Pope-less, Not Hopeless

The sound-bite in the media referring to the Pope’s retirement describes the Catholic Church as currently being ‘Pope-less’ but there is also a sense of hopeless in the mix. I was surprised and taken back by Pope Benedict’s final address when said his papacy had been marked by light, but at times marked by darkness when the Lord, “seemed to be sleeping”. There was a time during Israel’s persecution when the people cried out, “Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.” (Psalm 44:23 NIV). However, Israel’s petition was to awake the Lord to their need, not that He was asleep. Certainly the Catholic Church has its share of self-induced sex scandals and cover-ups that are now haunting them, but we can’t say that they are being persecuted as a religious denomination. Believers can rest assured that the Lord takes guard duty seriously and He will never be caught sleeping on watch. “My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:2-4 NIV).

The Right Side

At our house we do this weird thing whenever there is any type of storm – snow, wind, rain, dust. One of us will look out the front window describing how bad it is and that will cause the other one to go and check out the backdoor window to see what is going on in the backyard. Even though there is only 26 feet between the front and the back of the house, we invariably compare the two sides saying, “Come look out this side. I think it’s worse over here.” I used to laugh at the foolishness of our front and back weather reporting until I remembered the experience of the disciples fishing all night on the Sea of Tiberias without catching any fish. Maybe there’s not a lot of difference between a house and a boat.  Jesus called from the shore saying, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” ‘When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.’” (John 21:6 NIV)

Thy Will, Not My Will

First some back-story on the February 19th blog, ‘Today’s Standards’: In our local newspaper the writer of a letter-to-the-editor put her opinion above God’s Word telling readers that today’s standards show the commitment ceremony of marriage should be extended to same sex couples. In a follow-up letter to the newspaper I challenged not only her comments, but the fact that when she distorts the Word and she is a stumbling block to people of faith. Apparently I hit a nerve. Last week in the mail I received a handwritten card from the stumbling block herself.  “Dear Ms. Marvel, I, too, am a person of faith, and I believe the Creator gave us a brain and a will and expects us to use them. (Signed).” It appears that the stumbling block doesn’t know Scripture, or if she knows it, she doesn’t believe what it says. Either way, she is deceived and deceiving others. Jesus is very clear about the ‘will’ we must follow. He said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
(Matt 7:21 NIV)

Pot Sticker

My search for a new pair of brown, lace-up shoes has been frustrating. I finally settled on a pair that cost $135, even though they were not exactly what I had in mind. The stitching on the inside of the shoes was sewn with invisible nylon thread and on both sides of the tongues the stiff stubble poked out. While I was writing out my check, one of the young sales women took the shoes in the back room to work on the prickly threads. After about four tries, one of the other young clerks suggested that I might fix the problem by putting a little moleskin over the pointed nubs. Seriously? I suppose if I had been head-over-heels in love with the shoes, or if they were on sale at 70% off their original price, it would have been one thing. But she was asking me to conform to the shoes, rather than the shoes conforming to me. I’m wondering if this situation isn’t similar to our new attire when we become a disciple of Christ. We are given clothes of righteousness and the indwelling Spirit, but we expect the Spirit to mold Himself to us the way we are. We are to be clay in the potter’s hands, but we certainly didn’t expect Him to have the character of nylon thread that pokes, prods and make us uncomfortable until we conform to His likeness. “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever–increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor 3:18 NIV)

Projectiles

I would be remiss if I didn’t share at least one good take-a-way from the gun safety class. The instructor reminded the class that you are responsible for every projectile that leaves the barrel of your gun. “With a hand gun, that may mean only one bullet. But if you are using a shotgun, that means you are responsible for every projectile in the shotgun shell.” Vice President Biden’s thought that citizens could better protect themselves by using a shotgun rather than a hand gun takes on a whole new meaning. Spiritually speaking, I thought of every projectile that rolls off our tongues and out our mouths. We are responsible for every word spoken whether the intended target is hit, missed, or there is collateral damage to others. “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.” (Proverbs 21:23 NIV)

Picking Your Battles

The politically incorrect instructor for my gun safety class decided to use Sunday School teachers for his verbal target practice. “How many of you know the Sixth Commandment; what does it say?” The old timer didn’t really want an answer, but he caught us off guard because we were all packing guns, not Bibles. He quickly moved on, “I’ll tell you what it says. It says, ‘You shall not murder’. For years all your Sunday School teachers have been lying to you. They’re liars because they continue teaching you that the Bible says, ‘You shall not kill’ when they know it says murder, not kill.” Although there were many believers in the class, it was not the time or place for any of us to challenge the accusations, but his comments did send me to Scripture as soon as I got home. The King James Version of Exodus 20:13 quoted, “Thou shalt not kill”, but the NIV quoted, “You shall not murder.” According to the NIV study notes, murder is a more accurate translation and the Hebrew for the verb usually refers to a premeditated and deliberate act. I’d love to take his class again if for no other reason than to set the record straight. It is interesting how an unbeliever can help prepare us for the next spiritual battle.

Not of the World

Last weekend I, along with 20 others, took a gun safety class that is required for a concealed weapons permit. Our instructor was a crusty 87 year-old firearms expert who owns a gun shop, firing range, and stays physically fit by doing 200 sit-ups a day. At the beginning of the class the teacher was up-front in declaring that he works hard at being politically incorrect. His intolerance, racial slurs and pot shots at religion were startling. Finally one member of the class got tired of the commentary and asked, “What does all this have to do with gun safety?” Taking the question in stride the teacher reminded us of his disclaimer, that he was not PC and that no one was required to stay if they wanted to leave. Had the teacher been an entertainer most of us would have left the theater, but the reality was that his class was reasonably priced and we needed it in order to get a training certificate. This was one of those instances where I had to remind myself that even though I am in the world, I am not of the world. Jesus prayed to his Father on behalf of his disciples, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” (John 17:15 NIV)

Lent

During the early Middle Ages those observing Lent were forbidden to eat meat, eggs and dairy for 40 days. I can relate to their Vegan experience because in December my acupuncturist put me on the same diet. I wish I could say that the last nine weeks have been a spiritually sacrificing experience, but the reality is that I’m obsessing about the foods that I can’t have. The diet restrictions, while a test of my will, have not brought me any closer to the Lord. Certainly I would feel differently if it were the Lord who asked me to sacrifice meat, eggs and dairy, rather that the acupuncturist. “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Heb 13:15-16 NIV)

Like Other Men

Last Tuesday my post was about a woman in my community who publically stated in the newspaper, “I don’t think the Creator had anything to do with the institution of marriage. It’s a societal necessity, not a rite of ‘God’.” She also stated that because of today’s standards, we should extend the ‘commitment ceremony’ of marriage to same sex couples. Her comments have caused quite a stir in our faith community, but I was really caught off guard when I learned she is a member of a local mainline, protestant church, albeit a very left-leaning church. I can’t begin to imagine how her church leadership and fellow worshippers were feeling after having read her comments. Certainly the Bible gives us church discipline instructions, but normally the need for correction isn’t newspaper fodder. Let me confess that the first thing to run across my mind was, ‘I am so glad she’s not a member of my church.’ Of course the Spirit immediately chastised me with Jesus’ Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The Pharisee who was confident in his own righteousness stood up and prayed about himself, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.” (Luke 18:11 NIV)

