Vol. 19 No. 38 | September 24, 2017

The headlines from the last few weeks have included hurricanes, earthquakes, racial protests and riots, major tensions with Korea, terrorist bombings, and then someone predicted the world was going to end. If that does not make your blood pressure rise, think about your own stuff: your boss puts you in charge of a huge project with a very short turnaround; your child gets sick at school and then gets sick again in your car on the way home; your dog has to go to the vet; a strange light appears on your car’s dashboard; you forgot to pay your electric bill; a crown comes off your tooth; and you realize the milk has gone bad just after you started drinking it.

This is the world I live in. How about you?

You rush to get things done only to discover you have more to do. You feel stressed, rushed, overcommitted, overworked, and overwhelmed. You cannot concentrate, you have trouble sleeping, you can’t find time to exercise, and you want to eat everything in sight.

I can relate. I get that way too sometimes. But usually, after I fume and stew for a while, frustrated that I cannot fix everything, I eventually realize that God is nudging me back toward Philippians 4. So, I read it again.

5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:5−9, NIV)

Then, I read it again, asking God to show me what He wants me to see. And this is what He shows me.

Remember to be gentle to everyone. When you are under stress, you may get angry, irritated, and frustrated and forget the fact that I am near. Be gentle with yourself. Be gentle with others. I am near you. (5)

Relax, takes a few deep breaths, give all your anxieties to me so that you can receive and enjoy the peace I have for you. (6-7) You cannot handle all of this alone. I can. Let me take it from you in exchange for my peace.

Get your head back where it needs to be. You have drifted away from healthy thinking. Think about the lovely things and lovely people. Think about truth, nobility, and purity. Focus on things and people who are worth admiring and strive toward excellence. Think about these things, focus on these things, and take time to meditate on them. (8)

Live the way you have learned. You have had been taught by good people, and you have learned well the things of God. Stay true to that. (8)

Enjoy my peace. I am with you. I am always with you. I am near you. My peace is your peace because you belong to me. (8)

Does it seem like the world is going crazy? Does it feel like the things you cherish most are slipping away from you? The fact that you are reading this is proof that it is not too late to make some changes. Try reading Philippians 4 a few times, and let the peace of God work into your heart.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2017 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

Vol. 19 No. 37 | September 17, 2017

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32, NIV)

I think I found it, the answer to the questions we have been asking ourselves since the beginning of time. 

How can I make the world a better place?

What can I do to help stop the violence that is happening around us?

What can I do in my own little circle of influence to make life better for the people closest to me?

The answer isn’t profound. It doesn’t require a lot of energy, nor will it cost you a cent. It is actually very simple and something we all have the ability to do. \

Are you ready to hear what is going to change you and the world around you?

Be kind.

That’s it. Just be kind.

Be kind to your spouse, your boyfriend or girlfriend.

Be kind to your children, your parents and grandparents.

Be kind to your neighbors, your doctor and your patients.

Be kind to the cashier at the grocery store, the department store and the pharmacy.

Be kind to animals, the forests and our oceans.

Be kind to policemen, firemen and first responders.

Be kind to the postal worker, the FedEx driver and even the person who calls to tell you your credit is fine, but…

And most importantly, be kind to yourself. It starts there. It always starts there…

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2017 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

Vol. 19 No. 36 | September 10, 2017

I have recently seen several church signs that say, “Everyone is welcome.” Maybe they have been there all along, but in light of current events, these signs seem to convey a more important message.

But my question is, ‘Why is it necessary for churches to say everyone is welcome’?

Every church sign I have seen carrying this message bears in some way the name of God, or Christ, or Jesus. But shouldn’t this go without saying? If the saints of God, Christians, and followers of Jesus are gathering, would it not be expected that everyone is welcome? But this doesn’t seem to always be the case

I remember a time when I invited a friend of mine with darker skin to attend a worship assembly in our congregation. I was promptly informed, “His church is up the road.”

I can also recall a friend telling me once about visiting what she called an ‘Awe shucks!’ church. The attitude she sensed when she walked through the doors was, ‘Awe shucks, we have visitors today’.

I hear about churches that make it very clear that if you had been married, divorced and remarried, you are welcome to attend, you just can’t do anything in the way of public service.

And then there are the church leaders who tell our youth ‘we’ need them; we need their energy, their spirit, and their ideas on worship. But when they try to inject the rest of the assembly with their energy, spirit, and ideas on worship, they are quickly shut down.

Sadly, these are not just preacher stories, except for the fact that I, a preacher, am telling them. I truly thought we were beyond these acts of intolerance, prejudice, and exclusion.

But I refuse to lose hope and choose to focus instead on the following demonstrations of tolerance and love for everyone, regardless of their age, skin color, sexual preference or place of origin.

As the children flocked in the streets to follow Jesus and were being shooed away by His disciples, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.”

As demonstrated in the Gospels, Jesus reached out and touched, healed, loved, and taught everyone who came to Him, despite the fact that other religious leaders condemned his style of ministry as flawed.

When Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

When Jesus proclaimed, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

When a boy strayed from his family, squandering all of the wealth of his inheritance, yet was still greeted with open arms by his father upon his return home.

I think of those who were forced to flee the rising waters of the Texas coast a couple of weeks ago, and of those who are fleeing the winds and rain of Hurricane Irma right now. I can only imagine that they are a desperately seeking a place of refuge where the doors are open and they are welcomed with open arms, regardless of their skin color, sexual preference, ethnic background or social status.

I think of them, of the devastation they have suffered, and all I can do is hope that if you have a sign in front of your church that says, “Everyone is Welcome”, you mean it. Or better yet, I hope that these signs will soon be unnecessary, that we will all work to come from a place of love, kindness, non-judgment, and acceptance.

Let us become those churches, ones governed so completely by the law of love, that people just know:

This church is a place of God, and everyone is welcome.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2017 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

Vol. 19 No. 35 | September 3, 2017

Like most of you I have watched, listened, been saddened, and felt completely at a loss as to what to say or do in response to the devastation and loss in Houston and other areas on the Gulf Coast of Texas. I have concluded that any words I might share at this point would be almost completely, if not completely irrelevant.

Many of you have already responded in some tangible way through your local churches and community relief organizations, the Red Cross, or other reputable helping organizations. The road to recovery will be long and difficult for the people who have lost homes, possessions, and businesses. I am thankful to Phil Ware (for many reasons) but especially for his words posted today on hearlight.org. I can do no better than share his words that offer practical ways to help in his post: Pray and Help.

Pray and help.

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2017 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved