Patience

The whole scenario of our Advent celebrations includes the requirement of patience. Patience is not something we need to ask for, it is simply a practice of waiting without anxiety. The promises of God are guaranteed. The initiatives of God are on His timetable, not our own. The relationship of faith allows us patience in anticipation and joy as we look forward to Christ’s coming again. Our preparations in the present are essential to the capacity of exercising patience in our world.

Long lines of holiday shoppers, time-pressured travelers, and often seemingly harried efforts to “cram” all the preparations for these holidays into ever smaller blocks of time is more of a cultural effect than a God-intended one. Patience is called for nonetheless…as a witness of grace in a world with too little of such offerings. Patience is also an experience, shaped in thoughtful reflection and remembrance of God’s peace and presence with us. In the midst of busy moments, take pause, share a smile, a warm greeting, a friendly nod and consider again the meaning of worship and your actions as a part of doing just that…anywhere, anytime…with thankful hearts remembering and sharing God’s love.

Encouragement

It is amazing what actions of encouragement can mean to others. The smallest measure of intentional caring and help can mean so very much. Sometimes it has nothing to do with a material need, but a word offered at a critical moment. The gift of expressed gratitude, a simple thank you, a kindness that lightens a load or offers a support of meaningful presence – all are received in ways that multiply their importance to a life and a purpose outlined by God for each of us.

A missionary friend reminded me recently that discouragement is a part of his daily environment. Response is limited, the conditions are harsh, and the results are seldom measurable…yet the calling of God upon his life continually reminded him of his mission and daily purpose.

In similar ways, we all face some measure of challenge in our daily pursuit of that calling of God. Even success has its own set of consequences to face and to be tested by. Each of us has the capacity to be builders, encouragers, uplifting others in their daily walk or we can be the constant critics, the opposition force, the excluder and enemy. We choose who we will be and our words and actions often identify our stance.

If ever there is a battle to be won, it is the battle for hope and truth and grace received. It is the measure of forgiveness and blessing that, when received in Christ, becomes the fountain from which we are able to pour out ourselves to love others. The encouragement we offer is the expression of God’s love made known to us in the person of Christ Jesus our Lord and overflowing from our hearts to be shared with others.

Snapshots

I enjoy being the “candid” photographer for family events and special occasions. My strategy is to take a lot of pictures and some of them are bound to turn out well. Perhaps we find ourselves living with that kind of hope…that in all the many undertakings of life, if we do enough stuff, maybe some things will turn out well.

I think of other perspectives, however, that may remind me that the expert photographer may be the one to plan and organize and prepare for a special photograph for a long period of time. There may be a specific sight, coupled with the precise lighting provided at a certain time of day, coupled with the correct exposure of the camera, along with an appropriate type of developing technique. The finished product may require enlargement and the setting may indicate a certain form of framing. All in all the results may be similar…both types of effort-- whether the candid photographer or the expert may result in a photograph that portrays an event or moment or object that warrants reflection and provides pleasure. Instinctively, I would consider the fact that the aim of the professional would achieve a more significant outcome…one that is more pleasing, and honoring of the photographers efforts.

Could it be that if we too took the time, and gave ourselves more wholly to the tasks that God calls us to be party to, that we would honor Him with greater outcomes and more far-reaching benefits. I think the preparation of prayer, the study of scripture, the anticipation of divine leading, and the earnest pursuit of those things that God inspires will indeed yield the greater benefit and be found more pleasing to God.

Whether in stewardship of resources or time or relationships, where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. To whom much is given, much is required. When long ago two brothers brought gifts to God, one gift was deemed good and worthy, the other less so. What makes the difference…the attitude with which we approach God, the attitude with which we purposefully plan and intentionally give to honor Him, or something more…the desire of our hearts, the will of our minds, the passion of our pursuing of those divinely inspired initiatives called for by our Savior.

• In a time of war…blessed are the peacemakers.
• In a time of trial…blessed are those that escape by the guidance of Christ.
• In a time of pain…blessed are those that find in Christ healing and health for their souls.
• In time of fear…blessed are those that cast out fear by calling upon the name of the one to be feared and loved and honored…Christ Jesus our Lord.

Those are pictures worth remembering.

Future Shock or a Future Rock?

There is no question that the capacity of science and technology to impact our lives is significant and shocking in its scope. The strange thing is the way in which such enterprises often attempt to mimic or create technological realities that reflect adaptations of what should be generally a part of our life experience. For example, would you prefer to have the room you are sitting in suddenly change to reflect the words of the book you were reading in temperature, or light, or sound, or visual effect? Somehow I think I prefer to allow my mind to develop the imagery of written description without having the room “come alive.” Yet, that is a technology being discussed as available in homes of the future. Heaven forbid if we were reading an account of the Holocaust. If we read a Russian novel set in the frozen tundra, we might have “real” frostbite before we could finish the book if our home interior “cooled” to book described temperatures.

Some of our larger cities have enjoyed the views created by high-rise buildings. The strange fact is, as new buildings are built, those old views often become lost in the walled structures of neighboring high-rises that not only block out the normal sunlight and the dramatic views in the distance, but they create artificially hot climates in the summer and unusually windy environments in the winter simply by the architecture. Technology allows for many interesting changes, but with them comes the new concerns for indoor air pollution, higher rates of disease with denser populations crowded into ever smaller areas and serious questions regarding the use of basic resources like water necessary for growing population centers. Western cities in the U.S. are struggling to meet water resource needs in many states. Southern Florida is likewise being impacted with water supplies dwindling and water from N. Florida now being required in the south.

“Future technologies” indicate many fascinating capacities, yet will it be a picture of a forest that we will have to remind us of those things that once were or will it be a walk in the forest? Will it be the image of a long open beach or will it be a walk on the beach we experience? Will it be the image of an imagined reality chosen from a computer generated list of options, or will it be a thought allowed to mature and develop in our imaginations in ways that only the human mind can process and consider?

Our choices are many as we look to the future…but until we grapple with some of the basic issues once more, our technological novelties may prove little more than distractions in the face of many of the problems that remain. Unfortunately, from our affluent Western perspective, what we may find in our vast array of future capabilities is the continuing willingness of many people to reduce and restrain their own capacities to act, to respond, and to think in exchange for a new wave of narcissism and mind-numbing spectator “activity” that separates us from exposure to the most basic of human needs. Will we make any endeavor to resolve the matters of hunger and poverty and lack of education that create many of the circumstances which breed war and violence across the world? Will we be sensitive to the spiritual void in which many exist, hungering for the day when someone might share with them the message of God’s love and grace? Will we be watching our recipes projected across the walls of our kitchen, to the tune of music selected by satellite transmission from a digital bank of musical recordings, while waiting for the door to inform us which child is arriving home in time to sit down at their projection wall and have their school books read to them by the text recognition software scanner and their math problems completed by the auto-intuitive statistical analyzer and forwarded to their data correction advisor via light particles…maybe…or we may discover a world of disease, pain, suffering, and conflict continuing to self-destruct because of our failure to honor God and to love our neighbors. The stewardship of material things may bring to us opportunities, but unless we frame those capacities with the divine wisdom of our creator and the redemptive message of Christ Jesus our Lord, then we will continue to suffer the consequences of our own delusions of grandeur.

Jeremiah 2:19 pronounces the realities of experience to those who reject God in the midst of material distractions: “Your wickedness will punish you, and your apostasies will convict you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God; the fear of me is not in you, says the Lord God of hosts.”

The challenge for Christians in these days is to follow Christ in the midst of a world clamoring for us to follow everything else. Such a choice will mean the sacrifice of many lesser things in exchange for treasure in heaven. Being a part of the kingdom of Heaven is worth everything. It was worth Christ coming, his dying, and his rising again to make it possible for you. Will you acknowledge Him daily as “the Rock” of your salvation and future?

Ethics and Values in the Workplace

The cultural expectation for ethical decision-making in the workplace is often low. At the same time, new efforts to garner the strength of ethical decision-making into corporate policy and political will are often negotiable in a climate of sensitivity and awareness. As the consumer generally becomes better informed in the process of making value choices relating to products and services, there arises a consciousness of choices bringing opportunity for ethical discussion and attentiveness.

One example is the association of some product manufacturing with child labor abuses. Publicity citing incidences of such abuse typically create political and social debate that ultimately affects at some level the processes being used for making such choices at the level of suppliers and distributors. Those with a conscience about such matters will in turn modify their business decisions to reflect their values.

Equally important is the capacity of consumers to affect the market when they too join in ethical actions relating to marketplace decisions. The “Green” business revolution is coming of age in the growth of industry that reflects positive stewardship toward the environment and in the manufacturing processes utilized. Also evidenced in current trends are choices regarding renewable resources versus non-renewable resource use.

Energy choices that impact the environment negatively may be modified to utilize newer technologies and improved stewardship of the environment. Values education that grows from a theological perspective typically orients an appreciation for creation with the responsibility toward others to multiply “good works” that respect ones fellow human beings and the needs of future generations.

Equally important to the ethics and values exercised in the workplace are those that are sensitive to issues of justice and truthfulness. Market strategies that have as their underlying intent a deception of consumers or an appeal to inappropriate desires or behaviors should be curtailed and effected by the cultural demands for better. A significant reality that must be understood is the “lowest common denominator” of acceptability in practices and actions. In China, tax evasion can carry a death sentence. That fact curtails abuse to a significant degree. Cultural expectations of a rampant consumerism tend to be lowered by the “buyers beware” assumption. Better business practice that provides accurate product claims and presentation, accompanied by a high level of quality and service associated with the distribution and serviceability of the products lead to greater confidence and greater value to the consumer.

Generations of high quality effort could transform the culture to provide a generation of goods that are useful for a lifetime of service and a service mindset that sets standards of excellence that can be multiplied throughout the culture.

When Jesus implied that actions toward “the least of these” were equivalent to actions toward him, it raised the standard for us all. We should be compelled to act in good will and good witness in the workplace and beyond to share an intent to honor Christ as his followers with every opportunity, with every action, and with every future decision.

A Prayer for Newly Elected Leaders

(adapted from Psalm 37)

Heavenly Father,

Today we pray for those have been newly elected to public office to provide leadership to our community, our county, our state, and our nation.

We pray for your truth to guide them in the decisions they will be asked to make in the coming days.

We pray for your wisdom to instruct them and we pray that their trust might be in your perfect leading.

Help them to do good, O Lord.

Help them to live each day in the knowledge of your grace and provision.

Help them to trust in you and to not fret in the face of evil, but to be patient as you handle the conflicts, allowing those who look to you to refrain from anger and wrath and to enjoy great peace in your joy.

Enable them, O God, to know the wealth of your resources as the sustaining provision for each day. Help them to be generous in spirit and action, conscious that your mercies sustain and bless them in such efforts.

May every action taken be pleasing to you, O Lord. For in that measure, we are judged most perfectly.

In times of trouble, may we know you as our stronghold and salvation, our refuge and deliverer. Help each of us to ever trust you, love you, and serve you, O God, as we remember your promise to make our righteousness shine like the dawn, and our earnest pursuit of justice to be like the light of the noonday sun.

Thank you God for reminding us that there is indeed a future for those men and women of peace, to those willing to turn from evil and to do good.

Thank you God for these who have been entrusted with such a responsibility for leadership and may we as a people respect them, and encourage them in all those endeavors that will ever be ordained in your sight as righteous and good and worthy of your blessing.

Through Christ Jesus our Savior, we pray.

AMEN

Renegotiating Church Priorities

Without overt pessimism regarding the “state of churches in America” I begin by suggesting that the time is long overdue for a reevaluation of what priorities should be the central interest of congregations.

Via media, it is implied that the critical issues are the endorsement of influential political candidates in order to sustain “Christian” views in the political arenas of our time. Likewise, of interest are the widespread popularity of “success gospel messages” relating a light touch in regard to the witness of scripture and a “spoon full of sugar” to get the masses interested in what the church might have to say. In the meantime, what is often suggested is in contradiction to the witness of the scriptures, but an idea that has the enraptured interest of the masses because it is what they have been looking for…religion without sacrifice, success in the eyes of the world without accountability to God, and an easy does it frame of relationship that doesn’t ask too much, expect to much, or get too personal in terms of God speaking and leading. After all…we are busy.

On the other hand, we live in a time when encroaching secularization has ruled the day. Every other priority claims the allegiance of time and energy before Christ and the church. Leadership searches among congregations find the pool of prepared and willing workers drying up in the face of overload in the entertainment industry…Too much TV, too much radio, too much telephone, too much internet, too much of the time. The distractions to faith and practice are just too easy to embrace at the expense of everything. Families are lost in the mesmerizing agendas of our society. We are told that to be successful we must achieve in ways that the masses will understand. Bigger is always better. Bigger pocketbooks, bigger net worth, bigger stuff. It means success!

Those ideas carryover into the ideas propagated within the household of faith.
Bigger barns win out over sharing with the needy...bigger buildings with bigger crowds, with bigger bands and bigger screens make for bigger and better worship. Where in the New Testament is that idea? Should we honor God with our best…absolutely, but the reality of our commitment and relationship to Christ is measured by our hearts and actions in obedience to his commands.

When was the last time you heard of churches setting the first priority of ministry as sharing the good news of Jesus? When was the last time you saw a congregation prioritizing loving others in the name of Christ? When was it set in gold that the church should love God and neighbor as the basis for all their ministry? Rarely do we find such priorities in actual use of time and resources and capacities. We have lost a sense of congregational worship, congregational ministry, congregational evangelism, and congregational service. Instead, we have instituted a clergy-based, specialist-led, ministry-by-professional mentality. Christ calls every believer to invest themselves in the kingdom of God. Christ calls every believer to know the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. Christ calls every believer to use their God-given gifts in service to Him. Christ calls his church to bear witness to the nations…all of them…to people everywhere of every culture-group and language. Christ calls the church to use every resource to carry out a divine mission. It is a mission that requires all of us engaged and sharing and working and witnessing and living in Christ as His people. The priorities of the church require a movement away from “churchianity” and toward Christ. We must reconnect to the model of Christ as the basis for what we do and say and how we live. It is the need of this hour…of this generation…and of this world that so desperately is starving for direction and purpose and meaning and truth and a Savior. We must point to Christ. We must share His good news. The church must reclaim its identity in the world as people of faith…following Jesus.

The Hermeneutic Task

Christian preaching undertaken by God-called men and women focuses upon the task of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with integrity and intentional discipline in the study and interpretation of Scriptural texts.

Hermeneutics is the academic discipline associated with the interpretation of scripture and the science and methodologies of interpretation. Unfortunately, some participants in the academic aspects of Biblical interpretation are not men and women of faith, and while their input into the interpretative processes of understanding the scriptures may in no way be counter to Christian understanding, there are those who posit opinions and ideas that are not only antagonistic to understanding, but in some ways intentional roadblocks to a broad based attentive reading of the scriptures. In other words, in an effort to be scientific or “empirical” in their analysis of biblical texts, they move from the sphere of theological thought to the sphere of analytical minutiae. That would not be a problem, were it not for those who in turn take the minutiae and move from the focus of biblical interpretation to the culturally popular activity of using scriptural language to promote any number of unscriptural activities and behaviors.

Sound hermeneutics gives attention to time, place, authorship, audience, language, writing style, type of literature, and details of historical context and content focus. It is the big picture that is the important background for the interpretative task and such analyses from a textual-critical approach are welcomed by the biblical teacher/preacher who wishes to speak with integrity in witness and application.

Language is a living entity -- in some ways constantly changing and with words always being subject to varying interpretations of meaning. Nonetheless, the pursuit of knowledge that informs the Christian interpreter in preaching and teaching, will best be led by the Holy Spirit of God. It is a mission to seek and to know and to gain insight from the diligent and searching efforts of committed Christ-followers sharing in community that task of bringing forth the gospel witness to cultures and nations of people waiting to comprehend and receive it. We are called to faith. We are called to a mission. We are called to believe. We are called to study…rightly dividing the word of truth. Such work is best done in prayerful attention to the voice of God speaking to the hearts of those asking, seeking, and finding ….teaching, preaching, and making disciples…for the glory of God.

Seeking and Finding on the Spiritual Journey

Many individuals searching for insight in spiritual matters head directly to the local bookstore and its seemingly never-ending offerings. Today’s book markets are filled with the latest eye-catching and easily digested tomes regarding leadership, success, and overcoming your latest problem (i.e. divorce, finances, or rebellious children). The problem most people have is sorting through the “rich offerings” to find something that truly meets their need or offers insight for their personal situation. I find it interesting that if you search out the credentials of some writers in the area of finance that their most significant financial skill was finishing ninth grade algebra. Others come from unrelated fields to speak to issues with which they seem to be only vaguely familiar, even after 200 pages of graphs, charts, and factoids gleaned from their internet searches.

Another frequently used “source” is the internet where thousands of web-sites present suggestions and opportunities to get lost in the minutiae of your search engines’ exploration. Data is easily available today in multitudes of formats. The question is, does our thinking truly become insightful based on the abundance of opinions we can find represented? It does give us many sides to consider in debate.

Yet another common source is a bona fide “expert.” Medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses, or chiropractors in regard to medicine --- or witch doctors, natural medicine practitioners, or a host of “new age” health gurus or nuts (depending upon your point of view). Surely large corporation CEO’s can tell us the “secret” to financial success…if they only knew our questions that needed answering. But what about spiritual matters?

Do people even want spiritual advice and insight today? Do people reflect on divine principles? Are people interested in God’s way over the world’s way? Does anyone really value the insight of scripture? Of course they do…but the way of discovery is often an odd assortment of steps and faltering starts and even experiences of breaking faith in the midst of finding the way to God.

If you are looking for divine guidance, my suggestion is to slow down the search long enough to stop, put yourself in a place where you can avoid distractions for a time and start talking to God about the needs and circumstances of life that include your questions and your doubts and your fears and your choices….and ask God for help.

Plain and simple as that…ask God to help you; and if you mean it…He will. You don’t have to convince Him or prove to Him anything…just trust Him and ask for His help.

Amazingly helpful answers will come…some soon and some later, but they will come…and some very wonderful opportunities of joy…found in God’s grace and mercy and love…will be a part of your future. Trust God. Keep on learning from Him. He will show you the way. And he may allow a friend, a neighbor, a teacher, a pastor, the Bible, or some other messenger of His word and blessing to speak to your heart with His good news. As you pray…and as you seek His way…be listening…the things you need will be near you…as near as your heart’s door…as you would welcome Him to guide your life as you acknowledge Him as Lord of all.

Something Great for God?

Lincoln is quoted as having said he was disappointed in a certain sermon he had heard because the preacher had not asked him to do anything great for God. As a preacher, it comes to my mind…how often in asking for such are there those interested in doing just that….something great for God?

It is clear that God isn’t in need of our material or physical resources…they all belong to Him in the first place. It is clear that God isn’t in need of our ideas or aims or goals…he has been the inspiration for our own. What is clear is that God calls us to a relationship of faith and a lifestyle of service in His name…and in that context we discover the “greatness” of what we can do.

Jesus said that greatness in the sight of God will be to undertake service to all. That immediately removes the plague of racism, nationalism, sectarianism, or even religious prejudice…in the name of Christ. It calls for a consideration of our calling to serve family and friend, neighbor and stranger, ally or enemy. It is the Jesus way.

No partiality. Love towards all. These are divinely inspired actions toward others with the aim to love with a love that intentionally, purposefully, gives and gives again. It is the Jesus way and it will continue to awe and inspire all of us to follow it…slowly, falteringly, and often poorly…but with an aim to consider in our every action what it means to obey our Lord…and to keep trying, living each day in His mercy…in His grace….in His greatness.

Active Faith

Over the years, theologians have often posed the question as to whether or not James and Paul were opposites in their views of faith. They suggested that Paul reflected upon salvation by grace and James suggested faith would be accompanied by works. Both perspectives have important truths to communicate and should best be understood as opposite sides of the same coin. We are saved by the grace of God and we are called to lives of faith transformed by the indwelling and abiding Spirit of God; therefore we are called to carry out good works in the name of Christ.

Paul wished to emphasize that a relationship of faith in Christ was the basis for salvation not the achievement of a record of good works as an “earned salvation.” James was addressing the concern that Christians not so “spiritualize” their relationship with Christ that they neglected the obvious example of Jesus in ministering to the needs of those near them. Faith is expressed in the acknowledgment of God’s grace and in the earnest desire to share His love. James’ point of view calls for a witness of faith and to faith demonstrated by action. Paul would have certainly commended that perspective as well. Salvation is not by works, but our faith will be the basis for action as we exercise faith, as we live in faith, and as we serve Christ daily.

Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5:16, “…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Good works obviously have a place in the life of every believer. Let the light shine!

The Quiet Way

Gerhart Tersteegen was an apprentice shopkeeper in Mulheim, Germany more than 250 years go. It was a time of extended war (more than 30 years), religious interest was at a low ebb, and there was not a single copy of the Bible or New Testament in any bookshop in Leipzig. Four-fifths of the population had died. Out of this spiritual vacuum, God provided a few embers of His giving which led to the revival of religion in Germany and later in England. One of those “lights” was the humble ribbon-weaver, Gerhart Tersteegen. Poor health forced him to a quiet and isolated existence in a small cottage. After coming to faith and the discovery of God’s peace for his life, Tersteegen brought that small cottage to become a place of frequent spiritual counsel and often twenty or thirty people each evening waiting to speak to Gerhart about their spiritual condition. His insights were many and when he preached, often four or five hundred would gather at his cottage to hear him. Even the king, Frederick the Great, summoned him to the palace for spiritual counsel and conversation.

Tersteegen’s advice was simple. You are a child of God. Withdraw from outward things. Pray, and you will make contact with God, the source of your being.
Forget yourself. Look to God. Die to your own will, live for God’s will and you will know true life.

In one of his letters he wrote, “I believe that in the eyes of God there are really only two sets of people on earth: the children of the world in whom love of the world rules, and the children of God into whom the love of God is poured by His Holy Spirit; and that, apart from this, God pays no attention to any difference or name.”

Tersteegen’s reflections encourage us with the powerful reminder that there is no life worthy of living apart from Christ. He called us “to live wholly for God”, reminding us to follow “the teaching and life of Jesus by His Spirit.” Tersteegen spent little time focusing on particulars of doctrine or denominations…he wrote, “For love will win in the end, but it will be that pure love of God which is poured out in true fellowship with the Father and the Son in the hearts of those who strive to walk in the light, turning from the shadow to the substance, from the outer to the inner, and from all multiplicity to the one thing needful. This alone brings us union with one another and peace with God.”

(Adapted from “The Quiet Way,” Selections from the Letters of Gerhart Tersteegen. Translated by Emily Chisholm. London: The Epworth Press, 2nd Edition, 1953.)

Fog or Fear?

There is strong evidence that much of the emotional malaise suffered by individuals is the result of environments that condition us to isolate ourselves and to permeate our minds with negative images and information that is capable of creating mental and physical debilitation.

Constant news images of death, murder, and mayhem create minute to minute anxiety for many whose concern for safety begins to be radically elevated, more by perception than reality. Following the events of 9-11, thousands of Americans reported elevated anxiety, difficulty sleeping, a sense of dread and fear.

Many children and youth today are inundated with the images of violence propagated on media from computer games to cartoons to soap operas and television dramas. The constant exposure to distorted realities is a threat that continues to be relegated to the pages of sociological research journals, but which repeatedly appears linked directly to higher incidence of suicide, teen violence and Columbine styled tragedies and “copy-catting.”

Emotional rage has gained a footing as an expected outcome of heavy traffic patterns and less than polite drivers. Widespread weapons proliferation and excessive drug availability continues to promote climates of hostility and criminal assault. The majority of those in prison today are there because of drug related crime.

Whether we ever get a grip on reality in this generation may be a small part of the larger question of whether we can understand that we live our lives in the midst of multitudes in “an altered state” brought about by substance abuse and ever increasing levels of socially induced emotional trauma.

When will we consider the possibility that life is worth living in delight and pleasure with a focus on the things God points us toward as His blessings for life? Daily bread, daily labors, daily worship, daily play, daily sharing of the love of God --- can go far to bring us around to the joy God intended us to experience.

Elections

The American system of democracy has long received a benevolent, though seldom scrutinized affirmation by those of us who enjoy its capacity to allow for representative government and personal freedoms enabling free enterprise and extending the opportunity for liberty and justice for all. We value democracy for its strengths and we assume its inevitable capacity to stand as a model of government. Likewise, we presume upon the intelligence of people to embrace it and exercise it as a means of governance of the people, by the people, and for the people.

I love the democratic ideals that such a system of government embraces. What I question at present is the willingness of the people to understand the necessity of their participation in the process of governance and likewise the importance of their encouraging and supporting and participating in the processes of public dialogue, political debate, and personal integrity toward a system of government that requires such a participation in order for it to be effective.
Today, our politics are characterized by character assassination whenever political expedience seems to find it helpful. The 30 second name recognition blurb of media “blitzes” may put someone’s name into the picture, but seldom adequately represents their views or principles regarding political decision-making or public issues.

On the other hand, we have some candidates who run their entire campaigns as single issue politicians whose agenda is not to govern, but to “get their way” in regard to some single matter. When representative government falls into that limited sphere of concern, we too often lose the capacity to find balance or justice in our legislative bodies.

In a time when crisis looms daily on the world scene, it seems to me that there is a reasoned argument that we discover once again a “rebirth of freedom.” Where are those men and women who will stand upon principles of truth and justice to represent the critical interests of mankind on a much broader field than that of single issue policy? Where are those who will not be bought or sold on the marketplace of injustice and persuasion by the ill-gotten gains taken to become special interest peddlers? And when we will see the end of the justice of government being sold to the highest bidder?

A new birth of freedom will demand that the American public rejuvenate their demand for better, in the halls of government and in the quality and character of those who gain political office. In does not take genius to recognize that without a willingness of the greater public to regain an interest and willingness to participate in the political process that the health and future of our system of government stands in jeopardy.

It is not too much to ask that the people of our nation respect their privilege to vote, to ask questions, to seek justice, to instigate and participate in public dialogue for the improvement of their lives and for the benefit of the world in which we exercise such influence.
I love America, but as a Christian, with a citizenship also in heaven, I discern the time for more salt and light if we are to see the United States of America continue to be a respected model of freedom for the world. The world is watching what we will do to preserve our freedoms. These battles for liberty begin in the hearts and minds of those who respect their personal responsibility to ask, seek, and find those who will lead with integrity and truthfulness, with respect for their fellow man and with a view to responsible leadership that aims to build for a future generation and a world of greater justice and righteousness before God.

