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10 Things for This Years Graduating Class

May 12, 2010 by bjcorbin

As a person whose only graduation occurred more than a quarter century ago, I caught myself pondering what I might share with the young people who are taking this significant step in their journey.  What follows are some things that came to mind.

1.      Life is not a ride, it’s a journey.  A ride is simply being carried along to wherever the vehicle happens to be going, while a journey has an ultimate destination, which requires some navigation and effort to complete.  Unless we purpose in our heart to be someone or do something, we are likely to live life like a pinball; propelled by gravity and bouncing from one obstacle to another.  Anything worthwhile in life will require some investment on our part; those who are unwilling to make such an investment will generally be pushed along by the winds of circumstance to some uncertain end.

2.      Planting apple seeds won’t get you an orange tree.  Just as dependable as the law of gravity is the concept that we will reap (i.e. harvest) what we sow (i.e. plant).  Though this phrase is immediately recognizable to most people, there are few who actually live as though it were true.  Our human nature will often cause us to be unforgiving with other people, while expecting generosity in return; to be deceptive about our motivations, while expecting others to deal with us honestly and to be selfish about our desires, while expecting others to be considerate of us.  We must always remain conscious of the fact that the cup we use to dispense blessing, is the cup that we will eventually drink our blessings from.

3.      What other people believe about you isn’t as important as what you believe about yourself.  Only the things which we genuinely believe have the ability to impact how we live.  Therefore the only words (positive or negative) that have the power to move us are those which we accept as truth.  If a man concludes that he is a failure, no amount of praise or encouragement can bring him to victory; and if a man concludes that he is an over-comer, no amount of criticism can hold him back.  While we are generally powerless to keep others from speaking about us, we possess the ultimate responsibility for what we are willing to accept as truth.

4.      The bad guys don’t necessarily wear black, nor do the good guys necessarily wear white.  It is very convenient to categorize people and things as either good or evil, but very few things (& even fewer people) actually fit well in either category.  Because of our fallen nature, every man possesses the potential to do what is evil; and yet because we were created in the image of God, we also come with a capacity for righteousness.  While few people are likely to pursue something that is clearly evil, all of us are susceptible to fall to those things which we have mistakenly classified as being “good”. 

5.      The pursuit of happiness is like chasing your shadow.  Before we were in our mothers’ womb, God knew us and He created each one us to fulfill a unique place in His creation.  If we never come to an understanding of what that place is, we spend our lives feeling empty and as though we never really fit in.  Joy, contentment, fulfillment, happiness… cannot be the object of our pursuit; but undoubtedly they are the things that will accompany us if we pursue God and His purposes in our lives.

6.      American Idolatry.  In America we love the image of the rugged individualist, the “self-made” man and even the rebel; but because we were made to worship God, we will undoubtedly worship something and because we were made to be followers of God, we will undoubtedly follow something.  Whatever we chose to worship and follow in this life will certainly be our provision in the next. 

7.      Don’t eat everything that is put in front of you.  In the first chapter of the book of Daniel we see the Israelites being brought into exile, as the King of Babylon looks for the best & the brightest amongst their young people.  His plan was to indoctrinate them into the Babylonian (i.e. pagan) way of thinking; and upon finding them he fed them from his very own table, which undoubtedly represented the best of what was available.  We also learn that these young men were not willing to partake of everything that was set before them, which seems to have been a significant part of their preparation for the stunning victories that they would later experience (i.e. in the lions den & in the fiery furnace).  Just as it was then, there is now a prince, who is seeking the best & the brightest young minds amongst God’s chosen people, so that he might indoctrinate them in the ways of this fallen world.  Like their brothers from long ago, these young people must also be discerning of what is being offered and what they should digest.    

8.      Don’t chase the “American Dream”.  The “American Dream” began simply as a promise of opportunity and freedom; but as that promise was realized, the dream evolved into something much less virtuous.  Pursuit of this dream drives us to be more focused on what is seen (i.e. temporary) than on what is unseen (i.e. eternal); to prioritize our desires above the needs of others; and to derive our sense of worth & security from things instead of from our Creator.  Like any dream, we are all destined to one day wake up and in that day we will face the ultimate reality, which is eternity.

9.      Expect to meet resistance.  We live in a culture that is obsessed with winning and that tends to portray the road to victory as a glorious parade; but the truth is that unless there is resistance, there is nothing to make us grow stronger.  If the Son of God (a man with perfect faith), learned obedience from the things He suffered, we can be sure that this will be a part of our journey as well.  As Children of God, we’ve been issued armor, given a sword and been called more than conquerors; undoubtedly the God who foreknew us was telling us what to expect.

10. You can always come home.  All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; undoubtedly this will be true in the years to come as well.  In God’s mercy He does not require perfection of us, but He does expect sincerity.  He is faithful to reward those who “diligently seek Him” and to work all things to the good of those who “love Him” and who are “called to His purpose”.  Remember that no matter where your journey takes you, you’ve never traveled beyond the boundaries of His love.

