Emmett

 November 30, 2021

Emmett Waite succeeded me as pastor when I left my first church to attend seminary. Emmett was a retired Reformed pastor from the Hudson valley who brought a lifetime of wisdom to the church and to me. During the transition time, he showed up at our door one day holding a trivet. He had made it himself from a tile he had placed in a wooden frame. As he handed it to me, he said, “If you throw this to the floor at my feet, it will not change the affection with which I give it.”

Of course, I took it and treasured it for many years. Many moves later, I cannot say whatever became of it; Emmett long ago walked into the presence of his Lord and Savior, but that memory remains burned into my mind.

Gift giving is a two part process; there’s the giving, but there must also be the receiving for the transaction to be complete. It all breaks down if both parts are not present. This morning in my reading, I came across John 14:27, and it has been running through my mind all day. 

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

These words Jesus spoke to his disciples on the last night he would be with them in this life. They had followed as he taught and healed, confronted the religious leaders, and set his sights on Jerusalem and the Cross. They were trying to make sense of a situation that was barreling out of control and looked to become a disaster for him and them. They were understandably worried; then they heard these words. 

Notice that Jesus is offering them (and us) a gift—peace. The first part of the transaction is complete; he has offered. The question remains as to whether we will receive it. Whether we do or not, Jesus’ love for us will not change. If I am lacking peace, it’s not because it’s not available; it’s because I have refused to receive the gift, or if I’ve received it, instead of opening it, I’ve just let it sit in a corner, unopened, unused. 

We all say we want peace, but instead of actually taking Jesus at his word, we occupy our minds with all the things that rob us of our peace. God isn’t in the business of teasing us with a gift he has no intention of giving. If he offers it, it is available. If we don’t have what he offers, it’s because we haven’t believed him and haven’t reached out and taken hold of his gift. This gift of peace is continually before me. I chose to receive it, and choose again each day. I learned that from Emmett many years ago, and it has made all the difference.

Finishing Well

 November 29, 2021

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” —II Timothy 4:7-8 

The Bible is filled with stories of those who started well but petered out before reaching the finish line. Some, like Joash in 2 Chronicles, did well for a long time, but got proud and complacent, and went off the rails. Others, like Demas (2 Timothy 4:10), got distracted, entranced by the glitter of this life. Some, I imagine, just got tired of the battle. Elijah was on the verge of quitting when God sent him on a much-needed vacation (1 Kings 19).

Jesus put it plainly: “He who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13). I’m at a point in life where I don’t worry about much. Covid doesn’t scare me; I take reasonable precautions in life; there are places I wouldn’t go alone at night; I buckle up when I’m driving, and am careful with my fingers when I use my table saw. I’m in no hurry to rush the process, but I’m not afraid to die. 

The only thing I really fear is that I might not end well. Retirement can be a trap; it’s easy to settle into a more casual pace that eventually slows to a crawl. This is true in spiritual life as well as in the natural day to day stuff. We’ve all read the stories of famous Christian leaders who started believing their own press, grew careless, and went through the guardrails to their own destruction. Sadly, such failures affect so many others who followed their ministries and teaching. They were stars that shone brightly till they exploded, engulfing those close to them and lighting up the media before fading into oblivion.

“Lord, grant me mercy to finish strong. Protect me from my sinful self, that it not come down from the cross. May it not rise to infect me with its living death of sin and rebellion. The words of the old hymn are so true: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love.” In your mercy I place my trust; in your saving power in Christ alone, I place my hope.”

The Holy City

 November 28, 2021

Advent has come. We think of it as the buildup to Christmas, a looking forward to the day while looking backward to what it commemorates. Historically however, the Advent Scriptures point not backward to Christ’s first Advent, but to his Second Coming, his Second Advent. 

This is reflected in many of the Christmas Carols so familiar to many of us. “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” for example, has these words:

For lo! the days are hastening on, 

by prophet seen of old, 

when with the ever-circling years 

shall come the time foretold 

when peace shall over all the earth 

its ancient splendors fling, 

and the whole world send back the song 

which now the angels sing.

Similarly, “Angels from the Realms of Glory” has for it’s fourth and fifth verses, 

Saints, before the altar bending,
watching long in hope and fear,
suddenly the Lord, descending,
in his temple shall appear.

Though an infant now we view him,
he shall fill his Father's throne,
gather all the nations to him;
every knee shall then bow down.

When I was a mere boy, there was a man in our church who had a beautiful Irish tenor voice and would occasionally sing a solo. I only remember two songs in his repertoire, but can still in my mind see him at the pulpit, a head crowned with wavy black hair, singing words which at first seem to have little to do with Christmas, but which I heard again yesterday in a concert led by Andre Rieu, entitled, “The Holy City.” It’s lyrics are as follows: 

Last night I lay sleeping

There came a dream so fair

I stood in old Jerusalem

Beside the temple there

I heard the children singing

And ever as they sang

Methought the voice of Angels

From Heaven in answer rang

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem!

