Sandman!

what is the treasure of your heart?

“But this beautiful treasure is contained in us—cracked pots made of earth and clay—so that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us.”

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 4th chapter of the Letter of 2nd Corinthians:

Now, it’s because of God’s mercy that we have been entrusted with the privilege of this new covenant ministry. And we will not quit or faint with weariness. We reject every shameful cover-up and refuse to resort to cunning trickery or distorting the Word of God. Instead, we open up our souls to you by presenting the truth to everyone’s conscience in the sight and presence of God. Even if our gospel message is veiled, it is only veiled to those who are perishing, for their minds have been blinded by the god of this age, leaving them in unbelief. Their blindness keeps them from seeing the dayspring light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the divine image of God.

We don’t preach ourselves, but rather the lordship of Jesus Christ, for we are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said,

“Let brilliant light shine out of darkness,”

is the one who has cascaded his light into us—the brilliant dawning light of the glorious knowledge of God as we gaze into the face of Jesus Christ.

We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious treasure within, so that this immeasurable power will be seen as God’s, not ours. Though we experience every kind of pressure, we’re not crushed. At times we don’t know what to do, but quitting is not an option. We are persecuted by others, but God has not forsaken us. We may be knocked down, but not out. We continually share in the death of Jesus in our own bodies so that the resurrection life of Jesus will be revealed through our humanity. We consider living to mean that we are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake so that the life of Jesus will be revealed through our humanity. So, then, death is at work in us but it releases life in you.

We have the same Spirit of faith that is described in the Scriptures when it says,

“First I believed, then I spoke in faith.”

So we also first believe then speak in faith. We do this because we are convinced that he who raised Jesus will raise us up with him, and together we will all be brought into his presence. Yes, all things work for your enrichment so that more of God’s marvelous grace will spread to more and more people, resulting in an even greater increase of praise to God, bringing him even more glory!

So no wonder we don’t give up. For even though our outer person gradually wears out, our inner being is renewed every single day. We view our slight, short-lived troubles in the light of eternity. We see our difficulties as the substance that produces for us an eternal, weighty glory far beyond all comparison, because we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal.

The Letter of 2nd Corinthians, Chapter 4 (The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 55th chapter of the book (scroll) of Isaiah that reveals God’s words as a living seed:

Eternal One: If you are thirsty, come here;

come, there’s water for all.

Whoever is poor and penniless can still

come and buy the food I sell.

There’s no cost—here, have some food, hearty and delicious,

and beverages, pure and good.

I don’t understand why you spend your money for things that don’t nourish

or work so hard for what leaves you empty.

Attend to Me and eat what is good;

enjoy the richest, most delectable of things.

Listen closely, and come even closer. My words will give life,

for I will make a covenant with you that cannot be broken, a promise

Of My enduring presence and support like I gave to David.

See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander among the nations.

Now you will issue a call to nations from all over the world—

people whom you do not know and who do not know you.

They will come running, because of Me, your God

because the Eternal, the Holy One of Israel, has made you beautiful.

So turn your attention and seek the Eternal One while it is still possible;

call on Him while He is nearby.

Let those who are busy plotting violence and doing wrong

stop right now, turn, and do right.

Let them turn back to the Eternal so they can experience His compassion.

God will excuse our past wrongs. Our God’s forgiveness is inexhaustible.

Eternal One: My intentions are not always yours,

and I do not go about things as you do.

My thoughts and My ways are above and beyond you,

just as heaven is far from your reach here on earth.

For as rain and snow can’t go back once they’ve fallen,

but soak into the ground

And nourish the plants that grow,

providing seed to the farmer and bread for the hungry,

So it is when I declare something.

My word will go out and not return to Me empty,

But it will do what I wanted;

it will accomplish what I determined.

For you will go out in joy, be led home in peace.

And as you go the land itself will break out in cheers;

The mountains and the hills will erupt in song,

and the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Prickly thorns and nasty briers will give way

to luxurious shade trees, sweet and good.

And they’ll remind you of the Eternal One

and how God can be trusted absolutely and forever.

The Book (Scroll) of Isaiah, Chapter 55 (The Voice)

to be accompanied by these lines in The Message:

“So you’ll go out in joy,

you’ll be led into a whole and complete life.

The mountains and hills will lead the parade,

bursting with song.

All the trees of the forest will join the procession,

exuberant with applause.

No more thistles, but giant sequoias,

no more thornbushes, but stately pines—

Monuments to me, to God,

living and lasting evidence of God.”

The Book (Scroll) of Isaiah, Chapter 55:12-13 (The Message)

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for monday, August 2 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons about choice:

Our Torah portion this week (i.e., parashat Re’eh) begins, “See (רְאֵה), I give before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing (הַבְּרָכָה), if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and the curse (הַקְּלָלָה), if you ... turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known" (Deut. 11:26-28). We obtain God’s blessing (i.e., berakhah: בְּרָכָה) when we obey the LORD, and our decision to obey manifests the blessed state of walking before the Divine Presence (the direct object marker et (את) before the word “the blessing” alludes to the blessings of “Aleph to Tav,” that is from Yeshua, as described in Lev. 26:3-13). As King David said, “I have set (שִׁוִּיתִי) the LORD always before me...” (Psalm 16:8). David made a choice to “set” the LORD before his eyes, for he understood that opening his eyes to Reality was the only path of real blessing.

On the other hand, we obtain God’s curse (i.e., kelalah: קְלָלָה) when we close our eyes and “forget” that the LORD is always present.... Suppressing God’s truth invariably leads to idolatry, that is, to self exaltation. Note that the root word for the word “curse” (kalal) means to be treated as of little account, and therefore “ratifies” the rebellious heart’s attitude toward God. This is middah keneged middah - we are ignored by the LORD as we ignore Him, just as we are seen by Him when we truly seek His face (Isa. 55:6-7). So we see that the blessing or the curse really comes from our own inward decision, and God establishes the path we have chosen. As King David said, “God supports my lot” (Psalm 16:5), and Solomon wrote, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps” (Prov. 16:9). [Hebrew for Christians]

8.1.21 • Facebook

and another about taking an honest look at ourselves:

The last month of the Jewish calendar (counting from Tishri) is called Elul (אֱלוּל), which begins at sundown on Saturday, August 7th this year. Traditionally, Rosh Chodesh Elul marks the beginning of a forty day “Season of Teshuvah” that culminates on the holiday of Yom Kippur. The month of Elul is therefore a time set aside each year to prepare for the Yamim Nora’im, the “Days of Awe,” by getting our spiritual house in order.

