Halloween Blessings

October 31, 2016 It's not just about small town life, although that's part of it. It's about our kids who have made good friends with other young couples fro church. Tonight after taking their kids trick or treating, Todd and Jess, Matt and Jeanine, along with their friends (and ours) Jen and Darren, Brandon and Brandi, and Melissa, along with all their kids (I think there are ten of them, but they were here and there, so I didn't actually get a count) showed up at our door. Linda had hidden sacks of treats around the house for the kids to find, and the table was set with doughnuts, Timbits, hot mulled cider, regular cider, and coffee. She also set out a dish of grapes to assuage our guilt for all the junk we were eating. An hour and a half later, we were saying our goodbyes, having shared stories and laughter around the table, the perfect ending to an otherwise quiet Halloween. When we lived in the middle of town, it wasn't uncommon to have two hundred kids show up for Halloween. Living on the edge of the village, only our kids stop by. I miss seeing the little ones all dressed up; not so much the older kids who don a little facepaint and hope for the best. It was a good evening, blessed by the presence of our kids, their friends, and all the little kids who were playing happily together tonight. No, it's not big stuff, but it is the stuff of life, our life, for which I am grateful tonight.

Waiting for God

October 30, 2016 "It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion? I had said in my alarm, "I am cut off from your sight." But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help. Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you." --From Lamentations 3:26, Psalm 77:9, 31:22, and Proverbs 20:22 I didn't realize how much I missed it till today. Last Sunday, I was in prison with a Keryx team, ministering to 42 men, worshipping with them, but not giving or receiving communion due to the ecumenical nature of the ministry. From the first time I learned that communion wouldn't be a part of the weekend because so many different denominations are represented in both the ministry team and the inmates, it struck me as odd. Jesus instituted the communion meal as the signal means by which he would be made known to us, and by which we proclaim to the world that we are one in Christ. In John's gospel, that first Eucharist was followed by Jesus' prayer that we would be one, as he and his Father are one, "that the world might believe." Yet this was the one thing we wouldn't do together to demonstrate our unity in Christ. Before last Sunday, it had been a long time since I've not received communion on a Sunday morning, and having missed out last week, to receive it today was a special treat. According to John's gospel, prior to receiving communion that first time, Jesus washed his disciples' feet. At first, Peter protested, till Jesus said it was necessary; then he wanted Jesus to wash his head and hands, too. Jesus, alluding to the washing of baptism, told Peter he didn't need a complete bath, just a footwashing. In other words, we are washed from our sins when we profess our faith in Christ, signified by baptism, and don't need a second bath. Incidentally, this is why when someone who was baptized as an infant professes faith as an adult, Methodists do not baptize again. We believe that baptism isn't as much the sign of our faith in Christ as it is God's claim upon us. God is the primary actor in baptism. So, with Peter, we don't need a full bath, but walking in this dusty, sin-filled world, our feet get dirty, and we need the regular touch of Christ for our cleansing. That's what communion is; a regular coming to Christ, examining our hearts, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:28-30. The liturgical prayer for communion reads, "We have done things we ought not to have done, and have left undone things we ought to have done." Every week when I stand in line to receive, I am confessing my sins, clearing out the clutter which inevitably comes with daily living. Of course, I can do it apart from communion, but to hear the words of absolution and receive again the Body and Blood of Christ cements in my heart the reality of God's endless (thankfully) grace. I needed it today; as the Scripture says, I waited for the LORD, and this morning I received the sign of his grace and mercy once more, and am grateful.

