Time and Place

 December 31, 2021

Yesterday I drove 13 hours to western Ohio and back, taking my motorcycle to a Ural dealer and mechanic. Writing was not high on my to-do list when I finally got home. But tonight I’m thinking about time and place. It’s New Year’s Eve. Celebrations and parties are in full swing all over the country, many of them fueled by plenty of alcohol, often creating issues and revealing fissures that hadn’t before been seen in relationships. Sometimes these matters spill out in the middle of the party, creating quite a mess.

Sometimes however, they are kept under wraps until the festivities are over, quite often with words like, “this is not the time, nor the place.” It’s these words that garner my interest tonight. In Isaiah 57:15, we read, “Thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity and whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a humble heart and a contrite spirit.”

Catch the way Isaiah frames his words: He describes eternity, not as a measure of time, but of place—a place of holiness attainable only by the opposite of all that is high and lofty, ie. Humility and contrition. 

What if eternity is more a matter of location than duration? How might this change our thinking? It’s December 31, 2021; many are glad to put these last 365 days behind them, but even saying that places time in a location—behind us. But how does this help? Time has no physical dimension; it isn’t something that can be placed behind us, nor does the new year stretch out before us. 

What matters is not where we place time, but where we place ourselves. Am I dwelling with the High and Holy One, living in humility and contrition? If not, what lies behind us and what is before us is of little consequence. I said that eternity isn’t as much about duration as location. What this means is that living in the presence of God is more significant than grieving or rejoicing over the events of 2021, or anticipating whatever may come in 2022. After all, to paraphrase St. Paul, “If God be with us, who can be against us?”

Sing!

 December 29, 2021

“Sing to the LORD a new song!” Psalm 96 and 98 begin with these words; a command, no less! Psalm 96 continues, “Proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.” Revelation 5:9 describes the saints singing a new song of redemption through the blood of the Lamb. A new song…

I haven’t been singing much lately. I don’t know why; it’s not that I haven’t anything to sing about. I just haven’t been singing. I wonder how much joy is waiting to be released from heaven through songs yet unsung. Just as giving thanks is a command (1 Thessalonians 5:18), so we are commanded to sing this new song of salvation. 

Forgive me Lord, for ignoring this plain word of Scripture. Put your new song in my mouth (Psalm 40:13); maybe it will migrate from there to my heart. 

Which Thief?

December 28, 2021

The photo doesn’t do it justice, but it’s the best I have. It’s my son’s  logo for his knife-making business, a Christmas gift from his wife that is now mounted proudly on the front of his garage. He designed it years ago, and it appears on the blade of every knife he makes. Three crosses in a rising sun comes from all three synoptic Gospels which tell us that Jesus was crucified between “two robbers, one on his right, and the other on his left.” 

This detail isn’t in the Gospel accounts by accident, nor merely as an historical note. This fact is there by design, to be instructive: Jesus hung between them and for them. One thief received him, one rejected him. He would have received them both, but only one repented of the sins that sealed his fate. The other railed against the punishment he received. They both wanted salvation, but one only wanted deliverance from his fate; the other from his sins. 

I am the thief on the cross. The only question is, “Which one?”

 

Gathering

 December 27, 2021

“Mas de 100 personas ayer.”—“More than 100 persons yesterday.” Those words accompanied four photos of some of my Cuban friends gathered for worship yesterday. In accordance with governmental decree, they were masked and socially-distanced as much as possible, packed as they were in their rather tight accommodations. But they were there, joyfully singing as they worshipped the Lord. 

Back home, we had barely that many in two services, worn out, I guess, from Christmas Eve services and Christmas Day celebrations. It makes me wonder as I have often wondered, how much we take for granted. They’ve been shut down for over a year, the noose only recently and gradually loosened, and didn’t have the capability to livestream anything. Their pastors did the best they could, which often wasn’t much, as the government at one point had soldiers stationed at all the roads leaving the city, effectively locking in its entire population of more than 70,000.

They were overjoyed to be together again, and their attendance showed it. They hungered and thirsted after the fellowship, the worship, and the teaching of the Word of God. I wonder what it will take for us to be as intentional and intense about gathering. I hope it won’t take oppression and the forfeiture of our freedoms, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it did. Like the husband who takes his wife for granted until the day he stands by her grave, we don’t appreciate what we have till we don’t have it anymore.

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”  —Hebrews 10:24-25 

“Stirring up love and good works;” that’s why we gather. The more challenging life becomes, the more we need the encouragement of one another. I’m an introvert by nature, but I can’t do life successfully on my own, so I make it a point to be with other Christians who can encourage, support, challenge, and correct me, and I for them. It is in these gatherings that we look into each other’s eyes and realize we are beholding the face of Christ, and they are holy moments.

In Weakness

 December 26, 2021

“Who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” Isaiah asks this question at the beginning of the 53rd chapter of the book that bears his name. His words could be paraphrased thusly: “Who would have imagined how the LORD would show his strength?” 

At Christmas, millions celebrate the birth of Christ. In our Western world, even unbelievers dare to hope for a better world of peace and harmony, but cannot imagine how it will come. It seems impossible that strength could be revealed in the humility and weakness we find lying in a manger in the middle of the night. We cherish that simplicity at Christmastime, but it seems incapable of conveying the strength needed to actually make a difference in this world. So once this holy night gives way to the creeping dawn, we reject it in favor of the raw power of this world. We want God to reveal himself, majestic and militant, strong-arming his way through the problems of life instead of as a baby suckling at his mother’s breast.

But it is in a manger…and on a cross, that God’s strength and power are revealed.

A young man showed up at worship today. He was early, coming in and sitting down in a nearly empty sanctuary. He was not what you would call good-looking. He wasn’t even plain. A swarthy round face with beady little eyes and a receding chin, if he garnered second glances from any young women, they wouldn’t be glances of admiration. We often picture Jesus as ruggedly handsome, one whose visage would make women swoon, but I wonder if Jesus were more like this young man, with nothing inherently attractive. Isaiah says of him, “He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.” (Isaiah 53:2) I wonder if this nondescript young man reflects a more accurate depiction of Jesus than we see in those popular prints and paintings.

St. Paul said it best:

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” —I Corinthians 1:26-29 

This unlikely choosing began not with those Corinthian Christians, but with the Savior himself. And if the Almighty God, LORD of armies chooses to reveal his strength in such a way, we might do well to search more diligently in the hovels and alleys if we men to meet him. ““Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the LORD.” (Zechariah 4:6)

Parties

 December 25, 2021

Holidays are always difficult for me to write about. For example, I can’t think of anything about Christmas that hasn’t already been said much better by someone else. We gathered as a family before the Christmas Eve service, and again today to give our kids and grandkids the gifts we had bought for them. At times however, it often feels as if Christmas as a time of worship gets swallowed up by all the festivities, and that we don’t do nearly as much as we ought for those who are truly needy. 

Then I get to thinking about how Jesus approached life. He apparently liked a good party, and was often found where celebrations were going on. From a wedding in Cana of Galilee, to dinner parties with the much-maligned tax collectors, this man who lived simply and taught about generosity towards the poor was often at the center of gatherings where food and laughter were in abundance. And with the exception of that single wedding, there is no indication that any of the other parties had any spiritual significance. 

So today we celebrated, and again tomorrow we will worship. In the meantime, I’m lying in bed, writing, and pondering this gift of joy and happiness, and the parties that are part of that which binds us together as a family. As in the creation story, I can’t help but think that God looks upon it and says, “this is good.”

Christmas Eve

 December 24, 2021

It is perhaps at Christmas and Easter when we are tempted most to give lip service instead of real service to the Christ we worship. It’s easy to get so caught up in the trappings of the seasons that we fail to understand what is really going on here.

In Isaiah 47:4, 48:17, 49:7 and 26, we read a variation of these words: “I am the LORD of hosts, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” God identifies himself with these words that are descriptive of his character, or as it used to be said, his attributes. The interesting thing about these words is that they don’t naturally go together. For example, we would seldom think of a military commander whose primary attribute is holiness. Armies are not generally known for their piety. 

Redeemer is not a word we would primarily associate with Israel, so maligned and persecuted throughout history. Redemption is for the Jews, a distant dream, at best. But the eternal “I am” who never changes, and from whom everything that is springs, and in whom all existed, is Supreme over all armies, all hosts, human and divine, and is Holy—apart from Jesus, unapproachably Other. And this One is our Redeemer. 

In Isaiah 47, all we tend to lean on in life is revealed to be frail and failing. We imagine ourselves invincible, untouchable, both by our remedies for the ills of this world (eg. Modern medicine), and by the increase of human knowledge and wisdom.

But all this will fail, and is failing even today. In 48:11, we read, “evil has come upon us we don’t know from where,” but it has fallen on us; we cannot rid ourselves of it, and it will bring desolation. In v. 12, we stand by our methods, hoping for profit. We listen to the prognosticators, but they have no power to save us. That’s why Jesus was sent into this sad and broken world! 

Tonight we will gather, sing songs of adoration, and go to our homes reminded once again that salvation is not within our power; it is the Gift of God wrapped in swaddling cloths, and lying in a manger. The LORD, praised by his heavenly armies appearing over Bethlehem to humble shepherds, is our Redeemer, the Holy Child lying not in splendor and opulence, but in humility and weakness, for it is there, and there alone, that we find redemption.

Carry or Carried?

 December 23, 2021

“Listen to Me, all who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb: Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.” —Isaiah 46:3-4 

I wonder how much of God’s blessing we miss by not paying attention to these two verses in Isaiah. We men in particular don’t like the idea of being carried. It sounds too weak and wimpy. If anyone is going to do the carrying, it’s us! So we charge ahead in a strength we don’t actually have, but don’t realize until we’re in too deep. It’s like Pappy Okerlund (our crusty old village mechanic) said to me when I bought my first four wheel drive truck, “The only difference between two wheel drive and four wheel drive is when you get stuck in four wheel drive, you’re REALLY stuck! And you WILL get stuck with it!”

We want to be the ones doing the carrying, and end up bearing a far greater emotional, financial, and spiritual burden than we were meant to carry. A lot of us simply shut down under the weight of it all. In more than forty years of ministry, it’s been my experience that men commit suicide at about twice the rate of women. 

What we don’t realize is that when we allow Jesus to pick us up and carry us, it’s not a sign of weakness on our part, but a source of strength that enables us to face uncertainty, danger, and challenges with courage and confidence. Allowing ourselves to be carried is the behind-the-scenes preparation for the very visible battles we must face if we are to live with integrity and morality in this corrupt and perverted world.

The second thing I notice in these verses is the fact that God offers to carry us, rather than the other way around. These verses are set in contrast to those who form a statue or figurine which they then bow down before in worship. The god must be carried around by the man rather than the god carrying the man. While we may no longer bow down before actual idols, we often act as if our faith were a burden—a laundry list of do’s and don’t’s we carry around in our minds. We mentally check off whether we’ve prayed enough, given enough, done enough; our faith becomes an albatross around our necks, reminding us of our shortcomings while obscuring the grace and mercy of our loving Heavenly Father. Never lose sight of this truth: “It is God who carries us!”

Lord, through the deep waters, in the darkness, in the midst of fire and trouble, may we not resist when you reach out and lift us from where we are. Grant us grace that when you pick us up, we may understand that the one being carried must relinquish control over the path taken, the destination appointed by divine wisdom. Wherever you may carry us, may we not fight nor fear it, but instead may we trust in your faithful goodness and salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christmas Spirit

 December 22, 2021

Tomorrow is what my eldest son’s family calls “Christmas Adam,” obviously the day before Christmas Eve. For years, they have gathered with long-time friends for dinner and an evening of fellowship and music. It’s their launch into what is always a very busy couple days with Christmas Eve gatherings and worship services, Christmas Day celebrations, and their Abigail’s birthday. This year, it will be capped off by Sunday’s worship services—four days of family and faith.

In the Bailey household, the decorations are all in place, courtesy of Linda. Were it up to me, I might have a tree up by Christmas Day. There is always a certain feel to the season, an anticipation that builds to a climax at the 11:00 pm service. Yesterday, Linda said to me, “I like the anticipation better than the actual day.” I understand. We have laden Christmas with a burden it is incapable of bearing. 

It is after all, merely a day. Certainly, we celebrate the birth of our Savior, but we have come to expect so much more—that somehow all this window dressing will fill the longings of our hearts. We say that the giving of gifts is to honor Christ, God’s gift to us, but most of our giving is little more than swapping; other than what we give our little children, we mainly give to those who in return, give to us.

To be sure, we perhaps open our wallets a bit more, dropping change into the Salvation Army bucket, or helping out at the Soup Kitchen or Food Pantry, but it’s not quite the same, giving boxes of stuff we ourselves didn’t purchase.

The other day, I took such a box to a young man whose life has been a long series of one tragedy after another. To be sure, by his own admission, some of it was his own fault—bad decisions made early in life. He wants a different life than he’s now living, but health issues, caring for a needy mother, and just plain bad luck dogs his every step. 

As we sat and talked, I thought to myself, “There has to be more I can do.” I don’t know how to put together the array of services that can help him get back on his feet, but I cannot be content with a mere box of food and a prayer. If Christmas means anything at all, it means following the example of God himself who gave us his Son when we had nothing at all to give in return. It was inconvenient for him, painful, sacrificial, but giving in such a way never diminishes one. This kind of giving actually makes us bigger, better, and more like God himself. 

So yes, I’ll exchange gifts with family and friends, but I have no illusion about what is happening. It is when I give to someone who cannot return the favor, and only then, that I imitate Christ. And it is then that I’ll feel “the Christmas spirit,” or more accurately, the favor of God upon me.

Election

 December 20, 2021

“God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” —II Thessalonians 2:13 

“[You are] elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.”    —I Peter 1:2 

I have long been grateful for the doctrine of election. Were my salvation dependent upon my having chosen Christ, it would be no salvation at all. I was dragged, kicking and screaming, into the kingdom of God. And I am kept by the same election, or choosing, that God continues to exercise. Again, were it up to my strength and power, I would have been lost forever, long ago. 

I know—the doctrine of election is supposed to be anathema to Methodists, but enough of my Calvinistic Baptist upbringing remains, reminding me of the inexpressible grace of God in choosing and keeping me. The interesting thing to me about these two Scriptures is the means by which God chooses us. In 2 Thessalonians, it is “through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” In other words, there is both the divine and human aspects to God’s choosing: He chooses, but I must agree to it through faith. Peter tells us God’s choosing leads to our obedience, but also includes the element of what Christ has done for us on the cross.