As the words from the prophet Micah remind us: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” [Micah 6:8 NRSV]

Foreign Policy

This week has brought a wave of national media attention to the grief of many who suffered the loss of loved ones in the attacks of September 11, 2001. Some marked the occasion with somber words and speeches of sorrow relived and ongoing. Some have marked the occasion with a call for renewed vigor for war efforts against those who practice a strategy of terror across the globe.

I am not an original thinker when I say this, but I believe we must recognize the necessity of confronting our own cultural insulation to the plight of the world in which we live. America is a great country of freedom, but the nations of the world in which we so often inject our influence do not always understand our culture or our aims or our vision for democracy across their lands. Some people do not begin to understand the reasons for our presence in their midst, but they do understand the pain of war, the suffering of continuing conflict and the sense of helplessness that confronts them on a daily basis as they try to exist in the midst of a war zone.

I do believe we have an obligation as citizens of a great land of opportunity and in contrast to the world…extravagance, to remember again what it means to be accountable as a nation of freedom for exercising that freedom with a respect for others who choose other forms of government different from our own. Nomadic peoples rarely organize across large territories with centralized government; it simply does not make sense to them in meeting their needs. Large historic family groups led by their own family leaders seldom extend their hand into other nation’s concerns when they are peacefully and happily ruling their own family bodies.

When America has injected its Big Brother presence into such situations, we rarely bring much beyond a temporary solution. Our long term strategies fail because we assume our cultural context will “sell” in this new place we have gone to bring “our way of life” to others. Americans do have a great blessing in the freedoms we share, but our problem is trying to transport it with force into the lives of others who are not “there” in their own perceptions or desires.

Settling the issues of generations of people groups who have been in conflict is equally baffling. We are not without “resolve” when we choose to exit a situation in which our continuing presence only increases hostilities and conflict. Winning is not the issue at this point. Nation-building is not possible from the position of the presence with the biggest guns -- it must derive from the hearts of the people.

I believe God gives us a responsibility to share with peoples of every nation, but in a way that reflects the love of God. Until we are ready to sacrifice as a nation in order to be stronger in faith and in our witness to the love of Christ, we will neglect to be more intentional in our own understanding of our world, and we will continue to be perceived as intruders and exploiters. Continuing to insist that a military withdrawal is “defeat” may mean suffering the consequences of pride that betrays any real sense of justice or freedom.

Death by Lack of Discipline

“For human ways are under the eyes of the Lord, and he examines all their paths.
The iniquities of the wicked ensnare them, and they are caught in the toils of their sin. They die for lack of discipline, and because of their great folly they are lost.”
Proverbs 5:21-23 (NRSV)


To die for lack of discipline is a tragic epitaph. We might conclude quickly that the instances of such are readily evident in our world, among our acquaintances, and even noted among those we have as family, neighbors, or close associates. The “lack of discipline” refers to the unwillingness of an individual to be taught and then to apply what they were taught to their personal living.

Mothers teach their children not to run into the street into oncoming traffic.
The failure to learn can be deadly. In similar ways, the instruction of God is offered to enable us to live…to have abundant opportunity for life’s joys and blessings. God’s intention toward us is ever to redeem, to save, to offer life for all who are willing to be “disciplined” with the love of the living God. Disciplined living engages a relationship of learning. It comprehends the benefits of relating to God in order to receive instruction and guidance and provision for our days. The nature of life as God extends his mercy and grace toward us is ever intended to show us the way to an everlasting hope through the conscious, willful decision to renounce sin and to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ and His way for living. To be disciplined in Christ is to learn how to love and how to live.

Personality

Psychologists often consider personality the resulting linkage of biological matter determined by genetics and the multitude of environmental factors that bring about our education and experiences. Personality traits or tendencies are then grouped by types or descriptive uniformities. Often further assumptions and “predictions of behavior” are based upon the general characteristics associated with certain personality “types.”

Christians often “baptize” popular psychology regarding personality in an effort to stimulate conversations about common patterns of response notable in the general population. Others adopt a pattern of identifying “personality types” that hold similarities with certain biblical figures. As interesting as that might be…the reality is this-- every human life is granted uniqueness before God. Every human life is precious and valued by God. Every human life is made possible by the grace and provision of God. Every element of creation is made possible by the action of God and therefore every person has the amazing opportunity to live life in relationship to their creator. That ability will always and forever supercede the attempts of anyone to identify our “lowest common denominators” or to begin to consider the expanse of capacities given by God to those whom He loves.

The point is simply this. Your personality …your life…your attitudes and actions may bring glory to God by way of your embarking on a journey of faith and a life of joy trusting and seeking the way of God through faith in Jesus Christ, your Savior and Lord.
The person you have the capacity to become is never restricted or restrained or prevented from being all that God would have you to be, when you understand that every measure of your life is meant for the glory of God. Each of us will uniquely be able to accomplish with God the things for which we have been created to accomplish. With God…never without Him…we can be all that we can be.

One of the tragedies of our time is the limited number of genuine conversations that we are able to engage in during the course of any given day. Our abilities to communicate seem to have fallen to a new low in recent days with most forms of literature and educational programming adapting to an ever declining number of words and images to “make their claims” and “promote their causes.”

Language has the unique capacity to bridge many divides, whether cultural, social, or ethical as we consider the capacity of our language to communicate meaning and understanding to others. Our problem lies in our growing inability to communicate at all. The nature of our conversations has become an ever smaller number of words, frequently misused or misunderstood in light of unknown meanings. The passage of prose taken from a book fifty years ago may need radical restatement today in order to even have a hope of being understood today by the average reader.

Educators note a “dumbing-down” of the common language we use. Our conversations are less “littered” with description and adjectives that provide meaning and nuances of tone and intention. Our ability to understand is often muddled with such inadequacies of speech. Ideas and beliefs deserve words that speak well and wisely. Movements and causes and principles and calls for response deserve to be undergirded with the insights and comprehension of those who fall into step behind them.
Our time for conversations is being sapped by multi-tasking distraction-laden interruption and the sacred occasion of worship or even a family shared meal is fast becoming a rarity rather than the norm.

To converse is to exchange thoughts and ideas. It is to engage one another in the complementary task of sharing ourselves and in turn better understanding one another.
Ours is a world of narrowing demands and wide intolerance. It is a world of weak diplomacy and outrageous war-mongering. It is a time of loneliness brought about by a failure of a generation to retain the capacity for social communication with family, friends, and neighbors. It is a season of suffering brought about by misunderstanding, poor use of language, and mistaken ideals gleaned from sound bites of interpreters of those who lived and spoke before us.

Words are very much with us in our daily lives, but we have lost the ability to value them for their capacity to enrich our relationships to the persons with whom we share this world. If we are media oriented, visual learners, we must not abandon the vocabulary and the settings that will allow us to become something more than parroters of pre-programmed persuasion. We need the words and the voices of those who will enlarge our understanding rather than diminish it. We need the power and wisdom of those who will engage in the battle for peace through words before bombs and guns become the only sounds heard. We need the minds of those who have great gifts to share to be opened with the capacity of language to embrace new thoughts and dreams and visions for the future. Let us pray for ears that hear, that have heard, and that are still listening.

Defining Christian Identity - part 2

(This is a series of articles relating to the defining characteristics of Jesus-followers.)

Repentance and Faith

In our last discussion we talked about what it means to “Choose Christ.”
In acknowledging him as the one we desire to follow, we likewise comprehend
the necessity of repentance and faith when we hear Jesus’ call to follow him.
To repent of our sins is to be conscious of our need of forgiveness and to ask for it.
Christians receive forgiveness and they intentionally turn from their sin to the life God enables them to experience through Christ as their Lord. That commitment to follow Christ is a decision of faith. Faith is trusting the promises of God as they relate to us personally and in community. We follow Christ and in doing so forsake our sin and in turn, act in faith and obedience to the will of God. This awareness of God’s will is best revealed in Christ and his modeling of life. Jesus’ teaching instructs us in the way of living that brings glory to God. That is the aim of those who follow Jesus and who live in His grace and love.

Times and Seasons

Everyone is a Fundamentalist somewhere on their Christian journey. It’s sad that so many get stuck there and fail to recognize a significant level of Christian maturity and spiritual growth because they in effect fossilize their spiritual development without ever recognizing the benefit of knowledge, understanding, maturity, and a Christian faith that embraces the teachings of Jesus in their fullness. That is not to say that many on the highly educated and obviously “sophisticated” end of the spectrum have any higher degree of relationship to Christ, but it does come to bear upon the nature of a “wide” road version of Christian faith as embraced by the masses in comparison to a “narrow road” challenge described by Jesus for those who would take up their cross daily and follow Him.

