002016-06-04T22:36:05.950-07:002016 City Champions: Northern Nationals!

Taylor Sandlinhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-77247441604198318412016-06-03T12:08:00.003-07:002016-06-03T12:08:36.174-07:00Friday Photo: Baseball at Sunset

John Curtis's baseball team has had a great year. They finished third in the pre-season tourney, placed 1st in their league play, 3rd overall in the combined city standings, and play tonight for the City Tournament championship. I've had fun taking pictures of the games. This was in the semifinal game a couple of nights ago.Taylor Sandlinhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-69691650908525199712016-06-02T10:28:00.000-07:002016-06-02T10:28:11.278-07:00Making Room

When Alyson and I moved into our house a couple of years ago, we were thrilled with the fact that it had a really nice shed in the back of the property. OK, I was thrilled with the shed. It was big enough to hold all of my tools, the lawnmower, and still have room for a nice workbench. I had visions of all sorts of projects taking place in that space. Right from the start, however, it became the place we put things when those things had no place else to go. Two years in, I not only couldn't access the workbench, I couldn't even access most of the stuff stored in the shed. Just trying to retrieve something I needed from the back of the building pushed me over the edge. What good is a shed full of stuff if you can't get to any of it?<o:p></o:p>

Many of our calendars look a lot like my shed. They filled to the brim with activities, tasks, and responsibilities. There's baseball, dance, civic boards, PTO meetings, that volunteer opportunity down at the church. God is in there somewhere, too, but who has the time or energy to find him? By saying "Yes" to too many things, we end up exceeding the limits of our humanity. By committing to more things than we have the time, energy, or ability for, we reducing our capacity to enjoy any one thing to the full. We get frustrated with the stress and fatigue and angry at the fact that our lives are not as we think they should be.<o:p></o:p>

What is the remedy? We have to say "No" far more often than we do in order to create the space necessary to embrace a few key opportunities in our life. Like my shed, our lives can only hold so much. Like my shed, we can cram every available space with something, even something good, but when we do, we actually impede our ability to live our lives as God intended them to be lived. We are to have both activity and inactivity in our lives. These moments of inactivity give us the room necessary to think, reflect, rest, and recuperate. All necessary tasks in this life of work, worship, and play. <o:p></o:p>

It took Alyson and me an entire day to clean out the shed. We ended up giving or throwing away 75% of what was in there. Now, there is plenty of empty space in the building. There's even room to dance a little jig, which I may or may not have done when we finished. If I did dance a little, it was because I realized how much less stressed I was in that space. I also understood, this reduction of things actually increased the chance that I'd be able to enjoy the things that remain like that workbench. If creating space in my storage shed can bring this much joy, just think what it could do for the more important spaces in our lives.<o:p></o:p>

What is something you might need to give up in order to better enjoy the things that remain? What might you need to say "No" to in order to say "Yes" to the Lord?<o:p></o:p>

I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing" - Psalm 16:2<o:p></o:p>
Taylor Sandlinhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-28701054455611318832016-05-27T01:00:00.000-07:002016-05-27T01:00:01.187-07:00Friday Photo: How full is your bucket?

Northern Oak Hairstreak, San Angelo, Texas - Photo taken May 21, 2016 by Taylor Sandlin.

In his book, Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul, Bill Hybels uses the metaphor of a bucket to describe the state of our lives. We all have practices in our lives that drain our bucket. We also have practices that fill our buckets up. Life includes both kinds of activities. It is not noble or good to do only those things that drain us. We must also do those things that fill us up.

One of the activities that fills me up is nature photography. I came to this activity unexpectedly. When Alyson and I purchased our present house, we were delighted to discover that the previous owner had planted a wide variety of butterfly-friendly plants in the back yard. At times in the summer, we will have as many as fifty butterflies flying around the backyard at once. It is an amazing experience to sit out there and watch them. Somewhere along the way, I started taking pictures of them. I had more fun doing this than is easily explained. I had stumbled upon an activity that fills my bucket.

