Shortcuts

 May 31, 2021

There are no shortcuts in life. We think we can cut corners and it won’t matter, but sooner or later, the threads start to unravel. The last swarm I caught was easy; the branch it was on was only about a half inch in diameter, so all I had to do was hold a tote beneath it and give it a shake. The bees dropped into the tote, I put the lid on it; job done! Didn’t even need my veil.

It was a bit different today. Nate called to tell me there were hundreds of bees flying around in his backyard. I got over there within fifteen minutes, by which time they had begun to collect on the 3 1/2” trunk of a sumac. Mr. Expert beekeeper that I am, of course I didn’t need a veil this time, either. Unfortunately, the trunk was too thick to shake. I tried, but the bees didn’t let go, so I decided to brush them into the hive. Funny thing about bees—they are not fond of the bee brush and were not hesitant to let me know it. My right eye, the right side of my neck, and my right hand are testimony to their displeasure. The bees are safely hived, but I paid dearly for my short cutting ways.

Memorial Day is solemn testimony to the fact that there are no shortcuts to freedom. It was bought and maintained the hard way by young men (mostly) who fought their way through unspeakable horrors because there was no other way. Tragically, we too easily forget, and when we do, we squander what they bought at so great a price. The shortcuts we take in life will sooner or later have to be paid for because life is not pliable, conforming to our will and desires. It refuses to bend to accommodate our wishes.

It has been said that we cannot break the Ten Commandments; we merely break ourselves upon them; my eye and hand are testimony to that fact. That brokenness is repaired only by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who refused to take the shortcuts offered to him by Satan himself, and who calls us to refuse shortcuts as did he.

Observation

 May 29, 2021

Sir William Oiler, famous physician and co-founder of Johns Hopkins hospital, was instrumental in moving students from the lecture hall to the bedside for clinical training. He was also a stickler for detail in observation. In one of his lectures, he indicated a vial on his desk and announced to the class that by sampling the contents of the vial, the student could ascertain the illness from which the patient suffered. Suiting action to words, he dipped a finger into the vial and into his mouth before passing the vial around the room. Each student gingerly dipped a finger into the vial and sampled its contents, usually followed by a grimace. When it had returned to his desk, he announced, “Now you shall see what I mean by observation. Had you observed closely, you would have noticed I dipped my index finger into the bottle, but put my middle finger into my mouth.”

Too often, we merely glance through the Scriptures, imagining that since we’ve read a particular text before, it has nothing new to tell us, when in fact, there are depths of meaning only plumbed by repetition, study, and meditation. I’ve been reading Colossians for the past two weeks, over and over again, and each time I read, something new is uncovered. It is a mine of infinite value, but the veins are deep, hidden from the casual observer.

Today it was a phrase in the first chapter, verse 13, where Paul says, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness...” What is the power of darkness? The absence of light has no power in itself, It cannot hurt anyone. It’s just...dark. It’s what can happen in the dark that is dangerous. We can stumble, someone might be hiding in it to do us harm. The darkness is not the danger; it’s what lurks within it. So we walk tentatively, feeling our way, stepping carefully lest we trip or fall, or stumble across the hidden attacker.

The Christian needn’t fear the darkness because God sees as well in the darkness as he does in the light. Psalm 139:12 tells us that “the darkness and the light are both alike to you.” So why do we choose to live tentatively or fearfully? Why give power to that which has none of its own? In Christ, we have been delivered from this irrational and faithless fear; it need not have authority over us. Later in Colossians 1, Paul tells us that it was Jesus who created the powers and authorities; they exist only because he continues to will their existence. But he does not will them to have authority over us. That he reserves to himself, and if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have victory in this life and the next. This is but a single phrase in this entire letter, but I am grateful tonight that when I read through it once more, I caught its sparkle of light reflected in the darkness of my mind and turned aside to look more closely. May Jesus Christ be praised!

Sweaters and Stoves

 May 28, 2021

It’s hard to imagine the need for sweaters when we travel to Cuba on our mission trips. They aren’t a high priority item in May or August when both the temperature and humidity can hover in the 80’s. In winter however, it’s a different story. Here in Western New York, we build our homes with at least six inches of insulation in the walls, and double or triple that in the attics. We have furnaces and fireplaces, wood, gas, and electric to keep us warm. Cuban homes are usually simple cement block construction; they’re sturdy, but hardly energy efficient, without anything even close to resembling central heating, and although the thermometer doesn’t dip to below freezing, temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s are not unheard of in winter. A sweater can be an enormous blessing in Cuba. 

Today has been unseasonably cold, with what feels like a November rain that chills to the bone. Linda and I were in town buying flowers for her to plant on her parents’ graves tomorrow, and an apple tree from her to me for our anniversary next week. The rain was penetratingly cold, soon soaking through the spring jacket I was wearing as we bought the flowers and I picked out a tree. Last week, I removed the wood bin from the back room; this morning I brought in a second armload and deposited it on the hearth. Right now, I’m sitting by the fire, sans sweater, Emma stretched out on the floor in front of me, both of us soaking up the heat. 

A warm home doesn’t occupy my mind often, especially when June is just around the corner, but tonight, I am thankful for insulated walls and attics, for the underground lines that transport the natural gas to our furnace, and for the reliable heat it provides. I am thankful for the wood still stacked in the shed, and the stove that keeps our back room toasty warm. Plenty of people throughout history and around the world have never known the warm luxury I often take for granted. I’m not doing that tonight as I give thanks for this simple, but significant blessing in my life. 

Leaky Cisterns

 May 27, 2021

One of yesterday’s projects was mucking out the pond opposite our driveway. To be sure, it’s not a proper farm pond; it isn’t fed by any springs. It’s just a cement-covered hole in the ground surrounded by rhododendrons and a rock garden needing more tending than we’ve given it. Oh...and it leaks. That’s why over the past two years it turned from a fish pond to a mini swamp. It’s cleaned out much to the frogs’ chagrin, but it will only hold water about halfway up. It got me to thinking about Jeremiah 2:13 — “My people have committed two sins; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”

“Living waters” are the Bible’s way of describing running water, as in a stream. The stream behind our home is filled with life, its banks lined with trees, grasses, and flowers. Ducks fly in and out and we see the occasional Great Blue Heron. My pond on the other hand, is a real life illustration of this Scripture; it’s a leaky cistern that can’t hold water; any I put into it just drains out while the muck builds up. 