Trailer Trash

At one of the recent funerals I attended the Hispanic pastor was the grandson-in-law of the deceased. Apparently 29 years ago there was some reservation on the part of a few to accept a Hispanic into the family, but he recounted Grandma Rice’s stamp of approval when she laughed and said, “Well, he’s better than trailer trash!” We all had a chuckle, but then the pastor wove the same anecdote into the service two more times. I began to wonder if his intent was to show that Grandma was all inclusive, or was he still healing from some age old discrimination wounds. I suppose he could have been taking a potshot at someone, or even subconsciously elevating himself above others. Regardless of the intent or motivation, there is a distinct possibility that there were people in the audience who, at one time or another, lived in a trailer park. I suppose there are shades of Pharisee in all of us and in this case a paraphrase might be, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners…and trailer trash?’ (Matt 9:11)

In Lieu Of

I recently scanned an obituary that was a full half page tribute to the deceased. The 91 year-old man, an accomplished athlete, coach and teacher, had his career summed up saying that coaching was his passion, but teaching was his calling. The dates and the titles of his worldly accomplishments were all listed, but the accolades had no hint of a Spiritual foundation, other than he attended a Catholic high school. The end of the tribute reads, “In lieu of flowers, the Coach would appreciate a couple of prayers on his behalf or, if you choose, donations to either…” I just have to wonder, what type of prayers Coach would appreciate and exactly what good would come of the prayers.

Today’s Standards

In a recent letter-to-the-editor a woman used a shotgun approach to attack every conservative stance that she found objectionable. On marriage she said, “I don’t think the Creator had anything to do with the institution of marriage. It’s a societal necessity, not a rite of ‘God’.” She went on to suggest that by today’s standards, we should allow the ‘commitment ceremony’ of marriage to be extended to same sex couples. Certainly she is entitled to her opinion, but she is not entitled to go unchallenged when she elevates her opinion to be above the Word of God. People of faith understand that God instituted marriage between a man and a woman, not as a rite, but rather as a right. The letter writer is a stumbling block when she asks us to believe that today’s standards somehow overrides God’s Word.

Mind Your Own Business (MYOB)

A recent submission to an advice column was about a married man having an affair with a single woman for over a year. Apparently the wife is unaware, even though it is a small town. The question from the writer is, ‘should I write an anonymous note to the wife, or should I MYOB’. The advice given was that if you are not close to the situation, you should MYOB. I have a completely different take on the issue. I feel the writer should go, not to the wife, but rather to the offenders – the husband and the mistress. It is acceptable to go to the perceived offenders and not only warn them about the rumor mill, but also let them know sympathies are favoring the wife. Exposing the rumor will give the offenders an opportunity to stop the rumor, stop the affair, or stop their deception because eventually someone in town will tell the wife. Paul’s directives on giving a warning are applicable to anyone who should feel ashamed of their actions. “If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.” (2 Th 3:14-15 NIV)

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

As my family matriarchs and patriarchs pass away my extended family is not in contact with one another like we were years ago, but I was still a little surprised to read of my great aunt’s passing through a death notice in the paper. When I went to the funeral home web site to find out about the memorial service schedule for Aunt Dene I was shocked. Not only was she listed in the obituaries, but so was her sister, Edith. Ninety-one year old Dene died February 8^th, 95 year-old Edith died February 9th and their services will be held on the 14^th and the 15^th respectively. Let me confess that it has been years since anyone had any news about Aunt Edith, so we all assumed she had passed away and no one bothered to let the rest of us know. Both of these great aunts were strong women of faith, but the image of them being greeted at the Pearly Gates by their six siblings who passed on before just cracks me up. They too probably thought their sisters died years ago.

Friends with Benefits

The situation of people living together outside of marriage is becoming more prevalent in the church, but the real shocker is that it is being done by elderly folks. Sadly, many of us are buying their arguments and understand the rhetoric they use that it is based on finances and income.  If widows and widowers were to remarry they would lose their combined income and respective homes and would then have to live in one home and on a single income. Neither person wants to give up their own financial security, but neither do they think they should be deprived of love and companionship. I see two glaring issues. 1) They don’t trust God to supply their financial needs, and 2) They feel they are entitled marital benefits outside the bonds of marriage. Awhile back I had a discussion with a fellow believer on the current trend and when he talked about the need for intimacy and he said, “I just don’t think God wants us to be lonely and to suffer.” When I questioned his correlation between suffering and abstinence he decided suffering probably wasn’t exactly the right word to use. Jesus cautions us to put the temptations of the world in their proper place, “For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” (Luke 12:30-31 NIV)

Yes, No, Wait

Our local newspaper is reporting on a situation of a man in dispute with the city over some property. “He’s been trying to get the city to buy it from him for years and maintains he can’t get an answer on the subject.” I have to laugh at the obvious. The man has been trying to sell the property for years and the city has not taken him up on the offer, so the answer is ‘no’. At one time or another most of us have heard the little ditty that God answers our prayers with ‘yes, no, or wait’. Sometimes our prayer requests are well thought-out, seemingly justifiable, and yet unfulfilled. We too can be seen stamping our feet and maintaining that we can’t get an answer on the subject.

The Door

From my kitchen window I can watch my neighbor’s dogs in her backyard. They are playful with one another, but more often than not I see them standing or lying at the back door. It’s interesting to watch what they do in order to get their owner’s attention. The younger dog gives a single bark and then cocks an ear to the door to hear if he is getting a response. The older one does a semi-scratch with one paw on the door as though giving a nudging reminder to the owner that he is still waiting. The Lord said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Rev 3:20 NIV)

Quagmire

There are a couple of vacant lots down the street from my house and our recent thaw has left them a quagmire of adobe mud. The other day three middle school youngsters, one girl and two boys, decided to cut across the lots and quickly got bogged down. About half way through the girl turned back, but the boys were having a grand time. Helping one another keep their balance they would lift first one foot and then the other all the while admiring the amount of mud accumulating on their shoes. “Whoa dude look at this. I can hardly lift my foot.” I told Bill if they would have been my kids I’d have scalped them. Bill laughed, “I did the very same thing when I was a kid. I was wearing my boots and I was invincible.” Reminiscent of David’s song to the Lord, “He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.” (Psalms 18:33 NIV)

Brotherhood

This week at Toastmasters a participant used his two minutes of podium time by talking about those occasional jingles and songs that get stuck in your head and they just keep going around and around. Don then went on to say how discouraged he was by the constant upheaval on the political landscape where the attacks on one another never cease and seem to be getting harsher by the day. Don had a great antidote, “When we start hearing it [trash talk] we need to have a response that makes us think and feel better. Don then began singing, ‘O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains majesties, above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee. And Crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!’” (America the Beautiful, lyrics by Katharine Lee Bates and melody, Samuel Ward 1913)

Picking Scabs

Our newspaper has a daily column titled ‘Out of the Past’ that publishes snippets of their archives from one, five, ten and thirty-five years ago. Most of us like having our memories jogged about past events and situations, but unfortunately this column is often used to pick scabs off of old wounds. Spiritually speaking, we can do the same thing to ourselves and to others when we just won’t let go of past. Paul uses his persecution of the church is an example of turning a sinful scab into a simple scar. “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” (Phil 3:13 NIV)

