Goodbye, Hello

 December 31, 2022

2022 has finally come to an end. For some, it’s been the best of years, for others, it’s been the worst of years (apologies to Charles Dickens). It’s 11:20 as I write; soon the ball will have dropped, the partiers (is there really such a word?) will celebrate, many Christians will ring in the new year in worship. 

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, wrote an order of worship for the New Year’s Eve Watchnight Service which included what has come to be known as his Covenant Prayer. It  is preceded by the invitation, after which the congregation prays together.

Pastoral Invitation: 

“And now, beloved, let us bind ourselves with willing bonds to our covenant with God, and take the yoke of Christ upon us.

This taking of his yoke upon us means that we are heartily content that he appoints us our place and work, and that he alone be our reward.

Christ has many services to be done; some are easy, others are difficult; some bring honor, others bring reproach; some are suitable to our natural inclinations, and temporal interests, others are contrary to both. In some we may please Christ and please ourselves; in others we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves. Yet the power to do all these things is assuredly given us in Christ, who strengthens us.

Therefore let us make the covenant of God our own. Let us engage our heart to the Lord, and resolve in his strength never to go back to our former way of life.

Being thus prepared, let us now, in sincere dependence on his grace and trusting in his promises, yield ourselves anew to him.”

The Covenant Prayer: 

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside by thee.
Exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, 

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
Let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.”

St. Paul reminds us that “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17), and enjoins us to “put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” —Ephesians 4:22-24 

By the time you read this, 2022 will have passed away. May it pass away in our hearts as we turn from the sins of that year to embrace the Christ who in his mercy and grace brings us 2023. We don’t know what the year will bring, but we know who brings it to us, and whatever challenges or blessings that may come can only come through his loving hand, and always accompanied by grace enough to meet them. Hello, 2023!

Leaning In

 December 30, 2022

Sometimes if Linda has trouble falling asleep, she’ll turn the TV on, volume low, just to have some white noise in the background. Last night, instead of the TV, I cradled her in my arms; she backed up against me and fell asleep almost instantly. Just holding her close not only helped her relax and sleep; it also filled me up inside.

As I lay there, I got to thinking; I wonder if God takes as much pleasure in me “backing up to him” as i had with Linda. So often, my relationship with the Lord consists of serving, accomplishing things—good things for him, as if obedience and service were what brings him the most pleasure. But what if this isn’t actually the case? What if God’s greatest pleasure comes from us just spending time with him, moving in close? Maybe my “busyness” is depriving God of what he desires most. I appreciate it when Linda does things for me, but I can hire someone to do things for me; what she offers that I can find nowhere else is simply herself. Perhaps it’s the same with God.

Psalm 27 says it well: “One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD.” I suspect that “one thing” was not only what David desired of God; it is also what God desires of us, and if I deprive God of the pleasure of simply being together, I’m also depriving myself. God has the angels to serve him; he created us to love him, and that isn’t just about service; it’s a matter of the heart. 

Tonight, there’ll be no TV; just Linda and me leaning in close. And as she falls asleep, I’ll also lean in close to God. I don’t want to deprive either of us of the pleasure of the intimacy.

Earthquakes

 December 29, 2022

“When Israel went out of Egypt, 

The house of Jacob from a people of strange language, 

Judah became His sanctuary, 

And Israel His dominion. 

The sea saw it and fled; Jordan turned back. 

The mountains skipped like rams, 

The little hills like lambs. 

What ails you, O sea, that you fled? 

O Jordan, that you turned back? 

O mountains, that you skipped like rams? 

O little hills, like lambs? 

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, 

At the presence of the God of Jacob, 

Who turned the rock into a pool of water, 

The flint into a fountain of waters.”

—Psalm 114:1-8 

For over 400 years, Israel preserved its identity while in bondage in Egypt. Where most oppressed cultures would have been assimilated into that of the greater power, Israel kept their own language, and in so doing, kept their soul. The strange thing about Israel’s history is that God was the one who brought them into Egypt in the first place, under the premiership of Joseph. God didn’t take them into Egypt to enslave them, but to incubate them, toughen them for the call he had placed upon them to be his unique people.

When the right time had come, God created seismological events that parted the Red Sea and dried up the Jordan, that caused Jericho’s walls to collapse, and Israel to win crucial battles. There were actual physical changes in the earth; volcanic and seismological events that enabled Israel to escape Egypt and conquer Palestine. 

“Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord.” This is not only a record of actual events; it is a symbolic statement to us. When life gets shaky, it’s not a sign of God’s absence, but of his presence. When things in life tremble and quad, it means God is at work delivering his people. We love smooth paths, but they’re not always a gift from God. Easy times may be the Enemy of our souls lulling us to sleep. Troubles are meant to drive us to our knees in repentance and faith; repentance—changing how we think, and faith—trusting in God’s mercy and grace.

Envy

 December 28, 2022

“All Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.”

—I Samuel 18:16

David was a “people person,” constantly in the public eye, wheats Saul secreted himself away in the palace. David’s very name means “Beloved,” and may actually be more of a nickname. In 2 Samuel 21:9 it names Elhanan as the one who killed Goliath (see also 1 Chronicle 20:5). Is it possible that the people bestowed the name David upon Elhanan because of his victory over the giant and his constant presence among them?

