Fear Not

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid." (Luke 2:10a NIV)

There are a multitude of Christmas movies to choose from and more made every year.  It's hard to choose a favorite.  I love "It's a Wonderful Life," "White Christmas," "Christmas Vacation," "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas," "The Santa Clause,"  and so many more.  But I think among my first favorites as a kid is "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

Charlie Brown is the neighborhood "blockhead," but he has so much depth of soul.  He's always digging deeper within himself and looking for the good in everything and everybody.  In this movie, frustrated with trying to direct a Christmas pageant, Charlie asks, "Doesn't anybody know what Christmas is all about?"  Enjoy this iconic scene here:

 http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DKk9rv2hUfA

Have you ever noticed that the moment in which Linus says, "Fear not!"  he lets go of his security blanket?  What a wonderful symbol.

What are your securtiy blankets against fear?  Dare you believe God and let them go?  God tells us time and time again, "Believe in me.  Fear not.  I've got this."  Let go.  Let go for the seasons of Christmas and Epiphany and see.  Perhaps you will find that you never have to pick it back up again.

Father,
Thank you for this season of love.  Help us to trust you and "fear not."  Amen.

Joys:  Christmas Eve; fun with friends over the weekend; looking forward to lots of family time

The Magic Kingdom

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15 NIV)

Growing up in South Florida, I went to Disney World more often than the average person.  It was a popular school field trip destination, family weekend escape, and as an older teenager, it was a popular spot to go with friends.  I really got to know the Magic Kingdom quite well.  So well in fact that the magic pretty much disappeared for me.  The more I knew about the inner workings of the Kingdom, the less it impressed me.

Last week Richard and I took our 4-year-old granddaughter to Disney.  The magic returned full force!  Seeing Disney through the eyes of a small child made all the difference in the world.  It was exciting and magical and even emotional for me.  Watching Cecelia run up and hug the Mouse that has been her favorite cartoon character since before she could talk was a joy beyond joy.

There is another Kingdom we are to receive as a child... the Kingdom of God.  It's not that we shouldn't study and learn all we can about our faith.  Certainly we should!  But we should not let theology get in the way of the beauty and excitement of our relationship with Christ.  We can't let theology get in the way of what Jesus came to teach us.  Theology can be - and often is - wrong.  It has to be, or there wouldn't be so much conflicting theology.  But loving God and loving one another can never be wrong.  And love is the easy-to-grasp childlike theology on which we should center our faith.  If it isn't loving, it isn't of God.

My little preschool Sunday school kids get it.  "Jesus loves me"  "God is love" "Love one another"  If we live this simple and basic theology, we will discover the Magic of the Kingdom again.

Lord,
Help us to love you as a child loves.  Help us to accept your love as a child does.  May we all discover the real Magic Kingdom here on earth.  Amen.

Joys:  Being with family I haven't seen in a while; a new generation of cousins playing together; Taking Cecelia to Disney and Universal parks

Love Never Hurt Anybody

“A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” (Jeremiah 31:15 NIV)

Everyone is asking the question, "why?"  How does someone point a gun at a 6- or 7-year-old and shoot?  Why, why, why???  The "answers" have been flung fast and furious across Facebook, blogs, news commentaries and personal conversations.  Some say it is lack of gun control.  Some say it is because of the removal of prayer from schools.  Some say violence in our entertainment is to blame.  Or our godless culture, or lack of insurance for the mentally ill.  Maybe it is all of these things combined.  I have a feeling the answer is much more complicated than any one thing.

But the basic reason this happened is that one man, with a deep hurting anger in his heart used his free will to do this awful, awful thing.

We cannot remove deep, hurting anger from every person who feels it.  But perhaps we can be a part of the solution by being a little less selfish in our personal lives, in our business lives, in our financial affairs and in our political opinions.  We tend to do what is best for "me and mine" rather than what is best for society as a whole.

I don't pretend to begin to know the source of this young man's anger, but it was obviously there.  I don't know if he would have still done this if he lived in a kinder, more caring world.  But maybe if we all looked into the eyes of those we see everyday with a compassionate heart, we may see hurt and anger we didn't know was there.  We might be able to reach out a hand in love.  Maybe, just maybe love and compassion could prevent just one senseless act of violence.  We may never know if we prevent it, but who cares?  Love never hurt anybody.

