Kindness Korner

Humility

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:36:00 +0000

Humility is seen in the capacity to do what needs to be done. Humility includes not thinking oneself greater than others, but the evidence of humility is a willingness to step forward instead of hanging back. It is seen in giving a hand rather than waiting for others to lead the way most of the time.

Often it is pride, not humility, that causes us not to speak up, not to ask a question, not to volunteer or express one's opinions. Pride inhibits boldness.

Once I asked in a group setting for a volunteer to come forward and play the piano for a sone we would sing. No one moved. Finally someone coaxed a young woman to go forward. She played superbly. I assumed she had believed that humility required her kind of reluctance. But is wasn't humility. It was a form of pride protecting her from looking pushy or bold. Humility would have offered to help right away.

Jesus was humble. But he did not hang back. He did what had to be done, gave what he had to give.
He shows us that obedience and helpfulness are the true marks of humility.

The Reason for Quiet Time

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:27:00 +0000

The reason for Quiet Time with the Lord is to get help. It is not an end in itself. That is, there is nothing beneficial about a time of devotional focus unless something good comes out of it. Spending time with The Lord is to gain healing, encouragement, assurance, in order that we can more effectively contribute to those around us and our world.

We are partners with God in building a better creation. That is our life agenda. We learn that soon after finding our places as Followers of Jesus. We learn that believing in the Lord Jesus assures us of life with Him in this life and the life to come. But there is a lot more to this new life we have been given. The new life is, in Jesus words “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” That is what life is about. It is making the earth a place of greater goodness, beauty, justice and worthwhileness. Each of us is a partner with Jesus in this wonderful project.

Encourage Others and Tell Your Story

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:32:00 +0000

Thoughtful Aging

Intentional Christian aging is different than slipping, sliding, coasting and idling into Senior years. That ought to be our agenda as Christians-thoughtful aging.

Much of life is relatively clearly defined – infancy, toddler times, kindergarten, elementary school, high school, college or career, marriage, parenthood, are well-modeled. We know what these phases involve. BUT NOT THE THIRD QUARTER OR THE SECOND HALF. Something has happened so rapidly that we lack models, traditions, patterns, guidelines about how to live to 95 or 100 instead of to 75 or 85.

By nature or training, my dad, while a wonderful, generous, caring person did not know how to concentrate his energies on giving encouragement, support, admiration, interest and pats on the back,.to the younger generation.or even his peers, the senior group.

Right there we pinpoint a major opportunity and responsibility for life after 60. Instead of conventional productivity we can step instead into RELATIONAL business. Seniors need to know how much they have to offer the younger generation just in terms of PAYING ATTENTION to them AND SPEAKING CLEAR MESSAGES OF LOVE, ENCOURAGEMENT, SUPPORT AND KINDNESS. The vibrancy and bravado of youth should not distract us. And feelings of love are not enough. POSITIVE WORDS HEAL, LIFT, INSPIRE, STRENGTHEN, IMMUNIZE. (Do not wait for appreciation, especially with teens. They can’t send such messages. KNOW THIS-- WORDS OF LOVE DO GOOD.)

Beyond our own families, here is a second career for all of us. Sending messages of care and kindness all around. SHOWING UP!! In tough and painful circumstances next door, across the street, or by phone, mail or internet to hurting strangers).

A valuable gift EVERY SENIOR CARRIES, that absolutely must be given away – especially to our families is OUR STORY.

The following generations needs to hear our story. NOT ONLY DO THEY NEED TO HEAR IT, WE NEED TO TELL IT.

There is a wonderful healing that happens when we are invited by interested listeners to take all the time we need to share where we’ve been, what we’ve seen, known, experienced, and how we see God in all of it, too.

At the Crystal Cathedral I have nudged story-telling into a variety of classes as part of the process. Fresh New Hope Telephone Counselors are put through 7 weeks of training, 2-1/2 hours a week. The last 1-1/2 hours of every session is devoted to listening to each other’s story. THE TRAINING ITSELF IS EXCELLENT AND INSPIRING. But almost all cite TELLING THEIR STORY as the highlight.