In my life, Linda is loved by so many because she is is so much a people person. I am more like Saul—a good father, but one who like Saul has issues with pride, insecurity, and self-will. I am determined however, not to end like Saul, consumed with jealousy and envy, and prideful vengeance. Saul ended his life unable to connect with God nor man despite his sincere efforts to do so. His isolation became a demonic playground that ended in his consulting a medium for guidance. Samuel’s word years earlier when Saul failed to kill Agag had played out in his life:

“Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.” —I Samuel 15:23 

Instead of accepting his own personality, his desire for recognition became his downfall. He would never be the charismatic leader like David, but instead of leading, he became obsessed with destroying the one who would become his successor. His jealousy at another’s success sowed fear in his heart, which became a destructive obsession.

Being able to recognize and accept one’s own strengths and weaknesses is critical to healthy, productive living. Any time we envy someone else’s talents, we are in effect telling God he didn’t know what he was doing when he made us, which in turn, is setting ourselves up as little gods, ready to usurp the One True and Living God. That was Lucifer’s sin. May it never become ours

One Thing

 December 27, 2022

“One thing I have desired of the Lord, 

That will I seek: 

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord 

All the days of my life, 

To behold the beauty of the Lord, 

And to inquire in His temple. 

When You said, “Seek My face,” 

My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” 

Wait on the Lord; 

Be of good courage, 

And He shall strengthen your heart; 

Wait, I say, on the Lord!”

—Psalm 27:4, 8, 14 

There are too many things in this life which interest me. I love making music even though I’m not particularly talented with it. I love playing my bass, but I also love working with my bees and riding my sidecar motorcycle. I love spending time with my wife and my family; I like getting together with friends and love a good sermon. I like woodworking, refinishing old furniture, reading, and watching a good mystery on TV. And this is only the beginning. 

I am fascinated by history and archaeology, am working hard to learn Spanish so I can minister more effectively in Cuba. I love their coffee, by the way. I tried one of their cigars years ago, and cannot understand why anyone would pay good money for one.

It took me a couple days, but recently I finished reading a biography of Charles Cowman, the founder of the Oriental Mission Society. From the time he was converted as a young man until his untimely death some twenty-five years later, he was passionate about only one thing—winning souls, ie, bringing people to Christ. This passion consumed his days and often even his nights as he wrestled in prayer for the lost. He and his young wife sailed to Japan around the turn of the century, where he labored to the point of his health breaking down from the pace with which he drove himself to take the Gospel to everyone in the nation. The last ten years of his life were spent back in the US, writing, raising support for the mission, and praying for the work. He had neither hobby nor pastime, literally burning out for Christ at the age of fifty-six.

His biography has made me consider my own life, which is often torn in so many directions that it’s hard to accomplish a single task in a day. This morning’s Psalm highlighted my dilemma: “One thing I have desired of the LORD…” I’m not certain I can say that with any degree of integrity. It is a standard I aspire to, but haven’t attained. It’s only possible to say “One thing” when all the other things have been abandoned. So I have my work cut out for me. I’m not sure it’s the right course of action to completely narrow my interests, but doing so would at least cut down on the options. 

We like to keep our options open, but sooner or later, must choose if we are to accomplish anything. The young man who insists on keeping his options open will never marry and know the depths of love possible. Such a life comes only to those who narrow their options and make a choice. So tonight, “One thing” is on my mind; I’m trying to figure out how it is to play itself out in daily life. So I begin in prayer, asking God to show me just how this is going to work. I believe he will do so, because seeking his face is what he wants of me. And you.

God’s Evil Spirit

December 26, 2022

“…an evil spirit from God came upon Saul.” (1 Samuel 18:10)

This verse has been a thorn in the side of many a commentator and preacher. How can God afflict someone with an evil spirit? This is a side of God we didn’t know and don’t wish to know! Sometimes we are so close to a situation that we cannot see it for what it really is; I think this is our problem with this text. 

Saul was jealous to the point of attempted murder. This jealousy and anger grew out of his own insecurities; he had been elevated beyond his ability, and feared this man whom he knew was highly capable—after all, David had attacked Goliath while Saul dithered.

Insecurity, jealousy, and anger are an open door to evil spirits, not necessarily in the ghostly sense of the word, but in the manner that such a mindset has predictable results, among them a desperation to hold onto whatever one has, and a corresponding fear of losing it. And as Saul became a prisoner of his own fears, he saw his greatest asset as his enemy. Instead of benefitting from David’s skill, he drove him away. The Bible records the sad story of a man driven by his fears. Earlier in 1 Samuel, he explains to Samuel his disobedience with a telling excuse: “I was afraid of the people.” 

It is always dangerous to embark on a course of action because you are afraid instead of in spite of your fears. That’s what Saul did. (1 Samuel 15:24) David on the other hand, saw the giant that struck fear into everyone’s hearts and ran towards him. Whatever fear he might have had, he stuffed it away. That is true courage.