This life is filled with leaky cisterns from which people try to draw living water. It doesn’t work because cisterns don’t contain living water; their water is stagnant, filled with detritus and debris. How often have I drunk the putrid waters of this world when I could have slaked my thirst with the living water of Christ! And yet, it’s never too late. That mucky pond is cleaned out; all I need to do is re-line it and install feeder and overflow lines to keep it clear. It takes a lot of work to clear out the muck of our lives, but it can be done, and if we make sure there is both an intake and an outflow of the life of Christ, we will not stagnate, but become a source of life and beauty to all who come near.

Baggage

May 26, 2021

Breakfast and a meeting with three friends, followed by installing a package of bees in a hive, mowing the lawn, writing a Memorial Day sermon, and mucking out the pond; it’s been a busy day! I am thankful tonight for the mercy of Christ that gives me the strength to do all this, and the grace that opened my eyes to see that it all comes from the Father’s endless and infinite love. As John says, “What manner of love is this, that we should be called the children of God?” When I look at the baggage so many carry around and the challenges they’ve had to overcome, I am humbled. We never know by looking at the outside what some have been through or what they are presently enduring. What I do know is that in Christ we can be set free, forgiven, and healed if we are willing to drop our defenses and allow the Holy Spirit to dig deep to expose those areas where we’ve hardened our hearts and walled ourselves off from God and others. 

Whenever we meet people, we often ask, “How are you doing?” It’s a greeting; we rarely expect the other person to actually tell us, or if they begin to do so, we wiggle and squirm to get away. We don’t really want to know, and we usually don’t want others to know how we are really doing, so we answer, “fine,” and hope there is no deeper probing. 

Lord, may we be honest before the searchlight of your Word, allowing you to dig deep to dislodge any resistance to the probings of your Holy Spirit. And when you reveal something that needs to change, may we have the courage to let you do your work, that we may be set free and that Jesus Christ may be clearly seen in us. Amen.

 

Complicity

 May 25, 2021

“Look on my affliction and pain, and forgive all my sins.” —Psalm 25:18

If you’ve ever found yourself in the middle of a fracturing relationship, you can understand the ambivalence in this psalm. Enemies abound; most of us have people in our lives who would have no problem plunging the blade into our backs and even giving it a twist or two. They might be subtle about it, but the Christian who hasn’t made any enemies in life is either very young 

or completely clueless. Jesus himself told us that if they hated him, they will hate us. Unfortunately, he wasn’t just talking about people outside the Church. 

Such antagonism would be easier to manage if it weren’t for our own deceitful and wicked hearts. I would love to be able to blame all my troubles on this man or that woman who had it in for me, but it isn’t quite that cut and dried, and this psalm gives us an insight into myself that I often work hard to avoid. David is genuinely hurting. He has very real enemies who would like nothing more than to see him go down in flaming defeat. He knows what it is like to be betrayed by a friend—even worse, by his own son. But he also knows that he himself brought on much of his trouble. It isn’t enough for God to sympathize with his pain; he also needs forgiveness for his complicity in his own problems. So do I. So do you.

We are usually more eager to receive sympathy than forgiveness because the latter requires an admission of our own guilt. Things are not always as straightforward as we want others to believe. The spouse of the addicted individual can garner lots of sympathy, but healing cannot come until the codependency and complicity in the addiction is addressed. I want God to look with sympathy on my affliction and pain, but until I acknowledge and confess my part in the problem, God cannot bring healing. It is the acknowledgment of my own sin that enables me to stop playing the victim (which only abdicates control) and begin to take responsibility of my own life. 

So Lord Jesus, in your mercy look on my affliction and pain, and by your grace forgive all my sins.

Walking Worthy

 May 24, 2021

In Colossians 1:10, Paul prays that the Colossian Christians “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” He makes a connection here that’s subtle, yet strong: Knowing God is more than an academic or even spiritual exercise. It is practical. If I want to know God, I must walk worthy of him, ie. make daily choices in how I live, choices that will please him. Although it has emotional components, knowing God is not merely or primarily an emotional connection; it is a way of life. By ordering our lives according to the Word of God, we learn to know him. 

So even when we are not feeling particularly connected, we are. In fact, choosing to live faithfully when we feel otherwise is perhaps one of the finest indicators that we know God. It’s not a matter of getting worked up in a worship service, but instead is a matter of working out our salvation when no one else is around, or when those around us are antagonistic. In her journals, Mother Theresa often lamented that she felt so empty, so cut off from God, yet she has been a model for genuine faith in Christ for countless Christians and unbelievers alike. Why? Because she walked “worthy of the Lord.” 

Lord Jesus, in your grace and mercy, enable me to walk worthy of you no matter what the circumstances, no matter how I feel.

Ready, Set, Dream

 May 23, 2021

Our “Ready, Set, Dream” class is winding down for this semester. RSD is, as it’s name implies, a class designed to help Christians figure out how God has wired them, how God places within us desires and skills that often get buried by life’s circumstances, and the steps we can take to begin to recapture the passion and drive to accomplish goals we may have forgotten we have.

I’ve noticed it’s different for younger people than for people my age. When I was young, the whole world lay before me; there were any number of roads I could have travelled. But each time we stand at a fork in the road, the choice we make to follow one path means the other is closed to us. It is possible to retrace our steps if we believe we’ve made a mistake, but humanly speaking, life is not infinite, and if I choose this, I cannot at the same time choose that. Before we were married, the world was full of young women from whom I could choose as a life partner. Once I said “I do,” all the others were immediately  off limits. Choosing one road meant all the others were no longer possible.

When it comes to dreams, how do we navigate between the faith that says “all things are possible with God,” and the reality that at my age I’m never going to be a world-class skier, musician, or even preacher? I don’t want to constrict God, who has a curious habit of stretching us beyond our self-imposed limitations, but neither do I want to waste time pursuing a dream that has virtually zero chances of coming true. For example, I would love to travel—to see the British Cotswolds, the Austrian Alps, the Mediterranean coastal towns of Italy and Greece. Linda however, loves being home. She hates to travel, to be away from our kids and grandkids, so it’s not in the cards for me to do much traveling. I prefer having her by my side.

