Soup and Relationships

I know. You're wondering what in the world soup has to do with relationships. I'm glad you asked. For in-service training at the middle school where I work, we are reading Soup by Jon Gordon. It is a book about a company that makes soup and the lessons that the new CEO learns on her way to turning the company around. While reading this book, I was once again struck by the idea that all truth is God's truth, and that we can learn from unexpected sources.

At one point in the story, one of the characters makes this statement: "Communication, trust, and love create the foundation for any successful relationship. Without communication, trust, and love, your relationship won't be very strong; and without strong relationships you can't have a strong team; and if you don't have a strong team, then you can't have a strong organization. Relationships are the foundation upon which winning teams and organizations are built." While this statement does work for businesses, I believe it is just as true for those of us who follow Jesus.

Our faith is a faith built on relationship. We belong to a God who is a relational Being. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in a perfect love relationship with each other. I think you could say they have communication, trust, and love. We are also called into relationship with God. He has adopted us into his family, and calls us to accept his love and love him in return. God is someone who we can trust, and he communicates with us. Belonging to God is not a matter of saying or doing the right things. It is a matter of accepting and living in the love the Father has lavished on us.

Our relationships with others must be built on communication, trust, and love. Many of the problems in marriages, family relationships, and churches could be solved if we communicated with each other, if we trusted others enough to feel safe enough to communicate and were worthy of that trust, and if we loved enough to work through any problems that come from communication, or miscommunication. The primary command that Jesus gave us is to love each other as he loves us. We are to lay down our lives for our friends. How many times is our lack of communication, trust, and love due to our unwillingness to lay down our preferences, our "rights," our comfort. We don't put forth the effort to build relationships with fellow believers, and therefore our lives and churches are smaller and have less joy than what is possible.

Communication, trust, and love take work. It can be messy, and sometimes we can get hurt. But just as building relationships was the foundation on which the revival of the soup company was based, so relationships are the foundation on which God's kingdom is built. After all, Jesus did say that our love for each other would be the way the world would know that we belonged to him.

Weekend Wanderings

Last week Jan and I were in Los Angeles visiting our daughter, Jennie. We went to a party on a roof overlooking Hollywood, hiked in a canyon, saw some blue whales and dolphins, went to a Mexican market in downtown LA, and attended a street festival. I even learned to drive in LA traffic. We had a wonderful time, and it was hard to leave. But, leave we did, coming back to the 95-100 degree temperatures here in the sunny South.

Here are the best of the links I've seen this week:

Non violence (HT: Arthur Sido).

Alan Knox has a poem.

When dreaming of something new... (HT: Scot McKnight).

The soap opera continues (HT: iMonk).

Is it better?

This was the Grand Prize Winner in the Philips sponsored constrained cinema competition "Tell It Your Way". The entrants were restricted to six lines of dialogue, "What is that?," "It's a unicorn," "Never seen on up close before," "Beautiful," "Get away, get away," "I'm sorry." (HT: Josh)

Gus vs. pool.

We're not the only ones who have a hard time believing God answers prayer.

Equipped for what?

Spare the son.

Thoughts on women in society from Emily Timbol.

Princess or priest?

Wayward Son on fitting the need.

Good post from Alan Knox.

Accountability requires community.

Chaplain Mike's view of Scripture.

I Liked Jesus Better Then part 5.

An iMonk classic.

Wow.

I hope you have a restful weekend.

Source of Life

Jan and I spent a week in the Los Angeles area, visiting our daughter Jennie. One day, we went hiking in Eaton Canyon, just outside Pasadena. We hiked on a trail that ran for a mile and a half to some falls at one end of the canyon. It was our first time in one of the many canyons that dot the Los Angeles area. We were struck by the stark beauty of the canyon.

Another thing I noticed was the creek that ran through the bottom of the canyon near the beginning of the hike. The creek started at the falls and was a decent size. By the time it reached the bottom of the canyon it was not much more than a trickle. When I first saw it I thought of the verse in Isaiah 35 where the prophet speaks of streams in the desert.

As we went along the trail I noticed that there were green trees growing along the creek bed. These trees were a far cry from the dry vegetation in the rest of the canyon.

As I looked at the trees and noticed that the green continued only for about 40 feet or so on either side of the creek, I thought of the description of Jesus as the Water of Life. As the trees were green and thriving along the banks of the creek, so we thrive by staying in close contact with Jesus. If we let ourselves get caught up in all the stuff of our lives and let that close relationship fade, we tend to dry out and wither, just as the plants further from the creek dried out.

There may be times when it seems as if we are dry, and there is no Water to quench our thirst. Just as in the dry canyon bottom, there is water. The Source of our life is there. We may need a period where we must sink our roots deeper, or we may need to adapt and live with what seems like a small amount of water for a while. Regardless, the only way we can be satisfied and have the living water flowing out of us is by staying as close to the Source as we can.