Three times in 1 Samuel 18 it says “Saul was afraid.”

1. He was afraid because he knew the LORD had left him (v.12). That’s a legitimate fear, but one that was the result of his own actions. He was holding onto the wrong things—his own reputation instead of God’s.

2. He was afraid because David acted wisely and was loved by the people (v.15). He saw his own influence waning and David’s increasing. He continued to opt for his own reputation even when he saw his power and influence slipping.

3. He was afraid because his daughter loved David (vv.28-29). In his mind, his own family was turning against him. His fears prevented him from seeing life realistically; he became paranoid, defensive, and increasingly cut off from reality.

It was in fact, an evil spirit from God in the sense that the consequences of our behavior are ordained by God. God doesn’t stand between our actions and their results, preventing us from experiencing the consequences that are necessary for us to change. As Linus said, “Stupid should hurt.” Our refusal to let people face the consequences of their behavior breeds more of it. The end result is fear. If there are no consequences, life becomes meaningless and chaotic, which is a very fearful place to be.

So the question always comes back to me. What am I afraid of? Saul was afraid of losing the power and influence of his position to a successor. His fear only accelerated his demise. So I ask myself, “Am I more interested in maintaining position, influence and power than in God’s will?” Is there any hint of jealousy in me? Do I worry that my legacy will be forgotten? Fear makes people do strange things. The word of the LORD is so important that it is repeated at least 150 times in the Bible: “Fear not!”  

Pictureless

 December 25, 2022

The paper that lay strewn on the floor has been gathered up, the gifts are all opened. The twenty-something people who filled our home with laughter and excitement have all left. Heartfelt expressions of gratitude were the order of the day. And now the house is quiet. Scrolling through Facebook brings Christmas greetings with family photos filled with smiles. I could easily add to them, but was so busy with the day that my phone stayed in my pocket. It’s just as well; the photos would be significant to only a few people, and I’m sure the kids will be posting soon.

We are the most photographed people in history. Selfies capture nearly every moment of our lives to the point where people are becoming somewhat famous not for any accomplishment, but simply by virtue of being able to promote themselves on social media. My great-grandparents had at best a few dozen photos of themselves, mostly in old age when Kodak’s Brownie camera became popular. One generation more, and the only people photographed were the famous and infamous, and even they might have had one or two in their lifetimes. 

We are fascinated with images, but a photo cannot really capture the moment. Live streaming events has become a popular means of widening the audience, but doesn’t have the power to capture the atmosphere, the spirit of the actual moment. I think that’s because when people are actually physically together, there is a connection of human spirits that creates something that wasn’t there before the meeting. In a negative context, we call it a “mob spirit,” when collectively, people do things they wouldn’t normally do individually. Positively, this spiritual connection often happens in gatherings for worship or in healthy families. 

So there will be no photos, no videos from me. The joy of giving cannot be captured digitally because it’s recorded in my heart, not in bits and bytes. It was a wonderful day, and the thank you’s, both mine and theirs, continue to bubble over in my heart tonight.

Unexpected Blessings

 December 24, 2022

Yesterday I wrote about disappointment, about plans that are changed without notice, and how difficult it can be to adjust once we have our minds set on a particular course of action. I had the opportunity to put my money where my mouth is today. Our 11:00 Christmas Eve service was cancelled due to the weather, and I was bummed. 11:00 Christmas Eve has been a tradition! I agree with Tevye: “Tradition! Without our traditions our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof.”

I didn’t want to miss out on Christmas Eve altogether, so I decided to go to our 4:00 service, and I am so glad we went. The music was heavenly, the service simple, clearly proclaiming Jesus as Savior and Lord. As we sang, Psalm 150 came to mind: 

“Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, 

praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with timbrel and dancing, 

praise him with the strings and pipe, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals, 

praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”

—Psalm 150:3-6 

Sometimes words aren’t adequate for our prayers. As we sang, my disappointment and irritation at changed plans melted away and praise welled up within me. I didn’t know it then, but it was going to get even better before the evening was done.

After the service ended, we had dinner at Matt and Jeanine’s, then drove to Nate’s for the cousin gift exchange. When the 11:00 service was cancelled, I didn’t originally plan on the 4:00 service, so I had put together the items for communion, and after the cousins opened their gifts, Nate got out his guitar and I my bass. It is an awesome and humbling experience to have our kids and grandkids, plus assorted boyfriends and adopted family members sitting around the living room in the candlelight singing Christmas carols. It was even more awesome to serve each of them communion, remembering together the reason Jesus came into this world—our salvation and deliverance from our sins. 

Much like Mary and Joseph’s last minute journey and the unplanned stay in a stable culminated in the birth of our Lord, today’s canceled service turned out to be the greater blessing of the day. 

Disappointment

 December 23, 2022

The weathermen actually got it right. The Christmas Blizzard of 2022 is a record-breaker. Hundreds of flights cancelled, major highways closed, high winds are taking down trees and power lines (fast-forward to 2030 when NYS bans gas appliances and furnaces. Electric not-so-heat will be fun). Christmas Eve services are being cancelled quicker than Ben Shapiro at Berkeley. Plans that have been in the works for months are vanishing like cars in a white-out. Whoever was dreaming of a white Christmas can stop anytime now.

