Bounty

 October 30, 2023

The bounty of our earthly home simply astounds me. I am a terrible gardener, but when I drive past a roadside stand, I see squash, apples, and pumpkins in abundance, ready for sale. Tomatoes and peppers can still be found, while the sweet corn and green beans are for the most part gone. If I had to depend on my horticultural skills to keep us fed, Linda and I would be a lot skinnier than we currently are.

On our shelves in the basement are rows of applesauce and tomatoes Linda has canned; the freezer is filled with corn and beans, and now the honey and grape juice fills the house with a heavenly aroma. People ask me if I make the honey; I respond, “No; the bees make it. I only steal it.” 

The intricacy of the honeycomb fascinates me, as does so much of bee behavior. In her lifetime, a honeybee produces no more than a teaspoon of honey, and yet my hives yielded about ten gallons, not including that which I took the other day from my Kenyan long hive. They are all buttoned down for winter, and I will wait anxiously for spring, hoping they survive and thrive for another year. In the book of Proverbs, we are told to look to the ant:

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; 

consider its ways and be wise! 

It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, 

yet it stores its provisions in summer 

and gathers its food at harvest. 

How long will you lie there, you sluggard? 

When will you get up from your sleep? 

A little sleep, a little slumber, 

a little folding of the hands to rest— 

and poverty will come on you like a thief 

and scarcity like an armed man.”

—Proverbs 6:6-11 

I’ve often wondered why Solomon chose the ant instead of the bee, which to me, would have been a more logical and interesting choice. The lesson is the same however, and the bounty we enjoy is not our own doing, except to care and cultivate what he causes to spring forth. God commanded the earth to bring forth abundantly (Genesis 1:11-12), and it has been doing so ever since. At this time of the year, we reap and enjoy that bounty, for which I am thankful tonight.

On Time

October 29, 2023

I preached this morning on gratitude, which took me back more than ten years to when God told me to stop all negativity and focus on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8). Part of doing this consisted of giving thanks for three things each day. Today on the calendar calls for giving thanks for three gifts on time. 

I am grateful that 1) time passes. The bad, the failures, the troubles are not eternal. 2) God is always on time. He isn’t early; he isn’t late. We may have a hard time seeing it or believing it, but God’s timing is always just right. 3) Now is the right time for salvation, for repentance, for faith and love. 

 

True Friends

 October 28, 2023

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, 

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

—Proverbs 18:24 

Sociologists tell us that one of the biggest issues that modern men face is loneliness. Many men don’t have a single other man with whom he can talk about the issues we face. White men in particular, have been singled out as the whipping boy for society’s ills, from racism to sexism and beyond. If a man takes a firm stand on any of the social ills of our day, he is accused of “toxic masculinity.” Much of academia and the media seems to prefer softer, more feminine men. Any kind of aggression, even in defending others, is often vilified.

To be sure, many of the problems of society today are male-driven, but most of them are due not to toxic masculinity, but absent masculinity. Studies have shown that more than 95% of men in prison grew up in fatherless homes. Young men who haven’t been guided by strong men who have a moral and ethical foundation often seek strong leadership in gangs. Our problem isn’t toxic masculinity; it’s deformed masculinity. 

But to my point, men are often lonely, without the kind of support group that women gravitate towards naturally. Such men are easy prey for the Enemy of our souls who can twist and distort that need for deep companionship into fellowship over a bottle or the latest drug of choice.

I am among the minority who have men in my life who will on almost a moment’s notice drop what they are doing to step in and bless me in unexpected and unimaginable ways. A month or two ago, we had sixteen dying trees taken down along the creek that runs behind our house. I chunked them up and piled them under the spruce next to our woodshed until I could get around to splitting and stacking it. This morning at 8:00, nine men showed up unannounced, ready to split and stack my wood. For four hours, (along with my wife and daughter), they did just that. Tonight, between eleven and twelve cord of firewood is safely split and stacked.

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, 

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

I’ve had “friends” who bent like a reed at the slightest wind of trouble. These men are like oaks; they stand like sentinels, unbowed by adversity and ready to lend muscle and sinew as testimony of their loyalty. I am both humbled and proud to call them my brothers.

Forgiveness

 October 27, 2023

I came to Christ as I was entering my teenage years, so it’s been over sixty years that I’ve known and been known by, Jesus. The walk of faith (as Paul describes it) hasn’t been a straight line moving higher and closer to the Lord with each passing day. Sometimes it’s been more like a toddler’s scribbling than a recognizable path. 