2. We include it in NEW MEMBERS classes

3. We include it in LEAD ELDER TRAINING.

4. SMALL GROUPS.

5. FUNERAL PREPARATION

People are longing to be known. And even though people have worked on councils, committees, teams for decades THEY DO NOT KNOW EACH OTHER’S STORIES.

When we tell our stories to our children, they gain

- Insights into who they are (identity)

- What values they’ve inherited

- What’s important

- How God uses the “stuff” of life.

·
When older folks tell their stories THEY COME ALIVE AGAIN. They gain a sense of completion. Sometimes telling resolves old conflicts. Endearment emerges as we see each other as persons. Share your story !!!

Aging Well Part III

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:58:00 +0000

III.

BEAUTY AND ATTRACTIVENESS:

My friend, Jane Haas, is a small-time TV broadcaster in Orange County. When I first met her she came across as a bright and engaging older woman. The next time I saw her in person she appeared 10-15 years younger. Jane had inherited large folds of skin in her neck – jowls-like. Well, she’d taken a good bundle of money she’d inherited and with plastic surgery was rejuvenated. What a gift she gave herself AND THE PUBLIC.

True, God doesn’t look at the outward appearance but at the heart. BUT PEOPLE DO LOOK AT THE APPEARANCE.

Here, too, a danger lurks for the older –thinking appearances do not matter anymore; becoming care-less about what people think. But that, too, is self-centered. ATTRACTIVENESS is ANOTHER WONDERFUL GIFT for the younger, and others around us.

- RISK -

I met a friend of mine, Moses Yim, age 79, with his grandson, Jon Yim, the other day. Moses is proud of Jon, age 14, especially his golf game. “He could have made par the other day,” said Moses, “he was on the green in one and instead of playing cautiously he ‘went for it’ and slid 3 yards past the hole and missed that putt.” “Good for you, Jon,” I joked. “When you’re your Grandpa’s age play cautiously but right now go for it!”

“When the attractiveness of safety and security always outweighs the attractiveness of risk and the dangers of risk and the dangers of risk always outweigh the dangers of security we begin to die.”

A couple of years ago I was invited as a clinically trained pastor to take training to be part of teams called to the site of airline crashes to tend to the spiritual needs of survivors and families. I had to go to Albuquerque for several days and then be on-call two months of the year. I was obliged to drop everything and go for up to a week of orientation and training.

Almost everything in me said “no don't go” but a small voice said I was succumbing to the grip of safety and security too much – so I WENT.

It’s largely an age thing that caused me to hesitate. I WONDER HOW I’D THINK IF NO ONE EVER DECLARED AGE 65 as the official “hang it up” age.

I was never so shocked as when a nominee for Elder declined because he was 65 years old. He was retiring from his job and from work in the church as well. "Are you kidding?" I said, "You are just perfect for Elder work now and you’re quitting"? Older people see far better the deeper issues of life, than do the younger.

Spirituality is NOT ONLY OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, OUR WALK WITH JESUS and our PRAYER LIFE. Our whole being requires SPIRIT CARE, SOUL CARE.

If we coast and draft in senior years we may easily DIE physically because of SPIRITUAL NEGLECT. Spirituality includes relationships, beauty, giving, creativity, growing, meaning and purpose-staying alive nourishes our souls.

Aging in the New Year Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:48:00 +0000

Tell Your Story

Another valuable gift EVERY SENIOR CARRIES that absolutely must be given away – especially to our families is OUR STORY.

The younger generations needs to hear where we have been and what it was like. NOT ONLY DO THEY NEED TO HEAR IT, WE NEED TO TELL IT.

At the Crystal Cathedral I have nudged story-telling into a variety of classes as part of the process. As New Hope Telephone Counselors – we put them through 7 weeks of training, 2-1/2 hours a week. The last 1-1/2 hours of every session is devoted to taking turns listening to another’s story. THE TRAINING ITSELF IS EXCELLENT AND INSPIRING. But almost all cite TELLING THEIR STORY as the highlight.

