St. John Studies

Dr. Chapman finishes Chapter 9 with three examples of people who are in painful circumstances, Clarence who has multiple sclerosis, Robert who was a homosexual, renounced that lifestyle and became a minister and lost his ministry, and Brad who wanted to be a singer in music ministry and could not carry a tune or beat out a rhythm.  He was told he did not have what it takes to sing.

To make matters worse, Clarence was a language of touch person who had no control of his muscles.  Robert was an acts of service person who had his acts of service opportunity taken from him and Brad thrived on words of affirmation and he was told he could not do his love—no words of affirmation for his music.

Tim Keller*, one of my favorite Christian authors, talks about the way Christians refer to pain, the metaphor is “walking through the pain.”  He states “walking through [pain]  is something difficult, perilous and potentially fatal.  [But] the walking metaphor points to the idea of progress. Many ancients saw adversity as merely something to withstand and endure without flinching, or even feeling, until it goes away. Modern Western people see suffering as something like adverse weather, something you avoid or insulate yourself from until it passes by.”

Today we want to avoid pain at all cost.  We have high powered pain meds, when life gets too painful, we go to rehab, when we need a break from pain, we call in “sick”, when stressful times come, we deaden the pain with alcohol.

Can suffering lead to learning?

Can suffering lead to growth?

Sure it can.

Many people refuse to see God in pain but He is there.  He may not be the originator of the pain but he can get you through the pain.

The pain itself is a way to find out who you really are.  Again Keller says “If you believe in Jesus and you rest in Him, then suffering will relate to your character like fire relates to gold. Do you want to know who you are—your strengths and weaknesses? Do you want to be a compassionate person who skillfully helps people who are hurting? Do you want to have such a profound trust in God that you are fortified against the disappointments of life? Do you want simply to be wise about how life goes?”  You can get all that from the pain and disappointment of life.

But what about the pain that breaks a person down, relentless pain?

Sometimes it happens that way.

Keller says to avoid this, “you must walk with God.” He likes the idea of walking associated with pain because walking “consists of steady, repeated actions you can keep up in a sustained way for a long time….A walk is day in and day out praying; day in and day out Bible and Psalms reading; day in and day out obeying, talking to Christian friends and going to corporate worship, committing yourself to and fully participating in the life of a church. It is rhythmic, on and on and on. To walk with God is a metaphor that symbolizes slow and steady progress.”

You literally walk through pain with a steady walk with God.

What happens to lots of people?  In the midst of pain, they give up on God.

I am reminded of pain when I experience pain in my daily life.

One of my strong love languages is quality time, so every morning I meet God in an upstairs room in my house.  I am 63 and I have sixty-three year old pains from time to time.  This morning when I was with God and I had persistent neck pain, I thought about the pastor up the street with Alzheimer’s Disease,  I thought about a good friend who has Parkinson’s Disease, I thought of a member of my church who has hospice in his home and I realized my pains are minor.

Pastor Keller takes relativity even further with Jesus.  He talks of pain as being thrown into a furnace.  He says “if you say to yourself when you get thrown into the furnace, ‘This is my furnace. I am not being punished for my sins, because Jesus was thrown into that ultimate fire for me. And so if He went through that greatest fire steadfastly for me, I can go through this smaller furnace steadfastly for Him. And I also know it means that if I trust in Him, this furnace will only make me better.’”

Through pain, Clarence found God and became a prayer warrior.  Through pain, Robert began a ministry to help homosexual people who are conflicted with their lifestyle choices vs. Christianity.  Through pain, Brad became a powerful Bible study teacher at his church.

None of these things would have been possible without pain.

And the fact that all three men chose to “walk through it.”

*From Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller

This week we have been talking about God’s discipline and that is a tough subject to understand.

It is hard to see that God’s love can be manifest in discipline; things we want denied, infirmities that we pray to go away and they stay, and even personal tragedies.   It is all so confusing.  How could a loving God allow such misery?

Dr. Chapman says it well in the words, “His discipline toward us is always for our ultimate good.”

Let’s break this statement down a bit.  Focus on the word ultimate.  As a human, I have a hard time with that word because it connotes a long-term view.  When things in my life are not right, I am focused on the present day circumstances and I am upset.  However God is not upset.  He knows ultimately that I will be ok.

I need to believe that ultimately I will be ok.  I need to believe God.