Today’s headlines are filled with the news that makes “Armageddon” timetable prognosticators salivate. But the fact that there are always wars and rumors of wars does not change for past generations or our own. The nature of a cultivated “enthusiasm for ending the world,” too often strangles the spiritual development of individuals who in their concern for the preparing for the last day, fail to live all their days in response to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Much of our modern cultural religion has little to do with the essential elements of the gospel of Jesus. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Multitudes are there today…lost. In the mad dash to the next “new thing,” herds of well- intentioned seekers grasp to redefine their identities, to reorganize their confusion, to reinvent themselves according to new trends and styles…all for the sake of self-acceptance and a mistaken notion that to be happy with themselves is the ultimate endgame for life.

Few theologians who are writing today find a market for biblical studies that teach what Jesus taught. Instead the media hype drives campaigns and marketing schemes for everything from evangelistic outreach to baptism counting. The latest books pattern themselves after the culture rather than calling for the culture to discover in Christ the radical renewal that it so desperately seeks.

Fundamentalism as a force in the world today comes in all theological brands. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity share the “curse” that in some forms dictates to the masses instructions by a few who knowingly manipulate their theology and interpretation of religious principle to fit their very often selfishly motivated and frequently corrupt aims.

Building religious “systems” of thought upon false foundations is a sad reality of the times. Many personality worshippers fail to worship the person of Christ. Many new-age thinkers mitigate Christianity to the veritable “soup” of multi-religious presence and influence in their “frame” of reference. Many “Gospel” preachers proclaim prosperity and pop psychology as the keys to understanding God’s will. Unfortunately, there are many sheep without a shepherd and many with a shepherd are dissatisfied with those that aren’t “itching their ears” with the things that they like or already believe.

So do we despair or do we persevere? The saints will move in faith toward the future of God’s providing. The opportunity to express a call for discipline by disciples of Jesus is not an empty effort. Some will hear and some will learn and some will pursue the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. It may be a remnant, or a multitude, but it will be by the leading of God in the hearts and minds of those who love Him and seek to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Fundamentally, the facts are clear, Christian witness must be renewed among the believers or our voice will be lost in the cacophony of voices bearing influence in our world today. At the same time, “what” we talk about must begin to reflect a Christ-centered focus for life over-against a checklist of cultural oppositions that “define what we are about” in the eyes of the world.

Jesus called us to “let our light shine.” It is time for repentance and faith. It is a time for learning from the Teacher, the “author and finisher of our faith.” It is time for attentive believers to teach and make disciples, not to ignore the opportunities to stand as a witness to the world of God’s truth. That truth is good news because it is the truth of God’s provision of salvation, not his desire to bring condemnation. When we condemn all manner of persons and opinions and behaviors, we do so at the expense of failing to demonstrate the love of Christ for sinners everywhere. Are we called to promote sin?-- Of course not. Are we called to proclaim repentance and faith in Christ? -- Absolutely. People know they are sinners…by the power of the Holy Spirit of God revealing to them their condition. Our call is to lift up Christ for our world to know and to trust and to believe in. Will the greater sin of our generation be unbelievers rejecting Jesus or will it be Christians turning sinners away from Jesus by their failure to reflect His love?

When Paul commended Timothy to “study” it meant to exert efforts to learn, to explore, to commit oneself to the task of discovery in the context of proclaiming this good news of our Savior. The scriptures are filled with insight for life and living which is not to be foreign or neglected by those who seek to be “approved unto God.”

Fundamentalism with its adamant demands for conformity, with its quick and easy answers to many of life’s hardest questions, and with its persistent note of contention with all that differs from its harshly defined “perspective of the day” may win the hour for those who want their faith to come in small doses, easily pocketed and seldom practiced; but in the end, the truth of Christ will change true believers into more than religious monsters at war with one another over theological minutiae. Instead, the heart of Jesus will become the source of transforming the minds of the believers who love Christ and serve Him. Love will never end. The love of Christ will outlast all the bitter strivings and circumstances of any generation that seeks to manipulate the structures of faith to serve lesser gods. The Lord reigns … forever. Thanks be to God.

Forget Not

Often translated “neglect,” the idea of forgetting is often connected to actions or behaviors that too often are abandoned at the cost of lost relationships, abandoned responsibilities, and failure to learn. The extent of neglect is ever-growing in our day, but as Ecclesiastes reminds us, “there is no thing new under the sun.”

The Psalmist declares his commitment in Psalm 119:16b, “I will not neglect your word.” His commitment to the scriptures and the revelation of God is recognized as an important concern for daily attention in order that by focusing upon God’s word to us we might not sin against Him. God has given us instructions that are to be “fully obeyed.”
They are important for our knowledge, our meditation, our living and our thinking.

Paul reminded his younger protégé in ministry with these words, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you…put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress” (1 Timothy 4:14-15 NRSV). Every spiritual gift which is ours to share is a daily stewardship of our capacities and opportunities for serving our Lord. These gifts should not be neglected or under-utilized.

The writer of Hebrews noted the importance of encouragement of one another in the community of faith. He wrote, “And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NRSV). Sharing together requires being together and that requires our commitment of time and presence.

As Moses challenged the people of Israel before they entered the Promised Land, he told them, “Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NRSV). We would do well to remember that our God does not forget us. Let us trust Him, follow Him, and serve Him faithfully.

Running with Patience?

Hebrews 12:1 calls us to “…run with patience the race that is set before us,…”
In examining the translation closely, we find other meanings for the word for “patience,”
namely -- endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, and perseverance.

The idea of patience stands in the minds of most of us as a simple “waiting,” “marking time” or “standing by.” Yet, to couple the thoughts of running a race with those ideas of static inaction, we find they do not fit together at all. Our call to run the race of faith is to be about the constant pursuit of that “high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” It is no mission for the fainthearted. It does require “waiting on the Lord” but not in the sense of the passage of time, but rather in the sense of being ready to serve our Lord at every instant.

“To wait upon the Lord” in the King James Version language sense is to take the Old English meaning and apply it ….we are to be “waiting on” in the sense of service and to meet the needs presented to us in response to God’s directives and call. Waiting “for” something is to anticipate a future event and many Christians are spending their days waiting for the Lord’s return, all the while neglecting to be “waiting on” the Lord’s bidding…to teach, to preach, to make disciples, to heal, to cast out evil spirits, to share love, to show kindness, to demonstrate compassion, and to be peacemakers. As long as we wait…without waiting upon the Spirit of God, we will do nothing. With God, nothing will be impossible as He leads. Patience is not about standing around…it is about running with God.

Defining Christian Identity - part 1

(Part 1 of a series of discussing what characteristics identify a Christian Believer)

There are many books of systematic theology that outline the doctrines of Christianity in carefully crafted efforts to organize and describe the relationships defined by the biblical texts and the aspects of faith and practice described therein. I am not attempting such an expansive effort, but I am intrigued with the possibility of presenting a handful of thoughts relating to the matter of identifying Christians in the world today. My suggestions are intentionally not so broad as to include everyone who gathers under the banner of Christian identity in the culture in which we live, but I would suggest that there are defining relationships that offer significant insight into the lives of those who are Christian Believers.


TO CHOOSE CHRIST

Christians exercise their God-given capacity to choose to be followers of Jesus Christ. It is a matter of the will. It is a matter of the mind. It is a matter of the heart. It is a response to God’s invitation to grace, forgiveness and life.

To “call upon the name of the Lord” with sincerity and truth is to regard, to value,
to expect, and to trust. To have hope in God is to place confidence and faith in Him and to act in obedience to His instruction and truth, from the heart of one who expresses faith in God.

Disciples of Jesus desire to follow Him by their decision to walk in faith in the way of His leading.

Where Are Your Lost Abilities?

I heard a college educator recently suggest that you could ask a roomful of kindergarteners about what they could draw and they all would likely assume they could draw anything. You could ask them if they could sing or dance and they all would quickly make an effort to do just that. On the other hand, he noted if you asked a roomful of adults to draw or sing or dance, they often suggested that someone else could do it far better, without ever giving a thought to their own capacities to join in. This educator suggested that one of the great burdens of education was to discover how not to let that happen.

How is it that we diminish our efforts in light of our sense of social acceptance or from fear that our efforts will be less than well received? Might it not be important for us to think and dream and imagine and use our creativity to respond to the needs of the world in ways that we have never given ourselves permission to consider as “our” capacity to influence?

Many have heard the story about the young man who threw the starfish back into the ocean one at a time and when it was suggested that it didn’t matter that he did such a thing he answered by saying, “It mattered to that one.”

Perhaps our abilities, often self-defined as ineffective or limited in capacity, could be the needed investment to bring great changes to the world.

What might happen if significant numbers of Americans began to engage in dialogue and conversation about public policy?. What might happen if a majority of Americans went to the polls and voted in elections for people they really knew or had learned seriously about what they stood for, beyond TV sound bytes?