I must be careful here. I am sitting in a warm house; so far, we still have electricity, and even if we didn’t, the wood stove out back is churning out all the heat we need. The day didn’t go quite as planned though. Nate had borrowed the tractor to plow out his driveway, and when he returned it said, “Your garage door opener is broken.” In the summertime, that wouldn’t be such bad news, but when the temperature is in the teens, it’s not what I wanted to hear. 

Fortunately, it wasn’t really broken, other than the chain drive had somehow detached from the cable. After a few trips to the store for parts, I was able to fix that, but couldn’t get the adjustment right; it would only open about halfway, and the stop at the close kept bumping the door open again. No amount of fiddling and adjusting on my part was enough to fix it. Fortunately, we can operate it by hand, and when the temperature climbs into the 50s next week, I can take more time with it. Five hours in the cold today was enough.

Then this evening, our water froze. Again fortunately, a few years ago, Linda bought me a torpedo heater, and it didn’t take too long to bring it in and fire it up. Water is flowing once more.

It’s not the Christmas folks have been hoping for. People are disappointed, angry, frustrated. Sounds to me like that very first Christmas when Joseph had to break the news to Mary that even though nine months’ pregnant, they would be taking a trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem because of another government tax scheme. The trip was bad enough, but the accommodations upon arrival were even worse, and news that Herod was on the rampage didn’t help. Whatever plans they had made for the birth of their first child were only a wistful memory. Reality was much harsher than hopes and dreams.

So in your disappointment and frustration, take heart. Maybe you can identify with our Savior who chose to identify with us by coming to this earth in the form of a little baby born into poverty and oppression, eventually to die on a cross for our salvation.

Keep Knocking

 December 22, 2022

Sometimes I feel like Charlie Brown, lying on his back after Lucy has yanked the football from him again: “Augghh!” I’m 73, have been a Christian since I was 13, so that’s 60 years; you would think I would have gotten the hang of things before this. 

This morning during our men’s prayer time, my mind drifted to Jesus’ words in Matthew 7: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” —Matthew 7:7-8 

I don’t know why I never saw this before, but this morning it was like a flash of light into my soul. I’ve often prayed that God would open doors for me to bear witness to Jesus Christ. Do you catch that? I prayed that God would open the doors, but that’s not what Jesus said here. In essence, he’s saying that the doors are there; many of them are closed, but it’s not his job to open the doors. That is the responsibility of whoever is behind the door. It’s my job to recognize the door for what it is and to knock on it. Sometimes doors are hidden behind all sorts of overgrowth. Sometimes they are locked tight. Sometimes they’ve been shut so long the hinges are rusted shut. It doesn’t matter what shape the door is in, how tightly or long it’s been shut, or where in the wall the door is located. My job is simply to knock.

And Jesus’ promise is both clear and simple: “To the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Why haven’t I seen that before? I don’t know, but this morning I saw it, and today I determined to put it into practice. I was going to knock on the door, and if it opened even a crack, I would put my foot in it and wedge it open so the Holy Spirit could squeeze his way in. I did just that, and God showed up. 

I’m going to keep knocking, maybe even knocking on walls as well as doors. Who knows whether there might be a hidden door that will yield before my knuckles? What I do know is this: Jesus himself promises that if I knock, the door will open. This old Charlie Brown can pick himself up and start running toward that ball again, only this time, Lucy won’t be there to pull the ball away. Jesus nudged her aside and is holding it steady for me. Through the goal posts!

Subtle Pride

 December 21, 2022

Image is an odd creature. The story of Saul in 1 Samuel is a tale of a man who looked every bit the part of a confidant leader, but who was actually quite insecure and uncertain of his ability. When the people were about to crown him king, he had to be dragged out of hiding. Standing fully a head taller than any of his countrymen, he nevertheless was never sure of himself. When decisive action was called for, he was found dithering in the shadows. His son Jonathan took charge, leading his father to call for his death for insubordination. Saul couldn’t stand the thought of someone else taking the limelight. 

He covered his insecurity and indecisiveness with sudden rash decisions made without thought or planning. On the one hand, he was wispy-washy when firm decisiveness was needed, but impulsive when cool thought was needed (See 1 Samuel 14 & 15). 

The genocidal campaign against the Amalekites sounds harsh and brutal to our ears, something we would hardly countenance today. But as the story stands, Saul was directed to kill every Amalekite, man, woman, and child, and also their cattle and flocks. I don’t like the sound of that any more than anyone else, but as the story goes, Saul only carried out a part of the directive, saving the king and the best of the spoil “for the Lord.” One way of disguising disobedience and rebellion is to dress it up in religious garb. Saul did so, and when confronted, claimed he actually had been faithfully obedient.

