More Than Earning a Paycheck

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. (Isaiah 1:17 NIV)

It's very easy to get caught up in the work-a-day world. We get up, get the kids ready for school, get dressed, go to work, come home, get supper, prepare for tomorrow, go to bed and do the whole thing over the next day. And the next. And the next....

It's hard to remember that we were not put on this earth to earn a paycheck. Our lives are meant to be so much more than that. And there IS so much more than that. But first we have to stop the whirling cycle that we are on long enough to notice.

More than anything, life is about helping others. Most of us have a favorite cause to which we give a little money every now and then... or maybe we even give time when we have it. But helping others should not be limited to an occasional thing... when we have the time... or when we are feeling charitable. It should be what our life is about.

That can sound pretty harsh. Wouldn't our own life be a drag if we spent most of it helping others? The fact is our lives are so much more of a drag when we ARE NOT helping others. Seeking justice, defending the oppressed, taking up the cause of the fatherless, and pleading the case of the widow is what brings vitality to our lives. It makes life real and gives it meaning.

I recently heard someone say: "If you want to be happy, make someone else happy; if you want to find the perfect person to spend your life with, first be that person yourself; if you want others to love you, love them; if you want to make a change in the world, BE that change."

If we could all just thumb our noses at what the world expects of us and what we have learned that we are supposed to want, we could have such abundant lives!

Father, We know our lives could be so much more if we stopped listening to the world and started listening to you. Give us courage to do it. Amen.

Joys: An unexpected overnight visit from Cecelia Sunday night; Finding our that our new grandchild is going to be a girl!; a day full of possibilities

Be Afraid and Confused!

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27 NIV)

Throughout the bible God continually tells us not to be afraid and to have peace in our hearts and minds. Even if you don't read the bible very often, you can probably think of several passages where God says "Fear not" or "Don't be afraid." and then there are all the places where Jesus or Paul or another epistle writer offer, "Peace be with you." It is obvious that God never wants us to be afraid, and always wants us to be at peace, knowing that He is in charge and that His love will always win, and that no matter what, everything is eventually going to be just fine.

But then some well-meaning Christians would have us believe that once we turn to the last book of the bible, Revelation, God changes and says, "Be afraid!" "Be confused and let chaos rule in your heart!"

I don't think so.

I have often worked with children and youth in one capacity or another at church and it is not surprising how often they ask about end times and the book of Revelation... Especially when the "Left Behind" series was popular. They hear this bad theology from their friends and classmates and on tv on on the Internet all the time. And we don't know what to tell them, because we ourselves are bombarded with the same bad theology and don't know the answer to their questions. Why, we may not even realize that Lutherans don't adhere to "rapture" theology.

We need to learn about this so that we know what to tell our children and grandchildren when they are threatened by friends about being left behind and are made to fear for their salvation and fear that God wants to torture them and confuse them.

At the Wild Women's bible study retreat I recently attended, the pastors there touched on the subject and suggested this book: "The Rapture Exposed," by Barbara R. Rossing. I've just begun to read it, and I'm finding it very interesting and informative. We owe of to ourselves to find out the truth and not be sucked into "manipulative theology"... Theology that makes you feel like if you take one wrong step or believe one wrong thing, you will burn in hell for eternity...so be very afraid!

Lord Jesus,
Guide us in your truth. Help us to fear not and let peace be with us, now and in the end times and forever. Amen.

Joys: NiteQuil and Dayquil; good books; watching Cecelia and her passion for learning

Today's Devotion...

I'm a little under the weather this week and have a bit of writer's block as well. So instead of recycling an old devotion or just skipping another day, I would like to share this devotion from my favorite devotional email resources, the United Church of Christ website:

http://www.ucc.org/feed-your-spirit/daily-devotional/endangered-blank-spaces.html

Enjoy!

Only Love Survives

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV)

Pastor Chad's sermon on the resurrection and heaven yesterday gave lots of food for thought. It is easy to go through this life thinking that what we do on earth does't matter, since our eternal home is in heaven. What difference can 80 years, more or less, make?

I think that's why the concept of hell is so popular with many denominations. There has to be a reason to "be good" on earth, right? But really, one of the reasons Jesus came is to tell us that we have it all wrong and we have our priorities in life messed up. And he could still come back and tell us the same thing today.

We place our priorities on a good education, finding a good job so we can give our families a good life and buying nice things and taking nice vacations, etc. These are not bad things in and of themselves, but we have a tendency to make them what life is all about. Life is not about these things but about the relationships we make along the way.

Life is not about our job, but how we treat our co-workers, clients or customers. Life is not about our education, but how we use our knowledge to better the lives of others. Life is not about the money we earn, but how we use it to further God's kingdom.

