Jumbo Shrimp and Other Oxymorons

In the interest of full disclosure, this has nothing to do with seafood. 

But wait!! 

Please don’t go just yet.  This is about something far more important than seafood.

A quick definition – oxymoron: a statement or phrase that seems to be self-contradictory.  Example: jumbo shrimp.  Jumbo: something very large.  Shrimp: something very small.

Here’s another example – good excuse.  Good: virtuous; righteous; honorable.  Excuse: an explanation offered for choosing not to live up to one’s obligation or promise.

(Okay, I’m taking some slight linguistic liberty here, but I think you’ll see why.)

Can there really be a virtuous, righteous or honorable explanation for choosing not to live up to an obligation or promise?  I’m not talking about circumstances where there is no choice in the matter.  I know I promised to be there, but I was receiving treatment in the emergency room at that time. 

No.  I’m talking about something like this: I know I promised to be there, but… but…, well, I just had something else come up that I wanted to do.  Not virtuous.  Not righteous.  Not honorable.  Rather than be so brutally honest, however, most of us would make up a little white lie.

Consider this example.  Different traditions use different words, but when one becomes a member of a Christian church (Methodist, Baptist, etc.), one promises certain things.  For example, there is the promise to support the ministries of the church with your time, talents and gifts. 

In my understanding, that is a promise to attend Sunday worship as the “rule” rather than the “exception,” unless physically unable to do so, of course.  However, “physically unable to do so” does not include waking up on Sunday morning and deciding to go on a picnic instead of going to church! 

 A person’s decision to neglect his/her promises to his/her church is frustrating and discouraging to all those who depend on them to keep those promises.  However, frustration and discouragement on the part of fellow church members are not the primary problems here.  Far from it!

When you made those promises at church, you did not make them to the church!  You made those promises to the head of the church!  Jesus Christ!  The loyalty and dedication you professed, was loyalty and dedication to our Lord Jesus Christ, not to any person or group or institution!  When you break these promises, you are not breaking your promises to the pastor or to your fellow church members; you are breaking your promises to Jesus!

I don’t know about you, but I want to do my very best never to break my promises to Jesus!

(By the way, I am aware that the proper plural for oxymoron is oxymora, but it just sounds funny.)

Until next time,

Pastor Mark

Hee-Haw! (or something like that)

The Israelites are wandering around in the desert after their exodus from Egypt.  There are a lot of folks!  They covered the land for miles around.  Their next-door neighbors, Moab and Midian, were afraid of them because of their number.  They decided to do something to calm their fears.

Enter Balaam.  Balaam is the local seer, or prophet.  You might think of him as a sort of psychic.  He had a good reputation: whomever he blessed was blessed and whomever he cursed was cursed.  So, Balak, the king of Moab, decided to try and buy a favorable "reading" from Balaam.

Balak was ready to pay a handsome price to get Balaam to pronounce a curse on the Israelites so that the way would be paved for Balak to defeat them and drive them away.  Balak sent mid-level officials to Balaam with his proposal.

As it turns out, Balaam didn't just make up stuff or make pronouncements according to the highest bidder; he consulted God.  God told Balaam not to go along with Balak's plan, and Balaam sent word back.  Balak figured Balaam just wanted more money, so he sent high-level officials with a follow-up proposal.  This time, Balaam figured he'd have to tell Balak the bad news personally.

A funny thing happened on the way to Moab.  God's messenger, commonly referred to as angels, stood in Balaam's way to stop him, but Balaam couldn't see the angel.  His donkey, however, DID see the angel, and veered off the road.  Balaam, not understanding what was going on, beat the donkey to steer him back to the road.  A second time, the angel stood in the way.  Balaam couldn't see, but the donkey could and leaned against a wall, mashing Balaam's foot.  Another beating.  Finally, the angel positioned himself in a place that could not be circumvented.  Yet again, Balaam couldn't see, but the donkey could and just flopped down on the road.

After another beating, the donkey had had enough!  He spoke: "What have I done to you that you've beaten me these three times?"  Curiously, Balaam didn't seem surprised that his donkey had just talked.  Well, they had a discussion wherein the donkey explained about the angel - did I mention that the angel held a sword and seemed prepared to destroy Balaam?  Balaam apologized to the angel, but not to the donkey - go figure.

Anyway, when was the last time you were going down the wrong road and God put obstacles in your way that you didn't recognize as coming from God?  When has an inconvenient and frustrating detour saved your life?  Could God be speaking to you in unconventional ways, but you haven't figured it out yet? 

Pray for God to open your eyes and ears to see and hear Him clearly.

Until next time...
Be Blessed
Pastor Mark