2. We include it in NEW MEMBERS

3. We include it in LEAD ELDER TRAINING.

4. SMALL GROUPS.

5. FUNERAL PREPARATION

People are longing to be known. And even though people have worked on councils, committees, teams for decades THEY DO NOT KNOW EACH OTHER’S STORIES. They know little of their colleagues.

When we tell our stories to our children, they gain

- >nsights into who they are (identity)

- >What values they’ve inherited

- >What’s important

- >How God uses the “stuff” of life.

W When the very old tell their stories THEY COME ALIVE AGAIN. They gain a sense of completion. Sometimes telling resolves old conflicts. Endearment emerges as we see each other as persons.

My friend, Marilyn Duff, shared in her story how as a youngster one of her dear sisters died. Marilyn tells how she consciously observed her mother’s reaction in the coming months and years. She was going to school, taking lessons about life after tragedy-- and her mother didn’t even know it. Fortunately, Marilyn says, even shortly after the young girl’s death her mother, every morning, would enter Marilyn’s bedroom with a cheery life-affirming burst of greeting the new day. And Marilyn noticed and remembered.

A few years ago I was honored to have a book I wrote published. In the book I tell about the retired minister friend I often visit who, now deceased, taught me a major lesson on SELF-CENTEREDNESS. My 90% of Helping is Just Showing Up book was a MAJOR thrill to me. When I handed the old Pastor one of my very first copies he handled it a minute, glanced at it, set it aside and said “I never published anything". It was about him

That was typical of our visits and I found it a common pattern. I have concluded that as we grow older deliberate determination is needed to turn the spotlight off ourselves and on to others. We must fight hard against self-centeredness.

Aging-in the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:42:00 +0000

AGING

Intentional Christian aging is the opposite of slipping, sliding, coasting and idling into Senior years. That ought to be our agenda as church leaders and Christians.

Much of life is clearly defined – infancy, toddler times, kindergarten, elementary school, high school, college or career, marriage, parenthood, etc. etc. BUT NOT THE THIRD QUARTER “2^nd ½” or 4^th Quarter of adult life. We have few models and little written directions for these years. This is called “Cultural Lag”. Something has happened SO FAST, SO NEW, SO DIFFERENT we lack traditions, patterns, guidelines about how to live with 1/3 of our life, 30 years, open after age 65.

My father, who died at age 98, must have done something right to be the sole survivor of 8 younger siblings. Nevertheless he was absolutely ill-equipped for all those extra years. He was a preacher! That’s all he did and that is all he planned to do. But a small stroke a dozen years ago impaired his speech, not his mind, and since that happened there was little on his menu of activities. What he could do, the powerfully important role open to most older folks, he did little of – THAT IS, BLESS HIS CHILDREN, HIS GRANDCHILDREN, HIS GREAT GRANDCHILDREN!! AND OTHER PEOPLE’S TOO!!

By nature or training, my dad, while a wonderful, generous, caring person did not know how to concentrate his energies on giving encouragement, support, words of love, show interest, give pats on the back, to a large group of younger folks, ages infant to senior citizens.

Right there we pinpoint a major opportunity and responsibility for life after 60. Instead of conventional productivity we can step into RELATIONAL business. Seniors need to realize how much they have to offer the younger generation--- just in terms of PAYING ATTENTION to them AND SPEAKING CLEAR MESSAGES OF LOVE, ENCOURAGEMENT, SUPPORT AND KINDNESS. The vibrancy and bravado of youth should not distract us.

Feelings of love are not enough. POSITIVE WORDS HEAL, LIFT, INSPIRE, STRENGTHEN, IMMUNIZE. KNOW THAT WORDS OF LOVE DO GOOD. THEY ARE MEDICINE FOR THE SOUL.

Here is a second career for all of us. It is sending messages of care and kindness all around by SHOWING UP!! In tough and painful circumstances next door, across the street, or by phone, mail or internet to hurting strangers. (90% OR MORE IS JUST SHOWING UP).

