Several years ago Bantam published a series of books entitled Choose Your Own Adventure. During my years in the book business I sold a lot of them. Here's how Wikipedia explains the concept:
"Choose Your Own Adventure is a series of children's gamebooks. Each story is written from a second-person point of view, with the reader assuming the role of the protagonist and making choices that determine the main character's actions in response to the plot and its outcome.
After an introduction to the story, the reader is asked to determine the protagonist's next course of action. After the reader makes a choice, the plot branches out and unfolds, leading to more decisions and eventually multiple possible endings.
The types of endings that the books featured include:
- At least one, but often several, endings depicting a highly desired resolution, often involving uncovering a handsome monetary reward.
- Endings that result in the death of the protagonist, companions of the main character or both, or other very negative ending, because of a fatal choice of the reader.
- Other endings that may be either satisfactory (but not the most desired ending) or unsatisfactory (but not totally bad).
- Occasionally a particular set of choices will throw the reader into a loop where they repeatedly reach the same page (often with a reference to the situation being familiar). At this point the reader's only option is to restart the adventure.
As the series progressed, the length of the plot threads increased, therefore, the number of endings decreased. The earliest books in the series often contained nearly 40 possible endings, while later entries contained as few as eight."
It sounds a lot like life, doesn't it? As an avid reader, the concept behind the Choose Your Own Adventure series always fascinated me. When the consequences of your choices are only 50 or 75 pages away, you tend to take them seriously - even the ones that seem fairly insignificant.
My children lost their father on October 5 after a 2 1/2 year battle with cancer. It's been a challenging time for them. My daughter (15 years old) is having a particularly difficult time. She wonders why. It's a hard time in life to lose a parent.
In the Choose Your Own Adventure books, there are many things that happen as the plot unfolds. Maybe an alien attacks your spaceship, or bandits come after your wagon train. Things that you may prefer did not happen. But when they do happen, the choices you make are critical. Are you brave or fearful? Do you fight or run. In real life some of those same choices are open to us. Others too. Do you allow doubt or bitterness to overtake you? When the end of the story is not only 50 or so pages away, it's tempting to think that the choices we make in response to things like a death don't matter as much.
They do. Our choices affect the outcome. Even little choices send ripples throughout the rest of our lives changing the options offered later in the story. Choose wisely.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Everybody Needs a Little Fresh Air
I've been thinking this Advent season of ways to help my children refocus. It's so easy to get sucked into the holiday season as a consumer. My kids, being teenagers, are (of course) thinking a lot about what they want for Christmas. They both realize that there are some people that they must buy a gift for, but by and large, they're thinking about themselves. It's pretty typical given their ages.
There's really not anything they truly need. Whenever my kids need something we go out and buy it. In some ways, it makes gift giving a challenge - what do you buy someone who has everything they need and much of what they want? How do you change a religious holiday -that's been turned into a consumer event -back into a religious holiday for yourself and your family? I think the answer is by looking outside of your family to others who don't have everything they need or want.
There are many ways to do this. The Angel Tree ministry is excellent. Or you could buy a goat or lamb, or chicken for a family in Africa.
If you're in need of a "Fresh" idea, I have one. The Fresh Air Fund (http://www.freshair.org/) makes it possible for inner city children to get out of the city for some fresh air. The kids may attend camp, or be sponsored in a family's home. What's cool about this organization is that there's more than one way your family can get involved.
First, you can donate money. The camps, organizational expenses and transportation don't pay for themselves after all. Money's vital.
Or... your family could host a child who needs to get out of the city for some fresh air. This is gift giving taken to the next level. When you give your time, attention, and affection it's a way of giving yourself as the gift. It's what Christ did for us in the Incarnation.
As Christmas approaches, I hope you're able to be a little less consumer minded and a little more Christ Mass minded. May you offer yourself to others - family, friends, acquaintances - and strangers just as Christ offered himself. That's a truly priceless present.
There's really not anything they truly need. Whenever my kids need something we go out and buy it. In some ways, it makes gift giving a challenge - what do you buy someone who has everything they need and much of what they want? How do you change a religious holiday -that's been turned into a consumer event -back into a religious holiday for yourself and your family? I think the answer is by looking outside of your family to others who don't have everything they need or want.
There are many ways to do this. The Angel Tree ministry is excellent. Or you could buy a goat or lamb, or chicken for a family in Africa.
If you're in need of a "Fresh" idea, I have one. The Fresh Air Fund (http://www.freshair.org/) makes it possible for inner city children to get out of the city for some fresh air. The kids may attend camp, or be sponsored in a family's home. What's cool about this organization is that there's more than one way your family can get involved.
First, you can donate money. The camps, organizational expenses and transportation don't pay for themselves after all. Money's vital.
Or... your family could host a child who needs to get out of the city for some fresh air. This is gift giving taken to the next level. When you give your time, attention, and affection it's a way of giving yourself as the gift. It's what Christ did for us in the Incarnation.
As Christmas approaches, I hope you're able to be a little less consumer minded and a little more Christ Mass minded. May you offer yourself to others - family, friends, acquaintances - and strangers just as Christ offered himself. That's a truly priceless present.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
The Mystery of the Other
"It is not the person furthest away who is the greatest mystery, but precisely the one closest to us. And that person’s mystery is not lessened by our learning ever more about him or her. On the contrary, in her or his presence that one becomes ever more mysterious. It is the final depth of everything mysterious when two people come so close one to the other that the love each other ... Thus, knowing does not dissolve mystery but deepens it. That the other is close to me, that is the greatest mystery." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
As a young woman I always thought of The Cost of Discipleship when I heard Bonhoeffer's name. He certainly knew a little something about that subject! I'll tell you what, though, Bonhoeffer's got lots of great things to say on many subjects. Case in point, the quote above.
I was talking with one of my sisters earlier this week about relationships in general, and men in particular. She's feeling a bit jaded with respect to men and romance and marriage. I have to begin by confessing that I'm FAR from an expert (experientially speaking) on the subject of that kind of love. However, there are some things that I understand (at least in a theoretical way - and experientially if you expand the category to include family and friends).
Relationships (especially marriage) are intended to mirror the relationship of Christ and the church. That's certainly the ideal, and there is the 5% of highly satisfied marriages that one can look at and say, "Wow! Their relationship is great. It's holy. It's how marriage is intended to be." That leaves 95% that is somewhat less stellar, but not any less a mirror.
Think of the Christians you know. Certainly no more than 5% have a super close, highly satisfying relationship with God. The vast majority are in some kind of continual conflict as they work out their salvation. They're not any less Christian than the 5%, just as the 95% who have to work hard at marriage are no less married.
But back to Bonhoeffer and mystery. I think that what he says about the person closest to us being the greatest mystery is true and very helpful in understanding what makes relationships work well: human relationships and our relationship with God.
There are people who lose the sense of mystery and wonder in their relationships. They assume they know the other so well, that they no longer pay attention. They no longer study the other, no longer truly listen, because they think they already know what the other person's saying. The other person is dismissed. That's a relationship in trouble - whether your talking about lovers, spouses, parents & kids, friends - whomever.
Bonhoeffer's right, though. We never really get to the end of mystery when we're dealing with another person. Heck, don't you even find yourself mysterious sometimes? I do. I also find myself straining after the mystery in my children, my sibling, my mom. There are depths in these others in my life, that I do not yet know. Part of the joy in life and relationship is that the folks we know are so fascinating.
The same applies to God. Now, you may say, "Well duh! That's obvious when you're referring to God." Really? So how much time do you spend with Him, plumbing his depths? Do you still find God fascinating? Are you on the edge of your chair wondering what He'll say to you next? Are you looking for His hand at work in your life and in the lives of others? As great as it is spending a lifetime knowing the people in our lives, it is greater still that we'll never come to the end of knowing the beauty of God in eternity.
As a young woman I always thought of The Cost of Discipleship when I heard Bonhoeffer's name. He certainly knew a little something about that subject! I'll tell you what, though, Bonhoeffer's got lots of great things to say on many subjects. Case in point, the quote above.
I was talking with one of my sisters earlier this week about relationships in general, and men in particular. She's feeling a bit jaded with respect to men and romance and marriage. I have to begin by confessing that I'm FAR from an expert (experientially speaking) on the subject of that kind of love. However, there are some things that I understand (at least in a theoretical way - and experientially if you expand the category to include family and friends).
Relationships (especially marriage) are intended to mirror the relationship of Christ and the church. That's certainly the ideal, and there is the 5% of highly satisfied marriages that one can look at and say, "Wow! Their relationship is great. It's holy. It's how marriage is intended to be." That leaves 95% that is somewhat less stellar, but not any less a mirror.
Think of the Christians you know. Certainly no more than 5% have a super close, highly satisfying relationship with God. The vast majority are in some kind of continual conflict as they work out their salvation. They're not any less Christian than the 5%, just as the 95% who have to work hard at marriage are no less married.
But back to Bonhoeffer and mystery. I think that what he says about the person closest to us being the greatest mystery is true and very helpful in understanding what makes relationships work well: human relationships and our relationship with God.
There are people who lose the sense of mystery and wonder in their relationships. They assume they know the other so well, that they no longer pay attention. They no longer study the other, no longer truly listen, because they think they already know what the other person's saying. The other person is dismissed. That's a relationship in trouble - whether your talking about lovers, spouses, parents & kids, friends - whomever.
Bonhoeffer's right, though. We never really get to the end of mystery when we're dealing with another person. Heck, don't you even find yourself mysterious sometimes? I do. I also find myself straining after the mystery in my children, my sibling, my mom. There are depths in these others in my life, that I do not yet know. Part of the joy in life and relationship is that the folks we know are so fascinating.
The same applies to God. Now, you may say, "Well duh! That's obvious when you're referring to God." Really? So how much time do you spend with Him, plumbing his depths? Do you still find God fascinating? Are you on the edge of your chair wondering what He'll say to you next? Are you looking for His hand at work in your life and in the lives of others? As great as it is spending a lifetime knowing the people in our lives, it is greater still that we'll never come to the end of knowing the beauty of God in eternity.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Peace! A Sermon for the Second Sunday in Advent
Isaiah 40: 1-11
Psalm 85: 1-2, 8-13
2 Peter 3: 8-15a
I’m willing to bet that if I picked several of you in the congregation and asked you to define the word peace, I’d get a variety of answers. In fact, I probably wouldn’t hear the same definition twice. We use the word peace to mean lots of different things, don’t we? If I asked you, “What’s the opposite of war, you’d probably answer ‘peace’”. Sometimes mothers are heard to say in a loud voice, “Can I just have some peace?!” And by peace they may mean that they want the TV, video game, or stereo turned down or they may be asking their children to stop bickering. When someone says, “Leave me in peace,” he may feel that too much of his attention, effort or resources are demanded.
I was raised in the 60’s and 70’s which was a time when folks liked to sport peace signs around their necks or as bumper stickers on their cars. It wasn’t uncommon to see people flash the peace sign. Hippies and flower children sprung up during those years advocating peace and love as the antidote to social or political problems. That was a particularly angry time. A time filled with many conflicts. The Vietnam War was being fought and the Civil Rights movement was going strong.
I think most of us would agree that 2008 has been a very challenging year. We’re currently fighting two wars. We just finished a protracted and bitter election year. We’ve struggled with soaring prices for commodities like food and fuel and plummeting home prices. Those of us lucky enough to have retirement accounts have recently suffered serious losses. And just last week it was announced that we are officially in a recession. How’s that make you feel? Peaceful is probably not the word that comes to mind.
The desire for peace hasn’t simply been limited to our times, though. The truth is that throughout history, peace has been a commodity in short supply.
We all want peace. But what is it? Let me read you some definitions of “peace”:
· the state prevailing during the absence of war
· harmonious relations; freedom from disputes; the absence of mental stress or anxiety
· the general security of public places; "he was arrested for disturbing the peace"
· a treaty to cease hostilities; "peace came on November 11th"
The Hebrew word for peace is “shalom”. Shalom is a comprehensive well-being that encompasses the fulfillment of every individual and corporate need, as well as the health and fertility of the natural order. It’s not just the absence of conflict, but the fullness of life.
It is the Shalom sort of peace that Advent calls us to both anticipate for the future and receive as a part of our present reality. Best of all, it’s not a peace that depends on every temporal circumstance being perfect. We can experience Shalom today – in the midst of two wars and a recession; in spite of conflicts at work or within our families. And although peace is a part of what we anticipate during Advent when Christ returns and establishes his Kingdom, it can be a part of our lives every day.
The scripture passages we heard read to us this morning speak of peace, and although a sermon could easily be built around any one of them, I want to point out three things that jump out at me when they are taken together.
The first thing is that real peace is predicated on the love of God: His love for us, and ours for Him. In Isaiah 40 the prophet is told to speak tenderly to Jerusalem. During this time the Israelites were in exile, dejected and feeling forsaken and hopeless. They were there as a result of their own sins. They had not loved God as they should. They had broken covenant again and again, but they were sorry. The Lord is pictured here as a shepherd who will gather his lambs in his arms and gently lead them. God’s loving intention is to restore his people and bring them peace, rest, and comfort.
In Psalm 85 we’re told that the Lord will speak peace to his people. And again to people who have sinned, and been pardoned. In this passage, the vision is carried even further to see a land and a people permeated by God’s own character: steadfast love and faithfulness, righteousness and peace - all dynamically interrelated. This is the future (and if you will, the present) for those who turn to God in their hearts: for those who receive salvation. These qualities become more and more a part of the lives of those who are working out their salvation in fear and trembling.
That sounds nice and theological and theoretical doesn’t it? In your life, have you ever found yourself in a place of much inner turmoil, stress, and strain as a result of your poor choices, your sin? It’s natural to feel forsaken, dejected, and trapped when you find yourself suffering the consequences of your own actions. And I’m not just talking about the big things like breaking the law or committing adultery, or having addictions. How about the relationships that seem enmeshed in a cycle of conflict – or worse, cold silence and indifference? Whatever the situation, the good news of Advent is that God still speaks peace to his people – He speaks peace to you. And remember, God’s peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but the fullness of life – enriching relationships, love and mutuality.
The second thing that jumps out at me from these passages is that real peace springs from a trust in God: His sovereignty, His good plan, and His timing. The exiles in Babylon were given a promise that God would restore them and bring them back. It was a promise that was being worked out in time. The first century Christians addressed in 2 Peter were awaiting a promise too. They were struggling with the delay of Christ’s second coming, which they had firmly believed was imminent. Why was Christ not coming? When would he get there? What should they expect? Will Christ’s Kingdom be worth the wait? What should they do in the meantime?
God has a plan. His plan has a macro element (the plan for the Kingdom of God in history – the big Story) and micro elements (the plan for you and you and you and me). It absolutely astounds me to think of the intricate and elegant way that he moves His macro plan forward and at the same time weaves your story and mine into it. The Story isn’t really about us, but God in His infinite love for us includes us – and uses us to move his plan forward and uses his plan to move us forward.
Let’s be honest. There is much we do not understand. In fact even the things we think we understand we’re probably mistaken about. Why are we in a recession? Why a war? Two wars? Why did this person lose their home in a fire? Why that person his job? How come the diagnosis has to be cancer? Why would God allow that person to die in the prime of her life? Or: Why are you enjoying prosperity? Health? A promotion? You name it. Isn’t it interesting how we think to question the whys of the “bad” things that happen to us and not the “good” things?
Everyone wrestles with troubling questions about the uncertainty of the future, the crises of the present, and the unknowns of the past. All of these things make it clear to us that we're not in control. The irony is that understanding that we’re not in control is really a gift. Only when we understand that can we understand reality. But just because we’re not in control doesn’t mean that life is uncertain. The good news of Advent is that our direction is very sure. God is working out His plan in His time. We don't have to understand all of the whys and wherefores. Our job is to trust God, trust his loving intentions, to trust his timing. 2 Peter makes it clear that God works things out in the fullness of time. There's no delay. There's no wavering. Only God’s patience and love and certain victory.
Finally, it strikes me that as the recipients of God’s peace, we are to be instruments of that same peace wherever we go. Psalm 85 makes it clear that as God’s glory dwells in our midst that we reflect His character: steadfast love and faithfulness, righteousness and peace. All of these qualities interconnected in dependence and symbiosis. 2 Peter also instructs that we should be found at peace and without spot or blemish.