“His discipline is seldom pleasant and sometimes extremely painful, but His purpose is to move us down the pathway of righteousness and peace,” says Dr. Chapman.

I believe Dr. Chapman is “right on target.”

In Jeremiah 29: 11-14 the Bible says “For I know well the plan I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe!  Plans to give you a future full of hope.  When you call me, I will listen to you.  When you look for me, you will find me.  Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me with you, says the Lord and I will change your lot.”

We want to see the plan, the blueprint for our lives.  We want to see the next 20 or 30 steps down the road.  We want to know how it is all going to work out.

God knows.  We never will.

But what does God want from us?

Dr. Chapman says we need to try to live a life “in keeping with the Creator’s design.”  I have a friend who asks why?  “What is the big payoff?  I will have to give up my drinking, my smoking.  I will have to watch what I say.  I will have to start coming to church and I will need to begin helping other people.  Man that’s no fun.”

What’s the big payoff for choosing to make better decisions?

Peace.

You know you are moving in the right direction and God knows it too.  You are not doing what your friends want.  You are not doing what your coworkers want.  You are not doing what “the world” wants.  You are doing what God wants.  God is your accountability partner.

Do you have peace in your life right now?

Do you know you are making the effort to do the right things in your life right now?

Even though you may be experiencing the pain of discipline, are you steady in your course toward God?

Discipline can make us turn away from God, but it is not designed to do that.  It is designed to correct us and move us closer to God.  Often discipline comes about because we have moved away from our Lord in the first place and He is using discipline to get our attention and correct our behavior.

What about your human relationships?

Do you have peace in your relationships or are you being disciplined right now?  Are you having a miserable time with your spouse, family members or friends?

What should we be having with our relationships?  Dr. Chapman uses the word “harmony.”  By this he means “We want our emotions, thoughts, desires and actions to relate to each other harmoniously.”  The truth is, many of us have anxious relationships, disappointing relationships, sad relationships as we can’t find a way to relate to each other.

In the context of his book, we can’t speak a love language that works with those around us.

Or we don’t want to learn how to.

What is the big payoff?  In our human relationships it may be learning a new way to communicate which leads to harmony which results in peace.

When we walk in righteousness, we experience peace.

When we walk in righteousness in our relationships, we experience harmony.

I can’t think of a bigger payoff than that.

“Tear down this wall!” was the challenge issued by United States President Ronald Reagan to Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev to destroy the Berlin Wall, in a speech at the Brandenburg Gate near the Berlin Wall on June 12, 1987, commemorating the 750th anniversary of Berlin.  It is also the challenge that Dr. Chapman gives us in his book “God Speaks Your Love Language.”

But what if the person you are in a relationship with does not want to work to tear down the wall that exists between you and them?  You want your relationship to improve but they are showing no interest.

Yesterday we wrote about not finding fault in others but admitting personal faults.  We wrote about asking forgiveness for our shortcomings.

Say you do that, but your loved one does not want to reciprocate?

What do you do?

First of all you need to feel better about yourself.  You have made a move in the right direction and as Dr. Chapman says, “you are free to be a part of the solution instead of a part of the problem.  You can be a positive stimulus for good in the relationship.”

There is a long list of reasons the other person will not make a move to change the relationship dynamic.  Maybe they are too prideful to change; that would mean they would have to acknowledge some of their faults.  Many people are mired in habits that have been there a long time and sometimes they are not even aware of what they are doing  [actions become automatic].  There are people who fear change of any kind.  My Mom is fearful to change doctors even though she is not too pleased with the local doctor she has seen for many years.  She says “at least he is familiar ground.”   They may not be sure about your motivation to change; they have suspicions that you are “up to something” and possibly you are trying to manipulate them.  Lastly, some people are so angry that they won’t change.  Your change challenges them to change and they don’t want to.  The may even work hard to get you to go back to your old ways, even though your old ways were driving them crazy.

These are just a few reasons why people may resist the removal of barriers between themselves and you.

How is a wall destroyed?  The easy answer is one block at a time.

This is going to sound flip but it was built that way.  It probably started as something small and slowly but surely resentment set in.  Believe it or not, it could be as minor as taking out the garbage or it could be as major as failing to meet another’s sexual needs.

What do we do to mortar that block?  We ignore it.  It settles in and then another block is added until the wall is high on both sides and it is a serious matter.

