Hatred & Violence

Hatred

Once again we find ourselves embroiled in hate and violence. And even worse the hate and violence is feeding off of each other. It is not even easy to distinguish a difference in it among those that are involved – and in many ways we are all involved. I am not talking “blame” at this point. I am just referring to the hate and violence itself.

I cannot understand the mindset of those that identify themselves as Nazi’s, White Supremacists or KKK members. The beliefs that these people hold are morally repugnant to me and against the beliefs that I hold as a disciple of Christ. To truly hate somebody is bad enough. After all, Jesus tells us “that to be angry with others will make us subject to judgement,” – Matthew 5:22. But to hate somebody strictly because of their race, ethnicity or color is something that I cannot truly grasp or understand. So on a moral level; I can’t justify the beliefs and actions taken by people with such hate in their hearts.

There is, however, a legal side here. Article [I] (Amendment 1 - Freedom of expression and religion) gives, among other things, the freedom of speech and the freedom to assemble peaceably. There are exceptions to these two rights. As an example, you cannot shout out “Fire” in a crowded movie theatre (unless there actually is a fire, in which case please do share that). But we always need to be careful here because the more exceptions that we add the more likely that we will end up with so many exceptions that we will be hard pressed to decide what we can, and can’t, say. And while there are situations where most people can agree on, we will eventually have to decide where that line is – and then keep track as it moves back and forth. For example, I might find it in bad taste but should I be able to have you arrested for starting a joke with, “Two Christians walk into a…”?

Then there were the counter protesters. I am sure that there were many that showed up in Charlottesville objecting to the beliefs held by those that were protesting. And on a moral basis I support those that did so. I would suggest that they had the “moral high ground.” But I also believe that once hate enters the picture, that moral high ground goes away. My hatred is no better or worse than yours. It is merely hatred. And that hatred leads to…

Violence

While hatred removes the moral stand of the person/group, the violence removes the legal rights of the person/group. Once you become violent - throwing things, hitting people or vandalizing - you lose, or at least should lose, your legal standing and should be subject to criminal prosecution. Why? Because of the same Constitutional amendment I mentioned previously – the freedom to assemble peaceably. We have the right to assemble and protest. We do not have the right to hurt others while we are doing that; no matter what the other side is saying. I do not have the right to break the law just because something you are doing offends me. Like it or not, this should be the same for both sides.

All of this hatred and violence results in a no-win scenario. It doesn’t solve anything and only exacerbates the problem. To counter hate with hate, or violence with violence is something that we do as children, but should grow out of. We can disagree with others and still love them. There is an intense rivalry between Red Sox and Yankee fans, but I am happy and proud to say that some of my friends are Yankee fans. We can argue, disagree and taunt each other over this - but I still love them. And this should apply to any situation. We don’t have to agree; we don’t have to like it; we do have to love.

Martin Luther King Jr once said: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Continue to fight for your beliefs. They are, or should be, important to you – important enough to take your time and effort. But rise above the hate and the violence. Be a light in the world and let others see what that can do.

Say a prayer for somebody today.

Scott

The Wrong Choice

I have a confession to make. I can be very stubborn. I’m not talking about minor resistance to change, but a stubbornness that borders on stupidity. This may come as a surprise to many of you, although not to my family and close friends – and certainly not to my wife. Even though this trait is sometimes a good thing that keeps me from flip-flopping on opinions, there are times when I don’t allow additional thoughts to enter into my decision making. And when this stubbornness keeps me from hearing what God has to say to me, well, that’s when I realize that I need to make some changes. 2014 highlighted one such example for me.

At the beginning of the year Woodside decided to participate in the Run for God bible study. This is a program that combines a bible study with a running program designed to take you from the couch to a 5k run over a 12 week period. Now I’m not a runner – never have been. I used to run to get in shape to play soccer, when I was younger (I won’t say young), and for softball (as I matured), but I never ran as exercise or to experience the so-called “joy of running”. Michelle has also never been a runner, probably less so than me. I have to admit that we have made comments over the years about runners and their obsession. So I automatically assumed that there would be no interest in the Run for God program in the Burgess family. God had other plans.

