An Awesome Book

 ¹⁵ In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) ¹⁶ and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷ He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”

 ²⁰ “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:
   “‘May his place be deserted;
   let there be no one to dwell in it,’
   and,   “‘May another take his place of leadership.'"-Acts 1:15-17, 20


When the early church was getting started they didn't have the Bible as we know it.  Their Bible was the Jewish Scriptures that we know as our Old Testament.  The New Testament had not yet been written because it is mostly made up of letters that Paul and some of the other church leaders wrote to churches in different cities.  What they had to do then, was interpret the existing Scriptures differently from the way they had before.  Can you imagine the divisions that would (and does) cause in the Christian church today?  


In the first chapter of the Book of Acts, Peter takes on the role of interpreter of Scripture in light of the contemporary realities of his time.  Really?  You mean we can take into account contemporary realities when we interpret Scripture today?  God can speak to us outside of his written word to interpret his written word in a new way in order to do new things?


I think it's good that they had to kind of play it by ear... an ear to God's voice... while forming the early church.  If they had had the New Testament already, they might have put God in a box rather quickly and  the Christian church may have ended up being founded on judgment, fear and uncertainty rather than grace, love and faith. 


The Bible is important.  It is absolutely God's word and a gift of love to us.  But we have to keep the ears of our heart open as we read it.  God is still speaking!  The amazing thing about this awesome book is its power to speak to us through the ages.  It grows as we grow. It speaks in new ways as we face new circumstances.  It is as alive and vibrant as we are.  We have to be willing to let go of the old when we hear God speak the new.


Father,
Unbind the chains of our heart that we may hear you speak new things to a world that is constantly changing.  Amen.


Joys:  The safety of Chelsea's grandparents and loved ones who made it safely out of a devastating house fire; Dylan's confirmation faith talk; covered-dish luncheons

Have To or Want To?

³² “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. ³³ To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Biblical scholar, Marcus Borg, says, 

"You can keep the commandments and still be a jerk. But you cannot be in relationship with the living God, without being continually transformed."

It's the relationship that changes us, not the laws.  It's the same with having a relationship with one another.  It's not so hard to dislike a group based on their ethnicity, education, etc.  But when you have a relationship with one person from any of those groups, you begin to rethink your opinions.


A relationship with God helps us to get to know who he is.  We begin to see his mercy, love and grace at work in our lives and we want to be more like that.  If we merely follow a list of laws, we want to make sure everyone else feels as restricted as we feel, and that can turn us into said "jerks."


Every new marriage has been through it.  The wife says, "Honey, you don't have to get me anything for our anniversary."  The husband takes her at her word and a big fight ensues.  "But," says the husband, "you said I didn't have to get you anything!"  "Yes," says the wife, "But I wanted you to WANT to anyway."


The wife isn't talking about gifts.  She's talking about the relationship.  God wants us to WANT to follow his commandments... not HAVE to.  Having to only makes us jerks.  Wanting to makes us more Christlike.


If Christianity had more WANT to's than HAVE to's, we'd be much more attractive to those we wish to share the good news with.


Dear Lord,
Bring us into a closer relationship with you.  Transform us into people who want to do your will.  Amen.


Joys: one last gorgeous Fall day... the colder weather is supposed to be here today; quiet evenings at home; Friday

Don't Analyze; Just Do It

 ³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”-Matthew 22:34-40


An article from the Living Lutheran web site asks:  

What questions distract you from the central components of faith in Jesus Christ: love of God and neighbor?

 Perhaps many of us could answer like this:

• Why should I give to someone in need when they will most likely buy beer and cigarettes with it?
• Shouldn't my charity be given locally rather than to foreigners?
• Isn't "loving my neighbor" what I pay taxes to the government to do for me?
• There are plenty of people serving in that ministry, do they really need me?
• I don't like the music they play at church, so why should I go?
• I don't agree with every policy of my church, so why should I attend?
• God already knows what I need, so why bother to pray?
• The Bible is too hard to read, so why should I study it?
• My neighborhood isn't friendly, so why should I try to get to know anyone?
• My elderly neighbor has grown children that should be helping her, so why should I?