We are all on a spiritual journey, writing the “Book of our Life.” To help us in the “writing” process, the Jewish sages encouraged us to set aside as a season each year for cheshbon hanefesh (חֶשְׁבּוֹן הַנֶּפֶשׁ) - “making an account of the soul.” This means that we engage in honest self-examination about our behavior. After all, what is the essence of teshuvah if it is not honesty with yourself? “For everyone who does wicked things (lit., ὁ φαῦλα, that which is “easy,” “worthless,” or “vain”) hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:20). Therefore we make some time to reflect about our lives from the previous year. We ask searching questions like, “How did I get to this place in my life?” “Where am I now?” “Am I where I should be?” We engage in this process of self-examination with an aim to grow -- to let go of the pain of the past and move forward. Confession (i.e., homologia: ὁμολογία) means bringing yourself naked before the Divine Light to agree with the truth about who you are. Indeed, the related verb word "homologeo" (ὁμολογέω) literally means “saying the same thing” - from ὁμός (same) and λόγος (word). We need to confess the truth if we are to be free from the pain of the past. When King David wrote, יְהוָה אוֹרִי וְיִשְׁעִי מִמִּי אִירָ֑א - “The LORD is my Light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? (Psalm 27:1), he implied that he should even be free of fear of himself and of his past....

Being honest with ourselves is essential for any sort of authentic spiritual life... “Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced” (James Baldwin). "No person is saved except by grace; but there is one sin that makes grace impossible, and that is dishonesty; and there is one thing God must forever and unconditionally require, and that is honesty" (Kierkegaard). Amen. Confession means "saying the same thing" about ourselves that God says - and that means not only acknowledging our various sins, transgressions, and iniquities, but also affirming our beloved place in his heart. Saying that God doesn’t love you is a lie as damning as denying His very existence... [Hebrew for Christians]

8.1.21 • Facebook

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

August 2, 2021

I Am

“And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:62)

After His arrest, “the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none” (Mark 14:55). Then they got their sought-after witness from Jesus Himself when the high priest asked Him: “Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” (v. 61), and it only took two words from Him. “I Am!”

As a matter of fact, this was not the first time He had thus identified Himself as the self-existent, eternal God. On an earlier occasion in Jerusalem, He had told the Pharisees: “I am the light of the world,” and then, “I am from above:..I am not of this world....If ye believe not that I am, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:12, 23-24; the “he” in verse 24 is not in the Greek original).

He made this especially clear a few minutes later when He asserted: “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). But when He finally made this wonderfully truthful claim in the presence of the council, “they all condemned him to be guilty of death” (Mark 14:64). He had committed the capital crime of blasphemy in their opinion, by claiming to be God.

“I am” is, in fact, the very name of God. When Moses, at the burning bush, was called by God to deliver the Israelites from slavery, God said His name was “I Am That I Am” (Exodus 3:14). The name Jehovah (or Yahweh), the most frequently used name of the Lord in the Old Testament, is essentially this name.

One can count at least 196 “I am” claims of God in Christ (“I am the way, the truth, and the life,” for example—John 14:6) in the Bible. Truly, our Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal, self-existent God, “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last” (Revelation 22:13). HMM

Chapter 13: Ambassador Kosh, The Smoking Caterpillar, And Six Months Saved

3/16/2021

            One of my favorite sci-fi shows from the 1990s is Babylon-5. It takes place on a space station in neutral territory between various warring alien and human empires in the mid twenty-third century. One of the alien characters, Ambassador Kosh, is fond of asking those around him, “Who are you?” Kosh is a Vorlon, a mysterious, cryptic species who’s true physical nature is hidden from others by an elaborate encounter suit. No one has ever been to their homeworld, and the Vorlons rarely interact with other species around them, so when one asks “Who are you?”, it’s a significant question that implies a need for an honest, significant, soul-searching answer.

           That is a question I’ve been asking myself a lot these past few months. This week is the six month anniversary of my salvation. Looking back, it feels like I’ve crossed a gulf wider and deeper than the Grand Canyon. September 17th seems like almost a lifetime ago. And yet, it also feels like it was just yesterday. So much has changed in my life, and yet so much is still the same.

           The other day I was looking back over my previous log entries from this new journey. The one from October 10th leaped out at me as I reread it:

            “I just recently realized how much we change throughout our adult lives as we get older. Those passions and desires and things that interest us and consume our time when we’re in our twenties are not necessarily the same passions, desires, and things that we care about in our forties, or our fifties, or our sixties. We as people are not just flesh and blood. We are conscious, thinking, emotional, intellectual human beings, and the parts of us that make us who we are are those passions, desires, interests, and things that we care about. It’s what makes me me.

             Some of those qualities can be defined as hobbies or interests, the things that I do in my spare time or what I’m passionate about in life. The fact that I have always been a science fiction fan, for example, or my writing. Other qualities can be emotional, or intellectual, or parts of me that aren’t necessarily physical. The fact that I’m gay, for example; or that I love to read, or that I’m an introvert, or that I once used to be an Atheist.

           In other words, those things that make up who we are as an individual human being, that define us to the world and to other people around us, are not always constant or unchanging. And that’s what I had never realized until now. I have always been happy living my life on my own, by my own terms, and I found peace in being alone. I have never felt the need to have that “special someone” in my life, but now, for reasons I cannot explain, I’m no longer content with that. I think this is why so many people at this point in their mid-lives have a crisis. They buy a new car or get divorced or change careers. Perhaps my loneliness is nothing more than a mid-life crisis?”

           At the time, I was attributing all my recent angst and internal unrest to aging, but now I recognize this for what it really was – and still is: sanctification. (or maybe it’s a little of both.) 2 Corinthians 5:17, one of the first verses that I had memorized long, long ago in Sunday school, says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” It’s one thing to know about a process, but quite another thing entirely to actually experience that process firsthand.