What might happen if you began to whistle a tune, sing a song, write a poem, tell a story, learn a new skill, or even say thank you a little more often?

What could happen if you would skip television for a week and read books instead? What would fill your mind if you studied your family history, or wrote a letter to a friend, or offered to teach a Sunday School lesson?

What could happen if you would start a personal ministry to bring unchurched children to church every Sunday for the next year?

What might happen if you invested in daily prayer and bible reading and shared what you learned with one other person in some way during each day?

Whenever talents and abilities seem to be presently beyond your grasp, reconsider your mindset as a kindergartener…you could and should develop all your talents and abilities with the joy and enthusiasm that allows you to dream great dreams in light of God’s love and blessings.

A Day to Change Your Thinking

The conscious threats that we consider on a day to day basis are often very localized. We think about getting our children safely across the street to the school bus; we think about reminding our teenager to be extra cautious during his or her first months of driving a car; we remind our elderly loved ones to get their flu shot.

Little can we imagine an experience that has not affected our generation like those who lived through the pandemic of the 1918-19 era. In my first pastorate, I had elderly church members who would speak softly of the losses of their young adult children and teenagers during that time so long ago. Sometimes after a funeral, I would walk past older tombstones with those dates and those years and think…what happened?

It was the flu – a powerfully fast and acute variety that took thousands of lives worldwide. And what we recognize in the cycle of disease patterns across the planet is the potential for a reoccurrence of such an event. In the midst of our own days, we have seen the occurrence of a particular strain of bird flu that has now affected three continents, infected nearly 200 persons and had a death rate of nearly 60%. The only factor that keeps these statistics in check is the fact that bird to human transmission was the only link thus far…but recognizing that the mutation of such a lethal virus often does and may begin to be transmitted from human to human…the dangers are significant.

Last week, our local hospital initiated a request for the ministry crisis team to prepare a plan for such a potential event. The scenarios that could become a part of such a time could take on the proportions of a biblical plague and worse. The healthiest among us and the young adults of our community could be the most lethally vulnerable.

Government task forces working with national and regional health agencies have
opted for token measures of preparedness, but the reality is, if the rate of death is as high as the present bird flu strain … there is no present means to support the treatment or care of large populations of our community and nation. Our local hospital has 68 beds. Where do you put 1000 people in need of ventilators for respiratory support? Presently there are only about 100,000 available nation-wide. Those provisions simply are not accessible in any significant numbers. Quarantine…suspension of school and public meetings, attempting to limit exposures as much as possible would have people taking extreme measures in attempts to protect their families or to meet the immediate physical needs of the day. Meeting basic needs for water and food without exposure to the flu could be almost impossible.

After hurricane Katrina, who could imagine a replay of the chaos multiplied hundred fold or more across the nation and the world? On the other hand…life would go on…day by day…some living, many dying. Mass graves and cremations would likely be occurring on an hourly basis. Ethical decision-making would be linked not to caring for the weakest and most vulnerable, but attempting to save the strongest and those with the potential of living the longest. Seeking the greater good would become the aim of thinking persons in such a time. And for all…the nightmare of surviving such a time might seem to be as difficult as not.

Do you plan for such a thing? Local leaders seeking to create jobs could certainly consider ventilator production as a needed new industry. Thinking of protective strategies for healthy population groups could be essential. Making a way for the treatment of the sick or the care of the healthy would be issues of mind and heart … each person would choose their role in the midst of such a time. Would you be a caregiver? Would you offer your place in line for preventive therapy to another more vulnerable than yourself?

Perhaps we would do well to ask ourselves an even more significant question. Are we prepared to spend our days living them in light of God’s promises for a future with Him, or do we adopt the survivalist mindset that only embraces the momentary and visible as the last gasp to hope for? Personally, I think life is meant to be lived each day in the conscious awareness that it is a gift in the first place --- this hour, this moment, this time…and to God, we can entrust the future…when we place our hope in Him. Some will panic when threatening times seem on the horizon, but some will be prepared. Jesus said, “Those with ears to hear, let them hear.”

AN OPEN LETTER TO MY DAD

Father’s Day, 2006

Dear Daddy,

I just want you to know how much I love you. Your patience and wisdom, your passionate pursuit of your calling as God pointed you to the places and people he used you to minister to, and the strong commitment you made to your family I will always respect and admire.
You have “retired” to a lifestyle that never slows down and I marvel at your untiring efforts to keep going, with or without the health to do so. Please slow down just a bit, so the rest of us can keep up with you. We enjoy your company and want to have the time to be with you more often.

I know you understand better than anyone when I say, church ministry has been full of its challenges and its joys and I marvel at God leading us both to that calling…but I know, you know, it is joy to be in His will. Now if we could just do something about all the Baptists who stopped remembering what that once meant.

If we manage to use up all the days in this world pursuing God’s high calling…I don’t think it will ever be a waste of time. It makes a difference somewhere every day.

Daddy, thank you for instilling in me the desire to do my best and to stick with something and to trust God with every circumstance of life. You taught me the truth and I learned it by your example and love. Have a great Father’s Day. I’ll be preaching and getting ready for Bible School all day, but my thoughts and my love and my prayers will also be with you.

Love,

Ron

From the Marketplace

I read an interesting article describing new innovations in technology for developing countries. Inexpensive technology such as a hand powered pump sold for about $50 could enable a previously destitute group of farmers to adequately irrigate their fields and provide enough food for their families and additional food to sell. The interesting fact is that commercially, with the needs for such basic technology so widespread, it can actually be a profitable enterprise for the manufacturer.

Most of us forget the nature of such basic challenges as moving water from a river to a field, but for much of the world, those matters involve hours of laborious hauling by bucket or barrel, dipping into the streams or rivers and traveling long hours by foot to move that provision of water to the family home. Essential needs remain at the forefront of changing the political landscape and removing the many abuses brought about by poverty and ignorance. To control a population of people by the imposition of restrictions on their access to water or food resources has been and will continue to be the way of many of the world’s dictators and political thugs.

As simple new technologies are made available through the work of communities of faith, dramatic changes can take place. Such work has been seen in many parts of the world as the labors and instruction of faithful servants of God have taught the basics of planting and growing using a system of crop rotation and fertilizing that maintained good soil fertility. Teaching about animal health for herdsmen and offering helpful instruction regarding the care of their animals has done much to rebuild the lives of many. Families and communities have their lives dramatically changed by the provision of a pair of goats or the bringing of clean drinking water to their village via a tube well.

Closer to home, it may be time to rethink getting back to basics in light of our changing economies. Fewer cars, more public transportation, more communities centered around basic services in close proximity may need to be the “wave” of the future. Exercising cooperative efforts that improve the quality of life for others may be a way to find a rejuvenation of our own economies and likewise a lifestyle that incorporates more responsible stewardship of resources.

The golden rule of Jesus’ teaching marks a socially unsettling message of caring about others as much as we care about ourselves. As they say…try it and you might like it. Advice from the Savior of the world seems reasonable to act upon.

Success

The books focused on improving your successes in life are astounding in number and scope. They run the range from “How to Win Friends and Influence People” to any number of “irrefutable laws” meant to guide you in life. Whether preachers or politicians or educators or scientists, the books have been written to connect to the need for improvement and to appeal to everyone’s sense of human limitation and uncertainty.

In other words, human limits and frailty, in all its forms – sells. Untold numbers sell the promise of “bigger, better, more and more often.” The subtle arguments are mixed with the very plain ones. You aren’t good enough without something else. You aren’t going to be successful enough unless you get something you haven’t yet gotten. You won’t have what you want until you see the opportunities you are missing and then you will have the desire to reach higher. The thoughts and suggestions continue until we assume we do need to find out what it is we are missing and then we should chase it with a passion.

I know there are a lot of books with things that appeal to us: “How to clean your house in 30 minutes.” But it won’t work unless your house is already clean or you have a team of 50 to come and attack it in that “half hour.” There are books on “How to travel through Europe on $10 a day” --- that’s an old book, the new ones are $20 or more a day and you better have a grandmother who lives there to make it on that and that doesn’t include the price of getting there in the first place. “How to make your child a genius” is obviously a book that many parents will want to read, but a big part of the “genius” mentality requires both a mental capacity and an environment that stimulates such. It isn’t that there aren’t a lot of individuals able to learn a great deal…what is missing most often is the discipline to apply what we learn to usefulness in the world.

In all of our efforts to follow the “new” and “improved” and “better” road to success, we must recognize that our real need is to define what being successful as a human being is all about in the first place. God offers us insight best understood in the person of Jesus Christ…sent to reveal truth, righteousness, and life in right relationship to God in every dimension. Jesus came with a promise and an invitation for us to discover and embrace the life God would enable us to know. It is a life to be lived “in Him.” It is a life to be lived “following Him.” It is a life to be lived “with Him” … always. That kind of living will mark the only success that will ever really matter to anyone, anywhere, at any time.