The world can make us believe that these are valid questions when it comes to our life of faith.  Are they really?  Does God ask us to find reasons NOT to love?  or NOT to have a relationship with him?  No, like the brilliantly successful Nike ad, God asks us to "Just do it!"  

So what if you Operation Christmas Child shoe box goes to a child in Africa instead of poverty-stricken Apalachia... does that make it less of a gift to someone in need?  So what if you don't like the style of music they played in church last week... is that what you came to worship?  So what if you don't like the new "church policy"... does that mean you should stop doing ministry with them?

Don't be distracted by the questions that really don't matter!  So many people and so many church families make these issues central to their faith lives and they end up missing the whole point!

Love God and love your neighbor.  Don't analyze it.  Just do it.

Loving God,

Help us to see beyond the distractions that keep us from living the most basic principles of our faith.  Help us to love you more and to love our neighbors... whoever they might be.  Amen.

Joys:  another hike in the Fall mountains; receiving a "just because" gift; sleeping with the windows open

At First....

 ¹⁷ As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”   ¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’^[d]” ²⁰ “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
 ²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²² At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.-Mark 10:17-22

This is one of my favorite stories from the Gospel.  It's so real.  People often miss the point of this story.  It's not about money.  It's about trust.  Can we trust Jesus to provide when we say "yes" to his call?  Do we know in our hearts that if Jesus were to ask it of us, we would give up whatever we consider our own treasure?


It's really easy, from the perspective of our hindsight, to say that the rich, young man was foolish to go away refusing to give up his wealth.  But how many of us hold on to our own treasures just as tightly?  I confess, I would have done exactly as this young man did. I have done it many times in my life... at first.


There have been times in my life when Jesus has asked me to give up something for the sake of his Kingdom.  No, he hasn't asked me to sell everything I own and give it to the poor... nothing quite so dramatic.  He has asked me to give up some precious time every now and then.  He has asked me to serve in ways that take me out of my comfort zone.  He has asked me to give a little more money than I wanted to.  And I have often said "no"... at first.


But Jesus doesn't let it end with my walking away.  He looks at me and loves me.  And love is always an action word, especially when it involves Jesus.  When I walk away, Jesus continues to work in my heart.  He keeps hitting my heart with his request, and I feel my faith strengthen.  And I remember all the times that God kept God's promise.  And I realize that Jesus just wants to give me some more of that cool, abundant life stuff.  And I come back.  And I say, "Yes!"  And I am sooooo blessed.


The Bible story doesn't follow up on this rich, young ruler.  But I like to think Jesus did the same with him. He loved him until his heart changed.  I would bet he ended up selling everything he had and giving it to the poor and then went back and found Jesus and followed him.  And I know that if he did, he was soooooo blessed.


Jesus,
Thank you for not taking my first "no" for an answer.  Thank you for looking at me and loving me.  Thank you for working in my heart to change my "no" to a "yes" and making my life more abundant and blessed. Amen.


Joys:  Awesome beauty in my hike yesterday; the smell of Fall; could the weather BE any more perfect?

Thankfulness

Be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.-Ephesians 5:18-21


Thankfulness is a state of heart.    True thankfulness makes us want to act the way way this scripture suggests.  True thankfulness makes us want to sing.  It makes music spring from our hearts.  I think poets and musicians and other artists must all be basically thankful people, because thankfulness creates a desire within us to in some way capture those things for which we are thankful.


Over the last couple of decades I think people have generally become less thankful.  We have traded our sense of gratitude for a sense of expectation and entitlement.  It has even seeped into our churches.  People visit churches looking for what they have to offer... big youth programs, thriving ministries for the older folks, plenty of social opportunities.  It was beginning to become a problem for the average-size church to compete.  And "compete" is such an unfortunate word to use when we are talking about churches.


But I think the bad economic situation in the country is actually doing a lot of good.  People are beginning to learn to be grateful again.  They are re-learning the joy of doing things for themselves and for others.  Hopefully we will see this new attitude reflected in our churches soon... people who would rather teach Sunday school than just drop their kids off for someone else.  People who would rather serve in a ministry rather than just throw money at it.


