Blog (Page 17)
Lessons From Job
I have to admit, I have avoided the book of Job most of my life. I read it in its entirety once in my twenties, so that I could check off the box and say that I had actually read the whole Bible. Job is not a book that you hear about much in sermons, and I don’t remember helping kids memorize any verses from Job in Sunday School or at AWANA. It was easy enough to avoid. Then a…
Suffering Outside of the Limelight
For what seems forever, television has made suffering seem stylish by recruiting people from all walks of life to endure danger and deprivation in seemingly real trials, pitting them against the elements or other contestants who are out to get them. The payoff scene at the end of the program celebrates lots of high-fives and expressions of relief as contestants board helicopters or Land Rovers to return to normal life and their often-healthier bank accounts. This kind of made-for-TV suffering…
What Season Is It?
What season is it? Football season? Time to put on our Seahawks gear and cheer? Well…maybe…unless someone comes down with a virus, or the air is too toxic to play and the game is canceled. Apple harvest season? Well…maybe…unless a forest fire in Eastern Washington rages through the apple orchard. School season? Well…maybe…unless the schools don’t meet in person, or there’s a power outage on what’s supposed to be the first day of school (as it did in Federal Way…
Obeying God
Even as a child I had an analytical bent. Ever since the fundamental concepts of logic formed in my mind, the presentation of a rule by my parents necessitated a thorough examination: When did the rule commence and when would it expire? Did it apply to my brother as well as me (since, of course, it was my self-appointed duty to keep him in line!) How would it be applied in various circumstances? (list all that come to mind) Were…
Why Obey?
Is there anyone here who likes to obey? Anyone? Our family takes turns doing the dishes in our home. One day last week, my daughter told me, “Dad, it’s your turn to wash the dishes.” I finished some more things for work, turned off the lights, went upstairs, and got into bed. If you are like me, you don’t like to obey. Most people don’t like to obey. I consider myself a pretty obedient person for the most part, and…
The Most Famous Parable
Since July 5th, we have been studying week by week through some of the parables of Jesus. Using a parable was the favorite way that Jesus taught lessons. These were not just “moral lessons of life,” but instead were views into what the Kingdom of God was like. I have asked you each week to make sure you know how to read all the parables for yourself in your personal study: What is the familiar and recognizable truth that became…
Growing in Maturity in Relationships
Do you know how many times the word “discipleship” appears in our English Bible? If you guessed zero times, you are correct! While the word “disciple” appears over 250 times, there is no “discipleship,” not one. If you searched for the word “discipleship” in the entire Bible, you would not be successful. But more importantly, what does the word “discipleship” even mean? In the Christian world, everyone uses it, but what are we trying to say? And what does a…
Your Life is a Garden
This Sunday, September 6, we are studying together the powerful and highly realistic parable of the sowing of seeds in a garden. As you prepare for this study: Read the parable: Matthew 13:1-9 & 18-23. The same parable is found in Mark 4:1-9 and Luke 8:4-15. Read these as well. Think through the exaggerated truths that become obvious as you read. Think through spiritual truths and how they apply to your personal life. Then, read these passages that will bring…
Grace: A Back-to-School Survival Guide
I love back-to-school season. When I’ve planned my summer right, we achieve the perfect mix of scheduled stuff—camps, swimming lessons, sleepovers—with unstructured days to sleep in, lay around, be creative and/or watch too much TV. Warm weather, long days, fewer demands—it’s all pretty wonderful. But even after the best of summers, I’m still a little bit like this guy (best commercial ever). I like new school clothes. And I love new school supplies. It’s fun to meet new teachers and…
Beyond Nice
“Be nice to each other on the playground!” That’s a phrase that comes straight out of our school days. When I would go outside to play with my friends, my mom would frequently voice that comment to me as I headed out the door: “Don’t forget to be nice to each other!” The rules and the boundaries of my behavior were laid out for me at an early age. Why did my mother give me this instruction? Because she knew…
Wrestling With the Word of God
Growing up, all things “Christian” were pretty engrained in my experience. I’m the granddaughter, daughter and sister of pastors. I’m the niece and cousin of missionaries and Christian educators. I asked Jesus into my heart sitting in a grocery cart when I was four years old. As I grew up, I sang the songs (“Bullfrogs and Butterflies” and “The Music Machine” were my Veggie Tales equivalent). I learned the acronyms: S.O.A.P. for Bible Study, A.C.T.S. for prayer, and T.U.L.I.P. for…
For Mercy’s Sake
TL;DR: Humans are merciless. God is merciful. Humans can show mercy. Showing mercy is important; a good place to start is with immigrants. When I was asked to write a blog about mercy, my first thought was, Oh, no. Maybe I was a bit overeager. My work as a therapist might indicate that I have more to say on the subject than most. If I were a merciful person, that might be true. But I’m just not. If you Google…
Three Front Doors
It has been 22 weekends now since we have had a “normal” church service inside our facility. Can you believe it? I would have never dreamed that we would be doing things this way. I realize there are many opinions and strong feelings about whether we gather or not, and how we should do this. Politics can easily get involved. Opinions fly in all directions. The madness of school closures is frustrating. These are confusing times, for sure. We have,…
A Fool? Who, Me?
