February 2023 - Daily Faith Walk

Fly Eagles Fly

By Galen Harrill / February 15, 2023 March 8, 2023

Fly Eagles Fly

I think it will be immediately clear I’m not getting too deep today. Church on Sunday was a sea of green: Eagle’s green. I’ve never seen a sports jacket worn over a football team tee, but it worked. Now, not everyone was in green. I wasn’t. It just never crossed my mind. And we do have two KC fans who came resplendent in red. We had a few more sports allusions throughout worship than usual (hey, if Paul can do it, we can too!), and afterwards we had a fellowship meal where everyone spoke to everyone else, in keeping with our allegiance to the Prince of Peace. We joked about it but of course it goes much deeper than that – we have sincere love for one another, heart to heart. Over goulash, spaghetti, poppyseed chicken, pineapple upside down cake, peanut butter pie etc., there were a lot of conversations about who was going to win and why, along with a lot of conversations trying their best steer clear of the topic, mainly in vain. In the end, the Eagles lost.

“Well, this doesn’t have much to do with my spiritual life.” No, it doesn’t – unless you see every moment as a blessing and every interaction with our brothers and sisters in Christ as a gift from God. We share our incandescent joys and those that just make us chuckle. We cry with one another, sometimes from deep pain, and sometimes because we’re just tired that week. We grapple with great spiritual truths and conundrums. We plan for quarterly classes and discuss how to grow the church. And we talk about car trouble, sprained ankles, the price of eggs, and sports. But none of those things are our binding agents. Rather, it is God working who knits us together from all our sometimes wildly disparate threads to make us one….

As for the birds, there’s always next year….

Come Walk with Us!

Snow Geese and Job

By Galen Harrill / February 8, 2023 February 8, 2023

Snow Geese and Job

Despite Punxsutawney Phil’s shadowy prognostications, the snow geese are making their way back to the tundra from parts south. We’re on a major snow goose route and have been watching them fly overhead for about two weeks now. They cover barren farmland fields making them winter-like in white, which is fine since we haven’t had much snow this season. With their higher pitched honk than their Canadian cousins and their relentless drive to move on (unlike their Canadian cousins), they are pleasant reminders of the moving of the seasons at God’s bidding.

We think we know why they start to migrate. We think it has something to do with the lengthening and shortening of days. We also think their brains have some sort of built-in magnetic-like compass to help them differentiate north from south. We think all this because we’ve done tons of research; we may just be right. But it doesn’t lessen the wonder for me. And every time I see them, my thoughts turn to Job chapters 38-41.

These chapters really are straight out of another dimension. Job has suffered for no real reason. (I’ve talked about Satan and reason here.) He’s done some complaining. He’s asked for answers. He’s crossed some lines. Instead of answering, God comes back at Job with an avalanche of His own questions Job can’t begin to answer. The point? We can’t even scratch the surface of how God has everything worked out.

But it’s the questions that fascinate me, and ultimately, they fascinated Job. Consider his answer – “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know (Job 42:3)…”

I really don’t think God intends to shut us up. “…too wonderful for me to know….” You see, I think the wonder is key. I think to delve and discover and try to understand life, creation, humanity, sin, salvation, the universe, quarks… all that stuff… and ultimately God Himself… well… God loves to see us do it. And if we can’t understand it, to finally be awestruck by it. “O the depths and the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgements and His ways beyond tracing out (Romans 11:33)!

In the end, Job is blessed doubly. In maybe not such a small way I share in that blessing every time I see the snow geese making their way back home….

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Rest and Rejuvenation

By Galen Harrill / February 4, 2023 February 8, 2023

“Rest and Rejuvenation” is a sermon presented on February 4, 2023. We explore the need for rest and some biblical foundations for rest. The outline follows the video.

Rest and Rejuvenation

Our problem

We’re not sure it’s okay
- We’ll Work Till Jesus Comes – Elizabeth Mills – possible she did not write the chorus.
- Early to bed…. Benjamin Franklin

We don’t understand what it is….

Sluggard – 14 times in Proverbs; a couple of my favorites – 10:26; 26:14-16
Make the most of every opportunity – Ephesians 5:15-16
Sabbath rest is promised in Heaven; can we rest now? – Hebrews 4

What is the Biblical perspective?

Exodus 16:29; 20:8-10
Matthew 11:28-29
Mark 4:35-39
Mark 2:27

Purpose:

Rest – Mark 6:31 – even when there is good work to do.
Refresh – Exodus 23:12; II Samuel 16:14
Remind – Psalm 121 – God is in control.

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Frustrate or Facilitate?

By Galen Harrill / February 1, 2023 February 8, 2023

Frustrate or Facilitate?

When I was in college, a Muppets-based breakfast cereal came out called “Croonchy Stars,” inspired by the Swedish Chef. The box was hilarious. Among the many ridiculous things written was a contest to find out how many times you could find the word “rutabaga” on the box. You were to send your answers in for some kind of prize, I think. The instructions, however, made it clear that the word did not count in the actual instructions for the contest given on said box. You had to find it elsewhere. Ah, there it was, in the lines, “This is a perfect rutabaga you see, but it doesn’t count when it is in poetry.” Scratch that. It also had “rutaba – almost.” There was one inside the box – no go, that was not on the box – crazy prepositions. Even thinking about it right now after all these years I’m laughing, and I’m afraid my wife is going to ask me why!

What is not funny is when you find yourself in some type of situation that is more serious than breakfast cereal with real barriers. It’s exasperating when the goal is clear but the way is blocked. I consider these “bricks without straw” situations, like when Pharaoh told the Israelites they had too much time on their hands and were thus forced to make the same daily quota of bricks without the benefit of the previously supplied straw. They had to get it themselves. Jesus Himself excoriated the pharisees for shutting the doors of heaven in people’s faces, not entering themselves and not allowing others to enter.

Obviously, some things carry more weight than others – but while I’m here pondering these things, I may as well ask – how easy do I make it for people to reach the things that are truly necessary for human flourishing? Do I frustrate or facilitate? I don’t mean ensuring everyone gets what they want – rather that I do everything possible to help others thrive in God’s goodness, taking joy in theirs. Far be it from me to stand in the way of that!