Entertaining Angels

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2 NIV)

Halloween has changed from my childhood.  These days it is getting too dangerous to allow our children to knock on strangers' doors asking for candy.  The trend is going towards Trunk r Treats in church parking lots or "Fall Festivals." There are still many neighborhoods that get plenty of kids, though.  Even though I live in a slightly more rural area with no sidewalks and houses that are further apart, I still get a handful of kids at my doorstep each year.  I think we must just have an innate hunger for hospitality and the desire to be able to trust our neighbors.

Way back "in the day" it wasn't unusual for someone to just knock on our door without calling first.  There were salespeople, the paperboy collecting his money for the week, a motorist asking for directions, neighbors dropping by just to visit, and even - every now and then - a beggar.  These days, the rare unexpected knock on the door makes us wary.  We peek through the peep hole or a side window and if we are alone and don't recognize the person, we a very likely not to open the door.

Halloween gives us an excuse to knock again or be able to open our own door with abandon and welcome the strange little guests and offer them refreshment.  Halloween may have been designed to scare us, but these days, it allows us to let down our guard and not fear the knock on our door, knowing that we will be delighted with the princesses, pirates and ghosts that stand outside hoping for a generous host.  And who knows... there might even be a real angel or two!

Father, 
Bless us tonight as we either take our children or grandchildren trick or treating or as we open our own doors to little strangers.  Keep our children safe and let them have a fun Halloween.  Amen.

Joys:  Taking Cecelia trick or treating tonight; yummy pumpkin desserts; fun at book club last night

It's Not God's Vengence

You have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the storm
and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless
is like a storm driving against a wall (Isaiah 25:4 NIV)

Oh, yes... the crazies are speaking...the people who think they know the mind of God.  Every time a disaster strikes they tell us exactly why God has sent this current plague.  Today they tell us that God is killing innocent people in the northeast U.S. because he hates gay people!  How do they know this storm isn't God's anger over  them... people who hate other people?  And why the northeast U.S.?  Are there no gay people in the rest of the world?  There are many countries who have already legalized gay marriage.  If this is such a big issue for God, wouldn't he concentrate on wiping out those countries first?  Or is it just because he is especially angry with the U.S. for some reason?

When Pastor Setzer was interim at Holy Cross, he gave an excellent sermon on this subject of natural disasters.  I could never say it as eloquently, but he made a lot of sense.  Briefly put, he told us that humanity and nature are separate creations.  People, in doing the things they need to do to survive, often interfere with nature.  We clear forests, we pump for oil, we dig for precious metals and we destroy the natural habitats of wildlife as we make room for our own homes.  God does not make this stuff happen because he is angry with nature.  People just do what people do and nature just happens to be in our way.

But nature's activities also interfere with people.  Continental plates must shift, forest fires are needed to bring new and healthier trees, even hurricanes are necessary to regulate precipitation needs around the world.  They often bring tragic loss of human life as well as expensive damages.  But this is not God "getting even."  It is just nature doing what nature does.  We just happen to be in the way.

As intelligent beings, we do have a responsibility to be more careful about how we treat nature and our natural resources.  That's just good stewardship.  But we needn't think God is "out to get" anybody simply because of storms, fires or earthquakes.  On the contrary... God is with us through the storms.  He holds our hands when we are frightened by the wind and he grieves with us in the losses we incur when nature causes human disaster.

Let us pray for those who have lost loved ones and homes during this most recent natural disaster:

Father, 
We lift to you all of those who have lost loved ones in the storm.  We lift to you those who are now homeless because of this hurricane.  Hold them close and reassure them of your love.  Help us to be Jesus with skin on for them as we offer our time, talents and treasure to help them rebuild their lives.  Be with those who are still enduring the wind, rain and flooding.  Calm there fears with your presence.  Amen.

Joys:  Some yoga with Cecelia this morning; a warm house in cold weather; the stories of courage and generosity that we are sure to hear after the storm subsides.

The Old Satanic Foe

A mighty fortress is our God, a sword and shield victorious;
he breaks the cruel oppressor's rod and wins salvation glorious.
The old satanic foe has sworn to work us woe!
With craft and dreadful might he arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal. - "A Mighty Fortress" by Martin Luther

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21 NIV)

If you follow this blog with any regularity, you have surely picked up that my spiritual views lean toward liberal, progressive, post-modern, emergent.  I simply believe that God is way, way bigger than any box we humans can try to put him in.

But unlike many others that hold to this brand of Christianity, I do believe in a real evil presence in this world.  I don't think it looks like a creature in red pajamas with a pointy tail and a pitch fork, but I believe there are demons and devils of a sort.  I believe you can walk into a place and actually feel whether it is dominated by angels or demons.  And I think the answer to that depends wholly on our own hearts.  

Every conflict gives us the opportunity to be more receptive to either good or evil.  Even though we know it is better to love those who oppose us, it is still usually our first impulse to fight back... to take  an eye for an eye.  The evil forces love this.  But when we love our enemies those demons become weak and fall away.  Conflicts are resolved.  People begin to listen to one another.

It takes a lot of help from the angels to meet anger and hatred with love and compassion.  Our hearts have to be open to hear their guidance.  Our faith that Jesus' way is the right way must be strong.  But it works... over and over and over again.

"The old satanic foe has sworn to work us woe" but God has sworn to be with us and to help us in this world.  We need only seek that help and believe.

Father,
Wherever we meet evil, help us to listen for your guidance.  Help us to overcome evil with good, anger with kindness, hatred with love.  Fill our homes, schools and workplaces today with your holy angels and open our hearts to their voices.  Amen.

Joys:  Emma's first day at church and the thrill of showing off my newest grandbaby; a great time with friends Friday; good books to read  

Blessing Our Workplaces

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, (Colossians 3:23 NIV)

I love blessings.  There is a Jewish tradition of blessing children at the Sabbath Meal each week.  One of my favorite scenes in the movie, "Fiddler on the Roof" if when the family is all gathered around the table and the parents bless their daughters... beautiful.

But there are other kinds of blessings too.  We are blessed at our baptisms and on other special religious occasions.  We often ask our pastor to come bless our new home.  Before a church group leaves for a trip, there is often a blessing for the trip.  We bless (or ought to bless) our food before we eat.

These days, our working lives are difficult.  Economic conditions have made many of us who lucky enough to have jobs fear that our job could end tomorrow.  Perhaps we are working in a job that does not put our particular talents to good use.  Maybe our coworkers are difficult or our bosses unkind.  Maybe we have an overly long commute and the traffic headaches put us in a bad mood before we even begin our day.  Conditions are bad for seeking new employment if we are already working.  We know we need to stay put.  But spending 40 or more hours a week at job we don't enjoy can really  make life in general unsatisfying.

What if, instead of dreading work each day, we took a few minutes to bless our jobs, our workplace and our coworkers?  Such a blessing could change our whole outlook.  It could change our attitude by changing our perception of the reason we are working... "not for human masters, but as working for The Lord."  We will see our work as a little more important  We will see our coworkers and supervisors as children of God (yes... even YOUR boss is a child of God)!  It could give a less oppressive, lighter feel to our workday.

I am truly blessed to have a job that I love with people that I love.  But I've had jobs where that wasn't so true, so I know what others have to deal with.  Try starting your day with this blessing I found in a devotional written by Rev. Lillian Daniel of Stillspeaking Devotionals:

Loving God, I speak your grace, love and mercy into this place. Bless my job with meaning and purpose, productivity and usefulness, so that even my smallest task brings you honor.  Thank you for the gifts you have given to me to do my job. I do not take them lightly, but commit to using them responsibly and well. Bless the others who work here with me. Make me grateful for their gifts and patient with their shortcomings. Like them, when I walk in the door, I bring my share of both. Lastly, I acknowledge your mysterious power over all that I will speak, think, do or decide here, when I open my heart to the power of your blessing. Amen. 

Joys:  My job; my coworkers; a Florida vacation in my near future

Go Deeper

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." (Luke 5:4 NIV)

Life and people are becoming increasingly superficial.  We don't go deep into much of anything anymore.  It covers every area of our lives.

• We use medications to quell physical and emotional symptoms without working on the root causes.
• We use money to provide things for ourselves and our children rather than work on real emotional and spiritual fulfillment.
• Even our entertainment is shallow.  Instead of digging into the beauty of a well-written and profound book, or listening to an inspired symphony or learning to appreciate the beauty of opera or ballet or even modern theater, we listen to whatever the car radio offers and watch the banal junk on t.v.
• Charity for many means writing an occasional check to our favorite causes, often not even having a clue how that money is spent.  If we really care about a cause, shouldn't we know a lot about it... and maybe even give time and talent to it?
• Many of us are even satisfied with superficial worship.  We go to church and watch the clock and think about where we will go for lunch.  We swap a few words with friends and that is worship.