Gaslighting

I just read an interesting article about ‘gaslighting’, a term that was made popular in the 1944 film Gaslight. The plot of the movie is about a husband using deceptions, beginning with the brightness and dimness of a gas light, to convince his wife that she has lost touch with reality and is losing her mind. His diabolical plan was to have her committed so he could get his hands on her inheritance. I’m wondering if the first recorded incident of gaslighting can be found in Genesis when the crafty serpent said to Eve, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Gen 3:1 NIV)

Swan Dive

I've seen video clips of music concerts where entertainers do a swan dive off the stage and into the arms of adoring fans. They are then passed along above the heads of the crowd by people with up stretched hands. One video making the rounds is of a fan who gets up on the stage after a show and arrogantly assumes he too is worthy of being passed around. His wings are quickly clipped when he flies off the stage, the crowd separates beneath, and he lands spread eagle in a face plant on the ground. Believers sometimes attempt something similar, only we lovingly call it a leap of faith. I thought of Jesus standing on the highest point of the temple and Satan telling him to throw himself down, because after all, the Lord’s angels would lift him up in their hands. Jesus’ response is a good reminder for us as well, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matt 4:7 NIV)

A Full Life

Twenty-five year old freestyle snowmobile rider Caleb Moore died from injuries in an accident at the Winter X Games. Many of those being interviewed about the young man reflect, “He lived his life to the fullest.” Our church body recently lost an 80 year-old Christian stalwart, and we too would say that he lived a good and impactful life. Interestingly, the 55 years age difference between the two doesn’t change our view of a full life. There was and is grief associated with Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, but it is comforting to remember that He lived His lift to the fullest. . “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

Medicinal Spirits

For over a week now I’ve been housebound with the worst sore throat I’ve ever had in my life. My old friend Marvin, a Southern Baptist teetotaler, told me that he and his wife had also been out of commission and they finally resorted to two teaspoons of gin every two hours. “I don’t like the stuff, but it was the only thing we had on hand. We don’t ever drink it, we just use it for soaking our raisins.” My grandma was a member of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and her home remedy for a cold or sore throat was a mixture of Jim Beam and honey. Isn’t it interesting that even though Paul had the ability to perform miraculous healings, he encouraged young Timothy in the use of good old home remedies. “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” (1 Tim 5:23 NIV)

And For Dessert

Losing his battle against cancer, Bob’s life was slipping away. His family knew he was heaven bound and they didn’t want him to linger. Though they had emotionally released him to the God, his wife and daughter, Earline and Sharla did have one request of the Lord. They had heard stories of angels being present to usher saints home when they die…and they wanted to see the angels. Monday night as the family was finishing supper the daughter-in-law came into the dining room with the news that Bob had passed. Although Earline and Sharla would like to have been by Bob’s side when he passed, they had to laugh at the Lord’s timing and sense of humor. At the exact moment of Bob’s death, they were eating angel food cake.

Like Father, Like Son

The media is reporting that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) may be considering a retreat from their no-gays position. One of those being interviewed on TV was a young man in his late teens who had completed all the requirements for Eagle Scout, but the award was withheld by the BSA when he publically came out of the closet. The young man’s father supported his son saying (paraphrased), “The Boy Scouts promote being honest and telling the truth. My son should not be penalized for telling the truth.” So let me get this straight. You want to justify using lies and deception throughout a scouting career by finally telling the truth. Actually, my angst is not as much with the son, as it is with the father. Not that the dad has any sway over the son’s sexual orientation, but he is the adult. He is the one who should have been promoting honesty and truth telling. “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6 NIV)

Equipped for Service

Last summer about a third of our congregation went on a weekend campout together, which put a void in the Sunday morning worship service. Not that those of us who remained were the sick, lame and blind, but we were the crowd that is no longer suited for sleeping in tents, going without indoor plumbing or braving the elements. At the church it was apparent that we had some missing body parts. Our singing lacked its normal volume and some of our older communion servers, who only thought they had retired from serving, were called up for duty. I love the fact that even when we are separated by distance, we are still equipped to function as one body. “But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be….As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” (1Cor 12:18, 20 NIV)

Accountability

When my children were in school I was very attentive to their curriculum, teachers, and environment. If books were not appropriate, I got on the curriculum committee and worked to change what the school district purchased. When a teacher started teaching eastern meditations and spiritualism, I transferred my child to another class. Today I hear a lot of criticism about what is being taught in colleges, including Bible Colleges. As a non-traditional student going to a Christian college, I now understand some of the criticism and concerns. Some professors and academic types want young people to set aside their previous life and educational experiences so that they are more moldable for higher level thinking. No doubt some of my professors are lamenting the fact that this 64 year-old student is not as impressionable and moldable as the traditional student. Is it possibly that what is missing on the college landscape is lack of parent involvement?

What Difference Does It Make

Four Americans were killed in Benghazi, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified about the attack in a hearing before Congress. When she was questioned on the motivation for the attack she became angry and fired back, “Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they’d go kill some Americans? What difference, at this point, does it make?”  My mind turned to the 26 children and adults who were killed at Sandy Hook and I wonder if any politician dare say the same thing. This type of attitude can also be seen in the church where some might think, what difference does it make why Jesus died on the cross? Peter reminds us that it does make a difference, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1Peter 3:15a NIV)

Going With the Flow

I’m fascinated by the flow of traffic in a metro area. The on and off ramps, overpasses and varying speed limits are all designed to allow cars to merge smoothly in and out of traffic. When everything goes according to plan, drivers can speed-up or slow down, pacing themselves according to the traffic flow. Of course there are always drivers who are reckless, distracted, or simply out for a Sunday drive. I think we in the church might have some things in common with those drivers on the freeway. I have a vision of new believers trying to merge into the traffic of seasoned fellowship. Too timid and they might get run over, too aggressive they might get shut out or cut off. I think back to my formative years in faith and I’m thankful for those believers who yielded and allowed me merge into traffic without honking their horn or shaking their fist.

Making the Grade

I’m taking on-line classes and when the Old Testament Survey class professor emailed my grades for the first two lessons, I was transported back to junior high with that dreaded report card in my hand. I remember as a kid always being afraid to look at my report card because I never knew what to expect. Today I like the idea of going back to school, but I hate the thought of spending the next two years being anxious about grades. When I shared my concerns with my cousin he advised, “Don’t worry about the grades, just pass the class. No one is ever going to go back and look at what your grades were.” I thought he made a good argument, but my Expository Writing professor shot his theory to pieces. When I send my papers in for grading, she simply keeps sending them back for correction. Often our motivation for making respectable grades is to meet requirements, or to please others. I have to confess that I’d never considered pleasing Jesus with my schoolwork. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col 3:17 NIV)

Confessional

About a year ago a fellow believer came to me asking my forgiveness and confessing that he had been harboring anger in his heart toward me and spreading rumors. Even though he knew that as a Christian he was in error, he believed he was justified in his feelings. I would have felt different about his confession had he not then gone on to reveal it had a direct correlation to upcoming political activities. He thought I might hold sway in the public arena and was worried I would say something that would shed a negative light on his business and his reputation. I see some similarities in the recent confession of Lance Armstrong. In the spirit of forgiveness I can accept both confessions, but I do wonder about the motivation of a confession that is self-serving and career-saving. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” (1 John 1:9-10 NIV)

Off With Their Ear!