           Who am I?

           My name is Neal Timothy Jones, I was born on June 4, 1978, I currently weigh 205 lbs., stand at a glorious height of 5’5”, have blue eyes, brown hair – which I’m very slowly but surely losing (more than in the back than the front, I’d say), and a goatee that is now more silver than brown. My favorite color is blue. I’m a brother, a son and an uncle, but not a father or a husband. I was born and raised in Twin Falls, Idaho, and I’m an introvert. I’m often shy, quiet, used to have a hard time speaking up for myself and was afraid to be myself for fear of ridicule and shame. I’m a sci-fi fan (Star Trek in particular) and an avid Super Mario Brothers player. (If that was an Olympic sport I would hold a gold medal for most games conquered and exceptional fire flower skill.) I also read a lot, and, lately, I have a very hard time shutting off my brain. I’m always overthinking, overanalyzing, and overly critical of both myself and those around me.

           My favorite food is Italian, especially pizza and pasta (hence the 205 pounds), and I despise coconut. I mean, like really, really hate it. Whoever decided that shredded coconut should be a topping on desserts should be strung up by their apron strings and crucified in their kitchen. Coconut – especially shredded coconut – has absolutely no taste for one, and for two, it has all the texture of grass. It’s vile and disgusting.

           I have type 2 diabetes, and I’m a good twenty-five pounds overweight. I’ve always hated exercise. Yes, I enjoyed running around the playground and being outdoors in general when I was a kid, but I hated organized sports. I suffered one year of soccer in 7th grade because my parents insisted I needed to get out and do something besides always being alone under a tree with a book in between classes. (I think they were worried about my anti-social behavior far more than they actually let on.) That one year led to a life long revulsion of sports in general. Seriously, I don’t get it. Running up and down a field, chasing a ball or trying to make a goal – *yawn*. So overrated.

           Also, for that matter, is competition. I’m probably the least competitive person anyone knows. I really couldn’t care less whether or not my coworkers beat me in upsells and product promotions. I don’t give a damn if my friends or family make more money than I do. I have no desire to rise the corporate ladder and be king of my local branch. I don’t really care what my house looks like on the outside compared to my neighbors. Nor do I give a rat’s ass if my car is the nicest one in the neighborhood. (And, frankly, given the neighborhood I currently live in, I most definitely do not want a super nice car that would attract nearby thieves.) I really do just march to the beat of my own drum, and if you’d like join me, great! If not, oh well. You do your own thing, and you be you. I’m not going to care one way or the other.

           Who am I?

           I’m gay. Or, rather, I was. Or maybe I still am. I honestly don’t know. And that’s been my problem lately. Clear back in September, right after I was saved, I was sure of two things: one, that I was saved and new child of God, and two, that I was gay. In just six months, though, I’m not so sure of that latter one anymore.

           It’s funny how we sometimes take one thing in our lives – our marriage, our job, our sexuality, or maybe that one hobby or spare time interest – and we build our whole self-identity around that. For me, it was being gay. That was who I was, and I centered my entire self-identity around that one thing as soon as I left high school. After I left the Army, after returning home to Twin Falls and enrolling at the College of Southern Idaho, I immediately joined the Gay-Straight Alliance on campus. I spoke up for gay rights, and I even helped organize a petition for a gay float in the local Western Days parade. (I honestly can’t remember if we ever really accomplished that or not. I do remember the city council not being very happy with our little request.)

           I watched pretty much anything on TV that had gay stories and/or main characters. Shows like Will & Grace, Queer As Folk, and Six Feet Under were my favorites.  Same for the movies. Hollywood was my religion, the local cineplex my church. Celebrities like Ellen Degeneres were my idols, and I did my best to follow their wisdom and lifestyles. Throughout college and my early adult life afterwards, whenever I introduced myself to new friends and co-workers, I was quick to let them know I was gay. I was proud of that, and anyone who disagreed with that or tried to tell me I was wrong for living that way would quickly get shut down by my new, independent spirit and debating skills. I bought t-shirts with slogans like “I don’t even think straight” or which just had the symbol of the rainbow flag on the front.

           Everything else was secondary, and when my life moved online to social media, I made sure to put my sexual orientation front and center on all my bios. I connected even more to the greater national gay community by joining Facebook pages that promoted gay rights, and I followed many gay activists and celebrities on Twitter and Instagram. In recent years, especially after moving to Las Vegas, I did quiet down a little with the in-your-face attitude, due more to aging than anything else. It was no longer that important than every single new friend or co-worker know right away that I was gay. Instead of announcing it with the first handshake, I let the subject come up organically in regular conversation. I also purchased Apple watch bands made in rainbow colors or plastic bracelets of the same design to wear as a silent testimony of my proud lifestyle.

           Who am I?

           One of my favorite scenes in Disney’s Alice In Wonderland is the one where Alice is confronted by the smoking caterpillar. He repeatedly demands of the young, lost and confused heroine, “Who. Are. You?” (Each word is punctuated by a perfectly shaped ring of cartoon smoke.)

           In recent weeks and months, there have been days when I have stood in front of the mirror above my bathroom sink, looking at my reflection with puzzlement and curiosity, asking that very same question. Some days, I have felt like a true warrior of God, leaping from bed, excited to rush into the world and live the truth of Christ. Other days, I have felt small and weak, and conflicted, and wondering why I have kept giving in to the old lust of the flesh and breaking my vow of celibacy. (Yes, even just giving in to old desires and lusts in the mind’s eye are a sin in the presence of God. It doesn’t necessarily have to go as far as an actual, physical act with another man.)

           One evening, about three weeks ago, as I got ready for bed, I was reflecting on my day. It was one of those mediocre days, not too bad, but not really exciting or exceptional either. I was feeling a little down and discouraged, but I couldn’t say exactly why. I sat on the edge of my bed, lost in thought, and tracing absently with my right index finger the outline of the tattooed cross on my left bicep. Since the tattoo was barely a week old, most of it was still one large scab, and I had been fighting the recent urge to pick at it. I glanced down and saw the plastic rainbow bracelet on my right wrist, right next to the other bracelet with white stars and a blue strip on a black background.

