Now Here is a Holiday I Can Celebrate!

The Fourth of July celebration is rapidly coming upon us. This is no Hallmark holiday. I can sink my teeth into this one. For many of us it means an extra day off work, family get-togethers, parades and of course, fireworks! It is the noisiest holiday of the year with the possible exception of New Years Eve.

Freedom and independence, that is what we are celebrating. The ability to speak freely, assemble, and practice our faith with minimal boundaries. We have lived it for 232 years and we have fought any foe who would try to extinguish the light of liberty.

It reminds me so much of Paul's words to the Galatians when he proclaimed "it is for freedom that Christ has set us free." It is at the root of the Gospel. It begins with being freed from the penalty and power of sin and proceeds to being given freedom to pursue life and liberty. But I must also add, freedom to export it to every person on the earth who is living under oppressive despots and evil regimes.

As we celebrate this upcoming holiday take a moment to think about and pray for our brave men and women who have taken the vow to protect our freedoms and who faithfully serve in places where others are just now discovering what it means to live free. Give thanks that every firecracker you light is not a real round of munitions set off by an enemy, but a reminder of the rounds that had to be fired to stay free.

And when you set out your flag, do it reverently as you recall those who have died so that we can enjoy living as a free people. Have a truly happy 4th of July.

Graduation Time at Logos

This will be a busy week for Logos. We have two of our church-based Bible institutes with scheduled graduations. One here in Jacksonville at Celebration Church, the other in West Palm Beach at Concilio Cristo Mi Redentor (Christ My Redeemer Church). The latter is hosting a graduation for our South Florida, Universidad Cristiana Logos (Logos Christian University) graduates. An exciting time indeed!

We have individual students completing their educations year round. Some choose to have their degrees or diplomas mailed to them without a formal graduation while others participate in graduation ceremonies hosted in churches, banquet halls or hotels. Logos is not a conventional brick and mortar institution as our students are scattered all over the country and for that matter, the world.

Some of our students take classes through distance education. They are assigned to a Mentor/Program Director, their courses are mailed to them and as they complete their work, it is turned in, graded and credit is given. Classes can be taken anytime and students work at their own pace.

Others participate in more structured classes usually hosted by churches. Semesters are scheduled at times that are more convenient for them and the programs often have an internship or practicum that makes up part of the curriculum. Attending classes year round can fast track a student to finish their degrees in far less time than if they attended more conventional venues. It's an extraordinary way to equip people for ministry.

The hearts of those of us who are faculty or administration swell with godly pride every time one of our students earns their degree. If you would like to learn more about our ministry training opportunities or know of someone who would like information, please help us get the word out by telling them to log on to our website and we'll send them some information. "The harvest is white, but the laborers are few . . ." We're trying to do something about that.

Happy Father's Day

As anybody who knows me will tell you, I'm not a great fan of Hallmark holidays. I often feel like I am held hostage by the demands to buy gifts or send cards for days that have very little significance outside of some artificial value assigned by relationship terrorists. I know, it sounds a bit cynical but I'll try to help you understand my perspective although I am fully aware most of you will not agree with me when I'm done.

I have experienced more awkward moments surrounding these kinds of holidays than I'd like to remember. As a pastor I have had counseling sessions to try to bring peace in a home where a husband forgot Valentine's Day, or Mother's Day. About the only redeeming quality of these "holidays" is that they may bring to the surface the opportunity to deal with underlying issues that have nothing to do with the holiday itself.

When a husband, mother, father, wife or child forgets to bend the knee to the pseudo-holiday gods, the tension produced in a relationship can be cut with a knife. Accusations of being self-centered, insensitive, thoughtless or just plain selfish fill the air. The offended party feels betrayed, ignored and unappreciated. But therein lies the answer. Being taken out to dinner by people who have been extorted through commercials, advertisement and societal pressure has a hollow ring to it. Deep down inside we know that we aren't being truly appreciated, or being given any real special attention or treatment. The food is served, the check is paid and life returns to normal. Whew! We wipe our brows, punch in our relational time clock and can now coast for a year. Or until the next "holiday."

How do we break this cycle? Try showing appreciation randomly throughout the year. No extortion. No pressure. No hypocrisy. No being a societally conditioned Pavlovian dog. It's a novel concept, but people like to be appreciated for no apparent reason other than the fact that you appreciate them. Actually it is a biblical principle that should be practiced continually and constantly.

Imagine the look of surprise on your wife's face if you were to walk through the door with flowers in your hand, a sitter scheduled to watch the kids for the evening, and dinner reservations made. And it isn't Mother's Day, or her birthday, or the day that corresponds to when you first met, or kissed, or your first visit to the zoo together, or when she told you she was pregnant with your first child! All you would be doing is letting her know that she is appreciated, period. Some of you may have to prepare yourselves to be tailed by a private investigator as she may be convinced that you must be feeling guilty about something nefarious that you did. :)

Today is Father's Day. I've got a great idea. Celebrate it again a week from Tuesday. Chances are he'll still need that cordless drill or fishing rod. But I can pretty much guarantee you that he still won't feel appreciated if you give him a tie.

On Being a Good Church Member Part 8: Finding Your Place of Ministry; Final Installment

Churches are as complicated as they are simple. They are simple in that they all have been given the same charge; to love God and love people. By loving God they fulfill the first of the 10 commandments given by God. By loving people they fulfill the second part of the Great Commandment given by Jesus. It's as simple as that.

Churches are complicated in that they are comprised of people who come from all walks of life. They represent the full spectrum of economics, politics, education, race, age, size and shape. People are complicated and they bring their complicated personalities into the church. And yet God calls us to live in unity in this complicated environment.

Each person has skills, gifts and talents. Skills can be learned. Talents can be developed. Gifts are God-given. All can be submitted to God to create an environment where God's personality and presence can be modeled for the benefit of those who already have a relationship with God and those who don't already have a relationship but need to see that it is possible.

A detailed listing of some of the gifts God has given to people can be found in Romans 12, First Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4. Everyone has a gift. No one is exempt. Discovering your gift is exhilarating and liberating. There are surveys one can take to determine where their skills, talents and gifts may lie. Once discovered they can be developed and ultimately deployed. It is not an option to use your gifts, it is a joyous duty that brings great personal contentment and blessing to others.

We are admonished in Scripture that we can make great use of our gifts and still miss out on an important component of being the people of God. It takes more to be a good church of people than just doing the right things and doing them well. Being a good church member means that we are called to emulate Jesus not only in his works, but in his person. It includes walking in the Spirit and expressing attitudes as well as actions that are consistent with who God is.

As the people of God find their place to use their gifts, talents and skills and do it with the faith, hope and joy of the Lord, synergy takes place. The gifts, talents and skills become expression of faith, love and joy in and of themselves, resulting in building faith, love and joy in others.

The greatest gift one can give and be to their church is to walk consistently with God. While it may not be possible to walk in perfection with God, it is possible to walk with Him in a manner that reflects and confirms His reality. Scoffers will enter the church and see a valid witness to God's reality. Defenses will fall and unbelievers will be drawn to him. Believers themselves will grow in faith as they see God revealing himself in others. It's a win-win proposition.