Body Life

October 29, 2016 Of all the ways we describe what it means to live as a Christian, perhaps one of the most common is that Christ is the head of the Church, and we are his body, each one being a member that contributes to the whole. This analogy is taken straight from Scripture, particularly 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 5:30-32. In the Corinthian text, Paul uses the analogy to teach our interrelatedness, going so far as to say that when one part of the body hurts, the entire body feels the pain, and when one part rejoices, the whole body sings. Those who have experienced deep sorrow or great joy have often experienced the truth of these texts, as they have been upheld in prayer or have keenly felt the suffering of a brother or sister. We also have experienced the pain of betrayal when the body is torn by jealousy, pride, and dissension. What often escapes our notice however, is how the Head of the Body is affected by what happens to the members of it. Nearly thirty years ago, Linda and I built a cabin on the acre of land her folks gave us. I went into partnership with my brother in law Dennis to buy trees from the state lands. We went halves on the money, but Dennis did most of the work, cutting and dragging them to the roadside, and sawing them up on his mill. He took the 6X6s; I got the 4X4s. He built a house; I built our cabin. One winter morning during construction, I was at the cabin site working all by myself. I was working on the roof and needed to reach the eaves for something. There was a pile of 4X4s just behind the cabin, so I climbed up the pile. Actually, I only started to climb. The first step was a big one, so I set myself for it, throwing all my weight to my right foot. Unfortunately, there was a spike on the log I chose to step on, and the energy with which I threw my weight into the step drove that spike into my foot and almost out the top. I was stuck so firmly I had to grab my leg with both hands to free my foot from the nail. The instant I impaled my foot, my entire body sympathized. The message immediately shot to my brain, and from there to my stomach and sweat glands. Once my foot was freed, I lay in the snow, sweating, my stomach heaving. I limped to my truck, got it started, and headed for the hospital. It was an interesting process trying to depress both the clutch and the accelerator with my left foot, all the while trying hard to hold back the dry heaves. Today as I thought about the Scriptures which tell of our connectedness in the Body of Christ, I know what sympathetic pain is like. I've felt it physically, and I've felt it spiritually. But what has me thinking tonight is how my pain or my sin or my confusion or doubt affects Christ, the Head. It's not just other Christians who are affected by my success or failure; as the head of the Body, Jesus Christ himself is first one to receive the messages from the extremities. He's the first to notice, the first to feel the pain, the first to know the exhilaration. Perhaps if I can remember that, I'll make better choices more often, give him more cause to celebrate. That would be cause not only for my gratitude, but perhaps even his.

The Blessing of Necessary Expenses

October 28, 2016 It's all in your perspective. A hundred dollars leaves our hands with a light heart when spent on a vacation, a hobby, anything you enjoy. That same hundred spent on an unexpected necessity like a new furnace, a vehicle repair, or in our case, a new water line, is agonizing. What makes the difference? Simply, what we set our hearts on. Though the latter expenditures are necessities, the mere fact that they are necessities somehow sticks in our craw. Our hearts aren't in them. This has been an expensive summer and fall. When the village replaced its entire water system, we had to have a new water line put in. Lightning toasted the electronics on our washer and dryer, and in order to pass inspection, my truck needed new front brakes. Unfortunately, it has a bad design that requires the entire hub and bearings to be removed in order to fix the brakes, a five hour job. Needless to say, it is costing considerably more than the $25 inspection fee. Next week, I'll take the tractor in for a pre-winter servicing. Let's just say that the debit line of our budget has been quite a bit more active than the credit line. But it's all in our perspective. There was a time when expenses like this would have buried us. It's not fun spending money this way, but at least we have it to spend. We aren't having to max out a credit card or take out a loan. We have been blessed, and are grateful. And I don't regret for even one moment the money I spent on my bass, on treating the family to a Sight and Sound vacation, on this summer's mission trip to Cuba, or on our tithes and offerings. With the exception of my bass, these expenditures are for others, and bless us in the giving of them. I am grateful that these necessary expenses, while putting a dent in our bottom line, hasn't completely erased it. God continues to provide, and in that provision, I am content.

Sleep

October 27, 2016 Sleep. It's a beautiful thing. Sleep deprivation can kill you, and experts tell us we in modern America don't get enough. Somehow, we imagine that in our self-controlled world, we can do without it, or at least with less of it. With modern lighting, we stretch the days out into the late night, add television entertainment, a little internet, and before you know it, the time we allot to sleep slowly erodes, and with it, our health and sanity. The Bible says that God gives his beloved sleep. In spite of all this, we often find it difficult to get to sleep or stay asleep. One time when I was wide awake in the middle of the night, I simply prayed, "Lord, the Bible says you never sleep nor slumber. Since you're going to be awake anyway, there's no reason for both of us to be up, so I'd appreciate it if I could just get to sleep." He stayed awake; I did not. God loves us so much that he sent his Son to die for us. If his love moved him to go that far, giving us sleep is pretty minuscule. I'm thankful for sleep, and think I'll get some now.