Below is a prayer by Max Lucado entitled, "A Christmas Prayer."

Dear Jesus,  

It’s a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated.The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod’s jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won’t you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us. 

Hopefully,  Your Children

Standing in the Gap

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?  Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. (1 Thessalonians 3:9, 10 NIV)

The Advent devotional book I've been reading is "Silence- and other surprising invitations of Advent" by Enuma Okoro.  This is an excerpt from this morning's reading:

"The gift beneath all this is that God is indeed near whether we feel it or not.  What a relief that God's reality and trustworthiness does not depend on our feelings.  And God can be trusted with all our emotions and all our hungers, pains, fears and doubts."

God uses community to work in all those hungers, pains, fears and doubts.  Doubt is a troubling thing without community.  Without our fellow Christians to keep us reminded of the things God is doing in our lives and in our world each and every day, we can easily be swept into agnostism or even atheism.  I never gave much thought to the meaning of the phrase that some Chrisstians use:  "Standing in the gap."   But when we are going through a period of doubt... a real crisis of faith... a long dry spell where we cease to feel God's presense - it is precisely then that we need others to "stand in the gap"... to keep pointing to Christ... to remind us of the wonderful work God has done in our lives.  Not only are others important to the strengthening our our own faith; but each of us is important in strengthening the faith of others.  We need one another.

There have been times when I have felt too busy or too tired or just plain too uninterested in attending my weekly small group meeting.  But it is a commitment I take seriously, so I shake off my desire to play hooky and go anyway.  On those occasions I ALWAYS find that at least one of the others in the group needed some spiritual support.  They needed their community of which I am a part.

We all need to take our commitment to our faith communities seriously.  There will be times when you are needed to point to Christ for someone else.  You will be called on to "stand in the gap" for someone in spiritual conflict.  And there will be times when you will need your community to do the same for you.

Doubt can be troubling without community.  But with community doubt can be an awesome tool for spiritual growth and maturity.  Don't be afraid of your doubts.  Delve into them.  Reflect on them.  Research them.  But do it in the framework of a community who will support you and help you keep Christ in the center of your life.

Father,
Thank you for the spiritual growth I have experienced by working through my doubts and an awesome faith community that supports me though it all.  Amen.

Joys:  People who "stand in the gap" even when they don't know it; one more day of work before vacation; another great night with a full "empty nest"

Doubt

Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” (Luke 1:18 NIV)

Have you ever had the answer to a prayer stare you in the face, and yet you were filled with doubt?  It happens all the time, especially for those who ask for signs.  One of my favorite movies is Bruce Almighty.  Near the beginning, Bruce's life is falling apart.  He got fired from his job.  He had a big fight with his girlfriend.  Nothing seemed to be going right.  Frustrated, he go in his car and started driving as he fussed at God.  He challenged God to show he cared by sending a sign.  At that exact moment, a truck pulled out in front of him.  The back of the truck was filled with street signs that said things like:  stop, yield, go back, no enterance, etc.  But Bruce totally missed it, cursing that same truck for cutting him off.

We often ask for signs, but don't really believe God will send one, so we don't see it when he does.  And the same with answered prayer.  We often have a preconceived notion about how God will answer our prayer, so when God takes a different and better approach, we miss it.  Our imaginations are sometimes too limited to see God's work in our lives.

Zechariah simply could not imagine that he and Elizabeth could have a child at this stage of their lives.  And so he doubted.  Doubt is a natural part of faith, but if we could live more with an expectation... the expectation that God will indeed work in our lives and answer our prayers, perhaps we would pay a little more attention and perhaps we will look for possibilities in what we think to be impossible.

Father,
In this season of waiting and hope and expectation, help us to live expectantly... expecting you to answer our prayers... in your time and in your way.  Amen.

Joys:  Houses decorated in lights; Cecelia's excitement... two more "sleeps" until Florida!; Kevin's excitement about moving his family into their first home

God's Time

“ ‘The days are coming,’ declares the  Lord , ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. (Jeremiah 33:14 NIV)

What is your favorite Bible story about answered prayer?  Perhaps it is Hannah's prayer for a child and God gives her Samuel who becomes a prophet.  Maybe it was Jacob's prayer that Esau not kill him for his terrible deceptions and God goes way beyond that and promises to make Jacob's decendants "like the sand of the sea which cannot be counted."  Or is it when the early church prays for Peter who is in jail and God sends angels to release him from his shackles so that Peter may go on to be the Rock on which the church is built.