So the next time you decide to pursue excellence…consider the most excellent One that we have ever been invited to imitate. Putting Jesus first in your life will allow Him to bring you to true success for everlasting days.

Sexuality and the Church

Embarking on this subject will always raise eyebrows at the very least or raise questions from all corners as to the appropriateness of such a discussion within the context of the Church. It is true that many have assumed that human sexuality has no place being discussed within the faith community as though faith and sexuality have no common ground.

As the scriptures relate God creating males and females in His image, we are put on notice quickly in our reading that sexual matters were very much a part of God’s plan.
In other words, God invented sex and we should embrace such a notion, not run from it.
Where we find people having problems is when the church is far too silent on the subject or when generations of people have suggested by a failure to discuss sexuality that the church should keep its collective voice silent in regard to matters that are at the very least interesting and at most culturally saturating.

Pastorally, matters of sexual relationship and behaviors, good and evil, right and wrong, appropriate and inappropriate --- are always “on the table” in the lives of the people who comprise the community of faith. The issues are many and too often very central to the concerns of members of the church as they relate to children, husbands and wives in and out of appropriate relationship, matters of marriage, remarriage, divorce, dating during widowhood, and unresolved grief in the face of loss as it relates to physical changes, death or separation.

The church cares about sexuality. Parents care about sexuality. Children care about sexuality. Senior adults care about sexuality. At every turn questions should be
answered, information should be shared, knowledgeable resources should be available and intentional discussion ought to be occurring. Too often it does not. Why? There are certainly many reasons -- community mores, ignorance, embarrassment, not wanting to sound like you don’t already know or understand something – but that makes it all the more important for sexual matters to be discussed.

Parents have often struggled to address sexual matters because they have failed to answer questions at teachable moments. It is often far easier to sidestep the questions with remarks like “I’ll explain when you’re older.” It has been more than once the subject of television comedy to have parents attempting to discuss sexuality with their children. And to be honest, some parents have very “warped” attitudes about sexuality.

Recently I heard an eighth grade Sunday School teacher give a three minute summary of some long before taught Sunday School lesson. He summarized by saying…1,2,3 or its not for me. One…it is between a man and a woman. Two…it is pleasing to God as he describes it should be in scripture… Three…it is in a relationship of marriage. 1,2,3 or its not for me… It seemed to be a point well made with the youth who were the audience.

I remember distinctly the 6th grade boys and girls at my school being separated and the day before being given notes to have signed by our parents for a local physician and a nurse to come and talk to us about the facts of life. My parents signed. I went.
We saw charts and diagrams on an overhead projector. For all I could tell from that hour of explanation, sexuality looked like it had something to do with plumbing, large basketballs and darts. When we were asked if we had any questions, all 200 of us remained very silent -- just like we were at church, only quieter.

As time passed, discussions of matters like “where do babies come from” did occur and more light was given to the processes involved. The truth is most people struggle to gather that knowledge from a host of places, many of which are not well geared to giving a moral, ethical, and Christian point of view about the subject.

Too many youth today have not been educated regarding matters of human sexuality. We need to voice the truth that sexual relationship demands responsibility. The capacity to be responsible for “bringing life” into the world should also mean being prepared to fulfill that role. The need for an environment of support and care and nurture, best accomplished by a mother and father present and involved in the lives of their children for all the years of their growth and development is an essential truth that should be clearly described and modeled. As prevalent as divorce is, it is not now and never will be a quick and easy solution for anyone who faces the responsibilities of parenting and such decisions bring complex and continuing struggles for generations of children.

Health issues today are clearly obvious reasons to educate our community regarding sexual practice. The extremely high incidence of sexually transmitted disease in an environment of sexual promiscuity is a prescription for long term health disasters affecting countless individuals. At the same time, recognizing the bounds of appropriate sexual relationship as a “1,2,3 or its not for me” opportuntity for healthy, joyful, marital union is a clear winner in the health and family categories of what is best for all involved.

In a community with dozens of unwed mothers; in a place where we have voice and influence to be heard, the church needs to stand and speaking the truth in love, let the joy of Christian sexuality in the context of responsible, God-honoring, marriage relationships be described and affirmed. For every unwed mother, there is also a man failing to meet the responsibilities of appropriate sexual conduct and relationship. There are no double standards in the sight of God. Christian relationships…in the church, in the home, and in the context of sexual expression will go far to build the hopeful future so many are looking to find.

There is so much more to be said…but for now, as a community of faith, let us resolve not to be so silent.

Finding Common Ground

The church in today’s world often struggles at the point of engagement. In our secular culture, the church frequently falls silent as an influence of salt and light in the midst of a society burdened with the frequency of demanding voices and unsettling demands for our attention. It is true that few can reasonably expect to compete with Broadway, the Vegas Strip, and Wall Street for the attention of most people who are wholeheartedly absorbed into the popular culture of American Idols, Jeopardy, and Deal or No Deal. Every relationship seems to be a bartered or brokered connection with paybacks or rewards determined at the expense of those who lose. Even within the church, the mindset of many is to associate matters of worship or discipleship as items on the inventory of “to be done” or “left undone” based on personal time availability – determined by the cultural demands of the moment. Golf outweighs witnessing every time. Baseball practice consistently wins over choir rehearsal. And ACC Basketball for sure outweighs Sunday night worship. Jesus said it would be harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Heaven help us all if the opportunity comes only on a sunny day. The lake, the river, the mountain, the ballgame, the “something else” will surely come as an option. Do we dare stop long enough to listen to God?

Numerous appeals are made from time to time to change the schedule of worship. The idea of different times is not the real issue. The concern is for convenience. The issue is participation level … when the competition is not so great. Perhaps we could appeal for Tuesday noon abbreviated services on a bi-monthly basis as a culturally accepted time to honor our God?

The ability of those in our generation to attend to God at any time is challenged constantly. The need however is a common one. We need God. We need hope. We need salvation. And our need is answered by God’s love. Our urgent effort to find an identity and meaning in all our searching or the attempt to turn off our self-made despair by distraction and self-medicating ourselves into stuporous states of existence remains common. People are desperately looking to make sense of the lives they live and without receiving the gift of God, they fail to find it.

Our common ground is our common need of God’s grace, forgiveness, and love to guide us. His instruction is life-giving. Why else would we accept the rebuke and call to repentance of our Lord and still desire to keep following Him if it were not Truth that spoke with power and brought positive effect for our future. In the sending of His son to be our Savior, God initiated the way of hope for us all. Appealing to our common misguided attentiveness to things is not the place from which life will be renewed. Awakening to the God who loves us is.

National Day of Prayer

This week marks an observance on Thursday of a National Day of Prayer. The date has been changed from that first on set on February 19 in 1795 by President George Washington, but in general, the intention of such a day should be understood to be a day of thanks to God for his blessings and a call for clear recognition that such gifts of prosperity as we know are not to be taken for granted nor expected apart from an attention to God’s leading and an earnest desire to share such benefits with “the whole family of mankind.” Washington penned a thanks and call to prayer for “Liberty with order;” aims to seek the “preservation of our peace, foreign and domestic;” and the recognition that our nation should be “more and more a safe and propitious asylum for the unfortunate of other countries;” to encourage habits of “sobriety, order, and morality and piety;” along with avoiding any thought for supposing ourselves worthy of such blessings if we abused them or were ungrateful for them.

Strangely, the National Day of Prayer has been somehow endowed with political overtones in our own generation to suggest that some people have a better angle on praying for the “right stuff” over others. Even some religious leaders are suggesting that only certain political policies are receiving airtime on National Day of Prayer event promotions. Others are utilizing the day as a day to call for Christians to “fight” for their right to pray, because evil forces aim to take away that right. Still others suggest that by participating in certain Day of Prayer events, we will win the day in the eyes of our political leaders to let them know what we think and what we believe.

Curiously, I question whether or not any of the above qualifies as a prayer. Even old President Washington, for whatever political mileage he might have gained to declare such a day for our nation, remains far removed in his remarks from such a perilous suggestion that by praying we will “show our power” or “get our way.” In fact, Washington stated clearly that such treasures as were established and known in the context of our Nation were gifts of God and were gifts that required a stewardship of purpose and an aim to acknowledge and give thanks to God for allowing them to be a part of our experience. Today, we seem to think we can improve our status by image consciousness without any concern at all for honoring God.

The truth is a National Day of Prayer only scratches the surface of what I know most people are praying about. When you are facing a major heart surgery, or a cancer diagnosis, or enduring the death of your spouse…politics are not the order of the day. When you are homeless or jobless or an unregistered “alien” your concerns are not for lofty words that call for battles against anyone. Your heart cry is to God who sees and knows and understands every circumstance of your life. Your appeal is to the One who alone can supply the needs of the hour. Whether you are one with a sick child or a broken family relationship, or one bowed down with the troubles and trials of every day, or one suffering with the fears and pains that disturb our souls, let us bow before our Maker in humble plea and pray.