Merry X-MAS

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:32:00 +0000

X-MAS

When I was a child I was told that to write X-mas instead of Chistmas was bad. X-mas was, the teachers said, an unbelievers way of having "Christmas" but leaving Christ out.

My children, thirty years later, carry home the same woeful tale.

Guess what! It isn't true! For one thing the X in X-mas isn't really an X. It is the Greek letter chi(ki), transliterated as kh and representing the Greek word Khristos, which is Christ, of course.

So X-mas is really Christmas too. If you don't believe me look up X-mas in the dictionary. Uh, unfortunately, you have to look it up under the letter X.

IXTHUS

Speaking of Greek, do you know what IXTHUS means? It is the Greek word for fish. So what!? Well now for the first time you may understand why a fish is a well-known symbol of Christianity. Here is why: the first letter of the Greek word for fish is the first letter of the Greek word for Jesus, (I) lesus. The second letter X, stands for the word Xristos (Christ). The two letter TH stand for THEOS (GOD). The U stands for the Greek word for Son (Uios). The final letter S stands for the Greek word Savior (soterios).

Put it all together and the letters of the word give this message:

I - Jesus X - Christ TH - god's U - Son S - Savior

So IXTHUS (FISH) = a symbol of Christianity,

J.K.

Merry Christmas!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1864

(written four months before the close of the Civil War)

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth , good will to all.

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor does he sleep;

The wrong shall fail,

the right prevail

With peace on earth good will to all."

Apple Inc. (I-Pad, I-Pod, McIntosh Computers) Steve Job's Last Words

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 19:20:00 +0000

Steve Jobs Last words: "Oh, wow! Oh, wow! Oh, wow! Oh, wow!"

The Twelve Days of Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:02:00 +0000

This is the meaning of the Christmas Carol "Partridge in a Pear Tree" also known as

The Twelve Days of Christmas

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me, says Dave Cook.

     What in the world do leaping lords, French hens,
   swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't
   come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
   Today I found out.

    From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England
    were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song     for young Catholics. It has
    two levels of meaning -- the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their     church.     Each element in the carol has
    a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember:

     The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
     Two turtledoves were the Old and New Testaments.
     Three French hens stood for Faith, Hope and Love.
     The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
     The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
     The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
     Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, Serving,     Teaching,          Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

     The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.
     The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
     The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So, there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening -- and, now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol.—Dave Cook

Where Beautiful Things Originate

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:43:00 +0000

"My compositions spring from my sorrows.
Those that give the world the greatest delight were born of my deepest grief."
Franz Schubert

The X in Christmas ---- Merry Xmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 16:51:00 +0000

Cross Marks the Spot in 'Xmas'

“Merry Xmas” “Big Xmas sale!” Xmas, is firmly established as a commercialism. We tend to place it in the same class as nite or hi (for high): abbreviations contrived largely for the convenience of advertisers. But Xmas is a more interesting case. It is a classic example of a symbol firmly established for one purpose being preempted for an entirely different one.

The X in Xmas is the Greek letter chi (pronounced ky) In Greek chi is the first letter in Christ--a point that is lost when the Greek is transliterated into English as Christos or Kristos. X (the Greek and Roman letters are identical in print) is also a symbol for the cross- a usage that survives quite independently of any religious significance in traffic signs: PED XING.

For over a thousand years X symbolized Christ. The Irish refused to use the Roman X because it would be disrespectful to Christ. So common was the understanding of this symbol that non-Christians who wanted to preserve their cultural identity took pains to avoid it. The Chinese altered their coins to remove anything resembling an X. They saw an inviolable symbol of the Western religion and, Western influence. Early in this century, illiterate Jewish immigrants arriving at Ellis Island often refused to sign their names with an X because of its strong Christian associations.