Now, on my day off, you will often find me in one of my cities' many gardens, snapping pictures of butterflies, birds, or whatever else comes across my path. I take the pictures for the sake of my own soul, but I also have fun sharing them with folks who enjoy looking at nature photos, hence the new weekly post, "Friday Photos." If you like the photos, you can follow me on instagram @revtexag.

What is something that fills your bucket?Taylor Sandlinhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-57571310538410371282016-05-26T08:43:00.004-07:002016-05-26T08:43:47.306-07:00Is it summer yet?
Is it summer yet? Alyson and I need it to be summer. Between the baseball games and ballet recitals, the school parties and the awards assemblies, we need summer. We need summer because we need life to be simpler. In our minds, summer equals simple. My guess is that we are not the only ones who long for life to be a little less hectic.

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Everywhere you look people are overscheduled, overwhelmed, and downright exhausted. No one I know likes living this way, and yet, few of us seem to know how to get off the hamster wheel. It is notable that God did not set up life this way. He did make us for work, but God's aim was never for us to work ourselves silly. God made us to work and rest. Six days you'll work, he said, on the seventh day you will do no work. As a kid it seemed strange to me that God would have to command people not to work. Now, as an adult, I get it. Sometimes we have to be told, "Stop. Put the hammer down. Close the laptop. Turn off your phone. Stop working. Rest."<o:p></o:p>

Sabbath rest sounds so good, but how do we practice it in our lives? We are so bad at resting, so bad at saying no to lesser things for the purpose of saying yes to the best things. Such disciplined living doesn't happen by accident. We have to consciously work at living simpler lives. We're going to explore how to do just that this summer during our summer book study. Stating June 1, we will work our way through Bill Hybels book, Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul. You don't have to have a book to participate in the study, but we have them available for purchase if you want one.<o:p></o:p>

Summer Book Study: Simplify by Bill Hybels

 Wednesdays, 12:10-12:50 in the Multipurpose Room. Starts June 1.

Bring your own lunch. Tea is provided.

Books are only $10 if you get them from the church. The paperback is $9.54 on Amazon, $9.06 on Kindle. You don't have to have a book to participate in the study.

If you want to come and need childcare, please let the church office know (949-9633).

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<o:p> </o:p>My prayer is that this won't be one more thing on your to-do list, but will be a helpful step in finding God through simplified living.

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Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him – Psalm 62:1<o:p></o:p>

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Related Links

Worst End of School Year Mom Ever – The Today Show has reposted a Jen Hatmaker essay from a few years ago about her end of the schoolyear struggles. Super funny. Read, laugh, and enjoy. My kids are past the learning to read phase and all I can say is, "Praise God."

Simplify by Bill Hybels – Preview the book on the book's website.

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Taylor Sandlinhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-39270594449767258582016-05-19T13:26:00.000-07:002016-05-19T13:26:19.123-07:00Get Dressed Up
When you woke up this morning, how long did you spend getting ready to head out the door? Did <o:p></o:p>
you take a while trying to pick out what to wear? Are you one of those people who picks out their clothes the night before? Did it need ironing? How long did you spend on your hair? Makeup? Shaving? Making oneself presentable can take a little while, can't it? That's especially true if you're trying to make a good impression. Who of us hasn't agonized over which shirt or dress to wear on a date? I admit that I spend a little more time getting ready on Sunday mornings than I do on Saturday mornings.

For all the effort we put into our physical appearances, the apostle Paul writes we should put even more effort into our spiritual appearances. He writes to the Christians in Colossae that we are to "clothe [ourselves] with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience . . . and over all these virtues put on love." What a beautiful image. Every morning, just as we put on our physical clothes, we are to clothe ourselves with those virtues that make us look like Jesus. Paul's words remind us that wearing this clothing is often a conscious effort. If I don't choose to wear kindness today, I'll likely be mean spirited. If I forget to consciously choose to put on humility, I run the risk of being caught in public wearing only my pride – far worse than being caught in your bathrobe if you ask me!<o:p></o:p>

