TableTalkSpot

Lessons from the Juniper Tree

2011-07-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

If Hollywood commissioned a biopic of the Old Testament hero, Elijah, they would probably end the movie with his epic holy war on Mt. Carmel. It would be a fitting ending for such a bold, courageous, insurgent leader.

But alas, this is not how Elijah’s story ends at all. If you turn the page one chapter, from 1 Kings 18 to 1 Kings 19, you see a completely different side of this seemingly bullet-proof warrior. You find a fragile shell of a man, in a fetal position, begging God to end his life.

Elijah doesn’t look much like a leader here. But as I’ve studied his life, I’ve gleaned more lessons in leadership from Elijah’s meltdown than from his mountain-top successes.

Here are the five leadership lessons I learned under Elijah’s juniper tree:

1) Even great people break down. Elijah is one of those mythical figures in the Bible, someone whose larger-than-life exploits make our everyday walks of faith seem pedestrian by comparison. And yet here he is, weak, feeble, and discouraged. The truth is that every great leader has had one more seasons just like this. And so will you. This doesn’t make you weird or exceptional. It makes you human.

2) Take care of your body. What was God’s first response to Elijah? A counseling session? Another small group Bible study? More church? No. God simply brought Elijah a meal. In all of his working for God, Elijah forgot to take care of the basic needs of his body, as if ignoring his humanity would somehow earn him more points with God. The truth is that physical needs often cloud our judgment. God wired our bodies in such a way that they need regular rest, nutrition, and exercise. Often the first step back to spiritual health is a good night’s sleep, a hearty meal, and a few days off.

3) We measure success by the wrong metrics. You would think Elijah would be celebrating. All of Israel turned their back on the false worship of Baal and embraced Jehovah. And yet Elijah considered himself a failure because Jezebel and Ahab, the corrupt monarch, refused to change. So, in Elijah’s world, he was a failure. God reminded Elijah, through a series of natural phenomena, that He is sovereign not only in the big stuff of life, but in the small stuff as well.

4) We’re not indispensible. Elijah copped a martyr mentality, common in Christian circles. I’m the only one who cares. It’s all on me. And nobody else is as devoted as I am. God destroyed this faulty thinking by reminding Elijah that there were 7,000 other capable believers in Israel. God wasn’t dependent on Elijah. He could easily have raised up someone else to do the job. And so it is with us. The entire sovereign plan of God isn’t dependent on our feeble, clever efforts. Thankfully.

5) It’s not about you; it’s about God’s glory. I think it’s telling that God’s next mission for Elijah, post depression, was to train his successor. What a humbling and invigorating experience for this do-it-yourself prophet! I think there is a subtle message in this. We don’t own our ministries. They are gifts from God for us to steward. And thus, the work that was here when we left, will be here when we are gone.

What do you think about Elijah’s 1 Kings 19 meltdown? Did it surprise you?

What I Learned About Jesus the Fit in Israel

2010-05-18T15:15:00.001-07:00

One of the best reasons to visit the land of Israel is to see the biblical sites in 3-D. I don't mean donning a pair of plastic glasses to experience theatrical special effects. I'm referring to experiencing not only the length and breadth of the Bible lands, which is helpful in connecting the dots on the maps with the actual distances, but also the third dimension - the height and depth of the terrain. It is truly amazing and often astounding. It changes the Bible from black and white to living color!

Why does it matter? It's important to me for two reasons. First, one of the places I most love to visit is a place called Colorado. And maybe that's because I now live in Iowa. Yes, I do love these cornfields (really, I do!). But these cornfields in Iowa in now way inspire me like the mountains inspire me. Whether I'm looking up at them or enjoying a vista from a peak, there's just something about those mountains that do for you what no other spectacular scenery can do.

Psalm 121 is a favorite: "I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." It's a psalm of ascent, meaning it was meant to be recited while looking up and walking upward. I just returned recently from a four day quick trip to Colorado, and after returning from seeing those mountains every day, I do realize more than ever that I live in a state that is, uh, topographically challenged. A psalm of ascent isn't quite the same in an Iowa cornfield.

Second, the topography of Israel is important because it actually reveals something about Jesus. The man was fit! And I mean really fit! I hadn't seen this in Scripture until I visited the land where he walked. I came away impressed that Jesus was fit in at least three ways.

1. Jesus was physically fit. The land of Israel is topographically rich. As you travel, you are constantly going up and down. Having hiked a bit in both Colorado and Iowa, I can attest that hiking in the mountains is more strenuous than in the flatlands. And Jesus walked a lot and in very hilly terrain. Elevation matters! Just from Nazareth to the neighboring town of Cana, 6 miles away, is a slope of 500 vertical feet. Whether you are going or coming, your legs will feel that one.

The Sea of Galilee is 682 feet below sea level. That doesn't sound like much until you visit the place and descend from the surrounding heights. About halfway down the steep grade, you pass the sign saying you are at sea level. You still have 682 vertical feet to go.

By comparison, the Washington Monument is 555 feet tall. As a junior high student, I climbed every one of the 897 stairs from top to bottom. To this day, I can still remember that my little thighs burned and my legs were trembling from that descent.

From that sea level sign, I realized the vertical drop from there to the Galilee shore was every bit of the Washington Monument ordeal, and then some. Actually it was an additional descent the equivalent of a 12-story building.

Guidebooks in Israel say that to walk the 60 km trail from Nazareth to Capernaum, the fishing village on the Sea of Galilee, takes 3-5 days. One guidebook offered this warning, without a hint of irony: "Wear sturdy hiking boots. Do not attempt this in sandals." It was a laugh-out-loud moment. But it made the point without having to say it: Jesus and his disciples, who walked that grade regularly, in sandals, had to have been physically very fit.

2. Jesus was historically fit. Not only was Jesus physically fit, a visit to Nazareth convinced me that he was also historically fit.

I hadn't realized it until I got there, but Nazareth is a mountain town, on a ridge approximately 1,650 feet above sea level. More significantly, the panorama from the top of the ridge is not only spectacular but historically rich. It's a living history lesson. From there you can see:

Mount Tabor, where Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera's Canaanite forces (and later where Jesus' Transfiguration likely took place with Moses and Elijah).

The valley where Gideon and his 300-man force routed the Midianite army.

Mount Gilboa, where Saul and Jonathan were killed by the Philistines.

Mount Carmel, where Elijah defeated 400 prophets of Baal after God miraculously sent fire to consume his sacrifice.

Har Megiddo.The strategic crossroads city where many battles have been fought throughout history and where the climactic battle of Armageddon is foretold to occur.

I wondered if Jesus ever contemplated the historic richness of this place. How could he not? He certainly knew the Hebrew Scriptures. And when you walk up that trail to the Mt. of Precipice overlooking the city of Nazareth (it was a village in Jesus' day) - you are overwhelmed with the closeness of the past, and your part in a much larger story.

Seeing what Jesus could view from the ridge near Nazareth, it became clear in a way I'd never seen before that Jesus was historically fit.

3. Jesus was spiritually fit. Three experiences in particular impressed me with Jesus' spiritual fitness. One was walking the hillsides where Jesus would either stay up all night or get up very early in the morning to pray. Jesus took seriously his time with the Father. If he did, how can I not also spend time in prayer?

A second experience was driving through the wilderness near Jesus' baptismal site, where Scripture says "he was led by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil" (Luke 4). After 40 days, he was hungry and the devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." The wilderness is a barren, intensely rocky environment. When all you can see is stone, and you've had nothing to eat for more than a month, that temptation to turn stones to bread must have been powerful. But Jesus overcame the temptation.

The third experience was following the path Jesus took from the Garden of Gethsemane to Caiaphas's house to the site where Pilate examined and then condemned him, and then along the Via Dolorosa to the place traditionally identified as the site of the crucifixion.

Walking most of that distance, almost four miles, knowing that for much of it, Jesus, having been arrested, was likely roughed up and beaten, makes you appreciate his fitness, strength, and determination. Climbing the stairs, ascending the slopes, making your way through the crowded and narrow streets, seeing the places where it's believed that Jesus fell, only to get up again and continue his journey to the cross—it all deeply impressed me with the spiritual strength that Jesus had. How tempting it must have been to just give up!

The verses from Hebrews kept replaying in my mind: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" (Heb. 12:2-3).

Yes, during my time in Israel, I was able to "consider him" who endured such things, consider his physical and historical and spiritual fitness. And that consideration continues to nourish me and helps make me more fit so as not to grow weary or lose heart.

Not What I Expected

2010-05-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

“This is not what I expected”, the young man said as he grabbed my hand and walked out of our sanctuary recently.

He quickly shared that he had been to other United Methodist Churches before his visit (in other communities) and that it was with reluctance he had even attended here on this particular Sunday morning. What he had not expected, he confessed, was spirited worship, a vibrant congregation and a church that came across as being on a mission. “This church is actually alive”, he continued.

All of which got me to thinking, how in the world would this not be what you would expect from a United Methodist Church? Or from any church, for that matter.

We were founded, after all, as a movement (not a denomination or church!) on fire for Jesus Christ. John Wesley, our founder, could scarcely take time to eat or sleep or do anything else because he was so anxious to share his faith with others.

One scholar, Stephen Tompkins, estimated that during his lifetime Wesley rode 250,000 miles on horseback and preached 40,000 sermons. He led a movement that by his death numbered over 150,000 people organized under 500 preachers. Methodism, at the time of his death, was the fastest growing religious movement in the world, and it was really just getting started in America.

John Wesley expected his preachers to connect the gospel of good news to the daily living of their audience. He was unafraid to address difficult topics (such as slavery and the rights of all people). He loathed dull preaching and proclaimed famously, “I set myself on fire (when I preach) and people come to watch me burn.” Methodist preaching was, and should be, alive and vibrant today.

The Methodist movement focused on caring for the needs of the communities it served. Food pantries and clothing centers, visiting the sick and imprisoned, offerings for the poor, and opportunities for children have always been at the center of our movement.

On the morning this young man visited our church, we were collecting food for our own food bank, advertising for the new clothing center in town, plugging another opportunity for children to learn about Jesus in our VBS daycamp coming up in the city park this summer, and asked people to give money to support our youth who are going on a mission trip this summer to help a community devastated by the ravages of a tornado.

Finally, it has always been our tradition to welcome and care for one another. Methodism has always emphasized care for those both within the Christian community, and those outside of it. We should warmly greet each other, inquire about their welfare, and care especially for the “strangers in our midst”.

These were and always will be the hallmarks of our Methodist heritage. I am glad that this young man found them to be the case at the church I am blessed to pastor. I am glad that neither he, or John Wesley, was disappointed! And I'm hoping that Jesus wasn't disappointed either, because He was there, too!

So, how is it at your church? And you don't have to be Methodist to claim this royal heritage. It works anywhere, anytime. Maybe those were after all the best words I could have heard that day - "This is not what I expected."

Looking for Lessons

2010-05-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

I remember very vividly a lesson God taught me.

A large man with a long scruffy beard and a loud, demanding voice came into my church office one day. His hair was uncombed, his shirt smelled of heavy sweat, and his dirty shoes left tracks across my carpet. I was put off by Ron’s arrogant swagger and his order to fix his wife or I’d be sorry. But as we talked, a tear trickled down his cheek when he told me how much he loved his wife and how he was fearful she might leave him. This man who at first appeared hard-hearted was actually quite caring and tender. The longer we talked, the more I liked Ron. But I had to get past my first impression.

After Ron left my office that day, I thought of the story of Samuel looking for a king. God said, “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). That morning God used Ron to teach me to look beyond the surface and not jump to conclusions. I learned that things are not always as they seem. It’s a simple lesson – one I certainly already knew but desperately needed to be reminded of.

Each and every day God teaches me a lesson – frequently many lessons. Some are new and enlightening, and others are reminders of things I had forgotten or had not focused on recently. Some lessons have a heavy impact; others are small and seemingly less significant. Lessons come to us in hundreds of different ways. Yet if we are not keenly attentive, we miss them.

I probably miss too much of what God wants to teach me. If God were to send me a hundred lessons in a day and I were to get just one of them, I would consider myself blessed. Looking for lessons requires intentional determination to get beyond whatever distractions we may face. To find these lessons we must be willing to pay attention, dig deep, and work hard. We don’t appreciate what we have found if it is too easy. As Malcolm Muggeridge wrote: “Every happening, great or small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message.”

On the surface, each day looks random and confusing, but that is frequently because we do not really look and we do not really think. Thinking means connecting things. It involves looking for meaning and wisdom in all that we encounter.

There is an order in this universe – an order that provides meaning and millions of amazing lessons. All we have to do is reach out and grab them.

The ordinary is only ordinary because we have grown used to it. The common, the simple, and the small often hold powerful lessons. Grace Crowell wrote: “The common tasks are beautiful, if we have eyes to see their shining ministry.” Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of Little House on the Prairie, put it this way: “I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.” Yes, it is frequently the things we ignore that can teach us the most. They are the diamonds at our feet.

So, don’t ignore the little things; don’t label anything as insignificant or meaningless. We miss so much of what happens around us. Life’s lessons are infinite. Look for lessons everywhere. You can find them in the most wonderful and surprising places: in a song or a movie, on the bumper of a car, in a dream, in a smile, on an afternoon stroll, or even in a patch of sunlight. And yes, even if a dirty, smelly, arrogant Ron crosses the pathway of your life.

Every person we meet has a story to tell and a lesson to teach. We are surrounded by teachers – wise senior citizens, innocent children, close friends, complete strangers, even enemies and critics. All we have to do is look and listen.

A thousand lessons stand before you in a thousand different forms. Some are obvious, some are not. Open your eyes, your ears, your heart. Let your soul always stand ajar – seeking, waiting, and welcoming the next lesson.

And each evening as you turn out the light and let your head sink into the pillow, review the events of the day. Search for lessons that God has placed along your way – all those messages, both grand and simple, that are easily lost in the rush and clutter but could make your day much more meaningful.

Just like the lesson Ron taught me the day he stopped by my office. I’m glad I didn’t miss it.

It's Not Their Fault

2010-01-25T00:01:00.001-08:00

Here's what my Bible says. “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5 ESV)

In the aftermath of what analysts are calling the worst natural disaster ever to strike the western hemisphere, the American people have responded with an immense outpouring of generosity and support to the beloved citizens of Haiti. Dozens of entities - most notably the U.S. military, the American Red Cross, and countless other organizations dedicated to providing essential disaster relief - have sprung into action. In the same way that Americans came together after the devastating tsunami of 2004 and the terror attacks of 2001, the people of Haiti are witnessing firsthand what we as a nation can do when united by a single purpose and a common vision.

Unfortunately, the messages of hope and goodwill coming from America in the past two weeks have been marred by the ill-considered and inappropriate remarks of Christian televangelist Pat Robertson. Two days after the earthquake struck, Robertson declared on his show, The 700 Club, that the earthquake (and Haiti’s destitution in general) is the manifestation of God’s punishment for a pact that the Haitian people made with Satan in 1791 in order to drive the French colonial presence from their land.

Not surprisingly, these comments have sparked outrage in many quarters. Tell me why,in the face of unimaginable suffering, sorrow, and misery, would the Rev. Robertson have decided that now is a good time to suggest, in essence, that the Haitian nation “had it coming?” Why would he imagine that he, or any other person, is qualified to make such a judgment?

