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Letters From The Edge

A Meditation on Revelation 2

What do you say to a church that’s lost its love?

What do you say to a people who are doing all the right things… working hard, enduring suffering, spotting false teachers from a mile away… but their hearts have gone numb?

You say Revelation 2.

You say… remember.

There’s this moment, in the letter to the church in Ephesus, where the resurrected Jesus says:

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.” (Rev. 2:4)

Oof.

It’s not that they weren’t busy. They were doing a lot. They were active. Vigilant. Passionate about doctrine. But somewhere along the line, the fire that once drove them turned into mere coals. They had the form, but not the flame.

And maybe… maybe that’s not just their story.

Maybe it’s ours.

It starts out so beautifully, doesn’t it?

That first love. That rush. That wild awareness that this is real. That God is near. That grace is thick in the air and you can’t stop talking about it. You’re not working for God because you should… you’re doing it because you’re in love.

But slowly, quietly, the machinery kicks in.

Programs. Policies. Proficiency.

And that pulsating, reckless joy? It cools. Like coffee left on the counter too long. Still technically “coffee.” Just… not what it used to be.

So Jesus says:

“Consider how far you have fallen. Repent and do the things you did at first.” (2:5)

It’s not condemnation. It’s invitation. It’s a wake-up call, not a slap.

And that word… repent… so often wielded like a hammer… is really a whisper.

A turning.
A remembering.
A returning.

Back to the beginning.
Back to why you ever said yes.
Back to who this has always been about.

And did you notice? These letters… they aren’t written to individuals.

They’re written to churches.

Communities.

Which means this isn’t just about you finding your first love again.
It’s about us.

Together.

Maybe the church isn’t dying. Maybe it’s just forgotten who it loves.
Maybe we don’t need to reinvent everything… maybe we just need to remember.

Remember when we cried together.
When we prayed like it mattered.
When we served not out of duty but delight.
When we sang until our voices cracked.

Remember when we didn’t care who got credit because we were just so grateful to be part of it?

Yeah. That.

So here we are, again.

A church.
A people.
With a letter.

From Jesus.

And he’s saying:

“I see you. I know what you’ve done.
But don’t forget why you started.”

Because if you remember that?

You just might find the fire again.

Reflection Question
What did your “first love” look like? Feel like?
What would it look like to return—not to what you did, but to why you did it?

Let’s go back.
So we can move forward.
In love.
Again.

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Generating Good

generous-2

Generosity is a brilliant word and a powerful concept. Kahlil Gibran states , “Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need.” That is worthy of pondering for a bit.

From this word we understand other things better, like, generate, generator, generative.

Generosity generates something…
It creates something…
From nothing, generosity breathes life and regenerates something beautiful.

However, generosity is not simply about money and wealth. It is a lifestyle that is always humming with creative goodness that brings light to dark places, food to starving spaces and beauty to desolate places.

Steve Goodier sums up the scope well:

“Money is not the only commodity that is fun to give. We can give time, we can give our expertise, we can give our love or simply give a smile. What does that cost? The point is, none of us can ever run out of something worthwhile to give.”

Generosity also has the power to free us from a myopic life of self-everthing. Self-service, selfishness, self-reliance, self-worship. The worship of self has run across the borders of narcissism in our culture, and generosity has the ability to heal us of this most pernicious disease. The Buddha noted:

“Conquer the angry one by not getting angry; conquer the wicked by goodness; conquer the stingy by generosity, and the liar by speaking the truth.”

The following video is a commercial from Thailand…it reveals the power that a little generosity has to make the lives of others better, and when you do that you cannot escape the personal benefit generosity re-infuses into your own life.

That video causes an unsolicited smile to form on my lips…

Being generous feels good and the scientific stats reveal that generous people are healthier, happy and live longer lives that are worth living.

The Bible has scads of passages about generosity, here are a few to help you pray and invite a spirit of generosity into your life:

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  2 Corinthians 9:7

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Luke 6:38 

Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. Psalm 112:5

For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.  2 Corinthians 8:12

Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  Luke 6:30

May you realize just how rich you really are and find yourself coming alive as you become a generous soul that gives especially when there is no chance of repayment.

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Getting Off Our “Buts”

You know it’s true…we all have them…and often they sabotage’ our life and keep us from doing what we need to do. This video is funny, true and motivating…enjoy!

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The Olympics! SNQ 7-29-12

I have always loved the Olympic games…When I was growing up they were the most awaited televised event along with the annual Jerry Lewis telethon. We knew the athletes and their coaches…it seemed like we knew more olympic athletes than professional athletes. Maybe that is because the Olympics were better televised than most other events, or maybe because professional sports were still more about the sport than the money…maybe it was young naiveté…regardless, we were all glued to the events and eagerly awaited each four year ritual.

As we have just experienced the impressive opening ceremony in London, and are well under way with an array of tantalizing Olympic events, I thought it would be good to look at some various Olympic quotes from an wide spectrum of sources….so relax and soak in some Olympic thoughts 🙂

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“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.”
– Pierre de Coubertin (primarily responsible for the revival of the Olympic Games in 1894)

“The six colours, including the white background, represent the colours of all the world’s flags … this is a true international emblem.”
– Pierre de Coubertin

“It is the inspiration of the Olympic Games that drives people not only to compete but to improve, and to bring lasting spiritual and moral benefits to the athlete and inspiration to those lucky enough to witness the athletic dedication.”
– Herb Elliott (Australian middle-distance Runner)

“If you don’t try to win you might as well hold the Olympics in somebody’s back yard.”
– Jesse Owens (American Athlete, 4 time Gold Medalist in Track and Field at the 1936 Olympic Games, 1913-1980)

“I wanted no part of politics. And I wasn’t in Berlin to compete against any one athlete. The purpose of the Olympics, anyway, was to do your best. As I’d learned long ago from Charles Riley, the only victory that counts is the one over yourself.” ~ Jesse Owens

“An Olympic medal is the greatest achievement and honor that can be received by an athlete. I would swap any World Title to have won gold at the Olympics.”  – Jeff Fenech (Australian boxer, 1984 Summer Olympics)

“For six years, I kept my five Olympic medals wrapped in a plastic bread bag beneath my bed.”  ~Mary Lou Retton

Most other competitions are individual achievements, but the Olympic Games is something that belongs to everybody.  ~Scott Hamilton

“If my dreams can happen to me, your dreams can happen to you. Champions are not made on the track or field; champions are made by the things you accomplish and the way you use your abilities in everyday life situations.”
– Bob Beamon, (world record holder for long jump from 1968 to 1991.)

“If you don’t have confidence, you’ll always find a way not to win.”
– Carl Lewis, (10-time Olympic medalists in Track and Field events.)

“I always believe I can beat the best, achieve the best. I always see myself in the top.” – Serena Williams, (two-time tennis Olympic gold medalist at women’s doubles.)

“The moment I think about past letdowns or future hypotheticals, I mentally put myself on shaky ground. If I clear my mind of chatter, I can succeed, just like I did in 2006.” – Julia Mancuso, (3-time Olympic medalist in skiing.) 

“Aristotle compiled the first known comprehensive list of all winners of the Olympic Games. Which means that quite probably he was sat in a bar with Plato, muttering ‘Go on then, give me any year you like and I’ll tell you who won the four-man bobsleigh.’ ”
Mark Steel (in The Independent (2006)

“Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.” Wilma Rudolph

“The Olympics remain the most compelling search for excellence that exists in sport, and maybe in life itself.” DawnFraser