Do you notice a theme?  When God answers prayer, it benefits more than the person praying.  A community, or the world or sometimes even all of history is affected!  Abraham and Elizabeth were given the desire of their heart... and the world was never the same again.  It happened in God's time when the most people could benefit from the answered prayer.

Perhaps that is why your prayer has not yet been answered.  God is waiting for that perfect time when even more people will benefit.  I'm not saying that your prayer may be too selfish, only that God wants to show you that we are all connected and that what we think we want only for ourselves can be an answer for many... if not all.  And I think sometimes answered prayer can be for only us.  Sometimes answered prayer is simply grace poured out.

But sometimes, waiting is the key.  Waiting for God's perfect time.  Waiting for God to be glorified in our lives and in the lives of others.  Waiting for God's good and perfect will to be fulfilled through our own imperfect, and often selfish, prayers.

I am overjoyed at the beginning of answered prayer for some friends who are seeing real progress in their son's healing from a spinal injury.  I can't wait to see how God uses this for greater good... and I know He will.  This is our Advent hope this year as we wait for God to act.

Father,
Thank you for answered prayer.  But most of all, thank you for using our little, imperfect prayers to do mighty and perfect things at just the right time for the greater good of all.  Amen.

Joys:  Exciting progress for Adam; an empty nest that rarely really seems empty at all; Erin's help with Sunday school yesterday.

Pray for One Another

Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,  he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.  And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. (Luke 1:8-10 NIV)

As priest, it was Zechariah's duty to go into the temple alone to burn incense on the altar.  But he wasn't really alone.  He had a community of believers praying for him outside.  Our faith community is an awesome thing.  Who knows how many blessings have come to each of us because someone else prayed for us?  I would bet that Zechariah and Elizabeth's community often prayed for them and their desire for a child.

Have you shared that unanswered desire of your heart with any of your faith community? They won't know how to pray for you unless you do.  Do you regularly pray for the needs of your brothers and sisters in Christ?  It is not just your responsibility, it is a privilege and a blessing.  It is what Christian community does. If you are not interceding and being interceded for in prayer, you are missing out on one of the greatest gifts we have.  Pray for the members of your church family and bless them by asking them to pray for you.

Father,
Help me to always remember to pray for my brothers and sisters, but more than that, give me the courage to ask them to pray for me. Amen.

Joys:  hearing exciting news from a sister in Christ and the privilege of praying for her and her family; seeing family I haven't seen in a long time; blessings from friends in the form of cards,kind words, food, and prayer

Lamenting

In you,  Lord  my God, I put my trust.    I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.    No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.    Show me your ways,  Lord , teach me your paths.    Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:1-5 NIV)

Many of the Psalms are psalms of lament.  Lamenting is something we tend to do while we are waiting for God to act in our lives.  Waiting for God to act is what Advent is all about.

I'm sure Elizabeth and Zechariah spend a lot of time lamenting the lack of a child in their life... no one to carry on the family name... no one to look after them in their elderly years.

Lamenting is no sin.  It doesn't mean we don't appreciate what we have.  Really, I think lamenting is part of the processs of putting our trust in God.  When we lament, we question God.  We question ourselves.  We ask ourselves important questions about our motives and our real needs.  If we are faithful in that process, we usually end up in the same place as Elizabeth and Zechariah... trustful, faithful acceptance... the knowledge that God is truly all we need.

Take some time to lament that unanswered prayer today.  God won't mind.

Father,
We don't know why you sometimes don't give us those things we believe would be good for us.  Help us to trust you and know that you are all we truly need.  Amen.

Joys;  Christmas shopping for my Florida nephews; Cecelia's excitement about going to Florida; baby Advil to soothe little Emma's sore teething gums

Aching Emptiness

But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. (Luke 1:7 NIV)

Traditionally, when we think of Advent we think of Mary, Joseph and the angel Gabriel and the stories surrounding them.  But Advent is the forerunner of Christmas just as John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus.  I found an Advent devotional book that focuses on the story of  Zechariah and Elizabeth.  Most of my devotions through Advent will focus on my readings from this book, "Silence and Other Suprising Invitations of Advent," by Enuma Orkoro.