Lift up you gates and sing

Hosanna in the highest

Hosanna to your King!"

And then methought my dream was chang'd

The streets no longer rang

Hush'd were the glad Hosannas

The little children sang

The sun grew dark with mystery

The morn was cold and chill

As the shadow of a cross arose

Upon a lonely hill

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem!

Hark! How the Angels sing

Hosanna in the highest

Hosanna to your King!"

And once again the scene was chang'd

New earth there seem'd to be

I saw the Holy City

Beside the tideless sea

The light of God was on its streets

The gates were open wide

And all who would might enter

And no one was denied

No need of moon or stars by night

Or sun to shine by day

It was the new Jerusalem

That would not pass away

"Jerusalem! Jerusalem

Sing for the night is o'er

Hosanna in the highest

Hosanna for evermore!

The lyrics alone cannot convey the majesty and power of this song. Suffice it to say I was moved to tears at hearing it once more after all these years. As with Advent itself, it took me back and pointed me forward at the same time. The older I get, the more poignant I find death to be. I grew up in a middle-class suburban household. Most such people in our country don’t have to think deeply about such matters, but each year brings me closer to the finish line, and melodies and lyrics like this bring into focus the significance of our faith. 

People are once more trembling before the threat of another round of covid, of inflation and supply chain issues. The media is stoking the flames of fear, but I stand tonight with St. Paul who said, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” I’m in no hurry to get to the end, but I’m also in no fear of it, for as the song says, “All who would light enter, and no one was denied.” One day, I will. Until then, each day is a gift treasured, for which I give thanks tonight.

Success and Failure

November 27, 2021  

If you want to know a man’s character, don’t look only at how he handles failure; see how he handles success. Success can take you places you’ve never gone before, but those places aren’t always good. The Bible is filled with stories of people who began well, but finished poorly.   Uzziah, mentioned in the book of Isaiah, was sixteen when he became king, and ruled for 52 years. He sought the LORD, did what was right, and was blessed with success: “As long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.” (2 Chron. 26:5) “But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction.” (2 Chron. 26:15)  

St. Paul understood this temptation. He was plagued with some sort of weakness from which he begged God three different times to be free. God’s answer? “My grace is sufficient for thee; my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (1Corinthians 12:9) Notice that God didn’t promise to make Paul stronger, but to use his weakness. Had Paul been delivered from his “thorn in the flesh,” it is quite possible God wouldn’t have been able to use him so powerfully as he did.  

It’s not my failures that worry me; it’s the successes. My head is too easily turned, my heart too easily swayed. Great success could very easily do what failure was unable to accomplish, by causing me to lose my grip on grace and trust in my own ability. The day that happens—the day my heart is lifted up, I will be well along the road to destruction. May God pardon my failures and preserve me from my successes. God

Fearing God

 November 26, 2021

“The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his mercy.” —Psalm 147:11

When I was a young man sitting before the Board of Ordained Ministry, a question arose about something I had written in the required theological papers. Having spoken about fearing God, one of the examiners interpreted my words by saying, “I think what Jim means is having respect for God.” 

I strenuously objected. “That’s not what I meant! When I talk about fearing God, I’m speaking of a shaking in your boots terror!” The glances around the room made me wonder if I would be approved. I was, but I’m not sure I was ever fully trusted after that.

I’ve had only one or two such experiences, but they were enough to not want more. I understand Peter’s heart when after a record catch of fish he said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man!” He understood he was in the presence of someone dangerous. We’ve gentrified Jesus till he is like a fishing buddy instead of Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

The psalmist understands the fear of the Lord as the Bible presents it, not as we want it to be. Not content to let us invent our own definitions, he spells it out for us in the second phrase of this verse. Today, we would put an “i.e.” in between the two phrases. Fearing the LORD means hoping for mercy, knowing that it is not deserved, but completely necessary when unrighteous as we are, we stand before a holy God.

Fearing God isn’t about obeying him, although that may be one consequence of it. Our obedience is spotty at best, and if God’s pleasure in us is dependent upon it, we are in deep weeds. Fearing God means we know we deserve his wrath, and cast ourselves upon his mercy, which is our only hope. The Good News is that his pleasure in us is not predicated on the consistency of our obedience, but in the certainty of his mercy, poured out for us on the Cross of Jesus Christ, who died so we might live. For that mercy, I give thanks tonight.

Troublesome Hope

 November 26, 2021

St. Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians is considered by scholars to be his magnum opus, his definitive explanation of the faith he preached. Not having visited this church, he wrote this letter by way of introduction. Though he had not met them, he was certainly known by them, but reputation has its drawbacks. He was no stranger to slander and misrepresentation, so this letter is his way of setting down clearly who he was and what was his message.