Posted in Lists | 3 Comments »

R and R (and R)

May 5, 2010 by bjcorbin

 

Years ago, during a time of prayer, I felt as though the Lord spoke to me about the words rest, relaxation and recreation.  Some might view these words as being fairly synonymous, but in terms of the kingdom of God, they’re really quite distinct.

 

In our culture we’ve raised recreation and relaxation to the level of high art, and in spiritual terms, we’ve largely made them into an idol.  In the United States alone we spend trillions of dollars annually on entertainment, hobbies, leisure and recreation.  Not only do they consume a significant portion of our financial resources, they also devour a large portion of our time, energy and passion.  If we take seriously the call to “seek first the kingdom of God”, then we must begin to view these things from an eternal perspective.

 

At the root of the word recreation is the term “re-create” and on some level I believe that recreation was intended to be an avenue for restoration in our lives.  It certainly has the potential to bring an element of balance to a life of responsibility, and can allow for some of our childlike traits to be nurtured.  But with the intensity in which recreation is pursued within our society, I believe that we rarely realize that potential.  Instead we generally emerge from our times of recreation exhausted (e.g. physically, emotionally, financially…).

 

While these periods may help to distract us from the issues in our lives, they rarely help in resolving them or in making us more prepared to deal with them.  Frequently the cost of distracting ourselves from these unresolved concerns is that those problems become even more severe.  One of “Webster’s” definitions for recreation is, “a means of diversion” and from a spiritual standpoint, that is normally what it amounts to.  Most of our recreation is a very expensive form of escapism, but we rarely escape anything, we simply pile it up for later.

 

Closely coupled with our recreation is the idea of relaxation.  Many of us would claim that our periods of recreation help to relax us, but if we’re honest that is rarely the case.  The nature of relaxing is that we would be “less intense”, but generally we approach our recreation with more zeal and energy than we do our jobs and sometimes even our families.  As an observer of most recreational activities, one could hardly describe the participants as relaxed.

 

From a spiritual perspective the word relax is troublesome.  It can mean “casting off restraint” or “becoming lax” or as previously stated, “a loss of intensity”.  Those descriptives seemingly run counter to biblical images such as running the race with endurance, a watchman on the wall, a servant awaiting their Masters return, or a soldier who refuses to become entangled in civilian affairs.  Further, relaxation is largely experienced in the flesh and has little potential for restoration in or of our souls.  As such, our spiritual enemy loves much of what we call “relaxation”, as it amounts to little more than letting our guard down.

 

At the core of our being what we need more than recreation or relaxation is rest.  The word rest can be associated with inactivity or even sleep, but in the spiritual context it goes far beyond those things.  Rest is a freedom from labor (e.g. “My yoke is easy, My burden light…”), freedom from anxieties (e.g. “be anxious for nothing”), peace of mind or spirit (e.g. “the peace that surpasses understanding”) and to stand in confidence (e.g. “if God be for us, who can stand against us…”).

 

The rest that God offers is not the temporal kind that is only found in unconscious slumber, it is His profound provision in the midst of all that He’s called us to.  It is the unshakable peace that accompanies the knowledge that He is truly sovereign over all things; that He loves us unconditionally; that He works all things to the good of those who love Him and who are called to His purposes; and that He is faithful to complete the good work that He’s begun in us.

 

True rest can only be found in Him, and within that rest are renewal, revelation, restoration and healing.  I firmly believe that he Body of Christ in America suffers from an excessive amount of recreation and relaxation, and from a serious lack of divine rest.  We must learn to heed His call, “Come all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest”.

 

Posted in Commentaries, Opinions, Social / Political | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment »

The Black Box

April 28, 2010 by bjcorbin

At the relatively young age of forty-five, Steve Phillips pretty much had it made.  He had a beautiful wife, a couple of great kids, a nice home and a job that he loved.  Despite growing up in a decidedly middle class family, Steve’s talent with all things electronic had made him an extremely successful man.  It certainly didn’t hurt that he entered the industry right as the digital boom was beginning and that he had been a part of various teams that had developed major advances in photography, sound, communications and computer integration.  At what was presumably the mid-point in his career, he and his staff were devoted to research and development; which allowed them to pretty much play with the technology, looking for new innovations.  It was a dream job and Steve was truly grateful for it.  He also appreciated the wonderful lifestyle that it afforded his family. 