The real question is, how do I distinguish between my dreams and the dreams God has given me? My friend Willie used to say that we don’t understand the power of “No.” I need to be able to discern those dreams that bubble up from the flesh, ie, my own personal and flawed desires, and those that come from God. I can’t have both, and need to know which is which so I can say “No” to those that are merely rooted in myself. 

The lodestone for me is simple: A dream from God always has as its center Jesus Christ. As Paul writes in Colossians, “all things were made by him and for him.” He must be at the heart of it all. That doesn’t mean that every dream has to be big and of world-shaking importance; just that it honors Christ first and foremost. So what are my dreams? To learn Spanish so I can spend more time in Cuba (This isn’t technically travel; it’s mission); to edit and publish my book of devotionals; to succeed in beekeeping; and to leave a legacy of faithfulness and integrity for my grandchildren. I wouldn’t mind learning to play slap bass along the way, and a few other things as well, some of which must remain private for the time being. 

The pressing issue is, “What steps do I need to take now if I am to accomplish my dreams for tomorrow?” Our class leader Nate puts it this way: “If I am to do “a,” first I must do “b.” He has us repeat this, with a small change: “If I am to do “b,” first I must do “c,” and so on, till we have a starting point achievable today. It takes discipline and determination, but no good dream is ever accomplished in spare time and leftover energy. 

I have fewer years ahead of me than are behind me, so if I am going to accomplish anything worthwhile, I have to get better at the power of “No,” but also at the power of “Go.” There’s no time to waste!

Gardens and Cities

 May 21, 2021

Recently we had sod installed where three weeks ago there was only a pile of gravel excavated from where we built the laundry room. We’ve fertilized, watered, and tenderly cared for this new lawn so it will look nice for our granddaughter’s wedding reception I in a mere two weeks. Linda has been hard at work for the past few weeks, weeding and mulching, planting flowers, and making sure everything is just right for the big day. I must say, it looks pretty good. And it got me to thinking.

According to the Bible, our story as human beings begins in a garden (Genesis 2) and reaches its consummation in a city (Revelation 21). I’m not sure what to make of this; I’m more of a garden than a city man. To me, cities are nice to visit, but not where I want to live. Steel and concrete don’t feed my soul as does soil and flora. When we lived in Chicago, we were fortunate to be in a part of the city where we had a small yard and a couple trees, but the wail of police and fire sirens was constant, and we were never able to shut out the sound of the traffic. 

Our eldest granddaughter has been tutoring two young girls whose parents retreated from Brooklyn to Chautauqua to escape the pandemic. Last fall she brought them home to “the farm” for a field trip. The farm consists of a pig, two ducks, a few chickens, two cats and three dogs, plus the neighbor’s goats. The girls had never seen any of these animals face to face, except cats and dogs. They came over to our place in the afternoon and for the first time in their lives swam in a creek. On another visit, we pressed apples for cider, and this spring they got a close up education visiting my bees. I know people who cannot imagine not being immersed in art galleries, museums, concert and theater venues, and fine dining, but I can do all that if I want, and still live where I can smell the new mown hay on a June morning, and listen to the peepers and watch the fireflies in the evening.

And there’s Linda’s gardens. Just walking through them has a way of releasing a day’s tension. It’s easy for me to see how our story begins walking with God in such a place. But it’s the city part that bothers me. The city of God, the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven, is the Revelator’s vision of our future, but why? There is only one answer that comes to mind: the first city recorded in the Bible is Babylon (Genesis 11), a place known for its pride and rebellion, so much so that it’s name is almost synonymous with antagonism to God. It was a den of iniquity, as Obi Wan Kenobi said to Luke Skywalker about the Mos Eisely spaceport, “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.”

In contrast to the city of Man is the city of God, a place of light, life, and beauty. Every tear is wiped away, and songs of praise are heard instead of shouts of anger and wails of pain. I still prefer our gardens, but if the City of God is even remotely as wonderful as John says, I guess I could live there. Actually, I know I could, because there, the dwelling place of God is with us eternally, and the Lamb is on the throne. What a day, glorious day that will be!

Praise and Deliverance

 May 20, 2021

“Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” —Psalm 50:23

The Scripture says that salvation comes to the one who orders his conduct “aright.” The psalmist isn’t suggesting that we earn our salvation by the works we perform, but that genuine salvation works. The right conduct of which he speaks is repentance and faith, according to Jesus. When asked, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” —John 6:28-29 NKJV

Verses 14-15 of the psalm tell us to offer thanks, call upon God, and he will deliver. And when that deliverance comes, our giving of thanks glorifies him. Gratitude, praise, and deliverance are all connected. Deliverance doesn’t happen in a vacuum, but in the context of praise and thanksgiving. Often we want unilateral and unconditional deliverance, but it doesn’t come that way. Israels’ deliverance fro Egypt was the work of God, but they had to march out themselves and leave Egypt behind. So must we.

Fatih, Futility, and Fear

 May 19, 2021

“In spite of this they still sinned, And did not believe in His wondrous works. Therefore their days He consumed in futility, And their years in fear.” —Psalm 78:32-33 

The children of Israel were miraculously delivered from slavery in Egypt, but kept forgetting their salvation. Their deliverance had become mere academic history to them instead of a living reality that was the basis of their present life, much in the same way that we in America have abandoned our history and are as a result, a nation adrift. And what is true of nations is also often true of individuals.

When I fail to remember and trust in God’s wondrous works, I too will live in futility and fear. In fact, it is not accidental or incidental—the Scripture says God is the One behind it all. We’re seeing a lot of futility and fear these days. The word used to describe the result of forgetting our deliverance is “consumed.” Our days and years become like fuel to the fire of futility and fear, and once those days and years are gone, they cannot be reclaimed. When we forget God’s salvation, when we allow it to become mere story on the level of ancient history, or worse, fairy tale, instead of the living foundation for life, day to day futility is the inevitable result, which ends up in fear because we can see no purpose, and if there is no purpose, all bets are off; anything goes. Life becomes chaotic. On the other hand, faith foils fear and frustration, but that faith must be strengthened and encouraged, which is why the psalm begins with these words:

“I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.” (verses 2-4)

When I fail to look back in faith to my deliverance through the cross of Christ, I will inevitably fall victim to fear of the future and frustration with the present as I instead lean on my own futile efforts for deliverance and meaning. It is imperative that I look to the cross in faith, and not as a mere academic exercise. The question life continually asks of me is, “Will you believe that God actually did something at the cross that has a continuing effect on you today?” 

Often Lord, my immediate feelings and failures get in the way of a faithful response to your mercy and grace. “I do believe; help Thou my unbelief.”

Christ is Enough

 May 18, 2021

Charles Spurgeon has been called “the prince of preachers” for good reason. His insights often give timely perspective to Scriptures, as did today’s reading from “Morning By Morning,” a book of devotionals.

“In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete.” (Colossians 2: 9-10) It’s easy to skim over familiar Scriptures without thinking about its implications. About this text Spurgeon writes, 

“All the attributes of Christ, as God and man, are at our disposal. All the fullness of the Godhead, whatever that marvelous term may include, is ours to make us complete. He cannot endow us with the attributes of the Deity, but He has done all that can be done, for He has made even His divine power and Godhead subservient to our salvation. His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, immutability, and infallibility are all combined for our defense. 

Arise, believer, and behold the Lord Jesus joining all of His divine Godhead to the chariot of salvation! How vast His grace, how firm His faithfulness, how unswerving His immutability, how infinite His power, and how limitless His knowledge! All these are made the pillars of the temple of salvation by the Lord Jesus, and all, without diminishing their infinity, are promised to us as our perpetual inheritance. Every drop of the fathomless love of the Savior’s heart is ours. Every sinew in the arm of might, every jewel in the crown of majesty–the immensity of divine knowledge and the sternness of divine justice–all are ours, and will be used for us. 

The whole of Christ, in His endearing character as the Son of God, is by Himself given to us to enjoy most richly. His wisdom is our direction, His knowledge is our instruction, His power is our protection, His justice is our covenant, His love is our comfort, His mercy is our solace, and His immutability is our trust. He makes no reserve, but opens the recesses of the Mount of God and urges us to dig in its mines for the hidden treasures. “All, all, all are yours,” He says. Oh, how sweet to behold Jesus in this way and to call upon Him with the certain confidence that in seeking the interceding of His love or power, we are simply asking for that which He has already faithfully promised.”

Whenever we feel inadequate, whenever we have failed or are fearful, whenever we are in distress or confused or worried about the future or are regretting the past, knowing that we are complete in the Christ who is everything God is, gives confidence and hope beyond measure.

Good Intentions

May 17, 2021

Good intentions aren’t enough. Working with my bees today, I attempted a split. When a colony gets too crowded, it will swarm, meaning they begin raising a new queen, and the old queen leaves with about half the bees, looking for a new home. If by inspection it appears the colony is getting ready to swarm, splitting a colony can be in order. Taking frames of brood and either eggs less than three days old or a queen cell getting ready to hatch, and placing them in a new hive mimics the effects of a swarm without the potential loss of the colony. 

The problem is, I’ve never done this before, and after attempting it, I did a little research and fear I may have made a huge mistake in the details of what needs to be done. It’s not the end of the world; the worst that could happen would be the loss of a few thousand bees, but the lesson is pretty clear. We live in a culture that believes in multiple realities—“what is true for me may not be true for you.” Everything is subjective and the worst possible sin is being judgmental. But my bees tell me a different story. The survival of the colony is not subjective; they live by quite specific, although unspoken, rules. Their combs are built so there is precisely 3/8” space between them; any less and two bees cannot pass, any more, and they build bridge comb to fill the space. There is a specific gestation period from the time the egg is laid till the bee emerges from the cell. And if as a beekeeper I violate the law of the bees, we both pay the price.

The same is true in life. It’s not enough to try hard; I must make the right choices if life is to have any meaning and purpose. I’ve observed people who mean well in their attempt to correct another or build a successful business or marriage, but their good intentions don’t outweigh what are often very poor decisions. I’ve found that doing it right comes from building life upon the solid foundation of Jesus Christ and his Word. 

My bees will let me know soon enough if I messed up. The Holy Spirit will do the same, so I’m not trusting in mere good intentions. I choose instead to follow the Book. 

 

Joyful Trials

 May 16, 2021

“Consider it all joy when you fall into various trials,” James tells us (1:2). Trials and difficulties are not joyous in and of themselves; that goes without saying. There is no escaping them—sooner or later, they come to us all. James uses an interesting word here when speaking of our attitude towards problems, an accounting term—Consider, i.e. don’t let your emotions determine your response to your experiences. 

Our emotions cause us to react rather than respond. Think about the difference between those two words. When we take medicine, we hope for a response, not a reaction. A reaction is inevitably counterproductive, both in medicine and life. When in trials we consider it a joy, we are choosing to respond instead of react. We are taking control of our emotions, but it requires an examination of not only our circumstances, but of our hearts, going deeper than the events around us to the inner secrets and fears we all have. 

This morning in worship, Brandon said, “Don’t fall victim to the moment and miss the meaning.” “Consider” James tells us; think through your situation to the Savior who speaks to you in it. We don’t have to let trouble trouble us. We can bring our trials to Christ, and in doing so, discover the joy of his presence in the midst of the pain.

Persecution Joy

 May 15, 2021

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” —Matthew 5:10-12

Seventeen years ago, Linda and I went through the worst experience in our lives. A woman in our congregation was angry with me for (in her own words) “not giving her the recognition she deserved.” Her anger spilled over, gathering steam till we lost a third of our people and half of our income. I was accused of all sorts of improprieties—breaching confidentiality, among other things. One couple in the church brought me up on charges before the bishop, and after speaking with the disgruntled woman, the man who had been my prayer partner told me he could no longer pray with me, and that he was actively working not only to oust me from leadership at Park, but also to have me drummed out of ministry altogether. 

Ten years later, I was able to pass on to my successor a healthy church, which had been my prayer through all the difficulties of those years, but I can’t say I did much rejoicing over that experience. I wonder...in light of this text, and James 4:4 and 1 Peter 4:13-19 if in fact, this wasn’t the occasion of God’s greatest blessings to me. Sometimes his blessings come disguised as trials and difficulties. I know I depended on him more than any time before or since. It wasn’t fun, but it was a time of growth in faith.