Samuel’s reply was classic: “What then, is the bleating and mooing I hear?” Even then, when Samuel told him he had a word from the Lord for him, Saul smugly said, “Say on!” In other words, “I am innocent. Go ahead and say what you have to say.” Samuel pressed further, telling Saul that because he had rejected the Lord, the Lord had rejected him. Still trying to justify his actions, Saul blamed the people: “I feared the people and obeyed their voice.” And when that didn’t wash with Samuel, Saul pleaded, “Honor me before the people…” He was more concerned with image than obedience. 

Saul was a hollow man. He looked good on the outside, but inside there was nothing of substance; he bent whichever way the wind was blowing. How he looked was more important to him than how he acted. For all his valor on the battlefield, it was all a show, it was all for appearances. 

I wish I could say I have never been affected by the need to be admired, to be followed. I wish I could say that my motives and actions always were in sync, but I would be lying. I don’t like rejection and disdain. I want people to like me and think well of me. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that unless it becomes the raison d'être of my life. When what people think becomes more important than my integrity, I have turned my back on God. Pride doesn’t always parade around with an army of sycophants; it doesn’t always insist upon the limelight, but “i” is not only the middle letter of the word; it’s the heart of the sin. 

I remember as a young teenager attending Wednesday night prayer meetings at our church. Often, the goal of our teenage prayers was not to connect with God, but to see how many “amens” we could get from the adults. The prayer itself sounded good, but it was hollow and sinful. Pride was saying, “Look at me!” Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.

Christ in Chaos

December 20, 2022

The early period of Israel’s history is often confusing and contradictory. I just finished reading the book of Judges once more; at this time in their history, they are a loose confederation of tribes, part of a major migration into Palestine that was anything but peaceful. The previous inhabitants naturally resisted, and the picture painted in this particular book is a mixed bag of success and failure. The conquest that sounded so complete in the book of Joshua turns out to have been anything but; the various tribes of Israel managed to conquer the highlands, but those living in the plains had iron chariots, what would have amounted to a combination of cavalry and tanks, against the invaders’ infantry. 

There were continual skirmishes, both against the native in habitants and other outside invaders who were themselves looking for a piece of Palestinian pie. The whole situation was pretty fluid for many years, as mastery see-sawed back and forth between the indigenous people and the Israelites. The chaos of the time is reflected in the phrase, “at that time, there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:22)

So finally, the people decided that it wasn’t enough for them to be serially delivered from oppression by a succession of charismatic leaders called judges; instead, they wanted a king “like all the nations.” (I Samuel 8:20), a request God granted reluctantly. There is a confusing interplay here. The lack of a king was a clear detriment to the people; it meant chaos; everyone did what was right in his own eyes,” but against this obvious support for a royal line is the word that God told Samuel: “They have not rejected you, but me.” (1 Samuel 8:7). 

It’s almost like present day politics. If you are Democrat, you believe the Republicans are the worst enemies of democracy; if you are Republican, you feel the same about the Democrats. Your vision of the state of the country depends not upon the realities of the situation, but upon your interpretation of the events. The same situation existed in the stories of the Judges and 1 Samuel, but with one notable difference.

In 1 Samuel 12:13, God tells the people, “Now here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired. And take note, the LORD has set a king over you.” God’s reluctance to give them a king was clear, but their decision, even though not God’s desire, was God’s doing. God is sovereign, and even in situations we don’t understand, and which are contradictory and destructive, God is at work. He takes bad decisions and bad situations, and works through them. This verse is the Old Testament way of saying what Paul said in Romans 8:28—“God works all things for the good to them who love him and are called according to his purpose.” The things themselves may not be good, but God brings good out of them. Whether it is the death of Jesus (bad) out of which comes our salvation (good), or the cancer my son is battling (bad), which has become a platform for his testimony of the faithfulness of God, and through which people have actually come to Christ (good). 

Trust in God. Put your faith in Jesus, and the crazy patchwork of your life he will rearrange into a beautiful tapestry of his love. Present yourself to him in your confusion, fears, and pain, and watch him create something new and beautiful out of it. 

 

Beyond Christmas

 December 19, 2022

It’s the last week of Advent; Christmas Day is fast approaching. We who celebrate the birth of Christ are quite likely to be disappointed when Christmas actually arrives, not because Jesus Christ is disappointing, but because we have made the day more than it actually is. We’ve added so much tradition, nostalgia, and hoopla that the simple birth of the Son of God gets buried under a pile of presents, to be tossed out like a used-up Christmas tree in January. 

I must confess that this is not the rant of an old Scrooge, although a good case could be made for that appellation. I get caught up in the anticipation, the gift-buying and wrapping, the decorations, old Christmas movies, caroling and gatherings just as much as anyone. The only holiday hoopla I don’t experience is the office party and alcohol. But the anticipation that builds through Advent is like fly paper; stuff sticks to it, so when Christmas finally gets here, it’s got all the other stuff hanging on, and like old fly paper, the only thing to do is throw it out. 

My more liturgical friends remind me that this is Advent, not Christmastide, that the latter extends from December 25 till Epiphany on January 6—the Twelve Days of Christmas. Advent is when we do a bit of soul searching, looking not back to the birth of Christ, but ahead to his Second Coming. We aren’t just remembering; we are anticipating. 

I have no desire to rob people of all the trappings that have built up around this time of year; I enjoy the lights and decorations and especially my wife’s delight in her Byers Choice carolers. But I know too, that once the gifts are all opened and the wrapping paper picked up, and the kids head for home, Christmas as we know it, is over. The only way to keep it alive is to be like Scrooge on Christmas morning after his ghostly visitations: to keep Christmas all year by modeling our lives in the image of God who simply gave, and keeps giving life and hope to all who will believe and trust in his Son. 

It takes a concerted determination of the will to move beyond all the secular mush of Hallmark movies to the hard work of loving others and giving of ourselves, but it is the only way Christmas won’t deflate and die on December 26. And the best way I know to do this is to give to someone or someones who can’t give in return. I have a few in mind, and know that this kind of giving is what will warm my heart and give me joy far beyond Christmas Day.

Savior

December 18, 2022

This morning I had the privilege of preaching once again at my old church in Dunkirk. Tonight’s meditation is taken from my sermon.

One of the best-known Christmas stories has the angels saying to the shepherds, “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.” Today’s text says this child to be born “will save his people from their sins.”

Most of us love Christmas, but we love the nostalgia, the “feeling,” the lights, not the real message, which isn’t “love and peace,” but “salvation.” It’s the message of the entire Bible, and of today’s Lectionary texts.

Ps 80: 3,7,19—Three different times we read, “Cause your face to shine, and we will be… saved.”

In Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth, the angel tells Joseph that his son “will save his people.” And the angels’ message to the shepherds on that holy night: “To you is born…a Savior.”

Why Savior? We don’t like that word because it tells us something about ourselves we don’t want to hear: that we need saving. We cannot help ourselves. The lifeguard doesn’t save those who can swim. “Savior” by definition tells us that we are in a place where we cannot help ourselves. We don’t like that.

What do we need saving from? For Israel, it was their enemies. For us, it’s that “last enemy…death.” That death came about because of our sin—“Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

—James 1:14-15 

Sin separates us. It’s what happened when Adam and Eve bit into that fruit. They were separated from each other and from God.That’s what sin is…death/separation. And we ourselves cannot bridge the gap. Hundreds of times, the Bible tells us that we need to be saved. Ps. 80 tells us what we need to be saved from: “Out of the hands of our enemies.” Paul says, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor.15:26) The day will come when the grief and sorrow of human separation will be gone for good.

How can this be? Today’s epistle lesson tells us: Jesus Christ was “Declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.” (Rom. 1:4). The resurrection is God’s declaration of power over death. If God can raise Jesus from death, he can save us from our sins. The birth we celebrate next week happened so there could be death on a cross and resurrection from the grave—so we could be saved.

Now, what are we saved from? “Our sins,” today’s text says.

Here’s where it gets interesting: Through the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, we are saved from…

1.  The penalty of sin. 1 Pet. 2:24—“He bore our sins in his own body on the tree…” “Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit.” —1 Pet. 3:18. He died in our place, took our punishment.

2.  The power of sin. Rom. 8:3—“For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,”

“If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” —Romans 6:5-7 

“Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” —1 Corinthians 15:57

3.  The presence of sin. “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” —1 Corinthians 15:26 

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”” —Revelation 21:1-4 

You believe in Jesus. Do you confess him as Savior? We believe with our hearts, but must confess with our lips to be saved. 

Jesus, born of a virgin in Bethlehem of Judea in the time of king Herod of Rome, has delivered us from the penalty of sin, is delivering us from the power of sin, and one day, will deliver us from the very presence of sin as we bow before him, casting our crowns at his feet and worshipping him who has given us such a great salvation.

It can begin today, as we confess Jesus as Savior and worship him as Lord, looking back to the cross and forward to the crown. Give him the praise due his Name, the name above every name—Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord!

Fire Within

 December 16, 2022

“You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived; 

you overpowered me and prevailed. 

I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. 

Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. 

So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. 

But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” 

his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. 

I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”

—Jeremiah 20:7-9

I think any preacher worth his salt can identify with these words of Jeremiah, even if they haven’t experienced the mockery and insult he endured. “I didn’t sign up for this,” crossed my mind more than once in the years of my active ministry. In those years when people were angrily leaving the church, it often felt as if God had done a bait and switch on me. I longed to somehow just get away from it all, but I knew if I gave up and left, I would never come back. So I stayed, partly because I didn’t have the inner strength to start over somewhere else, and partly because I am just plain stubborn. I didn’t know enough to quit.

I understand Jeremiah’s dilemma. If I had said, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” 

Even in retirement, that fire still burns inside me. The thought of whiling away the rest of my life in a mindless hobby or going on endless senior bus tours is almost nauseating to me. The fire just won’t go out. I appreciate the lack of stress that not having to preach weekly gives me, but I am also eagerly studying Spanish to improve my effectiveness in Cuba, and am grateful for the lesson planning for our men’s Bible study, and for the occasional opportunity to open God’s Word for his people. 