Fear Not

October 26, 2016 How is it possible that something written nearly a hundred and fifty years ago can speak so clearly to the issues we face today? "Daily Light on the Daily Path" was compiled around 1875 by Jonathan Bagster from Scripture readings compiled years before by his father and siblings for family devotional use. Linda and I have used it regularly since college days, and since it is only Scripture, it never grows old, and sometimes the daily reading is eerily pertinent for today. The reading for October 26 contains the following reflection: "Not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed." If God is for us, who can be against us? (from Psalm 75:6-7, Daniel 2:21, Matthew 24:6, Romans 8:31). Politics these days seems to be little more than an exercise in fear-mongering. Trump fans are fearful of the prospect of another Clinton presidency, while followers of Clinton are afraid of the prospect of the unpredictable Trump. Political advertising panders to the fears of the people, apparently with some success. I hear all the reasons I shouldn't vote for either candidate, but not so much why either of them should get my vote. What bothers me about it all is not the ugliness of the rhetoric, nor the perhaps legitimate fears of the people, but the Christians who seem more motivated by fear than their faith. Whichever way we vote, we shouldn't be voting our fears. Today's reading speaks to the heart of the matter. Do we Christians believe God is in control? Do we believe God is for us? Reflecting on this morning's Scriptures, I think we are afraid of losing life as we know it. We want to hold onto what we have, or gain what we don't yet have, and believe the candidate we oppose threatens our status quo. It's understandable. Most of us have seen drastic changes in our country over the past few years; the uncertainty of our time and the belief that our elected representatives are more interested in representing themselves than us have shaken our faith. Perhaps it needs to be shaken. If our faith resides more in our government than in our God, a shakeup may be in order, a reminder that God removes and sets up kings (and presidents). We need not, ought not be alarmed. It is still true that if God be for us, it doesn't matter who is against us. And in Christ, we have God's "Yes;" his affirmation and assurance that for those who trust him, even if our world turns upside down, all will be well.

Receiving and Giving

October 25, 2016 Even a mere ten years ago it wouldn't have been possible to do what I did today. The desire was there, but I just didn't have the equipment. Today I do, and had the blessing of using it to help someone in need. About 11:30, my friend Harry showed up at our door, ready to work. We drove over to son Nate's to get the flatbed trailer and load up my tractor before heading to Falconer. Saturday while I was doing prison ministry, Harry and a bunch of Park church folks were in Falconer digging a drainage trench, laying tile, and wheelbarrowing gravel to try to fix what was a horribly soggy yard and basement for a couple who had a need, but not the resources to do the job. A couple years ago, Linda and I went halves with Nate on a trailer for hauling firewood. Last summer, Linda and I bought our tractor with loader. Neither of these would have been possible ten years ago; we just didn't have the money. But we were blessed with good jobs, faithful with saving, and now are reaping the rewards of having been frugal for so long. We have half a trailer and the tractor to go on it. With bucket and backblade, Harry and I were able to spread a pile of gravel over our friends' driveway. Nate had been using the tractor to load his firewood into his basement woodshed, making that job a whole lot easier. Today, we smoothed out a driveway, and when I got everything home, mowed our lawn and that of another friend whose mower is in the shop. Next week I take my outfit to the dealer for its fall checkup. In the meantime, I am thoroughly enjoying the greater blessing of giving. Jesus said that much will be required of those who have been given much. Most of the time when we think of things required of us, it isn't with much pleasure. Requirements are often necessary evils, but this is one requirement I am eager to fulfill, for it keeps giving back, pressed down, shaken together, running over. It's hard to beat a deal like that!