I have to admit that tearing down a wall from both sides is ideal but believe it or not, if you begin to dismantle a wall from your side, your spouse will have an easier time beginning demolition.

James 4:17 “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

You know you need to make the first move.  You know you have faults you need to confess.  You know you need to seek forgiveness.

Go ahead.

Begin to tear down that wall.

From “The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted” by Dr. Chapman:

“Jill walked into my office with a slight smile on her face…Soon we were discussing her marriage.  ‘Some days I feel like giving up.  I just don’t feel Bob is willing to meet me halfway.  He gives me little help with the children and does almost nothing around the house.  He says his job takes all his energy, but I work all day too.  On Saturday, he says he needs to play golf so he can recuperate from the week.  Well maybe I need something too, but I don’t get it.  Someone has to take care of the kids and the house.’”

“Two weeks later I get to talk to Bob… ‘She is so demanding.  I thought when I got married I was leaving my mother but she is worse than my mother.  I can’t ever do enough for her.  If I vacuum the floors, she wants to know why I did not fold the clothes.  According to her, I am a ‘no good husband’, so I have almost quit trying.”

These passages are all too familiar in marriages.

The reason I open with them is that this marriage obviously needs to change.  In real life, other family relationships need to change, friendship relationships need to change and even work relationships need to change.

For the better…

But how do we start?

First of all, don’t find fault in another.  If you ask Jill, she would say that Bob is 95% of the problem.  Ask Bob and the 95% would go Jill’s way.  The fact of the matter is, the problems are created by both of these people and percentages really don’t matter.

I have gone through this.

Where did I start?

With myself.

I do need to find fault but it is not with my spouse, it is with me.  It is not my business to change my spouse.  It is my business to change me if I can.  Matthew 7 says “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”  This is the famous part of the Bible where Matthew describes the speck and the plank.  Both Jill and Bob see the speck in their own eyes and planks in their partner’s.  Who is in charge of real change?  I am in charge of real change for me and I can do it.

I do need to make a list of faults but it is a list of my faults, not my spouse’s.  If I am bossy, I need to stop doing that.  If I am a very indirect communicator, I need to be kind and direct.  If I am a poor listener, I need to start paying attention.  If I interrupt my spouse, I need to value her comments and stop interrupting her in mid thought.  It can be a daunting list but it needs to be honest and I need to do triage with it.  Some problems are more major than others and the most serious need the most immediate attention.

Ask forgiveness of God and ask forgiveness from your spouse.  To be honest, asking forgiveness from God is the easiest part.  At least, God is not physically present and looking right at you.  That makes it easier but also that makes it one of those situations where you can take the act of forgiveness less seriously.  You can go through the motions with God but I wouldn’t.  God knows your heart.  The forgiveness from your spouse is harder.  You have to admit that you have done wrong.  You will have to commit to doing something differently and you can’t worry about the other person admitting wrong.  That is up to them.

You need to begin to tear down the wall between you and your spouse.  I know this is hard to comprehend but that’s what Dr. Chapman has been trying to do all the way through his book.

He wants you to take the love language profile and become aware of your needs for love language.  He wants you to realize your love language preferences are what you are probably expressing to your loved one, even though he/she may not have the same profile.  Find some way to get your loved one to take the profile and maybe “buy into” the need to have mutual accommodation.  Success with Dr. Chapman’s book comes from people believing in the need to fill the others’ love tank.  What happens then?  Possibly more mutual happiness.

His whole book is designed to make you aware and to get you to change.

Change [as I have said so many times in this blog] is HARD!

But that does not mean that the effort is not worth it.  It is.

Remember the opening lines of Chapter 9.

“Real love includes discipline.  If we love we will correct.”

Crazy Love   by  Pastor Francis Chan

Study begins Monday June 15   Available at Amazon, Amazon Kindle and Christianbook.com…

Dr. Chapman raises this question in Chapter 9 when he brings up the topic of persistent pain and disease.

What’s a Christian to do?

Pray…

But what if prayer seems to be doing no good?  The pain and disease are still there and maybe they are even getting worse.

How are we to respond?

Do we just give up?  Do we get angry?  Do we start blaming God?  Do we lose the faith that we have?

All of those things can happen and more but why can’t a loving God stop the suffering and pain?

It is hard but here are some responses that are different from giving up, anger, blame and losing one’s faith.