I’m seeing a lot of anger and fear on the part of Christians as we are already experiencing some of the effects of our government’s ideology playing out in real life. Instead of fear and anger, perhaps as Jesus said, we should “lift up our heads, for our redemption draws nigh.”

“Lift up your heads, ye gates; 

Be lifted up ye everlasting doors,

That the King of glory may enter in.

Who is this king of glory?

The LORD of hosts, he is the king of glory.”

—from Psalm 24

Few of us rejoice in persecution and difficulties. Perhaps it’s because we have such a truncated understanding of history and of God’s promises. Persecution puts the believer in good company, and helps loosen our attachment to this world and strengthen our hope for the world to come. Most of us have experienced very little persecution, and the shallowness of our faith shows it. The least irritation sends us off on paroxysms of vitriol and frustration when the troubles of this life should instead drive us to our knees in prayer, helping us get close to God. It took me a long time to begin to see my troubles in the light of Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount, but I’m slowly getting there, for which I am grateful tonight.

Petra

 May 14, 2021

Driving home from picking up a load of mulch for Linda’s gardens, I drove through time today. Petra, a Christian rock band that hit its peak of popularity in the ‘80s was playing from my iphone, and as I drove, I nearly wept from the power of the music and lyrics. Listening to them soon after moving to Sinclairville in 1981, I remember being moved by the driving guitars and rising vocals of Greg X Volz. Today it was “Let Everything That Hath Breath,” and “More Power to Ya” that stirred my soul. I don’t often get emotional, but this was heavenly, and I worshipped as I drove, giving thanks to the Father for his great love and mercy. 

One of the things about this band is not just their longevity, but their genuine passion for evangelism. Christian musical groups are often like fireworks; they rocket into the sky, burst with a bang and cascades of light, then just as quickly burn out as they fall back to earth. Petra has gone through some changes in vocalists, instrumentalists, and producers, but have continued to remain faithful to the Gospel not only in the music, but in the lives of its members. That is a rarity that bespeaks the quality of these men. Additionally, much of their music, while honed to perfection, is still very much within the reach of a decent worship team in a local church, which is why I am hoping ours might be willing to give one or two of their songs a try. They’ve been around long enough to withstand the test of time, and though nearly forty years old, still have the power to move this unemotional former pastor to heartfelt worship and praise. I am very grateful tonight to the Holy Spirit for moving through this music to draw me close this afternoon.

Handy

 May 13, 2021

I got to musing today of the gratitude prompt for the yesterday: “three things held in hand,” and began to think of all the different things I’ve held in my hands over the years. I remember holding my firstborn for the first time, how scared I was, worrying that I’d drop him, thinking how tiny he was, how totally dependent on Linda and me for all his needs. It’s been a long time since Nathan depended on us for his needs. He grew up, married, became a father himself, but the memory of that first day is indelibly etched on my mind.

Hands are pretty amazing. Closed tightly, they become a fist, lifted in defiance, wielded in defense, instruments of brutality, evidence of frustration. Opened, they can either caress or slap, grasp or release, finger the notes on a piano, thread a needle, hold a jackhammer, wave in greeting or signal an execution; today they grasped my Bible, a tote filled with bees, a steering wheel, a shovel, a fork, a hose, a smoker, and a beehive. They held the tv remote so I could watch my granddaughter’s volleyball game. They didn’t hold my bass tonight; I ran out of time.

Most importantly, these hands will draw my wife close tonight. Except when watching tv, she often has trouble falling asleep, so my hands will pull her near. She sleeps well in my arms while my hands go numb. It’s OK; these hands also hold her heart, as hers do mine. I am blessed, and very thankful tonight for hands that though not as strong as once they were, are still able to function.

Quit Boring

 May 12, 2021

My brother reminded me this afternoon of something I said years ago about the proper length of a sermon: “If the well is dry, quit boring.” It’s been a long but fruitful day; up before 6 to work out, fix breakfast for my prayer group, prayer, then to Rochester for the day to move furniture into our granddaughter’s new apartment and do a little premarital counseling with her and her fiancée. A stop at Sam’s Club on the way home to purchase wedding reception supplies, and collecting a swarm of bees once we arrived. Nothing of general interest; for anyone outside the family, you could say the well is dry tonight, so I think I’ll quit boring.

Humility and Prayer

 May 11, 2021

“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” —James 4:6-7 

James talks a lot about prayer. In chapter 1, he tells us we must pray in faith, not doubting. Here in chapter 4, he tells us that our prayers go unanswered not only because we don’t ask in faith, but because we don’t ask at all (4:2), or because we ask for selfish reasons (4:3). Among other things, prayer is an exercise in humility. To pray is to acknowledge our weakness and need, the lesser begging from the greater. Rather than pray about it, we would rather fight and scrap to get what we want (4:1). The fact is, humility is a prerequisite to prayer. The proud never pray. 

Without prayer, we cannot win the battle against the Enemy of our souls. Before we can resist the devil, we must submit—humble ourselves before God. I’ve heard many a prayer in which the person praying speaks loudly and confidently about kicking the devil’s butt or giving him a good thrashing. Such prayers have nothing in common with humility, but are pride dressed up in religious clothing. Here’s the problem: Pride is the devil’s stock in trade. It had its origin in him, and he knows how to manipulate it to his purposes. Any hint of pride, and he is all over it like flies on manure. Prideful prayers are a gift to the devil himself, not to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. If I fail to submit to God at the beginning of prayer, I can shout and command in Jesus’ name all I want, but instead of running away, the devil just laughs. 

Humble submission to the will of the Father is the only way we can begin to resist the devil, which resistance is the only way to make him flee. And only in his absence can we draw near to God and know he is drawing near to us. So away with pride! Shun it with every fiber of your being, and humbly ask God to grant your every need. Come to him in repentance and confession, cleansing your hands and purifying your heart (4:8) so you will no longer be double-minded, unable to receive the blessing he has reserved for you.

