Fear

The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1 NIV)

There is more to be afraid of in this world than ever before in my lifetime:  sending our kids to school, going to work at a job where anybody has ever been fired or treated (in their mind) unfaily, letting our children play outside unsupervised, going to any event that draws large crowds, going to the mall, driving in this age where drivers are paying more attention to their phones than their driving, going to an airport.  There are even churches where members come armed for fear of a random shooter storming into worship.

I have had people try to instill fear in me by telling me I should carry pepper spray, or I shouldn't hike alone, or I should get a flu shot, or I shouldn't get a flu shot. The media makes us afraid to drink our water or eat vegetables that come from a supermarket or eat meat or eat carbs or drink coffee or soda.

It's all enough to make you want to stay in bed with the covers pulled up over your head, but I'll bet there is something dangerous about that too.  Life is risky.  We never know when something bad is going to happen and none of us are immune.  We should all procede with a certain amount of caution in our lives, but the only way to protect ourselves completely is to stop living.

In over half a century of life, I've lived through my share of scary things.  I know people who have lived through much worse than I have and others who haven't known half the pain I have.  It all seems very random and unfair.  But these things I've learned:  Life goes on.  God provides.

God provides what we need, rather than what we think we need.  Sometimes, God simply provides another person with whom to share our pain.  And in the midst of whatever scary stuff we've found ourselves, we discover that, even though it is painful, it was never anything to be afraid of.  Pain is a part of living.  Fear keeps us from living.  I've heard it said that fear is simply an absence of faith.

Don't be so afraid of life that you don't live.  God never meant for us to be afraid, even in times like these.  Will bad things happen?  Yes.  But God will be there too.

Father,
There is so much to be afraid of in our world today.  Give us courage.  Give us faith.  Amen.

Turn Around

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 3:1, 2 NIV)

Have you ever gotten lost in a big city?  I sure have!  Before the advent of the GPS, I got lost a lot!  I've been lost in Miami and lost in Jacksonville.  I've been lost in New London, Connecticut (not a very big city... but I got lost just the same!)  I've been lost in Atlanta and Charlotte (who hasn't?)   I even got lost in Hickory once.  But now I have GPS!  What a wonderful invention!  I admit that occasionally I will still wander off in the wrong direction, but Siri will set me straight by telling me to turn around or "make a u-turn as soon as it is safe to do so."

When we are lost, sometimes we don't even realize it.  I know plenty of guys --- even with a GPS that keeps yelling at them to turn around ---- will never admit that they are lost.  Part of getting back on track is to realize and admit that we are, indeed, lost.  If we don't, then why in the world would we turn around?  Sometimes, we eventually wind up at our destination even if we don't turn around.  We might have to take a lot of twisty, windy roads and it will take us a lot longer, but, hey... the world is round, so....

"Repent" is from the Greek, "metanoia" which literally means, "to turn around."  But first we have to  reaalize and admit that we have wandered off track.  Our GPS can be the Bible or an Order of Confession or an Examination of Conscience or even the Lord's Prayer.  As we listen to that GPS we can hear Siri (or is it the Holy Spirit) saying, "turn around!"  "You're going in the wrong direction!"  If we listen and turn around, we are sure to save ourselves a lot of trouble.  If we are too busy trying to find our way on our own to listen, God will still love us.  And he will follow us down the windy, twisty paths - still trying to get our attention to turn around.  And we might arrive at our destination late and weary and beaten, but we will arrive.

God just wants our trip to be the best trip it can be.  He's mapped it out for us in the Bible.  He sent the Holy Spirit as our GPS.  It's our choice to listen and enjoy the ride or ignore it all and keep running into dead ends.

Father,
Help us pay better attention as you guide us through life.  Amen.

God's Net of Grace

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19 NIV)

Yesterday's children's sermon was cute.  Pastor Chad took a couple of kids to form a "net"  and then "captured" small groups of other kids in it.  But even though Chad tried to make it look fun to be a part of the net, Cecelia and one of her friends wanted no part of being captured and ran from the group that came towards them.

It made me think about reasons some people might have for running from the invitation of God's grace.

• Some may not like the feeling of being "chased."  Sometimes our attempts at evangelizing can be off-putting... even if we feel like we're using a soft approach.  It can be overwhelming for people to be relentless in their invitations to church and church functions.
• Some people have been part of the net before and have had bad experiences... being treated unkindly by so-called Christians, or even being abused.
• Some feel like they are not good enough to accept the invitation.  They want to "get their life right" first.  Sadly, many have learned this from other Christians too.
• Some feel they need to have proof positive about God's existance.  They can't commit to something they can't see, touch and feel.