Somewhere along the way we have come to believe that we deserve everything we have.  It's time to practice thankfulness again.  We can start be realizing that all those things we have that we think we deserve can be lost in the blink of an eye... our jobs, our homes, our loved ones, even the beauty around us.  


We are coming upon the season of giving thanks.  Many of our churches are focusing on stewardship, harvest season is coming to an end and our national day of Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  What a good time to make a list of everything you are thankful for!


Father,
Give us hearts that are so truly thankful that we want to sing and make music.  You provide it all, Lord.  Thank you.  Amen.


Joys:  All the pictures of the northern lights that have been seen around the country; picture-perfect weather; looking forward to a mountain hike today

Royal Priesthood

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.-1 Peter 2:9 


Yesterday we took our 3-year-old granddaughter to the Renaissance Festival after church.  She met us before church in one of her dress-up princess dresses.  She looked adorable, but she looked like a little girl dressed up like a princess.  When we entered the festival gates, that changed.  The Renaissance characters honored Cecelia as she entered with low, sweeping bows, exclaiming, "Welcome, Princess!"  She walked a little taller. She looked a little prouder.  She really looked like a princess... not just a little girl in princess clothes.

St. Peter tells us we are a royal priesthood.  After all, we are children of a King, right?  That makes us all princes and princesses.  Sadly, we don't always act that way.  And more sadly, we don't treat one another that way either.  And that may be the bigger problem.  Maybe we don't act like children of God, because we don't treat one another like children of God.


I guess it would be pretty silly if we went around physically bowing to each other all the time, but maybe we could make it a practice to bow in our minds... to bow our hearts before one another.  It's another way of humbling ourselves before others.  The change that it will make to our attitude will be felt by those we honor and it will make them feel a little more like a child of God.


What wonderful things we could do in this world if we all really felt and acted like the royal family we are!


Lord God,
We are all your children.  Help us to treat one another that way so that we can really be about the work you have given us to do in this world.  Amen.


Joys:  Cecelia treasuring the ring given to her by a pirate; wonderful weekend with family; little princesses

God is Still Speaking

 ¹⁸ Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.-1 Peter 2:18


I read a devotion the other day that ended with an interesting prayer:

God, give me ears to hear what you are saying today, even if it is different from what I thought I heard you say yesterday.  Amen.

The Bible is a very complicated book.  The individual books were created to speak to those who lived at the time they were written, but the Bible as a whole was also created to speak to you and me and all those who have lived in between.  It was made to speak to those who believed the world was flat.  And it was made to speak to those of us who can pick up one of many devices around our home and speak to someone on the other side of the (round :) ) world.  Amazing.  But is it any wonder that we can hear so many different interpretations of one line of scripture?  


Our own interpretations, opinions and viewpoints on everything in our lives - faith, politics, raising children, education, day-to-day living - all form from so many different things:  the church and schools we have attended, our parents and other family, our peers, and even our genetic make-up can effect how we form our interpretations, opinions and viewpoints.  And just because someone believes differently from us, doesn't necessarily mean one or the other is wrong.


God doesn't change, but he is ALWAYS doing new things.  And one of the ways he does new things is to speak to those who are willing to listen... who are willing to change what their whole lives have taught them to believe, if necessary.  I once read somewhere something that stuck in my head:

Just because you believe something with all your heart, doesn't necessarily make it true.

We have to be willing to change our minds and opinions if God asks it of us.  But we won't know that God is asking it of us unless we are willing to really listen... to really put our own judgments aside to understand if God might be asking us to believe something totally different.


There is a "fullness of time" to all things.  When it was time for humankind to know the true shape of the world, someone listened and God began doing a new thing on earth.  I wonder how long after the first voyage around the world it took for people who were so entrenched in their belief that the world was flat finally let go.  How long will it take us to hear about the new things God is doing today?  