Hopefully, there has been improvement. I’ve learned a few things over the years, but as those years have gone by, I’ve noticed a subtle shift in my prayers that’s not good: I don’t ask for forgiveness as regularly as I once did. I think it’s because today’s sins are more subtle, less noticeable than they once were. But that makes them no less sinful. All it takes to separate two objects chained together is for a single link to break. 

The ancients had a much clearer understanding of the sacredness of life than we seem to have today. Make no mistake; history is full of bloodshed and barbarity, but at one time there was an almost instinctual understanding that something is terribly wrong in this world, which is why sacrifices of all sorts was commonplace. The gods needed appeasing.

I was reading in 2 Chronicles this morning Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the new Temple in Jerusalem. No less than five times in his prayer he says, “When your people…hear from heaven and forgive.” He lists five different scenarios where the nation would go astray, forgetting who they are and who God is, thus needing forgiveness. Unlike most of our corporate prayers today, there is only a single mention of God meeting the needs of his people. The prayer is instead, a single long litany of all the ways God’s people could sin, and the repeated request that God would hear and forgive.

God reminded me this morning of my continuing deep need for forgiveness. I needed it when I started out, and I need it today. “Lord, hear from heaven…and forgive.”

Extravagant Gifts

 October 26, 2023

It’s not easy coming up daily with thoughts worth sharing, so occasionally I miss a day, and at other times I revert back to how I started all this in 2013 with three daily gifts. The calendar for today reads: “Three gifts extravagant.” That’s easy.

Gift #1 is God’s love, mercy, and grace. I often resonate with St. Paul who bewailed his penchant for doing what he knew to be wrong and failing to do what he knew to be right. You find that in Romans 7. Paul and I are kindred spirits on that one! Were it not for God’s merciful love that covers a multitude of sins, I would be utterly lost.

Gift #2 is Linda’s love for me. Lord knows, I don’t deserve it, but am so grateful for it. She has stuck by my side for over 53 years, through good times and bad, through laughter and tears. There’s no one in this world I would rather have by my side. Her love is extravagant.

Gift #3 is the bountiful grape harvest of this year. I went picking today, and talking with the owner of the vineyard, learned that this has been a bounty year for her grapes. They have so much that they’re finding it hard to keep up with the harvest. The harvest is extravagant, and I am blessed to be able to share in it. The grape juice smells so sweet as it’s processing, and our shelves will be full this year.

Grace and Truth

 October 25, 2023

Early in John’s gospel, he speaks of Jesus in these words: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…full of grace & truth.” (1:14). His choice of words is interesting to me. Christians often speak of grace—the unmerited favor of God. Christians also often speak of truth. Truth matters. Later in the gospel, John remembers Jesus saying, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” We live in a time when truth has been relativized. “You have your truth, and I have mine,” we are told. The problem with this is its subjectivity. Such thinking shuts down communication, for without a common understanding of reality, there can be no communication.

There are many reasons behind our culture’s jettisoning of truth. Part of it stems from the desire to have no boundaries to inhibit our actions. Part of it stems from the Church beating people over the head with truth. We can be a hard-hearted bunch. John gives us the balance we need. 

We need truth because only with truth can we see life correctly. Though I have little expectation of it, I want our politicians to tell the truth. I don’t want my doctor to say, “My truth says you are just fine,” when in fact, I am desperately sick. 

We need truth, words that align with reality. We need grace because we are so deeply flawed. If God gave us what we deserve, we all would be damned. His love for us is behind his grace to us. That grace was manifested in God’s Son Jesus Christ, who gave his life on the cross so our sins could be forgiven. Truth reveals my problem. Grace solves it. Both are needed, and both need to be communicated. By itself, Truth can be harsh and heartless. By itself, Grace can be soft and powerless. Together, they are a powerful combination that can transform a life. 

Last Days

 

October 22, 2023

June 5, 1967—the “Six Day War.” Israel’s neighbors had been saber-rattling, with Egypt amassing weaponry and personnel on the Sinai-Israeli border. Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan were poised, but in a surprise attack, Israel struck first, pushing through Sinai to the Suez Canal with lightening-like speed. Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon jumped in and lost the Golan Heights and the West Bank. It was literally over in six days, Israel losing about a thousand soldiers to Egypt’s 20,000.

It didn’t take “prophetic” writers but a couple months before they were churning out books comparing current events to scenes mentioned in Daniel and the Revelation, declaring that assuredly, the Second Coming was upon us.

In light of the current situation in Israel, I’ve fielded many of these same questions again: “Do you think we are in the Last Days?”