           As if by some spiritual instinct, I reached out with my left hand and pulled that rainbow bracelet off. I held it up, examining it for a few moments, and then I opened the drawer of my nightstand. I tossed the bracelet inside and shut the drawer. I sat for a minute or two, thinking about what I had just done, and then I got up and marched across the hall into my office. I opened the bottom left drawer of my desk and rifled through the several dozen Apple watch bands that have accumulated there over the last few years. I pulled out all the ones that were rainbow striped or rainbow colored. I threw them in the trash. I also threw away the bag of rainbow bracelets (they had been 20 for $5 on Amazon). I turned out the light and shut the office door.

           I went to bed that night feeling more at peace than when I had first asked Jesus into my heart just a few months before.

           The next day, during my lunch break at Walmart, I went through all my social media accounts and removed the word ‘gay’ from my bios, as well as any emoji symbols such as the rainbow flag. That, too, felt right. I was now just ‘Christian’, not ‘gay Christian.’

           I’m still honestly not sure what this means. Part of me has felt utterly terrified, as if I’m erasing more than just part of who I’ve been for all my adult life. The one thing that was the core of my self-identity has been essentially wiped away, as if God was one of the workers in the amusement park of Westworld, another of my favorite shows. In that not-so-distant future setting, the human-like androids are often re-programmed by the park’s engineers to change their personalities or even their entire character to match whatever new story is going to be enacted for the park’s biological visitors and tourists. Ever since my salvation, I have often felt that God is reprogramming me in the same way, erasing parts of the old sinful self and rewriting new software, giving me a new core identity. Right now, that process of sanctification has only just begun, and, hence, there are days when I don’t quite know what to call myself. Yes, I’m a Christian. Yes, I am a child of God. But I feel like there should be more than just that. I feel like the loss of my old identity means that that I also have nowhere to belong; there is currently no new community in which I can plug myself in order to have the same sense of friendship and comradery that I once had with my fellow gays.

           And yes, I know what you’re already saying to your phone or computer screen as you read this: “Neal,” you say, “just being a child of God is enough. Just calling yourself a Christian is enough. That is the new community that you now belong to.”

           Yeah, I know. But, at the same time, I still feel incomplete. Don’t ask me why. I feel like those Lego sets I used to play with as a kid. My favorites were the spaceships, especially the really big ones that came with about two hundred individual pieces. I liked those the best because I had the choice of either building the ship pictured on the front of the box, or I could assemble a different ship entirely using the same pieces but fitting them together in different ways. I feel like God is doing that with me right now. He’s completely disassembled me from the inside out, and his Spirit is slowly and gradually reassembling me into something totally new.

           Part of me wishes He would just hurry the hell up and get to the finished product already! Why is He taking so long?? But the other part of me – the part that I am slowly coming to recognizing as the voice of the Holy Spirit is gently, firmly reminding me that this process can take a lifetime; that I need to learn to be patient and wait upon the Lord.

           Who am I?

           I am ALL of those things that I listed above – yes, even the homosexual. God hasn’t changed that completely. But that particular Lego piece is now on the worktable with all the others. And I no longer feel a need to advertise to anyone and everyone that I am still gay. For now, I am just ‘Christian.’ And I’m looking for a church family where I can truly belong.

           I recently finished reading a book that dealt with this exact topic. The author is Greg Coles, someone I’ve mentioned before in these posts. The book is titled No Longer Strangers: Finding Belonging in a World of Alienation. There are many, many lovely and beautiful passages in the book where Greg gives his own testimony of finding his place in his particular part of the world and his church community after coming out as a gay Christian in 2017. But there are two passages, specifically, that I found most inspirational in my own journey of trying to find the church family in which God wants to place me. I’ve already posted them on my social media, but I’m going to quote them again here.

           The first is from Chapter 5: Hide and Seek:

            “But God—the real God—has only ever been interested in loving us, in redeeming us, in transforming us. He has no interest in an army of clones, a horde of wax figures and cardboard cutouts sent to approach him in bold unanimity while his heterogeneous flesh-and-blood children crouch in the shadows.

Those of us who love Jesus are indeed called to find our paramount identity in him. Every other identity is placed in submission to Christ, upturned and radically reordered by the logic of the kingdom of God. But our particularities are not erased in the process. We are not recycled paper, blended into a pulp and recast as a blank sheet. We are a painted canvas in the hands of a master restorer, painstakingly cleansed and healed and remade until we finally become the irreplicable artwork we were always intended to be.”

           That ‘irreplicable artwork’ is what I cannot wait to see! That’s what I’m eagerly waiting for – that finished masterpiece. But I also know from the testimonies of my parents and Pastor Mark, as well as ones that I’ve read online from other Christian authors, is that there is a real possibility that I might never see that completely finished work; that God, in His infinite wisdom and grace, is never entirely finished with us. And that’s okay too. That’s what I need to recognize and reconcile with right now. The old saying really is sometimes true: it’s the journey that matters more than the destination. But, along the way, God does not want me to just melt into His crowd, to be one more clone in the Christian army. Instead, as Greg points out, God wants each of us to stand out, to share our unique gifts and talents with the body of Christ and with the world around us. We need to shine for Him, and we can’t do that if we just hide away, afraid to be more than just another smiling face in the crowd.

The other passage, the one that brought me to tears, was the final paragraphs of the book:

             “I am my Beloved’s. He is mine. We belong in one another, with one another, to one another. We always will. We’re not going anywhere.

             I’m not the only one making these vows with heaven, to be sure. A symphony of voices joins mine in the air. The song includes married folks as well as celibates like me, straight and gay and everything else. Our choir represents every race, every language, every nation.

             But despite the grandeur of the choir, Christ still hears and responds to each individual voice. He isn’t content to declare his affection for us in form letters and megaphone announcements. He whispers to us one by one, into your ear and mine, exchanging promises of love. As long as these promises remain true—as long as our fragile memories can hold them—home will never be further than a whisper in our ears, never further than an ink drop beneath our skin. We are loved. And because we are loved, we belong.”