It’s true that, as Christians, we believe that God can and does use natural events to express his righteous judgment. The Bible is full of instances in which people are punished by floods, fire, and yes, earthquakes as a result of sins committed against God and against each other. We’re all familiar with the story of Noah and the flood, the fiery judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and the ten plagues of Egypt. The Old Testament book of Isaiah prophesies about God’s punishment on the earth, telling us that “the earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered, for the Lord has spoken this word.”

Verses 18-20 discuss earthquakes in particular: “…the foundations of the earth tremble. The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again.” (Isaiah 24: 18-20 ESV)

Thus, it is not out of the question that the terrible natural disasters that have occurred over the centuries, including plagues of disease, have been evidence of God’s displeasure with mankind. It is also quite possible that God’s wrath has nothing whatsoever to do with these events. Jesus addressed this point explicitly with his disciples, who were quick to surmise that those suffering from various calamities and persecutions were being targeted for their sins or the sins of their fathers:

“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:2-5 ESV)

In this passage and elsewhere, Jesus redirects the disciples’ attention from the outward to the inward. Instead of speculating about the sins of others or the judgment of God, he says, we would do well to examine our own hearts and ask forgiveness for our own sins.

Christians should not be quick to assume that because calamity has befallen another, sin is the root cause of their problem. The disciples made just such a mistake when they observed a man blind from birth and asked Jesus “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2 ESV) Jesus simply responded, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:3 ESV) Jesus then went on to heal the man.

God’s ways are not man’s ways. (Isaiah 55: 8-9) Therefore, rather than indulging in the temptation to assign blame when others suffer misfortune, we would do well to examine our own lives, repent of our own sins, and seek to be at peace with our neighbors.

We are commanded by God not to judge others, but instead to love our neighbor as ourselves. Christ teaches us that we are all sinners; we all fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Let us all, therefore, respond to the tragedy in Haiti with an attitude of humility and repentance as we reach out to help those in need.

I've Been Curious

2010-01-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

I have some questions that I’d like answered. Some of these questions are deep, questions that people have been asking through the ages. Others are just things that I can’t figure out. They are in no particular order. I’d love to hear how you’d respond to any of these. If you're reading this just leave a post comment on my blog.

1. Why do we say mean things to those we love most that we’d never consider saying to a stranger?
2. Why do young people full of potential suffer and die, while aged folks who have lived their lives and are ready for heaven linger?
3. Why are Americans who have so much sadder than people who live in impoverished countries?
4. Is there life on other planets?
5. Why did God create the universe that is mostly invisible to the human eye?
6. How do people fall in love?
7. Why does the largest animal, the blue whale feed on one of the smallest, krill?
8. Why does doing the right thing often seem hard, while doing the wrong thing comes so easily?
9. Why is it that we know a lot of people, but have so few good friends?
10. Why can I birdie one hole and get a triple bogey on the next?
11. Why is reading a novel easy while reading the Bible takes real effort?
12. Where are all the technological changes leading us?
13. Why are TV’s getting larger and smaller at the same time?
14. How can some people suffer much and remain happy and positive and others complain at the slightest inconvenience?
15. How can Congress that oversees the Post Office which loses billions of dollars a year doing the simple task of delivering a letter possibly oversee something as complex as the health care system without major cost overruns?

Makes me curious. How about you?

After the First of the Year

2010-01-09T12:08:00.001-08:00

You heard the phrase more than once during the Christmas season. “Let’s wait till after the first of the year.” You probably said it yourself. Maybe quite a bit.

“After the first of the year.” During the frenetic Christmas holiday we speak of early January as though it were a wide open, barren expanse of schedule where meetings, appointments and get togethers are free to roam and plop down at their leisure. Somewhere along the way we’ve convinced ourselves that January is December’s pressure release valve; the calendar’s junk drawer where we shove everything in our schedule we don’t have time for now but plan to deal with someday soon. It seems a distinction we give only to January. When’s the last time you heard someone say, “Things are crazy right now. Let’s wait till after Flag Day.” ?

Practically speaking, there’s no difference between turning the calendar page from December to January than turning it from July to August. And if we really analyze our schedules, every month is as busy as another. We mark time by clocks and calendars. Calendars offer the potential to set deadlines. That’s good. Calendars also offer the potential to slide commitments to a future day. That’s procrastination.

Those who know me well sometimes compliment me on my ability to be productive under pressure. I do my best work, they say, in the 11th hour. They mean it as a compliment. The fact is I work well under pressure because I’ve had years of practice laboring at the last minute. I’m sometimes (now much older than I used to be) a procrastinating perfectionist. Yes, I think I often do work well under pressure. Just don't want to do it all the time that way, though.

There is something insidious about “the first of the year”. Insidious in that it becomes an acceptable escape for our failed resolutions and procrastinations. “I’ll start in January” we tell ourselves (sometimes in February or March) when we fail to follow through on a personal improvement promise. After twelve months of pushing them off, we arrive at the New Year only to find it loaded down with the old year’s unfulfilled goals. Add this year’s good intentions and it’s almost too heavy for lift off.

Now that we’re here in 2010, how are we going to spend our time? Some of us make lists of resolutions only to feel guilty a month later when we haven’t followed through. Nothing wrong with resolutions. But maybe a better way to be productive is to admit and act on the fact that some things just aren’t worth our time.

One time study done some years ago showed that Americans in their lifetime will, on average, spend 6 months sitting at stoplights, 8 months opening junk mail, 1 year looking for misplaced objects, 2 years unsuccessfully returning phone calls, 4 years doing housework, and 5 years waiting in line. Analyzing those statistics another way, if we got rid our our phones, quit buying Windex and Lemon Pledge, moved to a cabin in the middle of Montana and traded the car for a horse, we could get 13 years of our life back.

A simple step toward making the most of this year is to not give our time to everything that screams for it. Maybe it means listening to more music and less TV. Reading more books. If you don’t use coupons, don’t waste time cutting them out. Maybe it means admitting that the planet will continue to spin if your house goes an extra few days without being vacuumed and dusted. Don’t reorganize the junk in your garage. Purge it. And could we all make a corporate resolution to recapture 8 months of our lifetime by holding the junk mail in our hand without opening it and speak aloud the words of King Solomon, “Behold, there is nothing new under the sun” before throwing it in the recycling bin?

A successful 2010 may depend as much on what we don’t do as what we do do.

It’s officially “after the first of the year”. Here’s to not doing the unimportant. Here’s to not procrastinating in doing that which is important. You know which is which.

Now go make friends with your recycling bin.

The Greatest Story Ever Told & The Garbage Pail Kids

2009-12-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

Heading for the check out lane at WalMart on Christmas Eve day I glanced at a display rack of DVD’s.

“All Movies $9.99″.

On the top row in the middle was “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, an epic film from 1965 about the life of Jesus Christ. From His miraculous virgin birth to His sacrificial death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead to ascension into heaven. A three hour and 17 minute masterpiece that can’t begin to record all the works that Jesus did for our good and His glory.

Right next to that DVD in the slot to the left was “The Garbage Pail Kids Movie”. The plot summary for this forgettable 1987 flick is, according to Volker Boehm,

“Seven disgusting kids but nevertheless of interesting personality are being made of the green mud coming out of the garbage can. Once alive their master gives them rules to obey although they think that life is funnier without following stupid regulations like no television or no candy. Naturally, this will cause some conflicts.”

Naturally.

On this night before Christmas Eve, those two DVD’s side by side well illustrate the reason for the season. Jesus Christ, the greatest story ever told, comes into our garbage pail world to clean us up and make us whole. It’s not an easy task. Because we Valerie Vomit’s and Foul Phil’s and Messie Tessie’s (add Terrible Todd’s) think that life is better without following our Master’s regulations. Left to our own desires, we’d rather live in our green mud. It’s bound to cause some conflicts. We are not very loveable people.

Which makes Christmas even more amazing.

Jesus Christ willingly left the glory of heaven to be born into our muddy world. And as He lived He didn’t hold His nose while walking through our garbage. He drew near to us. To hug and to heal. To dine and to drink. To talk and to touch. To seek and to save. Instead of avoiding our mess He waded into it.

When you think about where He comes from, it doesn’t make any sense. Moving from the Ritz on Park Avenue to the dump outside of town? How can “downward mobility” ever make sense? But Jesus loves us. So much that He came our direction. He took on human form to experience everything that we do. In doing so He became our perfect advocate before God the Father. “Dad, I know what they are going through. I’ve been there.” In short, when it comes to the hard life we live, Jesus can relate.

This Christmas you, like me, may not feel worthy of God’s love. If you don’t, you’re not alone. The Bible says that all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) The fact is, we aren’t worthy of God’s love. That’s the miracle of Christmas. The sinless Christ born for sinful us.

Jesus loves us. And not because it’s in His job description. He loves us willingly, joyfully and with no limit. There’s nothing you could do to make Him love you less and no great accomplishment you achieve could make Him love you more. Jesus loves you for who you are right now in this moment. We may think we need to clean up before we can come to Him, we may think we need to scrape off the mud and find some cleaner clothes before we talk with Him. But Jesus says, “I showed my love for you in that while you were yet sinning, I died for you.” (Romans 5:8) That’s the definition of unconditional love.

This Christmas I hope your “greatest story ever told” is how Jesus came into your muddy world and showed you His unconditional love. If you’ve never experienced that or if you have questions about much Jesus loves you, please contact me. I’ll be happy to point you to the God who absolutely delights in you. The God who loved you so much He came into your world to pull you out of your mud and into His arms.

Jesus Loves You. This I know.

Merry Christmas.

“God showed His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8

“And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold I bring you good news of great joy which shall be to all people. Unto you this day in the city of David is born a Savior, which is Christ the Lord!” - Luke 2:10-11

Christmas . . . I Believe

2009-12-11T13:16:00.001-08:00

I believe in Christmas. I believe that God sends light into the dark corners of our lives. That in the lonely and cold moments, God comes with a message of good news.

I believe that God’s good news sweeps away all of the world’s bad news like a broom sweeps away dust. God brings hope in the midst of despair. God brings healing in the midst of illness. God brings peace in the midst of strife and solace to the mourning. God brings power to the weak. God brings companionship to the lonely and family to the forgotten. God brings justice for the oppressed and liberty for the captive. Most of all, God brings new life in the midst of death. In a word, God brings what we need.

I believe in Christmas. I believe that God continues to work in my life today through this story of Christ’s birth so long ago.

I am a shepherd, startled to hear the good news of the angels, but eager to go and see for myself. I am Mary, aware that somehow God is using me to accomplish things too big to imagine. I am Joseph, not understanding fully that which God calls me to do, but following as faithfully as I can. I am the innkeeper, busy and frazzled, but making some room, somehow, for God to be born. I am the Wiseman, on a journey of discovery, bearing my gift to be given to glorify God. And yes, I am the angel, proclaiming in my own life, the glorious good news that God has come into the world and we shall never be the same.

I believe in Christmas and with my life, today and throughout the year to come, I will proclaim that Christ is born, that Christmas is here, that God is with us! Amen.

Tacos and Influence

2009-11-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes simple lessons of life are learned from simple expressions of children. The year was 1988. It happened at meal time when my second son was about five years old. The meal being served was tacos. Since I was the parent at hand, I asked a simple question about how he might like his tacos prepared. His simple response went like this: "I don't want mine right now. First, I want to see how you fix yours, Daddy."

At that moment, a rather profound, but maybe simple, thought flashed into my mind like neon lights. The power of influence. Nobody lives to themselves and nobody dies to themselves. Not even Dad when fixing tacos.

However limited or extended our contact is with somebody else, we are constantly exerting an influence, whether good or bad. By what we do and say, by how we act and react , we are impressing or depressing other people. Since all of life, including unconscious influence, will be judged by God, we ought to be concerned about our influence. That should be a given.

It is entirely possible for our actions to be misread, and our influence can be negative even though our intentions were good. Someone may hear a snatch of our innocent conversation and jump to a wrong conclusion, while the whole conversation would have created a different impression and response. So, influence should really be weighed by the whole scope of our lives.

This does not mean that brief contacts are unimportant at all. Much of our life is filled with fleeting associations with others. Whoever it is that we meet, however brief or extended the meet may be, we should aim at being genuinely Christian.

It should be remembered that influence is not the same as image. It's a fact that some people are concerned about their friendships because they want to project some kind of an acceptable image. Image is just a misnomer because all it's good for is to show something that a person is really not. Trying to sell yourself as a bar of gold when you're just a block of brass doesn't work very well in the long run. Somebody will eventually figure it out.

It is a lesson that needs to be learned. We should never aim to gull people in order to take advantage of them. We should never pretend to be better Christians than we really are. We should never pretend to be more holy than we really are. What we should be doing is actually quite simple. In all the going-ons with the "somebodies" in our life, we should be accepting, loving, understanding, forgiving and encouraging people to find "the Way." I say that only then does influence really make a difference.

And to think - a simple lesson from a five year old son getting ready to watch his Dad fix tacos - reminded me again about the power of influence. It's stayed with me all these years. That's the way life is - little things are important, even influence. But the end result of influence is never small or insignificant. It lends itself to every relationship of our lives - yes, even when preparing tacos around the kitchen table at family meal time.

It's not about image - it's about influence. And yes, you can believe that every time I fix and eat tacos, I think about influence and wonder who's watching me. I might just be having some influence on someone for life - in ways that I don't even know.

Bad to Better

2009-11-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Everybody knows they are inevitable. Bad days happen to everyone. For once, maybe you'd like to think about some things you can do to make them better. So, here goes.

1. Play with a child. I dare you.

2. Give someone a compliment. Not a fake one, either. But take the time to see something that someone else is doing well.

3. Sing in your car. Even if you don't think you can carry a tune in the bucket. Well, remember you're not singing in the bucket - you're singing in your car. And sing as loud as you can. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to frown while you are singing? If you don't like singing in the car, try singing in the shower. It always sounds good - if not better.

4. Read Philippians 4. That happens to be in the Good Book - the Holy Bible. And while you are at it, just think about where Paul, the writer, was while he was writing it. Hint: He was in prison.

5. Bake your favorite kind of cookies. Then eat some. Nobody will know the difference.

6. Count your blessings. I mean it. Start a list of all the things you are thankful for. Write until you can’t write anymore. Staple it to the wall. Or tape it to the refrigerator.

7. Watch people. Go find a crowded public area, anywhere, and then sit down and watch. Allow yourself to wonder what he ate for breakfast, or what her name is, or where he bought that shirt.

8. Do something for someone you love. Do the dishes for your wife, take your niece out for ice cream, take your mom to Starbucks for a coffee.

9. Pray. It’s #9 on the list because you expected it to be #1. What could be more encouraging than talking to the Creator of the universe?

10. Think of the most encouraging person you know and call them. But don’t complain. Refrain from telling them how bad your day is and focus on making their day better.

11. Write a letter. A good old-fashioned paper and ink letter. Bonus: write it to someone who has impacted your life and thank them and let them know how much you appreciate their role or impact in your life. It might just surprise you what might happen.

12. Remember the truth. That God causes all things to work together for GOOD (Romans 8:28).

And after all this, it might be that your day will go from better to best. What a nice exchange for just a little bit of extra effort.

On How to Be Kind

2009-11-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

Smile.

Crack a joke.

Help the carry out person wrangle a couple stray carts. Write a real paper and pen note to a former teacher telling them what you learned from them. Call your parents and tell them you noticed how much smarter they got after you went to college.

