We are created by God to be emotional beings. It is normal to have times of sadness and ecstatic joy. According to Solomon in Ecclesiastes those emotions come in seasons, as God gives us balance. Emotional health welcomes both the highs and the lows, but never stays on one level or the other. We need both and everything in between.
This week, for example, my life has and will include..
...A great Sunday!
...Two back to back DOA calls in the post-midnight hours of Monday morning.
...A great game of golf with friends (a golf game gives you every emotion).
...Seeing my grandchildren smile this morning.
...A funeral on Thursday. (Oh, I had a funeral last Saturday, too.)
...A wedding on Saturday.
It's just Wednesday morning, so only God knows where my roller coaster car will go next. So, I must have a heart focused on the only Constant in my life, Jesus Christ. As my Shepherd He can be trusted to lead me through the darkest valleys and to the greenest pastures. Knowing that keeps me from questioning Him about the track of my life.
How great it is to know He won't leave me hanging emotionally, but keeps life moving moving through it's seasons.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
What happened?
With each passing day I find myself increasingly perplexed about what happened to the country of my birth.
It is rapidly disappearing from sight.
I am no longer perplexed however, as to why biblical prophetic literature mentions world powers in Europe and Asia, but the United States is absent. That used to puzzle me. It no longer does.
It is rapidly disappearing from sight.
I am no longer perplexed however, as to why biblical prophetic literature mentions world powers in Europe and Asia, but the United States is absent. That used to puzzle me. It no longer does.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The Aftermath of the Vote
My home state of North Carolina voted by a significant majority to preserve the traditional definition of marriage that has been accepted by mankind since God put Adam and Eve together. Carolina is in the Bible belt, and while it is not by any means a "Christian" state, it still clings to long held beliefs.
What will happen next will be those who voted against the amendment will angrily fire shots at those who believe marriage is defined by the Almighty as "one man and one woman", calling them "ignorant", "bigots" and "hate-mongers". This is an issue that has drawn deep lines because it is a reflection of belief. And, by the democratic structure that makes America great, one belief was affirmed while the other rejected. Likewise, some who savor the victory will use it to throw barbs at their opposition.
Sad is that those who see marriage as being broader than man and woman see hatred in the votes of those who disagree. It's been made into an anti-gay mandate, mostly by the extreme left, as though those who voted "for" are Nazis, out to exterminate an entire people. I personally know of no one wanting to exterminate anyone.
Reality is that those in same-sex relationships a generation ago chose to stay "in the closet" because they were viewed culturally as deviant. Now, they are now increasingly main-stream, largely due to a very calculated effort to make acceptable what had been seen as unacceptable in most circles. Reality is that homosexuality has taken great strides in being viewed as a "minority" deserving of the same rights and status of those in our society with skin colors of red, black and brown. In that effort they have succeeded for the most part.
Someone has said that what is tolerated by one generation will be embraced by the next. Those in favor of treating those with homosexual behavior as a minority, including the "civil right" to marry only need to be patient. The vote in North Carolina, while it may have slowed the snowball's momentum, it will not stop it without a nationwide change in worldview. And while that is a possibility, it is not likely. Pandora's box has already been opened.
Those in my generation often wonder, "How did it come to this?". I believe the answer is that we now live in a post-Christian America that holds no truths to be absolute. "Faith of our fathers" has no relevance to the Millennial generation. Therefore, it matters not that society since the beginnings of mankind has consistently held to a man/woman view of marriage. Nothing is sacred because God has either been reconstructed to our own making or relegated to being something previous generations needed as a crutch and who is unnecessary today. Everything is up for grabs.
Absolutism says, "This is truth. It does not change". Our culture has shifted away from the absolutes of earlier generations of Americans to the absolute truth that nothing is absolute. Therefore, anything goes. Tolerance now means "no boundaries". Formerly tolerance meant "I don't agree with you, but you have a right to freely practice or believe what you do as long as you don't try and force it upon me". Now, if a segment of society...even a majority... seeks to maintain historically accepted absolutes they are viewed as intolerant.
At stake is the very foundation of our culture, a foundation constructed by our Founding Fathers. Imperfect men, they still held to the absolute that the Creator ordained certain things to be right and true, and that we as mere men have no right to usurp His almighty authority as the One who created us in His image and dismantle either the absolutes or the foundation. That they held to such absolutes is undeniably evident in their writings, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Historic Christianity and it's Judeo roots of Law and justice were accepted by all three branches of our founders' government.