Advent’s a good time to practice peacemaking too. Traffic's terrible. It takes more time to get from point A to point B because everyone is hustling and bustling. Do you let that person in or cut them off? We often encounter others whose fuse is short because they’re out spending money they don’t have and fighting crowds of people doing the same thing, pressured to meet their gift giving obligations. Do you scowl when someone in the mall bumps you or smile?
Advent is often a time when peacemaking comes up in families too. Families are brought together to celebrate, and it’s not uncommon for old wounds to be remembered. Broken family systems and broken relationships that can be put on the back burner the rest of the year must confronted until the celebration is over. And that’s for the families lucky enough to still be in relationship. Sometimes Advent brings to mind relationships were so broken that they no longer exist.
Reflecting the character of God, we are called to be children of peace. Where? Everywhere we go: in marriages, with children, friends, in the church, with co-workers, when we encounter strangers. Under what circumstances? Only when things are hunky dory? Only when others are doing what we want them to do or saying the things we want them to say? No. In every circumstance. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Many of us think about peace on earth (and in our lives) during Advent. We hear songs about it, receive Christmas cards with idyllic pictures of peaceful winter scenes or images of families together laughing and sharing good times. And that’s good. It’s appropriate. This period of waiting before Christmas is meant to be a time for us to reflect on what life in the Kingdom of God is intended to be. Let’s not leave our desire for peace when the season ends, however. Like hope, love, and joy, peace should characterize our lives in Christ in every time and season.
To God the Father, the Author of peace, to Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, and to the Holy Spirit, whose presence and power in our lives makes the peace of God possible for us, be all glory, honor, and dominion now and forever. Amen.
Psalm 85: 1-2, 8-13
2 Peter 3: 8-15a
I’m willing to bet that if I picked several of you in the congregation and asked you to define the word peace, I’d get a variety of answers. In fact, I probably wouldn’t hear the same definition twice. We use the word peace to mean lots of different things, don’t we? If I asked you, “What’s the opposite of war, you’d probably answer ‘peace’”. Sometimes mothers are heard to say in a loud voice, “Can I just have some peace?!” And by peace they may mean that they want the TV, video game, or stereo turned down or they may be asking their children to stop bickering. When someone says, “Leave me in peace,” he may feel that too much of his attention, effort or resources are demanded.
I was raised in the 60’s and 70’s which was a time when folks liked to sport peace signs around their necks or as bumper stickers on their cars. It wasn’t uncommon to see people flash the peace sign. Hippies and flower children sprung up during those years advocating peace and love as the antidote to social or political problems. That was a particularly angry time. A time filled with many conflicts. The Vietnam War was being fought and the Civil Rights movement was going strong.
I think most of us would agree that 2008 has been a very challenging year. We’re currently fighting two wars. We just finished a protracted and bitter election year. We’ve struggled with soaring prices for commodities like food and fuel and plummeting home prices. Those of us lucky enough to have retirement accounts have recently suffered serious losses. And just last week it was announced that we are officially in a recession. How’s that make you feel? Peaceful is probably not the word that comes to mind.
The desire for peace hasn’t simply been limited to our times, though. The truth is that throughout history, peace has been a commodity in short supply.
We all want peace. But what is it? Let me read you some definitions of “peace”:
· the state prevailing during the absence of war
· harmonious relations; freedom from disputes; the absence of mental stress or anxiety
· the general security of public places; "he was arrested for disturbing the peace"
· a treaty to cease hostilities; "peace came on November 11th"
The Hebrew word for peace is “shalom”. Shalom is a comprehensive well-being that encompasses the fulfillment of every individual and corporate need, as well as the health and fertility of the natural order. It’s not just the absence of conflict, but the fullness of life.
It is the Shalom sort of peace that Advent calls us to both anticipate for the future and receive as a part of our present reality. Best of all, it’s not a peace that depends on every temporal circumstance being perfect. We can experience Shalom today – in the midst of two wars and a recession; in spite of conflicts at work or within our families. And although peace is a part of what we anticipate during Advent when Christ returns and establishes his Kingdom, it can be a part of our lives every day.
The scripture passages we heard read to us this morning speak of peace, and although a sermon could easily be built around any one of them, I want to point out three things that jump out at me when they are taken together.
The first thing is that real peace is predicated on the love of God: His love for us, and ours for Him. In Isaiah 40 the prophet is told to speak tenderly to Jerusalem. During this time the Israelites were in exile, dejected and feeling forsaken and hopeless. They were there as a result of their own sins. They had not loved God as they should. They had broken covenant again and again, but they were sorry. The Lord is pictured here as a shepherd who will gather his lambs in his arms and gently lead them. God’s loving intention is to restore his people and bring them peace, rest, and comfort.
In Psalm 85 we’re told that the Lord will speak peace to his people. And again to people who have sinned, and been pardoned. In this passage, the vision is carried even further to see a land and a people permeated by God’s own character: steadfast love and faithfulness, righteousness and peace - all dynamically interrelated. This is the future (and if you will, the present) for those who turn to God in their hearts: for those who receive salvation. These qualities become more and more a part of the lives of those who are working out their salvation in fear and trembling.
That sounds nice and theological and theoretical doesn’t it? In your life, have you ever found yourself in a place of much inner turmoil, stress, and strain as a result of your poor choices, your sin? It’s natural to feel forsaken, dejected, and trapped when you find yourself suffering the consequences of your own actions. And I’m not just talking about the big things like breaking the law or committing adultery, or having addictions. How about the relationships that seem enmeshed in a cycle of conflict – or worse, cold silence and indifference? Whatever the situation, the good news of Advent is that God still speaks peace to his people – He speaks peace to you. And remember, God’s peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but the fullness of life – enriching relationships, love and mutuality.
The second thing that jumps out at me from these passages is that real peace springs from a trust in God: His sovereignty, His good plan, and His timing. The exiles in Babylon were given a promise that God would restore them and bring them back. It was a promise that was being worked out in time. The first century Christians addressed in 2 Peter were awaiting a promise too. They were struggling with the delay of Christ’s second coming, which they had firmly believed was imminent. Why was Christ not coming? When would he get there? What should they expect? Will Christ’s Kingdom be worth the wait? What should they do in the meantime?
God has a plan. His plan has a macro element (the plan for the Kingdom of God in history – the big Story) and micro elements (the plan for you and you and you and me). It absolutely astounds me to think of the intricate and elegant way that he moves His macro plan forward and at the same time weaves your story and mine into it. The Story isn’t really about us, but God in His infinite love for us includes us – and uses us to move his plan forward and uses his plan to move us forward.
Let’s be honest. There is much we do not understand. In fact even the things we think we understand we’re probably mistaken about. Why are we in a recession? Why a war? Two wars? Why did this person lose their home in a fire? Why that person his job? How come the diagnosis has to be cancer? Why would God allow that person to die in the prime of her life? Or: Why are you enjoying prosperity? Health? A promotion? You name it. Isn’t it interesting how we think to question the whys of the “bad” things that happen to us and not the “good” things?
Everyone wrestles with troubling questions about the uncertainty of the future, the crises of the present, and the unknowns of the past. All of these things make it clear to us that we're not in control. The irony is that understanding that we’re not in control is really a gift. Only when we understand that can we understand reality. But just because we’re not in control doesn’t mean that life is uncertain. The good news of Advent is that our direction is very sure. God is working out His plan in His time. We don't have to understand all of the whys and wherefores. Our job is to trust God, trust his loving intentions, to trust his timing. 2 Peter makes it clear that God works things out in the fullness of time. There's no delay. There's no wavering. Only God’s patience and love and certain victory.
Finally, it strikes me that as the recipients of God’s peace, we are to be instruments of that same peace wherever we go. Psalm 85 makes it clear that as God’s glory dwells in our midst that we reflect His character: steadfast love and faithfulness, righteousness and peace. All of these qualities interconnected in dependence and symbiosis. 2 Peter also instructs that we should be found at peace and without spot or blemish.
Advent’s a good time to practice peacemaking too. Traffic's terrible. It takes more time to get from point A to point B because everyone is hustling and bustling. Do you let that person in or cut them off? We often encounter others whose fuse is short because they’re out spending money they don’t have and fighting crowds of people doing the same thing, pressured to meet their gift giving obligations. Do you scowl when someone in the mall bumps you or smile?
Advent is often a time when peacemaking comes up in families too. Families are brought together to celebrate, and it’s not uncommon for old wounds to be remembered. Broken family systems and broken relationships that can be put on the back burner the rest of the year must confronted until the celebration is over. And that’s for the families lucky enough to still be in relationship. Sometimes Advent brings to mind relationships were so broken that they no longer exist.
Reflecting the character of God, we are called to be children of peace. Where? Everywhere we go: in marriages, with children, friends, in the church, with co-workers, when we encounter strangers. Under what circumstances? Only when things are hunky dory? Only when others are doing what we want them to do or saying the things we want them to say? No. In every circumstance. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Many of us think about peace on earth (and in our lives) during Advent. We hear songs about it, receive Christmas cards with idyllic pictures of peaceful winter scenes or images of families together laughing and sharing good times. And that’s good. It’s appropriate. This period of waiting before Christmas is meant to be a time for us to reflect on what life in the Kingdom of God is intended to be. Let’s not leave our desire for peace when the season ends, however. Like hope, love, and joy, peace should characterize our lives in Christ in every time and season.
To God the Father, the Author of peace, to Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, and to the Holy Spirit, whose presence and power in our lives makes the peace of God possible for us, be all glory, honor, and dominion now and forever. Amen.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Six Degrees of Separation Revisited
Well, what I knew to be true intuitively before - that we are a very interconnected bunch on this planet - I've seen with my own two eyes on Face Book. I've not been a My Space or Face Book devotee up to this point. To tell you the truth I didn't get it at all. However, I joined Face Book this week so that I could demonstrate it on the new Blackberry Storm, and what was immediately apparent is how connected humans are to one another.
Friend lists grow exponentially and it's easy to see how one person can be connected to another they've never seen or heard of by just one or two degrees. Face Book even tells you that you may know so and so, who knows so and so, who you know. It's amazing.
If you've ever wondered if your life affects others - for good or bad - here is evidence that it does. We are like a giant tapestry with threads intertwined this way and that. Each thread is an integral part of the whole - whether adding to the beauty or detracting. I don't know about you, but I want to add to the beauty.
Friend lists grow exponentially and it's easy to see how one person can be connected to another they've never seen or heard of by just one or two degrees. Face Book even tells you that you may know so and so, who knows so and so, who you know. It's amazing.
If you've ever wondered if your life affects others - for good or bad - here is evidence that it does. We are like a giant tapestry with threads intertwined this way and that. Each thread is an integral part of the whole - whether adding to the beauty or detracting. I don't know about you, but I want to add to the beauty.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Drinking the Koolaid
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the tragedy at Jonestown where 900+ people died from cyanide laced grape Koolaid. I watched some videos this morning from that time, and discovered that my kids (ages 15 & 14) had never heard about it.
I had just turned 16 when Jonestown happened and remember it well. I'd say that most of us (of a certain age) remember watching with horror as images from Guyana were aired. How could something like that have happened? What were those people thinking?
Well, it turns out that many of them were not thinking that they wanted to end their lives. From what I learned today, many were injected with cyanide against their will and many others under intense psychological pressure were "led" to the buckets for a drink.
In watching interviews of folks who survived Jonestown, it's clear that many (including Jim Jones' son) who disagreed with much of what went on there. Jones' son still believed he could accomplish something good with the people he loved in spite of his father's abuse and madness. He told reporters that those people were the only folks he'd known his entire life. How could he leave them?
If you're around my age you probably grew up drinking Koolaid. Who didn't? Koolaid, like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches was a kid staple. Drinking Koolaid was a good thing - a normal thing. Ironically, it's probably someone around my age who coined the phrase "drinking the Koolaid" to mean something bad - something not normal - and a clear reference to Jonestown. Funny, how things can get turned around...
With that in mind, maybe there's no more appropriate phrase than "drinking the Koolaid." Jim Jone's church began as a good thing. Jones had a vision for racial equality. He wanted to found an authentic, loving community of people. But things went wrong, got out of hand. Jones forgot who he was and who the people were - and to whom they really belonged - and the result was tragic and frightening. It's still frightening, because it's a common story. Everyone (given the proper set of circumstances) is vulnerable to this kind of thing happening. There are warnings in today's Lectionary for leaders:
Luke 17: 1Jesus said to his disciples, "Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! 2It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3Be on your guard!
James 3:1-10: 1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.
How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8but no one can tame the tongue?a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.
Enough said.
I had just turned 16 when Jonestown happened and remember it well. I'd say that most of us (of a certain age) remember watching with horror as images from Guyana were aired. How could something like that have happened? What were those people thinking?
Well, it turns out that many of them were not thinking that they wanted to end their lives. From what I learned today, many were injected with cyanide against their will and many others under intense psychological pressure were "led" to the buckets for a drink.
In watching interviews of folks who survived Jonestown, it's clear that many (including Jim Jones' son) who disagreed with much of what went on there. Jones' son still believed he could accomplish something good with the people he loved in spite of his father's abuse and madness. He told reporters that those people were the only folks he'd known his entire life. How could he leave them?
If you're around my age you probably grew up drinking Koolaid. Who didn't? Koolaid, like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches was a kid staple. Drinking Koolaid was a good thing - a normal thing. Ironically, it's probably someone around my age who coined the phrase "drinking the Koolaid" to mean something bad - something not normal - and a clear reference to Jonestown. Funny, how things can get turned around...
With that in mind, maybe there's no more appropriate phrase than "drinking the Koolaid." Jim Jone's church began as a good thing. Jones had a vision for racial equality. He wanted to found an authentic, loving community of people. But things went wrong, got out of hand. Jones forgot who he was and who the people were - and to whom they really belonged - and the result was tragic and frightening. It's still frightening, because it's a common story. Everyone (given the proper set of circumstances) is vulnerable to this kind of thing happening. There are warnings in today's Lectionary for leaders:
Luke 17: 1Jesus said to his disciples, "Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! 2It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3Be on your guard!
James 3:1-10: 1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.
How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8but no one can tame the tongue?a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.
Enough said.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Having Answers
"The vocation of pastor does not permit trafficking in either miracles or answers. Pastors are in the awkward position of refusing to give what a great many people assume it is our assigned job to give… We are asked to pray for an appropriate miracle, we are called upon to declare an authoritative answer. But our calling equips us for neither. In fact, it forbids us to engage in either the miracle business or the answer business." -Eugene Peterson
The longer I live the less equipped I feel to do certain things. I am not equipped to give answers to the big questions others have about specific things in their lives. I am not often equipped to pray for certain outcomes because life teaches that God's will may encompass an outcome very different (and infinitely better) than what we think or imagine.
Even when I think of my own life and walk with God, there is so much more that I don't know than that I do know. I don't mean Theological issues. I mean life issues. I do not fully understand the trajectory of my life. I think I understand some things, but would not be surprised to learn when I get to heaven that I was completely wrong. If and when that happens I expect to laugh about it.
What I do know is that God is good. He is fully in control. His plan is perfect. His intentions are loving. He is completely trustworthy. So...although I am less and less equipped to give one kind of answer, I am more and more equipped to give (and receive) answers of another kind.
The longer I live the less equipped I feel to do certain things. I am not equipped to give answers to the big questions others have about specific things in their lives. I am not often equipped to pray for certain outcomes because life teaches that God's will may encompass an outcome very different (and infinitely better) than what we think or imagine.
Even when I think of my own life and walk with God, there is so much more that I don't know than that I do know. I don't mean Theological issues. I mean life issues. I do not fully understand the trajectory of my life. I think I understand some things, but would not be surprised to learn when I get to heaven that I was completely wrong. If and when that happens I expect to laugh about it.
What I do know is that God is good. He is fully in control. His plan is perfect. His intentions are loving. He is completely trustworthy. So...although I am less and less equipped to give one kind of answer, I am more and more equipped to give (and receive) answers of another kind.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
You Know It When You See It
Here in South Central Virginia we are enjoying the peak of Autumn. Over the last few weeks I've looked around and wondered, "So, are the leaves at their peak?" Sometimes I'd think yes and sometimes no, but I was never sure. Now that the leaves are actually at their peak colors, there is no doubt in my mind at all. I can say with certainty that we're seeing the peak.
It's funny. This is not my first Autumn, and it's not the first time I've found myself wondering if the leaves were yet at their peak only to discover later that once they are, it is very obvious. There's no wondering involved - only the glorious obviousness of the beauty. You definitely know it when you see it.
Hearing God's voice seems to be the same for me. There are times when I wonder if God is saying something to me. I ponder and wonder and muse. But then God actually does speak, and there is no doubt at all. God has a way of making his voice very obvious so that there's no doubt, no wondering - only certainty.
Interesting how, just as I wonder about the leaves after experiencing many Autumns, I wonder about hearing God speak after walking with Him for so long and knowing His voice.
It's funny. This is not my first Autumn, and it's not the first time I've found myself wondering if the leaves were yet at their peak only to discover later that once they are, it is very obvious. There's no wondering involved - only the glorious obviousness of the beauty. You definitely know it when you see it.
Hearing God's voice seems to be the same for me. There are times when I wonder if God is saying something to me. I ponder and wonder and muse. But then God actually does speak, and there is no doubt at all. God has a way of making his voice very obvious so that there's no doubt, no wondering - only certainty.
Interesting how, just as I wonder about the leaves after experiencing many Autumns, I wonder about hearing God speak after walking with Him for so long and knowing His voice.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
6 Degrees of Separation
You've probably heard of the game The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon... How you can link Kevin Bacon in six degrees of separation to any other actor... Well I was reading somewhere recently (someplace reliable, but I don't remember where) that there is research that proves that we are truly that closely interrelated - but not just to other actors like in the game, but to any other person on the planet. It's actually 6.5 degrees of separation between you and any other person on the planet.
If that doesn't make you say, "Wow!" I don't know what would. It's pretty amazing to think that you know someone who knows someone, who knows someone... well you get the point. It's not very far from any one of us to any other. So I guess, if you want to meet someone, you should just make it known that you want to meet them. Chances are you do know someone who knows someone- and probably in fewer degrees of separation than six. Hmmmm....
In The Shack, Sarayu (the Holy Spirit) talks about patterns - she calls them fractals. She tells Mack, the protagonist that she loves fractals. Mack is looking at a garden (which turns out to be a symbol for himself) and he sees a mess. Sarayu takes it as a great compliment. Then he begins to perceive patterns. She tells him that they're fractals. Fractals are self-similar structures whose geometrical and topographical features are recapitulated in miniature on finer and finer scales. It's a fancy, mathematical term for a pattern. Sarayu tells Mack at some point in the book that lives look like that - like fractals. She meant individual lives, but I wonder about patterns as they relate to our interconnectedness.
We're so individualistic in this country. We think that we live our lives in relative isolation and that our concerns are our concerns. But that's really not true. Whether it's your neighbor next door or across town or across the world, we are connected. Jesus asked who's your neighbor? When we understand how closely (by degrees) we are interrelated to everyone, we understand clearly that every other person is our neighbor.
So... Hello Neighbor! Maybe one day we'll meet. For sure I know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone who knows you.
If that doesn't make you say, "Wow!" I don't know what would. It's pretty amazing to think that you know someone who knows someone, who knows someone... well you get the point. It's not very far from any one of us to any other. So I guess, if you want to meet someone, you should just make it known that you want to meet them. Chances are you do know someone who knows someone- and probably in fewer degrees of separation than six. Hmmmm....
In The Shack, Sarayu (the Holy Spirit) talks about patterns - she calls them fractals. She tells Mack, the protagonist that she loves fractals. Mack is looking at a garden (which turns out to be a symbol for himself) and he sees a mess. Sarayu takes it as a great compliment. Then he begins to perceive patterns. She tells him that they're fractals. Fractals are self-similar structures whose geometrical and topographical features are recapitulated in miniature on finer and finer scales. It's a fancy, mathematical term for a pattern. Sarayu tells Mack at some point in the book that lives look like that - like fractals. She meant individual lives, but I wonder about patterns as they relate to our interconnectedness.
We're so individualistic in this country. We think that we live our lives in relative isolation and that our concerns are our concerns. But that's really not true. Whether it's your neighbor next door or across town or across the world, we are connected. Jesus asked who's your neighbor? When we understand how closely (by degrees) we are interrelated to everyone, we understand clearly that every other person is our neighbor.
So... Hello Neighbor! Maybe one day we'll meet. For sure I know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone who knows you.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Remembering
I chaperoned the high school marching band competition yesterday. It was a great trip for our city's band - they won every category in their division. But during the debrief of the performance, the band director said that one of the judges' criticisms was that the the members did not by their movements and facial expressions convey the mood of the music.
The music the band performs this year has a Spanish theme. There is throughout the performance the sound of castanets, and at one point in the performance the band members stop and stop their feet like Flamenco dancers.
For some reason I awoke at about 3 a.m. thinking about what the band should do to convey the right message. I thought about the posture and attitude of Flamenco dancers and bull fighters...
How do I know about such things? Well, that took me down memory lane in the middle of the night...
Although we say we're Cuban, my grandfather immigrated from Spain to Cuba as a teen. In fact when Castro came to power, my grandparents fled to their home in Spain, not the U.S.. I have seen many Flamenco dances and even had a doll that was a Flamenco dancer. I have also watched more than my share of bullfights (not something I ever enjoyed). My grandfather watched bull fighting on TV the way most kids' grandfathers watched baseball.
More later...
The music the band performs this year has a Spanish theme. There is throughout the performance the sound of castanets, and at one point in the performance the band members stop and stop their feet like Flamenco dancers.
For some reason I awoke at about 3 a.m. thinking about what the band should do to convey the right message. I thought about the posture and attitude of Flamenco dancers and bull fighters...
How do I know about such things? Well, that took me down memory lane in the middle of the night...
Although we say we're Cuban, my grandfather immigrated from Spain to Cuba as a teen. In fact when Castro came to power, my grandparents fled to their home in Spain, not the U.S.. I have seen many Flamenco dances and even had a doll that was a Flamenco dancer. I have also watched more than my share of bullfights (not something I ever enjoyed). My grandfather watched bull fighting on TV the way most kids' grandfathers watched baseball.
More later...
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Great Contemporary Literature
Typically when I think of great stories, I think of books written 100+ years ago. Marilynne Robinson's books are perhaps the exceptions that prove the rule. I'm not saying that hers are the only truly fine contemporary novels. However, all three that she's written are very fine. Very fine indeed.
Yesterday afternoon I finished Home. There were tears in my eyes. Tears for Jack and Glory and Della. Especially tears for Jack, who's convinced that he is outside of the grace of God. But there were also tears of sadness because the book was over. Robinson's prose is stunning. I sit and shake my head because I'd like to say more, but lack words to elaborate. Just read it.
Home covers the same time period as Gilead - and the same characters, from a different perspective. I thought I would pick Gilead back up and read through it in light of what I know about Jack and Glory from Home. I had no particular thought about when I'd do it, however, until I went to the PCUSA's site to pull off today's Lectionary on-line and noticed several quotes from Gilead in the daily quotations section. So I reached for Gilead to see if I had the same passages marked - yes marked. These are the kind of novels with passages that demand to be marked so that they can be easily found.
This one's not on the PCUSA's site but is not only underlined in my copy, but underlined with a squiggly line (meaning that I especially liked it). This passage is found on page 124 of the hard cover edition:
"When you encounter another person, when you have dealings with anyone at all, it is as if a question is being put to you. So you must think, What is the Lord asking of me in this moment, this situation? If you confront insult or antagonism, your first impulse will be to respond in kind. But if you think, as it were, This is an emissary sent from the Lord, and some benefit is intended for me, first of all the occasion to demonstrate my faithfulness, the chance to show that I do in some small degree participate in the grace that saved me, you are free to act otherwise than the circumstances would seem to dictate. You are free to act by your own lights. You are freed at the same time of the impulse of to hate or resent that person. He would probably laugh at the thought that the Lord sent him to you for your benefit (and his), but that is the perfection of the disguise, his own ignorance of it....
Calvin says somewhere that each of us is an actor on a stage and God is the audience. That metaphor has always interested me, because it makes us artists of our behavior, and the reaction of God to us might be thought of as aesthetic rather than morally judgmental in the ordinary sense. How well do we understand our role? With how much assurance do we perform it?...I do like Calvin's image... because it suggests how God might actually enjoy us."
The above is not an example of the stunning prose that I referred to earlier, but is a very interesting thought. Don't you agree?
Yesterday afternoon I finished Home. There were tears in my eyes. Tears for Jack and Glory and Della. Especially tears for Jack, who's convinced that he is outside of the grace of God. But there were also tears of sadness because the book was over. Robinson's prose is stunning. I sit and shake my head because I'd like to say more, but lack words to elaborate. Just read it.
Home covers the same time period as Gilead - and the same characters, from a different perspective. I thought I would pick Gilead back up and read through it in light of what I know about Jack and Glory from Home. I had no particular thought about when I'd do it, however, until I went to the PCUSA's site to pull off today's Lectionary on-line and noticed several quotes from Gilead in the daily quotations section. So I reached for Gilead to see if I had the same passages marked - yes marked. These are the kind of novels with passages that demand to be marked so that they can be easily found.
This one's not on the PCUSA's site but is not only underlined in my copy, but underlined with a squiggly line (meaning that I especially liked it). This passage is found on page 124 of the hard cover edition:
"When you encounter another person, when you have dealings with anyone at all, it is as if a question is being put to you. So you must think, What is the Lord asking of me in this moment, this situation? If you confront insult or antagonism, your first impulse will be to respond in kind. But if you think, as it were, This is an emissary sent from the Lord, and some benefit is intended for me, first of all the occasion to demonstrate my faithfulness, the chance to show that I do in some small degree participate in the grace that saved me, you are free to act otherwise than the circumstances would seem to dictate. You are free to act by your own lights. You are freed at the same time of the impulse of to hate or resent that person. He would probably laugh at the thought that the Lord sent him to you for your benefit (and his), but that is the perfection of the disguise, his own ignorance of it....
Calvin says somewhere that each of us is an actor on a stage and God is the audience. That metaphor has always interested me, because it makes us artists of our behavior, and the reaction of God to us might be thought of as aesthetic rather than morally judgmental in the ordinary sense. How well do we understand our role? With how much assurance do we perform it?...I do like Calvin's image... because it suggests how God might actually enjoy us."
The above is not an example of the stunning prose that I referred to earlier, but is a very interesting thought. Don't you agree?
Monday, September 8, 2008
Stealing Music
I'm in Charleston SC (my FAVORITE city) on business. I've been visiting locations and talking with sales reps. I did the same thing last week in Raleigh, and discovered that lots of people think nothing about stealing music off of the internet. I was asking sales reps what they thought of a partnership that the company I work for has with Rhapsody - attempting to find out if they're selling it and what their roadblocks are.
I shared with them how much I love it and what a great value I think it is - three devices for $14.99. Every one of them looked at me like I was crazy. They don't pay for music. Why would they when they can pull whatever they want from the internet for free?
I pointed out very plainly that what they're doing is stealing. Taking some one's artistic and intellectual property without paying. None of them seem to have any qualms of conscience about this at all. I asked them how they'd feel if it was their music that was being stolen. Most of them said that they'd be happy with concert sales and ringtones. Yeah, right. I believe that psychologists call that rationalization.
Where am I going with this? I don't know. I know that we all rationalize some things at some times. I hope that when I rationalize that someone is kind enough to point it out so that I can stop it. No matter what, there are some things that are wrong - and wrong under any circumstance. I want to know when I'm wrong - especially when my error hurts someone else.
I shared with them how much I love it and what a great value I think it is - three devices for $14.99. Every one of them looked at me like I was crazy. They don't pay for music. Why would they when they can pull whatever they want from the internet for free?
I pointed out very plainly that what they're doing is stealing. Taking some one's artistic and intellectual property without paying. None of them seem to have any qualms of conscience about this at all. I asked them how they'd feel if it was their music that was being stolen. Most of them said that they'd be happy with concert sales and ringtones. Yeah, right. I believe that psychologists call that rationalization.
Where am I going with this? I don't know. I know that we all rationalize some things at some times. I hope that when I rationalize that someone is kind enough to point it out so that I can stop it. No matter what, there are some things that are wrong - and wrong under any circumstance. I want to know when I'm wrong - especially when my error hurts someone else.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Buck: A Cautionary Tale
I want to begin this morning by telling you about a man I met a couple of weeks ago in Eastern North Carolina. I had a strange encounter with a man during a business lunch. It’s the business lunch part that makes this conversation a bit weird. I was meeting with a couple of older gentlemen who wanted to talk about a potential business opportunity with my company. Toward the end of lunch one of them was called away for a few minutes. During that time, the other man, for reasons beyond my understanding, decided to tell me some things about his life story. I’ve been pondering what he said in light of today’s Lectionary ever since then. It’s been instructive for me, and maybe it will be for you too.
This man (we’ll call him Buck) is truly a scoundrel. He made that fact clear to me by many of the things he said throughout the lunch about his current business life. His business partner is the good guy, and he’s, well…. The scoundrel. But it’s what he told me about his personal life that touched me particularly, and it’s that part that I want to share with you.
Before he retired the first time, Buck sold tobacco farming equipment throughout the South and portions of the Mid Atlantic states for thirty years. He told me that he was the thirteenth of fourteen children – ten of them boys. Buck said that during growing up years that he had no idea that his family was poor. But that once he reached manhood, he could see that his father and his brothers were working themselves to death and just barely getting by. He couldn’t see himself doing that, so he went into sales.
Buck was highly motivated, and enjoyed great success. He married and had two children – a girl and a boy. Buck was on the road a lot. He looked across the table at me and said, “You know what that means.” I did. It means that he met a lot of ladies. Buck says that he fancied himself a ladies man. His wife knew about his philandering and tried everything she could think of to get him to stop – to be faithful to her. But Buck was having too much fun. Besides, he wasn’t really sure he had ever loved his wife.
After 25 years of marriage, Buck left home and never went back. He told me that he represented himself in the divorce, and that even without an attorney was able to stay a step ahead of his wife and her attorney. He left the marriage with his finances in tact. Buck says that to retaliate his wife turned their children against him. At least, that’s his interpretation. You’d have to figure that after 25 years of marriage that their kids would be grown or almost grown, right? I found it sad that Buck didn’t see that it was his own behavior that changed his relationship with his children.
Ironically, once he was divorced, Buck didn’t run around with the ladies nearly as much. He said that it wasn’t as much fun once it was okay to do it. See what I mean?… a scoundrel…. Buck said that, though his wife has remarried and is happy, he’s still estranged from his children. In fact, he hasn’t seen his daughter in 10 years (ever since his son got married) and didn’t talk to her then. I asked him if he attended his daughter’s wedding. He said that though he was invited, he didn’t go. He said, “I don’t know what she (meaning his daughter) wants. I told him what I thought she wanted, and suggested that if he didn’t feel comfortable calling her, that maybe he could drop her a note.
Buck shook his head sadly and said, “I’m a very independent person.” By that he meant, I think, that he’s a very proud person. Too proud to reach out to his daughter. Too proud to admit his errors – his guilt. He’d rather be estranged. I told Buck that no one was going to stand over his casket and praise his independence, but that they might still be possible for them to praise his love of his kids…
Earlier in the conversation Buck told me that he’d tried to retire, but retirement wasn’t for him. Now I understood why. He had no meaningful and fulfilling relationships. He’d had plenty of “fun” earlier in life, but none of it set him up for long term happiness.
When I met Buck, I’d already been reading the Lectionary for today, because I knew that I was preaching this Sunday and I like to ponder the Scriptures over time. Well, Buck brought the passages Romans and Matthew to the forefront of my mind. Both of them give advice on human relationships. In fact, the Bible is full of advice on relationships isn’t it? We’re told in many and various ways how to relate to God and how to relate to one another.
Our relational nature is one of the ways we bear the image of God. God is in perpetual, loving and harmonious relationship in the persons of the Trinity. Ideally our relationships would look something like His – mutuality and perfect love – the joy of knowing and being known. You may remember a couple of weeks ago Chuck mentioning a book entitled The Shack. That book is a great read – even if all you get from it is a picture of the relationship that exists between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In the passage read to us from Romans, we hear Paul remind us of something that Jesus said in the Gospels – that love fulfills the law. “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.”
It’s pretty simple advice isn’t it? Simple, yes - but not easy. In the drudgery of day to day living pettiness and selfishness creep in and make it hard to love. Someone leaves the lid off the toothpaste or doesn’t replace the empty roll of toilet paper. We’re annoyed. How inconsiderate! Or maybe we feel that our needs aren’t being met in some way. We’re not loved or appreciated the way we feel we deserve to be. It’s interesting to me that with all the relationship advice we’re given in the Bible, the focus isn’t how others should be treating us, but on how we should be treating others.
In fact, even when a serious wrong has been done, the focus is on what we should do. We’re not told that we should wrap our injury around us like a cloak or use it like a weapon – demanding that the person who wronged us come crawling back in humiliation.
Instead, Jesus tells us in Matthew that if someone sins against you, you should attempt to reconcile. He says to go to the person, and if that doesn’t work go again with a friend or two, and if that doesn’t work, try with a group. His point is that we should do everything we possibly can to remain in relationship. To mend what’s broken, to heal what’s hurt. If all of our efforts fail, it’s okay to let the person go, but first we need to try.
And that’s exactly what God does for us. He loves and pursues us with mercy and grace and forgiveness. We’ve wronged God, but He pursues us desiring relationship and reconciliation. All of us who have experienced salvation know exactly what it means to be loved and loved well. As undeserving recipients of love and grace and forgiveness we should be generous dispensers of it. God’s desire is for the church to be chalked full of great lovers and strong relationships.
My thoughts go back to Buck. I pray that he’ll find his way. Buck’s life is instructive to me and I hope to you too. Let’s choose to love family and friends well. Let’s choose love and relationship over everything. Let’s keep faith with everyone God has placed in our lives. Let’s reach out in reconciliation to those who have wronged us. At the end of our lives, what’s left is our relationships: our relationship to God and our relationships with others. I told Buck that no one would stand over his casket and praise his independence. They won’t do that for me or you either. In the end, may it be said of us all that we were great lovers and generous dispensers of grace – just like our heavenly Father.
This man (we’ll call him Buck) is truly a scoundrel. He made that fact clear to me by many of the things he said throughout the lunch about his current business life. His business partner is the good guy, and he’s, well…. The scoundrel. But it’s what he told me about his personal life that touched me particularly, and it’s that part that I want to share with you.
Before he retired the first time, Buck sold tobacco farming equipment throughout the South and portions of the Mid Atlantic states for thirty years. He told me that he was the thirteenth of fourteen children – ten of them boys. Buck said that during growing up years that he had no idea that his family was poor. But that once he reached manhood, he could see that his father and his brothers were working themselves to death and just barely getting by. He couldn’t see himself doing that, so he went into sales.
Buck was highly motivated, and enjoyed great success. He married and had two children – a girl and a boy. Buck was on the road a lot. He looked across the table at me and said, “You know what that means.” I did. It means that he met a lot of ladies. Buck says that he fancied himself a ladies man. His wife knew about his philandering and tried everything she could think of to get him to stop – to be faithful to her. But Buck was having too much fun. Besides, he wasn’t really sure he had ever loved his wife.
After 25 years of marriage, Buck left home and never went back. He told me that he represented himself in the divorce, and that even without an attorney was able to stay a step ahead of his wife and her attorney. He left the marriage with his finances in tact. Buck says that to retaliate his wife turned their children against him. At least, that’s his interpretation. You’d have to figure that after 25 years of marriage that their kids would be grown or almost grown, right? I found it sad that Buck didn’t see that it was his own behavior that changed his relationship with his children.
Ironically, once he was divorced, Buck didn’t run around with the ladies nearly as much. He said that it wasn’t as much fun once it was okay to do it. See what I mean?… a scoundrel…. Buck said that, though his wife has remarried and is happy, he’s still estranged from his children. In fact, he hasn’t seen his daughter in 10 years (ever since his son got married) and didn’t talk to her then. I asked him if he attended his daughter’s wedding. He said that though he was invited, he didn’t go. He said, “I don’t know what she (meaning his daughter) wants. I told him what I thought she wanted, and suggested that if he didn’t feel comfortable calling her, that maybe he could drop her a note.
Buck shook his head sadly and said, “I’m a very independent person.” By that he meant, I think, that he’s a very proud person. Too proud to reach out to his daughter. Too proud to admit his errors – his guilt. He’d rather be estranged. I told Buck that no one was going to stand over his casket and praise his independence, but that they might still be possible for them to praise his love of his kids…
Earlier in the conversation Buck told me that he’d tried to retire, but retirement wasn’t for him. Now I understood why. He had no meaningful and fulfilling relationships. He’d had plenty of “fun” earlier in life, but none of it set him up for long term happiness.
When I met Buck, I’d already been reading the Lectionary for today, because I knew that I was preaching this Sunday and I like to ponder the Scriptures over time. Well, Buck brought the passages Romans and Matthew to the forefront of my mind. Both of them give advice on human relationships. In fact, the Bible is full of advice on relationships isn’t it? We’re told in many and various ways how to relate to God and how to relate to one another.
Our relational nature is one of the ways we bear the image of God. God is in perpetual, loving and harmonious relationship in the persons of the Trinity. Ideally our relationships would look something like His – mutuality and perfect love – the joy of knowing and being known. You may remember a couple of weeks ago Chuck mentioning a book entitled The Shack. That book is a great read – even if all you get from it is a picture of the relationship that exists between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In the passage read to us from Romans, we hear Paul remind us of something that Jesus said in the Gospels – that love fulfills the law. “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.”
It’s pretty simple advice isn’t it? Simple, yes - but not easy. In the drudgery of day to day living pettiness and selfishness creep in and make it hard to love. Someone leaves the lid off the toothpaste or doesn’t replace the empty roll of toilet paper. We’re annoyed. How inconsiderate! Or maybe we feel that our needs aren’t being met in some way. We’re not loved or appreciated the way we feel we deserve to be. It’s interesting to me that with all the relationship advice we’re given in the Bible, the focus isn’t how others should be treating us, but on how we should be treating others.
In fact, even when a serious wrong has been done, the focus is on what we should do. We’re not told that we should wrap our injury around us like a cloak or use it like a weapon – demanding that the person who wronged us come crawling back in humiliation.
Instead, Jesus tells us in Matthew that if someone sins against you, you should attempt to reconcile. He says to go to the person, and if that doesn’t work go again with a friend or two, and if that doesn’t work, try with a group. His point is that we should do everything we possibly can to remain in relationship. To mend what’s broken, to heal what’s hurt. If all of our efforts fail, it’s okay to let the person go, but first we need to try.
And that’s exactly what God does for us. He loves and pursues us with mercy and grace and forgiveness. We’ve wronged God, but He pursues us desiring relationship and reconciliation. All of us who have experienced salvation know exactly what it means to be loved and loved well. As undeserving recipients of love and grace and forgiveness we should be generous dispensers of it. God’s desire is for the church to be chalked full of great lovers and strong relationships.
My thoughts go back to Buck. I pray that he’ll find his way. Buck’s life is instructive to me and I hope to you too. Let’s choose to love family and friends well. Let’s choose love and relationship over everything. Let’s keep faith with everyone God has placed in our lives. Let’s reach out in reconciliation to those who have wronged us. At the end of our lives, what’s left is our relationships: our relationship to God and our relationships with others. I told Buck that no one would stand over his casket and praise his independence. They won’t do that for me or you either. In the end, may it be said of us all that we were great lovers and generous dispensers of grace – just like our heavenly Father.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
On Learning to Drive
My daughter recently obtained her learners permit and is learning to drive. At the DMV, both of us were very nervous - my daughter was worried about failing, and I was worried about her passing...
Yesterday I traded my Windstar and bought her a Kia Rio. One of my sisters complimented me on my generosity, but the truth is that I didn't want her driving my Ford Edge. My daughter felt that she'd do better in something smaller, and I have to say that I agree.
Children open our eyes to lots of things that we take for granted. When you have a baby or toddler, you tend to see things anew through their eyes. It's a time to regain a sense of wonder at this amazing world we live it. Babies and toddlers have a lot more to teach too. They are very willing to try, and try again, and then again and again - however long it takes to learn a new skill. Young children are great practicers.
Practice is what my daughter needs. Driving practice. The first time I took her out, it wouldn't have surprised me to come home, look in the mirror, and discover that every hair on my head was grey. But it's getting better for both of us. My daughter is getting better, and I'm trying to relax.
Today I let her drive to church and then out to lunch. I was reminded of how many complex actions go into driving from one place to another. Simply merging from an entrance ramp onto the road requires some pretty fancy moves and a keen awareness of what's around you and at what rate of speed others are driving at.
I'm basically an easy going person, not aggressive at all. Not until I get behind the wheel of a car, that is. I like to drive a little on the fast side, and can be a bit impatient with those on the road who prefer to move slower. Here's the thing. I want my daughter to move at the speed limit or slower. When I'm in the car with her, the drivers on the road who are like me (a little aggressive) make me really nervous. I'm thinking, "This is a new driver here! Slow down! What if you cause her to wreck?!"
This part of the learning to drive experience has been a great reminder to me. Rather than feeling impatience, maybe I need to be more aware of others - maybe they're learning to drive. Maybe they're old and having difficulties. Maybe they're simply having a bad day. The last thing they need is some aggressive driver breathing down their backs.
It's not just when I'm behind the wheel that I need to be aware of others. There are other kinds of wrecks we can have as we navigate the roads of life. Whatever the situation, I don't want to be responsible for someone having a wreck of any kind. How about you?
Yesterday I traded my Windstar and bought her a Kia Rio. One of my sisters complimented me on my generosity, but the truth is that I didn't want her driving my Ford Edge. My daughter felt that she'd do better in something smaller, and I have to say that I agree.
Children open our eyes to lots of things that we take for granted. When you have a baby or toddler, you tend to see things anew through their eyes. It's a time to regain a sense of wonder at this amazing world we live it. Babies and toddlers have a lot more to teach too. They are very willing to try, and try again, and then again and again - however long it takes to learn a new skill. Young children are great practicers.
Practice is what my daughter needs. Driving practice. The first time I took her out, it wouldn't have surprised me to come home, look in the mirror, and discover that every hair on my head was grey. But it's getting better for both of us. My daughter is getting better, and I'm trying to relax.
Today I let her drive to church and then out to lunch. I was reminded of how many complex actions go into driving from one place to another. Simply merging from an entrance ramp onto the road requires some pretty fancy moves and a keen awareness of what's around you and at what rate of speed others are driving at.
I'm basically an easy going person, not aggressive at all. Not until I get behind the wheel of a car, that is. I like to drive a little on the fast side, and can be a bit impatient with those on the road who prefer to move slower. Here's the thing. I want my daughter to move at the speed limit or slower. When I'm in the car with her, the drivers on the road who are like me (a little aggressive) make me really nervous. I'm thinking, "This is a new driver here! Slow down! What if you cause her to wreck?!"
This part of the learning to drive experience has been a great reminder to me. Rather than feeling impatience, maybe I need to be more aware of others - maybe they're learning to drive. Maybe they're old and having difficulties. Maybe they're simply having a bad day. The last thing they need is some aggressive driver breathing down their backs.
It's not just when I'm behind the wheel that I need to be aware of others. There are other kinds of wrecks we can have as we navigate the roads of life. Whatever the situation, I don't want to be responsible for someone having a wreck of any kind. How about you?
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
True That!
The trouble with America isn't that the poetry of life has turned to prose, but that it has turned to advertising copy.
-Louis Kronenberger
-Louis Kronenberger
Saturday, August 16, 2008
On Secret Identities
I have a secret identity. I guess if I'm putting it here in black and white it's not so secret.... My nieces and nephews know me as the Queen of Fun. If there's fun or adventure to be had, I'll likely find it and if possible, make it accessible to them. As secret identities go, I think being the Queen of Fun is a pretty good one.
A secret identity is a pretty common device in certain kinds of stories. Peter Parker seems like a nice guy - maybe a little wimpy - but in reality he's Spider Man. Clark Kent is the geeky newspaper guy who (it appears) wouldn't hurt a fly, but when there's a crisis, he's Super Man. But there are other's with secret identities too. Sinister ones. The Joker, for instance. Surely he doesn't walk around all the time in his clown make-up. It seems like he'd be easy to catch if that was the case.
George McDonald wrote a wonderful book called The Princess and Curdie where Curdie (the protagonist) is given a special ability: he's able to discern the secret identity of those he meets by shaking their hands. Curdie puts his hands into some flaming rose petals and his hands are made very sensitive. This is how he knows the good guys from the bad guys. If he shakes a hand and feels the talon of a bird of prey, for example, he knows not to trust that person.
It seems like that could be a handy thing - to know who you're dealing with, whether friend or foe.
I think we all have a secret identity. We can go off on our own and choose one. When we do, it's going to be something like what Curdie encountered. Even if we start off with good intentions, we'll end up as one of the bad guys. Or.. we could accept the one designed for us from the foundations of the world. The one known only to God. If we choose that way, we may not be aware of what our secret identity is until the end of the story, but when it's revealed we'll be glad we did. My God given secret identity is probably not "Queen of Fun", although I think it would be pretty darn cool if it was...
A secret identity is a pretty common device in certain kinds of stories. Peter Parker seems like a nice guy - maybe a little wimpy - but in reality he's Spider Man. Clark Kent is the geeky newspaper guy who (it appears) wouldn't hurt a fly, but when there's a crisis, he's Super Man. But there are other's with secret identities too. Sinister ones. The Joker, for instance. Surely he doesn't walk around all the time in his clown make-up. It seems like he'd be easy to catch if that was the case.
George McDonald wrote a wonderful book called The Princess and Curdie where Curdie (the protagonist) is given a special ability: he's able to discern the secret identity of those he meets by shaking their hands. Curdie puts his hands into some flaming rose petals and his hands are made very sensitive. This is how he knows the good guys from the bad guys. If he shakes a hand and feels the talon of a bird of prey, for example, he knows not to trust that person.
It seems like that could be a handy thing - to know who you're dealing with, whether friend or foe.
I think we all have a secret identity. We can go off on our own and choose one. When we do, it's going to be something like what Curdie encountered. Even if we start off with good intentions, we'll end up as one of the bad guys. Or.. we could accept the one designed for us from the foundations of the world. The one known only to God. If we choose that way, we may not be aware of what our secret identity is until the end of the story, but when it's revealed we'll be glad we did. My God given secret identity is probably not "Queen of Fun", although I think it would be pretty darn cool if it was...
Saturday, July 26, 2008
It Depends On How You Define It
Sermon for July 27
Lectionary Readings:
Genesis 29:15-28
Psalm 105:1-11, 45b or Psalm 128:1-6
Romans 8:26-39
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
Do any of you remember that series from the 1980s called The A Team? It was about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces who work as soldiers of fortune while being on the run from the military for a "crime they didn't commit". Remember, they’d put together elaborate plans to help the good guys… George Peppard who played the older leader of the group would rub his hands together and say, “I love it when a plan comes together.” Remember that?
Jacob was a guy who liked a good plan. He was one of those guys who instinctively knew how to spot opportunities and arrange circumstances to be most advantageous to himself. He managed to trade a bowl of soup for a birthright. He tricked his father into bestowing the better blessing on him than on his older brother. And in his relationship with his uncle Laban, managed to breed goats in a way that enriched himself beyond his uncle’s plans or desires. By the way, do you remember what Jacob was doing living with his Uncle Laban? He was on the run from his brother Esau whom he tricked out of birthright and blessing.
In our Lectionary reading from the Old Testament this morning we find Jacob rubbing his hands together and saying to himself, “I love it when a plan comes together.” He’d made a deal with his uncle Laban to work for seven years in exchange for his cousin Rachel’s hand in marriage. Genesis tells us that Jacob loved Rachel so much that those seven years seemed to him to be just a few days. He was motivated! He had a plan.
And yet…. the joke’s on Jacob. Jacob wakes up the morning after his wedding and finds Leah next to him. What?! For God was rubbing His hands together too. And when God has a plan – watch out! Things may not work out as you expect. I think it’s tempting to look at this story and say to yourself, “Boy, that Laban was as tricky as Jacob. He sure got the best of him.” But be careful that you don’t miss God’s hand in the story.
Remember, Jacob wanted to be The Guy. The Guy that carried the promise. If not, why would he bother stealing Esau’s birthright or blessing. And when you’re The Guy, you have to expect that your life takes on a significance beyond the ordinary. A Kingdom significance. Now the Patriarchs weren’t thinking about the Kingdom of God. But Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were aware that God had promised something special to their family. God was going to make from them a great nation – and had plans to bless the whole earth through them.
Now we know that Abraham had one child with Sarah. And Isaac had two children with Rebecca. Well it appears that with Jacob, God decides to get the reproduction party started. Let’s take a minute to look at how things played out for Jacob. We know that Jacob preferred Rachel. Well, Rachel was not exactly fertile Myrtle. In the end, Leah bears 6 sons for Jacob, Rachel 2, and their maidservants 4.
OK, so Leah was more prolific and the goal was to create a great nation. But there’s more… One of Leah’s sons was named Judah. And guess who’s genealogy he’s a part of? That’s right – fast forward a couple thousand years and Jesus is born! Jacob’s understanding was limited. His vision was narrow. Jacob focused simply on marrying the girl of his dreams, but God was doing the work of the Kingdom in his life.
Jesus spoke often about this Kingdom. In the Gospel reading this morning he tells us that the Kingdom of God is mysterious – it grows in unexpected ways, it spreads like yeast through dough, and above all, it is a treasure beyond value. In fact, it’s so valuable, that it’s worth selling all you have to possess. Our smaller stories are not worth considering when seen in light of the Kingdom.
Paul understood the wisdom of the Kingdom. Paul was a guy who’d had his plans changed. In fact, the trajectory of his life was dramatically altered. He went from the persecutor to the persecuted. Everywhere Paul went trouble seemed to find him. But listen again to his words in Romans:
"28We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. "
If you look at Paul, you see a man who’s sold all that he has for the pearl of great price – and he knows the good of it. Here’s a man living the abundant life, the Kingdom life. Here’s a guy who’d been rubbing his hands together as he planned his persecution of the young church. But again… God had other plans. They were life changing, Kingdom shaping plans.
Are you a person who loves it when a plan comes together? It’s natural to hope for our plans to come to fruition with no surprises. Usually that’s the way it happens. But sometimes, God has surprises for us. Sometimes He’s smiling as we anticipate a particular outcome because He knows the joke’s on us. The trajectory of our life will change. Indeed, “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love him.”
The threads of our lives are intertwined with one another here in this place, throughout the world, and across time to form a tapestry – breathtaking in its beauty. Though right now, we only see the back side of that tapestry – which can appear as a jumbled mess, we have the witness of Scripture to assure us God is creating a thing of beauty.
Most of us would agree that the prosperity Gospel is a false Gospel. But maybe that depends on how you define it. If you define prosperity as everything going your way without a hitch – as blue skies and placid seas, then no, the Gospel won’t promise you that. But if you define prosperity as the privilege of taking part in God’s plans for His Kingdom, then, yes! No matter how young or old you are – no matter your stage in life – God has plans for you. Sometimes they include surprises. May our Gracious God grant us eyes to see His Kingdom, ears to hear His voice, and hearts to embrace His plans – even when they include surprises. Amen
Lectionary Readings:
Genesis 29:15-28
Psalm 105:1-11, 45b or Psalm 128:1-6
Romans 8:26-39
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
Do any of you remember that series from the 1980s called The A Team? It was about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces who work as soldiers of fortune while being on the run from the military for a "crime they didn't commit". Remember, they’d put together elaborate plans to help the good guys… George Peppard who played the older leader of the group would rub his hands together and say, “I love it when a plan comes together.” Remember that?
Jacob was a guy who liked a good plan. He was one of those guys who instinctively knew how to spot opportunities and arrange circumstances to be most advantageous to himself. He managed to trade a bowl of soup for a birthright. He tricked his father into bestowing the better blessing on him than on his older brother. And in his relationship with his uncle Laban, managed to breed goats in a way that enriched himself beyond his uncle’s plans or desires. By the way, do you remember what Jacob was doing living with his Uncle Laban? He was on the run from his brother Esau whom he tricked out of birthright and blessing.
In our Lectionary reading from the Old Testament this morning we find Jacob rubbing his hands together and saying to himself, “I love it when a plan comes together.” He’d made a deal with his uncle Laban to work for seven years in exchange for his cousin Rachel’s hand in marriage. Genesis tells us that Jacob loved Rachel so much that those seven years seemed to him to be just a few days. He was motivated! He had a plan.
And yet…. the joke’s on Jacob. Jacob wakes up the morning after his wedding and finds Leah next to him. What?! For God was rubbing His hands together too. And when God has a plan – watch out! Things may not work out as you expect. I think it’s tempting to look at this story and say to yourself, “Boy, that Laban was as tricky as Jacob. He sure got the best of him.” But be careful that you don’t miss God’s hand in the story.
Remember, Jacob wanted to be The Guy. The Guy that carried the promise. If not, why would he bother stealing Esau’s birthright or blessing. And when you’re The Guy, you have to expect that your life takes on a significance beyond the ordinary. A Kingdom significance. Now the Patriarchs weren’t thinking about the Kingdom of God. But Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were aware that God had promised something special to their family. God was going to make from them a great nation – and had plans to bless the whole earth through them.
Now we know that Abraham had one child with Sarah. And Isaac had two children with Rebecca. Well it appears that with Jacob, God decides to get the reproduction party started. Let’s take a minute to look at how things played out for Jacob. We know that Jacob preferred Rachel. Well, Rachel was not exactly fertile Myrtle. In the end, Leah bears 6 sons for Jacob, Rachel 2, and their maidservants 4.
OK, so Leah was more prolific and the goal was to create a great nation. But there’s more… One of Leah’s sons was named Judah. And guess who’s genealogy he’s a part of? That’s right – fast forward a couple thousand years and Jesus is born! Jacob’s understanding was limited. His vision was narrow. Jacob focused simply on marrying the girl of his dreams, but God was doing the work of the Kingdom in his life.
Jesus spoke often about this Kingdom. In the Gospel reading this morning he tells us that the Kingdom of God is mysterious – it grows in unexpected ways, it spreads like yeast through dough, and above all, it is a treasure beyond value. In fact, it’s so valuable, that it’s worth selling all you have to possess. Our smaller stories are not worth considering when seen in light of the Kingdom.
Paul understood the wisdom of the Kingdom. Paul was a guy who’d had his plans changed. In fact, the trajectory of his life was dramatically altered. He went from the persecutor to the persecuted. Everywhere Paul went trouble seemed to find him. But listen again to his words in Romans:
"28We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. "
If you look at Paul, you see a man who’s sold all that he has for the pearl of great price – and he knows the good of it. Here’s a man living the abundant life, the Kingdom life. Here’s a guy who’d been rubbing his hands together as he planned his persecution of the young church. But again… God had other plans. They were life changing, Kingdom shaping plans.
Are you a person who loves it when a plan comes together? It’s natural to hope for our plans to come to fruition with no surprises. Usually that’s the way it happens. But sometimes, God has surprises for us. Sometimes He’s smiling as we anticipate a particular outcome because He knows the joke’s on us. The trajectory of our life will change. Indeed, “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love him.”
The threads of our lives are intertwined with one another here in this place, throughout the world, and across time to form a tapestry – breathtaking in its beauty. Though right now, we only see the back side of that tapestry – which can appear as a jumbled mess, we have the witness of Scripture to assure us God is creating a thing of beauty.
Most of us would agree that the prosperity Gospel is a false Gospel. But maybe that depends on how you define it. If you define prosperity as everything going your way without a hitch – as blue skies and placid seas, then no, the Gospel won’t promise you that. But if you define prosperity as the privilege of taking part in God’s plans for His Kingdom, then, yes! No matter how young or old you are – no matter your stage in life – God has plans for you. Sometimes they include surprises. May our Gracious God grant us eyes to see His Kingdom, ears to hear His voice, and hearts to embrace His plans – even when they include surprises. Amen
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Shack - Part 2
Psalm 147: 10-11
"His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love."
One of the things that God says numerous times in The Shack is, "I am especially fond of ________." God is especially fond of Mack the protagonist. But also especially fond of many others mentioned in the novel.
Most of us can imagine certain humans that we believe God might be especially fond of. If you're like me they would be people like Mother Teresa or Billy Graham or others who seem to have something extraordinary to offer Him. The striking thing in The Shack is that God is fond of those who have nothing especially to offer. Mack's a nice guy, but certainly not extraordinary from a human perspective. In fact, he's a mess.
The Lectionary has focused on the final 5 Psalms for the last couple of months. Every morning one of them is the morning Psalm. The PCUSA web site (apparently receiving some complaints about it) has even offered an alternative morning Psalm reading for those who are sick of reading these same 5 Psalms over and over. I figure that maybe God has something to say to me in those 5 Psalms that I need to hear over and over to get... Psalm 147 has become one of my favorite recently. I have indeed read it lots and lots lately. The first half of it was in today's Lectionary and the last half will be in tomorrows. I have some favorite verses in both halves. I especially like the verses that began this post.
I like to say that I know that God loves us unconditionally. Though I give an intellectual assent to it, however, I usually feel I still should have something to offer to God. That maybe I could please Him more by my good behavior or nice thoughts, or by some personal excellence or whatever. But the truth is that God is especially fond of me. Regardless of my strength or speed or anything else that I foolishly believe I have to offer... He's especially fond of you too.
Another of the wonderful things about The Shack is that it makes clear that what God desires is intimate fellowship with you and me. Not because we have anything that God needs, but because he is especially fond of us.
Romans 11:33-36 "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?'
'Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?' For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen. "
"His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love."
One of the things that God says numerous times in The Shack is, "I am especially fond of ________." God is especially fond of Mack the protagonist. But also especially fond of many others mentioned in the novel.
Most of us can imagine certain humans that we believe God might be especially fond of. If you're like me they would be people like Mother Teresa or Billy Graham or others who seem to have something extraordinary to offer Him. The striking thing in The Shack is that God is fond of those who have nothing especially to offer. Mack's a nice guy, but certainly not extraordinary from a human perspective. In fact, he's a mess.
The Lectionary has focused on the final 5 Psalms for the last couple of months. Every morning one of them is the morning Psalm. The PCUSA web site (apparently receiving some complaints about it) has even offered an alternative morning Psalm reading for those who are sick of reading these same 5 Psalms over and over. I figure that maybe God has something to say to me in those 5 Psalms that I need to hear over and over to get... Psalm 147 has become one of my favorite recently. I have indeed read it lots and lots lately. The first half of it was in today's Lectionary and the last half will be in tomorrows. I have some favorite verses in both halves. I especially like the verses that began this post.
I like to say that I know that God loves us unconditionally. Though I give an intellectual assent to it, however, I usually feel I still should have something to offer to God. That maybe I could please Him more by my good behavior or nice thoughts, or by some personal excellence or whatever. But the truth is that God is especially fond of me. Regardless of my strength or speed or anything else that I foolishly believe I have to offer... He's especially fond of you too.
Another of the wonderful things about The Shack is that it makes clear that what God desires is intimate fellowship with you and me. Not because we have anything that God needs, but because he is especially fond of us.
Romans 11:33-36 "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?'
'Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?' For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen. "
Saturday, July 12, 2008
The Shack - Part 1
I can't believe it's taken me a couple of weeks after reading The Shack to post any thoughts about it! Once I began reading I couldn't put it down. The picture of the Trinity that Paul Young paints is fabulous! God is always surprising. The Bible should make us expect God to act in ways that are contrary to what seems right to us...
Here's one of the many great quotes from the book. In this one, the Holy Spirit is explaining to Mack (the protagonist) that she (don't let this detail throw you off - you'll get it if you read the book) is far more interested in verbs than nouns:
"Let's use the example of friendship and how removing the element of life from a noun can drastically alter a relationship. Mack, if you and I are friends, there is an expectancy that exists within our relationship. When we see each other or are apart, there is expectancy of being together, of laughing and talking. That expectancy has no concrete definition; it is alive and dynamic and everything that emerges from our being together is a unique gift shared by no one else. But what happens if I change that 'expectancy' to an 'expectation' - spoken or unspoken? Suddenly law has entered into our relationship. You are now expected to perform in a way that meets my expectations. Our living friendship rapidly deteriorates into a dead thing with rules and requirements. It is no longer about you and me, but about what friends are supposed to do, or about the responsibilities of a good friend."
Wow! The truth of that paragraph seems clear to me when describing human relationships - friendships or marriages. If you know folks in a lifeless or unhappy marriage I'd be willing to bet dollars to donuts that in most cases its unfulfilled expectations that are at the root of much of the unhappiness. Those unfulfilled expectations turn to resentments and all of the joy is removed from the relationship. They get to the point where they don't want to talk to one another or be in the same room. When you ponder their courtship and romance you wonder where they went wrong. They used to love to be together...
How about our relationship with God? One of the things critics of The Shack say is that God is portrayed as too nice. What? You mean to tell me that God is not interested in expectations and responsibility? What did Jesus say when he was asked which of the commandments were the greatest?: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. I think it's really cool that God desires our relationships (with Him and others) to be characterized by expectancy and responsiveness rather than expectations and responsibilities.
Here's one of the many great quotes from the book. In this one, the Holy Spirit is explaining to Mack (the protagonist) that she (don't let this detail throw you off - you'll get it if you read the book) is far more interested in verbs than nouns:
"Let's use the example of friendship and how removing the element of life from a noun can drastically alter a relationship. Mack, if you and I are friends, there is an expectancy that exists within our relationship. When we see each other or are apart, there is expectancy of being together, of laughing and talking. That expectancy has no concrete definition; it is alive and dynamic and everything that emerges from our being together is a unique gift shared by no one else. But what happens if I change that 'expectancy' to an 'expectation' - spoken or unspoken? Suddenly law has entered into our relationship. You are now expected to perform in a way that meets my expectations. Our living friendship rapidly deteriorates into a dead thing with rules and requirements. It is no longer about you and me, but about what friends are supposed to do, or about the responsibilities of a good friend."
Wow! The truth of that paragraph seems clear to me when describing human relationships - friendships or marriages. If you know folks in a lifeless or unhappy marriage I'd be willing to bet dollars to donuts that in most cases its unfulfilled expectations that are at the root of much of the unhappiness. Those unfulfilled expectations turn to resentments and all of the joy is removed from the relationship. They get to the point where they don't want to talk to one another or be in the same room. When you ponder their courtship and romance you wonder where they went wrong. They used to love to be together...
How about our relationship with God? One of the things critics of The Shack say is that God is portrayed as too nice. What? You mean to tell me that God is not interested in expectations and responsibility? What did Jesus say when he was asked which of the commandments were the greatest?: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. I think it's really cool that God desires our relationships (with Him and others) to be characterized by expectancy and responsiveness rather than expectations and responsibilities.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Realpolitik
"The breakdown of authority gives way to Realpolitik. Persons and groups that feel deprived look for redress of their grievances, not by persuasive argument or by appeal to authority – authority of the whole church as a community of faith confesses – but by manipulating the levers of power to secure their rights. Elected officials, rather than conveying a word of authority inherent in the gospel, function as brokers of special interest groups. The result is factionalism, mutual suspicion, and a kind of guerilla warfare." -Carl Braaten, Mother Church
I was reading in World Magazine about proceedings in the General Assembly of the PCSUA (my denomination). As usual, the homosexual contingent pushed their agenda, and though they did not succeed in the sanctioning of ordination of homosexuals, they did make inroads regarding the requirement to live in fidelity in marriage or chastity outside of it. Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those who says, "God hates fags." But I am weary of the homosexual agenda absorbing so much energy and debate.
As an ruling elder I'm bothered by the fact that we're spending so much time on this issue. Call me crazy, but when I think of the roll of church leadership, I think the focus should be on the spiritual development of the congregation with a missional focus.
Realpolitik in my denomination and in other mainline denominations does not contribute to the vitality of the church or its mission. It's no wonder that our brothers and sisters from around the globe are sending missionaries to the USA.
I was reading in World Magazine about proceedings in the General Assembly of the PCSUA (my denomination). As usual, the homosexual contingent pushed their agenda, and though they did not succeed in the sanctioning of ordination of homosexuals, they did make inroads regarding the requirement to live in fidelity in marriage or chastity outside of it. Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those who says, "God hates fags." But I am weary of the homosexual agenda absorbing so much energy and debate.
As an ruling elder I'm bothered by the fact that we're spending so much time on this issue. Call me crazy, but when I think of the roll of church leadership, I think the focus should be on the spiritual development of the congregation with a missional focus.
Realpolitik in my denomination and in other mainline denominations does not contribute to the vitality of the church or its mission. It's no wonder that our brothers and sisters from around the globe are sending missionaries to the USA.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Wild Wonderful West Virginia Part II
OK, so we're visiting West Virginia. Though I was born there, I mainly grew up in South Florida - Miami in fact. But we visited WVA a lot, and as it turns out, I actually lived in three different houses there. On Saturday my sister Jeanette (soul sister as well as natural sister) wanted to drive around and look at the ones she lived in (2 of the 3, as I'm 16 months older than her).
So... we drove to the houses we lived in as well as my Mom's family place. We always just called it The Hill - because it was at the top - you guessed it - of a hill. Interestingly, the houses we lived in looked pretty much the same, only smaller. But The Hill.... The Hill is not the same place at all.
The Hill was my childish idea of paradise for many reasons. The house itself is log. Not one of those prefab sort of log homes. This one was the real deal, built by my Mom's family. As I mentioned, it sat atop of a hill. Around it was just the right amount of lawn - maybe an acre. On the acre were out buildings: an office, a woodworking room, a barn (with a loft to jump out of), and across from the barn a chicken coop. Oh yeah, and there was a barbecue built out of stone. Very cool. Very mountainy. Very West Virginia.
You could walk down a path and over the hill a bit and come to an orchard. Or... you could play in THE WOODS!!! Can you tell that was my favorite part of all?! Well, OK, the woods and the barn were equally my favorites. I still dream about the barn.
But today the only thing up there is the log house, and even it's been changed. Changed in subtle but disappointing ways. The only thing that's been improved is the front porch, which has been made sturdier. All around the base of The Hill are houses. It didn't used to be that way. We could run through the woods like wild Indians as kids, without a bunch of pesky houses being in the way...
Today before we left we went by my uncles house - the one who's now in a nursing home. He's been living in the house my grandmother spent the last 20 or so years of her life in. It is also a house I knew well and have very specific memories about. Guess what? It's not at all the same place either.
When we left it occurred to me that it's easier to see people and places deteriorate slowly over time. It's less of a shock. The changes in these places and people remind me of Chris Rice's song Tick Tock. The past is locked. The future is, well, the future. So the only sensible thing to do is to live now. Today. In the present. We will carry the past with us in to the future, but today is what God gifts us with.
So... we drove to the houses we lived in as well as my Mom's family place. We always just called it The Hill - because it was at the top - you guessed it - of a hill. Interestingly, the houses we lived in looked pretty much the same, only smaller. But The Hill.... The Hill is not the same place at all.
The Hill was my childish idea of paradise for many reasons. The house itself is log. Not one of those prefab sort of log homes. This one was the real deal, built by my Mom's family. As I mentioned, it sat atop of a hill. Around it was just the right amount of lawn - maybe an acre. On the acre were out buildings: an office, a woodworking room, a barn (with a loft to jump out of), and across from the barn a chicken coop. Oh yeah, and there was a barbecue built out of stone. Very cool. Very mountainy. Very West Virginia.
You could walk down a path and over the hill a bit and come to an orchard. Or... you could play in THE WOODS!!! Can you tell that was my favorite part of all?! Well, OK, the woods and the barn were equally my favorites. I still dream about the barn.
But today the only thing up there is the log house, and even it's been changed. Changed in subtle but disappointing ways. The only thing that's been improved is the front porch, which has been made sturdier. All around the base of The Hill are houses. It didn't used to be that way. We could run through the woods like wild Indians as kids, without a bunch of pesky houses being in the way...
Today before we left we went by my uncles house - the one who's now in a nursing home. He's been living in the house my grandmother spent the last 20 or so years of her life in. It is also a house I knew well and have very specific memories about. Guess what? It's not at all the same place either.
When we left it occurred to me that it's easier to see people and places deteriorate slowly over time. It's less of a shock. The changes in these places and people remind me of Chris Rice's song Tick Tock. The past is locked. The future is, well, the future. So the only sensible thing to do is to live now. Today. In the present. We will carry the past with us in to the future, but today is what God gifts us with.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
In Wild Wonderful West Virginia
Romans 8:18-25 : I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
I visited West Virgina this weekend and encountered my Uncle Max today for the first time in a couple of years. He's 82, and due to various health issues is in a nursing home. He is much changed. About 100 lbs lighter and very feeble. He reminds me very much of my grandma Maribelle when she was in her eighties. He seems to have a stream of consciousness that runs along the same lines as Grandma did. When conversing with her one was never quite sure that she was hearing or understanding the sense of what was being said. She heard the words all right (for the most part), but was frequently on a different wave length.
Uncle Max is very like her. He is understandably demoralized by his increasing decrepitude and dependence. We were talking about children. He asked me a couple of times about mine, as his short term memory isn't the sharpest. Then he spoke of his own son with tears. Uncle Max regrets that he didn't spend as much time with his son as he would have liked. My cousin is also mentally ill, a condition that tears Uncle Max up.
Thinking of Uncle Max, Grandma and others that have suffered through the aging process makes me think of these verses (above) from Romans. We all groan inwardly or outwardly along with all of creation until all things are put right. And they will be put right. Thanks be to God!
I visited West Virgina this weekend and encountered my Uncle Max today for the first time in a couple of years. He's 82, and due to various health issues is in a nursing home. He is much changed. About 100 lbs lighter and very feeble. He reminds me very much of my grandma Maribelle when she was in her eighties. He seems to have a stream of consciousness that runs along the same lines as Grandma did. When conversing with her one was never quite sure that she was hearing or understanding the sense of what was being said. She heard the words all right (for the most part), but was frequently on a different wave length.
Uncle Max is very like her. He is understandably demoralized by his increasing decrepitude and dependence. We were talking about children. He asked me a couple of times about mine, as his short term memory isn't the sharpest. Then he spoke of his own son with tears. Uncle Max regrets that he didn't spend as much time with his son as he would have liked. My cousin is also mentally ill, a condition that tears Uncle Max up.
Thinking of Uncle Max, Grandma and others that have suffered through the aging process makes me think of these verses (above) from Romans. We all groan inwardly or outwardly along with all of creation until all things are put right. And they will be put right. Thanks be to God!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Musings
#1. My sister and I went to see James Taylor in concert last night in Charlotte. It was interesting to observe the crowd. It's fun for me to be in a group of people who are in the main, older than I. I remember listening again and again to Mud Slide Slim when I was a mere slip of a girl. Clearly many in the audience were in high school or college during the Mud Slide Slim days. JT put on a really fine show and I was struck by his humility and humor. JT's looking and moving sort of like an old man (which I suppose he's becoming). It's pretty cool that JT still draws a big crowd despite his age and the fact that he's avoided the celebrity spotlight. You don't hear about his life, only his music.
#2. This probably should have been #1, but the concert was fresh in my mind... My cousin Bill preached at my church last Sunday (designated Mission Sunday). Bill founded The Open Arms Foundation in Medellin Columbia. For the last 18 years Bill and his wife Wanda have been rescuing street children. Bill gave some startling statistics:
- The USA is the third largest mission field in the world (behind China and India). That's right. Missionaries from around the world are being sent here to evangelize.
- While it was previously believed that 40% of Americans self identify as Christians and attend church regularly, a new study shows the figure to be closer to 15% - 20%.
- The growth of the Mega church has not been primarily from converts, but by the ecrection of members from other churches. So... the pews in regular churches are emptying, while the pews in mega churches are filling.
- The mega church appeals to our consumeristic tendencies. One can attend and witness a slick performance, frequently on a stage. There may be audio visual effects and professional performances. My sister attends a church in Charlotte with satellite campuses and the main pastors sermon is usually broadcast there... Did you know that 85% of Christians believe that the church exists to meet their needs?
Bill made the pretty obvious (to me) point that the church exists to serve Jesus Christ. Think of a battle ship or aircraft carrier in WWII being built and commissioned and sent off to fight, only to turn into a cruise liner... Where would be be had that happened during WWII? In order to be what it was intended to be the church must be missional. It must be continually reaching out to the lost and the marginalized.
That's all for now.
#2. This probably should have been #1, but the concert was fresh in my mind... My cousin Bill preached at my church last Sunday (designated Mission Sunday). Bill founded The Open Arms Foundation in Medellin Columbia. For the last 18 years Bill and his wife Wanda have been rescuing street children. Bill gave some startling statistics:
- The USA is the third largest mission field in the world (behind China and India). That's right. Missionaries from around the world are being sent here to evangelize.
- While it was previously believed that 40% of Americans self identify as Christians and attend church regularly, a new study shows the figure to be closer to 15% - 20%.
- The growth of the Mega church has not been primarily from converts, but by the ecrection of members from other churches. So... the pews in regular churches are emptying, while the pews in mega churches are filling.
- The mega church appeals to our consumeristic tendencies. One can attend and witness a slick performance, frequently on a stage. There may be audio visual effects and professional performances. My sister attends a church in Charlotte with satellite campuses and the main pastors sermon is usually broadcast there... Did you know that 85% of Christians believe that the church exists to meet their needs?
Bill made the pretty obvious (to me) point that the church exists to serve Jesus Christ. Think of a battle ship or aircraft carrier in WWII being built and commissioned and sent off to fight, only to turn into a cruise liner... Where would be be had that happened during WWII? In order to be what it was intended to be the church must be missional. It must be continually reaching out to the lost and the marginalized.
That's all for now.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Humble Apologetics
“Authentic Christian apologetics also implies providing, in Christ-like humility and in Christ-like vulnerability, the conditions that make it possible for others to perceive and recognize Jesus as Christ the Lord.” — Kwame Bediako
I was reading the blog of a pastor (I think in Oklahoma or South Dakota or someplace like that) last night. His entry from earlier in the week asked folks to pray for the Steven Curtis Chapman family and it contained a link to a story that told of the tragic death of Chapman's youngest daughter. I followed the link and found the story - as well as some responses by readers. There were many kind notes of condolence and assurances that the Chapman family was indeed in the prayers of many. There were also many angry notes criticising the "piety", hypocrisy, and false "pie in the sky in the sweet by and by" hope of Christians.
It's kind of odd and interesting that there are people who are so angry at Christians that they would use this very sad story about a family's loss to rail against Christians, but there you have it... What I find equally interesting is that the Christians felt the need to respond to the comments, scolding the posters for their insensitivity and illogic (one of them referred to the death of children in Iraq) as though God isn't perfectly capable of defending Himself. Isn't it weird that a simple human interest story would turn into a platform to debate this kind of thing?
The thing about debate is that it's pretty pointless. Whether the subject is politics or social issues or religion (especially religion), debating is just a forum for people to espouse their views. I wonder that a single mind or heart is ever changed through a debate. Mine never would be.
Kwame Bediako hits it on the head when he says that Christian apologetics must be accompanied by Christ-like humility and vulnerability. No one needs to be hit over the head with the claims of Jesus Christ on their life. Is it even possible to deal with those claims without first apprehending the great and very personal love of Jesus?
God certainly seems to favor doing things the hard way. He is clearly aware that His children (though they should be the best and most generous lovers of all) prefer to bop people over the head to loving them... May God forgive us, and help us to me more like His Son: Matt. 12: 18- 21 "Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope."
I was reading the blog of a pastor (I think in Oklahoma or South Dakota or someplace like that) last night. His entry from earlier in the week asked folks to pray for the Steven Curtis Chapman family and it contained a link to a story that told of the tragic death of Chapman's youngest daughter. I followed the link and found the story - as well as some responses by readers. There were many kind notes of condolence and assurances that the Chapman family was indeed in the prayers of many. There were also many angry notes criticising the "piety", hypocrisy, and false "pie in the sky in the sweet by and by" hope of Christians.
It's kind of odd and interesting that there are people who are so angry at Christians that they would use this very sad story about a family's loss to rail against Christians, but there you have it... What I find equally interesting is that the Christians felt the need to respond to the comments, scolding the posters for their insensitivity and illogic (one of them referred to the death of children in Iraq) as though God isn't perfectly capable of defending Himself. Isn't it weird that a simple human interest story would turn into a platform to debate this kind of thing?
The thing about debate is that it's pretty pointless. Whether the subject is politics or social issues or religion (especially religion), debating is just a forum for people to espouse their views. I wonder that a single mind or heart is ever changed through a debate. Mine never would be.
Kwame Bediako hits it on the head when he says that Christian apologetics must be accompanied by Christ-like humility and vulnerability. No one needs to be hit over the head with the claims of Jesus Christ on their life. Is it even possible to deal with those claims without first apprehending the great and very personal love of Jesus?
God certainly seems to favor doing things the hard way. He is clearly aware that His children (though they should be the best and most generous lovers of all) prefer to bop people over the head to loving them... May God forgive us, and help us to me more like His Son: Matt. 12: 18- 21 "Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope."
Friday, May 23, 2008
A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever
My daughter is a flautist. That is, she plays the flute.
Tonight I attended the high school orchestra concert at her school. In the spring they do a pops concert which is very enjoyable. This evening they played some John Williams and Andrew Lloyd Webber pieces (music from Hook, Cats, and Phantom of the Opera). The music was gorgeous! Isn't it amazing that certain combinations of sound can touch us deeply - into the core of our being.
As the orchestra began playing the music from Hook, I found myself praising God. Though the music was written as a movie score and not necessarily to bring glory to God, it's beautiful. When anyone composes a beautiful piece of music or paints a masterpiece, or writes a great poem or novel he or she is glorifying God.
I say this because God is the Author of beauty. Beauty resonates in our hearts because when we create it or perform it or appreciate it, we reflect His image. Praise be to God for beauty of every kind!
Tonight I attended the high school orchestra concert at her school. In the spring they do a pops concert which is very enjoyable. This evening they played some John Williams and Andrew Lloyd Webber pieces (music from Hook, Cats, and Phantom of the Opera). The music was gorgeous! Isn't it amazing that certain combinations of sound can touch us deeply - into the core of our being.
As the orchestra began playing the music from Hook, I found myself praising God. Though the music was written as a movie score and not necessarily to bring glory to God, it's beautiful. When anyone composes a beautiful piece of music or paints a masterpiece, or writes a great poem or novel he or she is glorifying God.
I say this because God is the Author of beauty. Beauty resonates in our hearts because when we create it or perform it or appreciate it, we reflect His image. Praise be to God for beauty of every kind!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Conspiracy of Love
—“Conspiracy, lovely word of forgotten origins. Conspire, inspire-with, breathe with someone, together. Conspirators: they breathe the same air. Jesus and his disciples, eating the bread and drinking the wine, breathed the same air.” — Rubem Alves
Funny how the word conspiracy has taken on the negative connotation it has, isn't it? The thing about conspirators is that they're in it (whatever it is) together. Committed. The Lord has been speaking much to me lately of community - and my need of it. We do need to breath with someone together. To breath the same air.
Wendell Berry might call this kind of community the "room of love." It seems to me that the room of love can be shared by husband and wife, brothers & sisters, parents, friends, and certainly one's children. Berry says the room of love contains the longing of all things to be together and to be at rest together. Here, he says, giving and taking are the same. TO BE CONTINUED.
Funny how the word conspiracy has taken on the negative connotation it has, isn't it? The thing about conspirators is that they're in it (whatever it is) together. Committed. The Lord has been speaking much to me lately of community - and my need of it. We do need to breath with someone together. To breath the same air.
Wendell Berry might call this kind of community the "room of love." It seems to me that the room of love can be shared by husband and wife, brothers & sisters, parents, friends, and certainly one's children. Berry says the room of love contains the longing of all things to be together and to be at rest together. Here, he says, giving and taking are the same. TO BE CONTINUED.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
The Membership
Sermon for Sunday, April 27
Scripture: Psalm 133 & Romans 12:1-16
There are some sayings that you hear all your life and often don’t know who’s being quoted. “How do I love thee, let me count the ways…” That’s Elizabeth Barrett Browning – and not by the way, the best line of that particular poem. Here’s another one for you: “No man is an island.” Do you know who said it?------------- It was the poet John Donne – but not in one of his poems. “No man is an island.”
These words are profoundly true, but in our age, we frequently forget them. We live in an age of extreme, almost militant individualism. I have my rights. I ‘ve got to live my life in the way I think best. I want to live my dreams. We’ve all heard sentiments like that. Maybe some of us have said them or thought them.
The statement “No man is an island” stands in sharp contrast to notions like those. How about this statement: “It is not good for man to be alone.” In the opening chapters of Genesis, we find God intentionally creating community. No man is an island. It is not good for man to be alone.
I’ve been reading the novels of Wendell Berry lately, and they have spoken powerfully to me about community. Wendell Berry would refer to the notion of community as being a part of a “membership”. Berry writes about life in rural Kentucky in a farming community. In his stories there are moms and dads and children. They rely on one another. But the membership is bigger than that too. Families rely on the help and support of other families in the community. These folks pitch in to help on the farms of course. But it’s more than that too. They care about one another at the deepest levels. They are there for friendship. They’re there in illness and death. They celebrate together weddings and births. They support one another along all of life’s pilgrimage.
This morning’s scripture readings affirm the blessings of community. In one of the pilgrims psalms sung on the way to Jerusalem to keep festival we hear, “ Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord had commanded the blessing, life forevermore!”
Now it’s not everyone’s experience that brothers dwell together in unity, is it? Lots of families are filled with sibling rivalry. I imagine lots of churches are too. Sometimes rubbing up against other people makes us uncomfortable and even angry. Community of any size: marriage, family, neighborhoods, friendships, and churches is hard (sometimes arduous) work. It requires energy and attention and forgiveness and humor. But the end result is blessing – life forevermore.
There is a priestly element in our community. In the Psalm, oil (a symbol of God’s presence – His Spirit) is pictured flowing down the beard of Aaron. This is a reference to Exodus 29 where Aaron was ordained as a priest to the people of Israel. Living together in community means seeing the oil flow over the head, down the face, through the beard, onto the shoulders of the other – and when I see that, I know that my brother, my sister is my priest. We are set apart for service to one another. We mediate to one another the mysteries of God (Peterson, p. 175).
In Romans 12 Paul uses the analogy of the body to drive home the point that we belong to one another. He urges each person to fulfill his or her own place in the membership. Whatever God has gifted you to do, you should do. Your motivation should be the benefit of the whole and you should do it in self-forgetting love. The one we serve, Paul says, is the Lord. It’s the Lord who has given us the gifts we have, and it’s the Lord who requires us to put those gifts at the disposal of our brothers and sisters – to build up the body, the membership.
No, no man is an island. Let me read to you a few more lines from John Donne’s meditation:
“The church is catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all that she does belongs to all. When she baptizes a child, that action concerns me; for that child is thereby connected to that head which is my head too, and ingrafted into the body whereof I am a member. And when she buries a man, that action concerns me: all mankind is of one author and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated. God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another…. No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”
I’ve been pondering my memberships the last couple of weeks: I have my own little family at home where I’m the mom. I’m part of an extended family where I’m a daughter and a sister. I have friends – colleagues at work whom I count as friends, and friends outside of work. I have a church family. There are layers and layers of connection and community in my life.
How about you? What are your memberships? Who’s counting on you? Who do you count on? How are thing going in your memberships? Celebrate your communities. Is there someone who needs a phone call, a card, a visit – maybe a gift? Let these special people know how special they are to you. God has placed you in connection to certain others: to care for them – and to be cared for by them. It is in these relationships, these connections, that God has ordained blessings for you – life forevermore.
Scripture: Psalm 133 & Romans 12:1-16
There are some sayings that you hear all your life and often don’t know who’s being quoted. “How do I love thee, let me count the ways…” That’s Elizabeth Barrett Browning – and not by the way, the best line of that particular poem. Here’s another one for you: “No man is an island.” Do you know who said it?------------- It was the poet John Donne – but not in one of his poems. “No man is an island.”
These words are profoundly true, but in our age, we frequently forget them. We live in an age of extreme, almost militant individualism. I have my rights. I ‘ve got to live my life in the way I think best. I want to live my dreams. We’ve all heard sentiments like that. Maybe some of us have said them or thought them.
The statement “No man is an island” stands in sharp contrast to notions like those. How about this statement: “It is not good for man to be alone.” In the opening chapters of Genesis, we find God intentionally creating community. No man is an island. It is not good for man to be alone.
I’ve been reading the novels of Wendell Berry lately, and they have spoken powerfully to me about community. Wendell Berry would refer to the notion of community as being a part of a “membership”. Berry writes about life in rural Kentucky in a farming community. In his stories there are moms and dads and children. They rely on one another. But the membership is bigger than that too. Families rely on the help and support of other families in the community. These folks pitch in to help on the farms of course. But it’s more than that too. They care about one another at the deepest levels. They are there for friendship. They’re there in illness and death. They celebrate together weddings and births. They support one another along all of life’s pilgrimage.
This morning’s scripture readings affirm the blessings of community. In one of the pilgrims psalms sung on the way to Jerusalem to keep festival we hear, “ Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord had commanded the blessing, life forevermore!”
Now it’s not everyone’s experience that brothers dwell together in unity, is it? Lots of families are filled with sibling rivalry. I imagine lots of churches are too. Sometimes rubbing up against other people makes us uncomfortable and even angry. Community of any size: marriage, family, neighborhoods, friendships, and churches is hard (sometimes arduous) work. It requires energy and attention and forgiveness and humor. But the end result is blessing – life forevermore.
There is a priestly element in our community. In the Psalm, oil (a symbol of God’s presence – His Spirit) is pictured flowing down the beard of Aaron. This is a reference to Exodus 29 where Aaron was ordained as a priest to the people of Israel. Living together in community means seeing the oil flow over the head, down the face, through the beard, onto the shoulders of the other – and when I see that, I know that my brother, my sister is my priest. We are set apart for service to one another. We mediate to one another the mysteries of God (Peterson, p. 175).
In Romans 12 Paul uses the analogy of the body to drive home the point that we belong to one another. He urges each person to fulfill his or her own place in the membership. Whatever God has gifted you to do, you should do. Your motivation should be the benefit of the whole and you should do it in self-forgetting love. The one we serve, Paul says, is the Lord. It’s the Lord who has given us the gifts we have, and it’s the Lord who requires us to put those gifts at the disposal of our brothers and sisters – to build up the body, the membership.
No, no man is an island. Let me read to you a few more lines from John Donne’s meditation:
“The church is catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all that she does belongs to all. When she baptizes a child, that action concerns me; for that child is thereby connected to that head which is my head too, and ingrafted into the body whereof I am a member. And when she buries a man, that action concerns me: all mankind is of one author and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated. God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another…. No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”
I’ve been pondering my memberships the last couple of weeks: I have my own little family at home where I’m the mom. I’m part of an extended family where I’m a daughter and a sister. I have friends – colleagues at work whom I count as friends, and friends outside of work. I have a church family. There are layers and layers of connection and community in my life.
How about you? What are your memberships? Who’s counting on you? Who do you count on? How are thing going in your memberships? Celebrate your communities. Is there someone who needs a phone call, a card, a visit – maybe a gift? Let these special people know how special they are to you. God has placed you in connection to certain others: to care for them – and to be cared for by them. It is in these relationships, these connections, that God has ordained blessings for you – life forevermore.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Is It Microwavable?
I admit that I'm part of the microwave generation. I don't typically cook in the microwave (in fact mine is broken right now), but they are handy for heating things up quickly - and in a pinch, you can, if you choose, cook your dinner in one.
It's not just microwaves, though. My generation is accustomed to fast food, jiffy lubes, quick drying fingernail polish, etc. We want it and we want it as quickly as possible.
Now that I'm getting older, all kinds of things are happening that I'd like to have a quick fix for. My children (both in their teens) are more challenging than ever to raise. They're faced with situations and decisions that I'd like to be able to make quickly for them. Sometimes I can - and do. But other times I have to wait to see what'll happen. I hate that.
My mom is getting older. Her health isn't the best, and my siblings and I have had to deal with the fact that she isn't going to be around forever. We've had wait for her to make decisions that we'd rather make for her (I guess turn about's fair play...).
My ex-husband is dying of cancer. So far it's been an excruciating two year battle for him and his new wife. My kids have a lot ahead of them to deal with. Grief that I can only imagine as both of my parents are still alive. I'd like the fast food version of grief for them. I'd like them to process all of this quickly - for the pain to be over soon. But it doesn't work that way.
My brother in law has lost three of the four people who were most responsible for his up-bringing and stability in the last six or nine months. On top of that, he just found out that he probably has Parkinson's Disease. On top of that, he's still processing the break-up of his first family (my sister's his second wife). It's a lot to deal with. Can't a guy catch a break?! It's a bunch of stuff that you want to just get through, so that you can move on, feel joy again.
I'm pretty sure that all these experiences are common occurrences in the lives of folks in their mid forties. Your parents are aging, you're aging yourself, your kids are growing. Life gets more complicated. I wonder if the generations before the microwave generation dealt with this stuff more realistically? I wonder if they knew intuitively that there's no getting over or around or above it? Did they know they had to go through and that their issues were not "microwavable?"
I've spent the last couple of years wishing that there was an easier way. There's not. Sometimes you have to be willing to sit silently in the dust and ashes and wait. Sometimes you have to slog your way through to the end. That's the way life is. If you want to live well, if you want to live faithfully and meaningfully, you have to be willing to walk slowly through the times of your life - all of them. Thankfully you don't have to do it by yourself. God's in it with you. Your family and friends are all fellow pilgrims - all on a similar journey. We can share together the fellowship of travelers along pleasant paths and arduous ones. Thanks be to God!
It's not just microwaves, though. My generation is accustomed to fast food, jiffy lubes, quick drying fingernail polish, etc. We want it and we want it as quickly as possible.
Now that I'm getting older, all kinds of things are happening that I'd like to have a quick fix for. My children (both in their teens) are more challenging than ever to raise. They're faced with situations and decisions that I'd like to be able to make quickly for them. Sometimes I can - and do. But other times I have to wait to see what'll happen. I hate that.
My mom is getting older. Her health isn't the best, and my siblings and I have had to deal with the fact that she isn't going to be around forever. We've had wait for her to make decisions that we'd rather make for her (I guess turn about's fair play...).
My ex-husband is dying of cancer. So far it's been an excruciating two year battle for him and his new wife. My kids have a lot ahead of them to deal with. Grief that I can only imagine as both of my parents are still alive. I'd like the fast food version of grief for them. I'd like them to process all of this quickly - for the pain to be over soon. But it doesn't work that way.
My brother in law has lost three of the four people who were most responsible for his up-bringing and stability in the last six or nine months. On top of that, he just found out that he probably has Parkinson's Disease. On top of that, he's still processing the break-up of his first family (my sister's his second wife). It's a lot to deal with. Can't a guy catch a break?! It's a bunch of stuff that you want to just get through, so that you can move on, feel joy again.
I'm pretty sure that all these experiences are common occurrences in the lives of folks in their mid forties. Your parents are aging, you're aging yourself, your kids are growing. Life gets more complicated. I wonder if the generations before the microwave generation dealt with this stuff more realistically? I wonder if they knew intuitively that there's no getting over or around or above it? Did they know they had to go through and that their issues were not "microwavable?"
I've spent the last couple of years wishing that there was an easier way. There's not. Sometimes you have to be willing to sit silently in the dust and ashes and wait. Sometimes you have to slog your way through to the end. That's the way life is. If you want to live well, if you want to live faithfully and meaningfully, you have to be willing to walk slowly through the times of your life - all of them. Thankfully you don't have to do it by yourself. God's in it with you. Your family and friends are all fellow pilgrims - all on a similar journey. We can share together the fellowship of travelers along pleasant paths and arduous ones. Thanks be to God!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Your Vision Is So Clear You Don't See What Is Not
I was talking to my teenage daughter and her friend the other day about perception. We were discussing a young man of their acquaintance who never doubts his own perceptions. It never enters his mind that he may be mistaken. It's a common mistake for gobs of people - especially young ones - believing that one understands what is going on and the reasons behind circumstances.
Most of us who've been around the block a few times see the error of that belief when we look at young people. Because we've been there, we know that what they think is the end of the world really isn't, or what they think is supremely important will be forgotten tomorrow, or what is of no account is really critically important...
I told my daughter and her friend that at 45 I know that my perceptions are colored by my brokenness and my education and my life experiences. I told them that I know that I still perceive things wrongly. And it's true. On one level I am fully aware of the fact that I have many mis-perceptions... On another level, however, I continually live bound my own mis-perceptions.
How do I know when it's happening? When what I perceive doesn't jive with what I'm told is true in the Scriptures. When your default is performanced based, or feeling judged (rather than loved) by God or whatever... and you assent that your feeling is correct rather than what God tells you is true... then you know it's happening. I can live this way for a while without even being aware of it - only acutely aware that I'm not living abundantly.
The antidote to this poison is the reality check of what the Scriptures have to say to me. It's pretty easy for me to preach to my kids about what's true or preach to a congregation of Presbyterians about what's true. The bottom line is that sometimes I need to get back in touch with what is true myself. That's about it. I haven't had a lot to say in the last month because I've been in this place - the place of mis-perceptions. Thanks be to God for reality checks!
Most of us who've been around the block a few times see the error of that belief when we look at young people. Because we've been there, we know that what they think is the end of the world really isn't, or what they think is supremely important will be forgotten tomorrow, or what is of no account is really critically important...
I told my daughter and her friend that at 45 I know that my perceptions are colored by my brokenness and my education and my life experiences. I told them that I know that I still perceive things wrongly. And it's true. On one level I am fully aware of the fact that I have many mis-perceptions... On another level, however, I continually live bound my own mis-perceptions.
How do I know when it's happening? When what I perceive doesn't jive with what I'm told is true in the Scriptures. When your default is performanced based, or feeling judged (rather than loved) by God or whatever... and you assent that your feeling is correct rather than what God tells you is true... then you know it's happening. I can live this way for a while without even being aware of it - only acutely aware that I'm not living abundantly.
The antidote to this poison is the reality check of what the Scriptures have to say to me. It's pretty easy for me to preach to my kids about what's true or preach to a congregation of Presbyterians about what's true. The bottom line is that sometimes I need to get back in touch with what is true myself. That's about it. I haven't had a lot to say in the last month because I've been in this place - the place of mis-perceptions. Thanks be to God for reality checks!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The Beginning of the End for the Vandals?
Fidel Castro announced today that he's stepping down. His brother Raul will take formal control of Cuba, but one wonders if this could finally be the beginning of the end.
My father was at university in Havana at the same time as Fidel. Papi was in medical school and Fidel in law school. My father describes Fidel and his band of revolutionaries as vandals. He claims that they are not united as much in Socialist ideology as they are in their desire to rape Cuba. While that may sound a bit extreme, Castro is the 7th wealthiest head of state - worth about 900 million dollars, even though he's taken a personal vow of poverty.
A Cuban friend of mine told me a few years ago that he'd heard of prophesies coming out of the church in Latin America about the end of Castro's regime and a subsequent out pouring of the Holy Spirit on Cuba. I hope the prophesies are true.
Much can be said about spiritual darkness in Cuba - and among many Cuban Americans who practice Santeria. The Cuban people have also suffered from crippling pride. My sisters were in Havana a few years back and saw a statue of Satan shaking his fist toward heaven. I believe that these attitudes led to the destruction of the country and the exile of many from their homeland.
On my drive home from work this evening I heard Gloria Estefan singing 90 Millas - a song of hope for a free Cuba. 90 miles isn't too far as the crow flies but it may as well be on the moon. May the God of second chances give Cuba and Cubans another chance. May he send His Spirit to draw the hearts of the people to Himself. The truth is, that we are only truly free if the Son frees us.
My father was at university in Havana at the same time as Fidel. Papi was in medical school and Fidel in law school. My father describes Fidel and his band of revolutionaries as vandals. He claims that they are not united as much in Socialist ideology as they are in their desire to rape Cuba. While that may sound a bit extreme, Castro is the 7th wealthiest head of state - worth about 900 million dollars, even though he's taken a personal vow of poverty.
A Cuban friend of mine told me a few years ago that he'd heard of prophesies coming out of the church in Latin America about the end of Castro's regime and a subsequent out pouring of the Holy Spirit on Cuba. I hope the prophesies are true.
Much can be said about spiritual darkness in Cuba - and among many Cuban Americans who practice Santeria. The Cuban people have also suffered from crippling pride. My sisters were in Havana a few years back and saw a statue of Satan shaking his fist toward heaven. I believe that these attitudes led to the destruction of the country and the exile of many from their homeland.