Xmas itself has a long history as an English idiom. The Oxford English Dictionary, in about 1920, defined it simply as a "common abbreviation in writing of Christmas.” The first use cited in the OED is from 1551,spelled as X’temmas. The poet Coleridge used it twice in letters, in 1799 and 1801. The last use cited in the OED is from the popular British magazine Punch in 1884. We can see the secularizing trend at work: "He's beginning Xmassing already.

The wholesale expropriation of Xmas as a commercial term, however, has been chiefly an American Phenomenon. Christmas itself had rather inauspicious beginnings in this country. In 1659 the General Court of Massachusetts passed a law which imposed a fine on "anybody who is found observing, by abstinence from labor, feasting, or any other way, any such days as Christmas Day." These were Puritans, keep in mind, who were inclined to take evidence that anyone might be having a good time as a sign of ”popery." While the celebration of Christmas as a holiday was widely accepted by the time of the Revolution, Christmas as a commercial holiday had to wait until after the Civil War. Gift giving, a rare and personal convention at the beginning of the 19th Century, started to become a social obligation. R.H.Macy’s department store in New York City stayed open until midnight on Christmas Eve for the first time in 1867. Macy's first Christmas window appeared in 1874.

Christmas grew into what has been called "a spectacular nationwide Festival of Consumption." Christmas advertising grew with it, but they did not need to invent a new abbreviation for the nine-letter word denoting the season. They simply used one that had been around for centuries. In less than 100 years the usage of well over 1,000 years was largely reversed. What once nearly everyone took to be a religious symbol, today nearly everyone regards as a secular symbol.

Stan Freberg did a novelty song several years ago, I think it was called "Green Christmas," in which he asked the musical question: “Who put the X in Xmas?”

God in a Cave?

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:47:00 +0000

GOD IN A CAVE

Those who study such things closely insist that the manger of Jesus' birth was in a cave and not in a barn-like structure. It really doesn't matter. But there is something fanciful in the thought of His coming as a cave-dweller. We are reminded of those cavemen of ancient history of whom we see traces by finding drawings of animals on the walls of their former homes.

And now we have another drawer of animals. He who traced the shape of animals and man and brought them to life now is found in a cave Himself. What a paradox! The hands that made the sun and stars are now too small to reach the heads of the cattle. On this paradox our faith is built. It is such an extreme conjunction-the world creator and a baby boy, omnipotence and impotence, divinity and infancy. It is such a remarkable combination that a million repetitions cannot make it sound trite or common. Perhaps it is one of the few circumstances qualifying for the title "unique", (cf, G.K. Chesterton:

Orthodoxy).

The common man has been wrong in many things throughout history. Devoted people have been scorned by the educated cosmopolitans who deal with lofty thoughts, cold reasoning, logical conclusions and unfathomable abstractions. But the common man was close to being correct when in his pagan worship he had been promoting the idea that divinity could be seen and could live in the limits of time and space. For in the cave where the manger was. God was dwelling. God in a cave. It is a revolution, the world is turned upside down. Heaven is on earth, or under the earth, in a cave, in Jesus.

A Major Mistake When Helping the Hurting

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:50:00 +0000

When visiting someone who is in grief, or who has recently been hit by a distressing or unsettling event there is a major temptation. It is to think you have to fix the problem, give a solution, provide a remedy. Sometimes the answer folks give is a Scripture verse or Biblical wisdom. Even those may be untimely.

Remember the old formula: "90% of Helping is Just Showing Up". There is the medicine everyone needs. It is Love. Answers, fixes, solutions and remedies may be politely received but they seldom fit. Giving such supposed help may make the giver feel as if she is doing something but they are almost always inappropriate.

Show up! Act interested. Listen. Touch. Smile a little. Weep with those who weep. Rarely stay more than an hour (twenty minutes or less if the person is sick). Listen. Listen. Listen..

Remember, God heals. Your presence, not your "fixing" words, is love, and that love is part of God's healing presence. God will heal them. You show up.

Understanding Grief

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:15:00 +0000

Grief is normal.

Normal, Predictable Components of Grief

Immediately: When the Loss Happens, or is Learned About: Shock and Denial ("that can't be true").