Newsweek magazine is celebrating the swearing in of Obama for a second term. The cover of their on-line version of the magazine shows the President looking reverently up into the heavens with the headline proclaiming, “The Second Coming”. My spiritual blood boiled, but when I turned it down to a simmer, I thought more rationally. The bottom line is that the magazine is trying to sell more magazines and any battle belongs not to me, but to the Lord. On the night Jesus was arrested He reminded his companions that their defending swords were not the right response. “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt 26:53 NIV).

Bodily Functions

Steve commented on a recent blog that the conversation of older folks always seems to turn to aches, pains and bodily functions. I began to wonder if we don’t somehow open that conversational door ourselves. When we greet one another we usually ask something like, “How are you? How are you feeling?” Maybe we should be asking more thought provoking questions like, ‘How are you finances?’ or ‘How are you doing emotionally?’ Or better yet, we could truly turn the conversation upside down by asking, “How are you doing spiritually? Don’t just tell me you’re doing fine. I really want to know how things are going for you spiritually.” This is not such a farfetched idea, as members of Christ’s body it’s absolutely appropriate to talk about our bodily functions.

When Did We See

We can hardly get out of a store or a restaurant without the smiling cashier asking, “Would you like to donate to_____?” Of course they are all worthy causes and even though the fundraiser is trying to put a face to those who are suffering, I often can’t see past the corporate structure. I don’t discount giving to organizations, but I think the Lord wants us to be invested in benevolence and have a connection that we can see for ourselves. “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’” (Matt 25:37-39 NIV)

Rachel and Doug

If you own a telephone or a TV you are likely acquainted with Rachel from Card Services and Doug, a victim of mesothelioma. Not to diminish Doug’s health issue, but do you ever wonder what happened to Doug? Did he go into remission or did he succumb to his disease? Once in awhile I’ll run into a fellow believer whose conversation is similar to that of Rachel and Doug and they repeat the same thing over and over again. It’s as though they take their favorite passage of Scripture and turned it into a witnessing advertisement. Not that repetition of Scripture is bad, but I wonder where the church would be today if Paul had witnessed like that.

Ready, Set, Go!

My friend, who has blood disorder, has had blood transfusions for over a year. Even though the situation has steadily deteriorated, his wife of almost 65 years recently said, “I’m just not yet ready to let him to go.” All this time they could make the decision on when to stop the transfusions and I’m sure they felt they had an element of control over his life. This last week it was determined by doctors that the transfusions are no longer working effectively and they will be stopped. I can only imagine being in the wife’s place and having to pry my fingers off the control button and giving it back over to God. Jesus reminds us that whether it is for ourselves, or for others, when it comes to death we really have no control. He said, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Luke12:25 NIV).

Sanitizing

Even though I’ve had my flu shot, I still take precautions. Sunday after church we considered going to a buffet restaurant until I started thinking about all those hands that touch the same serving spoon and all the youngsters serving themselves who, bless their hearts, are walking Petri dishes. Spiritually speaking, when we accept Jesus we are inoculated against sin, but that doesn’t mean we are immune. James’ suggested precaution includes, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double–minded.” (James 4:7-8 NIV)

Ricochet

A few nights ago about midnight I was startled from sleep by what sounded like something smaller than a bread box falling somewhere in the house. First I looked out the front and backyard windows just in case the noise actually came from outside. Then I started going through each room looking for something out of place…I might add that all the while I’m playing detective Bill is sleeping well. Finding nothing out of place, I returned to bed praying that God would reveal what had fallen so I could clean it up and that I could easily go back to sleep. I knew I hadn’t dreamed the noise, so the following days I continued to scan the house for the noisemaker. Finally I found the culprit. Apparently my hair curler bag under the sink toppled into a large bottle of hand lotion which on its way down crashed into an aluminum bottle of air gel. Even though it turned out not to be a big deal, my relief of just knowing was a big deal. I think we can see this same scenario played out spiritually when one life situation bumps into another. What a relief when the cause and effect is revealed by the Spirit.

Tools of the Trade

The man in charge of organizing other men in our church to serve communion called to say he would be out of town on Sunday and he then proceeded to pass along a detailed list of the duties for the servers. Realizing he was overdoing the instructions he chuckled, “What can I say…I’m an engineer.” We often forget that when people become part of the body of Christ they don’t simply leave their career and personality at the church threshold. Even though the disciples left their nets on the shore of Galilee to follow Jesus, they didn’t leave behind their nature of being fishermen. Jesus said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt 4:19 NIV)

Perception, Deception

I am not a fan of David Letterman, but his reported interview with Oprah Winfrey caught my attention. Letterman acknowledges seeing a psychiatrist once a week and said, “For a long time I thought I was a decent guy, but yet thinking I was a decent guy, I was still capable of behavior that wasn’t coincidental to leading a decent life. I really want to be the person I believe that I was.” His comments were eye opening for me. I have never understood why people do dastardly deeds and then act as though nothing is amiss. I give people credit for being intelligent enough to know right from wrong, so to me their choosing to do wrong, for whatever reason, is a deliberate action. It never occurred to me that in their mind they perceived themselves as being a decent person. Paul understood this inner struggle, “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” (Ro 7:21 NIV) However, he didn’t deceive himself saying, ‘What a decent man I am!’, but rather, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord...” (Ro 7:24-25a NIV)

Fixer-Upper

Couples in serious dating relationships are often cautioned to re-consider the idea of marriage if they have any thoughts about changing the other person. It’s interesting how we can view a person with different habits and personalities as being a fixer-upper. I sometime wonder if people don’t come to Jesus with a similar pre-disposition. We become the Bride of Christ, but then we’d like to do a little fixing-up on the Jesus we fell in love with. Rather than conforming to the likeness of Christ, we subconsciously expect Him to become more like us. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…” (Ro 8:29a NIV)

Never Alone

The parking lot at a local recreational site was snow packed, icy and congested with people and cars. In an attempt to avoid hitting another vehicle the driver of an SUV swerved, hitting two pedestrians and killing them. A bystander reported hearing the driver say, “I should have just hit the car. It would have been better to hit the car.” No doubt we all wish we could avert tragedy through the lens of hindsight, but that just isn’t possible. I can imagine the after-the-fact regret for Adam and Eve when they ate the forbidden fruit, Moses striking the rock which kept him from entering the Promised Land and David’s adultery with Bathsheba. Even when we are without excuse God says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Heb 13:5b-6 NIV)

Perspective

Rivers in Colorado have a problem with tamarisk, an invasive species of bush that is squeezing out native vegetation. The State is working at eradicating the tamarisk, not only because it is invasive, but because it also sucks up a tremendous amount of water. Recently a newspaper reported on visitors taking a float trip down the Colorado River and seeing the dead and dying brown shrubs. They wondered if it was drought related and they were sad for our loss of vegetation. The reporter asked, “Is the death of the tamarisk sad or long overdue?” The world might look at faith in Jesus in a similar way, but from the perspective of the believer, death of the sinful nature is not sad. “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Ro 6:11 NIV)