Hold the door for someone.

Let the person behind you go ahead of you in line…even if they have more items than you do. Volunteer to take someone to the airport – and pick them up when they return. Don’t go through the shirt pile at Target like a hog rooting for truffles…find your size and stack the rest neatly back. Pay attention to body language – if the words say “I’m fine” and the face says, “I’m not fine”, ask what’s wrong. Then listen.

Develop eyes for the “invisible people”…they are created in the image of God.

Hold someone’s hand.

Send someone in need an anonymous gift card with a note, “God will never let you down.” Don’t go slow in the fast lane. Help someone change a tire. Pull your kids close, look them in the eye and say, “I wouldn’t trade you for the world. I am so proud to be your Dad/Mom.” Go to the nursing home and give Gladys and Lily a makeover while you ask them about the good old days.

Tell your neighbor not to buy a new lawnmower…he can use yours anytime he wants.

Love your wife. Respect your husband. Cherish your children. Offer your God-given talents to the church and community. Make the cashier at WalMart laugh. Hug. Visit someone in the hospital. Clean up your mess.

Own your mistakes. Say “I’m sorry.”

Forgive.

Invite someone to church. Pass along the magazine article that made you smile. Gather your friends in crisis and host a “Life is Hard But God is Good” party – 30 minutes of crying and complaining followed by two hours of laughing and reminding one another that the joy of the Lord is your strength. Smile and say “thank you” and make eye contact when you do.

Ask someone, “How can I pray for you?”

Then pray.

Share a beautiful photo. Give an I-Tunes gift card with a note, “Buy the music that speaks to your heart.” Stop being grouchy. Compliment other people’s kids. Show up at someone’s door with a decadent chocolate cheesecake. (And don’t forget the coffee.) Read to your children. Give someone a roll of quarters for the car wash. Be a surrogate Mom/Dad, Grandpa/Grandma to a college student from out of state. Take out the trash without being asked. Post your child’s artwork on the refrigerator.

Leave a big tip.

Be patient with your kids.

Buy a bag of groceries for someone, put them on the step and do a “ring and run” (it’ll be a rush and you’ll feel like a kid again.) Rake leaves for an elderly person who wishes they could but can’t. Give a single parent a break by entertaining their kids for an evening. Pay compliments to those who least expect it…”Something I always notice when I come here is how clean it is. Thanks for scrubbing those restrooms. You do a great job.”

Make those who feel insignificant feel significant. Make those who feel unloved feel loved. Call out the obvious talent you see in someone and spur them to develop it.

Stop being prideful. Apologize.

Call a long lost friend in another state, tell them to go outside and look at the same moon while you talk about old times.

Play a practical joke. Make a memory.

Be thankful.

Be grateful.

Live your life as a gift to God.

Point people to Jesus.

And remember - it's not really all that hard to find ways to be kind. It's sort of like that little girl who prayed, "God, make all the bad people, good. And all the good people, nice."

Have a Son Shine day!

“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” - 1 John 3:11

A Little I've Lived and Learned

2009-11-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

When I first started my blog spot, not all that long after my 50th birthday, I posted some things I've learned. Well, I'm still learning. Seeing that I am now bumping very soon to my 51st birthday, I thought it might be time to add to that list. So here goes - for whatever it's worth to you.

The seventeenth century English clergyman Thomas Fuller wrote, "If you have knowledge, let others light their candle from it." I do think my candle burns with a lively flame. I invite you to light your candle from mine. By holding them together, we'll illuminate our own path as well as signal a direction for those who follow.

1. I've learned that the greatest challenge of life is to decide what is important and to disregard everything else.
2. I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do.
3. I've learned that the best thing about growing older is that now I don't feel the need to impress anyone.
4. I've learned that education,experience, and memories are three things no one can take away from you.
5. I've learned that if your life is free of failure, you're probably not taking enough risks.
6. I've learned that how people treat me is more a reflection of how they see themselves than how they see me.
7. I've learned that you can't please some people, no matter what you do.
8. I've learned that if you wait until all conditions are perfect before you act, you'll never act.
9. I've learned that the best advice you can give anyone is, "Be kind."
10. I've learned you always find time to do the things you really want to do.
11. I've learned that you should fill your life with experiences, not excuses.
12. I've learned that there are some things I haven't made up my mind about yet.
13. I've learned that you never get rewarded for the things you intended to do.
14. I've learned that you shouldn't speak unless you can improve on the silence.
15. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

Oh yes, and one more: Number 16. I've learned that drinking a Diet Coke doesn't make up for the candy bar I enjoyed earlier.

You gotta love it. Live and learn.

That Amazing Thing Called Encouragement

2009-11-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

It happened to me twice last week.

Both times completely unexpected.

One from a friend. One from a stranger.

Both times brought a few tears to my eyes.

Handwritten notes of appreciation and encouragement.

When is the last time you were on the receiving end of genuine encouragement? Isn’t it a wonderful mix of good feelings? Someone noticed. Someone cares. Someone took time to say so. Encouragement validates us. We are worth something. We have a place in the world and in the lives of others. Encouragement invigorates us going forward. We press on, this time with more purpose and renewed commitment. Because someone cared enough to say we’re making a difference.

In my Grandparent’s day, a handwritten note was the preferred method of communicating appreciation, if only because they didn’t have our technology. Today we have phone, email, text, electronic greeting cards and, if all else fails, face to face conversations. I still think a handwritten note is the best. Whether the handwriting is good or not, there is something special about a handwritten note. Thoughts expressed with ink on paper feel more intimate than laser printed Ariel 12-point font. Handwriting is an expression of personality. And it takes more thought, more care, to pen a letter. Perhaps that’s what makes it special.

Just this week, I sat down and sent handwritten thank you notes to some people I needed to thank, even if it does take them a little longer to make sure they rightly decipher my scrawl.

The medium isn’t as important as the message. Phone, note or card, are you encouraging people on a daily basis? If not, why not?

The beauty of encouragement is that it can’t be overdone. Encouragement is the Vitamin C of relationships; you can’t give too much of it and the receiver can’t overdose on it. And like Vitamin C, none of us get enough of it.

Pull up your contact list on your cell phone or Blackberry. Guaranteed that every one of those people would be blessed to have you call and say, “I just wanted you to know I appreciate your friendship.” If someone called you and said that, how much better would your day be?

As much as the people in your life need to hear your appreciation, the beauty of encouragement is that it is not contingent upon relationship. You can encourage a total stranger.

I was sitting in a Pizza Hut and was waiting for my food. While waiting, I happened to glance away to my left and noticed some people with heads bowed. It was irresistible. I waited until they finished and stepped over to acknowledge what I knew they had just done - they had prayed - and in a public setting at that. My simple acknowledgment of their Christian faith in public display brought some smiles to their faces and a friendly exchange of our common faith and belief. In the end, they became more than a total stranger - we shared a common spirit of faith. And their final words to me were this, "Thanks for the encouragement."

That simple exchange was between people who had never met but the end result was a mutual encouragement. Which raises an important point.

The best time to encourage is always “now”. Not “later”. Do it now when it comes to mind. Do it now while you’re thinking about it. Do it now, when the person crosses your mind. Do it now when you observe someone hurting. Do it now when you see someone who deserves to be recognized for their efforts. Do it now when you think about the person who helped you become the person you are. Do it now.

We spend so much time on tasks that really don’t matter. Much of what we do could be put off indefinitely. Cleaning the garage can always wait. Encouragement should never be procrastinated. Encouragement should always be done now.

Simply put, we never know how many opportunities we’ll have to encourage people.

Do it now.

William Ward said,
"Flatter me, and I may not believe you.
Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.
Encourage me, and I will not forget you."

Now, go make someone's day.

Gospel or Religion?

2009-11-17T19:38:00.000-08:00

Here's a very insightful comparison between “religion” and “the gospel” drawn from the sermons of Tim Keller (Senior Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan). Don't hold that Presbyterian stuff against him, though. Tim actually does a remarkable job of probing hearts and revealing how easily we slip into self-dependence mode. I have often said - real slavery according to the Bible is self-reliance. So, read the comparison list below with humility and care. It will do your soul good.

RELIGION: I obey-therefore I’m accepted.

THE GOSPEL: I’m accepted-therefore I obey.

RELIGION: Motivation is based on fear and insecurity.

THE GOSPEL: Motivation is based on grateful joy.

RELIGION: I obey God in order to get things from God.

THE GOSPEL: I obey God to get to God-to delight and resemble Him.

RELIGION: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or my self, since I believe, like Job’s friends that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.

THE GOSPEL: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle but I know all my punishment fell on Jesus and that while he may allow this for my training, he will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial.

RELIGION: When I am criticized I am furious or devastated because it is critical that I think of myself as a ‘good person’. Threats to that self-image must be destroyed at all costs.

THE GOSPEL: When I am criticized I struggle, but it is not critical for me to think of myself as a ‘good person.’ My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on God’s love for me in Christ. I can take criticism.

RELIGION: My prayer life consists largely of petition and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment.

THE GOSPEL: My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with Him.

RELIGION: My self-view swings between two poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel insecure and inadequate. I’m not confident. I feel like a failure.

THE GOSPEL: My self-view is not based on a view of my self as a moral achiever. In Christ I am “simul iustus et peccator”— simultaneously sinful and yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad he had to die for me and I am so loved he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper and deeper humility and confidence at the same time. Neither swaggering nor sniveling.

RELIGION: My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work. Or how moral I am, and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior to ‘the other.’

THE GOSPEL: My identity and self-worth are centered on the one who died for His enemies, who was excluded from the city for me. I am saved by sheer grace. So I can’t look down on those who believe or practice something different from me. Only by grace I am what I am. I’ve no inner need to win arguments.

RELIGION: Since I look to my own pedigree or performance for my spiritual acceptability, my heart manufactures idols. It may be my talents, my moral record, my personal discipline, my social status, etc. I absolutely have to have them so they serve as my main hope, meaning, happiness, security, and significance, whatever I may say I believe about God.

THE GOSPEL: I have many good things in my life—family, work, spiritual disciplines, etc. But none of these good things are ultimate things to me. None of them are things I absolutely have to have, so there is a limit to how much anxiety, bitterness, and despondency they can inflict on me when they are threatened and lost.

I choose the gospel.

Every Second

2009-10-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

This isn't about politics. It's about something way more important than politics. But it's good enough to read on.

Do you ever find yourself so busy that you can’t keep track of everything on your schedule? Have you ever said to yourself or to someone around you, “I just don’t have time to think about that right now!”?

Sometimes we get so involved and over-committed that we forget things. Forgetting to pick up your shirts from the cleaners isn’t that big a deal. Forgetting your spouse’s birthday would be a big deal. Now, so far I haven't forgotten my wife’s birthday. It’s inconceivable to me. In fact, I know that I can't afford to forget Valentine’s Day, either. That's the day we got married. I've been known to say that if I ever forget Valentine's Day, well, I might not wake up alive the next morning. Ever heard the phrase “Gone But Not Forgotten”? It’s not just for tombstones.

Just today, I looked at my Blackberry and considered everything in my schedule. Family stuff, work stuff, church stuff, time with friends, doctor appointment, church meetings, and on and on it goes.

I wondered out loud, “How does God do it? How does He keep track of everything in the universe?” I just have my tiny postage stamp corner of the world to take care of. God rides herd on the whole planet. Not to mention 6 billion busy people just like me.”

Obviously, God is God and because He is the Ultimate Everything He doesn’t need a Blackberry to organize His week. God’s omniscience and omnipresence are too big for me to get my brain around. Just for a minute, let’s break it down to something less mind blowing.

Are you wearing a watch today? If you are, chances are it has a quartz crystal inside. Were we able to see it, we would find that the quartz crystal in our watch vibrates at a speed of approximately 8 billion times per second. That’s 8 billion with a capital “beyond our absolutely”, as a dear friend of mine would say.

There are approximately 6 billion people on planet earth. If God were only able to think as fast as the quartz crystal in your watch, He would be able to think about you and every other person on earth at the same time, every second of every minute of every hour of every day.

With time to spare.

Psalm 121 says that our God “does not sleep nor does He slumber”. He is literally thinking about you every second of every minute of every day. This week while you’re using your Timex and your Blackberry or Palm Pilot to keep track of your schedule, remember that God is thinking about you every second of every minute. Everyday. Thoughts of love, grace, encouragement, forgiveness, kindness, hope and peace. God cares about the details of your life.

You might forget something this week. It happens. For your sake I hope it’s the shirts at the cleaners and not a birthday. Whatever you might forget, no worries. God will never forget about you.

God, Prayer, and YOU

2009-10-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Recently I read a compilation of actual prayers offered up to God by children. They were funny and refreshingly candid. Like Angela, age 8, who said, “Dear God, could you give my brother some brains? So far he doesn’t have any.” Or “Dear God, thanks for the nice day today. You even fooled the TV weather man.”

One entry on the list captured perhaps the most foundational truth about prayer. Diane, age 8, offered up this communication to God…

“Dear God; I am saying my prayers for me and my brother, Billy, because Billy is six months old and he can’t do anything but sleep and wet his diapers.”

Diane was praying on behalf of her baby brother because he was helpless to do anything on his own.

Someone has wisely noted that, “Prayer is the language of totally helpless creatures.” This is a foundational truth about prayer. In the middle of our self-reliant, self-help, independent, pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, make our own way in the world attitudes, the fact remains that we are, in the things that matter most, totally helpless creatures. Even that which we obtain through our responsible work ethic and effort come directly from the hand of God.

When we pray, be it a prayer of thanks or praise or confession or grief or petition or fear or joy or confusion, we are acknowledging that we are indeed helpless creatures. We are created beings and we desperately need our Creator. We need God. To be sure, this is true.

But what if we turn the question around? Does God need us?

In a word...no.

God doesn’t need anything or anyone. God is self-sufficient. Self-reliant. Self-fulfilling. God is the only One who could stand on stage, accept any award and say with complete integrity, “I’d like to thank no one because it’s all about Me.” God is God. And God is all God needs.

If God is everything in Himself, then how does prayer fit into that? Logically speaking, it doesn’t. When we think seriously about prayer and what’s in it for God, from our human perspective it doesn’t make sense. Our prayers don’t offer God anything that He needs.

God needs nothing from us. God doesn’t need our money. He owns, as the Psalmist put it, “the cattle on a thousand hills.” Elsewhere, the Bible says, “the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” God owns everything so He lacks nothing. What do you buy for the God Who has everything? He owns it all.

God possesses all knowledge so there’s no college course you can sign Him up for that would help His resume look better.

God is perfectly content in relationship with Himself so there’s no names you can drop and no one you can introduce Him to that would help Him expand His network.

God is all powerful. He tells the ocean waves “this far and no farther” and He hung the stars in the sky and calls them all by name. And, as the prophet Isaiah eloquently put it, “the nations are but a drop in the bucket to Him and He weighs the islands like fine dust”. So there’s no political office or military position you can offer that would increase His influence or power.

God is immutable, He never changes. So there’s no self-help book you can suggest to Him that would help bring consistency to His life.

God is perfectly balanced in His perfections of love and justice, mercy and wrath, so there’s so anger management course you can enroll Him in that would improve His judgment.

Simply put, God doesn’t need us. Were that the sum total of truth in the Bible, we’d be hopeless indeed. But there is a wonderful twist to the truth that God doesn’t need us. A twist that makes no sense at all and is at the same time a most hilarious surprise.