Elizabeth and Zechariah were long past the expected age of parentage.  They had prayed and hoped and dreamed for a baby throughout their whole marriage.  They were good people.  Zechariah was a priest and often was priviliged to stand inside the curtain in the Holy of Holies and offer sacrifices.  They both followed God's law as closely as possible.  But this one yearning of their hearts was denied them.

I wonder if each of us doesn't have something... one thing that we pray for over and over and over and no matter how good of a Christian we are, our prayer is still unanswered.  Why?  What do we have to do to get this deep desire of our soul granted by our Father who supposedly loves us?  Why are good community and religeous leaders like Elizabeth and Zechariah left with an aching emptiness in their arms and their hearts?  What about the aching emptiness of our own unanswered prayer?  Are we just not "good" enough?

There could be so many answers... Maybe what we think we need would ultimately be bad for us.  Maybe we have not grown up enough in our faith yet and God is waiting.  Maybe God just has something so much better in mind.

How does God's silence affect us?  Does it make us doubt our faith?  Does it make us angry with God?  Elizabeth and Zechariah continued to be faithful servants even though they continued to go childless.  How does God's apparent silence make you feel?

Today, pray that prayer again.  Ponder it.  Wonder about why God has not answered it.  Live with it and let it live in you today.  Feel what Elizabeth and Zecchariah might have felt about their own unanswered prayer for a child.  Mourn the ache in your heart.  Once again ask God, "Why??" And listen to see if you hear an answer.  You may not, but listen anyway.  Just fully experience your deepest unanswered prayer today.

Father,
Sometimes we don't see the answers to our most longed-for prayer requests.  We don't know why.  Help us to live faithfully even when we think you have turned away from us.  Help us to trust you.  Amen.

Joys:   My whole family at Advent service last night and helping to put up the tree and decorate for Advent; a day at home alone with Richard today; one more week until vacation!

Have a Merry Christmas

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14 NIV)

Here we are in the Christmas Season again!  Mostly I love it.  I love the generosity, the joy, the fun, the fellowship and the wonderful, wonderful food... yummm!  But there are some things I don't look forward to... the unreasonable expectations we have for others and even ourselves; the crass consumerism that arouses our sense of greed and always wanting more, more, more; and the so-called "war" on Christmas.

I find it very unChristianlike that some Christians refuse to recognize other religious holidays of the season, but insist that all recognize Christmas.  They do this when they insist on businesses saying "merry Christmas" instead of "happy holidays" or when they participate in fight over "Christmas trees" vs. "holiday trees."  Individually, we are free to use whatever word we choose when we greet others, but how can we insist that businesses assume that every person is a Christian?  How can we demand respect for our beliefs when we don't do the same for others?

A couple of things to remember if you ever feel drawn into this war:  The word "holidays" is derived from the phrase "holy days."  Why wouldn't we feel blessed to have some one wish us happy holy days?

As for the phrase X-mas at which some Christians take offense, saying that we "cross out Christ,"  nothing could be further from the truth.  The X stands for Christ.  It is the first letter of the Chi Rho which are the first two Greek letters of Christ.  The Chi Rho has been a symbol of Christ since AD 33.  Nothing could be more traditionally Christian.

Have a truly merry Christmas this year by refusing to take part in this imaginary war.  Christmas is safe as long as big business makes money from it!!  But above all, take time this year to remember why we celebrate.  Seek out Advent services and attend them.  They can really help keep us centered during the chaotic rush of this time of year.

Lord God,
Help us to keep you centered in all of our celebrations and keep us from being overly sensitive as others celebrate their love for you in different ways.  Amen.

Joys:  The life of my sister-in-law Angela.  We will miss her; Emma's abundant smiles; having Richard at home

A Prayer For Our Homes

Unless the  Lord  builds the house, the builders labor in vain.  (Psalm 127:1a  NIV)

We hear it a lot from th mouths of Christians... "The world is going to hell because they took prayer out of schools!"... or "The world is going to hell because they took prayer out of the local city council meetings!"... or The world is going to hell because they took prayer out of graduations... or sporting events or ... whatever your favorite secular activity is.

But here is the question... have "they" taken prayer out of your home?  Do you pray with your children before you load them onto the school bus?  Do you and your spouse pray together before you begin your day out in the secular world?  Prayer cannot be taken out of schools if our children have truly been taught to pray.