Jesus told Simon Peter to "go deeper" to find what he is looking for.  We don't so much need to change what we are doing in our lives.  We just need to do it differently.  We need to do it more deeply.  We need to go for the best.  It takes more effort.  It takes more time.  Peter had to row farther... more effort, more time.  But he was overwhelmed with the results... and so will we be.

Lord Jesus,
Help us to go deeper so that we might find abundance in our lives.  Amen.

Joys:  Plans to take Cecelia to Disney when Richard comes home... so excited!!... her AND me!; wonderful hike in the Autumn beauty of the mountains yesterday; time with just Daniel and Cecelia

Non-Sinnerhood

Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him. (Psalm 62:1 NIV)

I love to sing.  Much of my life has been spent being part of a choir of some sort... all 4 years of high school (two groups in my senior year) and most of my church life has been spent in either/both the ensemble and/or the chancel choir.  I sing to the car radio.  I sing in the shower.  I plug my Ipod into speakers, turn it up loud and sing along with all my favorites songs when I clean house.

The problem is:  My singing voice is only "ok."  People don't tend to request me to sing solos or urge me to join their choirs.  My passion for singing and my ability to sing just don't match.  How I envy those who have that talent!  I listen to artists and wish I could hold a note like that; or reach that note with such force and clarity; or have that distinct and pleasing sound.  Not everyone can sing beautifully enough to attract an audience, but there are many who can.  I'm just not one of them.

But I am part of another group that includes everyone else on earth:  Not singers, but sinners.  Every single one of us struggles with sin.  There is no elite group of "Non sinners" to aspire to.  No one can get up on stage and tell us that through many years of "sinless lessons" and hours of practice every day that have become non sinners.

It is so ironic though... even though every single one of us sins, we take a perverse joy in pointing out the sin of others.... and it seems that sins of a sexual nature takes precidence in being pointed out.  Promiscuity, adultery and homosexuality top the list of sins others take pleasure in reviling in their neighbor; while gluttony and other sins of not taking care of our bodies, being poor stewards of the earth, gossipping and other "acceptable" sins are overlooked.

Perhaps we overlook those sins that we ourselves struggle with, while we condemmn those sins that have never tempted us... or that we have at least never been caught at.  Why is it that we continue to poke at the speck in our neighbors' eyes and never examine that plank sticking out of our own?  That is a sin in itself, and if we could begin to just address and focus on eliminating the sin of judgment, it would go a long way toward at least becoming closer to that imaginary elite group of Non Sinners.

We will never reach "Non-sinnerhood"  but our salvation is secure because as Jesus explained to his disciples about the difficulty of reaching heaven, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Father,
Thank you for making it possible for this sinner to enter your kingdom.  Help me to focus on the plank in my own eye, for if we each did this, our world would improve by leaps and bounds!  Amen.

Joys:  time with both my grandchildren yesterday; grilled cheese sandwiches; beautiful Fall weather with gorgeously blue skies

Citizens of God's Kingdom

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, (Ephesians 2:19 NIV)

I will never forget moving from Canada to South Florida at the age of 10.  It was truly a different world!  I left behind a landscape of snow and rocky, frozen lakes to a land of palm trees and warm ocean waters with soft, sandy beaches.  Even though, technically, we all spoke English, there was still a large language barrier when you consider the strong differences in accent and the different kindsof colloquialisms  used.  Schools were vastly different.... teaching methods, student behavior, discipline methods... all very alien to me.

Even though I looked like any other American and quickly learned the "language" it took a very long time to truly fit in.  I had to make new friends.  I had to figure out how to learn in much noisier, comparatively chaotic classrooms.  I had to learn how to stay cool in the hot, muggy summers.   I had to learn to hear the word "pen" when it truly sounded like "pin" as well as an abundance of new phrases I had never heard.  I was singled out for being different on many occasions, even by teachers who were using me as a positive example;  but a 10-year-old who is trying desperately to fit in, doesn't want to be singled out, even in a positive way!

As citizens of the Christian faith, we all come from many different walks of life.  Rich to poor, highly educated to barely educated, differing political beliefs, and vastly different life experiences.  Even as a Christian family, we focus on different parts of our faith in different ways.  But the most important things is where our commonalities lie and it is in those things that we become fellow citizens.

Our most basic beliefs... Father, Son and Holy Spirit centered on Christ's death and resurrection bind us as one people of a very special Nation.  But we must always leave our borders open!  We must continue to welcome the curious stranger and teach them our ways... which should always be ways of love and grace and forgiveness.  We must continually encourage the aliens in our midst to become citizens.

No stranger is too strange and no alien too alien.  God wants us to reach out to the world and show them their true home.

Father,
Thank you for your "open door policy" of immigration into your wonderful kingdom.  Keep us from from trying to close the borders when someone seems "too strange."  Give us open, welcoming hearts.  Amen.

Joys:  Coming home to a houseful of family after work yesterday; plans for celebrating Kevin's birthday tonight; remembering those first Florida friends who were willing to befriend that strange Canadian girl.

In the Kindest Way...

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16 NIV)

We all probably recognize this verse as one of the Ten Commandments.  If you are a good Lutheran you will know that Martin Luther takes it a step further in his Small Catechism:

"We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbour, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way." 

If we are completely honest, most of us probably fall way short on that last line... "explain everything in the kindest way."  Most of us prefer to think the worst of others.  Are they rich?  They must be crooked.  Are they poor?  They must be lazy.  Do they have a difficult child?  They are too permissive as parents.  Are their children more successful than yours?  They must have been extremely strict and overbearing parents.

Why do we speak negatively about others?  Sometimes it is to alleviate our guilt.  If we can believe our neighbor is poor because he is lazy, we don't have to feel guilty about our wealth and we don't feel compelled to help.  Sometimes it is to make ourselves feel superior.  We build up our own self esteem at the expense of another's.

But God wants us to put other's before ourselves and to humble ourselves and serve.  We can't do that with the right heart if we have taught ourselves to disrespect our neighbor.  When we treat others with respect and love and understanding, we find a new respect and love and understanding for ourselves.  By building up others, we also build up ourselves.

William Arthur Ward said it like this:

"When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves."

Let us all make a special effort today to explain everything about everyone in the kindest way.

Lord Jesus,
You always want us to go the extra step beyond just meeting the law.  You want us to embrace it with our hearts in a way that we know it is not "good works" but a part of who we are in You.  Help us to speak more kindly of one another.  Amen. 

Joys:  Doing my morning yoga with Cecelia; a visit with Emma yesterday; Kevin's birthday

It's Called "GOOD NEWS" People!

Every now and then the "doom and gloom" Christians seem to speak out a little more prominently than usual. Their favorite phrases are things like:  "If your pastor doesn't make you feel bad, he (and most of them wouldn't ever consider a "she") isn't doing his job."  Or, "'Feel good Christianity' is false doctrine."  Or "We must fear God and his coming wrath!"

Granted... Jesus has some hard words for us, but he also has plenty of "feel good" words.

Remember the Beatitudes? (Matthew 5).  "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven!"  

Matthew 7:  Do not worry, your Father loves you and will give you what you need.  "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Matthew 9: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."  And "Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you."

Matthew 11:  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

John 3:  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son... For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

John 6:  I am the bread of life.  he who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Mark 10:  "With man this is impossible, but not  with God; all things are possible with God."

And this is just what I made time to look for.  The "Gospel" means the "Good News"  not the depressing news or the scary news or the guilty news or the condemning news... the "Good News."  And you know what?  Good news make me "feel good!"

More than anything, God wants us to know that he loves us and forgives us.  When we really GET that, we also GET the hard stuff... much more naturally.  We don't have to work at doing good works or work at loving others or even feel guilty when we fail.  It all comes because we love what God loves and want to be more like him.  We can't get it right all the time, and God doesn't want us to be miserable over that fact.  He wants us to accept his forgiveness and get on with it.

When we hear the "hard stuff" in the light of the Good News, the "hard stuff" is just the stuff our hearts are already striving for... or it should be if we truly love God more than we love ourselves.

No, I will NOT be afraid or guilt-ridden or depressed.  I know the Good News, so I will feel good!

Lord Jesus,
You came in part to remind us how much God loves us.  You came not to condemn us but to save us!  Let us be joyful in the Good News!  Amen.

