Okay, it's no secret...I'm a "Trekkie" - with a name like "Kirk," what do you expect? To the uninitiated, this means that I am a follower of most any and everything having to do with "Star Trek" - original series, new series, spin-offs, movies...makes no difference to me. While us "Trekkies" take our knocks (especially as pastors), there's no question that "Star Trek" has pushed the limits in our thinking, technology and our relationships with others.
While I've always dreamed of being able to embrace a life-challenge championing the Star Trek motto, "To boldly go where no one has gone before," realistically, there are very few (if any) things that haven't already been tried by someone. That being the case, it would be pretty foolish of me to undertake any endeavor without looking to see what can be learned from others that have "boldly gone where I've never gone before." To that end, I did quite a bit of looking around before deciding to venture into the unknown world (to me) of blogging. We'll see how the journey goes.
So, one of the best questions (seems to me) is: Who am I going to learn from? There's no end to the number of "How To" books on the market, so where do we start? It's overwhelming! Now, if only there were a book from which the "How To" books drew from...wouldn't that be nice? Well, I believe that there is, and it comes in the form of a letter written by someone with incalculable amounts of experience and millions of readers - the kind of person I want and need to be in touch with.
This source? None other than the Holy Bible. Now, I can sense barriers going up right away with some of you; believe me, I've heard ALL the excuses. "I can't understand it" "It's so out of date" "It's just a bunch of myths" "It's so irrelevant" are among the most common. But I have one question for you: Do you know this from personal experience or because someone else told you so? The point being, if you have never really tried the Bible, how can you be so sure that it's not for you?
I challenge you to the following: Get yourself a good, modern translation (not a paraphrase). The New Living Translation is good, as is the New International Version, among a few others. Next, commit yourself to reading just 5 minutes a day. Start with the Gospels (you know, Matthew, Mark, Luke & John - the good old boys). Each time before you read, find a quiet place free from distractions and simply say as little boy Samuel did in the Old Testament, "Speak, Lord, for I am listening" (Don't worry, He'll do this part if you sincerely ask). Make sure you have a notebook or pad of paper handy. As soon as something jumps out at you, write it down, thank God for it and try to apply it to your day. I think you'll be amazed at how often what you read will remind you of something you've either gone through or are going through.
But be prepared, for in all likelihood, God will begin to take you where you've never been before! Where's that? Exactly where you need to be; with growing purpose and direction in every day. I'd love to hear from you, and you don't have to go to the Alpha Quadrant to find me; just post your thoughts and let me know what's going on in your universe.
