Say Something

Building One Another - Vol 12 No 26

Dear Friend,

In the “theater mentality” of our day, we attend movies, sporting events, and other forms of entertainment, expecting only to experience something from the event. We speak to our close friends and pay no attention to other people though perhaps offering a brief nod.

Consider the guests who will attend a worship service you attend.  It’s an odd and lonely feeling to walk in to a church building for the first time while surrounded by a group of total strangers.

Yet guests come because they are accompanying members of their families or good friends. Other guests come out of some inner urge inspired by the God who loves them. 

For whatever reason they come, their presence is your opportunity to offer a warm welcome.

Have the grace and courage to say something to those who sit near you, who walk beside you.

Consider this:

When a woman approached Jesus sitting by a well, he spoke to her (John 4).

When Philip saw the Ethiopian in a chariot, he ran over to speak to him (Acts 8).

When Paul met some women who were praying by a river, he spoke to them (Acts 16)

When you attend a worship service, put on a “ministry mentality” and allow our Lord to encourage other people’s hearts through you, knowing He will encourage your heart as well.

Be alert to the people God places in your life -- especially this week – speak to them – say something!

On behalf of our Lord, be a host and welcome those who find their way into worship services as those venturing into unknown territory. All you have to say is, “Welcome, I am glad you are here,” and take it from there.

With joy - E. Stanley OttCopyright 2013 E. Stanley Ott

The Lingering Meal

Building One Another -  Vol 12 No 25

Dear Friend, 

Do you eat your meals rapidly or do you take your time? Mealtime today is often something we rush through, an interruption between Activity A and Activity B.  For Jesus, mealtime was an Activity A all by itself. Jesus often ate with his disciples and with many others.

“Here a dinner [deipnon] was given in Jesus' honor.  Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.” John 12:2*

The Greek word deipnon is translated feast, banquet, supper, dinner.  Years ago I remember reading someone translate deipnon as “the lingering meal.”  It’s the opposite of “fast food!”

The deipnon was the main meal of the day and not just inserted between activities. It meant three things:  food, conversation, and lingering – and the food was secondary.  The primary function of the deipnon was to talk – to be "with" one another - to speak of what was happening in your lives and in the world around you.  

Furthermore, when we eat with fellow believers, our Lord joins us, "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."  Matthew 18:20

There are few more effective and delightful ways to grow relationships and to build people than to enjoy a deipnon, a lingering meal with them. When you eat, slow down and linger:                with anyone who lives in your home on a daily basis.                                with those who are already friends of your heart.                                                with those whom you would like to grow deeper in friendship.

One day you will share in the most wonderful lingering meal of them all: “Then the angel said to me, 'Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' ' And he added, 'These are the true words of God.'" Revelation 19:9

With joy - E. Stanley OttCopyright 2013 E. Stanley Ott*Scripture from the NIV

Anointed Ones

Building One Another - Vol 12 No 24

Dear Friend,

A common practice we discover in the Bible is that of anointing. The physical act of anointing is to touch, smear, or pour oil or some other substance on a person. The prophet Samuel anointed David with oil to be king. I Samuel 16:13 Mary anointed Jesus with costly perfume. John 12:3

The word Christ as in Jesus Christ actually means “anointed.” Jesus is the Anointed One. He was baptized by John the Baptist, an anointing. The Holy Spirit settled upon Jesus as a dove, an anointing. Mary poured oil on his feet, an anointing. Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.”* Luke 4:18  

Here is a wonderful thought. Jesus, the Anointed One, anoints you! “But you have been anointed by the Holy One.” 1 John 2:20  “But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us.” 2 Corinthians 1:21 We see this clearly in the act of baptism, the water as the visible expression of the anointing presence of the Holy Spirit.

Three words help me remember the significance of anointing:  sign, seal, and sending.

A sign. As a sign an anointing is the visible expression of an invisible reality of love. When I kiss my grandchildren it is a sign of my love, a visible expression of my love. Through the anointing of your baptism, your Lord is saying to you, this is a sign that I love you. 

A seal. As a seal an anointing is a mark of belonging, of ownership. When you sign a legal document a person called a notary public puts a seal on the document to verify that the signature belongs to you. When you are baptized it is a sign that you are God’s beloved and it is also a seal marking you with the Holy Spirit as belonging to God.

A sending. The prophet Samuel anointed David with oil to be king and the Spirit of God came mightily on David. God had a mission in mind for David and God has a mission in mind for you in the power of the Spirit! Our Lord has shaped you for loving service and given his Spirit to sustain you.

In your anointing our Lord is saying, “By this sign I tell you I love you, by this seal I mark you as my own, and by this sending with the Spirit I have work for you to do!"

With joy - E. Stanley Ott
Copyright 2013 E. Stanley Ott
*Scripture from the NRSV

Quiet Time

Building One Another - Vol 12 No 23

Dear Friend,

As we launch into a new fall season it's time to ask ourselves, do we practice a Rule of Life that puts first things first?