But how do we choose such things? Well, just like it takes time to get physically ready in the morning, it also takes time to get spiritually ready. James reminds us that God's Word acts as a mirror for our souls (James 1:22-25). Spending time reading our Bibles helps us to be ready for the day. Spending time in prayer asking God to dress us up for the day can have the same effect. You can even do both at once. You could memorize Colossians 3:12-14 by writing it on a note card and putting it on your bathroom mirror. Then use it as a centering prayer as you get ready every morning. That is, repeat the verse in the form of a prayer over and over as you comb your hair and brush your teeth and take a shower as a way of getting dressed up in these virtues. And as you head out the door, don't forget the most important part of all, throw on that coat of love which binds up the whole Christian life in one beautiful ensemble.<o:p></o:p>

Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature – Romans 13:14.<o:p></o:p>

Online resources

Youversion.com– This is a free Bible program for your phone, tablet, or computer. It allows you to sign up for daily Bible readings and will help you develop the holy habit of staying in God's word.

 Biblegateway.com– This is another app / website that offers free access to many versions of the Bible. It also has several reading plans you can sign up for.

D365.org – This is an online devotional that's simple, well done, and helpful for starting the day well. They have an app for your mobile device as well.

ODB.org – This is the web version of Our Daily Bread, a devotional resource that has been around for ages. You can even download the devotionals as a podcast to listen to in the car or on the go.

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Taylor Sandlinhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-7497290934836203382015-09-17T11:04:00.001-07:002015-09-17T11:04:11.516-07:00"Wherever you are, be all there."

Three weeks into the September and summertime boredom is a distant memory at the Sandlin household. The boxes on our calendar aren't big enough to write in all we have to do each day. Carpooling, lunch making, and homework checking have filled up our schedule. It's easy to wish we could somehow go back to simpler days or fast forward to some future, imagined season of peace. We know all too well, however, that life can't be lived in any moment but the present.<o:p></o:p>

I am reminded once again that our lives tend to occur in seasons. Some seasons of life, it's all you can do to simply keep up. During other seasons you find yourself wishing for more to do. Whatever season of life we happen to find ourselves in, we have a tendency to quickly wish that we were somewhere else. One of the greatest lessons of life is to learn to be present wherever you happen to be.<o:p></o:p>

The missionary Jim Elliot once said, "Wherever you are, be all there." I like that even if I struggle to live it. One thing that has helped me learn to live it a little better in the present is to ask myself at the end of each day, "Where did I most sense God's presence today?" And also, "Where did I struggle to be aware of God's presence today?" The difference often has to do with whether or not I am living in the present season or attempting to fast forward (or rewind!) to some other place. <o:p></o:p>

Is your life hectic? Learn to find God in the chaos. Is your life a bore? Learn to find God in the slowness. Wherever we are, God is there, too. We can find him if we look. To see him, though, we have stop gazing at the place we wish we were and start looking carefully at where we are. <o:p></o:p>

"The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything" - Philippians 4:5-6.<o:p></o:p>

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Extra Reading:

The Virtue of Patience – Looking for a deeper study on the Christian virtue of patience? Try this online Bible study from Christianity Today.

The Cure for Impatience: Gratitude – I always love it when secular authors stumble onto biblical truth. Jessica Stillman writes for Inc. magazine about the connection between gratitude and patience.

Taylor Sandlinhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-10346661710013658622015-05-28T12:54:00.000-07:002015-05-28T12:54:18.757-07:006 ways to refresh your soul this summer!

"One more day until summer vacation!" announced my children this morning. Alyson, a third grade teacher, and the kids have been counting down the days for a few weeks now. Tomorrow afternoon that vision will become reality. Their souls seem refreshed already!

No matter how lovely a school you attend or how much you enjoy your work, the best routines can start to feel more like ruts without the occasional break. This is true in our spiritual lives as well. Let me suggest six ways you can refresh the soul this summer with simple changes in your spiritual routine.

Eat breakfast with Jesus – For many of us, breakfasts during the school year are hectic affairs. In the summer, however, our mornings slow down. Seize the opportunity by enjoying a cup of coffee on the back porch with your Bible before heading to work or the pool. Reading just one chapter a day would easily get you through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Start a thankfulness journal / chart – Nothing rejuvenates the spirit quite like thankfulness. Practice thankfulness by recording at least one thing for which you are grateful each day. At the Sandlin house we keep track of what we are grateful for on a calendar on the refrigerator.