God doesn’t need us.

God wants us.

It’s a lot to get our head around. The fact that God wants us. It’s true. Prayer from God’s perspective is all about relationship. It can’t be anything else. It’s the only explanation that makes any sense. Why else would a perfect God want to involve Himself with imperfect people like us? We don’t have anything to offer. The only possible reason God has for involving Himself with us is because He wants to.

The perfect God of the Universe wants and desires relationship with us. We are His creation, created in His image. When we better understand our worth to Him, we’ll better understand why He values our prayers.

It’s all about relationship.

A Little I've Lived and Learned - 1

2009-09-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

When I first started this blog spot, not all that long after my 50th birthday, I posted some things I've learned. Well, I'm still learning. Seeing that I am now bumping very soon to my 51st birthday, I thought it might be time to add to that list. So here goes - for whatever it's worth to you.

The seventeenth century English clergyman Thomas Fuller wrote, "If you have knowledge, let others light their candle from it." I do think my candle burns with a lively flame. I invite you to light your candle from mine. By holding them together, we'll illuminate our own path as well as signal a direction for those who follow.

1. I've learned that the greatest challenge of life is to decide what is important and to disregard everything else.
2. I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do.
3. I've learned that the best thing about growing older is that now I don't feel the need to impress anyone.
4. I've learned that education,experience, and memories are three things no one can take away from you.
5. I've learned that if your life is free of failure, you're probably not taking enough risks.
6. I've learned that how people treat me is more a reflection of how they see themselves than how they see me.
7. I've learned that you can't please some people, no matter what you do.
8. I've learned that if you wait until all conditions are perfect before you act, you'll never act.
9. I've learned that the best advice you can give anyone is, "Be kind."
10. I've learned you always find time to do the things you really want to do.
11. I've learned that you should fill your life with experiences, not excuses.
12. I've learned that there are some things I haven't made up my mind about yet.
13. I've learned that you never get rewarded for the things you intended to do.
14. I've learned that you shouldn't speak unless you can improve on the silence.
15. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

Oh yes, and one more: 16. I've learned that drinking a Diet Coke doesn't make up for the candy bar I enjoyed earlier.

Live and learn.

Dying Churches

2009-08-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Consider this. Every church is a dying church in one of three ways:

* Some churches are literally dying. They are slowly losing people and will likely shut down.
* Some churches are glitzy and successful. They look vibrant and alive, but they’re really only alive to themselves and their institution. They look alive, but they’re dying and they don’t know it.
* Then there’s the church that could be big or small, glitzy or drab, that dies to itself daily – that has taken up the cross and is more concerned with following Christ, no matter what it costs, than its survival.

All churches are dying. Only the third type of church, however, will experience a resurrection. What kind of church are we?

Makes one wonder, doesn't it?

Spurgeon On The Removal Of Idols

2009-08-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

Idolatry is centering our attention and affection on something, or someone, smaller than God. In fact, most idols are good things in our lives that we turn into ultimate things–things that take God’s place as we unconciously depend on them to give our lives meaning. In the prayer below, the late, great Charles Spurgeon begs God to remove our idols–anything that hinders ultimate allegiance to Christ. It would be good for all of us–everyday–to pray this prayer since, as John Calvin once said, “Our hearts are idol making factories.”

Lord Jesus,
take from us now
everything that would hinder the closest communion with God.
Any wish or desire that might hamper us in prayer
remove, we pray you.
Any memory of either sorrow or care
that might hinder the fixing of our affection wholly on our God,
take it away now.
What have we to do with idols anymore?
You have seen and observed us.
You know where the difficulty lies.
Help us against it,
and may we now come boldly,
not in the holy place alone,
but in the holiest of all,
where we should not dare to come
if our great Lord had not torn the veil,
sprinkled the mercy seat with his own blood,
and asked us to enter.

- Charles Spurgeon

Gospel or Religion - Which Is It?

2009-07-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Getting a Right Start

2009-07-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

One of the daily creeds which I live by is a simple one and it is this: Do a thing right the first time and you won't have to do it again. Believe it or not, it works every time. There is another simple, daily creed which I choose to live by and it goes like this: Keep your relationships right and you'll be right. Not very profound, I know, but it works every time.

That's why it is important to get started right in anything you do and then stay right. Life for every person has three primary relationships - to God, to people and to things. If our relationship to each of these is good, then life is good. If they are bad, life is bad.

Think a minute about your relationship to God. When you think of God, are you afraid of unforgiven sins? Do you know him personally and joyfully as the God who has created you, redeemed you and reconciled you? Are you a friend of God's, by His grace, and servant to the Master, Jesus Christ? This is the right place to begin. Unless the relationship to God is right, all others will just turn out not quite so right. This is life's highest relationship.

Then take some time to think about your relationship to people. It is impossible to be right with God and wrong with people. How's the forgiving spirit? How's the selflessness - in order to help others? If you have resentment or envy where someone else is concerned, your relationship to people needs an adjustment.

And then there's relationship to things. You need to own things - not the other way around - things owning you. Can you be happy and helpful with little as with much? It's hard to admit, but it is true that unless, like Job, you can suffer the loss of things and still be true to God, you are wrongly related to things.

The daily temptation is to allow our relationships to erode to something less than good. I know. It's happened to me at stops along my journey. Getting started is just one part of the whole picture. Keeping things going is not always so easy. It doesn't just happen. We have to work at these relationships.

Every day life's values must be affirmed and life's priorities must be established. Only then do we start the day right and find adequate provision of God's "poured out" grace in our lives to keep every relationship right.

After all, there's never anything with always being right.

It's All About LIFE

2009-07-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Here's something to consider - if you have some spare time to read it.

On a drive today, I passed a church sign (I don’t know what denomination or “flavor” of church) that read “God’s Final Answer – Are You Sure You Want to Hear It?” I may be completely off base, but I was troubled by what I interpret to be a veiled threat — that somehow God’s final answer is negative. I know that for some, God’s final word is a judgment of sin, a condemnation, and a punishment, but for me God’s final word is none of those things. From year’s of reading the Bible, reflecting on our faith, deep prayer and intensive seeking after God’s Will, there is just one word that comes to my mind when I think of God’s final answer, and the word is LIFE.

There are many forces of darkness, many manifestations of sin, many weaknesses and shortcomings of the human animal, but we worship and follow a Savior — a Messiah — the Christ. God sent Jesus the Christ as redeemer of humankind — and, yes, there is a cost and a price for accepting this grand and glorious gift, but it remains a gift in the truest sense: providing something to us that we could not give ourselves, no matter how hard we try. In the face of sin, pain, disease, suffering, and even death, God’s final word is life. New life. Redemption. Forgiveness. Abundance. God’s final answer is a blessing, not a curse.

In my own simplistic and somewhat naive understanding of salvation, we have been saved for something, not merely saved from something. The sins of the past are not nearly as important as our actions in the future. The negatives we escape from are not as defining as the positives we pursue, embrace, and create as we move forward through our lives. The ways we have failed before should not prevent us from focusing on ways we can succeed in the future. The brokenness of our yesterdays is lifted from us so that we might become more the body of Christ with each new tomorrow. Yes, repentance is important, but to dwell on the sin from which we escape robs us of the blessing of immersion in the new life we have been given. We are a people called to a Promised Land; why waste time obsessing about Egypt?

The whole “works-righteousness, God is keeping score and can’t wait to smite the next poor unsuspecting sucker, be good or you’re gonna get it” way of believing is so toxic and small-minded that I can’t quite understand its staying power. I cannot believe that judgment and condemnation is what God hopes for all us children. Ours is a God of second chances and compassion, offering grace and forgiveness. God isn’t the one who is unjust, unfair, prejudiced, hateful, petty, and mean — that’s us. That’s what God wants us NOT to be. I don’t believe the worst in human nature is what it means to be created in God’s image.

Death, violence, intolerance, condemnation, spite, punishment, revenge, war, oppression, racism — these are not a part of God’s final answer. These are the questionable and broken questions that humankind have raised. God’s answer to these things contain elements of grace, peace, kindness, forgiveness, mercy, justice, sacrifice, and love. This is why we call it gospel — good news. God sent a messenger to share God’s final answer. In the face of the world’s best shot, that answer — given to us by God’s own Son — was not death or defeat. God’s final Word was, and is, LIFE.

A Little Bit on Those Cranky Christians

2009-07-19T00:01:00.001-07:00

Here's the words from a letter received in 1998 from a church member in a congregation. Goes like this -

"Our pastor doesn’t understand us. We are a good people, and we don’t want to change. We’ve gotten along fine for years and everyone was happy until he came and started changing things. He is making us change our worship. We sing songs that nobody knows. He makes us say prayers other than the Apostle’s Creed. He doesn’t do the offering right. And he doesn’t do communion right. He lets little kids stay in the sanctuary, ruining worship for everybody. He doesn’t care what we want. All he wants to do is make us try new things and he disrespects all the old things. There is a easy solution to our current problem. He needs to leave us be, and we need a pastor who knows how to run a church."

I wish this was an isolated opinion. But look at this letter - this time from 2003:

"This was a good church, a faithful church, where we believe in Jesus and good Christian behavior. Our church is being destroyed by loose and sinful behavior. Our pastor has welcomed into our church people who don’t know what it means to be Christian. We have a woman here who has three children out of wedlock, and another woman who works at a bar downtown. We have written our district superintendent about the problem, but she is a liberal. When you come, you need to know what is really going on here. People are ignoring the gospel and letting sin have free rein."

And lest it seem that I am just including unenlightened laity:

"This church is being destroyed by a liberal theology. I came here in June and found that the church was fine with all the trash on television, movies and rock music. I am having a hard time with people wanting to use the Andy Griffith show and the Harry Potter movies as discussion starters. The youth group listens to U2 and REM and discusses the themes in their music. When I told them this was unacceptable, they acted like I was being unreasonable. You need to know that this is a congregation of people who have been tainted by the popular culture and have no idea what it means to be Christian."

Without weighing in on one side or the other, I want to pose a question: Are these the most important things that Christians in the 21st century should be focusing on? People are starving. People are dying. People are being subjected to indefensible violence. People are being abused and hurt and robbed of a basic minimum standard of existence. Is personal comfort and a personal bias toward who is acceptable and who isn’t really the point?

Our world is broken and in deep need of healing and help. Most of the issues that divide and sometimes destroy our local congregations are truly insignificant — worship styles, leadership styles, preaching styles, and other selfish demands. Oh, certainly these are symptomatic of deeper issues, but we never get to the deeper issues. We often can’t get to the important stuff, because we are bogged down by the selfish, narrow-minded, and insignificant issues of the nominally Christian. Cranky Christians rule the roost. We can’t deal with truly important issues because we are divided over such earth shattering disagreements such as music styles, copier contracts, and the way the pastor chooses to dress.

How the worship bulletin is designed, where the baptismal font is placed, who gets to choose the hymns — these are only important issues to those who have no real understanding of the gospel. Those who reduce our faith to such insignificant issues are those who have no real desire to be the body of Christ — laity or clergy. How to make a difference in the world, how to save a person’s self respect and dignity, making sure a person has a safe place to sleep or a warm meal — these are the things our faith tells us God is interested in.

I wonder how all of our cranky Christians will answer to God when their small-minded and hurtful actions and attitudes are held up for scrutiny? There is so much good we can do, but there are also so many piddling ways we can find to avoid doing them.

The people who need us are the whole reason we exist! I can’t waste time dealing with coddled malcontents. My ministry is to the lost, the damaged, the sick, and the oppressed. I thought that was what it was all about. Not the other way around.

Cranky Christians? I’m trying to love. The world? I wish I loved it better. My goal? To make those who know Jesus care more about those who don’t.

A Three Minute Prayer

2009-07-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

This prayer probably won't take you more than three minutes to pray...but it just might be the most important prayer you'll pray right now on this the eve of the 233rd Independence Day of America, the Beautiful...

"May we as a nation be guided by the Divine to rediscover the sacred flame of our national heritage, which so many have given their lives to safeguard;

Let the wounds of separation and division be healed by opening our hearts to listen to the truth on all sides, allowing us to find a higher truth that includes us all;

May we learn to honor and enjoy our diversity and differences as a people, even as we more deeply touch our fundamental unity;

May we, as a people, undergo a transformation that will draw forth individuals to lead our nation who embody courage, compassion and a higher vision;

May our leaders inspire us, and we so inspire each other with our potential as individuals and as a nation, that a new spirit of forgiveness, caring and honesty be born in our nation;

May we, as a united people, move with clear, directed purpose to take our place within the community of nations to help build a better future for all humankind;

May we as a nation rededicate ourselves to truly living as one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all;

And may God's will be done for the United States, as we, the people, align with that will."

God bless America, my home, sweet home.

A Little on Recreation

2009-06-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

The definition of the word "recreation" is "to create anew, restore, refresh; or a refreshment of strength and spirits after work." Those that view it separate from work or an option rather than an integral part of the cycle are missing a great resource for work to be done. By recreating every day we are contributing to the work we need to do every day.

"Cato said the best way to keep good acts in memory was to refresh them with new." - Francis Bacon

"We can never have enough of nature. We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor, vast and titanic features, the sea-coast... the wilderness with its living and its decaying trees, the thunder-cloud,and the rain. . ." - Henry David Thoreau

"Such creatures of accident are we, liable to a thousand deaths before we are born. But once we are here, we may create our own world, if we choose." - Mary Antin

"It shows a brave and resolute spirit not to be agitated in exciting circumstances." - Marcus Tullius Cicero

"I do believe it is possible to create, even without ever writing a word or painting a picture, by simply molding one's inner life. And that too is a deed." - Etty Hillesum

"I don't think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." - Abraham Lincoln

And finally, this one for thought:

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Teach a man to create an artificial shortage of fish and he will eat steak." - Jay Leno

Random Rules of Life

2009-05-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Now, I'm sure you have your own random rules of life - but here's some that have helped me.

1. Find the lesson in every failure, and you'll never fail.
2. The likelihood that you are right is not increased by the intensity of your conviction.
3. Real friends help you feel worthy and make you want to be better.
4. When you are in a hole, stop digging.
5. Don't confuse fun with fulfillment, or pleasure with happiness.
6. Refusing to let go of a grudge is refusing to use the key that will set you free.
7. Hating hurts you more than the person you hate.
8. Counting on luck is counting on random chance; your odds are much better when you plan and work.
9. It's better to be kind than clever.
10. Don't underestimate the power of conviction.
11. The easy way is rarely the best way.
12. It's much easier to burst someone else's bubble than blow up your own.
13. You can't avoid pain, but you can avoid suffering.
14. Self-pity is a losing strategy; it repels others and weakens you.
15. Short cuts usually produce short success.
16. Control your attitude or it will control you.
17. It's more important to be significant than successful.
18. The world is waiting for you to heal it.

Religion or the Gospel?

2009-05-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

Below is a very insightful comparison between “religion” and “the gospel” drawn from the sermons of Tim Keller (Senior Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan). Tim does a remarkable job of probing hearts and revealing how easily we slip into self-dependence mode. As I have often said - real slavery according to the Bible is self-reliance. So, read the comparison list below with humility and care. It will do your soul good.

RELIGION: I obey-therefore I’m accepted.

THE GOSPEL: I’m accepted-therefore I obey.

RELIGION: Motivation is based on fear and insecurity.