Joys:  God's love; Lauren and Brandon's wedding; open-window weather

No Two-By-Fours

The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:11-13 NIV)

This is one of my favorite scripture passages.  For some reason we expect God to speak to us in big ways.  We WANT him to hit us "upside the head with a two-by-four."  Why?  Because we are way too busy to be bothered with listening for that gentle whisper.

And so we miss out on hearing God speak.

If we insist on the two-by-four or the sign dropped on our heads, we will very well miss much of what God has to say to us.  Yes, sometimes he will smack us upside the head; usually when others will benefit from our actions... after all, why should others suffer for our unwillingness to be still?

On the other hand, if it is something in our own lives that we want to change or improve, why should God be the one to make all the effort?  God knows it is to our own benefit to take time away from our busyness and time away from the noise and craziness of the world to just "be still and know that I am God."  And he has all the time in the world for he is outside of time.  He will wait.

If you have been waiting for a two-by-four that hasn't yet come, perhaps God is waiting for you... waiting for you to take time to listen quietly so that he may speak more eloquently to your heart.

Father,
We are often too busy to listen... not just to you, but even to one another.  Help us to be present in all our conversations today.  Amen.

Joys:  a great hike with Leila; Cecelia's Sweet Frog concoctions; silence

We Are Rich, Young Rulers

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?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 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.'" "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." 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." At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." (Mark 10:17-27 NIV)

The story of the rich young ruler has always fascinated me.  It is one of those Jesus interactions that cuts right to the bone.  It hits each of us where we live... in our wallets.  It is one of those Bible stories that you can study from several different angles.  It is one of those Bible stories that convicts.  For aren't each of us who have had a shopping cart in one hand and a debit card in the other a rich young ruler?  No, Jesus isn't talking to the American 1%.  He is talking to the world's 5%... and that includes you and me.

There are some tough words there for us.  Yes, we go to church regularly.  Yes, we love our neighbor  the best we can.  Yes, we give to charity regularly.  Yes, we tell others about our faith and invite them to church.  Yes, we read the Bible and pray regularly.  But Jesus tells us:  You lack one thing.

How does it make you feel?  Do you, like the rich young ruler, feel sad?  Why?

I can think of three different reasons the young man may have been sad:

1. He knew he couldn't part with his money.  He knows now that he puts his money ahead of God and he is unwilling to change that.
2. He is sad because life as he knows it is about to change.  He IS going to give away everything to follow Jesus, but he is going through a grieving process.  And he is sad because of all the wasted years he spent worshiping wealth instead of the One who truly gives abundant life.
3. He has been convicted.  He knows in his heart that Jesus is right, but he is not yet ready to let go of his money and possessions.  God will continue to work in his heart and eventually, the rich, young ruler will give it up and become the joyful child of God.

Jesus tells his disciples that it's nearly impossible for the rich to enter into eternal life and the disciples are flabergasted.  "Who, then" they ask Jesus "will enter the kingdom?"  Jesus tells them, "With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible."

I think this tells us that no matter how the rich, young ruler reacts, he will go to heaven, because God has made this possible for everyone.  But Jesus wants more for us.  He wants us to experience heaven on earth and we cannot do it if we are hoarding treasure and then spending  all our time and effort protecting it.  We must unclench our grip on what we believe is "mine."  It is all God's anyway.  And God is generous... even to the most undeserving.

Lord Jesus,
Convict us of the rich, young rulers that live in each of us.  We find so many ways to justify our greed.  Help us to let go.  Help us to use our wealth as a tool to further your kingdom on earth.  Amen.

Joys:  Both my granddaughters in my lap; a hike with Leila today!; looking forward to the changing leaves at South Mountain today.

Carpe Diem!

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (Romans 10:17 NIV)

A quote by Karen Lamb:

"A year from now, you will wish you had started today."

 What, in your life, comes to mind when you read that?  Like millions of others, it may be to work on your diet and exercise.  But there are many other things we keep putting off for "one more day."    We wait to be more generous until we have more to give.  We wait to begin a Bible study until we are invited to join one.  We wait to start that ministry that has been on our hearts until we have more time.

Have you ever attended a worship service where the worshipers "speak in tongues?"  I used to think that the words were supposed to come out of their mouths completely involuntarily... as though they had been "possessed" by the Holy Spirit.  But I once heard someone describe it, saying that one has to  "allow" it by opening their mouth and speaking what comes to their lips.  The one speaking in tongues has to cooperate, it doesn't happen completely spontaneously.