We know we are saved by faith, not works... but it is the love that comes through our good works that survives this life. Everytime we treat another person with God's love, we are building up our heavenly treasure. It can't be forced. You can do good works all of your life because you think you "have to" to get to heaven, but if they aren't done with God's love, they are as if you haven't done them at all.

Sometimes, though, we have to start out with the "have to" before we can put the love behind it. When we see how doing good things affects others, it ties us closer to all humanity and we begin to love and then we begin to do our works with love.

Love is what survives this world and enters eternity with us... not our knowledge (Paul says it will pass away). Not our jobs (we know we could lose them tomorrow). Not our "stuff" (Jesus says it will rot). On our death bed we never ask to see our diplomas or our work schedule or our stuff. We only want to see those we love. Love is what we leave behind and love is also what we take with us. And love is what eternity is built with.

Lord Jesus,
We know love is really what it is all about, but still we are so easily distracted by the "shiny things" of this life. Help us to realign our priorities each day and always put "love" at the top. Amen.

Joys: wonderful worship with wonderful people yesterday; starting my day with a chat with Richard; Love

Wildflower moments

So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 8:15 NIV)

I love wildflowers. Tuesday was a perfect day for my mountain hike because I found wild flowers in abundance. And across the street from my house is an empty field. It is lovely to look at right now because it is dotted with purple and yellow and white.

But these are places I would expect to find wildflowers. What I really love most about them is that they so often show up in the most unexpected places: the dandelion that pushes through a crack in a busy city sidewalk; the clump of daisies decorating the edges of the county trash and recycling center; buttercups clustering at the side of a convenience store parking lot; and wild irises on the roadside in the rundown neighborhoods we only drive through.

Wildflowers are those little bursts of joy that decorate our lives in unexpected places. We all have wildflower moments... The funny memories of a loved one recently passed that makes us laugh through our tears; a frightening diagnosis inexplicably reversed; a phone call from a friend we had lost touch with; an unexpected card in the mail from someone who just wanted to lift our spirits. Wildflower moments are as vast as the varieties of wildflowers.

What have been some of the wildflower moment in your life? Watch for unexpected joy today. Maybe even start a wildflower journal... Moments of unexpected joy... Moments when you saw a glimpse of God working in a surprising way. It happens more often than you think.

Father,
Thank you for wildflowers that decorate our world and for the wildflower moments that decorate our lives. Amen.

Joys: the spring wildflowers at South Mountains; the pretty wildflowers in the field across the street; the many wildflower moments that happen when Cecelia is around

The New Age

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. (Matthew 28:1 NIV)

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb (Mark 16:1, 2 NIV)

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. (Luke 24:1 NIV)

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. (John 20:1 NIV)

The passages above come from each of the four gospels following each of their crucifixion accounts. A whole day has passed. Each gospel starts out by saying something about "very early on the first day of the week." At the Wild Women's Weekend, it was explained that this was significant because it tells us that a New Age has begun at this point.

Isn't it exciting to view it that way? Everything before that point was building up to that morning... a morning that brought a fresh start to everyone, everywhere, for all time. It wasn't just a new birth for Jesus or just a new birth for us... it was a new birth of time and eternity.

What happened at the empty tomb had repurcussions that went beyond the women's and disciples' confusion. It went beyond the fear that had to have come upon the sleeping guards. It went far beyond the joy of those who finally figured out that Jesus had risen. It meant more than just a new chapter to the story... it meant a whole new book!... a completely new story! A new age with new realities.

I don't think that even now, some two thousand years later, that we get the whole meaning of this. On that morning, heaven and earth collided and heaven seeps into our reality everywhere, every day. We just need to learn how to see it. It's in those unexplainable events that have touched our lives. It's in the grace that pours out on us just when we need it the most. It's in the devotional email that says just what we needed to hear at that moment, or a song that plays that brings comfort and peace right when we needed it. It's in the times when we see someone walk out of a hospital room when we thought there was no hope. It's in that unexplainable joy we feel deep down, even when we are grieving.

On Good Friday and even that Saturday, these things were kept separate from earth. But when that stone was rolled away, heaven was let loose among us. Look for it! You will see it!

Father,
Help us to see the cracks where heaven seeps through into our daily lives. Let us take full advantage of living in this new and wondrous age. Amen.

Joys: hiking day!; beautiful, gorgeous, unbelievable weather; rest from a busy week

The Easter Party

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. (Matthew 28:5, 6 NIV)

I attend both services on Easter Sunday... the sunrise service and the "main event" Easter worship later that morning. They are so different, and I think the first prepares us for the second.

At the sunrise service, I get that sense that the women who first arrived at the tomb must have had. Is it true? Did he rise from the dead? Really? Should we tell someone? Will they believe it? ... It's a kind of tentative joy. ...a kind of grasping for something that might be true, but is just too good to believe.

The full Easter celebration that comes later is like what happens after the women tell... after the disciples believe... after everyone has heard and seen and know that Christ has risen! He has risen indeed!