THE GOSPEL: Motivation is based on grateful joy.

RELIGION: I obey God in order to get things from God.

THE GOSPEL: I obey God to get to God-to delight and resemble Him.

RELIGION: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or my self, since I believe, like Job’s friends that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.

THE GOSPEL: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle but I know all my punishment fell on Jesus and that while he may allow this for my training, he will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial.

RELIGION: When I am criticized I am furious or devastated because it is critical that I think of myself as a ‘good person’. Threats to that self-image must be destroyed at all costs.

THE GOSPEL: When I am criticized I struggle, but it is not critical for me to think of myself as a ‘good person.’ My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on God’s love for me in Christ. I can take criticism.

RELIGION: My prayer life consists largely of petition and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment.

THE GOSPEL: My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with Him.

RELIGION: My self-view swings between two poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel insecure and inadequate. I’m not confident. I feel like a failure.

THE GOSPEL: My self-view is not based on a view of my self as a moral achiever. In Christ I am “simul iustus et peccator”— simultaneously sinful and yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad he had to die for me and I am so loved he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper and deeper humility and confidence at the same time. Neither swaggering nor sniveling.

RELIGION: My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work. Or how moral I am, and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior to ‘the other.’

THE GOSPEL: My identity and self-worth are centered on the one who died for His enemies, who was excluded from the city for me. I am saved by sheer grace. So I can’t look down on those who believe or practice something different from me. Only by grace I am what I am. I’ve no inner need to win arguments.

RELIGION: Since I look to my own pedigree or performance for my spiritual acceptability, my heart manufactures idols. It may be my talents, my moral record, my personal discipline, my social status, etc. I absolutely have to have them so they serve as my main hope, meaning, happiness, security, and significance, whatever I may say I believe about God.

THE GOSPEL: I have many good things in my life—family, work, spiritual disciplines, etc. But none of these good things are ultimate things to me. None of them are things I absolutely have to have, so there is a limit to how much anxiety, bitterness, and despondency they can inflict on me when they are threatened and lost.

I choose the gospel.

Mother Taught Me

2009-05-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today is the day. Mother's Day. This is some tongue-in-cheek humor. Feel free to laugh. And show it to your mother.

My mother taught me to appreciate a job well done:
“If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside – I’ve just finished cleaning!”

My mother taught me religion:
“You’d better pray that stain will come out of the carpet.”

My mother taught me about time travel:
“If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you right into the middle of next week!”

My mother taught me logic:
“Because I said so, that’s why.”

My mother taught me foresight:
“Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident.”

My mother taught me irony:
“Keep laughing and I’ll give you something to cry about.”

My mother taught me about the science of osmosis:
“Be quiet, close your mouth, and eat your supper!”

My mother taught me about contortionism:
“Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck!”

My mother taught me about stamina:
“You’ll sit there until all that spinach is finished.”

My mother taught me about weather:
“It looks as if a tornado swept through your room.”

My mother taught me how to solve physics problems:
“If I yelled because I saw a meteor coming towards you, would you listen to me then?”

My mother taught me about hypocrisy:
“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times: don’t exaggerate!!”

My mother taught me the circle of life:
“I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.”

My mother taught me about behavior modification:
“Stop acting like your father!”

My mother taught me about envy:
“There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don’t have wonderful parents like you do!”

Okay. So it wasn't said quite like that every time, but maybe you get the point.

In between all this, my Mother taught me how to live! Thank you, Mom, for all I have learned these years. Best Wishes for Mothers Day! I love you!

That Thing Called Worry

2009-04-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Please don't take offense. But if you understand the vernacular of cowboys, you'll understand the line that's about to come. I heard about a cowboy not too long ago who said he'd rather be horseback riding and roping than doing anything else. And what caught my attention was what he had to say about the inherent problem within most of us human creatures of not taking life one day at a time as only that cowboy could maybe do. Here's what he said: “When ya’ got one foot in yesterday and the other foot in tomorrow, yer’ messin’ all over today.”

Just lay the cowboy vernacular aside. Believe me, that’s the truth. I've come to believe that too often we’re paralyzed by a past we can’t change and fret over a future we can’t control. The word for that is one you know - “worry”. And if you’re anything like me, you sometimes find yourself doing a bit too much of it. I think that worry is rather like a rocking chair. It gives us something to do, but it doesn’t get us anywhere. Worry is counter-productive and won’t add a single minute to our lives. In fact, if medical studies are accurate, worry may well shorten our life.

You probably already know from personal experience that worry is associated with stress. And stress is associated with elevated adrenaline levels in our body. In God’s design, adrenaline is for emergencies; for crisis situations that demand a “fight or flight” response. But in our western culture we’ve made “emergencies” out of many routine situations. So much so that many of us live each day as though we are on an adrenaline drip. When we continually spend a dollar’s worth of adrenaline on ten cent problems, our minds and bodies pay a price.

Our heads may know that worry is an exercise in futility. But honestly, when life presses in and puts the squeeze on, a Hallmark card telling us to “take life one day at a time” isn’t all that comforting. Maybe you’re worried about your children. Maybe it’s a chronic health problem that has worn you to a frazzle. Maybe it’s a bad church experience that has left you wondering how to sort the truth from the trappings. Maybe your career has lost its luster and you’re wondering what to do with your life. Maybe you’re experiencing a loneliness of the soul that cannot be expressed. Maybe you’re grieving the loss of a friend or family member. Whatever worries you, weighs on you.

There are times in my life when I catch myself worrying just a tad bit too much. In those moments, the usual pressures of life get magnified quite a bit. I find myself somewhat at odds with Jesus’ practical advice. “Don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own.” (Matthew 6:34) And when I stop to think about my attitude and my worry, there is only one conclusion. I'm not trusting that God will take care of me.

So I picked up on a practical little thing to do. I encourage you to do it, too. Right now. Grab any piece of paper in front of you and for 60 seconds (no longer) write down as many blessings in your life as you can think of. Don’t ponder them and don’t edit your list. Just write as many as you can as fast as you can. Ready? Go.

Now flip the paper over. On this side take 60 seconds (no longer) to write down as many worries as you can. Whatever’s weighing heavy on your head and heart, jot it down. Ready? Go.

When you’re finished, look at your list of blessings and ask yourself this question: “Is there anything on this list that I have ever worried about in some form or fashion?”

I bet there is. My list of blessings was loaded with items that I’d worried about at one time or another. The point is, if the items on our blessing list used to be on our worry list, then it’s tangible proof that God takes care of us. On His timetable and in His way, yet tangible proof that God can be trusted with the details of our lives.

There is a piece of Jewish wisdom that goes like this, “Do not worry over tomorrow’s evils, for you know not what today will bring forth. Perhaps tomorrow you will not be alive and you will have worried for a world that will not be yours.”

Whatever stress you’re staring at this week, start by getting both feet in today. There’s enough trouble to kick around without borrowing trouble from a tomorrow that may not come.

Oh, and remember...God will take care of you. Those items on your blessing list that used to be on your worry list are proof of that.

It Just Ain't Fair

2009-04-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

It has been called one of the top memorable moments and blunders in college football history. And I was there to see it happen on October 6, 1990, along with 46,856 football crazies.

The game pitted the Colorado Buffaloes (CU) against their Big Eight Conference rival, the Missouri Tigers (MU). It was at Missouri. It became known as the Fifth Down Game.

Colorado was ranked #12 in the nation and Missouri - well, let's just say they weren't ranked at all. Nada.

One of the basic rules of the game of football is actually pretty simple and basic: a team on its initial possession of the ball on offense is allowed four successive and consecutive attempts or "downs" to move the ball 10 yards towards the opposing goal line. If you don't move 10 yards in 4 downs, you give the ball up to the opponent.

Colorado trailed 31-27, with 40 seconds to go and the clock ticking. They had the ball and called a timeout, ready for the third down, with just seconds left in the game. One problem. The officiating crew forgot to flip the down marker to note that it was now third down. On the next play, the down marker showing second down when it was really third down, Colorado was stopped short of the end zone. On the next play, the quarterback quickly "spiked" the ball (thinking it was third down when it was really fourth) to stop the clock with two seconds left. On the following play – fourth down according to the marker, but "fifth down" in reality – the quarterback kept the ball himself and scampered in for a touchdown with no time left.

Final score: Colorado 33, Missouri 31.

And yes, I was screaming like the rest of thousands of fans, knowing that an extra down was being given - but to no avail. End of game. Final score. The rule violation that never got overturned. Colorado win. Missouri gets hosed.

The biggest rules fiasco in the history of Missouri. That the head coach Bill McCartney, four years after he retired as the Colorado coach, admitted to making mistakes and being saddened by the Fifth Down fiasco, and made the remarks at a Promise Keepers gathering at the site of the controversy in Missouri - didn’t make me or thousands of other Tigers fans feel any better.

I still don't think it's fair. Just ain't fair, it ain't.

Okay, so football is just a game. But what do we do when the calls don’t go our way in real life?

What do you do when someone with less tenure, less experience, less education and lower performance gets promoted ahead of you? What do you do when your company down-sizes you out of a job the same week you find out you’re expecting a baby? What do you do when the doctor says the tumor is malignant? What do you do when your character and reputation are tainted and misrepresented by another person? What do you say when you come out of the store to find your car window smashed and your stereo stolen? What do you do when lightening hits and burns your house to the ground?

They say “fair” is where you buy cotton candy. That’s true. I’ve bought it there before. But life? Life certainly isn’t fair.

Maybe our expectations are unrealistic. We live in a fallen world full of broken people. Present company included. Given the systemic corruption of our very nature, is it realistic to expect fairness? To use a farm analogy, expecting justice and fairness from a broken world is like putting a milk bucket under a bull. It just ain’t gonna happen.

Sometimes life isn’t fair and we had nothing to do with it. We were just eating our cotton candy and got blindsided by an injustice.

Sometimes life isn’t fair and we had something to do with it and the mess we find ourselves in is our own doing.

Regardless, God is very up front about the fact that life post-Eden isn’t fair. He reminds us throughout the Bible that our sin made “fair” the rare exception and not the rule.

Life is hard and God knows that.

We can’t change the fact that life isn’t fair. We can be glad that God is bigger than our circumstances. Much as we might not understand it, He may be doing His best work in and through us in the middle of our most painful situations.

We’re wasting our time if we try to make life “fair”, then complain when it isn’t. Life’s hard. That’s reality.

Life is hard. Painfully so. But God is good. He promises never to quit on you. In the middle of your “it’s not fair!”, His grace is sufficient.

Oh, yes. Back to the story. After the conclusion of the 1990 season, in January, 1991, the AP Poll voted Colorado national champions. With a loss at Missouri, the Colorado record would have been 10–2–1 - and no national championship.

It still ain't fair. Even though the seven man officiating team was suspended indefinitely following the contest. Didn't change the outcome.

And in your life and mine, the outcome isn't always changed. His grace is still sufficient, anyway. He won't give up. And neither should you.

It's Friday, But Sunday's Coming

2009-04-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

Tony Campolo's best-known message is about a sermon delivered by his preacher at the mostly-black church they attended in Philadelphia. The essence of the preacher's message was one line, which he mentioned over and over again - a message particularly appropriate on Easter weekend. You can download the message at Tony's website, along with several other of Tony's messages.

IT'S FRIDAY, BUT SUNDAY'S COMING

It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming.

It was Friday, and my Jesus is dead on a tree. But that’s Friday, and Sunday’s coming.

Friday, Mary’s crying her eyes out, the disciples are running in every direction like sheep without a shepherd. But that’s Friday, and Sunday’s coming.

Friday, some are looking at the world and saying, “As things have been, so they shall be. You can’t change nothing in this world! You can’t change nothing in this world!” But they didn’t know that it was only Friday, and Sunday’s coming.

Friday, them forces that oppress the poor and keep people down, them forces that destroy people, the forces in control now, them forces that are gonna rule, they don’t know it’s only Friday, but Sunday’s coming.

Friday, people are saying, “Darkness is gonna rule the world, sadness is gonna be everywhere,” but they don’t know it’s only Friday, but Sunday’s coming.

Even though this world is rotten, as it is right now, we know it’s only Friday. But Sunday’s coming!

All Those Dashes and Dots

2009-04-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

If someone gave you a ticket to spend a day anywhere in the United States, where would you go?

I’d be on a plane to Chicago before you could say “deep dish pizza”. I love that city - even if it is massively big. Lots to see and lots to do, there is.

Several years ago I was taking classes there. I had some time to go downtown to the Art Institute of Chicago. My favorite place in my favorite city. One of the world’s best collections of classic art. Monet, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Picasso all under one big roof.

I actually got misty seeing the lion statues that guard the entrance to the museum. Perhaps you have a place you go to that is good for your soul. The Art Institute of Chicago is good for my soul.

I must say that you need to know something up front about me. Keep in mind that when it comes to art, I can’t draw a straight line if you spot me a ruler. So I’m sure I can’t appreciate the complexity and genius of these masterpieces the way a true artist would. But I go and stand in front of them and am moved by them just the same.

I had quite limited time, but there was one thing I wanted to see on this one day I had. All I had to do was go upstairs and stare at Seurat’s “Sunday Afternoon”. I must say it was worth the trip - it's one of my absolute favorites. For those who haven't seen it - here it is.

Seurat, a mere 25 years old when he painted this defining work, had spent previous years studying theories of light. The painting technique that he employed was based on those theories. Unlike the broader brush strokes of mixed colors that other Impressionist painters used, Seurat developed a new technique called “pointellism”. Or, as he preferred to describe it, “divisionism”.

As to size, it is a huge painting – the canvas stretches 7 feet x 10 feet. This masterpiece took 2 years to complete. From a distance what you see is the picture. The images of the people enjoying their Sunday afternoon on the Sienne River in France. What you don’t see from a distance is that the entire painting is made up of tiny dashes and dots of pure color paint.

That's right - nothing but dots and dashes of pure color paint! Get this. For the first year, Seurat painted nothing but horizontal dashes. The dashes are each one detached from the others. Then he added the dots of pure color paint. As you might imagine, this was a tedious and exacting process. The project was so intense that during the two years it took him to paint it, Seurat refused to have lunch with his close friends lest they distract him and break his concentration.

Up close, the dashes and dots look like, well. . . dashes and dots. Yet as you step back from the painting to a distance, the dashes and dots combine optically in your eye to form the desired image.

For two years, nothing but days and days of dashes and dots. Dots and dashes. Dashes and dots.

How could dashes and dots make a picture? It doesn’t make sense that detached horizontal dashes and dots of paint can combine to make a masterpiece. But they do.

That got me to thinking. What are the dashes and dots of my life? Or your life? What of those thousands of detached horizontal lines of seemingly disconnected events? When you step back are they really all that disconnected? When you step back far enough can you see how God has painted them in such a way that they form the picture of your life?

Was it really chance that you took that job in a different city? Was it just coincidence that you met that certain person? Was the career you felt trapped in really a waste of time? Was the serious illness really a stand alone event that led nowhere? Was the tragedy in your life the end of a dream? Or was God preparing you for something bigger?

Standing less than a foot away from Seurat’s “Sunday Afternoon” and staring at the canvas, you think, “No way does this make a picture. It’s just dashes and dots of paint. No rhyme, no reason, no pattern.” And up close, you’d be right. It looks like one big random mess.