That foundation has been eroded gradually over the past several generations like a slow but growing tide eats away a beach. At first, it is so small that it is not noticed. Then when it is discovered it is dissed as non-consequential. However, when the houses begin falling into the surf it is virtually too late to make the attempt to rebuild. Witness the fall of the mighty Roman Empire.
There are those who spew hate on both sides of this vote's coin. Even those who claim to be on God's side can be the most vitriolic. And in that ugliness, the message that should be conveyed is lost in a muddled mess. Those who genuinely base their opposition to a redefinition to the sanctity of marriage on an absolute belief should be anything but hatemongers. Hopefully we voted for the amendment, not because we hate anyone, but because we truly believe that if marriage is tampered with, not only will our culture lose its moorings, but the doors will be opened to a host of other redefinitions that will prove detrimental in the long run to our future.
I wonder how much hatred would be displayed by the "for" voters had the vote gone the other way. What would Jesus do in that scenario? I suspect in either scenario He would show love and grace.
Let those who choose to hate not be those who name the name of Christ. Rather, let those who follow His teachings and accept the Scriptures as the Word of God build bridges that demonstrate love to everyone. Let us pray that the power of the Gospel to change men and women will be evidenced in the changes in our own hearts first, and then in the hearts of our friends and neighbors, regardless of their views. May the God who created law, morality, sexuality and government, be revered as still worthy of acceptance by all. Without Him we truly are adrift in a sea without an anchor or compass.
What will happen next will be those who voted against the amendment will angrily fire shots at those who believe marriage is defined by the Almighty as "one man and one woman", calling them "ignorant", "bigots" and "hate-mongers". This is an issue that has drawn deep lines because it is a reflection of belief. And, by the democratic structure that makes America great, one belief was affirmed while the other rejected. Likewise, some who savor the victory will use it to throw barbs at their opposition.
Sad is that those who see marriage as being broader than man and woman see hatred in the votes of those who disagree. It's been made into an anti-gay mandate, mostly by the extreme left, as though those who voted "for" are Nazis, out to exterminate an entire people. I personally know of no one wanting to exterminate anyone.
Reality is that those in same-sex relationships a generation ago chose to stay "in the closet" because they were viewed culturally as deviant. Now, they are now increasingly main-stream, largely due to a very calculated effort to make acceptable what had been seen as unacceptable in most circles. Reality is that homosexuality has taken great strides in being viewed as a "minority" deserving of the same rights and status of those in our society with skin colors of red, black and brown. In that effort they have succeeded for the most part.
Someone has said that what is tolerated by one generation will be embraced by the next. Those in favor of treating those with homosexual behavior as a minority, including the "civil right" to marry only need to be patient. The vote in North Carolina, while it may have slowed the snowball's momentum, it will not stop it without a nationwide change in worldview. And while that is a possibility, it is not likely. Pandora's box has already been opened.
Those in my generation often wonder, "How did it come to this?". I believe the answer is that we now live in a post-Christian America that holds no truths to be absolute. "Faith of our fathers" has no relevance to the Millennial generation. Therefore, it matters not that society since the beginnings of mankind has consistently held to a man/woman view of marriage. Nothing is sacred because God has either been reconstructed to our own making or relegated to being something previous generations needed as a crutch and who is unnecessary today. Everything is up for grabs.
Absolutism says, "This is truth. It does not change". Our culture has shifted away from the absolutes of earlier generations of Americans to the absolute truth that nothing is absolute. Therefore, anything goes. Tolerance now means "no boundaries". Formerly tolerance meant "I don't agree with you, but you have a right to freely practice or believe what you do as long as you don't try and force it upon me". Now, if a segment of society...even a majority... seeks to maintain historically accepted absolutes they are viewed as intolerant.
At stake is the very foundation of our culture, a foundation constructed by our Founding Fathers. Imperfect men, they still held to the absolute that the Creator ordained certain things to be right and true, and that we as mere men have no right to usurp His almighty authority as the One who created us in His image and dismantle either the absolutes or the foundation. That they held to such absolutes is undeniably evident in their writings, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Historic Christianity and it's Judeo roots of Law and justice were accepted by all three branches of our founders' government.
That foundation has been eroded gradually over the past several generations like a slow but growing tide eats away a beach. At first, it is so small that it is not noticed. Then when it is discovered it is dissed as non-consequential. However, when the houses begin falling into the surf it is virtually too late to make the attempt to rebuild. Witness the fall of the mighty Roman Empire.
