Salvation Party

The first verse of Psalm 21 says this:

O LORD, in Thy strength the king will be glad,
And in Thy salvation how greatly he will rejoice!

I've read over that again and again this morning. It just gripped me the first time my eyes ran across it. I think the image of a king being glad, rejoicing in the strength of someone else grabbed me. Kings don't do that. Kings don't get excited if there are others out there who are more powerful. They don't rejoice...they saddle up for war!

I am thankful for God's strength. I know that it is only through Him that I (we) have been able to make it through some of the challenges we've faced recently. I am also thankful for my His salvation...from momentary struggles and for the eternal rescuing I received when I decided to become a follower of Christ. But I am not sure how often I rejoice in His strength and in that salvation.

Think about that word rejoice. Pop that word into a thesaurus and you'll get: to be joyful, to be overjoyed, to be jubilant, to be delirious, to be thrilled, to be euphoric, to celebrate. How often am I (are you) delirious with joy when we consider the strength and salvation that comes from our Lord?

Why have I become so callous? Why don't I throw salvation parties, euphorically celebrating the Lord? It's almost as if it has just become something normal, expected. He's strong...I'm saved...pass the biscuits. How ludicrous! But how do I change?

For me, change often begins with reflection and meditation on the Word. Definitely the times that I am least jubilant are connected to me being out of step with Christ...not living the life of a true disciple (talmid...remember that post?). And it's then, when I begin walking at my own pace...living as I'd like instead of how my Teacher would like...that I lose sight of the unimaginable reality that is the strength and salvation of the Lord. As I lost sight, I also lose my reason for rejoicing...my reason for being ecstatic...my reason for partying.

What if we actually threw parties to celebrate the Lord? What would that look like? Who would we invite? Who would show up? What kind of food would we eat? Would we play games or watch a movie? Which games...which movie? Would we read the Word aloud? Would we be bored or be listening in anticipation? Would we be delighted, elated, ecstatic, euphoric, delirious??

Psalm 19

Several months ago I posted about how we are able to see God in His creation...how Brian McLaren pointed out that it is as if we are walking through God's art gallery when we look at nature, the heavens, etc. This morning as I was reading Psalm 19 this thought returned to me.

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
Their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

As beautiful as this is in English, I wonder what this would sound like in Hebrew. The imagery is gorgeous thinking about how the heavens not only exhibit but proclaim the glory of God.

I attached a picture that helped bring all of these thoughts to mind. It was taken in a park close to our house. It's not simply a B&W but rather simulates (it's converted, not taken with pure technique) the infrared view of that scene. When infrared pictures are taken (or simulated, in this case) they expose a range of light that our human eyes are unable to see. These types of pictures expose a level of beauty that is physically out of reach.

This picture makes me think about the hidden beauty found in things that I see all of the time. It took some work to convert that picture in photoshop. And similarly, it takes some work to alter the way that I look at my surroundings in order to "see what I'm not seeing". It's in seeing that hidden beauty that we are struck...or at least that I am struck...with the glory, the majesty, the beauty of my Lord.

Maybe this will be an encouragement to you today to put some time and energy into trying to find the hidden beauty in the things that surround you. Maybe that will be in a beautiful park...in the sky...in a person or people...who knows. But as we are promised, when we seek that hidden beauty out...when we seek Him...we will find Him.

Merry Christmas!!!

Well, our Christmas is coming close to an end while many of you are just getting started! We've had a great day of presents, food, and love of family! Drop by our Phanfare site and see some pictures when you get a chance.

We wish you all the best on this wonderful day!!

With much love,
The Shattucks

FollowTheRabbi.com

I was given the pleasure of being able to preach for the pastor of the Poznan International Church yesterday as he's away in the states for awhile. Someone asked me how the sermon went...to which I replied "went great...I loved it!" Of course you should never ask a preacher how he preached. :-)

I thought that the manuscript was worth publishing as all of you should read it. So here it is....just kidding. Actually the content is really intriguing. I can say that because I didn't think it all up. I just researched and dug into Scripture with the help of several internet resources. It's amazing the world that is opened up to us through the web (of course with the good comes the bad...but that's another post).

One of those resources, actually the main one, was followtherabbi.com. If you are not familiar with that site, I highly recommend you taking some time to get to know it. The articles that are there, combined with dynamic web-based multimedia presentations, are really stellar. And at least for me they give me Biblical insight that I have never received anywhere, including seminary.

So, check out that site and spend some time reading through the posted materials. You will be amazed at how you will begin to look at Scripture differently.

Too odd to pass up

Another article found on cnn.com that I really couldn't avoid posting. It's just way too weird.

Title: "World's Tallest Man Saves Plastic Eating Dolphins"

CNN Video - "What did Jesus look like?"