God guides us and nudges us all the time.  But like the one who speaks in tongues, we have to cooperate.  God won't work through us unless we move our lips, or our feet or our hands.    Perhaps someone will invite you to a Bible study if you make it known that you are looking for one.  Perhaps you will discover you have enough money to be generous if you simply begin to be generous.  Perhaps you will find the time for that ministry if you take the necessary steps to begin it.

Think about the things in your spiritual life you have been wanting to improve.  A year from today, will you be in the midst of something exciting, or will you be wishing you had started a year ago?

Carpe Diem!  Sieze the day!

Father,
We know you will not make over our lives unless we give you permission by cooperating with the leading and nudges you give.  Help us to be willing to do something different today in cooperation with you.  Amen.

Joys:  Sleepover with Cecelia; Sweater and boots weather; the taste and smell of coffee on a chilly Fall morning

Autumn Abundance

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9 NIV)

Autumn is here.  What a great season!  It is a season to celebrate abundance.  There is an abundance of beauty as we watch the leaves burst into glorious color.  Nowhere is this abundance of beauty more evident than when we drive through our North Carolina mountains.  Stunning!  Then, of course there is the abundance of harvest.  As technological as this counrty may be, the U.S still contains vast acres upon acres upon acres of farmland.  And we can't forget the abundances in each of our own lives.  In spite of the harsh economic conditions of today, most of us are far richer than 95% of the people on this earth.

I loved the wording of our corporate confession during worship yesterday:

...In your compassion, forgive our sins and heal our hurts.  Bring forth from us a HARVEST of righteousness, the FRUITS of gentleness and peacemaking, the SHEAVES of wisdom and justice...

The use of Autumn metephor makes me feel like I have these attributes in abundance already.  I just need to bring them forth at the right times.  And we have so many opportunities to bring them forth!  In this political climate we need bring forth those sheaves of wisdom and justice.  In these days of war and too much violence and crime we need to bring forth our gentleness and peacemaking.  And in the knowledge that we have so much more than so many others, we need to bring forth the righteousness through sharing what we have and making sure that our neighbor has everything they need in order to live a happy and productive life.

God has lavished us with these gifts.  Can we be any less generous as we use them?

Father,
Thank you for this time of year that reminds us of our multitude of blessings.  Help us to be generous.  Help us to bring them forth and lavish them on others for the good of your kingdom.  Amen.

Joys:  Beautiful pictures of my sister's wedding; Cecelia's birthday; Autumn

Conformity

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2 NIV)

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world."  Good advice.  Most of us understand this is good advice.  But what IS the pattern of this world?  It would be everything "the church" is against, right?
Not necessarily.  It is the sad truth that many, if not most, of our churches have conformed to the pattern of this world in one way or another.

Some churches are too focused on how much money they can bring in.  Some churches are embroiled in national, state and local politics, telling parishioners how they must vote if they are truly Christian.  Some churches are all about keeping their own circle of members happy and comfortable.  Some even encourage hate of other groups.  These are obvious ways some churches "conform to the pattern of this world."  But there are many not-so-obvious ways as well.  And we are so sure our own church is right that we are conformed right along with it without even realizing it.

We cannot rely solely on what we hear and see inside our churches in order to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  It is a good place to start, and I am not suggesting we should be suspicious of or reject out of hand everything that comes from the pulpit or our Sunday school class or in our small groups.  But we must remember that people, as well as insitutions, are fallible.  We should not embrace ideas simply because everyone else in our church does.  We need to "test and approve what God's will is."

Does it line up with scripture?  This is tricky, because if we are creative enough, we can find plenty of verses to back up whatever we want to.  Be sure to not just pick and choose verses.  Make sure you are applying your situation in the correct context. Is what you are reading from the Levitical laws that were put in place to keep an ancient people safe, healthy and cohesive?  It might not apply today.  Was Paul speaking to a certain situation in a specific church or was what he said meant for all people in all situation for all time?  Was Jesus speaking literally or figuratively?  This may require some in depth study on our part.

We also need to check the situation for Christlikeness.  What would Jesus do?  If you know the heart of Christ you will feel the rightness or wrongness of it.  Sometimes we need only ask ourselves:  "Does it do kindness, love mercy and help me walk humbly with God?"