Have you ever been called a fool? These are very strong words and a deeply insulting accusation. But this is the description Jesus used in the parable of the “rich fool.” This Sunday morning we will open our Bibles to Luke 12:13-21 for this parable from Jesus. Read ahead now as you prepare yourself for our time of teaching this weekend. Like every weekend, there are questions that will be available for you to ask each other at the end of our teaching time. Let’s…
Being Merciful is Hard to Do
In my daily life, when I make a mistake, I face a penalty or punishment. When I am having a bad day, and I say insensitive things, I take out my frustration on my wife or children, I chew my dogs out, I know what is coming for me. It is time to pay. There are consequences for what I have done. I feel ashamed, but at the same time, I am way too prideful to say I am sorry.…
Humble Before God
“I am sure glad I am not like that person!” Have you ever had that thought? Have you ever said those words? Maybe you looked at a poverty situation, and even with a heavy and broken heart, you deep down were thinking, “I sure am glad I am not them!” The parable for this coming Sunday is a contrasting view of life between a well-put-together, humanly respected man (the Pharisee) and a person that had a broken life with layers…
We Got This!
What a world we live in! As we all know, it is summer, and it’s pretty normal for summer to feel weird and different as people are traveling and heading out on vacation. Students are generally slowing down and sleeping in and staying up late. Summer is usually filled with bike rides, hikes, video games, late nights with the bonfires, and family time. This summer is obviously different. The news of our local schools staying closed for the start of…
Everyone, Meet Hupomeno
When I think of the word “endure,” I think back to the day my colleagues convinced me to join them in a 5k run through Central Park in New York City. Till this day, I have not forgiven my friends. On what I thought was the last day of my life, I huffed, and I puffed. I almost died. I made sure everyone in the world knew how unhappy I was. After a struggle I never will forget, I finished.…
What is the Voice You Follow?
John 10:10 is a verse in the Bible that I learned a very long time ago: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” I viewed it for a long time as God’s positive thinking for me…that he wants me to have a great life! I should live it up because he wants it all for me! For me it has always been a high-water-mark…
All Things Belong to God
Genesis 1 and 2 tell the creation story. Before God’s creation, the earth was void. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. GENESIS 1:2 God spoke, and there was light. God spoke and separated the waters to create the sky. God spoke and separated the water from the land. On the land, he spoke, and the earth produced trees and plants. God spoke and separated day and…
‘Tis a Puzzle
I love jigsaw puzzles. For me, assembling a good 1000-piece puzzle is just enough of a challenge without inducing the feeling of frustration. I’m rather choosy about my puzzles. If I am going to spend a significant amount of time putting it together, then I want the final product to give me joy, or at least add to my knowledge base somehow. I recently put together a doozy that depicted hummingbirds of the world, and enjoyed learning about the large…
Are You Exhausted Yet?
Are you exhausted yet? Are you ready to give up? Think about a time when you have been totally exhausted. Maybe you had to drive all night long to make sure you got somewhere on time. Maybe you stayed up and studied for a major exam the next day. Maybe you worked one month straight of very long shifts at work. You walk in the door, collapse on the bed, and you are just drained. Or maybe in your total…
My Name is…
Apparently, the topic of my name was the subject of much discussion between my father (who was Thai) and mother (who was American). They wanted to give their children simple names that would be valid in both languages. My maiden name, transliterated from Thai into English, is “Chairatana.” You can only imagine the number of ridiculous variations that can be derived from those letters. Over the years I have been called chair-and-sofa, catch-a-tuna, carry-a-ton-a, cherry-and-tonic and a myriad of other…
Love Amidst the Tears
For many people living with or raising someone with a disability, suffering is an inevitability. Expensive medications and doctor consults, societal stigmas and discrimination, and physical discomfort and pain caused by chronic health conditions often characterize the lives of people with disabilities and their families. This suffering is intensified in high-poverty regions where medical services are inadequate and families are struggling to survive. So how should we respond? What can be done to support these community members who experience hardship…
The Kingdom of Heaven is Like…?
Have you ever wondered what it means when people talk about “the Kingdom of Heaven”? This Sunday, in my continued series of messages out of the parables of Jesus, I will walk us through the parable of the Fishing Net, found in Matthew 13:47-52. As you prepare for Sunday’s message, I want you to read not only this parable found here, but all of Matthew 13. This chapter is composed almost entirely of one parable after another that Jesus taught,…