Isiah 55:8  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.”  Literally, you and I cannot understand the ways of God.  He has the “big picture” whereas, we have little idea about what is going on.  Does it bother you to confess to lack of knowledge and admit that God has infinite knowledge?  I have to admit that it does not bother me as much as it soothes my mind to know that I don’t know it all.  God does.  All I have to do is have the faith that He has my best interest at heart.

Having the right heart attitude.  Sometimes God is waiting for us to have the right heart or right attitude.  I am not saying that God tests us and if we pass the test, He will grant our prayers but if we are full of hate and anger, those feelings might get in the way.  What if I have a sin that I am actively committing and I know it is a sin.  I keep doing it over and over.  I don’t confess it.  I refuse to confess it.  Will God answer my prayers?  Maybe not.  What if I harbor a grudge against someone and I won’t let it go?  I refuse to lessen my negative feelings for that person.  That’s another thing that might get in the way of answered prayer.

Don’t just stop.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us what to do, “pray without ceasing.”  If we want our prayers answered, we can’t just quit and expect that God will grant our prayers.  He wants us to keep it up.  Persistence can pay off when it comes to prayer.  Paul is very clear in Philippians 4:6 when he says, “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”  We have problems in life, we have temptations, we get discouraged but God wants us to pray through those things.  He wants us to persevere.

His will be done.  Everyone has heard the phrase “Thy will be done”, a part of the Lord’s Prayer.  What does praying in God’s will mean?  Can you pray outside God’s will?  For God, the granting of a positive response to prayer is all about timing.  God’s time is not our time.  Praying in God’s will is acknowledging how powerful God is and as humans we cannot manipulate God.  Sometimes I pray like I am praying to Santa and I want this and this and this from my wish list.  It does not work like that.  God knows what is best for me and I don’t.   We may be praying for healing for a loved one but our all-powerful God won’t heal our loved one until the right time and in the right circumstance.  His will.  This requires great patience on our part but also great maturity and wisdom.  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6.  We can try to manipulate things to get what we want but that may not work.  God knows the best way to solve problems and the best time.  Lean on God for the answers and the timing.

Jesus was our role model for prayer.  On the Mount of Olives, he began to weaken in his resolve to go to the cross.  He asked that the cup be taken from Him.  But even though he was experiencing anguish to the point that His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground, He said “Yet not my will but yours be done.”  He knew that His Father knew best and He may have to endure great suffering.  An angel from heaven was sent to comfort Him.

We must believe that an angel will be sent to comfort us, even as we endure persistent pain and disease.

And unanswered prayers.

I know you have used a global positioning system [GPS] in your car and when you took a wrong turn, you heard it speak those words to you “recalculating.”

What does that mean?

The GPS is trying to show you how to get back on the road to reach your destination.

For the Christian, we are trying to go down the road to our destination.  We are trying to get to Heaven and as we are here on earth, we try to stay as close to Jesus Christ and his Father God as much as possible.

Sometimes it does not work that way.

Sometimes we get off the road.

Chapter 9 is full of examples of people who got off on the wrong road.  Dr. Chapman includes Megan as a prime example of a young woman who gave herself to a man who was a bad influence on her.  She lost her faith due to his agnostic beliefs which spread to her.

Sometimes it is the pursuit of money.   Money is such a desirable commodity in society today.  Every day we see “rich” people in the media, people who seem to have perfect lives due to the power of their massive amounts of cash.

Sometimes it is the pursuit of power.  Control over others is very tempting.  It gives one the sense that they can manipulate others to get their way, control their own destiny.

The list goes on and on.

Human beings can worship many gods, except the One True God.  I have a friend who worships his car.  I have friends who worship golf.  I have friends who worship their children; their kids can literally do no wrong.

God will only stand so much of this and as Chapter 9 says, God will step in and discipline us.  When does God do this?  Dr. Chapman says “When we are walking away from God and we are in danger of bringing harm on ourselves and others.”

Sometimes the discipline involves painful circumstances.

I have known this first hand.

When I was furthest from God, He put me in a situation where my heart was broken.  Only He could put it back together, with aid from wonderful Christians here on earth.

Why did this have to happen?  He knew I was putting academic achievement, work success and power over Him.  New gods were replacing The God.  I was spending no time with family, no time in church, no time with God.

He wanted me back.

I did not see what was going on when I was experiencing the anguish.  I was in the moment and not able to visualize God’s plan.  As years have passed, I have a better view.  I can see that correction was needed and I had to endure it.  I needed my GPS to recalculate.