Inside, Outside, Upside Down

 May 10, 2021

Today’s gratitude prompt is “a gift outside, inside, and upside down.” Suggestions like this require me to look at life a bit differently in order to see what I would otherwise miss. I read this prompt while waiting outside the eye doctor’s office for my appointment. In our COVID obsessed world, we can no longer sit inside the waiting room, so rather than sit in my truck, I stood in the parking lot watching the little kids across the street making their way to school. The air was cool, but the sunshine bright on a near-cloudless morning, and I realize how blessed I am to live where there is plenty of green grass, trees, and fresh air. Far too many people don’t have the pleasure of breathing deeply and seeing beauty all around them. 

Standing outside in her driveway talking with a cousin this afternoon, we observed how economically depressed our area is, but noted that even so, it is home, and we are grateful to be living where we do. We are not lacking in challenges, but we both are still on our feet, doing our best to live responsibly. She and her brother care for their aged and bedridden mother, living out every day Jesus’ command to love one another and to honor our parents.

The inside blessing was easy. I sat in the doctor’s office, surrounded by equipment designed to help me see better. Some years ago, my friend Joel took an entire set of ophthalmological equipment to Cuba to give to the people there. Here in the States, this equipment was outdated, superseded by the more advanced tools common in optometrist’s offices today. It isn’t only the technology, but the surroundings themselves that are a blessing. The offices were bright and well-kept; I’ve seen what passes for medical offices in other parts of the world—dingy, ill-supplied, with outdated and broken equipment. I’m not sure how much can be done to improve my eyesight; I am nearly 72, but at least I know I’m getting as good a care as is possible.

Upside down is a bit more tricky. Linda often laughs at the birds eating upside down on the suet feeders outside our window, but I am thinking more about the Gospel message that turns life upside-down. We naturally imagine that power and control will win the day, that might makes right, or if not, it at least beats weakness. I’ve been reading the beatitudes of Matthew 5 once more, and in them and in his entire Sermon on the Mount, Jesus turns on its head our understanding of how life works. Humility, mourning, mercy, and being persecuted are not usually at the top of our list of blessings in this life, but in his topsy-turvy way, Jesus switches things around, bringing blessings out of buffetings, and turning disgrace into grace. For this I am particularly thankful tonight.

Mom’s advice

 May 9, 2021

This is a first for me. For the seventy-one years I’ve been alive, I’ve had my mother on Mother’s Day. She breathed her last this past October. Ninety-eight years she had, during which time she accumulated a lot of wisdom. Last week in Sunday School, our son Nate asked the class to think of the words of wisdom we learned from our mothers. It was interesting to hear what other mothers taught their children, lessons most of us learned in one way or another, but which were different in emphasis depending on the mother.

I was never much of a talker, and I don’t remember my parents sitting down to expound upon life lessons with any of us kids, except for one saying mom drilled into us: “Keep your original commitment, even if something better comes along.” Over the years, these words have made life much easier and simpler than it would have been without this wisdom. When making decisions, it’s not hard to second-guess yourself, which if left unchecked, leads to caroming from one choice to another like the ball in a pinball machine. Making a choice and refusing to look back helps me keep a steady course when things aren’t going according to plan. Mom’s words don’t mean I cannot adjust when necessary, but they do keep me from bouncing back and forth in indecision. 

As a pastor for nearly forty years, I can attest to the heartache and emotional wreckage caused by people who made the choice of a life partner only to decide later on that someone else looked like a better choice. Promises and commitments made before God get thrown to the wind, along with the security and hearts of little children caught in the middle. This is not to say that there aren’t often good reasons for divorce, but I’ve picked up enough pieces of people’s lives to know that most of the time, things could have worked out except one or the other bought into the lie that someone better lay in another’s bed.

“Keep your original commitment” meant there were plenty of options I didn’t have to waste time and energy trying to decide. The choice had already been made; life is simpler and happier because of mom’s advice. So mom, thank you. Linda thanks you, as do our children and grandchildren. That one piece of advice has made a difference in all our lives.

Hungry

 May 8, 2021

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount begins with what have been called the Beatitudes, nine blessings pronounced upon people who exhibit certain qualities of life. The first three declare a blessing on what appear to be rather passive characteristics—those who are poor (“in spirit” Matthew says; Luke simply says “poor.”), those who mourn, and those who are meek. None of these three characteristics is particularly active; they seem more receptive. But as he pronounces the fourth blessing, Jesus suddenly shifts gears, saying, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Instead of a kind of passivity, Jesus here encourages an active and aggressive search for righteousness. Where the first three are perhaps gifts bestowed upon those receptive to them, this beatitude requires action, fortitude, and energy. 

We choose to pursue righteousness...or not. It is not something that can be granted to just anyone. The person who chooses hatred, jealousy, bitterness, greed, or lust cannot at the same time choose righteousness, and is by virtue of his choice, incapable of receiving it.

Jesus uses an interesting and most appropriate word in describing the consequence of seeking righteousness: “filled.” If I fill my heart and mind with unrighteousness, by definition, there is no room for righteousness. Love and hate cannot fill the same heart at the same time. Likewise greed and generosity, lust and purity. If I fill my soul with the poisonous junk food of this world, I’ll never develop an appetite nor a hunger for the things of God. And like junk food, the ways of this world give an immediate kick, a high, but it doesn’t last. They are empty spiritual calories that only serve to ultimately render us incapable of living the life God intended us to live. 

Once again, Scripture comes alive, for which I am thankful tonight.

Freedom

 May 7, 2021

It’s been a long and busy day and evening, so tonight’s musings are not my own, but are the meditations of the Orthodox cleric John of Kronstadt concerning how sin destroys our freedom.

“Let no one think that sin is something unimportant – no, sin is a terrible evil, that destroys the soul, both now and in the future life. The sinner in the future life will be bound hand and foot (meaning the soul) and cast into outer darkness. As the Savior said: "Bind him hand and foot and cast him into outer darkness;" that is, he entirely loses the freedom of his spiritual powers, which, being created for free activity, suffer through this a kind of overwhelming inactivity for every good work: in his soul the sinner recognizes his powers and at the same time he feels that these powers are bound by unbreakable chains – "he shall be holden with the cords of his sin." 