We know, don't we, that slavery is morally wrong.  And yet the Bible treats it matter-of-factly... as something that just is.  But there came a "fullness of time" for slavery to come to an end.  Someone listened to God doing a new thing.  Are we willing to let go of things we have believe all our lives in order to take another look?


The Bible is a wonderful, miraculous tool.  But it is not the final word.  God is still speaking.  Will you listen?


Father,
Help us to hear you speak.  Help us to embrace the new things you are doing in the world today.  Amen.


Joys:  Plans to hike with Richard today (if I can get him out of bed... he's still on California time); gorgeous, gorgeous Fall day; God still speaks

Teach Your Children Well

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:7

The Charlotte Mecklenberg school system has increased the school day by 45 minutes.  It was mainly for financial reasons, but they also think it might be a way to improve their standing among other school systems.  They figure a longer school day might be the key to an excellent education.  I've read that the real key to a excellent education is "excellent teachers enthusiastically imparting superior subject matter to students who have been motivated at home."

As parents and grandparents, we have little say in choosing teachers and curriculum, but we have everything to do with seeing that our kids get motivated at home; which should include teaching respect for teachers and classmates and proper behavior. 

As Christian parents, home motivation should also include teaching basic Christian priciples, like prayer.  So many Christians are apalled that prayer is not allowed in our schools these days, but that's just not true.  The really great thing about our faith is that we can pray anytime, anywhere for anything and nobody needs to even know about it.  If we are teaching our children to pray, then there is indeed plenty of prayer in our schools.

Unfortunately, so many of our children do not know how to pray.  And they don't know the 10 commandments.  And they don't know about David and Goliath or Joseph and his coat of many colors or even the Nativity story.

Should we lengthen the Sunday school week?  Or should we place the responsibility squarely into the hands of those to whom it belongs?... the family.  DO you talk about your faith when you sit at home?  Do you talk about it with your children when you are in the car going from place to place?  Do you have prayer with them in the morning and family devotions at night?  If not, YOU just might be the reason there is no prayer in the school... NOT Madelyn Murray O'Hare.

If you want your children to have a good education, we really don't need longer school days, we just need parents who really truly want their children to have a good education... parents who are involved... who volunteer at the schools, take an interest in what their children are learning and supplement it with activities at home and teach them how to get along with their peers and school authorities.

If we want our children to grow up to be good Christian men and women, then we need to spend just as much time working on that as well.  Sunday school and confirmation might give them some of the basic information, but it is the family that teaches them to live it.

Lord God,

Help us to teach our children at home.  Not just their secular education, but more importantly, their Christian education.  If we do not pray at home with our children, how can we expect them to pray at school?  Teach us to teach our children to pray.  Amen.

Joys: Richard at home for a few days; scented candles; Friday

Lawyering

 36 "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"

37 [Jesus] said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."

38 This is the greatest and first commandment.

39 And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. -Matthew 22:36-40

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
   And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy    and to walk humbly with your God.-Micah 6:8


We're all lawyers when it comes to our own lives.  We can excuse, justify, argue for, rationalize and validate anything we have done wrong.  Give us a set a rules and we can give a million reasons why they shouldn't pertain to ourselves.  Yes, we all do it.  When we are running late we don't feel like the speed limit pertains to us... and don't even get me started on the dozens of reasons I've heard from North Carolina drivers who don't use their turn signals!  (Okay... sorry... I have bad driving habits too).


We can excuse away a "white" lie, or "borrowing" office supplies.  We rationalize our gossip as "concern."  And we justify keeping the extra 5 or 10 dollars the cashier mistakenly gave us in our change.  It is easy to lawyer our way out of specific rules, laws and commandments.  


But there are a few verses in the Bible that give us a lot less wiggle room.  It's because they have to do with the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law.  You just can't argue with your heart. The verses above gather up the 10 commandments and a host of other wrongs and boil them down into how to live them all very simply.  "Love God, and love one another." and "Act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with the Lord your God." 


These verses didn't say to point out when others are failing at doing these things, but to do them ourselves.  We all know in our hearts when our actions show love for God and for one another and we we are be just, merciful and humble.  We may still try to validate our failings, but we always know.  And God always knows.  