When recalculating is occurring, it is good to remember that God knows what we need, more than we know ourselves.  It is also good to know that God has a good plan for us.     Jeremiah 29:11   “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

In times of recalculation, we need to hold on to this scripture and have faith that God is on our side.  In times of recalculation when the pain is happening, it is good to remember that it is pain for purpose.

God does not want to harm us.  He really loves us and always will love us.

Even in times of recalculation.

Strother Martin,  playing a prison warden talking to a stubborn prisoner Paul Newman in the 1967 film “Cool Hand Luke”.

Let me give you more context:

Captain: You gonna get used to wearing them chains after a while Luke. Don’t you never stop listening to them clinking, ’cause they gonna remind you what I been saying for your own good.

Luke: I wish you’d stop being so good to me, Cap’n.

Captain: Don’t you ever talk that way to me. (pause, then hitting him) NEVER! NEVER! (Luke rolls down hill; to other prisoners) What we’ve got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can’t reach.

This is one of the most quoted lines in American film.  In fact it ranks 11^th in the American Film Institute’s top 100 most popular film quotes.

Why would I open with this?

This week Dr. Chapman will be discussing “When Love Seems Distant” in Chapter 9.    What can we do to keep those “failures to communicate” to a minimum?

Let’s create a scenario:  one person is trying to send a message from their mind to the mind of another.   The message is appreciation, respect, caring, maybe love.

Let’s keep the scenario simple.  The sender intends the message to go to the receiver with no problems.

However…

Problems do occur.

One of the most common problems we have seen is “crossed” communication line between people who don’t speak the same love language.

Say the sender is a “words of affirmation” person.

The receiver is an “acts of service” person.

What type of love language will the words of affirmation person likely use?  Words of affirmation.

That’s only natural.

How will those words of affirmation be received by the act of service receiver?  Maybe they won’t be received very well.  After all, they won’t do much to fill the “love tank” of the receiver.

What needs to be done?

Accommodation [also known as giving the other person what they want, being flexible, trying new skills etc].

In my humble opinion, accommodation is the linchpin of successful marriages.

Two people just don’t fit together perfectly…ever.  Yes I said it.  Two people never fit together perfectly.

Successful relationships are about the give and take of accommodation.  “Sender” needs to accommodate to “receiver” and learn to do acts of service.  “Receiver” needs to accommodate to sender and learn to appreciate love language efforts even when they are not the preferred love language.

The scenario flips.  Receiver needs to learn to affirm even though that is not their preferred language.  Sender needs to appreciate acts of service efforts when they would prefer words of affirmation.

Accommodation.

Yes folks, in today’s world, it goes both ways.   The days of a woman accommodating to a man’s needs are gone.  Men need to learn to accommodate to the needs of a woman too.

Chapter 9 is going to throw another key element into the mix besides accommodation.  Dr. Chapman is going to recommend discipline.  I would add focus.

What do you want?

Do you want relationships that work?

Do you want relationships that last?

Do you want relationships that are fun and enjoyable?

Get focused and get disciplined.

Make yourself try to do things that are not natural because there will be a payoff.

A “words of affirmation” sender needs to make an effort to clean out a junk drawer, take out the trash [unasked], make up a bed, hold open a door, cook a meal, hold open an umbrella on a rain-soaked day or let someone out of the car close to a door while they go and park the car.  What will happen?  The acts of service receiver will like it.

Accommodation + Discipline = Appreciation, Respect, Caring, maybe Love.

In communication, we overanalyze.  We make things too complex.  Is it really that hard to make the effort to learn a new love language?

What is your goal?

That should be your focus.

Discipline can get you acting in new ways.

Too often we just throw up our hands and we live with what life gives us and maybe what life is giving you is pretty mediocre.  Relationships deserve better than mediocre efforts.

None of us want someone standing over us declaring,  “What we got here is failure to communicate.”

Everyone is different and Dr. Chapman acknowledges that but he also knows that to be effective in showing Christian love to others, it is good to be able to learn other love languages than the ones you prefer.

I am a physical touch person.

When I took my “love language profile,” the results described my number one preference as “A person whose primary language is Physical Touch is, not surprisingly, very touchy. Hugs, pats on the back, holding hands, and thoughtful touches on the arm, shoulder, or face – they can all be ways to show excitement, concern, care, and love. Physical presence and accessibility are crucial, while neglect or abuse can be unforgivable and destructive. Physical touch fosters a sense of security and belonging in any relationship.”