Though he was not a deeply religious man, Steve had been raised in a Christian home, married a Christian girl and their family regularly attended a local church.  Though God was not a major topic of discussion at the dinner table, it was something that he and his wife wanted to weave into the fabric of their family life.  From Steve’s perspective, one hour of church a week was a small price to pay for the sense of “eternal security” that it brought him.  At work, he was discreet about his faith; understanding that many technically minded people didn’t share his particular view of such things.  He felt pretty good about the balance he’d achieved with that until he one day overheard his thirteen year old son talking to a friend on the phone.  Within that conversation his son said that he considered “The Jesus Story” to be nothing more than a legend that ancient people used as a way to make themselves feel better; and that the human race had advanced far beyond the need for such “fairy tales”.  He also made the statement, “if there ever really was a God, the power of the human mind has rendered Him obsolete!”  Steve shuddered at the idea that this is what his son had derived from his upbringing, but he wasn’t really sure what he ought to do about it.  The more he thought about it, the more troubling it became to him; and eventually he grew worried enough to actually start praying.  As he whispered for help beneath his breath, his discomfort in speaking to an unseen God started to evaporate, as an idea slowly began to creep into his head.

Steve decided not to let his son (Jason) know that he’d overheard his little commentary on God until after he’d followed through on his idea, which took a few weeks to put together.  As he worked on the project, Steve often found himself talking to God in a way that he never had before and though he wasn’t really sure what it all meant, it somehow made God seem more real to him.  He was excited as he wrapped the finished product up in a packing box on a Friday morning and made arrangements for Jason to receive the package the next day.  On Saturday, when the doorbell rang, Steve smiled to himself and asked his son to get the door.  Jason was so excited about getting the package that he practically pulled it out of the delivery man’s hands and tore the box open without bothering to look for a return address.  He was even more excited when he found that it contained what looked to be a laptop computer.  The only thing that kept him from being sure that it was a laptop was that the machine had absolutely no markings on it.  Even the keyboard had no markings on the keys.  As Jason closely examined the machine, he heard his father’s voice from the other room, “Who was at the door Jason?”

Jason bounded into the living room, both perplexed and excited, as he told Steve about his special delivery and showed him the machine.

“Are you sure you read the label right; this looks like something that would be sent to me, not you” Steve said.

“Of course I read the label right” Jason snapped.

“OK, so who’s it from?” Steve shot back

Jason let out an impatient sigh, as he realized he hadn’t looked at that and his face turned red as he had to retrieve the box to check.

“Look Dad, it doesn’t have a return address.”

“Well maybe there’s some paperwork inside the box” Steve replied.

“No, there’s nothing; I already checked” he said impatiently, as he flipped the machine over.

“What are you looking for Jason” Steve inquired.

“I’m looking for the manufacturer information.  Maybe we can look them up on the web and see if they can send us a manual for this thing” Jason replied.

“That’s a great idea son, what do see?”

“Nothing, absolutely nothing; that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.  How in the world do they expect me to run this stupid machine” Jason snorted.

“Well this was probably some sort of mistake, maybe we should just throw it away” Steve suggested.

“Are you crazy?  Throw away a brand new machine.  No way!” he replied.

“But what can you do with it?” Steve asked

With the wild-eyed confidence of a mad scientist, Jason proclaimed, “Just give me some time and I’ll figure this thing out!”

With that he was off to his bedroom, for what turned out to be most of the weekend.  At times, Steve could hear him yell in frustration at what a stupid machine it was and at other times, Jason would come out doing a little victory dance over something he’d discovered.  During the exuberant times he’d say, “We don’t need no stinking manual!” but in the frustrating times he’d moan, “How am I supposed to do anything without a manual?”  This cycle continued until late Sunday evening, when Steve asked him to bring the machine to the dining room.  As Jason came in, he looked a little haggard and more frustrated than excited.  He showed Steve what he’d been able to figure out on his own, which was actually pretty impressive; but clearly he wasn’t satisfied with it.  When Jason finally plopped down in one of the dining room chairs, Steve asked, “So what’s the bottom line with this thing?”

With a confused look on his face, Jason said, “The bottom line?”

“Yeah” replied Steve.  “I mean is this a good machine or is it a piece of junk?”

“I don’t know!” Jason grunted.  “It seems like it’s got some good features, but I’m not really sure what it can do.”

“So if you keep messing with it, do you think you could figure out what it’s capable of?” Steve asked.

“I’m sure I could figure out some stuff” Jason replied.  “But I doubt I could ever figure out everything it could do without some more information from the manufacturer.”

“So I’m pretty good with computers, do think I could figure it out?” Steve pressed

“You could do better than me, but there are some things that you’d probably never find unless you talked to the guy who designed this thing” Jason replied.  

Steve smiled and playfully said, “Ya think so?”

Jason half smiled back and said, “Yeah, I think so.”

After a little pause, Steve asked, “So was messing with this thing all weekend fun or a waste of time?”

“I did have some fun, but now that I’ve blown a whole weekend on it, I think it was mostly a waste of time.  I’m definitely frustrated with it.  I just wish I knew where it came from and why it was sent to me” he said.

“How would you feel if I told you that I sent it to you?” Steve asked.

“What” Jason blurted.  “Why would you do that?”

“To teach you something about life” Steve replied.

“About life?  I don’t get it; what are you talking about?” Jason growled in confusion

“I wanted to illustrate for you that human beings are incredibly complex machines” Steve said.