We are going to fail.  A lot.  But rather than try to lawyer our way out, give it to God.  We can't shock him.  He knows we are going to fail... that's why he sent Jesus.  


Father,
Help me not to make excuses for my sin, but to bring it to your feet each and every day.  Help me to love you and others a little more fully today.  Help me to be fair, merciful and humble today.  Amen.


Joys:  Richard coming home tonight; a productive day off yesterday; great coffee

Seeing God's Back

 ²¹ Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. ²² When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”-Exodus 33:21-23


This story of God passing by while Moses hides in the darkness is a story rich in meaning.  So often we hide in the darkness of our problems or grief or fear.  We don't even notice it, but as we hide there, God's glory passes by us.  He fills our darkest corners with his love and protects us from the evils that hide in their pouncing places within those darknesses.  It is not until God's glory passes us by and we see his back that we finally realize that God was there all along.


When we are in darkness it is not because God has abandoned us!  It is the opposite!  He is holding us in his hand and hiding us from his visible presence lest we be blinded by his glory.  He works quietly in our darkest hours, building us up, growing us, maturing us, molding us and renewing us.  And it hurts.  And we think God is not there at all.  And then we emerge into the light and we see God's back.  We see the work that has been done in our lives and in our very souls.


Sometimes the darkness is very long and very deep.  Sometimes we don't see God's back until our earthly lives are over.  Some people have lives that need for God to hold them in the cleft of that rock for most of their lives and they don't perceive that Glory working continuously until they are able to see God in his entire glory.


But sometimes we are blessed that we are hidden for only a little while, and we come out of the dark blinking and catch that wondrous sight of God having been working in our lives.  It's an awesome moment and we know that if we had been aware at the time, we wouldn't have been able to bear the beauty and miraculousness of it all.  We would have become paralyzed in our awe and wonder and God would not have been able to do the necessary work in us.


And so we must satisfy ourselves with knowing he has been there after the fact.  We can reflect on our struggles and what wonders God did while we were in our darkest places.  One day we will see his full glory and know why we are not allowed to look upon him now.  But for now we will rejoice when we see his back, for we will know that he has passed by.


Holy God,
Make us aware of those times you have hidden us in the cleft of a rock as you pass by making wondrous miracles in our lives.  Help us to rejoice in the darkness in the knowledge that you are there.  Amen.


Joys:  an unexpected day with just me and Cecelia yesterday; perhaps a hike later today if the rain clears up; Richard coming home tomorrow night for a few days

The Lion in the Mirror

²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image,
   in the image of God he created them;
   male and female he created them.

Pastor Chad used this picture in his sermon yesterday.  Then he passed around a mirror for us to see the image of God in our own reflection.  I really enjoyed this aspect of "God in Us."  Usually we are more encouraged to see God in others.  That is an important thing, because it helps us to be more accepting of everybody.  But I think we need to really see God in ourselves first, before we can really believe that we see God in each other.


We know our own shortcomings better than anybody.  If we can actually believe that God lives in us and works through us in spite of those faults, we can believe that he can live in and work through anybody else.  We have to accept that reflection of a lion in our own mirror in order to see everyone else's inner lion.


If you were to look in the mirror this morning and really see the face of God reflected back, what would you accomplish that you might not otherwise accomplish?  How would you treat that annoying co-worker differently?  How would you tackle that personal problem that's been pestering you for weeks?  Maybe you would even find the courage to handle that issue that makes you nervous just to think about.


How can we really see God in our mirror reflection?  Will we see a light so bright we have to look away?  Will we surely die because we have seen the face of God?  No... it's actually only about perspective.  Genesis tells us that God made us in his image... so who's image are we going to see when we look in the mirror? ... Yes!  God's!  We simply have to think of that image as a God-blend of ourselves and God.  When we do, we will certainly know that we can indeed do everything, because God can do everything and he is a part of who we are.  And what's more, we will understand that everyone else on earth has that same power to do everything because they are also made in the image of God and God is a part of who they are.  