I like to be touched.

I like to touch others.

What can you do if you encounter someone who does not want to be touched, yet you want to show them you care through this love language?

That happened to me the other day.  It does not happen much because I am careful to discern a person’s comfort level before I touch them.  Usually my touch is a handshake, a pat on the back and that is all.

The other day, I goofed.  There is a teenager at church that I really admire.  He is a leader.  He does things that other teens would not dare to do.  I like his confidence in front of crowds.  I admire the guy.

I saw him in a crowded hall on the ground floor of the education wing and I said hi and gave him a hug.

Wrong!

This young man did not like it; I could tell.

I did not apologize but I could tell his body language was the body language of the uncomfortable person.  He got stiff and the look on his face was a look of shock.

I had hugged a person who does not like physical touch.

Physical touch people need to be careful.  Too often they assume that all people are like them and they are not.

I proved that.

What do you need to do to use touch appropriately?

Dr. Chapman does not elaborate much but he tells touchers to ask this question: is the touch going to benefit the person touched?

If the touch is not for the benefit of the touchee, then it should not be done.

Touch can communicate manipulation and control.  Some touch is inappropriate in professional settings and can cross professional boundaries, especially in cross-gender situations.  Touch can communicate sexual interest which may be inappropriate.  Dr. Chapman says if touch is to “satisfy your own sensual desires, physical touch ceases to be an expression of love.”

He continues by saying that even though “exploitation is becoming common in contemporary culture, we must not allow our fear of being misinterpreted to keep us from speaking the authentic language of physical touch.”

I know what was in my heart when I hugged the young man at church.  I wanted to encourage him and I wanted to express my appreciation.

It did not work out.

Am I going to quit touching people?

No.

There are just too many people out there is this world that need it.

I know.  I am one of them.

There she was, close to the front row in the center section.  Roberta Jones.

If you have some history at St. John, you know who I am talking about.

I did not know her that well but I knew Roberta had been around for quite some time.

She came to church every Sunday and usually wore a hat in a day when women no longer wore hats.

Even when her health was giving her problems, she came to church.

I remember she was the lady who always gave the children candy canes for the candy cane Christmas story at the “Children’s Moment” part of the worship service.  You could always count on her candy canes.

Later in life, Miss Roberta could not do much but she did what she could do.

Today, churches are full of people who have decided that they can’t do anything.  Sure, as we get older it gets harder to help out,  but there is something for everyone to do.  Especially as we enter VBS season.

About this time of year, I hear the same refrains.  “It is time to let the young ones do the work.”  “I’m too old to help.”  “My kids are grown and there is no need for me to be involved.”  All these comments would not “fly” with people like Miss Roberta.

You see, some people feel like they are going to perform acts of service as long as they can.

Granted I have known some people who don’t age well.  As they get older, they just give up.  My father was one of those people.  I loved him but he was a man who could only do “man-sized” things.  As he aged and his body failed him, he would not be content with doing small things, things that were still helpful even though they were small.  He just gave up.  He spent most of his days with the television set, unable to motivate himself to action.

I believe God wants us to use what we have, even though it may be hard, even though the activity may be small.

Some will say again this year that VBS is “beyond them”.  They can’t participate.

But look at this partial list of jobs and the levels of activity associated with each act of service: kitchen duty, cook, server and kitchen cleaner.  Teacher or station leader.  Group leader/s.  Photographer.  Registration Helper.  Roamer for Safe Sanctuary.  Runner for Messages.  Runner for Emergency Supplies.  Decoration Helpers.  Funds need to be Donated for supplies and food.  Cookies can be baked for the kids.  The playground can be cleaned up prior to VBS.  People are needed to help tear down VBS.  There are even more jobs than this.

Surely there is somewhere where everyone can fit in, no matter your skills, no matter your activity level.

If you just can’t see where you belong, maybe you could spend time in serious prayer for VBS and Anita Murphy, the Director of Children and Youth [the VBS Director].

We can’t all do the heavy lifting but that’s ok.  VBS is a big job and for it to be a success, we need to all pull together as a church.

Dr. Chapman gives us ideas in Chapter 8 about acts of service.

Maybe VBS is your chance.

Miss Roberta would approve.