“Like this laptop?” Jason retorted

“Yes and like this laptop, their buttons and controls don’t come with labels on them” Steve continued.  “And while we can play with those things for a while and figure out a few things, we’ll never really find out what we’re capable of unless we go back and consult the One who created us.”

“You mean God?” Jason asked sheepishly.

“Yes, I mean God” Steve replied.  “You see Jason, you get to believe whatever you choose about God, but if you decide to live as though He has become ‘obsolete’, you’ll spend your whole life doing what you did this weekend.  You’ll punch buttons and see what happens; hoping that something good will come from it, but never really knowing for sure.  Honestly, that’s how most people live; and if that’s the way you decide to go, at the end of your life, you’ll probably feel just like you do now; like it was all just a waste of time.  But if you believe that God is real and seek His guidance, it could be like what might have happened if you and I would have sat down together with this thing and I could’ve shown you all the incredible features I built into it.”

“But I didn’t know you built it” Jason said defensively.

As Steve stood to his feet he said, “That’s true, there was no way you could have known that I was the one who designed it; but make no mistake Jason, you were not simply hatched or some sort of pleasant biological accident; you were also created.  And if that’s the case, then it follows that you must have a ‘Creator”.  Like me this weekend, He stands at the ready to help when you ask Him and unlike me, He took the time to provide a manual.”  At that moment Steve placed a copy of the Bible on the table in front of Jason.

Jason looked at the book with an expression of disdain and said, “So what am I supposed to do with this laptop?”

“I want you to keep it” Steve replied.  

“For what?” Jason asked.

“To remind you of what it’s like to live life as though you’ve become too technologically advanced to need help and to let the limitations of your own mind become your boundaries for living” he replied.

“So I’m just supposed to let it sit in my room and be some sort of symbol?” Jason asked.

“Well, that’s up to you. Just like what it symbolizes, you have the choice to do something with it or to blow it off.  If you’ll take the time to get with me, I can assure you that this little machine has some one of a kind features that you’ll really love.  If you decide to go it alone, you may or may not discover some of them; or you can simply ignore the whole thing and wonder about what you might have missed.  In the end, it’ll be whatever you decide.”

Steve walked to the doorway and turned back to his son.  “Jason, you know that I love you and you may not appreciate how I went about this, but it’s important that you think about what I am trying to teach you.  It will make all the difference in your life.”

Steve stepped out of the dining room to give Jason some space.  He hoped that it would allow Jason’s defensiveness to wane.  He prayed that God would help his son to see the truth, but he knew that God wouldn’t take away Jason’s ability to choose his own path.  Steve really didn’t expect Jason to say much after that, so he was surprised when Jason came to say goodnight.  Though he was still a little tentative, he did hug his father and told him that he loved him.  As he headed for the stairs, he turned back and asked, “Dad, are you busy tomorrow night?”

“I don’t think so son; what did you have in mind?” Steve asked.

“I was hoping that maybe we could get into some of those ‘one of a kind’ features you were talking about” Jason replied with a smile.

Steve smiled back at him and said, “I’d love that son”.

Posted in Heart of "The Father", Parenting / Family, Stories | 4 Comments »

Screen Saver

April 21, 2010 by bjcorbin

The book of Proverbs says that the way a man chooses to think will ultimately define who he is; and while many people in our society like to consider themselves a victim of circumstance, the aforementioned concept really puts the onus of responsibility squarely on the individual.  Undoubtedly, many have suffered through difficult situations; but even so, we all still have the choice as to how we view our circumstances, ourselves, other people, the past, the present, the future…  Ultimately, how we think will drive how we feel and in western culture, how we feel will likely shape our conception of reality.  If light of this, taking a hard look at our thought patterns ought to give us a clearer picture of who we’ve actually become; and any efforts toward personal growth would seem to be rooted in a change to our thought process.  Though there are some who might claim that we have no control over the thoughts that “pop into our head”, I believe that we are far more in control of that than we’d like to admit.  In a sense our minds are a lot like our personal computers and as such, I offer the following:

Filters/Anti-Virus Programs:  In our culture the idea of being “open minded” has become the only politically acceptable option; as if completely open or completely closed were the only viable choices.  While I’m certainly not an advocate of a closed mind, prudence dictates that not just any thought should be entertained.  Just as with our computers, there are some things that have the potential to come in and bog down our system operation or to completely disrupt its function.  Just like a computer virus, there are some patterns of thought that threaten to infect other parts of our mind and ultimately the whole of our being.  As such, we need to recognize that some things ought to be off limits and to protect our systems from those things.  While most people wouldn’t dream of trying to operate their computer systems without some form of network protection, I would submit that many operate with no such constraints on their thoughts.

Pop-Ups/SPAM:  Even when we do protect our systems, there are things that find their way onto our screens and when that happens, it often requires immediate attention.  Unsolicited messages, from unknown sources, need to be evaluated before opening; infected messages must be quarantined and safely eliminated; and pop-ups generally just need to be deleted without regard.  Clicking on some sites (even just once) can open up a world that can be hard to escape.  As with our computers, the longer it takes for us to recognize the detrimental element of these things, the greater the damage done.  While we may not always be able to control who shows up at our door, we can control who we let in.