I believe the remedy for most, if not all, of these reasons for running from the Net of Grace is for us to be real.  Our evangelism should spring naturally as we form friendships with others.  As we share our lives, we share what Christ has done for us.  No bibles need to be used as sledge hammers.

Being real means letting others be real as well.  When others see that even church people aren't perfect, they might be more willing to see what this grace stuff is all about.  Being real will also help us to see hypocracy and abuse in the church, expose it and get rid of it.

Being real means allowing ourselves to talk about our doubts and questions and share those moments when we know God was present with us.  If we present ourselves as people who often struggle with our faith, maybe those who think they need proof positive will see that proof is not really necessary to receive the joy and peace that come with faith.

God's grace net is not insistant, but it is persistant.  We should make it look like the wonderful thing that it is, and we can do that by being real, even when... no, especially when... it makes us feel vulnerable.

Father,

I pray for those who are searching, but avoiding your net of grace.  Help us to allow them to find you through us.  Amen.

The Middle of a Miracle

However, this is no excuse, because if they possessed the ability to examine the universe, why did it take them so long to find you, the Lord of the universe? (Wisdom of Solomon 13:8, 9) (This verse comes from the Apocrapha - a collection of scripture that can be found in Roman Catholic Bibles)

One of the best things about having grandchildren is getting to see the world anew through their eyes.  The beach, snow, geese flying in formation.  I will never forget the first time Cecelia noticed a firefly.   She lit up as brightly as they did with her laughter at the astounding wonder of these tiny creatures.

As adults, we forget that we are living in the middle of a miracle.  What excites us?  A touchdown?  I rise in the stock market?  An unexpected bonus?  A new car?  This is what the world tells us we should be excited about.  But the real excitement is all around us, if we will just look with new eyes... if we would just get out there where the real excitement is.  Not in the middle of where all the crowds are.  They are following the world.  Take the road less traveled, and you will be astounded at what you find.  Creation.  And when you get close to creation, you find it impossible not to feel close to God.  And you find it impossible not to believe that only God could create such things.

Look at what these women found when they took a road less traveled... amazing!

  http://goodmenproject.com/bits-and-pieces/video-real-natural-bird-women-canoe-event-will-stun-megasahd/

Father,
Help us to see that we live in the middle of a miracle.  Amen.

Stream of Blessings

They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. (Psalm 36:8, 9 NIV)

We have a tendency to view God's blessings as if they come from some heavenly faucet.  Sometimes, the faucet seems to be on full blast and we bask in all of the delightful blessings pouring down upon us.  Most of the time, we only see a trickle.  A blessing here.  A blessing there.  And then sometimes it seems like God just turns off the faucet faced in our own direction.  Nothing seems to go right and it is just one bad thing after another.  In those times of trickle or complete drought, we try to find ways to get God to turn on that faucet again... maybe if I pray more... maybe if I do more good works... maybe if I give more money.

But so many of the writers of scripture tell us that God's blessings are a never-ending stream.  They just keep coming and coming.  There is never just a trickle and certainly no off button.  God's blessings keep coming.  It's our perception that needs work.  When we suffer loss or failure or when we feel anything less than happy, we think God has been turning down our blessing faucet, when really, we have simply walked too far away from the stream.

So many people can witness to the fact that in their most difficult trials, the blessings of God have been unstoppable.  They are the folks who know how to stay close to the blessing stream, instead of wandering away.  It's a matter of perspective.  And it's a matter of asking ourselves, "Who or what has God sent my way to turn this perceived disaster into a blessing?"

Get a little closer to the stream today.  If you dare, jump in and get drenched in God's blessings.

Father,
We wander away, but blame you for our lack of blessings.  Open our eyes to the constant stream that beckons.  Amen.

Bible Study

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV)

Bible study.  It is a vitally important part of our faith.  How can we worship God if we don't know anything about him?  The bible is the best tool we have to try to figure out who God is and what he expects of us.  Unfortunately, the bible can also be very confusing.  We can find scripture that seems to contradict other scripture.  We have to figure out what is supposed to be taken literally and what is to be taken figuratively.  We find the "God who never changes" to be very different from Old to New Testament.  We see God forgive an adulterous, murderous, lying David and even calling him a "man after God's own heart," but in the Book of Acts, he strikes dead a man and his wife for lying about how much they gave to the church.

I think the most important part of bible study is studying how the Bible - as it is today - has come into being.  When was each book written?  By whom were they written?  Why were certain books included and others not?  How have translations affected the original words?  How might the historical context affect how we should understand specific scripture today?

The bible is not a magical book that floated down from heaven directly from the hand of God.  Is it divinely inspired?  I certainly believe so.  Is it useful for teaching, correcting and training in righteousness?  Absolutely, if used carefully.  But I don't believe God ever meant us to worship the bible or use it to subjugate others or as a tool to control the masses.

Serious study of the background of the bible can be quite eye-opening and very difficult for those who have been led to believe that the bible has magical qualities.  It's hard to hear that maybe some of those that have books of the bible named for them probably didn't write them at all.  It's hard to learn that there were many gospel stories about Jesus that were written that "didn't make the cut."  It is eye-opening to learn how the Jewish people read the different books that are included in our Old Testement and how they interpret them.

Honestly, it can really shake one's faith when we learn some of these things, but in the long run, I also think it makes our faith stronger.... to know that God is bigger than these words... to know that we can still find God in those words and feel Him speak to our hearts in amazing and miraculous ways.  The bible IS a miracle, but it is not magic.  Really studying the bible from its beginnings might remove the magic, but it will also compound the miracle.

Holy God,
Help us to study not only your word given in scripture, but the process you used to bring it to us.  Deepen our faith even as we question it.  Amen.

Sibling Rivalry

All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. (Genesis 49:28 NIV)

I grew up in a large family... two brothers and three sisters.  To put it rather mildly, there was a lot of sibling rivalry!  We would even form "alliances" and they were different all the time.  Girls against boys, older against younger, the twins against everyone else.

Like Jacob, parents sometimes play an unintentional part in this rivalry by comparing their children to each other.... "Jane, why can't you eat all your vegetables like Johnny does?"  "Johnny, why can't your make good grades like your sister?"  Instead of making us want to improve ourselves, it makes us want to point out the flaws in the other.  And there it is.... sibling rivalry.

As children of God we tend to do the same thing.  God does not compare us to one another, but many of us pick out things from the Bible that we are good at to show what good Christians we are, and then pick out things our brothers and sisters are bad at to show how bad they are and how our Father certainly must love us more.

If we were to quit comparing and just use our own unique gifts and talents to glorify God, how glorious and wonderful this world would be!  But we are so afraid that a brother's or sister's success is going to reflect badly on us.  But if we all did the same things well, so many things would be left undone.  And they ARE being left undone, because we are too busy comparing ourselves and trying to prove that someone else's success isn't really all that great.

God isn't fooled.  And he isn't moved to love me one bit more than anyone else just because I might think I deserve it.  We just need to learn to shine our own lights and delight in the lights of our brothers and sisters.  Sibling rivalry seems to be a part of our DNA, but maybe if we can recognize it as it happens, we can change it into sibling support.

Father,
Help us to support one another in using our unique gifts and talents instead of tearing each other down.  Help us to love our brothers and sisters as you love them.  Amen

Mother God

Mothering God, you gave me birth
in the bright morning of this world.
Creator, Source of every breath,you are my rain, my wind, my sun.  
(-Hymn from the book of Evangelical Lutheran Worship)

Few would argue if it were suggested to them that God is genderless.  A slightly less popular notion, but also widely accepted is that God has both masculine and feminine characteristics.  But if I were to start a prayer, "Our Mother, who art in heaven..."  there are many who would cast me out as an heretic.  Why do so many of us have a problem with God as both Father and Mother?  Even in the Bible that was penned by a patriarchal society (inspired by God) there are many mentions of God's nurturing, mothering side.  Here are some that I found:

• God comforts his people like a mother comforts her child (Isaiah 66:13)
• Like a woman would never forget her nursing child, God will not forget his children (Isaiah 49:15)
• God is like a mother eagle hovering over her young (Deuteronomy 32:11)
• God seeks the lost like a housekeeper, trying to find her lost coin (Luke 15:8-10)
• God cares for his people like a midwife that cares for the child she just delivered (Ps 22:9-10, Ps 71:6, Isa 66:9)
• God experiences the fury of a mother bear robbed of her cubs (Hosea 13:8)
• Jesus longed for the people of Jerusalem, like a mother hen longs to gather her chicks under her wings (Luke 13:34)
• In Proverbs, Wisdom is only referred to as "she."