Having laid the foundation of the reality and devastation caused by human sinfulness, he moves to the solution found in the death of Jesus Christ and our faith in him which puts us in right relationship with God. The fifth chapter of his letter begins,

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” —Romans 5:1-5 

His words are pretty straightforward, but can sound pretty foreign to our Western ears. Verse 3 has us glorying in tribulations; words that sound rather masochistic to us. Why would anyone do such a thing unless he or she were a few fries short of a Happy Meal? Paul doesn’t do hit and run, throwing out a provocative statement without any explanation. He continues by telling us God’s purpose in our troubles. 

Some gifts God can just lay on us in grace and mercy, but others require a process. Endurance is one of those process gifts. Excellence in any field requires dedication and endurance through long hours of hard work. We only endure if there is some problem we need to endure through. Perseverence/endurance then produces a certain character: strength, determination, the ability to fight through discouragement and defeat.

But how does character produce hope? Most of us have been through some pretty hopeless situations, and not all of them resulted in a miraculous turnaround. Our prayers have been unanswered, our loved one died, we lost the job, the wayward child has yet to come home. We’ve endured, and perhaps developed a strength of character we didn’t know we could have, but how does that give us hope?

I am not even close to being the final authority on these matters, but I do believe that once you’ve been through tribulation and endured it, you don’t look to this world to give you hope. COVID has taught us how fleeting such hope can be. Character means not being tied to the whims of the world or of self. Character looks beyond the immediacy of feelings, having lost faith in it’s ability to sustain us. I find nothing in this world that I can see that will give me eternal hope. I’ve lost my naivete and know that even the best of this world can evaporate overnight. The only thing that doesn’t disappoint us is “the love of God [which] has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” That love is the source of my hope.

The Countdown

 November 24, 2021

The Baileys aren’t known for their liturgical correctness. Leading up to Christmas, we observe Advent, but the Christmas season begins for us on Thanksgiving Eve at our daughter’s home. After an outstanding meal of chicken cordon bleu, we clear the table and spread out our Thankful Tablecloth where each one writes at least one thing for which they are grateful in the past year. Since 2003 we’ve archived our family history on that piece of linen, sometimes through tears, often in laughter, always in joy and humble gratitude. It has gotten so crowded that last year we had to sew an additional piece to it. 

In 2007, son Matthew traced the newest addition to their family on the tablecloth. The cousins persuaded “little” Nathan to stretch out and get traced again, much to their delight. 

Following the Tablecloth ritual, everyone retreats to the living room to watch a certain scene from the 1983 movie “A Christmas Story,” after which the crate is ceremonially brought in and son in law Todd recreates the father, opening the crate, throwing excelsior around the room and retrieving the Leg Lamp. The very first time this was done, grandson Ian was only about five or six, and instinctively stroked the fishnet stocking, just like in the movie. Of course, he had to do it again as we all trooped out to the front lawn, Ooing and Ahhing, and reciting the appropriate lines:

“What is it?”

“It’s a major award!”

On it goes. For the Baileys and Andersen’s, the Christmas season has arrived. We have blessed one another with good food, laughter and prayers, and it is time to go home where Linda and I again count our blessings, grateful having received so much as to be able to be on the giving side of life.

Peace with God

 November 23, 2021

Peace with God…that’s something most of us long for, even if we don’t believe in God or know what that means. We may give it different names—contentment, satisfaction, safety or security, absence of fear. From the humblest peasant to the richest and most powerful, we desire peace, but often pursue it in the strangest of ways. We argue and fight, try to gain the upper hand, or hide away where we imagine the ills of this world cannot reach. All the while, it is within reach.

Paul says something quite unusual here that is hidden by the punctuation given the text by later editors. That punctuation may be technically correct, but it hides a significant truth. Pause over his words in Romans 5. He has just finished schooling us on justification, arguing that we are made right with God by faith in what Jesus Christ has done on our behalf, and not by anything we can accomplish. 

He then says this: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” Here’s where the punctuation makes a difference like that made when we say, “Let’s eat, Joe,” instead of “Let’s eat Joe.” The problem with Paul’s statement as we usually read it is that there are a lot of people who have been justified by faith who still don't have peace with God. They believe that Jesus died for them, have trusted in him, but still have that nagging emptiness. I know…that was me for many years.

If we change the punctuation however, things begin to fall into place. Here’s my proposal: “Therefore, being justified, by faith we have peace with God…” God has already done the work for us in Christ, but I must believe his salvation is at work in me, even when I can’t see it, or when I mess things up by my own sin. God can’t just drop peace into our hearts; if I fail to believe I am made right with God, peace will elude me. 

Believing in Jesus makes us right with God, but that isn’t a one time experience. If I start believing my feelings more than God’s promises, my peace will evaporate quicker than a drop of water on a hot griddle. Knowing I have been justified, I trust today in the finished work of Christ, and peace is the result. That’s something for which to give thanks today.

By Faith

 November 22, 2021

In tonight’s men’s Bible study, we looked at St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapters 3 and 4, where he writes about what God has done for us in Christ. He uses two analogies to help us understand. The first is taken from the judicial system. 

In chapter 3, he writes, 

“By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed… even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.” —Romans 3:20-22

Before the law, we are either innocent or guilty. Paul says here, and in v.23, that we are all guilty; we’ve all sinned. But God has “justified [us] freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…by his blood.” (v. 24-25) Standing before God as judge, I am guilty and have no ability to pay the fine (6:23—“The wages of sin is death.”), but Jesus paid the fine by dying in our place. Legally, the fine for sin has been paid, and I am free to go.

In chapter 4:1-8, Paul’s analogy changes to the world of finance when he says, “To him who does not work but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (v. 5). My bank account was overdrawn; I was spiritually bankrupt. I could stand before God for eternity signing spiritual checks filled out with all the good things I’ve done, and I would still be overdrawn.

But Jesus steps in, places his riches in my account, and signs all the checks. It’s his name on the signature line, and his account is always full. I cash those checks every day simply by faith.

Here’s where it gets a bit dicey: Whenever I screw things up, I look at the Law and realize I’m guilty. If I try to defend myself, all I’m doing is leaning on that Law which has already pronounced me guilty. If I am to be free, I must believe that God did what he claimed to have done in Jesus Christ—he paid my penalty. 

On the contrary, when I get to thinking I’m doing pretty well and try to cash those righteousness checks with my name on them, they bounce. Only when I draw upon what Jesus Christ has done can I experience the riches of his grace.

Legally, I’m guilty, but Jesus paid the fine.

Financially (spiritually speaking), I’m overdrawn, but Jesus has deposited his righteousness in my account.

But only when I believe this do I experience the benefit of both freedom from guilt and power to live a holy life. God is so good! I am so blessed!

Ceilings

 November 21, 2021

In his sermon this morning, pastor Joe asked a question that has been haunting me all day. “What would it be like if we didn’t see life with a ceiling?” While I don’t believe it is helpful to tell kids they can become anything they want or do anything they put their mind to (after all, we are finite human beings, and do have limitations. The original sin remember, was “I will be like God.”), pastor’s question deserves an answer.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I know I have put a ceiling on life more times than I care to recall. I’ve prayed healing for someone as long as their illness wasn’t something like cancer. I pray confidently for the little stuff I expect to happen anyway, but become more guarded when it’s the big stuff. It took me a long time in life to realize I didn’t have to protect God’s reputation. I’ve learned to pray for healing, no matter what. My often poor track record here doesn’t keep me from praying. While God certainly teaches us things in our pain that we cannot or will not learn in our pleasures, I cannot believe that it is God’s will for us to be sick.

Jesus himself taught us to pray, “Thy will be done,” in part, because God’s will isn’t done on earth as it is in heaven. So I keep praying. But I still tend to put a ceiling on my prayers. I figure out what I consider “reasonable,” and shape my prayers accordingly.

So I’m asking again, “Why the ceiling?” And, “What might my life, and the life of those around me be like if I removed the ceiling?” St. Paul said, “[he] is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” (Ephesians 3:20). If God is able above what we can imagine, there is no reason for me to place a ceiling on my prayers, especially those like the one he prayed just before he penned those words:

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” —Ephesians 3:14, 16-19 

Our Heavenly Father can do it…and more!

Technology

 November 20, 2021

Technology is a double-edged sword. I recently finished a boot written in 2000 in which he opined that eBay would be not merely a commercial enterprise, but a means of bringing people together, and that social media would demolish barriers and foster community. 

Although that has happened, the anonymity of online technology has also brought out the worst in us. Fortunately, Linda and I have been blessed with the good side of it. After an evening with family and good friends, we had an hour long Facetime call with our eldest granddaughter who is living and working in NYC. Work, family, the adventure of living in the city—it all was so much more because we could see her as we talked. 

We had called yesterday, but she had just received her covid booster shot and was sick—fever, weariness; she looked terrible, so seeing her tonight smiling and looking healthy put our minds at ease and a smile on our faces. Whatever ills technology has brought us, tonight this blessing overshadowed it all.

Silence

November 19, 2021

In my reading this morning of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, my attention was drawn to his diagnosis of the problem of human sin. I’ve been pondering it ever since, and started to write on it until I realized I needed to give it more thought before I put my fingers to the keyboard. Entire books have been written in commentary on Paul’s epistle, and on the theological perspective he espouses. Once words appear online, they are there forever, for better or worse, so I thought it best to give it time to simmer before putting it out there. 

Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying, “It’s best to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.” Whether or not he said it matters not; it is good advice, and I’ll take it tonight.

 

Maintenance

 November 18, 2021

In his dedication prayer for the temple that bears his name, Solomon asked for two things. Understanding that they wouldn’t avoid sinning, he asked that when the people did sin and repented, God would,

“Hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.”

—II Chronicles 6:39 

We all need and want forgiveness, but forgiveness alone isn’t enough. We need God to maintain our cause, ie, not allow our sins to destroy whatever good we have accomplished. My sins could easily have destroyed my family, my ministry, my life. I’ve witnessed it happen to others. Linda and I have often marveled at God’s grace to us. We were no smarter or holier than anyone else we know, but God has preserved and blessed us all out of proportion to our faithfulness and talent. 

Any Christian with an ounce of honesty will admit with me how close to the edge they came to crossing over to the Dark side, as the Star Wars saga puts it. Our foolishness, weakness, and just plain perversity would have sunk our ships long ago were it not for God’s incredible forgiveness and maintenance of our cause. He stepped in, not only forgiving, but also preventing much of the fallout from our actions. He preserved our cause. 

My constant prayer is not only for forgiveness, but also that God would preserve and maintain that which I’ve worked hard to build. He has faithfully and graciously done so for 72 years, which is why I’m still here, thanking and praising him for his undeserved goodness to me.

Noise

 November 17, 2021

We live in a noisy world. Even here, living on the edges of a small village of about 700 souls, the sound of traffic is never far away. It’s not like living in the city, but it’s still here. Saturday is opening day of deer hunting here in NYS. The woods will echo with the sound of rifles and shotguns as hunters pursue (actually, ambush) their quarry. Years ago, opening day almost sounded like a range war as hunters filled the woods. Hunting pressure has diminished over the years, so we’ll hear shots ring out here and there, but the predominant sound in the woods will be the roar of semis and other vehicular traffic along any of the major area highways. Even in the woods, it’s a noisy world.

We are so used to the noise that it often doesn’t even register. It’s part of the backdrop of our lives—there, but not there. Despite the plaintive melody and lyrics of Paul Simon, we don’t know the sound of silence. All we know is noise.

Psalm 93 speaks of “the noise of many waters,” like the roar of a Niagara, which back then was about the loudest thing anyone would ever hear. Today, such noise is easily drowned out by the mega-boost of a rock concert, the ear-splitting jet engine, or the din of modern battlefields. It is all noise, but the noise of those waters is particularly significant. Isaiah says that “the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest…””There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”” (57:20-21).

The noise of many waters is symbol of the restlessness of the wicked, the nations that rage against the Lord and his Anointed (Psalm 2:2). We hear a lot of noise in the news; the raging of saber-rattling that could erupt at any moment. That noise is loud, but Jesus told us to pay no attention to it; we will hear such noise till the end of time, but as the psalmist says, “The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.” 

Hold onto that word “mightier.” Those making the most noise these days want us to buy into their lie that they must be heard and obeyed. “We hold your future in our hands,” they say. “If you want to live, you must do as we say.” Don’t believe it for a moment! The LORD on high is mightier than they, and as the second psalm says, “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision.” 

I don’t want to be God’s laughingstock, which is why it is so important to “be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10). Continual vigilance is necessary to do this, for the noise penetrates all but the most remote and secluded parts of life. Jesus said to “enter into your room” to pray.” Shut out all the distractions so you can hear God’s still, small voice whispering to your thirsty soul.

Willingly

 November 16, 2021

“They gave willingly.” —1 Chronicles 29:9. When King David laid up supplies for the building of the temple he would never see, he invited the people, great and small, to give as well. He knew what we often forget in our increasingly “freebie” society: people need to invest in their own future and well-being. 

More than 25 years ago when we began gearing up for the building we now occupy, the fund-raising specialist we hired insisted that he have a list of everyone’s giving record. We got a lot of resistance from this request; some saying that such records were confidential and no business of anyone. Some were quite pointed in their insistence that the pastor not know about their giving habits. I guess they thought it would influence how I meted out pastoral care. I responded that if they couldn’t trust me with their financial information, why would they trust me with the care of their eternal souls? 

Eventually, we got the information, and it shocked me to learn that the most vocal objectors objected for a very good reason; namely, their own giving was minimal. The fund raising specialist we hired said to us, “If you want to succeed, you need your top givers leading the way.” Some we first thought would be in leadership we bypassed for others who quietly, but faithfully were going above and beyond. They had skin in the game.

I think there was another factor playing into their generosity besides having skin in the game. In v. 14, David offers his prayer with these words, “All things come from You, and of Your own we have given…[It’s] from your hand, and is all your own.” When we give from our possessions, we are diminished by whatever amount we give. When we give back what has been loaned to us, we realize we are only returning what we have borrowed and instead of being diminished, we know we have been enriched. I can be grateful for what has been loaned, and return it with gratitude.

When we realize that all we have doesn’t really belong to us, it is easier to let it go. It is true of our finances, our relationships, our time. All we so sparingly mete out isn’t ours to begin with. When I hold it loosely, all of life becomes a gift of grace and the occasion for gratitude. Now, all I have to do is actually put the principle into practice.

Favorite Verses

 November 15, 2021

At my brother in law’s funeral last week, the pastor noted his favorite Bible verse, which I think was John 3:16. That verse is a favorite among many, speaking as it does of God’s love for us which is great enough for him to give his only Son so our sins could be forgiven and we could have eternal life. This verse, the heart of the Gospel, is rightfully a favorite among so many Christians.

Mine is a bit different, and to some, it seems a bit odd, but I can explain. Actually, I have two verses that vie for favorite. The first is from Psalm 131:1-2a

“Lord, my heart is not haughty, 

Nor my eyes lofty. 

Neither do I concern myself with great matters, 

Nor with things too profound for me. 

Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul.”

The second is from Luke 3:1-2

“Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.”

These two texts are at the heart of who I am and how I think. When I get too caught up in all the craziness of all that’s happening in our world today, this psalm reminds me to slow down, back away, and not allow things I cannot control, control me. Media blares at us continually, and it is easy to bow down before it, soaking it all in till it consumes me. I regularly have to consciously lay it all down and recalibrate my soul in the presence of the Christ who is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, before whom someday every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The second text is likewise, a perspective-adjuster. When those words were written, everyone would have recognized the names listed here. These were the movers and shakers, the rich and famous, the powerful elite of the day. If they were alive today, they would be on the front pages and at the top of a Google search. 

But in spite of their fame and power, the word of the Lord came to John in the wilderness. We expect the momentous events of our lives to flow from Washington, Beijing, or Moscow, but God keeps showing up in the backwater places where people are stripped bare of all the distractions and life is reduced to survival mode. 

Together, these texts remind me to not allow my heart to be troubled by current events, but to trust in the God who reveals himself to nobodies in obscure places. That gives me hope, because you can’t get much more nobody than me, and much more obscure than Sinclairville, NY. But get this: God keeps showing up!

Carols

 November 14, 2021

The first snowfall of the season brings with it…drum roll, please…Christmas carols in the Bailey household. No matter that Advent is a full two weeks away, or that this white carpet is sure to melt away in a few days; Christmas carols are playing. Linda is not eclectic in her musical choices. Her favorite is a CD of piano carols which I will likely hear until January or I hurl it discus-like into the creek, whichever comes first.

I must admit my complicity. Linda had been wondering out loud about whether or not she could fit a tree in the Millstone room, which is long and narrow. Conventional wisdom said no, but I am a shmuck when it comes to her, so when she and her friend Kelly were on a shopping jaunt two weeks ago, I broke down and bought her a tree for our bedroom and had it set up and plugged in when they got home that night. Eyes bright, she clapped her hands with the ecstatic joy of a five year old. I just smiled.

The grandkids each have their own roles in preparing for Christmas here in our house. I do my best to hold off until at least after Thanksgiving, but with our eldest Alex being in NYC for her work, Linda brought the Bethlehem village up from the basement, so Al could do her part setting it up. 

Liturgical purists will blanche at the thought of such caldendrical blasphemy, but when the stores start playing Christmas music, we run the risk of coming across as cranky old Scrooges instead of defenders of the faith. There are more important crosses to die on. 

So, here I am, listening to carols (News flash! She changed CDs!). We even stooped to a Hallmark Christmas special on TV that was so cheesy I snoozed through most of it. The Christmas season has many redeeming features in spite of our culture’s reducing it to oozy-woosy feelings and trite cliches, but Hallmark specials may be beyond the pale of redemption. Even so, I am glad for this first snow. It is greeted with a wonder and joy that will certainly have disappeared by March. And if nothing else, it is an occasion to read the old story once more, and marvel at the amazing grace shown to us in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Names

 November 13, 2021

I’m canning grape juice again, this time for my daughter and daughters-in-law. No doubt a few of the grandkids will queue up for a few jars, too. Thanks to Brandee, who allowed me to glean in her vineyard today. 

Canning grape juice is not labor intensive. I load the cooker, fill the water reservoir, turn up the heat, and for the next hour, there’s not much to do. Filling the jars only takes a couple minutes, so there’s a lot of down time in the process. 

Linda and the girls are Christmas shopping at the outlet mall in Grove City, so I’m home alone, except for Emma sprawled out by the fire, and the cat who prefers being outside even in the rain. It is tempting to turn on some mindless TV show, or better yet, watch an educational Youtube video on beekeeping, but I thought the time might be better spent reflecting on this morning’s Scripture reading. It does take some reflection; I’m reading in 1 Chronicles. It’s a bit of a challenge to hear the voice of God in a list of names that goes on chapter after chapter.

People have often wondered why these lists made it into the canon of Scripture. Surely there were writings much more instructive than this! While I would not venture to know the mind of the Almighty in this matter, I do recall hearing of a tribal group in one of the developing countries that was convinced of the diving authorship of the Bible because of the chronicles. Ancestry was very important to them, and it was these lists that convinced them to become followers of the God who also thought ancestry was important.

It is less so to me, but as I think about it, I wonder about all those people who are merely mentioned by name. Once in awhile, something is said about this or that person, but for the most part, it’s just names. I can resonate with that. I haven’t accomplished any earth-shaking things; I’m not a Moses, leading God’s people out of slavery. I’m not a David, ruling over the nation. I’m not an Isaiah or Jeremiah or Daniel, sounding forth the word of the Lord to those in high places. 