I was perusing the news on cnn.com this morning and watched an interesting video clip about what Jesus might have looked like. They interviewed a forensic artist that used a skull of a 30-some year old man who died approx. in early 1st century and whose remains were found near the same place Jesus lived and ministered. So, while this is obviously not the face of Jesus, maybe it gives some insight into what other men of that time/place looked like.

Another interesting aspect of the video was the quick flashing of different faces that artists have given Jesus over the centuries. It really is astonishing to see how differently he has been rendered depending on the age and culture in which the art appears. The image that really grabbed me was of an Asian Jesus.

Here's the link for the video. If it doesn't work you can head over to cnn.com and check it out if you're interested.

James Taylor at Christmas

I was browsing through the iTunes music store a couple of days ago and noticed that they had a free download from James Taylor's Christmas cd (it was Jingle Bells). I thought, "why not?" and went ahead and downloaded it. I've liked his music before but haven't ever purchased anything...don't know why.

Jingle Bells definitely had a different feel to it...jazz /funk/blues. I liked it so much that I went ahead and bought the whole cd after listening to that one track. The rest of the album is just as good. He even does a great version of "Go Tell It On The Mountain" that we really like...a song that most artists seem to ignore.

Just thought maybe some of you might be interested in another Christmas album...and especially one with well-known songs done "differently".

Hear endeth the commercial. :-)

Adoption Update: More tests on 12/18

Well, at least we have confirmation of the "next step" before us. On the 18th of this month all of us will head over to an agency in town that the court is using to test us. The document we received stated that we should be prepared for 4-5 hours of "fun" (my word, not theirs). And yes, again, this will involve all of us -- even Maciek.

We had another meeting with the psychologist that visits every now and then to see how things are going here at home with the kids. She basically sits and tries to come up with interesting questions for an hour or so (this time it was 1.5 hours). She talked to us a little bit about what to expect on the 18th and honestly it sounds pretty daunting...group interviews, personal interviews, tests (I about cried to hear that). We're also pretty psyched that it will all be in Polish. NOT!

This is all pretty strange seeing as though foreigners don't go through any of this. It's as though we've gone through the entire foreign adoption process...which turned out to not be enough for the Warsaw agency for whatever reason unbeknownst to anyone else involved...and now we're forced to go through the domestic adoption process.

I know you're going to want to know what's next. Me too. The pieces of info we have been given tell us that (1) we will have to wait -- possibly up to a month -- for this agency to prepare their opinion of us and then (2) have to await the next word from the court. The judge could simply schedule the final hearing, providing that the opinion of the agency is good, and finalize the adoption (would probably happen sometime in February). OR he could want even more information or whatever. It's so hard to say.

Be praying for all of us. The 18th is not going to be an exciting day at all...rather pretty stressful for each of the 5 of us. Thankfully my mom will be here which will help tremendously to offset some of that stress as we get to spend some quality time with her.

I'll post more when I know more. Thanks for continuing to pray with us as this drama is ever-evolving!

Studio 60, desensitization, and revolution

My mom is really incredible to us. One of the ways she ministers to us is by recording shows to DVD and sending them over to us every now and then. We get a stack of DVDs that last us a little while so that we can get our entertainment fix and keep up with American pop culture (sometimes scary huh?).

One of the latest shows that we've gotten into is Studio 60. It's a comedy/drama'ish show about the inner workings of a SNL-type sketch-based show on a major American network ("NBS"). If you're reading from the states you surely know the show. If you're elsewhere in the world (without a DVD-recording mom) then you're likely clueless.

Didn't want to give a promo for the show today. Rather, I wanted to talk about one of its characters, Harriet. She's known on the show for being an outspoken Christian...and surprise, specifically a Southern Baptist. Of course she takes a lot of heat on the show because of her "faith", including hits from friends, colleagues, and the media. And evidently her going on the 700 Club was the last straw for her former boyfriend, leading to him breaking up with her.

What's my point? I guess it's just that things just don't add up with Harriet's character and it bothers me. It bothers me that millions of households have this show beamed into their living rooms and are presented with the idea that she is what we as Christians (or less importantly as Southern Baptists) are like. Of course, maybe it's true.

Before posting this today it was sitting as a draft for a few days. Last night was actually the last time we will watch the show (unless we get too weak to fight and give in to our desensitized minds). It's extremely difficult to tolerate blatant blasphemy and that's pretty much what the show was about...writing a sketch that poked fun at the cultural taboo of using God's name in vain (of course followers of Christ see it as a much deeper problem than just an issue with cultural norms). And our Southern Baptist heroine was right in the middle of it, commenting how fun it all was.

What do we do about this? Boycott? Oh, we Southern Baptists are good at that one. No, I'm not leading that charge. But I do think that this show, and others like it, give Christ's followers great opportunities to share the Real Gospel with people. How easy is it to strike up a conversation about what happened in "last night's show"? I know that bringing up spiritual things out of the blue can be tough...leaving people sometimes feeling awkward and linguistically clumsy. But we really can't let opportunities like this slide.