So why should we flip out if God is referred to as "she" or "Mother?"  Though the Holy Spirit is typically referred to as "He," I have always felt the Holy Spirit to be more feminine and personally prefer "Her."  I think when we let go of our tradtion of calling everything about God in the masculine, we let God out of the box and begin to see the Almighty in the much bigger, most powerful and completely omnipotent way She deserves.  We cannot keep Him limited to our puny imaginations and strictures.

Pray to God, our Mother today.  It will feel different, but in a good way.

Mother God,

Help us not to put limits on you that are designed simply from our own traditions and narrow ways of thinking.  Hold us close to your heart and let us feel your nurturing care.  Amen.

What's Your Name?

God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel. ” So he named him Israel. (Genesis 35:10 NIV)

Names meant a lot in biblical times.  They were the identity of the person, not simply what they were called by.  "Jacob" meant "one who follows" or "one who comes behind" because he was born right behind his twin brother, Esau.  Later, God changed Jacob's name to Israel. meaning "one who prevails with God."

There are several name changes in the Bible... Abram to Abraham; Sarai to Sarah, Simon to Peter (the Rock), Saul to Paul... to name the most memorable.  But Jesus changed names in another way too... he changed "adultress" to "fresh start"; "outcast" to "daughter"; "broken" to "healed"; "sinful" to "forgiven."

We too have picked up our names that lable us:  unlovable, shameful, worthless.  They are distortions, but we come to believe them, especially if we have been labled by people we trusted.  But God renames us!  He names us "beloved," "precious child."  To whom should we listen?

When God changes your name, it is changed indeed.  Listen to this song that will help you hear the new name God has given you: "I Will Change Your Name"

Father,
Help me to reject the negative names I have received in this world and embrace only the special, loving name you have given me.  Amen.

The Truth Will Make You Mad

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32 NIV)

This is one of the most loved verses in the Gospels.  But do we know the context?  This statement by Jesus set off an argument with the Jews who were listening.  They were so not having it.  They told Jesus, "We are children of Abraham.  We are not slaves, so we need no one to set us free."  They got mad.

We hate the truth, because usually it does make us mad.  It points out our flaws and our sin.  It makes us realize that, yes, we are slaves.... slaves to sin.... slaves to the world... slaves to wanting our own way.  And the truth of our sinfulness makes us mad.

Pastor Chad has often told me that when someone criticizes him, he does get mad, but then he looks to see what he can learn from it.  And he has given me the same advice when I get mad.  I know he's right, and it seldom makes me any happier with the critic, but every one of us has room for improvement and listening to the truth as someone else might see it can help set us free from the image of perfection we might hold of ourselves and allow us to find ways to improve.

And then there is the deeper, examining, piercing, pruning truth that we find in God's word.  We have taught ourselves to see only the truths that we are good with.  We can point our fingers at others to tell the "the truth will set you free!"  But we neglect the truth that will set ourselves free.  We overlook the truth that we are as sinful as those at whom we point our fingers.  We need to be set free too.  Unfortunately, we will probably get mad first.  It makes us mad when our imperfections show.  But if we get mad and then step back a look to see why, we will learn from it.  And maybe improve ourselves a bit.

Father,
When your Word convicts us, it may make us angry.  Help us to use that anger to dig deeper to find the changes we need to make in our lives.  Amen.

Satisfied

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15 NIV)

There is something about the freshness of a new year that makes us want to clean up and clear out.  Organize!  You can even see it in Walmart and Target.  Gone are the special toy sections and Christmas decoration isles.  They have been replaced with things to help you organize... containers, shelves, log books and organizing computer software.

The idea of cleaning out closets, drawers and storage rooms can be overwhelming.  We sure do accumulate!  How much of the stuff on the high shelf in your closet do you use often?  Or even yearly?  Could you even name everything that's up there without looking?

There is a Bible study out call "Satisfied" and it is about learning to be content.  It's not about condemning owning a lot of things, but about knowing you don't need those things to make you happy.  One good suggestion they make is to divide your "stuff" into 3 categories:

Things you use often:  your car, a bed, a microwave, a pair of jeans, etc.
Keepsakes:  photos, a piece of china handed down the generations, a yearbook, etc
Everything else:  Stuff you really never use
(I would add another catagory:  Seasonal.  I don't use my Christmas tree often, but I use it once a year!)

The Bible study suggests assigning a percentage to how much of your stuff fits into each category.  For most of us it would go something like this:  Use often-30%   Keepsakes-15%  Everything else-55%.  What would happen if the "everything else" disappeared overnight?  Would you feel a sense of loss?  Or a sense of relief?

