WEDNESDAY'S WORD - MODERATION - Sadell Bradley - 07/26/2023

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD MODERATION 7/26/2023 “To many, total abstinence is easier than perfect moderation.” - Saint Augustine TONIGHT 7 PM BIBLE STUDY PERMISSION GRANTED SEALED WITH A SIGNET @warehouseOTR  Facebook, Youtube     "I'm one extreme or the other. I'm not good at doing moderation," said actress Margot Robbie who plays the protagonist in the new movie "Barbie." Perhaps that's why she was chosen to play the role of the doll that is a symbol of Americana. Barbie is a study of extremes: the anatomical incorrectness of her body, her perfectly pointed and arched feet, her world displayed in shades of pink, and her always sunny facial disposition, were unattainable for the girls who played with her. Barbara Millicent Roberts (Barbie's real name) was a "perfect" young girl with a perfect life, and a perfect boyfriend named "Ken" (Kenneth Sean Carson). With Barbie, toy manufacturer Mattel and businesswoman Ruth Handler changed the game in doll making and accessorizing. Previously, girls had simple paper dolls, dressing them with paper clothes and accessories. Barbie's clothing, shoes, purses, dream houses, and cars, were real and all about excess—channeling the fashion and styles of the times. And...Barbie could do ANYTHING! She appeared as an astronaut, surgeon, Olympic athlete, downhill skier, aerobics instructor, TV news reporter, veterinarian, rock star, doctor, army officer, pilot, diplomat, rap musician, presidential candidate (party undefined), baseball player, scuba diver, lifeguard, fire-fighter, engineer, dentist, and more...that's why the US loves her. She is emblematic of what we're all about—which is NOT MODERATION - the avoidance of excess or extremes, especially in one's behavior or political opinions; or the action of making something less extreme, intense, or violent. We love extremes so much that filmmakers are now suggesting moviegoers combine seeing "Barbie" with the film "Oppenheimer," which chronicles the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist who was pivotal in developing the first nuclear weapons. They're calling the experience of watching these movies back to back the "Barbenheimer." In the US, from politics to science, religion, sports, and now entertainment...we shy away from moderation and live in polarized extremes. To POLARIZE means to divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs. In days gone by, we understood that a majority of folks lie somewhere in the middle on most issues. Now, to be a moderate is a source of contention. In Scripture, moderation is a virtue that can bring equilibrium—balance to opposing influences. Paul admonishes us to, "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." (Philippians 4:5, KJV) The Greek epieikés means what is seemly, fitting, equitable, fair, just, gentle, yielding, mild, forbearing, and reasonable. It is the sense of relaxing overly strict standards in order to bring true equity by keeping the "spirit of the law," not just the "letter of the law." In Philippians 4:1-3, there was a disagreement between two women in the church, Euodia and Syntyche. Paul advocated for their disagreement to end, and implored the church to help them reconcile. The character quality Paul wanted everyone to make use of was moderation—something he said Christ-followers are to display before all. I'm wondering if we have forgotten Paul's admonition toward moderation, or if we've just set it aside when we silo into radicalized camps, hold to extremes, and point at one another from opposing sides. We know the call of the Lord Jesus Christ is to love those with whom we disagree, perceive as wrong, or even consider enemies. I guess, like Margot Robbie, we are just "not good at doing moderation."

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - NEEDLE - Sadell Bradley - 07/19/2023

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD NEEDLE 7/19/2023 “Anyone who can handle a needle convincingly can make us see a thread that is not there.” - Ernst Gombrich, Austrian Art Historian TONIGHT 7 PM BIBLE STUDY PERMISSION GRANTED HELP WANTED @warehouseOTR  Facebook, Youtube       My mother was a Grade A seamstress. She made most of my "Sunday go-to-meeting" clothes, and special outfits each Easter. She also made my prom and graduation dresses. My mom was no slouch because I chose Vogue Patterns. Her cutting board was on the dining room table, and she had a nook for her sewing machine. I would assist her with pattern markings and cuts, and with threading needles, especially the very small ones—at times no small feat. A NEEDLE is a very fine slender piece of metal with a point at one end and a hole or eye for thread at the other, used in sewing. The phrase "a needle in a haystack" implies that something is almost impossible to find because it is hidden among so many other things. The colloquialism "thread the needle," means to find a path through opposing views, or skillfully navigate through a difficult conflict. When someone is "threading the needle," it suggests that they are steering very carefully, not upsetting extreme view points. During these days of socio-economic, political, and religious upheaval and polarization—there's a lot of "needle threading" going on. I remember as a child, having to wet the frayed end of the thread, close one eye, and squint to navigate it through the tiny head of the needle. It was something I found easier to do than my mother did, but I still had to focus hard to accomplish the task. Figuratively, "threading the needle" is not always viewed as a positive thing. Some see the skill as craftiness, dishonesty, or sleight of speech. I'm wondering though...if there's a place for slowing down, concentrating, and attempting to carefully place what we say and mean in hopes of engendering or maintaining peace. Sometimes, I had to carefully hold my breath while placing a thread in the eye of the needle. Proverbs 17:14 ESV says, "The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out." The NIV renders it this way, "Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out." These days, when people seem committed to quarreling and misunderstanding one another, we as Believers must remember what Paul taught Timothy in 2 Timothy, 2:25 NLT, "A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth." Maybe if we would let go of strife and choose to "thread the needle" more; it would give opportunity for the Holy Spirit to reveal truth and change hearts in His time.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - UNICORN - Sadell Bradley 07/12/2023