Spare Me the Details

Homosexual marriage is not a visual I want stuck in my head and it has me thinking about Catholic priests who listen to confessions on a regular basis. I wonder if the priest can then get the ‘sin-stuff’ of others out of his head, or if it resurfaces and replays like a bad movie. I can’t help but think that listening to the depravity of man might somehow affect one’s own moral conscious. Or maybe the sinner simply confesses a sin, without going into the details. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16 NIV)

First Do No Harm

The Hippocratic Oath is often credited for the phrase “first do no harm”, but the essence of the phrase is actually found in the Hippocratic Corpus. Normally the sentiment is applied to the medical field and the physical body, but I’m wondering if it might also be applicable to the spiritual well being of fellow believers and our interaction with one another. “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” (Ro 15:1-2 NIV)

New Year’s Resolve

Most New Year’s resolutions have common denominators of being self-serving and easily broken. David has me pondering his God-serving resolve. “Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.” (Psalm 17:3 NIV)

Fear of the Lord

I’ve been studying wisdom literature in the Bible and the concept that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, and that fear must be taught and passed down from one generation to the next. Understanding this heritage in wisdom, I look back on my own genealogy and see where some of my ancestors dropped the ball completely, while others only taught their children to love the Lord. I’m not sure that any of them grasp the responsibility they had in passing on the fear of the Lord to future generations. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Proverbs 1:7 NIV)

Fishing From the Bank

I ran into a friend who told me that although there were problems in her church, she would never change churches. “I just couldn’t leave because I’ve been a member there since 1967.” I can remember have similar feelings a few years ago when I felt that church heritage somehow superseded my spiritual need for a change of scenery. I can imagine the Lord shaking his head at our willingness to be fishers of men…just as long as we can stay on the bank of our own familiar pond. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Mark 1:17-18 NIV)

Blurred Standards

Recently a man applied to get a liquor license for the restaurant he owns in Colorado. His background check revealed that he was a Mexican National, his Social Security number was held by at least 13 other people, he was not allowed to work in the US and his border crossing card restricted him from travel beyond a 60 mile radius of the Mexico border. One of the questions that the Liquor Licensing Authority had to determine in the hearing was, ‘Is the applicant of good moral character?’ The applicant has been in this country for many years and numerous people spoke on his behalf saying he is the father of two teenagers and he wants them to have a college education. He is friendly to everyone and all he wants to do is make a living to support his family. I don’t know this man personally, but the fact that he has not abided by US immigration laws speaks volumes of his moral character. We believers do a similar thing when we blur the line of salvation. Even though God’s desire is for everyone to be saved, saying someone is a really good person does not gain them entrance into eternal life.

Adrift

Last week there was a news paper report about two fishermen lost at sea for three weeks when their boat engine died. “The water was too deep to use the anchor and the current too strong to use the oars, so the boat slowly drifted away from Jamaica.” I have this mental image of believers who find themselves in a precarious position spiritually. “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (Heb 2:1 NIV)

God’s Gift

I watched my grandchildren, ages 9 & 7, open their age and interest appropriate Christmas gifts – $15 in one dollar bills, Lego blocks, Polly Pocket doll, and books. I wonder what they, or we adults for that matter, would have thought if we had received gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. I can envision some of us investing the gold and re-gifting the frankincense and myrrh. It is not uncommon for people to sometimes receive a gift that they really don’t know what to do with…even the gift of Jesus Christ.

Pre-Death Grief

Recently my cousin lost her husband and although his was not a lingering death, he was bedridden for some weeks and the encouragement, the get well and Thanksgiving cards all piled up. Laura emailed, “I decided to open the cards tonight while I was alone and it was quiet.  As I opened each one, I began to realize that the hard part was that I wasn’t prepared for whether or not I was going to have a Christmas card or a sympathy card.” I’ve always found it comforting in reading about the manner in which David grieved for the son he had with Bathsheba. While the boy was ill David pleaded with God, fasted, wept and slept on the ground. On the 7^th day when the child had died, David picked himself up, changed clothes and put on lotion. “now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him [when I die], but he will not return to me.” (2 Sam 12:23 NIV)

Naughty List

While shopping in the toy aisle of Wal-Mart I found myself next to man and his granddaughter. The mite of a girl, with a full head of long hair, had her back to me as she was looking up at the shelves of dolls. Apparently she was shopping for herself with her own money, but some dolls were out of her price range. The grandfather suggested that some of the things she wanted might be under the Christmas tree. Although I didn’t hear her response, I smiled when I heard him say, “Well, what did you do to get on the naughty list?” I finished my shopping, and as I was leaving, I saw my two toy aisle friends coming toward me. The little girl was older than I had first thought and I recognized her as having primordial dwarfism. She was such a cutie that I too started wondering what she did to get on the naughty list. “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Ro 3:22b-23 NIV)

Evangelism 101

Our library was one of 40 locations across the nation to host a traveling exhibit that celebrates the 400^th anniversary of the translation and publication of the King James Bible. This week I attended one of two sessions with professor and author Leland Ryken, a scholar and national expert on the KJV. We were seated together closely at tables and behind me was a stoic, but attractive and smartly dressed woman in her 60’s. At her table sat one of the local pastors who asked her where she went to church. “Oh, I don’t go to church.” Making a smooth transition he told her their church doors were always open and she was welcome to visit them. I turned around in my seat and joked with the pastor about overhearing his snippet of evangelism. I suppose the woman could have been library patron, or simply someone who considers the KJV Bible to be great literature. However, I cannot wrap my head around anyone attending a lecture, and apparently having some sort of relationship with the KJV, and yet not going to church.

First Responders

In reporting on the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting one TV reporter described the first responders as being “trained to be heroes.” My thoughts turned to our training as believers. While I don’t think we are training to be heroes, I do wonder how many of us would consider ourselves to be first responders. For instance, if someone wants to know more about Jesus, do we recommend that they go see the preacher? Or when someone is ill do we tell them they need to schedule a time with the elders to be prayed over? The Apostle Paul gave this charge to Timothy: “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Tim 4:2 NIV)

Protest

One of our local newspapers has a column titled ‘You Said It’ that encourages people to write in short snippets of anything that is on their mind. One couple wrote saying that when Bush was President they put their postage stamps on upside down in protest of his policies. “Finally in 2008, when we got Obama, we started putting them on right-side-up.” My husband Bill is a retired Postmaster and we both had a good laugh. For starters, no one actually sees stamps on letters today because they are machine sorted. Even our own letter carrier doesn’t look at the stamp, he looks at the delivery address; and if you are making a bill payment, the envelope is most likely opened automatically. Regardless of what type of message we are heralding, nothing is accomplished if it goes unheard. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matt 4:14-16 NIV)

Unto Me

The parents of the children whose lives were lost during the elementary school shooting at Sandy Hook are struggling with their children being taken from them. No doubt families will also struggle with letting go of the children. I find comfort in the image of Jesus welcoming these precious little ones, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  (Matt 19:14 NIV)