Understanding ourselves and others through this perspective can change our whole outlook of ourselves, others and life in general.  Look in the mirror.  Who do you see?


Lord God,
Help us to see you in ourselves and in others.  Let this perspective be the driving force of our daily living.  Amen.


Joys:  Celebrating Kevin's birthday; Daniel dropping by to wish his brother happy birthday; an extra mountain hike this week

Giving All That We Are

¹⁵Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. -Hebrews 13:15


What is our purpose in coming to church each Sunday? What do you expect to get?  The fact is, we shouldn't come to worship expecting to receive at all. Worship is supposed to be about GIVING... GIVING our hearts, minds and souls to God.  GIVING thanks, praise and adoration to God... GIVING our sacrifice of praise.


And yet so many us are still hung up on receiving.  A popular phrase these days when folks are disappointed in a worship service is "I was not fed."  Eat at home.  Come to worship to give God all you have.  He "feeds" you six days a week.  Can we not give him an hour with no expectations?


Instead we look for worship to be entertaining.  We want great music.  We expect great preaching.  We want to be emotionally stimulated.  So churches compete.  They use all the magic formulas the church growth consultants advise.  They become banquet halls for those who are only looking to "be fed."


To be sure, there are those who are spiritually immature and still need to be fed, and that is what we, as his disciples, are called to do.  But once we have matured, it is time to bring our sacrifice of praise to the altar.  We should know it is not about the quality of the music or the preaching or some kind of "feeling" we get when we worship.  It is not about "me" at all.  It is about God alone.


Come to church not to get everything you can, but to give everything you are.  And then - in one of those great spiritual paradoxes - you will receive much more than you ever expected.


Lord God,
I am so sorry for the times I expect you to continue to give to me, even when it is my time to give back.  Help me to worship you in spirit and in truth.  Amen.


Joys:  fun time out with Richard last night; great Fall weather; Friday

By Accident?

¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.-Romans 1:19-20

What a beautiful hike I had yesterday!  Just when I think South Mountain can't get any prettier, I am once again amazed.  I almost didn't go because the weather was a little "iffy."  But it started to clear up early, so I decided to give it a try.  It is not even peak autumn colors at South Mountain yet, but it was immediately apparent that there had been a lot of rainfall since my last visit.  I have never seen so much water coming over the waterfall there.  Of course the photos and even the videos don't do it justice... the sights, sounds, smells and cool breeze all blended together to make it an extraordinary experience.

In the scripture above, Paul points out to the church in Rome that creation itself is all the proof we need of God's existence.  When we experience such overwhelming beauty like the mountains in Autumn or the power of the ocean or the endlessness of a starry night sky, we finally fully understand the words of the songwriter:  "Then sings my soul..."  Can we really believe it all happened by accident?

I hope you enjoy the photos. 

(To view them in a larger size, click on one and then you can page through them)

    

 

Wednesdays

4 For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you,
5 because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of people we proved to be among you for your sake. -1 Thessalonians 1:4-5


I read a devotional this morning from God Pause from Luther Seminary web site.  The author talked about Wednesdays.  Wednesdays are about as far away from Sundays as you can get.  It is how we live our Wednesdays that tell the world about what we truly believe as Christians.


Do our Wednesdays affect our Sundays?  Or do our Sundays affect how we handle our Wednesdays?  Think about that.


Today may hold a lot of problems, trials and difficulties.  The problems of the work week crescendo.  The kids take out their school week frustrations on each other.  Your parents might receive a some difficult news from recent medical tests.  In the frustration of trying to make ends meet when everyone keeps wanting more money and your income hasn't risen in over three years, you and your spouse find yourselves arguing over everything.


In this case you may look at Sunday worship as a respite... a change of scenery... a chance to re-connect.  Understandable, but this is not what Sunday worship should be about.  Sunday should be the day that changes the way you handle Wednesday.  The joy and peace that our faith brings to our hearts should be reflected in the way we handle life's daily challenges.  If we trust that God is good... ALL the time; if we know that he works for the good of those who love him, then we look for him in our Wednesdays and our Wednesdays will be a lot more like our Sundays.  