There are those who spew hate on both sides of this vote's coin. Even those who claim to be on God's side can be the most vitriolic. And in that ugliness, the message that should be conveyed is lost in a muddled mess. Those who genuinely base their opposition to a redefinition to the sanctity of marriage on an absolute belief should be anything but hatemongers. Hopefully we voted for the amendment, not because we hate anyone, but because we truly believe that if marriage is tampered with, not only will our culture lose its moorings, but the doors will be opened to a host of other redefinitions that will prove detrimental in the long run to our future.
I wonder how much hatred would be displayed by the "for" voters had the vote gone the other way. What would Jesus do in that scenario? I suspect in either scenario He would show love and grace.
Let those who choose to hate not be those who name the name of Christ. Rather, let those who follow His teachings and accept the Scriptures as the Word of God build bridges that demonstrate love to everyone. Let us pray that the power of the Gospel to change men and women will be evidenced in the changes in our own hearts first, and then in the hearts of our friends and neighbors, regardless of their views. May the God who created law, morality, sexuality and government, be revered as still worthy of acceptance by all. Without Him we truly are adrift in a sea without an anchor or compass.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
I once was...
How those just baptized at Nags Head Church were introduced!
I Once Was... from Nags Head Church on Vimeo.
Monday, April 16, 2012
God and Country in Jesus' Words
“Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to trap Him by what He said. They sent their disciples to Him, with the Herodians. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we know that You are truthful and teach truthfully the way of God. You defer to no one, for You don’t show partiality. Tell us, therefore, what You think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’”
Trying to trick Him, the self-appointed arbiters of righteousness in His day broached the issue of the relationship between civil government and the sacred. In 1st Century Palestine, the government was that of a foreign power. While there was a fairly high degree at the time of freedom of religion, the Jews resented being part of a Gentile empire, which, as any government does, taxed them for whatever provisions Rome supplied.
But no culture/state wants to be ruled by others. Every nation desires autonomy. In Judea was a rebel faction called zealots who sought the overthrow of Roman occupation by violent means. They hoped to convince Jesus, who was quickly gaining the following of the masses, to not only join them, but also be their “Messiah” and lead them to conquer Rome. He wasn’t so persuaded because overthrowing a political regime was not His mission.
His enemies then sought to use politics as a way to trip Him up and present Him as urging the people to refuse to pay taxes. Now there’s a way to win the approval of the people! But it wasn’t to win the favor of the citizenry that they posed this question to Him. It was to run back to the Roman authorities and charge Jesus with being a revolutionary and have them end His life and with it, His growing movement.
Jesus saw through their scheme. “But perceiving their malice, Jesus said, ‘Why are you testing Me, hypocrites? Show Me the coin used for the tax.’ So they brought Him a denarius (a Roman coin). ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’ He asked them. ‘Caesar’s,’ they said to Him. Then He said to them, ‘Therefore, give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’”
Not only did Jesus recognize the place of civil, human government to look over the affairs of mankind, He also gave support to the ability of government to impose taxation. Note that when the opportunity arose He did not condemn either Rome or taxes. We know from another story in the Gospels that Jesus was a taxpayer Himself.
At the same time Jesus clearly drew a line. Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, in a letter, called it a “wall of separation”. The framers of our Constitution also recognized Jesus’ “line” in the Bill of Rights’ 1st Amendment. Some areas are clearly the domain of the government, especially protecting our freedoms and rights. But others belong to a higher power – the Creator. He is the author of morals, faith, ethics and what we call “personal conscience”.
Jesus’ made it so simple. Give to Caesar (the civil authorities) those things that belong to “him”. Give to God those areas of life that belong to Him. It is when we mix the two or allow one to take over the other that we move away from Christ’s words of wisdom.
The message seems simple. Let the government rule over that which God has given it. After all, government is God’s idea. But don’t allow the government to rule matters of faith and the morals and institutions over which He alone should have control.
And giving back to God the things that are His can be far more difficult a choice than filling out a 1040 and mailing a check.
This article is taken from The Outer Banks Sentinel, April 18, 2012
Rick Lawrenson is the Lead Pastor of Nags Head Church.
Copyright 2012 Rick Lawrenson
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Where to start?
There's much on my mind that I want to write about...the disintegration of religious freedom in our country, burnout among pastors, March Madness, O Brother, Where Art Thou...
I just can't figure out where to start.
I just can't figure out where to start.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Decades of Life
After spending some time this morning with my daughter and her children, I thought about where I was when my own were little. That led me to think about the decades of my life - how you really never know where or what you'll be ten years from now.
When I was ten I was a 5th grade student at Clyde A. Erwin Elementary School in Jacksonville, NC. Baseball was my first love. It was while I was ten that my dad left us for thirteen months, going to a violent place in Southeast Asia. I rode a bike and got the newest fad of transportation that year...a skateboard. Mom and dad owned a modest little home in a rural development called Half Moon Heights.