Devotional writer E. Stanley Jones once told of being in the Himalayan Mountains. “One morning I arose at three o’clock, walked to a mountain peak in The Himalaya to see the sun rise on the most glorious panorama, I suppose, in the world. There as the day began to dawn, we saw arise before our enraptured gaze, within a complete semicircle, twenty peaks, each above twenty thousand feet in height, snow-capped with virgin snow. For half an hour the curtain was lifted and we inwardly worshipped. Then the mists began to fill the valleys between, and the view was gone. Gone? Forever laid up in our green and grateful memories. It was ours forever.

“That is what the Quiet Time does for you. You get up earlier before the mists of worldly happenings close your view of God… After the mists close in, the vision [of God] is there within. You live in two worlds at once. You are a two-dimensional person, drawing sustenance from a world around you to keep you going physically, and then drawing sustenance for God to keep you going spiritually, mentally, physically—totally.”[1]  

When we spend regular alone time with our Lord through prayer and Bible reading we enjoy the wonder of the God who loves us and we worship. Then we go about our day. As the mists of activity arise and demand our attention, seeming to obscure our view of God, we carry the memory of our meeting with God throughout the day. 

Decide when you will be with your Lord on a regular basis. First things first!

With joy - E. Stanley Ott
Copyright 2013 E. Stanley Ott

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[1] E. Stanley Jones, How to be a Transformed Person, (Nashville, TN: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1951), p. 275.

Chasing Donkeys

Building One Another - Vol 12 No 22

Dear Friend,

There is a fascinating story in the Old Testament. A man’s donkeys wander off and he sends his son and another young man to find them. The donkeys wander this way and that and the young men nearly give up. The young man says, “There is a man of God in this town; he is a man held in honor. Whatever he says always comes true. I have some money to pay him.”

Meanwhile, the Lord spoke to Samuel the prophet and said, “I am sending you the future king of Israel.” See I Samuel 9.

I was reading that story one morning and found it fascinating to realize that what from a human perspective were some rambling donkeys and wandering boys was from God’s perspective the formal “sending” of the future king of Israel!

This speaks to me. We do our best to make wise decisions in life with the “mind of Christ" (I Corinthians 2:16) and seek to discern the will of God as we work our way through the many confusing situations in life.

We do that knowing our Lord always has his loving steering hand involved in where we are and what we are to be about.  If God can do it with rambling donkeys and wandering boys he can do it with you! 

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28*

I find that rather freeing. Make the best decisions you can while trusting in the wisdom of wise people and of scripture. Know that regardless of what you decide to do that the Lord who loves you will never leave you, will always guide, uphold, and sustain you. Always!

With joy - E. Stanley OttCopyright 2013 E. Stanley Ott*Scripture from the NRSV

The Mess

Building One Another - Vol. 12, No.21
Dear Friend, On July 26th The Washington Post carried a fascinating article about baseball star Darryl Strawberry. He tells of his descent into drug and alcohol addiction and the change in his life after turning to Jesus. Darryl concludes by saying, “Here I am, a baseball superstar, falling into the pits, having everybody write you off and then having God say, ‘I’m going to use your mess for a message.’ How beautiful is that?” Our Lord will use your mess for a message too! We do live messy lives. One of the great realities of our walk with Jesus is that he walks with us in our mess and through our mess! Jesus will actually work through the mess in your life in ways that reveal God’s love, presence, and power. “But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7* I spoke with a woman today who is having difficulty landing a job. She told me her friends don’t understand how she maintains a hopeful spirit through disappointment after disappointment. It was obvious to me. She absolutely trusts in the Lord who loves her to see her through what she is going through. “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).
With joy - E. Stanley Ott Copyright 2013 E. Stanley Ott *Scripture from the NRSV
To view archived issues and to subscribe: www.buildingoneanother.org

Peace

Building One Another - Vol. 12, No.17
Dear Friend, “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 12:18* I have been musing recently over a funeral I conducted for someone years ago. I don’t recall who it was or whether it was a man or a woman. What I do remember is standing in the front of a tiny chapel with four or five family members in the front pew on one side and four or five more sitting in the front pew of the other side. It seemed normal to me – people wanting to sit near the front while I talked about their loved one and spoke about the resurrection of Jesus and the real hope of resurrection offered to anyone who embraces and follows Jesus by faith. It was only after the service as people were milling around and getting ready to leave that one of the family members pulled me aside and said, “You may have noticed we sat on two sides of the chapel. There has been a bitter split in our family for many years and while they were willing to attend the memorial service for a family member they are not willing to associate with each other nor speak to each other!” How very sad. The apostle Paul was very clear when he instructed us to be at peace, “so far as it depends on you.” Indeed family members at times say or do things that are incredibly hurtful. There is no denying the depth of the pain and rupture of relationship that may engender. At the same time, our Lord, who died on behalf of we who constantly behave in ways that hurt people and offend God, leaves us no wiggle room. “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15 So reconciliation may not be possible – yet forgiveness on your part is possible – and in so far as it is possible, do be at peace with all people.
With joy - E. Stanley Ott Copyright 2013 E. Stanley Ott *Scripture from the NRSV
To view archived issues and to subscribe: www.buildingoneanother.org