“To this must be added the terrible torment arising from the very sins themselves, from the consciousness of our own foolishness during the earthly life, and from the image of the angry Creator. Even in this present life sin binds and destroys the soul. What God-fearing man does not know what sorrow and oppression strike his soul, what torturing, burning fire rages in his breast when he has sinned? But besides binding and destroying the soul as it does temporarily, sin also destroys it eternally if we do not repent here of our sins and our iniquities from our whole heart. Here is also a proof by experience that sin destroys the soul temporarily and eternally. If it happens to any God-fearing person to go to sleep without having repented of the sin, or the sins, he has committed during the day, and which have tormented his soul, these torments will accompany him the whole night, until he has heartily repented of his sin, and washed his heart with tears (this is also from experience). The torments of sin will wake him up from sweet sleep, because his soul will be oppressed, bound a prisoner by sin.”

How often has the freedom of my spirit been bound by hidden unconfessed sins? Too often, I’m afraid. The Good News is that repentance and confession restores freedom. Our God is gracious, and the power of the Cross is without equal. Jesus has broken the chains of sin, setting us free. Praise his holy Name!

Memory

 May 6, 2021

Memory is a tricky bugger. Someone recently wanted people to date themselves by naming stores that no longer exist. I could picture two in my mind, location and layout, but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember their names. About six hours later, the names popped into my head without my bidding: Robert Hall and Noah’s Ark. Why I couldn’t think of them when I wanted to is beyond me.

I admire singers and actors who can remember lines and lyrics to a myriad of songs and plays. It’s a stretch for me to remember a measly three point outline for my sermons. Some years ago at our village History Day celebration, I was asked to give a short devotional and lead in the Lord’s Prayer—not exactly Mensa requirement. Here I am, standing on the porch of the village history museum in front of a hundred or so villagers and visitors, and midway through the Lord’s Prayer, I forget what line comes next. I’m standing there like a silent numbskull, wracking my brain in vain till the organizer of the event leans in close with the right words. Can you imagine the preacher forgetting the Lord’s Prayer? That’s me and my fickle memory.

John Newton, author of Amazing Grace, told of how as a young boy he learned lessons in godliness from his mother, but over and over, he said, “I forgot.” His memory lapses led him to the slave trade, and even managing to become a slave himself before he finally remembered and was converted. I can attest to the fact that it’s when I forget the presence of the Lord through his Holy Spirit that I get myself into trouble, which is why it is so important for me to begin each day remembering—reading Scripture and praying. If I forget this in the morning, I’m apt to forget who I am and who I represent through the day. 

I am grateful tonight for our men’s prayer hour this morning at 6:00 am. With the help of the alarm and Linda’s nudge, I remembered to get up early, and the memory of our time together stayed with me through the day. 

Fishing

 May 5, 2021

Trout season is hard upon us. April first saw a steady stream of fishermen down at the swimming hole, each one hoping to have the right combination to lure that elusive big one out of its hole. Though our stream is stocked, after talking with a number of the hopefuls, I don’t think there were a lot of smiles at the end of the day.

I come from a long line of fishermen. Correction: I come from a long line of worm-drowners. Growing up, summer Saturdays were dedicated to fishing; both grandfathers, my dad, brother, and I would get up early, dig worms out of the bin in the backyard that we had dumped in the wee hours of Friday morning after a night of gathering them from the golf club greens when the sprinklers came on at midnight, and head to the ponds. Anywhere else, these would be called lakes, but along the southern shore of Lake Ontario are a series of small lakes surrounded by cattail marshes. Long Pond, Buck Pond, Cranberry Pond were favored fishing spots for pike, smallmouth bass, and perch. Not that we ever seemed to catch many of them. 

When I went to college, my fishing days became a thing of the past, but I do remember enough to know that success, as elusive as it was for me, depends on knowing the habits of the fish you’re after, knowing their habitat, what they are feeding on at any given time, how the weather affects them, as well as a host of other more ethereal bits of fishy wisdom.

All this floods back when I read Jesus’ words to fishermen Peter and Andrew as he walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, calling out, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men!” Something in that invitation must have grabbed their hearts, for they immediately left their nets to become itinerant disciples and eventually, apostles.

It’s the way Jesus said it that intrigues and convicts me. It’s not only a call, but also a promise: If we follow him, he will (not maybe or perhaps) make us fishers of men. The implication is clear: If we’re following, we are also fishing. The reverse is also true: If I’m not fishing, I’m not following. This is where the conviction hits home. I’m pretty much of an introvert; I don’t easily strike up conversations with people, and have to pay special attention to find the key that opens the door to people’s willingness to hear the Gospel. Unfortunately for me, Jesus didn’t qualify his command by limiting it only to extraverts. His statement is unequivocal, which means as much as I’d like to believe I’m following Jesus, if I’m not fishing, I’m not following. 

There’s more: If I am serious about following, I’ll be serious about fishing, which means just like a good trout fisherman studies the flow of the stream, what the trout is feeding on, and how to best present the lure for success, I will study people, learn their ways, where their souls are hungry, and how to present the Gospel for the best possibility of success. Casually tossing my gospel line willy-nilly doesn’t work. And fishing only where it is convenient for me doesn’t cut it. A good fisherman learns where the fish are, and if nothing is biting, pulls his line and goes where they are biting. 

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” I haven’t put my line in the water lately, so these words dig deep. Lord, I’ll follow. I’m watching to see how you did it, so I can do the same.

Strength in Weakness

 May 4, 2021

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” —II Cor. 12:7-10 

These words from St. Paul launched our pastor’s prayer time this morning. As various individuals prayed, a subtle shift took place; from Paul’s words of weakness, the prayers took on the tone of victory and power, of the Church rising up to conquer the world for Christ. I sat and listened in amazement as we moved away from the plain reading of the text. 

In the ‘70s, Ray Stedman began teaching about what he called Body Life, and wrote a book by that title in which he outlined the importance of exercising one’s spiritual gifts when serving Christ. He almost singlehandedly launched a movement which has influenced countless ministries encouraging Christians to discover their spiritual gifts and to use them to serve. His seminal work spawned spiritual gift inventories and entire programs through which countless Christians have moved. The Church has benefited from much of this, but there have also been some drawbacks, in that while recognizing spiritual gifts, the Gospel never encourages us to minister out of our strengths, but as Paul says, from our weaknesses. 