Only when you step back does it begin to make sense. 5 feet. 10 feet. 15 feet. 20 feet. And then the random mess becomes a beautiful Sunday afternoon picnic.

Now, if you’re like me, you might in the middle of a mess that makes no sense. I've had my fair share of those messes in life. All you see are dashes of dread and dots of pain. You want to make sense of it but you can’t. Not right now. We’re too close to see what God is painting. This close it’s just dashes and dots. The disappointments and heartbreaks - how can these be part of a beautiful picture?

With brush strokes of grace, God the Artist makes sense of our dashes and dots. Let’s remember to step back from time to time to see how He is bringing them together into the beautiful picture that is our life. Because whether we see it or not, He’s doing exactly that.

I know. He's taken the dots and dashes and dashes and dots of my life and done something quite remarkable with them. It's a work in progress - I am.

God promises to continue perfecting the good work that He began in us. Which is to say He will continue dashing and dotting until the masterpiece is complete. I'm quite okay with that. After all, He is Master Artist. He'll get it done right in the end - if we just let Him do His thing.

On Just Being Kind

2009-04-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

A Little Prayer Spirituality

2009-03-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday - so today is a good day for something spiritual. Of course, other days count for things spiritual. But for today, let's really get to some spiritual stuff. Something called prayer.

Recently I read a compilation of actual prayers offered up to God by children. They were funny and refreshingly candid. Like Angela, age 8, who said, “Dear God, could you give my brother some brains? So far he doesn’t have any.” Or “Dear God, thanks for the nice day today. You even fooled the TV weather man.”

One entry on the list captured perhaps the most foundational truth about prayer. Diane, age 8, offered up this communication to God…

“Dear God; I am saying my prayers for me and my brother, Billy, because Billy is six months old and he can’t do anything but sleep and wet his diapers.”

Diane was praying on behalf of her baby brother because he was helpless to do anything on his own.

Someone has wisely noted that, “Prayer is the language of totally helpless creatures.” This is a foundational truth about prayer. In the middle of our self-reliant, self-help, independent, pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, make our own way in the world attitudes, the fact remains that we are, in the things that matter most, totally helpless creatures. And it's good for us to remember that even that which we obtain through our responsible work ethic and effort come directly from the hand of God.

When we pray, be it a prayer of thanks or praise or confession or grief or petition or fear or joy or confusion, we are acknowledging that we are indeed helpless creatures. We are created beings and we desperately need our Creator. We need God. To be sure, this is true.

But what if we turn the question around? Think about it. Does God need us?

Actually, in a word…no.

God doesn’t need anything or anyone. God is self-sufficient. Self-reliant. Self-fulfilling. God is the only One who could stand on stage, accept any award and say with complete integrity, “I’d like to thank no one because it’s all about Me.” God is God. And God is all God needs.

Having said that, if God is everything in Himself, then how does prayer fit into that? Logically speaking, it doesn’t. When we think seriously about prayer and what’s in it for God, from our human perspective it doesn’t make sense. Our prayers don’t offer God anything that He needs.

God needs nothing from us. God doesn’t need our money. God owns everything so He lacks nothing. He made it all in the first place. What do you buy for the God Who has everything? He owns it all.

God possesses all knowledge so there’s no college course you can sign Him up for that would help His resume look better.

God is perfectly content in relationship with Himself so there’s no names you can drop and no one you can introduce Him to that would help Him expand His network.

God is all powerful. He speaks to the ocean waves, hung the stars in the sky, names them all, nations are but a drop in the bucket, islands are like fine dust. So there’s no political office or military position you can offer that would increase His influence or power.

God is immutable, He never changes. So there’s no self-help book you can suggest to Him that would help bring consistency to His life.

God is perfectly balanced in His perfections of love and justice, mercy and wrath, so there’s so anger management course you can enroll Him in that would improve His judgment.

You get the point. Simply put, God doesn't need us. Now, before you feel to lousy about that, think again. There is a wonderful twist to the truth that God doesn’t need us. A twist that makes no sense at all and is at the same time a most hilarious surprise.

God doesn’t need us. God wants us.

I'll admit that is a lot to get our head around. The fact that God wants us. It’s true. Prayer from God’s perspective is all about relationship. It can’t be anything else. It’s the only explanation that makes any sense. Why else would a perfect God want to involve Himself with imperfect people like us? We don’t have anything to offer. The only possible reason God has for involving Himself with us is because He wants to.

When my wife asks me to help her with dinner, it’s not because she's incapable of doing that on her own. And it’s certainly not because my helping her with dinner is actually going to speed up things. It's not because I have a better working knowledge of how to fix dinner. If speed and efficiency were the goal then the best thing for me would be to stay out of the kitchen.

But that’s not the goal. My wife asks me to make dinner because she desires the relationship I have with her. So what if she has to tell me how to fix the food. So what if she has to tell me which bowl to put the food in. So what if I have to ask her how much of the ingredients to add. In the end it’s the mutual satisfaction of relationship that counts.

She don’t need my help, really. She wants our relationship.

The perfect God of the Universe wants and desires relationship with us. We are His creation, created in His image. When we better understand our worth to Him, we’ll better understand why He values our prayers.

It’s all about relationship.

People of the Mud

2009-03-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time in a place not so far away lived the Mud People. They lived under a big blue sky like you and me. They worked and ate and drank and slept and lived their lives in ordinary ways.

At the top of the High Hill, with a view of the entire valley below lived the High Mudders. Of all the mud in the land, theirs was the best. It had no rocks or debris. It didn’t smell bad. It was smooth and felt good to the touch. It was a mud made from the best topsoil and snowmelt water from the Peaks. The High Mudders were good people. They worked hard, went to church and cared about each other. They looked often toward the Peaks and wondered what it would be like to live beyond. They also looked down, glad they weren’t living below.

A bit farther down lived the Side Hill Mudders. They didn’t have the view that the High Mudders enjoyed, nor was their mud the best. Their mud was bad. It was lumpy, made from clay and water that wasn’t very clear. Their mud smelled like mud and it had rocks and sticks and debris mixed in. The Side Hill Mudders were good people. They worked hard, went to church and cared about each other. The Side Hill Mudders looked often toward the Peaks and wondered what it would be like to live where the High Mudders dwelled. They also looked down, glad they weren’t living below.

At the bottom of the valley in the Swampy Place lived the Muck and Mire Mudders. They didn’t have a view at all. Their mud was the worst. It was ugly. It was gloppy, green and slimy and smelled bad because it was made with stagnant water. The Muck and Mire Mudders were good people. They worked hard, went to church and cared about each other. The Muck and Mire Mudders looked often toward the Peaks and wondered what it would be like to live anywhere but the Swampy Place.

The Mud People lived each day in their mud. The High Mudders lived in their good mud. The Side Hill Mudders lived in their bad mud. And the Muck and Mire Mudders lived in their ugly mud. Thus the Mud People lived in their mud.

One day the High Mudders looked up to see someone coming down from beyond the Peaks. The place He came from wasn’t muddy. His clothes were white and clean. He waded into the good mud of the High Mudders and announced, “I am the Messenger. I bring good news from the Crystal Palace beyond the Peaks. You are all invited to the grand feast. Come as you are.” The High Mudders were thrilled. They had heard of the Crystal Palace and dreamed often of life beyond the Peaks. The Messenger waded out of the High Mudders’ good mud and left them to anticipate the grand feast.

The Crystal Palace was more magnificent than they had imagined. The Messenger greeted them at the door. “Welcome! Enter in to your joy and join in the celebration!” The High Mudders took their places at the tables. Yet the banquet hall wasn’t full. There were empty chairs. Lots of them. Who else could possibly be invited to the grand feast?

The doors swung wide and in came the Side Hill Mudders. The High Mudders didn’t recognize them at first as they had only seen them from a far distance. But the dried lumps of clay that crumbled from their clothes and fell to the pristine white marble floor confirmed who they were. What were they doing here? Had not the Messenger came to the High Mudders to invite them to the feast? The High Mudders wondered about this as the Side Hill Mudders found their seats, some of which were right next to theirs.

The doors swung wide again. It was the Messenger, pointing and directing the Muck and Mire Mudders to their seats. The High Mudders had never seen the Muck and Mire Mudders for the High Hill was far removed from the Swampy Place. Yet they could tell the Muck and Mire Mudders by the smell. Their shoes squeaked on the white floor leaving a trail of green slime and gloppy mud. The Muck and Mire Mudders found their seats next to the Side Hill Mudders and High Mudders.

Everyone was seated. The Messenger stood at the head table and said, “Thank you for accepting my invitation. It is my joy to welcome you to the grand feast. You are each one my honored guest. Eat, drink, and enjoy the banquet set before you.”

Delicious food and vintage wine were brought to every table. Joyous music filled the air. The feast had begun. The Messenger made His way from table to table. He warmly greeted each Mud person with a hug and a kind welcome.

The High Mudders wondered about this. Talking among themselves they decided to pull the Messenger aside. “You waded into our good mud and invited us to the grand feast. But we’re wondering why the Side Hill Mudders and the Muck and Mire Mudders are sitting at our tables.”

“Because I waded into their mud and invited them, too.”, answered the Messenger.

“But, their mud…it’s so bad and ugly.”

Sunshine of the purest light streamed through the windows and fell on the muddy footprints now covering the white marble tile. The Messenger answered, “When the feast is over, I will mop the floor. And when I do, be it good, bad, or ugly…mud is mud.”

What I Learned at the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra

2009-03-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered if what you do is important? Have you ever pushed away from your desk at 3:35 PM on a Wednesday thinking, “What’s the point?” Have you ever told yourself that significance begins with the next pay raise or promotion? Have you ever thought you could make more of a difference if only you played on a bigger stage or in front of a larger audience?

Not too long ago, I made a wonderful holiday memory. My wife and I attended the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra at the Orpheum Theatre. Just the two of us for an evening of spectacular music performed by an exquisite orchestra. Music just happens to be one of my loves (my wife's too, since she's a music teacher) and I’ve listened to everything from blues in downtown Kansas City to a steel drum reggae in the French Quarters of New Orleans.

I'll admit that during the first couple songs I was simply overwhelmed by the sound. Listening to music on your stereo and being a member of a live audience is the difference between talking on the phone and speaking face to face. Communication is 90% non-verbal. Music is no different. The movement and synchronicity of an orchestra is its captivating non-verbal message. To hear a melody is to hear a voice. To see the conductor’s dancing baton and to watch rows of wrists slide horsehair bows across the strings of violins and cellos is to look into the eyes of a song; to see and sense the mood.

I'm really intrigued by the significance of every instrument. There is only one piccolo player in the Sioux City Orchestra. Tiny instrument it is - this piccolo. Fits easily into a good sized jacket pocket. The instrument voted “Most Likely To Get Lost On The Bus.” Yet the musical story of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” wouldn’t tell nearly as well without the piccolo’s rapid and timely arpeggios.

And what about the harp? It's defined as an instrument that “takes 14 hours to tune and remains in tune for twenty minutes or until somebody opens a door.” It sat quietly on the end of the stage behind the second violins, thankful for a microphone just to have a chance against the trombones. Without the harp, “Silent Night” would be “Empty Night”.

Are sleigh bells and temple blocks really instruments? In a day care center they’d be tossed in the toy bin with the rattles and Lincoln Logs. In Christmas music they are the sounds of horses and motion; the brisk open air trip down snow covered roads ending with hot cider at Grandma’s house. Musically speaking, “Sleigh Ride” without sleigh bells and temple blocks is “Let’s You and Me Sit In This Wagon Without Wheels and Freeze.”

Could the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra play without the piccolo, harp, sleigh bells and temple blocks? Sure. Everyone would still recognize the melodies. Yet the audience would go home saying, “Something was missing…it didn’t sound quite right.”

The word is that night that the Sioux City Symphony played at the Orpheum for over 2,000 people. They could have crammed into an elementary school gym and played to an audience of 200. In either venue, without the piccolo, harp, sleigh bells, and temple blocks, the music isn’t complete.

Which reminds me. It’s not about the size of the stage on which you perform. It’s about the importance of the role you play. Whatever your life’s stage, make sure you trill, pluck, jingle and clip-clop your best this week. People are listening for your part. Without you, the music isn’t complete.

Cockleburs, Beans, and Crops

2009-03-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's so fun to be rural America. Really, it is. I love hearing these people talk about what it's like in these corn and bean fields in rural Iowa.

Back in the day, before farmers relied solely on herbicides in their Iowa soybean fields, the preferred method of weeding was “walking beans”. I've never done it in Iowa - but I did do it in south Missouri. My wife is a native of Iowa and she tells me she has done it in these fields. Maybe you have, too. It was always a quite predictable summer job. You’d get your crew together, spread out and walk down the field getting rid of the weeds that grew. Each person would be responsible for the two rows on either side of them. Sometimes you carried a hoe. Sometimes a corn knife, the Iowa farmer’s equivalent of a machete.

The type of weed determined how you killed it. Corn, milkweed, lambs quarter, pig weed, and water weed could all be chopped. Nightshade had to be pulled. As did velvet leaf, a.k.a. “button weed”. One button weed could have a hundred seed pods, each containing at least 700 seeds. When it’s ripe it explodes, sending on the wind a “be fruitful and multiply” scenario that anyone in a John Deere hat cringes to see. So you pull the button weed to make really sure it will die.

One thing I didn't like in some of these fields is cockleburs. Sometimes there were huge patches of cockleburs growing in the soybeans.

You need to know that cockleburs definitely fell into the “pull” category. Only they weren’t as easy to pull as velvet leaf/button weeds. Some things are like they sound. Velvet leaf is soft. A warm fuzzy in the weed kingdom. Pulling cockleburs is like grabbing sandpaper. Itchy. Scratchy. Irritating.

On some of this "walking the beans" stuff, I'm told that sometimes the cocklebur patches were so thick you had to get down on your hands and knees to look under the soybean plants to be sure you got them all. When you're doing that, you aren’t walking beans. You are crawling them.

Sure enough, under the leaves are small cocklebur plants that, if someone had not looked, would have grown up to mock the "walkers" as they drove by the field two weeks later. And when it comes to weeds and cockleburs, just when you think you've got them all, you find some more.

Lately I’ve been thinking about how I, and some others I know, live the Christian life. Some weeds are easy to see. And because they are easy to see they are relatively easy to get rid of. Walk and chop as you go along. An obvious unkind word? Yank it out. A little short-tempered and make a fool of yourself? Whack it hard and it probably won’t come back. It’s not hard to walk along and get rid of the weeds you see.

More difficult are the weeds growing underneath. The cockleburs of an arrogant spirit. The velvet leaf of pride that, left to grow to maturity, will explode into seeds of destruction.

The only way to find them is to get down on your knees. It’s awkward at first. You even resent the fact that you’re having to kneel. It seems so, well, beneath you. But once you’re down there, the more you look, the more you find. And when you find, you have to pull. Don’t chop at it. Small weeds, left to grow, will later mock you.

It's always disconcerting and even embarrassing to drive by a field and see one lone button weed, five feet tall and waving at you in the breeze. You have to go back and kill it. But this time the stalk is an inch thick and the roots are set. Much harder to pull out. A back breaker.

If only it had been pulled out when you were down there on your knees.

As we walk, look back and look under to see what we’re missing. Time spent on our knees pulling weeds makes for a cleaner field.

A cleaner field makes for a better crop.

A better crop makes for a great harvest.