Wallpaper:  One of the great features of today’s computer and/or cell-phone screens is the ability to customize the background (i.e. “wallpaper”).  On my cell-phone screen you’ll undoubtedly find pictures of my kids underneath the bright digits of the current time and the functional icons that default there.  And while most of us will generally pick some cheerful image for our computer screens, the background of our mind often isn’t so festive.  When we choose to hold on to the hurts/fears/disappointments/betrayals… of the past, we in a sense make this the “wallpaper” of our minds.  In that case, everything that comes onto our screens is viewed against the backdrop of those painful experiences, thus tempering any joy and/or potential healing that might come our way.  Just as with our computers, I believe that we ultimately control what image populates our default screen.

Screen Saver:  Even if we’ve pretty much overcome the troubles of our past, most of us have issues going on presently which seem to want to dominate our thoughts.  When we become overly focused on those issues, their proportions can easily become distorted.  Suicide victims often have many positive aspects to their lives, but their focus on one particular situation or aspect generally causes them to completely lose sight of those things.  When we dwell on one specific issue to excess, we in affect make it the “screen saver” for our mind.  It becomes the place that our thoughts naturally gravitate back to when our mind is not actively engaged in something else.  When we allow ourselves to obsessively worry about such issues, it can become like setting your screen saver to come on at every 15 second pause.  You wind up having to constantly push that image from the screen in order to get anything else done.  In such a case, we need to recognize that we’ve lost our perspective and that it will take action on our part to change our system settings.

Just as few people would leave their personal computer system completely unprotected, it seems doubtful that many would use images of their most traumatic, painful or humiliating moments as their “wallpaper” or “screen saver”.  Yet I would submit that many of us are handling our thought life in this way.  If that is the case, maybe it’s time to change those settings to something more uplifting and hopeful.  Though this change may require more than just the punch of a button, the decision to press that button is a beginning in and of itself.

Posted in Word Pictures | Leave a Comment »

Along the Path to Glory

April 19, 2010 by bjcorbin

The longer that I walk the journey of faith the more that I am convinced that our relationship with God is only as close as we want it to be and that if we feel that God is distant; it is because we’ve not done our part in cultivating that relationship. The scripture says that if we’ll draw close to Him, He will draw close to us; that if we’ll seek Him, we will find Him; and that if we’ll open the door to Him, He will come in. In every case, we’re called to take the first step and God promises to be responsive. Along the way I’ve encountered those who claim to be seeking Him and not finding Him, but I’ve noticed that many times these ones aren’t really as interested in finding Him as they are in finding something that they believe He can give them. In such cases, their faith and hope is not rooted in the person of God, but in that “something” that they believe that He can provide for them.

*

It seems to me that our first step toward God is generally driven by the realization of our need for Him; and while that is a necessary step, it is important that we not stop there. If our need becomes the motivation, the fulfillment of that need will generally cause us to cease our pursuit. In the scripture, we see an example of this in the story of the ten lepers. These men understood that they had a need and on some level they believed that Jesus could address that need; but once their issue was resolved, nine of them couldn’t even be bothered to come back and say thank you. We frequently see this in churches today; where a circumstance will drive a person to cry out to Jesus, but once that circumstance is resolved, we never see them again. Such a person can claim to believe in Jesus and they may even have a testimony of how He’s worked in their lives; but they cannot necessarily claim to have a relationship with Him or even to be a part of His family.

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This needs based pursuit of God can be taken a step further, in that we can come to view Him as the source of all good things and therefore the provider for all of our needs. This too is a valid revelation to have, but again it keeps our needs at the center of our motivation and it doesn’t necessarily drive us toward relationship. I believe that the man healed through Peter and John at the gate (called Beautiful) to the temple could be symbolic of this mindset. He sat at the gate everyday, presumably because he recognized some virtue in God’s people and maybe even in what was going on there; but he himself didn’t feel as though he could enter in. Today, there are many in the church that come because they recognize that they have needs and that God has the ability to meet those needs; but they don’t feel personally connected to Him and/or as though others have been afforded access that hasn’t been granted to them. Such people can be identified by their tendency to exalt gifted ministers, to drift away when their needs are being met and to be angry with God when they perceive lack in their life. While it is Gods’ heart to meet the needs of His people, this paradigm threatens to reduce the mission of the “Body of Christ” to little more than that of a benevolent service organization (e.g. the Lions Club, Meals on Wheels…).

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It seems to me that Gods intent since the fall of man has been to reconnect us to Him and that the hindrance to this has always been our insistence on doing things our own way. The Ark of the Covenant, the Temple, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, the tearing of the veil, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit… all demonstrate His desire to be in “direct” relationship with His people and yet mankind continues to find ways to squander these provisions. While the Lord revels in His role as our provider, His heart is to be so much more than that. The temple was never meant to be a monument to an historical God, it was meant to be a place to encounter the living God (i.e. in the present tense). As the Lord meets us at the place of our need, our thankful hearts bring us into the gates and our praise draws us into the courts. As He inhabits our praise, the tangible sense of His nearness moves us to the place of genuine worship (i.e. in Spirit and in truth) and of submission to His will. As we step toward Him, He steps towards us and His glory is revealed. As we behold His glory, we are transformed by it and we begin to reflect His image. Like Moses coming from the mountain or the Apostles emerging from the Upper room, our “unveiled faces” reflect His glory and it becomes apparent to those around us that we’ve been in His presence. Through this reflection of His glory within us, He draws men unto Himself and His commission for us is fulfilled.

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We can be truly grateful for what He’s done and even be willing to sing His praises, yet never reach the place of genuine worship, submission, relationship, transformation or of Him being glorified in us. We can continue on to the place of worship, submission and even relationship, yet if we never get close enough to behold the glory of the Lord, it is doubtful that His glory will ever be revealed in us. Within the Charismatic movement there is much ado about “the anointing” (i.e. the spiritual gifts & supernatural abilities given by God for the work of ministry), which is no doubt a tremendous blessing; but it was never meant to become a substitute for the manifest presence of God (i.e. the glory). This emphasis on “the anointing”, without a corresponding pursuit of the person of God, only serves to divert our focus from the “Author & Finisher of our faith” and onto ministers and ministries. Evidence that such an imbalance exists would include ministers who are treated like superstars and church members who experience little or no genuine transformation. At the gate called beautiful, Peter & John did not give the crippled man what he thought he needed (i.e. money); instead they allowed the glory of God to be revealed in them. Beyond the physical healing that this man experienced, it says that he entered into the temple with them and that he praised the Lord. As we’ve become the temple of His Holy Spirit, we need to remember that the glory cloud did not descend upon the temple from the sky, but that it rose up from within the temple. It is Christ “in” us that is the hope of glory; and all of creation continues to wait in eager expectation for the revealing of the sons of God.

Posted in Commentaries | 1 Comment »

10 Movies that I Love

April 16, 2010 by bjcorbin

A Few Good Men:  Both an outstanding screenplay and a superb cast make this film an instant classic.  Jack Nicholson, Kiefer Sutherland, and Kevin Bacon are excellent as always, while Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Kevin Pollak also deliver exceptionally strong performances.  The script is full of incredible dialogue, tense exchanges, and memorable one-liners.

A Walk to Remember:  A love story where someone is able to reach beyond their own selfish desires and genuinely care about someone else is a rare and beautiful gift.  Though this clearly falls in the “Chick Flick” section, it absolutely works for me.

Remember the Titans:  It’s hard to resist a good underdog story, or anything that Denzel Washington does.  Add a great assembly of young actors, and some wonderful old songs from that era and you’ve got a recipe for success.  The fact that it’s based on a true story makes it even better.

Field of Dreams:  This dreamlike tale of a seemingly magical corn field, and ghost players from the past is full of twists and turns, which eventually lead to a homerun finish.

The Ultimate Gift:  A great story that drives home what really matters in life.  This young man’s transformation is both believable and moving.

August Rush:  This unconventional tale of an orphan who finds his way back to a family that didn’t realize they’d lost him, is hauntingly beautiful.  It is filled with wonderfully subtle performances from Freddie Highmore, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Keri Russell, juxtaposed against an almost menacing performance by Robin Williams.  The transcendent story is also accompanied by a soundtrack full of memorable music.

October Sky:  The inspiring story of Homer Hickam, and the “Rocket Boys” emergence from a small mining town in West Virginia is what making movies is all about.

Forever My Girl:  This story of a country music star, whose unplanned return to his hometown brings him face to face with the girl he left at the altar, and the daughter he didn’t know he had, is markedly better than your typical Hallmark movie.  Definitely a cut above what passes for romance these days.

Touchback:  Though the story revolves around football, this is not really a sports movie in the truest sense.  Ultimately, it is about the choices we make, the consequences that come with that, and what truly matters in the end.

The Shawshank Redemption:  Based on the Stephen King novella, “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption”, this movie features a great story, beautifully told.  Tim Robbins nuanced performance, and Morgan Freeman’s narration throughout lift the relentlessly dark subject matter to something more profound and hopeful.  The conclusion of this journey is one of the most satisfying in movie history.

Posted in Entertainment/Music/Sports, Lists, Personal | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

10 Songs that I Still Love

April 16, 2010 by bjcorbin

As a huge fan of music, there are many songs that I’ve loved, but here are ten that have really stood the test of time with me.