That is the amazing thing about the gift of prayer.  It cannot be taken away.  Our thoughts cannot be monitored except by God who hears every prayer we pray whether it is prayed aloud in a group or in the privacy of our own hearts.  If we do not pray regularly with our children, it is not "they" who have taken prayer out of schools, but "us."  If we do not set a good example for our families by praying regularly, it is not "they" who take prayer out of every secular activity, but "us."

A few weeks ago I shared a prayer for the workplace.  This morning I saw a lovely prayer for the home on Facebook that I want to share with you here:

Heavenly Father,
Walk through my house and take away all the worries and illnesses and please watch over and heal my family and friends.  Bring quiet where there is chaos, bring light where there is darkness and put love in our hearts.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

Perhaps you would like to add a line or two or use it as a basic prayer each morning and add specifics as necessary.  But don't you agree that there would be a lot more prayer in the secular world if there were a lot more prayer in our homes?  Instead of blaming government and atheists and whoever else we can think of, let's get our own houses in order first.  Let's fill our homes with prayer.  If we do, our own hearts will be filled to overflowing with prayer and there will indeed be plenty of prayer in schools, political meetings, sporting events, and everywhere else that Christians go.

Father,
Thank you for the powerful and amazing gift of prayer.  No matter what, it can never really be taken away from us.  Help us to teach our children and grandchildren to pray... especially be example.  Amen.

Joys:  A truly wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with my family; a warm home; Cecelia's help decorating the Christmas tree

The Least of These

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, (Matthew 25:35 NIV)

Holy Cross does a lot for "the least of these."  It makes me so happy to be a part of a church that spends more time helping people than condemning or blaming people.  We know that it is not about WHY they are in their situations, only that they ARE in that situation and that we must meet them where they are.

My favorite of these ministries is Project Matthew.  For weeks, church members bring different food items to church and donate money for turkeys so that we can give about 125 families the groceries to prepare their own Thanksgiving meal.  Many churches do many good things like this, but the thing I like most about how Holy Cross does it is that each person is treated with dignity and with love.  They are invited in to share fellowship, prayer and refreshments.  If I didn't know our own folks so well, it would be hard to tell the volunteers from those being helped.

This is what a church should be.  More than that, it is what each of us should be in our lives everyday.   No judgment.  No making people feel guilty and stupid and worthless.  Just meeting people where they are and loving them and doing what they can to bring a little joy into their lives.  Sociologist and pastor, Tony Campolo couldn't have said it better than he did in this story.  It is about 8 minutes long, but fully worth the time.  This is the kind of church we should all want:

http://m.youtube.com/#/results?q=tony%20compolo%20birthday%20party

Father,
Thank you for Holy Cross and people who love others right where they are.  Amen.

Birth Pains

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.    Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. (Mark 13:7, 8 NIV)

Most churches throughout the world that follow the Common Lectionary readings had to deal with this Gospel of Mark yesterday.  With   !!!!DECEMBER 21!!!!  just around the corner, that's just what we needed, right? ... end times scripture.  Okay, though, we know Jesus said no one will know the hour, and we can take comfort in that, plus the fact that maybe the Mayans just figured they had gone far enough with their calendars and decided to stop numbering!

But what if....  I don't know, maybe the people of every age have said the same things, but there are an awful lot of end time "signs" out there.  What if the wars and rumors of war and earthquakes and famines that this world is experiencing today are really part of those beginninng birth pains that Jesus was talking about?  

The very idea of "birth pains" is scary.  I remember my first pregnancy.  I spent a lot of time wondering (with a good bit of anxiety) what the birth pains would feel like.  And more recently, so did Emma's mom, Chelsea.  And those of us with childbirth experience can't take any of that worry away from moms-to-be... because we know... birth pains are painful!  

But even though just about every mother since Eve has experienced some kind of birth pains, we still have babies!  You'd think once the word got out about how painful childbirth was, we'd quit having them, wouldn't you?  But we know... we know from watching other mothers and their tenderness with their babies and their joy in their children that the pain is worth it.  What marvolous wonders come from that pain!  

It is no mistake that Jesus refered to end time events as birth pains.  He knows what happens as the result of birth pains... something new and miraculous and beautiful.  Something that brings us joy and peace and happiness... something that makes the pain so worthwhile we would be willing to do it again!  