Take a real day off – Summer vacations are nice, but sometimes we fill our vacations with so much activity that we long to return to work just to slow down the pace! The Bible teaches us that God often does his best work in us when we truly slow down and spend time alone with him. Try taking a day or half a day totally off. Leave your electronic gadgets behind. Take a walk. Take a nap. Leave yourself open to the presence God that sometimes can only be found when the calendar remains empty.

Eat together – Few things connect us to one another like a shared meal. There's a reason Jesus left us the Lord's Supper as an enduring reminder of his presence among us! Eat more meals with other people. Force your teenagers to eat with the grownups (they'll thank you later!). Invite a new friend from Sunday School to share a burger together. Cross the street and invite a neighbor over for lunch. Don't be surprised when chips and hotdogs serve as appetizers to the kingdom of God.

Go to church – I know that it's easy to skip church when you are on vacation, but don't! Vacations are an excellent time to drop into a sister congregation's worship service. When I'm on vacation, I especially like visiting churches in other traditions. I'm always fascinated by what is different and almost always encouraged by the many, many things that remain the same. Going to church on vacation reminds me that the kingdom of God is much, much bigger than my one particular congregation.

Have fun! – Somewhere along the line, we got the really bad idea that fun and faith don't go together. That's a lie straight from hell. God is the one who invented play! Just look at how even the animals love to play. Laughter, creativity, joy – all of these result from play and are gifts from God's hand. So whether it's at the pool, over dominoes, with a guitar, or on hike, have fun! You'll not only feel better, you might just discover the joy of the Lord in the midst of the fun.

Whatever you do this summer, I pray you'll discover the refreshing presence of the Lord.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul – Psalm 23:1-3a

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Good Reads from the Internet: This week's good reads come from the same source. Author Amy Julia Becker authors the blog "Thin Places" for Christianity today. She writes about Faith, Family, and Disability. I've enjoyed her writing. The posts below each call us to take a break in the profoundest of ways.

Want a Better Devotional Life? Buy a Bird Feeder

What Slowing Down Teaches You that Rushing Never Will

The Serious Pleasure of Summer Reading

Taylor Sandlinhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-85417154480090827692015-02-26T08:27:00.001-08:002015-02-26T08:28:00.461-08:00"I am not"

Last Sunday we began a sermon series that will walk through Jesus's seven "I Am" statements in the gospel of John. These seven statements give us a robust picture of who Jesus is in our world and who he desires to be in our lives.

I am the Bread of Life.
I am the Light of the World.
I am the Door.
I am the Good Shepherd.
I am the Resurrection and the Life.
I am the True Vine.
I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.
Each phrase echoes God's self-disclosure to Moses at the burning bush: I AM who I AM. Each phrase adds a beautiful layer of color to our understanding of Jesus Christ as LORD.

There is an eighth "I am" statement in John's gospel that gets less attention. In part, because this eighth phrase is uttered by someone other than Jesus. This eighth "I am" is no less important, because it paves the way for understanding Jesus as the great "I AM." It's found in the very first chapter of John's gospel when some folks asked John the Baptist if he was the Messiah. He responded plainly:

I am not.
The eighth "I am" statement reminds us that we can only acknowledge Jesus as Lord when we lay down our own claims to the throne. To know Jesus as the Bread of Life requires acknowledging that I cannot sustain myself. Without his grace we will starve both physically and spiritually. To know Jesus as the light of the world requires acknowledging that we walk in darkness without his presence. To know the Way the Truth and the Life requires admitting that we are flat lost without his guiding care.

Jesus is the great I Am. Thankfully, blessedly, we are not. The sooner we admit that, the better off we will be.

For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." – Luke 14:11

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Good reads from the internet this week

Why People Don't Leave Your Church – Plenty of articles explore why people leave churches, but have you ever wondered why people stay? George Bullard explores ten reasons why people stick with their church.

Chicken and Fries – Jen Hatmaker explores the damage that can happen when we refuse to entertain other options in our life and our thoughts and how humility can keep us from hurting others and making fools of ourselves.