The simple answer to that question is “Yes.” Theologically speaking, we have been in the Last Days ever since Jesus ascended to the Father. St. Paul tells us on numerous occasions to be ready, for Jesus could return at any time. And Jesus himself had much to say about this subject.

The most important thing Jesus said about this is that no one knows the date or time, not even Jesus himself. So anyone who begins setting dates is barking up the wrong tree. Ignore him or her. What Jesus tells us to do is very simple, and he says it in a story.

In Matthew 25, we read the story of the wise and foolish virgins:

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Notice that all the virgins (the girls in the wedding party) had oil for their lamps. They were excited, and looking forward to the wedding. The custom was for the bridegroom to come unexpectedly, the timing a surprise. This particular groom was a bit late to his own wedding, and all the bridesmaids fell asleep. When he finally arrived, they woke up to discover their lamps had gone out. Only half of them had thought to bring extra oil. Those who had extra weren’t willing to share, and there wasn’t enough time to get more. They were left out in the cold.

Jesus’ lesson isn’t as we might think, about staying awake. It’s about anticipation. Here’s the rub: Most Christians are more or less ready for everyday life. We go to church, read our Bibles, pray—enough to handle most circumstances. But most have no reserve—the crisis hits, and we fold. The spouse wants a divorce, the teenage daughter gets pregnant, the diagnosis is cancer, the company is downsizing. Normal everyday spiritual disciplines aren’t adequate for the heavy lifting crisis requires. 

We don’t know if these are the final sputterings of the “Last Days,” but we do know this: it’s not enough to “just get by.” We must be getting ready today for the crisis we can’t see, but which is surely coming, sooner or later. Today is the best time to be stocking up on extra oil. We never know when we’ll need it.

More or Less

 October 21, 2023

Which Vacation Bible School it was, I can’t remember. What I do remember is the memory verse: “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30). It was John the Baptist’s response to the news that people were jumping ship, following Jesus instead of him. John showed a level of maturity that most don’t possess. We live in a zero-sum world: winners and losers. If you are succeeding, it takes something away from me, so we end up in competition instead of cooperation, even (and perhaps especially) in church life.

In church circles, we call it “sheep-stealing.” People leave your church and come to mine for a variety of reasons, most of which are excuses for an unwillingness to deal with their own issues. Soon enough, they’ll leave my church for another. It’s a sad commentary on American church life when most of our growth comes from swapping members instead of genuine evangelism.

John’s statement however, has a more personal element to it. It sounds good to say Jesus must increase and we must decrease, but how exactly, does this happen? The state of the American church suggests that we haven’t a clue. I’d like to provide a couple tonight.

Psalm 34:3 reads, “O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.” Magnifying something doesn’t make it any bigger; it makes it look bigger. In the same way, magnifying the Lord doesn’t make him bigger than he is; that’s impossible. But it is possible, and necessary, that we see him bigger, that we see him in all his magnificence. That happens when we worship together. Notice the call here to come together: “with me,” “let us,” “together.” None of this happens in isolation from other believers. If Jesus is going to increase, it happens in part as we worship together; as I learn how he is at work in you, and you learn how he is at work in me.

Eph. 4:22-24 says “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires…and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

When I was a little boy, on more than one occasion my mother had to remind me to take off my dirty underwear before putting on clean clothes. It’s the same with our life in Christ. If we want him to increase in us, we have to deliberately decrease the old self. Paul says, “Crucify it!” Distracting and detrimental habits must be abandoned to make room for new habits of self-discipline, the reading of Scripture, prayer, fasting, worship, witness…the list goes on. Put off so we can put on, because if we are to follow Christ in any meaningful way, “He must increase; I must decrease.”

Signs

 October 20, 2023

“This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” —John 2:11 

Jesus’ first miracle, recorded here in John’s gospel, is the changing of the water into wine. A lot of people smarter and more knowledgeable than me have commented extensively on this event. My attention is drawn not to the miracle itself, but how it is described. John calls it a sign, an interesting choice of words, for signs are not the reality; they point to the reality. A street sign isn’t the street; it merely identifies the street. The signs that say, “Benny’s Garage,” or “Betty’s Salon” are not themselves the places, but identify the place. John is telling us here that the miracle of transforming the water into wine is not the thing itself, but points to something greater.

That greater something is the manifestation of Jesus’ glory. That word “glory” is interesting itself. We tend to think of something glorious as magnificent or praiseworthy. John uses the word to describe the inner reality made known. Jesus’ glory isn’t seen only in events like the Transfiguration or resurrection. It is seen in his concern for two newlyweds who stand to be embarrassed by the shortage of wine. It’s seen not in the hallowed sanctuary of rigid religion, but in the exuberant joy of a wedding.