Then: Suffering

1. We express emotion--tears of sadness, fear, panic, helplessness.

2. We may feel depressed and very lonely.

3. Physical symptoms of distress may be felt.

4. We may become anxious and firghtened about going on with life.

5. There may be a sense of guilt about the loss.

6. Hostility and resentment may fill our heart and mind.

7. We may feel unable to return to our usual activities-friendships, work, church.

Eventually: Recovery

1. Gradually we return to our feet and resume our normal functioning.

2. We struggle to adjust to reality, to live with a new normal.

3. Painful feelings about the loss may remain for many years, even though life has resumed.

The length and intensity of each condition varys with each individual. Most people go back and forth between the various feelings and conditions. When friends think you are not suffering you may still be in shock and denial.
When friends think you are recovered you may be quietly still deep in suffering.

Whatever the stage you are in the arms of Jesus are around you. Jesus is weeping with you.

Hugging is Healthy

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:03:00 +0000

            It Relieves Tension

               It Combats Depression

                  It Reduces Stress

            It Improves Blood Circulation

               It's Invigorating

                  It Elevates Self-Esteem

            It Generates Goddwill

               It Has No Unpleasant Side Effects

                  It is Nothing Less than a Miracle Drug!

Wonderful Words of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:51:00 +0000

"Let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. God is Love. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

A Lesson We All Need

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 01:18:00 +0000

EGO DETACHMENT

Inability to speak your opinions and ideas in public is often due to a simple problem. Ego attachment. The solution is detachment.

It’s as if your idea or what you’d like to say is you. Your worthwhileness as a person is connected to a mere thought or point of view. So if it is ignored, disapproved of, or voted down, you go down with it. When your well-being as a human being is dependent on others “applauding” or liking what you say, it’s obvious you will be very careful. You will be reluctant to speak. You will be frightened to express yourself.

Paralyzed in this way by fear you will keep many good thoughts to yourself. Resentment, jealousy, hostility, depression may follow. A kind of sickness of spirit from excessive ego attachment. Too much mistaken notion that your value as a person is dependent on being “right on”.

Recognizing this you can begin to detach your ego from your statements. Realizing that your value is independent of people liking or even listening to what you have to say, you can begin to contribute.

Usually this means beginning by overriding a lot of feelings with a determination to do what you are now convinced is true. In spite of fear, uneasiness, apprehension – breaking out into a new involvement, a gratifying fresh creativeness.

Jesus said “Woe to you when all people think well of you . . .” Luke 6:26

P.S. This is a message to myself mostly.

It was Merely a Touch of the Hand

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 01:14:00 +0000

The Power of a Touch

At the recent 50+ dinner/entertainment event something happened I want to tell you about. During the dinner I had strolled around the tables greeting and chatting with the diners, joking and kidding most of the time.

A few weeks after that dinner I met a handsome older man (turned out he is 82 years old) who told me he had been present that day. He then told me something that thrilled me to the depths of my soul, and stunned me with its importance. He said that I had walked past him when he was sitting at a table and that I had laid my hand ever so briefly on his shoulder, as I went by. Then he added “That touch absolutely blessed me!” And he said a little more about what a strong moment that had been.

A touch as I walked by! So small! So appreciated! A touch?! And he was moved, his spirits were lifted, his mood was changed.

Again I am jolted into awareness of the importance of our Care and Kindness campaign. This is life changing business. This is spreading spiritual medicine everywhere we go. And anyone and everyone is able to take part. It takes so little to heal a soul

Joy will Come in the Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 01:10:00 +0000

“You Who Weep, Will Laugh.”

An ancient guru is reputed to have inquired of disheartened and dispirited people, those who were knowing no pleasure or joy in life-- “When did you stop dancing? When did you stop singing?”

By this unique line of exploration he often arrived at the origin of their unhappiness. Their loss of vitality often harked back to a major grief in their lives; the death of a dear one, loss of a job or fortune, a significant illness, or some other major blow.