Weekend Wanderings

After a couple days of near record temps. (heat index over 100), it's cooled down quite a bit here in the sunny South. We've had a good amount of rain here, and my fire pit became a water feature for a couple of days. Fortunately, it's too warm to use it anyway. We've had some good news here in the Shope household the last two weeks. Josh has landed a job at an architectural firm. It is the kind of work that he has been hoping for as well. Jennie started working at a company that does documentary films. She's one week through a two week trial, and I'm positive she'll show the folks there that they should have hired her long ago.

Anyway, on to the links:

Media mafia.

Arthur Sido reviews A Meal With Jesus.

Great song.

Alan Knox asks a good question.

Why church hurts.

Andrew Jones on a hot topic.

Ending poverty?

Ronnie McBrayer says to go to Jesus.

Experiential faith part1.

Jared Wilson on love.

Financial priorities.

Matthew Paul Turner on what he believes and what he knows.

A tale of two messengers.

Scot McKnight has a series on the Church. Part 1.

The conversion of the evangelical imagination.

Where are we putting our greatest effort and energy?

What kind of fruit?

What a godly man looks like (HT: Scot McKnight).

Donald Miller says that all great spirituality is subversive.

Jan and I are flying out to California to spend a week with Jennie. Weekend Wanderings will also take the week off. Enjoy your Sunday, and the rest of your week.

Sad Cafe

This is a repost from last year.

A few years ago the Eagles sang a song titled "The Sad Cafe". Here are some of the lyrics:

It seemed like a holy place,

protected by amazing grace.

We would sing right out loud

the things we could not say.

We thought we could change the world,

with words like love and freedom.

Part of the lonely crowd inside the Sad Cafe.

I think this is a good picture of what the church should be. A holy place, protected by God's amazing grace. A place where people are free to share their needs and struggles without fear of condemnation. A place where the people go out to change the world with the love of Christ and the freedom that is found in Him. A place where the lonely can come and find community.What would this world be if the church was really the place it should be?

It's Time Once Again...

...to celebrate. It's time to remember an event from the past. No, I'm not talking about the thing that happened 235 years ago. This event is in the more recent past. Thirty one years ago, as a matter of fact.

Yes, that's right. It's time once again to celebrate the day that Jan and I said, "I do." Tomorrow, July 5 is our thirty-first anniversary. It's hard to believe it's been that long, but on the other hand, it seems as if we have been married forever. I have a hard time imagining what it was like to be single. In fact, I can't imagine life without Jan.

Over the years we have grown as individuals, and as a couple. God has brought us through so many different experiences, some that were joyous and some that tried our faith. We've raised two children and experienced much that goes along with that. We've seen three of our four parents age and pass from this earth. We've had tough financial times when we wondered where the money was going to come from, and we've had times when we could pass on some extra to those in need. We've lived in the Washington, D.C. area, Cincinnati, and Rock Hill, SC. We've worked in the same schools, and we've spent time in different jobs. Through it all, we have seen the Father take care of us and provide for us in ways we never could have imagined.

Our faith journey has taken its share of twists and turns. We've spent time in different types of churches, and are currently part of a fellowship that meets in a house. Our understanding of and relationship with God has changed and grown over our life together. As our relationship with God has deepened, our love for each other has deepened as well. I am learning more and more how to love Jan as Jesus loved the church, although I still have a long way to go. Again, the faithfulness of Abba has been an amazing thing.

The last thirty one years have been a wonderful part of my journey. I'm extremely thankful to God for the precious gift he gave me in Jan. I'm looking forward to what the next thirty one + years will bring.

Jan, I love you so much more than yesterday, and so much less than tomorrow.

Weekend Wanderings

Another week has come and gone here in the sunny South. It's getting warmer as we enter the July 4 weekend. I always enjoy this time of year, with picnics, festivals, and fireworks. The main reason this is an enjoyable time is the annual celebration of my marriage to Jan. This Tuesday marks thirty one years of marriage (I know, neither of us look old enough to be married for thirty one years). It's true. The amazing thing is the fact that she has put up with me this long.

Here is the good stuff:

Check this out. Josh's girlfriend is performing at the Vans Warped Tour in Charlotte.

Are you a voyeur?

Todd Hiestand on the primary task of the church.

Meals as mission.

The propagation of the church.

"They embraced and wept."

July 4 eats.

It's hip to be a babushka (HT: Scot McKnight).

A mother's helper (HT: Alan Knox).

Important archaeological find.

Arthur Sido is just wondering.

Alan Knox started a chain blog on divisiveness in the church. The initial post is here.

Scripture... as we live it.

Enjoy your 4th!