Yesterday I got a call from the pastor of the Dunkirk church where I served three years in retirement. She sounded terrible, obviously sick and unable to lead worship. It was a bit late in the week for preparation; I like getting at it early. But digging into the Word for sermon preparation can be energizing, and I am eager to present what God has given me. The embers have been fanned into flame, and I cannot hold it in.

Praise and Thanksgiving

 December 14, 2022

I wonder if I’m alone in feeling a bit uncomfortable with the idea of praising God. Not that he isn’t worthy of our praise, but somehow, telling God how wonderful he is feels to me a bit hokey, especially if it’s repetitive with increasing emphasis. Not that it happens that often, but I get embarrassed when someone praises me.

Giving thanks however, is another matter altogether. I’ve been practicing this for some years now, and it always feels appropriate to do so. I’ve read plenty of Christian literature that tells me I ought to do both, but the one still feels fake to me.

This morning’s reading in “Daily Light” was a tremendous help to me in this matter, explaining clearly how to praise God in a way I can manage. It’s straight out of Scripture; Hebrews 13:15.

“By him (Jesus Christ) let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.” 

There it is: praise and thanksgiving are essentially one and the same! Why have I not seen this before? Every time I give thanks, I am praising God! Thank you, Lord, for your Word! It convicts, but also enlightens and lifts unnecessary burdens from my shoulders.

John

 December 13, 2022

There are lots of things to remember about John. For one thing, he was unpretentious. I’m sure there were plenty of times when he wasn’t smiling, but I don’t remember them. He loved to laugh, and was always ready with a joke or funny story. He wasn’t one to grab the limelight, but neither was he one to shirk responsibility. In addition to his career responsibilities, he was an ardent proponent of the local fire department, serving as an EMT and chaplain. 

His left hand had only little stubs for fingers, but it didn’t stop him from playing the trumpet, and didn’t dampen his enthusiasm for life. At his funeral Sunday, one of his granddaughters told of asking him about that hand when she was little. “God made me this way,” was his response to her question. It was given without any sense of complaint or deprivation. It was merely part of who he was. I remember once years ago when someone with a rather sour disposition complained to him about her disability. He held his hand to her face and told her to stop complaining.

John loved the Lord, honoring him with his upbeat personality and love for people. He was my predecessor at Park church, and I owe him a great deal. He laid the foundation upon which I was privileged to build. In my early years, if I had a question about the inner and often subtle workings of this particular congregation, John was always willing to share the wisdom of his experience here without being critical or judgmental about anyone. 

In my son’s garage sits a tangible reminder of John. It’s the 1942 Harley Davidson that he owned and passed along to his son, who traded it to me for a different bike. I’ve been telling myself for nearly 25 years that I would get it put back together, but finally decided to give it to my son who has more aptitude for mechanical things than I. The day will come when he gets it up and running, and when he does, I’ll think again of R. John Rough, my Everyday Hero for today.

Boundaries #2

 December 12, 2022

I’m still thinking about boundaries. I’m no child psychologist, but I do pay attention to what I see all around me, and what I’m seeing is the devastating effect a lack of boundaries has on children. It’s a well-established (but lesser known) fact that about 98% of men in prison grew up in fatherless homes. Their mothers often tried desperately to be both father and mother to their sons, but couldn’t provide the needed modeling that would teach them male strength and restraint. Both are needed for a boy to grow up into a responsible adult male. 

We have a culture in which many parents have abdicated their responsibility to make decisions for their children, believing somehow that letting them choose what to wear, what they will eat, where they will be and with whom is stunting their freedom and emotional growth. We end up with children running the household by default, without the boundaries they need. Note that word “need.” Children need boundaries. They provide safety and security in the same way a medieval castle’s walls provided safety and security for those within. 

What modern parents have seen as fences that inhibit their children's’ freedom of expression are in fact, guardrails to protect them from driving off a cliff. By contrast, children who are raised in homes with clear boundaries and consequences for crossing them generally grow up much more secure and ready for life than those without such guidelines. We live in a media-driven world where much of what is seen is designed to promote fear because fearful people are easily controlled. Without youthful boundaries, children tend to grow up fearful because they don’t have the experience to tell them when a particular attitude or action is dangerous. Boundaries mitigate such fear, guarding against the unknown breaking into life in destructive ways.

Again, I’m no psychologist, but Linda and I have raised three pretty well adjusted children. We didn’t have many rules, but made sure the boundaries were clear and the consequences understood. Life was pretty predictable because boundaries made it so. We made sure they knew the boundaries were there because we loved them and wanted to spare them the hurt and damage to themselves and others that they would experience by crossing the lines.

Even today, I am grateful for boundaries. While driving in the fog the other day, I was grateful for the lines in the center and edges of the road. Those boundaries stood out and helped me keep the car in our lane. It would have been much more stressful without them, but their presence let me breathe easier as I drove. Life is much the same. Boundaries enable us to live without menacing fear nipping at our heels.

Boundaries

 December 11, 2022

Boundaries. We’re hearing a lot about them lately, particularly about our southern border. Many in our government essentially want to eliminate our southern border, while others battle against the administration’s “borderless” policies. I’ve been reading in the Biblical book of Joshua where the borders of the twelve tribes are spelled out in detail over the course of eight complete chapters. Why is this listing of tribal boundaries so important that it takes up such space in the Biblical record? Weren’t there more important matters to record?