Some didn’t even realize they had stopped singing or dancing, which this teacher regarded as the symbols of loss of joy. Their zest for life had just quietly trickled away leaving them dry, dispirited shadows, of their old selves.

Grief can do that. It can slowly drain us of our vitality.

Jesus says, “Blessed are you who mourn for you shall be comforted.” That is the version in Matthew’s Gospel. Luke puts it this way: “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” This is The Lord Jesus’ promise: healing and happiness can follow mourning. Proper, natural weeping, and sorrow, leads to renewal. Weep first, laugh later, Jesus implies. Psalm 30 puts it this way: “weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

This teaching of Jesus creates a safe place to be real, which is a must for proper mourning. Also, knowing the Lord weeps with us is a major encourager, as we shed our tears and grieve. Jesus said “Inasmuch as it [happens] to the least of these my little ones, it happens to me.” Psalm 23 helps with these thoughts: “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me.”

Little comforts as much as kind people “walking with us”, “sitting with us”, “weeping with us”. They are the Lord’s presence, embracing the hurting. Joy then comes “in the morning”.

The Value of a Good Night of Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 01:03:00 +0000

IT’S EASIER TO LIVE BY FAITH IF YOU’VE HAD A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

Sometimes cutting short your sleep to commune with God may, in fact, undermine your ability to live close to God. A tired person is more vulnerable to temptations than the wide-awake. The weakened body is more apt to be plagued with self-doubt than one fed and rested.

Quiet times for prayer, meditation and reflection aid the Christian walk, but the notion that “more of the same” will continue to produce positive results is faulty.

The spiritual growth we aspire to cannot take place separate from sound care for the whole person.

· It’s easier to feel close to God when the Excedrin has taken my headache away.

· Faith soars when the air is fresh and I’m biking briskly on a bright spring morning.

· After a cup of coffee my spiritual condition is always improved.

Spiritual inspiration and enthusiasm can be mediated by physical interventions and activities. Faith-builders will not only implore their adherents to worship in the traditional forms, including Bible study, prayer, meditation and song. They will also encourage the health-care of the body, spirit and emotions through exercise, vacations and travel, hospitality, friendship. Spiritual growth is also the product of good-deed projects, enjoyment of the arts, folk-dance, the appreciation of beauty in nature and craftsmanship, ecology efforts, reading, hobbies, gardening.

Confident that “everything affects everything else” the growing Christian will be one designing a well-rounded life-style. Spirit-raising pastimes can bring us closer to God-pleasing service.

The Empty Cross

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:51:00 +0000

The Gold Cross at the Front of the Church

WHEN I WAS SITTING IN CHURCH LAST SUNDAY I LOOKED AT THE BEAUTIFUL GOLD CROSS AT THE FRONT OF THE SANCTUARY. IT HIT ME. AMONG OTHER TRUTHS THE CENTRAL TRUTH THAT IS SO POWERFULLY IMPORTANT IN THE CROSS OF JESUS IS THE FACT THAT HE SHOWS US, BY DEATH ON THE CROSS, WHAT LOVE REALLY IS. IT IS DYING FOR ANOTHER PERSON.

EVERYTIME YOU INCONVENIENCE YOURSELF, MOVE OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE, BOTHER TO GENERATE A WORDOF ENCOURAGEMENT, FRIENDLINESS, INTEREST, you are doing a Christ-like action. DRAW SOMEONE IN AND SUPPORT THEM, GO OUT OF YOUR WAY, EVEN JUST A LITTLE BIT, YOU’RE PARTICIPATING IN THE KIND OF LOVE JESUS TAUGHT. YOU ARE DYING FOR ANOTHER PERSON. AND THAT GIVES THEM LIFE AND LIGHT AND GENERATES RESURRECTION IN THEIR SOULS--- YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN LIFE. You can give life.

Self-Centeredness is Unnecessary

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:25:00 +0000

Beware of the Infection of Self-Centeredness

As we grow older there is a tendency to drift into preoccupation with ourselves: our health, our physical problems, our sleep, money, trips, grandchildren and more. The process also may include losing interest in others—their trips, interests, accomplishments, new items.