Make this day…a day of prayer. Make every day…a day of seeking God’s will above all others. Make your prayer…the truth of your heart…freely shared with the Lord who loves you and calls you to be his own.

Taking Care of Business, Before You Go…

Year ago, I wrote my doctoral dissertation on aging. After decades of pastoral ministry and many personal experiences with families facing the advanced aging of their loved ones, I have a few suggestions, gleaned from the words of many who have shared their experiences that might be helpful.

Be prepared. More than Boy Scouts need to “be prepared” -- for change, for crisis, for physical, spiritual, and emotional challenges. Most women will outlive their husbands by seven years and such statistics should cause men to consider the financial resources their spouses would need to be cared for after their death. Choosing life insurance and options at retirement that consider a spouse benefit may be critical to meeting those needs.

Start by discussing your wishes about everything with family members. Write down as much as you can and entrust that information to others near you. If you have wishes regarding your funeral arrangements, accept limitations of time, distance, resources, and even the people you wish to preside --- you may outlive them.
Pre-planning and pre-paying for funeral expenses can relieve your family of that responsibility and help them to avoid being challenged by differences of opinion amongst siblings or other relatives in regard to selections. Your local funeral director will gladly assist you in this process.

Anticipate health changes by identifying a Power of Attorney for Health Decisions which you name and identify before severe illness or the inability to make medical decisions occurs. This person should be someone you trust and who has the ability to make conscientious decisions on your behalf. State clearly any wishes you have regarding organ donation to family members and include such information in the documents you carry on your person. Your personal attorney and physicians offices should also be informed and can advise you if you have questions in this regard.

Anticipate changes that may require assistance with financial matters. Identify someone with Power of Attorney for business matters who can handle your bill-paying, taxes, and matters relating to your possessions, accounts, and property. Again, this should be a person who you can trust to carry out these responsibilities effectively and with your best interests in mind.

Banks and accounting firms can often be of assistance in helping with these matters. Many regular bill-paying functions can be handled via automatic payments from your accounts if there are sufficient resources to draw upon. Contact your local bank or credit union for assistance in establishing these types of arrangements.

Late life transitions become increasingly difficult if you have large quantities of material goods to attend to. Distributing possessions to those you wish to have them, making intentional efforts to reduce the logistical challenges of large collections or years of gathering things may allow you to be a great blessing to others by your channeling those resources and possessions in appropriate ways. Consider gifts of books to libraries or family members. Consider your extensive furnishings and the necessity of “down-sizing” should assisted living or nursing home arrangements be required. Value your opportunity to be a “giver” while you have the means and mind to make those decisions before someone else is required to make them for you.

Consider including a tithe of your estate in your will directed to your church and its ongoing ministry.

If you have appreciated stock holdings, take early advantage of tax benefits that allow you to distribute appreciated stocks at full value as charitable contributions without the penalties of capital gains taxes and with the full contribution value directed to the charity of your choosing. This can be a win-win way of maximizing your use of available resources.

If you have outlived your spouse and desire to leave resources to your children or grandchildren, consider trusts at least 5 years before you anticipate needed advanced care options. Trusts that are less than 5 years old often are scrutinized differently if consideration is being made for Medicaid options for nursing care.

Buy a $5,000 paid up life insurance policy. It is excluded from “counted income”
in connection with many state Medicaid programs.

Establish a $5,000 savings account marked as “for funeral expenses.” Again, it is excluded from being counted in connection with Medicaid programs.

Write down the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all those contacts your children, grandchildren or care-givers need to have should you be suddenly incapacitated. Include your pastor, physicians and what type, all medical care providers, all pharmacys you use and prescription medications you take currently, the names of your attorney, bookkeeper, accountant, or tax advisor. List all accounts of banks, safe deposit boxes, and the location of your will.

Advise as to your wishes and state them in a living will, a power of attorney document, and medical power of attorney document, along with your will and any related statements of your wishes. Share this information as appropriate with your family, your physician, and your attorney.

Identify whom you wish to serve as executor of your estate. Name that person and alternates in your will. Identify all properties owned, investment accounts, location of savings bonds, location of weapons, and ammunition. Add trigger locks to all guns for protection of your family members and household guests.

Identify your favorite things and what you wish to keep near you if possible in an alternative housing / living situation. Be flexible, some situations are more limiting than others due to health and cost requirements.

Make all insurance policies of all types, with account numbers readily available.
Place all deeds to property, titles to vehicles, and any required documentation related to businesses or memberships, clubs, etc available and clearly marked for access by those you trust to supervise financial and legal matters. If you have hidden stashes of cash, get it out of the freezer, foot-locker or hole in the ground and take it to the bank.

Make responsible changes when needed and do not postpone needed adjustments…it only makes them more difficult. If you need hearing aids, get them. If you need cataract surgery – get it. If you need to change your living arrangements for your safety and well-being – do so, and preferably before such changes are “forced by circumstance.” If you need medical attention – get it. If you need dental care --- ask for it. If the home you live in is one you can no longer maintain or keep clean – consider other options within your means.

Families often share the load of responsibly caring for aging family members with wisdom, sensitivity and in respectful appreciation of their loved one’s many needs. Even in the best of circumstances, the attention to the above matters will be a great help to those entrusted with care-giving and responsibilities for business and financial matters. Start now to put your “house in order” in order to be a blessing t

Tooth Decay

Teeth are some of the strongest parts of the human body, but they have a capacity to become influenced over time with bacteria and external influences that can undermine their function and effectiveness.

Whether you are spending time reading the side of your toothpaste tube or visiting your local dentist, you are likely to be given the standard drill of brush your teeth aftermeals, floss daily, and if you are the right age rinse with an anti-bacterial agent or decay preventative solution to reduce the effect of decay that can cause cavities.

Un-cared-for teeth can rot, decay, cause infection, heart disease, and a host of other less than pleasing results like bad breath or death depending upon how far you go in neglecting such a basic thing as oral health.

So what happens when you neglect the church, the body of Christ? I am specifically relating to the people who compose this divinely invented community. A church is defined as people of God gathered to fulfill God’s purposes in the world and sent out to influence that world in His name. There is a coming and going to that dynamic that is important. We gather to be equipped for service and we go out to serve.We gather to fellowship and find strength in the gifts of others that bless us and in turn invest our own gifts in the lives of others. We go out from the body to serve in the world as ambassadors for Christ to bring good news in Jesus name.

The failure to attend to spiritual health and to the body of Christ can, like teeth, result in rot, decay, and dis-ease that can yield a multitude of symptoms like poor communication, weak capacities, limited resources, and less than effective coming and going in Jesus’ name to learn, grow, and serve others.

So what’s the cure? Daily attention to spiritual health and regular check-ups with fellow believers who offer care and love and guidance in fellowship with the Lord who heals our diseases, who gives us insight and understanding, and who guides us to wholeness in Him --- in that context you find what you need and the spiritual health that comes with it.

Holy or Not So Holy?

The technology that allows me to prepare this article while at my home, then to email it to one of our members who proceeds to uplink it to our church website so that you may then download it from our website to your computer; and, if you wish, print a copy to read or share with someone else -- is amazing. But in the midst of our “awe” regarding such emerging benefits of internet connectedness, are we living in “awe and wonder” of our God?

The word “holy” implies something or someone “set apart for a divine purpose.”
To be holy is to be dedicated to God’s intention. To be holy is to be “given” to God. To be holy is to be focused upon acting, living, working, playing, feeling, and thinking in ways that bring glory to God. The Bible is inscribed as Holy because it directs us to comprehend the revelation of God…it is thus a Holy Book…in fact a collection of Holy books expounding and transmitting knowledge and testimony and witness to the work of God and the manifestations of God’s working in the world. Holy is an important designation for that which is no longer ordinary and certainly not intended as a label for that which is not committed to God’s purpose. By that definition, we must understand that we are called to be holy…as our Lord is holy. We are called to claim the Holiness of God as a characteristic description of who we are as bound in intimate relationship to Him. We are holy when we act in union with God’s desire and intention. Following Jesus will make you holy. Following the leading of the Holy Spirit will enable you to respond appropriately to God’s call upon your life.

Awe and wonder and worship are the work of the church as a holy priesthood of believers sharing in the mission we have been given by God. A holy identity is to mark who we are as God’s people laboring in His name to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world. It is a holy calling. It is an amazing, awesome, wonderful calling upon our lives. A world of sinners invited to be made holy by the act of God and by our confession of faith and trust in Him who came to save us from our sins. That opportunity transforms us in the power of a resurrected-from-the-dead Messiah. Such new births bring transforming new beginnings to all who call upon His name. A holy life…is it where you are living today? Or perhaps you would say…not so holy? Either way…know Christ makes all the difference in who you will ever be, in what you will ever do that really matters, and in bringing the best future to your experience. Call upon Him to forgive you of your sins, to bring you to an understanding of His purpose for your days, and to become one living a life in Holy obedience and commitment to His purpose.
That is something to be in awe and wonder about forever!