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD UNICORN 7/12/2023 “Take criticism, smash it into dust, add color, and use it to paint breathtaking images of unicorns frolicking thru endless fields of greatness.”- Matthew Gray Gubler, Author TONIGHT 7 PM BIBLE STUDY PERMISSION GRANTED REVERSE THE CURSE @warehouseOTR  Facebook, Youtube           "There are some who went off in search of unicorns, but found only rhinoceros." - Laurent Binet, Author Growing up I was fascinated by stories like J.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, or C.S. Lewis', The Chronicles of Narnia, in which the unicorn Jewel, is one of the last remaining loyal subjects of the lion Aslan (a type of Christ) in The Last Battle. Unicorns are depicted as beautiful mythical creatures like horses with a singular horn projecting from their heads. In the Middle Ages they were symbols of purity and grace that could be captured only by virgins. In figurative speech, a UNICORN is something that is highly desirable, but difficult to find or obtain. This kind of rarity is referenced by the writer of Proverbs when he asks, "Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies," (Prov. 31:10) and, "Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man?" (Prov. 20:6) It seems that faithfulness and virtue were as unique as unicorns, even in Biblical times. One of my mentees has taken to calling me a unicorn. That colloquial phrase can mean someone is rare and holds a high value in your life. It is true that we hold each other in high esteem, but I believe she means that in her experience, it is hard to find Christian leaders who are genuine. I once had another mentee exclaim, "You believe this stuff for real!" It would seem these statements would be flattering, but for me they are perplexing. I know Matthew 7:13-14 clearly states that there is a narrow and strait gate that leads to life that few find, and a broad and wide gate that leads to destruction— but I have historically naively believed that everyone is truly devoted, particularly those who've invested copious amounts of time and energy in ministry. Luke 13:22-30 tells us some who've served in various capacities will try to engage the Lord in the end and He will say, "I never knew you". Being a pastor is challenging at times. We are caught in an atmosphere where folks say, "leave it to the professionals." Whether it's ministerial acts like evangelism or preaching, personal disciplines such as prayer or study of Scripture, or righteous responses like forgiveness or loving enemies; pastors are expected to always model Christ-likeness. Some believe it is easier for us to do so because we are clergy. I assure you it is not. It is just as difficult for us to die to ourselves and our emotions, take up our crosses, deny our flesh, hold our tongues, obey Scriptural commands, and walk in the fruit of the Spirit as it is for our members. We are tempted and tried just like you all, and sometimes we as pastors sin and fail, and we, just like everyone else...have to confess, repent, receive the Lord's forgiveness, and try again. I don't want to be a spiritual unicorn. As a leader, I, like Paul, desire to have people follow me as I follow Christ (1 Cor. 11:1) I don't think there should be special unicorns... we ALL should be unicorns. That's what I believe our Father wants.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - GRIEFS - Sadell Bradley 07/05/2023

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD GRIEFS 7/5/2023 “Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them.”- Leo Tolstoy TONIGHT 7 PM BIBLE STUDY PERMISSION GRANTED AN INVITATION @warehouseOTR  Facebook, Youtube     "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear, what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer." - Joseph M. Scriven, Hymn Writer Joseph Scriven, according to hymnary.org, was an Irish immigrant in Canada. Scriven's life was filled with trials and griefs, and he needed solace from the Lord. As a youth, his poor health prevented him from joining the army. His first fiancée died in a drowning accident on the eve of their wedding. His plans for marriage were dashed again when his new bride-to-be died after a short illness in 1855, the year he wrote "What A Friend We Have in Jesus." Following these losses, Scriven seldom had a regular income, and was forced to live in the homes of others. He experienced mistrust from neighbors who did not appreciate his eccentricities or his work with the underprivileged. Joseph Scriven suffered from depression, so no one knew if his death by drowning in Rice Lake was suicide or an accident. It brings new meaning to the song. You never know what people are going through. 3He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:3-5) Isaiah describes the coming Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Both he and Joseph Scriven use the word grief in the plural as griefs. GRIEF is deep sorrow, especially that caused by someone's death; trouble or annoyance; a burden. Griefs intimates that there is more than one death, loss, or sorrow over which we might be experiencing sadness, despair, or broken-heartedness. Jesus is THE FRIEND who is able to bear all of our sins and griefs. When's the last time you laid your griefs at His feet? We don't talk enough about grief, yet it's so much a part of our everyday lives. C.S. Lewis said, “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” I don't like to be afraid, nor do I like losses ...not of money, time, arguments, opportunities, and especially not of people. Allowing oneself to grieve is not the first answer that comes to mind when we're hurting. Perhaps that's the reason when I'm ruminating on a situation, the Lord's answer will be..."You need to grieve that," or, "You need to die to that and grieve." Grief is so complex that Elisabeth Kubler-Ross said it has Five Stages: Denial, Anger, Depression, Bargaining, and Acceptance, and you can go in and out of those in your process. Grief doesn't just happen when a person dies. We grieve relationships that do not turn out the way we'd hoped. We mourn the loss of jobs, or offering up our desires for the sake of others. Grief comes into play when your dreams are delayed or denied. Stages of life, retirement, afflictions, and health issues are all shifts...one state of being is lost and must be grieved while another is grasped. Financial woes and personal regrets can be grieved. We can even mourn and lament over the injustices we find in our world. When Israel was disobedient and idolatrous, Jeremiah said, "Call for the skillful mourning women to come." (Jer. 9:17) They would wail on behalf of the people to God. Now is a good time for ALL of us to examine ourselves for areas that need to be grieved, cried over, and taken to the LORD Jesus Christ in prayer.