There is little as pleasant as another person taking interest in our lives. So it is essential that as we grow older, and the self-centered drift progresses, that we resist it. It often requires a deliberate decision to move in that direction.

Not only does such a choice thrill the ones we show interest in, it is also an antidote against an older-person malady (me-ism) that turns others off.

Becoming a giver may require upgrading our self-concept. We must believe this truth—“I am a reservoir of blessings”. We are all full of goodness and must be ready to overflow with nourishment for the souls of younger folks.

It doesn’t matter who you are, or how healthy, educated, wealthy or attractive. You have within you words, interest, stories and expressions that can make a wonderful positive difference in the lives of younger men and women. We are all potential healers. Check that self-centered drift, and spill loving interest on some young ones. It can be life-giving to them, but it will always be spirit-lifting to us as well.

AS WE GROW OLDER WE MUST DELIBERATELY TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT OFF OURSELVES AND TURN IT ON OTHERS.

Soft Answers

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:23:00 +0000

A SOFT ANSWER DOES TURN AWAY WRATH

It’s reassuring to doubters, such as I, to find science reinforcing Biblical ideas. Here’s a new development I read about in Time magazine:

A SOFT ANSWER DOES TURN AWAY WRATH, according to the results of a four-month study of unruly children who were discipline problems in school. Normal and loud teacher reprimands that could be heard by the whole class had no effect on the disruptive behavior of such children. When the teachers switched to soft reprimands that could be heard only by the child being corrected, most of the unruly children misbehaved less often. A return to loud reproaches resulted in an increase in poor behavior, and later return to soft corrections again resulted in better behavior.

We who take the Bible so literally might try putting some of its very concrete suggestions into practice – starting with this one.

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath,

But a harsh word stirs up anger.

The Crucifix is Powerful

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Jim Kok) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:40:00 +0000

The Importance of The Crucifix

The empty cross, the one on which Jesus died, is the outstanding symbol of Jesus’ dying for us. Jesus was removed from that terrible device, and placed in a tomb which was then sealed and guarded. Then Easter! Easter is the heart of Christian life. Death is defeated! A new age is inaugurated. The resurrection of the body is now an event we celebrate and anticipate. So the Cross is properly vacant. Christ is risen! He is not hanging on the cross.

While the simple vacant cross is a powerful message The Crucifix, Jesus on the Cross, carries powerful and important teaching. Looking at the Lord Jesus hanging there in terrible agony announces God’s love in a powerful way. It speaks a message sometimes overlooked when we focus on the cross without Jesus on it. It is the message of God’s love, God’s pain. It is a graphic proclamation of total love.

It is appropriate and good to appreciate and love the Crucifix. It is a lesson about love. What greater love is possible than that—dying, voluntarily. Yes, being put to death, in a terribly painful way, on behalf of others. That is love! And it shows us in the extreme what the bottom line in our own lives must be. We are called to live that way too- not go to the cross literally but we are urged to leave our comfortableness to help others.

Every time we reach out and lift another person in some way we are dying for them. Every tiny, medium sized, or major action of giving up time, money, energy, a preference, to help someone else is a form of dying for others. When we focus on the dying Jesus, The Crucifix, we see a reminder of where our lives must be aimed. The Crucifix graphically speaks of true love.

Jesus said: “If anyone desires to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever desires to save their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” (Mt. 16:24). That is the remarkable thing in all this. We find meaning, purpose, vitality, and hopefulness, in carrying the agenda of dying for others, every day of the week. We come to life in fresh ways ourselves when we lift others in any way with words, or kindness, with friendliness or interest, with admiration or appreciation. We find life in giving love which gives life.

The Crucifix magnifies Jesus final words: “It is finished.” All the preoccupation with sin, guilt and punishment was now over. “It is finished.” A new agenda is ours: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We are called to bring heaven to earth. We are called to build the Kingdom through love. Sin is forgiven. Loving-kindness is now our agenda, our mission.