I guess it really all boils down to the question:  Why do we have all these things we never use?  Just in case?  In case of what?

The comedian, George Carlin, once said, "A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it.  We place our stuff in the house and leave it there while we go out and get more stuff." hmmmmmm......

If you would like to dig a little deeper into this study, there's more food for thought here: Satisfied

Father,
Help us to be content when we have plenty or when we are in need.  All we really need is you.  Amen.

Happy Epiphany!

He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light. (Job 12:22 NIV)

Happy Epiphany!  One definition of the word "epiphany" is, "a revealing scene or moment."  So it is very appropriate that I will be going to Tracy and Daniel's first ultrasound today!  We won't be able to find out if it is a boy or a girl today, but we will have our first glimpse of my newest grandchild.  I'm very excited!

Another recent epiphany or "revealing" moment:  Cecelia received a pretty little locking box for Christmas and was told that was where she could keep her secret treasures.  The other day, she brought the box to me and asked me if I wanted to see them.  Curious, of course, I said yes.  She opened the box and - to my eyes - it was empty.  When I pointed that fact out to Cecelia she said, "Kaymee, they are SECRET treasures, so they are invisible!"  Even though I could not name those treasures, the box - in a way - filled before my eyes with secrets that would delight a five-year-old girl.

A daily "revealing" we should look for was explained by Pastor Chad in his sermon yesterday.  He pointed out that when we bring a candle into the darkness it is easily and readily noticed.  However, candles burning in the light often go unnoticed.  Candles in our worship space represent the presence of God.  How often does the presence of God go unnoticed in our daily lives?  We should live each day as an Epiphany by noticing how God reveals himself to us all day, every day if we would just notice.

Epiphany is so under-celebrated.  Celebrate today by noticing.  Find revealing moments in your life.  See how God is revealing himself to you and in the world today.  Look for all the things that typically go unnoticed in your day.

Father,
You reveal yourself and your gifts in so many ways, but they often go unnoticed in our daily struggles.  Help us to see and appreciate all you are and all you do.  Amen.

Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV)

Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey.  That is the "Dr Who" phrase that has been going through my mind since Advent.  No, I'm not a Dr Who fan, but several of my family members are so it's really easy to pick up on the popular phrase.

We humans tend to see time as linear:  yesterday, today, tomorrow... seperate and solid and unmovable.  We think of eternity as an endless line of time.  But I think that is wrong.  I think eternity is not endless time, but is outside of time... we walk completely off and away from the line. It's hard to even imagine.  And I think that even that mortal line of yesterday, today and tomorrow is much more wibbly-wobbly than straight.

We begin to feel that wibbly-wobblyness when we worship with liturgy... All the saints, past, present and future coming together to praise God with "Holy, holy, holy..."

I wobble off the line a bit when a get a whiff of almond scent and the memory of my mom slathering Jergens Lotion on her hands is so real I can almost touch her.

I wibble into the future as I anticipate the birth of another grandchild and imagine what he or she will look and be like. I also wibble and wobble back and forth, past and present as I nurture my first grandchild, Cecelia, who reminds me so very much of me as a small child that I sometimes think I am nurturing myself as a child.

Many of us have watched loved ones with Alzheimer's wobble a little too far off the line and away from our grasp as we helplessly try to call them back.

Looking up at a starry night sky can draw you away from the line and absorb you into timelessness for as long as you wish to stay.

It's wibbly-wobbly to think of God, the great I Am, who was and is and is to come... The Alpha and Omega who knows our days to come and could be on earth as a man and yet still on His heavenly throne.

This wibbly-wobblyness also helps us understand some of the confusing timey-wimey things in the Bible:

Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah on the mountaintop.

The notion that we wait in our graves until Jesus calls us but Jesus telling the thief on the cross that he will be with him in paradise "this very day."

The idea that our loved ones are happy in heaven though they are parted from us. Perhaps they are not parted from us because since they have stepped outside of time, in a sense, we are already with them.

Yep.  It's enough to rattle our brains.  But it's also a whole different way of looking at our life here on planet earth and the life to come (or already is!). Maybe it can make our grief easier to bear and our joys even more joyful.  We are already part of eternity... We even tune in to snippets of it once in a while if we let ourselves be sensitive to it.

Wibble-wobble frequently this year!  Don't let time rule you... It's not really even real.

Father,
The more we figure out, the more mystery we find.  We give you praise for the mystery of eternity.  Amen