I don’t remember when, or how, Michelle let me know of her intentions to participate but I know I was surprised. Actually “shocked” would be closer to the mark. Looking back on that moment I now realize that this was a perfect moment for me to reflect and speak with God, but for whatever reason I chose to make this decision on my own. I immediately used the Dan Schaal reflex to something new: Nope. No way. Not going to happen! Even though this was a church event I did not spend any time at all to consider the possibility of participating. And to make it worse I didn’t give my full support to Michelle. I did support her in some ways – changing or adjusting my schedule so that she could attend the bible study and workout a few days a week, but I didn’t throw in the moral support that I should have. I apologized for that later, but that was well after the fact. Through the whole study I never really changed my opinion of Run for God. It wasn’t until the race was done that I understood, and there were three specific points that highlighted my mistake.

Race Day – I did agree to be a volunteer on the day of the race. But even there I was a little annoyed that I had to be there at 5:30am to help out. Oh I did what was asked of me, and did it to my full potential – but my heart wasn’t in it. That began to change when I met the guys from Teen Challenge who were running. A couple of months before, Maria Wilson had told Michelle that there were a group of guys from a recovery home that were interested in running. We found out that they were from Teen Challenge in Rehrersburg, PA. This was one of those God wink moments because CLPRM, the ministry Michelle and I are so involved with, had not only visited this recovery home, but we currently had two men there on CLPRM scholarships. And yet their participation in the run was not through the ministry but was result of looking for a way to run as a group. Woodside, which has been such a blessing to the ministry, “just happened” to be the venue that they found to be a part of. The six young men who came to participate were such great examples of how the power of God can change the lives of those struggling with addiction. Each of them had battled with substance abuse and a couple of them had been in prison as a result. Their growing relationship with Jesus has transformed them and changed their lives. They were so helpful, respectful and appreciative of their new lives that it reinforced to me the importance of what CLPRM does.

The Finish – A simple, yet powerful, moment came as I watched Michelle cross the finish line. When she began the training I don’t think she really thought she would be able to run the whole race. The joy on her face as she crossed the finish line, running the entire 5k, was the first indication to me that I had made a poor choice. She wanted to do something and God had given her the help and the strength that she needed to do it.

After the Race – In the days following the run I reflected on what I learned. Once again I realized that the choices we make are so much clearer when we speak with God before making them. Over the last several years I have done a better job of praying and speaking with my Father before making decisions. But I also realize that there are still too many times that I act on my own emotions without making the proper consultation. Maybe I’ll take the bible study and run next year; maybe I won’t. But before I decide I’m going to go to my Adviser and talk things over.   

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your path.

Say a prayer for somebody today.

Awareness

Psalm 23:4 - Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.

I do try to not fear evil. However it is also important that we not forget that it is there. Sometimes it is important to be reminded of it. For the last six plus years I've been a part of a ministry that goes into a Philadelphia prison six to eight times a month to lead a worship service. Although we've had incidents of disrespect and disruption we've never had a violent occurrence there. Well, I guess I should have said, we had never had a violent occurrence - before. At the end of tonight's service, as Royce was beginning the altar call, one of the men was slashed across the face with a knife or a similar sharp item.

We're not sure if it was thrown or hand wielded, but one of the guys received one or two decent size slashes across his face. It appeared that he was ok, but there was a lot of blood. Bob took over immediately making all the correct moves. He looked straight at me and told me to get the CO (Correctional Officer). As soon as the CO's began coming in the room he hustled us out the door and away from any potential action.

We then had the chance to reflect on what just happened. While multiple emotions flowed amongst us, I realized that one emotion was not present within me. I felt no fear. I was happy we were all safe, and hoped that the men and the responding CO's would all be safe - but at no time did I fear what was happening. Maybe it was because I was on the other side of the room. However, the room isn't really that big so that probably wasn't it. Maybe it was all of the CO's that began pouring in. But it actually took them a little while to secure the area, so it probably wasn't that either.