As various individuals fervently prayed for revival this morning, I wondered if our emphasis on spiritual gifts has prevented the very results we crave. When we serve out of our strengths, though we acknowledge him, we don’t necessarily need the Holy Spirit. We build ministries, genuinely see people’s lives change, but I wonder if we are missing something in the process. When we emphasize spiritual giftedness, we tend to work out of our areas of strength—after all, that’s what the business world and al the self-help gurus tell us we must do. But when we work only our areas of strength, we shut out the person who is struggling, who needs to hear from someone who also struggles with life.

We are too often embarrassed and ashamed of our weaknesses; we hide them from others and even from ourselves. We hesitate to admit our failures, isolating ourselves in our little cocoons where no one can use our weaknesses against us. Sin thrives in such places, and for all our posturing, we know the truth—we are often a hair’s breadth from moral and spiritual collapse. 

What if instead of working from our strengths, we did as Paul did, acknowledging our weaknesses and working from them? Maybe we could give hope to the one struggling with life, And just maybe, God’s power might manifest itself, and the revival for which we long could at last come.

Temptation

May 3, 2021

Matthew 4 records the contest between Jesus and the devil, beginning with the latter’s suggestion that after 40 days of fasting Jesus turn stones into bread. He followed by encouraging Jesus to jump from the pinnacle of the temple so the angels could rescue him and prove to onlookers who he was. The final temptation was a blatant plea for Jesus to bow to him, with the offer of all the kingdoms of the world if he would do so—quite an alluring temptation, as Jesus would by it be able to bypass the cross.

Temptations often begin as they did here, with an appeal to satisfy a legitimate need, but in a way that would be outside God’s plan. For Jesus, it was turning stones into bread; for us it would be a bit more mundane—satisfying sexual needs outside of marriage, or providing for the family through theft or corruption. It often is easy to rationalize our sin, even quoting Scripture to do so, as the devil did. The contest ultimately ends with an appeal to simply surrender to the fulfillment of our desires by any means possible. The operative word here is “surrender.”

I don’t believe the devil came to Jesus in obvious malevolent attire and demeanor, but in the thoughts of his own mind, just as he comes to us. We would run if we recognized him for who he is, but disguised as our own thoughts and feelings, we listen...to our peril. The answer to his machinations is the same for us as it was for Jesus: to be so saturated with Scripture that we not only can quote it, but recognize when it is being twisted and contorted and used against us. Elsewhere, Jesus quoted from the Psalms, saying, “I come to do Thy will, O God.” He was able to resist surrender to the devil because he was already surrendered to the Father. May this be true of me, as well.

Dreams

 May 2, 2021

“I’ve done everything I wanted to do, seen everything I wanted to see.” My boss towered over me with his 6’3” and 300 lb bulk. He had been a bodyguard for someone in the Mafia, traveled, drank, womanized, and now was the manager of the Minute Man gas station. Linda stopped for gas on her way to work one day, crying because she had to leave her job due to pregnancy complications, and Dick told her to have me come in. He had a list of about twenty young men wanting jobs; he tore it up and gave me forty hours a week. He was rough and tough, except for his heart. 

I’m thinking of Dick tonight. In our ‘Ready, Set, Dream’ class, we’ve been listing dreams we have—things big and small we’d like to accomplish some day. When I was younger, I could have easily filled pages, but it’s a bit harder now; unlike Dick, there are plenty of things I’d like to do or see, but realistically, many, if not most of them will never happen. It’s not because they’re impossible; it’s that I don’t really care that much about most of them. I’d like to go back to England some day, but if it comes down to a choice between being a tourist and returning to Cuba for mission work, Cuba will win every time. I’ve had that ‘42 Harley in pieces for twenty years, waiting to be assembled and ridden. Once upon a time, I envisioned myself riding it around; today I just want it out of my garage.

If I’m passionate about anything (besides my wife), it would be Cuba. For the foreseeable future, COVID has shut the door to returning, but the desire is still there, and I do expect to return. Persistence in the face of obstacles is one of the characteristics of a God-given dream. There was a time when I believed if God were in it, barriers would come down and the road would be unobstructed. I’ve learned that the greater the dream, the greater the problems. God is more interested in building our character than accomplishing some great work through us, and problems are his tool of choice in the matter.

I hope I never get to the place my friend Dick was at. With St. Paul, I have learned to be content with where I am, but I don’t expect nor want to get stagnant in it. By the same token, I’ve learned that my dreams are not always God’s plans. I doubt if Moses as a young man dreamed of spending forty years guiding sheep through the wilderness of Midian and another forty doing the same with ex-Egyptian slaves. I can’t envision that being on his bucket list. There are things I would still like to see and do in life, but my real vision is pretty simple—to know Christ better and get better at following him, whether on the mission field in Cuba, or tending my bees here at home. 

Convenient Worship

 May 1, 2021

“That I may come and worship him also.” The Magi had travelled for months across desert, from oasis to oasis till they finally arrived in Jerusalem asking where the Christ was to be born, so they could worship him. Herod pretended to have the same desire, but couldn’t be bothered to join them in the search, instead urging them to go and let him know when they found the Child. His piety was a pretense; he preferred to stay in the comfort of his palace, letting others do the work of searching. Worship which refuses to expend effort is no worship at all, but is merely a pretext concealing a self-centered and narcissistic heart.

Genuine worship implies that the object of reverence is greater than the one who gives it. Herod would bow to no one, maniacally insisting instead that all bow before him. Such worship refuses to yield its rights, insisting instead that the object of worship yield to convenience. A thousand years earlier, David said, “I will not give to the LORD that which has cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). Convenient worship is in reality a worship of self, not God. Worship is not the same as self-actualization, a means of feeling better, but is a surrender to One greater than myself.

Ultimately such non-worship is deceitful and destructive. It is a lie designed to trick others into doing my will, to make genuine worshippers believe we are of the same mind and heart, when in fact, it will stop at nothing to retain its own power and control. The real worshippers in this story were wise men, indeed, to avoid further contact with this imposter.

Worship must not be deliberately and unnecessarily inconvenient, but neither should it bow to the whim of the soul so narcissistic as to insist that others do the heavy lifting. Tomorrow is Sunday; may we gather not to merely receive God’s blessing, but even more, to give the sacrificial praise and worship the Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ deserves.