And notice that this is the FIRST of his signs. It’s as if Jesus wants us to know what is really important. It’s not the pomp and ceremony of the temple, or the military might of Rome, or the political powerbrokers of the day. What is most important to Jesus is the joy of an ordinary couple gathered with friends for one of the most ordinary of celebrations.

Perhaps it was his topsy-turvy way of seeing life; maybe it was the miracle itself, but I suspect it was his challenge to the self-important people of his day that cause the first disciples to believe in him. That’s not the only, but it is a good reason to do as the disciples did: they believed in him. If we are to be his followers today, we should, too.

Ruth

 October 19, 2023

The Biblical judges governed from the time of Joshua’s conquest until the first monarchy under Saul, from about1400-1100 BC. Generally speaking, it was a time of unrest, with constant incursions from the surrounding peoples, and intermittent faithfulness and faithlessness from the Israelite people themselves. The author of the book of Judges summed up the chaotic and anarchical times in these succinct words: “In those times, there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6 & 21:25). 

Reading the last few chapters of the book, it’s a wonder they even survived to become a nation. Religion was corrupt, integrity of leadership was almost totally absent, morals were seemingly non-existent, and violence was the order of the day. Sounds a lot like today, doesn’t it?

And yet…in the middle of this degenerate and dissolute time comes the story of Ruth: “In the days when the judges ruled…” (Ruth 1:1). In stark contrast to the depravity of the surrounding culture we have a tender and intimate story of love that led ultimately to the royal line of David and to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today we look around and see cultural decline; violence, immorality, corruption in religion, politics, the educational and even medical arenas. What is good is reviled, and evil is held up as virtue; I’ve watched as Christian brothers and sisters tremble at the thought of the future. It is the time of the judges all over again, when “everyone [is doing] what is right in his own eyes.” If you are tempted to despair, remember Ruth. When everything seemed to be falling apart, God was quietly at work in the little backwater of Bethlehem. It didn’t seem like much to the larger world, but in the longer view, that intimate love story still reverberates through history while the fiefdoms of that age are covered in dust. And the seemingly insignificant details of your “insignificant” life might just prove to be what God wants to use to change the world.

Hymns

 October 18, 2023

Music is one of God’s best gifts to us. It doesn’t match his love, grace, and mercy shown in Jesus’ death and resurrection, but it has enormous power to heal. When king Saul was in the grip of a demonic melancholy, he called for David to play his harp. The music calmed him, getting him through the episode.

Today was busy with physical labor—helping friends split and stack wood, blowing the leaves out of our yard, practicing my bass. (Yes, the double bass is a physical instrument. It’s size and construction require a fair amount of physicality to play). Conversation and prayer with my friend Jeff this morning got the day off to a great start, but lately, my Bible reading hasn’t revealed much to me. There hasn’t been a word from the Lord for quite a few days, which while not unusual, is a bit distressing to me as I have to preach this Sunday. 

So tonight I’m sitting, meditating and writing, all the while a YouTube video of tropical beaches with soundtrack of cello and piano playing classic and traditional hymns, songs I grew up with. It is a balm to my soul, and I wonder what my kids and grandkids will have when they’re my age. I love much of the contemporary Christian music being produced today, but there is a deep well of hymnody that seems largely forgotten today. I am grateful for composers and lyricists of deep spirituality who have given us such treasures, for those who taught them to me as a youth, and for those with the skill and desire to produce such videos that grace my screen and fill my soul tonight.

Friendship

 October 17, 2023

Pastors are often lonely people. When I started out over fifty years ago, the prevailing wisdom was that pastors can’t have friends in their congregations. I decided I didn’t want to live that way, and proceeded to try to prove them wrong. I’m not sure I succeeded. 

Having come from an independent Baptist tradition, I was enthralled with the cameraderie I found in the old Erie Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church. The entire Conference was smaller than today’s Districts, and the pastors who served were a tight-knit group. That fellowship of men and their wives was the stabilizing factor in their lives as they were moved from church to church. Annual Conference was but one of the times they would get together to fellowship, worship, and commiserate. I was hooked!

The third year of my association with them, everything changed. We had merged with the Methodists to become United Methodists. Annual Conference was more than double the size, and the close-knit fellowship was suddenly watered down. The old Erie Conference was split in two along state lines, and half of the old connections simply disappeared. Eventually I made peace with it, and enjoyed many years with the pastors of the old Western New York Conference. Friendships were formed, but it was not to last. Declining members and attendance meant that we merged with two other annual conferences to become Upper New York. Suddenly there were more people I didn’t know than those I did. At this writing, I know more dead United Methodist pastors than live ones, and along the way, the sense of belonging simply dried up.