  1. “Toulouse Street” – The Doobie Brothers:  This song was on the flipside of the 45 rpm record of “Listen to the Music”, which was in a batch of used records someone gave my parents for us kids.  Those were the first records we ever owned.  The song itself is beautiful and haunting; and it still moves me whenever I hear it.  The Doobie Brothers never sounded any better than this.
  2. “Homeward Bound” – Simon & Garfunkel:  These guys were incredible together and this song is a great example of everything I loved about them.  Their voices work so well together, the acoustic guitar is rich and the lyrics resonate deeply.  When I decided to embrace Christianity (in my thirties), this song took on a whole new meaning, “as all my words come back to me, in shades of mediocrity, like emptiness in harmony, I need someone to comfort me”.  Amen!
  3. “Almost Like Being in Love” – Michael Johnson:  This is a pretty much forgotten single by the guy who did the song “Bluer than Blue”; but for some reason the bluesy arrangement of this originally bouncy song (from the play “Brigadoon”) really works for me.  The understated vocals and the little saxophone flourishes paint a vivid picture that’s always stuck with me.
  4. “Love Over Gold” – Dire Straits:  I always loved Mark Knopfler’s guitar playing and his ability to create an atmosphere through the music, but for me this album (i.e. “Love Over Gold”) stood head and shoulders above the rest.  The piano arrangements, the world weary vocals and the insightful lyrics made it a pinnacle in what I considered to be a brilliant career.  On an album full of great songs, the message of this one hits me the hardest.
  5. “One for My Baby & One More for the Road” – Frank Sinatra:  I was not really into the music of this era, but from my perspective, this is one the coolest recordings ever produced.  Whenever I hear it I can almost smell the gin and cigarettes.
  6. “Hotel California” – The Eagles:  As you can tell from my list, I hate to pick the obvious, but what can I say about this song and this band.    Too many of their albums were like a collection of solo songs from each talented member, but on this song you can hear all of them being great together.  Definitely one of the greatest rock songs ever.
  7. “Can’t Get Next to You” – The Temptations:  It’s hard to pick from all the great Motown classics, I could just as easily have listed “Reach Out” by the Four Tops or “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.  It’s nearly impossible to listen to any of these songs without singing and dancing along.  This song in particular displays the great vocal talent of the Temptations at their peak.
  8. “Between the Lines” – Michael Stanley Band:  This is another one of those forgotten singles by a largely forgotten band.  Even after all these years I fall for this song’s pop hook.  This is just a great sounding record.
  9. “Moondance” – Van Morrison:  Not much to say about this song, it just imbedded itself in my soul and it’s been stuck there ever since.  I never heard anything else from Van Morrison that even remotely touched it.
  10. “For Sentimental Reasons/Tenderly/Autumn Leaves  (Medley)” – Natalie Cole:  I never thought much of Natalie Cole when she was singing her pop/R&B songs, but when she switched to singing some of the old standards, I thought she really found her niche.  This medley is especially beautiful.  It will always hold a special place in my heart, as it was playing when I proposed to my wife.

Posted in Entertainment/Music/Sports, Lists, Personal | 4 Comments »

Its Not Really Love

April 13, 2010 by bjcorbin

It’s not really love

just because I was stirred at the first sight of you

 

and

 

It’s not really love

simply because I like the way you make me feel

 

and

 

It’s not really love

just because you fill a void in my existence

 

and

 

It’s not really love

simply because I appreciate all that you’ve done for me

 

and

 

It’s not really love

just because I feel drawn to you

 

and

 

It’s not really love

simply because I like to think of you as mine

 

and

 

It’s not really love

just because I want what you bring to my life

 

no

 

It’s not really love

until it stops being about what I think I want or need

 

and

 

It starts being about who You are

Posted in Free Verse / Poetry, Heart of "The Father" | 2 Comments »

The Winner Takes It All (Augusta 2010)

April 9, 2010 by bjcorbin

This is a significant week in the minds of avid golf fans, as the Masters Tournament gets underway in Augusta Georgia.  Adding to the hoopla this year is the return of Tiger Woods after an extended layoff due to personal issues.  It’s doubtful that many people in America aren’t familiar with his story, as it has been absolutely beat to death in the media for months now.  Anyone hoping that this event would mark a shift from the scandal back to the game of golf itself had to be disillusioned when Billy Payne, the Chairman of the Augusta National club, decided to issue yet another statement expressing his (and presumably the club’s) “disappointment” in Mr. Woods’s moral failures.  As I read those comments, I was once again reminded of the absurdity of the media reaction to this scandal.

Let me begin by saying that I unequivocally believe that what Tiger Woods did was wrong and not at all defensible.  It is sad and disgraceful; and undoubtedly has been very hurtful to his family.  To that degree, I can understand that this was a noteworthy story.  But from my perspective, the shock and dismay offered by the sports industry and media, has been laughable.  Are we really expected to believe that Tiger Wood’s behavior is significantly different than the vast majority of other pro athletes (including other golfers on the PGA tour)?  And what of the power brokers who man the boardrooms of his corporate sponsors or who roam the clubhouse at Augusta National; are we to believe that they are somehow bastions of moral purity, who aren’t using their position and influence for similar intrigues.  What of the sports media itself; haven’t enough ESPN staffers been caught with their proverbial pants down to indicate that such behavior is pervasive within the media as well?  Not that their indiscretions in anyway excuse Tigers, but how can these people stand with a straight face and incredulously wag their fingers in his direction.