No matter what happens... or doesn't happen... on December 21, put your trust in God.  God is good... all the time... and has nothing but the very best in store for us.  Depend on it!

Here we go again, Father, worrying about the future and what it holds or doesn't hold for us.  Help us to trust in your love and grace.  Amen.

Joys:  a short workweek; Cecelia's excitement to see my boxes of Christmas stuff up from the basement; time with my happy and curious Emma.

Fear or Faith?

He said to his disciples,  “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40 NIV)

Notice in the scripture verse above that Jesus did not say, "Why are you DOUBTING?  Do you still have no faith?"  No, he asked why they were afraid.  Doubt is not the opposite of faith, fear is.

All who have faith find themselves in periods of doubt.  Faith is difficult.  We don't trust our spiritual senses the way we trust our physical senses, so doubt is natural.  I am convinced that God wants his faithful to have doubts.  It encourages us to seek truth.  And when our hearts are truly open to truth, we will find it.

Fear, on the other hand, destroys our faith.  Fear makes us blindly tighten our grip on tradition rather than true faith.  Fear keeps us from trying new things.  It keeps us from listening when God is trying to instruct our hearts in new ways of thinking.  Fear keeps us bound to the past, doomed to keep repeating the errors and sins inherent in man-made traditions and beliefs.

Faith keeps us alert to God's movements in our world and in our own lives.  Faith makes us more generous.  Faith frees us from our prejudices.  Faith inspires us to do more and be more and produce abundant, sweet fruit.  Fear feeds our greed and judgment.  Fear keeps us locked into shallow lives that are all about ourselves.   Fruit produced in fear falls scantily around our own feet.

What do you fear?  How can faith remove it?

Father,
When will we have faith enough to believe that you really are in charge and that no matter what, it is all going to be okay.  You have already won.  Give us more faith today so that we may do great things in your name.  Amen.

Joys:  Having grandchildren so that I can enjoy animated movies too!; book-reading weather;  Faith

Love is Eternal

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these  is  love. (I Corinthians 13:13 NKJV)

Shakespeare said, "Time is very slow for those who wait; very fast for those who are scared; very long for those who lament; very short for those who celebrate.  But for those who love... time is eternal."

Our book club is reading the newest book by Mitch Album, "The Time Keeper."  It really gives one a different prospective of time and our need to measure it and save it and extend it and control it and even conquer it.

Within time we can wait, fear, grieve and celebrate.  But love is not experienced within time.  It is outside of it.  Love is so very different from every other emotion or experience we have.  Who sets aside time to love?  Who measures out the time we can portion out loving our spouse, our children, our friends?  What do we give up when we choose to love?  How is our time adversely affected if we love even those who are unlovable?

Love is different from everything else, because God IS Love.  God is eternal and cannot be measured by our calendars and clocks any more than love can.  Our lives are run by time, but our love is not.  We don't give up one second by loving.  However, it may change the way we choose to spend our time.  But that was God's plan all along!

Our Love,
We know that life is all about love and yet we still wait and fear and grieve.  Change our lives by challenging us to love first, last and always.  Amen.

Joys:  a very noisy house... what a wonderful blessing to have grandchildren!; homemade chicken pie; watching my boys love their daughters

Gospel of Abundance

Now  to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly  above all that we ask or think,  according to the power that works in us,  to Him  be  glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20, 21 NKJV)

I did a search on the word "abundant" in the Bible and came up with 46 verses that included the word.  There are many more verses that talk about God's abundance in different words... "more" "exceeding"  "multiply" ... and others.  It is clear that God has told us we have more than enough of everything we need in this world.

God is generous, but generally speaking, people are not.  We are always afraid there won't be enough for ourselves... for today, for tomorrow and for our future.  We stockpile our riches.  We bottle up the manna.  We need to know there is enough for "me."

This isn't just about individual though.  We have the same problem with our governments and even our churches.  Grain sits rotting in silos while people starve.  Churches build bigger sanctuaries, and fancy family life centers while families nearby are having their power turned off or are being evicted from their homes.