Boundaries are important. I believe the detailed description of these borders serves an important purpose. For the early Israelites, they were a way of maintaining one’s identity so as not to get lost in the larger matters of the nation. Personal identity and responsibility were relatively new concepts those thousands of years ago when for most people, the individual was  merely a part of a larger whole, and wasn’t important as an individual.

For us, I think boundaries are essential for the ordering of life. Look at any object and it’s defined by clear visual boundaries. Your house is identifiable as yours by the boundaries we call walls, roofs, doors and windows. Your bodily shape distinguishes you from the person next to you or down the street. In the same way, moral and ethical boundaries are essential. They distinguish good from evil, right from wrong. For most of our country’s existence, these boundaries were based in the Judeo-Christian heritage rooted in the Bible.

Our society’s increasing rejection of these boundaries is intentional and predictably disastrous. We were systematically unravelling the cords that bind society together. Freedom from “archaic” boundaries, the erasure of what traditionally has been called good or bad leaves us with no way to pass judgment on a person’s or society’s behavior. Without such ability, a society must inevitably collapse under its own weight.

The boundaries listed in Joshua are to me, symbols of the boundaries we (read “I”) need in life, boundaries that let me know whether certain beliefs and actions are beneficial or destructive. They help tell me who I am, and for that, I am grateful tonight. I am a Christian, bound by the Ten Commandments and free to live by the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

Caleb

 December 10, 2022

The older I get, the more I identify with Caleb. I’m not quite yet Methuselah material, but I like Caleb. In his younger years, against the advice of the other ten spies, he and Joshua alone believed they could conquer the Promised Land. Because of the unbelief of the ten and the rebellion of the people, he had to wait forty years to see the fulfillment of his faith, but throughout those forty years, he didn’t waver.

We pick up the story five years into the conquest. Caleb is 85, and according to his own testimony, he is as strong as he was forty-five years ago, and is eager to claim his inheritance. I can’t say I’m as strong as I was forty five years ago, and I have a few years to go before I hit 85, but I like Caleb’s spirit. He tells Joshua, “Give me this mountain!” Notice, he didn’t believe success was guaranteed. In Joshua 14:12, he adds, “It may be that the LORD will be with me and I shall be able to drive [the inhabitants] out as the LORD said.” He believed God’s promise, but was aware of his own limitations. 

The promise wasn’t a gift dropped in his lap. The inhabitants of the place on which he had set his sights were giants, mighty soldiers that had to be forcefully removed. So Caleb removed them.

People my age often lose their vision. I’m not talking about their physical eyesight, but their ability to dream and see possibilities in the future that beckon them on to new adventures. We have a tendency to look back to the golden years of our youth, wishing somehow to be able to recapture simpler times. I think we often are looking for what we’ve lost, which isn’t so much our youth as it is our dreams. We think of what might have been, unlike Caleb, who didn’t let a 40 year disappointment dampen his enthusiasm. Instead of looking to the future, we’re looking over our shoulders, which makes it difficult to move forward.

Caleb wasn’t one to follow the crowd, He wanted to be out front in the thick of things, on the cutting edge of life. He gathered around him like-minded men and in the sunset years of his life accomplished his life-long ambition. Seven years ago, one of our Cuban pastors said to me, “You are Caleb. Go conquer your mountain!” There may be giants in the way, but to quote Caleb, “It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.” 

To the Glory of God

 December 9, 2022

It’s 11:00 pm and the house is finally quiet again. Most of the day was quiet; Linda and Jess were Christmas shopping, and after my 10:30 two-hour Spanish lesson, I spent the afternoon trimming the fat off about thirty pounds of chicken breasts. Linda got a good deal on a bulk supply, and if there’s anything she hates, it’s handling raw chicken. So I de-fatted it and put it in the refrigerator. Tomorrow she’ll decide how to package it, but today, she didn’t have to handle it. And all day long, it was quiet. 

Until the grandkids start arriving. It’s not as chaotic as it used to be. Abi is married, and she and her sister Alex enjoy being a 30 second walk from each other. Ian is in college, who knows where Izzi is, and Mattie and Nathan had stuff going on. So it was Liza and Gemma for dinner. Jo and Garrett showed up at 9:30, and it was nonstop action till just a few minutes ago. Garrett and Jo have gone home, and it’s just Eliza and Gemma snoozing, with Linda not far behind. I’m the last holdout. 

So why write about things that interests nobody besides ourselves? Simply to say that not every day needs to be packed with mighty works of God. Sometimes it’s enough just to be aware of his presence and obedient to his command to love. Ordinary can be good…very good. “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God,” St. Paul tells us. So today I practiced my Spanish to the glory of God. I trimmed chicken to the glory of God. Linda and I provided a safe place for our grandkids to gather, talk, and know they are loved…to the glory of God. It wasn’t flashy, the world will not notice, but when something, no matter how small or ordinary is done to the glory of God, he notices. And that’s enough.