When shown a family portrait, most of us will search the crowd for our own face. (You can admit it here!) Even if we can barely be seen peeking through a row of heads from the back row, we look for our own face. That’s how I feel about these lists. I don’t have to be front and center; I would be happy just to know my name is mentioned. The Good News is, God remembers our name, and has written it down in the Lamb’s Book of Life. We tend to remember our sins—all the times we screwed up. God “remembers our sins no more, forever,” but calls us by name. 

In God’s economy, accomplishments don’t matter. We’re saved by grace, not by works. Sure, it’s nice to be able to accomplish great things for God, but face it—most of us won’t do that. But God loves us, has chosen us, forgiven us, cleansed us, and written down our names, not so he won’t forget, but so we can know. That is good news from 1 Chronicles tonight. 

Normal

 November 12, 2021

Being away from home for two weekends, it feels like a lifetime since we’ve seen the grandkids. For most grandparents, this would be the norm; once or twice a year is not uncommon, except for us. Tonight is “Meema and Beepa Night,” when the ones still at home drift in throughout the evening till by 9:00, they are all here, sitting around the kitchen table or perched on the counter, talking, laughing, even dancing and singing.

Linda and I are blessed beyond measure. While we were in North Carolina, the tree service took down the dying ash behind the garage. I wish I could have watched as they lifted each section over the garage with a crane, depositing it beside the driveway. This afternoon I was chunking the logs. It was almost done when my saw seized up. Fortunately, Thomas had stopped by earlier, offering his saw if I needed it. At the time, I didn’t, but when I did, he was good on his word. His saw was a monster, making short work of the remaining logs. We loaded them into the bucket of the tractor and dumped them in a pile by the woodshed where they will wait till later this fall to be split and stacked. Small town life is good, with neighbors ready to help when needed.

Snow is forecast for tomorrow, so mounting snow tires will be in order, as will picking the last batch of grapes for juice. If all goes well, I’ll even get to wire the brake lights on my truck. 

A week ago this morning, my brother in law entered into the presence of Christ. His faith has been made sight, while we must still walk by it. He lives in the fullness of life, while his wife lives with a Dennis-shaped hole in her heart. Our lives are back to normal; she will struggle to figure out what normal looks like. I know our time will someday come, so am grateful for the normal we have been given thus far. Lord willing, tomorrow the sun will rise, signaling the beginning of another day. I will give thanks, and pray for those for whom the sun is obscured by clouds of grief, doubt, and fear. I will not be able to change anyone’s circumstances, but I can ask for grace, forgiveness, and strength, which God has in abundance and gives accordingly.

Veteran’s Day Peace

 November 11, 2021

I always dread posting on holidays and national observances such as today. Never having served in the military myself, I feel woefully inadequate to comment on the day. My father served in the Army Air Corps in WWII, and my brother in the Navy during Vietnam; I was in college at the time, and my number for the draft never got picked in the draw. 

Talking one day with a friend who saw action in Vietnam, I expressed regret at never having signed up. “Be thankful you didn’t have to go,” was all he said in response. One thing I’ve learned though, is that those who have never experienced the horrors of war talk about it much more casually than those who have. Most of the politicians who are quick to send other peoples’ sons into harm’s way haven’t been there themselves, and too often use their influence to protect their own. Those who’ve been there are usually much more reticent to lead us down that path.

In Christian circles, I often hear people talk about spiritual warfare as if there are never any casualties of such stuff. Some strut around talking about “kicking Satan’s ass, or other such inanities, as if he were the leader of some third-rate country instead of the prince of the power of the air, as St. Paul writes. It’s not universal, but the arrogance of some is a bit off-putting to me.

That being said, I ran across a Scripture today that made poignant sense on this Veteran’s Day. My devotional reading has taken me into 1 Chronicles, which is, as its name implies, a record of the lineage of Jewish people prior to the Exile, necessary to preserve the ethnic purity of those who returned to the land. Chapter 12, verses 16–18 says, 

“Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. And David went out to meet them, and answered and said to them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look and bring judgment.” Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said: “We are yours, O David; We are on your side, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, And peace to your helpers! For your God helps you.” So David received them, and made them captains of the troop.”

These men were enlisting in David’s army, but listen to their words: “Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers!” It reminds me of the angels’ message to the shepherds on the occasion of Jesus’ birth. The text says it was the heavenly host, ie. the heavenly armies of God shouting “Peace on earth!” 

The Church talks often about peace, but I’ve come to believe that only those who know the horrors and devastation of war can truly appreciate peace. The rest of us haven’t experienced what its absence is really like. Which is why I feel so inadequate to speak on this day. Those who have stared death in the face, who have seen their fellow soldiers die in agony, who have shed tears and tried to forget what they have seen…these know the value of peace far more than I, which is why I humbly yield to them today.

Sound

 November 10, 2021

A meditation on 1 Chronicles 9:33.

“The singers…were free from other duties; for they were employed in that work day and night.”