The doctrine of election is Biblical and of absolute importance. If my salvation rests upon anything other than God’s work in Jesus Christ, it rests on shaky ground. I thank God that he isn’t depending on me to add any finishing touches to my salvation, but has taken it entirely upon himself. Even my faith is a gift from God, according to Ephesians 2:8 (“For by grace you have been saved through faith, no that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”)

The two verses above not only posit the fact of election, or God’s unwavering choosing of us; they also reveal the means he chooses to effect this election: sanctification of, or by, the Holy Spirit. What God the Father decided to do, he made possible by the offering of his Son on the cross for our sins, and makes effective through the continuing work of the Holy Spirit. Our part in it all is simply to believe, with all the resultant transforming effects in our daily lives. I am thankful tonight that everything of value in my life is a gift of the grace of God in choosing me from beginning to end. That grace lifts the burden, erases the guilt, establishes the foundation, and guarantees the ultimate victory in this life and the life to come.

Wordless Worship

December 19, 2021

Praise the Lord! 

Praise God in His sanctuary; 

Praise Him in His mighty firmament! 

Praise Him for His mighty acts; 

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! 

Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; 

Praise Him with the lute and harp! 

Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; 

Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! 

Praise Him with loud cymbals; 

Praise Him with clashing cymbals! 

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. 

Praise the Lord!

—Psalm 150:1-6

In case you missed it, repetition gives it away: the theme of this psalm is “praise the Lord!” 

This morning in worship, these words came to mind as the worship team led the congregation in praise. We were singing some of the traditional Christmas carols alongside the more modern “Little Drummer Boy,” which is among the least favorite of my Christmas songs. During the singing of this song however, I stopped singing, allowing the lyrics to fade away, and as I listened to the harmonies which were echoing through the sanctuary, I began to worship.

Later, as the band played “What Child is This,” I again stopped and listened—this time to the bass arpeggios Leslie laid down in the background. It wasn’t fancy or intricate; just a steady minor key walking bass line that to me, added so much to the simplicity of the song. The words at this point didn’t matter; the music itself was an offering of praise that nearly brought tears to my eyes. The worship team was praising God, not only with words and voices, but with instruments—maybe not lutes, but with stringed instruments, cymbals, drums, and keys. 

Years ago, I read of someone who had a vision of heaven. He said the music was such as he had never heard—glorious and harmonic, with a richness and depth he couldn’t begin to describe. The odd thing about this music was how it rose and fell, swelled in a crescendo that gradually diminished in a cascading decresendo. But there was no discernible rhythm; no beat…because time had passed away. 

I don’t know what heaven’s music will be like, but I believe I experienced a foretaste of it this morning, and am deeply grateful.

Battle of the Bulge

 December 17, 2021

On this day in 1944, the German Wehrmacht unleashed an all-out assault along an 80 mile front in the Ardennes forest in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. Launched in the bitter cold of one of the severest winters on record, before it ended on January 25, 1945, the US forces in the area suffered some 75,000 casualties, including nearly 20,000 dead and 23,000 missing in action. The Germans lost almost a quarter of the troops involved, with almost 100,000 killed.

For anyone like myself who has never experienced the terror and horror of combat, it is hard to imagine such destruction of human life, let alone that of property. Although my father was a WWII vet, he remained stateside due to a heart murmur discovered in a pre-deployment physical, but some years ago, I had an interesting conversation with one of my wife’s uncles shortly before he died. 

Unbeknownst to me because he never talked about it, he was in that battle. We tend to think of such matters in terms of heroism and valor, but sometimes it’s just a matter of survival. He told me of walking stealthily down the street of a particular village as a young infantryman, eyes scanning every opening, every potential hiding place for an enemy soldier. At one point, he passed an alley, and as he looked down it, saw a young German soldier at the other end, walking in the opposite direction. They each stopped and looked at each other for a moment before quietly continuing to walk down their respective streets. Whatever became of that German boy, uncle Bob never knew, but at the end of the war, he got to come home safely to his family. 

Sometimes as we fight life’s battles, we stare the enemy in the face, and instead of taking aim and firing, it turns out the better part of valor is to just keep walking. The best fight is the one you are never in. Whether it’s a Facebook argument or a face-to-face confrontation we don’t have to show up at every fight we’re invited to. Some cannot be avoided if we are to maintain our integrity, but others are just decoys by the Enemy of our souls, intended to steer us off track from God’s purposes in our lives. Knowing when to walk away is just as important as knowing when to stand fast.

Dealing with the Devil

 December 16, 2021

Assyrian king Sennacherib was on a mission. His armies were relentlessly marching south through Syria, the northern kingdom of Israel, into Judah where they had ravaged and laid waste the northernmost fortified cities, and now were surrounding the capital city of Jerusalem.

On the basis of his apparent success, Sennacherib boasted and threatened Judah’s king Hezekiah with three lies, in hopes of frightening him into submission. In an era when ordinarily life was generally cheap, Assyrian troops were known far and wide for their horrifying brutality. Sennacherib’s threats were not to be taken lightly. Sennacherib is a type, or picture of the Enemy of our souls.

His first lie is found in Isaiah 36:7

““If you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar’?” ’” Hezekiah had faithfully restored the worship of Yahweh following the disastrous and idolatrous rule of his father, the wicked king Ahab. 

The Enemy wants us to believe we are unfaithful to the Lord when we hold to the ancient ways and stand for orthodoxy against all the deviations and distortions of it. Ahaz and others like him had followed the idolatrous depraved customs of their neighbors, telling the people that those practices and that worship was another way of worshipping the One True God. It was a lie.

The Enemy wants us to believe that what we have called true is really false, what we know as depraved is really holy, and what we know as love is really hate.

The second lie is found in verse 8.

“Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses—if you are able on your part to put riders on them!”

In other words, “Put your trust in the king of Assyria, and he will give you a measure of freedom and power (ie. horses and chariots).” Sennacherib may have been willing to keep that promise, but it would come at a terrible price—a tether that would tighten like a noose around the necks of God’s people. The Enemy of our souls is more than ready to bargain with us, offering us safety if we will relinquish our freedom. It is a lie. Whatever “freedom” the Enemy offers is always a snare that will eventually entrap and imprison us.

The third lie is found in verse 10.

“Have I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’ ””

Again, there is a kernel of truth in all good lies, and here is no exception. The Bible asserts that indeed, Assyria was God’s rod of correction for his people, but they would later be themselves judged for the ruthlessness with which they carried out the matter. God sends troubles as warnings, as proddings to repentance,s judgment, but his aim is never to destroy, but to cleanse, heal, and save. 

The only way to counter the enemy’s lies is with silence. We don’t argue and we need not defend God. Like Jesus was silent before his accusers (Isaiah 53:7), we remain silent before the lies of the Enemy, but we lay them before the Lord in prayer (Isaiah 37:1). He hears, and will answer when we call upon him, but not when we try to bargain with the devil.

Magnify

 December 14, 2021

“I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.”

—Psalm 69:30 

The sun is thousands of times the size of the earth, yet standing upon the latter, I can obscure the sun with a quarter, if held close enough to my eye. It’s not the size, but the proximity that determines what I see. A mountain in the distance looks quite small; the closer I get, the larger it looms.

If in the midst of earthly problems, they seem bigger than God, it’s because I’m closer to them than to him. If I want them to assume their true size, I need to get closer to God than to the problem. According to this psalm, the best way to do that is through the giving of thanks. Thanks and praise magnify God; ie, they don’t make him any bigger, but they put things in their proper perspective. The closer I get to God, the bigger he seems, and the smaller the problems. 

I’ve never known it to fail—praise and thanksgiving, even when I don’t feel like it (or perhaps especially when I don’t feel like it), bring me closer to God, which in turn, puts life’s problems in perspective. It’s a win-win.

Strong

 December 13, 2021

“Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” —2 Timothy 2:1

It’s a simple enough phrase, but begs the question: How does one become strong in grace? What does that even mean? Grace has been defined as unmerited favor; grace is the English translation of the Greek “charis,” from which we get charismatic, charisma, charity. The question remains; How do we become strong in unmerited favor?

When I attempt to define my life and worth by what I have accomplished, I feel insufficient, missing the mark, and falling short of my goals. It doesn’t take long walking in those shoes before insecurity sets in, and insecurity is an accomplished thief of emotional and spiritual strength. The enemy of our souls knows what buttons to push, and all but the most narcissistic and haughty will soon find themselves on a slippery slope of self-denigration if life is valued merely by what we can do. The day always comes when we can do no more, and have to ask, “What makes life worthwhile now?”

If instead of defining my worth by what I can accomplish, I believe in the goodness of God and put my trust in his grace—his unmerited favor, I discover a strength previously unknown to me. I can live joyously, contentedly, enthusiastically, knowing that whether I am successful or not, my worth is wrapped up in the value God places upon me. That price was set at the Cross of Christ. Peter tells us exactly what that price was:

You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

—I Peter 1:18-19 

Strong in grace—there is no better way to live!

Choosing Joy

 December 12, 2021

Today’s sermon was taken from Luke 3—the account of the preaching of John the Baptist. His message was as simple as it was harsh: “Repent!” Pastor Joe rightly pointed out that we cannot receive the Good News of salvation until we have accepted the bad news of our sin and need of salvation. Then he asked a question that has been on my mind all day.

“What are you letting rob you of your joy? Whatever it is, you need to repent of it if you are to experience the Good News.” I know God was speaking directly to me through him because immediately I knew what would rob me of my joy if I were not on the lookout for it. Tomorrow, our governor has announced a new mask mandate for the entire state: We must mask up anytime we are indoors or in a public gathering. Having had Covid and the resultant natural immunity that has since protected me from at least one known exposure, I naturally rankle at mandates like this. I have masked up when in the presence of immunocompromised people, and have no problem doing so again tomorrow, but the heavy handed way these things are being handled gets under my skin.

But with our pastor’s urging, I am refusing to let our governor rob me of my joy. I will not like this mandate any more than before, but will not give our governor power over me and my peace of mind. I refuse to surrender my freedom to choose my attitude and my joy. The governor’s bad news will not cancel the Gospel’s Good News, and that is worth my gratitude tonight.

Give Them Jesus

 December 11, 2021

“You have to wonder if the end times are not upon us.” These words came not out of the mouth of a wild-eyed preacher of apocalyptic judgment, but from a man who to the best of my knowledge has no church affiliation or commitment. He went on: “Blizzards in Hawaii, tornados through the mid-south…” He could have added, “violence in our cities, covid ravaging our nation and world, senators who think it conceivable to use nuclear weapons against Russia if they invade the Ukraine.

When people unversed in Scripture and theology start speaking in eschatological and apocalyptic terms, it may just be time for the Church to pay attention. Jesus himself said of us that we can read the skies for the weather, but can’t see the signs of the times.

I am not normally an alarmist nor a conspiracy theorist, but I am alert enough to know people are scared. They see life spiraling out of control, with no one having a foot on the brakes. Not being particularly proficient in the prophetic word, I still hesitate to make bold pronouncements linking current events to specific Scriptures, but I would make the observation that we who claim to follow Jesus Christ might do well to pay attention to what people are seeing and feeling. There is a great opportunity before us to present Christ as the answer to our hopes, our dreams, and our fears. People are more open to hearing the Gospel than when everything is going well in their lives. 

That doesn’t mean there is no opposition. There are as Paul said, “spiritual forces of darkness in high places,” and there are those vehemently opposed to the Truth because it exposes their emptiness and depravity, and endangers their power and position. Nevertheless, these are days of great opportunity, and we who claim the name of Christ dare not miss it. We have the Good News of salvation, forgiveness, and life. Compassion demands we share it, and Jesus himself commanded us to do so. May we be bold in offering to the world the salvation and hope we have in Jesus.

Years ago, our United Methodist publishing house sold prints of a painting depicting John Wesley standing on the shore, leaning into a skiff ready to shuttle Francis Asbury to the ship which would take him as a missionary to the Colonies. There is an urgency about him as he struggles to fight the wind whipping around them. The print is entitled, “Give them Jesus.” These were Wesley’s words to Asbury. Whatever else he might do, the one thing he must do, Wesley said, was to give them Jesus. It is what we must do, too.

Sin’s Locus

December 10, 2021

“Let grace be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness. In the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly and not behold the majesty of the LORD.”

—Isaiah 26:10

Contrary to what secular social justice experts say, sin is not in our surroundings, but in our hearts. Good surroundings are undoubtedly beneficial, but Adam and Eve were in the best of situations and still sinned. What is around us isn’t nearly as important as what is in us. I cannot plead bad surroundings or circumstances as an excuse for my sins. I’ve had as good an upbringing and life as could be hoped for, but have nonetheless repeatedly spurned grace in the land of God’s favor.

Verse 19 reads, “Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust…” I believe this is a foreshadowing of Christ’s resurrection; as Paul says, “we were buried with Christ in baptism, and raised to new life.” Jesus Christ calls us to wake up and sing! May we rise each day with Christ to new life.

Strangers No More

December 9, 2021

One of my Scriptural disciplines consists of reading five Psalms, corresponding to the days of the month. So on the first of any month, it would be Psalm 1, 31, 61, 91, 121. Today being the 9th of December, the Psalms for the day are 9, 39, 69, 99, 129. Today, the 9th, 39th, and 69th caught my attention.

Ps. 9:10–“You have not forsaken those who seek you.” Ps. 39:12–“I am a stranger with you.”

How do you seek someone who is a stranger to you? Where do you begin? How do you know when that stranger is found? Sometimes God seems a stranger to me. I search, but he eludes me no the emptiness remains. Others speak glowingly of him, while it all seems but an academic matter to me, lacking soul and fire. Often I feel like a kid looking through the toy store window at all the wonderful things inside. I can see them, see others enjoying them, but they remain out of reach and inaccessible to me. What others experience, I only observe. Like that child staring through the window, it’s cold outside; I long to come in, but can’t find the door.

Psalm 69:16—“Hear me Lord, for your lovingkindness is good. Turn to me according to the multitude of your tender mercies.” This gives me to hope in the mercies and lovingkindness of God. Maybe he will unlock the door.

Ps. 69:29–“I am poor and sorrowful; let your salvation O God, set me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song and magnify him with thanksgiving.” God turns to us when in our poverty we sing, praise, and give thanks. As Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” I’ve discovered that when I focus on my feelings of inadequacy or my insensitivity to the things of God, as often as not, the problem is that I am dwelling upon me and my feelings instead of on God himself. When I praise and give thanks in spite of what I feel, the Holy Spirit begins to move within me.

There are two “I’s” in verse 29: “I am,” and “I will.” It is best if I never let “I am” rule over “I will”. 

 

Sufficiency

 December 8, 2021

“Our sufficiency is from God,” —II Corinthians 3:5 

If there’s one thing this past year has taught us, it’s that there is much in our lives over which we have little control. Covid has dominated conversation and life itself, attacking some with virulent rapacity and devastation, while others emerge relatively unscathed. Not just individuals, but society itself has been quarantined, shuttering businesses, creating shortages, fueling inflation. Internationally, we have squandered any influence we might have had; no one believes we have the moral courage to resist those who seek dominance in the world scene.

Where once we thought we could accomplish almost anything, we now doubt our ability to even provide for our basic necessities. Big Tech and Big Pharma appear to be in cahoots with Big Government and the educational lobby, controlling what we think, how we think, and what we put into our bodies.