I am so proud of Holy Cross and Project Matthew.  I suppose if we collected the money represented by all that food all year long, we could have a pretty nice family life center in a few years.  Instead, we prove God's abundance.  There is always enough to go around if we unclench our fists.  Do all of the people receiving the boxes "deserve" free food?  Probably not.  There are probably a few that choose to take charity rather than work.  There might even be those who can afford their own food but are "cheating the system" to get something for nothing.  Maybe some families have found a way to apply twice and will have a box for Thanksgiving AND one for Christmas.

But God did not give abundance to go around to only those who "deserve" it.  If he had, then we would all be beggars, wouldn't we?  There IS enough for everyone.  God says so!  And if we open up our hands and our hearts in genorosity, he will prove it over and over and over again.

A B.C. comic fom many years ago showed 2 cave men talking.  The first one said, "I was going to ask God why he let so many people in this word go hungy, endure poverty, and suffer injustices."  The other asked, "Why didn't you?"  The first replied, "I was afraid he would ask me the same thing."

We must stop living the false gospel of scarcity and start living the truth of abundance.

God of Abundance,
Increase our faith in your word.  The word that tells us there is enough for all.  Help us to stop fearing  that there won't be enough for "me" if we give it away.  Amen.

Joys:  a little quiet time; a small break in my workday to discuss the Bible with a friend (it reminds me what my work is ultimately about); sweet, juicy oranges

No Charge

 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15-17 NIV)

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." -Melody Beattie American Author 

Gratitude just may be THE most important thing about our faith and our lives.  In the passage from Colossians above, we see references to being grateful three times... "be thankful"... "with gratitude"... "giving thanks."  In the quote just below that, the author describes how this simple change of attitude can completely make over our entire lives.

Lately, I have noticed that many of my Facebook friends have been using this month of Thanksgiving to post one thing each day that they are grateful for.  I love reading these.  And I have noticed that none of them mention the expensive things in their lives like their homes, cars, jewely, vacations, etc.  No, we who are truly thankful are thankful for the much more important things in life... mostly relationships.  And isn't that what our lives here on earth are really about?... relationships.

Yesterday's sermon was about gratitude and Pastor Chad pointed out that the things we are most grateful for are usually given by God with "no charge."  We know that the best things in life are free, but adding that little phrase, "no charge," just seems to make my heart even more grateful.

Here is a list of things God has given me in recent days for "no charge.":

• A baby sleeping peacefully in my arms -no charge!
• Big baby smiles from Emma-no charge!
• Cecelia telling me I'm her BFF-no charge!
• A hard-working husband who loves me, loves his family and loves God-no charge!
• Watching my boys become good fathers-no charge!
• Loving relationships with the beautiful women my boys chose to marry-no charge!
• The beauty of the North Carolina mountains in the Fall-no charge!
• Perfectly blue skies-no charge!
• Friends who drive for an hour and a half to be supportive-no charge!
• Amazing church family of folks who embrace truly Christian values of love, grace and non-judgment-no charge!
• A special moment during Communion-no charge!
• Spectacular sunsets-no charge!
• Quiet moments to pray-no charge!

Who needs money??  These relationships, moments and observations are what life is really all about. Even if we lost our jobs, cars, homes and had to beg on the streets for food, we would still have these things.  All we really have to have is gratitude.  It is only then that we notice how truly blessed we are.

Giving God,

Your hand is continually outstretched and open.  We need only accept with gratitude.  Help us to always, always count what we have instead of what we want.  For if we do, we will find we really want for nothing.  Thank you, Father!  Amen.

Unfinished Sentences

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— (Ephesians 2:8 NIV)

Hell and damnation Christians are "Christians" who quote unfinished sentences from the Bible.  They like to scare their listeners with the law verses, but never follow up with the next verse that brings grace, love and forgiveness.

They quote:
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23 NIV)
But they fail to add:
and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:24 NIV) 

They quote:
For the wages of sin is death,  (Romans 6:23a NIV)
But they fail to add:
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23b NIV) 

They quote:
Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, (Hebrews 9:27 NIV)
But fail to add:
so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:28 NIV)

We must be "Sentence-Finisher" Christians.  When we tell others about our faith, we must tell the whole story.  People are leaving the Christian faith because they never hear the rest of the sentences.  Though they may even read them themselves, the emphasis has been so strongly placed on the first part that their hearts don't pick up that second part.