It's funny how the first episode of Studio 60 showed us a worn out, fed up producer that felt Hollywood's broadcasting standards were degrading America (that is, that he was not being allowed to broadcast sketches that would offend too many people...specifically Christians in that case). That's funny, ironically, because I definitely see that one the other way around. Make a joke here...use the name Jesus as an expletive there...show a little more skin each season...and little by little we get used to more and more depravity (a.k.a. sin). The more depravity we accept, the more they give us because it begins to take much more to offend our senses and good judgement (a.k.a. conscience -- given to us by God to know right from wrong, per Romans 2:15).

I know I sound pretty revolutionary...like throw out your TVs, evangelize everyone around you, close off your mind to the evil things of this world. But you know, I'm really only talking to you about the Truth from God's Word (actually the first sentence of this paragraph sounds a lot like Jesus clearing out the Temple). We've - me included - got to learn to protect ourselves. The armor of God is vital to the day to day battles we face. Often the first thing to go is our mind as we give in to whatever temptation or pressure we face...and the rest of the body follows suit. But maybe if we can stay even a little more vigilant...if we can focus on the Holy more each day then (1) we will continue to develop into truer followers of Jesus and (2) we will be able to take all of the opportunities we get to lead others to Him as well.

Dispensing the Gospel

Any idea what that is in the picture? It's an electronic automatic soap dispenser. Why is it pictured on my blog? Because it represents an important characteristic of our lives as followers of Christ. How?

Ok, yes I'm speaking a little tongue in cheek here but really there's something to this imagery. Think about it. When people come in contact with us we are commanded (I know that sounds strong...command...but really it's true) to dispense the message of reconciliation that is being offered through faith in Christ with them. We are commanded to dispense a message to them that has the power to change to lives...to clean up their lives, if you will.

What's more...sometimes we find ourselves empty. We find ourselves so depleted of life and energy that we don't feel like we have anything to give. In those times we long to be refilled...replenished with that same life-giving power that we dispense to others.

I know, I know. This is not the stuff of a great theologian. But if it helps me or you remember a little piece of our character the next time we come into contact with someone that needs a little soap then it's done its job!

Hello. My name is Michael Shattuck and I want to be an automatic Gospel dispenser.

Thoughts about forgiveness

Hebrews 7:27 says this:
He (Jesus) does not need to offer sacrifices every day like the other high priests. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he sacrificed himself on the cross.

1 John 1:9 says this:
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.

That is a really beautiful verse and an even more incredible truth. Sometimes it's difficult for us to remember that we are sinners and that we absolutely, unequivocally NEED that forgiveness. And thankfully (although that word doesn't feel like enough) our Savior gave his life for us, making the Ultimate sacrifice to cleanse us. The only provision...that we voluntarily come to him, humbling ourselves, to confess our sins and, in doing so, express our need for forgiveness.

While I do whole-heartedly believe that once we have chosen to follow Christ...once we have chosen to confess our sins to God and receive the gift of forgiveness and reconciliation that He offers...we do not need to do anything else to "update" our salvation in the future. What I'm saying is that I don't believe it's possible to "lose" one's salvation.

That said, we have a lot of work to do, collectively as The Church, to keep in mind who we are. While true, we are children of the Most High God, we continue to live on earth subjected to all of the filth and grime that is humanity. And it DOES affect us. Being prone to sin, we dabble in the dirt. Sometimes we flat out roll around in it just to get a little taste of what life used to be like. No, that doesn't mean that our names have been scratched out of the Book of Life. But rather it does mean that in those times, as we have determined to do our own thing apart from God, that our relationship with Him has suffered whether we want to acknowledge this or not. In order to restore that relationship we must return to the Father, asking forgiveness for our selfishness...for our sinfulness. Only then can our relationship be restored again.

What is difficult for us is that this process is seemingly unending. Paul felt it as he cried out about how terrible he was...the worst of all Christians...that he continuously did that which he hated the most. Can't we all identify with that (even often)? But Paul knew, as we need to learn, that every day offered him grace anew. With every sin confessed came all-encompassing grace...not grace to remove the penalty for his general sinfulness but grace to destroy the barrier that the sin had built between him and the Father. We are no different. The process is the same. We are cleansed -- we sin -- our relationship with God suffers -- we ask for forgiveness and restoration or continue to go our own way -- we are cleansed and our relationship restored if we seek that -- and we start over.

I've written about 3-4 endings for this post and erased them all. Sometimes my thoughts just stop "somewhere" and I find myself just sitting and pondering. So, that's what I'm going to do here.

Thank you Father for your forgiveness, for your grace and mercy,
and for the love that you have for me.