Praying for you as we pull together. “He who wants his garden tidy doesn’t reserve a plot for weeds.” - Dag Hammarskjold

On Rocks and Piles

2009-03-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Let me stray a bit from my usual here. This is on rocks. Yes, you read it right. Rocks.

All you have to do is to poke around the shady groves of farms in the Midwest (the heartland of America) and you’ll find them. They are tucked behind the barn or under a tree. They are quite unnoticed monuments to decades of hard work and sweat. Added to and rarely subtracted from. Simply known as rock piles.

I guess it sort of depends on the lay of the farmer’s land. But before planting crops, it’s sometimes necessary to harvest rock. The freezing of winter and the thawing of spring brings to the surface of the ground stones that were previously hidden. Some are hand-sized. An easy grab and pitch into a skid loader bucket or onto a flatbed trailer. Others require two hands, a knee bend and a strong back. And on rare occasion, one needs to be pulled out with a tractor and a log chain.

All you have to do in these parts where I live is say the phrase “pick rock” to an Iowa farm kid and they know exactly what you’re talking about.

Let's think about it. The reason for picking rock is actually quite simple. Here in Iowa, come harvest time you don’t want a field stone to go screaming through the internal gears of a John Deere combine that could be traded even up for one of your nicer homes in Scottsdale, Edina, or Lake Forest. So to avoid costly down time and expensive repairs, you walk the field and move the rock to an out of the way place.

Joshua 4 is a favorite of mine in the Holy Scriptures, the Bible. The story there is that the miracle-working God rolls back the waters of the Jordan River to allow the people of Israel to walk across on dry ground. And this same God instructs them to build a monument of 12 stones to mark the event. He had a specific reason. “…in the future, when your children ask you, “What do these stones mean?” tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

The fact is that God knows that we created beings have short memories. That’s why He wanted these people named here to set up 12 stones as a reminder of the miracle He did. You got it. That rock pile was for remembering the great work He had done for them.

When I think about my journey of life, it often occurs to me that I’ve done more than my share of worrying. And most of my worrying was tied to things that I certainly had no control over. A lot of asking God why He seems so slow to respond in certain areas of my life. And if I’m honest, no small amount of doubt and anxiety. Wondering sometimes silently and sometimes in full voice, “God, are you really gonna take care of me?”

Of course, the irony in all this is that I’ve come to understand that I've done my worrying and doubting and whining while sitting squarely on top of my little rock pile. Those stones of good health, food to eat, a place to live, a car to drive, healthy children, opportunities to earn a living, friends old and new, wonderful parents, a church family, and multiple moments of God’s grace and mercy, dropped into my life at a point of need and always above and beyond what I could ask or imagine.

Such audacity of me! To sit atop my rock pile of blessings - lifetime proof of God’s faithful provision - and wonder if He will come through for me this time?

I'm really beginning to wonder at this part of my journey if there is more symbolism to the stones than I realize. Could it possibly be God’s inside joke of what a blockhead I can be? God must be laughing on the inside while I'm squealing on the outside.

So this simple prayer I pray. God, please forgive my arrogance of distrusting You while surrounded by your tangible blessings. Help me to be mindful that You are forever faithful, my Source and my Provider. When I wonder, when I doubt, remind me to look at the rock pile that You’ve built in my life and renew my faith and trust, because You are faithful and true.

From me to you - here’s hoping you take a good long look at your rock pile. Yes, I have one, too. You're not alone.

“The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need He saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” - Psalm 116:5-7

Something for Sunday - In the Waiting Room

2009-03-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a dream that seemed lost and dashed to pieces on the rocks of disaster or disappointment? Take heart. Many great men and women have had such experiences. But they believed that good things come to those who wait. They learned valuable lessons in God’s waiting room that could not be learned anywhere else.

Abraham was 100 years old before the promised child Isaac was born. Joseph, the dreamer, was sold into slavery by his brothers, unjustly accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife, and thrown into prison for 13 years before seeing his God given dream become a reality.

David, John the Baptist, and Paul spent time in God’s waiting room before seeing God’s call and promises fulfilled in their lives. Jesus had his wilderness experience where he was tempted by the devil. He spent 30 years in the waiting room before beginning his public ministry and fulfilling his mission of redemption for a lost world.

I must admit that I don’t like waiting. As a pastor, I’ve spent my fair share of a lot of time in waiting rooms. It isn’t easy.

It is not easy spending time in God’s waiting room. In these uncertain times, here are some tips to help us redeem the time and prosper. Remember these R's.

REFOCUS. There is a saying that has been around for awhile that says, “Yard by yard, life is hard; inch by inch, life’s a cinch!” A little simplistic, admittedly - but, there is truth in it. How do you walk around the world? Take one step at a time. Don’t focus on the long range goals as much as the short range goals. Instead of a yard, try an inch.

God is more concerned about our character than our immediate happiness. Focus on eternal things rather than temporal, transitory things.

REJOICE. The Good Book says, “Rejoice in the Lord and again I say, rejoice! And it urges us to, “Give thanks in all things, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” Rejoicing will liberate your soul.

REST in the Lord. God doesn’t want us to be full of anxiety. Worry changes nothing. Worry robs you of faith and peace. So, rest.

REDEEM the time. I remember some times in my life when I wished it was a future time. How many times do we wish our life away? Time goes by fast enough. So, enjoy and savor the moment. Don’t waste your time always wishing for a future time. God gave you today to live. Be useful. Make use of the opportunities that come your way.

REMEMBER your Redeemer is working in you while you spend time in God’s waiting room. The Divine Potter is molding and making us while we spend time in God’s waiting room. It is God who “both wills and works for His good pleasure” in our lives. Be patient like the farmer waiting for the seed to produce.

RELATIONSHIPS are vital to help us in God’s waiting room. God made us to need and to relate to the people He puts in our lives. Cherish your friends. Cherish your family.

In the end, be reminded of words of one Jesus of Nazareth who said, “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

Sounds refreshing, doesn't it? It makes the waiting room a whole lot more endearing - and enduring.

Food for Thought

2009-03-22T00:01:00.001-07:00

“You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom.

What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation.

You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.”

- by Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931-2005 (founder of Love Worth Finding and now deceased pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, TN)

Don't Ever Give In!

2009-03-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know just as much as you do. I see the same headlines you do: mortgage and credit crisis, Wall Street bear market and worse, stimulus package, health care reform, embryonic stem cell research, gun control, fairness doctrine.

Believe me, friend. Liberty, life, decency, and the fruits of our labor are all under assault, but eventually we become desensitized.

So, if you're someone reading this today, I say to you - don't let apathy or resignation kick in. Remember who you are: a free citizen of the American Republic, not a slave and worshiper of a liberal empire.

Protest. Resist. Think.

Keep fighting for your God-given rights. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

When an issue bugs you, don't just complain to your family; try to find some like-minded people and get out in the street with signs. Get some attention. Have a march or a rally. (Or a tea party.)

Also, don't forget to let the Republican Party know that in the next election, you want a real candidate to represent your values, not a moderate to appease the opposition.

Never give up! We are not at the end of things. There's more work to be done. Never give up!

The Wise Man Has Something to Say

2009-03-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

Since I'm a man of the cloth, I think that it's time to offer up some wise words in this season of crisis marked by wasteful spending, tax hikes, "porkulus stimulants", the bear market, bad mortgages, bailouts - well, you know the picture as well as I do. We're hearing it every day and there seems to be neither any getting off point nor brakes on this run-away train.

Now, the wise words really don't come from me - they come from the Good Book, otherwise known as Holy Scripture. You'll find there some sage wisdom from someone named Solomon. Except for one Jesus of Nazareth, Solomon is considered the richest man and the wisest man who ever lived. So, I think it's time we hear what he has to say, since he being dead yet speaketh. I'd say he's qualified to offer up some sound financial advice and hopeful words for these troubled times.

Here goes. Maybe just think of these as some financial lessons from someone wise. You can find your Bible somewhere nearby and check it out. It's all found in a rather obscure book called The Preacher, or the book of Ecclesiastes. If you can't pronounce that big word, that's okay. The words found therein are still good enough to follow and understand, even if you can't get right the name of the book.

First lesson. Money does not satisfy. Now, you've probably figured that out by now, but Ecclesiastes says that he who loves money will not be satisfied with money. Loving money is a dangerous thing. True satisfaction doesn't come from getting married (as much as I enjoy being married), it doesn't come from a bigger house, it doesn't come from a mil in the bank, or can you believe this - from being retired. What is interesting is that when we get our focus off of getting more money and more things, then they seem to start appearing. I guess this is what is meant by seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Not a popular message - but it's still the truth anyway.

Second lesson. Diversify your investments. The Preacher says to divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur in the earth. I think I get a couple of things out of this instruction. I like the balance of having seven or eight eggs in the basket rather than just one that leaves us with nothing if things turn out bad. But also, I think not 200 miniscule eggs either that are worth next to nothing individually. Get it? In this case if any one investment performed very well, it would make little impact on the entire portfolio. But if you had seven investments and any one of them performed well, it would have a decent impact on the entire portfolio. Think about it.

Third lesson. There is never a perfect time. This obscure book reminds us that he who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. Some of us find ourselves waiting to do something because we are waiting until there is no risk involved. Hey, I guess that's just human nature. We want to avoid the risk of bad things happening to us. Truth is, no matter how much we try we cannot totally eliminate all risk in life. Any time we step out into anything there will be some level of risk, but that is not an excuse to avoid action. Step out and be one of those people who realizes that the perfect time is now.

Fourth lesson. Work smarter, not harder. That's nothing new. The wise man reminds us that if the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Sometimes the most effective thing we can do in life is rest or take a break. It's really not counterproductive. Resting allows for more production on your productive hours. My best successes in life have been during those times when I asked myself if I was working hard or working smart. If we only focus on working hard without actually thinking whether or not it's the best thing to do, then I'd say you could be wasting your time with a dull axe.

Solomon put it right. We do well to listen.

An Endless Supply

2009-03-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

Hold on with me for a bit. Let me talk heart to heart with you. The Bible is the endless supply of encouraging truth.

Everyone needs a bit of encouragement from time to time. Thankfully, we have the Bible as our ultimate source of encouraging words. Even with the financial crisis we are in the middle of, we can remain hopeful and encouraged if we keep trusting in God. And that's not a trite little thought either.

I have found that the key is to finding specific Bible verses and meditating on them. According to the Word, this is how faith comes. The more we soak up the truth of God’s Word, the more assured we become that He really is going to take care of us!

I know some people whose lives have been dramatically and profoundly affected already by this financial crisis and I think as it progresses we will all know people who will go through struggles as a result. The important thing to remember in the midst of the chaos is that God is in control. He is not surprised by the events and He is not unsure how He is going to take care of his children. We are just as safe putting our trust in Him when things are going great as when it looks like everything is falling around us.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” - Phil 4:19

Notice the verse says “ALL.” It doesn’t say “some” or “most,” but it says that He will meet all of our needs. It doesn’t say how He will meet our needs and I have found from experience the way He does it is often not what I expected. But the bottom line is that God is faithful and He does what He promises.

Take heart from some encouraging Bible verses that I have found helpful. Here's what I share as a good word.

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. Psalm 46:1-3,7

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Tim 1:7 (AMP)

I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8 (AMP)

Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail). Psalm 55:22 (AMP)

He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved. Psalm 62:6 (AMP)

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)

The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of, and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him. Nahum 1:7 (AMP)

The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

Take heart.

Holes in the Darkness

2009-03-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Remember the story of George Bailey? He's the character of note in that classic It's a Wonderful Life. It was Christmas Eve, George is standing on the bridge, staring into the icy water, and feeling his life was a failure. He'd been an example of light in a dark world, but he felt it was a wasted effort. Then appeared that angel named Clarence. He's trying to earn his wings (like some of the rest of us) and he showed George what his hometown of Bedford Falls would have been like without George's light. His brother would have died, if not for George. His wife would have been a lonely spinster, if not for George. And greedy Mr. Potter would have destroyed all the good in town, if not for George.

One man's life touches so many others. When he's not there, it leaves an awfully big hole. So said Clarence the angel.

The lesson is timeless. Shine brightly. Be a candle in the darkness. One Jesus of Nazareth taught the same thing. Edward Everett Hale put it right, too. I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something . . . I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

Come to think of it, every person has influence and yours is probably much bigger than you think it is or will ever realize. Think about who has had a bright light shining for you – a parent who believed in you, a teacher who challenged you, a coach who motivated you, a friend who stood beside you. I know. Because light from somebody else has happened to me.

I think we should just simply act as if what we do makes a difference. Because it does. And it really doesn’t take a whole lot to brighten your world – a positive word, a simple smile, a good deed. In the end, example is not the main thing in influencing others. It’s the only thing. Words are powerful, but I have come to believe that people are changed more by the light of example than by anything else.

Everybody needs light. Light wakes us up, ignites us, energizes us. Light gives us life. It chases away darkness. It opens up a world of possibilities.

Light is warmth. A smile, a hug, a compliment, a positive attitude, a simple gift, or an encouraging conversation provides light that warms somebody all the way through. I’d just offer up that if the world seems cold to you (and it probably is), try kindling some fires to keep warm.

Living a good life of love, generosity, and kindness is to be a light in a world of greed and selfishness. How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world. Oh, the immortal words of Shakespeare himself.

So, all along the way each of us is like a candle. Many have never been lit or have been blown out. Others are a mere spark or are flickering. Only a few shine brightly enough to light the world and pass that light on to others.

In a world of darkness, light makes a big difference. People like to have some light, even if they may squint when they see it. Let’s get this right. To shine takes more than well-intentioned words. Don’t just talk about light; produce some.

It’s not at all a political statement, but the statement of a lighted life. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a light. As a leader of the civil rights movement, he was beaten, kicked, and pummeled with eggs and rocks. He was spit at, thrown into jail, humiliated, and threatened, but he refused to retaliate. No matter how unfairly treated or abused, Dr. King was consistent in his light – his words and actions. Do to us what you will, and we will still love you. Throw us into jail, and we will still love you. Bomb our homes and threaten our children, and we will still love you. Send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our communities at the midnight hours, and drag us out on some wayside road and beat us and leave us half dead; and as difficult as it is, we will still love you.

The words of Dr. King march on like a beacon in the night.

Light will be remembered. When asked how he’d like to be remembered, the same MLK thought that when people mentioned his name, he’d hope they’d think that he tried to give his life serving others . . . to love somebody . . . to feed the hungry . . . to clothe those who were naked . . . to visit those who were in prison . . . to love and serve humanity. He learned that from one Jesus of Nazareth. Not immortal words, but eternal words.

In the end, lights put holes in the darkness. Find a hole and fill it with light.

Priceless

2009-03-05T00:05:00.000-08:00

This by Jerry Holbert.

Words With Face

2009-03-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

Along with doing this blogging stuff, every day I am bombarded by thousands and thousands of words. There are newscasts, telephone calls, e-mails, music lyrics, conversations, movie and television dialogue, newspapers, books, radio, letters, billboards, and the list goes on. Unless you're alone on a deserted island, you can't escape words. Unless, of course, you're talking to yourself on the island.

Words are how we share our thoughts and feelings. Words shape how we think, how we perceive the world, how others see us, how successful we will be, how peaceful we are, how we relate to others.