Desensitized

Farmers talk about having good and bad years with their crops and I find myself applying the same terminology to the five deaths we’ve had in our family in the last nine months – this has been a bad year. All but one of the deaths were somewhat expected, however with each successive funeral, the grieving process is easier. The world might define the grieving as becoming numb or desensitized, but from the believers perspective there is a spiritual element that should not be overlooked. In our grief none of us can say to the other, ‘but you just don’t understand’ or ‘my sorrow is greater than yours’. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Cor 1:3-4 NIV)

Pre-Existing Condition

On the surface an insurance company’s rationale behind a pre-existing conditions clause sounds reasonable; particularly in the case where medical conditions are self-induced, like drug and alcohol abuse. However, according to a California advocacy group, possible situations that could come under pre-existing conditions are acne, hemorrhoids, and bunions. For us, God’s one and only pre-existing condition is simple. “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins…” (Col 2:13 NIV)

Verbosity

Last Sunday’s 3-5 minute Communion Meditation turned into a 20 minute theological message about the preparations and events surrounding the Last Supper. Don’t get me wrong, it was an excellent message but it had a ripple effect. The audience started getting restless and because there was little time remaining the preacher was forced to cut his sermon almost in half. Looking on the bright side our auditorium is windowless and on the ground floor. “Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left.” (Acts 9-11 NIV)

Pick Me Up

The sidewalks were still ice encrusted when I left church last Sunday. Going out the door at the same time was one of our elderly ladies with her cane straddling across the handles of her walker. I cautioned her about it being slick and offered to walk along beside her to her car. “Na-ah.” She said with a chuckle. “If I fall, I just fall.” She wasn’t being cantankerous, but merely implying that if she falls she’ll either pick herself up, or if she can’t get up, then she’ll ask for help. I sort of wish that I could apply more of that type of attitude to my Christian walk. There are times when I am overly cautious because I don’t want to fall, or I don’t want others to help me. I need to be reminded, ‘If I fall, I just fall…and Jesus will be there to pick me up.’

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

My brother-in-law, Ray, was diagnosed with a larger cancerous mass in his esophagus and stomach. He had some chemo and the doctors attempted surgery, but they stopped during the procedure because of liver complications. Ray reached out in all directions for treatment and cure. He started coming to church and the elders prayed over him, he went to an acupuncturist who put him on a vegan diet, where he lost 60 pounds, and he traveled to Arizona for a second opinion. The recent scope of his esophagus showed no signs of the mass and the PET showed only one lymph node to have cancer. Ray is being inclusive in his thanksgiving saying that whether it is God, the diet, the acupuncture doctor, or all of our prayers, he is rejoicing. There are times that we’ve all struggled with giving credit where credit is due. Even in Paul’s day, some who were very religious were careful to cover all their bases so as not to offend any god or object of worship. “For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:23 NIV)

Not To Worry

A recent blood test showed my husband’s PSA is on the rise again. Dr. Chipman, his oncologist, is a positive and enthusiastic sort of man and he knew from my questions that I was concerned. “Look, I don’t want you to worry. I’m the one who worries.” He laughed, “That’s what you pay me for!” I told him I could go with that, but only so far, I really hadn’t seen him doing any worrying. We both laughed and he assured me that when it is time to worry, he would worry. Maybe that’s the same problem some of us have when we give our problems over to God. We know the Lord has everything under control, but we’re still looking for evidence that He is doing the worrying. Jesus asks, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matt 26:27 NIV)

Write Offs

My mother passed away six months ago and she just got a bill in the mail from CenturyLink, her telephone service provider. The total amount due is $.08. Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up. No telling how much it cost the company to process the billing and mail it. My options are to ignore the statement, call the company to see if they would reconsider, send them a check, or mail them eight cents. I decided it was worth the cost of first class postage to mail the eight pennies to the company’s outsourced billing department. Companies today always requests that the consumer remit with checks, credit cards and electronic transfers, so I’m wondering if they even have a local bank where they can deposit eight cents cash. Of course the most practical solution would be for the company to simply write off the eight cents, but I suppose this situation is no different than some of us failing to write off wrongs that were done to us.

Hit and Run

A couple months ago my friend was driving into my driveway when she was rear ended by an SUV. As Sharon’s van spun around 180 degrees, the teenage driver in the other car screeched to a stop, turned to talk to his passenger, then floored the accelerator and sped off. The expression that ran across the driver’s face was, “We’re in big trouble. What should I do? Maybe if we can get out of here fast enough no one will catch us and no will know who we are.” Little did the driver realize that two witnesses wrote down his licenses plate number, and three others were able to make written police reports of the incident. I can imagine that the same image of fear and flight runs across our faces when we sin. We think that a fast getaway from the scene will keep our sin from being exposed…and we too think there are no witnesses.

Reading of the Will

In the limousine on the way to the graveside service the twenty-something granddaughter asked the grieving widow, “When do you read the Will? I’m sure grandpa would have left me something. I need to know if we read the Will now, or if I need to make arrangements to come back later.” Even giving a pass for the selfishness of youth, I’m still left saying, “Really?” However, after a little more thought I’m wondering if the church is missing out on a great opportunity. Just as soon as a new believer comes out of the waters of baptism we should be reading the Will. They need to know that Jesus left them something, they are included in the inheritance and they are an heir.

Paying It Forward

One of our local papers has a weekly column titled “You Said It”, where people write in with little comments about things they see and hear going on in the community. It is amazing how many of the comments are from people thanking others for anonymously paying for their groceries or their bill for a meal. Often the writer is so appreciative that they promise to pay it forward by passing the same generosity on to someone they encounter. Certainly Jesus paid for my salvation by going to the cross and although I try to reach others with the Gospel message, I’ve never thought in terms of paying my salvation forward. I now wonder what those actions would look like.

Walk on By

When Charlie the dog comes to my house for a visit, he jumps up in the chair by the window so he can watch whatever is going on outside. As though he’s sounding the alarm or protecting the house, he’ll bark when someone walks by, or drives in the driveway. What I find interesting though, is that he never barks when he is outside. When I take him for a walk, the other dogs on leashes, or those in fenced yards, charge at him barking like they would like to tear his leg off. He’ll just stop and nonchalantly look at them, then simply walk on by. I sort of envy Charlie’s ability to just ignore those who are aggressive and out to eat him alive. “God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”. So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Heb 13:5b-6 NIV)

Divided Attention

We’ve all been in social situations where the person we are talking to is always looking beyond us to see who else is in the room. Or we can see the talking heads on television who, rather than talking to the TV audience or their co-hosts, are watching their monitor to see how they look on the screen. I suppose God feels something similar when I start thinking about getting Sunday dinner on the table while the sermon is being preached. “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.” (Psalm 119:37 NIV)

World’s Dumbest

Recently a local man made two failed bank robbery attempts…while wearing a global positioning ankle bracelet that was a condition of his parole from a previous offense. If there is a video of this guy in action he just might be a candidate for the World’s Dumbest Criminals. Of course we shouldn’t feel too superior. I can envision the heavenly audience watching some of us on the World’s Dumbest Sinners. “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” (Luke 12:2-3 NIV)

Adoption

The last few months at church we have watched an infant foster child growing physically and in personality. Her adoption will be finalized next week, but she is already a member of the church family. Sunday I mentioned to her soon-to-be father that her dark hair is really getting curly on top. Jose smiled and pointing to his own wavy hair said, “She gets it from me.” I thought of our own adoption as believers. I can imagine Him pointing to us and saying, ‘She gets it from Me.’ “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--” (Eph 1:4-5 NIV)