What a party! As church staff, I am heavily involved in the planning of this party and it is the busiest time of the church year. Like any party, the details can make you crazy. There are lilies to order, candles and other seldom used appointments to hunt down, worship slides to create, bulletins to print, volunteers to secure, information to be dispersed, and at least one overworked, and addled pastor to calm.

But today... the day after the party... is a day of satisfied reflection. As is typical at Holy Cross, the staff takes today off. I spend some of it thinking about what could have been done better, but mostly I think about the joy. I remember the little children dressed in their Easter finery... the pretty flowered cross that the little ones decorated... the colorful Easter hats... the "alleluias" finally let out of the dark Lenten box... the joyful noise of voices raised in glad song... the beautiful music that the musicians have been practicing for weeks... the shiny brass... the smell of the lilies... and almost being able to hear the children think about the big chocolate bunnies that await them at home.

It was an awesome party! Chist is risen! He is risen indeed!

Lord Jesus,
According to the Church calendar, the Easter season lasts for several weeks. Help us to celebrate with joy the reality of your resurrection each day of the season. Amen.

Joys: The party of Easter worship; great breakfast prepared by the men; Cecelia and the other kids looking so beautiful in their Easter clothes

Lord, Lord

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46 NIV)

I remember when I moved to lincolnton over 25 years ago. When I'd meet someone new, the first question was not, "where do you work?" or "where do you live?" no, the first question was usually, "Where do you go to church?" it seemed to me that everyone in North Carolina must go to church.

Certainly there is a higher percentage of people who are members of a church here than in South Florida... After all, this is part of the "Bible Belt." but I'm not sure there are more Jesus followers. It's easy to say "Lord, Lord," but it's another thing altogether to try to do God's will in our daily lives.

We can go to church every week, tithe our income to the penny and quote a ton of scripture from memory and still not know Jesus. I see it everyday from those folks who would be the first to ask, "Where do you go to church?"

There are so many "Christians" who are prejudiced, judgmental, negative and just plain mean. They think the fact that they say "Lord, Lord" makes them right. And if they know their scripture, they can be pretty convincing. But remember... Even Satan can quote scripture well and use it to confuse us.

Jesus came to be a living example of what scripture was meant to teach us. If we are not trying to live up to that example, then we are just saying "Lord, Lord." Don't get me wrong...we will always fall short. But if we are really trying to follow Christ instead of just going to church, it will show. Our lives will be transformed and we will hear the scripture-touting, negative, prejudiced, judgemental people for who they are.

It's good to go to church. And it's good to profess our faith in Christ. But if our heart is not a part of it, then it means nothing.

Lord Jesus,
Transform us. Help us to be sure we love you in truth and not just out of tradition. Amen.

Joys: doing some shopping by myself; Holy Week services ready; the beauty is Spring

Skipping the Nails

Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, "Do you understand what you're reading?" He answered, "How can I without some help?" and invited Philip into the chariot with him. (Acts 8:30, 31 MSG)

In worship yesterday we saw some short movie clips... The first was about Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Cecelia sat beside me and watched and commented that they were waving palm branches just like we had earlier that morning. I was pleased that she had noticed and made a mental note to talk about it with her after church.

But then the next scene was after the crowd had changed from "hosannas" to "crucify him!" Jesus was beaten and bleeding. Now Cecelia had some REAL questions and I found that I wasn't as excited about answering them. "What happened to Jesus?" "Why is he bleeding?" "Why are they mad at him?" and she wanted to know...now!

When someone actually asks us about our faith, we are excited to share. We share about how much God loves us. We share about the comfort our faith brings us. We share all the great things about Christian community, answered prayer, the peace that passes understanding, the joy of forgiving and being forgiven and all that other stuff that is so attractive about our faith.

But we're not so good at the harder questions... Like why children die and earnest prayers often seem to go unanswered. We don't want to talk about the nails driven into Jesus hands... We only want to talk about the joy of the resurrection. How can we expect people to respond to our invitation if we talk about the suffering?

If we don't talk about the suffering, we cheapen the whole foundation of our faith, which is about overcoming... Overcoming pain and suffering and even death. We have joy and peace even in the midst of suffering because we know suffering does not have the last word.

As difficult as it was, I tried to answer Cecelia's questions in words that a three-year-old could understand. And we're not done. I know my answers left her a little confused, and she probably has more questions than she started out with. But, we've begun to talk about the harder stuff and we will continue the conversation throughout her faith development. How can she know if someone does not help her understand?

Holy Week is not fun. But it is important. We must talk about the nails in order to fully embrace the resurrection.

Lord Jesus,
Thank you for not "skipping the nails" as we are so apt to do. Without the suffering, there is no joy. Amen.

Joys: Cecelia getting to have a video chat with her Opah; thought a-provoking questions from a three-year-old; Holy Week