So what was it? As I write this I realize that it was the numerous comments the men made, all saying about the same thing - "We don't do that here". And what I can interpret that to mean is, "This is a house of God. We don't do that here."

The men that come down week after week are getting it. They are beginning their walk and trying to change their lives. That made me feel safe. I felt that they "had our backs" and would have done whatever they had to do to keep us safe. And I mean what I say when I said that they are beginning their walk. Because I hope eventually they begin to drop a word. "We don't do that" is infinitely better than "we don't do that here".

God was with us tonight. He doesn't promise that we will always be safe. He doesn't guarantee that our walk will be easy. What he does is let us know that the walk we take with him will be worthwhile. And that is really what's important.

Psalm 23:5-6 - You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Say a prayer for somebody today.

DR TRIP - 2012

Give Me Jesus – That was the theme of the 2012 Dominican Republic (DR) trip. And yet more than the theme, it was our goal. Sure, we were there to continue construction on the new Haina church, but the real purpose was to either achieve a relationship with Jesus, or strengthen a relationship already in place. In addition, we wanted to share that relationship with our brothers and sisters in the DR. The scripture passage that we chose to reinforce the theme was John 4:6 – “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Five years ago God placed a desire on my heart to travel to the DR. The 2012 trip was my third in five years and the goal, individually and as a group, was to find Jesus in as many ways, and in as many people, as possible. I have to say that it really wasn’t much of a challenge. I saw Jesus’s love in the way fellow missionaries interacted with the Dominican children. I saw obedience every day as we all travelled back and forth to the worksite – tired and prepared to sweat another day. And there was joy. Joy in the faces of the Dominican children as they saw American friends returning. Joy in our group as we get to experience “full immersion Christianity”. But mostly the joy of worship; of praising God, feeling the Holy Spirit and having the opportunity to spend time with Jesus.

There is something special about these mission trips to the DR. Sometimes when I try to explain it to different people I receive looks that indicate a general lack of sanity on my part. The interesting part is that I can understand why people look that way. After all, when I am sharing about my trip I inevitably include the following bits of information:

• When we leave the airport in Santo Domingo, we are saying goodbye to air conditioning for the next 9 days and nights
• Most of us are going to be doing 5 to 6 days of physical labor in temperatures that we’re not used to.
• We need to be aware of the problems that drinking the local water will cause. We need to remind ourselves that drinking, washing and cooking food and even brushing our teeth needs to be done through the use of bottled water.
• Even the most careful of us get brought down by gastro issues at some point.
• And let’s not forget that it is a dangerous enough place that we have two armed guards with us 24/7 while we are there.

And yet despite all of that, there are some interesting facts to consider:
• There were 26 people in our group this year. All but two of us are returning veterans
• We use our vacation time and our finances in order to attend
• Some of the youngsters that go, save their birthday and Christmas money in order for their parents to be able to afford it.
• One of the younger members of our group has specifically said he prefers the DR trip to Disney World.

In retrospect it is actually an easy thing to explain. For ten days and nine nights we are living, eating, sleeping, working, praying, studying and worshipping with other Christians. We spend almost every waking moment, and some sleeping moments, concentrating on what God wants us to do. In return we get to experience a taste of the Joy that Jesus promised awaits us in heaven.

I could write for hours on the positives of this trip. I could talk about the fellowshipping, the work we continued in building a new house for God or the prayer time that I was blessed to be part of. But the most uplifting part of the trip, as far as I was concerned, was the Tuesday night Campagna. In the DR a Campagna is a street corner, or intersection, revival service. The goal was to have a service that could be enjoyed by the Dominican members of the congregation as well as us missionaries from Woodside. But we also hoped to reach out in the community and touch the hearts of those that have not yet met Jesus yet.