This morning at our local pastors prayer group, we were challenged by a layman who is my son’s prayer partner. “How many of you have a friend who you could call any time night or day to pray with you or listen to you? Someone who would come over in the middle of the night if you needed?” I looked around the room at a small sea of blank faces. If anyone was looking at me, he would have seen the same.

I’ve had good friends, but my generation of pastors were pretty much raised as Lone Rangers, even if we had a fellowship or connection with others. Sad to say, many relationships never got off the ground due to the inherent competition and often downright jealousy between pastors who believed they got passed over for that “plum” appointment. And in the church, change is always inevitable, and when it comes, old connections can feel like they’re beginning to unravel. Maybe it’s a casualty of retirement, but something is different in me, and I haven’t yet sorted it all out.

So I am writing tonight somewhat cathartically, wondering where to take this, knowing there are many pastors who feel they’ve been hung out to dry, or that they like Elijah, are the only ones left. I am fortunate to have a great family and many friends both inside and outside the church, but am feeling the need to go deeper in friendship than I have yet been. I’m guessing I’m not alone.

Driven to Pray

October 16, 2023

Sometimes I think I should have become a truck driver. I’ve often said prayer is difficult for me. My mind wanders, I get sleepy, and my prayers fade in and out. Some people say they pray while they’re working out or running; I don’t run much, but when I work out, I’m too busy gasping for breath to think about praying. I can’t pray when working with my bees—concentrating on the task at hand is crucial to avoiding apicultural disaster. I don’t mind a few stings, but the best way to avoid an overabundance of them is to pay attention.

Driving however, requires what I call “mindless attentiveness.” I keep aware of my speed and surroundings, but there is for me, a sweet spot where I can drive and pray for hours. I don’t like listening to the radio, so it’s an ideal opportunity for me to pray. Today I had to drive to Buffalo and back; two hours of uninterrupted prayer. Praying for family and friends, for our world, for the church, for wisdom in decisions drew me closer in my heart both to the Lord and to them.

I don’t get to drive like that often, but when I do, it is like a fresh wind in my spiritual sails. It blew steadily today, for which I am thankful tonight.

 

Commentaries

 October 14, 2023

I cut my Bible commentary teeth on Matthew Henry when I was about fifteen. My parents bought me a volume which meant there were five more which I soon purchased myself from VanHouten’s Christian bookstore in Rochester, NY. A few years ago, I gave the set to a lay preacher who as far as I know, isn’t using them anymore. Too bad; they were good stuff. It was Henry who came up with the now famous quote from his commentary on Genesis: 

“The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.”

I got to thinking about old Matthew Henry today as I was pondering a couple of Scripture passages. As the story goes, he asked his servant for his opinion on a portion of the commentary he had just completed. The servant read the passage, put down the manuscript and said, “Well sir, the Bible sure does shed some light on your commentary.”

I’ve been considering the 21st chapter of 1 Chronicles which begins, “Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.” This sounds pretty straightforward until we read the parallel account from 2 Samuel 24: “Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” So, which is it? Was it Satan or the Lord who incited David to number the people? And why was this such a terrible sin? And if that weren’t enough, the Chronicles account ends with these words: “For the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon, but David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.” (Vv. 29-30)

I know from other Biblical texts that seeing the angel of the Lord was always a fearful thing. These beings are not the chubby cherubs of Renaissance paintings; they are fierce soldiers of God himself. I can understand David’s fear at seeing one at the threshing floor of Ornan, but why was he afraid to worship at the high place in Gibeon?

My intention tonight is not to confuse or cause doubt to anyone who reads this, but simply to say that the answers we seek are often not easy to find. I’ve read the commentaries on these two chapters, and have come away unconvinced of the explanations given. I can live with that, much as I live with uncertainty in many of life’s matters. I am still questioning, pondering, mulling over these texts and questions in my mind, and so far the answers seem as distant as they have always been. But faith is faith. It is not contrary to facts, but is the framework from which I view the facts, not only Biblically, but in every facet of life, so I keep reading, keep thinking, keep believing, knowing that life is and will always be bigger than I can grasp. But it is in the reaching that we grow, and I hope never to stop doing that.

In the meantime, I stand with Matthew Henry’s servant, and keep scouring the Scriptures. The commentaries may not shed much light on the difficult parts of the Bible, but the Bible sure sheds a lot of light on the difficult parts of my life.