On my drive home from work this evening I heard Gloria Estefan singing 90 Millas - a song of hope for a free Cuba. 90 miles isn't too far as the crow flies but it may as well be on the moon. May the God of second chances give Cuba and Cubans another chance. May he send His Spirit to draw the hearts of the people to Himself. The truth is, that we are only truly free if the Son frees us.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Atonement
Over the weekend I saw the movie Atonement. It was good on many levels, but what struck me the most was the chain of events set off by the careless use of words - one word in particular. I won't repeat the word -it may be my least favorite word in the English language.
The protagonist, Robbie, would never have used it purposely to communicate his feelings and desires. Robbie was, in fact, struggling to express himself when he composed a note in jest - expressing in vulgar language his desires. Rather than tearing it up immediately he set it down by the typewriter as he wrote the words he really wanted his love interest to read. Unfortunately, he picked up the wrong letter on his way out.
Not only did Celia (the love interest) read the vulgar note, but so did her younger sister Briony. Robbie's careless words led to his arrest for rape, conscription in the army, and death.
The movie makes me wonder how the trajectory of my life has been altered - for good and bad - as a result of words. The careful use of words builds bridges, expresses love and concern, brings in the Kingdom. God used words to create the universe. The careless use of words wounds, destroys, creates barriers - as the Apostle Paul would say, "the dividing walls of hostility."
Atonement made me think about words. I pray that God will give me the grace to use my words for building up and not tearing down (unless I'm tearing down the dividing walls of hostility). If you're reading this, I pray that He'll give you the same grace.
The protagonist, Robbie, would never have used it purposely to communicate his feelings and desires. Robbie was, in fact, struggling to express himself when he composed a note in jest - expressing in vulgar language his desires. Rather than tearing it up immediately he set it down by the typewriter as he wrote the words he really wanted his love interest to read. Unfortunately, he picked up the wrong letter on his way out.
Not only did Celia (the love interest) read the vulgar note, but so did her younger sister Briony. Robbie's careless words led to his arrest for rape, conscription in the army, and death.
The movie makes me wonder how the trajectory of my life has been altered - for good and bad - as a result of words. The careful use of words builds bridges, expresses love and concern, brings in the Kingdom. God used words to create the universe. The careless use of words wounds, destroys, creates barriers - as the Apostle Paul would say, "the dividing walls of hostility."
Atonement made me think about words. I pray that God will give me the grace to use my words for building up and not tearing down (unless I'm tearing down the dividing walls of hostility). If you're reading this, I pray that He'll give you the same grace.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
God's Counterintuitive Ways
Daily Lectionary:
Morning: Psalm 150:1-6
Genesis 48:8-22
Romans 8:11-25
John 6:27-40
Evening: Psalm 32:1-11
Second Sunday in Lent Lectionary:
Genesis 12:1-4a
Psalm 121:1-8
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
John 3:1-17
In Genesis 48 we read the account of Jacob blessing Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Joseph lines them up 'properly' so that Jacob's right hand will rest on Manasseh and his left on Ephraim. But Jacob crosses his hands to give Ephraim (the younger son) the greater blessing. Joseph protests, but Jacob insists - Ephraim is the greater and thus should receive the greater blessing.
Interesting that Jacob, who practiced deception to gain the blessing of the first born, is ready to freely bestow his patriarchal blessing in a counter intuitive way. It looks like he learned some things about God and His ways during his long life.
God delights in working with unexpected people or through unexpected means. He loves barren women (Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth...), younger sons (Jacob, David), outcasts, and very unlikely heros (Gideon). His ways are certainly not our ways.
So... if it appears that God is leading in a direction that doesn't seem to make sense, maybe that's not a bad thing. Glory belongs to God alone, and it could be that the road He leads you down is the one designed to make it clear that He's the Author of the story as well as the Protagonist.
Morning: Psalm 150:1-6
Genesis 48:8-22
Romans 8:11-25
John 6:27-40
Evening: Psalm 32:1-11
Second Sunday in Lent Lectionary:
Genesis 12:1-4a
Psalm 121:1-8
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
John 3:1-17
In Genesis 48 we read the account of Jacob blessing Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Joseph lines them up 'properly' so that Jacob's right hand will rest on Manasseh and his left on Ephraim. But Jacob crosses his hands to give Ephraim (the younger son) the greater blessing. Joseph protests, but Jacob insists - Ephraim is the greater and thus should receive the greater blessing.
Interesting that Jacob, who practiced deception to gain the blessing of the first born, is ready to freely bestow his patriarchal blessing in a counter intuitive way. It looks like he learned some things about God and His ways during his long life.
God delights in working with unexpected people or through unexpected means. He loves barren women (Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth...), younger sons (Jacob, David), outcasts, and very unlikely heros (Gideon). His ways are certainly not our ways.
So... if it appears that God is leading in a direction that doesn't seem to make sense, maybe that's not a bad thing. Glory belongs to God alone, and it could be that the road He leads you down is the one designed to make it clear that He's the Author of the story as well as the Protagonist.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Brass Tacks
During dinner the other night, my friend Patrick was relating stories about his recent experiences in LaFayette, TN (in TN they pronounce it la FAY ette). He was there the first three days last week as part of our company's disaster response team. LaFayette is where devastating tornados blew through recently.
Patrick had some heart wrenching stories of folks that lost all of their possessions, folks that were severly injured, and worst of all, those who'd lost family members. One young woman was huddled in the bath tub with her husband and son who were both carried away. She alone survived.
Those who had lost only their possessions were, Patrick said, profoundly grateful simply to be alive. No one said, "Why me." They were happy to be alive, and happy to do simple things (Patrick was there allowing them to use the phone).
When you get down to brass tacks - or as my hero Nacho Libre says, "neeetty greeetty" - mere survival is a big deal. Sometimes, like spoiled children, we feel in the mood to complain. We take for granted the rich blessings the Father has poured into our lives. When disaster strikes, what really matters is crystal clear. May God help us to count our blessings every day - especially the blessing of our loved ones.
Patrick had some heart wrenching stories of folks that lost all of their possessions, folks that were severly injured, and worst of all, those who'd lost family members. One young woman was huddled in the bath tub with her husband and son who were both carried away. She alone survived.
Those who had lost only their possessions were, Patrick said, profoundly grateful simply to be alive. No one said, "Why me." They were happy to be alive, and happy to do simple things (Patrick was there allowing them to use the phone).
When you get down to brass tacks - or as my hero Nacho Libre says, "neeetty greeetty" - mere survival is a big deal. Sometimes, like spoiled children, we feel in the mood to complain. We take for granted the rich blessings the Father has poured into our lives. When disaster strikes, what really matters is crystal clear. May God help us to count our blessings every day - especially the blessing of our loved ones.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The 5%
Happy Valentines Day!
I was in Nashville this week on business, and got a chance (last night) to have dinner with my friend Patrick and his wife Melissa. I've known Patrick for almost 10 years. We've worked together off and on over that period of time, and for the last few years been on the same team. What I do in Eastern NC and SC, Patrick does in TN.
When I first met Patrick, he was getting over a long term (7 year) relationship with a woman who was an alcoholic. He'd broken off the relationship, gone to therapy to figure out why he'd subjected himself to that misery for so long, and was moving on with his life. About 5 years ago Patrick met Melissa, and in her, met his match.
These are two terrific people! When you talk to either of them alone, they are full of praise for the other. There is genuine love, respect, appreciation, and admiration between them. They are in the 5%.
Usually, when one thinks of percentages, he thinks that bigger is better... In the 95% typically means at the top. But when the subject is marriage, sometimes it's better to be in the smaller group. Here's what I learned in my Pastoral Counselling class: 20% of marriages are hard work / low payoff, 75% of marriages require effort but yield some happiness, and 5% of marriages are light on effort and high in happiness and fulfillment.
Having dinner last night with Patrick and Melissa was a terrific pre-Valentine event for me. I do not have a Valentine, but the Morgans fill me with happiness all the same. It's great to see healthy love between two fantastic people. Praise God for the 5%!
I was in Nashville this week on business, and got a chance (last night) to have dinner with my friend Patrick and his wife Melissa. I've known Patrick for almost 10 years. We've worked together off and on over that period of time, and for the last few years been on the same team. What I do in Eastern NC and SC, Patrick does in TN.
When I first met Patrick, he was getting over a long term (7 year) relationship with a woman who was an alcoholic. He'd broken off the relationship, gone to therapy to figure out why he'd subjected himself to that misery for so long, and was moving on with his life. About 5 years ago Patrick met Melissa, and in her, met his match.
These are two terrific people! When you talk to either of them alone, they are full of praise for the other. There is genuine love, respect, appreciation, and admiration between them. They are in the 5%.
Usually, when one thinks of percentages, he thinks that bigger is better... In the 95% typically means at the top. But when the subject is marriage, sometimes it's better to be in the smaller group. Here's what I learned in my Pastoral Counselling class: 20% of marriages are hard work / low payoff, 75% of marriages require effort but yield some happiness, and 5% of marriages are light on effort and high in happiness and fulfillment.
Having dinner last night with Patrick and Melissa was a terrific pre-Valentine event for me. I do not have a Valentine, but the Morgans fill me with happiness all the same. It's great to see healthy love between two fantastic people. Praise God for the 5%!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Turning 15
My daughter's turning 15 next week. People of a Latin persuasion celebrate 15 instead of 16. It got me thinking of my own 15th birthday. We did not throw a big party. Instead, my Mom and her best friend Yola took me, my sister Jeanette, and Yola's son Philip (our best friend at the time) to Benihana (sp?) for dinner and then to the Playboy club for Shirley Temples. I was recounting it for my Mom the other night on the phone, and she did not remember doing it...
I've got to tell you, that night made a big impression on me. I'm not sure how Mom and Yola decided on our night's agenda. I'd never heard of a Japanese steak house and I don't think I was aware of the Playboy Club's existence either. In retrospect it seems carefully planned by Mom and Yola to be special and memorable. Only Mom doesn't remember it...I do.
Mom probably doesn't remember the other very memorable (to me) outing together. I'm the oldest of five kids. My sister Jeanette is only 16 months younger than I. In fact by 1969 my mom had 5 kids ages 6 and under! Consequently I didn't get many times alone with her. But once, after a doctor's appointment, mom took me to lunch. Just me. I don't remember anything about it except the special feeling to be sitting at a table alone with my mom having conversation.
I have one special memory of my Dad too, that he probably wouldn't remember. One night he took me (alone) to see The Hiding Place. I felt like a princess. Come to think of it, that may be the only time in my life when I felt like a princess...
It occurs to me that we don't always know what's going to be very important to another person. We could be totally unaware that we're creating for them a special memory or a once-in-a-life-time feeling. What an incredible privilege! In 2008 let's make many good memories. Let's love people in a way that communicates how delightful they are, and gives them a life-shaping memory.
I've got to tell you, that night made a big impression on me. I'm not sure how Mom and Yola decided on our night's agenda. I'd never heard of a Japanese steak house and I don't think I was aware of the Playboy Club's existence either. In retrospect it seems carefully planned by Mom and Yola to be special and memorable. Only Mom doesn't remember it...I do.
Mom probably doesn't remember the other very memorable (to me) outing together. I'm the oldest of five kids. My sister Jeanette is only 16 months younger than I. In fact by 1969 my mom had 5 kids ages 6 and under! Consequently I didn't get many times alone with her. But once, after a doctor's appointment, mom took me to lunch. Just me. I don't remember anything about it except the special feeling to be sitting at a table alone with my mom having conversation.
I have one special memory of my Dad too, that he probably wouldn't remember. One night he took me (alone) to see The Hiding Place. I felt like a princess. Come to think of it, that may be the only time in my life when I felt like a princess...
It occurs to me that we don't always know what's going to be very important to another person. We could be totally unaware that we're creating for them a special memory or a once-in-a-life-time feeling. What an incredible privilege! In 2008 let's make many good memories. Let's love people in a way that communicates how delightful they are, and gives them a life-shaping memory.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Homeostasis
Homeostasis is one of those words you can use in a variety of settings. When used in a medical context it basically means metabolic equilibrium. A good thing, right? When used in the context of systems theory (family or organizational) it means maintaining the status quo. Maybe not such a good thing...
If you're in an unhealthy system - relating in negative or harmful ways with those you're in relationship with, homeostasis should be the last thing you desire. Unfortunately, it often happens that folks get caught up in maintaining the patterns of relationship they've experienced over and over with the same people or different ones. Patterns like these effect relationships in families, churches, businesses, etc.
Sometimes we get used to viewing someone in a particular light, and are unable or unwilling to let our opinions change. I recently read a review of Kevin Max's new CD The Blood. It was not flattering. I read the review after purchasing the CD and deciding that I like it. The reviewer did not, claiming that KM was (as usual) trying to innovate, and in this case failed. The truth is I have not heard the other versions of the songs that the reviewer talked about. Maybe he's right, and I only like the music because I haven't heard the other.
One thing I like about The Blood is that it seems to me that it's a departure from Max's usual fare. Like his other work it definitely has Max's unique sound, but (to me) it lacks the self consciousness that flawed his other albums. This album is about the blood of Jesus. K Max doesn't sound like a troubled man or a lost soul on this album like he does on the others.
Could it be that the reviewer (whose name I did not take note of) doesn't want to see Kevin Max in a new light? I admit that it's hard to like someone who's taking themselves too seriously, and KM has taken himself way too seriously in the past. I don't know whether or not The Blood's tone is indicative of a change for him or not, but I like to think that it is. If so, shouldn't Max be given the benefit of the doubt? A charitable hearing?
I've been involved in addressing performance issues with the choir director of our church. She is a very sweet lady who has had some health issues that have probably effected her performance. I think that before she had to deal with the pain associated with her back problems, she was astute enough to cover up some of the deficiencies of her work ethic.
The work issues she must address are very objective, and very fixable. One of the three choirs at church raised the issues. I wonder if they can accept her back into their good graces even if she fixes her performance issues. Hopefully she will not continue to bear the brunt of their criticism and dissatisfaction if she improves.
While I hope that I'm able to enjoy the healthful (medical) type of homeostasis, I want to avoid the rut living of the status quo. I strive to keep my relationships healthy. I strive to grow as a person. May God grant me the grace to understand, acknowledge, and celebrate the fact that those around me are growing too.
If you're in an unhealthy system - relating in negative or harmful ways with those you're in relationship with, homeostasis should be the last thing you desire. Unfortunately, it often happens that folks get caught up in maintaining the patterns of relationship they've experienced over and over with the same people or different ones. Patterns like these effect relationships in families, churches, businesses, etc.
Sometimes we get used to viewing someone in a particular light, and are unable or unwilling to let our opinions change. I recently read a review of Kevin Max's new CD The Blood. It was not flattering. I read the review after purchasing the CD and deciding that I like it. The reviewer did not, claiming that KM was (as usual) trying to innovate, and in this case failed. The truth is I have not heard the other versions of the songs that the reviewer talked about. Maybe he's right, and I only like the music because I haven't heard the other.
One thing I like about The Blood is that it seems to me that it's a departure from Max's usual fare. Like his other work it definitely has Max's unique sound, but (to me) it lacks the self consciousness that flawed his other albums. This album is about the blood of Jesus. K Max doesn't sound like a troubled man or a lost soul on this album like he does on the others.
Could it be that the reviewer (whose name I did not take note of) doesn't want to see Kevin Max in a new light? I admit that it's hard to like someone who's taking themselves too seriously, and KM has taken himself way too seriously in the past. I don't know whether or not The Blood's tone is indicative of a change for him or not, but I like to think that it is. If so, shouldn't Max be given the benefit of the doubt? A charitable hearing?
I've been involved in addressing performance issues with the choir director of our church. She is a very sweet lady who has had some health issues that have probably effected her performance. I think that before she had to deal with the pain associated with her back problems, she was astute enough to cover up some of the deficiencies of her work ethic.
The work issues she must address are very objective, and very fixable. One of the three choirs at church raised the issues. I wonder if they can accept her back into their good graces even if she fixes her performance issues. Hopefully she will not continue to bear the brunt of their criticism and dissatisfaction if she improves.
While I hope that I'm able to enjoy the healthful (medical) type of homeostasis, I want to avoid the rut living of the status quo. I strive to keep my relationships healthy. I strive to grow as a person. May God grant me the grace to understand, acknowledge, and celebrate the fact that those around me are growing too.
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