For anyone already struggling with self-confidence or self-esteem, our present time offers little by way of assurance or assistance. I’ve often looked over my life and felt that I’ve fallen short of my potential, which is not a very comforting thought at my age. The enemy of our souls is all too eager to capitalize on such brooding, telling us that we don’t measure up, that we cannot return from the wrong turns we made years ago, and that we will always fall short.

Of course, the Bible tells us that, too, in Romans 3:23, but the story doesn’t end there. Later in the letter, Paul reminds us that what we were unable to accomplish, God did for us in Christ (Romans 8:3-4). Then there are these words in 2 Corinthians.

No matter how insufficient I may be in and of myself, God in Christ has all the bases covered. I read something awhile back that captures our situation perfectly: “When God put a calling on your life, he already factored in your stupidity.” Christ is sufficient even for that, and for my sin, and for the times in which we live. I don’t live by my own sufficiency, for that always falls short. I live in the sufficiency of the Christ whose riches are inexhaustible, whose wisdom is incomprehensible, and whose love is unshakable.

The Greatest Generation

 December 7, 2021

“The Greatest Generation” is all but gone, victim of time and age. The world they fought to save has all but disappeared, and what they left behind to us would be in many ways unrecognizable to them. Freedom is not really free, and the sacrifices of one generation pave the way for the ease of their children, which in turn paves the way for the re-enslavement of their grandchildren. It is a tale told in large letters throughout history.

My grandfather (father to one of the Greatest Generation and not a committed Christian) once commented on something he saw on television. As he turned the set off, he said that the content was “smutty,” a word I haven’t heard in years. I would hate to hear what he would say about today’s programming. Bit by bit, the ways of this world have insidiously encroached upon us, so subtly that we can’t pinpoint where it was that we began to accept what would have been unthinkable a generation ago.

It would be discouraging had not the prophets and Jesus himself warned us of what it would be like as the end approached. Phrases like “lovers of self rather than lovers of God,” “disobedient, deceitful, not only participating in evil, but encouraging others to do so,” were presentient then, and present today. But in the midst of it all are words of encouragement, offers of salvation and healing of the nations.

Pearl Harbor Day commemorates our entry into World War II, the greatest conflict yet to be seen. Millions died, including hundreds of thousands of Americans. At every Memorial Day service I’ve ever attended, we pray that it not be necessary for us to send young men and women off to war again, all the while Jesus’ words echo in our minds—“There will be wars and rumors of war, but the end is not yet.” Our prayers end with the cry for the day when ploughshares will be beaten into pruning hooks, and we will learn war no more. That day will come, and until then, we live by Jesus’ words to “watch, that the Enemy not enter in while we are asleep.”

Highway to Heaven

 December 6, 2021

“And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”” —Luke 3:3-6

John preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins, but we don’t always know what repentance means. We have images of craven groveling, the wringing of hands, and flowing tears, but that isn’t what John had in mind. The words of Isaiah which he quotes tell us exactly what he meant by repentance. 

Repentance means straightening out that which is crooked, filling in that which is lacking, tearing down obstacles, and smoothing the paths so God has ready access to our hearts and we have clear and unobstructed access to God. Repentance often involves words, but also needs the corrective action that changes the direction of our lives. Where once we were thrown off course by every twist and turn of life, repentance paves the way for the newness of life offered in Christ. When we truly repent, we need not always be talking about it; people will see the salvation of God at work in us. 

The wilderness is where all this happens; those barren, harsh times that strip away every comfort, reducing us to elemental matters, where life is raw and dangerous, and survival is not guaranteed. We tend not to repent in times of ease and success. It is in the wasteland of failure, of sorrow, of sickness and loss where we are forced to face the emptiness of our lives. We don’t like the wilderness, but it is there we are most likely to meet the God who creates out of barren nothingness a people tested and purified for holy purposes. 

“Lord, we shrink from the desert, but you still beckon us forward into it, that we may be stripped of all the false gods to which we cling. Straighten that which is crooked and deformed in us; fill in the empty valleys of self with the glories of Christ. Level the mountainous obstacles we have erected to protect ourselves, but which only hinder the work of your Holy Spirit in us. Stride down the highway of repentance into our hearts, that we may return to you.

Grace Alone

 December 5, 2021

If one takes it seriously, preaching is about the most humbling activity in which one can engage. Two weeks of preparation, revision, prayer, consultation, and more revision and prayer all went into this morning’s sermon. I’m by no means a novice at it, but I came away as I often do, thinking of what needed to be said that I left unsaid. 

I’m not looking for any pats on the back, or words of encouragement; I’m merely revealing my inner thoughts on this business of preaching. If I did not believe I was called to do it, I never would have courage to actually stand in front of a congregation and dare to present the life-giving Word of God. It is a fearful responsibility little understood by anyone who hasn’t attempted it. 