Hoarders

As believers most of us recognize that everything we have comes from the Lord, and we praise Him for His provisions. When I watch a television show on hoarders, with all their piles of treasures, stuff and trash, I have to wonder at what point did God’s provision turn into greed and self-sufficiency. As a believer I try to see God in everything, but I’ve got to tell you I haven’t been able to locate God in any of the homes I’ve seen. “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1Tim 6:17 NIV)

Life Giving

Usually when we donate to a blood bank we think in terms of emergency situations, but that is not always the case. Years ago my father-in-law (now deceased) had a blood disorder that required blood transfusions. At first it was every six months, but as time went on, blood was needed more frequently going to every six weeks, then finally to every 10 days. Obviously, there was a point where the only thing keeping him alive was the transfused blood from others. Each week at the Communion table I’m reminded of the blood Jesus shed to take away my sins, but I had not put the Lord’s sacrifice in terms of being life-giving blood. In that sense the only thing keeping any believer alive, in this world or the next, is the blood of Jesus.

Giving Thanks

A day of thanksgiving and harvest is not limited to an American tradition, or to the confines of earth. The twenty-four elders fell on their faces and worshiped God saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great--” (Rev 11:17-18 NIV)

Old Friend

I went to my grandson’s Thanksgiving Day program at the Christian School and watched the middle school children put on a play about David and Goliath. The program, which was incorporated with their chapel service, began with the pledges (American flag, Christian flag, and the Bible), a prayer and three songs from the hymnal. It felt so good to hold a hymnal in my hands and I was amazed at how touched I was to see this old friend again. The musical notes, the author information with the date published, and an applicable passage of Scripture jumped off the hymnal pages. Like most churches today, my worship service uses slides and video, rather than hymnals. Although I take my Bible when I go to church, it is unnecessary because the Scriptural passages from the sermon are displayed on the overhead screen. Some of us have an emotional attachment to our Bibles and to hymnals, but I have to wonder about this current generation. Somehow I just can’t quite picture them having an enduring connection with a video screen.

Sound the Alarm

During announcements Sunday morning, someone’s car alarm started going off in the church parking lot. At first only about three or four people got up quietly from their seats, so as not to disturb others, and headed for the exits. The alarm continued to honk and a few more folks left the building and the look on their faces said they were hoping against hope that it wasn’t their car making the disturbance. I had to laugh when I witnessed a little bit of a laying-on-of-hands as some of our men with hearing aids tried to locate the car by touching the hoods. It’s interesting that a worldly alarm can go off and mentally we start wondering if it could somehow pertain to us, but just let a spiritual alarm go off and we calmly stay seated in our chairs thinking we need not worry.

Taking Aim

I took my new Smith & Wesson 38 special out for some target practice and I was disappointed to find that the laser isn’t worth a hoot in sunlight. I guess if a daytime intruder comes to the house I’m just going to have to ask him to come back sometime after dark. When I used the gun sight I kept shooting high, but when I started aiming for the target’s knees, lo and behold I nailed him in his midsection. As dusk approached I was finally able to use the laser and I transformed into a real Annie Oakley and I guarantee that target will never bother anyone ever again. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Cor 10:3-4 NIV)

Clean-Up on Aisle Three

I get a little perturbed when people don’t clean up after themselves. Such as if someone decides to cook and not clean up the stove, and then proceeds to leave the dirty dishes in the sink for someone else to put in the dishwasher. Yesterday I was in the pantry and dropped a partial container of cornmeal. I was aggravated at myself, but the thought did cross my mind, “I wonder what it would feel like to just leave it…maybe someone else will clean it up.” Of course that someone else is going to be me, so putting off cleaning it up didn’t make sense. Unfortunately messes are not limited to just our physical space, but they can also be seen in the spiritual realm. The Spirit really is the only One who can clean up our mess.

Potential Candidates

In the community we have more than one hospice and when it was time to decide which service my family needed, a nursing home employee took it upon herself to guide me toward hospice ‘A’. Ultimately I chose a the other hospice, but a few days later I watched the hospice ‘A’ nurse walking the halls of the nursing home. She was overly friendly to patients and visitors alike and after she walked away one of the elderly residents, who was not easily impressed, quipped, “She’s just looking for candidates”. I had to laugh and couldn’t help but wonder if people have similar feelings toward believers when we’re looking for people who are in need of salvation.

Stranger Than a Stranger

When we feed the hungry, visit those in prison, clothe those in need, give a drink to the thirsty, and invite strangers into our home, we are in effect doing those same acts of benevolence to the Lord. It’s not lost on me that rather than taking care of our own, the Lord emphasizes these acts of kindness are done towards strangers…people that we don’t already know. In some cases that’s a relief. I don’t know about you, but for me there are times that inviting a stranger into my home is preferable to extending an invitation to an eccentric family member. “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” (Matt 25:40 NIV)

Protecting the Protection

Last weekend I went to Cabela’s to buy a Smith and Wesson 38 special. The mall parking lot was full, the store was packed with people, and guns were flying off the shelves.  I asked the clerk if it was always this busy on a Saturday and he said, “Only since Tuesday’s election.” Apparently shoppers are trying to get ahead of any of the President’s threatened changes in the law regarding the sale of guns and ammunition. It’s interesting that the possibilities of tighter regulations are more motivating to people than the impending judgment of Christ. You would think the church parking lot would be full and the facility overflowing with Bible toting souls. “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door” (Matt 24:32-33 NIV)

Survivor’s Guilt

I know a couple of Veterans who came home from their military Service with survivor’s guilt. Although their service was decades ago, they still carry the burden of fellow service men being wounded and killed, while physically they were unscathed. Certainly the Lord does not want them forever burdened, but Satan is relishing in the fact that they continue to re-live the past. I’m reminded of Saul/Paul who, in the early church, was a perpetrator, a persecutor and a supporter of murder. Paul had blood on his hands and yet the Lord chose him to be the one to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles. Some people wanted to forever shackle Paul to his actions, but he responded by openly acknowledged his past and refusing to let his past maim or cripple his mission.

Corrective Measures

The formatting on some of the blogs I post seem to have a mind of their own. I always compose in the same font and size, but for some reason when I post the blog changes will appear on the site. I decided I could live with that, but lately random words which were once black started showing up as blue and underlined. I can’t figure out why it is happening, or how it can be corrected. It reminds me of some of the sins in my life. I’ll be thinking that I’ve got my mind in sync with the Lord and then the Spirit will come along and highlight some corner of my heart that I didn’t even know needed attention.

Suffer the Consequences

If my kids were about to make a decision that had dire consequences I would first try to dissuade them. Second I would tell them, “If this doesn’t work out the way you want, then I don’t want to hear about it.” The day after the election I feel the same about those bemoaning unemployment. I don’t want to hear anyone say that they can’t find a job in their field or they can’t find a job that pays better than entitlements. I imagine that God gets an ear full of hearing believers complain when they suffer the consequences of their actions. We too are not above expecting to get what we perceive as spiritual entitlements.

