Happy first birthday to our sweet little girl!

]]> http://tarkiewicz.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/one/feed/ 2 Tark card1 http://tarkiewicz.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/smile-3/ http://tarkiewicz.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/smile-3/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:50:16 +0000 Kris http://tarkiewicz.wordpress.com/?p=1256 ]]>

From Genesis 33, “When I saw your face, it was the face of God smiling on me.”

Jacob had stolen his brothers birthright and blessing from his older brother Esau.  Now in chapter 33 Esau is coming to meet Jacob again after being estranged for a period of time.

In the words of scripture I see a fear rising over Jacob, for good reason as his brother approaches.  I love the words which disarm both brothers which are above.  Your face was like the face of God smiling on me.

How does your face communicate daily?  What messages do you get from others?  Our faces can be such weapons or great instruments of comfort.

I recall while I was in high school I was riding through the parking lot of McDonalds with my youth pastor.  There was a teen taking the garbage out.  Jeff looked at him and gave him a huge smile and wave.  I asked, “Do you know him?”  He said, “No, but what if he was having a bad day?   What if he was contemplating suicide?“  Being a punk teenager I replied to Jeff, “Well, I’m sure your face did not help.”

The truth is, I’m sure it did help.  I recall this as often as I can remembering the power of a smile.  Through a smile, the power of God can mightily work.  It’s a simple expression with powerful results.

She’s almost a year old!  We can’t believe it.

This morning I read in the heart of Genesis.  As I read the stories of Abraham, Issac, Jacob and their families I see such significance in names.  Whether their children, monuments, locations, etc, they name them names with deep meaning of what was happening at that time in their life.  These are a living history of their choices and also God’s hand in their life.

Names are important.  I carry two names, one my family name and also as a follower of Christ, I carry the name of Jesus.  I have been entrusted with both of these names and I desire to do all I can to bring honor to the ones who entrusted me with them.

This week we saw monuments all over the news with the Inauguration of President Obama.  We saw the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial often in the shots during the day.  These were set up to remember, to be a point of reference, to cause people to reflect on what has been done, often a sacrifice which has been made.

Reading a few chapters this morning in Genesis I have noted Abraham stopping, reflecting on a great thing God has done, and then leaving a monument in the spot.

This is a great and powerful action in the walk of a follower of God.  At the end of chapter 21 it says, “Abraham planted a tamarisk tree is Beersheba and worshiped God there, praying to the Eternal God.”

Abraham does not worship the monument or tree but rather God.  These are a reminder of what happened and how God was faithful.

A monument in your life might be an answered prayer for a child, spouse, or friendship.  It might be an experience you at in a church, cathedral, or stadium, convention center, or concert hall.  It might be a moment in your life where “it just clicked” or seasons in your life.  These are the moments where without a shadow of a doubt God intervened and did something great and transformational.

Some of mine were in a hospital room, a camp, a parking lot outside a basketball stadium, Jo Johnson project, the front office of a pro football team, and often at home.

We all need these monuments to look back upon, especially when we face dark and trying days.  In this dark moments they help us to not run away or give up but rather to continue to see Him.

From Genesis 12, “I’ll make you a great nation and bless you.  I’ll make you famous; you’ll be a blessing.  I’ll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I’ll curse.  All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you.”

This is the hinge-post of all things mission of the missional discussion.  God promises to make Abram into a great nation, to bless him in order for Abram to be a blessing to ALL the families of the Earth.

Like at the tower of Babel, there is an outward sending, an outward movement and momentum.  The blessing is not just for Abram and his people but for all the people of the earth.  That’s right even that person you cannot stand.

Imagine hearing these words in Abram’s time.  How in the world could he be a blessing to ALL the families?  Today as we living in an increasingly globalized society, the world is not far from us.  This missional mandate is real and radical and accessible for each and every person who calls them self a follower of Jesus.

From Genesis 11, “From there God scattered them all over the world.“

In this passage the people are gathering and building a city.  They want to gather much of humanity into one place and have the city be well known. God intervenes and confuses their language and sends them out into the world.  An interesting act of God.

Reading this passage I cannot help but see the church.  For many years the model of church has been attractional much like Babel.  Come to us,  look at our buildings, our programs, what we are “doing” for God.  Build and build and build.  I often hear this in our own ministry, we need to build to have more people come.

There is an interesting shift I read about and witness daily.  No longer are we living in an age of Christendom, an age where there is Biblical knowledge, a time where all kids grow up and eventually come back to church or people will come to church and find all their answers.

We are living in a post-modern, post-Christendom time where attractional ministry is not as effective as it used to be.  Does it still work.  Yes.  As well as it used to?  Not really.  This is an important point where each church must chose to “stay the course” or chose to adapt to the world around it.  When I say adapt, hear me very clearly, Jesus did not come with a method but rather a message.

There is a scattering God does each and every time after the people gather.  We may gather on Sunday morning but we scatter back to our neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, etc.

The scattering is part of incarnational ministry.  This is the going and being the church, being Jesus to a broken and hurting world.

Many of the people you interact with everyday will never step foot in your church BUT they do interact with you each day.  This is ministry, this is the church in action, this is incarnational ministry.  We adapt the method but always carry the message.

Christmas at Josh and Catie’s

From Genesis 9, “You’re responsible for them.”

Here God tells Noah and his family to fill the earth and then tells him to take care of all wildlife.  He says feel free to eat them, but take care of them.  Interesting.

As many of you have read and know, this “green” concept is deeply Biblical.  Creation care should be at the forefront of the mind of a follower of Jesus.  It’s irresponsible and disrespectful toward God when we use and abuse the earth.

A few years ago I had a student who embraced a worldview much like many people, both students and adults.  He would throw garbage anywhere he went.  He argued it did not matter because God was going to destroy this planet anyways (if you agree with this read Revelation 21:1-2 and Steven Bouma-Prediger).

We are responsible.  We are called to care.

From Genesis 8, “I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age.”

Here God is promising Noah and his family he will never again flood the earth and kill off all living things.  God verbalizes something he knows and knew from the very beginning.

The book of Genesis begins and creation was “good”, the creation of man and woman was “very good”.  We must start here…the foundation, the creation of humankind was goodness, wholeness.  When sin entered, it broke it all up.  As part of the curse God spoke over Adam and Eve, sin would be a part of humanity for all time.

Therefore we are all born with a sin nature.  This is why Aubrey knows how to say no and fight for her way when she has never had this modeled or taught to her.  It blew our mind the first few times she shook her head “no” to us.

Since we are born with this sin nature, since God created humanity as good and whole, this point us to Jesus which is the only way for wholeness to return to us.  When we turn to Jesus, it does not mean we not longer sin or are perfect…that’s just stupid, but there is a reconnection to the Father which was lost back in the garden.