Is God happy?

Everybody, well almost everybody, believes in a smiling God who is happy with anything and everything we do as long as we smile back toward God. Is God really happy with what we do? I speak from a Christian perspective because that's all I've ever been.
A book I'm reading, "Re-Jesus", by Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost, makes some great points about the difference between those who follow Jesus and those who are part of the religion called Christianity. I have a lot of respect for Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost. I've read their books, participated in an online seminar with Alan, and have been gently awakened by their writings and conversations. I've been a Christian pastor in the United Methodist Church for over 20 years and have seen many who are part of the religion and some who are actually trying to follow Jesus. I also know some great people who know Jesus and don't want to be part of "the church."
Some might be asking, "Is he really a pastor?" Yes, I am, but I'm a disciple of Jesus first. In my mind and heart, a disciple of Jesus is someone who is so hungry to follow Him that nothing else matters as much, not even "my" church. In a recent sermon I said that being "born again" is nothing more or less than recognizing what Jesus has done for us and becoming so hungry to get closer to Jesus that nothing else matters. Being born again is not a bus ticket God punches to give you a free ride to heaven. It is passage into a journey of discovery that lasts forever. If you think you have it all figured out, you've probably gotten down a side road and need to find your way back to the journey.
Being a disciple of Jesus is more than thinking or talking, it is moving and following. We have a lady, Lila Lee, at our church who started a free soup supper a few years ago. Her only concern was providing a meal and a space for people to enjoy good, company, and shelter from the weather. People often leave with bags and boxes of food. Some people don't like that. Lila doesn't smile any wider than when people feel loved enough to leave with the love known as food and kind words.
For the next two Sundays, our church will be joining many other churches in celebrating "Blanket Sunday." For each five dollars donated, somebody somewhere in the world will receive a wool blanket that will be as valuable to them as our toasty warm homes.
Every day, many people of faith give themselves away to those who need to know there's a God and people that will love them no matter what.
Jesus often told the people He healed not to tell anyone what He'd done for them. Was it some of kind strategy in His plan? My belief is that the only strategy was for people to focus on living the life He taught about and making life better rather than keeping score in a world that loves to manipulate the score.
I do think God is happy because God believes in the possibilities we are capable of making happen!

What do you work for?

The other night I went with our 7 year old grandson, Merrick, on his Tiger Cub Scout field trip to a nearby city police department. On our way there, as it almost always is with him, we had a conversation about God. He is very curious and he is also very perceptive.

One statement he made really caught my attention: We work for God because God works for us. In other words, we decide to do things with God as our motivation because God has done so much for us. I like that!

It doesn't say: I'll do something for God, if God does something for me. Rather, I'll do something for God because God has already done things for me.

He went on to talk about how God created the world with all kinds of neat things for us to enjoy, so (according to my grandson) we should take care of the world God has given us! He gave me a short list of examples: animals, plants, toys, people, etc.

The very next day, Karen(my wife) and I went to the other grandson's (Mitchell) Grandparent's Program at school. His third grade class sang and danced to several songs. Grandparents and other guests were treated to a very enjoyable program and the kids looked like they were having a great time!

While we were eating lunch with him, his cousin who's his age, and his other grandparents we complimented them on how well they did. We also commented that they must really like doing that because it showed. They both answered that "no" they don't like singing and dancing, but it was fun.

They did it out of respect and compassion for their teachers and their families!

Two different, but related, motivations about doing things. Both reflect an outward looking view. It's not what they get out of it, it's what others get from it!

What motivates us? What if we thought of what we did in terms of what we did for others? Would/could that change our frame of mind?

Thanks kids, for teaching adults new/old tricks!