The temple must have been an amazing contradiction of the noise and smell of animals being slaughtered and the silence and incense aroma of the innermost chambers. And over it all, the continual song of the Levites, day and night. I can imagine the smooth, soothing chords of the evening and the joyous morning praise—an unbroken paean of worship.

God must love music. Sound is one of the building blocks of Creation, a form of energy that ripples through the universe as atoms, quarks, and particles vibrate in a never-ending chorus of sound heard only through specialized radio/audio equipment. The most sensitive of human ears miss most of the music. Dogs and bats hear what we cannot, just as birds and bees see colors invisible to us. How glorious it will be when we can hear and see clearly, without the obstruction that sin has wreaked upon our senses!

I like my times of silence; I can drive for hours on end without the distraction of radio or voice, but I wonder how much of God’s glory is encapsulated in the song itself—the rhythms, harmonies, and melodies. Does my preference for silence keep me from hearing God’s voice in the music? We are told in Scripture to “be silent, and know that he is God,” but also to lift the voice in loud and raucous praise. The Revelation says there is silence in Heaven only for about a half hour (8:1). The rest of the time, it’s continuous shouts of joy and praise. I think I had better get warmed up.

My Sins

 November 9, 2021

Critical Race Theorists who also claim the title of Christian have leveled an often legitimate complaint against how they perceive white male Christians interpret Scripture. Their issue is that we tend to see ourselves in the role of the righteous rather than as the sinner. For example, we identify more with the Good Samaritan than with the priest, the Levite, or even the robbery victim or the robbers themselves.

I suppose such a characterization has some merit, although I don’t think such an interpretation is limited to white male Christians. Most of us tend to see ourselves through rose-colored glasses. I must admit however, that for years I’ve read Romans 1 through those tinted lenses. 

Because the text ends with a scathing denunciation of some of the sexual sins prevalent in the day that are increasingly accepted and promoted by our present culture, and because those sins have never held much attraction to me, I’ve tended to keep these words at arm’s length and seen them as “other peoples’ problems.”

Reading through Romans again this morning, I saw the list took in a new light. I’ve never seen the attraction of homosexuality, and have never murdered anyone, but I am quite familiar with most of the rest of Paul’s list:

“…unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness… envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness…whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;”

—Romans 1:29-31 

When in chapter 2 Paul says, “Therefore you are inexcusable…whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself for you who judge practice the same things,” I realize the Scriptures are pointing straight at me. It is all too easy for someone who has pretty much grown up in the church to see oneself as on the right side of all things spiritual, ethical, and moral, and overlook the sins that fit too easily in my own skin. 

God barreled through my defenses today, and reminded me once more of my absolute dependence upon grace. If my salvation were dependent on my goodness, I wouldn’t stand a chance, but Paul doesn’t stop with describing our condition. He moves on to the provision for our deliverance and forgiveness bought at the price of Jesus’ blood and our faith in him. 

It would be well for any who claim to be Christian to read again Paul’s words in Romans 1. It is a reminder of what I was, and what I would instantly be again, were it not for the continuing grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, for which I give thanks tonight.

Trust and Distrust

 November 8, 2021

Back in the 80’s there was a TV show called “The A Team,” four renegade former Special Ops soldiers of fortune. The show was stock gumball adventure involving the various specialized talents of the men to pull off some unlikely scenarios. Each show ended with the leader of the group, cigar in mouth, smiling, and saying, “I love it when a plan comes together!”

That’s how I often feel when studying the Bible. At times, seemingly insurmountable difficulties arise, or at the minimum, the words seem dead on the page. I know that the problem isn’t the deadness of the Word of God, but of my own heart, but the effect is the same, which is why I love it when what I’m studying meshes with what a preacher says.

Last night, the preacher at the little Baptist church we attended gave a stirring and passionate sermon on Elijah’s encounter with Ahab, announcing a three-year drought because of his sins. The preacher focused on just the first verse of 1 Kings 17, but as the story continues, at the end of the three years, God tells Elijah to present himself to Ahab. The meeting was arranged, and Ahab’s first words to Elijah were, “Is that you, O troubled of Israel?” To which Elijah responded that it wasn’t him, but Ahab himself who was causing all the problems (1 Kings 18:17-18).

This morning, I was reading Psalm 38. Verse 12 reads, “Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction and plan deception all the day long.” Having been burned a few times in my life, I tend to be more cynical when it comes to trusting people than I used to be. The fact is, not everyone is deserving of our trust; deceitful people will often speak of destruction and hurt, but the truth isn’t the same as they want you to believe. All the while they’re sniping at you behind the scenes, they will tell you how deeply you hurt them. 

It’s classic double-speak. Ahab accused Elijah of the very thing he was guilty of, trying to throw him off guard and put him at a disadvantage. I’m thankful tonight for the Scriptures that not only offer us grace, but also guidance and wisdom. Salvation is not just something for after we leave this world; it is God’s gift to us here and now, offering forgiveness, freedom, a new start, and wisdom for everyday life.