They will!  Because we will know that those folks who sit next to us in church are our family!  We can call on them even on a Wednesday to pray for us and maybe even help us in more practical ways too.  We can thank God for the blessings of having children and spouses to be frustrated with and that changes the way we look at one another.  We can know that even in bad news, God will show forth wonderful miracles.


Don't live your Wednesdays looking forward to the next Sunday, but live them in the light of the last Sunday.


Father,
Help us to keep our connection with you throughout our week.  Help us to be changed into that new creation that makes Wednesdays a day of opportunities rather than a day of worldly problems.  Amen.


Joys:  Wednesday; pedicures and shiny red toe nails; rain clearing off so I can go on my hike

God's Work, Our Hands

¹⁵ As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
 ¹⁶ Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
 ¹⁷ “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.   ¹⁸ “Bring them here to me,” he said. ¹⁹ And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ²⁰ They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ²¹ The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.-Matthew 14:15-21


The key phrase in the scripture above is "You give them something to eat" and the key word is "you."  Jesus did not say, "Watch while I feed them" .... not, "Pray and then walk away."  The disciples did the actual work of making sure the food got into the hands of the hungry.


I love how the book of James takes our Christian motives to task.  It makes us think about how we live out our faith.  In James 2, the writer asks, "Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?"  How often do we pray for the needs of another but do absolutely nothing to help them?


The purpose statement of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is, "God's work, our hands."  Perfect.  And we see this in the Lutheran Disaster Response team. People from FEMA have told these folks, "We love Lutherans!  You stick around until the job is completed!"  And they do.  They set up offices in the disaster stricken area and stay until the last nail is driven... the last mop wrung out... the last child inoculated.


There is an inherent "danger" in praying for others.  God may just lay it on our hearts to be his hands to do his work in answering those prayers.  But that is what true abundant life is about.  Abundant life is not about having an abundance of things, but about having an abundance of experiences in living, doing, giving.  


Don't just watch while others carry out God's miracles.  Be a part of it!  


Father,
Help us to be about your work.  We want to really live and be a part of the miracle and not merely watch it.  Amen.


Joys:  A little pampering today... hair and nails :) ; new babies... so exciting! ; local leaves starting to color

A New Street

¹³for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." –Romans 10:13

Please take a minute to read this short modern parable: http://www.emrgnc.com.au/parablehole.htm

This story has been a favorite since I first read it about 12 years ago.  Some are far worse than others, but we all have our own “holes” that we wrestle with.  It seems there are some things that we have to go through over and over and over again before we learn.  How many times do we have to get the same results before we try a different way?

The first time we fall into a deep pit and we know we can’t climb out ourselves, we cry out for God’s help.  He is delighted to help us and we are so thankful.  For a time, our lives are all about telling others about this incredible miracle.  But soon life gets busy.  We skip worship one Sunday because we just have too much to do and then the Sundays begin to add up.  Our lack of worship makes our prayers feel empty, so we quit praying.  Soon our faith is running on empty and we find ourselves back in the hole.  Sometimes we think we can pull ourselves out, so we try, only to find out that there is another, deeper hole waiting.

The good news is, if we call for God’s help, he will be delighted once again to pull us out of that hole.  He knows our tendency to fall into them again and again.  He even knows that we are first going to try to save ourselves.  He waits patiently at the edge of our pit for our call of distress.  He is not going to guide us down that pit-marked street teaching us to avoid the holes.  No, if we insist on that street, he will let us keep falling into holes, hoping we will learn from our bruises.  He is waiting for us to ask him to show us a better street… to leave the old one behind.  He doesn’t want to make our old lives work… he wants to give us brand new lives!  Streets without holes!

Lord Jesus,

Open our eyes to the hole-marked streets we insist upon traveling so that we can find the new path you have prepared for us.  Help us to give up all our old ways that we know just aren’t going to work.  Show us a new way.  Amen.

Joys: Watching Cecelia enjoy herself at her birthday party; Communion; a weekend with lots of family time