Because the Campagna was outside the walls of the church, we had an opportunity to reach Dominicans who may not yet know Jesus. And while Campagna’s are not rare events in the DR, the attendance of Americans is considered a drawing card. As we planned the Campagna there were three important components of the service. We wanted the service to be a combined effort of Americans and Dominicans. We looked for testimonies from anybody that wanted to share their walk with Jesus. And lastly there had to be a message that led to an altar call inviting others to come forward and meet Jesus.

The service exceeded all of my expectations. We had some amazing praise worship that concluded with Dominican’s and Americans singing and dancing together. There were testimonials that almost brought me to tears. And the crowning moment was when Rafael, a Dominican brother, came forward to recommit himself to Christ. It was a powerful moment but it wasn’t until the next day that I realized the significance. When we have an altar call at the prison and guys come forward to recommit themselves to Jesus, we see that as a renewal of their love for him. A recommitment in the DR means the individual is returning to Jesus after losing their faith and leaving the path that he lays out for us. In essence they are being reborn, a much more powerful statement than a renewal of faith.

On Monday we had held the annual Vacation Bible School (VBS) for the children of Haina. In addition to songs and crafts we performed a skit based upon the parable of The Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7). In the skit Annabelle played the part of the lost sheep and Greg played the part of the shepherd – Jesus. On Tuesday night Rafael took the role of the lost sheep. The part of Jesus was played by Himself.

Say a prayer for somebody today.

Leaving the Building - 10/30/2011

What does “Leaving the Building” really mean? It’s not just a day of good deeds. It’s not just a day of charity. It’s certainly not a replacement for worshipping God. No. What it is is a day to follow one of the most important commands that Jesus gave us. We are to share the good news of Jesus Christ with as many people as we can. Matthew 28:19 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.

If we become so structured with our faith or so rigid in our belief then we put ourselves into the same position that Christ argued against when he walked the earth. We find ourselves so tied to the laws and the rules that we miss what is most important. And that is love. Leaving the Building isn’t a plan to forgo worshipping God. It’s a way to remind us that there are so many out there that don’t know him right now.

I was part of a service last week in which there were a number of brothers and sisters that were struggling with addiction. One of the women, almost a child in my eyes, gave an incredible testimonial from her heart. She spoke of her struggle with addiction, her alcoholism and even a plan for suicide. But then somebody gave her the only chance at healing that could work. Somebody explained to her that Jesus loved her. And since Jesus could love her then there must be a reason for her to love herself. And if there was a reason for her to love herself, then there was probably sufficient reason for her to love others. At the end of that service, about seven people came forward to either accept Jesus as their Savior, or to re-commit themselves to him.

That is what “Leaving the Building” means to me. It means that I have the opportunity, no, the blessing, to do my best to share with others what I have learned. And that is that Jesus is there for me, and you, and for everybody else out there, no matter who they are or what they’ve done. That he loves us, and that all he wants is for us to ask him to come into our hearts.

Don’t stop here friends. Reach out as often as you can. Through ministry, through mission trips, or just with conversations with friends. Share the good news with whomever you meet. Then go to service and thank the Father for what he has done for you.

Say a prayer for somebody today.

GOD WINKS

God winks. These are daily reminders that God is here, with us, as we lead our lives day to day. I used to call these coincidences and figured they were just random occurrences. However, as I grow in my faith I have come to realize that the odds of some of these “coincidences” happening were too great to be shrugged off. Last night into this morning was another wonderful example.

Bob, Andrew, Dale and I went into CFCF for our weekly service. Bob gave the message and was focusing on passages in the books of Deuteronomy & Joshua. The main topic of the message was obedience to God and to his word. Time and time again he pointed out that word in the passages he read. To paraphrase something Bob said (and I may really mess this up), “We don’t decide to be obedient so that we can get God’s favor. Rather we receive God’s favor because we are obedient”. It seemed to say the same thing, until I thought about it a little.

And then, just in case I didn’t get it – or maybe because God doesn’t want me to forget it, today’s daily devotional from Woodside’s “Living Inside Out” series just happened to focus on…Anybody want to take a guess? Just check out the passage below that Peggy just happened to select.