I turned twenty while serving an internship in Ft. Myers, FL. A few weeks later I started my junior year of college in Lynchburg, VA. After 3 years of not playing baseball I tried a comeback, but in just three years the skills had become too rusty. Huge disappointment. But in a couple months I would meet a girl while working for J. C. Penney who would partner with me for life. today. Huge break! My ride was a '65 VW bug that was a piece of junk. Still lived with the folks.
At 30 I was serving in my third church, a youth and music pastor, since graduating college eight years earlier. My seminary degree's ink was still wet, and our family now included a four year old son and a seven month old daughter. We rented a house in the same neighborhood where my wife grew up. The next five years would prove to be the hardest of my life.
By age 40 I had been pastor of Nags Head Baptist Church for four years. Our family now included a teenager and two young daughters. I was coaching baseball and softball with my kids and totally engrossed in my job. Three days after turning 40 I got my first pair of bifocals. We were driving our first brand new car, a mini-van that would last us for the next eleven years. The church provided us with a comfortable home in Kitty Hawk, a home we would later purchase.
At the half-century mark we enjoyed the stability of being in the same position and even living in the same home for 15 years. Life is good! Our kids are finding their own ways in life. Our son is happily married. I've had some health concerns, but have fortunately resolved them with diet. Gail's dad passed away a few years ago and her mom and my parents are dealing with the issues that come with aging. The next years would bring the joys of weddings, grandchildren and the greatest trials of our faith.
Now I'm past the midway mark of my 6th decade. The seasons have flown by! I'm watching my children go through the same stages of life through which I've been. Hopefully the faith and values they've learned through life will carry them through their decades to come.
Looking back I can see how God works all things together for good to those who love Him. Solomon wrote that, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven", and went through those times and seasons of life. Most important is that we discover that purpose and see our lives as being given to us to glorify our Creator in every season.
When I was ten I was a 5th grade student at Clyde A. Erwin Elementary School in Jacksonville, NC. Baseball was my first love. It was while I was ten that my dad left us for thirteen months, going to a violent place in Southeast Asia. I rode a bike and got the newest fad of transportation that year...a skateboard. Mom and dad owned a modest little home in a rural development called Half Moon Heights.
I turned twenty while serving an internship in Ft. Myers, FL. A few weeks later I started my junior year of college in Lynchburg, VA. After 3 years of not playing baseball I tried a comeback, but in just three years the skills had become too rusty. Huge disappointment. But in a couple months I would meet a girl while working for J. C. Penney who would partner with me for life. today. Huge break! My ride was a '65 VW bug that was a piece of junk. Still lived with the folks.
At 30 I was serving in my third church, a youth and music pastor, since graduating college eight years earlier. My seminary degree's ink was still wet, and our family now included a four year old son and a seven month old daughter. We rented a house in the same neighborhood where my wife grew up. The next five years would prove to be the hardest of my life.
By age 40 I had been pastor of Nags Head Baptist Church for four years. Our family now included a teenager and two young daughters. I was coaching baseball and softball with my kids and totally engrossed in my job. Three days after turning 40 I got my first pair of bifocals. We were driving our first brand new car, a mini-van that would last us for the next eleven years. The church provided us with a comfortable home in Kitty Hawk, a home we would later purchase.
At the half-century mark we enjoyed the stability of being in the same position and even living in the same home for 15 years. Life is good! Our kids are finding their own ways in life. Our son is happily married. I've had some health concerns, but have fortunately resolved them with diet. Gail's dad passed away a few years ago and her mom and my parents are dealing with the issues that come with aging. The next years would bring the joys of weddings, grandchildren and the greatest trials of our faith.
Now I'm past the midway mark of my 6th decade. The seasons have flown by! I'm watching my children go through the same stages of life through which I've been. Hopefully the faith and values they've learned through life will carry them through their decades to come.
Looking back I can see how God works all things together for good to those who love Him. Solomon wrote that, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven", and went through those times and seasons of life. Most important is that we discover that purpose and see our lives as being given to us to glorify our Creator in every season.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Are you ready?
The phone rang at 10:24PM.
I looked up at Gail and she said, "It's kind of late for a phone call", knowing that when the phone rings that late in a pastor's house it isn't going to be a lunch invitation. She was right.
"He's been taken to the hospital and his wife has asked that you be there." The prognosis was not good.
