May 21, 2013

trivial

By arpology

I can’t help it. I guess it is the Southern in me that can’t look away from tragedy and its’ various responses. Last evening I found myself glued to news sites and to social media as the weigh-in began on the tragedy in Moore, OK. My heart is still sickened by the extreme loss and the pain some of the families are experiencing. I honestly can’t imagine that kind of hurt. But in the midst of responses around the internet, a few posts struck me. Some people felt the need to point out that they didn’t want to post their normal trivial family stuff in the midst of such a tragedy and all I kept thinking was…these things aren’t necessarily trivial. In fact, I am sure many of the parents standing around the rubble of a descemated elementary school longed for trivial things. They longed for goofy Facebook posts about their kid’s drama. I am sure they are pining for pictures of stupid things their sons or daughters had done. They’re wishing back time that was once perceived as trivial.

We sometimes look at things in our lives as less than in the face of something so horrific, but I am sure that the victims of this tragedy would scream at us and say that nothing is trivial. Every moment, every conversation, every touch that you have with your loved ones rings with the echoes of eternity because they are a gift from God. If there is one thing tragedy can possibly help to redeem for those not immediately effected by it, is the fact that life is short and we are only given so much of it. In writing to the church the apostle Paul said, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17) Everything we do is to be done in the name of the Lord. All of a sudden everything we do carries weight. It carries substance.

I look around at the situation right now and I don’t think I even have words that can help comfort those who lost people in Oklahoma. All I can possibly do is offer my prayers and support.*But I can speak to those of us on the outside looking in. Life is a gift. Each moment loaded with possibilities for the greatness of God to shine through. Cherish each moment. Regardless of how trivial it may seem….one day it won’t. May we be so bold as to hold on to each moment and encounter life knowing each moment is precious. Pray for Oklahoma. Grace and Peace

* One tangible way we can support is by offering up our resources to those who are meeting the immediate need. I encourage you to do so as well:

https://secure2.convio.net/cn/site/Donation2?df_id=5320&5320.donation=form1&JServSessionIdr004=vs6iy8zzb6.app214b

http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in family, life, time, tragedy

May 17, 2013

anxiety

By arpology

The dynamic of the Arp family is usually best described as unpredictable. And for the most part we are cool with that…until we realized we really aren’t. Not so much me, or even my wife or daughter, but rather our son. It kind of took us as surprise as our lives have always been marked by spontaneity. But our son Jonas has always had issues with fits and meltdowns and for a season he seemed to be getting over them. But then we had a family tragedy take place and the wheels came off again. And try as we may we really couldn’t understand how to help him until a family friend (who happens to also be a therapist) suggested that perhaps Jonas has Sensory Processing Disorder. Just to give you the shorthand version, whenever Jonas encounters something that might make you or I anxious it sparks in him the Flight or Fight response. And so the unknown, the unpredictable, etc. all of a sudden became an issue for the Arp family.

I tell you this because it has become a unique thing for us (especially in the midst of a pastoral transition at our church). How do we as parents create an environment for our son that relieves him of anxiety and the unknown? This truly has become a daunting question. In the midst of all that is going on anxiety even weighs heavy on me. But in the book of Philippians the writer Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) in every situation? With thanksgiving? How are we supposed to offer up thanks in the midst of the unknown? But I think there might be something to that. The unknown provides the opportunity for faith, for trust. And as we offer thanks and prayer on the midst of that faith moment we are told that peace which transcends human comprehension guards us. This is a reason to offer thanks.

So I come back to my son. I am trying to teach him what it means to trust us in the midst of the unknown. And as I do so I catch a glimpse of what our Heavenly Father longs for for us in the midst of of walking in faith into the unknown.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in family, fear, Kingdom, peace, walk

May 9, 2013

words…

By arpology

Although I have posted one of these before, it serves as a steady reminder to the words I so willingly let loose of. Enjoy.

word cloudFor those of you statistically inclined, this is composed of the words from 135 blog posts over a two and a half year period.

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May 7, 2013

longing

By arpology

So for those of you who don’t follow me on other forms of Social Media let me enlighten you as to my activities for the last five days. Last Thursday my wife and son left on a trip to visit a close family friend, leaving me and my daughter to fend for ourselves for five days. Although this might be a daunting dilemma for a lot of dads I was looking forward to our time together. The best part about it was that the weather was uncharacteristically warm and so we were able to fill our days with various outdoor activities and ice cream (you know a daddy has to spoil his daughter). But one of the main motivations behind our busyness was to somehow distract ourselves from the longing for mommy and brother. And for the most part we were successful, but there were still times where their absence was overwhelmingly evident.

Now for the most part we attempted to fill our time with things that were good. We went on bike rides, runs in the park, visits to playgrounds, etc. But then there were other times when we would just veg out in front of the TV or waste time in some other fashion. But the most rewarding time was the time spent in preparation for my wife and son’s return. Whether it was doing special projects around the house, cleaning, or even taking a bit more time in shaving…well, these became the most fulfilling. Why? Because the longing we have for my family to be complete can only be cured by their presence and so the anticipatory activities planned for their arrival become the best use of our time apart.

This reminds me of a passage out of Ephesians 5:15-16, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” It’s important to define the word evil as spelled out in the Greek text here. The word is ponēros which is probably best defined as pressing, hard, difficult. The apostle Paul, in speaking of our days on this earth, defines them as hard, difficult, pressing, filled with longing. And what are we supposed to do to redeem them? By making the most of every opportunity! Sure we could fill our days with activities that just busy ourselves to distract us from the fact that God’s Kingdom is still to come. Or maybe we could fill our days in the anticipatory activity of bringing God’s Kingdom to Earth. Maybe each moment is an opportunity for redemption as we await the return of the Bride Groom. 

The one thing my family’s separation has taught me is that longing affords us a choice. What choice will you make today?

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in family, Jesus, Kingdom, life

April 17, 2013

lenses

By arpology

While eating lunch with some colleagues the other day I noticed that one of them was trying on the other’s glasses. His prescription was running out and so he was looking at a more “hip” frame for his new eyeglass prescription. Eyesight is one of those weird things that way. Not having ever needed glasses I find it hard to empathize, but from my understanding, once you receive eye glasses your prescription may always be changing (unless of course you take the laser surgery route). And so from time to time one must visit an optometrist in order to see if they need to update their prescription.

This got me reflecting on a conversation I had with a student recently who was troubled by the fact that there are so many different denominations and so many differing ideas about God in the church today. So I asked the student, “Do you think you read the Bible the same way as an African-American woman in Detroit?” (The assumption here is that my original audience was more WASP-y). “What about a middle-aged man in Key West?” The response of course was no. Then I asked the question, “Do you even think you read the Bible the same way you did five years ago?” The answer again, no.

An often quoted verse regarding scripture is Hebrew 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” God’s word is ‘living’. God’s word is ‘active’. And yet, sometimes we find people who are content to read the Bible the same way they did 10, 20, or even 50 years ago. Now I know the argument; God never changes and so His word never changes. And I am not saying that the words of the Bible magically shift and reconstruct themselves. But as time goes by, we learn more about the world of the Bible and the culture behind the voices we read. In his book An Ethic for Christians and Other Aliens in a Strange Land, William Stringfellow writes, ”They devalue the humanity of the reader or listener by assigning the person a narrow and passive role depleted of the dignity of participation in encounter with the biblical Word which the vitality of that Word itself at once invites and teaches.” The assumption is that taking the words of the Bible at face value without allowing interplay and interaction between our present culture and the ancient culture robs both the reader and the Biblical writer. 

Let’s take a more practical approach. Over the years I have collected a few notes and cards from my wife…love letters of sorts. I read them very differently today than I did when I received them. And mainly because our relationship has grown over the twelve years we have been a couple. Don’t you think that as time goes by we would read the Word a bit differently as well? And maybe if we don’t, do you think it might be time to change our lenses?

May we continue to grow in grace as we encounter the living God in his living Word.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in God the Father, scripture, walk

April 11, 2013

home

By arpology

Last week for much of the country was spring break. That hallowed time when college students humiliate themselves and families exhaust themselves trying to cram a vacation into a small break that you need a vacation from after you return. As to the Arp’s plans; we packed the car up and drove south over six hundred miles to our ancestral home just south of Chattanooga, TN. The amazing thing about this part of the country is that it is home to my wife’s parents, my own parents and much of our extended family. The tiresome part about this part of the country is that it is home to my wife’s parents, my own parents and much of our extended family…I jest. The only reason this trip is exhausting is due to the fact that there are so many loved ones we want to see and so little time to do it in. But it’s home. And yet, when I pointed the car north to Michigan I was also excited…because it is home. In ten years of marriage my wife and I have made our home in north Florida, Nashville, TN and Flint, MI. And every time those places have come to represent home. And I grew up in Rossville, GA under the shadow of Lookout Mountain and for me that is also home. It amazes me how the human heart can link home feelings to so many different places.

I think about the passage of scripture midway through Jesus’ sermon on the mount where he says, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Now I know we often think about heaven being ‘way beyond the blue’, but I can’t help but feel like we are also called to bring heaven to earth. And if we are bringing heaven to earth, what treasures are stored up in that action? I have come to believe it really is about community…family. The reason that home exists for me in Northwest Georgia, North Florida, Middle Tennessee and Flint, Michigan is because my family lives in these places.

In John 14 Jesus paints a beautiful picture of heaven and the Kingdom of God. In verses 2-3 we read, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” Jesus was speaking of an ancient near east dwelling known as an Insula. The insula was a way for families to be grafted together. Whenever a young groom wanted to take a bride he would have to build a room onto his father’s house in order to bring her into the family. When the room was ready he could go and collect his bride.

And I think that is what the church has allowed Christ to do in and for me. He has built room upon room for my family. And this family stretches out across the entire world so that when I am in their presence, I am home…And one day we will all really be home together.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in community, family, Kingdom

March 20, 2013

unchristian

By arpology

I am reluctant to write this post. But sometimes when you experience something your eyes are opened to greater truth. And I feel that this truth I recently encountered is something that we in the church need to hear. I think our behavior, as in those of us who call ourselves the church, as of late can best be classified as ‘unchristian’. Don’t worry. I am not jumping on some political rant or some evangelical bashing bandwagon in order to prove a point. Let me give you some context.

Recently my wife and I attended a party. I was both nervous and excited about the party because it was thrown by some friends of ours. However these friends of ours, although they are dearly loved, live a different lifestyle than us. And a majority of the party attendees would also fit into that category. I love meeting people, but this was going to be a unique scenario as I was afraid as to what many of the people might think when they learned what I did for a living (As a side note, this often takes people by surprise…I guess I need more sweater vests). But the party actually went swimmingly. And there was never any judgment levied against me for who I was and everyone was super friendly. In fact, I made some new friends.

A couple of days later I begin to think a bit about Jesus and the people he was often seen with. Luke 7:34 has Jesus depicting himself in the following fashion per the religious gossip, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Jesus was accused of hanging out with people with whom he had very little in common. In fact, he was sometimes viewed as less because of it.

Now back to my original thought. Christian, at it’s core, was originally a slanderous term calling followers of the way “little Jesus’”. Their actions and lifestyles were completely modeled after Jesus. And although this was originally meant to carry negative connotations, for many of us who follow Christ it is now filled with honor and pride. But sometimes in the culture and media around us it once again has become a slanderous term. But I don’t think it is necessarily because our lifestyles always reflect that of Jesus. Let me explain way by terms of Confession…I don’t have too many friends who aren’t part of the church. In fact, my life is characterized by the fact that I surround myself for the most with other Christians. I don’t think if anyone looked at my life from the outside that they would accuse Andrew of being, ‘a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners’. And this troubles me. Am I, by my very associations with Christians and not so much with others, being unchristian?

Just a thought….

2 comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Jesus, Kingdom, life

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