It’s not hard to present an orderly message, to provide illustrations, and to drive one’s point home. It’s not particularly difficult to dissect the text to extract its full meaning. What is difficult is making sure I am proclaiming Good News, not merely good advice. People can get good advice most anywhere; there’s only one place where the Good News can be found. But it’s surprisingly difficult to keep from drifting back into good advice. Revealing to people their situation and their place in it isn’t hard. Diagnosing the problem of sin isn’t hard; anyone with eyes that work can see what’s wrong in this world. And most people with a bit of life experience in life are not shy about giving their remedy for it all, usually in the form of what can or could be done to fix it. The Gospel however, isn’t about what we can do, but about what God has already done in Jesus Christ.

Tonight’s reading took me to Isaiah 12:2-5

“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ ” Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation. And in that day you will say: “Praise the Lord, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth.”

The heart of these verses isn’t what we can do, but what God has done, and of my responsibility as a preacher to point out to everyone “his deeds among the peoples,” the “excellent things” he has done. In our human limitations and sinful leanings, it is easier to talk about what we need to do. Only by the power and leading of the Holy Spirit is anyone able to speak only of what God has done in Jesus Christ for our salvation. May God forgive me when I have failed to be clear about this, and give grace to be so clear in the future.

Hubble

 December 2, 2021

The Hubble telescope is 30 years old. Yesterday I watched a video of some of the images of deep space it has taken showing stars that turned out to be galaxies, clusters of galaxies millions of light years distant, each galaxy containing millions if not billions of stars. In echoes of God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis15:5, the commentator noted that there are more atoms in a single grain of sand than there are stars in the universe.

Psalm 8:3-4 is more poignant than ever before. “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars which you have ordained, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man, that you visit him?”

If anything could make me doubt my faith it would be this question. I have no trouble believing that God is greater than all Hubble has revealed, or that he created it all. The magnitude of the majesty of God I can understand. The real challenge to my faith is that with a universe far more vast than Abraham could have imagined, that God would be interested in, let alone send his Son to die for me. In the unimaginable vastness of the universe, a God who sees this little speck called earth, and loves those little specks living on it is almost unbelievable. “Amazing love, how can it be, that thou my God shouldst die for me!”

Bright

December 2, 2021

“Three gifts bright;” that’s today’s gratitude prompt. I looked at the forecast this evening, and if the weatherman is correct, we won’t be free of overcast skies until the middle of the month. I guess we should be used to it by now; but it makes me very thankful for the bit of sunshine that graced our skies this afternoon. It gave way to a drizzling rain by dusk, but living in Western New York, I’ll take every bit of sunshine we can get.

They are harder to see during the day, but when darkness falls, the lights on our Christmas trees (you read that right—it’s plural) shine all the brighter. They help lighten our hearts.

What shines brightest however, is the future. Too many look around and see only doom and gloom. It’s easy to do; media is forever pumping out disaster and fear. The newsroom adage is true: “If it bleeds, it leads.” “Husband and Wife Still Love Each Other After 50 Years” doesn’t make the news, although these days, it’s unusual enough that it should.

Tough times are ahead; if the pundits weren’t saying it, our faith does. Trouble and tribulation are promised us, not comfort and ease. This world we live in will end in fire and smoke, according to Peter and John. Jesus himself spoke of great trials to come, but he also promised to be with us through them, and that beyond the trouble there is a future bright with peace, health, joy, and love. The Bible gives mere hints, but those hints are enough for us to be confident: the future is bright with hope for all who trust in Christ. 

The Secret Place

December 1, 2021

“Those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” —Psalm 91:1

In the UM minister’s service handbook, these words are front and center for use in funerals, and over the years, I’ve quoted this verse countless times in such contexts. They are well-worn words that have become so familiar that they’ve lost much of their meaning. What is actually being said here? What is this secret place, and how does one get to it, let alone dwell there?

No explanation is given in the text itself, but Israel’s history suggests that it may be the Holy of Holies in the temple. It was secret in the sense that only the high priest could enter it, and that only once per year. And yet, this psalm speaks of dwelling there, taking up residence in the presence of a God so holy that to gaze upon his face meant instant death. Most of us would be doing well to occasionally visit this secret place, and we wonder why instead of the shadow of the Almighty protecting us from the glare of the desert sun of this world that leaves us parched, we find ourselves exposed to the withering blast of its heat.

In the past six months, Linda and I have walked with people through the valley of the shadow of death, a very different shadow than the one God offers. We’ve joined others praying for friends and families bending low beneath the burden of sickness, quarantine,  and all they see on the nightly news. Kids are struggling in school, trying to survive behind masks that constrict not only their breathing, but their ability to interact with one another. Life can be hard, and we in this country are only dealing with a fraction of what is happening in some places.

The temple was guarded to keep unauthorized people out. That includes us, unless we have the sanction of the High Priest, Jesus. He invites us not only to come, but to live in this Holy Place, but to do so, we must leave whatever place we are currently occupying. We cannot dwell in the secret place of the Most High if we refuse to leave the ghettos of our present life. Jesus said, “Abide in me.” It isn’t enough to be a visitor, a tourist. In Christ is my home; only in him am I sheltered from the blast and heat of the day. In him I live and move, and have my being, my dwelling place.