Jonah - Running from God

Jonah was determined to run away from God. This is actually a dumb idea. I mean, where are you supposed to go. He had been a prophet of God, so he really should have known better. I guess we all act dumb when we are afraid or angry and I think that Jonah was both of those.

He boarded a ship heading to the other end of the world from where God had instructed him to go. Sometimes we can claim that we do not know what God wants of us. I am not sure that this is always really true. Sometime we really do know, but we don't like the plan. I believe that this was Jonah's situation.

Jonah was told by God to travel to Ninevah to tell the people there that His judgment was about to fall on them. First, I think he really hated the Ninevites and second, it would seem pretty scary to go to your greatest enemy (a very powerful enemy) and proclaim to them that they had blown it and God was going to wipe them out. So, he really didn't want to go to Ninevah. Not one bit.

As Jonah got on a boat heading the opposite direction, he had to kind of think to himself, "is this really a good idea?" When the boat was far away from the land, a terrible storm swelled up and the ship was being tossed back and forth. All the sailors and the crew were freaking out and where was Jonah? He was downstairs in the boat asleep! Wow!

When they woke him up and asked him why all this was happening, he told them that the storm was his fault. He told the sailors that their only hope was to throw him in the water. They must have been good guys, because they didn't want to kill their shipmate and they rowed for shore with all their might. It was pointless. They were not going to survive.They prayed that God would not blame them for taking the life of Jonah. These pagan sailors were now praying to YHWH, to Jonah's God, the God that Jonah was seeking to escape. They finally agreed to throw Jonah in the water. All of a sudden, the water was calm. They were convinced. Even in his disobedience, Jonah had been used by God to bring these men to Him.

Jonah was determined not to give in and not to return to obedience. He was so determined that he essentially told them to kill him. Couldn't he have just asked them to turn the ship around so that he could obey God? Would the story have gone differently? But, he chose ultimate defiance. Even still, God appointed a big fish to come and swallow him. Jonah was saved from drowning by a fish.

God saved Jonah, but left him in that fish to think it all over. He wasn't done with Jonah just yet.

Worship

Do you worship?

Really..... Do you worship?

Have you thought about what it is to worship when you enter the sanctuary on a Sunday morning?

Does it mean listening to a sermon? Does it mean singing real loud in church? Does it mean not texting your friends during the boring parts?

There are lots of things we do during the service, but . . . what is the point? Why are you there and what is your job? If someone were to ask you, "So, how did you do worshipping today?" What would you look at as a measure of doing better or worse?

Worship doesn't happen as much in what we do or say as it occurs deep in our heart. When you truly worship, then you will encounter God and  that will leave you changed.

See you soon,

bill

Doing good in front of others

Looking at pictures and videos of Haiti and the destruction. Lots of singers appealing for funds and help. I have to wonder how much this big show costs. We should help our neighbor, it seems odd to do that with a variety show. Good to do something though....

A beginning

So. Why are you here? And why do you care what I have to say?

We listen to celebrities, newscasters, sports figures, and occasionally we listen to teachers and religious leaders.

We also listen to each other. We ask others about restaurants to choose. We ask opinions about doctors, about a place to get our car repaired, and we even ask opinions about movies we are considering. Who do we ask? We ask the guy next to us at work. We ask family. We even ask strangers. We ask regular folks, like us.

Perhaps that is what a blog should be about.

Part of the problem is. We don't agree. We don't agree a lot! And lately, we have been come very disagreeable about the way we don't agree.

We all want someone to listen to us. We want our words to matter. So, maybe. This is me. Takiing my turn.