Conformity can be tricky.  It's like when we were teenagers.  We wanted to "be different" by being different in the same way all our friends were being different.  That is conformity too!  Don't be different only in the same way your church is different.  Be different in all the ways Jesus was different.  Sometimes he stood alone.  We may have to stand alone amidst our own friends sometimes too.  It's hard.  But it is the only way to transform a world for Christ.

Lord Jesus,
Help us to know you so well that we can immediately see when we are conforming to the world rather than transforming the world to you.  Open our hearts to our ideals that we firmly hold that might actually be wrong.  And give us the courage to change even if we must stand alone.  Amen.

Joys:  Corn maze today with Daniel, Tracy and Cecelia; Caring friends; the mature and solid brotherly relationship between Daniel and Kevin

More Than the Law

"This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel

after that time," declares the Lord.

"I will put my law in their minds

and write it on their hearts.

I will be their God,

and they will be my people. (Jeremiah 31:33 NIV)

I found this on Facebook.  I think this is just more of what Jesus was telling us when he said to give your coat along with your cloak and walk the extra mile.  It's about doing more than just believing certain things; it is about fully living what we believe.  It's about believing with not just our intellect and not even with our hearts.... But with our daily actions...the way that we naturally live our daily lives.

The Old Testament Law told us how we are supposed to act and the first parts of the lines in the picture above are like that Law.  The second part is the New Testament stuff... The stuff we do because we really "get it." The stuff we do because we really understand what it means to have the Law written on our hearts. It's about doing what God expects of us, not because we have to, but because we so love God and so love others that we want to do it... and more.  It becomes our very nature, because we truly are made in God's image.  And God IS love.

This is the perfection for which we strive... Perfect love.  We will fail because of our human nature to put ourselves first, but as we draw closer to Perfect Love, we will become more like Him and the Law will be unnecessary.

Father,

Teach us to live more fully in our beliefs.  Help us to always want to do more than what is required so that we may truly have abundant life. Amen

Joys:  a sleepover with Cecelia; emails that make me smile; rainy weather and watching old classic movies

Drawing Others to the Father

"Teacher," said John, "we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward. (Mark 9:38-41 NIV)

If you were not at Holy Cross yesterday, you missed a really good sermon.  You may or may not have heard the phrase "emergent church" before.  I have.  From my understanding, I thought it kind of meant "the 'new-fangled' modern kind of church that is emerging from the old, tired traditional church."  But as Pastor Chad explained, this is not the correct definition.  The word "emergent" in this case comes from the mathmatical use.  I would NEVER claim to know much about math and I had never heard of emergent numbers, but Pastor Chad explained that it is a way of looking at numbers and how they (and I'm paraphrasing) "draw towards" any specific number.

They "emergent church" then, is one that is always drawing others towards the Father... those that are already within the church, those on the fringes, as well as those completely outside of the church.  So haven't we always supposed to have been an "emergent church" then?  If we read scripture, we know the answer is yes.  But if we look to the history of the church, we know the answer has too often been no.

Too much emphasis has been placed on only those who come through our doors.  Yes, they need to be fed.  And we have people whose express gifts are to continue to draw them to the Father.  But there are so many outside of the church.  Some who know God but have been hurt by the church and some that are just completely uninterested in religion or spirituality of any sort.  They need to be drawn toward the Father as well.

I just love that phrase "drawn to the Father."  It is so much better than "evangelize" or "save."  Really,  I think the whole earth and all that is in it is constantly being drawn toward the Father.  But humans need help.  Sometimes our critical thinking gets in the way of our spiritual senses.  As Pastor Chad says, we need to be stepping stones and not stumbling blocks by offering that cup of water to the "least of these," loving when it is easier to look the other way, accepting rather than rejecting... all of these things reach out and lift up.

Our faith is not about judgment.  It is not about politics.  It is not about the correct form of baptism.  It is not about whether or not homosexuality is a sin.  It is about drawing others to the Father.  And that is the business we need to be about.

Father,
Open my eyes to any area of my life where I might be a stumbling block in someone's path to you.  Help me to be a stepping stone always drawing others to you.  Amen.

Joys:  Lots of Emma time this weekend; a flower (ok, a dandelion) picked and offered to me by one of my precious little Sunday school boys; Kevin and Chelsea's engagement