The truth of the matter is that the sports industry actively promotes the sexually charged atmosphere that permeates most professional athletics.  Look at just about any sports network on the web and you will undoubtedly encounter numerous images of barely clad, hard bodies, greased and sprawled across their screens.  Does a team that can fill 55,000 seats, at over $50.00 a ticket, really need a cheerleading squad to get the crowd excited about the team?  Does anyone really believe that “Swimsuit Issues” have anything to do with the swimwear?  From the time a little leaguer hits adolescence, sex is implicitly presented as one of the perks that comes with being a successful athlete.  Those who might miss it in their high school experience are likely to encounter it when recruited to the collegiate level; and if their success continues, the sky becomes the limit.  Does anyone really believe that corporate sponsors, agents or team officials are somehow above facilitating these type activities for their best and brightest?   Tiger admitted that on some level he felt as though the rules (e.g. of decent moral behavior) didn’t really apply to him and I believe that this is an attitude that is cultivated in most successful athletes.  For many within the sports world, “Just Do It!” is more than just a corporate slogan, it is a mantra.  And yet in spite of all this, we are somehow supposed to believe that the whole of the professional sports world is aghast at Tiger’s behavior.  For me, such a pill is too barbed with hypocrisy to be swallowed.

Something that I’ve heard repeatedly throughout this scandal is that Tiger has violated the trust of his fans; and for me, that begs the question, “What exactly were his fans trusting him for?”  Should the fact that someone can play the game of golf (or baseball, basketball, football…) say anything about what kind of human being they are?  Why would anyone “trust” someone they don’t even know?  While I would hope that sports celebrities would take seriously their role as an ambassador of the game and maybe even embrace the idea of being a role model, I have to wonder why a fan would look to a ball player to understand the proper context for marriage and family.  In Billy Payne’s comments, he said that, “Our hero did not live up to the expectations of the role model we saw for our children.”  I find it to be an incredibly sad commentary on the state of morality and family at the Augusta National club, if these accomplished men were genuinely relying on this relatively young professional golfer to teach their children something virtuous about marriage and personal conduct.  Further, I think that the use of the word “hero”, when applied to an athlete, is generally ridiculous and offense.  A hero is someone who places the needs of others above their own and who willingly sacrifices for the good of others.  Having tremendous athletic ability and being successful does not qualify someone as a hero.  Our choice to covet what they have and to worship who we think they are simply qualifies them as an idol.  Just as Tiger needed to admit that his actions were wrong, those who’ve invested such lofty expectations in a mere celebrity ought to admit to themselves that they were also misguided.

From my perspective, what the sports world really cares about is winning, which makes me wonder if their real disappointment is that this situation has tarnished Tiger’s image as a “winner”.  It’s made him look weak, indecisive and even foolish to some degree; and that probably never would have happened on the golf course.  Many are saying that he needs to prove himself as a husband, a father and as a man of integrity, before he will be accepted back into the good graces of the public.  But history would say otherwise; just ask Kobe Bryant or A Rod.  For Tiger’s sake and the sake of his family, I pray that he is able to genuinely become the person he aspires to be.  At the end of his life his relationships with those people will be far more valuable than anything he could hope to accomplish on the golf course.  But as far as the sports world is concerned, a win at the Master’s would probably do for him what an MVP & NBA title did for Kobe and what a World Series win did for A-Rod.  After all in America we can’t help but love a winner.

Posted in Entertainment/Music/Sports, Opinions, Social / Political | 2 Comments »

A Soldier’s Creed

April 6, 2010 by bjcorbin

I am a warrior in a battle unseen

My armor is intact

Though outwardly I am perishing

Inwardly I am renewed day by day

 

My battle is not against flesh and blood

But against everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God

The weapons of my warfare are not carnal in nature

But mighty for the pulling down of strongholds

 

In this land I am but a foreigner

A man of little repute

Yet in the country of my citizenship

the King’s enemies know my name

 

Though the earth shakes beneath my feet

Peace abides within me

In seasons of abundance

My spirit remains vigilant

 

I am a warrior in a battle unseen

My armor is intact

Though pressed on every side, I am not crushed

Though persecuted, never abandoned

 

Though my enemy swaggers like a conqueror

and speaks as though a judge

The sword of truth rends every deception

It’s might sets me free

 

Though fiery arrows may find me

I will not be consumed

Though I am struck down

I will not be destroyed

 

These battles that rage around me

are for gains that will one day vanish

But the battle of the unseen realm

is for a Kingdom that has no end

 

I am a warrior in a battle unseen

My armor is intact

I will not be moved

For history has already recorded my victory

Posted in Prayers | 3 Comments »

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