We were simply acquaintances, although his wife and mother-in-law are family of close friends. In fact, he was my son's Little League coach 22 years ago. I had only seen him a couple of times at the most in those two-plus decades. But I was asked to come right away, and being a believer in Divine appointments, I put on my shoes, brushed my teeth, and headed down the road.
While I'm no physician, I've been around the block a time or two in the hospital and ER in my pastoral experience. As I stood just inside the curtain that separated the room from the doctors and nurses station, it only took a second to know this would likely be my last chance to see him.
He was conscious and alert, and through the mask that covered most of his face, giving him oxygen as he labored for every breath I could see his eyes widen as he saw me. I took it as a sign that he was glad to have me there. At least three medical professionals were tending to him, working on needles, bags and such. So I stayed near the foot of the bed and gave a simple wave.
This was not a good time to try and get close enough to talk, so I left for the waiting room.
My third trip back to see him found him hooked up to everything imaginable. Only one nurse was there, punching things into a computer. So I walked up to the side of his bed, took his hand and said what needed to be said. His wife stood beside me.
"I'm not going to tell you what you don't already know. You don't have a lot of time left on this earth." He was looking directly into my eyes as he continued to struggle for each shallow breath. A slight nod told me he knew it, too. "I need to ask you...are you ready? Do you know Jesus is your Savior?"
The next nod wasn't so slight. It was deliberate.
"Knowing that will give you the peace you'll need through this night, and it will bring great peace to your family."
I prayed with him that God would help him through the night; that he might get some rest; that the Lord would bring comfort and strength to his family.
He was transported by helicopter to a hospital 80 miles away where he could be in an ICU. Today, after his wife, children, mother and sister said theirs goodbyes, he was taken off the ventilator and in a few minutes slipped into eternity.
He was ready.
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life."
One day all of us will have a similar experience. Perhaps it will be dragged out for days or weeks. Perhaps it will happen in an instant and be totally unexpected. But we will all face our mortality.
Ready or not.
I looked up at Gail and she said, "It's kind of late for a phone call", knowing that when the phone rings that late in a pastor's house it isn't going to be a lunch invitation. She was right.
"He's been taken to the hospital and his wife has asked that you be there." The prognosis was not good.
We were simply acquaintances, although his wife and mother-in-law are family of close friends. In fact, he was my son's Little League coach 22 years ago. I had only seen him a couple of times at the most in those two-plus decades. But I was asked to come right away, and being a believer in Divine appointments, I put on my shoes, brushed my teeth, and headed down the road.
While I'm no physician, I've been around the block a time or two in the hospital and ER in my pastoral experience. As I stood just inside the curtain that separated the room from the doctors and nurses station, it only took a second to know this would likely be my last chance to see him.
He was conscious and alert, and through the mask that covered most of his face, giving him oxygen as he labored for every breath I could see his eyes widen as he saw me. I took it as a sign that he was glad to have me there. At least three medical professionals were tending to him, working on needles, bags and such. So I stayed near the foot of the bed and gave a simple wave.
This was not a good time to try and get close enough to talk, so I left for the waiting room.
My third trip back to see him found him hooked up to everything imaginable. Only one nurse was there, punching things into a computer. So I walked up to the side of his bed, took his hand and said what needed to be said. His wife stood beside me.
"I'm not going to tell you what you don't already know. You don't have a lot of time left on this earth." He was looking directly into my eyes as he continued to struggle for each shallow breath. A slight nod told me he knew it, too. "I need to ask you...are you ready? Do you know Jesus is your Savior?"
The next nod wasn't so slight. It was deliberate.
"Knowing that will give you the peace you'll need through this night, and it will bring great peace to your family."
I prayed with him that God would help him through the night; that he might get some rest; that the Lord would bring comfort and strength to his family.
He was transported by helicopter to a hospital 80 miles away where he could be in an ICU. Today, after his wife, children, mother and sister said theirs goodbyes, he was taken off the ventilator and in a few minutes slipped into eternity.
He was ready.
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life."
One day all of us will have a similar experience. Perhaps it will be dragged out for days or weeks. Perhaps it will happen in an instant and be totally unexpected. But we will all face our mortality.
Ready or not.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Debates
Without commenting on my personal leanings, I find these debates to be too many and too annoying. So, I don't watch.
Maybe if they talked vision and solutions instead of wasting time taking each other apart I could tolerate them.
Besides, the guy with the most dinero in his war chest wins the nomination anyway, right?
Maybe if they talked vision and solutions instead of wasting time taking each other apart I could tolerate them.
Besides, the guy with the most dinero in his war chest wins the nomination anyway, right?
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