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October 19 | Luke 11:14-36
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"Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
Luke 11:28
Throughout the Bible we are told to obey God's commands, that His Word (the Bible) is a living, breathing voice for us to listen to, understand, trust and obey.

Those of you who know me, know I'm a doer and some times I've been told to slow down, I can't. Words can't describe the feelings that I get when I've worked on a Code Blue night, helped serve dinner to those in need, visited the sick, sent notes or made calls to those who need cheering up. God keeps blessing me and giving me strength to do His work right here in Bucks County.

He is waiting to bless you as well. Talk with those who have gone out and done His work, see the light of God in their lives and hear the joy in their voices. Don't be afraid to step out and do God work and see and feel the blessings He'll shower on you.

God is waiting for us to follow His Word, obey His commands and receive all the blessings He has waiting for us. Friends, try it....you'll never know how great you can really feel until you do.

Action Step: Obey God's word, live your life to please Him and His glory and power will fill you and you will be showered with abundant blessings.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the sweet shower of love and blessings You give each day to those who trust and obey You. Amen

Peggy Wilson
Woodside Church

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Thank you Father. Thank you for being there for me and for reminding me of those things you want from me. Sometimes you do it with a sledge hammer, and sometimes – with a simple “wink”.

Say a prayer for somebody today.

GOD IS GOOD

As my anxiety faded, along with the floodwater projection, I sent some text messages out to friends who had either helped move our belongings from the basement to the first floor, or had been praying for us. I thanked them and let them know that the latest river crest projection was a good four feet lower than the earlier forecast that projected another major flood much like the 2005 and 2006 floods. Replies came back indicating their genuine relief at our near miss.

There was another recurring theme to the replies as well. This included praises such as "God is good!” As I thought about that a curious idea came to mind. If you say "God is good" when bad news does not come out of a difficult situation, are you implying that "God is not good" when the circumstances go against you?

I guess it depends on what you’re basing the statement on. If you are making a prayer and are using the results of that prayer to determine whether God is good or not than you have put yourself into a position of judging God, and are making the assumption that you know better than God.

We pray for things that we think we want and assume that if it doesn’t turn out the way we wanted, or expect, that God didn’t hear our prayers. But what if God had other plans? Or is answering them in a way that we don’t understand? Let’s take the river scenario.

In 2005 & 2006 many of us prayed that the river did not reach the flood stage levels that were initially projected. It did flood however, and many people suffered losses of property and enormous costs. However, what if God had a plan for somebody during one of those floods? Let’s consider a possibility where an individual, for whatever reason, was led to Christ during the flood of 2005. Wouldn’t the salvation of just one person be more important than my basement staying dry? Wouldn’t that salvation even be more important than the major flooding that occurred in homes of friends of mine further north?

Consider another possibility as well. How do I know that the prayer I am making isn’t being answered? Maybe God is answering my prayer, but in a way that will ultimately be much more beneficial to me, and others, than a short term dry basement. The flooding I received in 2005 & 2006 led me, along with others, to create the residents group RAFT (Residents Against Flood Trends). I’d like to think that our group has become a benefit and a blessing to some people out there. Perhaps God answered our prayer in such a way to nudge us toward doing just that.

Over the past couple of years I have changed the way I pray for things. I still pray that the river doesn’t flood. I still pray for the safety and health of family, friends and even strangers. But I always try to add a little something to each prayer. I try to ask that God gives me the strength and courage to get through difficult times, if his will doesn’t coincide with what I think I need. I ask God that if it is time for somebody to be brought home to him, that peace and comfort is given to that person during their struggles at the end of their life. I ask that family and friends can understand the love that you have for each and every one of us. I am trying to follow Christ’s lead when he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42)

42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

It is his will that is important, not my desires or even needs. So in the end no matter what the final situation, the phrase can, and should, remain the same.

No flooding – “God is Good”.

Minor Flooding – “God is Good”.

Major Flooding – “God is Good”.

It is a statement, not a judgment, a ruling or a scorecard. It is statement acknowledging that God is in fact, good!

Say a prayer for somebody today.