The world needs God's love and grace more than ever.  So many are sure we are all condemned.  And don't we all act out what we believe ourselves to be?  What would the world be like if we all truly believed that we are loved and cherished by the Ruler and Creator of the universe?  What would the world be like if we really believed that "God SO loved the world (me... and you... and even that neighbor who sins in ways you or I have never been tempted to) that he gave his only Son... NOT to condemn the world, but to save the world?"  What would the world be like if we ALL knew the entire sentences of key Bible verses?

Father,
Help us to share the whole story with those who are hurting; with those who are so consumed by their sin that they don't believe you could love them.  Help us to actually love those who need love the most... the unlovable.  Amen.

Joys:  discussing politics and social issues with Daniel and easily "rattling his chains" :) ; a warm home on a cold morning; a church that always finishes the sentences

Trust in God Alone

Do not put your trust in princes,
in human beings, who cannot save. (Psalm 146:3 NIV)

Election Day... finally!!!  After all the rhetoric, propaganda and impossible promises of the last several months, you would think we were voting for the savior of the world.  The candidates (for all offices) would have us believe that they are going to usher us into paradise... "on day one!"

The truth is, no matter who is elected, some things will improve and other things will worsen.  Some of it will be as a direct result of our elected leaders and some of it will just happen no matter who our leaders are.  The effects (good or bad) of much of their work won't even be felt until a year or two after they leave office.  Lasting change just doesn't happen on day one.

The psalmist tells us not to put our trust in human leaders.  They cannot save us.  We should respect them and help them as much as we can, but they are not our saviors.  We already have one of those and need no other.  What we need to understand is that no matter what happens - in the world, our country, our state, our community - it's all ultimately going to be okay!  The battle has been won.  Our eternities are sealed.

Leaders will come and go... do good and not so good... make us happy and angry.  But our Almighty God is forever and never changes.  Trust in him alone.

Almighty and never-changing God,
No matter who wins in our elections today, remind us that you alone are in charge... and that's a GOOD thing!  Amen.

Joys:  my yoga buddy; talking with Richard on his own cell phone again; knowing that God is really in charge

Voting with Passion and Humility

I often get ideas for my devotionals by reading other devotionals, using their ideas and writing about them from  a different angle.  But I read one from one of my favorite sources this morning that just says it so well that I will simply share the link today:

http://act.ucc.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=47347.0&dlv_id=62266

Let us spend today in prayer for Election Day tomorrow.  Because of my citizenship status
I will not be voting, but I will be praying for those of you who will be voting.  

Father, 
I pray that each person voting tomorrow will do so with both passion and humility.
Amen.

Joys: Richard will be home in a few days; Having Emma at church;  morning coffee

We Are All Saints

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, (Hebrews 12:1 NIV)

When I hear the word saint, even though I know better, the images that come to mind are the truly great men and women of God throughout the centuries; those that spent their lives selflessly giving and working for others.  Those that were martyred.

The truth is, every member of the church is a saint, no matter what we have done... or haven't done.  Even those of us who struggle with sin; who speak ill of our neighbors; who frequently fail to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit the sick and imprisoned; who let our minds wander during prayer and worship instead of staying focused on the moment; who yell at our kids and cuss when we have problems at work; who maybe have a divorce or even two in our past; who sometimes don't feel like getting out of bed; who spend too much time trying to make more money and not enough time on relationships.

Think about those who we celebrate today (All Saints Day).  I know those I am remembering were not perfect.  They were not famous.  They did not spend all their time dedicated to bringing God's kingdom to earth.  But they are part of that cloud of witnesses.  They have been here and done this.  It wasn't easy for them and they know it is not easy for us.  They made plenty of wrong choices and they know we have and will do the same.  But they are there to remind us that it's all okay.  Even if the worst things we worry about actually happen, it is still okay.

When I think of my mom and the difficult life she led, I can't help but remember the lyrics of one of the songs we played at her funeral:  "My chains are gone; I've been set free.  My God, my Savior has ransomed me!"  One day, we will truly be free of every chain... and we will be a part of that cloud of witnesses encouraging the saints on earth.

Father,
I thank you for the loved ones who have gone on before me, especially my dad, mom and brother.  Thank you for setting them free.  Amen.

Joys: Trick or treating with Cecelia last night; time with Daniel and Tracy yesterday; remembering the saints from my life

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