           I have re-read that passage so many times over the last couple weeks, savoring it like piece of gold, a treasure of beauty and real wisdom. Greg’s completely right. Not only does God want us, just as we are, no matter how broken, how lost, or how sinful, but He also wants for us to belong in Him, and Him alone. This small piece of wisdom seems at once so simple and yet so complex. I have had to remind myself almost every day, especially those days when I’m feeling lonely, or a little lost, or discouraged because the church that I had hoped was going to be my new home didn’t work out after all, that I am first and foremost a child of God. I belong only – and solely – in Him. I need to understand that that is all that matters right now. The rest will come in time. Perhaps once I have understood and fully absorbed this first and important truth, then God will begin providing unto me the rest of his desired blessings and, especially, belonging within a new church family.

           As a result of these blog posts, I have had the immense blessing and pleasure of reconnecting with old friends who had once taught and reared me when I was that stubborn, contrary, rebellious kid who gave out more sass and disrespect than a Las Vegas drag queen in a nightclub. One of those friends shared a quote by Leonard Ravenhill with me a few days ago that immediately touched my heart. I printed it off and taped it to the bottom frame of one of my computer monitors in my home office.

“Great eagles fly alone; great lions hunt alone; great souls walk alone – alone with God!”

             The friend who shared this helped me to see that same truth that Greg pointed out in that second passage that I quoted above. It’s okay for me to stand apart from the crowd – Christian or otherwise. It’s okay for me to continue marching on my own. The only difference between my old life and this new, blessed one is that God is now marching beside me. He has changed the beat of my drum, and He has “…begun a good work” in me, as Paul says Philippians 1:6, and that work will not be completed until “…the day of Jesus Christ.” But, if I’m honest, I will say that, on most days, I don’t feel like the lion or the eagle. Not just yet. I feel more like a church mouse from a Beatrix Potter tale, crouching in the shadow of my Lord and Savior, and letting Him do His thing on my behalf.

               One of my other favorite quotes that has had a special significance to me these last few months is by Socrates. He once stated, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” I think God would agree, and the best form of self examination should always start with the following question:

                Who am I?

MYTHS VS. TRUTHS

Myths/Truths

Whether you have been a Christian your whole life or you just get started or you are a complete skeptic, this one is for you. It took a long time for me before I discovered these truths (had my days of being bound by laws) but I hope I can expedite the process of you being misled and help you to live the truth-given purpose that God has called for you (freed by grace). 

These truths are scripture-based. But most importantly, you will uncover these truths in your personal encounter with Him. 

You are not enough / You are enough with Jesus even with all your weaknesses

You have to earn your way / Jesus earned it all for you and therefore you have all the access to the gifts and blessings of being the heir of God

You gotta work for your salvation / Jesus did it all for you. If you still have to work for your salvation in order to be saved, then what’s the point of Jesus coming down to the cross? If you can earn it on your own, He wouldn’t have to bother paying the price of your sins in the first place.

You have to pick up your cross and live a holy life / It is not a “have to”. It is an “I get to”.  Picking up your cross and living a holy life isn’t your way to salvation. It is the FRUIT of what He has done on the cross. Not a requirement but a privilege. And even when you fall, you don’t lose your salvation. There’s always enough grace and mercy for you because His love is that extensive. In fact in your weaknesses, there His sacrifice means the most, cause it always covers you - even the most evil, brutal, nasty and unforgiving thing that you have done to others or yourself.

He is far and distant and you have to clean yourself up before you can come to Him / He is close and personal and no, you can confidently come to Him with all your sins and brokenness. His arms are always wide opened for you.

Christianity is a religion / Christianity is a relationship with the Person Jesus 

You are judged based on what you do (performance) / You are judged based on your faith in Jesus Christ (belief) 

“My Grace is sufficient for you and my power is made perfect in your weaknesses.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9 

So then what should I do once I’m saved? Am I not required to do anything?

A lot of people who jeered at grace gospel would probably think that this gospel is misleading because it leads to a lazy, rebellious kind of lifestyle since you’re allowed to do anything because “Jesus did everything” for you right?

But lemme give you an illustration.

If you’re in a relationship with someone and your partner does EVERY SINGLE THING you ask him or her to do because he or she has to. Do you think that’s love? No. It’s dictatorship.

Your partner has to choose to love you. He has to choose to give to you. To do good. To take care of you. That’s when you know he really loves you.

And so it’s the same thing with God. Because He loves us so much, He cannot and will not force us to love Him out of obligation. It is our heart that He’s after before it is our “actions”. He is a self-sufficient God. He doesn’t need us, and yet He wants us. 

And so throughout my relationship with Him, I have learned that He’s the God who TAKES THE TIME to help us learn how to love Him.  He is patient with me. Very patient indeed.

He never requires you to change overnight and be a saint. For Him, it is not about what you can do for Him. It’s about what His love can do for you. His love changes you inside out - bringing you inner transformations that will eventually be reflected in your characters. But those changes take time.

The Bible says there is season for everything. 

1For everything there is a season,    a time for every activity under heaven. 2 A time to be born and a time to die.    A time to plant and a time to harvest. 3 A time to kill and a time to heal.    A time to tear down and a time to build up. 4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.    A time to grieve and a time to dance. 5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.    A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.    A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7 A time to tear and a time to mend.    A time to be quiet and a time to speak. 8 A time to love and a time to hate.    A time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

- Ecclesiastes 3:3-11 (NLT)

In fact, during the whole process of ups and downs: when you succeed and you fall, you thrive then you struggle, there you will experience that His faithfulness remains in your life. You will see that He doesn’t leave you behind just because you do something wrong. When you fall, He is there picking you up and helping you to continue the journey.

When He does give instructions, it’s not because He wants to limit your freedom. It’s because He wants all the greatest blessings for your life. And because He knows how to get them, He gave you those instructions.

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. - Deuteronomy 30:19-20 

Love & force don’t go hand in hand. Therefore in order to love you, He has to be willing to let you go. To risk Himself being rejected. That’s why you have free will. Because loving Him is not a threat. It’s a response to His kindness to you. And He patiently waits for that.