Words are strong, but they are also fickle (rhymes with pickle!). Thanks to words, we have been able to rise above the brutes; and thanks to words, we have often sunk to the level of the demons. So said Aldous Huxley.

By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach. That's right, Winston Churchill. Ever think of a time when you wished you'd have kept quiet? Once the words leave our mouth, we can't get them back. A sign in front of a church here in Iowa where I live was even more direct: "Lord, please keep one hand on my shoulder and the other over my mouth."

Dangerous words come in all varieties. Some sound meaningless and harmless, but they aren't. Words I find the most dangerous are: cruel, confusing, dishonest, offensive, foolish, explosive, empty, divisive, insensitive, discouraging, abusive, and arrogant. Through dangerous words, trust is betrayed, friendship is broken, family is divided, churches are split, nations slaughtered, and communities fragmented. So, please beware.

Words can build bridges or break hearts; they can give hope or steal peace; they can be a glorious present or a deadly poison. So let's do as Dan Nelson suggested: "As soon as you see someone doing something good, tell him about it."

We can each bring healing or harm. Kind words are the best currency available to us. The rule of friendship means always using friendly and sincere words. Well spoken, Cicero.

The five most powerful words in the English language are: "Thank you," "Would you, please?" "What do you think?" "I am proud of you." "I love you."

With a little effort you will never run out of good things to say. I've come to the conclusion as Goethe did, "Be generous with kindly words."

There is a tale of a poor boy who was born with a terribly disfigured face. When most people saw him, they whispered and stared. This boy would have been doomed if not for his beautiful words. If people heard his words without seeing his face, they were drawn to his gentle, kind and refreshing words. He soon learned to cover his face and use only positive words. His words brought him great success. By his 30th birthday, he was the wealthiest most respected man in the kingdom. He married and had three beautiful children.

One day his wife, who had never seen his face, begged him to remove his mask. "But if I let you see my face," said he, "you will no longer love me." She insisted this was not true - in fact, his failure to show his face she said was a sign he neither trusted nor loved her. Finally, on a bright spring morning, with trepidation, he removed his mask.

His wife gasped and the husband quickly covered his face. "No!" she said. "Let me look again." Slowly he uncovered his face a second time. His wife sighed, placing a mirror before him. "Do you see?" she said. "Your face is the most handsome I have ever seen." As others in the kingdom saw his face they agreed, and many wondered how an ugly boy became such a handsome man.

Yet the man knew the secret. Beautiful words create a beautiful face. Therefore watch your words. They have great power. Words with face. Interesting thought.

Tacos and Influence

2009-02-25T00:01:00.001-08:00

The Hard Part of Christian

2009-02-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Come to think of it, there are a few things I'm really good at. Getting along with people, for example. Writing, for another. Brewing a gallon of really good tea, sweetened with sugar (my wife calls it Missouri tea). I am not, apparently, good at being a Christian.

I hope you'll just go ahead and read the rest of this. It will be worth it. I promise. Because I'm writing this for all of you out there who agree with me that it's hard being a Christian sometimes - especially with all the slop and burp that may be going on in your little world right now - whether it's in your home, on the job, at school, in some relationship, or yes, even at church.

Face it. Being a Christian is hard. If you're a stand-up comedian, the only thing you're expected to do is crack people up while they eat their mozzarella sticks, and you sip your favorite drink. If you're a newspaper reporter, it's your job to report the facts (or make up the facts, whichever is easier at the moment). If you're a blogger, it's your job to just vent the way you feel at the moment and accept the comments people make about your venting, right or wrong, no judgments made, just accept it. If you're a Christian, though, you have to not just play the role but live the part. That's what makes it hard sometimes.

Yes, I know that some people are genuinely good at being a Christian, and some people fake their way through. I know that some people radiate joy and peace, and others have a make believe smile slapped across their face. But I also know that most people can tell the difference and are turned off by the latter.

I guess sometimes I feel like being a Christian is a lot like an inmate going before the parole board. Yes, I know that's going to be a very unpopular view, but allow me the luxury of being brutally honest. You may have robbed a bank at gunpoint one day in your life 15 years ago, but then you went through a jail house conversion, started a jail house ministry, started counseling other inmates with drug problems, and you became an exemplary inmate. But when you sit there before the parole board, the positive changes you made in your life are forgotten. All that matters is that you robbed a bank 15 years ago, and even though people say you're being judged on your more recent good deeds, the truth is, you can sense you're really being judged as a bank robber.

And so, welcome to faith. It can seem that way sometimes. You say the wrong thing, respond the wrong way, act before you think, judge before you discern, et cetera, et cetera. Fact is, you messed up and people called you to the carpet about it. But then, after working on yourself and more importantly allowing the Lord to re-shape your heart, you truly feel that you are still being judged according to the past mess ups in life.

I'd say it's frustrating for a whole lot of people out there. People believe whatever they want to believe, and no amount of pleading or whining will change their minds. Actually, that usually makes it worse.

Maybe we should all have some honest reflection once in a while and just simply say, I am not Christian enough. Mature enough. Calm enough. Whatever enough.

I have come to believe that when all the "enoughs" of our life are said and done we can all be incredibly thankful to have a God who forgives and moves on, who doesn't hold our screw-ups and our mess-ups over our heads and use them to judge us later. We are white as snow and He knows sincerity when He sees it. We mess up. And He teaches us, if we are open we learn and grow, and we move forward.

No parole board. No judge or jury. Just forgiveness with a hope and a future. We move forward, we are never rejected, we are never turned away. Our God deals with us directly. He doesn't string us along only to let us down in the end.

I think that God is a whole lot cooler than Christians. Which is basically why I keep trying to follow Him - despite the mess-ups and flubs in my life (and yes, you have them, too). It's why I keep trying to follow Him - and not His followers.

I'd say that we're all still trying to figure this life out. None of us has any hard, fast answers. The only answers we have lie in Him. We make mistakes, judge people, act immaturely at times (though I'm believing I have far less of this immaturish-ness than I used to have). I do it, you do it.

But our God never does. One person in this entire universe and beyond never screws up, never messes up, never flubs up - and that's why I get up every morning, take a deep breath, say a thankful prayer to my Creator and my Father, and give it another shot. Nobody else in this world is really worth the effort.

So take my word for it -being a Christian is hard, but it's always, absolutely, and unequivocally worth every day giving it another shot. Do it, for His name's sake - and for your own sake, too. It's worth it. Every bit.

On Being Nice

2009-02-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Most of us have smiled at and some of us have echoed the prayer of the little girl: "O Lord, make all the bad people good, and all the good people nice." It is a pleasant bit of whimsy that makes me think about two important things.

The purpose of the Creator-God is to make bad people good. Only God can ultimately do this. Not only does God want to make bad people good; He wants to make good people nice. In either case, it takes the cooperation of the one needing the goodness or the niceness. Bad people do not become good until they see that they are bad and need help and repent of their badness. Good people do not become nice until they see the winsomeness and beauty of the Christ who went about doing good.

Face it. There are some good people who are absolutely not very nice at all. Their disposition has more in common with the pickle jar than with the honeycomb. They are pure but prickly, clean but critical, straight but strident, good but not good for anything in particular.

Some of these good people have dour dispositions by nature; some have soured under adversities and problems; some have climbed to the judgment seat and play the role of the Creator; some have drifted into the habit of contentiousness and talk more about what they are against than what they are for.

Let it be known that followers of "the Way" suffer far less from opposition and scorn of those without than they do from the influence of those who profess everything from the lids of the sacred Book, who find themselves yet quarrelsome, cynical, unkind, and very much devoid of the sweet loveliness of the One who taught us all to "love one another."

Whatever else we want to believe about it, people size us up far less on the basis of what we say or how we look than they do by what they feel exuding from our spirit.

To be nice does not mean to be prim and prissy; neither does it mean to be affable and permissive. However, it does mean to be motivated by true thoughtfulness and caring concern. This cannot be faked. It does mean to be possible to live with, rather than to live without. It does mean everything that is summed up in the word and the deed that makes the world go 'round - "love."

Come to think of it - it is really a needed prayer: O Lord, make all the bad people good, and all the good people nice."

Ramblings About the Church

2009-01-23T17:54:00.000-08:00

Okay. I've been sitting parts of the last two days in a class with some discussion about the church and what it needs to do to reach out. I'm not real good at sitting that long and talking. I like action. And yes, one of the people attending the class I was in thought there was something wrong with me because I hadn't talked all morning. Hmmm. I had little to say except that after all these years in ministry, talking about it doesn't get anything done. Doing it does get something done. Profound, huh? I guess I'm more of a doer than a talker. And I reminded her that you can't take the cookie-cutter approach to doing church ministry. You've just got to find the "culture" and "pulse" of the church and start doing something in the name of Jesus.

Well, along with that I picked up a magazine that had a little feature entitled, "If Your Church Closed Today . . ." Here's the gist of it. We are all asked "to do something for the church." Times are hard, budgets are tight, the economy is going down. It's not an easy time "to do something for the church."

That brings me to audits. Ever heard of them? Church audits, that is. Well, we get one done at the church I pastor every year. That reminds me - it's due in a couple of weeks. Yikes! How about another kind of audit? A mission audit. It has just one question, "If our church closed today, who would miss it other than our members?"

That gets me to thinking, now. Make a list of the people and groups in our community outside our "church members" who would miss our church. Would they miss anything? And then just keep that audit going each year. Would that list get shorter or longer? Thriving and serving are linked together.

Since I'm part of the Wesleyan and Methodist heritage, there's something else I'm thinking about. From the beginning, Methodism had a close connection between what happened in the pew and what happened in the jails. Hmm. Well, the article went on to say that growth in the church is related to meeting the needs of all God's children.

So, is it happening where you are? where I am? Well, I wonder about that, really. Are people saying that because our church is in the community, people are getting their needs met - like, there are no hungry people? Or there is no bigotry? Or no discrimination? Or there is no one homeless? Or there is no one without the clothes they need?

Think about it. Then, don't just talk - do something.

Are Pastors Good for Nothing?

2009-01-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this is bugging me. I'll admit it. I attended my Staff Pastor-Parish Committee (sort of like a Board of Deacons in other churches) meeting tonight. We were talking about the pastor (in good ways, of course) and I was helping lead the discussion. I have some very intelligent minds to work with on this committee and boy am I glad I do. Otherwise, it would be a disaster waiting to happen or one that had already happened. So, we were talking about things like his priorities, his ministry, his leadership, and we did throw in a reminder about his vacation, too. Well, I happen to be the pastor sitting in the meeting, so I was just sitting there thinking, what are pastors good for? Are they good for nothing?

A guy by the name of Aussie John helped me out on this. He described a pastor as: "A sheep among sheep gifted to compliment the other sheep and their giftedness", and he described pastoring as "to minister as a brother in ministry, instead of as the Head Honcho! ...to minister and be ministered to as brethren in the same family!" Not too bad, Aussie John. I like that.

Now, here's where my brain really kicked in. If a pastor is simply one sheep among other sheep, one who is gifted as others are gifted, one who teaches while others also teach, then, what is a pastor good for? Why do we need pastors? Are pastors good for nothing?

Well, since I'm a pastor I hold to the view that pastors must be good for something. But just because pastors are needed and important does not mean that we automatically must accept that pastors should be the organizing, planning, head-honcho types with which we're sometimes presented.

I think that I think that pastors should mostly be examples to other believers. They should be examples in their living, their caring, their teaching, their leading, ad infinitum.

Nobody is perfect - not even pastors - but all of us tend to look more highly on ourselves, our opinions, our gifts, our talents, our ideas, our plans, and everything else, than we should. If we get two options - one ours and one coming from another person - we go ahead and choose our own idea. When presented with two ways of dealing with a problem, we go ahead and choose the way that seems right to us. When contemplating how to help someone in need, we go ahead and want to help in the way that looks best to us. So, in the end, we go ahead and choose our own way.

I'm going to say it, not because I'm a pastor, but because I know it's true. If pastors are truly worth anything, they will be the first to yield to the interests of others. The pastors who complain because they are not getting their way are probably not the people that we should follow. And those who demand that we follow them because of their position are also demonstrating that they are not the ones who should be followed.

Instead, the pastor who consistently lives a life loving God and loving others and maturing in Christ Jesus are the ones that should be followed.

That makes a pastor good for something rather than just good for nothing. I choose the good for something side.

On Christmas Cheer

2008-12-19T19:30:00.000-08:00

It happens this way every year. And it's a rather familiar experience for me. Okay, I'm out shopping (yes, I actually do!). I go through the checkout line. I pay for my stuff (good thing to do, by the way). And when the cashier hands me back the change (if I actually get any money back), they’ll say “Happy holidays,” or perhaps even “Merry Christmas.”

Now I am smart enough to know that this comment is not actually always motivated by the cashier’s genuine interest in whether or not I enjoy my holiday. I doubt they really care about that in the end. In fact, I am fully aware that they are probably saying this because they’ve been coached to say it. After all, it is Christmas, you know. Oh, I can just seen that memo from Wal-Mart corporate headquarters directing cashiers when to switch from “Have a nice day” to “Happy Holidays.” It's all on the assumption that this will somehow help cement a lasting bond between the store and the customer that won’t evaporate when a Target opens across the street.

Now I must admit that I'm quite suspicious of the whole business. But I feel really good to know that at least once every year, I have a cashier who looks me in the eye and says “Merry Christmas,” and really means it. And, believe it or not, it changes my whole day.

I really do think that there is something genuine to this whole idea of Christmas cheer. As December 25th draws near, it seems that people warm up just a bit. If you’re out and around on Christmas Eve (hopefully you're not starting your Christmas shopping that night), you’ll notice that people seem to be a little friendlier than on any other day of the year.

I sort of think that people like to warm up a bit when they are mindful of the Christ child’s birth. People make an extra effort to practice the virtues the angels sing of - “peace on earth, goodwill towards men.”

But have you ever wondered why it is that we notice this at Christmas? Why does this surge in warmheartedness stand out? Could it be that, despite our best intentions, good will towards men can easily become a seasonal event rather than a standing policy? I wonder.

When Christ entered our world, he didn’t come to brighten our Decembers, but to transform our lives. It can be hard work to practice good will towards one another. Take a look at what's going on around us. This is a hard, tough world, and it seems there's not a whole lot of kindness going on - or at least if it is, it's not getting the nightly news coverage, is it?

Take a moment to think about the Gospel accounts of Jesus' ministry. They provide the blueprint for loving our neighbor in a busy and complicated neighborhood. Christ made a point of seeking out the broken and disenfranchised people of his day - the lepers, prostitutes and tax collectors - and he saw the value in each one of them. And in so doing, He helped them recognize the value in themselves.

I think that at this Christmas season, it's a good time for us to recognize that just as faith is a decision, good will towards people is a series of decisions that work themselves out not in temporary holiday cheer, but in the details of everyday life.

Try some Christmas cheer.

An Isaiah 64:1 Advent Litany

2008-12-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

Leader: Awesome and mighty God, you promised long ago to visit us in human form. Prophets and seers foretold your coming to a world heedless and uncaring. We marvel at the quietness and simplicity of the incarnation, We stand in awe of your choice of the right time -- the fullness of time -- for being born to us; for growing up with such amazing love for all of us; for going all the way to the Cross for us; and for pursuing us still, relentlessly, with your offer of redemption. O God, you come to us daily, in season and out of season, invited or unasked. As your people, we pray as did the prophet of old, Oh that you would rend the heavens …