Silence is golden...........duct tape is silver....okay maybe not the duct-tape thingy! We've all been to the movies (unless you have a or are a wife who wears denim jumpers ankle long, and your children wear blue pants with red shirts (guys) and gals red jumpers with red shirts and american flag ties/buttons-GOOOOOOOOO HOMESCHOOL!) and seen the preceding message concerning "SILENCE". Silence is golden! It's hard to notice all the dialogue in movies, the subleties of character movements and facial expressions, the amazing Special-affects- when people are talking. So the movie theatres have provide this much needed and even cute way of saying- SHUT UP! or will Shut you up with duct-tape. Not that they or anyone would actually do that- but being quiet, being silent IS.........GOLDEN! It benefits you to shut your mouth, it benefits everyone! This is true in life far more then in a movie (Movies come out on video and you can pause, rewind, rerent or just keep it for a month and return it for a $1.50 restocking fee! YEAH!). Far too often we miss out on the beauty of creation because our mouths blind us and deafen us to Authentic life all around. And as much as I love nature -I am not even limiting "Creation" to it. I mean the NEW CREATION of all peoples as well. There are so many (myself included....often) who need to learn the discipline of silence, or let me say it this way- THE ART OF SILENCE! So many of us sprint to speak, when we ought to be listening. It's pure arrogance and the wisdom that often flows from our mouths is (to be quite biblical) earthy, demonic, straight out of hell itself (James 3:15). The bible eloquently articulates "let every person be quick to hear, slooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow to speak, slow to anger..." (It's interesting here:that the author seems to be saying that often what makes us angry is OUR WORDS, at least in part, and not just or primarily the words of others???). The old adage is true- "God gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason!" This same author continues "not many should become teachers, ...for you know that teachers will be judged with greater strictness" (James 3:1). If you turn on the T.V. or radio these days its hard to NOT find someone speaking verbosely on how to fix someone/everyone's problems. There's Dr. Phil, Oprah, Frasier (maybe not frasier)- and there's all kinds of talk radio. It trickels into "everyday" life- where every fool wants to give out unsolicited counsel on things they know nothing of and certainly don't live. I know people who can't rub two nickels together b/c of shear laziness on the part of both in the couple- but will speed to give financial advice as you help them move out of their evicted trailer:)! Everyone has SOMETHING to say, or so we think. Words are awesome, they are euphamisms for life- (Like Ma is the sound a baby makes while nursing,...From "The gifts of the Jews" by Thomas Cahill"). Words are how we communicate. They are how we KNOW things. Even art is often best appreciated because we have language- and then choose not to use language to let the art speak for itself! How beautiful it is precisely b/c we have words. But, that doesn't mean the more we talk the better life is-and the smarter we are (or appear). How often have we heard someone talk who really has little, if anything, to say on a subject, but keeps talking in hopes to stumble across a point? And even more, how often are there those of us who frequently offer their insights on how to live life to the fullest and yet their own life is in disarray? "When words are flowing, transgression never lacks...." (Proverbs 10:19). "Do not be rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God (which would include his people since He lives IN THEM, AMONG THEM), for God is in the Heavenly Places, and you are on the earthly. Therefore let your words be few." (Ecclesiastes 5:2) - Talking much is as much a sign of intellect as it is a sign of sin! Which really sucks when you earn your livelyhood from talking........ And what makes this even worse, is how often we think we can juke this- put a move on God and his thoughts. Even if you say all the right things in a gathering, on a blog, in a tag line on facebook or your profile says- "I love Jesus"- we still have the other 98.79% of our life to use words wisely (As sooo many people I love and people I am trying diligently to love but their mouth makes difficult). And here is the crushing blow- "Out of the abundance of the heart- our mouths speak" (Mt 12:34). So saying the right thing some of the times makes us no more a wise person than wearing a tucked in Dress shirt with pleated khakis chest high makes one a pastor (ask me, it's a funny story). "Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless, is a wise-saying in the mouth of fools" (Proverbs 26:7) Even quoting scripture doesn't render one wise (although the word is still powerful). Perhaps we should all heed wise counsel> "Even a fool who keeps silent is counted as wise, when he/she closes their lips appears to be intelligent" (Proverbs 17:28) No doubt words can be powerfully good- "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body" (Proverbs 16:24). Words are uber-amazing! But.........................so is silence. For Creation, others, and especially GOD has much more to say than we do! Listening is an art. Silence is GOLDEN! "There is a RIVER (I think It's Jesus) whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High (with, in, among the Kingdom Community). God is in the midst of her (The Church), she shall not be moved........Come behold the works of the Lord ("beholding takes eyes, not mouths)......He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; .......BE STILL.....BE SILENT......STILL THE MIND TO THINKING WORDS (SOMETIMES) and LISTEN.....SHEMA>.....HEAR......... and KNOW THAT I (GOD) is GOD. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth (as Heaven invades and replaces)! (Psalm 46 portions) How beautiful are these words? How beautiful are these words! The Silence that Listens, Hears, embraces, comprehends the KNOWLEDGE of GOD (at least begins to) has something to say! In fact when we drink in the Beauty of God in His Creation/New Creation (Drink it in, it always goes down smooth!) we will fill up with Ecstatic jubilation that cannot be contained. We fill up with a joy of the Lord that MUST flow out of US. (Not a Happy Clappy, fake joy, but a real life joy that peaceably exist even in the midst of suckiness). Then we have something to say. I/We need to practice more silence, and less talk. Here the tension in this. I am in no way suggesting we don't talk at all-all the time. but rather we should take vows of silence periodically, even if for only portions of the awakened day, or silence concerning certain topics. Perhaps, if we all just learned to listen more- we'd be more in tune with the rest of THE NEW CREATION that is happening all around us. And in closing- It's humorously ironic that I would write words about silence....to me. i, we, would do well to learn from the virtuous women (Samantha in case you were wondering who she is:)): ".......the teaching of kindness is on her tongue" (Prv 31:26b) Peace- sc

God's Sterling Goodness- It's been a rough week emotionally for me. I am no hero, of that I assure you, but there are moments when I empathize in a very small way with Paul the Apostle. He said things like: When you (his church) are sick, suffering, hurting- I am sick, I suffer, I hurt. And another time he said that on every side he is perplexed, crushed- attacked. I am not feeling sorry for myself- I understand it comes with the proverbial territory. This weeks has been a week of constant stream of bad news (not that there hasn't been good news, it just seems the bad is overwhelming the good). So here this morning, I sit at my desk (aka our dining room table) praying- praying for a close friend who needs huge changes in his life, praying for another friend who is getting ready for a major job shifting, another who is seeking God's wisdom for a huge decision, for a friend whose dad just underwent a triple bypass yesterday, for another new companion who has some sort of tumor in the brain-others who are struggling financially- and more and more- it's all weighing down on me this morning. I ask God to do his thing. God show us, show me- what is going on. Show me something- (I know this is a little Mella-dramatic) to remind me of your goodness. Remind me of what I desperately need to be reminded of- and just then- ......... my little bells comes over to me (Samantha was out w/ a couple of ladies)-up to this time she had been playing really quietly- and says - "Daddy, don't freak out" (a term she picked up from Hannah Montana). I picked her up and she hugged my neck as she said "I miiiiiiiiissed you daddy, i love you". May not be writing on the wall for others- but my heart sank- "oh Sam of little faith.....God IS good!" thanks my little, sweet, beautiful, Bella for teaching, reminding daddy of God's goodness.....and btw- you are not only the teacher, but the goodness today! Thank you Lord for being patient, loving, kind, gracious to me-the sinner. And help me to trust You more.

The Golden Age Yet to Come: Last night I watch "Remember the Titans" with my gang (Tori, Zach, and Luke). What a powerful story! The boys and I always enjoy an inspiring sports story that ultimately points to team, or better yet one of my favorite words- COMMUNITY! While watching this movie and the stirring epic of the war between the races in America, I kept thinking of statements made by Older Christians. Statements like, "Oh, the 50's, those were the good ole days. People just knew how to live right then. They respected the word". How awful that we would ever think to look back in glorious nostalgia of an era where an African American is told to leave an all white church. How in the "hell" can traditional "professing" Christians question the necessary changes to what the church is called to be when the past is a past of exclusion? The typical dispensational eschaton of the Modern church evokes fear upon America's youth that things are getting worse and worse. Of course that's an easy exegesis if you just use a few select verses such as "in the last days things will get very difficult...." 2 Tim 3:1, however the picture in this passage is not one of despair, but rather HOPE! No, things are getting worse. Things are actually getting better! To whatever degree sin is loved, The Kingdom is Pushing through in the world. Christ Glory cannot be hidden and His people will prevail. And not through wars and hatred and fear........holy crap not through fear (a popular tactic by Angry Christians of the political right). Fear is (Not talking about FEAR OF THE LORD for those jackasses who wish to quote that verse over and over. I am sure HIS FEAR looks way less like Terror, whether extreme Islam or "conservative" Christianity beating down doors warning people of a "hell to come" while ignoring the hell that is) not the Way of Jesus. His way is a way of peace to those who will receive it. His peace that appears a dividing sword to some, is not in the disposition or appearance of his demeanor, but in their rejection of it b/c of they hell that ensnares them. I love movies that remind me of the "demons' of the American Past. I am thankful my kids don't live in those days. I am thankful they can judge a man by the merits of his character rather than the color of his skin. Tori, Zach, Luke, Hosanna, and Bells= better days are ahead! The Golden age of the fulfillment of the Kingdom of Heaven is rapidly removing the hateful, divisive kingdoms of this world. Keep the faith- love all peoples, and live to be An Afflux of Authentic life~!