It’s like waiting for someone you love and yet no matter how much you want to be with that person, you know that you can’t force that person to be with you unless he or she wants to. That person has to choose you, because real love is not “You gotta love me now or I will leave you” (That’s conditional love) It’s “I love you no matter what you choose of Me. I’m staying here. Anytime you need me, I’m still gonna be here and I will love you just the same.” (That’s Agape/unconditional love)

Maybe it takes time for you to filter these truths and take them in. But as you try to discover the truth yourself, let the Spirit speaks to you.

You will have conviction in your heart on which one is true as you lean on to Him. Sometimes your logic would take over and ask so many things you can’t answer. But hear me out, you don’t need to figure everything on your head. Some things you just know without having to know how.

It’s because there are things that cannot be explained in the physical realm. How can you calculate how much I love you? Is my love mathematically found in the air? Nah.

And so it is with Jesus. You just have to trust what your heart says is true. And as time goes by, I know that He will reveal more of Himself to you.

You are not just your physical body. You have a soul. And if your soul can’t be seen, don’t you think there are so many other things that can’t be seen and verbally explained? :)

PATIENCE  by Warren

Patience

Websters defines as ; "the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset:

In the middle of the worship set at my local church on a very laid back and warm Saturday night a word keep pressing on my heart that I couldn't shake. Not an audible voice, but a gut reaction that didn't go away. I don't know if something like this has ever happened to you. It doesn't necessarily need to take place in a church building; but It has occurred to me several times. Most of the time I take it as a sign that God is speaking to me something specific that I need to examine. Most times the word is proven right.

Sometimes a single word, scripture, or lyric from the song being sung will stand out and pose the question of who this prompting is for. Is it me? Is it for the church body? Is it for sometime down the road? Is it for someone I know?

Saturday was a little different.

My wife Julie and I were at the Saturday service to be "prayed out"; as we were leaving the following morning to be part of a large group leaving on an in-state mission trip to a rural church with a large camp on site to the north. It is a property I am very familiar with. I spent 2 different seasons of time there as an associate pastor and worship leader. 11 years the first time and 2 years the second. Its a nice church. The congregation is quite large for such a small town, but maintaining such a huge camp campus of 19 acres was and always is challenging for the staff and attendees. I put endless sacrifice, blood, sweat, and tears into this place; sometimes at great cost.

Yet here  I was preparing to leave, along with 100 or so additional volunteers to build cabins, paint buildings, facilitate a vacation bible school, remodel dorms, landscape, and anything else asked of us. I am on day 1 of the trip as I write this and I am already exhausted. In addition to being on the Painting team I am leading worship and brought this morning's devotional to the group. This is where Saturday night comes full circle. 

Let me provide a little backstory if I may

A big area in my life that challenges me is impatience. Part of the outward appearance of my struggle is my 16 mile one way commute to work or home in heavy traffic. Without a doubt this is the most frustrating, horrific encounter that pushes my buttons. You know the old saying "too slow you're a lollygagger but too fast your a maniac"? Don't let me get started with tailgaters.I hate commuting.

Work is second place on my impatience list; especially the computer systems I use to update the information I need. So many workarounds and slow-downs it makes me want to literally scream at full volume in a desperate attempt for someone, anyone, to provide relief. Why do computers instinctively know how to slow down when you need answers and need them now? 

This is why during worship when the word "PATIENCE" popped into my head my first reaction was "Oh great, God is going to really go after my impatient attitude and hound me to change. Oddly the word impatience wasn't the word I heard. 

I wasn’t surprised by this word I thought. I knew impatience needed to be dealt with in my life. My assumption was the ensuing challenge of this word, now dominating my mind, was the beginning of God pushing me until I did something about it and I should. But as I stood there in the midst of a cool worship song I have since forgotten God spoke further stating "No Warren that's not quite what I am saying". It's much, much deeper than that.

You see God's character is nothing like mine or any other human being that has ever breathed on this planet. Patience is one of God’s many loving attributes. The Bible clearly communicates this throughout all of the writing contained within. Specifically it says God wants to "develop" our character to be like His. Not perfect but on a path to mirror His. We are to be imitators of Christ as Ephesians 5:1-2 says “ Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

Well I thought "I can try harder I guess". To try harder is what I assumed was going on, but that certainly begs the question. "If Patience is a Godly Characteristic can I improve my character through trying harder alone?" I don't think so; even if fleshly effort is made you will come to a place of frustration as you fall short. 

Character is something that grows in line with our relationship with God. You want to be like Jesus? Be with Jesus. Draw closer to Jesus. You desire more patience? Give your request  to Jesus and ask Him to help you.

As I continued to dwell on patience my thought process shifted to where God began reminding me of how dissatisfied I felt I have been with who I am as a believer in Christ. My self-absorbed attitude every time I failed resulting in the inner chorus of "I can do better" blaring like an off-key trumpet  in my ears. This mind game further opening up the the twisted whispers on how I was failing miserably again and how this time is probably the last time God is going to let me get away with this.Those thoughts were contrary to God of course, which I knew, and had to fight off.

How sadly we forget sometimes that Jesus alone sets us free. We don't free ourselves; its impossible. All He asks of us is to believe who He Himself, and all of heaven declares He is. Jesus invites us to follow Him so that we can become like Him. This is how our character is built. Through our relationship with Jesus Christ.  Why does character count? It counts because Jesus wants His character spread to our world around us through his followers.

However, when we come to the place of believing in Jesus it happens from a position of a fallen life. We have habits, flaws, faulty thinking, coping patterns, family dysfunctions, abuse, trauma, failures. We have bundled up a lifetime of mistakes that have messed us up.

The key to remember is God knows our story. Nothing is a shock to Him. He is fully aware of  what has happened to us, how we got there, and has plans only He can fulfill in freeing us to a place of wholeness.

The good news that we can  stand firm on is the fact that God is Patient.  He is patient with our mistakes. The book of Romans 2:4 states "Its His (God's) kindness that leads us to repentance." Patience is Love, Patience is Kindness.  I Corinthians 13:4-8 also says  "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" 

To apply logic we can then concur that If God is patient with us why are we so impatient with ourselves sometimes? When we fail, and we will, God sees it. We aren't fooling Him. To our good fortune He is patient. His character is love and His heart is to mold us as clay in the hands of the Master He is. The smartest move anyone can make when they blow it is to focus on Him and draw close. Instead of playing the " I keep screwing up" mental gymnastics give yourself a break and know God's intention is good and filled with mercy. Choosing not to deal with issues contrary to the heart of God is a different story, but true desire to change will never be thrown out of God’s plan for you.