Taylor Sandlinhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-83369094352399231182015-02-12T09:24:00.002-08:002015-02-13T06:42:54.785-08:00"Friendship is a sheltering tree"This week, Southland celebrates the life of two wonderful men, Lonny Whitehorn and Dwain Dodson. Sitting with both of these families this week, I've been reminded once again that more than anything else, life is about relationships. Family, friendship, community these are gifts from God. They're what make life worthwhile.

When we search the scriptures, what we learn from the very beginning, is that life was meant to be lived together. Creation itself speaks to this great truth. For what good is a creation, thought God, without someone to share it with. Remember the story. After each day of creation God would look at it and say, "It is good." But after creating man and woman on that sixth day, after creating someone who could share in the wonders of what had been made, only then did God look at it and declare, "It was very good."

Relationships are what constantly transform things from being good, to being very good. We've all seen it. A joke, that's pretty funny on its own becomes hysterical when shared with the right set of friends. A story that's decent enough, all the sudden becomes a classic when shared among the right companions. Friendship makes meals taste better, conversations richer, and vacations more memorable. Friendship makes our days a little brighter.

Friends do more than make life a little sweeter. They make trials more bearable. The book of Proverbs tells us "A friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity" (17:17). It doesn't take very much living in this life to recognize that adversity comes to each one of us. God has never promised us a life without trouble – but in our friends and family and church – he's promised to give us everything we need to persevere. I think of Jesus in the Garden. On the eve before his death, even there, especially there, the Son of God chose not to be alone but to be among his friends.

Samuel Coleridge wrote a poem titled "Youth and Age" with the line, "Friendship is a sheltering tree." What a great image. Friends are those people in our lives who provide shade from life's heat, refuge from life's winds. You can find comfort in their arms, strength in their faith. Their words, like sweet fruit can bring encouragement to your soul.

Both Lonny and Dwain blessed our faith community through friendships they developed. We are grateful to have called them our friends.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends. – Jesus, in John 15:15

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Good reads from the internet this week

Brian Williams and the Ugly Allure of Embellishing the Truth – Brian Kammerzelt resists the urge to pile on the hate towards Brian Williams. Instead, he turns the attention back on our own hearts and the lessons we can learn from another's mistake.

MySpace? My friend, Pastor Katie McKown, writes about the sacredness of relationships and the space that makes those relationships possible. A beautiful essay that will move anyone who has a treasured space in a church building.

Lenten People and Easter People – Another friend, Craig Nash explores the ways different people can embody the already and the not yet of the Christian faith. He encourages us to learn to love and to learn from each other in the mist of our differences.

Taylor Sandlinhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-26835175592303233272015-02-05T09:35:00.003-08:002015-02-05T09:37:33.639-08:00Of Baseball and BeggarsNow that the Super Bowl is over, my family is turning our attention to baseball season. One of my favorite baseball memories involves a couple of trips to watch the Texas Rangers play with Mission Waco, a ministry to the down and out. Each year, a few volunteers from this ministry would load up a bus with a bunch of homeless guys and head to the game. The years I went proved to be an enormous amount of fun.

I always laughed as they entered the stadium because the first thing many of the guys would do is head to the tent that was offering free t-shirts for filling out a credit-card application. Somehow I didn't think they would qualify.

I also got a chuckle as the beer vendors came around hawking their ware. "Ice cold beer, six dollars" they'd say in their practiced cadence. Several of the guys began to mimic their sales pitch with their own street-smart perspective, "Ice-cold relapse, six dollars."

On one occasion, my laughter turned to concern when one of the guys got into a heated argument with a lady sitting in front of us after she made a rude comment about the way he smelled. At first, I was furious with the woman for being so unkind. Then, as the guys quickly put on display their poor people skills, I found myself embarrassed by my own company.

There's nothing romantic about being homeless. These guys could be as crude and rude as you can imagine. I found myself wanting to say to the lady and to anyone else who was watching, "I'm not with these guys. Well, I'm with them, but only because I'm trying to help them out. I'm not actually one of them. In fact, I'm a ministerial student."

I realized then, and try to remember now, that my desire to distance myself from those literal beggars, meant I still had much to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Most of us don't want to be known as beggars. We want to be known as hard workers, as people who make a contribution. In contemporary political discourse we want to be makers and not takers. And yet, over and over again, the Bible makes clear that the kingdom of God can't be earned, only received. That makes all of us in the church, as C.S. Lewis once put it, nothing more than jolly beggars.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. . . Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord." – 1 Corinthians 1:26-27, 31

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Good Reads from the Internet this Week

4 Bible Verses That Are Constantly Used out of Context – It's easy to make Bible verses say what we want them to say. Author Thomas Turner takes a look at for verses that are frequently taken out of context and helps us understand what they may have meant to the original hearers of those words.

Four Lessons From the Super Bowl Losers – Jim Denison draws some insights from the team that lost the super bowl including this gem: "A score is not a soul. We are human 'beings,' not human 'doings.' We are more than our achievements and failures, no matter what the world thinks of them."

Right or Wrong? Morning Prayer – The Baptist Standard recently published an article of mine on morning prayer. If you're a Southland Member you've heard something similar from me before, but it might be a good refresher, nonetheless.

Taylor Sandlinhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-41266744224134346282015-01-29T09:41:00.002-08:002015-01-29T09:41:30.536-08:00Consumption, Communion, and Caring for the Least of These

All across our country people are preparing for this upcoming Sunday. Mainly they're preparing for Super Bowl Sunday by buying super amounts of food! Economists estimate that over $55 million worth of food will be purchased in the next few days. All that money buys us among other things, 20 million pounds of chips, 3.8 million pounds of popcorn, and get this, 12 million pounds of avocados. The only other day we Americans eat more food than Super Bowl Sunday is Thanksgiving. Fortunately, much like Thanksgiving Day, we will not be attempting this marvelous feat of consumption alone - according to Hallmark Cards, the Super Bowl, is the #1 night for in home parties all year long, outdoing another festive holiday, New Year's Eve.

At my church, Southland Baptist Church, we are also making preparations for this Sunday that also involve a bit of food. Last night our children baked the bread that we will use in our Communion service. While we primarily know the Lord's Supper as a ritual we do at church in a very solemn manner at very set times, in the early days of the church, it may have looked more like what will be going on in our homes Sunday night. No, there wouldn't be a football game, and I'm not sure they had guacamole in the first century. But there would have been a gathering of family of friends in someone's house, and there would have been a meal.

This gathering would include singing, reading of scriptures, prayer, probably a reading of one of Paul's or another apostle's teaching, and almost certainly a meal which would come to be known as an "agape meal" or love feast. Think of it as a weekly pot luck. Far from being a separate, ritualized affair, church history tells us that the Lord's Supper most likely occurred either during or after this agape meal. If there were leftovers, they would be distributed to the poor. Later, as the meal became more of a ceremony and less of a meal, the distribution of leftovers was replaced by a monetary collection for those in need.

We continue this practice at my each time we observe the Lord's Supper by taking up an offering for World Hunger. Other churches take up a collection for their own benevolence ministry during their Communion services. What a difference it might make if this upcoming Sunday if we gave to the poor that which we intended to spend on junk food? Our waistlines and our neighbors would both thank us for this very different kind spending in preparation for the big game.

With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need – Acts 4:33-35

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Read more on this topic:

Texas Baptist Hunger Offering – See one of the ways Texas Baptist churches care for the needy around the world.

49 Things You Need to Know About Super Bowl XLIX – OK, you don't really need to know these things, but this Forbe's article contains a lot of fun facts about this year's game.

Souper Bowl of Caring - Nationwide, youth-led effort which encourages people to give one dollar while leaving worship services on Super Bowl Sunday.

Taylor Sandlinhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-72431201553865617362015-01-22T08:47:00.002-08:002015-01-22T08:51:52.744-08:00The Most Important Question for Christian Leaders

Following Mom by Tambako The Jaguar on Flickr

One of the great blessings in my life is a pastor peer group that I meet with once a month. We gather to pray for one another, learn from each other, and just as importantly, to enjoy one another's presence. That last part is the most important part. Everyone needs friends who love them just because.

Our desperate need for unconditional love has been reaffirmed by a book we've been reading together by Henri Nouwen entitled, In the Name of Jesus. In classic Nouwen style, the book makes the case that Christian leadership is not primarily about leading, but rather, being led. If we are Christian leaders, the leadership we most need to be concerned about is Christ's leadership in our own lives and not our influence in the lives of others.

That our relationship with Jesus is primary is a reminder even preachers need to hear on a regular basis. It's easy in this life to think that our value and our worth and our significance depend upon any number of factors other than our relationship with Jesus. Nouwen especially takes to task the temptation of thinking our importance to God depends upon our relevance to the world around us. The desire to be relevant is basic human desire. We want to believe that our lives matter. We want to believe that we have made a difference in the world. We are tempted to think that is only possible if we remain relevant on the world's terms.

This is not only a problem for individuals. As the church's influence in our culture diminishes, it is tempting for the church at large to spend an inordinate amount of time on issues of relevance. Nouwen reminds us that we follow a Savior who was not relevant in his day. Instead, he was "crucified and put away . . . by a world in search of power, efficiency, and control." Nouwen goes on to challenge us by writing, "The question is not: How many people take you seriously? How much are you going to accomplish? Can you show some results? But: Are you in love with Jesus?"

To be significant in the Kingdom of God requires not relevance but love. Jesus loves us. That makes us relevant to him. Let us now, in gratitude, love the one who first loved us, and love our neighbors as ourselves.

We love because he first loved us – 1 John 4:19

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Read more on this topic:
1. In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen. This is the book I mentioned in the post. It's aimed primarily at ministers, but would be valuable to anyone who longs to find their worth in Jesus alone. You can read this book in an afternoon, but the fruit of its wisdom proves long lasting.
2. The Church Needs More Followers – a book review of Len Sweet's book, I Am a Follower over on Scot McKnight's blog, Jesus Creed. Good conversation starter about the evangelical church's views on leadership.
3. Leading the Follower by Bob Wells. This is a lengthy essay on the healthy tension between pastoral leadership and active lay followership. Wells argues that there isn't a one size fits all model for congregations but that every congregation needs an engaged laity that is willing to both follow and challenge their leaders.

Taylor Sandlinhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-70235856237728813562014-12-04T09:11:00.000-08:002014-12-04T09:15:11.473-08:00You don't know what it's like to be me.Last night, two channels owned by the same company showed vastly different events happening literally blocks from one another. On NBC viewers could watch the lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller center. Over on MSNBC (and every other cable news channel) viewers could witness protests that erupted just a few blocks down the street after a grand jury decided not to indict the officer involved in Eric Garner's death. For many on social media, the disparity between the two videos was astounding.

At about the same time around thirty of us gathered for our weekly ritual of Bible study in a small classroom at Southland Baptist Church. We had our Bibles open to Job 9 and discovered that Christmas celebrations and protests over injustice may have more in common than we realize.

If you are unfamiliar with the story, Job was a righteous man who came under tremendous testing. His family died, his wealth vanished, his health failed so that by the time we find him in chapter 9, he is sitting in an ash heap with festering boils all over his body. He complains to his friends that God is too far removed from life on the ground to understand what it is like to be a suffering human being.

He laments:

 God is not a man like me – someone I could answer –
 so that we could come together in court.
 Oh, that there was a mediator between us;
 he would lay his hand on both of us. (9:32-33)

 Do you, [God], have physical eyes;
 do you see like a human?
 Are your days like those of a human,
 your years like years of a human,
 that you search for my wrongdoing and seek my sin? (10:4-5)

It's a bold complaint to say the least, one most of us would consider sacrileges if it wasn't right there in the Bible. That God includes this protest in the pages of Holy Scriptures surprises us. What should surprise us even more is that God listened to Job and answered his plea.

Job cried out, "God, you don't know what it is like to be me."

At Christmas, God answered, not with defensiveness, but with grace: "You are right Job. I don't, but I am sending one who will find out. I'm sending one who will indeed be able to lay a hand on both of us, so that the gulf between us might be spanned."

When I watch the news and the reaction to the news and the reaction to the reactions of the news, I get the feeling that almost all of us are standing around shouting out Job's protest to one another.

African American's are saying to their white neighbors, "You don't know what it's like to walk down the street as a black person, especially a black man, in America."

Likewise, police officers are saying to those they are called to protect, "You don't know what it's like to go to work every day and risk your life to protect and serve."

Both, I suppose, are correct. Most of us live out of our own perspective with little attempt to understand another's point of view. At least, I know that's true for me far too often.

When we are accused of not being able to understand another's perspective our tendency is to resort to defensiveness. Instinctively, we seek to protect our own point of view.

What would happen this Christmas, however, if we followed the pattern of Jesus? What would happen if we left the safety of our group, our people, our place and walked alongside a neighbor, black, white or brown, police or civilian, and simply asked, "Tell me, what it is like to be you?"

We might just discover that the Mediator between heaven and humanity can work through us to mediate between neighbors here on earth.

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15 Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying. 16 Consider everyone as equal, and don't think that you're better than anyone else. Instead, associate with people who have no status. Don't think that you're so smart. 17 Don't pay back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions, but show respect for what everyone else believes is good.18 If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people. – Romans 12:15-18

Taylor Sandlinhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7607249172269973997.post-41591788011317329322014-08-28T07:40:00.001-07:002014-08-28T08:39:19.394-07:00Getting Our Political Speech Right

This summer, my congregation has been studying the book of James on Sunday morning. In James 3:9-10, James diagnoses one of our greatest inconsistencies as Christians.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
As several church members have admitted, nowhere is this inconsistency of speech more apparent than in our political discourse. One of our problems is that we fail to remember that our politicians are actual people. Most of us don't personally know our politicians so verbally attacking them feels more like attacking an idea than a person.

While any particular politician may function as a symbol of his or her party's platform, that politician is first and foremost, a person. A person who, as James reminds us, is made in the image of God. If we are to take James's word seriously, we must recognize that God takes our speech about other people seriously, even our speech about politicians.

What are we to do, then, in political discussions about politicians with whom we disagree, often vehemently? Here are some basic suggestions.

Avoid personal, ad hominem attacks. None of us know the motivations of another person. While it is easy to assume that our political opponents have nefarious reasons for their actions, the far more likely explanation of their deeds is that they believe their party's platform is the best course of action for the country. There's no need to label a person as evil for simply holding a different political position than you do. Remember, James calls that kind speech evil!

Take time to listen to the other person's point of view. Recall James's admonition earlier in the letter: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19). This applies to politics! When we understand another person's point of view, we still may not agree with their policy decisions, but we will tend to see them as actual people with legitimate concerns. This alone will help lessen the temptation to verbally assault our political opponents.

Focus the discussion on policies not personalities. Slandering people is easy. It is the political discourse of the lazy. It's also 100% unhelpful. Life is complicated. The problems our country and this world face are multifaceted. We actually need good discussion about solutions. Good discussion focuses upon policies and not people. What policies do you disagree with? Why do you disagree with them? What policies do you think would be better? Where are points of agreement?

Pray for your political opponents. Few actions help us remember that others are made in God's image better than praying for them. If Jesus commanded us to pray for our enemies, then it makes sense that we should pray for our political opponents, as well. And as one wise woman noted last night at Prayer Meeting, "What a difference it might make if we replaced all the mean spirited words we say about our political opponents with prayers!" I say a hearty "Amen" to that!

Looking over this list, I realize that living this out would not only help us take James's words seriously, but also Jesus's, who commanded us "In everything, do unto others as you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12).Taylor Sandlinhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com


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Works and Days
Monday, March 12, 2012
Cradle Hymns - IV: The End of the World
Doomsday is in this year, so it seems appropriate to post a cradle hymn on the subject. The Wailin' Jennys' excellent "Apocalypse Lullaby" gives voice to human love, strong and calm in the midst of bombs, wars, and the destruction of societal systems. It is at once immediate and prophetic, of our time and of a time just beyond the horizon - not an expected subject, but more striking and beautiful for it.
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Seeing the person behind the patient
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Caring for a terminally ill patient whose final wish was to marry her partner taught nursing student Charlotte Collins the true meaning of person-centred care.
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