Dear Faithful Frog Blog readers; (and you unfaithful ones too! Ha!) I've just finished reading and writing my way through Romans, and enjoyed the trip. Hope you found some interesting morsels along the way. I wanted to take this opportunity to inform you that I'll not be posting for a week or so. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for a 10 day Black Bear hunt with some great friends, in the mountains of So. Oregon. I'm looking forward to this break from ministry, and won't have access to a computer, so I hope you'll patiently wait for me to return and then resume our time together with the FB (That's Frog Blog, not Face Book - those rip off artists!) I'm also wondering if any of you might have a suggestion about a book of the Bible you'd like me to read/write about? I've been toying with jumping into the OT for a bit, but will wait till my return to decide. In the meantime, enjoy this very Spring-like weather, and God bless you all. Thanks for your reading, support, encouraging and challenging comments. I appreciate you and look forward to our time together in a few days. Kermit

May 11, 2010
Rom. 16:1-2 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me.

In this last chapter of Paul’s letter to the Roman church he mentions a significant number of folks who have been helpful to him while serving in various leadership roles throughout the church. But I don’t think it an editorial accident that this list is headed by a woman named Phoebe. These endearing and complimentary words about this woman, who is the deacon of a church, come from the lips/pen of the same man who declared in another place that women should remain silent in the church. (I Cor. 14:34). How can these be reconciled? Was Phoebe able to be a “silent” deacon in the church? Or was Paul speaking of a localized situation in Corinthians when he called for women to be silent, and to learn from their husbands? I think the later!
Paul gets a bad rap in my book. He is derided and often summarily dismissed as the ancient architect of Male Chauvinism. I think nothing could be further from the truth! In as much as Jesus elevated the status of women in his culture, Paul followed closely in his footsteps by electing, appointing, honoring and utilizing women to lead his churches throughout the ancient Middle East. He ends many of his writings with words of congratulations and commendations for the women who have and are leading the believers in various places. Why would he appoint women if they were to act as second class citizens and remain silent, relegated to teaching only children; and not adults in many churches still today? (And frankly, I’m not sure the UMC would exist today were it not for faithful United Methodist Women who have been the backbone of many UM churches!)
I grew up being taught and believing that only men were to be pastors. My first chapel experience in seminary caused a crisis of faith as I sat with 700 new freshmen students, 100 of whom were women…and most of whom had ‘calling stories’ far superior to mine! I was brought face to face with the reality that I had to figure out how to incorporate some new truth in my life – that God does indeed call women to be Pastors, and for the record, many of them are far superior to many of us men in their gifts, skills, and talents. I thank God that Paul understood that God’s call is not gender specific – God calls all of us; not all to be pastors, but all to be followers, and leaders

May 6, 2010
Rom. 15:5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.

What does living in complete harmony with each other look like? It seems that so much of the stress I deal with in my life is conflict between me and another, or between others in my circle of influence or under my care. Are we all just sinfully defiant and unwilling to live in this spirit of harmony, or is there some other meaning?
I’ve been meeting together with a group of friends as we try and “flesh out” what unity means in the body of Christ, but especially between three very different churches. It has been fun, but not always easy. The other day at one of our meetings, I asked; “What draws us together – why do you keep coming to these get togethers”? The most common answer was that we all fashion ourselves, and see each other as somewhat “on the edge” of our lives and ministry. We like to think of ourselves as “cutting edge”, and maybe we are, but more likely to me is the fact that this group is willing to lay aside our significant differences in order to focus with greater intention on our even more significant similarities and commonly shared beliefs and values. I don’t think what we are doing is necessarily revolutionary, but it is interesting. I wonder where we’ll end up?
On a more personal level, I want to know what more I can and should be doing to foster harmony within my own circle(s) of influence. Am I an advocate for harmony and unity, or am I an instigator of the opposites? Am I working to advance my own personal-preference agenda(s); or am I honestly following God’s will and leading? Am I allowing the anger, frustration, and resentment that lie within me to sabotage my relationships, especially with those I love the most, and those with whom I work most intimately?
Lord Jesus, I want to do the right things today to build unity and harmony with the folks I share life and ministry. I want to know your patience and encouragement, so I might exhibit those in myself, and share them with others.

May 5, 2010
Rom. 14:1 & 17-19 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong…For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

My first thought upon reading verse 1 was…”well, then what will we have to talk about?” Sad that for so many Christians, much of our intercourse with each other is fighting about stuff one or the other thinks is right or wrong…I guess we are both wrong! I find it a bit ironic Paul commands us not to argue about stuff that some deem right or wrong, then he fills the remainder of this chapter with discussion about eating certain foods, or not, drinking or not, and other controversial subjects. In the middle of the chapter he reveals the point behind the lesson: For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Lord, I’m tired of fighting with other believers about so much stuff that really doesn’t matter. How much of what we fight about really does? Really? Help me instead today, to focus on living a life of goodness, peace and joy. Help me see the goodness you have planted in others, help me not forget some has also been planted in me. Help me work hard to maintain peace in all my healthy relationships, and not worry or spend time fretting about the toxic ones. And help me find my joy in you so that I might spread your joy to others this day. May I be blessed with the honor of serving you by serving others today, and may my attitude be a reflection of yours as I do. I long for harmony in this church I serve, and others I know. It is so easy for all of us to become petty and selfish with YOUR church. We think it exists for us, but it doesn’t. We think it should meet our needs, fulfill our wants, conform to our preferences, and when it doesn’t; we tear each other down laying blame on one another, instead of building one another up. It is not my church, it is not really even our church…it is yours.

May 4, 2010
Rom. 13:13 Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see…

Sorry I’ve missed a few days; happy to be back. This verse struck me this morning. My dad was always fond of reminding us boys (not sure he was as worried about my sister), but he almost always reminded us as we went out the door for some late night event: “Nothing much good happens after midnight!” I think he was right! On a spiritual level I thought of that as I read this morning: because we belong to the day. Because of our salvation made possible by Jesus Christ, and our acceptance of that marvelous gift, we are children of the day, not children of the night.
Ever notice how much things seem worse in the night? Thunderstorms don’t seem so severe when they happen during the day, blizzards are not so bad during the day; but when the sun sets, things seem to get worse. Ever notice how problems of the day, seem intensified during the night? There is no secret why we are called Children of the LIGHT!
I not only want to remind myself today that I am a child of the day, but the second part of the verse also must inspire me. It does little good to live decent, personal, private, secret lives…we must also live decent lives for all to see! People are making a judgment about us by observing how we live…scarier yet…people are making a judgment about the God we say we love…by observing how we live! Unfortunately people are not very willing or able to separate Jesus from his followers…more unfortunate still, is that our less than faithful lives makes doing so a necessity! God help me to live as a child of the day, a child of Light, help me live a decent life (not pharisaically perfect) just decent!