You see the crony cohort of impatience is Anger. Find an impatient person and you will likely find an angry person. Traffic delays, fast food taking too long, client late for appointment, package not arriving on time, or the loud neighbor who refuses to turn down their music. Certainly issues that open the door to impatience and anger. But how about the wayward teen you can no longer reason with, the spouse who doesn't listen or seem to care, or the habits and sins you can't seem to overcome? With these later issues you might just mix in sadness, depression, and guilt as well.  

The Apostle Paul spent quite a bit of time with the Holy Spirit. He allowed himself to be immersed in God's presence and passed the key to developing the character of Christ  on to his protege Timothy. He said this in I Timothy 1:15-16 " It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among who I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate  His perfect PATIENCE as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” 

You see just as Impatience has a partner named anger. Patience has a partner as well called "Peace"

As we live out our Christian lives built up in Christ's character and walking in patience and peace we become the example that impacts all people and demonstrates the Good News in its intended truth. We can only give to others what has already been built in us. 

I am, and you are too a work in process. To use a little negation let me share why I don't ever plan to have a "fish" or Jesus bumper sticker on the back of my car. 1) I have been passed on the freeway by cars going 80+ with Jesus stickers on their bumpers, I have been cut off, flipped off, and road raged by cars with "fishes" on the bumpers which leads to; 2) I am not always the most behaved driver myself at times. I need more Jesus taking over, I need more patience. I ask for Holy Spirit help as I drive every commute. Since giving my impatience to Him it is getting better- and I have more peace, but I ain’t done yet. I am sure there are other situations other than commuting where I need help. 

Why share this? Since the point is for us to be like Jesus as His followers we need to allow Him to develop the character He extends to us. We are redeemed by His love to be His example. If we are constantly impatient, angry, self-condemning, arrogant, argumentative, or guilt ridden how can that truly be effective in demonstrating the heart of God?

For me when I have emotions, actions, or feelings I know are not in alignment with God's character I refuse to beat myself up. I go to God. I ask for help. I simply ask His forgiveness with an honest heart.I am leaning to be patient as He helps me overcome. Since He is patient I shall be patient. As I am patient I grow and extend the character of God to others in love. 

Blessings, 

Warren

Happy February! 💕🌴

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Colossians 3:1 KJV

https://bible.com/bible/1/col.3.1.KJV

Happy February!

Psalm 3:2-6

2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” 3 But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. 4 I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain. 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. 6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side

God Watches Over Us

By Rick Warren

“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:6 NLT).

When King David declared that God’s goodness would pursue him, he wasn’t saying, “Surely only good things are going to happen to me!” He knew as well as anyone that bad things happen to good people.

Instead, David was saying that only God’s goodness would follow after or pursue him. No matter how bad or evil or difficult something seems, God can work it out for good.

It’s one of God’s great promises that he’s given to believers: Everything that happens to us is working for our good—if we love God and are fitting into his plans (see Romans 8:28). If you’re a believer, the Bible says all things are working together for good—not that all things are good, but things are working together for good.

There is no difficulty, dilemma, defeat, or disaster in the life of a believer that God can’t ultimately turn toward his purpose.

Like goodness, God’s unfailing love follows us in life. King David says it pursues us!

Picture a parent following a little child around picking up after them. When we’re struggling with hurts, habits, and hang-ups, God is coming right alongside us, helping to pick up our messes and telling us that his unfailing love is always there.

So instead of entering into the future with a question mark, you can do it with an exclamation point! God will be with you no matter what happens. He will help you out: “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6 NLT).

God’s goodness will provide and protect.

God’s mercy (unfailing love) will pardon and forgive.

God’s goodness will supply.

God’s mercy will soothe.

God’s goodness will help.

God’s mercy will heal.

Goodness is the fact that God gives us good things in life that we don’t deserve. Mercy means God holds back the condemnation we deserve.

When King David said he would live in the Lord’s house forever, he was saying that God had prepared a place for him in heaven.

That’s one of the most important connections we see in the Bible. It connects yesterday with today and then connects them both with tomorrow.

God says, “I’ve got this great life planned for you, and surely goodness and mercy will follow you through it, but that’s not the end! I’ve got something else at the end!” God builds it to a crescendo.

So David ends his psalm by saying, “We’re going to heaven!” Jesus saves the best until last. With God it just keeps getting better and better. The best is yet to come. “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1 NIV).PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk About It

What are some ways that you see God’s unfailing love following you?

The Bible teaches that no matter how bad or evil or difficult something seems, God can work it out for good (see Romans 8:28). How does that truth affect your life?

How have you seen God use difficulty, dilemma, defeat, or disaster in your life—or the life of another believer—for his purpose?

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

— John 13:35

The Trademark of a Disciple

Adapted from the resource Love Out Loud - by Joyce

Jesus says that there is one way people will know whether we belong to Him or not, and that is our love for one another. I like to say that love is the trademark, the distinguishing sign or characteristic, of a Christian. It's what sets us apart from the rest of the world.

Before you buy something, do you read labels or look for certain trademarks (brand names) that have a reputation for being good? That is what people should be able to do with us because we are disciples of Jesus Christ.

They should be able to look at us and say, "This is good. This is a person of quality!" People should be able to identify us not only by our talk, but also by our walk.

The world is looking for something to believe in, something real, something tangible. They are looking for love, and God is love (see 1 John 4:8).

Those of us who are Christians need to show them Jesus, and we do that not by merely wearing Christian jewelry or putting bumper stickers with Christian messages on our cars, but by walking in His love and demonstrating that love to others.

Many people have gone to church looking for God and instead been met with the rules and regulations of religion, and not even so much as a friendly smile. They left without encountering God.

Countless people are hungry for God, and God needs us to be His ambassadors, representing Him in every way, starting with His trademark characteristic, which is love.

Prayer Starter: Lord, Your Word says we are Your representatives here on earth (see 2 Corinthians 5:20). I ask for Your help to display Your character—Your love—to everyone I meet. Let my life draw others to Your goodness every single day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

22nd January 2017 <> 'Forming Fishers Of Men For The Future Of Humanity' ~ Daily Reflection on Today's Mass Readings for Roman Catholics on Sunday, Third Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ISA 8:23 – 9:3; 1 COR 1:10-13.17; MT 4:12-23 ] All of us have different callings in life. Every vocation is important in the unfolding of God’s plan for humanity. We must respond accordingly. Yet among the vocations, one of the most fulfilling and important calling in life is the work of formation and specifically the area of education. We must not restrict education in the narrow sense of the word to that of intellectual and academic formation. Rather, it entails the whole process of transforming someone, helping him or her to grow in emotional, affective, moral and intellectual capacity. It also involves the cultivation of skills and knowledge for the work they do. Education is more than getting good grades for work done but forming people holistically where they are balanced in life, realize their potentials and become happy people who have good self-esteem, and are positive and proactive. The work of formation is therefore not restricted to teachers or catechists but it extends to all, whether as parents, guardians, superiors, in government, ecclesial and in society. Education is to form people with wholesome and right values so that they can help to build humanity. Education, in the final analysis, is to form young people for their vocations. No greater gift can we give to someone than to form him or her to be leaders for tomorrow in society and the Church. We can give many things to young people, but all these will be used up, discarded or worn out. It is just like the gifts we received at Christmas. Some of these are already thrown aside. But the gift of education is one gift that is cumulative and remains not always just with the recipient but grows from strength to strength. Most of all, the kind of formation they receive will determine their happiness in life, now and in the future. Today, the apostles were asked to change their vocation from fishers of fish to fishers of men. What does it mean to catch men, if not to form people to become what they are called to be in the plan of God? In other words, they were asked to go beyond simply making a livelihood for themselves. They were called by the Lord to help form men and women who could live their lives to the fullest by being disciples of the kingdom and proclaimers of the Good News in words and deeds. By so doing, each person will realize his or her potentials as he or she gives himself or herself to service. How, then, should we form young people for their vocation? What kind of formation can see them through life? Obviously, they must be grow in knowledge and acquire new skills. This is the academic and practical part of formation. Without knowledge and skills, we cannot be of use to anyone. This aspect of formation cannot be under emphasized, yet it is not everything because they are only tools for service and for work. Instead of focusing on skills, we must focus on the person who uses the skills. If the person is not well formed or motivated rightly, he will not give his heart and soul to the learning process. Over and above the intellectual component of formation is the cultivation of character. Without a good character and good virtues, leaders will end up serving themselves and using others for their glory and interests. They must be men and women of justice and integrity. Without integrity and honesty, we cannot entrust our lives, wealth and power to them because they will use them to destroy people and to enrich themselves only. Consequently, moral formation is of critical importance for leadership. We must enlighten our future leaders to know what is right and what is wrong. Today, many of our leaders are pragmatic and are ambivalent to justice and truth. When leaders do not have a good grounding for morality and right conduct, we can rationalize everything we do. We can justify all our decisions when they are made principally for self-gain and not for our people. Indeed, as leaders we are called to lead the world in darkness out of slavery because of ignorance and sin. The prophet says, “The people that walked in darkness has seen a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shone.” As leaders we are called to set our people free from slavery, addictions, suffering and ignorance. “You have made their gladness greater, you have made their joy increase, they rejoice in your presence as men rejoice at harvest time, as men are happy when they are dividing the spoils.” Leaders therefore must be enlightened if they are to enlighten and lead others. Among the most important virtues for leaders is the desire to serve God and humanity. We read in the gospel that Jesus went about doing good. “He went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness among the people.” They must be people of humility and the aspiration to serve. They must be people who have compassion for the suffering. They must be leaders where the greater good of the people transcends their needs. They must work for something greater than themselves, which is for Christ, for God and for others. This is why leaders must sacrifice their own interests for the greater good of the community. Leaders must not work for themselves but for the greater good of all. St Paul warns the different factions who were taking sides with leaders. He wrote, “it is clear that there are serious differences among you. What I mean are all these slogans that you have, like: ‘I am for Paul’, ‘I am for Apollos’, ‘I am for Cephas’, ‘I am for Christ’.” Forming leaders today also means forming them to be leaders of communion. The task of a leader is to foster unity in the organization they lead. A leader must be inclusive and seeks to bring real unity among all the members. Unity is founded on truth. Unfortunately, today’s unity is superficial because it is not founded on common values or on truth. The unity of the world is so very fragile as it is based on relativism, pragmatism and subjectivism without any objective truth. We must avoid the division that existed in the Corinthians Community when the members began to take sides with leaders. St Paul said, “I appeal to you, brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, to make up the differences between you, and instead of disagreeing among yourselves, to be united again in your belief and practice.” We must help our people to agree on the fundamental values. If we cannot even agree on basic values of life, like service, honesty, justice and integrity or the importance of our sexual identity, marriage and family institutions, we cannot agree on anything else. Without common values accepted by all, we cannot build real unity. To form them in this manner requires that we form them in Christ. This means that we must first walk in the light ourselves. Unless we know Christ and the gospel, we cannot lead them to where they are called to be. Leaders therefore must be familiar with the gospel and the teachings of the Church so that they can understand the mind of the Church and the mind of Christ in the gospel. As leaders, we take our direction from the Word of God. With the psalmist, we say, “The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; before whom shall I shrink.” Catholic educators, parents and leaders must take their faith seriously if they are to be leaders after the heart of Christ our teacher. But we need not travel this journey alone. We need to align ourselves and collaborate with others in the work of formation for the greater good of everyone. In today’s world, everything and everyone is inter-dependent. So too, in forming our children, we cannot work in silo. There needs to be greater coordination with parents, teachers, catechists, Family Life, Youth Office and those who are involved in forming young people to be holistic people and leaders. Today, it must be made clear that no single person is responsible for the formation of the young people but all of us in different capacities have a part to play. Hence, all formators and educators must work together as a team for a common goal. Unity is strength. We must work and travel together so that we can form the best people for the next generation, leaders who are wise, compassionate and who serve with integrity, honesty and selflessness. Written by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore.