The Turning

Last day of 2008. I appreciate the new year for it is a chance to revisit priorities and determine what matters most and what will matter most this coming year. And yet where to start in this re-evaluation and re-determined approach to life is a challenge.

We were in Grand Junction for Christmas (Dec. 24th - Dec. 29th). It was a great time together. Great fellowship. Great food. It's always nice to retreat from life and reaffirm those things that matter most. I'm very grateful for in-laws that open their home and don't mind taking care of us all. And let us just take it easy to re-energize our lives.

December 28th we went to Redlands Community Church there in Grand Junction. This is my wife's parents church. I always enjoy going because the worship is intimate (Piano, 2 guitars, Drums) and three singers. The song selection is familiar to me and yet I can tell it is somewhat new to those attending, at least a few of the songs. It's familiar often because I'm up on the latest tunes. I always love singing new songs (Psalm 40). The size is quaint. Just enough for the regular attender to still meet new people and yet not so big that you feel like you could get lost. The pastor--Joe Gross--is very conversational in his delivery as he exposits the Word (verse by verse).

On Sunday, he spoke from Hebrews 5:11-14. A familiar passage and yet one, I'm guessing, I hadn't read in several years. He didn't read the text, though he covered every line and word. The giest of the message was, "Are you still an infant in your faith or have you moved onto meat of God's teaching and words?" That's the high level look at the text. Along the way, he mentioned some interesting thoughts, one was whether or not we find ourselves living on milk still. He made the remark that milk is a pre-digested food which he meant to say that many disciples are still in the mode of milk-learning or learning from another (i.e. sitting and listening to someone else's quiet time observations from their study of the Bible, like in a sunday school lesson or a sermon). Thus, the challenge is how many of us are actually involved in bible reading on our own and experiencing God through the reading of His word? Or are we conditioned now to just listen to the reading of the word?

Since September 15th, I've started a Bible reading plan. Initially, I followed the rote read the Bible in a year plan. However, recently, as I've started through I Samuel I've started seeing that my reading has become a ritual versus a quest for engaging with My savior and understanding His Words. So, I've started taking notes and in that process, I'm currently way behind on the yearly plan. And yet I sense my understanding of it has expanded.

This moves me to my second observation which is found in verse 14. My favorite verse over the past several years has been I Timothy 4:7-8, "Train yourself for Godliness. For physical training has some value, but godliness has value for all things." Verse 14 of Hebrews 5 has the same sentiment, "But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." Once again, the reminder is Read the Book.

As I turn the year, my prayer is that the new year will include time training myself in God's word so that I can more clearly distinguish good and evil. There are so many choices available for how I spend my time. In addition, as I train myself, I want to train my family. And yet my confidence in carrying this out is not real high. Changing myself is easier that affecting change in others.