God is Just

I recently attended a funeral where the speaker described the deceased as a believer and assured the audience that one day we would see our loved one in heaven. Personally I’d never seen the deceased display any characteristics that would identify her as a believer, but by the same token I can also say I’d never actually heard her reject Jesus. No doubt the speaker’s intentions were to give the family encouragement, but I have to wonder if he may instead, have been giving them false hope. Rather than assuring people that their loved one is in heaven it would be better to tell them that God is a just God. “And I heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.” (Rev 16:7 NIV)

We’ve Already Met

At the invitation of a friend I attended an open house for the new Mormon stake, which will hold services this week. It is a beautiful facility, the tour was nice and the members welcoming. Before I left my friend offered me a video Finding Faith in Christ. Although I tried to decline the gift, I was sensitive to the situation. For several years now the LDS church has made a concerted effort to become acceptable as mainstream Christians. My friend was on that train of thought when he said, “The video is not about the LDS church or promoting the church, it just about the Savior, Jesus Christ.” While I understand the motive behind the video; the message of the video itself is moot when it is given to a mature Christian who has already found faith in Christ.

Goodbye Cruel World

The front page headline in the local paper said, “Storm cruel to elderly who refused to leave.” When one 90 woman was asked why she didn’t heed the warnings of hurricane Sandy she said, “I’m tired, I don’t want to go.” It’s interesting that the story goes on to suggest the storm was crueler to the elderly than it was to younger victims. Generally speaking it seems to me that everyone in the path of the storm had the same warning and the same amount of time to evacuate. I suppose I expected the wisdom of the elderly to prompt them to action; while the foolishness of the young would led them to feel invincible and indestructible. Apparently the opposite is true. As I consider the Gospel message I have to wonder if some of the elderly who fail to heed the salvation warning are themselves saying, “I’m tired, I don’t want to go.”

Answer Shopping

In the arena of government administration it is not unusual for constituents to go answer shopping. If they don’t get the answer they like to a question, they simply go to another department to see if they can get a different answer. In the religion arena we do something similar. The Bible tells us that the wicked (adulterers, homosexual offenders, idolaters, etc.) will not inherit the kingdom of God. Yet if we have a loved one who is an adulterer, we just can’t stand the thought of him being barred from heaven, so we answer shop among fellow believers. It reminds me of Satan’s conversation with Eve in the Garden of Eden. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’...You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.” (Gen 3:1b, 4 NIV)

An Inch Here, An Inch There

In my expository writing class the on-line teacher expects me to turn in papers that follow a specific format. She grades each paper and sends it back for corrections and it seems like with each revision she finds more corrections that need to be made. Personally, I’d just as soon she give me a lower grade and let me move on. A comma here and a semicolon there just do not seem that important to me. Does it really matter if I get a B- rather than an A+? I’d like to think if God had entrusted me with the blueprints to the ark, the temple, or the Holy of Holies that I’d be more precise. However, I can imagine that there too I’d be saying, “Does it really need to be that exact?”

The End is Near

A few weeks ago my brother-in-law was seriously ill, but refused to go to the hospital. It wasn’t until he was admitted to the ER that he learned how ill he was, and that he was on the brink of death. One day last week my 57 year-old cousin was ill, but that morning she rejected going to the ER until she had a chance to get a shower and pull herself together. Evette passed away at home before noon and the family is now waiting for the results on the cause of death. It is amazing that as well as we know our own bodies, we are lousy at evaluating when death is near. Scripture also gives signs that accompany spiritual death, but all too often they too go unrecognized.

The Winds and the Waves

It goes without saying that Hurricane Sandy will be disruptive, but maybe the disruption isn’t all bad news. I can see the storm stopping the plans of some terrorist, thwarting robberies, and cooling down gang member activity. From a spiritual perspective our East Coast friends and their extended families across the nation will spend this next week on their knees praying. During a furious storm on the lake the disciple’s boat was taking on water, but Jesus was sleeping. “The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matt 8:25-27 NIV)

Civility – Fruit of the Spirit

Our newspaper has started a new weekly Church and Community column and the current topic was public vision and conversation. The author of the article wrote that Christians should be the ones to lead the way to restoring the virtue of civility. I was a little taken back when he said, “It is generally agreed that our public officials are doing a poor job of modeling civility.”  What I find disturbing is that almost all of our elected officials are people of faith who are active in their church and their beliefs are evidenced in the performance of their duties. Although he may be oblivious, the author’s accusation against public officials is really an accusation against his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I think we need to be reminded that people who are in public office do not turn off the Spirit within them when they get elected, and then turn the Spirit back on once they have completed their term of service.

This World is Not My Home

The song This World Is Not My Home, written by Jim Reeves, is all about heaven and I love the thoughts that come to mind when we sing this song. However, I’m wondering if I might find even more peace and encouragement if I were to take my focus off heaven and put it back on the world. Especially when I’m struggling with difficult people I need to be reminded, ‘This world is not my home…’

As Ohio Goes, so Goes the Election

All pollsters agree that Ohio is a must win state and whoever wins that state will become the next President of the US. Last week before church started I was talking politics with one of our octogenarian members. With the upcoming election approaching she was disgruntled because people don’t take time to be informed about those running for office. “My son is one of them, and he lives in Ohio!” Pat laughed, “I’d really like to ask him for an early Christmas present…which would be to not vote at all.”

Hold the Applause

A recent communion meditation at my church turned into a get-out-the-vote promotion and when completed about half of the congregation applauded enthusiastically. Although the speaker’s sentiments were good, well written and applicable to the political season, they were misplaced. Jesus didn’t institute communion so that we would focus on ourselves or our spiritually disheveled country. On the contrary, Jesus specifically wanted us to focus on His spilt blood and pierced body, His sacrifice on the cross for us. When we participate in the communion emblems Jesus tells us, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Surely it’s the Lord who deserves the applause.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

The political season is in full swing and locally we’ve heard complaints from both political parties accusing each other of stealing campaign signs. Although a sign in my yard had been untouched, my next door neighbor appears to be one of the victims. His sign would be up for a few days and then missing for a week before another one reappeared. This ‘here today gone tomorrow’ activity has been going on for well over a month. Since we live on an extremely busy street, you would think someone would have seen the thief and reported him. Yesterday I caught the husband in his yard, and I had to ask, “What gives with your missing sign?” My zealous Christian friend laughed, “Well, Sandy and I don’t always see eye to eye when it comes to politics. So we share the yard. She puts up her candidate’s sign…and I take it down.”

Weeds of the Mind

Not too long ago I sat through a seven hour Liability Seminar. The presentation was funny, engaging and thought provoking; however, the presenter’s verbal expletives clogged my mental slang-filter. During the lunch break while visiting with another attendee I was surprised at how quickly the heavy dose of expletives we’d been receiving were already planted in our minds and some of those same words were coming out his mouth. Later as I went over my notes some of the off color language resurfaced in my mind. Whatever occupies our mind shows up in our actions and our conversation and Paul reminds us, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Phil 4:8 NIV)

Follow Me

My friend’s nine year-old asked her mom how she knew for sure if Bible was really true. Rather than going into a lengthy explanation her mother simply explained that men who followed Jesus wrote down everything Jesus did and they put it in the Bible. “Oh,” she said. “You mean Jesus had stalkers?”